Vascular surgeon, Johns Hopkins professor delivers guest lecture to Liberty students on value-based healthcare

Liberty University’s School of Health Sciences hosted a Grand Rounds Lecture on Thursday afternoon in the Jerry Falwell Library, where a packed room of students heard from renowned vascular surgeon and a public health policy researcher Dr. Caitlin Hicks an Associate Professor of Surgery at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Hicks’ clinical practice focuses on carotid disease, open and endovascular aortic surgery, and complex limb salvage (preservation). Her research interests include the epidemiology of lower extremity disease and value-based care in vascular surgery. She also serves as the Deputy Director for Research at the Welch Center for Prevention, Epidemiology, and Clinical Research, the Vice Chair of Research for the Johns Hopkins Department of Surgery, the Associate Fellowship Director for the Johns Hopkins Vascular Surgery Fellowship, and the Director of the Johns Hopkins Department of Surgery Center for Outcomes Research. Hicks has published more than 300 peer-reviewed publications.

She spoke on her research regarding value-based care in vascular surgery, specifically how healthcare costs have skyrocketed and how she has become a proponent of giving patients preemptive care rather than making them undergo unnecessary surgeries. In her research, she saw that some vascular surgeons were overusing a certain Pulmonary Vein Isolation procedure on patients who did not need such a surgery, allegedly with financial profit as an incentive for the doctors. Instead, Hicks desires to reduce costs through different procedures and healthcare approaches.

Following her lecture, Hicks answered some questions from students and made herself available for conversations when the session dismissed.

“I am thrilled to welcome Dr. Caitlin Hicks to campus, and I am excited to continue our public health research training collaboration with her,” said Dr. Heidi DiFrancesca, dean of the School of Health Sciences. “The overwhelming interest by students and faculty, resulting in some being turned away due to capacity limitations, demonstrates the value of our partnership with the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. At standing room only, I am encouraged by the enthusiasm, eagerness, and curiosity among our students, and I will strive to continue to invite prominent experts in the field.“

Thursday’s lecture came after Hicks was selected as the replacement principal investigator for the partnership between Liberty’s School of Health Sciences and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, taking over responsibilities from Dr. Marty Makary, who was sworn in as commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration earlier this month. The partnership has created a yearlong fellowship for three Liberty Master of Public Health students to learn about healthcare policy reform from leading researchers and advocates.

“I am proud of Dr. Makary being sworn in as the FDA Commissioner, and our MPH students both learned and grew tremendously under his tutelage. However, the hard work of research in public health does not stop,” DiFrancesca said. “Dr. Hicks is a stalwart advocate of health policy reform, underscoring the significance of the partnership that we have with Johns Hopkins. Our students will glean from her expertise and years of experience in this space, and I am eager to continue our work together.”