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Shana Ratner, MD, FACP, associate professor of medicine in the division of general medicine and clinical epidemiology, and section chief for education and clinical practice, has been selected to receive the 2020 Association of Chiefs and Leaders of General Medicine Leadership Award, to be presented May 6 at the ACLGIM Annual Dinner in Birmingham, AL.


Shana Ratner, MD, FACP, associate professor of medicine in the division of general medicine and clinical epidemiology, and section chief for education and clinical practice, has been selected to receive the 2020 Association of Chiefs and Leaders of General Medicine Leadership Award, to be presented May 6 at the ACLGIM Annual Dinner in Birmingham, AL.

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Shana Ratner, MD, FACP

Ratner will be recognized for her efforts to advance general internal medicine, by leading the division in patient centered care, engaging clinicians, staff and learners in quality improvement, and spreading innovations across the UNC Health Care system, and nationally.

“In her short career, Dr. Ratner has been assistant medical director of our general internal medicine practice, medical director of the practice for 4.5 years, and now section chief,” said Darren DeWalt, the John R. and Helen B. Chambliss Distinguished Professor and chief of the division of general medicine and clinical epidemiology.

“Her leadership inspires rigorous QI, that directly addresses patient concerns, and we have seen dramatic improvement in our patient experience surveys, with improvements across all of our quality measures, consistently year over year. In the context of leading this innovative practice, I believe her effectiveness results from empathy and resolve.”

Ratner helped establish the Patient and Family Advisory Committee, gathering feedback on how the general internal medicine practice could improve. She led the practice’s application for Patient Centered Medical Home Recognition, which received among the highest scores in North Carolina. She also helped start the UNC Primary Care Improvement Collaborative, which has grown from six practices to nearly 60 practices. In 2016, Ratner became the associate director of the UNC Institute for Healthcare Quality Improvement because of her ability to gain results, and teach and inspire others.

“As clinic director, Dr. Ratner created the expectation that all clinicians, staff, and learners are part of the QI process. Staff members from the front desk, nursing, phone room, and clinicians took leadership positions for small and large projects. Students and residents regularly led projects that were smoothly handed off to one another as they rotated on and off outpatient rotations. Dr. Ratner listens to others, to recognize potential and cultivate growth in a wide variety of faculty, staff, and learners.”

Ratner graduated Cum Laude from Brandeis University and received her medical degree from UNC Chapel Hill. She completed her residency and a chief residency year at the University of Chicago. From 2011-2019, she served as assistant professor in the division of general medicine. She served as medical director of the UNC Internal Medicine Clinic from 2014-2019. Since 2016, she has served as associate director of the UNC Institute for Healthcare Quality Improvement. In 2019, she was named associate professor and section chief for education and clinical practice in the division of general medicine and clinical epidemiology.