September 2010
Muriel Jean-Jacques, MD
- Assistant Professor of Medicine
- Milton W. Hamolsky Junior Faculty Award for outstanding scientific presentation, SGIM 2009
- Junior student teaching award recipient in February and July 2010
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What are your current research projects?
I am interested in finding ways to deliver preventive and chronic disease care more effectively, especially to patients from racial, ethnic, or socioeconomic groups that tend to have worse health care access and health outcomes in the U.S. I have been working with local federally qualified community health centers on a variety of projects, including implementation and evaluation of an electronic medical record-supported care outreach program to promote colorectal cancer screening in a health care center that serves a high proportion of recent immigrants. Another project is evaluating an outreach program to get patients with diabetes who had fallen out of care back into regular medical care. I am now starting on a project with the Alliance of Chicago Community Health Services and Erie Family Health Center to evaluate a set of provider and patient directed tools within the EMR to promote the use of statins for cardiovascular disease prevention by patients who are at high risk for heart disease. We will be evaluating these tools in a setting that serves a predominantly Latino population since it tends to have the lowest rates of statin use and lipid control.
What’s the best thing about being an internist?
When you are working with GIM patients, there is no "routine." A "routine" annual physical for a seemingly healthy young man is his opportunity to find out what he can do not to end up like his father who died at 40 from a massive heart attack. Taking the time with a frail elderly woman to review exactly when and how she takes what pills may help to prevent a fall and injury at home. While, choosing the right words to describe what an aortic aneurysm is may make the difference between a patient living in perpetual fear of a "ticking time bomb" or feeling reassured that they have something that can be easily monitored and treated when appropriate.
“While others in research work to find new and better ways to prevent, treat, or cure disease, my aim is to help to make sure that the best treatments make it out of the research world into everyday practice and to all segments of the population.”
Tell us more about your background and life outside of work.
I was born in New York, then spent a couple years in Haiti. I went to Harvard for college, Johns Hopkins for med school, and MGH for residency. I did a fellowship in health services research at the University of Chicago where I also got a masters in public policy. After work you can find me at home in Oak Park with my family: 2 year old daughter Naima, 11 month old son Olivier, and husband Seth. Our favorite places to go are the park and the ice cream shop - and we have three of each within easy walking distance! We are big fans of the zoo and spend many afternoons there - sun or snow. My favorite things to do in the city are to run along the lake, go to the outdoor concerts and festivals in the summer, and try out different restaurants.
