Health Services Research – About Us

The ECU Department of Surgery Health Services Research Program is a robust and active program dedicated to performing high-impact investigation designed to inform and improve surgical clinical care. Led by William Irish, PhD, the Health Services Research Program is comprised of a core set of surgical faculty from a variety of surgical disciplines, including oncology, trauma and acute care, and transplant surgery. Our team is involved in multidisciplinary and cross-departmental collaborative efforts with members of the Department of Public Health, the Center for Health Disparities, and the Big Data and Analytic Research Cluster. Our investigators have experience in a variety of surgical health services research methods, including epidemiology, comparative effectiveness, clinical outcomes, health care delivery research, and cost-effectiveness studies, among others. In alignment with the Brody School of Medicine mission, our Health Services Research Program is also committed to addressing healthcare disparities among residents in Eastern North Carolina, as well as within the broader U.S. population.