Som Saha, MD, MPH
Internal Medicine
Highlights
Johns Hopkins Affiliations:
- Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Faculty
About Som Saha
Primary Academic Title
Professor of Medicine
Background
Dr. Saha received his medical degree and post-graduate training in internal medicine from the University of California, San Francisco. He completed post-doctoral training in the Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program (RWJCSP) at the University of Washington, where he obtained a master's degree in public health. Dr. Saha’s research focuses on the influence of race and ethnicity in the doctor-patient relationship, its relation to racial disparities in the quality of health care, and its implications for diversity in the health care workforce. He has been recognized for his work with Herbert W. Nickens Awards from the Society of General Internal Medicine (SGIM) and the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), for commitment to diversity, equity, and justice in health care and medical education. He has served on the governing Council of SGIM, the National Advisory Committee for the RWJCSP, and the advisory committee for the AAMC Holistic Review Project. He also served for 10 years as Chair of the Oregon Health Services Commission and Health Evidence Review Commission, groups charged with prioritizing health services, developing evidence-based guidelines, and guiding coverage policy for Oregon’s public insurance programs. He currently serves on the editorial board for the journal Health Services Research. At Johns Hopkins, Dr. Saha co-directs the Epidemiology course for 1st-year medical students, co-leads the Clinical Research concentration within the JHUSOM Scholarly Concentrations course, co-directs the Investigator Development Core within the JHU Center for Health Equity's "Mid-Atlantic Center for Cardiometabolic Health Equity" (MACCHE), serves as a clinic preceptor in the Osler medicine residency program, and delivers care in the Johns Hopkins After Care Clinic.
Contact for Research Inquiries
2024 E. Monument Street
2-518A
Baltimore, MD 21205
Research Interests
Health Equity, Patient-clinician Relationships, Racial Disparities in Health Care, Social Determinants of Health, Workforce Diversity
Research Summary
Dr. Saha’s primary research focuses on the influence of race and ethnicity in the doctor-patient relationship, its relation to racial disparities in the quality of health care, and its implications for diversity in the health care workforce. This work involves both quantitative and qualitative research methods and spans a variety of topics including racial bias, language and cultural barriers, analysis of patient-clinician communication, health literacy, and patient-centered care.
Selected Publications
Saha S, Beach MC. Impact of physician race on patient decision-making and ratings of physicians: a randomized experiment using video vignettes. J Gen Intern Med. 2020 Jan; 35(4), 1084-1091. PMID: 31965527
Saha S, Guiton G, Wimmers PF, Wilkerson L. Student body racial/ethnic composition and diversity-related outcomes in U.S. medical schools. JAMA 2008;300(10):1135-45. PMID: 18780842
Saha S, Komaromy M, Koepsell TD, Bindman AB. Patient-physician racial concordance and the perceived quality and use of health care. Arch Intern Med. 1999;159:997-1004. PMID: 10326942
Saha S, Korthuis PT, Cohn JA, Sharp VL, Moore RD, Beach MC. Primary care provider cultural competence and racial disparities in HIV care and outcomes. J Gen Intern Med. 2013;28(5):622-9. PMID: 23307396
Park J, Saha S, Chee B, Taylor J, Beach MC. Physician use of stigmatizing language in patient medical records. JAMA Netw Open. 2021 Jul 1;4(7):e2117052. PMID: 34259849
Memberships
- Society of General Internal Medicine
- American College of Physicians
Locations
- The Johns Hopkins Hospital
- 1800 Orleans Street, Baltimore, MD 21287
- phone: 410-955-5000
- fax: 410-955-5001
Expertise
Education
University of Washington
Graduate School, MPH, 1998University of California San Francisco School of Medicine
Residency, Internal Medicine, 1995University of California San Francisco School of Medicine
Medical Education, MD, 1991Board Certifications
Internal Medicine
American Board of Internal Medicine, 1995Insurance
- Aetna
- CareFirst
- Cigna
- First Health
- Geisinger Health Plan
- HealthSmart/Accel
- Humana
- Johns Hopkins Health Plans
- MultiPlan
- Pennsylvania's Preferred Health Networks (PPHN)
- Point Comfort Underwriters
- Private Healthcare Systems (PHCS)
- UnitedHealthcare
- Veteran Affairs Community Care Network (Optum-VACCN)