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James J Ledwith MD

TitleAssistant Professor
InstitutionUMass Chan Medical School
DepartmentFamily Medicine and Community Health
Address275 Nicholas Road
Fitchburg MA 01420
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    Other Positions
    InstitutionT.H. Chan School of Medicine
    DepartmentFamily Medicine and Community Health


    Collapse Biography 
    Collapse education and training
    College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA, United StatesBSChemistry
    University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, United StatesMD
    Collapse awards and honors
    1982Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society, Virginia Commonwealth University
    2022Gold Humanism Society, UMass Chan Medical School
    2022A. Jane Fitzpatrick Award for Community Service, Worcester District Medical Society
    2021Chair’s Award for Excellence in Service, UMass Chan Medical School, Department of Family Medicine and Community Health
    2017Community Clinician of the Year, Massachusetts Medical Society
    2015Champions of Excellence Award, UMass Memorial HealthAlliance Hospital
    2014Chair’s Award for Excellence and Service, UMass Chan Medical School, Department of Family Medicine and Community Health
    2005Fellow, American Academy of Family Physicians

    Collapse Overview 
    Collapse Summary
    Family physician with practice in addictions and chronic pain. Learning Community Mentor. Instructor in family medicine clerkship and residency curricula. Opioid Management Consultant: UMass Memorial Health; Commonwealth Medicine; Massachusetts Consultation Service for Treatment of Addiction and Pain (MCSTAP). PI: Artificial Intelligence for Retinopathy Screening in Primary Care
    Collapse overview

    Education

    BS, Chemistry, The College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA
    MD,Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA
    Residency: The Toledo Hospital Family Practice Residency, Toledo, OH
    Chief Resident, 1985-1986


    Affiliations

    Benedict Family and Community Medicine Center

    Fitchburg Family Medicine Residency

    HealthAlliance Hospital Medical Staff

    UMass Memorial Medical Center Medical Staff

     

    Research

    Principle Investigator, Artifical Intelligency for Retinopathy Screening in Primary Care.  Sponsor: Herman G. Berkman Diabetes Clinical Innovation Fund, UMass Memorial Diabetes Center of Excellence, $104,000, 2022 - 2023

    Principle Investigator, Artifical Intelligency for Retinopathy Screening in Primary Care.  Sponsor:  Israel-US Binational Industrial Research and Development Foundation, $800,000, 2020 - 2023

    Principle Investigator, Caring for Vulnerable Populations Project
    Primary Care Residency Training Grant, $780.000
    UMass Fitchburg Family Medicine Residency
    Sponsor: HRSA Title VII, 2010-2015


    Current Projects:

    Artifical Intelligency for Retinopathy Screening in Primary Care

    Opiate Dependence Therapy with Buprenorphine, Resident Training

    Consulting and Health System Policy on Opioid Safe Prescribing

    Biography

    Dr. Ledwith serves as a Learning Community Mentor at UMass Chan Medical School and as a consultant in opioid management for its medical center and two state organizations.  He also volunteers in service as Faculty Advisor to the Worcester Free Care Collaborative and as the Medical Director of the Epworth Free Care Program in Worcester.  He previously served as Fitchburg Family Medicine Residency Director 2008 to 2016 and led the program through approval of residency expansion, a valuable residency training grant, and a transition to a new practice setting.

    He began his career in rural Tappahannock, Virginia where he devoted nineteen years to clinical practice, practice-based research, volunteer medical education, and community service. He founded and continues to support the Ledwith-Lewis Free Clinic and he was medical director for the Health Management Center, providing medically supervised lifestyle and weight management services.

    As an active member of the Ambulatory Sentinel Practice Network and AAFP National Research Network, he participated in the design and conduct of three of the first studies of medical error in primary care practice settings and served on the Advisory Panel of the AAFP Patient Safety Center. He joined the UMass and the Fitchburg residency faculty in 2005 when he moved to Massachusetts to assist aging parents. He maintains a passion for community service and for the care of patients of all ages with a focus on quality improvement and patient safety, and particularly access to treatment for chronic pain and opioid use disorders. 

    "When I made the move to Massachusetts, I shopped for an opportunity that was community-oriented and expressed care for its members, patients and staff like family. I found what I was looking for in UMass Chan and the Fitchburg residency."


    HONORS AND SPECIAL AWARDS

    • A. Jane Fitzpatrick Award for Community Service, Worcester District Medical Society, 2022
    • Gold Humanism Honor Society, Faculty election, 2022
    • Chair's Award for Excellence in Service, Dept of Family Medicine and Community Health, UMass Chan Medical School, 2021
    • Community Clinician of the Year, Massachusetts Medical Society, 2017
    • Chair's Award for Excellence and Service, Dept of Family Medicine and Community Health, UMass Chan Medical School, 2014
    • Residency Service Award, UMass Fitchburg Family Medicine Residency, 2014
    • Best Session , STFM Annual Spring Conference 2010
    • Teacher of the Year, UMass Fitchburg Family Medicine Residency, 2008
    • Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians, 2005
    • VCU/Reynolds Geriatric Scholar, 2005
    • Resident Teacher Award, Society of Teachers of Family Medicine, 1986
    • Family Practice Departmental Award, 1983
    • Alpha Omega Alpha National Medical Honor Society, 1982


    Collapse Research 
    Collapse research activities and funding
         (James Ledwith MD and Juan Ding OD, PhD)Oct 1, 2022 - Sep 30, 2023
    Herman G. Berkman Diabetes Clinical Innovation Fund, UMass Memorial Diabetes Center of Excellence
    Artificial Intelligence for Retinopathy Screening in Primary Care (AIRS-PC)
    Role Description: This project will pilot the use of retinal cameras in primary care sites to complete screening for diabetic retinopathy with reliance on a newly authorized artificial intelligence algorithm. While analyzing concordance with a professional review of images the team will assess efficiency of screening, improvement of screening rates and quantify the impact of screening for those with adverse SDOH.
    Role: C0-Principal Investigator

    Collapse Bibliographic 
    Collapse selected publications
    Publications listed below are automatically derived from MEDLINE/PubMed and other sources, which might result in incorrect or missing publications. Faculty can login to make corrections and additions.
    Newest   |   Oldest   |   Most Cited   |   Most Discussed   |   Timeline   |   Field Summary   |   Plain Text
    PMC Citations indicate the number of times the publication was cited by articles in PubMed Central, and the Altmetric score represents citations in news articles and social media. (Note that publications are often cited in additional ways that are not shown here.) Fields are based on how the National Library of Medicine (NLM) classifies the publication's journal and might not represent the specific topic of the publication. Translation tags are based on the publication type and the MeSH terms NLM assigns to the publication. Some publications (especially newer ones and publications not in PubMed) might not yet be assigned Field or Translation tags.) Click a Field or Translation tag to filter the publications.
    1. Harrington A, Babu K, Ledwith J, Ponce Martinez C, Callaghan K, Mullin D. Opinion: Remove the waiver requirement for buprenorphine prescribing. Boston Globe. 2021.
    2. Baldor R, Savageau JA, Shokar N, Potts S, Gravel J, Eisenstock K, Ledwith J. Hospitalist involvement in family medicine residency training: A CERA study. Fam Med. 2014 Feb; 46(2):88-93. PMID: 24573514.
      Citations: 1     Fields:    Translation:Humans
    3. Elder, N et al. The Testing Process in Family Medicine: Problems, Solutions and Barriers as Seen by Physicians and Their Staffs; A study of the American Academy of Family Physicians' National Research Network. Journal of Patient Safety. 2006; 2(1):25-32.
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