Somnath Saha, M.D., M.P.H.

Headshot of Somnath Saha
  • Professor of Medicine

Research Interests

Health Equity; Racial Disparities in Health Care; Workforce Diversity; Patient-clinician Relationships; Social Determinants of Health ...read more

Locations

Johns Hopkins Outpatient Center (now called Levi Watkins, Jr., M.D., Outpatient Center)

601 N. Caroline St.
Baltimore, MD 21287 map

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 masters 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 serves as Director of the TL1 Clinical Research Training Program within the Institute for Clinical and Translational Research, and co-directs the Epidemiology course for 1st-year medical students.

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Titles

  • Professor of Medicine

Departments / Divisions

Education

Degrees

  • MD; University of California San Francisco School of Medicine (1991)

Residencies

  • Internal Medicine; University of California San Francisco School of Medicine (1995)

Board Certifications

  • American Board of Internal Medicine (Internal Medicine) (1995)

Research & Publications

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

View all on PubMed

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, 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, 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

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

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

Contact for Research Inquiries

2024 E. Monument Street
2-518A
Baltimore, MD 21205 map

Activities & Honors

Memberships

  • Society of General Internal Medicine
  • American College of Physicians

Patient Ratings & Comments

The Patient Rating score is an average of all responses to physician related questions on the national CG-CAHPS Medical Practice patient experience survey through Press Ganey. Responses are measured on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the best score. Comments are also gathered from our CG-CAHPS Medical Practice Survey through Press Ganey and displayed in their entirety. Patients are de-identified for confidentiality and patient privacy.

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