Laura Davisson, MD, MPH, FACP

Professor and Associate Program Director for Internal Medicine

Organization:

West Virginia University School of Medicine

Department:

Medicine

Classification:

Faculty

• MD, WVU School of Medicine

• Sofka S, Grey C, Lerfald N, Davisson L, Howsare J.  Implementing Universal Well-Being Assessment to Mitigate Barriers to Resident Utilization of Mental Health Resources. Journal of Graduate Medical Education, Feb 2018, 10(1):63-66.

• Davisson, L. USPSTF Breast Cancer Screening Guidelines. Special Article, West Virginia Medical Journal. Nov/Dec 2016, 112:31-33.

• Davisson L, Bakkar M. Cholesterol Treatment Guidelines. MedEdPORTAL Publications; 2015. Available from: https://www.mededportal.org/publication/10066 http://dx.doi.org/10.15766/med_2374-8265.10066

• Davisson L. Rational care or rationing care? Updates and controversies in women’s prevention. Republished with author’s update in special CME issue: The Art, Science, and Ethics of Prevention of West Virginia Medical Journal. May/June 2012, 108(3):70-76. PMID 22792659.

• Davisson L. Rational care or rationing care? Updates and controversies in women’s prevention. West Virginia Medical Journal. Jan/Feb 2011, 107(1):26-32. PMID: 21322470. 

• Davisson L, Nuss M, Cottrell S. Women’s health curriculum for internal medicine residents: Development, Implementation, and Evaluation.  Journal of Graduate Medical Education. September 2010, 2(3):398-403. PMID: 21976089.   

• Davisson L, Warden M, Manivannan S, Kolar MM, Kincaid C, Bashir S, Layne R. Osteoporosis screening: factors associated with bone mineral density testing of older women. Journal of Women’s Health. July 2009, 18(7):989-994. PMID: 20377374.   

• Davisson L, Nuss M, Bruno C, Long M, Warden M, Manivannan S, et al. Women’s health tutorial. MedEdPORTAL; 2009. Available from: http://services.aamc.org/30/mededportal/servlet/s/segment/mededportal/?subid=1060. 

• Davisson L, Clark K, Powers R, Hobbs G.  The rectovaginal examination:  physician attitudes and practice patterns. Southern Medical Journal. 99(3):Mar 2006:212-215. PMID: 16553094.

• Elected, ACP Governor-elect designee, WV Chapter                                                      2017
• WVU Department of Medicine Outstanding Faculty Award                                              2017
• Press Ganey Medical Practice Top Provider (top 3% patient satisfaction)                       2015
• WVU Department of Medicine Best Attending Physician Award                                      2013
• JGME reviews were among top 10% of all reviewers for the year                                   2013
• Press Ganey Medical Practice Top Provider (top 3% patient satisfaction)                      2012
• Election to ACP Fellowship                                                                                              2009
• WVU Department of Medicine Patient Care Quality Award, Pneumonia                         2007
• ACP Medical Jeopardy WVU resident team, state winner, progressed to nationals        2002
• WVU Department of Medicine Best Teaching Intern Award                                             2000

PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES AND LEADERSHIP POSITIONS

• American Board of Obesity Medicine, MOC Committee                   2018-present
• The Obesity Society                                                                             2014-present
• Obesity Medicine Association                                                             2016-present
• Association for Program Directors in Internal Medicine                  2010-present
• American College of Physicians                                                         1999-present

Laura Davisson, MD, MPH, FACP, is a Professor in the Department of Medicine, section of General Internal Medicine. She received her undergraduate degree from Northwestern University. She earned her medical degree from West Virginia University. Dr. Davisson completed an Internal Medicine residency at WVU, and served as Chief Resident. She earned an MPH in WVU’s biostatistics and epidemiology track in August 2008.  She is a diplomat of the American Board of Internal Medicine and the American Board of Obesity Medicine.

Dr. Davisson is highly active in resident and student teaching and serves as Associate Program Director for the Internal Medicine residency program. She is Faculty Advisor for the medical student Internal Medicine Interest Group and American Medical Women’s Association, and directs the medical student summer externship program. She spearheaded an effort to introduce a multidisciplinary women’s health elective for medical students and residents, developed an online curriculum, and directed the rotations. 

After years of practicing Internal Medicine with an outpatient focus on women’s health, Dr. Davisson’s interests in public health and prevention led her to become board certified in Obesity medicine in 2015. She is now seeing patients specifically for weight management in the Medical Weight Loss Clinic she founded within the section of Bariatric Surgery. She wants to work to advance the prevention and treatment of the disease of obesity because it is at the heart of many chronic medical issues she has treated as an internist. Dr. Davisson frequently participates in outreach activities, speaking and writing on various medical education topics and in her areas of interest in prevention, screening, obesity, and other women’s health.

Dr. Davisson directs the resident research/QI curriculum and the Internal Medicine residency research track.  She has been highly involved in the organization of the department’s Research Day.  She also serves as the WVU IRB Quality Coordinator, a role which involves auditing university human subjects’ research. She has served as a reviewer for several journals and has published manuscripts and presented at national and regional meetings. Dr. Davisson has been active in the American College of Physicians and was granted ACP fellowship in 2009.  She was elected to be Governor of the ACP WV Chapter, assuming the role of Governor-elect as of 4/2018 and Governor as of 4/2019.  She also serves on the Maintenance of Certification Committee with the American Board of Obesity Medicine. 

Site Co-Investigator, WVU, iCompare randomized trial of resident duty-hour regimens, 2015-2016.

Principal Investigator, Health Effects of a Community Organized Dietary Cleanse. IRB approved. Data collection and analysis ongoing. Pre- and post- survey of participants of a dietary cleanse, 2014-present.

Principal Investigator, Use of a rubric to evaluate medical students’ history and physicals in a medicine clerkship. IRB approved. Observational study of education practices compared to historical controls with faculty survey, 2011-2012.

Site Co-Investigator, Effect of feedback in virtual patient cases on student cognitive engagement. IRB approved. Multi-site randomized controlled trial of feedback used in medicine clerkship online case studies, 2010-2011. 

Principal Investigator, Evaluation of compliance with osteoporosis screening guidelines. Retrospective chart review of BMD testing in 4 primary care settings, 2005-2009.  Work published.

Principal Investigator, Evaluation of a women’s health education program for internal medicine residents that utilizes a web-based tutorial. IRB waived. Practicum to meet MPH degree requirements, intramural support of $1680, 2007-2008.

Principal Investigator, The rectovaginal component of the pelvic examination. IRB approved. Retrospective chart review of rectovaginal examination practice patterns in 3 primary care settings and a physician attitude survey, 2001-2003.  Work published.

Grant Assistance, MOMS (Mothers Overweight Management Study). IRB approved.  Randomized controlled trial of obesity prevention intervention in postpartum women, NIH funded, 1999. Role: literature search, background writing for grant application during MSIV research elective. Preceptor: Dr. Debra Krummel, WVU Community Medicine Dept.

Medical Specialties

• Internal Medicine

Board Certifications

• Internal Medicine, American Board of Internal Medicine

Special Training

• Residency, Internal Medicine
  WVU Department of Medicine, 2002