Valy Fontil, MD, MAS, MPH

Assistant Professor, New York University

Valy Fontil, MD, MAS is an Affiliated Professor at the UCSF Action Research Center for Health Equity. Dr. Fontil is committed to using multiple research methodologies to study proactive clinical approaches for disease prevention and cardiovascular risk reduction in disenfranchised populations vulnerable to health disparities. As a health services researcher and implementation scientist, his current work is focused on identifying, studying, and implementing hypertension management interventions to improve population health and reduce health disparities. Some of his most recent research work has included: (1) analysis of national datasets to identify gaps and disparities in current management of hypertension; (2) development and use of microsimulation modeling to predict what clinical interventions might work best for improving hypertension control; and (3) implementation of a practice-based hypertension in safety-net clinics. He was recently awarded a UCSF institutional grant to help fund his efforts in adopting and implementing Kaiser Permanente’s hypertension control program in the San Francisco General Hospital’s General Medicine Clinic – Bring it Down GMC. Dr. Fontil also has in interest in leveraging mobile health information technology for practice-based interventions in healthcare safety-net institutions.

Dr. Fontil studied at Oakwood College, a historically Black College, and then went on to medical school at the University of Michigan, where he received his MD and MPH. He then joined the UCSF family to do his General Internal Medicine Research Fellowship, where he earned a Master of Advanced Studies in Clinical Research with a specialization in implementation science. He has worked with Drs. Bibbins-Domingo and Mark Pletcher to develop the Blood Pressure Control Model, a computer microsimulation model that simulates the healthcare processes involved in controlling blood pressure. As a UCSF postdoctoral scholar, Dr. Fontil developed a hypertension treatment algorithm that is now being implemented in several clinics across the San Francisco Health Network.

Education
MS, 2013 - Graduate Division (Advance Training in Clinical Research), University of California, San Francisco
Residency, 2010 - Internal Medicine, Tulane University
Doctor of Medicine, 2007 - Medical School, University of Michigan
Publications
  1. Fontil V, Pacca L, Bellows BK, Khoong E, McCulloch CE, Pletcher M, Bibbins-Domingo K. Association of Differences in Treatment Intensification, Missed Visits, and Scheduled Follow-up Interval With Racial or Ethnic Disparities in Blood Pressure Control. "It's not the doctor - it's me." How self-blame obscures language and other structural barriers to diabetes care mong low-income Latinos with limited English Proficiency. 2021. PMID: 34878499


  2. Liu EF, Rubinsky AD, Pacca L, Mujahid M, Fontil V, DeRouen MC, Fields J, Bibbins-Domingo K, Lyles CR. Examining Neighborhood Socioeconomic Status as a Mediator of Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Hypertension Control Across Two San Francisco Health Systems. "It's not the doctor - it's me." How self-blame obscures language and other structural barriers to diabetes care mong low-income Latinos with limited English Proficiency. 2022. PMID: 35098728


  3. Reihl SJ, Patil N, Morshed RA, Mehari M, Aabedi A, Chukwueke UN, Porter AB, Fontil V, Cioffi G, Waite K, Kruchko C, Ostrom Q, Barnholtz-Sloan J, Hervey-Jumper SL. A Population Study of Clinical Trial Accrual for Women and Minorities in Neuro-Oncology Following the NIH Revitalization Act. "It's not the doctor - it's me." How self-blame obscures language and other structural barriers to diabetes care mong low-income Latinos with limited English Proficiency. 2022. PMID: 34999844


  4. Sharma AE, Khoong EC, Rivadeneira N, Sierra M, Fang MC, Gupta N, Pramanik R, Tran H, Whitezell T, Fontil V, Lee SY, Sarkar U. Warfarin Monitoring in Safety-Net Health Systems: Analysis by Race/Ethnicity and Language Preference. "It's not the doctor - it's me." How self-blame obscures language and other structural barriers to diabetes care mong low-income Latinos with limited English Proficiency. 2022. PMID: 34993871


  5. Holt HK, Gildengorin G, Karliner L, Fontil V, Pramanik R, Potter MB. Differences in Hypertension Medication Prescribing for Black Americans and Their Association with Hypertension Outcomes. "It's not the doctor - it's me." How self-blame obscures language and other structural barriers to diabetes care mong low-income Latinos with limited English Proficiency. 2022. PMID: 35039409


  6. Sheantel Reihl, Nirav Patil, Ramin Morshed, Mulki Mehari, alexander Aabedi, Ugonma Chukwueke, Alyx Porter, Valy Fontil, Gino Cioffi, Kristin Waite, Carol Kruchko, Quinn Ostrom, Jill Barnholtz-Sloan, Shawn Hervey-Jumper. EPID-11. A POPULATION STUDY OF CLINICAL TRIAL ACCRUAL FOR WOMEN AND MINORITIES IN NEURO-ONCOLOGY FOLLOWING THE NIH REVITALIZATION ACT. "It's not the doctor - it's me." How self-blame obscures language and other structural barriers to diabetes care mong low-income Latinos with limited English Proficiency. 2021. PMID:


  7. Cooper-DeHoff RM, Fontil V, Carton T, Chamberlain AM, Todd J, O'Brien EC, Shaw KM, Smith M, Choi S, Nilles EK, Ford D, Tecson KM, Dennar PE, Ahmad F, Wu S, McClay JC, Azar K, Singh R, Faulkner Modrow M, Shay CM, Rakotz M, Wozniak G, Pletcher MJ. Tracking Blood Pressure Control Performance and Process Metrics in 25 US Health Systems: The PCORnet Blood Pressure Control Laboratory. "It's not the doctor - it's me." How self-blame obscures language and other structural barriers to diabetes care mong low-income Latinos with limited English Proficiency. 2021. PMID: 34612048


  8. Khoong EC, Nouri SS, Tuot DS, Nundy S, Fontil V, Sarkar U. Comparison of Diagnostic Recommendations from Individual Physicians versus the Collective Intelligence of Multiple Physicians in Ambulatory Cases Referred for Specialist Consultation. Medical decision making : an international journal of the Society for Medical Decision Making 2021. PMID: 34378444


  9. Khoong EC, Olazo K, Rivadeneira NA, Thatipelli S, Barr-Walker J, Fontil V, Lyles CR, Sarkar U. Mobile health strategies for blood pressure self-management in urban populations with digital barriers: systematic review and meta-analyses. NPJ digital medicine 2021. PMID: 34294852


  10. Kazi DS, Wei PC, Penko J, Bellows BK, Coxson P, Bryant KB, Fontil V, Blyler CA, Lyles C, Lynch K, Ebinger J, Zhang Y, Tajeu GS, Boylan R, Pletcher MJ, Rader F, Moran AE, Bibbins-Domingo K. Scaling Up Pharmacist-Led Blood Pressure Control Programs in Black Barbershops: Projected Population Health Impact and Value. Circulation 2021. PMID: 34125566


  11. Bress AP, Cohen JB, Anstey DE, Conroy MB, Ferdinand KC, Fontil V, Margolis KL, Muntner P, Millar MM, Okuyemi KS, Rakotz MK, Reynolds K, Safford MM, Shimbo D, Stuligross J, Green BB, Mohanty AF. Inequities in Hypertension Control in the United States Exposed and Exacerbated by COVID-19 and the Role of Home Blood Pressure and Virtual Health Care During and After the COVID-19 Pandemic. Journal of the American Heart Association 2021. PMID: 34006116


  12. Bryant KB, Moran AE, Kazi DS, Zhang Y, Penko J, Ruiz-Negrón N, Coxson P, Blyler CA, Lynch K, Cohen LP, Tajeu GS, Fontil V, Moy NB, Ebinger JE, Rader F, Bibbins-Domingo K, Bellows BK. Cost-effectiveness of Hypertension Treatment by Pharmacists in Black Barbershops. Circulation 2021. PMID: 33855861


  13. Khoong EC, Fontil V, Rivadeneira NA, Hoskote M, Nundy S, Lyles CR, Sarkar U. Impact of digitally acquired peer diagnostic input on diagnostic confidence in outpatient cases: A pragmatic randomized trial. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association : JAMIA 2020. PMID: 33260212


  14. Peterson TA, Fontil V, Koliwad SK, Patel A, Butte AJ. Quantifying Variation in Treatment Utilization for Type 2 Diabetes Across Five Major University of California Health Systems. Diabetes care 2021. PMID: 33531419


  15. Valy Fontil, Lucia Pacca, Brandon Bellows, Elaine Khoong, Charles McCulloch, Mark Pletcher, Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo. Abstract 17207: Impact of Racial Differences in Treatment Intensification and Missed Visits on Disparities in BP Control. Circulation 2020. PMID:


  16. Bryant KB, Sheppard JP, Ruiz-Negrón N, Kronish IM, Fontil V, King JB, Pletcher MJ, Bibbins-Domingo K, Moran AE, McManus RJ, Bellows BK. Impact of Self-Monitoring of Blood Pressure on Processes of Hypertension Care and Long-Term Blood Pressure Control. Journal of the American Heart Association 2020. PMID: 32696695


  17. Pletcher MJ, Fontil V, Carton T, Shaw KM, Smith M, Choi S, Todd J, Chamberlain AM, O'Brien EC, Faulkner M, Maeztu C, Wozniak G, Rakotz M, Shay CM, Cooper-DeHoff RM. The PCORnet Blood Pressure Control Laboratory: A Platform for Surveillance and Efficient Trials. Circulation. Cardiovascular quality and outcomes 2020. PMID: 32142371


  18. Rhonda M Cooper-DeHoff, Valy Fontil, Thomas Carton, Kathryn McAuliffe, Myra Smith, Sujung Choi, Jonathon Todd, Alanna M Chamberlain, Emily O'Brien, Madelaine Faulkner, Carlos Maeztu, LINDA MURAKAMI, Gregory Wozniak, Michael Rakotz, Christina M Shay, Mark J Pletcher. Abstract 56: Blood Pressure Control in the Real World - Early Evidence From a National Blood Pressure Surveillance System. Circulation 2020. PMID:


  19. Kelsey B Bryant, Dhruv S Kazi, Valy Fontil, Joanne Penko, Ciantel A Blyler, Kathleen Lynch, Joseph Ebinger, Norma B Moy, Florian Rader, Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, Andrew E Moran, Brandon K Bellows. Abstract P156: Long-Term Blood Pressure Outcomes and Costs Associated With a Barber-Pharmacist Hypertension Intervention: 10-Year Simulation of the Los Angeles Barber Trial. Hypertension 2019. PMID:


  20. Mark J Pletcher, Valy Fontil, Thomas Carton, Kathryn Shaw, Myra Smith, Jonathan Todd, Alanna M Chamberlain, Emily Obrien, Madelaine Faulkner, Carlos Maeztu, Gregory Wozniak, Michael Rakotz, Christine Shay, Rhonda M Cooper DeHoff. Abstract P2050: The Pcornet Blood Pressure Control Laboratory. Hypertension 2019. PMID:


  21. Lee J, Chu C, Guzman D, Fontil V, Velasquez A, Powe NR, Tuot DS. Albuminuria Testing by Race and Ethnicity among Patients with Hypertension with and without Diabetes. American journal of nephrology 2019. PMID: 31167180


  22. Bellows BK, Ruiz-Negrón N, Bibbins-Domingo K, King JB, Pletcher MJ, Moran AE, Fontil V. Clinic-Based Strategies to Reach United States Million Hearts 2022 Blood Pressure Control Goals. Circulation. Cardiovascular quality and outcomes 2019. PMID: 31163981


  23. Fontil V, Radcliffe K, Lyson HC, Ratanawongsa N, Lyles C, Tuot D, Yuen K, Sarkar U. Testing and improving the acceptability of a web-based platform for collective intelligence to improve diagnostic accuracy in primary care clinics. JAMIA Open 2019. PMID: 31984344


  24. Valy Fontil, Elaine Khoong, Mekhala Hoskote, Kate Radcliffe, Neda Ratanawongsa, Courtney Rees Lyles, Urmimala Sarkar. Evaluation of an health-IT-enabled collective intelligence platform to improve diagnosis in primary care and urgent care settings: Study Design (Preprint). TO REMOVE 2018. PMID:


  25. Selby K, Michel M, Gildengorin G, Karliner L, Pramanik R, Fontil V, Potter MB. Disparities in Hypertension Control Across and Within Three Health Systems Participating in a Data-Sharing Collaborative. Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine : JABFM 2018. PMID: 30413545


  26. Fontil V, Lyles CR, Schillinger D, Handley MA, Ackerman S, Gourley G, Bibbins-Domingo K, Sarkar U. Safety-net institutions in the US grapple with new cholesterol treatment guidelines: a qualitative analysis from the PHoENIX Network. Risk management and healthcare policy 2018. PMID: 30034258


  27. Fontil V, Gupta R, Moise N, Chen E, Guzman D, McCulloch CE, Bibbins-Domingo K. Adapting and Evaluating a Health System Intervention From Kaiser Permanente to Improve Hypertension Management and Control in a Large Network of Safety-Net Clinics. Circulation. Cardiovascular quality and outcomes 2018. PMID: 30002140


  28. Brandon K Bellows, Andrew E Moran, Natalia Ruiz-Negrón, Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, Mark Pletcher, Valy Fontil. Abstract 096: Comparing Strategies to Improve Systolic Blood Pressure Over 10 Years: A Simulation Study Using the Blood Pressure Control Model. Hypertension 2017. PMID:


  29. Fontil V, Bibbins-Domingo K, Nguyen OK, Guzman D, Goldman LE. Management of Hypertension in Primary Care Safety-Net Clinics in the United States: A Comparison of Community Health Centers and Private Physicians' Offices. Volume 52 of Issue 2. Health services research 2016. PMID: 27283354


  30. Fontil V, Gupta R, Bibbins-Domingo K. Missed opportunities: young adults with hypertension and lifestyle counseling in clinical practice. Journal of general internal medicine 2015. PMID: 25761619


  31. Fontil V, Bibbins-Domingo K, Kazi DS, Sidney S, Coxson PG, Khanna R, Victor RG, Pletcher MJ. Simulating Strategies for Improving Control of Hypertension Among Patients with Usual Source of Care in the United States: The Blood Pressure Control Model. Journal of general internal medicine 2015. PMID: 25749880


  32. Valy Fontil, Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, Dhruv Kazi, Pamela Coxson, Steve Sidney, Raman Khanna, Ronald G Victor, Mark Pletcher. Abstract T MP100: Improving Encounter Frequency, Physician Prescribing, or Patient Adherence - What Works Best for Controlling Blood Pressure? Results From a Validated Micro-Simulation Model. Stroke 2014. PMID:


  33. Fontil V, Pletcher MJ, Khanna R, Guzman D, Victor R, Bibbins-Domingo K. Physician underutilization of effective medications for resistant hypertension at office visits in the United States: NAMCS 2006-2010. Journal of general internal medicine 2013. PMID: 24249113