Vinay Rao, DO
Assistant ProfessorCards
Appointments
About
Titles
Assistant Professor
Biography
Vinay Rao, DO, is an Assistant Professor of Medicine and an internal medicine-trained palliative care physician who cares for patients at Yale New Haven Hospital and Smilow Cancer Hospital. Dr. Rao completed his fellowship in hospice and palliative medicine at Virginia Commonwealth University and received his doctoral degree in osteopathic medicine from A.T. Still University, the founding institution of osteopathic healthcare.
Dr. Rao joined Yale from the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University where he was an Assistant Professor of Medicine and a palliative medicine attending physician at the Miriam Hospital and Fain Cancer Center. He has conducted research pertaining to palliative care and improving the quality of care for high-risk patients with unmet needs. Using his compassion, experience, and knowledge, Dr. Rao seeks to address care of the whole person and help to shape healthcare in underserved populations.
Appointments
General Internal Medicine
Assistant ProfessorPrimary
Other Departments & Organizations
Board Certifications
Hospice & Palliative Medicine
- Certification Organization
- AB of Internal Medicine
- Original Certification Date
- 2018
Internal Medicine
- Certification Organization
- AB of Internal Medicine
- Original Certification Date
- 2017
Research
Research at a Glance
Yale Co-Authors
Publications Timeline
Elizabeth Horn Prsic, MD
Jennifer Kapo, MD
Publications
2023
Advance care planning, serious illness communication, and conversations to facilitate coping for patients with gastrointestinal malignancies: a narrative review.
Rao V, Guyer D, Almhanna K, Baum L. Advance care planning, serious illness communication, and conversations to facilitate coping for patients with gastrointestinal malignancies: a narrative review. Ann Palliat Med 2023, 12: 1059-1071. PMID: 37574575, DOI: 10.21037/apm-22-1261.Peer-Reviewed Reviews, Practice Guidelines, Standards, and Consensus StatementsNCCN Guidelines® Insights: Distress Management, Version 2.2023.
Riba MB, Donovan KA, Ahmed K, Andersen B, Braun I, Breitbart WS, Brewer BW, Corbett C, Fann J, Fleishman S, Garcia S, Greenberg DB, Handzo GF, Hoofring LH, Huang CH, Hutchinson S, Johns S, Keller J, Kumar P, Lahijani S, Martin S, Niazi SK, Pailler M, Parnes F, Rao V, Salman J, Scher E, Schuster J, Teply M, Usher A, Valentine AD, Vanderlan J, Lyons MS, McMillian NR, Darlow SD. NCCN Guidelines® Insights: Distress Management, Version 2.2023. J Natl Compr Canc Netw 2023, 21: 450-457. PMID: 37156476, DOI: 10.6004/jnccn.2023.0026.Peer-Reviewed Reviews, Practice Guidelines, Standards, and Consensus StatementsAssociation of palliative care and hospital outcomes among solid tumour oncology inpatients
Im J, Chow R, Novosel M, Xiang J, Strait M, Rao V, Kapo J, Zimmermann C, Prsic E. Association of palliative care and hospital outcomes among solid tumour oncology inpatients. BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care 2023, 14: e1349-e1353. PMID: 36849221, DOI: 10.1136/spcare-2023-004207.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricConceptsPalliative care consultationInpatient palliative care consultationCare consultationsHospital deathHospital outcomesICU admissionPalliative careIntensive care unit useRetrospective chart reviewSite of malignancyEmergency department visitsHospital outcome dataMultivariable logistic regressionLength of stayOncology admissionsChart reviewED visitsOncology inpatientsDepartment visitsMultivariable analysisICU levelMedical recordsPatient presentationRothman IndexHigher odds
2020
Comparison of End-of-Life Care Quality Outcomes and Indicators of Palliative Needs between Medicare Beneficiaries with Solid and Hematologic Malignancies
Egan P, Belanger E, Panagiotou O, Rao V, Pelcovits A, LeBlanc T, Olszewski A. Comparison of End-of-Life Care Quality Outcomes and Indicators of Palliative Needs between Medicare Beneficiaries with Solid and Hematologic Malignancies. Blood 2020, 136: 11. DOI: 10.1182/blood-2020-143078.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsConceptsDays of lifePhysician office visitsPalliative needsHematologic malignanciesICU admissionSolid tumorsOffice visitsHospice utilizationInpatient daysMedicare beneficiariesHospice benefitMore physician office visitsSignificant palliative care needsFirst population-based studySeattle GeneticsReceipt of chemotherapyPalliative care needsBaseline health statusPopulation-based settingStem cell transplantPopulation-based studyAcute care settingNovel care modelSEER-Medicare databaseConfidence intervals
2019
Billed Palliative Care Services and End-of-Life Care in Patients with Hematologic Malignancies
Rao V, Belanger E, Egan P, LeBlanc T, Olszewski A. Billed Palliative Care Services and End-of-Life Care in Patients with Hematologic Malignancies. Blood 2019, 134: 384. DOI: 10.1182/blood-2019-121955.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsPalliative care servicesDays of lifeEarly palliative careEnd of lifeHematologic malignanciesPalliative careMedicare beneficiariesCare servicesComorbidity indexSolid tumorsAdvisory CommitteeEOL quality measuresPoor performance statusReceipt of chemotherapyPalliative care specialistsHigher comorbidity indexIntensive care unitRetrospective claims dataService Medicare beneficiariesAmerican Cancer SocietyCare quality metricsMedicare spendingDay of deathNon-terminal patientsYear of death
2007
Steady state and kinetic CD studies of metal binding by methanobactin
Rao V, Scardino L, Behling L, Hartsel S, Mc Ellistrem M, Dispirito A. Steady state and kinetic CD studies of metal binding by methanobactin. The FASEB Journal 2007, 21: a998-a998. DOI: 10.1096/fasebj.21.6.a998.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchNMR characterization of methanobactin in metal‐bound and metal‐free forms
Scardino L, Rao V, Behling L, Hartsel S, Gallagher W, Dispirito A. NMR characterization of methanobactin in metal‐bound and metal‐free forms. The FASEB Journal 2007, 21: a628-a628. DOI: 10.1096/fasebj.21.5.a628.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
Academic Achievements & Community Involvement
activity Yale New Haven Hospital Ethics Committee
CommitteesMemberDetails2021 - Presentactivity NCCN Distress Management Panel
Advisory BoardsMemberDetailsNCCNI served as the Smilow Cancer Hospital representative to the Distress Management Guideline panel. I met with members of the national panel annually to discuss updates and changes to the guidelines.07/26/2022 - Presentactivity Vital Talks
Professional OrganizationsFaculty MemberDetailsWent through Vital Talks faculty development so that I can officially facilitate communication skills training for our learners at Yale12/07/2022 - Presentactivity Smilow Cancer Hospital Mortality Review Committee
CommitteesMemberDetailsI mentored and supported our fellows who presented cases for mortality review08/31/2022 - Presentactivity American Society of Clinical Oncology
Professional OrganizationsMemberDetails11/28/2023 - Present