Dr. Louise Jones is the director of the Graduate Medical Education (GME) Research and Quality Improvement program at Northeast Georgia Medical Center (NGMC). Dr. Jones is also responsible for the grants management program at Northeast Georgia Health System.
The GME Research and Quality Improvement program is designed to facilitate a culture of curiosity by supporting faculty, fellows and residents at every step of the research process. From its beginnings in 2020, Dr. Jones has developed a robust team of experts who facilitate and manage more than 300 projects for residents, faculty and staff, with over 150 publications each year.
Dr. Jones views research not only as a way to assess novel treatments and devices, but also a tool for physicians to improve the care they provide and develop optimal outcomes, in the most efficient ways, at the right time, and within a reasonable cost frame. In other words, research helps physicians determine the best way to put together all the evidence-based knowledge gained from clinical trials for the good of patients, communities and physician trainees in the real world.
The Research and Quality Improvement program includes a resident-centered active learning curriculum designed by Dr. Jones to equip our residents and faculty with the skills and knowledge needed to perform research and quality improvement projects effectively, becoming well-rounded, evidence-based physicians.
Dr. Jones has also worked extensively on developing a novel research data platform with industry experts in order to deliver accurate data to her team and investigators quickly and, most importantly, ethically.
From Edinburgh in Scotland, her roots show through as she describes herself as a “constructive disruptor” with a drive to change research from inaccessible to accessible, and from biased to inclusive.
Dr. Jones began her career as a UK-trained physiotherapist and specialized as a pediatric physiotherapist within the NHS Westminster hospital system in London, focusing primarily on children with neurological disorders. She moved to the US with her family in 1997 and worked as a science educator, school administrator and medical school associate director prior to joining NGMC in 2020.
Dr. Jones holds a doctorate in leadership in medical education and a master’s degree in educational leadership from Mercer University.