Brianna M. Krafcik, MD, MS, vascular surgeon at Dartmouth Health’s Heart and Vascular Center and assistant professor of surgery at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, has been selected as the 2026 Wylie Scholar by the Foundation to Advance Vascular Cures and received a 1-year, $50,000 grant for her research aimed at improving shared decision-making for patients with asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis.
Carotid artery stenosis, which involves narrowing of arteries that supply blood to the brain, is an important cause of stroke. For patients who have significant narrowing but no symptoms, choosing a treatment can be complex, with options ranging from lifestyle changes to procedures that improve blood flow.
Krafcik’s research will test a patient decision aid designed to help patients better understand their treatment options and weigh their respective risks and benefits. Developed with input from patients and clinicians, the tool aims to help patients make informed decisions that reflect their individual goals and preferences.
“My research is focused on making vascular care more patient-centered by ensuring that patients have the information and support they need to meaningfully participate in decisions about their treatment,” said Krafcik. “Ultimately, I hope this work will create a more consistent and effective approach to shared decision-making that can improve the experience of vascular care for patients not only at our institution, but across the country.”
The findings of Krafcik’s study will help lay the groundwork for a planned multicenter randomized trial and the potential for broader use in clinical practice.
About Dartmouth Health
Dartmouth Health, New Hampshire’s only academic health system and largest private employer, serves patients across New England. Dartmouth Health provides access to more than 2,300 providers in nearly every area of medicine, delivering care at its flagship hospital, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC) in Lebanon, NH. Its network of hospitals, outpatient centers, clinics and home care facilities, spans a broad geographical area. Year after year, DHMC is named the #1 hospital in New Hampshire by U.S. News & World Report, and is consistently recognized for high performance in numerous clinical specialties and procedures. Dartmouth Health includes Dartmouth Cancer Center, northern New England’s only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers and one of less than than 60 total nationally; Dartmouth Health Children’s, which includes the state’s only children’s hospital, the Golisano Children's Hospital at Dartmouth Health, and more than 20 locations around the region; eight member hospitals in Lebanon, Keene, Claremont, Hampstead, and New London, NH, and Windsor and Bennington, VT; Dartmouth Health Home Care; Dartmouth Health Connected Care Center for Telehealth, serving patients as far away as Texas; and more than 30 primary and multi-specialty clinics across New Hampshire and Vermont. Through its partnership with Dartmouth College, Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine and the White River Junction VA Medical Center, Dartmouth Health trains nearly 400 medical residents and fellows annually and performs cutting-edge research and clinical trials with international impact. Dartmouth Health and its more than 16,000 employees are committed to serving the healthcare needs of everyone in the communities it serves and to providing every patient with exceptional, state-of-the-art, personalized care. Learn more at dartmouth-health.org.