UNC Urology is pleased to announce that Zachary Feuer, MD, Assistant Professor of Urology, has been selected for the UNC Institute for Healthcare Quality Improvement (IHQI) Improvement Scholars Program for the 2025–2026 cohort.
Dr. Feuer’s project, “Integration of PSA Screening Pathways to Improve High-Risk Screening Rates and Reduce Low-Value Diagnostic Evaluation,” aims to embed an EHR-integrated, evidence-based pathway that uses age- and risk-adjusted PSA thresholds to guide referral and diagnostic decisions at the point of care. The goal is twofold: (1) improve early identification and referral of high-risk patients, and (2) reduce low-value testing—such as MRI and biopsy—for older adults whose PSA levels may be age-appropriate, thereby decreasing unnecessary procedures, cost, and patient anxiety. The project builds on UNC’s Elevated PSA Rapid Access work, which has improved access to care by reducing wait times for patients referred for the evaluation of elevated PSA.
“The goal of this initiative isn’t to increase or decrease screening rates, but rather to tailor screening to the populations most likely to benefit. By embedding guidance into the EHR, we can support primary care providers in making informed, evidence-based decisions that improve both efficiency and equity of prostate cancer screening.”
Zach Feuer, MD
Assistant Professor of Urology
This work reflects a multidisciplinary partnership across Urology and Primary Care and aligns with UNC Health’s Forward Together 2030 initiative to integrate clinical pathways within the EHR. Project leadership includes Dr. Feuer (Project Lead) with mentorship and sponsorship from UNC Urology’s Dr. Hung-Jui (Ray) Tan and Dr. Matthew Nielsen.
UNC Urology Has A Strong Track Record With IHQI
In 2023–2024, Dave Friedlander, MD, Assistant Professor of Urology and the department’s Co-Director of Quality Improvement, served as an Improvement Scholar and led “Improving Pathways of Care Following Emergency Department Discharge for Renal Colic.” He presented results at the IHQI Symposium on October 22, 2024, showing a streamlined referral process (moving the median wait from ~49 days toward a 20-day target) and lower 30-day ED revisit rates; the work is now being translated into an AgileMD pathway within UNC’s EHR.
More About Dr. Feuer
Dr. Feuer is a urologic oncologist who trained at SUNY Downstate and NYU Langone before completing his Urologic Oncology fellowship at UNC in July 2025. Dr. Feuer recently joined UNC Urology as Assistant Professor.
Clinically, he is helping build UNC’s focal therapy program for localized prostate cancer and has led multidisciplinary access improvements that cut wait times for men with suspected prostate cancer by more than 70% through pathway-driven use of MRI and streamlined workflows.