YNHH physician receives award to practice community health

Congratulating Dr. Choi (second from left) were (l-r): Sandip Mukherjee, MD, chief of Executive Health, YNHH, and professor of clinical medicine, Yale School of Medicine; Karl Insogna, MD, endocrinologist, Internal Medicine; and Ensign Professor Emeritus of Medicine, YSM; and Gary Desir, MD, chief of Internal Medicine, YNHH, and chair of Internal Medicine, YSM.

Samuel Choi, MD, is the fourth recipient of the Raymond P. Wong Award. The award, established by Karl Insogna, MD, is given to a graduate of the Internal Medicine, Primary or Combined Medicine/Pediatrics training programs at Yale who accepts a practice position in an urban care setting. 

The Wong Award, funded through Yale New Haven Hospital’s Physician Wellness Program Fund, includes a $30,000 stipend for each of three years. In addition to providing hands-on care, awardees conduct a clinical trial or real-world investigation designed to improve care quality for health center patients.

Dr. Choi currently practices at New Haven-based Cornell Scott Hill Health Center, where he helped establish care at a drop-in center that provides a range of healthcare services for community members experiencing homelessness. The stipend supports Dr. Choi’s research into whether the drop-in center reduces Emergency Department visits and hospitalizations for people experiencing homelessness in the New Haven area.