Voluntary Faculty Awards Recognize Exceptional Educators

The Yale Department of Internal Medicine recently presented its third Voluntary Faculty Awards. These awards honor voluntary faculty who teach medical students, physician associate students, residents, and fellows at Yale School of Medicine (YSM), Yale New Haven Hospital (YNHH), Yale New Haven Health (YNHHS), and affiliated hospitals.

“We created these awards to show how much we value an often underrecognized group of more than 450 faculty, some of whom have taught at Yale for over 50 years,” says Adam Mayerson, MD, associate chief of medicine for community and voluntary faculty. “These educators, who span outpatient offices and nine hospitals across Connecticut, play a key role in ensuring school, hospital, and health system trainees across Yale receive a world-class medical education.”

The following four awards were presented at the ceremony:

Joni Hansson, MD, associate clinical professor (nephrology), received the Distinction in Leadership Award, which honors a voluntary faculty member who has demonstrated exceptional leadership throughout their career through qualities such as inspiration, passion, and vision.

On medical staff at Yale since 1996, Hansson has held numerous leadership positions including president of the medical staff and chair of the Patient Safety and Quality Committee, her current role.

“Her leadership is marked by empathy, clarity, pragmatism, and an unwavering commitment to the institution’s mission,” says Shuta Ishibe, MD, chief of the Section of Nephrology. “Her service has strengthened patient care, improved communication across medical staff, enhanced trainee education, and shaped the strategic direction of Yale New Haven Hospital.”

Robert Linden, MD, clinical instructor, was honored with the Primary Care/General Medicine Award, which is given to a voluntary faculty member and primary care or general medicine physician who has made outstanding contributions to the education of medical students, physician associate students, residents, or fellows across YSM, YNNH, or the Yale Affiliated Hospitals Program.

Despite “retiring” in 2007, Linden went on to author an award-winning book in 2010 on the American health care system and has continued to volunteer, teaching the Yale Wednesday evening clinic, and the Migrant Farm Worker and homeless shelter clinics at the University of Connecticut.

“His secret is that he very truly and fully cares about everyone in the clinic—the patients, the students, his colleagues,” says Pinar Oray-Schrom, MD, associate professor of medicine (general medicine). “It sounds so simple, but his care leads him to … pay exquisite attention to detail… I count it among one of my greatest privileges of medical school to have had the opportunity to work with him.”

Christopher Erb, MD, PhD, assistant clinical professor (pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine), received the Distinction in Research Award. This award honors a voluntary faculty member who has made an outstanding contribution to the education and promotion of basic, clinical, or translational research for medical students, physician associate students, residents, or fellows across YSM, YNNH, or the Yale Affiliated Hospitals Program.

Erb joined the Yale voluntary faculty in 2015 after completing his residency and Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Fellowship at YSM. A recipient of the Stephen R. Shell, MD, Award and the Edwin C. Cadman, MD, Teacher of the Year Award, Erb is an “exemplary educator known for his engagement and patience,” according to Jonathan Siner, MD, associate professor of medicine (pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine). Erb is involved in two federally funded studies on post-extubation dysphagia and mentors Yale trainees on clinical research projects, which he promotes to students and house staff.

Yamini Krishnan, MD, clinical instructor, received the Inpatient Medicine Award, which honors a voluntary faculty member who primarily provides inpatient care and who has made an outstanding contribution to the education of the medical students, physician associate students, residents, or fellows across YSM, YNHH, and YNHHS.

Since joining Yale in 2023, Krishnan has been a “driving force” behind DEFINE-HM, an innovative program that allows interns to admit directly with an attending physician. Interns note Krishnan’s welcoming learning environment and her ability to help others think critically. “She is a fantastic role model at the bedside,” one intern commented.

The winners were nominated by their sponsors and reviewed by the voluntary faculty committee, consisting of Mayerson; Barry Wu, MD, MACP; Joni Hansson, MD; Robert McLean, MD; Sandip Mukherjee, MD; Nancy Angoff, MD, MPH, MEd; Peter Ellis, MD, MPH; Steven Saunders, MD; and administrator Lisa Labaire.

The Department of Internal Medicine at Yale School of Medicine is among the nation's premier departments, bringing together an elite cadre of clinicians, investigators, educators, and staff in one of the world's top medical schools. To learn more, visit Internal Medicine.