Ellis Wins David J. Leffell, MD, Prize for Clinical Excellence

In 2008, Cindy and David Leffell made a generous gift in honor of David’s 30th reunion at Yale College. Since then, annually, the David J. Leffell, MD, Prize for Clinical Excellence has recognized a Yale Medicine faculty member who best exemplifies clinical expertise, a commitment to teaching, and the highest standards of care and compassion for patients. A single recipient is selected each year.

Professor of Medicine (General Medicine), YSM

Clinical Coordinator, Mental Health Collaborative Care Program, Yale Internal Medicine Associates

Peter J. Ellis, MD, MPH, is a professor of medicine in the Department of Internal Medicine at Yale School of Medicine, where he was recruited in 1995 as one of the first core faculty members of the growing Yale Primary Care Residency Program. He has served as an attending physician at Yale Internal Medicine Associates (YIMA) since 2007.

A defining feature of Dr. Ellis’ legacy is his leadership in building community-based systems of care that expand access for individuals with limited resources across Greater Waterbury and New Haven. He began by bringing primary care directly to unhoused individuals through an outreach initiative at the St. Vincent de Paul Homeless Shelter, engaging medical residents to better understand the complex social and clinical challenges facing vulnerable populations. He later helped secure federal support to develop the Waterbury Health Access Program, mobilizing hundreds of physicians to provide donated care to low-income, uninsured community members—an effort that, more than 20 years later, continues to serve as a vital lifeline for the region.

Building on this work, Dr. Ellis partnered with colleagues to establish Project Access–New Haven, extending this model to address critical gaps in specialty care. Since 2010, the program has provided more than $102 million in services to nearly 5,000 patients. He has also supported the HAVEN Free Clinic, further strengthening access to high-quality, free care in the community.

An educational leader, over the past decade, Dr. Ellis has served as director of the Biopsychosocial Approach to Health, a required clerkship that integrates primary care and psychiatry and emphasizes holistic, patient-centered care. The program is consistently highly rated by students and recognized nationally.

Among many honors, Dr. Ellis’ awards include the Charles Huntington III Award from the Connecticut Public Health Association, the New Haven County Medical Association Physician Humanitarian Award, the Connecticut Chapter of the American College of Physicians Volunteerism and Community Service Award, and the Connecticut Hospital Association Community Service Award. He is a fellow of the American College of Physicians and has been named a Connecticut Magazine Top Doctors honoree every year since 2016.

Dr. Ellis earned a bachelor’s degree from Princeton University and his medical degree from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey–Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. He completed his residency at Rhode Island Hospital and a fellowship in general internal medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, where he also earned a Master of Public Health.