We are pleased to announce the promotion of one of our faculty members, Dr. Gerardo Alcazar, who has been promoted to Assistant Professor, effective January 1, 2020.
Gerardo Alcazar, MD
Dr. Alcazar has worked at Duke University Medical Center for the last three years as a Hospitalist under the designation as a Medical Instructor. He has shown outstanding professionalism, has received recognition for his highly-rated patient-centered care, and has proved himself to be a valuable educator in the Duke Health System and the Duke University School of Medicine. During his time at Duke, Dr. Alcazar has immersed himself in a myriad of educational endeavors. From the start, he was an active resident teacher and house staff supervisor during his night float service by giving direct feedback on overnight resident admissions, and overseeing responses to critical patient encounters on the wards. He later transitioned to rounding as attending physician on the Internal Medicine General Medicine house staff rotation. He receives positive feedback about his leadership, personality, and medical knowledge from the house staff.
Dr. Alcazar is also engaged in medical student education. He is a facilitator for the Cultural Determinants of Health Disparities course. In this role, he works directly with a small group of first-year medical students to broach difficult discussions regarding equitable healthcare for vulnerable populations both nationally and locally in Durham. As a Mexican immigrant with humble beginnings, it is something he knows personally and his passion for overcoming barriers to healthcare access is admiral. In this course’s inaugural semester, his students frequently commented on the safe environment he fostered and their comfort in having frank and honest discussions on curriculum topics.
Dr. Alcazar has brought much enthusiasm to Quality Improvement research here to Duke and is currently revamping the COPD care-redesign project. This ongoing work is aimed at reducing the readmission rates for this patient population acutely and longitudinally.
Congratulations on this outstanding accomplishment, Dr. Alcazar!