Professor Le Van Phuoc is honored with the UCSF Public Service Award 

On May 31st, in San Francisco, USA, Professor Le Van Phuoc – Vice Dean for Medical Education, College of Health Sciences – VinUniversity, was honored with The UCSF Chancellor’s Award for Public Service 2023. 

The Edison T. Uno Chancellor Award (UCSF) is an award that recognizes outstanding service to the community in the mission of patient care, research, and education by the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF).  

 This award aims to recognize the mission of patient care, research, and education of UCSF on a global scale through community-focused activities.  

Each year, the award honors several individuals at UCSF to celebrate those who have made significant contributions to society and the community. These individuals contribute to improving the quality of life in the community through volunteer activities, public service, or community education programs. 

This year, selected from among over 30,000 faculty, students, and staff at UCSF, Vietnam takes pride in having its name on the list of recipients for the prestigious Edison T. Uno Chancellor Awards for Public Service. Professor Phuoc Le, who recently joined  VinUni, was honored with this award. The award is attributed to his contributions in the field of public health care, particularly in connection with the establishment of the HEAL Initiative. 

Professor Le Van Phuoc was honored with The UCSF Chancellor’s Award for Public Service 2023

As part of the award ceremony, a video was presented to describe the work of the HEAL Initiative. 

Professor – Dr. Le Van Phuoc co-founded a project under the Global Health Fellowship called HEAL (Health, Equity, Action, and Leadership). HEAL brings together over 200 doctors with the goal of providing care for millions of impoverished patients worldwide. 

HEAL has dispatched these doctors to challenging locations, including countries in Africa, Central America, Mexico, and even the poorest areas in the United States, such as Native American reservations. Each doctor dedicates two years to caring for underprivileged communities. The HEAL network provides guidance to doctors on effective healthcare practices in difficult settings, clarifying the goals they need to achieve and the individuals they need to care for. 

During the Covid-19 pandemic, the doctors involved in the project, notably Doctor Le Van Phuoc, have been tirelessly dedicated to providing medical care for rural populations in both the United States and Africa. The impact of the program has led to the prestigious recognition received by Doctor Le Van Phuoc and his colleagues. Throughout this period, numerous newspapers around the world have covered the HEAL program due to its significant contributions to impoverished communities worldwide. 

“This truly is an award for the collective effort. It recognizes our commitment to caring for the poor and those in need of access to healthcare services. We do this work not to receive awards but because we believe it is the right thing to do. People in disadvantaged areas have the right to access quality healthcare services,” happily shared Professor Le Van Phuoc. 

Professor Le Van Phuoc graduated from Dartmouth College in 2000 with dual majors in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and Asian and Middle Eastern Languages and Literatures. He then gained admission to Stanford Medical School, where he obtained his MD degree. During his time at Stanford, Professor Phuoc also earned a Master’s degree in Public Health from the University of California, Berkeley, specializing in global health. He completed his combined Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, and Global Health Equity residency program at Brigham and Women’s Hospital of Harvard and Massachusetts General Hospital. 

Professor Le Van Phuoc joined VinUni Career Day 2023 

He joined VinUni in February 2023 as the Vice Dean for Medical Education, College of Health Sciences. His desire is to contribute to improving education in Vietnam, thereby providing knowledge to educators and healthcare leaders in the country.

“Vietnamese people will have better access to quality healthcare services if we have competent doctors. Outstanding medical students will help improve healthcare services in the future. Therefore, becoming a part of VinUni has filled me with great enthusiasm, as I am eager to contribute my efforts to this mission”, said Professor Le Van Phuoc.