UC Davis surgeon recognized with Ethnic Physician Leadership Award
September 29,
2022By Physicians for a Healthy California Leadership Awards
Sacramento surgeon David T. Cooke, M.D., FACS, has been awarded the 2022 Physicians for a Healthy California Ethnic Physician Leadership Award. This award recognizes an individual physician for his or her contributions toward improving the health of ethnic communities.
Dr. Cooke is being honored for showing remarkable success in eliminating health disparities, addressing access to care and improving cultural competency and patient advocacy.
Dr. Cooke is an everyday champion for the health needs of the underserved and at-risk communities of color. His colleagues state that he never misses an opportunity to step up and take a proactive role in influencing much-needed changes in health care access, delivery and representation for communities of color. In efforts to establish community trust, he signed up to participate in one of the first clinical trials for a coronavirus vaccine and used his experience as an opportunity to allay concerns about the vaccine’s safety.
At the UC Davis School of Medicine, Dr. Cooke serves as the Chief of the Division of General Thoracic Surgery, Director of the General Thoracic Surgery Robotics Program, and the Vice Chair for Faculty Development and Wellness for the Department of Surgery. He also serves on the American Lung Association National Lung Cancer Expert Medical Advisory Panel.