Denver Health Pediatrician Recognized as Macy Faculty Scholar, Receives Grant to Write Course Material for Students
August 11, 2021
Matthew Rustici, Denver Health pediatrician and Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Center, is one of five clinicians in the nation to become a 2021 Macy Faculty Scholar, a program that provides funding for projects that enhance educational curriculum for medical students.
Dr. Rustici worked directly with the Denver Health Foundation’s proposals team to apply for the award. The Foundation is proud to support the work of our incredible physicians and other caregivers to drive change in our community.
Dr. Rustici will spend much of the next two years developing original coursework that supports a “person-centered” approach to clinical care that incorporates respect for all persons and honors the individual values of each patient. Dr. Rustici says that the goal of his curriculum is to train interns to be ready on their first day of residency to approach each patient as a complex person, leading to a better care experience for patients, especially since interns often interact face-to-face with patients more than any other provider does. “In addition to the direct benefit from our program [at Denver Health], we hope that creating a national set of curricular materials will improve the education of our interns that come from schools across the country,” Dr. Rustici said.
He also added that his time at Denver Health has greatly impacted his dedication to creating this coursework. “My experiences treating patients at Denver Health have kept me deeply committed to making sure that each patient we see is treated with compassion regardless of their background, health challenges, or ability to pay,” Dr. Rustici said. “The providers [here] are incredible and have been the most amazing role models of people who are committed to doing whatever is necessary to get a patient what they most need.”