This fund has been established to honor Benjamin H. Josephson, MD - pediatrician, family practitioner, teacher, mentor and friend. In combining the highest professional standards of health care with his advocacy for the poor, the young and the disenfranchised, Dr. Josephson stood as an example and inspiration to others. As an ongoing commitment to the continuation of his humanitarian work, this fund provides healthcare professionals with the financial resources necessary to deliver medical services to those in need throughout the world.
About Us
Dr. Benjamin H. Josephson was one of the founding directors and mentors of the Overlook Family Practice Residency Program, a community-based teaching hospital located in Summit, New Jersey, and a member of Atlantic Health System. Dr. Josephson, a pediatrician in private solo practice for 18 years prior to joining the residency faculty, was a dedicated humanitarian who volunteered his time and expertise throughout his career. His love of travel, coupled with his unbridled passion for protecting human rights, took him to assist the sick and wounded children in the war-torn countries of Bosnia, Rwanda, Zaire, and Iraq and to impoverished areas of Honduras, Russia, Appalachia and Native American Reservations. Additionally, he devoted his time to the Morristown Soup Kitchen, the VA Hospital, a local public health clinic, and a shelter for battered women.
The Benjamin H. Josephson, MD Fund was founded following Ben's death in 1998 with a grant from the New York Community Trust---the Donald R. Gant Fund. The Fund is designed to encourage residents, attendings, and other medical professionals to volunteer their time to deliver medical services to underserved populations throughout the world. Although the Fund's first priority is to support healthcare professionals from the Atlantic Health System professional community, program administrators also consider applications from residents, attendings, and nurses from outside the system.
Varayini Pankayatselvan, MD: Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Internal Medicine PGY3
Botswana: February, 2022
It was 7:30 AM, I just arrived at Scottish Livingtonstone Hospital after my 15-minute commute where I saw several kids in their yellow shirts and black bottoms head… It was 7:30 AM, I just arrived at Scottish Livingtonstone Hospital after my 15-minute commute where I saw several kids in their yellow shirts and black bottoms head…
Read more →Abigail McRea, MD: UNC Chapel Hill Pediatrics PGY2
Kenya: February, 2022
My name is Abigail McRea and I am a second-year pediatric resident at UNC Chapel Hill. I recently traveled to…
Read more →Beverly Williams, MD: Greater Lawrence Family Health Center PGY2
Ghana: September, 2021
The instant we landed in Ghana, Western Africa, I became tachycardic. My heart was racing with excitement, anticipation, and…
Read more →Kelsey Greenwald, MD: Mass General & Brigham and Women’s Hospital EM PGY3
Sierra Leone: April, 2021
I spent four weeks at the Koidu Government Hospital in Sierra Leone, training local community health workers and…
Read more →Jennifer Kim, MD: UC San Diego Anesthesia Fellow
Rwanda: February, 2020
I had the privilege to travel to Kigali, Rwanda in February 2020 to help provide regional anesthesia for Rwandan patients and teach the University of Rwanda …
Read more →Brittany Canfield, RN: UMASS Amherst College of Nursing
Honduras: February, 2020
My clinical experiences in Guachipilincito, Honduras and the communities surrounding Camasca, Honduras were amazing, educational, and eye-opening. Throughout my…
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