Rachana Gavara, MD: Community Service Award

Dr. Gavara, a P&S faculty member since 2007, is uniquely dedicated to improving patient care and expanding access. “She is a skilled, experienced clinician, completely committed to doing the right thing for each patient, all the time,” one nominator remarks. “She has a knack for identifying opportunities for improvement, then working tirelessly to mobilize the right players into action.” Dr. Gavara is medical director of the Broadway Clinic and director of OB/GYN services for the Ambulatory Care Network. In these roles, she has made significant improvements in offering timely access to care. She has created special clinic sessions to expedite care for women starting prenatal care late in pregnancy, has galvanized colleagues to cover extra sessions when short-staffed, and worked to bring about a cultural change for accommodating same-day appointments and walk-ins.

A Conversation with Dr. Gavara

Tell us what you do at the P&S.

Besides being an assistant professor of obstetrics & gynecology, I am director of the Broadway Practice, a primary care clinic, as well as for Ob/Gyn services for CUMC's ambulatory care network. In this role, among my responsibilities are to ensure easy access to care for patients in our community, to make timely appointments and appropriate referrals available, and also to ensure quality of care meets CUMC standards. I also have medical students in their clinical rotations who learn clinical care in outpatient settings.

What do you like most about your role?

Taking care of the patients and sharing what I have learned over the years with my students and residents brings a sense of fulfillment. I also like to find innovative ways to improve access to care, cut down the waste in the system, and make the process of health care a pleasant experience for both those who provide it and those who receive it. I really like what I do and my work never tires me. (Although home work does!)

How did you come to P&S?

I have been at NYP/Columbia since 2007, when I was hired for a faculty appointment at the Allen Hospital after finishing my residency at Bronx Lebanon hospital. In my previous life in India and for a short time in Nepal, I was actively engaged in teaching medical students and training residents. I found this stimulating and rewarding. Plus it keeps me on my toes!

I graduated from medical school in the City of Taj, India, in 1990, did a residency in obstetrics & gynecology, did another three years of senior residency, which was equivalent to a fellowship at one of the busiest hospital in New Delhi. I had my first faculty appointment at the BP Koirala Institute of Medical Sciences in Nepal, where I worked for one year

That year was the most important learning experience in my life. It opened my eyes to the practical aspect of delivering timely and effective care in a cost-conscious manner with very limited resources.

I moved to the U.S. in 2000, was a postdoctoral fellow at Cornell for three years, then applied for a residency in ob/gyn.

What do you do outside of work?

Outside of work I am a very dull person who is oblivious to what is cool these days! (I'm constantly reminded of that by my two teenage daughters!) I like reading, cooking, and gardening in my free time.