Earlier this month, LGBT health facility Mazzoni Center grew its staff with the addition of another physician who will serve patients through its Family & Community Medicine Practice.
Dr. Andrew Goodman, 28, joined the practice July 1 as its fourth family physician and its second full-time doctor. A native of Michigan, Goodman recently completed his residency at the University of Pennsylvania.
Robert Winn, medical director and the other full-time physician, said Goodman is a perfect fit for Mazzoni.
“We are thrilled to be adding Dr. Goodman to our staff, as his commitment to patient-centered primary care and his years of advocacy work for the LGBT communities places him squarely in line with our mission,” Winn said. “In recent years, our patient roster has grown tremendously and the addition of another full-time physician will allow us to sustain and to build on that growth.”
Goodman’s three-year residency with Penn’s Department of Family and Community Medicine allowed him to train with inner-city populations, inpatient care, gynecologic care, HIV/AIDS issues, transgender medicine and LGBT cultural competency.
He is a graduate of Western Michigan University, where he studied biochemistry, and later attained his doctorate from Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit, during which time he also served as the student chair of the university’s LGBT People in Medicine.
Goodman, who is openly gay, said he wanted to pursue a career in medicine as a way to serve others.
“All of this has been the best way for me to find to give back to my community,” he said. “That’s always been the goal for me and the way I found to do it was through medicine.”
In September, Goodman began volunteering as a clinician at Mazzoni’s Youth Drop-In program, which provides free medical care to area youth.
He said the connection he made through his volunteer work with the agency opened the door for the full-time position.
“I think there was interest from both parties: Mazzoni was ready to grow and add an additional provider and for me again it’s always been about giving back to the community, and I thought this was a really great opportunity to do that,” he said.
Nurit Shein, Mazzoni executive director, said Goodman’s appointment demonstrates the development the agency has seen in the past few years.
“When we opened our health center in 2002 with Dr. Winn as both medical director and the only physician at part time, we did not imagine that the growth would be so swift,” she said. “The success of our family practice is a testimony to the needs of our community and professional quality of our clinicians. We welcome Dr. Goodman to our ‘family’ and know that his dedication and compassion will add to an already-caring staff.”
Jen Colletta can be reached at [email protected].