Yale Cancer Center Award for Lifetime Achievement: David Fischer, MD
February 04, 2021The award is given annually to a YCC member who has impacted the field of oncology both nationally and internationally. David Fischer, MD, has been involved with Yale School of Medicine for nearly 60 years. He was the first medical oncologist in the New Haven community and remained in private practice for thirty years. He was recruited by Dr. Vincent DeVita in 1994 to serve on the Yale Cancer Committee as a three-day-a-week volunteer. He has chaired or co-chaired the Cancer Committee for Yale Cancer Center/Yale New Haven Hospital since 1996. He was Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine 1967-75, Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine 1975-1981 and Clinical Professor of Medicine 1981 to the present. He has published 30 papers in peer-reviewed journals.
In 1967, Dr. Fischer went into private oncology practice to serve cancer patients in the New Haven area. He introduced the controversial practice of offering to tell his cancer patients the truth about their diagnosis if they wanted to know their diagnosis and he obtained written informed consent forms on all patients given cancer chemotherapy, not just those given experimental drugs. In 1972, he was part of a committee to establish The Connecticut Hospice and in 1974, it was started as a homecare service and he served on the medical board. That same year he received the Ben Harris award for house staff teaching at Yale. In 1980, Dr. Fischer helped The Connecticut Hospice become a licensed inpatient facility in Branford that also served as the base of an expanding homecare service. He ultimately became the medical advisor of the committee that supervised its growth.
Information
- ID
- 6162
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- DCA Citation Guide
Transcript
- 00:08Doctor Fisher, as you may know.
- 00:10ASKO publishes a series that they
- 00:13entitled Legends in Oncology
- 00:15and when I think about you,
- 00:17that's what I think about a legend.
- 00:20In oncology. We owe you so much
- 00:23gratitude for your support.
- 00:25Your mentorship, your leadership and
- 00:27your advocacy at the Yale Cancer
- 00:29Center and Smilow Cancer Hospital.
- 00:32Over these many years,
- 00:33much of our success in building
- 00:35multidisciplinary programs in our
- 00:37multidisciplinary tumor board
- 00:38structure relates to your passion.
- 00:41Your persistence and your absolute
- 00:44commitment to excellence.
- 00:45So thankful and so grateful.
- 00:47Appreciate it.
- 00:48Take care, baby.
- 00:49Congratulations on winning
- 00:50the Yale Cancer Center
- 00:51Lifetime Achievement award.
- 00:53You played a largely behind the
- 00:55scenes but absolutely vital role in
- 00:57the Yell Cancer Center in the Smile
- 00:59Cancer Hospital for many years.
- 01:01From sharing the membership
- 01:03committee to Indomina lectureship
- 01:04in your wife's need to open
- 01:07red key committees and smile?
- 01:08Oh, thank you for you.
- 01:10Wonderful job you have done. On
- 01:13behalf of the tumor registry and
- 01:15Teresita Vega, may she rest in peace.
- 01:18It is an honor to recognize Doctor Fisher
- 01:21for his contributions to our cancer program.
- 01:24His years of collaboration with
- 01:26Terry has led our cancer committee
- 01:29to sucessfully ensure recreation
- 01:30of our cocs cancer product.
- 01:33Doctor Fisher is greatly admire and his
- 01:35positive for ethics inspires everyone.
- 01:38Thank you for being part of our two more
- 01:40ice treating congratulations Doctor Features.
- 01:43From Javier Perez and the tumor history team.
- 01:47Congratulations
- 01:47Doctor Fisher on receiving the
- 01:49Lifetime Achievement award.
- 01:50Your dedication and support
- 01:52of the tumor registry,
- 01:53tumor Board and Commission on Cancer
- 01:56has been instrumental to our success.
- 01:58This award is well deserved as you
- 02:00have truly been an inspiration
- 02:02to our cancer enterprise.
- 02:04Thank you for selfishly putting
- 02:06your patients needs before your own.
- 02:09It is truly a testament to your legacy.
- 02:12David,
- 02:13congratulations on this well
- 02:15deserved Lifetime Achievement award.
- 02:17We appreciate all you've done
- 02:19for nearly half a century for,
- 02:21yeah, for the Cancer Center.
- 02:23For the community,
- 02:24you've taken care of patience.
- 02:26You've taught.
- 02:27You've done research,
- 02:28your oral histories, Ann,
- 02:29your written histories of Yale
- 02:31Cancer Center, the community,
- 02:33the Jewish community or something
- 02:35will treasure for years to come.
- 02:37I congratulate you on this award
- 02:39and hope I can continue to reach
- 02:40out to you for advice and help.