CSMS Presents 2014 Maloney Distinguished Service Award to Richard Torres, MD
September 12, 2014 (New Haven, CT) -- The highest honor CSMS can confer upon a member, the Paul K. Maloney, Jr., MD Distinguished Service Award was established to honor the life and work of Dr. Maloney, an eminent physician known for his exemplary service, active engagement, and dedication to the community.
The 2014 Maloney Award winner is Richard Torres, MD, of Bridgeport. The award was presented to Dr. Torres by CSMS President Michael Saffir, MD at the 222nd Annual Meeting of the Connecticut State Medical Society.
Dr. Torres was selected as this year’s Maloney Award recipient for his decades of dedicated care for underserved patients, for his unwavering commitment to medical education, and his remarkable community volunteerism.
Born and raised in the South Bronx, Dr. Torres completed his undergraduate work at Fordham and Harvard University. He is a graduate of the Boston University School of Medicine and completed his residency in Internal Medicine at Temple. He went on to join the National Health Service Corps (NHSC); as an NHSC Scholar, Dr. Torres decided to dedicate his career to primary care in an underserved community.
In 1986, Dr. Torres began working at the Bridgeport Community Health Center, a federally qualified health center, now known as Optimus Health Care. He became its Medical Director the following year, an Attending Physician at Bridgeport Hospital, and a Clinical Instructor of Medicine at the Yale School of Medicine. He has received numerous awards for his excellence in patient care, particularly to those affected by HIV/AIDS.
Throughout his career, Dr. Torres has been recognized for his devotion to his patients, and for his outstanding clinical and academic performance. An OHC colleague notes that “his passion, empathy, and dedication are contagious.”
Dr. Torres’ commitment to community extends well beyond the practice site. He has volunteered as the Physician in Charge of the Officer Friendly City of Bridgeport Police Department for the last 17 years, and he has also been an NYPD Auxiliary Police Officer since 2009.
CSMS will donate $1,000 to the charity of Dr. Torres’ choice. Dr. Torres has selected the Latino Commission on AIDS, a nonprofit membership organization dedicated to fighting the spread of HIV/AIDS in the Latino community.
2014 Maloney Award Winner Richard Torres, MD
