Trumbull's Christine Van Cott, MD, FACS, Named St. Vincent's 2017 Physician of the Year

Christine E. Van Cott, M.D., FACS, of Trumbull, Conn., received the St. Vincent de Paul Award and has been named St. Vincent's Medical Center's 2017 Physician of the Year. The award honors the attending physician who best demonstrates the qualities exemplified by Saint Vincent de Paul, Saint Louise de Marillac, and Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, founders of the Daughters of Charity, by living the mission and values of the Medical Center.       

"Dr. Van Cott possesses an overwhelming compassion to care for her patients, always putting them first and ensuring she provides person-centered care.  She is a strong advocate for her patients and treats each of them as if they were her family," stated the nomination submitted on her behalf.

As the surgical clerkship director and assistant professor for the Quinnipiac University Frank H. Netter School of Medicine, Dr. Van Cott's enthusiasm to teach and mentor young physicians is unparalleled. She is also a clinical faculty member of the New York Medical College / Westchester Medical Center Surgical Residency Program. Dr. Van Cott's tireless dedication to her patients, her students and her colleagues makes her an exceptional candidate for this award. Dr. Van Cott is the recipient of numerous teaching excellence awards and has been nominated twice by St. Vincent's for the Melville Magida Award from the Fairfield County Medical Association recognizing young physicians in the community. 

"The award is very kind and very meaningful to me, especially in an environment with so many caring and talented physicians. To be recognized for the care I provide is always nice, but to be recognized for my compassion and patient focus is humbling," said Dr. Van Cott. "Simply, I treat my patients the same way I would treat my family and I teach my students to do the same."

After receiving her medical degree from SUNY in Buffalo, New York, Dr. Van Cott went on to complete an internship, residency and was chief resident of general surgery at St. Raphael's Hospital in New Haven.  Dr. Van Cott completed a Hepatopancreaticobiliary/Upper Gastrointestinal (HPB/UGI) Fellowship at the Auckland City Hospital in New Zealand.  Board certified by the American Board of Surgery, she practices with the St. Vincent's Multispecialty Group in the Pfriem Center for Cancer Care at St. Vincent's Medical Center.  Dr. Van Cott is the director of St. Vincent's Clinical Genetic Testing and Hereditary Risk Assessment program as well as the director of the Peritoneal Malignancy and Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemoperfusion (HIPEC) program. 

Dr. Van Cott lives in Trumbull with husband David and their two sons, John and David.