STATEMENT
For Immediate Release
June 15, 2026
Contact: Vito Grasso, Executive Vice President at 518-469-5237/ vito@nysafp.org
The New York State Academy of Family Physicians (NYSAFP) announced recently the winner of an award for excellence in family practice education. The NYSAFP’s Family Practice Educator of the Year Award recognizes Krishna Desai, MD, Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians (FAAFP), who has made outstanding contributions to medical education, faculty development, and integrative medicine education across undergraduate, graduate, and continuing medical education.
Dr. Krishna Desai, of New York City, serves as Associate Program Director of the Family Medicine Residency Program at NY Presbyterian-Columbia University, Chair of the Clinical Competency Committee (CCC), and Director of Integrative Medicine Clinical Care and Faculty Development Fellowship. She was nominated by her colleagues, residents, and students for her exceptional commitment to teaching, mentorship, educational innovation, and patient-centered care.
Since joining the residency faculty in 2013, Dr. Desai has become a recognized leader in family medicine education. She has developed and implemented a unique integrative medicine curriculum, established an Integrative Medicine Consult Clinic serving low-income and uninsured patients, and secured grant funding to expand educational and clinical programs focused on whole-person care. Her work has also led to the creation of an integrative medicine elective for Columbia medical students and has elevated awareness of family medicine among future physicians.
As Chair of the CCC, Dr. Desai transformed resident assessment by developing individualized learning plans and innovative evaluation processes that have been presented nationally and adopted as models for other residency programs. She is also an active leader in residency admissions, wellness initiatives, faculty development, and mentorship, consistently fostering growth and professional development among trainees and colleagues.
Dr. Desai’s educational impact extends beyond Columbia. She is a sought-after speaker and workshop leader through organizations including the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine, the American Academy of Family Physicians, and the NYSAFP. Her scholarship in integrative medicine, assessment, wellness, and faculty development has advanced family medicine education at the regional and national levels. Most recently, she co-edited 8 Conditions Primary Care Clinicians Dread to Treat: A Practical Guide to Nonpharmacological Care, published by Springer Nature in 2026.
Below are just a few of the statements made by Dr. Desai’s colleagues and students when nominating her for this recognition:
“Residents love working with her. She creates a learning environment that is supportive, welcoming, and engaging. She is approachable, encourages questions, and makes residents feel comfortable while also challenging them to grow.”
“Dr. Desai is a phenomenal educator who warmly and effortlessly inspires her trainees to grow and be better. I am so appreciative of her mentorship as her advisee as she always meets me halfway and has the most amazing advice.”
“What distinguishes Dr. Desai most is the way she simultaneously and continuously teaches and learns with humility, intentionality, and a deep sense of purpose. She is not only an outstanding educator but also a mentor who invests in the growth of others and a clinician who embodies the principles she teaches.”
“Dr. Desai has inspired many residents, including myself, to develop into strong and caring physicians and leaders. She is an approachable, kind, knowledgeable, and direct teacher, always encouraging residents to expand our differential diagnoses and evolve our traditional minds to see each patient as individuals.”
Dr. Krishna Desai was officially recognized for this honor during NYSAFP’s Congress of Delegates in Albany on May 16th.
NYSAFP represents nearly 6,000 family physicians, residents and students across the State. NYSAFP Family Physicians are board-certified and specialize in family medicine. Family physicians focus on the whole patient providing care throughout their lifetime. They provide comprehensive healthcare services to treat diseases and injuries in all age groups from newborns to the geriatric population and across all medical fields. Family Physicians focus on prevention, wellness and overall care coordination for patients and family medicine is the only specialty to focus on the care of the entire family unit. Family Physicians are also a main source of primary health care in New York and across the country.