Caribbean-American Heritage Month Physician Feature: Dr. Brian Donaldson
Jun 30, 2023
Dr. Brian Donaldson, MD, is the Chairman of Surgery, General and Vascular Surgery, at NYC Health + Hospitals/Harlem, where he has worked for over 23 years.
In honor of Caribbean-American Heritage Month, we sat down with Dr. Donaldson to learn more about his career. Here's what he had to say.
PAGNY: You mentioned you are Jamaican, were you born in Jamaica?
Dr. Donaldson: Born in Hanover, Jamaica 1960
PAGNY: How has your Caribbean-American heritage impacted where you are today?
Dr. Donaldson: Instilled the need for excellence and hard work in everything I do; my father was a farmer and got us up at 4 am every day to do farmwork before we got ready for school.
PAGNY: What does being a PAGNY provider mean to you?
Dr. Donaldson: I have been with PAGNY since its inception; I was initially a Columbia University affiliate employee at Harlem since June 2000, and an attending Woodhull from 1996-2000, and trained at Harlem from 1990-1996.
PAGNY: What drives you to care?
Dr. Donaldson: I love this community, and I try to provide excellent state-of-the-art care to the community; my drive is to help others get well.
PAGNY: What do you enjoy the most about your role?
Dr. Donaldson: I enjoy being an example for my other physicians; I strive for excellence and care deeply for this community's patients. I treat everyone as if they are part of my family.
PAGNY: When you are not caring for patients, what are some of your hobbies or things you enjoy doing?
Dr. Donaldson: I ride Motorcycles, I am a DJ (Dr. Beatz) and an avid soccer fan (Arsenal), and I love to travel.
PAGNY: Please share three fun facts about yourself
Dr. Donaldson: I like a challenge, and I am always willing to learn. I'm a fun guy.
PAGNY is proud to feature longtime physician leaders, like Dr. Brian Donaldson, who uphold our mission to provide accountable, responsive, quality care to their communities. Join us in commending Dr. Donaldson's 23 years of service to the Harlem community!