Old Westbury, NY – A 2007 graduate of New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine has been named the 2013 Young Osteopathic Family Physician of the Year.

The American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians awarded Teshina Wilson, DO, the honor for her medical contributions and leadership skills.

"It's so very humbling to think that someone would think of me this way," said Wilson, who is the chief medical officer at Henrietta Johnson Medical Center in Wilmington, Delaware.

The facility is a federally qualified healthcare center, a designation that means it offers primary care services in underserved urban and rural communities. Many of Wilson's patients are either uninsured or lack sufficient insurance coverage.

"We're really working every day to see what are the ways we can make improvements, bring more access points to patients," Wilson said. "If we keep our patients healthy, that's the workforce of the United States."

Wilson said the center's staff works particularly hard to find ways to provide much-needed services to patients. That might mean seeking alternative ways to cover procedures and care.

"Some days it is very frightening and it just weighs on us but we don't' accept no for an answer," Wilson said, referring to the frequent insurance obstacles that arise. "It takes a few more steps but we know there's a way to get it done."

Wilson said she has fond memories of her education at NYIT.

"I smile when I talk about the NYIT College of Osteopathic Medicine," she said. "It's an environment I couldn't replicate anywhere else. I wouldn't trade it for anything. When people are fostered into medicine in that kind of environment, you create the most stellar physicians and also some really good people."

Wilson said she was drawn to practicing family medicine because of the relationships she could forge with patients.

"I know every family member, I know all their intricacies," she said. "It's an honor because they allow me to become part of their families. It feels exactly like home."

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About NYIT

New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) offers 90 degree programs, including undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees, in more than 50 fields of study, including architecture and design; arts and sciences; education; engineering and computing sciences; health professions; management; and osteopathic medicine. A non-profit independent, private institution of higher education, NYIT has 14,000 students attending campuses on Long Island and Manhattan, online, and at its global campuses. NYIT sponsors 11 NCAA Division II programs and one Division I team.

Led by President Edward Guiliano, NYIT is guided by its mission to provide career-oriented professional education, offer access to opportunity to all qualified students, and support applications-oriented research that benefits the larger world. To date, 92,000 graduates have received degrees from NYIT. For more information, visit nyit.edu.

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