Ho-Choong Chang, MD, is a general pediatrician who cares for patients from birth through adolescence. He is a member of the New Haven Primary Care Consortium (NHPCC), which addresses the medical, behavioral, and social needs of New Haven and surrounding communities. The NHPCC is a collaboration that includes Yale New Haven Hospital and Fair Haven Community Health Center.
“I was drawn to medicine at a young age by my fascination with science and how the body works, and a yearning to help people,” Dr. Chang says. “I chose pediatrics, because I've always loved kids. When I was growing up and members of our family got together, I wanted to spend time with the little kids and the babies—even when I was a teenager.”
He worked as an 8th-grade science teacher in Brooklyn for Teach for America before applying to medical school. One of the things Dr. Chang likes about pediatrics is the opportunity to work with a family over a period of months or years.
“There are so many barriers that get in the way of children growing up healthy and happy,” he says. “It’s important, as a pediatrician, to take a deep look at what is happening with a child and have honest conversations with their family to get the information you need to provide that child with the appropriate support. It may not happen in one visit, but when you work with a family over time, there is a real joy in establishing that level of trust.”
An associate professor at Yale School of Medicine, Dr. Chang has several special interests, including child development and immunization guidelines.
One of his passions—and research interests—is the importance of play. “Research has shown how important play is in mitigating the toxic effects of stress and adversity,” he says. He is involved in Prescription for Play, a LEGO Foundation program that supplies free DUPLO® brick kits and educational materials to pediatric health care providers. The materials are used in well-child visits and distributed to families to promote play as a key part of development among children ages 18-to-36 months.
