Franciscan Health Munster general surgeon Jovenel Cherenfant, MD, has been named 2023 Physician of the Year by the medical staff.
The Physician of the Year award is presented annually by the medical staff to a physician who embodies the Franciscan Alliance values of respect for life, fidelity to the Franciscan Alliance mission, compassionate concern, joyful service and Christian stewardship.
“Thank you, Dr. Cherenfant, for your stewardship and humbleness,” the medical staff said in a statement announcing the award. “Dr. Cherenfant is a humbled and blessed man. Giving back to his patients and community is a must.”
Dr. Cherenfant is a 2005 graduate of Temple University School of Medicine in Philadelphia. He did his residency at Penn State University in Hershey, Pennsylvania and his fellowship at the University of Chicago in Chicago. He joined the Franciscan medical staff in November 2011. He serves as Medical Director for the General Surgery Department, Breast Program leader, Chair of the Medical Education Committee, Cancer Committee member, Liver and Hepatobiliary Program member and Robotic Committee member. He is also the former Surgery Department chairman.
In addition to serving on hospital committees, for the past eight years, Dr. Cherenfant has served as a volunteer with Holistic Evolution in Gary, the mission of which is to provide mentoring, life coaching and resource connection for men of color between the ages of 16 and 24. He also travels yearly to Haiti and Ghana for medical mission work, performing 80 to 100 surgeries per trip for patients with limited access to healthcare.
“I cannot think of this as an individual award,” Dr Cherenfant said. “Taking care of patients is teamwork. When my patients do well, it is because my clinic staff, the anesthesiologists and the hospitalists do their best to provide quality care. I thank my co-workers and colleagues for their support.”