YOUNG PHYSICIAN AWARD

Philip Cheng, MD

Receives 2020 Young Physician Award

A transformative doctor whose work secured efforts to care for sick children locally, instead of sending them out of the area for treatment, is being honored for his efforts

In early Spring 2020, Dr. Philip Cheng was selected by the nominating committee as the Young Physician Award recipient before the pandemic required that the festivities be postponed. He grew up in Stockton, attending local schools before going away to college at University of California, Riverside. Later he attended medical school at Virginia Commonwealth University and trained at University of California San Francisco, Fresno campus before completing his Fellowship in Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine at University of California, San Diego, where he was Chief Fellow.

Dr. Cheng returned to Stockton to practice alongside his father, Shyh-Fang Cheng, MD at St. Joseph’s Medical Center (SJMC), where he has been the Chair of the pediatrics department and medical director of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. In 2018, he was the recipient of the “Champion of Quality” award at SJMC, where he was instrumental in bringing the most up-to-date technology and treatment protocols to the NICU.

Additionally, he spearheaded the start of a pediatric hospitalist program at SJMC, which has been key in preventing the transfer of sick children from our county to the Bay Area. According to one of the nominating physicians, Dr. Kwabena Adubofour, “Dr. Cheng continues to foster excellence in the management of sick kids.”

When asked about the best part of working in the community in which he grew up, Dr. Cheng said, “coming to work was truly rewarding as I felt that not only was I helping the babies get better, but I was making a direct impact on the future of the Stockton community.”

During his time back in Stockton, Dr. Cheng joined SJMS’ Decision Medicine committee and was the keynote speaker at the celebration banquet for the class of 2017. He has served on the SJMS Board of Directors for the past two years.

In April 2020, Dr. Cheng married his “better half” Enny and the two are proudly raising Milo, the goldendoodle. Recently, they made the difficult decision to move back to Fresno to pursue an opportunity at Community Regional Medical Center. His last day was December 1. Although he is not able to attend the awards dinner, the San Joaquin Medical Society would like to thank him for his service on the board and recognize his contributions in elevating the level of care for the babies and children of our community.