Dr. John Purakal

Biography

John David Purakal, MD, MS, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Duke University School of Medicine. He serves as the Director of Health Equity & Community Engagement and holds appointments at the Duke-Margolis Institute for Health Policy and the Samuel Dubois Cook Center on Social Equity. Dr. Purakal's educational contributions include being the Emergency Medicine Clerkship Director and a Core Faculty member for the Department of Emergency Medicine Residency Program. He is recognized as an invited speaker on health equity and racial disparities in healthcare and has worked on initiatives addressing healthcare access in at-risk populations. Dr. Purakal completed his emergency medicine residency at the University of Illinois - Chicago and has served as a chief resident. His academic journey began at the University of Chicago, where he held a faculty position in the Section of Emergency Medicine. Dr. Purakal's notable contributions include developing a social needs screening program and a Health Equity Curriculum for the Emergency Medicine Residency Program. He has received several awards for his teaching and leadership, including the Faculty Teacher of the Year and Duke University's Presidential Award. His work on public health issues has earned him recognition at multiple levels, including invitations to the White House to address social needs and health equity in healthcare policy.

Research Interests

Experience

Awards