Dr. Jennifer F. Henkind, M.D.

Awards/Honors: 

Biography:

I grew up in Larchmont New York and graduated from Wesleyan University in Middletown CT with a major in Chemistry. After college I did medical research at Emory University in Atlanta Georgia for two years. I then attended medical school at SUNY Buffalo, graduated Cum Laude and completed my pediatric training at the Children’s Hospital in Buffalo New York. Buffalo was a wonderful place , but far from my family and friends downstate. So I joined Stamford Pediatric Associates in 1994 to be closer to everyone and have been working here ever since.

In addition to my office based practice, I have been actively involved with New York Medical College since 1994 and hold a position as an Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics. I serve as a preceptor for first and second year medical students. This office based, hands on experience provides them with their first true clinical patient experiences. In 2014, at the request of one of the families who I care for, I started volunteering at the St. Joes Parenting Center in Stamford. St. Joes teaches parenting and life skills to “at risk” families (parents who have been involved with DCF, incarceration, child abuse/neglect). Teaching parenting skills classes at St. Joes has been a challenging and thrilling addition to my volunteer activities.

The most recent addition to my volunteer activities has been medical mission work in Haiti. I became involved with NOVA Hope for Haiti in 2017. In 2019, I became the US based medical director of NOVA.  Working with our US executive team and the medical team in Haiti we are bringing substantial improvements to the care of our Haitian patients.  In 2019 we started web based medical education conferences for the entire clinic staff and other NGOs in southern Haiti.  We are in the process of getting electron health records for the clinic.  Our other big project is to start a hypertension clinic which incorporates intensive teaching, medication compliance and BP monitoring of our patient cohort.  The medical work in Haiti has challenged and inspired me in ways I could never imagine. Additionally, each fall, NOVA sends a full medical team to provide advanced levels of care and teaching to communities with severely limited access to healthcare. Some of the most common issues we encounter are: hypertension, strokes, skin infections, respiratory issues, parasite infections and malnutrition. I feel so fortunate to be able to contribute my skills and resources to these patients who are in such great need.

My personal experience as an adoptive parent has led to volunteer work at the Family and Children’s Agency in Norwalk. I regularly give lectures about the Medical and Developmental Aspects of International Adoption. In 2009 I was honored to receive a volunteer award from the Volunteer Center of Southwestern Fairfield County for the work I have done with FCA. It is so gratifying to help families as they journey down the road of building a family.

I have lived in Stamford for over 25 years with my husband and two young adult children, who are both Korean adoptees. We also have a rescue dog named Mugsy. Although he is now a senior citizen, you can frequently find me taking him for long walks on Newfield Ave.  My daughter Juliana is a proud graduate of Stamford High School. She studied communications in Los Angeles at Loyola Marymount University.  She has worked and traveled extensively around Asia and New Zealand.  Working with children and in the outdoors are her passions.  Juliana is also extremely creative, she loves photography, drawing and painting. Jacob graduated from St. Thomas More High School. He attended Lincoln Tech Culinary School and now lives and works in Central New Jersey. Jacob is fearless in the kitchen and thoroughly enjoys working at the Ryland Inn. In 2014 my friend and I started a monthly Mah Jong group here in Stamford. I fear I am turning into my grandmother! I love to read (I am always looking for good book recommendations) and have been in an active book club for over a decade.