Dave Ores

In a city where healthcare is a luxury to many, Dr. Dave has shown accessible, community-rooted care for more New Yorkers is possible. Since the early 2000s Dr. Dave has run a small medical practice in the Lower East Side with a simple premise: nobody should be turned away from care because they can’t afford it.

Whether offering his services at his office or at a booth in Tompkins Square Park, Dr. Dave has built a portfolio of programs over his career, all designed to reach New Yorkers who fall through the cracks of the traditional healthcare system. On ‘pay what you can Wednesdays,’ patients with no insurance can set their own prices. His restaurant worker program brings affordable primary care to the army of folks who feed New York, but are locked out of access to quality and affordable healthcare. And through his free tattoo removal program, he helps New Yorkers shed ink that can close doors to employment opportunities.