Kyle Duff, MD, FAAFP, AAHIVS is a California native grafted onto Pittsburgh through the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, where he obtained his MD in 2015. He went on to graduate from the Washington Hospital Family Medicine residency program in 2018. During his residency and afterward, Dr. Duff has advocated for LGBTQ+ individuals by founding Washington Hospital’s DEI committee and creating diversity training curricula for their health system. He has worked proudly for Centerville Clinics, Pennsylvania’s fifth largest FQHC, and Central Outreach Wellness Center, the largest LGBTQ+ primary care clinic system in the region. He has put down roots and lives with his husband Ben in Bridgeville, PA. Ben and Kyle enjoy cooking together, being physically active in their respective gyms, or hiking and paddling in Appalachia. They love their beagle, Cooper, but he stays home during their adventures.

Medical School: University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Residency:Washington Hospital Family Medicine Residency Program
Board Certified: Family Medicine

Q: What sparked your interest to focus in family medicine?
A: When I arrived as a new resident to Washington Health System, I asked if there were any committees, employee resource groups, or policies with a focus on health equity for LGBTQ+ folks. Though there were none at the time, I was given the green light to begin raising awareness across the health system of these remarkable people, who face daily struggles to access care and maintain their health. My research and advocacy work during residency uniquely prepared me to work full time at Central Outreach Wellness Center (COWC), which was at the time I joined them opening a new clinic building in another part of the city of Washington. While I was deepening my practice of LGBTQ+ medicine with COWC’s population of rural and underserved LGBTQ+ patients, I was simultaneously expanding their primary care and preventive services.  It was a wonderful exchange that helped both of us to grow while helping an at-risk population.

Q: Who was your role model growing up and encouraged you to follow your dreams?
A: Dr. Andy Nowalk, co-director of the Pediatric Residency Program at UPMC Children’s Hospital, was my “co-mentor” in medical school. I already had an assigned mentor like every medical student, but after Andy met me and we had a few deep conversations, he asked for special permission to add me to his roster of mentees. His lighthearted humor and serious love for his patients was the light that guided me through some challenging years. I hated to tell him that I was going into Family Medicine, not Pediatrics, but he accepted the news with a smile and a laugh. He even looked at my CV for the faculty position at St. Clair. I can’t thank him enough for his continued guidance.

Q: What’s your favorite thing about the city of Pittsburgh?
A: Pittsburgh has some of the friendliest and most approachable people in the US. From the serious surgeon to the yelling yinzer, everyone will respect you and offer a helping hand.

Q: What’s your favorite food?
A: The entire breadth of Asian cuisine, from India to Japan, is endlessly enticing to me. I can hardly pick a favorite food, let alone one country’s style of cooking from that part of the world. But I will elevate the lowly dumpling as a personal comfort food.