Board of Health

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From Typhus to Trans Fat: Meet the New York City Board of Health

Yellow Fever was plaguing New York City when the Board of Health held its first meeting in 1805. Led by Mayor De Witt Clinton, the board evacuated stricken neighborhoods and started collecting mortality statistics, to "furnish data for reflection and calculation." Yellow Jack swept the city for the last time in 1822, but cholera, typhus and tuberculosis persisted, fueled by crowding and a lack of sanitation.

Everything changed in 1866, when the New York State Legislature expanded the Board and insulated it from political influence by setting aside seats for physicians and scientists. Newly empowered, the Board decreed that "neither hogs nor goats [could] run at large in our city" and pressured landlords to maintain their buildings. Cholera deaths promptly fell by 90 percent.

The 11-member Board of Health remains a vital force today. Most members - appointed by the Mayor with the consent of the City Council - serve six-year terms. Each Board member is a recognized expert, and the group represents a broad range of health and medical disciplines. They serve without pay and, like judges, cannot be dismissed without cause. As the overseer of New York City's Health Code, the Board has enacted countless measures to improve the wellbeing of New Yorkers over the years - including a ban on interior lead paint, modern tuberculosis control provisions and, more recently, a plan for eliminating trans fat from restaurants. Here are the current members:

Thomas Farley, MD, MPH, Chair

Dr. Farley was appointed New York City Health Commissioner in May 2009. One of the world's oldest and largest public health agencies, the department has an annual budget of $1.6 billion and more than 6,000 staff. Before joining the agency, Dr. Farley was chair of the Department of Community Health Sciences at the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. Trained as a pediatrician, he served in the Centers for Disease Control's Epidemic Intelligence Service and worked for the CDC and the Louisiana Office of Public Health from 1989 to 2000. During that period he directed programs to control various infectious diseases. He served as Senior Adviser to New York City Health Commissioner Thomas Frieden in 2007 and 2008. Dr. Farley has conducted research and published articles on a wide range of topics, including Legionnaires' disease, prevention of HIV/STDs, infant mortality, and obesity. He is coauthor, with RAND Senior Scientist Deborah Cohen, of Prescription for a Healthy Nation (Beacon Press).

Thomas Tsang, MD, MPH

Dr. Tsang is the Chief Medical Officer for the Charles B. Wang Community Health Center; a not-for-profit community based health care facility that treats approximately 40,000 patients annually. He is a renowned physician who has practiced medicine in New York City for approximately thirteen years. He has done extensive research on various health issues affecting the Chinese-American community. Dr. Tsang was appointed to the Board of Health by Mayor Michael Bloomberg in 2007.

Marlon E. Brewer, M.D.

Dr. Brewer is an assistant professor of medicine at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine and Associate Director/Chief Physician for ambulatory care at Elmhurst Hospital. Dr Brewer had been providing care to patients in Queens for more than 15 years and received recognition for his work in improving diabetes care. He was appointed to the Board of Health by Mayor Michael Bloomberg in 2006.

Pamela S. Brier, M.P.H.

Ms. Brier, president and CEO of Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, is widely recognized as a leader in health care in New York City. An expert in both public health and hospital administration, she is credited with significantly improving patient care and using information technology to improve the speed, effectiveness and safety of medical treatment. Ms. Brier was appointed to the Board of Health by Mayor Michael Bloomberg in 2002.

Sixto R. Caro, M.D.

Dr. Caro is a private practitioner in Brooklyn and Manhattan, specializing in internal medicine. He has worked to promote the health of the Hispanic population in New York City and served as president of the Spanish American Medical and Dental Society of New York in 2006. Dr. Caro was appointed to the Board of Health by Mayor Michael Bloomberg in 2002.

Susan Klitzman, DrPH

Dr. Klitzman is a professor and director of the Urban Public Health Program at Hunter College. As an environmental epidemiologist, she has focused on issues of health and safety at home and at work, including efforts to reduce lead, mold and pest exposures in New York City. She previously directed programs in childhood lead poisoning prevention, occupational and environmental epidemiology, and employee health and safety at the Health Department. She was appointed to the Board of Health by Mayor Michael Bloomberg in 2002.

Michael S. Phillips, M.D.

Dr. Phillips is a clinical assistant professor for the Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology at the New York University School of Medicine. His many years of medical expertise have proven to be instrumental in providing public awareness of various health related matters. He is a distinguished epidemiologist who previously oversaw programs within the Bureau of Communicable Diseases and the Bureau of Emergency Management at the Department of Health. Dr. Phillips was appointed to the Board of Health by Mayor Michael Bloomberg in 2008.

Kenneth Popler, Ph.D., M.B.A.

Dr. Popler, president of the Staten Island Mental Health Society, is a clinical psychologist and a strong advocate for people with mental illnesses. He has worked to build awareness that effective treatment is available for emotional and mental disorders. Dr. Popler is also the Chair of the Community Service Board/Mental Hygiene Advisory Board of the Health Department. He was appointed to the Board of Health by Mayor Michael Bloomberg in 2003.

Lynne D. Richardson, M.D., F.A.C.E.P.

Dr. Richardson is an associate professor of emergency medicine and vice chair of Academic, Research and Community Programs at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine. She is known nationally for her research in emergency medicine, focusing specifically on health care access and barriers to care. Dr. Richardson serves on the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine Healthy People 2010 Task Force and the American College of Emergency Physicians Public Health Committee. She was appointed to the Board of Health by Mayor Michael Bloomberg in 2002.

Bruce C. Vladeck, Ph.D.

Dr. Vladeck is a senior advisor at Nexera Consulting. Previously, he was Administrator of the Health Care Financing Administration, the federal agency responsible for Medicare, Medicaid, and related programs. He spent ten years as President of the United Hospital Fund of New York, and has served on the faculty of Columbia University and Mount Sinai School of Medicine.

David Vlahov, Ph.D.

Dr. Vlahov is director of the Center for Urban Epidemiologic Studies at the New York Academy of Medicine and a professor of Epidemiology at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health. His epidemiologic research centers on infectious diseases, mental health, substance abuse and disasters. At NYAM, he collaborates with scientists worldwide to examine the health effects of urban living. He was appointed to the Board of Health by Mayor Michael Bloomberg in 2002.