Biography of Thomas R. Frieden, MD, MPH
Thomas R. Frieden, MD, MPH, has served as Commissioner of the New York City
Department of Health and Mental Hygiene since January 2002. One of the world's
oldest and largest public health agencies, the Department has an annual budget
of $1.7 billion and more than 6,000 staff.
Dr. Frieden has worked as an epidemiologist, administrator, teacher,
researcher, clinician, and community organizer. His top priorities are to
strengthen systems to accurately monitor the health of New Yorkers and to use
this information to work with communities to improve their health.
Because tobacco addiction is the leading cause of preventable illness and
death in New York City, the Department is a staunch advocate of tobacco control.
By helping people quit smoking and preventing them from starting, heart and lung
disease, cancer, and other smoking-related illness can be prevented. There are
now 300,000 fewer smokers in the City than in 2002, which will prevent 100,000
premature deaths in years to come.
New York City was also the first place in the United States to eliminate
trans-fats from restaurants, rigorously monitor the diabetes epidemic, and
require certain restaurants to post calorie information prominently. In
2006 the City launched the nation’s largest community-based Electronic Health
Record project, which will give more than one million New Yorkers improved and
consistent preventive care.
Stopping HIV and improving mental health diagnosis and treatment and the
quality of programs that serve people with mental illness, developmental
disabilities, and alcohol or drug dependence are also critical priorities.
Others include reducing infant mortality, improving cancer screening, and
ensuring that New Yorkers are treated effectively for hypertension, high
cholesterol, and diabetes.
A leading expert in tuberculosis control, Dr. Frieden was appointed NYC
Health Commissioner after working in India for 5 years, where he assisted with
national tuberculosis control efforts. The Indian program has now treated more
than 8 million patients and has saved more than a million lives.
Prior to his tenure in India, Dr. Frieden was instrumental in stopping the
tuberculosis epidemic in New York City. He began his career at the New York City
Department of Health in 1990 as a CDC Epidemiologic Intelligence Service Officer
working on a wide range of health issues. During his time as Director of the
Bureau of Tuberculosis Control and Assistant Commissioner from 1992-1996, New
York City reduced cases of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis by 80%.
A graduate of Oberlin College, Dr. Frieden received degrees in Medicine and
Public Health from Columbia University. He completed specialty training in
Internal Medicine at Columbia and subspecialty training in Infectious Diseases
at Yale University.
Combining a career of distinguished scholarship with public health action,
Dr. Frieden has received numerous awards and has authored more than 150
scientific articles. He is fluent in Spanish.
