News and Highlights
November 2009
State of the Department of Public Health
On Tuesday, September 29, Alvin I. Mushlin, MD, ScM, The Nanette Laitman Distinguished Professor and Chairman of the Department of Public Health, presented a special State of the Department of Public Health address. This year marks the 10th year anniversary of Dr. Mushlin’s joining Weill Cornell Medical College as Chairman of the Department of Public Health, and he wanted his talk to highlight the Department’s development and accomplishments over the past decade; its current research, educational, and clinical agenda; and its importance as an integral part of the Medical College, Hospital, Health System, and local and global community. His purpose was not primarily to celebrate our accomplishments but to take the opportunity to pause and reflect, and to set the stage for future directions and possibilities.
Dr. Mushlin described the major changes and growth in the Department since 1999, in structure and personnel as well as research, educational, and clinical activities. He defined the Department’s mission and vision, and identified the focus of its work as emphasizing the areas of public health that are most important and relevant to medical care. He touched on the Department’s many research themes, showing how they illustrate and exemplify its focus and mission, and he pointed out how the faculty’s extensive collaborative projects demonstrate the integration of the Public Health perspective into the medical and healthcare agenda. In summing up, Dr. Mushlin encouraged all present to continue thinking about, discussing, and refining future goals.
View the presentation: The Department of Public Health “then & now”
