NEW YORK CITY, April 8 – The New York Academy of Medicine (NYAM) will host its 14th Annual Gala on Wednesday, June 11, at The Pierre. Leaders in medicine, health policy, finance, business, and the media will join NYAM in celebrating honorees whose work addresses great challenges in health. The generous contributions from the attendees support the Academy’s commitment to improving the health of people in cities across the nation and around the world.

This year’s honorees are Mehmood Khan, MD, Senior Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer of PepsiCo, Inc., Peter Piot, MD, PhD, Executive Director, UNAIDS and Under Secretary-General of the United Nations, and David B. Snow, Jr., Chairman and CEO of Medco Health Solutions, Inc.

Dr. Khan is a specialist in internal medicine and endocrinology and previously served at the Mayo Clinic as the Director of Diabetes, Endocrinology and the Nutrition Clinical Trial Unit. Dr. Khan has guided PepsiCo’s long-term research strategy and provided leadership of next generation technologies, food safety, nutritional standards and quality assurance. Since 1960, the PepsiCo Foundation has invested in leading programs and critical causes that have strengthened communities and contributed almost $23 million to organizations such as American Academy of Family Physicians, Family Health Self-Empowerment Project, the National Urban League and National Council of La Raza. The foundation has donated also in the areas of diversity and inclusion, environment, employee engagement, and leadership.

Dr. Piot has been the Executive Director of UNAIDS, and chief advocate for worldwide action against AIDS, since its establishment in 1995. His career includes co-founding the Ebola virus in 1976 and launching the first international projects on AIDS in Africa. Dr. Piot is widely acknowledged as having provided the foundations of understanding HIV infection in Africa. Drawing from his skills as a distinguished academic, scientist, and activist, Dr. Piot has challenged world leaders to view AIDS in the context of a social and economic development as well as security.

Mr. Snow, Chairman and CEO of Medco Health Solutions, Inc., is a healthcare industry veteran, innovator and entrepreneur who has created and implemented solutions to manage the rising costs of health care for the past 30 years. Medco is one of the largest specialty pharmacies that assist health plans in managing drug costs and benefits for its constituents. Medco announced plans to establish a world-class research center for personalized medicine within the pharmacy that will provide a unique setting for leading academics to evaluate ways to translate the latest science into improved pharmacy care. Fortune magazine rated Medco the single “Most Admired” company in the category “ Healthcare: Pharmacy and Other Services,” and among the top three companies across all industries for “innovation” and “quality of products and services.”

The Gala is a critical source of support for NYAM’s mission of addressing the changes necessary to support healthy aging as our population grows older, the need for a strong health system to prevent disease and provide health security, and the importance of eliminating disparities in the health of vulnerable populations. All monies raised will support research, education, and advocacy programs that enhance the health of the public.

For more information, visit www.nyam.org or contact Tara McTeague at tmcteague@nyam.org or call 212-822-7248

The New York Academy of Medicine is an independent, non-partisan, non-profit institution whose mission is to enhance the health of the public. Its research, education, community engagement, and evidence-based advocacy seek to improve the health of people living in cities, especially disadvantaged and vulnerable populations. The impact of these initiatives reaches into neighborhoods in New York City, across the country, and around the world. It works with community based organizations, academic institutions, corporations, the media, and government to catalyze and contribute to changes that promote health.

Posted on 04/08/2008

Contact:
Malini Doddamani
Director of Communications
mdoddamani@nyam.org
212.822.7285