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| 2012 NYAM Fellows, Members, Associate Members and Student Members |
The New York Academy of Medicine welcomed 70 new Fellows, nine Members, 44 Associate Members, nine Student Members and one Honorary Fellow during its Annual Meeting on November 8, 2012 at NYAM. The meeting was followed by the 165th Annual Discourse and Awards presentation.
NYAM’s annual awards were conferred upon esteemed leaders in medicine and public health: Elaine Fuchs, PhD, the Rebecca C. Lancefield Professor in Mammalian Cell Biology and Development at The Rockefeller University, received the Academy Medal for Distinguished Contributions in Biomedical Science; Antonio M. Gotto, Jr., MD, DPhil, Dean Emeritus and Co-Chairman of the Board of Overseers of Weill Cornell Medical College, received the John Stearns Medal for Distinguished Contributions in Clinical Practice; Karen Davis, PhD, President of the Commonwealth Fund, received the Academy Medal for Distinguished Contributions in Health Policy; and Gerald E. Thomson, MD, the Lambert and Sonneborn Professor of Medicine Emeritus and former Senior Associate Dean at Columbia University, received the Plaque for Exceptional Service to the Academy.
Dr. Fuchs, who received the Medal from Dr. Barry Coller, her colleague at Rockefeller, credited her father, mother, and aunt, all scientists, for her achievements.
“All of this led me to take on the hardships and discrimination of being a woman scientist as a challenge to do better,” Dr. Fuchs said. In addition to receiving the award, Dr. Fuchs was inducted as an Honorary Fellow earlier in the evening.
Upon receiving his award from colleague and friend Dr. Lee Goldman, Dr. Gotto, a former NYAM Trustee, spoke at length about the power of preventative medicine. After discovering that his daughter had been diagnosed with Type One Diabetes at the age of five, he became determined to help all Americans embrace a heart-healthy diet.
“My wife and I tried to identify diets to assist in her diabetes without causing disruption in her life. But when we looked at her diet, we found it to be too restrictive,” Dr. Gotto said. “We were able to develop a diet and a lifestyle that would not only be healthy but attractive. We eventually opened a restaurant that was voted among the top ten in Houston, despite the fact the menu was filled with heart-healthy food.”
Dr. Karen Davis, also a former NYAM Trustee, received her award from NYAM President Jo Ivey Boufford. Dr. Davis said she was deeply humbled by the award and the recognition by NYAM of her work in health policy.
“I have so much respect for this institution and those in this room and around the world who have done so much to further the goal of better public health for everyone,” Dr. Davis said.
Dr. Thomson, who received his award for exceptional service to NYAM from Dr. Thomas Q. Morris, Chair of the NYAM Board of Trustees, reflected on his service to NYAM.
“I look upon this award, not specifically as an award for me; I look upon it as recognition of the many over the years of the existence of this Academy who have served in various capacities,” Dr. Thomson said. “So many individuals (in the profession) should seek to serve and want to serve with this Academy, either as Members or Fellows, because what this Academy in this great city has done and what it continues to do has (helped the Academy) become a town hall for all of our professions.”
NYAM also awarded New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg the Stephen Smith Medal for Distinguished Contributions in Public Health. Mayor Bloomberg, who could not attend, videotaped his acceptance of the award, which was shown during the awards ceremony.
In his videotaped remarks, which were introduced by NYAM Trustee Frank Savage, Mayor Bloomberg lauded NYAM for its efforts to improve the health of all New Yorkers.
“It’s such an honor because no other organization has made more distinguished contributions to public health than NYAM,” Mayor Bloomberg said. “I’ve always believed that the first responsibility of city government is to ensure the health and safety of all New Yorkers, and we couldn’t ask for a stronger partner than NYAM.”
Following the awards ceremony, the Hon. Marc Morial, President and CEO of the National Urban League and former mayor of New Orleans, delivered the Discourse on the topic “Why We Can End Health Disparities!” Mr. Morial, who served as mayor through five hurricanes, spoke at length about the critical need for rapid response in the face of natural disasters.
“We have to recognize that we are living through a very significant health crisis of unprecedented proportions,” Mr. Morial said. “Mayor Bloomberg correctly recognized that anyone who may be in denial about the effects of climate change, are likely the same people who would argue the world is flat. That means that this community and this region has to prepare itself for the prospect of weather events in the future that are going to test the transportation infrastructure, the health care infrastructure, the social services infrastructure, and the overall emergency preparedness structure.”
To view the Awards Ceremony, visit https://vimeo.com/53407543
To view the Discourse as delivered by Hon. Marc Morial, President and CEO of the National Urban League, please visit https://vimeo.com/53635679
View photos below.
Posted on November 19, 2012
Contact:
Andrew J. Martin
Director of Communications
The New York Academy of Medicine
1216 Fifth Avenue
New York, New York 10029
212-822-7285
amartin@nyam.org
Reporters: to arrange interviews with NYAM medical and urban health experts, contact
Andrew J. Martin, Director of Communications
212-822-7285 / amartin@nyam.org
The 2012-2013 Duncan Clark Lecture - The Affordable Care Act: An Insider’s View
Featured Speaker: Sherry Glied, PhD, former Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
November 19, 2012 - The NYAM Section on Health Care Delivery welcomes Sherry Glied, PhD, former Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, who will deliver the 2012-2013 Duncan Clark Lecture on "The Affordable Care Act: An Insider's View."
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The New York Academy of Medicine with support from the New York State Heath Foundation released a new report, Federal Health Care Reform in New York State: A Population Health Perspective.
This report identifies opportunities that build on both the Patient Protection and Affordable Health Care Act (ACA) and New York’s ongoing efforts toward improving the health of its 19 million residents.
Read press release
Read report
