LUNCH PLENARY: Strategies to Address Urban Reproductive Health Challenges: A Public Health Perspective
Moderator:
Robert Wm. Blum, MD, MPH, PhD
Robert Wm. Blum, MD, MPH, PhD, is the William H. Gates, Sr. Professor and Chair of the Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. He has edited two books, and has written over 220 journal articles, book chapters and special reports.
In July 2007, Dr. Blum was named the Director of the Johns Hopkins Urban Health Institute. He is a Past-President of the Society for Adolescent Medicine; has served on the American Board of Pediatrics; was a charter member of the Sub-Board of Adolescent Medicine, is a past chair of the Alan Guttmacher Institute Board of Directors and served as chair of the National Academy of Sciences Committee on Adolescent Health and Development. In 2006, The National Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Medicine elected Dr. Blum into membership. He is a consultant to The World Bank and UNICEF as well as the World Health Organization where he has served on the Technical Advisory Group of the Child and Adolescent Health Department as well as the Scientific and Technical Advisory Group of the Human Reproductive Program. He has been awarded the Society for Adolescent Medicine’s Outstanding Achievement Award (1993); and in 1998 was the recipient of the American Public Health Association’s Herbert Needleman Award “for scientific achievement and courageous advocacy” on behalf of children and youth.
Panelists:
Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd
As Boston’s Health Commissioner, Dr. Ferrer manages a $125 million budget and oversees 1,200 employees. In addition to operating public health programs, the Commission provides oversight of Boston Emergency Medical Services, several substance abuse treatment facilities, and the second largest homeless services program in New England. A high school principal in the Boston Public Schools from 2004 to 2007, Dr. Ferrer returns to the Commission after having previously served as the Deputy Director for six years. During that time she spearheaded a broad-based and comprehensive campaign to reduce racial and ethnic health disparities.
Dr. Ferrer has more than 25 years of experience working in healthcare. Prior to joining the Boston Public Health Commission, she spent five years at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health -- first as Director of Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention and later as Director of the Division of Maternal and Child Health. In 1988, Dr. Ferrer received a master’s degree in public health from Boston University, and was awarded a Pew Foundation doctoral fellowship to attend Brandeis University. She wrote her doctoral thesis on hospital length-of-stay determinants for AIDS patients and, in 1994, received her doctorate from Brandeis University’s Heller School for Advanced Studies in Social Welfare. Dr. Ferrer also holds a master’s degree in education from the University of Massachusetts, Boston.
Thomas R. Frieden, M.D., M.P.H.
In his 25-year career as a physician and public health professional, Dr. Frieden has received numerous awards and honors, has published more than 150 scientific articles, and is acknowledged as a leading expert in epidemiology and the prevention and control of both infectious and chronic disease. Dr. Frieden has served as Commissioner of the New York City Health Department 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. In 2002, Dr. Frieden launched a comprehensive tobacco control program that has resulted in 240,000 fewer smokers and will prevent approximately 80,000 premature deaths. During this time, smoking has declined 20% among adults and 50% among children. In 2003, the Health Department opened the city’s first Nurse-Family Partnership program, and by 2008 it had become the largest and fastest growing NFP network in the nation, with the capacity to reach 2,600 first-time mothers and their babies in all five boroughs. In participating families, national studies have shown that NFP reduces child abuse and neglect, unintended subsequent pregnancies, and arrests and convictions among mothers, and increases maternal employment and father involvement. New York City was also the first place in the United States to eliminate trans fat from restaurant food, 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. Prior to becoming Health Commissioner, Dr. Frieden worked in India for 5 years where he helped the Government of India develop one of the world’s most effective tuberculosis control programs; this program has now treated more than 8 million patients and saved more than a million lives.
Dr. Manuel Mondragón y Kalb
Dr. Mondragón is the current Minister of Health for Mexico City. He is a vice admiral of the Mexican Navy and holds a medical degree from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) and two specialties in internal medicine and rheumatology from the National Institutes of Health of Mexico. Dr. Mondragón holds masters studies in Senior Management and Public Administration. He has been a public servant for over 40 years and held posts in the Federal Ministry of Health as Operations Director, he served as under secretary for the Ministry of Sports, Ministry of Agriculture, National coordinator for social inclusion at the Attorney General’s Office, worked in the office of assistance to victims in the Attorney General for Mexico City and served as under secretary for public safety at the same institution. Dr. Mondragón has written more than 60 articles in peer reviewed medical journals. Other publications include the fields of environmental issues, sports, social security and public safety. He is a member of various prestigious professional colleges and was recently appointed member to the National Legion of Honor of Mexico.
As the Minister of Health for Mexico City, Dr Mondragón presides over the Addiction Council which is now linked for the first time Ministry of Health (MOH). He created outreach programs for underprivileged and hard to reach groups through call centers and mobile medical units. In April 2007, he spearheaded the legislation for legal interruption of pregnancy in Mexico City, has advocated to protect non-smokers and has lead the discussion for death with dignity legislation in the City. Dr. Mondragón has worked very hard to offer quality services at the second and third level of medical care and has created special units for cardiac surgery, bone marrow transplants and management of chronic renal insufficiency. Dr. Mondragón has always been at the forefront of implementing innovative and effective programs that serve and benefit the Mexican people.
Dr. Joshua M. Sharfstein
Joshua M. Sharfstein, M.D. has served as Commissioner of Health of Baltimore City since December 2005. He is a 1991 graduate of Harvard College, and after spending a year traveling and working in Central America, he graduated from Harvard Medical School in1996. Dr. Sharfstein trained in pediatrics at Boston Medical Center and Children's Hospital, and completed a fellowship in general academic pediatrics at Boston University. From 2001 to 2005, he served on the Democratic staff of the Government Reform Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives, for Congressman Henry A. Waxman. From 2002 to 2005, Dr. Sharfstein could be found approximately once ortwice a month working in Fast Track at Children's National Medical Center. He lives in Baltimore with his wife and their two boys.