Media Advisory: State Health Commissioner to Highlight Local Public Health During Six-County Public Health Week Tour

Stops Will Focus on Obesity, Diabetes, Tobacco Use Prevention; 'Medical Homes,' HIV Testing, Breastfeeding Promotion

ALBANY, N.Y. (April 1, 2011) – During National Public Health Week, April 4-8, State Health Commissioner Nirav R. Shah, M.D., M.P.H., will visit six counties to showcase local public health activities focused on protecting and improving community health.

(See Attached Schedule of Visits)

On Monday, Commissioner Shah will begin the tour by highlighting an obesity prevention campaign in Albany County called "I Choose 600" that encourages consumers to choose meals under 600 calories when selecting meals at fast food restaurants. Later that day, at the Schenectady YMCA, he will draw attention to community efforts to prevent diabetes, which is frequently caused by obesity.

On Tuesday, Dr. Shah will be in Ulster County, where he will showcase activities focused on preventing obesity and highlight extensive local efforts to provide the public with access to smoke-free outdoor places. Tobacco use continues to be the number one preventable cause of illness and death in New York State and the nation.

On Wednesday, Dr. Shah will visit a community health center in the Bronx, where he will highlight New York's initiative to expand access to the Medical Home model of health care, which improves health and reduces health care costs by providing coordinated care that emphasizes prevention, early diagnosis and treatment.

On Thursday, Dr. Shah will speak at a forum in Manhattan on the prevention of childhood obesity in health care settings.

On Friday, Dr. Shah will visit a hospital in Westchester County, where he will highlight the significant health benefits to infants and mothers from exclusive breastfeeding.

* CHECK THE SCHEDULE BELOW FOR WHEN COMMISSIONER SHAH WILL VISIT YOUR COUNTY *

MONDAY, APRIL 4

Guilderland, Albany County

10:30 a.m. – OFFICIAL KICK-OFF OF PUBLIC HEALTH WEEK
  • Commissioner Shah will officially kick off National Public Health Week in New York State, discuss New York's Prevention Agenda, and highlight the "I Choose 600" obesity prevention campaign that focuses on encouraging consumers to check the calorie counts of fast foods and choose meals under 600 calories. He will be joined by Albany County Executive Michael G. Breslin and Albany County Health Commissioner James B. Crucetti, M.D., M.P.H.
  • Location: Food Court, Crossgates Mall, 1 Crossgates Mall Road, Albany 12203
  • OPEN PRESS

Schenectady, Schenectady County

2 p.m. – COULD YOU HAVE PRE-DIABETES?
  • Commissioner Shah will highlight a new YMCA initiative and other community efforts that focus on preventing diabetes. He will be joined by Schenectady County Health Commissioner David S. Pratt, M.D., M.P.H.; Capital District YMCA CEO J. David Brown; Brian Gordon, M.D., of the Schenectady County Legislature; Yasmine Legendre of NYS Health Foundation; and Joanne DeNovio, RN, of Ellis Medicine.
  • Location: Schenectady YMCA, 433 State Street, Schenectady 12305
  • OPEN PRESS

TUESDAY, APRIL 5

Kingston, Ulster County

10:30 a.m. – "I CHOOSE 600" – KEEP YOUR MEALS AT 600 CALORIES OR LESS!
  • Commissioner Shah will highlight the "I choose 600" obesity prevention campaign that encourages consumers to check the calorie counts of fast foods and choose meals under 600 calories. He will be joined by Ulster County Executive Michael Hein and Ulster County Public Health Director La Mar Hasbrouck, M.D., M.P.H.
  • Location: Food Court, Hudson Valley Mall, 1300 Ulster Ave., Kingston 12409
  • OPEN PRESS

Rosendale, Ulster County

Noon – THIS IS A TOBACCO-FREE ZONE: YOUNG LUNGS AT PLAY!
  • Commissioner Shah will highlight efforts to heighten public awareness of the serious health risks of smoking and support tobacco-free outdoor policies that restrict the use of tobacco products in public outdoor spaces and recreation areas. He will be joined by Ulster County Executive Michael Hein, Ulster County Public Health Director La Mar Hasbrouck, and Ellen Reinhard of the Tobacco Free Action Council (TFAC) of Ulster County, who have worked with a large number of municipalities in Ulster County to create tobacco-free zones.
  • Location: Playground adjacent to Rosendale Community Center, 1055 Route 32, Rosendale 12472
  • OPEN PRESS

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6

Manhattan, New York County

9:45 a.m. – PUBLIC HEALTH IN THE 21ST CENTURY -- NOT WHAT IT USED TO BE!
  • Commissioner Shah will speak on the importance of merging public health priorities, such as smoking cessation and obesity prevention, into the practice of medicine at an event marking the launch of a redesigned, university-wide multi-disciplinary Master of Public Health Program at New York University.
  • Location: NYU Kimmel Center, Room 912-914, 60 Washington Square South, Manhattan
  • OPEN PRESS

The Bronx, Bronx County

2 p.m. – WHAT IS A 'MEDICAL HOME'? COME AND SEE!
  • Commissioner Shah along with federal, state and local leaders will highlight the State's initiative to expand access to the 'Medical Home' model of care, providing patient-centered, coordinated care that focuses on prevention, early diagnosis and treatment to keep people healthy and avoid unnecessary hospitalizations. He will be joined by Jaime R. Torres, Director, Region II, federal Health and Human Services Administration (HHS); NYC Health Commissioner Thomas Farley, M.D., MPH; Urban Health Plan President and CEO Paloma Hernandez, MPH., and representatives of the Community Health Center Association of NYS (CHCANYS) and the Primary Care Development Corporation (PCDC)
  • Location: Urban Health Plan's El Nuevo San Juan Health Center, 1065 Southern Blvd., Bronx 10459
  • OPEN PRESS

THURSDAY, APRIL 7

Manhattan, New York County

10:15 a.m. – PROTECT OUR CHILDREN FROM OBESITY
  • Commissioner Shah will provide brief remarks at a forum highlighting efforts by managed care organizations to prevent and address childhood obesity in health care settings.
  • Location: Affinia Manhattan, 371 7th Avenue & 31st Street, Manhattan
  • OPEN PRESS

FRIDAY, APRIL 8

Tarrytown, Westchester County

9 a.m. – THE CHANGING FACE OF HEALTH CARE
  • Speaking at the annual House of Delegates meeting of the Medical Society of the State of New York (MSSNY), Commissioner Shah will discuss how the health care system must move away from the old model of reactive medicine that focused primarily on treating serious health problems to one that is more proactive in preventing and managing health care problems before they become serious.
  • Location: Westchester Marriott, 670 White Plains Road, Tarrytown 10591
  • Press wishing to attend should contact Lynda Lee Adams at the Medical Society at Ladams@mssny.org or call 516-750-7344 (office) or 516-428-6391 (cell).

Cortlandt Manor, Westchester County

11 a.m. – BREASTFEEDING IS BEST
  • Commissioner Shah will highlight the significant health benefits to infants and mothers from exclusive breastfeeding and the critical role that hospital maternity care practices play in supporting exclusive breastfeeding. He will present an Award of Excellence to Hudson Valley Hospital Center for efforts that resulted in an increase in breastfeeding to 95 percent of mothers giving birth at the hospital. Dr. Shah will be joined by Westchester Acting Health Commissioner Cheryl Archbald, M.D.; Putnam County Health Commissioner Sherlita Amler, M.D.; representatives of Hudson Valley Hospital Center, and several mothers and their babies.
  • Location: Hudson Valley Hospital Center, Wagner Conference Room, 1980 Crompond Rd., Cortlandt Manor 10567
  • OPEN PRESS