 |
[PDF Download of Speech]
School of Public Health Launch Event
Portico, HHP Building
C. D. Mote, Jr., President
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
I can only echo Bob's enthusiasm for this new School. The University of Maryland School of Public Health will have a tremendous impact on the way the public's health is served—in the State of Maryland and beyond. So it only makes sense that a new SPH is here, at the University of Maryland, College Park—the State's flagship university. We have the resources of a world-class university—with leading programs in public policy, behavioral and biological sciences, environmental health and other disciplines. All of these fields can help us examine the social determinants that promote health and those that undermine health. Our networks of excellent faculty in diverse fields allow us to work across departments and colleges to explore the difficult health questions we face.
Our location is also critical to our ability to accomplish these goals. The Washington DC Metro area is a virtual hub of public health research and policy. A large number of federal agencies are in our immediate area: The National Institutes of Health are housed in Bethesda, MD, and the US Department of Health and Human Services is in Southwest, Washington, D.C. The National Center for Health Statistics, a key component of the Center for Disease Control is in Hyattsville, MD. The headquarters for the Indian Health Service, Health Resources and Services Administration are in Rockville, MD, along with the Food and Drug Administration. And the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the National Science Foundation are also nearby in Washington, D.C. and Arlington, VA. Our prime location is complemented by our outstanding, committed faculty. Many have been a part of the College of Health and Human Performance for years, and have positioned us optimally to make the move to a School of Public Health. They will partner with talented faculty from across the University, giving our new School both depth and breadth. In addition, a new crop of faculty will help sustain our mission well into the future, and expand our areas of specialty.
Among our public health experts, one of the most forward-thinking is UM's Dr. Alice Horowitz. Dr. Horowitz is a Senior Advisor to the Dean of the School of Public Health. Before that she was an NIH Senior Scientist in the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research. Dr. Horowitz has been at the forefront of health literacy issues. She is here today with the family of her late husband, Herschel S. Horowitz, niece Susan Levin, and Susan's husband, Howard Levin, and nephew, Laurence Bliss. Alice Horowitz's late husband, Herschel S. Horowitz was an internationally recognized dental epidemiologist. He was an educator and leader in public health. Dr. Horowitz was an esteemed researcher in public health dentistry, and greatly influenced the use of fluoridation. Fluoridation has been shown to drastically reduce dental decay. The Horowitzes have dedicated their professional and personal lives to advancing public health and well being, especially in the area of community- based health promotion. The ultimate benefit of their work depends on having a population that understands health risks and disease prevention, and practitioners who are trained to promote such knowledge.
Health literacy is the "degree to which people are able to obtain, process and understand basic health information in order to make solid health decisions." As mentioned in the 2004 Institutes of Medicine report on the topic, where health literacy is lacking, people don't obtain high quality health care and disparities among different populations increase.
Nearly one half of US adults have difficulty understanding basic health information. Good Health literacy improves people's ability to prevent disease and manage any conditions they have. Poor health literacy limits people's ability to make appropriate health care choices. Leaders in Public Health are empowering people to understand health risks and to prevent disease. The central mission of the new School of Public Health is to translate public health research into healthy good public policy and practice. The mission depends on creating citizens who proactive and well educated around health concerns. So it is with great pleasure that I announce a $2 million gift from Dr. Alice Horowitz, honoring her late husband, Dr. Herschel S. Horowitz. This gift establishes the first endowed chair in the School of Public Health: the Herschel S. Horowitz Chair in Health Literacy. It also establishes the Herschel S. Horowitz Center for Health Literacy, the nation's first academic center devoted to research on health literacy. We have a commemorative portrait of Dr. Herschel S. Horowitz which will be hung in the Center that bears his name. For those of you who can't read it, it is engraved:
Announcing the Herschel Horowitz Center for Health Literacy and the Herschel Horowitz Endowed Chair In Health Literacy At the School of Public Health. As the nation's first academic center devoted solely to health literacy, the Horowitz Center is improving knowledge about health, eliminating health disparities and promoting useful research and education.
This promising new center commemorates the lifetime achievements and legacy of Dr. Hershel S. Horowitz, an internationally renowned dental researcher, educator and pioneer in the field of public health.
This generous contribution has made a difference in the health of citizens that will endure for generations to come. Thank you, Alice. Thank you to the Horowitz family for joining us on this special occasion: If the family of Herschel S. Horowitz could please stand and be recognized: Susan Levin (niece) and the niece's husband Howard Levin, and Laurence Bliss (nephew).
Alice, may I have your permission to pin you? (Dr. Mote takes pin from his lapel and pins it on Dr. Horowitz). My wife, Patsy designed this pin when we came to Maryland. It's an exclusive design.
Introduction of Harvey Fineberg:
I am honored today to introduce you to a man who has made immeasurable contributions to public health. Harvey V. Fineberg has just been appointed to a second term as President of the Institute of Medicine. His leadership of the IOM has positioned it to have maximum impact on the US medical care system. He served as Provost of Harvard University from 1997 to 2001, following thirteen years as Dean of the Harvard School of Public Health.
Dr. Fineberg has devoted most of his academic career to the fields of health policy and medical decision making. He helped found and served as president of the Society for Medical Decision Making. He also served as adviser and consultant to the US Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization. At the Institute of Medicine, he has chaired and served on a number of panels dealing with health policy issues, ranging from AIDS to vaccine safety.
He is the author, co-author, and co-editor of numerous books and articles on a wide span of topics including AIDS prevention, tuberculosis control, assessment of new medical technology, clinical and public health decision making, and understanding risk in society. Dr. Fineberg is one of the foremost experts on medical ethics and is known in Boston parlance as "wicked smart." He has an affinity for fresh ideas and relentless optimism. He is also an accomplished musician, playing the trumpet and the piano. I am very pleased that Dr. Fineberg could join us today for the opening of the new School.
 |
|
