Newsmakers: April 2010

Burke joins NCCAM advisory council

APHA member Adam Burke, PhD, MPH, LAC, in February was appointed to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine’s National Advisory Council for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Burke is a professor in the Department of Health Education and director of the Institute for Holistic Health Studies at San Francisco State University.

Skolnick to lead drug discovery efforts at NIDA

Phil Skolnick, PhD, DSc, in January was appointed director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse’s Division of Pharmacotherapies and Medical Consequences of Drug Abuse. Skolnick is a research professor of psychiatry at New York University Langone Medical Center.

Bonner joins Massachusetts Department of Public Health

Alice Bonner, PhD, RN, is the new director of the Bureau of Health Care Safety and Quality at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. A career nurse and longtime geriatrics professional, Bonner most recently served as executive director of the Massachusetts Senior Care Foundation.

Good named dean of University of Florida College of Medicine

Michael L. Good, MD, in January became dean of the University of Florida College of Medicine. Good served as the medical college’s interim dean for 18 months preceding his appointment.

Samuels to lead Administration on Children, Youth and Families at HHS

Bryan Samuels, MPP, in February was named commissioner of the Administration on Children, Youth and Families at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Samuels is a former chief of staff of Chicago Public Schools and former director of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.

Sawyer appointed fellow at American Humane Association

Robert Sawyer, MSW, in March was named a senior fellow of the American Humane Association’s Children’s Division. Sawyer previously led the implementation of child welfare and child mental health reforms, including differential response in child protection and family group decision-making, in Olmsted County, Minn.

Wisconsin, Illinois health systems to collaborate

University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics in March announced a partnership with Swedish American Health System in Rockford, Ill. The liaison is designed to expand highly specialized health care in the Rockford area, advance medical research, grow telemedicine initiatives and provide seamless patient transfers and referrals between the two health systems.

Public Health Institute awarded grant

The Health Impact Project in March announced a $150,000 grant to the Public Health Institute in Oakland, Calif., to collaborate with the California Department of Public Health on a health impact assessment of a proposed cap-and-trade regulation under California’s 2006 Global Warming Solutions Act. The findings will support health-based recommendations to protect and promote health.