| David Axelrod | |
|---|---|
| Commissioner of Health of the State of New York | |
| In office 1979–1991 | |
| Governor | Hugh L. Carey; Mario Cuomo |
| Preceded by | Robert P. Whalen |
| Succeeded by | Mark R. Chassin |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1935-01-07)January 7, 1935 Great Barrington, Massachusetts |
| Died | July 4, 1994(1994-07-04) (aged 59) Cohoes, New York |
| Residence | Albany, New York |
| Alma mater | Harvard University (Bachelor's degree with high honors in 1956 and Medical degree in 1960) |
| Occupation | Medical administrator |
| Profession | physician |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Health policy |
| Institutions | National Institutes of Health New York State Department of Health |
David Axelrod (1935–1994) was a New York physician and bureaucrat.
Career
After obtaining his medical degree from Harvard in 1960, he served a two-year residency in Rochester. He then worked for the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland as a virus research scientist until joining the New York State Department of Health in 1968.
He was Health Commissioner for the State of New York in the 1980s and 1990s. He was appointed by Governor Hugh Carey and served under Governor Mario Cuomo as well. He is considered to be the nation's foremost public health official of the 1980s.
He worked on issues of regulating doctors and hospitals, the confidentiality of AIDS patients, anti-smoking legislation and universal health insurance.
In the 1980s, Axelrod collaborated with the President of the University at Albany, SUNY to establish the School of Public Health. The university named a fellowship after him.
He also suffered a tarnished reputation in his handling of Love Canal, and was not transparent or forthcoming in his communications with the 700 affected families.
Death
His career ended after he suffered a stroke in February 1991; he died three years later.
References
- "A History of New York State's Health Commissioners". www.health.ny.gov. New York State Department of Health. Retrieved 4 February 2021.
- ^ McFadden, Robert D. (July 5, 1994). "David Axelrod, Health Chief Under Cuomo, Is Dead at 59". New York Times. Retrieved June 16, 2012.
- Millock, Peter J. (Winter 2009). "David Axelrod, M.D.:His Impact on the Law and Public Policy". NYSBA Health Law Journal. 14 (1): 64–72. Archived from the original on January 15, 2019. Retrieved January 14, 2019.
- Olechowski, Carol (Spring 2010). "Dr. Axelrod's VISION" (PDF). UAlbany Magazine. University at Albany. Retrieved June 16, 2012.
- "The David Axelrod Fellowship: Honoring A Leader in Public Health". Albany magazine. University at Albany. January 2000. Archived from the original on May 11, 2013. Retrieved June 16, 2012.