Nourish Your Convictions. Burnish Your Credentials. And Never Forget.

By Office of the President | Mar 31, 2026

I had the immense privilege of welcoming Dave A. Chokshi, M.D., MSc, former New York City Health Commissioner, and Mandy Cohen, M.D., MPH, former Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, for the annual Joel S. Levine, M.D. Memorial Lectureship.

This lectureship was established to honor Dr. Joel Levine, a proud Downstate alumnus whose career reflected the full reach of clinical care, policy, education, and advocacy. He understood that excellence at the bedside alone does not define healthcare. Still, it depends on systems that function, policies that include, and leadership that acts with purpose. His work helped advance colorectal cancer screening as a Medicare benefit; his leadership shaped generations of physicians in both academic and safety-net settings. It is a decision that continues to save lives.

The conversation began with a series of Stephen Colbert–style questions that offered a glimpse of Dr. Chokshi beyond his professional roles. In a moment that resonated with me personally, he spoke about growing up in Louisiana and his appreciation for a (vegetarian) Po’ Boy sandwich. He wanted to express that it was the soft, unmistakable scent of his daughters’ baby breath that centered him—pulling him back, fully and instinctively, to the meaning of family.

Dr. Chokshi spoke about stepping into public health leadership during one of the most difficult periods in New York City’s history. He described himself as “a primary care doctor with a public health heart,” a framing that captures the integration of individual care with broader responsibility for population health.

When he reflected on the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, the weight of it was clear. He described walking to Elmhurst Hospital and seeing freezer trucks serving as makeshift morgues. He recalled emergency departments pushed beyond capacity, young residents having to pronounce patients, and teams facing repeated losses in a single morning. The impact of those moments remained evident as he spoke; those experiences will stay with him.

We could not help but recall our own experience at Downstate, and the extraordinary efforts of our frontline staff and the relentless challenge of saving as many lives as possible. At a time when public dialogue about COVID has grown quieter, he reminded us that tens of thousands of lives were lost in a short period. Honoring those patients requires more than remembrance. It requires that we carry those lessons into how we lead, communicate, and prepare for what comes next.

Dr. Chokshi also spoke with quiet admiration and respect for the clinicians transforming care environments within hours, for teams mobilizing across systems, and for a vaccination campaign that reached millions of New Yorkers. These were not isolated efforts. They showed what can happen when systems align around a shared purpose.

Throughout the discussion, he reflected on how leadership evolves. It shifts from having answers to asking better questions, from focusing on tasks to investing in people, and from clever communication to steady, direct, and real communication.

For those gathered, he offered excellent advice: spend as much time nourishing your convictions as you do burnishing your credentials. Credentials may open doors; however, your convictions determine what you do once you walk through them.

Dr. Levine’s legacy lives in that charge. It calls us to lead with clarity, to strengthen the systems that support care, and to remain grounded in purpose, even in the most difficult moments. That responsibility continues with us.

I extend my gratitude to Dr. Levine’s family, especially his niece, Dr. Cohen, who has led at the highest levels of public health, including guiding North Carolina through the COVID-19 pandemic and helping shape the Affordable Care Act’s implementation. Her work reflects a sustained focus on coordination, equity, and access. It aligns with the purpose of this lectureship and Dr. Levine’s legacy.

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Tags: Lecture