SUNY DOWNSTATE HOSTS INTERNATIONAL GUESTS
Jun 22, 2006
Georgian Republic’s First Lady and Tunisian Health Ministers Receive Warm Receptions
Recent visits by the first lady of the former Soviet Republic of Georgia, Sandra Elisabeth
Roelofs, and by delegates from Tunisia’s Health Ministry reflect the wide scope of
SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University’s cooperative international public health
programs.
The Georgian first lady, a native of the Netherlands, is an internationally recognized
healthcare advocate for disadvantaged populations, both in her adopted country and
around the world. During her visit to Downstate, she spoke to enthusiastic students
about solving the health problems her country faces, such as the spread of HIV/AIDS.
In the most recent statistics available, Georgia reported 163 new cases of the disease
in 2004. Other health problems include hepatitis, tuberculosis, and malaria.
The visit by Ms. Roelofs was arranged by Jack DeHovitz, MD, MPH, professor of preventive
medicine and of medicine and director of the HIV Center for Women and Children. Dr.
DeHovitz also directs the AIDS International Training and Research Program at Downstate,
which currently educates physicians and researchers from Georgia, Armenia, Russia,
and Estonia. The program has trained more than 60 physicians from those countries
and others in Central and Eastern Europe, including 18 Georgians.
During their tour of the Downstate campus, high-ranking officials from the Tunisian
Health Ministry caught a glimpse of HelpMate, the pharmacy’s state-of-the-art drug-dispensing
robot. The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Law Development Program and the Levin Graduate
Institute of International Relations and Commerce sponsored the visit. The Levin Institute
is a new, independent graduate institute within the State University training students
in cross-cultural management skills.
SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University is the only academic medical center in Brooklyn,
and is dedicated to serving the health needs of the more than 2 million people within
the borough.
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About SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University
Downstate Health Sciences University in Brooklyn is one of four academic health centers (AMCs) in The State University of New York (SUNY) 64-campus system and the only SUNY AMC in New York City dedicated to health education, research, and patient care for the borough’s 2.7 million residents. Its flagship hospital, University Hospital at Downstate (UHD), is a teaching hospital and benefits from the expertise of Downstate’s exceptional medical school and world-class academic center research facilities. With a staff of over 800 physicians representing 53 specialties and subspecialties, Downstate offers comprehensive healthcare services to the community.
UHD provides high-risk neonatal and infant services, pediatric nephrology, and dialysis for kidney diseases and is the only kidney transplantation program in Brooklyn. Beyond its clinical expertise, Downstate houses a range of esteemed educational institutions, including its College of Medicine, College of Nursing, School of Health Professions, School of Graduate Studies, and School of Public Health. Downstate fosters innovation through its multifaceted biotechnology initiative, the Biotechnology Incubator and BioBAT, which support early-stage and more mature biotech companies.