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Looking Forward by Honoring the Past:

Apr 1, 2010

SUNY Downstate Sesquicentennial Ball on April 10 Celebrates 150 Years of Medical Education

 

In celebration of its proud history, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University is holding a Sesquicentennial Ball on April 10 at Stage 6 Steiner Studios in the historic Brooklyn Navy Yard. SUNY Downstate traces its roots to 1860, the year the first medical school class graduated from what was then the Collegiate Division of The Long Island College Hospital. This gala occasion promises to be a highlight of a yearlong series of events that began with a Sesquicentennial Convocation held on Downstate’s East Flatbush campus in September.

At the Ball, a special awards ceremony will recognize three faculty members who have made outstanding contributions to SUNY Downstate and who personify the institution’s history and hopes for the future: Dr. Eva Cramer has made Downstate a leader in biotechnology in the region; Dr. Gerald Deas exemplifies the campus’s dedication to the health and well-being of the community it serves; and Dr. Eli Friedman’s accomplishments in renal medicine research and patient care are known and admired throughout the world.       

Since its founding, Downstate has graduated thousands of physicians and other health professionals. The campus became part of the State University of New York, the largest system of higher education in the country. And a significant number of its alumni and faculty have made their mark in New York and all over the world.

Today, SUNY Downstate is a major academic health center with five professional schools, a large research enterprise, and a vibrant hospital and medical practice. It is also an economic catalyst for Brooklyn, New York City, and New York State. Downstate has trained more physicians practicing in Brooklyn and New York City than any other medical school and boasts as diverse a student body and faculty as can be found anywhere.

All proceeds from the Ball will go toward student scholarship. More information is available online at https://www.downstate.edu/sesquicentennial/SesquicentennialBall.html.

 

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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.