Irwin Redlener
Encyclopedia
Irwin Redlener is a pediatrician and public health
activist who specializes in health care for underserved children, health care reform
, and disaster planning, response, and recovery. He is the author of Americans at Risk: Why We Are Not Prepared for Megadisasters and What We Can Do Now (Knopf, 2006)
Redlener is president and co-founder (with singer song-writer Paul Simon
) of Children's Health Fund (CHF), director of the National Center for Disaster Preparedness and Professor of Clinical Population and Family Health at Columbia University
Mailman School of Public Health.
In May 2009, Redlener was appointed to the National Commission on Children and Disasters. In 2010, in part due to his research on the health effects of the Deepwater Horizon Oil,the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Oil Drilling appointed Redlener to serve as the Commission’s Special Consultant on Public Health.
, New York
, in 1944. He received his B.A. from Hofstra University
in 1964 and his M.D. from the University of Miami
in 1969. In 1971, while a pediatric resident at University of Colorado Medical Center, Redlener left his program to serve as a VISTA physician in Lee County, Ark. During this time, he met his wife, Karen, who was a fellow VISTA volunteer. The two have worked together since.
(1990–2003).
In 1985, Redlener joined the board of USA for Africa
as the organization’s medical director and director of grants, where he met Paul Simon
.In 1987, Redlener and Paul Simon founded Children's Health Fund to provide health care to homeless and medically underserved children in New York City. The program began with a single mobile medical unit funded by Simon and designed by Redlener’s wife, Karen. More than 20 years later, the organization has 23 programs with more than 50 mobile medical units. Karen Redlener remains with the Fund, currently serving as the organization’s executive director.
During the 1992 presidential campaign, Redlener was chairman of the National Health Leadership Council, a group of 300 health professionals who supported President Bill Clinton’s candidacy. In 1993-1994, he was part of the White House Task Force on National Health Care Reform, serving as the vice-chairman of its Health Professional Review Group.
Redlener played a lead role in the creation of the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore Medical Center, which opened in 2001 and he served as president of the hospital until 2003.
In 2003, Redlener joined the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University to establish the National Center for Disaster Preparedness. Since 2003, Redlener has served as director of NCDP, working to improve public policy and resources, as well as citizens’ individual preparedness.
Public health
Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals" . It is concerned with threats to health based on population health...
activist who specializes in health care for underserved children, health care reform
Health care reform
Health care reform is a general rubric used for discussing major health policy creation or changes—for the most part, governmental policy that affects health care delivery in a given place...
, and disaster planning, response, and recovery. He is the author of Americans at Risk: Why We Are Not Prepared for Megadisasters and What We Can Do Now (Knopf, 2006)
Redlener is president and co-founder (with singer song-writer Paul Simon
Paul Simon
Paul Frederic Simon is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist.Simon is best known for his success, beginning in 1965, as part of the duo Simon & Garfunkel, with musical partner Art Garfunkel. Simon wrote most of the pair's songs, including three that reached number one on the US singles...
) of Children's Health Fund (CHF), director of the National Center for Disaster Preparedness and Professor of Clinical Population and Family Health at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
Mailman School of Public Health.
In May 2009, Redlener was appointed to the National Commission on Children and Disasters. In 2010, in part due to his research on the health effects of the Deepwater Horizon Oil,the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Oil Drilling appointed Redlener to serve as the Commission’s Special Consultant on Public Health.
Background
Redlener was born in BrooklynBrooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, in 1944. He received his B.A. from Hofstra University
Hofstra University
Hofstra University is a private, nonsectarian institution of higher learning located in the Village of Hempstead, New York, United States, about east of New York City: less than an hour away by train or car...
in 1964 and his M.D. from the University of Miami
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
in 1969. In 1971, while a pediatric resident at University of Colorado Medical Center, Redlener left his program to serve as a VISTA physician in Lee County, Ark. During this time, he met his wife, Karen, who was a fellow VISTA volunteer. The two have worked together since.
Career
Redlener served as the director of the pediatric intensive care unit at Miami’s Jackson Memorial Hospital. He also worked on disaster relief efforts in Honduras, Guatemala,and created a new Child Action Center to study and treat child abuse. In 1979, after a brief stint in neonatal intensive care at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, he established a private practice in Utica, New York, and became involved with Physicians for Social Responsibility. Redlener also served as head of outpatient pediatrics at Cornell/New York Hospital (1987–1990) and head of community pediatrics at Montefiore Medical CenterMontefiore Medical Center
Montefiore Medical Center, in the Bronx, New York, is the University Hospital for the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. The hospital, named for Moses Montefiore, is one of the 50 largest employers in New York State . In 2011, Montefiore Medical Center was ranked as #6 of the 180 New York City...
(1990–2003).
In 1985, Redlener joined the board of USA for Africa
USA for Africa
USA for Africa was the name under which forty-seven predominantly U.S. artists, led by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, recorded the hit single "We Are the World" in 1985. The song was a US and UK Number One for the collective in April of that year...
as the organization’s medical director and director of grants, where he met Paul Simon
Paul Simon
Paul Frederic Simon is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist.Simon is best known for his success, beginning in 1965, as part of the duo Simon & Garfunkel, with musical partner Art Garfunkel. Simon wrote most of the pair's songs, including three that reached number one on the US singles...
.In 1987, Redlener and Paul Simon founded Children's Health Fund to provide health care to homeless and medically underserved children in New York City. The program began with a single mobile medical unit funded by Simon and designed by Redlener’s wife, Karen. More than 20 years later, the organization has 23 programs with more than 50 mobile medical units. Karen Redlener remains with the Fund, currently serving as the organization’s executive director.
During the 1992 presidential campaign, Redlener was chairman of the National Health Leadership Council, a group of 300 health professionals who supported President Bill Clinton’s candidacy. In 1993-1994, he was part of the White House Task Force on National Health Care Reform, serving as the vice-chairman of its Health Professional Review Group.
Redlener played a lead role in the creation of the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore Medical Center, which opened in 2001 and he served as president of the hospital until 2003.
In 2003, Redlener joined the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University to establish the National Center for Disaster Preparedness. Since 2003, Redlener has served as director of NCDP, working to improve public policy and resources, as well as citizens’ individual preparedness.