Working with our division directors and our office and bureau chiefs, the senior leadership in the office of the commissioner has taken a purposeful, proactive role in Suffolk County to improve the health and well-being of our county's 1.5 million residents. We are working to ensure that our department’s already outstanding programs are sustainable and efficient in this difficult economic climate. Our goal is to continue to provide the high quality services that the department has made available to the community thus far.

Our initiatives and activities are many and varied, and they include areas such as our management of the H1N1 Influenza  (flu) pandemic, HIV and AIDS prevention and screening, asthma management, workplace wellness (a program that is marching on with considerable interest), diabetes mellitus care, cancer awareness and education, environmental safety and preservation, alcohol, tobacco and illicit drug prevention, and preparedness for West Nile virus disease. We are doing this work with the help of seasoned, dedicated, and talented employees and staff throughout the department.

In addition to sponsoring our own programs, the department has partnered with many other community based organizations, government agencies (locally, statewide, and federally), and other interested stakeholders to co-sponsor numerous programs and activities. The key to the success of all of these programs and activities is shared goals and mission.

The Suffolk County Department of Health Services has strong partnerships with more than three dozen heath care organizations including the Asthma Coalition of Long Island, the American Heart Association, the American Lung Association, Stony Brook University School of Medicine, and Suffolk Community College's Nursing School, for example. A partnership with Stony Brook University's Center for Public Health and Health Policy Research, and activities led by our department's Office of Minority Health, are excellent examples of our sincere efforts to eliminate healthcare disparities. We also continually try to reach out through a variety of avenues to build new relationships and make a difference in the lives of our residents. Our goal ultimately is to improve the health and well-being of all residents of Suffolk County and we look forward to fostering these relationships and building even better ones in the years ahead.

More information about the Board of Health