Neal Cohen
Former Commissioner of Health of New York City
Appointed by Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, Dr. Neal L. Cohen served as the Commissioner of Health of New York City, overseeing the public health responses to several major crises unprecedented in the history of New York City and the nation. The West Nile virus outbreak, a disease that had never previously appeared in the Western hemisphere, the consequences of the World Trade Center tragedy, and the outbreaks of anthrax due to bioterrorism posed enormous challenges to public health. Cohen is widely admired for having guided New Yorkers through these threats to the public health with resolve, skill, and ability, while at the same time calming their understandable fears.
Dr. Cohen was able to successfully put his vision of an integrated public health model into practice following the events of September 11th. Crisis counselors worked side by side with physicians, nurses, and medical epidemiologists at the media outlets receiving bioterrorist threats and the Family Support Center in order to address both the physical and mental well being of New Yorkers. Dr. Cohen established the Project Liberty initiative to ensure that New Yorkers receive support services, counseling, and treatments to address the impact of the trauma.
Dr. Cohen also served as NYC?s Commissioner of the Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Alcoholism Services. As an advocate for incorporating mental health into the mainstream of the public health agenda, Cohen called for the merger of both the Health and Mental Health departments into a unified Department of Public Health. As Commissioner, Dr. Cohen focused on strengthening core public health and mental hygiene services and worked to develop initiatives for high-risk populations.
Dr. Cohen is currently the Executive Director of the newly created Center on Bioterrorism, leading a partnership with industry, academia, and government agencies to improve our understanding of the pathogenesis of potential bioterrorism agents and to translate this knowledge into the biotechnology that will strengthen our preparedness.
He has written and lectured extensively on public health and mental hygiene policy. Dr. Cohen captures audiences with his expertise on physical and mental health issues in the aftermath of September 11th and the impact of bioterrorism on health and the nation.
A native New Yorker, Dr. Cohen received a BA from Columbia University and MD from New York University School of Medicine. He completed his residency and fellowship in psychiatry at NYU-Tisch Hospital and Bellevue Medical Center. Prior to entering government, Cohen spent over two decades as a community psychiatrist, earning a national reputation for advancing model programs for chronic mentally ill people. He was Clinic Director of the Milhauser Center for Psychiatric Disorders, then was appointed Director of Psychiatry at Gouverneur Hospital and went on to become the Clinical Director and Vice Chairman of the Department of Psychiatry and Director of its Division of Community Psychiatry at Mount Sinai Medical Center. Before becoming Mental Health Commissioner, he served as Chair of the Department?s Community Services Board.
Dr. Cohen is the author of Psychiatry Takes to the Streets, the highly acclaimed book on engaging difficult-to-reach mentally ill people. He has been honored by the New York Academy of Medicine, the Coalition of Voluntary Mental Health Agencies and numerous other organizations for his considerable contributions to improving urban health.
Interested in booking Neal Cohen to speak at your next event?
Dr. Cohen was able to successfully put his vision of an integrated public health model into practice following the events of September 11th. Crisis counselors worked side by side with physicians, nurses, and medical epidemiologists at the media outlets receiving bioterrorist threats and the Family Support Center in order to address both the physical and mental well being of New Yorkers. Dr. Cohen established the Project Liberty initiative to ensure that New Yorkers receive support services, counseling, and treatments to address the impact of the trauma.
Dr. Cohen also served as NYC?s Commissioner of the Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Alcoholism Services. As an advocate for incorporating mental health into the mainstream of the public health agenda, Cohen called for the merger of both the Health and Mental Health departments into a unified Department of Public Health. As Commissioner, Dr. Cohen focused on strengthening core public health and mental hygiene services and worked to develop initiatives for high-risk populations.
Dr. Cohen is currently the Executive Director of the newly created Center on Bioterrorism, leading a partnership with industry, academia, and government agencies to improve our understanding of the pathogenesis of potential bioterrorism agents and to translate this knowledge into the biotechnology that will strengthen our preparedness.
He has written and lectured extensively on public health and mental hygiene policy. Dr. Cohen captures audiences with his expertise on physical and mental health issues in the aftermath of September 11th and the impact of bioterrorism on health and the nation.
A native New Yorker, Dr. Cohen received a BA from Columbia University and MD from New York University School of Medicine. He completed his residency and fellowship in psychiatry at NYU-Tisch Hospital and Bellevue Medical Center. Prior to entering government, Cohen spent over two decades as a community psychiatrist, earning a national reputation for advancing model programs for chronic mentally ill people. He was Clinic Director of the Milhauser Center for Psychiatric Disorders, then was appointed Director of Psychiatry at Gouverneur Hospital and went on to become the Clinical Director and Vice Chairman of the Department of Psychiatry and Director of its Division of Community Psychiatry at Mount Sinai Medical Center. Before becoming Mental Health Commissioner, he served as Chair of the Department?s Community Services Board.
Dr. Cohen is the author of Psychiatry Takes to the Streets, the highly acclaimed book on engaging difficult-to-reach mentally ill people. He has been honored by the New York Academy of Medicine, the Coalition of Voluntary Mental Health Agencies and numerous other organizations for his considerable contributions to improving urban health.
Interested in booking Neal Cohen to speak at your next event?
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- Living with Vulnerability in a Post 9/11 World
- Facing a Mental Health Crisis in the Aftermath of 9/11
- The Abandonment of Public Health and the Threat of Bioterrorism
