Dr. Kurth Will Be the First Non-Physician and First Nurse to Lead the 175-Year-Old Public Health and Health Equity Organization
New York, NY (July 6, 2022)—The Board of Trustees of The New York Academy of Medicine (NYAM) is pleased to announce Ann Kurth, PhD, MPH, MSN, CNM, FAAN, FACNM, as its next President, effective January 1, 2023.
As NYAM celebrates its 175th anniversary in 2022 and reflects on its contributions to improving health since 1847, Dr. Kurth’s appointment becomes yet another significant milestone in NYAM’s history as she becomes the first non-physician, and first nurse, selected to lead the organization. Dr. Kurth is a leader in higher education and health who shares NYAM’s commitment to advancing health equity. She joins NYAM from Yale University, where she is currently Dean and Linda Koch Lorimer Professor at Yale School of Nursing and Professor, Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases at Yale School of Public Health.
“We welcome Dean Kurth as our next NYAM President,” said Wayne J. Riley, MD, MPH, MBA, MACP, Chair of the NYAM Board of Trustees and President of SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University. “As one of the nation’s most renowned nurse leaders, nurse-midwives and epidemiologists, she brings an impressive background, leadership skills and extensive experience in healthcare that will be critical to enhancing NYAM’s mission to catalyze improvement in the health of all New Yorkers and beyond. This is the right time for such an historic appointment.”
“It is truly an honor to join with the board, staff, and supporters of NYAM as it advocates for health in the city and the nation, at a crucial time,” said Dr. Kurth. "As NYAM moves toward its third century of impact, we will use evidence for action, in partnership with our Fellows, communities and colleagues throughout New York."
As President, Dr. Kurth will leverage and expand upon NYAM’s accomplishments and legacy as a leading institution for medicine and public health, with a focus on addressing the barriers that prevent every individual from living a healthy life. This appointment marks Dr. Kurth’s return to New York, where she previously held several professorships and leadership roles at the New York University Rory Meyers College of Nursing, Grossman School of Medicine, and School of Global Public Health from 2008 until she joined Yale in 2016.
An epidemiologist (PhD UW, MPH Columbia) and certified nurse-midwife (MSN Yale), Dr. Kurth draws from the perspectives of her STEAM (STEM + arts/humanities) disciplinary training. Dr. Kurth’s research focuses on HIV/reproductive health, and global health system strengthening, in the context of pandemics, climate change and other stresses—all of which have a disproportionate effect on structurally marginalized populations. Her work has been funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIAID, NIMH, NICHD, NIDA), Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, UNAIDS, CDC, HRSA, and others, for studies in the U.S. and internationally, with over $20 million as principal investigator. At Yale Dr. Kurth co-founded the Yale Institute for Global Health, a cross-university research effort. Dr. Kurth has published 237 peer-reviewed articles, chapters, and scholarly monographs and presented at hundreds of scientific conferences and invited talks.
Dr. Kurth is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine, where she has been named an Emerging Leader, and a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing (FAAN) and the American College of Nurse-Midwives (FACNM). She is past chair of the Consortium of Universities for Global Health, the member association of 175+ universities supporting “academic institutions to improve the wellbeing of people and the planet.” She served on the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, which sets prevention and screening guidelines for the United States. Dr. Kurth currently co-chairs the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Board on Global Health and serves on the board of Yale New Haven Hospital.
Dr. Judith A. Salerno, the current President of NYAM, will complete her five-year tenure on September 30, 2022, at which time she will become NYAM President Emerita and Senior Scholar. The Board and staff of NYAM express their deepest gratitude to Dr. Salerno for her leadership over the last five years and her dedication to furthering NYAM’s vision that everyone has the opportunity to live a healthy life.
About The New York Academy of Medicine
The New York Academy of Medicine is a leading voice for innovation in public health. Throughout our 175-year history, we have uniquely championed bold changes to the systems that perpetuate health inequities and keep all communities from achieving good health. Today, this work includes innovative research, programs, and policy initiatives that distinctively value community input for maximum impact. Combined with our trusted public programming, historic library, and with the support of our esteemed Fellows and Members, NYAM’s legacy as a public health leader continues. For more information visit NYAM.org and follow @NYAMNYC on social media.
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