Hauppauge, NY- At today’s General Meeting, Suffolk County Legislator William Spencer, MD and his legislative colleagues bid a fond farewell to retiring Health Commissioner, Dr. James Tomarken, by presenting him with a proclamation recognizing his contributions to Suffolk County.
“It takes an uncommon type of individual to be able to effectively manage a department that is responsible for so many vital and complex services- from wastewater management, to public health education and prevention, to sanitary code enforcement, vector control, and more,” stated Legislator Spencer. “Dr. Tomarken has led the department with class, quality, and distinction; his tenure has greatly benefited the health of our county’s 1.5 million residents. I’m sad to say we are losing a great individual in Suffolk County Government, but it has been my privilege to work alongside him. I wish him all the best in the future.”
Dr. James L. Tomarken, MD, MPH, MBA, MSW, has been the Commissioner of Health for the Suffolk County Department of Health Services since 2009. Prior to this position, Dr. Tomarken was a Senior Fellow in International Healthcare Management at Yale University’s William Clinton Foundation. He developed an HIV/AIDS initiative in Liberia and coordinated the rebuilding of the 500-bed JFK Medical Center in West Africa which had been devastated by civil war; and before joining the Clinton Foundation, Dr. Tomarken served at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. He also held positions with the University of Toronto Hospital and has considerable experience as a medical administrator for several health insurance plans. In 2017, Dr. Tomarken was elected to the Delta Kappa Chapter of Delta Omega Society, Public Health Honorary Society and became a Fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine.
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