FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 29, 2010

PRESS CONTACT:
Shelley Lotenberg
shelley@numc.edu
516-572-6055
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

ALOYSIUS B. CUYJET, MD, MPH, FACC, FACP, ELECTED CHAIR OF BOARD OF ASSOCIATION OF BLACK CARDIOLOGISTS, INC.

Organization addresses cardiovascular health of African Americans and other minority communities

 
East Meadow, NY….Aloysius B. Cuyjet, MD, MPH, FACC, FACP, Senior Vice President and Chief Health Equity Officer and Chairman of the Institute for Healthcare Disparities for the NuHealth System, has been elected Chairman of the Board of  the Association of Black Cardiologists, Inc., (ABC) effective March 2010.
 
Founded in 1974, the Association of Black Cardiologists, Inc., is a nonprofit organization with an international membership of 2,500 health professionals, lay members of the community (Community Health Advocates), corporate members, and institutional members.  The ABC is dedicated to eliminating the disparities related to cardiovascular disease in all people of color.  Today, the ABC’s public and private partnerships continue to increase our impact in communities across the nation.
 
Arthur A. Gianelli, President/CEO of the NuHealth System, congratulated Dr. Cuyjet on this well-deserved recognition:  “You are to be congratulated for your commitment to addressing cardiovascular health in the African American and other minority communities.  I am confident that, as chair of the Association of Black Cardiologists, Inc., you will champion the elimination of cardiovascular disparities through education, research and advocacy.”

Dr. Cuyjet received his B.A. from Brandeis University, his M.D. from New York University School of Medicine, and his M.P.H. from Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health. He is board certified in Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Diseases, and Critical Care Medicine. Previously with the University of Medicine and Dentistry- New Jersey Medical School, where he was an Associate Professor of Medicine and Section Chief of Critical Care Medicine in the Divisions of Cardiovascular Diseases and Pulmonary/Critical Care Medicine. He is currently a Professor of Clinical Medicine at SUNY at Stony Brook School of Medicine. In October 2005, Dr. Cuyjet joined NUMC as Vice President for Clinical Effectiveness and Minority Health Initiatives. He also chairs the Institute for Healthcare Disparities at NUMC which was launched in November 2007. In April 2009, he was appointed Senior Vice President and Chief Health Equity Officer for the Nassau Health Care Corporation.

In addition to his prior academic appointments, he also holds an academic appointment as Professor of Clinical Medicine at SUNY Health Sciences Center at Stony Brook. He is a clinical trialist & lecturer and has authored book chapters, articles, and editorials. Recently, he completed a book chapter on minority participation in clinical trials. His clinical interests include hypertension, healthcare delivery in urban environments, and healthcare disparities.

He is active in many organizations including the Association of Black Cardiologists, the American College of Cardiology, 100 Black Men, and the American Heart Association. He was a recent board member of the Long Island Chapter of AHA and, in the past, has served on the boards of the National Boxing Safety Center, United Health Care System, and the Association of Black Cardiologists. He has received numerous awards and honors from various professional and community organizations.
 
A resident of Glen Cove, Dr. Cuyjet said upon accepting the honor of serving as chair of the ABC, “I am honored and proud to have been elected as chair of an organization that believes that good health is the cornerstone of progress, working to make good health care accessible and affordable to all in need and dedicated to lowering the high rate of cardiovascular disease in minority populations.”

ABOUT NUHEALTH:
NuHealth is a Long Island health care organization delivering essential medical care and disease and lifestyle management to everyone at every stage of life.  Also known as Nassau Health Care Corporation, NuHealth is a public benefit corporation managing the operations of Nassau University Medical Center, A. Holly Patterson Extended Care and a network of Family Health Centers that bring primary and specialty care out into the community.  By emphasizing wellness, cultural sensitivity and collaborative efforts with the North Shore-LIJ Health System, NuHealth is working to make good care more affordable and easier to access.

For more information about NuHealth or its Centers of Care, visit www.nuhealth.net.