The Monroe County Legislature on Tuesday confirmed Dr. Marielena Vélez de Brown because the county's new public well being commissioner.
Dr. Vélez de Brown has served as interim commissioner since March following the information that Dr. Michael Mendoza, who had served as county well being commissioner since 2016, was resigning.
She now begins a six-year time period because the county's high well being chief.
“Dr. Vélez de Brown has demonstrated excellent dedication to the well being and well-being of our neighborhood,” Monroe County Government Adam Bello stated in a press release. “Her expertise and dedication to well being fairness make her a the perfect chief for the Monroe County Public Well being Division. I thank the legislature for its help in confirming Dr. Vélez de Brown and am assured that she is going to proceed to drive important enhancements for residents all through the county.”
Bello says Velez de Brown, who’s initially from Philadelphia, earned a grasp's diploma in public well being from the College of Rochester's Division of Public Well being Sciences and joined the county well being division in 2016. The county government says She has served as medical director of Starlight Pediatrics of Monroe County and has labored to advance well being entry for underserved teams, particularly those that don’t communicate fluent English, and assisted within the county's response to the opioid disaster.
“I used to be proud to nominate Dr. Marielena Vélez de Brown, MD, MPH as Monroe County Public Well being Commissioner,” Monroe County Legislature Chairwoman Yversha Román stated in a press release. “She is the primary Latina girl and mom to function a commissioner. She has devoted her life to service and our neighborhood, together with the final eight years of her profession in Monroe County.”
“I’m honored to serve Monroe County on this function,” Velez de Brown stated in a press release. “I wish to thank County Government Bello and the legislature for his or her belief and help. Our county faces important public well being challenges, from addressing the opioid disaster to addressing social circumstances that affect well being, resembling poverty, protected housing, academic disparities, racism and violence. I’m dedicated to selling initiatives that handle these wants head-on and promote fairness all through our neighborhood. Working alongside our devoted public well being crew and neighborhood companions, I stay up for constructing a more healthy, extra resilient Monroe County the place all residents have the chance to thrive.”