July 18, 2019

Tom Farley, MD, MPH, is the health commissioner for the City of Philadelphia. His medical expertise and experience as the commissioner of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene make him an exciting keynote speaker for Reimagining Health in Cities: Challenges and New Directions urban health symposium.

While serving as the health commissioner of NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene he instituted several public health policies including banning smoking in the city’s parks and beaches, raising the tobacco purchasing age to 21, and oversaw the coordination of the National Salt Reduction Initiative.

Health issues faced by city residents have grown beyond traditional urban health concerns – infectious diseases and toxic environmental exposures – to include chronic diseases associated with poor diets, sedentary life styles, and physical and mental health issues that are linked to violence, poverty, unemployment, income insecurity and poor working conditions. Addressing these health inequalities is key not only to improve population health overall but also to ensure the moral imperative of health as a human right.

Today’s cities and the cities of the future face many challenges, including climate change, rising inequality, and health disparities. Yet urban environments offer optimum opportunities for the development of innovative programs and policies that can improve the overall health of the population. Farley, along with our other speakers, will be touching upon these topics. To learn more and register for Reimagining Health in Cities: Challenges and New Directions please visit bit.ly/UrbanHealthSymposium.