Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons Launches Office of Community Service Programs
The Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons (VP&S) at the Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC) announced today the creation of the Office of Community Service Programs to expand the college's commitment to community service in Washington Heights and Inwood, other areas of upper Manhattan, and parts of the Bronx.
The Office of Community Service Programs will build upon the school’s many ongoing efforts to improve the health and education of adults and children through a range of community engagement and health promotion activities. This also includes developing new opportunities made possible by the creation of Haven Plaza, which will open this summer. The new office will be housed within the CUIMC Office of Government and Community Affairs and will be closely aligned with community programs at the Mailman School of Public Health, School of Nursing, College of Dental Medicine, and the New York State Psychiatric Institute.
The Office of Community Service Programs will be directed by Dr. Rafael Lantigua, MD, Professor of Medicine at CUMC, who will have the additional title of Associate Dean for Community Service at VP&S. Dr. Lantigua is a native of the Dominican Republic and faculty member at Columbia since 1980, he has been a Dean’s Special Adviser for Community Health Affairs since 2011. His clinical and research interest has focused on promoting the health of the diverse community in upper Manhattan and improving access to care for the community’s growing aging population.
As part of his new role, Dr. Lantigua will oversee the newly formed Service-Learning Program that serves as a centralized resource for coordinating and facilitating community outreach efforts of CUIMC, including the development and coordination of community service-learning opportunities for faculty, students, and staff. He will also facilitate the creation of a new VP&S Academy of Community and Public Service to recognize medical school faculty who make substantial contributions to community and public health. The academy will be modeled after two other VP&S academies, the Virginia Apgar Academy of Medical Educators and the Academy of Clinical Excellence.
More information about the Office of Community Service Programs, including full programming for the new office, which will include health fairs and student learning opportunities, will be announced this fall. Learn more by visiting the website of the CUIMC Office of Government and Community Affiars.
Parts of this article originally appeared in an announcement made by the CUIMC on May 16th 2019.