New Academy Recognizes Community and Public Service

The longstanding commitment VP&S faculty have made to public service in the community was formally recognized this year with the induction of 21 faculty members into the new Academy of Community and Public Service.

The academy recognizes faculty whose work has promoted and improved community health, particularly among residents of Washington Heights and Inwood, other parts of Upper Manhattan, and parts of the Bronx. 

Members of the academy will serve as a corps of advisors and mentors who can support colleagues who have an interest in community service. 

The academy joins other VP&S academies that recognize the contributions of educators (the Virginia Apgar Academy of Medical Educators) and clinicians (the Academy of Clinical Excellence). VP&S is the first medical school in the country to establish an academy for community and public service.

The Academy of Community and Public Service was created through the new Office of Community Service Programs, which builds upon the medical center’s ongoing community service efforts to improve the health and education of adults and children in local communities. The academy is under the direction of Rafael Lantigua, MD, professor of medicine at CUMC and associate dean for community service in VP&S.