NEW YORK STATE COMMISSIONER OF HEALTH TO ADDRESS SBU MED SCHOOL GRADS AT 2008 CONVOCATION

104 Graduates to Receive M.D. Degrees 

STONY BROOK, N.Y., May 19, 2008 - Richard F. Daines, M.D., the 14^th Commissioner of Health for New York State, will deliver the keynote address at the Stony Brook University School of Medicine Class of 2008 Convocation. This year 104 graduates will receive M.D. degrees and will soon be attending residency programs at major health care institutions around the United States and Canada. The event is the 34^th Convocation for the School of Medicine and takes place at the Staller Center, on Thursday,

May 22, at 10:00 a.m.

The theme of Dr. Daines' address is how "choice, chance and charity" play roles in shaping one's medical career and life. He will address the Class on how unexpected changes that deviate from one's grand plan can provide opportunities for personal growth and leadership.

Dr. Daines' own path has led him from receiving a Bachelor's Degree in History from Utah State University in 1974, to serving as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Bolivia, and into the field medicine. He rose to become President and CEO of St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center in Manhattan in 2002, and was appointed  Commissioner of Health in 2007. Dr. Daines heads one of the nation's leading public health agencies with a budget of approximately $49 billion.

During the past year, Dr. Daines helped shape significant health care reforms that have been adopted into the state budget. These reforms include increased access to health insurance coverage, a greater emphasis on primary and preventive care, and a larger investment in health information technology. The New York State Department of Health administers the state's public health insurance programs, regulates hospitals and other health care facilities, conducts research, and supports public health prevention initiatives.

In addition to Dr. Daines' presentation, graduate Alan Yong Yang, a first generation Chinese immigrant, will deliver the Student Address. Yong Yan came to the United States in 1996 with the dream of becoming a surgeon. Yong Yan was trained as an orthopedist in traditional Chinese medicine before coming to the United States. When he came to America, he returned to school and started with basic pre-medicine courses. In 2004, he entered medical school. Along the way, he worked a variety of jobs to live and continue his education, including at a supermarket, and as an acupuncturist in New York.

Established in 1971, the Stony Brook University School of Medicine includes 25 academic departments centered on education, training, and advancing scientific research. The primary mission of the School is to educate caring and skilled physicians well-prepared to enter graduate and specialty training programs. The school's graduate and specialty training programs are designed to educate medical specialists and investigators in the biomedical and clinical sciences to be well prepared to advance the frontiers of research, clinical practice and education.