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NORTH AMERICAN Newsline SEPTEMBER 15, 2023 | The Indian Eye 34

Two Health Department Staff Recognized

As Rising Leaders In Public Health

Dr. Julian L. Watkins and Carolyn Rhodebeck named to de Beaumont Foundation’s 40 Under 40 in Public Health

OUR BUREAU

New York, NY
n September 7, 2023, the de Beaumont
Foundation announced its 2023 40 Under
O40 in Public Health honorees, which include
the Health Department’s Dr. Julian L. Watkins and
Carolyn Rhodebeck. The 40 Under 40 in Public
Health list recognizes and elevates equity-focused,
service-oriented leaders changing the face of public
health in creative and innovative ways. Dr. Julian
L. Watkins, Assistant Commissioner for the Bureau
of Health Equity Capacity Building, and Carolyn
Rhodebeck, Strengthening the U.S. Response to
Resistant Gonorrhea (SURRG) Epidemiology
Coordinator for the Bureau of Hepatitis, HIV, and
Sexually Transmitted Infections, are among the
honorees selected by a distinguished panel of pub-
lic health leaders for their leadership and impact on
their community’s health.
“Our staff, and these honorees, are exception-
al in so many ways and deeply deserving of recog- Commissioner for the Health Department’s Bu- Surveillance and Epidemiology unit, coordinated
nition,” said New York City Health Commissioner reau of Health Equity Capacity Building, became operations at vaccine sites, and served as a Deputy
Dr. Ashwin Vasan. “While they excel in their roles, a Climate Health Equity Fellow with the Medical Lead for the Immunization Justice Work Group,
recent events have pushed them far beyond their Society Consortium on Climate and Health and which offered support and created spaces for
day-to-day job descriptions and they have done ev- completed the Robert Wood Johnson Founda- Health Department staff to voice their concerns
erything asked of them and more. Julian and Caro- tion’s Culture of Health Leaders Program. He is around COVID-19.Currently, Carolyn serves as
lyn are the present and future of public health, and a health equity theorist, writer, lecturer, and com- the SURRG Epidemiology Coordinator for the
bring honor and credit to the field. We are grateful munity organizer. Bureau of Hepatitis, HIV, and Sexually Transmit-
to the de Beaumont Foundation for reflecting their Dr. Watkins earned his MD from Howard ted Infections and participates in a various eq-
light back to them with this recognition. It is well University College of Medicine and his BS in Bi- uity and social justice work groups at the Health
deserved.” ology from Oakwood University. He has dedicated Department. Prior to the Health Department,
“The professionals chosen for the 40 Under
40 in Public Health Class of 2023 demonstrate the his practice to cultivating a culture of health that Carolyn worked on global multi-drug resistant tu-
promotes humane regard for communities and the berculosis programs with the U.S. Agency for In-
determination, commitment, innovation, and resil- environment that is ready to respond to the diverse ternational Development and malaria prevention
ience of the public health field,” said Dr. Brian C. needs of the 21st century and beyond. and control programs in Tanzania during her ser-
Castrucci, President and CEO of the de Beaumont Carolyn Rhodebeck joined the Health Depart- vice in the Peace Corps.
Foundation, which launched the program in 2019. ment’s Public Health Laboratory in 2018. During Carolyn earned her MPH with a concentration
“Their work is strengthening communities and im- the Health Department’s COVID-19 response, in Infectious Diseases at Johns Hopkins University
proving lives, and I look forward to following their Carolyn helped to set up the first COVID-19 test- and her BS in Microbiology and Biology at Indiana
careers and learning from them.” ing site, provided administrative support for the University, Bloomington.
Dr. Julian L. Watkins joined the Health De-
partment in 2017 as Physician in Charge of the Riv-
erside Sexual Health Clinic and continued in this
role throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Wat-
kins also participated in the Health Department’s
COVID-19 response efforts, including by helping
stand up the NYC Test and Trace Corps, supporting
the NYC Provider Access Line, serving as medical
advisor to the Incident Commander, and facilitat-
ing tailored engagement with provider and com-
munity groups to promote COVID-19 vaccines.
Dr. Watkins transitioned to the Health De-
partment’s Center for Health Equity and Commu-
nity Wellness in 2021 as a Health Equity Advisor
and has continued to support emergency response
activities. Earlier this year, he was named Assistant

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