While it remains unclear why Dr. Hanaa Hamdi resigned, the city will retain Rutgers medical center.
NEWARK -- Following the resignation of Newark's health director, an agreement to make Rutgers University's vice-chancellor her interim replacement was submitted for approval Wednesday morning to the municipal council, according a release from the mayor's office.
Dr. Hanaa Hamdi, who was named director of the city's Department of Health and Community Wellness in 2014, resigned last month, a spokesman for Mayor Ras J. Baraka's office told NJ Advance Media.
While it remains unclear why Dr. Hamdi resigned, an agreement has been reached between the city and Rutgers to name Dr. Denise V. Rodgers as interim director and retain the university's academic medical center as consultants to improve the department, its delivery of health services and its permanent leadership, a release from the city said.
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"This agreement with Rutgers University brings a world-class university and its academic medical center in as partners, advisers, analysts, leaders, consultants, and advocates for creating what I envision to be the finest public health department of any city in the nation," said Mayor Baraka in a statement.
"I expect that our example will set the standard for public/private partnerships in health care and be a model for other cities. I welcome Dr. Rodgers and the entire Rutgers team onto the Newark team."
Rodgers and the university's team--who will remain employed by the school, not the city--will provide consulting, expertise, guidance, and leadership to the city for six months, and assist in finding a permanent director, the release said.
A highly decorated physician, Rodgers received her bachelor's degree in psychobiology from Oberlin College, and her M.D. from Michigan State University's College of Human Medicine, the release said. She served as a professor of family and community medicine at University of California in San Francisco until 1997, and eventually served as the president of the University of Medicine and Dentistry in January 2012, until its reorganization in June 2013.
She later became director of the Rutgers Urban Health and Wellness Institute and vice-chancellor for Interprofessional Programs.
Michael Anthony Adams may be reached at madams@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MichaelAdams317. Find NJ.com on Facebook.