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Recognizing Acting Health Commissioner Joanne Godley’s service to the city and its citizens and offering City Council’s profound best wishes to her in her future endeavors.
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WHEREAS, Joanne Godley, MD, MPH, was appointed to the position of Acting Commissioner of the Philadelphia Department of Public Health on July 23, 2005; and
WHEREAS, Since her appointment, Dr. Godley has managed the health department comprised of twelve divisions including eight health centers, a nursing home, a personal care home, a staff of over eight hundred persons and a budget of over $185, 000,000; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Godley implemented a mass screening initiative for Hurricane Katrina evacuees at the overseas airport involving approximately 100 medical providers in response to the Mayor’s Project Brotherly Love; and
WHEREAS, She initiated and implemented cultural competency training to all employees in all eight of the ambulatory health centers in order to educate and help staff appreciate the complexities of service to a vastly diverse client population that exists in Philadelphia; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Godley implemented monthly public education seminars for all departmental employees in order to reinforce core public health principles and enhance employee performance; and
WHEREAS, She initiated an intergovernmental Youth Obesity Initiative involving Health, Mayor’s Office of Fitness, Behavioral Health, OESS, Recreation, and DHS to share resources and strategize educate and intervene with youth and families to offset the obesity trend; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Godley successfully tested a phase of our disaster preparedness by implementing a Super Flu clinic in the Northeast—during which about 900 flu shots were administered in the first hour demonstrating the city’s ability to administer medications/vaccines to a large population in a short period of time; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Godley has lectured extensively on an array of public health topics including testifying before the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Health, Human Services and Education on behalf of the Philadelphia Department of Health on Pandemic Flu Preparedness, racial and ethnic disparities in health, the obesity epidemic and bio-preparedness at the local public health level; and
WHEREAS, Prior to her appointment as Acting Health Commissioner, she served as Medical Director of the Philadelphia Department of Public Health and worked on health-related matters pertaining to various social service departments, including Prisons, Police, Human Services, and Recreation; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Godley earned her Bachelor of Arts in Human Biology from Stanford University in 1973; a Masters of Public Health, Health Services Administration from Yale University School of Public Health in 1977 and her Medical Doctor degree from Yale University Medical School in 1977; and
WHEREAS, She completed an internship and residency in Internal Medicine at Boston City Hospital between 1977 and 1980; a fellowship in Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Temple University Hospital between 1984 and 1986; and is currently a degree-candidate for a Masters of Bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine; and
WHEREAS, Commissioner Godley has served the city and its citizens with distinction and dedication; and
WHEREAS, Commissioner Godley will be retiring from city employment after seven years of service and the City will be forever grateful for her time and commitment; now therefore
RESOLVED, That the Philadelphia City Council hereby recognizes Commissioner Godley’s service to the city and its citizens and offers its profound best wishes to her in her future endeavors; and
FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to Commissioner Godley as evidence of the sincere respect and deep admiration of this legislative body.
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