Title
Honoring Dr. Donald Schwarz for his service as Deputy Mayor for Health and Opportunity and Health Commissioner.
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WHEREAS, In 2008, Mayor Nutter appointed Dr. Donald Schwarz as Deputy Mayor for Health and Opportunity and Health Commissioner and, in this role, Dr. Schwarz was responsible for the Departments of Health, Human Services, Behavioral Health, and Intellectual Disability Services and the Office of Supportive Housing; and
WHEREAS, During Dr. Schwarz' tenure Philadelphia has seen a more than 50% increase in permanent housing for homeless individuals and families, rates of dependent children removed from their families have been reduced by 24% and the number of dependent children placed out of state went down by 75%, access to the City's behavioral health system and the number of those with serious mental illness who have moved to independent, community-based living has increased substantially, and Philadelphia has seen a 5% reduction in childhood obesity and has seen adult obesity rates decline; and
WHEREAS, As Health Commissioner, Dr. Schwarz worked to initiate successful smoking cessation programs and adult smoking rates have declined by more than 15%, condom promotion efforts were initiated and rates of gonorrhea in adolescents have come down by more than 33%, electronic health records have been brought to Philadelphia's health centers, the City's food safety inspection program has moved to a risk-based, more efficient system, Philadelphia has reached its lowest rates of infant mortality, and the City has achieved some of the nation's highest rates of childhood immunization; and
WHEREAS, Through his leadership, Dr. Schwarz helped to create a unique public private partnership with Children's Hospital to develop a new $42 million health, library, recreation center complex to serve the needs of the South Philadelphia community and the City; and
WHEREAS, Before entering government service, Dr. Schwarz se...
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