PHILADELPHIA—Mayor Jim Kenney announced that Thomas A. Farley, MD MPH, former Commissioner of New York City’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, has been appointed Commissioner of the Philadelphia Department of Health.

As New York’s Health Commissioner, Dr. Farley, who was trained as a pediatrician, advocated for innovative policies to improve the health of New York City residents, including making the city’s parks and beaches smoke-free, prohibiting price discounting of cigarettes, raising the legal sales age of tobacco to 21, and restricting the burning of air-polluting dirty fuels to heat buildings.

“Ensuring the health of our citizens is one of our city’s greatest responsibilities, and a priority of my administration,” said Kenney.  “Dr. Farley’s ‘out-of-the-box approach’ to public health, along with his medical expertise and his experience running one of the largest health departments in the nation will make him a valuable an asset to Philadelphia.”

“I am inspired by Mayor Kenney’s commitment to the people of Philadelphia and by the team he has assembled,” said Farley. “I look forward to working with him and Deputy Managing Director Eva Gladstein to make this city a healthier place for everyone.”

During Farley’s tenure with the NYC Health Department, the agency led the National Salt Reduction Initiative, which successfully worked with major food companies to reduce sodium levels in food nationwide. He is also known for his creative use of mass media to deliver messages to promote healthy behaviors, introducing the “Two Drinks Ago” campaign to reduce binge alcohol drinking, and developing a series of hard-hitting ads on the health consequences of smoking.

Prior to accepting the position in Philadelphia, Farley served as Chief Executive Officer of The Public Good Projects, a nonprofit organization that leverages the power of the mass media and the techniques of marketing to combat the nation’s biggest health problems.  He has also served as Chair of the Department of Community Health Sciences at the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine.  Earlier in his career, he served in the Centers for Disease Control’s Epidemic Intelligence Service, where he investigated outbreaks of disease and directed programs to control HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and various other infectious diseases.

“The job of the city’s Health Commissioner is to help make Philadelphia a healthy place in which to live, work, and play, “said Farley.  “The Philadelphia Department of Public Health already has a strong group of professionals who have made real progress toward that goal.  I’m excited to help the city take the next steps to becoming one of the healthiest cities in the nation.”