NCI Names Associate Director for Reducing Health Disparities; Harold P. Freeman, M.D., to Fill New Position

National Cancer Institute
Tuesday, 13 June 2000

National Cancer Institute Director Richard D. Klausner, M.D., announced today that Harold P. Freeman, M.D., has been named as NCI's associate director for reducing health disparities. In this position, Freeman will direct the implementation of NCI strategic plan to reduce cancer-related health disparities and find ways to turn research discoveries into the delivery of services to reduce these disparities.

"Addressing the unequal burden of cancer has never been more important, especially in light of the rapid advances we are making in cancer research," Klausner said, addressing the National Cancer Advisory Board, NCI's chief advisory body. "Dr. Freeman brings decades of experience and dedication to the medically underserved communities we must reach if we are to succeed."

Freeman currently serves as chairman of the President's Cancer Panel, a three-member board that monitors the development and execution of the activities of the National Cancer Program and reports directly to the President of the United States. He is also the president and chief executive officer, and director of surgery at North General Hospital, New York City.

"The unequal burden of disease in our society is a challenge to science as well as a moral and ethical dilemma for our Nation. We are heading in the right direction with the opportunity now to make a difference in the lives of people who suffer disproportionately from cancer," Freeman said.

Among his many accomplishments, Freeman held the position of director of surgery at Harlem Hospital for twenty-five years (1974-1999) and served as national president of the American Cancer Society (1988-1989). Freeman is the chief architect of the American Cancer Society's initiative on cancer in the poor and is a leading authority on the interrelationships between race, poverty, and cancer.

The NCI Strategic Plan to Reduce Health Disparities is part of a major national commitment to identify and address the underlying causes of disease and disability in racial and ethnic communities. Because these communities carry an unequal burden of cancer-related health disparities, NCI is working to enhance its research, education, and training programs that focus on populations in need. For more information on the plan, please click on "Cancer Information" on the NCI Web site at www.cancer.gov.

For more information, or to contact National Cancer Institute, see their website at: www.cancer.gov