SUNY Downstate Medical Center
Encyclopedia
The State University of New York Health Science Center at Brooklyn, better known as SUNY Downstate Medical Center, is a public university and medical center located in central Brooklyn, New York and the only academic center for health education, research, and patient care serving Brooklyn’s 2.5 million residents.
It includes the College of Medicine, College of Nursing, College of Health Related Professions, School of Graduate Studies, School of Public Health, and University Hospital of Brooklyn, as well as a student center and residences.
It has partnerships with several other institutions, and as of 2010 7,117 people worked there. The College of Nursing offers graduate programs in all major tracks.
The College of Health Related Professions has the oldest midwifery
program in the nation. The School of Graduate Studies does basic science education and research.
SUNY Downstate’s Advanced Biotechnology Incubator and Biotechnology Park provides space for product developers and job training.
The current president is John C. LaRosa, MD.
In 2010 SUNY Downstate celebrated its sesquicentennial, commemorating the year that the Long Island College Hospital
(as it was then known) first opened its doors to students. Yet Downstate traces its roots back even further (to 1856) when a small group of physicians set up a free dispensary in Brooklyn to care for poor immigrants.
Known as the German General Dispensary, its original aim was to care for indigent Germans living in Brooklyn, but changing demographics soon required it to broaden its outreach. In 1857 it was reorganized as a charitable institution and renamed The St. John’s Hospital—the first of many name changes.
Officially chartered by the state in 1858 as the Long Island College Hospital of the City of Brooklyn, it was authorized to operate a hospital and confer medical degrees on candidates who attended two lecture courses and completed a three-year preceptor
ship under a practicing physician. The notion that patient care should be included as an essential part of medical training was revolutionary for its time, but other medical schools soon adopted the approach and it came to be regarded as essential pedagogy.
In 1860 the school officially opened its doors to 57 (male) students. The first faculty included many distinguished physicians, such as Dr. Austin Flint, Sr., remembered for his role in introducing the stethoscope into standard medical practice in this country. Dr. Flint delivered the commencement address on July 24, 1860, when the school graduated its first new doctors.
In the following decades The Long Island College Hospital greatly expanded both its facilities and medical school curriculum. By the time of the First World War, admission was opened to women and postgraduate training had been introduced. In 1930 the college and hospital were separated from one another so that each would be under its own governing board. The following year, the school was rechartered as the Long Island College of Medicine; the hospital retained its name and continues to operate to this day. Affiliations with other Brooklyn hospitals, including Kings County Hospital, made it possible for the college to conduct much of its clinical teaching at locations throughout the borough.
In 1945 the purchased a large tract of land that would become the site of the future Downstate Medical Center. The “Downstate” era began on April 5, 1950, with the signing of a merger contract between the State University of New York (SUNY) and the Long Island College of Medicine. The medical center came to be known as Downstate to distinguish it from the SUNY medical center in Syracuse, New York. Several years later the current campus was built in the East Flatbush section of Brooklyn.
In 1954 President Dwight D. Eisenhower
laid the cornerstone for the Basic Science Building. In the following years, the complex grew rapidly, with the addition of a student center and residence halls, as well as nurses' residences. In 1966 Governor Nelson Rockefeller officiated at the dedication of University Hospital of Brooklyn (UHB), Downstate’s own teaching hospital. The School of Graduate Studies, the College of Health Related Professions, and the College of Nursing were established that same year. In 1987 Governor Mario Cuomo and Mayor Edward Koch helped break ground for the new Health Science Education Building, where most student classes now take place.
Since the arrival of John C. LaRosa, MD, in 2000 as SUNY Downstate’s new president, the medical center has entered a period of renewed growth and expansion. In addition to the completion of a multimillion capital improvement program for the hospital, and the addition of new clinical and research facilities, the campus has expanded to include a Biotechnology Park and Advanced Biotechnology Incubator.
Designed for start-up and early-stage biotech companies, it includes a commercial synthetic chemistry facility. Plans are underway to develop biotech research and manufacturing at the Brooklyn Army Terminal
. These initiatives are part of a strategic plan to position SUNY Downstate as the center for biomedical discovery and development in Brooklyn.
Additionally, in 2011, Downstate completed the purchase of the economically troubled Long Island College Hospital, which was once the precursor hospital of the College of Medicine. This adds over 500 additional beds to the University Hospital of Brooklyn and consolidates many of the academic departments at Downstate. It also brings the number of campuses of the University Hospital of Brooklyn to three when including the UHB outpatient center at Bay Ridge.
College of Medicine
School of Graduate Studies
School of Public Health
Combined Programs:
MD/MPH
OT/MPH
PT/MPH
College of Health Related Professions
BS Programs:
MS Programs:
Occupational Therapy
Combined Programs:
Advanced Certificate Programs:
College of Nursing
BS with a Major in Nursing
MS Programs:
Advanced Certificate Programs:
Center. The addition of Long Island College Hospital brings the total to nearly 900-beds and the ability to offer comprehensive advanced medical care throughout Brooklyn.
(NIH), totaled close to $50 million. Developments include:
Development of MRI
First in country to develop MRI machine capable of producing whole body images, and first to propose fundamental science underlying MRI technology. Built on the Downstate campus by Dr. Raymond Damadian, who was awarded the National Medal of Technology
in 1988.
Nitric oxide molecule and its role in the body
Discovery of nitric oxide
molecule and its relaxation effect on blood vessels has been the basis for heart medications and drugs to combat erectile dysfunction
. Professor Emeritus Robert F. Furchgott was awarded the Nobel Prize
for this work in 1998.
First open heart surgery in New York
Dr. Clarence Dennis, chair of the Department of Surgery from 1951 to 1971, built his own heart/lung machine from scratch in his Brooklyn laboratory. He missed performing the first successful open heart surgery
in the country by a matter of days, but did perform the second successful procedure– and the first in New York State—using his heart/lung machine, which is now part of the Smithsonian collection.
Rheumatoid factor discovery
Rheumatoid factor
was discovered by Erik Waaler
With over 40 scientists studying the hippocampus
, Downstate is one of the largest facilities in the country for the study of neuroscience
. Research by Todd Sacktor and Andre Fenton on the core molecular mechanism for memory storage was highlighted by Science magazine
as one of the top 10 science breakthroughs of the year in 2006.
Genetics of alcoholism
The late Dr. Henri Begleiter was the first to define the role that genetics plays in the development of alcoholism. His research has helped redefine medical science’s view of alcoholism. The nine-site Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism, which he spearheaded, is the world’s largest study of the genetics of alcoholism.
HIV treatment and research
In 1985, SUNY Downstate launched the first federally funded study of HIV transmission from mother to baby. Later, Dr. Howard Minkoff, led the first federally funded study of the manifestations of AIDS in women. With funding from the NIH’s Fogarty International Center, Dr. Jack DeHovitz established the Central/East European HIV Education Center. To date, it has trained more than 5,300 health care workers in Central and Eastern Europe, and in Africa.
Research centers and major laboratories
residents; 62 percent live in Brooklyn. The center's total direct, indirect, and induced economic impact on New York State is in excess of $627 million. For every $1 the state invests, SUNY Downstate returns more than $12 to the economy. The addition to lifetime earning power for each nursing and allied health graduate ranges from $288,000 to $925,000. SUNY Downstate Medical Center attracted $33.7 million in external research funding in 1998/99, including $24 million from federal sources. Clarkson Avenue separates its campus from Kings County Hospital Center.
It includes the College of Medicine, College of Nursing, College of Health Related Professions, School of Graduate Studies, School of Public Health, and University Hospital of Brooklyn, as well as a student center and residences.
It has partnerships with several other institutions, and as of 2010 7,117 people worked there. The College of Nursing offers graduate programs in all major tracks.
The College of Health Related Professions has the oldest midwifery
Midwifery
Midwifery is a health care profession in which providers offer care to childbearing women during pregnancy, labour and birth, and during the postpartum period. They also help care for the newborn and assist the mother with breastfeeding....
program in the nation. The School of Graduate Studies does basic science education and research.
SUNY Downstate’s Advanced Biotechnology Incubator and Biotechnology Park provides space for product developers and job training.
The current president is John C. LaRosa, MD.
History
Long Island College Hospital
Long Island College Hospital is a teaching hospital situated at Hicks and Amity Streets in Cobble Hill section of Brooklyn, New York.Founded in 1858, the hospital has 506 beds. In 1860 it introduced the practice of bedside teaching and it later became the first U.S. hospital to use stethoscopes...
(as it was then known) first opened its doors to students. Yet Downstate traces its roots back even further (to 1856) when a small group of physicians set up a free dispensary in Brooklyn to care for poor immigrants.
Known as the German General Dispensary, its original aim was to care for indigent Germans living in Brooklyn, but changing demographics soon required it to broaden its outreach. In 1857 it was reorganized as a charitable institution and renamed The St. John’s Hospital—the first of many name changes.
Officially chartered by the state in 1858 as the Long Island College Hospital of the City of Brooklyn, it was authorized to operate a hospital and confer medical degrees on candidates who attended two lecture courses and completed a three-year preceptor
Preceptor
A preceptor is a teacher responsible to uphold a certain law or tradition, a precept.-Christian military orders:A preceptor was historically in charge of a preceptory, the headquarters of certain orders of monastic Knights, such as the Knights Hospitaller and Knights Templar, within a given...
ship under a practicing physician. The notion that patient care should be included as an essential part of medical training was revolutionary for its time, but other medical schools soon adopted the approach and it came to be regarded as essential pedagogy.
In 1860 the school officially opened its doors to 57 (male) students. The first faculty included many distinguished physicians, such as Dr. Austin Flint, Sr., remembered for his role in introducing the stethoscope into standard medical practice in this country. Dr. Flint delivered the commencement address on July 24, 1860, when the school graduated its first new doctors.
In the following decades The Long Island College Hospital greatly expanded both its facilities and medical school curriculum. By the time of the First World War, admission was opened to women and postgraduate training had been introduced. In 1930 the college and hospital were separated from one another so that each would be under its own governing board. The following year, the school was rechartered as the Long Island College of Medicine; the hospital retained its name and continues to operate to this day. Affiliations with other Brooklyn hospitals, including Kings County Hospital, made it possible for the college to conduct much of its clinical teaching at locations throughout the borough.
In 1945 the purchased a large tract of land that would become the site of the future Downstate Medical Center. The “Downstate” era began on April 5, 1950, with the signing of a merger contract between the State University of New York (SUNY) and the Long Island College of Medicine. The medical center came to be known as Downstate to distinguish it from the SUNY medical center in Syracuse, New York. Several years later the current campus was built in the East Flatbush section of Brooklyn.
In 1954 President Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
laid the cornerstone for the Basic Science Building. In the following years, the complex grew rapidly, with the addition of a student center and residence halls, as well as nurses' residences. In 1966 Governor Nelson Rockefeller officiated at the dedication of University Hospital of Brooklyn (UHB), Downstate’s own teaching hospital. The School of Graduate Studies, the College of Health Related Professions, and the College of Nursing were established that same year. In 1987 Governor Mario Cuomo and Mayor Edward Koch helped break ground for the new Health Science Education Building, where most student classes now take place.
Since the arrival of John C. LaRosa, MD, in 2000 as SUNY Downstate’s new president, the medical center has entered a period of renewed growth and expansion. In addition to the completion of a multimillion capital improvement program for the hospital, and the addition of new clinical and research facilities, the campus has expanded to include a Biotechnology Park and Advanced Biotechnology Incubator.
Designed for start-up and early-stage biotech companies, it includes a commercial synthetic chemistry facility. Plans are underway to develop biotech research and manufacturing at the Brooklyn Army Terminal
Brooklyn Army Terminal
The Brooklyn Army Terminal is large complex of piers, docks, warehouses, cranes, rail sidings and cargo loading equipment on between 58th and 63rd Street in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. During World War II, the terminal was responsible for shipment of 85% of army equipment and personnel overseas;...
. These initiatives are part of a strategic plan to position SUNY Downstate as the center for biomedical discovery and development in Brooklyn.
Additionally, in 2011, Downstate completed the purchase of the economically troubled Long Island College Hospital, which was once the precursor hospital of the College of Medicine. This adds over 500 additional beds to the University Hospital of Brooklyn and consolidates many of the academic departments at Downstate. It also brings the number of campuses of the University Hospital of Brooklyn to three when including the UHB outpatient center at Bay Ridge.
Academic profile
Schools and programsCollege of Medicine
- MD Program
School of Graduate Studies
- MD/PhD Program
- PhD Programs:
- Molecular and Cellular Biology
- Neural and Behavioral Science
- Biomedical Engineering
School of Public Health
- MPH Program
- DrPH Program
Combined Programs:
MD/MPH
OT/MPH
PT/MPH
College of Health Related Professions
BS Programs:
- Diagnostic Medical Imaging
- Physician Assistant
MS Programs:
- Medical Informatics
- Midwifery
Occupational Therapy
Combined Programs:
- BS/DPT in Physical Therapy
Advanced Certificate Programs:
- Midwifery
College of Nursing
BS with a Major in Nursing
MS Programs:
- Clinical Nurse Specialist
- Adult Nursing Track or High-Risk Mother and Infant Nursing
- Family Nurse Practitioner
- Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner
- Nurse AnesthesiaAnesthesiaAnesthesia, or anaesthesia , traditionally meant the condition of having sensation blocked or temporarily taken away...
- Nurse Midwifery
Advanced Certificate Programs:
- Family Nurse Practitioner
- Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner
Patient care
Opened in 1966, University Hospital of Brooklyn (UHB) is an eight-story, 376-bed facility with 8 intensive care and step-down units, 12 operating rooms, an adult and pediatric ER, diagnostic and ambulatory surgery facility, and 75 outpatient clinics. It operates 3 community-based health centers in the Brooklyn neighborhoods of East New York, Bedford-Stuyvesant, and Midwood; an ambulatory care center in Bay Ridge; plus a nearby DialysisDialysis
In medicine, dialysis is a process for removing waste and excess water from the blood, and is primarily used to provide an artificial replacement for lost kidney function in people with renal failure...
Center. The addition of Long Island College Hospital brings the total to nearly 900-beds and the ability to offer comprehensive advanced medical care throughout Brooklyn.
Specialized services
- Comprehensive cardiovascular services, including 24/7 angioplasty services and heart surgery;
- Comprehensive neurological services, including neurosurgery, diagnosis and treatment for stroke, epilepsy, sleep disorders, and Alzheimer’s disease;
- Adult/pediatric emergency services: the ER receives more than 64,860 patient visits a year;
- Kidney transplantation and dialysis;
- Sports medicineSports medicineSports medicine is a branch of medicine that deals with physical fitness, treatment and prevention of injuries related to sports and exercise...
; - HIV/AIDS treatment and support services- Downstate is a designated AIDS treatment center;
- Maternal and infant health—Downstate is a designated Regional Perinatal Center.
Technological advances
- Robotic pharmacy—automated drug dispensing system helps prevent medical errors;
- Multi-slice CT scans in 6 seconds;
- Gamma camera—imaging with radioactive materials;
- PACS (picture archiving and communication system) for storing, processing, and viewing digital radiological images;
- Bi-plane angio room allows physician to view the procedure he's performing in 3-D;
- Radiology Information System—electronic ordering system for patient studies;
- HealthBridge electronic health records system centralizes patient information to improve care, safety, and hospital operations.
Research
Research is one of SUNY Downstate’s primary missions. In 2000, funding for sponsored research, including 506 basic science investigations and 44 programs funded by the National Institutes of HealthNational Institutes of Health
The National Institutes of Health are an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services and are the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and health-related research. Its science and engineering counterpart is the National Science Foundation...
(NIH), totaled close to $50 million. Developments include:
Development of MRI
First in country to develop MRI machine capable of producing whole body images, and first to propose fundamental science underlying MRI technology. Built on the Downstate campus by Dr. Raymond Damadian, who was awarded the National Medal of Technology
National Medal of Technology
The National Medal of Technology and Innovation is an honor granted by the President of the United States to American inventors and innovators who have made significant contributions to the development of new and important technology...
in 1988.
Nitric oxide molecule and its role in the body
Discovery of nitric oxide
Nitric oxide
Nitric oxide, also known as nitrogen monoxide, is a diatomic molecule with chemical formula NO. It is a free radical and is an important intermediate in the chemical industry...
molecule and its relaxation effect on blood vessels has been the basis for heart medications and drugs to combat erectile dysfunction
Erectile dysfunction
Erectile dysfunction is sexual dysfunction characterized by the inability to develop or maintain an erection of the penis during sexual performance....
. Professor Emeritus Robert F. Furchgott was awarded the Nobel Prize
Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes are annual international awards bestowed by Scandinavian committees in recognition of cultural and scientific advances. The will of the Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, established the prizes in 1895...
for this work in 1998.
First open heart surgery in New York
Dr. Clarence Dennis, chair of the Department of Surgery from 1951 to 1971, built his own heart/lung machine from scratch in his Brooklyn laboratory. He missed performing the first successful open heart surgery
Open Heart Surgery
Open Heart Surgery was released on August 8, 2000 by rock band Virginwool. The band signed to Breaking/Atlantic Records after initially beginning signed to Universal Records. The album was produced and mixed by Brad Wood....
in the country by a matter of days, but did perform the second successful procedure– and the first in New York State—using his heart/lung machine, which is now part of the Smithsonian collection.
Rheumatoid factor discovery
Rheumatoid factor
Rheumatoid factor
Rheumatoid factor is an autoantibody most relevant in rheumatoid arthritis. It is defined as an antibody against the Fc portion of IgG. RF and IgG join to form immune complexes that contribute to the disease process...
was discovered by Erik Waaler
Recent milestones
NeuroscienceWith over 40 scientists studying the hippocampus
Hippocampus
The hippocampus is a major component of the brains of humans and other vertebrates. It belongs to the limbic system and plays important roles in the consolidation of information from short-term memory to long-term memory and spatial navigation. Humans and other mammals have two hippocampi, one in...
, Downstate is one of the largest facilities in the country for the study of neuroscience
Neuroscience
Neuroscience is the scientific study of the nervous system. Traditionally, neuroscience has been seen as a branch of biology. However, it is currently an interdisciplinary science that collaborates with other fields such as chemistry, computer science, engineering, linguistics, mathematics,...
. Research by Todd Sacktor and Andre Fenton on the core molecular mechanism for memory storage was highlighted by Science magazine
Science Magazine
Science Magazine was a half-hour television show produced by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation from 1975 to 1979.The show was hosted by geneticist David Suzuki, who previously hosted the daytime youth programme Suzuki On Science...
as one of the top 10 science breakthroughs of the year in 2006.
Genetics of alcoholism
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
The late Dr. Henri Begleiter was the first to define the role that genetics plays in the development of alcoholism. His research has helped redefine medical science’s view of alcoholism. The nine-site Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism, which he spearheaded, is the world’s largest study of the genetics of alcoholism.
HIV treatment and research
In 1985, SUNY Downstate launched the first federally funded study of HIV transmission from mother to baby. Later, Dr. Howard Minkoff, led the first federally funded study of the manifestations of AIDS in women. With funding from the NIH’s Fogarty International Center, Dr. Jack DeHovitz established the Central/East European HIV Education Center. To date, it has trained more than 5,300 health care workers in Central and Eastern Europe, and in Africa.
Research centers and major laboratories
- Alzheimer’s Disease Research Program
- Brooklyn Center for Health Disparities
- Center for Biomedical Imaging
- Center for Cardiovascular Muscle Research
- Center for Neurorobotics and Neuroengineering
- Center for Treatment and Study of EndometriosisEndometriosisEndometriosis is a gynecological medical condition in which cells from the lining of the uterus appear and flourish outside the uterine cavity, most commonly on the ovaries. The uterine cavity is lined by endometrial cells, which are under the influence of female hormones...
- Cancer Research Focus Group
- Henri Begleiter Neurodynamics Laboratory (Genetics of Alcoholism)
- HIV Center for Women and Children
- Northeast Terrorism Preparedness, Training, Education, and Research Center
- Transgenic Mouse Core Facility
Regional economic impact
SUNY Downstate Medical Center is the fifth largest employer in Brooklyn. Eighty-five percent of its employees are New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
residents; 62 percent live in Brooklyn. The center's total direct, indirect, and induced economic impact on New York State is in excess of $627 million. For every $1 the state invests, SUNY Downstate returns more than $12 to the economy. The addition to lifetime earning power for each nursing and allied health graduate ranges from $288,000 to $925,000. SUNY Downstate Medical Center attracted $33.7 million in external research funding in 1998/99, including $24 million from federal sources. Clarkson Avenue separates its campus from Kings County Hospital Center.
Milestones in research
- 1955: Clarence Dennis, M.D., inventor of the heart-lung machineHeart-lung machineCardiopulmonary bypass is a technique that temporarily takes over the function of the heart and lungs during surgery, maintaining the circulation of blood and the oxygen content of the body. The CPB pump itself is often referred to as a heart–lung machine or "the pump"...
, performs first successful open heart surgery in New York State. - 1964: Eli Friedman, M.D., establishes nation's first federally-funded dialysisDialysisIn medicine, dialysis is a process for removing waste and excess water from the blood, and is primarily used to provide an artificial replacement for lost kidney function in people with renal failure...
program at University Hospital of Brooklyn. - 1977: Raymond Damadian, M.D., produces first human images using magnetic resonance imagingMagnetic resonance imagingMagnetic resonance imaging , nuclear magnetic resonance imaging , or magnetic resonance tomography is a medical imaging technique used in radiology to visualize detailed internal structures...
. - 1984: Henri BegleiterHenri Begleiter- Overview :Henri Begleiter was a neurophysiologist and Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry...
, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, publishes landmark study showing that the children of alcoholics may have a greater risk for alcoholismAlcoholismAlcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
. - 1986: SUNY Downstate conducts first federally funded study of HIVHIVHuman immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
's transmission from mother to fetus. - 1998: Dr. Robert Furchgott, distinguished professor emeritus of pharmacology, is awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine for his research on nitric oxideNitric oxideNitric oxide, also known as nitrogen monoxide, is a diatomic molecule with chemical formula NO. It is a free radical and is an important intermediate in the chemical industry...
. - 2006: Drs. Todd Sacktor and Andre Fenton conduct research on maintenance of long-term potentiationLong-term potentiationIn neuroscience, long-term potentiation is a long-lasting enhancement in signal transmission between two neurons that results from stimulating them synchronously. It is one of several phenomena underlying synaptic plasticity, the ability of chemical synapses to change their strength...
and its implications on spatial memory storage, which is named one of the top scientific breakthroughs of the year by Science Magazine.
External links
- Official Site
- SUNY Downstate Library Resources
- Brooklyn College B.A.-M.D. Program
- Clarence Dennis Papers (1927-2003) - National Library of Medicine finding aid
- The Clarence Dennis Collection - Profiles in Science, National Library of Medicine