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March 27, 2008

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
March 27, 2008

GOVERNOR PATERSON ANNOUNCES ADMINISTRATION APPOINTMENT

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Governor David A. Paterson today announced that he will appoint Dr. Jon R. Cohen to serve as Senior Advisor. Dr. Cohen is currently Managing Director of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP for Health Industries Advisory Services.

“Dr. Cohen’s extensive background in the medical field makes him an excellent choice for this important role,” said Governor Paterson. “He thoroughly understands the state’s hospital network, its specific challenges and the investments that must be made to support the future of quality health care. He will be an invaluable advisor for my administration and I am looking forward to working closely with him.”

Dr. Cohen has spent more than two decades in the health care field. Before joining PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP in 2007, he served for six years as Chief Medical Officer (CMO) and Senior Vice President of the North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System. In that capacity, he was responsible for the management of the clinical, educational, research and administrative matters related to all medical affairs for the health system. As CMO, Dr. Cohen had oversight over the following clinical areas: the strategic course for patient quality care across the system; the overall performance of the academic and clinical departments and their Chairman; the care delivery standards across system service lines including, pediatric network, women’s health, surgical services and cancer services; direct operational responsibility for the Faculty Practice Plan, the corporate entity responsible for the clinical practices of over 800 salaried faculty; the Feinstein Research Institute with six centers of excellence; the local Medical Board activity and the Medical Directors of each system hospital as it relates to system clinical initiatives; and the education enterprise with over 1,000 residents or fellows in over 100 training programs and relationships with several medical schools. In his role as CMO, Dr. Cohen was also the Chair of all clinical search committees.

Previously, Dr. Cohen had served as the Executive Vice President of the Long Island Jewish Medical Center as well Chairman of Surgery and Chief of Vascular Surgery. In that role, he grew the department to 18 surgeons with positive revenue of $14 million. He also provided oversight for a $50 million operating/recovery room expansion.

Dr. Cohen is a Professor at the Albert Einstein Medical College of Medicine and Senior Lecturer at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health. He has published over 100 peer-reviewed professional articles and authored two books. Dr. Cohen was briefly a candidate for Lieutenant Governor in the 2006 election.

Dr. Cohen received his B.S. from the University of Miami and his M.D. from the University of Miami School of Medicine. Dr. Cohen’s completed his residency in surgery at the New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center, followed by training in vascular surgery at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School.

As Senior Advisor to the Governor, Dr. Cohen will receive a salary of $160,500.

This appointment does not require Senate confirmation.