New York State Department of Health Commissioner's Office Subject Files

Alphabetical by subject.

13307-08, 13307-09, 13307-10, 13307-17: Chronological.

The files contain correspondence (both incoming and outgoing), memoranda, newspaper clippings, printed materials (such as brochures and booklets), reports (published and unpublished), press releases, speeches, legislative and grant proposals, and hearing testimony.

The files deal with such health related issues such as abortion, care for the disabled and handicapped, and substance abuse, research projects, medical costs, public health education and other health related problems and issues. They also reflect the commissioners' relationships with such health care organizations as the Health Planning Commission, Public Health Council, the Hospital Associates of New York State, the Hospital Review and Planning Council, the New York State Public Health Association, Committee on Hospital Cost, Emergency Medical Services Council, Great Lakes Advisory Board, Health News Advisory Committee, Health Resources Committee, and Narcotic Addiction Control Committee.

13307-92: This accretion consists of subject files from 1952-1977. The files also address the management of state operated facilities such as Roswell Park Memorial Institute and investigation proceedings such as those that examined nursing homes and care in the state.

13307-83: This accretion consists of subject files from the Office of the Commissioner dating from 1973 to 1979. Among the commissioners of the Department of Health during this period were Dr. Hollis S. Ingraham, Dr. Robert P. Whalen, and Dr. David Axelrod. The files also address the additional topics of generic drugs, hospices, Medicaid and Medicare, nursing homes, and toxic substances, particularly PCB contamination of the Hudson River.

13307-86A: This accretion consists of the subject files of Dr. David Axlerod, commissioner of the Department of Health. While records are dated 1977-1983, the bulk of the material is from the period 1980-1981. The files address additional topics such as aging, cancer, birth defects, family planning, medical malpractice, nursing homes, sudden infant death syndrome and venereal disease.

13307-94: Records from 1988-1989 cover a variety of additional topics include AIDS testing, communicable disease control, health care standards, Hooker Chemical investigation, and malpractice.

13307-95: This accretion consists of files of Dr. David Axelrod from 1983-1991. Records deal with additional topics such as long term health care, smoking, drought preparedness, building safety, and radio active waste disposal. The records also reflect the commissioner's role as chairman of the New York State Disaster Preparedness Commission and contain extensive records on the Schoharie Bridge Collapse (April 5, 1987) and the East Coldenham School Wall Collapse (November 16, 1989).

13307-06: This accretion consists of the files of Dr. David Axelrod, Dr. Mark Chassin, and Dr. Barbara DeBuono from 1973-1998. The records address additional topics such as AIDS, environmental health, hazardous wastes from landfills, and Medicaid.

13307-08: This accretion consists of bulletins issued to disseminate information to Dept. of Health staff. Topics include announcements of examinations, program changes, budgetary items, policy clarifications, news items, text of speeches and press releases, personnel changes, and additions to policy and procedures manuals. Dates cover 1981-2007. Also included is an index of bulletin topics for the years 1971-1979.

13307-09: This accretion consists largely of correspondence addressed to Commissioner Edward S. Godfrey, Jr. Correspondence mostly concerns federal financial appropriations for administering the provisions of the Venereal Disease Control Act of 1938. Correspondents are members of the United States Senate and House of Representatives, and include Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, Hamilton Fish, Robert A. Taft, and Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr. Also included are two letters (1930) to Commissioner Thomas Parran, Jr., later United States Surgeon General.

13307-10: This accretion consists entirely of Department of Health Hospital Memorandums, issued between 1969 and 1998. Topics that are documented by the records include: amendments to the State Hospital Code; hospital and residential health care facility rates; Medicaid; and various public health issues, such as HIV/AIDS and influenza.

13307-11: This accretion consists of the alphabetical correspondence files and daybooks, 1996-2005, of Commissioner Antonia C. Novello. While the correspondence files document a variety of topics, HIV/AIDS features prominently among them.

13307-18: This accretion consists of the subject files of Robert Hussar, first deputy of the New York State Office of the Medicaid Inspector General from 2006-2011. Subject files are arranged in alphabetical order.

13307-09: Photocopies are available for use.

High resolution images of selected original documents in this series relating to the 1969 Woodstock festival are available in State Archives Digital Collections.

13307-10: List of Department of Health memorandums by year is available at the repository.

13307-18: Transfer list.

13307-18: This accretion includes records from transfer list 121000.

On April 6, 1989 three accretions originally accessioned as part of this series were re-numbered: 13307-82A as B1214-82; 13307-84 as B1214-84; and 13307-86 as B1214-86.

13307-94: This accretion was transferred to and accessioned by the State Archives in 1994 but paperwork on the accretion was not completed until 2003.

13307-09: Use of originals is restricted; consult photocopies of letters in master file.