Irwin Redlener

Public health pediatrician working with disadvantaged children in rural and urban settings across U.S. since 1971. Created, with singer-song writer Paul Simon, The Children's Health Fund which uses state of the art mobile medical units and advanced information technologies to bring free, quality health care to the nation's most medically underserved kids. After numerous experiences responding to large-scale disasters, internationally and nationally, created the National Center for Disaster Preparedness at Columbia University, where I am a professor and serve as associate dean. Currently doing extensive work in the Gulf which, long past the immediate destruction of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, is still struggling with a failed recovery. Our recent studies show that some 50,000 children remain displaced, vulnerable and at extreme risk. My book, "Americans at Risk: Why We Are Not Prepared For Megadisasters and What We Can Do Now", descirbes policy and implementation failures that have led us to our current state of disaster response incompetency. My organizations are known for providing high quality direct services, coupled with very active advocacy with respect to the issues of most concern. My wife, Karen Redlener, serves as executive director of the Children's Health Fund. We actually have been working together since 1971 - and have three children and two grandchildren.

Presidential politics & grandchildren

Access to health care for children, Disaster preparedness, response and recovery, National health policy