Koh served as Commissioner of Public Health for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts ( 1997 – 2003 ) after being appointed by Governor William Weld . As Commissioner , Koh led the Massachusetts Department of Public Health , which included a wide range of health services , four hospitals , and a staff of more than 3,000 professionals . In this capacity , he emphasized the power of prevention and strengthened the state ’s commitment to eliminating health disparities . During his service , the state saw advances in areas such as tobacco control , cancer screening , bioterrorism response after the September 11 attacks in 2001 and anthrax , health issues of the homeless , newborn screening , organ donation , suicide prevention and international public health partnerships
September 11 attacks
September 11 attacks
Howard Koh