SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Dr. Danielle Laraque-Arena plans to step down as president of Upstate Medical University at the end of the fall semester on Dec. 22.
During the spring semester, Laraque-Arena will be on “study leave,” SUNY said in a Thursday afternoon news release announcing a “leadership transition.” She’ll then return on June 7, 2019 to her position as a faculty member with a primary appointment within the department of pediatrics.
SUNY will make a decision on interim leadership for the campus before Dec. 22 when Laraque-Arena steps down.
The announcement of Laraque-Arena’s decision comes weeks after the Albany Times-Union reported that the Onondaga County District Attorney’s office had started a grand-jury probe of Upstate Medical University that’s focused on “hiring decisions, severance packages, and construction projects,” according to a Sept. 7 article on the Times-Union website.
“Dr. Laraque-Arena came to SUNY as a world renowned pediatrician and researcher, and I am pleased that she will remain at Upstate Medical to inspire the next generation of doctors,” SUNY Chairman H. Carl McCall said in the SUNY news release. “My thanks to Dr. Laraque-Arena for her service as president to Upstate Medical, and her commitment to a seamless transition for the campus.”
“On behalf of SUNY, I wish Dr. Laraque-Arena well as she returns to pursue her passion in advancing global health and health-care disparities,” SUNY Chancellor Kristina Johnson said in the news release. “She is known for her advocacy for children, and those from low income households deeply impacted by poverty. My best wishes to Dr. Laraque-Arena as she continues this important work.”
Mahoney involved
Joanie Mahoney, who begins her new duties as COO of SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry on Nov. 1, will assist SUNY system on an interim basis with management matters at Upstate Medical University.
Mahoney announced her intentions to leave her job as Onondaga County Executive on Monday.
In addition, clinical and healthcare operations, including the interim CEO of Upstate University Hospital, will report to Dr. Ricardo Azziz, SUNY’s chief officer of academic health and hospital affairs.
Next for Laraque-Arena
While on study leave, Dr. Laraque-Arena will perform research and analysis on the remediation of health-care disparities, children in the midst of war, and gender in medicine and the health professions. She will also provide recommendations to SUNY system concerning addressing the challenge of health disparities in the upstate New York region.
Laraque-Arena will also continue to be available to SUNY to assist in the transition. She will receive her current salary during that time, SUNY said.
After June 7, 2019, she will receive a salary consistent with her 2015 faculty appointment.
“Leading SUNY Upstate Medical University has been my distinct honor with the goal of achieving our mission as One University dedicated to the highest standard in academia and patient care, focused on improving health disparities, and placing the highest value on excellence and inclusion,” Laraque-Arena said in the news release. “I am most proud of the revival of the heart & vascular program, our progress and expansion of many services—especially our Cancer Center, our deep commitment to quality, our efforts in violence prevention, and the creation of a new academic department of geriatrics. I have endeavored to lead this university with integrity, professionalism and innovation. I would like to thank all the staff and colleagues who have supported me during my tenure.”
Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com