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| Alan Cross, professor in schools of medicine and public health, dies Jan. 5 |
| January 06, 2012 | |
 Dr. Alan Cross Dr. Cross was professor of maternal and child health in the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health and professor of pediatrics and vice chair of the Department of Social Medicine in the UNC School of Medicine. He also was director of the UNC Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention (HPDP) from 1992 to 2003. Dr. Cross had a passion for medicine, service, health disparities research, education and social justice. A pediatrician by training, he continued to serve as a primary care clinician during his tenure as medical professor and HPDP director. He spent several years working with community clinics in Nairobi, Kenya, and served on the board of directors for Carolina for Kibera for many years. While director of HPDP, Dr. Cross engaged in bold health promotion actions such as challenging the tobacco industry and promoting condom distribution to youth. He was a leader in originating the concept that every child should have a medical home, a principle that now has been adopted nationally. His research interests included assessing the effectiveness of community-based interventions to improve infant health, testing methods for improving adolescent health through school and community interventions, and improving the delivery of preventive services to low-income populations. Alice Ammerman, DrPH, nutrition professor, succeeded Dr. Cross as director of HPDP in 2003. "In addition to being a very important mentor to me," Ammerman said, "his legacy with HPDP is one of innovative, collaborative leadership; strong commitment to community-based participatory research and social justice; and dancing at the Community Action Coalition retreats." Dr. Cross is survived by his wife, Mimi, four daughters, four sons-in-law and six grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Carolina for Kibera. For more information or to post a comment or condolence message, please visit http://alancrossremembered.web.unc.edu. # # # UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health contact: Ramona DuBose, director of communications, (919) 966-7467 or ramona_dubose@unc.edu. |
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| Last updated January 11, 2012 |