Son of Jamaica, Dr. Maurice E. Wright truly has a foot on both sides. Although born in the United States, he grew up and attended high school on the island. He has been in the medical field for 33 years including medical school and is a graduate of Fordham University and Albert Einstein College of Medicine.
For the last six years, Dr. Wright has been the chief medical officer of Harlem Hospital and senior associate dean of Columbia University for the academic affiliation.
Dr. Wright ensures that clinical and educational programs of all departments are consistent with the priorities and standards of the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation and as associate senior dean, he is responsible for oversight to the faculty appointment and promotion process.
“Growing up in the Caribbean exposed me at an early age to many disparities in health area,” Dr. Wright says.
“Many people could not financially afford it and suffered at that time. As I progressed on my educational journey, my interest in the application of science to the functioning of the human body increasingly became the focus of my studies.”
By his third year in college, he realized that he was going to pursue medicine so he could directly impact those who were suffering in areas of high health disparities.
Dr. Wright pays tribute to his grandmother, a farmer’s wife, as having the most influence on his career. “I watched her as she helped others in our poor community in several ways.”
“The empathy I saw my grandmother exhibit, at a young age, to those suffering and the help she gave, molded my thoughts to always do my best to assist others.”
Dr. Wright holds several academic appointments and is a member of several professional organizations.
