New health commissioner in Nassau

A Bellmore physician has been named Nassau's new health commissioner, County Executive Edward Mangano announced Wednesday.

Lawrence Eisenstein, 39, who has served as the county health department's deputy commissioner since late 2009, is a specialist in internal medicine and infectious diseases.

He is a graduate of the Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara in Mexico and followed that with his required U.S. training at the New York Medical College in Westchester County.

Eisenstein, who had been chief resident in internal medicine and had a fellowship in infectious diseases at Winthrop-University Hospital in Mineola, said his work with HIV/AIDS "brought me into public health as a whole.

"We are looking to make sure that people are still receiving the services they are entitled to during these difficult economic times," he said in an interview.

Mangano said Eisenstein's "experience, leadership and dedication are key assets" that will serve to protect and promote the health of county residents.

Eisenstein has served as acting health commissioner since July, following the resignation of Maria Torroella Carney from the $175,000-a-year job.

Eisenstein, who is married and has two children, served as a teaching attending physician at Winthrop from 2007 to 2009 and, at the same time, maintained an academic affiliation with the Stony Brook School of Medicine.

He said that he is "honored to serve as Nassau County Health Commissioner [and] will continue to support and protect the public health."