Nassau County Executive Thomas Gulotta announced that he has appointed Bobby Kumar, a resident of Syosset, as chairman of the Nassau Health Care Corporation. Kumar assumes the role following the removal of former Chairman Eric Rosenbloom by the County Executive on Aug. 17.

Kumar is the first Asian in the history of Nassau County to be appointed to this position. On Dec. 29, 1999, Governor George Pataki appointed him a member of the NHCC's 18-member board. His term expires on Sept. 7, 2004.

"I am pleased to appoint Mr. Kumar as chairman of the board," said Gulotta. "His accomplishments in business and his dedication to helping people, many who are less fortunate, is a shining example of the leadership the Corporations requires."

In 1984, Kumar started his own construction and environmental company. In 1988 he began a publishing company producing the Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and American Yellow Pages and the Minority Times and Small Business News. An accomplished author and publisher, he also produced two books, Ireland Today and India Today.

An entrepreneur who speaks five languages, Kumar owns a real estate company, an India-based ophthalmology equipment manufacturing company and most recently has begun to explore the development of cost effective and environmentally safe electricity. He and a business partner also hold one patent and three pending patents in steel alloy.

"I am grateful to the County Executive for the designation of Chairman and I shall do all in my power to justify his confidence," Kumar said. "I look forward to working with my fellow board members as well as the medical staff and out hardworking, dedicated employees."

The recipient of numerous awards from charitable, business and religious organizations as the Small Business Administration, the Indian Association of America New York and the Nargis Dutt Foundation for cancer research, Kumar is a staunch and long time supporter of organizations which aid victims of domestic violence and help the physically challenged and elderly. In Jan. 2000, Newsday selected Kumar as a "Long Islander of the Century".

He is a trustee of the State University at Stony Brook, a director of Nassau Community College Foundation, and a member of the advisory board at Hofstra University.

The Nassau Health Care Corporation, a public benefit corporation, operates 1,500-bed health care system comprised of a 632-bed tertiary care, level I trauma center and teaching hospital and an 889-bed skilled nursing facility. These facilities include the Nassau County Medical Center and the A. Holly Patterson Geriatric Center (both which are fully accredited centers by the Joint Commission on Accreditation), the Elmont Health Center, the Freeport-Roosevelt Health Center, the New Cassel-Westbury Health Center, the Inwood-Lawrence Health Center, the Hempstead Community Center, the Long Beach Health Center and the Office of Home Care, a certified Home Health Care Agency.