Health Program Head Resigns; New Job, Tensions Cited

The director of a University wide health policy program will leave in January to become president of a prestigious charitable foundation amid reports that he was disappointed with the cooperation he received from some branches of the University.

David Hamburg, director of the Division of Helath Policy Reconcile and Education--which combines programs from the Kennedy School of Government, the school of Public Health [SPH] and the Medical School--will become president of the New York based Carnegie Corporation, generally regarded as one of the top three charitable foundations in the United States.

Harnburg yesterday called the Carengle post "a compelling offer" which give him an opportunity to address international issues. With an endowment of $365 million, the Corporation distributes $12 million annually to researched and community groups.

Hamburg said he had had "very good cooperation" from the three schools in his efforts to bring their health policy offerings together.

But sources close to Hamburg said yesterday that while the Carnegie appointment "is a once in a lifetime opportunity" for the 57year old doctor in-fighting and resistance he faced among the three schools during his three years as director of the division could have been a factor in his departure.

"David faced a very hard task of bringing together three schools with individual interests in the highly decentralized Harvard system and he just did not get the cooperation from the schools to do things he wanted to do." a professor at the SPH, who asked not to be identified, said yesterday.

Another official with ties to the division said Hamburg had come to Harvard "very excited" about the Unprecedented program. Which was supported by several endowments. But he ran into a "nagging bureaucracy" and "conflicts between him and the SPH administration "the official said.

Howard Hiatt, dean of the SPH denied any such problems. He said Hamburg had "made very good progress--something no one had ever done" in coordinating the program, adding that his leaving is "a tremendous loss to Harvard."

"Cattergie's gain is Harvard's loss, but the positive side is that it is always great to have friends in high places," Ira A. Jackson '71, associate dean of the Kennedy School, said yesterday.

Another official within the division commented that Harburg's increased ties to the K-School, where he directed the Center for Health Policy and Management, had caused problems for him in the other school, which may have perceived a "K-School bent" in his approach.