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Our Executive Director, Sara Gardner, writes on the recent transition with the Commissioner of Health and the Health Department.

On behalf of the FPHNYC Board of Directors and the entire staff, I would like to acknowledge the departure of Dr. Oxiris Barbot and thank her for her extraordinary leadership during these last two years as Commissioner of the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and the President and Board Chair of the Fund for Public Health in NYC.  

Dr. Barbot led the Health Department with an unwavering commitment to public health, health equity, and racial justice. We have been proud to work with her and the Health Department on projects addressing public health challenges. These have ranged from substance use, social cohesion, and immigrant wellbeing, to implementing new technological systems, supporting the health of mothers and babies, and fighting epidemics. It has been an honor to work with her and have her serve as our Board Chair.

Partnering for public health

FPHNYC is proud to be a critical partner to the NYC Health Department and share a mission of advancing public health for all New Yorkers. Over the last 20 years, we’ve established an impressive track record of fostering public-private partnerships that support innovative public health programs, and ensuring those programs deliver effective interventions. In times of transition, we provide continuity for our funding partners as well as our partners at the Health Department to keep our programs running smoothly.

Welcoming Dr. Chokshi

I would also like to offer a warm welcome to Dr. Dave Chokshi who was named Commissioner of Health on Tuesday, August 4, 2020.  Dr. Chokshi most recently served as Chief Population Health Officer at NYC Health + Hospitals, where he built and grew an award-winning team dedicated to health system improvement. He has taken care of patients as a primary care physician at Bellevue Hospital since 2014.

Dr. Chokshi’s prior work experience spans the public, private, and nonprofit sectors, including positions with the New York City and State Departments of Health and the Louisiana Department of Health, before and after Hurricane Katrina. Dr. Chokshi served on the FEMA delegation to New York City after Hurricane Sandy in 2012. He also served as a White House Fellow and was the principal health advisor to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

Dr. Chokshi will also be our new Board Chair. We’re excited to welcome him as part of our team and look forward to working closely with him.

The Fund for Public Health is the nonprofit partner to the New York City Health Department. Learn more about our work and how you can support the advancement of public health for all New Yorkers.