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Hochul announced that she has chosen longtime healthcare professional Dr. Mary T. Bassett, to take over as the Commissioner of the Department of Health, replacing former top Cuomo aide Howard Zucker, who announced his resignation earlier this month.
Bassett, who will be stepping down as the director of the François-Xavier Bagnoud (FXB) Center for Health and Human Rights at Harvard University, brings more than three decades of experience to Albany. She is also an FXB Professor of the Practice of Health and Human Rights in the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
Her appointment is effective Wednesday, Dec. 1.
“I am humbled and honored to return to my home state of New York to lead the Department of Health at this pivotal time," Bassett said. "The pandemic underscored the importance of public health, while also revealing inequities driven by structural racism.
“As we move to end the pandemic, we have a unique opportunity to create a state that is more equitable for all New Yorkers.”
Hochul touted Bassett’s work "devoted to promoting health equity and social justice, both in the United States and abroad.”
“Our recovery from this pandemic requires tested leadership and experience to improve health equity and access across the state, and Dr. Bassett is perfectly equipped to lead the New York State Department of Health during this critical moment," Hochul said in announcing the appointment.
"When I was sworn in as governor, I pledged to build a talented team with the skills, knowledge, and expertise to stop the spread of COVID-19, return our lives to normalcy, and move our state forward. Dr. Bassett is both a highly regarded public health expert and an exemplary public servant, and I look forward to working with her to keep New Yorkers safe and healthy."
Before taking over at the FXB Center for Health, Bassett also served as the commissioner of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene between 2014 and the summer of 2018.
“We are thrilled that Mary will be bringing her strong leadership, fierce commitment to equity, and deep understanding of public health policy to this new role as New York State health commissioner," Michelle Williams, dean of the faculty at Harvard Chan School wrote in a statement.
"While we will greatly miss her presence here, we are proud that she will be in a position to advance evidence-based policies, firmly grounded in science, to protect and improve the health of every New York resident. We know she will be a champion for all people across the state.”
Lillian Barrios Paoli, the former New York City Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services added that "Dr. Bassett is a superb crisis manager.”
"Working with her during both the Ebola and the Legionnaires' disease crises was a lesson on how to manage effectively and gracefully under enormous pressure, I can state unequivocally that it was her leadership that enabled New York City to successfully navigate those difficult situations,” she added.
“Her commitment to ending health disparities is unquestionable, as is her belief that good public health goes hand in hand with social, racial and gender equity.”
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