September 25 :
Dr. Ashwin Vasan, the COVID czar who led the city throughout the pandemic's critical era and was New York City's health commissioner, announced his resignation on September 23, 2024. Dr. Vasan thanked Mayor Eric Adams, Deputy Mayor Anne Williams-Isom, and the entire administration for the opportunity, saying, "It has truly been the honor of my lifetime to serve the city I love, where I started and raised a family for nearly 15 years. It is to be your Health Commissioner, the city's doctor to 8.3 million fellow New Yorkers." He went on to thank the administration for the privilege.
Although the current investigation is unrelated to Vasan's departure, he is one of several high-ranking officials in the Adams administration to do so. His tenure as commissioner of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene lasted over three years, and he will be stepping down in early January 2025.
You are never truly alone in service, as anyone who has a family or a chosen family knows. Along with me, my wife and three small children have served, taking on a lot in my absence. I've decided to do all I can to help them out now that I'm thankful for their affection. "It was the right decision for me and my family," Dr. Vasan stated in a statement posted by his office, adding that it was a painful decision. His primary care practice and teaching will go on, though, "while supporting initiatives to advance health, equity, and access across this city and this nation," he announced.
The Indian American doctor spent a lot of time discussing his tenure in his statement. My leadership style has always revolved around three pillars: focus, ambition, and integrity. Our public health system and the department are both doing well. He expressed his unwavering belief that crucial initiatives have been implemented for the benefit of New Yorkers and that the proper team is in place to carry on with this vital task, ensuring our safety and well-being for future generations.
Dr. Vasan recalled that when he was appointed as New York City Health Commissioner in December 2021, the Omicron variant of COVID-19 was rampant, infecting tens of thousands of people and killing many New Yorkers. Little did anyone know that 2022 would bring an mpox outbreak and the first case of polio in New York in ten years, all while COVID-19 lingered and embedded itself in the city. "At the Department of Health, we tackled those challenges—and countless others—with determination. This includes diseases that many people are unaware of, but it's all part of our mission to prevent public health issues from happening in the first place," he stated, continuing, "We have achieved tremendous success in the last several years, from guiding the city through a challenging pandemic and crisis to launching a new chapter in public health."
He gave his team the credit for a slew of groundbreaking health care investments, including HealthyNYC, the city's Abortion Access Hub helpline, 988, clubhouses, and "NYCTeenspace," a free text, phone, and messaging program for teens. is a chat therapy service for the 13–17 year old demographic. According to Dr. Vasan, thousands of kids in New York City have already benefited from the phone service.
He described it as "the best job" in public health and said he would cherish it forever, along with their efforts to safeguard youth from social media's negative impacts, reduce $2 billion in medical debt for New Yorkers, and invest behind the scenes in data systems and workplace wellness.
He gushed over his 7,000 Department of Health employees, calling them "the best public health workers in the world." "Collaboratively, we have transformed public health in New York City for the long term," Dr. Vasan stated as his final conclusion. According to his bio on NYC.gov, Dr. Vasan has worked for nearly 20 years to improve the physical and mental health, social welfare, and public policy of disadvantaged populations in New York City, the United States, and around the world. He is a primary care physician, epidemiologist, and public health expert.
In addition to his role as a primary care internist at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Irving Medical Center, he has been an adjunct professor at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health and Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons since 2014.
Fountain House is a nationwide nonprofit that Dr. Vasan formerly led as president and chief executive officer. The organization's mission is to eliminate social and economic isolation, enhance health, and increase opportunity for those most affected by mental illness. For the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Dr. Vasan was the first Executive Director of the Health Access Equity Unit from 2016 to 2019.
Dr. Vasan's early career was spent working at the nexus of global health, HIV/AIDS, and primary care. He spent almost a decade at the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva and Uganda, and at the organization Partners In Health (PIH) in Rwanda, Lesotho, and Boston.
Dr. Vasan holds a Medical Degree from the University of Michigan, a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from UCLA, a Master of Science in Epidemiology from Harvard, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Public Health from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Numerous prestigious magazines have published his work.
