To achieve this goal, the department has established the following:
- Office of Aging and Long Term Care
- Office of Health Equity and Human Rights
- medical director
- leadership cabinet
Additionally, there will be a prioritization for agency-wide data sharing and use to drive policy, as well as a renewed emphasis on regional office engagement with local health departments.
The department’s rebuilding effort landed on five focus areas:
- Invest in our people, bring in new and diverse talent, streamline hiring processes, and create a culture of support and appreciation after significant sacrifices made during the COVID response.
- Shape our organization to reflect our focus on health equity, the needs of older New Yorkers, emergency preparedness and response.
- Be more proactive by developing policy coordination and project management capabilities and simplifying critical processes.
- Align regulatory, insurance, and public health tools across divisions to maximize impact and improve health outcomes.
- Improve our use of data to advance our mission of improving public health and health equity.
“Public health touches every facet of our lives,” said Dr. Mary T. Bassett, State Health Commissioner. “Our new organizational focus and leadership team structure will better position the Department to shape our priorities and delivery systems to improve health access and outcomes for all New Yorkers. The reach of this Department extends beyond traditional public health and encompasses a regulatory role for health care delivery institutions and health insurance programs that cover more than one-third of New Yorkers In my term as commissioner, I intend to do everything possible to fulfill our mandate. New Yorkers deserve nothing less.”
The main changes include:
- Creation of a new Office of Equity in Health and Human Rights. This office will address health disparities and work to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion within the Department. It will be comprised of the current offices of Minority Health and Health Disparities Prevention and Language Access, the AIDS Institute, and the Office of Gun Violence Prevention. The new Office for Health Equity and Human Rights will be led by Deputy Commissioner Johanne Morne.
- Creation of a new Office of Aging and Long-Term Care. This office will develop policies and programs to meet the needs of older New Yorkers and people with disabilities who require long-term care services and supports. It will be led by Adam Herbst, Deputy Commissioner for Aging and Long-Term Care, and will work in collaboration with the Office of Health Insurance Programs, the Office of Primary Care and Health Systems Administration, and the New York State Office for the Aging. to coordinate the Department’s activities related to aging New Yorkers. The Office will be responsible for long-term care functions related to licensing, facility surveys, data collection, and policy and analysis. In addition, it will help develop and implement the State Master Plan on Aging to improve the recruitment, retention, and training of long-term care workers and improve the quality of long-term care.
- Establishment of a Medical Director. Dr. Eugene Heslin will provide medical and clinical expertise to all senior leaders and various Department staff. Dr. Heslin has more than 30 years in the medical field and is an expert in healthcare leadership, policy development, and operational management focused on improving patient outcomes.
- Create a new Commissioner’s Cabinet. It will be comprised of dynamic policy and health experts who will report directly to and serve as advisors to the State Health Commissioner, Dr. Mary T. Bassett, on important issues as we develop programs and new policies across the Department that will protect, will improve and promote the health of New Yorkers. the
- The members of the Executive Cabinet are: Laura Mascuch, Chief of Staff; Kristin Proud, Acting Deputy Executive Commissioner; Dr. Ursula Bauer, Assistant Commissioner for Public Health; Dr. Eugene Heslin, First Deputy Commissioner and Medical Director; Sam Miller, Associate Commissioner for Foreign Affairs; Kathy Marks, General Counsel; Amir Bassiri, deputy commissioner of the Office of Health Insurance Programs and interim director of Medicaid; Adam Herbst, Deputy Commissioner for Aging and Long-Term Care; Dr. John Morley, Deputy Commissioner for Primary Care and Health Systems Management; Johanne Morne, Deputy Commissioner for Health Equity and Human Rights; Diane Christensen, Deputy Commissioner for Administration; and Danielle Holahan, Executive Director, NY State of Health and Senior Advisors, Megan Baldwin, Paul Francis, and Sandra Mullin.
- Strengthening of the Regional Offices. There will also be a concerted effort to ensure that our regional offices are more integrated in public health policy making and that they prioritize the needs of local health departments. The Regional Offices will now be part of the Office of Public Health, strengthening the voice of local perspectives in our policy making and streamlining the implementation of local programs and policies.
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