Hochul names Bassett to replace Zucker as New York’s health commissioner

New leadership

Bassett currently serves as director of the François-Xavier Bagnoud (FXB) Center for Health and Human Rights at Harvard University and 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.

From 2014 through summer 2018, she served as commissioner of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, “where she made racial justice a priority and worked to address the structural racism at the root of the city’s persistent gaps in health between white New Yorkers and communities of color,” according to a news release from Hochul’s office. Dr. Bassett also led the department’s response to Ebola, Legionnaires’ disease, and other disease outbreaks.

“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 contended. “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.” 

Bassett’s career has spanned academia, government, and nonprofit work. 

“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. I look forward to working toward this with Governor Hochul and the team at the Department of Health.”

Zucker resignation

Zucker tendered his resignation in a letter to Gov. Hochul.

“There comes a time when the baton should be passed in this marathon journey that we call public service in New York State. With a fierce dedication to the public’s health, I have carried it through many a crisis in the last seven years and five months and placed the welfare of our residents at the forefront of all things, professional and personal. Though we continue to address new quagmires related to the pandemic, from issues of booster shots to legal challenges regarding vaccine mandates, I believe that in our particular state the most difficult aspects of this may be behind us … I therefore tender my resignation as Commissioner of Health for the State of New York and will work to help provide for a smooth transition,” Zucker wrote.