NYC Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan Resigns, Citing Family Reasons

NYC Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan Resigns, Citing Family Reasons

Dr. Ashwin Vasan, the New York City Health Commissioner, has submitted his resignation and will leave his office by the end of 2024. Vasan cited personal reasons for leaving, stating that he wants to focus on supporting his family's wellbeing.

Vasan has led the health department since March 2022, playing a key role in the city's response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the mpox outbreak. He has also implemented programs to tackle the teen mental health crisis and address medical debt for working-class New Yorkers.

"When I was appointed as New York City Health Commissioner in December 2021, the Omicron variant of COVID-19 was raging, infecting tens of thousands, taking the lives of New Yorkers, and it was not clear what 2022 had in store for us, including an mpox outbreak followed by New York's first case of polio in a decade, and all while COVID-19 continued to linger and embed itself in our city," Vasan said. "At the Department of Health, we took those challenges-and so many others-head on, even diseases that many haven't heard of, because that is the work of preventing public health issues before they occur. We have accomplished so much in the past few years, from leading the city out of the pandemic and a period of crisis, to heralding a new era of public health."

Mayor Eric Adams praised Vasan for his service, calling him "integral" to the city's response to COVID and Mpox. He expressed his confidence that the health department will continue to function effectively as they transition to a new commissioner.