In Letter to the Board, Mayor Adams Fully Endorsed Dr. Katz
Dr. Katz NYC Health + Hospitals President and CEO Since September 2017
Following New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ renomination, the NYC Health + Hospitals’ Board of Directors today, by unanimous vote, confirmed its support for Mitchell Katz, MD, to continue as president and CEO of the New York City health system. As a public benefit corporation, the NYC Health + Hospitals (H+H) Board of Directors votes on and appoints the health system president and CEO. Dr. Katz has served in his current roles since September 2017, and throughout his tenure, Dr. Katz has financially stabilized the health system, closing a deficit of approximately $2 billion; invested in ambulatory care to ensure everyone has access to a primary care doctor; and led the health system through the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Katz sees patients at Gotham Health/Gouverneur every week.
“As a key member of my health team, I trust Dr. Katz’s opinions and advice when it comes to protecting the health of New Yorkers,” said Mayor Adams. “The COVID-19 pandemic showed the vital role our public health system plays in the city, and Dr. Katz has shown his commitment to NYC Health + Hospitals and all the New Yorkers who rely on its health care services. It’s just a fact, Dr. Katz ‘Gets Stuff Done,’ which is why I fully support his ongoing leadership of H+H.”
“The Board of Directors voted unanimously to confirm their support for Dr. Katz as our president and CEO,” said Jose Pagan, chair, Board of Directors, NYC Health + Hospitals. “Through the pandemic, under his leadership, hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers entrusted their care to NYC Health + Hospitals. New Yorkers saw a vital and vibrant health system, which Dr. Katz has strengthened and stabilized during his tenure here. The board looks forward to continuing our great relationship with Dr. Katz.”
“New York City has made important strides in the fight against COVID-19 thanks to dedicated leaders like Dr. Mitch Katz, who continue to lead us along the road to recovery,” said Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Anne Williams-Isom. “Dr. Katz's renomination as the president and CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals will strengthen our city's ability to provide comprehensive, high-quality, and affordable health care services and improve the health and wellbeing of all New Yorkers.”
“I thank Mayor Adams and the entire NYC Health + Hospitals Board for entrusting me with the helm of this amazing health system,” said Dr. Katz. “Every week, when I see my patients, I see the trust they give us and the great responsibility we have to them. It’s an honor to serve all New Yorkers who need our care.”
“Throughout his career, Dr. Katz has proven himself as a committed servant to his patients and to the public,” said New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan. “Over the past several months I have had the pleasure of working alongside him and observing his commitment first-hand. I look forward to continuing my work with him and his fantastic colleagues at our first-class public hospital system, to protect and promote the health and wellbeing of all New Yorkers.”
“As we emerge from this unprecedented crisis, we are ever grateful for the invaluable role our health care workers have played in saving lives and the leadership that informed New York City’s robust pandemic response, one of the most comprehensive and effective in the nation,” said New York City Department of Social Services Commissioner Gary P. Jenkins. “As I congratulate Dr. Katz on his renomination, I want to recognize his critical role in shaping this response while also revitalizing the country’s largest municipal health care system. We rely on the guidance of veteran experts like Dr. Katz to ensure the health and safety of vulnerable New Yorkers and I look forward to continuing to strengthen our partnership to support our neighbors in need.”
“On behalf of the SBH Health System, I would like to congratulate Dr. Katz on his renomination. His vision, innovation, and collaborative leadership are the driving factors in providing quality health care to millions of New Yorkers, regardless of their immigration status or ability to pay,” said David Perlstein, MD, president and CEO, SBH Health System. “It has been my honor to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Dr. Katz as we battle a global pandemic. We have worked collaboratively to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 within underserved communities and establish new ways to serve our patients without compromising the quality of health care. I look forward to continuing to collaborate with Dr. Katz and his team.”
“As president and CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals, Dr. Mitchell Katz is one of New York’s respected voices and exemplary leaders in health care,” said Kenneth Davis, CEO, Mount Sinai Health System. “During his time, NYC Health + Hospitals has broadened health care access for New York City residents, and he has led the country’s largest public health system through very challenging times. I am honored to call him a friend and I value his partnership in ensuring every New Yorker has access to high-quality, equitable care.”
“We are delighted to congratulate Dr. Mitchell Katz on his renomination as NYC Health + Hospitals president and CEO,” said Steven J. Corwin, MD, president and CEO, New York-Presbyterian. “Dr. Katz is a skilled and caring physician and a transformative leader of public hospital systems who is committed to improving the health of all New Yorkers. We commend him for his extraordinary dedication to New York City, particularly his leadership through the pandemic, and look forward to his continued service.”
“The renomination of Dr. Mitchell Katz as NYC Health + Hospitals’ president and CEO is a testament to his stellar leadership of the nation’s largest public hospital system, especially throughout the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Kenneth E. Raske, president, Greater New York Hospital Association. “He is the embodiment of NYC Health + Hospital’s mission to deliver high-quality care with compassion, dignity, and respect to all, and New York’s entire hospital community is grateful for his continued service.”
About Dr. Mitchell Katz
Dr. Mitchell Katz joined NYC Health + Hospitals from the Los Angeles County Health Agency, where he served as director. For five years he served as the director of the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, the second largest public safety net system in the United States, during which he created the ambulatory care network and empaneled over 350,000 patients to a primary care home. Earlier in his career, he was the director and health officer of the San Francisco Department of Health for 13 years, best known for funding needle exchanges, creating Healthy San Francisco, outlawing the sale of tobacco at pharmacies, and winning ballot measures for rebuilding Laguna Honda Hospital and San Francisco General Hospital.
He is the deputy editor of JAMA Internal Medicine, an elected member of the National Academy of Sciences (previously the Institute of Medicine), and the recipient of the Los Angeles County Medical Association 2015 Healthcare Champion of the year.
Dr. Katz is a graduate of Yale College and Harvard Medical School. He completed an internal medicine residency at UCSF Medical School, and he was an RWJ Clinical Scholar.
