Find out the latest update about New York’s health commissioner, Mary Bassett. After serving for a year, she is deciding upon leaving the position. She has announced to decline her seat by the conclusion of this year, 2022. The article below will talk in detail about her service and resignation on 1st January 2023. Stayed tuned regarding this and much more in NYC.
Governor Kathy Hochul’s selection of Dr. Mary Bassett on December 1st, 2021 as the new health commissioner of New York State was approved by the state Senate. Dr. Mary Bassett took the position of the contentious Dr. Howard Zucker, who left three months after the resignation of former Governor Andrew Cuomo. Therefore, Bassett assumed over on December 1 and has 30 years of experience in health policy development. Before this, she managed divisions at Harvard University’s School of Public Health and the Center for Health and Human Rights. (1)
Dr. Mary Bassett
Dr. Bassett, who has worked in public health for 35 years, once served as commissioner of the health department for New York City. Her most recent position was as director of the François-Xavier Bagnoud Center for Health and Human Rights at Harvard University. Moreover, from 2014 until 2018, she was the health commissioner for New York City. Black American, Bassett also weighed in to support the Black Lives Matter movement. Additionally, Bassett replaced Dr. Howard Zucker, who was under fire for the state’s COVID-19 policies and was one of Hochul’s first notable hires after succeeding Andrew Cuomo in 2021. Moreover, she is the state of New York’s first African-American health commissioner. (2)
Dr. Mary Bassett’s appointment
Throughout her long tenure of 30 years of experience in this career, Bassett has held positions in the government, academics, and voluntary sectors, where she has worked to advance social justice and health fairness.
Moreover, Bassett also served as commissioner from 2014 to the summer of 2018. Before it, she had been the city’s deputy commissioner for disease prevention and promotion of health since 2002. Bassett promised upon her selection of the senators that she would never do something that may endanger the health of the residents of New York. In case this happens and if a governor forced her to, she would resign in the first place. Additionally, Bassett indicates a change in direction, according to Democratic senator and chair of the health committee Gustavo Rivera. Additionally, he spoke out strongly against the Cuomo administration’s nursing home regulations on the Senate floor.
Moreover, she also said that Even if it were told to her that something needed to be done for political reasons, she would decline to do it. If she felt it would put the health and well-being of New Yorkers in great danger.
Bassett is thought to be somewhat of a ringer for the new governor to add to her cabinet. Bassett, a well-respected public health official in New York City, took over for Howard Zucker, a governor Andrew Cuomo nominee who received criticism for the state’s handling of nursing homes and long-term care institutions at the beginning of the pandemic. (2)
Dr. Mary Bassett during her office
Democrats overwhelmingly voted for Bassett, while some Republicans opposed, pointing to comments she made about her predecessor at her confirmation hearing in 2021. Since taking over as acting commissioner on December 1, Bassett has appeared in TV commercials urging schoolchildren to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
During the initial stages of the covid disease outbreak, it was alleged that former Health Commissioner Zucker assisted Cuomo in concealing the true number of healthcare home deaths by supporting a contentious March 25, 2020, executive order that required nursing homes to accept COVID-positive patients back from hospitals. According to findings by attorney general Tish James, deaths in nursing homes were 50% underreported. Zucker and Cuomo have both asserted that they did nothing improper.
Dr. Mary Bassett’s resignation as health commissioner of nyc
Dr. Mary Bassett, the commissioner of health for New York, will step down by the conclusion of this very year. In addition, Bassett just announced that she would be going back to the Harvard Chan School of Public Health in January 2023 after her resignation. This is where she was working previously. Resigning “was an incredibly hard step,” she said. For Governor Kathy Hochul to appoint a new commissioner to serve a full four-year term, she claims she is resigning at this time. After a little more than a year in the position as New York’s top health official, the resignation will take place. Moreover, she is working for the government of Governor Kathy Hochul.
She talks about this resignation and says it is not easy. Additionally, she said it is hard to decide upon it. She responded actively to the tough challenge of coved-19 during her service one year. Moreover, she protected the residents of New York from monkeypox, polio, and other diseases. (3)
Governor Hochul’s gratitude towards Dr. Bassett
In a statement, Governor Hochul of New York expressed her gratitude to Dr. Bassett for his leadership and dedication to the residents of New York during a time when public health faced extraordinary challenges. Additionally, Hochul added that Bassett has worked relentlessly to keep New Yorkers aware, healthy, and safe during her time in my Administration. From the onset of the Omicron variant and through monkey pox and polio outbreaks, Bassett has worked pretty hard and sincerely.
Basset expressed her appreciation to the governor for giving her the chance to serve as commissioner. She added that under her direction and with the staff’s extraordinary talent and commitment, the department and public health will be in good hands. Moreover, she said that she will always be a part of New York and that in the coming years, she will appreciate and cheer the new development in the area of health. (4)
The next commissioner to face challenges?
After a year of managing a convoluted, extensive public health bureaucracy and serving as the leading figure of Governor Kathy Hochul’s cabinet, Dr. Mary Bassett is resigning as the state of New York’s health commissioner.
One of the important choices the governor must make as she gets ready to start a four-year term on January 1 is who she nominates to succeed Bassett in the position.
After an unexpectedly brief time on the job, Bassett is returning to the Harvard Chan School of Public Health.
Dr. Basset has held office for the shortest time of anyone. Moreover, the previous shortest term was three years, and she stayed there for just over a year. This is unusual, then. In addition, replacing it is not an easy task. A candidate would need to be capable of managing a variety of health care and public health programs, from immunizations to the Medicaid program, in addition to the requirement that the health commissioner is an MD. (5)
End Note: Stay Tuned for the update regarding the health commissioner in NYC. Also, stay updated with who is coming next on Bassett’s position.
In the final assessment, we come to witness that dr. Bassett served well during her service. She was sincere in her duties. Moreover, she satisfied the new Yorkers, well. Throughout her long tenure of 30 years of experience in this career, Bassett has held positions in the government, academics, and voluntary sectors, where she has worked to advance social justice and health fairness.
Dr. Bassett, who has 35 years of experience in the field of public health, once held the position of commissioner of New York City’s health division. Additionally, her most recent role was as director of Harvard University’s François-Xavier Bagnoud Center for Health and Human Rights. Moreover, she served as New York City’s health commissioner from 2014 to 2018. Bassett, a Black American, added his voice to the Black Lives Matter campaign. she was one of Hochul’s first significant hires after succeeding Andrew Cuomo in 2021. Zucker had come under scrutiny for the state’s COVID-19 policies, and Bassett took his position. In addition, she is also the first African-American health commissioner in the state of New York. She had been the city’s deputy commissioner for disease prevention and promotion of health since 2002.
Now, Dr. Mary Bassett, the commissioner of health for New York, will step down by the conclusion of this very year. In addition, Bassett just announced that she would be going back to the Harvard Chan School of Public Health in January 2023 after her resignation.
However, there is still much to be done. Public health restrictions are fading into the distance, New York is still dealing with the pandemic that is still present and the lasting uncertainty.
References
1- (Dr. Mary Bassett confirmed as NY’s health commissioner) From WAMC
Link:https://www.wamc.org/news/2022-01-20/dr-mary-bassett-confirmed-as-nys-health-commissioner
2- (Hochul Taps Bassett To Replace Zucker At NYSDOH; Vaccine Mandate Sets In) From WAMC
Link:https://www.wamc.org/news/2021-09-29/hochul-taps-bassett-to-replace-zucker-at
3- (NY Health Commissioner Dr. Mary Bassett to resign, return to Harvard. What to know) From lohud
Link:https://www.lohud.com/story/news/2022/12/02/ny-health-commissioner-dr-mary-bassett-to-resign-return-to-harvard/69696240007/
4- (NY Health Commish Mary Bassett suddenly quits working for Kathy Hochul) From new york post
Link:https://nypost.com/2022/12/02/dr-mary-bassett-leaving-nys-department-of-health-after-kathy-hochul-election-win/
5- (Next New York health commissioner will face familiar challenges) From spectrum news 1
Link:https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/central-ny/ny-state-of-politics/2022/12/06/next-new-york-health-commissioner-will-face-familiar-challenges
