New York State Health Commissioner Mary Bassett to resign in January
NEW YORK (WABC) -- New York State Health Commissioner Mary Bassett will resign on January 1, she said in a statement on Friday.
Bassett said that it was a difficult decision, but she was leaving so the next commissioner can have the chance to 'lead this great department for a full four-year term under the leadership of Governor Hochul.
"I am grateful that the Governor gave me the opportunity to serve as commissioner, and I know that the department and public health will be in good hands thanks to her leadership and the incredible talent and dedication of the staff," said Bassett.
From 2014 through the summer of 2018, Bassett 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.
Dr. Bassett also led the department's response to Ebola, Legionnaires' disease, and other disease outbreaks.
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