Dr. Ashwin Vasan, New York City’s health commissioner, is stepping down from his post by early next year, City Hall announced on Monday.
Vasan, whom Mayor Eric Adams first appointed as the city’s top doctor in early 2022, cited personal reasons for his departure that were unconnected to the ongoing storm of federal investigations hanging over City Hall, mayoral spokesperson William Fowler confirmed, following a report by Politico. Reports indicate that Vasan notified his staff and City Hall of his impending departure, which Fowler said will come in early January.
Vasan, in a lengthy Monday statement, said he is resigning simply to spend more time with his family.
“My wife and three young children have served alongside me, bearing the brunt of my absence and shouldering so much,” Vasan said. “I’m grateful for their love and have chosen that now it is time to support them and their wellbeing. While this was a hard decision, it was the right one for me and my family.”
Vasan added he will continue his clinical work and teaching, while “supporting initiatives to advance health, equity, and access across this city and this nation.”
The news comes amid other high-profile departures stemming from the federal probes surrounding the administration. Those include former NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban and Chief Counsel Lisa Zornberg.
Vasan took over the Health Department during the waning days of the coronavirus pandemic. He oversaw lifting the city’s COVID-19 vaccine mandates and navigated it through other public health emergencies such as Mpox (monkeypox). He also launched initiatives to address its ongoing mental health crisis, including a policy to involuntarily remove those with severe mental illness from city streets and an effort to combat the negative impacts of social media on children.
Additionally, Vasan helped create a program earlier this year to wipe out a collective $2 billion in medical debt for 500,000 New Yorkers.
“The state of the department and of our public health system is strong,” Vasan said. “I’m deeply confident that we have put in place critical initiatives to benefit New Yorkers, and we have the right team to continue this important work and keep us safe and healthy for years and generations to come.”
The mayor, in a statement, praised Vasan’s tenure at the Department of Health, praticularly around public and mental health
“[Dr. Vasan’s] expertise as a mental health expert, coupled with his training as a public health professional, have proven indispensable to our city over the past two-and-a-half years as we’ve handled rising COVID rates, Mpox outbreaks, and a mental health crisis both on our streets and in our schools,” Adams said. “We are confident that because of his hard work putting into place critical public health initiatives New York City is and will continue to be a safer and healthier place for a long time to come. I hope all New Yorkers join me in thanking Dr. Vasan and his entire family for their service.”
