Dr. Chokshi opening statement: COVID response, board achievements, and challenges ahead

Before I came to the health department, I served six years at New York City Health and Hospitals, including as its inaugural chief population health officer.

As health commissioner during the COVID-19 pandemic, I led our city's historic campaign to vaccinate over 6 million New Yorkers in just over a year.

During my tenure, the department also launched signature initiatives on overdose prevention, community health workers, and nurse visits for new moms and babies.

And as chair of the Board of Health, I promulgated a landmark resolution on racism as a public health crisis.

The greatest challenge currently facing the board and the department is modernizing our health system in the face of national headwinds for public health.

Federal policy changes and funding cuts have weakened health infrastructure and caused coverage losses here as well as nationally.

Contending with these headwinds will require

require creativity, innovation, and attention to low-income and marginalized New Yorkers.

Above all, it will require listening with humility.

Community engagement is a foremost duty in public health, and I strongly believe that it must be a bidirectional conduit.

Health leaders must listen as much as we speak.

If appointed, I intend to take that duty as seriously as I take listening to my own patients.

I welcome the chance to learn from this council, which has a particularly important role in identifying areas for policymaking.

I'm grateful to Mayor Mamdani for this nomination and to Deputy Mayor Arteaga and Commissioner Martin for their confidence.

It has been a privilege to serve our city in various roles over more than a decade now, and I would look forward to the chance to do so again through the Board of Health.

Thank you for your time, your consideration, and your commitment to our beloved city.

Thank you for your testimony.