New York City Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani has appointed Indian American healthcare leader Dr. Dave Ashok Chokshi to the city’s Board of Health after approval by the City Council.
The Board oversees the New York City Health Code and has enacted measures to protect and improve the health and well-being of New Yorkers. Chokshi will serve the remainder of a six-year term expiring May 31, 2030.
A practicing physician at Bellevue Hospital, Chokshi previously served as New York City’s 43rd health commissioner and Chair of the Board of Health. He is currently Sternberg Family Professor and Founding Director of the Health & Opportunity Leadership Institute (HOLI) at the City College of New York and Chair of the Common Health Coalition.
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“Dr. Dave Chokshi has dedicated his career to caring for patients and protecting public health,” said Mamdani. “As New York City’s Health Commissioner during the COVID-19 pandemic, he helped lead our city through one of the greatest public health crises in our history, from expanding access to testing and treatment to vaccinating millions of New Yorkers. I am proud to welcome him back to the Board of Health, where his experience and commitment to public service will help us build a healthier city for every New Yorker.”
“It has been a privilege to serve our City in various roles over more than a decade now, and I look forward to the chance to do so again through the Board of Health,” said Chokshi. “The Board of Health is an historic institution, safeguarding New Yorkers for over two centuries. From scourges like smallpox and cholera to present-day diseases like cancer and COVID-19, the Board has been at the forefront of public health.”
Chokshi previously served as New York City’s 43rd Health Commissioner during the COVID-19 pandemic, leading the City’s vaccination campaign and helping shape its testing and treatment strategies.
During his tenure, the Health Department launched signature initiatives focused on overdose prevention, community health workers and nurse visits for new moms and babies. As Chair of the Board of Health, he led the adoption of a landmark resolution declaring racism a public health crisis.
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From 2014 to 2020, Chokshi held leadership roles at NYC Health + Hospitals, including serving as its inaugural Chief Population Health Officer. He also served as CEO of the H+H Accountable Care Organization (ACO).
Earlier in his career, Chokshi, was appointed by President Barack Obama as a White House Fellow at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, where he served as principal health adviser in the Office of the Secretary.
Chokshi trained in internal medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and was a clinical fellow at Harvard Medical School.
During his training, he conducted clinical work in Guatemala, Peru, Botswana, Ghana and India.
He received his MD with Alpha Omega Alpha distinction from the University of Pennsylvania, an MSc in global public health as a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University and graduated summa cum laude from Duke University.