Dave Chokshi, MD, Ends his Term as City’s Health Commissioner

By Yehudit Garmaise

After leading the city’s pandemic response with great competence since August 2020, Dave Chokshi, MD, today serves his last day as the city’s health commissioner, marking the end of a remarkable era in New York City.

The Department of Health in Long Island City will host a walkout ceremony Monday in honor of Dr. Chokshi, who was known for his calm, down-to-earth, and compassionate approach as leader. 

For instance, after many in the Jewish community complained that the city’s communications efforts were inconsistent and lacking early in the pandemic, when Dr. Chokshi came on board, he took care to host regular press conferences with Jewish reporters and provide resources to Jewish communities in ways that work for them.

Dr. Chokshi understood that Orthodox Jews and others may not want to attend the city’s mass vaccination sites, and so he took care to provide vaccination options in smaller venues within many neighborhoods. 

One sad fallout of the pandemic that afflicts New Yorkers now, Dr. Chokshi wrote, is loneliness. The social isolation that many experienced throughout the pandemic is the latest public crisis to negatively affect New Yorkers’ health, and communities should take care to increase opportunities for social connection, which, of course, Jewish communities provide many.

To fill Dr. Chokshi’s role, the mayor has named Ashwin Vasan, MD, who previously served as Adams’ senior advisor for public health.