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Press Releases

Modern Healthcare Names NYC Health + Hospitals' CEO Mitchell Katz, MD, One of the 100 Most Influential People in Healthcare

Katz is recognized for his work expanding access to primary care services while making the health system more financially stable

Dec 11, 2019

New York, NY

Mitchell Katz, MD, President and CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals has been named in Modern Healthcare‘s “100 Most Influential People in Healthcare” list for his work expanding access to primary care services while making the health system more financially stable. Dr. Katz’s most successful initiatives during his time as President and CEO of the country’s largest public healthcare system are driven by the organization’s overall goals of strategic investment to aid in transforming care and increasing access. Modern Healthcare‘s “100 Most Influential People in Healthcare” program honors individuals in healthcare who are deemed by their peers and the outlet’s senior editors to be the most influential individuals in the industry, in terms of leadership and impact. Others highlighted by Modern Healthcare include notable administrators in the field and a number of American politicians best recognized for their advocacy around healthcare policy. Dr. Katz is ranked 91st among his peers. Earlier this year, Dr. Katz was also recognized by Modern Healthcare as one of the “50 Most Influential Clinical Executives.”

“I am honored to be ranked among such notable people in the healthcare industry, said Mitchell Katz, MD, President and CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals. “The “100 Most Influential People in Healthcare” recognition is a reflection of New York City’s priority in ensuring healthcare is accessible to all residents. I am proud that the tremendous work our doctors, nurses, pharmacists, social workers and staff do every day is being recognized.”

“This recognition testifies to the tireless efforts of Dr. Katz to unlock access to health care for all New Yorkers while setting our public hospital system on the course to financial stability,” said Dr. Raul Perea-Henze, Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services. “Dr. Katz is effectively leading the transformation of the nation’s largest municipal health system to deliver high-quality care that improves the health and well-being of patients. This honor acknowledges his instrumental leadership in making our vision of thriving communities in New York City a reality.”

“This is a well-deserved recognition for Dr. Katz and his tireless work in elevating our City’s public healthcare system. There is no one more committed than Dr. Katz to our mission of guaranteeing care to all New Yorkers regardless of status or ability to pay,” said José A. Pagán, PhD, Chair of the Board of NYC Health + Hospitals.

“Dr. Katz has a profound understanding of the lives of New Yorkers in need and how they interact with the health care system, and he translates that into advocacy and action. Dr. Katz is an effective and innovative manager of the NYC Health + Hospitals system,” said Assembly Health Committee Chair Richard N. Gottfried. “I congratulate him on this recognition and look forward to continuing to work with him.”

“Dr. Katz is a national leader on one of the most pressing issues of our time, and New York City is lucky to have him,” said Speaker Corey Johnson. “My colleagues in the Council and I salute his service to our city and look forward to continuing our work to increase access to healthcare for all New Yorkers.”

“I am not surprised by this well-deserved recognition of Mitch’s work. His commitment to high-quality and public healthcare delivery is unparalleled, and his efforts to transform the NYC’s municipal hospitals and clinics are truly transformational. He is setting an important example of the great role and value of public healthcare in America today,” said Dr. Herminia Palacio, President and CEO of the Guttmacher Institute and former NYC Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services.

“Primary Care Development Corporation (PCDC) applauds Dr. Mitchell Katz and his strong focus on primary care to transform and improve care for all New Yorkers,” said PCDC Chief Executive Officer Louise Cohen, MPH. “His commitment to turn NYC Health + Hospitals into an agency that focuses more on primary care to reduce the need for hospital care is right in keeping with both PCDC and NYC Health + Hospitals’ vision and mission to improve the health of the most vulnerable and underserved New York City communities.”

Dr. Katz was appointed President and CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals in January 2018. During this time, Dr. Katz has focused on advancing the transformation of the public health care system with numerous new initiatives to expand access to primary care services, reduce administrative costs, invest in more front-line clinical staff, and build financial stability. Fiscal year end 2019 results showed the health system was able to close 65 percent of its $1.8B structural gap through additional revenue, savings, managed care negotiations, and getting New Yorkers enrolled into insurance. In August 2019, NYC Care, a healthcare access program for New Yorkers who are not eligible for or cannot afford health insurance, launched in the Bronx under Dr. Katz’s stewardship.

Previously, Dr. Katz was the Director of the Los Angeles County Health Agency, an agency that combines the Departments of Health Services, Public Health, and Mental Health into a single entity so as to provide more integrated care and programming within Los Angeles.

Before he came to Los Angeles, Dr. Katz was the Director and Health Officer of the San Francisco Department of Health for 13 years. He is well-known for funding needle exchange, creating Healthy San Francisco, outlawing the sale of tobacco at pharmacies, and winning ballot measures for rebuilding Laguna Honda Hospital and San Francisco General Hospital. He is a graduate of Yale College and Harvard Medical School. He completed an internal medicine residency at UCSF Medical School and was an RWJ Clinical Scholar.

Dr. Katz is the Deputy Editor of JAMA Internal Medicine, an elected member of the National Academy of Sciences (previously the Institute of Medicine) and the recipient of the Los Angeles County Medical Association 2015 Healthcare Champion of the Year.