Herminia Palacio
Appointed Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services in January 2016, Palacio is in charge of coordinating transformation efforts across the City’s public health and healthcare system, expanding access to social services, and ensuring that agencies serving the City’s most vulnerable populations are run compassionately, equitably, and effectively. In her role as Deputy Mayor, Palacio oversees 11 City agencies and mayoral offices entrusted with the responsibility of protecting the health and wellbeing of all New Yorkers. She entered this role with 25 years of experience across a broad range of sectors, including academic and clinical medicine, governmental public health, and philanthropy. Palacio most recently served as Director of Advancing Change Leadership at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), where she was responsible for developing and implementing new health leadership programs. Prior to joining RWJF, she served 10 years as Executive Director of Public Health and Environmental Services in Harris County, Texas. Palacio received her medical degree from Mount Sinai School of Medicine, a Master of Public Health from the University of California at Berkeley School of Public Health, and a BA in biology from Barnard College at Columbia University. She has authored numerous articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals.
Biography current as of January 29, 2019