From COVID Survivor to City Leader: NYC Names New Deputy Mayor for Health
New York City’s newly appointed Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services brings to the role decades of medical leadership, deep community roots, and a personal connection to the city’s public hospital system.
Dr. Helen Arteaga-Landaverde, 49, previously served as chief executive officer of Elmhurst Hospital in Queens, one of the city’s largest public hospitals. Her appointment places her in charge of overseeing a wide network of agencies, including public health, social services, aging, youth programs, veterans’ services, and the city’s hospital system.
A longtime Queens resident who immigrated from Ecuador with her family, Arteaga-Landaverde’s professional journey is closely tied to Elmhurst Hospital. During the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, the hospital became one of the hardest-hit medical centers in the nation. At the same time, Arteaga-Landaverde herself was hospitalized there after contracting the virus.
Years earlier, the same hospital treated her father for leukemia. His death, combined with her own experience as a patient, helped shape her commitment to public health and advocacy for underserved communities.
Speaking at a news conference announcing her appointment, Arteaga-Landaverde reflected emotionally on her family’s sacrifices and the role public hospitals play in caring for people regardless of income or insurance status. She described her new position as both a professional responsibility and a deeply personal mission.
As deputy mayor, she steps into leadership during a turbulent period for public health and social services. The city faces mounting challenges tied to large-scale federal funding reductions affecting Medicaid, health coverage programs, and social safety nets relied upon by millions of New Yorkers.
Recent federal actions freezing billions of dollars for child care assistance and social services are expected to place additional strain on city agencies. These developments complicate efforts by the current administration to expand affordability initiatives, including proposals for universal child care.
Despite the obstacles ahead, city officials say Arteaga-Landaverde’s background — combining frontline medical experience, hospital management, and community engagement — uniquely positions her to guide New York City’s health and human services through a period of uncertainty.
