NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene

The Health Department is hiring a response and engagement team supervisor! In this role, you will lead a team that helps address urgent community needs, use clinical data to support community mental health initiatives, and evaluate program progress through productivity metrics. Learn more and apply: https://on.nyc.gov/4rBBR49

Today we announced that the source of the Legionnaires’ disease cluster in the South Bronx neighborhoods of Melrose and Morrisania (ZIP codes 10451, 10455, 10456, and 10459) has been eliminated, and the elevated risk of exposure has ended. Learn more: on.nyc.gov/4dgWywp

Today we celebrated the opening of Venture House Bronx, a newly-constructed clubhouse in Fordham Heights for people with serious mental illness. The new space includes a commercial kitchen, dining space, art and media studios, and a wellness center. Learn more: on.nyc.gov/3V6uPIN

Meet Shirley Fan. Shirley leads a unit that didn't exist five years ago at the NYC Health Department. The Healthy Aging Unit launched in 2022 with her as its first staff member. It aims to equitably promote the independence and health of older New Yorkers and their caregivers. Through monthly webinars, the team brings in subject matter experts to talk with the community about staying healthy and aging in place. Shirley’s unit also runs BOLD, a brain health program supported by the CDC. This effort focuses on awareness, early screening, access to care, and support for caregivers. It’s good news for the many New Yorkers affected by dementia: "The earlier they get support, the better their outcome is," she says. Aging is a fundamental part of health, and Shirley is grateful for the agency's collaborative culture. Everyone is a subject matter expert, she says, and no one can do it all alone. "It's learning from others and working with them," she says, "with the common goal of improving health."

This week Commissioner Martin joined our Worksite Wellness team for the launch of a new Wellness Suite at our Morrisania Health Center. Wellness Suites are a dedicated space for staff to pause, reset, and recharge during the workday. We’re proud to offer supportive resources that encourage self-care and help reduce stress, because taking care of ourselves is essential to taking care of New Yorkers.

Today we announced that culture testing confirmed live Legionella bacteria in seven cooling towers in the South Bronx as part of the investigation into a cluster of Legionnaires’ disease in the area: on.nyc.gov/4ySbdX8 All seven cooling towers were cleaned and disinfected early last week after initial PCR screening detected Legionella in 10 cooling towers. More culture testing is underway and the list of cooling towers with positive results will be updated daily at nyc.gov/legionnaires

NYC Health Commissioner Dr. Alister Martin will be joining Newsweek's AI Health Summit for an important conversation: "Out of Hospital Care: Reshaping Prevention, Intervention, and Patient Engagement." He will be joined by moderator Alexis Kayser and panelists Dr. David Carmouche and Sidney Klajner to discuss how care delivery is becoming more distributed and what this means for system design, capacity planning, and the role of acute care. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/ebTDt_4s

Today NYC Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani announced the appointment of Dr. Dave A. Chokshi to the New York City Board of Health. Dr. Chokshi is a practicing physician at Bellevue Hospital and previously served as our 43rd health commissioner and Chair of the Board of Health. Read more: https://on.nyc.gov/4h1DpRC

Today we're announcing new measures to make water in New York City Public Schools safer and help further reduce the risk that students are exposed to high levels of lead in drinking water. New York City water is virtually lead-free when it is delivered from the City’s upstate reservoir system. Although rare, drinking water can have lead that comes from solder, fixtures, or pipes in a school’s plumbing system. The new measures aim to build on decades long progress to prevent lead exposure for New Yorkers of all ages and expands upon protections introduced in NYCPS in 2018. The number of New York City children with elevated blood lead levels are reaching historic lows. In 2025, the number of children under six years of age with blood lead levels of 3.5 mcg/dL or greater had fallen 94% since 2005 and 16% since 2024. Learn more: https://on.nyc.gov/3T6cKKb

We hosted a town hall in the South Bronx last night to provide information on the Legionnaires' disease cluster and answer the community's questions. All PCR-positive cooling towers have been cleaned and disinfected. If you live, work, or have visited ZIP codes 10451 or 10456 and have flu-like symptoms, see a healthcare provider immediately. For the latest updates, visit https://on.nyc.gov/47rQuPo