NYC’s New Health Chief Vows to Make City Living More Affordable

New York City’s health department is largely known for the letter grades it puts in restaurant windows after food-safety inspections. Its new commissioner is determined to change that.

Emergency room physician Alister Martin is taking charge of the nation’s largest municipal public health agency, and its $2.5 billion budget, at a time when traditional medical care across the country is under threat. The cost of insurance is skyrocketing, federal spending on the Medicaid program for the poor is dwindling and support for conventional protections like vaccines are eroding.

Alister Martin

Source: NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene

Martin, a 37-year-old graduate of Harvard Medical School, said his top ...