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CUNY SPH doctoral alumna Helen Arteaga has been appointed deputy mayor for Health and Human Services by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
Dr. Arteaga has served as CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals Elmhurst since 2021, guiding the 545‑bed public facility that became a symbol of the city’s COVID‑19 crisis and later of its recovery. Under her tenure, the hospital secured funding for major capital improvements and launched its first comprehensive employee wellness program, moves that drew praise from both staff and community leaders.
In this new role, Dr. Arteaga will oversee a sweeping portfolio that includes the city’s health and mental hygiene department, social services, homeless services, aging, veterans, youth and community development, and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. The appointment makes her one of the most influential figures in the Mamdani administration on issues ranging from mental health and substance use to food assistance and child welfare.
“My life’s work has been dedicated to making this city a better place — ensuring that every New Yorker, no matter who they are or where they come from, has access to healthcare, safety, and the services they need,” Dr. Arteaga said in a release from the Mayor’s office. “I am excited to join this administration in delivering the essential services, support, and care New Yorkers deserve — and in helping build a safer, more livable city for everyone.”
Dr. Arteaga received her PhD from CUNY SPH in Community Health and Health Policy in 2023. Her dissertation explored flu vaccine hesitancy among U.S. Hispanic adults during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2025 she was featured among the CUNY SPH 10 for 10 alumni, the CUNY 50 Under 50 alumni, and the City and State Queens Power 100. She has also been noted as one of Becker’s Hospital Review’s “Women Hospital Presidents and CEOs to Know” for both 2024 and 2025. Dr. Arteaga is a recipient of the prestigious Joan H. Tisch Community Health Prize from the Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund for her distinguished accomplishments in the field of urban public health, and the Mujeres Destacadas award from El Diario NY.
