Boston Public Health Commission appoints new executive director

A Brigham and Women’s Hospital infectious disease doctor will lead the Boston Public Health Commission, replacing an executive director who delayed her retirement during the pandemic.

The city’s board of health unanimously approved Dr. Bisola Ojikutu to be the Health Commission’s executive director.

She’s currently an associate physician within the Division of Global Health Equity and the Division of Infectious Diseases at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and an assistant professor of medicine and an assistant professor of global and social medicine at Harvard Medical School, according to the city.

She will start in this new position Sept. 1, when interim Executive Director Rita Nieves retires.

Nieves, who guided the Health Commission through the coronavirus pandemic, got a big hand at an event put on by Acting Mayor Kim Janey when Janey announced the changeover.

​”I am pleased Boston found a dedicated infectious disease physician with extensive public health, leadership, and advocacy experience to lead BPHC,” Janey said in a statement.

The city touted Ojikutu’s “comprehensive experience leading and developing programming to address inequity and social determinants of health that serve as barriers.”

In the statement, Ojikutu said she’s “thrilled” with the opportunity and said she’d work toward “achieving health equity.”

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/3hqeSFE