Oxiris Barbot, MD, is president and CEO of United Hospital Fund (UHF). She is a nationally recognized physician, public health practitioner, and innovative leader at the intersection of public health, social justice, and health care delivery.
Dr. Barbot’s career has been defined by service, scholarship, and a commitment to community health equity. From 2018 until 2020, she served as Commissioner of Health and Mental Hygiene of the City of New York, leading the city’s successful response to the first wave of COVID-19. Her strategic decision-making, leadership of early action to address racial inequities, and clear and effective communication in both English and Spanish made a significant difference in public understanding, rapidly flattening the transmission curve and addressing the needs of the most vulnerable. As commissioner, she was also the driving force behind the city’s launch of a home visiting program for first-time families.
Previously she was first deputy commissioner at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene from 2014 until 2018, served as commissioner of the Baltimore City Health Department from 2010 until 2014, and was medical director of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s Office of School Health from 2003 until 2010. Before this, she was a community pediatrician at a federally qualified health center in Washington, D.C.
An independent, nonprofit organization, UHF works to build an effective and equitable health care system for every New Yorker by leveraging its public policy analysis to inform decision-makers, finding common ground among diverse stakeholders, and developing and supporting innovative programs that improve health and health care. Dr. Barbot became president in September 2022 and is the first woman to lead the organization since its founding in 1879.
An adjunct assistant professor at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, Dr. Barbot was senior fellow for public health and social justice at The JPB Foundation from 2020 until 2022. She is a recipient of the Hispanic Health Leadership Award from the National Hispanic Medical Association and was named to the Crain’s New York Business “Notable Women in Health Care” list and City & State New York’s “Health Power 100” and “Nonprofit Power 100.” She currently serves on multiple national and local boards, including RIP Medical Debt, ChangeLab Solutions, and Phipps Neighborhoods. Previously she served on the boards of UHF and NYC Health and Hospitals. A prolific author of peer-reviewed articles and commentaries, she has been published in several academic journals, including The New England Journal of Medicine, Health Affairs, and The American Journal of Public Health, as well as lay publications such as The Washington Post and The New York Daily News.
Dr. Barbot received her undergraduate degree from Yale University and her medical degree from New Jersey Medical School, and she completed her pediatric training at George Washington University - Children’s National Medical Center. She also holds an Honorary Doctorate of Science from The City University of New York, Lehman College.