Brian Lear on WNYC, and now we'll meet New York City's new health commissioner.

Dr. Alastair Martin was appointed by Mayor Mamadani earlier this year to lead the city's

Department of Health and Mental Hygiene,

as its full name goes, the largest and oldest local health department in the country.

We'll talk about his vision for the role, how public health connects to the mayor's affordability agenda,

how the department is advancing health equity or trying to at a time when the federal

government is moving in the opposite direction. We talked with the previous health commissioner

under Mayor Adams about how funds that were supposed to address health equity in particular

with the huge health disparities by race that exist in the city have been cut off because you're not supposed to look at it that way anymore, according to Trump. Plus the latest news out of the agency. Dr. Martin, welcome to WNYC. Congratulations on your appointment. Thank you so much, Brian, and it's a pleasure to be here. Introduce yourself to listeners. Who are you? How'd you get here?

Well, thank you again, Brian.

You know, my story starts in Queens, just like yours does, Brian.

Oh, you did your homework.

That's right, a little part of Queens called Jackson Heights, where, you know, I saw my mom at the time,, you know, was a high school teacher really struggling with her own challenges with regard to affordability and making it even back then in this city.

We eventually moved over across the river to New Jersey and then I eventually went to medical school up in Boston, did my training there.

And I have to say, you know, as an emergency room physician, what I have seen time and time again, Brian, is that the ER is the epicenter for public health challenges.

What we're seeing every single day, you go to an ER in Queens, in Brooklyn, in Manhattan,

and it's always the same set of challenges, Brian's.

Folks who are struggling with addiction and coming in with overdose.

Folks who are coming in because they don't have a home

and they have nowhere else to go. Folks who are struggling with food insecurity and are simply there

because they need a warm meal. And so, you know, I think you can only see that. And can I jump in on that

because even more directly, people who for whatever reason can't afford good primary care. They don't have good health

...