Dr Cheryl Bettigole Named Philly's New Health Commissioner

PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia is getting a new leader for its public health efforts, sort of.

Officials Thursdays announced Acting Health Commissioner Dr. Cheryl Bettigole will no longer be have the "acting" designation, as she will be the full on Health Commissioner.

Bettigole has served as Acting Health Commissioner since May.

"Throughout her entire career, Dr. Bettigole has demonstrated a deep commitment to prioritizing equity, access, and prevention in public health," said Mayor Jim Kenney. "I’m confident that with her experience, vision, and steadfast leadership, we’ve found the best person to lead the Health Department as we work urgently on multiple fronts to ensure the health and wellbeing of all residents."

Bettigole is replacing Dr. Thomas Farley, who resigned after admitting to disposing of MOVE bombing remains rather than returning them to their respective families.

Since 2015, Bettigole has been the Director of the Division of Chronic Disease and Injury Prevention for the City of Philadelphia’s Department of Public Health.

Bettigole’s work in the department has led to new regulation of harmful tobacco products, the establishment of a new injury prevention program focused on the prevention of gun violence, and the PDPH Coronavirus Interim Racial Equity Plan designed to mitigate disparities in how COVID-19 affected Black and Latino city residents.

As Acting Health Commissioner, Bettigole has led the city’s COVID-19 pandemic response with an emphasis on equity. This work has contributed to ending disparities between vaccination rates for Black and Latino city residents 45 and over, and to the fact that Philadelphia's vaccination rate for Black and Latino residents is among the highest of large United States cities. She also led PDPH’s work with local, state, and federal agencies to organize the medical services available to Afghan evacuees at Philadelphia International Airport, developing a model that has become national best practice.

Bettigole is a board certified family physician with a Doctor of Medicine from Thomas Jefferson University. She also holds a Master of Public Health from Johns Hopkins University and a Master in Anthropology from the University of Chicago.

"I am honored by this opportunity to serve our city and to further our goal of promoting and protecting the health of all Philadelphians," said Bettigole. "I look forward to continuing this work with my colleagues and our many valued partners throughout the city. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the importance of equity, access, and the use of a data-informed approach in every aspect of public health, and I am committed to championing those priorities in the work ahead."

Bettigole’s prior experience also includes serving as Chief Medical Officer of Complete Care Health Network, a federally qualified community and migrant health center in southern New Jersey, and as a Family Physician and Clinical Director with Philadelphia’s City Health Centers, where she saw patients for more than 12 years.

She is also a past-President of the National Physicians Alliance (now part of Doctors for America), where she helped develop physician teams focused on gun violence prevention and drug safety and pricing, while continuing the organization’s work on access to high quality affordable health care.