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Latinas in New York City Hall. August 2026. Kara McCurdy | Mayoral Photography Office
Latinas in New York City Hall. August 2026. Kara McCurdy | Mayoral Photography Office
Dr. Helen Arteaga is the City of New York’s Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services. She was appointed to this position by Mayor Zohran Mamdani in January 2026, currently she the is the highest ranking Latina in city government. The Deputy Mayor oversees and coordinates operations of the Health + Hospitals Corporation, the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, the Department of Social Services, the Human Resources Administration, the Department of Homeless Services, the Administration for Children’s Services, the Department for the Aging, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, the Office to End Domestic and Gender Based Violence, the Department of Veterans’ Services, and the Office of Community Mental Health.
Prior to this role Helen was first woman and the first Latina to serve as CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst, a Level 1 Trauma Center and one of the largest healthcare facilities in New York City. Under Helen’s leadership, Elmhurst was recognized as one of U.S. News and World Report’s “Best Regional Hospitals” and as one of the nation’s “High Performing” hospitals, as well as a “Top Place to Work” by City and State NY. In her role as CEO she also secured millions in public funding for key capital projects for the facility, including $27.5 Million from New York State for a new Women’s Pavilion and a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, along with other federal, state, and New York City funds totaling close to $140 million for major improvement initiatives.
Helen has a bachelor’s degree from New York University, a Master of Public Health from Columbia University, and a Ph.D. from the City University of New York. In 2025, she was named as one of City and State’s Queens Power 100. She was also noted as one of Becker’s Hospital Review’s “Women Hospital Presidents and CEOs to Know” for both 2024 and 2025. Helen 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, the Mujeres Destacadas award from El Diario NY, the City University of New York’s “50 Under 50” alumni award, and a notable alumni award from CUNY’s School of Public Health.