In May, Governor Kathy Hockle reappointed Mario R. Ortiz, dean and professor at Binghamton University's Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences, to the New York State Public Health and Health Planning Council (PHHPC), the advisory and decision-making council for New York State's public health and health care delivery system.
Ortiz is in his second term on the PHHPC. The PHHPC is comprised of New York State Health Commissioner James V. MacDonald and more than 20 members representing various aspects of health care from across the state. PHHPC members are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the New York State Senate.
Additionally, the Governor appointed Ms. Ortiz to the New York State Health Equity Council. The Council seeks to provide equitable health and healthcare for all New Yorkers by raising health awareness among underserved populations, improving community engagement in public health advocacy and research, and increasing the number of underrepresented people working in public health. Ms. Ortiz will serve as Chair of the Council, which will be comprised of more than a dozen health professionals from across New York State. Like the PHHPC, Council members will be appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate.
“I am honored to be reappointed by Governor Kathy Hochle to the Public Health and Health Planning Council and have the opportunity to contribute to improving health care for all New Yorkers,” said Ortiz. “Furthermore, I look forward to joining the Health Equity Council and working with my colleagues on the Council to effect positive change in access to and delivery of health care for all New Yorkers, especially those who are racially, ethnically, or otherwise disadvantaged.”
Mr. Ortiz is a Certified Community Health Nurse Specialist and Family Nurse Practitioner who joined Binghamton University in July 2016. He has a strong track record of developing health care programs, nurse-led, patient-centered medical homes and primary care clinics, and has established and nurtured key partnerships with health care providers and policy makers.
Dr. Ortiz is a nationally and internationally respected scholar focused on nursing research and practice. He is a contributing editor to the Health Policy and Leadership columns of Nursing Science Quarterly and serves as a reviewer for the Journal of Holistic Nursing, Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care, and Journal of Rural Nursing and Health Care. Dr. Ortiz is a member of Sigma Theta Tau International, a Fellow of the Nursing Academy of the National Academies of Practice, and a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing.
At Binghamton University, Ortiz serves as executive director of the Decker College’s Kresge Center for Nursing Research and Center for Community Health Practice. In July 2023, Ortiz was appointed the Dr. G. Clifford and Florence B. Decker Professor in Community Health Nursing.
His term on the Health Equity Council ends March 16, 2028, and his reappointment to PHHPC will be until January 1, 2029.
