The biggest surprise about state Health Commissioner Howard Zucker’s resignation is how long it took to happen.

Given his intimate role in the Cuomo administration’s nursing home scandal — which might have gotten the former governor impeached if he hadn’t resigned — Zucker forfeited the credibility necessary to stay on the job.

His actions also damaged the overall reputation of the Health Department, which has lost a number of top-level officials in recent months, perhaps because they resented being used and misused by the political higher-ups.

With Zucker gone, here is what Gov. Hochul and the next commissioner can do to put this vital arm of the state government back on its feet.

Read the full story here.

About the Author

Bill Hammond

As the Empire Center’s senior fellow for health policy, Bill Hammond tracks fast-moving developments in New York’s massive health care industry, with a focus on how decisions made in Albany and Washington affect the well-being of patients, providers, taxpayers and the state’s economy.

Read more by Bill Hammond

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