No Barriers

Health and Humanity with Dr. Raul Perea-Henze

Episode Summary

Wrapping up our Veteran series, Erik and Dave speak with Dr. Raul Perea-Henze, former Deputy Mayor for Health & Human Services for the City of New York. Dr. Perea-Henze has an extensive resume that includes service in the private and public sectors. Our podcast today discusses his work responding to the COVID-19 pandemic as well as his time spent serving the Veteran population. Please enjoy the conversation and share it with your community.

Episode Notes

Dr. Perea-Henze is a global health physician, government official, and corporate executive who served most recently as Deputy Mayor for Health & Human Services for the City of New York since 2019. He was responsible for the citywide response for COVID19 from the start of the pandemic, preparedness for recurrences, and recovery efforts. 

He was the Chair of the NYC Health and Social Services Sector Advisory Councils and Co-Chair of the Mayor’s Racial Inclusiveness and Equity Task Force. He also provided oversight for 14 agencies, including the departments of health & mental hygiene, social and homeless services, children, aging, the public hospital system, domestic violence, LGBTQ, data informatics, and food policy.

Nominated by President Obama and confirmed by the Senate, Raul served as the Assistant Secretary for Policy and Planning at the Department of Veterans Affairs from 2010-2013.

Currently, he serves as a member of the Advisory Board to the Comptroller General of The United States. His former affiliations include being a founding member of the Clinton Global Initiative, a board member for President George HW Bush Points of Light Foundation, and an advisor on global poverty and Veteran affairs for President Jimmy Carter Center and President George W. Bush Institute respectively. He’s been committed to philanthropic causes volunteering in over 30 non-profit boards in health, mental health, AIDS, and Latino affairs over the past three decades.

Dr. Perea-Henze graduated magna cum laude as a Medical Doctor in Mexico at age 21 and obtained a Master's degree in Public Health, with a concentration in Health Policy and Management, from Yale University, School of Medicine. He has also completed Executive Leadership Programs at Harvard Business School and JFK School of Government and INSEAD, France. He has worked or traveled to 145 countries and is fluent in English, Spanish, French, and Italian.