Eli Avila is county's new health commissioner

GOSHEN — Eli N. Avila, MD, is the new Orange County Commissioner of Health, taking over the office upon the retirement of Dr. Jean M. Hudson.

Dr. Avila currently serves as the Executive Health Policy and Strategy Advisor for Hamptons Health Society, a Long Island-based think tank committed to improving health care, according to Orange County Executive Edward Diana, who appointed him. Prior to that, he served as Secretary of Health for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and Chief Deputy Commissioner of Health and Director of Public Health for Suffolk County, N.Y.

“In (Dr. Hudson's) successor, Dr. Avila, we believe we have found a highly trained and experienced public health professional who will continue to build and grow our dedicated health department team and the programs they have established and support," Diana said.

Avila received his bachelors of science and medical degrees from Brown University and Brown University School of Medicine, respectively. He graduated cum laude from St. John’s University School of Law with a juris doctor and received his master of public health from Mount Sinai School of Medicine–New York University.

Avila trained in internal medicine at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn and in ophthalmology at Bronx Lebanon Medical Center in the South Bronx. He has been recognized in the Who’s Who of Hispanic Americans each year since 1994. He and his family are relocating to Orange County from New York State’s Capital District.

His appointment was approved by the New York State Department of Health. His start date was June 1.