About:

Dr. Lilliam Barrios-Paoli was appointed by Mayor Bill de Blasio as Chair of the New York City Health + Hospitals Board in September of 2015. The Health + Hospitals is the largest municipal healthcare system in the nation with a budget of $6.7 billion, and about 37,000 employees, and includes 11 acute care hospitals, five nursing homes, six large diagnostic and treatment centers, more than 70 community-based health centers, a large home care agency, and one of the New York area’s largest providers of government-sponsored health insurance. Dr. Barrios-Paoli also serves as a Senior Advisor to the President of Hunter College with a focus on special projects and community partnerships.

Earlier Dr. Barrios-Paoli was appointed Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services by Mayor Bill de Blasio, serving from 2014 – 2015 overseeing the following agencies: Human Resources Administration, Administration for Children Services, Homeless Services, the Department for the Aging, the Department for Youth and Community Development, the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Mayor’s Office to Combat Domestic Violence, Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, and Health and Hospitals Corporation.

In December of 2008, she was appointed Commissioner of the New York City Department for the Aging (DFTA) by Mayor Bloomberg, following a long career in both City government and the nonprofit sector.  More recently, she was President and CEO of Safe Space NYC, Inc., a non-profit organization serving over 25,000 children and families in New York City.  Before joining Safe Space, she served as Senior Vice President and Chief Executive for Agency Services at United Way of New York City.  Barrios-Paoli’s prior government service includes appointments as Commissioner at four agencies during the Koch and Giuliani administrations: the Department of Employment, the Department of Personnel (now DCAS), the Department of Housing Preservation and Development, Human Resources Administration and Executive Director of Lincoln Hospital in the South Bronx.

A graduate of the School of Anthropology of Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City, Dr. Barrios-Paoli also holds a Masters degree and a PhD from the New School for Social Research.  She is a former Trustee of the New School.

Dr. Barrios-Paoli serves on the JPB Foundation Poverty Advisory Committee. The mission is to enhance the quality of life in the United States through transformational initiatives that promote the health of our communities by creating opportunities for those living in poverty. Dr. Barrios-Paoli is also a member of the SEEDCO Board, whose mission is to advance economic opportunity for people, businesses, and communities in need. She also serves on the Good Shepherd Services Board of Directors.