James McDonald MD MPH

James McDonald MD MPH Profile Photo

Commissioner of Health, Office of Public Health, New York State Department of Health

ASTHO Member

1042: Naloxone’s Impact: Inside New York’s Landmark Study on Lives Saved and Dollars Returned
Dec. 15, 2025

1042: Naloxone’s Impact: Inside New York’s Landmark Study on Lives Saved and Dollars Returned

New research out of New York shows that naloxone didn’t just save more than 6,500 lives in two years—it delivered one of the most dramatic returns on investment in public health. In this episode, Dr. James McDonald, ASTHO member and commissioner of the New York State Department of Health, breaks do…
935: Federal Funding Cuts, Opioid Overdose Death Decline Strategies
June 26, 2025

935: Federal Funding Cuts, Opioid Overdose Death Decline Strategies

Dr. Joseph Kanter, ASTHO CEO; Dr. Scott Harris, ASTHO president; Dr. Susan Kansagra, ASTHO chief medical officer; Dr. Lindsay Weaver of Indiana; Dr. James McDonald of New York; and Dr. Ralph Alvarado of Tennessee, share more from Tuesday’s deskside briefing on the Impact of Nutrition on Chronic Dis…
934: ASTHO Deskside Briefing, Congressional Public Health Priorities
June 25, 2025

934: ASTHO Deskside Briefing, Congressional Public Health Priorities

Dr. Joseph Kanter, ASTHO CEO, Dr. Scott Harris, ASTHO president, Dr. Susan Kansagra, ASTHO chief medical officer, Dr. Lindsay Weaver of Indiana, Dr. James McDonald of New York, and Dr. Ralph Alvarado of Tennessee, held a deskside briefing on the Impact of Nutrition on Chronic Disease Prevention; Ca…
929: PHIG Funding for PH Workforce
June 17, 2025

929: PHIG Funding for PH Workforce

In the latest PHIG Impact Report, Dr. James McDonald, commissioner of the New York State Department of Health, explains how the Public Health Infrastructure Grant strengthens the state’s public health workforce.
926: Data to Reduce Heat Injuries, Public Health Rumors
June 12, 2025

926: Data to Reduce Heat Injuries, Public Health Rumors

Dr. James McDonald, ASTHO member and commissioner of the New York State Department of Health, discusses the State’s Heat Risk and Illness Dashboard and how it can reduce heat-related injury; Dr. Tara Kirk Sell, senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security...
806: Substance Misuse and Overdose Prevention Outlook, PHAB Journey
Dec. 9, 2024

806: Substance Misuse and Overdose Prevention Outlook, PHAB Journey

Dr. James McDonald, commissioner of the New York State Department of Health, discusses substance misuse and overdose prevention as part of ASTHO’s Legislative Prospectus Series; Dr. Lindsey Kato, director for the Division of Public Health with the...
748: Physician Scholarships Promote Health Equity, Learn about the FPHS Framework
Sept. 12, 2024

748: Physician Scholarships Promote Health Equity, Learn about the FPHS Framework

Dr. James McDonald, MD, MPH, Commissioner of Health, New York State Department of Health, details a program that uses scholarships to address health inequities; Dr. Umair Shah, MD, MPH, Secretary of Health, Washington State Department of Health, had a...
557: Pharmacists Give RSV Vaccine Without Prescription, PH Needs to Boost Strategic Skillset
Dec. 5, 2023

557: Pharmacists Give RSV Vaccine Without Prescription, PH Needs to Boost Strategic Skillset

Dr. Jim McDonald, commissioner of Health, New York State Department of Health, gives an order that allows New York pharmacists to administer RSV vaccines to older adults and pregnant people without a prescription; de Beaumont President and CEO Dr....
356: New York’s Opioid Partnerships, Arizona’s Mobile Vaccination Clinics
Feb. 13, 2023

356: New York’s Opioid Partnerships, Arizona’s Mobile Vaccination Clinics

Dr. Jim McDonald, New York State Acting Health Commissioner, says partnerships with people in local communities are key to the state's response to the opioid crisis; Siman Qaasim, Health Equity Administrator for the Arizona Department of Health...
270: Tracking Polio in New York
Sept. 26, 2022

270: Tracking Polio in New York

Dr. Jim McDonald, Medical Director for the New York State Department of Health, discusses the discovery of polio in wastewater in at least two NY counties; Carolyn McCoy, ASTHO’s Senior Director of Federal Government Affairs, explains legislation...
238: New York Responds to Monkeypox
Aug. 10, 2022

238: New York Responds to Monkeypox

Dr. James McDonald, Medical Director in the Office of Public Health for the New York State Department of Health, says the monkeypox response in New York follows the data and social determinants; a new ASTHO report about mosquitos highlights the work...