Dr. Mendoza steps down from role as Monroe County Commissioner of Public Health
Dr. Michael Mendoza (file photo)
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Dr. Michael Mendoza, the Monroe County Commissioner of Public Health who served throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, has stepped down from his role.
Dr. Mendoza made the announcement on Wednesday after holding the position since 2016. The county says it will begin the search for his replacement. Until they find a replacement, the Deputy Commissioner of Public Health, Dr. Marielena Velez de Brown, will fill the role.
“I wish the best for all the dedicated staff in the Department of Public Health and I am certain that the department will continue to be successful,” Mendoza said in a statement.
During his time as public health commissioner, Mendoza has led the county’s response to many public health issues including COVID-19, the rise in RSV cases, and seasonal flu outbreaks. The county also dealt with unhealthy air caused by the Canadian wildfires last summer, Monkeypox cases in 2022, and the ongoing heroin and opioid crisis.
News10NBC has spoken to Mendoza on a variety of public health topics, ranging from the medical screenings for asylum seekers arriving in Rochester to paperwork that a local college student got mistakenly claiming she had bird flu.