Hewett Chiu

How would you describe your experience as a Wagner student?

Wagner was extremely encouraging and practical. A constant theme throughout my student experience was the ability to apply concepts taught in the classroom to real-world applications and challenges. Faculty and students strive to create an open, honest, and inclusive culture where it’s acceptable to make mistakes and learn from them. Even though the structural analyses and frameworks taught are oftentimes simplified models of the real world, the “messiness” and reality of the real world was never left out of my experience. Now, as an adjunct faculty at Wagner, I strive to impart the same thought process and encouragement to my students.

How did your Wagner experience prepare you professionally for what you are doing today?

My Wagner experience armed me with both the soft and hard skill sets I needed to manage complex health programs and systems. I was given the tools and frameworks needed to think through challenges, but also developed myself as a manager, a leader, and an innovative problem solver.

Describe your current job.

At the NYC Department of Health & Mental Hygiene, I oversee the citywide primary care and behavioral health  integration as part of the Mayor’s and First Lady’s mental health roadmap. This is a $48M citywide investment with over 300 clinicians placed in over 250 settings across all five boroughs aiming to transform the primary care landscape to offer collaborative behavioral health for vulnerable and high-risk populations.  Additionally, I serve as President & CEO of the Academy of Medical & Public Health Services, which aims to develop culturally and linguistically sensitive systems of care for immigrant families in NYC; serve as strategic counsel to a number of human services nonprofits across the city; and am an adjunct professor at NYU Wagner teaching management and leadership.