Jonathan Giftos, MD is the Assistant Commissioner, Bureau of Alcohol & Drug Use: Prevention, Care and Treatment at the NYC Department of Health & Mental Hygiene. In this role, he oversees NYC’s investment in public health interventions to reduce drug related harm.
Dr. Giftos’ work is broadly focused on improving health care delivery for people who use drugs. This work includes improving care “accessibility” and “acceptability” for people who use drugs, including enhancing low-threshold treatment options; defining and developing a continuum of care that reflects the fluctuating nature of many patient’s drug use and recovery; reducing barriers to methadone and buprenorphine for justice-involved patients; and partnering with impacted communities to identify challenges, set priorities and develop strategic plans for meaningful systems change. Previously,
Dr. Giftos served at the Medical Director of Addiction Medicine & Drug User Health at Project Renewal and the Clinical Director of Substance Use Treatment for NYC Health + Hospitals, Division of Correctional Health Services at Rikers Island. He completed medical school at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine. He completed residency and chief residency in the Primary Care & Social Internal Medicine Residency Program at Montefiore Medical Center. Dr. Giftos is board certified in Internal Medicine and in Addiction Medicine.
