Monica Bharel

Monica Bharel
Massachusetts Department of Public Health
Commissioner
In office
February 2015 – June 18, 2021
GovernorCharlie Baker
Preceded byCheryl Bartlett, R.N [1]
Succeeded byMargret Cooke[2]

Monica Bharel is a medical educator who has served on the faculties of Harvard Medical School, Boston University Medical School, and Harvard School of Public Health. She is also a member of the Harvard Board of Overseers, serving as its vice-chair for 2025-2026. Bharel is the global clinical lead for public sector and public health at Google Health, and is a former commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and a former chief medical officer of the Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program.

Education

She earned her medical degree from Boston University School of Medicine in 1994,[3] and completed her residency in internal medicine at Boston City Hospital (later merged into Boston Medical Center). She received her master of public health degree through the Commonwealth Fund's Harvard University Fellowship in Minority Health Policy.[4][5][6]

Career

She practiced general internal medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston Medical Center and the Veterans Administration. She taught at Harvard Medical School, Boston University School of Medicine, and Harvard School of Public Health.[5][7][8][9][10]

She served as the chief medical officer of Boston Health Care for the Homeless.[11][12][13][14][15]

Bharel was appointed commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health in February 2015. She was a leader in the creation of the Public Health Data Warehouse in 2017, as part of the newly created Office of Population Health. Announced on May 27, 2021; Bharel resigned on June 18, 2021.[3] Following her government service, she became the global clinical lead for public sector and public health at Google Health.[16]

In December 2021, Bharel was named a senior advisor in the newly-forming cabinet of Boston Mayor Michelle Wu.[3] In 2022, Bharel was honored by Massachusetts Medical Society with its Special Award for Excellence in Medical Service and Woman Physician Leadership.[17]

Elected to the Harvard Board of Overseers in 2022, to complete the remaining four-year term vacated by the resignation of Tracy K. Smith, who then joined the Harvard faculty;[18][19] Bharel was named its vice chair for the 2025-2026 academic year.[20]

Publications

Several of Bharel's medical papers have been published in the American Journal of Public Health, since 2013,[21] as well as online, and in medical journals.[22][23]

References

  1. ^ "Doctor for poor chosen as Mass. health commissioner - The Boston Globe". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved November 13, 2025.
  2. ^ "Cooke named permanent commissioner of public health". AP News. February 7, 2022. Retrieved November 13, 2025.
  3. ^ a b c Kumar, Arun (December 2, 2021). "Dr. Monica Bharel named senior advisor to Boston Mayor". The American Bazaar. Retrieved November 12, 2025.
  4. ^ Lazar, Kay (December 24, 2014). "Doctor for Poor to Lead Health Agency: Baker's Choice Known for Working with Homeless, Vulnerable in State". Boston Globe. ISSN 0743-1791. ProQuest 1639853329 – via Clarivate.
  5. ^ a b "A Bigger Examining Room". Harvard School of Public Health. December 20, 2016. Retrieved May 27, 2021.
  6. ^ Service, Katie Lannan State House News. "Her roots are grounded in Mass. health care". MetroWest Daily News. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  7. ^ Republican, Mary C. Serreze | Special to The (April 13, 2015). "Mass. DPH chief Monica Bharel: 'Work smarter, not harder' to solve public health crises". masslive. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  8. ^ "Mass. Public Health Commissioner Monica Bharel Leaving Role After 6 Years". WBUR News. May 27, 2021. Archived from the original on November 10, 2021.
  9. ^ "Massachusetts Health Commissioner Monica Bharel Stepping Down". NBC Boston. May 27, 2021. Archived from the original on June 19, 2021. Retrieved May 27, 2021.
  10. ^ "Massachusetts Public Health Commissioner Monica Bharel To Step Down In June". www.cbsnews.com. May 27, 2021. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  11. ^ Kowalczyk, Liz (October 14, 2013). "Reaching Out AND Cutting Costs: Nonprofit Aims to Keep Poor and Homeless Women Healthier while Streamlining Treatment". Boston Globe. ISSN 0743-1791. ProQuest 1441631180 – via Clarivate.
  12. ^ Evans, Elizabeth A.; Delorme, Elizabeth; Cyr, Karl D.; Geissler, Kimberley H. (August 2022) [May 31, 2022]. "The Massachusetts public health data warehouse and the opioid epidemic: A qualitative study of perceived strengths and limitations for advancing research". Preventive Medicine Reports. 28 101847. doi:10.1016/j.pmedr.2022.101847. PMC 9166413. PMID 3566985.
  13. ^ Kaufman, Amanda (May 27, 2021). "Mass. Department of Public Health Commissioner to Step Down". Boston Globe (Online). ISSN 0743-1791. ProQuest 2532560106 – via Clarivate.
  14. ^ "Outside the Box: Monica Bharel of Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  15. ^ Lazar, Kay. "Doctor for poor chosen as Mass. health commissioner - The Boston Globe". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  16. ^ "Monica Bharel named vice chair of Harvard overseers committee". www.newindiaabroad.com. Retrieved November 12, 2025.
  17. ^ "Massachusetts Medical Society: Dr. Monica Bharel honored by Massachusetts Medical Society with its Special Award for Excellence in Medical Service and Woman Physician Leadership". www.massmed.org. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  18. ^ "Seven alumni elected to the Board of Overseers, six to HAA". The Harvard Gazette. May 26, 2022. Retrieved November 13, 2025.
  19. ^ University, Harvard. "Board of Overseers". Harvard University. Retrieved November 12, 2025.
  20. ^ Kumar, Arun (June 6, 2025). "Monica Bharel named vice chair of Harvard Board of Overseers". The American Bazaar. Retrieved November 12, 2025.
  21. ^ "AJPH". American Journal of Public Health. Retrieved November 12, 2025.
  22. ^ Bharel, Monica (May 1, 2015). "Doctoring for the Homeless: Caring for the Most Vulnerable by Building Trust". AMA Journal of Ethics. 17 (5): 469–472. doi:10.1001/journalofethics.2015.17.5.mnar2-1505. ISSN 2376-6980.
  23. ^ "Monica Bharel". ResearchGate. Retrieved November 12, 2025.


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