Joxel García

Joxel García is a Puerto Rican physician and a former four-star admiral in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. He served as the fourteenth Assistant Secretary for Health (ASH), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services from March 13, 2008, to January 20, 2009. He served as the Director of Health in the District of Columbia. He served as the Executive Director of the MD Anderson Cancer Control and Prevention Platform and Member of the Leadership Team of the MD Anderson Moon Shots program until May 2017 before joining American Express as Vice President and Chief Medical Officer.

Early years and medical preparation Dr. García was born in Arecibo, Puerto Rico, and raised in Hatillo, Puerto Rico. His father was a prominent dairy farmer and his mother a teacher. He was the oldest boy of five children. He completed his pre-medical studies at the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez. He graduated from the Ponce School of Medicine in 1988. He received a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Hartford. He did his residency in obstetrics and gynecology at Mount Sinai Hospital in Hartford, Connecticut, after being trained as an obstetrician and gynecologist at the Ponce School of Medicine. After obtaining his M.D. degree, García served as the Assistant Director of the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department at the Saint Francis Hospital & Medical Center in Hartford.

Connecticut's Commissioner of Public Health From 1999 to 2003, García was Commissioner of Public Health for the state of Connecticut.

Corporate experience Prior to becoming Assistant Secretary of Health, García served as the Senior Vice President and Senior Medical Advisor at MAXIMUS Federal Services Inc. There, García oversaw the work of the MAXIMUS' Center for Global Health and was the principal architect of the strategic partnership plan for the Western Hemisphere. García led several programs at MAXIMUS including emergency preparedness and disaster relief.

Dr. Garcia currently serves as the Founder and CEO, Chairman of the Board of Ambitna involved in accelerating therapies and cures.

Dr. Garcia is a partner with NL Capital Ventures involved in management and acquisitions of home health care agencies, medical staffing, & assisted living facilities.

U.S. Assistant Secretary for Health García was nominated for appointment by President George W. Bush for the position of Assistant Secretary for Health with the rank of admiral in the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps in late 2007. He was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on March 14, 2008, becoming the first Puerto Rican to serve as Assistant Secretary for Health. He feels that Puerto Rico could be a regional medical training center.

Washington, D.C. Department of Health Director and Chief Medical Officer On August 1, 2012, Garcia was named Washington, D.C. Department of Health Director and Chief Medical Officer. During his tenure, he led the District's efforts to respond to the Ebola outbreak in coordination with the CDC for the region. Under the Executive Office of the Mayor, Garcia led the launch of a Clinton Global Initiative commitment to action in collaboration with Aegis Health Security and 40 commitment members to prevent preventable infant deaths and health disparities.

University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Executive Director of the Cancer Control and Prevention Platform On August 31, 2015, Garcia was named Executive Director of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Cancer Control and Prevention Platform.

Extracurricular Dr. García has served on a number of national boards, including the Prevent Cancer Foundation, National Advisory Committee on Violence against Women, National Dialogue on Cancer, the United States Preventive Services Task Force, the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, Trinity Health Of New England and as the president-elect of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.

Awards and Badges

Personal García resides in Washington, D.C. and formerly resided in New York City, Houston, TX and Avon, Connecticut. He has three children.