Nassau County Health Commissioner Lawrence Eisenstein will resign from his post on July 29, officials announced on Monday.
Eisenstein, who has served as the county’s health commissioner since 2011, told officials of his plans to resign on Sunday. Eisenstein will become Catholic Health’s vice president of community and public health and told Newsday that the new position will allow him to spend more time with his family.
“It has been an honor serving the residents of Nassau County through some of the most difficult and trying times this county has seen,” Eisenstein told Newsday in a statement.
Efforts to reach Eisenstein for further comment were unavailing.
Catholic Health is a Rockville Centre-based healthcare system comprised of 16,000 employees, six acute care hospitals (including St. Francis Hospital in Roslyn), three nursing homes, a home health service, hospice and a network of physician practices.
Eisenstein helped guide Nassau County through the coronavirus pandemic under former County Executive Laura Curran. Her successor, County Executive Bruce Blakeman, lauded Eisenstein for his work keeping Nassau’s residents safe throughout the pandemic and wished him well on his journey ahead.
“Serving multiple administrations, his professionalism, work ethic, knowledge, and commitment to the residents of Nassau County is unmatched,” Blakeman said in a statement. “I want to thank him for his years of service, and wish him great success as he embarks on the next chapter of his career.”
Kevan Abrahms, the leader of Nassau County’s legislative minority caucus echoed Blakeman’s sentiments and expressed his gratitude for Eisenstein’s work as health commissioner.
“We wish Dr. Eisenstein well upon the conclusion of his 11 years of service to the residents of Nassau County,” Abrahams said in a statement. “His tenure notably spanned three administrations and the response to an array of public health crises – none larger than the COVID-19 pandemic – and we greatly appreciated his dedication and guidance during such trying times.”
Before serving as the county’s health commissioner, Eisenstein received a Bachelor of Arts from Binghamton University and finished his education at New York Medical College. Eisenstein completed his residency in internal medicine at Winthrop-University Hospital in Mineola, leading him to serve as the hospital’s chief resident in internal medicine.
Eisenstein also serves as a clinical assistant professor of population health at the Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine and a clinical assistant professor of preventative medicine at Stony Brook University. He served as deputy commissioner for the county in 2009 before becoming the health commissioner two years later.
Blakeman said the “nationwide search” for the county’s next health commissioner began on Sunday and emphasized how the pandemic’s impacts underscored the importance of finding a qualified leader to fill Eisenstein’s position.
“The pandemic put the important role the health commissioner plays in the county on full display for the public to see, and finding the best and most qualified candidates is something I take very seriously,” Blakeman said.
Abrahams urged Blakeman’s administrative team to let the next commissioner do the job without interfering, noting that he and other legislators will “carefully review” the qualifications of Eisenstein’s successor.
“Medical science – not political science – must guide all decisions that impact the health and wellness of Nassau County residents,” Abrahams said.
