Dr. Monica Bharel is a physician executive, internist, and public health innovator who focuses on harnessing the power of data and analytics to drive innovation and equity in health care. She is the Global Clinical Lead for Public Health and Public Sector Health at Google, based on the Google Health team.
Monica previously served as a Senior Advisor to the Mayor of Boston, leading an effort at the intersection of mental health, substance use disorder, and homelessness. Before that, she served as Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health from 2015 to 2021. As the Commonwealth’s chief physician, she oversaw the state’s aggressive response to the opioid overdose crisis. She was dedicated to reducing health disparities and developing data-driven, evidence-based solutions for keeping people healthy. Under her leadership, the Commonwealth developed the first integrated Public Health Data Warehouse. Dr. Bharel led the Massachusetts public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
She is a board-certified internist who has practiced general internal medicine for more than 20 years in various settings. Before becoming Commissioner, she served as the Chief Medical Officer of Boston Health Care for the Homeless.
She holds a Master of Public Health degree, supported by the Commonwealth Fund/Harvard University Fellowship in Minority Health Policy. She holds a medical degree from Boston University School of Medicine and completed a residency and chief residency in internal medicine at Boston City Hospital/Boston Medical Center.
