Special to the Journal
NeighborHealth has announced the appointment of Julio Mazul, MD, as the organization’s first-ever Latino Vice President and Chief Medical Officer (CMO). A practicing OB/GYN and longtime provider, Dr. Mazul has served the Greater Boston community at NeighborHealth for over 18 years, most recently holding the position of Vice President and Interim CMO at NeighborHealth.
Throughout his tenure, Dr. Mazul has played a critical role in advancing clinical operations, patient safety, and reducing barriers to quality care for the 130,000 people served annually by NeighborHealth as the largest community-based primary care health system in Massachusetts.
In his interim leadership role, Dr. Mazul has helped the health system achieve new milestones in healthcare delivery and, under his direction, the organization earned national recognition from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) as a 2024 National Quality Leader.
“Dr. Mazul’s medical expertise and thoughtful leadership over his near two-decade tenure at NeighborHealth has guided us towards new standards in patient-centered, culturally responsive care,” said Jamie Hazard, Interim Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of NeighborHealth. “His ability to lead with compassion and deliver results has helped our team meet patients where they are. We are excited to continue building on this momentum with Dr. Mazul in his role as Chief Medical Officer.”
Dr. Mazul’s efforts have included enhancing patient safety by expanding the focus on high-risk patients, implementing actionable safety reporting tools for staff, and broadening quality and population health initiatives across departments. His leadership has also directed innovative solutions to mitigate provider burnout, advance AI tools, and improve MyChart functionalities to better support patient self-service and reduce administrative burdens.
Before stepping into the interim role, Dr. Mazul held the positions of Deputy Chief Medical Officer and Medical Director of the Obstetrics & Gynecology Department. His work was pivotal in delivering culturally attuned care to a predominantly immigrant patient population. As a practicing OB/GYN, Dr. Mazul has directed numerous organizational-wide clinical quality and population health initiatives, including reducing barriers to care for underserved women and families, and advancing health equity for the LGBTQIA+ community through staff education and training.
“My mission has always been to ensure that every patient receives high-quality care that reflects and respects their unique needs, background, and identity,” said Dr. Mazul. “As I step into this permanent role, I look forward to deepening NeighborHealth’s investment in inclusive care models and ensuring our exceptional team of providers has the support they need to build a healthier, more equitable community.”
Dr. Mazul was born and raised in Los Angeles, California to Guatemalan immigrants. He received his Bachelor of Science in biology and a minor in history from the University of California, San Diego. Dr. Mazul obtained his medical degree from the Georgetown University School of Medicine and completed his residency in OB/GYN at the Beth Israel Deaconess/Harvard Medical School program.
NeighborHealth, formerly East Boston Neighborhood Health Center, is one of the nation’s largest Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and the largest community-based primary care health system in Massachusetts, serving over 130,000 people and recognized by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) as a National Quality Leader. For more than 50 years, NeighborHealth has offered access to comprehensive primary care, specialty care and emergency care for patients in the Commonwealth. In a first-of-its-kind merger in 2020, East Boston Neighborhood Health Center joined forces with the South End Community Health Center and expanded services to patients who live and work in Boston’s South End and Roxbury neighborhoods. NeighborHealth champions innovative care models to actively bridge health equity gaps in our low-income and immigrant communities with services unique from other healthcare providers in our state. For more information, visit www.neighborhealth.com.
