Driving Change in Public Health Through AI

Desire La Tempa, MD, MBA, has spent more than two decades advancing public health in New York City, building a career that spans clinical care, program operations, and regulatory leadership. As senior director of regulatory and accreditation affairs at NYC Health + Hospitals/Gotham Health, she plays a vital role in shaping policies and systems that promote safe, effective, and equitable care. 

La Tempa has long focused on improving health care delivery at the systems level. She led the development of programs in New York that secured National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding and received national recognition, including being ranked among the top asthma initiatives in the country by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Building on that foundation, she helped to expand chronic disease management efforts and design care models adopted across the state, with a focus on increasing access and strengthening public health plans.

As her career progressed into regulatory and quality leadership roles, La Tempa began to question how emerging technologies could enhance this work. She became increasingly interested in how artificial intelligence (AI) might be used to evaluate outcomes, ensure patient safety, and guide more informed, data-driven decisions. 

“I was amazed at how fast AI and digital solutions were growing and changing health care delivery,” she says. La Tempa ultimately enrolled in Harvard Medical School’s first iteration of Leading AI Innovation in Health Care in May 2025. 

The Regulatory Landscape of AI

La Tempa sees the regulatory side of health care as one of the areas where intentional AI integration and education are both essential. From medical devices to pharmaceuticals to patient care, the potential applications of AI are vast, yet there are currently very few regulations in place. 

As a public health professional, she viewed the Leading AI Innovation in Health Care certificate program as an ideal starting point to help shape the future of responsible implementation. “Building the regulatory language and policies on the use of AI in health care is something I want to be a part of, and I needed to prepare myself for that,” she says.

For La Tempa, combining structured learning with real-world application and global collaboration was what set the program apart. “It was an incredible experience,” she said. “Every single day, I found myself saying, ‘Wow!’ I took vacation time to attend, and I kept telling my colleagues this was the best decision I could have made.”

She especially valued the immersive format, which blended in-person learning, hands-on simulations, and exposure to innovation at every level of health care. “Being back in the classroom, surrounded by people who were just as energized as I was, brought a real sense of purpose and connection,” La Tempa said. “We were all there to learn, to share, and to figure out how to bring what we were learning back to our own health systems.”

The opportunity to network with professionals from across the globe added another dimension to the experience. “We spent time together after each day, sharing ideas and building relationships that have continued since the program ended,” she says. “Everyone I met agreed—the curriculum stood out not just because of the faculty who delivered it, but because of how relevant and actionable it was.”

Working alongside colleagues from diverse professional backgrounds greatly enriched the learning experience. In La Tempa’s group, physicians, CEOs, pharmaceutical marketers, and others brought unique perspectives that created meaningful opportunities to learn from one another.

Applying AI in Public Health Practice

La  Tempa returned to her role with a renewed perspective on how AI can support public health systems. She is the first in her department to complete formal training in the use of AI in health care, and has since emerged as a thought leader among her colleagues. “I’m using concepts and skills from the program every single day,” she says. 

Shortly after completing the Leading AI Innovation in Health Care program, La Tempa found an opportunity to apply her new skills. At Gotham Health, her colleagues in data science and analytics were developing an internal policy management application aimed at reducing the administrative burden of policy updates, regulatory audits, and compliance accreditations. 

La Tempa volunteered to support the testing and development of the application with AI-driven tools, contributing to key operational and ethical decisions ahead of the testing phase. 

“I’ve been able to share feedback and take part in digital health conversations that I wouldn’t have been invited to or known how to contribute to before,” she says. “This program wasn’t just about AI as a concept. It was about how to lead its integration responsibly, how to collaborate across sectors, and how to be ready for what’s next.” 

By: Meredith Faxon