City of Worcester, MA
Dr. Jennifer Bradford appointed City of Worcester Medical Director
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 5/15/2026 4:22 pm
WORCESTER, Mass. – City Manager Eric D. Batista, in partnership with the University of Massachusetts Memorial Health, announced Friday the appointment of Dr. Jennifer Bradford as the City of Worcester Medical Director, effective May 18, 2026.
She will succeed Dr. Michael Hirsh, who served in the role for 13 years before his retirement at the end of 2025.
“Dr. Bradford has firsthand experience with the most pressing public health issues in our community and will make a direct impact immediately,” said Batista. “She is a passionate champion of health access and I look forward to working with her to improve the overall wellbeing of all in our community.”
“Dr. Bradford is very familiar with the Worcester community and has extensive experience in critical public health areas including substance use, homelessness, and infectious diseases,” said Health and Human Services (HHS) Commissioner Seema Dixit. “She will be a great addition to our HHS team.”
Dr. Bradford is a family physician for UMass Chan Medical School. She also serves as a physician consultant for the UMass Opioid and Chronic Pain Consultation service, works with UMass’ Road to Care Van, is an assistant professor at UMass Medical School’s Family Medicine and Community Health Department, and holds several other public health related positions within the UMass Medical system.
“Dr. Bradford has dedicated her career to improving access to care and advancing the health and wellbeing of some of our community’s most vulnerable populations,” said Dr. Andrew Karson, Chief Physician Executive, UMass Memorial Health. “Her deep clinical expertise, passion for public health and longstanding commitment to Worcester make her exceptionally well suited for this important role. On behalf of UMass Memorial Health, I congratulate Dr. Bradford on her appointment as Worcester’s next medical director and look forward to the positive impact her leadership will continue to have across our community.”
Dr. Bradford earned a Bachelor’s degree in Child Development from Tufts University in 1998, her Doctor of Medicine degree from Tufts University School of Medicine in 2010, and a Master of Public Health from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, in 2015.
"I am excited to serve the people of Worcester and to support the health and wellbeing of our community,” said Bradford. “I look forward to collaborating with our City Health and Human services teams, community organizations, and local partners to strengthen access to care and improve health outcomes for Worcester residents. My predecessor, Dr. Hirsh, built a strong foundation of public health leadership and community engagement, and I am honored to continue building upon the important work.”
The Medical Director position has moved from within the Division of Public Health to the Department of Health and Human Services Administration to facilitate better collaboration and alignment with the department’s programming.
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