Commencement

Mattie Castiel, M.D., has dedicated her career to advancing health equity, supporting vulnerable communities, and transforming public health systems. Born in Camagüey, Cuba, she immigrated to the United States in 1962 as part of Operation Peter Pan. She was raised and educated in California, earning a B.S. in Cellular and Molecular Biology from California State University–Northridge before completing her medical degree at the University of California, San Francisco.

Dr. Castiel moved to Massachusetts to complete her residency at UMass Memorial and has since served the Worcester community for more than 36 years as a Board-Certified Internal Medicine physician. Her clinical and academic roles have included positions at UMass Memorial Medical Center, the Family Health Center of Worcester, and as an Associate Professor of Internal Medicine, Family Medicine, and Psychiatry at UMass Chan Medical School.

In 2009, Dr. Castiel founded the Latin American Health Alliance (LAHA), a nonprofit organization committed to addressing homelessness, substance use, and health disparities. She served as Executive Director and Medical Director until 2015 and continued as Medical Director through October 2024. Under her leadership, LAHA expanded its programs to include the Hector Reyes House, two transitional residences—one of which bears her name—and Café Reyes, an innovative workforce development program for individuals in recovery.

Dr. Castiel has contributed extensively to civic and nonprofit leadership, serving on the boards of The Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts, Centro Las Americas, Abby’s House, the Greater Worcester Community Foundation, Quinsigamond Community College, United Way, and the Boys & Girls Club.

In September 2015, she was appointed Commissioner of Health and Human Services for the City of Worcester. Over her decade of service, she oversaw Public Health, Youth Services, Veterans Affairs, Elder Affairs, and Homeless Services, while leading major initiatives in youth violence prevention, opioid response, mental health, reentry support, and the COVID‑19 pandemic.

Her work has been recognized with numerous honors, including the UMass Medical School Chancellor’s Medal for Distinguished Service, the Edward M. Kennedy Community Health Award, the Family Health Center Healthy Communities Award, the LIFT Community Hero Award, the Abby Kelley Foster Award, the Massachusetts Association of Hispanic Lawyers Social Responsibility Award, the Anna Maria College Presidential Leadership Award, and the Massachusetts Association of Public Health’s Local Public Health Leadership Award. She has been named to Worcester Business Journal’s Power 50 twice and has served on several statewide commissions, including the Massachusetts Health Policy Commission, the Harm Reduction Commission, the Opioid Recovery and Remediation Fund, and the Health Equity Compact. In 2025, she received the Worcester District Medical Society’s President’s Leadership Award.

On September 30, 2025, the Worcester City Council issued an official proclamation honoring Dr. Castiel upon her retirement, recognizing her ten years of transformative leadership as Commissioner of Health and Human Services.