The secretary of Massachusetts Veterans Services will step down from his position in the cabinet this fall in order to continue working as a doctor.

Dr. Jon Santiago, who lives in the South End and was previously the neighborhood's state representative for five years, led Veterans Services through a massive overhaul in order to restructure the department and better combat veteran homelessness in the state.

He leaves after two and a half years of tenure.

“At my core, I’m a physician,” Santiago said. “My best ideas really come from my patients, and the stories I’m hearing on the front lines. We’re very excited about building up this brand new office to address veterans’ services, and given that the foundation has been laid, I feel that now is the right time to step away and let the organization thrive.”

The COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on a struggling veteran community in 2020. Nearly 100 veterans died in a disease outbreak at the state-run Holyoke Soldiers’ Home, and since then, many more have been dealing with homelessness, mental health issues and substance abuse. This prompted the state to designate an executive level office of veterans services in 2023, when Santiago was appointed to lead it.

As secretary, Santiago implemented the “HERO” Act, which increased how much financial support the state can offer veterans, created a tax incentive for small businesses to hire them, and expanded access to behavioral health treatments.

He also secured around $500 million in funding to “fast-track” the construction and renovation of two veterans’ homes, according to the Massachusetts website. Those homes have an average satisfaction rating of 99 percent.

Santiago, an emergency medicine physician, has also been working the Friday night shift at the Boston Medical Center ER for the entire duration of his tenure in Veterans Services. He said his experience in medicine is what first got him involved in politics, when he was elected state representative for the South End’s district, 9th Suffolk, in 2019.

“When I’m in the ER, I see folks that are often coming in from vulnerable communities, people who can’t afford medications, people who are coming in stabbed or shot,” Santiago said. “Ultimately why people come to a place like the emergency department is because of the lack of equity. The lack of educational, economic opportunities. Those are political and policy questions.”

Santiago is also a veteran himself, which he said inspired him to take on the role. He has served in the U.S. Army Reserve since 2013, and deployed twice overseas.

“[All of our work] is all underwritten by rebuilding trust in the veteran community, and that’s what I’m most proud of,” he said. “You can’t do any of this work legislatively without the trust and buy-in of veterans.”

Santiago has not yet set an official date on which he will step down, as he said there are some projects he wants to see through before starting the transition. However, that date will come in the next couple of months. When he does step down, Santiago will return to practicing full-time emergency medicine at the Boston Medical Center. He has no current plans to re-enter politics, but said he would not rule it out.

“I’m a public servant at heart, and I believe in government,” he said. “I never say no to any opportunity that would allow me to improve the status of my community.”