Since COVID-19 vaccinations first became available, FPHNYC has been at the forefront of the City of New York’s commitment to ensure fair and equitable access to vaccinations and boost vaccine confidence. Central to this work has been supporting the efforts of the Health Department and community-based organizations to increase the presence of community health workers (CHWs) in communities.

In the following article, Healthbeat New York’s Eliza Fawcett discusses how CHWs helped increase vaccine uptake in communities around NYC. We thank Healthbeat New York for allowing us to republish the article on our blog.

This story was originally published by Healthbeat. Sign up for their public health newsletters at healthbeat.org/newsletters

Community health workers increased Covid-19 vaccination in NYC, a new study finds. Here’s why their efforts worked.

Jun 6, 2025 at 12:47pm EDT By Eliza Fawcett, Healthbeat New York

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In the depths of the Covid-19 pandemic, community health workers played a significant role in increasing vaccine uptake in hard-to-reach New York City communities, a new study has found.

Community health workers are public health workers with close connections to the communities they serve, and often act as intermediaries between local residents and health systems or social services. Across the country, many regions invested in community health worker initiatives as part of pandemic response efforts. But the workforce is particularly vulnerable to public health’s boom and bust funding cycle.

Quantifying the impact of community health workers who don’t work in clinical settings has long been challenging, said Dr. Maureen Miller, an epidemiologist and contractor with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. But the data that emerged from the pandemic — and the Health Department’s significant investment in community health workers — offered an unusual opportunity to show their value, she said.

In the study, recently published in the American Journal of Public Health, Miller and other researchers affiliated with the Health Department found that community health workers, in partnership with the agency and community-based organizations, helped drive sharp increases in vaccination levels among local residents.

In 75 ZIP codes targeted for public health interventions, residents were primarily Black and Latino — demographics that had experienced disproportionately high mortality rates in the early weeks of the pandemic. At the beginning of the initiative in July 2021, 44% of all residents had completed their primary series Covid-19 vaccination. By June 2022, vaccine uptake rose to 76%. The majority of those communities received high levels of engagement from community health workers, defined as interactions during at least 11 months of the year.

Over the course of that year, community health workers also provided vaccination information to local residents more than 18 million times and participated in more than 22,000 outreach events, according to the study. They made 800,000 linkages to Covid-19 vaccination appointments, created more than 200,000 referrals to testing sites, distributed 17 million face masks and handed out 73,000 at-home antigen tests. They also helped residents tackle other issues, from food insecurity to housing instability.

In an interview this week with Healthbeat, Miller discusses the study, the role of community health workers, and why their approach to community engagement proved so effective. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Take us back to where New York City was in the pandemic when this project began. What motivated this research?

I was hired just as [the Covid-19 variant] Omicron was taking off, as were all of my colleagues. It was a very crazy period in the pandemic. Although vaccines were increasingly available, they were kind of challenging to get in New York City. You had to make appointments through computers and online. Not everyone knows how to operate that, not everybody has access to that, and we were also in the communities that had been left behind already by vaccines, by treatments. People had already died.

The statistics are astounding: Almost half of the people who died in the pandemic in New York City died in the first month or two. That’s staggering, and I think we’ve swept that loss under the rug because it’s enormous. It has affected all of us.

Against that background, people were mistrustful. They said, ‘You want us to take this vaccine now, we don’t understand it. We hear bad things about it.’ There was already a great deal of misinformation and skepticism on the part of community members that we were working with. So the idea was not, as the city Department of Health, to go in and say, ‘Get vaccinated.’ It was to partner with community-based organizations who hire people who are centered in the community. We provided funding for the community-based organizations to hire community health workers who we would help train and keep updated on all the new variants, the new vaccines, the boosters.

The community health workers and the community-based organizations developed a lot of their own methods of interacting with the community. We would provide the information, but they would make up songs and get them on the local radio, they’d have flyers. They would do videos and put them on social media. We had biweekly meetings with community members and with community-based organizations. We had a series of trainings for community health workers. It was probably the largest effort that the New York City Department of Health has ever made to integrate community with government in the city.

How did you set up this study?

One of the reasons that community-based community health workers get no respect is because it’s been extremely difficult to find a database that shows the impact of population-level change. We wanted to change entire communities, not just one person at a time. We didn’t interact with every single person in the community, yet our impact was felt, as evidenced by the huge increase in vaccine uptake over time.

We had an outcome: how many people had received the full series of vaccinations. We had that data, and it was collected on a weekly basis for everyone who became vaccinated. I can’t even tell you how unusual that is in the world of public health — but so is a pandemic. This provided a unique opportunity to look at the outcomes and then to see how our work with the community was impacting our objective, which was vaccine uptake.

We didn’t interact with every single person in the community, yet our impact was felt, as evidenced by the huge increase in vaccine uptake over time.

– Dr. Maureen Miller

The contracts were based on X number of outreach engagements, X number of handing out materials and documentation. You had to satisfy a minimum set of criteria in terms of engagement that you would then get paid for. That’s unique in my experience, but it was extremely effective, because the community-based organizations wanted to help the community in any way they could. So most of the time they exceeded [the goals].

What were the main findings of your research?

I was shocked — I hadn’t looked at the data until things started to settle down with the pandemic. I wondered: Well, how big of an impact did we have? And we had an enormous impact. I don’t know of vaccine uptake that has happened so quickly for any other disease.

Within one year, from the initiation of the project in July 2021 through June 2022, we had a 30% increase in vaccine uptake in a community that is under-resourced, marginalized, distrustful, and disinvested. People went out and got vaccinated.

One of the projects that we did was a storytelling project. We wanted to know, ‘Why did you get vaccinated? Why are you encouraging others to get vaccinated?’ And it was all about family. It was about, ‘I’m going to protect my family.’ It was about community. In an individualistic society such as ours, it was really heartening to hear that that was a fundamental reason why people were choosing to get vaccinated and to convince others to get vaccinated. Not only were our community health workers acting as advocates for vaccination, eventually so were community members.

How do community health workers’ efforts to help residents with other issues, like food insecurity or housing instability, connect to the broader goal of increasing vaccine uptake?

The Health Department wanted people to get vaccinated right away. And the community came back and said, ‘Listen, my kid doesn’t have diapers. I’m not getting a vaccine before I can get diapers.’ There was such a great deal of need — and there continues to be need — for food, for housing, for money for child care, for elder care. There is just so much need in these communities that they can’t afford to think about the Health Department’s priority of getting people vaccinated and not spreading Covid.

People really wanted help, and they didn’t necessarily want the help that we came in with — to provide vaccines. They wanted help with daily living needs that were not being met, and in fact, were exacerbated by the pandemic. So we started providing referrals. We pulled together a list of organizations where people could go to get food. We partnered with the Department of Homeless Services to provide vaccine information and opportunities to make reservations to get vaccinated, and also to find housing for people. Community-based organizations also corralled their networks of food pantries and other resources so that we could amplify their ability to refer others to these services.

That’s how we build trust. We need to pay attention to what it is you need and want; it’s not only about getting vaccinated. It’s dealing with community priorities to ensure that when we would like to do an important health intervention, we’ve already built up the trust.

Eliza Fawcett is a reporter covering public health in New York City for Healthbeat. Contact Eliza at efawcett@healthbeat.org.

Healthbeat is a nonprofit newsroom covering public health published by Civic News Company and KFF Health News. Sign up for their newsletters here.

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New York City has made significant progress in its recovery from being one of the epicenters of the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet it is important to note that the recovery has not been felt equally by all our city’s residents. Black New Yorkers die on average five years earlier than white New Yorkers. We must address chronic diseases, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer, that are the leading causes of death for New Yorkers. 

New York’s elected leaders will have to address these and other public health issues while also contending with significant reductions in federal funding, including potential cuts to Medicaid, disease control, and disaster relief. We encourage you to make supporting public health a core part of your platform. 

As a candidate for office in New York City, protecting the health and safety of millions of New Yorkers may soon be in your hands and will be one of your highest priorities. The Fund for Public Health in NYC is here as a partner and a resource. We will update and share this nonpartisan guide before every city-wide election to help inform candidates about our city’s public health needs and landscape, and to help every New Yorker live their healthiest life.

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FPHNYC is the dedicated nonprofit partner of the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. We mobilize resources, manage programs, and engage community-based organizations as partners. Our collaborative model advances important population health initiatives such as HealthyNYC—New York’s bold plan to increase life expectancy to 83 years by 2030.

As New York City and local nonprofits grapple with significant cuts in federal funding, the agility and efficiency of our public-private model—which often makes it possible for public dollars to go further—have become indispensable. By connecting public resources with private funding and community expertise, FPHNYC is able to enhance and scale the health department’s programs to reach more people and have a greater impact.

To anyone who cares about the health and well-being of New York: now is the time to support FPHNYC as we partner with the Health Department and hundreds of community-based organizations in NYC to develop programs that provide millions of New Yorkers with essential public health services. We are committed to making it possible for every New Yorker to live their healthiest life.

Please take some time to read through this report (PDF) share it with your networks.

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Read the Health Department’s press release about this important report.

NYC Immigrants Live Longer and Tend To Make Healthier Lifestyle Choices

Immigrants Make Up 47 Percent Of NYC Health Care Providers And Technicians

April 17, 2025 — Today, the New York City Health Department (NYC Health Department) released a new report that highlights the significant contributions of immigrant New Yorkers to the city’s health and prosperity, while emphasizing the critical need to address unique health challenges that immigrants face. The report shows that 81 percent of New York City immigrants have been in the U.S. for more than 10 years, 13 percent have been in the U.S. between 6 to 10 years, and 6 percent have been in the U.S. less than 5 years

“New York has always been a city of immigrants, and today it’s one of the most diverse places in the world,” said Acting Health Commissioner Dr. Michelle Morse. “Immigrants continue to be key to the city’s growth, success, and culture. Investing in the health and well-being of immigrant New Yorkers helps our whole city and country thrive. That’s why our mission is to protect and promote — without exception — the health of all New Yorkers.”

“This report demonstrates the importance of effective partnership and community-centered services to continue improving health outcomes for immigrant New Yorkers,” said Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs Manuel Castro. “At our office, we know that the health of immigrant communities constitutes the health of New York City. As a New Yorker who immigrated to the U.S. with my family at a young age, I am proud to see how far the city has come in supporting immigrant New Yorkers in healthcare access and services.”

The report, The Health of Immigrants in New York City (PDF), reveals several key findings:

• Longevity: Immigrants in NYC have a higher life expectancy than U.S.-born residents, with an average lifespan of 83.5 years compared to 79.9 years for U.S.-born New Yorkers.
• Healthy Behaviors: Immigrants are less likely to smoke than U.S.-born residents. The smoking rate among immigrants overall is 7 percent vs. 11 percent among U.S.-born New Yorkers. Among immigrant women, the rate is even lower at 4 percent.
• Lower Mortality Rates: Despite facing barriers, immigrants have death rates that are 28 percent lower for heart disease and 19 percent lower for cancer, compared with U.S.-born New Yorkers.
• Essential Workforce: Immigrants play a crucial role in NYC’s health care system, comprising 47% of the workforce in health care practitioner and technical occupations. They also contribute significantly to social services and other essential sectors.

However, the report also underscores the health challenges faced by the city’s immigrant population, including:

• Lack of Health Insurance: Immigrant adults are nearly twice as likely as U.S.-born adults to lack access to health insurance.
• Limited Access to Mental Health Care: Immigrants with depression are less likely to receive mental health treatment compared to U.S.-born residents with depression.
• Structural Barriers: Systemic issues such as bias against immigrants, racism, unfair access to employment, and variable access to translation and interpretation services create significant obstacles to health for immigrants.

The Health of Immigrants in New York City emphasizes the need for targeted interventions to address health inequities and ensure that all New Yorkers, regardless of their immigration status, receive quality health care and essential social services.

To support immigrant health, the report recommends that the city continue the following strategies:

• Reduce language and cultural barriers to meet basic needs for housing, education and health care
• Engage immigrant communities to share resources about available services and their rights
• Focus resources of diverse institutions to the groups most in need
• Eliminate discriminatory eligibility requirements that prevent New Yorkers from accessing needed public benefits and programs because of their immigration status

We encourage community-based organizations, funders, policymakers and all those who care about the health and well-being of New Yorkers to use these data to inform their work.

“This report shines a light on the strength, contributions, and potential of our immigrant neighbors,” said Emily Goldberg-Hall, Director of Health Initiatives at African Services Committee. “But it also underscores the urgency of continuing to break down stigmas and barriers, so we can support a thriving immigrant community and safely welcome newcomers.”

“The Health of Immigrants in New York City highlights the vital role immigrants have played in fostering a healthier New York,” said Sudha Acharya, Executive Director, South Asian Council for Social Services (SACSS). “We firmly believe that access to healthcare will not only allow immigrant New Yorkers to thrive, but also enhance the overall wellbeing of our city.”

“As a community-based healthcare provider, we see first-hand the many needs and challenges faced by immigrant New Yorkers that are described in this monumental report,” said Kaushal Challa, CEO of the Charles B. Wang Community Health Center. “We will continue to work with the Health Department, community-based providers, and other stakeholders to ensure that immigrant New Yorkers can access needed health and social services.”

“Immigrant communities are the backbone of New York, yet they are facing unprecedented challenges right now that add pressure and stress to their daily lives,” said Rebecca Telzak, Deputy Director of Make the Road New York. “In the midst of this uncertainty, we need to ensure that every New Yorker—whether their family has been in this city for generations or weeks—has the resources available to live full and healthy lives. We are proud to partner with the NYC Health Department on this vital report that outlines key measures needed to invest in the health and well-being of our communities.”

“As a community, we must recognize that the lack of access to health insurance creates significant barriers for immigrants seeking quality healthcare,” said Myoungmi Kim, President and CEO of Korean Community Services. “Too many individuals in our immigrant community are left without the coverage they need, not because they don’t value their health but because they face language barriers, complex eligibility requirements, and a lack of awareness about available resources. To address this, we must expand outreach and actively engage with our immigrant communities to provide the information and support they need. Through education, advocacy, and community initiatives, we can bridge these gaps and create a healthcare system that serves everyone.”

“Immigrant health is New York health. As diverse, vibrant, and deeply rooted communities, Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) are nearly one in five New Yorkers and the fastest growing population in NYC,” said Anita Gundanna and Vanessa Leung, Co-Executive Directors, Coalition for Asian American Children and Families. “We are over 65 percent immigrants and face multiple challenges to accessing healthcare, including language and cultural barriers. We applaud the Health Department’s efforts to continue to uplift the important health needs of our communities, especially at a time when our communities fear potential cuts to critical safety net supports. We must all stand up to support the health of New Yorkers that struggle the most.”

“Children are our future. Having healthy parents and caregivers is critical to optimizing a child’s well-being, regardless of immigrant status,” said Alan Shapiro, Cofounder and Medical Director of Terra Firma. “By providing access to care for all New Yorkers, we are improving the safety net and health for immigrant families and ensuring children are given the chance to reach their full potential.”

Over the past decade, New York City has made significant progress in assessing and promoting immigrant health, including the following:

• In 2017, the City expanded its immigration legal services grant funding program to create a new $1.5 million “ActionNYC in NYC H+H” medical-legal partnership program, co-locating immigration attorneys in public hospitals and long-term care facilities.
• The 2019 NYC Human Rights Law prohibits discrimination on the basis of actual or perceived “alienage and citizenship status,” and “national origin,” by most employers, housing providers and providers of public accommodations in NYC. This guidance document also clearly outlines human rights protections for hospital patients.
• In 2019, the City launched NYC Care, a program for individuals ineligible for health insurance. NYC Care is now the largest program of its kind in the nation, providing coordinated primary and specialty care services to 145,000 New Yorkers.

The New York City Health Department is committed not only to preventing illness, but to cultivating a thriving city where all residents, without exception, have the fair and just opportunity to be healthy.

Read the original press release

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Prior to the release of the report, FPHNYC and the NYC Health Department hosted a roundtable for foundations and key philanthropic partners to hear from Health Department experts about strategies being developed to address chronic diseases. FPHNYC will continue to facilitate these kinds of discussions and identify opportunities for cross-sector collaboration.

Read the Health Department’s press release about this important initiative and its potential impact on public health in New York City.

Health Department Releases Strategy to Address Chronic Disease

Chronic Diseases such as Heart Disease, Diabetes and Cancer are the Top Killers of New Yorkers

This Roadmap Supports Citywide Effort Aims to Reduce Deaths From Chronic Diseases by 2030

Strategy Outlines Proposals That Tackle Conditions and Inequities Harming New Yorkers’ Health and Shrinking Life Expectancy

January 28, 2025 — Today, the New York City Health Department released Addressing Unacceptable Inequities: A Chronic Disease Strategy for New York City — a multiagency strategy that addresses the root causes of chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and screenable cancers and outlines interventions that support longer, healthier lives for New Yorkers. Chronic diseases are a leading cause of death in NYC, taking an especially high toll on Black New Yorkers and New Yorkers in communities experiencing disinvestment.

“I’ve seen firsthand how chronic disease hijacks your life and what it can do to a family. That’s why we are taking action right now to improve New Yorkers’ health and increase life expectancy,” said New York City Mayor Eric Adams. “Our administration launched HealthyNYC to address the key drivers of death and develop a comprehensive vision for improving life expectancy across New York City. With this report, we are creating a clear roadmap for the city’s multiagency efforts to tackle the biggest diseases that are killing New Yorkers, as well as address the structural and environmental conditions that impact their health and shorten lifespans.”

“We all know the feeling hearing about a family member, friend, loved one, or news about ourselves saying we have a chronic disease. What it all might mean to live with heart-disease, type 2 diabetes, or hypertension,” said Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Anne Williams-Isom. “In the report we are putting out today, we focus on how these conditions affect our communities, how we view those effects through an equity lens, and what we as a city can do from a systems and structures perspective to bring greater support to the social determinants of health. This report gives us a path forward to tackle chronic disease in a way that shifts our systems to make every New Yorker healthier through highlighting our park spaces for physical activity to food access and everything in between.”

“This report shines a much-needed light on the devastating impact chronic disease – in all of its forms – is having across this City, touching each and every community and family. Unfortunately, the analysis shows us that the situation has worsened in recent years, as we see average life expectancy dropping and disproportionally impacting our black and brown communities,” said Deputy Mayor for Strategic Initiatives Ana J. Almanzar. “The silver lining is that the solutions to turn the tide are known and are within our grasp, as this report makes clear through its comprehensive and holistic set of strategies. The promotion of food access and the role of nutrition – which have been key pillars of this administration – are central to any large-scale effort to empower communities and individuals to improve overall health and wellness.”

“A person’s diet is incredibly influential in determining their overall health, both contributing to and being a powerful solution to prevent chronic disease,” said Mayor’s Office of Food Policy Executive Director Kate MacKenzie. “By integrating efforts to expand food access and nutrition security, strengthening SNAP enrollment, and curbing harmful marketing, we’re taking a comprehensive approach to creating a healthier and more equitable New York City. We’re looking forward to seeing this cross-agency collaboration reduce chronic disease and improve wellbeing through transformative changes to our food system.”

“As a physician, I see the majority of my patients battling cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer — all health issues that the City has a moral imperative and the power to address,” said Health Department Acting Commissioner Dr. Michelle Morse. “With New York City’s long history as a leader in public health, this chronic disease strategy provides a comprehensive road map for the City to ensure New Yorkers live healthier and longer lives.”

Life expectancy in NYC has dropped dramatically and inequitably since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, from 82.6 years in 2019 to 78 years in 2020, rising to 81.5 years in 2022. Between 2019 and 2020, the largest decreases were observed among Black and Latino New Yorkers, among whom life expectancy fell by 5.5 and 6 years, respectively. Similar inequities by race, ethnicity, and income also exist for rates of premature death (death before age 65).

In response, the Health Department launched HealthyNYC, a comprehensive vision for improving life expectancy and creating a healthier city for all. With an overall goal of increasing life expectancy to exceed 83 years by 2030, HealthyNYC sets ambitious goals, which will require specific gains among Black New Yorkers, to address key drivers of death including chronic disease, suicide, maternal mortality, violence, drug overdose, and COVID-19. The chronic and diet-related disease goals established by HealthyNYC include reducing deaths due to heart- and diabetes-related diseases by 5% by 2030 and deaths due to screenable cancers by 20% by 2030, as these are leading causes of death among all racial and ethnic groups in NYC.

“Addressing Unacceptable Inequities: A Chronic Disease Strategy for New York City” is intended to set a foundation for action in the coming years and to foster sustained partnerships across private, public, and nonprofit sectors, as well as meaningful engagement with communities across the city. It outlines a broader call to action to change the structural and environmental conditions that impact health and to alter the trajectory of life expectancy, ensuring that all New Yorkers have the opportunity to live a healthier, longer life.

From connecting patients in the NYC Health + Hospitals system with public benefits to addressing harmful marketing practices to revitalizing streets and parks, this strategy provides a comprehensive approach to prevention, treatment, and support in addressing the leading causes of death in our city. The strategy focuses on three key upstream approaches:

1. Meeting the material needs of New Yorkers by improving access to resources such as food and government benefits.
2. Addressing the commercial determinants of health by working to reduce exposures to and consumption of unhealthy products such as ultra-processed foods, tobacco, and alcohol.
3. Promoting opportunities for healthy living by investing in policies and programs that promote nutritious foods, physical activity, and social connection in communities.

A task force of leaders from multiple NYC government sectors — including Deputy Mayor Anne Williams-Isom (Health and Human Services), Deputy Mayor Ana Almanzar (Strategic Initiatives), Executive Director Kate MacKenzie (Mayor’s Office of Food Policy), and Acting Commissioner Michelle Morse, MD, MPH (NYC Health Department) — was launched in fall 2023 to develop a slate of proposals to address systemic factors that impact chronic disease rates. The task force proposed 19 initiatives, both new and existing, that leverage the unique capabilities and resources of City agencies to address the upstream factors that influence chronic disease outcomes.

Most of the proposals elevate multiagency collaborations and are planned for a variety of settings, from public schools and parks to hospitals across all five boroughs. The proposals aim to secure the future of health equity infrastructure and emergency response readiness and to help solidify NYC’s role as a leader and standard setter for governmental public health practice. The proposals presented in this strategy range from work underway and planned to launch within the City’s fiscal year to longer-term aims that will require planning, assessment, and identification of resources.

“HealthyNYC envisions a city where all New Yorkers – both today and for generations to come – live longer, healthier lives. Under the NYC Health Department’s strategic leadership, this initiative brings together government agencies and community partners to create lasting, citywide change,” said former NYC Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan. “This plan demonstrates the City’s progress by establishing a roadmap to save lives and reduce preventable deaths from chronic diseases, many of which are diet-related. The Chronic Disease blueprint represents years of work and leadership by the City Health Department and its amazing staff to put forth a clear vision for how to do this by improving access to care, meeting basic needs, promoting healthy living, and combatting the damaging commercial influences that can worsen our health. I applaud Acting Commissioner Morse and the entire team for working to realize the vision of HealthyNYC and make New York the healthiest big city in the world.”

“With the right support and resources, New Yorkers can lower their risk of preventable disease and premature death,” said CUNY SPH Dean Ayman El-Mohandes. “We look forward to working with the Health Department by training the next generation of public health leaders to use community-centered, equity-focused approaches to prevent disease, promote health, and work using evidence-based approaches.”

“New York City has long been in the forefront of innovation when it comes to better health,” said Director of Food is Medicine Institute Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian. “This new plan recognizes the unacceptable toll of unhealthy food, inactivity, and mental stress on the physical and mental well-being of New Yorkers—and brings together wide-ranging and sensible programs to begin to turn the tide.”

“All of us wish for as many healthy birthdays as possible for our loved ones — but too often our health is hindered by heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and other chronic illnesses. Although some communities are much more affected by these illnesses, it’s in our power to change this,” said former NYC Health Commissioner Dr. Dave A. Chokshi, who chairs the Common Health Coalition. “I applaud the City’s pioneering chronic disease strategy, particularly its emphasis on equity, partnerships, and accountability, which will help create healthier futures for all New Yorkers.”

“Chronic disease is one of the drivers of premature death in New York City,” said Council Member Lynn Schulman, Chair of the Health Committee. “The Health Department’s bold initiative to tackle chronic diseases head-on is vitally important and needed. These conditions affect everyone but disproportionately impact communities of color and those facing systemic disinvestment. This strategy not only addresses health outcomes but also the root causes driving health inequities and paves the way for all New Yorkers to live longer, healthier lives. Together, we can build a healthy and more robust city.”

“With this Chronic Disease Strategy, New York City moves beyond simply urging people to eat healthier food, exercise more, or adopt other healthy habits, said former NYC Health Commissioner Dr. Mary T. Bassett. “It commits to addressing the broader barriers that make it difficult for many to follow through on this advice. This intersectoral, whole-of-government approach is both welcome and necessary to ensure we’re helping all New Yorkers.”

“Addressing inequities in chronic diseases is critical for the health of our city’s residents,” said NYC Health + Hospitals Vice President and Chief Population Health Officer Nichola Davis, MD, MS. “The NYC Health Department’s approach is comprehensive, with multi-agency involvement, and builds on previous programs and work in the city. It recognizes the importance that social factors play in chronic disease and focuses on improving upstream factors such as access to healthy foods, addressing food insecurity, and decreasing marketing of unhealthy products. I look forward to the implementation of the outlined initiatives and the positive impact this will have on the health of New Yorkers.”

“Excited to see the health department continuing to build on its legacy of leadership in innovation by focusing citywide multi-sector efforts on reducing the burden of chronic diseases in NYC,” said President and CEO of United Hospital Fund Dr. Oxiris Barbot. “I look forward to opportunities for partnership in these important endeavors.”

“Chronic diseases are the leading causes of death worldwide, and they are as preventable as infectious diseases.,” said former NYC Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley. “With this strategy, New York City continues its tradition of leadership in combatting these health problems and using the resources of many city agencies to do so.”

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One of FPHNYC’s core focuses and areas of expertise is working with foundation partners to secure private funding for programs and initiatives that benefit New Yorkers through the services of the Health Department. Often, these grants help leverage new and additional public investment in vital public health services. Some programs benefitting from more than $ 5 million in grants awarded to FPHNYC in the last few months include:

Building Our Largest Dementia Infrastructure (BOLD)
Initially launched with funding from the CDC, the NYC BOLD Program utilizes a public health approach to address Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. Actions include education about early detection and diagnosis, promoting brain health through healthy habits, and increasing access to resources. The John A. Hartford Foundation awarded funding to enhance community health worker outreach and engagement as part of the program.

“We are proud to support the NYC BOLD Program’s community-centered work to advance health equity by promoting brain health and age-friendly care for older adults and their families living with dementia.”
Terry Fulmer, PhD, RN, FAAN, President, The John A. Hartford Foundation

Early Intervention
Early Intervention (EI) is a free program that assists and empowers families with young children who have developmental disabilities. Expanding access to EI and enhancing follow-up and retention, especially for children living in neighborhoods with high poverty rates, is a priority for the Health Department. A grant from Robin Hood will help integrate developmental screenings in more childcare programs in NYC and funding from Tiger Foundation is expanding the use of electronic health records to monitor children’s progress and address any emerging barriers.

Medicaid Expansion for Older New Yorkers
Undocumented New Yorkers aged 65 and older are eligible to enroll in the state’s expanded Medicaid-managed care insurance plan, but many are not aware of the fact. The Health Department is partnering with community-based organizations to coordinate targeted public messaging and increase knowledge of this opportunity to enroll in Medicaid, thanks in large part to funding from The Altman Foundation and The Fan Fox and Leslie R. Samuels Foundation.

Coalition to End Racism in Clinical Algorithms (CERCA)
Clinical algorithms are tools used by clinicians to guide their decision-making. However, these algorithms often incorporate “race adjustment” to account for biological factors, leading to inequitable treatment and care for patients of color. Since 2021, CERCA has been successful in working to educate clinicians about harmful race-based clinical algorithms and end their use. The SCAN Foundation is funding the development of a toolkit that will be used to disseminate the learnings and strategies of CERCA so that it can be replicated nationally by other partners.

“Clinical algorithms using race adjustment often negatively impact treatment and care for people of color, including older adults of color. CERCA is leading the way in New York City, advocating for health systems to stop the inclusion of race adjustment in their clinical algorithms,” said The SCAN Foundation’s Vice President of Innovation and Investment, Anika Heavener. “The SCAN Foundation funded a grant that will take the lessons learned from CERCA’s cutting-edge efforts in New York and create a toolkit to support more health systems, community clinics, and safety-net providers to end the use of race adjustments in their clinical algorithms.”

Reproductive Health Project
Many school-based health centers (SBHCs) in NYC offer comprehensive sexual and reproductive health care for adolescents, including providing the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine series to prevent HPV-related cancers. The JPB Foundation has supported these SBHCs with a series of multi-year grants, and the Foundation recently provided a final grant for high-quality primary and preventive health services in NYC public schools.

Learn more about how you can join with FPHNYC and the Health Department to advance the shared goal of improving the health and well-being of New Yorkers. Contact development@fphnyc.org

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New York City Health Justice Network Continues to Make Progress

[Update: January 2025 – FPHNYC been awarded $600,000 from the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation on behalf of the NYC Health Department and the New York City Health Justice Network (NYC HJN). The funding will be used by NYC HJN to support and improve the health and well-being of justice-involved individuals during the reentry process. This generous funding is part of a major grantmaking announcement by the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation at the start of 2025. The following text was originally published November 2024]

Involvement with the criminal legal system intersects with racism, poverty, trauma, and physical and behavioral health conditions that perpetuate health disparities, including increased disease and mortality risks in Black and Latino communities. To address these challenges, the New York City Health Justice Network (NYC HJN) links people recently released from incarceration with primary health care services. 

A program of the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, NYC HJN pairs community health workers (CHWs) who have lived experience of reentry with participants to help meet their essential social, health and material needs as they reenter their communities. NYC HJN helps participants set and meet their own priorities and goals for improving their health and well-being. These can include access to and enhanced primary health, behavioral health, chronic disease care, and care and community-based reentry social services.  

FPHNYC has partnered with the NYC HJN since its inception in 2019, helping secure grant funding from the Manhattan District Attorney’s office to pilot the program and expand its impact.  Also partnering with NYC HJN are two federally qualified primary healthcare clinics, the Institute for Family Health and Community Healthcare Network. Additionally, the program works with three community-based reentry organizations, the Fortune Society, Osborne Association, and the Harlem Community Justice Center. All partners have proven experience working with people involved with the criminal legal system and partner appreciation of the NYC HJN has steadily grown. 

“Over the past four years, we have referred hundreds of court-involved people to the Health Justice Network for assistance with needs such as enrolling in health insurance, finding a primary care physician, obtaining vital documents, applying for benefits, seeking employment, and more. In each instance, the community health workers have engaged participants with respect and compassion, both assisting with identified needs and forming supportive and ongoing relationships.”

Joseph Barrett, Program Director at the Center for Court Innovation

“Over the past four years, we have referred hundreds of court-involved people to the Health Justice Network for assistance with needs such as enrolling in health insurance, finding a primary care physician, obtaining vital documents, applying for benefits, and seeking employment among others,” said Joseph Barrett, Program Director at the Center for Court Innovation. “In each instance, the community health workers have engaged our participants with respect and compassion, both assisting with the identified needs and forming supportive and ongoing relationships.” 

The New York University Population Center recently concluded a five-year, CDC-funded Medicaid match evaluation of the NYC HJN to compare its participants with comparable groups on a wide range of outcomes. Preliminary findings show significant impacts, including that compared to a control group NYC HJN participants had more engagement with primary care providers and were likely to receive medication for asthma, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes; they were significantly more likely to receive mental health care in the months following enrollment; received more substance use treatment; and were more likely to receive methadone treatment. 

In the last five years, NYC HJN has received almost 1,900 referrals from partner sites and community organizations. The great majority of these referrals – more than 1,400 people – have received peer support and linkages to services from the program’s NYC HJN CHWs. With continued public and private funding, the NYC HJN will be able to improve the health and well-being of more New Yorkers whose involvement with the criminal legal system perpetuates health disparities.  

“The Health Justice Network is an excellent collaborator,” said Christina Green, Director of Supportive Housing at the Osborne Association. “Partnering with them is pivotal to achieving the goal of successful reentry for our shared participants.” 

 [Read about an evaluation of the HJN by The City University of New York Institute for State & Local Governance]

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Dear Gabby,

We are a team of runners in the TCS New York City Marathon representing the Fund for Public Health NYC and we are thrilled that you will be the Grand Marshall for the November 3^rd race! 

Not only are we inspired by your achievements on the track as a five-time Olympic medalist, but we also laude your efforts to address health disparities as well as your advocacy for greater diversity in STEM fields. Having attained a Master of Public Health in Epidemiology and working with the Volunteer Healthcare Clinic in Austin, you have brought much-needed attention to expanding access to affordable medical care and related social determinants of health such as access to healthy foods.

We applaud New York Road Runners for asking you to be Grand Marshall of this year’s TCS New York City Marathon and for their initiatives that provide free and inclusive running experiences to improve the health of New Yorkers. The Fund for Public Health NYC and many of the other Official Charity Partners in the November 3 race are working to realize a world where all people equitably share in a culture supportive of healthy living and enjoy optimal health.  This year our team is running to raise awareness of and support for the maternal health services the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene provides to thousands of New Yorkers. Of particular importance are pilot programs designed to reduce pregnancy-associated death among Black women and birthing people.

Gabby, thank you for inspiring so many people through your passion for running and commitment to public health. With you as Grand Marshal, we are more excited than ever to be a part of this year’s TCS New York City Marathon!

Sincerely,

Team FPHNYC

Alexa, Allie, Brigit, Ciara, Francesco, Jay, Jackie, Megan, Ryan, Sebastian, Shannon,
and Sara Gardner, CEO, Fund for Public Health NYC

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Launched in August 2023, the CSN has played a crucial role in supporting New Yorkers by removing the stigma around mental health. Community health workers (CHWs) from CSN partner organizations NHS Brooklyn, VIP Community Services, and BronxWorks have been a regular presence in neighborhoods greatly impacted by COVID-19 and various health disparities. The CHWs initiated guided, compassionate conversations with people to address a wide range of concerns, including psychosocial, emotional, substance use, physical health, housing, career, education, and food-access stressors. By being out in public and accessible to people in areas with high foot traffic, the CHWs were able to connect to individuals and refer them to resources before their needs became acute or chronic.

With the arrival of spring this year the CSN program took to one of New York’s great greenspaces, Prospect Park, for the pilot Open Air Care Connections program. As NYC Health Commissioner and FPHNYC Board Chair, Dr. Ashwin Vasan explained to Gothamist, “We know the front door to our mental health system can be hard to find and hard to access…New Yorkers are busy people, so we’re bringing the conversation to them.”

Grant and Timal, CHWs from Neighborhood Housing Services of Brooklyn, in Prospect Park. photo: Shola Thompson, DOHMH

The CSN was made possible with a grant FPHNYC secured from The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust. With this support, between August 2023 and June 2024, CHWs provided individuals with 6,981 referrals to health and social services (individuals on average received more than one service referral at a time).

Asked by CHWs what their chief concerns were, the most frequent response from individuals was “Safety in the Community,” with 46% of respondents indicating this as an issue.  “Daily Needs of Food, Water, Housing,” was cited by 41% of individuals, underscoring the persistent issue of accessing essential resources. “Physical Health” is another significant concern, mentioned by 34% of respondents. “Coping with Emotions” and “Coping with Anger” were cited by 31 and 30 percent of people, respectively. Other notable concerns include “High Blood Pressure or Heart Disease” (26%), “Function in Daily Tasks” (23%), and issues related to “Safety at Home” (25%), “Substance Use” (21%), and “Racism” (21%). 

The partner CBOS and CHWs involved with the CSN were recognized by the Health Department and the Prospect Park Alliance at a luncheon and awards ceremony in July. FPHNYC is actively seeking to engage additional funders to support this important work shown to foster healthier and more resilient communities around New York City.

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Advances Adams Administration’s Goal in HealthyNYC to Reduce Black Maternal Mortality by 10 Percent by 2030

NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan today announced that the Adams administration — in partnership with the Fund for Public Health NYC and The Clinton Global Initiative — will host a conference to discuss how New York City can improve Black maternal health and significantly reduce preventable maternal deaths. Leaders from across different sectors will join the conference today (March12), including representatives from government, academia, health care, advocacy, and philanthropy. As the city aims to reduce Black maternal mortality by 10 percent by 2030 through HealthyNYC — New York City’s ambitious plan to improve and extend the average lifespan of all New Yorkers — participants will discuss strategies to bolster maternal health across the five boroughs, save lives, and build healthier families and communities. Today’s conference also represents a continuation of the work of “Women Forward NYC: An Action Plan for Gender Equity,” the Adams administration’s $43 million plan with the ambitious goal to make New York City the most woman-forward city in the country.

“This is a critical moment for women’s health in New York City and across the country,” said Mayor Adams. “The numbers are clear: Black New Yorkers are four times more likely than white New Yorkers to experience a pregnancy-associated death. Our administration has taken action to boost birth equity, expanding the doula program citywide, signing a package of bills to strengthen maternal health, and setting the ambitious goal of reducing Black maternal mortality by 10 percent by 2030. Today’s conference is a continuation of that work, bringing leaders from across sectors to the table to discuss solutions to determine how we can build a city that supports all new families. Our children are our most precious resource and by investing in them and their families from the start, we’ll build a safer and healthier city for generations to come.”

“Regardless of your race or zip code, women in New York City should have access to the resources and support needed to ensure a safe, healthy birth,” said First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright. “For too long, Black women experiencing childbirth have faced systemic odds. Data has constantly showed the inequities within maternal care, and today we are taking a step towards addressing that disparity. Today’s announcement is a true cross-sector, solution driven collaboration of thought leaders, health experts, and government officials convening with the sole purpose of making sure Black women and their families are safe during one of life’s most important moments.”

“Since the first day of this administration, the issue of maternal health and birth equity have been top priorities,” said Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Anne Williams-Isom. “We have and will continue to support expectant parents before, during, and after they welcome their new family member. Thank you to our partners for coming together for this convening and for joining with us in this effort.”

“When it comes to promoting longer, healthier lives, all roads run through equity,” said DOHMH Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan. “There is no more important place to start that than at the beginning of life. This conference is about partnership and building an infrastructure to support Black families, which has been missing for far too long.”

“Prioritizing the health and wellbeing of Black women and birthing people means committing new resources and implementing solutions that come directly from Black women and birthing people,” said DOHMH Chief Medical Officer and Deputy Commissioner Dr. Michelle Morse. “To support those priorities, we at DOHMH support reducing siloes and bridging public health and health care because collaboration that centers community-based care is one key step towards birth equity.”

“We know from DOHMH Maternal Mortality Review Committee reports that mental health conditions are among the leading causes of maternal mortality,” said Leslie A. Hayes, M.D., DOHMH Deputy Commissioner for the Family and Child Health Division. “We also know that most of these deaths are preventable.  Today’s convening is an exciting opportunity to turn ideas into actions and to make a huge difference in the lives of Black families. We look forward to working with our philanthropic funders, community leaders, and other public health experts.”

“Eliminating the inequities in maternal mortality between Black and other birthing people is going to take partnerships,” said Sara Gardner, CEO, Fund for Public Health NYC. “Today’s conference brings together government, community, and philanthropy to discuss how to support pregnant New Yorkers and their families, ensuring they can not only survive, but also thrive.”

“The Black maternal health crisis is an existential issue that not only deserves our attention; it deserves, and requires, our shared commitment to action. To be successful, we will need everyone in this fight — from health care to business, from government to philanthropy,” said Dr. Chelsea Clinton. “At the Clinton Foundation and Clinton Global Initiatives, we stand ready to be of service in any way we can. And I am hopeful that together we can build a safer, healthier, and more equitable future.”

Speakers at today’s conference include Dr. Chelsea Clinton, First Deputy Mayor Wright, DOHMH Commissioner Dr. Vasan, DOHMH Deputy Commissioner Dr. Leslie Hayes, DOHMH Chief Medical Officer and Deputy Commissioner Dr. Michelle Morse alongside community subject matter experts, Dr. Ashanda Saint Jean, Nekeisha Afful, Naima Beckles, Helena Grant, and Ilish Neely.

Tackling maternal mortality is an urgent priority for the Adams administration: Black New Yorkers are four times more likely than white New Yorkers to experience a pregnancy-associated death. From 2016 to 2018, data shows that 72 percent of pregnancy-associated deaths among Black mothers were preventable, compared to 43 percent for white mothers, and 65 percent for Latina mothers. The Adams administration has taken action to strengthen birth equity, expanding the doula program citywide, signing a package of bills to strengthen maternal health, and setting the ambitious goal of reducing Black maternal mortality by 10 percent by 2023.

In January 2024, following his State of the City address, Mayor Adams announced Women Forward NYC. Supported through city dollars, private and public partnerships, academic institutions, and federal grant funding, the action plan addresses gender disparities by connecting women to professional development and higher-paying jobs; dismantling barriers to sexual, reproductive, and chronic health care; reducing gender-based violence against women; and providing holistic housing services, including for formerly incarcerated women and domestic and gender-based violence survivors.

Read the Original Press Release

Photo: Joseph Sinnott for FPHNYC

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