15 Years of Improving New Yorkers’ Health

Embracing a Changemaker Model

We value being changemakers—more than grantmakers. NYHealth has developed an activist approach to our work, not only through comprehensive advocacy campaigns that resulted in free lunch for all NYC school children and universal access to Veterans Treatment Courts, but also through our analytic work, writing, speaking, and convening.

Responding to the COVID-19 Pandemic

In spring 2020, NYHealth awarded $5 million in funding—our largest ever single authorization—to support COVID-19 response and relief efforts throughout New York State. We also conducted analytic work on issues like food security and mental health and developed an online resource page to share practical information with New York nonprofits.

Making Free School Lunch a Reality in New York City

A universal free school lunch program ensures that all children have the food they need to be healthy and learn well, regardless of their family income and without the stigma of free or reduced-price lunch. Securing free lunch for New York City’s 1.1 million school children was a priority for NYHealth that came to pass in 2017.

Empowering Patients with Health Care Visit Notes

NYHealth was an early supporter of OpenNotes—a national effort to give patients access to the visit notes written by their health care providers—across New York hospitals and health centers. With a new federal requirement that health care providers must share visit notes with patients, our vision is becoming the standard of care and helping patients be active partners in their own care.

Securing Universal Access to Veterans Treatment Courts

Veterans Treatment Courts (VTCs) provide treatment rather than incarceration for justice-involved veterans who have mental health and/or substance use issues. NYHealth and our partners worked for years to ensure that every veteran in the State has access to a VTC. In spring 2021, that vision was realized in legislation signed by Governor Cuomo.

Seeding, Replicating, and Sustaining Promising Programs

NYHealth’s Special Projects Fund provides flexibility to support timely opportunities across a range of health issues, including the opioid crisis, immigrant and refugee health, and rural health care. A key strategy in this area is to replicate promising approaches in other health care settings or geographic regions of the State, as well as to cultivate sustainable sources of funding.

Pursuing Racial Health Equity

Health equity has been an underlying theme of much of NYHealth’s work, but it has not been an explicit focus. In 2020, our country began to reckon with racism in a new way following the murder of George Floyd; at the same time, we looked for opportunities to address racial equity in a more intentional way through our own grantmaking and operations.

Developing Policy-Relevant Analytic Work

In addition to making grants to support analytic work like the RAND Corporation’s assessment of the impact of a single-payer health care system in New York, NYHealth has built up our internal capacity to conduct timely and relevant policy analyses in areas like food security, mental health, childhood vaccinations, and maternal health.

Building Healthy Communities

Over six years, we worked with six communities across New York State to improve access to affordable, nutritious food and opportunities for physical activity. This work also informed our newest priority area—Healthy Food, Healthy Lives—which launched in 2021.

Engaging Health Care Consumers as Advocates

Patients and consumers should have a seat at the table to help drive and inform decisions that affect health care policy, access, and costs. NYHealth has supported efforts with grantees like Health Care for All New York to amplify consumers’ voices on issues such as curbing surprise medical bills and making health care price and quality information more transparent.

Bringing People Together

We’ve hosted hundreds of public events to discuss timely topics related to health care and public health. We also gather diverse workgroups to build consensus on tough issues like developing an All-Payer Claims Database for New York State (that one still hasn’t come to fruition) or creating a plan to ensure universal access to Veterans Treatment Courts (a big win).

Building a Strong Team

Our team of program, policy & research, communications, finance, grants management, investment, and operations staff—along with guidance from an engaged Community Advisory Committee and leadership from a committed Board of Directors—is what enables us to make a difference in the health and lives of so many New Yorkers.

5-year Anniversary Report

10-year Anniversary Report