Outside New York State Archives - New York Health Foundation

Luminas, LLC

Older adults are a rapidly growing population with complex health and nutritional needs. Between 2011 and 2021, New York’s older adult population increased by 31%, from 2.6 to 3.4 million, and the number of older adults from racial and ethnic minorities—groups with rates of higher food insecurity—has grown faster than the number of white older adults. Research shows that between 8% and 14% of older adults in New York are food insecure and that at least 200,000 are eligible for SNAP benefits but not enrolled. Little information is available about how older adults experience hunger and about their needs and preferences. Experts have expressed a need for better data on food-insecure older adults, especially for those not participating in food access programs (e.g., SNAP, home-delivered and congregate meals). In 2024, NYHealth awarded Luminas, LLC a grant to conduct statewide qualitative research on the needs and experiences of food-insecure older adults.

Under this grant, Luminas will design and execute a statewide qualitative research project to understand the needs and experiences of food-insecure older adults. NYHealth will partner with Luminas to publish a report that distills findings and recommends practical program and policy actions.

Center for Health Care Strategies

As frontline public health workers who are predominantly people of color, Community Health Workers (CHWs) serve as a critical bridge between patients from marginalized communities and the health care system. Recent policy changes have increased opportunities for CHW integration. Medicare now reimburses CHW services for older adults with health-related social needs nationwide, and New York State has joined 23 other states in initiating Medicaid reimbursement for CHW services for pregnant and postpartum women, children, adults with health-related social needs, and other high-risk populations. However, this potential remains largely untapped. In 2024, NYHealth awarded the Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS) a grant to equip providers and policymakers with the tools to integrate CHWs into primary care and maximize Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements.

Under this grant, CHCS will launch and facilitate a learning collaborative with six clinical and community-based providers seeking to bill Medicare and Medicaid for CHW services. Participating organizations will identify barriers to reimbursement and design solutions to overcome them. CHCS will provide tailored technical assistance, host educational workshops, and support shared learning. It will develop and widely disseminate a toolkit to help New York providers navigate and braid Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement. Finally, it will make policy recommendations to improve Medicare and Medicaid CHW benefits or better coordinate their implementation.

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM)

In 2021, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) produced a report, “Implementing High-Quality Primary Care: Rebuilding the Foundation of Health Care,” that outlines a plan to advance and strengthen the primary care system.

NASEM also created a standing committee of national experts to inform the public sector’s efforts by maintaining surveillance of the primary care field, including studies and changes in clinical practices and policies. In 2023, NYHealth awarded NASEM a grant to convene this expert panel to inform and strengthen the nation’s primary care system.

Under this grant, NASEM will operate its standing expert committee over three years to inform federal efforts to strengthen primary care. NASEM will engage a committee of 18 experts from across the country, including primary care clinicians, researchers, and policy experts. It will convene two to four public meetings annually; experts from the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services, Veterans Affairs, and Agriculture will also be invited to participate. Discussion topics may include primary care access across patient populations, care delivery and payment models, primary care workforce, and team-based care. Additionally, NASEM will develop a series of policy briefs and make recommendations to inform policymaking, disseminating reports through its monthly newsletter, social media, and press outreach. It will also share the committee’s findings and recommendations with federal policymakers.

Fair Food Network

For families with low income, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the nation’s most important anti-hunger program, but most SNAP participants still spend more than one-third of their income on food and forgo fresh fruits and vegetables.

The resulting nutrition insecurity leads to poorer health and an increased risk of diet-related diseases. To address this need, nutrition incentive programs like Double Up Food Bucks aim to encourage SNAP participants to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables by providing matching dollars, vouchers, or discounts to use at a range of retailers. Similarly, produce prescription programs—which can be filled and used at grocery stores or farmers markets—provide incentives for low-income patients with diet-related diseases to purchase fruits and vegetables. While these programs have broad support, the technology to allow seamless transactions at the point of sale (i.e., the electronic system that accepts and processes payment at the register) has proven difficult, creating frustration and perpetuating stigma. Retailers and programs need an improved point-of-sale system for processing nutrition incentives that allows cashiers to simply process benefits like a single credit card, which would increase transaction speed, streamline reporting, and reduce stigma. In 2023, NYHealth awarded Fair Food Network a grant to address technology barriers that limit the widespread adoption and redemption of nutrition incentives and produce prescription programs that support the purchase of fruits and vegetables by low-income consumers.

Under this grant, Fair Food Network will build the technology requirements for a scalable and low-cost transaction technology that allows for seamless participation by both retailers and shoppers. Its lead project partner, the National Grocers Association, represents independent grocery retailers nationwide and will help mobilize industry relationships and connections. Fair Food Network will establish a stakeholder workgroup that includes Field & Fork Network, which has scaled the Double Up Food Bucks Program across the State; the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s Groceries to Go produce prescription program; and other members like technology developers, grocery retail and farmers market associations, store managers, cashiers, and shoppers. The workgroup will identify clear technical requirements for efficient nutrition incentive transactions. Additionally, to make a business case for technology companies, Fair Food Network will emphasize that there is the demand from the field for this innovation and that both developers and grocers can acquire more revenue if they invest in the recommended solutions. Lastly, Fair Food Network will leverage its extensive network of industry relationships to secure investment from point-of-sale technology companies.

Center for Excellence in Health Care Journalism

In today’s age of information overload and hyperpolarization, it can be challenging for people to discern what is credible and what is not.

Health misinformation and disinformation are flourishing, particularly on social media, as has been evident during the COVID-19 pandemic. Health journalists are tasked with providing accurate and reliable health information to the public. However, media outlets have faced downsizings, consolidations, and a lack of resources for journalists’ continuing education and professional development. Without specialized training, reporters, editors, and producers are left on their own to develop literacy and understanding of health issues. The Center for Excellence in Health Care Journalism, the supporting nonprofit organization for the Association of Health Care Journalists (AHCJ), aims to fill that knowledge gap through an annual national conference that attracts approximately 700–800 reporters, editors, and producers, as well as health care luminaries. In 2023, NYHealth awarded the Center for Excellence in Health Care Journalism a grant to support the 2024 national Health Journalism conference in New York City.

Under this grant, AHCJ created a new conference track focused on food systems and nutrition. The grant also provided partial support for the four-day conference, which included field trips to see firsthand the innovative work being done to improve health in New York; panel discussions and keynote addresses from leading experts; and skills-building workshops.

CATCH Global Foundation

Vaping, especially among youth, is an increasing public health concern.

A single pre-filled pod for an e-cigarette contains as much nicotine as a pack of cigarettes, along with other harmful additives. These substances stunt adolescent brain development, hinder learning, and can increase risks of developing chronic diseases. A 2019 NYHealth analysis showed that more than half of New York State’s high school seniors have tried vaping, following staggering increases over the previous five years. The State’s youth cigarette smoking rates reached an all-time low in 2020, but the emergence of a new generation of vape smokers puts these gains at risk. CATCH My Breath (CMB) is a nationally recognized, evidence-based vaping prevention program for students in 5th–12th grades that has been shown to increase students’ knowledge about the harms of e-cigarettes and to prevent vaping initiation among participants by almost half. In 2022, NYHealth awarded CATCH Global Foundation a grant to expand the program across New York City’s middle and high schools to reduce youth vaping rates.

Under this grant, CATCH will focus on five key activities: (1) raising awareness, promoting training opportunities, and recruiting schools for participation in CMB; (2) training administrators and teachers to weave the CMB curriculum into existing classroom lesson plans and physical education activities; (3) facilitating outreach to parents; (4) engaging students in service-learning projects about vaping; and (5) hosting train-the-trainer sessions that will enable participants to facilitate CMB trainings for other educators. It will host in-person and virtual Train-the-Trainer Academies. Participants will be certified to facilitate CMB trainings for educators and will be required to complete supplemental training in subsequent years. CATCH will reach 90 educators. CATCH will also partner with national and local organizations to broaden its reach and maximize youth and parent engagement.

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