Thank you for your support
We extend our deepest thanks to our supporters—a network of individuals, foundations and corporations who share our commitment to building a healthier and more equitable society.
2020 PRESIDENT’S SOCIETY MEMBERS
The President’s Society is a philanthropic giving society of forward-thinking individuals who provide critical support
for NYAM’s research, programs, public events and Library.
City Visionaries
$100,000+
James & Kerianne Flynn
Urban Champions
$50,000 – $99,999
Barry & Bobbi Coller
The Corlette Glorney Foundation Inc.
Empire Laureates
$25,000 – $49,999
The Ambrose Monell Foundation
David & Geri Wolf
Anonymous
Gotham Innovators
$10,000 – $24,999
Jo Ivey Boufford
Christy and John Mack Foundation
Elsa-Grace Giardina & Alan Saroff
Barbara Green
Marc & Pam Grodman
Julian Harris
Mia Jung
David Perry
Wayne Riley
Metropolitan Partners
$5,000 – $9,999
The Bruno J. Bellinfante Living Trust
The Charina Foundation
Claire Pomeroy
Judith Salerno
Paul & Kimberley Tanico
George & Barbara Thibault
Anonymous
Progress Allies
$1,000 – $4,999
Lawrence Altman
Jeremiah & Linda Barondess
R. Martin Chavez
Nancy & Andy Clayman
Randi & Stuart Epstein
Ilene Fennoy & Daulton Lewis
Lesmah Fraser
Vartan & Clare Gregorian
Weslie Janeway
Sylvia Karasu
Robert Kaufman
Linda Lombardi
Ruth & William Lubic
Thomas & Jackie Morris
Paul Moses & Barbara Lubash
Vimla Patel & Edward Shortliffe
Miguel Perez & Yianni Vitellas
Ellen Rubin
Steven Safyer & Paula Marcus
Anthony Shih
Connie Vance
The William A. Haseltine Charitable Foundation
Continue reading below to learn more about the work made possible by your generosity, including NYAM’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the development of our Action Agenda for Health Equity.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, NYAM was ready.
Our deep expertise and longstanding leadership in health equity prepared us to lead on framing, discussing and addressing the existing health inequities that were exacerbated as COVID-19 ravaged our city. It quickly became the focus to apply our expertise to inform policy and practice, connect communities to resources, and engage professionals and the public as just a starting point. We invite you to scroll through highlights of our work since March 2020. With the campaign to vaccinate America underway, we are hopeful for a brighter 2021 and are committed to continue building that healthy future together.
"This is a historic moment for the nation and for NYAM, when the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed deep and longstanding health disparities. Our commitment to health equity drove our response to the pandemic and will continue to guide us moving forward."
“This is a critical time in New York and our nation, while we continue to deal with a global pandemic, social justice matters, systemic racism, and persistent health inequity and disparity. NYAM’s voice, advocacy and leadership remain vitally important in effecting positive change.”
INFORMING POLICY & PRACTICE
Because of our expertise in generating knowledge to inform policy and practice, we worked quickly with government, healthcare and community partners on new studies, convenings and training programs that addressed specific aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic, from infection control in nursing homes to informing an equitable distribution of the vaccines.
Equitable Distribution of the COVID-19 Vaccines in NYC
In the fall of 2020, NYAM partnered with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to understand New Yorkers’ points of view on fair distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine. Discussions with a cross-section of city residents, using a public deliberation approach, yielded a wealth of information that helped to inform the vaccine rollout process in NYC. Participants favored equity-based approaches and identified underlying conditions and neighborhoods as their top criteria for prioritizing vaccine distribution.
To help inform the COVID-19 response and vaccine rollout locally and nationally, NYAM staff and Board members are active participants on numerous task forces and workgroups including the New York State Vaccine Equity Task Force and others led by the NYC Health Department, NYC Health + Hospitals, the National Academy of Medicine and more.
(Pictured) Dr. Wayne J. Riley does his part in the fight against COVID-19 by receiving his vaccine shot at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University.
“Developing an equitable vaccine plan is crucial in responding to a large public health challenge like the COVID-19 pandemic. The public deliberation process ensures that New Yorkers have a voice in that planning. NYAM’s results reaffirm the Health Department’s commitment to prioritizing neighborhoods hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Infection Prevention and Control in Nursing Homes
In the U.S., more than one-third of deaths from COVID-19 were linked to nursing homes or other long-term care facilities for older adults. Building on our expertise and leadership in healthy aging, NYAM partnered with the Yale School of Nursing to advance the understanding and prevention of infections in long-term care facilities worldwide and inform facilities in creating environments that optimize safety, health and well-being for their residents and staff. With support from Saraya Co. Ltd, this ongoing partnership includes a two-part global virtual summit, held in December 2020, and the development of an educational toolkit with instructional modules to address infection control challenges, to be released in 2021.
In order to support real-time learning on this topic among nursing home administrators and staff in New York, NYAM also partnered with LeadingAge New York to serve as a Training Center for the AHRQ ECHO National Nursing Home COVID-19 Action Network, a partnership between the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the University of New Mexico’s ECHO Institute and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement. The network is an interactive community of practice for nursing home staff to collaboratively advance improvements in COVID-19 preparedness, safety and infection control in more than 100 facilities across the state.
Hospital Partnership to Address COVID-19 Needs
With the recognition that health crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic involve rapidly changing information on clinical interventions and patient needs, NYAM and Metropolitan Hospital formed a partnership to support decision-making with real-time data and outreach. We conducted analyses of electronic health record (EHR) data during the first surge of the pandemic in NYC to gain a better understanding of how COVID-19 impacted the patient population, processes of care and outcomes during the pandemic, and ultimately to improve patient care. We also developed user-friendly guides on housing and free- or low-cost mental health resources in Spanish and English for the Metropolitan discharge team to use with patients upon discharge.
connecting communities to resources
Because of our strong community connections across NYC, including in our East Harlem neighborhood that was especially hard-hit by the pandemic, we were able to work quickly with our partners to create and distribute resources for individuals and groups in vulnerable situations.
Meeting the Needs of Older Adults
NYAM’s Center for Healthy Aging strives to increase the social, physical and economic participation of older people and to better connect them with information and resources. This mission took on new meaning during the pandemic, as many older adults faced the challenges of isolation and technological disconnection in addition to being at higher risk for serious illness and death from the virus. NYAM responded with relevant information, resources and tangible support for older adults and their communities.
When New York’s stay-at-home order went into effect in March 2020, our healthy aging team identified the need to educate community members on low-tech and easy ways to reach out to and assist their older neighbors. NYAM released a bilingual guide on how to support older adults who live in New York City and around the country as well as intergenerational guides to helping friends, family and the community during COVID-19.
Age-friendly neighborhood organizations play a vital role in keeping older New Yorkers socially engaged and healthy. With the support of the New York State Health Foundation and in partnership with the Manhattan and Brooklyn Borough Presidents, NYAM virtually convened more than 30 Age-friendly Neighborhood leaders to connect with their peers and share innovative strategies for serving their communities during COVID-19. Through the Age-friendly Neighborhoods Fund, we also provided grants for their critical work to connect older people with information, technology resources and opportunities for social engagement.
Health and Well-being Programming for NYC Youth in Foster Care
The past year was an especially vulnerable time for youth in foster care, as COVID-19 further exacerbated the isolation of being separated from their families. In order to support the health and well-being of older youth at foster care facilities in NYC during this challenging time, NYAM partnered with the NYC Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) to pilot the YouthWorks Virtual Community Program. Through live and self-paced sessions, the program promotes physical and mental well-being, self-esteem and healthy decision making. Following the successful pilot, YouthWorks is expanding to reach even more youth in 2021 with support from the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation.
“YouthWorks promotes healthy decision making for youth, while celebrating the value of their voices and leadership capacity. The program motivates youth to explore a variety of interests as they embrace their unique ability to make lasting change that impacts their overall health and wellness.”
Food Access in East Harlem
During the pandemic, food insecurity was an issue for many families in East Harlem and across NYC. NYAM partnered with Trinity Commons Wall Street and several local networks to deliver 780 bags of groceries to East Harlem families. We also volunteered our building space as a central hub for the distribution of 6,400 meals through the youth services organization SCAN-Harbor.
Supporting Local Businesses
NYAM is an active member of the East Harlem Community Alliance, which is housed at and managed by the community organization Union Settlement. As the co-chair of the alliance’s Buy Local Committee along with Metropolitan Hospital, we worked to increase local spending at East Harlem’s small businesses, which were struggling during 2020.
Color Our Collections
The Library’s Color Our Collections website shares free downloadable coloring books from nearly 350 libraries and institutions around the world. This resource was especially popular during stay-at-home orders, as it provided a fun, relaxing and educational at-home activity for people of all ages.
AMPLIFYING VOICES OF NEW YORKERS
Because of our established focus on listening to New Yorkers about what they need to be healthy, we were able to use our existing networks and methods to gather and amplify perspectives on living through the pandemic and what must be done to address inequities and meet communities’ needs.
- Through the East Harlem Action Collaborative (EHAC) for Child Health and Well-being, NYAM is shifting power to local caregivers of young children to identify solutions and put forth recommendations for a better tomorrow for all children. In March 2020, NYAM staff interviewed each EHAC member to assess their barriers and challenges during the pandemic; based on this feedback, we were able to work together with our local elected officials to bring needed resources including food deliveries to the East Harlem community.
Remembering Gloria Maldonado
Like so many families across NYC, the NYAM family has also experienced devasting loss from COVID-19. It is with great sadness that we share that Gloria Maldonado, a treasured member of the EHAC team who interviewed residents for this initiative, passed away in December 2020. Gloria was a resident of the Bronx, born in Puerto Rico, and used her social work and language skills and her enormous energy to help East Harlem caregivers grow, learn and lead through the EHAC collaborative. Without her determination and steadfast belief in these resident caregivers, the program could not have succeeded.
Sharon
Mercedes
Angela
Cheryl
Maribel
Meyra
Christina
Marleny
Concepcion
- As part of EHAC, we formed the East Harlem Youth Advisory Board, which engaged youth to learn about their needs over the summer when all summer programs had been halted. Through this pilot program with local elected officials, a group of six young people designed a survey that was disseminated to more than 130 youth. The survey results will inform a statement of district needs for youth, led by youth and for youth in East Harlem, that can serve as a model for other districts around NYC and inform youth programming.
Voices of Older New Yorkers
Age-friendly Neighborhoods
The experiences and perspectives of older adults are at the heart of all of NYAM’s work in healthy aging, which we have led in NYC for more than a decade. As part of our work with age-friendly neighborhood groups and nonprofits that served older adults during the pandemic, we provided an online survey for them to distribute to their members in November 2020. The responses from 180 older New Yorkers showed that their local organizations had a remarkable impact on their lives during an extraordinarily challenging and isolating time. The findings helped inform a toolkit for age-friendly neighborhood organizations to sustain, grow and fund their work, which was released in February 2021.
Age-friendly Manhattan
NYAM also partnered with Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer to form a new initiative, Age-friendly Manhattan, to address the issues faced by older New Yorkers across the borough. Together, we conducted a survey to ask older Manhattanites about their experiences of living in the borough in fall 2019 through winter 2020. The responses shaped the initiative’s next steps for creating a more age-friendly Manhattan, which were released in February 2021.
EDUCATING & ENGAGING HEALTH PROFESSIONALS
Because of our strong network of health professionals, we worked quickly to disseminate information and bring people together for conversations on key issues related to the pandemic and health equity.
Events for Professionals, Students and the Public
When the pandemic hit New York, health professionals were thrown into an unprecedented situation—many putting their lives on the line to treat patients for a deadly virus with very little information and constantly-changing guidance. NYAM stepped up to serve as a crucial hub for important conversations, resource sharing and support among health professionals, students and community members in New York City and beyond.
Intro remarks at Virtual AIM Conference
Dr. Judy Salerno touches on her experience in the ICU during the pandemic, and the importance of the role of the next generation of healthcare professionals.
COVID Conversations
With leadership from NYAM’s Fellows and Members, the COVID Conversations series hosted both formal presentations and informal discussions between health professionals. Topics included emergency readiness, addressing pandemic challenges in the NYC homeless system, and advance care planning. Breakout rooms provided additional opportunities for frank, closed discussions among frontline health professionals and students about the immediate challenges of the pandemic.
Advocacy in Medicine (AIM) Conference
Organized by a NYAM workgroup of medical students from institutions across New York City and hosted in partnership with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, the third annual AIM conference focused on COVID-19 and systemic inequality, the ethics of rationing care, policy advocacy for public health and more.
How Physicians and Victims’ Families Are Surviving the Pandemic
NYAM partnered with FRONTLINE to host this special event featuring The Last Call, a short documentary that illustrates the personal loss of one family behind the staggering numbers of those lost to the virus. The screening was followed by an in-depth conversation with physicians, including NYAM President Dr. Judith Salerno, on the experiences of healthcare professionals and victims’ families during the height of the pandemic.
Social Workers on the Front Lines of a Pandemic
The NYAM Fellows Section on Social Work partnered with the Helen Rehr Center for Social Work Practice to host a three-part workshop series focused on the experiences of social workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The sessions addressed the roles of social workers, the problems faced by COVID-19 patients and their families from a social work perspective, and lessons learned on social work interventions in the present situation and future crises.
Timely Information and Resources
Like so many others across the country, at the very beginning of the pandemic we were continually asking ourselves, “What can we do to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 and support those with greatest risk of and exposure to the virus?” This question led to the creation of numerous resources to inform professionals and the public throughout the pandemic.
In March 2020, NYAM launched the website What Can I Do? as a curated digital hub focused on resources, best practices, aggregated news and legislative measures relating to COVID-19, with a special focus on issues of health equity. The initiative was expanded with a curated weekly newsletter focused on housing, food access, mental health, older adults and violence as well as programming launched in the fall. The What Can I Do? initiative and its resource pages have been shared widely by health professionals, policy makers and community-based organizations across New York and beyond.
Scholarly research and learning around COVID-19 were ever-evolving, necessitating a central hub for timely peer-reviewed research. NYAM Scholar-in-Residence Dr. Elaine Larson curated a searchable COVID-19 research database for clinicians and medical researchers, which was launched on the Wolters Kluwar website in April 2020 and grew to include more than 36,000 citations.
NYAM’s librarians curated a list of COVID-19 Research Resources to provide a starting point for researchers to access up-to-date data and information.
Tailored Guidance for Professionals
Resources for Patients
The pandemic presented challenges for primary care and social service providers in meeting the shifting needs of their patients and clients. NYAM’s subject-matter experts responded to this need with specific and up-to-date resources including a summary of housing resources for providers to refer patients to during the pandemic and a guide for professionals on supporting older adults without internet access.
Data Visualization Tool
Our data visualization tool IMAGE: NYC, the Interactive Map of Aging, provided a sophisticated mapping resource to help government agencies, service providers and other professionals identify neighborhoods with specific socio-demographic risk factors for severe COVID-19 outcomes. In early 2021, we overlayed this information with COVID-19 vaccination locations, proving the tool’s flexibility and usefulness to disaster mitigation.
Census Outreach
Starting in early 2020, NYAM’s “Get Out the Count” initiative focused on optimizing participation in the 2020 Census among older people through trainings and resources, including a comprehensive toolkit for professionals who interact with older New Yorkers. To adjust for the effects of COVID-19 on the census process, we continued to issue relevant updates and resources.
LEADERSHIP COMMITMENT & PROMISE
With nearly 175 years of leadership in improving public health and addressing disparities, NYAM’s drive to attain health equity in pursuit of a healthier world for all has never been more vital. The COVID-19 pandemic laid bare the inequities—furthered by more than 400 years of systemic racism—that have created poor health outcomes for millions. Moving into 2021, NYAM continues to respond to this unprecedented public health crisis with passion and unique expertise, as well as a commitment to addressing social justice issues to reach health equity.
Leading and Learning
on the Front Lines
Like thousands of health professionals from across the country, NYAM President Dr. Judith Salerno returned from clinical retirement to volunteer on the front lines during the height of the pandemic in New York City. While serving on the palliative care team of the ICU at Bellevue Hospital, Dr. Salerno witnessed firsthand the loss and devastation caused by the pandemic and its inescapable impact on the communities NYAM serves. This experience further fueled the passion that Dr. Salerno and so many in our NYAM community have to address the inequities that prevent everyone from access to all that they need to be healthy.
NYAM Welcomes Dr. Wayne J. Riley as Board Chair
In October 2020, NYAM announced Wayne J. Riley, MD, MPH, MBA, MACP, as the new chair of the organization’s Board of Trustees. Dr. Riley is president of SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, one of the nation’s leading urban medical centers. Since joining the NYAM board, Dr. Riley’s guidance and leadership have significantly impacted NYAM’s strategic plans, including our new Action Agenda for Health Equity. Fueled by the current state of health inequities, Dr. Riley’s ongoing contributions and leadership will further strengthen NYAM’s work to advance health and well-being of New Yorkers in the years to come.
NYAM’s Action Agenda for Health Equity
Launched in 2020, NYAM’s Action Agenda for Health Equity was conceived to advance our work to remove barriers to access and re-center power to address systemic racism that is inhibiting health for all. In doing this work, NYAM will also continue looking inward to make sure we meet the highest standards to be a credible advocate connecting research, knowledge, and data to changes in policy, resource allocation, and public opinion and cultural mindset. Working closely with our staff workgroup Advance to an Anti-Racist Culture, we will deepen our internal work to ensure equity and inclusion at NYAM. Highlights of the Action Agenda include the following:
We will bring together a national network of scholars representing diverse disciplines to create and execute a research agenda that can drive equitable and inclusive policy change, grow the pipeline of health equity researchers and develop new ideas on the root causes of inequities. This network will provide critical support to expanding NYAM’s health equity research capacity and the Action Agenda goal to shift power and expand access in a more equitable way.
With the launch of a new Community Program Advisory Board, NYAM’s work will be further informed by voices from the communities we work with in order to ensure relevancy and to maximize impact. This board will provide input on our research and public programs and serve as a resource to help us deepen our commitment to community-centered work.
In 2021, NYAM is further strengthening our focus on community engagement centered on learning, sharing and taking action. We are continuing to build our COVID-19 response in consultation with those most affected, including through public programing and the launch of an initiative to protect and support the mental health of frontline healthcare professionals. Through these efforts and more, we are committed to reaching a broad professional and public audience with actionable solutions.
NYAM Board of Trustees
Wayne J. Riley, MD, MPH, MBA, MACP
Chair
President
SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University
Mark L. Wagar
Vice-Chair
Chief Executive Officer
HealthShare Value Advisers, LLC
Charles N. Bertolami, DDS, DMedSc
Herman Robert Fox Dean
New York University College of Dentistry
Dave A. Chokshi, MD, MSc, FACP
Commissioner
NYC Department of Health & Mental Hygiene
*Represented by Torian Easterling, MD, MPH
First Deputy Commissioner and Chief Equity Officer
NYC Department of Health & Mental Hygiene
Steven J. Corwin, MD, Advisory Member
President & Chief Executive Officer
NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital
John Damonti, MSW
President
Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation
Vice President
Corporate Philanthropy & Patient Assistance
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company
Martine Ferland
President and Chief Executive Officer
Mercer
James Flynn, MS,
Board Chair Emeritus
President
Deerfield Management Company, LP
Elsa-Grace Giardina, MD, MS, FACC, FAHA, FACP
Professor of Medicine
Columbia University Medical Center
Barbara A. Green, PhD,
Ex-officio
Senior Vice President
New Business Initiatives
GNYHA Ventures, Inc
Greater New York Hospital Association
Marc D. Grodman, MD
Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine
Columbia University Medical Center
Julian Harris, MD, MBA, MSc
Partner on the Healthcare Services Team
Deerfield Management Company, LP
Julia Iyasere, MD, MBA
Executive Director of the Dalio Center for Health Justice
NewYork-Presbyterian
Mia Jung, MBA
President
Oxeon Partners
Mark N. Kaplan, Esq
Of Counsel
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP
Jennifer H. Mieres, MD, FACC, MASNC, FAHA
Senior Vice President
Center for Equity of Care and
Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer Northwell Health
Associate Dean
Faculty Affairs and Professor of Cardiology Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell
Philip O. Ozuah, MD, PhD
President and Chief Executive Officer
Montefiore Medicine
Richard Park, MD, FACEP
Chief Executive Officer
Rendr
Co-Founder and Managing Partner
Ascend Partners
Elena Rios, MD, MSPH, FACP
President and Chief Executive Officer
National Hispanic Medical Association
Judith A. Salerno, MD, MS
President
The New York Academy of Medicine
Paul P. Tanico, JD
Managing Principal
CastleRock Management
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