Why did you choose to come to NYAM, and why now?
My focus is on purpose-driven work to move the needle for health, and I see NYAM providing a wonderful platform for that, here in the city that I love. Better health for all people has been a persistent North Star for me—starting with my upbringing with a physician father and a nurse mother. And I’ve always had a cross-disciplinary approach throughout my career; I’ve worked in public and private academia, hospitals, health departments and non-profits, all of which complements NYAM’s work.
Coming from a leadership position at Yale, where I also trained as a nurse midwife, I have great respect for institutions with long-standing history and traditions— especially ones that are not just resting on their laurels, but harnessing their assets and applying them to the needs of the present. I think NYAM has done that historically—on issues like maternal mortality, on the needs of people across the lifespan, even on addressing the threat of nuclear weapons—and we can do this even more going forward.
NYAM has always addressed critical issues of the day. What do you think is the next challenge for health and health equity?
You’ll hear me talk about the climate crisis and climate change, because this is creating a health crisis—and especially a health equity crisis. What are some things we can do to address it? I think a key word to focus on is “resilience.” We need to think about adapting our health systems to address the challenges that are already here and affecting people’s lives.
We need resilience in every facet of life, certainly within healthcare delivery and the public health sector. A recent analysis shows that even before COVID, the US lost half its workforce in the public health sector, and health providers also are suffering from burnout. The reality is, as we all live through the devastating impact of just one novel pathogen, with more stressors on the way, that we need to build more resilience.
This is what’s in front of us—helping our communities and health systems to be ready for the increased number of climate-related challenges we’re going to see. When we hear about preparing for climate change, the conversation is often around transportation and energy and agricultural sectors, and it hasn’t yet focused on the health sector enough. But where do we think people are going to go when they need help during extreme weather events, heat waves, shifting disease outbreaks?
And of course, the populations most affected by these challenges, both in New York and around the world, are disproportionally structurally marginalized, BIPOC communities already living with environmental pollution that historically have faced more barriers to healthcare. So we also must address not only equity in the healthcare system, but also address the underlying social, political and economic determinants.
Why is NYAM uniquely positioned to do this work?
In terms of climate change and health, all the things NYAM cares about come into play. It is through our unique role as a neutral convener, and within the framework of our relentless drive for equity, that we can act as a bridge between sectors and communities. We can do this as we learn from COVID-19 —the stressors it put on our systems, its unequal impact and our clinicians’ mental health— as we prepare for additional challenges. We can help ensure that healthcare systems continue to stand strong in the face of increasing climate stressors, and be safe spaces for our communities and our healthcare workers.
NYAM is distinctly positioned to support evidence-based approaches to building resilience for our workforce, for our healthcare systems, for our population’s health.
What are you looking forward to the most now that you’re back in New York City?
I am thrilled to be back! My father and my son were both born here, I’ve studied and worked here multiple times over the years, and I consider myself a New Yorker.
Being here allows me the opportunity to live life congruent with my values—to reduce my carbon footprint by living in a dense urban environment, taking mass transportation, eating a plant-based diet. I live in East Harlem now, and it is a privilege to be able to walk to work and to walk in Central Park’s Conservatory Garden, and to experience the dynamism of our great city. This is my sixth neighborhood in two boroughs, so I’m feeling quite at home and so glad to be a part of NYAM’s neighborhood in this city that reflects the whole world.
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