Ensuring equitable access to high-quality care is a crucial responsibility of healthcare systems. It is also critical to NYAM. We provide research and expertise that inform New York State’s healthcare reform efforts and shape the development of more equitable policies and systems. We have also informed COVID-19 response efforts, supported advocacy training for medical students, evaluated harm reduction services, facilitated community member input into health system needs assessments, developed community health initiatives targeted to residents’ needs, and more.
Selected Work
Informing Equitable Distribution of the COVID-19 Vaccines in NYC
In December 2020 and January 2021, NYAM conducted a series of five pilot public deliberations on behalf of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene focused on informing priorities for distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine in New York. NYAM’s Center for Evaluation and Applied Research (CEAR) has developed a set of resources for use by other localities to gain informed constituent recommendations on fair distribution of the vaccine during the COVID-19 pandemic. These resources may also be useful for developing public deliberations soliciting community guidance on related population health and equity questions. These resources can be found on the website of the deBeaumont Foundation, which provided support for their development. Funding for the NYC pilot was provided by the Altman Foundation, the New York State Health Foundation and United Hospital Fund.
Access Public Deliberation Resources
Learn More About CEAR’s Public Deliberation Work
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.
Housing Guide for Healthcare Providers
Access to stable, affordable and well-maintained housing is recognized as one of the most influential contributors to good health. Many healthcare providers recognize this connection but hesitate to broach the topic of housing with patients if they lack tools to help them. In February 2020, NYAM published a guide, “What Housing Resources Exist for My Patients? A Guide for NYC Healthcare Providers,” to help equip New York City-based healthcare providers with tools to facilitate conversations with their patients regarding housing and to link them to appropriate resources. In June 2020, NYAM published an additional summary of relevant resources during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Read the Housing Guide
Read the COVID-19 Supplement
Advocacy in Medicine
Led by students for students, NYAM’s Advocacy in Medicine (AIM) workgroup is the first cross-institution social justice effort of its kind. Conceived and led by medical students from New York City-area schools with an interest in social justice and health advocacy, AIM’s goals are to bring together healthcare advocates and trainees from various local institutions, provide the skills to integrate advocacy into all scopes of future healthcare practice, and create a sustainable student alliance for social change, all toward advancing equity in healthcare treatment and outcomes for patients. The workgroup hosts an annual conference for students and trainees to learn about health advocacy methods and social issues that influence health and well-being. In collaboration with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s Center for Health Equity and Community Wellness, AIM is one of many ways NYAM provides support to the next generation of health professionals.
View 2021 AIM Conference Details
Health Care Reform and Innovations in New York State
NYAM has been actively involved in federal and state-supported initiatives to keep New Yorkers healthy and out of the hospital, and to support integrated, patient-centered primary care. Through our evaluation of the New York State Innovation Model (SIM) and research to support healthcare transparency, consumer empowerment within the New York Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment (DSRIP) program, and effective DSRIP-funded programs, we’re helping to advance the state’s triple aim of better care, better health for all, and lower costs.
Visit healthy.ny.gov to learn about SIM
Related Publications, Events & News
View our COVID-19 Safety Protocols for attending NYAM public events.