Making New York City Healthier

Last month, Mailman School Epidemiology faculty member and alumnus of P&S, Dr. Mary Bassett, was appointed the new Commissioner of New York City’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Dr. Bassett has a long history of work that explicitly aims to improve social conditions and health. Her interests coincide with those of New York City's new Mayor, and they share a progressive agenda grounded in a deep concern with social inequality.

The Bloomberg administration has left the city with an extraordinary public health legacy.  Mayor Bill de Blasio supports these public health accomplishments and has stated his intention to extend and amplify them to optimally eliminate health disparities. 

In this spirit and with Commissioner Bassett's support, Dean Linda Fried announces a competition for faculty, students and staff to propose key innovations that will help the de Blasio administration to advance NYC's public health agenda.

Since its founding, the School has been strongly committed to working with the Department of Health on measures and interventions to improve the health of New Yorkers. In fact, beginning in 1938 the School was co-housed with the DOH to ensure strong interactions between academia and practice. This call for proposals aims to galvanize thinking and encourage the articulation of innovative high return-on-investment innovative solutions that may, if adopted, improve the health of New York City's residents in the 21st century. 

So: What are the priority actions for New York City to maximally reduce health disparities and reach the goal of good health for all New Yorkers?

Michael Sparer, chair of Health Policy and Management, and Sally Findley, professor of Population and Family Health and Sociomedical Sciences, will chair a selection committee to choose the winners. Winning entries will receive a cash prize and meet with Commissioner Bassett to further discuss their proposals.