2015 ANNUAL REPORT 2015 ANNUAL INSTITUTE FOR URBAN HEALTH FELLOWS LIBRARY OUR MISSION The New York Academy of Medicine advances solutions that promote the health and well-being of people in cities worldwide. OUR WORK Established in 1847, The New York Academy of Medicine continues to address the health challenges facing New York City and the world’s rapidly growing urban populations. We accomplish this through our Institute for Urban Health, home of interdisciplinary research, evaluation, policy, and program initiatives; our world class historical medical library and its public programming in history, the humanities, and the arts; and our Fellows program, a network of more than 2,000 experts elected by their peers from across the professions affecting health. Our current priorities are healthy aging, disease prevention, and eliminating health disparities. To our Fellows, Colleagues, and Supporters: We are delighted to share with you The New York Academy of Medicine’s 2015 Annual Report, featuring some of the Academy’s key achievements during the past year to improve the health of people in cities through the work of our Institute for Urban Health, home of our research, evaluation, policy, and program initiatives; our Fellows program; and our Library and its Center for the History of Medicine and Public Health. Letter from the President and Chairman In 2015, we launched our new look to make our commitment to urban health even more visible. For over 160 years, the Academy has been an integral part of the fabric of this great city, pioneering progress in improving the health conditions of the city so the people who live here lead healthier, longer, and more active lives. Our Institute for Urban Health made strides advancing the health of New Yorkers in our three priority areas of healthy aging, prevention, and eliminating health disparities. Our Age-friendly New York City Commission, launched under Mayor Bloomberg in 2008, was re-constituted in 2015 under Mayor de Blasio, and we have now reached 44 percent of New York City neighborhoods with Age-friendly initiatives. The series of community needs assessments conducted citywide by our research and policy staff has informed the development of 99 prevention and population health projects that will enhance care for more than 2.5 million Medicaid recipients. We have also continued our groundbreaking research that led to improved pharmacy language translation laws to assist the 25 percent of New Yorkers who are not English proficient. Our prestigious Fellows program, the foundation on which the Academy was built in 1847, includes over 2,000 individuals elected by their peers from across the health professions. In 2015, the Fellows office launched the Fellows Ambassador program, through which we prepare interested Fellows to engage effectively with a variety of media as requests come in or we see opportunities to provide their expertise. Our Fellows’ Sections continued to lead important NYAM.org 1 discussions on health and health care through 40 events drawing more than 4,000 participants including major meetings about population health and evidence-based health care; and the Academy provided support to the next generation of health researchers through more than $400,000 in research grants and fellowships. The Academy is home to one of the most significant historical libraries in medicine and public health in the world, safeguarding the heritage of medicine to inform its future. This year, the Library undertook major conservation and digitization projects to preserve and better disseminate the Academy’s collections, launched a series of public events bridging history, humanities and the arts with contemporary urban health issues, and continued to serve as a unique research and education resource for scholars, students, and the lay public alike. The staff and Trustees of the Academy look forward to building on this important work in 2016 and beyond. With your support, the Academy continues to grow and innovate to meet the most critical health challenges facing New York City, and to serve as a leader and advisor to cities around the nation and the world. Jo Ivey Boufford, MD George Thibault, MD President Chairman, Board of Trustees NYAM.org 2 INSTITUTE FOR URBAN HEALTH INSTITUTE FOR URBAN HEALTH Improving health through POLICY AND PROGRAMS CENTER FOR HEALTH POLICY research, evaluation, policy, AND PROGRAMS Through our Center for Health and practice Policy and Programs, we provide evidence-based guidance to public and private sector leaders to help shape policies and programs that CHALLENGE promote long, active, healthy lives, and healthy communities. Age-friendly NYC BY 2050 AN70% ESTIMATED Advancing Prevention Project 70% OF THE WORLD’S POPULATION WILL LIVE IN CITIES PHIP NYC DASH-NY Over half the world’s population lives in cities, and urbanization is increasing in all regions of the world. The Academy’s Institute DASH-NYC for Urban Health, the home of its interdisciplinary research, Criminal Justice and Drug Policy evaluation, policy and program initiatives, works to address the urgent health needs of rapidly growing urban populations. RESEARCH Focusing on the Academy’s priority areas—healthy aging, CENTER FOR HEALTH prevention, and eliminating health disparities—the Institute INNOVATION pursues multi-dimensional answers that consider the social, The Center for Health Innovation physical, and economic conditions that impact the health of works at the intersection of health care delivery and the broader individuals and the communities in which they live. The determinants of health. Institute bridges the landscape of competing ideas by CENTER FOR EVALUATION generating new knowledge through innovative research and AND APPLIED RESEARCH evaluation, and by translating data and debate into decisive The Center for Evaluation and action and effective policies. Applied Research (CEAR) conducts program evaluations and research to advance the development and implementation of health policies OUR IMPACT and medical practice. The Academy currently focuses on three of the most CENTER FOR COGNITIVE important urban health challenges of our day: promoting STUDIES IN MEDICINE AND healthy aging, preventing disease and promoting health, and PUBLIC HEALTH eliminating health disparities. This year, our research and The Center for Cognitive Studies in Medicine and Public Health policy teams made significant progress in these areas by is a multidisciplinary research supporting groundbreaking policies and launching new center devoted to understanding projects and initiatives. the decision-making behaviors of health care providers and their NYAM.org interactions with patients. Making Cities Healthier for Older Adults CHALLENGE Over the next 25 years and beyond, we will see an increase of more than 40 percent in people over 65 living in New 40% INCREASE IN OLDER ADULTS BY 2030 York City. They will also be the most diverse generation of older persons in any city in the U.S. OUR IMPACT To ensure that New York is a healthy place to • Advising President Obama on the critical live, work, play, and stay engaged as we grow role technology can play in improving the lives older, the Academy’s Age-friendly New York City of older Americans—our work is included in initiative, a partnership with the Office of the the President’s Council of Advisors on Mayor and the New York City Council, continued Science and Technology’s (PCAST) report, its work to embed age-friendly practices “Technology and the Future of Cities.” throughout the city by: • Sharing the recommendations of Age-friendly • Seating and staffing a new Mayorally NYC’s local business initiative with 85,507 appointed Age-friendly NYC Commission to businesses employing more than a million provide a platform for partnerships among people, in partnership with the New York City government, businesses, academia, and Business Improvement District Association. professional and community organizations. The initiative was also cited as a “best practice” by National Area Agencies on Aging. The Safe Streets for Seniors program (operated by the city’s Department of Transportation) achieved an 11 percent decrease in reducing senior pedestrian fatalities. The program was -11% DECREASE IN also highlighted in the recent World Health OLDER ADULT PEDESTRIAN Organization report on aging and health. DEATHS NYAM.org 4 Preventing Disease & Promoting Population Health CHALLENGE The leading causes of mortality are now chronic diseases, but 46 percent of deaths in New York State can be prevented through interventions that improve health care and health by DEATHS46% IN NY ARE PREVENTABLE increasing opportunities for individuals to eat healthier food, exercise more, and avoid the risks of tobacco and unsafe alcohol and drug use. OUR IMPACT In 2015, the Academy worked to improve healthy living opportunities for all New Yorkers by: • Partnering with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to launch DASH- NYC, a new multi-sectoral workgroup of experts and advocates in transportation, housing, food systems, and environment, to name a few. Its goal is to identify priorities for City action that improve health and promote health equity for all New Yorkers and share and disseminate their best practices in community-wide interventions for chronic disease prevention. The Academy engaged community voices in identifying their key health concerns to be addressed in the State’s health care reform. Our Institute for Urban Health conducted citywide community needs assessments that NEW99 POPULATION informed the development of 99 prevention HEALTH PROJECTS and population health projects that will enhance care for more than 2.5 million Medicaid recipients in the NYC metropolitan area under the Medicaid DSRIP reforms in New York State. NYAM.org 5 • Working with the New York State Department of Health and with support from the New York Working with State Health Foundation, the Academy more than 100 continues to advance the New York State partners, coalition Prevention Agenda, an ambitious initiative and commission members across New to improve the health of state residents and York State, the Institute’s Designing a make NY the healthiest state.