Public Health
A Healthy New York
New York City has some of the best hospitals and doctors in the world. But the pandemic laid bare where we still fall short of ensuring that all New Yorkers can live long and healthy lives. And the impact was felt disproportionately in Black and Brown communities, highlighting how much we’re failing these New Yorkers.
While the immediate concern must be ensuring the widespread and equitable distribution of vaccines and protecting those who haven’t yet received them - especially the most vulnerable among us - we need to also ensure that the infrastructure we build to accomplish this can be translated into a long-term shift in the way that we provide care for all New Yorkers.
This involves ensuring primary care for everyone, while also focusing on prevention at least as much as treatment. It means helping the most vulnerable among us with mental health and substance misuse treatments. It’s making our City healthier to live in by focusing on air and water quality, and by increasing the ability to walk and ride a bike to get around.
We need to ensure that the Mayor’s office is taking advice and working alongside public health officials to accomplish these goals, and that we’re using data to identify vulnerable populations that aren’t being correctly served.
And, as we just learned, we need to start preparing immediately for the next pandemic, as we can’t be caught off guard again.
Public health experts will be central to the Yang administration. We will lead the nation in COVID-19 recovery, but also confront the issues of mental health, depression, and drug dependency in new and innovative ways.
Again, we have some of the best doctors in the world, and some of the best hospitals. It’s time to ensure that every New Yorker also has the best access to healthcare.