Gotham Gazette

The Place for New York Policy and politics

Health

Health

  • Seeing Healthcare Through a New Lens

    healthcare seeing

    (photo: @sunyopt)


    Most people have heard the saying that the eye is the window to the soul. But what they may not know is that the eyes also hold the key to revealing underlying health issues for many individuals.

    As optometrists, we recognize that making eye exams accessible to underserved families can be a critical first step in addressing healthcare disparities in New York City. And as healthcare providers, we’re always looking for new ways to educate patients about the importance of preventative care as a first step in detecting chronic, systemic health issues

    ...
  • The Power to Prevent New Infections is In Our Hands

    eric adams credit

    Brooklyn BP Eric Adams, the author (photo: Erica Sherman/Brooklyn BP's Office)


    The world of medicine has advanced significantly in the battle against many chronic diseases, including the discovery of the polio vaccine and reversing the effects of diabetes and heart disease. However, one battle continues to be fought in research labs and on the ground in communities across America and around the world — the fight to end the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

    While New York State has been a fearless leader on a national level in the effort to end this disease,

    ...
  • The City’s New Pharmacy Ban and Next Steps in Fighting Cigarette Smoking

    de Blasio New York City anti-smoking

    (photo: Michael Appleton/Mayor's Office)


    Shoppers at pharmacies are there to buy products that will make them healthier, whether that’s tissue boxes to help with colds or prescription medication for a chronic issue. Pharmacies shouldn’t be home to items that make people sick.

    CVS recognized this in 2014 when it took the unprecedented step of stopping the sale of tobacco products in its stores. Many public health professionals thought this would be the beginning of a wave of pharmacies following CVS’ lead. That

    ...
  • What's The [Data] Point? 1,441, with Health Commissioner Dr. Mary Bassett

    whats the data point


    What's The [Data] Point? Episode 46 -- 1,441, with Dr. Mary Bassett, Commissioner of the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene [You can download What's The [Data] Point? wherever you get your podcasts, including on iTunes]

    wtpd dr bassett w maria and</p>...					</span>
																		</li>
												<li class=

    Community Health Centers, Essential But At Risk, Must Be Funded Now

    doctors and nurses hearts

    Doctors and nurses (photo via @NYCHealthSystem)


    It is no secret that a war is here – a war on immigrants, on LGBTQ people, and communities of color, on the 99%, and more. Health, a part of politics that affects all facets of life, has suffered a brutal onslaught. While some of 2017’s greatest grassroots successes were in defeating Affordable Care Act repeal efforts, recent federal tax overhauls and budget proposals threaten to further strain a healthcare system millions have come to rely on.

    Lost in the conversation have been critical

    ...
  • Trump Administration’s Edict to CDC Puts Millions of Lives at Risk

    ppstand


    The Washington Post recently reported that, in an unprecedented and dangerous move, the Trump-Pence administration has banned the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) from using seven key words and phrases: “evidence-based,” “science-based,” “transgender,” “fetus,” “vulnerable,” “entitlement,” and

    ...
  • Top Cuomo Aide Moves to Avoid Conflicts of Interest Before Leaving for Private Sector

    malatras cuomo site

    Jim Malatras, right, with Gov. Cuomo, center (Kevin P. Coughlin/Governor's Office)


    Jim Malatras, director of state operations for the Cuomo administration, has walled himself off from healthcare issues as he prepares to leave his post early next year to join the Healthcare Association of New York State as its new chief operating officer. Precautions, including guidance from a state ethics panel, are being taken so that Malatras will avoid conflicts of interest as he continues working for Cuomo for the next several months before

    ...
  • NYC Health Commish Highlights Death Disparities

    bdb bassett

    Mayor de Blasio and Health Commissioner Bassett (Rob Bennett/Mayor's Office)


    Crisis is part of the gig for the chief health official in the nation's largest city, and Dr. Mary Bassett has dealt with her share of emergencies in the two years she's served as commissioner of the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. First there was Ebola, followed by Legionnaires', and now comes Zika—and those are just the ones the public has heard about. New York City is also seeing an outbreak of whooping cough, Bassett told a Thursday briefing at the CUNY Graduate School of

    ...