Legislative Briefings

July 19, 2006
Public Health Legislative Breakfast Briefing

On July 19th, PHANYC welcomed a roomful of State legislators, NYC City Councilmembers and their staff to its Public Health Legislative Breakfast Briefing at the CUNY Graduate Center to discuss policy options for pressing public health problems on a city and state level. At the briefing, legislators were introduced to the 2006 Agenda for a Healthy New York, our policy goals for improving health and reducing disparities in health in New York City. This year we are focusing on two broad goals: reducing the impact of diabetes by strengthening prevention and disease management efforts and improving school health programs to increase educational achievement and reduce school dropout. To understand the breadth of these issues and explore viable legislative solutions, expert speakers reviewed the current dimensions of the problems and innovative solutions from other jurisdictions, and presented policy options.

Subjects and speakers included:

• 2006 Agenda for a Healthy New York policy objectives: Nicholas Freudenberg, DrPH, PHANYC President and Distinguished Professor of Public Health, Hunter College, CUNY
• Diabetes Prevention, Management and Policy Options: Andrew Wallach, MD, FACP, Section Chief, General Internal Medicine, Bellevue Hospital Center
• School Health Programs & Policy Options: Paula Elbirt, MD, Assistant Professor, Pediatrics, Mt. Sinai Medical Center
• Primary Care System Challenges & Policy Options: Melissa Corrado, Program Director, Primary Care Development Corporation
• Diabetes Prevention & Management Policy Options for Underserved Communities: Paloma Hernandez, MPH, President and CEO, Urban Health Plan

Legislative Briefing Agenda and Policy Briefs:

• Agenda [pdf]
• Diabetes Care and Improvement Policy Brief [pdf]
• Diabetes Prevention Policy Brief [pdf]
• Physical Activity Improvement Policy Brief [pdf]
• Improve School Achievements through Health Services [pdf]

Testimonies

• Testified before the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Public Hearing in support of proposed amendment to require restaurants to phase out trans fat and require restaurants to list the calorie content on menus (adding §81.50 to NYC Health Code).  October 31, 2006 [pdf]
• Testified before City Council Education Committee Oversight Hearing, “Let Them Play: Access to Schoolyards Outside of School Hours”.  Res. #134-A,  10/2006 [pdf]
• Testified before City Council Health Committee Oversight Hearing, “New York City’s Response to the Obesity Epidemic”. 6/2006 [pdf]
• Testified before Regional Advisory Committee of the Commission on Healthcare Facilities in the 21st Century.  3/2006 [pdf]