A unique Mount Sinai study focused on a multi-ethnic, underserved community in New York City shows that young Black adults are twice as likely to have atherosclerosis as similarly situated young Hispanic adults.
Tag: New York City
NYC delivery workers laws just ‘the floor’ of what’s needed
Today, the New York City Council is likely to pass a package of legislation that will set minimum pay and improve working conditions for app-based delivery workers. Patricia Campos-Medina, executive director of the Worker Institute at Cornell University’s School of…
NYC food delivery workers face a ‘harrowing world’
New York City’s app-based delivery workers regularly face nonpayment or underpayment, unsanitary or unsafe working conditions and the risk of violence, according to a new Cornell University ILR School report.
Rutgers to Lead Regional Large-Scale Coastlines and People Megalopolitan Coastal Transformation Hub with Nearly $20M from National Science Foundation
Advancing its mission and leadership role to improve climate risk management critical to societal well-being, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey will lead a multi-university Megalopolitan Coastal Transformation Hub (MACH) made possible by a grant through the National Science Foundation’s Coastlines and People (CoPe) Program with expected total funding of $19.9+ million over the next five years.
COVID-19 Shutdowns Reveal Racial Disparities in Exposure to Air Pollution
A new GW study of COVID-19 shutdowns in the United States reveals pronounced disparities in air pollution — with disenfranchised, minority neighborhoods still experiencing more exposure to a harmful air pollutant compared to wealthier, white communities.
Cooperative Extension grant aims to vaccinate NYS’ vulnerable
A two-year, $200,000 grant from the USDA and the Extension Foundation to Cornell University researchers aims to help promote vaccine confidence and uptake in vulnerable communities in eight New York counties, both upstate and downstate.
Disadvantaged Neighborhoods See More COVID-19 Infections and Deaths, Mount Sinai Scientists Report
New York City neighborhoods that had higher levels of socioeconomic disadvantage experienced more COVID-19 infections and deaths, according to Mount Sinai scientists who created a neighborhood-level COVID-19 inequity index.
Urban heat islands affect tree canopy temperatures and health, UAH study says
New research recently published in Scientific Reports on tree canopy temperatures in New York City by a University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) doctoral student offers new insights for urban forestry management.
New Research Maps COVID-19 Dispersal Dynamics in New York’s First Wave of Epidemic
Study Suggests Borough of Queens Was Major Hub of COVID-19 Dispersal
HOW COULD RISING SEA LEVEL IMPACT THE NATIONAL FLOOD INSURANCE PROGRAM?
Insurance policy premiums from the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) allow policyholders to maintain a lower, grandfathered rate even when the risk escalates. But as coastal flooding increases due to rising sea level and more intense storms, new research published in the journal Risk Analysis suggests this grandfathered policy could lead to big losses for the NFIP.
A team of experts led by Carolyn Kousky, executive director of the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton Risk Management and Decision Processes Center, studied the effect of sea level rise on a New York City neighborhood to illustrate how grandfathered rates could impact both policyholder premiums and program revenue for the NFIP over the next 30 years. Their results project losses to the NFIP as flood risk grows in the coming decades.
New Cornell Tech course helping cities reboot
Finding innovative solutions for cities’ most pressing problems is a primary goal of the new Urban Tech Hub, part of the Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute at Cornell Tech.

School Closures May Not Reduce Coronavirus Deaths as Much as Expected
School closures, the loss of public spaces, and having to work remotely due to the coronavirus pandemic have caused major disruptions in people’s lives all over the world. After running thousands of simulations of the pandemic response in New York City with variations in social distancing behavior, researchers suggest a reduction in fatal coronavirus cases can be achieved without the need for so much social disruption. They discuss the impacts of the closures of various types of facilities in the journal Chaos.

MEMORIAL SLOAN KETTERING ANNOUNCES NEWLY ENDOWED CHAIR AND FELLOWSHIPS FOR HEALTH EQUITY AND DIVERSITY
The new positions reflect MSK’s commitment to expanding patient access to cancer care and supporting ongoing research aimed at reducing cancer disparities that stem from racial, ethnic, cultural, or socioeconomic barriers.
Ending the Diabetes-COVID Disaster
The Massive Mortality that People with Diabetes in the US, and Particularly NYC & NYS, Have Suffered During COVID are Significantly Preventable
NYC’s 356% Increase in Diabetes Deaths in First COVID Wave was Highest in Nation
NYC takes ‘significant, systemic steps’ toward desegregation of schools
Today, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced major changes to the way the city’s middle and high schools admit their students. Those changes include eliminating all admissions screens for middle schools for at least one year; eliminating a…
Cornell initiative bridging gap between legal system, employment
The Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations’ Criminal Justice and Employment Initiative (CJEI) recently held the first two of four scheduled live online educational trainings for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey’s Office of Second Chance Employment.

Grant to fund study of acoustics in turfgrass pest control
A team of Cornell University scientists will use acoustic technology to develop efficient and affordable ways to manage soil-dwelling pests and their predators, thanks to a two-year grant from the USDA.
NYC parents face ‘impossible decision’ on in-person education
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Monday parents whose children are currently enrolled in all-remote classes will now have until Nov. 15 to opt back into in-person classes – a shift from the previous plan which allowed parents…
NYC outdoor dining heaters ‘vivid reflection’ of renewable energy challenge
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio recently announced guidance for restaurants planning to provide comfort heating for customers dining outdoors during the fall and winter months. Heating options include electric radiant heaters, natural gas radiant heaters and portable heaters…
Nearly a Quarter of New York City Transit Workers Report Having Had COVID-19
A survey of New York City’s bus and subway workers finds that 24 percent report having contracted COVID-19 and 90 percent fear getting sick at work. The pilot study, conducted by researchers at NYU School of Global Public Health, in coordination with the Transport Workers Union (TWU) Local 100, helps document the toll the pandemic has taken on the physical and mental health of essential workers.
‘Yeshiva Days’ records Lower East Side Jewish life
Cornell University professor Jonathan Boyarin studied at Mesiytha Tifereth Jerusalem, New York’s oldest institution of rabbinic learning. His new book describes his experiences in “Yeshiva Days: Learning on the Lower East Side.”
Jewish studies expert available on NYC Orthodox community response to new COVID-19 cluster restrictions
Following Gov. Cuomo’s new coronavirus restrictions on schools, businesses and religious gatherings, Orthodox Jewish leaders have voiced criticism that they are being singled out for the new surge of COVID-19 cases. Jonathan Boyarin, professor of modern Jewish studies and an…
For healthcare organizations responding to COVID-19, ‘creative destruction’ leads to accelerated innovation
COVID-19 has upended essentially every sector of the economy, and none more so than healthcare. Healthcare leaders from across the United States share their experiences with disruption and innovation in responding to the COVID-19 crisis in the Fall 2020 issue of Frontiers of Health Services Management, a publication of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE). This journal is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer.
Mount Sinai’s Arnhold Institute for Global Health Partners with NYC Health + Hospitals on COVID-19 Unit for Research at Elmhurst (CURE-19)
Collaboration Brings Together Clinicians and Researchers on the Front Lines of COVID-19 to Support Innovative Solutions for Health Disparities

NYC shoppers 4 times more likely to frequent stores adhering to social distance guidelines
New York City residents are four times more likely to choose a store where shoppers respect 6 feet of distancing than one where no one is social distancing, according to a Cornell University experiment using 3D simulation.
COVID-19 and Air Quality: Another Perspective
Researchers at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) discovered the air quality in New York City did not improve during the New York on PAUSE order. While other studies have suggested that the levels of nitrogen dioxide and other air particles decreased during the pandemic in cities such as New Delhi and industrialized parts of northern China, the ESF team found the opposite in the Big Apple.
OMRON Healthcare and Mount Sinai Health System Collaborate to Help High-Risk Patients Monitor Their Blood Pressure from Home with VitalSight
• Ensures close connection between patient and physician for remote hypertension monitoring
• Complements Mount Sinai’s growing telehealth initiative
• Medicare-covered and generally at no cost to patients, depending on coverage
NYC school reopening plan puts vulnerable Black, Latinx students at risk
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced today that public schools will not fully reopen for the upcoming school year. New York City students will return to school on a limited basis with only one to three days a…
Mount Sinai Health System and Richmond University Medical Center Announce Expanded Clinical and Academic Affiliation to Broaden Access to World-Class Care to Staten Island Residents
Affiliation will include newly formed comprehensive cancer program, co-branded emergency
department, and integrated internal medicine and specialty physician practices

Steep NYC traffic toll would reduce gridlock, pollution
Cornell University and the City College of New York research shows that by creating steep tolls for cars to enter Manhattan, traffic congestion and greenhouse gas emissions could be reduced.

MSK Kids Study: Children with Cancer are Not at a Higher Risk for COVID-19 Infection or Morbidity
Researches from MSK Kids at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) found that children with cancer are not at a higher risk of being affected by COVID-19.
Contact tracing a ‘tried-and-true tool’ for public health
As the nation looks to re-open, contact tracers will be needed to track and halt the spread of COVID-19. Gen Meredith, an expert in public health assessment, intervention development and workforce capacity building explains contact tracing and its importance. Meredith can also speak to what…
Study Explores whether ‘Participatory Budgeting’ has Become a Patronage Mechanism in NYC
New York City implemented Participatory Budgeting in 2011, following Brazil’s lead. But the effort to bring marginalized citizens into the budget decision-making process has the potential to backfire.

Cornell engineers help get NYC’s L train back on track
New York City’s L train has resumed full service following an extensive rehabilitation project that finished six months early and $100 million under budget, thanks in part to Cornell University engineers.

Intermountain Healthcare COVID-19 Response Teams to Provide Support to New York Hospitals; 100 Caregivers Deploying This Week to Help NY Care for Coronavirus Patients
Intermountain Healthcare has created two COVID-19 Response Teams with 50 caregivers each that will deploy to the New York City area to assist hospitals this week. Intermountain has partnered with New York-Presbyterian Hospital and Northwell Health, both located in the New York City area. These healthcare systems will aim to return the favor by supporting Intermountain as much as they can when Utah faces its own surge with COVID-19 patients.
Mount Sinai Study Finds First Cases of COVID-19 in New York City are Primarily from European and US Sources
First definitive molecular epidemiology study of SARS-CoV-2 in New York City to describe the route by which the virus arrived
Cornell Tech domestic tech abuse clinic goes virtual
Cornell Tech’s Clinic to End Tech Abuse has created a remote program to help survivors of intimate partner abuse use their devices without fear of monitoring or stalking.

Cornell Tech provides CS lessons for kids at home
Cornell Tech is creating virtual lessons and daily Twitter challenges to continue promoting computer science education for children in grades K-12, even as the world tackles unprecedented challenges.
New Report Explores Fiscal Issues Related to NYC Teachers Retirement System
Report looks at New York City Teachers’ Retirement System, the second largest of New York City’s five major employee pension plans.

Heat Stress May Affect More Than 1.2 Billion People Annually by 2100
Heat stress from extreme heat and humidity will annually affect areas now home to 1.2 billion people by 2100, assuming current greenhouse gas emissions, according to a Rutgers study. That’s more than four times the number of people affected today, and more than 12 times the number who would have been affected without industrial era global warming.
Freeze in NYC sea wall study delays funding, solutions for at-risk coastline
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has abruptly ended a study of strategies to protect the New York-New Jersey coastline from rising seas and future devastating storms such as Hurricane Sandy that flooded coastal communities and killed scores of…
Mount Sinai Named Among Nation’s Top Health Care Employers for Diversity by Forbes
The Mount Sinai Health System has once again been ranked among America’s “Best Employers for Diversity” by Forbes and research firm Statista.
PRESS CONFERENCE AND RALLY TO FIGHT MASS DIABETES AMPUTATIONS
On World Diabetes Day, November 14, as the New York City Council prepares to pass new diabetes-related legislation, South Bronx-based Health People: Community Preventative Health Institute will host a “Pray-In” at the New York State Department of Health’s New York City offices to mourn the untold number of needless diabetes-related amputations in the city and state. The Pray-In will also highlight the need for better data tracking of diabetes-related amputations and other complications.
Wegmans in NYC: Food frenzy for legendary experience
Wegmans is set to open this Sunday at the Brooklyn Navy Yard in New York City. Edward McLaughlin, emeritus professor of food industry management, says given Wegmans’ supermarket innovation in service and products, New York City will now be able to…
Closing Rikers an opportunity to improve conditions, visitation accessibility
The New York City Council is currently voting on a plan to close Rikers Island by 2026 and replace the complex with four new jails in Brooklyn, Manhattan, the Bronx, and Queens. Christopher Wildeman, policy analysis and management professor, studies the…

Claus Torp Jensen Has Been Appointed First Chief Digital Officer and Head of Technology for Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) today announced that Claus Torp Jensen, PhD, has joined the institution as its first Chief Digital Officer and Head of Technology. His recruitment follows an expansive national search to identify a leader with the vision and experience to lead MSK’s digital transformation.
NYPD’s mental health move a step in the right direction
The NYPD recently announced they revised their fitness-for-duty policy and will no longer automatically strip police of their badges if they are dealing with mental illness. Bill Sonnenstuhl, associate professor of organizational behavior who specializes in employee assistance programs and…