HEALTH

EQUITY
Assessing health equity in New York City
and the nation in light of health reform

Wednesday, October 11, 2017

www.cssny.org/healthequityevent
 Mary Travis Bassett, MD, MPH
Commissioner
New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene

@DrBassettDOHMH @nycHealthy

Mary T. Bassett, MD, MPH was appointed Commissioner of Health of New York City in February
2014. Her focus is on ensuring that every New York City neighborhood supports the health
of its residents, with the goal of closing gaps in population health across this diverse city.
Originally from New York City, Dr. Bassett lived for nearly 20 years in Zimbabwe. Previously, she
was a Program Director for the African Health Initiative and the Child Well-being Program at the
Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. She completed her medical residency at Harlem Hospital
Center, and has a masters degree in Public Health from the University of Washington.

David Sandman, PhD

President and CEO
New York State Health Foundation

@DavidSandman1 @nys_health

David Sandman, Ph.D., is President and CEO of the New York State Health Foundation
(NYSHealth), a private foundation dedicated to improving the health of all New Yorkers,
especially the most vulnerable. Since 2006, NYSHealth has invested more than $125 million in
initiatives to improve health care and the public health system in New York State. Previously, Dr.
Sandman was the Executive Director of the Commission on Health Care Facilities in the 21st
Century (the Berger Commission). He has also served in senior positions at Manatt Health
Solutions, Harris Interactive, and the Commonwealth Fund. He received his B.A., Phi Beta
Kappa, from Haverford College, and his M.P.A. and Ph.D. from New York Universitys Wagner
School of Public Service.
 Sinsi Hernndez-Cancio, JD
Director of Health Equity
Families USA

@FamiliesUSA

Sinsi Hernndez-Cancio is the Director of Health Equity at Families USA, where she leads the
organizations efforts to advance health equity and reduce disparities in health care access and
quality. Ms. Hernndez-Cancio has worked in the field of health policy for over 15 years and
has a longstanding commitment to advancing social justice and fighting for the rights of people
of color, especially vulnerable women and children. Bilingual and bicultural, she speaks across
the country on health care and health equity. She started her career as a womens human
and civil rights lawyer with a Georgetown University Law Center, and was a senior health
policy analyst for the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and National Campaign
Coordinator for SEIUs Healthcare Equality Project.

Born in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico, Ms. Hernndez-Cancio earned an A.B. from Princeton Uni-
versitys Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs and a J.D. from New York
University School of Law, where she was a Hays Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Fellow.

Elisabeth Benjamin, MSPH, JD

Vice President of Health Initiatives
Community Service Society

@elisrbenjamin @CSSNyorg

Elisabeth Benjamin is the Vice President of Health Initiatives at the Community Service
Society, where she supervises health policy, health advocacy, and consumer health assistance
programs. She is a co-founder of the Health Care For All New York campaign (HCFANY), a
statewide coalition of over 170 organizations devoted to securing affordable, quality health
care for all New Yorkers. Before joining CSS, she worked at the New York Civil Liberties Union,
the Legal Aid Society, and Bronx Legal Services. Ms. Benjamin received a B.A. degree from
Brown University, a M.S.P.H. from Harvard School of Public Health, and a J.D. degree from
Columbia University School of Law.
 Health Initiatives at CSS
Helping New York consumers get, keep, and make
better use of their health insurance

CSS Navigator Network (CNN)

CNN offers health insurance enrollment assistance to 55,000 New Yorkers annually
through community based and small business serving groups.
Helpline: 888-614-5400

Community Health Advocates (CHA)

CHA is New York States designated Health Insurance Consumer Assistance Program.
CHA is a statewide network of community based organizations and a live-answer
helpline where 65,000 New Yorkers can get one-on-one unbiased information and
assistance annually.
Helpline: 888-614-5400

Independent Consumer Advocacy Network (ICAN)

ICAN is the New York State Ombudsprogram for people with Medicaid long-term care
services serving 10,000 New Yorkers annually.
Helpline: 844-614-8800

Harlem Health Advocacy Partners (HHAP)

The HHAP demonstration project pairs Community Health Workers with CSS Health
Advocates to help reduce disparities in chronic diseases among New York City Housing
Authority (NYCHA) residents in East and Central Harlem and improve their long-term
health and quality-of-life.

Facilitated Enrollment for the Aged, Blind, and Disabled Program (FE-ABD)
FE-ABD is a New York State-sponsored public health insurance application assistance
program for people who are aged, blind, or disabled. We educate and assist New
Yorkers with enrolling in and using public health insurance programs.

www.cssny.org