The Westchester County Association (WCA) convened New York’s preeminent healthcare and business leaders, policymakers, and community partners at its annual Toasting to a Healthy Westchester: An Evening to Celebrate WCA’s Healthcare Advocacy & Initiatives and Honor Healthcare Excellence on Sept. 30.
The annual celebration recognizes the people and organizations advancing healthcare across the region while creating an opportunity for leaders to connect around the challenges and opportunities shaping the future of care and the critical role the sector plays in the economic vitality of the region.
Held at Abigail Kirsch at Tappan Hill Mansion in Tarrytown, the event featured a keynote address by Dr. Jonathan Mermin, dean of the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, DeLamar Professor of Public Health, Professor of Medicine, and senior vice president at Columbia University Irving Medical Center.
The evening honored Bea Grause, former president and CEO of the Healthcare Association of New York State (HANYS), and Dr. Robert W. Amler, vice president for Government Affairs at New York Medical College, as WCA Healthcare Champion Award honorees.
Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Majority Leader of the New York State Senate; Assemblywoman Amy Paulin, Chair of the New York State Assembly Health Committee; Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins; and Dr. James V. McDonald, Commissioner, NYS Department of Health addressed the audience, reiterating their longstanding commitment to healthcare across the region.
Each recognized WCA’s leadership in strengthening the region’s healthcare ecosystem, and the value of the organization’s sustained partnership with state policymakers.
Dr. Jonathan Mermin on Today’s Public Health Challenges
In his keynote presentation, Dr. Jonathan Mermin, one of the nation’s leading public-health experts, addressed the most pressing public-health challenges facing healthcare organizations, patients, and communities today, and the ways regional leaders can work together to create a healthier Westchester.
“What are the most effective and cost-effective, if not cross-saving interventions that will save lives right here in Westchester? We can engage with and listen to our communities, the local health department and government, and act. We may end up doing something that works and we had not even thought about it before. Laws and policies matter, and as leaders in the Westchester community we can be the trusted voices about public health issues,” said Dr. Jonathan Mermin, MPH, Dean of the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, DeLamar Professor of Public Health, Professor of Medicine, and Senior Vice President at Columbia University Irving Medical Center.
