Community

We build partnerships with local organizations to advance health equity in New York City

Roderick Wong, MD

Chairman

One of the hallmarks of our community partnerships is that we go beyond just financial support. Our team truly engages with communities and serves alongside our partners.

Sarah Garwood

Director, Community Engagement

Locally-led development is critical for lasting impact in the community. One thing I love about our work at RTW Foundation is that we really focus our projects on community-led initiatives and shift the power to local leaders. Our partners know the challenges their communities are facing the best, making them best positioned to respond well.

100,000+

New Yorkers provided with improved health access through community-based health services, low/no-cost health screenings & resources, appointment transportation, appointment incentives, and other health equity initiatives

177,000+

hot meals and groceries provided to combat food insecurity

2,438

people across underserved communities provided with culturally responsive mental health support, including 908 frontline healthcare workers

65,000+

people reached with vaccine education and improved health literacy

300

healthcare workers trained or hired to respond to underserved communities globally

2,867+

underserved students provided with education support and STEM programs

11,500

people vaccinated against COVID-19 through support for mobile vaccine services, nurses, community health workers, registration support, and appointment translation

30+

small businesses in Chinatown provided with support to remain open in the face of the pandemic

240

low-income families provided with safe, improved affordable housing

BioQuest

BioQuest is a STEM mentoring program designed to give middle and high school students opportunities to explore diverse careers in science, biotechnology, and medicine.

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Health Equity Grants

At RTW Foundation, we believe that building strong, lasting relationships with our Grant Partners is the cornerstone of meaningful change.

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Days of Action

RTW Foundation and our community partners are committed to advancing health equity by addressing key social determinants of health in NYC and beyond. One key way we achieve this is through our Days of Action.

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Community Partners

quality-of-care

Weill Cornell Medicine

Weill Cornell Medicine conducted a cross-sectional time series analysis of pediatric mental health emergencies across the first three waves of the pandemic. Their research demonstrated increased proportions of pediatric mental health emergency department visits, especially during Wave 2, with the magnitude of the increase being dependent on specific mental health diagnoses and sociodemographic factors. Increases in mental health emergencies were associated with COVID-19 case prevalence, but not with the societal restrictions placed as a result of the pandemic. Findings were presented at two national meetings and will be published in peer-reviewed journals.

Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Mount Sinai supported their research on the pathophysiology of PACS and have published their findings identifying objective blood biomarkers associated with PACs/Long-COVID and making recommendations for effective intervention protocols in the care of patients with PACS.

Violence Intervention Program

Violence Intervention Program developed a training manual, trained 18 VIP Staff in six new healing modalities, and piloted group therapy sessions with 20 survivors. They also trained counselor advocates, reaching approximately 1,200 survivors annually.

Rutgers

Three Rutgers scholars are advancing global health, one scholar completing a four-week international residency in Kampala, Uganda gaining knowledge, perceptions, and curriculum development on sickle cell disease and hydroxyurea treatment. Another scholar completed Cardiac Point of Care Ultrasound training for physicians, nurses, and CHWs in Mampong, Ghana.

NYU Langone Health

NYU Langone Health developed and piloted the RTW Holistic Integrative Health Nursing Training Program with ten fellows from various high-need and high-risk specialty areas across NYU Langone Health including Labor & Delivery, Oncology Radiation, Emergency Department, Operation Room, the Post-Anesthesia Care Unit, Psychiatry, and Transplant. Ten fellows received over 200 hours of intensive mentorship and each fellow launched their own applied programs in their departments after completing the program.

Community

Roderick Wong, MD

Sarah Garwood

Community Impact to Date