NEW YORK, NY — Today, New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) and the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene^[1] (DOHMH) issued a Request for Information (RFI) to the public health community for ideas to 1) strengthen the City’s health infrastructure by informing the design of the recently announced Pandemic Response Institute^[2] and its initial focus areas and 2) advance health equity in NYC, which is critical to health emergency response. The RFI builds on the Administration’s long-term recovery agenda, which places public health at the center of the City’s recovery.

“Public health is at the center of our recovery and for it to be successful, we must strengthen the City’s health infrastructure,” said James Patchett, President and CEO of New York City Economic Development Corporation. “As we look to position the New York City as a national leader in pandemic response and deliver better health outcomes for all New Yorkers, the insights and expertise of our public health and community leaders will be critical. It is why we are engaging in this process, which ensures we are better prepared for any future health emergency and that our city is stronger for generations to come.”

“Equity must be at the center of our city’s recovery,” said First Deputy Commissioner Dr. Torian Easterling. “Gathering feedback from public health and community partners is a critical step toward identifying a path forward to address inequities exacerbated by COVID-19 and decades of disinvestment. I want to thank the Mayor for his continued investment in public health as part of the long-term recovery plan for NYC.”

Through this RFI, EDC and DOHMH are seeking to gather a variety of diverse perspectives from community-based organizations and public health leaders in academia, industry, and healthcare around priorities that the City should advance to strengthen health infrastructure and ensure NYC is a national leader in pandemic response, and reduce the disparate impact of those health crises on vulnerable communities.