United Way of New York City Choose Healthy Life – New York APEx Celebration

October 16, 2024

On September 17 the Population and Family Health Department in collaboration with the Office of Field Practice celebrated the students completing APEx with Choose Healthy Life – New York (CHL), a joint program of United Way of New York City (UWNYC) and CHL. A luncheon and discussion was held to celebrate the partnership and the success of the students to contribute to the goals and objectives of CHL. The event was attended by students, faculty, and UWNYC project supervisors and staff. The CHL clergy leader and representatives from the Choose Healthy Life national office also attended.

Five Mailman students were selected to participate in an APEx Fellowship to support the activities of CHL through support from New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH). UWNYC is the program lead for CHL-NY.  

UWNYC is a nonprofit organization that, for over 85 years, has been at the forefront in the fight to drive equity and ensure dignity for all New Yorkers, no matter their zip code.  

CHL is a nonprofit organization focused on providing support to marginalized neighborhoods, delivering measurable and sustainable impact, and driving a decrease in morbidity and mortality by providing the Black church—the oldest and most trusted institution in the Black community—with the necessary resources, training, and support to address health disparities in underserved communities. This is done through the delivery of health services and community wellness programs.  

Started in 2021 at the height of the COVID pandemic, CHL engages 20 churches in all five NYC boroughs and is expanding to Albany, Buffalo, Newburgh, Syracuse, and Rochester. UWNYC has partnered with CHL to increase the capacity of churches to implement health promotion efforts and increase access to screenings, vaccinations, and health promotion services in New York City communities. 

Each of the five fellows was assigned to one of the following APEx projects:   

  • Project I. Health Programming Support. Two students engaged with CHL churches and supported data collection, continuous improvement, and impact.   

  • Project II: Supporting Community Engagement and Outreach Plan. One student assisted CHL churches with developing a outreach and action plans to maximize connections to primary care providers, social service providers, and at-risk community members.   

  • Project III: Community Readiness Landscape Analysis in five NYS Cities. Two students identified health needs and assets of communities in upstate NY regions and identified potential churches to implement Choose Healthy Life.  

The session began with a panel discussion facilitated by Ana Jimenez Batista to highlight the key insights students learned through their work with CHL. The discussion focused on what they found most rewarding, and how the fellowship impacted their future professional goals. Comments and questions from the guests also underscored the value of this partnership for UWNYC and CHL, and the tremendous student contributions. Following the discussion, the guests enjoyed an informal lunch. It is hoped that the fellowship will continue for Mailman students through generous funding from NYSDOH. 

Learn more about UWNYC and how you can get involved. Visit unitedwaynyc.org.