E Pluribus Unum in the Big Apple

The motto of the United States, E Pluribus Unum, (Latin for "Out of many, one") informs the approach to community relations at NYU Langone Health.

Serving New York City, known the world over as a symbol of diversity and multiculturalism and perhaps the only city on earth where more than 600 different languages are spoken in the metropolitan area, NYU Langone serves its vast variety of patients by striving hard to stay familiar with the languages, cultural rhythms and differing needs of its communities.

As a major health care provider, NYU Langone has taken a data-driven approach to identify communities of need in its service area and then implement programs in close partnership with communities. In recent years, it has partnered with community groups including the Brooklyn Arab Community Advisory Council, Asian Americans for Equality, the Charles B. Wang Community Health Center, and the Chinese-American Planning Council with the goal of learning more about the health needs and priorities of that community.

The result of this work was the release of NYU Langone’s 2022 Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) report, a three-year implementation plan that focuses on preventing chronic conditions by promoting healthy eating and food security, decreasing tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke, addressing the intersection of health and housing, supporting the self-management of chronic conditions, and connecting people to resources that address social and health risk factors.

The CHNA plan also promotes healthy women, infants, and children through parenting programs that connect families to needed resources, and through early childhood and teen pregnancy prevention programs. It accounts for the needs of older people as well, promoting projects that support a healthy and safe environment by reducing falls among vulnerable populations.

True to form, the executive summary of the CHNA report is available in seven languages, including Arabic, Bengali, Russian, and Traditional Chinese.

For NYU Langone, partnerships and community collaborations are the key to creating a platform for evidence-based health promotion and disease prevention at the neighborhood level.

It’s community-based and government partners span early childhood education settings and schools, as well as primary care, housing, and community settings, such as faith-based organizations, and local businesses.