CM Abreu Q&A: Chokshi on modernizing health system amid federal cuts
Chokshi discusses the challenge of federal policy changes and funding cuts weakening public health infrastructure. He emphasizes first doing no harm, partnering with the state, and improving collaboration between public health and healthcare sectors through the Common Health Coalition.
My final question, it's on your, in your pre-hearing questions, you were asked about what you envision to be the greatest challenge facing the Board of Health and Department of Health in the next five years.
You stated that the greatest
Such challenge is, quote, modernizing our health system in the face of headwinds for public health at the national level, unquote.
You further stated, quote, federal policy changes and funding cuts have resulted in a weakened public health infrastructure and health coverage losses nationally as well in New York City, unquote.
How do you envision the Board of Health and Department of Health being able to address these particular challenges that you have identified?
Thank you.
This is something that I am very concerned about, and I know members of the Council are as well.
I also would commend the department, including the current leadership, for paying deep attention to these issues.
I think what has to be done, first and foremost, is what we talk about in medicine, to
first do no harm, you know, to ensure that the changes as they come down are mitigated to the degree possible
through city actions and potentially partnership with the state as well when it comes to people who may be losing their health coverage, whether it's Medicaid or an Affordable Care Act plan.
Beyond that, I think that the ways in which funding cuts are being borne means that we have to get more creative with respect to our public health infrastructure.
Something that I feel very passionately about is the ways in which public health and health care
ought to partner better together.
This is why I helped to co-found the Common Health Coalition to make it so that all sectors of health, hospitals, health plans,
health departments are pushing in the same direction for the most urgent health priorities, and frankly, so that patients shouldn't have to think that much about what branch of the health system they are interacting with
and say that that is a responsibility that is borne by us as health professionals on the back end.
Thank you so much, doctor.
We missed you on the commercials.
I'm done with my questions.
Thank you.