Take Care New York 2012: Creating accountability to reduce health disparities in NYC

Take Care New York 2012 is the health policy agenda for New York City, outlining plans to help all New Yorkers live longer and healthier lives. Take Care New York 2012 sets specific goals in ten key areas, selected both for their public health importance and proven amenability to intervention. The agenda focuses on reducing health disparities and making all New York City neighborhoods healthy and safe places through policy changes; improvements in prevention, quality and access to care; and health promotion initiatives.

New York City's many diverse neighborhoods are often segregated by race, ethnicity and income and are complex environments in which economic, social and physical factors combine to influence health. Where New Yorkers live profoundly affects health outcomes, particularly for residents of low-income neighborhoods. Take Care New York 2012 identifies specific health disparities within each priority area and sets ambitious and achievable goals to reduce them by 2012.

Take Care New York 2012 outlines plans that focus on low-income and minority neighborhoods. New York City's efforts aim to improve the built environment to support health, enable all residents to make healthy life choices, and increase access to services and opportunities that have demonstrated positive impacts on health outcomes. Take Care New York 2012 is a unique approach in addressing health disparities: establishing specific, measurable goals to achieve by 2012 enhances the accountability of New York City's commitment to these issues.