NYC Health + Hospitals’ Jonathan Jiménez, MD, MPH, Named ‘Emerging Trailblazer Honoree’ by Columbia University – NYC Health + Hospitals

Report on NYC Care’s Contribution to Sustainable Development Goals under Dr. Jonathan Jiménez’s Leadership

Executive Summary

On November 26, 2025, Columbia University’s Latino Alumni Association named Dr. Jonathan Jiménez, Executive Director of the NYC Care program from NYC Health + Hospitals, as its ‘Emerging Trailblazer Honoree’ for 2025. This recognition highlights his significant contributions to public health, particularly through leadership that aligns with and advances several key United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The NYC Care program, under his direction, serves as a model for achieving urban health equity by focusing on universal access, reducing inequalities, and fostering strategic partnerships.

Alignment with SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

The NYC Care program directly addresses SDG 3, which aims to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages, with a specific focus on achieving universal health coverage (Target 3.8). The program’s success in this area is demonstrated by several key outcomes:

• Expanded Access to Care: Membership has grown to over 130,000 individuals, surpassing the initial goal of 100,000 and providing a direct pathway to healthcare for New York’s most vulnerable populations.
• Comprehensive Service Delivery: Members are guaranteed access to a wide range of services, including primary and preventive care, mental health services, sexual and reproductive healthcare, and low-cost medications.
• Proven Health Outcomes: The program has facilitated over one million primary care visits, achieving population health outcomes that are on par with those of insured patients.
• Enhanced Benefits: Under Dr. Jiménez’s leadership, the program introduced new benefits, such as access to durable medical equipment, further closing gaps in healthcare provision.

Alignment with SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

A core tenet of the NYC Care program is its commitment to SDG 10, which calls for reducing inequality within and among countries. The program’s design and implementation prioritize inclusivity and equity for marginalized communities.

1. Inclusivity Regardless of Status: The program ensures healthcare access for all New Yorkers, regardless of their immigration status or ability to pay, directly targeting systemic barriers that create health disparities.
2. Focus on Vulnerable Communities: Dr. Jiménez has championed the needs of immigrants, with the Hispanic/Latinx community constituting approximately 66% of NYC Care’s membership, demonstrating a targeted effort to reduce health inequalities for this demographic.
3. Economic Accessibility: By providing low or no-cost services, the program mitigates the risk of catastrophic healthcare expenditures, a major driver of poverty and inequality.

Alignment with SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

The success and scalability of the NYC Care program are rooted in its effective use of partnerships, a central component of SDG 17. This collaborative approach strengthens the program’s reach and impact.

• Community-Based Collaboration: The program actively partners with 20 community-based organizations across New York City to conduct outreach and connect eligible New Yorkers with healthcare services.
• Public Sector Integration: Housed within NYC Health + Hospitals, the nation’s largest municipal healthcare system, the program leverages a robust public infrastructure to deliver coordinated care.
• Academic and Professional Recognition: The honor from Columbia University underscores the vital link between academic institutions and public health practitioners in developing and recognizing innovative solutions to health challenges.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

  This goal is central to the article, which focuses on the NYC Care program, a healthcare access initiative. The program’s mission is to “ensure all New Yorkers… have access to primary and preventive care,” directly contributing to the goal of ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all.

• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

  The article highlights that NYC Care is designed for New Yorkers “regardless of immigration status or ability to pay.” It specifically mentions that Dr. Jiménez has “championed the needs of immigrants, particularly those in the Hispanic/Latinx community who make up approximately 66% of NYC Care members.” This focus on providing essential services to marginalized and vulnerable populations directly addresses the goal of reducing inequalities.

• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

  The article mentions that the program “collaborates with 20 community-based organizations across the city” and that Dr. Jiménez “spearheaded partnerships with community-based organizations.” This demonstrates the use of multi-stakeholder partnerships between a public health system and civil society to achieve health equity goals.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

  • Target 3.8: Achieve universal health coverage, including financial risk protection, access to quality essential health-care services and access to safe, effective, quality and affordable essential medicines and vaccines for all.

    The NYC Care program is a direct effort to achieve universal health coverage at a local level. The article states it provides “comprehensive and low or no-cost healthcare services” for those who “cannot afford or are ineligible for health insurance,” which includes “primary care, mental health services, and sexual and reproductive healthcare, [and] low-cost medications.”

• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

  • Target 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status.

    The program’s core principle of serving all New Yorkers “regardless of immigration status or ability to pay” directly promotes the inclusion of marginalized groups, particularly immigrants and those with low income, in the city’s healthcare system.

  • Target 10.3: Ensure equal opportunity and reduce inequalities of outcome, including by eliminating discriminatory policies and practices.

    By providing a pathway to healthcare for those ineligible for other insurance plans, the program works to reduce inequalities in health outcomes. The article explicitly states that the program has achieved “population health outcomes on par with those of insured patients,” which is a direct measure of reducing this inequality.

• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

  • Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships, building on the experience and resourcing strategies of partnerships.

    The article’s mention of how the “program collaborates with 20 community-based organizations across the city” is a clear example of a public-civil society partnership designed to enhance outreach and effectiveness in achieving health access goals.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Indicators for SDG 3 (Target 3.8)

  • Number of people covered: The article states the program “serves over 130,000 members,” which acts as a direct indicator of the population covered by these essential health services.
  • Utilization of health services: The article notes that “NYC Care members have completed over 1 million primary care visits,” indicating the extent to which the covered population is accessing care.

• Indicators for SDG 10 (Targets 10.2 & 10.3)

  • Service provision to vulnerable groups: The statistic that the “Hispanic/Latinx community who make up approximately 66% of NYC Care members” serves as an indicator of the program’s success in reaching its target demographic and promoting their inclusion.
  • Equality of health outcomes: The statement that the program has achieved “population health outcomes on par with those of insured patients” is a qualitative but powerful indicator that inequalities of outcome are being reduced.

• Indicators for SDG 17 (Target 17.17)

  • Number of institutional partnerships: The article quantifies the program’s collaborative efforts by stating it “collaborates with 20 community-based organizations,” which serves as an indicator of the scale of its partnerships.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: nychealthandhospitals.org