NYC Health + Hospitals’ NYC Care Program Launches Light the Way Truck to Promote Health Care Access – NYC Health + Hospitals

Report on the NYC Care “Light the Way Truck” Initiative for Universal Health Coverage

Initiative Overview and Alignment with SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

On November 10, 2025, NYC Health + Hospitals’ NYC Care program launched the “Light the Way Truck,” a mobile outreach initiative designed to enhance healthcare access across New York City. The primary objective is to promote enrollment in the NYC Care program, which guarantees healthcare services to all New Yorkers regardless of immigration status or ability to pay. This initiative directly supports the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 3 (Good Health and Well-being), specifically Target 3.8, by working to achieve universal health coverage and ensure access to quality essential healthcare services for all urban residents.

Operational Strategy and Community Outreach

The truck’s deployment is a component of a multi-faceted strategy to connect residents with healthcare services. The operational plan is as follows:

1. Geographic Scope: The truck will travel across all five boroughs, targeting specific neighborhoods including Chinatown, Tompkinsville, Elmhurst, Midwood, and Longwood.
2. Duration and Intensity: The initiative will conduct over 30 stops at community events and high-traffic areas over a 12-day period.
3. Engagement Activities: The outreach team will distribute informational flyers and promotional materials to encourage enrollment and familiarize residents with nearby NYC Health + Hospitals and Gotham Health facilities.

This mobile unit complements an extensive, ongoing marketing campaign that utilizes various platforms to maximize reach:

• Subway and bus advertisements
• Digital, television, and radio campaigns
• Newspaper advertisements
• A new promotional video and a social media toolkit to encourage public dissemination of information

Program Impact and Contribution to SDG 10 and SDG 11

The NYC Care program is a critical tool for advancing SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) by systematically dismantling barriers to healthcare for marginalized populations, including immigrants and low-income individuals. By ensuring that all residents can access essential health services, the program also contributes to SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), fostering a more inclusive, equitable, and resilient urban environment. The program’s significant impact is demonstrated by the following metrics:

• Membership: The program has over 139,000 active members.
• Service Delivery: Over one million primary care appointments have been provided.
• Specialized Care (Fiscal Year 2025):
  • Women’s Health Appointments: 62,936
  • Eye Specialist Appointments: 54,132
  • Behavioral Health Appointments: 39,667
  • Dermatology Appointments: 25,642
  • Cardiology Appointments: 23,258
  • Cancer Care Appointments: 19,725
• Health Equity Validation: A 2024 study published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine found that new NYC Care members achieved levels of healthcare engagement and chronic disease control comparable to new Medicaid enrollees, confirming the program’s effectiveness in achieving health equity.

Collaborative Efforts and SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

The success of the NYC Care program and its outreach initiatives is founded on a multi-stakeholder approach, aligning with SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). Key collaborations include partnerships with municipal bodies and community-based organizations (CBOs).

• NYC Community Affairs Unit: This partnership facilitates direct community engagement, bringing information about free and low-cost healthcare into neighborhoods.
• Council of Peoples Organization (COPO): This CBO partnership is vital for reaching immigrant communities, seniors, and families in Brooklyn, building trust and raising awareness to improve access.
• CBO Network Impact: The program’s network of 20 CBO partners has collectively reached over 1.4 million New Yorkers, scheduled over 62,000 enrollment appointments, and facilitated more than 19,000 direct enrollments.

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: The article’s central theme is the NYC Care program, which is designed to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being by providing comprehensive healthcare access to all New Yorkers, particularly those who are uninsured or cannot afford care.
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities: The program explicitly aims to reduce health inequalities by targeting vulnerable populations. It provides care “regardless of one’s immigration status or ability to pay” and focuses outreach on “immigrant communities that have historically faced barriers to care,” directly addressing inequality in access to essential services.
• SDG 1: No Poverty: By offering “low or no-cost healthcare services,” the program acts as a social protection system. It helps prevent individuals and families from facing catastrophic healthcare expenditures, which can be a major driver of poverty.
• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals: The article highlights the collaborative approach of the NYC Care program, mentioning its “partnerships with 20 community-based organizations” and quoting a partner, the Council of Peoples Organization (COPO), to demonstrate how public and civil society actors are working together to achieve health equity.

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

1. 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.
     
     Explanation: The NYC Care program is a direct effort to achieve universal health coverage at a municipal level. The article states it provides “comprehensive and low or no-cost healthcare services” to New Yorkers who “cannot afford or are ineligible for health insurance,” which aligns perfectly with the goals of UHC.

2. 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.
     
     Explanation: The program’s core principle is inclusivity, offering services “regardless of one’s immigration status or ability to pay.” This directly promotes the social inclusion of marginalized groups, such as immigrants and low-income individuals, in the healthcare system.
   • Target 10.3: Ensure equal opportunity and reduce inequalities of outcome…
     
     Explanation: The article provides evidence of reducing inequalities of outcome by citing a study that “found that new NYC Care members had the same health care engagement and chronic disease control as new Medicaid enrollees- demonstrating the health equity achieved through the program.”

3. SDG 1: No Poverty

   • Target 1.3: Implement nationally appropriate social protection systems and measures for all… and by 2030 achieve substantial coverage of the poor and the vulnerable.
     
     Explanation: The NYC Care program functions as a social protection system for health. By providing “low or no-cost” care to those with an “inability to pay,” it protects vulnerable populations from the financial hardship associated with medical costs.

4. 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.
     
     Explanation: The article explicitly mentions the program’s strategy involves “partnerships with 20 community-based organizations” and features a quote from a civil society partner, demonstrating a multi-stakeholder approach to expanding healthcare access.

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

1. Target 3.8 (Universal Health Coverage)

   • Indicator: Number of people covered by the health access program. The article states NYC Care has “more than 139,000 active members.”
   • Indicator: Volume of essential health services provided. The article quantifies this with data such as “over one million primary care appointments” and specific numbers for specialty care in fiscal year 2025, including “62,936 women’s health,” “54,132 eye specialist,” and “39,667 behavioral health” appointments.

2. Targets 10.2 & 10.3 (Reduced Inequalities)

   • Indicator: Health outcomes for program members compared to other groups. The article cites a study showing NYC Care members achieved the “same health care engagement and chronic disease control as new Medicaid enrollees,” which serves as a direct measure of achieving health equity.
   • Indicator: Outreach efforts in marginalized communities. The article mentions the “Light the Way Truck” will travel to neighborhoods like “Chinatown, Tompkinsville, Elmhurst,” and the program focuses on “immigrant communities that have historically faced barriers to care.”

3. Target 1.3 (Social Protection Systems)

   • Indicator: Number of vulnerable people covered by the social protection system. The “more than 139,000 active members” who are defined as unable to afford or ineligible for insurance serves as a direct indicator of coverage for the poor and vulnerable.

4. Target 17.17 (Partnerships)

   • Indicator: Number of civil society partners. The article states the program has “partnerships with 20 community-based organizations.”
   • Indicator: Results of partnership activities. The article notes that these partners have “reached over 1.4 million New Yorkers, scheduled over 62,000 enrollment appointments, and facilitated over 19,000 direct enrollments.”

4. Summary of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: nychealthandhospitals.org