2024 End of Year Message from Dr. David Jacobson, CEO

It is with this vision in mind that I am thrilled to announce we have purchased a 70,000 square foot building located at 636 Sixth Avenue in the Flatiron District. Our brand-new health center, when it is ready, will be a magnificent, state-of-the art facility — expansive, accessible, airy, and bright. Our current midtown health center is well-loved, but aged and over-utilized; we are deeply grateful for its many years of service. However, we are now ready and eager to occupy a state-of-the-art facility whose design will be aligned with the latest advances in healthcare. The new center will be a tremendous asset to our community in every way; it is a testament to the value we place on our patients’ wellbeing, as well as our commitment to invest in ourselves.

In keeping with our goal of greater access and enhanced services, I’d like to share another exciting initiative: the addition of stand-alone pharmacies. We will begin in Midtown and then expand to other locations. The satellite pharmacy in Midtown will be ideally located within convenient reach of over 11,000 working members, and will streamline the process of picking up medications.

Our desire for improvement has meant that we continue to be busy with renovations and construction projects across all locations. At 14 Penn Plaza, we have expanded and renovated parts of Optometry, General Dentistry, Oral Surgery and MHAP. Additionally, we built a beautiful staff breakroom for all departments on the floor to use.  This year, the Brooklyn Health Center received a new central Check-in / Check-out in the lobby to streamline the member arrival and departure experience. We also built a beautiful Basement Office-Suite in Brooklyn for IT and Health Information Management. New administrative offices were created at the Harlem Health Center for Patient Services and the Re-Authorization team. In Queens, we are planning a large expansion and renovation project. The addition of new exam rooms in the former ITP space will allow for more providers and shorter wait times. We will also expand the pharmacy workspace and waiting area by fifty percent and move it to the ground floor for faster, easier, and more comfortable member visits. The main building will also undergo an extensive facelift with an expansion of clinical space.  Physical Therapy will be expanded by 20% to increase the availability of appointments and improve the overall patient experience.

Infrastructure is important, but success also necessitates operational efficiency and ease of access to providers. Ensuring proper access to patient care is a priority, and we pride ourselves on maintaining a very low patient to doctor ratio — well below the local and national averages.

Operationally, across all health centers we expanded onsite services in general medicine and specialty care including cardiology, dermatology and vascular medicine among others. It is also worth mentioning that we are in the process of enlarging our network of ambulatory surgery centers, as well as outside specialty providers.  I am truly thankful for all that we continue to accomplish together. Medical and Dental appointments have been on the rise with nearly 1400 more visits per month since last year – thanks to an increase in providers across primary and specialty care, as well as our ability to improve efficiency by streamlining operations. For example, all Primary Care visits were extended to 30 minutes. This sets us apart and provides patients with a more comprehensive visit that address all healthcare needs in one appointment. The 30-minute visit reduces the necessity for multiple return visits, ultimately saving time and improving provider availability. I am grateful to all staff, both patient-facing and back-office, who are responsible for our operational success.

Of course, none of our benefits would be possible if it wasn’t for the people in Central Administration who work diligently on all Funds. The administrative and financial teams in all departments are vital to business operations, and their work must be recognized and appreciated.

I would also be remiss not to mention the efforts of our entire IT Department. Every single day the IT team not only keeps our applications and systems running smoothly and efficiently, but also fends off numerous cyber-threats. In July, when a global scale IT security incident paralyzed information systems across industries, the Funds did not experience patient downtime or suffer a loss of data – all thanks to our stellar team and the tools they have in place.

In a world fraught with uncertainty and challenges, a sense of hospitality is ever more pertinent and valuable— it is your presence and thoughtfulness that sets our organization apart.

Kindness and care, valuing each individual and family, are integral to our organizational DNA.

I also want to emphasize that amid all you do for others, we are here for you. Ongoing geopolitical adversity and shocking acts of violence right here in our city have made for unsettling times. If anxiety becomes difficult to manage, there is no need to endure the discomfort alone. The Members Health Assistance Program is easily within reach, and our counselors are excellent. I would strongly encourage anyone to schedule time with them.

I extend my heartfelt wishes for a Merry Christmas and Joyous Holiday Season. mayo 2025 be a year of abundant good health and prosperity!

Sinceramente,

Dr. David Jacobson
Director ejecutivo

New York Hotel and Gaming Trades Council & Hotel Association of New York City, Inc.
Employee Benefit Funds