Building a Healthcare System That Works for Everyone

Strengthen long-term care so New Yorkers can age safely at home

New York is aging rapidly, yet long-term care still relies too heavily on family caregivers burning out or people being pushed into institutions. My work has focused on strengthening long-term care pathways that support aging at home, stabilize the workforce that provides that care, and reduce the costly crises that arise when support arrives too late.

Build a healthcare workforce that can afford to live in the communities they serve

Across upstate New York, long wait times are driven less by demand than by the inability of healthcare providers to afford to live and practice in the communities that need them. Workforce policy has to address housing, loan burdens, and compensation together if access is going to improve, particularly in rural areas.

Expand the mental health workforce by removing barriers to training and entry

New York’s mental-health crisis is compounded by a workforce pipeline that is thin, fragile, and financially inaccessible. I have supported scholarships, stipends, and training investments that expand the mental-health workforce rather than continuing to rely on overburdened providers and emergency systems.

Lower prescription drug costs by addressing the systems that drive prices up

Prescription drug prices continue to rise faster than wages, forcing people to ration medication or skip treatment altogether. Temporary fixes may offer short-term relief, but lasting affordability requires changing the systems that allow drug prices to keep rising in the first place.

Ensure everyone has access to healthcare regardless of income or job status

A system that ties healthcare to employment leaves people exposed when jobs change, hours are cut, or illness strikes, and recent federal cuts to Medicaid eligibility are already pushing many New Yorkers out of coverage altogether. That loss of coverage does not just harm families, it increases medical debt, destabilizes the workforce, and shifts costs onto employers and the state. The New York Health Act offers a pragmatic way to stabilize both healthcare access and the economy by guaranteeing coverage, reducing administrative waste, and giving workers and employers predictability.

Expand access to care in rural and underserved communities

Rural communities face healthcare barriers tied to distance, provider shortages, and transportation that are rarely addressed by urban-centered policy. Targeted approaches such as rural health zones acknowledge those realities and focus resources where access gaps are most severe.