Chapter Highlights

NYACP's New Advocacy Intern: Isabella Newman, MD

I’m thrilled to join the NYACP Steven Walerstein, MD, MACP Advocacy Internship. As a fellow in Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, I’m passionate about improving the ways in which patients and their loved ones experience serious illness, especially those from vulnerable communities. I recognize the critical relationship among clinical care, community resources, and public policy in improving patients’ lives and reducing health disparities. Through this internship, I hope to gain hands-on advocacy experience, learn how to interpret and evaluate public policy implicating my field, and develop a deeper understanding of how policy change can impact the lives of patients and providers.

Growing up, my role models were individuals who applied their skills and knowledge—along with a solid moral compass—to make positive changes in the world. I aspired to emulate their selflessness and passion for creating a lasting impact. In college and medical school, I dedicated my time to working with underserved communities. At Brown University, I engaged with the Providence refugee community through the Refugee Youth Tutoring and Enrichment Program. While there, I connected families experiencing financial hardship with social services at Hasbro Children’s Hospital through Health Leads Providence. I traveled internationally with Brown’s MEDLIFE chapter to organize a mobile clinic in rural Ecuador. Later, while in medical school in Israel, I volunteered with Physicians for Human Rights to provide medical services in the West Bank. These experiences solidified my commitment to addressing the needs of socioeconomically disadvantaged and medically underserved populations.

As a medical resident in New York City from 2019 to 2022, I had the unique experience of training during the COVID-19 pandemic. I navigated complex ethical problems, including discussions about anticipated ventilator rationing and use of untested treatments, during a time of great uncertainty. Witnessing the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on Black and Latino communities in NYC profoundly shaped my perspective. COVID-19 made abstract concepts like social determinants of health starkly tangible. I learned firsthand how historical distrust of public health authorities, language access barriers, and the overrepresentation of minority groups in essential worker roles magnified the toll of the pandemic. These realities deepened my understanding of structural inequities and strengthened my resolve to address them through advocacy and healthcare. Through the NYACP Advocacy Internship, I hope to make a broader impact by advocating for policies that improve the lives of patients and empower physicians to provide equitable care.

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New York Expands Access to Buprenorphine and Methadone

In November 2024, Governor Hochul signed a bill allowing New York State clinicians to dispense up to three days’ worth of buprenorphine and methadone. Previously, state regulations limited the dispensing of any controlled substance to just 24 hours, despite the DEA permitting a 72-hour supply. By aligning state and federal regulations, this change improves continuity of care, reduces barriers to treatment, and helps save lives.

The Department of Health is expected to issue guidance before the bill takes effect on February 20, 2025. The Chapter extends its gratitude to ACP member Nathaniel Kratz, MD, FACP, for his advocacy in supporting this important legislation!

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Share Your COVID-19 Story with StoryCorps and the Library of Congress

The American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress is partnering with StoryCorps to collect and preserve experiences from the COVID-19 pandemic.  The COVID 19 American History Project aims to tell a more complete story of the pandemic through the voices of those who lived it.

It’s your opportunity to share your story, honor colleagues and loved ones, and contribute to the healing process!  StoryCorps will have a mobile studio in Lower Manhattan on February 7th and 8th, and there is a virtual recording option.  Choose a partner, ask each other meaningful questions, and have a conversation that will be archived for future generations.  

For more information and examples, visit the COVID 19 American History Project website.