On December 2, NewYork-Presbyterian’s Dalio Center for Health Justice celebrated its five-year anniversary, marking a milestone in its mission to advance health equity, justice, and lasting systemic change. The event brought together leaders, partners, and supporters to reflect on the Center’s impact, honor meaningful collaborations, and look ahead to the future of health justice.
The celebration opened with remarks from Julia Iyasere, MD, MBA, Senior Vice President and recently appointed System Chief Medical Officer of NewYork-Presbyterian, and Ray Dalio, MBA, Trustee of NewYork-Presbyterian.
The event showcased research, programs, and interventions developed and implemented across NewYork-Presbyterian, its academic partners, Weill Cornell Medicine and Columbia University Irving Medical Center, and in collaboration with community partners. The event concluded with a fireside conversation between Dr. Iyasere and New York Times bestselling author Heather McGhee, JD, exploring the intersection of racism, health, and the power of advocacy.
Dr. Julia Iyasere, Senior Vice President and System Chief Medical Officer
Established in October 2020 through a philanthropic gift from Ray and Barbara Dalio and Dalio Philanthropies, the Dalio Center was founded at a critical moment during the COVID-19 pandemic and a national reckoning with racial injustice. The Dalio Center was created to address the root causes of health disparities and to help lead a national movement toward equitable health outcomes for all. The Dalio Center’s work is organized into four strategic pillars: Data and Infrastructure, Clinical and Community Strategy, Research and Implementation Science, and Education and Leadership.
Since its inception, the Dalio Center has launched impactful initiatives both within the hospital system and in the community. These include the Sickle Cell Awareness Ball campaign, developed with the National Basketball Association (NBA) to bring national attention to sickle cell disease, which affects more than 100,000 people in the U.S., many of whom are Black and Hispanic Americans. The Dalio Center also advances equity by addressing social determinants of health (SDoH), such as housing instability and food insecurity. Together with teams across NYP, SDoH screening and referral has been embedded into routine clinical workflows across the hospital system. In 2025, more than 330,000 screenings were completed, supported by training for more than 44,000 team members on the importance of SDoH in improving outcomes.
Reflecting these efforts, NYP has been recognized by The Joint Commission with system‑level Excellent Health Outcomes for All Certification, underscoring our commitment to embedding equity into standard practice.
Looking ahead, the Dalio Center for Health Justice remains committed to leveraging philanthropy, research, and community partnerships to create a more just and equitable future for health.
To learn more about the Dalio Center for Health Justice, please visit here.