PURCHASE, NY – June 4, 2026 — Overcoming the institutional silos that historically separate healthcare, policy, and community advocacy was the central focus today at Reid Castle at Manhattanville University as Nonprofit Westchester (NPW) launched the first in a three-part series, "Inside the Nonprofit Sector.”
The morning conference, "Advancing Community Health: Aligning Cross-Sector Action", convened high-level experts from across the nonprofit, healthcare, business, government, and higher education sectors to tackle complex socio-economic conditions shaping the well-being of Westchester County.
The summit focused heavily on a shifting healthcare landscape, moving away from hospital-centric care toward community-based outpatient models, expanding workforce shortages, and the role of artificial intelligence as a co-pilot for healthcare delivery. Panelists also confronted an impending crisis: a looming Medicaid restructuring under the federal budget bill ("HR 1") that threatens to leave an estimated 400,000 New Yorkers without health insurance starting July 1.
“Too often we approach our greatest challenges through the lens of our own sectors, rather than recognizing the opportunity and necessity of working across sectors to solve problems,” said Jan Fisher, Executive Director of Nonprofit Westchester. “Today is an opportunity to start doing something different. In order to have healthy communities, we need to address more global issues like income disparity, housing, education and other socio-economic factors. Meaningful progress does not always begin with large-scale, audacious initiatives. Sometimes the most impactful change starts with practical ideas, listening to each other, and small collaborative steps forward.”
The morning featured a keynote address by Dr. Lyndon J. Mitnaul, Executive Director at the Regeneron Genetics Center, entitled "Informed Action for Healthier Communities". Dr. Mitnaul highlighted Regeneron's "Together for Change" initiative—a unique public-private partnership with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) designed to map 500,000 diverse genetic profiles to eliminate global and local health disparities.
“It’s all about coming together and making change, and that’s the beauty of this room—having all the different types of community organizations here that can make change,” said Dr. Mitnaul. “Regeneron supports global and local communities because we believe community plays a vital role in addressing health disparities, removing barriers, addressing root causes, and creating equitable opportunities for residents. Our approach as scientists is to keep you out of the hospital. With science and tools like AI, we can understand how human genetics interact with social determinants of health to transition toward a future of equitable, precision healthcare.”
A centerpiece of the event was the panel discussion, "Who Owns What?," which analyzed future opportunities for regional driving forces to advance health equity.
“Community health cannot be solved in a vacuum,” said Manhattanville University President Frank Sánchez, Ph.D. “It requires an intersection of policy, corporate responsibility, grassroots advocacy, and higher education. From a higher education perspective, I think about how we fuel this ecosystem. We recently started the Westchester Public Health Network, comprised of 32 different organizations, to build interdisciplinary career pathways. I am a big fan of a collective impact approach—leveraging intellectual, human, and financial capital toward common goals, common metrics, and a common vision.”
He said hosting the gathering aligned with Manhattanville University’s commitment to healthcare education. The University has a School of Nursing and Health Sciences (SNHS) and offers a Master of Public Health (MPS) degree that equips public health practitioners and researchers with real-world practical applications to drive change in health outcomes.
Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins, who opened the program, emphasized the county’s dedication to shared responsibility.
“The fact that we have so many folks here from so many different sectors in one room speaks to how important this topic is,” said County Executive Jenkins. “When we talk about community health, we're talking about much more than health care. It includes housing, nutrition, quality education, and economic opportunity. Government clearly can't do this alone, healthcare providers cannot do it alone, business can't do it alone, and the nonprofits can't do it alone. The most successful solutions emerge when we work together, share resources, and align our efforts around common goals.”
The panel also featured insights from Megan Baldwin (Deputy Secretary for Health, NYS Executive Chamber) regarding the rollout of state-wide Medicaid 1115 demonstration waivers; Amie Parikh (CEO, Hudson Valley Care Coalition) on building localized social care networks; Joe Simone (President, Simone Development Companies) on innovating community-convenient medical facilities to enhance patient experiences; and Monica Hidalgo (Senior Director of Community Relations, New York-Presbyterian) on hospital systems investing directly into community-based organizations via grant funding.
Following the main presentation, attendees moved into breakout discussion groups focusing on seven core health areas: Food Access, Economic Stability, Healthcare, Arts & Culture, Housing Stability, Education, and Technology to build actionable cross-sector networks.
Fisher praised the panelists for contributing their time and expertise, saying that everyone in the room benefited from hearing different perspectives to stimulate new ideas.
About Nonprofit Westchester
Nonprofit Westchester (NPW) is the county’s only membership organization solely dedicated to advancing the needs and interests of Westchester’s nonprofit sector, the people and populations served, and the nonprofit workforce. With a membership of more than 370 organizations, NPW represents a diverse range of missions—from human services and the arts to environmental advocacy and social justice. NPW provides a unified voice for the sector through advocacy, professional development, and the promotion of cross-sector collaboration to build a more equitable and resilient Westchester.
About Manhattanville University
Manhattanville University (formerly Manhattanville College) is a private liberal arts institution dedicated to academic excellence, purposeful education, and social responsibility. “U.S. News and World Report” ranks Manhattanville among the Top Performers of Social Mobility in Regional Universities North. The university has been recognized among the best colleges in The Princeton Review for close to 20 years. Located 30 miles from New York City on a 100-acre suburban campus in the heart of Westchester County, Manhattanville enables easy access to entertainment offerings, educational resources, and business opportunities for its diverse student body. The university serves more than 1,400 undergraduate students and nearly 1,000 graduate students from more than 44 countries and 33 states. Founded in 1841, the university offers more than 75 undergraduate and graduate areas of study in the arts and sciences, education, nursing and health sciences, business, and creative writing, as well as continuing and executive education programs. Graduate students can choose from over 70 graduate and certificate programs. Extracurricular offerings include more than 45 clubs and activities, and 23 NCAA Division III teams. For more information, visit mville.edu
Sign up for free local newsletters and alerts for the
Harrison, NY Patch
Patch.com is the nationwide leader in hyperlocal news.
Visit Patch.com to find your town today.