Contact: Stephany Fong, fong@nyhealthfoundation.org

David Sandman Named President and CEO of New York Health Foundation

January 25, 2016 (New York) – Following a nationwide search, the New York Health Foundation (NYHealth) Board of Directors unanimously selected David Sandman, Ph.D., as the Foundation’s next President and CEO. Dr. Sandman has been the Foundation’s Senior Vice President since 2008, after serving as Executive Director of the Commission on Health Care Facilities in the 21st Century (the “Berger Commission”) and in senior positions at Manatt Health Solutions, Harris Interactive, and the Commonwealth Fund.

“After conducting a thorough national search, we were thrilled to find that the person best suited to be the Foundation’s next CEO was right here at NYHealth,” said Ellen Rautenberg, Chair of the Foundation’s Board of Directors. “David’s experience and expertise in the world of New York health care, public policy, and in philanthropy position him perfectly to lead NYHealth in its next chapter. His passion for our work is palpable, and he balances that with the patience and pragmatism required to effect meaningful social change.”

“I am honored to have been chosen as the New York Health Foundation’s next CEO, and I can’t wait to get started,” said Dr. Sandman. “In its first 10 years, the Foundation has established itself as a vital player working to help New Yorkers stay healthy and ensure our health care system meets patients’ needs. I look forward to building on that work, focusing our energy in these important areas, and being responsive to new opportunities.”

Dr. Sandman will begin his new role effective March 1, 2016, following the departure of founding President and CEO James R. Knickman, Ph.D., who is joining the faculty of New York University, where he will have a joint appointment in NYU Langone Medical Center’s Department of Population Health and NYU’s Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service. Dr. Knickman will hold the Robert Derzon Chair in Health and Public Service.

“All of us on the NYHealth Board are grateful to Jim Knickman for his leadership of the organization since its inception,” said Ms. Rautenberg. “He shaped the Foundation into a strong force in New York’s health landscape that has made a meaningful difference for the health and wellbeing of New Yorkers.”

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About David Sandman
David Sandman, Ph.D., is the newly appointed President and CEO of the New York Health Foundation (NYHealth), where he served as Senior Vice President since 2008.

Previously, Dr. Sandman was appointed by the Governor of New York as Executive Director of the Commission on Health Care Facilities in the 21st Century, also known as the “Berger Commission.” The Commission was a nonpartisan, broad-based panel charged with evaluating and reforming the State’s health care delivery and financing systems. It developed recommendations to reconfigure the supply of hospitals and nursing homes to best respond to community needs for high-quality, affordable, and accessible care.

After serving as Executive Director of the Berger Commission, Dr. Sandman became a Managing Director of Manatt Health Solutions, where he advised health care providers, foundations, payers, associations, government, and companies regarding development of new health care programs, services, and restructuring plans. Earlier, he was a Vice President at Harris Interactive, a global research and consulting firm. Prior to joining Harris Interactive, Dr. Sandman served as Assistant Vice President at the Commonwealth Fund, where he was responsible for projects related to health care coverage and access, health care in New York City, Medicare, and quality of care issues. He also served as a policy analyst with the City of New York Department of Health; at a number of community-based HIV/AIDS organizations; and as a researcher at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Sandman received his Bachelor of Arts degree, Phi Beta Kappa, from Haverford College, and his Master of Public Administration degree and Ph.D. from New York University’s Wagner School of Public Service.

About the New York Health Foundation
The New York Health Foundation (NYHealth) is a private, statewide foundation dedicated to improving the health of all New Yorkers, especially the most vulnerable. Today, NYHealth concentrates its work in two strategic priority areas: building healthy communities and empowering health care consumers. The Foundation is committed to making grants, informing health policy and practice, spreading effective programs to improve the health care system and the health of New Yorkers, serving as a neutral convener of health leaders across the State, and providing technical assistance to its grantees and partners.

 

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