Mission Statement

United Hospital Fund works to build an effective and equitable health care system for every New Yorker. An independent, nonprofit organization, we are a force for improvement, analyzing public policy to inform decision-makers, finding common ground among diverse stakeholders, and developing and supporting innovative programs that improve health and health care. We work to dismantle barriers in health policy and health care delivery that prevent equitable opportunities for health.

(For an annotated version of our mission, clarifying the terms we use to describe our work, click here.)

How We Work

UHF has been providing analysis, convening, and thought leadership on key health policy issues in New York for decades, with recent successful initiatives focused on expanding affordable health insurance coverage, improving health care quality and efficiency, and developing clinical-community partnerships.

Core Values

Integrity. We are committed to rigorous and objective inquiry and analysis, embracing our role as an independent, trusted source of information.

Equity. We focus our activities on improving the lives of underserved, disadvantaged populations, as we believe that all people deserve the opportunity to lead long, healthy lives.

Collaboration. We believe that to find solutions to complex problems we need participation from a wide range of stakeholders, and actively seek partners in our work.

Long view. We take a long-term perspective, tackling persistent problems that require systemic solutions.

Program Priorities

Our core activities are research and policy analysis, convening, knowledge dissemination, collaborative initiatives, capacity building, and grant making. Key priorities include:

Supporting comprehensive health insurance coverage and access to services. Universal, affordable, accessible health insurance offering comprehensive coverage is a prerequisite for obtaining adequate care—and for an effective, equitable health care system. More than one million New Yorkers are still uninsured, and that number is likely rising.

Promoting improvements in the quality and efficiency of health care delivery. Working with a broad range of partners, UHF is advancing transformative approaches to primary care, integration of behavioral and physical health care services, health care quality measurement and improvement, and transitions from institutional care to the home care setting.

Fostering collaborations between the health care delivery system and communities. For both individuals and specific populations, health status is in large part a function of factors outside the doctor’s office. Addressing individual social needs and the broader social determinants of health requires new and productive relationships between the health care system, public health agencies, and communities.

History

UHF has played a central role in addressing critical health care issues facing New York since 1879. Learn more about UHF's history and the many organizations we have collaborated with and helped launch.

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