CONTACT: Kerry Jones Waring | Phone: 716-380-7319 | Email: kjwaring@hfwcny.org
28 Statewide Experts will Advise Plan for Healthy, Inclusive Communities for Aging New Yorkers
BUFFALO AND SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Nora OBrien-Suric, PhD, President of the Health Foundation for Western & Central New York, has been named by Gov. Kathy Hochul to the stakeholder advisory committee of New York State’s Master Plan for Aging Council. As one of 28 statewide experts who were named to the committee, OBrien-Suric will help guide the development of the state’s Master Plan for Aging, a comprehensive roadmap for meeting the needs of all New Yorkers as they age.
The advisory committee is made up of leaders from across New York State who represent health care and support service providers; family caregivers and older adults, including those in communities experiencing disparities; labor and community-based organizations; experts on aging; and others. The committee will ensure that leading experts and the public have strong input into the plan and help establish guidelines for age-friendly policies to provide opportunities for New Yorkers of all ages.
The committee will participate in a series of stakeholder engagement sessions to consider input from peer experts and leaders in healthy aging, and will engage in regional listening sessions to help ensure a community-focused approach to the state’s Master Plan for Aging.
Gov. Hochul signed an executive order in November to launch the state’s Master Plan for Aging and establish the Master Plan for Aging Council. The list of stakeholder committee members can be viewed here.
“Since the first days of our campaign calling for New York to launch a Master Plan for Aging, I have advocated for community voices to be an essential component of the plan’s development. Thank you to Gov. Hochul for convening a Master Plan for Aging stakeholder advisory committee that is robust, diverse, and actively engaged in healthy aging matters across New York State. I am honored to participate in this important aspect of the plan,” said Nora OBrien-Suric, PhD, President, Health Foundation for Western & Central New York. “Together, we can ensure the Master Plan for Aging reflects the real needs and perspectives of people from across the state and results in a strategy that will help all New Yorkers have the same opportunities for healthy aging.”
OBrien-Suric has served as president of the Health Foundation for Western and Central New York since 2017. She has more than 20 years of experience in philanthropy, with extensive focus on healthy aging issues. In 2021, OBrien-Suric was among the first leaders in New York State to publicly advocate for Gov. Hochul to launch a Master Plan for Aging. Read more about Nora OBrien-Suric here.
ABOUT THE HEALTH FOUNDATION FOR WESTERN & CENTRAL NEW YORK
The Health Foundation for Western & Central New York is an independent private foundation that advocates for continuous improvement in health and health care for the people and communities of Western and Central New York. Our vision is a healthy central and western New York where racial and socioeconomic equity are prioritized so all people can reach their full potential and achieve equitable health outcomes. For more information, please visit www.hfwcny.org.
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