NYCMedics
Where the World Hurts, We Go The Distance
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Programs and results
What we aim to solve
In 2020, 313 major natural disasters affected over 98.9 million people, killing more than 15,000. In 2021, the WHO estimated that 4.4 million deaths, 8%, annually are attributable to injury and that 90% of these deaths occur in low-and middle-income countries. The WHO estimates that more than half of deaths are from conditions that could be treated with prehospital and emergency care. In an emergency, whether a sudden onset disaster, acute medical illness, or traumatic injury, access to care is essential for saving lives. Recognizing this, the 72nd World Health Assembly adopted Resolution 72:16, which aims to ensure national capability of access to timely care for acute injury and illness. Prompt treatment and stabilization by trained healthcare workers in the prehospital setting, safe transfer to hospitals, and an efficient system of coordination are essential for addressing emergency care needs and reducing the burden of injury and other medical conditions requiring acute care.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Mobile Medical Disaster Relief (MMDR)
Mobil Medical Disaster relief bridges the gap between traditional aid efforts and the immediate and profound need for care in the aftermath of a catastrophic event. The core of this program is the rapid deployment of Emergency Medical Teams (EMT), which aims to have an advanced team on the ground within 24 hrs and an EMT delivering lifesaving care to people in need, regardless of where they are or the challenges confronted reaching them, within 72.
EMTs are composed of board-certified, licensed medical professionals and public health experts who volunteer their time and expertise. They are self-sufficient; equipped with medicine, medical supplies, and survival gear to operate independently in the field for up to two weeks. They are highly mobile and focus on accessing remote, difficult-to-reach communities. Because of our remote-first mentality, our EMTs act as forward triage in the critical moments where life or death is determined by hours and days, not weeks or months.
Health Systems Development
In any medical emergency, access to care is essential for saving lives and reducing morbidity and mortality. Prompt treatment and stabilization in the prehospital setting, safe transfer to hospitals, a harmonized referral system, and a readied emergency department are fundamental to addressing emergency care needs and reducing the burden of injury and other medical conditions requiring acute care.
Health Systems Development equips communities with the tools, knowledge, and skills necessary to deliver sustainable prehospital emergency medical services (EMS) throughout their communities. We partner with local organizations and health ministries of low and middle-income countries to develop or fortify existing prehospital infrastructure. From devising regulatory frameworks, curricula and standards development, and strengthening workforce capacity, the aim is to build a robust, sustainable EMS system that increases access to life-saving measures within the ‘Golden Hour’ of care.
Global Aid
Our newest program, Global Aid Targeted Initiatives, focuses on chronic, complex humanitarian emergencies, silent disasters, post-disaster environments, and impoverished communities. Through this flexible and adaptive program, NYCMedics partners with local nonprofit organizations – those who know the community, people, culture, and traditions best – in ongoing relief efforts. The program's focus is health and medical in nature but allows for a tailored approach in an effort to assist local agencies and communities with their most prevalent need.
Where we work
Awards
Distinguished Service Award 2012
American Academy of Disaster Medicine
External reviews
Photos
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of people trained
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Health Systems Development
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Number of volunteer health care providers
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Mobile Medical Disaster Relief (MMDR)
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Number of overall donors
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Other - describing something else
Direction of Success
Increasing
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Aid for all: A world where no one is left without aid in the immediate aftermath of a natural disaster, humanitarian crisis or daily emergency.
NYCMedics is committed to the humanitarian imperative – the right to receive and to give assistance wherever it is needed. We are a global relief organization that works in unison with the larger humanitarian response to disasters and complex emergencies throughout the world to save lives and lessen human suffering. We are uniquely positioned to rapidly deploy international teams of medical professionals, providing the highest level of care to people who would otherwise not have access to relief efforts. We aim to build sustainable prehospital care and emergency medical services infrastructure in low- and middle-income countries. We also partner with local nonprofit organizations to lend our expertise and resources in a diverse array of ongoing humanitarian relief efforts to assist vulnerable populations isolated by geographical and economic barriers.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
NYCMedics has grown from our founding team of 13 volunteers to a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with an international network of over 350 volunteer medical professionals, a small but dedicated staff, and a fully engaged Board of Directors. We are first in our field of remote-first, rapid deployment global disaster relief.
We put our mission into action with three core international programs: Mobile Medical Disaster Relief, Prehospital Systems Development, and Global Aid Targeted Initiatives that focus on aiding, supporting and empowering the communities we serve. Our strategies include:
- Working in unison with disaster-affected host government(s) integrating into the coordinated response under the national health emergency management authorities.
- Collaborating with the national health system, the United Nations cluster system, and national and international NGOs.
- Harnessing the medical expertise of board-certified, licensed medical personnel to provide timely, equitable, and patient-centered care in the immediate aftermath of catastrophic events and complex humanitarian emergencies.
- Partnering with local organizations and health ministries to scale up and implement sustainable prehospital care infrastructure empowering communities to care for themselves in the most pressing time of need.
- Strengthening the workforce by developing the knowledge and clinical skills capabilities of national health care providers in prehospital care including safe patient handover, emergency department triage, and mass casualty management.
- Safeguarding the necessary logistical capabilities for every response.
- Ensuring appropriate organizational governance and oversight of our activities by maintaining an engaged Board of Directors and Advisory Council, appropriately training and supporting staff and volunteers, and securing the necessary resources to fulfill our mission.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
NYCMedics is uniquely positioned to rapidly deploy international teams of medical professionals, providing the highest level of care to people who would otherwise not have access to relief efforts. We build sustainable prehospital care, emergency medical services, and disaster preparedness infrastructure in low- and middle-income countries on a local, regional, and national scale. We also partner with local nonprofit organizations to lend our expertise and resources in a diverse array of ongoing humanitarian relief efforts to assist vulnerable populations isolated by geographical and economic barriers. We do this by:
- Maintaining and expanding a fully vetted, expertly trained volunteer workforce that is deployable at a moment’s notice. Our robust database of clinical and global health professionals ensures that when a disaster hits, we can swiftly respond.
- Securing preferred vendor relationships that provide NYC Medics with competitive pricing and delivery mechanisms that allow for rapid deployment at the immediate onset of a disaster.
- Developing collaborative partnership networks with leading gift in kind organizations that provide donations of essential medicine, medical supply and logistical support; corporate partners that strengthen our logistical capabilities, and other peer nonprofit partners whose mission align and together we strengthen the collective response.
- Utilizing the principles of prehospital care focusing on the critical importance of a speedy intervention during relief efforts and employing the ‘Golden Hour’ concept in trauma care to disaster relief efforts. The post disaster environment has a similar ‘golden hour’ phase within which even the smallest interventions can have profound impacts. The time frame itself is different in every disaster, but the term refers to a period during which speed-to-intervention is the primary indicator of better outcomes.
- Maintaining an “ultralight in form, function and philosophy” approach. We do not prescribe in red tape and bureaucracy. The ability to identify a need and respond immediately in a time when minutes and hours are a matter of life and death.
- Maintaining flexibility and adaptability responding appropriately and purposefully to each disaster or crisis. Our fluid model has allowed us to provide targeted, purposeful responses based on the specific needs of the community. Following the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan, which compromised the integrity of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear power plant, our assessment showed that medical relief support was not warranted, however, there was grave concern with exposure to radiation. NYCMedics dispatched a specialized team of radiological and nuclear emergency experts. Our team reached 800 medical practitioners and addressed issues ranging from clinical care of radiation exposure and the psychosocial impact on the affected population to explaining radiation readings & measurements and risk communication.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Since 2005, NYCMedics volunteers have provided lifesaving, emergent care to more than 38,000 people affected by natural disasters or humanitarian crises, most of whom live in remote or difficult to access locations.
38,323 People cared for by NYCMedics
200 Average patients treated per day
380 Number of NYCMedics HQ and deployed volunteers
87,210 Total hours donated by all volunteers
$1,185,955 Value of donated training and medical supplies
$4,418,913 Value of medical care and EMS training
$5,604,868 Value of total humanitarian aid and relief supplies
$1 in = $2 to $4 out Financial value add that NYCMedics model realizes.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback, We ask the people who gave us feedback how well they think we responded
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is at times difficult to collect feedback during short term disaster response missions
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
NYCMedics
Board of directorsas of 01/31/2024
Mr. Steve Muth
VoiceThread
Steve Muth
VoiceThread
Daniel Blum
Phelps Memorial Hospital
Al Kim
Westchester County EMS
Penny Neferis
JetBlue
Marc Hirschfield
Royer Cooper Cohen Braunfeld LLC
Michael Butler
Nokota Management LLP
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data