Children’s Health To Be One of New York City Mayor’s Goals in First Term

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) has begun offering "significant clues" to which direction he may take in the area of health policy, the New York Times reports. According to the Times Bloomberg has already appointed Dr. Thomas Frieden, a medical officer for WHO, as the city's health commissioner. In addition, the Times reports that Bloomberg has the following "goals" for the health of city residents:

• Increase enrollment in Child Health Plus, the state's CHIP program, and ensure that eligible children remain enrolled.
• Help the city's Health Department "take a lead" in children's health issues, including asthma, insurance and primary care.
• Give "broader authority" to the city's Health Department by using $1.6 million in federal funds to "beef up" the department's infrastructure.
• Fold the mayor's Office of Health Insurance Access into the Health Department in order to allow the department "to have a central role in lobbying the state for changes to Medicaid laws" (Steinhauer, New York Times, 1/17).