CUNY School of Law

Vaccination is an important strategy to protect pregnant people, fetuses, and infants from severe influenza and COVID-19. However, as of April 2025 in the United States, only 14% of pregnant women had received the 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine, while influenza vaccine uptake among pregnant women was 38% compared to 57% in 2020. Our study assessed the perceived safety of receiving these vaccines during pregnancy within a community-based national cohort. Participants reported safety perceptions of vaccination during pregnancy and were categorized as (1) endorsing the safety of both COVID-19 and influenza vaccines, (2) endorsing the safety of only the influenza vaccine, (3) endorsing the safety of only the COVID-19 vaccine and (4) endorsing the safety of neither vaccine during pregnancy. We examined sociodemographics, behaviors, and beliefs correlated with these four categories. Log-binomial models were used to estimate the prevalence ratios of (a) endorsing the safety of only influenza vaccine versus endorsing the safety of both COVID-19 and influenza vaccines during pregnancy, and (b) endorsing safety of neither versus both vaccines during pregnancy. In total, 40% of adults (N = 1725) endorsed the safety of both vaccines during pregnancy, 18% (N = 751) endorsed the safety of only the influenza vaccine, 4% (N = 183) endorsed the safety of only the COVID-19 vaccine, and 38% (N = 1621) did not endorse the safety of either vaccine during pregnancy. Participants who were non-Hispanic Black, reported inconsistent vaccination habits, and expressed low trust in government and healthcare providers were more likely to endorse the safety of only the influenza vaccine or neither vaccine compared with endorsing both vaccines. These findings highlight the need to build trust in the medical system, reduce access barriers, and use equitable, community-driven messaging to strengthen confidence in the safety of receiving the COVID-19 and influenza vaccines during pregnancy.

AimThe purpose of this early safety and technical feasibility study was to evaluate the real-world performance of cataract extraction combined with a modified Ahmed ClearPath 250 mm² glaucoma drainage device placed in the retrobulbar/intraconal space with inferior sclerotomy in glaucoma patients, focusing on surgical tolerability, device stability, and preliminary safety outcomes while acknowledging limitations in sample size and follow-up that preclude definitive efficacy claims.MethodsThis study was conducted at Advanced Eye Care of New York, a private practice located in NY, NY. This was a single-center, retrospective study of 12 patients who underwent combined phacoemulsification cataract surgery and glaucoma surgery using a retrobulbar/intraconal AHMED® ClearPath 250mm2 and an inferior sclerotomy technique. We report results at 6 months of follow-up. Investigated parameters were intraocular pressure, number of medications, mean deviation on visual field test, visual acuity, and adverse events.ResultsAmong all the 12 eyes undergoing combined cataract extraction and retrobulbar/intraconal AHMED® ClearPath 250mm² placement with inferior sclerotomy, mean IOP decreased from 18.08 to 14.83 mmHg (18.0% reduction) at 6 months. Topical medications decreased from 2.67 to 1.0 (62.5% reduction). Visual field MD remained stable (-18.59 dB to -18.15 dB). Five patients achieved trabeculectomy-like results (IOP ≤12 mmHg on ≤1 medication). Complications were limited to temporary post-op hypotony and shallow anterior chamber, with no bleb, diplopia, or additional astigmatism.ConclusionCataract extraction combined with a modified Ahmed ClearPath 250 mm² glaucoma drainage device placed in the retrobulbar/intraconal space via inferior sclerotomy shows preliminary promise in reducing intraocular pressure and medication burden in Black and Afro-Latino patients with advanced glaucoma. These exploratory findings from a small cohort suggest technical feasibility and short-term safety, warranting further research with larger samples and longer follow-up to confirm efficacy and generalizability.

The limited literature on family planning among Asian populations in the United States suggests that this group underutilizes contraception. We examined factors associated with contraceptive use, particularly among South Asians. We used cross-sectional data from the 2013, 2014, and 2016 New York City Community Health Surveys and included women and men aged 18-44 years who engaged in sexual activity with a member of a different sex in the last year and did not intend to get pregnant, were not/partner was not pregnant, and could/partner could get pregnant (N = 7101). We conducted bivariate and multivariate logistic regressions with backward elimination to estimate the association between sociodemographic, behavioral, and health care-related factors with the use of any contraceptive at the last sexual encounter. The primary analysis included race as a key independent variable and the secondary analysis was restricted only to South Asians (n = 189). Two thirds of South Asians (67%) used a contraceptive at last sexual encounter. After full adjustment, compared to South Asians, other Asians showed a higher likelihood of using contraception (aOR 1.54; 95% CI: 1.05, 2.26). In the secondary analysis of South Asians, those who were married/living together (aOR 0.19; 95% CI: 0.08, 0.45) or divorced/separated/widowed (aOR 0.14; 95% CI: 0.03, 0.68) showed a lower likelihood of using any contraception compared to those who were never married. Researchers need to conduct additional research to better understand contraceptive behavior among South Asians and identify if/what optimal interventions will increase access and help meet and support their reproductive goals and autonomy.

The HIMSS Nursing Innovation Advisory workgroup, formed in 2023, set out to address critical challenges in health care technology, including a lack of artificial intelligence literacy and accessible innovation resources for clinicians, aligning with national nursing and HIMSS strategic visions. This paper describes the development and evaluation of tools designed to improve AI readiness among nurses and informaticists, with a focus on identifying barriers in transitioning from informatics education to practice. An AI toolkit and innovation resources were developed by the workgroup and presented at an interactive Fishbowl session during HIMSS 2025. This is a descriptive report of an educational activity conducted at a professional conference where authors and presenters utilized discussion and poll questions to gauge perceived barriers in transitioning from informatics education to clinical practice and the usefulness of the tools. Out of 67 responses, 52% identified informatics competency as the primary gap in transitioning from education to practice. The session was well-received, with over 80% of attendees finding the content "very helpful" or "somewhat helpful," highlighting the value of the resources. These findings emphasize the need to update informatics curricula to better prepare graduates with essential digital and data literacy skills. The positive reception of the AI toolkit highlights its potential to bridge the gap between academic preparation and practical application, fostering the ethical integration of AI in health care. Continued learning, early adoption of innovations, advocating for change, and ensuring ethical AI practices are crucial next steps for clinicians and health care leaders.

Abstract This book provides a detailed biography of Mary Kingsbury Simkhovitch, a key figure in the settlement house movement. She founds Greenwich House in 1902, a community center that gains national recognition for its work in health, education, and the arts. Simkhovitch becomes a tireless advocate for public housing, helping to establish the first public housing projects during the New Deal and co-writing the National Housing Act of 1937. In 1931 she also founds the Public Housing Conference, later renamed the National Housing Conference which continues to address housing issues today. Finally, the book highlights Simkhovitch’s lasting impact on urban reform and housing advocacy, cementing her legacy in American society.

The health effect produced by a contributing factor alone may be different from the effect when other interacting factors are present. The effects of a set of contributors, estimated by regression coefficients, may be invalid or inappropriate if some of the predictors are correlated or the model has interaction and nonlinear terms. The net effect (NE) of a given contributing factor is the effect produced by the factor alone, not by other factors due to their correlations with the factor of interest. This study estimated NE of selected determinants of health for U.S. older adults. Participants, aged ≥ 65 years, were from the baseline 2020 Medicare Health Outcome Survey (N = 196,641). We examined the NE of each explanatory variable from five specified categories on four health outcomes: physical component summary scores (PCS), mental component summary scores (MCS), health utilities (SF-6D), and 2-year mortality. The five categories of explanatory variables included: six difficulties in activities of daily living (ADLs), three difficulties in instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs), five geriatric syndromes, five demographics, and fifteen chronic conditions. The NE for a given factor was calculated as the average of the factor's marginal effect over all possible values of other factors. After adjusting for age, race, and sex, difficulty in walking contributed the greatest decrement in PCS (NE= -7.4) among the 6 ADLs. Other ADL decrements were 4.5-points for bathing, 4.4-points for getting in/out of chairs, 2.7-points for dressing, 1.5-points for using the toilet, and 1.3-points for eating. For MCS, difficulty in eating contributed the greatest decrement (-4.9), followed by bathing (-3.9) and walking (-3.2). For the SF-6D, difficulty in walking had a NE of -0.078 while difficulty in bathing had the greatest increment for 2-year mortality (8.1%). The NEs for the explanatory variables in the other categories are presented. This study introduced NE as a measure of effect produced by each determinant of health and demonstrated how to estimate the net effect for various types of data. Our results highlight how the net effect varies within a given category, and differs according to physical and mental health and mortality.

This paper explores how an intellectual account that describes eyes as cameras shapes clinical practices of measurement and correction in vision care. For patients with eye movement disorders (EMDs), which are complex, not easily treated, and often incurable, the acuity-centric system of vision care often reduces their experiences to standardized assessments that fail to address the full scope of their needs. Bringing together rhetoric of health and medicine (RHM) research, quality-of-life studies, patient testimonies, and qualitative responses from our survey of people with EMDs, we examined patients’ frustrations within a system that prioritizes acuity correction over a nuanced understanding of their complex conditions. We used the framework of the quest narrative as derived from the domains of theater and improv to highlight the multiplicity of ways that people with non-normative bodies navigate a normative infrastructure over time. This paper contributes to RHM scholarship in two primary ways: 1) by operationalizing critical disability studies critiques of biomedical normativity within care contexts and 2) detailing the care-related experiences of people defined as having rare disabilities or diseases.

Abstract This paper draws on two seemingly disparate moments – standing witness to protest in Guatemala and unpacking programme design in New York City – to explore the connections, linkages and methodological insights brought forward by front-line organisers. These individuals, though not typically recognised as policy experts, offer crucial knowledge that challenges dominant approaches to law and policy. Turning to their actions and framing, this paper argues that these organisers share a deep and urgent analysis of institutional and state violence. Their perspectives highlight the inadequacies of conventional institutional lenses, which often exclude or dismiss such grassroots expertise. The paper emphasises the importance of how these voices are heard and responded to, particularly given the historical and ongoing marginalisation of such knowledge holders. Drawing on multiple examples, it critiques institutional investments in spatial and bureaucratic schemes that deflect responsibility for violence, and that distance possibilities for accountability. This raises the question of what orientation or sensibility is necessary to engage with and to listen to these collective voices differently, especially from within administrative and bureaucratic systems. Grappling with the possibilities and limitations of what a category of ‘activist-scholar administrator’ could mean, this paper identifies three key lessons: the need for bureaucratic imagination, an iterative approach and expanded analytical frameworks. I argue that much more thinking and action are needed to navigate bureaucratic systems – whether in universities or state institutions – in ways that centre community knowledge and respond meaningfully to calls for broader accountability.