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The application/nomination phase for the 2016 Urban Health Journalism Prize is now closed.

New York (February 1, 2016) – The New York Academy of Medicine announced today that it will begin accepting applications and nominations for the second annual Urban Health Journalism Prize. The Prize, launched in 2015, is given each year to a journalist in recognition of their superior coverage of a topic addressing the distinct health issues and needs of people living in cities. The winner will be honored at the Academy Gala on June 14, and will be awarded a $5,000 prize.

The winner will be selected from local and national print, radio, web and television stories published in 2015 by a prestigious committee of leading experts in urban health, journalism and city government who are passionate about improving cities and health. They will base their selection on excellence in three areas:

  1. The significance of the idea to the field of urban health,
  2. The depth and breadth of the reporting,
  3. The quality of the writing.

Applications or nominations are now being accepted online for stories published in 2015. Deadline for application is March 31, 2016. UPDATE: DEADLINE EXTENDED TO APRIL 14, 2016.

The New York Academy of Medicine established the Urban Health Journalism Prize in 2015 to recognize the critical role that journalists have in building awareness for and attention to the issues and potential solutions for improving health in cities. The inaugural prize winner, Brie Zeltner of the Cleveland daily, The Plain Dealer, was recognized for September 30, 2014 article, “More than half of Cleveland kids live in poverty, and it's making them sick.” Two other finalists were recognized as well, Olga Khazan, The Atlantic, for her May 21, 2014 article, “How Being Poor Makes You Sick, and Mike Maciag, Governing, for his August, 2014 article, “Pedestrians Dying at Disproportionate Rates in America's Poorer Neighborhoods.”

“With over half of the worlds’ population living in cities, the need for excellent reporting on issues affecting the health of those who live and work in cities has never been greater,” said New York Academy of Medicine President Jo Ivey Boufford, MD. “The annual Prize aims to recognize and encourage thoughtful coverage and the inclusion of health concerns in reporting on urban issues across all media platforms, particularly those articles or produced pieces examining the unique impact of cities on health, broad determinants of health, health disparities, and strategies to prevent disease in urban communities.”

The 2016 Selection Committee includes 

•             Len Bruzzese, Director of the Association of Health Care Journalists, and Associate Professor, Missouri School of Journalism

•             The Honorable Mick Cornett, Mayor, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

•             Shelley Hearne, DRPH, Director, Big Cities Health Coalition, National Association of County and City Health Officials

•             Howard Markel, MD, PHD, Editor-in-Chief, The Milbank Quarterly, George E. Wantz Distinguished Professor and Founding Director, Center for the history of Medicine, The University of Michigan

•             David Vlahov, RN, PHD, Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Urban Health, and Dean and Professor at the University of California, San Francisco School of Nursing

•             Brie Zeltner, Health Reporter, The Plain Dealer and inaugural Urban Health Journalism Prize Winner

About The New York Academy of Medicine

The New York Academy of Medicine advances solutions that promote the health and well-being of people in cities worldwide.

Established in 1847, The New York Academy of Medicine continues to address the health challenges facing New York City and the world’s rapidly growing urban populations. We accomplish this through our Institute for Urban Health, home of interdisciplinary research, evaluation, policy and program initiatives; our world class historical medical library and its public programming in history, the humanities and the arts; and our Fellows program, a network of more than 2,000 experts elected by their peers from across the professions affecting health. Our current priorities are healthy aging, disease prevention, and eliminating health disparities.