As vice president of programs at the New York Health Foundation (NYHealth), Avital Havusha, MPH, oversees the Foundation’s programs and priority areas, Healthy Food, Healthy Lives and Primary Care, as well as its Special Projects Fund and focus on Veterans’ Health. Avital plays a leadership role in developing and implementing the Foundation’s goals and strategies and its proactive policy agenda. She promotes synergy across the Foundation’s grantmaking, contributes to the Foundation’s proactive policy agenda, and builds partnerships with other foundations and stakeholders.
Prior to NYHealth, Avital held leadership roles in the public health and health care sectors in New York State. At the Primary Care Development Corporation (PCDC), Avital oversaw operations, strategy, and business development for PCDC’s capacity-building and technical assistance programs. At Public Health Solutions, Avital managed large-scale health and human service programs in the areas of food and nutrition, reproductive health care, maternal and child health, and health care access. Earlier, at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, she played a lead role in coordinating the department’s response to federal and State health care reform. Avital holds a bachelor of arts degree from Washington University in St. Louis and a master of public health degree from Yale University.