UHF Gala 2022 Journal - Flipbook - Page 16
Farewell Tribute
Anthony Shih, MD
In gratitude for his leadership and steadfast pursuit
of better health and health care
The expansion of UHF’s programs to address social factors driving health disparities. The
introduction of an innovative diversity, equity, and inclusion initiative involving every
member of United Hospital Fund’s board and staff. A new partnership with Boston
Consulting Group that produced policy-changing reports on children. The launch of
UHF’s Tribute to Excellence in Health Care, saluting quality improvement champions.
The publication of a new online commentary series on important aspects of the pandemic
not well covered by the general press. Strengthening UHF’s financial position with new
foundation partners.
These are just a few of the highlights of Anthony Shih, MD’s five-year tenure as president
of United Hospital Fund. He made a lasting imprint in a relatively short time, expanding
UHF’s vision and building strong internal and external bonds. Perhaps most significantly,
he guided UHF through one of the most challenging periods in its 143-year history—the
COVID-19 pandemic.
During this extraordinary health care crisis, Tony encouraged UHF to shift from almost
exclusively targeting policymakers and health care leaders to taking on the additional
responsibility of direct outreach to communities. For example, UHF issued a guide to
the options available for New Yorkers who lost health insurance during the pandemic—
translated into five languages—and created a repository of resources to help parents and
clinicians care for children during an unprecedented time.
The rapidly evolving health care landscape spurred a shift from UHF’s historic focus on
long analytic reports, leading to the addition of shorter, frequent commentaries by experts
both outside and within UHF on critical issues that were not getting broader attention.
A partnership with Boston Consulting Group that Tony and board member Christophe
Durand initiated led to the first examination of the impact on children who lost a parent or
guardian or entered poverty in the early months of the pandemic—a report that was picked
up by news outlets worldwide.
Tony wisely decided that UHF offices should shut down in early March 2020, when it was
clear how hard the pandemic was hitting New York City. For the next two-plus years—or
some 123 weeks, a count he would announce each Tuesday—he made sure that all employees
were safe and stayed connected to each other through twice-weekly all-staff video calls.
On those calls, he kept the UHF family informed about program initiatives, gave updates,
and answered questions about the status of the pandemic and vaccines. He also celebrated
birthdays, shared favorite pandemic diversions, and encouraged discussions about such
devastating news events as the George Floyd murder, mass shootings, and racist attacks.
His own actions during the pandemic were a model of leadership. During the spring of
2020, when the city’s death toll was rising daily, Tony volunteered to work at NYC Health
+ Hospitals/Elmhurst, the epicenter of the pandemic. His inspiring email to UHF staff
describing his time there was a guidepost for redoubling efforts to help those who suffer the
most under the nation’s inequitable health care system. With UHF Senior Vice President
Chad Shearer, Tony also presented testimony to a New York State joint legislative hearing
exploring solutions to COVID-19’s disproportionate impact on minority communities.
It was part of Tony’s push for a renewed urgency at UHF to tackle health inequities.
This is now a central theme across all programs, including two new projects: Pediatrics
for an Equitable Developmental Start Learning Network and a new task force on Bridging
Quality and Equity.
Tony’s reputation as a health care leader and authority helped UHF spread the equity
message. He led numerous UHF events, including the Quality Leaders Forum, launched in
2020 to bring health care quality leaders together to share ideas and strengthen professional
relationships, and a regional awards program spotlighting quality improvement champions,
established in 2019.
UHF also went through a major change internally. With Tony’s guidance, the organization
introduced a transformative program to infuse diversity, equity, and inclusion into every
aspect of the organization. All employees received extensive DEI training, as did board
members. Standing committees were formed to ensure that UHF publications, new hires,
and policies were examined from a DEI perspective.
“Tony has been an inspirational and thoughtful leader, earning the trust and admiration of
the board and staff as well as our partners, collaborators, and supporters,” said UHF board
chair John C. Simons. “We will always be grateful for the important role he has played over
the past five years, and especially his exceptional leadership through the pandemic.”
Throughout UHF’s history, from its founding in 1879 as a federated charity dedicated
to raising funds to care for the poor, to its current structure as an independent nonprofit,
its commitment to the disadvantaged and medically vulnerable has endured, and was
strengthened on Tony’s watch. In gratitude for his leadership and steadfast pursuit of better
health and health care, UHF pays tribute to Anthony Shih, MD.
