EmblemHealth, one of the largest nonprofit health plans in the United States, formed through the merger of Group Health Incorporated and the Health Insurance Plan of Greater New York in 2006. Headquartered in Manhattan, EmblemHealth's goal is to provide quality insurance plans for New Yorkers. EmblemHealth has an extensive network of providers, allowing members to access the tri-state area's top medical professionals. EmblemHealth seeks to improve services to its members by informing them of which providers offer the best care based on patient experiences, costs, and procedure volumes. EmblemHealth engaged a Capstone team in developing criteria to classify healthcare facilities in the New York Metropolitan region as Centers of Excellence for Cancer Care and identify which cancer type could be the basis for analysis. To this end, the team analyzed metrics based on industry standards and provided recommendations leading to said classification and identification.

Johnson & Johnson is one of the world's oldest and most trusted providers of oral care products. Over the last decade, Johnson & Johnson has faced significant challenges in increasing public awareness of the oral health benefits of mouthwash. As a result, Johnson & Johnson collaborates with many oral health and dental organizations to modify and promote oral health recommendations, which include rinsing as a primary method for maintaining good oral health. The Capstone team reviewed and analyzed the domestic and international oral health policy landscape and identified correlations between oral health policies and a population's state of oral health. By examining the impact of poor oral health on populations and their economies, the team strengthened the foundation for Johnson & Johnson to advocate for the therapeutic claims and economic benefits of mouthwash use. Based on this analysis, the team crafted a comprehensive document that highlights the correlations between oral health practices and improved oral health and recommends strategies for Johnson & Johnson to effectively promote of the importance of rinsing in social, corporate, and political environments.

The Office of Emergency Preparedness and Response (OEPR) promotes New York City Department of Mental Health and Hygiene initiatives such as preventing, preparing for, responding to, and recovering from health emergencies that can potentially impact the health of New Yorkers. Federal grants fund the OEPR program, which is intended to design, develop, and implement emergency preparedness plans across a wide range of stakeholders. OEPR engaged a Capstone team in identifying and addressing departmental grant management processes that can be improved and optimized. The team offered insight into which processes are key problem areas for stakeholders within OEPR and should be a priority for improvement. The research culminated in the creation of a framework that OEPR can standardize and implement for future process improvement needs within the department.

Nurses face a multitude of challenges in today's high-acuity, high-stress healthcare environment, including burnout, compassion fatigue, and bullying. An enhanced capacity for resiliency is essential for nurses to be able to maintain empathy and purpose in their work. NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital (NYP), one of the nation's largest and most renowned academic medical centers, employs over 6,400 nurses at its six main campuses. NYP is interested in better understanding the barriers to and interventions that build nurse resiliency. NYP enlisted a Capstone team to examine current evidence related to nurse resiliency. The team conducted a literature review and investigated resiliency at similar institutions. The team also explored the lived experience of nurses related to resiliency at two NYP campuses through the utilization of focus groups, a survey, and the analysis of exit interview comments. The team's research culminated in a set of actionable recommendations aimed at building and sustaining nurse resiliency at NYP.

The NewYork-Presbyterian Healthcare System (NYP) strives to identify, define, and improve upon the current practices and measures of success while focusing on evidence-based strategies to improve new graduate nurse retention. The NYP New Nurse Residency Program aims to bridge the educational and professional gap between student nurse to successful and competent professional nurse. To measure the effectiveness of the NYP New Nurse Residency Program, the Capstone team gathered data through interviews with key stakeholders, extensive surveying and focus group participation, and observation of current practices and processes. The team also conducted a comprehensive literature review, which resulted in valuable insight into emerging best practices in the field, including other top-ranked academic medical centers. The research culminated in a set of recommendations for NYP that includes the identification of metrics to measure the effectiveness of existing and future programs within the institution and an operational framework aimed at improving processes in the New Nurse Residency Program.

The Center for Health Equity (CHE) is a division of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) whose mission is “to strengthen and amplify the DOHMH's work to eliminate health inequities, which are rooted in historical and contemporary injustices and discrimination, including racism.” CHE seeks to promote accountability, community power, and diversity and inclusion by focusing on racial justice, identifying key neighborhoods for investment, creating partnerships to advance social justice, and using evidence-based storytelling. CHE enlisted a Capstone team to create a framework that describes the relationship between gentrification and health, and to craft a community tool to empower residents in gentrifying communities. The team synthesized mechanisms to mitigate the negative effects of neighborhood change on health while amplifying any benefits. The final report included a comprehensive literature review, expert and stakeholder interviews, and recommendations for advancing the division's mission and contributing to evidence-based initiatives.

DaVita Kidney Care, a division of DaVita HealthCare Partners Inc., provides dialysis services to patients with chronic kidney failure and end-stage renal disease throughout the United States and abroad. DaVita is the largest kidney dialysis provider chain in the New York City metropolitan area. DaVita engaged a Capstone team in determining if a coalition of kidney dialysis providers in New York area would be a cost-effective way to educate patients and lobby for policy reforms to improve dialysis healthcare. The Capstone team assisted DaVita in forming the coalition by developing a coalition framework and created a business plan to sustain the coalition. The team produced the framework and business plan using research from a literature review, stakeholder interviews, a survey of independent dialysis providers, and a focus group of interested organizations. The insights gained culminated in the identification of common issues and challenges that providers in the New York City area face and a business plan for a coalition that best addresses the providers' needs.