Lois Dorman, MPA, who is Secretary of the Ryan Health Board, has served on the Board for five years. She is also a member of the Executive Strategic Planning and Development Committees.
Ms. Dorman has lived on the Upper West Side for most of her life, and her family also resides here. She worked as a department administrator in Psychiatry, Pediatrics, and Rehabilitation Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital System for over 25 years. After retiring, in 2019, she became a permanent substitute teacher at St. Hilda’s & St. Hugh’s School in Morningside Heights. She holds a master’s degree in Public Administration, and from 2009 to 2013, she attended classes at the Center for Modern Psychoanalytic Studies. Her hobbies include ballet class; concert going; reading, focusing on psychology and history; volunteer work for the City’s homeless; and spending time with her dog, family, and friends.
When and how did you first get involved with Ryan Health?
Around the time I retired, a work colleague, and current Board Member, recommended me to the Ryan Health Board. My initial experience with Ryan Health was through patient referrals from Ryan Health to our mental health outpatient services at Mount Sinai Morningside.
Why do you volunteer/donate?
My father was a World War II disabled war veteran. My mother was a hospital volunteer for as long as I can remember, as well as a donor to so many causes. It made her feel valued. I imagine those two life experiences pointed me in the direction my life took.
So far this year, Ryan Health served over 4,000 asylum seekers. As the need for additional services increases, so do costs such as building out office space, adding support staff, hiring practitioners, and purchasing supplies. To fund all this remarkable work, Ryan Health relies on the support of our generous donors.
In your opinion, what is the most important work Ryan Health does?
What distinguishes Ryan Health for me is its exceptional community outreach programs. Ryan Health serves the medically underserved population best by expanding its presence in the community, in the schools, by utilizing mobile outreach vans and hosting ongoing health resource fairs. These provide critical and timely health screening and education for breast cancer, colorectal cancer, diabetes, obesity, blood pressure, depression, nutrition, vaccinations, HIV testing, and family planning. During National Health Center Week this August, Ryan Health hosted five resource fairs throughout its sites.
What do you hope Ryan Health will achieve in the future?
Since my tenure as a Board Member, I have seen Ryan Health expand its facilities and services into the neighborhoods of high need. The hope is a future where Ryan Health will provide primary care and specialty services to many more clients throughout New York City.