NEW YORK TIMES | J. DAVID GOODMAN | AUG 26, 2019

A lobbyist for a powerful hospital group has been New York’s most reliable donor, raising questions of whether his employer directs the contributions.

Of all the billionaires, hedge fund managers and chief executives who have showered politicians in New York with money in the last five years, no one has given more often than David C. Rich.

Since 2014, Mr. Rich has doled out more than 200 contributions totaling over $900,000. Last year alone, he gave away nearly a quarter of a million dollars across dozens of campaigns, according to an analysis by The New York Times, and has donated at least 39 times so far this year.

The scale of personal contributions put Mr. Rich in the rarefied ranks of the fabulously wealthy, like Steven A. Cohen, the investor, and the Walton family, heirs to the Walmart fortune, who write huge checks to favored causes, often to charter schools.

But Mr. Rich is no billionaire. He is the in-house lobbyist for the Greater New York Hospital Association, the state’s most ....

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NY State Doctors Launch AID Chapter

Dec 17, 2020

Understanding that strength lies in numbers, 20 New York doctors banded together last month to join AID and form a New York State chapter. The new group joined with AID's existing New York members. and together will raise the profile of independent doctors in the Empire State. 

Dr. George Rogu, a Commack, NY, pediatrician who will serve as the group's chairman. "Private doctors need a unified voice to talk to the media and to patients." That's where AID can help.

Health Advocate Henry Denis, owner of HITS Consulting Group, spearheaded the group, which took advantage of AID sponsor AdvancedMD's generous offer, to underwrite half the cost of new memberships for the next 40 members.

During the kick-off meeting, the doctors voted on which issues were most important. The 2021 proposed New York State 20 percent Medicaid budget cut and what that means to independent doctors surfaced as the most critical issue.  

“The NY Chapter is only as strong as its membership, so become active and take a strong role in shaping your future," Denis said. 

"Every membership matters, but when we get a critical mass of more than 15 doctors in a state, that helps us amplify our message as we reach out to media and lawmakers," said Marni Jameson Carey, AIDS executive director. "We are so grateful to all the work that went into putting this chapter together, and to AdvancedMD for their generous support.