Newswise — The New York Academy of Medicine will honor John Catsimatidis, CEO of the Red Apple Group, and Valentin Fuster, MD, PhD, Director of Mount Sinai Heart, at its annual Gala on June 14, 2016 at the Mandarin Oriental New York. The Gala, “Healthy Cities. Better Lives,” celebrates the Academy’s continued leadership in urban health and honors individuals in the fields of business, medicine and journalism who have made significant contributions to improving the health of people in cities.

The Academy is pleased to honor Mr. Catsimatidis for his generous philanthropic role in the health sector and his commitment to promoting and assuring the availability of healthy and natural foods to the communities served by his Gristedes supermarkets.

The Academy is also pleased to honor Dr. Fuster as the 2016 Urban Health Champion in recognition of his his global leadership over the past four decades as a scientist, educator, and advocate in advancing the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease worldwide.

At the event, the Academy will also award the 2016 Urban Health Journalism Prize to Alana Semuels of The Atlantic and recognize three finalists, Deborah L. Shelton of The Chicago Reporter, Susan Dominus of The New York Times Magazine, and Laura Starecheski, formerly of NPR. The prize is awarded annually for superior media coverage on topics addressing the distinct challenges and opportunities for the health of people living in cities.

Cheryl Wills, NY1 Anchor, will act as Master of Ceremony. The Gala Chairs are James Flynn and George Thibault, MD.

For more information and tickets, visit the Academy website, email [email protected], or call 212.581.1400.

About The New York Academy of MedicineThe New York Academy of Medicine advances solutions that promote the health and well-being of people in cities worldwide.

Established in 1847, The New York Academy of Medicine continues to address the health challenges facing New York City and the world’s rapidly growing urban populations. We accomplish this through our Institute for Urban Health, home of interdisciplinary research, evaluation, policy, and program initiatives; our world class historical medical library and its public programming in history, the humanities and the arts; and our Fellows program, a network of more than 2,000 experts elected by their peers from across the professions affecting health. Our current priorities are healthy aging, disease prevention, and eliminating health disparities. For more information, visit www.nyam.org.