EmblemHealth Launches Real-Time Weather Resilience Alerts to Protect At-Risk New Yorkers

New program provides actionable guidance and connections to local resources before weather-related health crises occur

NEW YORK, July 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- In response to ever-changing weather patterns and their growing health risks to New Yorkers, EmblemHealth, one of the nation's largest not-for-profit health insurers, has launched its new Weather Resilience Program. Using clinical and geospatial data, advanced analytics, and generative artificial intelligence, the program aims to safeguard the most vulnerable members from weather-related illness.  

As record-breaking temperatures swept through New York City and recently triggered a state of emergency throughout the tri-state area, the EmblemHealth Weather Resilience Program delivered thousands of heat-risk alerts to vulnerable residents, providing them with personalized heat safety tips, nearby cooling centers, connections to care management support, and even pet safety information.

Cutting-edge generative AI agents perform phone and text outreach in both English and Spanish. These two-way conversational interactions are triaged and escalated to EmblemHealth's care management team, ensuring that members with complex medical or social needs are promptly connected to clinical or community resources when necessary. When paired with geographic insights from the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene's (DOHMH) Heat Vulnerability Index (HVI), this outreach can target communities where heat and health risks collide.

"New York City's Heat Vulnerability Index (HVI) is a powerful indicator of areas where extreme heat can be deadly and where inequities in heat-related illnesses and preparedness persist," said Dr. Michelle Morse, Acting Commissioner of the NYC Health Department. "By making this data publicly available, we're informing organizations across the city how to take lifesaving, equity-driven action."

"The compounding effect of adverse weather events, New York City's built environment, and social determinants of health have a measurable impact on people's health," said EmblemHealth's Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Daniel Knecht. "By leveraging public data, alongside our clinical data, we can deliver precision public health interventions that protect health and save lives."

While this program is currently tackling New York City's ongoing summer heatwaves, EmblemHealth plans to expand the program to include other adverse weather events, including poor air quality and extreme cold, to proactively support members who are at the highest risk of serious health complications.

EmblemHealth's Weather Resilience Program reflects EmblemHealth's ongoing commitment to community-based care and health equity. As of July 8, 2025, the program has reached over 2,600 members. EmblemHealth will expand its outreach to hundreds of thousands more at-risk members across New York City's five boroughs.

About EmblemHealth

EmblemHealth is one of the nation's largest not-for-profit health insurers, serving members across New York's diverse communities with a full range of commercial and government-sponsored health plans for employers, individuals, and families. With a commitment to value-based care, EmblemHealth partners with top hospitals and doctors, including its own AdvantageCare Physicians, to deliver quality, affordable, convenient care. At over a dozen EmblemHealth Neighborhood Care locations, members and non-members have access to community-based health and wellness guidance and resources. For more information, visit emblemhealth.com.

SOURCE EmblemHealth