State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald visited Central New York on August 26, 2025, where he met with local health leaders and attended the 2025 Great New York State Fair. The annual event, held just outside of Syracuse, draws close to a million visitors each year and is known for its focus on New York’s history and tradition.
Dr. McDonald spoke about the Department’s involvement at the fair: “The State Health Department is proud to participate in the Great New York State Fair, where we can provide education on a variety of public health initiatives and discuss careers in public health with thousands of visitors.” He encouraged attendees to visit the Department’s booth: “We encourage all fair goers to stop by the New York State Department of Health booth located in the Science and Industry Building and take the opportunity to speak with Department staff about ways to stay safe and healthy like preventing mosquito and tick-borne illnesses, how to properly administer naloxone, lead poisoning prevention and more.”
At the Science & Industry Building booth, visitors can find information on careers in public health as well as meet staff from different divisions such as the Center for Community Health. These staff members provide education on topics including tick, mosquito, and animal bite prevention.
The booth also features resources related to NY State of Health—the state’s official health plan Marketplace. Local enrollment assistors are available throughout the fair to inform attendees about insurance options through Medicaid, Child Health Plus, Essential Plan, and Qualified Health Plans.
In addition, representatives from the Office of Drug User Health offer naloxone kits along with training on opioid overdose reversal. Materials are provided on harm reduction strategies, drug user health issues, and details about Bupe-AP (Buprenorphine Assistance Program), which helps uninsured or underinsured individuals access buprenorphine at no cost.
Educational materials from both the Office of Sexual Health and Epidemiology and Office of LGBTQ Services cover sexual health topics such as Doxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis (Doxy-PEP), expedited partner treatment information, and guidance for syphilis during pregnancy.
Staff from the Office of Health Facilities Management are present at the booth to discuss placement opportunities at four DOH-operated skilled nursing facilities that serve veterans and their dependents. They also share information about rehabilitative services at Helen Hayes Hospital as well as employment opportunities across these facilities for healthcare professionals.
Before attending the fairgrounds—which has daily attendance near 100,000 people during peak days—Dr. McDonald met with leaders from over a dozen counties at the Department’s Central New York Regional Office. Each county shared updates on recent work in public health.
To manage large crowds safely each year at this event near Syracuse (https://nysfair.ny.gov/), emergency medical services are coordinated by AMR together with an infirmary and triage center operated by Upstate Medical University. More than 300 food vendors operate under permits issued after inspection by experienced staff from both the Department of Health Center for Environmental Health and Department of Agriculture and Markets.
For more details about attending or participating in future fairs or learning more about programs offered by state agencies during events like these, additional information can be found through official channels.
