From June 2025 to December 2026, HJI is planning to implement a pilot initiative in Brooklyn to reduce pressing barriers to health care for individuals and families, while building a movement to address the persisting causes of inequity in the long term.
During the pilot in Brooklyn, HJI goals are to:
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Provide high power legal services and support at no or low cost to New Yorkers experiencing low income or poverty.
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Develop a network of health equity advocates (community organizations, healthcare providers, officials, etc).
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Assemble a local health care council.
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Complete a medical-legal needs and resources assessment in Brooklyn.
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Refine the HJI model and future plan for scaling direct services and advocacy initiatives.
Our Board
Natalie Moulton-Levy, MD, JD
HJI Founder & Executive Director - Board Chair
Dr. Moulton-Levy is a board-certified physician with 20 years of experience and a lawyer. Throughout her practice, Dr. Moulton-Levy has experienced inequities in medicine first hand, and patients seek her out specifically because they have faced discrimination elsewhere. In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, she volunteered at a hospital caring for COVID patients, which shed new light on the realities of medical inequality and medical racism as low-income Black and Brown patients were denied access to ventilators–their lives valued less than others. While her medical practice has allowed her to engage in problems of inequity on an individual-patient basis, she witnessed how medical and legal barriers intertwine to systemically deny care to certain groups of people. Thus, four years ago, she reached a point in her career when she decided to go to law school to address these issues on a more systemic scale. Because of the structural dimension of medical inequity, a law degree enables her to take an intersectional approach to addressing the legal aspects of the healthcare system in the United States to better advocate for those whose voices are not being heard. Creating HJI is her way of fighting for the New York she believes in, where everyone's life holds equal value and everyone receives the physical, mental, and gender-affirming healthcare they deserve.
Courtney Portell
Virginia School System - Secretary
Courtney Portell is a dedicated school counselor with over 13 years of experience supporting students and families in Virginia. She holds a Master of Education in School Counseling (K–12) from James Madison University and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from The College of William & Mary, where she also competed as a Division I basketball player for the Tribe. Courtney combines her passion for student advocacy with a strong foundation in social and emotional development, helping young people navigate both academic and personal challenges. Her background in athletics has shaped her leadership style, resilience, and commitment to teamwork—qualities she brings to every school community she serves.
Corey Nelson, MD
Medical Professional, LA County Hospital - Member
Corey Nelson, MD is a board-certified anesthesiologist in Los Angeles, California. He is affiliated with Los Angeles General Medical Center, a county-funded academic facility dedicated to serving medically underserved populations, and University of California Irvine Medical Center. He has also provided pro bono care internationally in Nigeria and India.
Flavia Tingling, DDS
Dental Professional, Private Practice - Member
Dr. Flavia Tingling, DDS was a fellow of General Dentistry at the Columbia University School of Dental and Oral Surgery, for 2 years. Her exposure there that led her to pursue a specialty degree in Pediatrics. She completed her Pediatric Dentistry Residency at St. Barnabas Hospital-New York Presbyterian Weil Cornell, Bronx, New York. Her genuine love of children is evidenced by the arduous tasks she completed to enable her to treat them exclusively.
Cherrie Short, CBE
Public Health Expert, New York University - Member
Dr. Cherrie Short, CBE, is a Senior Fellow for Global and Community Strategy in the Silver School of Social Work and the Wagner School of Public Service at NYU. She is an experienced advocate for social justice and a qualified forensic social worker emphasizing global approaches to social injustices. Her work focuses on human rights, migration, and refugees. She also focuses on issues of inequality, diversity and race relations, with a specialty in issues of incarceration, transitions back into communities, and rehabilitation. Her work has contributed to major social policy changes in local and central governments. Dr. Short has served in senior leadership roles in government in the United Kingdom. Dr. Short received the esteemed CBE award (Commander of the British Empire), one of the UK’s highest public service awards given by Queen Elizabeth II, and the U.K. Community Businesswoman of the year Award, given by the Prime Minister’s Office, for her work in capacity building and community development. She was honored by the British Consulate-General and the USC School of Social Work for her policy and community work both in Los Angeles and the United Kingdom.
Willis Gee
IT/Digital Health Director, Simpson, Thacher, & Bartlett, LLP - Member
Willis Gee is the Chief Information Officer at Simpson Thacher, where he is responsible for defining and executing a global technology strategy that enables the Firm’s business. Prior to joining the legal industry, Willis has held several senior executive leadership roles in technology at Fortune 500 companies such as Anthem Inc. and Cigna. Most recently, he was the Executive Vice President and Global Chief Information Officer for the Corporate Services Division at Chubb Limited. A member of the Alumni Board of Directors, Willis received his B.S. from The College of William and Mary. He also holds a Master of Health Administration from Virginia Commonwealth University and a Master of Science in Information Systems from Drexel University, as well as a doctorate in Global Public Health from Arizona School of Health Sciences.