A strong public health system is essential to ensure access to healthcare for all New Yorkers. Although Manhattan has excellent public and private hospitals, clinics, and community-based service providers, many residents still do not receive care.

The Borough President’s work to improve New Yorkers’ health includes:  

• The creation of the East Harlem Asthma Center of Excellence, in collaboration with Mayor Bloomberg, which will open in 2008 with the goal of reducing asthma hospitalizations uptown by 50 percent over three years.
• Spreading the word among immigrant communities that all individuals are entitled to receive care at public hospitals and health care facilities, and that they may not be questioned about their immigration status or denied care based on their status.
• Pressuring the federal government to fully disclose the health effects of the 2001 terrorist attacks on New York City and its aftermath on residents and students in Lower Manhattan, and to provide resources to deal with the long-term health effects.
• Authoring No Way Out: An Analysis of The New York State Department of Health’s Role in Preparing Nursing Homes For Emergencies, an investigative report showing that nursing homes throughout New York City are unprepared to care for their residents in the event of a major emergency.

Nearly 25 percent of New York City residents are uninsured. Children and adults without health insurance are more likely to experience financial hardship, receive less effective health care services, and suffer from more medical ailments than those who have insurance. Free or low-cost public health insurance, such as Child Health Plus, Medicaid, Family Health Plus, the Elderly Pharmaceutical Assistance Program (EPIC), and the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) are offered in New York to help people get access to the care they need, but nearly a million eligible New Yorkers are not enrolled. Clearly, initiatives that spread the word and get people signed up for publicly subsidized health insurance should be a priority.

Child Health Clinics

Child Health Clinics, which are located throughout Manhattan, have been serving the needs of children in New York City for almost 100 years, providing free or low-cost medications, immunizations, and checkups. Many children treated by these clinics are from immigrant families. Many live in substandard housing. A majority of the families that use these clinics do not have health insurance, have children with multiple health conditions, and have extremely low-incomes. Despite their vital role, each year Child Health Clinics are on the chopping block in the Mayor’s and HHC’s budgets, which is unacceptable given their importance to maintaining the health of the city’s most vulnerable children.

Asthma

Asthma is a complex condition caused by a combination of allergenic, genetic, environmental, infectious, and socioeconomic factors. Asthma is exacerbated by tobacco smoke, airway infections, ozone, sulfur dioxide, particulate matter, dust, molds, pollen, cockroaches, exercise, and emotional stress. According to the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, over one million New Yorkers have been diagnosed with asthma at some point in their lives. Asthma is the leading cause of childhood hospitalization, missed work days, and missed school days in New York City.  One in four children in East Harlem has asthma – among the highest rates in the nation.

Lead Poisoning

Lead poisoning, most prevalent in young children, often occurs when lead paint chips from flaking, peeling walls are ingested. The taste of these chips is slightly sweet, encouraging young children to eat them, exposing themselves to lead poisoning. Most lead-poisoned children have been exposed to dangerous levels of lead in their own homes.

HIV/AIDS

The spread of HIV/AIDS is still a public health crisis. Despite trends that show the disease leveling off nationwide, New York continues to be the epicenter of the epidemic. The growth of HIV infection among high school age students, especially girls, reminds us of the urgency of stopping this epidemic through education about preventative practices. More must be done to educate young people and other high risk populations how to protect themselves.  Increasing access to voluntary, written informed-consent HIV testing is also vital, as well as getting HIV-positive people into care without delay.