Bronx Health REACH Meets with Bronx Borough President

 

Members of the Bronx Health REACH Health Disparities Workgroup (HDWG) met with Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson.

In March, members of the Bronx Health REACH Health Disparities Workgroup (HDWG) met with Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson and Dr. Nancy Kheck, Director of Health and Human Services for the Bronx Borough President’s Office. The meeting was held to discuss the findings of the 2023 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation County Health Rankings report and the policy Asks of the HDWG. 

In January, during her State of the Bronx address, the Borough President indicated that improving the health of the Bronx was a priority. At the meeting with her, the group discussed with her how the recently announced work of her office fits into these Asks. A follow up meeting will be scheduled with the Borough President in the upcoming months.

#NOT62: The Campaign for a Healthy Bronx. Coalition of Bronx Organizations Continues It's Mission of Advocating for the Health of The Bronx Despite Long Standing Ranking as the Unhealthiest County in NY State

 

Members of the Bronx Health REACH Health Disparities Workgroup at our last in person rally before the COVID pandemic shut down holding a #Not62 rally in December 2019.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) released its 2023 County Health Rankings Report earlier this year, and we saw that some of the positive changes that happened from 2010 to 2020, namely, improvement in the quality of life and health behavior of residents have been reversed. Especially concerning is the noted worsening food environment (6.8% compared to 7.6% in 2022), food insecurity (20% compared to 16% in 2022) and an increase in children poverty (34% compared to 31% in 2022).

Earlier this month at our quarterly Coalition meeting, Bronx Health REACH welcomed researchers from the University of Wisconsin who are responsible for determining the county health rankings. They discussed the findings for the Bronx, to help us better understand why we continue to rank last and to offer some insight in what we should be addressing to improve our ranking.

Since 2015, The Institute for Family Health/Bronx Health REACH, Montefiore Health Systems, Bronx Neighborhood Health Action Center, the Office of the Bronx Borough President and others have served as the backbone organizations for a growing coalition of partners that are a part of #Not62: The Campaign for a Healthy Bronx. This #Not62 Steering Committee is dedicated to improving health outcomes and addressing longstanding health inequities in the borough. The Campaign, leveraging the power of community partnerships, contributed to improved health outcomes between 2016-2021, demonstrating the value of community investments to foster a healthier Bronx.

The #Not62 Coalition partners will be expanding to a larger group bringing in more experts from the Bronx as they move forward with a new five-year plan that provides a roadmap for recovery to help Bronx residents respond to the challenges, traumas, and health burdens they continue to face. The Campaign will tackle these challenges by connecting people, resources, and systems with public health partners to foster community wellbeing and a future Bronx no longer ranked last.

Vaccinate for Family Ad Campaign Launches in The Bronx

 

The Vaccinate for Family ad campaign can be seen at various subway platforms and LinkNYC kiosks in the Bronx.

The next time you are walking in the Bronx, or waiting on the subway platform in the Bronx, be sure to check out our Vaccinate for Family ad campaign promoting COVID-19 vaccination. Working with media agency CauseLab, with funding provided by Health Resources and Administration's (HRSA) Expanding COVID-19 Vaccination program, and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, ads in English and Spanish are running on urban panels (aboveground subway signs), along with signs on the platforms and on LinkNYC kiosks.

The ads which feature six Bronx residents have as the themes: One Brother to Another, One Mother to Another, One Father to Another and are focused on encouraging parents of children age 12 and under to get them vaccinated, as well as pregnant women. If you see any of our advertisements, take a photo and post on social media with the hashtag #vaccinateforfamily.

‘Men, Let’s Talk’ - A Men's Only Health Forum for Men of Color in the Bronx

 

Debut of Bronx Health REACH's 'Men, Let's Talk' series at the Institute for Family Health's Stevenson Health center. 

June is Men’s Mental Health Month but for Bronx Health REACH each of the past 8 months we have been holding conversations with men in the Bronx on their mental health and wellbeing. It has been well reported how much the COVID pandemic inflicted mental stresses on everyone. This was brought home strongly to Bronx Health REACH by many leaders of our faith based outreach initiative and our community outreach team.  We heard from many that they were especially concerned about the mental wellbeing of the men in our community.

To address these concerns, Bronx Health REACH created, ‘Men, Let's Talk’, an ongoing series of monthly Saturday morning meetings that were part of the Minority Mens Wellness Initiative funded by the New York State Department of Health. These meetings provide a forum where men discuss with each other and with experts, issues that impact their mental health and wellbeing. The first meeting was held in person in October 2022 at the Stevenson Family Health Center, but with the increase, at that time, of COVID cases, subsequent meetings have been held virtually. Participants have shared that the forum has been a safe space to discuss topics that they previously were unable or uncomfortable discussing and sharing.

To date 157 men have attended the monthly Men, Let's Talk meetings. If you are interested in participating,  please contact: Joseph Ellis (917)293-4247; Cheikhou Oumar Ann at (929)215-9506; Felix Rojas (Spanish speaker), at (917)650-0987.