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Teaching Pickleball to homeless kids in NYC

webadmin on May 18, 2022

InPickleball Magazine and the APP Tour team up to benefit The Floating Hospital

Some 2,000 entrants will descend on Flushing Meadows’ iconic tennis center in the week leading to Memorial Day for the Association of Pickleball Professionals’ (APP) inaugural New York City Open. But the athletes won’t be the only ones holding court.

While the pros dink and slam it out all around them, two dozen health educators from The Floating Hospital will learn the basics of the popular game at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, home to the U.S. Open Tennis Championships.

Guided by kinesiologist and 2019 U.S. Open pickleball champion Dr. Rommie Maxey, the health-ed specialists, who work with New York families experiencing homelessness, will take to the court and tackle the basics of the sport so they can teach kids a game that could make a pivotal difference for them.

“Outside of getting them fresh food, our No. 1 challenge is providing young people with exercise options that are easy, free, and fun,” Sean T. Granahan, president of The Floating Hospital in Long Island City, said. “Pickleball can do that in a fun, communal setting. It’s something kids can do together, pretty much anywhere.”

During pandemic lockdowns, pickleball proved to be a versatile outlet, as enthusiasts created courts in backyards, driveways, parking lots—even living rooms. All that’s needed to play is a net, chalk, a Wiffle ball, paddles, and sneakers. The sport even has its own magazine, InPickleball.

One of New York City’s oldest charitable healthcare organizations focused on children, The Floating Hospital provides related education for the whole family, engaging children as change agents for healthier habits. Through The Floating Hospital’s signature health education programming, kids learn the benefits of exercise and nutrition that can help them avoid health problems inherent with living in poverty.

Last year, 114,000 students in the New York City public school system were unhoused. The Floating Hospital conducts outreach to 95 percent of the city’s family homeless shelters and domestic violence safe houses. Thirty-eight percent of the clinic’s patients are children.

“Pickleball is about the things our world needs most today – health, joy, and togetherness,” Richard Porter, president of InPickleball Magazine, said. “The game is growing wildly because it’s fun and inclusive. People of all ages and abilities can enjoy it immediately and pick up basic skills quickly. By showing these kids a simple way to better health, we can make meaningful progress toward health equity in New York.”

The APP New York City Open session kicks off an ongoing training program that enables the educators to teach pickleball at The Floating Hospital’s “Camp Rise Up” for homeless youth this August. The sport will be added to the roster of confidence and team-building activities the campers participate in during their week away on the upstate campus.

The APP New York City Open session will take place Wednesday, May 25, at the USTA Tennis Center, starting at 10 a.m.

OPED: Higher Education is essential to Queens

webadmin on May 18, 2022

The City University of New York (CUNY) has a rich history, dating back to the founding of the Free Academy in 1847. Townsend Harris, then President of the City’s Board of Education stated “let the children of the rich and poor take their seats together.” Queens and York Colleges, CUNY Law School, LaGuardia and Queensborough Community Colleges are all descendants of that tradition. CUNY is embedded in the fabric of Queens. By keeping these institutions strong and making them more affordable, we will ensure our students and our economy continue to thrive.

Two years ago the Brookings Institution, a well-respected Washington DC based public policy organization, ranked CUNY as among the top colleges nationally for providing upward mobility for its graduates. Students from families in the bottom 20 percent income level experienced the greatest increase in potential earnings.

Our public universities and colleges have struggled to maintain enrollment over the last several years. A range of factors has contributed to this problem, especially the rippling effects of the COVID-19 health crisis. However, our lack of state support and tuition increases shoulder much of the blame. Cuts in state support and the strain of the TAP Gap (the difference between the Tuition Assistance Program and the actual cost of tuition) forced administrators to reduce services, neglect infrastructure and technological needs, and lay off adjuncts. Rising tuition rates deterred students who simply could not afford the cost of an education.

This year’s New York State Budget included historic investments for CUNY. When we assumed the majority in the Senate in 2019, we began the process of reversing a decade of neglect and cuts to our CUNY schools. As Chairwoman of the State Senate Higher Education Committee, I take great pride in helping facilitate this sea change, along with my colleagues. We have not increased tuition and expanded TAP and opportunity programs, as well as funded more full-time faculty.

This new budget will begin to address infrastructure needs with hundreds of millions of dollars in appropriations for capital projects, which will provide prevailing wage jobs. Additionally, we are making a substantial investment in on-campus childcare so Queens families can continue their academic pursuits, with the benefit of having their children nearby.

These are steps in the right direction for CUNY, but I believe we can do more. Too many students graduate from college, starting their careers owing thousands of dollars in student loans. I have sponsored a bill, that passed the Senate, to increase the income level for TAP eligibility from $80,000 to $110,000. This will offer relief for middle class families who are struggling with the extra costs of textbooks, ever-evolving technology needs and other school related costs. If we spend smartly and invest in the right programs, I am confident we can improve our schools, grow our enrollment and lower the cost of college.

I have said many times that the P3 concept should be applied to higher education- a public-private partnership with the business community is essential. By working together, each will benefit. I look forward to working with the Chamber on these issues.

OPED: New hope for people with HIV

webadmin on May 18, 2022

A new study holds promise for people living with HIV who have limited therapy options or rely on complex drug regimens

A new international study led by a researcher from New York-Presbyterian Queens, published in The New England Journal of Medicine on May 11, demonstrated the effectiveness of an investigational long-acting, first-in-class therapy for people with multi-drug resistant HIV – signaling the potential for a radically simplified drug treatment and improved compliance among patients living with HIV.

In the randomized controlled, double-blind trial known as “CAPELLA,” injections beneath the skin of an investigational HIV agent called lenacapavir significantly suppressed the viral level in patients with HIV who were currently on a failing antiretroviral treatment regimen. Importantly, viral suppression remained high for six months.

If approved, the new therapy has the potential to be a game-changer in several ways, according to the study’s lead author, Dr. Sorana Segal-Maurer, director of the Dr. James J. Rahal, Jr. Division of Infectious Diseases at NewYork-Presbyterian Queens and a professor of clinical medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine.

“The encouraging results of the study offer hope for people living with HIV who have limited therapy options, as well as those who are reliant on complex drug regimens,” Dr. Segal-Maurer said. “Lenacapavir has the potential to be used as either a long-acting pill or a subcutaneous injection every six months, which anyone can be taught to do. I cannot even find the words to share what that means to all our patients, but especially those with limited or no treatment options, or whose unique circumstances make it difficult to engage in care.” 

However, she stressed, that patients still need to be highly adherent to the rest of their antiretroviral medications that make up their complete regimen.

Lenacapavir, from Gilead Sciences, is an investigational antiretroviral medicine called a capsid inhibitor that targets the cone-shaped shell of the virus and proteins important to viral reproduction. Previous research showed that lenacapavir interrupts multiple stages in the viral life cycle, helping to suppress the virus.

New York-Presbyterian Queens was one of 42 investigational sites for lenacapavir around the world.

“Despite significant advances in antiretroviral treatments that have helped many people with HIV suppress the virus, there are still patients with treatment failures due to viral resistance or unacceptable side effects,” Segal-Maurer added. “These patients no longer have viral suppression and require treatment options that can be complex and difficult to adhere to, leading to further drug resistance. These challenges underscore the importance of new treatment options for people living with multi-drug resistant HIV infection.”

The phase II/III CAPELLA trial included 72 people living with HIV with a median age of 52, 75 percent of whom were men. Individuals were eligible for the study if they were age 12 and older, were currently on a failing drug regimen, and had developed resistance to at least two drugs from four main classes of antiretroviral medications (46 percent of patients in the study had resistance to all four major classes of antiretroviral medications). Half of the trial participants were randomized to receive oral lenacapavir or a placebo along with their existing medication regimen for 14 days.

The remaining 36 participants started taking lenacapavir pills at the beginning of the trial on top of a regimen of HIV medications designed to maximize effectiveness for these heavily treatment-experienced people. After 14 days on the oral drug, they, too, switched to the subcutaneous injections.

At the end of the lead-in period, 88 percent of participants receiving lenacapavir saw a significant drop in their viral level, compared with just 17 percent of those on the placebo. Trial participants randomized to receive lenacapavir also experienced an increase in white blood cells called CD4 T cells, critical to fighting the infection. Overall, the percentage of people with profoundly low CD4 T cells decreased from 24 percent to 0 percent. No one dropped out of the study as a result of drug-related side effects, according to Dr. Segal-Maurer.

“The significance of the trial’s findings is profound. We’ve come a long way,” said Segal-Maurer, who has witnessed the evolution of HIV treatment over the decades, starting at the beginning of the AIDS epidemic. “I was in medical school in the early to mid-eighties when the average lifespan between diagnosis and death was anywhere from weeks to months. We’ve gone from many pills multiple times a day to one pill a day to possibly even less. Now we’re in a place where if a patient can engage in care and take their medicine, they have an excellent chance for improved outcomes and a long lifespan.”

A version of this op-ed can be found on the New York-Presbyterian Queens “Health Matters” website.

Dr. Sorana Segal-Maurer is a paid consultant for Gilead Sciences and director of Dr. James J. Rahal, Jr., Infectious Diseases Division at New York-Presbyterian Queens, and professor of clinical medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine. She is the site principal investigator for a number of studies evaluating new investigational HIV antiretroviral therapies.

Downtown Jamaica Improvement Council launched

webadmin on May 18, 2022

New group will spur completion of projects in Southeast Queens hub

The formation of an inter-agency panel aimed at improving the conditions in downtown Jamaica has been launched by the Queens Borough President and a local City Councilwoman.

The new group, called the Downtown Jamaica Improvement Council, will be made up of community stakeholders, elected officials and members of city agencies.

Co-chaired by Borough President Donovan Richards and Councilwoman Nantasha Williams, the initiative will help streamline communication between all those involved, which will benefit ongoing and future quality-of-life projects, while also supporting the economic vitality of Downtown Jamaica.

The idea came to be after a walking tour of the district nearly two months ago. During the Friday, March 11 afternoon tour, Richards and Williams spoke with Small Business Services Commissioner Kevin Kim and other city officials about concerns of crime, sanitation, transportation and infrastructure.

“We carefully listened to the Downtown Jamaica community about the issues impacting the quality-of-life in the neighborhood and are committing to make sure they are addressed quickly and comprehensively,” Borough President Richards said. “Our Downtown Jamaica Improvement Council will work diligently to fast-track several projects that will improve conditions in Jamaica and make it an even better place to live, work and visit. The Council will not rest until Downtown Jamaica reaches its fullest potential as a thriving commercial, residential and transportation hub.”

Members of the newly formed council will include U.S. Rep. Gregory Meeks, Jr., State Senator Leroy Comrie, Assemblywoman Alicia Hyndman, City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, and Councilwoman Selvena Brooks-Powers and Councilman James Gennaro.

Representatives from the Port Authority, the MTA, the NYPD, DOT, DSNY, NYCEDC, SBS, Community Board 12 and the Empire State Development Corporation will also be participating in the council. Officials from the offices of Governor Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams are also expected to be on the council.

Non-governmental stakeholders will include the Jamaica Center Business Improvement District, the Sutphin Boulevard BID, the 165th Street Mall Association, the Queens Chamber of Commerce, the South East Queens Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Jamaica Development Corporation, York College and the Association for a Better New York.

In the near future, the council will tackle issues including creating a localized small business grant program and business incubator, tweaking the Jamaica Avenue busway, identifying safety improvements at the Jamaica Center and Sutphin Boulevard-Archer Avenue subway stations, establishing an Open Street on 165th Street, and beautifying the Jamaica bus terminal.

“I am excited about this new task force,” Williams said. “The creation of this task force is another step towards making Downtown Jamaica a thriving hub for people to work, play, and dine. Jamaica is one of the most important economic hubs in South East Queens and plays a vital role in New York City’s economy. This is an opportunity to improve Downtown Jamaica by leveraging our collective resources. I look forward to working with community leaders, my colleagues in government, city and state agencies, and the business community to make sure this vibrant part of our borough is even better than what it already is.”

Parent involvement needed for superintendent hire

webadmin on May 17, 2022

Following community and parent backlash, the Department of Education will be expanding the involvement of parental feed- back in the hiring process of its 45 public school superintendents.

Incumbent Superintendents, including Community Education Council District 30’s Dr. Philip Composto, will now be allowed to re-apply for their position.

The initial decision to not allow District 30 Superintendent Composto re-apply for his position was met with outcry from elected officials representing the area, which includes Astoria, Woodside, Jackson Heights, Sunnyside, Corona, East Elmhurst and Long Island City.

The DOE’s reversal came down on Monday afternoon, with Schools

Chancellor David Banks re- leasing a statement.

“The central pillar of this administration is parent and community engagement,” Banks said. “After listening to community feedback we are inviting all incumbent superintendents to be interviewed as part of the community process.”

Social media outrage, emergency Zoom meet- ings with parents and press conferences rallying for the 40-year veteran and widely popular Dr. Composto came with complaints of the lack of transparency from the DOE.

With nearly 500 attend- ees in an impromptu emer- gency Zoom meeting that lasted over three hours, parents and education advocates plead for the reconsideration of Dr. Composto’s application.

At a press conference held in Astoria the following day, elected officials stood in unity, saying that

hundreds of constituents have reached out with the same concerns regarding the DOE’s initial decision.

State Senator Michael Gianaris, Assemblymembers Zohran Mamdani, Cathay Nolan and Brian Barnwell, Councilmembers Tiffany Caban and Julie Won stood with families from District 30 outside PS 171 in Astoria, calling for more transparency from

the DOE and praising the work of Dr. Composto as the district’s superintendent.

During his tenure as an education professional, Dr. Composto worked to implement a college tuition pilot program across Dis- trict 30 before it was ex- panded citywide by Mayor de Blasio and Mayor Ad- ams.

“We were told that the days of turning on the TV and finding out about the news and the policy for an entire school system were over,” Assemblymember Mamdani said. “Yet, for me, the only way that I found out about this decision was opening up Twitter on my phone and seeing a concerned parent tagging me saying they just heard a rumor that this has happened.”

The next day, Mamdani took a visit to a District 30 school where he found the rumor to be true.

Assemblymember Cathy Nolan said she has worked with Dr. Composto for many years, adding that Mayoral control over city schools was not meant to tune out the concerns of parents.

Mayoral control was not meant to exclude the voices of parents and this situation is an example of how important authentic community engagement is to the success of our students.

Candidate for Assembly District 37 Brent O’Leary called the initial DOE de- cision a “slap in the face to the community.”

“We need our parents and our neighborhoods who know best to have a voice in how their schools are run and who is running their schools,” O’Leary said.

The District 30 Community Superintendent Candidate Town Hall is scheduled for Friday, May 20 online at 5:00 p.m. Links can be found at Learndoe. org/supt2022

First ‘Art Walk’ comes to Metro

webadmin on May 17, 2022

A little rain did not stop the Forest Hills and surrounding communities from coming out to support local artists over the weekend.

Metro Village Forest Hills, a small business alliance founded by Rachel Kellner of Aigner Chocolates, and Eileen Arabian of DEE’S Wood Fired Pizza + Kitchen, put together the first-ever Metropolitan Avenue of Art event.

AnnaMarie Prono showed her “100 Days of Birds” art series.

At the event, members of the community could go on a free, self-guided tour down Metropolitan Avenue in Forest Hills, and visit the 11 businesses who housed different artists’ work.

Joana Chu, a real estate salesperson at Home Court Real Estate, helped coordinate the event with Kellner and Arabian, along with Teri Basile of Art World Custom Framing.

“We kind of brainstorm different ideas and ways to drive traffic to the avenue, and that is how this event became an offshoot of one of our meetings,” Chu said. “So the four of us were interested in really hunkering down and actually putting the event together.”

Chu added that Metro Village’s main goals for the event were to familiarize the community with local businesses, as well as provide an outlet for artists.

“I think it’s really difficult for local artists to have venues and free opportunities to show their art and to sell their art,” she said. “So we thought this would be a nice way to support them, and to kind of connect with the community and have them become aware of both the artists and the businesses.”

Alan Cory Kaufman, a Forest Hills resident, displayed his artwork inside Aigner Chocolates.

His work consisted of acrylic paintings of various animals, primarily fish, that were executed in a playful, almost childlike manner.

Kaufman said that he started painting to keep himself busy while rehabilitating himself after he had undergone brain surgeries and spent a lot of time at home.

Alan Cory Kaufman displayed his artwork at Aigner Chocolates.

“I’m not really a trained artist, but acrylic paints are fun. They’re easy, and they’re simple to get,” Kaufman said. “I spent a couple of hours each day painting and they accumulated, and my wife Susan led me up to participate in this event when we ran out of space on our wall.”

Axel Checa, an architect with the Department of Buildings whose work was displayed at Dylan’s Restaurant, also does art for therapeutic reasons.

Checa, who is Native American and identifies as two-spirit, said that her artwork is a way for her to express and discover herself during the darkest of times.

“This piece is from five years ago, when I was in college, and just starting art. I made it to be secure and to comfort me, because at that time, I had no idea I was trans,” Checa said in reference to a self portrait.

“It’s funny because there’s two people in the portrait: the hood version of me and the spiritual version of me,” she continued. “It’s kind of a dark piece. I used it to get through some feelings of discomfort and not knowing who I am or what I’m doing.”

Other artists, like Debra Mintz, use art as a way to relocate their inner child.

Mintz is a graduate of Yale School of Art, and a retired teacher from Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, where she taught for over 20 years.

“These are abstract, and I quote my father when it comes to these. He said if you are yourself then you will always be original,” she said. “Even though I’m highly educated,

I’ve always tried to think deep down inside and find out who I am and relocate the child in me. And that’s how I found all these shapes.”

Mintz uses any art material known to man to create her works, and the drawings she displayed featured various abstract shapes and bright, eye-catching colors.

Many community members came out to support the artists, including Queens Borough President Donovan Richards and Councilman James Gennaro. A lot of the featured artists said they made quite a few sales during the art walk.

“There’s just a sense of a small town when you walk down Metropolitan Avenue. It has a different feel, and we really want to foster that,” Chu said.

“The fact that the small business owners are getting to know each other, and we’re all neighbors, many of them live above their businesses and many of them have been there for 20 years,” she continued. “So I think it’s really important to kind of make sure that we stay connected, and we support each other and each other’s businesses, so we can all thrive.”

Second annual AAPI heritage month fun run held in Bayside

webadmin on May 17, 2022

In celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, the second annual AAPI Heritage Month fun run was held Sunday in Bayside.

State Senator John Liu and over 100 runners joined the 4.8-mile run on Joe Michaels Mile from Fort Totten to Northern Boulevard and back.

Liu noted a great turnout, where the first 100 runners received a free bright orange t-shirt and a healthy dose of exercise.

“Thank you to all the runners of all ages and backgrounds who ran, jogged, and walked with us as we enjoyed a fun-filled day celebrating Asian American heritage and community,” Liu said.

Queens College celebrates completion of $9.8M athletic field renovation

webadmin on May 17, 2022

Elected officials cut the ribbon on a brand new $9.8 million athletic field renovation at Queens College on Monday, May 9.

Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, Assemblymember Nily Rozic, Councilmember Francisco Moya and former Councilmember Rory Lancman joined Queens College President Frank Wu for an inaugural lap around the new track.

The $9.8 million project began in January 2021, with Assemblymember Rozic helping to secure a $500,000 grant for track renovation.

In addition to Queens College, the track will serve students at Townsend Harris High School, John Bowne High School and will be available to community members at-large.

The new soccer field will be used by division II level athletes at Queens College, and for intramural events and physical education classes.

On social media, Moya praised the completion of the athletic field and track.

“The future Footballers will be coming straight out of Queens College,” he tweeted.

St. John’s breaks ground on new facility

webadmin on May 17, 2022

Health Sciences Center and Nursing Program to transform campus

St. John’s University administrators and local elected officials commemorated International Nurses Day by breaking ground on its plans to build a $106 million Health Sciences Center.

Part of a new initiative to transform the learning and landscape of the Queens campus, the proposed 70,000-square-foot facility is scheduled to open in the Fall of 2024 as the permanent home of the recently launched Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing program at St. John’s.

“For the last two years, New York’s nurses have been on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic, and we owe each and every one of them a debt of gratitude,” New York State Governor Kathy Hochul said in a statement. “This new state-of-the-art Health Sciences Center at St. John’s University will be crucial to educating the next generation of New York’s best and brightest nurses, ensuring they are ready to step up and protect their fellow New Yorkers when they are needed most.”

Establishing a nursing program is part of a planned expansion of the health sciences curriculum coupled with capital improvements to new and existing academic facilities on the campus.

The new Health Sciences Center aims to both support and house existing and forthcoming health science programs in one energy-efficient academic facility, which will provide students with access to state-of-the-art technology, classrooms, laboratories, simulation facilities, and flexible room layouts to allow for a multitude of teaching and learning opportunities. The innovative and flexible learning environment will ensure that future healthcare workers can keep pace with the dramatic advancements in the industry.

“Nursing is not simply a job or a career, it is a vocation—a true calling to service—the kind of compassionate service that is at the heart of the transformative Catholic and Vincentian mission of a St. John’s education,” Rev. Brian J. Shanley, president of St. John’s University, said in a statement. “Today, with a major investment and expanded commitment to the health sciences, St. John’s helps answer that call.”

St. John’s University will also provide students with hands-on clinical rotations within a network of partner healthcare systems that include New York City Health + Hospitals, New York-Presbyterian Queens, and Catholic Health.

With an innovative curriculum, support for brand-new facilities, and established community partnerships, the new nursing program at St. John’s aims to strengthen the local academic health system. The four-year nursing pre-licensure program is designed for undergraduate students with no previous experience in professional nursing. It is open to applicants with good moral character and demonstrated academic ability.

The construction of the new facility is funded by a mix of private and public funds including more than $20 million to date in philanthropic support. The Health Sciences Center is partially funded by a $1.25 million federal appropriation from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration secured by Representative Gregory W. Meeks and Senator Chuck Schumer.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us the need for adequate nurse staffing, which is crucial to ensure quality health care access for all New Yorkers,” Hope Knight, CEO, president, and commissioner of Empire State Development, said in a statement. “New York State’s investment in St. John’s University’s state-of-the-art Health Science Center reflects our strategic focus on workforce development and highlights New York’s commitment to strengthening our health care system. The New Health Sciences Center will create 21st-century jobs by creating a pipeline of nursing staff in the region that will help fulfill a crucial need across the State.”

In addition, St. John’s secured a $5 million New York State Higher Education Capital Matching Grant and a $700,000 Empire State Development grant from Round XI of the Regional Economic Development Council initiative.

“Investing in our workforce is an important priority for the Regional Councils and the pandemic has put a focus on the need to expand the talent pool of skilled nurses,” New York City Regional Economic Development Council Co-Chairs Winston Fisher and CUNY Chancellor Felix V. Matos Rodriguez said in a joint statement. “The NYREDC is proud to support the Health Science Center at St. John’s University, which will be an important long-term investment in future healthcare workers that will expand our workforce of nurses with good-paying jobs while also growing the State’s economy.”

When complete, the new facility will enable St. John’s University to train student nurses with the most innovative training tools and techniques available. Applications for the University’s Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing are now being accepted and preparations are underway for the first cohort of students to begin classes in August.

The new undergraduate nursing program is expected to produce approximately 125 nursing graduates per year.

Meng helps secure $3 million for new labor and delivery wing at Elmhurst Hospital

webadmin on May 17, 2022

U.S. Rep. Grace Meng and representatives from the office of U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez visited Elmhurst Hospital to celebrate $3 million in federal funding secured for a new Labor and Delivery unit on the hospital’s fifth floor.

In honor of Women’s Health Month in May, Meng led a “wall-breaking” ceremony before touring the current Labor and Delivery unity to see where the future renovations will take place.

Federal funding for the initiative — which will support the hospital’s goal of improving health indicators for pregnant women and decreasing maternal and infant mortality rates — was made available under the Community Project Funding Program and through the offices of Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Chuck Schumer.

Black and Native American women in the U.S. are three times more likely to die than white women from pregnancy-related causes, and black babies are twice as likely to die than white babies, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. While 700 pregnancy deaths occur per year, two-thirds of them are considered to be preventable.

Rep. Grace Meng and representatives from the office of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez visited Elmhurst Hospital to celebrate $3 million in federal funding secured for a new Labor and Delivery unit on the hospital’s fifth floor.

In New York City, black women have an eight times greater risk of pregnancy-related death than white women. They were also three times more likely than their white counterparts to experience severe maternal morbidity, which can include blood clots, kidney failure, stroke or heart attack.

Meng said she was proud to deliver the federal funds to the local hospital, enabling expanded access and care to families. Construction of the new hospital wing is scheduled for spring and summer 2022

“Elmhurst plays a critical role in the health and wellbeing of our communities, and I cannot wait until the renovation is completed,” Meng said. “All families deserve a modern, safe, and equitable maternal health care experience, and investments like this are needed to ensure that the hospital can continue to provide efficient, high-quality and state of the art services that local residents need and deserve. It is also crucial to meet the growing needs of the area. When the COVID-19 crisis began, NYC Health + Hospitals in Elmhurst was in the heart of the epicenter, and this project is an example of how we must build back better and stronger as we work to recover from the pandemic. I’m excited for this renovation to begin, and look forward to the upgrades benefiting Queens families for decades to come.”

Meng also took part in a patient baby shower co-sponsored by MetroPlusHealth, which included educational presentations on prenatal care, breastfeeding, safe sleep, nutrition, and the hospital’s doula program. Community-based organizations CommonPoint Queens and the Queens Museum also joined in the baby shower events. Following presentations, patients had the opportunity to win prizes by answering trivia questions related to well-baby care.

NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst CEO Helen Arteaga-Landaverde said that she is beyond ecstatic and grateful to lawmakers who will help see the project through to its completion..

“Our expectant mothers and newborns will greatly benefit from these investments in infrastructure and improving patient care and patient satisfaction at our facility,” Arteaga-Landaverde said. “We look forward to working closely with our federal legislators to ensure that Elmhurst has the resources it needs to meet the growing healthcare demands of our community.”

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