UPDATE: District 14 City Council Race: For Pierina Sanchez, It’s About the Love

By JASON GONZALEZ & SÍLE MOLONEY

For Pierina Sanchez, the Democratic nominee for the District 14 City Council seat in the upcoming general election, it’s all about the love. Sanchez is all in for the “Boogie Down,” saying passion for the community is a major driving force behind her campaign. With early voting already underway and only one day remaining before the general election on Tuesday, Nov. 2, Sanchez is transparent and says a vote for her on Nov. 2 will benefit the borough. “It’s about the love,” Sanchez said during a campaign rally held outside the Kingsbridge Armory in the Kingsbridge Heights section

By SÍLE MOLONEY

Montefiore Health System (MHS) and UnitedHealthcare have reached an agreement on a long-term contract that restores in-network access to all Montefiore Health System hospitals and healthcare providers effective Dec. 1, 2021 for UnitedHealthcare and Oxford employer-sponsored plans, as well as UnitedHealthcare’s Medicare Dual Special Needs Plan. According to hospital officials, the agreement restores in-network access to Montefiore’s 10 hospitals and to more than 200 outpatient facilities throughout the Bronx, Westchester, Rockland and Orange counties. Colleen Blye, executive vice president and chief financial officer at Montefiore Health System said the long-term health of patients has always been the central

By SARAH HUFFMAN

New York City’s Racial Justice Commission (RJC) hosted a virtual panel entitled, “Overcoming Racial Disparities in Health and Mental Health” earlier this summer to discuss health and persistent racial disparities in health and mental health. The event, held on July 20, was hosted by commission chair, Jennifer Jones Austin, and was divided into two, hour-long panels, each made up of three expert panelists. The first panel comprised LaRay Brown, CEO of the Brookdale Hospital Medical Center and president and CEO of One Brooklyn Public Health System, Guillermo Chacon, president of the Latino Commission on AIDS, and Claire Green-Forde Ph.D.,

By SÍLE MOLONEY

Editor’s Pick Plentiful pumpkins and hordes of gourds will be on display at New York Botanical Garden’s ongoing Scarecrows & Pumpkins event, through Sunday, Oct. 31, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the LuEsther T. Mertz Library Building, and on the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory Plaza, 2900 Southern Blvd, Bronx, NY 10458. To add to the seasonal fun, more than 100 whimsical scarecrows will line the twisting trails of the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden. For more information, go to: https://www.nybg.org/event/scarecrows-pumpkins/. Events NYC Parks is hosting a True Crime Group hosted by Allerton & Eastchester libraries at Allerton Library,

By SÍLE MOLONEY

Alternate Side Parking (ASP) regulations for street cleaning purposes will be suspended on Thursday, November 4, for the Diwali holiday. ASP will also be suspended from Monday to Tuesday, Nov. 1 to Nov. 2, for All Saints’ Day and for Election Day. Meters will remain in effect.

Feliz Highlights Million-Dollar Investment in City Council District 15 ahead of General Election

By SÍLE MOLONEY

District 15 City Councilman Oswald Feliz is gearing up for the Nov. 2 general election by reminding his constituents of his accomplishments since he first took office after winning a hotly contested special election in March 2021, as reported, and later going on to retain his seat with 65.2 percent of the vote in the June primary election earlier this year. Bronx Community Board 7 district manager, Ischia Bravo, was runner-up. Feliz wrote on his Facebook page on Monday, Oct. 25, “Proud to bring $3.4 million dollars to transform Poe Park (my childhood park!) in my district!” The park

By SÍLE MOLONEY

This year, Montefiore Medical Center is celebrating 50 years of its postgraduate Physician Assistant (PA) surgical residency program, the oldest such program in the country. Established in 1971, Montefiore officials say the program has proudly trained over 450 PAs and is steeped in great history and tradition. According to the American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA), PAs are medical professionals who diagnose illness, develop and manage treatment plans, prescribe medications, and often serve as a patient’s principal healthcare provider. With thousands of hours of medical training, PAs practice in every medical setting and specialty. As part of the program,

By SÍLE MOLONEY

There are 8,486 New Yorkers currently on the organ transplant waiting list across the State, according to data from the Organ Procurement and Transplant Network (OPTN) and the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. Meanwhile, according to the New York State “Donate Life” Registry, only about one third of the State’s roughly 19.45 million inhabitants are registered organ donors. Oct. 7 marked the 7th annual Organ Donor Enrollment Day. Montefiore Medical Center officials marked the day by setting up tables outside the hospital to share information with the public about the importance of organ donation, and to

By SÍLE MOLONEY

NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi announced on Friday, Oct. 15, the opening of its new comprehensive Pride Health Center. The center will serve LGBTQ patients as they receive what was described as “high-quality, culturally competent, respectful care,” at the hospital’s “state-of-the-art facility.” Hospital officials said the new center, located at 1400 Pelham Parkway South in Morris Park, will provide LGBTQ-affirming care for a variety of services, including primary care, adolescent care, OB/GYN, family planning services, behavioral health, dental services, eye care, hormone therapy, testing for sexually transmitted infections and HIV, as well as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), meaning medicine taken to

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UPDATE: District 14 City Council Race: For Pierina Sanchez, It’s About the Love

Montefiore Health System and UnitedHealthcare Reach New Long-Term Agreement

Out & About: Ballet Hispánico, Illuminated Mausoleums Tour, Pumpkin Carving Demonstrations & More!

Alternate Side Parking to be Suspended in Early November

Feliz Highlights Million-Dollar Investment in City Council District 15 ahead of General Election

Montefiore Celebrates 50 Years of Post Graduate Physician Assistant Surgical Residency Program

Montefiore Highlights Importance of Organ & Tissue Donation as 8,486 New Yorkers Await Organs

Jacobi Opens New Pride Health Center, Vowing to Continue its Provision of Culturally Competent Healthcare