Health

Montefiore Health System launches New Robotic Joint Replacement Program

By SÍLE MOLONEY
This month, Montefiore Health System launched its new robotic joint replacement program led by Dr. Carlos Alvarado who recently joined the Department of Orthopedic Surgery. Montefiore is one of the first programs in the area to utilize the new surgical robot called ROSA – Robotic Surgical Assistant. Over one million total hip and total knee replacement procedures are performed each year in the United States. Dr. Alvarado, director of robotic hip and knee surgery, uses the new technology at Montefiore to make a 3D model of the patients’ bone anatomy by taking x-rays, as opposed to most robotic devices which require


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Mott Haven: 37-Year-Old Woman Dies in Residential Building, Investigation Ongoing

By SÍLE MOLONEY
  On Monday, Jan. 25, 2021 at around 5 p.m., police responded to a 911 call regarding an aided person on East 137th Street (Mitchel Houses) in the Mott Haven section of the Bronx, in the 40th precinct (PSA#7). Upon arrival, officers observed a 37-year-old woman, unconscious and unresponsive, laying in the bathroom of an apartment at the location.   EMS responded and pronounced the woman deceased at the scene. The Medical Examiner will determine the cause of death. The investigation is ongoing.   The identity of the deceased is pending proper family notification.    

Nonprofit Run by Teens Helps City’s Homeless

By JOSÉ A. GIRALT
  A new generation of nonprofit organizations are lending a hand to help with homelessness in the city. Some are even being led by passionate twenty-somethings, and one was founded by a teenager not yet old enough to vote.   SustainABLE Start is run by more than 80 high-schoolers across the country. Founded by Chloe Trujillo, a 17-year-old, high school senior, the organization pays special attention to the hygiene needs of the homeless population.   By distributing what are described as eco-friendly hygiene kits throughout the city, the group hopes to make an impact on one of the most vulnerable


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Early Saturday Works Approved on Fordham Road by Bronx CB7 Housing & Land Use Committee

By DAWN CLANCY
  The Bronx Community Board 7 Housing, Land Use, and Economic Development Committee approved a request on Tuesday, Jan. 13, by the Stagg Group for an early work permit in relation to construction work at 140 West Fordham Road in University Heights, permitting the group to start work at the site at 8.30 a.m. on Saturdays.   To expedite construction at the site, Stagg Group project manager, Chris Miele, had attended the meeting and requested a letter of support from the committee to obtain the required early start work permit from the Department of Buildings (DOB). Work is typically permitted


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Health Check: “Long COVID” is Real but Help is Available

By Dr. SETH CONGDON
   More than 24 million Americans have been infected with COVID-19. Over 400 thousand have died from it. Many survivors, for reasons we do not yet understand, continue to suffer symptoms for months. The condition is often called “long COVID,” and the people struggling with it described as “long-haulers.”   In a survey of people with a positive COVID-19 test who were treated at Montefiore Medical Center from March to December 2020, more than 20 percent of respondents reported continued symptoms six months after testing positive. These were not only people treated in the hospital, but also people seen in


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Update: DSNY Addresses Food Complaints, Says Some May Not Be Linked to “Get Food NYC” Program

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Last July, some residents had complained about the quality of the food they were receiving from the City’s Get Food NYC program. One of the residents was Suzanne Tureck from Norwood who, at the time, had various complaints, particularly with regard to fresh food produce. She said the quality was suboptimal, sometimes the food was gone off, or the food delivered was of a type that she didn’t eat, even when she had specified in her order that she didn’t eat certain types of food.   “I was receiving a box of food every three days,” said Tureck at the


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Biden-Harris Campaign Surrogate & Obama White House Alum, Troy Blackwell, Joins District 15 Race

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Troy Blackwell, a former aide on the Biden-Harris campaign and an Obama White House aide, announced his candidacy for New York City Council District 15 in the Bronx on Monday, Jan. 18. According to Blackwell’s campaign, he issued the announcement on Monday in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service.   Observed each year on the third Monday in January as “a day on, not a day off,” MLK Day is the only federal holiday designated as a national day of service to encourage all Americans to volunteer to improve their communities. AmeriCorps has been charged with


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City Will Arrange Transportation for NYC Seniors to Get Vaccinated

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Beginning Monday, Jan. 18, seniors aged 65 or older who are unable to make their own arrangements and need transportation to and from a COVID-19 vaccination appointment can sign up for transportation through the City, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on Sunday, Jan. 17.   “We are moving heaven and earth to get our senior neighbors vaccinated”, said de Blasio via a press release. “Now, seniors who need a ride to an appointment will get one, ensuring our vaccines go to those who need them most.”   In response to the announcement, Department for the Aging (DFTA) Commissioner Lorraine


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Mayor: City Will Run Out of COVID-19 Vaccines Next Week, State Health Department Issues Vaccine Alert

By SÍLE MOLONEY
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Friday, Jan. 15, during an interview on WNYC, that the City is set to run out of COVID-19 vaccine supply next week, and called on the federal government to send additional doses.   “We will run out of vaccine next week in New York City,” said de Blasio. “The supply should go to where there is an infrastructure to get it into people’s arms. We know there is supply in this country not being used.”   The mayor’s office said that as of Friday, Jan. 15, the City had under 186,000


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