Be Healthy! Q&A: New Study Looks at Housing’s Link to Health

Fordham University and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine are collaborating on a study that examines the connection between housing and health in the Bronx. The Affordable HOME Study, which launched last year, is looking to find out how different housing environments affect the health outcomes of the borough’s Latino population. This week, Be Healthy! sat down with Einstein’s Dr. Earle Chambers, a principal investigator on the study, to find out more.

A Year After Tragedy, Megan Charlop’s Work Endures

On the day she died, Megan Charlop was riding her bicycle to PS 55 in Claremont, on her way to the elementary school’s summer camp fair. The event was one of many projects Charlop spearheaded as the director of Community Health at Montefiore Medical Center’s School Health Program, and one close to her heart, her colleagues say—part of an effort to set local children up with free or low-cost camp programs.

Be Healthy: Q&A with Dr. Larisa Shpitalnik

Unless you’ve suffered from one yourself, you may not be familiar with so-called “chronic wounds” — ulcers, sores or other ailments on the skin that won’t heal. The medical condition, however, is increasingly common, as the population ages and the number of new diabetes cases continue to rise. This week, Be Healthy! sat down with Dr. Larisa Shpitalnik, of Montefiore Medical Center’s Wound Healing Program, to learn a little more about the condition.

Cuomo’s Budget Slashes Medicaid Spending

New Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s proposed budget for this fiscal year hacks away at funding for all state agencies and local governments, but the axe fell particularly hard on the state’s health spending — including unprecedented cuts to the Medicaid program. Medicaid provides health care for low-income and disabled New Yorkers, and nearly 21 percent of residents in the Bronx rely on it for their medical coverage, according to the Department of Health — more than in any other borough.

City Passes Parks and Beaches Smoking Ban

Soon, you’ll have to think twice before you light up a cigarette at the beach, or when taking a stroll through your local park. The City Council voted in favor of a resolution last week that forbids smoking in both places.

Owners: Public Health Grades Good for Business

Sal Calce, owner of Sal’s Pizzeria on Bainbridge Avenue in Norwood, beamed as he talked about how his restaurant, which has called this neighborhood home for the past 31 years, earned an “A” grade during its last inspection by the Health Department. According to a new policy put in place last summer, all city restaurants are required to post their health inspection grades on their storefronts.

Be Healthy Tips: Staying Fit in Winter Weather

Exercise during the winter months is hard—nothing makes parking yourself inside on the couch all day more appealing than when it’s freezing outside. But weeks of inactivity can often mean weight gain and have other negative health consequences.

Local Health Leader Remembered

The local health community lost a pioneer this year with the passing of Dr. Robert Massad, founding chair of the Departments of Family Medicine at Montefiore Medical Center and the Dr. Robert Massad (at lectern) speaking at an event with former New York Gov. Mario Cuomo (seated, front row, left) in 1991. (Photo courtesy Montefiore Medical Center)Albert Einstein College of Medicine, who died this past August. He was 75 years old.