Out and About

Jacobi Organizes Candlelit Vigil for All Those Lost To COVID-19, as Bronx Deaths Reach 3,292

By Síle Moloney
NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi announced that a candlelit vigil to commemorate all lives lost to COVID-19 will be held on Wednesday, June 17 at 7 pm at Jacobi Pedestrian Mall (adjacent to Pelham Parkway).   As of Jun. 16, 2020, according to the City’s department of health, total confirmed deaths (deaths following a positive COVID-19 laboratory test) in New York City amounted to 17,455, while probable deaths (cause of death reported as COVID-19 or equivalent, but no positive laboratory test) totaled 4,690.   The number of deaths in the City and State peaked in early May. While New York State,


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Health Check: Addressing Increased Food Insecurity During the Pandemic

By Chelsea Andrews
Montefiore Health System’s Project Bravo Food Pantry, a community-based, hospital-driven initiative designed to combat food insecurity for high-risk individuals and families, serves thousands of Bronx residents nutritious meals each week.   During these unprecedented times, many in our community have faced additional challenges accessing nutritious meals due to school closures. Food insecurity has grown for so many and Project Bravo has seen a wave of new clients.   To ensure everyone still has access to food in as safe an environment as possible, we have adapted the food pantry to the new normal by implementing social distancing rules. With the


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South Bronx: Housing Lottery Opens for 494 Affordable Apartments at La Central Buildings A & B

By Síle Moloney
The housing lottery is open for 494 affordable units in Buildings A & B of La Central in The Bronx. The Hudson Companies, BRP Companies, Kretchmer Companies, ELH-TKC LLC, Comunilife, and Breaking Ground together with the City’s departments of housing preservation & development, housing development corporation and local leaders made the announcement on Monday, Jun. 15, 2020.   Located at 556 and 600 Bergen Avenue, the two buildings will bring 494 units of affordable housing to the Melrose section of the borough, all of which are available for lease through this lottery. Apartments at La Central range from studios to


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BP Diaz Launches COVID-19 Virtual Memorial

By Síle Moloney
On Friday, June 12, 2020, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. launched a virtual tribute to remember and celebrate the lives of Bronxites lost during the coronavirus pandemic.   The virtual memorial went live on the Bronx Borough President’s website bronxboropres.nyc.gov/covidmemorial and honors borough residents who lost loved ones to the COVID-19 pandemic. Those wishing to submit the name of a Bronxite to be included on the page can do so at bit.ly/bxcovidmemorial.   “The COVID-19 pandemic hit our borough very hard, affecting us all as a community,” said Diaz Jr. “This virtual memorial allows us the opportunity to mourn


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Dinowitz, Bailey Invite Public to Open Discussion on Recent Police Reform Bills

By Síle Moloney
An informal discussion on the recent package of policing reforms, including the repeal of Civil Rights Law Section 50-a (which was used to block the disclosure of disciplinary records), as well as the next steps to be taken going forward with regard to this topic will be held on Thursday, Jun. 18, 2020 from 6:30pm to 7:30pm.   Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz and State Sen. Jamaal T. Bailey, Chair of the State Senate Codes Committee, author of the CRL 50-a Repeal Bill, and leading advocate in the legislature on policing and criminal justice reforms will be available to answer questions from


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Op-Ed: The Legacy of George Floyd

By JASON GONZALEZ
Renowned author and Pulitzer Prize winner, William Faulkner, once said, “Never be afraid to raise your voice for honesty and truth and compassion against injustice and lying and greed. If people all over the world…would do this, it would change the earth.”   The murder on Memorial Day in Minneapolis, Minnesota of George Floyd, a 46-year-old unarmed Black man, has given rise to worldwide outcry. The uproar has manifested into protests that have spanned the globe, and has civilians from all races, religions, and sexual orientations calling for police reform and the termination of systemic racism.   As unrest permeates


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Jacobi Health Care Workers Highlight Racial Disparity in Health Care, Address City Budget Cuts

By SÍLE MOLONEY
  A solidarity event in support of the Black Lives Matter movement took place at Jacobi Medical Center on Jun. 9, 2020. About 35 hospital staff members stood outside the hospital displaying signs of support. Others spoke about the racial inequities that exist within the health care system and decried budget cuts to health care while the City pays out millions in law settlements relating to police misconduct.   Kelly Cabrera, a registered nurse working in emergency medicine addressed those gathered saying, “Racism is a public health emergency. We’re here as health care workers in one of the areas that


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Andy King Talks Being Black in America at Unity and Solidarity Event

By Síle Moloney
  Impassioned and resolute, Bronx City Councilman Andy King laid out the implications of being Black in America from a physical, emotional and economic standpoint when he addressed a crowd at a Unity and Solidarity food and face mask distribution event on Jun. 9, 2020. Joined by former NYPD officer and Brooklyn Borough President, Eric Adams, and 32 BJ Union President Kyle Bragg, King appealed to Black elected leaders to seize the moment and stand in solidarity with Black Lives Matter protestors to effect lasting change.   The event was held outside King’s District 12 office on East Gun Hill


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COVID-19 Webinar on Treatments & Implications for Public Health: Where Do We Stand?

By Síle Moloney
Community members are invited to a webinar hosted by Montefiore Nyack Hospital on Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2020 from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. to learn about various drug treatments for the treatment of COVID-19 and their current place in therapy.   This presentation will also explain the importance of chronic care management in the community setting during a pandemic, and the benefits of telehealth in overcoming barriers to healthcare in a post-COVID era.   The panelist will be Nirvana Awad, PharmD, BCPS Clinical Pharmacy Specialist, Transitions of Care Department of Pharmacy, Montefiore Nyack Hospital.   Advance registration for this webinar is


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