The former congressman and current congressman for Norwood, Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) and Ritchie Torres (NY-15), joined Montefiore president and CEO, Dr. Philip Ozuah, at Bedford Park’s P.S. 8 Isaac Varian School to confirm approval of $3.35 million in federal funding for Montefiore’s School Health Program (MSHP) on Wednesday, April 13. The program currently provides 42,000 students with access to doctors, dentists, and therapists at 33 locations and 99 schools that offer the program, across The Bronx and Westchester counties.

 

The additional funding will assist MSHP to expand its digital infrastructure and broadband capabilities, expanding its telehealth program to the 99 impacted schools, serving children from kindergarten to high school.

 

During the announcement at P.S. 8, located at 3010 Briggs Avenue in Bedford Park, school principal, Claudia Tahiraj-Sadrija, told the students and parents in attendance, “For nearly 40 years, Montefiore has been a strong partner, working with public schools across The Bronx to ensure that families get the care and attention they need.”

Sadrija said the program has helped generations of Bronxites over the last two decades. “At P.S. 8, our incredible team of health professionals serves more than 210 children each week,” she said. Aside from these 210 weekly visits to the nursing team, students, on average, make 60 additional visits to clinical staff members offering mental health counseling and support.

 

During his prepared remarks, Ozuah quoted American abolitionist, Frederick Douglass, telling the crowd, “It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.” He added, “I’m proud to be here this afternoon with two national leaders who worked together to secure $3.35 million [in funding].” The CEO added, “Congressmen Adriano Espaillat and Ritchie Torres fought hard and they delivered in a big way for The Bronx and for this community. They know well that the children of The Bronx are the future of The Bronx.”

In reference to MSHP being the largest, school-based, health program in the nation, Espaillat, who represented Norwood prior to the 2022 redistricting process, said, “Today, thanks to decades-long commitment, Montefiore provides nearly 42,000 children with free access to state-of-the-art healthcare services. Now, we were able to secure $3.35 million for this telehealth investment for this school and the rest of the district.”

 

Referencing the COVID-19 testing site that City officials had opened in Lehman College’s parking lot at the beginning of the pandemic, as well as the high numbers of positive cases seen at that time in the Northwest Bronx, Espaillat recalled the vulnerability of residents facing the crisis. “We need to have greater access to healthcare, and this tool that Montefiore is going to bring to this school and other schools is going to make it a lot easier for that to happen,” he said, adding, “I’m really proud to be a part of this project.”

Meanwhile, recalling his own struggles with asthma and depression as a young student, Torres, the new congressman for Norwood, which, as reported, now falls under New York’s 15th congressional district, said, “Every school should be a healthcare hub. Every school should be a place where you can go to see the doctor, and a dentist, and a therapist.”

 

He continued, “Montefiore’s new health program is essential to the community health of The Bronx. It’s both a great equalizer and a great stabilizer. It’s a great equalizer because every student it serves, every student, regardless of income or immigration status, has access to healthcare, and it’s a great stabilizer because it causes students to have fewer absences from school, and it causes parents to have fewer absences from work.”

According to Rosy Chhabra, Psy.D, director of MSHP, children who avail of the program are 40 percent less likely to go home sick and 50 percent less likely to visit an emergency room. “That’s a very big deal for the community and the students,” she said. Chhabra also highlighted the impact of upgrades to WiFi and broadband capabilities at local schools, “It’s going to bring us to a whole different level of care and connection that we’ve been working for and looking forward to,” she said.

 

“This marks a pivotal step in advancing the Montefiore School Health Program, extending a physical infrastructure across the Montefiore network and supporting the health of our entire community,” Chhabra concluded.

 

Meanwhile, Dr. Naydine Johney, psychologist and program director of the mental health clinic at P.S. 8, explained that besides providing healthcare to students, the program offers “concrete services” to the families of students, including any housing and financial assistance that may be needed.

Regarding the expanded telehealth program, Johney added that during school closures like during Spring break, staff could still provide health services via the telehealth program. “Montefiore clinics are open, and we’re able to provide telehealth service and this will allow us to do so on a more frequent basis,” she said.