Photo courtesy of NYC Health + Hospitals/NCB
NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi | North Central Bronx celebrated Black History Month with two separate events last month. Jacobi held a celebration on Thursday, Feb. 26 in Jacobi Hospital’s atrium, while North Central Bronx (NCB) marked the occasion on Feb. 18, coinciding with the unveiling of a new upgraded MRI screening machine.
Photo courtesy of NYC Health + Hospitals/NCB
Jacobi Hospital officials, along with cure violence interrupters from the hospital’s Stand Up to Violence (SUV) program, honored Black History Month by celebrating what was described as the profound legacy and dynamic contributions of the Black community with a prayer, a dance performance by Esther Grant and “Dance Your Roots,” as well as a speaking program.
Black History Month at NYC Health + Hospitals/NCB, Norwood, Bronx, Feb. 18, 2026. V1
The latter featured hospital leadership, elected officials including Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson, as well as keynote speaker Dr. Michelle Soto, NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi | North Central Bronx medical director of ambulatory care.
After Grant and “Dance Your Roots” performed a traditional dance to mark the occasion, they invited attendees to also learn some traditional African dances and songs.
Photo by Síle Moloney
Following this and the speaking program, Gibson presented the hospital with a check signifying appropriations for MRI upgrades at the NCB campus.
Later, NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi | North Central Bronx CEO Christopher Mastromano honored the borough president and Soto for their respective leadership in healthcare. Gibson has long been an advocate for better services to improve Black maternal mortality rates in The Bronx, as reported. The borough president also delivered some remarks on the day about the importance of honoring Black history.
Black History Month at NYC Health + Hospitals/NCB, Norwood, Bronx, Feb. 18, 2026. V2
Other participants at the event included the hospital’s chief operating officer, Jordana Bailey, Pastor Jay Gooding, State Sen. Jamaal T. Bailey (S.D. 36), Public Affairs Director John Doyle, Radiology Services Administrator Jeanne Miller, who accepted the check on behalf of the hospital for the MRI upgrades, and Pastor Roger Hambrick, who sang the National Black Anthem.
Jacobi Hospital Stand Up to Violence (SUV) violence interrupters later helped serve some refreshments and food to attendees following the speaking program.
Photo by Síle Moloney
Earlier on Feb. 18, there was a display on Black historical figures, as well as a musical performance and celebration held in the reception area of North Central Bronx in Norwood. Carrie Shumway, M.S., CHEP, associate director in the emergency management unit at North Central Bronx, was seen enjoying the festivities on the day, along with her colleagues.
As reported, Shumway coordinated the hospital’s “Stop the Bleed” training for members of the public last year.
Black History Month at NYC Health + Hospitals/NCB, Norwood, Bronx, Feb. 18, 2026. V3
For some related stories on Black History Month and more, click here and here.
The following are some of the latest available Bronx County health indicators, broken down by race and ethnicity.
| Bronx County Health Indicators by Race and Ethnicity, 2021-2023 | ||||||
| Health Indicator | Non-Hispanic | Hispanic | Total | |||
| White | Black | Asian/Pacific | American Indian | |||
| Islander | or Alaska Native | |||||
| Socio-Demographic Indicators | ||||||
| Population (2024) | 122,886 | 410,192 | 64,648 | 4,201 | 767,477 | 1,384,724 |
| Percentage of population (2024) | 8.90% | 29.60% | 4.70% | 0.30% | 55.40% | 100.00% |
| Percentage of population aged 65 years or older (2023) | 28.20% | 15.70% | 15.40% | 15.10% | 12.90% | 15.20% |
| Median annual household income in US dollars (2020-2024)~ | 78,005 | 50,010 | 74,012 | 47,392 | 41,962 | 48,676 |
| Percentage of families below poverty (2020-2024)~ | 8.70% | 20.90% | 14.60% | 27.90% | 26.50% | 22.50% |
| Percentage of children under age 18 below poverty (2020-2024)~ | 20.00% | 34.60% | 23.80% | 37.00% | 39.50% | 35.90% |
| Percentage unemployed among the civilian labor force (2020-2024)~ | 8.00% | 12.00% | 6.20% | 8.60% | 12.00% | 11.40% |
| Percentage of population with no health insurance (2020-2024)~ | 3.40% | 6.20% | 5.00% | 12.70% | 8.30% | 7.10% |
| Percentage of population aged 25 years or older with a bachelor’s degree or higher (2020-2024)~ | 41.90% | 23.70% | 38.40% | 15.80% | 16.10% | 22.40% |
| Percentage of population in single parent families (2020-2024)~ | 9.20% | 36.10% | 9.00% | 36.60% | 36.10% | 32.00% |
| Percentage of population with a disability (2020-2024)~ | 19.20% | 17.10% | 12.20% | 16.60% | 18.30% | 17.70% |
| Percentage of population who speak English less than very well (2020-2024)~ | 10.80% | 9.80% | 42.30% | 33.10% | 37.70% | 14.70% |
| Percentage of high school students who dropped out (2023-2024) | 5.00% | 9.70% | 2.80% | 10.50% | 11.90% | 10.30% |
| Arrests per 1,000 population aged 18 years or older (2022-2024) | 13.4 | 62.2 | 12.8 | 25.5 | 35.9 | 40.6 |
Source: New York State Department of Health
Bronx County Health Indicators by Race and Ethnicity, 2021-2023
| Health Indicator | Non-Hispanic | Hispanic | Total | |||
| White | Black | Asian/Pacific | American Indian | |||
| Islander | or Alaska Native | |||||
| General Health Indicators | ||||||
| Total mortality per 100,000 population, age-adjusted | 717.6 | 773.6 | 259.9 | 69.2* | 644.5 | 714.5 |
| Percentage of deaths that are premature (< 75 years) | 36.90% | 64.80% | 46.80% | 75.0%* | 58.10% | 56.70% |
| Years of potential life lost per 100,000 population, age-adjusted | 7,883.80 | 10,559.60 | 1,872.60 | 2,232.80 | 7,411.90 | 8,610.70 |
| Potentially preventable hospitalizations among adults, age-adjusted rate per 10,000 (2022-2024) | 79.6 | 163.8 | 52.8 | 69.4 | 155.7 | 175.8 |
Source: New York State Department of Health
Bronx County Health Indicators by Race and Ethnicity, 2021-2023
| Health Indicator | Non-Hispanic | Hispanic | Total | |||
| White | Black | Asian/Pacific | American Indian | |||
| Islander | or Alaska Native | |||||
| Birth-Related Indicators | ||||||
| Number of births per year (3 year average) | 932 | 4,277 | 875 | 7 | 9,658 | 16,536 |
| Percentage of births with early (1st trimester) prenatal care | 70.30% | 54.50% | 64.00% | s | 58.90% | 58.20% |
| Percentage of births with adequate prenatal care (APNCU)^ | 69.90% | 59.30% | 70.90% | s | 63.00% | 62.40% |
| Percentage of premature births (< 37 weeks gestation – clinical estimate) | 9.10% | 13.90% | 10.40% | s | 10.40% | 11.20% |
| Percentage of low birthweight births (< 2.5 kg) | 8.80% | 14.50% | 13.30% | s | 9.10% | 10.80% |
| Teen pregnancies per 1,000 females aged under 18 years | 1.5 | 5.8 | 1.7 | NA | 6.2 | 6.3 |
| Pregnancies per 1,000 females aged 15-44 years | 61.7 | 91.8 | 78.9 | NA | 89.7 | 96.3 |
| Fertility per 1,000 females aged 15-44 years | 45.8 | 49.1 | 65.2 | 7.3 | 56.8 | 56.1 |
| Infant mortality per 1,000 live births | 5 | 7.5 | 1.5* | s | 2.9 | 5.1 |
| Percentage of low-risk births delivered by cesarean section | 31.10% | 34.50% | 32.10% | s | 30.00% | 31.40%
|
Source: New York State Department of Health
Bronx County Health Indicators by Race and Ethnicity, 2021-2023
| Health Indicator | Non-Hispanic | Hispanic | Total | |||
| White | Black | Asian/Pacific | American Indian | |||
| Islander | or Alaska Native | |||||
| Injury-Related Indicators | ||||||
| Motor vehicle-related mortality per 100,000 population, age-adjusted | 5.5 | 4.7 | 2.5* | 0.0* | 5.2 | 5.2 |
| Unintentional injury mortality per 100,000 population, age-adjusted | 86.9 | 78.9 | 8 | 6.9* | 73.8 | 76 |
| Unintentional injury hospitalizations per 10,000 population, age-adjusted (2022-2024) | 71 | 66.7 | 31.8 | 24.2 | 75.9 | 100.3 |
| Fall hospitalizations per 10,000 population, aged 65 years or older (2022-2024) | 212.6 | 119.9 | 98.3 | 65.8 | 157.8 | 211.6 |
| Poisoning hospitalizations per 10,000 population, age-adjusted (2022-2024) | 13.5 | 15.2 | 2.5 | s | 13.8 | 18.1 |
| Suicide mortality per 100,000 population, age-adjusted | 9.7 | 5.5 | 2.9* | 0.0* | 5.5 | 5.9 |
| Overdose deaths involving opioids, and non-fatal opioid related hospital events per 100,000 population | 792.2 | 507.6 | 23.4 | 266.9 | 394 | 508 |
Source: New York State Department of Health
Bronx County Health Indicators by Race and Ethnicity, 2021-2023
| Health Indicator | Non-Hispanic | Hispanic | Total | |||
| White | Black | Asian/Pacific | American Indian | |||
| Islander | or Alaska Native | |||||
| Respiratory Disease Indicators | ||||||
| Asthma hospitalizations per 10,000 population, age-adjusted (2022-2024) | 5.6 | 22.5 | 8.5 | 13.1 | 25.2 | 27.8 |
| Asthma hospitalizations per 10,000 population, aged 0-17 years (2022-2024) | 9.1 | 42.8 | 18.6 | 30.7* | 43.7 | 54 |
| Chronic lower respiratory disease mortality per 100,000 population, age-adjusted | 24.2 | 17.6 | 6 | 0.0* | 16.6 | 18.7 |
| Chronic lower respiratory disease hospitalizations per 10,000 population, age-adjusted (2022-2024) | 16.3 | 36 | 12.1 | 19.7 | 36.5 | 42.1 |
| Percentage of fee-for-service (FFS) Medicare enrollees who had an annual flu vaccination (2023)~~ | 47% | 32% | 43% | 35% | 31% | 37% |
Source: New York State Department of Health
Bronx County Health Indicators by Race and Ethnicity, 2021-2023
| Health Indicator | Non-Hispanic | Hispanic | Total | |||
| White | Black | Asian/Pacific | American Indian | |||
| Islander | or Alaska Native | |||||
| Heart Disease and Stroke Indicators | ||||||
| Diseases of the heart mortality per 100,000 population, age-adjusted | 191.3 | 209.6 | 62.7 | 6.9* | 142.9 | 178.7 |
| Diseases of the heart hospitalizations per 10,000 population, age-adjusted (2022-2024) | 56.5 | 89.3 | 45 | 43.3 | 82.1 | 98.2 |
| Cerebrovascular disease (stroke) mortality per 100,000 population, age-adjusted | 22.1 | 30.3 | 12.2 | 8.7* | 26.9 | 27.9 |
| Cerebrovascular disease (stroke) hospitalizations per 10,000 population, age-adjusted (2022-2024) | 14.1 | 29.4 | 11.7 | 7.4 | 22.1 | 29.6 |
| Coronary heart disease mortality per 100,000 population, age-adjusted | 164 | 175.5 | 53.4 | 6.9* | 118.3 | 149.7 |
| Coronary heart disease hospitalizations per 10,000 population, age-adjusted (2022-2024) | 14.8 | 16.5 | 20.4 | 13.2 | 21.3 | 24.2 |
| Congestive heart failure mortality per 100,000 population, age-adjusted | 8 | 8.7 | 1.9* | 0.0* | 7.4 | 8.2 |
| Potentially preventable heart failure hospitalization rate per 10,000 population aged 18 years or older (2022-2024) | 40.6 | 61.7 | 17.6 | 22.8 | 44.7 | 58.9 |
Source: New York State Department of Health
Bronx County Health Indicators by Race and Ethnicity, 2021-2023
| Health Indicator | Non-Hispanic | Hispanic | Total | |||
| White | Black | Asian/Pacific | American Indian | |||
| Islander | or Alaska Native | |||||
| Diabetes Indicators | ||||||
| Diabetes mortality per 100,000 population, age-adjusted | 15.7 | 24.6 | 8.9 | 0.0* | 21.8 | 22.2 |
| Diabetes (primary diagnosis) hospitalizations per 10,000 population, age-adjusted (2022-2024) | 14.8 | 35.3 | 8.8 | 12.7 | 33.5 | 37.1 |
| Diabetes (any diagnosis) hospitalizations per 10,000 population, age-adjusted (2022-2024) | 170.9 | 336.7 | 186 | 187.9 | 349.2 | 382.3 |
| Potentially preventable diabetes short-term complications hospitalization rate per 10,000 population aged 18 years or older (2022-2024) | 3.9 | 11.9 | 1.5 | 0.0* | 9.8 | 11.9 |
Source: New York State Department of Health
Bronx County Health Indicators by Race and Ethnicity, 2021-2023
| Health Indicator | Non-Hispanic | Hispanic | Total | |||
| White | Black | Asian/Pacific | American Indian | |||
| Islander | or Alaska Native | |||||
| Cancer Indicators | ||||||
| Lung cancer incidence per 100,000 population, age-adjusted (2020-2022) | 53.6 | 43.8 | 34.4 | NA | 30.6 | 38.5 |
| Colorectal cancer mortality per 100,000 population, age-adjusted (2020-2022) | 16.5 | 10.7 | s | NA | 8.3 | 10.3 |
| Colorectal cancer incidence per 100,000 population, age-adjusted (2020-2022) | 42.3 | 36 | 22.1 | NA | 30.4 | 33.8 |
| Female breast cancer mortality per 100,000 female population, age-adjusted (2020-2022) | 16.7 | 20.2 | s | NA | 12.2 | 16 |
| Female late stage breast cancer incidence per 100,000 female population, age-adjusted (2020-2022) | 45.9 | 51.1 | 33.9 | NA | 36.2 | 42.4 |
| Cervix uteri cancer mortality per 100,000 female population, age-adjusted (2020-2022) | s | 3.5 | s | NA | 2 | 2.4 |
| Cervical cancer incidence per 100,000 female population, age-adjusted (2020-2022) | 8.4 | 7.8 | s | NA | 10.3 | 9 |
| Percentage of female fee-for-service (FFS) Medicare enrollees aged 65-74 years who received an annual mammography screening (2023)~~ | 30% | 29% | 22% | 0% | 24% | 28% |
Source: New York State Department of Health
Bronx County Health Indicators by Race and Ethnicity, 2021-2023 Symbol Meanings
| Symbol | Meaning |
| * | The rate or percentage is unstable. See the “Technical Notes” page |
| s | Data are suppressed. The data do not meet the criteria for confidentiality. |
| ~ | White non-Hispanic, Black (including Hispanic), Asian (including Hispanic, excluding Pacific Islanders), American Indian or Alaska Native (including Hispanic), and Hispanic (of any race). |
| ~~ | White non-Hispanic, Black (including Hispanic), Asian / Pacific Islander (including Hispanic), and Hispanic (of any race). |
| NA | Data do not meet the criteria for statistical reliability or data quality, or data not available. |
| ^ | APNCU: Adequacy of Prenatal Care Utilization Index. |
| In 2015, SPARCS transitioned from ICD-9-CM to ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes. These two are not comparable, so ED and hospitalization data for 2016-and-forward should not be compared with earlier data. | |
| The 2018 population estimates are also used to calculate rates for 2019 and 2020. Later years are from the most recent Vintage estimates. |
Source: New York State Department of Health
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Welcome to the Norwood News, a bi-weekly community newspaper that primarily serves the northwest Bronx communities of Norwood, Bedford Park, Fordham and University Heights. Through our Breaking Bronx blog, we focus on news and information for those neighborhoods, but aim to cover as much Bronx-related news as possible. Founded in 1988 by Mosholu Preservation Corporation, a not-for-profit affiliate of Montefiore Medical Center, the Norwood News began as a monthly and grew to a bi-weekly in 1994. In September 2003 the paper expanded to cover University Heights and now covers all the neighborhoods of Community District 7. The Norwood News exists to foster communication among citizens and organizations and to be a tool for neighborhood development efforts. The Norwood News runs the Bronx Youth Journalism Heard, a journalism training program for Bronx high school students. As you navigate this website, please let us know if you discover any glitches or if you have any suggestions. We’d love to hear from you. You can send e-mails to norwoodnews@norwoodnews.org or call us anytime (718) 324-4998.