New York State Assembly member and vice president of the African-American Clergy and Elected Officials Latrice Walker and Councilmember Alicka Ampry-Samuel recently joined the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America at the Powerful Praise Tabernacle in Brooklyn for the first Brooklyn stop of the “Roadmap to Health” program. This newly-created mobile health fair program brings educational tools, resources and health screenings free of charge to communities in New York. The first Brooklyn stop was celebrated with a press conference and ribbon cutting that happened in conjunction with the Tabernacle’s activities commemorating National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day and promoting education around HIV/AIDS.
“Roadmap to Health” was developed in response to the rising rates of chronic disease in the United States. According to the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease, 11 million New Yorkers had at least one chronic disease in 2015 and the number of people living with multiple chronic diseases continues to grow.
In Brooklyn, residents are burdened by many health challenges, including high rates of respiratory conditions, cardiovascular conditions and diabetes, respiratory diseases, cancer, obesity and cardiovascular diseases, according to a 2014 Community Needs Assessment conducted by the New York Academy of Medicine.
At the heart of the problem—nationally and in Brooklyn—lies access: communities most acutely impacted are less likely to be able to access resources to help prevent, detect and treat chronic disease. The PFCD estimates that with better prevention and treatment of chronic disease, more than 45,000 lives could be saved in New York each year.
“Roadmap to Health” will provide residents with knowledge about their health and will travel throughout New York in the year ahead. Inside the mobile screening vehicle, participants can receive preventative health and wellness screenings administered and conducted by an independent medical screening firm, U.S. Mobile Health Exams. Available screenings include total cholesterol; HDL cholesterol; blood pressure and body mass index or BMI. As Roadmap to Health makes its way to other communities, additional screenings may be added.
“As I talk to the residents of my district and across Brooklyn about their health and issues surrounding wellness, access to quality care and preventative education continues to be a theme in our communities,” said State Assembly Member Walker. “Our friends and loved ones here in Brooklyn deserve all resources available to us to live our healthiest lives.
“Joining forces to provide resources here at home is critical in creating effective solutions to the problems in our communities. Our communities suffer at disproportionate levels from illnesses that may be preventable and manageable, such as diabetes, high blood pressure and many more. Having access to culturally appropriate health care and modern health-related information is exactly what our community needs, said Ampry-Samuel.
PhRMA is supporting the “Roadmap to Healths’ program in coordination with New York Health Works. By providing these community resources, including no-cost health screenings, PhRMA aims to empower individuals to protect and improve their health and wellness.
“The African-American Clergy and Elected Officials is always eager to connect the communities and faith leaders we represent with the needed resources available to them. ‘Roadmap to Health’ has come at a crucial time for our organization and our communities. The people of Brooklyn are in need of access to health care resources that will empower them to prevent chronic disease and live their healthiest lives possible. We thank PhRMA for sending this resource to our neighborhoods and specifically to the congregants of Powerful Praise Tabernacle. This program brings awareness to individuals about their health status, as well as essential knowledge that people need to maintain their own health and that of their families,” said Dee Bailey, AACEO.
“I am pleased that PhRMA has joined us at Powerful Praise Tabernacle to provide this health screening program. ‘Roadmap to Health’ is an innovative program that will help New Yorkers improve their health,” said Michael P Saunders, MHS, director of health ministries at Powerful Praise Tabernacle. “We are especially pleased that they joined us for our National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NBHAAD). It is of critical importance for individuals to be knowledgeable about their overall and HIV health status. I applaud PhRMA for creating a program that increases individuals’ awareness of their health status.”
“Powerful Praise Tabernacle is happy to partner with PhRMA to host the first ‘Roadmap to Health’ event in Brooklyn,” said Bishop Darryl Hill, Powerful Praise Tabernacle. “The Roadmap to Health program today drives home the message that as a community and congregation we must care for the whole person, both their physical well-being and their spiritual well-being. This program will help our congregants gain a better understanding of their physical health by raising awareness about their health status and empowers us to continue serving in our communities.”
“Roadmap to Health” will continue its road trip in New York in the coming weeks and months, and will partner with community organizations, faith-based centers and others to reach communities with these resources.