News from BP Gibson: Resources & Updates

 

Dear Neighbors,

 

Thank you for joining us for another week in review.

 

On Sunday, the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene hosted a one-day mass Monkeypox vaccination site at the Bronx High School of Science. An hour after the patient portal set up by DOHMH was opened, all the appointments were filled. This demonstrates the urgent need we have for a permanent Monkeypox vaccination site and sexual health clinic in our borough. For this reason, I joined with fellow Borough Presidents Mark D. Levine, Donovan Richards, Antonio Reynoso and Vito Fossella to call for more vaccines from the CDC. New York City received 14,500 vaccinations, accounting for 10% of the national total even though the city has 32% of the nation’s Monkeypox cases. The letter can be found here and the letter we sent to the White House advocating for recommendations to combat hunger here.

 

Since the Supreme Court`s decision to repeal abortion rights in our country, we have been fighting to make sure that abortion remains accessible in our city and that the services available to women are legitimate and safe. Crisis Pregnancy Centers are facilities that provide services to pregnant women while having the appearance of a licensed medical facility but do not actually have a license to provide medical or pharmaceutical services. In the past, some of these facilities obscured which services they offered, appearing to be clinics that offered a full range of reproductive healthcare options while not actually providing access to abortion services.

 

Last week, the New York City Council passed Intro. 506, a legislative package that will hold Crisis Pregnancy Centers accountable for misleading pregnant women and advertising services they legally cannot provide. This is a big step towards making sure that the reproductive services provided in the city of New York remain protected. Thank you to Council Member Carlina Rivera for joining me in sponsoring this important bill.

 

As we recover from yesterday’s torrential downpour and subsequent flooding throughout our borough and city, I urge everyone to take precautions for the incoming heatwave. Please stay hydrated, limit outdoor activities and take advantage of our cooling centers. To find your nearest cooling center, please visit here.

 

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact our office at 718-590-3500 or email us at webmail@bronxbp.nyc.gov.

 

In partnership,

Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson

HEALTH UPDATES

IN THE COMMUNITY  Project Renewal's Bedford Green House I attended the ribbon cutting for Project renewal's Bedford Green house. The building boasts 117 supportive and affordable units with 71 apartments set aside for New Yorkers who previously experienced homelessness, families impacted by mental illness and substance use disorder, and people living with HIV/AIDS. Samaritan Daytop Village Ribbon Cutting Last week, we also opened Samaritan Day Top Village, a short-term treatment and stabilization program that offers services for people experiencing mental health or substance use needs. The facility will be staffed by medical professionals with crisis management experience. Since before the pandemic, mental health has been an on going issue in our borough and we must continue take steps towards providing adequate services for our most vulnerable neighbors UPCOMING EVENTS