NYPD Announces Citywide Crime Statistics for November 2022

 

Overall index crime, shootings decline in November; safety campaign reduces transit index crime

Overall index crime in New York City decreased in November 2022 by 1.2% compared with November 2021 (10,196 v. 10,323). Three of the seven major index-crime categories saw decreases, driven by a 14.1% decrease in rape (110 v. 128), a 6.0% decrease in burglary (1,231 v. 1,310), and a 5.5% decrease in grand larceny (4,187 v. 4,430).

For the month of November 2022, the number of overall shooting incidents again decreased in New York City compared with November 2021, reflecting the NYPD’s continued focus on combatting gun violence. Citywide shooting incidents decreased by 32.8% (80 v. 119) for the month – adding to the 16.2% (1209 v. 1442) decrease achieved year-to-date – driven by significant reductions in northern Manhattan, Brooklyn, and the Bronx. Furthermore, citywide murders year-to-date decreased by 11.1% (393 v. 442) as of November’s end compared to 2021.

As the NYPD works to reduce shootings in every New York City neighborhood, its attention remains on preventing people from ever becoming victims of gun violence. The proliferation of illegal guns on the city’s streets is an ongoing challenge, but the department’s strategies to fight this scourge continue to take hold. Gun arrests citywide are at a 27-year high, and increased another 3.9% (4319 v. 4155) year-to-date, with significant increases in Queens and the Bronx. These arrests have resulted in 6,638 guns seized citywide so far in 2022. These seizures include 356 ghost guns, which is a 76% increase compared with the 202 ghost guns seized by the department in the same period of 2021. Most importantly, this work has led to a 34.3% (92 v. 140) reduction of shooting victims across the city for the month of November 2022 compared to the same period last year. Year-to-date, shooting victims have declined by 15.2% (1465 v.1728), which means 263 fewer people have been victims of gun violence this year than last – representing lives saved, families kept intact, and safer neighborhoods for all.

Additionally, NYPD officers in November 2022 made 4,013 arrests for complaints of major felony crimes, a 19.0% increase over the 3,371 arrests for major felonies in the same month last year. Arrests for major felonies are up more than 25% (43,764 v. 34,953) so far in calendar 2022, compared with the first 11 months of 2021.

“Every day, the NYPD’s singular focus is the safety and wellbeing of every resident, commuter, and visitor in our great city,” said Police Commissioner Keechant L. Sewell. “As we near the end of this year, our department is seeing substantial, tangible progress toward our public-safety goals – and that is because of the dedicated work of our exceptional officers and civilian members. The women and men of the NYPD have continued to reduce shootings, take illegal guns off our streets, increase arrests to bring justice for crime victims, and improve police-community relationships in every New York City neighborhood. Their work has yielded positive results, with major crime down in the month of November 2022 compared to the same period last year. Additionally, as we enter the second full month of our Transit Safety Awareness Campaign, major crime in our transit system has begun to decline – a strong indication that our officers and strategies are making a real difference in the everyday lives of New Yorkers. We will continue these collective efforts, always working toward one objective: the safety of all the people we serve.”

The subway system is the lifeblood of New York City – and the NYPD is committed to keeping it, and the millions of people who use it every day, safe. In late October 2022, the NYPD and MTA partnered to further enhance the Subway Safety Plan. The plan has surged more officers and resources into the transit system creating a visible presence on platforms and train cars and has involved train conductors, station attendants, and uniformed NYPD officers working together to communicate with, assist, and serve riders throughout the transit system. Just over a month later, this focus on crime awareness and prevention has led to a 12.8% (205 v. 235) reduction in major crime in transit stations and on trains for the month of November compared to the same period last year.

Above ground, the department is continuing to focus on the nexus of gang/crew violence, illegal guns, and illicit drugs. In mid-November 2022, in collaboration with the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office, the NYPD conducted a gang takedown in the confines of the 73rd Precinct that resulted in the indictments of 32 alleged members of two rival street gangs. Charges included murder, conspiracy to commit murder, attempted murder, weapons possession, and others. These indictments were related to 17 shootings (among 24 gun-related crimes) that resulted in 15 victims, including two deaths. These victims included four innocent bystanders, among them a 3-year-old girl and a 62-year-old man. In addition, 27 firearms were seized during this long-term investigation. Investigations like this one – and the dedicated investigators who work on them – are a major component of ridding New York City neighborhoods of fear, disorder, and violence.

Moreover, working closely with our many public and private partners, the NYPD is doing its part to ensure that everyone has access to the mental health and wellness services they require. The department is dedicated to improving the quality of life of all New Yorkers, especially the city’s most vulnerable populations. This is a longstanding and very complex issue that has the full support and attention of the NYPD.

As we celebrate the holiday season in the nation’s most populous city, the NYPD is rolling out its Holiday Safety Initiative. This plan includes increased police presence and patrols specifically tailored for diverse places of worship, retail centers, tourist attractions, and other holiday gathering locations. Concurrently, the NYPD is continuing to crack down on pickpockets in high-traffic areas, raise awareness of gift card and other related scams, combat retail theft, and safeguard the city’s pedestrian plazas and roadways. These proactive efforts are focused on crime prevention, and align with the NYPD’s top public-safety priority: making sure people never become victims in the first place. The department, together with the community it serves, is working tirelessly to provide everyone a safe and secure holiday season.

The NYPD will never stop fighting for New Yorkers, and will always work to keep the criminal justice system’s focus where it belongs: on those it serves.

*All crime statistics are preliminary and subject to further analysis, revision, or change.*

Index Crime Statistics: November 2022

	November 2022	November 2021	+/-	%
Murder	30	25	+5	+20.0%
Rape	110	128	-18	-14.1%
Robbery	1491	1439	+52	+3.6%
Fel. Assault	2016	1957	+59	+3.0%
Burglary	1231	1310	-79	-6.0%
Grand Larceny	4187	4430	-243	-5.5%
Grand Larceny Auto	1131	1034	+97	+9.4%
TOTAL	10196	10323	-127	-1.2%

Additional Statistics For November 2022

	November 2022	November 2021	+/-	%
Transit	205	235	-30	-12.8%
Housing	478	480	-2	-0.4%
Citywide Shooting  Incidents	80	119	-39	-32.8%

Rape Incident Reporting Statistics: 

November 2022

(Reports filed from November 1 – 

November 30 in years indicated)

Year	Total Incide nts Report ed	Incid ent Occu rred Same Year	Incid ent Occu rred Prev ious Year	Incid ent Occu rred 2 Years Prior	Incid ent Occu rred 3 Years Prior	Incid ent Occu rred 4 Years Prior
2022	110	85	12	0	4	2
2021	128	105	7	3	0	1
2020	123	89	7	6	3	4
2019	119	97	6	4	3	1
2018	125	106	4	3	1	1
2017	125	106	4	3	1	1

Rape continues to be underreported. If you are a victim of 

sexual assault, please come forward. The 24-hour NYPD 

Special Victims Division hotline is: 212-267-RAPE (7273).

Hate Crimes Statistics Summary 

for November 2022

(Representing November 1st – November 30th years indicated)

Motivation	2022	2021	Diff	% Change
Asian	5	9	-4	-44%
Black	6	1	+5	+500%
Disability	0	0	0	0%
Ethnic	1	0	+1	***
Gender	4	2	+2	+100%
Hispanic	2	0	+2	***
Jewish	45	20	+25	+125%
Muslim	0	2	-2	-100%
Religion	1	0	+1	***
Sexual Orientation	9	7	+2	+29%
White	1	2	-1	-33%
TOTAL	75	44	+31	+70%

Note: Statistics above are subject to change, as active 

possible bias cases may be reclassified to non-bias cases 

and removed from counted data upon investigation.

Statement from Speaker Adrienne Adams on Council Member Ari Kagan Changing to Republican Party Affiliation to Join Minority Conference

 

“Voters sent Council Member Kagan to the Council as a member of the majority conference and this drastic about-face seriously calls into question his commitment to the policy priorities of our conference that will impact his committee roles, particularly his chairmanship given the fact that he is joining a party that denies climate change. New Yorkers have expectations for their representatives to carry the values that they were elected to prioritize over politics. Our Democratic Conference will continue to consistently place the public interest of our city over politics without Council Member Kagan.”

Opioid Abuse Treatment Facility to Pay $3.15 Million for Kickback Violations, Obstructing Federal Audit, and False Claims Submitted to Government Insurance Programs

 

 An opioid abuse treatment facility in Camden will pay a total of $3.15 million to resolve criminal and civil claims that it caused kickbacks, obstructed a federal audit, and fraudulently billed Medicaid, Attorney for the United States Vikas Khanna announced today. 

Camden Treatment Associates LLC (CTA) agreed to pay $1.5 million in criminal penalties to resolve allegations that it violated the federal Anti-Kickback Statute and obstructed a Medicaid audit. As part of the resolution, a criminal information was filed on December 2, 2022 in Camden federal court charging CTA with this conduct. CTA entered into a three-year deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) that requires it to abide by certain measures to avoid conviction.  CTA also entered into a civil settlement agreement to pay $1.65 million to the United States to resolve claims that it violated the federal False Claims Act by submitting fraudulent claims to Medicaid. 

Criminal Resolution

According to CTA’s admissions in the DPA:

Between 2009 and 2015, CTA and a second company were owned and managed by related parties. CTA had a kickback relationship with the second company in which CTA ordered all of its methadone mixing services from the second company and paid it more than $172,800 for those services. This arrangement resulted in kickbacks being paid because the second company paid the profits it made on CTA’s orders of methadone mixing to the related parties who owned and managed both companies. As a result, CTA was induced to order more services from the second company and to have CTA patients receive treatment using methadone mixed only by that company. CTA received more than $2.78 million from Medicaid for methadone administration services. 

In a separate criminal scheme, CTA obstructed a Medicaid contractor’s 2016 audit of CTA’s claims for payment. CTA submitted falsified materials to the auditor purporting to justify its claims to Medicaid. Specifically, CTA added patient and counselor signatures to patient files, altered names of counselors listed as providing services, added credentials for staff listed as performing services, added sign-off dates for services and, in some instances, submitted entire patient notes to files to justify services rendered. Metadata from CTA’s electronic patient software program revealed that CTA employed these fraudulent means. 

Civil Resolution

The settlement resolves the civil allegations that CTA submitted false claims to Medicaid stemming from the kickback relationship with the methadone mixing company described above. The settlement further resolves allegations that between 2013 and 2016, CTA failed to comply with certain federal and state regulations governing substance abuse treatment facilities.  Specifically, CTA allegedly failed to maintain proper supervision and staffing at its facility. Instead, CTA typically used non-credentialed “counselor interns” to perform services at the facility and did not have sufficient licensed staff to properly supervise the interns. Consequently, CTA’s claims submitted to Medicaid for payment, which were contingent on CTA’s certified compliance with these regulations, were false.”

The claims settled by this agreement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.

Compliance Obligations

As part of the DPA, CTA is required to adopt several compliance measures, including:

• have an effective compliance program, including enhanced compliance policies and annual compliance training regarding federal health care laws;

• retain an independent health care compliance consulting firm specializing in substance abuse disorder facilities to conduct a comprehensive review of its compliance program and to make improvement recommendations;

• create an independent board of advisors to oversee company compliance relating to federal health care laws;

• have a chief compliance officer to oversee compliance-related functions at the company;

• annually certify that its compliance program is effective; and

• provide written reports to the United States every six months over a three-year period detailing its progress in developing and enhancing its compliance program.

Attorney for the United States Khanna credited agents of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Susan Frisco, with the investigation and prosecution of the case. He also thanked the FBI Health Care Fraud Unit Data Analysis Response Team at FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C., under the direction of Special Agent Greg Heeb; IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Tammy Tomlins in Newark; and the FBI’s South Jersey Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jacqueline Maguire in Philadelphia, for their assistance with the case. 

 

Join us TODAY at KRVC! Also ... Mark Your Calendars & Join Us for these Fun & Festive Holiday Celebrations! Look forward to seeing you! KRVCDC.ORG @krvcbronx

 

SENIOR NUTRITION FOOD GIVEAWAY Council Member Salamanca joins the nutrition team at Urban Health Plan to distribute food at Field of Dreams Park. Each month, in partnership with Urban Health Plan hundreds of seniors and families are provided fresh produce, canned goods and nutritious food. An initiative funded by Council Member Salamanca to help tackle food insecurity in the South Bronx. UPCOMING EVENTS

Former NYC Councilman Ruben Diaz Sr. - WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW

 

The Apathy of New York City Public Housing Authority’s and Lack of Consideration Toward The Poor

You should know that The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) has only been able to repair only (2) two elevators, out of 3,000 needing repairs in the multitude of public Housing Projects in The City of New York.

 

This gross negligence and lack of commitment to the low-income residents in public housing was disclosed recently by Mr. Bart Schwartz, who in 2019, was appointed as Federal monitor for New York City Housing Authority.

 

You should know 3,000 elevators in all of New York City Housing Developments are in disrepair. The Federal Court ruled that these elevators needed to be repaired, or replaced, and that the City of New York had been negligent in maintaining these elevators. Therefore, the City of New York has subjected the residents of Public Housing, and their families to needless hardships, suffering and physical torture especially for the elderly and disabled.

 

The Federal Court recognizing that most residents in Public Housing are low-income Black, African American and Hispanics, in 2019 appointed Mr. Bart Schwartz as Monitor in charge of supervising and ensuring that the 3,000 elevators be repaired or replaced.

 

According to News Reports, The City of New York reached an agreement with Mr. Schwartz in 2019, (that’s 4 years ago) that by the end of 2022, at least 118 elevators would be repaired.   However, according to the report just issued by Mr. Schwartz, only (2) two elevators have been repaired in the last four years.

 

Imagine that my dear reader 3,000 elevators, in Public Housing needing repair, and out of the agreed commitment to repair a minimum of 118, only 2 have been repaired in 4 years. Wow! ! Que Barbaridad!

 

In a city where most residents in public housing are Black, African Americans, and Hispanic and most vote for Democrats as their leaders and representatives, where, the Mayor, and the Borough President’s, State Senators, State Assemblymembers and City Council members are all Democrats, where their constituents, and voters reside, only 2 elevators have been repaired in 4 years!

 

This demonstrates the Democrats, and NYCHA's crass apathy toward their low-income constituents and residents.  Then they have the audacity to say that the bad guys are the Republicans.  Oh My God!

I am Reverend Ruben Diaz and this is What You Should Know.

MAYOR ADAMS, AMERICAN COLLEGE OF LIFESTYLE MEDICINE ANNOUNCE $44 MILLION TO OFFER LIFESTYLE MEDICINE FOUNDATIONAL TRAINING TO EVERY NYC HEALTH CARE PRACTITIONER

 

City Health Leaders Embrace Single Largest Training Rollout in Specialty Anywhere in World — Giving Practitioners New Tools to Combat Chronic Disease and Health Disparities

 

Massive Investment in NYC Health Care Workforce Will Have Positive Downstream Impacts on Millions of Patients, Helping Improve New Yorkers’ Lives and Reducing Health Care Spending

 

Initiative is in Addition to Training and Clinical Expansion Underway at NYC Health + Hospitals

New York City Mayor Eric Adams and the American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM) today announced a new partnership — as a result of a massive $44 million investment by ACLM — to provide every New York City health care practitioner with free introductory training in nutrition and lifestyle medicine, enabling practitioners to integrate evidence-based content into their clinical practice to treat certain health conditions. The initial phase will include practitioners at 20 hospitals and health systems that serve millions of New Yorkers. The $44 million investment from ACLM will cover training for up to 200,000 doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners, dietitians, and other health care professionals in New York City and is the largest lifestyle medicine training rollout in the world.

 

“A plant-based diet restored my eyesight, put my Type 2 diabetes into remission, and helped save my life,” said Mayor Adams. “Our administration has invested in expanding lifestyle medicine programming and plant-based meals at NYC Health + Hospitals, and now, we’re bringing this evidence-based model to all of New York City’s health care workforce. Thanks to a massive $44 million investment from the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, foundational trainings will be available for free to 200,000 health care workers in New York City. Once again, we’re setting the standard for the rest of the nation, giving practitioners new tools to combat chronic disease and health disparities, and investing in a healthier city for generations to come.”

 

“ACLM is proud to make this investment in expanding the knowledge of health professionals in New York City and ultimately in better health for its citizens,” said Cate Collings, MD, FACC, MS, DipABLM, past president, ACLM. “New York City is truly blazing the trail nationally for public-private partnerships to enhance population health. Treating the root cause of chronic disease in this country, and especially lifestyle-related chronic disease health disparities, will positively change the trajectory of both quality of life and health costs. We applaud Mayor Adams and all the health care leaders in the city for recognizing what an impact they can make through this initiative.”

 

Lifestyle medicine is a medical specialty that uses evidence-based, therapeutic lifestyle interventions as a primary modality to treat chronic conditions, including cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and Type 2 diabetes. Clinicians certified in lifestyle medicine are trained to apply evidence-based, prescriptive lifestyle change to treat and, in some cases, achieve remission of certain common chronic conditions. Applying the six pillars of lifestyle medicine — a healthful plant-predominant eating pattern, physical activity, restorative sleep, stress management, avoidance of risky substances, and positive social connections — also provides effective prevention for many common chronic conditions.

 

The initial group of participating hospitals and hospital systems includes:

• NYC Health + Hospitals
• BronxCare Health System
• The Brooklyn Hospital Center
• Calvary Hospital
• Episcopal Health Services
• Hospital for Special Surgery
• Maimonides Health
• MediSys Health
• Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
• Montefiore Health System
• Mount Sinai Health System
• NewYork-Presbyterian Healthcare System
• Northwell Health
• NYU Langone Health
• One Brooklyn Health System
• Richmond University Medical Center
• The Rockefeller University Hospital
• SBH Health System
• SUNY Downstate Medical Center-University Hospital of Brooklyn
• Wyckoff Heights Medical Center

Studies have shown there is a significant knowledge deficit among physicians when it comes to lifestyle medicine. For example, only about 14 percent of physicians reported that they had the foundational training to counsel their patients on nutrition, one of the most significant components of lifestyle medicine. This is a structural issue, as only approximately 27 percent of medical schools in the United States offer the requisite 25 hours of nutrition education in their programs.  The foundational training offered through this partnership will help raise the level of education in the discipline across all medical and specialty areas and across practitioner levels, giving new tools to practitioners and new hope to patients struggling with common chronic diseases.

 

This initiative comes amidst staggering impacts of chronic diseases across the United States and in New York City. For example, 60 percent of U.S. adults have already been diagnosed with one chronic disease, with an estimated 40 percent diagnosed with two or more, and more than 100 million adults — almost half the entire adult population in the U.S. — have pre-diabetes or diabetes. Nationally, cardiovascular disease afflicts approximately 122 million people and causes roughly 840,000 deaths each year, or about 2,300 deaths each day. Overall diet quality is the single leading cause of premature death in the United States today, causing an estimated 500,000 deaths each year. The use of lifestyle medicine — in conjunction with efforts to address social determinants of health, the food environment, and other barriers to making lifestyle changes — is an extraordinarily powerful way to improve the health of individuals and communities.

 

The foundational training opportunity will include 5.5 hours of online, self-paced coursework, available for one year, and participants will be eligible for continuing education credits. The three courses in the online training package include a one-hour “Introduction to Lifestyle Medicine” course, a three-hour “Food as Medicine: Nutrition for Prevention and Longevity” course, and a 1.5-hour “Food as Medicine: Nutrition for Treatment and Risk Reduction” course. The training commitment in New York City builds on a recent commitment at the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health, in which ACLM donated 100,000 training scholarships for use nationwide.

 

To implement the training, executive teams from the participating hospitals and health systems will promote the training throughout their facilities. ACLM will support these leaders by also sharing best practices from other national health systems and inviting their participation in the ACLM Health Systems Council. Over the coming year, the Adams administration will continue working closely with ACLM to support the promotion and implementation of the training initiative. The city will continue to engage with executives from all participating entities to understand the impact of the training on practitioner awareness and adoption into clinical practice. Additionally, the Adams administration and ACLM will continue working together to reach practitioners that are not affiliated with these systems, such as those working in other medical networks, community health centers, and private practice settings.

 

“Over the last few years, we have asked a lot of our hospitals and health systems. They have had to pull together and treat COVID-19 patients, deploy vaccines, and screen for MPV. These have all been acute challenges that came to their doorstep. We are excited to now give back and invest in our health care professionals across the city to help fight health inequities in every community and to go upstream with our approach,” said Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Anne Williams-Isom. “The announcement of this training partnership with ACLM, with the buy-in from every hospital and health system across the city, responds to the longstanding needs of our communities related to chronic diseases, such as heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and obesity. This initiative will provide new tools to every health care practitioner across the city and will thereby offer new hope to every person coming through their doors with a lifestyle-related chronic disease. Thank you to ACLM for their partnership and thank you to all the participating hospitals and hospital systems for making this a priority and working with us to make New York City healthier.”

 

“Thanks to Mayor Adams and Dr. McMacken, New York City’s public health system is a leader in lifestyle medicine,” said NYC Health + Hospitals President and CEO Mitchell Katz, MD. “I’m proud that the city is partnering with the American College of Lifestyle Medicine to educate clinical providers across the city about the benefits of this specialty.”

 

“As a practicing clinician, I know that making lifestyle changes can do far more for my patients living with chronic illnesses than many medicines. And as a public health leader and epidemiologist, I know that healthy lifestyles are the best way to prevent the onset of chronic disease, in turn preventing untold suffering and staving off enormous moral and economic cost,” said New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan. “As providers, it starts with us supporting and educating our patients on how to adopt healthy lifestyle practices, but too many practitioners are not familiar or comfortable doing so. This is an opportunity for radical reform of the way we educate clinicians and deliver clinical care that prioritizes what really delivers the most value for health, not just the most volume of care. New York City is proud to lead the way in transforming medicine in this way, to combat our rising epidemic of diet- and lifestyle-related chronic diseases.”

 

“Today, by announcing a training partnership with ACLM, this administration establishes a new pathway for a healthier New York City. One of the pillars of lifestyle medicine is a healthy plant-based diet,” said Mayor’s Office of Food Policy Executive Director Kate MacKenzie. “We are working aggressively to ensure all New Yorkers have access to healthy, nutritious produce through our office’s ‘Food Forward’ plan.”

 

“Diet and other lifestyle behaviors play an enormous role in health outcomes, and yet nutrition and lifestyle change are underemphasized in many health professional training programs,” said Michelle McMacken, MD, FACP, DipABLM, executive director, nutrition and lifestyle medicine, NYC Health + Hospitals. “This partnership is truly groundbreaking, helping health care professionals leverage one of the greatest tools to improve patients’ lives. I applaud Mayor Adams, the health systems leaders, and the American College of Lifestyle Medicine for their leadership.”

 

“A significant share of all health care dollars spent in America is related to chronic diseases like heart disease, stroke, and Type 2 diabetes — which is now showing up in children as young as 10,” said Kathleen Sebelius, 21^st Secretary, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; and former Governor of Kansas. “It is urgent that we reverse that trend to improve the health of the American people and save dollars in our health care system. The initiative announced today to educate the health care workforce in lifestyle medicine will have a positive impact on millions of New Yorkers through the prevention, treatment, and remission of many lifestyle-related chronic diseases. I welcome this model partnership between Mayor Adams’ office and the American College of Lifestyle Medicine.”

 

“NMA, the largest and oldest national organization representing African American physicians and their patients in the United States, is excited about this initiative and applauds the American College of Lifestyle Medicine and Mayor Adams for recognizing the importance of offering this comprehensive training to all levels of health care practitioners,” said Dr. Garfield A. D. Clunie, 123^rd president, National Medical Association (NMA). “Lifestyle and nutrition training for practitioners will allow for more comprehensive diagnoses and treatment plans for patients, especially those in minoritized communities who have been historically and systematically underserved by the health care industry. This training will be particularly impactful in our communities, where chronic disease prevalence is disproportionately higher.”

 

“Preventable chronic diseases account for the vast majority of deaths and health care costs in America. Kudos to ACLM and to Mayor Adams for leading this effort to train health care professionals on prescribing evidence-based lifestyle services to their patients that can help prevent, treat, and bring into remission some of the most common chronic diseases plaguing our citizens and weighing on our federal budget,” said Anand Parekh, MD MPH, chief medical advisor, Bipartisan Policy Center; and former deputy assistant secretary of health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “Coupled with broader policy, systems, and environmental changes to help make the healthy choice the easy choice, this partnership will help create a healthier population.”

 

“Northwell’s mission is providing care to the communities we serve, and we have a keen focus on improving public health and health equity,” said Michael Dowling, president and CEO, Northwell Health. “As the largest health care provider in New York, with more than 81,000 health care professionals in our system, including 12,000 physicians and 19,000 nurses, we are committed and proud to support this program, as we believe an investment in our health care professionals in lifestyle medicine training is an investment in the overall health and wellness of our communities.”

 

“For too long, many Central Brooklyn residents have died prematurely, suffered disability, or been unable to live their best lives because of chronic diseases that can be prevented,” said LaRay Brown, CEO, One Brooklyn Health System. “One Brooklyn Health’s providers have this opportunity to become certified in lifestyle medicine, which will provide them the evidence- based tools to partner with our patients to make a difference in their lives and improve the overall health of the community.”

 

“This extraordinary effort provides training in lifestyle medicine to health care professionals in every borough, so that all New Yorkers can benefit, regardless of where they live,” said Robert I. Grossman, MD, dean and CEO, NYU Langone Health. “At NYU Langone Health, our longstanding commitment to health equity is likewise reflected in our approach to bringing our world-class care directly to the communities where our patients live and work. Through this initiative, Mayor Adams has shown that he is ‘all in’ with NYU Langone Health and other New York City hospitals to improve the health and well-being of all New Yorkers.”

 

“For years, we have sought to expand our health care offerings beyond the four walls of the practitioner’s office so that we’re not just treating disease but also promoting overall well-being,” said Dr. Philip Ozuah, president and CEO, Montefiore Medicine. “That vision has led to partnerships like our School-Based Health Initiative, which brings care directly to children, and the Project Bravo food pantry, which makes fresh fruits and vegetables more accessible to low-income New Yorkers. Mayor Adams’ resolute focus on preventing diet-related chronic disease will transform lives, further cementing New York City’s reputation as a leader in preventive medicine.”

 

“As leaders in integrative medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center is at the forefront of understanding how lifestyle interventions impact overall health and can enhance well-being for patients in cancer treatment,” said Selwyn M. Vickers, MD, FACS, president and CEO, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. “We look forward to collaborating with the mayor’s office and the American College of Lifestyle Medicine and applaud this program that will benefit our staff, patients, and the communities we serve.”

 

“We are grateful for Mayor Adams’ continued commitment to engaging with each borough on the importance of physical activity, health, nutrition, and social connection. In communities with high rates of chronic illnesses, we must ensure our health care professionals are prepared with evidence-based, therapeutic lifestyle interventions to provide holistic and effective treatment. This partnership will help us achieve just that,” said David H. Berger, M.D., MHCM, FACS, CEO, University Hospital at Downstate. “As home to one of the first Lifestyle Medicine Interest Groups in the New York area, Downstate Health Sciences University is thrilled to expand our current offerings through this partnership and work to address health disparities in underserved communities.”

 

“SBH Healthcare System is excited to collaborate with Mayor Adams and the American College of Lifestyle Medicine in providing training in lifestyle medicine and nutrition,” said David Perlstein, MD, president and CEO, SBH Health System. “Strategic partnerships and innovation are essential in recalibrating how we approach and deliver health care and educate our communities about the importance of health, wellness, and nutrition. We look forward to participating in this forward-thinking training program and implementing strategies focused on creating and promoting a more holistic approach to health care delivery, which will contribute to the health and wellness of the Bronx.”

 

“HSS applauds this initiative by the mayor’s office and ACLM, because it will help New York City and inspire communities nationwide to improve health and wellness,” said Louis A. Shapiro, president and CEO, Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS). “This training will further advance the important work being done by the lifestyle medicine program at HSS, which focuses on the special needs of people who experience pain and functional challenges in the setting of lifestyle-related chronic disease.”

 

“Calvary, since our founding in 1899, has believed that you cannot treat any illness or disease on its own. You must treat the whole person — their physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual care, and their family,” said Frank A. Calamari, FACHE, president and CEO, Calvary Hospital. “This is especially important in our areas of innovation and practice, palliative and end-of-life care. We support this training because it is complementary to Calvary’s values of compassion, caring, commitment, dignity, and non-abandonment — all of which are required as we fulfill our mission every day to relieve the suffering and improve the quality of life for our patients and their families. We look forward to learning and sharing the benefits of lifestyle medicine with the Calvary community.”

 

“BronxCare Health System continues to take an important leadership role in responding to the social determinants impacting the health and wellness of the Bronx Community,” said Suneel Parikh M.D., director of health equity, BronxCare Health System. “We strongly support and commend the efforts of the mayor's office and the American College of Lifestyle Medicine in identifying and addressing this most important issue.”

 

“The American Heart Association applauds the mayor’s office to have health care professionals train in nutrition and lifestyle medicine,” said Rafael Ortiz, M.D., president, American Heart Association Board of Directors in New York City; and chief, neuro-endovascular surgery, Lenox Hill Hospital. “This year. the American Heart Association introduced Life’s Essential 8, key measures for improving and maintaining cardiovascular health. The eight measures are eat better, be more active, quit tobacco, get healthy sleep, manage weight, control cholesterol, manage blood sugar, and manage blood pressure. Better cardiovascular health, with the help of improving one’s lifestyle, helps lower the risk for heart disease, stroke, and other major health problems.”

 

The lifestyle medicine initiative engaging hospitals and health systems builds upon educational opportunities in lifestyle medicine already underway at NYC Health + Hospitals. All clinical staff at Health + Hospitals will have access to the above training modules. Additionally, as part of the planned expansion of Plant-Based Lifestyle Medicine Programs in every borough announced earlier this year, Health + Hospitals is working with ACLM to offer the following training to all staff engaged with those programs:

• Foundations of Lifestyle Medicine Board Review Course, third edition: Online, comprehensive review course on lifestyle medicine, designed to prepare candidates to pass the lifestyle medicine board certification exam. Available to physicians, dietitians, nurse practitioners, and psychologists staffing each of the Plant-Based Lifestyle Medicine Program sites.
• Lifestyle Medicine for Coaches: Online review course on lifestyle medicine basics for professionals helping patients meet their health goals. This will be offered to health coaches and community health workers.

Finally, membership to the American College of Lifestyle Medicine will be provided to Health + Hospitals physicians, dietitians, health coaches, nurse practitioners, psychologists, and community health workers staffing each of the program sites. Membership has many benefits, including free educational webinars, professional resources, member interest groups, and patient educational materials.

 

Van Nest Holiday Festival and Christmas Tree Lighting

 

As the darkness of the night began the temperature began to go down. Tables were being set up to hold the hot cocoa and cookies while other tables were in front of the Giant Cross of Van Nest for Santa to give out the many toys that were sitting upon them. Representatives of Bird Escooters were on hand to give out helmets to those who ride the Escooters where one must be wearing a helmet to ride. They also had an information sheet they were handing out to people who wanted to know the rules and how to sign up to ride the Escooters. 

The festivities began with Van Nest Neighborhood Alliance President Bernadette Ferrara saying this was the ninth Annual Tree Lighting as Father Emmanuel Dafe of St. Dominic's Church gave the Christmas prayer. The Van Nest Christmas tree was then lit as Santa Claus came out to say hello to everyone, and get ready to give out all the toys that were waiting to the children who were present. 

There was a crowd around the Byrd Escooter table as the company handed out free helmets which are required to be worn when riding an Escooter. 

Hot cocoa with whipped cream was given out as the temperature began to drop. 

There were two tables of cookies to choose from as VNNA VP Jackson-Mendez sets the cookies out. 

VNNA Secretary Marion Reindeer helped give out lighted necklaces. 

VNNA President Ferrara with Father Emmanuel. 

Santa asks a few children what they want for Christmas.

A group photo of those who attended the VNNA 9th Annual Christmas Tree lighting in front of the Giant Cross of Van Nest. Many of the children are wearing the lighted Christmas necklaces that were given out by Reindeer Marion.