DE BLASIO ADMINISTRATION LAUNCHES COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TO REDUCE MATERNAL DEATHS AND LIFE-THREATENING COMPLICATIONS FROM CHILDBIRTH AMONG WOMEN OF COLOR

Four-point plan will address implicit bias, increase surveillance, enhance maternity care and expand public education

  First Lady McCray and Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Dr. Herminia Palacio announced New York City’s first comprehensive plan to reduce maternal deaths and life-threatening complications of childbirth among women of color. The five year plan aims to eliminate disparities in maternal mortality between Black and White women – where the widest disparity exists – and reduce by half the number of severe maternal morbidity events in the five boroughs. Severe maternal morbidity is defined as life-threatening complications of childbirth; maternal mortality is defined as a death of a woman while pregnant or within one year of the termination of pregnancy due to any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management.

The City will invest $12.8 million over the next three years in this plan. Funding will go towards four initiatives: 1) Engaging relevant private and public health care providers across the City in adopting implicit bias training – the unconscious attitudes or stereotypes that can affect behaviors, decisions and actions in their treatment of women of color who are pregnant; 2) supporting private and public hospitals to enhance data tracking and analysis of severe maternal mortality and maternal morbidity events to improve quality of care and eliminate preventable complications; 3) enhancing maternal care at NYC Health + Hospitals’ facilities; and 4) expanding public education in partnership with community-based organizations and residents.

In New York City, more than 3,000 women experience a life-threatening event during childbirth, and about 30 women die from a pregnancy-related cause each year. Preliminary data shows that in New York City, Black non-Hispanic women are eight times more likely to die of pregnancy-related complications than White women, much higher than the national average.

“We are losing far too many mothers – especially women of color – to pregnancy-related complications,” saidMayor Bill de Blasio. “That is unacceptable. This new plan will put our hospitals and healthcare system on track to save the lives of mothers and make healthier the futures of their children.”

“New York City is making women’s health care priority number one,” said First Lady Chirlane McCray. “No mother, in this great City of world class health providers, should ever worry about the quality of care she’ll receive when building her family, before, during or after childbirth.” 

“Maternal mortality is not just a health crisis but also a human rights issue. It is a heartbreaking fact that maternal mortality greatly affects women of color. This investment is the City’s commitment to provide the best healthcare services to all New York women and the next step in ensuring the protection of all women, especially women of color. I thank Council Member Helen Rosenthal for bringing attention to the maternal mortality crisis, and I applaud the Administration for working with us on making New York City safe for all pregnant people,” saidCouncil Speaker Corey Johnson.

“The birth of a child should be a joyous moment for all families, and it is unacceptable that in 2018 we have so many Black mothers who are dying because of complications during childbirth,” said Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Dr. Herminia Palacio. “This ambitious plan is an example of joining medicine and hospital delivery systems with public health systems to help close health inequities and save the lives of mothers across New York City.”

“We know one of the key drivers of racial disparities in maternal mortality is structural racism. Decades of inequitable distribution of resources across neighborhoods and unequal treatment within healthcare settings have resulted in racial differences in birth outcomes,” said Health Commissioner Dr. Mary T. Bassett. “We want to thank First Lady Chirlane McCray and Deputy Mayor Palacio for investing in a bold plan to address maternal deaths. This builds upon the efforts of the Health Department to improve maternal health and close the racial gap by transforming how mothers, and specifically women of color, are cared for and supported throughout their pregnancy.”

“Despite years of work by the Health Department and many others, the stark and unacceptable racial and ethnic disparities in maternal death and life-threatening complications of childbirth have persisted,” said First Deputy Health Commissioner Dr. Oxiris Barbot. “We are excited that as a City we are prioritizing investing new resources to improve women’s and maternal health. We are confident that by aligning and coordinating efforts of our public health and public hospital systems in partnership with community leaders, organizations, and residents, we can move the needle in a positive direction.”

“Every incidence of maternal mortality is a tragedy, and we believe many such tragedies can and must be prevented,” said Machelle Allen, MD, Chief Medical Officer of NYC Health + Hospitals. “We believe a good number of other incidents that are life-threatening to women during childbirth, and especially women of color, are also avoidable—which is why we are excited to play an active role in embracing the steps New York City is announcing. We owe our patients nothing less than the best of care possible.”

Issues around maternal mortality rates are complex, particularly for Black women. Contributing factors to this epidemic include the health status of Black women, such as the prevalence of obesity and decreased access to care; issues of poverty, such as inadequate housing; residential segregation and lower educational attainment; and the stressors stemming from racism. Even when controlling for socioeconomic and educational status, Black women are still more likely to suffer from severe maternal morbidity and maternal mortality than women of other races and ethnicities.

Components of the plan include:

1.      Creating A New City-Wide Maternal Hospital Quality Improvement Network: The Health Departmentwill create a Maternal Hospital Quality Improvement Network aimed at developing hospital-specific recommendations to reduce the number of life-threatening complications during and after childbirth. The Department will target a total of 23 of the 38 public and private maternity hospitals in NYC over a four year period, prioritizing providers in neighborhoods with the highest rates of pregnancy related complications – South Bronx, North and Central Brooklyn, East and Central Harlem, and Jamaica and St. Albans in Queens. Hospitals will collect and review severe maternal morbidity data to identify problem areas in care and incorporate best practices to improve patient outcomes. Hospital staff will participate in practice drills to help them recognize and treat these events in a timely manner.

2.       Creating Comprehensive Maternity Care at NYC Health + Hospitals: Building upon the efforts already undertaken by NYC Health + Hospitals to ensure safe maternity care, the public healthcare system will implement the following initiatives:

·         Embed simulation training in all hospital obstetric units to focus on identification and response to the two top causes of pregnancy-related deaths for women of color—postpartum hemorrhage (bleeding) and thromboembolism (blood clots).

·         Hire maternal care coordinators to assist an estimated 2,000 high-risk women in the prenatal and postpartum periods to keep appointments, procure prescriptions, and connect women to eligible benefits.

·         Co-locate newborn and postpartum appointments to increase the number of women receiving postpartum care from 60 percent to 90 percent. Postpartum care will include contraceptive counselling, breastfeeding support and screening for maternal depression.

·         Establish primary care interventions to identify women who are planning to have a child within six to 12 months. Providers will assess hemorrhage risks and establish a care plan for women seeking to give birth within that timeline.

3.       Enhancing Data Quality and Timeliness:

·         The NYC Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Review Committee, launched by the Health Department in December 2017, will drive data quality improvement by examining maternal deaths and analyzing and compiling data on severe complications experienced by expectant and new mothers. 

·         To address the challenge of data having historically been on a two to three-year time lag, the Health Department will provide preliminary estimates of mortality annually. The City will also request the NY State Health Department to release relevant hospital data within one year.

4.      Launching Public Awareness Campaign on Pregnancy-Related Health Risks: The Health Department will expand its targeted public education campaign with community residents and providers, emphasizing safe and respectful childbirth, prenatal and post-partum care starting in 2019.

This plan builds on the City’s significant commitment to improve maternal health, including increased screening for maternal depression through the ThriveNYC Maternal Depression Learning Collaborative, which has 30 participating hospitals to screen and treat pregnant women and new mothers for maternal depression, and the creation of the Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Review Committee, which reviews deaths and severe complications related to pregnancy and childbirth. Additionally, the City became the first municipality in the nation to establish a severe maternal mortality surveillance program in 2016. The Health Department also is focused on supporting women’s health before and during pregnancy to ensure optimal outcomes. In May, the Department announced the Maternal Care Connection, a collaboration with SUNY Downstate Medical Center to improve obstetric care and chronic disease management, both of which contribute to racial disparities in birth outcomes. The Department also supports a Nurse-Family Partnership program and Newborn Home Visiting Program, the By My Side program, which provides doula support services through Healthy Start Brooklyn, and new Family Wellness Suites at the Neighborhood Health Action Centers.

BIAGGI FILING SHOWS STRONG GRASSROOTS SUPPORT

  Alessandra Biaggi, candidate for State Senate in District 34, raised a total of about $260,000, including individual cash donations of more than $220,000 from 3,169 unique individuals, according to her filing yesterday with the State Board of Elections. The average individual contribution was about $70. Biaggi reported expenses of just over $50,000 for the period.

“I'm grateful to everyone who contributed to help work for a true-blue progressive Democratic State Senate that will fight for health care, affordable housing, women's reproductive rights, access to college education, ethics in government and all the other issues held up by Republican control. With broad, grassroots support, we can win,” Biaggi said.

That compares with her opponent Jeff Klein, who got more than 80% of his contributions from corporations, LLCs and PACs. He received only $95,740 from 123 individuals, an average contribution of $778, during the same period. Klein filed four reports during the period, which included expenses of more than $600,000. Klein also took $200,000 from four questionable transfers from the Senate Independence Campaign Committee starting in February of this year.

UPDATE ON THE CITY’S RESPONSE TO THE MANHATTAN STEAM MAIN EXPLOSION

Reception center open for affected individuals at 10 East 15th Street

 The City’s Emergency Management Department continues to coordinate the interagency response to the steam main explosion that occurred in Manhattan at West 21st Street and 5th Avenue on Thursday, July 19. Several City agencies including the FDNY, NYPD, and the Departments of Environmental Protection, Buildings, Health and Mental Hygiene, and Emergency Management continue to operate on scene. Con Edison and the American Red Cross in Greater NY are also coordinating response operations.

The area of West 19^th Street to West 22^nd Street between Broadway and Avenue of Americas remains a potential affected area pending an assessment of air and debris in the vicinity. A total of 49 buildings were evacuated today due to the steam main explosion. Currently, 44 buildings are being assessed for asbestos contamination (see attached map). Approximately 500 individuals are displaced from 249 residential units within the potential affected area. Individuals will not be permitted to enter these buildings until after they have been assessed.

A reception center has been opened for affected individuals at the Clinton School at 10 East 15th Street until 10:00PM tonight. This reception center is for information inquiries only. Individuals who live or work within the potential affected area and need to retrieve needed medical supplies or pets should report to the reception center, where escorts will be coordinated if possible. The reception center will reopen on Friday, July 20^th at 8:00AM. The American Red Cross in Greater NY will be at the reception center to assist evacuated residents.

Expect traffic delays, road closures, and the presence of emergency personnel in the vicinity of West 21st Street and 5th Avenue. The following streets are closed to vehicular and pedestrian street closures:

·         West 23rd Street from 6th Avenue to Madison Avenue

·         5th Avenue from West 23rd Street to West 17th Street

·         Broadway from West 23rd Street to West 17th Street

·         All crosstown traffic from 6th Avenue to Broadway from West 23rd Street to West 17th Street

FDNY:

At 6:39 a.m. FDNY units received an initial report for a steam explosion at the location of 121 5th Avenue in Manhattan. Units arrived in under five minutes and began evacuating and securing the surrounding areas. The incident escalated to a 2-alarm at 7:04 a.m. and transitioned to a 3-alarm scenario at 7:39 a.m., prompting a response of a total of 39 FDNY units and 140 members. FDNY deployed its mass decontamination task force on 19th and 22nd Street as a precaution for hazardous materials and asbestos from the steam explosion. At this time, FDNY members have decontaminated approximately 100 individuals including FDNY personnel, Con Edison employees, and area residents.

 As of 1:11 p.m. there is a total of 8 patients, 5 being civilians and 3 being members of service.

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & MENTAL HYGIENE (DOHMH):

·         The public should stay away from the affected area.  Emergency crews are still on scene assessing the situation.

·         If you were exposed to debris from the steam-pipe explosion you should remove all clothing and shower. Soiled clothing should be sealed in a clear plastic bag and set aside until further notice. Con Edison is accepting bagged clothing from people who were in the immediate area of this morning’s steam pipe rupture at 5th Avenue and 21st Street in Manhattan, as tests showed asbestos was released.

·         People who live or work within the affected area should keep windows closed until clean-up is completed. Window air conditioners should be set to re-circulate indoor air. If you see or have debris from the steam pipe explosion, you should notify your landlord, building owner, or building manager. Debris should not be disturbed. New York City agencies are working to determine what contamination is present and the extent of impact.

·         DOHMH and other city agencies will continue to provide updates as new information is made available.

DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION (DEP):

·         DEP remains on scene to monitor asbestos levels while the clean-up and re-occupancy progresses.

·         Sixteen DEP asbestos inspectors are conducting physical assessments of each building in the area, coordinated with NYPD, FDNY, and DOHMH.

NYPD:

·         Hundreds of NYPD personnel responded to the incident.

DEPARTMENT OF BUILDINGS:

·         Approximately 500 individuals are displaced from 249 residential units within the potential affected area.

·         Buildings inspectors and forensic engineers remain on the scene to assist with structural assessments and engineering expertise.

MTA:

·         MTA reports the following impacts to mass transit as a result of the explosion:·         MTA Subway is bypassing the West 23rd Street station (the R and W Lines).

·         MTA buses:

•           Detoured - M1, M2, M3, M55, M23-SBS, X1, X10, X17, X27, X28

•           Delayed - BxM3, BxM4, BxM6, BxM7, BxM8, BxM9, BxM10, BxM11, BxM18, QM21, BM1, BM2, BM3, BM4

NYC EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT:

·         The New York City Emergency Management Department has activated the City’s Emergency Operations Center in response to the steam pipe explosion on 5th Avenue and continues to coordinate the interagency response on scene. City agencies continue to operate in the area.

CON EDISON:

·         Con Edison is accepting bagged clothing from people who were in the immediate area of this morning’s steam pipe rupture at 5th Avenue and 21st Street in Manhattan, as tests showed asbestos was released.

 ·         Those who were in the immediate area should take a shower, bag their clothing and bring it to Con Edison personnel. The immediate area is 500 feet east or west of 5th Avenue on 20th and 21st streets and 100 feet north and south on 5th Ave.

·         Company personnel are at 19th Street and Broadway and at 22nd Street and Broadway until 9 p.m. to accept the clothing. They also have claim forms available for people to submit to receive compensation for their clothes. The claim forms are also available at coned.com.

·         Con Edison personnel will also be in the Clinton School, 10 East 15th St., until 10 p.m. to provide claim forms.

·         In addition, anyone who was outside the immediate area of the rupture but who wants to exercise an abundance of caution should follow the same procedure.

·         Con Edison will provide more details as they become available.

Engel Becomes Founding Member of Congressional "Medicare for All" Caucus

  Congressman Eliot L. Engel, a senior member on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, today joined more than 60 House Democrats in forming the new Congressional “Medicare for All” Caucus. The Caucus will work to guarantee health care for every American through a Medicare for All system.

“I have always held firm the belief that health care is a right, not a privilege,” Engel said. “That’s why I helped craft the Affordable Care Act (ACA). But a Medicare for All system is truly the best way to afford every American the health care they need – and most Americans agree. 6-in-10 support a Medicare for All health care system, and the founding of this Caucus is a clear signal that we are heeding that call for quality, universal care.

“I am a proud original cosponsor of H.R. 676, the Expanded and Improved Medicare for All Act, a bill I have cosponsored ever since it was first introduced 15 years ago. As such, helping to found the ‘Medicare for All’ Caucus was only natural. The time has finally come to ensure every American receives quality health care, and I am pleased to help Congress take this important step forward today.”

The Bronx Chamber of Commerce invites you to join us for our SummerFest New Member MEET UP Networking Mixer and Food Tasting. Free Admission to Chamber Members!

THE CITY OF NEW YORK SUES THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE FOR IMPOSING UNLAWFUL CONDITIONS ON FEDERAL PUBLIC SAFETY GRANTS TO NEW YORK CITY

City asks the court to deem DOJ measures illegal and compel immediate payment

  Mayor Bill de Blasio and Corporation Counsel Zachary W. Carter announced the filing of a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Justice for its unlawful efforts to force New York City officials to engage in federal immigration enforcement. Last year, DOJ placed unprecedented conditions on a key public safety grant the City has relied on for years. DOJ has yet to release the $4 million grant and has also threatened to retract millions more from previous years. According to the City’s complaint, the conditions are illegal and undermine key City policies that protect all residents, including its immigrants, and keep crime low. The City has asked the Court to deem the conditions illegal and compel immediate payment to the City.

“Our message is clear: the Trump Administration’s actions are illegal and morally bankrupt,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “We have proven, time and again, that welcoming immigrants has helped make this the safest big city in the country. Any attempt to jeopardize the trust between our local law enforcement and immigrant New Yorkers will fail.”

The Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant is named after Edward Byrne, a New York City police officer killed while protecting a Guyanese immigrant who was acting as a cooperating witness. Until recently, New York City has applied for and received its local allocation under the federal grant formula every year since the program’s inception in 2005. The Byrne grant supports 911 emergency responders, diversion programs for nonviolent felony drug offenders, and anti-cybercrime and identity theft efforts, to name only a few public safety initiatives.

City Corporation Counsel Zachary W. Carter said: “For years New York City has qualified for the Byrne grant under a fixed formula, but DOJ has abruptly altered grant requirements in an attempt to force the City to abandon policies of constructive engagement with its immigrant residents that have proven effective in maintaining and enhancing public safety. The conditions DOJ seeks to impose are an unprecedented and unconstitutional intrusion on the City’s policy prerogatives, are inconsistent with the intent of Congress and diminish the City’s safety. As detailed in our complaint, DOJ’s efforts would cause immigrant communities to disengage from public services and retreat into the shadows, to the detriment of their own safety and that of the public. We are asking the Court to permanently enjoin DOJ from imposing the three conditions and compel immediate payment to the City.”

For the fiscal year 2016 Byrne grant funding, DOJ demanded that New York City, along with eight other jurisdictions, certify that they complied with Section 1373, a statute that bars states and localities from adopting policies that restrict communications regarding immigration and citizenship status between state and local officials and the federal government. This was the first time DOJ ever requested such compliance since the enactment of Section 1373 roughly 20 years ago. In a letter sent to DOJ in June 2017, the City demonstrated that it was legally entitled to the grant.

For the following fiscal year’s grant, DOJ said recipients would have to certify compliance with Section 1373 and the following two new conditions in order to receive funding: the City must provide at least 48 hours’ advance notice to the Department of Homeland Security regarding the release date and time of an inmate for whom DHS requests such advance notice, and DHS must be permitted to access any detention facility maintained by the City in order to meet with persons of interest. While the City timely submitted its application, it did not certify its compliance with these three illegal conditions. In the last year, federal courts in Illinois, Pennsylvania, and California have struck down these or similar conditions, yet DOJ continues to insist NYC comply with them in order to receive its funding.  

DOJ later announced it was distributing $200 million in JAG Program funds to jurisdictions that shared its commitment to “keeping criminal aliens off our streets and our law abiding citizens safe.” However, DOJ has not communicated a final determination to New York City about its compliance with Section 1373 or its Byrne grant application.

Comptroller Stringer: “ADA Transit Deserts” Leave 640,000 New Yorkers Stranded Without a Single Accessible Station in their Neighborhood

Rents near accessible stations are significantly more expensive, worsening the affordable housing crisis for mobility impaired New Yorkers

Inaccessibility severely restricts job opportunities – over 600,000 jobs are located in ADA Transit Deserts

Comptroller calls on State to create funding mechanism that would increase resources for ADA upgrades

  New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer released a report, “Service Denied: Accessibility and the New York City Subway System.”  While New York’s subway remains the most expansive in the country, roughly half of the neighborhoods served by the system – 62 out of 122 – are “ADA Transit Deserts,” meaning they lack a single accessible station. Inaccessibility places an undue economic strain on families, seniors, and the mobility-impaired. 55 of these neighborhoods are in the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens. Combined, these communities are home to 200,000 mobility-impaired residents, 340,000 seniors, and 200,000 children below the age of five.

“Too many New Yorkers are left stranded by the MTA,” said Comptroller Scott M. Stringer. “Decades of underinvestment and neglect have real life consequences. For every inaccessible station, there is a New Yorker who can’t get to work, pick up their children from daycare, or visit their doctors. It’s simple – a person’s livelihood should not be dictated by their mobility status, and we must take action immediately to address this crisis. The MTA’s Fast Forward plan is a step in the right direction, but we can and must do more.”

ADA Transit Deserts Worsen the Affordable Housing Crisis 

• For New Yorkers with disabilities and seniors, the housing crisis is magnified by ADA Transit Desert which limits housing options and forces mobility impaired New Yorkers to pay higher rents;
• Median rents in neighborhoods with at least one accessible station are over $100 higher than in neighborhoods with only inaccessible stations; and
• Given that people with disabilities or injuries, the elderly, and families with young children already bear heavy expenses for medical care and other services, these higher rents can be prohibitive.

ADA Transit Deserts Restrict Job Opportunities

• Accessibility gaps can severely restrict opportunities for the mobility impaired;
• Those living in areas without accessible stations will struggle to reach the 2.7 million jobs in areas that are accessible by subway;
• The 608,258 jobs in neighborhoods without subway accessibility, meanwhile, are even more challenging to reach;
• Barriers to the labor market already exacerbate the high rates of unemployment and low rates of workforce participation among those living with disabilities;
• In New York City, only 23 percent of the mobility impaired are employed or actively looking for work – compared to 74 percent of the non-disabled; and
• For those who are participating in the labor force, unemployment rates are a disturbing 16 percent for the mobility-impaired.

New York Should Lead the Nation

Only 24 percent of the subway’s 472 stations are accessible, by far the lowest share among the country’s metropolitan rail systems. While some of these systems were built after ADA legislation was introduced and were pre-engineered for accessibility, those in Boston and Chicago are nearly as old or older than the New York City subway system, but are far more accessible.

Fixing ADA Transit Deserts Necessitates New Funding

In addition to offering support for the MTA’s new Fast Forward plan, the Comptroller is calling for a new funding mechanism to support accessibility investments. Comptroller Stringer’s report recommends that the state legislature introduce a new Transportation Bond Act in the next session and bring it to referendum. Voters have not had a chance to approve additional transit funding since 2005, when a $3.5 billion bond act was approved by voters, with proceeds divided fairly between upstate and downstate needs. A new bond act could vastly increase resources for ADA upgrades, dramatically enhancing the reach of the subway system and improving the lives of hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers.

Democrat Amanda Septimo Raises Over $50k in First Finance Filing for Assembly Run

 

  Amanda Septimo, Democratic candidate running for Assembly in the 84th District, has reported raising $50,423 in her first campaign finance filing since launching her campaign. The impressive fundraising numbers come on the heels of big endorsements from the Working Families Party and the powerful public-sector union, DC 37.

 

"The outpouring of support for our journey has been overwhelming, and this is another major step in the direction of positive change. On the doors, on the street, and on the phones, people have been genuinely excited to hear from our campaign and have been really receptive to our message. We deserve better than just the corrupt status quo. Our students, seniors, and working families need a fighter and I am committed to being a force in the Assembly who will produce results," said Septimo.