State Senator Gustavo Rivera on Governor Hochul’s Appointment of Dr. Mary Bassett as the Next NYS Health Department Commissioner

 

"Governor Hochul's appointment of Dr. Mary Bassett as our State’s next Health Commissioner is a clear indication that she wants to quickly redirect the agency’s role back to its core mission— to protect and improve the health and well-being of all New Yorkers.   

Dr. Bassett, who will be the first African-American to lead the agency, has had an exemplary career focused on enacting forward-thinking, compassionate, and efficient public health initiatives and programs focused on reducing deeply rooted health disparities.

Her lifelong dedication to addressing the impacts of disparities is exactly the foundation our State must build on, particularly as we continue to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, which has been undeniably vicious in communities of color among the other health crises our State faces.

I am incredibly excited about this historic appointment and I would like to express my wholehearted support to Dr. Bassett as she embarks on this challenging new role. I also hope that this new direction at the Department of Health will encourage capable and public health-oriented professionals to join the agency after so many departed due to the previous administration’s lack of commitment to investing in public health.”  

Governor Hochul Appoints Dr. Mary T. Bassett as Commissioner of the Department of Health

 

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced Mary T. Bassett, MD, MPH, has been appointed Commissioner of the Department of Health. With more than 30 years of experience devoted to promoting health equity and social justice, both in the United States and abroad, Dr. Bassett's career has spanned academia, government, and not-for-profit work. Her appointment is effective December 1.

"Our recovery from this pandemic requires tested leadership and experience to improve health equity and access across the state, and Dr. Bassett is perfectly equipped to lead the New York State Department of Health during this critical moment," Governor Hochul said. "When I was sworn in as Governor, I pledged to build a talented team with the skills, knowledge, and expertise to stop the spread of COVID-19, return our lives to normalcy, and move our state forward. Dr. Bassett is both a highly regarded public health expert and an exemplary public servant, and I look forward to working with her to keep New Yorkers safe and healthy." 

"I am humbled and honored to return to my home state of New York to lead the Department of Health at this pivotal time," incoming Health Commissioner Mary T. Bassett said. "The pandemic underscored the importance of public health, while also revealing inequities driven by structural racism. As we move to end the pandemic, we have a unique opportunity to create a state that is more equitable for all New Yorkers. I look forward to working toward this with Governor Hochul and the team at the Department of Health."

Dr. Bassett currently serves as director of the François-Xavier Bagnoud (FXB) Center for Health and Human Rights at Harvard University and FXB Professor of the Practice of Health and Human Rights in the department of Social and Behavioral Sciences at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

From 2014 through summer 2018, she served as commissioner of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, where she made racial justice a priority and worked to address the structural racism at the root of the city's persistent gaps in health between white New Yorkers and communities of color. Dr. Bassett also led the Department's response to Ebola, Legionnaires' disease and other disease outbreaks.

In 2002, Dr. Bassett was appointed deputy commissioner of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. In this role, she led the division responsible for New York City's pioneering tobacco control interventions and food policy, including the nation's first calorie posting requirements and trans fat restrictions. Her signature program was the launch of District Public Health Offices in several neighborhoods long harmed by racial/ethnic and economic health inequities. These offices now lead targeted, multi-sectoral, multi-agency strategies to reduce excess burden of disease. From 2009 to 2014, Dr. Bassett served as program director for the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation's African Health Initiative and Child Well-Being Prevention Program.

Early in her career, she served on the medical faculty at the University of Zimbabwe for 17 years, during which time she developed a range of AIDS prevention interventions. Building on this experience, she went on to serve as associate director of health equity at the Rockefeller Foundation's Southern Africa Office, overseeing its Africa AIDS portfolio. After returning to the United States, she served on the faculty of Columbia University, including as associate professor of clinical epidemiology in its Mailman School of Public Health.

Dr. Bassett's many awards and honors include the prestigious Frank A. Calderone Prize in Public Health, a Kenneth A. Forde Lifetime Achievement Award from Columbia University, a Victoria J. Mastrobuono Award for Women's Health, and the National Organization for Women's Champion of Public Health Award. She has also been elected a member of the National Academy of Medicine. For many years she served as an associate editor of the American Journal of Public Health. Her recent publications include articles in The Lancet and in the New England Journal of Medicine addressing structural racism and health inequities in the United States.

Dr. Bassett grew up in New York City. She received a B.A. in History and Science from Harvard University, an M.D. from Columbia University's College of Physicians and Surgeons (serving her residency at Harlem Hospital), and an M.P.H. from the University of Washington.

"We are thrilled that Mary will be bringing her strong leadership, fierce commitment to equity, and deep understanding of public health policy to this new role as New York State health commissioner," said Michelle A. Williams, dean of the faculty at Harvard Chan School. "While we will greatly miss her presence here, we are proud that she will be in a position to advance evidence-based policies, firmly grounded in science, to protect and improve the health of every New York resident. We know she will be a champion for all people across the state."

"I congratulate Governor Hochul on her appointment of Dr. Mary Bassett as New York State's Health Commissioner. I cannot think of anyone more qualified or better suited to head public health in our state at this time," said Lilliam Barrios Paoli, Former New York City Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services. "Dr. Bassett is a superb crisis manager. Working with her during both the Ebola and the Legionnaires' disease crises was a lesson on how to manage effectively and gracefully under enormous pressure. I can state unequivocally that it was her leadership that enabled New York City to successfully navigate those difficult situations. Her commitment to end health disparities is unquestionable, as is her belief that good public health goes hand in hand with social, racial and gender equity. I firmly believe that with this appointment, Governor Hochul is putting public health in New York State in the best possible hands."

Governor Hochul Takes Bold Action to Alleviate Potential Health Care Staffing Shortages

 

Signs Executive Order to Significantly Expand Eligible Workforce and Allow Additional Health Care Workers to Administer COVID-19 Testing and Vaccinations  

Directs 24/7 Command Center to Monitor and Troubleshoot Staffing Shortages

New York State First-in-Nation on Health Care Worker Vaccination Mandate — 92% of Nursing Home Staff Compliant As of Monday Evening, Up from 70%

Suspension of Administrative Reviews Will Add Additional Source of Health Care Workers

 Governor Kathy Hochul tonight signed an executive order to alleviate potential staffing shortages in hospitals and other health care facilities statewide. The executive order significantly expands the eligible health care workforce and allows additional health care workers to administer COVID-19 testing and vaccinations. 

"The only way we can move past this pandemic is to ensure that everyone eligible is vaccinated, and that includes those who are taking care of our vulnerable family members and loved ones," Governor Hochul said. "On Saturday I released a comprehensive plan in advance of the deadline for the vaccine mandate that keeps New Yorkers safe, and tonight I am adding even more provisions to take bold action to alleviate potential staffing shortages. To monitor developments on the ground, I am also directing an around-the-clock operations center to assist local partners and troubleshoot staffing issues in real time." 

Governor Hochul has directed a 24/7 Operations Center, led by the New York State Department of Health, to constantly monitor staffing operations and trends statewide, provide guidance to healthcare facilities and help troubleshoot acute situations with providers as necessary. The Governor is engaged in ongoing outreach with local elected officials, hospitals, labor leaders, and other health care organizations to check-in on staffing status and offer State assistance. 

Latest Vaccination Rates for Health Care Worker Populations 

• The percentage of nursing home staff receiving at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose increased to 92% as of Monday evening, up from 70% on August 15 before the vaccine mandate was announced.

• The percentage of adult care facilities staff receiving at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose increased to 89% as of Monday evening, up from 76% on August 15 before the vaccine mandate was announced.

• The percentage of hospital staff fully vaccinated is 84% as of September 22, up from 77% on August 10 before the vaccine mandate was announced. Preliminary self-reported data shows that hospital staff receiving at least one dose of vaccine is 92% as of Monday evening.

Expanding Eligible Health Care Workforce to Meet Staffing Needs  

To remove barriers to allow additional categories of health care workers to provide care in order to meet staffing needs in New York, the executive order includes a series of provisions, including: 

• Allowing out of state and out of country health care workers including physicians, RNs, LPNs, NPs, PAs, midwives, clinical nurse specialists, licensed master social workers, and licensed clinical social workers to practice in New York;

• Waiving re-registration fees, creating an expedited re-registration process, and eliminating barriers to re-enter the workforce for retirees;

• Allowing practitioners to work or volunteer in other facilities;

• Allowing physician visits in nursing homes to be done using telemedicine;

• Ensuring removal of barriers for EMTs and Advanced EMTs to practice and assist in additional settings, allowing basic EMTs to vaccinate and test for COVID-19, extending all EMS providers' certification period by one year, modifying certification requirements, and permitting out of state providers to operate in the New York State EMS System;

• Allowing New York State-licensed providers without current registrations to practice without penalty for lack of registration;

• Allowing graduates of SED-registered programs (NP, Lab, RN, LPN) to practice in a hospital or nursing home for 180 days following graduation; and

• Providing flexibilities for clinical labs to increase testing capacity

The executive order also expands the scope of practice for additional health care workers to allow for COVID-19 testing and vaccinations, including an expansion of the ability of midwives, registered nurses, physicians, and nurse practitioners to more easily administer and order COVID-19 vaccinations and testing as well as flu vaccinations.  

To aid in facilitating faster efficient patient transfers to mitigate any staffing issues, the executive order also permits facilities to discharge, transfer, or receive patients quickly, provided they are protecting the health and safety of patients and residents and complying with federal law. Additionally, the executive order suspends requirements for preauthorization review for scheduled surgeries in hospital facilities, hospital admissions, hospital outpatient services, home health care services following a hospital admission, and inpatient rehabilitation services following a hospital admission, as well as suspends concurrent and retrospective review of claims during the duration of the order.

Additionally, Governor Hochul plans to work with the federal government and other state leaders to explore ways to expedite visa requests for medical professionals and is monitoring whether the deployment of medically-trained National Guard members may be necessary to execute at any point. 

MAYOR DE BLASIO LAUNCHES THE NYC PUBLIC HEALTH CORPS

 

The NYC Public Health Corps will reimagine and bolster the public health workforce across New York City, focusing on neighborhoods that were most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic  

 Mayor Bill de Blasio announced today that the City has established the NYC Public Health Corps (PHC), a new, innovative effort to expand the public health workforce, strengthen community health infrastructure, and promote health equity for the communities hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Health Department and NYC Health + Hospitals will lead the initiative.

 

“COVID-19 hit our most vulnerable communities the hardest,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “As we recover and move forward as a city, we’re going to ensure all New Yorkers have access to health care, especially in the neighborhoods most impacted by this crisis. Today is a monumental step towards universal health care in New York City.”

 

“In New York City, community health workers have been essential to our COVID-19 response,” said Health Commissioner Dr. Dave A. Chokshi. “The vision of the Public Health Corps is rooted in this model, taking advantage of our once-in-a-generation opportunity to reimagine public health and redress inequities. The NYC Public Health Corps will not only have immediate impact for a just recovery from COVID-19—it will also be a bulwark against future emergencies and a leap forward for community health in the times in between.”

 

“As the City continues to recover from the pandemic, we have an opportunity to rebuild our healthcare system to make New York City stronger and healthier than ever before,” said NYC Test & Trace Corps Executive Director and Senior Vice President for Ambulatory Care at NYC Health + Hospitals Dr. Ted Long. “Drawing from our contact tracers who have been working with the communities where they live for the past year and know their communities well, we are building a new team of community health workers who will become a part of our healthcare system to extend the care that we offer patients beyond the four walls of our clinics. We are acutely aware of the historical disparities among communities and populations that all came to a head during this pandemic. Our Public Health Corps will prioritize health equity in these communities, with our new community health workers being a foundational and permanent pillar of our public healthcare system.”

 

"The Public Health Corps is a step towards repair and healing, grounded in principles of health equity, for New Yorkers most-impacted by COVID-19," said Deputy Commissioner for the Center for Health Equity and Community Wellness and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Michelle Morse. "Working hand-in-hand with communities, we will build a stronger, healthier city together."

 

“Overall, strong health often requires a personalized combination of physical, mental, and community services, all of which our Public Health Corps workforce is prepared to help New Yorkers access,” said Chief Population Health Officer at NYC Health + Hospitals Dr. Nichola Davis. “This approach, coupled with our focus on culturally competent, community-based outreach will ensure we’re not only connecting with a maximum number of New Yorkers, but also connecting them to the care and services needed to live a healthy and full life.”

 

PHC initiatives target a broad spectrum of public health needs—from helping people get vaccinated to counseling residents about diabetes and depression. But each initiative shares a common goal: promoting the health of New Yorkers. Building on the lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic, the PHC will strengthen community health across NYC by empowering a knowledgeable workforce that has the trust of the residents they serve, in part because they often come from the same neighborhood. 

 

Collaboration between Health + Hospitals and the Health Department—clinicians and public health working together—is also key to the initiative’s success and distinguishes New York City in its ability to integrate this important workforce. 

 

The PHC will include 100 community-based organizations, including those already working with the City on vaccine education and outreach through the T2CBO program and the COVID-19 Vaccine Partner Engagement Project in partnership with the Fund for Public Health in NYC.

 

New initiatives under the PHC will include:

 

•     COVID-19 Disparities Initiative—Gives grants to CBOs to build Community Health Worker (CHW) teams with lived experience in the communities they serve to increase access to COVID-19 prevention, treatment and vaccination services and address social needs of neighborhoods who have been most impacted by the pandemic. 

•     COVID-19 Vaccine Confidence Educators—Educators address goal of improving vaccine confidence among residents and staff at Department of Homeless Services congregate facilities.

•     Expanded Access to Care—Funds FQHCs to increase access to primary care services and COVID-19 vaccinations in communities with less healthcare infrastructure. 

•     Community Health Worker Training and Apprenticeship—Vaccine for All Corps members will be trained in a partnership with CUNY, Department of Small Business Services and multiple community-based organizations to become CHWs.

•     Assisting Patients to Meet Health Goals—Over 200 CHWs will be based in NYC Health + Hospitals out-patient clinical sites to provide quality healthcare for patients – care that will extend into NYC communities to address patients’ social needs, like food, income, housing, that are essential to achieving health and well-being.

 

Individuals will be placed across community-based organizations, FQHCs, the Health Department and NYC Health + Hospitals. The initiatives will be supported by over 500 CHWs by December. Staff will serve 20 priority neighborhoods, and some will have borough-wide and city-wide focus. $235 million will support PHC activities, including a two-year $35 million grant from the CDC.

 

Assemblywoman Nathalia Fernandez Sponsors Green Day on Pelham Parkway

 

On Saturday Assemblywoman Nathalia Fernandez joined volunteers on Pelham Parkway for a Green Day Clean Up of the area by Wallace Avenue. The assemblywoman first toured the area, met with volunteers from Einstein College of Medicine, and presented the head of the Friends of Pelham Parkway a proclamation for her work in the area. 

An area of the Pelham Parkway North Island where there is a flower garden and lush trees around it. 

Assemblywoman Fernandez reads the Bulletin Board by the rose garden on the Wallace Avenue Walkway.

Assemblywoman Fernandez speaks with one of the regulars of this area. 

Assemblywoman Fernandez has the grippers in her hands, which are used to pick up any garbage or trash that may wind up on the grass or walkway. The volunteers from Einstein College of Medicine are ready to go.

The proclamation from Assemblywoman Fernandez is given to the head of the Friends of Pelham Parkway.

DEC’S ‘I FISH NY’ TO HOST ANNUAL FALL FAMILY FISHING FESTIVAL OCT. 16 AT HEMPSTEAD LAKE STATE PARK

Free Fishing, Rods and Bait, Live Animal Show, Contests, and Activities for Children at Annual Long Island Event

 The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s (DEC) I FISH NY Program and Freshwater Fisheries Unit and the State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (State Parks) today announced the annual Fall Family Fishing and Children's Festival at Hempstead Lake State Park will be held Saturday, Oct. 16, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

"The Fall Family Fishing and Children's Festival is one of our most popular events because it’s a great way to enjoy the autumn weather and learn about the fun of freshwater fishing," DEC Acting Regional Director Merlange Genece said. “The festival combines fishing with a variety of children's activities, and provides a rewarding family experience.” 

“Hempstead Lake State Park is proud to host the annual Fall Family Fishing Festival,” said State Parks Long Island Regional Director George Gorman. “With an abundance of activities to explore throughout the day, the festival provides a great introduction for both children and families to learn and experience all that fishing has to offer.” 

Festival activities include fishing with free loaner rods and bait, fishing instruction, casting instruction, and fish-cleaning services. In addition to fishing opportunities, there will be a children’s casting for pumpkins contest, live animal show, magician, pumpkin decorating, fish printing, and children’s slide, in addition to DEC and State Parks displays.  

The fishing license requirement for all anglers over the age of 16 is suspended for this festival, and admission and parking are free. 

The children’s casting for pumpkins contest will be held for as long as pumpkins last, during which kids can “catch” a pumpkin and "hook" a prize. Casting contest prizes are provided by I FISH NY and State Parks. 

Prior to the festival, State Parks will stock South and McDonald ponds in Hempstead Lake State Park with brook and rainbow trout. DEC also stocks brown trout in several other waterbodies in Nassau and Suffolk counties, including Upper Twin Pond, Oyster Bay Mill Pond, Massapequa Reservoir, and 12 additional Suffolk County lakes. These stockings will occur by Oct. 30, and provide excellent prospects for fall fishing. A second DEC stocking will occur in early November. 

For more information about the festival, call DEC’s I FISH NY Program at (631) 444-0283 or Hempstead Lake State Park (516) 766-1029 for event status. There is no rain date for this event. 

For more information about the fall trout stocking program in Nassau and Suffolk counties, call the DEC Bureau of Fisheries at (631) 444-0280. General information on freshwater fishing on Long Island can be found at: http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/7951.html and more info at http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/fishing.html.  

What: 2021 Fall Family Fishing and Children’s Festival

Where: McDonald and South Ponds

Hempstead Lake State Park

West Hempstead, NY 11552

When: Saturday, Oct. 16, 2021

Time: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Who: New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (State Parks)

Details: Come out and enjoy a day of fishing with the entire family! Headlining the event is a children’s “Casting for Pumpkins” contest. In addition, more than 1,000 trout will be stocked prior to the event.

Cost: None - Free Event Admission, and Free Parking

Sponsors: DEC’s I FISH NY program and State Parks

Contact: DEC’s I FISH NY at (631) 444-0283 or ifishny@dec.ny.gov

Directions: Take exit 18 off Southern State Parkway. Follow the drive into the Hempstead Lake Park. Make your second right at the ticket booth. Make an immediate left after the booth, for Field #3. Follow to the end of the parking lot. Walk along the paved path to McDonald and South ponds. 

 

94 Days and Counting

 

I'm getting ready to root for the Brooklyn Nets as basketball season will begin before I leave office. I will have plenty of times to go to afternoon games, that is until I run for governor. This morning I was asked if New York needs another white governor by a pesky reporter. My answer was to rattle off a lot of problems in the city and state that I want to continue to work on to fix, and I will be involved in the political scene.

We have created the Public Health Corp to align community members to understand better what is going on in their communities. It is for COVID vaccinations and will change as other issues come about. The city will come out of this Pandemic, and the city come out better. 

Long Island Man Sentenced to 13 Years’ Imprisonment for Drug Trafficking and Firearms Offenses

 

Defendant Also Admitted to Distributing Fentanyl That Caused the Death of a Glen Cove Man in 2017

 Ira Hall was sentenced by United States District Judge Joanna Seybert to 13 years’ imprisonment for distributing cocaine and the unlawful use of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking in August 2017.  When Hall pleaded guilty in June 2021, he also admitted to distributing fentanyl that caused the death of a 27-year-old resident of Glen Cove, New York in May 2017. 

Jacquelyn M. Kasulis, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and William Whitton, Chief, Glen Cove Police Department, announced the sentence.

“Today’s sentence ensures that the defendant will serve a lengthy prison term for selling dangerous drugs while carrying a firearm, and also for callously causing the fentanyl overdose death of a resident of this district,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Kasulis.  “This Office, together with our federal and local partners, will continue to prosecute and hold accountable those who contribute to the opioid epidemic and overdose deaths in our communities.”  Ms. Kasulis thanked the Drug Enforcement Administration for its assistance on the case.

“This investigation and arrest is an example of the Glen Cove Police Department’s continuing commitment to combat the sale of illegal drugs and to identify and arrest those responsible for overdose deaths occurring in our community,” stated Glen Cove Chief Whitton.     

On May 30, 2017, Hall sold a quantity of fentanyl to a coconspirator who then provided the fentanyl to the victim, who suffered a fatal overdose.   In August 2017, while investigating the overdose death, detectives of the Glen Cove Police Department arrested Hall after he sold cocaine in a Taco Bell parking lot while carrying a loaded .38 caliber Smith & Wesson revolver.  A search warrant of Hall’s residence the following day led to the seizure of additional rounds of .38 caliber ammunition.