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Health hike
Alza en la salud

Health hike

Story and photos by Gregg McQueen

Casabe Houses is host to many community activities.
Casabe Houses is host to many community activities.

Drastic.

Those are the kinds of changes some advocates are claiming are needed to better the health outcomes of uptown residents.

Kathleen Sebelius, former Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, recently visited East Harlem for a panel discussion with Clyde Williams, a Congressional candidate for the 13th District, and Dr. Prabhjot Singh, Director of the Arnhold Global Health Institute at Mount Sinai Hospital.
The group discussed President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, and how it impacts urban communities.

Held at senior center Casabe Houses for the Elderly on Wed., Feb. 17th, the event was arranged by Williams, who seeks to replace Congressman Charles Rangel and served as a former Democratic National Committee Political Director and policy advisor to President Bill Clinton.

Williams and Singh are both Harlem residents.

Sebelius told attendees that she was delighted to be back in the neighborhood, as the nearby Boriken Neighborhood Health Center was one of the first clinics she visited as Health Secretary.

The panel discussion was held in East Harlem. From left: Dr. Prabhjot Singh, Director of the Arnhold Global Health Institute at Mount Sinai Hospital; Clyde Williams, a Congressional candidate for the 13th District; and Kathleen Sebelius, former Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
The panel discussion was held in East Harlem. From left: Dr. Prabhjot Singh, Director of the Arnhold Global Health Institute at Mount Sinai Hospital; Clyde Williams, a Congressional candidate for the 13th District; and
Kathleen Sebelius, former Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

She dismissed talk by Republican detractors that Obamacare is “falling apart” and does not work.

“That is not true,” Sebelius stated. “The fact is that 18 million Americans have health insurance now that didn’t have it before, the largest increase in healthcare coverage that we’ve ever seen.”

Singh added that Obamacare has made healthcare more readily accessible in community clinics and health centers, and more interactive with community-based organizations and social services agencies.

“It’s brought about a wave of change that has allowed doctors to think of not just that individual in front of them, but to look at the entire community,” he remarked. “It’s shifting care out of hospitals and into the neighborhoods where it belongs.”

Sebelius said it was important to expand access to affordable care to those who previously had no coverage because of their job or medical condition.

“We also need to lower the overall cost, but by improving the care system, not by cutting off benefits,” said Sebelius.

Singh said that better preventative care and population health would be an increased focus for physicians in the community.

“If we’re being paid to keep people healthy, instead of taking care of your when you’re sick, that is preferable,” said Singh.

The Arnhold Global Health Institute is based at Mount Sinai Hospital.
The Arnhold Global Health Institute is based at Mount Sinai Hospital.

“We need to come up with ways to bring health services to people who need it,” stated Williams. “In this district, 30 percent of people live at poverty level or below; in East Harlem, it’s 37 percent. We need to make certain we do something drastic to change that dynamic for generations to come.”

In low-income neighborhoods, it is vital to focus on prevention, said Sebelius, who stressed that efforts must be made to keep kids from smoking and eating unhealthy food.

Williams lamented the lack of healthy, affordable food options in Northern Manhattan, saying that many people from the community have complained to him about the difficulty in purchasing nutritious things to eat.

“You’ve got Associated in Washington Heights under attack, Pathmark up the street has closed,” remarked Williams.

While Singh acknowledged that healthy food is scarce, he said positive changes were on the way.

“We see Pathmark closing,” noted Singh. “But a Whole Foods is about to open in Harlem.”

 

Alza en la salud

Historia y fotos por Gregg McQueen

Drástico.

Esos son los tipos de cambios que algunos defensores están reclamando son necesarios para mejorar los resultados de salud de los residentes norte del condado.

Kathleen Sebelius, ex secretaria del Departamento de Salud y Servicios Humanos de Estados Unidos, visitó recientemente East Harlem para una mesa redonda con Clyde Williams, candidato del Congreso para el Distrito 13, y el Dr. Prabhjot Singh, director del Instituto Arnhold de Salud Global del Hospital Mount Sinai.

El grupo discutió la Ley de Salud de Cuidado Asequible del presidente Barack Obama, también conocida como Obamacare, y cómo afecta a las comunidades urbanas.

Celebrado en el Centro para Personas Mayores Casas Casabe el miércoles 17 de febrero, el evento fue organizado por Williams, quien busca reemplazar al congresista Charles Rangel y se desempeñó como ex asesor político del presidente Bill Clinton y director político del Comité Nacional Demócrata.

Williams y Singh son ambos residentes de Harlem.

Sebelius dijo a los asistentes que estaba encantada de estar de nuevo en el barrio, ya que el cercano Centro de Salud Boriken del Barrio fue una de las primeras clínicas que visitó como Secretaria de Salud.

Habló de los detractores republicanos que señalan que Obamacare se está “cayendo a pedazos” y no funciona.

The Arnhold Global Health Institute is based at Mount Sinai Hospital.
El Instituto Arnhold de Salud Global está basado en el Hospital Mount Sinai.

“Eso no es cierto”, dijo Sebelius. “El hecho es que 18 millones de estadounidenses que no tenían seguro de salud ahora lo tienen, el mayor incremento en la cobertura de atención médica que hemos visto nunca”.

Singh agregó que Obamacare ha hecho más accesible el cuidado de la salud en clínicas comunitarias y centros de salud, y más interactivo con las organizaciones comunitarias y las agencias de servicios sociales.

“Se produjo una ola de cambio que ha permitido a los médicos pensar no sólo en el individuo frente a ellos, sino en toda la comunidad”, destacó. “Está cambiando la atención fuera de los hospitales y en los barrios, a donde pertenece”.

Sebelius dijo que era importante ampliar el acceso a un cuidado asequible de la salud a los que antes no tenían cobertura debido a su trabajo o condición médica.

“También tenemos que reducir el costo global, pero mejorando el sistema de atención, no cortando los beneficios”, dijo.

Singh señaló que una mejor atención preventiva y de la salud de la población sería un más amplio enfoque de los médicos en la comunidad.

“Si se les paga para mantener a la gente sana, en lugar de tomar cuidarla cuando esté enferma, es preferible”, dijo Singh.

“Tenemos que encontrar maneras de llevar los servicios de salud a las personas que los necesitan”, declaró Williams. “En este distrito, el 30 por ciento de las personas viven en o por debajo del nivel de pobreza; en East Harlem, es el 37 por ciento Tenemos que asegurarnos de hacer algo drástico para cambiar esa dinámica para las generaciones futuras”.

The panel discussion was held in East Harlem. From left: Dr. Prabhjot Singh, Director of the Arnhold Global Health Institute at Mount Sinai Hospital; Clyde Williams, a Congressional candidate for the 13th District; and Kathleen Sebelius, former Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
La mesa redonda se celebró en el Este de Harlem. De izquierda a derecha: el Dr. Prabhjot Singh, director del Instituto Arnhold de Salud Global del Hospital Mount Sinai; Clyde Williams, el candidato del Congreso para el Distrito 13; y Kathleen Sebelius, ex secretaria del Departamento de Salud y Servicios Humanos de Estados Unidos.Kathleen Sebelius, former Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

En los barrios de bajos ingresos es fundamental centrarse en la prevención, dijo Sebelius, quien hizo hincapié en que se deben hacer esfuerzos para evitar que los niños fumen y coman alimentos poco saludables.

Williams lamentó la falta de opciones de alimentos saludables y asequibles en el norte de Manhattan, diciendo que muchas personas de la comunidad se han quejado con él acerca de la dificultad para comprar comida nutritiva.

“Tienes asociados en Washington Heights bajo ataque, Pathmark cerró”, comentó Williams.

Si bien Singh reconoció que la alimentación sana es escasa, dijo que los cambios positivos están por llegar.

“Vemos que Pathmark cerró”, señaló Singh. “Pero un Whole Foods está a punto de abrir en Harlem”.

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