Kings County Hospital Center opens Cancer Center, 2010. Credit: NYC Health and Hospitals Corporation
Tomorrow and Thursday, you have your chance to hear about a Brooklyn Health Needs Assessment that analyzed opinions from more than 700 North and Central Brooklyn residents on their healthcare. Many people involved in this process are dedicated to getting the public’s point of view on what is needed in hospital and healthcare across Brooklyn and building a rational healthcare system. Is it possible? Let’s hope so.
Lately, enormous Brooklyn pride has not extended to healthcare. In fact, nearly a year ago, the New York Times reported that, according to a group appointed by Governor Cuomo, “the NYS Health Commissioner should be given sweeping new powers to replace the executives and board members of private hospitals. ” A lot has transpired since then, including the closure of Downstate’s Mental Health Hospital, departures of some executives, and tales of patients languishing in hospitals for extended periods. Hospital mergers are uncertain. Whether the scope of the city’s public hospital inpatient and outpatient programs will remain intact, become privatized, or what, worries public health advocates. How much does poverty in Brooklyn stress the system?
Judy Wessler, who is with the Commission for the Public’s Health System, which goes by the byline, “putting the public back into the public health system,” sent out news of the meeting, urging people to learn and suggest ways to reconfigure Brooklyn health care.
Brooklyn Health Needs Assessment Results
will be presented at two meetings:
In Downtown Brooklyn and Bed-Stuy.
Wednesday, October,24, 2012, at Brooklyn Borough Hall, 209 Joralemon Street, between 4 and 6 pm. That’s tomorrow, as I post now.
Thursday, Oct. 25, 2012 at the Bed-Stuy YMCA, 1121 Bedford Ave., between 5 and 7 pm.
If you use tumblr, I talk about it there too.
Have thoughts about changes that you’d like to see in Brooklyn? Share them here. Be sure to go to one of these meetings too.