Impact of NYC Mobile Health Center on residents of Wards Island

Senior Director of Business Development Melissa Hayes shared a story about the impact our NYC Mobile Health Center is making on residents of two facilities on Wards Island.

“Today, our NYC Mobile Health Center went to Wards Island to visit HELP USA Keener, a 300-bed men’s facility, and the Volunteers of America Schwartz Assessment Shelter, a 335-bed men’s facility. Words cannot express the abundance of gratitude we received from the staff. Many patients have a host of unmet chronic medical conditions. Many don’t have phones, they are scared to travel, and need chronic disease management and medications.

Mr. Jones from Wards Island shared, ‘Just speaking to a doctor will give our guys something to look forward to and some hope… We are calling EMS for patient complaints that can be met by your team; back pain, medications running low, high blood pressure, foot pain… EMS cannot keep up with the abundance of calls coming from our site, and furthermore, aren’t as responsive as they once were.’

I held a strategy discussion around increasing access to care at both facilities. Continuing our presence would help, and I requested that we increase our visits to twice weekly. NYU Langone continues to be their onsite provider, but the facilities continue to struggle with managing the needs of 600 residents, given the hours of operation.

Speaking with Mr. Jones touched my heart and served as a testament to our cause. We are truly adding value to our communities during this time and must keep going. Our communities need us, and the state needs us.”

—Melissa Hayes, Senior Director-Business Development