Kings County Sets Up Grief Counseling Hotline for Haitian New Yorkers
Jan 25, 2010
Kings County Hospital Center, a member facility of NYC Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC), has responded with urgency to the January 12th earthquake in Haiti. On January 13th, HHC President Alan Aviles appointed Antonio D. Martin, Senior Vice President of the Central Brooklyn Family Health Network, to be the Coordinator for HHC’s corporate-wide initiative. This network includes Kings County Hospital Center, lead facility, which is located in the heart of NYC’s Haitian Diaspora in East Flatbush.
Kings County Hospital has launched a basic three-pronged approach to its Haiti relief efforts:
- Provide grief counseling and mental health services with a special 24/7 Hotline number: (718) 245-2314.
- Identify medical volunteers with emphasis on Creole speakers and specialties that are vital for treating earthquake survivors. Some KCHC doctors have traveled to Haiti on their own, however, teams will be deployed when requested by the federal government.
- Aggressively raise funds to assist the Haitian people, with donations being directed to the “HHC Foundation – Haiti Relief Fund,” established specifically to supplement the efforts of credible agencies working in Haiti for medical and humanitarian support.
Donations can be made online at: www.thefundforhhc.org, or mailed to:
The HHC Foundation of NYC – Haiti Relief Fund
160 Water St., Suite 1129
New York, NY 10038
With many of its own staff impacted directly and indirectly by the tragedy in Haiti, Kings County Hospital has devoted special attention to offering staff support, as well as patient support groups and counseling. Senior Vice President Antonio D. Martin and his staff are collaborating with community organizations, churches, elected officials, and the Mayor’s Office to coordinate strategies for Haiti’s recovery and give support to the Haitian community.
The New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC) is a $6.3 billion integrated healthcare delivery system and the largest municipal healthcare organization in the country. HHC serves 1.3 million New Yorkers every year and nearly 450,000 are uninsured. HHC provides medical, mental health and substance abuse services through its 11 acute care hospitals, four skilled nursing facilities, six large diagnostic and treatment centers and more than 80 community based clinics. HHC Health and Home Care also provides health services at home for New Yorkers. To learn more about HHC, visit www.nychhc.org/hhc.
Contact:
Ian Michaels (HHC) (212) 788-3339
About HHC
The New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC) is a $6.7 billion integrated healthcare delivery system with its own 420,000 member health plan, MetroPlusHealth, and is the largest municipal healthcare organization in the country. HHC serves 1.4 million New Yorkers every year and more than 475,000 are uninsured. HHC provides medical, mental health and substance abuse services through its 11 acute care hospitals, four skilled nursing facilities, six large diagnostic and treatment centers and more than 70 community based clinics. HHC Health and Home Care also provides in-home services for New Yorkers. HHC was the 2008 recipient of the National Quality Forum and The Joint Commission’s John M. Eisenberg Award for Innovation in Patient Safety and Quality. For more information, visit www.nychhc.org/hhc or find us on facebook.com/NYCHealthSystem or twitter.com/NYCHealthSystem.