Access Health NYC
CACF co-leads Access Health NYC, a City Council initiative which invests in community-based organizations providing culturally responsive and linguistically accessible health outreach and education services to hard-to-reach populations across the City. CACF brings the community-based organizations together to identify best practices and work to strengthen outreach and education strategies.
Access Health NYC is a city-wide initiative that funds community-based organizations (CBOs) to provide education, outreach, and assistance to all New Yorkers about how to access health care and coverage.
Access Health NYC builds capacity, amplifies existing community-based efforts, and supports CBOs in targeting individuals and families who are uninsured, have limited English proficiency, have disabilities, are LGBTQ, are formerly incarcerated and/or homeless, and other New Yorkers experiencing barriers to healthcare access/information about health coverage and options. Access Health NYC enhances the work of NY State-funded navigators by informing and linking hard-to-reach and underserved New Yorkers to coverage and existing free and low-cost health care options, and to provide consumer assistance.
By the numbers.
1,400+
Educational workshops, trainings, and outreach events conducted
339K
Individuals reached via social and ethnic media reader- and viewership
28K+
Individuals reached through trainings, workshops, and outreach events
1,500
Individuals helped through a consumer helpline
PROGRAM GOAL
Health care has always been complicated. Access Health NYC is an initiative that empowers reliable CBOs to provide culturally responsive and accurate information to ensure that all New Yorkers understand their rights to health care coverage and services.
Collaborative Partners
Health People
Henry Street Settlement
Japanese American Social Services, Inc.
Korean Community Services of Metropolitan New York
Make the Road New York
Mary Mitchell Family and Youth Center
Mekong NYC
New York Immigration Coalition
Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation
Polonians Organized to Minister to Our Community, Inc.
Public Health Solutions
Sapna NYC
South Asian Council for Social Services
Sunset Park Family Health Center at NYU Langone
United Cerebral Palsy of New York City
United Chinese Association of Brooklyn
Urban Health Plan, Inc.
Voces Latinas
Young Women’s Christian Association of Queens
Apicha Community Health Center
Arab-American Family Support Center
Bedford Stuyvesant Family Health Center
BOOM!Health
Callen-Lorde Community Health Center
Care for the Homeless
Charles B. Wang Community Health Center
Chinese-American Planning Council
Commission on the Public’s Health System
Community Healthcare Network
Community Health Center of Richmond
Community Service Society of New York
Council of Peoples Organization
Dominican Sunday
Elmy’s Special Services
Emerald Isle Immigration Center
Fort Greene Strategic Neighborhood Action Partnership
HANAC, Inc.
A Great Help
Chander is a 79-year-old South Asian immigrant who joined the senior program at South Asian Council for Social Services (SACSS) and became a volunteer at the food pantry. At SACSS she had the opportunity to listen to presentations from doctors on health issues related to seniors such as Alzheimer's and memory loss and falls prevention among others. SACSS has also been able to help Chander understand how her insurance works.
“The health outreach team at SACCS showed me the difference between the new and old Medicare cards. They are a great help for the older people, and I really appreciate them.”
—
Chandler, Client of South Asian Council for Social Services
Affecting Change
Mariam has been a client of Sapna NYC for about a year. She first started in Sapna’s English classes, and soon became a part of an action group on lead poisoning. As part of this action group, Mariam was tasked with learning about lead poisoning and how to become a leader in her community by conducting health outreach. Mariam worked in the group to create materials, distribute flyers, and conduct presentations on lead poisoning. Mariam also benefited personally from her work at Sapna NYC.
After learning that several common South Asian ingredients contain lead, Mariam went to her primary care physician to get tested for lead. Her doctor was reluctant since the tests were done mostly on children, but Mariam insisted on receiving the test and eventually found out her blood lead was elevated. She was also able to make changes at home to reduce both her risk and her son’s risk of lead poisoning, including reducing the use of certain ingredients in her cooking, and by calling 311 to have her landlord test for lead when she was moving.
—
Mariam, Client of Sapna NYC
Who to Contact
For more information on Access Health NYC, please contact Medha Ghosh, Senior Policy Coordinator for Health, at mghosh@cacf.org.