Community Medicine

Community Medicine Month Goals and Objectives

1.  Increase your understanding of our patients in the context of their community

a.     Participate in guided explorations through the neighborhood surrounding our health center to learn its history and identify its resources

b.     Learn how to access community resources and social services for our patients

c.      Increase your understanding about how social determinants of health and health disparities impact our population

d.     Participate in community outreach activities

2.  Increase your understanding of our community’s Dominican heritage through an immersion trip

a.     Learn about the Dominican health system through visits to primary care ambulatory clinics as well as hospitals, visits with Family Medicine residency programs, and participation in community health programs

b.     Develop a greater understanding of how our patients interface with the healthcare system in both countries as an immigrant and air-bridge population

c.      Gain a greater understanding of the country’s history and culture through visits to museums and cultural sites, as well as participation in a Book Club and a PhotoVoice project

3.  Improve your Spanish Language Fluency

a.     Formal classes with Miguel Shane

b.     Clinical tutoring with Ana Esteban

c.      DR Immersion Instruction with Mary Claire Abbot

d.     Other conversational activities during the month

4.  Finalize your Research Question for your R3P Project

The Health Sciences Library is a great resource: https://library.cumc.columbia.edu/navigate-knowledge-center gives you general info and https://library.cumc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/page/Resources%20%20Tutorials%20for%20Public%20Health%20Students_1.pdf is a listing of resources for public health type research

The Irving Institute of CUMC has space you can use for focus groups and they will check your research documents for appropriate reading level:  http://irvinginstitute.columbia.edu/resources/ccph.html 

The Robert Graham Center of the AAFP has maps and tools to support family medicine research:  https://www.graham-center.org/rgc/maps-data-tools.html 

2017 Intern Slice Deck  A slide deck from last years group that highlights the activities of their month. 

The following is a list and brief description of the available community resources for patients (and residents) in need:

1.  Community League of the Heights

Created by parents who wanted a better neighborhood for their children. They began focusing on education and created the Community Health Academy for the Heights – a middle and high school. The school started in the detention center, but now has moved to a large building with up-to-date features, afterschool programs, and music/art. Funding is mix of NYC DYCD (Afterschool); city, state and federal government (Housing), private and fundraised monies.

Services Provided:

• Community Health Academy of the Heights : http://www.chah.nyc/

• 3-6pm after school programming for students

• Suicide safety initiative

• Summer camp (want to increase to 7 weeks)

• Housing Connect liaison for subsidized housing

• HHA certification

• Food pantry

• Clinic

• 6-9pm community programming

• Zumba, yoga

• Adult Education and Job readiness- various programs like learning English, Adult basic education, High school equivalency and Basic computer skills. Job readiness program helps in interview preparation, resume writing, job search, activities, improve communication and computer skills etc

Good for patients who:

• Are looking for a school for their children in the neighborhood (no admission criteria for middle school, high schoolers apply)

• Need access to food

• Are homeless or in need of housing

• Desire for Adult Education

• Want Exercise

  Collaboration possibilities for residents:

• Provide mentors for students

• Tour of NYP to learn about job opportunities (6th-grade tour exists)

• Identify liaison within NYP

2. Columbia Community Partnership for Health (Irving Institute for Clinical and Translational Research at Columbia University Medical Center) http://irvinginstitute.columbia.edu/resources/cecr.html 

• Operates with the Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) from NIH, with support from Irving, as an intellectual home for investigators at Columbia. The focus is to transform how clinical and translational research is conducted  - enabling medical investigators to develop new treatments faster and more effectively. Provides support and resources to Columbia researchers with biomedical informatics services, biostatistics and research design, data management, community engagement, regulatory and bioethics support, clinical research facilities, pilot funding programs, access to the CTSA Trial Innovation Network, and core laboratory resources.  Irving Institute houses an integrated educational program that includes short-term training, a patient-oriented master’s degree, a novel KL2 mentored research program in multi- and interdisciplinary research, and a TL1 training program with three distinct tracks for doctoral students, postdoctoral fellows, and a 12-week summer program. In addition, the Irving Institute hosts several ongoing seminar series, research events, and special symposia. In its current CTSA grant funding cycle and in synergy with a major Columbia University initiative in precision medicine, the Irving Institute initiated multiple new programs in precision medicine including education, training, and fellowships, an institutional biorepository, biomedical informatics, translational therapeutics, and community precision health.  

Services provided (see hyperlinks above):

• information-based referrals to community resources  

• laptops 

• health education 

• rooms for interviews with two-way mirror, partitioned room 

• Biostat education

• writing consents for research projects (English only)

• keeps registry of folks interested in research (no eligibility screening) CECR

• study promotion

  For residents: 

• Create consents at appropriate age-level - request through RASCAL

• Promote your study

• utilize 'exam room' for studies involving patients

• find out about community resources for help with research 

• reach out to and collaborate with other researchers

• learn more about research, including biostats, design, community engagement, pilot funding, etc.

3. Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation- http://www.nmic.org/ 

NMIC’s primary community hub offering our full array of integrated services.

 Court Office

111 Centre Street, Rm 323, NY, NY 10013

Telephone: 212-566-0900

NMIC’s Manhattan Housing Court office offers emergency EVICTION PREVENTION legal services.

Bronx Office

Address: 8 Clinton Place, Bronx, NY 10453

Telephone: 347-269-5186

Reception Hours: 9am to 5pm

Programs: NMIC’s Bronx satellite office offering our housing and immigration legal services and our health insurance navigation services

Health Office

Address: 2183 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10032

Telephone: 212-543-0260

Reception Hours: None, if you have immediate questions for this program please call our main office at 212-822-8300

Programs: NMIC’s community health office serves as the base for our community health services in partnership with neighboring NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital.

 About: Mission to serve as catalyst for positive change in community. Staff of 100 professionals who identify and address needs, including legal services, social services, weatherization programs, community organization to secure long term and large scale improvements to basic needs, education and career services. Focus on Northern Manhattan and South/West Bronx. Serve about 14,000 clients/year. Currently addressing gentrification, as well as citizenship needs, legal services, and adult education. Patients can walk in and they will be directed to various departments as appropriate

Services provided: 

• Weatherization as major capital improvement

• Legal services in housing and eviction cases

• Education and career services

• Citizenship and DACA applications

• Community Organizing - helps to organize tenant associations

• Classes - ESL 

Good for patients who:

• Are undocumented and need support

• Are new immigrants or applying for immigration status change, need citizenship, green card, or DACA applications

• Dreamers 

• Are at risk of losing their housing, facing eviction, require housing

• require legal / lawyer services

• Want ESL services

Collaboration possibilities for residents:

• Assist undocumented patients with medical education and support 

4) ARC Senior Center - https://www.nycservice.org/organizations/351 

10/17/2017: This place is run by Diana, Nally, Rafaela, Fern. We met with Nally Martinez, the Activity's Coordinator. She informed us of the center's struggle with real estate developers who have purchased the space in the wake of an expired lease (4-year). The center is fighting to stay in its space as long as possible as it does not have a viable alternative at the moment.

About: The Center offers a wide selection of activities each week, including art and cultural activites, trips, health management, promotion, and education, walking and physical fitness, education and computer classes. There is also a chorus, dance, and daily cooked meals serving 100+ seniors daily. They also offer social services with case workers. Their staff also helps seniors, and their families, receive assistance including benefits, entitlements and counseling. This site also offers transportation services to malls and shopping. Budget from NYC Government

Services provided: Eligibility: 60 years of age and older

• Birthday parties once monthly

• Yoga, Tai Chi, Dance, Bingo (Pokeno), Dominoes

• Computer Classes

• Social Work upstairs - help with benefits, entitlements, counseling

• Twice annual fundraising dance 

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

• Buses to pick up around the neighborhood ($5)

• Transportation: Arrange at time of registration (9-1 or 9-3), will also transport to Doctors' appointments 

Good for patients who:

• Are seniors and looking for community

• love BINGO!

• enjoy dancing

• are food insecure and would benefit from cooked meals

• would benefit from intermittent BP screening and interventions at the center 

• need transportation to shopping 

Collaboration possibilities for residents: 

• Refer from clinic for seniors so that it isn't purely word-of-mouth 

• Provide medical education workshops 

• Provide nutrition workshops for members

• Set up delivery of monthly newsletter at Farrell and display in waiting room

5. Dominican Women's Development Center - https://www.dwdc.org

About: The Mission of DWDC is to empower all women and communities to advance gender equality and social justice. It was started when women in the neighborhood attempted to join local organizations, but could not find a home; so they developed their own support network. Now, with a budget of about $4million, they reach 12,000 people per year. Provide home visit services about parenting, healthcare, community resources, early head start planning, dual-language full day program for children with licensed child care center for 110 kids ages 2-5. They also provide support for women in DV situations with support groups, safehouse, individual counseling, Nuevo Amanecer advocates for court appearances, police visits, hospital and housing centers. 

Services Provided:

• WIN for asthma and diabetes

• Healthy families - @ 220 Wadsworth Avenue, suite 103; NY, NY 10033. Tel 917-259-6501 

• Early head start:  212-994-6060 

• REACH collaborative

• Leadership councils and advisory

• English as a second language classes

• Basic Education in the Native language

• GED Preparation

• The Citizenship Assistance Program

• Organizing of International Dominican Women’s Writers Book Fair

• condom distribution and education 

• Mama Tingo child care and education - 2340-46 Amsterdam Avenue; NY, NY: 212-421-3966 

• Domestic violence advocacy and support: for patients requiring immediate, private counseling: 212-568-6616 

Good for patients who:

• Are dealing with IPV or DV

• Are in need of housing 

• Are undocumented

• Are facing housing discrimination

• Are pregnant, new parents, need parenting support

• Need education that can’t be provided in 15min visit – e.g. condom education, STI risk prevention, DV screening and management, breastfeeding support

• Require education at any level (SAT prep, ESL, FAFSA assistance, conversation, job prep)

• need to apply for insurance, medicaid 

Collaboration possibilities for residents:

• Health education classes at their center

Links for Community Resources

http://uptowncollective.com/ great website with lots of local info, events + activism

http://www.manhattantimesnews.com/about-us/ local newspaper

Articles in newspapers and magazines about the neighborhood in general:

• 1. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/10/06/nyregion/saturday-night.html this is recent, about Dominican dance clubs and culture in WH/I

  2. https://www.nytimes.com/video/realestate/100000003680197/block-by-block-inwood.html from the real estate section, but a little video about the area

  3. https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/walking-heights with the author of Crossing Broadway, a recent book about the area

  4. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/aug/29/new-york-city-affordable-inwood-washington-heights-housing Gentrification in the area

  5. https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1E5B7AK671uVwVbJU-DqF_KFq7w8&ll=40.836603979707306%2C-73.91792388033446&z=13 is a resource map put together by the CUCM Int Medicine program, btw, their general website has helpful referral info http://medicineclinic.org/, you can also access the community resource map there

Audubon Mural Project

• http://www.audubon.org/amp

• https://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/17/nyregion/audubon-mural-project-brings-5-story-flock-to-uptown-manhattan.html

• http://uptowncollective.com/2017/06/09/uptown-video-the-audubon-mural-project/

Bookstores

• http://www.sistersuptownbookstore.com/

• https://wordupbooks.wordpress.com/

• http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/07/nyregion/in-washington-heights-a-bookstore-that-knows-how-to-make-the-show-go-on.html

History

• http://www.morrisjumel.org/

• https://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/22/theater/walking-the-walk-in-hamiltons-old-stomping-grounds.html For Hamilton fans

• http://hispanicsociety.org/about-us/history/audubon-terrace/ Audubon Terrace, unfortunately the museum is closed for renovation this year

• https://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/08/nyregion/the-trinity-church-cemetery-in-washington-heights-holds-plenty-of-history.html Trinity Church Cemetery

• http://forgotten-ny.com/2012/02/trinity-cemetery-uptown/

Community Information Links:

1. NYC DOH Community Health Profile  NYCDOH CHP.pdf    https://www1.nyc.gov/site/doh/data/data-publications/profiles.page

2. http://uptowncollective.com/ great website with lots of local info, events + activism

3. http://www.manhattantimesnews.com/about-us/ local newspaper

4. https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1E5B7AK671uVwVbJU-DqF_KFq7w8&ll=40.8365927953939%2C-73.91792388033446&z=13 s a resource map put together by the NYP Int Medicine program, btw, their general website has helpful referral info http://medicineclinic.org/, you can also access the community resource map there

DR Haiti Relationship in video and podcasts: 

1. Black In Latin America (Episode 1) Haiti and The Dominican Republic- The Roots of Division, This is an hour long segment produced by Henry Louis Gates(which is part of a larger series  which reviews the DR/Haiti relationship.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fU3TWRKFtTA

2. Eighty Years After the Dominican Republic Massacred Haitians on the Border, a Survivor’s Account  by Marlon Bishop, this is a Latino USA podcast interview with a survivor of the massacre  http://latinousa.org/2017/10/05/eighty-years-dominican-republic-massacred-haitians-border-survivors-account/    

3. An Island Divided:  a podcast from PRI and Afopop on the DR and Haiti  https://www.acast.com/afropopworldwide/an-island-divided  

Sites for Health Data

http://www.sespasdigepi.gob.do/

http://new.paho.org/hq/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1

http://www.paho.org/English/sha/prfldor.htm