NEW YORK – The New York City Office of Labor Relations, under the Adams administration, today announced that it has deemed the Medicare Advantage contract registered, allowing implementation of the plan to move forward effective September 1st of this year. This step was taken after the two agencies informed the New York City Comptroller’s Office that they did not have any statutory basis for declining to register the contract, as required under the City Charter, and because failing to register the contract only increases confusion and misinformation among retirees regarding Medicare Advantage.
“As we’ve said repeatedly, this Medicare Advantage plan improves retirees’ current plans, including offering a lower deductible, a cap on out-of-pocket expenses, and new benefits, like transportation, fitness programs, and wellness incentives,” said New York City Mayor Eric Adams. “We are clearly within our authority under the charter to deem this contract registered, and we look forward to working with Aetna to ensure a smooth transition to the plan for our city’s eligible retirees and their dependents come September 1st.”
The city’s Aetna Medicare Advantage plan will provide a lower deductible for retirees than their current Senior Care plan. The plan also places a cap on out-of-pocket expenses and offers new benefits to retirees, including transportation to certain doctors’ appointments, fitness programs, and wellness incentives. Additionally, the plan significantly limits the number of procedures requiring prior authorization.
The city is working with Aetna to ease the transition to the new plan and answer any questions from eligible retirees. Aetna has built a custom website specifically for City of New York retirees. The website has resources for retirees to look up their doctor, find out detailed information about their plan, and register for online and in-person information sessions. Retirees can also contact Aetna’s dedicated call center at 855-648-0389 (TTY: 711), Monday to Friday, from 8:00 AM to 9:00 PM. Additionally, Aetna has held a series of in-person town hall meetings in the New York metro area and other states with high Medicare-eligible retiree populations to answer retirees’ questions and assist them with the transition.
NEW YORK—Mayor Eric Adams announced committing nearly $145 million in resources to support safety net hospitals, and allow NYC Health + Hospitals (H+H) and the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) to increase staffing and fight the Omicron surge. The City has added $33 million to the COVID-19 Hospital Loan Fund, for a total of $45 million, through a public-private partnership with Goldman Sachs that is accessible to safety net hospitals, the not-for-profit facilities that typically serve the most vulnerable New Yorkers and fall outside the H+H system. The administration is also directing $111 million towards expanding DOHMH and H+H staffing needs, as part of the administration’s COVID-19 response master plan.
“This is 2022, not 2020, and New Yorkers should be confident that we are stepping up the fight against the Omicron surge to keep them safe,” said Mayor Eric Adams. “This plan will ensure our frontline healthcare heroes have the resources they need to address staffing shortages, and continue providing top-quality care to every person who walks through their doors.”
“New Yorkers deserve world class health care no matter where they go for treatment. This loan program and additional funding for our City agencies will give hospitals across the five boroughs the resources they desperately need, better staff our City’s healthcare facilities, and ultimately save lives,” said Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Anne Williams-Isom. “We must support our City’s critical healthcare partners, especially those non-profit hospitals serving communities of color that have been suffering from decades of healthcare disparities. I am proud of the Adams Administration for taking bold action in our very first week to fight the Omicron variant and thank Mayor Adams for his leadership.”
“The additional COVID-19 funding secured by Mayor Adams will help us further secure necessary staff that will not only help care for New Yorkers during our Omicron surge, but also provide relief to our healthcare heroes who have been on the frontline of this pandemic for nearly two years,” said NYC Health + Hospitals President and CEO Mitchell Katz, MD. “Our public health system’s extraordinary COVID-19 response would not have been possible without the continued support and advocacy of our city-wide leaders and partners.”
“As cases and hospitalizations rise, we must do all we can to shore up our hospitals and COVID-19 response now,” said Health Commissioner Dr. Dave A Chokshi. “I thank Mayor Adams for his leadership and ongoing commitment to public health.”
“We are proud to continue to support they City’s efforts in combatting COVID-19, setting us up for a stronger recovery. This loan program is one more way we can make sure New York City’s public health apparatus remains strong through this challenging time,” said Rachel Loeb, President and CEO, NYCEDC.
“The NYC COVID-19 Hospital Loan Fund was one of our first investments as part of our One Million Black Women initiative, a $10 billion commitment to narrow opportunity gaps for Black women over the next decade,” said Margaret Anadu, Global Head of Sustainability and Impact for Goldman Sachs Asset Management. “We are proud to double down on this effort alongside Mayor Adams as COVID-19 continues to have a disproportionate impact on many of the Black communities served by these safety net hospitals. The Fund’s holistic approach will not only provide the resources to hospitals to hire additional healthcare professionals but will also support those essential workers with funding for desperately needed child care.”
“We appreciate Mayor Adam’s recognition that we are in this fight together, and that addressing the surge in every NYC neighborhood requires financial support for all of the safety net hospitals”, said LaRay Brown, CEO of One Brooklyn Health.
New York City’s public health and safety-net hospitals are in crisis. Nurses and healthcare professionals have been overworked and understaffed for nearly two years on the frontlines. Today’s announcement of additional funding is critical to supporting our healthcare workers and delivering the care that all our patients need. We applaud Mayor Adams for securing this critical funding to invest in the City’s staffing needs, support the current healthcare workforce, and support hospitals to safely provide care to all communities in NYC,” said NYSNA Executive Director Pat Kane, RN.
The City-negotiated COVID-19 Hospital Loan Fund provides loans to safety net hospitals needs by covering pandemic response costs while hospitals apply for FEMA reimbursements and has already funded over 2,400 safety net hospital staff members serving over 26,000 patients. The Fund was established by and will be operated by NYCEDC.
Resources totaling $111 million for DOHMH and H+H will ease staffing needs to increase temporary staff, including nursing, providers, and other clinical teams. This will ease staffing needs across the health system, specifically within the ICUs, med-surg units, emergency rooms, and skilled-nursing facilities.
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New York – New York City Mayor Eric Adams and NYC Health + Hospitals President and CEO Dr. Mitchell Katz today announced that more than 1,000 new union nurses have been hired over the past eight months at the city’s public hospital system, replacing many temporary nurses. This investment in the health system’s workforce ensures patients are served by permanent employees who are committed to the mission, come from the community, and have developed institutional knowledge. With these 1,000+ nurses, the NYC Health + Hospital system has more than 9,600 full-and part-time nurses across the system.
“Nurses stand on the frontlines of our health care system, and we were all witness to their heroic actions during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Mayor Adams. “They are often the first and last people you see when you visit a hospital or outpatient setting, and they are the backbone of our health care system. Our administration is proud of the progress we have made hiring, training, and retaining nurses, investing in our health care workforce and a healthier city. Our public hospitals are a great place to further your nursing career, and now is the time to join.”
“Nurses are a critical part of the care team,” said Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Anne Williams-Isom. “They are oftentimes the person with whom patients interact with most, offering a warm smile and a gentle touch, whether it is for general medication administration, specialty services in a specific unit, or so many other ways nurses serve on the frontlines. Thank you to all new nurses for joining ‘Team NYC’ and thank you to all the nurses that are with us throughout the NYC Health + Hospitals system.”
“Nurses are the heart of NYC Health + Hospitals, providing compassionate and skilled care to our patients every day,” said NYC Health + Hospitals President and CEO Katz, MD. “Through our targeted recruitment efforts, we have been able to attract and retain top talent in the field, ensuring that our patients receive the best possible care. The dedication, expertise, and empathy of our nursing team are the foundation of our success, and we are grateful for their tireless efforts.”
“It has been very gratifying to see the quality of nurses coming through our doors who want to dedicate their expertise and service to public health,” said Natalia Cineas, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, senior vice president and chief nurse executive, NYC Health + Hospitals. “Nurses are choosing to launch or continue their careers with NYC Health + Hospitals because we have such progressive, patient-centered care environments where nurses are active participants in decision making and care, and we offer many opportunities for growth.”
“NYC Health+Hospitals/Mayorals is showing that hospitals can hire and retain nurses when they are committed to safe staffing and pay equity,” said Alizia McMyers, RN, MSN, MHA, vice president, NYSNA NYC H+H/Mayorals Executive Council. “Since we were awarded better pay and staffing in our last union contract, city hospitals have been able to increase the pace of nurse hiring and reduce turnover and reliance on temporary staff. Nurses are proud to be part of the progress being made in the largest public health system in the country and proud to deliver quality care to all New Yorkers.”
The city’s public health system offers nurses an array of benefits, including a pension. New nurses can take advantage of the Nurse Residency Program, nursing fellowships, tuition reimbursement, loan forgiveness, and scholarship programs through NYC Health + Hospitals. Interested applicants can learn more by visiting the Nurses4NYC website and applying online.
Over the past two years, nursing teams across the city’s health system have received recognition for providing high quality care to New Yorkers. NYC Health + Hospitals/Queens, Kings County, and South Brooklyn Health all received the prestigious Pathway to Excellence designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, joining a select group of just 206 health care organizations worldwide to do so. Additionally, 17 units throughout the system have received the Beacon Award for Excellence from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses with eight of those units receiving Gold Beacon Awards.
Today’s announcement builds on the city’s work to retain and train nurses, including the city’s progress training 5,000 new nurses through the citywide Nurse Residency Program.
Nurses at NYC Health + Hospitals can participate in the following programs:
Nurse Residency Program
The year-long residency program provides newly-hired, first-time nurses with on-the-job training that focuses on topics, including ethics, decision making, clinical leadership, and the incorporation of research-based evidence into practice. The program also provides new nurses with support and mentorship proven to enhance nurse satisfaction, performance, and retention.
Critical Care Nursing Fellowship
Launched in 2024, NYC Health + Hospitals offers a Critical Care Nursing Fellowship to provide high-quality care to critically ill patients. This fellowship focuses on critical care within a selected range of specialties and includes simulation; didactic, on-site experiences; clinical rotations in emergency, post-anesthesia care, telemetry, and stepdown units; and interactive and personalized learning experiences.
Nursing Emergency Department Fellowship
The 22‐week Emergency Department Nursing Fellowship Program is for nurses with no prior emergency department clinical experience. The program builds on foundational nursing skills to further enhance the knowledge and skills of fellows to ensure they are equipped to deliver safe patient care in a fast‐paced emergency department.
NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Eric Adams, New York City Department for the Aging (NYC Aging) Commissioner Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez, and New York City Police Department (NYPD) Commissioner Keechant L. Sewell today marked World Elder Abuse Awareness Day by announcing that an older adult liaison has been designated to every police precinct in the city, as well as every police service area covering New York City Housing Authority developments in the five boroughs. The liaisons will be tasked with connecting victims with support services, educating the public on older adult programs available to them, and informing older New Yorkers on steps they can take to keep themselves safe.
“Sadly, one in 10 adults over age 60 suffers from abuse or neglect or is financially exploited, and, too often, these crimes can often go unreported. But we’re working to end that,” said Mayor Adams. “On World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, we are announcing our latest initiative to protect older New Yorkers: Designating an older adult liaison in every police precinct and service area citywide. These new liaisons will connect victims to support services and work closely with the elder community to identify and address their needs. Older New Yorkers should know that you are not alone, and you do not have to suffer in silence. Your city is here for you, and we will keep you safe. I want to thank NYC Aging Commissioner Cortés-Vázquez, NYPD Commissioner Sewell, and all our partners for their outstanding work in making this new position possible.”
“Establishing older adult liaisons at every police precinct across the five boroughs is yet another step toward making New York City the most age-inclusive city possible,” said Deputy Mayor of Health and Human Services Anne Williams-Isom. “With more than 1.6 million older adults across the city, this new partnership will connect law enforcement with older adult communities to ensure they have the knowledge, support, and connections they need to stay safe and continue thriving.”
“Over 6,000 police officers have gone through trainings to make sure they can identify elder abuse when they see it, and this announcement today is just another step that solidifies our shared commitment to supporting older New Yorkers,” said NYC Aging Commissioner Cortés-Vázquez. “These police liaisons will put a face to the resources and programs available to help keep residents safe. At the same time, we will be using data to identify what crimes against older New Yorkers are occurring and adjust our policies to act accordingly so these residents can continue living independently and safely.”
“Throughout the five boroughs, the women and men of the New York City Police Department are focused on ensuring that the promise we make to our older residents to maintain their safety and well-being is never broken by incidents of abuse, neglect, or exploitation,” said NYPD Commissioner Sewell. “And today, together with our government and community partners, we are reaffirming our commitment to preventing and ending elder abuse in all of its many forms.”
The idea of new older adult liaisons stemmed from discussions that took place within the “Cabinet for Older New Yorkers,” which Mayor Adams created last year. The NYPD and over 20 other city agencies are members of the Cabinet, and the interagency collaborative aims to realize and institutionalize an age-inclusive New York through structural and systematic solutions.
The older adult liaisons will:
Connect older adults to NYC Aging and other city programs and services that they can benefit from;
Review complaint reports made to the NYPD involving older adults to provide assistance and follow-up;
Educate older adults on the latest crime prevention tips; and
Attend precinct community council meetings to help keep the public informed.
Since last August, a similar pilot program has been taking place in NYPD Patrol Borough Manhattan North and in the 5th Police Precinct located in Chinatown, where there have been about 300 referrals a month to NYC Aging’s Elder Justice Program. While NYC Aging’s Elder Justice Program has received over 2,000 referrals throughout the city over the last year, studies still show cases of elder abuse are consistently underreported nationwide.
World Elder Abuse Awareness Day began 17 years ago by the United Nations’ World Health Organization to raise awareness about the abuse, neglect, and other crimes that older people across the globe face.
“Since it was launched on June 15, 2006, by the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse and the World Health Organization at the United Nations, World Elder Abuse Awareness Day has helped people throughout the world to understand elder abuse in all its forms, including but not limited to financial, physical and mental/emotional abuse,” said William Dionne, executive director, Carter Burden Network. “With awareness comes understanding and an ability to help elders who are either being abused or who are at risk for abuse. Because elder abuse is often hidden with abused elders reluctant to come forward due to fear of reprisals from their abuser or fear of getting their abuser in trouble or embarrassment at having been abused, an initiative like World Elder Abuse Awareness Day helps bring the abuse of elders to the forefront of the general public and thereby encourage outreach and events to reach those elders being abused so that they know they are not alone and that they can get help.”
“Neighborhood SHOPP marks World Elder Abuse Day with renewed commitment to protecting Older Adults,” said Katherine Martinez, president and CEO, Neighborhood Self Help by Older Persons Project (SHOPP). “SHOPP is dedicated to serving older adults and operating an Elder Justice program. This significant day serves as a reminder to raise awareness about the prevalence of elder abuse and reaffirm our commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of older adults in our community. As a leading nonprofit organization serving the Bronx for over 40 years, SHOPP strives to prevent and respond to elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation, advocating for the rights and dignity of older adults. With our comprehensive support services, community engagement, and collaborative efforts, we aim to create a safe and inclusive environment for older adults to thrive.”
“Older adults need compassion, empathy, and a special understanding of their needs, their concerns, their hopes and fears,” said Isabel Ching, LMSW, executive director, Hamilton-Madison House. “On this World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, we welcome that the NYPD, working with NYC Aging, will build that special understanding by assigning an older adult liaison in each precinct to support older New Yorkers. As a community-based organization serving more than 6,000 older New Yorkers a year, we welcome these liaisons who we can connect our clients to, should they need the help of law enforcement.”
On November 14, 2021, leading policy advocates, artists, and researchers from cultural organizations, healthcare centers, government, and the United Nations will convene at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York in a call to action to acknowledge and act on the evidence base for the health benefits of the arts.
The day-long Healing Arts Symposium, presented in partnership with the World Health Organization, and produced by CULTURUNNERS in partnership with the Creative Arts Therapies Consortium at NYU Steinhardt, the NeuroArts Blueprint, an initiative of the International Arts + Mind Lab at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and the Health, Medicine, and Society Program at The Aspen Institute, and the Open Mind Project positions the arts as necessary to physical, mental, and social health across the lifespan. The event will be live streamed.
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, commented about the symposium, “We are particularly pleased that Museums like The Met are rethinking their missions to see themselves not simply as repositories of valuable objects, but as centres of creative engagement with their communities in the pursuit of promoting the wellbeing, and health, of the public.”
The event will be centered around three themed panels exploring the intersection of research, cultural practice, and global policy in the arts and health. Opening remarks by Max Hollein, Marina Kellen French Director of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, and Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO Direct-General, will frame the panels which are being hosted by Heidi Holder, The Met’s newly appointed Frederick P. and Sandra P. Rose Chair of Education; Nisha Sajnani, Founding Director of Arts & Health @ NYU; and Susan Magsamen, Executive Director of the International Arts + Mind Lab. Participating artists include soprano and arts and health advocate Renée Fleming; American singer, actress, and founding member of Black Theatre United, Vanessa Williams; and Syrian-American artist and architect Mohamad Hafez. Also participating are Aduke Gomez, Chairperson for Art4Health in the Ministry for Health in Lagos, Nigeria; Patrick J. Kennedy, former congressman and mental health advocate; Sunil Iyengar, Director of the Office of Research & Analysis at the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA); and Emmeline Edwards, Director of the Division of Extramural Research of the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH).
Christopher Bailey, Arts & Health Lead, World Health Organization, comments, “With a growing body of evidence that embedding the arts into systems and places of healing can improve health outcomes, lower costs and support recovery from illness and injury, now is the time for a ‘healing arts revolution’ that improves the wellbeing of millions of people worldwide.”
The program will shine a special light on arts and health interventions on the ground, and highlight projects on the “frontline” of the pandemic where the crisis has exacerbated pre-existing threats to the environment, equity and access, economy, public health, political stability, and human rights.
The Healing Arts Symposium marks the culmination of Healing Arts New York, the last of a series of 2021 city activations, produced by CULTURUNNERS, to convene global arts and health researchers, practitioners, and policymakers. As the world emerges from the greatest health crisis in a generation, Healing Arts aims to affirm what artists have always known and research is now proving—that the arts can heal.
This program is made possible, in part, by donors to The Met’s Education Department in honor of the Museum’s 150th anniversary.
These events will be produced in accordance with institutional and City COVID-19 protocols to ensure the health and safety of presenters.
For the full Healing Arts New York program, visit our website.
Media contacts:
WHO: Christopher Bailey: baileych@who.int
CULTURUNNERS: Stephen Stapleton: stephen@culturunners.com
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York: Egle Zygas: egle.zygas@metmuseum.org
Deputy Mayor Anne Williams-Isom, Health and Human Services: Good afternoon. I’m Deputy Mayor Anne Williams-Isom, the deputy mayor for Health and Human Services, and welcome to this week’s Asylum Seeker Briefing. Joining me today is Commissioner Zach Iscol, the commissioner of New York City Emergency Management, and Dr. Ted Long, the senior vice president at New York City Health and Hospitals. New York City continues to respond to this humanitarian crisis, work with partners and call for additional resources, because we cannot continue handling this without more support. As a number of asylum seekers in our care surpasses 56,200 today, we are announcing a new Humanitarian Relief Center to serve adults seeking asylum.
In partnership with New York State, the city will soon construct and open a humanitarian relief center that will serve up to 1,000 adult men seeking shelter in the parking lot at Creedmor Psychiatric Center in Queens. We are very grateful to the state for its support in providing the space. We also are grateful for their commitment to reimburse the city for all costs of this site, including construction, maintenance and staffing. This is especially true as the city has already spent more than $1.5 billion on this crisis and expects to spend a total of $4.35 billion at the end of next June.
Construction will begin in the coming weeks and we hope to open the site shortly after that. This will allow for some relief and some space for children with families. I also want to provide an update on the 60 day policy for asylum seekers that we announced last week. This week, we began notices to adults in humanitarian relief centers and will continue to issue these notices on a rolling basis. Over the coming months, our trained caseworkers will work closely with people to help them move forward on their journey and to find a place to settle. Dr. Long will be able to provide more information about that when we take some questions.
As we have repeatedly said, of the more than 93,000 people who have come through our system, we know that roughly 37,000 people have moved on to their next step in the journey, whether that is here or across the country. We want to make sure that we are meeting those people where they are and helping people to settle in other places outside of the shelter system. Before I turn it over to Zach, to delve into the details of our new Humanitarian Relief Center, let me share some of the latest data. As of July 23rd, we have over 107,300 people who are in our care. This includes the over 56,200 asylum seeker. This is putting an enormous strain on the system. Since last spring, we have more than 93,200 people come through our system, seeking asylum.
We have now opened over 192 sites, including 13 humanitarian relief sites, and that doesn’t include the current facility at Creedmor that we just announced today, nor does it include the facility at Hall Street that will open next month as a humanitarian relief center. And last week from July 17th to July 23rd, we had 2,900 asylum seekers enter our system. As you can see, these numbers are high, they continue to be high week after week. We’re getting thousands of people who are coming to New York City and wanting shelter and seeking asylum. Let me now turn it over to Commissioner Zack to discuss a few of the details of the new relief space at Creedmor.
Commissioner Zach Iscol, New York City, Emergency Management: Thank you, Deputy Mayor Williams-Isom. Your efforts and dedicated leadership throughout this humanitarian crisis have been nothing short of exemplary. It’s through your leadership and the administration at large that we’ve been able to make this announcement today and get to where we are. This work has been amongst some of the most challenging I have certainly done in my life. Every day is a full on sprint as we look to place hundreds of people and find places for them every single day. And I will just say, I wish every New Yorker could be exposed to what it is like working for Deputy Mayor Williams-Isom behind the scenes. William Wallace has nothing on her when she is rallying the troops to the cause through her spirit and faith. And so it’s really been incredible working with you, so thank you.
I also share your deep concerns as the number of asylum seekers in New York City rises. They all seek refuge and a new start and it has been and continues to be our duty to assist. However, as we continue to make clear, this cannot just be a city issue, it’s a national issue and we’re using all available resources and we continue to call on the national government for support. To accommodate and support this growing number of individuals, we’re opening, opening our latest humanitarian emergency response and relief center, thanks to the cooperation from New York State. This center will provide not just a place to stay, but also critical services to support these individuals on their journey. At this center, we’re focusing on providing support to single adult men who are seeking asylum, who have recently arrived in New York City. It’s important to note that while this is a large scale effort, it’s also a deeply personal one.
Each person we’re helping is an individual with their own story and their own struggles. As we begin to prepare the site, we hope to have it operational as soon as early August, this site was selected after thoughtful consideration and close coordination with New York state officials. We evaluated multiple factors to make this decision, including minimizing disruption of existing services and programming, and being in the best condition to quickly provide the services needed. Upon completion, this center will have the capacity to serve about 1,000 asylum seekers, replicating the range of services we’ve been providing at our existing humanitarian relief centers.
This includes immediate access to medical aid, meals and help with reconnections. This facility will be climate controlled for comfort, the construction phase is projected to last a couple of weeks. Let me close by saying this New York City is doing everything in its power to provide supportive humanitarian services to these individuals during this challenging time, but we really cannot do this alone. This is a national issue that demands federal support. We are ready and hopeful for collaboration to ensure everyone gets the necessary support. Now I’ll turn it back over to our Deputy Mayor Williams-Isom. Thanks.
Deputy Mayor Williams-Isom: Thank you so much, commissioner. And you do make the point, I do try to lead with love and with faith and with determination and make tough decisions. And when this does get hard, I get my hope by spending time with the migrants. This morning I went to a site and I was able to see migrant children, I shouldn’t say migrant children, children running around with the library, very excited, picking out books. I saw volunteers of high school students here in New York City, who are volunteering at the site to make sure that people have the clothes that they need, the support that they need.
I saw people asking for legal services and I know, and I think that that’s what gives me hope, what we’re doing here in New York City is what we’ve always done. We’ve opened up our arms and we’re trying to do the best that we can. But I know that as we continue to get support from our federal delegation, which I am so grateful for, as we continue to work with our state partners, we can get through this, but we can’t get through it on our own. And I think that if we all rally together, if we all see what New York City is doing and replicate that, we can get through this crisis. With that, I’ll open it up for questions.
Question: Thank you. With the contract from the states, is this one that the state recently procured and is the state going to be taking care of everything when it comes to these shelters, including not only building it, but services, staff and so forth? And then one more question. There is a plan I’ve been hearing from your staff, to move migrants upstate. Just wondering how many migrants have been moved upstate? What does that program look like? How many spaces are available? Is that happening every week, every day? Just a little more details on that program.
Deputy Mayor Williams-Isom: Sure. With over 93,000 people coming to us thus far, we’ve always had a large plan about what are we going to do and how are we going to address each part of this? The state will be reimbursing us for this, so we will do it as we’ve done every other humanitarian relief center and they will reimburse us for the construction and for all the costs that are associated with that. The upstate plan is the plan that we announced a couple of months ago, maybe now. I remember when we had some executives here from upstate who have opened up their arms. And so we’re continuing to work with those that are willing, the best of the best us to move people upstate.
I think the number is maybe over 1,500 folks that are upstate right now, but I’ll make sure that we get that number for you. And that in the original plan that we did in March, called the Asylum Seeker Blueprint, the state said that they were going to work with us to relocate about 1,200 families. And so that work is continuing as we connect that to the legal clinic that we opened a couple of months ago to make sure that people are on their pathway to filling out their forms and so that they can get work authorization and then resettle children and families upstate. You’re welcome.
Question: Do you guys have any numbers as far as the 60 day notices to those who have been longest in shelter? I don’t know if you have any numbers as to how many have been given notice and how many have left the system. Or if you don’t have numbers, even just generally speaking, what that experience has been like?
Deputy Mayor Williams-Isom: Dr. Long?
Dr. Ted Long, Senior Vice President, Ambulatory Care and Population Health, NYC Health + Hospitals: Yeah, in terms of the specific numbers, we’ve delivered over 100 notices at this point. And just to take a step back, I want to emphasize about the 60 day notices, that our focus and opportunity here is the case management part of all of this, or in other words, how we can help you with where you are now. As the deputy mayor said, we’ve now taken care of more than 93,000 asylum seekers in New York City. Among those 93,000, with our help, around 40 percent have been able to take the next step forward in their journey and exit our city system. So we know what to do, we know how to be effective and we’re applying those principles through case management in every discussion we’re having now. But one of the things we’re realizing is that when we’re starting to have these discussions around the notices, people are not surprised.
In fact, they’re coming to us with questions, things they need help with, which is what we welcome. For example, we’re hearing from asylum seekers that we’ve given notices to, that they need help getting IDs, they need help navigating how to travel. They need help even with specific types of legal services. When we hear all of that feedback from them, we can immediately put plans in place to meet them where they are and give them the specific help that they need so they can take the next step forward in their journey. So as we go forward with our case management, the opportunity is for us to learn at this stage of the asylum seeker crisis, what exactly people’s needs are, which we’re doing right now, and we’ll meet those needs to be as effective as we can be.
Deputy Mayor Williams-Isom: Hi Liz.
Question: I wanted to ask you about a story that my colleagues published last night, also the city has done some coverage on deteriorating conditions at some of the shelters with respect to spoiled food, lack of sufficient showers, lack of air conditioning. What is the city doing to address that? Is that part of the reason that we’re seeing the city asking for bids to bring in contractors?
Deputy Mayor Williams-Isom: The way that I would answer that is it is something that we are very concerned about because the system is under an enormous amount of strain. When you think about really doubling the amount of people who are in our care from when we first got here, that’s about space, it’s about personnel and people and it’s about resources. And so I think that we are so proud that we have not had anybody sleeping on the street. But I think that you’re right that there are places where we’re like, “We got to make sure that we get the showers working. We got to make sure that we have the food the way it needs to be. We’ve got to make sure that people are getting the basic, that we want to make sure.”
I think that’s why we need help. I think that’s why we keep on saying, “We’re out of space. We need support, we need more places.” 192 sites, Liz. There’s going to be places where it’s like, “What’s going on this evening?” Commissioner Zack can speak to that because they’re really overseeing some of those emergency respite centers. But I think this is why we really feel like it’s a national issue that needs some national support so that we can really have people in the places that they need to be. Nobody wants to be in a hotel.
Question: What have your conversations with federal officials been like? Do you talk to them weekly? Are you moving forward towards a new policy idea, towards more aid?
Deputy Mayor Williams-Isom: Yeah, we always have new policy ideas. I say to people, we’ve been planning from day one and we continue to plan. We’ve had some great meetings with our federal delegation. They’ve come and they’ve visited and they’ve seen the amazing work that’s going on at the Roosevelt. I say amazing, but it’s bittersweet when you walk in there and you see the hundreds of people who are waiting on chairs and the hundreds of people that come every day. I think some are seeing something they didn’t realize. They thought that things since things were slowing down at the border, that they’ve slowed down in New York City and that is just not the experience.
So I think the more people see it and feel it, we see other people in this nation who are not treating migrants well. I want people to see how well New York City is treating migrants, but that we need help because we cannot do this on our own. And that we really think a decompression strategy, allowing people to work would really help us and give some relief to these folks who have come here for the American dream.
Commissioner Iscol: Just to your question and just piggybacking off what deputy mayor said, emergency management 101, the local jurisdiction is supposed to be able to turn to the state and the federal government for support when they have run the course, when they’ve run out of resources, the ability to handle the emergency. We’ve long passed that. And so these issues that we’re facing, this is really because like we are at capacity.
We’ve been saying this now for weeks, if not months, if not longer. The last time the US had a migration crisis of this magnitude, one of them was the Mariel boat lift for Cuban refugees. That was a federally declared disaster. The numbers that we’re seeing in New York City are on par with the numbers of Cuban exiles and refugees that were coming into Florida. And President Carter acted, that lasted months, but the city has taken on something of that magnitude largely on its own.
Question: On the question of moving more asylum seekers upstate, I know that a lot of counties and localities have moved to stop that from happening and there’s litigation in the works. Have any additional counties or localities done the opposite and said, “We want to help?” Have there been conversations with the governor about facilitating more of that?
Deputy Mayor Williams-Isom: I would say yes and yes. And I think as we continue to plan, as I mentioned the resettlement program that the state has agreed to, there are definitely counties that have said, “We want more information, we want to be able to work with you.” And so we’re working with them in order to get that done. I can give you that information after this, but I think that’s what I just want to focus on. There’s many people who say no, but there’s many more people who are saying yes and who see that this is an issue and want to stand out.
Question: Commissioner, you said that the city’s running out of resources, but a BID [inaudible] was put in the city records, saying it’s a $69 million contract to staff these facilities. Also, H&H just put out a bid to manage all the parks. So is there going to be a point where the city actually does run out of resources? Will this come out of the budget and what is your plan B? Because you haven’t gotten any more money from the federal government and that request has fallen on deaf ears, so what’s the plan? And you guys are still shelling out money?
Deputy Mayor Williams-Isom: Do you want to start?
Commissioner Iscol: Sure.
Deputy Mayor Williams-Isom: And then I’ll clean it up.
Commissioner Iscol: We’re going to continue to bail water and that’s what we’re doing. And we’re going to continue to work every day just the way we have been doing. But it is a full on sprint every single day, looking for places to place people.
Deputy Mayor Williams-Isom: It’s funny that he says a sprint because it’s more like feels like a marathon that we’ve been trying to sprint, which, anybody who’s run a marathon know that we can’t do that. And so I think that we see in this country, what it looks like when people are not treating migrants well. We are treating migrants as best as we can, and so we’re going to continue to do that and we’re asking for the federal government to support us in this work that we’re doing, because we think that with a decompression strategy and if people can work, we will be able to manage this as a nation and I think people will be proud of that.
Dr. Long: Can I add? Would it be okay if I add something before you guys? Sorry, multitasking. Just two points I wanted to make, first on the H&H specific question around the RFP, just to be crystal clear, the RFP is for us continuing the same structure we have, but putting it out to bid to see who the best staff members would be at my sites. They remain my sites, HH has complete control over management of all the sites, complete responsibility. I have somebody on site 24/7 and none of that changes. It’s a standard contracting process to put out an RFP to continue staffing, though. I did also also want to make a point around the strain that we’re under. Every day, as the deputy mayor and the commissioner is saying, it gets harder and harder for us.
We’re working 24/7, around the clock. The arrival center, we have families with children that are coming to us at midnight every night. So we’ve, for example, opened up the ballrooms in our hotels, trying to be creative in New York City, trying to give people the dignified welcome that they deserve, hoping we would never need to use these ballrooms. Tonight, we’ll use every ballroom I have. It’s not because we want to, it’s because we have to, given the strain that we’re under, given the number of people coming in. Even the most effective approaches that we have, we need more help than we’ve been getting.
Question: On this 60 day rule also, why have only 100 been sent out? Is this a retroactive rule? That’s something the mayor wasn’t even clear on two days ago.
Dr. Long: The people initially that we’re giving the notices to are the people that have been in our system for the longest. So we’re doing delivering the notices on a rolling basis, starting with the people that have been in our system for the longest.
Question: What’s the longest?
Dr. Long: I’ll have to double check that.
Deputy Mayor Williams-Isom: I think the point is we want to make space for families with children, and so now we’re looking at all of the tools that we can use in order to do it. And we’ll give you more information as things continue. We’ll see whether or not this works or doesn’t work, but we’re trying to do the best that we can so we can make room for families with children.
