Op-Ed by Fernando Fuentes, former Yonkers Councilman
St. John’s Riverside Hospital in Yonkers, under the leadership of Mr. Ron Corti, spearheaded the Committee for Achieving Regional Equity in Healthcare (CARE), so as to better serve the local, albeit disenfranchised residents.
The CARE mission was devised to eliminate the healthcare disparities suffered by the City of Yonkers and the surrounding communities. The intention was to achieve healthcare equity by identifying the deficiencies and disparities with the intention to promote effective strategies to optimize the delivery of healthcare locally. St. John’s Riverside Hospital championed a professional, respectful, ethical, and compassionate demeanor by which all would be served.
The process began by assessing the healthcare needs of the residents and thereafter devising and formulating practical solutions.
United States Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer began the process by securing almost $1 million to upgrade St. John’s Riverside Hospital’s Maternity Unit with new equipment, programs, and protocol focused on Black maternal healthcare concerns in 2022.
Senator Schumer noted that, “U.S. expectant mothers were dying at the highest rate in the developed world and Black women were three times more likely to die from complications of pregnancy and twice as likely to suffer birth complications; 28% of St. John’s Riverside Hospital’s maternal patients are mothers of color.”
Black maternal death was a critical issue that needed to be addressed, and Senator Schumer took the lead by funding the means toward a solution.
According to 2019 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “some of the leading causes of death among Hispanics include cancer, heart disease, unintentional injuries (accidents), stroke and other cerebrovascular diseases, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s disease. “Feb 24, 2023
We also find that many Latino families are uninsured or under insured. Preventative medicine is minimal at best because of the lack of health insurance and a lack of residency documentation.
Disparities in “Health Care” is real!
St. John’s Riverside Hospital is addressing The City of Yonkers’ community concerns to the best of their abilities. We must help where we can and support St. John’s Riverside Hospital when we can.
