Menu

Community Supports Launch of Pediatric Asthma Mobile Unit

Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, City Council Majority Leader Jimmy Van Bramer and a host of community partners and friends were on hand to help Jacob A. Riis Neighborhood Settlement (Riis Settlement) launch its newly renovated pediatric asthma mobile unit on Friday, March 28, 2014. The mobile unit, funded by a $326,000 grant from TransCanada through the New York City Economic Development Corporation and staffed by a comprehensive health care team from the Pediatric Asthma Center at New York Hospital Queens, will provide treatment outside Riis Settlement’s Queensbridge Houses headquarters on Tuesdays and Fridays from 10am to 4pm.

Asthma can be life threatening if it is not managed properly. It is a lung disease that makes breathing difficult and can be triggered by environmental and emotional factors such as pollen, mold, dust mites, cockroaches, air pollutants (such as smoke), cold air, respiratory infections and stress. Riis Settlement is located in an area of Long Island City known as “Asthma Alley,” a region stretching from the South Bronx, through East Harlem and into Western Queens. The area has one of the highest child asthma rates in New York and is surrounded by manufacturing sites, bridges and transportation hubs.

Celebrating Partnerships

At the launch event, Congresswoman Maloney and Councilmember Van Bramer celebrated the partnerships that brought this resource to Queens. Dr. Hadi Jabbar, Director of the New York Hospital Queens Pediatric Asthma Center, Dr. Gerald Loughlin, Pediatrician-in-Chief of New York-Presbyterian Hospital at Weill Cornell Medical College, and Jasmin Bertovic, Vice President of Eastern Power Commercial at TransCanada, made presentations about the need to address this significant health issue. After a ceremonial ribbon cutting, members of the media, community members and invited guests were given a tour of the inside of the unit. Dr. Joseph Abularrage, chairman of Pediatrics at New York Hospital Queens, stressed the value and convenience this unit will bring to local residents.

“By bringing treatment to children via a mobile clinic, we provide young patients with easy access to care. Too many times, the cost of care, securing appointments and finding a consistent source of care prevent children and their caregivers from successfully managing symptoms of asthma,” said Dr. Abularrage.  “We want to keep the children in our community healthy and help them prevent visits to the emergency room and hospitalization.”

“All of us at Riis Settlement are thrilled that our partnership with TransCanada and New York Hospital Queens in the fight against asthma is expanding,” said Christopher Hanway, Executive Director, Riis Settlement.  It is anticipated that children who receive medical care and health education through this program will experience fewer emergency room visits, hospitalizations and missed school days.

The Details

The van will be staffed by a pulmonologist, pediatrician, respiratory therapist and social worker and will be parked directly outside the Queensbridge Houses headquarters of Riis Settlement on Tuesdays and Fridays from 10am to 4pm. Appointments are preferred. Members of the community are welcome to make an appointment by calling 718-670-1920.

Share the Post:

More Posts

Riis Cutz

Last Friday, the Youth Services team hosted a Riis Cutz self-care event at our Ravenswood Cornerstone site. Several local barbers, beauticians, and staff members generously

Skip to content