1199ers & The New York Yankees Team Up for a Healthier Bronx
October 18, 2016
The Yankees are supporting the TEF’s Bronx Healthcare Learning Collaborative Program, a strategic partnership of Bronx healthcare employers, unions, the City University of New York and other organizations. The Collaborative’s mission is to give Spanish-speaking Bronx workers greater access to education programs that lead to healthcare careers. The program also offers enrolled students support to achieve their educational goals. Sixty percent of the patients treated at Bronx healthcare institutions are Spanish-speaking, yet only ten percent of direct caregivers can speak the language fluently. Raising the level of cultural competence among caregivers has a direct impact on the level of patient care.
Maria Lugo, a Collaborative Program participant from Mt. Sinai West in Manhattan, is working towards becoming an RN.
“Often patients don’t know they have a right to ask for an interpreter or they feel embarrassed so they just agree with doctors and nurses even if they don’t understand,” says Lugo, who says as a child she sometimes translated for her own mother. “I try to let patients know I’m here if they need me so they can make themselves understood and get the services they need.”
Central to the program is a colloquium designed to meet the unique needs of adult students. The program is free of charge to eligible members who can attend courses toward career goals in the healthcare field.
Montefiore Medical Center housekeeper Jeanette Garcia is studying healthcare administration at Lehmann College.
“I really wanted to go back to school. Healthcare is always changing and it’s important for people to have opportunities for growth,” she says. “Programs like this are especially important in medium- and lowincome areas. They provide opportunities for growth and for us to help our borough. There’s such a high number of Spanishspeaking families.”