NYC Health + Hospitals’ NYC Care Announces Selection of Community-Based Organization Partners to Connect New Yorkers to Health Care May 15, 2024

The 22 partner organizations from across the five boroughs will help ensure NYC Care is understood among the city’s diverse uninsured and underinsured communities

Launched in 2019, NYC Care is a health care access program available to New Yorkers regardless of ones’ immigration status or ability to pay

NYC Health + Hospitals’ NYC Care program today announced the selection of 22 community-based organizations (CBOs) from across the city to provide outreach, education, and NYC Care enrollment services. The CBOs have a presence across all five boroughs, and have a proven track record of serving NYC Care priority zip codes, which represent areas with the highest rates of uninsured New Yorkers and the lowest rates of NYC Care enrollment. Additionally, the organizations have staff that speak over 30 different languages and many come from the communities they serve, highlighting their roles as trusted messengers. The majority of the selected CBOs are multi-service organizations representing additional programmatic areas, including civic engagement, housing & homelessness, and food security, among others. They will work for a contract term of three years with two one-year renewal options.

The vendors selected are:

Academy of Medical & Public Health Services
Adhikaar for Human Rights and Social Justice
AIDS Center of Queens County
AIDS Service Center of Lower Manhattan, Inc. (dba Alliance for Positive Change)
Arab American Family Support Center, Inc.
Center for the Independence of the Disabled, NY
Center for the Integration & Advancement of New Americans, Inc. (CIANA)
Council of Peoples Organization, Inc.
DSI International Inc.
Emerald Isle Immigration Center
Jewish Community Council of the Rockaway Peninsula, Inc.
Korean Community Services of Metropolitan New York, Inc. (KCS)
La Jornada Ltd
Make the Road NY
Mixteca Organization Inc.
Metropolitan New York Coordinating Council on Jewish Poverty
Project Hospitality, Inc.
Sauti Yetu Center for African Women Inc.
Single Stop USA
South Asian Council for Social Services
United Sikhs
Voces Latinas

“Health care is a human right. In NYC, we work to deliver that care and support to every person. NYC Care, a program that covers peoples’ care regardless of immigration status and considers peoples’ ability to pay, helps us achieve that goal. Thank you to our community partners for helping us bring this important program to communities all across the city,” said Anne Williams-Isom, Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services.

“From Tompkinsville, Staten Island, to Morris Heights in the Bronx, our community-based organization partners play an essential role in building a healthier city for all by connecting New Yorkers to NYC Care,” said Jonathan Jiménez, MD, MPH, Executive Director of NYC Care from NYC Health + Hospitals. “With the announcement of our new partnerships, I look forward to our continued growth as we work to eliminate health inequities across the city. I thank our selection committee, as well as our numerous partners who helped to amplify the RFP, as we continue to deliver health care for all New Yorkers, regardless of immigration status or ability to pay.”

“In New York City, we know that health care is a human right. NYC Care has changed the lives of more than 135,000 New Yorkers by giving them universal access to the front door of our health care system: primary care,” said Ted Long, MD, MHS, Senior Vice President for Ambulatory Care and Population Health at NYC Health + Hospitals. “I want to thank our incredible CBO partners who have worked tirelessly to connect people to NYC Care. Over a hundred thousand New Yorkers can now say the names of their primary care doctors, getting care from someone they trust, because of our CBOs.”

“We are thrilled to see new partnerships emerging between NYC Care and immigrant-serving non-profits around the city,” said Manuel Castro, Commissioner of the NYC Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs. “NYC Care’s unique model provides affordable health care regardless of immigration status, expanding access to a significant number of NYC’s immigrant populations. These connections will only strengthen the program’s reach while delivering key services in our city’s many languages and communities.”

“Because of NYC Care, our team of passionate multilingual insurance navigators is able to match native New Yorkers, newly arrived migrants, and everyone in between with health care. While learning about each person or family’s needs, our navigators are able connect them to other essential resources, like nutrition assistance programs,” said Marcia Deer, Director of Linkage to Care at Alliance for Positive Change. “NYC Care reduces emergency hospitalizations and creates more equitable access to essential services for low-income New Yorkers, and we hope the program will continue to expand.”

“Since 2019, it’s been our privilege to connect thousands of Black and Brown immigrants in the Bronx with NYC Care through outreach and enrollment assistance. Sauti Yetu is looking forward to continuing our partnership with NYC Care to ensure thousands more can access vital primary and preventative care,” said Zeinab Eyega, Executive Director, Sauti Yetu Center for African Women.

“From primary care to affordable medications, eye care, and support services, I have seen first-hand how NYC Care has improved the lives of countless New Yorkers,” said Toyin Omolola, President and CEO of DSI International. “I look forward to continuing to connect New Yorkers to this essential program as we reach new milestones in program enrollment and primary care engagement. If you think you may be eligible, don’t wait, visit NYCCare.NYC or call 646-692-2273 (646-NYC-CARE).”

Since the program launched in 2019, CBOs have played an essential role in growing NYC Care, which begins with building trust among community members. Whether for fear of deportation or being labeled a ‘public charge,’ many undocumented New Yorkers avoid seeking services, particularly from government agencies. As the program expanded from serving the Bronx to all five boroughs, CBOs have conducted in-person, telephonic, and online outreach, and guided NYC Care-eligible New Yorkers through the enrollment process as needed. They have also supported the NYC Care team for days of action, media roundtables, and webinars. CBOs have helped bring NYC Care membership to over 135,000 New Yorkers, exceeding the initial target of 100,000. NYC Care’s CBO partners have reached over 1 million New Yorkers, scheduled over 43,000 appointments, and facilitated over 17,000 direct enrollments, figures that do not include individuals who learned of the program from partners and enrolled on their own. Additionally, the current CBO partners’ success in outreach & enrollment is such that the zip codes they currently serve were not included as priority targets in the new round of funding.

NYC Care continues to deliver positive health outcomes for its members. 53% of members with diabetes enrolled in the program for at least 6 months have seen an improvement in their hemoglobin A1C readings. Similarly, 72% of members with hypertension who have been enrolled in the program for at least 6 months have seen an improvement in their blood pressure. Last year, NYC Care released new patient data that showed strong engagement with their doctors and primary care. Overall, 76.9% of new NYC Care members returned to primary care for an additional visit in their first year, 80.7% received a referral outside of primary care, and 75.4% visited specialty care. For new members with two or more chronic diseases, 86.1% returned to primary care, 87.1% received a referral, and 86% visited specialty care. There was also strong engagement for new members who speak English as a second language, where 86.1% returned to primary care, 80.2% received a referral, and 74.7% visited specialty care. This data suggests that NYC Care has spurred patient engagement at rates comparable to Medicaid, and that the data reflects member satisfaction and confidence in the high-quality care they are receiving.

NYC Care posted the RFP on City Record and sent notices widely to a list of NYC not-for-profit organizations on January 30^th. During the pre-proposal conference call in February, 83 organizations attended, with 40 proposals ultimately received. In March, the evaluation committee completed scoring, selecting the 22 CBO partners. Some CBO partners which have supported NYC Care since the program launched, such as Emerald Isle Immigration Center and Sauti Yetu Center for African Women Inc., have stayed on as partners this year.

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MEDIA CONTACT: PressOffice@nychhc.org

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About NYC Care
NYC Care is a health care access program that provides comprehensive and low or no-cost healthcare services through NYC Health + Hospitals for New Yorkers who cannot afford or are ineligible for health insurance. NYC Care provides a membership card, 24/7 customer service, access to comprehensive and affordable healthcare services, like primary care, mental health services, and sexual and reproductive healthcare, low-cost medications, and member materials in multiple languages – regardless of your immigration status or ability to pay. Call 646-NYC-CARE (646-692-2273) or visit NYCCare.NYC to learn more and sign up today – privacy and confidentiality guaranteed.

About NYC Health + Hospitals
NYC Health + Hospitals is the largest municipal health care system in the nation. We are a network of 11 hospitals, trauma centers, neighborhood health centers, nursing homes, and post-acute care centers. We are a home care agency and a health plan, MetroPlus. Our health system provides essential services to more than one million New Yorkers every year in more than 70 locations across the city’s five boroughs. Our diverse workforce of more than 43,000 employees is uniquely focused on empowering New Yorkers, without exception, to live the healthiest life possible. For more information, visit www.nychealthandhospitals.org and stay connected on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.