Kristina Serova, Author at Community Healthcare Network

Now that we have cooler (and darker) fall days rolling in, we wanted to talk about keeping up your endorphins! Endorphins are our body’s all natural “feel good” hormones. They help us feel good and lower our stress. They also act as a natural painkiller by reducing pain and increasing pleasure. This gives us a feeling of well-being. Endorphins have many other benefits too, such as:

Boosting our self-esteem and immune systems
Controlling weight
Reducing anxiety
Helping our skin’s appearance

What are the ways to boost your endorphins?

Exercising. The so called “runner’s high” is a reference to endorphin levels. Regular exercise also helps reduce feelings of anxiety and depression.
Practicing mindfulness by being present during everyday tasks.
Helping others makes you feel good and turns on the pleasure center of your brain.
Getting a massage or acupuncture helps with circulation/blood flow, leading to an endorphin increase
Drinking red wine or eating dark chocolate (in small amounts of course). Chemicals in these foods called flavonoids are linked to endorphin release.
Eating spicy foods. Capsaicin, which gives spicy food its heat, tricks the body into thinking it’s in pain. This causes endorphins to release (who knew!)
Laughter which makes you feel good all over.
Smelling essential oils. Certain smells can trigger a happy memory.
Creating something, like a drawing or baking to work your brain in a new way.
Dancing and listening to music.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 1, 2021

Contact: Erin Verrier [email protected]; 917-636-0884

Community Healthcare Network (CHN), a network of 14 federally qualified health centers for over 80,000 patients in New York City, celebrates three newly elected members to the CHN Board.

A returning Board member, Dr. Roger Platt recently stepped down as New York City’s Director of School Health, a joint position at the City’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and Department of Education. An internist, Dr. Platt completed his residency at Montefiore Medical Center and led the Mount Sinai Community Practice Network before turning to public service. Today, Dr. Platt will serve as an advisor for CHN’s school health initiatives. CHN currently implements two school-based health centers, one in Washington Heights, other on the Lower East Side, Manhattan.

Edwidge J. Thomas, DNP, joins the CHN board with experience as a leader for Mount Sinai’s Performing Provider System (PPS), part of New York State’s five-year program to modernize the Medicaid delivery system. Thomas fervently advocated for the recognition of community-based care as essential to a high functioning health system. With a doctorate in advanced practice nursing, and a master’s degree in epidemiology, Thomas was a founding member of the first independent Nurse Practitioner primary care practice at Columbia University School of Nursing. In addition, she has activated a mobile health program to bring primary care services to recent immigrant and foster care youth. Dr. Thomas currently serves as the Vice President of Clinical Solutions at Northwell Health.

Curtis D. Young, a New York City based Nonprofit Executive and Community Leader, currently serves as Executive Director for Artistic Noise, a nonprofit organization that “brings the freedom and power of artistic practice to young people who are incarcerated.” Additionally, Young serves on the Manhattan Community Board 12 in Northern Manhattan. Throughout the course of his career, Young has been honored by the New York State Legislature for his civic engagement as an LGBTQ+ community leader, and by Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer for his contributions to the African American community in the city of New York.

About Community Healthcare Network
Community Healthcare Network, otherwise known as CHN, is a federally qualified health center (FQHC) that provides critical access to primary care, dental, nutrition, behavioral health, and social services for 80,000 individuals annually in New York City. Across its 14 health centers, CHN cares for individuals of all ages, regardless of ability to pay.

To learn more about CHN visit our website at www.chnnyc.org or follow us on  Facebook, Twitter,  YouTube, and Instagram.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 30, 2021

Contact: Erin Verrier [email protected]; 917-636-0884

Public-Private Partnership Reaches New York City Communities Hit Hardest by COVID-19, 70% of Individuals Vaccinated Identify as Black or Hispanic

New York, N.Y., September 30, 2021 – Community Healthcare Network (CHN), a network of 14 Federally Qualified Health Centers in New York City, and Stop the Spread (STS), a catalytic organization that has corralled private industry partners for Covid-19 response programs, partnered to increase vaccine uptake in New York City neighborhoods with low vaccination rates.

Stop the Spread brought together a network of over 600 partners and accelerated funding from Google.org to bring private sector resources to bear for CHN, a healthcare provider trusted by community- and faith-based organizations in hard-to-reach communities. Together, STS and CHN co-designed and deployed multiple effective vaccine distribution models, and partnered with churches in Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and the Bronx to offer walk-in vaccine clinics and conduct community outreach.

To date, CHN and STS have hosted over 85 community pop-up events with more than 25 community and faith-based partners. Over 30,000 vaccines have been administered through their community focused effort with 70% of vaccine recipients identifying as Black or Hispanic, while city vaccine rates hover at 39% for individuals who identify as Black and 52% for Hispanic/Latino.

In addition, Stop the Spread brought a network of private sector partners to deploy a “Vaccine+” program for additional health care and non-medical services in hard-to-reach neighborhoods. The program, originally launched with St. John’s Well Child and Family Center in LA, utilizes the 15-minute observation period following vaccination to connect individuals to a range of services like on-site health screenings for diabetes, cholesterol and HIV, referrals to primary care, mental health, and insurance enrollment services, and basic needs like access to healthy food.

The Vaccine+ program administered over 1,200 meals to vaccinated New Yorkers in partnership with Bento, a text-messaging platform to reduce food insecurity, and Farm to People, a farmer’s market grocery delivery service. A partnership with Headspace also offered a free month of meditation to help manage increased stress and anxiety during the pandemic.

The Vaccine+ program also coordinated over 250 individual health screenings in partnership with Weill Cornell Medicine’s Clinical and Translational Science Center, the Greater New York City Black Nurses Association and CHN’s HIV Prevention Programs. Additional health services, like referrals to primary care services and the NYC Care program, were provided by Public Health Solutions.

Other CHN and STS efforts include the design of a back-pack vaccine model in which a clinical educator and vaccinator are present at sermons and community events with information about the safety of the vaccine and immediate access to vaccination on site as requested. In addition, partnerships with schools are being cultivated to help protect children and their families as they resume in person learning. The organizations are preparing campaigns for third dose COVID-19 vaccines as community members become eligible as well.

“The energy and expertise of Stop the Spread magnified our ability to bring vaccines to underserved communities throughout New York City,” said Robert M. Hayes, President and CEO of Community Healthcare Network.

“Stop the Spread’s mission has always been to bring the capabilities, speed and flexibility of the private sector to pandemic response efforts. Our partnership with Community Healthcare Network has shown that when the private sector and public sectors work together innovation can flourish,” said Sharon Knight, Executive Director of Stop the Spread.

“It is important to understand the communities we serve, meet them where they are and commit to true engagement. This means respecting the community, collaborating as true partners, understanding their fears, concerns and then providing the highest quality of evidence-based care,” said Dr. Freddy Molano, a leader of CHN’s vaccine pop-up efforts and CHN’s Vice President of Infectious Diseases and LGBTQ Programs and Services.

About Community Healthcare Network
Community Healthcare Network is a not-for-profit organization providing access to affordable primary care, dental, nutrition, behavioral health and social services for diverse populations throughout New York City. CHN serves more than 85,000 individuals a year who would otherwise have little or no access to critical healthcare. CHN is composed of 14 Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), including two School Based Health Centers (SBHC), and a fleet of mobile health units. To learn more about CHN visit our website at www.chnnyc.org or follow us on  Facebook, Twitter,  YouTube, and Instagram.

About Stop the Spread
Stop the Spread is a COVID-19 relief nonprofit founded in March 2020 to catalyze the private sector and address shortfalls and fill gaps in our nation’s response to the pandemic. To learn more about STS’s work, access the STS Playbook for Community-based Vaccinations for best practices and downloadable tools for planning, co-designing, and implementing community-based models that advance vaccine and health equity.

With thanks to our partners
Weill Cornell Medicine, Hunter College School of Nursing, NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing, Long Island University School of Nursing, Greater NYC Black Nurses Association, Church of God of East New York, Fort Washington Collegiate Church, New Jerusalem Worship Center, Convent Avenue Baptist Church, Public Health Solutions, Stone Cold Systems, Bento, Farm to People, mPulse, Headspace, Fox Rothschild and many others.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 7, 2021

Contact: Erin Verrier [email protected]; 917-636-0884

Caroline Dorsen Inducted into the American Academy of Nursing’s Class of 2021 Fellows

Community Healthcare Network (CHN) – a New York City network of 14 federally qualified health centers – congratulates its Board Vice President Caroline Dorsen (PhD, FNP), for being inducted into the American Academy of Nursing’s 2021 Class of Fellows.

Dorsen currently serves as Associate Dean at Rutgers School of Nursing and Associate Professor at Rutgers School of Public Health, and now ranks as a fellow in the American Academy of Nursing, a society that honors nursing’s most accomplished leaders in education, management, practice, and research.

Throughout her 20-year career, in addition to her work as an educator and a director of Family Nurse Practitioner practices, Dorsen served as a researcher and a prominent leader in national organizations, informing and influencing nursing education, standards of care, and health policy. Dorsen has shown overall commitment to awareness of health disparities, promotion of health justice, and amplification of the nursing voice, with a distinguishing commitment to the healthcare of people in the LGBTQ+ community.

“Dorsen is a fierce advocate for health equity and nurse practitioner advancement,” says Evelyn Addo-Wallace, CHN’s Director of Advanced Practice Nursing and Medical Director. “Being named a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing is a much-deserved achievement.”

“Caroline Dorsen is an invaluable asset to Community Healthcare Network – and to the entire health care community,” said Robert M. Hayes, CHN’s President and CEO.

To learn more about CHN visit our website at www.chnnyc.org or follow us on  Facebook, Twitter,  YouTube, and Instagram.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 9, 2021

Contact: Erin Verrier [email protected]; 917-636-0884

Abad Sanchez first stepped into the Community Healthcare Network (CHN) Mobile Youth Access Program (YAP) in Jackson Heights, Queens, in fall 2019. Like other immigrants in the neighborhood, Abad struggled to access affordable health care services. He was surprised to learn that YAP offered not only primary care, social services, HIV and STI testing and treatment, and PEP/PrEP services – but all services were available regardless of his immigration status or ability to pay.

YAP services are representative of CHN’s overall mission – to provide affordable, culturally sensitive, and comprehensive community-based primary care, reproductive health, nutrition, behavioral health, and social services for New Yorkers who may otherwise have little or no access to critical health care. The mobile YAP unit is part of CHN’s Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) network, which includes 14 sites across New York City and serves over 80,000 residents per year.

In May 2020, CHN’s YAP Manager Harvey Diaz brought Abad on board as a Community Educator. Due to COVID-19, CHN had to adjust operations and scheduling to accommodate patients both face-to-face and via telehealth and telephonic care. Under the leadership of CHN’s Vice President of Infectious Diseases and LBGTQ+ Programs and Services, Dr. Freddy Molano, CHN established its own community-based vaccine pop-up sites in February 2021, in partnership with community- and faith-based organizations. These sites were designed for individuals considered “hard-to-reach” and communities, mostly Black and Latinx, showing the lowest rates of COVID-19 vaccination. Queens immigrant communities needed to feel safe with vaccine providers, so YAP staff called patients one-on-one. As a YAP patient himself, Abad had patients’ trust and could refer them to CHN pop-up sites for the vaccine. As of July 2021, CHN has vaccinated over 75 YAP patients and over 1,300 individuals at its vaccine sites in Queens, Brooklyn, and the Bronx. Nearly 68% vaccine recipients are Black and/or Latinx.

To learn more about CHN visit our website at www.chnnyc.org or follow us on  Facebook, Twitter,  YouTube, and Instagram.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 22, 2021

Contact: Erin Verrier [email protected]; 917-636-0884

Community Healthcare Network (CHN), a New York City network of 14 federally qualified community health centers that serve over 80,000 patients annually, won full accreditation of its pioneering Primary Care & Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner (NP) Fellowship.

“Nurse practitioners increasingly are the backbone of our City’s health care delivery system,” said Robert M. Hayes, President and CEO of CHN. “Our one-year fellowship allows newly graduated nurse practitioners to cement their skills with hands on support while they launch their medical careers. Our fellows, and our patients, are both winners.”

The accreditation by the National Nurse Practitioner Resident & Fellowship Training Consortium (NNPRFTC) followed peer review of CHN’s program, finding that the fellowship met the highest national standards for quality and rigor. The program, which began in 2015, was the first NP fellowship program in New York State. Since then, 75 fellows have received primary care and psychiatry clinical practice at CHN health centers.

Today, the CHN NP Fellowship Program partners with the Columbia University School of Nursing to offer newly licensed postgraduate NPs one year of experiential training, preceptorship, and one-to-one mentorship. Stephen Ferrara, Columbia’s Associate Dean of Clinical Affairs said,” “The intended purpose of the program is to prepare nurse practitioners for community health care.” For CHN, this means NP fellows solidify their clinical knowledge in addition to leadership skills, cultural sensitivity, and competency in care for patients regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, immigration status, or ability to pay.

“Any fellow who has come through this program will tell you its biggest asset is having a preceptor or a mentor, someone to go to with a clinical question,” says Evelyn Addo-Wallace, Director of Advanced Practice Nursing. CHN wants fellows to “know clinical medicine from top to bottom…but we are not only building clinicians, we are building professional leaders.” Alumni of the program have gone on to be medical directors, preceptors, and other higher office positions, both in and outside of CHN.

Going against the shortage of providers in the primary care workforce nationally, Addo-Wallace sees NP fellows continue to work in a primary care setting, particularly community health centers, because of their experience in this program. She adds that “not only do we want to fill the gap [in providers], but we want to adequately prepare nurse practitioners who feel confident to stay in our setting.”
Accordingly, CHN has retained close to 50% of CHN NP fellows post-graduation. Others have gone on to community health centers in their respective cities and states.

Overall, accreditation from the NNPRTFC, “puts a stamp of approval as to the rigor of the program,” says Addo-Wallace. As a prestigious accrediting body, the NNPRFTC “provides very structured standards on what residency or fellowship should look like…and we have met all those standards, meaning we are appropriately delivering a rigorous, structured fellowship program, something that we are truly proud of.”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 14, 2021

Contact: Erin Verrier [email protected]; 917-636-0884

Brooklyn, NY – On May 19th at 11am, Community Healthcare Network (CHN), which operates 14 Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) throughout New York City, will host a ribbon cutting to celebrate rebuilding its East New York Dr. Betty Shabazz Health Center. Since its opening in 1968, the Health Center has provided essential primary care to medically underserved residents in and around East New York. With the help of key financing partners, CHN celebrates a $10 million investment to rebuild this critical healthcare facility, doubling its size and capacity.

The rebuilt site adds eight exam rooms, now 14 exam rooms in total, including a dental suite, and a pharmacy. It will span 9,500 square feet and provide medical, behavioral, dental, and supportive services to over 10,000 patients annually.

The building was over a decade in the making, spearheaded by Councilmember Inez Barron and Assemblymember Charles Barron. Key partners that brought the project to fruition include Governor Andrew Cuomo, the New York State Department of Health, One Brooklyn Health System, the New York City Economic Development Corporation, Chase with a New Markets Tax Credit investment, and Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams.

“We are fully committed to serve the East New York community for years to come with high quality, integrated health care and the supports needed to make health care succeed. We will do that with the vital partnership of allied groups, just as this redevelopment is built on collaboration of our public and private allies,” said Robert M. Hayes, President and CEO of CHN.

“New York City’s continuing recovery will be dependent on having access to quality healthcare,” said NYCEDC President and CEO Rachel Loeb. “We are proud to support the reopening of the Dr. Betty Shabazz Health Center with New Markets Tax Credit funding that will provide much-needed medical services to advance health equity for the East New York community.”

“One Brooklyn Health is extremely pleased to partner with CHN on the expansion of the Betty Shabazz Health Center,” said LaRay Brown, Chief Executive Officer of One Brooklyn Health System. “Working closely with federally-qualified community health centers is a linchpin of One Brooklyn Health’s commitment to increase access to health care services and to improve the health of Brooklyn residents. Capital funding for this project was made possible through the New York State Kings County Transformation Grant. One Brooklyn has committed more than $40 million of these grant funds to expand ambulatory care through partnering with several FQHCs. We are excited that one of the first centers to be expanded with this funding is one named after Betty Shabazz, a champion of social justice and civil rights.”

“We continue to be dedicated to investing in our local communities and are thrilled to support the Dr. Betty Shabazz Health Center with new market tax credits investment, which is serving underserved East New York residents and also creating local jobs,” said En Jung Kim, Executive Director, Community Development Banking, Chase.

To learn more about CHN visit our website at www.chnnyc.org or follow us on  Facebook, Twitter,  YouTube, and Instagram.

About One Brooklyn Health
One Brooklyn Health was established to preserve and enhance healthcare services in the communities of Central Brooklyn. The health care system includes Brookdale Hospital Medical Center, Interfaith Medical Center, Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center, Rutland Nursing Home, Schulman & Schachne Institute for Nursing & Rehabilitation and several ambulatory care centers, including the Pierre Toussaint Family Health Center.

Did you know?

Our gut has a unique group of bacteria and microorganisms that are largely developed within the first 1,000 days of life. This “gut microbiome” seems to play a big role in our digestion, immunity (protection against disease) and our mental health!

We think that gut bacteria may help to make up to 95% of the body’s serotonin. Serotonin is a hormone that helps with mood, feelings of well-being, sleeping, and digestion. The gut keeps a balance between helpful and harmful bacteria. When that balance is disrupted problems may happen. Gut bacteria imbalance has been linked to:

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
Obesity
Cognitive (mental) and mood problems
Asthma
Metabolic Syndrome
Diabetes

Many factors can affect our gut health, such as our diet, stress, environment, and medicines (like antibiotics).

Foods that help with gut health:

Eat whole foods and limit processed foods. Heavily processed foods are high in food additives that can disrupt the gut.
Add fresh fruits and veggies into your diet. Frozen fruits without added sugars or additives are good choices too.
Include probiotic-rich foods, such as plain yogurt.
Add fermented foods, such as kefir, sauerkraut, and kimchi.

How much should you eat?

Whether you want to lose weight or just maintain your weight, eating proper portions is just as important as eating “good for you” foods. Food portion sizes in American restaurants have doubled or tripled in the last 20 years. This plays a big role in the increase in obesity rates among children and adults.

Americans are having a hard time knowing what proper portions and serving sizes are. It is important to note that portion and serving sizes are different:

A portion is the total amount of food you eat in one sitting.
Serving size is the recommended amount of one type of food.

For example: the amount of fish you eat for dinner is a portion but 3 ounces (oz) of fish is the serving. Tip: Keeping serving sizes in check helps with portion control.

What does one serving size look like?

How many servings should you have daily?

The Dietary Guidelines suggests people 50 or older following a U.S style eating pattern choose foods every day from the following:

Vegetables: 2 to 3 cups
Fruit: 1.5 to 2 cups
Grains: 5 to 8 oz or 1 cup
Dairy: 3 cups
Protein: 5 to 6.5 oz
Oils: 5 to 7 teaspoons

Visit MyPlate.gov to learn more about what serving sizes are appropriate for you!

“The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in southeast Queens has been profound, with a disproportionate death rate among residents last spring well as high positivity rates almost a year later. The lack of health care options available in the community is a prime factor that has been exposed during the coronavirus emergency.

However, help is on the way in the form of a new 15,000-square-foot Tree of Life health clinic that will be coming to 89-46 164th St. in Jamaica later this year.”