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Dr. Ted Long, Senior Vice President for Ambulatory Care
NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS
Monday, June 27, 2022
Good morning Chairpersons Narcisse, Moya, and members of the Committee on Hospitals and the Subcommittee on COVID Recovery and Resiliency. I am Dr. Ted Long, Senior Vice President for Ambulatory Care at NYC Health and Hospitals and I have served as the Executive Director of the NYC Test & Trace Corps since its launch in June 2020. Thank you for the opportunity to testify on the work NYC Health + Hospitals has led to understand, treat, and support Long COVID patients.
While we are still learning about the depth and extent of Long COVID, NYC H+H is proud to be at the forefront of offering comprehensive clinical services to meet the needs of patients who are navigating this emerging condition. Our commitment to supporting Long COVID patients has resulted in the creation of two key program: (1) through the opening of new, community-based COVID-19 Centers of Excellence (COEs) in neighborhoods that experienced some of the most devastating impacts of the pandemic; and (2) through the launch of AfterCare.
COEs
NYC H+H recognized early on that Long COVID was an emerging clinical issue, and began planning to open COVID-19 Centers of Excellence sites in Fall 2020. It was critical to our hospital system leadership that the COEs were located in regions of the City hardest-hit by the pandemic (Bushwick, Jackson Heights, and Tremont) in order to deepen access to specialized healthcare services in communities most likely to need them. The COEs provide short and long-term care for those recovering from COVID-19. Services include:
- Lung care and supplemental (extra) oxygen
- Heart care
- X-rays, scans, and ultrasounds
- Mental health services for anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and psychological distress
- Rooms to safely isolate patients who may have COVID-19 or are being tested for COVID-19
COEs work to treat the whole patient, and thus offer comprehensive primary care health services, including cancer screenings, dental and vision care, diabetes management, podiatry, adult medicine, pediatrics, and much more for not only patients with Long COVID, but for all patients and their family members without exception. Patients can be referred to the Centers of Excellence after a hospital visit, through their primary care provider, or through our Aftercare program to receive short- and long-term care to address their recovery from COVID-19.
AFTERCARE
In April 2021, NYC Test & Trace Corps launched the AfterCare program, which connects New Yorkers with Long COVID to resources to support them in their recovery process. To address the various symptoms Long COVID patients may experience, as well as the social and economic impacts that the condition may create, such as loss of employment or social isolation, AfterCare Navigators connect patients to holistic resources that address physical health, mental health, community support and financial assistance.
AfterCare makes phone calls to former COVID-19 cases who were still reporting symptoms at the end of isolation. Clients are directed to the AfterCare website, nyc.gov/aftercare, where they can select the resources most relevant to their needs, and get connected. New Yorkers who are suffering from or believe they may have Long COVID can also directly call AfterCare Navigators, health outreach specialists with experience supporting people during their COVID infections. Through this program, people can be assessed for their specific health and social needs and connected to Long COVID resources. Individuals suffering from Long COVID can call 212-COVID19 (212-268-4319), select their preferred language, and press 4 to speak to an AfterCare navigator.
Since the launch of AfterCare in April 2021, AfterCare Navigators has sent more than 334,000 texts and completed over 114,000 phone referrals for New Yorkers who have recently been diagnosed with COVID-19, following up approximately four weeks later if the patient reported having symptoms on their last day of COVID-19 monitoring. AfterCare Navigators have sought to prioritize patients in zip codes identified by the Taskforce on Racial Inclusion and Equity (TRIE) as disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 and other health and socioeconomic disparities.
NYC Health + Hospitals has a long history of meeting the healthcare needs of all New Yorkers regardless of insurance, income, and immigration status. We look forward to continuing this work to partner with the City Council and all local stakeholders to expand access to critical healthcare services in the City. Thank you to the committees for your attention to this important topic and for your continued support of NYC Health and Hospitals. I look forward to answering any questions you may have.