Health problems are one of the issues that most afflict Puerto Ricans and Hispanics in general in New York City, more recently due to the coronavirus pandemic, as well as the lack of information and some bad habits that are part of our community. .
As chair of the board of MetroPlusHealth, New York City’s health plan, and a board member of NYC Health + Hospitals, the nation’s largest public health system, Sally Hernández-Piñero knows the issues well.
Born in the Bronx to Puerto Rican parents, Piñero is a NYU Law graduate who began her career at Bedford-Stuyvesant Community Legal Services as an attorney and became General Counsel for the New York State Mortgage Agency. Her dedication to service led her to become Vice President of the Borough of Manhattan and Deputy Mayor for Finance and Economic Development, during the administration of former Mayor David Dinkins. There, she was involved in the key political, legislative, and budgetary decisions made by the administration.
“My career has always gravitated around positions where I can positively impact local communities, those with low purchasing power, particularly Latinos,” says Piñero, who was recently honored by New York’s City & State magazine as a of the professional women City & State’s 2022 Above & Beyond.
Motivated by her experience working with the underprivileged population, she turned her professional career around to immerse herself in the health field, where she has held the important positions mentioned above, since 2019.
“The Latino community has many health problems and unfortunately waits a long time to get the help they need. High blood pressure, diabetes, asthma, obesity are very common, and I think that because the struggle to survive on a day-to-day basis is so strong, they forget about health, ”she says.
What health services are available to Latinos?
SHP: NYC Health + Hospitals makes an effort to reach all communities, and for Latinos in particular, all documents are in Spanish, we have translators at all meetings, we interact with each group, and we want them to get the message that no one has because being sick in New York. Anyone can go to a city hospital and be treated, regardless of whether they are undocumented, immigrant or have no money.
Women in particular, I understand that they have to take care of their children, their husbands, but they are not useful to anyone if they do not take care of their own health.
What problem are you currently worried about?
SHP: I particularly believe that there is an epidemic of depression in the Latino community. Because of covid, many lost family members, many worked during the pandemic, and I think that young people felt the pressure to adapt to that situation and parents are busy and do not have the resources to help them.
We also find that there is a shame factor among Hispanics, many believe that it is a symptom of weakness if they have a mental health problem and do not seek help.
Another thing that we at MetroPlusHealth and NYC Health + Hospitals work hard on, that isn’t talked about much, is dental problems among minors. Again, people wait a long time and usually by the time there are signs of decay, it’s too late.
Young people feel very embarrassed when they have problems with their teeth and it creates insecurity, which is why we have dental hygienists in each hospital to ensure that everyone, especially them, has access to dental care.
What message do you want to convey to Latinos?
SHP: They need to know that they have an amazing public hospital system that caters to the specific needs of the Latino community. We are currently working to bring doctors from Puerto Rico to work at Health + Hospitals.
But the message that is very important to convey is that people should not neglect their health, since we know that diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity and asthma affect the Latino community more than any other, and I believe that the lack of knowledge it is part of the cause, which is why we at Health + Hospitals have an obligation to educate people about the severity of these diseases.
Many New Yorkers think that getting medical care in the city is too expensive. What do you say?
SHP: At MetroPlusHealth we have about 650,000 members, and about 400,000 of them are on Medicaid, 40% of them are Latino, so Medicaid is available to many people. For its part, NYC Health + Hospitals offers the NYC Care program, through which no one is denied service, whether you are undocumented, immigrant or have no resources.
Let’s talk about Covid, what information do you want to share?
SHP: There is a number that New Yorkers can call, 212-COVID19, if you have any symptoms of covid, such as fever, breathing problems, body aches, and after doing a positive home test, you can talk to a doctor to receive a prescription for medications that can be sent directly to homes.
I know it works because my dad, who is 97 years old, had covid, we called 212-COVID19 like anyone else, and we talked to a doctor.
I do not want people to feel that the coronavirus has disappeared, it is important that we continue to take care of ourselves, especially in Latino homes that are usually multigenerational, where children, young people and the elderly live together, which increases the possibility of contagion.
In addition, there is a website, covidtest.gov, where you can request free home tests.
And finally, it is important to know about the so-called “long Covid, which are the symptoms that remain in many people long after they have been infected, and to attend to them there are three Health & Hospitals Covid centers that focus on this problem, one in The Bronx and the others in Queens and Brooklyn, where a large Latino population resides.
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