MetroPlusHealth Doubles Down in Harlem With New Flagship Office as Part of Its Ongoing Commitment to Serving NYC’s Diverse Communities: MetroPlusHealth

2022 SEP 12 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at CDC & FDA Daily -- MetroPlusHealth, New York City’s five-star health plan, celebrated the opening of its new flagship location at 2104 Adam Clayton Powell Junior Boulevard yesterday in Harlem, New York. The new MetroPlusHealth Harlem Community Office will be open weekdays from 9 AM - 6 PM and Saturdays from 9 AM - 5 PM. The community office will assist Harlem residents with health insurance education and enrollment, health screenings and illness prevention workshops, social services resources (food stamps, SNAP, etc.), life skills training, legal and immigration services, and more. Additionally, the office will be open to the public for meetings, small gatherings, workshops, conferences, and other community needs.

The celebration included a ribbon-cutting ceremony in the morning with an exceptional performance by Mama Foundation for the Arts, School of Gospel, Jazz, and R&B, followed by an open house to the community and a job fair. Guests enjoyed food prepared by Sylvia’s Harlem Restaurant, “The Queen of Soul Food,” and Cake Man Raven. DJ Whutever of iHeartMedia’s Power 105 was also on hand to add even more excitement to the event.

New York Senator Cordell Cleare and Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine presented a proclamation to MetroPlusHealth’s Harlem Community Office for their leadership and involvement in the Harlem community.

“We are excited to announce the opening of our newest office, located on Adam Clayton Powell Junior Boulevard, just over a year after our Flushing grand opening,” said Lesleigh Irish-Underwood, Chief Brand and External Relations Officer of MetroPlusHealth. “We are no stranger to the Harlem community; it is the birthplace of MetroPlusHealth. During COVID-19, Harlem emerged as one of Manhattan’s hardest-hit neighborhoods, emphasizing the City’s health care inequities. Today, there is a strong need for more services and support to create equity. MetroPlusHealth is an insurance company for New Yorkers, by New Yorkers.”

“I want to recognize MetroPlusHealth for their inspiring commitment to the well-being of the Harlem community upon the ribbon-cutting ceremony of their expansion of the Harlem Resource Center,” said New York State Senator Cordell Cleare. “Thank you so much for your partnership and involvement with our seniors, community events and more.

“I want to thank MetroPlusHealth for continuing to serve diverse communities in need. The pandemic has highlighted the gross inequities in accessing healthcare that communities across the city, especially Harlem, continue to face,” said Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine. “I am glad that MetroPlusHealth will open a community office to combat these issues, open on Monday-Saturday and assisting with access to health screenings and social, legal, and immigration services.”

“As the CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals/Harlem, I am proud of the relationship we share with MetroPlusHealth. The robust community we serve depends on MetroPlusHealth to provide much-needed health insurance access,” said NYC Health + Hospitals/Harlem CEO Georges H. Leconte. “I personally welcome the team to the Village of Harlem, which will now serve as the home of a brand-new flagship community-based office. As the premiere health care institution in Harlem, we pledge to continue our collaboration with MetroPlusHealth as they continue to insure our community. We are proud to say that MetroPlusHealth is an insurance provider on whom we rely.”

“We are thrilled to have MetroPlusHealth set up shop right across town from our hospital so that residents of El Barrio and surrounding communities can more easily access vital services as our city continues to recover from the health, social, and economic ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said NYC Health + Hospitals/Metropolitan CEO Cristina Contreras, LMSW, MPA, FABC. “MetroPlusHealth started as a pilot program here at Metropolitan, and now it is a five-star health plan covering hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers across the five boroughs. We look forward to continuing our partnership with them as we provide the Metropolitan community with high-quality, comprehensive health care right in their neighborhood.”

“The partnership that we have with MetroPlusHealth is made possible for us to reiterate that no matter who you are, where you come back, how you worship, whom you love; New York City is a place where those rights are protected and will continue to be protected together,” said Kajori Chaudhuri, LMSW, Deputy Commissioner, Community Relations Bureau at New York City Commission on Human Rights. “Congratulations to MetroPlusHealth for this amazing office space.”

The new Harlem office reflects MetroPlusHealth’s commitment to being more than a health plan for its members and their communities. This year, the Plan provided no-and-low-cost high-quality health insurance to individuals and families, addressed food insecurity by launching its pilot program for medically tailored meals, and expanded its $0 dietitian benefit for Gold members. MetroPlusHealth also held its first-ever press conference on the steps of City Hall in partnership with community-based organizations and NYC agencies offering mental health services and resources to New Yorkers and hosted its second town hall in honor of AAPI Heritage Month and Mental Health Awareness Month to discuss the mental health stigmas among women in AAPI communities.

MetroPlusHealth has expanded to over 675,000 members, with a strong presence in Harlem through multiple stores and a provider network at NYC Health + Hospitals/Metropolitan, NYC Health + Hospitals/Harlem, City MDs, and other locations. Visit https://www.metroplus.org/metroplus-near-you for a list of MetroPlusHealth locations and hours of operation, including the new Harlem location.

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