by Sherica Daley | news@queensledger.com
“We’re new to the neighborhood, and we wanted to reach out to everyone in the community” explained Zakiyyah Mohamed Stevens, Community Outreach Manager at the new Tribeca Pediatrics, now located in the heart of Jamaica Avenue. The colorful and vibrant office held its first Resource and Community Baby Shower for mothers with babies from ages newborn to six months old.
This event partnered with community outreach and healthcare partners like Healthfirst, Queens Healthy Start, Public Health Solutions and Jamaica Community Partnership. The Community Baby Shower was a positive effort to introduce the new clinic opening and meet families in the local community. The three-session event assisted in applying for health insurance, access to infant care and lactation consultation, community resources, and essential giveaways.
Tribeca Pediatrics is the largest private practice in the New York metro area. The practice was founded by Dr. Michel Cohen, a board-certified pediatrics in 1994. He started practicing pediatric medicine, asking home visits to new parents in Lower Manhattan’s Tribeca Neighborhood, where he later opened his first office on Murray Street. Thirty years later, Tribeca Pediatrics has almost 50 locations in the New York City, New Jersey, Westchester and soon on Long Island. The practice services over 100,000 patients, employs over 100 doctors and nurse practitioners, and has hospital affliction with New York-Presbyterian Lower Manhattan and New York Presbyterian Weil-Cornell Medical Center.
The baby shower was a goldmine of support for new and expecting mothers, especially with insurance. Most new mothers may have questions about updating their insurance.” Having straight Medicaid is tough” explained Dr. Cohen. “We accept Medicaid through managed-care plans only” he explained. Healthfirst was present with their new community office on Jamaica Avenue and 162nd Street. The new Healthfirst office can help new mothers apply for and renew insurance, and receive referrals to preventive health screenings, pediatricians, and dental care.
The Jamaica Community Partnership was there for community outreach programs for free services in Jamaica, Queens. The program shared information on free food pantries and clothing drives for adult and baby clothes. There was also information for mothers with disabilities with the Center Independence of the Disable of New York. (CIDNY). CIDNY provides free services with information with mothers or caregivers with long-term services and supports public assistance benefits, supportive housing, and SNAP.
Self-care is important for the mother-to-be, during pregnancy, labor, and postpartum, and helps make the best decisions for mother and the baby, This assistance can be provided with a doula. A doula is a woman trained in obstetric training, breastfeeding support, post-natal support, and if needed, support in miscarriages, and stillbirth.
“It is important to know what services are out there, especially for women of color” explained Charline Ogbeni, the owner of Supporting Our Mothers Initiative, LLC. She is board-certified doula with board certification in Lactation Consultant (IBCLC).
She was on site with useful information with community partners like the New York City Public Solutions . The Public Health Solutions have many services for new mother’s like the Breastfeeding Warmline.
This hotline can connect you with a certified lactation counselor anywhere in New York. The hotline can be contacted at 646-965-7212. The New York Public Solutions Health also assist low-income mothers with the Queens Diaper Bank. The Queens Diaper Bank offers free diapers to residents in Queens two days a month with an appointment for diapers size newborn- size 7. For more information, on making an appointment, visit the Diaper Bank website.
New York Public Solutions also have a partnership with the Birth Justice Defenders (BJDs). The BJDs are community advocates in pregnancy, childbirth postpartum and help provide education with the New York City Standards for Respectful Care at Birth. For more information, can be reached at info@bronxhealthlink.org or call 929-287-5747
Ogebeni gave mothers information that can be access on their smartphones with the right app. The irth app, the “b” is dropped representing Bias, is a Yelp-like review ad ratings app for Black and Brown women to find and leave reviews of their maternity experience You can search for reviews from other woman of color in their birthing experience.
Hospitals in Queens, that partner with Tribeca Pediatrics, now offer a free program HOPE Doula Support. The HOPE, or Helping Promote Birth Equality through Community-Based Doula Care. It is a program located in Elmhurst Hospital and Queens Hospital, and is a community-based program with 20 Queens-based doulas to match patients based on neighborhood, language, and ethnicity. Once matched, that doula will remain with their client thorough birthing and postpartum and are referred to maternal home care and COVID-19 services for testing and vaccinations. For more information, can contact 1-844-NYC-4NYC for an appointment.
For mothers who are home-bound, there is a preventative program such as the The New York Foundling Partners for Change which provides in-home family therapy and case management based on the family’s needs. It is also available in multiple languages and American Sign Language (ASL). To complete a referral form for services, can be found online
The community baby shower was a successful effort to Tribeca Pediatrics to the community, and build a support system for not only mothers but mothers of all nationalities, economic status, and/or disabilities. “The point is to connect mothers with services and support each other in any way we can,” said Ogebeni.
