Bronx, New York (January 28, 2019) – New York State Assembly Member Marcos Crespo joined the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) at the James Monroe Senior Center in the Bronx for the first stop of the “Roadmap to Health” program. This newly-created mobile health fair program brings educational tools, resources and health screenings free of charge to communities in New York. The first stop was celebrated with a press conference and ribbon cutting.

Roadmap to Health was developed in response to the rising rates of chronic disease in the United States. According to the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease (PFCD), 11 million New Yorkers had at least one chronic disease in 2015 and the number of people living with multiple chronic diseases continues to grow.1

In the Bronx, residents are burdened by many health challenges, including high rates of diabetes, respiratory diseases, cancer, obesity and cardiovascular diseases, according to a 2014 Community Needs Assessment conducted by the New York Academy of Medicine.2

At the heart of the problem, nationally and in the Bronx, lies access; communities most acutely impacted are less likely to be able to access resources to help prevent, detect and treat chronic disease. The PFCD estimates that with better prevention and treatment of chronic disease, more than 45,000 lives could be saved in New York each year.

Roadmap to Health, launched today in the Bronx, will provide residents with knowledge about their health and will travel throughout New York in the year ahead. Inside the mobile screening vehicle, participants can receive preventative health and wellness screenings administered and conducted by an independent medical screening firm, U.S. Mobile Health Exams. Available screenings include:

• Total cholesterol
• HDL cholesterol
• Blood pressure
• Body mass index or BMI

As Roadmap to Health makes its way to other communities, additional screenings may be added.

Assembly Member Marcos Crespo, a passionate advocate for the health and care of Bronx residents, helped announce the creation of Roadmap to Health in November of 2018 at the SOMOS Puerto Rico Conference. He joined today for the first event at James Monroe Senior Center.

“Providing the Bronx with access to health resources and education has always been a priority of mine as a public official. I want to highlight how important it is when dedicated community partners like PhRMA and New York Health Works step up to the plate to help address a problem like chronic disease. I am proud to have the Roadmap to Health program here at James Monroe today for its very first stop on what I am sure will be a successful effort,” said Assembly Member Crespo.

PhRMA is supporting the Roadmap to Health program in coordination with New York Health Works. By providing these community resources, including no-cost health screenings, PhRMA aims to empower individuals to protect and improve their health and wellness.

“We’re excited to launch our program here in the Bronx, and we’d like to thank Assembly Member Crespo and the James Monroe Senior Center for hosting us for our first stop on the Roadmap to Health tour. As we work towards removing barriers to health care that many communities are facing, we hope to educate participants about how they can protect, maintain or improve their health,” said Laura Perloff, senior director of advocacy and strategic alliances, PhRMA.

Glisette Rivera, program director of host location, James Monroe Senior Center, added“We were happy to be the first location to host a Roadmap to Health event to provide these great resources to our Bronx community. The James Monroe Senior Center strives to provide quality programming that benefits our seniors’ daily lives, and we were happy to take this opportunity with PhRMA, New York Health Works and Assemblyman Crespo to open our doors and offer help to the community.”

The James Monroe Senior Center is a not-for-profit program in the Bronx. They serve more than 120 seniors daily, offering bilingual programing and services to help keep senior citizens active and engaged in their community.

The pinnacle resource of the Roadmap to Health program, the mobile health screening vehicle, was custom created by U.S. Mobile Health Exams. Paul Hassan, president of U.S. Mobile Health Exams, said“We are happy to be working with PhRMA on the Roadmap to Health program by providing health screenings at our various stops throughout New York City. The health screenings conducted by our company will provide important health insight for individuals who participate. We look forward to a successful 2019 by helping as many people as we possibly can as a part of the Roadmap to Health program.”

Roadmap to Health will continue its road trip in New York in the coming weeks and months, and will partner with community organizations, faith-based centers and others to reach communities with these resources.

Information provided during Roadmap to Health programs is for informational and/or educational purposes only. The program is not engaged in rendering medical or similar professional services or advice, and the information provided is not a substitute for the professional judgment of a health care professional. Individuals should consult a physician or other medical professional for advice regarding any medical condition or treatment.

1 https://www.fightchronicdisease.org/sites/default/files/download/PFCD_NY_FactSheet_FINAL1.pdf

2 https://www.health.ny.gov/health_care/medicaid/redesign/dsrip/pps_applications/docs/st_barnabas_hosp_dba_sbh_health_system/3.4_st_barnabas_cna.pdf