Independence Care System

Primary care for people with disabilities should not be optional—it needs to be essential. At Independence Care System, we’re working to reduce barriers to care people with disabilities face to ensure that they remain in good health.   This recent interview on BronxNet Community Television with my colleagues Senior Vice President of Clinical Program and Population Health Rachael Stacom and Outreach Associate Christy Cruz – Cullins illustrates just that. This $200K New York Health Foundation grant to further develop a Center of Excellence in Primary Care for People with Physical Disabilities will allow us to be laser-focused on research to better understand the needs of people with disabilities and to work toward getting them consistent, life-saving quality primary care from healthcare providers.   The interview can be viewed on Optimum Channel 67 or FiOS 2133 Saturday at noon. You can also view it here: https://bit.ly/3RJGCZ0

Sen. Duckworth hit the nail on the head. There needs to be greater transparency with the Department of Justice’s Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) mediation program. Disability rights shouldn’t be violated—and when they are, they should be addressed. https://bit.ly/461lZgR

I’m excited to share that On A Roll Mobility Services is once again partnering with ICS Thrive, our new social adult day program, to host our next hands-on Wheelchair Clean-up and Tune-up Workshop to support wheelchair users facing challenges with cleaning and maintaining their wheelchairs.   The next event will take place on July 10, from 4-5:30pm at our Independence Care System Brooklyn office at 25 Elm Place. All are welcome to attend. Interested or know someone who might be? Register today by emailing events@icsny.org or call 646. 653. 6034. We hope to see you there!

It was my pleasure to recently join my Independence Care System colleague Christy Cruz – Cullins on BronxNet Community Television to discuss the importance of primary care for people with disabilities, as well as ICS being named a recipient of a $200K New York Health Foundation (NYHealth) grant to further develop a Center of Excellence in Primary Care for People with Physical Disabilities. This significant NYHealth grant will allow us to collect important data which will help us inform healthcare professionals in clinics and beyond as to how to ensure for quality care for people with disabilities. In partnership with New York City Health and Hospitals (H+H), the largest community hospital system in the country, we’re working to develop a model of primary care for the disability community that works, and that addresses the various barriers the population faces, including ensuring that one’s disability is identifiable in medical records so physicians can provide disability-competent care. You can watch the full interview on Optimum Channel 67 or FiOS 2133 this Saturday at noon!

I am proud to share a piece that I wrote with my colleague, Civics League for Disability Rights Co-Leader Marcus Johnson, CRC, LMHC, BC-TMH, CCTP, which was published in Health Affairs Forefront.   Our story is personal, candid, and documents the healthcare challenges we have faced. But the piece goes beyond that. What’s become clear is the significance and necessity of a Medicare-Medicaid integrated plan, and how it can be designed to meet the needs of dually eligible adults with disabilities.   Read the story and please share with those who may also be interested. https://bit.ly/3Q1fAvM

We must remember our history, so as to learn from it. Today is Juneteenth, which commemorates the end of slavery in the United States and marks the freedom of the African American community. The adoption of Juneteenth as a federal holiday has encouraged important dialogue and reflection about one of the darkest chapters of American history. What’s important is that those conversations continue. As we continue to witness inequality and injustice across the country, we need to unite, to understand, to learn from our history, and to ensure that our vision of equality becomes a reality. 

Today, Juneteenth, marks the day when Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1865 with the news that more than 250,000 enslaved African Americans in the state were free. Many Americans mark this date as the end of slavery in America.   It serves as a day to recognize the achievements of the Black community, while providing an opportunity for self-reflection on the systemic injustices of racism that continue today. At ICS, we not only strive to support the health, mobility and independence of our members, but continue to make strides as a disability justice organization whose work is centered on diversity, equity and inclusion.   Today, I hope we can all take time to reflect on our history, consider how we can strive toward creating a more racially-equitable society, and to consider how we can make our communities more inclusive for all.