Q&A
Council Member Narcisse discusses kidney disease treatment and transplant services with health officials
2:07:43
·
4 min
Council Member Mercedes Narcisse engages in a discussion with health officials about kidney disease treatment and transplant services in New York City. She expresses concern about the potential closure of a kidney transplant facility in Brooklyn and asks about plans to ensure continued care for patients with chronic kidney disease.
- Dr. Michelle Morse from the NYC Health Department acknowledges the importance of specialty care access but clarifies that they don't provide direct services like kidney transplants.
- Laura Iavicoli from NYC Health and Hospitals explains that while they don't have a kidney transplant program, they do provide care for chronic kidney disease patients.
- Narcisse emphasizes the need for proactive planning to ensure continuous care for patients requiring kidney transplants.
Mercedes Narcisse
2:07:43
You done?
2:07:49
With over 1,100,000 adults in New York state living with chronic kidney disease, particularly impacting black and Hispanic communities.
2:08:00
Due to social economic and health care access disparities.
2:08:06
How will Department of Health and H and H will ensure that those special t services like those provided by downstate, if they close, which will not allow it.
2:08:19
But then again, we have to be proactive.
2:08:24
So how which I mean, downstate, if that happened, which serve as the only kidney transplant facility in Brooklyn remain available to meet these critical needs.
2:08:36
So how we're gonna plan this just in case for which not gonna happen?
Dr. Michelle Morse
2:08:44
Yeah.
2:08:44
We are very aligned on needing to prioritize access to specialty care, especially things like kidney transplant.
2:08:52
For the New York City health department, we don't provide specialty care services like kidney transplants, so we're not a service delivery organization in that particular area.
2:09:03
However, we do see the opportunity to continue to raise awareness and partner with our healthcare delivery partners around again raising awareness about needs for access to kidney transplant.
2:09:16
So even though we're not doing the service delivery, we do see it as a priority issue.
2:09:21
And I'll pass it to our healthcare delivery partners in the city, Doctor.
2:09:24
Yavacoli.
Laura Iavicoli
2:09:26
So, Health And Hospitals does not have a kidney transplant program, but we do take care of patients in all of our acute care facilities with chronic kidney disease and have renal special lists available throughout our health system.
Mercedes Narcisse
2:09:42
My question, it was not that you're providing the care department of health, but if the folks in New York City, you have 1.1 in the state, and we have a good portion in New York City.
2:09:57
So we are part of the solutions of the problem in the city.
2:10:02
So how are we planning to make sure that those folks that need the transplant, that need the kidney, that suffering from whatever, I'm sure, including dialysis and all that.
2:10:15
Are we planning something if that happened, how we respond to it?
2:10:21
THAT'S BASICALLY How WE'RE GOING TO RESPOND TO THAT BECAUSE WE ALL DEPARTMENT OF HEALTHY A KEY ROLE VERY INSTUMENTAL IN MAKING SURE THAT OUR NEEDS IN TERM OF DISEASES ARE BEING APPROACH.
Laura Iavicoli
2:10:36
Our facilities at health and hospitals are able to provide support for chronic kidney disease and dialysis patients as needed on an emergent basis.
2:10:46
But again, we don't have a kidney transplant program.
Mercedes Narcisse
2:10:51
I think that's the time that we had to be proactive in planning.
2:10:56
Because those folks that suffer that need the treatment are gonna be around.
2:11:01
I mean, I'm saying we're gonna fight.
2:11:03
Don't get me wrong.
2:11:04
When we fight this, we win.
2:11:05
That's what happened.
2:11:07
Gonna do that.
2:11:07
But I feel like more planning strategically should be going on right now just in case if that happened, those folks that I need to transplant, there's no stop in the in the care for them.
2:11:20
Because we need to continue providing the best quality healthcare in New York City.
2:11:26
Having said that, was Jerry?
2:11:28
Jerry Vera, do you have any question?
2:11:33
I am so grateful and thankful for you to be here and stay, especially we have to disrupt something, and then you still collaborate with us.
2:11:43
So I wanna say thank you from the bottom of my heart.
2:11:46
And let's continue pushing to make sure we provide care in New York City.
2:11:51
Thank you.
Dr. Michelle Morse
2:11:52
Thank you.
2:11:53
Thank you.
