PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Justine Tetteh, Director of Policy and Advocacy at Lenox Hill Neighborhood House, on Public Health Emergency Preparedness
2:11:02
ยท
3 min
Justine Tetteh, representing Lenox Hill Neighborhood House, provided testimony on public health emergency preparedness and response in New York City. She emphasized the importance of improving emergency protocols and supporting vulnerable communities before, during, and after public health emergencies.
- Highlighted Lenox Hill Neighborhood House's role in providing essential services to over 15,000 New Yorkers annually, including emergency responses and preparedness
- Stressed the need for the city to reevaluate public health preparedness, especially in light of the new federal administration
- Called for strengthening agency coordination, communication, and emergency response procedures based on lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic
Justine Tetteh
2:11:02
Hi.
2:11:03
Good afternoon Chair Schulman and esteemed members of the Committee on Health.
2:11:07
My name is Justine Tete and I'm the Director of Policy and Advocacy at Lenox Neighborhood House.
2:11:12
Thank you so much for holding this important health oversight hearing.
2:11:16
I'm here today to represent my colleagues, our clients, and communities served by Lenox Hill Neighborhood House.
2:11:21
Lenox Hill Neighborhood House was originally founded in 1894 as a free kindergarten for immigrants and is among the oldest settlement houses in the nation.
2:11:29
At its core, the work has not changed since our founding.
2:11:32
We still educate children, feed hungry neighbors, care for the elderly, advocate for vulnerable individuals, and provide critical comprehensive services to communities in need, helping them to gain the skills to strengthen themselves today and build a better community for tomorrow.
2:11:48
As a licensed mental health counselor who has worked with vulnerable communities, it is an honor to advocate for our underserved community members and shed light on how our city can improve emergency preparedness, prevention, and response protocols.
2:12:01
More than our advocacy, our underserved community members need information, safeguards and representation from our city agencies and elected officials that ease financial and social instability before, during and after disastrous public health emergencies.
2:12:16
Lenox Hill Neighborhood House provides essential services to over 15,000 New Yorkers in need annually including emergency responses and preparedness.
2:12:25
Our two older adult centers which serve over 5,000 older adult New Yorkers annually serve as cooling centers during heat emergencies seven days a week.
2:12:34
In addition to providing three nutritious farm to table congregate meals, our members also have access to a daily calendar of social activities and programming and comprehensive on-site social service support which includes benefit assistance, access to healthcare, referrals transportation, case assistance and mental health support.
2:12:51
Our women's mental health shelter at the Park Avenue Armory which operates twenty fourseven, three sixty five days a year provides emergency shelter to 80 women living with mental illnesses daily and responds to both code red and code blue weather emergencies.
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Each year we support 200 plus women experiencing homelessness.
2:13:11
We have foster safe spaces for community members with limited resources and respond to emergency needs across our programs and services for children and families to older adults.
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Just as the neighborhood house has worked on providing safe spaces for the community, we urge the city to reevaluate their public health preparedness especially in light of our new federal administration.
2:13:30
The COVID nineteen pandemic was unprecedented and unpredicted, however quickly and significantly rippled through our city, uprooted our communities, healthcare system, social service, resource reserves, and workforce.
2:13:44
And as we move forward in rebuilding our city after a tumultuous five years, it is imperative that our local government recognizes the need to strengthen agency coordination, communication, and emergency response procedures.
2:13:54
It is our job as a community advocate to be a voice for vulnerable New Yorkers.
2:13:58
Emergency response is more than Can
Lynn Schulman
2:14:00
you just summarize?
2:14:02
Thank While
Justine Tetteh
2:14:04
we recognize that the investments in improving these systems will not be immediate, we remain hopeful that more recognition on these issues will spark movement to find a solution.