Advocacy Updates & Action

IN THE MEDIA: How monkeypox spoiled gay men’s plans for an invincible summer

By Benjamin RyanNBC News Hesitance from family members (to hug gay men), said Ben Rosen, a psychotherapist at Harlem United in New York, parallels the cold shoulder many gay men got during the early AIDS crisis, “where people are being told, ‘Oh maybe you shouldn’t come visit.’”For many gay and bisexual men, the sprawling and chaotic monkeypox outbreak has upended a summer that was supposed to be a well-earned opportunity — following the peak of the Covid crisis — to finally have some fun and revel with their gay brothers without the threat of viral ...

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IN THE MEDIA: NYC enlists community groups to help close monkeypox vaccine gaps for Black and brown residents

By Caroline Lewis and Jaclyn Jeffrey-Wilensky Gothamist “[Health care] providers really need to spend time educating, answering questions, working through the mistrust issues, and trying to dispel all of the rumors and the misinformation that is out there" - Jacqui Kilmer, Harlem United CEO New York City is finally showing some progress toward quelling this summer’s alarming monkeypox outbreak — but the city is calling on community groups to close a gap in vaccines for Black and brown New Yorkers. The number of new cases is starting to trend downward across the ...

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Letter to the CDC on MPV

Harlem United and other community-based organizations have been in continuous contact with the CDC, urging measures to equitably contain the MPV outbreak: Increase the proportion of vaccines allocated to NYC so that it is equitable relative to the proportion of all known infections diagnosed in NYC;Follow the lead of NY State Governor Kathy Hochul and NYC Mayor Eric Adams by partnering with the White House to declare monkeypox a public health emergency so that funding can support the vaccination, public education, and related patient care needed;Require the FDA to shift ...

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PRESS RELEASE: Calling for a More Equitable Distribution of Monkeypox Vaccine

For immediate releaseContact: Maya Martin-Udry  |  mmartinudry@harlemunited.org  |  646.400.7621 New York, July 12 – Community-based organizations are extremely concerned about the JYNNEOSTM monkeypox vaccine's inequitable distribution. The epicenter of the monkeypox outbreak is New York City (NYC), primarily among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men. If our public health agencies at all levels of government fail to act quickly and effectively, we fear that this virus will continue to spread throughout NYC and become endemic, not only among white gay ...

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We Stand with Nushawn

Nushawn Williams served his time as of 2010, but he is still detained in custody 12 years later. His case hinged on his HIV status, which was used to portray him as a monster through fearmongering and stigma. It's time to Free Nushawn!Harlem United joined other HIV advocacy groups to urge the NYS Attorney General to release Nushawn Williams. Learn more about this urgent case

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Harlem United Urges Legislators to Pass Primary Care Bill

Harlem United joined healthcare advocates from across New York State to send a letter to legislative leaders in Albany, encouraging them to support A7230-B (Gottfried) / S6534-C (Rivera).The proposed legislation would convene a collaborative of expert stakeholders to: Define primary care for the purposes of measuring spendingOversee the collection of spending data from all payers across New York StatePublish a report on current primary care spendingProvide recommendations to gradually increase the proportion of health care spending that goes to primary care across all ...

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IN THE MEDIA: New York City drug overdose data from 2021 continues to rise; providers are expanding harm reduction

By Max Parrott amNY “Is that going into an agency like ours to actually trickle down to the ground of getting people off opioids into treatment into long-term job opportunities and housing?” - Tamisha McPherson, Chief External Affairs and Development Officer | Executive Director of URAM In 2020 the number of fatal drug overdose deaths in New York City surged to the highest level since reporting on that statistic began in 2000. A report released earlier this month shows that 2021’s tragic overdose death toll is on track to be even higher. The first two quarters of ...

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IN THE MEDIA: Pharmacy carve-out would harm Medicaid beneficiaries, put lives at risk

By Save NY's Safety Net Coalition Empire Report “The pharmacy counter is where the rubber meets the road for many of the patients we see. This policy will lead to treatment delays that will needlessly put the lives of the most vulnerable New Yorkers at risk. If we want to tackle long-standing health disparities with an equitable, whole health approach, we cannot dis-integrate the pharmacy benefit from Medicaid managed care.”  - Jacqui Kilmer, Harlem United CEO For years, Carol struggled to manage her multiple chronic conditions, including HIV and sickle cell ...

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Safety Net Providers Demand Repeal of Medicaid Pharmacy Carve-Out

https://www.harlemunited.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Hero-Image.mp4 Harlem United client Anthony Randolf speaks at a rally at Governor Hochul's Manhattan office on March 1, 2022 For Immediate Release March 1, 2022 Contact: Liz Benjamin, Liz@MarathonStrategies.com 518-424-0356 Safety-Net Providers Mark 2-Year Anniversary of NYC’s First Confirmed COVID-19 Case, Demand Governor Hochul Protect Vulnerable Patients by Permanently Repealing Medicaid Drug Carve-Out Local Health Centers That Provided Essential, Life-Saving Care, Vaccines To At-Risk New Yorkers Will Lose ...

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Harlem United Supports Primary Care Investment Bill

Harlem United joined healthcare advocates from across New York State to send a letter to Governor Hochul, encouraging her to incorporate S6534A (Rivera)/A7230 (Gottfried) into her FY23 Executive Budget. The proposed legislation would convene a collaborative of expert stakeholders to:  Define primary care for the purposes of measuring spending Oversee the collection of spending data from all payers across New York State Publish a report on current primary care spending Provide recommendations to gradually increase the proportion of health care spending ...

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