First Lady Raquel Arbaje, the Permanent Representative of the Dominican Republic to the United Nations, Ambassador José A. Blanco, and NYC Health + Hospitals, signed an agreement on Monday that will benefit the Dominican community in New York, with a particular focus on pediatric care, through Metropolitan Hospital, in East Harlem (El Barrio).
In a press release, they indicated that the initiative will include primary and emergency care, behavioral health and referrals for surgical procedures and specialized services throughout the city’s public health care system.
The president of the Cabinet for Children and Adolescents explained that Metropolitan Hospital and the Government of the Dominican Republic will cooperate with each other to facilitate the care of Dominican patients, particularly children, who are in the custody of the government at Metropolitan Hospital or in the NYC Health + Hospitals system in general, including for surgeries or other procedures that will be reimbursed at negotiated rates.
“This collaboration with NYC Health + Hospitals / Metropolitan and the New York City public health system allows us to demonstrate, once again, that the health of the Dominican people, whether in the Dominican Republic or abroad, is a priority for the Dominican Government headed by President Luis Abinader,” said the First Lady.
Meanwhile, the president and CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals, Mitchell Katz, MD, explained that, with this agreement, NYC Health + Hospitals / Metropolitan will strive to be a national model and champion of culturally competent care for diverse immigrant communities, such as those served by the New York City municipal hospital system.
Meanwhile, Cristina Contreras, CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals / Metropolitan, thanked the First Lady for selecting them for this collaboration: “We are proud to be a health care provider of choice for our Dominican patients and for all the communities we serve.
NYC Health + Hospitals is the largest public health care system in the United States, providing essential services to more than one million New Yorkers each year at more than 70 locations throughout the city’s five boroughs.
