Programs Description

In keeping with the our belief that health education and health promotion programs are essential to the mission of St. Barnabas Hospital [SBH], the staff has developed and maintains a number of community outreach activities as follows:

Medical Marketing/Promotional Activities

The staff of the Community Affairs and External Affairs Departments works in close collaboration on a host of marketing and promotional activities with regard to the extensive medical, dental and mental health service offerings of the St. Barnabas Healthcare System. Members of the staff actively participate on the Public Relations Committee, which meets weekly to discuss participation in health-related community events, advertising and marketing strategies and prepare promotional ads on a wide variety hospital services and programs for the print media.

Collaboration with Community Based Organizations and Neighborhood Service Providers

Hospital Staff serves on Bronx Community Planning Boards, boards of local organizations and local Medical Advisory Boards. In this capacity, the staffs coordinate multi-lingual presentations by all of the health disciplines of St. Barnabas at regularly scheduled board meetings, public hearings and meetings of local community organizations. This collaboration with neighborhood service networks affords the St. Barnabas staff a unique opportunity to acquaint area residents with the hospital health professionals and the constellation of health services available. The medical marketing staff enters into and maintains affiliation agreements with service providers in an effort to assure the accessibility of health care for the clients of community based providers and treatment programs. These affiliation agreements are closely monitored for efficacy and revised as needed.

School-Based Mental Health Services

SBH Behavioral Health, an affiliate of St. Barnabas, maintains mental health programs offering comprehensive psychological and preventive services to children and their families on-site at three public elementary schools in the South Bronx.

SBH Wellness Alliance (SBHWA)

SBH Wellness Alliance(SBHWA) is a recognition of the importance of community partnerships. While promoting health equity, access and cultural sensitivity, the SBHWA regularly brings together community partners and stakeholders with the common goal of improving the health and wellbeing of the community we serve.

Blood and Eye Tissue and Organ Donor Drives

The Auxiliary of SBH Health Systems sponsors on site intermittent community/employee blood drives with the New York Blood Center and organ and tissue donor drives in conjunction with the Eye Bank for Sight Restoration. The Auxiliary also encourages and facilitates other sponsor sites in the community. In addition, the Auxiliary has provided financial support for pilot studies on childhood obesity/diabetes at three parochial elementary schools in the primary service area of the Hospital.

Community Health Fairs

Members of the St. Barnabas staff initiate and/or participate in health fairs in the surrounding multi-diverse and culturally rich communities. We are aware of the cultural perspectives and differences and ensure that the people receive the information in the appropriate manner.  These events are held on-site at neighborhood social service centers, churches, schools and senior citizen centers, often in cooperation with the local community planning boards or merchant’s associations. Health fairs are also offered on campus at or in front of hospital healthcare facilities.

Humanitarian Initiatives

In addition to being a vital health and human service resource to the people of the Bronx and beyond, St. Barnabas Hospital and its affiliates have a long and distinguished history of reaching out to assist victims of human tragedies both in our immediate communities, e.g., Happy Land Social Club Fire, and in countries throughout the world. St. Barnabas has sent relief teams, medical supplies, food, clothing and monetary donations in response to floods, earthquakes, hurricanes or scud missile attacks that hit these areas.

Mobile Mammography Vehicle

St. Barnabas Hospital has the only Bronx based mobile mammography van. This vehicle is used to perform mammograms, instruct women on breast self exam technique and for referrals to follow up health care. The services are available to both insured and uninsured women regardless of citizenship status. The vehicle also serves as a tool to distribute health related literature, to raise awareness about breast cancer and to make visitors aware of the health care services available at the hospital.

Community Center of Excellence in Women’s Health [CCOE]

SBH partners with the community in promoting wellness and disease prevention education. Our health education workshop activities are held at community locations, day and evenings, and offered in English, Spanish and French. Let us know what topics you want to learn more about. The health screenings offered at community health fairs include dental and blood pressure.

Community Service Plan [CSP]

The St Barnabas Hospital Community Service Plan is a response to the New York State healthiest state initiative referred to as The Prevention Agenda. The hospital participates in a collaborative approach to community health assessment and planning and documents these efforts in its Community Service Plan. The State selected 10 public health priorities and asked the hospital to focus on selected topics over a three year period. St Barnabas Hospital identified access to quality health care, tobacco use and diabetes as three important issues to address. The group regularly meets and engages in joint and/or independent activities to address the health measures and work on improved health outcomes for Bronx residents.

Information Display Tabling

In an ongoing effort to promote awareness of and information on a wide variety of health issues, especially those issues that constitute the main health indicators for the communities St. Barnabas serves, such as Heart Disease, COPD, Cancer, Asthma, HIV/AIDS, Diabetes and Obesity, the health educator, the Hospital’s Always Caring Volunteers and health professionals representing the various health disciplines of St. Barnabas work in close collaboration on preparing posters and literature for distribution to patients, visitors and staff of the Hospital and ambulatory care sites. Health professionals remain available to address a given topic. The Health Information Display Tables, manned by the Always Caring volunteers, are strategically placed in the Hospital’s main lobby and in patient waiting areas throughout the Hospital and the Ambulatory Care Network. Most of the health literature distributed is published by the federal CDC, NYS Department of Health and the NYC Department of Health-Mental Hygiene.