Institute Free Clinics Receive Cancer Screening Award from NYC DOHMH

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Victoria McNair

Institute Free Clinics Receive Cancer Screening Award from NYC DOHMH

March 28, 2019

On Friday, March 8th, the ECHO and New York City Free Clinics were recognized by the New York City Department of Health & Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) at the 2019 Community Cares Project (CCP) Partner Recognition Ceremony. The NYC DOHMH honored the Institute for Family Health’s Free Clinics for their efforts to eradicate colon cancer by encouraging patients to have regular screenings, including colonoscopies. The CCP provides all aspects of colonoscopy screenings free of charge to uninsured patients referred from primary care sites.

Last year, the Institute referred more than 200 patients to get screened through the program. After the awards ceremony, Dr. Amarilys Cortijo, the Institute’s Medical Director for the Free Clinics, said, “I truly commend the Department of Health for their dedication to this program. Through this partnership, we have been able to provide this preventive care service to an underserved population.”

The Institute operates two free clinics, one in the Bronx and one in Manhattan. Both provide high-quality health care to the uninsured. Students from two of New York’s premier medical schools, New York University and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, volunteer at the clinics each weekend. “Our success is a testament to the hard work of our medical students who volunteer their time and efforts to the Institute’s Free Clinics and to serving the community,” Dr. Cortijo said. Visit our website to learn more about the ECHO and New York City Free Clinics.

If you’re between 50 and 75 years old, talk to your primary care provider about getting screened for colon cancer.