City officials are hoping a new asthma center in East Harlem will improve health in a neighborhood that has some of the highest rates for the respiratory disease. The $3.5 million facility on East 110th street will offer free treatment to asthmatic children.
Health commissioner Thomas Farley says the center is part of an effort to reduce the 25 percent childhood asthma rate in the neighborhood.
"They will refer families with people who can work with them to reduce asthma triggers in the home, such as pests, such as mold, so that they don't have attacks in the first place," Farley says.
The center's consultants will also keep after asthmatic kids to make sure they take their medication and offer smoking cessation programs for parents.
Arun Venugopal is a reporter and the creator of Micropolis, WNYC’s multi-platform series examining race, sexuality, religion, street life and other issues that define New York City. He has been with the station since 2005, and has covered a wide range of stories, including the death of Sean Bell, the controversy over the Park 51 mosque and community center and Occupy Wall Street .
Comments [1]
Asthma is likely to increase in East Harlem as the City continues to install dog runs with crushed stone surfaces which contains powder fine dust that blows around with every breeze coating people, benches and the surrounding park. Recent East Side installations include East River Parks Haswell Green located in the 60's and Carl Schurz Park located in the 80s. There have been many complaints by residents with allergies to the particulate pollution caused by the fine crushed stone. Despite the complaints and despite alternative less costly dog run surfaces, Jessica Lappin, Carolyn Maloney and Micah Kellner continue to fund use of these dog run surfaces on the advice of Bill Castro, Manhattan Parks Commissioner and Adrian Benepe Parks Commissioner.
Leave a Comment
Register for your own account so you can vote on comments, save your favorites, and more. Learn more.
Please stay on topic, be civil, and be brief.
Email addresses are never displayed, but they are required to confirm your comments. Names are displayed with all comments. We reserve the right to edit any comments posted on this site. Please read the Comment Guidelines before posting. By leaving a comment, you agree to New York Public Radio's Privacy Policy and Terms Of Use.