The Arnhold Institute for Global Health at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and NYC Health + Hospitals have launched the COVID-19 Unit for Research at Elmhurst (CURE-19).
The new initiative will translate data, experiences, and lessons from clinicians at NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst and NYC Health +Hospitals/Queens into research to address both the pandemic and the root causes of health disparities in New York City. CURE-19 is housed within NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst’s Global Health Institute and operates in partnership with the Arnhold Institute for Global Health.
“The devastating impact of a pandemic can be significantly exacerbated by longstanding social, economic, and health inequities, which is what we are seeing in communities across New York and the world, said Dennis S. Charney, MD, Dean of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and President for the Academic Affairs of the Mount Sinai Health System.
He reports, “Through CURE-19, we are bringing together extensive resources, expertise from both the Mount Sinai Health System and Elmhurst Hospital which are serving populations that are socioeconomically, demographically, and culturally diverse.”
CURE-19 has identified three areas of urgent need in Queens to address in collaboration with leaders and experts in the borough’s communities:
- COVID-19 has added considerable stressors for pregnant women, from the fear of contracting the virus to managing birth and the first weeks of care for newborns. CURE-19 is studying a cohort of affected women and their newborns and engaging community-based organizations to collaborate to improve the care of mothers and children
- People living with HIV experience both immune suppression and other social and economic vulnerabilities that put them at a high risk for COVID-19. CURE-19 is launching phone-based assessments, outreach, and clinical support for people with HIV in Kenya and New York City to evaluate the impact of the pandemic on adolescent and adult’s physical, mental, and social health
Social and environmental determinants factors drive the risk of COVID-19 related illnesses as well as the rise in other diseases and conditions during the pandemic. CURE-19 is conducting a large retrospective analysis to assess the impact of air pollution, overcrowding, race/ethnicity, income, the environment, and other factors affecting the severity of COVID-19
According to Dr. Vreeman, Pediatrician and Global Health Researcher, “We can apply the lessons and the data to make fundamental changes in how we deliver healthcare and address the issues that have long contributed to the social and environmental challenges these populations face. Our goal is to open the door to more engagement and provide better access and improved health outcome to all underserved communities.”