Op-Ed
Giving cops the help they
need to save their lives
At an October press conference, Dr. Philip Wilner of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital
talks about Finest Care – offering counseling for free to police officers with
complete privacy in light of recent spate of suicides of officers, as Mayor de Blasio
listens.
BY JUSTIN BRANNAN
It has been almost three months since the
tenth New York City police offi cer took
their life this year. I pray we will see many
decades pass before another police offi cer suicide
occurs.
In October, the city and the NYPD announced
a pilot program, Finest Care, which
connects police offi cers with psychologists
and psychiatrists from New York-Presbyterian
affi liated facilities for the provision of services
free of charge.
With the holiday season upon us, I want to
make sure our police offi cers are reminded
that this anonymous service is available.
The City’s Department of Investigation has
not only declared that “the NYPD is facing
a crisis” in its 51-page report issued in September
but that “perceived stigmatization is a
common explanation for underused services.”
It is with this in mind that I sent a letter
to the NYPD requesting information on the
number of police offi cers who have taken
advantage of these newly established mental
health services from the New York-Presbyterian
affi liated facilities.
While the NYPD does not know the names
of those police offi cers who received this service,
PHOTO BY TODD MAISEL
it has been reported that they are being
told the numbers. I think it’s important that
we know if we’re getting this right.
In addition, I am working on legislation to
allow all New York City employees who are required
to carry a gun on their job be provided
free and private mental health services from a
doctor of their choosing as part of their New
York City health benefi ts. The City would be
required to pay the prevailing rate for these
services.
This will be well worth it if it provides the
anonymity needed to remove the threat of stigmatization,
allowing those New York City employees
we count on every day to keep us safe,
to not only continue to do their jobs in a most
effective manner, but to keep them, and their
families, safe from the devastation that results
when someone takes their own life.
It takes herculean courage to stare down the
unknown everyday as a New York City cop.
Cops must summon that same strength to ask
for help.
There is no shame in reaching out. We need
to make that clear by giving them the support
and the space they need.
Brannan represents the Brooklyn neighborhoods
of Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, Bensonhurst
and Bath Beach in the City Council.
Increasing diversity
among city doctors
BY JO WIEDERHORN
Jaime Nieto’s immigrant
story is both typical and exceptional.
When he immigrated to
New York from Colombia at
age 19, he didn’t speak a word
of English. He worked in construction
to get his footing and
eventually enrolled in college.
His goal was to one day become
a doctor. But, like many,
when he applied to medical
school, he didn’t get in.
Thankfully, Nieto got support
to overcome the barriers
to medical school enrollment
through the Associated Medical
Schools of New York’s
(AMSNY) Diversity in Medicine
Program.
Today, Dr. Nieto is Chief of
Neurologic Surgery and Spine
Surgery at New York Presbyterian
Queens. That’s not just
great for Dr. Nieto, it’s also a
boon for his patients.
Dr. Nieto estimates that
90% of the patients he serves
are Latinx and says that being
able to communicate with
Spanish-speaking patients, and
relate to their immigrant experiences,
has a big impact on the
care they receive.
That’s not surprising: research
shows people have better
health outcomes when they
get care from a doctor of their
ethnic background.
The good news is that according
to data collected by
AMSNY, there is increased diversity
across medical schools
in New York State. Between
2008 and 2018, the percentage
of medical school students who
are underrepresented increased
from 13.1% to 16.1%.
According to a new survey
by the University at Albany’s
Center for Health Workforce
Studies, only 15% of doctors
in NYS are Black, Hispanic or
American Indian, compared
with 33% of the population.
With a rapidly diversifying
population, we clearly need to
create more opportunities to
support individuals who are
underrepresented in medicine.
New York State is helping.
Thanks to fi nancial support
from the Department of
Health, over 500 individuals
from underrepresented backgrounds
have enrolled in medical
school just through the
AMSNY Diversity in Medicine
post-baccalaureate programs.
Furthermore, thanks to an
AMSNY Diversity in Medicine
scholarship established by the
State Legislature, under the
leadership of Crystal Peoples-
Stokes and Michael Blake,
underrepresented students are
getting help covering the cost
of their medical education,
which is one of the biggest deterrents
to medical school for
underrepresented students.
Despite these great programs,
the growing diversity
of NYS’ population clearly
calls for doing more. There
are many students from backgrounds
underrepresented
in medicine who want – and
should – become doctors. We
need to expand programs that
help them.
Jo Wiederhorn is CEO and
president of the Associated
Medical Schools of New York.
SOUND OFF
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