by Dave Daniels
President, DaveD MARKETING
Brooklyn, NY – For most New Yorkers, despite our culturally and socially diverse backgrounds, a strong love and appreciation for one’s elders appears to be a consistent element as flowers blossom in Central Park, or rows of books in the Brooklyn Public Library.
Appreciation for senior citizens, in essence, our collective grandmothers, aunties grandfathers, etc., is well deserved. After all, whether in Bed-Stuy or beyond, it is these seniors who either tilled the soil or were on the front lines fighting for voting rights, or who taught us how to read. With that in mind, this author is grateful to recently have been introduced to a group called Age-Friendly Central Brooklyn. Led by vivacious seniors, they will host several events for Active Aging Week 2023 inclusive of a free health forum on October 4th in collaboration with NYC H+H Woodhull Hospital, and as no surprise, the long-time unwavering voice of advocacy for senior citizens, NYS Assembly Member Stefani L. Zinerman, 56th District Brooklyn.

The forum will feature a slideshow presentation by the highly respected Harriet Washington, a presentation on understanding recent changes with Medicare, breakfast refreshments, a guided tour, and other speakers. It will be held on the 3rd Floor Conference Room at Woodhull, located at 760 Broadway (corner of Flushing) in Brooklyn, on Wednesday, October 4, 2023, from 10:00 am – 2:30 pm ET. To join virtually, you may either call 1-844-621-3956 US Toll-Free or log in to WebEx using access code 2302 144 2974; the password is DCsBpgm@442.
“Our status as an Age Friendly District speaks to the rich resources we have that support the health and vitality of our elders. We set our policy based on older adults having the ability to ‘age in place.’ Bedford Stuyvesant and Crown Heights are transportation-rich environments, have senior housing, indoor and outdoor social spaces including, and a robust volunteer and civic structure that supports healthy initiatives and services championed by Age Friendly Central Brooklyn and at HHC Woodhull.” said New York Assembly Member Stefani L. Zinerman.
NYC Health + Hospitals/Woodhull location, with genuinely dedicated leadership, has been steadily investing resources and improving its clinical services for senior citizens, expecting mothers, and all others across Bedford-Stuyvesant, Bushwick, Williamsburg, Greenpoint, and Fort Greene Brooklyn.
If you’ve had the chance to see the magnificent renovation and expansion of Woodhull Hospital’s emergency department or the improved OB-GYN suite, you certainly get a feeling that the hospital is moving to become a “preferred choice” for healthcare services. For the convenience of seniors, Woodhull Hospital’s geriatric care center assigns one doctor to coordinate all specialty care referrals that may be needed for health problems such as diabetes, heart disease, etc.

“As we live out our mission of an “active, rich and fulfilling life”, the most important component is GOOD HEALTH! We say to healthcare providers, “Good Health has no age limit and we seek care as do others.” We accomplish that by inviting providers to engage in conversation with our members. The upcoming forum on health equity and understanding Medicare services will continue to keep our community informed, especially as we slowly come out of the pandemic.” stated Selma Jackson, President of Age-Friendly Central Brooklyn. Age Friendly Central Brooklyn’s mission is to empower adults 62 and older to live an active, rich, and fulfilling life by engaging in activities that meet their social, economic, cultural, and civic interests in Central Brooklyn.
Also important, Woodhull Hospital seems to be matching its push for medical excellence with a strong commitment to building bridges of support at the community level. For instance, a couple of things come to mind. The hospital recently held its 3rd annual Back-To-School and Anti-Gun Violence Fair, that is led by the incredibly energetic Jessica Arocho, Director of Community Affairs. The fair distributed over 1,750 backpacks stuffed with school supplies to community members. Also indicative of Woodhull’s desire to really hear peoples’ feedback is the establishment of a Patient & Family Advisory Council. To schedule an appointment, call (844) 692-4692.