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Health

In case of Medical Emergency, call 911, or go to the emergency room of your local municipal hospital.

All branches of The New York Public Library have collections of books on general health topics, and some have videos and DVDs as well. The New York Public Library's Health Information Service offers workshops and maintains a website, www.nypl.org/branch/central/mml/hic. From there you can access databases (with your library card) and websites featuring quality information about diseases and conditions, medical terminology, help finding a doctor, and more.

Finding Health Care

For referrals to private doctors, call the medical society in your borough. Medical societies are voluntary membership organizations for doctors, keeping track of specializations and certifications. They can also provide information on obtaining medical records and patients' rights. To determine what insurance the doctors accept, call their offices directly.

Bronx County Medical Society
at 718.548.4401 Mon.–Fri. 9–4:30.

Medical Society of the County of Kings (Brooklyn)
at 718.745.5800, Mon.-Fri. 9-4.

Queens County Medical Society
at 718.268.7300 Mon.–Fri. 9–4.

Richmond County Medical Society (Staten Island)
at 718.442.7267 Mon.–Fri. 8:30–4:30.

New York County Medical Society (Manhattan)
at 212.684.4670 Mon.–Fri. 9:30-4.

The American Medical Association (AMA) DoctorFinder is an online tool to help check a doctor's background, or find a doctor by specialty: http://webapps.ama-assn.org/doctorfinder.

COMMUNITY HEALTHCARE NETWORK

Telephone: 212.366.4500
www.chnnyc.org
A non-profit network of New York health centers with locations in Bushwick, Crown Heights, East New York, Harlem, Jamaica, the Lower East Side, Red Hook, South Bronx and Washington Heights. Primary care, reproductive health, family planning, STD testing, and comprehensive HIV services provided. Dental, mental health, foot care, prenatal care, mammogram referral and cancer screening also offered. Offers sliding scale fees for people without insurance and provides services regardless of ability to pay. Call for more information, the site nearest you and languages spoken. Centers accessible to people with disabilities.

To make a complaint about a doctor, write or call the New York State Office of Professional Medical Conduct, 433 River St., Suite 303, Troy, NY 12180, Telephone: 800.663.6114. www.health.state.ny.us/nysdoh/opmc/opmc.htm.

General Information

MedlinePlus
www.medlineplus.gov
This site will help answer health questions, referring to authoritative information and tutorials from government agencies, medical schools and organizations. It also includes a medical dictionary, information about drugs and supplements, health news, and directories for hospitals, doctors and dentists. In English and Spanish.

Healthfinder
www.healthfinder.gov
A government sponsored site with links to more than 1,400 health-related organizations. Topics include: AIDS, alternative medicine, Medicare, choosing quality care, mental health, children's health, and disease prevention.

NYC Department of Health
http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh
A variety of information from the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene on common health concerns. Each health article is written in an easy-to-understand style.

New York Online Access to Health (NOAH)
www.noah-health.org
Includes information on health topics such as cancer, AIDS, tuberculosis, mental health, diabetes, asthma, and alternative medicine. Also has information about hospitals in New York. In English and Spanish.

Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
1600 Clifton Road, Atlanta, GA 30333
www.cdc.gov
On the CDC website diseases and other health topics are listed under the A-Z Index, or can be found through the search facility. You can also call the CDC Info number 24 hours a day at 800.342.2437 to request free publications or information on HIV/AIDS, cancer, diabetes, tobacco-related illness, nutrition, and twenty other frequent requested topics.

Hotlines

The Poison Control Center Hotline at 212.764.7667 (TDD: 212.689.9014) will advise you in an emergency caused by any kind of poisoning. Nurses and pharmacists are available 24 hours a day, and all calls are confidential. Translators are available for 150 different languages.

For tuberculosis testing and treatment, call the New York City Bureau of Tuberculosis Education & Training at 212.442.9968, Mon.-Fri. 9-5. Provides referrals to free TB clinics, testing, exams, and treatment.

Call 311 to find a free Sexually Transmitted Disease Control (STDC) Clinic in any of the five boroughs. Services at each clinic may include Rapid HIV testing, HIV counseling, Hepatitis services, and emergency contraception services. Minors do not need parental permission. Medical records are kept confidential.

For free information about cancer, call the American Cancer Society at 800.227.2345, or contact them by mail: ACS Eastern Division, Cancer Information Department, PO Box 7, East Syracuse, NY 13057. Specify which type of cancer you are seeking information on.

There are more health organizations and sources of information in the chapter Women.

Health Insurance

For information on Medicaid, see the chapter on Financial Assistance.

If your child is uninsured, you may be able to get help paying for treatment by requesting public health insurance. Call the New York City Human Resources Administration, Department of Social Services at 877.472.8411, Mon.-Fri. 8-5.

The five kinds of public health insurance in New York City are:

1. Medicaid: a program for New Yorkers who cannot afford to pay for medical care.
2. Child Health Plus: for New Yorkers under 19 years of age when family income is too high to qualify for Medicaid.
3. Family Planning Benefit Program: provides family planning services to any woman of child-bearing age and men who meet certain income and residency requirements.
4. Medicaid Buy-In Program for Working People with Disabilities: a program for people with disabilities who are working and earning more than the income limit for regular Medicaid, allowing people to keep their health care coverage through Medicaid.
5. There are also specific plans for pregnant women (the Prenatal Care Assistance Program), adults over age 65 (Medicare), and people living with HIV/AIDS (the HIV Special Needs Plan). For a list of all health insurance plans provided by New York State, see www.health.state.ny.us/health_care, or call 877.472.8411.

Mental Health

Any person in need of psychiatric help can report to the emergency room of any municipal hospital, even if she/he has no insurance. Hospitals make referrals, link people to outpatient programs, and can help with medication if necessary.

Call 800.LIFENET (800.543.3638, Spanish 877.298.3373; Mandarin/Cantonese/Korean 877.990.8585) anytime for referrals to affordable mental health and/or substance abuse services in your community. The service is confidential and provided by experienced specialists. Possible referrals include inpatient and outpatient facilities, neighborhood clinics, hospitals, and therapists. Also provides crisis-intervention assistance.

NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND MENTAL
HYGIENE NYC-LINK SYSTEM OF SERVICES

Provides services for people diagnosed with Severe Persistent Mental Illness (SPMI) who are confined in NYC jails, involved in court adjudication, or returning to the community after leaving confinement or court. The program assists in linking clients to treatment, residential treatment programs, housing, medication, and the acquisition of Medicaid and other benefits. Also serves the juvenile population. Referrals not necessary. Contact the program in your borough:

Manhattan
FEGS
New York City Link Program
315 Hudson Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10013
Telephone: 917.606.6560

Queens
Volunteers of America
Queens Forensic Link Program
163-18 Jamaica Avenue, 5th Floor
Jamaica, NY 11432
Telephone: 718.725.1560 ext. 202

Brooklyn and Staten Island
Education & Assistance Corporation
Brooklyn Forensic Linkage-Transition Program
175 Remsen Street, 6th Floor
Brooklyn, NY 11201
Telephone: 718.975.0180
(includes an Adolescent Link Program)

Bronx
Fordham Tremont Treatment Community
Mental Health Center
Bronx Link Program
2250 Ryer Avenue, 3rd Floor
Bronx, NY 10457
Telephone: 718.960.0643

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MENTAL HEALTH/INFORMATION CENTER

6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 8184 MSC 9663,
Bethesda, MD 20892–9663
Telephone: 866.615.6464
www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/
The National Institute of Mental Health makes available a variety of brochures on mental disorders free of charge by writing, calling or downloading from the above address. These pamphlets offer the latest information about the symptoms, diagnoses, and treatment of various mental illnesses. Easy-to-read materials are available. Some of the topics are: bipolar disorder, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia and psychiatric medications.

FOUNTAIN HOUSE, INC.

425 West 47th Street (at Ninth Avenue), Manhattan 10036
Telephone: 212.582.0340
www.fountainhouse.org
Dedicated to providing a community-based restorative environment throughout the five boroughs for people who are experiencing the disabling effects of psychiatric illness. Rehab centers facilitate adjustment of mentally ill people. Provides pre-vocational day programs, transitional employment opportunities, a full-time employment program, subsidized food, recreation, and housing alternatives. There is a waiting list for membership; call for details. Spanish and Sign Language also spoken. Mon. and Fri. 9-5; Wed. and Thu. 9-9; Sat. 5-10; Sun. 12-4:30.

BRONX PSYCHIATRIC CENTER

Ginsburg Outpatient Clinic
1500 Waters Place, Bronx 10461
Telephone: 718.862-4547
Provides psychiatric intervention and supportive counseling to individuals with serious mental illness. No referral necessary. Call Mon.-Fri. 9-4. Accessible to people with disabilities. Spanish also spoken.

HIP BRONX MENTAL HEALTH CENTER

400 East Fordham Road, 5th Floor, Bronx 10458
Telephone: 718.364.3500
Various mental health services for people 5 years of age and older, including individual therapy. Medicaid, Medicare, and other insurance accepted. First timers call Mon.-Fri. 9-5. Others call Mon.-Fri. 9-7. Spanish also spoken.

YOUTH COUNSELING LEAGUE

386 Park Avenue South, Suite 401, Manhattan 10016
Telephone: 212.481.2500
An outpatient psychiatric clinic designed to serve younger people and families who cannot afford clinics charging higher fees. Includes individual and group therapy. Ages served: 12-21. Payment by sliding scale. Medicaid and other insurance accepted. Call Mon. & Fri. 9-5, Tues, Wed. & Thurs. 9-8. Spanish also spoken.

HIV and AIDS

For up to date information on the HIV virus and AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome), call the following hotlines:

New York State AIDS Hotline
Taped information in both English and Spanish on prevention, diagnosis and treatment of AIDS. Also provides referrals to HIV testing sites and counseling services. Call 800.541.2437. Mon.-Fri. 8-8; Sat. 10-6.

New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
AIDS Hotline
Call 800.825.5448, Mon.-Fri. 9-5, for confidential information on AIDS and HIV testing. Spanish also spoken.

GMHC (Gay Men's Health Crisis) Hotline
Call 212.807.6655 or 800.243.7692 Mon.-Fri. 10-9, Sat. 12-3.

FORTUNE SOCIETY DROP-IN CENTER

For HIV-positive people returning from incarceration at Rikers Island, special services are available at the Fortune Society Drop-In Center at 41-27 29th Street, Queens Plaza North, Long Island City. The Center is steps away from where the bus from Rikers drops off newly freed inmates. Meet the Fortune employee at the bus stop or call 718.937.6230. Open all night on weekdays. Spanish also spoken. Accessible to people with disabilities.

PROJECT STREET BEAT
PLANNED PARENTHOOD OF NYC, INC.

www.ppnyc.org/services/street_beat.html
Project Street Beat is an HIV prevention and treatment program serving people who live and work on New York City's streets. Services offered include counseling, STD testing, food, clean clothes, condoms, support groups, harm reduction counseling, Hepatitis C testing and referrals, pregnancy testing, and more. Street Beat operates minivans that cruise neighborhoods in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan both day and night. Services are also available by visiting their offices Mon.-Fri. 9-5 and some evenings. Office locations are:

349 East 149th Street, 3rd Floor
Bronx 10451
Telephone: 212.965.4850

1406 Fulton Street, Building D
Brooklyn 11216
Telephone: 718.783.7100

180 West 135th Street, Room 417
Manhattan 10030
Telephone: 212.926.2707

GAY MEN'S HEALTH CRISIS (GMHC)

119 West 24th Street, Manhattan 10011
Telephone: 212.367.1000/212.807.6655
www.gmhc.org
GMHC provides direct services and support for people living with HIV and AIDS and those affected by the AIDS crisis. GMHC also educates the public about HIV prevention and treatment education and advocates for fair and effective AIDS policy at all levels of government. One-to-one counseling is available as well as numerous support groups for those living with HIV and AIDS and their loved ones. Financial and legal counseling also available. In addition to these services, there are many educational workshops and training opportunities for people living with HIV/AIDS, and the general public. You do not have to be a gay man: many heterosexual and bisexual men, women, and children avail themselves of GMHC services. Call Mon.-Fri. 10-9; Sat. noon-3. Accessible to people with disabilities.

THE MINORITY TASK FORCE ON AIDS

3280 Broadway, Suite 302, Manhattan 10027
Telephone: 212.283.9180
Provides information, counseling, and referrals on issues related to HIV and AIDS. Applicant must be a New York City resident, be HIV positive, and have an M11Q form. A pre-release discharge planning program exists for incarcerated people soon to be released who are HIV-positive. Write to the Client Services department for more information. Call Mon.-Fri. 9-5. Spanish also spoken.

THE HISPANIC AIDS FORUM INC.

213 West 35th Street, 12th Floor, Manhattan 10001
Telephone: 212.868.6230
www.hafnyc.org
Provides information, counseling, and support groups for anyone with questions about HIV or AIDS. Referrals given. Write for brochures, or call Mon.-Fri. 9-5. Spanish also spoken.

HOPE SERVICES PROGRAM

Alianza Dominicana
2410 Amsterdam Avenue, 4th Floor, Manhattan 10033
Telephone: 212.740.1960
The HOPE Program (Holistic Orientation & Preventive Education) provides services to people at risk for, affected by, or infected by HIV and AIDS. Support groups, information and referral. Serves people from all five boroughs at multiple sites. Call Mon.-Fri. 9-5 for information. Spanish also spoken.

HAITIAN CENTERS COUNCIL
HAITIAN COALITION on AIDS

50 Court Street, Suite 1010, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Telephone: (718) 855-0972
Fax:             (718) 855-5377
Offers a variety of services that help individuals and families in New York's Haitian and Caribbean communities lead healthy, productive lives. Specializes in services to people and families affected by the AIDS pandemic. Their website features a directory of health care providers, identifying those who speak Haitian Creole. Call Mon.-Fri. 9-5. French and Creole also spoken.

ACCESS PROGRAM/ARGUS COMMUNITY, INC.

760 East 160th Street, Bronx 10456
Telephone: 718.401.5734
www.arguscommunity.org/access
Provides intensive case management for HIV positive people or those at risk, including formerly incarcerated people and their families with or without Medicaid. Assistance obtaining quality medical care, housing, accessing benefits, legal help and other needs. Call or walk in Mon.-Fri. 8:30-4:30. Spanish also spoken.

BROOKLYN AIDS TASK FORCE

502 Bergen Street, Brooklyn 11217
Telephone: 718.622.2910
www.batf.net
A community service program for people in Brooklyn infected or affected by HIV or AIDS. They provide culturally-sensitive HIV/AIDS prevention education, testing, counseling and support groups, comprehensive social services and referrals, a community food pantry and more. The Five Steps and Renaissance programs help HIV-positive people who have substance abuse histories. There are offices in Prospect Heights, Bedford-Styvesant, Williamsburg and Park Slope; call for more information. Mon.-Fri 9-5.

BRONX AIDS SERVICES

540 East Fordham Road, Bronx 10458
Telephone: 718.295.5605
www.basnyc.org
Provides supportive counseling, food, legal advocacy, domestic violence education, peer mentoring, case management services, prevention education and HIV testing in four facilities in the Bronx and two mobile vans. Mon.-Fri. 9-5. Spanish also spoken.

AIDS CENTER OF QUEENS COUNTY

97-45 Queens Boulevard, Rego Park 11374
Telephone: 718.896.2500
www.acqc.org
Provides social, medical, educational and health services in 8 sites in Queens. Case management, primary medical care, a licensed mental health clinic, legal services, housing services, harm reduction and syringe exchange programs. Also operates a post-incarceration housing program in Long Island City for people living with HIV and AIDS; call or write for more information. Mon., Tues., Thurs. 9-9; Wed. 9-8; Fri. 9-6. Spanish also spoken.

COMMUNITY HEALTH ACTION OF STATEN ISLAND

56 Bay Street, Staten Island 10301
Telephone: 718.808.1300
www.sihealthaction.org
Case management for HIV-positive clients, support groups, job search and housing assistance, counseling, food bank, and a medically supervised outpatient program for clients dealing with active drug or alcohol use. Call Mon.-Fri. 9-5.

THE AIDS DRUG ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (ADAP)

Telephone: 800.542.2437
Assists HIV-positive New York State residents who are uninsured or underinsured access HIV and AIDS medications. Application can be downloaded from the New York State Department of Health website at www.health.state.ny.us/diseases/aids/resources/adap. Call Mon.-Fri. 8-5 for more information. Spanish also spoken.

FRIENDS IN DEED

594 Broadway, Suite 706, Manhattan 10012
Telephone: 212.925.2009
www.friendsindeed.org
Provides support groups for people affected by life-threatening illnesses, including HIV. Call Mon.-Sat. 10-6 or come to the main meeting on Monday at 12:15pm or Tuesday at 7:00pm. Accessible to people with disabilities.

www.cdc.gov/hiv/pubs/brochure/livingwithhiv.pdf
Download the booklet Living With HIV/AIDS, an easy-to-read overview for newly diagnosed people from the CDC. Also available in Spanish.

www.aidsnyc.org
A website operated by the New York Academy of Medicine Library which includes a directory of community-based organizations involved with HIV/AIDS issues. Search here for clinical trials, alternative treatments, legal and health information, and much more.

www.projinf.org
Project Inform offers up-to-date, reliable information on AIDS research and treatment. Their publications, including "Day One: After You've Tested Positive" can be downloaded from their website or requested in writing at Project Inform, 205 13th Street, Suite 2001, San Francisco CA 94103.

Free brochures on AIDS in English or Spanish can be obtained by writing either GMHC, 119 West 24th Street, New York, NY 10011, or the New York City Department of Health, 125 Worth Street, New York, NY 10013.

AIDS Discrimination

If you have complaints about discrimination leading to inadequate medical attention or treatment while in a New York State institution, call Prisoners Legal Services at 607.273.2283, or write them at 114 Prospect Street, Ithaca, NY 14850.

THE NEW YORK CITY COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS

40 Rector Street, Manhattan 10006
Telephone: 212.306.7500
www.nyc.gov/html/cchr/home.html
Takes complaints regarding AIDS and AIDS-related discrimination, including those related to employment, housing, and public accommodation. Call 212.306.7450 for an appointment. Spanish also spoken.

Hepatitis C

For frequently asked questions about Hepatitis C (also called HCV, or Viral Hepatitis C) visit the Center for Disease Control's Hepatitis C section at www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/hepatitis/c or call 888.443.7232. You can also find information about HCV co-infection with HIV.

For printed information on liver disease, including Hepatitis C and HIV/HCV co-infection, write to the American Liver Foundation at 75 Maiden Lane, Suite 603, Manhattan 10038 or call them at 800.465.4837. Spanish is also available on the above websites and hotlines.

The National HCV Prison Coalition (www.hcvinprison.org) aims to raise awareness and support for prisoners suffering from Hepatitis C. They publish a newsletter, Hepatitis C Awareness News. Contact them at P.O. Box 41803, Eugene, OR 97404.

To be referred to a support group for people with HCV in the New York area, contact the American Liver Foundation at 212.668.1000. There are groups in all five boroughs.

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