PULSE of NY Empowering Day Laborers
Online, May 13, 2014 (Newswire.com) - PULSE of NY announced today that it has been awarded a grant from the Long Island Community Foundation's Long Island Unitarian Universalist Fund, in the amount of $20,000.
The grant will help PULSE provide health literacy and patient safety education to day laborers in the Freeport, NY area. The goal: to empower them to be more informed about patient safety, equipping them with tools they can use to achieve better outcomes from their own medical treatment. PULSE of NY has partnered with the Freeport-based nonprofit organization CoLoKi on the project, in order to provide this much-needed service.
CoLoKi operates The Freeport Trailer, a safe and accessible haven for local day laborers, offering them programs and services to ease their daily struggles. The programming PULSE of NY will be offering focuses on patient rights and safety, navigation of the healthcare system, and communication skills. Through education, this population of men will become more active participants in their own and their families' healthcare decision-making.
"We are very excited about this project," comments PULSE Director of Programs, Tenaya Patchment. "Many of these day laborers will not seek medical care, or put off care for as long as possible, for a variety of reasons including ineffective communication skills. This often contributes to negative outcomes or the need for more costly and aggressive treatment. The service PULSE of NY provides will empower these men through education. In addressing their health issues and concerns through early intervention, we hope to prevent the development or worsening of injuries or illnesses and give them the confidence needed to be more proactive in their own healthcare."
PULSE's President Ilene Corina adds, "We are very grateful that the Long Island Community Foundation recognizes the importance of increasing health literacy amongst Long Island communities and of furthering of our mission to lessen health disparities in vulnerable populations."
In the photo: Mirna Cortes Obers (second from left) from PULSE of NY and Liz O'Shaughnessy, Executive Director, CoLoKi Inc. (second from right)
