St. John’s Episcopal Hospital Set to Further Increase Access to Healthcare Through Grant Funding

Far Rockaway, New York, December 9, 2021 — St. John’s Episcopal Hospital is the recipient of two major grants—the G.A. Ackermann Fund Grant Award and the Expanded Access to Care Grant—which will help St. John’s improve access to healthcare services on the Rockaway Peninsula of Queens, NY. Funding from the G.A. Ackermann Fund Grant will go towards the staffing and operations of St. John’s new Mobile Health Unit, which is an RV that travels throughout the communities served by St. John’s to provide health screenings and vaccinations to the public. The second grant, the Expanded Access to Care Grant, is aimed at ensuring equitable access to COVID-19 vaccinations and primary care services in Far Rockaway.

The G.A. Ackermann Fund Grant

Through the $150,000 awarded to St. John’s through the G.A. Ackermann Fund Grant, St. John’s Mobile Health Unit will:

• Provide blood pressure screenings, cancer screenings, cholesterol, glucose, lipid testing, A1c, and/or depression screenings.
• Increase educational outreach to community members including information on diabetes self-management, nutritional information, weight management, smoking cessation, and stroke prevention.
• Connect community members with primary care clinicians.

Expanded Access to Care Grant

The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, acting through the Fund for Public Health NYC, will reimburse St. John’s Episcopal Hospital up to $908,077 for implementation activities aimed at ensuring equitable access to COVID-19 vaccinations and primary care services in Far Rockaway.

The grant supports activities that promote the equitable access of COVID-19 vaccinations and primary care services. These activities include:

• An increased presence at community health events to help promote and ensure equitable access to COVID-19 vaccinations.
• Enhanced communications with the community regarding the availability of the COVID-19 vaccine.
• An assessment of every person receiving a vaccination to determine if they have a source for usual care and offer next available appointment to those who do not have a source of usual care.
• Blood pressure screenings, diabetes risk screenings, and social needs screenings to individuals who receive at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

“St. John’s is fully committed to enhancing access to healthcare services in the Rockaways,” said Lorna Manning, Lorna Manning RN, MHM, MBA, ACM, Assistant Vice President of Integrated Case Management & Population Health. “Better access to healthcare can significantly improve the overall health of a community, and these grants help us to provide essential services to our fellow community members.”