Rockaways Still Sufering, New Report Shows
Targeted News Service |
Two years after Hurricane Sandy, healthcare issues in the Rockaways are worsening, said a new report issued by Doctors of the World USA today. The organization, part of the global non-profit Medecins du Monde network, founded a free healthcare clinic in the Rockaways one year ago to address the area's severe healthcare needs.
"We already knew Rockaways residents had to overcome severe barriers to access healthcare - that's a key reason why we established our free clinic," said
The report, titled "Assessment of Health Needs in The Rockaways Post-Hurricane Sandy", shows 46% of respondents cited lack of facilities and limited services as the main barriers to healthcare access, in addition to long wait times, inconvenient hours of operation and expensive services. Researched jointly with
One Rockaway resident told surveyors, "If you have something that can't be treated at
"I commend Doctors of the World USA for opening their free clinic and bringing to light the severe lack of affordable healthcare for our families in their new study," said
Key Findings
Researched in partnership with
"It is humbling to witness the relief that the
Despite mounting evidence of obstacles to care, a majority of respondents (87%) reported having health insurance. This suggests a phenomenon of "underinsurance" where the lower middle class is too wealthy to receive government support but not wealthy enough to consistently access needed healthcare services.
Meanwhile, uninsured and lower income communities of the Rockaways report alarming rates of chronic disease (e.g. diabetes in 32.3% of the lowest income bracket measured), as well as significant challenges in accessing care.
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