Asthma Walk-In Center Opens In East Harlem
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A new asthma walk-in center officially opened its doors Thursday in Manhattan.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer were on hand for the opening of the community center, which is an expansion to the East Harlem Asthma Center of Excellence.
East Harlem has the highest rate of asthma hospitalizations in the city.
More than a quarter of its children are sufferers.
Over the next five years, the new addition aims to cut the number of neighborhood kids hospitalized for the disease by half.
Mayor Bloomberg says visitors to the center can meet with city health experts to learn how to control symptoms, reduce exposure to environmental triggers, and get referrals for care or insurance.
"Now anyone who suffers from asthma or has a child who does knows just how scary and debilitating asthma attacks can be. They can cause young people to miss out on important days of school or other fun activities with friends and far too often these attacks drive New Yorkers to the emergency room," said the mayor.
The community center is a part of the PlaNYC initiative, which among other goals, seeks to clean-up the city's air quality.