NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst Hosts “Show & Roll” Children’s Wellness Pop-Up with Focus on Bike Safety
Launched in 2022, this grassroots initiative is run by Elmhurst Hospital’s Pediatric Residency program and directly engages local children and their care givers in order to bridge gaps in access to health information and resources between doctors’ visits Program also supports physician wellness by fostering meaningful engagement with community’s children outside hospital setting
Aug 06, 2025
NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst recently kicked off the third season of “Show & Roll,” a community health initiative created and led by the hospital’s pediatric residents as part of their Advocacy rotation. The program, which is funded by a grant from the Committee of Interns and Residents/SEIU, serves as a unique way for young physicians to directly engage with local children and families regarding important health topics outside of traditional hospital and clinic settings. This year’s kick-off event, which was co- sponsored by NYC Council Member Shekar Krishnan, was held at Frank D. O’Connor Playground and focused on bike safety. Children attending also received a free bike helmet and an opportunity to win a free bicycle via a raffle.
The “Show and Roll” program is designed to strengthen connections between pediatric residents and children in the Elmhurst community, using engaging activities and topics, such as bike safety, swimming safety, and healthy eating habits, to teach the importance of preventive care. It also allows the pediatric residents to lead by example by role modeling the same healthy habits that they recommend to their patients.
“I am very enthusiastic about having this innovative program at our hospital, and tremendously thankful to our pediatric residents for their dedication to our community,” said NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst CEO Dr. Helen Arteaga-Landaverde. “As our population continues to grow, it’s vital that we address the many challenges local parents face in accessing preventive care and even basic health information. I am so proud of our residents for having the vision to be proactive and work to fill these gaps.”
“From delivering outstanding care to organizing for access and equity in their community, residents play a critical role in promoting the health of patients and the wellbeing of providers,” said Dr. Dina Jaber, Chair of the Patient Care Trust Fund and Executive Vice-President of the Committee of Interns & Residents/SEIU. “The Patient Care Trust Fund is proud to support innovative, resident-led initiatives, like the Show and Roll Program at Elmhurst Pediatrics, which are empowering patients and families to live their healthiest lives.”
“As always, Elmhurst Hospital is finding new ways to care for our community,” said NYC Council Member Shekar Krishnan. “‘Show & Roll’ is a perfect example of how health education doesn’t just have to happen on a medical table, but it can be in our parks and out in our communities. We’re grateful to partner with Elmhurst Hospital to deliver this vital information to our families when and where they need it the most.”
“The ‘Show & Roll’ program is such a powerful example of what community-centered medicine looks like,” said NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst Chief Medical Officer Dr. Laura Iavicoli. “It reflects our commitment to both clinical excellence and health equity by meeting families where they are—literally—and delivering care through education, prevention, and trust-building. I’m incredibly proud of our pediatric residents for leading this work with such heart and purpose.”
“It is such an honor to head the Department of Pediatrics at Elmhurst and I specifically want to give a shout out to the residents and Dr Leid-Simon who created this extraordinary program, for their dedication to our families and patients and our beloved Elmhurst community!”, said NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst’s Director of Pediatrics Dr. Randi Wasserman.
“The Show and Roll program was spearheaded by pediatric residents at Elmhurst Hospital, and I’ve had the privilege of helping guide the curriculum to better serve our community,” said NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst Pediatrics Attending Physician and Show and Roll Program Director Dr. Lucy Leid-Simon. “Our goal is to deliver preventive health education and connect families with practical resources so they can apply what they learn. While we’re giving back to the community, we also gain a great deal ourselves—it supports our own wellness and reminds us of our purpose as physicians and the collective impact we can make as a team.”
According to Dr. Sonja Hull, one of the pediatric residents running the program, she and the other resident physicians see Show and Roll as “a good opportunity to connect with the Elmhurst community in a more casual way while still instilling public health knowledge that would benefit our children. It also exposes us to their thoughts when they come and talk to us regarding things that they want to learn more about and health concerns that they may have in the community that they don’t usually mention in a hospital setting.”
Since its initial launch in 2022, the “Show & Roll” program has reached over 500 local children and their families. Show & Roll will continue children’s wellness pop up sessions throughout the next year at Frank D. O’Connor Playground and other locations within Elmhurst Hospital’s catchment area. For more information on this program and other programs and services at NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst, please call 718-334-4000. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram at @elmhursthosp.
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Media Contact: Atiya Butler, Director of External Affairs, NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst, 917-319-5167
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About NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst
NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst, part of the NYC Health + Hospitals health care system, is the major tertiary care provider in the borough of Queens. The 545-bed hospital is a Level 1 Trauma Center, an Emergency Heart Care Station, a Thrombectomy-Capable Stroke Receiving Center, a Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) Center of Excellence, and a 911-Receiving Hospital. It is a premiere health care institution offering exceptional services across a wide range of specialties, including surgery, cardiology, women’s health, pediatrics, rehabilitation medicine, renal services, and mental health care. In the past year alone, the hospital received nearly one million ambulatory care visits and over 140,000 emergency room visits, reflecting its essential role in the community. NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst has been nationally ranked and recognized as a “Best Regional Hospital” by U.S. News & World Report in critical areas such as Heart Failure, Heart Attack, Stroke, Hip Fracture, Maternity, Kidney Failure, Orthopedics, Pneumonia, and COPD.
About NYC Health + Hospitals
NYC Health + Hospitals is the largest municipal health care system in the nation serving more than a million New Yorkers annually in more than 70 patient care locations across the city’s five boroughs. A robust network of outpatient, neighborhood-based primary and specialty care centers anchors care coordination with the system’s trauma centers, nursing homes, post-acute care centers, home care agency, and MetroPlus health plan—all supported by 11 essential hospitals. Its diverse workforce of more than 43,000 employees is uniquely focused on empowering New Yorkers, without exception, to live the healthiest life possible. For more information, visit www.nychealthandhospitals.org and stay connected on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.
About the Patient Care Trust Fund (PCTF)
Founded in 1981 by CIR members, the Patient Care Trust Fund (PCTF) is a resident-led nonprofit foundation dedicated to improving patient care and safety in the NYC public health system. Each academic year, the PCTF provides house staff with dedicated funding to support clinical research, medical equipment, training materials, community advocacy projects, and more. Through grants and member engagement, we ensure that residents in every specialty have a powerful voice to enhance residency, reduce health disparities, and advance quality care for all New Yorkers. Over the last decade alone, the PCTF has awarded house staff at every NYC Health + Hospitals acute care facility with over $10 million in grant funding.
About CIR/SEIU
The Committee of Interns and Residents (CIR) is the largest house staff union in the United States. We are a local of Service Employees International Union (SEIU), representing over40,000 resident physicians and fellowswho are dedicated to improving residency training and education, advancing patient care, and expanding healthcare access for our communities.
