NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi|North Central Bronx Celebrates New Partnership With the Norwood Community Library
The Library, which was established in 2018, attempts to fill the literacy void that exists in many Bronx neighborhoods which are left without bookstores or ways to easily access reading material
Oct 13, 2023
Bronx, NY
To further its efforts to help patients live their best and healthiest lives, NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi and North Central Bronx (NCB) announced today that it would be opening a library mailbox today on its NCB campus with local nonprofit, the Norwood Community Library. The Library, which was established in 2018, attempts to fill the literacy void that exists in many Bronx neighborhoods which are left without bookstores or ways to easily access reading material. The Norwood Community Library was started by Brandon Montes, 32, a lifelong Bronxite who identified the gaps in available literature throughout the Borough since Barnes & Noble shut its doors in 2016. The project, which initially started outside of a local bodega, has developed into a library mailbox located at 3400 Reservoir Oval East and a robust tabling operation led by Brandon and his volunteers. NCB will be the second permanent physical mailbox location.
“We are excited to launch this partnership with the Norwood Community Library,” said NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi and NCB CEO Christopher Mastromano. “A good book can be comforting to a patient while they are visiting our hospitals or outpatient facilities, it is our hope this library mailbox will serve not only our patients but the surrounding community.”
“Our future is in the hands of our youth and now books will be too thanks to North Central Bronx Hospital, the Norwood Community Library and its founder Brandon Montes,” said State Senator Gustavo Rivera. “It was such an honor to celebrate this new community library that encourages Bronxites to grab a book and read.”
“A good book has the power to stay with you for a lifetime. I wanted to help my whole neighborhood experience that feeling. All are welcome to take a book or leave a book thanks to this collaboration between the Norwood Community Library and North Central Bronx!” said Brandon Montes.
Montes already has a strong history with NCB. He was born at the facility in 1991 and his mother, Bella Bernundez, worked as a clerical worker in the clinics department in the 1990s.
Those looking to access the new Norwood Community Library Branch can find it at NCB on the first floor of the hospital, in the lobby near the entrance.
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Contact: John Doyle, NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi and NYC Health + Hospitals/North Central Bronx, 718-918-4055, 917-553-4642
About NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi
NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi is a 457-bed teaching hospital affiliated with the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. The facility has earned numerous Center of Excellence designations, accreditation, and recognition for its renowned Level 1 Trauma Center, Burn Center, Surgical Intensive Care Unit, regional Stroke Center, Snakebite Treatment Center, Breast Health Center, Bariatric Surgery Center, and Cancer Service. The facility also offers the region’s only multi-person hyperbaric chamber, allowing up to nine patients to dive together at one time. Jacobi’s Ambulatory Care Pavilion is a stunning complement to its inpatient acute care, allowing staff to provide patients with high-quality service in a modern, state-of-the-art environment. For more information visit https://www.nychealthandhospitals.org/locations/jacobi/.
About NYC Health + Hospitals/North Central Bronx
NYC Health + Hospitals/North Central Bronx (NCB) is a member facility of the New York City Health + Hospitals system. A 215-bed community hospital, NCB specializes in women’s and children’s services. It also provides Behavioral Health acute and ambulatory care. Its busy outpatient department has led the way in community-based care delivered in a compassionate and culturally-appropriate manner. Its Labor and Delivery service safely brings more than 1,000 babies into the world each year. NCB is committed to providing safe, high-quality medical care for any and all in need. For more information visit https://www.nychealthandhospitals.org/locations/north-central-bronx/.
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.