NYC Health + Hospitals’ NYC Care Partners With Consulates to Promote Health Care Access and Provide Blood Pressure Screenings
Tabling at Ecuadorian, Guatemalan, Colombian, and Mexican consulates is geared to educate immigrant New Yorkers about NYC Care and promote health literacy NYC Health + Hospitals' NYC Care is a health care access program available to all New Yorkers regardless of one’s immigration status or ability to pay
Dec 17, 2025
NYC Health + Hospitals’ NYC Care program today announced a partnership with the Consulate General of Guatemala in New York to provide NYC Care tabling services and no-cost blood-pressure screenings through NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst’s Clinical and Community Affairs teams at the consulate. While clients were waiting for their consulate appointments, NYC Care outreach staff from United Sikhs spoke with clients in the waiting area, and got them to visit the Elmhurst screening table to get their blood pressure taken. Staff from NYC Care and Elmhurst informed community members about NYC Care and the importance of regular check-ups with ones’ primary care team, handing out brochures, flyers, and promotional items. The event resulted in over 3,000 people reached, and continues the work undertaken at other consulates to connect recent immigrants to health care.
“NYC Care’s partnerships with the consulates recognize the important help they provide immigrants navigating the challenges of living in our city,” said Jonathan Jiménez, MD, MPH, Executive Director of NYC Care from NYC Health + Hospitals. “Thanks to our partners, individuals seeking consular services can also access longer, healthier lives through the NYC Care program.”
“NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst is proud to partner with the Consulate of Guatemala to provide blood pressure screenings and raise awareness regarding chronic disease prevention,” said NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst CEO Dr. Helen Arteaga. “The Consulate serves as a vital link between Elmhurst and the Guatemalan community, and we are always happy to deepen that partnership to support the health needs of our patients and their families.”
“NYC Care’s partnership with the Consulates strengthens our shared commitment to ensuring all New Yorkers can access the care and support they deserve,” said United Sikhs Senior Manager Jagjit Kaur. “At United Sikhs, we work directly with communities across the city to connect individuals and families not only to NYC Care but also to a wide range of essential services—including insurance assistance, immigrant rights workshops, social services, food distribution, Mental health services via our UMEED (Hope) helpline, housing assistance, and legal assistance by connecting them to trusted resources. Together, we are helping build a healthier, more informed, and better-supported New York for all.”
Since July of 2024, NYC Care community-based organization (CBO) partners have tabled at the Ecuadorian and Mexican consulates on a weekly basis, with the Colombian Consulate participating starting in September of that year. This year, NYC Care has worked with NYC Health + Hospitals facilities including Elmhurst and Queens to provide blood pressure screenings and blood sugar testing, in addition to bringing public awareness to the health care access program. The event on December 6th at the Guatemalan Consulate was the second of its kind, in which NYC Care and other NYC Health + Hospitals resources were made available for any walk-ins at the Consulate. Central to this effort has been working with local CBOs to provide culturally responsive communications to counter misinformation and fear regarding accessing public benefits. Partners include:
- Met Council
- Make the Road NY
- La Jornada
- Alliance for Positive Change
- Raising Health
- United Sikhs
- Council of Peoples Organization
- Center for the Independence of the Disabled, NY
- Emerald Isle Immigration Center
- Center for the Integration of New Americans
- Voces Latinas
- South Asian Council for Social Services
- Arab American Family Support Center
NYC Care has more than 130,000 active members and has provided over one million primary care appointments. In fiscal year 2025 alone, NYC Care members completed 62,936 women’s health, 54,132 eye specialist, 39,667 behavioral health, 25,642 dermatology, 23,258 cardiology, and 19,725 cancer care appointments. A study published in 2024 in the Journal of General Internal Medicine found that new NYC Care members had the same health care engagement and chronic disease control as new Medicaid enrollees- demonstrating the health equity achieved through the program. NYC Care’s community-based organization partners have reached over 1.4 million New Yorkers, scheduled over 62,000 enrollment appointments, and facilitated over 19,000 direct enrollments. From inaugurating a new durable medical equipment benefit to developing a multi-lingual video series about the program and deploying regular public awareness campaigns, NYC Care continues to champion health care for all New Yorkers.
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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 MetroPlusHealth—all supported by 11 essential hospitals. Its diverse workforce of more than 46,000 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 NYC Care
NYC Care is a health care access program that provides comprehensive and low or no-cost healthcare services through NYC Health + Hospitals for New Yorkers who cannot afford or are ineligible for health insurance. NYC Care provides a membership card, 24/7 customer service, access to comprehensive and affordable healthcare services, like primary care, mental health services, and sexual and reproductive healthcare, low-cost medications, and member materials in multiple languages – regardless of your immigration status or ability to pay. Call 646-NYC-CARE (646-692-2273) or visit NYCCare.NYC to learn more and sign up today – privacy and confidentiality guaranteed.
