MAILMAN SCHOOL - AT THE FRONTLINE - News and Events

A new $750,000 grant from the Bank of America Charitable Foundation will support the Mailman School's Northern Manhattan Start Right Coalition, a community-based childhood immunization program dedicated to reducing disparities in immunization rates in Northern Manhattan.

On February 6, members of the community joined with elected officials and leaders from Bank of America, the Mailman School of Public Health, and Columbia University Medical Center at Alianza Dominicana, a local community development organization, where Bank of America presented a check to Start Right that will scale-up the Coalition's vaccination program to reach the 6,000 children born annually in Washington Heights and Harlem.

Back: Robert Jackson, Miguel Martinez, Moises Perez
Front: Evangelina Tlacualt holds Jocelyn Enriquez, Sally Findley, Alan Rappaport, Allan Rosenfield, Sandra Enriquez holds Shirley Moreno, and Gerald Fischbach

"Bank of America is committed to advancing the development of children as part of our commitment to fostering healthy and vibrant neighborhoods," said Anne Finucane, director of global corporate affairs at Bank of America. "The Start Right Coalition Program will provide the children born in Northern Manhattan each year with the opportunity to have a strong foundation for a healthy future with a goal of meeting the national standard of 90% immunized by age two. We're proud that our contribution will have a positive effect on families and children in New York City."

Moises Perez addresses Sally Findley, Alan Rappaport, and Allan Rosenfield

Established in 1999, The Northern Manhattan Start Right Coalition has its base in the Mailman School of Public Health's Heilbrunn Department of Population and Family Health and works in partnership with Harlem Congregations for Community Improvement (HCCI), Alianza Dominicana, and other community organizations. With support from the Reach 2010 program of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the program was conceived, planned, and implemented through a coalition of 23 member groups whose cornerstone is integration of immunization promotion activities into the ongoing social service programs within its network of community social service organizations. Serving Harlem and Washington Heights through a true partnership, the program joins parents, physicians, and community health workers in a concerted effort to provide vaccinations to children ages 6-23 months

With a total of 5,298 children already vaccinated through the Start Right Coalition and an additional 2,369 under way, the Start Right Coalition now expects to reach the 10,000 immunized children goal by 2007, and meet the national standard of 90% appropriately immunized by age two.

Sally Findley holds a chart for tracking vaccinations

"While the world has made tremendous strides in reducing the major childhood illnesses, we can not be complacent. Exposure may be only a plane ride and visitor away. In our global community, early immunization is more important than ever for ensuring the ongoing good health of young children," explains Allan Rosenfield, MD. "We must make every effort to provide families with the tools for understanding the value, urgency, and steps involved with the vaccination process. Bank of America recognizes this and we are grateful for their commitment to this program and the community."

According to Sally Findley, PhD, professor of clinical Population and Family Health at the Mailman School and leader of the Northern Manhattan Start Right Coalition, "Support from the Bank of America Charitable Foundation will enable the Coalition to embed their successful community immunization program directly into the healthcare system, ensuring that community health workers routinely learn the skills they need to promote immunizations, the community's healthcare providers have the latest training and immunization system-supports, and that the community and health care provider efforts are linked to ensure that no childhood immunizations are overlooked."