Greater New York City Black Nurses Association (GNYCBNA) applied for the NBNA DAISY Health Equity Awards because of our long-standing compassion and commitment to influence and improve health issues in the surrounding New York City communities and beyond. Our chapter is committed to the work we do around maternal health, increasing minority representation in healthcare research, stopping opioid overdose in our community, increasing the diversity in the nursing profession through increased scholarships and mentorship, fighting for social juice as it pertains to police brutality and bringing health awareness and monitoring of fair health issues to our underserved communities. There is no chapter more deserving of this award than GNYCBNA. Our impact on our communities and nursing is palpable locally and nationally. We embody the meaning of what it is to fight for health equity. Please see the many and countless examples of our work.

Greater New York City Black Nurses Association Highlights:

Greater NYC Black Nurses Association collaboration with Community Health Network and Stop the Spread. Co-designed, implemented, and advanced COVID-19 vaccine community-based two vaccine clinics in underserved Black communities (East New York, Brooklyn & South Jamaica, Queens) and over 80 pop-up clinics throughout boroughs of New York City. 

The clinics addressed vaccine hesitancy while assisting in creating vaccine equity within underserved communities. The endeavor led to over 30,000 vaccinations being administered with 70% of them being administered to Black and Hispanic populations.
- Stop the Spread Playbook Covid Vaccination Initiative
- Greater NYC Black Nurses Association
- >30,000 vaccines administered in areas with high rates of COVID, 70% of them being administered to Black and Hispanic populations. The development of the Stop the Spread Playbook for Community-based Vaccinations teaches healthcare providers effective strategies in developing and extending culturally appropriate interventions that support public health, distribute vaccines, and connect services provided by community organizations to underserved populations. Stop the Spread Playbook for Community-based vaccinations is an internationally disseminated playbook that was the result of a multi organizational playbook in which GNYCBNA’s work was a major contributor.

Black Maternal Health Conference:

Since 2019, our chapter has conducted an annual Black Maternal Health conference aimed at bringing awareness to the crisis and discrimination Black women face during pregnancy and the postpartum period. The conference consists of a panel discussion amongst health care professionals (RNs, midwives, WHNPs, obstetricians, neonatologists, doulas, social workers), survivors of maternal morbidity, and family members of Black women who have passed away to discuss and address issues that arise and contribute to increase Black maternal deaths. This is followed by simulations of post-partum hemorrhaging, seizures, and pre-eclampsia, with experts indicating proper management of these conditions. The conference has been attended by hundreds of community members, nurses, and other healthcare workers. Most recently in April 2023, there were 152 participants from the community in attendance. It has also been attended by numerous politicians, both local and federal. The Black Maternal Health Committee also conducts a clothing drive and diaper drive for underserved families throughout New York City. The Black Maternal Health Committee also hosts a Thousand Women’s March in honor of injustices minority women face, especially during pregnancy as we bring awareness to a cause that disproportionately affects Black women.

Opioid Overdose Prevention Program:

In September 2018 we created a New York State registered opioid overdose prevention program. The program was created to address the opioid overdose epidemic plaguing the United States and disproportionately killing Black and Brown people throughout New York City. This allows us to train individuals in our community on how to administer Naloxone (Narcan), a safe and effective antidote for all opioid-related overdoses, to individuals who may have experienced an opioid/heroin overdose and prevent it from becoming fatal. We conduct Narcan training and harm reduction tactics for students, nurses, providers, and all community members. We also have a collaboration called “Last Night a DJ Saved my Life” which conducts various Narcan training sessions for clubs and nightlife throughout NYC. Some of the training has been directly credited with saving lives of clubgoers. The collaboration was also featured overseas throughout the UK as an exemplar of harm reduction and preventing overdosing. Since its inception, the program has educated and trained over 1,000 people in Narcan and harm reduction strategies.

All of Us Research Partner:

The Greater NYC Black Nurses Association has been successful in receiving All of Us Research funding for 5 cycles. Due to the success of our recruitment strategies, we have contributed to many of our members and affiliates becoming part of the all of us research program.

Scholarship Galas:

Since 2018 GNYCBNA has conducted an annual scholarship gala to distribute scholarship funds to underserved nursing students who need financial assistance. The gala also highlights nurse leaders throughout NYC that exemplify excellence. In 2021 we distributed $24,000 in scholarship funds. In 2022 we were able to increase this amount by nearly $10,000 as we raised and distributed 25 scholarships, awarding a total of $32,000 in scholarship monies. The chapter has also honored numerous notable, New York based nurse leaders including Dr. Sandra Lindsay who was the first person and nurse to receive the
Covid-19 vaccine. 

Committees

Men’s Committee: GNYCBNA was a founding member of NBNA’s annual Men’s Bowtie breakfast in 2019. The chapter members Dr. Sheldon Fields, Dr. Julius Johnson, and Jose Perpignan have been integral in the innovative and impactful collaborative effort that focuses on Black Men’s health as well as cultivating the future generation of Black men leaders in nursing. The chapter has helped to co-lead 5 events for nationals. The men’s committee has also co-created the Barbershop Health Talk series in collaboration with the CCBNA chapter. 

The event has been shared nationally and disseminated through various healthcare networks. In addition, the chapter’s co-chairs conducts local men’s health events which include but are not limited to: fireside chats in collaboration with the gentlemen’s factory, a forum titled “The fight within: battling men’s health” in collaboration with Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., & Chi Eta Phi, Sorority. There is also an annual No Shave November collaborative event to raise money for colorectal cancer and the committee participates in numerous local health fairs targeting male participants and highlighting men’s health concerns.

Community Service events: GNYCBNA is heavily involved in community service with a focus on creating health equity, improving health, and reducing disparities to build and strengthen the communities we serve through New York City. Each year, GNYCBNA hosts and/or participates in at least 20 events.

This includes community health fairs where we conduct health screening and education; career days at local public schools where we educate students in underserved communities about careers in the health professions; various walks and/or parades like the African American Day Parade, Breast Cancer Walk, and NAMI Mental Health walk; career and professional development workshops in collaboration with healthcare organizations like Northwell Health; and social events, just to name a few. Each year, we raise money for our annual back-to-school event, Thanksgiving food drive, and Christmas toy drive. 

To date, we have raised more than $15,000. Each year we supply school supplies to over 250 children. With our Christmas Toy Drive in 2020, we raised over $5,000 and were able to provide gifts for over 80 kids. Our Christmas toy drive in 2022 led to us adopting shelters for underserved children and providing toys and a Christmas spirit for them and their families. That has led to a large partnership with other Black based community-based organizations to adopt more shelters for the Christmas toy drive in 2023.

Social Justice:

In 2020 following George Floyd’s death, the chapter organized a healthcare worker against police brutality rally/demonstration. The event had more than 800 healthcare workers and people from the community and marched from New York City’s battery park all the way into Downtown Brooklyn. The rally was the largest healthcare protest against police brutality. The resort was a list of demands created by the chapter being discussed by politicians and various forums led by chapter members discussing the effects of police brutality on the Black community as well solutions to improve the health of Black communities.

Mentoring Program:

Partnership with LiveON NY Organ Donation Series: Since 2021, the GNYCBNA has partnered with LiveON NY, an organ procurement organization, bringing awareness to the community on the importance of tissue and organ donation. Chapter members have participated disseminating this life saving information in Podcast format, interviewing organ donor recipients so listeners can here firsthand about the process of signing up to be an organ donor, hear from loved ones of donors on the positive impact their loved ones had on those who recieved organs, as well as how to have the delicate conversation with others as health care providers. The LiveON NY has also come as guest speakers to chapter meetings and to chapter events, helping to break the stigma of what is often a taboo subject in our community.