Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the opening of a “COVID-19 Center of Excellence” in Jackson Heights Wednesday (NYC Mayor’s Office Livestream)
Feb. 25, 2021 By Allie Griffin
A new community health clinic that specializes in treating patients recovering from COVID-19 opened Wednesday in Jackson Heights.
The new clinic, located at 37-50 72nd St., has been designed to meet the needs of patients recovering from the coronavirus. The facility, which is 26,000 square feet, will officially start taking patients on Monday.
Mayor Bill de Blasio attended the ribbon cutting yesterday and said that the center is opening in an area that was at one point the epicenter of the pandemic. He said the city is focusing its recovery efforts on aiding the hardest hit communities–such as Jackson Heights.
“We are proud to open this Excellence Center in the heart of Queens today as part of our commitment to come back from this pandemic stronger than ever,” de Blasio said.
The clinic is one of three NYC Health + Hospitals “COVID-19 Centers of Excellence” in the process of opening. The others are in Bushwick, Brooklyn, and Tremont, Bronx.
The mayor annouced plans in June 2020 to open the three facilities. The administration determined that the centers would go up in communities of color that had been hit hard by COVID-19.
The greater Jackson Heights area has been a hotspot for the pandemic. In sections of the neighborhood, 37 percent of the population tested for the virus have come back positive, according to the city’s health department.
Mayor Bill de Blasio opening the “COVID-19 Center of Excellence” in Jackson Heights Wednesday (NYC Mayor’s Office)
The clinic will offer services such as pulmonary and cardiology care, radiology and diagnostic services and mental health service for those impacted by COVID-19. Residents can also visit the site for COVID-19 testing.
The clinic has 20 exam rooms as well as a digital imaging suite.
The facility is not just strictly for those with COVID-19. It also offers regular primary health services for Queens residents, such as cancer screenings, dental and vision care, diabetes management, podiatry, adult medicine, pediatrics and more as well.
Local leaders applauded the clinic’s opening.
“Few locations in the city was harder hit at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic than the communities of Elmhurst, Corona and Jackson Heights — the epicenter of the epicenter of this unprecedented public health crisis,” said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards.
“The new COVID-19 Center for Excellence in Jackson Heights will provide Queens residents with the critical care they need as they recover from COVID-19, and our borough is grateful for our ongoing partnership with NYC Health + Hospitals to keep our communities safe,” Richards added.
The clinic’s hours are below:
Monday, 8:30AM-7:00PM
Tuesday, 8:30AM-5:00PM
Wednesday, 8:30AM-7:00PM
Thursday, 8:30AM-7:00PM
Friday, 8:30AM-5:00PM
Saturday, 8:30AM-4:00PM
Visit https://www.nychealthandhospitals.org/covid-19-center-of-excellence/ to learn more about NYC Health + Hospitals’ COVID Centers of Excellence, or call 844-NYC-4NYC to make an appointment.
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