Lehman College celebrates the grand opening of the Bronx Community Hub which will provide free healthcare, wellness and mental health services for Bronx residents located near Crotona Park, as well as offer clinical hours and hands-on-training for Lehman college students.
Located at a property owned by MBD Community Housing Corps, the Bronx Community Hub will serve as a place where people can get basic assessment screening for their health services including, vital signs, body measurements, nutritional plans, mental health sessions and community resources for housing, food and medical insurance.
“We want to be an anchor in this community,” said Dean Elgoria Harrison of the School of Health Sciences, Human Services, and Nursing at Lehman College. “We want to be in this neighborhood because there are a lot of seniors here and we believe if we have activities here, it will make them feel less isolated and more belonging to this particular community.”
The Hub opened its doors in September and plans to stay open year-round on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
Previously a space owned by Bronx Lebanon, CEO and Founder of Bronx Community Hub Melissa Baker founded the vacant space after the COVID-19 pandemic and turned the space into a medical practice to serve Bronx residents and Lehman students.
President of MBD Community Housing Corp Derrick Lovett, who rented the vacant space for the Hub, assisted with the renovations of the clinic.
“It’s wonderful families living here, and we just need to all come together to help provide amazing services for our constituents,” Lovett said.
Current nursing students of Lehman College say it’s important to provide basic care, alongside building relationships with individuals in the community.
“I am particularly moved by the community’s activism and the efforts to steer healthcare away from just the medical aspect to the development of individuals on a holistic level,” said nursing student Ruth Balbuena.
There are nearly 300 nursing students attending Lehman College.
Students are accompanied by their clinical instructor and do house visits as well as working directly inside the clinic.
Patients told the students that having the clinic within walking distance of their homes makes it more accessible, especially since the majority of those served are seniors.
“I think it’s really cool how the learning facility can be used to facilitate their healthcare access and provide other aspects of care like social work, housing assistance, or food assistance, or help get their Medicaid renewed if they need it,” said another nursing student, Alexander Mota.
The Hub offers resources that go beyond basic assessment check-ups and mental health treatment. The clinic works with organizations across the Bronx that work to support residents with accessible aid and resources.
“They opened it up to give back community based care because not everyone has access to a blood pressure machine, checking their blood glucose, counseling, or community based resources,” said nursing student Rayhaan Ahmad.
The Hub hopes to expand its services in the future by opening the program to dental students. It also plans to pursue additional funding to purchase new scales and EKG machines and compensate faculty and adjuncts to ensure the Hub’s long-term sustainability in the Bronx.
