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COVER STORY: COVID Talk With Commissioner Chokshi
COVER STORY CITY’S TOP DOC ADDRESSES NEW COVID CONCERNS
When Dr. Dave Chokshi replaced Oxiris Barbot as commissioner of the Department of Health in August of last year, it would still be five months before the first COVID19 vaccine in the nation would be
Before accepting the post of commissioner of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Dr. Dave Chokshi served as Chief Population Health Officer at NYC Health + Hospitals, where he built and grew an award-winning team dedicated to health system improvement, spanning innovative care models and analytics, primary care transformation, social determinants of health, community-based care management and chronic diseases and prevention.
Dr. Chokshi’s prior work experience spans the public, private and nonprofit sectors, including positions with the New York City and State Departments of Health and the Louisiana Department of Health, before and after Hurricane Katrina.
Dr. Chokshi served on the FEMA delegation to New York City after Hurricane Sandy in 2012. He also served as a White House Fellow and was the principal health advisor to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
He trained in internal medicine at Brigham & Women’s Hospital, where he received the Dunne Award for Compassionate Care, and was a clinical fellow at Harvard Medical School.
During his training, Dr. Chokshi did clinical work in Guatemala, Peru, Botswana, Ghana and India. He received his M.D. with Alpha Omega Alpha distinction from Penn.
He also earned an MSc in global public health as a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford and graduated summa cum laude from Duke. DC: Although fewer children have gotten COVID-19, children can still be infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 and spread the virus to others. This is why we are urging that children who are eligible for the vaccine - right now from ages 12-17 - should receive it, and the city is working on making the vaccine as accessible as possible to children and their families.
At this time, masks are still required in school buildings as part of our layered approach to COVID-19 prevention. Additionally, the city is mandating that staff get vaccinated or tested weekly in time for school reopening. We also recognize, as a city, that schools promote the health of children.
given to a nurse at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in Queens.
The future was still uncertain when the Jackson Heights resident assumed the role of the city’s top doctor, even as lockdown-weary New Yorkers attempted to return to some sense of normalcy, cautiously eating out, meeting with friends, and traveling.
When the city began offering vaccines at the beginning of the year, it looked like a full return to normal was on the horizon, but now the highly contagious Delta variant, which research suggest even vaccinated individuals can spread, it looks like that longawaited return could be facing a major roadblock.
Last month, Commissioner Chokshi took part in a Facebook Live chat with members of the Queens Chamber of Commerce to address the concerns of business owners as they start to welcome their employees back to the office even as COVID-19 cases continue to rise in the city.
This Is Queensborough caught up with Commissioner Chokshi following the chat to get his opinion on some of the larger issues facing New Yorkers the pandemic appears to be making a resurgence.
This is Queensborough: Queens was the “epicenter of the epicenter” during the first wave of the virus last year? As the Delta variant continues to spread, should we be concerned about Queens becoming ground zero for the pandemic once again?
Dr. Dave Chokshi: Queens families have been deeply affected by the virus. Their dedication to ending this pandemic shows in the level of vaccinations. Right now, Queens is the second-most vaccinated borough in the city.
To protect against the rise of Delta, I encourage those who haven’t been vaccinated to get vaccinated now. It’s the single most important thing in the fight against COVID to prevent the avoidable suffering that too many experienced during previous waves.
Dr. Dave Chokshi briefs New Yorkers on COVID. (Photo: Ed Reed/Mayor’s Office)
TIQ: To what extent will vaccines diminish the effect of the Delta variant? Will booster shots be required and, if so, for whom? DC: Vaccines are essential to defeating the Delta variant. We know that all of the authorized COVID-19 vaccines are effective in protecting against it and other currently circulating variants, particularly against severe illness causing hospitalization and death.
Right now is the most dangerous time to be unvaccinated. As for boosters, we are still learning about the duration of immunity provided from vaccines to determine whether boosters are needed. Studies are ongoing regarding this and we’ll follow the science.
TIQ: How do you think this newest wave of the virus will impact school re-openings in New York City? Do you think students should be returning to in-person classes? Should students be wearing masks this fall? Are young people atrisk of catching or spreading the virus? TIQ: With another month of summer still ahead of us, should New Yorkers be wary of participating in outdoor activities such as visits to the beach, baseball games, barbecues? Should people avoid large gatherings once again as was the case last summer?
DC: We know that outdoor trans-
COVER STORY
mission of the virus is lower than that of indoor transmission. Masks are important in shared indoor settings, particularly where there are many unvaccinated individuals, or we do not know the vaccination status of the people around us.
That’s why we have mask mandates in places like public transit, schools, and health care and congregate settings. It is particularly important that unvaccinated people continue to use their mask, as well as follow all of the precautions we took before the introduction of vaccines, such as social distancing and regular testing.
TIQ: Although New York has a stellar vaccination rate, other parts of the country are falling behind due to vaccine hesitancy. Will the rising rates of COVID19 throughout the nation affect New Yorkers? Should New Yorkers avoid travel for business or pleasure to parts of the country with higher COVID rates?
DC: New Yorkers should remain cautious about COVID-19 and take precautions while traveling. Our contact tracing data indicates that travel is contributing to a greater spread of the coronavirus, and New Yorkers should be mindful of COVID rates in the destinations they are visiting. As with other activities, traveling is safer if you’ve been vaccinated.
TIQ: Borough President Donovan Richards secured millions in funding for new operating rooms and facilities at Elmhurst Hospital, do you think this new funding will have an immediate impact in the fight against COVID-19?
DC: Elmhurst Hospital deserves support after its staff faced some of the worst days of the pandemic with grace, compassion and bravery. It’s where my family and I entrust our own care, and I’m grateful for the borough president’s support.
56-18 69th Street · Maspeth, NY FREE ADMISSION
DRIVE-IN MOVIE
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For your comfort, please bring your own chair or blanket. Seating will not be provided.
QUEENS CHAMBER MEMBER NEWS ACPNY OPENS NINTH OFFICE IN QUEENS
AdvantageCare Physicians (ACPNY), one of the largest primary and specialty care practices in New York, recently opened a new medical office in Jackson Heights.
ACPNY will share the space with a EmblemHealth Neighborhood Care (EHNC) center, which will offer one-on-one support and free health & wellness classes.
The Jackson Heights joins more than 40 offices across New York City and Long Island. It is ACPNY’s ninth office in Queens, with other locations in Astoria, Cambria Heights, Flushing, Forest Hills, Jamaica Estates, Richmond Hill, Rochdale Village, and Rockaway.
ACPNY patients in the neighborhood will now easier access to specialty care provided by doctors and nurses who live in the communities they serve and are trained in cultural competency.
Situated in the most ethnically diverse urban area of the world, Jackson Heights has a population of over 175,000 residents, over 80% of which are Latino or Asian. “At ACPNY, we know that accessible and quality care is both lifeaffirming and life-saving,” said Dr. Navarra Rodriguez, president and chief medical officer at ACPNY. “That’s why we are so excited to provide a new home for health where the people of Jackson Heights both live and work.”
The Jackson Heights facility is approximately 18,000 square feet and includes a full laboratory, accommodations for 25 doctors, and services including pediatrics, behavioral health, endocrinology, OB/GYN, optometry, podiatry, and rheumatology
Meanwhile, the strategic co-location of EmblemHealth Neighborhood Care and ACPNY is part of EmblemHealth’s commitment to addressing social determinants of health.
In one convenient location, community members can access primary care providers and specialty care services at ACPNY, and find connections to community resources, such as food and housing, free wellness classes, and Customer Care Navigators who can answer questions about health benefits at EmblemHealth Neighborhood Care.
The Jackson Heights office is located at 40-31 82nd Street and is open Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information on AdvantageCare Physicians, visit acpny.com.
CEO’S MESSAGE
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man James Gennaro, NYC Small Business Services, and Red Eye Aviation Services.
We’re not out of the woods yet, which is why our “Employer Strategies to Manage and Motivate the Remote Workplace” webinar is relevant for those who haven’t made the transition back to the physical work environment.
This journey over the past 16 months hasn’t been easy, but thankfully we’ll continue to make strides towards more normalcy. One thing is certain, Queens Chamber remains in place to provide you with every resource to make your pathway as seamless as possible.
I know you have heard me say it numerous times before, but it’s true: this is the BEST job ever. It enables me the opportunity, with the assistance of an amazing team of dedicated individuals, to support this wonderfully diverse community we call home. Queens STRONG
