NYC Health + Hospitals Corporation

Most people who get COVID-19 recover within a few weeks; however, some people—even those who had mild versions of the disease—experience symptoms that last longer.

When symptoms and conditions continue or develop four weeks or more after initial infection, health experts consider it Long COVID, which can last for months or years and disrupt people’s daily functioning. Communities that face health inequities, including patients of color, are the most affected by Long COVID; however, their experiences have been largely excluded from the discourse. To meet these challenges, the New York State Department of Health, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, and public and private hospital systems have deployed resources, established clinical centers of excellence, and organized groups to advocate for large-scale solutions. With the end of the federal public health emergency and pandemic-era funding, resources that were supporting these emerging systems have dried up. It is necessary to preserve access to Long COVID care and services, identify scalable and sustainable models, and ensure that patients are engaged in decision-making and developing care plans. In 2023, NYHealth awarded NYC Health + Hospitals (H+H) a grant to connect Long COVID patients in New York City to care, train primary care providers, and engage patients and communities to identify treatment needs and preferences. 

Under this grant, H+H connected New Yorkers with Long COVID care, maintained operation of its NYC COVID hotline and trained the hotline staff to field inquiries from individuals with Long COVID. It cross-promoted the hotline and continued to disseminate information through its new patient and family advisory council (PFAC). H+H linked callers to primary care appointments and services to address their social needs (e.g., financial support, housing, disability services). As the landscape shifts, it used data collected from the hotline to identify resource gaps. H+H also trained primary care providers to increase their skills in diagnosing and treating Long COVID. It instituted a Long COVID-focused PFAC to allow providers, patients, and family members to learn from one another and collaborate. H+H partnered with community-based organizations to shape ongoing service provision, provider education, and patient support.  

NYHealth also supported a complementary initiative with a grant to Long COVID Justice.