Brooklyn's Progress
June/July 2008

BY JILL D’AMICO

Brooklyn HealthWorks, the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce’s low-cost health insurance program for small business, took part in Cover the Uninsured Week, a project of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The week is meant to publicize the plight of the 47 million Americans, including more than 9 million children, who are currently without health insurance.

Since small businesses’ grappling with the rising cost of health insurance for their employees was the impetus for Brooklyn HealthWorks, it was only natural for the HealthWorks team to take to the streets for Cover the Uninsured Week. Working in cooperation with local merchant and business improvement districts, they were able to meet business owners and see their operations in an effort to show how affordable solutions are out there.

During the week of April 27, the HealthWorks team visited eight neighborhoods throughout Brooklyn, including Fort Greene, Bedford Stuyvesant, and Canarsie, visiting over 200 businesses.

“Getting out in the business and manufacturing districts of Brooklyn is an important part of our strategy to let small businesses know about Brooklyn HealthWorks,” said Dean Mohs, executive director of Brooklyn HealthWorks. “Partnering with merchants associations and business improvement districts during ‘Cover the Uninsured Week’ was extremely positive, and we will continue building those relationships in coming months.”

The effort came on the heels of HealthWorks’ near doubling of enrollment since their re-launch last October. The program now covers 1,100 lives, up from 640.

State Senator Martin J. Golden and Assemblyman Joseph R. Lentol, both champions of the program from the start, were thrilled at the news. 

"Access to quality and affordable health care is something that many people take for granted.  However, that is not always the case.  Programs such as HealthWorks show that we can make real progress addressing a real program,” said Senator Golden. “By providing health insurance to small business employees we are investing in the quality of life for our neighborhoods, borough, and ultimately, our great state."

 "This program represents the best of the government and the private industry working together – and is something that we should do more of,” said Assemblyman Lentol. “What the Chamber needed was the incentive and the authority to create this program.  Once they received it, they did the hard work that is netting such fabulous results.”

Brooklyn HealthWorks has also launched a new marketing campaign that includes ads in local newspapers and a radio campaign on 1010 WINS which began airing on May 6.

For more information about Brooklyn HealthWorks, contact Dean Mohs at 718-875-1000 ext. 122.