Long Island City Journal - Maloney Presents $325,000 Federal Grant to LIC Hospital

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Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney presented The Floating Hospital in Long Island City with a $325,000 federal grant to fund its substance abuse program.

Maloney said the grant is especially important due to the fact that the borough is an entry point for immigrants, and that there are disparages between neighborhoods in terms of healthcare access.

"The growth of this organization is awe-inspiring," Maloney said, adding that the Floating Hospital's Queensbridge Houses location makes it the only healthcare center in a NYCHA complex. "Now they'll be providing all kinds of healthcare which means more doctor visits, more vaccinations, more dentists visits and more opportunities for people to receive the essential healthcare that they need."

The funding provided by the grant will increase availability and access to the hospital's integrated substance abuse program, which will incorporate mental health and primary care.

"Now when a patient comes in to be screened, we can ask them more questions about drug abuse," said Cynthia Davis, director of Community Outreach for The Floating Hospital. "After that, we can refer them to appropriate care. It's so much needed."

According to Maloney and Davis, one of the largest and quickly-growing "epidemics" across the city and country is the addiction to opioids and pain relievers, such as Vicodin, OxyContin, morphine and codeine.

The clinic is currently celebrating 150 years of operation. The hospital opened through the St. John's Guild of Trinity Church in 1866 on a ship. It sailed up and down the East River tending to the city's poor as well as ailing newspaper delivery boys.

After moving to a Brooklyn dock following the attacks on September 11, 2001, The Floating Hospital has been in the Queens Plaza area since 2006.

"A lot of [healthcare institutions] don't have the history that they have and they're so uniquely adjusted to what is needed," Maloney said.

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