One Brooklyn Health (OBH) sponsored its 1st Annual “Ballers for Sickle Cell Basketball Tournament” on November 1st. Hosted by M.S. 935 Middle School at Community School District 19, the event featured Overcoming Sports Academy and the District 19 All-Star Team, who faced off in a thrilling game. Designed to promote sickle cell awareness, the effort was produced in collaboration with New York-Presbyterian‘s Sickle Cell Ball Campaign. The official basketball used for the event was a unique special edition, designed with minimalist black panels and a single crescent-shaped red panel, symbolizing the sickle cell shape.
Joined by Assemblywoman Stefani Zimmerman; Dr. Gwen Lewis, VP of Ambulatory Care for OBH at Bishop Walker; Dr. Torian Easterling, SVP of Population and Community Health/Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer at OBH; Dr. Mario Peichev, Pediatric Hematologist at OBH; Miren Blackwood, Senior Program Lead at OBH at Bishop Walker; and other support staff at Bishop Walker. The event was well attended by parents, kids and community-based organizations.
Assemblywoman Zimmerman spent the afternoon supporting the players and partaking in the award ceremony, which honored the tournament players for lending their athletic talents to the cause. Other event activities included a basketball challenge at I ball for Sickle Cell OBH/Interfaith, led by Chanel Rice-Purnell, President and Founder of the Sickle Cell Empowerment Initiative, and included other Sickle Cell patients at Bishop Walker.
Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) is a genetic condition passed down from parents to their children. Research shows that about 100,000 people in the United States are affected by SCD. More than 90% of those affected are either non-Hispanic Black or African American. Additionally, an estimated 3% to 9% are Hispanic or Latino. The estimated life expectancy of those with SCD in the United States is more than 20 years shorter than the average expected.
Dr. Lewis stated the importance of education and awareness that helps reduce stigma and advocates for better access to care and treatment. “Sickle cell is the most common inherited blood disorder in the United States; however, we have much more to do when it comes to educating the broader community. It’s also important to highlight the importance of early diagnosis and treatment, which are essential for improving the quality of life for people with the disease.”
One Brooklyn Health Sickle Cell Programs have been providing care for over 50 years. Approximately 700 children and adults with SCD receive care in the OBH system, which includes comprehensive treatment services at OBH at Brookdale Hospital Medical Center. For more information about Sickle Cell services at OBH, please contact:
- OBH at Interfaith Medical Center (Pediatric and Adult Sickle Cell)
718-613-6875 - OBH at Brookdale Hospital Medical Center (Pediatric and Adult Sickle Cell)
718- 240- 5904
ABOUT OBH:
One Brooklyn Health (0BH) was established to preserve and enhance health care services in the communities of Central Brooklyn and is composed of three hospitals, and their affiliated facilities, Interfaith Medical Center (IMC), Brookdale Hospital Medical Center (BHMC) and Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center (becoming the KJMC Medical Village). All three facilities have historic ties in the communities they serve and are working together to build a system that will enable OBH to provide the highest quality and widest breadth of healthcare services to those in need. OBH has an extensive network of primary, behavioral health and specialty care locations spread throughout Central and East Brooklyn. In addition, we partner with a number of Brooklyn-based Federally Qualified Health centers and pharmacies to reach the greatest number of Brooklyn residents. At the various locations, patients and their families can obtain a broad range of healthcare services, such as pediatric and geriatric care, behavioral health, sickle cell services, podiatry and maternal health services, to name a few. In addition, OBH has two large nursing homes within its system, Schulman S. Schachne Institute for Nursing and Rehabilitation at BHMC and Rutland Nursing Home at KJMC. OBH also has senior citizen housing for residents who can live independently or who require an assisted living program at its Arlene and David Schlang Pavilion at Brookdale.
