Brooklyn’s communities of color and high-poverty neighborhoods have fewer health care professionals and less hospital capacity per capita than the borough’s wealthier and predominantly white ZIP codes, according to a new report by the state Department of Health. The largest capacity and access gaps are in ZIP codes with a high proportion of Black or Hispanic residents: 11232, 11233, 11208, 11207, 11221 and 11239. ZIP codes with high percentages of Black residents have about 50 staffed hospital beds per 100,000 residents, while largely Hispanic neighborhoods have just 36, the report found. The boroughwide average, in contrast, is 112 staffed hospital beds per 100,000 residents. Black and Hispanic communities also have more than 20 percent fewer health care professionals per capita in primary care, women’s health and pediatrics, the report found. In general, most Brooklyn hospitals have poor overall quality scores as measured by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the nonprofit watchdog group Leapfrog. Hospital quality is lowest in majority Black communities, the Health Department found. So it’s little surprise that Brooklyn residents are increasingly going to Manhattan for care, especially those who have commercial insurance, according to the report. In 2021, about a third of all Brooklynites left the borough for care. Among residents with commercial insurance, over half did so. In contrast, only 28 percent of Medicaid enrollees went to Manhattan or elsewhere for medical services. At the same time, Brooklyn ZIP codes with higher-than-average rates of residents on Medicaid — areas with high poverty rates, a high percentage of foreign-born residents or a high share of Hispanic residents — actually have fewer health care providers per capita who accept Medicaid, the report found. State Sen. Zellnor Myrie said the report indicates the potential closure of SUNY’s University Hospital at Downstate, which is in his central Brooklyn district, would reduce access to care “where it’s needed most.” "SUNY Downstate serves two of the highest-need demographics named in the report— Black people and foreign-born residents,” Myrie said in a statement Thursday. “Proposing to close Downstate without a 'community-driven effort'— which is specifically called for in this report— is a slap in the face to my constituents.” The closure could have an especially significant impact when it comes to maternal health. As the report notes, SUNY Downstate is just one of two regional perinatal centers in Brooklyn, which provide the highest level of care to pregnant patients and newborns. The hospital has only 12 staffed beds for labor and delivery, but they operate at 93 percent capacity. ON THE AGENDA: — Monday at 9 a.m. NYC Health + Hospitals’ medical and professional affairs/information technology committee meets. — Monday at 11 a.m. NYC Health + Hospitals’ audit committee meets. — Tuesday at 5 p.m. NYC Health + Hospitals’ community relations committee meets. — Wednesday at 1 p.m. The Public Health and Health Planning Council’s public health committee will convene. — Thursday at 9:30 a.m. The Public Health and Health Planning Council’s committee on codes, regulations and legislation meets, followed by a meeting of the full Council. GOT TIPS? Send story ideas and feedback to Maya Kaufman at mkaufman@politico.com. Want to receive this newsletter every weekday? Subscribe to POLITICO Pro. You’ll also receive daily policy news and other intelligence you need to act on the day’s biggest stories.
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