NYC NOW - March 27, 2024 : Midday News

Episode Date: March 27, 2024

NY State lawmakers say they will renew their push to reopen a window that allows sexual assault victims more time to file their claims. This after a WNYC investigation revealed patterns of sexual abuse in Rikers Island. Also, a women's roller derby league on Long Island is joining those pushing to protect transgender athletes and suing Nassau County executive Bruce Blakeman over his disputed ban. And, a man was shoved to his death in front of a subway train Monday night in East Harlem which marks the fourth murder in the transit system this year. Lastly, the CDC says New Jersey's Essex County has one of the highest rates of late-stage breast cancer and cervical cancer diagnoses in the Garden state, and outcomes are even worse for Black women. To try to reverse these alarming trends, Newark University Hospital has partnered with the Rutgers New Jersey Medical School to roll out a new mobile mammogram van. WNYC’s Michael Hill speaks with Dr. Susan Pories, Director of the Breast Center at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School and Valencia Maponya, mobile health manager for University Hospital.

Welcome to NYC Now, your source for local news in and around New York City from WMYC. It's Wednesday, March 27th. Here's the midday news from Michael Hill. New York state lawmakers say they will renew their push to reopen a window that allows sexual assault victims more time to file claims. That's after a new WNYC investigation revealed patterns of alleged sexual abuse on Rikers Island. Assembly member Linda Rosenthal sponsored the Adult Survivors Act. The law opened a one-year window for people to file sexual assault lawsuits passed the statute of limitations.

She called WNYC's report an indictment of the system. All of these charges need to be proven in the court of law, but the fact that there are so many and so many in, you know, the past 20, 30 years, makes me feel even more grateful that we were able to pass this into law. Rosenthal says lawmakers should also pass pending legislation that would provide extra time specifically for people who have spent time in jail or prison to file lawsuits. A women's roller derby league on Long Island is joining those pushing to protect the rights of transgender athletes.

The Long Island roller rebels are suing Nassau County Executive Bruce. Blakeman over his disputed ban. Blakeman's executive order prohibits women's and girls leagues and teams with transgender athletes from using county-run facilities. The league is gearing up for its season opener next month, but it faces uncertainty about where teams will play games. State Attorney General Tish James issued a cease and desist order this month, demanding Blakeman rescind his order.

Blakeman responded by filing a federal lawsuit against James. Stay close. There's more after the break. A man showed to his death in front of a subway train Monday night in East Harlem marks the fourth murder in the transit system this year. WNMC Stephen Nesson reports that death took place in a station that's had several shootings in just hours after Mayor Adams pledged to send hundreds of additional police officers into the system.

On Monday afternoon at 125th Street and Lennox Avenue, the NYPD announced a new crackdown on fare beating, which officials say will also lead to more policing of bigger crimes. But hours later, just a few blocks away on 125th and Lexington Avenue, a man was randomly shoved in front of an oncoming train. The station was known to be problematic by riders and the MTA. Every station is terrible, but this one is pretty bad, too. I don't really feel safe sometimes yet.

That's 25-year-old Joel Rivera. Other strap hangers like 73-year-old Gloria King Green say she's not too worried, but she says she stands near columns while she's waiting for the train. I never felt unsafe, no. Otherwise, I wouldn't be here again today. I'm careful not to stand on the edge. I always stand in the middle or behind these things here to make sure that no one pushes. Last month, the MTA selected this station for the only no standing zone in the subway system, installing four-foot-tall orange rubber poles around the location

where the train conductor's cab is located when a train pulls into the station. train operators and conductors are frequently attacked or spit on when they lower the window, which is required at every stop. Stephen Nesson, WNYC News. New Jersey's health office says Essex County has one of the highest rates of late-stage breast cancer and cervical cancer diagnoses in the Garden State, and data show the outcomes for black women are often more deadly compared to other groups, especially in the city of Nure. To try to reverse these alarming trends, New York University Hospital has partnered with the Rutgers, New Jersey Medical School to roll out a new mobile mammogram van that will screen patients right where they are. Dr. Susan Porese is the surgical oncologist at University Hospital and a professor in the Department of Surgery at Rutgers, New Jersey Medical School. Valencia Mauponia is the mobile health manager for University Hospital.

They both join us now. Valencia, this kind of mammogram van was already providing care in work, but it was put on pause during the pandemic. What's the biggest change coming with this new rollout? The biggest change, let me start with the physical. We have a brand new $1.2 million bus. The old bus has been retired. It had met his age well over 15, 20 years old. And we now have the 24 state-of-the-art unit that has hit the road.

It includes our 3D mammography facility that we have available to our woman. And of course, our programming has changed somewhat. Prior, it was focused only on women who were uninsured, plus it was a part-time situation. Now we are a full-time facility, a fully licensed health facility by the New Jersey Department of Health as a satellite of the University Hospital and ready to serve our women in the community. Does it cost women when you go out? Does it cost them to get the MemonRam? The insurance company of a woman that is insured will be charged, but she has no co-pay or out-of-pocket expense. In terms of a woman who is uninsured, there is a grant provided through the New Jersey Seed that is managed by the SAVE program,

and they are pay us to our system to cover these women who are uninsured. Belentim Kieris, how successful was it the first time around him? What was the goal this time? We were able to do over 18,000 women in the previous dispensation. And out of that, I know we had over 200 plus positive results that came out. That was very impactful in the community. Dr. Pori, statistics show that some women in the state who get diagnosed with breast cancer are already in the late stages of the disease.

How common is this? Actually, it's unfortunately fairly common in Newark and the patients that we're seeing at University Hospital. We're seeing women come in to the emergency room with cancer that has already spread, metastatic breast cancer. That's about 11% in Newark compared to national statistics. It's about double what we should see. And we're also seeing about 30% of the women coming in with Lerk. late stage diagnoses, so stage three or locally advanced breast cancers. So we really want to change

this and shift the stages so that we're seeing more people with stage one or even stage zero would be best. Dr. Porreys, those statistics you just cited, why is it? Well, it's multifactorial. I think part of it is access to care. Hopefully the mammogram ban will help with some of that. But it's also, I think, part of the biology of breast cancer and black women. As you know, Newark is at least 50% black. And there also is a very large population of people who've emigrated from Nigeria and Ghana. And those women tend to get breast cancer at an earlier age, and it's much more aggressive breast cancer. And I think a lot of the population is not aware of this. So even the white women have a slightly higher incidence of black women are really carrying the burden

of more aggressive and late diagnoses. So just to be more specific, they're more out to get what we call triple negative breast cancers and her two positive breast cancers, both of which are much more aggressive types. It's pretty fascinating research. It actually seems to relate to genetic protection against malaria that developed in in eastern Africa thousands of years ago. And while it, when there was less expression of that, it seemed to protect against malaria and sort of evolved over time as genetic changes do. But it also brought with it some other, you know, unforeseen consequences, if you will. So it seems to play into inflammation and response to cancer.

Valencia, who is the hospital looking to reach with the rollout of this new van? One of the things are models designed about meeting women where they are. So we have early mornings, late afternoons, as we team up with our partners. And we want to ensure that women who have limited access due to, whether it be childcare, they have to go through a health center or they need to go through a church, we'll be able to provide that for them. Again, yes, we are looking to serve women who are uninsured and underinsured,

but we do know that they're working mothers who are insured, but find it difficult to get to the doctor during the traditional 9-to-5. And what kind of services does the van offer? We do have the potential of offering pap smears through the safe program, and that's for uninsured women. That will be a special offering at times

the populations that need that. And we continue to offer mammary. which is the staple off the bus. Dr. Porreys, how often should women get mammogram screening? Oh, thank you for that important question. Women should be getting mammograms once a year, every year, starting at 40. If they are average risk, if they have a family history of breast cancer, we like to start screening earlier, even in their 30s, like age 35.

and if they have a family member that had cancer in their 30s, we'll start even earlier with alternate forms of screening like ultrasound or MRI. But screening and catching things early is really the key to better outcomes for all women with breast cancer. Valencia, how can women access mobile care? What do they need to do and where do they have to go? All the health departments in the basin are on board. they can reach out to their health departments, and the health departments will help them to access and register for a program. However, they may call 973-9-7-breast, and we can give them further information on how to register and what is going to be our next site.

That's 973-9-7-breast. Dr. Susan Porreys is the director of the Breast Center at Rutgers, New Jersey Medical School, and Valencia Maponia is the Mobile Health Manager. for University Hospital. Thank you both for joining us on this important topic. Thank you so much. Thanks for listening. This is NYC now from WNYC. Be sure to catch us every weekday, three times a day,

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