New Cafe Opens At NY Health & Hospitals Coler Hospital On Roosevelt Island - It's "A Welcome Addition" And "The Food Was Excellent, I loved The Interaction With My Peers" Coler Nursing Home Residents Say

The NYC Health & Hospitals Corp  Coler Long Term Care facility has opened a brand new Cafe for their Roosevelt Island residents.

According to the NYC Health & Hospitals Corp:

NYC Health + Hospitals/Coler in partnership with Sodexo today announced the launch of The Coler Café, the most recent addition to the dining and culinary experience available to hundreds of nursing home residents. The collaborative approach of Sodexo’s food service associates and Coler’s team of Registered Dietitian Nutritionists offers a flavorful menu, individually tailored to the dietary needs of each resident. The Coler Café is open two days during the week, Wednesdays and Thursdays, from 11:30am – 1:30pm. Coler residents can make reservations through their designated care teams to ensure the appropriate meals meet their dietary parameters.

NYC Health + Hospitals/Coler CEO Stephen Catullo receives a "high-five" from a nursing home resident, celebrating the launch of the new enhanced dining option.

“The Coler Café is an exciting person-centered co-design project led by Sodexo with the active participation of our residents and multiple departments, including Food and Nutrition, Nursing, Therapeutic Recreation, Environmental Services, Engineering and Maintenance, and Administration,” said NYC Health + Hospitals/Coler Chief Executive Officer Stephen Catullo. “The overarching goal of the Café is to provide a new and different dining experience to our residents in which they have a greater variety of food choices to be enjoyed in a café-style setting.”

The Coler Café provides a friendly ambiance where residents can enjoy a meal with their neighbors and visiting family members.

Here’s a glimpse at a few menu options at The Coler Café:

• Choice of Tomato or Chicken Noodle Soup
• Roast Beef Panini with French Dipping Broth
• Chicken Quesadilla
• Pressed Grilled Cheese
• Craft Your Own Salad (Protein, Assorted Cheese, Vegetables)
• Fresh Baked Dessert of the Day

The top resident picks from The Coler Café menu were the Roast Beef Panini and Chicken Quesadilla.

“A great experience! Certainly, a welcome addition to Coler,” said President of the Coler Resident Council Francine Benjamin.

“I felt very welcome, the atmosphere was wonderful,” said Coler Resident Bennie Williams. “The food was excellent and I loved the interaction with my peers.”

“We want to thank the Coler team for their dedication and hard work in getting us to this grand opening of the Coler Café,” said NYC Health + Hospitals Assistant Vice President Mercedes Redwood and Senior Director Stephen Castro. “We’re so excited to have this designated area for our residents to offer them additional meal choices directly at the point of service while showcasing different types of food concepts and cuisines.”

“The Coler café is not just for good eating, it’s the experience shared and the memories made when gathered around the table, and a sense of independence for our residents,” said NYC Health + Hospitals/Coler Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Joan Lannaman.

“We are so proud to deliver this innovative dining experience to the residents of Coler. This program has demonstrated our commitment to improving the overall resident dining experience,” said Sodexo Client Executive at NYC Health + Hospitals Post-Acute Care Tracy Dell Italia.

NYC Health + Hospitals/Coler partners with the Sodexo team to create a new dining experience onsite for hundreds of residents to enjoy.

“The food quality is excellent. What a joy to watch our residents socialize with each other and staff while having a delicious meal,” said Judith Berdy, Chair of Coler Auxiliary Board. “I appreciate the dedication and commitment of the staff to make our residents’ dining experience enjoyable.”

During last year's Roosevelt Island Day, Ms Berdy described how you can get involved and volunteer  

 at Coler.

Roosevelt Island Coler Hospital Is Not Closing, Real Estate Developent Rumors Are Untrue, Says NYC Mayor Eric Adams - Volunteer Opportunities Available With Coler Auxiliary To Help Make Life Better For Residents

There have been persistent rumors over the years of plans to close the NYC Health & Hospitals Corp (NYCHHC) Coler Hospital on Roosevelt Island for future real estate development. 

As reported in 2018:

The NYC Health & Hospital Corp Coler Hospital sits on prime East River waterfront land on the north end of Roosevelt Island.

Recently, there have been plenty of rumors about Coler Hospital closing and being put up for sale by New York City.Will Coler Hospital be closed and demolished for a new development - as was it's sister property, Coler Goldwater Hospital, for the Cornell Tech campus?...

The Daily News reported:

EXCLUSIVE: The last public hospital on NYC's Roosevelt Island could be closing soon https://t.co/RflBKqpBBl

— New York Daily News (@NYDailyNews) November 23, 2018

Prior to my  one-on-one interview with NYC Mayor Eric Adams earlier last week, I asked his office:

Is NYC HHC planning to close Coler Hospital within the next few years; and if so, why? 

Is the City, whether through NYC Economic Development Corp. or otherwise, contemplating the Coler hospital location - or any other RI location - for future development? 

If so, what purpose and use would the development serve? 

Does the NYC EDC include the Coler Hospital site, or any RI site, on any list of future development sites?

During the interview, Mayor Adams said that:

... the Hospital is not going to close. Those are rumors that people have stated. I think HHC is the best deal going in our city...

Click here for the full interview with Mayor Adams on Roosevelt Island issues. 

If you're interested in volunteering at Coler Hospital or just learning more about our neighbors who live at Coler, Judy Berdy invites you to join the Coler Community Board Auxiliary volunteers. According to Ms Berdy:

The Auxiliary provide all the services that the City and Hospital cannot provide. 

We provide entertainment, we provide things for the Units such as televisions. We provide some medical devices that are not covered by the hospital insurance. We provide parties for different occasions like this weekend, we're having a Mother's Day party. We're having a celebration on Monday for Juneteenth. At Christmas and Hanukkah time we give out gifts.

 We're a 501 C three not-for-profit and we are legally not part of the hospital. We work in coordination with the administration.... It's very important to fundraise for so that 500 residents there could get a better lifestyle and more different things to make life better...

Contact Ms Berdy for more info.

Good News From Roosevelt Island Coler Nursing Facility Tipster - First Time In Many Months Zero Newly Diagnosed Positive Covid Cases For Both Residents And Staff Last Week Week, All Units Off Quarantine And Visits Allowed By Appointment

It's been a very difficult year for Roosevelt Island residents of the NYC Health & Hospitals Corp Coler Rehab & Nursing  facility as shown in this trailer from Fire Through Dry Grass, an upcoming documentary about living through the Coronavirus Pandemic at Coler.
 

According to the NY State Health Department

• COVID confirmed deaths at Coler: 13 
• COVID confirmed deaths outside of Coler: 17 
• COVID presumed death at Coler: 1 
• TOTAL: 31

as of February 4, 2021.Some say there were alot more Coler Covid deaths than officially reported.

But, good news this week from a Coler Resident. According to the Tipster yesterday:

For the week of April 10th -16th there were: 

0 newly diagnosed positive residents

5 newly diagnosed positive staff

For the week of April 17th - 23rd there were:

0 newly diagnosed positive residents

2 newly diagnosed positive staff

For the week of April 24TH - 30TH

0 newly diagnosed positive residents

2 newly diagnosed positive staff

                 AND NOW

Get ready for the REALLY BIG NEWS!! Cue the band!!!  

            🤸🥂

For the week of May 1ST - 7TH and for the FIRST TIME IN MANY MONTHS

0 newly diagnosed positive residents

                           AND

0 newly diagnosed positive staff!!!

All the units are off quarantine and 

yesterday, May 10th,  visitations resumed inside the facility, and continued outside, by appointment.

A momentous day!!

Let's hope it holds!!

Another round of vaccinations for residents and staff was given on April 27th. I don't have the numbers yet, but let's hope they were significant.

Coler resident and Open Doors NYC poet Vincent Pierce provides a first hand description of what it was like for him and others during the past year.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by OPEN DOORS (@opendoorsnyc)

On Monday, May 10, Open Doors NYC hosted a discussion about Coler residents and staff working together for a safer facility.

Let's hope the good news at Coler continues.

For National Skilled Nursing Care Week, take a virtual tour of NYC Health + Hospitals/Coler on #RooseveltIsland, a post acute nursing facility with a music and memory program for #dementia patients. Learn more: https://t.co/YmoL4j2BuP#NSNCW pic.twitter.com/V6xrL7egOa

— NYC Health + Hospitals (@NYCHealthSystem) May 11, 2021

Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney Meeting And Listening To Roosevelt Island Coler Nursing Home Residents And Supporters Seeking Solutions To Ending Year Long Isolation, Quarantine & Infection Risk From Covid 19 Pandemic

Roosevelt Island's Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney met with and listened to Coler Nursing Home residents today 

seeking solutions to end their year long isolation, quarantine and infection risk from the Covid 19 Pandemic.

 

Roosevelt Island Coler Nursing Home resident @opendoorsnyc poet Peter Yearwood closes meeting today with Congresswoman @RepMaloney by reciting his poem about recent #Nursinghomelivesmatter vigil at Coler. 2/2 pic.twitter.com/oBblbKrqVA

— Roosevelt Islander (@Rooseveltisland) March 29, 2021

Stay tuned for more. 

UPDATE 9;30 PM - According to a Coler source:

March 5th - 12th - 1 newly diagnosed positive resident, 1 newly diagnosed positive staff,

March 13th - 19th - 1 newly diagnosed positive resident, 1 newly diagnosed positive staff

March 20 - 26th - 0 newly diagnosed positive residents, 13 newly diagnosed positive staff 

Closed for visitation until April 4th

TOTAL COVID CASES SINCE JANUARY 3RD:

• 13 RESIDENTS
• 66 STAFF

GRAND TOTAL: 79 positive cases since January 3rd. 

Many of the units remain quarantined because of exposure to positive staff. 

375 days of confinement so far.

Also, during tonight's meeting, Roosevelt Island resident and Coler Auxiliary Volunteer Judy Berdy describes efforts to make life better for Coler Nursing Home residents.

UPDATE 3/30 - A Coler source reports:

Coler is now OPEN for outdoor visits! Indoor visits will resume on April 14th. Appointments need to be made with Social Work department. I'm sure there are caveats (such as quarantined residents) but at least it's a start!

Loneliness & Quarantine At Roosevelt Island Coler Rehab & Nursing Facility - We May Not Die Of Covid But Isolation Protocols Are Killing Us, They Have To Come Up With Better Solution Says Resident

The NY Times recently reported on nursing home patients dying of loneliness during the Coronavirus Pandemic lockdown ban on outside visitors.

Early in the pandemic, the ban on visitors in nursing homes was understandable. It was vital. But as the pandemic drags on, and as nursing home patients get vaccinated, strict prohibitions on visits are taking an unnecessary toll on patients. https://t.co/DmPIwnjkN9

— New York Times Opinion (@nytopinion) December 30, 2020

Here on Roosevelt Island, residents at the NYC Health & Hospitals Corp (H&HC) Coler Rehab and Nursing Facility are suffering severe loneliness from the Covid-19 isolation, confinement and quarantine too. 

A Coler resident reported last week:

We have just learned that our  ...  quarantine has been extended until January 18th.

We were supposed to come off tomorrow January 7th, having been on it since Christmas Eve but a staff member on our unit tested positive day before yesterday - Monday - so they have reset the clock.

Today is our 293rd day of confinement with no end in sight. This has been a crushing blow to us. We are penned in like animals, confined to our tiny bed areas with only an occasional reprieve of a few moments. 

We may not die of COVID, but this protocol is killing us.

They have to come up with a better solution.

And the vaccinations aren't going to put a stop to this.

We are terribly depressed. 

On January 8, the Coler resident reported:

More bad news for us! Of Coler's 22 units, all but two are now in quarantine.

Two residents from our unit tested positive yesterday so they and their roommates (for a total of six people) have been sent over to the C Building fifth floor for a minimum of two weeks isolation. In one instance a woman who is bed ridden, and NEVER leaves her room, tested positive. Where did she get it? (Answer: staff)

Yesterday they began rapid testing staff. They're systematically going unit by unit and shift by shift. For now they will do all staff once a week. Results come back in only 15 minutes. The rapid testing will be in addition to the twice weekly testing staff are currently undergoing. It looks like Coler was spooked by the post holiday surge of positive cases among staff and how those are spreading to residents.

Visitations won't resume until January 20th now.

And yesterday:

For the week of January 3rd - 8th there were 4 positive covid residents and 9 positive staff.

Visitations were closed until January 20th. However I just called again (today Thursday, Jan 14th) and although they said no positive residents, they did say visitations are now closed until January 29th, which means there must be some new staff cases. Yesterday they were still planning to resume visitations on the 20th, so this is a new heartbreaking development). 

And so it goes... 

Another Coler resident who was moved to the C Building 5th Floor for observation because a unit roommate tested positive says:

They still don’t have nothing organized. There is no supplies here, no staff. There is nothing up here. My butt didn't touch the seat of my wheelchair until 3:45 yesterday. One nurse per unit. The one nurse gotta do medication and then turn around and do treatment. By the time they get to me it's damn near time for them to go home. If the right staff ain't here they will leave me in the bed.

During the December 19, Coler Nursing Home Lives Protest Rally, residents were not allowed outside the building so they greeted and waved from inside the lobby to supporters on the sidewalk including Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer.

In response to my inquiry for comment, A NYC HHC spokesperson replied:

NYC Health + Hospitals’ priority remains the safety of its patients, residents, and staff during the COVID-19 pandemic. While the pandemic continues to pose restrictions on visitation and other activities, NYC Health + Hospitals/Coler has been able to accommodate socially distant and safe recreation on our campus for residents. We will continue to work with all residents to ensure their comfort without compromising their safety for the duration of this pandemic.

and adds:

NYC Health + Hospitals/Coler follows all necessary COVID-19 safety guidance and regulation from NYS DOH. 

Residents at NYC Health + Hospitals/Coler have not been confined to their units for hundreds of days. Despite required quarantine, staff accommodates trips outdoors on the facility’s campus, out to the community for approved “essential visits,” and organizes socially distant and safe activities for residents, such as cultural music and movies. 

As per NYS DOH requirement, NYC Health + Hospitals/Coler requires all staff of nursing homes to be tested for COVID-19 twice a week. All testing is done on the campus.

If a staff member tests positive for COVID-19, they are required to appropriately quarantine and not return to work until they are cleared. This may require the unit the staff member works on to be placed on restrictions, as per NYS DOH regulation. However, as stated previously, residents are still scheduled to go outside for fresh air, etc.

All NYC Health + Hospitals/Coler staff are required to wear a face mask at all time when in the facility. Other PPE is worn as required by the CDC, CMS, and NYS DOH regulations.

All NYC Health + Hospitals/Coler residents are provided with appropriate face coverings at all times. 

COVID-19 vaccine distributions for residents and staff at NYC Health + Hospitals/Coler began on December 28, 2020. Everyone who is a part of Coler has been offered a vaccine at this point.

More stories about life in nursing homes across America from the NY Times.

Residents of nursing homes and senior living communities were vulnerable to some of the earliest Covid-19 outbreaks. They will now be among the first groups to receive vaccines. What has life been like in between? https://t.co/F4YRpJMYQo

— New York Times Opinion (@nytopinion) January 1, 2021

UPDATE 1/16 - The Coler resident adds:

For the week of January 9th - 15th: 0 positive COVID residents, 12 COVID positive staff.

Visitations continue to be suspended until January 29th.

Roosevelt Island Coler Residents And Supporters Demand Nursing Home Lives Matter At Protest Rally Today Opposing Covid 19 Patients Moving Into Building - Manhattan Borough President Brewer Told Tonight That HHC Will Not Move Covid Patients To Coler

.@NYCHealthSystem’s Coler Nursing Home residents on Roosevelt Island are the 500 most vulnerable NYers in our city. I’m calling on @NYCMayor @DrKatzNYCHH to halt new transfers of COVID patients to this facility, esp. as 14 staff & 2 residents have already tested positive. pic.twitter.com/12tqcd4obm

— Gale A. Brewer (@galeabrewer) December 19, 2020

This afternoon, Roosevelt Island residents joined with Roosevelt Island Coler Rehab & Skilled Nursing Facility residents and Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer for a Nursing Home Lives Matter protest rally to oppose any plans by the NYC Health & Hospitals Corp (NYC HHC) placing Covid-19 patients in the Coler building. As reported earlier this week, Coler residents worried that:

... Coler Rehabilitation & Nursing Care Center is making contingency plans to re-open the emergency Covid hospital inside Coler. Coler is not a hospital—it is home to over 500 vulnerable residents with disabilities who are at high risk of serious illness and death from Covid...

Roosevelt Island resident Nicole Izsak described the demands being made by Nursing Home Lives Matter followed by Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer lending her support.

Nursing Home Lives Matter organizer, Open Doors Poet and Coler resident Vincent Pierce reports on the aims of the group. Mr Pierce spoke from behind a Coler fence 

that he is not allowed to exit with the aid of Open Doors Dexter Ciprian repeating his statement with a loudspeaker.

 The NYC HHC sent this email to Fox 5 News today:

NYC Health + Hospitals has no plans to open the Roosevelt Island Medical Center to respond to the current increase in COVID-19-related hospitalizations. NYC Health + Hospitals’ priority remains the safety of its patients, residents, and staff for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic. With the help of our heroic frontline providers, we will manage any increase in patients with our continuing commitment to ensure that all infection control measures are followed for the safety of all under our care.

In a statement this evening after the rally, Ms Brewer reported: 

It seems as though they will not be transferring new patients to the Coler facility, but the community leaders, residents and my fellow elected officials and I will remain vigilant and watchful. I am grateful to Dr. Katz for this news.

Here's December 14 letter sent by Manhattan Borough President Brewer to  Mayor deBlasio and HHC President Dr Mitchell Katz

and Dr Katz's December 18 reply.

This is an ongoing story. Stay tuned for more.

Roosevelt Island Coler Residents Demand Nursing Home Lives Matter - Organizing Virtual And Live Protest Saturday December 19 To Stop NYC From Moving Covid 19 Patients Into Their Coler Nursing Facility Home

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Open Doors NYC (@opendoorsnyc)

The Open Doors Reality Poets at Roosevelt Island Coler Nursing Facility report:

Coler Rehabilitation & Nursing Care Center is making contingency plans to re-open the emergency Covid hospital inside Coler. Coler is not a hospital—it is home to over 500 vulnerable residents with disabilities who are at high risk of serious illness and death from Covid.

Saturday December 19th at 2pm, Nursing Home Lives Matter (NHLM)—Coler residents and concerned neighbors will gather to present a letter of objection to the reopening of the Covid hospital within Coler and hear testimonials from inside the nursing home. This event will be simultaneously staged inside 

Coler’s courtyard. Outside allies will be separated from residents by a fence that has kept them/us locked inside the home for over 270 days. Please wear a mask and maintain social distance.  

Read more »

Learn What Really Happened Inside Roosevelt Island Coler Nursing Facility From Those Who Lived It During Early Stages Of Coronavirus Pandemic - You're Invited To October 21 Virtual Zoom Special Sneak Preview And Conversation Of New Documentary, Fire Through Dry Grass, From Local Filmmakers

 As previously reported:

The Friends Of Coler are a group of Roosevelt Island residents organizing to help the patients and staff of NYC Health & Hospitals Corp (HHC) Coler Facility during the Coronavirus pandemic

The Friends of Coler helped establish a Coler Task Force and according to this June 25 letter from Roosevelt Island NY State Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright and other elected officials to HHC President Mitch Katz:

... we are constituting a community-based Coler Task Force under the auspices of Community Board 8, chaired by Alida Camp, CB8’s Chair and a professional mediator to be called upon when necessary. The Task Force will be composed of Coler residents and families, local stakeholders and elected officials. The Task Force will identify issues of concern and obtain timely responses from Health + Hospitals senior management, facilitate tours of Coler for members of the committee and elected officials, and ensure healthcare workers or residents who speak out are shielded from any retribution...

Julia Feguson is a Friends Of Coler volunteer and reports today:

COVID has dissipated at Coler as it has all over NYC and the Roosevelt Island Medical Center established within Coler has gone, but when individual cases arise due to staff Covid infections, then lockdown of patients ensues. 

Recent reports from Coler Rehab Nursing Care Center indicate we need to be very concerned for a pattern of actions that severely limit patient movement and keep them away from family and friends and advocates. As we all know from recent months, mental health and physical health are closely intertwined. 

The Friends Of Coler invite you to learn more about what really happened at the Roosevelt Island Coler nursing facility during the early stages this year of the Coronavirus Pandemic at a Virtual Sneak Preview and Conversation on Wednesday October 21 of a new documentary currently in the works - Fire Through Dry Grass.

This Wednesday evening, October 21, the Roosevelt Island NYPL branch and Friends of Coler are co-hosting a storytelling/fundraising event to support a forthcoming documentary about life inside Coler during the pandemic.

 Please join the Open Doors Reality Poets alongside filmmakers Andres "Jay" Molina (a Coler resdient) and Alexis Neophytides for the trailer release of their forthcoming documentary, FIRE THROUGH DRY GRASS, and a conversation about #ownvoices pandemic storytelling. 

 Fire Through Dry Grass - 2 min teaser from The Big Chair on Vimeo.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to disproportionately affect people of color, poor people, currently and formerly incarcerated Americans, and nursing home residents, Molina and Neophytides will discuss the critical impact of documenting from the inside and uplifting narratives from the communities most at risk. 

Read more »

Meet Your Roosevelt Island Neighbor Melrose Barnes, Coler Resident With A Green Thumb And Sly Smile Reaches Out To Local Gardening Community - Update From Friends Of Coler Volunteers Too

As previously reported:

Friends of Coler is an informal group of neighbors and supporters who have teamed up with the Angelica Patient Assistance Program to support Roosevelt Island’s Coler Rehabilitation and Nursing Care Center residents and staff during this Covid crisis....

Julia Feguson is a Friends Of Coler Volunteer and introduces us to our Roosevelt Island neighbor, Mr Melrose Barnes, who is a resident at Coler. According to Ms Ferguson:

Quiet and observant, Mr. Melrose Barnes

Image From Olya Turcihin

can be credited as one of our Coler neighbors who reaches out to others. Mr. Barnes began dropping by the Roosevelt Island Community Garden  (RIGC) for compost for his plantings inside Coler at least 8 years ago. Mr Barnes is patient with a lively manner and enjoys his solitude, but he also has a sharp eye for detail and is usually ready with a sly smile to share a story. He will tell you about a plant he has seen

or some delicious food he knows well.   

In late 2017, Barnes got to talking with some garden friends and connected several Roosevelt Island Gardening groups (RIGC, iDig2Learn, and Green Roosevelt Island Neighbors)

                                                                 Image From Olya Turcihin

with two of Coler's Recreational Therapists. These connections first led to two smaller upgrade projects by RIGC in corner areas of the courtyard.  

Read more »

Virtual Zoom Roosevelt Island Coler Hospital Covid Crisis Town Hall Thursday June 25 - Please Join With Friends Of Coler To Support Residents And Staff, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer Will Ask Hospital Administrators Questions You Submit

According to Julia Ferguson, volunteer point person for Friends of Coler:

Friends of Coler is an informal group of neighbors and supporters who have teamed up with the Angelica Patient Assistance Program to support Roosevelt Island’s Coler Rehabilitation and Nursing Care Center residents and staff during this Covid crisis. Working alongside OPEN DOORS, Coler Auxiliary Board members, Cornell Tech MakerLAB, and other groups, we are grateful for the work of elected officials like AM Rebecca Seawright and MBP Gale Brewer.

Join us on Thursday, June 25th, 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. for a Virtual Zoom Town Hall to voice our support and concern for Coler residents and staff.

Click here to register for the Zoom Virtual Coler Town Hall.

This Coler Town Hall is being sponsored by our elected officials. Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer will be asking Coler administrators and Health and Hospitals officials questions submitted by the community.

Read more »

Watch Roosevelt Island Coler Open Doors Reality Poets Perform Saturday May 16 At Krip Hop Nation's Covid 19 Artistic Flow Livestream Virtual Benefit For People With Disabilities - Poets Show Us What It's Like In Roosevelt Island Nursing Home During Coronavirus Pandemic

The Open Doors Reality Poets at Roosevelt Island Coler Nursing Facility will perform tomorrow, May 16 at:

Krip Hop Nation's Covid-19 Artistic Flow Livestream Benefit

Krip-Hop Nation, Disability Justice Culture Club & the Longmore Institute on Disability Present:

Krip-Hop Nation’s Covid19 Virtual Benefit

Featuring disabled Hip-Hop Artists, DJs, Poets and Visual Artists from around the world

This virtual concert will raise funds for people with disabilities in New York and Detroit. Come for the cypher, stay for the dance party. This concert is Krip-Hop's first international virtual event.

Open Doors Poet and Coler resident Vincent Pierce reports on conditions at the facility during the Coronavirus Pandemic:

Frustration is at an all time high amongst Coler’s nursing home residents during this coronavirus pandemic. Me, especially. I am a thirty-four-year-old quadriplegic black man. I am also a father, music producer, youth educator and a gun violence survivor. They say everyone has a voice but who can we really express our concerns to if someone in a higher power always denies the accusations.

In response to what Coler’s administration and Health + Hospitals’ CEO is saying, I say: No, we’re not ok. No, we’re not being protected the way we should be. For more than a month, I’ve been quarantined on a unit with residents who’ve tested positive, and only now, after weeks of leaving the infected in bedrooms with the non-infected, are they starting to separate us. But it doesn’t matter because the people who have the virus are still permitted to walk around the dayroom without masks and to use the same ice machine and microwave as everybody else.

There is a shortage of PPE and the higher power denies it. Why is that? Their job is to make sure that not only residents in the facility are protected but also the nurses and nurses aides that are caring for us, as well. Cross contamination is the main way a virus can spread from one resident to another. Why are nurses having to take care of a Covid patient then turn around and with the same gown on take care of a non-Covid patient? This is totally against NYS Health Department regulations. Again, the higher power denies this is going on. How will you really know if you’re in an office all day and never go on the units?

No communication between administration and residents at all, it’s like no one cares for our well being or how we feel.

Now we share space with Roosevelt Island Medical Center (RIMC), a temporary hospital that they set up inside Coler. At first, it was supposed to house patients with non-Covid health conditions in order to free up beds in the city’s acute hospitals for Covid patients. That decision changed on a dime, and of the 140 patients transferred to Coler nursing home, 104 of them have Covid. When asked they say RIMC is in a separate empty wing and on unused parts of the Coler campus that have been abandoned for more than a decade, but that’s not true at all. They’re one floor above me. It is very possible that germs can travel through vents or linger in elevators....

Click here for the full article by Vincent Price.

Take a listen to the poetry of  Open Doors Jay Molina

Read more »

NYPD, FDNY, RIOC PSD & Roosevelt Island Residents Salute Coler & RMC Health Care Workers With Sirens, Lights, Applause And Thank You Signs For Work During Coronavirus Pandemic

This afternoon, Roosevelt Island Coler Nursing Facility and Roosevelt Medical Center staff

were saluted with a parade of flashing lights, sirens, applause and Thank You signs from the the NYPD, FDNY, Roosevelt Island Public Safety Department



and local residents

for their heroic work during the Coronavirus Pandemic.

Some scenes while waiting for the parade of flashing lights and sirens.

Read more »

FDNY, NYPD & RIOC PSD To Salute Roosevelt Island NYH&HC Coler Nursing Facility And Roosevelt Medical Center Staff Heroes Wednesday May 6 At Noon For Treatment Of Patients During Coronavirus Pandemic

Let’s show appreciation for health care night staff at Roosevelt Island Coler and Medical Center @NYPD114Pct @NYPDnews @RIOCny Public Safety Department https://t.co/iow6ZBvKQ1

— Roosevelt Islander (@Rooseveltisland) April 27, 2020

A NY Health & Hospitals Corp spokesperson reports:

FDNY, NYPD, EMS and Roosevelt Island Public Safety is doing a salute to Coler and RIMC staff. Thank you for your ongoing support to the staff here are Coler and RIMC. If you can please join us tomorrow.

Thanks can be shown in different ways.

Today I went into work and saw that someone (possibly a resident) had posted these posters on the bulletin board in the first floor hallways. What a tribute to the Nurses, the Nurse’s Aides, the Doctors and all the… https://t.co/QThazUxMZW

— Janelle Hartman (@janhart26) April 2, 2020

View this post on Instagram

Today I went into work and saw that someone (possibly a resident) had posted these posters on the bulletin board in the first floor hallways. What a tribute to the Nurses, the Nurse’s Aides, the Doctors and all the front line staff at Coler. In my nearly 29 years working at my job, this has been our greatest test. I am so much in awe of the staff who take care of our residents. #colerproud #colerhospital #nychhc ❤️

A post shared by Janelle Hartman (@janhart26) on Apr 2, 2020 at 3:20pm PDT

Who Are The People At Coler, Our Roosevelt Island Neighbors Who Need Help - We Will Not Let Coronavirus Win Says Coler Resident

Reported last Thursday that Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright and Roosevelt Island Friends Of Coler delivered much needed Face shields, N95 respirators, surgical masks, and gloves to protect our neighbors at the Coler Nursing Facility from the Coronavirus.

Andrew Oliver, the Executive Director of Do For One organization, introduces us to some of are neighbors who make Coler their home. According to Mr. Oliver:

Valuable Lives in the Shadow of COVID-19

I may have never stepped foot on Roosevelt Island had I not met Ralph. He was talking to people on Fulton Street, in Brooklyn, and asking for money. I assumed he was homeless. I asked, “Where do you live?” His eyes lit up: “Roosevelt Island. You take the F train to get there!” He was eager to jot down the directions for me on a torn piece of paper. I felt stuck. Was I to visit him?

So I was. A few days later I exited the island’s F train station and took the red bus toward the lighthouse. Next to it was Coler-Goldwater Specialty Hospital and Nursing Facility, where Ralph lived. His gratitude of having a visitor overflowed into a spontaneous prayer, “Lord, thank you for my friend who came to visit me!”

I now call Roosevelt Island home and lead a small program called Do For One. We build supportive and lasting relationships for people with developmental disabilities. One of the first relationships was when I invited Luis to become Ralph’s helper and friend. Luis visited Ralph regularly. Together they built a community of Coler residents who played dominoes around a table in one of the day rooms. Luis says, “I consider myself a no nonsense kind of guy and I feel like he was the same way. It made me feel comfortable. It was a simple relationship, and even out of that simplicity a lot was being exchanged.”

Read more »

Roosevelt Island Friends Of Coler And Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright Donate And Deliver Vital Supplies And Personal Protective Equipment To Coler Nursing Facility Today Including 3d Printed Visors From Cornell Tech - Adjacent Roosevelt Medical Facility Seeking Food And Equipment Support Too

As reported April 9

... the Friends Of Coler are a group of Roosevelt Island residents organizing to help the patients and staff of NYC Health & Hospitals Corp (HHC) Coler Facility during the Coronavirus pandemic. The Friends Of Coler are responding to calls for help from highly vulnerable patients and staff like this plea for N 95 masks by a Coler nurse



... Roosevelt Islanders remain very worried for friends, family, neighbors living and working at Coler Rehab and Nursing Care Center. We are continuing efforts to get detailed oversight to provide the safest medical practices available and get supplies to Coler staff and residents.

Friends of Coler is coordinating with Assembly Member Seawright’s office to donate supplies early next week to Coler. Gloves, masks, sanitizer, disinfectant wipes are all welcome at this time, especially N95 masks. Please email friendsofcoler@gmail.com to give supplies to Coler.

Friends of Coler has connected Seawright’s office with Cornell Tech’s MakerLAB and they are making 50 face shields to be finished over the weekend and donated to Coler....

This morning, Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright

and Roosevelt Island Friends Of Coler delivered Face shields, N95 respirators, surgical masks, and gloves

to Coler Nursing Facility.Director Robert Hughes and Director of Nursing Care Yves-Rose Pascal.



According to Ms Seawright:

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Roosevelt Island Resident Khadijah Abduraham Hosting April 12 Science On Sunday Zoom Show On Coler Hospital And The Chronopolitics Of The Pandemic - Join The Discussion In Honor Of Deceased Resident Roy Watson And Learn About Current Coronavirus Conditions At Coler

As previously reported, Roosevelt Island residents have organized to help the patients and staff at the Coler Rehab & Nursing Care Center facility obtain personal protective equipment needed to stay safe that they are not receiving during the Coronavirus Pandemic.



Roosevelt Island resident J. Khadijah Abdurahman is hosting an April 12 Zoom Science On Sundays 8 PM to 9:15 PM discussion focusing on the conditions at Coler.

Coler Hospital and the Chronopolitics of the Pandemic Sunday April 12th 8-9:15pm (EST)

This episode is dedicated to Roy Watson, my friend, devout Muslim, activist, ⁦@opendoorsnyc⁩ member and Coler hospital resident who died of COVID-19 https://t.co/qnaZjiYy0k

— Khadijah (@UpFromTheCracks) April 9, 2020

According to the We Be Imagining Science On Sundays web page:

Coler and the Chronopolitics of the Pandemic

Coler Rehabilitation and Nursing Care Center is located on Roosevelt Island.

Host: J. Khadijah Abdurahman

Just click the Zoom link here to join the show:

This episode of SOS is dedicated in memory of Roy Watson, a devout Muslim, activist, OPEN DOORS member and Coler resident who died on Tuesday, April 6th of COVID-19

Featuring Professor Gabriel Winant discussing his recently published piece in n+1 magazine, Coronavirus and Chronopolitics

Vince Pierce, member of OPEN DOORS and resident of Coler Hospital sharing his experience on the frontlines of PPE shortages and the spread of COVID-19 at Coler.

Jennilie Brewster, project lead of OPEN DOORS sharing the challenges faced by community supporters in advocating on behalf of Coler residents as COVID-19 patients are being transferred to Coler and mixed in with the 500 residents who already lived there

Niti Parikh, Creative Lead of the MakerLAB @ Cornell Tech discussing her efforts to develop face shields and distribute them to hospitals who need them

More on the The American Assembly Columbia University We Be Imagining program here.

Friends Of Coler Organizing On Roosevelt Island To Help Coler Rehab & Nursing Care Center Patients & Staff During Coronavirus Pandemic - Seeking Donation Of Personal Protective Supplies And Volunteers To Pick Up And Sanitize 3D Printed Face Shields From Cornell Tech Makers Lab This Weekend, Can You Help?

As previously reported, the Friends Of Coler are a group of Roosevelt Island residents organizing to help the patients and staff of NYC Health & Hospitals Corp (HHC) Coler Facility during the Coronavirus pandemic. The Friends Of Coler are responding to calls for help from highly vulnerable patients and staff like this plea for N 95 masks by a Coler nurse



and this response submitted by a Coler resident to an online suggestion box set up by the Friends Of Coler:

I'm a resident of Coler Hospital. Last week they brought a patient from Elmhurst hospital and put him in my room. A 3 bed room right between me and my other roomate. Within days this patient developed a fever and couldn't breathe. He would cough the whole night, and was given a breathing machine that wasn't helping him to much. 2 days ago he was sent back to the Hospital. Then last night, Hospital workers came and took the bed he was on away. When i asked why they said they had to disinfected. What does that tell you? That my life was put in danger by administration being irresponsible and careless.

Here's an update today from Friends Of Coler.

Friends of Coler are coordinating together on Roosevelt Island to help Coler Rehab & Nursing Care Center during the COVID-19 crisis.

Roosevelt Islanders remain very worried for friends, family, neighbors living and working at Coler Rehab and Nursing Care Center. We are continuing efforts to get detailed oversight to provide the safest medical practices available and get supplies to Coler staff and residents.

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Coronavirus Patients Being Transferred To New Roosevelt Island Medical Center In Same Building But Separate Area Of Coler Nursing Facility Says NYC Health & Hospitals Corp - Adds Every HHC Health Care Worker Who Needs Protective Equipment Is Able To Receive What They Require, But Coler Nurses Say Not So

NYC Health & Hospitals Corp (NYC HHC) President Mitch Katz tweeted today:

That's great but patients and staff at Roosevelt Island Coler Facility in same building are pleading for N95 masks and other protective equipment. RI residents are organizing to help them but NYC needs to step up. @BenKallos @SeawrightForNY @SenatorSerrano https://t.co/1kHik9fmsM https://t.co/kUDn4Y267F

— Roosevelt Islander (@Rooseveltisland) April 7, 2020

I asked NYC HHC:

Roosevelt island Coler Staff are pleading to be supplied with N 95 Masks and Personal Protective Equipment to treat Coronavirus patients.

I'm told that the Staff was advised they will not get the equipment because Coler is considered a Nursing Home and not a Hospital. Will Coler Staff be supplied with N 95 Masks and PPE? If not, why?

Also, I'm being told that Coronavirus patients are being transferred to Coler which the Mayor said would not happen. Are Coronavirus patients now being transferred to Coler.

NYC HHC spokesperson replied tonight:

To address the need for ICU space in our hospitals, NYC Health + Hospitals has moved covid-19 patients to the Roosevelt Island Medical Center. The Medical Center is separate from the post-acute, nursing facility known as NYC Health + Hospitals/Coler. Roosevelt Island Medical Center is in a separate area with no overlap or shared space. No covid-19 patients were moved into the nursing facility.

​NYC Health + Hospitals facilities are on the frontlines of the Covid-19 pandemic and our dedicated employees are working day and night to ensure that all our patients receive the individual care they need. We’re doing everything we can to keep our employees protected with the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE). Every health care worker in our system who needs PPE is able to receive what they require.

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