EXCELLENT HEALTHCARE AWAITS YOU!

Don’t have healthcare coverage? Do you make less than $37,000 annually? Are you a resident in one of NYC’s five boroughs? Enroll yourself in the HHC Options program at the NYC public hospital of your choice and receive excellent, affordable, and comprehensive medical care (dental, ob/gyn, physical therapy, psychological services, prescription drugs, tests, etc.). We're talking REALLY reasonable fees here - from $15 to $60 per visit (NO monthly charges!) based solely on your income. You will be assigned your own doctor who will be able to refer you to other doctors and specialists accordingly – all at a fee-per-visit scaled according your income. To review a list of NYC’s public hospitals, please visit the NYC Health and Hospitals Corporation.

ARE YOU AN ARTIST OR ARTS WORKER?

ArtistAccess is a pilot program developed at Brooklyn's Woodhull Medical Center for ALL New York City based artists and arts workers. A special program of the pre-existing HHC Options program (with the same financial parameters and formula), ArtistAccess was designed specifically for artists living in any of NYC's five boroughs. Presently, the ArtistAccess program is available at Woodhull (located at the intersection of Bed Stuy, Bushwick, and Williamsburg neighborhoods at 760 Broadway at Flushing Ave.)

The defining elements of the ArtistAccess program are: you are provided with an 877 number to set up your initial financial and medical appointment at Woodhull, (877) 244-5600; you will be met at the entrance of the hospital at the date of your first appointment and escorted to your appointment; and if you’d like to, you can exchange artistic services for medical services – at Woodhull. To read more about this ground-breaking program, download the Woodhull Q&A (PDF) and the ArtistAccess applications (PDF). HAVE NO FEAR: The Financial Counselors at Woodhull are thoroughly aware of the income patterns of artists and art workers – if you are unable to provide proof of income with a pay stub, you will be asked to simply self-declare your annual income.

THIS IS IT! THE TIME HAS COME! Now is your opportunity to get consistent, preventive, and truly affordable medical care. Go get the care you deserve - either via Woodhull's ArtistAccess initiative, or any of NYC's public hospitals!

PLEASE - FORWARD THIS MESSAGE TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW WHO MAY NOT HAVE HEALTHCARE WHO IS A RESIDENT OF NEW YORK CITY.

For those of you outside of New York City – you are encouraged to contact the National Association of Public Hospitals to find out what income-based sliding-scale fee system may be available in your region.

The ArtistAccess program came about through a friendship between Laura Colby (Director, Elsie Management) and Dr. Edward Fishkin (Medical Director, Woodhull Medical Center) made in 2004 when they met via a New York Cycle Club training program. After doing her best to answer his questions regarding health care in the dance community, Dr. Ed told Colby about the already existing HHC Options program. Stunned that this income-based care was available and very much motivated by the then very recent passing of dancer/choreographer Homer Avila to cancer, Colby contacted Bob Yesselman (Dance/NYC), Cary Baker (Dance Theater Workshop), Denise Roberts Hurlin (Dancers Responding to AIDS), and Steve Gross (The Field) and arranged for their first meeting with Dr. Ed at Woodhull in August, 2004. From there, the program's draft committee grew to include representatives from B'way Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and the Actors Fund, Ted Berger, Penny Dannenberg & Janet Shapiro of NYFA, Donald Simmons, and many staff persons from all departments at Woodhull. Officially announced to the public on Mon, May 23, 2005, the ArtistAccess program will begin at Woodhull with the idea/intention that it will eventually be available at all of NYC's public hospitals. To-date, over 300 artists have enrolled.