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Ms. Quezada will serve as honorary chair of the partnership, whichconsists of IPRO, the Institute for the Puerto Rican/Hispanic Elderly, AARPNew York and the New York City Department for the Aging. Media sponsors areEl Diario La Prensa and Univision Radio. The partnership will help extend theLatino community reach of IPRO's campaign, Your Health. Your Voice. (Su Salud.Su Voz.), which seeks to raise New York seniors' awareness of their complaintrights under Medicare.
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"We are excited to have such a respected artist, and such influentialorganizations, help us lead this campaign in the Latino community," says ClareB. Bradley, MD, MPH, Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, IPRO."We look forward to partnering with them to make the state's Latino seniorsaware of their complaint rights." IPRO is a New York-based not-for-profitorganization that contracts with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services(CMS) to improve the quality of health care provided to the state's Medicarebeneficiaries, and to resolve beneficiary complaints and appeals. IPRO iscontracting with CMS to conduct this educational campaign, with a specialemphasis on minority and medically underserved communities.
A recent report by IPRO showed that, while New York has the second highestcomplaint rate in the nation, few of the state's seniors file complaints:343, or .01% of the state's nearly 3 million Medicare beneficiaries filedcomplaints in 2007. While the overall numbers are extremely low, Latinocomplaints are among the lowest: only 4 Latino seniors statewide filed acomplaint last year.
"The Institute for Puerto Rican/Hispanic Elderly is proud to support thispartnership to educate Latino seniors in New York," says Suleika CabreraDrinane, MSW, President and CEO of the Institute. "Seniors have the right toexpress their concerns if they feel the quality of their health care islacking. Our goal is to educate and empower them to use these rights." TheInstitute is a not-for-profit organization that affirms, protects and empowerselderly minority populations by ensuring that their needs are met under thelaw. Multilingual and multicultural services are provided by the Institute to140,000 seniors and their families each year.
"It's important that every older New Yorker is empowered and knows theirMedicare health care rights," said Commissioner Edwin Mendez-Santiago, LCSW."The Department for the Aging is proud to join IPRO, the Institute for thePuerto Rican/Hispanic Elderly, and AARP New York to raise awareness andeducate the Latino elder community around Medicare quality-of-care issues."
"AARP is a partner in this campaign not just for the state's seniorcitizens, but for the growing number of Baby Boomers who support and act asadvocates for their aging parents," says Lois Aronstein, State Director, AARPNew York. "We hope that this campaign will improve the health care system foreveryone, in all age groups." Among the ways AARP is supporting the campaignis through articles in its publications and outreach to its extensivemembership network.
Milly Quezada Records PSA: Latino Seniors "Have a Voice"
As part of her support for the campaign, Ms. Quezada has recorded radiopublic service announcements (PSAs), which will be released today. Tellingthe state's seniors that they "have a voice," the spots urge them to call theSu Salud. Su Voz. help line, 1-866-391-4682, and to visit the campaign Website, www.SuSaludSuVoz.org (www.YourHealthYourVoice.org). The site featuresboth audio and video versions of the PSA.
Milly
