Governor Hochul Announces $3.38 Million for Choose Healthy Life to Address Health Inequities in the Black Community through the Black Church

CHL initially established a network of 50 Black churches in five major cities – including New York – and grew to 120 churches across 13 states. The success of the program is centered on the establishment of a community health workforce in the Black church. In its first year, CHL hosted over 2,200 events, administered over 90,000 COVID-19 tests and vaccinations through its churches.

Choose Healthy Life was founded by Debra Fraser-Howze and is based off the highly successful model she created while at the National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS, an organization she founded to address the AIDS epidemic in Black communities with the widespread support of community leaders including Hazel Dukes, President of the New York State NAACP .

CHL Founder Debra Fraser-Howze said, “People keep asking ‘When are we going back to normal?’ and I say, ‘we are not going back to normal we died in normal.’ We are extremely grateful to the public-private partnerships that have been established to support Choose Healthy Life which has truly become a national movement. Without the support of the Governor, the State of New York and our corporate partners including Quest Diagnostics, we would not be in a position to address health equity in our communities.”

As a founding sponsor, the Quest Diagnostics Foundation provided financial support to establish CHL’s church-based community health workforce. In addition, Quest Diagnostics has donated diagnostic testing and other services to CHLincluding COVID-19 resources and now preventive care and wellness testing to support the underserved Black community.

Quest Diagnostics CEO-elect Jim Davis said, “We saw firsthand the disproportionate impact COVID-19 encounters on the Black community and the vast health inequities it unveiled. We are proud to build on our collaboration with Choose Healthy Life to help save lives and improve the health of the Black community. Our goal is to expand access to health care resources to address key disparities that have impacted Black communities for too long.”

In November 2020, Choose Healthy Life established the National Black Clergy Health Leadership Council to help guide the program. Rev. Butts III and Rev. Sharpton co-chairs the Council which includes Rev. DeGraff and US Senator Rev. Raphael Warnock who leads the work in Atlanta. In addition to New York and Atlanta, the program is established in churches in Detroit (Rev. Horace Sheffield, New Destiny Christian Fellowship), Newark (Rev. David Jefferson, Metropolitan Baptist) and Washington, DC (Rev. Frank Tucker, First Baptist Church)

CHL has been brought together with local United Way agencies under the United Way of New York City which serves as the implementation partner for Choose Healthy Life. The church and the agencies work collaboratively with local health departments, hospitals and community-based organizations to ensure access to much needed health services.

United Way of New York City Interim CEO Eric McDonnell said, “This funding is critical to our work in resolving racial inequities and disparities in healthcare. People of color were hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic, shedding a light on the need for vital health resources at the community level. Working with our city’s Black churches and clergy, we have established a trusted source for COVID-19 testing and vaccinations within our communities and will continue to help us educate, inform, and advocate for the well-being of people of color here in our communities.”