Health Plus - Keeping New York’s Children Safe

For Immediate Release

Keeping New York’s Children Safe
Health Plus and DOT Distribute Free Bike Helmets

Media Inquiries:Kathryn Soman (718) 491-7493
Customer Inquiries: Marketing Department (888) 809-8009

Brooklyn, New York - September 20, 2007 — Yesterday, hundreds of children and their parents received free bicycle helmets from managed care organization Health Plus and the New York City Department of Transportation (DOT), who teamed up, once again, to make the streets safer for cyclists of all ages.

Representatives of the DOT, working with Health Educators from the Health Plus Outreach Department, turned the main conference room of Health Plus’s Operations Office in Sunset Park into a makeshift bike shop for the day. Each child and parent were measured and given a choice of several styles that would fit their head-size, ensuring both comfort and safety.

“We have enjoyed a long working relationship with the DOT,” said Tom Early, Executive Director of Health Plus, “and have always tried to support each other in various endeavors, but when it comes to the safety of our city’s children, there are no words that can describe how important our partnership has become. Encouraging kids to stay active and safe at the same time is more than an ongoing project to us, it’s just common sense.”

Tina Katz and her two daughters, Amanda and Jaclyn, pose in dapper new bicycle helmets that they received, courtesy of Health Plus and the New York City Department of Transportation.

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Health Plus, a not-for-profit, multi-cultural organization, is one of the fastest growing managed care organizations in New York City. It was established in 1984 with a commitment to provide coordinated quality health care and improving access to health care for uninsured and underserved families. In its annual review of managed care plans, the New York State Department of Health ranked Health Plus as the top plan for quality in its 2002 and 2003 "Consumer's Guide to Medicaid Managed Care in New York City." Health Plus is New York City's leading provider of Child Health Plus, a New York State Department of Health program that offers parents FREE or low-cost health insurance for children under the age of 19. "CRAIN'S New York Business" magazine ranked Health Plus fifth among the largest health maintenance organizations in the New York area.