NEW YORK — Monday officially marked four years since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, when everyone’s world changed. Some populations are seeing lasting impacts more than others.

SOMOS Community Care’s network of clinics has taken care of Black and Latino families from the front lines of the response to their future health.

Throughout more than 700 clinics across the city, SOMOS staff serves more than 1 million Medicaid and Medicare patients, a quarter of New York City’s enrollees.

Dominican Republic native Dr. Ramon Tallaj launched this vision to provide care for the people, by the people.

“Because we are the community,” Tallaj explained.
“We are part of the community.”

From the start of the lockdown, Tallaj’s team fought to be the first on the front lines of helping their neighbors. They administered more than 1 million tests and vaccinations and gave away more than 2 million meals.

“We had hundreds of sites, train stations, NYCHA, Yankee Stadium,” Tallaj said. “We were the ones doing testing, and at the same time vaccination for all these people.”

The exposure took its toll. SOMOS lost a dozen doctors and even more nurses to the virus, as well as many of their family members. Tallaj had tried to fight for isolation wings, where workers could stay before they got sick.

“Give me a gym, give me a hotel,” Tallaj remembered arguing. “Don’t let the people who are in sick instead of working come back home. In my community, three, four generations live together. Who dies? The elderly.”

Tallaj found his own outlet for the pain through painting. He also produced an Emmy-winning documentary about his team’s efforts. Today he sees long-term symptoms starting to heal.

“People started getting better,” he said. “But the reality is that the one that’s not been cured is a depression, is the loneliness or the people suffer that. That’s why we’re seeing so many people on drugs, overdosing, suicide, and we need to attack that.”

SOMOS is now applying for a state pilot program that will lead a team in each borough for each patient facing mental health and substance abuse crises, making home visits and appointments for a continuum of care to keep them on track.

“Everybody, everything working together,” Tallaj said, optimistically. “That never happened before. In the past, for sure that person would end up in an emergency room or in the ICU.”

He hopes with the state’s help, SOMOS partners can be there every step of the way, leading neighbors down a brighter path for the future.

SOMOS has also been working to reduce asthma and dialysis rates in Black and brown patients through its continuum of preventive care.