HHC has joined with the Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs to send a reassuring message to immigrant New Yorkers who may be avoiding access to health services for fear of having their immigration status reported to federal authorities.

"We want immigrant families to know that our number one commitment is their health and we will not disclose their immigration status," insists HHC President Alan D. Aviles. "They need to be reassured that keeping their families healthy will not come at the risk of having their status disclosed."

HHC President Alan D. Aviles has joined Commissioner Guillermo Linares of the Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs to send a joint Open Letter to the immigrant community with this important message. The letter is in English, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Korean, French Creole, Urdu, Bengali and Albanian, and is available at HHC hospitals and on the HHC web site for distribution.

Print, radio and cable television media outlets that reach immigrant New Yorkers throughout the city have also agreed to publish this letter and to air public service announcements that echo this reassuring message. More media partners are joining this effort each day.

Together with the Mayor's Office and our partners in the media and the community, we will do everything possible to assure immigrant New Yorkers that when they seek healthcare at our facilities, their privacy is safe.