Helping every member of our community achieve optimal health is at the heart of HHC's mission and goals. Each year during the month of October, HHC facilities across the city offer a variety of health screenings at little or no cost as a part of Take Care New York, including HIV testing, flu shots, nutritional counseling, smoking cessation information and much more.

During 2012, our "Take Care New York" public health outreach campaign we asked both adults and kids to "Commit to Be Fit" by eating smarter and increasing daily activity. Throughout the month-long campaign, HHC hospitals and health centers in every borough offered fitness tests and screenings for some of the most pervasive chronic diseases affecting New Yorkers.

For the first time, Take Care New York also featured "Commit to Be Fit" stations where over 500 participants were tested for three key indicators of fitness: blood pressure, body mass index (BMI) and cardiovascular fitness. Along with their results, participants were given healthy eating guidelines, a recommendation for next steps to better health, and a pedometer.