As part of his health initiative efforts, Borough President James Oddo has kicked off a “Fizz Free February” campaign on social media. The initiative is designed to educate the public about the realities of sugar, especially in soda and sugar sweetened beverages. Given the severity in the overall health statistics of Staten Islanders, Borough President Oddo feels that it is important to bring attention to health education and positive lifestyle changes, beginning with the importance of cutting sugar in your diet.
 
The campaign will take place over the month of February. Each Friday on Borough Hall’s Staten Island USA social media accounts, a post will highlight the realities of how sugar affects the way our bodies function as well as the overall state of our health.
 
Statistics show that in this country, sugar sweetened beverages are the largest source of added sugar to a person’s diet. Increased sugar consumption has been shown to lead to obesity, which dramatically increases the risk of diabetes and heart disease.
 
The public will be encouraged to put down their soda and sugar sweetened beverages, and to instead consume only sugar-free beverages, such as water, seltzer, or unsweetened iced tea. Examples of sugar sweetened beverages include regular soda, diet soda, sweetened tea, sweetened coffee, fruit drinks, sports drinks, and energy drinks.
 
“By educating Staten Islanders about the dangers of sugary drinks, we can help them make informed decisions about their health,” noted Borough President Oddo. “We’ve encouraged the participants to get creative in educating their peers about the negative effects of these beverages, which we hope will inspire them to eventually ‘kick the can’ for good.”
 
Borough President Oddo is excited to see Staten Islanders “Fizz Free February” sugar-free drink options. Tag our social media accounts with photos of friends, family, coworkers, or classmates drinking healthy alternatives to soda and sugary drinks and we will repost them.

​On Friday, February 8th, BP Oddo kicked off this year's "Readers Are Leaders" 4th grade reading challenge at a ceremony at P.S. 35. The Readers Are Leaders Program challenges 4th grade classes in Staten Island's schools to read a minimum of six books at or above grade level during the five-week period of February 18th through March 25th. One "exceptional" reader will be chosen from each school to be recognized at a ceremony in May. Since its inception in 1996, 4th graders have read more than 690,000 books for the annual challenge.
 
In addition, we have added a new component to the challenge this year. As a partner program and expansion of the successful Readers Are Leaders, Borough President Oddo also kicked off a new “Readers Are Leaders Jr.” program, challenging 1st graders to read “Mikey and the Dragons” by NYT bestselling author and former Navy SEAL Jocko Willink, along with one book of their choice. This program will run concurrent to the fourth grade program.
 
At the kickoff, students from P.S. 35 got to see a magic show performed by our friend Magician Mike Lane. As an added bonus to the challenge, any student who reads Mike's book series, "The Magic Shop," and writes a book report about one of the books will be considered for a special prize.
 
Students who participate in the 1st grade “Readers Are Leaders Jr.” challenge will be required to read " Mikey and the Dragons " by Jocko Willink. The Borough President's office distributed over 1,500 copies to participating schools throughout the borough.
 
“While you guys are all reading your 6 books, I am going to do my part and read a little for me. I am blessed to work with people at Borough Hall who also love to read. We got together to think about how we could make this program even better. So we decided to expand ‘Readers Are Leaders’ to the 1st grade with a ‘Readers Are Leaders Jr.’,” said Borough President Oddo. 

​Yesterday, Borough President James Oddo joined with the Consortium for Affordable Medical Technologies (CAMTech) at Massachusetts General Hospital, the State of New York, Northwell Health, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, and Columbia University’s Fu Foundation School of Engineering to host Demo Day, the last leg of the Empire State Opioid Epidemic Innovation Challenge at Columbia University.
 
As part of Demo Day, six teams—composed of engineers, data experts, social workers, clinicians, and other professionals—competed in front of a cross-disciplinary panel of expert judges for a grand prize of $10,000 and six months of acceleration support through the CAMTech Accelerator Program (CAP) for their innovation.
 
The winner was Team Quick Reversal for their innovation of a nasal patch that dispenses Narcan to prevent opioid overdose. The runner up was Team Recover-We for their innovation of a search engine chat platform to link individuals to local prevention, treatment, and opioid recovery programs.
 
“The goal of this Empire State Opioid Epidemic Innovation Challenge was to have talented individuals work together to create solutions to address the local and national opioid crisis,” said Borough President James Oddo. “I’m pleased to see we have accomplished this goal. It’s a pleasure to do such important work with the Governor’s Office, NYS OASAS, Northwell Health, Columbia University’s Public Health and Engineering Schools, and CAMTech. I am looking forward to applying the best and most creative solutions from Demo Day to address the opioid epidemic on Staten Island.”
 
The Empire State Opioid Epidemic Innovation Challenge served as an open-innovation platform for a diverse community to co-create solutions that would have the potential to change the trajectory of the local and national opioid crisis. The idea for the challenge came from the BP’s Policy Team, who learned about a successful opioid “Hack-A-Thon” hosted by CAMTech in Boston in 2016. The Borough President’s office reached out to CAMTech and collaborated with them to create a similar event in New York City.
 
Demo Day served as a competition for teams to show progress made 90 days after first formulating their solutions at the Challenge Summit and Solutions Sprint in September 2018. All 12 teams that formed during the Solutions Sprint were eligible to compete at Demo Day.
 
At the Solutions Sprint, four teams received seed funding and three months of acceleration support leading up to Demo Day: Team Random Access Network (RAN) with the innovation to link individuals with certified peer advocates to meet patients at hospitals and treatment recovery centers; Team Recover-We for innovating a search engine chat to link individuals with prevention, treatment, and opioid recovery programs; Team Quick Reversal for innovating a nasal patch that dispenses Narcan to prevent opioid overdose; and Team Addiction Recovery Kit (ARK) for innovating a kit that aggregates existing prevention, treatment, and recovery tools for hospitals, needle exchanges, detox centers, and rehab facilities.

Today, Staten Island Borough President James S. Oddo released a borough-wide data strategy to combat the opioid epidemic. The new strategy, developed through extensive public engagement and the convening of an expert panel, enumerates 15 high-priority “north star” measures to guide the overall mission to save lives on Staten Island.
 
Borough President Oddo first announced the initiative last year to take a comprehensive look at the opioid crisis on Staten Island and to identify the most critical measures for attention. If those key data points are monitored and reported, it would help the borough assess progress, identify priorities, and align local response efforts.
 
“The primary objective of our data strategy initiative is to accelerate the borough’s response to the opioid epidemic, by rallying all of the important work being done on the frontlines around a set of clear, quantifiable priorities,” said Borough President Oddo. “Thanks to the active participation and important contributions of Staten Islanders, local partners, and our colleagues in government, we took a step closer to achieving that goal by identifying the ‘north star’ measures that should guide future efforts. Now we turn our attention to making this blueprint a reality. Like everything we do to push back against this epidemic, which is still devastating communities across the borough, it will be an aggressive, all-hands-on-deck approach.”
 
The report released today, entitled North Star Measures for Tracking the Opioid Epidemic and Accelerating the Response on Staten Island is a product of an extensive public engagement campaign. Over the course of two 30-day public comment periods, Borough President Oddo called for public input and received over 100 responses with recommendations across six areas: Surveillance, Prevention, Reversal, Treatment, Diversion, and Recovery. The contributions by residents across the borough and their feedback to the first draft of the report were invaluable in developing an opioid data strategy tailored to Staten Island.
 
Additionally, Borough President Oddo worked closely with Governor Andrew Cuomo to take immediate action on the report’s recommendations, working to pilot an initial operational response to the release of the report. Today, The Office of Governor Andrew Cuomo and Borough President Oddo are announcing the following:
 
School-Based Prevention Task Force
 
New York State is contributing $1 million to implement recommendations made by a Prevention Education Task Force convened in fall 2018 by Governor Cuomo and Borough President Oddo. The Task Force consists of educators, parents and students, coaches, principals, clinical experts, state and local government officials, and union members. This Task Force developed recommendations for standard prevention education activities to be implemented in all K-12 public and private schools on Staten Island. This curriculum coincides with the “north star” measures.
 
The prevention curriculum focuses on opioid prevention, resilience, and coping skills. Moving forward, the Task Force will also create standard protocols and tools for identifying students at risk of addiction and refer students and families to appropriate programs and services.
 
Empire State Opioid Epidemic Innovation Challenge Winners Presentation
 
On January 31 the winners of the “Empire State Opioid Epidemic Innovation Challenge” will present their winning ideas at Columbia University. Governor Cuomo and Borough President Oddo launched the challenge to generate innovative responses to the opioid epidemic, of which will be used to compliment the “north star” measures. New York State invested $250,000 for the Innovation Challenge, and Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul delivered a keynote address at the event in September.

Northwell Health also invested $50,000 for the innovative challenge

Opioid Data Working Group
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The Borough President’s Office also assembled an Opioid Data Working Group of nationally renowned experts from CUNY College of Staten Island, New York University, Northwell Health, and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. The panel spent months reviewing the public input, available data, and best practices across the country to propose the “north star” measures to guide the response to the opioid epidemic. The Opioid Data Working Group consisted of:
 
● Chinazo O. Cunningham, M.D., M.S.: Professor and Associate Chief of General Internal Medicine at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine
 
● Anthony C. Ferreri, DBA: CEO of Staten Island University Hospital from 2003 to 2014 and Senior Advisor to the Borough President at the start of this initiative
 
 ● Marc N. Gourevitch, MD, MPH: Professor and Chair of the Department of Population Health at the NYU School of Medicine
 
● Jonathan Morgenstern, PhD: Assistant Vice President for Addiction Services at Northwell Health and Professor of Psychiatry at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell
 
● Nora Santiago, Urban Policy Analyst/GIS Specialist at CUNY College of Staten Island
 
The Opioid Data Working Group consulted extensively with the Office of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, NYS Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS), Office of the District Attorney Richmond County, NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), Staten Island Performing Provider System (PPS), Staten Island Partnership for Community Wellness (SIPCW), Staten Island University Hospital (SIUH), Richmond University Medical Center (RUMC), the New York City Police Department (NYPD), and many of the borough’s treatment providers in conducting their work. They worked closely with Northwell Health on ensuring that both the clinical and non-clinical needs of the Staten Island community impacted by the opioid crisis would be addressed. The Working Group received invaluable support and technical assistance from the Bloomberg American Health Initiative at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
 
“As the opioid epidemic rages on, it is imperative that we respond decisively with actions that make the most impact. I can think of few things that matter more than working to inoculate future generations, at the most critical stages of their development, from this public health crisis,” said Borough President Oddo. “Thanks to Governor Cuomo’s leadership and partnership, we can now deliver vital prevention education to Staten Island students.
 
In 2017, 101 Staten Island residents died of a drug overdose—a reduction of approximately 15 percent over the previous year. The rate of overdose deaths proportionate to the borough’s population however—27.3 per 100,000—is still among the worst in New York State. Moreover, the preliminary data released by District Attorney McMahon’s office demonstrates that progress to further reduce overdose deaths stalled last year.
 
"New York State is leading the fight against the devastating opioid crisis and we are proud to be advancing innovative approaches in Staten Island to protect our communities and save lives,” Governor Cuomo said. "Working with the Borough President and Staten Island leaders, we are building on the progress we have already achieved and working towards a model strategy to combat the opioid epidemic. With this comprehensive approach, we are giving more people in Staten Island the opportunity to access the services they need and setting an example for other communities across the country.”​
 
"Like so many New Yorkers, my family has felt the pain caused by the heroin and opioid epidemic that continues to ‎take lives on Staten Island and across our state," said Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul. "Fighting back requires creative solutions to prevent addiction and save lives. New York State is proud to work with Borough President Oddo to deliver resources to educate young people about the danger of opioids and bring hope to all who are struggling with addiction."​
 
OASAS Commissioner Arlene González-Sánchez said, “Staten Island’s data-driven strategy is helping to establish real solutions when it comes to fighting the opioid crisis. We are pleased to partner with Staten Island leaders, community members, and others to implement these steps, and help more people access the treatment and other services that they need. OASAS looks forward to further collaboration in support of our mutual goal of ensuring that recovery for everyone suffering from this disease is possible.”
 
“The opioid overdose epidemic has touched the lives of all Staten Island residents,” said NYC Health Commissioner Dr. Oxiris Barbot. “Under Borough President Oddo’s leadership, the Opioid Data Working Group's data-driven plan will compliment HealingNYC, the overall New York City opioid plan. We are looking forward to continuing to work together to support this important work."
 
“There is no question Staten Island remains in the throes of a drug crisis of epidemic proportions,” said District Attorney Michael E. McMahon. “The men and women of my office in conjunction with the NYPD, work day in and day out to root out drug dealers, aid those battling addiction illness, and prevent our young people from falling into the pitfalls of substance abuse. However we cannot beat this crisis alone, and Staten Island is blessed to have an unbelievable array of partners working to beat back this epidemic from all angles. I am confident that through our continued efforts and the implementation of the ”North Star” measures in this Report, we will be able to more effectively work together to truly turn our home from Heroin Island to HOPE Island. Thank you to Borough President Oddo for your continued leadership in this fight.”
 
“The opioid crisis touches everyone,” said Michael J. Dowling, President and CEO of Northwell Health. “It impacts families, schools, businesses, the criminal justice system, health care workers and emergency responders. Each of these populations brings an important perspective of how the crisis has impacted them and how we might solve it. By working together and taking a holistic approach, we can better tackle a problem that affects us all.”
 
“Staten Island’s data strategy is a model for communities across the United States seeking to focus their efforts for success against the opioid epidemic,” said Dr. Joshua M. Sharfstein, Director of the Bloomberg American Health Initiative at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. “Under Borough President Oddo’s leadership, community leaders, healthcare providers, citizens, and the Opioid Data Working Group came together to develop a common set of measures that will align many efforts in Staten Island.”

On Sunday, January 27, Borough President James S. Oddo hosted his first annual “BP Assist Live” at Susan E. Wagner High School.  This was adapted from the previous “Direct Connect Sunday,” a tradition he began when he took office.
 
“When I first got elected borough president in 2014, the notion of having a really stuffy swearing-in inauguration didn’t quite fit my style,” said Borough President Oddo. “I wanted to get to work. I tried to figuratively and literally open the door to Borough Hall and host Staten Islanders I have never seen, and it was really a positive event.”
 
Borough President Oddo began the afternoon with a Q&A with students from Staten Island’s high schools. Topics addressed included the opioid epidemic, street conditions and how to portray Staten Island in a positive light. Borough President Oddo also spoke of the importance of sleep, healthy eating and managing stress for teenagers.
 
On the drug epidemic, he said the crisis knows “no demographic.”
 
The schools represented included Susan E. Wagner High School, Curtis High School, Monsignor Farrell High School, New Dorp High School, Michael J. Petrides High School, Staten Island Technical High School, McKee Technical High School, Concord High School and the College of Staten Island High School for International Studies.
 
Another aspect of the day included a resource fair where Staten islanders were able to meet with representatives from 48 city agencies, cultural organizations and community groups to learn about their services and ask questions.

​We welcomed over 200 people at the event. 

Missed our BP Assist Live event? No problem, click here to learn about what our staff are up to.

On Friday, January 18th, Borough President James Oddo joined with Mayor Bill de Blasio at Staten Island Borough Hall to discuss the announcement that Staten Island will be included in the next round of NYC Ferry service. 
 
The new fast ferry route will run from St. George to Battery Park/Vesey Street for a total of 18 minutes, and then continue for another 17 minutes to Midtown West at Pier 79/West 39th Street. There were numerous potential sites evaluated for this new service, and St. George was decided based on several factors, including location (factoring sufficient parking), frequency, price point, community impact, and water depth.
 
BP Oddo has begun working with the MTA to create an express train to run from the South Shore to St. George so that commuters on the South Shore can use the new fast ferry route too. Mayor de Blasio stated that additional sites on Staten Island will be evaluated in the future for more NYC Ferry service.
 
The link above includes the Borough President’s remarks at the press conference.
 
The press conference was live streamed on our Facebook page, Staten Island USA. Here is the link to listen to everyone’s full remarks: Staten Island USA live stream of NYC Ferry press conference

On Friday, January 18, Deputy Borough President Ed Burke joined with members of the NYPD to congratulate the 5th and 7th grade students who participated in the "Too Good For Drugs" program at PS 48, PS 9, and St. Christopher’s School. The “Too Good For Drugs” curriculum is co-taught in the classroom by a police officer and a teacher. The program, which is in its fifth year, takes place in 5th, 7th and 9th grade classes in public and parochial schools across the borough.

Deputy BP Ed Burke addressed the students and talked about the importance of having mentors such as teachers and police officers: “The Too Good For Drugs Program partners our wonderful teachers with our local police officers to educate the future of Staten Island to have the knowledge to make the right choice and empower them to be a good influence in their community.”

Assistant Chief Kenneth Corey, Commanding Officer of NYPD Patrol Borough Staten Island, spoke to the students in attendance about the importance of making good decisions. 
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At the end of the ceremony, students took a pledge to abstain from tobacco, alcohol and drugs.

Borough President James S. Oddo is pleased to announce the promotion of three members of his staff and the addition of one new member within his administration. Jennifer Sammartino, previously serving as the Director of Tourism and Cultural Affairs, has been promoted to Deputy Chief of Staff; Colleen Siuzdak, previously serving as Coordinator of Tourism and Cultural Affairs, has been promoted to Manager of VISIT Staten Island; and Alexey Chandler, previously serving as Communications Coordinator, has been promoted to Assistant Manager of Communications and External Affairs; Stephanie Slepian has joined the team as Manager of Communications and External Affairs.

“As we enter a New Year, I’m excited to continue to build the amazing team we’ve assembled at Borough Hall,” noted BP Oddo. “I have asked Jennifer Sammartino to assume the role of Deputy Chief of Staff and I’m looking forward to what she will bring to the table in this new capacity. Alexey and Colleen are smart, enthusiastic women who have proven themselves to be dedicated, hard workers. I know they will succeed in their new roles. I’m thrilled to announce that Stephanie Slepian, a longtime Staten Island Advance staffer, has joined our team. Stephanie’s experience and wealth of knowledge will serve us well.”

Jennifer Sammartino has been with the Office of the Borough President since January, 2014. A graduate of the College of Staten Island, Ms. Sammartino earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature and spent most of her career in communications – first as a reporter, then as a features editor with the Staten Island Advance; as Communications Director for Richmond University Medical Center; then as Public Affairs Officer for the Department of Veterans Affairs. She joined the BP’s staff as Director of Communications and External Affairs, a post she held until the BP appointed her the first-ever Director of Tourism and Cultural Affairs in 2017. Jennifer has taken on the role of Deputy Chief of Staff, overseeing a division of the office and working on high level projects. She lives in New Brighton with her husband, Michael Mallen, and daughter, Laila.

“I’m ecstatic to take on this new role and am grateful to Borough President Oddo for the opportunity,” said Sammartino. “I’ve enjoyed working on Tourism and Cultural Affairs and will continue to oversee the department, as it’s so close to my heart. I am excited to broaden my scope and work on more issues that will benefit Staten Islanders.”

Colleen Siuzdak is a native Staten Islander who earned her bachelor’s degree in Media Studies from CUNY Hunter College and is now pursuing a Masters of Public Administration at CUNY Baruch College. She joined the Borough President’s team in August 2017 as the Coordinator of Tourism and Cultural Affairs. Colleen looks forward to growing the arts and culture community on Staten Island, by exposing the hidden treasures available to both visitors and residents alike.   She lives in Westerleigh.

Alexey Chandler started her work with the Office of the Borough President in June of 2017. After graduating from Wagner College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration, with a Marketing concentration, and a double minor in Economics and Art, she joined the Borough President’s staff as Communications Coordinator. Alexey is looking forward to her new role within the Communications Department as Assistant Manager of Communications and External Affairs, where she will have the opportunity to be involved in the many projects and initiatives shaping the Staten Island community. She lives in St. George.

Stephanie Slepian received both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in journalism from New York University.  She began her career at the Staten Island Advance in 1997 as a general assignment reporter. She covered a range of topics, including transportation, education, politics, real estate, crime, and Veterans issues. During her time at the Advance, she also worked in several editorial capacities. In 2014, she transitioned to the digital operations team as a Homepage Producer. In that capacity, she managed the placement and promotion of stories on SILive.com.  In 2017, she was named an Audience Development Specialist. In that position, she shared SILive.com stories and photos to Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. She lives in Great Kills with her husband and 9-year-old son.
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These staff changes are effective immediately.