To register: https://rssny.org/class-forms/health-talks.html

Older New Yorkers face many barriers to accessing quality health care, including transportation challenges, confusing medical bills, inconsistent care, and more.

This presentation examines how these challenges disrupt care and highlights practical tools and strategies.

Topics include
- accessing geriatric care;
- understanding health insurance changes,
- Medicaid eligibility, co-pays, and medical bills;
- strengthening patient–provider communication and self-advocacy—particularly in the context of frequent provider changes
- addressing transportation barriers that interfere with receiving care.

Alva R. Rodriguez holds a Bachelor’s degree in Public Health and a Master of Public Health (MPH) in Epidemiology and Biostatistics from CUNY School of Public Health & Health Policy. She has experience conducting research and community-based work with vulnerable populations, including low-income communities and women facing complex health and social challenges.

Alva has over four years of experience as a Clinical Research Coordinator at Mount Sinai, where she contributed to qualitative and mixed-methods research evaluating a doula program serving vulnerable women and examining social and systemic factors affecting maternal and infant health in Queens, New York. Her work includes collecting survey and interview data on maternal and infant health challenges, barriers to accessing care and navigating complex health care systems. Through her academic and professional experience, she has conducted extensive literature reviews on health care topics, including a published literature-review paper on locus of control and patient–provider communication. Alva is eager to apply her research skills to support older adults at RSS in understanding and navigating the challenges that can limit access to adequate care.