Fall and winter are a time when viruses that cause respiratory disease usually circulate more heavily in the community. Vaccination against these respiratory viruses can reduce the severity of illness and spread of disease and can be especially beneficial to those who are at higher risk of developing serious complications, including older Americans and those with medical conditions. To further serve residents across the island, The Stony Brook Medicine Healthy Libraries Program (SBMHeLP) partnered with Southold Free Library to hold a free “Community Block Party” offering several valuable resources including:

• Flu and COVID vaccines offered by Sun River Health’s state-of-the-art mobile health center
• Blood pressure screenings
• Social work services
• Food Share Program
• And more

The SBMHeLP is a partnership between the Suffolk County Cooperative Library System and several Public Libraries of Suffolk County, along with students and faculty training healthcare professionals in the fields of social work, public health, nursing, physician assistant, nutrition, and library science, who provide free blood pressure and food insecurity screening, education, and case management to libraries and their patrons to promote access to health and healthcare-related resources throughout Suffolk County. The American Heart Association of Long Island supports blood pressure education and monitoring programs across Long Island in collaboration with SBMHeLP. For more information on SBMHeLP, please visit this site.