§ 17-199.24 Sickle cell trait and disease.
AC § 17-199.24
a. Professional guidance.
1.In consultation with the New York city health and hospitals corporation, the commissioner shall create guidance on the following topics to educate medical professionals who work within the city: (a) The detection of sickle cell trait through pre- and post-conception genetic screening; and (b) The management and treatment of sickle cell disease.
2.The guidance created pursuant to this subdivision shall include the benefits of recommending screenings to individuals prior to pregnancy and education on non-discriminatory approaches to assess patient pain, including instruction on the effects of implicit racial bias in the provision of pain management and methods to remediate such effects and ensure patients receive effective pain management care, as well as education about the history of medical discrimination, race-based medical experimentation, and the effects of such discrimination on patients and their medical decision making.
3.The guidance created pursuant to this subdivision shall be posted on the department’s website, distributed to medical providers and practices in the city, and publicized to at-risk populations through public awareness campaigns. b. Genetic screening. The commissioner, in consultation with the New York city health and hospitals corporation, shall ensure that sickle cell trait pre- and post-conception genetic screening shall be offered to individuals who fall into an at-risk population, as determined by current medical research, or for whom such genetic screening is otherwise medically appropriate or recommended. c. Report. No later than June 1, 2025, and annually thereafter, the department shall submit to the speaker of the council a report summarizing the available data regarding the presence of sickle cell trait and sickle cell disease in the city, to the extent such data can be released in accordance with applicable laws, rules, and regulations. Such report shall also include a summary of the department’s efforts to educate practitioners and at-risk populations about the availability of pre- and post-conception genetic screening. d. Online publication of materials. The commissioner shall provide information related to sickle cell trait and disease on the department’s website, including information regarding the importance of genetic screening for the sickle cell trait for at-risk populations, and the locations of medical providers, practices, and facilities where such individuals can receive such screenings, in English and in the designated citywide languages as defined in section 23-1101. (L.L. 2023/163, 12/3/2023, eff. 12/3/2024)
