Assembly Resolution No. 534

BY: M. of A. Cook

COMMENDING Tenesia Richards upon the occasion of
her designation for special recognition by the
National Council of Negro Women-Queens County
Section on June 8, 2025

WHEREAS, It is incumbent upon the people of the State of New York to
recognize and acknowledge those within our midst who have made
significant contributions to the quality of life therein; and

WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its
long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to
commend Tenesia Richards upon the occasion of her designation for
special recognition by the National Council of Negro Women-Queens County
Section, to be celebrated at its 37th Annual Black and White Celebration
of Honorees on Sunday, June 8, 2025, at Antun's in Queens Village, New
York; and

WHEREAS, Tenesia Richards received her Bachelor of Science in
Nursing degree in 2009 from the CUNY Hunter-Bellevue School of Nursing;
in 2020, she completed her Executive Master of Public Administration
degree at New York University, hoping to use her new degree to help
ensure patients of all backgrounds and ethnicities have access to and
receive equitable treatment and high-quality healthcare; and

WHEREAS, With an extensive background and passion for the healthcare
field of labor and delivery, Tenesia Richards is a member of the
Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN);
at the association's 2018 conference, she learned about the
disproportionate mortality rates in Black mothers in New York City, and
decided to pursue her higher education degree as a result of such
information; and

WHEREAS, Further, Tenesia Richards, motivated to enact change,
established the first interdisciplinary OB department-wide health equity
committee known as Health Equity Alliance 4 Life (HEAL) at her
institution in February of 2012; the HEAL committee focuses on
identifying and reducing health disparities through case reviews, data
collection, staff education, and patient experience initiatives; and

WHEREAS, The HEAL committee received the 2023 national Daisy Team
Award for going above and beyond the traditional role of nursing to make
a difference; and

WHEREAS, With a passion for helping others, Tenesia Richards
expanded the HEAL committee, launching HEAL'in the Community-a program
that brings providers and hospital staff into local communities to offer
maternal health education and advocacy; and

WHEREAS, Tenesia Richards also started volunteering in her free time
with the NYP/Community Outreach Program; with the program's support,
this incredible honoree spearheaded the development of a community-based
outreach initiative focused on empowering unhoused expectant minority
women who were at a higher-risk for pregnancy-related complications; and


WHEREAS, A firm believer in extending the benefits of healthcare and
comprehensive health education beyond the walls of a hospital, Tenesia
Richards is a member of the community outreach team that she once
volunteered for where she leads targeted outreach events including
medical pop-up clinics in partnership with community-based
organizations, bringing healthcare providers directly to asylum seekers
to address urgent needs and connect them to ongoing care; and

WHEREAS, Tenesia Richards believes in empowering nurses to extend
their care beyond hospital walls to provide more comprehensive support
to those in need; she actively recruits nurses from all 10 campuses of
her healthcare institution to volunteer and serve their community in
hopes they will find the same sense of pride, inspiration, and passion
that fulfills her; and

WHEREAS, Tenesia Richards co-founded the New York City Chapter of
AWHONN in 2024; the chapter's mission is to create a platform for NYC
nurses to collaborate, share best practices, and work collectively to
reduce maternal health disparities across the city; and

WHEREAS, Other initiatives include supporting community and
faith-based organizations with health screenings, vaccinations, mental
health first aid training courses, and expert talks for their
congregation and community members of marginalized communities; and

WHEREAS, Tenesia Richards is the Community Outreach Clinical Nurse
Manager for New York-Presbyterian (NYP) Hospital's Division of Community
and Population Health; and

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that when
individuals of such noble aims and accomplishments are brought to our
attention, they should be celebrated and recognized by all the citizens
of this great Empire State; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commend Tenesia Richards upon the occasion of her designation for
special recognition by the National Council of Negro Women-Queens County
Section; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to Tenesia Richards.