Innovating Together – The Future of Community Health

Click to See Images from COCA 2024

 

Click to see Sponsorship Opportunities

Each sponsorship package can be tailored to support a specific Community Innovation Hub, including co-location branding and collaborative opportunities at the selected site.

As we innovate together, we invite your organization to contribute branded premium giveaways for our event gift bags, ensuring each attendee experiences the full Circle of Care

MEET THE COCA 2025 HOST

DR BOB LEE

“Doctor” Bob Lee is one of the most recognized entertainment personalities in New York. For more than 30 years, he’s had a rewarding career as a Radio and TV personality, DJ, author, motivational speaker, consultant and entrepreneur. Lee started out as a DJ for 88,7 WT NY Radio in 1978 while he attended the New York Institute of Technology, where he later received his BA and MA in Communications. Lee eventually went on to be music director, program director and general manager for WTNY. He also started Doctor Bob Lee & Company, a mobile-DJ business where he traveled to colleges and universities to play, cut and mix/blend recorded music for numerous celebrations. In 1980, Lee joined 107.5 WBLS as an intern.

In 1981, he won the Top DJ Award for 98.7 KISS-FM. Soon after, in 1981, Lee was offered a job with WBLS, where he has since had an exciting and diverse career. For eight years, Lee hosted the weekend edition of WBLS’s renowned program the Quiet Storm under legendary DJ Vaughn Harper. He interviewed the likes of Michelle Obama and musical greats such as Stevie Wonder, Patti LaBelle, Luther Vandross, Beyonce, Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige, Kenny “Baby Face” Edmonds, Wynton Marsalis, Whitney Houston, Alicia Keys, Jill Scott, and many more.


Bob Lee started the Daily Dose on 107.5 WBLS and 1190 WLIB, which converted to Bob Lee’s Digital Dose where you can log in and connect to the latest in lifestyle and healthcare tips from health professionals. The Digital Dose focuses on topics such as heart disease, diabetes and other ailments common to people in our community. Bob started the WBLS On Time Program with Ken “Spider” Webb in the Morning, as a vehicle to encourage students to Stay in School and Be on Time. Since then, he has a key reporting role with every Morning Show host, from Ken Webb up to its current host, Steve Harvey. Bob has provided special live reports on the Morning Show for “9/11,” the “New York City Marathon,” various parades and other special events, and hundreds of WBLS-sponsored community programs.



Meet The COCA 2025 Honorees

Partner Honorees

Dr. Dee Bailey

Chief of Operations,
AACEO

Yvonne Brathwaite

Executive Director,
Groundswell NYC

Herbert Fair

Branch Manager,
Paerdegat branch of the Brooklyn Public Library,



Home Care workers that are Breast Cancer Survivors that rejoined the workforce while in remission

Marie Lafontant

Ana Vale

Evadney Turner

Judith Blackman

Bianca O. Grosvenor



Home care workers at CABS since 1983 – 42 years

Melrose Lake.

Nancie Pierre

Jostha Lubin


Message from The CEO


As we step into 2025, I am filled with immense pride in our journey and deep excitement for the path ahead. Over the past 44 years, CABS Health Network has grown through vision, innovation, and an unwavering commitment to advancing community health and workforce development. Our progress is a testament to the dedication of our team and partners—whose collective efforts have expanded access to care for under-served populations across New York.

Together, we continue to:

  • Expand services and improve access to care
  • Deepen community engagement
  • Empower our workforce
  • Foster innovation and elevate integrated value-based care models

The year 2024 marked a transformative chapter for CABS. We celebrated the historic ribbon-cutting of our new headquarters at the Pfizer Building—a powerful symbol of our continued commitment to excellence, innovation, and impact. It also marked the launch of several new initiatives designed to address persistent health disparities and strengthen community-based systems of care.

 
Together, we continue to:

  • Expand services and improve access to care
  • Deepen community engagement
  • Empower our workforce
  • Foster innovation and elevate integrated value-based care models

The year 2024 marked a transformative chapter for CABS. We celebrated the historic ribbon-cutting of our new headquarters at the Pfizer Building—a powerful symbol of our continued commitment to excellence, innovation, and impact. It also marked the launch of several new initiatives designed to address persistent health disparities and strengthen community-based systems of care.
Looking forward, our COCA2025 theme—“Innovating Together: The Future of Community Health”—reflects our belief that transformation happens when we work collaboratively to reimagine what care can look like. Our Designed-to-Care model, introduced last year, is expanding to further enhance care transitions and coordination between acute care, home-based services, and community-based providers.
 
We stand at a critical turning point:

  • Federal and local funding for community health is becoming increasingly limited.
  • Emergency-based responses still outweigh preventative care models.
  • Marginalized communities continue to experience significant disparities in access and outcomes.

Yet, we remain hopeful—and more determined than ever.

The Circle of Care Awards (COCA) Gala is more than a celebration—it’s a call to action. Our 2025 goal is to raise $500,000 to sustain and scale our Community Innovation Hubs—safe, welcoming spaces embedded within the offices of trusted community partners across Brooklyn. These hubs transform familiar environments into centers of healing, education, and connection, providing critical services where they are needed most.
I invite you to join us in this bold effort to reimagine community health. By investing in our vision, you are helping to build healthier, more connected neighborhoods where every individual has the support they need to thrive.
 
With gratitude and partnership,
 
Sherly Demosthenes-Atkinson
Chief Executive Officer




CABS Community Innovation Hubs

Bringing Care Where It’s Needed Most

CABS Health Network’s Community Innovation Hubs are embedded within the offices of trusted community partners across Brooklyn. These Hubs repurpose underutilized community spaces to serve multiple generations—turning everyday places into powerful platforms for public health, economic empowerment, and community development.

Locations

East New York: Coretta Scott King Senior Residence | Breukelen NYCHA Community Center | Penn Wortman Senior Center

Islamic Community: Bensonhurst Mosques | CAMBA Community Center | Alfadila Community Outreach Center

Bedford Stuyvesant: Bridge Street Quincy Senior Residence


We are raising $500,000 to sustain and Scale our Community Innovation Hubs. Partnership is essential.
Together, we can sustain these life-changing services and build a
stronger, healthier Brooklyn-one
community at a time.



Impact Statistics



COCA 2025 Sponsors




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Ticket Cards

$500

TICKET FOR YOU + HOME CARE WORKER/CABS STAFF - COCA25

Buy Ticket

$350

Individual Ticket for COCA25 Gala

Buy Ticket

$300

Sponsor a Home Care Worker Ticket - COCA25

Buy Ticket

Ticket Cards

$1,000

Journal AD Full Page

Buy Ticket

$750

JOURNAL AD HALF PAGE - COCA25

Buy Ticket

$350

JOURNAL AD QUARTER PAGE - COCA25

Buy Ticket

$250

Virtual AD Only - COCA25

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