If it is important to you that those living in rural New York have the support they need to live healthier lives and have access to essential health services, please contact your elected NYS officials!
Voice your opposition to Governor Cuomo's proposed budget cuts to Rural Health Network funding and 29 other prevention, healthcare workforce, and infra-structure programs.
The proposed twenty percent cut for this fiscal year comes on top of a 21% cut last year, resulting in a combined loss of over $80,000 to the Rural Health Network of SCNY. These extreme funding cuts will require us to continue reducing essential services, limit development work needed to meet critical rural needs, and negatively impact our ability to leverage and match federal, private and other NYS resources necessary to improve rural health. These cuts hurt our already hurting rural communities and economies.
This graph depicts the impact to the Rural Health Network of SCNY from 2017 and proposed 2018 reductions in Rural Health Network Development ProgramFunding if the Executive budget recommendations are approved.
Services and programs planned, initiated, developed and supported by the Rural Health Network funding:
Access to Health Care: Community Health Services, Development of RHNSCNY Medicaid Reform services and partnerships
Health Education: Chronic Disease Self-Management Programs
Food, Nutrition & Rural Economies: Food & Health Network of SCNY
Transportation: Mobility Management of SCNY, transportation to health care services.
National Service in Support of Rural Health: AmeriCorps, VISTA, Volunteer Generation Fund
Rural Health Planning: Rural Broome Counts, Rural Cultural Competency, Addressing Rural Health Disparities
Rural Capacity Building: Securing resources to improve health for rural communities, non-profits, local government, and grassroots organizations.
With the next stage in the budget decision making process coming up March 15th, we ask that you
act today and contact your elected officials in strong opposition of this proposed consolidation and funding cut.
You can find information and resources HERE on our Rural Action Items webpage, along with a link to pre-written, pre-addressed letter templates.
We ask that you complete the letters with your information and letterhead, and then either send or email them to the appropriate recipient, or you can
email them back to us and we will be happy to forward them on.
If you would like more information about this initiative, any of our programs at RHNSCNY, or would like to know more about our advocacy work, please contact us!
