July 2017
Rural Matters
Rural Training Opportunity
Our newly credentialed Master Trainers, Donna Wickham and Mary Maruscak, will conduct free Peer Leader training for Stanford University's Chronic Disease Self-Management Program (CDSMP) for any organizations who would like to be able to offer CDSMP to their clients. The four day course occurs over a two week period on Mondays and Tuesdays beginning July 31 and ending August 8th.

Any organization interested in this CDSMP Peer Leader training can contact Pamela Guth 607-692-7669 or email, [email protected] by July 24. Pre-registration is required.

Your organizations' CDSMP Peer Leaders will be trained to conduct 6-week health education sessions for adults living with an ongoing health condition. Class participants will enhance their health decision making and communication skills, increase physical activity and healthy eating habits, learn to manage fatigue, emotions, stress, pain, symptoms and medications.

For CDSMP information please visit http://patienteducation.stanford.edu/programs/cdsmp.html.

Rural Health Network of South Central NY appreciates the support of Care Compass Network and Excellus Blue Cross Blue Shield in expanding the regional capacity of qualified CDSMP trainers.
  Food and Health Network Logo
 Here are some quick Food and Health Network Farm to School highlights from the 2016-2017 school year!
  • 16 taste tests administered in local school districts.
  • Over 4,000 students have participated in taste tests.
  • 11 new school menu recipes developed, 7 of which have been taste tested by students
Working with our partners at
Chicken Buddha Bowl Topped 
with Local Veggies
Broome-Tioga BOCES, FaHN catalyzed a tremendous increase in the number of local farmers, food hubs, and processors participating in the school bid for local produce and meat products for the 2017-18 school year. The local food sources collectively represent a diversity of more than 25 local products that could potentially make it to the cafeteria next fall!
FaHN Staff with the Johnson City CSD Farm to School Institute Team in Shelburne, Vermont

FaHN also secured a spot and participated in the Northeast Farm to School Institute in Shelburne, Vermont with a team from Johnson City Central School District. The training will help the team develop a farm to school action plan and connect the cafeteria, classroom, and community to local food, wellness, culinary education, and the school garden!
Several AmeriCorps VISTA positions are now available for Fall 2017: 
  • Family Engagement Coordinator with Promise Zone 
  • Volunteer Coordinator with Delaware County Connects 
  • Rural Tioga Poverty Educator with Tioga Opportunities 
  • Community Education Coordinator with the Food Bank of the Southern Tier 
  • Rural Poverty Educator with Rural Health Network SCNY
  • VISTA position with the Food and Health Network SCNY 

The over-arching goal of these individual VISTA projects is to improve the health status of low income, uninsured, and predominantly rural residents in South Central New York State. Members serve full-time for a full year and receive a living allowance, education award, health coverage, and loan forbearance. For more information about each of these positions and to apply, please visit our website. 
Mobility Management Welcomes New Staff
Anne Marie Sanford
As part of continuing expansion of MMSCNY services, we are happy to announce the addition of  Anne Marie Sanford  to our staff as a Mobility Management Transportation Advocate.    
 
Anne Marie grew up near Schenectady, New York and received her Bachelor's Degree from SUNY Oneonta.  In 2010, she moved to Binghamton and started working for Achieve, first as a Residence Aide, and then as a Vocational Rehab Counselor. This experience allowed her to obtain an understanding of some of the unique challenges faced by people with disabilities, including mobility and transportation. In 2015, she took a break from the field to work for Evolution Consulting, doing criminal and employment background check investigations. She joined the MMSCNY team in May 2017 and is excited to return to a job in a non-profit setting, doing work that enriches the lives of others.  
 
In her position, Anne Marie will assist with operation of the  GetThere  Call Center, working with the team to deliver transportation assistance (case management, information and referral services, trip planning, travel training, and transportation education services); and to improve access to employment, health care and other essential services for transportation disadvantaged, with a primary focus on the elderly and people with disabilities. 

We're certainly keeping Anne Marie and all the Mobility Management staff busy. The GetThere Call Center set a new record of 196 cases during June, surpassing the previous record of 136 cases per month.  
Population Health Update
The Population Health Improvement Program (PHIP), of which RHNSCNY is a subcontracted entity with regional lead organization Healthlink NY, has been making great progress with current initiatives.

Mental Health:
The Southern Tier and the Hudson Valley PHIPs have worked together to design a Workplace Wellness Toolkit focused specifically on employee behavioral health. The toolkit is designed so that any workplace, regardless of size or sector, will be able to choose activities for implementation. The toolkit will be piloted from July 2017 to January 2018.

We'd love to meet with you to tell you more about becoming a pilot site!
The Southern Tier PHIP is currently in search of businesses in Broome, Tioga, Tompkins, Chenango, and Delaware Counties to pilot to toolkit, receiving full guidance and support from County Coordinators-level coordinators and project leadership at Healthlink NY. If your business, or one with which you're acquainted, would be interested in learning more about becoming a pilot site, reach out to your county's Population Health Coordinator:

Tioga: Mary Maruscak: 607-972-0329
Delaware: Judith Salton: 607-422-1127
Broome: Phill Ginter: 607-651-9150
Tompkins: John Mazzello: 607-273-8686 x2230
Chenango: Jamie Hagenbuch: 607-337-4320

Article of Interest
Why Living in a Rural Area Could Be Considered a Health Risk ,  an article  from Texas A&M's University Health Science Center, is a great resource for understanding how access to care, particularly for rural individuals, families, and communities, can cause disparities in health outcomes. 
As part of the initial Rural Broome Counts research process in 2014-2015, RHNSCNY collected baseline information for the Viability Indicators; a set of information on essential goods, services, educational opportunities, and social connection opportunities in Broome County. This data was collected to help understand how the presence or absence of different services and infrastructure affects community resilience and viability. Since its creation, RHNSCNY has been maintaining and expanding the Viability Indicators. Here are some examples of trends we've seen:
  • From the 2013-14 school year to the 2014-15 school year, rural, urban, and suburban school districts have seen an increase in the number and percentage of students eligible for free/reduced lunch.
  • Based on information from the 2005-2009, 2008-2012, and 2010-2014 American Community Survey on Gross Rent as a Percentage of Household Income, rural and suburban areas experienced an increase in the number and percentage of Cost-Burdened Households.
  • In 2017, 4 new DMV Satellite Offices were established; 1 in suburban Broome County, and 3 in rural Broome County. 
For more information on Rural Broome Counts and to read the reports, please visit the Rural Broome Counts webpage: http://www.rhnscny.org/programs/partnerships/rural-broome-counts  
Rural Health Policy & Advocacy Resources
As advocates for the health of rural individuals, families, and communities through our everyday work, we seek to provide as much information in as concise a manner as possible. Please contact Mary Maruscak if you have questions about our advocacy work or would like more information about any of the resources provided. 

In support of Medicaid: 
This interactive map is from the Georgetown University Health Policy Institute, and shows the percentage of children covered by Medicaid/CHIP by county in 2014/15. Clicking on the "State Resources" tab at the top of the page will take you to more maps for adults and children covered by Medicaid and CHIP by county, state, and congressional district. 

The Center for Global Healthcare Solutions has developed  fact sheets  which detail the necessity of Medicaid in our society, today. 

The American Health Care Act, and it's impacts on NY State and the people we serve: A  Governor's Roundtable panel discussion held at UHS Binghamton General Hospital on June 29th that focused on the impact of  the proposed American Health Care Act. If you are interested in sharing your thoughts, here are some resources: the Governor's petition to fight for quality health care; Families USA's  Protect Our Care webpage which features an action kit for reaching out to elected officials across NY State and the country. 

The New York State Health Foundation has begun compiling analyses and resources on health reform efforts and the potential impacts on the state. Take a look at their   New York Health Reform Watch webpage for reports from the  Urban Institute, the  Congressional Budget Office, and much more.  
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