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Happy Valentine's Day from all of us here at the Rural Health Network! We've changed our look this month in honor of the the holiday.
Be sure to check out the Heart Healthy Tips near the end of this issue.
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 Leadership Message
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Thoughts on Poverty and Healthcare
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Jack Salo, Executive Director
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Back in December I had the pleasure of attending the Stakeholders Meeting hosted by Care Compass Network at the Holiday Inn in Binghamton. A highlight from the meeting was a CCN Cohort Project panel discussion facilitated by CCN staff member Bouakham Rosetti.
As I listened to the patient issues and challenges presented by those on the panel it reinforced my growing unease with what I believe is a "blind spot" in our efforts to address social determinants of health and specifically, poverty, through healthcare reform and public healthcare funding.
...As we continue on the journey of redesigning our healthcare system, I would offer that a serious effort to get beyond addressing immediate needs, or the symptoms of poverty should include a deeper level of "upstream" investment and...
(Read More)
Without robust and just economies, poverty will perpetuate and continue to limit the promise, health and well-being of too many individuals, families and communities. The economic power of the healthcare sector can be a tool for addressing the poverty and associated poor health outcomes of the patients and communities served.
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Getthere Seeks Volunteer Drivers
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| Please click on the image above to view a short video about our Volunteer Driver program. |
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Northern Broome CARES Welcomes New Staff
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Mindy Alexander, Community Health Worker - Case Manager, Northern Broome CARES |
My name is Mindy Alexander, I'm the new Community Health Worker for the Naturally Occurring Retirement Community (NORC) program, now known as Northern Broome CARES.
I spent most of my life in the Whitney Point area and know first hand the challenges that come with living in a rural community. I spent a short time in Orlando Florida where I received my MOA certificate from Keiser University. I have spent most of my career working with several organizations supporting and advocating for individuals with physical and mental disabilities of all ages. Putting those together is what really fostered my interest in Northern Broome Cares.
I'm excited to use both my personal and professional experiences together to support the growing aging community in which we serve. They say "It takes a village" and I'd like to be part of that village.
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Capital Campaign
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Creating a New Center for Rural Health Service,
Innovation, & Learning
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Building rendering provided by
Chianis & Anderson Architects, PLLC
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If you, your business, or community organization would like to join in supporting our campaign vision, we invite you to
learn more
. We need your support.
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Members of the New York State Association for Rural Health met with Senator George Borrello in early February. Senator Borrello serves the 57th District and is a ranking member of the Senate Budget and Revenues Committee. Pictured (L - R): Nicole Fess; Olivia Catalano; Senator Borrello; Ann Abdella; and Jack Salo.
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Last week, Executive Director Jack Salo traveled to Albany to join with other members of the New York State Association of Rural Health (NYSARH) in meeting with state legislators to discuss issues impacting rural communities.
NYSARH members advocated for restoration of proposed funding cuts and other policy priorities impacting Rural Health Networks, rural hospitals and healthcare providers, Area Health Education Centers, behavioral health care, non-emergency medical transportation, and rural broadband access.
NYSARH functions as the "voice for rural health". It is a statewide organization advocating for the health of rural New Yorkers. In addition to representing its membership at both the national and state levels of government, NYSARH conducts an annual conference for its members.
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Food and Health Network - Recent Highlights
We sponsored the Leatherstocking Young Farmers' Coalition Young Farmers Mixer on January 26th in Cooperstown. The event served as an important opportunity to "bring together young and beginning farmers in the region, along with farm and food stakeholder organizations, to network, socialize, and build community."
The Farm to School team visited Chenango Bridge Elementary for NY Thursday on February 6. Students enjoyed Southwest Chicken Chili and were given the opportunity to enter a raffle to win an age appropriate cookbook.
The January FVRx luncheon for the UHS Endicott cohort was held on January 31st at the George F. Johnson Memorial Library in Endicott. Participants with this cohort were welcome to come, meet fellow participants and interact with the FVRx team, share a delicious meal, and take a gift bag with cooking essentials.
What We're Reading - Research and Recommendations
Farm to Institution New York State (FINYS) and the American Farmland Trust recently published a report entitled Growing Opportunity for Farm to School.
AFT's research found that 72% of schools felt optimistic that with the right support they would achieve 30% spending on New York-grown food within five years. Achieving this outcome would cause schools to spend nearly $150 million at New York farms over the next five years while increasing access to healthy, New York grown food for almost 700,000 K-12 students by 2024. |
AmeriCorps VISTA Positions Available!
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AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) members bring passion and perseverance where the need is greatest: to organizations that help eradicate poverty. AmeriCorps VISTA members serve as a catalyst for change, living and working alongside community members to meet our nation's most pressing challenges and advance local solutions. We currently have three open VISTA positions, now accepting applications on a rolling basis. We can be flexible with start date, but VISTA positions always involve full-time service (40 hours/week) for one year. The Food Bank of the Southern Tier, Tioga Opportunities, and Binghamton University's Center For Civic Engagement are all looking for engaged community members to serve as VISTA members at their organization
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Update on the Social Determinants
Measurement Project
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Building Regional Evidence for Social Determinants Interventions
Year two of the Social Determinants Measurement Project brings a new focus on generating research that proves the effectiveness of Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) interventions in our region. Despite the general consensus among traditional funders that evidence-based interventions (EBIs) are a gold standard and do not require additional proof, some Value-Based Payment (VBP) partners (managed care organizations, healthcare systems, etc.) have shown a reluctance to fund EBIs and SDOH initiatives without first seeing results specific to their members, in their region. This self-fulfilling prophecy - no funding means no program, which means no data with which to prove it works - puts community-based organizations (CBOs) at a disadvantage when negotiating with a potential VBP partner. We can mitigate this disadvantage by actively working to increase the output of CBO-led, region-specific research in New York State.
Current and future activities to address this issue might include:
- Identifying strong candidates for SDOH pilot projects among rural CBOs' existing programs
- Encouraging programs to collect key information such as clients' insurance plan and health system affiliation
- Building connections between CBOs and academic partners who can provide research capacity
- Facilitating local data sharing by setting up scheduled data requests between CBOs and external data partners (health systems, payers, Medicaid Redesign entities, Regional Health Information Organizations, etc.)
If you would like to share thoughts on this topic or would like additional information about the Rural Health Network Social Determinants Measurement project, please contact
Emma Nalin, Project Coordinator.
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Heart Healthy Tips
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It's that time of the year again, where stores flood their aisles with heart shape goodies and rom coms overwhelm the TV screen. It's the holiday that people take great joy in showing how much heart they have for their special someone, almost to the point that they forget the most important thing about their heart: their heart's health.
We here at the Rural Health Network would like take this time to remind you the importance of having a healthy heart. Check out this article from Medical Xpress and explore 10 ways to achieve a healthier heart. |
Census 2020
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Every ten years, the United States Census counts every person living in the U.S. In March, 2020, every household will receive an invitation to complete the Census. We encourage you to respond. Here is why the census is important and how census data is used.
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President's Day Holiday
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Rural Health Network offices will be closed on Monday, February 17 in observance of the President's Day Holiday.
For a historical look at the health issues that impacted George Washington and others in his era, visit the Mount Vernon website. |
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To support our work at Rural Health Network,
Please take a moment to learn more
about our work and the impact we're making in south central New York.
If you're shopping at Amazon, you can support Rural Health Network by making your purchases though Amazonsmile.
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Advancing the health and well-being of rural people and communities.
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