February 2018
Febuary 2018 Member Newsletter
How Urban Family Practice is saving primary care on Buffalo’s East Side
Last June, 7,000 patients, mainly East Side residents, received a letter stating that their neighborhood primary practice office was closing its doors, leaving these individuals without a convenient, close-to-home, family doctor. After 12 years, UB Family Medicine on Jefferson Avenue and West Utica Street was facing a challenge recruiting physicians to the practice. Closing seemed inevitable.

Enter Urban Family Practice and its Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dr. Raul Vazquez. He saved the clinic by purchasing it and in turn expanding his burgeoning West Side primary practice to the East Side. The new Jefferson Avenue Urban Family Practice will be run by Dr. Chet Fox, a former professor at the State University New York at Buffalo Medical School, and a champion for the East Side practice. 

“Dr. Vazquez immediately swept in to save (the Jefferson family practice office) because he’s just got a heart for helping people in the community,” said Dr. Fox. “So he purchased the site, and I was there, so I get to be the clinical leader at my old site – so my new site, is my old site.”
The Jefferson Urban Family Practice currently has two full—time nurse practitioners and Dr. Fox seeing patients. Fox said eventually another full-time provider will join the staff of the clinic.

The opening of Jefferson Family Practice could not come at a better time. Along with the closure of UB Family Medicine’s Jefferson site, Lifetime Health has also shuttered its doors, including its William E. Moser Health Clinic, a large medical center located on the East Side. Dr. Fox said that the closing of the Mosher Clinic means another 5,000 to 7,000 patients are looking for a primary care doctor. Urban Family Practice will absorb as many of those patients as it can.

“I’m excited that we can do this for the community, I’m excited that we can restore primary care, and that we can do it in a way that we’re building the care model of the future,” said Dr. Fox. “It’s about value, but it’s about quality at the most efficient cost – it’s about doing the right thing for the right person at the right time.”

Jefferson Urban Family Practice is located at 1315 Jefferson Avenue at East Utica. To schedule an appointment, please call (716) 332-3797. For more information about Urban Family Practice, visit www.urbanfamilypractice.com
National Heart Month
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States. Every year, 1 in 4 deaths are caused by heart disease.

The good news? Heart disease can often be prevented when you make healthy choices and manage your health conditions. This can be done by improving diets and engaging your environment. Improving a diet is as simple as eating less amounts of certain types of food you generally consume. This applies most to sugary and fatty foods, such as donuts and take-out meals. Replace these foods with healthy snacks like fruits, vegetables, nuts, or grains. 

Engage your environment by increasing physical activity. This can include everything from a brisk walk to intense aerobics. The Department of Health and Human Services recommends these guidelines for the average adult:

Moderate Aerobic Activity – 150 minutes per week of activities such as        walking, swimming, mowing the lawn, or gardening.

Vigorous Aerobic Activity – 75 minutes per week of running, dancing, weightlifting, or any other physical sport.

It is recommended that you consult a doctor before making these changes. Be aware of allergies for certain foods. Also consider age and physical limitations for workout routines. Ultimately, the goal is to make physical activity a regular part of your lifestyle. Communities, health professionals, and families can work together to create opportunities for people to make healthier choices.
Go Red for Women
Do you know what causes heart disease in women? What about the survival rate? Or whether women of all ethnicities share the same risk? The fact is: Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women, causing 1 in 3 deaths each year. That is approximately one woman every minute! But it doesn’t affect all women alike, and the warning signs for women are not the same as for men. These facts only begin to scratch the surface.

There are several misconceptions about heart disease in women, and they could be putting you at risk. The American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women movement advocates for more research and swifter action for women’s heart health for this very reason. Here are some key facts and statistics:

  •   90% of women have one or more risk factors for heart disease or stroke

  •  Women have a higher lifetime risk of stroke than men

  •  Fewer women than men survive their first heart attack

  • The symptoms of heart attack can be different in women vs. men

Additionally, Hispanic and African American women have greater risk factors, based on environment, activity habits, diet, and genetics.
  •     Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death for Hispanic and African-American women

  •  Only 34-36% of Hispanic and African-American women know that heart disease is their greatest risk

  •   Only 1 in 8 Hispanic women say that their doctors discuss their risks for heart disease

  •  Of African-American women ages 20 and older, 48.3% have cardiovascular disease. Yet only 14% believe the disease is their greatest health problem

One very important fact is 80% of heart disease and strokes can be prevented by lifestyle changes and education. Which means YOU are in control of how your body will fight against disease and illness!
Healthy Heart Recipe
Tail Gate Chili
30 min Cook time
3.44 Price per serving
297 Calories per serving
2.5 g Sat. Fat per serving
288 mg Sodium per serving

4 Servings
·          1 medium onion (chopped)
·          1 Tbsp. chili powder
·          1 Tbsp. ground cumin
·          1/2 tsp. ground coriander
Directions


Recipe copyright © 2016 American Heart Association. This recipe is brought to you by the American Heart Association's Simple Cooking with Heart ® Program. For more simple, quick and affordable recipes, visit heart.org/simplecooking .

GBUAHN answers the call for help in the wake of Hurricane Maria
The Greater Buffalo United Accountable Healthcare Network (GBUAHN) teamed up with WIVB-TV News4 on Wednesday, December 13, 2017 to host a telethon for victims of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico. The telethon yielded more than $36,500 in donations for those who were forced to flee their homes due to the natural disaster. 

Volunteers from GBUAHN and members of the Puerto Rico Hurricane Relief Fund answered close to 1,000 calls from donors. WIVB-TV reporter/anchors Christy Kern and Nalina Shapiro provided live televised updates throughout the event, and interviewed GBUAHN Chief Executive Officer Dr. Raul Vazquez several times during the telethon.
“It’s not like ‘oh this happened, things are better.’ Things are still not good,” said Dr. Vazquez during News4’s 6:00 p.m. broadcast. “And a lot of these people are coming (to Buffalo), so that’s what we’re doing here – trying to support them.”

Dr. Vazquez and GBUAHN Chief Systems Officer Toni Vazquez (on behalf of the Raul and Toni Vazquez Foundation) donated a total of $1,500. All of the funds raised in the telethon will go to Hurricane Maria survivors who are resettling in Buffalo and Western New York and will be used toward housing, furniture, clothing, appliances, etc.

Those who did not get a chance to donate during the telethon may do so by visiting the Go-Fund-Me page www.gofundme.com/prreliefwny
Member Wellness Program update
GBUAHN’s Member Wellness Program kicked off 2018 with an exciting program expansion. The new program includes nutrition and/or cooking, as well as morning and afternoon gym classes Monday through Friday. The previous wellness program had been reserved just for members seeking weight loss, but the expanded program also serves members seeking to improve their mood, decrease smoking and drinking, and manage their stress by changing the way they eat and exercise.

Members continually support each other’s efforts, and even formed their own Wellness Social Committee! In 2017, members attending GBUAHN’s Wellness Program lost an average of 5 pounds! Through GBUAHN’s fitness trainer, registered dietitian and the member’s own PHN, we are excited to reach even more of our member population through the Wellness Program. See your patent health navigator (PHN) for details, if you would like to join!
February is National Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month
Dating abuse is a public health issue that affects people of all ages, backgrounds, and identities. However, among people who experience sexual violence, physical violence, and/or stalking, most experienced some form of intimate partner violence for the first time before the age of 25. 1   

In fact 1 in 3 young people experience some form of physical or sexual violence - which by any other standards would be called an epidemic.

In many states, abuse is a crime; but with the proper action, the crime can be stopped. Legal actions that can be taken include obtaining protection orders (also known as a restraining orders). The law is different in every state regarding who can get a protective order and what a protective order can say. But generally, a protection order will protect the victim from having to come into contact with the abuser by prohibiting the abuser from stalking, harassing, communicating, or coming anywhere near the victim. If the abuser violates the order, he or she can face criminal penalties including jail time.

Victims under 18 also have resources available to them. In most states, teachers, school personnel, nurses, and other professionals are required to report child maltreatment. Some states allow minors to get legal help without any parental involvement; others require parents to be involved right away. In other states, the laws are unclear, leaving it up to judges to contact a minors' parents if they think it is in the minors' best interest.

If you or someone you know is experiencing abuse, you can text 'loveis' to 22522 to talk with a peer advocate.
Member Wellness Calander
GET TO KNOW YOURCARE HEALTH PLAN
What are the best things to know about YourCare?

·        We offer free or low-cost health insurance plans like Medicaid Managed Care, Child Health Plus, and the Essential Plan.
·        We are proud to be a trusted partner of GBUAHN.
·        We love our hometown, just like you! We are owned and operated in Western New York.
·        We boast more than 50 years of experience in healthcare services.
·        Our team provides assistance with access to resources like: transportation, shelter, food, clothing, and more
·        You can enroll with us at our office – 446 Main St., downtown – steps from Lafayette Square
Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

OR

·        You can also meet with Melinda Spire, YourCare Community Relations Representative at the following locations:*
Mondays – Urban Family Practice, Niagara St. – 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Tuesdays – Urban Family Practice, Jefferson Ave. – 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
*Hours may vary
 
To learn more about YourCare Health Plan, visit our website at yourcarehealthplan.com, follow us on Facebook, or call 1.866.273.6121.
GBUAHN | (716) 247-5282 | info@gbuahn.org | www.gbuahn.org