Spotlight on Your Funds
March 2022
Benefit Fund Prioritizes Diabetes and Hypertension Initiatives
Diabetes and hypertension affect many of your 1199SEIU employees and members, with nearly 30 percent diagnosed with hypertension and almost 20 percent with diabetes. The Benefit Fund is collaborating with our major health systems to better support your 1199SEIU employees and members who have hypertension and diabetes by promoting their wellness programs to better manage these conditions.

The Benefit Fund is also recruiting bilingual Spanish, Haitian Creole, Chinese and Russian 1199SEIU members who can serve as mentors in its Peer-to-Peer Mentoring Program, which is administered by InquisitHealth. Members who have well-controlled high blood pressure or diabetes are encouraged to use their knowledge and experience to help peers struggling to manage their diabetes or hypertension. Peer mentors can participate on their own schedule from the convenience of home. Members who are interested in becoming mentors should complete and submit a Hypertension Application Form or a Diabetes Application Form to determine their eligibility.
Training and Employment Funds Offer Onsite English Language Classes
The 1199SEIU Training and Employment Funds (TEF) are now offering onsite English language classes for Speakers of Other Languages at nursing homes and agencies, including for Home Health Aides (HHAs) at Reliance Home Senior Services in Massapequa, New York. These classes, which begin on March 3 and have more than 30 participants, will use a TEF textbook specifically designed to help HHAs acquire the language skills they need to perform their jobs effectively. The course includes access to a language-learning cellphone app for home study that TEF developed in partnership with Cell-Ed, a mobile-learning company. Students will also learn to use the video-conferencing service Zoom for any online classes in the future.

In addition, as New York State requires healthcare workers to obtain Continuing Education (CE) Units for a growing number of professions, TEF offers Fund-Sponsored Seminars (FSS) in collaboration with the Union and participating employers. Recent seminars have included “Heart Disease: Carotid Arteries” and “Telehealth and Telemedicine: A Healthcare Transformation,” as well as pandemic-related topics such as “COVID-19 Resilience and Well-being” and “Cardiovascular Disease in the Time of COVID-19.” Upcoming seminars related to the ongoing pandemic include “COVID-19: The Inflammation Link and the Role of Nutrition” and “COVID-19: Navigating Shifting Roles of Social Workers in Relation to Nurse Case Managers,” while other planned topics will focus on allergies, infectious diseases, and medication error prevention and patient safety. Healthcare workers who were unable to keep up with their certifications due to the COVID-19 pandemic can recertify in “Advanced Cardiac Life Support” and “Pediatric Advanced Life Support.” For more information, visit the FSS web page, email Institute@1199Funds.org or call (212) 894-4390.
Child Care Funds Streamline Joseph Tauber Scholarship Program Application Process
In response to challenges posed during the COVID-19 pandemic, the 1199SEIU Child Care Funds have changed the application process for the Joseph Tauber Scholarship Program (JTSP) to make it easier and more secure. Your 1199SEIU employees and members will now apply for the 2022–2023 JTSP through MyAccount.

The new process will provide:
  • A secure log-in;
  • An online W-4 form that the member can sign electronically;
  • An online application for the student to download, print, sign and upload to MyAccount; and
  • A copy of the completed application for the student to download, print and keep in their personal records.

The JTSP supports the academic goals of the children of eligible 1199SEIU members by awarding scholarships to those attending accredited undergraduate colleges and universities in the New York City metro area. For more information, please visit the JTSP website.
The Institute for Continuing Education Presents Upcoming Programs
The 1199SEIU Greater New York Education Fund strengthens the healthcare delivery system by offering 1199SEIU members training and education programs designed to help improve patient outcomes and provide quality care. Please share these opportunities with employees and members at your institution or facility.

The schedule is also available on our calendar.

Thursday, March 24
5:30 pm to 9:00 pm
This three-hour seminar for dietitians and nutritionists will focus on strengthening the immune system and reducing inflammation, as well as using diet and nutrition to protect against oxidative stress.

Thursday, March 31
5:30 pm to 9:00 pm
This three-hour seminar for social workers will focus on ways to deal with large caseloads and provide care to patients’ family members.

For more information, visit the Institute for Continuing Education’s web page, call (212) 894-4390 or email Institute@1199Funds.org.
Meet Our Featured Member

Russell Smith credits his 1199SEIU health benefits with helping save his life after a terminal cancer diagnosis.
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