NRHA’s Rural Health Policy Institute
Join NRHA and rural health advocates from across the nation for the largest, and arguably the most important, rural advocacy event in the country, NRHA’s Rural Health Policy Institute, February 5th-7th in D.C. You’ll have the chance to: Hear from top members of the Trump Administration and leading members of Congress on their plans to make health care work in rural America; Speak directly with your Congressional delegation on Capitol Hill to tell them of the challenges in your rural community. Register for the conference here.
2018 New York State Rural Health Award Recipients
The 2018 Annual NYSARH Conference, held at Greek Peak September 26th-28th, recognized Dr. Robert Delorme, Dr. Zsuzsa Meszaros of the Rural Academic Partnership, and Karen Madden for their dedication and service to their communities. Once again, we congratulate our 2018 award winners for all of their efforts in raising awareness of rural health issues and for providing excellent rural health programming in New York State. (From left to right, Dr. Robert Delorme, Dr. Zsuzsa Meszaros, and Karen Madden) Dr. Gary Ogden Rural Health Practitioner of the Year Award – Dr. Delorme The New York State Association for Rural Health is pleased to recognize Robert Delorme, MD for his health leadership in Southern Madison and Northern Chenango Counties with the Dr. Gary Ogden Rural Health Practitione...
All Of Us Research Program
The All of Us Research Program began national enrollment on May 6, 2018, inviting people ages 18 and older, regardless of health status, to join this momentous effort to advance individualized prevention, treatment and care for people of all backgrounds. Part of the National Institutes of Health, All of Us is expected to be the largest and most diverse longitudinal health research program ever developed. Participants are asked to share different types of health and lifestyle information, including through online surveys and electronic health records, which will continue to be collected over the course of the program. Those who join will have access to study information and data about themselves, with choices about how much or little they want to receive. Data that are collected will be bro...
Funding Opportunities.
Here are a few funding opportunities that caught our eye and may fit your program or organization: USDA Utilities Programs: Household Water Well & Revolving Loan Program – This program helps qualified non-profits create a revolving loan fund (RLF) that can provided financing for the extension and improvement of water and waste disposal systems in rural areas. National Endowment for the Arts: The Citizens’ Institute on Rural Design – The purpose of this program solicitation is to select an organization (Cooperator) to plan and administer the Citizens’ Institute on Rural Design™ (CIRD), a program of the National Endowment for the Arts. The CIRD was created in 1991 with the goal of enhancing the quality of life and economic viability of rural America through planni...
NYSARH Members Unite for Advocacy
2018-19 New York State Budget was passed and signed before the April 1st deadline. The 30 disease prevention, public health and workforce programs that were threatened with pooling and a 20% cut were independently funded at the 2017-18 level. We recognize that this is still +/- 20% less than these programs were funded in 2016-17 but consider this a significant victory for NYSARH and our partners because it represents the effectiveness of our collaborative and coordinated strategy in advocating for rural health funding. Most importantly, it is a victory for rural health. Lt. Governor Kathy Hochel presented the Final Budget There is also good news for Telehealth. The ‘originating site’ may be a person’s home including a certified residence. Behavioral Health professionals may also utilize te...
A Rural Approach to the Opioid Crisis
The Rural Health Network of South Central New York was one of three agencies in the state awarded AmeriCorps funding to combat opioid misuse, and the only one focusing on rural communities. They have a creative and complex outreach and education program using Rural Health Service Corps members placed at community organizations in five primary counties and seven secondary counties. The team has been trained using the evidence-based Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) curriculum approved by SAMSHA and HRSA. Rural Health Service Corps members combat the opioid/heroin epidemic through prevention, treatment navigation, and recovery support in alignment with the NYS Heroin Task Force report. This program has already provided educational presentations to hundreds of s...
2018 County Health Rankings
Summary of findings from University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute: After nearly a decade of improvement, there are early signs that the percentage of babies born at low birth weight may be on the rise (8.2% in 2016, a 2% increase from 2014). Low birth weight is a key measure of health and quality of life. Some places and groups of people have fewer social and economic opportunities, which also limit their ability to be healthy. More than 1 out of every 5 youth in the bottom performing counties do not graduate from high school in four years. For American Indian/Alaskan Native, Black, and Hispanic youth, it is 1 out of 4. Residential segregation provides a clear example of the link between race and place. Black residents have higher rates of child poverty, low birth weight, and in...
State Annouces Millions For Broadband Effort.
ALBANY, N.Y. — Municipalities across the region are set to receive millions of dollars to help achieve the state’s goal of 100 percent broadband coverage everywhere in New York. In a series of news releases, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that the New NY Broadband Program’s third round of grants would total $225.5 million and help pay for hundreds of miles of broadband wiring and infrastructure. Funding totals include $691,000 for Onondaga County, nearly $7 million for Jefferson County, $4.8 million for Oneida County, just shy of $3 million for Broome County, and more than $1.6 million for Tompkins County. “Access to high-speed internet has never been more important for New York residents and businesses,” Cuomo said in the release. “By leveraging state investments with private and federal fun...
Rural Health Network Facing Funding Cuts In 2018.
Rural Health Networks across the state are speaking out about a proposed cut in funding for the 2018 State Budget. According to Rural Health Network of South Central New York Executive Director Jack Salo, the non-profit along with 30 other organizations are facing a 20% cut in funding from the Department of Health. You can read the full news article here. Read more here: http://www.binghamtonhomepage.com/news/local-news/rural-health-network-facing-funding-cuts-in-2018/1010743121
NYS Association for Rural Health Announces New Leadership
The NYSARH Board of Directors is pleased to announce that Seven Valleys Health Coalition (SVHC) based in Cortland, NY, has been selected to provide executive and administrative services. Jackie Leaf is the new Executive Director of NYSARH.She will oversee all agency operations and focus on providing the premier rural health conference in New York State each September. Staff members of Seven Valleys Health Coalition will facilitate communication, regularly update the NYSARH website, develop a social media image and manage bookkeeping. Sara Wall Bollinger joins the SVHC team as NYSARH Director for Strategic Development.She will focus on policy, membership and capacity building initiatives. The new leadership team will engage with NYSARH...
Albany Advocacy Day: Join Our Team!
Albany Advocacy Day is Tuesday, February 13th! Please plan to join fellow members for an in-person Advocacy Day on February 13, 2018. We will be meeting at 9am in Room 211 in the Legislative Office Building. (Please note, we may use the offices of the Commission on Rural Resources as a ‘home base’ during the day.) Members are responsible for setting up their own appointments. Contact Sara Wall Bollinger who is maintaining the master list to join the NYSARH team or to get further information. This is a great opportunity to network with colleagues while being the Voice for Rural New York, don’t miss out!
Strategic Plan for NYSARH
The Board of Directors engaged in a Strategic Planning process during 2017 that culminated in a vote to approve the plan in December. During this process, seven priority areas were identified: Advocacy Capacity Building Communication Finances Membership Networking System Transformation. You can view the full Strategic Plan here or see the Strategic Priorities Grid here.