NYSARH Newsletter

Fall 2022

Working to preserve and improve health and human services in rural New York State.

National Rural Health Day

Please plan to join NYSARH for National Rural Health Day celebrations!

At 1PM on November 17th please join us to learn more about the Aspen Institute’s Thrive Rural Framework  with  Chris Estes and Bonita Robertson-Hardy at the NERHA/NYSARH monthly webinar.  

Register here: https://nysarh-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAtf–pqD4pH9duccjtOYYvMVp_D3UliuBR

More information: https://www.aspeninstitute.org/programs/community-strategies-group/thrive-rural/

Please consider your own promotion of Rural Health Day.  Materials are available at this site:   https://www.powerofrural.org/promotional-toolkit/

NYSARH Rural Health Awards

The NYSARH Rural Health Award Ceremony will be November 17th at 2:30PM.  

Register for Awards Zoom: https://nysarh-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEscuGvpj4qEtI4QbJ3Izb1Ro0B7YMsc6Ac 

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Nominations are due by October 21st.

Please nominate one of the many excellent examples of Rural Health Practitioners, Rural Health Programs or Rural Health Advocates in your region for recognition.

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Support for this newsletter was provided by the AARP New York

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Disrupt Disparities: Addressing the Crisis for Rural New Yorkers 50+

Last fall, AARP New York convened a conference to present papers detailing the disparities in rural New York—and what we learned was startling. Older rural New Yorkers are sicker, more disabled and had less access to healthcare than those living in urban and suburban areas.

Organized by AARP New York, the New York State Office for the Aging and the Health Foundation of Western & Central New York, Disrupt Disparities: Addressing the Crisis for Rural New Yorkers 50+ was the latest in AARP New York’s initiative, which began in January 2018.

The pandemic only exacerbated the disparities for rural New Yorkers, underscoring the greater social and geographic isolation. Not only is there less access to healthcare, there are disparities in finding nutritious food and support for caregivers. To make matters even worse, accessing high-speed internet service was challenging. That made using telehealth, a vital service during the height of the pandemic, not an option for rural New Yorkers.

The report’s chief findings:

  • Rural residents are more likely than urban residents to die prematurely from the five leading causes of death: heart disease, cancer, unintentional injury, chronic lower respiratory disease, and stroke;
  • Rural New York lost 3.1 physicians per 100,000 population from 2010 to 2017;
  • There are half as many critical access hospitals for every rural New Yorker than there are for every New York City resident;
  • Rural residents 65+ are 1.6 times more likely to lack home high-speed internet than their non-rural counterparts.

To view the entire report, go here: https://aarp-states.brightspotcdn.com/bd/70/52a9e903490f9f422d43d4d5f404/aarpny-dd-2021-report-11-07-21-revised.pdf

You are invited to participate in this year’s virtual conference on December 6, Disrupt Disparities: Addressing the Crisis for Rural New Yorkers 50+ 2.0 – a dialogue on the challenges facing older rural New Yorkers in housing and transportation. Registration is available now at: https://events.aarp.org/DisruptDisparities12622

Rural Health Symposium

The Rural Health Symposium speakers included NYS Commissioner of Health Dr. Mary Bassett and Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado who updated attendees on rural health initiatives in New York State.

A Philanthropy Panel composed of Dennis Johnson, Mother Cabrini Health Foundation; Nancy Eaton, Community Health Foundation; Diane Oyler, Health Foundation for Western & Central New York and Bronwyn Starr, New York Health Foundation was moderated by Gertrude O’Sullivan. 

Janice Probst, PhD, Distinguished Professor Emerita and Director of the Rural and Minority Health Research Center at the Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina provided valuable information about rural health disparities.

The day wrapped up with  the NYSARH Annual Meeting.

NYSARH thanks all the speakers who made the Symposium an informative success!

You may access recordings of the sessions here:

Thanks to Symposium Sponsors

Indigenous & Rural Navigation

ancer care is not an easy journey, but Roswell Park has developed a plan to help clear the path and walk alongside patients.  The Indigenous & Rural Patient Navigation Program is a free, non-clinical service to help patients get the cancer care they need — from cancer screenings to survivorship services. A patient navigator is like having a personal cancer guide, someone who understands cancer healthcare, who can connect you with services and resources, and who will be a neighborly voice checking in on you and supporting you during this challenging time. Patient navigators are trained and qualified community members who are caring and knowledgeable and will be there for patients in confidence.

Call 1-888-RPGUIDE (1-888-774-8433).   Partners include NYSARH members:

  • The Chautauqua Center (locations in Dunkirk and Jamestown, NY)
  • Universal Primary Care (Olean, Cuba, Houghton and Salamanca, NY)
  • Seneca Nation Cattaraugus and Allegany Territories

NYSARH Member Spotlight:

Rural Health Network of SCNY, Inc. has advanced the health and well-being of rural people and communities for 24 years. Currently, one or more programs are provided in ten, sometimes more, counties across the southern tier of New York. Rural Health Network works to address insufficient capacity for health and community-based services in rural communities. With a vision of reducing health disparities for the most vulnerable populations by filling gaps in rural services, the Network seeks to connect rural people to the services they need and the means to get them there.

Programs include:

  • Food & Health Network: Increasing access and consumption of healthy, locally grown food.
  • Community Health & Education: Case management, coaching, chronic disease education, and telehealth support.
  • Getthere: Transportation information and case management services.
  • Rural Health Service Corps: Recruits & places AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps VISTA service members with organizations focused on nutrition and food security, community development, the opioid epidemic, vaccine education and outreach and public health.

The Rural Health Service Corps program was honored to receive a Public Health AmeriCorps award to support the recruitment, training, and development of the next generation of public health leaders. The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the urgent need to further enhance public health resources across the country. This effort starts with investing in a future workforce to help local communities respond to and recover from COVID-19. RHNSCNY is currently recruiting candidates for AmeriCorps service positions.

Rural Perspective Needed:

NYSARH was approached by the NYS Cancer Consortium. They need more rural perspectives to guide their work. Please consider volunteering to be involved with the Colorectal Cancer Consortium Action Teams.

https://www.nyscancerconsortium.org/membership/

Look out for the January NERHA/NYSARH webinar on January 19th!

New York State Colorectal Cancer Action Team logo

Student Resources and Opportunities

Intern - Hepatitis Program Assistant, Viral Hepatitis Program at NYC Department of Health & Mental Hygiene (Paid Internship)

Student Volunteer - CUNY SPH CATCH (Center for Advanced Technology and Communication in Health)

Research Assistant - CUNY SPH, Institute for Implementation Science and Population Health

Fall Intern - Age Friendly Health Systems, Healthcare Association of New York State

College Assistant - CUNY SPH Pandemic Response Institute

Funding Opportunities

Breast, Cervical, and Colorectal Cancer Services Screening Program (CSP) RFA# 20218/Grants Gateway #DOH01-CSP2-2023

Letter of Intent due October 21, 2022

Funding will support breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer screening programs to reduce cancer-related morbidity, mortality, and health disparities and improve health equity among NYS residents for the five-year period anticipated to begin October 1, 2023 and end September 30, 2028.  These programs, otherwise known as the Cancer Services Program, or CSP, will facilitate access to high-quality breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer screening and diagnostic follow-up services for eligible persons throughout their service regions, with a focus on those populations that are disproportionately burdened by the increased risk of cancer or are medically unserved or underserved. 

PAR-20-310 Health Services Research on Minority Health and Health Disparities (R01- Clinical Trial Optional) - Due November 17th, 2022

The purpose of this FOA is to encourage health services research that can directly contribute to the improvement of minority health and/or the reduction of health disparities, while taking into consideration the interaction between system-level healthcare, individual clinical care, and social determinants of health, including the role of structural systemic factors, place and neighborhood factors. 

The “Conversations on Rural Health Disparities” Micro-grant Fund - Due December 31st, 2022

The Health Foundation for Western and Central New York has established a micro-grant fund to support those who want to come together for dialogue, learning, and action planning related to community health needs in rural communities. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until December 31, 2022.

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MEMBER LIST

We would like to thank each member who works diligently to make NYSARH the state’s strongest proponent for rural healthcare.

NYSARHBOARD

Organization-based Members

Genesee Valley Health Partnership
Brooks-TLC Hospital System, Inc
Delaware Co Rural Healthcare Alliance
Madison County Rural Health Council Inc
Le Moyne College Department of Physician Assistant Studies
Foundation for Community Health
Catskill Hudson Area Health Education Center
SUNY Upstate Medical University College of Nursing
Wayen County Rural Health Network
Southern Tier Health Care System, Inc.
Ardent Solutions
Seven Valleys Health Coalition
Cayuga County Community Health Network, Inc.
Human Services Coalition of Tompkins County
Chenango Health Network, Inc
Genesee County Health Department
Lake Plains Community Care Network
Finger Lakes IPA, Inc
Central New York Area Health Education Center
Northern AHEC
North Country Healthy Heart Network
Association on Aging in New York, Inc
Oneida Health Foundation
Upstate Family Health Center, Inc.
Rural Health Network of SCNY
North Country Prenatal Perinatal Council, Inc.
The Healthcare Consortium
St. Lawrence County Health Initiative, Inc.
Healthy Community Alliance, Inc.
Jones Memorial Hospital
Onondaga Council on Alcoholism & Addictions, Inc. d.b.a. Prevention Network
Fort Drum Regional Health Planning Organization
STCHCN – Universal Primary Care
M.S. Hall & Associates, LLC
Common Ground Health
Care Compass Network
Adirondack Health
Finger Lakes Community Health
Wyoming County Community Health System
Planned Parenthood of Central and Western New York
The Compliance Team, Inc.
Clinton County Health Department
Rural Health Education Network of Schoharie, Otsego, Montgomery
Ira Davenport Memorial Hospital/ArnotHealth
Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood
Sullivan County Public Health Services
Kinney Drugs
Coalition of New York State Alzheimer’s Association Chapters
President and Chief Executive Officer
North Country Family Health Center, Inc.
The Chautauqua Center
Adirondack Health Institute

Individual Members

KristenStiegler
SusanSalahshor
JohnSalo
MARELAFIACCO
AnthonyD’Agostino
JenniferSeymour
StevenKroll
AnnAbdella
VirginiaBough
LeannaCleveland
Sara WallBollinger
AlexBrooks
AliCoates
DouglasWildermuth
LennJohns
JaniceShirley
KarinPantel
JamesSkiff
CarrieRoseamelia
NicoleRouhana
RichardTerry
ChristineVeschusio
DavidYens
MandyQualls

Student Members

AydenWeimann
MADALINETOLIVER
TheekshanaFernando
RuthanneParsons
FrancesOquendo
tammyellinger
EmileeConner
JenniferBliss
StacieCorrigan
SusanCagir
BridgetOppong-Darko
AudreanneMills
BenjaminAldrich
EllaJames
ElanaSitnik
MaryChesna
Lee AnnHubbert
KyleSasso

Become a Member

We invite you to join us through advocacy and by advancing initiatives that support a commitment to improving healthcare quality and access.