The Joint Legislative Commission on Rural Resources hosted a Rural Resources Fair in the Well of the Legislative Office Building in Albany March 29th. Several upstate legislators and staffers stopped by the NYSARH table.
Public Health Partnership Conference
Healthy Communities NY: Creating a Climate for Thriving
The New York State Public Health Association (NYSPHA), New York State Association of County Health Officials (NYSACHO) and the New York State Association for Rural Health (NYSARH) thank everyone who helped make the 2023 conference in White Plains a resounding success. A total of 349 attendees, speakers and exhibitors participated in the Hybrid event! The conference materials will be accessible on the Whova platform for three months.
Town Hall for Mobile Health Vehicle
TO: All community collaborators interested in providing feedback on the use of mobile health vehicles to facilitate community health services in counties outside of New York City. The New York State Department of Health seeks your feedback on the use of mobile health vehicles to facilitate access to community health services.
The Department intends to convene a one-hour meeting with community collaborators to accomplish the following:
• Present the concept; and, • Assess interest
and feasibility.
There will be two (2) Zoom sessions to
accommodate schedules—please attend only one (1) as the content will be the same. Both sessions will take place on Thursday,
May 25, 2023. The morning session will be from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, May 25, 2023.The afternoon session will be from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 25, 2023.
New York State Budget Update: Free and Healthy School Meals
New York will expand access to free school meals with a $134 million investment to increase participation in the federal Community Eligibility Provision, or CEP, under a fiscal 2024 budget agreement.
“Ensuring all schools that qualify for the CEP program are able to participate is an important step that will reduce food insecurity, especially in places with the greatest need, but it is not a substitute for universal free school meals,” the Healthy School Meals for All NY Kids Coalition said in a statement.
Even with the expansion of CEP, advocates said there are still hundreds of thousands of students in school districts that do not qualify for the program and will have to pay for meals. “The stigma and other barriers associated with accepting free meals will continue to hold many students back from participating in free school meal programs.”
A new NYHealth data brief finds that nearly 1 in 10 New York households experienced food insufficiency in 2022, an increase following the end of pandemic-related programs to help hungry families.
NYSCEI Virtual Conference
The New York State Department of Health AIDS Institute Clinical Education Initiative (CEI) Sexual Health Center of Excellence is excited to announce our upcoming virtual conference, the 9th Annual NYS Sexual Health Conference! This year’s theme is Emerging Issues and Practice Updates.
June 5 – 8, 2023 12:00 – 1:30 PM Daily on Zoom
Up to 6 CME & CNE (4.0Rx) credits available – for FREE!
This free virtual conference is intended for clinicians (including MD, DO, NP, PA, RN, CNM, PharmD, and DDS) and other public health professionals working in New York State or caring for New York State patients. Please see the attached flyer and conference agenda for more information.
Member Spotlight: Seven Valleys Health Coalition
We are delighted to shine a spotlight on the Seven Valleys Health Coalition (SVHC), a dynamic organization dedicated to enhancing the health and well-being of our community. SVHC works tirelessly to address local health challenges, promote collaboration, and implement innovative initiatives that make a positive impact on the lives of individuals and families.
At SVHC, their mission is clear: to create a culture of health where everyone has the opportunity to thrive. Through their commitment to community engagement and collaboration, they tackle a wide range of health issues, including access to care, mental health, substance abuse, chronic disease prevention, and more. Their efforts extend beyond healthcare to encompass social determinants of health, such as education, housing, and employment, recognizing the interconnectedness of these factors in promoting overall well-being.
To learn more about the impactful work carried out by SVHC, we encourage you to visit their website. There, you will find a wealth of resources, information, and updates on their ongoing projects and initiatives. From community health assessments and data analysis to wellness programs and advocacy efforts, SVHC remains at the forefront of fostering healthier communities.
We extend our gratitude to the dedicated individuals and partners who contribute to the success of SVHC
Thanks to our Conference Sponsors
We want to express our sincere gratitude for your generous support of our recent conference. Your sponsorship played a crucial role in making the event a huge success, and we could not have done it without your help.
Your commitment to our organization and the industry as a whole is truly appreciated. Your contributions helped to fund the conference and enabled us to offer valuable educational sessions, engaging networking opportunities, and memorable experiences for all attendees.
Policy Fellows
The NYSARH Research and Policy Program was established with a clear vision—to construct a robust policy platform for rural health in New York State. Recognizing that effective advocacy requires both knowledge and voice, the program aimed to foster a formal process for vetting policy stances and solidifying the organization’s position on crucial matters. It addressed the pressing question: “What does NYSARH think…? Who speaks for NYSARH?”
We are thrilled to highlight the work of Gregory Forlenza, who recently shared his research and policy findings via a presentation titled “Informed Policy Recommendations to Solve the Mental Health Workforce Shortage in Rural NY.” Gregory is currently finalizing his manuscript entitled “The Mental Health Workforce Shortage in Rural New York State” in preparation for review by NYSARH’s Education, Policy, and Board Committees.
Dominick Forlenza began a project investigating rural disparities in cancer care. Due to work constraints, Dom partnered with Edneraldine/Edna Simon to continue working on “Rural-Urban Disparities Across the Cancer Care Continuum: Strategies for Advancing Health Equity and Improving Public Health in Rural New York”
Edneraldine [Edna] Simon is a graduate student at SUNY Buffalo who interned with NYSARH for the Spring semester. She provided Policy Statements on food security and school meals and completed the work that Dom had begun on “Rural Disparities in Cancer Screening.”
All three Fellows provided valuable support during the Public Health Partnership Conference ensuring that the Virtual attendees [many of whom were NYSARH members] were able to participate in the experience.
Through their roles as Research & Policy Fellows, Greg, Dom and Edna have delved into the intricacies of a significant issue— rural health disparities in New York. Their efforts involved gathering extensive knowledge, examining existing research, and engaging with various stakeholders to gain valuable insights into this complex problem.They then made recommendations for viable solutions to address these challenges.
RaP Program Call for Applicants
The New York State Association for Rural Health welcomes applicants for its Research and Policy (RaP) Fellowship program. This program introduces graduate students and early professionals to rural health issues and engages them in advocacy activities.
During their fellowship, RaP participants receive education about rural health equity, the legislative process in New York State, and effective advocacy practice. They have the opportunity to work with NYSARH mentors and to participate in NYSARH’s legislative action work during budget season.
Applicants should: be committed to improving the health of all people residing in rural New York State have a bachelor’s degree in a broadly health-related field be willing and able to commit to weekly virtual check-in meetings with NYSARH advisors and mentors have access to the computer equipment needed to participate in video conferences, online discussion form, and to produce written work
For information: email info@nysarh.org
Upcoming Webinar
1pm on Thursday, May 19, 2023
Health Equity/Digital Divide
Sarah Potwin : Executive Library Director, Niagara Falls Library
Danielle Louder: Director, Northeast Telehealth Resource Center
Sirene Garcia: Chief Innovation Officer, Finger Lakes Digital Inclusion
Aileen Martin : Executive Director, Northern Regional Center for Independent Living
Funding Opportunities
Large Wellness Program
The Bureau of Health Equity and Community Engagement is looking for community-based organizations in Rest of State (NYS counties outside of New York City) to develop and conduct a community wellness project and serve as credible messengers of COVID-19 public health information.
Up to 27 awards of up to $250,000 each will be funded for this short term-project (approximately 8/1/23 – 3/21/24). Funding is available for both rural and non-rural organizations (including community-based organizations located within NYS serving Nation members living on or off Nation territory). The funding must be used to support a Chronic Disease Prevention or Social Determinants of Health community wellness project. Applicants can apply for more than one award in different focus areas or regions but only one award can be made per organization.
Applicant organizations must partner with a grassroots organization in their community catchment area whose work aligns with the applicant’s proposed project. At least $75,000 of the $250,000 award must be allocated to the partner grassroots organization.
Applicants may submit questions to COVIDHDP@health.ny.gov no later than May 12, 2023, with the email subject line: “Large Wellness Program”. A Question and Answer document will be posted by May 19, 2023.
The full RFA materials and link to complete online application can be found here: https://www.healthresearch.org/rfa-cch-2023-02-large-wellness-program/. The deadline to apply is June 16, 2023, at 11:59PM.
Rural Broadband Connectivity Grants
The Rural Utilities Service, a Rural Development (RD) agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), announces the acceptance of applications under the Community Connect Grant (CCG) program for Fiscal Year 2023. The Agency has approximately $79 million for FY 2023. These grant funds will be made available to eligible applicants to construct broadband networks that provide service on a community-oriented connectivity basis in rural areas. The application can be found here and the deadline for applications is June 20th
For further information, contact Randall Millhiser at randall.millhiser@usda.gov, Deputy Assistant Administrator, Office of Loan Origination and Approval, RUS, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Mail Stop 1590, Room 4121-S, Washington, DC 20250-1590, or call (202) 578-6926.