Rural Health Network Projects

The Network sponsored the Rural NY Employer Health Promotion Initiative this past summer featuring work site health promotion expert Ron Goetzel, PhD (pictured), Director of the Institute for Health and Productivity Studies at Cornell University and Vice President, Consulting and National Practice, Thomson Medstat for Institute for Health. 

This event provided local, small to medium-size employers with tools for promoting employees’ cardiovascular health based on research-based return on investment models that have been used successfully by many Fortune 500 companies to save costs and promote a healthy, productive workforce. 

Would you like to be on the mailing list for future events to be held in Auburn? Send an email to Us .

To read more about the cost and health benefits of worksite health promotion, click here to read an article co-authored by Dr. Gotezel, "What's Holding You Back: Why Should (or Shouldn't) Employers Invest in Health Promotion Programs for their Workers?"
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Effective Outreach and Health Promotion to the African American Community: A Presentation to the Community Health Information and Outreach Group

On Oct. 10, the Network-sponsored Community Health Information and Outreach Group (CHIOG), welcomed Dr. Luvenia Cowart, Assoc. Prof. at the College of Human Services and Health Professions at Syrcuse University, to present on the Syracuse region Genesis Health Project: Reducing Obesity and Promoting Healthy Lifestyles Among African American Families 

 

Planning for the Unique and Growing Health Care Needs of CNY's Agricultural Workers

 The Rural Health Networks of Central New York in association with the Finger Lakes Migrant Health Care Project, Inc. organized a one-day Conference for health care providers, hospitals, community health centers, public health officials, local social service districts, work force development boards, farm bureaus, medical and dental societies, facilitated enrollers for Child and Family Health Plus and local Departments of Labor. (See related attachment.)

Promote Early Intervention / Brief Treatment in Treating Alcohol / Substance Abusing Patients

Join Together - To advance effective alcohol and drug policy, prevention and treatment

Demand Treatment! - A national initiative to increase the number of people who get quality treatment for alcohol and other drug problems. The first step to increasing treatment is to get consumers, family members, and key leaders to take steps to drive up demand.

Improve Customer-centered Care Among Maternal Child Health Providers

Friendly Access^SM Respect - dignity and compassion for those who need it most through the application of proven customer service techniques combined with compassionate care.

Medicaid Utilization Analysis

Data review and analysis - to identify high costs / services gaps related to the delivery of Medicaid-supported primary, long term care, emergency and behavioral health care services in Cayuga County.

Promote Wellness and Disease Prevention Programs to Employers

Based on survey that our Network conducted with the Cayuga County Chamber of Commerce in 2002, employers indicated that personal family issues ranked as high as work place injuries as priority concerns of employees. We are working with Ron Z. Goetzel, PhD and employee health and productivity expert to develop health promotion programs for small employers in Cayuga County. 

 
Rural Health Project Consultants during 2005-2007 

To follow is a list of project consultants that our Network is partnering with to implement our Rural Health Network Development grant work plan. They appear in alphabetic order according to project title.


Cayuga Health: Reform and Access
The purpose of this project is to identify opportunities to effect change at the county (Cayuga) level related to health care reform / access to care. It is an out come of our Fall 2005 community forum on health care reform that the Network co-sponsored with Catholic Charities of the Finger Lakes, Cayuga-Seneca Community Action Agency and the Cayuga County Human Services Agency.  Our project consultant is Thomas Dennison, PhD who is on the faculty of the Maxwell School of Public Administration, Syracuse University and consults with numerous health care providers and community health initiatives throughout New York State.

Employee Health Promotion
Ron Z. Goetzel, PhD continues to advise the Network on this project that holds potential for encouraging disease prevention/wellness in the workplaces of our local and regional employers. We also wish to leverage the services of our health and community-based agencies in support of the employer's efforts to support a healthy workforce, healthy families and lowered health care expenditures.

Network Sustainability Project
The title of this project is rather self-explanatory. A specialist in Rural Health Network sustainability, of Auburn developed for two of our local providers that we have engaged them to support both the Cayuga Health initiative with a series of print and electronic media "spots" as well as our Oral Health Promotion campaign.Tom Ralser, founder of the Capital Strategists Group, is our consultant on this forward- looking project.