Spotlight on Your Funds
April 2022
Benefit Funds Outreach Coordinators Return to Worksites
After serving members remotely since the COVID-19 public health emergency began in March 2020, the Benefit Funds’ Outreach Coordinators are returning to your 1199SEIU employees’ and members’ worksites on Tuesday, April 5. Coordinators will once again be on hand to help members access their benefits, troubleshoot problems and lead presentations. Please refer your 1199SEIU employees and members to worksite bulletin boards listing Coordinators’ hours and locations.
Benefit Funds Website Updates Improve Navigation and Ease of Use
The Family of Funds has made enhancements to its website to make finding information easier, and will continue to add more resources for members, employers and providers. Some of the updates include expanded contact information, a searchable “Forms for Members” page at www.1199SEIUBenefits.org/forms and greater access to social media platforms, as well as to online webinars and videos through the Benefits Channel.
Training and Employment Funds Offer Spanish-Language Classes
The 1199SEIU Training and Employment Funds (TEF) are offering your 1199SEIU employees and members Spanish-language classes to help them better respond to the needs of the growing Latinx patient population. TEF uses its own textbook, The Language of Care, specifically designed for healthcare workers to acquire the Spanish words and phrases commonly used when caring for patients, such as those related to medical symptoms, illnesses and the pain scale. Conducted via Zoom, the 12-week classes meet once or twice a week (depending on class level), including weekday evenings and Saturday mornings, and are held in the spring and fall semesters. There are 144 students enrolled for the spring 2022 classes, and interested members can sign up now for a five-week summer session beginning in June. Cherisse Henderson, a Registered Nurse at the Institute for Family Health in Kingston, New York, who has taken the classes since January 2021, says being able to speak some Spanish has allowed her to communicate more effectively with her patients, many of whom are from Guatemala. Encountering a nurse who speaks their native language “absolutely makes patients feel less nervous and intimidated during their visit to the clinic.”

For more information, your 1199SEIU members and employees may call (212) 894-4364, or email [email protected].
Child Care Funds’ Holiday Sleep-Away Camps Benefit Children and Their Parents
In February, 55 children attended the 1199SEIU/Employer Child Care Funds’ Holiday Sleep-Away Program, which serves children age 8 to 12, while 32 teenagers attended the Teen Holiday Sleep-Away Program, which serves youth age 13 to 17. Activities included arts and crafts, scavenger hunts, movie nights, games, team sports, hiking and other outdoor recreational activities. Both programs were operated by Hands In 4 Youth (the home of Camp Vacamas) in West Milford, New Jersey, which is accredited by the American Camp Association. All participants were required to have up-to-date medical records and meet COVID-19 protocols to attend. Most children who took part in the February camps have signed up to return for the spring camp session, which runs from April 18 to April 22.

The Holiday Sleep-Away Programs are a fun and educational experience for children and teenagers while they are on mid-winter and spring school breaks. Addressing the needs of both children and their working parents, sleep-away camps promote children's independence, confidence and social skills by helping them learn to work with others, make decisions and explore new ideas and activities in a safe environment. For more information, your 1199SEIU members and employees may call (212) 564-2220 or email [email protected].
The Institute for Continuing Education Presents Upcoming Programs
The 1199SEIU League Training and Upgrading 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.

Saturday, April 23
8:45 am to 3:00 pm
This six-hour interprofessional symposium will focus on the identification and treatment of food, drug, vaccine and nasal allergies; immune deficiencies; and asthma.

Saturday, April 30
9:00 am to 2:00 pm
This four-hour seminar for clinical laboratory practitioners will include discussions on emerging point-of-care diagnostics for infectious diseases, the use of robotics to fight infectious diseases, advances in early HIV detection and disease monitoring, and molecular tools for tuberculosis testing.

For more information, visit the Institute for Continuing Education’s web page, call (212) 894-4390 or email [email protected].
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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