June 2017
Rural Matters
Mobility Management News
Last month we shared our new Transportation Voucher program for Medicaid recipients going to non-medical appointments. Early results show vouchers are being used to help Medicaid individuals in the following ways:

This pilot program is currently available by referral for Medicaid recipients in Broome, Chenango, Delaware, and Tioga counties and is made possible through funding provided by Care Compass Network's Innovation Grant Program.

MMSCNY operates the Getthere call center from its Vestal location. This Rural Health Network program is staffed Monday - Friday from 7:00 am until 6:00 pm. For further information, contact MMSCNY Director, Bill Wagner, at 607-584-0551.

For more information about Mobility Management services, read the most recent issue of The Milepost, a monthly e-newsletter.  
RHN Staff Certified as CDSMP Master Trainers
Donna Wickham (November 2016) and Mary Maruscak (June 2017) are RHNSCNY's first team of credentialed Master Trainers for Stanford University's Chronic Disease Self-Management Program (CDSMP). Donna and Mary completed training, conducted workshops, and have both achieved certification to lead a four-day training course later this summer for new CDSMP Peer Leaders.

CDSMP Peer Leaders will conduct six weekly health education sessions for adults living with an ongoing health condition. Participants will enhance their health decision making and communication skills, increase physical activity and healthy eating habits, and learn to manage fatigue, emotions, stress, pain, symptoms, and medications.

Thank you, Donna and Mary, for sharing your facilitation skills with rural people and communities and for helping us build a regional cadre of quality trainers! Any organization interested in attending CDSMP Peer Leader training led by our staff can contact Pamela Guth at 607-692-7669 or pguth@rhnscny.org.

For CDSMP information please visit Stanford Medicine Patient Education
Auchinachie Cares
We are excited to announce that RHNSCNY has the opportunity to be awarded up to $1,000 from #AuchinachieCares! Winners are chosen monthly, and we have been selected as this month's charity recipient. We will receive $1 for each "LIKE" on the Facebook post on Auchinachie's page for up to 1,000 likes until June 30. Please click on the photo below to access and "LIKE" the Auchinachie post, and share with your family and friends to help us reach 1,000 likes!

*It is important that you "LIKE" the ORINIGAL post on Auchinachie's Facebook page and not a shared post. "LIKES" on a shared post will NOT count! Help RHNSCNY receive up to $1,000 from #AuchinachieCares.
  Food and Health Network Logo
In an effort to increase access to information about the Summer Food Service Program meal sites in Broome, Tioga, and Chemung Counties, the Food and Health Network developed websites with interactive mapping tools that inform community residents about the locations, dates, days, and other logistics particular to each site. The maps are accessible via web and via mobile phone, and are continuously updated to reflect any changes in site schedules. FaHN hopes that this tool will help spread the word about summer meal programs and increase participation among student-aged populations who may not know where their next meal is coming from. Check out the sites by clicking on the links below!

Broome County: feedbroome.org

Tioga County: feedtioga.org

Chemung County: feedchemung.org
A part-time AmeriCorps position with the Tioga Anti-Hunger Task Force is now available in Owego. The RHSC member will serve 15-20 hours/week from June to November and will focus on building capacity at summer meal sites in the area. For more information (or to apply), please visit the RHSC website
Rural Health Policy & Advocacy Resources
The New York State Public Health Association (NYSPHA) has created an  Advocacy Handbook to help guide local efforts toward supporting public health and prevention activities. 

As many are aware, Federal Administration released the full budget request to Congress for Fiscal Year 2018. The Corps Network, which supports over 130 of America's Service and Conservation Corps programs, has released a summary of their concerns on specific agency spending priorities and programs. Read the summary  here, and resources and opportunities to take action  here

From the Food Bank of the Southern Tier: On Tuesday, May 23, President Trump released his budget proposal that contains many extreme cuts that would drastically increase food insecurity in the Southern Tier, including:
  • $193 billion from SNAP
  • $32 million from TEFAP
  • $40 billion from Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit
The budget also proposes to eliminate the following programs: WIC Farmers' Market Nutrition Program, School Meal Equipment Grants, LIHEAP, CDBG, CSBG, Emergency Food and Shelter Program, and the AmeriCorps program.
Please call your Senators and your Congressperson today!
 
The National Council on Aging (NCOA) has developed a Public Policy News Page and an  Action Page , both of which are great sources of information on current proposed legislation, as well as steps to take to make our voices heard in support of programs for senior citizens. 

A new issue brief from the Kaiser Family Foundation "examines the factors that could affect states' ability to cope with reductions in federal Medicaid funding of the sort proposed in the House-passed American Health Care Act (AHCA). The bill would eliminate enhanced federal matching funds for the Affordable Care Act's Medicaid expansion and convert Medicaid to a per capita cap or block grant system of financing."
Connect with Rural Health Network of SCNY

 
Advancing the health and well-being of rural people and communities.