Rural Hospitals and Anchor Institutions

“Anchor institutions are place-based entities such as universities and hospitals that are tied to their surroundings by mission, invested capital, or relationships to customers, employees, and vendors. These local human and economic relationships link institution well-being to that of the community in which it is anchored.” Democracy Collaborative: The Anchor Dashboard: Aligning institutional practice to meet low-income community needs.

This past February, Mary Maruscak, Director of Community Health, represented Rural Health Network at a community meeting hosted by UHS Delaware Valley Hospital. The purpose of the meeting was to introduce the Delaware Valley Medical Neighborhood and Hospital Expansion Project and to seek community input. This is of course a capital project to build a new facility but what struck me was the larger vision shared by the hospital leadership that identifies the reasons for the project, including Community Resilience and Sustainability; Addressing Health Disparities; Economic Efficiency; Social Determinants of Health and Promoting Equity in Healthcare. While Improving Health Outcomes can be considered a healthcare provider's bottom line, recognition of these other critical factors got me thinking about the vital role rural hospitals play or could play as Anchor Institutions in their communities.

In reading about the activities of Anchor Institutions, I learned that some urban hospitals have invested in affordable housing in the low-income neighborhoods in which they are located. Others are pro-active in recruiting and training local residents for employment in their facility. Others seek out local businesses, including minority and women-owned businesses, as vendors. These hospitals are often the largest employer and institution in what are often low-income communities or regions. Their impact transcends the provision of healthcare. The extent to which they embrace their larger community and economic role as an Anchor institution yields direct, local economic and community benefits. I would argue that a strong local economy and community life are foundational to a healthy population. We now know that the greatest impact on a person’s health is not the provision of healthcare services, but factors like income, education, the place one lives, food security, housing and affordable transportation. Effective Anchor Institutions recognize the larger role they play in the community, including being part of a healthcare – social care team. They also work actively and collaboratively to maximize the impact of their purchase power and other assets beyond their four walls.

Rural Health Network is excited to support and be a partner in the Delaware Valley Medical Neighborhood vision. Whether it be through Community Health Workers supporting the social care needs of patients, the Produce Prescription Program serving more referrals, or Getthere expanding transportation services for older patients to get to healthcare appointments, we are ready to work with and support the vision of UHS Delaware Valley Hospital to better serve the residents of Western Delaware County and beyond.

-Jack Salo

Interim Executive Director

Volunteers Needed - An Opportunity for Groups or Individuals

We are so excited to announce that the Produce Prescription Program is going strong with support from community members like you! It is that time of year again when PRx needs tens of thousands of labels adhered to all of our vouchers. The reasons behind needing these labels are for the anonymity of our patients, funding and tracking purposes and due to the prohibitive cost of having them pre-printed on the vouchers.

If you have time and the ability to place a sticker on coupon, please register to be a 2024 PRx Voucher Volunteer today! Thank you all in advance for supporting our pilot program as we study food as medicine!

Produce Rx Featured in a Mini-Documentary

We have a new video showcasing the Produce Rx program and how it benefits both participants and vendors that accept Produce Rx vouchers.

The video was produced by AmeriCorps VISTA member Natalie Lowin with assistance from AmeriCorps VISTA members Lani Kosick Ames and Caterina Marchione, Food as Medicine Coordinator Kate Miller-Corcoran, RHSC Program Coordinator Alexis Sankofa, and Allison Russell of Russell Farms.

Farm to Early Care and Education

Our Farm to Early Care and Education pilot began last fall. Learn more about the three core elements of the program.

April is National Global Volunteer Month

Getthere is seeking volunteer drivers to help local community members access medical appointments and other health-related services! Volunteers use their own vehicles, set their own hours, and receive mileage reimbursement (currently 67 cents/mile) for trips.

In 2023, Getthere volunteer drivers provided 79 unique individuals with 149 round trips in Broome, Chenango, Delaware, Otsego and Tioga Counties. These trips totaled over 9,700 miles. What's more, those 79 folks were able to get to life sustaining medical appointments and gain access to emergency food because of awesome volunteers and the work they do. We are grateful for our volunteer drivers and always looking for new recruits to be able to help more of our neighbors in need!

If you, or someone you know, might be interested in becoming a volunteer driver please call Getthere at 1-855-373-4040.

AmeriCorps VISTA Positions Available in Binghamton

Our partners at Broome County Council of Churches have two open VISTA positions. 

The Food Security Advocate will have a lead role in acquiring food to support healthy futures through efforts to eliminate food insecurity working with the Community Hunger Outreach Warehouse (CHOW) and the non-profit grocery store the Greater Good Grocery. The position will also assist with community engagement/education efforts. The candidate will write and report on food-related grants and participate in recruiting local community organizations to host food drives.

The Development Coordinator will have a lead role to support healthy futures through fundraising efforts to eliminate food insecurity, ensure older adults are safe and able to remain in their homes and, to a lesser extent, support the efforts of our jail and hospital ministry programs. This position will assist with all aspects of fundraising such as writing grants, creating fundraising appeals and newsletters and helping with donor engagement efforts.

VISTA members serve 35 hours/week for one year and receive a living allowance, education award (to pay off student loans or tuition), and free health coverage. Members are also eligible for a child care subsidy and college loan forbearance. Additionally, after a year of service, members gain Non-Competitive Eligibility (NCE); this special hiring status enables you to apply for federal jobs with the advantage of not having to go through the standard public competitive selection process. That means that you can be appointed to federal positions that may not be available to the general public, and your application could be processed faster than others!

For more information about this position and others within our program, please visit our website or contact Haley Desilet or Alexis Sankofa.

Welcome Public Health AmeriCorps Member

Brianna Wynne

Brianna comes from Sussex County, a rural county in Northern New Jersey. She has recently completed her Bachelor of Science in Biology at William Paterson University of New Jersey this past December. She is currently serving a 900-hour AmeriCorps term before she begins her Ph.D. in Cell and Molecular Biology at Binghamton University this coming fall. Coming from a rural area herself, she knows the importance of providing accessible information about the community, to the community.

She has experience volunteering for EMS in her hometown, as well as shadowing multiple physicians. Community-oriented work, particularly within the healthcare field, is a huge personal and professional interest of hers. Her role at Rural Health Network is to research the extreme weather patterns that have been observed in the area to provide resources and educational content to improve the community’s ability to respond. The information gathered will be used to develop a 5-part community education program, Ready for Weather.

Brianna hopes to build a career within the research discipline and values the opportunity to build this skillset in social and community-oriented research. She looks forward to expanding this project and learning from those at Rural Health Network.

If you are interested in learning more about our upcoming Ready for Weather focus groups, please click on the image below.

2024 Rural Health Symposium - Call for Speakers

The New York State Association for Rural Health is accepting proposals for presentations for the 2024 Rural Health Symposium to be held in Binghamton, NY September 19-20, 2024. The NYSARH Rural Health Symposium is a unique opportunity that attracts professionals from all across New York State representing areas of academia, politics, aging services, behavioral health services, the private and non-profit sectors, and the health care industry.

The 2024 Symposium is cohosted by The O'Connor Office of Rural Health Studies at Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences at Binghamton University.

Breakout sessions will be about one hour. Presentations should reflect the themes selected by the planning team and specifically address rural circumstances. The planning team is especially interested in the themes of aging, climate change, cultural competency, developing future leaders, rural health careers, social care networks, and substance use. Other topics will be considered.

Respond to the Request for Presenters by April 30th.

News, Articles of Interest, and Resources

The New York Health Foundation Shares New Data Brief

Still Hungry: Food Insufficiency in New York State, a new data brief from the New York Health Foundation examines food insufficiency in New York State over the past four years. The data show that food insufficiency in New York is nearly as high as it was during the peak of the pandemic, disproportionately affecting New Yorkers of color, families with children, and people with lower incomes. One in eight New York families with children reported food insufficiency in 2023.

7th Annual Older Adult Mental Health Day Symposium

Join the National Council on Aging on May 2nd for a free, all-day, virtual event . The symposium will feature an engaging plenary, informative sessions, and a diverse array of topics addressing the most pressing needs in older adult mental health.

System of Care Summit

The National Center for Training and Technical Assistance on Child, Youth, and Family Mental Health (NTTAC) is pleased to announce a no-cost virtual System of Care Summit on May 14-16, 2024. Our virtual doors are open to anyone who is invested in the mental health and wellness of children, youth, and families. 

Binghamton 2 Degrees Climate Change Summit

Binghamton University, Broome County Planning, American Red Cross, United Way of Broome County, and Southern Tier 8 are working together to address the urgent challenges posed by climate change to our local community through a collaborative Climate Change Summit, scheduled for April 26th and 27th, 2024. This event will bring together community organizations, stakeholders, and residents to strategize, innovate, and take decisive action towards climate resilience and sustainability. On Day 1 of the Summit, Friday, April 26th, representatives from community organizations are invited to work on climate change adaptation plans. Day 2 will be open to community members. Attendees will participate in a climate change simulation and learn from experts how they can reduce their carbon footprint, whether they are homeowners or renters. Learn more and pre-register.

Sunsets, Wildlife and Limited Care: Challenges of Aging in Place

in Rural America

This article from The Daily Yonder says, "the current landscape of healthcare options, transportation, food access, and viable community resources needs to responsively change to this fast-track pace of aging in rural America." The story provides both personal narrative and data that speaks to the challenges that Rural Health Network and others work to address.

The Nature of the Rural-Urban Mortality Gap

CBS News reported that "USDA researchers found rural Americans from the ages of 25 to 54 die from natural causes, like chronic diseases and cancer, at wildly higher rates than the same age group living in urban areas." Read the full report.

Center on Rural Innovation - Rural Aperture Project

The Rural Aperture Project provides accessible data, graphics, and narratives to inform folks advancing rural prosperity on better telling stories, conducting research, distributing resources, making investments, or developing policies backed by up-to-date data.