July 2022 Common Ground Newsletter

July 2022

My Health Story 2022 brings focus to health equity

As part of its mission to understand and bring focus to health equity, Common Ground Health is launching its My Health Story 2022 survey. Residents of Chemung, Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Orleans, Schuyler, Seneca, Steuben, Wayne, Wyoming and Yates counties are invited to answer questions about their health by completing the online survey at MyHealthStory2022.org and and MiHistoriadeSalud2022.org. The goal is to provide a vehicle for at least 10,000 respondents to share their health stories, especially under- resourced communities and individuals whose stories are often left out of efforts like these.

Read more about the survey and its potential impact.

Parents urged to get children under 5 vaccinated against COVID-19

Parents can be confident that these vaccines are safe and that they are the best defense against their young children becoming seriously ill or hospitalized from this disease. I have such faith in the vaccines’ safety that my own 10-year-old son has been vaccinated.

-- Steven Schulz, MD

County public health directors and a local pediatrician today encouraged parents to get their young children vaccinated. Their advice follows CDC recommendations to vaccinate children 6 months and older against COVID-19.

“As a pediatrician and a parent, I am excited that I can offer the COVID vaccines to young children who have not been eligible until now,” said Steven Schulz, MD, pediatrician at Finger Lakes Medical Associates (FLMA) in Geneva and Rochester Regional Health PCASI Pediatric Medical Director for Monroe County and FLMA.

Learn more about the CDC's latest recommendations for this age group.

Rochester RHIO health data effort aims to improve health equity

To achieve the best health outcomes for all people, it’s important for health data to reflect the diversity of the community. That’s why health data specialists are working to improve the quality and completeness of demographic data in health records.

The Rochester Regional Health Information Organization (RHIO), which collects and shares data from regional electronic health record systems, and the Metrics Advisory Committee convened by Common Ground Health have worked together to create a community standard to collect demographic data. The Metrics Advisory Committee also is developing a training curriculum for health care workers to better document race, ethnicity and gender.

Data sources and feed types will be shared in August with organizations that partner with Rochester RHIO.

Learn more and register for an RHIO webinar on this project. 

More than 50 locations in the city are offering active play days across July 23 and August 6.

Healthi Kids hosting city-wide active play days

To raise awareness and advocate for safe, accessible play spaces for children of Rochester, Healthi Kids has teamed up with 50 neighborhood partners for the return of its fifth PlayROCs Your Neighborhood event.

On August 6 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Healthi Kids and its community partners will unite to repurpose, reclaim, and restore play to public spaces across Rochester. All children, families, and residents in the Rochester area are encouraged to join Healthi Kids and its partners at any of the 20 pop-up locations across the city. Activities at each location will include kickball, jump ropes, water balloons, chalk, bubbles, and more.

Explore the sites and learn more about the days of play.

In the headlines

Rochester Business Journal The Council of Agency Executives 2022 Awards

WXXI News Rochester barbers and hairstylists partner with local organization to spread a healthy message

WLEA Steuben Co Public Health doing a survey

Genesee Sun Local public health departments surveying for community health needs

My Twin Tiers Survey now open to determine greatest community health needs

Rochester First Survey now open to determine great community health needs

The Batavian Residents in the region asked to complete health survey

Finger Lakes 1 Common Ground Health "My Health Story" brings focus on health equity