January 2019 Common Ground Newsletter

January 2019

Center achieves patient-centered milestone

Over the past three years, His Branches in Rochester reduced wait times for patients, improved patient outcomes and created a work environment that was less stressful. Together these changes helped the safety net practice renew its Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) certification through the New York PCMH program, which began in 2018.

“We’re just more organized and have a better understanding of a patient’s needs before they come in the door,” says Jennifer Wolford, RN, nurse manager.

Find out how they made the journey.

Cafés ask, 'What prevents you from accessing fruits and vegetables?'

Although over half of Finger Lakes region residents report that they highly value healthy eating, our recent health survey revealed that income and other factors keep many residents from enjoying a diet rich in fruits and vegetables.

To better understand such barriers, Common Ground has hosted a series of community cafés. These informal gatherings allow residents to share the obstacles that keep produce out of their reach, such as cost or busy schedules. Insights from the community cafés will be shared this spring in a report to guide organizations working to improve food access.

Learn more.

Partner spotlight:
Rochester Regional Health and UR Medicine

For decades, Rochester has been lauded for its high levels of collaboration among health care providers. Now our two major health systems are joining forces to make doctors’ notes available for patients to review. Research has shown that access to notes can help patients be more engaged in their care and improve health outcomes.

“Partnerships such as these are why Rochester remains a national model for health care,” said Wade Norwood, CEO of Common Ground Health. “We applaud Rochester Regional Health and UR Medicine for putting patient care first and embracing evidence-based innovation.”

Learn more.

In the headlines

13 WHAM TV Plans for "Play Walk" in the works as part of the ROC the Riverway initiative

News 10 NBC Study: Junk food ads target black, Hispanic kids

ReThink Health Rethinkers Blog Regional transformation efforts conduct governance and management activities differently than we thought

Zagster Rochester, NY: The value of Health Impact Assessments to bikeshare programs