October 2021 Common Ground Newsletter

October 2021

Commission tracks critical elder care needs

Older adults are the fastest-growing population, both nationally and locally. By 2025, one in five people living in the Rochester-Finger Lakes region will be age 65 or older. How will essential services such as health care, housing, transportation and caregiver support meet the emerging needs of this population?

Preparing now for this demographic shift is critical. That is why Common Ground Health convened the Sage II Commission, which is identifying collaborative solutions for improving and coordinating essential older-adult services.

Read more about the commission’s work.

Read an issue brief.

Region embraces COVID vaccine equity efforts

Following one-on-one outreach, a communications campaign and ongoing vaccination thank you gifts, more than 80% of eligible Monroe County adults and more than 50% of all eligible Rochester residents have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose, community leaders announced, noting the milestone is critical, given the high communicability rate of the COVID-19 variants. Learn more about the 80% milestone and the 50% milestone.

Efforts to increase vaccination and ensure equitable vaccine distribution continue by a number of local partners. Download and share videos, graphics, informational sheets and posters for clinicians' offices from the You Deserve Answers communications toolkit.

Dr. Thomas Mahoney is retiring; defined community-based health care in region

Dr. Thomas Mahoney, a primary care physician whose work with Common Ground Health helped define community-based health care both in the region and beyond, is retiring.

Mahoney has been responsible for overseeing all aspects of clinical data and analytics as chief medical officer since 2014, when the regional health planning organization was known as the Finger Lakes Health Systems Agency. He will continue to serve as a consultant.

Read more.

Healthi Kids launches a convening to create a vision for playful learning in RCSD

Dr. Brian Wright, a national early childhood expert from the University of Memphis and the author of The Brilliance of Black Boys: Cultivating School Success in the Early Grades, led a webinar Oct. 5 to help Healthi Kids launch a convening around play in the Rochester City School District.

For more details about the convening, see here. Click here to watch the kick off webinar with Dr. Wright.

Students in Keuka College's health-related programs have begun instruction this fall in the new Center for Health Innovation in Harrington Hall.

Partner Spotlight:
Keuka College's School of Health and Human Services

Kudos to Keuka College for establishing the new School of Health and Human Services to meet today’s mental health and social justice needs. Experiential instruction will take place in the newly renovated Center for Health Innovation.

“I applaud Keuka College’s commitment to addressing our region’s most urgent workforce needs,” said Wade Norwood, CEO of Common Ground Health. “The college’s innovative move to bring nursing, social work and criminal justice programs together will help address our community’s multifaceted challenges.”

Read more and learn about a major grant the college received to address mental health needs in teens and young adults.

Staff members present at national conference

Congratulations to Common Ground Health staff for presenting at the annual meeting of the American Public Health Association in Denver, Colo. Mike Bulger presented on “Centering resident voice in local policymaking: Lessons from the formation of Rochester’s Food Policy Council” on Oct. 25, while Melissa Pennise, Dr. Nadine Hylton and Dr. Howard Beckman presented on “Incorporating community-identified concerns into public health priority setting: A theoretical model” on Oct. 24.

Read an APHA blog post about Bulger's presentation. 

Welcome new, returning staff members

Welcome to several new employees, Lucas Sienk and Zoe Mahlum, who join Common Ground Health as health planning research analysts. Sienk previously was a performance improvement coordinator at Rochester Regional Health. Mahlum previously worked as a clinical dietitian at the University of Rochester.

Welcome back to Luz Flores Lee, who rejoins Common Ground Health as a program manager for Research and Analytics. Lee previously served with the clinical practice transformation team and as a project management consultant.

In the headlines

13 WHAM Report: Half of Rochester residents have been vaccinated against COVID Related: Finger Lakes 1 Genesee Sun

WXXI News Fighting through stigmas: Some say racial disparities have long affected sickle cell funding

Democrat and Chronicle NY leaders call for passage of 'Momnibus' bill which offers support for Black expectant mothers

Democrat and Chronicle 'I am, because we are': Wade Norwood on growing up in, and returning to Bull's Head

WXXI News New campaign hopes to increase vaccine confidence Related: 13 WHAM WROC-TV WHEC News 10 Rochester Beacon WHEC News 10 13 WHAM

Rochester Business Journal Racial disparities in health care, cardiovascular outcomes