Bronx Health REACH, Academic medical institutions, local community groups, and the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Host “Community Transformation through Partnerships” Symposium, Tuesday, September 26
New York, NY September 20, 2017—The Institute for Family Health’s Bronx Health REACH, Center for the Study of Asian American Health at NYU School of Medicine’s Department of Population Health, Bronx Community Health Network and the NYC Department of Health & Mental Hygiene, all New York City (NYC) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) grantees, are co-hosting a symposium titled “Community Transformation through Partnerships” on Tuesday, September 26, 2017. Each of the organizations are part of the CDC-funded Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) or PICH (Partnerships to Improve Community Health) networks. REACH is a national program to reduce racial and ethnic health disparities, and PICH is a national program that supports implementation of evidence-based strategies to improve the health of communities and reduce the prevalence of chronic disease.
Organizations that strive to improve the health of minority and underserved communities have increasingly met challenges to sustain program efforts in the current political climate. The goals of the symposium are to bring together diverse stakeholders to highlight the strategic partnerships that foster sustainable community transformation to achieve health equity and the importance of funding for this work in NYC. The “Community Transformation through Partnership” symposium is a unique event that provides a forum for community-based organizations, academic institutions, government officials, advocates, and nonprofits from across the five boroughs to engage and share effective strategies to address issues affecting underserved communities.
Charmaine Ruddock, Bronx Health REACH Director noted, “The symposium will provide a forum that turns the spotlight on the impact community based organizations and residents are having in transforming their communities into places of wellness, underscoring the fact that a community based participatory approach must be at the heart of establishing health equity and the elimination of racial and ethnic health disparities.” She went on to note that, the Institute for Family Health, which leads the Bronx Health REACH coalition and has been a long time REACH grantee, is pleased to be co-sponsoring such an important event with fellow NYC CDC REACH and PICH grantees.
“As one of four CDC-funded programs in New York City dedicated to implementing evidence-based strategies to enhance the health of racial and ethnic groups and underserved communities, we are very excited to co-host this timely and relevant symposium, said Nadia Islam, Assistant Professor and Principal Investigator of the Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health for Asian Americans (REACH FAR) initiative at NYU School of Medicine’s Department of Population Health. “It is our hope that the symposium will foster opportunities to identify, share, and pursue innovative, collaborative partnerships to implement evidence based strategies aimed to achieve community transformation.”
“As public health programs face funding uncertainties, it is extremely important to highlight how multi-sector organizations are partnering to implement innovative sustainable programs that are transforming lives and communities,” notes Eleanor Larrior, Chief Executive Officer of the Bronx Community Health Network. “BCHN is proud to join our colleagues in sharing these wonderful success stories. We could not go this far without public health funding support.”
The event features speakers from community-based organizations, health, policy makers and advocates, non-profit groups, academic institutions and governmental agencies across the country including:
Richard Hamburg, Executive Vice President and COO, Trust for America’s Health
Susan Beane, Vice President & Medical Director, Healthfirst
Topics to be discussed as follows:
– Effect of chronic disease disparities and health inequities in communities
– Community transformation and impact
– Evaluation and storytelling as key tools to assess change
– Sustainability in the current funding environment
When: Tuesday, September 26, 2017, 1:00 PM-6:00 PM
Where: NYU School of Medicine, Smilow Seminar Room 550 First Avenue (Between 30th & 31st Streets) New York, NY 10016.
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The Institute for Family Health (www.institute.org) is a federally qualified health center network that operates 31 community health centers in the Bronx, Manhattan, Brooklyn and the Mid Hudson Valley. Primary care, behavioral health care and dental services are available to people of all ages, regardless of ability to pay. Founded in 1999, the Bronx Health REACH Coalition (www.bronxhealthreach.org) led by the Institute for Family Health is committed to eliminating racial and ethnic health disparities in the Bronx, and promoting health equity. Its focus is to increase opportunities for physical activity, access to healthy food and quality healthcare. Bronx Health REACH is a founding member of #Not62 – The Campaign for a Healthy Bronx!
