Community Healthcorps at the Institute for Family Health

Member Profiles: Bronx Health REACH Program Assistant

2012-01-19T10:17:00.000-08:00

This year, the IFH Healthcorps team has 17 full time members! Every month we will be profiling one or two so you can get a chance to meet our crew and learn more about their work!

This month: Meet Hardeep!

Name:
Hardeep

Position:
Bronx Health REACH Project Assistant

Brief bio:
Born in New Jersey and raised in a suburb outside of New York City. I received my Bachelors of Science from Cornell University in 2011. I majored in Biological Sciences and minored in Global Health.

What is your hometown?
Rockland County, NY

For those in NYC: What is the best part about living in NYC? What is your favorite place in the city?
The best thing about living/working in New York City is observing the timeless beauty of the infrastructure and experiencing the rich diversity of cultures. Even though many NYC buildings were built over 50 to 100 years ago, the beauty of such landmarks truly persists alongside the magnificent and eco-friendly newly-built buildings that also contribute to same NYC skyline. The number of cultures represented in NYC is truly amazing. It seems to me as if every culture around the world has its own restaurant dedicated to it in NYC.

Where do you work and what kind of tasks do you do each day?
I primarily work at the Sidney Hillman Family Clinic building, a block away from Union Square, Manhattan. Yet, on a weekly basis, I outreach to different areas of NYC and engage community based organizations, advocacy groups, academic institutions, senior centers, etc about health disparities. A lot of what I do is community education and organizing around issues of racial and ethnic disparities in health.

What is your favorite part of the job?
My favorite part of my job is community outreach. Outreaching to the five boroughs of NYC and being able to observe the blatant and subtle environmental, socio-economical, and cultural difference between and within boroughs has truly been a learning experience to say the least.

What is the most difficult part of what you do?
The most difficult part of my job is navigating the bureaucracy within the organizations that I outreach to. It takes patience and persistence in following up with these organizations. The end goal of Bronx Health REACH’s community outreach is to establish a relationship with outreached organizations and eventually having these organizations join our coalition on eliminating health disparities.

Why do you enjoy being a healthcorps member?
I enjoy being a healthcorps member because I am finally out in the community gaining the real- life experience of situations and issues that I learned about in the classroom. I couldn’t truly understand health issues such as the lack of health care access, racial and ethnic discrimination in health, and the rising cost of healthcare, until I was able to get into the community and see those issues at play in my position as a healthcorps member. Additionally, the healthcorps position at Institute for Family Health (IFH) is great. At IFH, there are over 15 other diverse and friendly healthcorps members who can help you adjust to your position, cope with stresses of moving to NYC, or simply hang out with.

What do you want to be when you grow up?
I hope to become a physician who travels the world providing medical aid.

MLK Day of Service

2012-01-18T09:30:00.001-08:00

Every year the Community Healthcorps team at IFH is sure to make MLK Day a day of service. In the past we have often teamed up with City Year to do some colorful painting projects at local schools.

This year we teamed up with New York City Coalition Against Hunger to spread the word to our local communities about the food stamp and WIC programs. These programs are so important to make it easier for folks to get the food they need. In 2009, over 55% of local food pantries didn't have enough food to meet the need. According to NYCAH, nationally, only 66 percent of people who are income-eligible for food stamps receive them. In New York City, roughly 700,000 people are eligible to receive food stamps but don't get them. There is clearly a huge need to get the word out about the program!

Our group was sent to grocery stores accross Queens, Brooklyn and the Bronx. Although it was chilly, members succeeeded in getting many families and individuals screened for food benefits that might not otherwise have known about the program.

Our group that helped out in the Bronx.

If you'd like to learn more about hunger and NYC, be sure to check out NYCCAH's website for loads of resources and ways to help!

Member Profile | Mentor Connection Coordinator

2011-12-14T06:12:00.000-08:00

This year, the IFH Healthcorps team has 17 full time members! Every month we will be profiling one or two so you can get a chance to meet our crew and learn more about their work!

This month: Meet Kate!

Name: Kate
Position: Mentor Program Coordinator
Brief bio:
I love teaching and public health of course, but when I’m not involved in those activities, I like to paint and travel (well, the travel part has been more reduced to making plans for the distant future). I also love cooking and eating, which leads me to my next hobby of running and (whenever possible) going hiking. I love the outdoors in general!

What is your hometown?
Shawnee Mission, KS…it’s a suburb of Kansas City

For those in NYC: What is the best part about living in NYC? What is your favorite place in the city?
Either the Highline or the Williamsburg Flea Market, especially when it’s warm out!

Where do you work and what kind of tasks do you do each day?
I work at the Manhattan Staten Island Area Health Education center, where my primary job is to coordinate a mentoring program for high school students. This also involves teaching them in a health seminar class.

What is your favorite part of the job?
Seeing students really connect with health topics and relate them to their own lives.

What is the most difficult part of what you do?
Motivating students and mentors to stick with it even when they are busy!

Why do you enjoy being a healthcorps member?
I feel like we are given real responsibilities and are trusted by our supervisors, instead of just entry-level work.

What do you want to be when you grow up?
A community health educator!

Member Profile: Prenatal Coordinator | Bronx

2011-11-22T08:17:00.000-08:00

This year, the IFH Healthcorps team has 17 full time members! Every month we will be profiling one or two so you can get a chance to meet our crew and learn more about their work!

This month: Meet Melissa!

At our Teambuilding Day at Camp Ramapo!

Name: Melissa L.

Position: Bronx Pre-natal Coordinator

Brief bio:
I love running, laughing, New York City, outdoor activities, warm clean laundry, traveling, matinees, DANCING and childbirth.

What is your hometown? Corona, CA

What is the best part about living in NYC? What is your favorite place in the city?
I really love places where I can get a great view of Manhattan. The piers of the Dumbo and Williamsburg in Brooklyn are fantastic. I also, super like random coffee shops around the city (ie. The Flying Saucer in Brooklyn, and ‘snice in the West Village)

Where do you work and what kind of tasks do you do each day?
I work in the south Bronx coordinating the prenatal care of patients and Centering Pregnancy groups for three sites. I try to be at all the prenatal visits to do health education before or after our moms meet with the provider. I also coordinate their care by managing appointments both in and out of our facility. Lastly, I am the liaison to our delivering hospitals.

What is your favorite part of the job?
I am able to provide doula service to women in our health center who lack support from another woman. As a doula I provides continuous physical, emotional and informational support to the mother before, during, and just after childbirth. Childbirth is most often an incredibly momentous time in a women's life, and sharing the experience with another individual is truly rewarding.

What is the most difficult part of what you do?
As a Doula I accompany women to their birth at different hospitals. On a couple of instances, I have witnessed the delivery of poor care. It is heartbreaking to witness disrespectful care especially in a childbirth setting. Also, many of the women I provide services to have incredibly difficult economic and social obstacles that are many times hard to cope with.

Why do you enjoy being a healthcorps member?
I absolutely love being surrounded by a group of incredibly intelligent open-minded individuals who are continuously challenging me.

What do you want to be when you grow up?
I am currently applying to medical school. I hope to be a phenomenal family doctor who provides care to under-served populations, more specifically migrant farm workers.

Upstate Training!

2011-11-15T08:19:00.001-08:00

As part of the Healthcorps program, members attend trainings once or twice a month on a variety of public health topics. Usually these trainings take place at our main clinic offices in Manhattan.

However, we also like to visit our members who are serving in the Mid-Hudson valley and get a bit of fresh air when we can. This past Friday we held our team training at our New Paltz health center.

Members got a chance to hear from members of the Doulas of the Hudson Valley as well as about the Healthy Start home visiting program. After the speakers, a bunch of us got the chance to hike for a bit in the Minnewaska State Park. Though it was a bit chilly, the views were beautiful!

Member Profile: Teen Health Educator

2011-11-08T12:20:00.000-08:00

This year, the IFH Healthcorps team has 17 full time members! Every month we will be profiling one or two so you can get a chance to meet our crew and learn more about their work!

This month: Meet Sarah!

(Corey, Sarah, Kate, Melissa)

Name: Sarah C.
Position: Adolescent Health Educator at Washington Irving High School Campus

Brief bio: I graduated from Brown University in 2010, where I concentrated in Gender & Sexuality Studies and conducted the student-run Brown Band (the world’s only ice skating band). I spent the following summer riding my bike across the country (Providence to Seattle!) with a group called Bike & Build, and then started with HealthCorps in September ‘10. This is my second year in the same position – I love the work I’m doing and NYC has sucked me in. Interests include cooking; eating; reading and/or talking about feminism, gender, sexuality, social justice, etc.; thinking about how I should really pick up my sax or bike again.

What is your hometown? Ellington, CT

What is the best part about living in NYC? What is your favorite place in the city? I love that I can find any type of food, any type of person, any type of experience right here in my own city. I can’t imagine getting bored with it. Living in Brooklyn and working in Manhattan, I get the best of both worlds. And there’s always gorgeous Prospect Park or the Brooklyn Botanic Garden if I need to escape into nature. I also love that, while it can be expensive to pay rent here, there is no shortage of cheap things to eat and do!

Where do you work and what kind of tasks do you do each day? I work at the School Based Health Center at Washington Irving High School Campus. Because the four schools in the building are lacking in sex education, I develop sex ed curricula/lessons and go into as many classes as I can as a guest presenter. I do some sort of comprehensive 8-12 class sex ed curriculum in all the schools (for example, working with all 9th grade health classes), and I also present individual workshops when teachers request them. Most of my day involves teaching and lesson planning, but I’m also available for students to come in and ask questions one-on-one, and I do a lot of outreach for the health center as well. For instance, last year I started a program called Healthy Mondays, where I go into the cafeteria every Monday with activities and contests on various health-related themes. It’s also a chance for students to learn more about the health center and get enrolled.

What is your favorite part of the job?
My favorite part of the job is probably the anonymous question box. At the beginning of every class, I hand out index cards for the students to write anonymous questions, and I collect them at the end to answer next time. I try to create an environment where the students feel comfortable asking anything that’s on their mind – and they really do! Sometimes the questions are hilarious, sometimes baffling, and sometimes poignant, but I always love answering them. I also just love the connections I make with students – it’s so gratifying to see students I taught last year popping their heads into the health center to say hello, ask questions, and tell me that they miss the class. And I love, LOVE those breakthroughs in class where students really start to think critically – when they question gender stereotypes or homophobia, or have a brilliant insight on barriers to teen sexual health. This job has really made me love and appreciate working with teens, and I think I’ve become a lot more empathetic as a result.

What is the most difficult part of what you do?
It was tough at first to be thrown into a situation where I really had no lesson/curriculum-planning or teaching background – truly a trial by fire. But that got easier with time, and now I’m much more confident in the classroom. Right now, the toughest part is simply doubting myself and wondering if I’m making enough of an impact. Some of these teens have SO much stacked against them – who am I to think that health education is enough? I think that’s where the connection to the health center comes in – I’m not just talking at students about making sexually healthy choices, but we’re also providing free and confidential care right here at their school, so they can actually access some of the tools to take charge of their health. But it can be tough to know how much I can tackle, what the root of the problems are. Strict gender roles? Imbalance of power in relationships? Lack of education about birth control and condoms? Lack of access to birth control and condoms? Low self-esteem? Feeling powerless due to years of racism, sexism, poverty, and violence? Lack of models for partner communication and consent? I think it may be all of the above, and sometimes I get overwhelmed with that.

Why do you enjoy being a HealthCorps member?
Well, I have the greatest job in existence, for starters. I have so much free reign to make my own curricula and projects, but my supervisor and coworkers are incredibly supportive and I always feel like I can go to them for help or to debrief after a stressful encounter. My site is just a really wonderful environment; I feel spoiled! Also, I love having a whole team of HealthCorps members – even though I don’t see most of them on a daily basis, our twice-a-month trainings and unofficial socializing really helps us to bond as a group. It’s refreshing to be around folks who are as passionate about health disparities and social justice as I am, and who aren’t afraid to jump in and do something about it. At the same time, we can always gripe to each other about a tough day or ask for advice when needed.

What do you want to be when you grow up?
HAH. Good question. If I can always make a living talking about sexuality and sexual health in some capacity, that would be awesome. Right now I’m just trying to explore my options with an open mind. Definitely not med school (I’m too squeamish) – maybe an MPH? And then…? Outlook hazy, but I really am enjoying the process of figuring it out.

Featured on Alumni Spotlight!

2011-10-17T12:26:00.001-07:00

One of our previous members, Amelia, is featured today over on the Alumni Spotlight for Community Healthcorps.

Go check it out!

“Community HealthCorps provided a rich environment for an invaluable year of exploration. Prior to Community HealthCorps, I worked with an International Public Health NGO and learned about international health issues, but was also interested in increasing my understanding of domestic care and the American health care system. I learned so much by “doing” as a Community HealthCorps member.” – Amelia

Team Building Day!

2011-10-17T08:53:00.000-07:00

Our team headed upstate to Rhinebeck, NY last week for a team building retreat. We spent the day at Camp Ramapo and had a wonderful time outside in the sunshine enjoying the beautiful fall day!

Members participated in various ice breakers, problem solving, and trust building activities. We even had a chance to go boating!

Here are a few photos from our retreat:

Playing tag.

Passing the marble involved lots of commication and problem solving!

Getting ready for high ropes!

On the way up!

Melissa and Paula are ready to go!

Trying to get across the low ropes course.

Beautiful colors on the lake!

Fun times out boating!

A great day was had by all!

Welcome Class of 2011-12!!

2011-09-27T13:44:00.001-07:00

Our 6th class of Community Healthcorps members has started their year of service at the Institute for Family Health!

We are so thrilled to have this new class aboard, and it's our biggest group to date! Seventeen full time members have joined the ranks and it's sure to be a great year!

Members will be working in diabetes, women's health, teen health, prenatal care, breastfeeding eduation, social work, health disparities with Bronx Health REACH, and two new exciting projects with the National Parks Service.

This year we will again have members both in the NYC area and in the Mid-Hudson Valley.

For their orientation, members were sent on a scavenger hunt to the Bronx, Brooklyn, or Queens. Here are a few photos from their adventures!

Cheers to another great year!

Graduation!

2011-09-27T13:33:00.000-07:00

The 2010-2011 IFH Healthcorps class finished up their year of service at the end of July.

The members had a great year and are off to many awesome things! Some are sticking around with new jobs at IFH, some went off to medical school, other graduate school programs, or other great health professional opportunities.

This year members had many great achievements. To name a few:

Members…
-Provided case management services to 1416 patients
-Provided 312 health education sessions about sexually transmitted disease to teens.
-Enrolled over over 300 patients in health insurance
-Led over 919 health education sessions about diabetes
-Provided prenatal education over 500 mothers
-Started an earth box program to teach Head Start preschoolers about healthy foods.
-Outreached to nearly 5,000 patients
-Developed a breast-feeding education program at Kingston Family Practice along with a breast feeding education blog for Ulster county
-Placed students in successful mentorships around NYC
-Provided general health education to 3,188 patients

All in all, over 10,000 patients benefited from the services of our fantastic Healthcorps crew!

We will miss you and wish you the best in all your future pursuits!

Americorps Week Event!

2011-05-23T09:50:00.000-07:00

This past Friday the IFH team joined together with other Healthcorps members from around the city to participate in a day of service and learning about options for life after their year of Americorps.

We started the day off with the Gowanus Canal Conservancy helping out in a tree planting project. This project allowed us to get outside and help add some green to an otherwise very industrial part of town.

Emmy and Eleonor awaiting instructions in the morning.

Our group before!

Getting ready to plant!

Emmy and Reed working on getting a tree ready to go!

Tree planting success!

A bit muddier, but a good time had by all!

After planting trees, we headed to Sunset Park to hear a panel, do some team building, and work on goal setting for the years after service.

Thanks to all for a great day!

Service Project: AIDS Walk NYC!

2011-05-23T09:47:00.000-07:00

Despite the drizzle and cloudy weather, nine members of the Institute for Family Health Community Health Corps gathered on May 15th to support the NYC AIDS walk. The NYC AIDS walk is part of IFH's annual events for AmeriCorps week, showing the way that AmeriCorps members support all aspects of our community's Health.

Members gathered on Saturday night to decorate t-shirts for the walk, and completed the 10k on Sunday. The AIDS walk in NYC is one of the largest AIDS walks in the world, raising money for HIV/AIDS related services and research.

Member Profile: Homeless Healthcare

2011-04-27T12:12:00.000-07:00

The Community Healthcorps team at IFH has 15 full time members. Each month we profile a member so you can get to know our team and their role a little better!

This month, meet Reed!

Name: Reed
Position: Care Manager for the Homeless

Reed on the scavenger hunt during Pre Service Orientation.

Brief bio:
I was raised on a llama farm in rural New England and spent four years as an English major in Washington, DC. Afterward, I went to San Francisco for a year of HealthCorps (!) on a homeless medical van. Now I'm doing round two in New York. This spring, I’m excited to be returning to the world of ultimate Frisbee after a two-year hiatus.

What is your hometown?
Newbury, New Hampshire

What is the best part about living in NYC? What is your favorite place in the city?
I love what people read on the subway here. A selection spotted recently: Tom Stoppard's Arcadia, The Autobiography of Malcom X (twice!), Joyce's Ulysses, and countless other weathered jacketless hardbacks. In addition to those toting the usual stuff (anonymous tablets, free dailies, whichever vampire series is pandemic at the moment) there are people wrestling with some pretty big questions right there on the platform. Maybe I'm a book snob and maybe it's really the same in every city, but in my anecdotal experience New York is literarily where it's at.

As for favorite place… the Strand! Also, I visited Inwood Hill Park at the northern tip of Manhattan last week, and that was pretty darn pretty.

Where do you work and what kind of tasks do you do each day?
I work in the Institute’s homeless clinics, which are in church basements, soup kitchens, and drop-in centers in a few different Manhattan neighborhoods – Morningside Heights, Upper West Side, Chelsea, and Chinatown. Most of my time is spent working with our patients to fill prescriptions, apply for Medicaid, and (when feasible) decipher the reams of jargony administrative papers they receive as part of maintaining their benefits.

What is your favorite part of the job?
The stories! It's one of the strange, sometimes uncomfortable privileges of working in a clinic that you get your own little window into other lives.

What is the most difficult part of what you do?
With only about an ounce of irony, I’d have to go with trying to pry patient records from the jaws of the medical correspondence departments of certain NYC hospitals.

Why do you enjoy being a healthcorps member?
I love being part of a cohort of smart, excited people with similar interests. I also love everything about our team meetings - the speakers, the conversations, the time for reflection. I wish every job had that kind of thing built into it.

What do you want to be when you grow up?
Indecision endures – but public space and housing rights are, for the moment, supplanting health justice as the shadowy central themes of my career day dreams.

Healthcorps Members Advocate to Save National Service!

2011-03-03T09:36:00.000-08:00

Last Friday, 5 Past and Present AmeriCorps Volunteers visited Rep. Maurice Hinchey's (D-22) office in Kingston, NY. Given that Rep Hinchey has been a strong supporter of Service in the past - supporting the Serve America Act, and voting against HR 1 - our goal today was to tell his representative our stories. In our group were two AmeriCorps Alums, who served with NCCC, and three current Community Health Corps members* serving with the Institute for Family Health in Kingston, NY.

Our stories told of what we have done for our communities: of diabetes education provided, low-cost prescription medications found, breastfeeding support given to new moms, homes built and case management done during one of our greatest national tragedies. Our stories, more importantly, told of what AmeriCorps has done for us: given us direction and experience, given us hope and a committement to working with underserved populations. We cannot imagine a country in which future generations are not given these opportunities, and in which future leaders are not able to be shaped through service to their communities.

Rep Hinchey's District Represenative, Lori DuBord, who we met with, was extremely supportive, and told us how grateful she was, both for our service, and also for the letters of support that we brought with us. She encouraged us to send in more, so that Rep. Hinchey has something tangible to present to Congress.

(*Members attended the visit on their own time.)

(In Photo from left to right: District Rep Lori DuBord from Rep Hinchey's office; Kate (former NCC); Emmy (Current Community Health Corps- CHC); Shalyni (current CHC); Miriam(Current CHC); Adrienne (kneeling with her daughter, former NCC)

**If you have the chance, please call, write, or visit your local legislator to let them know how important National Service is!!**

Member Profile: Women's Health Advocate

2011-02-25T09:19:00.000-08:00

The Community Healthcorps team at IFH has 15 full time members. Each month we profile one or two of them so you can get to know the members and their role a little better!

This month, meet Jess!

Name: Jess
Position: Women’s Health Patient Advocate (Repro Health Superstar!)

Brief bio: I graduated from SUNY Brockport in ‘07 with a BS in Gender Studies & Psychology. I am a big fan of any vegetarian meal involving avocado, writing letters & making art while listening to music (most recently, jazz), a good stretch, a good night’s sleep, and good, good company. I’m always ready to participate in radical feminist discourse/debate over a cup of tea. Someone once called me a “shy extrovert” - they were right on.

What is your hometown?
I grew up in Rochester, NY: Upstate land of lilacs, lake-affect snow, and a very unique sense of pride & kinship I wouldn’t trade for anything in the world.

What is the best part about living in NYC?
I’m going to be a cliché new NYC’r and say that every part is the best part. It has been a dream of mine for quite awhile to move here, and Brooklyn is exactly where I belong right now. I feel privileged & grateful just to be here. The mass transit system and the ability to get takeout at 4am aren’t too shabby, either.

What is your favorite place in the city?
The Brooklyn flea market. Prospect Park. Bluestockings bookstore. The MoMA. My neighborhood. Anywhere that serves prix fixe brunch. The Q train when it goes over the bridge, preferably at sunrise or sunset.

Where do you work and what kind of tasks do you do each day?
I work with the Reproductive Health Access Project at the Institute on E 16th St. I assist with developing health education materials, event planning, and tracking IUD data. I am also a support person (doula) for women undergoing procedures at our clinic.

What is your favorite part of the job?
Reproductive justice is a passion of mine, so I think the entire job is my favorite thing. I really do love interacting with patients, though. I get to meet new people every day and hear all about their lives. It’s pretty rad. Also, I couldn’t have asked for a better group of co-workers.

What is the most difficult part of what you do? When a patient is experiencing discomfort during a procedure, it can be so emotionally challenging to see them in pain. Knowing it is my responsibility to help comfort them and try to ease their fears can be daunting at times, but it’s definitely a rewarding job that I feel great doing.

Why do you enjoy being a Healthcorps member?
I feel like the work I do is important and useful, and Healthcorps is such a well-organized program. I always feel like I can get any questions answered, concerns heard, and feedback I need with no problem. Additionally, I have felt like part of a family from the first minute I met everyone in our Healthcorps group. We make such a great team!

What do you want to be when you grow up?
I just want to learn as much as I can & gain as many skills as possible, whether or not they are relevant to the work I’m doing. (Most recently, I have been taking a course in beekeeping.) …In the grown-up work world, though, I would really like to be a counselor/mentor or outreach worker for LGBTQ youth. (And maybe do some freelance writing on the side?) …Whatever I do, wherever I end up, I really just hope I can have pet chickens someday.

Member Profile: Diabetes Health Educator and Bronx Health REACH Assistant

2011-02-25T09:08:00.000-08:00

The Community Healthcorps team at IFH has 15 full time members. Each month we profile one or two members on the blog so you can get to know them a little better!

This month, meet Eleonor!

Name: Eleonor
Position: Diabetes Educator/Bronx Health REACH

Brief bio:
I have lived and breathed Brooklyn it seems all my life. I have four siblings, one that looks my doppelganger even though we are two years apart, and just got my driver’s permit a couple of months ago. Yeah me! My future goals are to finally have the courage to recite one of my stories or poetry in front of a live audience, family does not count, kick my chocolate habit to the curb and one day run a race in the city. My most immediate dreams though are to go to medical school and work on health issues facing minority communities.

What is your hometown?
I was born in Brooklyn, raised in Brooklyn and can not wait to get out of Brooklyn. Don’t get me wrong, I love my Flatbush Avenue hair and nail salons, my Park Slope restaurants, and my Mill Basin parks. I do feel that there is more to the world and can not wait to explore it.

For those in NYC: What is the best part about living in NYC? What is your favorite place in the city?
The best part of living in the city is finding the green spaces, like parks and gardens in the city and spending the afternoon talking to people or visiting museums and art shows for FREE. I love that here, there are so many artistic outlets for young and old which are not terrible expensive. All it takes is some key strokes and you can find yourself in a museum learning about Ghandi.

Where do you work and what kind of tasks do you do each day?
I work in the 16 St clinic, Phillips Family Practice on the 1st floor, as a Diabetes Educator and also part-time with Bronx Health REACH working on various projects. As a Diabetes Educator, I counsel patients who are diabetic, hypertensive, overweight and/or have high cholesterol on how to make healthy lifestyle changes. Day to day I use goal setting techniques and motivational interviewing to get people to think about their health. Instead of telling patients what they should do to be healthy, I ask them to think about why it has been hard to eat healthy or be physically active. Then I have the patients brainstorm ways to overcome these barriers and finally set a goal, something that they want to change in the coming weeks. Usually I call them to see if they have accomplished their goals by the next week. I also help lead a Diabetes Support group, a Diabetes Education class and a new Chronic Disease Self-management class.

As a Program Assistant for Bronx Health Reach, I work on several projects ranging from designing and starting up a diabetes self-management support groups in churches, doing diabetes presentations in the community and working on a grant to make after-school program’s food environment healthier. On most days it’s keeping track of the nurse facilitators for the support group, who are sweet hearts and are like the grandmothers I never had, working on the support group curriculum and learning more about community health.

What is your favorite part of the job?
Hands down my favorite part of my job is talking to the patients. It’s one thing to know that diabetes is an epidemic, but it’s another to see the faces of the people affected by the disease. It makes the disease so much more real and difficult to deal with when patients tell you why their sugars are out of control, and how the retinopathy or neuropathy has made their life so burdensome. My job is then to give them a place and space for them to share their experiences and offer advice on how to deal with their condition. It’s encouraging to have that one patient come back with their sugar levels under control and know that your work serves a real purpose and makes a difference in a person’s life.

What is the most difficult part of what you do?
Outreaching and getting people to come to the clinic. In some cases patients talk to you on the phone asking about our programs or telling me why they can or can not make it to class that day. The majority of the time, it is sending tons of letters and emails and leaving voice messages, and crossing your fingers that one person from the thirty attempts will call you back. It is sometimes frustrating because so many people need the information or support the Institute provides to control their diabetes, but even more people are just not interested, or have too busy lives to come in.

Why do you enjoy being a Healthcorps member?
I have enjoyed being a Healthcorp member mostly because of the diverse group of people I have met in the past six month, both the patients, my fellow Healthcorp members and staff people here at IFH. I have learned so much about healthcare, watching people’s passion for their work, learning more about my own country (like I said-born, raised and can not wait to leave Brooklyn) with its diversity and finally making such great and supportive friends. I love the experience of working so directly with diabetic patients as well, because I have seen first hand in my family how much earlier intervention can help save lives. It has been both a difficult and rewarding process being a Healthcorp, because I have seen so many approaches to care and I know that it will reflect in the choices I make in the future.

What do you want to be when you grow up?
My passion lies in medicine. I hope to be a doctor when I grow up. Specifically I hope to work with older populations and on community health initiatives.

Growing Gardens|Growing Kids

2011-02-21T09:08:00.000-08:00

Bronx Health REACH Healthcorps member Ying has started a new project with an initiative called Pando Projects.

You can read more about her project called Growing Gardens, Growing Kids here.

This project is a great example of how our members truly get involved in the communities they serve!

Ying explains a little more about her project:

WHY — While working with Bronx Health REACH in the South Bronx, it was not hard to recognize the environmental challenges to living a healthy lifestyle. Kids have access to fast food on every corner; fresh produce is hard to find. They grow up without understanding where food comes from, and many do not know what fresh produce tastes like.

WHAT — Growing Gardens Growing Kids will help kids start a community garden in the South Bronx to increase access to fresh fruits and vegetables, provide hands-on learning so they understand where food comes from, and to teach them nutrition and healthy habits.

HOW — I will be developing a curriculum for Head Start supervisors to help pre-K children plant their own produce using EarthBoxes, a high-tech, low-maintenance growing system. Lesson plans will teach the children with where food comes from and about healthy eating.

Visit her website if you get a chance and support this great idea!

Member Profile: Teen Health Educator

2011-01-20T11:03:00.000-08:00

This year we have 15 Community Healthcorps members serving at the Institute. They each have their own unique project and role at IFH. In order to get to know the members a little better we'll be profiling one each month here on the blog!

This month, meet Tyler, the Teen Health Educator at Ellenville Family Health Center!

A brief biography:
I was born and raised in Minnesota, but spent the past year in Montana serving in a different AmeriCorps program. I’ve been in the “why not?” phase of my life, which is what led me to upstate New York. I’m hoping to go to medical school in the future and continue to work with the medically underserved. I’m a sucker for a good recipe (especially if it’s on the grill), a good hike, and curvy roads on a motorcycle.

What is your hometown?
I have a couple, I guess. If I had to pick one, it would be Stillwater, Minnesota. I also spent a big chunk of time in Rushford, Minnesota where my dad lives. But really, I wish I could call myself a hybrid of Minnesotan and Montanan. How does “Montesotan” sound?

For those in the Mid-Hudson: What is the best part about living upstate? What is the best place you’ve been?
Living upstate is great. The Mid-Hudson region is a great place to escape and immerse yourself in nature. After living in Montana for a year, I really grew accustomed to open space and the serenity of being outdoors.
My favorite place upstate is the Shawgunk Mountains. I get to drive over them everyday going between New Paltz and Ellenville, and the views are just breathtaking. You really get everything you would want up there: rocky crags, lakes, foliage, waterfalls, and great trails. What more can you ask for? And in the winter, when everything is covered in snow and shimmering ice: stunning.

Where do you work and what kind of tasks do you do each day?
I work at the Ellenville Family Health Center as the Teen Health Educator. My job is to reach out to adolescents in Ellenville and surrounding communities and bring them into the clinic. The main focus is on reproductive health, specifically teen pregnancy, because the rates here are uber high. There really isn’t any education about repro health and there hasn’t been a place for teens to get that information in the community. I’m working to make the clinic more teen-friendly and figuring out how to get more teens in for the services they want.
My daily work is never the same. I work on doing outreach to schools and local community organizations, developing materials about the clinic and our services, as well as seeing teen patients when they come in.

What is your favorite part of the job?
The best part about this job is seeing patients. Unfortunately, that’s the least common thing I do here. Sigh. Teens in the area still don’t know about the services we have here, despite airing TV shows on the local channels about my work, and the kids that do know I’m here are still weary of coming in. But when they do come in, it’s a great time. We are able to have pretty relaxed conversations about different issues going on in their lives; issues that they maybe wouldn’t talk to their physician about.

What is the most difficult part of what you do?
Hands down, the most difficult part of the job is getting kids into the clinic. The small-town life is both a blessing and a horrible curse at the same time. It’s great to have a tight community because you can always have someone to rely on, but it also makes it very hard to do things without people knowing. Sometimes teens don’t want their parents to know about the services they are trying to get, but they are fearful of the clinic because someone might recognize them at bring it up to parents. Not a great situation for providing health services. We are trying to figure out more ways to ease the mind of teens and assure them that everything here is confidential, and it won’t get back to parents unless the patient wants it to.

Why do you enjoy being a healthcorps member?
Everything. Doing meaningful work, getting to new parts of the country, working with a population that’s often overlooked, and meeting some great people along the way. As someone that wants to get into medicine, this is a great opportunity to see the inner workings of clinic life and the relationship dynamics that take place.

What do you want to be when you grow up?
I don’t want to grow up, I’m a Toys-R-Us kid. Honestly, I want to stay a kid at heart for my entire life. That’s just one of the many reasons that Finding Nemo is one of my favorite movies. But to actually answer the question, I want to be a doctor. Pretty plain and simple, but it’s been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember. I want to work with populations that are too often getting overlooked by everyone else. I would also like to be a teacher, professional chef, wildlife photographer, and Car & Driver reviewer. Sounds reasonable, right?

Using a Gap Year for Good: HealthCorps Members Work to Conquer Diabetes

2011-01-19T10:39:00.000-08:00

Using a Gap Year for Good: HealthCorps Members Work to Conquer Diabetes

The Institute for Family Health, which serves as the Metropolitan Regional Office of the NYS AHEC System, sponsors a Community HealthCorps program - a national AmeriCorps program that provides access to health care for the underserved while developing future health care workers. The Institute places 13 to 15 full time members per year at its health centers across Manhattan, the Bronx and the Mid-Hudson Valley. Now in its fifth year, almost all of the Institute’s 53 graduates have gone on to pursue further training in health care. For many, their HealthCorps experience solidifies their commitment to work with high need communities.

Diabetes is one of the most pressing health issues for underserved communities today. More and more communities are affected by this epidemic, and the Institute for Family Health is doing all it can to educate its patients about diabetes and what can be done to prevent it and manage it effectively.

As part of this effort, the Institute has recruited three HealthCorps members to work on its diabetes initiative. HealthCorps members help educate patients who need information and support to make lifestyle changes or successfully lose weight. Members teach patients to manage their ABCDs- their Hemoglobin A1c, Blood pressure, Cholesterol levels, and Dental care.

HealthCorps members also play a key part in the Institute’s Diabetes Days. These “one stop shopping“ days offer patients a chance to come in and to talk to a doctor, a certified diabetes educator, a social worker, a HealthCorps team member, and a pharmacist – all in one visit. It may sound overwhelming, but for patients who have uncontrolled diabetes, it has been extremely helpful.

Additionally, HealthCorps members organize diabetes groups for patients. These groups provide an important place for patients to find support and learn how to manage their diabetes, alongside others from their own community. The groups have been especially successful and have allowed the HealthCorps members to use their creativity. The Manhattan diabetes team member, Eleonor Leger, found that many of the patients in her group were struggling because so many people told them what they should and shouldn’t eat. Eleonor has since started a recipe contest in one of her groups. Patients will submit their best recipes and then the group will work together to make them diabetes friendly! Erinn Rieser, the Bronx diabetes team member, said she really enjoys leading these groups because “they let me make real connections with the patients as people.” Project coordinator Christina McGeough, CDE, adds, “It would be very difficult to provide the volume of services that we offer without the help of the HealthCorps team members.”

Working as diabetes educators with underserved communities has helped shape future career goals for the young people in the HealthCorps program. Although many members come to the program aspiring to go to medical school, they leave with strengthened views about the many ways they can make a difference and the variety of health care careers available to them. Ms. Leger, who also works with the Bronx Health REACH, a CDC funded program designed to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in health outcomes, stated, “Working as both a diabetes educator in the clinic and as a program assistant for Bronx Health REACH has really pushed me to consider an MD/MPH, rather than just an MD. My work has made me realize that care involves so much more than individual treatment.”

MLK Day of Service

2011-01-18T07:58:00.000-08:00

“Life's most urgent question is: What are you doing for others?” -MLK

As part of their Healthcorps year members are always involved in some way in doing service. Whether it be monthly group service projects or working in underserved communities each day, life as an Americorps member is always entwined with direct service to others.

One of the most important days of service each year is MLK day. Members were encourgaed to "make it a day on and not a day off." This year, IFH Healthcorps members teamed up with City Year New York to participate in a large service project in the community of East New York Brooklyn. Members worked on a school beautification project painting colorful murals in PS 149.

How did you serve on MLK Day?

Happy Holidays from Healthcorps!

2010-12-07T08:54:00.000-08:00

This weekend the Healthcorps group enjoyed themselves at the annual IFH Holiday party!

Wishing you a safe and happy holiday season!

Member Profile: Bronx Health REACH

2010-12-07T07:29:00.000-08:00

Food Justice Training: East New York Farms!

2010-11-03T07:26:00.000-07:00

As part of their year of service Healthcorps members have team trainings about twice per month. These trainings are a chance for members to come together as a group and learn more about public health issues faced by the communities they serve.

The most recent training members attended was surrounding the topic of food justice. Little access to fresh produce, an overabundance of fast food restaurants, poor nutrition; all of these things plague the communities in New York where IFH clinics reside.

As part of the training members first watched the film, Food, Inc.

After discussing the film, we made our way out to East New York Farms in Brooklyn. According to their website, the mission of East NY Farms is as follows:

"The mission of the East New York Farms Project is to organize youth and adults to address food justice in our community by promoting local sustainable agriculture and community-led economic development. East New York Farms! is a project of the United Community Centers in partnership with local residents."

After visiting the farm and learning more about their projects first-hand, it's clear that East New York Farms is a fantastic organization. They support the community, give youth the chance to get their hands dirty and learn about agriculture and community development, and offer a place for different cultures to come to together around the common bond of food.

Member Profile: Pre-Natal Coordinator

2010-11-02T12:01:00.001-07:00

This year we have 15 Community Healthcorps members serving at the Institute. They each have their own unique project and role at IFH. In order to get to know the members a little better we'll be profiling one each month here on the blog!

This month, meet Amelia!

Amelia is a Boston native plagued by wanderlust and a love for repro-health. In her free time, Amelia loves yoga, babies!, cooking spicy spicy food with friends, biking in Brooklyn, and being crafty, drawing & having fun with B&W film photography.

Amelia and Sarah at Ramapo.

What is your position?

Prenatal Coordinator at 16th Street in Manhattan

Where are you from?

Boston, Massachusetts

What is the best part about living in NYC?

New York is an amazingly diverse, vibrant city. I love being in such a dynamic place with the opportunity to explore and have new and different experiences. Living in Brooklyn, I’m exploring both Manhattan and my own borough.

What is your favorite place in the city?

Currently my favorite place is in my neighborhood: the Brooklyn Botanical Garden, a lovely green space to relax and walk in on the weekends. I can’t wait to see the garden’s famed cherry blossoms blooming in the spring!

Where do you work and what kind of tasks do you do each day?

I work at the Institute on 16 E 16th st with Phillips Family Practice. I help pregnant patients access the quality care they deserve by providing support and connecting patients to prenatal information and resources. In the evenings, I help manage the Centering Pregnancy Program which offers prenatal care to groups of women with similar due dates. I also coordinate with the School Based Health Center at Washington Irving High School to help pregnant adolescents navigate their prenatal care. Finally, as a trained Doula (or birth support person) I volunteer to help pregnant patients lacking adequate support during labor. On a daily basis, I am involved in case management, outreach, and health education.

What is your favorite part of the job?

My favorite part of the job is being able to help women during the exciting but also scary and overwhelming journey of pregnancy and labor. I am a “people person” and my interactions with patients have been really rewarding. I also love learning in trainings and lectures and from working with doctors and residents.

What is the most difficult part of what you do?

The hardest part of the job is when you wish you could move mountains to help a patient in great need and when you can’t, you start to question how much of a difference you are making. But I’ve realized working to be an optimistic, supportive “constant” in a person’s prenatal care in the midst of a hectic clinic setting may be the best thing I can provide.

Why do you enjoy being a healthcorps member?

Before Healthcorps, I worked for an international public health non-profit. While there, I learned a great deal about health systems, but knew I wanted a more meaningful and personal way of making an impact. Being a healthcorps member is exactly what I’d hoped for: it challenges my capabilities, and I can imagine myself as a future practitioner. I believe that health is a human right and feel privileged to help underserved populations as a part of a team of passionate, like-minded individuals. I couldn’t be more excited about being a part of the health community in New York City.

What do you want to be when you grow up?

I plan to apply to MSN/MPH (Nurse Practitioner/Master of Public Health) graduate programs next year with a specialty in either midwifery or women’s health. The Americorps year of service is clarifying this interest as I learn a great deal about prenatal health, and make plans to shadow nurse practitioners and a certified nurse midwife. One day I hope to be a clinician, as well as a professor.

Member Profile: Breast-Feeding Coordinator

2010-11-02T11:56:00.001-07:00

This year we have 15 Community Healthcorps members serving at the Institute. Each of them has their own unique project and role at IFH. In order to get know each member better and to have a little fun, we'll be profiling a new member each month!

This month, meet Miriam!

Miriam is serving her second year with Community Healthcorps at IFH.

A little about her:
Miriam once described her love for Frida Kahlo with the explanation that they "similarly loved the uterus." In her free time she enjoys crocheting, baking with pumpkin and chocolate, writing hand written letters, reading about feminism, being sarcastic, and collecting religious kitsch.

What is your position?

Breastfeeding Coordinator, Kingston Pediatric Care Center, Kingston, NY

Where are you from?

That shouldn’t be such an existential question, but for some reason it is. I grew up outside of Philly, but I don’t feel like I’m from there, because most of my extended family is from California, including my parents (and now a sister). I’ve been bouncing along the East Coast for the last 6 years, so I feel like I can semi-confidently say I’m from the Megalopolis on the US’s Eastern Seaboard.

What is the best part about living upstate New York?

Nature, nature, nature. That is by far the best part of living upstate.

What is the best place you’ve been?

One of my favorite places is the Rail Trail. There’s an old rail road that goes between the towns – it was converted into a running/biking trail and it snakes behind a few of the local towns, in between farms, and stables, and forests. It has some amazing views of the Shawangunk Mountains (locally known as the Gunks) and is so quiet and peaceful. I see at least 3 deer every time I go biking.

I also love the local markets – there are so many local famers around here – it’s really awesome to meet the people that have grown your food. And – food in general always excites me.

Where do you work and what kind of tasks do you do each day?

I work in the Kingston Pediatric Care Center, and in the community at the local hospital and OB/GYN office. I offer support and education to breastfeeding and pregnant women, so, I see women while they’re pregnant, in the hospital right after their baby is born, when they bring their baby for a check up, etc. Breastfeeding is a learned skill for both mom and baby. I get to offer a few pointers along the way.

I also help out with the Breastfeeding Initiative of Ulster County – which is working to build breastfeeding support for the entire county.

What is your favorite part of the job?

The babies. Haha! In truth, my favorite part of the job is being able to form relationships with people; to be allowed to experience parts of their life with them. I think it’s amazing that people share their lives with me. I love watching parents bond with their new babies and hearing the stories of moms happily breastfeeding their babies, seeing parents interact with their children in these very tender moments. I also love that I’m allowed to talk every day about those things that our society deems “taboo.” This year it’s breasts, last year it was vaginas. I like to think of it as a way to make our society a little bit more open and accepting. But mostly, my favorite part is getting to hold babies.

What is the most difficult part of what you do?

I think my favorite part is also one of the most difficult. Our system is stacked against people in so many ways, that it’s heartbreaking. The structural violence that exists in the US (particularly relating to access to health care) is unbelievable, and the policies that we make are so frustrating, as is the language that we use to justify this violence. It’s difficult to feel that your hands are tied, and to realize that you cannot help people sometimes in the way that they need. It’s difficult to see the systems that are created to “help” people actually cause them more harm.

I recognize that there is a certain amount of privilege that comes with being a healthcorps member; that I am able to work with the underserved because I grew up in the middle class and was able to attend a good school, etc. My privilege also lets me leave work, this messed up system, and other people’s difficulties behind at the end of the day, in a way that not many people are able. I am grateful to be in a place that (sometimes not-so) gently reminds me of my privilege each day, and challenges me everyday to resist the urge to get trapped into thinking that I somehow deserve the things I’ve been given as a white, straight, middle classed United States-ian, and that because of this privilege that I can “help” or that I know better than someone else. Each day I am reminded of what I am able to do as a human being: walk alongside another person, listen to their stories, and work for justice.

Why do you enjoy being a healthcorps member?

There are so many reasons! I feel extremely grateful to be allowed to work with really great people, particularly the patients that let us in to their lives. I enjoy being able to work under some amazing mentors. I love the community that comes from knowing the other healthcorps members; the great friends that are made. I am grateful to be able to experience all of the facets of my job, and to be able to see the inner workings of the health care field.

What do you want to be when you grow up?

Ha. I love this question. 1) I kind of hope to never grow up. Grown ups in general seem to be stressed and not able to enjoy the little things. Children are so much more carefree. I hope to never lose the wonder that little kids have at the new, big, exciting world. 2) On that note, I hope to be doing something I love, working each day towards a world filled with justice, peace and equality. I hope to never let myself become so burned out by this struggle that I become a part of the system that oppresses. 3) I want to be surrounded by people that I love, living in a community that works towards justice. 4) Beyond that I have no clue. I figure that I’ll just see where life takes me, and try to enjoy it along the way!

Teambuilding Day!

2010-10-04T09:33:00.000-07:00

Last week the Community Healthcorps group headed out of the city and into the woods for a full day of team building activities at Camp Ramapo.

Although our day was a bit on the wet and rainy side, the members still managed to have a great time and push themselves to reach new heights!

Thanks for a fantastic day!!

Welcome Community Healthcorps Class of 2010-11!

2010-09-20T08:35:00.000-07:00

This fall the Institute for Family Health welcomed its fifth class of Community Healthcorps members. This year was the biggest program yet, bringing the ranks up to 15 full time members! Eleven members will be serving in Manhattan and the Bronx and four will be dedicated to the Mid-Hudson Valley.

We couldn't be more excited!

Our members this year hail from across the US and a wide range of backgrounds. They all have a desire to work in the field of public health and a commitment to under-served communities.

The members will be working in variety of different projects throughout Institute sites in Manhattan, the Bronx, and the Mid-Hudson Valley. A few examples include: Diabetes Education, Prenatal Care, Adolescent Health, and Women's Health among other initiatives.

In order to kick off our program year, members meet for a week-long training training at the Institute's main offices on 16th Street in Manhattan. In following tradition from years past, the members were sent on a scavenger hunt throughout the boroughs to find all the great things NYC has to offer!

Here are few pictures from this years hunt!

Our team scavenging through Brooklyn was the first to return!

A photo of the whole crew:

An update with all 15!

A warm welcome to all! We are so excited to see what this year will bring!

A Look at the Women's Health Advocate Role

2010-04-22T08:07:00.000-07:00

From Women's Health Advocate, Leslie:

I began my year of service with the Reproductive Health Access Project (RHAP) through the AmeriCorps Community HealthCorps program at the Institute for Family Health in New York City. In this position, I am involved with reproductive health education, support, advocacy. I help produce educational materials for patients as well as medical students and clinicians. These include handouts, Powerpoint presentations, and workshops about birth control options and clinical best practice methods surrounding women’s reproductive health. As a patient support, I am in the room with women for a variety of women’s health procedures (such as IUD insertions). My main goal is to keep them comfortable and I employ a variety of techniques to calm and distract the patient. Sometimes just having a conversation is enough. Topics have ranged from women’s children to gardening to beading. For other women, I’m a hand to hold and squeeze. And for others still, I just help them concentrate on breathing, an often-overlooked essential in the procedure room. Women are so grateful for this support. The smiles and expressions of thanks are what make this position so meaningful.

I also work on a number of different research and grant writing projects. One of the larger projects I have been working on all year is an expansion grant program. RHAP is trying to fund five student-run free clinics across the country to establish or expand their scope of reproductive health care services. These clinics will be modeled after the NYU Women's Health Free Clinic (which RHAP helped start). I organized the outreach and advertisement for this grant opportunity and will organize a committee to choose the grant recipients.

Life as a Prenatal Coordinator

2010-03-01T09:37:00.000-08:00

My name is Miriam Wood, and I am serving as the Prenatal Coordinator and Outreach Advocate at the Institute for Family Health this year. I do outreach to pregnant patients in our practice, making sure they have all of the services that they need and I help with health education through our Centering Pregnancy groups.

Centering Pregnancy brings women out of exam rooms and into groups for their prenatal care. Women are invited to join with 8-12 other women/couples/teens with similar due dates in meeting together regularly during their pregnancy. The goal of Group Prenatal Care is to empower the patient. Patients are not only given more face to face time with their doctors, but the also able to share tips and questions with their peers, while monitoring their weight and learning to take their own blood pressure. During each visit we discuss a different topic relating to pregnancy, childbirth, parenting or personal growth.

These discussions are always enjoyable, as each woman has something in particular to share. One of my favorite nights comes towards the end of their pregnancy when we bring in some of our volunteer doulas for a “Meet the Doulas” night where we go over some comfort measures during labor and delivery.

Let me pause for a second to describe what a doula is. A doula is a labor support professional. The short of it is that we provide emotional, physical and mental support for the entirety of a woman’s labor. Many times we’re seen as an extension of a woman’s family, a return to the way labor was done for hundreds of years, when women in the community supported those in labor. Part of my job is to maintain a listserv of women in NYC that are willing to volunteer their time and services for patients in our practice.

During our “Meet the Doulas” night at group each patient gets to work one-on-one with one of our volunteer doulas who share some pain management techniques that can be useful during labor. This is a great opportunity for our mom’s-to-be to meet volunteer doulas that are available to work with them through their labor, and to share pain management skills.

I have worked as a doula for a few of our patients. Most times, women arrange to work with a doula early in their pregnancy, but sometimes doulas become necessary during emergency situations. Last month, our patient was in the hospital in early labor and alone. Her partner was unable to join her, and her family doesn’t live in New York. Being alone during labor is scary. I honestly think that one of the coolest parts of my job is that I’m able to be there when people are in need. Her labor went beautifully, and late that night, a new baby joined the world. And I hate to sound sentimental, but there is nothing more amazing than that new little baby lying on his/her mom’s chest. Watching parents take in their new baby’s face, eyes, nose is so magical. My favorite part has to be the finger nails, each one so tiny there seems to be no way that they could be real. It’s so cool to be able to be a part of people’s lives in this way!

One Night, 3,000 New Yorkers. Let’s Make it Count.

2010-01-26T09:48:00.000-08:00

Last night the IFH HealthCorps group helped to make it count. We participated in the NYC Department of Homeless Services annual Homeless Outreach Population Estimate (HOPE).
Since 2005, DHS has been conducting HOPE to get a point-in-time estimate of the number of unsheltered New Yorkers. The survey provides a consistent year-to-year measure that helps DHS to evaluate and improve services for unsheltered homeless people in New York City.

At 10:30pm, we met at our training site at PS 191 in Manhattan. Thousands of other volunteers were doing the same thing throughout all five boroughs. At our site there were several other HealthCorps members from CHCANYS and Ryan Chelsea, as well as students, community members, and long time volunteers. We received copies of the HOPE Street Survey and were assigned an area to canvass. After some basic training about how to conduct the survey, stay safe, and offer services to homeless individuals, we set out for the night.

Starting at 12:15am, we got started on our area which included several blocks around 110th and Amsterdam on the Upper West Side. We carefully walked each block on our map, following the HOPE Methodology. To help ensure the validity of the estimate, you have to ask every person you encounter if they will take the survey, regardless of whether you think they are homeless or not. Although many people were skeptical of our intentions, most still participated and were interested to hear about the project. As part of the survey we asked people what kind of housing they had, if any. When individuals responded that they did not have a place to stay that night, we would follow up with a few more questions, take notes about their demographics and where we encountered them, mark them down as homeless, and offer services. Other volunteers were on-call to pick them up in a van and take them to a shelter. For those who didn’t want a ride, we offered them information cards with phone numbers and addresses of homeless services. Our area was pretty quiet and it didn't take long to canvass the blocks, especially since we encountered more Columbia students than homeless individuals. At around 3 o’clock in the morning, we returned to our training site to deliver our completed surveys.

It was a long night, but at 44 degrees, it was unseasonably warm and the occasional rain shower didn’t get in the way of completing the count. It was great to participate in a volunteer project that has a real impact on the state of homelessness in New York. By giving just one night, we helped the City collect the data they need to better understand the state of homelessness in New York and improve the services they provide. The HOPE 2009 data showed that the number of individuals living on the street had gone down by 30 percent from the year before and 47 percent from 2005 – a powerful sign of progress in the City’s fight to overcome homelessness. The data we collected last night for HOPE 2010 will update this picture and tell us all how things have changed during the past year.

For more information on the methodology of the HOPE Street Survey, check out this paper:
Hopper, Kim et al. “Estimating Numbers of Unsheltered Homeless People Through Plant-Capture and Postcount Survey Methods.” The American Journal of Public Health 98 (2008): 1438-1442.

Watch out for HOPE every January – it’s a great way to volunteer with thousands of fellow New Yorkers and help the City help the homeless.

Americorps Kick-Off Day 2009

2009-12-24T09:00:00.000-08:00

This November the IFH Community Healthcorps team headed up to Albany for the official kick-off of their year of service.

Though it was a long drive and a very early morning, our group made it just on time! They joined hundreds of other Americorps members from around the state of New York to be officially sworn in and hear a speech by Governor Patterson.

All sworn in!

It was truly incredible to see how many other people are serving throughout the state and hear about all the different causes that are supported. Two great speeches were given by Americorps alums and we finished the morning feeling insprired and fired up for service!

After lunch, the Americorps teams were assigned to different service projects all relating to assisting our military service men and women.

Our group spent the afternoon wrapping gifts for children of military families.

The IFH Healthcorps Crew!

Community Healthcorps is part of Americorps programs nationwide and not unique to the Institute. In attendance at the event were community Community Healthcorps groups from accross the state!

NY Cares Day

2009-10-28T06:45:00.000-07:00

On October 17th, HealthCorps groups from around New York city joined forces with other eager volunteers to participate in NY Cares Day. Our group headed out to Brooklyn to work in a school that needed some sprucing up. Among many tasks completed that day, we were most excited about painting a mural in the second floor hallway. We hope the students will enjoy the colorful artwork!

Our hand for diversity!

Almost finished.

Hard at work.

Institute For Family Health HealthCorps Groups!

Teambuilding at Ramapo for Children!

2009-10-09T12:40:00.000-07:00

This past weekend Community Healthcorps programs from around the area headed out to Ramapo for Children in Rhinebeck, NY for a day of team building and high ropes climbing.

The Institute for Family Health crew had a great time and didn't let a little rain dampen their spirits!

Welome 2009-2010 IFH Community Healthcorps!

2009-10-09T09:59:00.001-07:00

Welcome new Community Healthcorps Members!

The new 2009-2010 class of Community Healthcorps at the Institute for Family Health began their year of service on September 8th! Our new class welcomes 13 full time members from across the country.

These Healthcorps members will be providing much need health services to underserved populations in Manhattan, the Bronx, and the Hudson River Valley. Member placements include: adolescent health at a school based health center, diabetes education, health information technology, depression care, homeless healthcare, community outreach, women's health, prenatal health, and quality control initiatives.

Members started their year with a week long training session at the Institute's 16th Street location. As part of their orientation to the city, they embarked on a competitive scavenger which had them running across Manahattan and into the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens!

A few photos from their adventure are found below.