STEMS Program HighlightsWhile we continue to experience the challenges and uncertainty associated with COVID-19, living with the pandemic during the past two years also provided us with the opportunity to work even more closely with our 92 agencies and State partners. In addition to the deliverables set forth by the New York State Department of Health Bureau of EMS and Trauma Systems, over the past several years, STHCS has worked to go above and beyond for our EMS agencies, not only in our catchment but across NYS. These efforts required collaboration across STEMS' program agency, EMS agencies, local hospitals, and State Partnerships. Please take a moment to take a look at some of the highlights of STEMS' work and accomplishments (click here). Safe Kids Coalition MeetingOn Wednesday, we held the first quarterly meeting of 2022 for the Safe Kids Southern Tier New York Coalition. Sydney, our Safe Kids coalition coordinator, provided updates on the coalition's progress and the upcoming programs that we will be hosting. I want to thank the many community partners for their attendance and look forward to the next quarterly meeting in April. If you or someone you know is interested in joining the coalition, don't hesitate to contact Sydney at [email protected]. Update Link SBU Physician Assistant Program TrainingOver the last year, I have been working with Jim Tkacik, Director of Clinical Education for the Physician Assistant program at St. Bonaventure University, on ways STHCS can partner with the program. This week, we hosted the inaugural cohort of the St. Bonaventure University’s Physician Assistant program at the STHCS Training Center to complete the American Heart Association’s BLS, ACLS, and PALS provider courses. This was a great week of educating these individuals and knowing that we are playing a part in ensuring we have quality health care in the future! I want to thank Brian Wilcox, Kelsey Mattison, Suzanne Soltysik, and Bryan Swift for making this week of education possible. Moving Forward Together Thanks to the Western New York COVID-19 Community Response Fund, Jordan has made great strides on The Moving Forward Together project. This project is a partnership with the Council on Addiction Recovery Services (CAReS), Allegany Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse (ACASA), Clarity Wellness Community, and the Cattaraugus County Department of Community Services. The goal is to increase access to internet service in Cattaraugus and Allegany counties to allow individuals in treatment for substance use disorder to access telehealth counseling services essential for their recovery. To make this happen, we are currently looking to partner with several public libraries in the catchment to create “tele-suites” to allow individuals to complete their treatment in convenient locations. Update Link |
ABOUTDonna Kahm has served as President and CEO at STHCS since January 2007. |