History

History

Our Mission

The mission of the Rural Health Network of South Central New York is to advance the health and well-being of rural people and communities. The agency was founded in 1998 with a primary geographic focus in Broome, Delaware, and Tioga counties. Currently, one or more services are also offered in Chenango, Chemung, Cortland, Otsego, Schuyler, Steuben, and Tompkins counties.

 

Rural Health Network has promoted equity and advocated for the right of rural residents to have access to affordable healthcare at the local, county, regional, state and federal levels for over twenty years. Our organization prides itself on coordinating services with partners and collaborating across systems and borders. Our expertise in rural issues, healthcare access, chronic disease management, and programs addressing social determinants of health, including transportation barriers and food security, are widely recognized in the region. Strong partnerships across local and state government divisions, healthcare providers and systems, education systems, private businesses, and community-based organizations form the basis for program innovation and efficiency.

1996

The New York State Health Care Reform Act and funding was authorized for the development of Rural Health Networks within the state of New York. One year later, in July of 1997, Our Lady of Lourdes Memorial Hospital and United Health Services Hospitals, along with several key health, human service, and community partners, proposed the development of a Rural Health Network of South Central New York to serve rural residents in Delaware, Tioga, and Broome Counties.

1998

Rural Health Network of SCNY is established to improve health outcomes in rural communities

2003

A new Strategic Plan was unveiled in the spring of 2003 to guide the organization through 2006. It was a shared and evolving road map for the Board of Directors, Committees of the Network, staff, and community partners, all working together for the benefit of the residents in rural communities.

2005

Food and Health Network is established to help unite diverse stakeholders in an eight county region to develop a more food secure region.

2008

Rural Health Service Corps, an AmeriCorps National Service Program, is established at Rural Health Network to provide meaningful service and learning opportunities for people who are committed to improving the health and lives of those living in SCNY.

2009

Community Health Services launches Renew Health, a program designed to assist individuals with chronic diseases and who lack health insurance access health-related services, case management to meet health-related goals, and chronic disease self-management education.

2011

Getthere, formerly Mobility Management of SCNY, established from Broome-Tioga Mobility Management Project, a partnership of regional transportation providers and planners.

2012

Rural Health Service Corps adds AmeriCorps VISTA.

2013

Getthere creates Connection to Care to help rural residents with financial need and aren’t enrolled in Medicaid to access non-emergency medical appointments and other health-related services.

 

Delivery Service Reform Incentive Payment Program (DSRIP) planning process begins in NYS, transforming how Community Health Workers (CHWs) engage in service delivery with the aim of improving population health outcomes through comprehensive, collaborative, and preventive care.

2014

Rural Broome Counts, a needs and asset assessment of rural Broome County, is initiated.

2016

Farm to school initiative, a regional effort to provide healthy, local food and dietary education in schools, is launched.

 

Care Transitions is initiated, an intervention method which provides thirty days of support to recently discharged individuals to enhance their self-management skills in order to reduce the potential for rehospitalization.

2017

NY Thursdays, a collaboration of local organizations to provide an NYS-grown lunch in schools at least once a month, and Fruit and Vegetable Prescription Program, a program that equips registered dietitians with vouchers which can be redeemed by patients at risk of food insecurity and chronic diet-related diseases at a variety of locations, are launched by Food and Health Network.

 

Travel Training is provided by Getthere’s Mobility and Transportation Advocates to individuals or groups to help familiarize them with public transportation routes.

 

Community Based Organization Transformation (CBOT) project begins, which brought on additional CHWs to actively engage Medicaid Members ages 18-64 who are low utilizers of primary care in Broome, Tioga, and Delaware Counties.

2018

Transportation to Employment Program, a mobility management program that seeks to help low-income individuals who have identified transportation as a barrier to employment develop a long-term transportation plan, is piloted in the City of Binghamton.

 

Rural Health Network initiates a Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) measurement project of several community-based organizations who address non-medical needs that impact individual and community well-being.

 

Tioga Tells, a year-long quality of life assessment of factors impacting quality of life for Tioga County residents, is initiated.

2019

Rural Health Network receives funding from the New York State Office for Aging to operate a Naturally Occurring Retirement Community in Northern Broome, with the aim of helping the aging, rural population to age in place.

 

In collaboration with Care Compass Network, a Cohort Management Program is initiated to allow placement of CHWs in health care system settings as health coaches assisting clinical care teams.

2020

Rural Health Network’s new program, Northern Broome CARES, began offering services to the northern Broome County area. Northern Broome CARES is part of the NORC (Naturally Occuring Retirement Community) initiative.