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The
Western New York Public Health Alliance had its genesis as the Western
New York Public Health Coalition (the Coalition) which formed
in 1992 as an informal coalition of the eight county health departments
of Western New York. Comprised of the Commissioners and Public Health
Directors of each county, the Coalition met on an ad hoc basis to provide
a neutral forum to discuss local public health issues and to provide
a venue to explore ways to address public health issues on a regional
basis.
Some of the early issues included: Municipal Public Health Services Plans, Medicaid Managed Care, Rabies, Homecare, Early Intervention and Community Health Assessments. Common to many of these issues was the absence of valid, timely and locally specific behavioral health data. In 1997 the Coalition applied to, and received from the NYS Department of Health a Communities Working Together for a Healthier New York grant to develop a Regional Adult Behavioral Health Risk Assessment (HRA). In partnership with Hospitals, HMO’s, the Managed Care Coalition, The Western New York Community Care Network, Departments of Social Services, Mental Health providers and the University at Buffalo an assessment was developed and conducted across the eight county region of Western New York. The effort was so successful that the results were used to prepare hospital community services plans, community health assessments, the State of the Region Report and presented at Healthy People 2010. The survey was recommissioned in 2004-05 with a grant from HRSA and the Community Foundation of Central and Western New York. Look for a summary report and access to the HRA data to be posted on this web site in the near future. A second successful project the Coalition undertook was preparation and regional distribution of “The Physicians Guide to Public Health: Partners in Keeping People Well” (the Guide), a quick reference guide for physicians to the public health services available throughout the Western New York region (third edition in preparation). Look for the third edition of the Guide to be posted on this web site in the near future. The aftermath
of 9/11 changed public health In 2004, the Coalition received a grant from the Community Foundation of Central and Western New York to incorporate and form the Western New York Public Health Alliance (the Alliance) as a not for profit 501 (c) (3) agency. The Alliance was incorporated in September 2004 and received non for profit status in June of 2005. The Alliance has expanded its scope and membership which now will include organizational representation from Academia, Hospitals, Community Based Organizations, Payors and Physicians. This expansion underscores the critical importance of a broad based comprehensive and collaborative approach to addressing regional health issues and provides a mechanism to leverage existing resources and to attract new resources to the Western New York Region. The Alliance will have the capacity to address, in a cost effective manner and on a regional basis, critical problems such as obesity, smoking, access to health care, homeland security, chronic and communicable disease, emerging infections, etc. For a more comprehensive overview of the Alliance go to the Rural Healthy People 2010 web site The Alliance meets monthly to address regional issues. An example of a recent agenda can be found under the Calendar icon.
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dramatically
and required a new focus on homeland security. The Coalition recognized
the challenges faced by each county health department and decided
to pool their resources and formed the Regional Office of Public
Health Emergency Preparedness (ROPHEP). This was a cost effect way
to leverage limited resources and increase dramatically, regional
emergency response capability. Look for an overview of the ROPHEP
on this web site in the near future
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