Blog Posts

CEO Update: December 20, 2024

12/20/2024

Inspiring the Future of Public Health

This week, I had the pleasure of attending the Cattaraugus County Board of Health meeting, where I got to hear an amazing presentation from Molly Gipson, Ben Vitale, and Kevin Eberth, three talented health profession students from Saint Bonaventure University. Last month, they interviewed me for their project on Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) as part of their internship with the Cattaraugus County Health Department. Seeing their hard work come full circle and hearing them share their findings with such passion was truly inspiring. It’s so rewarding to see the next generation committed to making a difference in public health.

Thank you to Dr. Watkins, Cattaraugus County Health Director, for his leadership and support in providing such meaningful learning opportunities for students to grow and contribute to our community.

Holiday Wishes and Heartfelt Gratitude

As the holiday season approaches, I want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and encourage you to spend meaningful time with loved ones. This year, I’m especially looking forward to celebrating with my grandchildren, Kallahan and Koen, as I’ll be lucky enough to have them on Christmas.
I also want to take a moment to thank those who will be working this Christmas to keep our community safe and cared for. Your dedication and sacrifice don’t go unnoticed, and I’m truly grateful for all you do.
Please remember that the STHCS office will be closed December 24 and 25 to give our team time to celebrate with their families. Wishing you all a joyful, peaceful, and memorable holiday season.

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CEO Update: December 13, 2024

12/13/2024

Large Wellness Grant

This week, significant progress was made on our new large wellness grant. We had a productive meeting with our grassroots partner, Interfaith Caregivers, to discuss collaboration and next steps. Additionally, we reviewed a potential mobile app that could become an integral part of our program. We also had the opportunity to meet with the team from the State Department of Health to ensure we are on track to meet all deliverables and move forward effectively. We are excited about the progress made so far and look forward to continuing to build on this momentum as we move this project into 2025.

Strengthening IT Compliance and Security

We contracted with Databranch, Inc. to conduct a comprehensive IT review and assessment to ensure we are meeting compliance standards and addressing security needs. As part of this process, we are upgrading equipment and actively developing policies and procedures to enhance the security of our work and safeguard our staff.