Healthful initiatives are seemingly everywhere
in Erie County. A look at the county Department of Health programs proves that
much effort has been put into public assistance. Those behind the change are
fighting an uphill battle. High poverty rates, funding problems and difficulty
in changing behavior make the future look bleak.
According to 2007 U.S. Census
data, Buffalo is the third poorest large city in the nation. A 2011 report from
Senate Chairman Bernie Sanders found that those in poverty were twice as likely
to have diabetes as those who were affluent, and that just as many people die
from poverty as lung cancer.
Erie County Commissioner of
Health Gale Burstein, and Medical Care Administrator Cheryll Moore agree that
the biggest hurdle when dealing with public health is funding. They receive
funding from New York State and county taxes, but it simply is not enough.
Grants must always be applied for, and expansion of healthcare services relies
on grant money.
Currently, there are only two
medical service delivery programs in place. Chris Collins closed the others,
and now the Department of Health is fighting to get them back.
“He felt that the county did not
need them, and that the private sector would pick it up,” Burstein said.
Education has to be at the
forefront of any program. The public has to be informed in order to choose
healthier foods and follow healthier behaviors. These programs have to reach
the children.
“Because helping kids is helping
families,” Kari Bonaro, director of communications for Buffalo Niagara Medical
Campus said.
Carolyn Chisim, supervisor of food
for the Buffalo Public Schools, loves to see children get excited about being
healthy.
“I’m not in the schools a whole
lot, but I think one of the best things I saw was a kid dig his hands in his
orange like he couldn’t wait to get it,” she said.
Buffalo Public Schools are part
of a six-step certification program through the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The district has to document that it is
following the National School Lunch Program. Transitioning to the program and
getting about 550 employees on board took about two-and-a-half months.
Educational nutrition posters are
displayed to educate students on what they should be eating and why, but
education of Buffalo students occurs outside of school as well. Part of the
Buffalo Public Schools Wellness Policy has been to implement a lifelong eating
program. It aims to foster healthy choices throughout the child’s life.
Participation in both school
lunches and breakfasts has been increasing. This promising change does not mean
that the work is done. Because portions must be restricted, even those who burn
an extraordinary amount of calories through exercise, like football players,
cannot have extra helpings of food. The system has to adapt to various
individuals.
The Buffalo Niagara Medical
Campus is taking a more structural approach to health. Officials believe that the layout of the
community must be suitable for healthy living. Bonaro pointed to sidewalks to
prove the point. If sidewalks are in bad condition, if people do not have
access to them or they simply are not safe, then people will not use them and
get the physical activity they need.
Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities
is one of many BNMC partners. HKHC is a national program of the Robert Wood
Johnson Foundation, and has only been awarded to 49 communities across the
country. One of the primary goals for HKHC in Buffalo is to engage the
community in dialogue about eating healthy and active living policies.
Yet, any area college student can
speak to the fact that change does not come quick. The non-smoking policy at
SUNY Buffalo State was implemented on Jan 1 2012, but many students still smoke
on campus.
“We don’t see the outcome for 10
to 20 years later,” said Burstein. “That’s a health behavior change.”
Some programs have been extremely
successful, as with the Syringe Expanded Access and Disposal Program (SEAD). In
2000 the New York State Legislature instituted the Public Health Law Syringe
Access Demonstration Program (ESAP), and now we are seeing more people dispose
of needles properly. Drop boxes at local pharmacies have helped with the
collection of four tons of medical waste within the last year.
“It’s normal now,” said Moore.
“Needles are not ending up on the beach.”
There are always projects in the
works. The newest one will be the reopening of a health clinic at 1500 Broadway
St. What is being referred to as a “medical mall” will feature community
providers such as Catholic Health and the University at Buffalo Dental School,
and is set to open at the end of 2013 or early 2014.
Bonaro knows there is a long way
to go in terms of health for the city, but finds it hard not to be excited
about everything that is happening. The road ahead is rocky, but we have to
keep working on it.
“We have to,” Bonaro said. “We
all live here and work here.”
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