James Th James Thompson is the Health and Wellness Program Coordinator at the agency’s new THRIVE Wellness program. As Program Coordinator, James oversees a team committed to creating a supportive environment conducive to learning, where, through group education and individual counseling, patients are encouraged and empowered to make behavior changes and manage their chronic health conditions. James also oversees a team which serves 300 patients, community members and their families monthly with much-needed food resources through Evergreen’s Food Pantry. With so many responsibilities on his plate, there’s no such thing as a typical day for James. “I may be engaging with patients in group classes on heart disease, diabetes or smoking cessation, assisting my staff with anything they need or working behind the scenes to keep everything running smoothly,” said James. “I’m proud of everyone on my team. They all are committed to serving our patients and helping make their lives easier, and also growing as individuals and learning new skills.”
James notes that the THRIVE Wellness program is already
having a noticable impact on the health of our patients. “We’re
Thompson seeing many success stories already of patients making real
to working with our patients and building a rapport with them.”
changes in their diet and activity and who benefit greatly from
Two years later James took the position of Pantry Services
our Art Therapy program. It’s been a big challenge for everyone
Coordinator, and did another internship with Evergreen, this
to create a new THRIVE Wellness program just since the
time as a public health graduate student. He did his master’s
beginning of the year and deliver this new service from scratch,
thesis work at Evergreen as well, administering and analyzing a
but the hard work and planning is paying off for our patients.”
survey to patients on experiences of discrimination that patients
The THRIVE Wellness program offers a variety of services
face in the healthcare system. Staying within the Wellness and
for our patients, including education on health-related topics,
Nutrition Department, James then became the Wellness Center
yoga and Art Therapy groups. “It’s exciting to be part of this new
Assistant, running education groups and linking patients with
venture. I’d love to see the THRIVE Wellness program expand
services in the old Wellness Center.
even more in the future.”
James has worn many hats at Evergreen. “From late college,
on Grand Island for most of his life. “I was always outside riding
I knew I wanted to work in the field of HIV and LGBTQ health.
my bike or spending time on the water,” said James. “I was on
Evergreen (then AIDS Community Services) was the leader in
the rowing team in both high school and college and had success
Western New York in that field.” James did an internship in the
at both the state and national level. I went to the University at
department of Behavioral Health the summer before starting
Buffalo to get my Master’s in Public Health after college, and
graduate school. “I learned a lot about the agency. The work
that led me to come in contact with Evergreen in 2011.”
environment and the mission of the agency clicked with me. I
took a part-time position as the Pantry Assistant, filling grocery
Shickluna Bikes/Catalyst Fitness team, training hard and racing
bags and assisting in pantry operations. It was a great first step
throughout the Northeast at an elite level.
James was born and raised in Western New York and lived
In his spare time, James is a competitive cyclist with the Connections
The mission of the Evergreen Association’s Diversity & Inclusion Council is to “act as change makers to celebrate diversity and embed equity. We work with our partners to foster dialogue, reduce stigma and be leaders and advocates for positive change.” As the work of our Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) continues to grow, we’re looking for individuals who may be interested in leading new and/or existing employee resource groups. What is an Employee Resource Group? ERGs are informal teams that come together with a group leader to talk about issues that our agency, staff and community face. If you’re interested in leading the Communities of Color or Sustainability Resource Groups, or the proposed new LGBTQ Resource Group, please send an email to diversity-inclusion@evergreenhs. org. Resource Groups can be led by an individual or group of people! - Ekua Mends-Aidoo
Birthdays Liz Miller........................... June 1 Alyssa Sherman.................. June 4 Sashira Quintana................ June 5 Yahya Adam....................... June 5 Ileana Hernandez............... June 6 Tara Monaco...................... June 6 Shontae Scott..................... June 10 Katherine Marrero.............. June 16 Deborah Esposito............... June 17 Adam Eisenhauer............... June 18 Brianna Cabrera................. June 19 Ashley Kuss........................ June 19 Kimberly Herrington.......... June 20 Dawn Ganoe....................... June 20 Theodore Mighells.............. June 21 Salvatore Sciandra.............. June 23 Emily Oaks......................... June 24 Eliud Kosgei....................... June 25 Kyle Switzer....................... June 26 Jacob Marsh....................... June 26 Brodie Skowronski.............. June 27 Kathryn Coleman............... June 27 Megan Bhatti...................... June 29 Quinn Lee.......................... June 29
Anniversaries Clare Malachowski.................. 1 year Erika Szymanski...................... 1 year Ada Acevedo............................ 1 year Marques Elder......................... 1 year Christina Monroy.................... 1 year Michael Canty......................... 1 year Robert Smith........................... 2 years Jamie Major............................ 2 years Leonora Umuhoza................... 2 years Luann Bogdan......................... 2 years Kaitlyn Gately.......................... 2 years Joseph Valentini...................... 2 years Jessie Dorman......................... 2 years Cristina Salcedo-Postell............ 2 years Melissa Mayhew...................... 2 years Jacob Perrello.......................... 3 years Carolee Corbitt........................ 3 years Julie Mayer.............................. 3 years Liza Pereira............................. 3 years Giovanna Gasbarre.................. 4 years Kristen Rickey......................... 4 years Susan Buck.............................. 4 years Elise Robinson........................ 4 years Shannon Curry-Izzo................. 5 years Kathryn Diebold...................... 7 years Ray Ganoe............................... 12 years Elisa Luciano........................... 18 years
SINCE
the early days of HIV, state and local health departments have operated partner notification programs (PNPs) to encourage people with a recent diagnosis to inform sexual partner(s) that they may have been exposed to risk and should be tested. Evergreen’s new PNP is the Embedded Partner Program (EPP). v The ways people meet have changed a great deal in recent years. Quick connections are easier than ever, but staying in contact long-term can be difficult. This is a challenge for PNPs, which are struggling to keep pace with the world of social media. Evergreen’s EPP is a pilot program in partnership with the New York State Department of Health designed to adapt to a rapidly changing world. EPP places a Disease Intervention Specialist right in our Testing and Sexual Health Center. When a person receives an STI or HIV diagnosis, the Specialist can speak to them immediately to assess their ability to notify partners and contacts. Chris Banks is Evergreen’s Disease Intervention Specialist. Having Chris on-site in the Testing and Sexual Health Center streamlines the notification process, and the sooner a conversation is started the better a person’s recall will be. This means better results for the EPP. v “My role, in conjunction with the DOH, is to notify and counsel patients and their partners who have been in contact with or exposed to STIs,” explained Chris. “I talk to patients to identify exposure dates and partners, and I research medical history to assist the medical staff with treatment.” Chris is also responsible for making referrals to link patients with any care they may need, such as mental health or substance use counseling, through Evergreen or another provider. The notification process is anonymous. Partners are not told the identity of the patient or any details of the possible exposure. v PNPs are an important tool in slowing the spread of HIV and STIs. “It’s a great feeling when I contact a partner over the phone and they come in and get tested or treated,” said Chris. “Patients are already stressed about having to deal with a new life-changing medical condition and anything I and Team Evergreen can do to help them and their partners takes some of that burden off their shoulders.
Also, every partner that is treated means less risk of spreading the infection in the community.” v Chris is up against a number of challenges in his work. “I deal with a wide range of personalities on a daily basis,” he said. “Some patients are open and willing to provide any information that will help. Others are not. People I contact are often angry or think they’re being punk’d. My challenge is usually within myself.” Chris uses his training and outgoing personality to break those barriers down. “I had a patient that was angry and uncooperative to the staff on the Mezzanine. By the end of our conversation, we were laughing and hugging. I like that I don’t have to be so process-focused and “robotic” when I’m doing my job.” v The EPP is very much aligned with the mission of Evergreen as a whole. “We’re a harm reduction agency,” said Matthew Crehan Higgins, AVP of Enhanced Medical Services, who oversees the program. “We accept that people are having sex. Sometimes they’re going to have STIs, too. Letting someone know right away that we can help them tell the people that may have been exposed is a huge relief for them, and it’s immediate. It’s also a service to the people we notify, who may not have experienced any symptoms, and who can now access appropriate treatment as quickly as possible, increasing their chances of good health and reducing the risk of further transmission. The DOH staff saw great value in the way that Joelle (Toal, former Director of Testing) set the program up so that Chris would be seen as part of the care team in the Testing and Sexual Health Center.” v Evergreen’s EPP is a one-year pilot program, but in the short time it has been in operation it has already produced results. “We’re hopeful that the state will want to continue building on that and carry it beyond the pilot phase,” said Matthew. v How can staff help? “The more we all talk in a sex positive manner and acknowledge that everyone has the right to make their own choices around their sexual health, the more we’ll continue to decrease the stigma that exists around STIs in general,” said Matthew. “We’re working toward a time when people don’t feel angry or embarrassed if they receive a call that they may have been exposed.” Connections
A Corinne Miosi A Dawn Trotter A Drew DiRienzo A Ekua Mends-Aidoo A Felissha Humphries A Gianna Puckett A Jacob Marsh A Jennifer DeMarsh A Joseph Sessa A Joseph Valentini A LaTanya Walton-Brown A Magali Maldonado A Melissa Murray A Mike Blasdell A Nakia Fears A Nicole Dommer A Nicole Mitchell A Quinn Lee A Rachel Parrino A Rachel Voelkle-Kuhlmann A Renee Posey A Ronda Ivory A Shari DeMarco A Stefanie Warnick A Stephanie Mineo A Steven Rein A Theo Herman
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“In a moment my perfect world came to a screeching halt” _
It was Saturday, April 7th. I awoke that morning thinking about how awesome my life is. I have great job. I’m married to my best friend. The house we were living in belongs to my mother-in-law and we were looking forward to buying our own home soon. In a moment my perfect world came to a screeching halt. The house was raided by police. My husband and I were arrested for crimes we did not commit. We spent the next several days in the holding center and quickly learned what it means to be labeled guilty until proven innocent. This world was brand new to me. This world is scary. But something happened while in this nightmare. Something extraordinary! I connected with some women that were willing to share their stories with me. Sad stories. Inspiring stories. The women were sharing stories about Evergreen! We talked about the impact of our Syringe Exchange program and free condoms, services they relied on to be safe while out on the street. I let them know that Evergreen has so much to offer and that services such as counseling were also available. We talked about Evergreen being a true safe space without judgement and with a strong belief in harm reduction. These women became important to me. The toughest time was hearing them go through withdrawal. When people are arrested and brought to the holding center they’re not able to continue suboxone or methadone treatment. They’re unable to use these medications and so, of course, they experience terrible withdrawals. My husband and I are quickly putting our perfect life back totogether, and we’ll be fine. Thank you for all your support and prayers. Some of you went above and beyond to help in my darkest hour and that has touched my heart and my husband’s heart. We are forever grateful. And special thanks to all the programs that work so hard every day for the people that need you most. You’re helping those that are hurting. No matter how big or small your part at Evergreen, you’re touching lives. My husband and I have two favorite sayings we repeat often: every day is a rainbow, and every day is a winning day. I’m so proud to call you my Evergreen family. Thank you. Connections
ONE
of the responsibilities we have as employees of Evergreen is the protection of our patients’ confidentiality and their personal health information (PHI). In the hustle and bustle of work life it’s easy to forget best practices. Here are some easy reminders. Faxing PHI: when faxing PHI,
remember to notify the person receiving the fax that it is on its way. Don’t forget to use a cover sheet with a confidentiality statement, include information on who the intended recipient is and your contact information just in case the fax is sent to the wrong number. Emailing PHI: PHI sent via email must always be encrypted. Our email system automatically encrypts certain kinds of information but you can manually encrypt your emails by typing “ehssecure” in the subject line or using the encryption button if your Outlook program has one. Texting PHI: texting must be secured with Tiger Text and other than appointment reminders and contact requests texting to send PHI should be avoided. PHI on Paper: while most printers at Evergreen are “secure print” and will only print when you swipe your Evergreen ID, MEDENT printers still print automatically. Remember to pick up your PHI from the printer as soon as you have printed it. This reduces the chance that someone else will pick it up or see PHI they’re not supposed to see. PHI on Desk Tops: during work hours documents with PHI should be covered or put away when you are away from your desk. At the end of each work day documents containing PHI must be secured in a locked file cabinet, even if you lock your office door. Mailboxes: place documents containing PHI in an envelope when delivering to an office mailbox, otherwise you are exposing that PHI to everyone looking for their mail and anyone who walks by. Confidentiality on Social Media: unless it’s part of your job function never post anything patient related or program related on social media. Readers might piece together a small bit of information and you might inadvertently expose someone as a patient of Evergreen or reveal their medical status. PHI in Public Conversations: never hold discussions about patients in public spaces, even inside Evergreen, as someone may overhear your conversation. Private offices and conference rooms are the best options. When You See Patients in Public: some patients may not be comfortable running into their service provider in public. The best course of action is not to approach the patient but let the patient approach you first. Keep the conversation casual and not work related. - David Haefner, ESQ