Langseder: “The bigger picture is our childlren”
MONTICELLO – The Robert Woods Johnson report confirming Sullivan County’s health outcomes status as next-to-last in New York State, above only the Bronx, is no longer news. The just released report confirms what has been known for years.
The only way to go is up.
County Public Health Director Nancy McGraw began an hour-long news conference on Thursday by announcing there is small improvement in one area.
“Even though Sullivan County is still ranked 61 out of 62, for health outcomes, there is also something called health factors, which is something we have improved on.”
McGraw said it took many years of effort to begin the upward climb. In Sullivan’s case, it went from 59 to 58.
Health factors include access to health care for all, safe and affordable housing, employment and education.
Amanda Langseder, the director of community health for the Greater Hudson Valley Healthcare Systems, which includes Catskill Regional Medical Center, said start small, particularly with young people. An example is the county’s pending Tobacco21 law.
“The unhealthy choice is not there; it is not accessible. Just makes it easier to make the healthy choice.”
Langseder said from there the county can go to bigger goals.
“The bigger picture is our children,” Langseder said. “We know that this is the first generation of children that has a shorter life expectancy than their parents, and if we can start to work on that, because we all have children in our lives; that we don’t want to even think about that. We want them to have longer, healthier, productive, fruitful lives, so, let’s look at the big picture, and stay focused on the bigger numbers and most importantly, the next generation.”
Other presenters included Catskill Regional’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Gerard Galarneau, county Health and Family Services Commissioner, Joseph Todora, and Bethel Supervisor Daniel Sturm, who outlined a long agenda of things his town as done from farmers’ markets, a community garden and exercise programs.
County Legislature Chairman Luis Alvarez was optimistic about what he heard.
“What we look at and the way we look at it, I hope that within one year to two years, we should see an improvement in the rating of Sullivan County,” Alvarez said. “The reason for that is that we’re not alone. I’m not doing this alone. That’s not only the body of the legislature. There’s many people involved in it at the present time. Many people have come forward.”
Working on the “factors” is a starting point for the legislature. Alvarez cautioned, however, that “It won’t happen overnight.”
