Reaching for Excellence
Community Vision and Voices for Western New York Health Care
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Excellence for Tomorrow:Innovative Approaches for WNY Health Care
Speaker Series
Reaching for Excellence is committed to fostering ongoing dialogue on how to build a stronger health care future for Western New York. Improving the Western New York health care system begins with taking lessons from other regions.
Stay tuned for upcoming Speaker Series events featuring expert presentations, reactions from Western New York leaders and audience discussion.
Kicked Out of Kindergarten
Healthy early childhood development is influenced by early detection of behavioral and emotional issues; recent studies have demonstrated the growing importance of creating continuity and collaboration in early systems of pediatric and mental health care.
Healthcare Disparities
The issue of racial and ethnic disparities in health care in the United States has attracted significant attention nationwide, as highlighted by the recent release of the Institute of Medicine report, "Unequal Treatment."
Urban Safety-Net
Urban residents face great challenges in accessing quality primary care, and even greater difficulties in obtaining specialized care such as oral and behavioral or mental health services.
Rural Health Care
Western New York’s rural areas share in the challenges facing most rural regions across the U.S. – physician shortages, resource-strapped small hospitals, and high levels of uninsured and underinsured.
Elder Health Care
Many trends in the region demand a proactive effort to address Western New York's capacity to serve the unique needs of a growing elderly population.
If you attended any of the series' first five events, please take a few moments to complete our feedback surveys:
Showcasing Best Practices and Communities of Excellence
To help us learn from what others have done, the “Excellence for Tomorrow” Speaker Series showcases best practices and communities of excellence on health and health care issues important to our region. Events feature expert presentations, research publications on the state of Western New York health system, reactions from Western New York leaders and audience discussion.These events have fostered engaging discussion around critical issues including:
- Preparing our health system for the needs of an aging population
- Improving health care access for rural populations
- Reinforcing the health care safety net for the poor and underserved
- Confronting racial and ethnic health care disparities
- Ensuring children in Western New York are emotionally and behaviorally prepared for their first years of schooling
All Speaker Series events are free of charge and open to the public.
