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| The HANYS 2020 Community Health Improvement Award went to Jones Memorial Hospital in recognition of the hospital’s efforts to promote health lifestyles by providing free, accessible trails that can be used for walking, hiking, and biking. The initiatives that earned Jones this award are funded by the proceeds from its two major community wellness activities: The RidgeWalk & Run and the GLOW 5K Run & Walk. Admiring the award are from left CEO Eva Benedict and Brenda Mong-Szabo, chair of the hospital’s wellness committee, RidgeWalk & Run Chair Jim Helms and Carrie Walker, chair of the GLOW 5K. |
WELLSVILLE, NY (October 7, 2020) -- The Healthcare
Association of New York State is pleased to announce that UR Medicine Jones
Memorial Hospital is the winner of HANYS’ 2020 Community Health Improvement
Award, in recognition of its outstanding “Promoting Healthy Lifestyles”
program.
“On behalf of the board of directors and our staff, I would
like to say how honored Jones Memorial Hospital is for being recognized for our
efforts to improve the health of our community, “said Eva Benedict, CEO at
Jones Memorial. “Thanks also go to our community, without your support we would
not have earned this recognition. The health and wellness of our community has
been a part of the mission and vision at Jones Memorial Hospital for many years
and it is so gratifying to have our efforts recognized.”
The hospital’s community wellness efforts went into high
gear in 2014, according to Brenda Szabo, Vice President of Outpatient Services
and Chair of the hospital’s Wellness Committee. “Allegany County has some of
the highest obesity rates in the state,” she said. “When we noticed that there
were no dedicated walking trails in the Village of Wellsville, it made sense to
focus on ways to provide accessible, free, and easy to use trails to help
families increase their physical activity, which would help prevent chronic
disease.”
Outcomes of its winning initiative include:
• A “complete
street” agreement, a transportation policy focused on safe roadway access for
pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists, signed with the local town and village
of Wellsville;
• Completion
of two bridges and opening of the renovated recreational WAG Trail, through a
partnership with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation;
• Completion
of the River Walk extension project; and
• Approval of
a $150,000 grant for Local Waterfront Revitalization for 10 communities along
the Genesee River.
“It is important to note that all money raised at the
successful RidgeWalk & Run and the GLOW 5k are put back into the community
for the projects that have earned us this HANYS recognition,” said Mrs.
Benedict. “We thank and appreciate our generous event sponsors, the countless
volunteers who work tirelessly at and before these events, and – of course –
the runners and walkers who participate in them. This award would not be
possible without your dedication.”
The Community Health Improvement Award, established by HANYS
in 1997, recognizes outstanding initiatives designed to improve the health and
well-being of communities. The award is presented to facilities and programs
that target specific community health issues, demonstrate leadership,
collaborate among diverse groups and achieve quantifiable results. “We are
thrilled to recognize the UR Medicine Jones Memorial Hospital team for this
successful community initiative,” said HANYS President Bea Grause, RN, JD.
“Their work shows you exactly how a hospital can positively impact an
individual’s health beyond its four walls, whether they’re biking down a
roadway or taking advantage of a trail.”
“From all of us at Jones Memorial, thank you HANYS for this
recognition and thank you to our community for your continued support,” Mrs.
Benedict said. “The health and wellness of those we serve has been a part of
the mission and vision at Jones Memorial Hospital for many years and it is so
gratifying to have our efforts recognized at the state level.”
Find out more: hanys.org or jones.urmc.edu.
