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Litter, heat islands, and blight: Neighborhood environments and health

Litter, heat islands, and blight: Neighborhood environments and health

When people discuss the environment, they tend to concentrate on global implications. But environmental issues impact every human on a local—and even personal—level.  For example, “heat islands” (areas that contain little green space) can harm the people who live there. Because buildings, roads, and other human-made structures hold and reflect heat, the temperature in these…

PRESS RELEASE: Health Care Access Now granted $30,000 by PNC Charitable Trust

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Health Care Access Now (HCAN) has been awarded a grant of $30,000 from the Josephine S. Russell Family Charitable Trust of the PNC Charitable Trusts to expand its Community Health Worker (CHW) Certification Program to support maternal and child wellness in racial and ethnic minority populations. The funds will be used to…

School-Based Health Centers in Cincinnati: An invaluable asset
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School-Based Health Centers in Cincinnati: An invaluable asset

It can be very difficult to find a pediatrician who accepts Medicaid. So says Francie Wolgin, who serves as Executive Director for Growing Well, a nonprofit that works with regional School-Based Health Centers (SBHCs) in Southwest Ohio. “They don’t actively seek to cover these children because they lose money on every case they see,” she…

PRESS RELEASE: New Practicum Coordinator hits ground running at HCAN

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Shinese Moye was appointed Practicum Coordinator at Health Care Access Now (HCAN) in March. With a history of volunteerism and administrative work, Moye has settled quickly into the position. The Practicum Coordinator works closely with students in the Community Health Worker (CHW) Certification program to help them succeed—before, during, and after becoming…

Living in poverty in Cincinnati
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Living in poverty in Cincinnati

What does it truly mean to live in poverty? According to the federal standards for measuring poverty, 28.7% of Cincinnatians fall into that category. Compare that to a poverty rate of 14.9% for all Ohio citizens. The 2022 poverty guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services put the poverty threshold for a…

PRESS RELEASE: HCAN releases 2021 Annual Report: a year of partnership

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Health Care Access Now (HCAN) spent 2021 developing new partnerships and strengthening established ones. Its Annual Report elaborates on its partners in learning and in new programs, Ohio Pathways Community Hub network partners, and many more. HCAN’s Community Health Workers (CHWs) and staff focused on working with clients to establish suitable housing…

Safe streets, safe pedestrians: an issue of equity
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Safe streets, safe pedestrians: an issue of equity

More than twenty percent of Cincinnatians do not own a car. City Council member Mark Jeffreys believes that walkable streets in Cincinnati are “not just about safety but tied to so many other issues. It’s an area of equity.”  If it seems to you that pedestrian safety has become an increasingly urgent issue in the…

“First, you have to get there”: Access to care and transportation obstacles 
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“First, you have to get there”: Access to care and transportation obstacles 

Getting to appointments can be the hardest part of staying current with medical care for Kia Davis’ clients. Davis is a Community Health Worker (CHW), who cares for pregnant mothers and children through Mercy Health. Mercy Health is a partner agency of the Southwest Ohio Pathways Community HUB, which Health Care Access Now directs. Davis…