| The Southern Tier Wellness Partnership is made up of Health Educators and community members from Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, and Erie Counties.. |
| The mission of the Southern Tier Wellness Partnership is to provide information, education, and services to communities in the Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua and Southern Erie Counties, that deal with the Diabetes, Heart Disease, Obesity, and Cancer issues. The Partnership provides resources and support to change the environment and policies that have become barriers for our citizens to lead a healthy lifestyle. The Partnership works to provide education to all facets of our communities and provide opportunities for our citizens to become more physically active and to be able to obtain healthier foods. Through these efforts we will help to decrease the incidence of chronic diseases in the Southern Tier area. |
| Interested in joining our TEAM? Click here for Job Opportunities |
| Last Updated: 06/19/2009 |
10 Illustrations created
by Jaime Snyder 2005
by Jaime Snyder 2005
| This website was funded by the New York State Department of Health, Healthy Heart Program |
| Could You have Diabetes and Not Know It? Check out our Diabetes Risk assessment and see! |
| We recieved a new grant! Complete The Streets. -our first communities will be Gowanda & Wellsville |
Click the logo for more information
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Albany NY: On April 14, 2009 - Governor David A. Paterson announced Cornell
Cooperative Extension Allegany and Cattaraugus County’s Southern Tier Wellness
Partnership is one of 12 community organizations to share in $890,000 in funding over the
next five years to reduce preventable causes of cardiovascular disease by creating and
promoting new or expanded community-level, sustainable opportunities for residents to be
more physically active or to eat more healthy foods.
"We must take steps to help create a healthier New York, and access to healthy fruits and
vegetables is an important step toward that goal. Equally important is for people to be
active," said Governor Paterson.
"This state is facing an obesity epidemic, which drives up health care costs and lowers
quality of life. This is critical funding that goes directly into neighborhoods to help turn
around the problem."
"Research clearly shows that physically active people have better health than those who
are sedentary," said state Health Commissioner Richard F. Daines, M.D. "About 150
minutes of moderate physical activity or 75 minutes of vigorous physical activity over the
course of a week can reduce risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, osteoporosis,
depression, and some cancers."
Applications for funding from the state's Healthy Heart Program were sought from
municipalities and community organizations that proposed innovative projects in largely
urban areas that would undertake initiatives such as:
• Establishing and maintaining grocery stores in low income neighborhoods;
• Establishing and expanding community gardens;
• Increasing the availability and consumption of low-fat and fat-free milk in the
community;
• Adopting "complete streets" policies to make it easier for people to walk, roll and
bicycle; and
• Creating pedestrian-friendly walking routes in low-income neighborhoods.
Cardiovascular disease includes coronary heart disease, congestive heart failure and
stroke. More than 58,700 New Yorkers died of cardiovascular disease in 2007,
representing 40 percent of all deaths in New York.
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Allegany and Cattaraugus Counties will work with 10
communities over the five year grant period to establish "complete streets" policies around
schools, low-income housing and housing for the elderly. "Complete streets" are
designed to be safe and accessible for pedestrians, bicyclists, wheelchair users and
transit users. The Southern Tier Wellness Partnership will focus on Gowanda in
Cattaraugus County and Wellsville in Allegany County in year one of the grant period.
Physical inactivity, poor nutrition, tobacco use, obesity, hypertension, high blood
cholesterol, and diabetes are known risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Studies show
that changing the environment helps people change their health behaviors.
"When neighborhoods are walkable and have parks, people are more physically active,"
Commissioner Daines said, "and when grocery stores stock fresh fruits and vegetables,
shoppers will choose them."
Adopting healthy lifestyle changes can lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, help
people achieve and maintain a healthy weight, and lower their risk of heart disease and
stroke. Behavioral changes can also reduce the risk of cancer and diabetes.
For more information on the Complete Streets Program in Allegany and Cattaraugus
Counties please visit www.southerntierwellnesspartnership.org.
Cooperative Extension Allegany and Cattaraugus County’s Southern Tier Wellness
Partnership is one of 12 community organizations to share in $890,000 in funding over the
next five years to reduce preventable causes of cardiovascular disease by creating and
promoting new or expanded community-level, sustainable opportunities for residents to be
more physically active or to eat more healthy foods.
"We must take steps to help create a healthier New York, and access to healthy fruits and
vegetables is an important step toward that goal. Equally important is for people to be
active," said Governor Paterson.
"This state is facing an obesity epidemic, which drives up health care costs and lowers
quality of life. This is critical funding that goes directly into neighborhoods to help turn
around the problem."
"Research clearly shows that physically active people have better health than those who
are sedentary," said state Health Commissioner Richard F. Daines, M.D. "About 150
minutes of moderate physical activity or 75 minutes of vigorous physical activity over the
course of a week can reduce risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, osteoporosis,
depression, and some cancers."
Applications for funding from the state's Healthy Heart Program were sought from
municipalities and community organizations that proposed innovative projects in largely
urban areas that would undertake initiatives such as:
• Establishing and maintaining grocery stores in low income neighborhoods;
• Establishing and expanding community gardens;
• Increasing the availability and consumption of low-fat and fat-free milk in the
community;
• Adopting "complete streets" policies to make it easier for people to walk, roll and
bicycle; and
• Creating pedestrian-friendly walking routes in low-income neighborhoods.
Cardiovascular disease includes coronary heart disease, congestive heart failure and
stroke. More than 58,700 New Yorkers died of cardiovascular disease in 2007,
representing 40 percent of all deaths in New York.
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Allegany and Cattaraugus Counties will work with 10
communities over the five year grant period to establish "complete streets" policies around
schools, low-income housing and housing for the elderly. "Complete streets" are
designed to be safe and accessible for pedestrians, bicyclists, wheelchair users and
transit users. The Southern Tier Wellness Partnership will focus on Gowanda in
Cattaraugus County and Wellsville in Allegany County in year one of the grant period.
Physical inactivity, poor nutrition, tobacco use, obesity, hypertension, high blood
cholesterol, and diabetes are known risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Studies show
that changing the environment helps people change their health behaviors.
"When neighborhoods are walkable and have parks, people are more physically active,"
Commissioner Daines said, "and when grocery stores stock fresh fruits and vegetables,
shoppers will choose them."
Adopting healthy lifestyle changes can lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, help
people achieve and maintain a healthy weight, and lower their risk of heart disease and
stroke. Behavioral changes can also reduce the risk of cancer and diabetes.
For more information on the Complete Streets Program in Allegany and Cattaraugus
Counties please visit www.southerntierwellnesspartnership.org.