September Newsletter 2023

September Newsletter: Updates and News

2023 NORTH COUNTRY LEADERSHIP SUMMIT

This is a reminder that the annual North Country Leadership Summit will be held on September 27th-28th at the Courtyard Marriott in Lake George, NY

Click here to register! Please email the Summit team at ahisummit@ahihealth.org with any questions.

SPECIAL OLYMPICS NEW YORK

At Special Olympics, our mission is to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-style sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. While we are a sports organization, we also devote a significant amount of our time towards bettering the health and well-being of our athletes through a variety of health programs. Our goal is to ensure that our athletes perform at their best, on and off the field, and receive access to quality healthcare and health education. We offer free health screenings, fitness opportunities, and educational resources to help our athletes be the healthiest people they can be!

There is a great disparity in the quality of healthcare that people with intellectual disabilities receive as compared to the general population, and we aim to close this gap and provide necessary baseline checks for our athletes in multiple health disciplines. Healthy Athletes is a Special Olympics program that provides free health examinations in a fun, welcoming environment that removes the anxiety and trepidation people with intellectual disabilities often experience when faced with a visit to a medical professional. We also utilize these screenings to train current and future healthcare professionals about working with people with ID, so they can take their increased knowledge of and compassion for people with intellectual disabilities into their current or future practice.

In combination with our Healthy Athletes program, we have developed an Inclusive Provider Directory – This is a resource that includes providers that accept at least one form of Medicaid, have experience working with the IDD population and have a relationship with Special Olympics. We are working to continue to build this list and expand the knowledge of folks in the healthcare space by offering our Inclusive Health Training for current and future providers, as well as our Health & Intellectual Disability 101 training for those in health administration/health agencies.

There are many opportunities to be involved – we are happy to schedule trainings, add providers to our directory, work together to create resources, or coordinate event volunteer opportunities! Please reach out to health@nyso.org if you would like more information on how to work with Special Olympics!

Our Fall State Games will be held in Glens Falls, NY on October 20th – 21st. If you would like to volunteer, please
reach out to Sara Massa at smassa@nyso.org!

Adirondack Health Institute 100 Glen Street, Suite 1A Glens Falls, NY 12801
833-ADK-WELL | adkwellconnects@ahihealth.org | www.adkwellnessconnections.org

UPCOMING EVENTS AND NEWS!

A free pop-up health clinic held at Caffè Lena located at 47 Phila St. in Saratoga Springs for the creative community who are uninsured or under-insured. Volunteer medical professionals will provide testing, evaluation, health and wellness education, as well as assistance obtaining access to ongoing care. The clinic will include the following services: free vision care clinic including exams and eyewear, custom molded ear plugs, blood pressure screening, dietician consultation, HEPC/HIV screening,
insurance navigation, and cancer screening services.

This clinic is brought to the community by a collaboration of Jill Burnham RN-BCEN of “Mark and Jill Sing the Blues,” Saratoga Hospital, Sight & Sound Vision Care for the Music Industry, Hudson Headwaters, 1of1 Custom earplugs and
Caffè Lena. CREATIVE COMMUNITY HEALTH & WELLNESS CLINIC: SUNDAY, OCTOBER 22, 11:00AM – 2:00PM

SELF-MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH CHRONIC CONDITIONS

This six week workshop will be held via telephone on Tuesdays from 11am – 12pm starting Tuesday, September 26th. Some topics include: falls prevention, learning to eat well, appropriate medication management, maintaining and improving strength and endurance, action planning and problem solving. Registration is required as spots are limited! Call 518-873-3695 to sign up. Please RSVP no later than September 18th. Weekly prize drawings will be held for all active participants!