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Executive Director of Oswego County Opportunities, Diane Cooper-Currier has announced that Tricia Clark has been named the coordinator of the Rural Health Network of Oswego County. Operating under the auspices of OCO, the Rural Health Network is a consortium of health care providers and human service providers in Oswego County. Working together the members take a collaborative approach to addressing major health issues that exist in Oswego County.
Clark, who has her B.S. in Health Services and will soon be receiving her Masters in Business Administration from St. Joseph’s College, joined OCO in 2004 as the coordinator of the agency’s Cancer Services Program. She worked closely with cancer patients and their providers to ensure that the patients received the medical care they needed. “I enjoyed working with the patients and recruiting providers that were capable of meeting their needs,” said Clark. “While I will miss the one-on-one interaction with the patients, I am excited about working with a wide variety of health care and human services providers and making an impact on a larger group of people. I love working with our members. It is interesting to learn about the many services they have to offer and discovering ways in which we can work together to successfully address our existing health care issues.”
Clark said that currently the Rural Health Network is working on a number of challenging health issues facing Oswego County including; the shortage of nurses and other healthcare professionals; the growing number of behavioral health issues; and the increasing prevalence of diabetes and obesity.
“Succession planning is one way in which the Rural Health Network is addressing the pending shortage of healthcare professionals,” said Clark. “The Rural Health Network was very influential in bringing the Registered Nursing Program to Cayuga Community College’s Fulton Campus in the hope that the nursing graduates would stay in our community. We have also partnered with SUNY Oswego to develop a Nurse Leadership Program. Nurses throughout Oswego County have the opportunity to attend a 2-day workshop that will aid them in developing their leadership skills. This specifically designed curriculum focuses exclusively on the development of key leadership skills, including team building, effective decision-making and communication. We are hoping to implement a second phase of the Nurse Leadership Program that will provide training in conflict management / resolution, soon. This program will provide Oswego County nurses with the skills necessary to fill leadership roles in the future.”
Clark added that the Rural Health Network is also administering the Community Diabetes Regional Outreach Partnership grant that provides education, reimbursement for patients without insurance, and funds for purchasing equipment for facilities that offer diabetes care. “The Rural Health Network has done some great things and we are capable of doing much more,” said Clark. “We have a great network of providers who are very passionate about what they do. It is very exciting to be working with such a positive group of providers who represent virtually every aspect of our community’s health care needs.”
Clark sees her role as coordinator of the Rural Health Network as an important step in her professional development and is looking forward to the challenge of sustaining and expanding the Rural Health Network. “I want to keep building our network and expand its capabilities so that it continues to be a vital part of our community and truly represents a cross section of our health care and human services providers. I am looking to re-energize the group so that we can find new ways to address the health issues in Oswego County, find the funding that will enable us to do so, and meet our full potential,” said Clark.
For more information on the Rural Health Network of Oswego County you may contact Tricia Clark at 598-4715 or visit their website at www.rhnoc.org.
OCO Inc. is a private, non-profit agency that has been supporting communities throughout Oswego County since 1966. OCO, Inc. is a United Way of Greater Oswego county Member Agency. For more information on OCO visit their web site at www.oco.org.
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