Smoke Free Fingerlakes

   The information I found for this blog comes from www.smokefreefingerlakes.com and details the work of the The Tobacco Action Coalition of the Finger Lakes (TACFL).  The TACFL works together with community leaders and the public in the Finger Lakes to reduce the prevalence of tobacco use and to promote healthy communities. Funded by the New York State Department of Health Tobacco Control Program, the TACFL works with policy makers to de-normalize tobacco use and decrease/eliminate exposure to second hand smoke. One method that the TACFL utilizes is to reduce the presence of tobacco in marketing.  In addition, TACFL is working to increase the amount of tobacco free stores, and decrease smoking in areas of public access and recreation to decrease second hand smoke exposure and ultimately improve overall air quality. The aforementioned website also provides a link to TobaccoFreeNYS.org which provides a myriad of information regarding tobacco, its effects, strategies to quit etc.... 

   As a practitioner it is important to understand that intervention programs like this exist.  In addition, if one felt very strongly about this topic it is possible to get involved with the intervention to further influence county wide policies.  Ultimately, this can improve the health of your patients, who may be inclined to pass their education on to others.

 Canandaigua Doctor Honored for Work in Family Medicine

  I found this article through the website www.mpnnow.com, which is essentially an online news source for Ontario, Monroe, and Wayne Counties in New York State.  This article pertains to the work that Dr. Robert Smith, of Thompson Hospital in Canandaigua, NY, has done to improve the practitioner-patient relationship and overall health care of those in Ontario County. Specifically, Dr. Smith operates Fingerlakes Family Care, which as the article states is a "patient-centered medical home." Dr. Smith strives to improve the health care lives of the community by offering same day appointments for sick and acute visits, management of chronic disease by an in house care manager, and secure email and electronic communication between patients and the medical staff. By combining modern technology and personalized care, Dr. Smith has improved patient care by eliminating unnecessary office visits and provided patients with the ability to get in touch quickly and easily with a health care provider that best suits their needs.
    I think the idea behind Fingerlakes Family Care is outstanding as it serves to make the patients health care experiences as seamless and accessible as possible.  From a patient perspective I know that even the simplest tasks can be daunting and confusing when faced with an illness, acute or chronic.  Thus providing an arena that minimizes patient confusion and amplifies patient comfort and clarity is clearly an important, sometimes missed, part of health care.  I look forward to learning more about Fingerlakes Family Care, specifically the work of Dr. Robert Smith, in the future.