"CAS programs and services are founded on the principles of empowerment and equality. This year as we honor Black History Month, CAS remains committed to helping people meet their individual health goals by providing truly accessible services, resources and education,” says Kim Brown, executive director of Community Access Services (CAS). CAS is an affiliate of Evergreen Health which empowers communities of color in Buffalo by addressing healthcare disparities and social determinants of health. Kim, who was born and raised in Buffalo, has dedicated her career to serving the community she is a part of. Black communities and communities of color in the East and West sides of Buffalo have historically been underserved by accessible, quality, culturally informed healthcare, and CAS has been there to help bridge the gap since 2003. As the executive director of CAS since 2018, Kim is proud to be a servant leader who both represents and serves her community. Kim says, “To stay here and do the work in the same community which I came from is critical because I bring that lens of understanding to the work that we do.” 100 percent of Kim’s current team at CAS also identifies as members of the communities they serve. Kim and her team provide services to communities of color who are disproportionately affected by HIV, like free walk-in rapid HIV testing, HIV education outreach with community members (including those who are incarcerated) and free safer sex supplies. They also support their clients’ sexual health with free linkage to STI testing through Evergreen Health and culturally informed gynecological care. Beyond HIV services and sexual health care, CAS addresses other healthcare disparities and social determinants of health that disproportionately affect communities of color in Buffalo. In 2023, the food pantry at CAS served over 2,500 individuals to meet their nutrition needs, which is a key factor in health outcomes. CAS’ Nutrition Outreach and Education Coordinator
also connects individuals and families throughout Erie County with SNAP benefits to help them get the nutrition they need. A big part of the work Kim and her team do at CAS is community outreach and events. In addition to visiting churches, senior centers, universities, prisons and more to educate community members about HIV and sexual health, CAS holds annual events like Testing for Turkeys to provide community members with free rapid HIV tests and turkeys around Thanksgiving, and a Juneteenth party to celebrate the Black community with health resources and entertainment. This February, during Black History Month, CAS is celebrating an annual event with special significance – Community Access Services Day. Each February 7 in the city of Buffalo is CAS Day, designated by Mayor Byron Brown to celebrate the work CAS does to empower communities of color in Buffalo. CAS Day also takes place on Black HIV and AIDS Awareness Day, a day that has been commemorated in the United States since 1999 to acknowledge how HIV disproportionally affects Black communities. This year’s CAS Day Celebration will take place at CAS at 3297 Bailey Avenue on February 7, from 10am-3pm. There will be raffles from local vendors like Massage Therapeutic Arts, Mister Sizzles, and Dipped & Designed, tours of CAS, free rapid HIV testing and safer sex supplies, and more. Join us to celebrate CAS and our community. Since 2003, CAS has grown and changed to meet the evolving needs of the communities they serve and continuously build health equity in Buffalo. Today, Kim is spearheading a new project that will give CAS the chance to bring accessible, quality healthcare to many more people in our community: CAS and Evergreen Health are partnering to bring a new healthcare facility to the corner of Kensington and Bailey Avenues, called the CAS Ken-Bailey Project. The CAS Ken-Bailey Project will house medical and supportive services all under one roof.
The work Kim does at CAS, from talking to clients about their needs and filling food pantry bags to leading the development of a new healthcare facility, has touched the lives of countless people in Buffalo. Outside of work, Kim is actively involved in volunteerism and serving on several boards. She’s an Oishei Foundation Leader of Color Fellow, and a member of the Community Leadership Board for the Buffalo branches of the YMCA, and in 2021 received the Volunteer of the Year Award for her service to the William Emslie Branch. In 2019, Kim was chosen as a BN360 Spotlight Professional for her commitment to serving the Buffalo Niagara region. In 2021, she was honored with the Buffalo Business First Women of Influence Award as well as the Buffalo Black Achiever Award for her contributions to her community. This January, Kim was honored with the Buffalo Business First IDEA Award for being a champion of Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Awareness in Buffalo. Kim is the wife of Lavar Brown, mother to two children, Jada and Josiah, grandmother to one granddaughter Kinslee, and a member of Agape AME Church Buffalo.
Top left: Melissa Laux shared this photograph from the Mental Health winter door decorating competition in December. Rickie Metcalf was the winner, with honorable mention to Michael Chapman for the beautiful winter wonderland scenes he created on both MH and substance use floors. Rest of page: The Transgender Health Services program hosted their first TEACH (Trans Education Around Community Health) group of the year. Attendees made vision boards to identify and manifest their goals for the future.
Mark your calendar! The submission deadline for the March 2024 issue of Connections is Friday, February 16. Be sure to get your content in before the deadline to guarantee placement. Kids, pets, vacations, recipes -we want to share it all with Team Evergreen! Email EvergreenConnections via Outlook.
Matthew Faltisco.............................. February 1 Jake Ralabate.................................... February 1 Tiffany Bieber..................................... February 2 Lisandra Rivera.................................. February 2 Darrin Rios.......................................... February 2 Gabriel Roger..................................... February 2 Erica Schuler...................................... February 3 Amina Shaibi...................................... February 5 Teresa Lee.......................................... February 6 Kaseadra Carthon............................. February 6 Allison Verstraete.............................. February 8 Kristen Kozlowski.............................. February 8 Joleen Rodriguez.............................. February 9 Megan Brady...................................... February 10 Lauren Jamieson.............................. February 11 Shawn Caldwell................................. February 11 Rachel Argo........................................ February 13 Barbara Bronner................................ February 14 Da'Quon Johnson.............................. February 14 Stephanie Vroman-Goodrich.......... February 14 Jovan Mathis..................................... February 14 Davon Brown...................................... February 14 Kristine Spada................................... February 15 Hailie Costantino............................... February 16 Liza Pereira......................................... February 16 Dawn Burkett..................................... February 16 Michael Chapman............................. February 17 Xiana Parker....................................... February 17 Tonia Kelly.......................................... February 21 Rosalind Sulaiman............................ February 21 Sheila Marcheson............................. February 22 Marvin Zinnerman............................ February 23 Melissa Laux...................................... February 24 James Shoptaugh............................. February 24 Ian Eastman....................................... February 24 Charles Hunt...................................... February 25 Victoria De Leon................................. February 26 Christopher Patti............................... February 26 Joseph Genau.................................... February 27 Steven Jagord.................................... February 28 David Setlock..................................... February 29
All of the training materials from new hire orientation are available on Blink! As Evergreen evolves, so does the content presented in new hire orientation. If there's a topic you'd like to review, you're welcome to attend an orientation presentation (with approval from your supervisor). Contact Evergreen Training and Development with any questions.
Raghda Hirsi............................................. 1 Year Dominique Jones.................................... 1 Year James Davis............................................. 1 Year Fransheska Caballeros.......................... 1 Year Volney Powell........................................... 1 Year Austin Keller............................................. 1 Year Brandon Battaglia................................... 2 Years El Jaramillo............................................... 2 Years Kathleen Creenan.................................... 2 Years Jennifer Rivera......................................... 2 Years Robin Thornton........................................ 2 Years Joelle Toal................................................ 3 Years Beth Barone-Gregory............................. 4 Years Aanya Wood............................................. 4 Years Christine Baczkiewicz............................ 4 Years Sandra Aviles........................................... 5 Years Jovino Morales........................................ 5 Years Shontae Scott.......................................... 6 Years Dan Verzelloni.......................................... 6 Years Kandice Hood.......................................... 6 Years Ivette Chavez-Gonzalez......................... 6 Years Amy Usiak................................................. 7 Years Lauren Jamieson.................................... 7 Years Xavier Washington.................................. 8 Years Bryon McKinney...................................... 8 Years Jacob Marsh............................................ 8 Years Kimberly Harding.................................... 14 Years Jerome Robinson.................................... 16 Years Rosalind Townsend................................ 18 Years John Carocci............................................ 30 Years
YOU
probably don't think about where all the stuff we need to do our jobs comes from. Everything from office furniture or medical equipment down to coffee cups just seems to be there when and where we need it. One person who does think about where all this stuff comes from is David Pimental. David is Evergreen's MWBE (minority and women owned business enterprises) procurement coordinator, and one of the goals for this relatively-new position is to increase the number of MWBs (minorityand/or women- owned businesses) we work with. Evergreen has long recognized the value of intentional spending, but now New York State requires programs that are funded by state grants to allocate at least 30 percent of their spending to certified MWBs. This applies to spending on both goods and services. Many of the programs at Evergreen, Community Access Services and the Pride Center are state-funded and need to meet this standard. "Funds from the state come with a set of rules as to how and where we spend the money," says David. "In a very simplified example, if the state gives us a $10 grant, they expect us to allocate $3 to MWBs, split further by committing $1.50 to a minority enterprise and $1.50 to a women-owned enterprise." The state maintains a registry of certified MWBs. "The list is currently over 11,000," says David. "Part of my job is to vet those companies to ensure they're able to meet our needs and do so in a timely manner." In addition to the state requirements, David is committed to supporting small businesses whenever possible. "If we can match our needs with a small business rather than a large corporation, we not only invest in New York State, but many times we invest in small business here in Western New York." When you shop for groceries or clothing, a variety of factors influence the choices you make: quality, price, availability, etc. It's the same with procurement. "Our goal is to spend Evergreen’s money responsibly, and with a high level of customer service. We’re not in the business of telling people 'no'. But we also want to get the right item at the right price at the right time."
The process begins when a request is submitted via the ticketing system. "We review the ticket and reach out if we have questions or need clarification. Then we identify the best source for making the purchase, request a quote from that company and confirm the order." David notes that Evergreen has no central storage space for receiving and redistributing larger items, so orders are usually shipped directly to the location of need. "Once delivery is confirmed, we verify that everything is satisfactory and that we were invoiced correctly. Then we submit the invoice for payment." Compliance with state regulations is a big part of the procurement process. "The due diligence is on us to prove that we've spent money appropriately, or, if we can't find a vendor that meets the criteria, explain why we could not meet the state’s goal. For example, we have grants which provide transit passes from the NFTA to our patients. There's no viable alternative to the NFTA for transit passes. But, if we need to purchase desserts for an event, it might be easy to walk into Tops or Wegmans, but we know there are local MWBs that can provide the same goods or services, and better align with our goal on how to spend that money." There are consequences for failing to meet these requirements. "If we ignore the rules on how we spend grant money, New York State has the legal right to not only reclaim the grant in full, but to do so triplefold as a punitive measure. Using the $10 example, if the state proves we ignored the rules, they could collect $30 from us." David views procurement as an arm of customer service. "I love solving issues, and hopefully simplifying my coworkers’ workday. The icing on the cake is doing all of this at Evergreen. We’re serving a higher purpose, not just the company’s bottom line. We're enriching our community through our work, and that is wholly satisfying to me." As satisfying as his work is, David admits there are challenges. "Challenges are aplenty, as our department is small, but they're worthy challenges. As the state’s MWBE goals evolve, we're evolving alongside them. We're building a foundation to ensure we not only meet our current goals, but prepare for future growth and changes. That's not a bad thing. It's doing the heavy lifting now to prepare for the future." Despite being a newer face at Evergreen, David is already a fan of the culture here. "It's
wonderful! I spent much of my career as a director of purchasing for school districts in northern California. The vibe, the sense of community and the commitment to the work are all very similar. The people attracted to this type of work want to do something more, to know they're giving back to the community through their efforts. I love seeing that here on a daily basis. There is joy in coming to work and knowing you're doing something to make your spot in the world a little brighter. And when given the opportunity to work here, I already knew I was going to be joining a wonderful team, working for and collaborating with Chelest Ponzo and working closely with the fantastic people in Grants Management." David follows the trend among recent Connections profile subjects of taking a long and winding road to Evergreen. "I was born in Oakland, California and spent a majority of my life there. They say America is a melting pot, and I was fortunate enough to grow up in the melting pot of the Bay area. A big change came when my wife and I had our son. Two downsides to Cali life are traffic and the cost of living. We were spinning our wheels, spending so much time working and commuting that we weren’t getting that quality time as new parents to raise our son. We had friends here in Western New York who we’d visited and had already fallen in love with the pace of life, the sense of community and openness here. In 2018 we took a leap of faith, moving here and starting over. We cherish that decision to this day. When I don’t feel like explaining the story, I just tell people it was a mid-life crisis move!" Family plays a large role in David's life outside work. "Our son Colmar is our focus. He’s named after a French village my wife and I found on our honeymoon. Living in WNY has given my wife and I time to be with him. It’s also provided him the space and chance to explore and discover things he loves as he finds his path in the world. I don’t know that we would have had that opportunity in California. Any given weekend you are going to find some kind of sports on in our house, a wild game of UNO, dog toys getting tossed about, or art being created and affixed to the walls. In Cali, my wife was an art teacher, but moving here has allowed her to become a part-time personal art teacher at a local art supply shop in our town. Her love for art carries through to our son, so our space is always
vibrant with color and design. Let’s just say I’m good for looking at and appreciating the art those two create as that’s about the extent of my talent." David is also a proud dad of two rescue dogs. "Heidi is boxer mix who came to us from Puerto Rico. And actually we’ll be traveling there for vacation this year, and plan to visit the group that helps find homes for street dogs like Heidi. Our other dog is a small American Eskimo, Harper. She’s the ball of frenzied energy. My wife nicknamed her 'Sasshole' because of her tendency to talk back. We rescued her from a puppy mill that planned on killing her because she couldn’t produce puppies. They are both integral parts of the family and we love them dearly." As for the weather? David breaks it down for us. "One of the most frequently asked questions when I say we moved here from the Bay area is 'why?! With all the snow here, how can you like Buffalo winters?' Going on six years being here, and I love the snow. Where I lived previously, we had two seasons: grey and rainy, or hot and smoky from wildfires. So I absolutely love getting four seasons here, and those shortened windows of each season really brings stronger appreciation for the time you get during each of those periods." Thanks for sharing your story, David, and we're so glad to have you here on Team Evergreen!
Publisher/Layout John Carocci
Copy Editors Jean Conway Kristy Mangel
Contributors Jean Conway Megan Fagyas Eric Poniatowski Christopher Cline
Connections is the official monthly newsletter for employees and board members of Evergreen Health and its affilliates, the Pride Center of Western New York and Community Access Services. You can submit photos, comments or a "hello" via Outlook at Evergreen Connections.
The Evergreen Health Foundation held its annual donor and volunteer appreciation event to thank the people who help make our mission possible!
Evergreen is the presenting sponsor of Rotary Rink's 2023-24 ice skating season. Our logo is featured on flags surrounding the rink and on the ice itself. Skating is free for the general public, and on select days the skate rental fee is waived.