ELLANN
Ford, community engagement specialist at Community Access Services (CAS), loves people and is passionate about serving her
community. “It’s my calling,” she says. Ellann has been at CAS, an affiliate of Evergreen Health, for about three years. She was promoted to be CAS’ community engagement specialist from her previous position as a primary care patient services representative at Evergreen. CAS’ goal is to empower communities of color in Buffalo and Erie County with access to healthcare and local resources through services and programs that are created for and by communities of color. Since 2003, the team at CAS has connected the community to quality healthcare and supportive services like HIV testing and counseling, health support groups, nutrition and SNAP assistance, food pantry services, and more. As our community engagement specialist, Ellann’s job is to connect CAS clients, as well as community members who may have never heard of CAS or Evergreen, with as many of the services and programs that can benefit them as she can. For example, when a client comes to CAS for a rapid HIV test, Ellann takes some time to talk with them about other services that could benefit them. If they tested negative for HIV, Ellann might refer them to STI screening at Evergreen, and help them make an intake appointment to start PrEP to prevent HIV. She might also ask them if they need any help getting groceries, and help them complete a food pantry intake if needed; or connect them to a list of childcare resources near them. Ellann creates effective partnerships with Evergreen and other organizations in our community that let us quickly connect them to whatever medical, behavioral health and supportive services they need. Beyond working with clients at CAS to connect them with services, a big part of Ellann’s day is outreach. “It’s a lot of boots on the ground, making people informed about what we do.”
Ellann and her team table at community events throughout Buffalo each year, where they hand out information and have one-one-one conversations with community members about their needs and how they might benefit from services at CAS. These conversations, in turn, guide how CAS develops their programs to meet the community’s needs. In 2024 alone, the team at CAS tested over 460 individuals for HIV, distributed over 34,000 condoms throughout the community, helped over 2,000 individuals get access to the food pantry, where they distributed 18,225 meals, and helped nearly 500 households determine eligibility for SNAP benefits. Ellann visits a wide variety of communities to let people of many walks of life know about the services that are available to them. She regularly visits senior care homes to educate seniors, a population that faces high rates of STIs and HIV, about safer sex and hand out safer sex supplies. She also attends wellness fairs and health fairs at community centers, churches, schools and healthcare facilities to talk with folks throughout Buffalo about safer sex and connect them to other services that could benefit them. Ellann embodies Evergreen and CAS’ core values, and she’s an indispensable part of our efforts to close the gap on health disparities in Western New York. For her work at CAS, Ellann was recently named as a nominee for the King Urban Life Center’s East Side Excellence Award in Community Leadership. Outside of work, Ellann is an active member of the Buffalo Vets Football Team, overseeing their concession stand operations, which generates funds for the little league team that provides an outlet and resource for many youth on the East Side. She also recently returned to school full time to complete her bachelor’s degree, and is a proud mother of three children who are all active in the community. She also is the proud grandmother of two and enjoys spending time with her grandchildren. Ellann never misses a beat, and we’re so proud to have her on Team CAS and Evergreen.
- profile by Jean Conway and Maggie Carrig
Team Evergreen is famous for celebrating the holidays in style, and this year was no exception. Smash rooms, food, decorated doors, food, bowling, food, presents and food all helped bring the holiday cheer.
T
he Drop In Center (DIC) is a place where patients with a history of a substance use diagnosis (current or in recovery) can access services such as showers, laundry facilities, groups and have
an opportunity to connect socially. The DIC also offers a variety of activities such as art therapy, games, sip and reflect, goals and vision boards, a peer group and fun Friday. If not for the DIC, participants might otherwise not have access to these essential services. Our Harm Reduction Team recently reopened the DIC after taking a brief pause last fall to reevaluate their programs and put new systems in place to improve the experience for our patients. The team proudly showcased these improvements during their open house on Wednesday, January 7. "We just revamped the entire DIC program," noted Melinda Felix, director of Harm Reduction Center. "As a result, we're now able to provide patients with more services and resources, along with a wider variety of informational and educational groups and activities." As the DIC's offerings have grown, so has the need for them. "We serve about 100 participants on a weekly basis," said Melinda. Increased availability and access to groups have had a positive impact on individual participants and the DIC as a whole. "Before our revamp, groups were optional. We discovered that with the demographic we serve, things can get tense if participants sit idle for too long. As a result, we were experiencing an increase in negative incidents," Melinda continued. Now, every patient that enters the DIC will have a required daily encounter with staff to assess their needs, discuss their personal goals and receive referrals when appropriate. The DIC is also a center for resources, from referrals to other supportive services to hygiene supplies and even clothing. For example, the staff recently assisted a participant in putting together an outfit from some of their donated clothing for a job interview, and now that person is working full time! The DIC is a great example of Evergreen's core values in action. "We respect everyone's life experiences and we don't judge," said Melinda. "We use the harm reduction model and recognize that
each person is the expert on their own life. We provide support through compassion, education and acceptance." During the open house, Ke’Ara Baker, harm reduction worker, made sure to point out the table at the center of the DIC space. "On the surface, it's simple, but for those who sit there it's anything but ordinary. Our table represents the heart of the DIC and Evergreen as a whole," said Ke'Ara. "Community, safety and connection. It's a reminder that healing does not always happen in formal sessions or quiet rooms. Sometimes it happens face to face, with a cup of coffee and somebody willing to listen." If you have a patient with a history of substance use diagnosis who would benefit from the DIC services, please encourage them to visit the DIC which is now open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 8:30 am – 4 pm in the Watkins Building. Note: the entrance is at the back of the building!
Kimberly Ebling.......................................January 1 Elina Bimazubute....................................January 1 Mustafa Abucar.......................................January 1 Arlene Torres............................................January 2 Ventenese Palmer...................................January 3 Andrew Walker.........................................January 3 Regina Anglada.......................................January 4 Kevin Christy............................................January 4 Phillip Aris.................................................January 4 James Thompson..................................January 5 Josh Matecki...........................................January 6 Amy Waild.................................................January 6 Connor Pace............................................January 6 Justin Haag..............................................January 8 Tracy Eichelberger..................................January 8 Joseph Lucas..........................................January 9 Guimary Medina......................................January 9 Danny Brown-Nelson.............................January 10 Natalie Gerdy...........................................January 11 Megan Fagyas.........................................January 11 Glendalisse Lopez...................................January 12 Rickie Attaullume....................................January 14 Christian Bryant.......................................January 14 Emily Ryan................................................January 15 Richard Smiley.........................................January 17 Alexandria Matyas..................................January 18 Scott Rosenheck.....................................January 19 Murray Wire..............................................January 20 Ricardo Quiros.........................................January 21 Samantha Gaerte....................................January 21 Geraldo Penalvert...................................January 21 Jillian Ortwein..........................................January 22 Abby Brown..............................................January 22 Sarah Stimpson......................................January 23 Annette Pabon.........................................January 24 Isaac Resto Reyes...................................January 25 Gerald Lawson.........................................January 26 Jordan Connell........................................January 26 Angel Cordero..........................................January 27 Michael Nemeti.......................................January 27 Leyla Gentil...............................................January 28 Emily Tyler................................................January 30 Lindsey Kelly............................................January 31 Lisa Mooney.............................................January 31 James DeGarmo.....................................January 31
Common Drugs in WNY Eligible for 1 CEU for licensed social workers, licensed mental health counselors, and CASACs. Instructor: Zachary Rombough, Harm Reduction Technician Friday, January 9 from 9:30– 10:45am (virtual) Contact evergreentraining&development@evergreenhs.org to sign up.
Opioid Overdose Response/ Narcan Training Eligible for 1 CEU for licensed social workers, licensed mental health counselors, and CASACs. Instructor: Justin Haag, Referral Coordinator Monday, January 26 from 11am–12pm (virtual) Contact evergreentraining&development@evergreenhs.org to sign up.
Outreach & Engagement Strategies for LGBTGNC Clients Thursday, January 29 from 9am – 4pm (in person) Evergreen Commons Sanctuary, 67 Prospect Avenue For this training, you will need to enroll on two platforms, Evergreen University and the NYS Department of Health AIDS Institute. Evergreen University enroll HERE. NYS Department of Health AIDS Institute enroll HERE. This training will be led by the University of Rochester Center for Community Practice. This fullday, in-person course will cover concepts related to outreach and engagement of LGBTGNC priority populations. Concepts will focus on types of outreach, barriers to engagement, strategies to increase engagement, social marketing, and working with community partners. Objectives: As a result of this course, participants will be able to: A Describe different types of outreach. A Plan for and document outreach activities. A Recognize and respond to levels of barriers that impact clients and communities. A Describe different strategies for engagement, identify appropriate strategies and effectively apply them to address client and community engagement needs. A Facilitate connections with community partners. A Connect with additional learning opportunities. The training has a strict on-time arrival policy to promote a collaborative learning environment and minimize disruptions. If you arrive 10 or more minutes after the scheduled start time, you will not be admitted into the session. You must be present for the entire training to receive a Certificate of Attendance; if you miss a total of 10 minutes or more of the training, you will not be given credit for attendance.
Orlando Munoz............................................. 1 Year Jack Vanderwerf.......................................... 1 Year Joel Arce........................................................ 1 Year Kevin Reynolds............................................. 2 Years Lyndsey Vanderwerf-Kelly.......................... 2 Years Lydia Gonzalez............................................. 2 Years Heather Czaska............................................ 2 Years Geoff Brightman.......................................... 2 Years Joey Torres................................................... 3 Years Bryan Gonzalez............................................ 4 Years Colin Davis..................................................... 4 Years Kristin Rivera................................................. 4 Years Penny George............................................... 4 Years Robert Styles................................................ 5 Years Amanda Honan............................................ 5 Years Megan Fagyas.............................................. 5 Years Matthew Iwanski-Jackson......................... 5 Years Shawn Caldwell............................................ 6 Years Zachary Marchese....................................... 7 Years Brittney Warham.......................................... 7 Years Kristy Mangel................................................ 7 Years Jessica Schanne.......................................... 9 Years Brianna Zych................................................. 10 Years Jillian Fanning............................................... 10 Years Rebekah Bongiorno..................................... 11 Years Carly Casali................................................... 11 Years Grant Rogers................................................. 11 Years Harold Colburn............................................. 11 Years Lavine Hatten................................................ 13 Years Anna Ihle........................................................ 13 Years Victoria De Leon........................................... 15 Years Andrew Kiener.............................................. 15 Years Kevin Bidtah.................................................. 26 Years
Listening in Real Time: Patient Feedback Kiosks in Behavioral Health Patient feedback is one of the most valuable tools we have to understand what’s working well, and where we can do better. To help capture patient experiences in a simple, accessible way, Behavioral Health has begun introducing patient feedback kiosks. These kiosks allow patients to quickly share their experience in real time, often in under a minute. By offering an easy, low-pressure way to provide feedback, we’re able to collect timely insights from patients who may not otherwise complete longer surveys. This helps us identify trends, address concerns earlier, and recognize areas of success across our services. One feedback kiosk is already installed in the Syringe Services area at our Elmwood location, and the response has been strong. From September through December, the kiosk collected more than 300 patient responses (summarized at left). These results highlight the powerful impact of our Syringe Services team and demonstrate how real-time feedback can validate what we’re doing well while continuing to guide improvement. Additional kiosks will begin debuting across Behavioral Health spaces in January 2026, expanding our ability to listen directly to patients at key points in their care. Feedback collected will support ongoing quality improvement efforts, helping teams better understand patient needs, reduce barriers to care, and strengthen the overall patient experience. Thank you to all staff who support this initiative and encourage patients to share their voices, every response helps us improve the care we provide. - Collin Ranney, patient experience manager
Publisher/Layout John Carocci
Copy Editors Jean Conway Emily McGorry Kristy Mangel Maggie Carrig
Contributors Eric Poniatowski Collin Ranney James Thompson Adiah Powell Connections is the official monthly newsletter for employees and board members of Evergreen Health and Community Access Services. You can submit photos, comments or a "hello" via Outlook at Evergreen Connections.
Orientation for new hires at Evergreen and CAS is truly a team effort! The orientation team gathered for lunch and conversation in November.