Causes

Health & nutrition Education Maternal health

Posted by

Alicia B.

Director of Planning and Development

Our mission

It is the mission of Southern Tier Health Care System, Inc. to improve the health and wellness of the rural communities we serve.

What we do

For more than 25 years, the Southern Tier Health Care System (STHCS) has worked collaboratively to address the health and wellness needs of southwestern New York's rural communities. A 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, STHCS is headquartered in Olean, N.Y., with programs supporting 250,000 residents throughout Allegany, Cattaraugus, and Chautauqua counties.

These areas are federally designated as HPSAs, meaning they lack an adequate number of primary care and mental healthcare professionals. Moreover, the socioeconomic conditions of our communities make it challenging for residents to access these limited services. More than a quarter of the children in the areas we serve are living in poverty; our counties rank in some of the lowest percentiles statewide in health outcomes.

With an emphasis on leveraging new technologies to scale access to healthcare across our communities, we partner with healthcare providers, parents & caregivers, educators, law enforcement, faith leaders, and other public health and social services officials to deliver the most holistic care possible. Our programs range from training and accrediting local EMS agencies to promoting mental health by educating community members in life-saving techniques such as Narcan training, Stop the Bleed, and suicide prevention.

Working with our 12 collaborating partners, STHCS develops and implements programs that identify and remove barriers to health care. In collaboration with our federal, state, and local partners, STHCS advances the broader Department of Health priorities that are designed to enhance the capacity of our health care system and to offer a wide range of tangible assistance to our underserved communities.