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Research Project: Impact of the New York State Budget on Rural Communities 

In 2017, the New York State Association for Rural Health (NYSARH) administered a member survey investigating the impact of the New York State Department of Health 2017-2018 Budget funding cuts to 31 public-related programs.

The 2017 survey was followed up in 2018 with a research project by Casey Harrison, CNM, DNP, a NYSARH sponsored intern, investigating the multiplied effect of the funding cuts in two rural Senate districts.

Dr. Harrison presented the research findings at the 2018 NYSARH Conference. To view the outcomes of Casey’s research, you can download the presentation here.

“Health Policy and Economic Policy are inextricably linked and, in whole, they determine much regarding the population’s health.”L. Thomas Wolff, M.D.
Distinguished Teaching Professor Emeritus
Department of Family Medicine  |  S.U.N.Y. Upstate Medical University

Saving Rural Communities

Saving Rural Communities was produced by Health WorkForce New York (HWNY), a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving health and healthcare in New York State.

This video is intended to raise awareness and highlight the economic and systemic importance of public health-related program funding for local communities.

The research highlighted in the video used data from the New York State Department of Health 2017-2018 public health-related programs budget cuts as a framework for quantifying and demonstrating the significant impact of health policy on local economies.

Key Findings

According to the study, the 20% New York State Department of Health funding cut to Rural Health Networks and Area Health Education Centers in New York State Senate Districts had multiplied job and dollar loss effects.

Rural Health Networks and Area Health Education Centers represent only about 6% of the public health-related programs that were included in the New York State Department of Health funding cuts.

Senate District 51 

According to the study, the 20% New York State Department of Health funding cut to Rural Health Networks and Area Health Education Centers in New York State Senate District 51 had a 1.47 multiplied effect.

This multiplied effect represented 5.35 jobs and nearly $350,000.00 lost in Senate District 51.

This study suggests that the overall impact of the New York State Department of Health funding cuts in public health-related programs could approximate 500 jobs and 32 million dollars lost in Senate District 51.

Senate District 45 

According to the study, the 20% New York State Department of Health funding cut to Rural Health Networks and Area Health Education Centers in New York State Senate District 45 had a 1.50 multiplied effect.

This multiplied effect represented 5.78 jobs and nearly $383,000.00 lost in Senate District 45.

This study suggests that the overall impact of the New York State Department of Health funding cuts in public health-related programs could approximate 540 jobs and 36 million dollars lost in Senate District 45.

Questions or Comments

If you have any questions about this Research Project, please contact

Richard K. Merchant, Chief Executive officer
Health WorkForce New York
rkm@nahecnet.org
(315) 379-7701

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