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The Role of Water in Buffalo's Lead Exposure Crisis

Daniel Cadzow — Jan 31, 2022

This policy brief was drafted by Daniel Cadzow, Policy Fellow at PPG and an advocate for environmental justice and equitable transportation infrastructure. The brief finds that Buffalo’s lead in water levels are more troubling than many residents realize stemming from our manufacturing history and combined sewage overflow system. The author detail his own home’s susceptibility to lead contamination and demonstrates that lead may appear in dangerous, unpredictable bursts. Lower …

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Electric Buses for the NFTA

Zachary Persichini — Aug 1, 2018

This brief discusses many reasons that the NFTA should invest in using electric buses. After explaining the differences in bus technologies, it details numerous environmental, public health, and economic benefits of electric buses. The brief closes with case studies to show how other cities and counties across the world are beginning to use electric buses.

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Methane Leaks from Natural Gas Pipelines: Solutions for New York

Jordan Hawkins — Aug 1, 2018

This brief explores the problems with methane leaks from natural gas pipelines, the obstacles that prevent change, and solutions that have been proposed by New York State and others. While most methane leaks do not pose an immediate threat to safety, they can have serious and sometimes deadly consequences, and methane is a major contributor to climate change. New York has proposed a Methane Reduction Plan. The plan is a good start to combat the issue, but research reveals additional tools to …

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Good Food Buffalo Policy Brief

Jessica Gilbert — Jun 26, 2018

This policy brief provides a snapshot of the current status of school food at Buffalo Public Schools and several ongoing school food improvement initiatives.

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Health Equity: The Path to Inclusive Prosperity in Buffalo

Tracey Ross — May 8, 2017

With billions in public and private investments in the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus and Governor Cuomo’s historic “Buffalo Billion” investment in economic development, the city of Buffalo is poised for resurgence. Yet persistent racial inequities in health, wealth, and economic opportunity inhibit the city’s growth. Without a change in course, these inequities will take a heavy toll on the city as immigrants and communities of color grow as a share of its population …

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Lead Poisoning: Triggers and Thresholds

Adam Hains — Feb 10, 2017

Hains reviews the basic framework of federal and state laws aimed at preventing lead poisoning.  Given the growing body of research that even small amounts of lead cause can decrease cognitive performance and increase behavioral problems, Hains suggests that New York State lower its threshold of concern and supply additional funding, so that more children receive case management services and more units get their lead problems abated.

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A Community Benefit Agreement for the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus

Anthony Hilbert Mar 9, 2016

The BNMC is the region’s largest economic development project.  Clustering health institutions together on one campus creates many collaborations and efficiencies and increases the potential for spin-off job creation.  Inevitably, however, any large scale development also includes some negative side effects for the community, particularly those who live nearest to it.  Traffic and air pollution increase.  Parking becomes a problem on nearby residential streets.  …

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Earned Sick Time Policy Brief

Kyle Friend — Jul 18, 2015

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Coordinated School Health in the Buffalo Public Schools: Statement of Need and Recommendations

Sam Magavern, Jessica Bauer-Walker, Renee Cadzow — Feb 27, 2015

This policy brief on coordinate school health for the Buffalo Public Schools was prepared by Renee Cadzow, PhD, D’Youville College, Department of Health Services Administration and Co-Director of the Center for Research of Physical Activity , Sport and Health (CRPASH); Jessica Bauer-Walker, Executive Director, Community Health Worker Network of Buffalo; and Sam Magavern, Co-Director, Partnership for the Public Good. (February 2015) Acknowledgements: Liese Ness, Community Coalition …

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Why New York State Still Needs Single Payer Health Care

Sam Magavern, Jacqueline MacKeller — Dec 3, 2014

Conventional wisdom in the United States holds that our health care system, while costly, achieves some of the best outcomes in the world.  A report by the Institute of Medicine (IOM), however, conclusively refutes these assumptions.  In a survey of current and historical health data for 17 other high-income democracies, the IOM found that the United States ranked dead last in life expectancy among males and second-to-last among females, despite spending substantially more per person …

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Community Health Workers: A Holistic Solution for Individual and Community Health

Sam Magavern, Jacqueline MacKeller, Jessica Bauer-Walker — Nov 26, 2012

Community Health Workers (CHWs) go by many names, including outreach workers, patient navigators, peer health educators, and lay health advocates.  CHWs help people overcome obstacles by accompanying them through treatment, monitoring needs for food and housing, leading education campaigns and empowering community members to take charge of their own health.  As members of the communities they serve, CHWs establish relationships of trust with those they serve, bridging the gap between …

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Best Practices in Mental Health at Corrections Facilities

Sahil Jain — Nov 1, 2011

Police, court personnel, and correctional staff interact with, stabilize, and treat more persons with mental illness than any other system in America—making criminal justice agencies the largest mental health provider in the United States.  Yet a wide gap exists between the training of corrections staff and the enormous responsibility they have for day-to-day management of mental health issues.  To narrow this gap in jail and prison settings, the best practices include training …

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