How Will an Aging Population Affect Health Care? (March 2004)  PDF file.  The Finger Lakes Health Systems Agency has published this Health Matters to focus the discussion on some of the issues expected to affect, and be affected by, the aging population in the 12-county Genesee region: health care workforce, access, financing of health care.  (click to view)

The Health of Women in the Finger Lakes Region (November 2003) PDF file, discusses the increasing recognition among health care researchers, policymakers and clinicians that women's health care utilization and health issues vary significantly from men's.  These differences must be considered when providing health services to women or developing strategies for improving women's health status.  (click to view)

The Potential Effects of Hospital Consolidation on Access to Care: Questions for the Rochester Community (June, 2003) describes the experiences with hospital consolidation of other U.S. cities, and poses a series of questions for local policy makers to consider, from the perspective of access to care, when asked to respond to potential consolidation. It also provides a history of hospital consolidation in Rochester.

Leading Health Indicators, Monroe County (October 2002) This 8 page pamphlet, jointly published with the Monroe County Health Department, presents information on measures of health and health care in Monroe County, reflecting the set of Leading Health Indicators developed in Healthy People 2010 and the priorities in HEALTH ACTION.  (No charge)

AIDS in the Finger Lakes Region (April 2002) highlights the changing epidemiology of HIV/AIDS in the nine county region, including growing rates among women and communities of color.

Long Term Care It’s Not Just Nursing Homes Anymore (January 2001) calculates the capacity of each component of the long term care system in the region. The growth in total capacity is charted, and the shift from institutional settings (e.g., nursing homes) to community settings (e.g., community residences plus home care) is explored. The implications of these trends on current health care issues, such as staffing shortages, is raised.

Capacity Matters (June 2000) argues that excess health care capacity does exist in the Rochester region, that excess capacity has an effect on health care costs, quality of care, and the access to care, and that it is in the public interest to consciously match the supply of health care to the need of the region’s population.

Maternal and Infant Health in the Finger Lakes Region (February 2000) presents an analysis of recent trends and changes in the population of women of childbearing age, coupled with an analysis of pregnancy outcomes. The 10 page publication assists in identifying maternal and infant health needs in the nine county Finger Lakes region.

¡Nuestra Salud! An Overview of the Health of the Hispanic Community in the Rochester Area (in English or Spanish) (November 1999) assesses health status of and the barriers faced by the Hispanic population in this region. This 13 page pamphlet summarizes the findings and recommendations of a community task force convened in mid-1998 to provide leadership in defining health status indicators and outcomes of Rochester’s Latino community.

Medicaid Managed Care in the Six County Finger Lakes Region (September 1999) reviews the history, current status and projected implementation of Medicaid managed care in this region. The 13 page publication covers related topics such as potential changes in access to care and the effect of welfare reform on this program.

Why Should the Rochester Area be Concerned About the Uninsured? (March 1999) reviews the reasons why the numbers of uninsured individuals in the six-county Finger Lakes region has likely increased in the past few years from the once low rate of six percent of the population. Primary reasons discussed include welfare reform, the changing job market, and changing employee benefits.

Insurance Terms: A Health Insurance Primer (January 1999) provides definitions of thirty-five health insurance terms. More importantly, it then discusses how each term is relevant to the changes which are happening in the Rochester health insurance market, including the decision by Eastman Kodak to establish a self-insured health insurance program.

The Evolving Integration of Health Care Systems in the Rochester Area ( January 1999) discusses the development and purposes of integrated delivery systems in Rochester. The six page pamphlet features a diagram of the developing Rochester health care scene, showing the relationships by name among the area hospitals, physician services, nursing homes and other long term care services and the available health insurance options.

Medicare + Choice: A Consumer Guide 1999 (December 1998) explains the "who, what, when, where and how" of the Medicare + Choice program. Available in both standard and large print formats, the publication also contains a glossary and lists the options available to Rochester’s seniors.

Options for Long Term Care: A Patient and Family Guide (June 1998) describes both the range of long term care options available in the region and the broad patient characteristics that are considered when evaluating an individual’s need for service. The 13 page publication uses the analogy of a Rubic’s Cube to convey the complexity of long term care.

Mortality in the Finger Lakes Region: Men vs. Women (January 1998) presents male and female mortality rates from 1980 through 1994 for heart disease, lung cancer, motor vehicle accidents and homicide. The data demonstrate that, while mortality rates for men have historically been substantially higher than for women, those differentials have begun to narrow.

Flu and Pneumonia in the Finger Lakes Region (November 1997) presents comparative mortality data for flu and pneumonia in 22 sub-county areas in this region trended over time. This publication contains national, state and upstate comparison rates.

Breast Cancer in the Finger Lakes Region (September 1997) presents morbidity and mortality data for breast cancer. Issued in conjunction with Breast Cancer Awareness Month, this five page pamphlet contains age-adjusted rates trended over time for 22 sub-county areas in this region; national, state and upstate comparisons are also included.