JHF Staff Present Program Overviews and Impact During All-Boards Meeting

Members of three Jewish Healthcare Foundation (JHF) program teams made presentations during JHF's December 5 All-Boards meeting showcasing their growth, impact, and vision for the future.

"We have some great ideas and initiatives that originated with our staff and have had an impact on the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania," JHF president and CEO Dr. Karen Wolk Feinstein said in her introduction.

Stacie Bonenberger, MOT, OTR/L, program manager, aging initiatives, and Anneliese Perry, MS, NHA, program manager, aging initiatives, co-leaders of Dementia Friends Pennsylvania, discussed how the program, established in 2018, operates with no hierarchy, designing alongside those it is meant to serve and in response to feedback and project prototyping. Recent accomplishments the team shared with the Board included: Reaching the 10,000 friends milestone; creation of 18 sector guides for supporting those with dementia; translation of the Dementia Friends' curriculum into 13 languages; and adaptation of education materials to age-appropriate levels for first grade through high school. This year, JHF also announced the establishment of Dementia Friendly Pennsylvania, a new initiative aimed at supporting Pennsylvanians living with dementia.

Deborah Murdoch, MPH, JHF program manager, and Sarah Pesi, MSPPM, JHF policy associate, presented on "Building a Youth Mental Health Advocacy Movement," highlighting the work of the Adolescent Behavioral Health Initiative at JHF, including the Teen Mental Health Collaborative and the PA Youth Advocacy Network. Recent accomplishments include: A collaborative film project with Allegheny County during COVID-19; the Youth Advocacy Series, educating youth from 23 Pennsylvania counties; and how youth involved with the network have expanded their work regionally, nationally, and internationally, presenting at conferences and participating in trainings.

Sue Steele, community engagement and marketing manager for the HIV/AIDS team, presented "We Are in Control: Advertising & Events By Us, For Us," showcasing the work of the Ryan White Part B funding and AIDS Free Pittsburgh, both of whose goal is to eradicate HIV/AIDS and make certain people diagnosed with HIV/AIDS are cared for and supported. The program has grown from a small budget in 2016 which was able to undertake one photoshoot and staggered advertising to being the recipient of $900,000-plus in funding from the Pennsylvania Department of Health in 2021 and over $1 million in funding in 2022 to expand outreach to rural Pennsylvania communities. Recent accomplishments include: A website redesign which has driven traffic by up nearly 2,000%, a direct mailer was sent to 600,000 residences in Pennsylvania, and this year's Too Hot for July HIV awareness event drew over 1,000 people in collaboration with more than 25 community partners. At the event 84 people were tested for HIV.