Helen Lin ’23 is one of 26 student fellows who completed research with a community-based organization in upstate New York this summer as a part of the Upstate Institute Summer Field School.
This summer, I worked with the New York State Association for Rural Health (NYSARH) on a value proposition project as part of the Upstate Institute Summer Field School. NYSARH is a nonprofit membership association, dedicated to rural health and well-being. Its mission is to “improve the health and well-being of rural New Yorkers and their communities.” The association serves health networks, health insurance and consultant companies, and individuals who work in the health industry in rural New York state. It has annual conferences, regular webinars, newsletters, and it participates in state and national advocacy activities. The project is meant to help it understand itself from an outside perspective and summarize the advantages and attractions of the association. The final products of this project are a value proposition report, an academic poster, and a graphic pamphlet, which they could use in the future for prospective members.
Most of NYSARH’s current members are frontline health networks, health planning or insurance companies, and educational institutions. Although NYSARH does not provide direct health service to rural populations in New York State, it is an important resource for those health organizations and individuals (including several medical students). In front of representatives, NYSARH is the voice for all those different health organizations from small rural areas. It also serves as the bridge between those healthcare networks. NYSARH’s webinars and newsletters educate and bring up the latest information about regulation, legislation, and different health topics.
The value proposition report is produced out of 28 interviews and 39 responses for a stakeholder survey. The goal of the project is to learn about the composition of NYSARH’s members and prospective stakeholders, the effectiveness of NYSARH’s service, and future improvements and opportunities for NYSARH. There are three groups of interviewees: board members, regular members, and nonmembers. From each perspective, I learn about their challenges as a rural health organization, how they utilize NYSARH as a resource, and in what way they think NYSARH could help with their problems. Combining the collected information, I produced a report that summarizes the needs and interests of NYSARH’s stakeholders and NYSARH’s services, then by analyzing the alignment of those two, I arrived at a conclusive value proposition statement for NYSARH. The alternative perspectives in my report help NYSARH to see the opportunities it might have missed in the past, and also better ways to utilize the resources it currently has. My final outcome also varies in three versions, which can be used under different circumstances in the future.
I took a class called The American Cities last semester, focusing on urban, suburban, and rural areas and patterns for those places in the United States. The Upstate Institute experience fits right into the theme and gives me a direct experience working with an organization designated for rural issues. I am able to gain a deeper understanding of rural areas in the United States and the challenges they are facing. I wanted to be a Field School Fellow this summer because I wanted to learn more about what it is like to work for a nonprofit organization and what skills I would need for my future career. I have always been interested in community-based organizations and wanted to help the community around me. My interest in my career also leans toward social services and nonprofit management. Thee Field School Fellowship is the perfect opportunity for me to work with such organizations in-depth, and it also trains my ability accomplish an independent project.