New York State
A higher than normal tide first floods the two blocks adjacent to Roger Gendron’s street in Hamilton Beach, Queens. Then it crests the curbs and sidewalks, flows through yards and fills his road, Davenport Court, and stays there. A berm at the end of the street, between the road and Jamaica Bay, traps the water, sometimes through another two or three tide cycles. “These are the nuances someone like myself and others – we know because it’s our neighborhood,” said Gendron, 63, a lifelong resident of Hamilton Beach, president of the New Hamilton Beach Civic Association and self-taught flood monitor and forecaster for the 450 households in his community. “Nobody knows the neighborhood better…
After undertaking an assessment study to study the Sunflower Houses success, researchers are urging the Tompkins County Legislature to provide increased funding to the program that since 2021 has provided low-barrier housing and wraparound services for formerly incarcerated men. The assessment findings, which were intended to provide proof of concept for the project’s innovative housing model, were presented at the Tompkins County Housing and Economic Development Committee on July 16. The Sunflower Houses is a collaborative effort with Opportunities, Alternatives, and…
As overdoses from fentanyl and opioids continue to rise, many communities have created interactive overdose dashboards that show demographic, geographic and time trends in suspected overdoses and community resources to help with substance abuse. But there’s not much evidence to show that these dashboards effectively disseminate data and help public health officials make data-driven decisions, especially in rural areas. Researchers from the College of Veterinary Medicine have filled that gap. They collaborated with Cayuga County Mental Health in developing an overdose dashboard that enabled data-driven decision making and spreads substance abuse information in that region…
Summer is officially here, and with the temperatures rising to extremes over the next few days, public health experts from Cornell University have created a digital tool to help people when it comes to being prepared for the intense heat. On Friday, June 20, all of New York State was issued a five-day-long extreme heat watch by the National Weather Service (NWS), with the state as a whole set to experience feels-like temperatures between 90 and 110 degrees until Wednesday, June 25. Public health experts from Cornell University have designed a digital resource to support people in making knowledgeable decisions to protect their health during extreme temperatures, Cornell University explained…
Myanmar’s history of prolonged conflict has led to the forced displacement and resettlement of generations of refugees to the U.S., including upstate New York. Since relocating, these refugees’ relationship to fishing has likewise shifted, from angling for food and nutrition in rural regions of Myanmar to being a means for maintaining social connections, recreation, time outdoors and emotional well-being. Still, refugees in New York experience barriers to fishing, such as language disparities, lack of time, unfamiliar regulations and discrimination, described in a paper published in the June issue of Geoforum, released early online. The paper draws from interviews to examine the importance of access to environmental resources…
There are three primary objectives for this project: 1) determining the spread of the Lone Star tick (Ambylomma americanum) and Asian Longhorned tick (Haemaphysalis longicornis) in New York State; 2) assessing tickborne pathogen prevalence in under-sampled areas of New York State; and 3) establishing an engaging citizen science program facilitating deeper understanding of ticks, tick-borne disease, and sensible precautions against ticks…
More than 500,000 veterans live in New York State. Over half of these veterans are 65 or older and 28% live with a disability. Clear Path for Veterans (CPV) is a multi-service nonprofit organization helping service members, veterans, and their families. In 2024, CPV provided more than 10,000 services across 43 NYS counties. For example, the CPV peer support program connects veterans with instrumental support (such as food, housing, healthcare) and emotional support using a “one-size-fits-one” approach to address individual needs…
A new Enteric Disease Outbreak Data Analysis Training course is available! This interactive, self-study course, based on a 2-day tabletop simulation, is designed for local health department staff and provides training on how to gather and analyze data in an event-based enteric disease outbreak investigation. The modules cover the foundations of creating line lists, epidemic curves, case definitions, and performing data analysis for a cohort study. Modules can also be used as a refresher or for just-in-time training during outbreak investigations. We also show how to calculate measures of disease frequency…
Cornell Public Health’s founding mission is to use systems-based approaches to promote health equity through environmentally sustainable advancements, supporting community wellbeing locally and globally. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and after it, amidst increasing disparities in community health outcomes, the commitment to translate research into real-world impact has only grown, especially “right here at home” in New York State. Partnering with organizations across the state, Cornell Public Health’s faculty, staff, and students are working to advance health and wellbeing to…
Campaigners and experts are raising the alarm after video footage obtained by BBC Science Focus reveals that inner-city poultry markets in New York are failing to take recommended precautions to protect staff and the public, as bird flu cases in the state continue to rise. The footage shows staff at several locations in Queens handling birds without basic recommended personal protective equipment (PPE) such as masks. The findings come just weeks after authorities ordered the temporary shutdown of the city’s more than 80 poultry markets, following the detection of bird flu cases in February. Despite efforts by New York State’s Department of Agriculture and Markets to test source flocks for bird flu before they enter live poultry…
To ready New York State communities for the rapidly evolving impacts of climate change, we created a Climate Disaster Health Policy Lab. This novel framework integrates analysis of community needs with product delivery in one center, enabling preparation and accelerating response. We partner with organizations having statewide impact (county- and state-level public health, emergency management, and Cooperative Extension staff), focusing on climate disasters with significant health impacts (e.g., extreme heat, cold, wildfire smoke). The project bridges the gap between researchers and practitioners, positioning Cornell Public Health as a leader in the climate and disaster space, while improving the lives of New Yorkers…
Avian influenza – which has devastated poultry flocks, wildlife populations and increasingly poses a public health risk – has now been confirmed in wild bobcats in New York state. In a new study, published March 25 in the Journal of Wildlife Diseases, researchers tracked live bobcats in the state and found widespread exposure to avian flu, with evidence of bobcats surviving but also succumbing to the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain. The research further documents increasing avian influenza cases in mammals and underscores the importance of proactive wildlife disease monitoring…