Excellus BCBS Circle of Excellence Award Honors Bassett's NYCAMH For Innovative, High-Quality Patient Care

Cooperstown, NY –  Excellus BlueCross BlueShield recently honored Bassett Healthcare Network’s New York Center for Agricultural Medicine and Health (NYCAMH) with a Circle of Excellence Award for their high-quality and innovative health care delivery and patient care.

NYCAMH received the health plan’s 2024 Circle of Excellence Innovation Award, recognizing the healthcare organization for its meaningful impact in the quality of patients’ lives through clinical leadership and vision to promote continuous improvement in the health care system.

Led by Clinical Case Worker Heather Chauncey, the NYCAMH Farm Partners Program (FPP) provides free and confidential case management and therapeutic counseling to the farming community and individuals with occupational health issues.

In addition to connecting members of the farming community with a wide array of resources and assists in filing and applying for needed services, FPP provides funding and resources to assist with living expenses, shelter, medical expenses and emergencies for farm families. Chauncey has also advocated for the agricultural community with the NY legislature and state organizations as well as the State Education Department to obtain the first farm vehicle modification for a disabled farmer in 20 years.

“NYCAMH’s programs strive to improve the lives, health, safety and well-being of New York’s farmers, their families, and their employees,” says Chauncey. “Farmers work hard for long hours, so we meet them where they are—on their land and by conducting trainings and support groups in their milking parlors and barns. It’s a model that reminds me of the old-fashioned house calls.

“Getting to know farmers, farm families and farm workers, I see how grateful they are for the help my coworkers and I provide them. I also see the challenges they face. They motivate me to worker harder and go above and beyond to help.”

Internal Medicine Associates of Auburn are also recipients of a Circle of Excellence Innovation Award for their Innovation and Excellence program which features a determined and systematic approach toward managing our patient population with an “all in” team commitment at the practice level, as well as thoughtful collaboration with patients.

“We developed the Circle of Excellence awards to recognize those who work in partnership with us to look at different ways to deliver high-quality care, and we’re very happy to recognize Bassett Healthcare and NYCAMH for their innovative work and community impact,” says Tony Vitagliano, SVP provider network and Utica regional president, Excellus BCBS.

Each Circle of Excellence awardee must meet the following criteria:

• Must work in the clinical field
• Does not need to have a medical credential to be nominated
• Must have fulfilled one of the following: 
  • Contributed to significant process improvement in the health care system; or
  • Dedicated 10+ years to exemplary work in the industry
  • Must be able to demonstrate positive outcomes

About Bassett Healthcare Network

Bassett Healthcare Network is an integrated health system that provides care and services to people living in a 5,600 square mile region in central New York. The organization includes five corporately affiliated hospitals, over two dozen community-based health centers, more than 20 school-based health centers, two skilled nursing facilities, and other health partners in related fields. To learn more about services available throughout the Bassett Healthcare Network, visit www.bassett.org. Follow Bassett on Facebook, X (formery Twitter), and LinkedIn. Bassett Healthcare Network is an equal opportunity provider and employer. 

About Excellus BlueCross BlueShield

Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, is a nonprofit health plan with 1.5 million upstate New York members. The company's mission is to help people live healthier and more secure lives through access to high-quality, affordable health care. Its products and services include cost-saving prescription drug discounts, wellness tracking tools and access to telemedicine. With more than 4,200 employees, the company is committed to attracting and retaining a diverse workforce to foster innovation and better serve its members. It also encourages employees to engage in their communities by providing paid volunteer time off as one of many benefits. To learn more, visit ExcellusBCBS.com.