National designation among the recent Erie County highlights
By Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz
Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz
I’ve been incredibly busy over the past month with meetings, phone calls, administrative duties, and taking tours of some of the small businesses and cultural institutions that make Erie County such a wonderful place to live. It’s always nice to reflect on how fortunate I am to have a job that allows me to oversee a community that continues to grow and thrive despite uncertainty in our nation’s capital.
I was happy to attend the celebration that revealed Erie County has been designated a HEARTSafe Community by the Citizen CPR Foundation. This national recognition highlights the county’s commitment to improving outcomes from sudden cardiac arrest. In order to receive the designation much work had to be completed to qualify for this prestigious honor. Erie County collaborated with community partners to meet 13 essential benchmarks, which included a year-long effort to educate more than 15 percent of county residents in hands-only CPR. That means approximately 147,000 people now possess the skills and have access to the tools needed to step up in an emergency situation when someone is in need of immediate assistance. I thank all involved in helping Erie County achieve this national designation as a HEARTSafe Community.
I also took a recent tour of the Collins Correctional Facility. As one of the largest employers in the southwestern portion of Erie County, the medium security prison facility is unique in that it offers special housing and residential rehabilitation units that cannot be found in any other similar state-operated facility in Western New York. The tour allowed myself and others who accompanied me to have a better understanding of the recent investments made there and reminded us how we must advocate for the continued operation of the facility during a time of prison closings occurring statewide.
Were you affected by the Rite Aid store closures? If so, Erie County has partnered with the Pharmacists Association of WNY to create a user-friendly online resource that includes printable maps to find the exact location of all pharmacies located in Erie County. This effort was undertaken as pharmacy customers throughout Western New York react to the recent announcement that nearly 70 Rite Aid locations have either closed or will soon be closing in our region. You can access the point-and-click webpage and find other helpful information by visiting www.erie.gov/health/pharmacies-and-prescriptions to explore your options if you are looking for convenient access to prescription medication and other pharmacy services, including consultations and access to vaccines.
If you need assistance with county services or want to make your voice heard on a particular topic, please contact my office by calling 716-858-8500 or sending an email to county.executive@erie.gov .