Seven Valleys Health Coalition Announces Community Forum This Friday

The Seven Valleys Health Coalition (SVHC) says they will host a Cortland County Community Forum this Friday, March 13 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Cortland Repertory Theatre Downtown. According to SVHC, the annual event brings together county leaders, area organizations, and community members to discuss the health and well-being of Cortland County.

The Community Forum first began in 2001 and since, has convened stakeholders and members of the Cortland community to share information and collaborate on various sectors and work on creating meaningful change.

Two years ago, the forum was structured around the state Department of Health’s 2025-2030 Prevention Agenda. The agenda serves as the State’s Health Improvement Plan (SHIP) and takes a broad perspective on health, recognizing the varied factors that influence health beyond traditional health care access or public health systems, the SVHC says. In this, the Prevention Agenda contains 24 priorities grouped into 5 domains: 1) Economic Stability; 2) Social and Community Context; 3) Neighborhood and Built Environment; 4) Health Care Access and Quality; and 5) Education Access and Quality.

A keynote presentation this year will be done by Dr. James McDonald, M.D., M.P.H., New York State Department of Health Commissioner, on the 2025-2030 Prevention Agenda. He will also provide a background, updates, and addressing how rural counties, such as Cortland, can contribute to statewide improvements.

“The Community Forum provides a venue to discuss important issues in Cortland and over the years has generated actionable solutions and new programs that impact community members’ lives. There continues to be a lot of interest from the community to work together and collaborate, which is a testament to how much people care about Cortland. As resources become more scarce and programs at the federal level are cut, it is more important than ever for organizations to have strong local connections and work together to meet the needs of residents.” Said Jackie Cooper, Executive Director, Seven Valleys Health Coalition.

A full schedule of the 2026 Cortland Counts Community Forum may be found at SevenValleysHealth.org/Cortland-Counts.