As the school year winds down, parents and guardians across the Midstate are in the midst of a frenzy, scrambling to secure spots for their kids in summer camps and activities. In an effort to ease the stress of summer activity sign-ups, The Spark (our beloved community forum) is here to offer a helping hand. Today, we were thrilled to welcome Jennifer Eley, the Director of Education, to shed light on the exciting lineup of events and programs slated for the upcoming summer season at our esteemed Public Media Center

As the school year winds down, parents and guardians across the Midstate are in the midst of a frenzy, scrambling to secure spots for their kids in summer camps and activities. In an effort to ease the stress of summer activity sign-ups, The Spark (our beloved community forum) is here to offer a helping hand. Today, we were thrilled to welcome Jennifer Eley, the Director of Education, to shed light on the exciting lineup of events and programs slated for the upcoming summer season at our esteemed Public Media Center

When people come together and talk about really interesting topics, great questions spark better understanding and opportunities for new ideas to form. On The Spark from WITF, hosts Scott LaMar and Aniya Faulcon start the conversations about what’s happening in the world and at home. Share your ideas at https://witf.org/programs/the-spark.

When people come together and talk about really interesting topics, great questions spark better understanding and opportunities for new ideas to form. On The Spark from <a href="https://www.witf.org">WITF</a>, hosts Scott LaMar and Aniya Faulcon start the conversations about what’s happening in the world and at home. Share your ideas at <a href="https://witf.org/programs/the-spark">https://witf.org/programs/the-spark</a>.

The Spark

When people come together and talk about really interesting topics, great questions spark better understanding and opportunities for new ideas to form. On The Spark from WITF, hosts Scott LaMar and Aniya Faulcon start the conversations about what’s happening in the world and at home. Share your ideas at <a href="https://witf.org/programs/the-spark">https://witf.org/programs/the-spark</a>.

Stop the summertime scramble: Sign up for new and innovative programs with WITF

Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia, along with the federal government entered into an agreement in 1983 to clean up the Chesapeake Bay. The states of Delaware, New York and West Virginia joined the partnership years later.

During the past 41 years, strategies and plans have been implemented to reduce pollution and restore the health of the Bay. Some have been successful while others have fallen short of their goals. Next year – 2025 – was set as a deadline to meet several of those goals in the restoration plans.

It has the states and the federal government thinking about what comes next.

The pollution in the form of nutrients came from wastewater, agricultural practices and storm water runoffs from sources like parking lots, streets and chemicals on lawns.

Harry Campbell, Director of Science Policy and Advocacy with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Pennsylvania, was on The Spark Wednesday and talked about the goals for Pennsylvania,"We agreed to a reduction of pollution in the form of nitrogen and phosphorus and sediment of 40%, based on baseline numbers in the from the early 1980s, based on monitoring and things of that nature. So that was one of the primary goals. And then the secondary goals were more protection and management activities around those living resources, like the striped bass, like the oysters, like the crabs, so as to help provide a a more stable and healthy population for reproduction and growth of the economy and in the living resource."

Some have suggested there has been too much attention to nutrients running into local streams, creeks and rivers and eventually into the Bay.

Campbell indicated that maybe the numbers have gotten too much of the focus during the Bay clean-up,"One of the things that has occurred over the course of time during the these efforts is that we've kind of started to fixate on bean counting. And what I mean by that is how much of this, how much of that, how much did we do? An acre of that. How many linear feet of that and lost sight of the outcomes. So one of the five pillars we have are to focus on the outcomes, meaning the not just did we reduce a pound of nitrogen based on what a computer model tells us or based on how much linear feet of this or that we've installed, but focusing on the outcome in terms of like, what is the living resource response? Did it improve trout habitat? Did it create a situation where we have more young of the year, striped bass or other types of living resource responses? Then of course we have to promote innovation and focus in on people, and do a number of other things, like even building those partnerships, but by looking at the outcome instead of the widget or the bean counting, we can then really start to measure and I think improve and focus in on the things and the places and practices that improve water quality, but also the ecosystem at large."

It's been suggested that more attention to making sure local streams, creeks and rivers are clean and healthy would be more a more tangible result for those who live in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.

Another discussion has centered on making climate change a priority over the Bay restoration. Campbell said the two are closely linked,"The effort to try to mitigate climate change, as well as save the Bay and our local rivers and streams and watersheds. You can't separate the two. The climate change and the responses to it, regardless of what you believe are the causes there, it's causing and contributing and increasing the amount of runoff and the pollution that enters our local rivers and streams in the Chesapeake Bay. By focusing in on the types of practices that build that resiliency, tree plantings, cover crops on our agricultural areas, forested riparian buffers and tree canopy in our suburban and urban areas. Not only does that actually help mitigate the impacts of climate change, but simultaneously is improving our local rivers and streams, as well as the Chesapeake Bay as well. It's all tied together."

Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia, along with the federal government entered into an agreement in 1983 to clean up the Chesapeake Bay. The states of Delaware, New York and West Virginia joined the partnership years later.
During the past 41 years, strategies and plans have been implemented to reduce pollution and restore the health of the Bay. Some have been successful while others have fallen short of their goals. Next year – 2025 – was set as a deadline to meet several of those goals in the restoration plans.
It has the states and the federal government thinking about what comes next.
The pollution in the form of nutrients came from wastewater, agricultural practices and storm water runoffs from sources like parking lots, streets and chemicals on lawns.
Harry Campbell, Director of Science Policy and Advocacy with the <a href="https://www.cbf.org/">Chesapeake Bay Foundation</a>, Pennsylvania, was on The Spark Wednesday and talked about the goals for Pennsylvania,"We agreed to a reduction of pollution in the form of nitrogen and phosphorus and sediment of 40%, based on baseline numbers in the from the early 1980s, based on monitoring and things of that nature. So that was one of the primary goals. And then the secondary goals were more protection and management activities around those living resources, like the striped bass, like the oysters, like the crabs, so as to help provide a a more stable and healthy population for reproduction and growth of the economy and in the living resource."
Some have suggested there has been too much attention to nutrients running into local streams, creeks and rivers and eventually into the Bay.
Campbell indicated that maybe the numbers have gotten too much of the focus during the Bay clean-up,"One of the things that has occurred over the course of time during the these efforts is that we've kind of started to fixate on bean counting. And what I mean by that is how much of this, how much of that, how much did we do? An acre of that. How many linear feet of that and lost sight of the outcomes. So one of the five pillars we have are to focus on the outcomes, meaning the not just did we reduce a pound of nitrogen based on what a computer model tells us or based on how much linear feet of this or that we've installed, but focusing on the outcome in terms of like, what is the living resource response? Did it improve trout habitat? Did it create a situation where we have more young of the year, striped bass or other types of living resource responses? Then of course we have to promote innovation and focus in on people, and do a number of other things, like even building those partnerships, but by looking at the outcome instead of the widget or the bean counting, we can then really start to measure and I think improve and focus in on the things and the places and practices that improve water quality, but also the ecosystem at large."
It's been suggested that more attention to making sure local streams, creeks and rivers are clean and healthy would be more a more tangible result for those who live in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.
Another discussion has centered on making climate change a priority over the Bay restoration. Campbell said the two are closely linked,"The effort to try to mitigate climate change, as well as save the Bay and our local rivers and streams and watersheds. You can't separate the two. The climate change and the responses to it, regardless of what you believe are the causes there, it's causing and contributing and increasing the amount of runoff and the pollution that enters our local rivers and streams in the Chesapeake Bay. By focusing in on the types of practices that build that resiliency, tree plantings, cover crops on our agricultural areas, forested riparian buffers and tree canopy in our suburban and urban areas. Not only does that actually help mitigate the impacts of climate change, but simultaneously is improving our local rivers and streams, as well as the Chesapeake Bay as well. It's all tied together."

Could there be a reset of Chesapeake Bay restoration goals in 2025?

UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital, has been honored for its outstanding efforts in supporting Black maternal health by U.S. News & World Report. Notably, it is the sole hospital in Pennsylvania to receive this prestigious recognition, underscoring its commitment to health equity and positive birthing experiences for vulnerable populations, particularly pregnant people of color. This recognition stems from the U.S. News' comprehensive analysis of high-performing maternity care hospitals across the United States. In December 2023, UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital was highlighted among a select group of 26 hospitals nationwide for achieving exceptional outcomes in cesarean sections and unexpected newborn complications among Black patients.

On The Spark we spoke with Dr. Sharee Livingston of UPMC who stated that, at the core of UPMC Magee-Womens' success is its holistic approach involving providers, nurses, hospital staff, and community members. She states that together, they strive to address and mitigate health disparities, ensuring that every patient receives equitable and high-quality care. This collaborative effort is particularly evident in their innovative use of doulas, which has been a major focus over the past few years.

Additionally, the Birth Circle Doulas of Magee program is a cornerstone of this initiative. It offers individualized doula support at no cost to at-risk women who face significant disadvantages due to adverse social determinants of health during pregnancy, delivery, and the postpartum period. These services include both face-to-face and remote (telehealth) support, ensuring comprehensive care regardless of the patient's circumstances. The utilization of doulas is well-documented to improve clinical outcomes for both the birthing person and the baby. At UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital, doulas provide crucial emotional, physical, and informational support, helping to create a more positive and empowering birthing experience. This support is particularly beneficial for underserved women, who often face higher risks of complications and less access to quality maternal care.

The hospital's recognition by U.S. News & World Report not only highlights its exemplary performance but also brings attention to the broader issue of maternal health disparities. By prioritizing health equity and pioneering effective programs like the Birth Circle Doulas of Magee, UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital sets a benchmark for other institutions to follow. In a healthcare landscape where maternal mortality rates remain unacceptably high for Black women, UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital's dedication to improving maternal health outcomes is both commendable and essential. This recognition serves as a testament to the hospital's unwavering commitment to providing equitable and excellent care for all mothers.

UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital, has been honored for its outstanding efforts in supporting Black maternal health by U.S. News &amp; World Report. Notably, it is the sole hospital in Pennsylvania to receive this prestigious recognition, underscoring its commitment to health equity and positive birthing experiences for vulnerable populations, particularly pregnant people of color. This recognition stems from the U.S. News' comprehensive analysis of high-performing maternity care hospitals across the United States. In December 2023, UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital was highlighted among a select group of 26 hospitals nationwide for achieving exceptional outcomes in cesarean sections and unexpected newborn complications among Black patients.
On The Spark we spoke with Dr. Sharee Livingston of UPMC who stated that, at the core of UPMC Magee-Womens' success is its holistic approach involving providers, nurses, hospital staff, and community members. She states that together, they strive to address and mitigate health disparities, ensuring that every patient receives equitable and high-quality care. This collaborative effort is particularly evident in their innovative use of doulas, which has been a major focus over the past few years.
Additionally, the Birth Circle Doulas of Magee program is a cornerstone of this initiative. It offers individualized doula support at no cost to at-risk women who face significant disadvantages due to adverse social determinants of health during pregnancy, delivery, and the postpartum period. These services include both face-to-face and remote (telehealth) support, ensuring comprehensive care regardless of the patient's circumstances. The utilization of doulas is well-documented to improve clinical outcomes for both the birthing person and the baby. At UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital, doulas provide crucial emotional, physical, and informational support, helping to create a more positive and empowering birthing experience. This support is particularly beneficial for underserved women, who often face higher risks of complications and less access to quality maternal care.
The hospital's recognition by U.S. News &amp; World Report not only highlights its exemplary performance but also brings attention to the broader issue of maternal health disparities. By prioritizing health equity and pioneering effective programs like the Birth Circle Doulas of Magee, UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital sets a benchmark for other institutions to follow. In a healthcare landscape where maternal mortality rates remain unacceptably high for Black women, UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital's dedication to improving maternal health outcomes is both commendable and essential. This recognition serves as a testament to the hospital's unwavering commitment to providing equitable and excellent care for all mothers.

UPMC Magee-Women's Hospital Earns Recognition for Advancing Black Maternal Health

Some 1.7 million Pennsylvania are food insecure. Many areas of the state are considered food deserts – meaning grocery stores aren’t close by or there isn’t access to healthy food.

This is an issue we’ve talked about many times over the years on The Spark, because it continues to exist and if anything, the problem has gotten worse between the COVID pandemic and rising prices on food.

Access to healthy food can be an event bigger challenge. With that in mind, Penn State Health is partnering with more than one hundred organizations with a unique approach to providing healthy food to those in need.

With us on The Spark Tuesday were Ashley Visco, Community Health Director at Penn State Health and Zachary Zook, Senior Policy Research Manager at the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank.

Zook indicated there are more people who are food insecure than just a few years ago,"Relative to 2021 and the most recent data that we have available, nationally and in Pennsylvania is in 2022 -- food insecurity increased by more than 25%. So it now affects 12.8% of people nationally. And so that is a major jump from one year to the next. That's also the highest level of food insecurity that we have seen since 2014, since just getting out of the Great Recession. And I'll note that very low food security in particular jumped by 34%. From 3.8% to 5.1% nationally. And so 1 in 20 households in the U.S. experience is very low food security, which is extremely high."

Visco talked about what makes the Penn State Health program unique,"Food insecurity is very nuanced. It's not just individuals who live in food deserts. We often think of food deserts as where the individuals who are food insecure live. But there's food deserts across all of Pennsylvania, regardless of where you live. So we try to have programing that meets the different needs of different types of people. So for instance, we have community gardens that we work closely with. So we partner with with community organizations. And we either help them build or we enhance community gardens that may be already exist as just one avenue. But what we try to do when we build these partnerships, as we don't try to just have, like a food access point, right? It's not like, here's a food access point. There's nothing else that exists there. What we try to do is really layer on services. So one of our best examples is we've partnered with in Lebanon County. We partnered with the Chestnut Street Community Center inside the Chestnut Street Community Center. There's a homeless shelter, there's IU 13, there is a an elementary school directly across the street. We have a community fridge located there, which means anyone can come and get produce as available, but also individuals can have community when they come to the garden, or they can walk down the street, they can grab a cucumber and they can chomp on it and they can walk back down the street. So we really feel like our strength is in our nuance of programing is where we go directly to the community partners and we say what do you need? What is most beneficial in your community? And we work with them to hopefully develop that."

Some 1.7 million Pennsylvania are food insecure. Many areas of the state are considered food deserts – meaning grocery stores aren’t close by or there isn’t access to healthy food.
This is an issue we’ve talked about many times over the years on The Spark, because it continues to exist and if anything, the problem has gotten worse between the COVID pandemic and rising prices on food.
Access to healthy food can be an event bigger challenge. With that in mind, <a href="https://pennstatehealthnews.org/2023/07/a-seat-at-the-table-pantries-and-wellness-support-program-help-families-find-care/">Penn State Health is partnering with more than one hundred organizations with a unique approach to providing healthy food to those in need.</a>
With us on The Spark Tuesday were Ashley Visco, Community Health Director at<a href="https://www.pennstatehealth.org/"> Penn State Health </a>and Zachary Zook, Senior Policy Research Manager at the <a href="https://www.centralpafoodbank.org/">Central Pennsylvania Food Bank</a>.
Zook indicated there are more people who are food insecure than just a few years ago,"Relative to 2021 and the most recent data that we have available, nationally and in Pennsylvania is in 2022 -- food insecurity increased by more than 25%. So it now affects 12.8% of people nationally. And so that is a major jump from one year to the next. That's also the highest level of food insecurity that we have seen since 2014, since just getting out of the Great Recession. And I'll note that very low food security in particular jumped by 34%. From 3.8% to 5.1% nationally. And so 1 in 20 households in the U.S. experience is very low food security, which is extremely high."
Visco talked about what makes the Penn State Health program unique,"Food insecurity is very nuanced. It's not just individuals who live in food deserts. We often think of food deserts as where the individuals who are food insecure live. But there's food deserts across all of Pennsylvania, regardless of where you live. So we try to have programing that meets the different needs of different types of people. So for instance, we have community gardens that we work closely with. So we partner with with community organizations. And we either help them build or we enhance community gardens that may be already exist as just one avenue. But what we try to do when we build these partnerships, as we don't try to just have, like a food access point, right? It's not like, here's a food access point. There's nothing else that exists there. What we try to do is really layer on services. So one of our best examples is we've partnered with in Lebanon County. We partnered with the Chestnut Street Community Center inside the Chestnut Street Community Center. There's a homeless shelter, there's IU 13, there is a an elementary school directly across the street. We have a community fridge located there, which means anyone can come and get produce as available, but also individuals can have community when they come to the garden, or they can walk down the street, they can grab a cucumber and they can chomp on it and they can walk back down the street. So we really feel like our strength is in our nuance of programing is where we go directly to the community partners and we say what do you need? What is most beneficial in your community? And we work with them to hopefully develop that."

Stop the summertime scramble: Sign up for new and innovative programs with WITF

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