AUBURN - Christopher Szwagiel has returned to his hometown for health reasons, but not his own health. The Auburn native is hoping to help improve that of the whole county.

In October, Szwagiel was named the new executive director for the Cayuga Community Health Network. After years of working for public health departments, he has made the jump to the nonprofit sector in order to improve local access to health services.

“I think it is great to have this opportunity,” Szwagiel said while sitting in the health network office in Auburn. “In my wildest dreams, I never thought I would have been able to advance work in Auburn.”

The Cayuga Community Health Network is a nonprofit group that seeks to raise awareness about local health care issues, as well as improve county residents' access to services. The organization works with local businesses and groups, and it has also developed programs like the Cayuga County Tobacco Free Partnership and has advocated adding fluoride to the county's water to improve dental health.

Most of its programs are funded by grant money, Szwagiel said.

One of the appeals of coming back to work in Cayuga County is that rural areas tend to present unique health care issues, Szwagiel said. Counties like Cayuga often do not have the resources to offer the same care and access than more urban areas, he said. And larger, less populated counties often mean many people are not able to physically get to the services that are offered, he added.

“It is getting more and more difficult for government entities to be able to do some of the things the rural health networks can do,” Szwagiel said. “I'd like to think one of my fortes is recruiting and finding funding to fill these gaps.”

Szwagiel first experienced the health industry as a 13-year-old volunteering in Cayuga County's public health laboratory. Lab work appealed to him, and that interest stayed with him through college. Szwagiel ended up earning a master's and doctorate degree in public health.

“Public health appealed to me because it takes a community perspective,” said Szwagiel, who has worked for numerous county health departments in New York and North Carolina. “You're looking at the big picture and what preventative things you can do for the community's health.”

According to Elane Daly, a member of the Cayuga Community Health Network's board of directors, Szwagiel's experience in public health was a major factor in his hiring. However, the idea of bringing in someone who is personally familiar with the community had a lot to do with it as well, she said.

Daly added that Szwagiel has shown interest in finding ways to make the network more self-sustaining.

“Chris seems to get the overall mission of the health network,” Daly said. “He certainly gets the fact that there is a priority to look at some sort of sustainability plan in order to keep this network viable in the long term.”

As the health network moves into the new year, Szwagiel said he foresees overweight and obesity issues becoming more of a focus. It is a problem that affects all ages, races and economic levels, he said.

“It is a specific problem in Cayuga County, but it is also am nationwide issue,” Szwagiel said. “And we have to do more than just put out a health message. True health education is seeking a behavioral change.”

But most important, he said, is that the Cayuga Community Health Network continues to bring area organizations and health providers together to improve the public's access to health care.

“I appreciate being in a position where I can bring folks together,” Szwagiel said. “I like doing things that are win-win.”

Staff writer Christopher Caskey can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 282 or christopher.caskey@lee.net

On the Net

For more information about the Cayuga Community Health Network, visit cayugahealthnetwork.org