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Ted Herman, Hudson Health Plan, 914-372-2204
therman@hudsonhealthplan.org

 

HUDSON HEALTH PLAN HONORED AT THE 29TH ANNUAL COUNTY
EXECUTIVE’S YOUTH AWARDS LUNCHEON FOR ITS COMMITMENT
TO IMPROVING THE LIVES OF ORANGE COUNTY YOUTHS


Laurene Sandstrom Recognized for Her Five Years of Community Service
as Hudson’s Senior Community Relations Representative

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 10, 2011

(Tarrytown, NY)…Nowhere in Laurene Sandstrom’s job description does it say she has to sit outside ShopRite and fill backpacks with school supplies for families that can’t afford to buy them. Nor does it say she has to dangle worms on fishing hooks so youngsters can enjoy a day of fishing. No one has to tell her because she works for Hudson Health Plan, a not-for-profit community-based health organization, which works day in and day out to make a meaningful difference in the communities it serves.

Now the efforts of Ms. Sandstrom, Senior Community Relations Representative at Hudson, as well as Hudson, have been recognized by the Orange County Youth Bureau. The bureau presented them with Asset Builder/Outstanding Business Community Partner Award at the 29th Annual County Executive’s Youth Awards Luncheon, June 10th, at Brookside Manor in Middletown. The award, sponsored by the Orange County Youth Bureau, honors youth-friendly businesses such as Hudson, which work within their communities to help young people thrive.

“At Hudson, we believe our employees can have a positive impact not only on our members but on all children within the communities we serve,” commented Georganne Chapin, President & CEO of Hudson. “Ms. Sandstrom’s volunteer work exemplifies that belief. She seeks opportunities to lend a helping hand whenever and wherever it is needed. This award is an exceptional honor for her, and for Hudson as well.”

Ms. Sandstrom, a Goshen resident who grew up in Orange County, was honored for:

  • Serving in the school-based Big Brother/Big Sister program, where she often spends her lunch hours mentoring children.
  • Providing 700 backpacks filled with school supplies to students in need on behalf of Middletown Cares. She spent many hours sitting outside ShopRite in Middletown, passing out school supply wish lists to shoppers heading into the store, and then collecting the supplies and filling the backpacks.
  • Participating in Middletown Care’s Warm and Cozy Program to provide warm clothing and Thanksgiving dinners to people in need.
  • Helping children participate in a youth fishing event, hooking worms on fishing poles and releasing fish that were caught. Ms. Sandstrom participated as a member of the TEAM Newburgh Leadership Council.
  • Helping to organize Newburgh Speaks Out, so kids could speak to community leaders about problems they face daily, such as living in poverty and confronting drug dealers on the street.
  • Co-founding and chairing the 1st Lt. Louis Allen Foundation, which raises scholarship money for high school students and provides other resources for people in need.
  • Serving on the planning committees for the Tuskegee Airmen and Nurse Appreciation Week.

Ms. Sandstrom said she could not contribute as much as she does to Orange County without Hudson’s support. “Hudson’s dedication to the community goes beyond providing access to excellent health care,” she explained. “Hudson understands that when I am sitting outside of ShopRite asking for school supplies, Hudson is connecting with the community and helping those in need.”

About Hudson Health Plan

Founded in the mid-1980s by a coalition of community health centers, Hudson’s mission statement is "to promote and provide access to excellent health services for all people." The Tarrytown-based not-for-profit organization provides comprehensive medical and dental coverage to more than 100,000 members in New York’s Hudson Valley. Hudson has been driving health care innovation by developing technology to support clinical quality initiatives and to streamline the enrollment process for Medicaid Managed Care, Child Health Plus, and Family Health Plus. According to A Consumer’s Guide to Medicaid Managed Care in the Hudson Valley, it has earned the highest ratings in overall satisfaction among Medicaid Managed Care members in the Hudson Valley region every year since 2003.

Hudson Health Plan is based in Tarrytown, N.Y. Visit Hudson on the Web at www.hudsonhealthplan.org, and at www.facebook.com/hudsonhealthplan.

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