GNYHA and the leadership of the New York State Community of Churches (NYSCOC) met with clergy and religious leaders in Albany, Rochester, and Syracuse on July 11 and 12, 2000, to help build awareness of the Family Health Plus (FHP) program in faith-based communities across the State. NYSCOC's interfaith FHP tour is one of the many health care initiatives in which GNYHA is involved this year. GNYHA has also been working with other religious groups and health care advocates across the State to promote greater access to health care services through the Universal Health Care 2000 Campaign (U2K). NYSCOC, a statewide interfaith organization with a membership of over 3,500 churches and religious associations, played a vital role in supporting GNYHA's HCRA 2000 legislative campaign last fall. In March, at the group's annual conference, the membership pledged to work with GNYHA and other health care providers to promote FHP in their churches and communities statewide.

Mary Lu Bowen, Executive Director of NYSCOC, and the Reverend Dan Hahn, Executive Director of Interfaith Impact, arranged the meetings. In Albany, representatives from the Capitol Area Council of Churches, the Capitol Region Ecumenical Organization, and the Schenectady Interfaith Ministry discussed how the religious communities in the Capitol District will network with health care communities in the area to promote FHP and Child Health Plus (CHP). In Rochester, the leadership of the Greater Rochester Community of Churches and several members of the clergy expressed their support of FHP and said they plan to work with the local CHP facilitated enrollers to develop an information outreach campaign in the churches. In Syracuse, the InterReligious Council, local ministers, and health care providers met and exchanged ideas on outreach activities to boost awareness of this new program throughout the city. GNYHA will continue to build on its interfaith outreach infrastructure with NYSCOC and other faith-based organizations to promote FHP and expand access to affordable, quality health care. GNYHA and NYSCOC plan additional FHP information meetings in Binghamton and Buffalo. FHP meetings with other interfaith groups and associations are scheduled for Long Island, Westchester County, and New York City in the fall.