Contact:
Jessica Colon
Executive Director
Southern Tier Connect
438 Main St.
Oneonta, New York 13820
Phone: (607) 376-7526 x307
Email: info@southerntierconnect.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 24, 2023
Southern Tier Connect Celebrates Fifth Anniversary, C.A.R.E Award Presented
Hamilton, NY: On Friday, August 18th, employees of Southern Tier Connect gathered at Good Nature Farm Brewery in Hamilton, New York, to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the organization and to present the first of an annual C.A.R.E. Award.
STC care managers, administrative staff, and members of the board of directors shared an afternoon of food, games, and fun and expressed their gratitude for one another. STC employees go beyond providing support to their members; they create every opportunity to make a positive impact on the lives of the members they support by building strong relationships with members, their families, and the organizations that partner with them.
For the first year ever, an annual C.A.R.E Award was presented. This year’s award winner was Care Coordination Manager Crystal Baldwin. The C.A.R.E. Award is given to an STC employee with extraordinary dedication to C.A.R.E.: Compassion, Advocacy, Respect, and Empowerment. This recipient is someone who upholds STC’s mission and vision while working with those they serve. Crystal transitioned to a care manager position at STC in July 2018, when the organization was established. “Crystal is always respectful, caring, and on top of things. She is a great moderator and leader,” said Southern Tier Connect Executive Director Jessica Colon. Crystal was in attendance to accept the award, presented by Seth Haight, vice president of the STC board of directors, and Jessica Colon. Laurie Goodspeed, a care coordination manager supervisor, spoke on behalf of Crystal and shared many of the great memories she has of Crystal going above and beyond to assist those she supports, including a time when she brought Thanksgiving dinner to a family she supported.
The afternoon was spent outdoors on the beautiful and spacious grounds of Good Nature Farm Brewery, where STC employees shared hors d’oeuvres, lunch, and conversations around the picnic tables or enjoyed a few rounds of corn hole on the lawn. Good Nature catered the afternoon event. Everyone was excited to share the success of five years of Southern Tier Connect and celebrate the dedicated employees who have contributed to the growth of the organization.
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Southern Tier Connect is a leading model for care coordination that serves 14 counties and supports over 1,300 members. STC provides care coordination from a familiar face in a friendly place with service areas in Central and Southern New York State and takes a small approach to care management. Responsive and innovative, STC care managers are always ready to answer member questions and provide support when and where a person and their family need it mo