My name is Steve Balcanoff. I am privileged to work at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, and I am privileged to serve as the Board President for Central AHEC, Inc. On behalf of the other Board members, I want to welcome you to our website.
Recently, I read a book authored by basketball legend, Bill Russell. I’d first read the book 30 years ago having grown up in the Boston area and a fan of Russell and his team, the Boston Celtics. What I remembered about reading the book the first time was the basketball insight and the stories about his teammates and all of their championships. What I did not remember as well were the stories of the racial bias, bigotry, and unfairness that Mr. Russell had to deal with as a child and as an adult, during his playing days and beyond. The words that I read 30 years ago did not register with me the same as they do now.
I imagine that had I read Central AHEC’s mission statement back then, the words “health disparities” might not have registered with me the same as they do now. Though I’m more enlightened, I still find myself learning about the great many barriers that challenge the assumption that we all have equal opportunities to lead healthy lifestyles. Participating on the board for the past three years has been part of what fuels my learning. Our Board recognizes the value of the work performed by AHEC, and we are here to support the mission and programs. We also recognize that there is much to be done in our communities. We would like to encourage all who read this to become involved in some way. To borrow some words from one of my fellow board members, “there is a place for volunteers, mothers/fathers, older folks with time on their hands and experience running over.” If you have an interest in joining our efforts and help us strive to “eliminate health disparities among diverse populations…” please contact our office to learn more about ways to help.
