Recap: New York & New Jersey

This leg of the #HITtheTrails journey has been, by far, the busiest we’ve experienced thus far. It started on Thursday, with driving the the trailer, my dog, and myself seven hours from Burke Lake, Virginia up to Suffern, New York, avoiding the 95 freeway to reduce the stress from city traffic.

That meant we got to take a rest in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania to visit the historical site where President Lincoln gave his famous address.

We chose Suffern, NY as our destination, because Gail Zahtz, former guest of the show and esteemed woman in health IT, had graciously offered her driveway to us as a safe haven for our camper while we were in the region. She greeted me with homemade breads and a big hug, then left me to settle in. I got the chance to catch up with her a little later as she cooked dinner for her family. As we ate, teenagers were bustling in the background and she and I discussed how the cost of healthcare is calculated in ways that could make your head explode, but that once you find patterns, and implement changes based on those, you can, theoretically make a big impact on the system and the cost of care.

Friday was super busy. After dropping Juno off with a dog-sitter in Newark, New Jersey, I took the train to meet Shereese in Central Park. We had been apart for about 10 days, so had plenty of catching up to do. It was lovely to do so in a place with such good people watching! From people walking their dogs to the horse carriages trotting by and random exercisers, it was clear that the city was making the most of the first few days of being officially open again after the pandemic.

Next, we connected with Dalton Patterson and John Lynn for lunch in Times Square. Joe Desiderio joined us soon after. The five of us took the subway down to the Garment District to sample some premium coffee and to record a video interview for Dalton’s new podcast/vlog for Corro Health. We were happy sharing stories from the past year and our hopes for what’s to come. Joe spotted Iggy Pop.

The next item on our agenda was to get to the #HITMC meetup in Korea Town. John had reserved a private karaoke room for members of the community to reconnect and share in some wholesome fun. Although it took some convincing at first, about 10 of us ended up belting out songs for each other and singing the night away.

Saturday morning, I regrouped with both Shereese and Juno in Newark, New Jersey. We decided to find a park to relax in, drink some coffee, and enjoy a relaxing day. We were both exhausted from Friday and decided to keep things mellow.

Sunday, we met up with Kate Corbett in Livingston, New Jersey. We had intended to go on a hike, but decided to meet for coffee and snacks instead. The three of us (and Juno) sat outside and discussed how we would solve the healthcare issues in this country if we had unlimited funds. What was the root of the problem? How would we connect people who need them to the resources available? How would we get more community involvement, and ultimately, how do you get people to care? What organizations are already doing this work and how can we build them up instead of trying to reinvent the wheel? How do we make sure that mental health is as much of a priority for physical health? And why are eye and dental care separated out from typical medical insurance? Our conversation ranged from insurance models to the judicial system and even bail reform. It was lively! It was inspiring! We needed more coffee


On Monday, Shereese and I headed back to the city for our official hike. We had morning meetings, so we took them in the Central Park, close to the Bethesda Fountain. One of the attendees, Margarita Sheffs, had a video project, “Healthcare Questionnaire in the Open Air” for Dedalus and had coordinated it to happen just before our hike. So, several of us met up early to meet her crew to answer a series of questions on camera, which was a nice way to catch up with both new and old friends. She brought snacks, water, and a make-up team, so our needs were met. The heat and humidity was something else, so we were happy to chat in the shade and give the day some time to cool off.

Our group of eight wandered over to and through The Ramble - an area of Central Park famous for bird watching. It was a fun crew. We chatted about the evolution of the EpiPen, the difference between an Incubator program and an Accelerator program, as well as how many women-led organizations are receiving funding these days. We closed out the hike with a TikTok and some Italian food and counted our blessings for the opportunity to see each other in person again.

The pandemic has made sure that we take none of this for granted. Days like these will be forever cherished.

Tuesday, we packed up just in time before a rainstorm hit and we headed off to Rhode Island.

Suffern & NYC, NY

Where we stayed: Gail Zahtz’ home in Suffern, NY.

Where we hiked: The Ramble, Central Park

Indigenous Acknowledgment - Ramapough Lenape | Mohican

Newark & Livingston, NJ

Friends We Made

#BTS

The trailer comes with its own set of challenges. Joy dented her car parking it in this spot and didn’t want to do any further damage upon leaving, so she figured out that by playing a 3D game of Tetris, the crew could move it by hand. And, it worked!

TikTok!

Thank you

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