Age-Friendly Health & Tech Showcase
Samantha Hamilton • May 24, 2023

In Celebration of Older Americans Month

The Live Well Springfield Coalition (LWS) Age-Friendly Coalition, in collaboration with the Springfield Aging Unbound, Department of Elder Affairs Outreach Division, is hosting an Age-Friendly Health and Tech Showcase in honor of Older Americans Month. This event will be on May 31st from 11:30 AM to 2:00 PM at the Raymond Jordan Center. This is also a celebratory event as we acknowledge our six years of advocating for older adult issues in Springfield. Our effort over the years led Springfield to be the first Age and Dementia Friendly community with an Age-Friendly hospital system. We have lifted the health inequities of older adults aging with a CORI in Hampden County. And our efforts help to share the lived experiences of older adults in our community. 


The Age-Friendly Health and Tech Showcase will bring together age-friendly partners focused on tech solutions for older adults, health and wellness partners, and services working to bridge the digital divide of tech, care, and access for older adults. Over the last two year the coalition has work with Tech Spring to develop a community engaged process to understand the tech and innovations need of the community, through a Human-Centered design approach. We have come to learn that caregiving and the roles of caregivers through tech is a top priority.  
 
Live Well Springfield comprises 30-plus community partners convened by the Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts. The coalition's primary initiatives are the built environment, Age and Dementia Friendly Cities, Transforming Community Initiatives, Climate Change Health, and Equity. The coalition strongly believes that systemic change cannot happen without the people that are most impacted by the issues at the center of the conversation. 
 
To join us on May 31st from 11:30 AM- 2 :00 PM
register today. If you have questions about the event contact Samantha Hamilton at shamilton@publichealthwm.org. 


 
 

By Samantha Hamilton March 24, 2025
This month, Live Well Springfield Coalition proudly served as the host site for the National Transforming Communities Initiative (TCI) Learning Institute at the Marriott Hotels and Conference Center in Downtown Springfield. The event brought together grantees from nine awarded sites across the country, with participants traveling from as far as Illinois, California, and Michigan. Led by our national Trinity Health partners, Jaime Dircksen , Vice President of Community Health and Well-Being, and Beth Geno-Otto , Manager of Operations & Community Initiatives, the conference provided a dynamic peer-learning environment. Grantees shared best practices and strategies for addressing community-based challenges through a policy, systems, and environmental change framework, fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange across sites. Across the nine sites, grantees are tackling critical issues such as housing, food security, neighborhood safety, and mental health. These focus areas were identified through an inclusive, community-driven process following a review of each hospital’s Community Health Needs Assessment and additional local assessments conducted over the past two years. During the three-day conference, attendees were welcomed by Jessica Collins , Executive Director of the Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts (PHIWM) , along with Robert Roose , President of Mercy Medical Center in Springfield, Johnson Memorial Hospital in Stafford, CT, and Saint Mary’s Hospital in Waterbury, CT. Dan Keenan, Vice President of Government Relations for Trinity Health of New England, also provided remarks. Additional special guests included PHIWM Board President Luz Lopez , Board Chair Dr. Edna Rodriguez , and Valerie L. Powell-Stafford , President of Saint Francis Hospital and Syed A. Hussain , MD Chief Clinical Officer. As part of the conference, grantees participated in three community tours across Hartford, Springfield, and Holyoke, each focused on key issues: housing, food access, and mental health. These tours were coordinated by local community sites with support from grassroots organizations working within their respective coalitions. Highlights from the tours included: A visit to Wellspring Harvest Greenhouse , where Trinity Health’s initial investment through the first round of TCI funding helped provide low-interest loans to support community development. A stop at Gardening the Community and Farm Store , where youth leaders discussed urban agriculture and preparations for the spring planting season. A thought-provoking conversation on housing development led by Keith Fairey, CEO and President of Way Finders . We extend our deepest gratitude to the many organizations that welcomed grantees and shared both the challenges and successes of their work, including Arise for Social Justice , Neighbor 2 Neighbor , Gardening the Community , Wellspring Harvest Cooperative , the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts , Revitalize CDC , and Way Finders . Our community partners showcased their dedication to creating safe, sustainable housing, advocating for tenant rights, and ensuring that families have access to healthy homes and thriving neighborhoods. Their work uplifts communities, allowing residents to live in safe, stable environments where they can grow and thrive. As the conference came to a close, Jaime Dircksen shared her heartfelt gratitude and underscored the importance of continuing this work, despite the challenges posed by the current political climate. Trinity Health remains steadfast in its commitment to investing in the nine sites throughout the remaining three years of this five-year grant. Together, we will continue building healthier, stronger communities through collective action and shared vision.
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