The Fidelis Care Blog 

The Asian American Cultural Alliance, Inc. (AACA) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to promoting cultural exchange, uplifting immigrant voices, and building bridges through community engagement. I launched AACA alongside two co-founders: Yang Qu, who leads our efforts in mental health awareness, and Yi Li, a dance studio owner who brought creative energy to the organization’s early vision. Together, we created a space where cultural heritage and community well-being are inextricably linked.

National Nurses Week, May 6 through 12, is a time to recognize the compassion and dedication provided by these healthcare professionals every day. In observance of the week, we checked in with Fidelis Care nurses Shay Dege, Matthew Garbutt, Kelsey Maslowski, Sherry MacQueen, and Dawn Pankey on why they chose the profession and what it means to them.

Fidelis Care and nonprofit maternal health organization Mom Starts Here recently partnered to open a Baby Item Network supplies closet at the Fidelis Care Utica Community Office. It’s free to all Medicaid recipients.

Fidelis Care opened its 2025 Veggies to Go produce giveaway season by distributing more than 150 bags of fresh fruits and vegetables at events hosted by Genesee ACE Employment in Batavia on March 15 and the Watertown YMCA on March 26. Veggies to Go addresses nutrition and food insecurity in urban and rural communities across New York State.

In observance of National Minority Health Month this April, Fidelis Care is raising awareness about the health disparities facing minorities. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), minority groups are more likely to have chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and obesity.