Employee Spotlight: Ellann Ford, Community Engagement Specialist

Ellann Ford, community engagement specialist at Community Access Services (CAS), loves people and is passionate about serving her community: “it’s my calling,” she says. Ellann has been at CAS, an affiliate of Evergreen Health, for about three years. She was promoted to be CAS’ community engagement specialist from her previous position as a primary care patient services representative at Evergreen.

CAS’ goal is to empower communities of color in Buffalo and Erie County with access to healthcare and local resources through services and programs that are created for and by communities of color.

Since 2003, the team at CAS has connected the community to quality healthcare and supportive services like HIV testing and counseling, health support groups, nutrition and SNAP assistance, food pantry services, and more.

As our community engagement specialist, Ellann’s job is to connect CAS clients, as well as community members who may have never heard of CAS or Evergreen, with as many of the services and programs that can benefit them as she can.

For example, when a client comes to CAS for a rapid HIV test, Ellann takes some time to talk with them about other services that could benefit them. If they tested negative for HIV, Ellann might refer them to STI screening at Evergreen, and help them make an intake appointment to start PrEP to prevent HIV.

She might also ask them if they need any help getting groceries, and help them complete a food pantry intake if needed; or connect them to a list of childcare resources near them.

Ellann creates effective partnerships with Evergreen and other organizations in our community that let us quickly connect them to whatever medical, behavioral health and supportive services they need.

Beyond working with clients at CAS to connect them with services, a big part of Ellann’s day is outreach: “it’s a lot of boots on the ground, making people informed about what we do.”

Ellann and her team table at community events throughout Buffalo each year, where they hand out information and have one-one-one conversations with community members about their needs and how they might benefit from services at CAS. These conversations, in turn, guide how CAS develops their programs to meet the community’s needs.

In 2024 alone, the team at CAS tested over 460 individuals for HIV, distributed over 34,000 condoms throughout the community, helped over 2,000 individuals get access to the food pantry, where they distributed 18,225 meals, and helped nearly 500 households determine eligibility for SNAP benefits.

Ellann visits a wide variety of communities to let people of many walks of life know about the services that are available to them. She regularly visits senior care homes to educate seniors, a population that faces high rates of STIs and HIV, about safer sex and hand out safer sex supplies. She also attends wellness fairs and health fairs at community centers, churches, schools and healthcare facilities to talk with folks throughout Buffalo about safer sex and connect them to other services that could benefit them.

Ellann embodies Evergreen and CAS’ core values, and she’s an indispensable part of our efforts to close the gap on health disparities in Western New York. For her work at CAS, Ellann was recently named as a nominee for the King Urban Life Center’s East Side Excellence Award in Community Leadership. 

Outside of work, Ellann is an active member of the Buffalo Vets Football Team, overseeing their concession stand operations, which generates funds for the little league team that provides an outlet and resource for many youth on the East Side.

She also recently returned to school full time to complete her bachelor’s degree, and is a proud mother of three children who are all active in the community. She also is the proud grandmother of two and enjoys spending time with her grandchildren. Ellann never misses a beat, and we’re so proud to have her on Team CAS and Evergreen.