Cny igh 186 june15

in good Cancer Survivor

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CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper

10 Years Coping With MS

Patty Agnes is happy to be alive after a cancer scare last year. She will be one of the speakers at an event in Liverpool to celebrate National Cancer Survivors Day

Dave Longley, chief meteorologist at NewsChannel 9, talks about his multiple sclerosis he has had since he was 33 Page 9

Nursing a Legacy Susan Bastable, founder of Le Moyne’s nursing program, is now retiring. She talks about her career, legacy

Turning 35? Time to Start the Conversation About Prostate Cancer

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Crouse & S U Athletics Hospital assembles region’s top orthopedic surgeons to care for SU athletes

Welcome to Friends of Dorothy House Founded in 1992, Syracuse home is a refuge who those diagnosed with AIDS

Big Reasons to Eat More BLACK BEANS

Meet Your Doctor Psychiatrist Robert Gregory discusses misconceptions about mental illness and the reason for a shortage of psychiatrists working with children Page 6 June 2015 •

Among the fastest growing healthy snacks Page 3

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IN GOOD HEALTH – CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • June 2015

Top 10 Food Trends for 2015 Popcorn — along with refrigerated juices, smoothies, yogurt, nutrition bars, trail mixes and specialty nut butters — is among the fastest growing healthy snacks, according to the Institute of Food Technologists.

T

he April 2015 issue of Food Technology magazine, published by the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), features Contributing Editor A. Elizabeth Sloan’s insights on the top food trends for 2015. Sloan gathers data from a multitude of industry resources to come up with the following trends.

1. Fresh and Refrigerated Foods: Nearly nine in 10 adults feel that fresh foods are healthier, 80 percent feel that they are tastier, and 78 percent of consumers are making a strong effort to eat more fresh vs processed foods. Shoppers are buying more fresh ingredients, up 10 percent vs. just three years ago.

2. Eating for a Specific Lifestyle: Dramatic changes in lifestyle, eating patterns, and demographics are creating new rules for marketing and packaging and are motivating new food product purchases.

Nearly half of all eating occasions are alone and the family meal continues to erode; only 27 percent of family meals include children.

3. Reasonable Snacking: The average number of in-between-meal snacks has grown from two per person per day in 2010 to almost three in 2014, and consumers are snacking throughout the whole day. Refrigerated juices, smoothies, yogurt, nutrition bars, trail mixes, specialty nut butters and popcorn were among the fastest growing healthy snacks in 2013.

4. Discovering New Cuisines: More sophisticated food experiences characterized by unique flavors and culinary narratives is another trend on the rise.

Gourmet products such as oils, cheeses, and baked goods are purchased by more than 40 percent. Pickling, fermenting, fire-roasting, and smoking are all hot food preparation trends for 2015 as well as global flavors like harissa, aji, gochujang, yuzu, togarashi, peri peri, and za’atar.

5. Exclusion Diets: Consumers are continuing to experiment with alternative eating styles. In 2014 one-third of adults tried a specialty regiment like gluten-free, lactose-free, raw/living foods, dairy-free or a juice cleanse.

Three-quarters of U.S. households prepare meat alternatives for dinner

with eggs being the most popular meat alternative. Food restrictions, intolerances, or allergies have a good deal of influence on food choices for one in 10 shoppers and 17 percent are somewhat influenced.

6. Breakfast: Most people are eating breakfast five times a week.

Having more energy and mental focus, helping maintain weight and feeling full until lunchtime are all things that motivate non-breakfast eaters to dig into breakfast. Ethnic flavors for breakfast are trending as well such as chipotle, manchego, chutney, Cotija, and chimichurri.

7. Rethinking Natural: In 2014, 29 percent of consumers bought more local foods and beverages, 28 percent bought more organic products, 25 percent more natural foods, and 23 percent more non-GMO offerings.

8. Whole Food Nutrition: In 2014, fiber/ whole grain were the most sought after food ingredients. Non-wheat flours (peanut, millet, barley, and rice) were among the hot culinary ingredients in 2015, followed by ethnic flours like fufu, teff and cassava. More than one third of the best-selling new foods/ beverages in 2013 carried a real fruit or fruit health benefits claim, and 14 percent of the best-sellers touted a vegetable health benefit.

9. ‘Cook-Less’ Meals: More than a quarter of consumers say they are preparing more meals in less than 20 minutes than they did five years ago.

One-pot meals were up 29 percent, and meals using marinated meats and poultry were up 21 percent. Packaged meals and kits, oven baking, and take-and-bake products are all popular among consumers.

10. Diet Watching: Over half of adults are watching their diets; 66 percent for general health reasons, 55 percent to lose weight, 40 percent to limit fat, sugar, sodium, 38 percent to prevent future medical issues, 37 percent to maintain weight, 22 percent to treat a current medical condition, and 10 percent for a real or perceived food allergy or intolerance.

5th Annual Family Fun Saturday, July 11, 2015 Long Branch Park Registration 8:30 a.m., Walk & Activities 9-11 a.m.

Join us in a family fun walk for epilepsy!

A light breakfast and snack will be provided along with lots of family-friendly activities!

Help raise awareness and support for epilepsy services in Central NY! Register today at www.epiny.org Like our Facebook page: facebook. com/epilepsypralid for #SaltCityWalk updates and details about a new team t-shirt contest!

315-477-9777

Multiple Sclerosis Resources of Central New York, Inc.® “Dedicated to creating awareness and providing resources to improve the lives of individuals with multiple sclerosis and their families”

Some Services We Provide: n Transportation to Medical Appointments n Educational Programs n Current Information n Loan of Equipment n Support Groups n Newsletters n Referrals

A Local Agency with your interest in mind!

Call today to register, ask questions or become a Volunteer!!

P.O. Box 237 – East Syracuse, New York (315) 438-4790 www.msrofcny.org E-mail: msrofcny@msrofcny.org June 2015 •

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All Month

June 11

Art show at Hospice of Central New York

Medicare basics workshop held in Auburn

Artists from the group Central New York Pen Women are showing two dozen works of art in a show staged at Hospice of Central New York, 990 7th North St., Liverpool. The viewing is free and open to the public weekdays from 9 a.m – 4:30 p.m.

CNY Pen Women invited the winners of the 2015 Pen Women Art Contest to join in the exhibition. The winners are: Norman Schillawski, Laura Stegmaier and Michael Berman.

The National League of American Pen Women was founded in Washington DC in 1897. The organization has its national headquarters in Washington with branches in almost every state plus Panama. It is composed of professional writers, artists, composers & lecturers.

June 7

AIDS walk/run to take place at Beaver Lake ACR Health is organizing its 23rd Annual AIDS Walk/Run, sponsored

by Empower Federal Credit Union, at Beaver Lake Nature Center in Baldwinsville. The AIDS Walk/Run benefits ACR Health and features a 5K fundraising walk and a 10K timed run, with free food, drinks, and fundraising incentives.

The event will start at 8:30 a.m. (registration) with the race starting at 10 a.m., June 7. Participants are encouraged to fundraise a minimum of $25. Those raising more receive great incentives. All the money raised stays in Central New York to benefit ACR Health’s youth HIV/STD prevention programs and emergency client needs.

The AIDS Walk/Run is ACR Health’s largest outreach and fundraising event in Central New York.

Visit www.AIDSwalkCNY.com or call 1-800-475-2430 for more information.

Learn about the basics of Medicare at a free workshop to be held from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 11 at the basement training room of the Cayuga County Office Building in Auburn.

This session will be geared toward Cayuga County residents who are approaching Medicare enrollment and for those already enrolled who are overwhelmed or confused by the information and the options available.

This is not an event during which sales efforts will be made, and no insurance vendors will be present; this program will contain unbiased information only.

Information included in this program will be: the basics of original Medicare; Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D prescription coverage; Medicare Preventive benefits; Medicare supplemental insurance and EPIC; costs, co-pays and deductibles; and information about available assistance to help those beneficiaries of a low-income status.

Registration is required. To register, call 315-253-1226, or visit www.cayugacounty.us/aging under the News & Activities section.

June 11

Free Lyncourt concert to celebrate beloved priest St. Daniel Church in Lyncourt will celebrate Monsignor Eugene Yennock’s 65 years as a priest with a free spring concert at 6:30 p.m. Thrusday, June 11, at St. Daniel School gym at 3004 Court St. Syracuse (Lyncourt area).

Sponsored by The Wisdom People (St. Daniel Senior Citizen Group) the concert will feature The Lyncourt Community Band, conducted by retired Lyncourt school band teacher Tony DeAngelis and The Harmony Katz, an all-men’s barbershop chorus directed

by Peter Carentz.

Call John L. Denega, 315-432-1005, or St. Daniel Rectory, 315-454-4946 for more information.

Onondaga, Oswego, Cayuga and Madison Counties in good A monthly newspaper published by Local

Health CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper

News, Inc. Distribution: 35,000 copies.

To request home delivery ($15 per year), call 315-342-1182.

In Good Health is published 12 times a year by Local News, Inc. © 2015 by Local News, Inc. All rights reserved. Mailing Address: P.O. Box 276, Oswego, NY 13126. • Phone: 315-342-1182 • Fax: 315-342-7776.

Editor & Publisher: Wagner Dotto • Associate Editor: Lou Sorendo Contributing Writers: Jim Miller, Eva Briggs, M.D., Gwenn Voelckers, Deborah Banikowski, George W. Chapman, Aaron Gifford, Deborah Sergeant, Anne Palumbo, Melissa Stefanec, Matthew Liptak, Chris Motola, Aaron GiffordErnst Lamothe Jr Advertising: Amy Gagliano, Marsha K. Preston Design: Chris Crocker • Office Manager: Alice Davis

For more information: lemoyne.edu/nursing nursing@lemoyne.edu | (315) 445-5435 Page 4

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IN GOOD HEALTH – CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • June 2015

No material may be reproduced in whole or in part from this publication without the express written permission of the publisher. The information in this publication is intended to complement—not to take the place of—the recommendations of your health provider.

Consult your physician before making major changes in your lifestyle or health care regimen.

More Than 1 in 10 Use Daily Aspirin Wrongly For many users, the odds of heart attack, stroke are lower than the risk of serious bleeding, study says

M

any Americans are likely using daily low-dose aspirin inappropriately in the hopes of preventing a first-time heart attack or stroke, a new study suggests.

Researchers found that of nearly 69,000 U.S. adults prescribed aspirin long-term, about 12 percent probably should not have been.

That’s because their odds of suffering a heart attack or stroke were not high enough to outweigh the risks of daily aspirin use, said Ravi Hira, the lead researcher on the study and a cardiologist at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.

Experts have long known that for people who’ve already had a heart attack or stroke, a daily low-dose aspirin can cut the risk of suffering those conditions again.

Things get more complicated, though, when it comes to preventing a first-time heart attack or stroke — what doctors call “primary prevention.” In general, the benefits of aspirin therapy are smaller, and for many people may not justify the downsides.

“Aspirin is not a medication that comes without risks,” Hira said. He noted the drug can cause serious gastrointestinal bleeding or hemorrhagic stroke (bleeding in the brain).

Still, people sometimes dismiss the bleeding risks, Hira said, partly because aspirin is so familiar and readily available.

The idea of protecting the heart by simply taking a pill might appeal to some people, he said. “It’s probably easier to take a pill than to change your lifestyle,” Hira pointed out.

But based on the new findings, many Americans may be making the wrong choice, Hira’s team reported online in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

The results are based on medical records for more than 68,800 patients at 119 cardiology practices across the United States. The group included peo-

ple with high blood pressure who had not yet developed heart disease.

Overall, Hira’s team found, almost 12 percent of patients seemed to be prescribed aspirin unnecessarily — their risks of heart trouble or stroke were not high enough to justify the risks of longterm aspirin use.

Excellus Wants to Give You $2.66 Million

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ore than 13,600 individuals and companies in New York state have forgotten more than $2.66 million in checks issued by Excellus Health Plan, including by its d.b.a., Excellus BlueCross BlueShield (BCBS). This isn’t money left in their pockets, but is in the form of unclaimed checks issued in 2011 to members and providers.

A complete list of names of people and companies with checks to claim is available on the company’s website at excellusbcbs.com/forgottenfunds.

Every year, the state requires insurers like Excellus BCBS to make a list of unclaimed checks that are at least three years old. The names are then placed

in advertisements in local papers in an attempt to find the people who have money to claim. If the property is not claimed by the end of August, the money is then turned over to the Comptroller of the State of New York.

“This is money that was paid for claims or refunded premiums. If the money remains unclaimed it will go to the state,” said Christopher C. Booth, president and chief executive officer.

“It rightfully belongs to our members or providers and we want to make sure they have one more chance to claim it before it goes to the state.”

Most of the funds that have yet to be redeemed were allocated to Excellus BCBS members and providers.

Checks may not have been cashed for a number of reasons. The member may have moved and not left a forwarding address, a member may have died, or the member simply forgot about the money.

To claim a check prior to Aug. 31, email www.excellusbcbs.com/ wps/portal/xl/our/contact/ or call the phone number on your member identification card. If you are no longer a health plan member, or if you are calling on behalf of the estate of a family member, call Excellus BlueCross BlueShield at 877-757-3850.

Please note that checks will not be mailed to claimants until after Aug. 31.

Healthcare in a Minute

By George W. Chapman

Hospital report card Medicare has developed a five-star hospital ranking system. The number of stars a hospital earns is based on how it did according to an 80-question survey of patients who received care, inpatient or outpatient, within the last six months. The survey covers 3,500 Medicare certified hospitals. Hospitals are graded on pertinent issues like how they were treated by business and clinical staff, communication with physicians and other caregivers, medication administration and instructions, and overall care received. The survey does not inquire about the non-clinical amenities or lures that have little to no relevance on the quality of care received such as valet parking, executive chefs and free cable TV. So far, only 7 percent of hospitals have received five stars.

Forty percent of hospitals garnered three stars. Fortunately, only 3 percent of hospitals received just one star.

Thirty percent of a hospital’s Medicare reimbursement is based on this survey.

Hospital ratings are updated quarterly.

While critics argue that no survey can accurately reflect the quality of care received, advocates argue that, nevertheless, hospitals need to understand that the consumer is always right.

Individual insurance mandate Fifteen million Americans had an individual policy last year, a 46 percent increase over 2013, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. The report does not give the breakdown between policies purchased on the exchange or directly from carriers. Fifty percent of the increase last year came from

California, Florida, Texas and Georgia, which coincidentally are some of the states with the highest uninsured rates.

More individuals would have purchased insurance if the penalty for not having insurance was more onerous.

It’s still far cheaper to pay the penalty vs. buy insurance. The individual mandate penalty for not having insurance in 2014 was only $95. It increased to $325 this year, which still a bargain compared to buying insurance, even if one qualifies for a discount based on income.

Wellness Incentives The ACA affords employers the opportunity to offer financial wellness incentives to their employees. Participation in wellness programs (like weight loss and smoking cessation) must be voluntary. Participation cannot be mandatory. Participating employees (family members are ineligible) can receive as much as a 30 percent discount on their individual premium. US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy called for a prevention-based society in a recent Washington Post story. He suggested that all institutions — including government, private employers, schools, churches, providers, etc — need to emphasize wellness and physical activity.

Healthiness must become part of our culture.

ACO growth slows While the growth rate slowed last year, there are now about 600 accountable care organizations (ACO), putting 70 percent of us in a market served by one of them. 5.6 million Americans, or 11 percent, receive care from an ACO. The majority of ACOs are still Medi-

care sponsored. Commercial ACOs are slower to develop.

Transformative technology

Though long overdue, healthcare innovation and technology has exploded onto the scene in just the past few years. Mahek Shaw, MD, the founder of Symplexi, says consumers will benefit from three technological advances in particular. First, cloud-based electronic records are proving to be more accessible, agile, adaptable and flexible for both consumers and providers. Epic and Cerner currently dominate the client-server based electronic record systems. Shaw predicts that within five years they will be outmoded. Second, patient centric devices like TEDMED, Jawbone, Fitbit and SXSW will transmit your data directly to your provider, allowing the doctor-patient relationship to be more of a partnership. Third, big data analytics will progress from improving operations and lowering costs to actually improving the care of the population being served by the provider organization. All of this cannot come quickly enough as both consumers and physicians are frustrated with the amount of paperwork and red tape involved in receiving and delivering care.

Impact of hospital closures According to a study published in Health Affairs, hospital closures do not significantly impact hospitalizations or mortality rates of the local residents.

The Harvard researchers looked at 195 closures between 2003 and 2011 using Medicare data. Closed facilities tended to be for profit, in the South and urban.

According to the study, the impact of most of the closures was negligent beJune 2015 •

cause in most urban/suburban markets there is more than an adequate inventory of beds as opposed to rural/isolated areas. Most of the NYS hospitals in danger of closing are within 30 minutes of another facility.

Opposition to ObamaCare losing steam There have been over 50 attempts to repeal the Affordable Care Act. For several reasons, opposition has become less vociferous in Congress. First, 16 million people would lose their insurance. Second, the early glitches in enrollment have been fixed. Third, employer-sponsored plans remain strong with 93 percent of full time workers eligible for employer-sponsored coverage and 70 percent choosing to participate which is unchanged since 2013. Fourth, insurance premiums have increased an average of only 6 percent since 2013.

Fifth, younger people are enrolling.

3.4 million are young adults under 26 elected to stay on their parent’s plan.

Sixth, dire predictions of providers being overwhelmed with an influx of newly insured sick patients has not happened. Finally, the public is better educated and the fear of the unknown dissipates.

GEORGE W. CHAPMAN is a health consultant who operates GW Chapman Consulting in Upstate New York.

To reach him, email gwc@gwchapmanconsulting.com.

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R Your Doctor Meet

obert J. Gregory, professor and chairman at Upstate Medical University’s department of psychiatry and behavioral science, is the only physician from Upstate in a task force that was formed recently to examine pediatric mental health services in Central New York. This task force, formed through the joint efforts of U.S. Rep. John Katko and Assemblyman Bill Magnarelli, will explore available care options for children and adolescents in the region and recommend methods to improve access to that care. Other Upstate members of the task force are social worker Jennifer March, and registered nurse Linda McAleer.

By Chris Motola

Robert J. Gregory, MD Psychiatrist discusses misconceptions about mental illness and explains why there is a shortage of psychiatrists working with children and adolescents Q: What kinds of patients do psychiatrists see in a hospital setting?

A: At Upstate we have both outpatient and inpatient services. Our outpatient services include a clinic for children and adolescents and separate clinic for adults. We have inpatient beds for adults, but not for children and adolescents. That presents a bit of a problem as the only institution in town that provides inpatient psychiatric treatment for adolescents is Hutchings Psychiatric Center. A further complication is that they can only be admitted to that unit if they have Medicaid. So patients with private insurance need to go out of town or even out of state to receive inpatient care. There can sometimes be a very long waiting list for inpatient treatment somewhere else. The distance can be a hardship for families.

Q: Is this due to a psychiatrist shortage or something else?

A: Partly. It is a shortage specialty and there’s even a larger shortage for adolescent and child psychiatrists.

Psychiatrists go through the four years of medical school. Only about 3 to 4 percent of students end up going into psychiatry. And once they decide to go into it, it’s a pretty long process, even after medical school. It’s a long haul and an expensive education. It’s also not as well compensated as many of the other specialties. It’s extremely hard to attract people to the specialty.

Q: It’s poorly compensated even though there’s a shortage?

A: It is unusual. There’s a very large demand for mental health treatment. But mental illness causes so much dysfunction in a person’s life that they very often have poor levels of employment and difficulty paying for the treatment they need. We tend to be serving people who are really struggling in life and trying to get them to level where they’re functioning well enough to reenter society.

estimated, by the general populace, as a quality of life factor?

A: Yes, that’s very often the case.

People have all kinds of misconceptions about mental illness. Less than they used to, but there’s still enormous stigma. There’s still the impression that someone with major depression is simply a person with weak character and just needs more willpower or to just think more positively. But when research has compared the dysfunction of major depression with chronic illnesses like diabetes, chronic congestive heart failure, rheumatoid arthritis, major depression actually caused more disability on average. It causes a great deal of impairment as well as a serious risk of death.

Around 10 percent of individuals with major mental illness die of suicide.

There’s a risk for other health conditions. Major depression predisposes one to heart disease.

Schizophrenia

Q: On that note, is mental health underPage 6

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IN GOOD HEALTH – CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • June 2015

predisposes one to diabetes. So not only is there some risk of suicide, physical health can be compromised too.

Q: How is treating adolescents for mental illness different than treating adults?

A: There are some differences.

Adolescents may have more difficulty making use of psychotherapy and describe their emotions. Sometimes they respond better to family therapy than individual. They tend not to respond as well to medications. Very often you need to work with them more on the environmental factors, their coping mechanisms and their support systems.

The are some exceptions like schizophrenia, which may manifest more as depression at that age. You need to be able to detect it and treat it with anti-psychotic medication to actually prevent the disease from progressing.

The other exception is ADD, which responds to medication.

Q: To what degree is mental health genetic vs. environmental? Is there any truth to the idea of people just “snapping” one day?

A: There are definitely environmental factors as well as genetic predisposition. That’s true for most illnesses. For major depression and most mental disorders, one of the most common triggers is loss of a loved one. Childhood environmental risk factors can contribute, such as bullying in school or a chaotic home environment.

Q: With many diseases, lifestyle changes are encouraged. To what degree is that effective with mental illness?

A: Yes. Mental and physical health have a lot in common. Interestingly, adverse childhood events also play a risk in heart disease. So very often the same risk factors apply, but many of the same things

that are good for physical illnesses are also good for mental illnesses.

Relaxation, coping mechanisms.

Exercise is one of the best treatments for depression, as well as preventing heart disease. Having a good support system. There’s an artificial separation we make between mental and physical health when what’s going on in the body is very similar. Stress has a profound hormonal effect on the body. There are actually changes in the morphology of the brain that happen during stress. High stress can be manifested through either mental or physical illness.

Q: Are mental illnesses curable or can they only be managed?

A: Both. That’s true even of schizophrenia. There are people with schizophrenia who experience a complete recovery, while others may not respond well to treatment. The same applies to depression. There are some who may only have one episode in their life and never have another. Others have recurrent episodes, where they function well in between episodes. One of the keys is the development of better coping mechanisms or taking medications that can help prevent future episodes. It’s similar to heart disease that way. Some may have a single heart attack. But if they don’t make the changes, the heart disease is likely to come back.

Q: What is a personality disorder?

A: So people may have certain personality traits that predispose them to mental illness like, for example, excessive suspiciousness. But they’re not out of touch with reality. So they might be more self-conscious around others, but if shown the evidence, they’ll accept it. Other people may see the glass half-empty all the time and just worry more, which predisposes them to depression, anxiety and a host of physical ailments. There are full-blown personality disorders like borderline personality disorder, which is my specialty. It causes a lot of difficulties and disabilities in its own right. It requires its own specialized treatment.

Lifelines Position: Chairman of Psychiatric and Behavioral Sciences at Upstate University Hospital Hometown: Syracuse, NY Education: SUNY Buffalo (MD), University of Rochester Medical Center (internship), Harvard (residency) Affiliations: SUNY Upstate Medical Center Organizations: American Psychiatric Association, American Psychoanalytic Association, National Alliance of Mental Illness Family: Married (Eva Gregory), three adult daughters Hobbies: Gardening, hiking, boating

Local Cancer Patient Glad to Be a Survivor

NOW PLAYING AT AN OFFICE NEAR YOU!

“IF YOU SUFFER FROM CHRONIC BACK PAIN YOU NEED TO SEE THIS MOVIE!”

CHARLES DAWSON FORMER CHRONIC BACK PAIN SUFFERER

UNLOCK THE DOOR OF YOUR BACK PAIN RELIEF

She will be one of the speakers at a Liverpool event to celebrate National Cancer Survivors Day

By Matthew Liptak

T

he American Cancer Society estimates there will be almost 18 million cancer survivors in the United States by 2022. One survivor, Patty Agne, 60, of Syracuse is happy to be celebrating this year’s National Cancer Survivors Day June 7.

Agne found a lump in her breast about a year ago. Agne, a massage therapist, said she did not panic when she found it.

“I thought it was like a little sebaceous cyst — a little oil gland cyst because I’ve had those before. I wasn’t really alarmed at all,” Agne said.

A mammogram revealed the lump as a clogged duct, but further doctor appointments and then a needle biopsy showed that the problem was ductal carcinoma, stage 1 estrogen positive.

“It was six months before I really saw a surgeon and really got the definitive diagnosis,” Agne said. “I remember she called me. It was 5 of 5 on a Tuesday. I had a 5 o’clock client coming and the doctor told me she had found a small cancer. I just remember standing there with the phone going, ‘Well that sucks.’”

The surgeon, Kristine Keeney at SUNY Upstate Medical University, told Agne the cancer wouldn’t kill her, but she would need a lumpectomy.

As it turned out, she was not free of cancer after the first surgery so Agne needed a second procedure. She’s been cancer-free since the second surgery, which took place Aug. 1 last year.

After some testing, Agne found she scored high in her chances for a systemic reoccurrence of her cancer.

She went through 20 chemotherapy treatments over the course of 24 weeks, healed a bit, and then had 36 radiation treatments.

She took what she called a “healing sabbatical” for nine months from her job, and just concentrated on resting and healing. She read many books to pass time and got 12 to 13 hours of sleep a night. “The first thing I did when I was diagnosed and was wrapping my head around it was I had to let go of everything,” she said. “Trust and let go. Let go of work. Let go of people who needed me.”

The strategy worked for Agne.

“It’s very unlikely that the cancer will come back,” Agne’s radiation oncologist, Anna Shapiro of Upstate, said. “Actually I think her prognosis is very, very good. She heals well. She’s healthy otherwise and she has a very positive outlook on things. She took care of herself. All of those factors helped in her quick recovery.”

Today Agne is back at work, but fatigue from her treatment limits the amount of time she can work.

Upstate will be celebrating National Cancer Survivior’s Day from noon to 3 p.m., June 7, at the Holiday Inn in Liverpool and Agne plans to attend.

“I’m in a club now that I never anticipated joining,” Agne said. “I don’t like organized things, but I’ve been chosen to have cancer and survive it to be with all these other tons of people. We all have that one thing in common. It’s mind-blowing. It’s so uplifting when you see all the people that survive it.”

A Movie of Hope and New Beginnings Presented by Upstate Spinal Decompression and Dr. David Cifra, DC. Spend 30 minutes to discover if you are a candidate for this scientific discovery to relieve chronic and severe cases of back pain without drugs or surgery.

MONDAY, JUNE 22 • 7-8 p.m.

FREE showing but seating is limited. Reserve at 315-454-0656 Now playing locally at Koinonia Center of Health, 6800 E. Genesee St, Suite 1000, Fayetteville, NY Patty Agne, 60, of Syracuse has been cancer free since her surgery in August last year. She and others will share their experience at an event in Liverpool.

Upstate Observes National Cancer Survivors Day “National Cancer Survivors Day is a celebration of life,” said Tina Evans of the Upstate Cancer Center and a member of the National Cancer Survivor Day committee. “Every year we are making progress towards winning the fight against cancer with the help of medical research and new treatments.

The event celebrates those who have overcome cancer, their family members and friends who have helped them in their fight and those who are still undergoing treatment. They are all strong individuals — they are survivors —and this day honors them and gives them an opportunity to connect and celebrate with each other.”

Facts:

• National Cancer Survivors Day will be held Sunday, June 7 from noon to 3 p.m. at the Holiday Inn, 441 Electronics Parkway in Liverpool.

• The event will be attended by 500 cancer survivors and their guests with reservations.

• The event is sponsored by the Upstate Cancer Center, The Advocates for Upstate Medical University. It is offered to cancer survivors and their guests free of charge.

• There will be four cancer survivor speakers ranging in age from 15 years old to 69 years old.

• Upstate has presented the event since 1996.

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IN GOOD HEALTH – CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper

•

Page 7

Live Alone & Thrive

By Gwenn Voelckers

Practical tips, advice and hope for those who live alone

There’s no place like home: Make it your own!

W

hen Dorothy in the “Wizard of Oz” closed her eyes, clicked her heels and said wistfully, “There’s no place like home,” she was hoping to be transported back to that place of security, warmth, and love . . . and into the arms of her adoring Auntie Em. Ahhh, the comforts of home.

Creating a soothing and safe haven for myself after my divorce was an essential part of starting my life over as a woman on her own. Intuitively, I knew I needed to walk through my new front door and into my very own “warm hug,” a place where I would be embraced and inspired by all things familiar and friendly.

So I set out to create a retreat — a personal sanctuary where I could feel safe and sound. It was what I needed at the time. Since then, I’m delighted to share that my home has evolved into much more than just a nurturing place.

My living space became a pallet of personal expression where I gained a true appreciation for the value of having a “room of one’s own.”

With yourself as your sole guide and decorator, your kitchen, living room and bedroom can become portraits of your values, your loves and

your life. Making a home your own becomes an adventure in autonomy and a chance to explore and express — perhaps for the first time in your life — your own tastes unleashed, without compromise. It can be liberating. Energizing. Even healing.

One of the first things I did when I bought my own home (after I tore out the grass green shag carpet!) was to frame and display photographs of my family and friends. I wanted to see their faces when I entered a room and to be reminded of good times and the love that surrounds me. This was just the beginning of a series of decisions that made living alone in my own space not just pleasant, but lovelier and more wondrous than I could have imagined.

Paying attention to your surroundings can have an immediate and lasting impact on how you feel about yourself and about living alone. What better time than now to put out the welcome mat and make

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your home your own. Here are some tips: Follow your heart. You’re on your own now. There’s no one around to second guess your decisions or rain on your preferences. You are free to express yourself in the colors you choose, the fabrics, the art and the accessories. Don’t know where to start? Look at your wardrobe. There, you’ll find a reliable reference for your style and tastes in color.

Banish the negative. If something makes you feel bad when you look at it, either get rid of it or repair it. Ratty dishtowels, old lampshades, faded curtains: Their very existence in your home can dampen your mood and erode your self-esteem. Don’t underestimate the negative power of unsightly or outdated objects.

Exhibit the positive. On the other hand, surround yourself with images and objects that lift your spirit and reinforce who you are or want to become.

Photos of loved ones work for me. So do fresh flowers and original pieces of art I collect on my travels. I believe in the symbolic nature of objects and find inspiration in what fills my home.

Reduce the clutter. Closets or drawers crammed with useless stuff, dark corners, cramped spaces — all of these contribute to negative energy, according to the tenets of Feng Shui, the ancient Chinese practice of organizing space to achieve harmony and balance.

I’m a true believer in this concept, and it’s made a positive difference in my life. A good book on the subject is “Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui” by Karen Kingston. Check it out.

Decorate with your senses. Is the hollow sound of loneliness bouncing off your walls? Is there a musty smell wafting up from the basement? Are your cabinets sticky? When I started paying attention to more than just visual aesthetics, my home became even friendlier territory. Transform your solitary space by creating a beautiful atmosphere filled with lovely music, pleasing aromas, and clean surfaces.

Your home can become an oasis of independence and autonomy — a place that’s unconditionally yours, absent of compromise. Claim it. Fill it with who you are. Because once you make your personal space your own . . . there’s no place like home!

Gwenn Voelckers is the founder and facilitator of Live Alone and Thrive, empowerment workshops for women held throughout the year in Mendon, NY. For information about her upcoming workshops or to invite Gwenn to speak, call 585-624-7887 or email: gvoelckers@rochester.rr.com.

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IN GOOD HEALTH – CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • June 2015

Dave Longley: 10 Years Coping With MS Chief meteorologist at NewsChannel 9, diagnosed with multiple sclerosis at age 33, talks about the disease and how he’s coping

By Aaron Gifford

D

ave Longley said the first warning sign was a hand tremor. He figured the problem was related to a lack of sleep or too much caffeine.

Then he noticed it became more difficult to do things with his right hand.

He asked about it at his annual physical. The doctor ordered a MRI, Longley recalled, “and the rest is history.”

The test showed white lesions on the brain. The diagnosis was multiple sclerosis, a condition where the immune system attacks the protective coating on the nerves, disrupting communication between the brain and body and causing the nerves to deteriorate.

Longley, the chief meteorologist at NewsChannel 9, was only 33 years old at the time. Initially, the public figure had no intentions of sharing this very private matter with viewers. Five years later, in 2011, he changed his mind and announced his diagnosis. The disease had changed his voice and speech, and people were noticing.

“I had always been open with management about my diagnosis and was honest with them in saying I had no idea what was going to happen, but I’d do my best to fight it and work as long as I could,” Longley said in a recent interview. “When I let viewers know, I didn’t want it to be about me. I wanted it to be about raising awareness of the disease. For the people diagnosed with MS, I wanted to show them that you could go about your daily life and could adapt things around your limitations. I read a great quote early on in my reading that said, ‘I have MS, but MS doesn’t have me.’ ” A decade after his diagnosis, Longley continues to juggle career, family and treatment of the disease.

He describes the fatigue as crushing at times — “no matter how much rest I get, I always feel run down.” Support from his family has been immeasurable and motivates him not to give up.

“I always had this vision of going through life as a ‘normal’ man,’ ” Longley explained. “I’ve had to face

the fact that there are some things that I just can’t do, or enjoy, as much as I once did. Let’s be honest, there are people that are far worse off than me.

I’m only 43 and have a long life ahead of me. I can’t give up now. That’s what motivates me. I enjoy the work I do and the people I meet. I’m not ready to give that up. My brain functions normally, so you’re not going to start all of a sudden getting bad weather forecasts. Management and colleagues at NewsChannel 9, B104.7 and Y94 radio have all been very supportive of me.

From dealing with my many doctors’ appointments or various treatments, they have all been very flexible. Let’s face it, what I do is not your typical 9 to 5 job, but we have come up with some creative ways to allow me to do what I love. I’ve been at Channel 9 for 23 years, and I hope to be there many more. If not in front of the camera, [then] behind it. You are only limited by your mind as to the future direction of your career. I always enjoy the challenge of coming up with something new and figuring out how to make it work.”

He says the biggest challenge is dealing with his voice issues on camera; some days are better than others.

He has also had to learn how to do most tasks left-handed, including writing, shaving, brushing teeth and drinking from a glass. Hot, humid weather and bitter cold temperatures are especially hard on Longley and wear him out faster.

Treatment has consisted of a two-hour IV infusion of a drug called Tysabri every six weeks. Even though the disease continues to slowly progress, Longley said he has not had any new lesions show up on MRI scans.

He’s impressed with the medical breakthroughs he’s learned about and remains optimistic that there may be a cure for MS some day.

According to WebMD, Tysabri works by binding to proteins found on the surface of white blood cells, curbing the cells’ ability to enter the brain and spinal cord.

“In 20 years, we’ve gone from virtually no drug therapies, to injection therapies, to oral medications which can allow people with MS to live relatively normal lives,” Longley said, adding that he intends to use his position as a notable figure in the community to raise awareness of MS and support for continued research.

“It used to be that you’d get a diagnosis of MS and that you’d most likely end up in a wheelchair down the road. I’ll be honest with you — the thought of being in a wheelchair doesn’t even enter my mind. That’s progress. The number of new medications that are coming out is impressive. As the medical community learns more about the disease and understands more on how the body works and the blood/brain interface, I am very confident as to what the future holds.”

About 400,000 Americans are battling MS, and the disease affects more women than men. Symptoms can

include numbness or tingling in the limbs or hand and feet, vision problems or weakness on one side of the body.

Patients typically notice the warning signs in their 30s or 40s. As the disease progresses, it can affect speech, balance and fatigue levels. Physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, aqua therapy, yoga, spiritual therapy and counseling are commonly incorporated into treatment plans.

Nonprofit Serves More Than 1,300 MS Patients Multiple Sclerosis Resources of Central New York serves more than 1,300 MS patients from the Syracuse area, Northern New York and parts of the Southern Tier and Western New York by providing free transportation to neurology appointments, a newsletter, support groups, durable medical equipment, workshops and seminars, case services and patient advocacy.

Annette Simiele, the oganization’s associate director, said MS patients in this area do a great job educating themselves and others about the disease. The organization promotes wellness ideas like a healthy diet and also supports the legalization of medical marijuana, which potentially helps the symptoms of MS. Simiele added that she also strives to protect MS patients from discrimination.

“We want them to live in an environment free of obstacles and barriers — and that includes barriers that are not physical in nature but discriminations as well,” Simiele said. “Too many clients lose a job because accessibility may be an issue, and we need to do a better job making life accessible for all. It is our inalienable rights.”

Pastor Jack lost 175 lbs. and found a whole new life.

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June 2015 •

IN GOOD HEALTH – CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper

•

Page 9

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My Turn

90 West Utica St., Oswego, NY 13126

By Eva Briggs

The New Scribe Business There are an estimated 10,000 scribes in the US, a job almost nonexistent when I started my career. Are they here to stay?

Y

ou’re in the exam room at a medical office or clinic. Of course you expect to see your provider and perhaps a nurse. But sometimes there’s an extra person standing there with the computer or clipboard. That would be a scribe.

The scribe business is fairly new. It was spawned by the growth of electronic medical records. The doctor’s note itself is more complex than ever, because insurers demand increasingly elaborate documentation before paying providers for their services.

When I finished my residency in 1987, there was no such thing as a laptop or tablet computer. Doctors wrote their notes in a paper chart. Often the notes were brief, frequently in the “SOAP” format. S stood for subjective: what the patient said. O for objective: the doctor’s exam findings. A for assessment: the doctor’s diagnosis with perhaps some explanation about why, and what else could be going on. And finally P: for plan.

But computerization was inevitable. The federal government has pushed for electronic medical records under what’s called “meaningful use.”

This means that providers must use a certified electronic health record (EHR) in a meaningful manner to receive full payment for their services. “Meaningful manner” is defined by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. This drove medical offices and hospitals to scramble to adopt EHRs. In the ideal world, EHRs would be smooth and easy to use. In actuality, most are cumbersome. They require provider time and effort that could be used to actually talk to and examine the patient. So an industry sprouted up to supply scribes, people trained to enter the provider’s notes into the EHR. There are now at least 22 companies furnishing scribe services in 44 states. There are no state or federal monitoring or requirements for scribes.

It’s up to the individual company to set the qualifications for scribes. But, as with all things medical, it didn’t take long for scribe training programs to spring up: The American College of Medical Scribe Specialists (ACMSS) is perhaps the largest. It’s a tax-exempt, nonprofit organization representing 3,000 scribes and 300 hospitals nationwide. Its largest financial sponsor is

ScribeAmerica, one of the largest scribe providing companies.

ScribeAmerica requires scribe candidates to have a high school diploma or GED. They must complete two-week orientation period, a supervisory period, and periodic reassessment.

Now there are an estimated 10,000 scribes in the US, a job almost nonexistent when I started my career.

Is this a good thing?

It seems great at first glance – let the physician concentrate on the patient and delegate the tedious task of typing on the computer to someone else.

A recent opinion piece in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) pointed out several possible pitfalls. First, there is the matter of CPOE (computerized physician order entry). Currently scribes are not permitted to provide CPOE. The reasoning is that most EHRs are designed to provide alerts and other aids to clinical decision-making. Those messages need to be presented to the person with clinical judgment — the doctor, NP or PA. The person with many years of training beyond the high

school level. But there is no one policing scribes. There are anecdotal reports of “functional creep” — doctors asking scribes to perform CPOE and related actions not permitted under current regulations. And some scribes, unwilling to disobey the doctor and perhaps not knowing it’s beyond their scope, do as requested.

The JAMA piece points an even bigger issue with the use of scribes.

Think of the broader context of EHRs and how they might evolve. In the ideal world, an EHR should be so simple that even a doctor can do it. All by his or her self. The only way to get there is for the people who actually use an EHR (doctors, NPs, PAs) to give feedback to the companies that produce them. And for the companies to listen and make changes. But the scribe system discourages this feedback loop.

I’m not trying to put thousands of scribes out of business. But I agree with the JAMA article, which concludes that scribes are just a temporary fix to the problems with today’s EHR.

Eva Briggs is a medical doctor who works at two urgent care centers (Central Square and Fulton) operated by Oswego Health.

ly Community?

se an Age-Friend

Report: Is Syracu

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55 PLUS Issue 57 June / July 2015

s For Active Adult Area York in the Central New

Should You Fund Your Retirement or Your Kids’ College?

How Four CNYers Spend Their Retirement

WAVES

KING OF THE AIR

than 30 years with s is celebrating more stry Anchor Dan Cumming t his career, the indu use. He talks abou to go to work ing Channel 9 in Syrac morn the wake up at 2 in and what’s like to

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INSIDE: Prof. Marvin

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IN GOOD HEALTH – CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • June 2015

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SmartBites

diseases.

Black beans teem with folate, arguably one of the most important B vitamins for reducing risk of cardiovascular disease. We’re talking nearly twothirds of our daily needs in one cup!

Hearts love folate because it effectively lowers levels of homocysteine, an amino acid in the blood that can lead to dangerous blood clots, hardening of the arteries, and heart disease.

As for carbs, yes, black beans do have carbs, but they’re the goods ones — the complex carbs that provide a steady stream of energy because they take longer to digest. And as for calories, black beans rock with only 220 calories per cup. Swimsuit season, here we come!

By Anne Palumbo

The skinny on healthy eating

Big Reasons to Eat More Black Beans

S

o many beans, so little time: it’s the feeling that washes over me whenever I’m in the canned-goods aisle of the grocery store. And while I’m crazy about all beans, my heart belongs to the black bean. There’s just something about the taste and texture of this versatile little bean that bowls me over.

Despite its small size, black beans are nutritional powerhouses. In fact, America’s top heart hospital, the Cleveland Clinic, cited this bean first in its best four legumes for boosting heart health.

I’m keen on this bean because it’s particularly high in nutrients I care about — protein, fiber and antioxidants — and admirably low in substances I want to avoid — saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium.

Black beans are an excellent protein source, with one cup providing 15 grams or about 30 percent of our daily needs. Although it’s not a “complete” protein (meaning it does not have all nine essential amino acids), black beans can easily be paired with a grain, such as rice, to equal one. A workhorse nutrient, proteins function as building blocks for bones, muscles, cartilage,

Helpful tips

skin, blood, enzymes and hormones.

Looking to add more fiber to your diet?

One cup of black beans has a whopping 15 grams or about 60 percent of our daily needs (a little less for men). Since black beans contain both soluble and insoluble fiber, we’re looking at a mighty bean that not only improves digestive-tract functioning and prevents constipation, but one that also lowers cholesterol and blood-glucose levels.

Thanks to its rich black coat, black beans are antioxidant superstars, boasting more antioxidant activity than any of its bean brethren and providing levels that rival those found in apples, grapes and cranberries. Antioxidants neutralize damaging free radicals and may help lower the risk of heart disease, cancer, and other age-related

In general, canned beans have the same amount of nutrients as dried, but are usually higher in sodium. Look for canned beans with no added salt; some organic brands have less. Thoroughly drain and rinse canned beans before using. Cooked beans, whether prepared from the dried state or retrieved from a can, can be covered and chilled for up to five days.

Health Tex-Mex Black Bean Burgers

sauce 1 teaspoon chili powder 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1 large egg white Kosher salt, coarse black pepper 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided 6 hamburger buns Favorite burger toppings

Preparation

Cook rice according to package directions (1/3 cup should equal 1 cup cooked rice) and let cool.

Set aside 1/2 cup beans. In food processor, pulse garlic, shallot and jalapeño until minced. Add barbecue sauce, chili powder, cumin, and remaining beans to mixture and pulse until a chunky purée forms.

Transfer purée to a large bowl and mix in egg white, rice, and reserved beans; season with salt and pepper.

Form mixture into 6 patties about 1/2inch thick; cover and chill 1 hour (this helps bind patties so they stay intact while cooking).

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.

Working in two batches and adding remaining 1 tablespoon oil between batches, cook patties until browned and crisp, about 5 minutes per side.

Serve on buns with desired toppings.

We had ours with cheese and salsa —

Adapted from Bon Appetit Serves 6 1 cup cooked white long-grain or brown rice 2 15-ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed 2 garlic cloves 1 medium shallot, chopped 1 red or green jalapeno (optional) 1 tablespoon prepared barbecue

Anne Palumbo is a lifestyle columnist, food guru, and seasoned cook, who has perfected the art of preparing nutritious, calorie-conscious dishes.

She is hungry for your questions and comments about SmartBites, so be in touch with Anne at avpalumbo@aol.com.

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June 2015 •

IN GOOD HEALTH – CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper

•

Page 11

Nursing a Legacy

to only nine states in the country.

Standard for nation

Susan Bastable founded, embraced nursing program at Le Moyne College

By Matthew Liptak

S

usan Bastable, 67, of Fayetteville started her nursing journey early.

She felt the love her nurse mother gave her while little 3-year-old Susan struggled with frequent earaches.

That experience brought her on a journey that ultimately led her to founding a nationally recognized nursing program at Le Moyne College in Syracuse.

“I just loved her comfort and her gentle touch and her knowledge of what I was going through and how to help me,” Bastable said. “To tell you the truth, I never really looked at anything else. It’s something I had dreamed about and wanted to do from the minute I can remember.”

As Bastable reaches retirement — officially retired from LeMoyne as of May 22 — she has had a chance to look back and think about that longago decision. She has wondered if she might not have considered other paths, such as history, which she also has a passion for.

However, she always comes back to her love of nursing and has no regrets.

She moved around a lot while she was growing up, 15 times in all, but mostly resided in Upstate New York, including Rochester and Geneva. Her dad was a physician who served in the U.S. Army and Air Force and also got a law degree from Cornell University.

Bastable went to Hahnemann Hospital University’s School of Nursing in Philadelphia. She liked being a young woman in the big city.

“My parents had gone there,” she said. “I was carrying on the legacy.”

After Hahnenman, she got her bachelor’s degree at Syracuse University and worked as a registered nurse at Upstate Medical University around 1970. Susan married Jefferey Bastable

and followed him when he got accepted to Cornell.

While in Ithaca, she worked in medical-surgical nursing and also did outpatient work.

The couple moved to New York City where they both worked at Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

“When we moved to New York City, Jefferey had gotten two master’s degrees,” Bastable said. “Now it was my turn. I went to Columbia University and got my master’s and my doctorate. My master’s was in community health nursing, so I did visiting nurse work in central Harlem. Then I started my academic career at Hunter Bellevue College of Nursing. It’s right down in Manhattan. That’s where I got my beginning in teaching.”

Back to Salt City

They found their way back to Syracuse in the early 1990s and Bastable was back at Upstate. For 14 years, she stayed there.

“Then I got a call one day,” she said. “They wanted to start nursing education at LeMoyne. “I look back and I ask myself, ‘How did I have the courage to undertake a risk like that?’

I always joke with people. When I started out, I didn’t have a paper clip.

I didn’t have a pencil. I didn’t have a student.”

Bastable created and grew the nursing program at LeMoyne to where it is today. It now features about 400 students, eight full-time faculty and a dozen adjunct professors.

She has created several vital degree programs that focus on excellence in nursing. Her co-workers have been impressed with her work ethic.

Kattiria Gonzalez is the clinical coordinator for the program at LeMoyne.

Gonzalez got her master’s degree from LeMoyne and was hired by Bastable

Susan Bastable last year.

“She is a go-getter,” Gonzalez said in regards to Bastable. “When she envisions something, she will not stop until it becomes a reality. She likes things to be done quickly and efficiently in order to move to the next big task. These traits have been the real reason that the nursing department has been such a success.”

Among the several nursing degree paths at LeMoyne, the faculty developed a unique “one plus two plus one” program in 2005. Nursing students take their freshman year of classes at Le Moyne. Then they go for two years to St. Joseph’s College of Nursing in Syracuse, and their last year is back at Le Moyne.

This “dual degree partnership in nursing” was so groundbreaking it received a $600,000 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation grant, a recognition given

“It’s the first model of its kind in the country,” Bastable said. “The student lives on the LeMoyne campus all four years like any other major.

They get a campus living and learning experience. They get two degrees, an associate’s degree and a bachelor’s degree, in four years. They also become a registered nurse at the end of their third year. It’s a wonderful program.”

Two hundred seventy students are enrolled in that program. Only about 70 of 700 applicants will be accepted to it each year, Bastable said.

In between all her work running the nursing program at LeMoyne, Bastable has managed to write three books on teaching.

One of them, a 715-page tome titled, “Nurse as Educator: Principles of Teaching and Learning,” is used at 245 schools. It’s in its fourth edition, available in 23 countries and published in three different languages.

“I do love advising students, but in terms of the challenges for me as an educator, there’s nothing I love more than writing,” Bastable said. “I could do it the rest of my life. I am heading toward retirement and I cannot wait to continue to write. I’ve never had a lot of time.”

“Susan’s retirement is bittersweet,” Gonzalez said. “I do not know this department without her. Susan has taught me so much. I know I will never be able to repay her. All I can do is strive to make her proud by embracing all the great knowledge and abilities she has shared with me.”

Bastable, who has helped hundreds if not thousands of fellow nurses on their career path, will not be stepping entirely away from her great love.

She plans to work on revisions of her books, consult and continue to be a member of several boards.

But she hopes for a little more time for herself too.

“You should always leave something when you’re still having fun, and I’m still having a tremendous amount of fun with what I do,” she said. “I just think it’s time to hand the baton over to somebody else. I just need some personal time in my life because writing three books and growing these programs, it’s busier than ever.”

NIH awards $2.2 million grant to Upstate Medical University Ophtalmology Professor William J. Brunken for vision research

W

illiam J. Brunken, Ph.D., of Upstate Medical University, has been awarded a $2.2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health for a five-year study investigating the role of extracellular matrix (ECM) in retinal development and disease. The award is supported by the NIH’s National Eye Institute. Brunken is vice chairman for research for the department of ophthalmology, director of the department’s center for vision research and professor of ophthalmology, neuroscience and physiology.

Brunken “This five-year award provides great stability for our team’s studies in the role of the extra-

Page 12

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cellular matrix in retinal development and critically in vascular biology of the retina,” Brunken said. “Vascular diseases of the retina are the leading cause of blindness in the adult in the developed world. The mechanisms of vascular development, unlike other developmental processes, remain active in the adult and can result in serious pathologies.

The long-term goal will be to develop matrix-based therapeutic strategies to treat vascular disease of eye.”

The extracellular matrix is composed of proteins surrounding cells that provide structural and biochemical support to the surrounding cells.

The molecules studied in the Brunken laboratory led to a variety of brain and ocular defects leading to autism and mental retardation in the most severe cases and, in the eye, these disruptions could lead to impaired vision or blindness.

Specifically, the funded studies will expand upon Brunken’s previ-

IN GOOD HEALTH – CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • June 2015

ous studies focusing on laminin and laminin-related proteins of the ECM. These proteins are an important set of guidance cues that direct many developmental processes and have led to insights into congenital diseases of the brain, eye and kidney. Those studies questioned how the deletion of various laminins can result in disruptions in retinal vascular development and have furthered the understanding of how several retinal diseases could develop, such as retinopathy of prematurity in children and diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration in adults.

“Our team will follow up on our fundamental hypothesis that laminins are critical for establishing the three-dimensional structure of the retina,” said Brunken, who has been cited by more than 1,400 authors for his research into vision disorders. “Specifically, we will take a closer look at the mechanism of laminins and how they provide envi-

ronmental cues that are essential to the process through which new blood vessels form from pre-existing vessels and to the formation of nervous tissue.”

Brunken said that findings from the study will advance existing fundamental understanding of retinal development. The findings could also create new pathways leading to new diagnostics for ocular disease, both genetic and acquired, and to the development of new therapeutics, including the development of 3D culture systems designed to grow retina ex vivo.

“A collateral benefit of this award, and indeed the whole of the research enterprise at Upstate Medical University, is to inject important revenue into the Central New York economy, which has a multiplier effect across the area as well as providing the basis for the development of a biotechnology economy in Central New York,” Brunken said.

Submitted by Upstate Medical University.

Men’sHealth Turning 35 Means Guys Should Start a Conversation About Prostate Screenings

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

S

ince about six year ago, the American Cancer Society shifted its position from routine annual prostate cancer screenings. Now, the position is, “talk to your doctor.”

“We advise men to talk with their doctor about the importance of prostate screening and understand the benefits and limitations of a prostate cancer screening,” said Jason Warschal, health systems manager for hospitals in Northern, Southern and Central New York.

He said that the shift stems from concern about the limitations and liabilities surrounding prostate screening.

“We want to be sure that with what tests are currently available, they really are able to decipher whether a man has prostate cancer or not and finding if it is a more aggressive cancer or not.”

Currently, the prostate-specific antigen and digital rectal exam don’t identify cancer. A biopsy follow-up may or may not be able to confirm cancer.

Darryl Mitteldorf, a licensed clinical social worker and chairman of the New York State Prostate Cancer Coalition in New York City, also wants more men to discuss prostate screening, rather than requesting routine

screening, and to start the conversation in their mid-30s.

“Men who are younger can have prostate cancer,” Mitteldorf said. “People base it on a decade, but it could be earlier.”

Typically, men are told that they should receive an initial prostate exam at age 50 or at 45 if they have risk factors such as being African-American or from a family with a close relative with prostate cancer. But Mitteldorf wants men to start the conversation at age 35.

“The age 50 is a made-up number,” he said. “Starting the conversation at age 35 captures the men who would benefit from PSA testing earlier. It’s a simple message.”

He feels like the multiple starting ages makes the matter “convoluted.”

He also thinks that starting the conversation earlier can encourage men to actually follow through. Many men delay and avoid prostate screening for several reasons.

“The biopsy itself can have a very slight risk of impotence or hospitalization, but it’s only like 3 percent,” Mitteldorf said.

Should the biopsy identify cancer, men must decide if they want to have surgery to remove the prostate, radia-

All About Prostate Cancer According to the American Cancer Society: • Prostate cancer is the 2nd leading cancer diagnosed among men, behind skin cancer.

• About 220,800 cases are diagnosed per year.

• Of those, about 27,540 die from prostate cancer, or one out of 38.

• Six out of 10 cases occur in men 65 years older or older.

• The average age at time of diagnosis is 66.

• Prostate cancer is rare before age 40.

• 2.9 million men are living with prostate cancer in the United States.

• The five-year survival rate is 100 percent.

• The 10-year survival rate is 99 percent.

• The 15-year survival rate is 94 percent. tion to destroy the cancer cells, or, if the cancer is slow-growing, take the active surveillance approach.

“The treatments can cause impotence and incontinence and can’t guarantee to cure them of cancer,” Mitteldorf said.

Some men feel uncomfortable with the invasive nature of the digital rectal exam, but beyond that aversion, practical barriers such as taking time off from

work can make it difficult for men to receive a prostate exam.

Despite the chances of these issues and side effects, Mitteldorf believes taking a case-by-case approach to weigh risk factors offers men the best chances of early detection.

Men should take heart that most prostate cancers aren’t aggressive and require only surveillance. Recent advances are helping to identify more aggressive cancers. A urine test can find genetic markers that identify these cancers to give men the facts they need to make a more informed decision on the treatment options.

“Proper management of prostate cancer requires more than the ability to perform an operation,” states physician Gennady Bratslavsky, professor and chairman of urology and director of the prostate cancer program at SUNY Upstate on www.upstate.edu. “It involves making informed judgments about a complex disease process, from diagnosis of patients, to performing active treatment in those who may be considered high-risk, and most importantly, to avoiding unnecessary treatment.”

Ultrasound-guided biopsy can help make the procedure more accurate, since otherwise, it’s easier for biopsy to miss cancer cells.

Men with elevated PSA must continue to monitor the number for the rest of their lives because even if their prostate cancer has been treated successfully, any missed cells can spread to other areas of the body.

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IN GOOD HEALTH – CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper

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Page 13

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Men’sHealth Untreated Low Testosterone Can Cause Serious Problems

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

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Page 14 • IN GOOD HEALTH – CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • June 2015

M

en, if you’re experiencing a gradual loss of libido, energy, lean muscle mass and ambition, you may have low testosterone, a hormone imbalance.

In addition to these undesirable symptoms, low testosterone can contribute to other life-changing health issues.

“Men come in with profound symptoms of depression, loss of good mood, major life stress, unable to concentrate or to spend time with their family,” said Jason Donovan, physician assistant at Vitalize Medical in Rochester. “They want to come home from work and just flop down on the couch.

They have no energy or interest in life like they used to.

“This can lead to hypertension, obesity, and not eating right. We see this all the time.”

Vitalize Medical is operated by Ralph Madeb, a Rochester-based urologist who also serves patients in Syracuse.

Low testosterone can negatively affect diabetics.

“Low testosterone leads to insulin resistance,” Donovan said. “All diabetics should have normal testosterone. It will help their diabetes.”

Donovan said that even as recently as five years ago, “a man didn’t have a clue as to what was happening and didn’t bring it up at all,” he said.

Part of the reason they didn’t seek help for the group of seemingly unrelated symptoms is that “men don’t like to admit they have problems,” Donovan said. “Men try to keep sexual dysfunction to themselves.”

The aging baby boomers — and advertising for the testosterone replacement prescriptions that could help them — has resulted in more conversation about low testosterone and how men can address the issue. Oftentimes, men use the advertisements as a starting point to discuss their low libido and energy issues with their urologist or primary.

Physicians typically complete a physical and blood test to help diagnose low testosterone and other hormone imbalances in patients. A thorough physical and medical history evaluation is necessary to help uncover any possible contraindications and risks involved with testosterone replacement therapy.

For example, testosterone replacement isn’t recommended for men with prostate cancer.

The Crouse Hospital website (www.crouse.org) states, “Most pros-

tate tumors need testosterone to grow.

In men whose cancer has spread beyond the prostate, hormone therapy may help reduce testosterone levels.

This can relieve symptoms and keep the cancer from spreading, but it’s not a cure.”

Testosterone replacement therapy doesn’t cause prostate cancer, but can worsen any present prostate cancer.

Hormone replacement therapy may also worsen benign enlarged prostate, sleep apnea and risk of blood clots. Men with other risk factors for these health issues should discuss their concerns with their doctors before undertaking testosterone replacement therapy.

Donovan added that some debate whether or not testosterone replacement increases a man’s risk for cardiovascular events.

Some people worry about undue aggression from testosterone replacement therapy; however, when taken therapeutically, testosterone doesn’t cause this symptom.

“Instead, people say they have a bad attitude when they don’t have the right level of testosterone,” Donovan said.

Testosterone replacement may be administered through injections, patches or cream.

Minor side effects could include patch or injection site irritation, and acne.

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Despite recent operating losses, hospital executive expects to turn situation around — helped in part by its affiliation with Trinity Health

By Matthew Liptak

S

t. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center in Syracuse recently announced it expects to have cleared the final hurdle in joining the Trinity Health system by this summer.

The union will mean a continuance of St. Joe’s faith-based mission, new access to resources and costs savings in the millions of dollars, said St. Joseph’s president Kathy Ruscitto.

“They [Trinity] are a much larger organization and are going to be able to help us in terms of access to capital as well as purchasing, which will reduce our overhead costs,” she said.

“It’s millions of dollars a year in time and resources that we’re going to save by being part of something larger.”

But the first priority of the Sisters of St. Francis of the Neumann Communities, who have sponsored St. Joe’s for the last 146 years, was to keep the hospital’s mission preserved. The order of Roman Catholic sisters has directed the hospital since 1869.

It was then Ruscitto the sisters, including the now-sainted Marianne Cope, turned a dance hall and bar into a 15bed hospital. Today, the health center has 431 beds. The sisters also sponsor three other hospitals, including one in Hawaii.

The sisters, though, are getting older. There just aren’t as many nuns to do what needs to be done.

“Our sisters have been planning for a transition for a very long time,” Ruscitto said. “Their community is aging. They felt it was important that we take a partner that is going to be able to take us into the future, but preserve their good work. They are very comfortable that Trinity fits their values.”

Trinity Health is a leading national Catholic health system based out of Livonia, Mich. It is in 21 states and encompasses 215 organizations, including 85 hospitals, Ruscitto said.

She said there are hundreds of areas in which Trinity Health would be able to help St. Joe’s, with best practices being one of them. It is one of the three main advantages to joining, she said. The others are mission preservation and assuring a sound financial framework.

“It is a 215-member organization with some of the best quality and safety in the country,” Ruscitto said. “We’ll be part of sharing in those best practices and getting ready for the future of health care together.”

EOE / Affirmative Action Employer St. Joe’s has been experiencing some financial challenges recently. The organization reported a $9 million loss in the first quarter of 2015 and a $24 million loss for all of last year.

Ruscitto said much of those losses are due to one-time investments it has made such as St. Joe’s new electronic health record system and the construction of the surgical tower. She said she expects those investments to create a positive return for them in future years.

Joining Trinity will also help St. Joe’s financially, she said ”Our recent announcement to join the Trinity Health system will also help us as we continue on our path of continuing to invest in those initiatives that provide value-based care for the communities we serve,” she said.

One example of the financial savings is the expected reoutfitting of the hospital’s five cardiac catherization labs. New equipment is expected to cost around $2 million per room, Ruscitto said. St. Joe’s expects to save $300,000 by making the necessary purchases as part of Trinity Health.

“Every time we purchase, every time we go to finance we’ll be doing it through Trinity and that just continues to save us tremendous resources, Ruscitto said. “We anticipate a good impact to our bottom line.”

St. Joe’s has had an affiliation with Trinity since last year, but they were holding back on officially joining because the larger organization was going through a merger with Catholic Health East, another system.

St. Joe’s considered five different health systems when discerning who to go with, but Trinity was the choice for them, Ruscitto said.

She said the differences patiencts, staff and physicians notice from the change at St. Joe’s will be significant over time.

“On a day to day basis our employees, our patients, our physicians are going to see a huge difference,” she said. “Everything will pretty much look and feel the same, but over time I think that they will see our quality improved and our investments in routine capital will get more stable.”

The head of St. Joe’s said she is very excited about the union with Trinity Health. The health system will help the hospital develop into a regional system and improve services, particularly cardiovascular care, she said.

“It’s a great cultural fit and that’s really important,” Ruscitto said.

“When you’re bringing organizations together if cultures don’t match it won’t work. We’re very very excited about this opportunity and we think it preserves who we are for another 150 years.”

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IN GOOD HEALTH – CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper

•

Page 15

Photos by Hilaireen Hall

‘Tri’ It!

Sport of triathlon grows in popularity as athletes realize they have what it takes to cross finish line

By Melissa Stefanec

I

f you have heard of the sport of triathlon, you probably think you are too old, young, busy, out of shape or otherwise affected to join the ranks of triathletes.

However, as races sprout up all over New York state and the sport gets more exposure, people are realizing triathlon is inclusive and achievable.

According to Bridget Lichtinger, president of the CNY Triathlon Club, the sentiment toward triathlon is changing.

“People are starting to see it’s a doable sport,” she said. “They aren’t as afraid.”

What is triathlon?

Triathlon is a sport where athletes swim, bike and run, typically on outdoor courses. There are races held in locations across the country, and many are held in New York state.

When people think about triathlon, a lot of people think about very long, challenging races and elite athletes.

However, there are four different lengths of competition in the sport — sprint, Olympic, the half Iron man and the Iron man. The shorter competition lengths are drawing more competitors to the sport.

“The different distances can work with people’s schedules,” said Lichtinger. “You have the sprints that aren’t so training intensive. We have a lot of people that just stick with sprints.

You don’t have to do a 112-mile bike [ride].”

Different folks, different distances

A triathlon is a test of endurance, and the sport is often associated with Iron man races. In recent years, the Iron girl triathlons are also gaining in popularity and giving a face to female Page 16

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triathletes.

An Iron man is the longest and most difficult of the triathlons, and it features male and female athletes. It comprises a 2.5-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride and a full marathon, which is 26.2 miles. A half Iron man comprises half those distances. An Olympic-length race comprises a 1-mile swim, a 17- to 24-mile bike ride and a 10-kilometer run. In a sprint triathlon, the swim is anywhere from 500 to 800 meters, the bike ride is 12 to 24 miles, and the running portion is typically 5 kilometers.

There are also variations on the sport of triathlon. They include duathlons (run, bike and run) and aquabikes (swim and bike).

According to Lichtinger, these different distances and options keep the sport of triathlon inclusive. She sees people from all walks of life attending the Central New York Triathlon Club’s weekly trainings.

“Triathlon is for everybody,” she said. “People have this misconception that people have to look a certain way or weigh a certain amount. You just need a little motivation and the courage to try.”

There are races all across Central New York, and many of them are less than a three-hour drive from Syracuse.

The Central New York Triathlon Club maintains a list of races, which can be found at: http://cnytriathlon.org/racing/local-race-list/.

prepare for a sprint race, though different people can get by with a little less or require a little more training time.

Training properly helps to keep triathlon challenging and enjoyable.

“The whole point of training is not just to cross the finish line, but to cross it without getting hurt,” she said. “[Training] lets you feel really good, ready and prepared for your race.”

Beginner triathletes will need some gear to get started. A triathlete needs appropriate clothes, a bicycle, a helmet, and a good pair of sneakers. As with any sport, the gear can get expensive, so Lichtinger recommends starting out small. Some people do their first few sprint triathlons on mountain or hybrid bikes. Lichtinger stresses the importance of finding a bike that fits a person properly.

Joining clubs or online groups and doing Internet research can help beginners navigate the sport of triathlon. Before triathlons were common, Lichtinger turned to the Internet to learn her triathlon ABCs. “YouTube is what taught me about the sport of triathlon,” she said.

According to Lichtinger, triathletes need to do a moderate to high amount of training to prepare for a triathlon.

She recommends that triathletes put in about 10 hours of training per week to

“The most overwhelming part is where to start,” said Lichtinger.

She recommends joining a triathlon-training group. The Central New York Triathlon Club has one, as do local

Where to race

Training and equipment

IN GOOD HEALTH – CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • June 2015

Getting started

businesses such as Fleet Feet in Syracuse. There are also organizations that have training groups, including the Onondaga Cycling Club and numerous YMCAs. These groups have beginners and seasoned athletes, and are a great place to swap ideas and learn. They hold trainings that feature all three legs of triathlon, and offer athletes of all levels a chance to learn about the sport and advance their skills.

Lichtinger also recommends beginners think local when it comes to triathlons. She recommends shopping at local business to buy triathlon gear, because local businesses are helpful to beginners. She also recommends starting with local, smaller races.

“There are wonderful local resources that will help you achieve your goal of triathlon,” she said. “There are tons of resources to help you get organized.”

Although the sport of triathlon can seem exclusive or daunting, Lichtinger stressed anyone can give it try. Joining a group and speaking with other triathletes will help beginners move past doubts and fears surrounding the sport. According to Lichtinger, that support will help newbies focus on what is most important about triathlon.

“The big thing is just to have fun,” she said.

Parenting

house or some sort of post-apocalyptic movie set. I can’t deal with that, so I need to take care of some items as I go along. I enlist the help of my daughter and stress the importance of picking up after one’s self. Even if I only have time for dealing with 20 percent of the mess, that 20 percent could make the difference between a 9 p.m. mommy meltdown or a 9 p.m. mommy kickback.

By Melissa Stefanec melissa@cnyhealth.com

Keeping your home clean…

Take some shortcuts

… when you barely have time for showers and eat string cheese for breakfast

I

toyed with the idea of other headlines for this month’s column, but all the politically correct ones just didn’t have the same sticky smack to them. “How to keep your home clean while raising kids” or “Housecleaning tips for busy parents” — those just don’t do my sentiment justice.

As a parent to a 7-month-old baby and 4-year-old child, my house is never completely clean. As soon as I achieve moderate cleanliness in one room, the mess monster is one step ahead of me and on to the next room.

This stresses me out a lot and I usually try to fix it.

Then some exciting findings broke the Internet news cycle and changed my outlook.

There seems to be a lot of really smart people out there who think raising children in an overly clean and germ-free environment may lead to more sicknesses and allergies than it prevents. That is beverage-toasting news for parents everywhere.

In honor of these very welcome and continued findings, here is what I do to keep vermin and general disgustingness at bay in my home.

Convince yourself a little mess is OK

This technically isn’t a cleaning tip, but it’s pinnacle to surviving the child-raising years. Unless you have hired help, your house probably won’t be totally clean for the next 20 years.

If you don’t find a way to accept that, you are going to be stressed out by Mum-Mum and puffy crumbs for the foreseeable future. Do you really want to let the crumbs win? After all, if you can’t mentally defeat the crumbs, it’s going to be a long road.

Clean some as you go

When I go through my day without picking up after myself or the kids the evening brings tidings of stress and (borderline) tears. At the end of the day, I look around and feel as though my home resembles a college party

If you have a little disposable income, I suggest spending some of it on a few luxuries. Let yourself buy the disinfecting use-and-toss wipes.

Use disposable plates and cutlery once in a while, especially when you have company. (I buy the compostable ones to let myself off the conscience hook.) Make paper towels your best friend (which are also compostable).

Buy the speed mops, speed sweepers and cordless stick vacuums. I know I am strange, but if I have to choose between a spa day once a month or a bunch of pricey convenience items for cleaning, you will find me rolling in wet-mop pads.

Air fresheners / plug ins / carpet fresheners / incense / candles

If I can’t make it, I fake it. Sometimes I need a little help from all those scary chemicals I typically try to avoid.

Sometimes, the best cleaning is the sort that provides a chemically fresh scent in the air. I also find a fresh smell in the air motivates me to do more cleaning.

It makes me feel as though having a clean home is actually an achievable goal. It sets me on the right path.

Dedicate on-nights and off-nights

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Get out of the house

The way I see it, if we aren’t in the house, we can’t destroy the house. I am a big advocate of getting my family out of the house and out into the world, especially after a recent house cleaning. I know as soon as we are home for more than 30 minutes, the house will be in a state of upheaval, so I try to get us outdoors and otherwise disposed.

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Enlist big help

My husband and I both do chores.

Period. We both work full time and don’t have a lot of extra energy or time. We both know it isn’t fair for one person to shoulder all the household work. If that wasn’t the case, I would be in some sort of parent’s asylum.

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Enlist tiny help

At this point, my 4-year-old daughter is sometimes more of a hindrance than a helper, but that doesn’t mean I don’t include her. Children are never too young to learn that mommy isn’t a slave to their mess. I take advantage of her pre-school-level of interest in what I am doing and employ it. Sometimes she is very helpful. Othertimes, I am teaching her to become a contributing and productive member of our household. Either way, I win.

When I spend every night of the week cleaning and busting butt until the second my head hits the pillow, no one wins. One of my goals for the year is to identify cleaning nights and relaxing nights (and then sticking to that

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IN GOOD HEALTH – CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper

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Page 17

The Social Ask Security Office Provided Deborah Banikowski, Social Security OfficeSocial Security Office

Social Security Supports National Cancer Survivors Day

RSVP coordinator Chris Johns (left) works with volunteer Ruth Plumeau at the Catholic Charities office in Mattydale. The number of volunteers has shrunk over the last decade, but the impact it creates is poised to increase.

RSVP Offers Older Adults Opportunities to Serve Community

By Matthew Liptak

C

atholic Charities Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) offers local residents 55 years old and older a chance to get involved and volunteer at 67 different sites. Currently there are 404 volunteers in the program.

They donate their time to organizations as varied as Meals on Wheels and the American Red Cross to Acapella for the Fellas (a fundraising concert for the homeless) and a pen pal program with children from Dr. King Elementary School in Syracuse.

On any day there are probably 40 to 50 RSVP members out there volunteering in the community, said the programs coordinator Chris Johns. Volunteers are encouraged to offer four to six hours of their time a month or even as little as 30 hours a year.

The number of volunteers in the program has actually shrunk since Catholic Charities took it over 12 years ago from the United Way. Eleanor Carr, director of elderly services at Catholic Charities, attributes some of the decline to older members passing away.

“We hope to be able to continue with RSVP,” Carr said. “I’m not so concerned about growing the number of volunteers or growing the number of volunteer sites. I’m more interested in seeing an increase of the impact of the program on the community—the results. I think that that’s much more important. Hopefully as the impact grows people will be attracted to the program and we will get more volunteers.”

Catholic Charities hopes to grow that impact by focusing on four major areas of helping. Those efforts are to combat illiteracy, hunger, isolation and osteoporosis.

To battle hunger locally RSVP reaches out to food pantries and senior nutrition sites.

“We also do the Meals on Wheels,” Johns said. “That’s also reaching out to isolation. Another primary focus is osteoporosis. Bone-building programs abound. We’ve got four sites right now that we conduct exercise programs.”

Page 18

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Older residents could volunteer for these programs on an individual basis, but when they volunteer through RSVP they are covered by the program’s liability insurance. It may seem like a small difference, but, if you become involved in a situation where you need the protection, you might be very thankful you enrolled through RSVP. RSVP also removes isolation by training members to go into seniors homes and visit with them. A background check and references are required for this work. Other volunteers simply call older residents to make sure they are OK, Carr said. This work is vital in helping those of the aging population who are living alone.

“The variety of services is endless for older people,” Carr said. “Those services are only as good as our ability to reach out to those folks who need them. In finding people who are isolated, our friendly visitors are able to come back to us and they serve as eyes and ears in the community.”

RSVP has also a pen pal program, with students from Dr. King Elementary School in Syracuse. Volunteers correspond with one or two children through writing letters and at the end of the year they meet with these new pen pals.

There are about 12 RSVP members in the pen pal program. Both Carr and Johns volunteer in it. The experience has meant a lot to her, Carr said.

“I’ve been in this position for 37 years and have many, many awards on my walls, but one that I like the most, it’s a little thing that a kid wrote and it said ‘Best pen pal in the world,’” Carr said. “When I leave, the rest of them will stay, but I’ll take that one with me.”

RSVP continues to encourage local residents 55 and older to join them and it is also open to serving more volunteer sites.

For more information, call RSVP’s Chris Johns at 315-424-1810 extension 12 or go to www.ccoc.us/services/ senior-services/retired-senior-volunteer-program.

IN GOOD HEALTH – CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • June 2015

I

n 2015, more than a million people sionate allowances. Simply apply for will be diagnosed with cancer. This disability benefits using the standard alarming statistic affects people and Social Security or Supplemental Secufamilies all over the world. On June 7 rity Income (SSI) application. Once we we observe National Cancer Survivors identify you as having a compassionate Day in the United States. In support allowances condition, we’ll expedite of this day, Social Security encourages your disability application. checkups, early detection, and awareSocial Security establishes compasness, while honoring the survivors sionate allowances conditions using who have gone through this battle and information received at public defeated the disease. outreach hearings, from the Social Security stands strong Social Security and disability in our support of the fight against determination services comcancer. We offer services to pamunities, from medical and tients suffering from this disease scientific experts, and based through our disability program on our research. For more and our compassionate allowinformation about compasances program. Compassionate sionate allowances, or to view allowances are cases with medthe conditions currently listed, ical conditions so severe they visit www.socialsecurity.gov/ obviously meet Social Security’s compassionateallowances. disability standards, allowing us Banikowski If you think you qualify to quickly process the cases with for disability benefits based on minimal medical information. a compassionate allowances condition, There is no special application or please visit www.socialsecurity.gov to form you need to submit for compasapply for benefits.

Q&A

Q: What is the maximum Social Security retirement benefit?

A: The maximum benefit depends on the age you retire. For example, if you retire at full retirement age in 2015, your maximum monthly benefit would be $2,663. However, if you retire at age 62 in 2015, your maximum monthly benefit would be only $2,025. If you retire at age 70 in 2015, your maximum monthly benefit would be $3,501. To get a better idea of what your benefit might be, visit our online Retirement Estimator at www.socialsecurity.gov/ retire/estimator.html.

Q: Can I refuse to give my Social Security number to a private business?

A: Yes, you can refuse to disclose your Social Security number, and you should be careful about giving out your number. But, be aware, the person requesting your number can refuse services if you don’t give it. Businesses, banks, schools, private agencies, etc., are free to request someone’s number and use it for any purpose that doesn’t violate a federal or state law. To learn more about your Social Security visit www.socialsecurity.gov/ssnumber.

Q: How can I check the status of a pending application for retirement benefits?

A: If you applied for retirement or disability benefits online, you can check the status of your application at www.socialsecurity.gov by selecting “Benefits” and “Check Application Status” under “Apply.” You will need to enter your Social Security number and the confirmation code you received when you filed online.

Your application status will show: • The date we received your application; • Any requests for additional documents; • The address of the office processing your application; and • If a decision has been made.

Q: How do I appeal a decision on my application for disability benefits?

A: When we make a decision on your application, we’ll send you a letter explaining our decision. If you don’t agree with our decision, you can ask us to look at your case again, or appeal it. You must appeal within 60 days from the date you get our decision letter. You can: • File a disability appeal online with our new, improved process and electronically provide documents to support your request, even if you live outside of the United States; or • Visit your local Social Security office.

For more information, call us at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778), Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. To learn more about Social Security’s disability programs, visit our website at www.socialsecurity.gov/ disability.

Q: How can I become a representative payee?

A: If you know someone who receives Social Security or Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and who needs assistance managing his or her payments, contact your local Social Security office about becoming his or her representative payee. Go to www. socialsecurity.gov/payee for more information.

Affordable Windows

By Jim Miller

How to Recognize Stroke Symptoms and What to Do Dear Savvy Senior, What are the symptoms of a stroke? My 66-year-old aunt had a stroke a few months ago and neither she nor my uncle had a clue it was happening.

Concerned Relative Dear Concerned, Unfortunately, most Americans don’t know the signs of a stroke, but they need to. Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in the United States and the No. 1 cause of disability. Being able to recognize a stroke and getting to the hospital quickly can make a huge difference in reducing its potentially devastating effects.

Here are some tips that help you recognize a stroke, and what you should do if it happens to you or your loved one.

Types of Stroke

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, every year more than 795,000 people in the United States have a stroke — three-quarters of which are over the age of 65. A stroke occurs when a blood vessel that carries blood to the brain is suddenly blocked by a clot (ischemic stroke), or burst (hemorrhagic stroke), causing parts of the brain to become damaged or die. About 87 percent of all strokes are ischemic.

Depending on the severity of the brain damage, strokes can cause mild to severe disabilities including paralysis, loss of speech, vision and memory, along with other health and emotional issues, and death.

Stroke Signs

Because stroke injures the brain, the person having a stroke may not realize it. Stroke victims have the best chance if someone around them recognizes the symptoms and acts quickly.

The five most common symptoms include: • Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body.

• Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding.

• Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes.

• Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination.

• Sudden, severe headache with no known cause.

The easiest way to identify a stroke is to use the F.A.S.T. test to identify the symptoms.

• F (Face): Ask the person to smile.

Does one side of the face droop?

• A (Arm): Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?

• S (Speech): Ask the person to say a simple sentence. Is their speech slurred?

• T (Time): If you observe any of these signs of stroke, call 911.

To help you remember the signs, the American Stroke Association has a free “Spot a Stroke FAST” app (see strokeassociation.org) that you can download on your smartphone or mobile device. Or, visit the National Stroke Association at stroke.org and print their “Act FAST” wallet card to keep as a reminder.

Act Quickly

Remember that stroke is a medical emergency and every minute counts.

Even if you’re not sure a stroke is happening, call 911 anyway. The longer blood flow is cut off to the brain, the greater the damage. Immediate treatment can save a person’s life and improve their chances for a successful recovery.

Ischemic strokes are treated with a drug called t-PA that dissolves the blood clots that block the blood flow to the brain. The window of opportunity to start treating a stroke is three hours. But to be evaluated and receive treatment, patients need to get to the hospital within 60 minutes.

If you have a choice, wait for the paramedics rather than driving the patient yourself. Patients who are transported by EMS are evaluated and treated much quicker than people who are driven in. And, of course, don’t drive if you are the one having a stroke.

It’s also very important that you call 911 even if symptoms go away.

When symptoms of stroke disappear on their own after a few minutes, a “mini-stroke” or transient ischemic attack (TIA) may have occurred which is a warning that a major stroke may be coming.

That’s why mini-strokes need to be treated like emergences too.

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IN GOOD HEALTH 315-342-1182 www.cnyhealth.com editor@cnyhealth.com

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June 2015 •

IN GOOD HEALTH – CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper

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Page 19

St. Joseph’s Honors Three Nurses

Ann Marie Walker-Czyz, senior vice president for operations at St. Joe’s (left) with three nurses who were recently honored by the hospital. From left, Mary Ann Dwyer, Stacey Raughley and Melissa Allard.

St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center celebrated Nurses’ Day May 7 at the hospital, featuring the annual Nurses Day Awards ceremony. The awards recognize nurses who are nominated by their peers for their outstanding performance of nursing practice, nursing leadership and nursing education.

The nursing practice award recognizes a nurse involved in direct patient care who is seen by peers as one who contributes to the advancement of nursing practice and demonstrates strength of character, commitment and competence. This year’s winner is Mary Ann Dwyer. She has worked at St. Joseph’s for 26 years in labor and

delivery.

Melissa Allard received the nursing leadership award, which recognizes a nurse leader who demonstrates exceptional leadership, guidance and service to St. Joseph’s and the profession of nursing. Allard has worked at St. Joseph’s since 2003 and has been the director of Home Health Services for nearly six years.

The nursing education award was presented to Stacey Raughley, who was recognized as a nurse who mentors and teaches nursing practice excellence and collaboration. Stacey has worked at St. Joseph’s since 2002 most recently as a clinical educator since April 14, 2003.

Oswego County Chiropractors Support Nonprofits

CEO Kimberly Boynton, from left, awardee Alyce Logoci and physician Eric Kingson.

Crouse Hospital Presents 2015 Joan Fernbach Kingson Award Crouse Hospital has presented its 2015 Joan Fernbach Kingson Award to Alyce Ligoci, an environmental services team leader dedicated to the hospital’s intensive care unit.

Ligoci was nominated by Crouse critical care physicians Russ Acevedo, Daniel Polacek, David Landsberg and Mike Maguire.

“Alyce embodies the best of us at Crouse. She takes pride in her work and goes beyond her duties. She is always willing to help those around her, be it a co-worker or a patient’s family member,” wrote the physicians in their nomination. “Supporting the environment, atmosphere and people at Crouse is what we see Alyce do every day, with a smile on her face. We’re proud to have her as a co-worker.”

A nurse and educator, the late Joan Fernbach Kingson was a patient at Crouse in 2001, and her family and friends established this award in her memory to recognize a Crouse Hospital service or technical worker whose special interactions with patients and fami-

lies give vivid expression to the values of care which Kingson was committed to in her work with children and families. Those values include treating each patient as an individual; respecting the social, emotional, intellectual, spiritual and physical needs of others; and welcoming families, especially the young, into the caring process.

“Cleanliness is a deadly serious business in the hospital and especially in the ICU,” said the nominating physicians. “Alyce is a strong partner with the rest of the team in making sure the environment in the ICU is as safe for the patients and staff as it possibly can be. Alyce embodies Crouse’s mission, vision and values and has earned the respect of her colleagues.”

Through her commitment to our patients and her co-workers, a caring and positive attitude and great enthusiasm for what she does at the hospital, Alyce brings Crouse’s mission, vision and values to life each day through her work, according to Crouse.

Chiropractors in Oswego County recently raised $3,160 in support of several area nonprofit organizations during their recent patient appreciation day fundraiser.

Chiropractors shown at, seated from left, Ryan Barker of Licatese Chiropractic in Oswego; Richard Falanga; and Jason Cunningham of Active Chiropractic in Oswego.

Standing, from left, are: Beth Dubois of Licatese Chiropractic; Brett Tallents of Family Chiropractic in Fulton; Casey McCaffrey of McCaffrey Chiropractic in Oswego, Dustin Wahrendorf of Active Chiropractic; Anthony Licatese of Licatese Chiropractic, and DRichard Tesoriero of Tesoriero Chiropractic in Oswego.

Chiropractors practicing in Oswego County raised $3,160 for several area nonprofit organizations during their recent patient appreciation day fundraiser.

Sponsored by Oswego County Doctors of Chiropractic representing The New York State Chiropractic Association, and coordinated by chiropractor Richard Tesoriero of Tesoriero Chiropractic, the event brought area chiropractors together to show their appreciation for their patients.

Participating chiropractors provided chiropractic treatments at reduced rates for the event with all proceeds from the day being shared with the Page 20

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Oswego YMCA Splash and Dash training program, Oswego Triathlon Club, Hannibal Resource Center and 2nd Chance Wildlife, Oswego Rotary Club, the Fulton Lions Club’s Sight and Hearing Preservation Project, March of Dimes, United Way of Greater Oswego County, and Kiwanis International.

“It was great to see my fellow chiropractors come together and offer their time and talent. Patient appreciation day is an opportunity for us to express our appreciation to our patients and give back to the community by supporting some very well-deserving organizations,” said Tesoriero.

IN GOOD HEALTH – CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • June 2015

Oswego Health Recognizes Its Volunteers and Auxilians Oswego Health recognized its many volunteers and members of the auxiliary for the donation of their time and talents to the health system during a luncheon held during National Volunteer Week in May. Seated from left are Orlando Testi, who has volunteered for 625 hours along with Emma Corra-

dino, the health system’s longest serving volunteer, with 29 years of service.

Standing are Karen Ferguson, guest speaker; Sarah Weigelt, Oswego Health director of volunteers and auxilians; and Maurice “Mo” Laws, who volunteered 1,661 hours.

H ealth News Upstate announces honors, awards, new hiring

At the awards presentation, physician Arthur Vercillo, regional president at Excellus BlueCross BlueShield (standing third from right), presented grants to (standing) Char Marx and Brian Knapp, both of Clear Path for Veterans; Frank Panzetta, St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center; Venecia DeRoose and Amanda Rawson, both of Clear Path for Veterans; Sara Earl, YWCA of Cortland; Richard Naczi, Dairy Council Health Foundation; Vince Kuss, St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center; Dr. Vercillo; Rena Scroggins, Bike Walk Tompkins; Greg Hinman, Cayuga/Seneca Community Action Agency; and (sitting) Kathy Adelson and Elizabeth Crockett, both of REACH CNY; Joanne Tills, Dairy Council Health Foundation; and Marie Montgomery, Cayuga/Seneca Community Action Agency.

Excellus presents nonprofits with $25,000 in awards Excellus BlueCross BlueShield has presented a total of $25,000 in Community Health Awards to fund seven health programs offered by nonprofit organizations in Central New York.

According to physician Arthur Vercillo, Excellus’ regional president, the company provides grants to Central New York institutions that have envisioned programs to improve the health of a specific segment of the community.

Awards are made based on scope of need, goals of the program, number of people expected to benefit from the program and positive impact on the community’s health status.

Seven 501(c)(3) organizations in Excellus BlueCross BlueShield’s eight-county Central New York region were selected from among nearly 80 Central New York applicants to receive awards of up to $4,000 each. They include: • Bike Walk Tompkins at the Center for Transformative Action, Ithaca, for its safe routes to school program.

This initiative seeks to increase physical activity among youth by educating, encouraging and supporting children in their efforts to walk and bike to school. The goals of the community-based program are to improve youth biking and walking safety knowledge and skills.

• Cayuga/Seneca Community Action Agency, Auburn, to fund a Head Start backpack program. The program will ensure that close to 200 backpacks filled with child-friendly, shelf-stable, healthy and easily consumable foods will be distributed to low-income children toward the end of every month, when the family’s access to other food resources may be exhausted.

• Clear Path for Veterans, Chittenango, to offer five holistic warrior wellness workshops for up to 20 participants each. Open to all veterans (targeted especially for those returning

from service in Iraq and/or Afghanistan), each one-day workshop will provide camaraderie, health and wellness information focusing on integrative medicine modalities and a chance to relax in a serene setting.

• Dairy Council Health Foundation, North Syracuse, to implement fuel up to play 60, a nationally recognized wellness program, at Dryden Middle School in Dryden. Designed to help curb the national obesity epidemic, the program motivates and empowers schoolchildren to make healthy food choices and incorporate 60 minutes of exercise into each day.

• REACH CNY, Syracuse, for its cribs for kids program in Oswego County. Partnering with the national cribs for kids program, the initiative focuses on preventable infant deaths (accidental suffocation and dangerous sleep environments). It will provide cribs and safe sleep education to low-income families in Oswego County.

• St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center Foundation, Syracuse, to establish three indoor walking routes that will be open to hospital visitors, patients, providers and employees. Targeting obesity and physical inactivity, the foundation plans to mark, promote and provide incentives for individuals to use the walking routes that will traverse the main hospital campus with plans to expand the program to other locations in the future.

• YWCA of Cortland to support the organization’s existing model moms educational support group for low-income mothers. Funds will be used to provide educational materials and supplies (including a Crock-Pot, food items and a calculator to use for budgeting purposes) to teach mothers how to cook healthy, nourishing meals for their families on a very limited budget.

The following are recent honors and award announcements from Upstate Medical University: • Physician Anna Shapiro, assistant professor of radiation oncology, received the 2015 Humanitarian Award from the Carol M. Baldwin Breast Cancer Research Fund of CNY for her contributions to the treatment of breast cancer patients and related research.

She received her award at the annual Baldwin Gala April 21 at the Turning Stone Resort and Casino in Verona.

Shapiro is affiliated with the Upstate Cancer Center and Upstate’s multidisciplinary Breast Cancer Clinic.

• Registered Shapiro nurse Denise Letourneau, has been named the nurse manager of 8E surgical intensive care unit/6E Clark Burn Center. Letourneau joined Upstate in 2012, serving most recently as unit manager for 3 West on the Community Campus. Letourneau received her Marzouk bachelor’s degree in nursing from Roberts Wesleyan College.

• Todd Patnode has been appointed as manager of centralized patient transport services at the downtown campus. Most recently Patnode served as assistant director in environmental services, community campus. He holds a bachelor’s degree in organizational management from Keuka College.

• Greg Freitag, overnight plant utilities engineer, has received a SUNY Chancellor’s Award for student excellence. Freitag is a hospitality management major at Onondaga Community College.

• Physician Haidy Marzouk has been named assistant professor of otolaryngology. Marzouk comes to Upstate from North Shore Long Island Jewish Health System. She was associated with Hofstra University School of Medicine, where she served as an associate professor of otolaryngology. She has worked as an attending physician at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New Hyde Park and North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset. She earned a bachelor’s degree from the New York Institute of Technology and her medical degree from SUNY Downstate in Brooklyn.

Kristen Cumoletti to direct St. Joe’s telemetry services

Kristen Cumoletti has been appointed director for critical care and telemetry services at St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center.

June 2015 •

Cumoletti brings with her 14 years of successful senior level clinical experience. Most recently, Cumoletti was the STEMI coordinator at SUNY Research Foundation in Rensselaer where she facilitated a regional collaborative quality Cumoletti improvement project and promoted the delivery of evidence-based care for STEMI patients with an emphasis on increasing access to care.

“We are pleased to have Kristen join our organization,” said AnneMarie Walker-Czyz, senior vice president for Operations, COO/CNO. “Her dynamic clinical and leadership experience illustrates our values and mission; and her hands-on approach to team building and engagement will ensure delivery of excellent patient care.”

Cumoletti earned a Master of Science in nursing from Grand Canyon University in Phoenix. She holds a Bachelor of Nursing degree from Russell Sage College in Troy and received her nursing degree from Maria College in Albany, in 2000. Cumoletti is the recipient of the Martha Karp Palmer Award for Outstanding Nursing Student from Russell Sage College and received a Nursing Excellence Award College from Maria College.

Scaff Named Springside’s chief operating office Oswego Native Karen Scaff has been named Oswego Health’s vice president and chief operating officer at Springside at Seneca Hill.

Scaff arrives with a strong background in finance, property management and interpersonal skills. “It is an honor and privilege to be selected for this position,” Scaff said.

“This multi-faceted position allows me to use my human resource, marketing and finance experiences. I have also Scaff heard wonderful things about the residents and staff, which of course, is an important aspect of the job.”

After living and working in Atlanta, Georgia for nearly 15 years, Scaff returned to Oswego last year. She most recently worked as a practice and property manager at the Lake Ontario Property Associates, in Oswego. Previously, she was a retirement services manager for McCamish Systems, an Infosys Company and a benefits specialist for Aon Consulting, both located in Atlanta.

While living and working in Atlanta, Scaff earned her Master of Business Administration degree from Georgia State’s J.M. Robinson College of Business. Scaff obtained her bachelor’s degree from SUNY Cortland.

IN GOOD HEALTH – CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper

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Friends of Dorothy House: A Refuge for Those Diagnosed with AIDS Founded in 1992, Syracuse home is heaven to those who are terminally ill

By Matthew Liptak

“I

f I were dying, I’d want them to take care of me,” said Kelley Flood, program director of Upstate Medical University’s Designated AIDS Center.

The center has referred desperately ill patients in their final days to Michael DeSalvo and Nick Orth’s Friends of Dorothy Catholic Worker House on Wayne Street in Syracuse time and time again.

And time and time again, to the medical community’s surprise, the house’s guests have recovered.

“I just don’t know where some people would be if Michael and Nick did not have Friends of Dorothy,” Flood said. “I know some people that from a medical perspective we thought they were really close to dying. The support they were able to provide for them when they came to the house actually turned things around.”

Of course the house is, in part at least, a hospice and has seen its share of loss. DeSalvo said 40 people have died at the house since its inception in 1992.

But because of advances in medicine in treating disease and the intensive support that DeSalvo and Orth and their helpers provide, just as many have recovered, DeSalvo said.

“Our work is really different,” he said. “We don’t always have people dying. We often are getting people better and we are helping them continue their lives afterward in many different ways, from food and transportation, helping them get to doctors, to whatever they need. They become part of our community and family, which I think is very different from most agencies. Once you don’t fit in the box that they’ve created, they kind of have to kick you out. For us it doesn’t work that way. We have

Do you need PrEP and PEP? Gov. Andrew Cuomo recently announced he wanted to drastically reduce the incidence of HIV infection by the year 2020, but the local AIDS center at Upstate Medical University in Syracuse reports infections are continuing in the Central New York area.

Kelley Flood, director of Upstate Medical University’s Designated AIDS Center, said her program is serving 1,100 people.

If you have undertaken risky behavior like unprotected sex and don’t use a recommended condom, or you engage in drug use using needles, you might benefit from considering PrEP and PEP.

PrEP “PrEP is pre-exposure prophylaxis,” Flood said. “There’s a medication called Truvada that is also used to treat HIV that has been approved

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people come back into our life years later that need support because they know they can always come back to us.”

DeSalvo’s and Orth’s house only became an official 501c3 nonprofit in recent years. The couple’s focus was on keeping the service they provided out of as much government entanglement as possible. Their main focus has always been on the personal care their guests received. They don’t receive financial support through grants, but through small community-minded fund-raisers.

Their sharp focus on personal, individualized care stems from their Roman Catholic faith and their involvement in the Catholic Worker movement. The movement was started in the 1930 in New York City by Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin and is rooted “in the firm belief in the God-given dignity of every human person,” states its website at www.catholicworker.org.

There are 227 Catholic Worker communities. They champion social justice, nonviolence and care for those in need.

Action speaks louder

“It’s more of an anarchist, leftist kind of thinking,” DeSalvo said. “The Catholic Worker does works of mercy. Instead of going and volunteering somewhere, you actually live with the people you are serving. It’s a different model. There are houses all over the country and actually all over the world now. Everybody’s different. There is no set model.”

Their model can be demanding.

DeSalvo has had friends die in his arms over the years. The couple has had little time that isn’t devoted to their guests. Sometimes there is little privacy

by the FDA for the prevention of HIV. If somebody was in a relationship with someone who is HIV positive or they were engaging in risky behaviors and maybe weren’t asking someone’s status or didn’t know someone’s status, they could take Truvada. You have to take it every day. It’s not just taking it before you go out and have sex. If you take it correctly, it has well over 90 percent effectiveness in preventing HIV infections.”

PEP “PEP is post-exposure prophylaxis,” Flood said. “After unsafe sex, I could go to the ER and they could evaluate me and they could give me a combination of HIV medications to prevent being infected.” The patient must be tracked for a month to confirm negative diagnosis, Flood noted.

Flood encourages those at risk to contact the center if they’re at risk of HIV infection. The Designated AIDS Center can be reached at 315464-5533.

IN GOOD HEALTH – CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • June 2015

Michael DeSalvo is the co-founder and co-operator of Friends of Dorothy Catholic Worker House on Wayne Street in Syracuse. The home has been open to AIDS patients since 1992.

He is also shown in front of the wall in the house. The little rectangles on the wall are ceramic plaques in memory of those who died at the house. for the couple, who live in the same house their guests do.

When DeSalvo isn’t at the house, he is usually at his full-time job running his salon Hairanoia on Green Street. The income he gets there is a main source of funding for Friends of Dorothy.

DeSalvo said they probably couldn’t do the work they do without their faith. It helps restore them after witnessing so much loss.

“I couldn’t do it without it,” he said. “Why would I? All my gay buddies go to P-town (Provincetown, Mass.) I’ve never even been to P-town.

They’re living the life and we often can’t do things. I’ve missed weddings.

I’ve missed my own 40th birthday party. It’s really, really handing our life over.”

But the couple isn’t alone. They have found a lot of support for their work in the Syracuse community. Over Christmas, the Armory Square Playhouse raised almost $3,000 through a holiday play reading. The Philanthropic Foodies raised around $14,000 for the house last year, DeSalvo said.

Then there are the dinners. The house had been holding dinners at St. Vincent’s Parish Center. Halted last year, the dinners have now restarted at All Saints Roman Catholic Church’s Harrison Center. The dinners raise some money and help build community among members of all parts of society.

If you’re low on funds, you don’t have to pay anything for a meal. But if

a diner is able to donate, he or she are encouraged to give whatever they can.

“Everybody from people with money to people who just need a meal come,” DeSalvo said. “We’ve almost had the same volunteer crew for years doing this with us. The food is really good but the sense of community is amazing that comes with it. We often get a couple hundred people at it.”

DeSalvo is 55 and Orth is 52. They don’t expect to be doing the work they do forever. It gives much, but it takes from them too. They have not decided what they will do yet when it comes time to retire. They are open to mentoring others who have a similar calling.

“They’re wonderful guys,” Flood said. “I don’t know anybody else like them. I don’t know anyone else that has the calling to do what they do and they’ve been doing it so very long. It’s going to be a real loss for the community when they decide they’re retiring.”

Until that time, their faith and the rewards of what they do keep DeSalvo and Orth hard at work.

“When Hope (a guest) moved in at 69 pounds and they didn’t give her two weeks to live and it’s 14 years later and she’s still alive, I guess that is pretty rewarding,” DeSalvo said. “And then you see people turn their lives around and do well with it. It’s incredibly rewarding.” .For more information on the Friends of Dorothy Catholic Worker House, go to friendsofdorothyhouse. org.

Crouse Partnership Brings Leading Orthopedic Surgeons Together for SU Athletes

Two om Bedro ble Availa

Orthopedic surgeons partnering with Crouse Hospital and Syracuse University Athletics are, from left, John Cannizzaro, Ryan Smart, Brad Raphael, Todd Battaglia, Kevin Setter and Matthew Scuderi.

A

s official hospital of Syracuse University Athletics, Crouse Hospital coordinates all orthopedic care for the school’s student athletes, from football and basketball, to lacrosse and field hockey. This past year, the hospital has continued to focus on building its sports medicine program, a key piece of which is the SU Athletics partnership.

The centerpiece of the SU/Crouse sports partnership is the team of local orthopedic surgeons Crouse has brought together to provide on-site game and practice coverage to student athletes. The Crouse team includes surgeons Todd Battaglia, Brad Raphael and Ryan Smart — all partners partners from Syracuse Orthopedic Specialists (SOS)—; and John Cannizzaro, Kevin Setter and Matthew Scuderi — partners from Upstate Bone and Joint Center.

“We’ve been fortunate to be able to bring some of the best sports medicine orthopedic specialists in the region together for one common goal, which is to provide superior care to SU student athletes, both on and off the field,” says Crouse Chief Medical Officer Seth Kronenberg, who was instrumental in bringing the physicians from the area’s two largest orthopedic specialty groups together. “The talent, experience and expertise between these six board-certified surgeons supports the outstanding sports medicine care and rehabilitation services that have long been provided to athletes by the SU Athletics team of trainers and sports medicine specialists,” adds physician Kronenberg.

“We are excited to work in collaboration with Crouse Hospital to enhance our orthopedic services,” says Syracuse University Assistant Athletics Director for Sports Medicine Brad Pike. “Our priority is the health and well-being of our student athletes and Crouse has been most supportive in those efforts by drawing from an expert orthopedic community to enhance the services and care we provide our student athletes.”

“With our sports partnership, Crouse is bringing the most talented sports medicine physicians to the most talented athletes,” says Crouse CEO Kimberly Boynton. Crouse and SU make for natural partners, says Boynton, and not just because of the close proximity the two institutions share.

In fact, Crouse has enjoyed a long, mutually beneficial relationship with its neighbor on ‘the hill’ — from developing innovative quality and process improvement programs with the Whitman School, serving as a site for graduate level internships and providing ‘fast track’ urgent care medical services to SU students and faculty.

Crouse’s overall sports medicine focus features not only orthopedics, but a continuum of care that covers general surgical services, cardiac care, concussion management and a full range of physical and occupational rehabilitation services for both children and adults — from sports enthusiasts and ‘weekend warriors’ to student players and competitive athletes. Additionally, Crouse provides athletic trainers for a number of city high schools.

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IN GOOD HEALTH – CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper

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Page 23

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IN GOOD HEALTH – CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • June 2015