In Good Health by In Good Health: CNY's Healthcare Newspaper

in good GROWING AT HOME It pays to figure out what are the easiest vegetables to grow in your garden— and which ones can give the most nutrients in return for your efforts

Mark Sicherman, a local physician, writes a book about self cure

May 2012 • Issue 149

CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper

The Cinnamon Challenge Fueled by viral YouTube videos depicting teens coughing and spitting, the cinnamon challenge is becoming popular again. Parents, health officials concerned with trend

Your Medical Records All hospitals in Central New York are making strides toward bringing their record keeping system into the 21st century. Upstate University Hospital, for example, has invested about $20 million in an electronic medical records system that also allows outpatients to access their records through the iPhone. Story on page 7.

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Delivering 200,000 Meals a Year Meet four volunteers who work at Meals on Wheels of Syracuse

Meet Dr. Alison McCrone, medical director at the new Golisano After Hours Care

Gerald and Evelyn Williams, both 64 and residents of Syracuse, are shown recently getting ready to deliver meals prepared by staff and volunteers at Meals on Wheels of Syracuse. The program — which opened its doors on May 20, 1959 — provided 6.3 million meals during its first 50 years. It’s the fourth oldest Meals on Wheels program in the United States. Story on page 23.

U.S. Cancer Death Rates Continue to Decline May 2012 •

IN GOOD HEALTH – CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper

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For patients who can’t have open heart surgery, TAVR is more than a procedure. It’s hope. For years, inoperable patients with aortic valve disease have had no other treatment options – until now. St. Joseph’s is proud to be the ﬁrst and only Central New York hospital to provide hope in the form of the new Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) procedure – a less invasive alternative to open heart valve replacement surgery. To learn more, visit www.sjhsyr.org/TAVR, or call 315-703-2138. 301 Prospect Ave., Syracuse, NY www.sjhsyr.org/TAVR St. Joseph’s Resource Line (Physician & Program Information): 315-703-2138 Follow us on Facebook and Twitter: stjosephshealth

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IN GOOD HEALTH – CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • May 2012

St. Joseph’s is sponsored by the Sisters of St. Francis. Franciscan Companies is a member of the St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center network.

U.S. Cancer Death Rates Continue to Decline

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report from the nation’s leading cancer organizations shows rates of death in the United States from all cancers for men and women continued to decline between 2004 and 2008. The findings come from the latest Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer. The report also finds that the overall rate of new cancer diagnoses for men and women combined decreased an average of less than 1 percent per year from 1998 through 2006, with rates leveling off from 2006 through 2008. Edward J. Benz, Jr., president of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, called the news encouraging, but is disappointed that the overall rate of cancer deaths is not falling nearly enough. “The rate of cancer diagnoses and deaths across all racial and minority groups are slowly decreasing,” said Benz. “But there are still gaps that must be addressed.” The report is co-authored by researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries, the National Cancer Institute, and the American Cancer Society. Among children aged 19 years or younger, the report shows cancer incidence rates increased 0.6 percent

per year from 2004 through 2008, while death rates decreased 1.3 percent per year during the same period. The authors also highlighted cancers associated with excess weight and lack of sufficient physical activity. “This report emphasizes that the growing obesity problem and decreased overall physical activity in our society compared to decades ago have a real impact on multiple diseases, including cancer,” said Jeffrey A. Meyerhardt, a colorectal cancer expert at Dana-Farber and author of several studies investigating the impact of exercise on survival rates for colorectal cancer patients. “While we currently see declines in incidence of many cancers, if obesity continues at the current rates, I believe these improvements in incidences will reverse and increase over time.” Benz added that the good news is that some of the cancer risks the report highlighted can be reduced by changes in lifestyle. “Many of the things that are still a problem in these statistics are modifiable,” said Benz. “If you watch your diet, exercise, and manage your weight, you can not only prevent your risk of getting many lethal forms of cancer, you will also increase your chances of doing well, if you should get almost any form of cancer.”

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In Good Health is published 12 times a year by Local News, Inc. © 2012 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, Deborah Sergeant, Anne Palumbo, Aaron Gifford, Chris Motola, Melissa Stefanec, Suzanne Ellis, Zhandong Zhou, M.D. • Advertising: Jasmine Maldonado, Tracy DeCann • Design: Chris Crocker • Proofreading: Shelley Manley • Ofﬁce Manager: Laura J. Beckwith 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.

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IN GOOD HEALTH – CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper

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CALENDAR of

HEALTH EVENTS

May 1, 8, 15, 22

Program to discuss how to control stress Are you lacking energy? Having headaches or stomachaches but can’t put your finger on the cause? Just can’t bring yourself to get out of the house? If you are 60 or older, Syracuse Jewish Family Service invites you to participate in a group program that will discuss how to talk, listen, learn and practice taking control of stress. This is a four-week program with a weekly 75-minute session. It takes place from 1:30–2:45 p.m. May 1, 8, 15, 22 at the second floor lounge at The Oaks at Menorah Park. Groups are facilitated by social workers Carrie Scholz and Marilyn Sharron. The cost for the program is $35. Space is limited and registration is required. To register call Carrie Scholz at 4469111 ext. 225.

strides on the lanes, where he’s able to use a 16-pound ball and a two-step release. Roth, one of the winningest bowlers in the history of the sport, is a four-time PBA Player of the Year. He holds the record of eight tournament wins in a single season (1978), and was the first bowler to convert the 7–10 split on national television. Proceeds raised at the event will go to support patient and family education programs, direct patient care needs and community awareness programs. Entry fee for Strikes Against Stroke is $15 for stroke survivors; $20 for children under 12; and $30 for the general public. To register, call 315-464-8668. Registration is also available at the door the day of the event. The event will also highlight the benefits of the Upstate Stroke Center.

May 7

Musical feast to beneﬁt Aurora of CNY

Syracuse Area Bellydancers’ Association (SABA) presents the history and diversity of belly dance. Learn everything you wanted to know about belly dancing. Local and regional dancers provide a lecture and dance lesson followed by an entertaining live show. It takes place from 2:30–3:30 p.m. May 5 at Dewitt Community Library, Shoppingtown Mall in Dewitt. For more information, visit www. sabastars.com.

Retired Syracuse cardiologist Murray Grossman and his wife Kathy will be honored at this year’s Musical Feast for the Eyes and Ears, an annual fundraiser for Aurora of CNY, Inc. The event will be held starting at 6 p.m. May 17 at The Lodge at Welch Allyn in Skaneateles. It will include dinner, dancing, music by Mere Mortals and silent and live auctions, which will include gift baskets, jewelry, a kayak and a “date night for a year” package. Aurora of CNY, Inc. is the only nonprofit that works exclusively with people in Central New York who are deaf, blind, visually impaired or hard of hearing. To make reservations or for more information, call Diane LaBeff at Aurora at 422-7263 (voice/VP) or 4229746 (TDD).

May 6

May 9

May 5

Association offers ‘Belly Dance 101’ program

Hall of Fame bowler to attend Upstate event Mark Roth, a member of the PBA (Professional Bowling Association) Hall of Fame who is arguably one of the top five bowlers ever, will be on hand at Upstate University Hospital’s Strikes Against Stroke fundraiser Sunday, May 6. Roth’s appearance at the fundraiser, to be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Flamingo Bowl, 7239 Route 57 in Liverpool, is noteworthy, not because of his legendary status among bowlers, but because he’s a stroke survivor. Roth suffered a stroke in 2009, and underwent extensive rehabilitation at Upstate. “He has come a long way, but it’s been a lot of work,” said his wife, Denise, from their Upstate New York home. Roth uses a quad cane and still has some loss of movement in his left arm. His speech has improved greatly. He’s even making

DementiaCare2012 to take place in Syracuse Registration is underway for the DementiaCare2012: Empowering Caregivers with Practical Solutions, the first caregiving conference by the Alzheimer’s Association, Central New York Chapter. The inaugural conference is May 9 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Syracuse. The conference’s agenda is highlighted by keynote speaker Patti Kerr, who will present “What I Wish Someone Had Told Me,” an empowering and educational presentation about the myths, facts and unspoken truths related to dementia caregiving. Kerr is a certified Alzheimer’s disease educator and author of “I Love You...Who Are You? Loving and Caring for a Parent with Alzheimer’s.” Following her mother’s death in 2007, she interviewed more

UTICA-ROME In Good Health Page 4

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IN GOOD HEALTH – CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • May 2012

than 100 family caregivers about their journeys with the disease, compiling those stories into her book. Utica-area physician Scott Brehaut will open the conference with information on the current state of dementia diagnosis and treatment. Brehaut is the medical director of the Stroke Center at Faxton St. Luke’s Healthcare and is board certified in family practice and hospice and palliative care, and completed a geriatrics fellowship at the University of Rochester. The conference also features four breakout sessions. Registration for the conference, which begins at 8:30 a.m. and ends at 4:30 p.m., is $75 per person and includes admission to all programs and an expo of local vendors, a guide with the day’s presentations and local caregiving resources, and lunch. DementiaCare2012 is presented by the Kirkpatrick Day Program, Syracuse’s only dementia-specific adult day program. Space is for the conference is limited and reservations can be made at 315-472-4201 or online at www.alz. org/cny.

May 9

Medicare 101 workshop to help Cayuga seniors Are you new or soon to be new to Medicare? Are you receiving Medicare benefits now but are overwhelmed or confused by all the information and options out there? If so, the program offered by the Cayuga County Office of the Aging might be what you need. The agency is sponsoring a free Medicare 101 session for some helpful, unbiased information including: the basics of Original Medicare, Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D; Medicare costs, co-pays and deductibles, and what assistance is available for low-income beneficiaries to help cover costs; and Medicare Preventive Benefits, supplemental insurance and EPIC. The program will take place from 1 – 2:30 p.m., Wednesday, May 9, at the Cayuga County Office Building, basement conference room, 160 Genesee St. Auburn. Registration is required. The deadline for registration is Tuesday May 8. For more information, or to register please call the Office for the Aging at 253-1226.

May 12

Celiac walk scheduled for Jamesville Beach Park Families and friends of people who suffer from celiac disease are organizing an event to raise awareness of the disease and raise funds to find a cure. Deadline for registration for the 1 Mile Walk / 5 K Cross Country Run is at 10 a.m. May 12 at Jamesville Beach Park. The walk/run starts at 11 a.m. Registration fee: $15 if registered by April 30; $20 after that date. Children 12 and under pay $8 to cover cost of shirt. Among other things, games, bubbles and face painting for kids will be available. Celiac disease is a digestive condition caused by a food allergy to gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley and rye. One in every 133 Americans has celiac disease, according

to the Center for Celiac Research at the University of Maryland. Those with the condition can control the symptoms by eating a modified diet that eliminates gluten. Pre-register at “celiacwalk.org. For more information send an email to msmarion@twcny.rr.com or call 6992509.

May 14

St. Joseph’s hosts free seminar on weight loss St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center will host a free informational session on “Weight Loss Surgery: When is it the Best Option?” at 6 p.m. on Monday, May 14, at St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center’s Medical Office Centre, Suite 809, located at 104 Union Ave. in Syracuse. Free parking is available in the Medical Office Centre parking garage. William Graber, a board-certified surgeon specializing in weight loss surgery, will explain what qualifies as obesity, how obesity affects health, when surgery is the best option and review what can be expected after surgery. Space is limited. To register for the session, call St. Joseph’s at 315-744-1244 or email community. programs@sjhsyr.org.

June 1

Fulton YMCA holds annual gala auction On Friday, June 1, the Fulton Family YMCA will host its sixth gala auction at the Fulton Polish Home. The theme this year is “Believe in the Y” and area artists are decorating a variety of furniture pieces for the event. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the auction will begin at 8 p.m. Besides the creative pieces of furniture, there will be smaller items for silent auction, including pieces by Sandy Clift and Amy Ambuske. Dan Bachelor will be the auctioneer and Carol Fox will be preparing the refreshments. Music will be provided by Nick Abelgore and friends. Featured at the auction will be some of the locally favorite artists who have been present in past events: Amy Johnston, Lisa Davis, Margaret Rusaw, Tammy Wood, Meanie Taylor, and Muggins LaGrou. Pre-sale tickets will be available at the Fulton YMCA, 715 W. Broadway and at the door the night of the event. For more information, call 598-9622.

May 20

Bluegrass event to beneﬁt cystic ﬁbrosis A “Benefit for a Cure for Cystic Fibrosis” has been scheduled for May 20 at the Orchard Vali Golf Club, 4693 Route 20 in LaFayette. Sponsored by the Central New York Bluegrass Association and the Kinney Family, the event will feature Acoustic Blue and Diamond Someday Bluegrass. The event will also feature golfing at a special discount and dinner. Tickets are $18. For more information, call Kathy Kinney at 572-2247, visit www.cnyba. com or email cnybacontactus@aol.com.

Advertise in the Mohawk Valley of In Good Health Email: editor@CNYhealth.com

REACH DOCTORS, HEALTH ADMINISTRATORS, CONSUMERS

Patients With Stroke Symptoms Are Still Not Calling 911

ationwide ambulance use by patients suffering from a stroke has not changed since the mid1990s, even though effective stroke treatments are now available. In a study published in the March issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), researchers at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center found that the number of stroke victims transported via ambulance has remained relatively static over the years, highlighting the need for more education about stroke symptoms and the importance of early intervention. The study, led by Hooman Kamel, a neurologist at NewYorkPresbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell, analyzed data collected by the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS) between 1997 and 2008. “People do not always recognize the seriousness of stroke symptoms, or instead of calling 911, they may call their primary care physician for an appointment and lose valuable time as the damage becomes irreversible,” says Kamel. Based on 1,605 cases, the study found that just 51 percent of adults diagnosed with stroke in emergency departments nationwide arrived via ambulance, with no significant change over the 11-year span. Kamel says recovery is possible with early treatment. “We have drugs and surgeries that can minimize brain damage from a stroke, but they can be used only within a few short hours. When stroke victims or bystanders

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More Unwed Couples Who Live Together Are Becoming Parents

he percentage of babies born to unmarried couples who are living together is rising, according to a new government report. From 2006 through 2010, the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention reported, 22 percent of women who gave birth to their first child were cohabiting with their partner, compared with 12 percent in 2002. In fact, nearly half of all births that take place outside of marriage were babies born to cohabitating couples, the CDC said. Births outside of marriage are rising in general: 46 percent of first births to women ages 15-44 occur outside marriage, up from 38 percent in 2002, the report said. The increase is concerning from a public health perspective, the CDC added. A large proportion of births outside marriage are not planned, and “children born outside of a marital union experience more family transitions, less stability, and may have fewer resources,” the report said. Among births that occurred between 1999 and 2002, 77 percent of births to married women were planned, compared with 35 percent of births to unmarried women, according

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to the report. Unplanned pregnancies have been associated with adverse events for both mother and baby, the report says. The average age for first-time parenthood was 23 for women and 25 for men, the same as in 2002, the report said. Eighty-five percent of women had given birth by the time they were 40, and 76 percent of men had fathered a child, the report said. Women averaged two children by age 44. The results are based on interviews with a nationally representative sample of 10,403 U.S. men and 12,279 U.S. women ages 15-44.

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IN GOOD HEALTH – CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper

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Meet

Macular Degeneration

Your Doctor

Dr. George Kornfeld uses miniaturized binoculars or telescopes to help those with vision loss keep reading, writing and maintaining independence.

By Elana Lombardi, Freelance Writer Just because you have macular degeneration or other eye diseases like diabetic retinopathy doesn’t mean you must give up driving. “People don’t know that there are doctors who are very experienced in low vision care.” Dr. George Kornfeld, a low vision optometrist. “My new telescopic glasses make it much easier to read signs at a distance.” Says Bonnie, “Definitely worth the $1950 cost. I don’t know why I waited to do this. I should have come sooner. ”Low vision devices are not always expensive. Some reading glasses cost as little as $450 and some magnifiers under $100. Every case is different because people have different levels of vision and different desires. “Our job is to figure out everything and anything possible to keep a person functioning visually.” Says Dr. Kornfeld. Dr. Kornfeld sees patients in his five offices throughout upstate New York.

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Dr. Alison McCrone Medical director discusses the new Golisano After Hours Care at Community General and why kids are better off being treated there Q: You have a number of roles at Upstate, can you describe them? A: I’m a teaching assistant in the pediatric emergency department at Upstate. I’m also the medical director and provider for Upstate Golisano After Hours Care, located on the Community General campus. Q: Do you run into different conditions in a pediatric ER than an adult one? A: Yeah, absolutely. Kids have unique illnesses and injuries and require a different evaluation and management than adults. Typically what we see are fevers, difficulty breathing, injuries from sports and bicycles. Q: What kinds of special consideration do you need to give kids? A: Children sustain different injuries, even with the same mechanism of injury as an adult. Their physiology is different, so it requires a unique approach to taking care of kids. Additionally, we tend to focus on children’s psycho-social health, so when the child comes into the emergency department, we try to minimize stress and make things easier for them. Also, taking care of children means taking care of the whole family, the parents. All of the information and decision-making is usually made by the family. Q: Is it difficult to get kids and parents on the same page, where you have the kid saying it’s one thing and the parents saying it’s something else? A: That does happen from time to time, especially as the children get older and may want to have a little bit more autonomy from their parents and don’t want their parents as intimately involved in their health care. But parents are a valuable resource in helping to complete the picture. Q: How would you resolve that kind of conflict? A: Typically there’s not much of a conflict; they usually have similar concerns. Sometimes I’ll speak with the child independent of the parents and the parents independent of the child and factor in both of their perspectives on the situation. Q: Syracuse’s children’s hospital services are still fairly new. What are you discovering as the programs mature? A: I think

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IN GOOD HEALTH – CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • May 2012

doing something repeatedly and having a lot of experience in it makes you more adept at taking care of the patients. I exclusively take care of children, so I’m very comfortable taking care of their needs and their family’s needs. I think parents tend to be very anxious when they visit me, whether it’s in the pediatric emergency department or Golisano After Hours, most are concerned and need reassurance. Sometimes there are medical interventions that need to be done to determine the child’s condition. There are times where the parents are just unfamiliar with the child’s complaint, or the child may not be able to vocalize what’s wrong. They need someone who can evaluate their child and explain to them what’s going on and, hopefully, make them feel better about what’s going on. Q: Do you think pediatrics requires stronger communication skills than your average specialty? A: There are definitely challenges in the field of pediatrics. You have to be very aware of your patient because they won’t necessarily be able to verbalize the complaint. Q: Why did you choose pediatrics as your specialty?

A: I always wanted to take care of children. I really enjoy it. Generally children respond very well to the care that’s provided and can go on to live long and healthy lives, which is very rewarding. They also make me laugh on a daily basis. Q: Did you always intend to get into administration? A: I think administration is a natural extension of providing care. I’ve been given the opportunity to guide care through the organizational and behind-the-scenes part of things, and I think that’s been instrumental in making the Golisano After Hours Care Center a success. Given my experience with pediatric patients and their illnesses and injuries, I think I’m in a good position to ensure that our center can provide the best care for our patients. Q: How do you integrate your teaching duties with your other duties? A: Upstate’s a teaching institution. I hold teaching in the highest regard. I was taught by many great teachers and am proud to have the opportunity to pass on the knowledge that I’ve gained to students of all varieties. Teaching, I think, is something that demands you stay on top of your field and familiarize yourself with all the recent developments and medical literature. It makes you a better clinician. Q: What advice would you give students going into pediatrics or emergency medicine? A: I would say to a medical student to choose what you love to do. The landscape of medicine is always changing. If you choose based on a preconceived notion of hours or salary, you may find yourself in a situation that you didn’t intend to be in. I think if you choose something you love, you’ll thrive in it. Q: How do you think things have changed from when you were in school? A: I’m not sure that there’s been an enormous shift since I’ve completed my training. I’ve only been out of training for three years. I think the trends throughout the country are that there are few certainties in medicine. Medicine is an evolving field. We’ve learned so much in recent decades. It’s changing constantly. Providers today need to keep up with and understand those changes.

Lifelines: Name: Alison McCrone, M.D. Hometown: Ridgewood, NJ Position: Medical director of the new Golisano After Hours Care at Community campus Education: St. George’s University School of Medicine, Grenada. Residency: Women and Children’s Hospital of Buffalo Specialties & Certiﬁcation: Pediatric Emergency Medicine Afﬁliations: SUNY Upstate Medical University Organizations: American Academy of Pediatrics-fellow Family: Married, three children Hobbies: Family activities, spending time outdoors How to reach Alison McCrone: 315-4648668 or via email: McCrone@upstate.edu

Your Medical Records in Your Hands CNY hospitals developing systems to turn all written medical records into electronic ones By Aaron Gifford

ew federal legislation requires health care facilities to phase out most types of paper records and transition to an electronic system. Facilities that embrace the change early will be rewarded, and those who resist it will be penalized. Locally, Central New York providers have made major strides toward bringing their recordkeeping system into the 21st century. The deadline to comply with the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act is 2014. The initiative dates back to a 2004 executive order by the Bush administration and was redefined in 2009 under President Obama. About $20 billion has been made available to hospitals and rural clinics that accept Medicare and Medicaid. In order to qualify for funds, facilities must service a significant population of Medicaid beneficiaries. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, physicians who can demonstrate meaningful use of a certified electronic health records systems can receive bonus Medicare payments for up to five years. That bonus is equal to up to 75 percent of the provider’s allowable Medicare charges for one year. Providers who work in areas where there are a shortage of health care professionals are eligible to receive a 10 percent increase in their annual Medicare cap. By contrast, physicians and hospitals that have not incorporated an electronic health records system will see a reduction of Medicare reimbursement at the rate of 1 percent annually beginning in 2015. The mandate is aimed at making the delivery of health care more efficient and safer. Better record keeping systems reduce medical errors, result in fewer redundant tests and treatments, and allow physicians to spend more time on patient care and less on administrative tasks. But it’s too early to say whether this initiative will help or hinder the prevention of health care fraud. Because of privacy and security concerns, electronic record-keeping systems must meet federal standards. At Crouse Hospital in Syracuse, employees use the Computerized Physician Order Entry (CPOE) system to enter medication orders, IV orders, nursing orders, consults, imaging and radiology studies — all records that used to be written by hand — into a central data base. Individual patient records can be obtained by authorized personnel who access the data base with smart phones or tablet computers (iPads). The available records include everything from the person’s diet, to their radiology orders, to their plan of care. Maria Ciciarelli, a gynecologist at Crouse who was involved with the hospital’s electronic records implementation, said the transition to a new system has been fairly smooth. “The learning curve, like with any change or new system, takes time and effort to learn the process,” she said. “Luckily, once the system is learned it is not too hard. It can also sometimes be a challenge to find the exact order you need. In this case the IT people help to create an order if it is not in the

Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse has invested about $20 million in an electronic medical records system that also allows outpatients to access their own records, request medical appointments and manage their own care from a home computer or smart phone. Patients can even access their records through smart phones. system. This does happen — especially in the very beginning — [but] it is less so now because as time goes by all of the orders we could need have already been added.” She said the most noticeable difference so far is fewer errors involving medication. “Hand writing deciphering is removed from the equation. Therefore, a medication and the dose are clear. It is also cross-checked with the pharmacy. Using CPOE also reduced how much paper is used per patient chart, which can benefit the public and the environment. At this point in the learning process we are still printing out orders until everyone is comfortable with the process, but eventually this step will be removed,” Ciciarelli said. At St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center in Syracuse, more than 800 clinicians affiliated with the facility use a CPOE system. In the past year alone, that system has been enhanced to include bed tracking, online physician documentation, problem-based triage and nursing charting, discharge instructions, practice management and prescription writing capabilities. In addition, St. Joseph’s cardiac catheterization lab uses a cardiovascular information system (CVIS) that is linked to the facility’s electronic medical record system. This allows all clinically relevant patient information and other data to be collected and viewed from the same workstation, said Kerri Ganci, hospital spokeswoman. St. Joseph’s also uses a barcode system for administering medications. A scanner is used to match the barcode on the medication with the barcode on the patient’s wrist band. “This ensures the five rights of medication safety,” Ganci explained. “The right patient is receiving the right dose of the right medication at the right time via the right route.”

Oswego Health is on track to go live with its new electronic medical record system in late June. Their technology will allow physicians to order tests, medical images, physical therapy and instructions regarding patients’ diets. The system also communicates electronically with pharmacies, allowing them to track which drugs at the hospital need to be restocked. Marion Ciciarelli, Oswego Health spokeswoman, said the physicians all provided feedback in the system’s implementation and will be trained to use it properly in the coming weeks. Melissa Stotts, the organization’s director of applications, said the new technology will save the hospital a significant amount of money over time because processes will be streamlined and more efficient. “We also feel that these investments and improved efficiencies will increase our brand recognition and bring more value to our customers,” she said. The Oneida Healthcare in Madison County embraced the idea of a paperless record-keeping system more than 10 years ago. Early on in that initiative the hospital also moved to a digital X-ray system that no longer required film. In 2010, Oneida Healthcare launched a plan for a centralized data base, replacing disparate systems that were used in the emergency, nursing, scheduling, laboratory and pharmacy departments. This new system also includes a complete electronic medical records process that can be accessed by one computer system that serves the entire facility. The MEDITECH system is on track to go live on Aug. 1. The physician documentation and order entry components will be added by year’s end. Mary McGuirl, Oneida Healthcare information systems director, said MEDITECH system even has a voice May 2012 •

recognition system that allows doctors to verbally dictate their notes. The system’s implementation was a huge undertaking that involved 19 project teams representing every area of the hospital. “Of course, with a project this big there are many challenges,” McGuirl said. “One such challenge is to find the best way to balance information accessibility with the need for patient privacy and data security. We must walk a fine line between making information available while assuring that it can only be accessed by authorized individuals.” Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse has invested about $20 million in an electronic medical records system that also allows outpatients to access their own records, request medical appointments and manage their own care from a home computer or smart phone. Patients are given user names and passwords to access the free service. The system is on track to cover all ambulatory patients by the end of the year. “Launching Upstate ‘MyChart,’ our patient-driven EMR platform, creates conveniences for patients, but also promotes consistency for health care providers,” said Neal Seidberg, Upstate’s chief medical information officer. “The EMR creates one standardized record of all of that patient’s information.” Auburn Community Hospital has completed implementation of electronic medical records. According to the hospital’s CEO Scott Bertucchi, a new clinical IT system, McKesson Paragon, has been implemented. “This system includes electronic medical records as well as computerized order entry for medical staff which means a higher quality of care for our patients,” Bertucchi stated in a memo posted on the hospital’s website.

IN GOOD HEALTH – CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper

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Page 7

Live Alone & Thrive

By Gwenn Voelckers

Practical tips, advice and hope for those who live alone

Asking for Help: It Brings Blessings, not Burdens “It’s not the load that breaks you down; it’s the way you carry it.” -Lena Horne

ride to the doctor’s office. Help with moving a heavy piece of furniture. An emergency dog-sitting request. Giving and receiving help from my friends and family has proved to be a wonderful way to get to know each other and to strengthen bonds. It’s another one of the many “life lessons” I’ve learned while on my own — that asking for help brings blessings, not burdens. But if asking for help is difficult or awkward for you, know that you’re not alone. Many people and, regrettably, many of those who need it most — find it hard to reach out and ask for help in times of need. The reasons? There are many, but my experience tells me that lots of women and men who live alone avoid asking for help because they fear being seen as weak or vulnerable. I know that after my divorce I was reluctant to ask for help. I wanted to show the world that I was perfectly fine, thank you. When I really could have used some help, I avoided asking anybody for anything, determined to

muscle through on my own. It led to isolation and pointless hardships. And the biggest shame? Not asking for assistance kept me distant from friends and family. I denied myself (and them) the chance to connect on a genuine and meaningful level. Looking back, it’s clear to me that my healing and personal growth were compromised as a result. I encourage you to let go of any excuses not to ask for help, in favor of being true to yourself and to those who love and want to support you. Below are some words of encouragement and a few tips to help you help yourself: Be honest. What keeps you from asking for help? Could it be pride? Do you think you’ll be seen as incapable or weak? Are you concerned about being a bother? Or, would asking for help force you to acknowledge that, indeed, you need it? Take a moment and reflect on what keeps you from asking for assistance. Redefine what it means to be strong. Everyone needs help from time to time, and seeking help on your terms is not a weakness. In fact, the strongest people are often those who have

KIDS Corner Fewer Kids Getting Hurts in Stair-related Injuries

new study found that more than 93,000 children younger than 5 years of age were treated in U.S. emergency departments for stair-related injuries from 1999 through 2008. On average, this equates to a child younger than 5 years of age being rushed to an emergency department for a stair-related injury every six minutes in the U.S. The study by researchers at the Center for Injury Research and Policy of The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital appears in the April 2012 print issue of Pediatrics. It noted a decline in the annual number of these injuries during the course of the study. Page 8

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“While we are pleased to see a declining trend in the number of stairrelated injuries, stairs continue to be a common source of injury among young children,” said the study’s senior author, Gary Smith, director of the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and a professor of pediatrics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. “Through a combination of educating parents, use of stair gates, and modifying building codes to make stairs safer, we can prevent these types of injuries.” While the majority of children fell down the stairs without mention of the

IN GOOD HEALTH – CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • May 2012

the courage to admit they need some assistance and reach out. I’ve always admired this quality in others. Real strength is knowing your personal limitations and having the confidence to recruit assistance when you need it. Have a little faith. Believe that people truly want to help. Just turn the tables, and think about how you’d respond if a friend, family member or co-worker asked for a helping hand. You wouldn’t hesitate. In fact, you might even feel slightly upset if not asked, especially if someone you cared about was having real difficulty. Know that others, too, want to be there for their friends and family in need. Take a chance. When you choose to be vulnerable and ask for help, you are taking a risk. You are opening yourself up and exposing your authentic self. When you are “real” like this, you have an amazing opportunity to cultivate deeper, more meaningful bonds with others. It can be life- and relationshipchanging, but only if you are willing to take a chance and make your needs known. Make the request. First, put some thought into where you could really

involvement of another object or activity, children younger than 1 year of age were more likely than older children to be injured while they were being carried down the stairs, or while they were in a baby walker or stroller. In fact, one-fourth of injuries to children younger than age 1 occurred while the child was being carried on the stairs, and these children were more than three times more likely to be hospitalized than children injured by other mechanisms. Among all children, soft tissue injures (35 percent) were the most common type of injury followed by lacerations and puncture wounds (26 percent). The most common body regions injured were the head and neck (76 percent) followed by the upper extremities (11 percent). Study authors recommend the following to help prevent stair-related injuries: • Keep stairs free of clutter and in good repair • Install a handrail if one is not available • Use stair gates at both the top and the bottom of stairs • Remember that while stair gates are important and effective, they are not a substitute for adult supervision • Avoid carrying a child on the stairs when possible. Place him in a safe place, such as a crib, when you need to use the stairs

use some support and then ask for help with one specific item. It could be something as simple as weeding a garden bed to something as important as identifying a financial adviser. If you’re uncomfortable making the request, you might start out by saying, “You know, I’m not very comfortable asking for favors, but I wonder if you might be able to help me with something?” Express your gratitude. You know this, of course. A heartfelt thank you in person or in writing will be warmly received by the person whose help you have accepted. No need to go overboard. Remember, people want to help others, and don’t expect to be remunerated for doing a good deed. Offer help in return. Because giving can be as gratifying as receiving, you’ll want to make it known that you, too, are available to return the favor. We all have gifts, we all have needs, and we all can be of great assistance to one another. Look around, and you’ll find plenty of opportunities to help those who have helped you during your time of need. Asking for help becomes easier with practice. Just as I did, you’ll soon discover the benefits that lie in the aftermath of the “ask” — benefits that include deeper, more meaningful relationships with existing friends and family members, as well as the prospect of making new connections with others. The rewards inherent in accepting help and expressing your gratitude are many and go both ways. So take it from me: Life can be better, just for the asking. Gwenn Voelckers is the founder and facilitator of Live Alone and Thrive, empowerment workshops for women held throughout the year in Mendon, New York. For information about the workshops, call 585-624-7887, email gvoelckers@rochester. rr.com, or visit aloneandcontent.com.

When you need to carry a child on the stairs: • Do not carry other items at the same time. The child should be the only thing in your arms • Keep one hand on the handrail to steady yourself in case you trip or slip • Never use a stroller or carriage on the stairs • Do not use mobile baby walkers. Stationary activity centers are safer for children • When a child begins to use stairs on his own, teach him • To always have a free hand to hold onto the handrail • To ask an adult for help if he wants to take something up or down stairs • To keep toys, including riding toys, off of the stairs • That stairs are not for playing or jumping on This is the first study to use a nationally representative sample to examine injuries associated with stairs that were treated in U.S. emergency departments. Data for this study were obtained from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS), which is operated by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. The NEISS provides information on consumer product-related and sports and recreation-related injuries treated in hospital emergency departments across the country.

New Procedure Offers Hope for Patients with Aortic Valve Disease

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or years, inoperable patients with severe symptomatic aortic valve disease have had no treatment options — until now. St. Joseph’s will be the first and only Central New York hospital to provide the new transcatheter aortic implantation (TAVI) procedure, a less invasive alternative to open heart valve replacement surgery. The human heart has four chambers and four valves that open and close to allow blood to flow in and out of the heart. Valves are much like one-way gates because they only allow blood to flow in one direction Zhou through the heart. Healthy aortic valves have flaps that open wide to allow proper blood flow and close tightly to stop blood flow. When the valves develop calcium deposits on them, those flaps become stiff and the opening through which blood flows is narrowed, reducing blood flow and forcing the heart to pump harder. This condition is known as aortic valve stenosis and it affects tens of thousands of Americans each year, mostly women. Patients who have aortic valve stenosis may feel chest pain or tightness, shortness of breath and have difficulty exerting themselves, particularly when exercising. Sometimes, they don’t have any symptoms and the stenosis can go undetected. If not treated, severe aortic

stenosis can lead to heart failure or sudden death. Up until now, there is no treatment for stenosis other than aortic valve replacement, which must be done surgically. A large percentage of people with severe aortic stenosis who are experiencing symptoms will die within a few years. TAVI offers new hope for patients with this condition who are unable to have surgery. It’s a less invasive procedure that squeezes the valve into a balloon and inserted with a catheter and sent to the heart for implantation. This insertion is typically done through the groin or a small incision in the chest over the heart. Once the valve is in the right place, the balloon is inflated and the valve precisely positioned. The benefits of TAVI include a shorter procedure, less pain and shorter hospital stay. Recovery time is roughly half that of open heart surgery. St. Joseph’s is now accepting referrals for the TAVI procedure. For more information, call the Resource Line at 1-888-STJOES1 or visit the website at www.sjhsyr.org. Zhandong Zhou is a cardiac surgeon at St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center in Syracuse.

Foundation honors medical student for community service

am A. Schueler, a third-year medical student at Upstate Medical University, has been named a recipient of the American Medical Association (AMA) Foundation’s 2012 Leadership Award. This award provides medical students, residents/ fellows and early career physicians from around the country with special training to develop their skills as future leaders in organized medicine and community affairs. Schueler is the son of Gary and Azadeh Schueler of Camillus. He is a 2005 graduate of West Genesee High School and earned his bachelor’s degree from Cornell University in 2009. The AMA Foundation honored 30 individuals with Schueler leadership awards at its annual excellence in medicine awards ceremony, which was presented in association with Pfizer Inc on Feb. 13, in Washington D.C. Recipients of the award are recognized for demonstrating outstanding non-clinical leadership skills in advocacy, community service and education. AMA Foundation President Owen Garrick presided over the awards

ceremony and praised the leadership award recipients: “These dedicated medical students, residents and physicians are deeply committed to transforming their communities and improving the health of their neighbors. Our hope is that celebrating the efforts of these medical leaders will inspire us all to give back to our communities, as they have done.” Schueler says he’s interested in learning about the role a physician can play in health policy and advocacy for populations with low socioeconomic status. He currently serves as the president of Upstate’s Student Government. He also co-founded the student magazine “Upstate of Mind.” Schueler previously served as the president of Community Outreach and Preventive Education (COPE), a student group that provides mentoring and health education to disadvantaged youth in Syracuse. He sits on various committees aimed at improving student life at Upstate, and coached his little sister’s soccer team during his first two years of medical school.

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IN GOOD HEALTH – CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper

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Page 9

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My Turn

By Eva Briggs

Detection of Physicians with Criminal Records Has Improved The system, however, is far from perfect

recently came across an article titled “Patchwork Protection Against Rogue Doctors” in American Medical News. It’s about where we are at — or not at — when it comes to checking the criminal background of people applying to medical school or applying for medical licensure, or people who already hold medical licenses. After all, if I see a doctor, or refer a patient to another doctor, I’d like to hope that the state or medical specialty board had investigated the individual for any criminal background. I never really thought about this until a decade ago. At that time, a friend announced a trip to an outof-state alternative medicine clinic purported to be experts in the type of medical problems affecting this friend’s child. It sounded suspicious to me, and a quick check of the state’s website revealed clinic physician’s license was previously suspended for five years for “misprescribing controlled substances.” There was not any more detail, and I thought that was all I would ever learn. Until later, when someone made an offhand remark that he had heard that the doctor “killed

someone.” Although an Internet search at the time turned up nothing, I suspected that if a doctor had truly been found guilty of “killing someone,” then the newspapers in that state’s biggest city might have picked up the story. So I paid a modest fee to search their online archives, and quickly learned that the doctor had been convicted of the manslaughter of one of his patients. It was a truly bizarre tale involving many ethical breaches, including the deliberate injection of controlled substances to cause the victim’s death. This was the sort of detail, a felony conviction causing a patient’s death, which I would have wished had prevented the state from licensing that particular doctor. That was in 2002; are we doing any better in weeding out the truly bad seeds in 2012? There are 70 medical boards in the United States. Forty six of those boards, in 36 states, can conduct criminal background checks as a condition of licensure. Forty of those boards, in 31 states, have access to the F.B.I. database, which seems important to me. After all, a criminal background check that isn’t national can fail to detect a

criminal record from another state. According to the Physician’s Weekly blog, New York state isn’t among either group. The Association of American Medical Colleges recommends background checks on all medical school applicants. Currently there are 137 accredited allopathic medical schools in the U.S. For students who will begin their studies in the fall of 2012, 102 schools ran their checks through the A.A.M.C., and 20 schools ran the checks on their own. What about the other 15 schools? The article didn’t say, leading me to conjecture that they ran no background checks. A physician’s career could easily span 30 or more years, during which some physicians will probably commit crimes. They’re human, after all. In most locations it’s up to the physician to voluntarily disclose criminal convictions. Some states have rules requiring courts to notify medical boards of criminal convictions against practicing physicians. But this does not always get done, or get done in a timely fashion. Compared to 2002, I think that the detection of physicians with criminal records has improved. But it’s still far from perfect. Eva Briggs is a medical doctor who works at North Medical Urgent Care in Liverpool and Fulton Urgent Care in Fulton.

The MENS Project: Strategies to Cut HIV/STD Risk for Men

ot long after the AIDS epidemic began in 1981, scientists discovered that HIV was most commonly spread through the exchange of bodily fluids during unprotected sex; and that condoms helped to stop the spread. Condom use increased and HIV rates dropped, but now HIV infections among men who have sex with men (MSM) are on the rise again. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported recently that, of the 50,000 new HIV infections in the U.S. annually, • 61 percent are among gay and bisexual men and other men who have sex with men (2009). • new HIV infections among black gay and bisexual men ages 13–29 increased by 48 percent. In response to the increase of HIV among men who have sex with men, and particularly young men of color, AIDS Community Resources designed the MENS Project (Men Empowering and Nurturing Self) to address the needs of these men through empowerment activities. The MENS Project provides comprehensive prevention programming to include street outreach, STD (chlamydia and gonorrhea) screening, rapid HIV and hepatitis C testing, diverse groups and comprehensive individualized prevention counseling in Syracuse, Watertown, and Utica. To learn more, call 800-475-2430. Page 10

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IN GOOD HEALTH – CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • May 2012

The MENS Project team, from left to right, Daniel Reed, Heather Blum, Joshua King, and Bob Forbes. • Intervention Specialist Daniel Reed “I believe it’s especially important for all to understand that the impact of HIV/AIDS isn’t specific to one sexual orientation, gender, or race, but it affects our entire culture and until foundational preventative measures are taken, we’ll be fighting a losing battle.” • Prevention Health Advocate Heather Blum “People are still receiving and passing along a lot of information and messages that are incorrect. Education and knowledge equals power.” • Prevention Health Advocate Joshua King “Sexual health and wellbeing are especially important for young males, particularly those who are minorities and/or gay and I urge all males to take an active stance on preventing HIV/AIDS infection.” • Project Supervisor Bob Forbes “I often find men don’t talk candidly about sexual risks. They only talk about getting some or not and often don’t ask questions about risk, testing, or condom use.”

Madison County Doctor Writes ‘Self Cure’ Mark Sicherman, who lives in Madison County and practiced in Camillus, writes a book embracing the self-cure concept By Suzanne M. Ellis

r. Mark Sicherman didn’t realize it until a few years ago, but he’d been writing his recently published book, “Self Cure,” in his mind for a long time. It began when he was just a boy, being treated by a doctor who believed that talking to a patient could go a long way toward healing. “My father’s best friend was our family doctor, and I was a pretty sickly child,” said Sicherman, 77, who is known to most as Jim. “My mother was sickly, so therefore I was sickly. There always seemed to be pain and fever and stuff like that. House calls were common in those days, and Dr. Harold Levine, who we called Dr. Buddy, would come into my room, listen to me and talk to me, and after that I’d be fine. When I was college-age, I began to ask myself how that mind/body interaction healed me?” In later years, as a pediatrician, Sicherman discovered that when he treated children with recurring (chronic) illnesses and took the time to talk extensively with their mothers, he often learned that those children had a lot of stress in their lives — or that their mothers had a lot of stress in their lives. “Even with regard to more serious conditions, I began to realize that often it was my comforting presence that brought relief to the children,” said Sicherman, who lives in the town of Nelson in Madison County. “I became fascinated with that whole concept … I went on to study mind/body medicine, at first informally and then in a more formal way through the New York Society for Bioenergetic Analysis.” His book,“Self Cure,” is, in the doctor’s words, a “practical manual” for improving health, preventing disease and treating ailments from the common to the serious by applying and practicing the three pillars of good health: intake, exercise and going to the source.” It was published in October. After graduating from Columbia University in 1956 and Albany Medical College in 1960, completing his pediatric residency at Upstate Medical University in 1963 and serving two years in the Army as a pediatrician in Germany, Sicherman began practicing pediatrics in Camillus in 1965. “By 1980, I had discovered what I wanted to do with the rest of my career,” said Sicherman, who completed a five-year training program to become a certified bioenergetic therapist. “I discovered what was then called behavioral medicine, and I studied everything I could get my hands on about it.” Around that same time, he helped found the Center for Holistic Living, a nonprofit, educational organization on East Genesee Street in Syracuse. He gradually gave up his pediatric practice and in the mid 1980s opened an office in Armory Square specializing in mind/body medicine. “To be totally honest, what got me

to that point was that I had had a lot of psychosomatic problems, due to things that were going on in my life, and I got real, life-transforming help through meditation and bioenergetic therapy,” Sicherman said. Sicherman’s mentor, the late Dr. Alexander Lowen, founded the discipline known as bioenergetic analysis. Lowen based it on the premise that as an individual’s personality is formed, his response to the trauma and stress of everyday life affect the body by blocking feeling and the free flow of energy and ultimately lead to disease. When Sicherman was in college and medical school, he said, there were no options for mind/body medicine. “The only thing I could have done was become a psychoanalyst, which I didn’t want to do,” he said. “It wasn’t until the 1970s that the whole concept of the interaction of mind and body became known. Back then, nobody wrote about it; nobody spoke about it.” After more than 50 years as a practicing physician, Sicherman retired in 2010 and began putting a half century’s worth of knowledge, expertise and wisdom down on paper. “At 75, I began to realize that I was losing my edge. I began to forget some of the techniques and approaches I’d been using for so many years, so I wanted to get it all written down,” he said. “When I started to do that, it began to take on the character of a book.” Sicherman was confident in his ability to write about the second and third “pillars of health,” as he calls them, but he turned to a friend, Chuck Stormon, for his expertise on intake, the first pillar, which focuses on nutrition. Stormon, of Cazenovia, had begun an intense study of nutrition about six years earlier when his wife was diagnosed with breast cancer.

Excerpt from “Self Cure” How do you know if this book will be helpful to you? Ask yourself the following questions and if you answer yes to all or most, you will find what you are looking for in these pages: • Are you fed up with the onesize-fits-all impersonal approach of the medical profession? • Are you suffering from a recurring (chronic) condition that has not been responsive to prescription medications or surgery? • Are you looking for a more natural approach to healing? • Do you find truth in the timehonored adage that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure? • Do you value physical and emotional well-being more than the acquisition of wealth and power?

“Self Cure” is available for about $18 at bookstores and online. The Kindle and Nook versions are about $10. There is also information on the book on Sicherman’s blog, www.selfcurebook.com, which is updated weekly.

“Because of what she was going through, Chuck made himself an expert on nutrition, and his wife is completely healthy today with no recurrence of the cancer,” Sicherman said. “He attributed a big part of her recovery to nutritional intervention.” “My wife,” Stormon said, “would attribute the miracle of her good health to nutrition and leading a very active life, to being in good shape and using meditation and yoga. Toxic thoughts, emotions, attitudes and relationships are all stressors that lead to disease. As you begin to clean up your diet, you reduce the amount of toxins you take in. By eating foods that are cleansing to the body, you can guard yourself against that kind of stress. “You can [facilitate] a tremendous amount of … healing in the body without any medical intervention whatsoever, and nutrition is a big part of that. I was passionate and extremely motivated by my wife’s illness, but I did a lot more research on nutrition after we started writing the book,” Stormon said. Both men agree that “Self Cure” may not appeal to everyone. “You have to be interested in yourself and be willing to do the work, and I make that point very clear in the book,” Sicherman said. “This is a book for people who have become disillusioned with the current one-size-fitsall impersonal approach to their care. Take arthritis, for example. People have different underlying problems as to why they have arthritis. Your doctor doesn’t have the time to take an hour and a half history and understand why you have arthritis, but you do have the May 2012 •

time, and this book will teach you how to get to know yourself on a mental, emotional and physical level, and how those three interact. “If you get to know yourself, you will know what you need to recover. I’m not telling you what you need because I don’t know you. But you can learn to know yourself, and the guidance in this book can lead to a resolution of the problem or at least make it a lot better and relieve some of your symptoms. It probably will take an hour of your day to start down this path but after a few weeks it won’t feel like a chore, it will feel like your life is changing.” One of the great things about “Self Cure,” Stormon said, is that it’s in a well-organized, simple format that makes it easy to read and understand. “This book gives you the tools you need to take control of your own health, your own life,” he said. “You can buy books on nutrition and exercise and meditation, but this is the only book I know of that puts everything together in one place; it is succinct and complete. “Jim is one of those people that when you meet him, you really begin to understand what the word ‘wisdom’ means. He’s quite an amazing guy, and it’s nice when somebody with his experience, credentials and massive knowledge goes to the trouble of writing it all down for the rest of us to consume.” “Self Cure” is available for about $18 at bookstores and online. The Kindle and Nook versions are about $10. There is also information on the book on Sicherman’s blog, www.selfcurebook.com, which is updated weekly.

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From left are Crouse Hospital surgeon David Nesbitt, da Vinci program coordinator Lisa Miller, and surgeon John Nicholson

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IN GOOD HEALTH – CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • May 2012

rouse Hospital has been designated a colorectal robotic Epicenter by Intuitive Surgical, maker of the da Vinci robotic surgical system. As an official Epicenter training site, colorectal surgeons from across the nation will visit Crouse Hospital monthly to observe and learn from colorectal surgeons John Nicholson and David Nesbitt who use the da Vinci technology for colon and rectal surgery. Both are partners in Colon-Rectal Associates of CNY. Crouse Hospital performs the largest number of robotic procedures in Syracuse. The hospital’s multispecialty robotics program includes colorectal, urology, GYN/oncology and general surgical procedures using the minimally invasive da Vinci technology. Crouse, which has two da Vinci surgical systems, is one of just a few colorectal Epicenters in the U.S. and the only designated center in New York state. “Intuitive is selective about choosing a robotic surgery program to serve as an Epicenter teaching site for colorectal surgery,” says Ron Stahl, chief medical officer for Crouse Hospital. “Crouse’s program, and in particular our colorectal surgeons, are leaders in their field in terms of experience, overall volume and quality outcomes.”

During a robotic colectomy, surgeons remove cancerous portions of the colon and rectum, as well as benign tumors and polyps. A robot-assisted approach provides surgeons with the tools to more easily connect the two ends of the colon after the cancer has been removed. The procedure can be completed with a few tiny incisions, rather than the one long incision used in traditional open colon surgery. Robotic surgery can allow surgeons to perform complex rectal cancer surgery, which had been extremely challenging to do in a minimally invasive manner. The robot provides the surgeon with enhanced visualization of the surgical site through 3D magnification, enhanced dexterity for manipulation and dissection of tissue and greater precision. Benefits to the patient can include reduced pain and trauma to the body, less blood loss, less postoperative pain, shorter hospital stay, less scarring and faster recovery and return to work, according to surgeons Nicholson and Nesbitt. The Epicenter observation experience for surgeons wanting to learn robotic techniques lasts all day. Visiting surgeons will be in the operating room with Nicholson and Nesbitt and observe procedures from start to finish.

Parenting

Stay Healthy with Food Stamps

By Melissa Stefanec

Great Mothers Put Themselves First Every Once in a While Moms can be better nurturers when they nurture themselves

veryone knows being a parent is one of the toughest jobs on the planet. It demands long hours, a lot of patience, unselfishness and sacrifice. We are conditioned to believe that good parents always put their children first. This month’s column is advocating that this credo comes with an asterisk. That asterisk would say this credo should be followed most but not all the time. It is my belief that great mothers put themselves first every once in a while. Doing so might just save our collective sanity. In my mind being a great mom requires a magical mix of a whole lot of personality traits. One of the most important traits (outside of a strong stomach) is happiness. We all know the cliché, “if momma ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy” but very few moms take the time to cater to their own happiness. Sure, we draw lots of happiness from our children, but depending on another human to bring you all of your happiness is dangerous. As moms, we have to start taking our happiness into our own hands. One of most common complaints leaving my mouth and the mouths of moms around me is that we don’t have enough “me time.” By the end of each demanding day we are lucky to have enough energy left to clip our fingernails. It is our own faults. We place frightening high expectations on ourselves. A lot of us work, feel the guilt and try cram too much into small windows of time. We judge other moms and therefore judge ourselves. We give “me time” and our personal relationships the short end of the stick. We make too many concessions and sacrifices. Our hearts are in the right places, but the logic isn’t there to support our game plans. By placing too many demands on ourselves and trying to overcompensate, we are doing the very thing we are trying to avoid. We are cheating our families. We are cheating them out of a healthy, happy and sane mommy. So what can we do? We can start focusing on ourselves every now and then. I’m not advocating that moms park their kids with a sitter every weekend while they go out and try to relive their childless lives, but we need attend to our own needs sometimes. Moms shouldn’t always be shelving

their children’s needs to make room for their own, but people have needs and moms are people too. Moms: You deserve a meal that doesn’t involve eating leftover bread and carrot pieces off of a highchair tray. You deserve to go to a store and not have to say ‘don’t touch that’ even once. Putting yourself first every once in while isn’t going to scar your children. In fact it’s going to help them. We can be better nurturers when we nurture ourselves. When you are constantly running on empty, you are not the best version of yourself. When you are empty, things tend to get neglected. A little rest and relaxation goes a long way in relieving stress and burnout. Taking time for yourself is good for you and everyone around you. Insist that your partner, family and friends sign onto this notion. Your support circle needs to understand that you need a break. You need to rediscover the person who wasn’t covered in mash from grubby toddler paws. You need to bring her back into action every now and then. Schedule a girls’ night out. Go on a real date with your partner, one where you don’t have to bribe a third party with cookies. Set aside a no-interruptions-allowed candlelit bath one night a week. Allow your partner some ‘me time’ and tradeoff responsibilities. Don’t beat yourself up for spending a little time away from your child. When you schedule “me time,” try to make some of it healthy. Exercise to enrich your body or read to enrich your mind. Going for a run, joining a gym or signing up for a sports league does double duty. It allows you to get some much-needed exercise and “me time.” You will be amazed by how much your spirits lift when you start taking some time for yourself. Daily tasks will become surmountable. You will be a lot more fun to be around. Ask yourself, what is better for your child, spending time with a stressed out Mom for two hours or playing with a happy mom for an hour? When you start letting logic pull at your heart strings you will realize everyone wins. You owe it to yourself and those around you to be happy, because “if momma ain’t happy…”

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Chocolate a Sweet Remedy for Many Ills? Preliminary research suggests cocoa might fight heart disease, cancer and even obesity By Lisa Esposito

nternational researchers have uncovered even more healthy properties of flavanols — the antioxidants found in cocoa beans. Eighteen chocolatecentered studies — including investigations of how cocoa might affect blood pressure, heart disease, painful nerve disorders and cancer risk — were presented in April at the American Chemical Society’s annual meeting in San Diego. Some caveats: Most of the studies have not yet been accepted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal, so those findings are preliminary. Many studies were also small in scope, with relatively few participants. And some were animal studies, and results might not translate to humans. While larger, observational studies have shown possible health benefits from dark chocolate or cocoa, this new research begins to explore how those benefits occur, explained Gregg Fonarow, a professor of cardiology at the University of California, Los Angeles. “The thing to keep in mind: All of these are very small studies,” Fonarow said. “But they are important

steps in investigating the mechanisms by which chocolate or cocoa may have beneficial cardiovascular effects.” Several of the studies suggested that cocoa might protect against inflammation. “One of the presumed mechanisms by which cocoa or dark chocolate could be beneficial, or flavonoids in general, is through the mechanism of decreasing vascular inflammation,” part of the process leading to strokes and heart attack, Fonarow noted. For instance, in a study involving obese mice, researchers found that adding cocoa to their high-fat diet slowed down their weight gain. The mice “have elevated body fat, fasting blood glucose and serum insulin levels. And they have markers for systemic inflammation,” said study author Joshua Lambert, an assistant professor of food science at Pennsylvania State University. After supplementing the animals’ diets with cocoa, “we saw that these markers of systemic inflammation went back down to the same level as they would be in mice that were on a low-fat diet,” Lambert said. “So it seems like we’re able to take this inflammatory response and reduce it back to the level you see in lean mice.” In another study from Italy, 40 people, half of whom were smokers, were randomly assigned to receive either dark chocolate or milk chocolate. Dark chocolate only was found to reduce “oxidative stress” involved in dangerous clot formation -- and only in smokers. “The results, suggesting that dark chocolate can reduce oxidative stress and subsequent disease in smokers are intriguing and certainly worthy of

further study,” said. Thomas Glynn, director of cancer science and trends and international cancer control for the American Cancer Society. In other new research: • A study of 30 adults, published in the Journal of Proteome Research, found that eating a small amount of dark chocolate daily reduced stress hormones. This study came out of the Swiss-based Nestle Research Center, run by the chocolate-making company. • An Italian study concluded that flavanol-rich chocolate lowers blood pressure by 6 milligrams of mercury (mmHg) in systolic blood pressure (the top number) and 3 mmHg in diastolic pressure. “That magnitude of blood pressure reduction would be clinically relevant if sustained, and clearly done in placebo-controlled double-blind studies,” Fonarow said. • A small pilot study from England had people with type 2 diabetes eat high- and low-flavanol chocolate an hour before a meal. Those who ate the high-flavanol chocolate improved in some measures of heart disease risk. • In studies on rats, researchers in Missouri found evidence that cocoa ingredients soothe excitability of the trigeminal nerve, involved in migraines and temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ). • One rat study from Spain suggested that cocoa might reduce colon cancer risk by destroying precancerous cells, and another hinted that it offered protection from liver damage, by inhibiting enzymes involved in inflammation. Lisa Esposito is a reporter for HealthDay Reporter, where this story was originated.

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SmartBites

By Anne Palumbo

The skinny on healthy eating

Boost Your Antioxidant Level with Artichokes

’m a big fan of any food that’s high in antioxidants, substances that help counter the damaging effects of free radicals. Dark chocolate, blueberries, red beans, walnuts: you name the free-radicalbusting food and I will have consumed it sometime that day or week. I seek antioxidants for this important reason: Free radicals, which form during normal metabolism and in response to X-rays, pollution, and UV radiation, have been implicated in the development of chronic health conditions, such as cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer’s. While looking for new antioxidant-rich foods to add to my list, I was floored to discover that, according to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, artichokes contain more antioxidants than any other vegetable. What a delicious, nutritious surprise!

Concerned about blood pressure? Reach for an artichoke next time you’d like to up your potassium intake: one medium artichoke has about as much potassium as one small banana. New research suggests that increasing the amount of potassium you consume may help to reduce blood pressure, decreasing the risk of both heart disease and stroke. A dieter’s dream food, fat-free artichokes are low in calories (60 per medium artichoke or 10 per whole canned artichoke heart) and high in fiber. Fiber keeps you regular, helps ferry bad cholesterol out of the body, and makes you feel full longer, so you don’t eat as much. Lastly, artichokes are relatively high in vitamin C, a powerhouse vitamin that plays a major role in healing wounds, building collagen and boosting the immune system.

Helpful tips

More great news: Artichokes may be your liver’s best friend. Long used in folk and alternative medicines as a treatment for liver ailments, artichokes have piqued the interest of researchers who are finding credible benefits. While some studies link artichokes with a boost in bile production, others suggest that artichokes may play a role in the regeneration of liver tissue.

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If purchasing fresh artichokes, select ones that are heavy, have a tight leaf formation and “squeak” when you squeeze them. You may store whole, unwashed artichokes in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to four days. If preparing and eating whole artichokes seems difficult, canned artichokes (packed in brine not oil) are a convenient, cost-effective alternative.

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 teaspoon dried mint (or 1 tablespoon fresh, chopped) ½ teaspoon dried chive 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 14-ounce cans quartered artichoke hearts, rinsed and drained 1 yellow pepper, diced 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved ½ cup pitted Kalamata olives, sliced 1 cup frozen shelled edamame (soybeans), thawed ½ cup crumbled feta cheese Salt and pepper, to taste Whisk lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, mint, chives and garlic in large bowl. Check artichokes for tough or discolored leaves and remove. Gently stir in artichokes, yellow pepper, grape tomatoes, olives, edamame and feta cheese. Mix well. Season with salt and pepper. 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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IN GOOD HEALTH – CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • May 2012

Spruce Up Workout Wardrobe for Spring Brightly active wear such as L.L. Bean’s high visibility clothing line can keep you safer as a cyclist or pedestrian along roadways this spring. By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

pring is a mere page turn away on the calendar. To transition your workout to outdoors, ladies, it’s time to get some versatile clothes for walking, running and hiking. Kim Andrello, sixth-degree black belt instructor and owner of Team Andrello in Liverpool, Baldwinsville, and Rochester, likes running for exercise when she’s not leading classes in blended martial arts at her schools. “Clothing needs to be visually appealing to me,” she said. “Some women don’t mind wearing a guy’s shirt or just throwing a T-shirt on. I like something form-fitting. I don’t want something that fits me like a tent. I like to have a little spandex in to get a good range of motion.” Investing in new workout clothes can motivate you to get outside and exercise, keep you a lot more comfortable and can even improve your safety if you run or bike near roadways. “Invest in some technical gear, whether it be tops, sports bras or pants, anything that is worn next to your skin,” said Rosanne E. Pickard, an accountant with Green & Seifter, Certified Public Accountants, PLLC, in Syracuse,

who works out at Personal Fitness Gym in Syracuse. “The material is designed to pull or wick away moisture, it is very lightweight and stretchy not at all bulky unlike cotton which holds the moisture and can make you miserable especially on warm days. “They say ‘once you go technical you never go back.’ I completely agree.” Under Armour (www.underarmour.com) perfected moisture-wicking athletic clothing that keeps perspiration off you. And the anti-microbial fabric prevents odor. Although compression shirts are Under Armour’s specialty, they offer looser fits and more than shirts, including shorts, skorts, capris, pants and swim cover-ups. Their new HeatGear line was specially designed to keep you comfortable during the most arduous workout. And if your favorite route keeps you in direct sunlight, their Coldblack line blocks the sun’s rays to keep you cooler. As a bonus, all the Coldblack line offers 30 SPF to protect your skin. Shelly Lederle an intellectual property specialist from Central Square, likes to wear a brightly colored shirt

com) “for high visibilor Weathity when running erEdge downtown.” jackets and If your route Ranier jacktakes you near a ets and rain roadway, conpants from sider L.L. Bean’s Eddie Bauer high visibility (www.edclothing line diebauer. (www.llbean. com) are com), which Brightly color active wear such as L.L. good exwill keep Bean’s High Visibility clothing line can keep amples of you safer top layers you safer as a cyclist or pedestrian along with its that protect reflective roadways this spring. Courtesy of L.L. Bean from the eletrim and ments, yet do eye-popnot trap your ping colors. body heat And offers a few and moiscolors other than ture. Wearing canary yellow, too. a lightweight top Moisture-wicking sportswear layer over a lightweight first layer alcan keep you dry as you perspire and moisture resistant sportswear can keep lows you to peel off a layer if you get you dry from unexpected spring show- too warm, instead of wearing just a ers. But sportswear that combines both sweatshirt. For your feet, stick with a training is ideal for springtime outdoor advenshoe that is lightweight, yet supportive. tures. Omni-wick and Omni-dry jacket Continued on page 22 line from Columbia (www.columbia.

“I had cancer. Cancer never had me.” Yesterday, I got out my fishing rod. I couldn’t help thinking of everyone at HOA. It was last spring when I found out. I was overwhelmed, distraught - and scared. I thought my fishing days were over. Then I went to HOA. My medical team all said, “We have the technology to fight this thing!” and showed my the CyberKnife. It sounded scary, but when I learned how it worked and how safe it was, I had hope for the first time. Your attitude really inspired me, your staff always encouraged me and your plan of action worked. I may have had cancer, but cancer never had me. Today, my kids and I are heading up to the lake.

May 2012 •

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Top Veggies and Fruits to Grow at Home By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

arden-fresh fruits and vegetables offer more nutrients than processed and shipped produce. Since most of us don’t get the summer off from work to grow a huge garden, it pays to figure out what are the easiest items to grow and what give the most nutrients in return for our efforts. Jenelle Pelis, registered dietitian at St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center, recommends growing beets. “Beets are easy vegetables to grow because they can be planted anytime throughout the spring and summer,” she said. Like any fruit of vegetable, beets are low in calories and contain only trace amounts of fat. “Its nutrition benefits come

particularly from fiber, vitamins, minerals, and unique plant-derived antioxidants,” Pelis said. “The root is rich source of phytochemical compound glycine betaine.”

The compound has been shown to support healthy blood vessel function. “The root is also a rich source of niacin, B-12 vitamins, carotenoids, and minerals such as iron, manganese, and magnesium,” Pelis said. “Beet greens are an excellent source of carotenoids, flavonoid anti-oxidants, and vitamin A. These compounds are found several times more in the beet top than the roots.” Speaking of greens, grown dark leaf lettuce, which are rich in vitamins and minerals and among the least caloric of any vegetables. “Leaf lettuces are easier to grow than head lettuces, such as iceberg,” Pelis said. “Some leaf lettuce varieties include romaine, bibb and butter lettuce.”

Brad Kennedy, owner of C & B Farm and Garden in Oswego, added, “some types will replenish themselves, like leafy lettuce.” Toss a dark lettuce salad with tomatoes and a little olive oil for a delicious fresh salad. Though full-sized tomatoes can be challenging to grow and especially susceptible to bugs and blight, cherry tomatoes are often easier to grow and offer the same nutritional value. Ken-

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nedy cautions tomato gardeners to make sure they fertilize the soil. “Tomatoes are excellent sources of antioxidants, dietary fiber, minerals, and vitamins,” Pelis said. “The antioxidants present in tomatoes are scientifically found to be protective against cancers…Fresh tomatoes are very rich in potassium.” Green bell peppers are also easy to grow and terrific in salads, omelets, kabobs, pizzas and tomato sauces of all sorts. “A bell pepper’s content list is impressive for plant nutrients known to have disease preventing and health promoting properties,” Pelis said. Peppers offer plenty of vitamins C and A, minerals and antioxidants. Zucchini is infamous for its prolific growth, but it’s very versatile and can be used in far more than zucchini bread. Try using it in pizzas, lasagnas, soups, stews, chili and burgers, too. “Its peel is a good source of dietary fiber that helps reduce constipation and offers some protection against colon cancers,” Pelis said. She also lauded zucchini as a source of potassium, B-complex vitamins and minerals such as iron, manganese, phosphorus, zinc and potassium. Some produce keeps on giving. If you love growing perennial flowers, try rhubarb and asparagus. Dawn Coffin, retail greenhouse operations for Chuck Hafner’s Farmers Market in North Syracuse, advised gardeners, “If you’re going into the fruit, blueberries are easy to grow.” Many herbs offer a bevy nutritional qualities as well as great taste. By using herbs instead of butter and salt, you can reduce fat, calorie and sodium intake.

So why are fresh fruits and vegetables so good for us? Jenelle Pelis, registered dietitian at St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center, gave four reasons:

1 — Optimal nourishment “You need to eat vegetables because you need a supply of vitamins every day. Some vitamins can be stored for future use and others cannot.” 2 — Phytonutrients “Phytonutrients include all of the substances that give foods their colors, flavors, and their unique aromas. They are also the nutrients most closely linked to prevention of certain diseases. Carotenonids and flavonoids are the two of the largest groups of phytonutrients, and there is no food group that provides them in amounts as plentiful as vegetables.” 3 — Digestive Benefits “Vegetables are sources of high-fiber content. Dietary fiber is essential for our health on a daily basis. Food cannot move through our digestive tract in a healthy way unless it is fiber-rich.” 4 — Low in Calories “On average, you are looking at 50 calories or less per cup from most vegetables. The low-calorie nature of vegetables as a group means that you can be generous with them in and not have to worry about the calories.”

The Cinnamon Challenge Fueled by viral YouTube videos depicting teens coughing and spitting, the cinnamon challenge is becoming popular again. Parents, health officials concerned with trend By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

innamon offers flavor and health benefits sprinkled on oatmeal or stirred into applesauce, but swallowed dry and in copious amounts, cinnamon can be dangerous. The revival of an old stunt, the cinnamon challenge, has a new generation attempting to gulp a spoonful of ground cinnamon. Fueled by viral YouTube videos depicting the cinnamon challenge, it has become popular again. Cinnamon challenge even has a website — www.cinnamonchallenge. com — that includes a disclaimer telling site visitors not to try the challenge. It warns of danger and pain, yet captions added to videos play up the challenge as a fun and harmless stunt such as “Cute Girls Do the Cinnamon Challenge.” A few videos bear more sinister titles, such as “Cinnamon Challenge Death” though no one dies in the video. The video’s poster stated “Don’t swallow it drys [sic] your mouth instantly! I barfed afterwards! Fun challenge to do and die from me and Kira will for sure do it again!” The site seems to be designed to appeal to teens’ attraction to danger. Its Facebook page boasts nearly 11,000 “likes.” Though treated as game by those who try, the cinnamon challenge has drawn fire from the medical community. The effects of taking the cinnamon challenge have not been studied medically, but it’s conservative to assume it’s not good for health. “Cinnamon is an irritant of the esophagus and anything that irritates the esophagus will irritate the lining of the lungs,” said Norman H. Edelman, chief medical officer of the American Lung Association. “It will cause at the minimum coughing and other difficulties.” Because they have been well educated about their health, teens with severe asthma likely would realize the danger of taking the challenge and avoid it. Edelman fears that those with mild cases may not take their condition seriously enough and experience a major asthma attack. “It would be quite dangerous,” he said. “There is plenty of good medical theory as to why this could be a problem. It will be dry, get stuck, and may cause irritation of the esophagus. With people who have reflux disease, those who have their esophagus get irritated by the stomach acid causes their airways to tighten up. It’s not smart.” Even for those without asthma or other breathing problems, the cinnamon challenge can cause short-term and long-term health problems including vomiting, coughing and susceptibility to pneumonia. Though common to most homes’ spice rack, cinnamon itself can be dangerous if ingested in large amounts since some forms of cinnamon contain coumarin, related chemically to Coumadin (warfarin), prescription medication used as a blood thinner. Ingesting

What Teens Think “A lot of kids think that it’s funny to watch people do the cinnamon challenge, so they think it will make them popular by being tough enough to try it and make people laugh. Also, people think that the person that’s suffering is just a wimp, and that they can do better than that person, so they try. “Oftentimes it is just to try to prove someone wrong when they say the challenge is impossible. “YouTube videos are often made by well-known people, either celebrities or Web stars. They are setting an example for us as viewers saying that if they are doing things like this, why can’t we too? A lot of YouTube videos are home videos, showing that it is easy to do these types of things at home, so a lot of people try them.” Amanda Vogler, a 17-year-old senior at Fabius Pompey High School “Teenagers are doing this challenge a lot, but people in their mid- to late-20s are [doing it], too. Blaming this on a lack of development in the brain—teens can’t assess harmful situations as well—would be inaccurate. People are watching these videos spread all over the Internet and even on some popular shows that are on television. People have always done challenges and things like this that they know won’t end well, but do it anyways… “Having the videos be on YouTube certainly makes the stunt/challenge spread all over the globe a lot faster…” Patrick Kelly, an 18-year-old senior at La Fayette Junior-Senior High School “For me personally, I have never heard that the challenge was dangerous. So if I decided to do it, I would not have that factor against doing it. However, I am much wiser and feel that doing that to myself is irresponsible and undesirable…” Philip Lipsky, a senior at Tully High School too much can damage the liver and possibly cause internal bleeding. So why would teens purposefully endanger themselves? “Just like other forms of substance and drug abuse they are coaxed into trying it by friends,” said Nicole May 2012 •

Rookey, program coordinator for the Teen Institute at Prevention Network in Syracuse. “It is a way to be socially accepted in a group who is trying the challenge or want to see it attempted.” Teens also possess a strong desire to experiment. They wonder what it feels like and decide the only way to really know is to try. Teens’ decisionmaking capacity is still developing which some experts say leads them into trouble. “Sometimes, adolescents aren’t developed with an understanding of the long-term consequences of their actions,” said Suzanne Haas-Cunningham, licensed marriage and family therapist in private practice in Liverpool. “They want to be risk takers,” Haas-Cunningham added. “They probably don’t think the consequences will be that negative when they see others try and fail. Some are attention seeking and impulsive. They don’t care about the negative consequences.” The cinnamon challenge site warns visitors, “Do not attempt the Cinnamon Challenge! It’s not worth it. Instead watch the videos to see people failing miserably” yet the site solicits visitors to submit their own cinnamon challenge videos. To help your children stay safe, role model wise behavior. If they observe you taking chances such as haphazardly weaving through traffic when you’re late, they may identify risky behavior as a sign of maturity. While it may seem like a fun dare when they watch other teens take the challenge, teens need to understand the consequences of the cinnamon challenge. They truly believe that they can beat the challenge, despite watching numerous videos showing other teens gagging, coughing and vomiting. “As adults in our communities, we have to be sure we are talking to the children and teens in our lives to educate them on the risks of these choices,” said Rookey of the Prevention Network in Syracuse. “Knowledge is one of the things we can arm them with to help them navigate through their difficult teen years.” Speak with them frankly about what can happen and that the teens they see in the videos also thought they were invincible. In general, parents can discourage risky behavior if they “have good communication with kids before the next big thing that comes along,” Haas-Cunningham said.

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Milestones

Community Memorial Turns 60 At a time many rural hospitals struggle, hospital in Hamilton continues to shine By Aaron Gifford

here are still a few folks in Hamilton who can remember when local doctors made house calls or cared for pregnant women in their own homes. Over time, that small group of physicians built a place that would better serve their growing community’s needs. Sixty years later, Community Memorial in Hamilton is still going strong and has found a niche in a competitive health care market at a time when many rural hospitals are struggling. “It was that personal touch. That’s why we’ve survived,” said Dave Buran, Community Memorial Hospital’s director of development. “It’s not that far removed. They [founding physicians] would see patients at 9 or 10 at night. I can remember when Dr. Thro set up a maternity unit in his own house. They’d stay in his house. His wife would take care of them in a room, serve meals, and do their laundry.” This 60th anniversary follows a major highlight for the hospital: Community Memorial was recently recognized by VHA Inc. as the No. 4 facility in the nation for small hospitals of under 250 beds. VHA is a network of nonprofit health organizations that serves more than 1,400 hospitals across the country and recognizes facilities for quality in clinical excellence. Community Memorial employs about 300 people, and has an annual operating budget of about $42 million. It has 40 inpatient beds and 40 beds in a skilled nursing facility. The hospital’s services include anesthesiology, ambulatory surgery, cardiology, a 24-hour emergency room, neurology, pediatrics, general surgery and family practice centers in Cazenovia, Hamilton, Morrisville, Munnsville and Waterville.

Capital campaign successful

Recently, the hospital completed a three-year capital campaign, raising $1.76 million for new imaging equipment, new surgical equipment and an endowment fund that will support staff education and enrichment opportunities. Community Memorial officials say their hallmark is the hospital’s surgical and sports medicine program, which performs more than 2,300 surgeries a year and serves several Division I athletes at Colgate University. Many patients come from other states for those services. Its ophthalmology program has also enjoyed a great reputation throughout the Central New York and Mohawk Valley regions, Buran said. As part of the 60-year celebration, the hospital is publishing articles in its spring newsletter on its seven founding physicians—John H. Rathbone, Frank Mathias, Carl Ellsworth, Willis Hammond, Jack Thro, Armand Hoch and George Gillmore. Plaques honoring each doctor have been placed on the “Founders Wall” of the hospital. Page 20

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Falls, Oneida County. He was inundated with walk-in patients at a time when “miracle drugs” for treating typhoid plague, whooping cough, diphtheria and polio were in their early stages. He was one of the first physicians on staff when Community Memorial opened in 1952, and served thousands of patients there until he died of a heart attack in 1984. His family later presented an endowment fund to the hospital.

The Crouse allegiance

John Costello performs cataract resection surgery at Community Memorial Hospital. The hospital is turning 60 this year. Gillmore, now 92, is the only surviving original member. According to hospital officials, Gillmore’s dedication to local patients was unprecedented. On more than one occasion, he returned home early from a planned Cape Cod vacation, catching a chartered flight on less than a day’s notice to deal with complications from surgery patients he previously treated.

Heavy workload

At times Gilmore performed up to eight surgeries a day and continued working into the night with house calls. He performed procedures on the head, neck, throat and abdomen, and even completed plastic surgery operations or treated patients with fractured limbs. Younger doctors were amazed at his ability to complete a gall bladder operation in 30 minutes. “We wanted to show them that we were as good as any surgeons around,” Gillmore said in a telephone interview from his Florida home, where he spends the winter months. “We had young doctors who came here right out of their internships. They weren’t well trained, but they assumed they could get right to work here because it was a smaller hospital. They were overanxious. We had to rein them in. It’s a good learning environment for young doctors, but we still have a level of quality to uphold.” Gillmore, who completed his residency at SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse and then at a Providence, R.I. hospital, selected Community Memorial over dozens of other hospitals because the facility was brand new at the time and he wanted to be part of a team that built something.

IN GOOD HEALTH – CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • May 2012

He fell in love with Hamilton and decided early in his career that’s there where he and his family would settle. “The quality of life was there,” he said. The late Armand Hoch was born in Germany and moved to Utica as a child. He attended Hamilton College in Clinton and New York Medical College before serving in the U.S. Navy. He started a general practice in Oriskany

As the hospital celebrates its anniversary, it also enters its seventh decade of service under a new arrangement with the much larger Crouse Hospital in Syracuse. Crouse serves as Community Memorial’s parent company and has a significant amount of control of the smaller hospital, though the Hamilton facility has some autonomy as it maintains its own chief executive officer and a local board of managers. A member of Crouse’s board also serves on Community Memorial’s board. Buran said this is a mutually beneficial relationship, as Crouse assures Hamilton’s financial stability and provides more local services like additional general surgery staff and women’s health care services to the local community. “The main benefit is we’ve added services,” Buran said. Community Memorial’s President and Chief Executive Officer David Felton has been at the helm for 31 years and will retire later this year after a suitable replacement is found. He called his time with the Hamilton institution a privilege.

Community Memorial Hospital President and CEO David Felton shares a plaque that will be used to honor her husband, Dr. Armand Hoch. Hoch was one of the ﬁrst physicians on staff when Community Memorial opened in 1952, and served thousands of patients there until he died of a heart attack in 1984. His family later presented an endowment fund to the hospital.

Golden Years

Boomers’ Stress Different from Other Generations New set of conditions brings different set of stressors By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

tress is simply part of everyday life. But the baby boomer generation, people born between the end of World War II and 1964, face some stressors unlike those of other generations. Along with the normal stressors of aging and diminishing health, boomers face increased stress regarding their finances. Many worry about when—if ever—they can retire at the same age as their parents. “I think baby boomers are entering retirement with different expectations than their parents,” said Sharon Brangman, geriatrician with Upstate Medical University. Because of the financial crisis, many will work well past the “normal” retirement age. And those whose finances did not suffer during the stock market crash may find that they still don’t have enough squirreled away because they had not planned on living so long. “They will be retiring in better health than their Brangman parents and will need funding for a longer time: 25 to 30 years,” Brangman said. Many fear their grown children or their own elderly parents may need extra help, both financial and physical. Adding to that stress, the help may not be wanted. “Many baby boomers have parents who resist the care,” Brangman said. “There’s stress in role reversal. The elderly parent may resent this involvement.” Elder care is on the mind of the Rev. Stuart D. Hayes, minister at the First Presbyterian Church of Baldwinsville. A boomer who also offers informal counseling, he wonders about what he will do when his mother, age 85, eventually needs help. “I’m an only child so I think a lot of that,” he said. “If she loses her independence, what will that mean to me? I can’t afford to stop working as I have three children in college right now.” Also called the “sandwich generation” for their dual caregiver roles, boomers can feel like they don’t take care of either side of their family as well as they would like because they lack the time. Part of the reason is that baby boomer women, who often shoulder much of these care giving responsibilities, are likely working, too. Once the children leave home, the transition can be stressful, as can retirement. A couple who had been busy with work and childrearing suddenly finds both of those time-consuming

occupations gone and that they’re living with a stranger, a spouse who has changed over the years unnoticed during the busyness of childrearing. Even retirement itself brings stress. “For all our flower children pretenses, we identify with our jobs, our vocations,” Hayes said. “As we face aging and retirement, there’s anxiety of coming to grips with who we are if we don’t have something to do.” With all the stressors placed upon baby boomers because of their stage of life and the influences specific to their generation, stress management is integral to maintaining good health. Burying stress or ignoring it will only allow it to manifest later in unhealthy ways. The body responds to stress by preparing it for physical action, the so-called “fight or flight” response. The body increases the blood pressure, accelerates the heart rate, sharpens focus, slows digestion, and releases nutrients the blood stream for energy. While this can be important if a real source of peril is near, almost none of these responses are helpful if your stressor isn’t a threatening, physical one. The stress from emotional fear of a real and current danger is different from constantly fretting over having no money for retirement in eight years. Hayes finds that when his stress goes unmanaged, Kavanagh “I start forgetting things like appointments and meetings and promises I made to people to get things done. That’s how it manifests in my life.” Chronic stress is so bad for the health and can lead to hypertension, hyperglycemia or diabetes, redistribution of fat (central obesity), and structural changes in the brain leading to impairments in memory, concentration, and increased impulsivity or emotionality. “A lot of boomers can get stress-related illnesses, overeat, not exercise, or do things that are needed to take care of their health,” Brangman said. Choosing negative ways to deal with stress harm your health or at least your wallet. Overspending, and abusing drugs or alcohol are just a few examples. Instead, use positive means to manage stress. “I make sure I get enough sleep,” Hayes said. “I play music. I retreat into certain parts of my job where I engage those creative parts of me.” Find hobbies you enjoy to help you relax. Even during stressful moments,

you can look forward to “your” time later and benefit from the positive thoughts. “Find places and things you experience that are rhythmical, but not diving into escapism,” said Theresa McMorris, licensed marriage and family therapist with Harvest House Counseling in Syracuse. “Exercise, meditation, meeting with friends, reading, reflecting, and walking are all things you can depend upon that you know are there when you need them. “I’m a big fan of humor. It releases relaxation hormones and helps in all forms of stress, from funerals to very difficult people. You can laugh at the things in life that are funny. It gets you through a lot that is very difficult.” Using soothing sensory input helps many people cope with stress. Lie down for a few minutes in a dimly-lit room. Enjoy a favorite fragrance. Listen to a recording that calms you, whether music, nature sounds or words of a motivational speaker. Stroke a pet’s fur. If you can afford to do so, enjoy the benefits of massage therapy. You don’t have to have an hour-long, full body massage. Many therapists sell half-hour massages for less and perform “chair massages” that do not require complete disrobing. “Everyone needs a support network,” said Scott P. Kavanagh, licensed mental health counselor and pastor of First Baptist Church of Syracuse in Jamesville, an American Baptist Church. “A spouse or one good friend isn’t enough. People need to be involved in a faith community that can offer more friends and support groups. Meeting with a therapist who is objective can help. Though friends can help identify some issues, a therapist can assist in a greater manner in identifying what the issues are and to help you take action to address the issues.” Kavanagh is also a fan of quiet time, a concept that is hard for people to understand and achieve in our culture. “Developing the skills to be quiet and alone or quiet with someone else present is a skill that is very, very helpful in addressing stress,” he said. Eliminating or minimizing the stressors that you can also helps. Instead of fretting about the unknown, tackle them head-on. You will feel more in control and once you implement your plan, your stressors will diminish. If financial problems keep you awake at night, meet with a financial planner who can help you figure out how to manage to save for retirement, contribute to the kids’ college tuition and help your elderly parents. If you struggle to care for both your parents and your growing children, tapping community resources can help you achieve more balance in how you spend your time. May 2012 •

Excellus to waive initial copay for consumers who try generic drugs Excellus BlueCross BlueShield members who take brand-name medicines for pain, heartburn, gout, high blood pressure, overactive bladder and migraine headaches now have an added incentive to ask their doctor if a generic drug might be right for them: A free initial 30-day supply of a generic option to try at no cost, plus lower copays going forward if they continue with the generic. Excellus BlueCross BlueShield has long offered its members free trials of selected generic drugs. The health plan’s generic trial program had included 13 different generics in seven disease categories, accounting for about 41 percent of all prescriptions written for its members. Excellus BlueCross BlueShield now has expanded the program to 29 generic drugs covering 10 disease categories. A majority of the categories now Owerbach have multiple generic options. “Our program is an alternative to the free samples of heavily marketed drugs that pharmaceutical companies supply to doctors in hopes that patients become loyal users of the higher-cost brand,” said Joel Owerbach, Excellus BlueCross BlueShield vice president and chief pharmacy officer. A 30-day supply of an average brand-name prescription drug retails for $208, as opposed to $18 for an average generic. “That’s a dramatic price difference for people who don’t have prescription drug coverage,” said Owerbach. “Those who have prescription drug coverage typically are charged the lowest-level copay for generics, so a patient’s ongoing out-of-pocket costs likely will be lower with a generic than with a brand-name drug.” The free generic trial program is meant to encourage a physician to begin his or her patients’ course of treatment with a generic option. Excellus BlueCross BlueShield has found that more than 90 percent of all patients who start on a generic medication will stay with it. In addition, Excellus BlueCross BlueShield encourages patients who pay higher-level copays for brand-name drugs to ask their physician if a lower-cost generic might be right for them. “Generics are the gold standard when it comes to prescription medications, because they are widely used, time-tested and approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Our expanded free generic trial program gives physicians an even broader arsenal of affordable treatment options for their patients who have chronic conditions,” said Owerbach. Expensive brand-name drugs that now are targeted by Excellus BlueCross BlueShield for generic alternatives include Celebrex for pain, Aciphex for heartburn, Benicar HCT for high blood pressure, Detrol LA for overactive bladder, Uloric for gout and Zomig for migraine headaches. More information regarding Excellus BlueCross BlueShield’s Generic Trial Program, along with a library of information on savings opportunities with generics, is available on the Web at go.excellusbcbs.com/generics.

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Golden Years Got Arthritis? One More Reason to Exercise By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

f you have arthritis, chances are you have been told or have read that you should remain active. The reason? It can help diminish pain and boost your mood. Exercise can combat the blues if you are feeling down regarding the changes arthritis has brought to your life. Since aching joints makes exercise painful, here are a few ways to workout that will go easy on your joints while working your heart and benefiting your joints. “Do non-weight bearing exercise that doesn’t put any pressure on the joint, like swimming and bicycling,” said Ramzi Khairallah, rheumatologist with Arthritis Health Associates, PLLC in Syracuse. “If you have pain in your joints, stick with non-weight bearing exercise.” Of course, seek your doctor’s approval before starting any new activity or exercise. In general, exercise should not be painful or aggravate the pain you already experience. Selecting the right type of exercise or activity is vital to sticking with it long-term. You may not be able to do what you’ve enjoyed in the past. Finding coaches, teachers or trainers who have worked around arthritis before

can be helpful. Whatever activity you try, start with small goals. Warming up with slow walking and gentle stretching will keep you more comfortable. Forget about “no pain, no gain.” “Be attentive if something really hurts the joint,” said Karen Kemmis, a physical therapist with SUNY Upstate Medical Center. “Muscle soreness for a day or two is not uncommon. It’s not unusual to have a little pain with exercise, but not a lot of pain.” After exercising, try stretching, using ice, taking a hot shower or massage therapy to reduce soreness. Low impact exercise such as using an exercise bike, elliptical trainer or ski machine can help those who have arthritis in the lower body. “A great opportunity for individuals with arthritis is to participate in aquatic therapy or pool exercises,” said Megan Hickey, physical therapist and manager of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at St. Joseph’s Hospital. “It gives people an opportunity to move freely without the impact that is com-

mon in land weight bearing activities. “In a therapeutic environment, such as the pool at either of our outpatient locations, individuals with arthritis also get the benefit of warm water that decreases the stiffness that is common in arthritis.” Cardiovascular exercise is important for maintaining heart health and controlling weight. Carrying excess weight makes arthritic joints more painful. Tai chi can also help improve flexibility and balance. “It can ease the symptoms of arthritis,” Kemmis said. “It can be done at a gym, with a DVD at home or at a community center.” Include strength training in your fitness regimen. The goal isn’t to bulk up but to help support the joints. “The literature shows that if they have strength in the muscles around the joint that they will have fewer symptoms and movement will be easier,” Kemmis said. “Strength training is very, very helpful for people with arthritis.”

Strength training will also help your body burn more calories at rest for help in weight control. Kemmis recommends trying a few lower body strengthening machines at the gym to see what will work for you. Or, at home, try mini knee bends near a stable chair or the kitchen countertop if you have balance problems. Do them “to the point where you feel the muscle working but don’t have a lot of pain in the joint,” Kemmis said. As far as exercises to avoid, your joints should let you know, but sports such as basketball, skiing, and running are likely too hard on arthritic knees, for example. If arthritis causes shoulder pain, racket sports and golf are likely out. If you need help in figuring out what exercise is safe for you, ask your doctor. “If your physician refers you to a physical therapist, they can guide you in the safest exercises that are appropriate for your specific symptoms and/or arthritic conditions,” Fallon said.

Spruce Up Workout Wardrobe for Spring Continued from page 17 Andrello likes lightweight running shoes. “It feels like there’s nothing on your foot and it gives you a better run,” she said. “I run farther in them.” Nike’s (www.nike.com) Free TR Twist mimics the agility and balance of barefoot exercise with the support and protection training shoes offer. The seamless upper promotes better comfort. The NIKEiD feature online allows you to design a custom shoe, selecting the fabric, color and fit for greater fun and function. Under Armour’s Women’s Charge RC running shoe weighs less than 10 ounces, yet offers a flexible build, snug support, and HeatGear fabric to keep your feet dry. Marla Prince of Liverpool likes running on her Page 22

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IN GOOD HEALTH – CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • May 2012

lunch break while working as benefits and wellness manager at Bond, Schoeneck & King a law firm in Syracuse. “I prefer the dry wicking socks over cotton,” she said. Under Armour HeatGear socks also help wick away perspiration. Built-in arch support will also keep your feet more comfortable and feeling less fatigued. More manufacturers than ever are offering plus sizes. Champion’s Plus Size line (www.championusa. com), Athleta (www.athleta.com) and Uniquely Me (www.uniquelyme.com) includes all the basic pieces you’ll need to stay active and pieces to change up your look.

Safety first!

If you’re going out for a run or bike ride, follow these tips for improved safety. • Bring along a friend or at least tell someone where you are going and

how long you expect to be gone. • Bring a charged cell phone. • Avoid isolated routes. • Consider taking a women’s self defense class to learn a few basic movements to deter an attacker. • Consider bringing along the dog for safety. • Don’t use a headset or talk on the phone if you’re going anywhere near traffic. • Wear highly visible clothing with reflective elements. Neutral colored clothing is harder for drivers to see. • Replace shoes with worn treads or that do not fit properly. Chafing shoes cause blisters and ones that are too loose do not support the foot. • Bikers, keep your equipment in good repair and wear a helmet. Use a light if you cycle early or late. • On foot, go against traffic. On a bike, ride with traffic. • Wear a sweat-resistant SPF-15 (minimum) sunscreen.

Golden Years

Delivering 200,000 Meals a Year Meet four volunteers who work at Meals on Wheels of Syracuse By Suzanne M. Ellis

he fourth oldest Meals on Wheels program in the United States is right here in Central New York, and thanks to a bevy of dedicated volunteers, it’s still going strong after 53 years. Meals on Wheels of Syracuse — which opened its doors on May 20, 1959 — provided 6.3 million meals during its first 50 years. Since that first year, when about 50 clients used its services, the program has depended on volunteers to assist in the packaging and delivery of meals. Within the first few months of operation, its volunteer corps grew from seven to 75. These days, an annual average of 200,000 meals are prepared and delivered to approximately 900 homebound residents of the city of Syracuse, the Onondaga Nation, Elbridge, Jordan and Nedrow. At any given time, the number of active volunteers who keep the program going numbers between 200 and 300. “I have worked for a lot of organizations in a lot of different places, and I have never seen people who are so willing to be here, rain or shine or snow,” said Katherine Lowe, director of development and community relations for Meals on Wheels of Syracuse. “There have been a few times that we have closed because the weather was so bad, and then the executive director gets here and finds five or six of our volun-

teers standing outside the door, waiting to come in and help.” Meals on Wheels of Syracuse is a nonprofit agency that has a paid staff of 17. More than half its clients are 60 to 84 years old, while 28 percent are 85 or older and about 13 percent are younger than 60. Clients currently pay a total of $7.50 per day for one hot meal and one cold meal, a service that costs the organization about $10.50 per day per person. The cost difference is made up through fundraising efforts, including mail campaigns, grants, memorial gifts and special events. “We couldn’t survive without our volunteers,” Lowe said. “We couldn’t do what we do because our staff is only 17 people, yet we still manage to get 200,000 meals out the door every year. If we had to pay people to do what our volunteers do, the cost would be astronomical and this program would cease to exist. We would have to shut our doors.” Meet four of the volunteers at Meals on Wheels of Syracuse who regularly make a difference in the daily lives of others:

Jim Colton

A Korean War veteran who lives in East Syracuse, Colton, 81, has been with Meals on Wheels of Syracuse for 17 years and delivers meals to shutins three days a week. He began his volunteer stint two years after retiring

Barbara Nowak, 61, of DeWitt, front, works on the “hot line” on a recent morning at Meals on Wheels of Syracuse, dispensing freshly prepared food that will be delivered later that morning to shut-ins. In 2011, a paid staff of 17 — aided by 200-300 volunteers — prepared and delivered approximately 182,000 meals to 700 residents. ”

from a 29-year career in the U.S. Postal Service’s East Syracuse office. “I didn’t want to stay home in my retirement and do nothing,” Colton said. “I wanted to help people in my community, and I wanted to serve God. I thought delivering meals would be a good way to do that.”

Barbara Nowak

Nowak, 61, of Dewitt, started volunteering in 2009 when she was going through a difficult time in her life. She believed, she said, that helping others could be a positive aspect and seemed “like a good thing to do.” She volunteers one or two days each week, arriving by 7:30 a.m., packing hot meals or helping anywhere else she’s needed. “I believe in this program, and I think it’s important to give back to our communities and invest our time while we can, while we are still healthy enough,” Nowak said. “I feel like I’m getting a job done that needs to get done, plus there is a wonderful camaraderie with the volunteers here. I look forward to seeing them, and I love the staff, too. They are all very nice and very hard working people, and it’s a

Neither snow nor rain nor heat will stay volunteer Jim Colton from the swift completion of his appointed rounds for Meals on Wheels of Syracuse. On a recent morning, Colton, 81, prepares to leave MOW headquarters to deliver meals to shutins. It’s something he’s been doing for 17 years since shortly after retiring from a 29-year career as a rural carrier for the U.S. Post Ofﬁce in East Syracuse. May 2012 •

Becoming volunteer a

Contact the M Wheels of S eals on yracuse volunteer c o at 315-478-5ordinator 213, or sen 948, ext. d volunteer@ an email to m additional in eals.org for formation. good feeling to be a part of this.”

Evelyn and Gerald Williams

The married Meals on Wheels delivery team of Evelyn and Gerald Williams, both 64 and residents of Syracuse, started volunteering about 11 and eight years ago, respectively. Gerald Williams retired as a manager at Niagara Mohawk (now National Grid) in 2002, and Evelyn Williams retired as an elementary teacher from Danforth Magnet School in Syracuse about a year later. “I wanted to give back to my community,” Evelyn Williams said. “I felt as if I had been blessed all my life, and this was an opportunity for me to do something good in the community.” “I always look forward to doing something for someone who can’t do for themselves,” Gerald Williams said. “We come across all types of clients, people who can’t get out of their beds, people who can’t come to the front door, people who wouldn’t be able to have a hot meal if we couldn’t do this for them.”

Gerald and Evelyn Williams, both 64 and residents of Syracuse, get ready to deliver meals prepared by staff and volunteers at Meals on Wheels of Syracuse. “We come across all types of clients on our route,” Gerald Williams said, “people who can’t get out of their beds, people who can’t come to the front door, people who wouldn’t be able to have a hot meal if we couldn’t do this for them.” IN GOOD HEALTH – CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper

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CENTENARIANS Mildred “Millie” VanBuren Celebrates 100th Birthday Morningstar Residential Care Center resident Mildred VanBuren, known by friends and family as Millie, celebrated her 100th birthday recently with a party and four generations of family members. Shown pictured at the Oswego-based care center (formerly Sunrise) are VanBuren family members from left to right back row: Greatgrandson Zachary; Grandson Sean; son Daniel; and Grandson Mark. In front are Great-grandson Tristan, Great-granddaughter Cierra, and the birthday girl herself, Millie. Millie was born in Wellsville, west of Corning, where she lived with her eight brothers and two sisters. She worked previously at Nestle in Fulton, as well as the former Breneman- Hartshorn Shade Co. in Oswego. Millie also spent much of her time volunteering for St. Luke Health Services, also located in Oswego.

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IN GOOD HEALTH – CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • May 2012

What They Want You to Know:

Rheumatologist

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

Rheumatologists are medical doctors who specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of arthritis and other diseases of the joints, bones and connective tissues. • “There’s a general perception when people come in that they say, ‘I have rheumatoid arthritis’ but that [diagnosis] isn’t necessarily true. We have to decide which family of arthritis they belong to. Osteoarthritis is from the mechanical side. People will have it at a certain age. Women start it in their early 40s; men, in their 50s. • “The other contributing factor is genetics. The quality and thickness of the cartilage will make it more or less resilient to wear. You have bone rubbing on bone and bone spurs forming. It becomes the most common cause of joint replacement. • “The final contributing factor is daily activity. If you’re overweight, have a standing job or if you’re marathon running, the weight bearing joints will suffer the most. If you type a lot, your hands will suffer. The base of the big toe is under the most pressure, and the hip for weight bearing and the base of the thumb for hands. • “There’s also tendonitis and other soft tissue items that can be due to mechanical stress. With osteoarthritis, inflammation comes secondary to the bone rubbing on bone and loss of cartilage. There’s only a little bit of inflammation. • “The other family is inflammatory diseases and they’re autoimmune diseases. The immune system attacks the joints and soft tissue. Rheumatoid arthritis is more serious but affects 1 percent of the population. It is the more famous one. It damages joints quicker than osteoarthritis but we have very good treatment for it, from pills to injective. • “In the last 12 years, we’ve had nine biological agents to treat RA and they all work better than the pills. But they carry high risk of infection than the pills. They block the immune system well, but don’t cause damage to organs like the liver and kidney. • “Cartilage can’t be re-grown. Glucosamine and chondroitin have not been proven to re-grow cartilage, but they have been shown to help with pain. We know they’re safe, but don’t have high hopes in them. • “Rehumatoid arthritis makes the immune system attack the joints and eat up the cartilage and bone in a matter that cripples and handicaps the person so they cannot do daily activities. With osteoarthritis, you’re handicapped with pain. RA it’s with stiffness, pain and serious deformity. When people say, ‘My grandma had knobby

fingers,’ it’s due to osteoarthritis. RA causes soft tissue swelling. • “For RA, you have more morning stiffness and lasting more than half an hour, soft tissue swelling, a weak handgrip, and it in the knuckles. • “Other inflammatory arthritis: psoriatic arthritis and lupus. • “Even though our patients have RA, when they have back pain, they think it could be related, but RA doesn’t cause lumbar pain. • “One distinction is ankylosing spondylitis, an inflammatory arthritis that affects the spine. It frequently affects the lower back. It’s inflammatory and it’s rare. • “Some people think osteoporosis and osteoarthritis are the same. Osteoporosis is about bone density. Osteoarthritis is a disease of the cartilage where the joints meet. It has nothing to do with the bones. • “Surgical treatment is the last resort. It is not a must. You need to qualify medically speaking, but no one should go for joint replacement if they can live with the pain and they would rather.” Ramzi Khairallah, MD, rheumatologist with Arthritis Health Associates, PLLC in Syracuse • “People commonly don’t understand the scope of diseases treated by rheumatologists, ranging from degenerative diseases of the joints through inflammatory diseases of the joints to systemic inflammatory diseases affecting all organs of the body. • Patients can make their treatment plan work more effectively through increased compliance, asking questions rather than quitting and when unforeseen problems are encountered. Better communication is key. Andras Perl division chief of rheumatology in the Department of Medicine at Upstate Medical University

Deborah Jeanne Sergeant is a writer with In Good Health. “What Your Doctor Wants You to Know” is an ongoing column that appears monthly to give our area’s healthcare professionals an opportunity to share how patients can improve their care by helping their providers and by helping themselves.

By Jim Miller

The Often Ignored Warning Signs of a Mini-Stroke A person is more likely to suffer a mini-stroke if they are overweight or inactive, have high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol or diabetes Dear Savvy Senior, How can a person know if they’ve had a stroke? My 70-yearold husband had a spell a few weeks ago where he suddenly felt dizzy for no apparent reason and had trouble talking and walking because his left side went numb, but it went away after a few minutes and he feels fine now. Seems Fine Dear Seems, It’s very possible that your husband may have had a “mini-stroke” also known as a transient ischemic attack (TIA), and if he hasn’t already done so, he needs to see a doctor pronto. Each year, more than a quartermillion Americans have a ministroke, but only about half of them realize what’s happening. That’s because the symptoms are usually fleeting (lasting only a few minutes, up to an hour or two), causing most people to ignore them or brush them off as no big deal. But anyone who has had a mini-stroke is 10 times more likely to have a full-blown stroke, which can cause long-term paralysis, impaired memory, loss of speech or vision, or even death. A mini-stroke is caused by a temporary blockage of blood flow to the brain, and can be a warning sign that a major stroke may soon be coming. That’s why mini-strokes need to be treated like emergencies. Who’s Vulnerable?

A person is more likely to suffer a TIA or stroke if they are overweight or inactive, have high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol or diabetes. Other factors that boost the risks are age (over 60), smoking, heart disease, atrial fibrillation and having a family history of stroke. Men also have a greater risk for stroke than women, and African Americans and Hispanics are at higher risk than those of other races.

Warning Signs

The symptoms of a mini-stroke are the same as those of a full-blown stroke, but can be subtle and shortlived, and they don’t leave any permanent damage. They include:

• Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg 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. Anyone who is having any of these symptoms should call 911 immediately. Or, if you’ve had any of them and they went away, ask someone to drive you to the emergency room or nearby stroke center as soon as possible and tell them you may have had stroke.

Take This Quiz

More than one-third of mini-stroke suffers will eventually have a fullblown stroke, unless their underlying conditions are treated. If your husband did have a mini-stroke and did not get medical treatment, this self-assessment quiz (known as the ABCD2 tool) can estimate his risk of having a major stroke in the very near future. • Age: If over age 60 — 1 point. • Blood pressure: If his systolic blood pressure (top number) is higher than 140 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure (bottom number) is higher than 90 — 1 point. • Clinical features: If he had weakness on one side of your body during your mini-stroke — 2 points. If you had a speech disturbance without weakness — 1 point. • Duration of symptoms: If his symptoms lasted for 10 minutes to an hour — 1 point. If they lasted an hour or longer — 2 points. • Diabetes: If he has diabetes — 1 point. If his score is 3 or less, his risk of having a major stroke within a month of his TIA is 2 percent. A score of 4 or 5 indicates about an 8 percent risk for stroke within 30 days and a 10 percent risk within 90 days. And a score of 6 or 7 estimate a 16 percent chance of stroke in 30 days and around 20 percent within 90 days.

Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit www.savvysenior. org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.

St. Joseph’s Breaks Ground on $140 Million Expansion Project

t. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center hosted a groundbreaking ceremony April 20 to mark the start of the second phase of construction on its expansion project. The ceremony took place at the corner of East Laurel Street and Prospect Avenue. The second phase, estimated to cost $140 million, is nearly 50 percent larger than the first in terms of investment, and includes construction of operating rooms, a perianesthesia care unit (PACU), intensive care units, medicalsurgical private patient rooms, family waiting areas and a central sterile unit — the area of the hospital responsible for washing, sterilizing and distributing patient care equipment and instruments. In addition a greenway connection to North side businesses, green space and campus lighting will be added to the North end of St. Joseph’s Prospect Hill campus. The second phase of St. Joseph’s expansion will generate 400 long-term construction jobs and 150 new, permanent health care jobs. Preparing for the Future in Surgery The new surgical suite will include 14 operating rooms (ORs), which are two more than the current suite, and each OR suite is 50 percent larger to accommodate today’s state-of-the-art medical technology and larger surgical teams. The PACU will be expanded from 16 to 25 patient beds and will increase annual capacity from 10,500 to 14,000 patients. The PACU is designed to enhance care for patients just before and right after surgery. A new central sterile unit will be built that is nearly four times larger than the current, 40-year-old unit. It

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will be relocated to adjoin the new operating rooms, which will increase safety and efficiency. “Green” instrument washers will save water and electricity. Intensive Care Units Focused on Patient Safety The expanded medical and surgical intensive care units will include 38 private rooms. Each room will be larger than the existing semi-private rooms and has been designed with its own in-room comfort station. Because of its direct impact on patient safety and workflow, one ceiling-mounted, articulating arm boom “headwall” will be mounted near each patient bed, allowing 360 degree access to the patient as well the maximum flexibility and maneuverability required in a highacuity critical care environment. A standardized room layout increases patient safety. Private Patient Rooms Are the Future of Health Care The project will construct 72 private patient rooms, replacing 36 semi-private rooms currently in use at the hospital. The rooms are 35 percent larger, allowing more space for families and visitors. Larger windows will admit more daylight to speed healing. “Private patient rooms are the wave of the future in health care,” said Mary Clare Ehde, manager of patient relations. “Not only does the law require us to maintain patient privacy, but a quiet, private environment is shown to help facilitate faster, healthier recoveries. Private rooms also help to reduce spread of infection.”

Health in good

Reach Health Professionals & Consumers.

ONE AD, WORKING ALL MONTH • editor@CNYhealth.com May 2012 •

IN GOOD HEALTH – CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper

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IN GOOD HEALTH – CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • May 2012

t’s an American tradition to pay our military know how much we value tribute to the men and women of the what they do for us and our nation. Armed Forces each Memorial Day To learn more about the Social — especially honoring those who have Security benefits for those who have made the ultimate sacrifice served in the military, read while serving our country. our publication, Military SerIf you are a military service and Social Security. You vice member who was woundcan find it online at www.soed and needs to apply for discialsecurity.gov/pubs/10017. ability benefits, it’s important html, or send us an email at to know that you will receive OPI.Net.Post@ssa.gov, or call expedited processing. Our us at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1wounded warriors initiative is 800-325-0778) to ask for a free for military service members copy to be mailed to you. who become disabled while on Memorial Day also is a active duty on or after Oct.1, good time to remind families 2001, regardless of where the of fallen military heroes that Banikowski disability occurs. Depending we may be able to pay Social on the situation, some family memSecurity survivors benefits. If the perbers of military personnel, includson you depended on for income has ing dependent children and, in some died, you should apply for survivors cases, spouses, may be able to receive benefits. Learn more about Social Secubenefits. Learn more about it at www. rity survivors benefits at www.socialsesocialsecurity.gov/woundedwarriors. curity.gov/pgm/survivors.htm. Did you know that May also is The men and women of the Armed National Military Appreciation Month? Forces serve us each and every day. Even more reason to let members of At Social Security, we’re here to serve them too.

Q&A

Q: Do members of Congress have to pay into Social Security? A: Yes, they do. Members of Congress, the president and vice president, federal judges, and most political appointees, have paid taxes into the Social Security program since January 1984. They pay into the system just like everyone else, no matter how long they have been in office. Learn more about Social Security benefits at www. socialsecurity.gov. Q: How do I change my citizenship status on Social Security’s records? A: To change the citizenship shown on our records: • Complete and print a new Application For A Social Security Card (Form SS-5) at www.socialsecurity.gov/ssnumber/ss5.htm; and • Show us documents proving your: — New or revised citizenship status (Only certain documents can be accepted as proof of citizenship. These include your U.S. passport, a Certificate of Naturalization, or a Certificate of Citizenship. If you are not a U.S. citizen, Social Security will ask to see your current immigration documents); — Age; and — Identity. • Take (or mail) your completed application and documents to your local Social Security office. All documents must be either originals or copies certified by the issuing agency. We cannot accept photocopies or notarized copies of documents. For more information, visit www.socialsecurity.gov.

Q: How long does it take to complete the online application for Social Security retirement benefits? A: It can take as little as 15 minutes to complete the online application. In most cases, once your application is submitted electronically, you’re done. There are no forms to sign and usually no documentation to mail in. Social Security will process your application and contact you if any further information is needed. There’s no need to drive to a local Social Security office or wait for an appointment with a Social Security representative. To retire online, go to www.socialsecurity.gov. Q: I have never worked, but my spouse has. What will my Social Security benefit be? A: You can be entitled to as much as one-half of your spouse’s benefit amount if you start your benefits when you reach full retirement age. If you want to get Social Security retirement benefits before you reach full retirement age, the amount of your benefit will be reduced. The amount of reduction depends on when you will reach full retirement age. For example, if your full retirement age is 66, you can get 35 percent of your spouse’s unreduced benefit at age 62. The amount of your benefit increases at later ages up to the maximum of 50 percent if you retire at full retirement age. However, if you are taking care of a child who is under age 16 or who gets Social Security disability benefits, you get full benefits, regardless of your age. Learn more at www. socialsecurity.gov/retire2/yourspouse. htm.

Community health centers get grants to increase capacity, patients’ access to care Among center are East Hill Family Medical in Auburn, and Syracuse Community Health Center in Syracuse

o meet the growing need for access to primary care services throughout New York state, the New York State Health Foundation (NYSHealth) has awarded 10 grants totaling nearly $1 million to expand the capacity of health centers. The grants will help community health centers in four medically underserved regions—Long Island, Western New York, Central New York, and the Finger Lakes—take practical steps to care for more patients, expand existing sites, establish new sites, and/or increase the range of services provided. “Community health centers are jewels in the crown of our health system, providing high-quality, affordable, and accessible primary care to millions of New Yorkers,” said James R. Knickman, president and CEO of NYSHealth. “As demand for services grows, health centers play a critical role in expanding primary care capacity.” When health reform is fully implemented, community health centers are

expected to double capacity to serve 3 million New Yorkers, but many struggle with low margins, limited funding, and growing demand. An analysis by the Primary Care Development Corporation (PCDC) conducted with NYSHealth support found that nearly half of community health centers in the state lost money in all or most of the seven years included in the study. Further, operating margins at health centers have fallen precipitously and many of them have little cash on hand. To make the most of the expansion opportunities before them, centers need adequate resources to plan, manage, and sustain their growth. The new grants will support a range of activities to help health centers in underserved areas meet growing demand for services: clinical and business planning; real estate assistance; workforce recruitment and training; management infrastructure; and consolidations.

Grant Recipients IN CNY • East Hill Family Medical, Auburn Expanding primary care through the integration of services, $90,000. This NYSHealth grant will help East Hill expand its diabetes and substance use services while increasing those patients’ access to general primary care. By bringing these services to a location that already offers primary care, dental, and mental health services, East Hill expects to improve these patients’ access to comprehensive care.

• Family Health Network of Central New York, Cortland Clean Teeth = Better Health: Rural Dental Expansion, $100,000. Grant will enable organization to hire a dentist, dental hygienist, and dental assistant at the new health clinic, and open its doors to this new dental practice in Moravia, in southern Cayuga County.

• Syracuse Community Health Center, Inc., Syracuse Expansion initiative, $100,000. This grant from NYSHealth will fund (1) architectural and engineer work to support construction of a new, expanded headquarters for SCHC, (2) recruitment of clinical staff, and (3) an innovative effort to expand access to primary care through the acquisition of private physician practices interested in operating under SCHC’s umbrella. Doing so will allow SCHC to expand the base of small practice providers in Central New York that accept Medicaid while expanding the scope of services available to these practices’ patients.

H ealth News Excellus earns national accreditation for quality The managed care plans of Excellus BlueCross BlueShield have again received the highest accreditation status available, a rating of “Excellent,” from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). The “excellent” rating applies for all Excellus BlueCross BlueShield commercial (HMO/POS combined and PPO), Medicaid (HMO) and Medicare (HMO and PPO) plans. NCQA is a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. Employers and consumers use information from NCQA to make more informed health care choices. NCQA’s excellent accreditation status is reserved for the best health plans in the nation. It is only awarded to those plans that meet or exceed NCQA’s rigorous requirements for consumer protection and quality improvement and deliver excellent clinical care. To become accredited by NCQA, a health plan must undergo a rigorous evaluation of more than 60 standards designed to evaluate its clinical and administrative systems. NCQA accreditation evaluates how well a health plan manages all parts of its delivery system — physicians, hospitals, other providers and administrative services — in order to continuously improve the quality of care and services provided to its members. Full accreditation is effective for a three-year period. “The NCQA seal of excellence affirms that our members are receiving the highest quality of care,” said Arthur Vercillo, regional president, Excellus BlueCross BlueShield. “It not only reflects the hard work and dedication of our employees, but also reflects the quality of our community’s doctors and hospitals.” Health plans earning excellent accreditation must also achieve NCQA’s Health Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS®) results that are in the highest range of national or regional performance. HEDIS is the nation’s most widely used set of clinical quality measures.

Alzheimer’s Association of CNY announces new staff Three professionals have recently joined the organization’s staff Alzheimer’s Association, Central New York chapter. • Theresa Riley is the chapter’s new chief financial officer, managing its budgetary, human resources and other business-related functions. Riley joined the organization after four years at Upstate Capital Inc. and ASAP Processing Services, Inc. in East Syracuse. She has nearly 20 years of nonprofit accounting experience, having served as finance director for Vera House, Syracuse Model Neighborhood Facility, Inc., and the Onondaga Pastoral Counseling Center, Inc., and consulting for H.O.M.E., Inc. and the Booker T. May 2012 •

Washington Community Center. Riley is a graduate of LeMoyne College and lives in Syracuse. • Jessie Cornell is the associate program director for the chapter’s Southern Tier region. She is responsible for enhancing care for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias in the Greater Binghamton, Cortland and Ithaca regions. Cornell, a native of Hammondsport, comes to the chapter from Southern Tier Alternative Therapies where she was the program coordinator. She formerly interned at Riverview Manor Health Care Center in Owego and Broome Development Center in Binghamton. Cornell, who resides in Endicott, holds a bachelor’s degree from Nazareth College in Rochester and a master’s of social work from Binghamton University. • Georgia Hanchar Vieira is the chapter’s new associate development director. Vieira is responsible for fund development and capacity building in the Greater Binghamton, Cortland and Ithaca markets. She will also manage Walk To End Alzheimer’s events in those areas. Vieira joined the chapter after five years in the development department at Binghamton University. She has previous nonprofit experience as a volunteer for the Magic Paintbrush Project, Wendy’s Walk for Kids and Broome Sports Foundation. A resident of Binghamton, Vieira earned her bachelor’s degree from St. Bonaventure University and a master’s of public administration from the University at Albany.

HealtheConnections has new executive director HealtheConnections HAS has appointed Sara Wall-Bollinger of Fayetteville as its new executive director for health planning. HealtheConnections (pronounced “healthy connections”) was formed in February with the consolidation of the Health Advancement Collaborative of Central New York (HAC-CNY) and Central New York Health Systems Agency (CNYHSA). It provides health planning and regional health information organization (RHIO) services for the 11-county region of Central New York. Wall-Bollinger served most recently as executive director/ CEO of Enable, also known as the United Wall-Bollinger Cerebral Palsy and Handicapped Children’s Association of Syracuse. She has an extensive background in disabilities, child welfare and mental health systems in Central New York and serves in leadership positions on a number of local and statewide initiatives. As executive director for health planning for HealtheConnections, Wall-Bollinger will be responsible for developing a new regional model of community-based health planning. HealtheConnections HSA will coor-

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H ealth News dinate health planning initiatives in Central New York that address and promote community health improvement, access to affordable healthcare, information sharing, education and advocacy by working with community and provider organizations, businesses, and local and state governments. “Sara brings a unique set of operational, planning and leadership skills to the organization, which will be extremely beneficial in involving the wide range of stakeholders in the region necessary to carry out community-based health planning,” said William Conole, HealtheConnections vice chair.

Esther Serwadda-Lubinga opens Fulton ofﬁce Family practice physician Esther Serwadda-Lubinga has joined the Oswego Health active medical staff and has opened an office at 20 Canalview Mall in Fulton. Lubinga is board-certified in family practice medicine and most recently provided care in Manitowoc, Wis. She recently returned to the area with her husband, anesthesiologist Stanley Lubinga, who has been providing care in Oswego Hospital’s surgery center since September. The family practice physician said Lubinga she decided to open an office in Fulton to fill a void in the community. “My patients will find me knowledgeable and caring and I look forward to treating their chronic diseases, hypertension, upper respiratory issues, as well as many other illnesses and injuries,” Lubinga obtained her medical degree from Makerere University, in Uganda. She completed her internship and residency at the Forbes Regional Hospital in Pittsburgh. Lubinga and her husband, have three children. In her spare time, she enjoys gardening, watching movies and playing tennis. As a student growing up in Uganda, she played tennis competitively for her middle and high schools.

Seneca Chiropractic celebrates grand opening Seneca Chiropractic & Family Wellness (SC&FW) recently celebrated its grand opening at 7960 Oswego Road in Liverpool. SC&FW has been serving the Liverpool area since 2000 and has moved into its new 2,500-square-foot facility in late 2011. The new building has been dedicated to the project’s general contractor Andy Partis of AP Builders whose untimely passing occurred just days after its completion.

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Christopher Booth Named CEO-Elect For Excellus BlueCross BlueShield Christopher C. Booth, president of Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, has been named to become chief executive officer of the health plan and its parent corporation, The Lifetime Healthcare Companies, effective Jan. 1, 2013. The announcement of Booth’s appointment came from Randall Clark, chairman of the board of directors. Booth will succeed David Klein, who retires at year’s end. “The best companies have orderly transitions, and this one is as good as it gets,” Clark said. “Chris is not only the legal architect of our entire corporation, he has been in the pivotal role of running our health plan and achieving membership growth as well as high performance goals. He has a deep understand- Booth ing of our business needs and mission. Our company will be in steady hands, and our communities will be well served by his leadership.” “It’s an honor to lead such a talented Upstate workforce of people who provide care and coverage for their neighbors,” Booth said. “Whether federal health care reforms are upheld or not, we must work collaboratively with those who provide care and those who pay for it. Our mutual goals are high quality care and making coverage as affordable as possible.” As CEO, Booth will oversee The

News from

Jeanette S. Angeloro To Direct Outpatient Behavioral Health Services — St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center has appointed Jeanette S. Angeloro, LCSW, director of outpatient behavioral health services. In this role she will be responsible for the outpatient mental health programs throughout St. Joseph’s system. Most recently, Angeloro was manager of adult services for St. Joseph’s outpatient behavioral health services. Prior to her management role, she served as a Angeloro clinical social worker at St. Joseph’s. She is a psychotherapist in private practice. A resident of Fayetteville, Angeloro holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology from Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., and a master’s degree in social work from Syracuse University. She is a licensed clinical social worker

IN GOOD HEALTH – CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • May 2012

Lifetime Healthcare Companies, a $6.2 billion nonprofit holding company that finances and delivers health care. Headquartered in Rochester, it provides health insurance coverage to 1.8 million people across 39 counties. The Lifetime Healthcare Companies employs more than 6,500 people across Upstate New York through its health plan and affiliated companies. Other Lifetime Healthcare Companies include: • MedAmerica, which provides long-term-care insurance coverage to more than 122,000 policyholders in New York and nationwide. • Lifetime Health Medical Group, which provides direct medical care to more than 80,000 patients in the greater Buffalo and Rochester markets. • Lifetime Care Home Care and Hospice, which provides home care, palliative care and hospice services to more than 22,000 people annually in six upstate counties. • Sibley Nursing Personnel Services, which helps home care patients and temporary medical staffing clients in 31 western and central New York counties. • EBS-RMSCO, which provides comprehensive employee benefit and risk management solutions to nearly 4,000 employers throughout the United States. • Support Services Alliance pro-

and certified by the state of New York as a social worker. Two More Doctors — The following physicians recently joined St. Joseph’s active medical staff of St. Joseph’s Hospital: David T. OuYang, family medicine, a resident of Manlius; Charles F. Scioscia, internal medicine, a resident of Hastings. St. Joseph’s Receives $21,755 Grant to Raise Awareness of Lymphedema — The Central New York Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure has awarded a $21,755 grant to St. Joseph’s Hospital Foundation to support lymphedema education and prevention. The grant from Komen for the Cure will support the Lymphedema Education and Prevention from Stage 0 (LEAP from Stage 0) program at St. Joseph’s outpatient physical therapy. Lymphedema, or blockage of the lymphatic system, is a harmful side effect of breast cancer treatment that can lead to permanent disability if not treated. The grant will help support efforts to increase awareness through St. Joseph’s medical community and breast cancer survivors. An educational seminar is planned for October as a highlight to National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. By helping to raise community awareness of lymphedema,

vides employee benefit services for 6,000 businesses and acts as a general agent for more than 300 brokers; one of the largest payroll companies in CNY. Joining the company in 2004 as chief administrative officer and general counsel, Booth was promoted to executive vice president for commercial markets and health care affairs in January 2009. He became executive vice president and chief operating officer in January 2010 and was promoted to president of the health plan in March 2011. Booth has more than two decades of experience working with the corporation, having worked for Hinman Straub PC, the corporation’s outside legal counsel in Albany. In that role, Booth led the legal team in forming the corporation’s legal structure as it prepared to absorb a series of mergers and acquisitions. Before leaving Hinman Straub, he served as chairman of the firm’s health practice. Booth serves as a trustee and vice chair of WXXI’s Board of Trustees, and as a trustee at St. John Fisher College. He also serves on the boards of directors at Greater Rochester Enterprise and Young Entrepreneurs Academy. He is a member of the State Public Health and Health Planning Council and serves as vice chairman of its Committee on Establishment and Project Review. Booth, 51, resides in Pittsford, a Rochester suburb, with his wife Gail and their three daughters.

St. Joseph’s is able to increase the likelihood that breast cancer patients will receive lymphedema consultation and care before symptoms arise. Patients are admitted to the program through a doctor’s referral and then taught selfmanagement techniques that empower patients to resume their previous, presurgery levels of activity. Over the next year, St. Joseph’s expects to instruct more than 50 providers, receive 174 referrals and provide educational materials to more than 2,500 individuals through this program.

News from

Upstate Medical University announces the following appointments and honors: • Robert Andrus has achieved designation of a master-level certified healthcare safety professional from the International Board for Certification of Safety Managers. Andrus directs Upstate’s department of environmental health and safety and serves as the university’s campus emergency

H ealth News manager and campus biosafety officer. Andrus resides in Chittenango. • Shraddha Rana has joined the department of medicine as a hospitalist and as clinical assistant professor. Rana received a bachelor’s degree in medicine and surgery at Lady Hardinge Medical College in New Delhi, India, and completed a residency in internal medicine at Wyckoff Height Medical Center in Brooklyn. Rana resides in Camillus. • Darcy DiBiase has joined Upstate as assistant director in the office of marketing and university communications where she is responsible for developing and implementing communications programs and initiatives for hospital and campus clients. Prior to Upstate, DiBiase served as vice president of Designworks Advertising in Syracuse. She received her bachelor’s degree in communications studies and in music from SUNY Oswego in 2001. DiBiase resides in Fayetteville. • Father Herve Muyo, a native of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, has joined the department of spiritual care as an on-call priest. He holds a master’s degree in counseling psychology from Saint Cloud State University, St. Cloud, Minn., and is a doctoral student at Syracuse University in the counseling psychology program. Muyo resides in Fairmount. • Rev. Kevin J. Agee, a member of the Upstate University Hospital on-call protestant clergy team and pastor of Hopps Memorial CME Church in Syracuse, received a community service award from the alumni chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha. Agee resides in Syracuse. • Mohamed Heikal has joined the department of medicine as an assistant professor, specializing in pulmonary medicine and critical care. Prior to Upstate, Heikal was a physician specializing in pulmonary medicine, critical care and sleep medicine at Cumberland Medical Center in Crossville, Tenn. He received his medical degree and completed a residency in tropical medicine at Cairo University School of Medicine, Cairo, Egypt. He completed his residency in internal medicine at the Chicago Medical School in North Chicago, Ill.; a critical care fellowship at the University of Rochester Medical Center in Rochester; and a pulmonary medicine fellowship at Southern Illinois University in Springfield, Ill. Heikal resides in Fayetteville. • Lubna Wani has joined the department of medicine as an assistant professor, specializing in internal medicine. Prior to joining Upstate, Wani was a clinical assistant professor at Oklahoma University Health Sciences Center in Oklahoma City, Okla. Wani received her medical degree from Government Medical College in Srinagar, India. She completed an internship/residency in internal medicine at Albany Medical Center in Albany; a residency in internal medicine at Griffin Hospital in New Haven, Conn.; and a fellowship with the Congestive Heart Failure Program at Oklahoma University Health Sciences Center. Wani resides in Manlius.

Crouse Hospital Receives 2012 Business of the Year Award for Community Involvement Crouse Hospital has received the Business of the Year — Community Involvement award from CenterState Corporation for Economic Opportunity (CenterState CEO). This year’s winners were selected from a competitive field of 40 nominees. Crouse was named Business of the Year in 2006 for sustained financial and operational performance by the Greater Syracuse Chamber of Commerce, now known as CenterState CEO. “On behalf of the employees, physicians, volunteers of Crouse Hospital, we are proud to accept

Crouse Surgeon Inducted into Venous Forum Crouse Hospital surgeon Herb Mendel has been inducted as a member at the 24th Annual Meeting of the American Venous Forum, held recently in Orlando. The American Venous Forum is a division of The American College of Surgeons. Its mission is to promote venous and lymphatic health through innovative research, education and technology. The annual meeting brings together internationally recognized authorities on Mende all aspects of venous disease, diagnosis, pathophysiology and treatment. In addition, researchers’ most recent work leading to improved understanding of these topics is presented and discussed. Forum membership is approximately 700 professionals, primarily vascular surgeons but also phlebologists, interventional radiologists and cardiologists. Members hail from around the globe (currently from 31 countries). Mendel, a partner in Central New York Surgical Physicians, is the only member from Syracuse.

Health in good

the Business of the Year award for our community involvement,” said President & CEO Paul Kronenberg. “Each day we strive to fulfill our mission, and this award affirms our commitment to not just promoting community health, but to the many ways the Crouse family strives to make Central New York a better place to live.” The event, which drew 1,100 people to the Nicholas J. Pirro Convention Center at Oncenter in Syracuse, also recognized three other Business of the Year winners: Onondaga Community College for

nonprofit organization; Novelis Inc. for the category of a business with more than 50 employees; and Fleet Feet Sports, for a business with fewer than 50 employees. This year’s winners were selected from a competitive field of 40 nominees. “We are proud to honor these businesses, which serve as models of success for the entire business community,” said CenterState CEO Chairman Allen Naples. “Over the last year, these companies have excelled — creating new jobs, making new investments and being engaged in the community.”

Meeting with a Nobel Laureate

Steven Goodman, right, vice president for research at Upstate Medical University and dean of the graduate school, played host to Nobel Laureate Aaron Ciechanover during his two-day stay at the Upstate campus April 16 and 17. Ciechanover, distinguished professor of the cancer and vascular biology research center at the Technion, the Israel Institute of Technology, won the 2004 Nobel Prize in chemistry for his discovery of protein degradation that has helped revolutionize the development of new cancer drugs.

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Health H ealth in good

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News

St. Joseph’s Hospital Honors Supporters At Appreciation Breakfast St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center Foundation paid tribute to supporters at the 22nd annual St. Joseph’s Day Appreciation Breakfast on March 19, at The Genesee Grand Hotel in Syracuse. St. Joseph’s hosts the breakfast annually to recognize

major supporters and advocates of the hospital. St. Joseph the Worker awards were presented to Ara Madonian, Samuel and Carol Nappi, and Theodore M. Pasinski.

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Syracuse resident Kathryn H. Ruscitto, president and chief executive ofﬁcer, St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center, poses with Ara Madonian, MD, surgeon, resident of Manlius and winner of the St. Joseph the Worker Award.

Syracuse resident Kathryn H. Ruscitto, president and chief executive ofﬁcer, St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center, poses with Theodore M. Pasinski, of Liverpool, a winner of the St. Joseph the Worker Award.

CELEBRATING UPSTATE NURSING! Upstate Nurses provide award-winning nursing care. They initiate changes that enhance patient - and family centered care. They exceed expectations by shaping an environment that inspires excellence, respect and dignity. They are students, graduates, mentors and teachers. They are active in our community. They are ALL this, because they are Upstate Nurses.

We would like to thank our nurses for their incredible dedication. NATIONAL NURSES WEEK, MAY 4-11

From left to right are De Witt resident Monsignor Robert Yeazel, Carol and Samuel Nappi, of Jamesville, and Manlius resident Margaret Martin, vice president for St. Joseph’s Hospital Foundation. The Nappis were winners of the St. Joseph the Worker Award. Page 30

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IN GOOD HEALTH – CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • May 2012

Upstate University Hospital Upstate University Hospital at Community General Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital www.upsatate.edu I Syracuse I State University of New York

Who Are Upstate New York’s Uninsured Adults?

pstate New York’s uninsured 18- to 64-year-olds are profiled by their sociodemographic characteristics in a report issued recently by Excellus BlueCross BlueShield. “We know from earlier studies that Upstate New York’s uninsured rate is considerably lower than national and state rates, but having a better understanding of who are the uninsured in our communities can be helpful in spotting opportunities to enhance access to coverage,” said Arthur Vercillo, regional president, Excellus BlueCross BlueShield. The Excellus BlueCross BlueShield study used U.S. Census Bureau surveys conducted from 2008 through 2010 to determine the health insurance status of those Upstate New York adults who are considered to be of traditional working age (18 to 64 years old). The report found high uninsured rates among those who: • Resided in households with annual earnings of less than $50,000. The uninsured rate among those who resided in households that earned less than $50,000 per year was 22.6 percent, more than double the rate among those living in higher-income households (9.3 percent). • Were younger than 35. Of any adult age group younger than 65, those 35 and younger had the highest uninsured rate (21.3 percent). • Were underemployed or unemployed. The uninsured rate among those who were unemployed or worked parttime was 23.9 percent, compared to 10.3 percent among those who were employed fulltime. • Were not educated beyond high school. Almost one in five (19.4 percent) Upstate New York adults who had no formal education or training beyond high school was uninsured, versus 10.6 percent of those who had at least some technical or college education after high school graduation. • Were of a minority race/ethnicity. The uninsured rate among non-Hispanic blacks was 21.9 percent, about 68 percent higher than that among nonHispanic whites (13.0 percent). • Were single. About 22 percent of single individuals were uninsured, versus 10.6 percent of those who were or had been married. The study also noted disparities in the distribution of demographic characteristics among the uninsured versus the total population. For example, those whose annual household earnings were less than $50,000 represented the majority (59 percent) of the unin-

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part-time accounted for more than onethird (35.3 percent) of the uninsured, although this group made up less than one-fifth (21 percent) of the employment distribution of the total Upstate New York adult population. “Today’s Excellus BlueCross BlueShield report, which reflects national patterns, calls attention to population groups that are most at risk

sured, but reflected only 37 percent of the population’s income distribution. Also, Upstate New York adults who were unemployed or employed

for lacking health insurance coverage,” said Vercillo. “It shows that groups which include minorities, the young, the single and the socioeconomically disadvantaged are at highest risk.” To access the complete study, go to excellusbcbs.com, select “News & Information” at the bottom of the page and then choose “Fact Sheets, Surveys & Reports.”

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Source: Henriksen, Schleicher, Feighery and Fortmann. Pediatrics: The Ofﬁcial Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, July 19, 2010. DOI: 10.1542/peds.2009 3021

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IN GOOD HEALTH – CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • May 2012