In Good Health: CNY #266 - February 2022

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FEBRUARY 2022 • ISSUE 266

You’re Not Getting Enough

VITAMIN D Many of us in Upstate New York are vitamin D deficient. Is it a big deal? We chat with local experts about why that’s the case and what we can do to cope with the problem. P. 14

ALSO INSIDE: COVID-19: One in 10 People May Still Be Infectious After 10 Days. P. 7 SMART BITES: Move Over Meat, it’s Tempeh Time! P. 15 GOLDEN YEARS SPECIAL. P. 10

HELPING OTHERS BE HEALTHY A certified cancer exercise specialist, Beth Ann Dice focuses particularly on helping women who experience chronic pain. P. 18

SKIPPING THAT ANNUAL PHYSICAL? THINK AGAIN TEENS AND SOCIAL MEDIA USE Is your teen staring at her smartphone all day? Experts offer advice in this month’s Kid’s Corner. P. 8

Time to Ditch the

READING GLASSES

VUITY is a new prescription eye drop that can help correct age-related blurry near vision (presbyopia) in adults, has recently been approved by the FDA. Within about 15 to 30 minutes of using the drops, patients experience a notable improvement of their near vision. P. 2

New Eye Drops Eliminate the Need for Reading Glasses Patients must have a thorough, dilated eye exam before obtaining a prescription of Vuity

“It can cause redness,” Farugia said. “It’s a mild drop, but when you constrict a pupil, you’re at a higher risk for a retinal detachment.”

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

A

re you “playing trombone” with your phone or reading materials?

Perhaps you’ve bought a pair of reading glasses—or two or three— and still never manage to have them when you need them.

Now you have another option: VUITY (pilocarpine hydrochloride ophthalmic solution). The FDA-approved prescription eye drop can help correct age-related blurry near vision (presbyopia) in adults aged 45 to 55.

Dana Mitchell, optician with Malara Eyecare & Eyewear Gallery in Liverpool, has not yet prescribed VUITY. However, “the convenience would be awesome for patients who want to try it. Wearing a mask fogs up their reading glasses. Or they don’t like how they look in reading glasses.”

Patients use it once daily and can gain improvement in their near vision by three lines on an eye chart.

Those who wear contact lenses for their far vision can use VUITY if they wait at least 10 minutes between administering the drops and putting in their contact lenses. Contact lenses tend to absorb chemicals, including medication.

Within about 15 to 30 minutes of using the drops, patients experience a notable improvement of their near vision that peaks for one to two hours. For the next three to 10 hours, the effect dissipates. This could help

Important Safety Information

someone on the go who does not want to bother carrying reading glasses all the time.

“If they’re a good candidate for it, its effectiveness depends on their age and their strength of glasses,” Mitchell said. “These all play a role.”

VUITY works by temporarily constricting the pupil.

“That increases the depth of field, allowing you to read better,” said John J. Maurillo, optometrist and owner of Village Visions in Skaneateles. “VUITY has a few other things in it to make the drug not burn the eyes as much. It’s buffered a little with other chemicals.”

He said that it costs about $80 a bottle, which would last about three to four weeks. He would recommend

it for patients who occasionally want to go out without their reading glasses or bifocal glasses.

“They could use the glasses for distance and the drops for reading,” Maurillo said.

Like Mitchell, he has not yet had any patients want to try VUITY. Insurance does not cover VUITY. Therese Farugia, optometrist with UR Medicine’s Flaum Eye Institute, said that for those who are very farsighted, “it may not help as much.

It gives a very good depth of focus, so it depends on how much the pupil constricts.”

She noted that patients interested in VUITY must have a thorough, dilated eye exam before obtaining a prescription for the drops.

Opening a New Door to Addiction Treatment Addiction affects all, regardless of background, race, ethnicity, gender, religion or socio-economic status.

In recent years, communities across our nation — including Central New York — have experienced alarming increases in the number of people needing addiction treatment services.

As the longest running treatment program in the region, Crouse Health’s Addiction Treatment Services remains committed to our mission to expand access to care and ensure delivery of high-quality addiction and mental health treatment in our community.

We are proud of our new facility that matches the caliber of our staff and provides a nurturing, safe and uplifting environment that is already greatly enhancing our focus on holistic patient care: The Bill & Sandra Pomeroy Treatment Center at Crouse Health.

If you, a loved one, friend or colleague is in need of treatment for substance use disorder, please contact us at 315-470-8304 or visit crouse.org/addiction.

Bill & Sandra Pomeroy Treatment Center in Syracuse. The two-story, 42,000 square-foot facility at 2775 Erie Blvd., East, replaces the 100-year-old former location of Crouse’s outpatient treatment services at 410 South Crouse Avenue.

Page 2 • IN GOOD HEALTH – CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • February 2022

• Do not use VUITY if you are allergic to any of the ingredients.

• Use caution when driving at night or performing hazardous activities in poor lighting.

• Temporary problems when changing focus between near and distant objects may occur. Do not drive or use machinery if vision is not clear.

• If you wear contact lenses, they should be removed prior to VUITY use. Wait 10 minutes after dosing before reinserting contact lenses.

• Do not touch the dropper tip to any surface as this may contaminate the contents.

• If more than one topical eye medication is being used, the medicines must be administered at least five minutes apart.

• The most common side effects are headache and eye redness.

Source: www.vuity.com website:

Go with your heart.

You trust your heart to make all of life’s biggest decisions. And when something’s not right with your heart, you can trust the hospital with the most advanced cardiac care experience in Central New York. Our team has been ranked among the top 15 hospitals in the country for heart surgery by Consumer Reports — and we have been recognized

by U.S. News & World Report as a High Performing Hospital in Heart Attack, Heart Failure, and Heart Bypass Surgery treatment and expertise.

St. Joseph’s Health is safe and ready to care for you and your number one decision maker. Cross our hearts.

A H I G H E R L E V E L O F C A R E | cvi.sjhsyr.org © 2022 St. Joseph’s Health. © 2022 Trinity Health. All rights reserved.

February 2022 • IN GOOD HEALTH – CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • Page 3 SJH10128_CVI-Update_In-Good-Health_9.75x13.75_No-Bleed_V2b-dot-gain.indd 1

1/26/22 10:07 AM

Meet

More Than 10 Million People Died of Cancer Worldwide in 2019

C

ancer remains a major killer, with 10 million deaths reported worldwide in 2019.

More than 23 million new cases were documented globally in 2019, according to researchers at the University of Washington School of Medicine.

By comparison, in 2010 there were 8.29 million cancer deaths worldwide and fewer than 19 million new cases.

Deaths were nearly 21% higher in 2019 than 2010, and cases were about 26% higher, the researchers say.

The study also highlighted the global disparities in treating the disease.

“Ensuring that global progress against cancer burden is equitable is crucial,” said lead author, physician Jonathan Kocarnik, a research scientist at the university’s Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation.

“This will require efforts to reduce disparities in cancer prevention, treatment and survival, and the incorporation of local needs and knowledge into tailored national cancer control plans,” Kocarnik said in a university news release.

The researchers looked at 204 countries and territories, estimating cancer burden and trends.

They found that cancer was second to cardiovascular disease in the number of deaths among 22 groups of diseases and injuries.

Lung cancer was the leading cause of cancer deaths in 119 countries and territories for males and 27 countries and territories for females. Breast cancer was the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among females worldwide, including for 119 countries.

Also, lung cancer, colon cancer, stomach cancer, breast cancer and liver cancer accounted for the most years lived with ill health and disability, according to the study.

There was a glimmer of good news: After adjusting for age, the researchers found death and incidence rates decreased by about 6% and around 1%, respectively.

The age-standardized death rate decreased in 131 countries and territories, and the incidence rate fell in 75 countries and territories.

Researchers called these small declines promising but cautioned there may be setbacks in cancer care and outcomes due to COVID-19.

The report was published Dec. 30 in JAMA Oncology. It is part of the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2019.

Your Doctor

By Chris Motola

Vandana Patil, M.D.

Oswego doctor: ‘One of the best things you can do as a patient is work with your primary care physician to control your risk factors’ Q: How long have you been with Oswego Health?

A: I've been practicing since 2006. This is my ninth year with Oswego Health. I've been with them since 2013.

Q: Our focus this month is on heart health. As a primary care physician, what role do you play in maintaining the heart health of your patients and in screening for any problems that may arise?

A: One of the big things we do is monitor blood pressure. We take readings routinely when patients come into to see us pre-examination.

We also monitor overall health and ask questions about the patient's lifestyle, are they very active, are they eating a healthy diet. We also monitor risk factors. Age is a risk factor. Family history is a risk factor.

Smoking, alcohol, recreational drugs.

And when we have this information in combination with symptoms, then we'll look into diagnostics to confirm our suspicions. So there are a lot of things that go into primary care considerations when we're looking for coronary artery disease.

Q: What kinds of interventions can you do at the primary care level if you detect a problem with a patient's heart health?

A: A lot of it is monitoring changes and progress, trying to help patients reduce their body mass index (BMI). One of the best things you can do as a patient is work with your primary care physician to control your risk

Page 4 • IN GOOD HEALTH – CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • February 2022

factors. This is where having a regular primary care physician can help, because they can get to know you better, which will help them to detect symptoms that are irregular for you, whether that's unusual chest pains, elevated heart rate, palpitations, or difficulty with physical activities.

Then we can move on to the relevant testing based on the symptoms you have. That's how we make a diagnosis. So my recommendation is to have a regular primary care physician.

Q: Has it been harder to maintain that kind of continuity of care during the pandemic?

A: We did have some problems in the beginning. We were relying on telemedicine for the first few months, but quickly realized that it was not enough. I think we were one of the first in the area to start seeing patients in the office again. So we've been seeing our sick patients almost all along, as well as doing video appointments. We're even now seeing patients in the office who are COVID-positive. So things have gotten better. Initially it was tough when the pandemic started.

Q: What are you able to do effectively with telemedicine at this point?

A: Telemedicine can mean both phone and video appointments. A lot of people prefer the video appointments because they at least allow the physician to see them.

It's a bit more helpful for the physician, too. If a patient is complaining about having a shortness of breath and I can both see and hear that they're struggling

to complete their sentences, that's very helpful to me. Unfortunately we do have patients who don't have a smart phone or computer app. So for them we have to just do a phone call.

Q: How have you gone about alleviating patient concerns about COVID-19 so that you're able to see them in person more often?

A: One thing we've done is try to limit the amount of time patients spend in the building. We have patients call when they've arrived and we have them wait out in the parking lot until the nurse is ready to put them into the examination room.

So this limits exposure of healthy patients to sick patients. They're waiting in their cars instead of the waiting room.

Q: For patients who have had their active lifestyles disrupted, particularly this time of year, but still want to keep active, what kind of advice do you have?

A: It's been hard for a lot of patients who aren't able to go the gym to get their exercise. I usually suggest floor exercises. There are a lot of routines and exercises you can find on YouTube that you can do at home. For my elderly patients I've been recommending that, every hour, they walk around for five minutes, holding the dining room chair if they need to. And they would do that for eight hours out of the day. So that's about 40 minutes of walking for the day even though they're only doing five minutes at a time. If you have a pet, walking your dog can be a good excuse to go outside for 15-20 minutes in the morning and evening. Shoveling snow is a very strenuous physical activity, so if you need exercise you may want to use a shovel instead of a snowblower. And if you're healthy enough to handle the cold, taking a walk outside bundled up, even if it's slow can be good exercise. Even if you don't want to be outside for very long, you can do 15-20 minutes twice a day.

Q: Do you have a favorite home workout?

A: I usually use YouTube to find some. I personally like Jillian Michaels. Another thing people can do is take advantage of local programs.

I had a patient who was doing a free exercise program in the local municipal building three times a week.

Some patients may want to ask their local church if there are any activities going on. Even with social distancing there are still a lot of these programs going on. A lot of them are free of charge. And some of them will even host training videos on their websites. They had a video training program for tai chi on their website. But for me, personally, I use YouTube.

Lifelines

Name: Vandana Patil, M.D. Position: Primary care physician with Oswego Health Hometown: Mumbai, India Education: NDMVPS Medical College, Nasik, India Affiliations: Oswego Health Organizations: American Academy of Family Physicians Family: Husband, two sons, 14 and 10 Hobbies: Community gardening; reading

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February 2022 • IN GOOD HEALTH – CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • Page 5

Think You Can Skip That Annual Physical? Think Again

D

espite calls from some leading health experts to scrap annual physicals because they are a waste of time and money, a new study finds advantages to routine screenings.

“While it is disappointing that I can’t tell my patients a visit with me or my colleagues will help them live longer, it is good to know there are proven, measurable benefits,” said senior study author, physician Jeffrey

Linder. He is chief of the division of general internal medicine and geriatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, in Chicago.

To come to that conclusion, the Northwestern team reviewed 32 studies conducted between 1963 and 2021.

There is no solid evidence that regular check-ups help adults live longer or prevent major cardio-

vascular problems like heart attacks or strokes, but they do provide many health benefits — especially for at-risk people — and should continue, the researchers concluded.

At-risk people include: ethnic and racial minorities; those overdue for preventive services who have uncontrolled risk factors; low self-rated health; those who don’t have a single source of trusted care; or those who live in regions with poor access to primary care providers.

Routine check-ups — not necessarily every year — can lead to better detection and treatment of chronic illnesses such as depression and high blood pressure, an increase in vaccinations and screenings for diseases like cancer, and improvement in how patients actually feel after a visit, according to the study published

June 8 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

“I was surprised at how many benefits we found when we dug into the data, given the negative messaging around these exams,” said study first author David Liss, research associate professor of medicine (general internal medicine and geriatrics) at Northwestern.

“Especially when it relates to patient-reported outcomes. If you walk away feeling healthy, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy,” Liss added in a Northwestern news release.

“I think a lot of the critics meant to say ‘Don’t do these annual exams for low-risk patients,’ but the message came out to not do these exams at all, which is problematic,” Liss noted.

9.7% increase was not due to claims.

The majority of the increase was due to CMS providing needed financial support to hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, testing sites, physician practices and every state to weather the crisis. If this emergency funding for providers is excluded, the net increase in healthcare spending due to claims was about 2%. Compared to normal non-COVID-19 years, a 2% increase in costs due to claims is relatively low. That can be attributed to people still delaying care and hospitals having to cancel elective surgeries again. Consequently, because of profit limits established by the ACA, commercial insurers rebated over $2 billion to consumers via premium credits, check or debit cards in 2020.

The rebate was $1.3 billion in 2019.

The omicron variant is the monkey wrench making it difficult for industry analysts and actuaries to predict 2022 costs. Once again, as in 2020, hospitals and surgery centers are forced to cancel elective surgeries in reaction to the continuing pandemic and staffing shortages. A recent survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation revealed almost half of us did not bother to seek care due to household financial constraints and high out-ofpocket costs.

ment action, which involved 345 charged defendants across 51 federal districts, including more than 100 doctors, nurses and other licensed medical professionals. These defendants were collectively charged with submitting more than $6 billion in allegedly false and fraudulent claims to federal health care programs and private insurers, including more than $4.5 billion connected to schemes that involved telemedicine fraud, more than $845 million connected to substance abuse treatment facilities, or “sober homes,” and more than $806 million connected to other health care fraud and illegal opioid distribution schemes across the country. This enforcement initiative included cases charged during an unprecedented national health emergency.

Healthcare in a Minute

By George W. Chapman

Provider Burnout: Many Physicians, Nurses Inclined to Retire Earlier Than Planned

A

recent survey by the American Medical Association (AMA) revealed 20% of physicians and 40% of nurses are inclined to retire or quit, earlier than planned, within two years. In addition to early retirement, about a third of these providers intend to decrease their hours until then in order to reduce stress, get their lives back and avoid potential infection or illness. Industry observers, the AMA and the ANA, are predicting new medical and nursing school graduates will not fill the near

future deficit. The AMA estimates the annual impact of earlier retirement and reduced hours to be $4.6 billion.

The No. 1 complaint after burnout among providers is feeling undervalued. While employers can adopt strategies to mitigate stress and burnout, both nurses and physicians cited the drastic increase in non-compliant, belligerent, demanding and abusive consumers, especially among the unvaccinated, as a major reason for feeling undervalued.

Vaccine Profiteering

companies. These bills typically emanate from services provided to you via your local emergency room. Unsuspecting consumers, who correctly go to their in-network emergency department, unknowingly receive services from an out-ofnetwork contract physician company.

Sometimes, these bills come from the company that supplies the hospital with emergency room physicians.

When it comes to out of network services, your insurance company will often pay you directly based upon what it would have paid an in-network physician. You then get the “surprise” bill from the out of network company leaving you to make up the difference between their bill and the check you received from your insurance company. It is often a difference of hundreds of dollars.

In fairness to hospitals, especially rural and isolated ones, it is difficult if not impossible to attract and retain certain physicians, so they are forced to use outside contract groups.

Contract groups will either have to accept in-network payments from local insurers or go to arbitration to settle with insurers. In any case, the consumer is now held harmless.

Perhaps in anticipation of negotiating prices with Medicare, drug manufacturers raised prices on 434 common drugs an average of 5.2%. Leading the way with higher than average increases were vaccine producers Pfizer, Moderna and BioNtech. Apparently, they really need the money. According to consumer advocate People’s Vaccine Alliance, based on financials released by these three drug manufacturers, collectively they will earn $34 billion in pretax profits. That comes to $65,000 profit a minute or $93 million a day. Nearly all (99%) of their vaccine supplies have been sold to wealthy countries, leaving the poorer countries to fend for themselves. Despite more than $8 billion in R&D funding from the US taxpayers, all three drug companies have outright refused to share their technology or know–how with struggling countries. The US has struck a “deal” to purchase 20 million doses of Pfizer’s anti-viral drug, Paxlovid, for more than $10 billion. The anti-viral pill and vaccines will result is sales between $50 billion and $60 billion.

No More Surprises

Effective January 2022, you will no longer be liable for what has been deemed “surprise medical bills.”

These are bills from contract physician companies that are considered out of network by your insurance

2020 Costs

Total healthcare spending increased a staggering 9.7% in 2020.

(It increased 4.3% in 2019. The jury and data are still out for 2021.) But that is misleading as most of the

Page 6 • IN GOOD HEALTH – CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • February 2022

Funding Terrorism?

A federal circuit court will review a unique complaint, filed under the federal anti-terrorism act, against drug manufacturers Pfizer, AstraZeneca, J&J and Roche. The complaint, filed on behalf of the 395 Americans either killed or wounded in Iraq, alleges the pharmaceutical companies won contracts by bribing officials in the terrorist-controlled (Jaydsh al-Mahdi) Iraq health ministry. The funds were then used to finance attacks on Americans. The four companies have denied the charges.

Fraud

In September 2020, the Criminal Division’s Health Care Fraud Unit organized and led a historic national takedown, in collaboration with USAOs, HHS-OIG, FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration and other federal and state partners. Assistant Attorney General Brian Rabbitt announced this nationwide enforce-

Climate Change and Health

The healthcare industry knows that curing cancer and saving lives on one hand is all for naught if on the other hand carbon emissions are killing more than saved. Five percent of global carbon emissions are from healthcare. (That’s more than the aviation industry.) In the US, healthcare accounts for 10% of carbon emissions. For the first time, the 2021 U.N Climate Change Conference listed public health as a priority. The Health Care Without Harm advocacy group is lobbying Washington to establish an Office of Climate Change and Health Equity. HCWH president Gary Cohen succinctly summarizes their philosophy proclaiming “You can’t have healthy people on a sick planet.” The advocacy group has established a formal coalition of 600 hospitals to develop climate change solutions for the industry and the government.

George W. Chapman is a healthcare business consultant who works exclusively with physicians, hospitals and healthcare organizations. He operates GW Chapman Consulting based in Syracuse. Email him at gwc@gwchapmanconsulting.com.

One in 10 People May Still Be Infectious for COVID-19 After 10 Days

O

ne in 10 people may have clinically relevant levels of potentially infectious SARSCoV-2 past the 10-day quarantine period, according to new research.

The study, led by the University of Exeter and funded by Animal Free Research UK, used a newly adapted test which can detect whether the virus was potentially still active. It was applied to samples from 176 people in Exeter who had tested positive on standard PCR tests.

The study, published in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases found that 13% of people still exhibited clinically relevant levels of virus after 10 days, meaning they could potentially still be infectious.

Some people retained these levels for up to 68 days. The authors believe this new test should be applied in settings where people are vulnerable, to stop the spread of COVID-19.

Professor Lorna Harries, of the University of Exeter Medical School, oversaw the study. She said: “While this is a relatively small study, our results suggest that potentially active virus may sometimes persist beyond a 10-day period, and could pose a potential risk of onward transmission.

Furthermore, there was nothing clinically remarkable about these people, which means we wouldn’t be able to predict who they are.”

Conventional PCR tests work by testing for the presence of viral fragments. While they can tell if someone has recently had the virus, they cannot detect whether it is still active, and the person is infectious. The test

used in the latest study however gives a positive result only when the virus is active and potentially capable of onward transmission.

Lead author Merlin Davies, of the University of Exeter Medical School, said: “In some settings, such as people returning to care homes after illness, people continuing to be infectious after 10 days could pose a serious public health risk. We may need to ensure people in those setting have a negative active virus test to ensure people are no longer infectious. We now want to conduct larger trials to investigate this further.”

Animal Free Research UK CEO, Carla Owen, said: “The University of Exeter team’s discovery is exciting and potentially very important.

Once more, it shows how focusing exclusively on human biology during medical research can produce results that are more reliable and more likely to benefit humans and animals.

“Pioneering animal free work is providing the best chance of not only defeating COVID-19 but also finding better treatments for all human diseases.

“The results also send a loud and clear message to the government to better fund modern medical research and make the UK a world leader in cutting edge, kinder science.”

The research is a collaboration between the University of Exeter Medical School, the Royal Devon & Exeter NHS Foundation Trust, and the NIHR Exeter Clinical Research Facility.

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February 2022 • IN GOOD HEALTH – CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • Page 7

Live Alone & Thrive

By Gwenn Voelckers

Practical tips, advice and hope for those who live alone

Will You Be Mine? Dating Tips for Finding that Special Someone

I

’m often asked by readers and those who have attended my “Live Alone and Thrive” workshops whether I ever date.

My answer is unequivocally “yes!”

More often than not, people are surprised by my answer.

I like the question, because it gives me a chance to remind everyone that living alone with success isn’t about mastering the art of becoming a hermit. It doesn’t mean abandoning the idea of sharing a life with someone special.

I’ve said it before and it bears repeating: Living alone doesn’t mean being alone. Many people satisfy their need and desire to be with others by developing a great group of friends, including family members. Some want more though, and long for romance and the exclusive domain of a loving relationship.

It is to this latter group that I dedicate this column.

If the idea of dating in mid-life following the loss of a long-term relationship or marriage seems daunting, know that you are not alone. I’ve talked with many older women and men who have resigned themselves to “terminal singlehood,” after having tried unsuccessfully to enter the dating scene.

It only takes a few disappointments and rejections to send people

running for cover. But like any challenge, if you approach dating with care, a satisfying and lasting relationship is possible at any age.

Below are a few tips I’ve assembled from my own experience and the experiences of others that may help you jump-start your search for a loving companion: • Define what dating means to you. If you haven’t dated in years (perhaps in decades), the term “dating” may suggest the first step in a predictable path to marriage.

These days, dating is, well, dating. And you can define it anyway you like.

Maybe you’re looking for a number of companions with whom you could enjoy movies, dinner, intimacy, etc. Perhaps you just want someone to join you for special events. Or you may be on a serious quest to find a new life partner.

Your definition — your dating goal — will shape the style and pace of your search.

• Know what you’re looking for. I remember reading a magazine article recently in which the author detailed her experience of writing down all the things she wanted in a man, and then — lo and behold — having the man of her dreams stroll

right into her life.

Was it coincidence? Magic? Who knows, but the exercise has merit.

Thinking about what you want as well as what’s unacceptable will help you refine your search and improve your chances of finding a compatible partner.

• Be yourself. This is no time to try to become the person you wish you were or you think others will find attractive. One of the advantages of being a little older is increased self-awareness and the confidence to be who you truly are.

Accept and embrace yourself “as is.” Pretending to be otherwise will only compromise your chances of meeting someone who loves you just the way you are.

• Spread the word. If you want to meet someone, make your search a priority and let friends and family know you’re looking. Don’t be apologetic about expressing your desire to find a companion.

It might sound like this: “You know it’s been a while, and I’m feeling ready to meet someone. May I ask a favor? Would you keep me in mind if you run into someone you think might be a good fit for me?”

Other ways to initiate your search include joining a matchmaking website or by subscribing to a dating service. Having had no experience with these methods, I can only offer this bit of cautionary advice: It’s potentially risky, so take precautions.

There’s a lot written on this subject, so conduct a web search to learn how best to protect yourself.

Page 8 • IN GOOD HEALTH – CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • February 2022

• Have fun and keep your expectations in check. We’ve all suffered the occasional bad date or rejection. Try not to let that stop you from meeting new people and pursuing that special someone.

Dating, just as networking for a new job, can put you in the company of interesting, stimulating people.

Even if your heart doesn’t go pitter-patter, you’ll be out in the world and expanding your experiences and circle of friends. So give it a whirl.

Muster your courage and pick up the phone, sign up, or show up to fulfill your heart’s desire.

• Put yourself with like-minded people. Do you like music? Are you an athlete? Is reading your passion?

Gwenn Voelckers is the founder and facilitator of Alone and Content, empowerment workshops for women and author of “Alone and Content,” a collection of inspiring essays for those who live alone. For information about her workshops, to purchase her book, or invite her to speak, visit www. aloneandcontent.com

s your teen staring at her smartphone all day? There are many things parents can do to protect kids from the potentially negative effects of social media, experts say.

While there are positive aspects to social media, there’s evidence it can pose risks to teens’ mental health due to issues such as bullying, body image concerns and other social pressures.

“The reality is that social media is part of the world we live in, and it’s not going away,” said Mari Radzik, a clinical psychologist in the division of adolescent and young adult medicine at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.

“We can’t just take away our kids’ phones or computers. It’s about figuring out how we can guide them on using and navigating these tools,” Radzik said in a hospital news release.

Some signs of social media-related problems in teens include changes in mood, eating and sleep habits, as well as isolating in their room. In such cases, parents might want to begin a discussion about their teen’s social media use by using “I” instead of “you” statements, Radzik suggested.

Instead of saying, “You’re on Instagram way too much and that’s bad for you,” try, “I noticed this and I’m really worried. Can we talk about it?” If your teen doesn’t want to talk at that moment, let them know you’ll be there when they feel ready.

“Berating will make a young

person shut down,” Radzik said. “Or sometimes parents will dig through their child’s social media accounts and that can feel invasive. The approach has to come from a place of caring and concern, rather than something punitive or accusatory.”

Parents should check in frequently and pay attention to their teens’ media use, said Sarah Voyer, lead social worker in the division of psychiatry at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.

Parents may want to ask their teens how they use social media -— do they share updates with their friends, follow certain celebrities or influencers, or are they seeking some kind of advice or help — and how they feel when they use it, Voyer said.

If you’re certain that social media is affecting your teen’s mental health, suggest they take a break or even delete their account.

“There are some kids who can break the cycle, and sometimes it takes the parent to help with that,” Radzik said.

Before a child begins to use social media, parents should set parameters, according to Radzik.

“It can be problematic when children are given regular access to cellphones at an early age,” she said. “I understand the need to use it at times, especially age-appropriate material. But as parents we need to encourage a curiosity of the world around them and use creativity tools rather than rely on social media all the time.”

I

Worried About Your Teen’s Social Media Use? Experts Offer Help

Or birdwatching? We all enjoy being with people who share our interests.

One way to kick-start your dating adventure is to attend gatherings, classes, and social functions that attract the kind of partner you are looking for.

I’ve heard from many happy couples who met on the pickleball court, in a book club, hiking group just for singles, dance lessons that didn’t require partners, or in a support group that caters to divorced or widowed men and women. Others met while volunteering or supporting a cause they believe in.

To be successful, you need to get out of the house.

AEDs, CPR, and How You Can Save a Life

By Lorna Fitzpatrick, MD

Y

ou’ve seen signs posted in public places that an AED is on the premises. AED stands for automated external defibrillator — or, more accurately, semi-automated since a human operator is needed.

Did you know that the purpose of an AED is to stop the heart, rather than start it? More on that later. First, let’s clarify two common cardiac terms.

A “heart attack” is a plumbing issue — an artery that brings blood to the heart is blocked. Victims are usually conscious, and while they need medical attention quickly, an AED is not needed because the heart is beating, and the victim is breathing.

“Sudden cardiac arrest” is an electrical issue, and occurs when the heart’s electrical system unexpectedly malfunctions. Without warn-

ing, the victim collapses and stops breathing. The heart is electrically active, but beating chaotically and unable to pump blood to the brain and other organs. Medical attention is needed immediately, or the victim will die. The technical term for this is ventricular fibrillation (V-fib or VF).

More than 300,000 Americans outside of hospitals die each year from sudden cardiac arrest, according to the American Heart Association. With V-fib, immediate CPR and ready access to an AED is the only hope while 911 is called.

Sudden cardiac arrest may be reversed if CPR is immediately performed, and an AED is used within minutes to shock the heart into stopping its chaotic rhythm.

Once the heart is stopped, its own natural pacemaker may re-establish a life-sustaining pulse. AED train-

ers compare the administration of a heart-stopping shock to unplugging a home computer when it’s acting up, letting it sit for a minute, and then plugging it back in to reboot.

Underwriting grants from Excellus BlueCross BlueShield have placed AEDs into service across Central New York, including with the Syracuse Police Department, the Town of DeWitt Police Department and the sheriff’s offices of Cayuga, Cortland, Jefferson, Lewis, Onondaga, Oswego, St. Lawrence and Tompkins counties.

These AEDs issue spoken commands to coach even an untrained layperson in their use, and also in the proper administration of CPR. If the device detects a shockable rhythm, it will provide voice instruction on how to deliver an electrical charge. If it doesn’t detect a shockable rhythm, it will not allow a shock to be administered. The absence of any cardiac electrical activity is commonly called a “flat line.” For those victims, CPR offers the only chance for survival until medical professionals arrive.

Now that you know more about CPR and AEDs, your homework is to become more than an untrained layperson. Go online to RedCross. org or Heart.org and find a CPR class near you.

Physician Lorna Fitzpatrick is vice president for medical affairs and medical director at Excellus BlueCross BlueShield.

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February 2022 • IN GOOD HEALTH – CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • Page 9

My Turn Optimal Medical Therapy for Heart Issues

By Eva Briggs, MD

Stents aren’t always the only option

O

ften when people hear the diagnosis of coronary artery disease, they assume that it will and should be treated with stents or bypass surgery.

But for many, perhaps most, the treatment of choice to prevent a heart attack is medicine, called optimal medical therapy.

Why should this be so? It seems like a simple plumbing problem. An

artery is blocked, so shouldn’t it be cleaned out like a clogged drain?

Your heart has about 60 centimeter of large arteries and another 60 centimeters of smaller arteries. That’s a total of almost four feet!

A stent measures only one centimeter long. An area that appears narrowed on a study such as a cardiac catheterization may not be the site of a future heart-attack causing

C E N T R A L

N E W

blockage. Most blockages happen when plaque lining a coronary artery breaks off and disrupts blood flow.

Placement of a stent still leaves large lengths of diseased heart arteries untreated.

There are three main groups of medicines used to treat coronary artery disease. Blood thinners reduce the likelihood that blood will clot.

Beta blockers slow the heart rate and lower blood pressure to reduce the heart’s work. Lipid lowering drugs reduce cholesterol which forms plaque in the lining of arteries.

The best studied blood thinner in heart disease is aspirin. For most people one baby aspirin (81 mg) is effective. This low dose poses less risk of unwanted bleeding such as from the gastrointestinal tract. For patients without heart disease, daily aspirin is usually not recommended to prevent heart attack because the risks outweigh any benefit.

Clopidogrel is a blood thinner that works as well as aspirin and is recommended for patients who have a stent. In some special circumstances, patients with stents may be prescribed dual antiplatelet therapy: both aspirin and clopidogrel.

Beta blockers are the drug of choice for angina (chest pain caused by decreased blood flow to the heart muscle.) They also improve survival when given during the first three years after a heart attack.

The preferred lipid lowering drugs are statins, such as simvastatin or atorvastatin. When I started practice, doctors tried increase the dose until the patient’s cholesterol

numbers dropped to a certain level.

Now the recommendation is to prescribe a recommended dose of these drugs. They appear to have an effect to decrease the chance that plaque in the arteries will rupture, independent of lowering the cholesterol. Another lipid lowering drug is niacin, which has been touted as a natural alternative. Unfortunately, it does not improve outcomes but does have many side effects, such as flushing.

Fibrates are a class of drugs that do lower the risk of heart events but not the risk of stroke or the risk of death from cardiovascular disease. These drugs are beneficial for patients who can’t tolerate statins.

Nitroglycerin relieves angina pain quickly. It loses its potency once the vial is opened. If it doesn’t tingle when placed under the tongue, it’s no longer any good.

Heart patients should avoid NSAIDs, a group of pain-relieving medicines that increase the risk of heart attack. Ibuprofen and naproxen are two NSAIDs available over the counter. They should be limited to short-term use for pain not helped by acetaminophen.

Eva Briggs is a retired medical doctor who practiced in Central New York for several decades. She lives in Marcellus.

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Parenting

By Melissa Stefanec

MelissaStefanec@yahoo.com

F

New Year, Same Parent

or many, January is time for reflection and projections.

This chance for a fresh start comes with certain anxieties. Many people, myself included, look back at the ways they fell short last year.

With these failures in mind and earnest intentions, we set the course for the seas of self-betterment.

However, it isn’t long before our intrepid minds crash against the lands of reality. When it comes to changing our habits, we often fail fast and hard. It’s human nature. Old habits die slowly. Thus, many of the goals we set for ourselves are inherently unobtainable.

Most of us aren’t very good at forgiving ourselves for being human.

When we fall short of our New Year’s resolutions, we let guilt rule us. What started as a hopeful journey and a fresh start can quickly turn into a cycle of self-doubt and demotivation.

To sum it up: I don’t think forced resolutions are helpful. In fact, I find them to be the exact opposite.

Meaningful change is incredibly difficult. Change is a journey. And that journey isn’t fleeting.

What if, instead of thinking about all the ways we should be different, we embraced the good in what we’re already doing? What if New Year’s resolutions were things we resolved to keep doing?

I firmly believe that positivity and good habits beget more of the same. So, this year, I’m going to share the parenting habits that I don’t plan to reform. I want to celebrate what I did right last year (and do more of that this year).

Here is my list of things I resolve to keep doing in 2022: • Engage in outdoor activities My family spends a lot of time outdoors. Getting fresh air and moving around is good for our bodies and minds. I’m proud to have raised kids who can spend time outside without getting bored immediately. I resolve that the rain, sun, wind and snow won’t stop us from enjoying one of our favorite things—fresh air.

• Forgive the books, books and books My home’s aesthetic is piles of books. Where some people have sculptures, we have literary clut-

ter. On any given day, my kids are reading pieces and parts of multiple books. My kids are avid readers. I resolve to keep having too many books be our aesthetic.

• Really listen As a parent, I like to think I’m an active listener. I listen to my kids’ stories and problems. I listen to their small talk. I know what is going on their lives. I know who they spend their time with, even when I’m not around, because I listen when they talk to me. It isn’t always easy to listen. Even when I’m tired or overwhelmed, they know I am actually there for them and their words are important. I resolve to keep listening to my kids.

• Follow through When I say I will do something, I usually do it. If I promise my kids we will do something fun, we do it.

When I say there will be consequences for their actions, I follow through on those consequences. Following through isn’t easy; it takes a tremendous amount of time and energy.

However, children thrive with boundaries and consistency. I resolve, no matter how tired I am, I will keep following through.

• Raise kids with a social conscious I try to keep my kids involved with volunteer work and charity. I also engage with them about complicated and controversial topics. I take my job of raising world citizens very seriously. It’s not easy to expose children to the ills of the world, but hiding these ills has serious consequences. This year, I plan to keep finding age-appropriate ways to have my children understand (and change) this world.

• Play family games My kids live for board games and card games. Sometimes, when I have worked a long day and then put in my second shift as a parent, the last thing I want to do is gear up for competition. However, I know how important family games are for my kids. So, this year, I plan to keep making room in my busy days to play.

• Limit screen time Do I use screens to babysit my kids when I need it? Of course, I do.

But, as a general rule, my kids don’t get a lot of screen time. Do they appreciate those limits? No. Are they thankful that I value their healthy brain development over my need for peace and quiet? Nope. But, I won’t let their perfectly normal responses and my desperation change how often they engage with blue light.

• Spend time without my kids From the time my children were little, I’ve made sure to sneak away every now and again. Sometimes, I sneak away with friends. Sometimes, I sneak away by myself. Other times, I get away with my husband. Whether it’s a brunch, run or small trip, I firmly believe that spending quality time without my children makes me a better parent. I resolve to keep making time for such this year.

• Conclusion I hope that this column inspires some other parents to celebrate the things they do right. When we recognize our strengths and believe in ourselves, the good we do will proliferate. Best of all, when we love ourselves and stay positive, we’re being positive role models for our children. So, this year, my fellow parents, let’s resolve to keep doing what we are good at.

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February 2022 • IN GOOD HEALTH – CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • Page 11

10 Mistakes Contact Lens Wearers Make

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

C

ontact lenses offer sharp peripheral vision and freedom from wearing glasses all day.

They have certain care and use rules that help those wearing them reduce risk of injury and increase comfort.

Avoid these mistakes when wearing contact lenses:

8. Wearing lenses too many hours a day.

“The materials are so oxygen permeable that going 16 to 18 hours a day is not a problem,” Gzik said.

“But with close computer work, the blink rate decreases and the lens dehydrates and gets dirty quicker. It may need to be removed sooner.”

1. Handling lenses with dirty hands.

“Always wash your hands before putting them in or taking them out,” said Dana Mitchell, optometrist with Malara Eyecare & Eyewear Gallery in Liverpool. “Wearing contacts increases your risk of infection, so following the rules decreases the risk. Some infections can require eye drops to clear up.”

2. Using the same case for long periods of time.

“Dispose of your case every once in a while,” Mitchell said. “When you get new solution, change the case.

Many manufacturers have a new case in every package of disinfecting solution.”

3. Wearing lenses beyond their scheduled disposal.

“Wear a one-day throwaway lens,” said John J. Maurillo, optometrist and owner of Village Visions in Skaneateles. “It’s the best you can do. There’s a half dozen manufacturers that make those. They breathe well and you can wear them all day without irritation and dryness. Some of the less expensive one-day disposable you can wear seven to 10 hours

implication is you take them out, put them in the case and don’t worry about them. They need to be rubbed for five seconds to remove surface debris, put it in a dry case, then put solution on top. In the morning, after cleaning them and putting them in, dry the case and invert it so the bad guys don’t get it.”

9. Swimming while wearing contacts. and your eyes start to feel dry.”

Otherwise, wear lenses for only the prescribed period of time and clean them according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

4. Sleeping in lenses.

“There is one that is allowable to sleep in a couple nights in a row and disinfect and wear the next day,” Maurillo said. “I’ve had a number of patients do that successfully. But I don’t push it. It’s better to take them out.”

5. Reusing disinfecting solution.

“Change the solution,” Maurillo said. “Dump it when you’re done with it. The efficacy decreases if you leave it in the case for using again.

The disinfectant can break down. You put a lens with bacteria on it in your eye and the next thing you know, you have an infection.” After dumping

the solution, allow the case to air-dry.

6. Using saliva to clean a lens.

“Your mouth is filled with bacteria,” said Mike Gzik, licensed optician and contact lens practitioner with New York Optometric in Syracuse. “People feel comfortable about it because it’s their own body’s saliva, but it’s not a good thing to do.”

7. Improperly Cleaning lenses.

“Debris build-up,” Gzik said.

“You have to use a multi-purpose solution to clean them. Years back, manufacturers had their lens solutions approved for use as a ‘no-rub’ formulation. I thought it was great for marketing but not so much for research and development. How you’re supposed to take care of them with the no-rub solution is to rinse five seconds each side, then repeat that process in the morning. The

“Especially if patients are wearing lens that they do not replace every day, this can cause problems,” said Mark Deeley, a primary care optometrist for Rochester Regional Health. “The microbes and bacteria in a pool, hot tub, lake and fresh water can cause an infectious ulcer.

If you have your head submerged, the bacteria and microbes stick to the lens. Sometimes, multipurpose solutions can eradicate those from the lens. It would be better with a daily disposable. Or you could wear goggles.”

10. Skipping check-ups.

“Just because patients are seeing well and are comfortable in their lenses doesn’t mean the lenses are fitting appropriately, Deeley said.

“People should go in for their contact lens exams to make sure their eyes are truly healthy.”

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Q A &

with Ellen Gutmaker

Arc of Onondaga’s executive director talks about the agency’s mission, staffing problems and the 24/7 nature of the work provided to people with developmental disabilities

E

By Mary Beth Roach

llen Gutmaker has been with Arc of Onondaga for 22 years, and the executive director the agency on Wilbur Avenue in Syracuse since 2013. With about 500 employees, Arc of Onondaga serves about 700 people with 40 sites — residences and day programs — throughout the county.

Q: Can you briefly describe the work of Arc of Onondaga?

A: We provide supports and services to people with developmental disabilities.

Q: What services do you offer?

A: We have residential programs, which are 24-hour supports. We have a community day program; we have a number of day habilitation programs.

We also offer community habilitation.

We support people to be successful in competitive employment and provide training. We have a number of business services; we provide employees to complete contracts, so we’re providing employment to people with

disabilities as well. We’ve evolved as the service delivery system has, to encourage people to be more active and involved successfully in their own community. We provide supports to people. We get funding through what is called our family support services, and through Medicaid services to support people individually.

Q: What is your budget and how are you funded?

A: The budget’s about $26 million and we’re funded partially through Medicaid dollars through the services we provide. We also have some state funding. We also have some state contracts through NYSID, which is the New York State Industries for the Disabled. For example, we have contracts to clean facilities that are what they call NYSID contracts, so we get paid by NYSID to clean facilities.

Q: You’re heading into your 71st year.

Can you talk about the growth and changes of the organization over that time?

A: The entire service delivery system for people with disabilities

Syracuse Community Health Receives Grant to Develop an Urban Family Medicine Residency Program in Partnership with SUNY Upstate Medical University

S

yracuse Community Health Center (SCHC), a NYS licensed diagnostic and treatment center serving more than 30,000 patients in the Greater Syracuse area, has received a grant from the federal Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to develop an urban family medicine residency program.

The new residency program aims to increase the number of primary care providers trained to support the

needs of urban patients and to attract diverse residents, especially those in traditionally underrepresented groups.

The program will be developed in conjunction with SUNY Upstate Medical University’s department of family medicine and the first class of residents will begin the program in July of 2024.

“It is critical that we attract, support and develop a diverse group

has changed over the years. They’ve gone from sort of a medical model to more of a treatment model to a person-centered model. Our services have evolved with it. I’ll give you the best example. Monarch used to have a work center where we completed subcontract work with agency businesses.

A couple of years ago, we closed the work center and made our emphasis on encouraging and supporting people to be competitively employed.

We’ve adapted to the changes in service delivery changes to our entire field. We’ve gotten smaller, more individualized, more community-based support and services because that’s what people want and need to be successful in the community.

Q: You’ve got 500 employees and 700 people that you serve. That’s almost a 1:1 ratio. That’s a real individualized approach.

Could you accommodate more people?

A: Yes, we can. Some of the way we operate is that we can add staff as we add people. Part of it is related to the pandemic, and we have people who we have not even been able to bring back to our services because we don’t have the staff.

Q: In your years as the executive director, what have been some of the challenges and accomplishments with the organization?

A: The pandemic has certainly been a challenge. COVID-19 has had a significant effect on the agency because when everything shut down, we stayed open. We had to continue operating 24/7 in our residential programs and with some of our cleaning contracts. One of the contracts we had is that we cleaned the vaccination site at the Fairgrounds. Operating a program in the midst of the pandemic and trying to keep people healthy and safe was a tremendous challenge.

There is a lot of talk about essential workers and healthcare workers. It’s important to realize that the direct support staff and managers who work in those group homes worked through COVID and those same challenges that everybody faced, we did as well. We continue to struggle with it, as every place does. It also had an impact on our ability to recruit and retain staff. I mentioned that we haven’t even been able to bring everybody back to programs or to run some of our services. At this point, that’s because of staffing.

Adequate funding for services has been a challenge. Some of the accomplishments — I think it was a big accomplishment to close the work center and to become more community-based.

Q: What do you see for the future of the organization?

A: I think we will continue to provide the services that people want

and will continue to adapt how we provide the services based on what people want. We’re actually in the process of renovating what had been our old work center. The upstairs of the Wilbur Avenue building was where the work center was. We are converting basically what is empty space into a different kind of center for opportunities. We’re going to have an art space. We’re going to have some certified day space there. We’re also going to have a training kitchen, so we’re trying to adapt how we provide services and what we’re providing to be what people need and want. So, for someone who, maybe years ago, might have come to us and worked in the work center, we provide different sorts of pre-vocational training in the community to hopefully get them a job and then give them the supports to be successful at that job.

Q: When you talk about integrating people into more of a community-based program, are there any success stories that come to mind?

A: We have tons of success stories. We have a lot of our people who used to be in day-hab and spent all their time at a site, spend time in the community volunteering. We’ve been given community awards, by, for example, Meals on Wheels for the delivery of meals that our day-hab people have been doing. We have a partnership, for example, with TCGPlayers (an online marketplace for collectible gaming cards) in downtown Syracuse, where we have a small group of staff that we employ who do the work of TCGPlayers. Some of those people have disabilities, some of them may not, but one of the people that we previously supported has now been successfully been hired by TCG Players. Those sort of individual success stories are significant.

Q: What do you think might be one or two things that the community-at-large doesn’t know or doesn’t realize about Arc of Onondaga?

A: I think because we dispersed throughout the county, people probably don’t realize how many people we support and the impact on people’s lives.

Q: Can you speak to that impact?

A: When you support in the 24-hour residential program, it’s life-changing for them. It’s a very tough decision to have a family member live in a 24-hour residential program, but one of the ways that families can look at it is that’s a very usual thing. Kids grow up, they move out of their family’s home. They develop independence and become successful and develop their own lives. Our residential programs help people do that, and it helps families realize that for their own family member.

of primary care providers that understand the unique needs of urban communities and this program will focus on that challenge,” said Mark Hall, president and chief executive officer at Syracuse Community Health Center. “We are extremely grateful for this grant and are very enthusiastic about our partnership with Upstate Medical University to develop this very unique program.”

The developMark Hall ment of the program will be achieved by obtaining ACGME accreditation, creating a

comprehensive curriculum focused on urban medicine and matriculating four residents in July of 2024.

“SCHC has a proven commitment to providing complex and necessary care for the entire Central New York community, as well as the underserved inner-city,” said physician Mantosh Dewan, president of Upstate Medical University.

“Upstate’s mission is to improve the health of the communities we serve through biomedical research, patient care and education. This partnership with SCHC will both create an excellent training opportunity for family medicine residents and further Upstate’s commitment to serve our inner-city community.”

February 2022 • IN GOOD HEALTH – CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • Page 13

Getting Enough Vitamin D?

When you’re not ingesting enough vitamin D with your food, supplements can also help

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

I

n addition to your summertime tan, your vitamin D stores have long since disappeared. While excessive sun is not so good for your skin, in moderation, it makes the body generate vitamin D, a pre-hormone that modulates many important bodily systems, including the immune system.

Why is D important?

In addition to regulating functions of the body, vitamin D also helps the body absorb many of its nutrients, such as calcium, magnesium and phosphate.

“They are finding more and more ways the body uses vitamin D,” said Julie Mellen registered dietitian, certified diabetes care and education specialist at SUNY Upstate Medical University.

It reduces inflammation. Low levels of vitamin D have been linked to cognitive decline and osteoporosis.

Who needs more vitamin D? Nearly everyone in North America. The sun is not intense enough from about October through May to trigger production of vitamin D. “A lot of people can’t meet their needs for vitamin D,” Mellen said.

People who are homebound, work indoors or cannot expose their skin to sunlight because of other health conditions may be at especially higher risk for vitamin D deficiency year-round.

Where can we get vitamin D? Primarily, it’s through the UVB radiation in the sun. While too much exposure can cause skin cancer, 20 minutes’ exposure a few times a

week suffices for generating vitamin D. The few foods that offer vitamin D provide so little that most people could not eat enough of them to supply all of their needed vitamin D. “Supplementation is the primary source, unless you’re big into salmon, sunlight, tuna and sardines,” Mellen said.

She added that commercially processed milk and other fortified products such as most boxed breakfast cereals contain vitamin D. Milk processed by an on-farm creamery may not have vitamin D added. Eggs contain vitamin D, but the amount offered by eggs depends upon the chicken’s diet. Mushrooms contain a small amount of vitamin D.

kits available. We have them at my company and there are others out there. They cost $50 or so. You prick your finger and mail it in.”

She added that it may take two to three months to raise vitamin D levels to sufficient levels.

How much D do we need?

As a fat-soluble nutrient, vitamin D is stored by the body if it gets too much. Vitamin D generated through sunlight exposure does not cause toxicity. However, supplemented D can.

Most people older than 70 need more vitamin D than younger people because of malabsorption.

The amount of vitamin D one needs varies depending not only on age but also other health concerns.

“Get a baseline through bloodwork,” Mellen said. “If you’re deficient, you’d want to supplement. The sources aren’t always readily available through diet.”

Laurel Sterling, registered dietitian and nutritionist and educator for Carlson Laboratories, said that most people should take a higher dose of vitamin D supplements from September through May. “Ask to get your levels checked,” she said. “Doctors aren’t always checking this. There are at-home test

So Why Do I Have Vitamin D Pills?

U

nfortunately, doctors do not prescribe a vacation to a sun-soaked island for their patients deficient in vitamin D. Instead, it’s a supplement providing 50,000 international units (IUs) of vitamin D per dose. Over-the-counter vitamin D provides at the most 10,000 IUs. Vitamin D helps the body absorb nutrients. Vitamin D deficiency can cause rickets in children and in adults, hypoparathyroidism, osteomalacia, hypocalcemia, or bone diseases, which is why a prescription is sometimes necessary.

When it comes to learning your risk of cancer – including breast cancer – knowledge is power.

That’s why Hematology-Oncology Associates of CNY is proud to offer comprehensive Cancer Genetics Testing and Counseling with specially trained experts.

Available to anyone – not just HOA patients – Cancer Genetics Testing and Counseling: • helps you and your family make better-informed decisions about your healthcare • is covered by most insurance plans • begins with a simple blood sample To see if Cancer Genetics Testing and Counseling is right for you, talk with your doctor and take our five-minute survey at hoacny.com/cancergenetics or by scanning this code.

Page 14 • IN GOOD HEALTH – CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • February 2022

SmartBites

By Anne Palumbo

The skinny on healthy eating

Move Over Meat, It’s Tempeh Time!

E

ver since I put the breaks on meat consumption, I’ve been on a quest to find plant-based meat alternatives. Like many, I first turned to a popular meat substitute: tofu.

While I certainly like tofu and continue to consume it, I’m now smitten with tofu’s heartier cousin: tempeh (pronounced “tem-pay”).

We met by accident. When I was reaching for some tofu, I happened to notice an ill-placed package of tempeh tucked amidst the tofu. Curious, I picked it up (firm and nubby), read the label (high in nutrients), and decided to throw caution to the wind (a true food romantic!).

What is tempeh? Tempeh is a high-protein meat alternative made from fermented soybeans that have been cooked and compressed into a dense cake. Some versions also contain beans and grains, which is why gluten-sensitive folks should scour ingredient labels. Unlike tofu, tempeh has a meaty, firm texture and an earthy, nutty flavor.

Tempeh has about 20 grams of protein per average serving, an impressive amount that puts it on par with some animal-based sources of protein, like shrimp, tuna, tilapia, and many lean meats. What’s more, its protein is complete, meaning it has all the essential amino acids every body needs. Studies show that a diet high in protein can aid appetite control by increasing fullness and decreasing hunger. For some, this means better weight management; for others, it can mean weight loss.

Looking to shore up your bones?

This tasty meat-alt brims with bone-building minerals: calcium, phosphorous, manganese and magnesium. All four work synergistically

to build and maintain strong bones, which is important in reducing the risk of bone fractures and osteoporosis. In addition, tempeh’s bounty of protein is also a boon for bones, say experts.

Hearts benefit from tempeh in more ways than one. Its soy isoflavones — natural plant compounds — have been linked to reduced cholesterol levels. Studies show that these same plant compounds also have antioxidant properties and reduce oxidative stress by neutralizing toxic free radicals. A buildup of these highly unstable atoms has been linked to many diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. And, unlike the unhealthy saturated fat in some meats, tempeh’s fat is mostly heart-healthy mono and polyunsaturated fats.

An average serving of plain tempeh has about 170 calories, no sodium or cholesterol, good amounts of several B vitamins, iron, and, depending on the kind of tempeh you buy, even some fiber.

Helpful tips Buy tempeh in the refrigerated section of your grocery store, typically near tofu. Check the label: some flavored tempehs have added sugar and salt while others have gluten proteins. Tempeh loves marinades and absorbs flavors better with a thinner slice (1/4 “) or a finer chop. Use grated tempeh as you would ground meat for meatballs, taco fillings, or a meatless “meat” sauce for pasta.

Tempeh BLT (BaconLettuce-Tomato) Bowl Adapted from Salad Samurai Cookbook

Tempeh Bacon Bites 8 oz tempeh 2 tablespoons maple syrup 2 tablespoons soy sauce 1 tablespoon ketchup or hot sauce of choice 1 tablespoon vegetable oil ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon liquid smoke (optional) Olive oil for pan-frying 1 tablespoon water Salad 6-8 cups mixed greens ½ red onion, sliced in half-moons 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, sliced in half 1 ripe avocado, diced Dressing of choice

How Olive Oil Can Add Years to Your Life

S

wapping out the butter or other artery-clogging fats in your diet for heart-healthy olive oil may add years to your life, researchers say.

Folks who consume more than 1/2 a tablespoon of olive oil a day are less likely to die from heart disease, cancer, neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s or lung disease when compared to people who consume less of this healthy fat, a new study finds.

It’s not just adding olive oil to your diet that staves off death from disease, said study author Marta Guasch-Ferre, a research scientist in the nutrition department at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health. “We need to pay attention to overall diet quality and lifestyle, and consistent with our results, the key would be to add olive oil into the diet as a substitution of other unhealthier fats.”

Olive oil is rich in healthful antioxidants, polyphenols and vitamins and is a good source of heart-healthy monounsaturated fats. “One may

speculate that mechanisms related to the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of olive oil may have played a role in these findings,” Guasch-Ferre said.

Olive oil use could also be a marker for a healthier lifestyle. Folks in the study who consumed the most olive oil were more physically active, less likely to smoke and ate more fruits and vegetables than people who consumed less olive oil.

For the study, the researchers analyzed data on more than 90,000 people from the Nurses’ Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study who were free of heart disease and cancer when the study began in 1990. These folks were followed for 28 years. Every four years, they were asked how often they ate certain foods, including fats such as margarine, butter, mayonnaise, dairy

fat and olive oil.

When compared with people who never consumed olive oil, those who consumed more than 1/2 a tablespoon a day had a 19% lower risk of dying from heart disease, a 17% lower risk of dying from cancer, a 29% lower risk of dying from a neurodegenerative disease, and an 18% lower risk of dying from lung disease.

The researchers also developed statistical models to simulate what would happen if a person swapped out 3/4 a tablespoon of margarine, butter, mayonnaise or other vegetable oils with olive oil. This switch reduced the chances of dying from all causes. Substituting olive oil for other vegetable oils such as canola, corn, safflower and soybean didn’t have the same effect, the study showed.

1. Slice the tempeh (widthwise) into ¼-inch thin strips. Then, stack two strips at a time and slice the tempeh into bite-size pieces, about an inch long.

2. In a small metal baking pan (i.e., 9” x 5” loaf pan), whisk together the maple syrup, soy sauce, ketchup or hot sauce, vegetable oil, salt, and liquid smoke until smooth. Add the tempeh bites and gently toss to completely coat with marinade. Let stand for 10 minutes (flip after 5) or cover and chill overnight.

3. Use your fingers or a fork to transfer the tempeh pieces (leaving the marinade behind) to a lightly oiled skillet preheated over medium heat. Lay the pieces in a single layer.

Cook until well browned on one side, flip, and cook the other side until browned, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. After the tempeh is browned on both sides, turn the heat to low, mix 1 tablespoon water into remaining marinade, and then pour the mixture over the bites and cook until the marinade is absorbed, about 1 to 2 minutes more. Turn off heat and cover to keep warm until ready to use.

4. Place the mixed greens, red onion slices, tomato halves, avocado dices, and tempeh bacon in a large bowl. Using your hands or tongs to combine, toss the salad with just enough dressing to moisten completely. Serve and enjoy! *Salad Samurai is my all-time favorite salad cookbook. Although geared to vegans, which I am not, its unique recipes are loaded with flavor and nutrients.

Anne Palumbo is a lifestyle colum-

nist, 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.

The findings are published in the Jan. 11 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Nutritionists not involved in the new study point out that eating a healthy, balanced diet is more important than any one food.

It’s not just the olive oil that confers these health benefits, it’s likely what the olive oil travels with and adds flavor to, said Marion Nestle, professor of nutrition, food studies and public health emerita at New York University.

“Olive oil is part of the classic heart-healthy Mediterranean diet,” Nestle noted. This style of eating includes lots of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds and lean protein, and is low in processed foods. “It’s never about one food, it’s really about dietary patterns,” she said.

Olive oil has calories, and they can add up quickly, Nestle pointed out. There are about 120 calories in one tablespoon of olive oil.

This isn’t a lot of olive oil either, said Meghan McLarney, a dietitian at Nebraska Medicine in Omaha.

“A typical salad at a restaurant has about four tablespoons of dressing.”

February 2022 • IN GOOD HEALTH – CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • Page 15

KIDS HEALTH Special Issue

Rushing sea. Whistling winds. Gulls calling. If you’re missing out on life, friendly support and help are available. Schedules and registration for free programs can be found at hearinglossrochester.org or call 585.266.7890

ADVERTISE IN THE NEXT ISSUE OF IN GOOD HEALTH

Please send an email to editor@CNYhealth.com.

5 A

Things You Should Know About Thyroid 3.

experience weight loss, heart palpitations and tremors because your body is producing too much of the hormone.”

By Ernst Lamothe Jr.

n underactive thyroid can affect your life in many ways.

Hypothyroidism happens when your thyroid doesn’t create and release enough thyroid hormone into your body.

The effect makes your metabolism slow down and is a common condition.

The thyroid gland is a small organ that’s located in the front of the neck, wrapped around the windpipe.

It’s shaped like a butterfly, smaller in the middle with two wide wings that extend around the side of your throat.

“Thyroid disease, whether it is overactivity or inactivity, is pretty common in society,” said Scott Albert, a surgical oncologist at St. Joseph’s Health Hospital in Syracuse. “The issue gets broken down into two aspects either functionally which has various symptoms such as fatigue or anatomical where you have goiters and other growth that is usually managed surgically. It is important to educate people on both issues.”

However the condition does have many stereotypes and misinformation. Albert talks about five aspects of thyroid conditions.

1.Misconceptions

Thyroid-related symptoms can be present in many different medical conditions. Common symptoms include extreme fatigue, brain fog, anxiety, heart palpitations, dry skin, and high blood pressure.

Lower-than-normal T4 levels usually mean you have hypothyroidism.

However, some people may have increased TSH levels while having normal T4 levels. The thyroid helps regulate the heartbeat so it is not pumping blood too fast or too slow.

Yet sometimes thyroid gets blamed for several negative symptoms in your overall health.

“We get people who struggle

with common symptoms that can be attributed to the thyroid glands like weight loss or hair issues that are not always because of thyroid issues,” said Albert. “We perform blood tests and if your thyroid labs come back in the normal limits then generally your issue doesn’t involve your thyroid. We have to move on to another diagnosis if the numbers are not elevated.”

Also a lot of people assume that family history plays no part, which is incorrect.

“One of the main trends is that thyroid issues run in the family,” added Albert. “The autoimmune continue is something that can be hereditary and someone that has rheumatoid arthritis is also someone prone to having autoimmune issues.”

2.Symptoms

Many of the symptoms for thyroid are universal. Thyroid-related symptoms can be present in many different medical conditions.

Common symptoms include extreme fatigue, brain fog, anxiety, heart palpitations, dry skin, and high blood pressure. Lower-than-normal T4 levels usually mean you have hypothyroidism. However, some people may have increased TSH levels while having normal T4 levels. The thyroid helps regulate the heartbeat so it is not pumping blood too fast or too slow. In addition, some may confuse hypothyroidism with hyperthyroidism. The latter, which is diagnosed as an overactive thyroid, has symptoms that include nervousness, anxiety, irritability, difficulty sleeping, fatigue, sensitivity to heat and muscle weakness.

“You can experience a significant decrease in energy and increase in fatigue with hypothyroidism. When those symptoms worsen and don’t go away, that may be a reason to get your thyroid checked,” said Albert.

“People with hyperthyroidism may

Page 16 • IN GOOD HEALTH – CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • February 2022

Causes

Often times hypothyroidism is caused by a condition called Hashimoto’s thyroiditis where a patient’s immune system attacks and destroys the thyroid. Hashimoto’s disease is the most common cause of hypothyroidism.

“Hashimoto’s disease is an autoimmune disease that primarily affects middle-aged women but can also occur in men and women of any age and in children,” said Albert.

In cases of hyperthyroidism, the most common diagnosis is Graves disease. Graves’ disease is caused by a malfunction in the body’s disease-fighting immune system. It’s unknown why this happens. The immune system normally produces antibodies designed to target a specific virus, bacterium or other foreign substance. In Graves’ disease, the immune system produces an antibody to one part of the cells in the hormone-producing gland in the neck Although Graves’ disease may affect anyone, it’s more common among women and in people younger than 40.

A diagnosis is made with a physical examination and laboratory tests that measure the amount of thyroid hormone. Blood tests that measure thyroxine and thyroid-stimulating hormones can confirm the diagnosis.

High levels of thyroxine and low or nonexistent amounts can indicate an overactive thyroid. Occasionally if a patient feels a lump on their neck or throat an endocrinologist will perform an ultrasound or a biopsy.

4.Treatment

For an underactive thyroid, doctors prefer to prescribe levothyroxine. It can also be used to help decrease the size of enlarged thyroid glands, often called a goiter, and to treat thyroid cancer. Levothyroxine comes as a tablet and a capsule to take by mouth. It usually is taken once a day on an empty stomach, 30 minutes to one hour before breakfast.

In rare cases, a doctor can

Scott Albert is a surgical oncologist at St. Joseph’s Health Hospital in Syracuse perform a thyroidectomy, which removes most of your thyroid gland.

Risks of this surgery include damage to your vocal cords and parathyroid glands.

“If you take a portion of the thyroid you can set up a case for scarring and then you have to go back if there are more issues,” said Albert. “If it is thyroid cancer, we will eliminate the lymph nodes around the area.”

Thyroid cancer can be treated with radioactive iodine treatment and no chemotherapy.

5.Diet

When it comes to diet and food, thyroid treatments have mixed messages. Some believe in iodine treatments. Iodine is an element that is needed for the production of thyroid hormone. The body does not make iodine, so it is an essential part of your diet. If you do not have enough iodine in your body, you cannot make enough thyroid hormone, according to the American Thyroid Association. Remedies such as iodine supplements are not viewed as necessary if you live in the United States or most developed countries.

“I don’t want to dispel that diet can have an impact, but significant thyroid issues in various countries come about because of the lack of iodine in their diet. We iodized salt so that isn’t an issue in the U.S.”

For Beth Ann Dice, it’s All About Helping Others to Be Healthy A certified cancer exercise specialist, she focuses particularly on women who are experiencing chronic pain

By Steve Yablonski

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certified cancer exercise specialist, Beth Ann Dice worked with clients more than five years before opening MISSION:midlife Wellness Studio, 215 Cayuga St. in Fulton in 2018.

Her programs aid midlife and older women in leading healthy, fulfilling lives. She focuses on women who are experiencing chronic pain.

It’s the only facility in the area to offer a cancer exercise program.

“I started simple; got lifestyle and weight management certification, while studying for personal trainer certification,” she said. “I then completed the stress management coach certification.” Health isn’t some unrealistic state. It’s “doing all you can do to be as healthy as you can be,” she said.

Her narrow focus on women’s wellness and chronic conditions allows her to better serve those with unique health needs.

She attracts women who “may not be comfortable in a traditional gym or fitness center,” she explained.

She coined a term, “chronic wellness,” where clients focus on the things that are right and healthy and their abilities; instead of whatever diagnosis they have.

Dice uses what she calls her four M method to wellness: meals, movement and mindset. Put them together, they create the fourth ‘M,’ the magic of a healthier lifestyle.

“Wellness is like a three-legged stool with meals, movement and mindset being the legs that hold up the seat, which is the magic, if you will. If you shortchange one or remove one leg, the stool falls over,” she explained. “I want to have an actual three-legged stool built so I can demonstrate this.”

The No. 1 thing she hears from

The Silent Pandemic: COVID-19’s Impact on Mental Health

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orty-one percent of adults report struggling with mental health or substance use, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, up from 20% pre-COVID-19.

Nearly one in three adults now report having symptoms of anxiety or depression.

“Behind the masks, people are hurting,” says physician Geoffrey Hopkins, senior medical director for behavioral health at Excellus BlueCross BlueShield. “As we approach another year of living with COVID-19, even more attention needs to be paid to mental health challenges as our country wrestles with finding its new normal.”

The National Center for Health Statistics, a part of the CDC, is monitoring the situation closely. In April 2020, it partnered with the Census Bureau to conduct an ongoing household pulse survey designed to complement the ability of the federal statistical system to quickly respond to, and provide relevant information about the impact of the coronavirus pandemic in the U.S. The survey is collecting information on symptoms of anxiety and depression experienced by participants.

Results have been consistent since the pandemic began, with 30.8% of respondents reporting symptoms of anxiety and depression in Phase 1 of the survey (April

23 -May 5, 2020), and 27.3% reporting symptoms in Phase 3.2 (Sept.

29 – Oct. 11, 2021). For comparison, a similar pre-COVID NHIS survey conducted in 2019 found just 10.8% of adults aged 18 and over reported symptoms of anxiety disorder or depressive disorder.

“If there’s any good news since the start of COVID, it’s that Americans have embraced telemedicine, with its increased access to behavioral health services,” says Hopkins.

“Patients can see a specific behavioral health provider on an ongoing basis from the privacy of their home, where they feel comfortable and can call at their convenience.” He also points out that in areas that have a shortage of behavioral health professionals, especially those who treat children and adolescents, telemedicine offers patients access to behavioral health services that otherwise may not have been readily available to them.

Specialists providing care via telemedicine for behavioral health treatment include psychiatrists, social workers, psychologists, counselors, and nurse practitioners. Services include treatment of mental health conditions such as generalized anxiety disorders, major depressive disorders, dysthymic disorders, posttraumatic stress disorders and adjustment disorders. Substance use

women when she first meets them is “they just want to feel good.”

“Sure, there’re weight loss goals in there and other health and wellness goals,” she said. “The overwhelming message it all boils down to is they just want to feel good. As I start working with a new client, suddenly weight loss becomes secondary. They’re starting to feel good!”

She’s had more than one client remark, after just a few weeks with her: “I feel so good! I don’t care if I lose another pound” or, “I had another doctor appointment today and they said they don’t know what you’re doing, but keep it up!”

Her most touching message was from a woman who said: “I had to let you know that I just realized that I have been active for more than two hours (doing housework and laundry) and didn’t have to sit down once. I even made my husband lunch for the first time in years!”

“This is the stuff that matters; not the numbers on the scale or measuring tape,” Dice said. “It’s being able to live life to the fullest with your loved ones.”

She shared another favorite memory. One of her first clients, who’s still with her, is a full-time overnight private duty nurse and single mom with two boys, who’s working on her RN degree.

“She came to me not really liking vegetables. As an avid cook and vegetable lover myself, I encouraged her to try new things and shared with her a number of my favorite vegetables and preparation methods,” Dice said. “Now, she sends me veggie recipes and she shares with her boys a love of vegetables.”

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150 E. 1st St. Oswego, NY 13126 315-343-0440 Physician Geoffrey Hopkins, senior medical director for behavioral health at Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, says that special attention must be made to mental health challenges as we enter another year living with COVID-19. disorders treated by telemedicine providers include opioid use disorder, alcohol use disorder, and tobacco use disorder.

“If you’re dealing with mental health issues or substance use, speak with your primary care doctor, or ask your health insurer to help you find a behavioral health provider,” advises Hopkins. “You can get through this, you’re not alone, and you don’t have to suffer in silence behind your mask.”

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February 2022 • IN GOOD HEALTH – CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • Page 17

Golden Years

Deciphering Senior Housing Options

By Jim Miller

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here’s a wide array of housing options available to seniors, but what’s appropriate for your mom or dad will depend on their needs and financial situation. Here’s a rundown of the different levels of senior housing and some resources to help you choose one.

Independent living: If your parents are in relatively good health and self-sufficient, “independent living communities” are a top option that can offer a sense of community.

Typically available to people over age 55, this type of senior housing is usually apartments or town homes that are fully functional. In addition, many communities also offer amenities such as meals served in a common dining area, housekeeping, transportation and a variety of social activities.

To locate this type of housing, contact the county office of the aging (call 800-677-1116 to get your local number), or use an online search tool like Caring.com. Most of these communities are private pay only and can vary greatly in cost ranging anywhere from $1,500 to $6,000 per month.

Assisted living: If your parents need some help with daily living chores, they’ll probably need an “assisted living facility.” These facilities provide help with the activities of daily living — like bathing, dressing, eating, going to the bathroom — as

needed, as well as meals, housekeeping, transportation, social activities and medication management. Many facilities also offer special “memory care units” for residents with dementia.

Costs for assisted living usually run between $3,000 and $6,000 per month depending on location and services needed. Most residents pay for assisted living from personal funds, while some have long-term care insurance policies. And many state Medicaid programs today also cover some assisted living costs for financially eligible residents.

Another similar, but less expensive option to look into is “board and

care homes.” These offer many of the same services as assisted living facilities but in a much smaller home setting.

Your county office of the aging is again a good resource for finding assisted living facilities and board care homes, as is Caring.com.

Nursing homes: If your parents need ongoing medical and personal care or have very limited mobility, a nursing home, which provides 24hour skilled nursing care is the next option. To find a good one, use Medicare’s nursing home compare tool at Medicare.gov/care-compare. This tool will not only help you locate nursing homes in your area, it also

provides a five-star rating system on recent health inspections, staffing, quality of care, and overall rating.

But be aware that nursing home care is very expensive, costing anywhere between $4,500 and $13,000 per month for a semi-private room depending on where you live. Most residents pay from either personal funds, a long-term care insurance policy or through Medicaid after their savings are depleted.

Continuing-care retirement communities (CCRC’s): If your parents have the financial resources, a “CCRC” is another option that provides all levels of housing (independent living, assisted living and skilled nursing home care) in one convenient location. But these communities typically require a hefty entrance fee that can range from $20,000 to $500,000 or more, plus ongoing monthly service fees that vary from around $2,000 to over $4,000. To search for CCRC’s visit Caring.com.

Need Help?

If you’re not sure what your or your parents need, consider hiring an aging life care expert (AgingLifeCare. org) who can assess your mom and find her appropriate housing for a fee — usually between $300 and $800.

Or you can use a senior care advising service like A Place for Mom (APlaceForMom.com) for free. They get paid from the senior living facilities in their network.

Jim Miller is the author of Savvy Senior, a column that runs monthly in In Good Health.

AN EASIER MOVE TO MEDICARE. That’s the Benefit of Blue.

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If you’re turning 65 or retiring, don’t be intimidated by the move to Medicare. You got this – and you have local experts who are here to help.

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Connect with us to explore plans with more of the benefits that matter, lower costs and a trusted network of doctors and hospitals.

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1-877-406-8562 TTY: 711 Open hours: 8:00am – 8:00pm, Monday – Friday

Excellus BlueCross BlueShield is an HMO plan and a PPO plan with a Medicare contract. Enrollment in Excellus BlueCross BlueShield depends on contract renewal.

Our Health Plan complies with applicable Federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex.

ATENCIÓN: si habla español, tiene a su disposición servicios gratuitos de asistencia lingüística. Llame al 1-877-883-9577 (TTY: 711). 注意：如果您使用繁體中文，您可以免費獲得語言援助服務。請致電 1-877-883-9577 (TTY: 711)。 A nonprofit independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association Page 18 • IN GOOD HEALTH – CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • February 2022

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February 2022 • IN GOOD HEALTH – CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • Page 19

Golden Years

CNY Seniors Examples of Health, Resilience

By Megan Plete Postol

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welve Central New York seniors have been selected as “pin ups” on an exclusive 2022 calendar that highlights events and activities around the region and serves as an inspiration of good health.

The 12 seniors serve as examples of how life after 60 can be a optimistic, vibrant and energetic time.

The 60 Strong program is part of a national initiative by Agilon Health and physicians at FamilyCare Medical Group to inspire seniors to make healthy decisions and stay active.

Employment Services and Support to People with Disabilities

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nyone interested in learning about employment services and support available to individuals with a disability is invited to join the community information sessions at ARISE. The sessions take place at 10 a.m. every Wednesday at 635 James St. in Syracuse.

Whether you were born with a disability, developed a disability or became a person with a disability while working, the employment services and supports offered through ACCES-VR Vocation Rehabilitation are designed to help you meet your career goals, from entry-level to professional.

The presentation will include a review of the eligibility requirements, as well as the supports and services available to participants, including career counseling and guidance, benefits advisement and assistive technology.

For more information, contact Darlene Klock at 315-6713083 or dklock@ariseinc.org.

endar for January, overcame devastating injuries after being run over by a snow groomer. He believes key to his recovery was setting goals, pursuing them with a positive attitude, and keeping a sense of humor.

“I learned a lot about the resilience of the human body,” King said.

“A positive attitude and sense of humor makes all the difference in recovery. I think those two things plus setting goals made the difference for me.”

The winners were nominated by family members and friends. They will each appear in front of a local landmark and the calendar will also feature health tips for seniors and provide information about Medicare information sessions and open enrollment.

Kevin Maier appears on the September page of the calendar.

Maier stays busy with hiking, biking, kayaking, swimming, golfing, skiing, snowshoeing, weight training, and volunteering at several organizations. He is been a triathlete for thirty years. He is a regular volunteer at Paige’s Butterfly Run and also volunteers at the Cazenovia and Green Lakes triathlons. Kevin is an active CNY Triathlon Club board member and an event organizer with the Onondaga Ski Club.

“Walking is a very good example of how to start up an exercise program,” Maier said. “My advice would be to make changes that are sustainable.”

The calendars are available for purchase online at www.Syracuse60Strong.com. The cost is $15 for each calendar and all proceeds will benefit the Alzheimer’s Association, CNY Chapter.

Unpaid Caregivers: How Can We Support Them?

include your family or friends about what things matter most to you, how you will accomplish your goals and the help you may need from others.

Together, we can make a difference.

“The program is meant to serve as an inspiration for people who have issues now to face and even for young people,” said physician Mitchell Brodey of FamilyCare Medical.

“If you keep yourself healthy when you’re younger it pays off when you’re older.”

The 2022 60 Strong seniors are Deborah Reinhardt-Youmans, Donna Dunn, George Kilpatrick, Jim King, Joseph Cambareri, Liz Malcolm Scheibel, Mary Jensen, Mary Lou Balcolm, Pat Floyd-Echols, Vicki Brackens, Elliott Bruton and Kevin Maier.

Jim King, who appears in the cal-

By Kimberly Townsend

T

he state of the unpaid caregiver is in crisis — physical, emotional and mental. Consider these statistics from The Bipartisan Policy Center and a recent poll: • About half of 65-year-olds will need long-term care services and supports in their lifetime.

• One in five adults in the U.S. provides support in daily activities to a close friend or family member.

• Another one in five admit that the care they or their family member is receiving isn’t enough, but 75% of them say they can’t afford more.

• Seventy-seven percent of unpaid caregivers are experiencing stress, worsening mental and physical health, and financial strain.

These numbers make one thing clear: We need a safety net for seniors that helps provide the care they need and relief to the family members trying to make ends meet. But how do we get that in place? While a lot of the strain is beyond the control of

Page 20 • IN GOOD HEALTH – CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • February 2022

family and institutional caregivers alike, there are some things we can do to make an impact.

For those caring for family members at home, access to support services is vital. Loretto is truly a safety net provider — caring for the most vulnerable individuals in our region.

For example, PACE CNY (an all-inclusive care for the elderly program) offers an interdisciplinary approach to care using a team to provide the best possible care for their patients.

The team will evaluate an elder loved one and create a plan of care specific to them.

An institutional caregiver, 70% of the people Loretto serves each year are Medicaid-eligible. To ensure its ability to deliver quality patient care, Loretto is focused on sustaining a highly knowledgeable and welltrained workforce by offering competitive pay, benefits and education programs.

Planning for aging and retirement is not a simple task. Loretto recommends initial discussions

Kimberly Townsend is president & CEO of Loretto in Syracuse. She received her BS and MBA from the Whitman School of Management, her JD from Syracuse University College of Law, her MPA from the Maxwell School of Public Administration and her doctorate in executive leadership from St. John Fisher College.

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FCMG is also a proud partner in Salt City Senior Care Advantage – which provides a new approach to care delivery by focusing on preventative care and care coordination resources when you need them.

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February 2022 • IN GOOD HEALTH – CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • Page 21

Golden Years

Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids Coming

Audiologists weigh in on the new hearing aid devices

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

A

vailability of over-the-counter hearing aids may become reality sometime this year.

The Food and Drug Administration recently proposed guidelines on allowing a new class of hearing aids to be sold without a prescription for people 18 and older with mild to moderate hearing loss.

Congress approved OTC hearing aids in 2017. However, the industry has been waiting on the FDA’s guidance. The bill states: “The regulations for over-the-counter hearing aids must: (1) provide reasonable assurances of safety and efficacy; (2) establish output limits and labeling requirements; and (3) describe requirements for the sale of hearing aids in-person, by mail, or online, without a prescription.”

Hearing instruments currently available include personal sound amplification products, which are currently available over the counter and hearing aids, which are prescription-only devices presently. PSAPs are devices for people with normal hearing. These simply ramp up all sound and are used for certain hobbies such as bird watching.

OTC instruments, once available, should offer more sophisticated help than PSAPs, but the FDA is still de-

ciding how to describe and regulate these products.

Hearing aids are much more sophisticated instruments than PSAPs lower cost OTC aids. They help users with hearing loss amplify and make sense of wanted sounds such as conversation. Top-of-the-line models use Bluetooth technology to communicate with each other to boost the user’s ability to locate sound origin.

Some models can transmit phone calls and smart TV output directly to the user’s ears. OTC products will likely be much simpler as the cost associated with this kind of technology would disincentivize many consumers to purchase them.

Clayton Andrews, licensed hearing aid dispenser, nationally board certified in hearing instrument sciences, and owner of Upstate Hearing Solutions in Oswego, sees a few benefits to offering OTC hearing aids, such as helping people enter the market of hearing devices.

“I welcome amplifiers as it’s better than nothing in most cases,” Andrews said. “If you have a moderate to severe loss it won’t work.”

He also views hearing devices as by necessity tailored to the individual’s hearing loss ideally.

“Over-the-counter amplifiers are not something that will sound natural or seamless on one’s ear,” he

said. “They also don’t fit appropriately a lot of times. There’s a huge difference. Relying on amplifiers too long may make it hard to transition to hearing aids eventually.”

Still, it may make hearing devices more affordable for people lacking the means to purchase prescription hearing aids. These start at about $5,000. Over the-counter models could cost as little as $200. Consumers who feel any stigma about obtaining hearing aids may feel more comfortable purchasing devices at a familiar location—their local drugstore—instead of seeking help at a hearing device office.

The bill specifies that OTC devices must have reasonable assurance of safety. This may help reduce risk of injury, since the instruments do not require a professional to adjust them.

The bill’s wording refers to “mild to moderate hearing loss” regarding the patients who would be good candidates. However, Andrews wonders how patients will gauge their own hearing loss.

On average, most people wait seven to 10 years before addressing their hearing loss and do not realize how bad their hearing has become.

Andrews hopes that patients will at least initially visit an audiologist for an exam to see if OTC devices might be appropriate and to seek follow-ups for adjustment to their devices.

Joe Kozelsky, retired audiologist and honorary board member of the Hearing Loss Association of America Rochester Chapter in Fairport, fears that many consumers will not know the difference between a well-made hearing aid and a simpler over-thecounter device.

“On one hearing aid, a circuit process at 56,000 times a second,” he said. “You don’t get that with OTC devices that amplify. It’s not easy to do.

“In addition, hearing aids also monitor the environment to detect the optimal signal you want to hear.

This is happening 500 times a second.

You’ve got these two factors in operation with a hearing aid circuit you don’t have with general headphones or earpieces. Hearing aids are very, very complicated.

“In addition, they ‘talk’ to each other. If someone’s on the left side you want to hear, they turn up the left side and turn down the right side. They record how many hours a day the individual uses the hearing aid. They also know what noise environments you’ve been in during that period of time.”

This type of sophisticated data logging helps hearing aid dispensers

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Page 22 • IN GOOD HEALTH – CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • February 2022

know how they need to adjust aids for the user’s optimal success.

Kozelsky said that a study from the University of Indiana indicates that the level of satisfaction among hearing instrument consumers was much higher with the guidance of a professional than when selecting an OTC device themselves.

“At one time, I queried my colleagues about who could pick out a hearing aid and walk out the door happy, and the consensus was 2% to 5%,” he added. “They’re a lot more complicated than people realize.”

Hearing instruments also need maintenance, cleaning and in some cases, battery replacement (although rechargeable devices are becoming more available).

Kelly L. Thurber is a New York State registered hearing care professional with Empire Hearing & Audiology. The organization’s New York locations include Auburn, Cicero, New Hartford, Rome, East Syracuse, Liverpool, Webster, Penfield, Greece Amherst and Niagara Falls. Thurber compares OTC devices to drugstore reading glasses.

“If your vision is impaired, you should see an optometrist for an assessment and prescription glasses, but if you just need a little help reading small print, a pair of OTC ‘cheaters’ can provide some help,” Thurber said.

In a similar sense, people with hearing issues should seek an evaluation from an otolaryngologist or audiologist to rule out any medical issues before seeking a hearing instrument. Wax build-up, ear infections or tumors could all cause hearing impairment and may be medically addressed. Simply picking up a hearing aid at the drugstore would not address the problem.

For those with an actual hearing loss, a professional exam is still important.

“Without undergoing a comprehensive hearing evaluation from a licensed hearing care professional, the actual degree of loss is unknown,” Thurber said. “The risk is that the brain will not receive the appropriate levels of amplification necessary for proper sound and speech processing with an OTC hearing aid, this could be too little or too much amplification.”

Hearing care professionals have completed training to help them offer custom hearing aid adjustments to the device that can offer the ideal hearing experience for the patient, which is especially important for patients with severe to profound hearing loss.

Services / Products Available:

n Baseline and monitoring testing for chemotherapy and other hearing – harmful medications n Hearing measurements for personal (medical, communication) or occupational (OSHA, DOT, law enforcement) purposes. n Hearing protection counseling and devices for loud recreational (music listening, hunting, motor sports, landscaping) and occupational (professional musicians, fire and police personnel) activities. n Hearing aid selection, fittings and repairs n Tinnitus evaluations and treatment. n If you have any questions or concerns regarding your hearing or how to protect it.

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February 2022 • IN GOOD HEALTH – CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • Page 23

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Page 24 • IN GOOD HEALTH – CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • February 2022

Get Your Social Security Benefit Statement

We’ve made getting your annual Benefit Statement even easier. The Benefit Statement, also known as the SSA-1099 or the SSA-1042S, is a tax form we mail each year in January to people who receive Social Security benefits. It shows the total amount of benefits you received from us in the previous year. You can use this information when you file your tax return, as it shows how much Social Security income to report to the Internal Revenue Service.

If you live in the United States and you need a replacement SSA1099 or SSA-1042S, go online to get your instant, printable replacement form using your personal my Social Security account at www.ssa.gov/ myaccount. Look for your replacement SSA-1099 or SSA-1042S for the previous tax year in your personal account after Feb. 1.

If you don’t have access to a printer, you can save the document to your computer or email it to yourself. If you don’t have a my Social Security account, creating one is very easy to do and usually takes less than 10 minutes.

And that’s not all you can do

Q&A

Q: I will rely on Medicare when I retire.

Can you explain the different parts of Medicare?

A: The different parts of Medicare cover your specific needs. There are four parts, all of which work in tandem to deliver healthcare services: • Part A (hospital insurance): Helps pay for inpatient care in a hospital or skilled nursing facility (following a hospital stay), some home health care and hospice care.

• Part B (medical insurance): Helps pay for doctors services and many other medical services and supplies that hospital insurance doesn’t cover.

• Part C (Medicare Advantage plans): If you have Medicare Parts A and B, you can join a Medicare Advantage plan. Private companies offer Medicare Advantage plans, which are approved by Medicare.

These plans generally help you pay the medical costs not covered by Medicare Part A and B. • Part D (prescription drug coverage): Helps pay for medications doctors prescribe for treatment.

Q: What can I do if my Medicare prescription drug plan says it won’t pay for a drug that my doctor prescribed for me?

A: If your Medicare prescription drug plan decides that it won’t pay for a prescription drug, it must tell

with a personal account. If you receive benefits or have Medicare, your personal my Social Security account is also the best way to: • Request a replacement Social Security number card (in most states and the District of Columbia).

• Get your benefit verification letter.

• Check your benefit and payment information.

• Change your address and phone number.

• Change your direct deposit information.

• Request a replacement Medicare card.

• Report your wages if you work and receive Social Security disability insurance or Supplemental Security Income benefits.

If you’re a non-citizen who lives outside of the United States and you received or repaid Social Security benefits last year, we will send you form SSA-1042S in the mail. The forms SSA-1099 and SSA-1042S are not available for people who receive Supplemental Security Income benefits.

If you don’t have a personal my Social Security account, you can create one today at www.ssa.gov/ myaccount.

you in writing why the drug isn’t covered in a letter called a “Notice of Denial of Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage.” Read the notice carefully because it will explain how to ask for an appeal. Your prescribing doctor can ask your Medicare drug plan for an expedited redetermination (first level appeal) for you, if the doctor tells the plan that waiting for a standard appeal decision may seriously harm your health. For more information, visit www.medicare.gov.

Q: What is the difference between Social Security disability and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) disability?

A: Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) is based on prior earnings. SSDI is financed through the taxes you pay into the Social Security program. To be eligible for a SSDI benefit, the worker must earn sufficient credits based on taxable work to be “insured” for Social Security purposes. SSDI benefits are payable to eligible blind or disabled workers, the widow(er)s of a disabled worker, or adults disabled since childhood.

SSI disability payments are made based on financial need to adults or children who are disabled or blind, have limited income and resources, meet the living arrangement requirements, and are otherwise eligible. SSI is a program financed through general revenues. For more information, visit www.ssa.gov.

By Jim Miller

Tax Breaks for Caregiver of Elderly Parents Dear Savvy Senior, Are there any tax breaks that you know of for family caregivers? I help financially support my 82-year-old mother and would like to find out if I can write any of these expenses off on my taxes.

— Supplemental Sam

Dear Sam, There are actually several tax credits and deductions available to adult children who help look after their aging parents or other relatives.

Here are some options along with the IRS requirements to help you determine if you’re eligible to receive them.

• Tax Credit for Other Dependents: If your mom lives with you and you’re paying more than 50% of her living expenses (housing, food, utilities, health care, repairs, clothing, travel and other necessities), and her 2021 gross income was under $4,300, you can claim your mom as a dependent and get a nonrefundable tax credit of up to $500.

If you happen to split your mom’s expenses with other siblings, only one of you can claim your mom as a dependent, and that person must pay at least 10% of her support costs.

This is called a “multiple support agreement.”

The IRS has an interactive tool that will help you determine if your mom qualifies as a dependent. Go to IRS.gov/help/ita, scroll down to “Credits,” and click on “Does My Child/Dependent Qualify for the Child Tax Credit or the Credit for Other Dependents?”

• Medical Deductions: If you claim your mom as a dependent and you help pay her medical, dental or long-term care expenses, and weren’t reimbursed by insurance, you can deduct the expenses that are more than 7.5% of your adjusted gross income (AGI).

So, for example, if your adjusted gross income is $80,000, anything beyond the first $6,000 of your mom’s medical bills — or 7.5% of your AGI — could be deductible on your return. So, if you paid $8,000 in medical bills for her, $2,000 of it could be deductible. You can also include your own medical expenses in calculating the total.

You should also know that your state might have a lower AGI threshold, which means you might get a

break on your state income taxes even if you can’t get one on your federal income taxes.

To see which medical expenses you can and can’t deduct, see IRS Publication 502 at IRS.gov/pub/irspdf/p502.pdf.

• Dependent Care Credit: If you’re paying for in-home care or adult day care for your mom so you are free to work, you might qualify for the Dependent Care Tax Credit which can be worth as much as $4,000.

To be eligible your mom must have been physically or mentally incapable of self-care and must have lived with you for more than six months. To claim this tax credit, fill out IRS Form 2441 (IRS.gov/pub/irspdf/f2441.pdf) when you file your federal return.

• Flexible Health Savings Accounts: If you have a health savings account (HSA) or your employer offers a flexible savings account (FSA), you can use them to pay for your mom’s medical expenses if she qualifies as a dependent. But be aware that if you use an HSA or FSA to pay for your mom’s medical costs, you can’t take a tax deduction on those expenses too.

For more information, see IRS Publication 969, “Health Savings Accounts and Other Tax-Favored Health Plans” at IRS.gov/pub/irspdf/p969.pdf.

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

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February 2022 • IN GOOD HEALTH – CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • Page 25

Health News Innovative “Shockwave” Technology Gives New Hope to Patients with Heart Disease

C

rouse Health is now offering patients with severely calcified coronary artery disease a new, minimally invasive treatment option that uses sonic pressure to safely break up calcium blockages that can reduce blood flow to the heart.

The shockwave technology, also known as intravascular lithotripsy or IVL, enables physicians to fracture the calcium deposits using sonic pressure waves so the artery can be safely expanded and blood flow is restored with the placement of a stent and without unnecessary complications.

As individuals with coronary artery disease age and their condition progresses, plaque in their arteries turns into calcium deposits, which can narrow or block the arteries.

Physicians often use stents to open narrowed or blocked arteries to restore blood flow.

Of the approximately one million patients who undergo stent proce-

Upstate’s doctor earns Liberty Medal from NYS Senate Stephen Thomas, a virologist and vaccinologist who currently serves as an Upstate Medical University professor of medicine, microbiology and immunology and is director of its Institute for Global Health Stephen Thomas and Translational Science, has been recognized with a Liberty Medal—the highest civilian honor awarded by the New York State Senate—for his work related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Syracuse-area state Sen. John Mannion announced the honor from senate floor Jan. 13. “[Dr. Thomas] is at the forefront of critical advancements related to both vaccine development and large-scale testing implementation,” Mannion said. “Make no mistake, the work of Dr. Thomas and his team has saved untold millions of lives around the world through safe and effective vaccination. There are not enough words to express our gratitude to him.”

In November 2020, Thomas was tapped as lead principal investigator for the world-wide Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine trial. Thanks to Thomas and Upstate’s Global Health team, Central New Yorkers had an opportunity to participate in making history as the area became one of the study’s global phase 3 vaccine trial locations.

Thomas also led the team coordinating the university’s initial response to the pandemic in March 2020.

Thomas also has become one the nation’s leading and most authoritative voices regarding the COVID-19

Crouse Medical Practice interventional cardiologists (from left) Anil George, John Ulahannan, and Joseph Battaglia are now using shockwave therapy to safely break up calcium deposits in coronary arteries. dures each year, 30% have problematic calcium that increases their risk for serious complications. This is because the bone-like calcium deposits make the artery rigid and more difficult or impossible to reopen with

pandemic, offering his perspective of the pandemic in both local and national media, updating the public on vaccines, masking, treatments and clinical trials since the pandemic was declared a global outbreak in March 2020.

Lifetime Benefit Solutions appoints new president Trish Mooney has been appointed president of Lifetime Benefit Solutions (LBS), a subsidiary of the Rochester– based Lifetime Healthcare Companies, with offices in Syracuse, Rochester and Buffalo. LBS offers a full suite of ancillary benefits Trish Mooney and specialty programs to help round out employer’s traditional benefits.

Mooney most recently served as the vice president, operations, process improvement for LBS where she led teams devoted to project management, operation excellence and process optimization.

“With 16 years of experience at our organization, Trish has been a key member of our team as LBS underwent a major transformation and saw substantial improvements,” said Jim Reed, president and CEO of Lifetime Healthcare Companies.

“Through her collaborative relationships and innovative ideas, she has created, designed and implemented a business unit devoted to promoting efficiency and quality across the organization — we are proud to announce this well-earned appointment.”

As president of LBS, Mooney is responsible for overseeing the strate-

Page 26 • IN GOOD HEALTH – CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • February 2022

conventional treatments alone. Such treatments include balloons deployed by a catheter and inflated under high pressure to break up the calcium.

In contrast, Crouse Medical Practice interventional cardiologists Jo-

gic plan and executive leadership for the organization, as well as ensuring that the team of 140 employees is focused on delivering its commitment of providing innovative, customizable, and valuable solutions to members, employers, and brokers.

Mooney began her career at General American Life Insurance Company in St. Louis, Missouri, before joining Excellus BlueCross BlueShield in 2005. During her career, she has served as the director of the system and process optimization team, and director of the enterprise project management office.

A graduate of Central Connecticut State University with a bachelor’s degree in management information systems, she went on to receive her master’s degree in business administration from Webster University and is a certified project management professional and Lean practitioner.

Mooney serves on the board of directors for Greater Rochester Quality Council. She resides in Fairport with her husband, son and two daughters.

HCR Home Care names new director of patient services Karen Reisinger has been promoted to regional director of patient services for HCR Home Care’s Certified Home Health Agency (CHHA) in Central New York.

In this role, Reisinger, a registered nurse, is responsible for the daily Karen Reisinger operations of clinical care and quality, program compliance and operational manage-

seph Battaglia, Anil George and John Ulahannan use shockwave technology to insert a catheter into the artery and inflate a balloon to a low pressure. Shockwave IVL delivers sonic pressure waves that gently break up the calcium deposits in the artery wall. After the calcifications are broken up, the cardiologist expands the balloon to prepare the artery for stenting to improve blood flow.

Approved by the FDA for coronary use in 2020, Shockwave IVL historically has been used to break up kidney stones through lithotripsy, said Battaglia. This treatment has proven to be extremely safe and effective in disrupting rigid calcium deposits in coronary arteries.

“We are grateful to the Mirons for their generous and continued support of our cardiac program, which allows us to provide patients with the latest and safest innovations to treat heart disease and improve lives,” says Battaglia.

Funding for the new technology was made possible by a donation from Diane and Bob Miron, longtime Crouse Health supporters and major donors to the Diane and Bob Miron Cardiac Care Center at Crouse.

ment in the six counties HCR serves in the CNY region.

With more than 25 years of home care experience, Reisinger most recently served as HCR’s director of nursing and clinical manager for the CHHA, interpreting service needs to the director of patient services and acting as administrative liaison to client services. Reisinger has worked at HCR since 2014, starting as a case manager and preceptor.

Reisinger holds an associate degree in nursing from St. Joseph’s School of Nursing as well as wound care and patient review instrument (PRI) and screen certifications. She resides in Clay.

SOS doctor gets trained in prone transpsoas surgery Syracuse Orthopedic Specialists (SOS) announced that Justin Iorio, a spinal surgeon with the practice, is the first physician in the area to be trained and certified in prone transpsoas, or PTP, surgery.

With the PTP approach, patients underJustin Iorio going minimally invasive surgery (MIS) are placed in a single position for the entire procedure, yet there is full access to the spine for various MIS techniques.

This type of procedure negates the need for additional surgical tables, reduces the time of surgery and also reduces the patient’s time under anesthesia.

The PTP technique leverages the benefits achieved via lateral spine fusion procedures to treat a wide range of patient pathologies. The PTP (continued on next page)

Health News (continued from previous) system combines the PTP Patient Positioning System, Sigma-PTP Access System, and SafeOp Neuromonitoring. Its principal difference from the standard lateral procedure relies on positioning the patient prone, allowing for a streamlined surgical approach that addresses many of the challenges that have limited adoption of lateral spine fusion.

“The benefits of PTP procedure for the patient are multiple,” said Iorio. “It mitigates blood loss, reduces the risk of infection and surgical trauma to the body, and thereby decreases the length of a post-operative hospital stay.” He also notes that smaller incisions are made causing less pain which reduces the need for pain medication.

PTP integrates a SafeOp Neuromonitoring system that provides real-time, objective information on the integrity of the femoral nerve, providing the surgeon critical feedback during the procedure. “I can immediately see on a tablet if nerve dysfunction sets in,” says Iorio. “This gives flexibility in operative planning and techniques during a procedure which allows us to protect the integrity of the nerve.”

Excellus BCBS appoints first female chief information officer Cindy Langston has been appointed as senior vice president and chief information officer at Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, the largest nonprofit health insurer in Upstate New York. Langston is the company’s first female chief information officer in its Cindy Langston 87-year history.

“Cindy is an experienced and strategic leader with a proven track record of building high-performing

teams and delivering results,” said Jim Reed, CEO and president of Excellus BCBS. “She’s also tremendously generous with her time and service to our community.”

“Anyone who knows Cindy is also likely not surprised that she broke this barrier at our company, as our first-ever female chief information officer,” he added.

In her new position, Langston is responsible for delivering on a new technology foundation, developing market leading capabilities and readying the organization with the talent and technology needed for the future.

Langston has a B.S. degree in computer technology from Purdue University, an MBA from Lake Forest Graduate School of Management and over 30 years of experience in the field of information technology and consulting. She has worked for Dow Corning Corporation, Aon Hewitt, Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC), and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, in addition to her time as a consultant.

Langston’s leadership journey has taken her across the globe. She spent 10 years, for example, as an international consultant leading large, global IT implementations in Australia, Japan, England, Singapore, Scotland and South Korea.

In 2014, Langston started at Excellus BCBS as a vice president in information technology. Three years later, she was promoted to lead the Analytics & Data division as chief analytics data officer.

Langston serves the Rochester community in a variety of ways, including as board chairwoman of the YWCA of Rochester and Monroe County; member of the Women’s Leadership Council of the United Way of Greater Rochester and the Finger Lakes; and past chairwoman of the YWCA Racial Justice Committee and Stand Against Racism events.

Langston also mentors and coaches many individuals, and leads the Excellus BCBS Women’s Leadership group, which engages women with a passion to invest in the advancement of themselves and other women leaders.

Celeste Carnes Celebrates 30 Years of Service at ConnextCare

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urse practitioner Celeste Carnes in December celebrated 30 years of service at ConnextCare, formerly Northern Oswego County Health Services, Inc. (NOCHSI).

Carnes began her career at NOCHSI in 1991 as a registered nurse at the Pulaski office. As a life-long resident of Oswego County, she wanted the chance to work in the community where she was raised. At the time, NOCHS I administration agreed to sponsor her through the community general nurse practitioner program, which, along with Onondaga Community College, is where she went to school to get her degree as a nurse practitioner.

Today, Carnes is a cornerstone of ConnextCare and the entire community. Besides providing exceptional car e to her patients, Carnes has become an integral part of training and mentoring new providers herself.

“Celeste has been a trusted and well-respected provider all across the NOCHSI/ConnextCare system. Her humility, generosity and kindness is a constant source of motivation and inspiration, and her dedication and work ethics are exemplary.” said Tricia Peter-Clark, President and CEO of ConnextCare. “When we need a provider to stabilize services at a practice location, Celeste is the one we can always rely on to go where asked and offer the highest level of care to anyone on her schedule. She demonstrates daily the value of having a primary care provider, someone who know s you and your family, listens to your concerns, coordinates with your specialists and watches for results to come in, even nights and weekends, with personal calls to patients to explain their results and

Pharmacist Joins Medicine Place Pharmacies

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harmacist Susan Daratt has joined the pharmacies of Fulton Medicine Place in Fulton and The Medicine Place in Phoenix.

“We’re delighted to have Susan as part of our team,” said David Dingman, co-owner of both pharmacies.”

She is well known in the Fulton community for her previous position as the pharmacy manager at Walgreens, and for her service as treasurer of the Fulton Lions Club and a member of the Fulton Memorial Day Salute Committee.”

Daratt, a native of Cato and a graduate of St. John Fisher College with a Doctor of Pharmacy degree, resides in Fulton with Alex Conn and their pup, Maggie. “Patient care has always been my number one priority,” Daratt said. “I am so happy

Pharmacist Susan Daratt is shown with the Medicine Place co-owners David and Tracy Dingman.

From left, physician Patrick Carguello, senior vice president and chief medical officer at ConnextCare; Celeste Carnes, NP; Tricia PeterClark, president and chief executive officer at ConnextCare; Michael Backus, chairman of the board.

reassure them of the next steps. ” Physician Patrick Carguello is the senior vice president and chief medical officer at ConnextCare.

He says, “Over the years, I have developed a strong appreciation for nurse practitioners and physician’s assistants. I have to give credit to Celeste Carnes and the core mid-level providers that were here when I started at the health center back in 2003. Primary care, especially in rural communities would collapse without the help of our mid-level providers. Celeste Carnes has been such a valuable team player. Over the past 18 years I have heard and read more compliments from patients and other providers about Celeste Carnes than any other provider that I’ve worked with. I am definitely grateful that I have had the privilege to work with Celeste over the last 18 years and I look forward to working with her for many more years to come.”

to join the Fulton Medicine Place family that shares the same values and high standards that I do in terms of patient interaction and personal service. Fulton has become my home and I take great pride in taking care of my friends, family and community.

Working with the experienced team at the Fulton Medicine Place will allow me to continue to do this while growing these relationships and developing new ones.”

The Fulton Medicine Place, coowned by David and Tracy Dingman, celebrated its 34th year in November. The Phoenix location opened in January 2007.

“Both the Fulton and Phoenix pharmacies are locally owned, yet they are also part of the Leader system of over 3,000 stores,” Dingman said. “This allows us to offer you the personal service you deserve, as well as competitive chain-drugstore pricing.”

February 2022 • IN GOOD HEALTH – CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • Page 27

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