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Debra Walz is an advanced oncology nurse practitioner at Oneida Health Cancer Care Page 6

OCTOBER 2019 • ISSUE 164

Crusade against cancer • Nutrient-dense foods effective • Does cancer run in families?

• Understanding mammograms See pages 4-8

Eyeing an epidemic

Child sexual abuse

Steps to recovery supported by community Page 13

Spiritual Health Faith and fear

Time to be heard is now In order to confront and conquer fear, one’s faith provides guiding hand See ‘Milk & Honey’, Page 17

See ‘Between You & Me’, Page 15

Chia Seeds This superfood is loaded with fiber and features omega-3 fatty acids See SmartBites column Page 13

Women’s Health Special Edition

October 2019 •

Hope for headaches New stimulating device breakthrough for headaches Page 14

Meet Your Doctor

Roswell Park radiation oncologist now seeing patients at Oneida Healthcare

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IN GOOD HEALTH – Mohawk Valley’s Healthcare Newspaper

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IN GOOD HEALTH – Mohawk Valley’s Healthcare Newspaper • October 2019

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October 2019 •

IN GOOD HEALTH – Mohawk Valley’s Healthcare Newspaper

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Letter to the editor

Meet

Your Doctor

By Chris Motola

Bravo, Barbara!

I

t was just by chance that I picked up a copy of Mohawk Valley In Good Health newspaper recently when I stopped in for lunch at Babe’s in Utica.

Your front page article “Where’s Dad?” in the September edition caught my eye and I dug into all three of the pieces written by senior staff correspondent Barbara Pierce.

Great job! You’ve nailed a subject that has come up time and again in the wake of mass shootings, then treated as if it didn’t exist. It’s so easy for certain politicians, their followers and the media to politicize this subject that the underlying problem — mental and emotional illness — goes ignored.

Guns don’t shoot people by themselves any more than cars cause fatalities without a driver. The shooting tragedies we’ve seen are made possible when firearms come into the hands of the sick and the hateful.

Gun regulations are a necessity, but alone they’ll never protect us from attacks by the alienated, the shunned and the diseased — many of whom, as you have so rightly pointed out, come from broken fatherless families.

The sad reality is that many of those fathers are in prison, in rehab, in a bar or on the streets somewhere — so wouldn’t help even if they were around.

These are problems deeply embedded in our nation, and I applaud your efforts to bring attention to them. On my end, there’s a new boys’ shelter being built here in Utica that I’m contributing to and hope to become involved with after it’s completed later this fall.

That’s a drop in the bucket compared to the problem you’ve highlighted, but I’m no longer comfortable just shaking my head at all this whenever it comes up.

Thanks again for your insightful perspective. I’m totally with you — and I hope we get a chance to meet some day!

E.E. “Ernie” Norris Utica

Shilpa Vyas, M.D. Buffalo’s Roswell Park radiation oncologist now seeing patients at Oneida Health Cancer Care Q: Give us an overview of how the partnership with Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center work for a hospital like Oneida Health.

A: Roswell Park has collaborated with Oneida Health to establish radiation oncology in Oneida. They had previously done the same for medical oncology. We’re all Roswell Park physicians who are here locally to provide care to the people of Central New York. We’ve brought diagnostic machines, a CT scanner, a Truebeam linear accelerator, and a simulator to the site, and the medical oncology center has all the chemo-related facilities. It’s all done under the guidance of physicians from Roswell Park

tients don’t have to drive long distances to be able to access that level of care. We have the capability to perform very focused radiation treatment. We are the only facility in the area with a simulator on site. You don’t have to make any extra visits outside of the area to start your cancer treatment. You’re getting support from highly committed professionals who are committed not just to care, but to research. You’re getting the same care you could expect to get at any other NCI-designated site.

Q: How do you coordinate standards and care and procedures over such a large distance?

A: We use the same standards of care in Oneida as they use in Buffalo. All of the treatment plans undergo a very, very meticulous review, not only by me but through a peer review process where all the radiation oncologists at Roswell give their own input. I send all of the information on the patients I’m seeing in Oneida to Buffalo electronically for patients who have something unique in their condition that could use the input of more physicians. We discuss these patients in tumor boards, which are routinely conducted at the main campus in Buffalo. Then they’ll send me their recommendations, and I make sure they’re matching my own to provide a comprehensive approach to the patient’s care.

lo?

Q: Are you in Oneida full-time?

A: Yes.

A: Yes, but I’m fairly recent to Upstate New York. I started working at the Roswell Park main campus, but was hired for the Oneida facility.

I was instrumental in getting things started here, establishing the workforce, getting the facility ready, getting the state of the art technology we needed to provide the best care. I’m full-time in Oneida now.

Q: What kinds of patients are you seeing?

A: We are equipped to treat any cancer. The patients we’ve seen so far have mostly been those with common cancers: breast cancer, lung cancer, prostate cancer. We’ve seen some head and neck cancers, some lymphoma, gastrointestinal tumors, anal and rectal tumors.

Q: What kinds of capabilities has the partnership brought to Oneida?

A: What I really want to point out is that Roswell Park is the only NCI-designated (National Cancer Institute) cancer treatment with a presence center in the area. This collaboration has brought the same type of care available in Buffalo to Central New York. It’s right in their backyard now, pa-

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Q: Are you transplant from Buffa-

IN GOOD HEALTH – Mohawk Valley’s Healthcare Newspaper • October 2019

Q: What is the closest Roswell Park-affiliate to you?

Do you work with them, or are you mostly connected through the main campus?

A: I think Ithaca might be the closest, but no, regardless of where we are, we all have input into the treatment plan reviews.

Basically, the umbilical cord

In the News The leadership from Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center and Oneida Health recently announced the grand opening of the Dorothy G. Griffin Radiation Oncology Center on Oneida’s campus.

This is the next step in expanding the reach of the Roswell Park Care Network, which launched in May. Previously in 2017, Oneida Health and Roswell Park affiliated to open a medical oncology center in Oneida. The completed radiation oncology center features four exam rooms, a consultation room, a CT scanner, a Truebeam linear accelerator for radiation therapy and required support facilities, with clinical and quality management provided by Roswell Park radiation oncologist Shilpa Vyas as well as a Roswell Park medical dosimetrist and medical physicists. goes through Buffalo.

Q: What applications does radiation oncology have that patients may not be aware of?

A: External beam radiation can treat cancer at any site with a machine that delivers radiation externally, with the source away from your body. That’s used for almost all cancers. There are a few cancers, though, where there’s access for an applicator inside the patient’s body. That treatment is not provided at any of the Roswell Park satellite offices because it’s a more specialized treatment. We do that at our main campus in Buffalo. Now, very few cancers qualify for that sort of treatment, mostly some gynecological or prostate cancers. If a patient’s a candidate for that, we can refer them. But external radiation therapy is what we have here at Oneida.

Q: How big a staff does Roswell Park maintain at Oneida?

A: At this facility it’s the physician, the radiation physicist, the radiation dosimetrist, a central manager, two full-time therapists and a parttime therapist, a full-time nurse, and a front desk person. And we work with Oneida to provide nutritional and social service support.

Lifelines

Name: Shilpa Vyas, M.D. Position: Medical director, Oneida Health Roswell Park Radiation Oncology Previous position: Radiation oncologist with Seattle-based Tumor Institute Radiation Oncology Group/TIROG, providing radiation oncology services at Swedish Cancer Institute and Valley Medical Center Hometown: Bhopal, India Education: Gandhi Medical College; Rani Durgawati University Training: Senior fellow, proton therapy, University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle; residency in radiation oncology, Baylor-Scott & White program at Texas A&M University, Temple, Texas Affiliations: Oneida Health; Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center Organizations: American Society of Therapeutic Radiation Oncology; American Brachytherapy Society; American Society of Clinical Oncologists. Board-certified in radiation oncology Family: Husband; 5-year old son Hobbies: Cooking, time with son, hiking, reading, music

Cancer Crusade The Balanced Body

By Deb Dittner

Cancer-fighting nutrients Defend yourself against top killer by adhering to proper diet

C

ancer is the second-leading cause of death in America.

The leading causes of death from cancer for men are: — Lung and bronchus — Prostate — Colorectal The leading causes of death from cancer for women are: — Lung and bronchus — Breast — Colorectal So, let’s explore what you can eat to boost cancer-fighting meals: • Decrease sugar. Sugar may Dittner actually be linked in the formation of cancer. Cancer thrives on large amounts of glucose found in sugar to survive.

• Make vegetables at least half of your plate. Eating more vegetables daily such as a salad, homemade vegetable soup, or add steamed or sautéed vegetables to your meal.

Using spaghetti squash or zucchini noodles in place of pasta adds more veggies to your plate.

• Include cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and cabbage as these contain glucosinolates that form the cancer-protective compounds isothiocyanates.

• “An apple a day keeps the doctor away”: The old saying has merit.

Apples contain phytonutrients and studies have shown that apples can lower the risk of lung cancer.

• Include Vitamin C-rich fruits and vegetables: The antioxidant effect from Vitamin C-rich fruits and veggies fights free radicals linked to cancer. Ones to include are broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, spinach, sweet potatoes, cantaloupe, kiwi, pineapple, and watermelon, to

• Eliminate nitrates from the diet, such as processed luncheon meats, hot dogs, sausage, and bacon.

• Decrease the heat: Lower the heat when cooking to low or medium temperatures. Cooking at higher heats can release chemicals into the food, some of which may be carcinogenic, especially when oils start to smoke.

• Add spice to your life: Spices such as cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger contain anti-cancer compounds.

By eating whole nutrient-dense foods on a daily basis will help provide the necessary elements for your body to decrease your risk of cancer.

Enjoy that plate of veggies and fruit today! name a few.

• Make sure you eat your leafy greens, Beet greens, collards, kale, spinach and lettuce boost your immune system to fight off cancer cells, providing needed vitamins and minerals.

• Everyone loves Brazil nuts.

Adding three to four Brazil nuts to your daily nutrition will provide cancer-fighting selenium.

• Beans, beans, the musical fruit are great sources of fiber to keep your bowels moving while eliminating toxins from your body. Add to salads, soups, and stews.

• Curry dishes: Increasingly popular is turmeric, one of the spices used in curry dishes. This anti-inflammatory spice has been shown to reduce certain cancer risks, specifically of the prostate and colon.

• Eat a rainbow of colors, specifically orange. Foods such as carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, mangoes, squash and apricots contain carotenoids, an established anti-cancer nutrient.

• Make sure to choose organic whenever possible. Remove pes-

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• Deborah Dittner is a family nurse practitioner and health consultant. Her mission is to transform as many individuals as possible through nutrition and lifestyle changes. For more information, check out her website at www.debdittner. com or contact her at 518-596-8565.

ticide-laden foods from your diet and you will cut the risk of cancer between 25%-to-73%. The Clean 15/ Dirty Dozen app by www.ewg.org will provide you with information on eating organically.

Does Cancer Run in Your Family?

Rome Memorial Hospital is recognized as a leader in hereditary cancer risk screening.

RED FLAGS FOR HEREDITARY CANCER

If you can answer “yes” to any of the questions below, you could have an inherited risk for cancer and may be appropriate for hereditary cancer risk screening.

Genetic screening for personal cancer risk is now offered to all breast imaging patients at The Women’s Imaging Center, a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence.

Patients will be screened for 35 genetic mutations that impact hereditary risk for eight cancers:

  □ MULTIPLE: Have you or your family members been diagnosed with  more than one cancer or have there 

□

been multiple cancers on the same side of the family?

YOUNG: Have you or your family

members been diagnosed with cancer at a young age ( 50 years old)?

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For Us, It’s Personal “Knowing the results of a genetic test

can impact the care management plan for an entire family.” □ RARE: Have you or your family - Leigh Loughran members been diagnosed with a rare

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cancer such as ovarian, pancreatic or male breast cancer?

Personalized Medicine Program Director

ANCESTRY: Are you of Ashkenazi

Jewish ancestry?

For more information, contact Leigh Loughran, at

315.338.7577

October 2019 •

IN GOOD HEALTH – Mohawk Valley’s Healthcare Newspaper

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Cancer Crusade Health careers: Debra Walz: Advanced oncology nurse practitioner

M

difficult for most people. Working with people who are terminally ill is difficult for anyone. But, as nurses, we have the ability to work in difficult situations. We bring compassion, caring and support. We love and support our patients. We do make a difference in their lives, a big difference.

ohawk Valley In Good Health senior staff correspondent Barbara Pierce recently spoke with Debra Walz, an advanced oncology nurse practitioner at Oneida Health Cancer Care, an affiliate of Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. Walz works with patients in Oneida to help deliver Roswell Park services to local residents.

Q.: How rewarding is it?

A.: Absolutely rewarding! It’s very rewarding being a nurse. It’s an honor to be there for patients when they need us. There are so many rewards. Some patients do well and walk out on their own, and they’re well. Sharing their joy is a great reward. Supporting them during their struggle is rewarding.

(Editor’s note: In 2017, Oneida Health affiliated with Roswell Park to open a medical oncology center.

Earlier this year, they constructed the Dorothy Griffin Radiation Oncology Center. Both are located on Oneida’s campus. The affiliation provides local access to Roswell Park cancer services and specialists in Oneida, so that patients no longer have to commute long distances to receive the highest quality of cancer care.)

Q.: What education qualified you for this position?

A.: I received dual master’s degrees from Columbia University and am an advanced oncology certified nurse practitioner and a women’s health care nurse practitioner.

Q.: What drew you to nursing?

A.: This is interesting: I was self-employed as a graphic designer and illustrator for 22 years. The last 10 of those years, I worked in medical device marketing and illustration. In this work, I became more and more intrigued with the field of medicine.

At the age of 40, I looked at my husband one night and said, “I want to go into nursing.” Years from now, I didn’t want to look back say: “I sure wish I had done that.”

With his support, I started nursing school. I continued to work as a graphic designer through nursing school. When I got my nursing degree, I closed my business and began work as an operating room nurse. I loved it.

Debra Walz I knew from the beginning that my goal was to become a nurse practitioner. Two years later, I was accepted at Columbia University for dual master’s degrees in women’s health and oncology. That was 10 years ago.

Q.: From graphic design to nursing — that’s a big change!

A.: Yes, it was a very major change. But it is absolutely nothing that I’ve ever regretted. It’s been an amazing journey. I’ve been blessed to be a part of someone taking their first breath and honored to be there for their last breath.

Q.: What is a typical day like?

A.: Most of my daily duties involve patient care, taking care of patients with cancer.

Q.: Dealing with cancer must be especially challenging. Some of your patients are at the end of life. Is it difficult to work with these patients?

A.: Yes, this is something that is

Q.: What does a person need to follow in your footsteps?

A.: First of all, one needs compassion for his fellow man — compassion and caring for patients who come from all backgrounds. All patients deserve to be treated with patience and empathy. If those aren’t your qualities, find another career.

Make sure you have a real passion to do this work because it can be difficult, emotionally and physically.

Another important quality that is needed is the ability to separate yourself from the situation when needed, to remain calm in a crisis, and to be able to support patients when their need is greatest.

Q.: What is special about being a nurse practitioner?

A.: The wonderful thing about being a nurse practitioner is this: We are trained to treat the whole patient, not just the disease. We look at the impact of the disease on the whole person, the side effects, and the effects of the disease on the patient.

We’re not treating cancer; we’re treating patients.

More about cancer care in Oneida In the past, for residents of the

Mohawk Valley to receive the highest quality cancer care, it often meant driving long distances to an unfamiliar place.

Oneida Health Cancer Care eliminated many of those elements by creating access to Roswell Park’s nationally recognized cancer care in a community setting.

Patients can now access a Roswell Park-affiliated medical oncologist, medical oncology services and consults close to home.

For more information, see https://oneidacancer.org/ or call 315-361-2381.

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IN GOOD HEALTH – Mohawk Valley’s Healthcare Newspaper • October 2019

Cancer Crusade Does cancer run in your family?

Hereditary factors linked to catastrophic disease

H

ereditary cancer occurs when a gene mutation is passed down in the family from parent to child.

People with hereditary cancer are more likely to have relatives with the same type or other types of cancer.

They may develop more than one cancer and their cancer often occurs at an earlier than average age.

Since Rome Memorial Hospital’s Women’s Imaging Center began offering hereditary cancer risk screening as part of its personalized breast cancer program, nearly 5,000 women had the opportunity to learn their predicted, personal risk of developing breast cancer.

More than 200 women were identified as high risk and 36 tested positive for genetic mutations.

Every person who has breast imaging at RMH is asked to complete a screening questionnaire to identify those who may be at higher clinical risk and are candidates for genetic testing.

“Our risk screening program enables us to truly deliver personalized recommendations for women based upon their personal and family history,” said Leigh Loughran, per-

K

sonalized medicine program director.

“Based upon the screening, we can offer women at higher risk access to genetic testing which screens for 35 genetic mutations that impact hereditary risk for eight cancers.”

“Knowing the results of a genetic test can impact the care management plan for an entire family, siblings, cousins, children and grandchildren,” Loughran said.

Every woman may make a different decision, but with a thorough hereditary cancer risk assessment, women have the information they need to discuss their options with their provider or an experienced genetic counselor.

“Advances in clinical risk screening and genetics provide us with tools to predict who may develop cancer so we can be proactive and save lives,” Loughran said.

RMH’s Women’s Imaging Center is a designated a breast imaging center of excellence. The hospital received the prestigious achievement by earning American College of Radiology accreditation in mammography, stereotactic breast biopsy, breast ultrasound (including ultrasound-guided breast biopsy), and

breast MRI. “We’re passionate about delivering the best care for our community.

For us, it’s personal. There is no other breast center in our region that brings together advanced imaging technology, clinical expertise, hereditary risk screening, genetic counseling,

and the support of a breast navigator into a comprehensive program,” Loughran said.

For more information about the hereditary cancer risk screening program and RMH’s Women’s Imaging Center, contact Loughran at 315-3387577.

Are you at risk? nowing your personal and family history of cancer is the first step in determining if you might be at increased risk for cancer.

Red flags for hereditary cancer

If you answer “yes” to any of the questions below, you could have an inherited risk for cancer and may be a candidate for hereditary cancer risk screening.

— MULTIPLE: Have you or your family members been diagnosed with more than one cancer or have there been multiple cancers on the same side of the family?

— YOUNG: Have you or your family members been diagnosed with cancer at a young age (50 years old or younger)?

— RARE: Have you or your family members been diagnosed with a rare cancer such as ovarian, pancreatic or male breast cancer?

— ANCESTRY: Are you of Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry?

Upstate can provide all the comprehensive treatment and support you need at our offices in Oneida, or if needed, at the Upstate Cancer Center in Syracuse. Our patients benefit from: • Over 25 years experience in treating patients in Oneida.

• A full complement of treatment options including radiation oncology.

• Access to the latest advances including immunotherapy, molecular targeted therapy and clinical trials.

• The same multidisciplinary case review as those treated at the Upstate Cancer Center in Syracuse, the area’s only academic medical center.

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October 2019 •

IN GOOD HEALTH – Mohawk Valley’s Healthcare Newspaper

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Page 7

Cancer Crusade On the brink Man recovering from brain tumor thankful for second chance

J

ason VanBenschoten was having a wonderful day and living a wonderful life.

His wife Bethany was 4 months pregnant, and he had just spent an afternoon at the movies with his nephew before heading to a Relay for Life event at Utica College to help raise money for cancer research.

He didn’t know it as he was driving home from the event, but the events of the next few hours would forever change the course of his life.

“I had an undiagnosed brain tumor and when I got home, the tumor hemorrhaged inside of my head causing me to lose consciousness because of the blood and pressure inside of my head,” he recalls. “I had experienced small, not really painful headaches and occasional hearing loss, but I never thought it could be a brain tumor.”

Nicholas Qandah and his team at Central New York Brain and Spine Neurosurgery performed an emergency brain resection to remove the high-grade glioma.

“I remember getting the call when Jason came in. Bethany was imploring me to save her husband so he could meet their baby,” said Qandah, who has offices in Rome and New Hartford. “We immediately took the necessary steps to decrease the pressure in his skull and rushed him into surgery.”

“After several hours of surgery, we were able to successfully remove the tumor,” Qandah said. “Any time you are dealing with an emergent situation like this, it is delicate and calls for expertise and patience. I am proud of my team and the fact that we were able to successfully navigate this problem right here in the Mohawk Valley.

A lot has changed for Jason in the weeks and months since his surgery. “First and foremost, I was able to watch my son Teddy enter this world,” he says. “I imagine the time when my tumor hemorrhaged and my wife was facing the real possibility of her son growing up without a father. I was in a coma and she was preparing for my death. She told me that the moment Dr. Q went into the waiting room and let everyone know that I had opened my eyes was amazing.”

Challenges ahead

For VanBenschoten, waking up from his ordeal was a wonderful first step in the recovery that continues today. “Unfortunately, when I woke up, I could not walk,” he explains.

“I have since undergone rehab and I walk unassisted today and I have a Page 8

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Nicholas Qandah, standing, director of neurosciences at Rome Memorial Hospital and Mohawk Valley Health System, shares some time with his patient, Jason VanBenschoten, along with Jason’s wife, Bethany, and their son Teddy. little speech problem which makes it a bit tough to read to my son. The hemorrhage also pushed some blood into my right eye which impairs my vision a bit, but everything is slowly healing.”

“The main thing for Jason is that he’s alive, he’s strong and he’s healing,” says Qandah. “His story is one which I will never forget and represents the very reason we get into medicine — to make a difference in our patient’s lives.”

Today, VanBenschoten looks forward to returning to work as a software engineer. While his limited vision has impaired his ability to see a computer screen well enough to perform the coding work his job requires, he is beginning a master’s program at Utica College. “This program will allow me to continue in the field but require much less coding,” he explains. “So, I look forward to getting back to work and being unlimited in caring for my son. I would also like to continue my hobbies, which include woodworking and fixing cars at my home.”

“The first time I met Dr. Qandah

was him yelling my name as I awoke from my coma,” VanBenschoten recalls. “In the months since, he has become my favorite doctor. He is such a good doctor and such a great human being. He has hugged me and gave a fist pump like my surviving was as important to him as it was for me. I did not properly meet him until I returned from Pennsylvania where I underwent radiation treatment, but whenever I see him, we reminisce about the surgery time and he hugs me to let me know he is happy I am still here.”

While his walking limitations have impaired his ability to carry his son, VanBenschoten is thankful for the opportunity he has to be a father.

“I get to hold and feed him, but I am off balanced so I have only been able to walk with him once,” he says. “It was Christmas Eve and my wife held me for balance and stability the entire time, but it was super emotional for me. I should have died, and I got to carry my son.”

Qandah is director of neurosciences at Rome Memorial Hospital and Mohawk Valley Health System.

IN GOOD HEALTH – Mohawk Valley’s Healthcare Newspaper • October 2019

Soda fizzles in study W

hether you call it soda, pop or a soft drink, a new study’s findings suggest it would be better for your health to drink water instead.

The large European study found that people who have more than two sodas a day — with or without sugar — had a higher risk of dying over about 16 years than people who sipped the fizzy beverages less than once a month.

“We found that higher soft drink intake was associated with a greater risk of death from any cause regardless of whether sugar-sweetened or artificially sweetened drinks were consumed,” said study senior author Neil Murphy. He’s a scientist with the International Agency for Research on Cancer in Lyon, France.

“Our results for sugar-sweetened soft drinks provide further support to limit consumption and to replace them with healthier beverages, preferably water,” Murphy said.

How might sodas raise your risk of dying?

Sugar-sweetened beverages may lead to weight gain and obesity.

They also may affect the way the hormone insulin is used in the body, which can lead to inflammation, Murphy noted. All of these things can lead to health conditions that may shorten life.

He said more research is needed to understand how artificially sweetened soda might increase the risk of early death.

While it found an association, the current study does not prove a cause-and-effect relationship between soda and a higher risk of early death. It’s possible that soda drinkers have other habits that could add to their odds, such as smoking or a less healthy diet.

This study isn’t the first to find a connection between soda and bad health outcomes. Two recent studies — one from BMJ and the other in Circulation — linked drinking soda to cancer and deaths from heart disease.

The current research included more than 451,000 people from 10 European countries. Their average age was 51. Researchers followed the participants’ health for an average of 16 years.

In addition to a higher risk of dying from all causes for those who drank more than two sodas a day, more sodas were also linked to some specific causes of death.

• People who had more than one soda daily — sugar-sweetened or artificially sweetened — compared to fewer than one a month had a higher risk of dying from colon cancer and Parkinson’s disease.

• People who had more than one sugar-sweetened soda a day compared to fewer than one a month had a higher risk of dying from digestive diseases.

• People who had more than one artificially sweetened soda a day compared to less than one a month had a higher risk of dying from circulatory diseases like heart disease.

Women’s Health Tracking your period Are period tracker apps effective for birth control?

By Barbara Pierce

Y

ou may have seen ads for period tracker apps or heard your friends mention that they’re ovulating and you wondered how they could possibly know.

Periods usually come every month (about every 28 days), but the exact date and intensity are not that consistent. Sometimes, symptoms like sore breasts, cramps, back pains, bloating, mood swings or more may start weeks before your period starts.

And, for some women, their cycle may be longer or shorter than the average of five days.

That’s why the app market is flooded with period trackers that aim to offer insight into your monthly cycle. Some apps even tell you what days you have a high or low risk of getting pregnant.

“There are a lot of period-tracker apps available,” said Emma Corbett, vice president of marketing, communications, and engagement, Planned Parenthood Mohawk Hudson.

“They’re useful for a number of reasons — to track your menstrual cycles and to track your symptoms. It keeps an electronic diary so you can provide your doctor with information to get you the care you need,” she said.

But many young women are using them as a natural birth control method. Millennials, at least, love tracking things. And some are using period-tracker apps as a natural way to avoid pregnancy. Hormonal birth control can affect a woman’s mood, weight, and hormonal balance. Many young women have either stopped or are considering stopping birth control pills, found a survey by Cosmopolitan Magazine.

While these apps may be good at predicting your cycle, can they be used as a replacement for birth control?

“These apps can be useful if you want to become pregnant, but as a means of preventing pregnancy, they aren’t useful,” said Corbett. “It’s

not an effective kind of birth control and not reliable compared to other methods.”

“Most effective for birth control are IUDs,” she added. An IUD (intrauterine device) is a small T-shaped device that is placed into the uterus by a health care provider. The cervix keeps it in place. Once it is in, you cannot feel it.

“IUDs are 99% effective in preventing pregnancy,” she added.

“They can remain in for three to 12 years. Once it is removed, you can get pregnant within a couple of days or weeks.”

“Condoms are only 85% effective, as not everyone uses them correctly,” she commented.

“Birth control is not a ‘one-sizefits-all,’” she explained. “There are a lot of options for you to choose from.

It depends on what you have going on in your life.”

Many birth control options

“Anyone can come into our clinics and discuss what will work for them,” Corbett noted. “We have all methods of birth control available — including IUDs, implants, birth control shots, hormonal and non-hormonal choices. There are lots of options. Come into any one of our

clinics to discuss what will work for you.”

Hormonal birth control refers to birth control pills, and patch and the vaginal ring that contain synthetic forms of hormones. These hormones work to inhibit the body’s natural cyclical hormones to prevent pregnancy. A doctor must prescribe hormonal birth control.

In addition to IUDs, non-hormonal options include barrier methods, such as the condom, sponge, cervical cap, diaphragm or spermicide.

Planned Parenthood has locations in Oneida (315-363-3950), Rome (315-378-8552), and Utica (315-7246146) or see https://www.plannedparenthood.org/planned-parenthood-mohawk-hudson.

Period-tracking apps can be useful, as Corbett said. They help you to learn more about your cycle and plan for future periods. Like Tampax. com says online, “When it comes to answering the question, ‘When will I get my period?’ the Tampax Period Tracker & Calendar keeps you in the know. Use our period cycle tracking tool to plan around special occasions like a wedding (no feeling bloated on your big day), choose dates for a trip (be the worry-free beach bum you want to be), and track ovulation (fingers crossed!).”

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pregnancy, don’t rely on a periodtracking app. Marketing for one of the apps has promoted its app as a “hormone-free, intelligent” and “effective” birth control. This has garnered criticism of being “irresponsible” by women who claim to have become pregnant while using the app.

For a woman who has an average menstrual cycle of 28 days that occurs regularly, her fertility window is probably somewhere between day 12 to 16, experts say. But many women do not have a 28-day cycle.

And, there’s always the chance of having an “off period.” That’s why they don’t recommend using a period-tracker app as a replacement for a contraceptive.

Even if your period has been consistently on time, your ovulation window can be thrown off by factors such as stress, exercise, sickness or changes in your body.

If you want to avoid hormonal birth control methods, there are many non-hormonal options. Talk to your health care professional about what will work for you. Don’t rely on a period-tracking app.

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IN GOOD HEALTH – Mohawk Valley’s Healthcare Newspaper

•

Page 9

Women’s Health Love and debt: Not a good mix Couples need to be on the same frequency when it comes to finances, debt management

By Barbara Pierce

“

I just told my fiancée how much I owe on my credit cards and he’s in a panic!” my friend Claudia said, sobbing. “David’s afraid he’ll be responsible. I’m afraid he’ll want to call the wedding off! What can I do?”

“I hear that often,” said Patricia Laino, executive director of the Women’s Business Center in Utica. “Couples getting married, or moving in together, and one has more debt than the other. Usually it’s the woman who Laino has more debt.”

Getting on the same page financially is crucial to being happy and having a long-lasting relationship. When you get engaged or plan to move in together, as your lives begin to merge, that’s the time to talk about finances.

Don’t spring a major financial conversation on your partner.

Instead, schedule it so you both can come to the table prepared mentally and emotionally.

As a couple, it’s important to have a clear understanding of where each of you is financially. Money won’t buy happiness, but it can sure cause serious conflict in a relationship. Money is a central part of any relationship. Talking about money with your partner is important.

This discussion can be awkward or difficult, but doing so now can save you a lot of heartache later.

“The big thing is don’t let love get in the way,” said Laino. “That’s what people do. They’re in love and think they can work it out.”

“Separate your finances totally

— he has his debt; she has her debt.

Each of you works on your debt independently before the marriage.

Get your debt paid off before you marry, because you do assume your partner’s debt once you’re married.

If you’re already married, see an attorney.”

“A couple came to me for counseling,” Laino added. “She was $25,000 in debt: Boscovs, dress shops, Barnes & Noble, Macy’s. He had less than $1,000 in debt. When they marry, he has to assume her debt. It’s not going to work; it could kill him.

“If there’s any real discrepancy between the amount either of you have in debt, see an attorney. Maybe even have a prenuptial agreement.

Most attorneys will give you advice at no charge.”

Heed this advice

Here’s some advice for getting out of debt: — “Live below your means to get out of debt,” recommends Michelle Shauger, investment adviser, regional

vice president, Primerica Financial Services, Rome.

“This is most important; everything else circles around this. Many have housing costs that are way too high, and a car payment that is too high,” she said.

If you’re in debt, the fastest way to get out of debt is “debt stacking,” she explained. Choose one of your debts, the one with the highest interest, and throw all your extra money toward it. Pay only the minimum payment on the others. Once the one with the highest interest is paid off, then work on the one with the second-highest interest, throwing all your extra money toward it, and so on.

“Many people make the mistake of overpaying on all of their debts,” she added. “They have four credit cards and overpay on all because they know you have to pay more than the minimum or you’ll never get out of debt.

“But the fastest way to get out of debt is to make the extra payment on

only one; when it’s gone, then work on the next, then the next.”

“Minimize your expenses,” Laino said in terms of what should be the first step to getting out of debt. “The best way to do this is by paying cash.

Don’t use a credit card.”

There are serious downsides to using a credit card. It does influence how much we spend. Using credit cards dulls the “pain of paying,” say researchers. Shoppers who use a credit card spend more.

“You don’t need all those credit cards,” suggests Laino. “I only have one.”

“Have a budget,” advises Shauger. “Create a budget, then discipline yourself to live within it.

“Realize you can’t have everything.

You have to make conscious decisions about every purchase.” ”And stay away from the mall!” added Laino. “If you must go, pay cash!”

A need is something you have to have, something you can’t do without. You “need” food. You “need” shelter. A want is something you would like to have. You “want” ice cream. You “want” a bigger house.

If you want to get out of debt, you may have to go without some of your “wants.” It’s not that tough, but it is very, very important to your financial health.

Debt doesn’t have to be a deal breaker when it comes to marriage.

With some honest conversations, good planning and an understanding of how you’ll handle finances — individually and together — you can mitigate the challenge of debt and build a strong relationship.

Shauger offers financial wellness workshops to businesses, school and churches at no cost. See http://www. primerica.com/michelleshauger or call 315-225-4481.

Excellus BCBS ramps up efforts to curb e-cigarette use

E

xcellus BlueCross BlueShield’s chief executive officer recently ordered clarifications to its own workforce policies to ensure the current ban on smoking in the workplace of tobacco products also applies to non-tobacco products as safety concerns are mounting regarding e-cigarettes and vaping.

“Most laws and workplace policies are historically oriented to tobacco-based products, so we thought it was worth the effort to draw attention to the safety concerns of e-cigarettes while also strengthening those policies we can control,” said Chris Booth, the health plan’s CEO. The health plan provides its employees and its commercially insured members with a free program that offers nicotine replacement products such as patches, lozenges and gum, counseling, medication recommendations and help guides.

Page 10

•

Booth further directed the plan to broaden community education initiatives regarding the dangers of vaping, particularly among young people.

“There’s nothing hazy about the resolve of the state Legislature and governor on the issue of vaping among young people,” Booth said, citing a law that goes into effect in November that bans the sale of such products to anyone under the age of 21.

Excellus BCBS recently issued a new educational poster, “E-Cigarettes: What You Need to Know About Vaping.”

The poster highlights findings from various surveys and experts who report that one in four New York high school students vaped in 2018, a rate that is 160 percent higher than what was reported in 2014.

“While scientists are still study-

ing the long-term side effects of e-cigarettes, their use among young people can lead to chronic coughing, bronchitis and wheezing,” said Stephen Cohen, senior vice president and corporate medical director. “This is a product that is way too easy to get and to get hooked on because of the addictive nature of nicotine.”

The educational poster has been shared with the New York State Center for School Health and is being distributed to school nurses throughout Upstate New York.

More than 100 posters have already been distributed to Onondaga County school nurses.

The health plan’s provider relations representatives are also in the process of delivering the educational posters to pediatrician offices throughout Upstate New York as a method of reaching both parents and children.

IN GOOD HEALTH – Mohawk Valley’s Healthcare Newspaper • October 2019

Women’s Health Mammography: M

What you need to know

ammograms continue to be the best primary tool for breast cancer screening. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), along with some FDA-approved state agencies, certify facilities to perform mammography; and the FDA clears and approves new mammography devices for sale in the U.S. Congress enacted the Mammography Quality Standards Act (MQSA) in 1992 to ensure all women have access to quality mammography for the detection of breast cancer in its early, most treatable stages. Always look for the MQSA certificate at the mammography facility, which is required to be displayed, and indicates that the facility met the national baseline standards for mammography.

How does a mammogram work?

A mammogram is a series of lowdose X-ray pictures of the breasts.

Getting a regular mammogram is the best way to find breast cancer early, because it can show growths in the breast or other signs of breast cancer when they are too small for you or your health care provider to feel them.

Thermograms and nipple aspirate tests are not substitutes for mammograms. Regular screenings are important, and the risk of breast cancers varies from person to person, so it’s a good idea to ask your health care provider when and how often you should schedule a mammogram.

To get a mammogram, you will need to take off your shirt and bra. While standing in front of the machine, a technologist will position your breast on a small platform. A clear plastic plate will press down on your breast while the mammogram is acquired. This compression of the breast helps spread out the breast tissue so it doesn’t overlap, allowing for a clearer look at the breast tissue.

If you’re worried about how the procedure feels, you should know that most women do not find it painful. Some women may find the pressure on the breast uncomfortable, but it lasts for only a few seconds.

FDA regulations already require that facilities provide patients a summary, in easy-to-understand language, of their mammography results within 30 days after the mammogram, and that they make reasonable attempts to communicate the results as soon as possible if indications of potential cancer are found.

Under the proposed rule, facilities would also have to provide you with information about whether your breast density is low or high. Dense breasts have a higher proportion of fibroglandular tissue compared to fatty tissue. This is important, because dense breast tissue can make cancers more difficult to find on a mammogram, and is also now known to be an independent risk factor for developing breast cancer.

In addition, facilities would be required to advise you to talk to your health care provider about breast density, risks for breast cancer, and your individual situation. The idea is to provide information you can discuss with your provider in order to make better informed decisions, including if you need to take any next steps.

As a rule, you should also call your health care provider if you notice any change in either of your breasts. A lump, thickening or nipple leakage, or changes in how the nipple or skin looks can signal a potential problem.

Why is facility certification important?

Under the MQSA, mammography facilities must be certified

by FDA, or an FDA-approved state certifying agency, in order to provide

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mammography services. Certification is important because it indicates that a facility has met the MQSA requirements for practicing quality mammography. A high-quality mammogram can help detect breast cancer in its earliest, most treatable stages.

Each mammography facility is inspected every year. During the inspection, an FDA-trained inspector checks the facility’s equipment, staff training qualifications, and quality control records. Each facility also undergoes an in-depth accreditation process every three years in order to be eligible for an MQSA certificate.

The certificate, which is required to be prominently displayed, shows that the facility has met the MQSA quality standards and may legally perform mammography. When you arrive for your mammogram, look for the certificate and if you don’t see it ask where the certificate is in the facility.

New breast imaging equipment must receive FDA approval or clear-

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ance before being sold in the U.S. In recent years, FDA has approved advanced mammography devices that create cross-sectional (3-D) images of the breast from X-rays taken from multiple angles. These devices provide informative images of the breast tissue, and are particularly helpful in evaluating dense breast tissue.

Before granting approval, FDA determined there was a reasonable assurance that the new 3-D devices were safe and effective for their intended use. This determination was based on a review of clinical studies involving multiple radiologists and hundreds of cases. FDA also sought input on the safety and effectiveness of the devices from a panel of nonFDA clinical and technical experts.

Ask your doctor if 3-D mammography or additional imaging methods, such as ultrasound or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), are good options for you.

Source: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

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IN GOOD HEALTH – Mohawk Valley’s Healthcare Newspaper

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Page 11

SmartBites

By Anne Palumbo

The skinny on healthy eating

Why we should be eating chia seeds W hen it comes to nutrition, itty-bitty chia seeds might take you by surprise. While widely recognized for their high fiber content and omega-3 fatty acids, this superfood boasts a bounty of nutrients that do a body good.

But let’s begin first with fiber, its most abundant nutrient. Just one serving (about two tablespoons) knocks off close to 50% of our daily fiber needs.

Fiber promotes regularity, helps manage blood sugar, and slows digestion to make you feel full longer.

It may also prevent heart disease due to its ability to lower both blood pressure and cholesterol.

What happens when we don’t eat enough fiber?

We get backed up; we may gain weight because we tend to be hungrier and prone to snacking; and we may increase our risk of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.

Chia seeds are one of the richest plant sources of omega-3 fatty acids, which are unsaturated fats that

benefit the cardiovascular system. Although not quite as beneficial as the omega-3s found in fish, the ALA (alpha-linolenic acid) omega-3s found in chia seeds also help heart health by lowering cholesterol, decreasing inflammation, and regulating heart rhythms and blood pressure.

Another reason to reach for this powerhouse food? Chia seeds brim with several nutrients that contribute to bone health: calcium, phosphorous, and magnesium. In a word, calcium builds bones and helps them stay strong, phosphorous maximizes calcium’s bone-strengthening benefits, and magnesium is essential for absorption and metabolism of calcium. A trifecta of goodness!

These popular seeds are an excellent source of tryptophan, an amino acid that promotes good mood, good sleep, and a sense of calm. Tryptophan also helps the body make niacin, an important B vitamin that helps convert food to energy, boosts brain function, and may prevent heart disease due to its positive affect

CALENDAR of

HEALTH EVENTS

Got a health-related activity or event that you would like publicized?

Call Lou Sorendo at 315-749-7070 or email lou@cnymail.com.

Mondays

Grandparents support group takes shape The Center for Family Life and Recovery, Inc., in partnership with the Parkway Center, will be providing a grandparents support group.

The support group will be held from 2-3 p.m. Mondays at the Parkway Center, 220 Memorial Parkway, Utica.

The group is open to grandparents who are raising children of loved ones that are experiencing active addiction, working on recovery, in residential-outpatient treatment, are hospitalized, incarcerated, or are dealing with other familial concerns.

Those interested may contact CFLR’s Utica office at 315-733-1709 or the Parkway Center at 315-223-3973.

Food Addicts in Recovery to meet Food Addicts in Recovery holds an anonymous meeting from 6:308 p.m. Mondays at Trinity United Methodist Church, 8595 WestmorePage 12

•

land Road, Whitesboro.

For more information, call Helen at 315-794-2314.

Tuesdays

Insight House offers family support group Insight House Chemical Dependency Services, Inc. is offering a family support group meeting from 6:15-7:30 p.m. Tuesdays at Insight House, 500 Whitesboro St., Utica.

The group is free and open to anyone who is concerned about a loved one’s relationship with alcohol, opiates/heroin, or other substances.

For more information about the group, call 724-5168, ext. 265, from 8:30-4 p.m. weekdays.

All calls are strictly confidential.

Thursdays

Loved one on drugs?

There is support CNY Services Milestones is featuring a support group for anyone dealing with another person’s drug

Helpful tips:

on cholesterol levels: raises “good” HDL while lowering “bad” LDL. Rich in antioxidants and a good source of complete protein, wholegrain chia seeds are fairly low in calories (about 140 per two-tablespoon serving) and have no cholesterol or sodium.

Chia Seed Pudding Adapted from Chef Giada De Laurentiis Serves 4

1 cup vanilla-flavored unsweetened almond milk 1 cup plain low-fat Greek yogurt 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1/8 teaspoon Kosher salt 1 cup strawberries, hulled and sliced blueberries for garnish In a medium bowl, gently whisk almond milk, yogurt, maple syrup, vanilla, and salt until blended. Whisk in the chia seeds; let stand 30 minutes. Stir to distribute seeds if they and/or alcohol addiction.

The support group meets at 6 p.m. Thursdays at 502 Court St., Suite 210, Utica.

The support group is free and open to those struggling with a child, partner, wife, husband, mother, father or friend who is battling addiction.

For more information, call Tony at 315-717-9153.

Oct. 2

Narcan training classes available In response to the influx of overdoses in the local community, Insight House will be offering free community Narcan training classes on a twice-monthly basis.

Classes will be held from 2-3 p.m. on the first and last Wednesday of every month at 500 Whitesboro St., Utica.

The next sessions will take place on Oct. 2 and Oct. 30.

Space is limited and preregistration is recommended by calling 315-724-5168 ext. 238.

VHS, VRS to feature job fair Valley Health Services and Valley Residential Services are hosting a job fair from 10 a.m. to noon and 3-5 p.m. Oct. 2 at VHS, 690 W. German St., Herkimer, in the sunroom.

VHS and VRS professionals will conduct interviews for immediate openings for certified nurses’ assistant and LPN positions, as well as home health aides and dietary staffing.

IN GOOD HEALTH – Mohawk Valley’s Healthcare Newspaper • October 2019

Chia seeds will last two to four years if stored in an airtight container in a cool, dark place: a pantry or refrigerator. Unlike flax seeds, which need to be ground to reap benefits, chia seeds are absorbed and digested well in their whole form.

Dry chia seeds may be added whole (or ground) to smoothies and juices, mixed into yogurt or oatmeal, or sprinkled on top of a salad. Need an egg replacement for baking? One tablespoon of whole chia seeds mixed with three tablespoons water (let sit for 5 minutes) equals one egg. have settled. Cover and refrigerate overnight; or at least eight hours.

Spoon the pudding into four bowls or glasses; top with strawberries and blueberries, adding more of each if desired.

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.

Candidates interested in admittance to the next CNA training program, held later in October, can apply during the job fair.

The CNA training program is a paid training opportunity with no expense to the student interested in a career in the health care field. Applicants for the program must have a high school diploma or equivalent.

Those unable to attend the job fair but would like to apply for a position at VHS or VRS, submit an application, resume and cover letter to Lynn Hocking, human resource director, lhocking@valleyhealthservices.org.

Quit smoking series on schedule Ready to quit smoking?

Whatever your reason, Rome Memorial Hospital is here to help you succeed.

Starting Oct. 2, the hospital will begin a free three-week series of smoking cessation classes. Register today and you can earn a $20 grocery gift card when you complete the program.

The program will be held from 5-6:30 p.m. Oct. 2, 9 and 16 in the hospital’s classroom, 1500 N. James St. Participants are asked to use the Bartlett Wing entrance off East Oak Street for convenient parking and easy access to the second-floor classroom.

Teaching the class is RMH respiratory therapist Sharin Chrzanowski.

She has been trained through the American Cancer Society’s Freshstart smoking cessation program.

Continued on Page 23

Army of Hope in an Epidemic Opioid crisis demands attention from entire community

By Ambi Daniel

I

t’s no secret we are facing an opioid epidemic.

We know people are overdosing and dying in the depths of their addiction.

It’s easy for society to focus on those who have struggled with addiction. At the same time, society isn’t always so sure about what to do with the rest of us.

We are the ones whose lives have been impacted by someone we love with addicDaniel tion. Sometimes we forget to talk about the survivors of the overdoses, the warriors who had Narcan and saved lives, those who maintain hope for recovery, and the loved ones who grieve and celebrate lives in memory after a loss.

It’s often we also don’t realize just how many people we know that make it in recovery.

Somewhere there is a mom who is sleeping soundly for the first time in years, because her adult child has finally decided to go to inpatient treatment. This mom has been strong, she’s been weak, and she’s been the biggest advocate her child could possibly have.

She’s often walked this path alone, because so many aren’t sure what to say, or what to do, or they think they know how she should “fix it.”

She walks this path, never gives up, and she is there when her child takes the first steps, this time, into that amazing and difficult recovery journey.

She’s one of the many unsung heroes that fight this opioid epidemic because she wants the person she loves to make it out alive, to be a part of her life, and to make a positive difference in this world.

I challenge you to just be an option for this mom you know, to listen, to be silent with, to laugh with, and maybe most importantly to be there with her in support with the difficult decisions she makes to try and help her child.

She is using the best decision-making skills she has, working out every outcome and argument

Oneida, Herkimer in good

and

Health MV’s Healthcare Newspaper

in her head to come to that decision and is fighting this fight with every weapon she has. You may disagree yet be supportive in her decision. She needs her own platoon to walk with her into what’s next, because we just don’t know what’s next.

Along the journey, she’s met other parents who haven’t had the opportunity to fight as long, because the opioid epidemic or other addictions won that round. Some of these parents aren’t sure if they should share how they lost their child because there are members of the community who have heard they lost their child to overdose, and shun the parents because it “must have been their fault or they were bad parents.”

In their grief, they aren’t sure how to handle the crippling shame and guilt. They never stop feeling the love for their child.

On the other side are the parents who grieve through advocating for those who live to fight another day.

They take their pain and share it with the world in hopes that someone else might be saved. They share in hopes that others realize they are not alone on this journey.

They choose the pain in honor of

Madison

counties

A monthly newspaper published

by Local News, Inc. 20,000 copies distributed. To request home delivery ($21 per year), call 315-749-7070.

In Good Health is published 12 times a year by Local News, Inc. © 2019 by Local News, Inc. All rights reserved. Mailing Address: 4 Riverside Drive, Suite 251, Utica, NY 13502 • Phone: 315-749-7070 Email: lou@cnymail.com

Editor & Publisher: Wagner Dotto Associate Editor: Lou Sorendo Contributing Writers: Barbara Pierce, David Podos, Deb Dittner, Jessica Arsenault Rivenburg, Brooke Stacia Demott, Daniel Baldwin Advertising: Amy Gagliano Layout & Design: Dylon Clew-Thomas Office Assistant: Nancy Nitz No material may be reproduced in whole or in part from this publication without the express written permission of the publisher. The information in this publication is intended to complement — not to take the place of — the recommendations of your health provider.

their child who struggled to find his or her way forward in life, halted on their path by death.

Supportive stance

Be there for these parents by letting them share the magical stories from a childhood once known. Celebrate, with them, the characteristics that made their person unique and beautiful.

Let them cry in silence when it’s all they can do. Advocate with them, so someone else may be inspired to make a different choice.

Somewhere in our community, Narcan is being used. An individual committed to a class to learn how to reverse an overdose. They made a choice to carry Narcan with them.

They value the life they saved, knowing that under the addiction, there is a person who can impact the world with their kind heart, gentle soul, engaging intellect, and immense love for their family and friends. The possibilities are endless!

Some months later, that person who almost died because they used fentanyl-laced heroin is here making changes. Heroin was the method they chose to numb physical and emotional pain, to feel good in a world that has high expectations, sometimes even of perfection.

It made them feel even normal for a moment in time. They are still here, thankful for another chance, and have journeyed through treatment. Now, life is about living and practicing recovery.

They have moved through loss of friends along the way and learned

how to tackle simple tasks like paying bills on time. They have learned to listen and to be a better son or daughter.

Being a friend has come with different awareness and practice of action. This person has made amends, has fallen and picked themselves back up, because life never stops coming. They fall almost every day like most of us do. But they do keep

October 2019 •

getting back up.

The choice to feel pain instead of the euphoria heroin will bring, remains a difficult choice.

It’s a choice that is often overlooked as an incredible sign of strength and progress, because, “they should know better.”

They choose pain and struggle forward, not because it feels good, but because there is the possibility of better. They choose recovery.

They choose the promise of a genuinely difficult, but more fulfilling future, where they can find and live their own potential greatness. They choose life.

In our community are the hundreds of people who live the professional roles supporting recovery.

We engage those in the struggle of addiction, the loved ones who stand behind them, and even those who have let go with love.

We fight for reducing stigma, to help individuals find their pathway to recovery, to connect with each other as a team of agencies and referral points.

Most importantly, we share the struggle with those in the depth of the fight and believe recovery is possible.

We share in the joy of celebrating the successes; the grief of the fallen; and hopefully — with strong boundaries — we share an open heart.

Today, I ask you to take a moment with me to acknowledge the army of amazing individuals that are a part of the journey of addiction and the fight in the opioid epidemic in different ways.

We celebrate those who have stepped into recovery, walk with those that continue to struggle, love from afar, and remember those that were lost in the fight.

All make an impact on the world, hold love in their hearts, and are loved. I ask you to move through the challenges of stigma and fear to see the people behind the epidemic, the people who have faced addiction, head on, through the dark and the light.

Together, we maintain hope for all those who are still with us as they find steps in their journey of recovery. We fight, together.

• Ambi Daniel Center is a family support navigator for the Center for Family Life & Recovery, Utica. For more information, call 315-733-1709.

Subscribe to the Mohawk Valley’s No. 1 healthcare publication!

Call 315-749-7070

IN GOOD HEALTH – Mohawk Valley’s Healthcare Newspaper

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Page 13

Muffling Migraines Help for migraine sufferers comes in form of stimulation device

By David L. Podos

E

lectroCore is a New Jersey-based company located in Basking Ridge that develops and distributes a platform of non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation medical devices used in the treatment for multiple conditions in neurology.

Recently, the company released its most current medical device called gammaCore. It is FDA-approved and used for the preventive treatment of cluster headaches and for the acute treatment of pain associated with episodic cluster headaches and miFiorino graine headaches in adult patients.

Millions of people suffer from migraines. Many people who have experienced migraines reportedly say it is like your worst headache you ever had but on steroids. A migraine usually lasts from four to 72 hours if untreated. The number

of migraines that occur varies from person to person. Migraines might occur rarely or strike several times a month.

According to the Mayo Clinic, during a migraine, you might have: — Pain usually on one side of your head, but often on both sides — Pain that throbs or pulses — Sensitivity to light, sound and sometimes smell and touch — Nausea and vomiting “The statistics that are supported and researched shows that in America, those suffering with migraines are roughly in the high 30 million number range. Our latest number is around 39 million,” said ElectroCore Chief Medical Officer Dr. Anthony Fiorino. “It is a highly prevalent condition. It is a condition where we as researchers and scientists see a rising incidence but also better diagnoses of the condition.”

Fiorino explained how their new medical device, gammaCore, works in regards to treating migraines. “gammaCore is a non-invasive vagus nerve stimulating device. When stimulating the vagus nerve, it sends electrical signals along the nerve to the brain stem and from there, projects

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out to other areas of the brain. What is known about vagus nerve stimulation is it can suppress certain kinds of brain activity. That’s one of the reasons why it’s effective in treating patients with seizures, for instance.

“Now there are implantable vagus nerve devices that can be used but that involves invasive surgery and certain risks. Our device is not an implantable one. Having a device surgically implanted is a tall order and not for everyone. In my opinion, the risks of the procedure do not justify it,” he said.

“What ElectroCore had set out to do years ago was to develop a medical device that could stimulate the vagus nerve but would not require an implantable devise but be used externally. We know the vagus nerve runs through the neck; a lot of the research into the product centered around stimulating only certain fibers within the vagus nerve that would have a therapeutic effect on those suffering with migraines.

This would deliver a therapy in such a way that did not cause pain for the patient or damage to tissue.”

The device is a prescription product, so a patient who is suffering from migraines and is not responding well to medication and or is experiencing side effects would need approval through a neurologist on using gammaCore.

Upon approval, the doctor would then train the patient on the proper use of the device.

Learning resources available

“We also have educational videos online to assist patients as well, and our staff here at ElectroCore also fields any questions that patients might have,” he added.

“The device is small and portable, and easy for the patient to use.

They simply hold it up against their vagus nerve when they feel a migraine coming on and then turn the device on. It then sends an electrical impulse signal to the vagus nerve.

The electrical dosage is two minutes long, then the device shuts off.”

“Many patients dealing with migraines have concerns over medication side effects,” said Laszlo Mecheler, medical director of DENT Neurologic Institute as well as the

IN GOOD HEALTH – Mohawk Valley’s Healthcare Newspaper • October 2019

chief of neuro-oncology at Roswell Park Cancer Institute. He is published in numerous publications and is the principle investigator of multiple clinical research protocols related to headaches and neuro- oncology.

“They are always looking for something with minimal side effects and maximum benefit, that golden bullet,” he said. “My practice was fortunate enough to be involved in the initial studies with gammaCore, so we were treating patients before it was even FDA approved. I have been using the gammaCore device for about five years.”

“In my practice, about 40% to 50% of patients are experiencing positive outcomes from using gammaCore. These percentages are compatible to other modalities we use in treating migraines, such as through the use of pharmaceuticals.

Some patients just use gammaCore while others use a combination of gammaCore along with their medication protocol,” he added.

“We do not see any significant side effects with the vagus nerve stimulation, which is a very big deal with patients. Our research shows patients dealing with migraines are statistically more prone to have side effects from medication than other patients with different diseases or medical conditions would experience. They seem to have a greater hypersensitivity to chemicals, Mecheler said.

According to the Migraine World Health Organization, migraine is the third-most common disease in the world, with an estimated global prevalence of 14.7%.

“We have some theories why people get migraines. Everyone has the potential to get a migraine if your threshold is low,” Mecheler said. “In some families, the threshold is very low from a number of reasons, such as stress, or lack of sleep, bad diet, lack of exercise, drinking and smoking for instance.

“Unequivocally, there is a genetic tie in that migraines run in families.

We are in a new dawn for treating headaches and migraines bringing relief to many who suffer from this condition. Vagus nerve stimulation such as gammaCore is just one of a number of treatment modalities we can use.”

Between You & Me

By Barbara Pierce

Most innocent victims It’s time for the truth: New law gives survivors chance to take legal action

I

f you are a survivor of sexual abuse, a new law gives you the chance to speak out and seek justice, no matter how long ago the abuse took place. You can expose your offender either publicly or anonymously.

The Child Victims Act extends the statute of limitations for adult survivors of child sexual abuse, recognizing that many adults may not disclose their experiences for many years.

This change Pierce took effect recently, giving sex abuse victims a one-year window to sue and file criminal charges.

Apart from the one-year window to file any claim, the law extends the statute of limitations for sexual abuse lawsuits, giving victims until age 55 to file civil claims and until age 28 to seek criminal charges, compared to age 23 under the old statute.

Thousands have been waiting years for their day in court. Aug. 14 saw a stunning barrage of lawsuits. Abusers of many descriptions — priests, scout leaders, camp counselors, teachers, sports coaches and doctors — will be named in lawsuits.

The majority of filings named Catholic priests as the abusers; the Boy Scouts were also often named.

Seeking justice is Joanne Schoonmaker. When she was just 11, a janitor began raping her at her middle school in Wellsville. She told the school principal.

“He said, ‘Just stay away from him,’” Schoonmaker reported to CBS News. “I never heard from any law enforcement or anyone. No one was there to protect me. I had trusted them to take care of me.”

She tried reporting it earlier, but the statute of limitations had run out.

Now 51, she finally has a voice for the first time in 40 years. “The pain never leaves you,” she concluded.

“The average age of a victim coming forward about child sex abuse is age 52,” said Marci Hamilton, founder of the child abuse advocacy group Child USA, on CBS News.

Experts and victims say it often takes years for people to speak out about their trauma, even to a loved one. Sometimes victims say they didn’t think they’d be believed.

Sometimes they say they felt some responsibility for the abuse, even though they were children at the time. Others say the shame, embarrassment and fear were simply too much to overcome.

Also coming forward is Michael Schall, 64, who says his scoutmaster in Buffalo molested him for two years (as reported on AP news.com) “It’s not about money,” Schall said, it’s about standing up for the “sweet, naive” kid he once was, who had nowhere to turn.

“This is my chance to say: ‘This happened to me,’” said Schall. “It’s affected me in so many different ways in my life — in who I am. This seems freeing. It’s like I’m bringing something to light that’s been held in the darkness for so long.”

Time to take stand

If you were victimized as a child, it’s time for your voice to be heard.

It’s time to hold institutions accountable for covering up decades of sexual abuse.

It’s time for healing. Healing from the pain you may have carried for so many years.

For some, even more important than going the court route can be counseling. I encourage you consider counseling with an experienced licensed professional. It will ease your pain. If you don’t connect with the first counselor you see, try another.

Maybe even a third.

As one who helped many survivors of childhood abuse, I know counseling works. Yes, it is scary to open up to a stranger and talk about what is so painful. But you can reclaim your life.

Like Doris, who came to see me — the 73 year old had carried the pain of her abuse so many years, dulling it with alcohol. Now she was sober and wanted to change. “You gave me such a gift,” she said when we last saw each other.

While there’s no one-size-fitsall approach, here are some things I learned from the people with whom I worked: — Consider yourself a survivor, not a victim. Could you do something good with this bad thing that happened?

— Accept what happened you.

You recover by telling your story.

“It was better when I started talking about it,” said one victim in the documentary, “Leaving Neverland.”

— Understand that it’s not your fault. You were a child.

— Pushing survivors to forgive or telling them to get over it are common mistakes made by well-meaning people. Some things aren’t forgivable. You don’t have to forgive; you do have to accept that it happened.

If images of the disturbing event keep playing in your head, you can’t change what happened, but you can change that image. Every time that image pops in your head, change it.

Be a victor. Like Doris, who made her abuser into a Jiminy Cricket sized character, and smashed him, time and time again.

Find your voice for the first time.

Reclaim your life.

There is more information online. One helpful site: https:// www.safehorizon.org/get-help/ child-victims-act/#cva-frequently-asked-questions/.

• Barbara Pierce is a retired licensed clinical social worker with many years of experience helping people. If you would like to purchase a copy of her book, “When You Come to the Edge: Aging” or if you have questions for her, contact her at barbarapierce06@yahoo.com.

Study: More U.S. teen girls victims of suicide

T

he gender gap in teen suicide is smaller than previously estimated, with more girls dying by suicide each year, a new study contends.

Suicide death rates among 10- to 19-year-old girls have been systematically underestimated, while rates among boys have been overestimated, according to the report published Sept. 13 in JAMA Network Open.

Experts have pegged the maleto-female gender gap in suicide among teens at 3-to-1, but it’s really closer to 2-to-1, researchers said.

“The reduced gender gap in suicide is a surprise,” said lead researcher Bin Yu, a doctoral student in epidemiology at the University of Florida. “It is really important that we not underestimate the risk of suicide among girls.”

The new model found that suicide deaths among U.S. teens have risen continuously during the past

decade, and at a more rapid rate than reflected in earlier estimates, researchers said.

Conventional methods of estimating annual suicide death rates are flawed, Yu said, because they don’t take into account the generational

risks associated with suicide.

For example, this study showed a decline in suicide risk for millennials born between 1980 and 1995, along with an increase in risk for those born after 1995.

To develop the best possible

October 2019 •

estimate, Yu and co-author Xinguang Chen from the UF College of Medicine created a model that combines three factors: a person’s age, the year of their birth, and the year in which they died by suicide.

This new way of estimating suicide rates pegged the death rate among boys at 4.9 per 100,000 in 1999 and 8.7 per 100,000 in 2017. Previous estimates placed boys’ rates at 7.4 in 1999 and 10.7 in 2017.

Using the new model, suicide rates among girls were 1.7 per 100,000 in 1999 and 4.2 in 2017, compared with earlier estimates of 1.6 in 1999 and 3.5 in 2017.

“The persistent suicide increase we see without a tendency to slow down underscores the need for increased effort at all levels for youth suicide prevention, with a further strengthening of suicide prevention interventions aimed at girls,” Yu said.

IN GOOD HEALTH – Mohawk Valley’s Healthcare Newspaper

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Clinton resident and medical product distributor Martin Zarnock Jr. is shown with his arthritis pain-relieving gel, Mountain Ice.

Clinton businessman creates new pain relief gel

M

artin Zarnock Jr. officially introduced Mountain Ice recently, a topical gel that’s reinventing the pain relief market.

Its effective and cutting-edge formula has since been embraced by scores of athletes, doctors and those suffering with chronic and acute muscle aches and pains, he said.

Zarnock’s background drives the vision at the core of Mountain Ice’s pain relief mission. Having co-founded Mountainside Medical Equipment in 2002 with his father, Martin Zarnock Sr., a service-disabled military veteran, Zarnock has worked 17 years to provide the best medical care to veteran services and senior care facilities.

It was during this work that Zarnock realized the need for a more effective pain relief product.

No topical gel or spray provided the freedom from joint or muscle pain his clients needed, he said.

“I knew I could make something better,” Zarnock said.

He approached Mountain Ice’s development team, and the formula was refined more than a dozen times before finding the right one.

The need for pain relief persists.

Nearly 5 million veterans receive disability compensation and nursing homes have struggled to find a replacement for the opioid-based pain relievers that can easily cause dependence.

Mountain Ice’s mission is to serve everyone made vulnerable by debilitating pain, and to provide a solution that won’t cause more

IN GOOD HEALTH – Mohawk Valley’s Healthcare Newspaper • October 2019

problems.

“There is nothing more gratifying than to hear a doctor tell you stories of patients that are finally living pain-free after using Mountain Ice,” Zarnock said. “People suffering from chronic pain can now sleep through the night and make it through the day pain-free. The true reward is knowing that something you created is helping others live a more comfortable, satisfying life with less pain.”

Mountain Ice is a clinically recommended, topical analgesic that combines the active ingredient of menthol with powerful natural plants and extracts to create a specially designed formula that reaches pain at its source.

It has proven effective at everything from improving athletic performance to restoring mobility in patients with severe arthritis.

Zarnock said Mountain Ice is a safe and effective pain relief alternative that requires no prescription.

“It is non-systemic, non-narcotic and contains no non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or addictive substances,” he said. “Mountain Ice utilizes cool and soothing menthol as well as natural plants and extracts for fast-acting, long-lasting pain relief.

It is never tested on animals and it is produced in the United States.”

Mountainside Medical Equipment is New York state-certified as a disabled veteran-owned small business headquartered in Marcy.

For more information, call 315768-3030.

Spiritual Health Milk & Honey

By Brooke Stacia Demott

Facing Fear Confidence is having faith in spiritual guidance

I

was a pretty daring kid. Unfor“For those who are led by tunately, there wasn’t a trace of the spirit of God are the heroism in it, only a reckless disregard for person and property. Mine children of God. The spirit was a car-stealing, jump the fence of you received does not make an air force base at midnight to lie on the runway while you slaves, so that you live planes landed in fear again; rather, the kind of pluck.

And why not? spirit you received brought I had nothing to about your adoption to lose. That’s not existential mussonship.” ing; it’s a fact. I had nothing to — Romans 8:14-15 lose, because I had nothing at ‘Do not be terrified’ all. I was young, Courage, however, isn’t the unmarried, and Demott opposite of fear. Courage, after all, is completely disinteronly a conduit of action: Courage can ested in crafting a good reputation. I overcome fear, overpower it, and act was free from responsibility (though as though fear were not present, but certainly not from consequence). it must draw strength from outside This was not a fearlessness one who fears is not made perfect in When we commit ourselves to of itself. rooted in confident assurance, but love” (1 John 4:18). understand his sovereign hand over “Have I not commanded you? in ignorant apathy. In other words, I Perfect love. At first glance, that our lives by studying his word, and Propo Be strong and courageous. Do not be MP Order didn’t have much hope, but I didn’t This ad will appear at the classification looks disheartening; of: how can we ever learn to accept his plans — whatever terrified, do not be discouraged, for care. love perfectly? Who am I supposed they might be — his just, kind, wise, the Lord your God will be with you To some degree, thrill seeking is to love perfectly, anyway?

Myself? purposeful and perfect love allows Rome NY wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9). God a management tactic for pervasive God? Other people? us to rest easy in the everlasting arms is commanding Joshua not to fear loneliness. Sometimes the intention with in Home Date 05/2014 But take heart; it isn’t our perfect of our God and king. his enemies, but to be courageous. is to self-destruct, but most of the love that casts out fear; it’s God’s There really isn’t anything to be However, God isn’t telling him to time, it’s to self-distract. There’s no perfect love.Sales Rep: GRIMALDI,afraid of.

Date: 17, 2014 Acct# A1ZGFE JENNIFER L Size: HCN6 Ad Id: A channel hisMarch inner strength and rise sound quite so deafening as that of His perfect love evidenced by “I sought the Lord, and he anup against fear. God is telling him to an empty home. the life he gave us, the creation swered me. He delivered me from all draw courage from the promise that To alleviate this condition, most he crafted for our enjoyment, the of my fears” (Psalm 34:4). the Lord would be with him in the of us spend the majority of our single sacrificial death he suffered to save difficult battle ahead.

• Brooke Stacia Demott is a columlives trying to change that status, and us, and the revelation of his will and The opposite of fear is faith; nist with In Good Health newspaper. Got if we succeed, we quickly recognize works through the enduring texts of specifically, faith in the character and a question for Demott? Feel free to email that the duet is far more complex, but scripture. promises of the living God revealed her at brooketo@aol.com. also far richer, than the solo. to us in his word.

That flippant disregard for the Fear is an unstable expectation future vanishes in a whirlwind of that what we dread will come to colorful dreams and bright-eyed amDiabetes? pass. But faith is “confident expecbitions. The mirage begins to solidify MP Order Proposal# tation of what we hope for, This ad willand appear at the classification of: Flat Feet? in the form of careers and children.

Ad assurance of what weRome do not see” Letter NY We carefully tend to these (Hebrews 11:1). with in Home Date 05/2014 Plantar Fasciitis? trophies of adulthood with bated Effective faith requires an object Date: March 17, 2014 Acct# A1ZGFE Sales Rep: GRIMALDI, L Size: HCN6 Ad Id: AMZHMA1 Contract# You may be JENNIFER eligible for shoes at little or5544766 no cost! breath, shifting things around as worthy of total trust. I can have little as possible, showcasing our faith in my husband, because he has successes on the flush, sturdy mantle demonstrated faithfulness to me, but of routine and normalcy. he cannot be the object of my faith.

Now, waves of adventurous Why? Because his power over my opportunity that crest our horizon life, and the lives of the people I love, Diabetes?

— once cheered exuberantly on the Flat Feet? is limited. Even if he always does surfboard of youth — seize with panPlantar Fasciitis? the moral and ethical thing, there are ic the houseboat of adulthood.

You may be eligible for shoes at little or no cost! matters outside of his control.

I must confess, in recent years God is the only legitimate object I’ve become a great deal more fearful. of faith. He is always good, always Adventures of all shapes and sizes just, and always present. But my faith march past, while I hide under promust progress beyond my desire for verbial covers. I worry about everyGod to supply comfort and blessing; thing, mentally playing out the worst after all, comfort and blessing aren’t potential outcome until self-paralysis always the best thing for us. Author sets in. I have to seek refuge in the Max Lucado succinctly writes that, constant reassurance of my husband “faith is not the belief that God will and friends. do what you want, but that God will What causes a person to be do what is right.” boxed in by fear?

Fear draws strength from uncerIndividual fears are all symptainty, but courage draws strength tomatic of one great fear: loss. We are from confidence in the living God. AMZHMDNLM 14-Mar-2014 07:57 terrified to lose what’s important to How can we have a faith that us — our kids, community, income, overcomes all of our fears? health and eventually, our lives. Over “There is no fear in love. But time, we become slaves to fear. perfect love drives out fear, because Corresponding Listing Information: fear has to do with punishment. The AMZHMDNLM 14-Mar-2014 07:57 October 2019 •

IN GOOD HEALTH – Mohawk Valley’s Healthcare Newspaper

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Page 17

Advanced technology, peace of mind.

3D Mammography exams at Little Falls Hospital 3D mammography technology is clinically proven to improve the ability to detect breast cancer at earlier, more treatable stages and reduce the frequency of false positives—regardless of a woman’s age or breast density.

A 3D mammography exam is the right choice for you if you have dense breasts, a genetic predisposition to breast cancer, and if you’re having your first baseline mammogram. Check with your insurance company regarding coverage.

Saturday appointments are available.

Call 315-823-5231.

Bassett.org/3DMammo

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IN GOOD HEALTH – Mohawk Valley’s Healthcare Newspaper • October 2019

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Health News General surgeon joins Rome medical team Rome Medical Practice Surgical Specialists recently opened a second location at Griffiss Business & Technology Park, where board-certified general surgeon Keneth Hall is accepting new patients.

“When Dr. Hall provided temporary surgical coverage at Rome Memorial Hospital last year, everyone was so impressed by his expertise and his patient-centered manner that we Hall encouraged him to join our practice,” said Rome Medical Practice Administrator Lisa Taurisano.

Hall will perform a broad range of surgical procedures at RMH, including minimally invasive hernia repairs, cholecystectomies, anti-reflux procedures, and placement of gastric pacemakers to treat gastroparesis.

As an experienced bariatric surgeon, Hall has the expertise to perform general surgical procedures on overweight patients, as well as patients who have surgical needs after weight loss surgery.

Hall earned his medical degree at Howard University College of Medicine, Washington, D.C., in 2005.

He completed his general surgery internship and residency at SUNY Stony Brook Medical Center.

Committed to being on the leading edge of surgical advances, Hall has completed numerous specialized certifications. He was a research fellow at the NYU Winthrop Hospital, where he completed additional training in minimally invasive, bariatric and robotic surgery.

He is board-certified by the American College of Surgeons and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.

Excellus BCBS accepting award applications Nonprofit organizations in Upstate New York can apply for Excellus BlueCross BlueShield Community Health Award grants of up to $4,000, which the company is offering to help fund health and wellness programs in Upstate New York.

The application period closes Oct. 22.

All nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organizations in Excellus BCBS’s Utica-RomeNorth Country region are invited to apply for an award. The award can be used for programs that have clear goals to improve the health or health care of a specific population.

Any program that aims to improve the health status of the community, reduce the incidence of specific diseases, promote health education and further overall wellness will be considered. For additional information and the online application, go to https://www.excellusbcbs.com/community. Award winners will be announced later this fall.

“The company’s Community

Health Awards demonstrate a corporate commitment to support local organizations that share our mission as a nonprofit health plan,” said Eve Van de Wal, regional president, Excellus BCBS.

LFH golf tourney successful fundraiser Hosted by Little Falls Hospital, part of the Bassett Healthcare Network, the 17th annual golf tournament took place recently at Cedar Lake Golf Club in Clayville.

The commitment and generosity of the tournament sponsors, golfers and guests enabled LFH to raise $50,000. New proceeds will support the development fund, which strengthens LFH’s programs and services.

“I am so pleased with the generous support that Little Falls Hospital receives from our community and sponsors, which makes this one of the premier golf tournaments in the region every year,” says Michael Ogden, president of LFH. “The funds raised are critical to our ability to grow and better serve our community.”

Next year’s Golf Classic will be held on Aug. 20 at Cedar Lake Golf Club.

Potential sponsors and golfers are encouraged to contact the fund development office at 315-823-5290 or email at cassandra.daley@lfhny. org.

We We did did it. it.

We did it.

Twice.

Twice.

Twice.

Oneida Health is ranked among America’s Top 2% of HOSPITALS

Dermatologist joins Slocum-Dickson

for Patient Safety & Experience

Mohammad-Ali Yazdani Abyaneh is joining the Slocum-Dickson Medical Group in New Hartford on Oct. 3.

Yazdani specializes in general dermatology including procedures such as skin biopsies, dermatoscopy, shave removals, excisions, electrodessication and curettage, intralesional injections, incision and drainage, wrinkle Yazdani reduction, filler injections, and biologic therapies.

He provides treatment for a variety of skin conditions including skin cancer, moles, rashes, psoriasis, eczema, dermatitis, acne, rosacea, warts, cysts, infections, hair loss, autoimmune skin disorders, and wrinkles. Yazdani welcomes patients of all ages to his practice.

Yazdani completed his dermatology residency at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City where he also served as chief resident.

He completed his internal medicine residency at Mount Sinai St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital Center in New York City and earned his medical degree from Albany Medical College.

He is a member of the American Academy of Dermatology and the

Oneida Health is ranked among

Oneida Health is ranked among

America’s Top 2% of HOSPITALS

America’s Top 2% of HOSPITALS

for Patient Safety & Experience

for Patient Safety & Experience

Visit oneidahealth.org/awards to learn more

Visit oneidahealth.org/awards to learn more

Visit oneidahealth.org/awards to learn more

Continued on Page 20 October 2019 •

IN GOOD HEALTH – Mohawk Valley’s Healthcare Newspaper

•

Page 19

Health News Continued from Page 19 New York State Society of Dermatology and Dermatologic Surgery.

Slocum-Dickson names employee of quarter Jennifer Rose was recently named employee of the third quarter of 2019 at Slocum-Dickson Medical Group, New Rose began her career at SDMG in 1992 as a medical records clerk.

Within a year, she transitioned into the role of medical assistant in the dermatology department.

In 1997, she settled into her position as an MA in the ophthalmolRose ogy department.

“Jennifer has proven to be an exemplary employee, taking on additional responsibilities throughout the group’s transition to a new electronic health record system,” an SDMG spokesperson said.

“She acts as a medical scribe for the providers in ophthalmology in addition to handling surgery scheduling, coordinating front desk scheduling, supply ordering, and various other tasks to ensure the department runs smoothly and patients are well cared for.

“Jennifer goes above and beyond to help patients and always maintains a pleasant and professional demeanor even in stressful situations.”

SDMG donates to Little Falls Hospital Little Falls Hospital, part of the Bassett Healthcare Network, recently received a grant from Slocum-Dickson Foundation, Inc., for a HeartStart OnSite AED Trainer and a Zoll AED Plus Trainer2.

An automated external defibrillator is a small lightweight device that allows citizens and co-workers to treat sudden cardiac arrest by delivering a shock to the victim’s chest, ideally restarting his or her heart.

AEDs are user-friendly and even “talk” the user through the process.

“We are most thankful to the Slocum Dickson Foundation, Inc., for the AED Trainers,” says Loretta Mosher, certified emergency nurse and learning and development manager at LFH. “AED training provides realistic training on the proper use of the AED units within the hospital.

Continued education of our employees ensures that our staff, patients and visitors receive the highest quality of care.”

MVHS names clinical laboratory manager Melinda (Mindy) Johnson has been named manager of the clinical laboratory at the St. Elizabeth Campus of the Mohawk Valley Health System.

Page 20

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Area business ensures success of Upstate Cerebral Palsy Scalzo, Zogby & Wittig, Inc. was recently recognized at a plaque presentation at Upstate Cerebral Palsy for its long-standing commitment to supporting the programs and services at the Upstate Caring Partners family of agencies. Both Stephen Zogby, executive vice president, and Gary Scalzo, president were present to accept this recognition for their long-term commitment to the agency as well as to their commitment to serving the youngest of children supported through the early intervention program. Celebrating the occasion are, from left, Jeremy Earl, UCP senior vice president of education; Scalzo and Zogby, and Geno DeCondo, UCP executive director. The insurance specialists have helped the family of affiliate agencies grow from its earliest of years.

In this role, Johnson will provide leadership to and manage the day-to-day operations for the clinical laboratory at St. Elizabeth Campus, including point of specimen collection, specimen processing and accessioning, testing and reporting and the integration of lab services within other departments. Johnson will ensure the lab Johnson functions efficiently and according to regulating bodies’ standards.

Johnson previously held the position of clinical laboratory educator at MVHS. Prior to joining MVHS, Johnson held various roles in the clinical laboratory field including medical technologist and assistant laboratory manager of Centrex at Community Memorial Hospital in Hamilton.

Johnson has 18 years of experience in the field of laboratory medicine and is a member of the Clinical Laboratory Manager’s Association.

Johnson received her Bachelor of Science degree from SUNY Oswego and is a New York state-licensed clinical laboratory technologist.

MVHS names human SECON conducts safety resource business partner drill Conor Scholefield has been named human resource business partner for the Mohawk Valley Health System.

In this position, Scholefield will strategize with the Rehabilitation and Nursing Center, Senior Network Health, Visiting Nurse Association and the medical group Scholefield to ensure quality patient care.

Prior to this position, Scholefield was a talent acquisition specialist with human resources at MVHS where he was responsible for all facets of recruitment for clinical and non-clinical job vacancies.

Scholefield received his Master of Science degree in health care administration from Utica College and his Bachelor of Science degree in psychology with a minor in health care administration from Cazenovia College.

Advertise today! Call 315-749-7070

IN GOOD HEALTH – Mohawk Valley’s Healthcare Newspaper • October 2019

St. Elizabeth College of Nursing, in conjunction with the Utica Police Department Metro SWAT Team, conducted an active shooter drill recently for its college staff and students at the college campus.

The drill is part of the college’s campus safety and security program and is designed to provide students, faculty and staff with a scenario that mimics an actual situation involving an active shooter on campus.

SECON administration, UPD and key personnel from the Mohawk Valley Health System have all taken a proactive stance in keeping the college community on alert and practicing for a situation that hopefully will never occur. A debriefing followed at the conclusion of the drill.

Home care agency in expansion mode St. Joseph’s Health Home Care, a leading force in home health, is expanding into Oneida and Madison counties, bringing quality home care services to residents in those areas.

Oneida and Madison counties cover a total of 1,919 square miles.

Continued on Page 21

Health News Continued from Page 20 Home care services are seriously lacking in the rural region, leaving patients underserved, said Michelle Eymer, director of patient services for St. Joseph’s Health Home Care.

St. Joseph’s Health Home Care’s expansion extends service excellence from the hospital, clinics and physician offices to the home setting, allowing for a safe transition home following a procedure or illness.

“There is an ever-increasing demand for quality homecare services that allow people to recover in the comfort of their own home and prevent rehospitalizations,” Eymer said.

“Our staff is committed to promoting health, managing disease and providing compassionate care to all the patients we serve.”

St. Joseph’s Health Home Care provides an array of services, including skilled nursing, psychiatric nursing, rehabilitation, social work and home health aides.

With this expansion, St. Joseph’s will increase job opportunities in the community, Eymer said.

The interview process has already begun for nurses and once they’re hired, recruiting will begin for other disciplines. The number of jobs will grow as patient numbers grow, she added.

St. Joseph’s Home Care is the only hospital-based certified home health care agency in Central New York.

Job descriptions and applications can be accessed in the career section on the St. Joseph’s Health website, www.sjhsyr.org.

Health coverage in upstate New York Upstate New York’s 2018 uninsured rate is:

35% lower + 61% lower than the U.S. rate

than New York’s rate

2018 Uninsured Rates 3.5% Upstate

8.9%

5.4% New York state

United States

VHS names top employee of second quarter Matt Shirley has been named Valley Health Services’ employee of the second quarter 2019.

Shirley joined VHS on Aug. 31, 2016, in the dietary department.

Shirley’s colleagues say he is a great asset to VHS staff and residents.

“He is enthuShirley siastic, respectful and has a strong work ethic,” one co-worker noted.

“I enjoy working at Valley Health Services because I feel I am doing something good here,” says Shirley.

He is studying accounting at Herkimer College, taking online classes so he can continue his work with VHS during the day.

He lives with his parents in Ilion.

4.2% 3.1% 3.6%

3.3%

3.8%

Upstate New York uninsured rates reach best levels ever recorded

U

pstate New York’s health insurance uninsured rate fell to 3.5 percent, the lowest ever recorded, according to Excellus BlueCross BlueShield’s analysis of the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2018 American Community Survey issued recently.

The Upstate New York rate compares favorably to a new best record for the state of 5.4 percent. The national rate rose slightly to 8.9 percent.

Rates from 2017 were 4 percent in Upstate New York; 5.7 percent, NYS; and 8.7 percent, U.S.) “These low rates of uninsured present an even better picture than what most people might realize,” said Christopher Booth, the health plan’s chief executive officer. “The real uninsured number is even less because these surveys only record those who report having coverage.

There are thousands more who are eligible for coverage but simply have not enrolled in such programs as Medicaid, Child Health Plus and Medicare.”

For example, the uninsured numbers reported for 2018 include more than 23,000 New Yorkers aged 65 and older who would likely qualify for Medicare and more than 107,000 people under age 19 who would likely quality for Child Health Plus.

The American Community Survey is the largest and the U.S. Census Bureau’s recommended source for examining uninsured data at national, state and regional levels. It reports the annual uninsured rate for geographic areas with populations of 65,000 or more. The county-level data were aggregated to calculate the Upstate New York uninsured rate cited by the health plan.

“Upstate New York’s uninsured rates have historically been lower than the numbers recorded for the state and nation,” Booth observed.

“We believe the more favorable numbers here reflect the fact that the region has lower levels of health care spending due to a marketplace of nonprofit health plans and nonprofit hospital systems.”

View an Excellus BCBS infographic illustrating the census numbers titled “Upstate NY’s Uninsured Rate-infographic (September 2019) <https://tinyurl.com/y2ergrql>.

Source: 2018 American Community Survey, 1-Year Estimates. https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=uninsured&table=DP03&tid=ACSDP1Y2018.DP03&lastDisplayedRow=15&hidePreview=true

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IN GOOD HEALTH – Mohawk Valley’s Healthcare Newspaper

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Page 21

Women’s Health Smile with Dr. Suy

By Dr. Salina Suy

Defining Dentistry: What is a CBCT?

H

appy October everyone!

October means Halloween and birthdays for my younger brother and sister.

Happy birthday to my beautiful siblings, Nareath and Sandy — I love you!

I am hoping my husband Al agrees to a couples’ Halloween costume this year.

I am sure he will make me be something from Fortnite as a compromise.

What are you going to be this Suy year?

Thank you again for joining in on this month’s “Smile with Dr. Suy” and our continuing series “Defining Dentistry.” This month’s column is the cone beam computed tomography (CBCT).

A CBCT is essentially a 3D image of your whole face and neck area.

The CBCT X-ray unit is very similar to a PAN [panoramic radiography]

unit where you step in and the unit will rotate around your head to capture the image.

The CBCT is 10-times less radiation than a medical computer tomography scan. The CBCT provides your doctor valuable information concerning your bone, soft tissues, nerve pathways and positioning of anatomical structures.

Several doctors may want a CBCT, including your dentist, otolaryngologist, sleep apnea doctor, pulmonologist, oncologist and oral surgeon.

A CBCT is used for many reasons due to the vast amount of information it provides.

The CBCT can be used to gather information for: — Dental implants: evaluating existing bone, nerve proximities, fabricating surgical guides and planning out cases — Root canal therapy: Evaluating the structure of the existing root canal system within the infected tooth — Oral surgery: Evaluating angulation of structures to be removed

and proximity to important anatomical structures — Sleep apnea: Evaluating the airway for constriction — Sinus problems: Evaluating the skull sinuses — Temporomandibular joint and muscle disorders: Evaluating the jaw joints — Oral pathology detection: Evaluating the presence of any oral pathology (especially hard tissue) including sialoliths, bony structures and bony cancers There are many providers of the CBCT. Some dentists have them in the office while others have a relationship with other doctors and refer their patients.

In my office, Zalatan Dental, we have the unit in house, so feel free to come by if you need a CBCT. The CBCT is a great innovation in the field of dental medicine, and I hope you appreciate this new tool in your oral health.

Please feel free to contact me with questions and comments! Have some questions to ask me in person?

Call for a free consultation. I look forward to meeting you!

chronic ear pain, complaining of noises they can’t identify, and struggling to keep up in school.

“Often parents and teachers overlook the fact that a child’s behavior may be a sign of hearing loss,” Christensen said.

“If parents suspect an issue, they should have their child evaluated by an audiologist. Audiologists have the tools and training to identify hearing loss, degrees of hearing loss, and can

recommend solutions,” she said.

About two to three of every 1,000 children in the United States are born with a detectable level of hearing loss in one or both ears, according to the U.S. National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.

However, many cases go undiagnosed, and the total number of U.S. children with some type of hearing loss is unknown.

• Dr. Salina Suy is a health and wellness advocate and general dentist in Utica. Want to learn more?

Visit Facebook @smilewithdrsuy or www.smilewithdrsuy.com.

s d i K Corner

Poor school results could be hearing issue

F

alling school grades could be a sign of hearing loss in children, according to the American Academy of Audiology.

“A child with just minor hearing loss can be missing a significant amount of the classroom discussion,” said academy president Lisa Christensen.

“There are children who have been diagnosed with a learning disability when really what they need are hearing aids,” Christensen added in an academy news release. She works at Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth, Texas.

Along with struggles in the classroom, hearing problems can lead to behavioral issues, lack of focus and even depression in children.

Many children with hearing loss don’t recognize that they have a Page 22

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problem, and parents may not recognize the signs.

• Look for difficulty following through with assignments and often seeming unable to understand the task. Other tipoffs include not understanding questions and either not responding or not responding appropriately.

• Children with hearing problems may struggle to pronounce simple words or repeat a phrase. They may also have articulation problems or language delays.

• Does your child often ask you to repeat things, watch your face intently in order to understand what you’re saying or have difficulty hearing on the phone? Those could be signs of hearing loss, too.

• Some other red flags: speaking loudly when not warranted, having

IN GOOD HEALTH – Mohawk Valley’s Healthcare Newspaper • October 2019

CALENDAR of

HEALTH EVENTS

Got a health-related activity or event that you would like publicized?

Call Lou Sorendo at 315-749-7070 or email lou@cnymail.com.

Continued from Page 12 Participants should plan to attend all three sessions for best results.

Space is limited and advance registration is required. Call RMH’s Education Department at 315-3387143 to register. The class is open to adults 18 and older.

Smoking cessation class participants may be eligible to receive free nicotine replacement patches provided through The New York State Smokers Quitline. It would be advantageous to call Quitline at 1-866-NY-QUITS before attending the first class to receive the free “start kit” of nicotine replacement patches.

Anyone who is interested in learning more about smoking cessation can call the hospital’s education department at 315-338-7143 or contact the New York State Smokers’ Quitline at 866-NY-QUITS (866-6978487) or www.nysmokefree.com.

Other information may be obtained by visiting www.smokefree. gov.

Oct. 3

Help create human pink ribbon Community members and breast cancer survivors are invited to help promote Breast Cancer Awareness Month by creating a human pink ribbon.

Participants are asked to wear dark pink and join the group at 12:15 p.m. Oct. 4 at Murnane Baseball Field, across from the Faxton Campus in Utica.

An aerial picture will be taken to promote Breast Cancer Awareness Month throughout October in the Mohawk Valley. There will also be a brief ceremony to honor breast cancer survivors.

Those interested can register for the event by Oct. 3 by visiting mvhealthsystem.org/pinkribbon or call 315-624-HOPE (4673).

The Mohawk Valley Health System Cancer Center, the American Cancer Society and Utica Mayor Robert Palmieri are sponsoring the event.

Oct. 4

Farming Your Future slated in Frankfort The third annual Farming Your Future will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 4 at the Herkimer County Fairgrounds, 135 Cemetery St., Frankfort.

The Herkimer-Fulton-Hamilton-Otsego BOCES School to Careers program and the STC agriculture committee, in collaboration with Oneida-Herkimer-Madison BOCES and Madison-Oneida BOCES, is organizing the event.

The event is primarily for students in grades 7-9 and is not open to

the general public.

Farming Your Future is an opportunity for students to explore careers in agriculture. Students will have hands-on access to exhibits in the agriculture field and interact with local professionals in the industry.

This event was previously held in May in 2017 and 2018 but was moved to early October for 2019 to better accommodate presenter and student schedules.

Updates can be seen at www. herkimer-boces.org/fyf.

Oct. 10

Laryngectomy support group to meet The Laryngectomy Support Group will hold its monthly meeting at noon Oct. 10 in the Sister Regina Conference Room on the first floor of the St. Elizabeth Medical Center hospital building, 2209 Genesee St., Utica. The support group is sponsored by SEMC. Laryngectomy support group meetings are held at noon on the second Thursday of each month.

A laryngectomy is the procedure to remove a person’s larynx and separates the airway from the mouth, nose and esophagus. The laryngectomee breathes through an opening in the neck, called a stoma.

The public is welcome to attend.

Those with questions can call the speech therapy department at 315801-4475.

Oct. 11

Breastfeeding Café opens at Rome Memorial The Mohawk Valley Breastfeeding Network, in partnership with Rome Memorial Hospital, has opened a new Breastfeeding Café to provide pregnant and breastfeeding moms and their families a place to support one another, socialize and get breastfeeding clinical support if needed.

The group meets from noon to 2 p.m. on the second and fourth Fridays of the month at Rome Memorial Hospital, fourth floor, 1500 N. James St. The next meetings will be on Oct. 11 and Oct. 25.

There is no cost to participate and mothers can bring their babies to be weighed at the hospital’s “Weighto-Go” station. Snacks will be provided. Dads and grandparents are welcome.

For more information, contact Laurie Hoke in RMH’s maternity department at 315-338-7291.

You can find meeting announcements on Breastfeeding Café and Rome Memorial Hospital Facebook pages.

Subscription? Call 315-749-7070!

Oct. 14

Support forum for patients, cancer survivors The Mohawk Valley Health System’s Cancer Center’s monthly support forum for patients and cancer survivors will be held at 6 p.m.

Oct. 14.

The cancer support forum meets at 6 p.m. on the second Monday of every month in the Cancer Center’s fireplace lounge on the main floor of Faxton Campus, 1676 Sunset Ave., Utica.

The forum, led by the Cancer Center’s social worker, offers support to anyone who has received a cancer diagnosis.

Light refreshments will be served. For more information or to RSVP, call 315-624-5241.

Support group to meet at Rome Memorial Hospital The brain aneurysm, AVM (arteriovenous malformation) and stroke support group will meet from 5:307:30 p.m. Oct. 14 at Rome Memorial Hospital’s second-floor classroom.

The group meets on the second Monday of every month.

RMH is located at 1500 N. James St., Rome.

For more information, call Deb Dunn at 315-533-6467 or email RomeNY@JoeNiekroFoundation.org.

day and Friday and from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, the center participates with most major insurance programs, including Medicare and Medicaid. A sliding scale fee is available for self-pay clients.

For more information about the support group or the Community Recovery Center, call 334-4701.

Nov. 6

Parents: Learn baby care basics Parents-to-be can learn about childbirth, newborns and other related topics by attending Baby Care Basics, a two-hour program taught

by Rome Memorial Hospital maternity nurse Michelle Bates.

The class is available from 6-8 p.m. Nov. 6 and from 10 a.m. to noon Nov. 16 in the hospital’s classroom.

The program is free and no advance registration is required.

Call 315-338-7143 for more information.

Nov. 7

CycleNation™ pedals into the Mohawk Valley

Valley Health Services is accepting the community’s medical waste of needles, syringes and lancets from noon until 2 p.m. on Oct. 16.

The service is available on the third Wednesday of every month.

The waste must be in approved puncture-resistant containers available at local pharmacies and properly marked “biohazard.”

The containers may be brought to the outpatient receptionist on the ground floor at VHS, who will contact the personnel responsible for medical waste disposal.

VHS is located at 690 W. German St., Herkimer.

Questions may be directed to Tammi King, infection control nurse, at 866-3330, ext. 2308.

The American Heart Association is hosting the first CycleNation™ event in the Mohawk Valley.

The new CycleNation Utica will be held Nov. 7 at Thrive Athletic Center in New Hartford and is chaired

by Albert Pylinski of NYCM Insurance.

The AHA, alongside national sponsor Amgen Cardiovascular, launched CycleNation™ in May 2016. The CycleNation Utica event will be the first of its kind in the Mohawk Valley and is locally sponsored

by NYCM Insurance and media sponsor Roser Communications Network.

Teams of four will ride stationary bikes in relay format. Each team member rides for 30 minutes.

Throughout the evening, riders will meet stroke survivors, local celebrities, and more.

Once the riders are finished, they can enjoy a special celebration.

Each team of four will be tasked with raising a minimum of $1,000 that will help fund research and education.

For more information or to register for the event, visit www.cyclenation.org/utica.

Oct. 21

Nov. 9

Family support group focuses on addiction

Class focuses on feeding newborn

Families who are dealing with the problems of addiction can find help and information at a support group meeting from 6-7 p.m. Oct. 21 in the second-floor classroom at Rome Memorial Hospital.

The group meets the third Monday of each month and is free and open to everyone.

Offered by the hospital’s Community Recovery Center, the support group provides an opportunity to discuss issues with others who are in the same situation.

Certified by the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services, the Community Recovery Center, 264 W. Dominick St., Rome, offers alcohol and substance abuse treatment for adolescents and adults.

Open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mon-

Human milk is the best possible nutrition for your baby. With knowledge and practice, both mother and baby can learn how to successfully breastfeed.

Rome Memorial Hospital will be featuring a class where parents-to-be can learn about their baby’s nutritional needs, feeding by breast or bottle and other hand-feeding methods.

All are welcome to attend regardless of feeding choice.

International board-certified lactation specialist Amanda Huey will lead the free class.

The class will be offered from 10 a.m. to noon Nov. 9.

Class will be held in the hospital’s second floor classroom. No registration is required. For more information, call the education department at 315-338-7143.

Oct. 16

Valley Health Services accepts syringes

October 2019 •

IN GOOD HEALTH – Mohawk Valley’s Healthcare Newspaper

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Page 23

1 IN 13 CHILDREN HAS A FOOD ALLERGY PAINT A PUMPKIN TEAL. The Teal Pumpkin Project encourages people to provide non-food items for trick-or-treaters so that kids with food allergies can participate without facing risks to their health. Some of the treats that are handed out include glow sticks, rubber balls, vampire fangs, etc.

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IN GOOD HEALTH – Mohawk Valley’s Healthcare Newspaper • October 2019