In Good Health: Mohawk Valley #196 - June 2022

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JUNE 2022 • ISSUE 196

BOB BLUEY GEARS UP

for the 45 Boilermaker th

At the age of 72, New York Mills resident is part of a special group of runners who have participated in every Boilermaker race since its inception in 1978. P. 4

Q&A WITH SUSAN STREETER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF SENIOR CITIZENS COUNCIL OF ROME

Is 10,000 daily steps really the magic number for staying in great shape? Or have we all fallen for a marketing campaign? We discuss with local sources. P. 11

Page 7

ONE MAN’S JOURNEY WITH PROSTATE CANCER Page 12

10,000 STEPS

CALENDAR of HEALTH EVENTS

June 5

ACR Health promotes its 30th annual AIDS 5K The ACR Health announced its 30th annual AIDS 5K run/walk. The event, which helps raise funds for the organization, will take place starting at 10 a.m. June 5 at Beaver Lake Nature Center in Baldwinsville. Cost to register is $35, or $40 after June 4.

ACR Health is a nonprofit, community-based organization providing an array of support services to individuals affected by a wide range of chronic diseases, including HIV/ AIDS, with the goal of positive health outcomes; as well as navigators to help individuals and businesses make informed health insurance decisions.

For more information, contact Mary Beth Anderson at mbanderson@ACRHealth.org.

June 6, 21,

Programs in Clinton, New Hartford to focus on preventing falls Two local organizations are hosting a fall prevention workshop, titled “How to Prevent Falls and Remain In-

dependent.” The workshops are free of charge and will be held in June.

These interactive workshops will be presented by clinicians from COAST Physical Therapy, based in New Hartford, in an effort to help community members reduce their risk of falling and allow them the ability to remain safe and independent and age in place.

The schedule is as follows: • June 6, from 11 a.m. to noon at Meadows Senior Living, Building F, 4310 Middle Settlement Road, New Hartford. To reserve a seat, call 315624-9915.

• June 21, from 3:30 to 5 p.m., at Brookdale Independent Living, 99 Brookside Drive, Clinton. To reserve a seat, call Will Lamont at 315-8531224.

COAST Physical Therapy has won multiple awards, including Physical Therapist of the Year, Education in Healthcare, Small Business of the Year, Family Business Leader of the Year and Best Places to Work.

June 9

Free medical education program focusing on breast health The 6th annual breast cancer

update for medical providers is set for Thursday, June 9, at the Embassy Suites in Destiny USA, Syracuse.

The three-hour training begins with registration and dinner at 5 p.m. and will conclude at 8:30 p.m.

The program is sponsored by Breast Care Partners, a fully accredited breast center; and by the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC), a program administered by the American College of Surgeons.

Topics of discussion include advances in radiation therapy for early stage breast cancer, new information about genetics testing for breast cancer and a breast cancer tumor board review.

Crouse Hospital designates this program for a maximum of three AMA PRA category 1 credits. Crouse Hospital is accredited by the Medical Society of the State of New York to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Some of the topics to be addressed will include “Modern Radiation Therapy for Early Stage Breast Cancer” and “Genetic Testing for Breast Cancer Risk: The Past, Present & Future.” Anyone wishing to register for the event should text or call 315-559-6803 or email breastcarepartners@gmail.com.

June 9

CNY Retirement Showcase in Syracuse Join the first CNY Retirement Showcase from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursday, June 9, at the CNY Regional Market shed E at 2100 Park St. in Syracuse. Live music, food and representatives from over 30 local organizations from theaters, travel

agencies, museums, volunteering, independent living will be available.

Some of the vendors include: The Nottingham, The REV Theatre, Onondaga Coach Tours, YMCA, Chefs for Seniors, Retired Seniors Volunteer Program (RSVP), RedHouse Arts Center, Mid Lakes Navigation and many more. For more information, visit www.communitylivingadvocates.com and type in the search menu “cnyretirementshow.”

June 18

Free tickets to Auburn Doubledays baseball game, fireworks Hematology-Oncology Associates of CNY (HOA) invites the Central New York community to a cancer care celebration with the Auburn Doubledays on Saturday, June 18, as a thank you to its patients and the city of Auburn for their long-standing support.

Free tickets to the event are available while supplies last. To get a free ticket scan the QR code in the HOA ad in this newspaper. In addition to the baseball game against Utica, the event will begin with a recognition ceremony for cancer survivors and end with a fireworks display. The celebration also includes: A gift for each cancer survivor in attendance; a gift for the first 1,000 guests; an opportunity to meet the HOA staff; experts to help you understand cancer genetics screening Located at 130 Division St. in Auburn, the Doubledays stadium can seat 4,000 spectators, and offers concessions. Gates open at 6 p.m. and the game begins at 7:05 p.m.

Choose a career in special education and make a difference in our students’ lives.

NOW HIRING

FREE tickets available for ANYONE by registering with this QR code or pick them up at the HOA Auburn Office - 37 West Garden St., Suite 301

Scan for tickets!

Teachers & Teacher Aides

• Recognition ceremony and gift for cancer survivors • Free gift to the first 1,000 attendees • Cancer Genetics Screenings available • Meet our staff See you at the game!

NEW COMPETITIVE SALARIES Learn and grow with us - visit upstatecpjobs.org Page 2 • IN GOOD HEALTH – Mohawk Valley’s Healthcare Newspaper • June 2022

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SM

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

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

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Click

ExcellusForMedicare.com

Call

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

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

Our Health Plan complies with applicable Federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex. ATENCIÓN: si habla español, tiene a su disposición servicios gratuitos de asistencia lingüística. Llame al 1-877-883-9577 (TTY: 711). 注意：如果您使用繁體中文，您可以免費獲得語言援助服務。請致電 1-877-883-9577 (TTY: 711)。 † 2022 CMS Medicare Star Rating. Every year, Medicare evaluates plans based on a 5-star rating system.

A nonprofit independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association Y0028_8417_M June 2022 • IN GOOD HEALTH – Mohawk Valley’s Healthcare Newspaper • Page 3

Perennial Runner Bob Bluey Gears up for th the 45 Boilermaker New York Mills resident has run every Boilermaker since the beginning, in 1978

By Adrian Colosimo

W

ith thousands of running races held each year in the United States, Robert (Bob) Bluey has no trouble choosing his favorite, the Boilermaker 15K Road Race in Utica.

At the age of 72, Bob is part of a very special group of runners who have participated in every Boilermaker race since its inception in 1978.

This long-time Mohawk Valley resident is a grandfather of three and currently lives with his wife in New York Mills.

His love of running began in 1975, when at the age of 25 he decided to make his health a priority.

“I attended a class about healthy lifestyles put on by the American Heart Association,” Bob recalls. “I took a five questions heart health quiz and I had one of the highest [risk] scores in the class. I needed to change my lifestyle and become healthier.”

Bob’s mother had suffered from heart disease throughout his childhood, even spending time in the hospital. “As a kid it was scary,” remembers Bob. Heart disease eventually took her life at the age of 62. “The instructor of the class talked about the importance of exercise especially if you have a family history of heart disease. It was a wake-up call.”

When putting his plan in place to get healthy, he started slowly with an easy run around the block. At that time running was just starting to become mainstream and the first sneakers designed specifically for running were introduced.

“There weren’t a lot of running events to do at that time,” recalls Bob. Then in 1978 he heard about a race happening in Utica. “The main reason I decided to run the first Boilermaker was because they were giving out free beer,” says Bob. “Every other race, you would get water, but the Boilermaker promised free beer!”

The 15K distance was going to be a challenge for Bob, but his very good running friend Joe encouraged him to participate in some devel-

The Race is On The 45th Boilermaker 15K Road Race is presented by Excellus BlueCross BlueShield and will take place July 10. For more information, visit www.boilermaker.com.

opment runs and run a 15K race in Rome to prepare. On race day Bob was ready. He remembers the crowd of around 800 people feeling enormous.

“There were runners from Buffalo, Albany, New York City and Canada. It was a big deal,” recalls Bob. “Finishing the race was pretty amazing. When I got to the end there were all of these people. Everyone stayed and talked about the race. It was great!”

As Bob gears up for his 45th race, he still carries with him the same enthusiasm for running.

“I try to get in a run at least three days a week,” says Bob. He usually does a 3.5-mile loop and starts adding miles to his runs in June in preparation for the Boilermaker, working his way up to 10 miles. In addition to running, Bob rounds out his fitness routine with 20 to 30 minutes of stretching and strength training on non-running days. “I’m so much healthier because of running,” says Bob. “Most people my age take some type of medication. The only pill I take is a multi-vitamin.”

Despite being active and maintaining a healthy weight, he understands his hereditary risk of heart disease can’t be changed.

“Knowing that running has kept my body in shape, motivates me to keep going,” explains Bob. He also notices the impact running has on his mental health. “I think being physically fit makes your mental health the best it can be,” says Bob. He maintains a positive attitude about life and looks forward to opportunities to be active.

Boilermaker over the years Having run every Boilermaker since the beginning, Bob has a perspective on the race that few people have. He has seen it transform and grow over the years in a mul-

Page 4 • IN GOOD HEALTH – Mohawk Valley’s Healthcare Newspaper • June 2022

titude of ways.

“The first race was very laid back,” remembers Bob. “Cars were allowed on the course and there wasn’t much security even though there was a professional runner, Ric Rojas, in the race.”

Bob remembers a major turning point when Olympian and marathon record holder William (Bill) Rogers participated in the race in 1984. “It turned into a big-time race with professional runners from around the world,” says Bob. “The fact that the best in the world were coming in and you got to run with them was amazing! That doesn’t happen in any other sport. I could never play baseball with Yankee Aaron Judge, but I could run with the pros.” What is even more amazing to Bob is after the race is over the professional runners come out in front of the stage and talk with people. “They are part of the comradery. It is a really nice thing that we’ve got here that no one else has,” says Bob. He recalls seeing the crowd for the race grow bigger each year as well. “Now there are people everywhere. I love seeing the crowd on the stretch coming down Champlain Avenue and onto Whitesboro Street.”

Personally, for Bob the meaning of the race has also evolved.

“Many of the people I’ve known since my early days of the race, mentors in running, friends who would take me to the starting line, have passed on,” says Bob. “Now my family is what makes the race special. I have relatives that come from all over for the race.” He has family that joins him from as far away as California. It has turned into a weekend long family reunion with as many as

50 relatives showing up to run the iconic race. “They love it! We begin celebrating on Friday with different events – dinners, baseball games, the kid’s run. The whole family is here for the weekend,” explains Bob. Passing on his passion for running is important. “My sons, nephews, grandkids, everyone sees that running is a healthy way of life,” explains Bob. “Even my older brother, who for the longest time thought I was insane, started to run races.”

Some may wonder what keeps Bob coming back to the Boilermaker year after year. Having run four marathons, including the New York City Marathon and the Marine Corp Marathon in Washington D.C., Bob still thinks the Boilermaker is the best race around. “Over the years, I’ve seen people I work with and friends along the course in different places,” says Bob. “I probably don’t go a half mile without seeing someone I know waving to me. I’ll see friends I worked with 30 years ago, and my family waiting for me on the Parkway.” And he has no plans to stop.

“It gets harder all the time, but I use my health as my motivation.”

Bob is looking forward to the 45th Boilermaker 15K Road Race presented by Excellus BlueCross BlueShield on July 10. “I can’t wait to get to the starting line, get back to normal, and see thousands of people.”

“We are excited to continue our support of the Boilermaker as the presenting sponsor of the 15K road race and cheer on runners like Bob,” says Eve Van de Wal, Excellus BCBS Utica regional president. “This event showcases the spirit of our community, as athletes from around the world and in our neighborhoods gather together to enjoy this one-of-a-kind race. We are inspired everyday by Excellus BCBS members like Bob to further our mission of improving the health and wellbeing of the communities we serve. We can’t wait to be there at the finish line!”

Adrian Colosimo is the regional communications and community relations manager for the Utica region of Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, New York state’s largest nonprofit health plan.

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Female doctors are nearly two times more likely than male doctors to face this abuse

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early 1 in 4 hospital doctors are mistreated at work by patients, visitors and other doctors, and female doctors are nearly two times more likely than male doctors to face this abuse, a new study reveals.

“All members of the health care team share the responsibility to mitigate mistreatment,” said senior study author, physician Mickey Trockel, a clinical professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Stanford University School of Medicine and director of evidence based innovation for the Stanford WellMD/WellPhD Center.

“Those wielding leadership influence hold particular responsibility to establish policies and expectations of civility and respect from all members of the healthcare community — including patients and visitors,” Trockel added.

In the study, researchers surveyed just over 1,500 doctors on the clinical faculty at Stanford University School of Medicine in September and October of 2020 and found that 23.4% reported mistreatment at work during the past year.

Patients and visitors were the main culprits — reported by about 17% of physicians and accounting for more than 70% of all events — followed by other physicians.

The most frequent forms of mistreatment were: verbal, reported by 21.5% of respondents: sexual harassment (5.4%); and physical intimida-

tion or abuse (5.2%).

Women were two times more likely (31%) to report mistreatment than men (15%), and were more likely to encounter sexual harassment and verbal mistreatment.

Mistreatment also varied by race but the number of respondents wasn’t large enough to conduct a detailed analysis by race or ethnicity, according to the authors of the study.

The findings were published May 6 in the journal JAMA Network Open.

The researchers noted that workplace mistreatment has been associated with increased burnout, lower job performance and depression, and that studies of U.S. physicians over the last decade have found job burnout rates of 40% to 60%.

“To address the issue of physician mistreatment, organizations must first recognize its prevalence and then know where to look,” said study first author, Susannah Rowe, an ophthalmologist at Boston Medical Center and chairwoman of the Wellness and Professional Vitality Council at Boston University Medical Group.

“With the strong association of mistreatment to workplace dissatisfaction and physician burnout, it is imperative that health care organizations take steps to address these issues as quickly as possible for the well-being of their staff, as well as their patients,” Rowe said in a medical center news release.

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4 Riverside Drive, Suite 251, Utica, NY 13502 Phone: 315-749-7070 • Email: IGHmohawkvalley@gmail.com Editor & Publisher: Wagner Dotto Contributing Writers: Barbara Pierce, Deb Dittner, Gwenn Voelckers, David Podos, Deborah Jeanne Sergeant, George W. Chapman, Anne Palumbo, Daniel Baldwin, Amy Barkley • Advertising: Amy Gagliano Layout & Design: Joey Sweener • Office Manager: Kate Honebein 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.

This resource is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of an award totaling $247,645 with 0% financed with non-governmental sources. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. Government. For more information, please visit HRSA.gov.

June 2022 • IN GOOD HEALTH – Mohawk Valley’s Healthcare Newspaper • Page 5

The Importance of Taking Medications as Directed

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he World Health Orillness, but also long-term ganization says that medications to manage getting more patients chronic conditions such as to take their medications as diabetes, high blood pressure directed, known as medicaand high cholesterol,” says tion adherence, may have a pharmacist Mona Chitre, greater impact on the health chief pharmacy officer and of the population than any vice president clinical opimprovement in specific erations and health innovamedical treatments. tion at Excellus BlueCross However, according BlueShield. “When patients to the Centers for Disease with chronic conditions stop Mona Chitre Control and Prevention, at taking their maintenance any given time, 50% of patients are medications as directed, the consenot taking their medications as prequences can be severe.” Unregulated scribed: They are nonadherent. high blood pressure, for example, can Nonadherence includes not lead to kidney failure, heart disease filling a prescription, taking less than and stroke. the prescribed dose, skipping doses The National Institutes of Health or discontinuing medications sooner calculates that nonadherence may than advised. result in 100,000 preventable deaths “We’re not only talking about each year in the United States and prescriptions to treat a short-term $100 billion a year in preventable

medical costs.

The American Heart Association puts the impact of nonadherence on health care spending at nearly $300 billion a year in additional doctor visits, emergency department visits and hospitalizations.

Research into medication adherence by Excellus BCBS found that reasons for nonadherence fall into one of three categories: They are patient-related, medication-specific or are health care system-related.

Patients may forget to take their meds, misunderstand instructions or decide they don’t need them any longer, especially if they have no overt symptoms. A specific medication may be too expensive, have undesirable side effects or the dosing instructions may be complex. A lack of follow-through or support from a physician or pharmacist may also result in patients not taking their medications as prescribed.

The CDC estimates that for every 100 prescriptions written, 50 to 70 are filled by a pharmacy, 48 to 66 are picked up by the patient, 25 to 30

are taken properly, and just 15 to 20 of those prescriptions are refilled as prescribed.

Something as simple as arranging for prescription home delivery, offered by many pharmacies, may increase medication adherence. Other tips include establishing a routine for taking medications, using pill box organizers, downloading phone app reminders, or asking the pharmacy to organize medications in blister packaging and labeling them with instructions on what to take and when.

“Patients who have issues with their prescriptions should reach out to their physician, pharmacy, or insurer with their questions or concerns, since those are the best sources for answers and assistance,” says Chitre. “When medications are taken as prescribed, health outcomes are improved, chronic conditions are managed, health care dollars are used efficiently, and lives are saved.”

Fraud

physicians and ancillary professionals and in many cases can be credited with saving smaller rural hospitals near closure. Hospital systems, covering large geographic areas with hundreds of physicians in virtually all specialties, are better positioned to form comprehensive all-inclusive health systems capable of accepting capitation and or value-based payments from insurers.

Submitted by Excellus BlueCross BlueShield.

Healthcare in a Minute

By George W. Chapman

ACA Has Record Enrollment: 35 Million People Insured

T

he Affordable Care Act of 2010 has survived more than 60 attempts to repeal it. Twelve years later, a record 35 million people (one in 10 of us) will receive health insurance via discounted commercial insurance on an exchange or expanded Medicaid eligibility. The uninsured rate is 8.8% or about 29 million. Most of the uninsured are younger adults electing not to be

covered, lower income people living in states that did not accept Medicaid expansion and people who lost employer-based coverage. The increase from last year’s 31 million to a record 35 million covered this year is due partly to increased income eligibility for discounted insurance on the exchange and additional states (Oklahoma and Missouri) opting for expanded Medicaid.

Employers Focused on Healthcare

providers and patients that Medicare Advantage plans are requiring prior authorization for services normally covered by traditional Medicare.

More than half of seniors are covered by a Medicare Advantage plans that are operated by commercial carriers like the Blues, United, Aetna, Humana, Cigna, etc. There is a push for electronic prior authorization which would standardize what services require prior authorization, reduce human error, speed up the approval and make it easier for medical practices.

Not surprisingly, the experience of running a business during the pandemic has sharply focused employers on healthcare. A recent survey found nine of 10 employers cite healthcare as their No. 1 priority this year. Healthcare premiums are rising again after a pandemic lull due to care being postponed or even canceled. But cost isn’t their sole focus.

Employers have felt the impact of the pandemic on employee morale and mental health. Consequently, there is a concerted effort to expand mental health benefits, improve access to virtual care and lower employee out-of-pocket costs. Most employers surveyed believe virtual care will increase access and lower costs.

Medicare Prior Authorization

Critics view prior authorization for medical services as an unnecessary barrier to timely care and a way for insurers to reduce claims.

Prior authorization has been an administrative nightmare for busy medical practices trying to provide appropriate care for their patients.

Proponents of prior authorizations, namely the insurance industry, argue that prior authorizations ensure their members will receive the right care, at the right time, in the right setting.

Recently, the Office of Inspector General is investigating complaints from

Deadly Milestone

According to health officials, we have transitioned from a COVID-19 pandemic to a COVID-19 epidemic, despite continuing related deaths and seemingly a new variant every week. On May 5, we surpassed a grim milestone: more than one million Americans have now died from COVID-19. There have been, reportedly, 15 million deaths worldwide, but experts are skeptical of numbers from autocracies like Russia, China, North Korea, etc. Early on, several epidemiologists and public health officials were scoffed at for their dire predictions of a million deaths if COVID-19 was not taken seriously and managed effectively. Another wave of infections is predicted for this summer, so we are urged to exercise caution.

Page 6 • IN GOOD HEALTH – Mohawk Valley’s Healthcare Newspaper • June 2022

The OIG is constantly on the alert for fraud. Most of their investigations originate from tips from consumers or honest medical professionals.

Every month, millions of Medicare dollars are recovered from fraudsters.

OIG has issued a warning concerning COVID-19 scams whereby individuals offer free testing sites, free at home tests, free supplies etc. through telemarketing calls, texts, social media platforms and door-to-door visits.

The scammers are trolling for your personal information and Medicare information. In the continuing saga of opioid fraud, in April the OIG convicted 14 defendants from Alabama, Florida, Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee, New Jersey and West Virginia of illegally prescribing more than seven million pills resulting in more than $7 million in losses to Medicare. Not to be outdone, a physician in California was recently convicted of defrauding Medicare of $12 million. The physician recruited Medicare patients and then performed medically unnecessary vein ablation procedures. He then upcoded (over charged) Medicare. To cap it off, he repackaged and reused single use disposable catheters.

Hospital Mergers

Last month’s (now prescient) column addressed the justification for hospital mergers. I did not anticipate the recently announced potential merger of SUNY Upstate Medical University Hospital with Crouse Health in Syracuse. If approved by the NYS Department of Health, it will be a merger of public and private organizations. Upstate acquired the former Community General hospital in 2011. Both Crouse and Community General were under financial duress.

The Upstate/Community/ Crouse hospital and health system will be the dominant provider in Central New York with approximately 1,200 beds. This matches multi-hospital systems in Buffalo (Catholic), Rochester (Strong and Rochester Regional), Utica (Mohawk Valley Network) and Albany (Albany Medical). Multi-hospital systems are more successful at attracting and retaining quality

PBMs Face Scrutiny

Pharmacy Benefit Managers purportedly negotiate drug prices on behalf of insurance plans and self-insured businesses. Their effectiveness is questionable. The Senate Commerce Committee has conducted hearings on their role in the pharmaceutical marketplace and rapidly rising drug prices. Based on complaints from insurers, consumers and providers: PBMs lack transparency; there is very little competition; and there are potential conflicts of interest or collusion.

Are they working for the drug manufacturer or the client? Prior to negotiating, a drug manufacturer could mark up the price then agree to a “discount” to the PBM. The client is then presented with a list of “savings” from which the PBM generates its fee. Retail pharmacies have complained about direct and indirect remuneration (DIR) fees paid to the PBM whenever the pharmacy fills a prescription for a PBM negotiated drug. The PBM industry has aggressively fought reform.

If PBMs can negotiate drug prices, why isn’t Medicare?

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

Q A &

with Susan Streeter

Executive director of Copper City Community Community Connection of Rome discusses role it plays in the lives of local seniors

By David L. Podos Q: What are the main programs and services you offer and whom do you offer them to?

A: We serve the 50+ generation.

We started off as a senior center but have grown to include a wellness

program where we have a very specific workout regime geared for older participants. Also, [as] part of the wellness program, we offer a medical topic for discussion once a month here at the center. We cover

a wide range of subjects from stroke prevention to proper nutrition. Local professionals in health and medicine lead the discussion offering their expertise, so whoever attends, they are getting factual and up to date information.

Another very important and major program we offer is a social model adult day program. It is a program designed for those individuals who may have some memory loss as well as for those who may be experiencing Alzheimer’s and or dementia.

It is not a medical model but rather a social model, so, we do not offer nursing care nor can we dispense medication.

In 2019 we started a new program called healthy ideas, which is an evidence-based program. Our staff is trained to recognize symptoms of depression. So, if a person is determined that they are suffering from depression we can act as an advocate getting them professional help as well as assisting them in creating a social plan so they can re-engage back in their community.

Q: What is your geographical reach?

Is it just in the greater Rome area?

A: The majority of our paying members are from the Rome area.

However, we reach as far east to the town of Ilion and as far north to the town of Boonville.

Q: If this facility did not exist and these programs were not available to the 50-plus population that you serve, what do you think would happen to these people?

A: There has been a lot of research done on the importance of senior centers and that the social determinates of health has an overall impact on a person’s well-being. So, it is extremely important for people to be engaged with their peers in social activities. For many seniors they have no other place to socialize, isolation can cause many kinds of mental health problems. So our services are crucial to keeping our members as healthy as possible. Not only is this important for health both mental and physical but further research shows substantial medical cost savings by preventing major health issues.

Q: What has been your biggest challenge as an executive director over the past two to three years?

A: Clearly it has been the pandemic. When I was hired back in 2016, the senior center was struggling financially. In 2018 I felt like the agency had turned the corner so to speak, then the bottom fell out literally when COVID-19 hit. Of course, seniors were very cautious when the pandemic hit so we as an agency were watching very closely how many members were coming back and how many were not. Before the pandemic we had more than 400 members, once it hit, we were closer to around 300, so we had lost about 100 members. We are now recovering from those losses and membership is once again growing.

Q: How many staff do you have?

A: We have four full-time staff and four part-time staff as well as around 50 volunteers.

Q: Where do you receive your funding from?

A: We have a combination of funding streams. From fundraising, to the city of Rome supporting us, as well as the Office for Aging. We also have contracts with several longterm care insurance companies for our adult day care which is a fee-forservice program.

Q: What do you see as an executive director where this agency will be in the next two to three years?

A: I see a very active and vibrant senior center back to full operation. I would like to see more people in the community and insurance providers as well as case managers recognize the value of our social adult day care model and not be quick to assume that someone has to go to a medical model. If we can be seen as part of that continuum of care that someone would benefit from our programs and services, it would be very important for people.

For more information about the center go to: www.coppercitycommunityconnection.com or call: 315-868-7344

Sublocade Injections Now Available at Recovery Center to Treat Opioid Addiction

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he Rome Health Community Recovery Center now offers Sublocade to treat opioid addiction, announced Director Danielle Russell.

The medication is injected monthly to block the rewarding effects of opioids, which are the “pleasurable feelings” that can keep people using.

“The benefit of Sublocade over daily use medications is the drug is released all month at sustained levels without real daily ups and downs,” Russell explained. “Because of this consistency, Sublocade patients were 14 times more likely to achieve treatment success in clinical trials.”

The Community Recovery Center offers a broad range of medications to treat opioid addiction and alcohol dependence, such as Sub-

oxone, Vivitrol, Naltrexone tablets, and Campral as part of its medication-assisted treatment program.

Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) is the use of medications, in combination with counseling and behavioral therapies, to provide a “whole-patient” approach to the treatment of substance use disorders.

Located in downtown Rome at 264 W. Dominick St., the Community Recovery Center provides comprehensive support for adults and adolescents who want to regain control over their lives.

“Ensuring access to the latest treatment options is critical with the opioid epidemic in the community and the significant increase in overdoses and deaths,” said Russell.

“The medications can help

relieve the withdrawal symptoms and psychological cravings that cause chemical imbalances in the body,” she explained. “People abusing opiate pain medications and other substances often continue using because they don’t know how to cope with the very real symptoms of withdrawal.”

“The medications are a tool to help break the cycle of addiction, so it’s easier for our clients to work on their sobriety with the help of counseling and behavioral therapies,” Russell explained.

According to the national Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the slow adoption of these evidence-based treatment options for alcohol and opioid dependence is partly due to misconceptions about substituting one drug for another.

However, the prescribed medication operates to normalize brain chemistry, block the euphoric effects of alcohol and opioids, relieve physiological cravings, and normalize body functions without the negative effects of the abused drug.

Certified by the NYS Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS), the Community Recovery Center is accepting new patients by appointment or during walk-in assessments Mondays and Fridays, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and Tuesdays through Thursdays, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. 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, please call 315.334.4701

June 2022 • IN GOOD HEALTH – Mohawk Valley’s Healthcare Newspaper • Page 7

Live Alone & Thrive

By Gwenn Voelckers

Practical tips, advice and hope for those who live alone

On Your Own: Finding Your ‘Happily Ever After’

I

recently heard from an “In Good Health” reader.

Divorced and on her own for several years now, she shared by email how much she appreciated my advice and encouraging words over the years.

I was touched by her kindness and also curious.

I wanted to learn more about her journey in search of contentment after her marriage ended.

And so began an email exchange in which she shared her early struggles, as well as her efforts to make ends meet, stay connected with others and, ultimately, find joy.

With her permission (and using her first name only), I’ve included portions of Kathy’s email correspondence below, in hopes her story might offer some insights and inspiration for other readers.

KATHY: I opted to end my unhappy marriage and initiate a divorce about five years ago. Since then, I’ve been on my own.

It wasn’t easy at the beginning. I was surprised to discover that many of my married friends no longer included me in things, maybe fearing I was some kind of threat.

But, I also dropped the ball. I made my daughter the singular focus in my life, and lost contact with family and friends alike. Over time, I developed the attitude that I had nothing to offer and slid into a mild depression, during which my world became very small.

B

Finances were another issue. I was a stay-at-home mom and enjoyed caring for my daughter but, after my split, found it necessary to get a job to make ends meet.

Kathy, like many divorced women (including myself), found herself bewildered and fearful of the future when her marriage collapsed. For many, the experience of having a marriage of many years unravel is not unlike becoming the victim of an unwelcome catastrophe.

No matter what, and even though more Americans are waiting longer to walk down the aisle, most of us still hold onto the dream of “happily ever after.” That dream is powerful. Letting go of it can seem next to impossible.

While getting and being divorced can feel overwhelming, most women (and men, too) press on and, lo and behold, experience a change in attitude and perspective that ultimately enriches their lives and opens up possibilities — possibilities they couldn’t have imagined when they were in pain and the throes of loss.

KATHY: It’s taken me time to get it together. I went back to college and graduated with a degree in nursing. Nursing keeps me busy, but now my only child is preparing to leave for college.

Life will be very different (and a lot quieter) without her here, so I am being proactive. I like to be physically active, so I joined a walking group and became

When Is the Right Time to Tell a Child They Have Autism?

ella Kofner, a 24-year-old graduate student in special education at the College of Staten Island in New York, was 10 when her parents first told her she had autism.

Developmental psychologist Steven Kapp, now 35, was 13 when he was told the same.

So, is there a best time to tell children they have the developmental disorder? New research suggests that younger is better.

Kofner, Kapp and their col-

leagues answered that question by asking 78 university students about how and when they found out they had autism. For the most part, the investigators found that telling kids when they are younger helped them feel better about their lives as they grew up.

“Talking openly with autistic people about being autistic when they are young may help them grow into adults who feel happier and more comfortable with who they are

Page 8 • IN GOOD HEALTH – Mohawk Valley’s Healthcare Newspaper • June 2022

a member of the YMCA. I also recently joined Meetup, which was reactivated after a hiatus during COVID. It’s social, it’s fun, and I’ve met some great people on my Meetup excursions.

Note: Meetup is an online social networking program that gives members a chance to find and join others who share common interests — things such as hiking, reading, food, movies, pets, photography, hobbies ...well, you get the idea.

KATHY: I also make a point of getting out more with my colleagues at work.

And, I’m no longer waiting for an invitation; I’m initiating the get-togethers.

That feels good!

Reading your columns — always so positive and full of great tips — inspired me to take better care of myself, to get up off the couch, and to make healthy decisions.

I often clip them out and hang [them] on the fridge.

I’ve learned that even small changes can make a big difference in my day. I now create a nice place setting for dinner, stock my cupboards with healthy food, and try to keep my kitchen counter clear of clutter.

I put a sweet “Welcome Home!” wreath on my front door, replaced some threadbare towels in my bathroom, and purchased a pretty comforter for my bed.

These small changes and others turned my house into a home — my home.

While few women and men consciously decide to live singly, more and more are finding themselves alone and on their own in midlife.

The good news? Like Kathy, they are making healthy choices and learning to enjoy their newfound freedom and independence.

choose to live alone does not mean that I am alone: I have many people around me and I am very content.

I am no longer frantically seeking the next relationship or the next big thing that will cause excitement in my life. I am happy to spend time at home alone, or to go out with friends. I even date from time to time.

As I’ve embraced my singlehood, I have also realized that I am responsible for the positive changes in my life. That realization is empowering. I’m active, and I’m having fun for the first time in many years.

On her own, Kathy has fashioned a life that works well for her. You can, too. Being single can give you the time you need to sustain a diverse and interesting network of friends, to date, to pursue your professional or personal aspirations, and to experience adventures yet to be imagined.

Below are some final words from Kathy, in answer to my question: What advice do you have for others?

KATHY: My advice? Don’t close yourself off from people. It’s so easy to stay home, dig a rut and wallow in it — but that’s a big mistake. Grab the Weekend section of the newspaper, check out Meetup, or look at an online “What’s Doing” calendar. Find something interesting and fun to do. Go ... even if you have to go alone. Who knows what you might discover?!

Kathy has found her “happily ever after.”

KATHY: After my divorce, I had this dreaded thought that I would be alone for the rest of my life. I identified with Whistler’s Mother, in a dowdy dress and rocker. I now realize that just because I

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

than they might become if they don’t learn this key information about who they are until later in life,” said lead study author Kristen Gillespie-Lynch, an assistant professor of psychology at the College of Staten Island.

“Learning that one is autistic at a younger age can aid better self-understanding as well as access to support, which in turn lays a foundation for well-being as an adult,” added study author Tomisin Oredipe, a graduate student at the College of Staten Island.

The new study, which was published recently in the journal Autism, is based on Oredipe’s thesis paper.

It’s not just age that matters though, Oredipe said. Other factors include your child’s developmental level, curiosity, support needs and personality.

“Almost more important than when an autism diagnosis is disclosed is how it is disclosed,” said Kapp, a lecturer in psychology at the University of Portsmouth in Hampshire, England. Make sure to talk about your child’s strengths as well

as their challenges in a language they can understand, he said.

“My mother said my brain worked differently, and I thought that was a good explanation,” recalled Kapp.

It doesn’t have to be a one-and-done conversation either. “Do it in pieces over time,” Kapp added.

Sharing a child’s diagnosis with them is a very personal decision, said Lindsay Naeder, vice president of services and support and community impact for Autism Speaks.

“Your child may or may not seek more information and ask you questions after your initial discussion,” said Naeder. “All children, especially those with autism, need to hear certain information multiple times.”

Help them understand how you, their teachers and therapists all want to help them. “Don’t forget to remind them that everyone needs help sometimes,” she said.

It may comfort your child to hear that autism is common and that there are many children like them, Naeder added.

SmartBites

By Anne Palumbo

The skinny on healthy eating

you’ve already reached more than one-quarter of the recommended daily limit (nearly one-half if you’re watching your salt intake). While our bodies need salt for many essential body functions, too much can lead to high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke.

Homemade Dill Pickles 1 cup fresh dill sprigs 3-4 garlic cloves, chopped 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes (optional) ¼ cup chopped onion (optional) 1-2 English cucumbers (shrinkwrapped in plastic) 1 cup water 1 cup white vinegar 1 tablespoon Kosher salt 1 tablespoon sugar

Are Pickles Good for You?

W

e eat a lot of pickles here in the Palumbo household, and we are not alone.

Americans eat about 20 billion pickles a year. Thatzalotta pickles!

But, are pickles healthy?

They can be for many, but pickles and their high salt content are definitely not for everyone. So let’s take a look at the pros and cons of this crispy, crunchy, salty snack.

Since pickles start as cucumbers, their nutritional profile is quite similar to this non-starchy veggie’s.

One dill pickle spear is high in water, low in calories and boasts a decent amount of vitamin K: nearly 20% of our daily needs.

Vitamin K helps maintain strong bones, ensures proper blood clotting and may offer protective health benefits in older age. New research, published in “The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition,” has found

that low levels of vitamin K among older adults may increase their risk of early death. While the exact reason for the link is unclear, scientists know that vitamin K helps prevent calcium buildup in arteries, which is associated with decreased blood flow throughout the body.

Whether you’re watching your weight or are looking to lose some, pickles are a dieter’s dream food.

Helpful tips Read pickle labels carefully, as salt contents vary. When buying refrigerated pickles full of good bacteria, look for the words “probiotic” or “fermented” on the label (not all say it, though!).

Adding These Foods to Your Diet Could Keep Dementia Away

A

diet rich in the antioxidants that leafy, green vegetables and colorful fruit deliver is good for your body, and now new research shows it also protects your brain.

In the study, people whose blood contained the highest amounts of three key antioxidants were less likely to develop all-cause dementia than those whose blood had lower levels of these nutrients.

“The takeaway is that a healthy diet rich in antioxidants from dark leafy greens and orange-pigmented fruits with or without antioxidant supplements may reduce the risk of developing dementia,” said physician Luigi Ferrucci, scientific director for the U.S. National Institute on Aging (NIA), which funded the study.

“But the only way to prove the connection between antioxidants and brain health is with a long-term, randomized clinical trial to see whether fewer people who take a carefully controlled amount of antioxidant supplements develop de-

mentia over time,” Ferrucci added.

For this new research, study author May Beydoun of the NIA, in Baltimore, and colleagues studied nearly 7,300 people, aged 45 to 90, who had a physical exam, an interview and a blood test for antioxidant levels.

The individuals were divided into three groups, depending on the level of antioxidants in their blood, and followed for an average of 16 years and as many as 26 years.

The researchers found that those who had the highest amount of the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin in their blood were less likely to de-

They’re fat free, low in calories (only 4-5 calories per spear) and have scant carbs and sugar. What’s more, all the water and all the vinegar in these tangy babies may help you feel full longer.

Pickles made by fermentation have probiotics, which are beneficial bacteria linked to better digestion, enhanced nutrient absorption and improved immune function. Fermented pickles, found in the refrigerated section of grocery stores, are made when bacteria break down the natural sugars found in the flesh and turn them into lactic acid. Most pickles you’ll find on grocery-store shelves, however, are unfermented vinegar pickles that don’t offer the same probiotic benefits that fermented pickles do.

Pickles brim with salt, with an average spear delivering about 300 mg. Consume just two spears and velop dementia than those who had lower levels. Lutein and zeaxanthin are found in green leafy foods like kale, spinach, broccoli and peas.

Every increase in standard deviation (a measure of how dispersed the data is in relation to the average) of those antioxidant levels in the study was associated with a 7% decrease in dementia.

For those who had high levels of another antioxidant called beta-cryptoxanthin, every standard deviation increase was associated with a 14% reduced risk of dementia. Beta-cryptoxanthin is found in orange-pigmented fruits, including oranges, papaya, tangerines and persimmons.

“Experts believe that consuming antioxidants may help protect cells of the body — including brain cells — from damage,” Ferrucci said.

The impact of antioxidants on de-

Place dill, garlic, red pepper flakes, and onion in a quart-size mason jar.

Fill jar to the top with cucumbers that have been sliced horizontally for chips or quartered lengthwise into 4-5” spears.

Heat the water, vinegar, salt, and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar and salt dissolve, about 1 minute. Let cool slightly and pour over the cucumbers. Cool to room temperature, place top on jar, and refrigerate.

Homemade pickles will be lightly pickled in 1 day, and will become more flavorful every day after that.

Store in fridge for several weeks.

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.

mentia risk was reduced somewhat when researchers also accounted for education, income and physical activity. Those factors may help explain the relationship between antioxidant levels and dementia, the study authors said.

The study also only measured blood at one time and may not reflect participants’ antioxidants levels over their lifetimes.

“It is important to keep in mind that experts do not yet know how much antioxidants we need to consume each day through our diet and supplements for a healthy brain,” Ferrucci said.

Determining ways to prevent the development of dementia is an important public health challenge, he added, but the results of previous studies have been mixed.

The researchers said that antioxidants may help protect the brain from oxidative stress, which can cause cell damage.

“Population studies that follow healthy people over many years for the development of dementia enable us to look for potential risk factors and also protective factors, such as dietary and lifestyle choices,” Ferrucci noted.

The findings were published online May 4 in the journal Neurology.

June 2022 • IN GOOD HEALTH – Mohawk Valley’s Healthcare Newspaper • Page 9

A Strong Core and Why You Need One

Core muscles are partly responsible for nearly every kind of movement

By Barbara Pierce

Y

ou’ve probably heard talk about your “core” and “core exercises.” What is our core?

And why is it important?

Picture your body without your arms and legs: that’s your core. Your whole torso area is your core. It’s your body’s central hub, the space that provides protection for your body’s vital organs.

Your core is the foundation of your body, but it’s also one of the parts of the body that’s weakest in a lot of people, because we’ve spent way too much time sitting—and we still are. Our bodies were not designed to sit for long periods of time.

Regardless of our age or occupation, we sit — in front of a screen — far more frequently than we should be.

More and more studies confirm the negative effects of a sedentary life, especially the negative effects on our core and our core muscles.

Core muscles are those located

throughout much of your trunk.

“Your core muscles are some of the most important muscles in your body,” said physical therapist Joe Martin, founder and CEO of Function Better Physical Therapy. Martin offers physical therapy in several locations in the Mohawk Valley. “You need these muscles to be strong.”

As we age, our spine ages, causing lots of changes at the spine level, he explained. It’s critical to engage and strengthen the muscles that support the spine as these muscles are crucial, so that our spine can continue to functioning. So that we can lift things, carry things, maintain our balance, go upstairs, get out of a chair.

Your core muscles are partly responsible for nearly every kind of movement you make. Our core muscles allow us to bend, twist, flex, extend, step, jump, sit up and simply stand — the stronger your core, the better you can perform all of these movements. A strong, flexible core

underpins almost everything you do.

“It’s especially important to have a core that is prepared not to fall,” Martin stressed.

Having a strong core is critically important to our overall well-being.

Indications that you might have a weak core include lower back pain, poor posture, (which can lead to more back pain), poor balance, little tolerance for standing, and difficulty breathing.

“Core exercises to keep your core muscles functioning well are incredibly important for folks who are seniors,” said Martin.

Strengthening your core is one of the best things you can do for your health as you age. Core exercises not only help to ease pain, they improve your balance and increase your flexibility, which will help you maintain your independence.

What core exercises strengthen our core? Can we do them at home?

Core exercises can be done anywhere, without special equipment, and in small spurts.

Each workout will help make doing everyday tasks easier. Core exercises are those that use your trunk without support. You can do them on your own with little or no equipment.

Many people think of core exercises as abdominal exercises, like situps, said Martin. Sit ups, also known as crunches, are not core exercises, contrary to what many think; they’re hard on your back and they target just a few core muscles.

Core exercises strengthen and train your lower back, hips, abdomen and pelvis to work together for better balance and stability.

However, before you begin an at-home program to strengthen your core, get professional input, suggested Martin. There are so many questions that need to be answered first, before you start exercises. So many people have existing conditions that could be made worse by doing the wrong exercises, or doing exercises

Walking: Your Best Step to a Healthier Heart

W

hen the world gets you down, go for a walk and make your heart happy.

Physical activity is one of the best ways to manage stress and boost your mood, while reducing your risk for heart disease and stroke, according to the American Heart Association (AHA).

The AHA recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week — or about 30 minutes a day, five days a week. And the minutes don’t have to be consecutive to bring benefits.

“Walking is a great way to improve your health and your mental outlook, and it doesn’t take a lot of expensive sporting equipment to do it. Put on a good pair of shoes and

grab a water bottle and you’re ready to go,” said Donna Arnett, a past president of the AHA and a dean at the University of Kentucky College of Public Health, in Lexington.

“It doesn’t matter how fast or how far you walk, the important thing is to get moving,” Arnett said in an AHA news release. “Counting steps doesn’t have to be part of a structured exercise program. Increasing your everyday activity, like parking slightly further from your destination, doing some extra housework or yardwork and even walking your dog can all add up to more steps and better health.”

The association pointed to research presented at a 2021 AHA conference and published online

in JAMA Network Open.

The researchers found that people who took more steps in short spurts lived longer — even if they weren’t doing long, uninterrupted workouts.

Benefits leveled off at about 4,500 steps a day in short spurts.

Compared to no daily steps, each day that someone increased steps by 1,000 was associated with a 28% decrease in death during the study period. Those who took more than 2,000 uninterrupted steps a day had a 32% decrease in death during that time.

Compared to people with the fewest steps, middle-aged people who got in the most each day had a 43% lower risk of diabetes and a 31%

Page 10 • IN GOOD HEALTH – Mohawk Valley’s Healthcare Newspaper • June 2022

Physical therapist Joe Martin, CEO of Function Better Physical Therapy. wrong.

You don’t need to continue a program under the direction of a professional, just get expert input before you begin, he said. The person you consult doesn’t have to be a physical therapist, just a good skilled trainer or a licensed physical therapist, anyone with a vast knowledge of all the muscles.

Consult with a knowledgeable person to get an evaluation; that person could teach you what to do at home and how to do it. Then, when you’ve gone through that program, go back to that person to learn the next step.

If you have the time and the budget, you can have a professional consultation and continue a program to strengthen your core from a professional, like Martin.

If you sit much of the day, you probably know that you should move more. One way you can ensure that this happens is by taking regular breaks. Experts recommend you take a 10-minute break to get up and move, for every hour you spend sitting.

Taking some time to improve your core strength each day can bring you so many benefits, bringing your body into a more harmonious, healthy state overall. lower risk of high blood pressure, the researchers reported.

For women in the study, those who had the highest step count also were 61% less likely to be obese compared to women who walked the least. For each 1,000-step interval increase, women had a 13% lower risk of obesity.

Individuals who walked at least 7,000 steps per day had a 50% to 70% lower risk dying during the study period compared to those who didn’t. Walking more than 10,000 steps was even better, lowering the risk of premature death from any cause among Black and white middle-aged men and women.

While being outdoors in areas that have a lot of green may also have health benefits, walking anywhere, including indoors at home, in a gym or at the mall can all offer benefits, Arnett said.

“Unfortunately, many people do not have access to safe walking trails or adequate green space,” she said, adding that AHA advocates for policy changes that make it easier for people to have access to safe places to walk, exercise and play, as well as transportation options that integrate walking, bicycling and wheelchair use.

“The easier it is for people to engage in physical activity in all aspects of their daily life, the more likely we are to achieve healthier, longer lives for everyone,” Arnett said.

The 10,000 Steps Myth

Do you really need to take that many steps every day to stay in good shape?

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

D

o you really need to take 10,000 steps a day to stay in great shape? And where did that magic number come from, anyway?

According to Harvard professor of epidemiology I-Min Lee, the notion of walking 10,000 daily steps finds its roots in a branding campaign for a Japanese pedometer. The Japanese writing for 10,000 looks like a person walking.

While a clever marketing campaign, many people cannot find the time or muster the endurance to walk

10,000 steps a day.

In her research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Lee related that women in the study averaging 4,400 daily steps experienced lower mortality rates during the study than those who logged only 2,700 steps. But the positive effect plateaued at 7,500 steps. Going for the 10,000 steps did not seem to bring additional benefit.

The study included 16,000 American women.

“It doesn’t mean you can’t benefit from additional steps, but for reducing heart disease and comorbidities, between 5,000 and 8,000 is

ideal,” said Brandon Weaver, physician assistant with Center for Orthopedic Care with Oswego Health who also coaches varsity lacrosse in Fulton.

“Ten thousand steps is a lot,” Weaver said. “It’s almost five miles.

It’s hard to do routinely. Trying to live a healthy lifestyle is beneficial, but set goals you can get to or you won’t stick with it. A little goes a long way.”

Walking five miles can take up to an hour and 45 minutes — a struggle for the time-strapped. Working out with a high-intensity interval training (HIIT) routine can offer many benefits without so much time invested, since it involves bursts of energy spent punctuated with short rests.

Walking is not well-suited for everyone. For people with arthritic knees and hips, for example, swimming or water aerobics may be activities that they can perform longer and more regularly than walking.

Tiago Barreira, assistant professor of the exercise science department at SU, prefers to take a more generalized approach to increasing activity for fitness than rigidly adhering to a specified number of steps.

“The recommendation for physical activity is 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous activities per week,” Barreira said. “The more recent information shows that it can be spread out through the day.

It doesn’t have to be all at once.”

This can include designated periods of activity, such as time spent engaging in a sport or other movement, or short, frequent spurts of activity, such as lifting free weights before breakfast, and going for a 15-minute walk after lunch and dinner.

For those dedicated to walking, it is important to realize that leisurely strolls have a different effect than brisk walking, with the arms pumping and swift striding.

For anyone who wants to increase their level of fitness or lose weight, additional exercise at an increased level of vigor will be necessary, along with proper nutrition.

“If I’m only walking, that is not going to make a big difference” for those goals, Barreira said.

He added that walking will help maintain good health in areas like controlling blood pressure and cholesterol, decreasing mortality risk and improving quality of life.

If tracking steps on a device helps provide motivation, there’s no harm in using it. Some fitness apps build in a social facet where walkers can compete with others’ logged steps. Most allow users to compare their own number of steps per day over time. But missing the 10,000 steps goal should not kindle discouragement. Any amount of physical activity is healthful and better than none. Choosing a physical activity or sport that is enjoyable helps ensure sufficient activity each day.

New

Breast Care Program

In Oneida

Oneida Health is excited to welcome Dr. Mary Ellen Greco MD, FACS and Kristen McNeil, PA-C to our new Breast Care Program.

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June 2022 • IN GOOD HEALTH – Mohawk Valley’s Healthcare Newspaper • Page 11

MEN’S HEALTH

“Hearing I had cancer brought up all kinds of horrible images!

I couldn’t process it!”

A Man’s Journey with Prostate Cancer A MVHS worker recalls his battle with cancer. ‘The suffering I went through made me appreciative of all suffering. Cancer increased my empathy and humility,’ he says

By Barbara Pierce

C

hristopher Jackson wants other men to know one thing: “What I’d like all men to know: if there’s any change in your urinary functions, take it seriously!

Any change should be evaluated. If you catch it early, you won’t have to go through what I went through.”

This 61-year-old Utica resident has become an advocate after his difficult journey with prostate cancer.

For two years, Jackson battled prostate cancer. “It started back in 2019,” he said. “I wasn’t unable to urinate. My bladder was full, but I couldn’t empty it. It was excruciatingly painful. There was no outlet for the urine. I went to the emergency

room and they took care of the problem — or so I thought. They told me my PSA was elevated.”

(A PSA blood test is used primarily to screen for prostate cancer.

The test measures the amount of prostate-specific antigen, or PSA, in the blood. PSA is a protein produced in the prostate, a small gland that sits below the bladder in males. As many conditions can increase PSA levels, determining what a high PSA score means can be complicated. To decide whether to have a PSA test, discuss the issue with your doctor.)

“A year later, the same thing happened again,” he said. “I had difficulty urinating though my bladder was full. As my PSA was now very high, the hospital did a biopsy of my prostate gland.”

“A few days later, I was out walking my dog when my cell phone rang. It was my doctor. ‘You have cancer in your prostate,’ he said. ‘Significantly advanced cancer.’” “’What? Wait a minute! What are you saying?’ I asked, devastated, as I sat down on the grass in shock. Hearing I had cancer brought up all kinds of horrible images! I couldn’t process it!”

“I learned my prostrate was swollen at the neck of my bladder, to the point where I couldn’t urinate. They put in a Foley catheter.

For three months, I had that catheter in while I worked full time.”

A Foley catheter is a thin flexible tube that drains urine from your bladder into a bag.

“I kept working at my job with it in place,” he said. “I was a technician in the emergency room, a lot of hands-on, physical work. It was awful to work with the catheter in place.”

“MVHS offered me a work furlough so I could get treated. That saved me. I couldn’t have worked at the same time I was going through radiation treatment.”

“I was off from February to July, in 2020. Now I’m back full time.

I’m so grateful I could return to this position.”

“For 50 days, I went every morning for high beam radiation therapy.

I wasn’t a candidate for surgery. And they didn’t give me chemotherapy, because my cancer was related to testosterone. Testosterone feeds it, drives it. My urologist said many types of prostate cancer are hormonal, like mine.”

“I was especially interested to see all the other men there. Every morning there were eight or nine other men, going through the same thing as me. I hadn’t realized pros-

Page 12 • IN GOOD HEALTH – Mohawk Valley’s Healthcare Newspaper • June 2022

tate cancer was so prevalent.”

“I had to go in every morning with the Foley catheter in place and a full bladder. Some days I had to drop out of having the radiation; I couldn’t complete the radiation as I couldn’t maintain that full bladder.”

“In radiation therapy, the machine goes around your full body, circumnavigates your body. I had cancer in three areas; it got all three areas. The staff were amazing, so supportive.”

What else helped Jackson get through was the great support he received from fellow employees. “I get emotional talking about it,” he said, choking up as he remembered. “They were there for me — 100%! People were so amazing. The day I had to meet with the urologist after he told me I had bad cancer, the secretary from the ER went with me; I couldn’t have gone through that alone.”

“And my car had died just before I started the radiation, so I needed a ride; people gave me rides.”

“I’m experiencing side effects now. There’s only an extremely narrow opening where my prostrate and bladder intersect. But I’d rather have this discomfort than have cancer.

Cancer untreated would have been a disaster. I wouldn’t be here.”

“Cancer was a teacher for me,” he added. “The suffering I went through made me appreciative of all suffering. Cancer increased my empathy and humility.”

“As everyone looked at my private parts, my modesty had to go out the window. I had to laugh at myself to keep my perspective.”

“What I’d like men to know,” he concludes, “is take it seriously if you have any change in your urinary functions. If anything is different, it should be evaluated.”

“If you catch it early, you won’t have to go through what I went through. Don’t be afraid of the test.

It’s a simple test. It’s a life saver! You need to do it!”

Between You & Me

By Barbara Pierce

Tips for Guys Who Have Trouble Talking to Girls

Y

ou’d like to get to know that woman who works in your building, or the one you see when you stop for coffee or maybe the one who walks her dog past your house.

To get to know her better, you’re going to have to talk to her. Starting a conversation with a stranger isn’t easy. She may be just as nervous about it as you.

Here are some tips to get on the right track: • Look for positive signals: You don’t want to approach just any woman — you need to look for signals. Sometimes these signals are obvious. If she looks directly at you and smiles or says something to you — these are hugely positive signals.

Signals that she might not welcome

your approach: if she looks angry, upset or preoccupied, or has closed body language.

Keep your body language open, communicate with your body that you’re approachable. Arms or legs crossed in front of your body say “keep away.” Make eye contact, smile.

See how she responds. Eye contact and body language are crucial when it comes to talking to women. They usually tell you more about how she feels than words.

As you’re approaching her and making eye contact with her, be sure that she makes eye contact with you.

If she doesn’t, don’t bother trying to start a conversation with her. She’s not interested in you. But don’t take it personally, you’re just not the right person for her or it’s not the right time for her. Save yourself.

• Keep it simple: Walk up to her and say, “Hey! How’re you doing?”

Say anything just to break the ice; sometimes the simplest approaches are best. It doesn’t matter what you say. You don’t have to be witty. It’s OK to be trite. The point is simply to get a conversation started.

Flattery is something we all like to hear. You could start by complementing her on something about herself, or something she is wearing or carrying.

Or ask a question about where you are, how she came to be there.

Don’t ask a question that she can just

MEN’S HEALTH say “yes” or “no” to answer. Instead, ask an open-ended question that she has to respond to with more than a “yes” or “no.” Then respond with something about yourself and why you’re there.

• Be prepared for conversation: If you get past the ice-breaking stage, you’ll need to be able to continue the conversation.

It helps to prepare beforehand— find out the scores of sporting events from last night, look through or listen to the news to find interesting tidbits, and be aware of local events. Or, prepare with having some interesting anecdotes and stories to talk about.

Or maybe something about the location where you’re meeting.

While you’re in the location waiting for her, take note of interesting characters or things around you.

You might see someone with a weird outfit on or an out-there hairstyle. If the conversation starts to lag a bit, you can make a quick joke about something you see around you.

The benefit of being prepared increases the chances that your conversation will go well and it decreases your level of nervousness because you’re going into the unknown conversation with a plan.

• Be confident or fake it: Obviously, this is easier said than done.

You’re nervous. Maybe you’re beyond nervous. Maybe you feel you’re going to vomit all over your shoes and look like a complete and total idiot. That’s completely normal. So even if you’re not confident, the key is to pretend you are. Fake it.

Most women prefer a guy who appears confident. So put on a

brave face, stick your chest out, and pretend you believe in yourself. If you pretend enough, eventually you won’t be pretending anymore.

• Seal the deal: If, after your opening chat, you’re still interested in knowing her better, you’ll need to get her number or set up a time to get together.

I asked my male friends how they handle this situation.

Andy said: “Here’s how I’ve handled it: I’ve just said ‘Hey, I like you.

I’d like to get to know you better. Are you interested?’ This has worked really well for me. There’s no need for games or beating around the bush.”

Scott agreed: “Just like that. It’s not desperate or clingy. Just say ‘I’d like to get to know you better. Want to meet for lunch sometime?’”

If you follow these tips, more likely than not, when you ask her out, she’ll say yes. A survey showed that most women knew within minutes after first meeting a guy that they wanted to go out with him. She knows it right away. All you have to do is ask!

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.

Frank Guido couldn’t be happier he had a choice for treating his prostate cancer!

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said Frank. “The precise radiation achieved by CyberKnife, far fewer treatments, and the personalized care I received from Dr. Chin and his team made my decision an easy one.

Better, the treatment was a real success!”

To hear more of Frank’s story and learn if CyberKnife is right for you, visit hoacny.com

June 2022 • IN GOOD HEALTH – Mohawk Valley’s Healthcare Newspaper • Page 13

John Nogas of New York Mills discusses a heart attack he had three years ago.

“To recover, you’ve got to stay positive,” he says. He is shown here as a Red Cap Ambassador for this year’s AHA Heart Walk, which took place in May.

son with diabetes is hardening of the The same common symptoms of arteries, a buildup of cholesterol in a heart attack, such as arm and chest the blood vessels that supply oxygen pain, lightheadedness and shortness to the heart. of breath, can signal a widowmaker.

Your genetics and other health Other symptoms of a heart attack include fatigue, nausea, sweating, ab- factors, such as obesity and high blood pressure levels can put you at normal heartbeat and anxiety. Womhigher risk for heart disease. Smoken are more likely to have unusual ers also have a higher risk. symptoms than men.

While Nogas was in the hospital, Not all heart attacks start with physicians put a stent in his blocked crushing chest pain, arm or jaw pain artery. or numbness. Some come on slowly, “That was very dangerous, very causing only mild discomfort or no risky,” he said. After discharge, he symptoms of chest discomfort at all. went to cardiac rehab outpatient Some people may not even realize every day for two weeks. that they have had a heart attack.

“I had to take a medical retireAs soon as he experienced the ment from my job; I couldn’t do my crushing chest pain, Nogas’ sister job anymore,” he said. rushed him to the emergency room.

Last month, Nogas was a Red Getting prompt treatment helped Cap Ambassador for this year’s AHA save his life.

Heart Walk. A group of heart disease “I have really good doctors here and stroke survivors are chosen evin Utica,” Nogas said. ery year to serve as Red Cap AmbasThe treatment he received also sadors, spokespeople for the Heart helped save his life. Other factors Walk. that determine whether one survives “The money made in the Heart this type of massive heart attack Walk will go towards research,” he include the extent of the damage to the heart muscle, the person’s overall said.

Nogas attributes his recovery to health and whether one has other his physicians in Utica, both for his medical conditions. heart and for his diabetes.

“For two weeks I was in the hosAlso, “To recover, you’ve got to pital,” Nogas added. “They had my stay positive,” he added. sister’s number on the whiteboard in He concluded: “What I’d like my room as I could have died at any people to know is check your blood moment. I came very close to dying! pressure. Get a blood pressure I was 55 then; I’m 58 now. I proved monitor. See if your blood pressure is you can have a major heart attack at Identifying normal; you can look that up online.

55 and survive. I pulled through!”

Depression & If your blood pressure is high, go “I had two risk factors,” Nogas Empowering Association of the Mohawk Valley.

By Barbara Pierce to a doctor and get it under concontinued. “Diabetes and high blood MP Order for your salt intake; salt can Heart disease remains the lead- Proposal# trol. Watch pressure. They call high blood pres- Activities he classification of: ing cause of death in the U.S. but one sure ‘the silent killer.’ I knew I had Ad had massive chest pain. That be very Seniors dangerous in causing high

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widowmaker — is more serious than no sweating, no dizziness, no “For me, it was the medication for it and for my diabetes.

An evidence-based program that integrates depression awareness and diabetes that others. A widowmaker is a massive caused my heart to attack.

Get screened Diabetes caused hardening of my management into existing case management services provided older adults.

2014 pain anywhere else, just chest pain.” heart attack that occurs when blood This is how John Nogas of New for diabetes.” arteries.”

Healthy IDEAS ensures older adults get the help they need to manage Acct# A1ZGFE Sales Rep: GRIMALDI, L Size: HCN6 Contract# flJENNIFER ow to the left side of the heart is Ad Id: AMZHMA1 York Mills describes the heart attack If you have diabetes, you’re5544766 If you are diabetic, get a regular blocked, causing the heart to stop he had three years ago, at age 55.

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And improve your cholesterol Linking older adults to primary care and mental health providers. people who suffer this type of heart “He had a widowmaker,” said levels if they’re high. Stop smoking if diabetes,• the more likely you are to Identifying 2014 • older adultscomto manage their depressive symptoms through a attack outside of a hospital survive, Katherine McCarthy, director of you still smoke. have heart Empowering disease. The most Depression & Acct# A1ZGFE Sales Rep: GRIMALDI, JENNIFER L Size: HCN6 Ad Id: AMZHMA1 Contract# 5544766 behavioral activation approach that encourages involvement in meaningful according to the AHA. communication, the American Heart mon cause of heart disease in a perEmpowering activities.

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Caring for the Physically, Developmentally or Mentally Challenged

Upstate Cerebral Palsy work acts as direct support professional for Jones IRA facilities, operated by Upstate Cerebral Palsy

By Barbara Pierce

K

evin Kaltak is a direct support professional at Jones IRA in Barneveld. The residence, operated by Upstate Cerebral Palsy, provides care and support for the 12 developmentally disabled adults who live there.

In Central New York, Upstate Cerebral Palsy is the leading provider of direct-care services and programs for

Kevin Kaltak is a direct support professional at Jones IRA in Barneveld.

children and adults who are physically, developmentally or mentally challenged — and their families. It provides innovative programs and services to support people and help them reach their highest potential.

Upstate Cerebral Palsy offers a variety of residential opportunities for adults with differing abilities.

These living facilities, certified by the New York State Office for People with Developmental Disabilities, provide room, board and individualized oversight with staff available at all times.

Twenty-one-year-old Kaltak, who lives in Deerfield, has worked for Upstate Cerebral Palsy for 10 months, and was recently promoted to residence manager.

We recently interviewed Kaltak about the services. Here’s a summary of the conversation.

Q. What is Jones IRA? A. Jones IRA (Individualized Residential Alternatives) is a 12-bed residence, one of many operated by Upstate. Some of the others are 12 beds, some are six-bed. The six-bed residences care for more independent people, people with behavioral issues. Nine of our 12 residents are in a wheelchair; all of them have physical problems. We’re paid through Medicaid.

Q. As a direct service professional at Jones, what is your typical day like?

A. The floor manager and I review the individual action plans for each of our residents. We go over the action plan that each of our residents have, spelling out specific goals and what we will do to help that person achieve those goals. For example, a typical goal might relate to safety skills, such as wearing mask when out in public. Or it might relate to living skills, such as putting their clothing protector away after using.

The action plan for each person relates to something they are interested in, or some skill they need to learn. Something that builds up their ability to do daily activities, communicate better, socialize better.

During the day, most go to a day habilitation program, where they work on their goals and do activities to help them become as independent as possible.

Q. What inspired you to take this position?

A. I took this job because the organization is a good one to work for.

It’s good because there are so many possibilities for different positions I could hold in the future. I definitely see myself staying with Upstate for the future.

Q. What training did you have to work as a direct service professional?

A. I had three weeks of training that was provided by Upstate. It covered diet, preparing food, passing medication, etc. It covered every aspect of the job I do. It definitely gets you well prepared. I did get paid a salary while I was training.

I just finished my bachelor’s degree in accounting; I had thought that was the field I wanted to go into.

Upstate was very supportive and accommodating to help me get my degree, like they scheduled my work hours around my class hours.

A bachelor’s degree is not a re-

quirement to get this job, high school is all that’s required. But my bachelor’s degree will help me advance my career with Upstate. For example, if I want to be director of community service, or something like that in the future, it will be easier for me to get that position over someone without a degree.

They’ve told me if accounting is something I feel like I’d like to do in the future, they’ll help me get a position with them, working with accounting.

Q. What kind of person does it take to be happy in this job?

A. It takes a well-rounded person, someone who really cares for people. Yes, the job pays well, but that’s not what it’s about. If you go into it just for the money, you won’t be happy.

You have to care about people, care about making sure all their needs are met. At the end of the day, I feel like I’ve accomplished something in making sure all their needs were met; they’re like my own family. job?

Q. What is most rewarding about this

A. Most rewarding is just the simple stuff. Like when someone remembers it’s my birthday and wishes me happy birthday. Or someone asks me “How’s your day going?”

I love seeing the smiles of my people. The simplest stuff is rewarding.

Something simple like going outside, going for a walk.

One of my people went to lunch with her family; I drove her to meet them at the restaurant. She was so grateful to me for driving her there, it put a smile on my face. Amazing!

Stuff like that is amazing!

Q. What’s most challenging?

A. Most challenging as a manger is keeping a balance between getting the paperwork done and providing direct care.

Week Off Social Media Boosts Mental Health: Study Participants who took a break from social media had significant improvements in wellbeing, depression and anxiety, compared with those who continued to use social media

I

t’s no secret that too much social media can be bad for one’s mental health. Now, research suggests that taking even a brief break from TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter can ease symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Staying off social media for a week meant, for some study participants, gaining about nine hours of free time, which improved their well-being, British researchers report.

“If you’re feeling like you use too much social media and this is negatively impacting your mental health, then taking a break may be worth a try and give you at least some shortterm improvements,” said study author Jeff Lambert, an assistant professor of health psychology at the University of Bath.

These findings could have implications for how people manage their mental health, offering another option for people to try, Lambert said.

“However, further research is needed to examine longer-term effects and whether it is suitable in a clinical context,” he added.

For the study, the researchers randomly selected 154 people aged 18 to 72 who used social media every day, instructing them to either stop using all social media for a week or continue using it as usual. People in the study spent an average of eight hours a week on social media.

Those who took a break from social media had significant improvements in well-being, depression and anxiety, compared with those who continued to use social media, the study found.

Those who took the week-long

break used social media an average of 21 minutes, compared with about seven hours among those who didn’t, Lambert said.

The findings were published recently in the journal Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking.

Scott Krakower, a psychiatrist at Zucker Hillside Hospital in New York City, thinks that for some people, social media can result in feelings of depression and anxiety as they compare themselves to others on these sites.

“They may feel inadequate

because they’re not like those people that they’re interacting with,” he said. “You know nothing about them, yet you still know a lot of information and you may feel like you’re being excluded because of some of the things that other person is doing so that evokes feelings of inadequacy and lowers self-esteem.”

Krakower doesn’t think abandoning social media altogether is necessarily the best strategy for people who experience negative feelings.

It’s better, he believes, to develop a plan to manage social media use, which might involve going to these sites less or taking regular short breaks.

“I think if you have a suspicion that the depression [and] anxiety is coming from being online or you’re getting upset by looking at things you notice in social media, and it’s getting in the way of your functioning, then I think you need to take a little break, even if it’s a day or two days, and see how you do without it,” Krakower said.

June 2022 • IN GOOD HEALTH – Mohawk Valley’s Healthcare Newspaper • Page 15

The Balanced Body

Trouble Sleeping?

A

s we age, the quality of sleep may change and we may need extra attention to details.

Avoiding sleep disorders may require a change in your bedtime routine. Sleep disorders can display a variety of symptoms, including difficulty falling or staying asleep, changes in the circadian rhythm, increased fatigue during the daytime hours, breathing disorders, such as sleep apnea, and unusual movements (restless leg syndrome) or behaviors causing sleep interruption.

Sleep is necessary for your basic everyday functions. While you sleep, energy is restored, metabolism is regulated and your body sees the regulation of blood sugar and cholesterol, immune system activities, detoxification, muscle growth and repair of DNA, cells, tissues and organs. Without proper sleep, these systems can break down.

There are two main types of

sleep: • NREM (non-REM) — stages one to three begin with initial dozing off and body slowing down followed by increased muscle relaxation and decreased temperature, breathing and heart rate followed by deep sleep and additional relaxation.

• REM (rapid eye movement) — stage four consists of eyes closed with rapid movement, vivid dreams, necessary for memory, learning and creativity due to increased brain activity. This stage accounts for about 25% of the night lengthening as the night progresses.

Sleep position is personal and health-related. A neutral position, lying on your back, is often most comfortable for those with joint pain or reflux. Slightly elevating the head of the bed may also benefit reflux.

Those with sleep apnea or snoring problems may benefit from side lying positions.

C E N T R A L

N E W

Insomnia appears to occur in middle to older age groups in comparison to young adults. Factors that may lead to insomnia can be financial, moving or downsizing, new medical conditions or chronic health conditions, hot flashes due to menopause, death of a partner, child or friend, alcohol consumption close to bedtime and increased stress.

Medications prescribed for the treatment of medical conditions can also be the cause of insomnia.

Melatonin can become depleted with age-related conditions (diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, for example) causing increased difficulty to get a good night’s sleep. The use of melatonin may help to regulate circadian rhythms.

Developing good sleep hygiene starts when young and should be continued with age. Sleep hygiene consists of: • Regular bedtime and rising • Nutrient rich diet consisting of plenty of leafy greens • Regular exercise • Stress management • Limit use of computer, iPhone or iPad to reduce blue light exposure • Warm bath with Epsom salts (good source of magnesium) and lavender essential oil • Magnesium supplementation, melatonin and valerian root** • Avoid eating bedtime snacks or going to bed on a full stomach • Cup of warm, relaxing tea (chamomile, for example) • Breathing techniques • Yoga (legs up the wall, child’s pose, corpse pose) • Avoid the use of stimulants

such as alcohol, caffeine, sugar and smoking • Dark, cool, quiet room • Good quality mattress and a firm pillow So, how much sleep do you really need?

It is recommended that older adults need seven to nine hours of sleep nightly. The amount you need is determined by many factors and is not one-size-fits-all. It’s definitely individualized. Consistency of sleep is important, providing your body, mind and spirit to function at its top level.

Getting older does not mean you will no longer have good sleep. Even though sleep disorders are more common past the age of 60, it does not mean the end of a good night’s sleep.

Remember to always include proper sleep hygiene and getting back to the basics of whole nutrient-dense foods, exercise, stress management and self-care.

Here’s to some good Zzzzzs!

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.

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By Jim Miller

How Medicare Covers Alzheimer’s Disease

HOW CAN NY CONNECTS HELP?

of MADISON COUNTY

(800) (315) 342-9871 697-3092

Dear Savvy Senior, What exactly does Medicare cover when it comes to Alzheimer’s disease? My husband was recently diagnosed with early-stage Alzheimer’s, and we would like to find out what’s covered and what isn’t.

— Planning Ahead

Dear Planning, I’m very sorry to hear about your husband’s diagnosis, but you’ll be happy to know that most medical costs to treat beneficiaries with Alzheimer’s disease are covered by Medicare. Unfortunately, long-term custodial care costs that most patients eventually need are not.

Here’s a breakdown of what Medicare does and doesn’t cover when it comes to Alzheimer’s disease, along with some tips that can help you plan ahead.

• Medical care: For the most part, ongoing medical care to diagnose and treat Alzheimer’s disease is covered by Medicare Part B, including visits to primary care doctors and specialists, lab tests, speech and occupational therapy, home health care and outpatient counseling services.

Medicare pays 80% of these costs, and you will be responsible for the remaining 20% after you’ve met your annual $233 Part B deductible.

Sixty days of inpatient hospital care is also covered under Medicare Part A after you pay a $1,556 deductible. Beyond 60 days, a daily coinsurance fee is added.

• Medications: Most Alzheimer’s medications are covered under Medicare’s Part D prescription drug plans, but coverage varies so check his plan’s formulary. The only exception is Aduhelm, the controversial new drug that is estimated to cost $28,200 per year. Medicare Part B will only cover this drug if your husband is enrolled in a clinical trial.

• Long-term custodial care: It’s important to understand that original Medicare does not cover long-term custodial care. This includes nursing home care, the costs of assisted living facilities and adult day care. Medicare does, however, pay for some shorter-term nursing home care, but only up to 100 days following a three-day inpatient hospital stay.

Hiring home help for bathing, toileting and dressing (this is known as custodial care) is not covered by Medicare either unless your husband is also receiving skilled-nursing care or physical or occupational therapy.

To help with these costs, you may want to look into getting a longterm care insurance policy or shortterm care plan (see aaltci.org/stc) if possible, or if your income and assets are very limited, you may qualify for Medicaid. To investigate your financial options for long-term care, go to PayingForSeniorCare.com.

• Hospice: In the final stages of the disease, Medicare Part A covers nearly all aspects of hospice care, including doctor services, nursing care, drugs, medical equipment and supplies, physical and occupational therapy, homemaker services, counseling and respite care. To qualify, a doctor must certify that a patient has six months or less to live.

• Other Insurance and Assistance: If your husband is enrolled in original Medicare and he doesn’t have a supplemental insurance (Medigap) policy, you should consider getting him one. A Medigap plan will help pay for things that aren’t covered by Medicare like copayments, coinsurance and deductibles.

To search for plans in your area, go to Medicare.gov/plan-compare and click on “Medigap policy only.”

Or, if you’re enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan (like an HMO or PPO), his plan must provide him at least the same coverage as original Medicare does. Some advantage plans may also offer additional coverage for home care services.

If you can’t afford your Medicare out-of-pocket costs or need help with medication expenses, there are Medicare Savings Programs and the Extra Help program that provide financial assistance for medications. To learn more, see Medicare.gov/your-medicare-costs/get-help-paying-costs.

You can also get help through your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (see ShipHelp.org or call 877-839-2675), which provides free Medicare and long-term care counseling.

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

(315) 697-5700

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June 2022 • IN GOOD HEALTH – Mohawk Valley’s Healthcare Newspaper • Page 17

Syracuse Physician Aids the People of his Homeland

In the past SUNY Upstate urologist Gennady Bratslavsky returned to Ukraine to visit friends, family or lecture at medical events — now he’s assisting victims of war — he plans a second trip in June

By Steve Yablonski

T

he Hippocratic Oath is said to compel doctors to “first, do no harm.”

Urologist Gennady Bratslavsky of Upstate Medical University does good. “Give Back” is his motto, the doctor said, adding that it is also his initials.

Bratslavsky, 48, is not only a surgeon and chairman of Upstate’s urology department—he’s also a humanitarian, bringing much-needed supplies to his war-torn homeland.

“I used my own time, my vacation time,” he said of his sojourn into Eastern Europe. He visited Poland and Ukraine in April to deliver supplies and has gone back with more.

“I have many memories—many friends growing up, a lot of sports and of course a lot of school work.

Not much different from any child from Oswego,” he said.

“Things have changed. I’ve returned to Kiev and Ukraine numerous times over the years since I immigrated to the U.S. I go to visit my family that I still have, or friends, or giving lectures at numerous international conferences held in Ukraine,” he continued. “I made sure to, every time I return, visit the neighbors in apartment buildings where we lived.

I have even brought my own children before and showed them the apartments where we lived so they can actually appreciate their house in Fayetteville.”

“They have taken a walk with me from my entrance at the apartment all the way to my school, as we did not do school buses and just had to walk through neighborhoods in shine and rain, or rain and shine, whatever is the right English saying,” he laughed.

Growing up in the Soviet era, there was much propaganda and anti-Semitism.

“The humans are built in such a way that they tend to remember the sweetest, kindest, warmest moments and this probably is the basis for such a visceral or such a sincere emotional reaction that all of us are experiencing now,” Bratslavsky said.

“But hearing that there are shots fired in the neighborhood where you lived just gives you a sense of despair, sadness, anger and a desire to do everything possible that you can to help people of Ukraine.”

Bratslavsky has, with the aid of family and friends, been helping in phases.

“The first one was an immediate financial assistance where we just literally wired our own money to hospitals or for first responders,” he said. “The second phase was collection of medical supplies here in Central New York with Auburn [Community Hospital] to be the first one to make a donation of medication and supplies. Followed by Crouse Hospital, Upstate, Cayuga [Medical Center] and Mohawk Valley [Health System].”

They collectively donated a truckload of medications and sup-

plies, Bratslavsky said.

“I literally drove my SUV to each of these hospitals to pick up donations. And then, eventually, had to rent a U-Haul truck and drove to Albany where halfway I met my friend and the co-founder of the website Help Free Ukraine (http:// helpfreeukraine.com), Alex Golubenko,” he said.

Golubenko is a childhood friend from Ukraine, Bratslavsky said. He now lives in New York City.

“He drove a rental car up from New York and we just exchanged in Albany. He ended up driving the truck back to New York and me returning to Syracuse,” he said. “The supplies left and went to Ukraine.”

The third part was his April trip.

It actually included two trips, Bratslavsky explained. First, his friend, Alex Rohovyy, a pediatric orthopedic trauma surgeon working in a children’s hospital in Kyiv, brought bags of satellite phones for first responders in Warsaw and then Bratslavsky’s trip when he brought in gas masks, individual first aid kits, nuclear and biological warfare filters as well as two ambulances.

“I had to drive [an ambulance] for 20 hours, Warsaw to Lviv, western Ukraine— a place that was bombed just 12 hours before my arrival,” he said.

“I was afraid,” he said. “And my wife, Katya, and my younger two boys did not know about this trip.

The only person who knew was my

Page 18 • IN GOOD HEALTH – Mohawk Valley’s Healthcare Newspaper • June 2022

friend as well as my oldest son who is now 18 and needed to be told, just in case.”

Bratslavsky said it was “an unpleasant feeling driving into a city that was just recently bombed and then staying there in a hotel that had beautiful large windows, in the middle of the city. Obviously, it gave me quite a feeling of anxiety. People in hospitals were depending on me I had to help. I didn’t think I had much of a choice.’’

“I had difficulty sleeping, yes. You could hear air raid sirens; I didn’t know if something was going to strike the hotel,” he added. “It was something that needed to be done.”

He said no one shot at him during his humanitarian effort.

“My childhood friends are those guys who are now dispatched to the eastern Ukraine in the hottest area,” he said.

At the same time, they’ve delivered more than 65 tons of medical supplies donated by several nonprofit organizations—140,000 pounds.

“That included more than 300 pallets of medication that were brought to Kyiv,” he said. “It was very challenging logistics.”

The fourth phase, there are ongoing three projects now. They were working on another large donation from a pharmaceutical company that was expected to be in a warehouse in New Jersey on May 20. Bratslavsky said he would spend the entire weekend in New Jersey with many volunteers sorting through 150 pallets for medications that were scheduled to

Katya Bratslavsky, the wife of urologist Gennady Bratslavsky (left) has sold her paintings and donated the money to help war victims in Ukraine. She poses with friends in Ukraine.

Paintings Help Raise Money for War Victims

A

ccording to her website, www.katyabratslavsky.com, Katya Bratslavsky, the wife of urologist Gennady Bratslavsky, is a self taught artist who has been painting since early childhood. She cannot imagine a single day without the colors, brushes and canvases and puts all her effort and inspiration into her vibrant art.

Being a free thinker and experimenting with new techniques and gel mediums she creatively applies the paint to the canvas using her imagination only as a way of expressing her ever changing mood.

She is not afraid of bright colors or

variable textures. Painting comes naturally to Bratslavsky who is continually seeking out new ways to refine the depth and energy of her art.

She was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, and lived in Moscow until she moved to the United States with her family when she was 17 years old.

She holds a master’s degree in educational psychology and statistics. Bratslavsky is married with three children and currently resides in Fayetteville. When she is not with her family, she spends every free moment painting.

Her paintings have been featured in several exhibitions since 2003 and are currently found in numerous private collections in the United States and around the world.

depart from Newark to Warsaw on May 27. (It cost about $300,000 for a cargo plane to transport the load).

Bratslavsky said he has stayed in touch with more than 100 hospitals in Ukraine regarding “this major delivery.”

“Where do I find the time? You just cut back in your sleep,” he said matter-of-factly. “And you spend all weekends and nights doing this.

Yesterday I operated. Today I operated. But when you’re not operating or seeing patients, this is what you do.

I am headed back to Poland with my middle son. He is interested in doing medicine. We are headed out there on June 4 for a few days as we will be purchasing more ambulances and bring in more medical supplies.”

Ambulances take a big chunk from the donations. “But thanks to the generosity of numerous donors and my wife’s clients, we are getting things done,” he said.

Katya, an artist, is supporting the cause by selling her paintings and donating all the proceeds to the Ukrainian medical relief effort. She has now sold close to a quarter million dollars of her works.

“We have also gotten donations from friends and family—from patients. My wife has been working tirelessly making beautiful art, ship-

ping it all over the United States and even overseas; just trying to support the cause,” he said.

The goal is to keep a minimal balance in the account because the money that they raise is money that is not supposed to sit in a bank account. “It must be spent, put to use for the poor people, the suffering people of Ukraine,” Bratslavsky said.

‘I proudly tell people that I am Ukrainian’ “I am a proud U.S. citizen. I came to United States on Feb. 18, 1992. And on Feb. 18, I had a big celebration with my friends— my big celebration being in United States 30 years. I praised US,” he said.

Back in Ukraine, Jewish people were not considered Ukrainians when he was growing up in Soviet times, he recalled — “even though I had the same passport as everybody else,” he added. “In modern Ukraine this no longer is present. Even though for 30 years I used to say I am a Jew from Ukraine, now since the war has started, I proudly tell people that I am Ukrainian.” (Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is Jewish.)

“It’s been the longest 85 days of my life,” Bratslavsky said during an

interview on May 19. “It has been disheartening, devastating, exhausting and there has not been a good night’s sleep for any of us since the war started. You’re checking news continuously. You check on your friends and family continuously. You get continuous requests from hospitals and friends. Somehow we are managing to satisfy all these requests and just make things happen.”

Is there a light at the end of the

Help Free Ukraine

H

elp Free Ukraine was founded by two best friends who grew up in Kiev and are now proud US citizens.

They are physical therapist Alex Golubenko, founder of Back to Health PT, PC and partner at JAG ONE Physical and Occupational Therapy and Gennady Bratslavsky, chairman of Urology at Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse and oncologic urologist.

They met when they were 12 years old and became best friends.

Today, both “blessed to be citizens of the USA and enjoy our

tunnel?

“I am afraid that this is going to be, unfortunately, a longer war than any of us hope for,” he said.

Bratslavsky refers to the Russian president as “a creature” who should be removed from power.

“As cleaning the Ukrainian land of the aggressors will unfortunately take much effort—many lives will be lost,” he said.

freedoms; to be able to sleep at night, knowing that our kids, family and friends are safe.”

However, their peaceful worlds were forever changed on Feb. 24, 2022, at 4 a.m.

“We, at Help Free Ukraine, along with other organizations and fundraisers, are committed to provide any resources available with the help of likeminded and good hearted people over to hospitals and families of Ukraine. We take absolutely zero profits or administrative fees and 100% of funds raised go directly to Ukraine and supplies for Ukraine.”

For donations to Help Free Ukraine, go to www.helpfreeukraine.com

Health News

for nearly 30 years. Harris grew up in Upstate New York.

Harris completed his residency in ophthalmology at SUNY Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse. He received his medical degree from the Commonwealth Medical College of Pennsylvania in Scranton and then went on to complete post-graduate training at the Lehigh Valley Health Network in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

Care Specialist Jennifer Fields. Fields is board-certified as a diplomate by the American Board of Wound Management.

Advanced wound care modalities provided by our wound care experts include total contact casting, bio-engineered tissues, biosynthetic dressings and growth factor therapies. The Center also offers hyperbaric oxygen therapy, which works by surrounding the patient with 100 percent oxygen to help progress the healing of the wound.

St. Elizabeth College of Nursing has new president

Wound Care Center named ‘center of distinction’

Slocum-Dickson Medical Group has new president

Rome Health’s Wound Care Center has been named a center of distinction by Healogics, the nation’s largest provider of advanced wound care services.

The center achieved outstanding clinical outcomes for 12 consecutive months, including a patient satisfaction rate higher than 92%.

This news comes just in time to remind the community about the upcoming Wound Care Awareness Week June 6-10, which is dedicated to empowering both patients and healthcare providers with resources to help improve health, heal wounds, and prevent amputations.

The Rome Health Wound Care Center offers highly specialized wound care to patients suffering from diabetic foot ulcers, pressure ulcers, infections and other chronic wounds, which have not healed in a reasonable amount of time.

“We are proud to be recognized for delivering the best wound care out there, here. The center’s success comes from a team of nurses, doctors and clinicians who work together to develop the best plan of care to treat not only the wound, but the underlying conditions that are impeding the wound from healing,” said Wound

Physician Alexander R. Harris has been named president of the board of managers at Slocum-Dickson Medical Group.

He has been with the group since 2018.

Since 2019, Harris has served as a member of the group’s board of managers.

Alex Harris In his new role as president, he will be tasked with even more administrative duties.

According to a news release, his commitment to the community and patients, as well as his strong leadership skills and vision for the future, will help guide the group through many changes. He will be in charge of overseeing all aspects of the organization to ensure that the group’s high-quality standards are upheld and that patients have the best possible experience while receiving care.

Harris began his Slocum-Dickson career by working alongside his father, ophthalmologist Alan D. Harris, who provided eye care to Slocum-Dickson Medical Group patients

Following an extensive search, Mohawk Valley Health System (MVHS) has named Kimberly A. Panko president of the St. Elizabeth College of Nursing (SECON) in Utica, effective June 6.

“In its nearly 118-year history, SECON has graduated thousands of nurses who have gone on to Kimberly A. Panko take care of the people of this community,” said Darlene Stromstad, president and CEO of MVHS. “Building upon its long legacy, we look to SECON, and Dr. Panko, to help take us into the future as we educate the nurses of tomorrow and open our new, state-of-theart Wynn Hospital next year.

“The role of president of SECON is vital to ensuring this region has access to strong nursing. Dr. Panko will be an integral leader in our recovery from the pandemic and our ability to deal with workforce shortages. Educating the next generation of nurses is critical to our success and we are so lucky to have such a well-established and respected college as part

of our system. Dr. Panko is the best person to take over the reins and move us into the future of healthcare in our community.”

Kathy Horn, chairwoman of SECON board of directors said Panko brings a significant background in nursing, leadership and academia.

“In addition, she is a dynamic, results-driven leader who will have a strong impact at SECON on our students, faculty, staff and community. I’m looking forward to Dr. Panko continuing our legacy of educating outstanding frontline nurses and leaders and creating innovative and exemplary academic programs. Dr. Panko’s vision toward the future and building partnerships are vital to SECON’s continued growth and evolution.”

Panko succeeds Varinya Sheppard, who announced her retirement after a 40 year nursing career in which she not only served as president of the college, but held multiple nursing roles including chief nursing officer at St. Elizabeth Medical Center.

Panko has worked for MVHS since 2001 and currently serves as director of nursing, medical surgical and acute-inpatient rehabilitative services for MVHS. Before taking her current role, Panko worked for SECON as dean of students and faculty development and as nursing instructor and course coordinator. Panko has more than 28 years of experience in various nursing positions.

Panko earned her Doctor of Nursing Practice in systems leadership from Chamberlain College of Nursing in Downers Grove, Illinois; her Master of Science in nursing and administration from Clarkson College in Omaha, Nebraska; her Bachelor of Science in nursing from State University of New York at Utica/Rome in Utica; and her Associate of Applied Science degree in nursing from Northern Maine Technical College in Presque Isle, Maine.

June 2022 • IN GOOD HEALTH – Mohawk Valley’s Healthcare Newspaper • Page 19

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www.elementalmgt.com Page 20 • IN GOOD HEALTH – Mohawk Valley’s Healthcare Newspaper • June 2022