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MALE OR FEMALE DOC? Male or female doctor? Study shows why one is better than the other

December 2013 • Issue 100

H I G H

Rochester–Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper

C H O L E S T E R O L

DO WE REALLY NEED MORE DRUGS? New recommendations to prevent heart disease call for a third of adult population to take statins. Local doctors comment on the new guidelines.

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Up to 8 Months

Time some families have to wait to have their kids seen by a child psychiatrist in Rochester

Healthy Gifting Inside Jake Scott, a second-year bio-medical sciences student at RIT, and Lauren Sava, a senior at U of R.

Meet Your Doctor Rashid Deane’s research advances on Alzheimer’s treatment

Group Promotes Organ Donation Registry for Millennials bLifeNY is a new organization formed by an URMC transplant doctor designed to get youth to sign up for organ donation. How important is that? Very important since NYS ranks second to last in the nation for registered donors Page 9

December 2013 •

ElderONE ElderONE, an affiliate of the Rochester General Health System, allows qualified seniors to obtain the medical care and other assistance they need while continuing to live at home. It’s designed to be a substitute for a nursing home. The advantage? It’s better for seniors, who remain at home, and costs a lot less than a nursing home. Page Page 185 Page16

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IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper • December 2013

December 2013 •

IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper

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The Wait to See a Child Psychiatrist? Up to 8 Months DePaul doctor: Health professionals trained in the Rochester area leave for greener pastures By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

ental health issues in children and teens may be over-diagnosed, yet those who need mental health care may not receive the care they need. The two issues appear to share a causal relationship. Few mental health professionals serve children and teens in the area. Kimberly E. Erway, psychiatrist with DePaul PROS Program in Rochester, said that many pediatric mental health professionals trained in the Rochester area leave for greener pastures when they complete their education. “There’s no money in pediatric mental health, especially in this area,” Erway said. “We have a massive shortage for psychiatrists. The wait — if you can get one at all — it is many months long, even up to eight months.” Visiting a mental health provider who primarily serves adults does not serve Erway the child or teen well “since kids are not little versions of adults,” Erway said. “They do need to have specialists. Their bodies respond to medication differently. The developmental issues at work require specialists. If I were a general surgeon, I wouldn’t operate on the liver of a 5-year-old.” The path toward visiting a mental health provider usually begins at the pediatrician’s office. Since these doctors specialize in children’s and teen’s health, they’re often astute as to the signs of young people’s health and mental health issues. Most provide screening for mental health problems and, as warranted, recommendation for further evaluation by a mental health professional. “Pediatricians have become the gatekeepers whether they like it or

not,” Erway said. “The only way to get an expedited appointment is to have a referral from the pediatrician. “ Some pediatricians diagnose and prescribe medication for mental health issues that are more commonly diagnosed among children or teens, such as attention deficit disorder (ADD). Erway believes that some children and teens are diagnosed with ADD when “they just fall outside the norms” and medication isn’t warranted. Robert V. Tocco, licensed marriage and family counselor with Family Counseling Services of the Finger Lakes, Inc. in Geneva, Newark, and Canandaigua, said that some populations of teens tend to be over-diagnosed and over-medicated such as those in foster care. “There are not a lot of psychiatrists in the area who specialize in teens and children,” Tocco said. “The liability increases because they may be abusing substances.” He said one reason that children and teens can be over medicated is because a primary care physician may medicate for depression because of symptoms that could be Tocco attributed to a shortterm mood change. The melodrama of childhood and teen years can make a romantic break-up or other change larger than life for a short period of time, unlike the long-term effects of true depression. “ Depression manifests at times in aggressive behavior in teens, unlike sitting uncommunicative,” Tocco said. “It may be aggression against self or others. It’s more difficult for primary care doctors to tell.” He advises parents, teachers and counselors to watch for signs such as when a child’s peers express concern.

“Peers are reluctant to do that unless there is genuine changes in that person,” he said. “That is a major sign.” Other indicators can include changes in relationships with family members and peers; abrupt abandonment of formerly enjoyed interests; poor grades; and focus on negative ideas and thoughts. “Someone who’s artistic may be drawn to death scenes, but that’ s different from someone with other aspects of depression and then is drawn to death scenes,” Tocco said. “Look at the whole picture of family, home, school and work.” He encourages concerned adults to engage teens in an undistracted conversation to make their concerns known

and offer an opportunity to talk. “Say, ‘If I grow increasingly concerned, we should talk to your school counselor or go to see a therapist for just an assessment,’” Tocco said. “Whether it’s mental health or substance abuse, the person conveying it should limit it to an assessment. With young adults, they might generalize that going to mental health specialist means they’ll be in counseling forever or go to treatment.” He added that it’s important to let young people know that once they’ve visited a professional, “then we’ll talk about what we want to do about it” so they do not feel like the situation is out of their control.

Tips for Choosing Health Insurance Coverage This Season

f you or your loved ones do not have health insurance, you have new options available through New York State of Health: The Official Health Plan Marketplace. Created as part of the federal Affordable Care Act, the goal of the state’s marketplace is to make sure all New Yorkers have health insurance. With open enrollment underway, Fidelis Care wants you to know that choosing your coverage does not have to be overwhelming. Chief Marketing Officer Pamela Hassen offers these tips: • Research your options – All health plans participating in New York State of Health offer standardized products, making them easy to compare. “The products are organized Page 4

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by metal levels, so when you’re comparing silver products between plans, the biggest difference is the price,” she says. Hassen also recommends looking at a plan’s provider directory to see if your doctor participates. If you take medication, you should also check a plan’s formulary to see if the medication is covered. All health plan options are listed at nystateofhealth.ny.gov. • Determine the cost — “The Fidelis Affordable Care Advisor can give you an estimate of the price you will pay, including subsidies and tax credits, and it only takes about 2 minutes,” says Hassen. Found on Fidelis Care’s website, fideliscare.org, the Affordable Care Advisor only needs the names and birthdates of family members who would be covered, zip code, and

yearly income to calculate an estimated monthly cost. It can also let you know if you may be eligible for other government-sponsored health insurance coverage, including Medicaid. • Get help from an expert — All participating health insurance plans and many community health organizations have employees who have been trained by thestate to help New Yorkers enroll. Hassen suggests contacting these experts because they understand the process. “They will sit down with you and explain the choices, then help you enroll. It’s a great way to discuss your options and be fully informed as you make this decision,” she says. • Have important information ready — In order to enroll, you need to provide information about yourself

IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper • December 2013

and any family members who need coverage. The state requires you to provide your social security number (or document number for legal immigrants), birth date, and employer and income information. If you currently have health insurance, you will also need your policy number. Hassen wants everyone to know that health insurance is important, even for people who are healthy. The government is requiring most Americans to have health insurance in 2014 or pay a tax penalty. Open enrollment for New York State of Health runs through March 31. You must be enrolled by Dec.15 for coverage to take effect on Jan. 1.

Study: Female Doctors Better Than Male Doctors

Healy Counseling Services 1387 Fairport Rd, Bldg. 500, Fairport, NY 14450 • (585)388-3330 healycounseling@gmail.com • www.healycounseling.com KATHE HEALY, LMHC, CASAC • NYS Licensed Mental Health Counselor • License #000836

Individuals, Couples and Group Counseling In a Private Setting Kathe is a Certiﬁed Internal Family Systems Therapist and specializes in treating depression, anxiety, addictions, grief and loss, stress reduction and healing of relationships.

But males are more productive

he quality of care provided by female doctors is higher than that of their male counterparts while the productivity of males is greater, according to a University of Montreal research team. The research team reached this conclusion by studying the billing information of over 870 Quebec practitioners (half of whom were women) relating to their procedures with elderly diabetic patients. “Women had significantly higher scores in terms of compliance with practice guidelines. They were more likely than men to prescribe recommended medications and to plan required examinations,” said lead study author Valérie Martel, who devoted her master’s thesis on the subject. Roxane Borges Da Silva, professor at the faculty of nursing, and Régis Blais, professor at the department of health administration, co-supervised the study. To assess quality of care, the researchers relied on the recommendations of the Canadian Diabetes Association, which provides clear guidelines for clinical treatment of the disease. All patients aged 65 and over with diabetes must undergo an eye exam by an ophthalmologist or optometrist every two years. They must also receive three prescriptions for specific drugs, including statins, and it is recommended they undergo a complete medical examination annually. Since the Quebec public health insurance board (Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec) medical-administrative data bank includes comprehensive information on every medical procedure, the researchers were able to measure these variables. In each case, statistical tests confirm a significant difference between men and women. Among middle-aged doctors, three out of four women, for example, required their patients to undergo an eye examination vs. 70 percent of their male counterparts; 71 percent prescribed recommended medications compared to 67 percent of male doctors, and a similar proportion prescribed statins

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(68 percent vs. 64 percent); 39 percent of female doctors specifically asked their patients to undergo a complete examination (vs. 33 percent of male doctors). In terms of productivity, there is a reversal. On average, male doctors reported nearly 1,000 more procedures per year compared to their female counterparts. “My hypothesis was that the differences between male and female practices have diminished over time. It seemed to me that more and more men are taking time with their patients at the expense of productivity, and more and more women tend to increase their number of procedures. This aspect was shown: the younger the doctors, the less significant the differences,” she said. “People assume that women doctors spend more time with their patients, but it is difficult to observe in a scientific study. This study does just that,” Blais added.

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Editor & Publisher: Wagner Dotto • Associate Editor: Lou Sorendo • Writers and Contributing Writers: Jim Miller, Deborah J. Sergeant, Gwenn Voelckers, Anne Palumbo, Ernst Lamothe Jr., Mike Costanza, Debbie Waltzer • Advertising: Donna Kimbrell, Amber Dwyer Layout & Design: Chris Crocker Ofﬁcer Manager: Laura Beckwith No material may be reproduced in whole or in part from this publication without the express written permission of the publisher. The information in this publication is intended to complement—not to take the place of—the recommendations of your health provider. Consult your physician before making major changes in your lifestyle or health care regimen.

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Rashid Deane, PhD Groundbreaking research by URMC doctor points directions for Alzheimer’s disease treatments Q. You were drawn to the study of the human brain while studying at the University of London. Why did you focus on that part of the human body? A. At that time—and it is still the case—there were a lot of questions of how the brain controls its environment. The brain is actually surrounded in water—it is called cerebrospinal fluid. Its functional anatomy is unique in that sense. Q. Initially, your research centered upon the vessels that supply blood, and the nutrient glucose, to the brain. What about them that drew your attention? A. What I was curious about was how things get into the brain. If you compress the side of your throat, there’s some big vessels there that take blood to the brain—the common carotid artery, etc. The blood vessels themselves are unique compared with the blood vessels that supply all the nutrients to other organs. The blood vessels are [also] a barrier. We call it the “blood-brain barrier,” because it restricts the movement of molecules from the blood to the brain, and likewise some molecules from the brain to the blood. That [barrier] is there so that the brain can carry out its complex integration and the workings of the nerve cells. That’s important for the brain.

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Q. What did your initial research discover? A. We discovered about the process by which the brain controls glucose levels in its water, [cerebrospinal fluid] so as to maintain the entry of glucose to the brain from the blood.

comes off it. Then, the ferry comes back again and picks up a glucose molecule. It can ferry it backwards and forwards. As you hit 80 years of age and get older, almost half the people will have Alzheimer’s and the other half will not have Alzheimer’s, but almost all or both of them will have amyloid beta deposits in their brains. Q. Is the presence of amyloid beta in the human brain normal? A. It’s produced constantly and it’s removed. The accumulations of the amyloid beta and other proteins are present in Alzheimer’s—there’s an association with it. Q. How does it become toxic for the brain? A. What we see in the brain is a final aggregation, a densely packed group of molecules all packed together. Under normal conditions that’s not allowed, because it’s conveyed very quickly out of the brain. Since we believed that the amyloid normally continues to be produced and cleared, we reasoned that one possibility is that the clearing process might not be functioning very well, and therefore leading to accumulation within the brain. Q. Your latest experiments involved two types of subjects—normal rats and those that suffered from Alzheimer’s. Both were given higherthan-normal doses of copper in their drinking water. How did the normal rats’ brains respond to the higher levels of copper in their blood-

Q. How is glucose transported from blood vessels into the brain? A. In the membranes of the blood vessels of the brain, there are carriers, like ferries. These ferries are types of proteins embedded in the cell membrane. The glucose attaches itself to the ferry. That then is taken across the membrane to the brain side and it [the glucose]

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IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper • December 2013

streams? A. The copper gets into the blood vessels, and gets trapped there. It then damages the LRP1 [or “lipoprotein receptor-related protein”] the transporter, so it could no longer be functional. As a result of that, it can’t escort the amyloid beta out of the brain. It (copper) inhibited the clearance of the amyloid beta from the brain. Q. What about the brains of the Alzheimer’s-afflicted rats? A. We’ve found, quite surprisingly, that copper also now increases the production of amyloid beta. It’s able to influence the production of amyloid beta from nerve cells because they are the major producer of it in the brain. Now, you have a condition in the disease model that you have production increased and you have removal from the brain is reduced. That promotes an accelerated accumulation of amyloid beta in the brain. Q. Did you study the effects of the metal upon human brain cells? A. We used [human] brain cells that form the blood-brain barrier to confirm the data in mice, and to study how copper damaged the transporter (LRP1), a ferry for amyloid beta, the accumulation of which is associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Even though these were cells studied outside the body, it helped to translate the data in mice to humans. This is groundbreaking research, in terms of targeting potential therapies. Q. Copper is normally found in the water we drink and some of the foods we eat, and you dosed your rats with one-tenth of the amount of the metal that the US EPA allows in humans. If it affects human brains in the way it appears to affect rat brains, why don’t we all have Alzheimer’s disease? A. What causes some people to develop the disease and others not to, we don’t actually know. It’s not only the copper that contributes to this. Some of the foods we eat may have these molecules, which may protect us against copper’s effects. It may well be a complicated interaction between things that may contribute to the damage of the LRP1, and the things that may protect it, like antioxidants. It could be a complicated interaction with genetics, lifestyle, environment, and aging—which is a major risk factor. Q. Where will your research take you next? A. I will definitely continue with this. I need to think about ways of preventing it [Alzheimer’s], because we’re all getting older, that group is getting larger, and it’s a horrible disease. I may get involved in developing therapy. We need to think of other preventive measures that reduce the onset of this disease.

Lifelines Current Positions: Research Professor, department of neurosurgery, Center for Translational Neuromedicine, University of Rochester Medical Center. Education: PhD, medical physiology, St. Thomas’s Hospital Medical School, University of London, England; postdoctoral research fellow, King’s College, University of London; postdoctoral research associate, University of Hull, Yorkshire, England; Bachelor of Science, physiology, Bedford College, University of London. Personal: Married, with three children. Enjoys walking, tennis.

Delay Alzheimer’s: Learn a New Language Study: Speaking a second language may delay different dementias

n the largest study on the topic to date, research shows that speaking a second language may delay the onset of three types of dementias. The research was published in the Nov. 6, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The study found that people who spoke two languages developed dementia four and a half years later than people who only spoke one language. “Our study is the first to report an advantage of speaking two languages in people who are unable to read, suggesting that a person’s level of educa-

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tion is not a sufficient explanation for this difference,” said study author Suvarna Alladi, with Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences in Hyderabad, India. “Speaking more than one language is thought to lead to better development of the areas of the brain that handle executive functions and attention tasks, which may help protect from the onset of dementia.” For the study, 648 people from India with an average age of 66 who were diagnosed with dementia were evaluated. Of those, 391 spoke two or more languages. A total of 240 had Alzheimer’s disease, 189 had vascular dementia

and 116 had frontotemporal dementia, with the remainder having dementia with Lewy bodies and mixed dementia. Fourteen percent were illiterate. People who spoke two languages had a later onset of Alzheimer’s disease, frontotemporal dementia and vascular dementia than people who spoke only one language. The difference was also found in those who could not read. There was no additional benefit in speaking more than two languages. The two-language effect on age of dementia onset was shown separately of other factors such as education, gender, occupation and whether partici-

pants lived in the city or country. “These results offer strong evidence for the protective effect of bilingualism against dementia in a population very different from those studied so far in terms of its ethnicity, culture and patterns of language use,” Alladi said.

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FDA approves medical device to treat epilepsy

he U.S. Food and Drug Administration in November approved a device to help reduce the frequency of seizures in epilepsy patients who have not responded well to medications. The RNS Stimulator consists of a small neurostimulator implanted within the skull under the scalp. The neurostimulator is connected to one or two wires (called electrodes) that are placed where the seizures are suspected to originate within the brain or on the surface of the brain. “The neurostimulator detects abnormal electrical activity in the brain and responds by delivering electri-

cal stimulation intended to normalize brain activity before the patient experiences seizure symptoms,” said Christy Foreman, director of the office of device evaluation in the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health. Epilepsy produces seizures affecting varied mental and physical functions. Seizures happen when clusters of nerve cells in the brain signal abnormally, which may briefly alter a person’s consciousness, movements or actions. According to the Epilepsy Foundation, epilepsy affects nearly 3 million people in the United States and is the third most common neurological

disorder, after Alzheimer’s disease and stroke. Approximately 40 percent of people with epilepsy are severely affected and continue to have seizures despite treatment. The FDA’s approval is supported by a three-month randomized control trial of 191 patients with drug-resistant epilepsy. The study showed that by three months after the implanted device was turned on (active use) patients experienced a nearly 38 percent reduction in the average number of seizures per month, compared to an approximately 17 percent reduction in the average number of seizures per month in pa-

tients who had the implanted device turned off. At the end of three months, the median reduction in seizures, which reflects a more typical patient experience, was 34 percent with active use and about 19 percent with the device turned off. During the trial, 29 percent of patients with an active device experienced at least a 50 percent reduction in the overall number of seizures, compared to 27 percent for those with the implanted device turned off. The RNS Stimulator is manufactured by Neuropace, Inc. of Mountain View, Calif.

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Live Alone & Thrive

By Gwenn Voelckers

Practical tips, advice and hope for those who live alone

‘Tis the Season to Enjoy the Holidays: 12 Tempting Tips

“I

t was the worst Christmas ever.” That was how my friend Janice described her first Christmas after her divorce. “I flew back to Ohio to spend the holidays with my parents and siblings — all married with kids. It was Christmas Eve, and we were in the kitchen reminiscing and talking about what everyone was up to. It was all cheery and festive, until my father looked me squarely in the eyes and asked in earnest, ‘So, Janice, how are you doing, honey?’ Well . . . that’s when the floodgates opened.” Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or the December solstice, the holidays can be a real challenge, if you’re newly divorced or widowed. They were for me, until I took the reindeer by the horns and decided to steer clear of the “woe is me” attitude. Inspired by the holiday favorite, “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” I offer the following 12 tips to help those who live alone find a little meaning and merriment this time of year. ONE: Slow down. Better, stop what you’re doing altogether. Ask yourself what the holidays really mean to you. Rebirth? Hope? Peace and love? Generosity and goodwill? Revisit your most deeply held beliefs about the season and make a conscious decision to participate in the holiday rituals that align with your values and spiritual underpinnings. TWO: Be realistic and give your-

self a break. For those who live alone, some degree of loneliness can be considered normal during the holidays. It’s a good time to remember that feelings of loneliness aren’t terminal, nor are they a “state of being” reserved for single people. Loneliness has very little to do with being alone. It has everything to do with your state of mind. Now’s a good time to remind yourself that your happiness is in your hands, and that there are positive, healthy steps you can take to avoid the chill of loneliness. Keep reading. THREE: Create new holiday traditions, especially if you are bemoaning the loss of irretrievable traditions of your former life. Consider instituting your very own “signature” tradition of helping others. When you give of yourself, you reap two big rewards: First, you’ll develop connections with people who share your spirit of giving and second, you’ll nurture your soul. Volunteering, especially at this time of year, can be immensely rewarding. FOUR: On that note, if volunteering doesn’t fit into your schedule, bake some holiday goodies for your colleagues at work. Leave a little something on a neighbor’s doorstep. When

KIDS Corner Teens with Late Bedtimes Have Lower Grades

eens with late bedtimes during the school year and school days that start early have lower academic performance and are at risk for later emotional distress. A new study in the Journal of Adolescent Health provides further evidence for a growing body of research that supports a movement to delay school start times for adolescents. “Going to bed after 11:30 p.m., particularly in younger adolescents, predicted worse cumulative grade point average (GPA) at high school graduation and more emotional distress in the college years and beyond,” said the study’s lead author Lauren D. Asarnow, a doctoral student in the department of psychology at Page 8

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the University of California, Berkeley. The study gathered data on sleep and the number of hours slept from 2,700 teens aged 13 to 18 participating in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health in

you are thinking about and doing for others, you get outside of yourself and can feel less lonely — more a part of the world and of this season of giving. FIVE: Be the instigator. Identify a holiday concert or event you’d like to attend and invite family or friends to join you. Take on the role of “social secretary” and you’ll gradually feel your holidays, social life and social circle becoming more active and interesting. SIX: Decorate your home or apartment. Do it for yourself. It will help put you in the spirit of the season. Hang a wreath on your door. Accent your mantel. Bring the holidays inside your home and you’ll feel its essence inside your heart. SEVEN: Invite people over. It will give you an incentive to decorate, if you are not inclined to do it for yourself. No need to do anything elaborate or large. Even inviting a few friends over for brunch or to watch a holiday special on TV can lift your spirits. EIGHT: Send out holiday cards. Take this occasion to say “hello” and make connections. I love getting an unexpected card from a long-lost friend, and I delight in tracking down and sending out season’s greetings to those

two cohorts, one in 1995, the second in 1996. In 2001-2002, as respondents aged, data on academic performance and self-reported emotional health were collected for longitudinal comparison. The overall goal of the study was to examine the relationship between the sleep/circadian patterns of high school adolescents in a nationally representative sample, their overall academic performance in high school and rates of emotional distress reported post graduation. For both high school cohorts, 23 percent of participants reported going to bed at 11:15 p.m. or later. By the time these teens reached graduation and college age, late school year bedtimes in high school predicted both lower cumulative GPA at graduation and more emotional distress between age 18 and 26. The researchers noted previous research found that adolescents who prefer late activities and bedtimes (a pattern of behavior often referred to as an evening circadian preference) were tested in the morning; they performed worse on cognitive tasks. Asarnow urged parents to help youngsters get to bed earlier and added that a teen’s sleep behavior is highly modifiable with proper support. However, shifting a teen’s bedtime from a late to an earlier hour can be hard, she added, in part because for 30 percent to 40 percent of teens, delayed bedtimes

IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper • December 2013

who might be surprised to hear from me. Experience has taught me that good things come from reaching out to others, so I encourage you to address a few envelopes this season. NINE: Include yourself on your gift list and spoil yourself with comfort. Read a best-seller by the fire. Schedule a massage. Treat yourself to those stylish leather boots you’ve admired for weeks. TEN: Welcome children into your home. Children add a wonderful dimension to the holidays. Host a cookie party or otherwise spend some time with your grandchildren or nieces and nephews. Their silliness, curiosity and wonder will add to your joy this season. ELEVEN: Let go of the notion that you need to be married or in a romantic relationship to enjoy the holidays. Life is all about personal connections, and there are plenty to be found in friends, neighbors, colleagues, even people you meet in passing. TWELVE: No final tip. No “drummers drumming.” Just my warmest wishes to all of you who live alone. Have yourself a merry little “whatever” and enjoy the season to the fullest. You have a choice. Choose to be with people rather than isolate. Choose to appreciate what you have rather than focus on what you’re missing. I promise you this: Embrace even half of the tips above and you will find more joy this season. Cheers! Gwenn Voelckers is the founder and facilitator of Live Alone and Thrive, empowerment workshops for women held throughout the year in Mendon, New York. For information about her upcoming workshops, call Gwenn at 585-624-7887 or email her at gvoelckers@rochester.rr.com.

have a biological basis tied to the onset and progress of puberty. Furthermore, academic pressure, habits around technology use and the bedtimes of friends also influence a teen’s choice to turn in or stay up late.

Infant loss support group offered to parents Thompson Health offers a support group for parents who have experienced the loss of a baby during pregnancy, at birth or shortly after birth. The Resolve Through Sharing (RTS) Parent Support Group is facilitated by RTS Bereavement Coordinator Cris Crawford, a registered nurse at Thompson Health’s Birthing Center. There is no charge to join this group, but registration is required. Call 585-396-6260 to register and for more information about the next meeting.

Group Promotes Organ Donation Registry for Millennials bLifeNY is a new organization formed by an URMC transplant doctor designed to get youth to sign up for organ donation By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

illennials: most of their future lies yet ahead of them. It may seem counterintuitive to appeal to 20-somethings to sign up as potential organ donors; however, bLifeNY hopes to do just that. As it turns out, altruistic Millennials in general are eager to help causes in which they believe. “They tend to ‘get’ organ donation more than older folks,” said physician Christopher Barry, who founded the organization. Barry is a transplant surgeon and associate professor in the URMC department of surgery. “Even if they don’t understand all the facts behind it, they are much more willing to learn about it and are more responBarry sive to education efforts.” Young people also use social media well and willingly talk with their parents and grandparents about organ donation. These conversations represent one of the best ways to get out the message on organ donation. Barry knows firsthand the desperate need for donated organs and tissues. “It’s particularly challenging in

New York state because we have the 49th lowest number in the nation for registered donators,” Barry said. “Daily, we see people suffering because people have to wait for donor organs longer than the rest of the country. It’s not uncommon for people to die while waiting for a lifesaving organ.” According to the doctor, bLifeNY wants to address this problem and to create more awareness of organ donation registration. Engaging older teens and college students has proven one of the most effective initiatives so far, he said. Since most people only consider organ donation at the Department of Motor Vehicles and the intensive care unit, presenting information at other venues such as art gallery openings or festivals tends to garner better results. The strategy seems to be working and locals spread the word fast. Since its launch in spring 2013, bLifeNY has received nearly 40,000 page views and a more than 300 percent increase in ‘likes’ on its Facebook page. “We have followers all over the US and Europe, and in India, Japan, South Africa, and Egypt,” Barry said. The organization has established student-run groups at Rochester Institute of Technology and at the University of Rochester and work with URMC’s Finger Lakes Donor Recovery Network to raise awareness. Jake Scott, a second-year bio-medi-

cal sciences major from Buffalo, heads bLifeNY at RIT. He had worked at the Rochester Eye and Tissue Bank, so he was familiar with donation. He jumped at the chance to lead a bLifeNY chapter on campus. “I expect it to grow significantly over the next couple years,” Scott said. “All the former lead- Jake Scott, a second-year biomedical sciences student at RIT, ers of the chapter heads bLifeNY at RIT, while Lauren Sava, a senior at Uof R, is moved on and as a in charge of the bLifeNY chapter on the University of Rochester sophomore, I chose campus. Their goal is to increane the number of students who to lead it for the rest of my years here at enroll as organ donors. RIT.” So far, fellow students have reon campus, bLifeUR. But it’s not a role sponded eagerly to help and recruit with which she’s unfamiliar. In high more students to sign up for the regisschool back in Buffalo, she helped with try. Seventy new donors have signed donor campaigns each year. up. For the past two years, the organi“Our major event last year at zation has worked to spread accurate ImagineRIT, a festival held year round information on donation. on campus, was a huge success and we “We believe making an educated helped register 70-plus people to be ordecision is extremely important, so gan donors as well as having 500-plus we strongly value those that came to visitors to our table,” Scott said. the table to gain more insight on the At the University of Rochester, subject,” Sava said. “Not only do we senior Lauren Sava studies toward her want people to register, we also want degree in health, behavior and society individuals to be having conversations as well as heading the bLifeNY chapter with friends and family members.”

Nonprofit Helps Those Who Go Through Separation By Ernst Lamothe Jr.

heryl Cassidy was seeking answers after a divorce. She found what she was looking for in an advertisement. The advertisement read “If you have experienced loss of a relationship come to Neutral Ground and we can help you through it.” That journey began five years ago when she first walked into the door of the nonprofit support group for people who are divorced, widowed or ending a significant relationship. Neutral Ground was founded in 1974 and focuses on large and small peer groups, helping people to rebuild their lives after the devastating end of a meaningful bond. The sessions are closed and private. While it may seem cliched, it still remains true: Breaking up is hard to do. “It’s crushing when you have to deal with the end of a relationship that you put so much time and energy into,” said Cassidy, of Rochester. “It takes a lot of work to dig yourself out of the emotions you feel. This group made me realize that I could survive and that I had a lot of living to do and a lot to offer someone.” Those who are new to the organization are invited to an orientation to learn more about the services. If they

decide the group is for them, they begin a once a week, two-hour sessions every Thursday. They read Bruce Fisher’s book “Rebuilding: When your Relationship Ends.” A renowned divorce therapist, Fisher teaches people how to make the long and difficult road back from divorce or the end of a significant relationship. Built on more than two decades of research and practice, the book uses a supportive multi-step approach to help people take a less traumatic and healthier path to stability. The facilitators of the group session are often those who have also gone through tough break-ups through marriage or dating. They say it helps to have someone who understands the struggle. “Sometimes family gets tired of hearing about your issues and it is easier to come to an organization of people who really understand what you are experiencing,” said Cassidy, social chairwoman for the organization. “Because these groups are closed, you are able to speak freely about your experience. Some people share immediately while others sit down and listen before opening up. We don’t make you share if you don’t want.”

Neutral Ground focuses on more than just talking, Officials believe it’s important to get out there and enjoy life. They plan social gatherings like attending movies, monthly dances, potlucks at people’s houses, wine tasting or game nights. “Just being out with other people instead of just staying at home can make such a difference,” said Cassidy. “Being at home can make you have a tendency to wallow or get down on yourself. You can’t stress the importance of just being out with people because it can make you feel so much better about yourself.” Gail Faber came to Neutral Ground nine years ago after her divorce. She said she needed to find herself again. Even after she recovered, she stayed on with the organization because of all the help it offers people going through a loss. Faber views Neutral Ground as an organization that can help people get through whatever they need, whether a person is lost and needs direction or simply a listening ear. She continues to facilitate and attends most of the event. “When you are with other people who are going through what we have gone through, you gain strength and do not feel so isolated,” said Faber, of

December 2013 •

Perinton, president of the organization. “Everyone there has gone through or is going through the process of healing. The best part for me is to see the smiles that return to people. After someone has been at Neutral Ground for a while and taken the time to do the work to find themselves, you see them heal and become a whole person again.” In addition, they bring in speakers, attorneys and financial advisers, especially in divorce cases when emotional stress is not the only thing that must be dealt with. When people come into the session, there are a variety of issues and emotions that come to the surface. Those who are divorcing sometimes feel an overwhelming sense of regret, sadness, bitterness and anger. Those who are widowed must come to grips with being distraught. And people who have ended a significant relationship can’t be ignored either. “People forget how devastating it is to end any type of relationship. You don’t have to be married to feel that loss,” said Cassiday. “When you are ending a long-term relationship that meant something to you it can feel like going through a divorce. You struggle when you lose someone important in your life in any form.”

IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper

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Page 9

Think your kids won’t smoke?

Think again. They see more tobacco marketing than you realize.

1 2 3 4

Posters, displays and rows of tobacco products behind the counter are all forms of tobacco marketing. The Surgeon General’s Report warns that tobacco marketing is a known cause of youth smoking. And studies show, the more tobacco marketing kids see, the more likely they are to smoke. More than 135,000 New York teens are regular smokers.

1/3 of them will die prematurely from diseases caused by smoking.

The tobacco companies think there’s nothing wrong with this kind of marketing.

What do you think? The Smoking & Health Action Coalition of Monroe County works in Monroe County, NY, to eliminate exposure to secondhand smoke, to educate youth about tobacco marketing and to promote living tobacco-free.

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IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper • December 2013

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rowded shopping centers, visits from out-of-town relatives and the pressure of preparing holiday meals can all summon one universal reaction: stress. The holidays may be the season of love and celebration, but sometimes festivities can become overwhelming. “During the holidays, our lives become even more stressful as we try to juggle our usual responsibilities with extra holiday preparation and complicated family dynamics,” said physician Maria A. Oquendo, a psychiatrist at NewYork-Presbyterian/ Columbia University Medical Center. She offered the following advice: 1 — Seek out emotional support. If you have family difficulties, try to plan some time with friends. If you feel isolated, you may want to seek out the support of your community, religious or social services. If you feel lonely, you might consider volunteering your time at an organization you support. 2 — Take a 15-minute break. Fifteen minutes of “alone time” may be just what you need to refresh yourself. Try taking a brisk walk around the block. Exercise is a great stress reliever, and a daily dose of winter sunlight can dramatically improve your mood. Meditation is another quick way to sneak in healthy downtime. Free lessons are offered at many local hospitals and community centers. 3 — Prioritize your time. Understand that you can’t do everything, so choose the things that you can accomplish and enjoy. Get input from your family and friends about what it is they would really enjoy doing this holiday. 4 — Shop without anxiety. Remember that it’s the thought that counts. Don’t let competitiveness, guilt and perfectionism send you on too many shopping trips. Create a holiday shopping budget and stick to it, so the

holiday bills don’t linger after the tinsel is gone. Shopping online can also help alleviate stress for those who find the crowded malls exhausting. 5 — Ask for help. Getting your family and friends involved in the holiday preparations may alleviate the stress of doing it all on your own. 6 — Set realistic expectations. Sometimes, expectations for family gettogethers are too high and result in disappointment and frustration. Accept your family members and friends as they are and set aside grievances for a more appropriate time. 7 — Celebrate the memories of loved ones no longer here. Holidays can also be stressful as we confront the memories of those who have died. This can be a normal part of the holiday experience and should be openly discussed and celebrated. 8 — Plan ahead. You will have more time to spend doing the things that you really want to do if you set aside specific days for shopping, cooking and visiting friends. You may also want to plan your menu in advance and make one big shopping trip. 9 — Put it all in perspective. Think about what the holiday really means to you and your family: time together, religious observance, reflection on your life and future goals — let these aspects of the holidays keep things in perspective. 10 — If you find that your depressed mood lingers, consider getting input from a mental health professional. Rates of anxiety and depression peak during the holidays; you don’t have to suffer unnecessarily. Help is available.These tips can help you to reduce stress and make the holidays a pleasure. Doing less may help you to enjoy the season more, and that is really the best stress reliever of all.

Keep Your Diet On Track This Holiday Season The following is the holiday feast survival guide — a roadmap to keep you and your diet from straying too far this year. • Re-think your appetizers. Incorporate healthier pre-meal snack options. Include a platter of beautiful berries, pineapple, and apples. • Choose smaller portions. You can still taste all the foods in your holiday spread without overeating. Remember, an occasional indulgence will not destroy your weight-loss attempts, and if you don’t love something, don’t eat it. • The only thing that should be stuffed during the holidays is the turkey! Just because there is more food sitting around, does not mean you need to eat more. A forkful of pie will do less damage than a whole piece. • Have a calorie-free chat instead

IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper • December 2013

of second helpings. The holidays are a great time to engage in conversation with your loved ones — and this will not add inches to your waistline. Just be sure to move the conversation away from the food! • Make sure you eat prior to a holiday party or dinner. You are less likely to overeat if you have eaten well throughout the day. • Include your exercise program as one of your holiday activities. Bundle up and take a walk after your holiday meal – this not only can prevent you from overeating and picking at leftovers, but is also a great way to burn off some of the extra calories you may have consumed. Source: Patricia Nicholas, a registered dietitian at NewYork-Presbyterian/ Columbia University Medical Center.

Holiday Dinner and Dietary Needs By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

ou didn’t know your niece is now vegan. Or that your son’s new girlfriend is allergic to tree nuts. Or that your new sister-in-law eats gluten-free. But now that you’re all seated at the table, ready to eat a big holiday meal, it’s pretty tough to figure out alternatives to your guests’ dietary restrictions. Instead of that unfortunate scenario, it’s much easier to plan ahead, even if you don’t know what restrictions guests may bring to the table. Of course, ideally, your guests will let you know in advance if they have special dietary needs. Caitlin Sexton, clinical nutrition manager and registered dietitian at Clifton Springs Hospital, knows all too well about dietary restrictions as she has celiac disease and must avoid gluten, a natural component of wheat and barley that makes her very sick. “It can be intimidating,” Sexton said. “The person who has these restrictions can help the host understand their diet. The host may do everything they can and you still can’t eat anything.” She places the responsibility on the guest to let the host know in advance about dietary restrictions. Most food allergies involve eggs, nuts, shellfish, soy, wheat and milk. Gluten sensitivity or celiac disease is another common dietary concern. For many reasons, some people choose to abstain from animal-sourced food.

If you’re unfamiliar with these and other dietary restrictions — and which of your guests may have them — a few meal strategies can help you feed everyone. Oftentimes, Sexton helps the host plan the menu and volunteers to bring a dish, especially if it’s a last-minute plan. “Have a variety of foods,” recommended Natalie Johnson, registered dietitian with Rochester General Hospital. “Some fresh vegetable choices are nice since they don’t carry a lot of allergies with them.” The more complex dishes you create, such as nuts in stuffing or cream sauces on vegetables, the greater the chance that someone in the group can’t eat it, so offer some plain Jane options of fresh fruit salad, tossed salad and raw vegetables in addition to fancy dishes. These dressed-down dishes are healthful and easy to prepare, too. For the dishes that contain “surprise” ingredients, “labeling can help,” said Sharon Spear, registered dietitian with Unity Diabetes Center. “For a dish like stuffing, if put pecans in it, make sure everyone knows.” Many prepared foods contain al-

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lergens and irritants that you wouldn’t consider, such as the wheat flour used as a thickening agent in some brands of salad dressing, ice cream, and marshmallows. If possible, serve condiments, seasonings and toppings on the side so people can add what they want. “People look forward to something richer, but not everything has to be buttered and gravied,” Spear said. Don’t worry about fixing separate, low-sugar desserts for diabetics. “They’ll know if they should have that smaller piece of pie or cake,” Spear said. “Any food can fit into a diabetic’s diet.”

December 2013 •

Angie Palomaki, registered dietitian with the Center for Community Health in the Healthy Living Center at the University of Rochester Medical Center, said that people with a serious allergy will need extra precautions, such as washing your hands and cutting board between items to avoid cross-contamination. “If people have an allergy, find out how sensitive they are,” she said. “Some have an airborne allergy; others are okay if it’s cooked in something. It can be as easy as switching to vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.”

IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper

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Page 13

7 Ideas for Healthy Gifting By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

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Tracking movement, sleep

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• Encourage consumption of local and organic foods by giving “shares” from The Good Food Collective (starting at $100 per seasons, thegoodfoodcollective.com). Similar to a community supported agriculture business model, The Good Food Collective helps consumers purchase seasonal, fresh food

IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper • December 2013

from nearby farms and from producers using organic methods. The programs can include meat, coffee beans, eggs and other foods.

Kitchen gadgets

• Giving kitchen gadgets and appliances encourages healthful home cooking. Department stores carry the basics. Instead, shop at a culinary specialty store such as Cooks World (www. cooksworld.com), at 2179 Monroe Ave., Rochester, to find something out of the ordinary.

Tips for Healthful Gift Giving • Avoid overt “weight loss” gifts unless the recipient has specifically asked for that item. People carrying extra body weight know about their own health problems. • Focus on what interests the recipient enjoys and find a healthful gift that intersects with that interest. For example, someone who enjoys technology may like an electronic health gadget or app over another person who seldom embraces new technology. A fancy kitchen gadget may thrill an experienced cook, but present only challenges to a kitchen newbie. • Don’t use a gift to try to persuade a recipient to adhere to your particular healthful lifestyle or activity. Giving a “carnivore” a book about veganism isn’t likely to covert him. • If you’re unsure, ask recommendations from people who share your recipient’s interests and, ideally, know him. A gym buddy would know better than a couch potato about what he wants. Online reviews can help also, even if you end up buying at a brick-and-mortar store.

Therapy Pets Provide Love to Those in Need

Fat is a permanent condition

Dogs make up the majority of pets involved in Lollypop Farm’s petassisted therapy, but the program also features one cat, three rabbits, a guinea pig and a rat

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t’s a Monday morning and Desi, Abby and Kate are eager to start their day as they gather in the lobby at Fairport Baptist Home. Desi and Abby are shih tzu dogs—owned by Fran Schoenfeld and Cathie Corrado, respectively—and Kate is a “goldendoodle,” a cross between a golden retriever and a poodle, and owned by Tom Specht. The three canines are excited and ready to spend the next hour or so visiting with their friends at the nursing home. But they’re not too excited. In fact, as participants in the Pet Assisted Therapy (PAT) program at Lollypop Farm/ Humane Society of Greater Rochester, the three dogs are specially trained to provide loving yet gentle interactions with older or disabled individuals. “The purpose of our program is to provide comfort and inspiration to the people we Through Lollypop Farm’s Pet Assisted Therapy (PAT) program, volunteers Cathie Corrado visit,” explains Joette Hartman, (standing, left) and Fran Schoenfeld frequently bring their dogs Abby and Desi to area nursing who has coordinated the PAT program for the past six years. homes to cheer the residents. “The animals bring such joy to completed a rigorous training program A Fairport native who has lived in our clients.” through Lollypop, and are registered the nursing home for the past three Currently, 40 individuals like and fully insured with one years, Caszini previously owned three Schoenfeld, Corrado and of three nationally recogmastiffs, a large breed. She misses them Specht volunteer their time nized animal and delights in these regular visits to share their beloved therapy orga- from her new friends. pets with people in nizations. “This is the best,” she says, as she nursing homes, Clients cuddles with Desi and Abby. “I love hospitals, asrespond so these visits. Animals help us take our sisted-living positively worries off our minds.” facilities, group to these Hartman, the program coordinahomes, agencies visits. tor, recently introduced a new aspect of for people with On this the PAT program. Having previously developmental disparticular worked at a local college for several abilities and schools. morning, years, Hartman knew that college stuMost of the as Desi, dents also miss their pets from home. participating pets Abby and As a result, she has started a stressare dogs, but the Kate trot off relief visitation program at St. John program also with their owners Fisher College, Nazareth College and consists of one to greet their friends in SUNY Brockport during their wellness cat, three rabthe nursing home, events. bits, a guinea the residents gasp To-date, the college students have pig and a with excitement as responded enthusiastically to the visitremarkably their furry friends ing pets. well-temapproach. The The joy during these visits is pered rat. volunteers gently palpable, from clients, volunteers and All of hold their dogs animals alike. Hartman hopes that the volunso residents who more individuals with pets will conteers have are interested sider signing up for Lollypop’s training can pet and program to help spread the joy even talk with the further. Visits to clients can be made animals. during weekdays, as well as in the Helen evenings and on weekends. Caszini “It’s a win-win program for everyalways body,” Hartman says. looks To learn more about the Pet Asforward sisted Therapy Program, call Joette to these Hartman at 585-223-1330, ext. 243, or visits. send an email to pat@lollypop.org. December 2013 •

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ElderONE: a Chance to Age in the Comfort of Home By Mike Costanza

s they age, many senior citizens require treatment for chronic health conditions, assistance with daily living tasks or help dealing with the isolation they sometimes experience. Most want to overcome such hurdles and “age in place,” enjoying their lives while spending their later years at home instead of in a nursing home or other residential facility. A local program can help them continue living independently well past their 50s. ElderONE, an affiliate of the Rochester General Health System (RGHS), allows qualified seniors to obtain the medical care and other assistance they need while continuing to live at home. “The right combination of comprehensive services — with an interdisciplinary team working together to put those services together in the right combination — really helps people stay independent in the community,” says Kathy McGuire, RGHS senior vice president of behavioral health, long term care and senior services. Seniors who enroll in ElderONE must be at least 55 years old and suffer from a combination of medical and physical needs that renders them eligible for nursing home care. McGuire “They may have a lot of chronic medical conditions— like diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure—the kinds of things that send

Participants of ElderONE busy building teddy bears at the ElderONE Day Center on Hudson Avenue in Irondequoit. people on a slow decline if they don’t have good health maintenance and preventive services,” McGuire says. Most who enroll in the RGHS program have bounced in and out of emer-

Senior exercising at one of the two ElderONE day centers in the area. Page 16

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gency rooms, and nursing homesd. “They keep ending up in the hospital and the emergency room because they’re kind of in the cycle of not being able to do the preventive care that they need to do,” McGuire explains. In addition, many in the program have found themselves unable to take care of the basic tasks that they once may have found easy. “They may not be doing as well at their activities of daily living, like cooking and paying their bills,” she says. The combination of problems can prove stressful for the older adult’s relative and friends, who may be striving to care for the senior while tending to their own often busy lives. ElderONE can take care of those problems, according to McGuire. Started in 1990 under the name Independent Living for Seniors, the program is in line with the Program for All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) model of senior citizen care and that emerged in the 1970s “It’s designed to be a substitute for a nursing home, but it actually costs a lot less,” McGuire explains. Once in the program, seniors can come to one of two centers for medical care, preventive health care, physical therapy and other services. ElderONE provides free transportation to the centers, which also offer meals, games and social activities, and other opportunities for seniors to socialize. Though most seniors come to the centers for much of the care they need, the program also offers a wide range of in-home services, from

IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper • December 2013

nursing care to assistance with daily living tasks—ElderONE’s doctors even make the occasional house call. Those who need to remain at home, in the hospital or in a nursing home for relatively short periods can remain in the program and continue to receive its services. Almost all in the program receive full funding through a combination of Medicare and Medicaid payments. “It [ElderONE] includes everything that Medicare and Medicaid covers,” McGuire explains. “It includes hospitalization and emergency services…ambulance and transportation… physicians and specialists.” McGuire says that RGHS’s comprehensive elder care program has cared for 2,200 people since it opened in 1990. Enrollees totaled 485 as of Nov. 1, but that could easily change by the end of this year. “The state and feds think so highly of programs like these, that as part of the Medicaid redesign…New York state has moved toward trying to keep people our of nursing homes,” she says. “Starting in December, people who are dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid and living in the community will have to choose a program, a managed care plan.” Those who have enrolled in ElderONE also appear to think highly of the program. According to McGuire, 95 percent of enrollees remain in the program up to their deaths. For more information on ElderONE, go to: www.rochestergeneral. org/centers-and-services/senior-services/elderone/how-elderone-works.

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High Cholesterol — Do We More Drugs ? New recommendations call for a third of adult population to take statins. Local doctors don’t agree with that By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

ew guidelines issued in November by the American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology indicated that more people should take statins — cholesterol-reducing prescription drugs — as a preventive measure against cardiovascular disease. If the recommendation were followed, it would mean that about onethird of the American adult population should use statins. The number seemed too high to many heart experts. They say researchers based the recommendation upon what has been deemed a flawed online risk calculator. Within two weeks, the health organizations released a statement that physicians should use the risk calculator as a springboard for

Bisognano

conversation with their patients about their cholesterol and to help identify people who could be at risk but not as a key diagnostic implement. “The calculator is just one of many tools to help physicians appropriately target risk reduction therapies to their patients,” stated a Nov. 18 press release from the American Heart Association. Physician David Goff, Jr., dean of the Colorado School of Public Health, defended the tool in the same release, stating, “this risk calculator was subjected to rigorous external validation during the development process.” Goff was co-chairman of the committee that wrote the risk assessment guidelines. “When we applied the tool to two newer community-based populations, MESA and REGARDS, with short-term follow up, we saw modest overestimation of risk by the calculator,” he said. “This appears to be due to the substantial initiation of statins that occurred, especially in high risk people, after the baseline examination. With a third of Americans dying from cardiovascular disease and 60 percent suffering major vascular events, guidelines that recommend about a third of adults be considered for statin therapy seem about right.” The day before the American Heart Association’s statement, physician Timothy J. Malins, director of the Sands-Constellation Heart Institute Finger Lakes Branch and cardiologist with Rochester General Hospital, said the calculator was based upon outdated statistics. “The population 20 years ago was heavier and smoking more,” Malins said. “We’ve had big reductions in cardiovascular disease and smoking since.” Malins reasoned that an accurate calculator based upon more recent data would drive down the skewed onethird figure. “We don’t want to treat the young with no risk and people who have high cholesterol and are 80,” he added. “They’ve proven themselves unlikely to develop problems.” Malins serves as a counselor for the Finger Lakes region of the New York chapter of the American College of Cardiology. The organization set a

goal of reducing risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke by 20 percent by 2020. “We’re treating based upon risk,” Malins said. “Those with high risk, we empirically treat. We’re looking at prevention.” He thinks that more than ever, physicians will emphasize lifestyle changes. “Some people think it’s a push by the drug companies,” he said. “I’m a big proponent of giving medication only as needed. The goal of this is not some collusion between us and drug companies, but to prevent cardiovascular disease, both primary and secondary.” John Bisognano, preventive cardiologist with the University of Rochester Medical Center’s Heart and Vascular Center, thinks that looking at all the patient’s risk factors help make sound decisions about prescribing statins. “Lifestyle changes certainly work, but even people who are absolutely enthusiastic about lifestyle modification, a good number of them can’t achieve their goals because some risk is because of gender and age,” Bisognano said.

December 2013 •

“Those factors really drive it.” Taking cholesterol medication should be viewed as complementary to lifestyle changes, not as a replacement for it. “It sounds like we’ve given up on dietary or lifestyle changes, but that’s not true,” Bisognano said. “We should exercise, eat a diet that is reasonable and maintain a normal weight. But even they can receive benefit of some medication.” He likens taking cholesterol medication to safe drivers using a seatbelt and airbags. Extra precautions can make a life-and-death difference. Bisognano said that for those who need statins, the drugs may reduce the risk of a cardiovascular event by up to 50 percent. As of publication, the American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology hasnot issued a new risk calculator.

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Page 17

What They Want You to Know: Psychiatrists

By Jim Miller

How to Put Together Your Family’s Health History

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

s defined by the American Psychiatric Association, psychiatrists are medical doctors who treat “persons with mental disorders, including intellectual disabilities and substance use disorders.” Their additional training in mental health and, sometimes, a sub-specialty such as child and adolescent mental health, is beyond their degrees from medical school. • “My perspective on mental illness is that it’s only in very limited ways different from other illnesses. We all experience different moods and emotions and not all those are unhealthy. • “In depression, the body is sick. There is still a stigma about mental illness that it’s somehow a sign of weakness and you should fix it on your own. We shouldn’t say that a diabetic who’s not going to a doctor for treatment is showing strength. Society paints a picture of depression as a chronic, relapsing illness as a weakness. It’s a very treatable illness and not just with medication. • “Research clearly shows that for depression, treatment with therapy and medication is the most effective way to treat. But any psychiatrist worth his weight would say a patient has a role in his treatment. I say 50 percent of the job is mine to do with medication and 50 percent is theirs to do with eating right, daily exercise and learning coping mechanisms. The body must be healthy for the mind to heal. That’s something that is minimized. You may need help and medication, but there’s a role for overall wellness. It is OK to get help, but the other part people aren’t hearing is there are things you can do. The role of a psychiatrist isn’t just to write a prescription for a pill in my opinion. • “The world is moving much more toward overall wellness. That works very well in psychiatry. Some people do recover with just medication, but most people need to take better care of themselves. • “The longer you go without treatment, the hard it is to get treatment. If someone has been depressed for a long time and they’re not eating well or sleeping well and they start even hearing voices, it’s a lot harder to help that person get well than the person who’s only been depressed for a month. The mental state they produce becomes more resistant the longer they go untreated. Just as if you don’t treat diabetes for a year and then seek Page 18

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treatment, you’ll have a lot more work to do. • “If someone’s not acting like themselves, not taking showers or eating well, that’s the time to help someone get in for treatment. Make the call early on. The earlier we do something about it, the faster you’ll get better.” Kimberly E. Erway, psychiatrist with DePaul PROS Program, Rochester • “[In child psychiatry], parents are usually the first to recognize that their child has a problem with emotions or behavior. Children and adolescents who do not receive treatment for mental illnesses are at a higher risk for school failure, problems at home, substance abuse and entrance into the juvenile justice system. Early treatment by a trained professional, such as a child and adolescent psychiatrist, is critical to the development of a child with mental illness. • “Common reasons for evaluation by a child psychiatrist include anxiety, attention and concentration, depression, anger outbursts, learning disorders, academic difficulties, changes in behavior, history of abuse, autism, or developmental delays. • “The psychiatric assessment of a child or adolescent requires obtaining a psychiatric history by interviewing the child or adolescent with their parents or caregivers, obtaining information about the current concerns, child’s emotional or behavioral problems, the child’s physical health, development, family relationships and history of family mental illness, observing the child or adolescent’s behavior and the interactions with the family or care givers, obtaining collateral information from the primary care physician, therapist and teachers.” Saba Abaci, board certified child, adolescent and adult psychiatrist at Saba Abaci, MD, PLLC, Rochester

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

Dear Savvy Senior, What can you tell me about creating a family health history? My doctor recently suggested that I make one as a way to predict potential health problems as I get older, but I could use some help. Getting Old Dear Getting, It’s a smart idea! Even with all the high-tech medical tests and procedures that are available today, an accurate family health history remains one of the most important tools in keeping yourself healthy as you age. Here’s what you should know, along with some tips and tools to help get you started. Inheritable Diseases Just as you can inherit your father’s height or your mother’s eye color, you can also inherit their genetic risk for diseases like cancer, diabetes, heart disease and more. If one generation of a family has high blood pressure, for example, it is not unusual for the next generation to have it too. Therefore, tracing the illnesses suffered by your relatives can help you and your doctor predict the disorders you may be at risk for, so you can take action to keep yourself healthy.

Family Tracking To create a family health history, you’ll need to start by collecting some basic medical information on your firstdegree relatives including your parents, siblings and children. Then move on to your grandparents, aunts, uncles and first cousins. You need to get the specific ages of when they developed health problems like heart disease, cancer, diabetes, arthritis, dementia, depression, etc. If family members are deceased, you need to know when and how they died. If possible, include lifestyle information as well, such as diet, exercise, smoking and alcohol use. Some relatives may not want to share their medical histories or they

IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper • December 2013

may not know their family history, but whatever information you discover will be helpful. To get information on diseased relatives, get a copy of their death certificate. This will list their cause of death and the age he or she died. To get a death certificate, contact the vital records office in the state where your relative died, or go to vitalchek.com.

Helpful Resources To get help putting together your family health history, the U.S. Surgeon General offers a free Web-based tool called “My Family Health Portrait” (see familyhistory.hhs.gov) that can help you collect, organize and understand your genetic risks and even share the information with your family members and doctors. Another great resource that provides similar assistance is the Genetic Alliance’s online tool called “Does It Run In the Family.” At familyhealthhistory.org you can create a customized guide on your family health history for free. Or, if you don’t have Internet access, call 202-966-5557 and ask them to send you a free hardcopy of these booklets in the mail. And, if you’re adopted, the National Foster Care & Adoption Directory Search may be able to help you locate your birth parents to get their medical history. See childwelfare.gov/nfcad or call 800-394-3366.

Managing Your Results If you discover some serious health problems that run in your family, don’t despair. While you can’t change your genes, you can change your habits to increase your chances of a healthy future. By eating a healthy diet, exercising and not smoking, you can offset and sometimes even neutralize your genetic vulnerabilities. This is especially true for heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and osteoporosis. A family medical history can also alert you to get early and frequent screening tests, which can help detect other problems (high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and cancers like breast, ovarian, prostrate and colon cancer) in their early stages when they’re most treatable. Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit www.savvysenior. org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.

The Social Ask Security Ofﬁce Column provided by the local Social Security Office

DISABILITIES

Special Day Focuses on Helping People With Disabilities

he United Nations’ International Day of Persons with Disabilities is annually held on Dec.3 to focus on issues that affect people with disabilities worldwide. This year marks the 21st observance and provides an opportunity to re-commit to helping persons with disabilities break down barriers. In the United States, Social Security often is the primary source of income for people with disabilities. More than nine of 10 American workers are covered by Social Security disability insurance, and Social Security provides benefits to young workers and their families if the worker should become disabled. Social Security has a very strict def-

Q&A Q: How can I get proof of my benefits to apply for a loan? A: If you need proof you get Social Security benefits, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and/or Medicare, you can request a benefit verification letter online through your “my Social Security” account at www.socialsecurity.gov/myaccount. This letter is sometimes called a “budget letter,” a “benefits letter,” a “proof of income letter” or a “proof of award letter.” You even can select the information you want included in your online benefit verification letter. Q: I’m getting married soon. How can I get my name changed on my Social Security card? A: After the wedding, gather your marriage document and other papers proving your: 1) identity; and 2) United States (if you have not yet established your citizenship with us) or immigration status (including Department of Homeland Security permission to work in the United States). Then, complete an application for a Social Security card, which you can find at www.socialsecurity.gov. Finally, mail your completed application and documents or take this information to your local Social Security office. You can find your nearest Social Security office at www.socialsecurity.gov/locator. Remember: Your documents must be either originals or copies certified by the issuing agency. We cannot accept photocopies or notarized copies of documents. Any documents you mail to us will be returned to you along with a receipt.

inition of disability — a person must be unable to engage in any substantial gainful activity due to a physical or mental impairment that has lasted or is expected to last at least one year, or to result in death. We do not provide benefits for partial or temporary disabilities, so Social Security beneficiaries are most in need of support services if contemplating a return to work. In fact, 40 percent of Social Security Disability Insurance beneficiaries express interest in working and Social Security has a number of programs to help in those return-to-work efforts. Our work incentive programs feature: • continued cash benefits for a period of time while a beneficiary works; • continued Medicare or Medicaid coverage; and

• help with education, training, and rehabilitation to start a new line of work. In addition to these incentives, many beneficiaries are interested in the Ticket to Work program, which can help people with disabilities receive vocational rehabilitation, training, job referrals, and other employment support services free of charge. Just visit www.socialsecurity.gov/ work to learn more. Or read our publications for SSI and Social Security Disability Insurance recipients, “Working While Disabled—How We Can Help” and “Your Ticket To Work.”These and many other helpful publications are available at www.socialsecurity. gov/pubs.

Q: Is it true that ten thousand people are retiring each day? What is the best way for me to apply and avoid long lines in my Social Security office? A: Yes. The best way is to use our online retirement application at www. socialsecurity.gov. You can complete it in as little as 15 minutes. It’s so easy. You can apply from the comfort of your home or office at a time most convenient for you. Once you’ve electronically submitted your application, you’re done. In most cases, there’s no need to submit any documents. There’s also no need to drive to a local Social Security office or wait for an appointment with a Social Security representative.

ment benefits. Will he be eligible for benefits as my disabled child? A: Yes. In general, an adult disabled before age 22 may be eligible for child’s benefits if a parent is deceased or starts receiving retirement or disability benefits. We consider this a “child’s” benefit because we pay it on the parent’s Social Security earnings record. The “adult child” — including an adopted child, or, in some cases, a stepchild, grandchild, or step grandchild—must be unmarried, age 18 or older, and have a disability that started before age 22.

Q: Does Social Security offer tools for retirement planning? A: Yes. Social Security offers several retirement planning tools to help you better understand your Social Security protection as you plan for your financial future. Go to www.socialsecurity.gov/planners to get started. Then choose a benefit calculator to estimate your monthly benefit amounts. Q: How can I get a new Medicare card? A: If your red, white and blue Medicare card is lost, stolen or damaged, you can request a new one at www.socialsecurity.gov. However, you can use our online application only to request a Medicare card. If you need a Medicaid card, please contact your state Medicaid office. Q: I have a 38-year-old son who has been disabled by cerebral palsy since birth. I plan to apply for retire-

Q: I just received my first disability payment. How long will I continue to get them? A: In most cases, you will continue to receive benefits as long as you are disabled. However, there are certain circumstances that may change your continuing eligibility for disability benefits. For example, • Your health may improve to the point where you are no longer disabled; or • Like many people, you would like to go back to work rather than depend on your disability benefits and you are successful in your attempt. Also, the law requires that we review your case from time to time to verify you are still disabled. We tell you if it is time to review your case, and we also keep you informed about your benefit status. You also should be aware that you are responsible for letting us know if your health improves or you go back to work.

December 2013 •

New Cardiac Rehab Program Gets $484,000 Grant

reater Rochester Health Foundation awarded St. Ann’s Community a grant of up to $484,000 to support the development of “HeartMatters.” This specialized cardiac rehabilitation program will treat patients recovering from congestive heart failure, heart attack, bypass surgery or other forms of heart disease. “Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death in Monroe County and I know every one of us has had a family member or friend impacted by heart disease,” said Essie Calhoun-McDavid, board chairman of the Health Foundation. “It touches every corner of the community and with the population aging, there is a growing number of people living with heart failure.” Said Betty Mullin-DiProsa, president and CEO of St. Ann’s Community: “St. Ann’s Community has had a history of working with transitional care patients to ensure a safe and successful return home. We have focused on reducing our hospital readmission rate for several years. However, with this new grant, we have been able to develop an intensive educational program to assure that our physicians, nurses, therapists and other clinicians provide the most expert care to our post-acute cardiac patient.” DiProsa added that “this grant has helped St. Ann’s Community create the body of cardiac knowledge and skill to address the needs of this community.” “This disease exacts an enormous toll on our community,” said physician Diane Kane, chief medical officer for St. Ann’s Community. “We are pleased by this investment, especially by an organization that has such high standards for awarding its grants. We are grateful for the generosity of our partners at the Health Foundation. This program will allow us to provide care for people who are far enough along in their healing to be discharged from the hospital but are too frail to return home. We expect to care for 240 patients over the course of the grant.” “The components of “HeartMatters” address two of our strategic areas of focus: prevention and health care delivery,” said Health Foundation President and CEO John Urban. “We view this as a strategic investment in the health of our community,” said Urban. “Approximately 13,000 patients are discharged from Monroe County hospitals each year with a diagnosis of cardiovascular disease so that the scope of this issue is significant. In addition, St. Ann’s proposed measurable outcomes for a reduction in hospital admissions using an evidence-based training program for patients to better manage their medical condition and an interdisciplinary approach to care.”

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H ealth News St. Ann’s Steven S. Smith gets fundraising award The Association of Fundraising Professionals Genesee Valley Chapter (AFPGV) has nominated Steven S. Smith for the Robert A. Clinger Outstanding Fundraising Professional Award. The AFP Genesee Valley Chapter honored the nominees in seven categories on National Philanthropy Day Nov. 1 at the Rochester Riverside Convention Center. The Robert A. Clinger Outstanding Fundraising Professional Award was given to an outstanding individual Smith funding professional who practices his/her profession in an exemplary manner. Smith serves as vice president of the St. Ann’s Community Foundation and was nominated for this award by senior leadership at St. Ann’s. Under Smith’s leadership, St. Ann’s has secured a $17.6 million grant from the New York State Health Department, which allowed the organization to move forward with the construction of two new nursing facilities, as well as the demolition of The Heritage. Smith also successfully led the

“Campaign for the Most Important People On Earth” that was launched in 2010. This effort concluded in June 2013 and raised $9.2 million — $1.2 million over the goal. Smith has been an active member of AFPGV since 1997 and has served the organization as president, vice president for membership, chairman of the by-laws review committee and nomination committee.

Director of development at Unity Health honored David Vedro, director of leadership development at Unity Health System, has been chosen as a recipient of the Outstanding Faculty Award at Roberts Wesleyan College (RWC). The nominees for this award are selected by students enrolled in the master in strategic leadership program. Vedro was recognized by his students and colleagues for his commitment to excellence, significant Vedro contribution to the student’s learning experience, putting a special focus on preparing students for the workplace as well as personal and professional growth. This is the second

New CEO at Finger Lakes Health Agency The Finger Lakes Health Systems Agency (FLHSA) board of directors has selected Trilby de Jung to lead the organization as its new CEO. De Jung will assume the position Jan. 1 and will provide strategic leadership to the FLHSA, an independent, regional health planning organization working to improve health care in nine counties of the Finger Lakes region (Chemung, Livingston, de Jung Monroe, Ontario, Schuyler, Seneca, Steuben, Wayne and Yates). Since 2003, de Jung has served as senior health law attorney at Empire Justice Center, a statewide nonprofit law firm whose aim is to improve systems affecting low-income families. Her work includes coalition building, staff and program management, and health care policy analysis and advocacy. Prior to joining Empire Justice Center, de Jung served as faculty at New York University School of Law from 1995 to 1999, and was the deputy director of policy at the AIDS Institute of the New York State Department of Health from 1992 to 1995. “The FLHSA is very excited to welcome Trilby de Jung as our Page 20

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seventh CEO,” said Michael Nazar, chairman of FLHSA’s board of directors. “She has worked as both a litigator and as a coalition builder. That experience coupled with her years of health policy work and her sharp intellect make her the perfect choice to lead the Agency during this evolving and challenging time in health care delivery.” “We had dozens of applicants for the position,” added Robert Thompson, FLHSA board member and chairman of the board’s CEO search committee. “We felt Trilby had the qualifications needed to lead the FLHSA and continue its culture as a health care planning leader in the nation.” De Jung will succeed Executive Director Fran Weisberg who announced her plans to step down from her leadership role earlier this year. The transition of leadership will include a period in which Weisberg will serve the FLHSA in an advisory role. Finger Lakes Health Systems Agency is an independent, regional health planning organization working to improve health care in Rochester and the Finger Lakes region. The agency analyzes community needs, brings together organizations to solve health problems, and measures results. FLHSA serves the nine counties of Chemung, Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Schuyler, Seneca, Steuben, Wayne and Yates.

Joint Commission names Thompson a ‘Top Performer’ F.F. Thompson Hospital was recently named “Top Performer on Key Quality Measures” by The Joint Commission, the leading accreditor of health care organizations in America. Thompson was recognized by The Joint Commission for exemplary performance in using evidencebased clinical processes that are shown to improve care for certain conditions. The clinical processes focus on care for heart attack, pneumonia, surgery, children’s asthma, stroke and venous thromboembolism, as well as inpatient psychiatric services. New this year is a category for immunization for pneumonia and influenza. Thompson is one of 1,099 hospitals in the U.S. and 45 in the state of New York earning the distinction of “Top Performer on Key Quality Measures” for attaining and sustaining excellence in ac-

time he has received this award. Vedro, who lives in Famington, has been a professor at RWC for five years. He has been with Unity Health System for almost two years. Prior to coming to Unity, he was a private consultant and educator at Thompson Health.

Medical assistant joins Helendale Hermatology Laurie Lewis of Scottsville recently joined Helendale Dermatology & Medical Spa in Irondequoit as medical assistant. In her new role, Lewis will assist the physician and physician assistant with dermatological procedures and patient care. Lewis earned a Bachelor’s of Science degree from SUNY Brockport and reLewis ceived New York State licensure in esthetics from the Continental School of Beauty. Prior to joining Helendale Dermatology and Medical Spa, she worked for the Scott Miller Salon & Spa.

RGHS Opens New Dialysis Center In Newark Rochester General Health System (RGHS), in partnership with DaVita Healthcare Partners, Inc., is meeting the region’s growing demand for outpatient dialysis with the opening of the Newark-Wayne Dialysis Center in Newark. The center, housing 14 new dialysis stations, is equipped with heated chairs, personal televisions and WiFi, and brings the total number of outpatient dialysis stations operated by

IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper • December 2013

countability measure performance. Thompson was recognized for its achievement on the following measure sets: acute myocardial infarction (heart attack), pneumonia, heart failure, “Thompson and all the top performer hospitals have demonstrated an exceptional commitment to quality improvement and they should be proud of their achievement,” says Mark R. Chassin, a physician who serves as president and chief executive officer at The Joint Commission. “We have much to celebrate this year. Nearly half of our accredited hospitals have attained or nearly attained the top performer distinction. This truly shows that we are approaching a tipping point in hospital quality performance that will directly contribute to better health outcomes for patients.”

RGHS to 83. “RGHS has been a leader in providing outpatient dialysis in the Rochester region,” said physician Marvin Grieff, medical director at the Newark-Wayne Dialysis Center. “For each of our centers, delivering superior patient care close to where our patients live has been a top priority. We chose to partner with DaVita for the Newark center due to their proven record in partnering with other hospitals to provide excellent care for dialysis patients throughout the U.S., especially in the more rural setting.” Services provided at the new Newark-Wayne Dialysis Center include in-center hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis. All services are provided by board-certified nephrologists and a highly skilled team. The Newark-Wayne Dialysis Center, located at 1120 S. Main St. in Newark, is one of three dialysis centers operated by Rochester General Health System. The other two RGHS sites are in Webster and Irondequoit.

St. Ann’s Community Announces Two New Hires St. Ann’s Community recently hired two new professionals. • Donyale L. Johnson of East Irondequoit was hired as a finance

Johnson

Joseph

H ealth News billing manager. Johnson is responsible for overseeing billing and receivable functions. Previously, Johnson was employed at CP Rochester as a finance billing manager. • Cathleen Jean Joseph of Greece was hired as a nurse practitioner. In her new role, she is responsible for providing medical care to the residents in the long term care units. Joseph received her Master of Science in Nursing from St. John Fisher College.

Physician Suzan Saber joins Unity at Ridgeway Physician Suzan Saber has recently joined Unity Health and its Unity Diabetes and Endocrinology Services team at Unity at Ridgeway. Saber is board certified in internal medicine, specializing in endocrinology. She holds a degree from the American University of Beirut in Lebanon. She completed residencies at the American University of Beirut and Saber the Cleveland Clinic Foundation; as well as a fellowship in endocrinology, diabetes and metabolism at the University of Rochester Medical Center. She lives in North Chili.

Lifetime doctors earn diabetes care recognition The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) and the American Diabetes Association (ADA) have recognized 22 adult medicine physicians from Lifetime Health’s Rochester and Buffalo practices for providing quality care to their patients with diabetes. The physicians earned the recognition as part of the NCQA’s Diabetes Recognition Program. The diabetes recognition program was designed to improve the quality of care that patients with diabetes receive by recognizing clinicians who deliver quality diabetes care, and by motivating other clinicians to document and improve their delivery of diabetes care. “We are proud of these physicians who have committed themselves to providing a level of care that gives patients with diabetes a better quality of life, and serves as an inspiration to other health care professionals,” says Mark F. Perry, chief medical officer, Lifetime Health Medical Group. Diabetes is a serious disease that affects the body’s ability to produce or respond properly to insulin, a hormone that allows blood sugar to enter the cells of the body and be used for energy. According to the ADA, an estimated

25.8 million Americans have diabetes; it is the sixth-leading cause of death by disease in the U.S., and has no cure. Lifetime Health physicians recognized in the Rochester region are (listed by practice): • Artemis Health: Miltonia Woluchem, Valerie Newman and Diane Ahlman. • Marion B. Folsom Health Center: Rosario Soriano-Turque and Brenda Davis. • Greece Health Center: Martha David. • Irondequoit Practice: Leo Stornelli and Robert Cole. • Perinton Health Center: Catherine McPhee and Mark Cohen.

Visiting Nurse Service hires professionals Visiting Nurse Service of Rochester (VNS) recently hired four professionals. • Charlotte M. Tack of Newark was hired as VNS’s certified diabetes educator. Tack will educate patients and families on how to self-manage diabetes at home. Early in her career, Tack worked in the ICU, realized that diabetes was a significant contributor to patient admissions and readmissions, and went back to school to learn how she could help educate people with diabetes and help to delay or prevent the disease’s progression. Tack previously worked at Clifton Springs Diabetes Health Center as a Certified Diabetes Educator. • Sheri Wagner of Chili was appointed as a nurse practitioner in the VNS hospice program. Wagner will care for hospice patients, mostly at the Leo Center for Caring, which is a 10-bed hospice partnership between St. Ann’s Community and Visiting Nurse Service. Wagner previously worked as a registered nurse in the burn/trauma intensive care unit at Strong Memorial Hospital. • Chelsey Wentworth is now a speech language pathologist at VNS, providing home care evaluations and treatment that improves speech, language, cognition and swallowing. Wentworth also works as a speech-language pathologist at Strong Memorial Hospital, F.F. Thompson Hospital and Monroe Community Hospital. • Jennifer Wolfe of Fairport is VNS’s new transition coach supervisor. The transition coaching program helps ensure patients’ successful transition from hospital to home. Wolfe’s new responsibilities include overseeing the day-to-day operations of the program, seeing patients, developing the program, and collaborating with Strong Memorial Hospital to create the new Virtual Care Center. Wolfe has 13 years of experience in healthcare and administration, and previously worked at the University of Pennsylvania Health System as an oncology social worker.

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585-421-8109 • editor@GVhealthnews.com December 2013 •

William Valenti Receives Award for Excellence in HIV Care Monroe County Medical Society announced that the New York State Department of Health AIDS Institute has selected physician William M. Valenti as the 2013 recipient of the Linda Laubenstein Award for excellence in HIV care. This award honors those physicians who, in addition to providing the highest quality of clinical care for people with HIV/AIDS, are also distinguished by their compassionate manner and their wholehearted involvement in the ongoing effort to achieve comprehensive care for persons with HIV/ AIDS. The award was created to recognize the doctors who were Valenti there early in the epidemic; to applaud those who are educating others about emerging changes in the available scientific research and clinical information about HIV/AIDS; to acknowledge those who have participated in the process of establishing medical standards for HIV care; and to commend those physicians who serve both as clinical leaders and as compassionate care providers with each individual patient. The Laubenstein Award represents an opportunity for the AIDS Institute to highlight the contributions of physicians or other clinicians whose record of service has been extraordinary and to publicly thank them for their accomplishments. Valenti is an infectious diseases

physician/ internist and a native or Rochester. He is clinical associate professor of medicine at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry and is a co-founder of Community Health Network, now Trillium Health, where he is senior vice-president, organizational advancement and staff physician. Valenti has done HIV care and has been involved in state, national and global HIV policy initiatives since the early 1980s. He is chairman of the infectious diseases committee of the Medical Society of the State of New York, as well as a member of the Monroe County Medical Society. In 1995, Valenti was the recipient of Monroe County Medical Society’s Edward Mott Moore Award. His current professional interests include biomedical prevention strategies for HIV prevention and health issues for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people. “It has been my privilege to work with Dr. Valenti for 20 years, and he has been an outstanding MSSNY member and a proven leader within the infectious disease committee,” said Patricia Clancy, vice president for public health and education, Medical Society of the State of New York (MSSNY). “Bill has also served as author and faculty for many of MSSNY’s CME programs on topics such as HIV and AIDS, influenza, pandemic flu, waterborne diseases. I am so pleased that the Department of Health has named him as this award’s recipient.”

Award Presented to Visiting Nurse Service Employee Sydney LePage of Spencerport (left) a hospice nurse with Visiting Nurse Service of Rochester (VNS), was honored with the Caring for Caregivers Award from Vay-Schleich & Meeson Funeral Homes. She was nominated by a former patient’s family who described her as dedicated and caring throughout and after their hospice experience. They said LePage is a wonderful person who excels in her profession. With the framed award, LePage received a glass memento for her desk and a $50 gift card. Katie Meeson Hebert (right), partner at Vay-Schleich & Meeson Funeral Homes, said that the Caring for

Caregivers program honors caregivers who excel in their profession. It recognizes dedicated workers for their selﬂess devotion and generosity.

IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper

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SmartBites

By Anne Palumbo

The skinny on healthy eating

What’s Great About Green Beans

lip through any woman’s magazine this time of year and you’re sure to see bushels of green bean recipes. From savory sides to yummy casseroles, green beans take center stage on many American dinner tables. But despite their popularity, most people aren’t aware of the nutritional benefits this beloved bean has to offer. Let’s take a look. To begin, green beans are vitamin K heavyweights, with one serving (one cup, cooked) providing a quarter of our daily requirement for this essential vitamin. Vitamin K not only helps blood clot properly, but it also helps maintain strong bones in older men and women. In fact, recent studies have shown that diets high in vitamin K may increase bone density in people with osteoporosis and even lower their risk for bone fractures. Green beans also pack a decent antioxidant punch, thanks to their high concentration of vitamins A and C. Antioxidants protect our bodies from disease and accelerated aging by neutralizing free radicals—harmful by-

products of daily living—that can wreak havoc with healthy tissues. Both vitamins also promote healthy immune systems, which is especially important during flu season. Looking to increase your fiber intake? Green beans deliver the goods, with one cooked cup serving up nearly 4 grams of this valuable nutrient. Fiber promotes regularity, ferries bad cholesterol out of our bodies and helps to stabilize blood sugars. Also great: Green beans are a boon for those looking to lose or maintain weight. Super low in both fat and calories (only 44 per cooked cup), fiberrich green beans take a while to digest, which helps us feel full longer and snack less. Finally, green beans are a very good source of manganese, a trace mineral that plays an important role

in a variety of body processes, from forming connective tissue to promoting calcium absorption to regulating blood sugar.

Helpful tips

Purchase fresh when possible. Look for beans that are unshriveled, vibrant green, and free from brown spots. They should feel firm and “snap” when bent in half. Store unwashed in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. Since beans lose their fresh flavor quickly – use within a few days.

Green Bean Casserole with Sautéed Mushrooms Serves 8

1/3 cup walnuts, toasted and finely chopped ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan 1/3 cup whole grain bread crumbs 1 ¼ lb green beans, trimmed and halved 1 tablespoon olive oil ½ red onion, chopped 8 ounces sliced white mushrooms 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped ½ cup 2% milk 3 oz reduced-fat cream cheese, room temperature pinch cayenne pepper (optional) ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon coarse black pepper 2 teaspoons fresh lemon zest

place beans in large mixing bowl. In small bowl, mix together bread crumbs, 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, and chopped walnuts. Set topping aside. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onion and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in sliced mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes more. Add garlic and cook a minute more. Whisk milk into skillet mixture and bring to a simmer. Stir in the cream cheese, cayenne pepper, salt, pepper, and remaining ¼ cup Parmesan cheese. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until mixture is slightly thickened (about 2 to 3 minutes). Add lemon zest. Fold skillet mixture into green beans; blend well. Transfer to the prepared baking dish; sprinkle with breadcrumb topping; bake until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes.

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly oil a 2-qt baking dish. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add beans and cook until tender, about 4 minutes. Drain and run under cold water. Drain again;

Anne Palumbo is a lifestyle columnist, food guru, and seasoned cook, who has perfected the art of preparing nutritious, calorie-conscious dishes. She is hungry for your questions and comments about SmartBites, so be in touch with Anne at avpalumbo@aol.com.

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IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper • December 2013

Beating the Blues: Expert Tips to Overcome Unhappiness

hether it is simply waking up on the wrong side of the bed or a bad week at work, many situations may trigger an onset of the blues. One University of Alabama at Birmingham mental health expert says feeling down is a form of depression and should be addressed. “I think depression is a spectrum, and full-on depression is when you experience things like impaired appetite, disrupted sleep, lack of concentration and ruminative thoughts,” said Diane Tucker, professor of psychology. “Feelings of discouragement or the blues are on that continuum, and I think it is important to be attentive to those feelings.” Tucker said when one is down in the dumps, he or she should look at his or her “life equation” and consider how time is being spent and what is being done to help nourish self-worth. “When people feel down, they’re less likely to be doing things that help them feel centered and personally efficacious,” Tucker said. “One of the first steps to feel better is to reach out to your network of good friends or social contacts. They can help provide a validation of the strongest parts of oneself.” In addition, Tucker said close friends can provide helpful feedback,

including seeing our role in a difficult situation. Good friends let us know that we are not alone and remind us of the best parts of ourselves. Other ways to beat the blues: • Exercise and cook a healthy meal • Do activities that provide internal satisfaction — like arts, reading or gardening • Write down thoughts in a journal regularly “With the blues, we lose perspective or it becomes distorted — people go over and over the things they’re unhappy with, and they get psychologically stuck,” Tucker said. “The challenge is to move beyond where you’re stuck. Things that can help include writing in a journal, doing activities that give you satisfaction, exercising and being with friends.” According to Tucker, ignoring the blues can be detrimental, leading to subtle issues like poor job performance or compromised relationships. “People are different in terms of biology and the way our brains work; some people are prone to depression, and others are prone to high blood pressure,” she said. “If it becomes a chronic problem, most cases can be helped by medication or psychotherapy.”

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IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper

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IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper • December 2013