Rochester In Good Helath by In Good Health: Rochester's Healthcare Newspaper

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BLUEBERRIES Why you should eat more of them Check out our “SmartBites” column on page 13

Text Messaging New online service (text4baby) helps pregnant women

August 2011 • Issue 72

Rochester–Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper

SENIORS &STDs

Why so many seniors have been dignosed with chlamydia, herpes, gonorrhea, HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. See inside

Home Healthcare For seniors there’s no place like home

Meet Your Doctor Anthony DiBenedetto

$25,000 Dental Makeover

Also inside... ■ A conversation with the new president of Monroe County Medical Society ■ Gilda’s new executive director ■ Podiatrists: What they want you to know

Living Alone: Keep it Simple August 2011 •

IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper

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IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper • August 2011

Eating too many snacks at the cafeteria? New study highlights perils of snack-filled diet

high-fat diet can be bad for your health. However, a snack-based “cafeteria”-style diet of highly palatable, energy-dense foods is even worse, according to new research. A study by researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill found that rats that ate snack foods commonly consumed by children and adults in the U.S. ate more, gained more weight, had more tissue inflammation and were intolerant to glucose and insulin (warning signs of diabetes) than rats whose diets were high fat from lard. The study, the cover story of the June 2011 issue of the journal “Obesity,” showed that the “cafeteria diet” contributed more to diet-induced obesity than common high-fat diets typically used in rodent studies. The results suggest that researchers can get more accurate information from animal models that eat a diet that may resemble what humans consume. Use of the CAF model also may be useful for identifying novel options for preventative interventions or therapeutics to treat obesity in humans, the study noted. “Obesity has reached epidemic levels in the United States,” said Dr. Liza Makowski, assistant professor of nutrition at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health and the study’s senior author. “These findings provide us with a better animal model to help explore what factors are contributing most to this dangerous trend, and what strategies for prevention and treatment of obesity will be most successful.” Using obese rats in laboratory experiments has been a common practice for decades, but rodents are typically made obese on manufactured lardbased, high-fat diets, Makowski said. Her team showed that feeding the rats a diet that more closely resembles a typical American diet filled with snacks revealed even more severe risks and emphasized the potentially harmful nature of excessive snacking.

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“Although we can’t pinpoint what component of these snacks is causing these pre-diabetes conditions, we show that the ‘cafeteria diet’ provides a more severe animal model of metabolic syndrome than lard-based high-fat diets,” she said. Metabolic syndrome is the cluster of factors that increase a person’s risk for coronary artery disease, stroke and Type 2 diabetes. “The rapid gain in weight, extensive obesity and multiorgan dysfunctions observed in the CAF model more closely reflect what is happening to humans who eat these snack foods regularly,” Makowski said. The researchers noted that rats fed the tasty, highly palatable “cafeteria diet” ate more food — about 30 percent more calories — than those eating high-fat or high-sugar diets. “By the second week, rats on the lard-based high-fat diet actually ate less, dropping their caloric intake to the same intake as rats on a standard, or healthy, diet,” Makowski said.

Poor patients make up six of every 10 rural ER visits ow-income adults aged 18 to 64 accounted for 56 percent of the 8 million visits made to rural hospital emergency departments in 2008, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The federal agency’s analysis also found: • About 44 percent of the adult visits to rural emergency departments were either paid for by Medicaid (28 percent) or were uncompensated or billed to uninsured patients (nearly 16.5 percent). • Only 31 percent of the visits were paid for by private health plans and 25 were covered by Medicare. • The top 10 reasons for rural emergency department visits included abdominal pain (233,064), back pain (223,248), chest pain from un-

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known cause (220,647), open wounds (211,587), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and bronchiectasis (159,002) that can make breathing difficult. • Of the emergency departments in rural areas, only about 2 percent were trauma centers and less than 2 percent were located in teaching hospitals. Some 51 percent were located in designated critical access hospitals, which receive cost-based reimbursement for treating Medicare patients to help improve their financial performance and reduce the danger of hospital closure. The report uses data from the Agency’s 2008 Nationwide Emergency Department Sample (NEDS) and data from supplemental sources from the U.S. Census Bureau. For information about NEDS, go to www.ahrq.gov/ data/hcup/datahcup.htm. August 2011 •

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CALENDAR of

HEALTH EVENTS

Aug. 1

Golf tournament to beneﬁt Lifetime Assistance The Gates-Chili Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with Lifetime Assistance, will host its 15th Annual Charity Golf Tournament, Dinner & Auction at Brook-Lea Country Club starting at 10 a.m., Monday, Aug. 1. Proceeds benefit Lifetime Assistance, an agency that has been providing services and programs to individuals with developmental disabilities since 1978, and currently serves more than 1,800 children and adults throughout Monroe County. Golfers and non-golfers alike are welcome, as tournament play will be followed by a sit down dinner, awards presentation and live auction. For more information, contact Jenna Van Thof at 585- 784-5002 or at jenna. vanthof@lifetimeassistance.org.

Aug. 3

Alzheimer’s group presents conference on memory loss The Alzheimer’s Association is presenting a day-long conference for people experiencing the early stages of memory loss, their family members, care partners and friends. The conference will take place 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 3 at the Pieters Fam-

ily Life Center, 1025 Commons Way in Rochester. The conference will focus on the transitions that occur during the early stages of memory loss and the spectrum of changes this brings, as well as strategies for coping and living your best. Professionals in the field are also invited to attend. Topics range from accepting and understanding the diagnosis, to financial concerns, stress reduction and communication techniques. A family round table discussion is also offered for those who would like to exchange personal experiences brought on by memory loss. Rounding out the program is a keynote address by Jed A. Levine, executive vice president and director of Programs & Services at the New York City Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association. Levine’s topic is “Complementary and Alternative Medicine, an Integrative Approach.” The afternoon will end with a Laughter Yoga presentation by Joellen Kuhl, a professional instructor. The conference is free of charge to anyone with memory loss; $15 for care partners, family or friends; and $50 for professionals. Included is a continental breakfast, lunch and reference materials. Supporters of the conference include the Pieters Family Life Center and Conolly Printing. Registration is required and forms can be downloaded from alz.org/rochesterny or by calling the chapter at 1-800-272-3900 for a conference brochure or further information.

Aug. 7

Event to raise awareness of ataxia, a rare disease Rochester Ataxia Foundation is sponsoring a golf tournament to raise funds for treatment and research, and help elevate public awareness of ataxia, a rare neurological disease. The word ataxia means “without coordination” and people with different forms of ataxia have problems with coordination because parts of the nervous system that control movement and balance are affected. Ataxia may affect the fingers, hands, arms, legs, body, speech, and eye movements so walking, writing, eating are impacted and in time speech and swallowing can also be affected. While it’s known that the inherited ataxias tend to run in families, little is understood about its causes and there is no known cure. Established in 2011, the Rochester Ataxia Foundation serves as an anchor for the Rochester community and its focus is to establish an ataxia clinic in the area and raise the necessary dollars to engage research communities in seeking a better understanding of inherited ataxia. The event will take place Aug. 7 at the Deerfield Country Club, Brockport. For more information, call Kelly Cullen-Walsh at 585-314-2989 or Suzanne Coglitore at 585-750-1743. More details can also be found at www.rochesterataxiafoundation.org.

Aug. 17

Seminar at City Hall: learn more about adoption Did you know that it costs nothing to adopt a child from out of the foster care system? Or that you don’t have to be married, rich, or own a home? Post

adoption services and financial assistance are available to help meet the needs of the child. If you want to make a difference and learn more about the adoption process and the children in care, join Children Awaiting Parents for an adoption information meeting. The meeting will take place at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 17, at Rochester City Hall, 30 Church St. in Rochester and the meeting will be in room 008A. For more information about the Adoption Information meeting, contact Veronica Black, community outreach specialist, at Veronica@capbook.org or 585-232-5110. Children Awaiting Parents, Inc. (CAP) is a national, nonprofit 501 (c)(3) organization governed by a volunteer board of directors. For 37 years,theyhave been dedicated to finding adoptive homes for America’s waiting children.

Aug. 20

Mothers’ and Children’s Health Fair held in Clyde The Clyde Mothers’ and Children’s Health Fair will offer this year a coloring contest for three age categories: 2 – 4 years old; 5 – 8 years old; and 9 – 12 years old. The coloring contest is sponsored by the Wayne County Rural Health Network to promote the Clyde Mother’s and Children’s Health Fair which will take place 10 a.m. – 1 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 20, in the Village of Clyde Park. Prizes will be brand new bicycles: one girl’s and one boy’s bike for each of the three age groups of entries. Participants may pick up and drop off coloring contest pages at the Clyde Library and at participating branches of Lyons National Bank in Lyons, Newark, Clyde, Ontario, and Wolcott. All entries must be received by Aug. 12. For more information, call Emilie Sisson at 315-483-3266.

URMC’s 8th Men’s Health Day is set for Sept. 23 NYC firefighter to discuss long road back from life-threatening injuries to the Ironman competition

en are living longer than ever, according to recent statistics from the Centers for Disease Control, but still lag about five years behind women. To help close the gap on that statistic, the University of Rochester Medical Center will present the eighth annual Men’s Health Day, a day of information and education for men ages 45 and older, on Friday, Sept. 23, at the Hyatt Regency Rochester Hotel, 125 E. Main St., Rochester. Genetics play a part but some of the reasons men don’t live as long as women can be attributed to a few risky behaviors and lack of awareness: smoking, maladaptive Long persistent cultural beliefs, and denial that prevents them from taking a proactive approach to their health. Men’s Health Day offers information and education in an entertaining format. URMC specialists will lead discussions on aging, cardiovascular health, cataract surgery and sleep disPage 4

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orders. The day will also include health screenings, hands-on demonstrations, giveaways, healthy snacks, breakfast and lunch, and deluxe raffle prizes. New this year, attendees can receive an individual analysis of their “gait” since the way they walk can predict the likelihood of a fall. A flu shot clinic will also be available. In 2010, Men’s Health Day sold out, attracting more than 400 men. This year the event will be able to accommodate 500. Matt Long will give the keynote address. After being crushed by a 20ton bus and impaled on the handlebar of his bicycle in 2005, Long was given a 1 percent chance to live. A New York City firefighter who worked at Ground Zero, Long will tell the remarkable story of the injuries he sustained and how he was able to summon the courage to fight to recover so that he would once again be able to compete in the triathlons he so enjoyed – — a goal no one ever thought possible. Three years later, after 40 surgeries and an exhausting regimen of physical therapy, Long successfully completed the Ironman triathlon in Lake Placid. Long has chronicled his ordeal and grueling recovery in a book titled “The Long Run” and has been featured on Fox News and HBO Real Sports. Men’s

Registration will begin Aug. 22, and tickets can be purchased by calling (585) 275-2838. Tickets for the event are $15 and include breakfast, lunch, giveaways, prizes, and free parking at the Hyatt Regency Rochester. The Hyatt Regency Rochester is located at 125 Main St., Rochester, 14604. Visit its website for a map and directions. Men’s Health Day is presented by the University of Rochester Medical Center. Additional information can be found at Men’s Health Day www.menshealth.urmc.edu. Health included him as one of the Top 10 Men of the Year in 2010, and Men’s Fitness designated him as one of the Top 25 Fittest Men in the World in 2010. Long has founded the non profit I Will Foundation, established to help people overcome adversity and challenges caused by illness or traumatic injury. Speakers for the breakout sessions include: • “Screenings by Decade” – Roger Oskvig, M.D., URMC geriatrician and medical adviser to the long-running

IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper • August 2011

PBS health series, “Second Opinion,” will discuss appropriate screenings for different ages. • “Understanding Aging” – Robert Mayer, M.D., URMC professor of Urologyurology, will talk about symptoms of aging unique to men and how to treat them. • “Maintaining Vascular Health” – Michael Singh, M.D., associate professor of vVascular sSurgery, director of the University Vein Care Center and director of the Non-Invasive Vascular Laboratory, will cover topics of stroke prevention and circulatory problems, like abdominal aortic aneurysm and peripheral artery disease. • “See the Facts – the Benefits of Cataract Surgery,” – Scott MacRae, M.D., professor of opthalmology, is director of the Refractive Surgery Center at The Flaum Eye Institute. MacRae is one of the pioneers of Lasik eye surgery and one of a handful of physicians ushering in a new era of vision correction with a technique known as customized ablation. • “Why America Can’t Sleep – The Impact of Insomnia,” - Jonathan Marcus, M.D., assistant professor of neurology, Strong Sleep Disorders Center, will review the impact, causes, and treatment of insomnia.

Dramatic Increase in ER Visits for Drug-Related Suicide Attempts by Males Aged 21 to 34

new national study shows that from 2005 to 2009 there was a 55 percent increase in emergency department visits for drug related suicide attempts by men aged 21 to 34 — from 19,024 visits in 2005 to 29,407 visits in 2009. In 2009, there were a total of 77,971 emergency department visits for drug-related suicide attempts among males of all ages. The report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) shows that visits from younger adult males involving certain pharmaceuticals increased substantially. Among males aged 21 to 34, emergency department visits for suicide attempts involving antidepressants increased by 155 percent and anti-anxiety and insomnia medications increased by 93 percent. Emergency department visits for suicide attempts among males aged 35 to 49 involving narcotic pain relievers almost doubled from 2005 to 2009, while the numbers almost tripled among men aged 50 and older. “While we have learned much about how to prevent suicide, it continues to be a leading cause of death among people who abuse alcohol and drugs,” said SAMHSA Administrator Pamela S. Hyde. “The misuse of

prescription drugs is clearly helping to fuel the problem. Greater awareness about the warning signs and risk factors for suicide, including abuse of alcohol and drugs, can help people take action and save lives.” Common warning signs of someone who may be at increased risk for suicide can include: • Talking about wanting to die • Talking about feeling hopeless or having no purpose • Acting anxiously, agitated or recklessly • Increasing the use of alcohol or drugs • Withdrawing or feeling isolated • Displaying mood swings People in crisis or concerned about someone they believe may be at risk for suicide should contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273TALK) for round-the-clock, immediate assistance anywhere in the country. The study focused on cases where a determination was made by the hospital emergency department staff that the admission was an intentional drugrelated suicide attempt, rather than an unintentional overdose. The full report is available on the Web at http://oas.samhsa.gov/2k11/ DAWN018/DAWN018.cfm.

Raffle to win a Toyota Corolla to benefit Camp Good Days

anderstyne Toyota, with support from Toyota Motor Company, is teaming up with Camp Good Days and Special Times to present the Courage Bowl Car Raffle. One hundred percent of all ticket sales will benefit the children and families at Camp Good Days. The prize is a 2011 Four-Door Toyota Corolla-S Model. The total value of the prize is approximately $20,000. Tickets for the raffle are $25 each and may be purchased by contacting Diana Rapp at Camp Good Days, 585-624-5555 or via email, drapp@campgooddays.org. Tickets may be purchased using cash, check or credit card. The prize winner must be at least 18 years of age. All tickets will include a ticket to Camp Good Days Courage Bowl VII and the Courage Bowl Car Raffle draw-

ing will take place at halftime of Camp Good Days Courage Bowl VII on Sept. 17 at Sahlen’s Stadium in downtown Rochester. Kick-off for this football game between the St. John Fisher College Cardinals and the University of Rochester Yellowjackets is slated for 7 p.m. Tickets for the Camp Good Days Courage Bowl VII are available at www.ticketmaster.com as well as the Sahlen’s Stadium Box Office. “We are so thrilled to have the Courage Bowl Car Raffle as part of this year’s event,” says Gary Mervis, chairman & founder of Camp Good Days. “The generosity and support of Jay Vanderstyne and his son, Jay Jay, who played in the early Courage Bowl games, shows how special this game is to the players, coaches, fans and the children at Camp Good Days.”

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In Good Health is published 12 times a year by Local News, Inc. © 2011 by Local News, Inc. All rights reserved. 106 Cobblestone Court Dr., Suite 121 – P.O. Box 525, Victor NY 14564. • Phone:(585) 421-8109 • E-mail: Editor@GVhealthnews.com Editor & Publisher: Wagner Dotto Associate Editor: Lou Sorendo Writer: Mike Costanza Contributing Writers: Dr. Eva Briggs, Jim Miller, Deborah J. Sergeant, Gwenn Voelckers, Anne Palumbo, Sheila Livadas, Chris Motola, Drucilla Dyess Advertising: Marsha K. Preston, Beth Clark 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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IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper

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Meet

dure. The mortality rate is less than 1 percent, which sounds pretty safe, but people should be aware of the risks. The biggest things we worry about are leaks. When we rearrange the intestines, where we sew things back together, if that leaks, the patient can get very sick and die of the infection. The other thing we worry about are blood clots. Blood clots form in the legs and can break off and go to the lungs, which can cause a pulmonary embolism. Blood clots account for about half of all deaths from bariatric surgery, so we work very hard to avoid them.

Your Doctor

By Chris Motola

Dr. Anthony DiBenedetto RGH doctor: ‘We’ve found that the one of the most effective therapies for that disease, morbid obesity, is bariatric surgery’ Q: You do a lot of bariatric operations. Tell me a little about your practice. A: I’ve been doing it at Rochester General Hospital since 2007, when they hired me to help reinstate the program. I work with Dr. Alok [Gandhi]. We do bariatric surgery in addition to a little bit of general surgery.

three years, people will put back on about 5 percent of their body weight, but they really don’t go back to their original weight. The procedures, when they’re done in good centers—centers of excellence or centers that specialize in bariatric surgery—it’s a relatively safe procedure. I think those are the two biggest misconceptions.

Q: Bariatric surgery pops up in the news quite a bit. What are some of the new developments in the process? A: What you have to realize is that we’re not a treatment for obesity; we’re a treatment for morbid obesity. The treatment for obesity is more diet and exercise, but when people reach a certain weight limit—usually around 100 pounds over their ideal body weight—they’re defined as morbidly obese. We’ve found that the one of the most effective therapies for that disease, morbid obesity, is bariatric surgery. There have been numerous studies comparing the effects of bariatric surgery to diet and exercise and the results far surpass the results of diet and exercise, not only in the amount of weight loss but the longevity of the weight loss. The other important thing about bariatric surgery is that it gets to diseases associated with morbid obesity like high-blood pressure, sleep apnea and type 2 diabetes. We evaluate the people who come to us, determine if they are morbidly obese and what their risk factors are and try to match them up with the right operation.

Q: How does bariatric surgery change a patient’s body and metabolism? A: There’re basically three kinds of operations. There’s a restrictive operation, a lap band for example, where we basically decrease the amount of food that people can eat so that they feel satisfied after eating just a little bit of food. There’s a malabsorptive operation where we modify the intestines so that they food they eat isn’t absorbed. That could be a gastric bypass operation. And the third’s a combination of the two.

Q: Is it not recommended for lower grade obesity due to risk factors, or something else? A: There are some studies going on with people who aren’t morbidly obese, but those studies are ongoing. We don’t have a lot of data to support the use of bariatric surgery on those patients.

Q: How risky are these procedures? A: It’s a relatively safe proce-

Q: How’d you decide you wanted to perform bariatric surgeries? A: I originally did general vascular surgery in a small community hospital. I had a patient who had had a very bad outcome from a bariatric surgery performed in California. As I treated him, I began to look into bariatric surgery. I became very fascinated by the data and I studied it under a lot of surgeons around the country. I started performing them in a small community hospital, but I realized it wasn’t something that should be performed in a large medical center like Rochester General, not a small community hospital. Rochester General recruited me and I helped start the program back up here. Q: Is it a more satisfying procedure to perform, since the effect is externally obvious? A: It’s also a lot of fun to see patients come in after the surgery and see how they’ve lost weight, and to watch their comorbidities go away after the operation. It’s very satisfying to see that you’ve changed someone’s life through an operation and changed it for the better. If you do a vascular operation, you do the operation, take out the obstruction so that they don’t have a stroke yes, you’ve done them a great service, but you don’t really see the effects.

Q: What misconceptions do you think the public has about bariatric surgery? A: One of the misconceptions is that it doesn’t work and that people put their weight back on. We are finding that after about

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When someone has bariatric service and they come in after losing 100, 200 pounds and they’re not taking all the medications they were before, you’ve changed their lives and they’re phenomenally grateful. Q: You see a lot of speculation about America’s “obesity epidemic” in the media. Are we getting any closer to figuring out what the culprit is? A: What we’re learning is that genetics have a lot to do with it. We used to think that genetics was, maybe, only 30 percent of this disease. Now we think it’s about 80 percent. But we’re still looking at lifestyles, not only in this country. Obesity is a problem throughout the world. Do we know the exact causes of why the problem is growing so quickly? No, but there’s a lot of research going into that. Q: How many procedures do you perform each year? A: At Rochester General, we’re probably doing between 200 to 300 bariatric procedures a year. In addition to that, we do revisional surgery, which means we’re fixing bypasses performed elsewhere that have failed. Q: What’s involved in revisional surgery? A: You’ll have a patient comes in who had the surgery many years ago, but now they’re gaining weight and they’re concerned. We’ll do a full investigation into why they’re gaining weight and try to fix that specific program. They might have a pouch that’s too big or a space between the stomach and intestines that’s too large. This is, I think, the next phase of bariatric surgery, where we’re trying to figure out why some people have failed or why it’s not working for them. Some of the more prominent thinkers on the topic are thinking it may not be a one-shot fix for some cases of morbid obesity. People who have had the operation 15 years ago may have bowels that have adapted to absorb more food. We’re trying to find ways to fix those problems.

Lifelines Name: Anthony T. DiBenedetto Address: 1415 Portland Ave., suite 225, Rochester Phone: 585-922-2900 Education: SUNY Buffalo Medical School Internship/Residency: Mary Imogene Basset Hospital (Cooperstown), SUNY Buffalo Career: Cornell University Medical Center, New York; Buffalo Veterans Administration Medical Center, Buffalo; Kaleida Health, Buffalo; Medina Memorial Hospital, Medina; Inter-Community Memorial Hospital, Newfane; Lockport Memorial Hospital; and Rochester General Hospital Professional societies: Fellow American College of Surgeons, American Society of Bariatric Surgeons, American College Surgeons WNY Chapter, Western New York Vascular Society and American Society of General Surgery

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IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper • August 2011

Smile Makeover Eastman Dental transforms Ontario County woman’s smile. She is receiving up to $25,000 in free dental work By Sheila Livadas

ust a few months ago, Ontario County resident Lynn Campbell never dreamed she would feel comfortable grinning or even cracking a slight smile. Various dental problems were affecting the function and appearance of the 30-year-old’s teeth, and anxiety kept her from the dentist’s chair for six years. That all began to change last year, after Campbell heard a radio ad for the smile makeover contest at Eastman Dental, part of the University of Rochester Medical Center. Fed up with tooth pain and remarks about her unwillingness to smile, the mother of four knew she had to enter. When Campbell learned that she was one of three winners selected from more than 700 entrants to receive up to $25,000 in free dental work, she melted into tears. “Oh, it was amazing,” says Campbell, an advanced life support tech and receptionist in Clifton Springs Hospital’s emergency room. “I couldn’t believe they picked me.” Bhumija Gupta, a resident in advanced education in Eastman Dental’s general dentistry division, says Campbell’s smile makeover is going smoothly and will likely take 12 to 18 months from beginning to end. Campbell sorely needed the dental work since every tooth in her mouth was compromised in one way or another. Gupta’s first few visits with Campbell involved reviewing good oralhygiene habits. The discussion then turned to the importance of avoiding foods that cause tooth decay. Urging patients to stick with routine oral care and healthy eating habits helps ensure that dental work will have longevity, says Dr. Hans Malmstrom, chairman of Eastman’s general dentistry division. Malmstrom, who is supervising Gupta’s care of Campbell, says he and his colleagues devote more and more time discussing those topics with patients, given Americans’ thirst for soda, which contains decay-causing acids. From a treatment standpoint, Campbell’s case is complex because it involves her whole mouth. “We are doing everything that is not just aesthetically but functionally right for her,” Gupta says. Campbell’s case is compelling for reasons beyond her dental needs, Malmstrom says. She holds down two jobs in addition to caring for four kids, including one with mental and physical disabilities, and she did not have resources to put toward extensive dental work, he says. “She’s a very hard-working individual,” Malmstrom says. To allow for healing, Campbell’s dental treatment must occur in stages, Gupta says. She recently finished the restorative phase of Campbell’s care, which involved extracting three teeth with local anesthetic. Campbell says she experienced a bit of discomfort after having the teeth pulled, but “nothing out of the ordinary.” Campbell adds that the time com-

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The top photo shows Lynn’s Campbell’s teeth before treatment began at Eastman Dental. The middle photo shows how the ongoing treatment is progressing, and the third depicts what her teeth are expected to look like when treatment ﬁnishes. The treatment is expected to be done from 12 to 18 months since its start. mitment involved in the treatment has been well worth it. On average, her weekly appointments at Eastman Dental last 3.5 hours, and she is already experiencing improvements in her teeth’s appearance and function. Dental implants, crowns and veneers will play a role in Campbell’s next treatment phases. Gupta and Malmstrom have encouraged Campbell to quit smoking because studies have shown that tobacco use reduces implants’ ability to integrate with surrounding bone tissue. Though Gupta will follow certain aesthetic guidelines, Campbell will weigh in on the shape her teeth will have. What makes a smile beautiful is subjective, Malmstrom adds.

When her smile makeover wraps up, Campbell will need to continue watching her diet and taking care of her teeth at home. She will need to have checkups every three to six months and wear a night guard so that teeth grinding does not damage the dental work. Going to the dentist used to jangle Campbell’s nerves, but that anxiety has subsided since beginning treatment at Eastman Dental. Though her smile makeover is not yet complete, she is thrilled with the results so far. “I take a lot better care of my teeth now than I did before,” she says. “People compliment [their appearance] so far.”

August 2011 •

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IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper

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Page 7

Live Alone & Thrive

By Gwenn Voelckers

Practical tips, advice and hope for those who live alone

Keep it Simple and Do Right by the Earth

t warms my soul. I just love the sight of laundry on a clothesline, gently fluttering in the breeze on a sunny summer day. It reminds me of times gone by: my happy childhood in Ohio, my mom folding laundry, my dad tending his garden, and all things old-fashioned and wholesome. On a recent road trip through the Finger Lakes, I was so taken by the colorful clothes decorating the countryside that I returned home with a mission: to install my own backyard clothesline. For less than $30 I purchased the essentials: rope, pulley, hooks and cleat. For a few dollars more, I equipped myself with wooden clothespins and a canvas drawstring bag. The installation between two mature oaks took less than an hour. I was never so excited about doing a load of laundry! I couldn’t wait to enjoy the simple bliss of hanging my pillowcases, towels, and T-shirts on the line and watching them sway in the sunlight. Beyond the nostalgia, I could also

appreciate that air-drying my clothing was good for the earth. In a small way, I would be reducing my household carbon footprint and that idea sat well with me and my conscience. The experience reminded me of the value of simple living and how easy it is to get back to the basics — something that’s even easier for those of us who live alone and can make all our own decisions. I’m committed to leading a simpler life, a more natural existence. Would you like to join me? Below are a few things we can all do: Accumulate less stuff. If I don’t absolutely need it or love it, I don’t buy it. That’s my new M.O. I live in a small home and I’ve discovered that “stuff” needs to be stored, sorted, dusted, and otherwise dealt with. Some of it needs to be insured. Other stuff needs to be repaired. Almost all of it requires some investment of time and money, both of which I want to use more wisely. This brings me to my next tip:

KIDS Corner Teens Look to Parents More than Friends for Sexual Role Models Recent adolescent sexual health study shatters stereotypes

he results of a national online study show that 45 percent consider their parents to be their sexuality role model. Shattering stereotypes that parents and society hold about teen sexuality, the survey also revealed that only 32 percent looked to their friends and just 15 percent took inspiration from celebrities. Dr. Jean-Yves Frappier, a researcher at the University of Montreal’s affiliated CHU Sainte-Justine Hospital Research Centre presented the results at the Canadian Paediatric Society’s 88th Annual Conference June 18. Page 8

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Importantly, the survey also revealed that many of the teenagers who look to their parents live in families where sexuality is openly discussed, and that moreover, teenagers in these families have a greater awareness of the risks and consequences of sexually transmitted infections. “Good communication within families and especially around sexual health issues is associated with more responsible behaviours,” Frappier said. However, 78 percent of the mothers who participated in the survey believed that their children

Let go of more stuff. VOA, Goodwill, Savers, and the Vietnam Veterans of America are my new “best friends.” I’m clearing out the clutter and sharing my gently used clothing and household goods with people in need and others who enjoy a bargain. I’ve come to learn that these organizations are so much more than their “storefronts.” They use the store profits for so much good: for housing, for humanitarian causes, for disaster relief, and to help people all over the globe become more self-sufficient. Every donation made has the potential to make a positive difference in someone’s life. Repair, re-use, and make do. My old toothbrushes have become cleaning tools, shoeboxes are now storage containers for photos, and old picture frames have become “shabby chic” mirrors. These are just a few examples. I love making something new and beautiful out of something old or discarded. I’ve been guilty of wasteful ways, and I’m now very focused on using up what’s “on the shelf” or “in the tube.” I’m also very determined to make do with what I already own. I feel proud when I act responsibly and make good decisions that lead to fewer purchases. Enjoy the real thing. I grow my own

modeled their friends’ sexual behaviour, and that a lack of involvement of communication with fathers is especially detrimental. “Parents seem to underestimate their role and the impact that they have,” Frappier noted. “Health professionals and the media have an important role to play in empowering parents and enabling them to increase their communications with their children with regards to sexual health issues.” The survey involved 1139 mothers of teenagers and 1171 youths between

tomatoes, onions, garlic, peppers, beans, and herbs. My dad (rest his soul) was my gardening guru. Following in the footsteps of his own father, my dad taught me how to plant, when to plant, what to plant, and how to take care of a garden. Beyond the obvious benefits of gardening — much cheaper and better quality food than I can get at local grocery stores — I just love gardening. There is something incredibly therapeutic about kneeling next to my raised garden beds and cultivating the soil at day’s end when the sun is setting. Away from my computer, I find deep satisfaction working with my hands and enjoy the peace and quiet when I’m all alone with just me and my garden. Be clear about what matters. My “keep it simple” goal has inspired me to look inward and really think about what I value and what I want my life to be about. I want to simplify things because by doing so, I’ll open up time and resources for spending quality time with my family, my friends, and myself. When life is simpler, I can keep these priorities front and center. Instead of shopping or trouble-shooting or worrying about my “stuff,” I can embrace what matters and live a life that reflects what I care about most: being with those I love. Keeping it simple can bring us more joy, more harmony, and more peace of mind. And that can lead to deeper contentment and happiness. It’s as simple as that. 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 or to invite Gwenn to speak, you can call her at (585) 624-7887, e-mail her at gvoelckers@rochester.rr.com.

14 and 17 years of age. The questionnaire touched on topics such as sources of sexual health information, communication about sexual health, family functioning and sexual activities. This study was financed in part by a grant from Merck Frosst Co. The University of Montreal is known officially as Université de Montréal. The Research Centre of the CHU Sainte-Justine is known officially as the Centre de recherche du Centre hospitalier universitaire Sainte-Justine.

Smoking in youth movies declines sharply

ollywood films are much less likely to feature characters that smoke than just five years ago, according to research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics are praising the new trend. Between 2005 and 2010, smoking in movies rated G, PG, and PG-13 dropped 71.6 percent to 595 in 2010 from 2,093 in 2005. In films rated G or PG tobacco use declined 93.6 percent to just 30 last year from 472 in 2005. Smoking in films began to sharply decline in 2005 after a great deal of pressure was aimed at the major stu-

IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper • August 2011

dios from advocacy groups and state attorneys-general. Universal, Warner Brothers and Disney all say they seek to clamp down on smoking in youthrelated films, according to polices posted online. The World Health Organization and others have pressed for films that contain tobacco to be rated R. The move would have huge health benefits, experts note. Studies show that adolescents with the highest exposure to on-screen smoking are twice as likely to begin smoking as those with least exposure. Currently, nearly 75 percent of all pictures containing smoking are rated R.

Annual Estimated Cost of U.S. Crash-Related Deaths: $41 Billion More than half of all costs are in 10 states, including New York

otor vehicle crash-related deaths in the United States resulted in an estimated $41 billion in medical and work loss costs in a year, according to state-based estimates released in May by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Half of this cost ($20.4 billion) was in 10 states, the report says. These cost findings are based on 2005 data, which is the most recent year for which comprehensive data on costs associated with crash deaths is available. The study was not configured to develop an explanation for the variation in state costs. “Deaths from motor vehicle crashes are preventable,” said CDC Director Thomas R. Frieden. “Seat belts, graduated driver’s license programs, child safety seats, and helmet use save lives and reduce health care costs.” CDC is releasing new fact sheets highlighting state-based costs of crash deaths, to coincide with the May 11 launch of the Decade of Action for Road Safety. The United Nations General Assembly has proclaimed 2011 to 2020 the Decade of Action for Road Safety, a period of enhanced focus on protecting lives on the world’s roads. CDC also found the cost related to crash deaths among children and teenagers from birth to 19 years old was nearly $856 million. The highest percentage of costs related to children and teen crash deaths was seen in Vermont (34 percent, $25 million), and the lowest was in Nevada (17 percent, $66 million). Despite the higher percentage in Vermont, its cost is lower due to the much lower total cost of injury. “It’s tragic to hear that anyone dies on our nation’s roads. But it’s especially so when the person who loses his or her life is a child or teenager,” said Linda Degutis director at the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. “Child passenger safety laws and comprehensive graduated driver licensing laws are proven to protect young lives. We encourage states to strengthen and enforce these laws to help keep more of

States with the highest medical and work loss costs

for not wearing seat belts. Seat belts reduce the risk of death to those riding in the front seat by about half. Strong child passenger safety policies, which require California ............................. $4.16 billion children to be placed in ageTexas.................................... $3.50 billion and size-appropriate child safety and booster seats while Florida .................................. $3.16 billion riding in vehicles. Georgia ................................ $1.55 billion Comprehensive graduated Pennsylvania........................ $1.52 billion driver licensing (GDL) systems, which are proven to reduce North Carolina ...................... $1.50 billion teen crashes. GDL systems help New York .............................. $1.33 billion new drivers gain experience Illinois ................................... $1.32 billion under lower-risk conditions by granting driving privileges in Ohio ..................................... $1.23 billion stages. The most comprehenTennessee............................ $1.15 billion sive GDL systems have been associated with up to 40 percent Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. decreases in crashes among 16year-old drivers. our young people safe.” Universal motorcycle To prevent crash-related deaths helmet laws, which require riders and reduce medical and work loss of all ages to wear helmets. Helmet costs, CDC’s Injury Center recomuse can reduce the risk of death in a mends that states consider the followmotorcycle crash by more than oneing strategies: third and reduce the risk of brain Primary seat belt laws, which alinjury by 69 percent. low motorists to be stopped and cited

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Joint replacement surgery riskier at hospitals with low aurgical volume

atients who undergo elective total hip or total knee arthroplasty at hospitals with lower surgical volume had a higher risk of venous thromboembolism and mortality following the procedure. he complications following joint replacement surgery at low-volume sites may be reduced by modifying systems and procedures used before and after surgery according to the findings published today in Arthritis & Rheumatism, a peer-reviewed journal of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR). The ACR estimates that 27 million Americans over the age of 25 have doctor-diagnosed osteoarthritis and another 1.3 million US adults suffer with rheumatoid arthritis. For patients with end-stage hip and knee arthritis, total hip and knee arthroplasty are highly successful surgical interventions that offer patients significant improvement in pain, function and health-related quality of life. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Hospital Discharge Survey, roughly 230,000 total hip replacements and 543,000 total knee replacements were performed in the U.S. in 2007. The current study explored the relationship between hospital procedure volume and surgical outcomes following primary total hip or total knee replacements. “With the large number of elective arthroplasty in the U.S, it is important to understand the impact of peri- and post-operative medical complications on the success of joint replacement surgery,” said lead author Jasvinder Singh, MD, MPH of the University of Alabama. “Possible cardiac complications, blood clots, or infections increase patient morbidity and mortality risk, which can lead to higher health care utilization and costs.” The findings show that patients who had primary total hip arthroplasty at low-volume hospitals were more likely to develop a pulmonary embolism (within 30 days of surgery) than those who had surgery at a high-volume hospital. One-year mortality was also higher for patients having total hip replacements at low-volume hospitals. Researchers found that for total knee arthroplasty, patients age 65 and older had significantly higher odds for oneyear mortality when surgeries were performed at low-volume hospitals compared to higher volume hospitals.

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RGH to treat fecal incontinence with nerve stimulation The division of colon & rectal surgery at Rochester General Hospital now offers a minimally-invasive procedure for the treatment of fecal incontinence (FI), a condition estimated to impact more than 6 million Americans. These RGH specialists are the first and only fully board certified group of colon & rectal surgeons in New York to provide this breakthrough treatment. In simple language, FI prevents a person from controlling their bowel movements. There are a variety of causes for this acquired disorder, ranging from obstetrical injury to stroke. While some people are able to reduce their symptoms through medication, lifestyle changes, diet modification and physical therapy, others cannot. It is those patients who are possible candidates for this FDA-approved neurostimulation therapy. “Neurostimulation therapy can eliminate or reduce your bowel symptoms to a tolerable level, allowing you to resume your daily activities,” said physician Stephen Rauh, division chief of colorectal surgery at Rochester General Hospital. “This procedure is an important option for restoring quality of life.” In advance of surgery, potential candidates for neurostimulation therapy undergo a trial assessment last several days. This allows patients to ‘test’ the therapy before making a long-term commitment. If the patient decides to proceed with surgery, the surgeon implants a thin, flexible wire attached to a small stimulator device which sends mild electrical pulses to the tailbone to keep bowel incontinence in check.

My Turn

By Eva Briggs

New Text Messaging to Help Pregnant Women A clever organization, text4baby, has figured out a way to use text messaging to improve healthcare

hen I was a teenager, the idea of a mobile phone was as outlandish and silly as the telephone that Maxwell Smart had in the sole of his shoe in a popular 1960s TV sitcom. If you are too young to remember the show, a search on YouTube will bring up several episodes. The first one I clicked on even seemed uncannily prescient: Max’s phone rang and interrupted a symphony concert. Only a decade ago text messaging was new; now it’s widely available. The average U.S. teen sends a whopping 3,339 text messages every month. Now a clever organization, text4baby, has figured out a way to use text messaging to improve healthcare. This service sends health related tips, advice, and reminders to pregnant woman and new mothers. It’s absolutely free for the recipients, even if their mobile phone doesn’t have a text plan. It’s paid for by a broad coalition of public and private sponsors. But there are no promotional messages. The impetus for the concept is to

improve maternal and child health. The program hasn’t been around long enough yet to determine whether text4baby will produce measurable outcomes. But two large studies are underway to answer that question. Women can sign up by texting “BABY” (or “BEBE” for Spanish messages) to 511411. There’s also a link on the text4baby.org website for online enrolment. The user inputs the baby’s due date or birth date. After an initial welcome pack, text4baby sends three messages per week tailored to the stage of pregnancy or the baby’s age. Nineteen professionals develop and edit the messages, making sure that the information is based on reputable sources such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The goal is to keep the messages clear and simple, with one idea per message. Now, lets switch gears completely to a low-tech solution. Imagine that you are concerned about bedbugs. But if you thought you were infested, you’d want to know for sure before go-

ing through the expense of exterminating them. Hiring a professional exterminator to set commercial trap could cost $200, or more. A Rutgers University entomologist, Wan-Tien Tsai Ph.D., designed a do-ityourself bed bug detector that uses $15 worth of materials. The ingredients are a plastic cat food dish, a one-third gallon insulated jug, and dry ice pellets. Dust the cat food dish with talcum powder — once the bedbugs are lured in, the powder prevents the critters from escaping. Place about 2.5 pounds of CO2 pellets into the insulated jug. Leave the pour hole open so that the CO2 (which attracts bedbugs) can escape, and then place the jug into the dusted cat food dish. Tape a paper ramp to the dish so that the bedbugs can climb in. Leave the contraption bedside a bedpost overnight, and check the trap for your prey in the morning.

Eva Briggs, a board-certiﬁed physician, works on the staff at Cayuga Medical Center in Ithaca, in its two urgent care centers: one in Ithaca, and the other in Cortland.

New Cigarette Health Warnings Beginning September 2012, FDA will require larger, more prominent cigarette health warnings on all cigarette packaging and advertisements in the United States. These warnings mark the first change in cigarette warnings in more than 25 years and are a significant advancement in communicating the dangers of smoking. The organization recently featured some of the designs it plans to require tobacco companies to print on their cigarette packs. Page 10

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IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper • August 2011

The New Boss at Gilda’s Club

ROCHESTER ACADEMY OF MEDICINE

New executive director wants to increase revenues By Mike Costanza

ob Russell, the newest executive director of Gilda’s Club Rochester, has seen the effects of cancer upon patients and their families up close. “I lost both my parents to cancer,” Russell says. “I lost my first friend in seventh grade to brain cancer, and numerous people along the line.” That intimate knowledge of the disease drew Russell to turn his energy and skill to helping Gilda’s Club assist those suffering from cancer and their loved ones in a time of diminishing revenues. “I wanted to be able to use my

Bob Russell joined Gilda’s Club Rochester as a director of development. In May the Chili resident was picked to lead the organization. He says one of his goals is to focus on fundraising efforts to better sustain the organization and its programs. background, my skills, to help make a difference for people,” he says. Gilda’s Club Rochester is part of Gilda’s Club Worldwide, the namesake of Gilda Radner, a comedian and Saturday Night Live alum who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 1986. Though treatment drove the disease into remission, it later re-emerged, and Radner died in 1989. Comedian Gene Wilder, Radner’s husband, helped found the Gilda’s Club movement. The first club opened in New York City in 1995. Gilda’s Club Rochester’s red door is open to those who have cancer, their spouses and children, and those close to them. Each month, the club hosts about 100 events designed to help those it serves cope with the disease. Cancer patients and their loved ones can gather in support groups to talk about their feelings, and gain some of

the resources they need to cope with — or, as club members say, “journey” — through the illness and its effects. “Unless you have gone through it, you don’t know what that person is going through,” Russell says. Educational groups meet regularly at the club to present the kind of information patients and those close to them need. “We’ll bring in experts on specific topics dealing either with the disease, [or] dealing with what people can expect in treatment,” Russell says. Gilda’s also provides recreational outlets for those it serves, from art classes to movie nights. “We do a monthly dinner-anda-movie where we cook dinner for everyone built around the theme of whatever we’re going to see, and turn one of our rooms into a movie theater,” Russell says. Kids who have been touched by cancer can join the club’s Noogieland program, which is geared specifically for them, and visit Camp Open Arms, its two-week summer day camp. Gilda’s Club Rochester has just over 1,700 members, Russell says. They and their loved ones visited the club just over 60,370 times last year. All of its services are free for its members. The organization has five full-time and three part-time employees, and about 400 volunteers. Its 2020 budget came to $450,000, Russell says. Russell came to Gilda’s after holding increasingly responsible positions inWestern New York or local sports and entertainment organizations. Among these were those of vice president of operations for the Rochester Rhinos soccer club and executive director of the Little Theatre Film Society. Over his three years with the Little, Russell helped raise foundation and grant support for the nonprofit from $3,200 to $83,100. “Bob’s got a big personality and a lot of enthusiasm,” says Beth Bailey, marketing manager for the Little Theatre. Under Russell’s tenure, the Arts and Cultural Council for Greater Rochester presented the Little with the 2009 Organization of the Year Award. Russell also put his talents to more clearly creative uses in the areas of film, music and fine arts. The annual “25-Hour Horror Feast at the Little,” a cornucopia of horror films presented back-to-back at Halloween, was his brainchild. Russell says he spent all night previewing “House on Haunted Hill” and other horror classics in preparation for the event. “Anything horror-related, I’m into,” Russell says. After leaving the Little, Russell put his fundraising and organizational skills to use as director of development for Gilda’s Club Rochester. His first major task was to run the organization’s annual campaign. “We increased our annual campaign contributions up to 52 percent

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over last year,” he says. After Beverly Brooks, the club’s executive director, retired, the club spent months searching for a replacement before selecting Russell for the position. He took office on May 20. “Bob brings a potent and unique profile to the position, with over a decade of not-for-profit experience and many years in professional sports,” said Will Rumbold, president of the board of directors of Gilda’s Club Rochester, as quoted in a press release. “He’s been a dedicated professional everywhere he’s been, and in his short time with Gilda’s Club as development director, he’s made an obvious and positive impact.” Russell’s fundraising skills will come in handy. As important as the mission of Gilda’s Club Rochester is, the club has not been immune to the effects of the economic downturn. Foundation support, individual donations and public funding has also shrunk or disappeared, reducing the club’s budget by a total of as much as 25 percent over the last three years. Since the beginning of this year, two foundations have cut funding to the organization, citing their own reduced revenues. The cuts left the Rochester club with about $15,000 less in incoming funds, Russell says. The club has cut its expenses wherever possible to deal with the losses. “The one thing we haven’t done, which is absolutely amazing, is we have not had to cut programs,” Russell says. To pull in more revenue, Russell plans to reach beyond Gilda’s Club of Rochester’s traditional funding sources, he says. Currently, the organization pulls in as much as 70 percent of its annual revenue through such annual fundraising events as the Surviving in Style Fashion Show, Gilda’s Gala, and the Jerry Flynn Children’s Classic Gold Tournament. Russell says he hopes to balance those revenue streams with more individual donations and corporate donations and grants. “We’ve increased the number of new grants that we’ve been writing,” he says. Russell lives in Chili with his wife, Debbie, their daughter, 15-year-old Madison, and his two stepsons, 17year-old Nick, and Joe, who just turned 14.

August 2011 •

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

By Elana Lombardi Freelance Writer Just because you have macular degeneration or other eye diseases like diabetic retinopathy doesn’t mean you must give up driving. “People don’t know that there are doctors who are very experienced in low vision care.”Dr.George Kornfeld, a low vision optometrist. Low Vision patient, Bonnie Demuth, with Bioptic Telescopes

Bonnie was helped with two pairs of glasses: Special $475 prismatic glasses let her read the newspaper and bioptic telescopes helped her distance vision. Page 12

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“My new telescopic glasses make it much easier to read signs at a distance.” Says Bonnie, “Definitely worth the $1950 cost. I don’t know why I waited to do this. I should have come sooner.” Low vision devices are not always expensive. Some reading glasses cost as little as $450 and some magnifiers under $100. Every case is different because people have different levels of vision and different desires. “Our job is to figure out everything and anything possible to keep a person functioning visually.” Says Dr. Kornfeld. Dr. Kornfeld sees patients in his five offices throughout upstate New York including Rochester. For more information and a FREE telephone consultation call:

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‘Tom Tireless’ Selected as Healthy Hero

om Venniro, recreation supervisor for the town of Gates, has earned a Healthy Hero Award from Greater Rochester Health Foundation (GRHF) for his work to assure that youth have a variety of physical activities to choose from to keep them safe, active and healthy. “His tireless efforts on behalf of our children and families benefit our entire community, and we are proud to nominate him for this award”, said Linda Fowler, director of recreation & parks for the town of Gates. “Tom is a super role model for all the youth he works with — and our Healthy Hero!” Says Venniro: “A regular amount of physical activity, proper nutrition and healthy eating is essential to the wellbeing and development of children. Not only does the regular application of these best practices of life encourage long-term healthy living but can create social, emotional, and personal happiness and satisfaction.” Active programs Venniro has been involved include youth lacrosse, youth basketball, a fishing clinic, Little Dribblers, Little Putters, Little Sluggers, full-day recess and summer camps, hands-on healthy cooking (Kids Can Cook), and the Gates Activity Program,

(GAP), a before-and-after-school program. Venniro also created the GOIN (Get Out in Nature) Camp, a one-week camp that focused on reconnecting children with nature featuring exposure to and education about animals and the environment, outdoor hikes, bike rides, fitness, pond ecology, and healthy eating activities. More than 800 children aged 2-10 participate in these programs. Says John Urban, president of GRHF “Venniro finds a wide range of activities in which kids of all ages can enjoy. As important, he is engaging parents as role models for physical activity through the annual Amazing Family Race to get families involved in walking or riding a bike through a designated course and engaging in challenges at checkpoints along the way.” GRHF recognizes people who go above and beyond their job duties or volunteer to help kids age 2-10 in Monroe County stay healthy through improved nutrition and/or increased physical activity. People interested in nominating Healthy Heroes may visit www.BeAHealthyHero.org. Healthy Heroes are awarded $250 to be donated to the not-for-profit organization of their choice

High taxes cut cigarette smoking rate in Canada

ccording to a study by economists at the Concordia University in Montreal, between 1998 to 2008, for every 10 percent hike in cigarette tax, the number of Canadians who lit up went down by 2.3 percent. However, one group appears to be least affected by higher taxes on cigarettes. These are people in the age group 25 to 44. According to Sunday Azagba, the author of the study, these middle-aged smokers are not responsive to tax increases on tobacco products. The younger age group of 12 to 24 are more sensitive to price increases caused by tax hike on cigarettes because majority of them are dependent on their allowance to finance their

IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper • August 2011

habit. However, majority of the middleaged group are employed and at the peak of their earning capacity. The study also found that the propensity to smoke was higher among Canadians who had only high school education compared with those who have post-secondary education. Tax increases on cigarettes caused a carton of cigarette to have a price tag of $33.35 in 2008 in Ontario from $12.65 in 1998. The amount factored out inflation based on constant 2000 dollars. The increase was lesser in the Canadian provinces of British Columbia and Newfoundland and Labrador, where cigarettes sold at an average of mid-$40 in 2008 from $30 in 1998 per carton.

SmartBites

By Anne Palumbo

The skinny on healthy eating

or moldy berries to prevent the rest from spoiling. Place in covered container and store in refrigerator for 5 to 7 days. Don’t wash blueberries until right before eating or they will deteriorate faster. Freezing berries does not decrease nutritional value.

Boost Your Health with Blueberries

Home Care

Mixed Greens with Blueberries, Feta and Toasted Almonds

Adapted from Bon Appetit

very once in a while, I encounter information about a certain food that prompts me to pick up the phone, call all my loved ones, and instruct — no, demand! — that they eat more of this food. That’s what happened with blueberries. Oh, I knew they were nutritious, all right — I just didn’t realize the scope. Since heart disease is the leading killer of men and women, let’s start with blueberry’s heart-healthy benefits. Blueberries are leaders in antioxidant activity, thanks to their high concentration of polyphenols (the same substances linked to cardiovascular benefits in tea, red wine, and chocolate). But there is one antioxidant in particular, anthocyanin, that has garnered real interest. According to a recent Nurses’ Health Study published in the “American Journal of Clinical Nutrition,” participants who reported the highest intake of anthocyanin (mainly from blueberries and strawberries) had an 8 percent reduction in their risk of hypertension. In addition to lowering blood pressure, blueberries are also exceptionally good for aging brains. The latest research, presented by Dr. Shibu Poulose

at the American Chemical Society, concluded that eating blueberries, strawberries and açai berries activates the brain’s natural “housekeeper” mechanism, which cleans up and recycles toxic proteins linked to age-related memory loss and other mental decline. Produce markets, here I come! Equally delicious news: Eating blueberries benefits our bowels. Recently, scientists at Rutgers University and the U.S. Department of Health announced that a chemical compound in blueberries may help prevent colon cancer by decreasing inflammation and inhibiting the growth of cancerous cells. What’s more, blueberries’ high fiber content (4 grams per cup) helps keep us regular and our cholesterol in check. More good reasons to add blueberries to yogurt, cereal or green salads? Low in fat, cholesterol, sodium and calories (only 40 per half-cup), they’re packed with vitamin C and are an excellent source of manganese (good for bones!).

1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 teaspoon honey Salt and pepper, to taste 1 8-ounce bag mixed greens or baby arugula 1/2 cup crumbled feta or goat cheese 1 cup blueberries (or more) 1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted Whisk vinegar, oil and honey in small bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Combine greens, feta, and blueberries in large bowl. Add dressing; toss to coat. Sprinkle with almonds and serve.

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.

Helpful tips

Before storing, remove any crushed

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University Urology

Assistive Listening Devices. Do They Work? By Jim Miller

ssistive listening devices (or ALDs) are very useful products that can help hearing-impaired people — with and without hearing aids — hear better!

Listening Helpers

ALDs are electronic amplifying devices that will let your husband or wife adjust the volume and tone so that he can hear and understand the television, telephone or other people speaking. It’s also important to know that these devices work best for people with mild to moderate hearing loss, you don’t need a prescription to buy them, and they usually aren’t covered by insurance or Medicare. Here’s a breakdown of the different types of ALDs that can help.

Telephone Amplifiers

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To improve hearing over the telephone there are a number of handset and in-line amplifiers you can add to your regular phone, or you can purchase an amplified telephone. Most amplified phones allow you to adjust the volume and tone for better clarity and they usually come with extra loud ringers and flashing ring indicators to alert you when a call is coming in. Clarity (clarityproducts.com, 800-426-3738) and ClearSounds (clearsounds.com, 888-965-9043) make a nice variety of these products with prices ranging from $30 up to around $300. Harriscomm.com, teltex.com and soundbytes.com are also good sites to shop. Or, see if your state has a specialized telecommunications equipment program (see tedpa.org) which provides free amplified phones. If the amplified products don’t do the trick, another option is caption phones. These are telephones that have a built-in screen that will let your husband listen to the caller, as well as read written, word-for-word captions of everything the caller is saying. Go to captel.com (or 800-233-9130), and click on your state to learn more.

TV Listening Systems

If hearing the television is a problem, a TV listening device will let your husband increase the volume and adjust the tone to meet his needs, without blasting out you or the rest of the family. The best devices available today are wireless infrared systems that Page 14 • Urology IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare7/15/11 Newspaper 11-318 URMC Ads 5x10.25-In Good Health.indd 1 3:53:56 PM • August 2011

come with a headset. Many of these devices work with radios and stereos too. Or, if your husband would rather not wear a headset, some systems offer a small speaker that can be placed by his chair, and many work with T-coil enabled hearing aids. TV Ears (tvears. com, 888-8833277) is one of the best products sold today with prices starting at $100.

Personal Listening Devices

Depending on your husband’s needs, there are many different types of listening devices on the market, in all price ranges, that can help. For one-on-one and small group conversations, a pocket-sized amplifier that comes with a small microphone and ear buds may do. Or, for a wider range of hearing capabilities consider FM listening devices. These are wireless products that can boost hearing in many difficult listening situations including auditoriums and lecture halls. FM devices come with a small microphone and transmitter placed on or by the person speaking, and the listener wears a receiver that may be used with ear buds, earphones, or with T-coil enabled hearing aids when worn with a neck loop. Harriscomm.com and independentliving.com are two good sites for locating these types of products.

Alerting Devices

There are also a variety of alerting devices that can help people who have trouble hearing the doorbell, alarm clock, telephone or smoke detector. These products use flashing lights, special multi-tone ringers or vibrating devices as a means to alert you. You can find these items at many of the websites previously listed, along with sonicalert.com and silentcall.com for around $50 to $150. For more information and assistance with ALDs, contact an audiologist or hearing instrument specialists (see howsyourhearing.org or ihsinfo. org to find one near you). They’re familiar with all these technologies and can help your husband choose the best products to meet his needs. Jim Miller is the author of Savvy Senior, a monthly column published by In Good Health. Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit www.savvysenior.org.

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ypically, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are associated with young people who through carelessness or ignorance become infected through promiscuous behavior. But the rate of infections has been increasing sharply among members of a different age group: those 55-plus. The rates per hundred thousand of reported cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and primary and secondary syphilis increased from 10.76 in 1996 to 14.99 in 2009 nationwide, states statistics released by the Centers for Disease Control. The CDC reports that for the same time period in New York, the rate of chlamydia grew from 23.01 per 100,000 to 45.86. Primary and secondary syphilis increased from .75 to 4.10. Only gonorrhea decreased from 18.28 to 17.26. Dr. John Valvo, division head of urology at Rochester General Hospital, said, “Twenty-nine percent of all living HIV/AIDS patients are over 50. This age group accounts for 35 percent of all deaths from AIDS.” Some of the reason this age group has such a high number of AIDS patients and deaths is that more people are living longer with the disease, thanks to medical advances; however, it also reflects an increase in the number of new HIV/AIDS cases in this age bracket. Many different factors influence the numbers of older STD patients. “Times have changed,” said Krupa Shah, a physician with the University of Rochester, Division of Geriatrics and Aging at Highland Hospital. “Divorce rates are up and there has been significant advancement in medical science. The availability and the marketing of erectile dysfunction medication have been very effective.” More than any other generation, this group of seniors has greater availability to potential partners since fewer stay with a mate exclusively for life. While not socially acceptable, marital unfaithfulness bears fewer stigmas than it used to. Numerous online dating sites for seniors and senior-oriented clubs and organizations help seniors make friends and facilitate developing new romantic relationships after widowhood or divorce. Seniors also have greater ability to engage in intimate relationships because of new medications. Viagra, Cialis, Revatio and Levitra can help men remain sexually active for as long as they are otherwise healthy. For menopausal women, libido can plummet for a variety of reasons, including change in hormonal levels and drier tissues. Some women have found improvement with medication that helps stabilize their hormones, using lubricants to combat dryness, and using herbal or other alternative health preparations to help improve mood and libido. Today’s seniors have fewer social or moral qualms about sexual relation-

IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper • August 2011

ships outside of marriage than did previous generations. Their grandparents typically stayed married for life and remained monogamous. In their parent’s generation, pre-marital sex, divorces and affairs were still scandals. For current-day seniors, “they’re in their golden years and sex is a recreational activity for them,” Valvo said. Now that the 60s-era flower children are in older adulthood, a “free love” philosophy can have greater health implications since they may not be as likely to use condoms. “Most people use barrier methods to prevent procreation,” Valvo said. “Seniors are beyond the childbearing period so they think that they don’t need it, that they’ll be okay. But they’re getting chlamydia, herpes and gonorrhea, HIV and AIDS. Many mistake STD symptoms as old age or other conditions that act similar to the aging process but are in fact symptoms of STDs.” It’s not surprising seniors are misinformed as to how to prevent STDs or that they would not recognize the signs of them. Most public service information regarding STDs is geared towards young people. “Education as it is with so many public health issues is paramount,” Valvo said. “Seniors aren’t being educated that they are still susceptible much as the rest of the population.” The only way to be absolutely safe is to avoid intimacy or to have monogamous relations only with another person who also has been 100-percent faithful. Some STDs take years to manifest symptoms, so a disease transmitted during a long-forgotten fling can remain unnoticed until a new partner becomes infected. Condoms can help but cannot offer 100-percent effective protection from all STDs. Some can still be transmitted in spite of condom use. “Older adults need to be proactive,” Shah said. “They should be practicing safe sex and use a condom. They need to be comfortable and discuss the risk of STDs with their primary care physician, and not just rely on the primary care physician to open the discussion. Finally, they should take steps in educating themselves on the issue.” Websites such as WebMD.com, CDC.gov and Mayoclinic.com offer reliable information on this and many other health topics.

Golden Years Seniors: Stay Cool

Hot weather poses real threat to older adults By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

s the mercury rises, the weather poses a real threat to seniors’ comfort and health. Spending hours in a sweltering home can even endanger an elderly person’s life. “All the organs in the body work worse when overheated,” said Joseph Nicholas, a physician who practices internal medicine and preventive medicine at Highland Hospital and is an assistant professor at the University of Rochester Medical Center. In addition to the additional stress placed on the body by overheating, getting too warm can cause problems. “It’s easier to get confused and weak so it contributes to falls,’ Nicholas said. “It can make health problems worse and makes what is usually a simple situation hard to control. Someone can take Celia Topping, a the wrong medicaregistered dietitian tion if they’re confused. Things can and diabetes spiral out of control educator at faster than for a Diabetes Health Source at Highland younger person. A lot of these things Hospital. “We are made worse by recommend people some medication make a habit of that a person is taking to control other drinking water,” health issues.” she says. Recovery from overheating and dehydration (which often contributes to overheating) is harder for elderly people, too. Older people are more prone to overheating than younger people for a variety of reasons. “The body, as it gets older, has a harder time in getting rid of excess heat,” Nicholas said. “Seniors are at a greater risk for dehydration. Many take diuretics which makes it easier to get dehydrated on a summer day.” Many seniors do not drink enough, especially when their bodies lose extra fluid during summer’s worst heat. “Problems getting around make it harder to get to water or to the bathroom,” Nicholas said. “They might not drink as much as when they’re younger.” The amount of water varies from person to person. Some need the standard six, eight-ounce glasses. “For others, if they have heart or kidney disease, that could be too much,” Nicholas said. “They should discuss it with their doctor.” A few cups of coffee in the morning or a big glass of iced tea with lunch can work against efforts to drink enough fluids. Celia Topping, registered dietitian and diabetes educator at Diabetes

Health Source at Highland Hospital, advises patients concerned about their fluid intake to avoid alcoholic or caffeinated beverages. “They’re a natural diuretic,” she said. “They tend to further dehydrate the body. You don’t get any benefit and you’re losing fluids. There’s nothing like good old fashioned water.” Instead of sugary and expensive sports drinks, flavoring a pitcher of water with a splash of fruit juice can keep water interesting. “We recommend people make a habit of drinking water,” Topping said. “A lot of seniors say, ‘When I grew up, we weren’t allowed to drink with our meals or wash our food down.’ As a result, they never became good drinkers. Seniors, particularly those who have lost the thirst message with age, don’t even realize they’re dehydrated until they progress to where they have symptoms and end up in the ER.” Topping advises seniors to carry pre-filled or refillable water bottles with them everywhere to help ensure they’re drinking enough. “By the end of the day, you’ll be surprised at how much you drank,” she said. Drinking most of the water before lunch can help avoid excessive trips to the bathroom during the night. August 2011 •

Seniors watching their weight should stick with skim milk, limited amounts of 100 percent juice (not the sugary “fruit cocktail” type of fruit drinks), and decaffeinated tea or coffee with sugar substitutes or else only a cup or two with sugar and cream mixed in. To stay cooler, seniors should avoid prolonged time in the sun from 10 a.m. through 3 p.m. and avoid engaging in any strenuous outdoor activity during this time. Light-colored, lightweight clothing is also helpful, as “it allows cool air against the skin,” Nicholas said. Wayne County Department of Aging and Youth Director Penny Shockley advises seniors to “stay inside, stay hydrated, and limit their exposure to the sun,” she said. “Wear hats.” Seniors with an air conditioner should use it during the hottest parts of the day and set it below 75 degrees. Although they do tend to use less electricity and may offer a little comfort, “fans don’t offer a lot of cooling,” Nicholas said. For those without an air conditioner, spending the hottest parts of the day in a place that does will help, such as a shopping mall, library, senior center, community center, or friend or relative’s home.

12 Tips for Staying Cool This Summer • Be aware of the heat. Pay attention to it and modify your activities appropriately. • Pay attention to your hydration status, and be sure to drink plenty of fluids. • Try to stay in relatively cool areas, even when outside. Many public places such as libraries, shopping malls and movie theaters are air conditioned. • Avoid hot enclosed places, such as cars. • Use a fan, if available. • Stay on the lowest floor of your building. • Eat well-balanced, light and regular meals. • Wear loose-fitting, lightweight and lightcolored clothing. • Cover windows that receive a significant amount of sun with drapes or shades to help keep your house cool. • Weather stripping and proper insulation will keep cool air inside your home. • Cool beverages are good for cooling down the body, while alcoholic drinks can impair the body’s ability to regulate its temperature.

IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper

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Golden Years

Shoes Can Help Stabilize Seniors By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

earing the right shoes represents the first line of defense for seniors experiencing gait instability for any reason. Most geriatricians and podiatrists agree that heels aren’t a senior’s best friend when it comes to safe walking. Men accustomed to wearing heeled boots and women used to wearing high heels may find it’s not all that easy to switch to flats. “A study says when you change an older adult’s footwear, there’s an increased chance of falling for the short-term,” said Daniel Mendelson, a physician who codirects the Geriatric Facture Center at Highland Hospital. “As you transition your footwear, do it slowly: a four-inch heel to a three-inch heel to a two-inch Mendelson heel, to a one-inch heel and then a flat.” He added that over time, wearing heels can change the shape of the foot and shorten the tendon so that a radical switch to flats isn’t safe. In general, safe shoe styles should have a closed heel and toe, secure closure, and the lowest heel the person can safely wear. “You want something that attaches well to the foot,” said Charles F. Coyle, Jr., podiatrist with a private practice in Rochester. “Not a flip flop. As with

running shoes, it should bind onto the foot well with an adjustable strap or ties or at least foot gear that comes up far enough that it’s bound to the foot.” Coyle is a pastpresident of the Podiatry Association of New York Monroe County division. He urges seniors to avoid slick outsoles in favor of leather or a rubberized material and to forgo rounded-bottom fitness shoes. “Those can be very dangerous for the senior population,” he said. “They have a tendency to stumble wearing footwear like that.” Worn-out shoes of any kind can also spell trouble as the sole can become slick or the heel can break. “Make it accommodating, a broad, deep toe box, stable with a little bit of heel height for women,” Coyle Pietrantoni said. Shoes that bend easily don’t provide adequate stability. “Obtain shoes with a rigid shank, the area on bottom of the shoe past the heel,” said Massimo Pietrantoni, podiatrist with Rochester Podiatry in Rochester. “In combination with a rigid shank a firm heel counter will help support foot strain you experience.” Molded foot beds provide better stability to casual shoes. “Generally, sandals don’t have that heel counter,” Coyle said. “They’d be

fine for the beach or pool but for any extended time on the feet, avoid that. The foot doesn’t settle into the shoe deeply enough. Wherever the rear of the foot goes, so goes the rest of the foot.” Some higher-end sandals offer molded foot beds, covered toes and an ankle strap or covered heel while keeping the rest of the shoe open. For casual wear, athletic shoes work fine. But for a special dinner out or dressing up for church, most senior women want something a little fancier. “I recommend a little bit of a square, Cuban type of heel,” Coyle said. “It has stability. A lot of that generation has worn heels all of their lives. Their calf muscle tightens up and they really do not feel comfortable in a flat. I’m not talking about stilettos but an inch or inch and a half.”

A generally safe but uncomfortable shoe doesn’t have to stay on the entire evening, either. “Usually I tell people who have a few years behind them, ‘Wear your supportive shoes when you have to walk around. If you want to wear fancy shoes, kick them off under the table once you get there,’” said Judy Baumhauer, orthopedic surgeon, professor and associate chair of academic affairs in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at the University of Rochester Medical Center. But choosing safe and comfortable shoes is the better bet. “Anytime you pick up the heel, it makes the ankle less stable,” Baumhauer said. “The lower you are to the center of gravity, the better. Or try ballet slippers. They’re not fancy but they are flat.”

Buying the Right Shoe Massimo Pietrantoni, podiatrist with Rochester Podiatry in Rochester, gave a few tips for shoe shopping: • “Do it when the feet are the largest, which means at the end of the day. Don’t try them on in the morning because at the end of the day the feet are swollen. • “Wear socks the same size and thickness that you’d wear with that style of shoes. • “Have both feet measured every time you buy shoes. Over the course of your life, your feet will get longer, wider and flatter. The shoes you wore at 25 won’t fit at 65. • “If you use inserts or orthotics, bring those to make sure the new shoes will accommodate them. • “One foot is usually wider and longer than the other. A brannock device, which is a foot measuring tool Page 18

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used by shoe stores, can help. • “Most people think their big toe is the longest but many times the second toe is longer, and so use the longest toe to measure your shoe size. • “If there’s a size variance, go with the size of the larger foot. • “Don’t rely upon marked sizes in the shoes. They vary between brands. • “Try shoes on that you buy. • “Try various styles when you’re buying them because one style may be looser than the other. You don’t want uncomfortable rubbing on the forefoot or heel. • “If the shoes don’t fit you properly that day you try them on, don’t buy them.”

Charles F. Coyle, Jr., podiatrist with a private practice in Rochester.

IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper • August 2011

Golden Years

For Seniors There’s No Place Like Home

Home healthcare helps elderly, ill By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

s Dorothy put it in The Wizard of Oz, “There’s no place like home.” For seniors or younger people with disabilities facing independence issues, living at home can be challenging. Home healthcare represents one way they can stay more independent. “It’s a much better atmosphere at home,” said June Castle, president and CEO of Finger Lakes Visiting Nurse Service in Geneva. “They can have their services provided in a place where they are comfortable.” “And people prefer to be in their own homes,” added Margaret Wiant, director of public relations for the private, non-profit home care agency, which serves Ontario, Wayne, Seneca and Yates counties. Of course some patients’ medical needs cannot be accommodated at home, “but if you’re on your way to recovery and you can be home but need additional assistance, I think home care is the way to go,” Castle said. Some people need only minimal assistance to stay at home and do not really need skilled nursing care. Many factors are behind the increased popularity of home healthcare. As the baby boomer generation ages, a larger number of people need healthcare and in-home care seems to be the preferred option to the generation that has come to expect customizable services. “It is often more desirable because it allows the individual to age in place in their own home,” said Tom Richardson, PhD and vice president of HCR Homecare in Rochester. Home healthcare will only increase in popularity. The Bureau of Labor Statistic’s “Career Guide to Industries” 2010-2011 edition, states that home healthcare employment will increase 46 percent by 2018. Mark McDermott, president of Touching Hearts at Home in Rochester, said, “The greater awareness of the availability of services in the home as opposed to having to go to a building to receive that service, is increasing the popularity of home healthcare.” Cost is another factor. Care in a skilled facility or hospital ranges in the hundreds of dollars per day. Homebased service tends to be more of an a la carte pay rate. HCR, for example, charges $20 to $25 an hour for home health aide assistance and requires only a one-hour minimum. Most agencies charge hourly rates, unlike at a skilled care facility, where the care and the cost it incurs are continual. “If a nurse comes in once every week or three weeks, you’re only charged for the times you’re seen,” Castle said. “A lot of our services are covered by Medicare, Medicaid, HMO

Medicare products and commercial insurance. We have very little self-pay. “This is a very much cost-effective way of providing services.” Insurers have every reason to pay for home healthcare because of the savings it offers. “Many long-term care insurance policies provide coverage for the use of home healthcare in those instances when that care is not covered by traditional health insurance,” Richardson said. “As long-term care insurance policy holders become more prevalent, so will its impact on the growth of home health care usage. Finally, legislation changes in the last decade now allow individuals receiving health insurance benefits from Medicare or Medicaid who wish to remain in their homes to do so, rather than move into a skilled nursing facility as they once would have been required.” The fewer medical services provided, the less expensive a home-based service is. Touching Hearts’ rates are around $17 to $21 per hour. The agency offers non-medical companion care services, which include social companionship, housekeeping, laundry, meal preparation, transportation, pet care, shopping, and medication reminders. “Companion care service is still a new idea to a lot of people,” McDermott said. “Everyone gets the visiting nurse and home health aide, but many don’t think about asking for the types of services we provide. So often I hear, ‘that’s a great idea.’” For people who are basically healthy but are lonesome and physically are unable to take care of a household, companion care services can help them delay entering a skilled nursing facility and the additional costs related to that higher level of care. But some clients receive Touching Hearts’ services while living in an assisted living or skilled nursing facility. “We can supplement what the staff is able to do,” McDermott said. “There are many facilities in the area who welcome our presence. It helps keep their residents happier where they are. Even at excellent senior care communities, they sometimes can’t devote that one on one attention.” Traditional home healthcare involves medical personnel helping with health issues. Most offer skilled nursing services by registered nurses, including managing an illness or injury, post–treatment home care needs, diet, nutrition and self-administration of medications. “It’s our job to help patients transition back home and work with the hospitals to prevent re-hospitalizations, which is very costly,” Wiant said. “We want them to get the same level of care August 2011 •

Nurse wrapping a patient’s knee at the patient’s home. Photo provided by HCR Homecare in Rochester. as in a hospital.” Nurses can administrate infusion therapy and care for wounds, ostomies, pressure ulcers, incontinence and other ongoing health needs. Most agencies provide rehabilitative services such as physical, occupational and speech therapies. These services can help clients maintain mobility, regain independence and assist with activities of daily living such as personal care, dressing, and meal preparation. Home health aides focus on aspects of daily living without the medical piece. Social workers help clients choose community services that meet their needs such as transportation and financial guidance. As technology advances, companies including Finger Lakes Visiting Nurse Services offer “tele-health” services, which helps personnel remotely keep tabs on clients’ health by monitoring readouts transmitted via telephone from home-based equipment, including clients’ heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen saturation levels, and more. “Having these monitors in their homes can keep them from having to go back into the hospital,” Wiant said. Most home healthcare companies offer respite care for families who are normally are the primary caregivers but need a temporary break to go on vacation or because they are ill. Most agencies have a mix of disabled, ill and elderly clients with the lion’s share of them elderly. “There’s often initial reluctance for the senior to accept help,” McDermott

said. “Sometimes that’s generational and other times it’s a cost concern. Once the services are accepted and the ice is broken, there’s a very successful rate of acceptance.” McDermott concedes that informal home care performed by family and friends “sometimes is the best way” but other times it’s not. “An agency like ours has worker’s compensation insurance and our workers are bonded. We have liability insurance and we supervise and oversee the services being provided. In many ways, this is a more safe and secure means of providing the services as opposed to people informally offering the care.” Agencies such as Touching Hearts also conduct thorough background screening, including a national criminal background check and driving record check. “A friend of the family might be helping but what’s really known about that person?” McDermott said. The help of a familiar person may be more readily received by a senior, but others prefer the businesslike relationship with a stranger that does not bear obligation other than monetary. “We want to make sure we meet the needs of those in the community,” Wiant said. “The boomers are coming of age. With looking at health care reform and the ways health care delivery is changing, home healthcare can help make sure patients are receiving services in the most cost-effective way. Our mission is to make sure we’re meeting that need.”

IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper

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Page 19

The Social Ask Security Ofﬁce

What They Want You to Know:

Podiatrists

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

merican Podiatric Medical Association in Bethesda, Md., recommends visiting the US Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook’s site for a description of this medical specialty: “Podiatrists, also known as doctors of podiatric medicine (DPMs), diagnose and treat disorders, diseases, and injuries of the foot and lower leg.” • “The main focus of a podiatry exam is to prevent someone from getting in trouble with their feet rather than get them out of trouble. • “Your foot carries your full body weight with impact to the ground thousands of times a day. It needs to be protected. The main reason for foot gear in our society is not necessarily for support. It’s not necessarily to have something that goes well with the rest of your outfit. They’re designed for protecting your feet against the elements we encounter in day to day society: broken bottles, tree roots, irregular pavement, and inside the house with corners of end tables, and toothpicks left in the rug. • “Your podiatrist is there to assist you in preventing foot problems and dealing with them if they develop. • “In 2011, especially with the female population, they are much more sensible with their footwear than 25 years ago. If you go to the mall or market, you put on athletic shoes, not 3-inch spike heels. Or those who work in a law office or bank, many women drive to work in athletic shoes and carry the dress shoes in a bag and switch to the athletic shoes for a run during lunch time. • “A lot of this has to do with the desire to be competitive in society, not just look good at work. We deal a lot with athletes and the problems athletes can get involved with. Runners are a big part of our patient population.” Charles F. Coyle, Jr., podiatrist with a private practice in Rochester and is a past-president of the Podiatry Association of New York Monroe County Division. • “Podiatry involves not only foot surgery, but also podiatric medicine.

It’s not just corns and calluses. We treat all foot pain, tendinitis, heel pain, bunions, hammer toes, neuromas and diabetic neuropathy to name a few. • “We fit people for diabetic shoes and orthotics. We typically try conservative care such as pads, orthotics and better shoes first before surgery. • “The majority of podiatrists are surgically trained and can correct most any foot deformity as needed. • “The difference between a podiatrist and foot and ankle orthopedist is that we have a strong biomechanics and orthotics foundation as well as podiatric medicine. In addition, we do quite a bit of wound care and diabetic foot care. A podiatrist can perform most any foot surgery. Jn some states we perform foot, ankle and leg surgery. • “We’re the best and most trained professionals to make custom orthotics. [Other professionals] try to make orthotics and they’re not as trained as a podiatrist would be. • “Most people don’t know the difference between inserts and orthotics. An insert is like a pair of reading glasses at Wal-Mart. A custom orthotic is like a pair of glasses from an optometrist. A custom mold is taken of the feet. The individual’s particular biomechanics x-rays and foot pain is examined closely to produce the proper custom orthotics. • “Follow our instructions. It’s really important. If you have the best podiatrist in the world but don’t follow his or her instructions, you won’t get the optimal result.” Massimo Pietrantoni, podiatrist with Rochester Podiatry in 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.

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Column provided by the local Social Security Office

People With A Disability Can Get a Ticket To Work

illions of Americans receive disability benefits from Social Security and there could be good news for many of those who want to work. A free and voluntary program called Ticket to Work gives individuals who receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security disability benefits access to meaningful employment while maintaining control over benefit choices. Ed Bairos, a farmer and mechanic, went back to the work he loved with the help of the Ticket program. He began receiving Social Security disability benefits after suffering from severe arthritis, complicated by a knee injury that would require 20 surgeries. He was concerned about losing the cash payments and health care he needed to survive and worried that employers might not want to hire him. Then Bairos learned about the Ticket to Work program when he received a notice in the mail from Social Security. The notice was a “ticket” that Bairos could use with an employment network of his choosing. Employment networks are organizations that offer specialized services such as career counseling, job search assistance, vocational rehabilitation and training. Bairos decided to use his ticket with an employment network and returned to work. He continued to receive health care and cash benefits because of work

Q&A

Q: What should I do if an employee gives me a Social Security number but cannot produce the card? A: Seeing the card is not as important as putting the correct information on the worker’s Form W-2. You can verify employee Social Security numbers by using the Social Security Number Verification Service. Just go to www.socialsecurity.gov/bso. This online service allows registered employers to verify employee Social Security numbers against Social Security records for wage reporting purposes. If the employee recently applied for a Social Security number but does not yet have a card when you must file the paper Form W-2, enter the words “Applied for” on the Form W-2. If you are filing electronically, enter all zeros (e.g., 000-00-0000) in the Social Security number field. When the employee receives the card, file Copy A of Form W-2C, Corrected Wage and Tax Statement with Social Security to show the employee’s number. Q: How can I estimate my retirement benefit at several different ages? A: It’s easy! Use our Retirement Estimator at www.socialsecurity.gov/ estimator to get a retirement benefit

IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper • August 2011

incentives, which are special considerations that make it easier for beneficiaries to explore whether going back to work is right for them. Pleased with Bairos’ industry knowledge and skills as a farm manager, his employer gave him a promotion and a raise. Now he is self-sufficient, working for another division within the company. Bairos earns more money than he would have by relying solely on disability benefits. By using his Ticket, Bairos’ medical reviews were put on hold and he is eligible to receive Medicare coverage for up to eight and a half years after discontinuing his disability payments. “Returning to work has made me whole again, especially being able to work in the area that I love. My selfesteem was at its lowest when I wasn’t working and on disability. Returning to work not only improved my self-worth but also my financial wealth. The Ticket to Work program and the ability to keep my Medicare was the reason I was able to return to work,” he said. If you receive Social Security or SSI benefits due to disability, are between 18 and 64 years old and want to work, getting started is easy. Visit www.socialsecurity.gov/work for more information on the Ticket to Work program and work incentives. You also may call (866) 968- 7842 (TDD (866) 833-2967) to learn how going back to work may affect your benefits.

estimate based on current law and real time access to your earnings record. The Retirement Estimator also lets you create additional “what if” retirement scenarios to find out how changes in your situation might change your future benefit amount. It’s also available in Spanish at www.segurosocial. gov/calculador. Q: If both my spouse and I are entitled to Social Security benefits, is there any reduction in our payments because we are married? A: No. We calculate lifetime earnings independently to determine each spouse’s Social Security benefit amount. When each member of a married couple meets all other eligibility requirements to receive Social Security retirement benefits, each spouse receives a monthly benefit amount based on his or her own earnings. Couples are not penalized because they are married. If one member of the couple earned low wages or failed to earn enough Social Security credits (40) to be insured for retirement benefits, he or she may be eligible to receive benefits as a spouse based on the spouse’s work record. Learn more about spouse benefits at www.socialsecurity.gov/retire2/yourspouse.htm.

More kids living with grandparents

I By Jim Miller

How to Find Affordable Dental Care Dear Savvy Senior, Where can seniors turn to find affordable dental care? I had dental insurance through my work for many years but lost it when I retired. What can you tell me? Flossing Frank Dear Frank, Very few U.S. retirees have dental insurance today. Without coverage from traditional Medicare, and with private dental insurance typically costing too much to be feasible, most seniors are stuck paying full out-ofpocket prices every time they visit a dentist. While there’s no one simple solution to affordable dental care there are a variety of options that can help cut your costs. Here’s what you should know. Dental Discounts

One way you may be able to trim your dental care cost is by simply asking your dentist for a senior discount, especially if you’re paying up front. Out-of-pocket payers save the dentist’s office the cost and hassle of filing an insurance claim, so asking for a small 10 percent discount is not unreasonable. Another cost-effective way to reduce your dental expenses is to join a dental discount network. How this works is you pay an annual membership fee — roughly $80 to $200 a year — in exchange for 15 to 50 percent discounts on service and treatments from participating dentists. To find a network, go to dentalplans.com (or call 888-632-5353) where you can search for plans and participating dentists by zip code, as well as get a breakdown of the discounts offered. Brighter (brighter.com, 866-8931694), which launched in May in all states except Florida, Montana and Vermont, is another discounted dental service you should check out. It gives subscribers access to a network of 25,000 dentists offering 20 to 60 percent discounts on cleanings, crowns, implants, root canals and other procedures. You can sign up for a free one-month plan or opt for the premium plan, which costs $79 per year for individuals and families.

Low-Cost Care

Another way to get dental care at a lower price is at a dental school clinic. Almost every dental school in the U.S. [including

the Eastman Dental, part of the University of Rochester Medical Center in Rochester] offers affordable care provided by dental students who are overseen by experienced, qualified teachers. You can expect to pay as little as a third of what a traditional dentist would charge and still receive excellent, well-supervised care. And for low-cost teeth cleanings, check with local colleges that offer dental hygiene programs. For training purposes, many programs provide teeth cleanings by their students for a fraction of what you’d pay at a dentists office. To locate dental schools or dental hygiene programs in your area visit www.ada.org/267.aspx.

n 2009, 7.8 million children lived with at least one grandparent, a 64 percent increase since 1991 when 4.7 million children lived with a grandparent, according to a new report from the U.S. Census Bureau. Among children living with a grandparent, 76 percent also were living with at least one parent in 2009, not statistically different from the 77 percent who lived with at least one parent in 1991. “The people with whom children live affect their well-being,” said Rose Kreider, a family demographer with the U.S. Census Bureau. “These statistics give us a lot of detail about the number of parents children live with, as well as whether they live with siblings, grandparents or other relatives.” These statistics released in July come from the household relationship module of the Survey of Income and Program Participation collected in 2009 and published in the report Living Arrangements of Children: 2009. In 1991, 5 percent of white, 15 percent of black and 12 percent of Hispanic children lived with at least one grandparent. By 2009, 9 percent of white, 17 percent of black and 14 percent of Hispanic children lived with

Low Income Care

If you’re strapped for cash, there are other resources that provide dental care to seniors at a reduced rate or for free. Here’s where to look: • Health centers: Federally-funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), there are thousands of health centers around the U.S., many of which provide discounted or free dental care to people based on financial need. To find a center near you visit findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov or call 877-464-4772. • Local services: There are a few states, as well as some local programs or clinics that offer discounted dental care to those with limited means. To find out what may be available in your area, check with your state dental director (see astdd.org for contact information), or your state or local dental society (see ada.org/statelocalorg. aspx). • Dental Life Network: Offers several programs that provide free dental care for elderly and disabled people who can’t afford to pay. To learn more or to apply for care in your state, visit nfdh.org or call 888-471-6334.

Savvy Tip

The best way to keep your dental costs down is through prevention and good oral hygiene. So remember to brush your teeth at least twice a day using fluoride toothpaste, floss daily and get routine checkups every six months or at least once a year.

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. August 2011 •

at least one grandparent, a significant change for white children but not for black or Hispanic children. Many children who do not live with a parent live with a grandparent. More than half of the children living with no parents were living with grandparents. Percentages for black children (64 percent) and non-Hispanic white children (55 percent) did not differ from Hispanic children (61 percent), but the percentage of Asian children living with no parents who lived with grandparents was lower, at 35 percent. In 2009, 69 percent of the 74.1 million children under 18 lived with two parents. Four percent (2.9 million) of all children lived with both a mother and father who were not married to each other. Between 1991 and 2009, children living with only their mother increased from 21 percent to 24 percent. The percentage of children living with their mother without a father present varied widely among race and origin groups in 2009, from 8 percent for Asian children to 50 percent for black children. Seventeen percent of non-Hispanic white children and 26 percent of Hispanic children also lived with their mother only.

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r. James Szalados seems comfortable surrounded by knowledge. Bookshelves in the office of his Hilton home reach from floor to ceiling, putting thick tomes on medicine, history, law and other subjects within arm’s reach of his desk. For more distant sources of information, he needs only look up at the large computer screen on a far wall. The close proximity of all those words and ideas seems fitting for someone who has studied and practiced medicine and law. Szalados took office on May 3.

benefit that you receive under your health insurance for your medication. The prescriptions are issued into a computer on behalf of the patient, and are delivered to the home. They [prescribing physicians] would type in the prescription electronically for a patient and hit the “send” button. If they realized that they made an error for that prescription, there was no way to recall it. The only way you could fix that was to send out another prescription. Not only was there a potential cost inconvenience, there was a potential safety inconvenience—patients might take the wrong dose, or might get confused and take both. This is a very important patient safety issue that was brought to our attention at the Monroe County Medical Society by physicians. We brought this to the attention of the leadership of that particular insurer, and we’re working very closely [with it] and hoping to find a solution in the very near future.

Q. You were born in Canada, but your family hails from Eastern Europe. Can you tell us something of your history? A. I grew up in Montreal—that’s where I was born. My parents came from Hungary in 1956, during the Hungarian revolution. My father, Imre Szalados, was a revolutionary—he was what they called a “freedom fighter.” He was very active in trying to preserve the Hungarian way of life as it was before the Soviets took control. He was on the front line when the tanks rolled in. He could have stayed, and got shot. He escaped. I learned how to speak Hungarian first, then next I learned French, then I went on to learn English. Q. What about the practice of medicine draws your enthusiasm? A. I became a physician because that is truly who I am. I love being able to apply my knowledge to help people. No two patients are ever the same, and because of that no two diseases are ever the same. If you take the combination of disease and patient it’s almost an infinite number of combinations. You put all this together, and it’s solving a puzzle. That, to me, is intensely challenging and satisfying. Q. What led you to study medicine in the Caribbean? A. I knew I wanted to be a physician. Canada has a lot less medical schools, and therefore a lot more competition, and a lot less opportunity in terms of getting into medical school than the U.S. has. I knew also that I could not afford to come to the U.S. as a Canadian—coming to an American medical school just was not in my financial plans—so I went to the Caribbean, which at that time was an evolving alternative. The education I got in the Caribbean was first-class— almost all of our professors were from the mainland, and came up to teach a variety of the different curricula. I did clinicals at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, at Boston University, at a number of the different teaching hospitals in Boston and around Boston. I feel that my clinical training was outstanding. I then went on to match in my first choice of residency, which at that time was general surgery. I got a tremendous amount of experience there. Q. What turned you away from surgery to the study and practice of anesthesia? A. I realized that I wasn’t as interested in surgery, especially general surgery, as I thought I would be. I chose it [anesthesiology] because I like to take care of patients that are very sick. The relationship is somewhat different; the skill set, the knowledge set, is somewhat different. Q. How is the doctor-patient relationship different? A. I have a connection with the patient. You certainly will trust your surgeon, but for the fact that you met your anesthesiologist five minutes Page 22

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A Conversation with

James Szalados

Q. Medical practices and facilities around the region are experiencing a shortage of primary and family care physicians. How does the Monroe County Medical Society plan to approach this problem in the immediate future? A. There’s a huge shortage of family physicians. We have a strong representation by primary care physicians on our board. We’re strategizing ways to increase family practitioners in this area by taking advantage of some of the regulatory changes that have come along. Many of the counties around Monroe County have now been designated as what we call HPSA’s, Health Provider Shortage Areas, allowing physicians to have certain elements of loan forgiveness. Were using that as a recruitment tool—it is a very attractive way to get physicians into primary care practices around Rochester. We are also working with practices to make sure they are fully informed about these regulatory changes.

New president of Monroe County Medical Society speaks three languages and has degrees in medicine, law and business administration. Lifelines He talks about his background and the challenges Medical Practice: Anesthesiologist, Westside Anesthesiology Associates of Rochester facing the Monroe County Medical Society By Mike Costanza before surgery—and you’re going to trust your life with that person—the connection has to be intense. It’s not about putting patients to sleep. It really is about waking up safe and comfortable—that’s what anesthesiology is really about. For that anesthetic, for that surgery, I have nothing else on my mind but that patient. It’s an intensely satisfying experience. Q. You then went on to acquire an Master of Business Administration degree, and a master’s degree in health administration. Why do so? A. As I became a physician, I realized that physicians have to be involved in directing the practice of medicine. The MBA, the master of health administration were both a natural progression of my need to become involved in shaping the future of heath care, at least in the world around me. I went on to get involved in leading departments, programs, leading hospitals, and now the medical society, in trying to be in the forefront of hopefully shaping and responding to the regulatory, the legal, the administrative mandates that are imposed on the practice of medicine from outside the field. Q. And how about law school? A. I went to law school very much

for the same reason. I realized that there was no aspect of medicine which wasn’t in some way impacted by law, whether it be contracts, malpractice, peer review, reimbursement if you wish, [or] public health. My own law practice is primarily focused in the area of business law. I do work for physicians and hospitals and medical groups. I set up companies for doctors and partnerships. I also do a lot of contract work—I write contracts, review contracts, and do work with contractual disputes. I also do some elder law, including the issues of estate planning, living wills, and end of life care. I’ve also published extensively in the fields of managed care litigation and of food and drug administration law, and I’m recognized in the legal arena as an expert in both of those fields. Q. What challenges do you see for the Monroe County Medical Society in the coming year? A. Recently, there was an issue that came across our radar screen for physicians who were using the pharmacy benefit manager associated with a particular insurer [which Szalados did not name]. If you are insured by insurer “X,” they contract with an online-type pharmacy, called a “pharmacy benefits manager,” who administers the specific

IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper • August 2011

LLP, and critical care physician, Unity Hospital, 1555 Long Pond Road, Rochester. Administrative positions: Medical director, surgical intensive care unit, Rochester General Hospital. Academic positions: Professor of anesthesiology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry. Legal practice: The Law Ofﬁce of James Szalados. Education: JD, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, School of Law; MBA and MHA, Pfeiffer University at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC; MD, American University of the Caribbean, Montserrat, British West Indies; Bachelor of Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Residencies: Anesthesiology resident and chief resident, University of Rochester Medical Center; intern, general surgery, The Brooklyn Hospital, Brooklyn, NY. Fellowships: critical care medicine, University of Rochester; liver transplantation anesthesiology and intensive care, Presbyterian University Hospital, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; research fellow, anesthesiology, McGill University. Personal: The 51-year-old is a native of Montreal, Canada, but became a US citizen in 2001 [He will turn 52 in August]. Szalados has been married for 20 years to his wife, Doris, with whom he enjoys traveling and spending time in the outdoors. He also enjoys reading and kayaking, and is learning to sail.

H ealth News John Valvo joins Titan Medical as vice president Toronto-based Titan Medical Inc. recently announced that it has appointed John R. Valvo as vice president of medical affairs, effective immediately. The Rochester-based physician will work for the company on a “as needed” basis. “Dr. Valvo joins Titan Medical at a vital point in our company’s stage of development,” said the company’s CEO Craig Leon,. “His wealth of knowledge and expertise in robotic surgery will be an important asset in building a novel robotic surgical platform, leading our world-class medical affairs team, and supporting the clinical launch and commercialization of Amadeus. Since his appointment Valvo to our medical advisory board nearly a year ago, he has provided innovative thought and leadership, and I am pleased to welcome him to the Titan Medical management team.” “I look forward to working as an integral member of the Titan core team, preparing Amadeus for scientific and clinical trials, future commercialisation, and helping to expand Titan Medical’s portfolio,” commented Valvo. Valvo is the chief of urology and executive director of robotic and minimally invasive surgery at Rochester General Hospital in Rochester. Following a 20-year career performing open surgery, Valvo founded the robotic program at Rochester General Hospital in early 2004, which currently ranks in the top four percent of robotic surgeries in the United States with over 30

robotic surgeons and over 4,000 robotic surgeries performed to date. Titan Medical Inc. is a Canadian public company focused on the development and commercialization of robotic surgical technologies. The company is currently developing Amadeus, a next generation 4armed robotic surgical system, with the objective of enabling surgeons to remotely manipulate surgical instruments.

WXXI’s series, Second Opinion, wins two Communicator Awards The national healthcare series Second Opinion, produced by WXXI, the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC), and West 175 Productions, brought home two Communicator Awards of Distinction in the category of Health and Wellness. The Communicator Awards, presented by the International Academy of the Visual Arts, is the leading international awards program honoring creative excellence for communications professionals. Second Opinion’s “Spinal Cord Injury” and “Bipolar Disorder” episodes garnered the awards. Hosted by Dr. Peter Salgo and filmed at WXXI’s Studios, Second Opinion presents actual medical cases to a panel of experts to debate the pros and cons of diagnostic testing, interpret test results, and prescribe the best course of action. Dr. Roger Oskvig, associate professor at URMC, serves as the series chief medical advisor. In the award-winning “Spinal Cord Injury” episode, Dr. Brad Berk,

Thompson welcomes new board members Thompson Health recently welcomed Randall Farnsworth, owner of Randall Farnsworth Auto Group, to its health system board of directors. Farnsworth was elected to a three-year term after serving three years on the foundation board. He is also a member of the hospital’s finance committee. Thompson also recently welcomed new members to its foundation and properties boards. Lewis Gould, an attorney with Chamberlain D’Amanda, and Srinivas Kaza, a physician with Lakeside Ear, Nose, Throat and Allergy, have joined the foundation doard for one-year terms. Dale Hunt, a private businessman, will serve on the properties board. Hunt has also been a member of the foundation board for three years. The system board currently includes William Kenyon, chairman; Ronald Knight, vice chairman; Brian Meath, secretary; Robert Sands, treasurer; Linda Farchione, R. Douglas Alling, James H. Barr, Dianne Cooney Miner, Richard Cutri, Ellie Fralick, Ronald Hainen, George W. Hamlin IV, chairman emeritus; Richard H. Hawks Jr., Paul Hudson, Thomas Kubiak, Deborah Price and Carl Sahler. Current members of the foundation

board include Thomas Kubiak, chairman; Daniel Fuller, vice chairman; Linda Farchione, Christopher Mahan, David Case, Lauren Dixon, Randall Farnsworth, Dale Hunt, Candy Obourn, Wanda Polisseni, Marilyn Sands, Wade Sarkis and Jeffrey Siewert. Also serving on the properties board are Steven Swartout, chairman; Richard McGavern, vice chairman; Mark Prunoske, treasurer; Linda

the CEO of the URMC shares his story of the bicycle accident that severely injured his spinal cord. Berk is joined by his wife Mary Berk, and by spinal cord injury patient Charlie Durkee. Durkee shares the trials he has faced since his accident, which left him paralyzed at the age of 22. In the “Bipolar Disorder” episode Second Opinion’s panelists look at this brain disorder that causes unusual shifts in mood, energy, activity levels, and the ability to carry out dayto-day tasks. Symptoms can result in damaged relationships, poor job or school performance, and even suicide. Second Opinion’s executive producers are Elissa Orlando and Elizabeth Brock. Fiona Willis is the series producer. Blue Cross Blue Shield Association nationally underwrites the series. Second Opinion airs Fridays at 10 p.m. and Saturdays at 3 p.m. on WXXI-TV/HD, and on more than 250 PBS stations across the country. To learn more about the series visit www.SecondOpinon-TV.org.

Farchione, James Kibler, Bonnie Ross and Michael Stapleton.

Lawrence Piselli appointed at Unity Living Center Lawrence Piselli has been selected vice president/administrator of the Unity Living Center, a 120-bed skilled

Rochester General Hospital: 4,000 Minimally Invasive Robotic Surgery Program ranks among the busiest in U.S. and serves as a global observation center Rochester General Hospital’s robotics program, the largest in the region, reached its 4,000th case in June. The robust volume of procedures places RGH among the top 3 percent in the nation for robotic urological procedures; the top 5 percent in the nation for robotic gynecological procedures; and, among the top 5 institutions in the nation performing colorectal procedures with the robotic system. “This is a truly remarkable milestone for Rochester General Hospital,” said John Valvo, the hospital’s director of robotics program. “It is testimony to the dedication of a committed administration and an expert staff.” Since the installation of its first daVinci Surgical System in 2004, Rochester General has become one of the nation’s elite robotic surgery programs, and one of the most diverse, offering high-tech, minimally

invasive options for urologic, gynecologic and colorectal cancer treatment. Rochester General is also one of just four “case observation centers” in the world, and draws visiting physicians from around the country who come to observe the latest techniques being pioneered by RGH surgeons. Rochester General’s robotic surgery program features two, state-ofthe-art daVinci Robotic Surgery systems, including the latest generation “Streamlined Integration” (SI) HD version, which replaced the original system installed five years ago. The SI HD is just the latest daVinci system in the RGH lineup. In 2008, Rochester General Hospital became the first hospital in Upstate New York to implement the daVinci S HD Surgical System, the world’s first robotic surgical system with three-dimensional, high-definition vision This system gives surgeons

twice the effective viewing resolution for improved clarity and detail of tissue and critical anatomy and enables them to offer patients minimally invasive procedures – including treatment of conditions as diverse as prostate cancer and hysterectomies – that result in less pain, discomfort, blood loss and a quicker return to normal activities. The use of robotics takes minimally invasive techniques into a new era, further minimizing the physical and emotional impact of surgery on patients. Robotically-assisted MIS represents a third generation of surgery, one which builds upon the advances to open surgery introduced by MIS. Robotic technology takes surgery beyond the limits of the human hand, introducing precise, versatile instrument movement combined with three-dimensional visualization of

August 2011 •

the operative site. Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) allows physicians to perform many kinds of major surgery — performed through small incisions, which replace the large incisions needed for conventional open surgeries – resulting in less patient trauma and pain According to the hospital, the benefits of MIS are numerous. Traditional surgery often requires a lengthy hospital stay and weeks of recovery. With minimally invasive surgery, the goal is to accomplish internal repair while leaving the body surface as natural as it was prior to surgery. Minimally Invasive surgery, including robotic typically results in the following benefits for patients: smaller incisions and less scarring; less bleeding during the procedure; ;ess post-operative pain and discomfort; shorter hospital stay; and a quicker return to everyday life.

IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper

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H ealth News nursing facility, located on the Unity St. Mary’s Campus, 89 Genesee St. He comes to Unity Health System from Delaware Nursing and Rehabilitation Center Inc., a 200-bed skilled nursing and sub acute rehabilitation facility in Buffalo. He has more than 25 years of long Piselli term care experience, with nearly 20 years serving in an administrative role. Piselli, a resident of West Seneca, near Buffalo, is a member of the American College of Health Care Administrators, and the New York Health Facilities Association. The Unity Living Center is recognized locally and regionally as a leader in caring for older adults. The center focuses on providing treatment and rehabilitative care for patients with medically complex needs, dementia, and behavioral challenges.

St. Ann’s elects new board of directors Marie R. Castagnaro, Paula Dolan and Mario Urso have recently been elected to the St. Ann’s of Greater Rochester Inc. board of directors. Thomas Tette was elected to the St. Ann’s Foundation, Inc. board of directors. Marie R. Castagnaro is the treasurer and chief financial officer of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Rochester. Previously, she was the president and chief executive officer of St. Joseph’s Hospital in Elmira for approximately 22 years. She also served the hospital in preceding years as executive vice president and chief operating officer, vice president, clinical services, planning assistant, and administrative resident. Among other awards, Castagnaro she has received a prestigious Athena Award, a New York State Woman of Distinction Award and a Centurion Award. Paula Dolan is a senior compensation/human resources consultant for Burke Group and has accumulated more than 30 years of human resources and general management experience. She specializes in executive compensation and employee benefits. She is also the pension and communis Dolan board member for Rochester’s Catholic Diocese, and is a board member for the Lyric Chorale. Thomas Tette is the chief financial officer of SenDEC Corporation and serves as secretary, treasurer and chief accountant. Before joining SenDEC in 1995, Tette was controller for Champion Moving and Storage in Rochester, where he consolidated Page 24

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the debt structure, improved cash flow, introduced a 401K plan, and computerized payroll. He was also employed as controller for G.P. Improvements and worked in various positions at General Signal Corporation, including vice president and general Tette manager of the Spitfire Tool & Machine Division. Mario Urso, a certified public accountant, is a partner in the Bonadio Group, overseeing the firm’s healthcare and tax-exempt organizations practice division. His experience includes providing professional services, including business valuations, tax planning, and merger and acquisition consulting, to a wide Urso range of healthcare organizations. Urso serves on the SeniorsFirst board of directors and the Lakes Chapter Board of the American Cancer Society. He is a fellow of the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA) and a member of both the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants.

Eye & Tissue Bank has new administrative director Loel Turpin of Honeoye Falls has been hired as administrative director at Finger Lakes Eye & Tissue Bank (FLETB). In this role she is responsible for all administration, programs and operations at the eye and tissue bank. Turpin previously worked as a senior technical associate, department of microbiology and immunology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester. She has more than 25 years of experience in the field of research and seven years of tissue banking Turpin experience, two of which were with the eye and tissue bank as a tissue bank coordinator. The Finger Lakes Eye & Tissue Bank is a nonprofit agency serving the Central, Northern and Southern Tier regions of the stare. The agency recovers ocular, musculoskeletal, skin and cardiovascular tissues for transplant and research. FLETB is accredited by the Eye Bank Association of America and licensed by New York state.

Thompson Foundation announces grants The F.F. Thompson Foundation has announced the spring 2011 recipients of

Pennino is RGHS’s new chief of surgery Ralph Pennino has been named the new chief of surgery for Rochester General Health System (RGHS). Pennino has held the role of interim chief of surgery since January when Ralph Doerr retired. “As chief of surgery of our system, Dr. Pennino will lead the work currently underway to make RGHS the highest quality and safest surgical program anywhere in the country,” said said Mark C. Clement, president and CEO of RGHS. “He will Pennino also help lead continued clinical integration of surgical services across the system and advancement of clinical partnerships with affiliated providers in the secondary service area.” Pennino’s appointment follows an extensive national search in which a number of highly qualified and interested candidates were considered for the position. “Dr. Pennino quickly emerged as the consensus choice,” said Richard Gangemi, senior vice president of medical and academic affairs. “Dr. Pennino is well-known to and highly respected by Rochester General Health System family and the larger Rochester community.”

the Mary Clark Thompson Community Health Grants. They are: • The Partnership for Ontario County’s Pikes Peak Project • The Back Pack Program at Marcus Whitman Central School District • The Salvation Army, for its Senior Exercise and Nutrition Program • The American Red Cross for its Super Saturday CPR Training Program • Finger Lakes Visiting Nurse Service’s 13th Annual Caring for the Caregivers Conference • The Youth Development Initiative developed by With Youth, For Youth • The City of Canandaigua Fire Rescue, to provide Thermal Imaging Training for the Canandaigua Fire Department Mary Clark Thompson Community Health Grants Program enables the foundation to invest directly in organizations and projects, promoting and enhancing the health and well-being of the community. The foundation awards grants twice a year, in the fall and spring, to local organizations with projects or programs that demonstrate both Thompson Health’s mission and dedication to the betterment of ther region. These grants are in

IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper • August 2011

As a plastic, reconstructive and hand surgeon in private practice with the Plastic Surgery Group of Rochester and chief of plastic surgery for Rochester General Health System, he joined the staff of RGH in July 1987 and has served as associate chief of surgery for Rochester General Health System since May 1, 2001. Pennino earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame, and received his medical degree from Georgetown University Medical School. He completed a plastic surgical residency and hand fellowship at the University of New Mexico, general surgical residency at the University of Rochester Medical Center, and an aesthetic fellowship at Manhattan Eye, Ear, Nose, and Throat Hospital in New York. Pennino is board certified in hand surgery, plastic surgery, and laser surgery. He is also a clinical associate professor of surgery at the University of Rochester Medical Center and an adjunct professor at Rochester Institute of Technology. In addition to his surgical and administrative responsibilities, Pennino is widely respected and recognized for co-founding InterVol, the non-profit international humanitarian organization that provides critical medical supplies, equipment, and services to people in need around the globe. Pennino resides in Victor with his wife and three children.

keeping with the community-minded philanthropy of Mary Clark Thompson, founder of F.F. Thompson Hospital. For more information about the fall grant process, contact Anita Pietropaolo, associate director of the F.F. Thompson Foundation, at 585-3966671.

Rochester Immediate Care opens second facility Rochester Immediate Care recently opened its second location in Webster. Located at 1065 Ridge Road, the immediate care is a new, fully appointed and staffed medical facility providing medical care for nonlife-threatening injuries and illness, offering both access and speed when a personal physician is not available and a trip to the emergency department will likely disrupt an entire day or evening and cost significantly more. The newly constructed facility features a welcoming lobby and waiting area, 12 new exam and two treatment rooms, and is equipped with X-ray, laboratory and other diagnostic capabilities. Led by medical director, physician Pam Sullivan, nurses, physician assistants and other

H ealth News board certified physicians care for all patients. RIC accepts most insurance coverage, including Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, MVP, Medicare, POMCO, CIGNA and other health care plans. Managed by The Exigence Group, LLC of Amherst, Rochester Immediate Care — Webster is the company’s second facility in the Rochester area and eighth facility overall; it manages four immediate care facilities in the Buffalo area and one in Austin, Texas. Rochester Immediate Care opened May of 2010 in Greece .

Rochester Youth Violence Partnership wins award The American Hospital Association (AHA) honored five programs nationwide — one in Rochester — for their hospital-led collaborative efforts that improve community health, awarding them the AHA NOVA Award. The awards were given at a July 19 ceremony during the Health Forum/ AHA Leadership Summit in San Diego. The local program — Rochester Youth Violence Partnership (RYVP) — is a hospital-based violence intervention program that helps trauma victims under the age of 18 when they are treated at the University of Rochester Medical Center for a knife or gun injury. Established in 2006, the RYVP is a partnership headed by the Medical Center’s regional trauma program and supported by more than 30 local nonprofit, government and servicebased organizations, including Rochester General Hospital. The Medical Center serves as the “first responder” by treating injuries and identifying at-risk patients. When the patient is stabilized and the psychological and social issues are identified, a coordinated series of lawenforcement and community partnerled interventions occur, including sharing an anti-violence video, to help prevent additional violent episodes. More than 215 youths have been enrolled in the program. The AHA is a not-for-profit association of health care provider organizations and individuals that are committed to the improvement of health in their communities. The AHA is the national advocate for its members, which includes more than 5,000 member hospitals, health systems and other health care organizations, and nearly 40,000 individual members. Founded in 1898, the AHA provides education for health care leaders and is a source of information on health care issues and trends. For more information, visit www.aha.org.

Thompson opens lab draw station in Mendon The Laboratory Department at F.F. Thompson Hospital announced the opening of a new lab draw station in Mendon on July 25. It’s located at 20 Assembly Dr., suite 104—just north of the Route 64/Route 251 intersection.

“Since we pride ourselves on providing quick and friendly service, patients and healthcare providers in our area will find this new lab draw station is a great way to get their lab needs met,” says Wendy Blakemore, Laboratory Services director at Thompson Health.

St. Ann’s Community hires professionals St. Ann’s Community recently hired two professionals. Elizabeth Hughes of Brighton was hired as a nurse practitioner. She is responsible for reviewing and treating the medical needs of residents on three floors in St. Ann’s Home. Hughes previously worked at Highland Hospital as a registered nurse. Kimberly Wear Hughes of Orchard Park near Buffalo was hired as an associate director of nursing. She is responsible for overseeing all nurses and nursing concerns on three floors in St. Ann’s Home. She will also lead St. Ann’s Home’s first official floor transformation to Wear person-centered care, complete with renovations and a new staff structure. Wear previously worked for Catholic Health in Buffalo as a director of nursing.

RGH’s Bariatric Center is now center of excellence Rochester General Hospital’s bariatric center, Bariatrics of Western New York, has been named a Center of Excellence by the Surgical Review Committee (SRC) in conjunction with the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS). ASMBS is the largest organization for bariatric surgeons in the world. This prestigious, international recognition follows months of review by the SRC to make certain the RGH program consistently delivers the safest, high-quality care to bariatric patients. Ten researchbased, comprehensive standards were required to be met before the designation was awarded. “We are proud to provide the highest standard of bariatric care as evidenced by our being named as a center of excellence,” said Anthony DiBenedetto, medical director of the bariatric program at Rochester General. “Our focus is to provide patients with the best evidence-based preoperative, surgical and postoperative care.” “Scientific studies show that patients who have bariatric surgery have a better quality of life” said DiBenedetto. “And, in addition to increased confidence and improved August 2011 •

Artwork That Inspires Unveiled Sculpture Enhances Senior Living Community On July 6, at Woodcrest Commons, a DePaul senior living community in Henrietta, DePaul President Mark Fuller along with Ken Smith, principal architect of Smith + Associates, unveiled a sculpture titled “Support,” commissioned by Smith and created by local artist Scott Grove. The 12-foot sculpture sits prominently in the center of Woodcrest Common’s main courtyard. “We are grateful to Ken Smith and Scott Grove of Smith+Associates for contributing this inspirational piece of outdoor art to Woodcrest Commons and for enhancing the lives of our residents,” Fuller said. “I like to support and give back to my clients,” said Smith. “My hope is to solidify the surrounding architecture with this sculpture to inspire the residents and staff alike.” Grove, an award-winning,

nationally-renowned artist, is also the consulting creative director for Smith+Associates Architects. He was inspired by the support and teamwork DePaul offers and designed the piece specifically for the Woodcrest Commons facility. Grove, Smith and Fuller have worked together for over 30 years and this project continues their creative interface. DePaul is a progressive not-forprofit organization founded in 1958. DePaul is committed to providing quality services including assisted living programs for seniors; residential, rehabilitation and treatment services to persons with mental illness in recovery, some of whom have a history of homelessness; addiction prevention and support programs, residential and support services for persons with developmental disabilities, vocational programs and affordable housing.

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H ealth News self-esteem, many medical conditions associated with obesity, such as type2 diabetes, high blood-pressure/ cholesterol and sleep apnea improve or eliminated.”

Lifetime Health Medical welcomes new doctor Roopa Korni, a board-certified family medicine practitioner, joined Lifetime Health Medical Group at 1880 Ridge Rd. E., Rochester. Most recently, Korni was in family practice in Spencerport. She previously practiced at Riverside Regional Medical Center, Newport News, Va. Korni has volunteered as a physician in the Student Health Center of SUNY College at Brockport and as a research assistant in the Department of Obstetrics and Korni Gynecology at the University of Rochester, where she has conducted various research studies on the subject of urinary incontinence in women. “Dr. Korni brings with her a wealth of family practice knowledge and a deep commitment to the highest quality of care,” says Robert Cole, M.D., medical director for Lifetime Health Medical Group in the Rochester region. “Her professional approach emphasizes and enhances the patient care experience. She is truly looking forward to forging lasting relationships with existing and new Lifetime Health patients.” She is a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Medical Association, the Monroe County Physician Association, the Indian Medical Association and the Obstetrics and Gynecological Association of Karnataka State, Mysore, India. Korni earned a degree in medicine and surgery (M.B.B.S.) from Mysore Medical College, Mysore, India and completed residency in obstetrics and gynecology from KMC Hubli, India, where she was awarded a diploma in obstetrics and gynecology. Additionally, she worked for the Karnataka State Health Department.

Thompson achieves NICHE designation Thompson Hospital recently received designation from the Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing at the New York University College of Nursing as a NICHE site, signaling the hospital’s resolve to continue providing and improving patient-centered care for older adults. NICHE (Nurses Improving Care for Healthsystem Elders) is a national designation that provides Thompson’s nurses with access to an array of courses, webinars and discussion boards. Clinical Nurse Leader Diana Page 26

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Ellison is the NICHE coordinator for Thompson. She says that through the hospital’s participation in the program, Thompson will be better equipped to offer evidence-based, interdisciplinary approaches that promote cooperation and coordination, ensuring care is comprehensive, continuous and effective for older adults. Combined with enhanced training in geriatric care, these approaches are expected to lead to greater satisfaction among patients, who will receive individualized care plans based on keen understandings of their unique “stories” and needs. “Through NICHE and by implementing and maintaining quality improvement approaches, we will be in a better position to meet individual needs and support healthy behaviors on the patient’s part,” Ellison says, noting that this will not only improve the patients’ experiences, but nurses’ as well.

Clifton Springs Hospital recognized for quality Clifton Springs Hospital & Clinic is one of just 14 recipients statewide to receive a 2011 IPRO Quality Award. The award, given annually by IPRO, the Medicare Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) for New York State, recognizes healthcare providers that demonstrate a commitment to improving healthcare services in the state. “We thank the leadership and staff of Clifton Springs Hospital & Clinic for their commitment to implementing best practices and evidence-based care,” says Clare B. Bradley, senior vice president and chief medical officer, IPRO. “This commitment Galati has led to measurable improvements in care for their patients, and has supported our statewide quality improvement goals.” “We are proud of the care we provide to our patients,” said the hospital’s president and CEO, John Galati, “This award reflects the hard work and dedication of our entire health care team.” IPRO’s 2011 Quality Awards were conferred at its annual membership meeting June 7. Bradley noted that Clifton Springs received the award because of its “exemplary performance and organization-wide commitment to quality improvement and patient safety, as demonstrated by a 100 percent decrease in the incidence of MRSA infection and 60 percent reduction in the transmission of MRSA infection.” According to a 2007 article in JAMA, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) causes approximately 94,000 serious infections and 19,000 deaths in the U.S. each year. Of these, 86 percent are healthcare associated and 14 percent are community associated. Patients in healthcare facilities who have compromised immune systems are at particular risk of acquiring MRSA-related infections.

Creating an tobacco free environment. From left, Penny Gugino, director Tobacco Action Coalition of the Finger Lakes; Sandi Bastedo, Creating Healthy Places Project Coordinator CCE; and Kim Gardner, Community Nutrition Educator CCE; during the installation of the tobacco free signage at CCE.

Coop. Extension of Wayne County teams up with Tobacco Action Coalition of the Finger Lakes Cornell Cooperative Extension – CCE recently launched a four-year project, funded by the NYS Department of Health, titled “Creating Healthy Places to Live, Work and Play.” The goal of this project is to facilitate changes in individual communities that will increase access to healthy foods and physical activity now and in the future. The focus of the project will be on the communities of Newark, Lyons, Clyde and Savannah in the first two years, with plans to expand in subsequent years. In collaboration with the Tobacco Action Coalition of the Finger

Tom Golisano pledges $20 M to to Children Hospital Rochester entrepreneur, philanthropist, and champion of children’s health, B. Thomas Golisano, surprised an audience of over 200 onlookers by announcing a $20 million gift to Golisano Children’s Hospital – $2 million more than university and medical center leaders expected. With this gift, the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) announced plans to build a new $134 million Golisano Children’s Hospital dedicated to the care of sick and injured youngsters. “A new facility is necessary to keep pace with medical and technological advancements and meet the modern standards of a children’s hospital,” said Tom Golisano. “I am pleased to provide this gift to help construct a new, next-generation hospital to provide the highest quality care to children throughout the region.”

IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper • August 2011

Lakes – TACFL, CCE implemented a Tobacco Free policy to cover their entire grounds. CCE offers a variety of community education offerings, with people of all ages visiting their center. “We recognize Cornell Cooperative as a Champion in the community for their commitment to providing a healthier environment to class and event participants, visitors and staff.” said Penny Gugino, Director – TACFL. For more information and/or assistance in creating a Tobacco Free Environment for your organization or business, contact TACFL at 585442-4260 x111.

“Tom’s gift will transform the way that children are cared for in upstate New York and it advances our ability to modernize Golisano Children’s Hospital for the 21st century,” said University of Rochester President Joel Seligman. “His generous decision follows a thoughtful review of construction alternatives and reflects Tom’s uncompromising desire to ensure that every dollar given goes to help our region’s children. In fact, Tom has helped us evolve the plan for a new Golisano Children’s Hospital into something more remarkable than we initially envisioned.” This latest pledge brings Golisano’s total giving to the Children’s Hospital to $34 million, making him the University of Rochester’s most generous living donor. In addition, the Golisano Foundation has given $1.6 million to the University of Rochester’s Strong Center for Developmental Disabilities to establish the Institute for Innovative Transition.

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IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper • August 2011