in good GVhealthnews.com
October 2015 • Issue 122
ACL Injury Epidemic Number of injuries to anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) nearly tripled in the last 25 years
Menstrual Cups Anyone? Method seen as substitute for tampons, pads
Low-Fat vs. Low-Carb Diets
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Rochester’s Healthcare Newspaper
The Pink Pill
Pill to increase women’s libido — known by some as ‘Viagra for Page 9 women’ — hits the market. We get local reaction
Cancer Free
Which Trims More Body Fat? Affinity Place Offers Relief for Those with Mental Health Issues Adjusted Flu Vaccine Options Available to Seniors This Year
Staying in Pace
Pamela Lashbrook, 51, (seated, right) with her family vacationing in July at the Yellowstone Park. A teacher in Brockport, Lashbrook said genetic testing and personalized treatment she received at Rochester General Page 12 Hospital saved her life.
Little pumpkin seeds are big on nutrition See SmartBite column on page 15
Meet Your Doctor Physician Jonathan W. Friedberg says local cancer patients will greatly benefit from collaboration between Wilmot Cancer Institute and Buffalo’s Roswell Park Cancer Institute. Page 6 October 2015 •
Despite heart condition, runner from Gates stays one beat ahead of his defibrillator Page 16
Texting and Driving: It’s Getting Worse Page 5
IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper
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“The data released today show some signs of progress,” Michael Botticelli, the White House’s Director of National Drug Control Policy, said in a SAMHSA news release. “However, we still have significant challenges to address.” That’s because other statistics aren’t budging, or are getting worse. For example, more teens are using marijuana. The number is up from 9.4 percent of kids aged 12 to 17 in 2013, to 10.2 percent a year later, the report found. In a statement, SAMHSA attributed the rise, in part, to “the increase in adult marijuana use.” Even more troubling, the new report found that the rate at which teens under 18 used heroin rose from 0.1 percent in 2013 to 0.2 percent in 2014. Despite these trends, Botticelli stressed that there are proven ways to turn these numbers around. “We know that evidence-based prevention efforts are the most effective way to reduce drug use and to support the roughly 90 percent of American youth who do not use illicit drugs,” he said.
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IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper
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HEALTH EVENTS
Oct. 2
Antiques Appraisal Day held in Rochester Cloverwood Senior Living, an independent senior living community, will host its second annual Antiques Appraisal Day from 1 – 4 p.m., Friday, Oct. 2. The event features expert antiques appraisers, including three who are nationally recognized and have been featured on the television program “Antiques Roadshow,” and two who are local. Antiques Appraisal Day runs at Cloverwood, located at 1 Sinclair Drive, Pittsford. Guests can bring any precious heirlooms and prized collectibles to Cloverwood and meet one-on-one with these experts to find out what their treasures are worth. Each attendee can bring up to three items for a verbal appraisal. Appraisal for each item costs $10 at the door (cash or check only). All proceeds will benefit Ronald McDonald House Charities of Rochester. Registration is required for this event. Please call Cloverwood at 585248-1100 to RSVP orfor more information.
Oct. 4
Expo for baby boomers to take place in Rochester MVP Health Care will present the 2015 Expo for Baby Boomers and Beyond. This information-packed event will be held from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 4, at the Memorial Art Gallery, 500 University Ave. in Rochester. It’s free and open to the public and will host several area vendors. In addition
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Scleroderma group schedules major event The Scleroderma Foundation TriState Chapter and Rochester Support Group will host their annual Scleroderma Patient Education Forum and an evening fundraiser benefit featuring Cinnamon Lady of Song to help raise funding for education, and research while honoring scleroderma patients within our community. Music, food and photo exhibit are among the attractions. The event will take place from 12:30 – 3:30 p.m. (forum) and from 6 – 10 p.m. (fundraise benefit) Oct. 10 at The Rochester Academy of Medicine, 1441 East Ave. in Rochester. To register, call 800-867-0885 or email RochesterEd. SclerodermaTriState.org. Ticket price is $60 and includes lunch. For more information, call 585-234-0398. Scleroderma is a chronic, autoimmune disease that affects the body’s connective tissue by the over-production of collagen; causing internal organs to scar or tighten. In some cases it causes the organs to cease functioning, resulting in organ failure or death. The disease currently has no known cause or cure. There are an estimated 300,000 individuals with scleroderma in the United States. It normally strikes individuals between the ages of 25 and continued on page 20
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to shopping and learning about these local businesses and what they can offer, participants will be able to see live cooking and dance demos. Topics to be addressed will range from brain fitness to improving sleep habits. Free parking is available for the event.
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IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper • October 2015
Texting and Driving Habits Hard to Change For local instructors, problem is getting worse By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
Y
ou know you shouldn’t, but the temptation is great. Your phone has chirped, you have a new text message and more than anything, you want to take one hand off the steering wheel and check the message. Texting while driving not only takes one hand off the wheel, but it takes manual skill to tap the screen and mental attention to read the message. In the mere five seconds it takes to check a message, your car will have traveled 440 feet if you’re driving 55 mph, far too long to maintain adequate attention on the road. Scott The texting and driving problem is only worsening. Larry Scott, manager of Morgan School of Driving in Rochester, Greece and Fairport, said
that although it’s primarily a young person problem, “I see texting and driving all the time,” he said. “We don’t allow it in our cars and we talk about it in class. If you ask teens, they’ll say no, they don’t text and drive, but if you ask if their friends do, they say yes.” He believes that penalties work and are making a difference. But some people learn only by experience, and those errors in judgment may cause lifelong disabilities or even cost lives. The problem lies in the excuses people tell themselves, such as, “I’m a good driver and texting is safe for me.” “It’s not safe,” Scott said. “I’m a professionally-trained driver and it takes my attention off the road. No one can text and drive well.” Younger drivers boast faster reaction time than older drivers, but less experience behind the wheel. And texting distracts any driver too much, regardless of age. Some parents turn to prevention apps that shut down the phone if it travels faster than 12 mph; however, savvy teens may simply borrow
a friend’s phone or figure out a way around the app. “Education is absolutely more important,” Scott said. “Teach common sense.” Ray McLean, injury prevention outreach coordinator for University of Rochester Medical Center, agrees that changing the mindset about texting is what will ultimately lead to less texting and driving. He compared it to the shift in the attitude toward smoking in the 1980s. Once smoking was linked with disease and labeled as an unsafe habit, the number of new smokers began to decline. “We need to do the same thing about texting while driving,” McLean said. “It’s distracted driving.” Since many schools and all driving schools show safety videos about the dangers of texting and driving, McLean said that teens are starting to get the message. But parental involvement still makes a huge difference on whether or not teens text while driving. “Kids watch what you do in the car and pick up on habits,” he said.
He added that helping teens understand that texting while driving can cause consequences other than death (which, oddly, teens don’t fear as much as surviving a serious car accident). “It’s not just your own death, but what happens to your friends and family,” he said. Texting while driving can lead to “permanent disfigurement or disability,” McLean said. Also a paramedic since 1995, McLean tells teens to whom he speaks that he spreads the message about distracted driving because he cares. “’When I look at your faces, I see the faces of all the victims I’ve treated dead or alive,’” he tells them at speaking engagements. As Scott suggested, McLean hopes that changing the mindset about texting and driving, like that of wearing seatbelts, results in more lives saved. “Laws are good, but hard to enforce,” McLean said. “To really get better results, we need to change the culture. “We talk about sex ed in fifth grade, but this is important, too. This is an age where kids are most impressionable. Even kids are a good deterrent for their parents. You can punish and mandate and restrict and they’ll still text until you change the way they think.”
Healthcare in a Minute By George W. Chapman Price transparency Hospitals are just getting around to making their charges for procedures available to the public, but few if any will make what various insurers actually pay them available to the public. Confidentiality agreements between hospitals and insurers prevent this. Transparency in what insurers pay hospitals for procedures is touted as a way of increasing competition among both insurers and hospitals, thereby keeping costs under control. A recent study by the Center for Studying Health System Change estimates that a transparent all-claims database could save $100 billion a year. Mega insurance mergers It remains to be seen if recently announced insurance mergers, not yet approved, will lower or increase premiums. Both the American Hospital and American Medical associations have expressed concerns over the pending merger of insurance giants Aetna and Humana and Cigna and Anthem. Their fear is that one huge insurer will dominate the market and will be far less willing to negotiate payments to hospitals and physicians in the marketplace. If the mergers are approved, the Department of Justice will be vigilant for unfair pricing and monopolistic activity. Massachusetts update Industry observers consider the Bay State as a harbinger of healthcare to come for the rest of the country. “RomneyCare,” or its version of “ObamaCare,” has been law since 2006. So what has been the impact on costs and health after nine years? Ninety-nine percent of all residents are insured, so the mandated universal coverage is successfully in place.
Overall costs increased 4.8 percent last year. This sounds pretty good relative to the rest of the country, but it was actually deemed to be disappointing by authorities and consumer advocates. The good news regarding future costs is that insurers are aggressively moving away from fee-for-service reimbursements to alternative models designed to control costs and improve outcomes. Fraud and abuse Congress has approved another $378 million in funding to combat Medicare fraud and abuse. Last year, Healthcare Fraud and Abuse Control recovered $3.3 billion. The return on investment is very good, with $7.70 recovered for every $1 spent on detection. Accountable Care Organizations Despite the fact that 75 percent of ACOs didn’t save money, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services data shows that overall, there was a savings of $411 million. Savings are calculated by what CMS would have paid to the ACO under normal fee-for-service reimbursement versus alternative payments received by the ACO. ACOs are a new concept, so it is not surprising that 75 percent are not saving money. The 25 percent that are prove it can be done. Advocates continue to point out that ACOs may be the best way to control costs, eliminate unnecessary care and emphasize team-based care that focuses on prevention versus just treatment. But, if CMS truly believes in population management through ACOs, it will have to loosen overly stringent formulas for risk adjustment and quality benchmarks. CMS will also have to eliminate the “penalty only” quality scoring system. In other words, there is no reward
for improving quality; there is only a penalty for not hitting quality benchmarks. The transition from fee-for-service to fee-for-quality is hard enough for most providers. Advocates of ACOs are saying if CMS continues to set the bar too high too soon, there will be more failures and the ACO business model will be doomed to early failure. Interstate insurance sales This has been discussed recently by virtually everyone running for president. It is not new. A bill to allow insurers to cross state lines was introduced in Congress 10 years ago. Proponents believe by eliminating the red tape associated with different state regulations, insurers would increase the size of their risk pools — more covered lives — and lower their per unit administrative costs which would give consumers more choices with lower premiums. But simply opening up the borders, so to speak, won’t necessarily create more national insurance plans. Insurers would have to set up their provider networks with thousands of physicians, hundreds of pharmacies and dozens of hospitals before attempting to sell insurance in a new state, all of which is expensive and time consuming. Cadillac tax. No, not the car It takes effect in 2018. A “Cadillac” tax will be imposed on employers that offer “overly rich-expensive” plans which typically result in employees having to pay more out of pocket. The tax will be imposed if the premium for an individual exceeds $10,200 for an individual. The purpose of the tax is to provide an incentive for employers to shop plans and for insurers to control premium prices. Plans that offer unlimited access
October 2015 •
to hundreds of physicians and several hospitals may have to be narrowed (less choice) to keep costs and premiums down. It is estimated that by 2018, 16 percent of employers could be offering an individual plan that costs over $10,200. Community Health Centers Odds are you reside in the service area of a federally funded CHC. Since the passage of the Affordable Care Act, more than 700 new sites have opened. There are 1,300 CHCs that operate 9,000 sites for an average of 180 sites per state. The CHCs provide care to 20 million people. Both sides of the aisle in Congress favor the program that supports providers in underserved rural and urban areas. Telemedicine Thanks to technology and changing reimbursement to physicians, virtual (video) primary care doctor-patient consults are expected to double to 5.4 million over the next five years. Easier access to primary care physicians means less postponement of seeking care and better compliance with treatment plans. It is estimated that failure to seek care and failure to follow a physician’s advice costs $100 to $289 billion a year.
GEORGE W. CHAPMAN is a health consultant who operates GW Chapman Consulting in Upstate New York. To reach him, email gwc@gwchapmanconsulting.com.
IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper
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Page 5
Sexting Among Children Climb Top 10 List of Health Concerns
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ith more kids online and using cell phones at increasingly younger ages, two issues have quickly climbed higher on the public’s list of major health concerns for children across the U.S: sexting and Internet safety. Compared with 2014, Internet safety rose from the eighth to the fourth biggest problem, ahead of school violence and smoking, in the 2015 annual survey of top children’s health concerns conducted by the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health. Sexting saw the biggest jump, now the sixth top-ranked issue, up from 13th. Childhood obesity, bullying, and drug abuse remained the top three child health concerns for a second year in a row, while child abuse and neglect ranked fifth. Smoking and tobacco use, usually rated near the top of the list, dropped from the fourth top concern to the seventh — which may reflect the decline in smoking and tobacco use by youth in recent years. “The major health issues that people are most worried about for children across the country reflect the health initiatives providers, communities and policy makers should be focused on,” says physician Matthew M. Davis, director of the National Poll on Children’s Health and professor of pediatrics and internal medicine in the Child Health Evaluation and Research Unit at the U-M Medical School. “The increasing level of concern about Internet safety and sexting that are now ranked even higher than smoking as major childhood health issues really dominates the story this year,” adds Davis. “We found that while the public may find benefits to today’s shifting media environment, whether through cell phones or other technology, many also recognize risks that may make young people vulnerable.” Expanding use of smart phones and other technology potentially exposes children and teens to the danger of predators and other harms like cyber-bullying. Sexting (sending and receiving sexually suggestive text messages and photos) has also led to cases of teens around the country suffering from low self-esteem and even committing suicide following photos being widely shared among peers. Sexting and Internet safety, however, were not as high on the list for African American adults, who rated depression fourth, school safety fifth and alcohol abuse as the seventh highest childhood health concerns. Hunger climbed from spot No. 15 in 2014 to the tenth biggest childhood health concern among African American respondents in 2015. “We found that adults from different communities across the U.S. see the challenges of child health differently,” Davis says. “It’s important to understand the priorities of different communities we are trying to reach as we work to safeguard children’s health and help them live the healthiest lives they can.” The full report can be found at http://mottnpch.org/reports-surveys/ top-10-child-health-problems-moreconcern-sexting-internet-safety Page 6
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Meet
Your Doctor
By Chris Motola
Jonathan W. Friedberg, M.D. Wilmot Cancer Institute director: collaboration with Buffalo’s Roswell Park Cancer Institute to greatly benefit cancer patients in the region Q: Wilmot Cancer Institute recently joined up with the OmniSeq Genomic Network. Can you tell us more about it? A: We’re very excited about it. It’s a collaboration that’s arisen from various research partnerships. There are two aspects to it. The first is that we’re going to be collaborating around diagnostics in lung cancer, so patients in Buffalo and Rochester will have access to the same genomic testing. I think the broader aspect that we’re most excited about is the formation of what we’re calling a genomic network of providers. And this genomic network will enable experts from our institution and other network members to collaborate on procedures, standards and possibly even the creation of a clinical trial group. Q: How does this technology [OmniSeq, a diagnostic test developed by Roswell] help oncology? A: Basically it’s been known for a few years now that not all lung cancer is the same. Certain lung cancers may have certain mistakes, which we call mutations, that affect prognosis. There are also treatments that only work on certain subsets of lung cancers. So it’s becoming more and more important in lung cancers, and some other cancers as well, to not just say “it’s lung cancer,” but to also have a profile of these mistakes. That allows us to make a customized treatment plan that we refer to as personalized or precision medicine. So this technology is looking in a very comprehensive way for these mistakes. Through this technology we can look at 23 genes simultaneously. These genes are chosen because we either have drugs that act directly upon those genes or because those genes have a known association with lung cancer. Over time, it’s likely that that group will change as some of those genes come off and others come on depending on what research and drugs become available. Q: Are we talking chemotherapy for the treatments? A: Both chemotherapy and what we refer to as “targeted therapy,” which are these pills that inhibit the proteins that are made by these genes.
question. That’s in part a moving target. Right now these tests are often done after receiving an initial treatment with chemotherapy. Then, if the disease comes back, then these tests are utilized. But it makes sense to treat some patients upfront as they can be treated with these new agents right away. This is a very rapidly moving field. We expect that these tests will eventually be done at diagnosis to generate the entire treatment plan. I should emphasize that when a biopsy is made to make the diagnosis of lung cancer, we’ll still do the traditional studies, but a very small amount of the tissue will be sent to this machine in Buffalo and we’ll get a readout of these genes a few days later. Q: How long have you been using the technology? A: We haven’t done any of the testing yet. We’re in the development phase now and working out the logistics of getting the tissue to Buffalo and back. We’re optimistic that the first patient’s tissue will be able to go through the testing process by the end of the year. I should add that genomic testing and precision medicine isn’t new to Wilmot. We do focused testing on many diseases, looking at maybe five rather than 23 genes. So we have had a lot of interest in this area. The partnership is a way to continue growth in this area. Q: How do you personally expect this technology to affect your specialty? A: I’m a specialist in lymphoma, which is another type of cancer. Lymphoma is a complex set of diseases that we can already recognize without genomic testing. However, there are certainly studies that suggest that genomic testing may be very important to make treatment decisions for lym-
Q: Would those drugs generally be taken earlier in the disease’s progression? A: Great
IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper • October 2015
In the news
Oncologist Jonathan Friedberg is the director of the Wilmot Cancer Institute, which recently joined OmniSeq Genomic Network, an organization of institutions being formed to help define the future of advanced genomic diagnostics for cancer. Through this network, Wilmot and Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI) in Buffalo — the state’s two largest cancer care and research institutions outside New York City — will collaborate and expand genomic testing for cancer across the Finger Lakes and western New York region. The network, which will create a database of genomic profiles of tumors, will also provide opportunities for research. phoma. Broadly speaking as an oncologist, I can say that the field has really adapted the concept that understanding cancers genomics will help inform treatment decisions. We’re excited to be the first institution in our area to be offering this level of care. Q: There’s been a lot of progress in improving outcomes in cardiology, to the point where cancer looks set to overtake heart disease as the leading cause of death in America. Why is cancer so hard to treat? A: Let me answer that a few different ways. The first is that I think we’ve done a poor job of communicating our successes to the public. I actually think the comparison to cardiology is a good one. Many heart diseases are treatable but not curable. If you have a heart attack, the damage is done, but you can compensate with pills or other treatments. That’s the reality for a lot of cancer patients right now. Incidences of cancer are starting to go down, and we’re seeing profound improvement in survival for many cancers. Those patients are living longer and with a higher quality of life. Our interventions are getting much effective and more gentle, with fewer side effects. The second answer is that cancer is incredibly complex. It’s an extension of normal cell behavior, so it’s very difficult to develop therapies that attack health cells while attacking cancer cells. This new technology will help us be more successful at doing just that. Q: With an eye toward improving those communication issues, what do you think the public should know about where cancer treatment is headed? A: I think the public should know that there are many patients today who, as recently as five years ago, may have had very short lifespans but can now live a reasonably long time, often with their cancer, controlled with very tolerable treatments. We are poised for major discoveries in oncology over the next 10 years. All of this is open data that we’ve recently come across that needs to be processed. I find it ironic that, just as we’re about hit this moment, government funding of cancer research is nearly at an all-time low. With support, we will make great strides against this disease and we’ll be doing it well within people’s lifetimes.
Lifelines Hometown: Milwaukee, Wis. Education: Harvard Medical School Affiliations: Strong Memorial Hospital Organizations: American Society of Hematology, American Society of Clinical Oncology, American Association for Cancer Research Family: Married, two children Hobbies: Reading, parenting activities
Affinity Place Offers Relief for Those Could Red Wine with Mental Health Issues Ingredient Affect Opened recently, innovative place houses up to eight adults diagnosed with serious mental illness By Ernst Lamothe Jr.
W
ith the number of beds decreasing at the Rochester Psychiatric Center, there was a void needed for programs to help those who have serious mental health issues. For several years, Monroe County officials discussed ways to fill that void and also offer a creative new initiative separate from the hospital model. East House, an organization that helps people recover from mental health and substance abuse, recently started a new program that does both. The Affinity Place, at 269 Alexander St. in Rochester, houses up to eight residents who can stay free for three to five days for adults with a diagnosed, serious mental illness. Officials use the peer model where those who have worked their way through recovery are trained on how to mentor others who would be coming into the program. “We were looking for alternative ways to help individuals with mental illness and we feel like peer-to-peer will be something incredibly dynamic,” said Cheri Reed-Watt, associate director of the Affinity House. “When someone who has gone through what you went through can tell you that it gets better that can be extremely powerful. They can share their stories and give advice about their recovery.” According to East House, there are 16 respite programs in the nation and this one is the first in Rochester. Affinity Place will serve residents of Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Orleans, Wayne and Wyoming counties. The service helps individuals recovering from mental illness to avoid emergency room visits and hospitalization. “People are used to going to the emergency department when they feel the need for help because they feel like there is no other option,” said ReedWatt. “This offers our guests three to five days where they can go through their recovery and learn new skills and coping mechanisms. We are not dictat-
East House President and CEO, Greg Soehner. This photo is of him speaking at the opening ceremony of Affinity Place
Progression of Alzheimer’s?
High doses of resveratrol stabilized a key protein level in study, but scientists say more research is needed
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People walking into the Affinity Place on Alexander Street in Rochester. The location can house up to eight adults with mental health problems. ing to them what they should do. We are giving them choices, listening to them and supporting them along the way.” Affinity Place will have a 24-hour staff, support groups, coaching and activities such as music, mediation and outdoor trips. It will run in partnership with the Mental Health Association of Rochester. Nearly 44 million adults experience mental illness every year, according to National Alliance on Mental Health. That includes 42 million American adults currently living with anxiety disorder, 16 million with depression, six million with bipolar and millions of others who have various conditions. Those figures are likely higher because many people are not diagnosed. Depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide and about 26 percent of homeless adults staying in shelters live with serious mental illness. “Environment is essential in these cases. We call the people who use Affinity Place guests instead of patients or clients,” said Reed-Watt. “We also designed the housing to look more like a bed and breakfast instead of a hospital. It gives people an opportunity to feel relaxed while they recover.” Every person who enters Affinity Place will receive a follow up call 24 hours after their stay and can have up to 60 days of follow up support. East House helps individuals with persistent mental illness and/or chemical dependency through a network of services. The programs include supported housing and care coordination as well as education and employment programs. By treating the whole person, officials believe they move individuals from illness to health. The mission of East House is to assist individuals
recovering from mental illness, substance use disorder, or both, to live healthy and fulfilling lives. “Most everyone has gone through and experienced trauma in their lives,” said WattReed. “All of us can always learn how to cope Cheri Reed-Watt, better.” associate director of East House the Affinity House. is a private, nonprofit rehabilitation agency serving adults in recovery from mental illness and substance use disorder. More than 1,000 clients and their families benefit from East House services each year. Founded in 1966, East House offers person-centered programs to enable clients to receive a more tailored approach to ensure their own recovery. In the 1960s, patients discharged from psychiatric hospitals, who were not ready to live on their own, had no place to go. To that end, the Mental Health Association in Rochester, developed a plan that would provide supported housing options for persons with persistent mental illness in the community. East House is dedicated to moving lives forward every day. East House is funded by New York state and serves, Monroe County, client fees and donations. Individuals can voluntarily refer themselves to Affinity Place by calling the Warm Line at 585-563-7083 to complete a short assessment to determine eligibility.
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igh doses of resveratrol, a compound found in red wine and berries, may have some activity against Alzheimer’s disease, a preliminary clinical trial suggests. Resveratrol is an antioxidant that certain plants produce to shield against stress from the environment. People ingest small amounts when they eat red grapes, red wine, berries or dark chocolate. Lab research has suggested that resveratrol might have some powers against the diseases of aging — including Alzheimer’s disease. But evidence from human studies has been lacking. The new study, published Sept. 11 in Neurology, offers the first evidence that high-dose, “pharmaceutical-grade” resveratrol can get into the brains of people with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s. What’s more, it seems to stabilize levels of a protein that is linked to Alzheimer’s progression. The study did not, however, show whether people’s symptoms actually stabilized, experts cautioned. The trial was primarily designed to see whether it’s even safe and feasible to give Alzheimer’s patients such high doses of resveratrol. Larger, longer trials are still needed to see whether the treatment can slow Alzheimer’s progression, said senior researcher physician R. Scott Turner, director of the Memory Disorders Program at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. “It does appear to be safe, and we did find evidence that resveratrol can get into the brain,” Turner said. However, he added, “we’re not ready to recommend it as a treatment for Alzheimer’s.” That’s not only because the research is ongoing: The product used in the study — a synthetic, purified version of resveratrol — is not commercially available. Resveratrol supplements have long been a staple at health food stores. But there’s no telling how much of the compound, if any, is actually in those products, Turner pointed out. Nor will red wine do the job. “The doses we used were equivalent to what you’d get in about 1,000 bottles of red wine a day,” Turner noted.
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Live Alone & Thrive
By Gwenn Voelckers
Practical tips, advice and hope for those who live alone
Setting goals can help restore your confidence
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s I’ve shared in the past, my self-esteem took a real nosedive after my divorce. I felt exposed and embarrassed. It was as if my personal and private failure at a relationship had become very public. I just wanted to hide. And hide I did! I hid in my work, in my home, and in my self-help books. I also hid from my friends. Divorce — even a fairly amicable divorce — can really knock the wind out of your self-confidence. If you are suffering from the fallout of a failed marriage and are in hiding, as I was, know that you are not alone. Regaining my self-confidence was a slow process and painful at times, but ultimately very rewarding. The process started with baby steps. While I am a huge believer in positive thinking, I intuitively knew I wouldn’t be able to think myself into more confidence. I knew it would require work and that I would have to build my confidence back up one success at a time. And that’s when I discovered the incredible power of goal setting. During the dark days following my divorce, I found the simple act of
writing down mini-goals and checking them off the list actually helped me get through my day. At the time, my list was pitifully basic: get dressed, make my bed, water the plants, etc. That list looks pretty pathetic now, but anyone who has endured a painful divorce knows just what I’m talking about. The simplest tasks can seem insurmountable. But I kept at it, adding more items to the list as the days wore on. Remarkably (thankfully!), this process of writing down and accomplishing my goals began to have a real and positive impact on my day and on my self-esteem. Committing things to writing seemed to have miraculous power. My “to do” list was motivating me. It held me accountable. And it enabled me to see and track my progress and success. It wasn’t long before one good day was followed by the next and the next and the next. My sense of accomplishment was as energizing as it was fulfilling. I began to feel better about myself. To this day, I create a “to do” list on a daily basis and still get a confidence boost when I complete a goal
and check it off the list. This practice has been so rewarding and self-affirming that I now employ a goal-setting process for my bigger life plans and projects. In fact, I created a “Goal Worksheet” for myself that captures what every good goal should be: written down, specific, time bound and achievable. Below is an example of a travel goal you might adopt for yourself this fall. I chose this example because traveling solo is a great way to get to know yourself better, expand your universe, and have some fun! Your goal statement: I will get out of my comfort zone and take a first-ever weekend trip alone — a mini-retreat of sorts to recharge my batteries, rediscover my center, and enjoy some quiet time to think, reflect and dream. Your timetable and action steps: 1 – By Oct. 9: I will share my goal with a few friends and ask for suggested retreat destinations within easy driving distance. (I highly recommend the Roycroft Inn in East Aurora, NY) 2 – By Oct. 14: I will review my options, make a decision, and reserve my hotel room for the weekend of Oct. 23, 24 and 25. 3 – By Oct. 15: I will inform my family members (and, if appropriate,
PAM TEACHES ENGLISH. WE TAUGHT HER ABOUT SURVIVAL. Pam takes care of the young minds at Brockport High School. When she was diagnosed with breast cancer, we took care of her — transforming a nervous patient into a confident survivor.
Pamela Lashbrook Brockport
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IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper • October 2015
neighbors) of my plans, including my travel destination and how to reach me. 4– By Oct. 16: I will make arrangements for pet care, if necessary. 5 – By Oct. 20: I will spend a few days researching restaurants, checking out things to do, and finding a spa for a much-anticipated massage! 6 – By Oct. 21: I will pack light, including emergency supplies, a journal and a good book, which may come in handy as a pleasant diversion while eating alone. 7 – By Oct. 22: I will prepare healthy snacks for the road, carefully review my driving directions, check my tire pressure, and fill my gas tank. 8 – By Oct. 23: I will take off early, excited and proud to be leaving on my mini-adventure! Goals can give your life direction and purpose. And they can put passion into your everyday existence, which is especially important for those of us who live alone. It may take some time before you regain your footing and self-esteem. Chances are, you’ll take some detours and encounter some bumps along the way. But I have found that setting and accomplishing mini-goals — and eventually larger life goals — is key to regaining self-confidence. Actually doing (vs. wishing and hoping) has worked for me, and it may work for you, too . . . wherever life takes you. 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 October workshop, check out the events calendar in this issue, or contact Gwenn at 585-624-7887 or email at gvoelckers@rochester.rr.com.
Women’s issues Pink Pill For Women’s Libido Now Available New drugs hits the market this month but several doctors are cautious about the new ‘Viagra’ for women By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
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iminished libido? There’s a pill for that. Aug. 18, the US Food and Drug Administration gave the green light to Addyi (flibanserin) for treating low sex drive in premenopausal women. It’s the first approved libido pill for either gender in the US. It’s on the market beginning this month. “Today’s approval provides women distressed by their low sexual desire with an approved treatment option,” said physician Janet Woodcock, director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Eval-
Helping Sexual Desire So what does work in helping women with sexual problems? David Gandell, clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at University of Rochester Medical Center, said that Mona Lisa Touch, a laser procedure for the vagina, can be a “game changer for menopausal or peri-menopausal women with feelings of dryness, irritation, bladder irritation.” Decreasing estrogen level cause the vaginal walls to thin and dry out. The Mona Lisa Touch stimulates the skin for five minutes without an incision to generate more tissue without an incision. Most women need three treatments, scheduled six weeks apart. The treatment lasts up to 18 months, and possibly longer for more sexually active women. The procedure may not be suitable for women with vaginal mesh procedures, radiation therapy to the pelvic or an active infection.
uation and Research (CDER) in a press release. “The FDA strives to protect and advance the health of women, and we are committed to supporting the development of safe and effective treatments for female sexual dysfunction.” Medically known as generalized hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD), low libido not caused by any other physical or mental health issue or circumstantial issue can be hard to treat. David Gandell, clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at University of Rochester Medical Center, said that HSDD is hard to treat because so many factors play a role. “The absence of a spontaneous sex drive doesn’t mean a lack of libido,” Gandell said. “Interest can be affected by other things such as fatigue, depression, quality of the relationship, concerns about other things going on in life, physical comfort or pain with intercourse.” Erroneously called “Viagra for women,” Addyi works differently from male impotence drugs. The purpose of Addyi is to treat sexual desire, not performance. Viagra increases blood flow through a man’s body, including the genitals, which improves sexual performance. Though researchers aren’t certain exactly how Addyi works, they do know that the daily pill is a serotonin 1A receptor agonist and a serotonin 2A receptor antagonist. Sprout Pharmaceuticals, based in Raleigh, NC, manufactures Addyi, which is available through prescription. Its side effects include low blood pressure and loss of consciousness. Patients taking Addyi should not consume alcohol or take moderate or strong CYP3A4 inhibitors because of negative interactions.
“I thought that was one of the more ironic aspects of this medication’s instruction,” Gandell said. “Many people use alcohol to enhance their sexual experience. It may not be as acceptable to women as many hoped it would be.” Because of these elevated risks, the FDA approved Addyi with a risk evaluation and mitigation strategy (REMS). Physicians prescribing Addyi and the pharmacists filling it must be registered with the REMS program to track any problems patients encounter. The prescribers must also strongly caution patients about the contraindications involving drinking alcohol while taking Addyi. Other common responses to the medication include dizziness, sleepiness, nausea, fatigue, insomnia and dry mouth. “I think it really is on a trial,” Gandell said. “It didn’t get approved [before] because it didn’t have any better data than the last three times, but a lot of physicians agree that there was a lot of public pressure and market pressure. And there are not a lot of other options for women.” The FDA’s press release stated that researchers tested Addyi in three studies consisting of 24 weeks each. Each trial included 2,400 premenopausal women who had HSDD at least five years. Their age averaged 36 years. The drug’s trials were randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled and followed the women for at least one year. From the participants’ responses, the researchers reported that on average, treatment with Addyi increased the number of satisfying sexual events by 0.5 to one additional event per month. James Woods, OB-GYN with University of Rochester Medical Center, is not that impressed with the results
of one additional sexual incident per month. “It sounds great: take a pill and get sexy,” he said. “It doesn’t help that much. “Every single study that is done that involves sexuality where you have a placebo group, they show an improvement in every single study, not quite as much as the treated group, but the placebo effect is real,” Woods said. “If someone shows attention to you — someone in a trial — and you don’t know if you’re getting a placebo, for a lot of people, it makes them feel better.” He added that drug’s minimal effectiveness, saddled with significant risk factors, indicate that the pressure on the FDA exerted by women’s groups may have influenced the drug’s approval. On a positive note, he feels that at least Addyi brings attention to the dearth of drugs available to help sexual dysfunction in women. “It’s a step in the right direction,” Woods said. “It’s going to bring out the right kinds of discussions.” The FDA states, “Consumers and health care professionals are encouraged to report adverse reactions from the use of Addyi to the FDA’s MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program at www.fda.gov/MedWatch or by calling 1-800-FDA-1088.” Sprout predicts no problems with insurers covering the new drug. They manufacturer foresees its cost as comparable with Viagra, a drug used to treat male impotence.
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Women’s issues Fending off Fear One woman’s radical transformation after cancer — from fear of death into life of meaning By Deborah Blackwell
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aren Nolan was consumed with fear, and when her biggest fear — breast cancer — came true, she was paralyzed. That was three years ago. Now the 69-year-old woman from Fairport is not only cancer-free, but the experience profoundly changed her life. It is common for even the thought of a cancer diagnosis to affect a person. But for Nolan, it was so frightening, she refused to let the words “breast cancer” enter her vocabulary, even when her doctor advised her to get annual mammograms. “I could never say the c-word, I don’t know why,” said Nolan. “I got so scared of having cancer. It plays a game on your mind and you won’t go get the mammograms. I told my doctor I would but I would never go. It was the biggest fear of my life and it manifested itself into not going for the mammogram, even when my doctor told me I needed to.” It wasn’t her family physician that convinced her to be screened when the day finally did come. It was her 120-pound dog Hogan, a chow-Lab mix, whose playful but powerful actions during a routine walk finally got her attention. “Away we went, and he accidentally bruised my arm and breast from his strength and pull,” said Nolan. “He’s not an aggressive dog, but he started tripping me, pushing me; he wouldn’t leave me alone. He kept getting in my
face, I knew he was trying to tell me something.” It wasn’t long before her breast started burning like it was on fire, she said. And when another pull from Hogan knocked her into a doorknob, she lost her breath. That’s when she knew something was wrong, so she went for her mammogram. “My dog saved my life,” Nolan said. “And when I finally went to have my mammogram, they put me in a small room and told me they found a lesion. I didn’t even know what that meant.” Nolan never felt a lump, but she said she never really checked. What she later learned was that it was not palpable anyway, according to her breast care doctor at Rochester General Hospital. But that was not her point of transformation. Her fear of dying ruled her life, so much so she could barely function. Nolan lost 60 pounds in four weeks and could not stop shaking. “I was so scared. I didn’t eat much. I just shook 24 hours a day,” said Nolan. “That’s what my fear did to my body and my mind. It was a terrible thing.” It was when she finally listened to her breast care doctor who said outcomes can be higher when one is positive, and then hugged her, that her life started to move in a better direction. “I never hugged a person in my life other than my family. Then they
Do you live alone? Living alone can be a challenge, especially for women in mid-life who are divorced or widowed. But it can also be the start of a rich and meaningful chapter in your life. Need a jump start?
Living Alone: How to Survive and Thrive on Your Own Wednesdays, Oct. 14, 21 and 28 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm House Content B&B, Mendon, NY
In the workshop led by Gwenn Voelckers — a women who’s “been there” — you’ll discover how to overcome loneliness and other emotional pitfalls, take charge of your finances, and socialize in a couples’ world. $145 fee includes manual, empowerment exercises and lots of helpful resources. For more information, call 585-624-7887 or email gvoelckers@rochester.rr.com Page 10
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hugged me at the mammogram and my doctor hugged me and there was something magical about that,” Nolan said. “It makes you feel like somebody really cares. They are there to help you. I was not alone.”
Mental component
Nolan said you really have to do the hard work yourself, which she did, enduring two surgeries, radiation and chemotherapy to treat her breast cancer. She even suffered some rare side effects from the treatments. She learned that healing is more than the physical treatment; it is also how you think. Although doing the work to change her mind was the hardest part for Nolan, she did it. “Through my journey, my nurses always told me to be grateful and thankful for a second chance at life and every day there will be a blessing,” said Nolan. “You have to heal Karen Nola, a 69-year-old woman from Fairport, is not only both. First I healed my cancer-free, but she says her experience profoundly changed body, then I healed my her life. mind.” Nolan worked to transformation from her cancer expefind those blessings every day. Part of rience changed Nolan’s whole life, not her healing journey included attendjust her attitude. ing writing and publishing seminars “She had a profound character at Lift Bridge Book Shop in Brockport, change,” said Dougherty. “She went although she was not a writer. It was from being a mother, wife and daya way for her to connect with other care provider to a writer and walking people and find a creative outlet. She message about being positive no matter said it was one particular seminar that what, even in the darkest of times.” transformed her. Nolan attends many of Dough“It was called something like ‘life erty’s seminars now as a speaker, sharis a rainbow,’ and by the end of the four-hour seminar I couldn’t talk,” said ing her story and her books. “From having a devastating disNolan. “One exercise about writing ease, something good came out of it,” our negative thoughts on paper was so said Nolan. “My world has changed. hard because I didn’t think negatively I became an author, but I’m also not anymore. The tears just flowed.” She is unsure exactly what changed afraid of death anymore. I didn’t get mammograms because I was afraid, for her that day, but she knew she but they can prevent death. That’s the needed to share it with others and decided to write a book about her journey irony.” Nolan enjoys every day doing through cancer. Nolan not only wrote one, but three. Her first is a short inspi- what feels good to her, and what she rational book about how she turned her calls finding the little blessings. In addition to sharing her message, she life around. The next one is a continucollects dolls and makes quilts that she ation of that story about miracles, and donates to charity, most recently to a she is finishing a third book about her battered women’s shelter. spiritual experiences with angels. “Life is good,” said Nolan. “I am Nolan’s publisher, Mary K. Dougherty, the owner of Bootstrap Publishing grateful and I don’t know what tomorrow will bring, but today is happy and and a director of writing seminars at I make all my days the best.” Lift Bridge Book Shop, said Nolan’s
IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper • October 2015
Women’s issues Menstrual Cups Offer Women Third Option Method seen as substitute for tampons, pads By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
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adies, you have another choice instead of tampons and sanitary pads. Meet the menstrual cup. Made of surgical-grade silicone, a menstrual cup collects rather than absorbs menstrual flow. Instead of emptying your pockets and filling landfills, a cup may be reused. Best of all, the cup provides 12-hour protection. The cup is shaped like an inverted bell with a stem at the closed end. It collects flow and, according to manufacturers, as long as it’s correctly, it cannot leak regardless of the user’s activities. After washing her hands, the user folds the cup into a “c” shape and inserts it inside her vagina. The cup pops open inside and forms a seal. Only a small portion of the stem remains outside the body. Every 12 hours, the user must remove and empty the cup. Squeezing the cup while it’s inside breaks the seal and the user may pull it out by the stem. After emptying the flow into the toilet, the user washes the cup with mild soap and warm water to clean it. At a multi-stall public restroom, the user may wipe the emptied cup with tissue paper and wash it the next time; however, since most women need to empty it only every 12 hours, it’s not difficult to time emptying the cup in private at home. After the period ends, the user boils the cup for use next
month. Christine Brogan Huber, store representative of Lori’s Natural Foods in Rochester, said that customers who buy menstrual cups from the store generally offer positive feedback. “From a convenience standpoint, they like them,” she said. “Certainly for travelers, particularly overseas, women’s sanitary products in developing nations are either unavailable or extremely expensive.” She added that many people turn to cups as a safe alternative if they are concerned about the effects of chemicals used in scented and highly absorbent menstrual products. A few employees of Lori’s offered their kudos for menstrual cups. “They’re very comfortable and much more sanitary than tampons or pads,” one user said. Another felt that her menstrual cup helped her better deal with her very heavy menstrual flow than using tampons or pads, which need changing every couple of hours. Though the initial cost is a little high — $32 to $39, compared with around $5 to $8 for a package of disposable products — the cup pays for itself in less than eight months and lasts for years. One exception is the Soft Cup, available at Walgreen’s, which is disposable. “If OB-GYNs could suggest them, people would be delighted with them,”
Brogan Huber said. “People who like them really like them. It’s a matter of awareness.” Odor isn’t a problem since as long as the cup is inside, the flow is not exposed to air, unlike when using a pad. David Gandell, clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at University of Rochester and practicing at Rochester Gynecologic and Obstetric Associates, said that the biggest issues is “a woman’s level of comfort with her own body to reach in and insert [a cup].” Virgin women run the risk of tearing the hymen if the opening to their hymen is small. For some cultures, this defines losing virginity, but the medical definition of virginity is if a woman has never experienced intercourse. Most cup makers offer a size for women who have never had a baby and another for mothers who have delivered, whether vaginally or surgically. Examples of brands include DivaCup (www.divacup.com), Mooncup (www.mooncup.co.uk), Lunette (www. lunette.com) and SoftCup (www.softcup.com).
Made of surgical-grade silicone, a menstrual cup collects rather than absorbs menstrual flow. Every 12 hours, the user must remove and empty the cup. Gandell said that menstrual cups “are safe if women follow the directions from the manufacturer.” Manufacturers recommend not using a cup for post-partum bleeding, while using topical medication, and whenever a vaginal infection is present. No research has shown a connection between toxic shock syndrome (TSS) and using menstrual cups. TSS has been linked with using tampons and other items inserted into the vagina. Though rare, TSS can be fatal. It is caused by strains of the staphylococcus aureus bacterium. Proper hygiene while using a cup greatly reduces the already minimal chance of contracting TSS.
OP/ED Carrying to full term is best option for baby’s health By Matthew Bartels
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ne-third of babies born in 2013 in Upstate New York were delivered before they were full term, and a third of those early term babies were delivered by cesarean section, according to data compiled for an Excellus BlueCross BlueShield infographic cautioning against early elective deliveries. While there may be medical reasons for inducing labor or scheduling a C-section before 39 weeks, the minimum gestational age to be considered full term, scheduling early deliveries simply for convenience can put the health of the baby at risk. Early elective deliveries occur with enough frequency that major physician groups have issued advisories against them. Excellus BlueCross BlueShield’s caution is consistent with separate and independent recommendations from
Choosing Wisely, an initiative of the American Board of Internal Medicine Foundation. Choosing Wisely includes more than 300 care recommendations submitted by physician-led medical specialty societies to improve the quality of Bartels care and encourage conversations between physicians and patients about services that may be unnecessary and/or may cause harm. Two of those societies, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecol-
ogists and the American Academy of Family Physicians, state, “Most babies need 39 weeks to develop fully. Induced or planned delivery before that time — without valid medical reason — is not in the best interest of the baby or the mother.” The New York State Department of Health recognized the need to discourage early elective deliveries. In 2013 it mandated a 10 percent reduction in reimbursement for elective deliveries (by cesarean section or induction) at less than 39 weeks gestation without an acceptable medical indication. That became a 25 percent reduction in reimbursement after July 1. Expectant parents need to be aware of significant differences in health outcomes between babies born early term, between 37 weeks and 38 weeks, and those born full term at 39 weeks to
October 2015 •
41 weeks. For example, a baby’s brain will grow almost a third of its total weight between weeks 35 and 39. During weeks 37 and 38 the baby may still be developing the ability to swallow and suck, so babies born at this time are at a higher risk for feeding problems. The lungs may not be fully developed and the odds of an early term baby needing respiratory support are almost double that of a full-term baby. To view our infographic on early deliveries, go to http://bit.ly/1cgfMAO Matthew Bartels, M.D., is Excellus BlueCross BlueShield medical director for clinical quality.
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Women’s issues Getting Personalized with Breast Cancer Care Genetic testing has made individualized treatment protocols possible By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
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n the early days of breast cancer treatment most women received the same limited options for care. That has all changed to a more individualized treatment, according to physician Lori Medeiros, with Rochester General Hospital Breast Center, Surgical Specialty Group. “We used to treat on patient age, lymph node size and tumor location,” Medeiros said. “We were using best estimates as to how something would behave in a population. We couldn’t hone down to specific cancers. That leads to over-treatment or under-treatment.” With additional funding and research, physicians have discovered ways to pinpoint treatment. For example, some women who just five years ago would have received chemotherapy now can receive treatment far less toxic and debilitating. “We look at what the cancer’s like, factors in family history like BRCA1 and BRCA2, or other kinds of cancer syndromes that go with sarcomas or colon cancer,” Medeiros said. “Preventatively, we can do things after genetic testing. We can advise people as to their options. Someone who’s a candidate for a lumpectomy may have a higher risk of a secondary cancer and we can strategize knowing about their family history.” Some cancer treatments target rapidly dividing cells. With breast cancer, researchers have identified several targets to pinpoint the treatment to the cancer cells themselves. New medication can help reduce tumor sizes, like Perjeta (pertuzumab), which the FDA approved in September 2013 for treating early stage breast cancer. “For people who have tumors, we want to downstage it so they can have a lumpectomy,” Medeiros said. “We can convert someone who may not have been a candidate for lumpectomy. Doing targeted chemotherapy up front, we can decrease its size so they can go from mastectomy to lumpectomy.” Medeiros For people with an estrogen-sensitive cancer, Oncotype DX diagnostic tests help physicians know the type of treatment to which a particular breast cancer would respond best to prevent over-treating or under-treating. “Most breast cancer treatment really isn’t cookie cutter,” Medeiros said. Page 12
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Cancer free: The Lashbrook family vacationed in Yellowstone Park in July. A year before Pamela Lashbrook, 51, who teaches English at Brockport High School, received a diagnosis of breast cancer. She says the treatment she received from physician Lori Medeiros, with Rochester General Hospital Breast Center, Surgical Specialty Group., saved her life. “I’m past that one-year anniversary. I’m back in school. For all intents and purposes, I’m back in my life.” Pamela, on the right, is shown with husband Jeff Lashbrook and their children Brenna, left, and Christian. “Understand you’ll be presented with a number of options that are tailored to your goals. You’ll hear about the risks and benefits. If you go in with that kind of mind frame, that takes some of the stress off.” Pamela Lashbrook, 51, teaches English at Brockport High School and lives in Adams Basin, near Spencerport. She received a diagnosis of breast cancer in May 2014. Despite regular mammograms since age 21 because of dense breast tissue, the news “shocked me,” Lashbrook recalled. She feels that Medeiros and the team at Rochester Regional listened to her desires for her treatment. “They moved quickly and that’s the way I wanted it,” she said. “It didn’t take me more than about 48 hours to be completely comfortable with Dr. Medeiros. I didn’t want to
waste any time. She was so well read, compassionate and listened so deeply. She wanted to move quickly as well.” Lashbrook moved forward with Perjeta, bilateral mastectomy, 10 months of chemotherapy and reconstruction. “I had a point in time where I said it’s either meant to be or not meant to be, but if I die, it won’t be because my doctors didn’t know enough or didn’t do enough,” Lashbrook said. “You realize everything is being done to help you live. At that point I became very OK with everything.” Lashbrook believes that Perjeta, which Medeiros prescribed to her pre-surgery, made a big difference. “The trial showed it would increase the possibility of a complete response, getting rid of the cancer completely,” Lashbrook said. After Perjeta and the bilateral
IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper • October 2015
mastectomy, tests showed no remaining cancer on one side, but some in the other side, so chemotherapy ensured that the cancer wouldn’t spread. While undergoing chemotherapy, her white blood cells tanked quickly; however, her physicians treated that with medication that put her “back on top almost immediately. They treated the whole me.” The drugs used in her chemotherapy specifically targeted the type of cancer she had. “In the end, I am healthy; I went back to work in March,” Lashbrook said. “I’m past that one-year anniversary. I’m back in school. For all intents and purposes, I’m back in my life. “ Lashbrook is married to Jeff Lashbrook, an administrator at SUNY Brockport. Their children are Brenna and Christian Lashbrook.
Pregnancy Diaries
Respite care now available! Call 248-1135 for details.
By Jessica Gaspar
Prenatal testing, pediatricians, and baby registries Good news: The baby has no Down syndrome or other genetic abnormality — thank heavens!
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he one thing that has surprised me about pregnancy is the number of screening tests (for both baby and mom) that are performed. When I first visited my obstetrician in June for my first prenatal appointment around nine weeks’ gestation, he gave me a slip to have lab work done. Immediately after my appointment, I went across the street to the University of Rochester Medical Center laboratory. I was shocked when the phlebotomist pulled out 12 tubes and began filling them one by one. I laughed and asked, “Will I have any blood left after this?” She didn’t seem amused. At about 12 weeks, I had my first ultrasound, and everything was normal. I had another ultrasound in my second trimester around 20 weeks. In my naïveté, I didn’t know what anatomy and measurements the sonographer is trained to see. The only thing she indicated to me was the baby was lying on his stomach, which obstructed some views of his organs (his kidneys and heart, mostly). She did tell me I would likely have to return in a few weeks to have those organs rechecked. I left the office, and I received a phone call about an hour later from the doctor who was reading the ultrasound. She indicated that the baby’s nuchal fold, a measurement taken off of the back of his neck, was slightly thickened. I had never heard of a nuchal fold, and I had no idea what a thickened measurement meant. At 20 weeks’ gestation, the key measurement is 6mm or less. My son’s measured 7mm, which could be an indication of Down syndrome or other birth defects. I panicked — not because the results would have changed my mind in any way about keeping this baby, but because no mother (or parent, for that matter) wants something wrong with their child. And, truthfully, I have no experience in caring for a child with Down syndrome, so I was scared to death at the possibility of having to learn. That afternoon, I met with a genetic counselor who went over the ultrasound findings with me. Based on other measurements of his arms, legs and nose also gathered on the ultrasound, she cautioned it was highly unlikely that he had Down syndrome, but she took down some of my family history. At that time, she told me I had two additional testing options if I really wanted to know for certain whether or
not my baby would have Down. The first was an amniocentesis, which would have had 100 percent accuracy, but carries a low risk of miscarriage. The second was blood work, which had 99 percent accuracy. Ninety-nine percent is still pretty good odds, so I opted for the blood work, also known as NIPT (Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing). Since there are no labs that read this type of blood work in Rochester, my blood had to be sent out to California, and the results would take about a week to come back. Exactly seven days later, the genetic counselor with whom I initially met called me to tell me my results. The baby has no Down syndrome or other genetic abnormality — thank heavens! I did return to the ultrasound department to have a follow-up ultrasound to recheck the baby’s organs, and everything was fine on that front as well! As of Sept. 2, he’s measuring about a week ahead in terms of growth, which is normal. I’m told this shouldn’t change my targeted due date (Jan. 2). With my due date closing in like the finish line of a NASCAR race, I am now researching and meeting with pediatricians. I had a phone interview with a pediatrician in Brighton, which went well. There are a few larger practices close to where I live, and they have open houses for expectant parents to meet the practitioners and staff. I have two of those coming up within the next month. Other smaller practices also like to have one-on-one prenatal visits with expectant parents. I also have one of those scheduled as well. Some things I’m taking into consideration are the ease of scheduling an appointment if the baby is sick, the size of the practice (too large or too small both can pose separate issues), and the comfort of the office. From what I’ve seen, the two practices that have the open houses seem pretty flexible in terms of seeing sick infants or children. They both have extended hours during the week, and one office even takes walk-ins in the mornings so parents don’t have to call in for an appointment. I’m also working through a baby registry for my upcoming baby shower. I am overwhelmed with all of the choices new parents have to make. Organic clothes, sheets, and towels versus non-organic? Will I bottle feed or breast feed? Do I really need a wipe warmer? What brand of car seat is the best? October 2015 •
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Food Allergies, Intolerances and Sensitivities Significant differences about conditions but they all bring their own set of problems to sufferers By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant “She’s allergic to shellfish.” “He’s lactose intolerant.” “I have gluten sensitivity, so no bun, please.” hat are the differences among food allergy, intolerance, and sensitivity? Though some people use the terms interchangeably, they’re not synonymous. “Many of these terms can be very confusing,” said physician Emily Weis with Asthma Allergy and Immunology of Rochester (AAIR). The body’s response to stimuli, along with testing, can help doctors determine how to classify a reaction and how to best treat it. Typically, a food allergy refers to an immunological response, which may include hives, wheezing or other breathing problem, and “it usually affects Weis
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more than one system of the body,” Weis said. About 20 percent of people with childhood food allergies outgrow them, though children with multiple allergies tend to not outgrow them. Common examples of food causing allergies include peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, dairy, strawberries and shellfish. Exposure to even a tiny trace of the offensive food may cause a serious, even life-threatening response. “Food intolerance isn’t the same as an allergy because we don’t have to be concerned about anaphylactic response,” said physician Anita Shrikhande with Westside Allergy Care, with locations in Rochester, Greece and Batavia. Celiac disease offers an example of a food-related autoimmune disorder, though sometimes “gluten sensitivity” is used to describe it. In addition to stomach upset (less common in adults), the individual suffering from celiac can experience “unexplained iron-deficiency anemia, fatigue, bone or joint pain, arthritis, bone loss or osteoporosis, depression or anxiety, tingling numbness in the hands and feet, seizures or migraines, missed menstrual periods,
infertility or recurrent miscarriage, canker sores inside the mouth, and an itchy skin rash called dermatitis herpetiformis,” according to the Celiac Disease Foundation. People with celiac disease must avoid any food containing gluten, a protein naturally occurring in wheat. Though the condition raises the individual’s risk of long-term health problems, he’s not in imminent danger from eating a food containing wheat. But he should avoid wheat and foods prepared in a fashion that could cross-contaminate them. A factory that makes both rice and wheat-based cereal could cross-contaminate. Or a cutting board used to slice gluten-free and wheat bread. Eliminating gluten from the diet is the only way to manage celiac disease. It’s considered a lifelong condition. A food intolerance usually involves gastro-intestinal upset — diarrhea, gas and vomiting — but no other systemic response. The person may feel extreme discomfort, but once the offending food is expelled or passes through his system, the response is over. Lactose intolerance, for example, can be managed by avoiding milk and foods containing
milk, or by supplementing with lactase, the enzyme missing from the person’s digestive system. “That’s a completely different mechanism than a true allergic response,” Shirkhande said. Unlike allergies, there are no tests for intolerances. Usually, doctors recognizing these symptoms suggest an elimination diet so the patient can avoid the food triggers. Intolerance usually has no immunologic response, only digestive issues. Sensitivities can include a range of conditions and levels of discomfort. Some people exhibit a sensitivity to lactose, the sugar naturally occurring in milk, but can tolerate a small amount of lactose. For example, eating a baked item containing milk might not cause symptoms, but drinking a glass of milk along with macaroni and cheese would cause vomiting, gas, bloating and diarrhea. “Some people have headache when drinking red wine and that may be an intolerance,” Shrikhande said. “Some people use the term ‘allergy’ for everything, but it describes a specific response.”
Low-Fat vs. Low-Carb Diets: Which Trims More Body Fat?
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ollowing a low-fat diet may help dieters lose more body fat than following a low-carb diet, according to a new study. Researchers found that people in the study lost 3.1 ounces (89 grams) of fat per day, on average, when they followed a low-fat diet for six days. In comparison, the same people lost 1.9 ounces (53 grams) of fat per day
while following a low-carb diet for the same amount of time. “A lot of people have very strong opinions about what matters for weight loss, and the physiological data upon which those beliefs are based are sometimes lacking,” study author Kevin Hall, a metabolism researcher at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kid-
ney Diseases, said in a statement. “I wanted to rigorously test the theory that carbohydrate restriction is particularly effective for losing body fat, since this idea has been influencing many people’s decisions about their diets.” The new study was published Aug. 13 in the journal Cell Metabolism.
Excellus: Dump Vitamin D Testing Insurer says most people don’t need vitamin D testing, yet in 2014 Upstate New Yorkers spent $33 million on those tests
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early nine out of 10 Upstate New Yorkers have no medical reason to have their vitamin D levels tested, yet health care providers and patients continue to frequently request the test, according to an analysis recently released by Excellus BlueCross BlueShield. Last year, 641,000 Upstate New Yorkers had their vitamin D levels tested, and about 42 percent did so without a medical indication for it. Typically, only people with certain conditions, including but not limited to osteoporosis, kidney and liver disease, malabsorption syndromes, bone disorders and certain endocrine conditions, are candidates for testing. Older adults and some pregnant or lactating women also can expect to have their doctors recommend vitamin D testing. “Even with a medical indication to test for vitamin D deficiency, it’s
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valid to question the need for the test, because the outcome won’t necessarily change the treatment,” said physician Jamie Kerr, Excellus BCBS medical director. “If your doctor suspects a low vitamin D level, taking an over-the-counter supplement or getting more vitamin D from your diet may be sufficient.” Widespread testing is associated with potentially unnecessary treatments with supplements, retesting and increased medical costs. Kerr On average,
a vitamin D deficiency test can cost $50, typically covered by health insurance. In 2014 in Upstate New York, an estimated $33 million was spent on vitamin D testing, according to an Excellus BCBS infographic, “Vitamin D Tests.” High-dose, prescription-strength vitamin D supplements may have an out-of-pocket cost for the patient, depending on his or her level of health insurance coverage. Vitamin D is an essential vitamin in how our bodies function. It helps our bodies absorb calcium, which keeps our bones and muscles — including the heart — healthy and strong. “Most people get enough vitamin D through the foods they eat and the time they spend in the sun,” said Kerr. “Past studies have linked vitamin D deficiency to numerous conditions, such as heart disease and cancer, so patients and physicians started
IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper • October 2015
demanding more tests.” “A more recent critical analysis of these reports shows significant flaws, leading many in the medical community to question the necessity of widespread testing.” The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recently found the current medical evidence insufficient to assess the balance of benefits and harms of screening for vitamin D deficiency in asymptomatic adults. The American Society of Clinical Pathology contributed the following recommendation to Choosing Wisely, “Many people have low levels of vitamin D, but few have seriously low levels. Most of us don’t need a vitamin D test. We just need to make simple changes so we get enough vitamin D.” To view a video, go to YouTube. com/ExcellusBCBS
SmartBites
By Anne Palumbo
The skinny on healthy eating
Little pumpkin seeds are big on nutrition
Helpful tips
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ately, my husband and I have been sprinkling shelled pumpkin seeds on everything: salads, cottage cheese, roasted vegetables, cereal. They’ve reached “staple status” in our kitchen because they’re delicious and convenient and chock full of nutrients we need and benefits we care about. Now that we’re eating less meat, we’re always concerned about protein. A handful of pumpkin seeds gives us about 8 grams of this powerhouse nutrient, which accounts for a decent chunk of our daily protein needs. Protein — a.k.a. “the building block of the body” — is needed to build and maintain all kinds of body components, from hair to bones to muscles. Protein also makes up the hemoglobin that carries oxygen in our blood. In other words, without it, we’d probably never get off the couch! Pumpkin seeds are one of the best plant sources of zinc, an important mineral that boosts our immune system and aids in speedier wound healing. In addition, zinc may protect against age-related vision loss; and, according to the “Journal of International Medical Research,” may help prevent osteoporosis in women, especially those who have gone through menopause.
Sleepy? Grumpy? Pumpkin seeds may be your ticket to restful shut-eye and a better mood, as they are teeming with tryptophan — an amino acid that your body converts into serotonin, the “feel-good” chemical that promotes sleep and overall well-being. Low in both sodium and cholesterol, pumpkin seeds have about 150 calories and 5 grams of fat per handful. Do know that most of the fat is the good, unsaturated kind that can help lower cholesterol. Shelled pumpkin seeds are available in prepackaged containers as well as bulk bins. Make sure the seeds are not shriveled and show no signs of moisture or insect damage. If possible, smell the pumpkin seeds to ensure they are not rancid or musty. Store seeds in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two months (they may last longer but they lose their fresh taste). Roasting seeds (stove-top or in the oven) brings out their flavor and adds some crunch.
Thinking about babies? Zinc is vital for normal fetal development and the maturation of sperm. Getting a daily dose of pumpkin seeds is good for hearts. In part, this is due to their high concentration of magnesium, a mineral that regulates heart rhythm and helps relax blood vessels. Since low dietary levels of magnesium have been linked to increased rates of hypertension and heart disease, this little gem may promote cardiovascular health. Pumpkin seed’s diverse mixture of antioxidants — those free-radical-gobbling compounds that have been shown to thwart age-related diseases — may also keep our tickers in tip-top shape.
Whole Wheat Quick Bread with Pumpkin Seeds
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2 cups whole wheat flour 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour ¼ cup granulated sugar ¼ cup packed light brown sugar (or honey) 1 teaspoon salt 4 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 cup roasted, shelled pumpkin seeds,
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Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly oil a 9 x 5” loaf pan and set aside. In a large bowl, mix flours, sugars, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Stir in 1 cup of the pumpkin seeds. In a separate bowl, mix buttermilk with eggs and cooled butter, whisking to combine. Pour wet mixture into dry ingredients and stir, just until combined. Batter will be thick and sticky. Spoon batter into loaf pan and spread out evenly with a spatula. Top with additional pumpkin seeds and coarse salt. Bake for 50 minutes, until loaf is browned on top and sounds hollow when tapped. Cool in pan for 10 minutes before removing. Great toasted!
Adapted from Amanda’s Cookin’
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plus a handful for topping the bread 1 ½ cups low-fat buttermilk 2 large eggs 4 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled coarse salt, for sprinkling
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• Don’t share your prescriptions. • Know the signs and symptoms of abuse. • Properly conceal and dispose of old or unused medications. For dates and locations of pharmaceutical waste collection sites located near you, visit www.monroecounty.gov/hhw.
National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence – Rochester Area To learn more or to schedule a presentation, contact NCADD-RA at (585) 719-3489.
www.ncadd-ra.org IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper
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Staying in Pace, Despite Heart Condition Dedicated runner from Gates stays one beat ahead of his defibrillator By John Addyman 250 and 300. “It was out of control,” he said. Rychwalski was experiencing ventricular tachycardia — his heart was beating too fast. “When that happens, the blood isn’t getting to your body,” he said. “The heart can’t sustain that – you go into cardiac arrest.” But he didn’t. “I never lost consciousness or went into cardiac arrest,” he said. “I was fully conscious and alert.” To get his heart rate back where it belonged, he got shocked in the hospital. Bruce Rychwalski, 66, of Gates sets a steady pace that he It’s a moment that he still has no trouble maintained in the Crosswinds 5K race in Canandaigua seeing in his mind. in September. He runs with an implantable cardioverter “They shocked me defibrillator installed in his chest, something that has allowed with the paddles to him to continue to compete even though he has a heart get my heart back into condition. a normal rhythm,” he said. “Hey, when you see that happening on TV, people are n a warm Saturday morning in unconscious. I was wide awake. Let me September, Bruce Rychwalski tell you, that hurts! and Tom Dutton stood together “But as soon as they did it, I felt on the side of the road, talking. normal again.” In front of the Crosswinds WesleyThe hospital did testing, looking at an Church in Canandaigua, the two his cardiac blood vessels for blockage. men peered down the road. Were they “My arteries were super clean because looking at trees to see how much of a I’ve exercised for so long,” he said. breeze there was? Were they getting a Finally, the doctor came back with measure on the amount of humidity? the verdict. Or were they talking about the next “They said I didn’t have a plumbroad race, or one like this they’d run 10 ing problem; it must be an electrical years ago? problem,” Rychwalksi said. Rychwalski, 66, is a lifelong Specifically, he had arrhythmogenresident of Gates. Dutton, 69, is from ic right ventricular cardiomyopathy, a Livonia. They were about to compete weakening and enlarging of the walls in the 14th annual Crosswinds 5K with of the right ventricle, which pumps a few hundred other runners. They blood into the lungs. were among the older runners, but not His doctors recommended an the oldest. implantable cardioverter defibrillator Rychwalski was carrying a buddy — or ICD. with him — a battery-driven implant“I didn’t want it,” Brychwalski able cardioverter defibrillator that was said. He waited a month, getting a inserted under his skin, below his left collarbone. The ICD was silently moni- second opinion. “I finally said, ‘OK, if this is the only way I can go back to a toring his heart rate. normal or semi-normal life.’” If Rychwalski did a little too much Two months later, he was talking high stepping, moved a little too hard to ambulance personnel before his first to pass someone instead of maintainrace after the implant, asking them to ing a nice healthy race pace, his little pay a little special attention to him. “I buddy would let him know. was more fearful than I am now,” he When his heart rate lifts above a said. At the end of the race, he returned certain pace for an expanse of time, to the ambulance guys to let them the ICD shocks him — wherever he know he was fine. is, whatever he’s doing — to bring his That was more than four years ago. heart rate down and rhythmic again. On this particular Saturday, RychwalsFour years ago, Rychwalski was in ki was planning to run five kilometers, a health club, running on a treadmill. knowing that he’d be trailing his friend “All of a sudden I was sweating proDutton for most of the distance. fusely. I couldn’t catch my breath,” he But when you’re running with a said. “I was gasping, but I had no chest buddy, the race is not always to the pains or anything like that.” swift. He got off the treadmill and tried “My cardiologist knows I’m a to relax, but he couldn’t stop gasping runner,” Rychwalksi said. “The ICD or sweating. Someone called an ambushe installed won’t shock me unless my lance. heart rate is 180 or more for a sustained On his way to the hospital, he period of time.” found out his heart rate was between
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‘Shocking experience’
Has there been any extra excitement in any of his races? “Oh yes,” he said. “I’ve been shocked once. I was running in a 5K at Monroe Community College, pushing myself too hard. I had just crossed the finish line when the defibrillator shocked me twice. I went right to the ambulance — that’s the instruction I have, if I get shocked two times or more, go to the emergency room. “When you get shocked, you feel it in your chest — it’s like somebody hitting you in the chest with their fist. You feel it, oh yes. You know what’s happening and why it’s happening.” He spent that night in the hospital, but he was fine. The ICD did its job. “The following Saturday I ran in another 5K,” he said. He’s been running ever since. Meeting up with Dutton after the race at Crosswinds, Rychwalski said life is great. “I’m at the most enjoyable point in my life,” he said. He’s retired, does a lot of horseback riding, volunteering at Purple Pony Therapeutic Horsemanship in Rochester and competing in at least 25 road races a year. “Even though I have heart disease, I can still run in a normal race,” he said. Rychwalski was in the Air Force, went to Monroe Community College in Brockport, and became a buyer-planner at Kodak. After the layoffs at Kodak, he took temp assignments as a buyer, and worked for five years on a horse farm in Ogden. He has written newspaper columns and submits articles for the Greater Rochester Track Club newsletter. And he runs, but is more attuned to what his body is telling him than most. “I have the drive to be here,” he said, “but while I’m running, I still think about it. I have to be cognizant of what I’m feeling. The last thing you want to do is get shocked.” Dutton has known Rychwalski preand post-ICD. “Bruce has to be a little more careful now,” he said. “That’s added to his (race) time a little. He’s got some health problems, but he’s still motivated to stick to his running. He’s extremely enthusiastic, almost as bad as me.”
the rhythmic activity are a drug. For older guys and gals, the first distance in a regular run is often uncomfortable as the body limbers up. But then, all the pain and discomfort fade and the rhythm is all that’s felt — a runner’s high. When you don’t run, you miss it. You feel guilty. Rychwalski knows that. And he knows that he runs with a condition that would frighten others. “I wouldn’t do it (run) if I had that thing in me” Drayn said. “But Bruce keeps going. You have to give him credit.” Now Rychwalski wants to reach those runners — or former runners — whose condition may not be as limiting as they think. He wants to form a group, the Rochester Running Heroes. It’s an apt name, because each person who runs with an implanted buddy is a hero to someone who can’t or won’t. He also knows from personal experience that these heroes have stories to share and advice to offer. “Knowing fellow runners like me is important,” he said. “We can be a forum or support group to one another.” Rychwalski has plans for Rochester Running Heroes — meetings, T-shirts and a mechanism for helping others who are reluctant to take the next step to see how fulfilling this sport of running can be. He just has to reach those runners. If you’re someone who might be a Rochester Running Hero, call Rychwalski at 585-328-1848 or email him at brucerychwalski@mail.com. Or catch him at a race. If you see an intelligent-looking woman running with him, that might be physician Sarah Taylor. She’s his cardiologist, and she’s running with him when Rychwalski clocks his 200th 5K later this season. There are all kinds of heroes.
‘Gotta keep going’
Chuck Martin, 69, from Marion, has an arterial stent. He races. “I have neuropathy in my feet, too,” he said, looking down at them after the race. “I run with them. You gotta keep going.” Bob Drayn, 61, from Bristol, knows Rychwalski. “He’s a hardened runner,” Drayn said. “He’s done 50 races a year in the past — more than I do.” Rychwalski isn’t the only runner plying the area roadways on weekends who has a device providing assistance. Some have insulin pumps. Some have pacemakers. For people who aren’t runners, this might be difficult to understand. But if you’re out on the roads several days a week, through many of the months of the year, the endorphins created by
IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper • October 2015
Finishing the Crosswinds 5K, Bruce Rychwalski was right in the middle of the pack, where he expected to be.
By Jim Miller
Adjusted Flu Vaccine Options Available to Seniors This Year Dear Savvy Senior, What can you tell me about this year’s flu shot? Last year’s vaccine was ineffective at preventing the flu, especially among seniors. What options are available to me this year? Seeking Protection Dear Seeking, You’re right. Last season’s flu shot was not very effective at preventing the flu. In fact, according to the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), people who got the shot were just 19 percent less likely to visit the doctor for flu than people who did not get the shot. In good years, flu shot effectiveness is in the 50 to 60 percent range. The reason for the shot’s ineffectiveness last year was because the vaccine was mismatched to the circulating flu viruses, which can genetically shift from year-to-year. This year, U.S. health officials have tweaked the flu vaccines to include last year’s missing strain, which will hopefully provide better protection. But a flu shot is still your best defense against the flu. So, depending on your health, age and personal preference, here are the flu vaccine options (you only need one of these) available to older adults this year. Standard (trivalent) flu shot: This traditional flu shot has been around for more than 30 years and protects against three different strains of flu viruses. This year’s version protects against two A strains (H1N1 and H3N2), and one influenza B virus. Quadrivalent flu shot: This vaccine, which was introduced two years ago, protects against four types of influenza — the same three strains as the standard flu shot, plus an additional new B-strain virus. High-dose flu shot: Designed specifically for seniors, age 65 and older, this trivalent vaccine, called the Fluzone High-Dose, has four times the amount of antigen as a regular flu shot does, which creates a stronger immune response for better protection. Howev-
er, note that the high-dose option may also be more likely to cause side effects, including headache, muscle aches and fever. FluBlok vaccine: Created for adults 18 and older who have egg allergies, this is a trivalent flu vaccine that does not use chicken eggs in its manufacturing process. Intradermal flu shot: For those who don’t like needles, the intradermal flu shot uses a tiny 1/16-inch long micro-needle to inject the vaccine just under the skin, rather than deeper in the muscle like standard flu shots. This trivalent vaccine, however, is recommended only to adults, ages 18 to 64. To locate a vaccination site that offers these flu shots, visit vaccines. gov and type in your ZIP code. You’ll also be happy to know that if you’re a Medicare beneficiary, Part B will cover 100 percent of the costs of any flu shot, as long as your doctor, health clinic or pharmacy agrees not to charge you more than Medicare pays. Private health insurers are also required to cover standard flu shots, however, you’ll need to check with your provider to see if they cover the other vaccination options.
Pneumonia Vaccines
Two other important vaccinations the CDC recommends to seniors, especially this time of year, are the pneumococcal vaccines for pneumonia. Around 1 million Americans are hospitalized with pneumonia each year, and about 50,000 people die from it. The CDC is now recommending that all seniors, 65 or older, get two vaccinations –Prevnar 13 and Pneumovax 23. Both vaccines, which are administered just once at different times, work in different ways to provide maximum protection. If you haven’t yet received any pneumococcal vaccine you should get the Prevnar 13 first, followed by Pneumovax 23 six to 12 months later. But if you’ve already been vaccinated with Pneumovax 23, wait at least one year before getting the Prevnar 13. Medicare Part B covers both shots, if they are taken at least 11 months apart. 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. October 2015 •
IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper
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This International Skeptics Day, Check Your Social Security Statement
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nternational Skeptics Day falls in October, making it a month of second-guessing and, hopefully, getting to the truth of the matter. At Social Security, we believe that a healthy bit of skepticism encourages you to get the facts. We have created an easy way to cast aside doubt about Social Security, and you can access this resource any time of the year, day or night. You can clear any amount of skepticism you might have about your Social Security earnings by creating a safe and secure “my Social Security” account at www. socialsecurity.gov/myaccount. With a “my Social Security” account, you can instantly check your Social Security statement. Financial experts have said that your statement is “… probably the most crucial financial planning document for every American.” By thoroughly checking your Social Security statement, you can make sure each year that your work was correctly documented. This will ensure you get a correct Social Security benefit when you start collecting.
Q&A Fifth Annual Wayne County
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Wednesday October 14, 2015 2:00PM – 5:00PM
Lyons Community Center 4 Manhattan Street, Lyons, NY
Admission free with Pre-registration • $5.00 at the door
There will be exhibits; presentations on health insurance/penalties, tax policies, caregiver services and more. REFRESHMENTS!
2:00-2:30PM Public Hearing CELEBRATING 50th ANNIVERSARY OF MEDICARE!
For information call 315/483-3200 Sponsored by: Wayne County Rural Health Network and Wayne County Department of Aging and Youth Page 18
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Q: I applied for my child’s Social Security card in the hospital but have not received it. How long does it take? A: In most states it takes an average of three weeks to get the card, but in some states it can take longer. If you have not received your child’s card in a timely manner, please visit your local Social Security office. Be sure to take proof of your child’s citizenship, age, and identity as well as proof of your own identity. And remember, we cannot divulge your child’s Social Security number over the phone. Q: Is it illegal to laminate your Social Security card? A: No, it is not illegal, but we discourage it. It’s best not to laminate your card. Laminated cards make it difficult — sometimes even impossible — to detect important security features and an employer may refuse to accept them. The Social Security Act requires the Commissioner of Social Security to issue cards that cannot be counterfeited. We incorporate many features that protect the card’s integrity. They include highly specialized paper and printing techniques, some of which are visible to the naked eye. Keep your Social Security card in a safe place with your other important papers. Do not carry it with you.
IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper • October 2015
There are many other valuable features of “my Social Security” that will stave off that skepticism. You can: • Keep track of your earnings and verify them every year; • Get an estimate of your future benefits if you are still working; • Get a letter with proof of your benefits if you currently receive them; and • Manage your benefits: – Change your address; – Start or change your direct deposit; – Get a replacement Medicare card; and – Get a replacement SSA-1099 or SSA-1042S for tax season. If you do find a discrepancy on your statement, you will need to collect the proper documentation from your employer to correct any misinformation and submit it to Social Security. For detailed instructions, you can access the publication “How to Correct Your Social Security Earnings Record” at www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs. Join the over 20 million people who are accessing their personalized accounts from the comfort of their home or office at www.socialsecurity.gov/ myaccount.
Q: I have two minor children at home and I plan to retire this fall. Will my children be eligible for monthly Social Security benefits after I retire? A: Monthly Social Security payments may be made to your children if: • They are unmarried and under age 18; • Age 18 or 19 and still in high school; or • Age 18 or older, became disabled before age 22, and continue to be disabled. Children who may qualify include a biological child, adopted child or dependent stepchild. (In some cases, your grandchild also could be eligible for benefits on your record if you are supporting them.) For more information, see our online publication, “Benefits For Children,” at www.socialsecurity. gov/pubs. Q: I just got a notice from Social Security that said my Supplemental Security Income (SSI) case is being reviewed. What does this mean? A: Social Security reviews every SSI case from time to time to make sure the individuals who are receiving payments should continue to get them. The review also determines whether individuals are receiving the correct amounts. You can learn more about SSI by visiting our website on the subject at www.socialsecurity.gov/ssi.
H ealth News Highland Hospital programs recognized nationally Three of Highland Hospital’s programs have received Joint Commission disease-specific recertification by demonstrating continued compliance with patient safety and quality standards. The Evarts Joint Center, Geriatric Fracture Center and Gynecologic Oncology Program have all been recognized by the nation’s main accrediting body in health care. The Joint Commission visits Highland Hospital every two years to review these programs. This year, the surveys were completed in July. The certifications are awarded based on compliance with national standards, effective use of evidence-based practices and an organized approach to measure performance and improvement. Highland Gynecologic Oncology first earned the two-year certification in May 2012. Highland’s gynecologic oncologists treat patients with cervical, ovarian, uterine, vaginal and vulvar cancers. The team specializes in robotic surgery and performs the most gynecologic oncology procedures in the region. The Evarts Joint Center first earned Joint Commission certification for hip and knee joint replacement in 2008. The joint team includes a network of orthopedists, geriatricians, nurse practitioners, physical therapists, social workers and occupational therapists. The Geriatric Fracture Center first received certification in 2011. The Geriatric Fracture Center is dedicated to the care of elderly patients who suffer hip fractures. Since the program started at Highland in 2004, it has improved patient outcomes and become a model for other hospitals across the country and around the world.
Jane B. DeMeis promoted at Visiting Nurse Visiting Nurse Service promoted Jane B. DeMeis to director of education and organizational development. Previously the manager of education and organizational development, DeMeis oversees many of the agency’s educational endeavors, and will now add all other education initiatives — including training for Finger Lakes Visiting Nurse Service employees and home health aides — to her repertoire. The Fairport resident has worked in education for more than 30 years and is New York state certified in media communications education DeMeis and vocational counseling. DeMeis is also certified in organizational development. “Jane has a wealth of knowledge and a kind demeanor that promotes
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participation and learning,” said Sherri Tanner, vice president of human resources. “She is a true asset to Visiting Nurse Service, and we look forward to her leadership with these other programs.” DeMeis has worked for Visiting Nurse Service for four years, and was previously employed by CDS Monarch as the director of staff development.
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Jewish Senior Life elects new directors Jewish Senior Life recently announced the election of the following directors to its board: Al Kinel, founder and president of Strategic Interests, LLC; Irena Pesis-Katz, senior director for population health management informatics and payment innovation at the University of Rochester Medical Center; physician Margot Weinberg, president of Pediatric Integrative Medicine, LLC, and Jeffrey Wexler, CPA, partner at Bonadio Group. Serving people of all faiths and ethnic backgrounds, Jewish Senior Life is guided by the values of honoring family; emphasizing aging in place; allowing people to remain in the place of their choice longer; and is the only local senior care provider to offer life care, a program which eliminates worries about unforeseen medical expenses throughout the full continuum of care.
Jewish Senior Life earns CARF accreditation Jewish Senior Life (JSL) has earned its second consecutive five-year CARF-CCAC accreditation from CARF International, an independent, nonprofit accrediting body of continuing care retirement communities and similar human services organizations. CARF International consists of the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities and the Continuing Care Accreditation Commission. Approximately 12 percent of long term care facilities in the nation are accredited as continuing care retirement communities by CARF International. “This achievement is an indication of dedication and commitment to improving the quality of lives of persons served,” noted CARF International President and CEO Brian Boon. “Services, personnel and documentation clearly indicate an established pattern of practice excellence.” Jewish Senior Life successfully renewed its certification as a continuing care retirement community as well as adult day health care, assisted living, person-centered long-term care and person-centered dementia care. Jewish Senior Life also received three-year certifications for its Weinberg Manson Transitional Care and Atkin Center Outpatient Rehabilitation programs. “We’re very proud to be recognized by CARF for high quality medical care and for our commitment to person-centered care, for those of all faiths,” said Jewish Senior Life President and CEO Michael King.
October 2015 •
Where your world opens up.
People Inc. Finger Lakes exists so that individuals with disabling conditions or other special needs have the supports they need to live more healthy and independent lives. Programs include: residential, day habilitation and respite, as well as service coordination and support services.
585.441.9300 • people-inc.org
Our Practice Welcomes New Patients. Michael Green, M.D. Carol Gagnon, M.D. Gretchen Volk, M.D. Molly Hughes, M.D. Colette Barczys, M.D. www.westside-pediatrics.com
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Page 19
How to Save on Hearing Aids I
t’s unfortunate, but millions of Americans with hearing loss don’t get hearing aids because they simply can’t afford them. Hearing aids — typically sold through audiologists’ offices — are expensive, usually costing between $1,000 to $3,500 per ear. What’s more, traditional Medicare doesn’t cover them and private insurance typically hasn’t either. But there are numerous ways to save on hearing aids if you know where to look. Here are a few tips.
Check Your Insurance
While most private health insurance companies do not cover hearing aids, there are a few that do. United Healthcare, for example, offers hightech custom hearing aids to their beneficiaries through HealthInnovations for $599 to $899 each. And a small number of other plans will pitch in $500 to $1,000 toward the cost of hearing aids, or give you a discount if you purchase hearing aids from a contracted provider. And due to state law mandates, three states — Arkansas, New Hampshire and Rhode Island — currently require private insurance companies to provide hearing aid coverage for adults and 20 require it for children. So check with your insurance provider to see if it offers a hearing aid benefit. If you are a Medicare beneficiary you should know that while original Medicare (Part A and B) and Medigap
find peace Healing Relational Trauma: An Integrated Approach to Couples Therapy to Treat Sexual Addiction and Intimacy Anorexia is a workshop to help therapists understand sexual addiction and intimacy anorexia from a relational trauma perspective and learn how to identify and treat these relationship patterns. October 23, 2015 | 8:30 a.m. – 4:45 p.m.
register today! KavodRecovery.com/therapist-workshop.html Call (585) 546-5180
25 Circle Street, Suite 201 • Rochester, NY 14607
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HEALTH EVENTS
from page 4 55 regardless of race, ethnic group, or geographic location.
Oct. 13
supplemental policies do not cover hearing aids, there are some Medicare Advantage (Part C) plans that do. To look for a plan in your area that covers hearing aids visit Medicare.gov/finda-plan. If you are a current or retired federal employee enrolled in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, some plans provide hearing aid coverage, including the BlueCross BlueShield plan that covers hearing aids every three years up to $2,500. And, if you are on Medicaid, most state programs cover hearing aids, but requirements vary. To find out contact your state’s Medicaid program or visit Medicaid.gov.
Veterans Benefit
If you are a veteran, the VA provides a hearing aid benefit if the hearing loss was connected to military service or linked to a medical condition treated at a VA hospital. You can also get hearing aids through the VA if your hearing loss is severe enough to interfere with your activities of daily life. To learn more, call 877-222-8387 or visit VA.gov.
Assistance Programs
help your clients
CALENDAR of
If your income is low, there are various programs and foundations that provide financial assistance for hearing aids to people in need. Start by calling your state vocational rehabilitation department (see parac.org/svrp.html) to find out if there are any city, county or state programs, or local civic organizations that could help. Also contact Sertoma (Sertoma.org, 816-333-8300), a civic service organization that offers a comprehensive list of state and national hearing aid assistance programs on their website. Or call the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders at 800-241-1044, and ask them to mail you their list of financial resources for hearing aids.
Cheaper Buying Options
If you are unable to get a third party to help pay for your hearing aids, you can still save significantly by purchasing hearing aids at Costco or online. Most Costco stores sell top brands of hearing aids for 30 to 50 percent less than other warehouse chains, hearing aid dealers or audiologists’ offices. This includes an in-store hearing aid test, fitting by a hearing aid specialist and follow-up care. And websites like EmbraceHearing.com and Audicus.com, sell quality hearing aids directly from the manufacturer for as little as $400 or $500. But, you will need to get a hearing evaluation from a local audiologist first, which can cost between $50 and $200.
Plant-based diet: eating for happiness, health Rochester Regional Health is offering a six-week course on plantbased diet. Participants will learn the rationale behind eating a whole-food, plant-based diet and how it can help prevent, arrest, and reverse problems such as obesity, diabetes and heart disease. Participants will discover that a healthy vegan diet is abundant as well as optimal for human health. They will learn how to nourish themselves, and their families and friends, with a diet free of animal products, and will be given advice on shopping for food, and eating at restaurants and social gatherings. The classes will take place from 6:15 – 8:30 p.m. every Tuesday from six weeks (Oct. 13 though Nov. 17) at Twig Auditorium, Rochester General Hospital, 1425 Portland Ave. Each class will consist of two entertaining multi-media lectures with a 15-minute break in between. During the break, there will be sampling of dishes following recipes that are included with the handouts for that class. Cost is $125 and seating is limited. For complete details and to register, visit https://rochesterveg.org. For more information, call 585-234-8750.
Oct. 13
Attorney to discuss fibromyalgia and disability benefits Attorney Steve Modica, a former president of the Monroe County Bar Association, is the guest speaker at the Fibromyalgia Association of Rochester New York support group meeting, which will be held from 7 – 8:30 p.m., Oct. 13, at Greece Town Hall Meeting Center, 1 Vince Tofany Blvd., Rochester. Modica is an award-winning attorney highly regarded among the law community and certified in mediation and arbitration. His focus is in helping people with issues in labor, employment, disability benefits, workers’ compensation, & work-place accidents. He will discuss “Help with Fibromyalgia and Disability Benefits.” The meeting is free and open to the public. No prior registration needed. For more information, visit www.farny. org or call 585-225-7515
Oct. 14, 21, and 28
Workshop for women who live alone Do you live alone? Is it a chal-
IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper • October 2015
lenge for you? “Living Alone: How to Survive and Thrive on Your Own,” is a three-part workshop offered for women who want to rediscover joy and contentment, and to gain the knowhow to forge a meaningful life on their own. You’ll meet others in similar situations and learn practical strategies to overcome loneliness, rediscover your true self and socialize in a couples’ world. The workshop takes place from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. at House Content Bed & Breakfast in Mendon on three consecutive Wednesdays: Oct. 14, 21 and 28. Light refreshment is provided. The workshop fee of $145 includes a Living Alone binder, empowerment exercises and helpful resources. To learn more, contact Gwenn Voelckers at 585-6247887 or email gvoelckers@rochester. rr.com. Voelckers is the author of the column “Living Alone,” published every month in this newspaper.
Oct. 20
Expert on cochlear implants to speak in Rochester Anyone interested in cochlear implants is welcome to participate in a meeting sponsored by the cochlear implant subgroup of Hearing Loss Association of America, Rochester Chapter. The meeting will feature Cochlear Americas Clinical Territory Manager Lisa Lamson at the group’s meeting at 5 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 20. Her presentation takes place in the vestry room at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, East Avenue at Westminster Road, Rochester. Lamson will review Cochlear America’s new Nucleus 6 device in addition to telecoils, listening devices and more. She has been with the company since 2006 and is an adjunct professor at Syracuse University. For more information contact Bob or Carol Bradshaw at RCBradshaw@ aol.com.
Nov. 7
American Girl Fashion Show at Rochester General The Twigs Rochester General Hospital Association will host its seventh annual American Girl Fashion Show. The show is a fun-filled event for girls and their families, friends and favorite dolls. Girls will enjoy tea party refreshments, enter to win door prizes and learn the history of fashion. The event will take place at 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. on both Saturday, Nov. 7, and Sunday, Nov. 8. It will take place at Eagle Vale Golf Club, 4344 Nine Mile Point Road, Fairport. Tickets cost $35 or VIP Model Package $50 (limited quantities available). Proceeds will benefit the children served by Rochester General Hospital. For complete details and to purchase tickets visit twigsrgha.org.
Hart Nursing School Class of June 2015
50 Years of Isabella Graham Hart Nursing School New grads see new opportunities in 51st year By John Addyman
N
ot too many years ago, licensed practical nurses were wondering what kind of future they had. Hospitals were, one after the other, limiting new nursing hires to those who were registered nurses, normally with a four-year degree. You might expect that would put a crimp on filling seats in an LPN training facility like the Isabella Graham Hart School of Practical Nursing. It hasn’t. Completing a successful one-year program of classwork and clinical practice at the Hart School pretty much guarantees employment — 99 percent of graduates had found nursing jobs in the first year out of school. The promise of almost certain employment is certainly an inducement. So is the reputation of the school, which is part of the Rochester Regional Health System, at its Reidman Campus in Irondequoit. “Excellence in nursing is our trademark,” said Director Debra Finley-Cottone. “We’re one of the three or four schools in the state that are accredited through the ACEN [Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing]. We hold ourselves to very high standards — for our faculty and our students.” And it’s a diverse student body, some as young as 19, others as old as 63. The latest class included a 50-something laid-off researcher from Bausch & Lomb who felt nursing was what he really wanted to do. He had a classmate, a man of the cloth who felt another
calling closer to earth. Both were excellent students, Finley-Cottone said. The 10-month program, with sessions that start in August and January, sends graduates out into an ever-more-expanding job world. Strong Memorial Hospital, for instance, has just begun hiring LPNs again who will work alongside RNs. The Affordable Care Act, with its emphasis on keeping people well and out of hospitals, will change the face of medical care, Finley-Cottone said, offering LPNs even more opportunity. “LPNs will be used in a different role,” she said. “They will be working with patients, doing some interventions over the phone, doing follow-ups with people who have a high turnover rate in hospitals — making sure they’re taking their medications and weighing themselves. The LPNs will be health coaches.” Most graduates, she said, will probably first find work in a long-termcare facility, assisted-living facilities, DDSO homes, working with people with disabilities, and in doctors’ offices. A typical Hart School graduate who acquires state licensure starts at $15-$18 per hour, with shift differentials and the almost certain overtime hours that go with the job bumping yearly pay from $33,000 to $40,000 and more in the first year. That kind of salary — and the knowledge that the field is very active, with lots of jobs — means that the Hart School students include those who are looking for a leg up in their economic situation.
The inaugural class of the Isabella Graham Hart School of Practical Nursing, from 50 years ago, 1965 Foley-Cottone said there is state, federal and private foundation help for students, some targeted specifically for those who have to leave a job to complete nursing school. Total cost for the one-year program is about $15,000. The gender population is also changing, she said. “In the last few years, since 2005, more males are coming into nursing than ever before. Some of that is driven by the economy, some see nursing as a career with a number of different paths, and some are looking for entry level into nursing. Some are looking for job security; others are looking for a second career.”
October 2015 •
“About a third of our enrollment is second-career people. They’ve worked somewhere for a long time, five years or more, and are not happy with what they’re doing. We have a graduate who had a degree in criminal science and she couldn’t find a good job. Nursing is what she wanted to do, but her family didn’t want her going into the field.” Foley-Cottone said another 10 percent of the student body is comprised of health system employees who are looking for career advancement, to elevate their careers. She also sees students whose studies were interrupted and now wish to return and get their diplomas and licensure.
IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper
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Page 21
ACL Injury Epidemic Number of injuries to anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) nearly tripled in the last 25 years By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
H
as your child or a classmate experienced an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear? She is not alone. The rate of ACL reconstruction per 100,000 population aged 3 to 20 years has been increasing steadily over the past 20 years, from 17.6 in 1990 to 50.9 in 2009, according to the New York Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System (SPARCS) database census. Of those, the peak age for reconstruction was age 17. Brianna Cooper, certified athletic trainer with Finger Lakes Health, said that part of the reason may be that better insurance means that more patients are seeking medical care and that more young women are participating in sports and a greater variety of sports since the early ‘90s. She said women are more prone to ACL tears than men. Since 80 percent of ACL injuries involve non-contact sports, it’s not necessarily the football linemen that get laid up with a bum knee. It’s the pivoting soccer player or gymnast or the jumping volleyball or basketball player getting hurt. Brynn Lauer, who lives in Newark, first injured her ACL just before her senior year of high school while playing basketball. Now a junior at University of Rochester, studying chemical engineering, the injury delayed her final year of high school ball.
Physician Christopher Brown, medical director for Rochester Regional Sports Medicine and fellowship-trained sports medicine surgeon, repaired Lauer’s injury. Brown wrote the book “Getting Back in the Game After an ACL.” “We may not have recognized ACL injures as well in the past,” he said. “If we don’t treat it in our young athletes, it’s hard to return to an agility-based sport.” He thinks that children becoming centered on one sport and starting at a younger age contributes to the number of ACL injuries. Lauer received six months of rehabilitation to obtain clearance to play basketball again. Just two games after she started playing again, she tweaked the same knee. She took a few weeks off before returning to play. “I wasn’t feeling great, but I kept playing,” Lauer said. A couple of weeks after that, she tore the left ACL and returned to Brown. By then, she had two ACL tears. Since it’s difficult to repair both knees at a time, surgeries staggered by four months fixed up Lauer’s knees. Today, she wears a knee brace as support when playing basketball at University of Rochester. It may seem strange that a healthy young woman — an athlete, no less — should have bum knees, but wom-
en are more prone to ACL injuries for several reasons. Their hips are more widely set and their ligaments are more lax than those of men. In general, many of today’s coaches “put pressure on you to play,” Lauer said. “It puts strain on your body. You have to play year round and your body doesn’t get a break from that sport. Now they say it’s better to be threesport players. They stay conditioned and give their body a break.” Lauer added that coaches emphasize performance over conditioning that keeps athletes safer, such as proper body mechanics. Physician Gregg Nicandri, a sports medicine specialist with University of Rochester Medical Center, agrees. He has conducted intervention programs on ACL injury prevention and said that they’ve decreased injuries by 70 percent. “Our next step was to train the coaches in how to warm up,” Nicandri said. “And participation fizzled. For those who did the program, it was extremely effective, but getting them to carry on was the hard part.” Coaches don’t want to waste practice time to prevent an injury that may not even happen, even though Nicandri’s program takes 15 minutes twice weekly for six weeks. Student athletes also believe they’re invincible. “We’ve started screening the athletes to determine their injury risk and pointing them towards a program,” he said. The screening includes observing the athletes’ positioning as they perform movements inherent to their sport. By presenting greater likelihood of injury, Nicandri achieved better compliance. Prevention exercises include strengthening, stretching, and proper technique. Though only a handful of students
Brynn Lauer, a junior at University of Rochester, studying chemical engineering, has had several injuries affecting her ankles and knees. ever receive sports scholarships, about 50 percent of ACL patients who have their injury surgically corrected become arthritic by midlife. “We need to make prevention a part of the culture, especially for high risk sports like girls’ soccer,” Nicandri said. “We want them to do the exercises when they’re younger.” Drew Jenks, physical therapist at Sports PT, which maintains offices in Rochester, said that his organization has tried to offer ACL injury prevention training at several schools, but “it’s a fairly hard task to get into programs because many coaches don’t want to cut back on practice time. Some may be unaware of what resources are available. Many [medical] people are willing to donate their time.”
IT’S ONLY SUPER IF YOU TAKE IT. According to the National Institutes of Health, up to 20 percent of patients fail to fill new prescriptions, and 50 percent of people with chronic health conditions discontinue their medication within six months. If you have a chronic condition like high blood pressure, diabetes or high cholesterol, taking your prescriptions as directed is essential to healthy living. So remember: If you’re not taking your prescriptions as directed, you’re taking a chance. To learn more, visit ExcellusBCBS.com/ TakeAsDirected.
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IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper • October 2015
Over 4 Million Americans Say They’ve Driven Drunk in Prior Month: CDC Typical drunk driver is a young male with a history of binge drinking, survey shows
A
new study finds that close to 2 percent of adults — about 4.2 million people — admitted to driving while intoxicated at least once over the prior month. The study, based on 2012 data analyzed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, also outlines the “typical” drunk driver: Young males with a history of binge drinking. Curbing the problem could save countless lives, the CDC researchers said, since “alcohol-impaired driving crashes have accounted for about one third of all U.S. crash fatalities in the past two decades.” One expert agreed. Binge drinking is rampant among the young, said phy-
sician Scott Krakower, who specializes in alcohol abuse issues. “Individuals should not be afraid to seek help if they have a drinking problem,” he said. “Bottom line: if one is drinking, they should never drive a motor vehicle. They are putting innocent lives at risk.” In the new study, a team led by CDC investigator Amy Jewett looked at 2012 data from an annual federal government survey. They found that “an estimated 4.2 million adults reported at least one alcohol-impaired driving episode in the preceding 30 days, resulting in an estimated 121 million episodes [per year].” Rates varied widely between
states, and were often tied to a state’s drunk-driving laws, the CDC said. The Midwest fared the worst in terms of drunk driving, but that’s no surprise, the team said, because “persons living in the Midwest have consistently reported higher alcohol-impaired driving rates than those living in other regions.” The profile of the “typical” drunk driver probably won’t surprise many, either — a binge-drinking young male. According to the study, men aged 21 to
O
re 15! o t S , 20 n o ht er 5 g i Br ctob sO n pe
34 made up a third of all drunk driving episodes, while men overall made up 80 percent of impaired drivers. The report found that 4 percent of adults fall into the category of “binge drinkers” — men who consume five or more drinks at one occasion, or women who have 4 or more drinks per occasion. This 4 percent of adults are involved in nearly two-thirds of all drunk driving incidents, the CDC researchers noted.
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BRIGHTON: Tops Plaza, 1900 South Clinton Avenue. (585) 244-4747 IRONDEQUOIT: 892 East Ridge Road. (585) 338-1000 www.FonteSurgical.com October 2015 •
IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper
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Page 23
Get vaccinated with Flu Prevention Partners! Providing the 4 strain (QIV) flu vaccine for maximum protection
2015 - 2016 Public Flu Clinic Schedule Our experienced Registered Nurses will vaccinate all 3 years of age and older, plus pregnant women. Most insurance accepted. No up-front out-of-pocket cost. We bill insurance directly! Employers, call us today to schedule a flu clinic for your employees and their families! Flu Prevention Partners has expanded its locations and is now serving New York State areas from Buffalo to Albany and Downstate to New York City. We offer multiple cost-effective vaccination services for the community and employer organizations. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that everyone 6 months of age and older get a flu vaccination and for people to get vaccinated as soon as the vaccine becomes available. Please see below for a complete list of scheduled public flu clinics for the 2015-2016 flu season. Preservative-free vaccine will be available on request. If none of the clinics listed below work with your schedule, call us to make an appointment to get vaccinated. BRIGHTON
HONEOYE FALLS
10/15 Jewish Community Center 10/17 Brighton Fire District 10/25 Jewish Community Center
1200 Edgewood Ave 3100 East Ave 1200 Edgewood Ave
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GATES 10/14 Italian American Comm. Ctr. 150 Frank Dimino Way 10/17 Westside YMCA 920 Elmgrove Rd
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GREECE 10/05 10/10 10/21 10/24 11/01 11/02
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1 Vince Tofany Blvd 1299 Long Pond Rd 1 Vince Tofany Blvd 1299 Long Pond Road 1299 Long Pond Road 1 Vince Tofany Blvd
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HENRIETTA 10/02 Legacy at Erie Station
1545 Erie Station Rd
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10/21 Honeoye Falls Vol. Amb.
210 East St
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125 Pattonwood Dr 405 Empire Blvd 125 Pattonwood Dr 154 Pinegrove Ave 405 Empire Blvd 125 Pattonwood Dr
04pm-07pm 09am-12pm 09am-12pm 09am-12pm 09am-12pm 04pm-07pm
IRONDEQUOIT 10/01 10/04 10/10 10/15 10/31 11/05
Herrema's Marketplace Laurelton Fire Department Herrema's Marketplace Irondequoit Senior Center Laurelton Fire Department Herrema's Marketplace
PENFIELD 10/06 Eastside Fam. YMCA 10/22 Eastside Fam. YMCA
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PITTSFORD 10/04 10/18 10/20 10/31 11/15
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Hegedorn's Market Christian Reformed Church Hegedorn's Market Hegedorn's Market
Flu Prevention Partners accepts the following insurance plans:
● BCBS/EXCELLUS/RMSCO ● MVP ● AETNA ● BCBS of WNY ● CIGNA ● INDEPENDENT HEALTH ● ● MEDICARE ● POMCO ● UNIVERA ● UNITED HEALTHCARE ●
Please be sure to bring your insurance card. For those with different plans and for those who are uninsured, the cost is only $45 (cash or check). For more information about Flu Prevention Partners please visit www.flupreventionpartners.com or contact Rebecca Locke at 585-737-7673 or email Rebecca at rlocke@wpvinc.com. As we may add more public flu clinics, please visit us online for the most up-to-date schedule at schedule.flupreventionpartners.com or call us at 585-568-8340. Follow us on Twitter for flu tips and information at @flu_prevention. Page 24
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WELLNESS SOLUTIONS FROM NURSES WHO CARE
IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper • October 2015