In Good Health: ROC #212 - April 2023

Short Brisk Walk Each Day Could Cut Your Odds of Early Death

Abrisk 11-minute daily walk can help you live longer, a new University of Cambridge study reports.

Researchers found that 75 minutes a week — 11 minutes daily — of moderate-intensity physical activity is enough to lower a person's risk of heart disease, stroke and cancer.

The investigators estimated that one in 10 early deaths could be prevented if everyone got that amount of exercise, which is half the level recommended by U.S. guidelines.

“If you are someone who finds the idea of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity a week a bit daunting, then our findings should be good news,” co-researcher physician Soren Brage, of the Medical Research Council at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom, said in a university news release.

“Doing some physical activity is

better than doing none," he added. "This is also a good starting position — if you find that 75 minutes a week is manageable, then you could try stepping it up gradually to the full recommended amount.”

Cardiovascular diseases (heart disease and stroke) were the leading causes of death worldwide, responsible for nearly 18 million deaths in 2019. Cancers were responsible for 9.6 million deaths in 2017.

To examine how much exercise could make a dent in those numbers, the researchers pooled and analyzed data from 94 large studies involving more than 30 million people.

The findings showed that two out of three people don't get their recommended 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity exercise, and fewer than one in 10 managed more than 300 minutes of activity per week.

CELEBRATE NURSES WEEK WITH IN GOOD HEALTH

Broadly speaking, the researchers concluded that getting more than 150 minutes a week of exercise produces marginal benefits in terms of reduced risk of disease or death.

But even half that amount came with significant benefits, the team reported.

For example, 75 minutes per week of moderate-intensity exercise reduced risk of early death by 23%. It was also enough to reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke by 17% and cancer by 7%.

For some specific cancers, the reduction in risk was even greater. Getting that amount of exercise reduced the risk of head and neck, myeloid leukemia, myeloma and gastric cardia cancers between 14% and 26%.

The researchers calculated that if people get their recommended 150 minutes of exercise a week, around 16% of early deaths would be prevented. In addition, 11% of cardiovascular disease cases and 5% of cancer cases would be prevented.

But if folks manage at least 75 minutes per week of moderate-intensity physical activity, around 10% of early deaths would be prevented. And 5% of cardiovascular disease cases and 3% of cancer cases would be prevented.

Further, moderate-intensity exercise doesn't require you to run yourself ragged, the researchers noted. It raises your heart rate and makes you breathe faster, but you'd still be able to speak during the activity.

Other examples include dancing, riding a bike, playing tennis and hiking.

“Moderate activity doesn't have to involve what we normally think of exercise, such as sports or running,”

co-researcher physician Leandro Garcia from Queens University Belfast explained.

“Sometimes, replacing some habits is all that is needed,” Garcia added. “For example, try to walk or cycle to your work or study place instead of using a car, or engage in active play with your kids or grand kids. Doing activities that you enjoy and that are easy to include in your weekly routine is an excellent way to become more active.”

Ajeet Gajra, MD Shing Chin, MD Steven Duffy, MD

FAMILY MEMBER OF A PHYSICIAN HOUSE CALLS PATIENT

The Mozart Effect Myth: Listening to Music Does Not Help Against Epilepsy

A new study by psychologists at the University of Vienna shows that there is no scientific evidence supporting the alleged positive effect of Mozart's Sonata KV448 on epilepsy.

Over the past 50 years, there have been remarkable claims about the effects of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's music. Reports about alleged symptom-alleviating effects of listening to Mozart’s Sonata KV448 in epilepsy attracted a lot of public attention. However, the empirical validity of the underlying scientific evidence has remained unclear.

Now, University of Vienna psychologists Sandra Oberleiter and Jakob Pietschnig show in a new study published in the journal Nature Scientific Reports that there is no evidence for a positive effect of Mozart's melody on epilepsy.

In the past, Mozart’s music has been associated with numerous ostensibly positive effects on humans, animals and even microorganisms. For instance, listening to his sonata has been said to increase the intelligence of adults, children or fetuses in the womb. Even cows were said to produce more milk, and bacteria in sewage treatment plants were said to work better when they heard Mozart's composition.

However, most of these alleged effects have no scientific basis. The origin of these ideas can be traced back to the long-disproven observation of a temporary increase in spatial reasoning test performance among students after listening to the first movement allegro con spirito of Mozart’s sonata KV448 in D major.

The researchers found that this alleged Mozart effect can be mainly attributed to selective reporting, small sample sizes and inadequate research practices in this corpus of literature. "Mozart’s music is beautiful, but unfortunately, we cannot expect relief from epilepsy symptoms from it" conclude the researchers.

Meet Your Doctor

By Chris Motola

Ali Hamdan,

M.D.

Healthcare in the post-pandemic world: hospital is doing more with less, says Thompson Hospital’s medical director of hospital medicine

Q: You're currently splitting your time between administrative and clinical duties. How are you juggling that?

A: For the time being, given the impact of the pandemic, my time is variable. I do 30% to 50% clinical, which means I have a direct responsibility for taking care of patients similar to any other doctor in the hospital. And the rest is administrative and administrative here means overseeing the quality of care that is being done in my division. Scheduling, making sure the division of hospital medicine is running according to the organization's rules and priorities.

Q: As far as dealing with the aftermath of the pandemic goes, what are some of the longer-term implications in terms of policy, staffing, etc.

A: As you know, the pandemic hasn't only affected the local hospital system, but the whole country and world, though it did impact us here in New York state worse than a lot of other states other than maybe California. It affected us at different lev-

ganization as well as all over with regard to how to recruit enough providers to take care of this large number of patients. Even after the pandemic we still have elevated numbers of patients. This isn't necessarily COVID-related, but related to the high numbers of patients whose chronic issues decompensated during the pandemic. A lot of them stayed home, a lot of conditions were not being closely monitored. So a lot of them are coming to the hospital. That's in addition to acute issues like gastrointestinal bleeding, heart attacks, stroke, pneumonia that we deal with on a day-to-day basis. And the pandemic left us vulnerable staffing-wise due to illness, disability and the initial virulence of COVID. And then, with the vaccine mandate, a lot of people did not want to take the vaccine, so you had some people leaving here and there for that.

Q: To what degree has staffing recovered since then? What kind of shape are you in now?

A: I can tell you from our institution point of view we've recovered 55%-65% of the staffing we lost during the pandemic. There is an intense plan in place to get back the rest and more that we lost during the

Q: How are you going about that?

A: Intense recruitment. We are a community hospital networked with the University of Rochester and have an agreement with multiple local nursing schools and medical schools like SUNY Upstate, so we have a lot of students from different areas of medicine who rotate through us as part of their education and training. This opens an opportunity for us to show them our hospital, our culture. And we end up recruiting some of those graduates to be a part of our hospital. In addition, we have recruitment through a physician and staff recruiter who work through the journals, websites, social media and the community to fill vacant positions.

Q: What are some of the more unique attributes about FF Thompson that you can market when it comes to recruiting?

A: I've been with the hospital almost 16 years, since 2007. It's a community hospital. It's a part of the community. It was built by the community. And it's supported by the community. The majority of the leadership is from Upstate New York. They're from the area, they understand the area. And because it's a community hospital it functions more like a big family. You can sneeze on the first floor and someone on the third floor will say “bless you.” And because of this really close relationship with the community people come to Thompson feeling more like it's a second home where they'll be taken care of to the best of our abilities. With the new leadership that we've had since 2011, 2012, it's brought a lot of resources to us from the university.

Q: What kinds of resources are available to you?

A: We can very quickly transfer patients who are in need to subspecialty care that we don't have locally to a university hospital, even as far as Buffalo. We have a majority of the central services patients need though, so there's a lot we can do without having to transfer a patient somewhere else. One example is dialysis, which we didn't use to have, but we can now offer inpatient dialysis on site. A second is a brand new 12-bed ICU with a critical care team from the University of Rochester. So not only can we take care of local critically ill patients, but we're actually accepting transfers from some of the smaller Southern Tier hospitals.

Q: For patients who have chronic conditions that spiraled out of control during the pandemic, how have you gone about getting them back to base line?

A: The most important thing is we have an excellent ED staff that is good at identifying when a condition they're seeing in the emergency room is the result of a chronic condition. So you address the chronic issue that decompensated, you stabilize it and then work with their primary care physicians to get them back on track once they feel well enough to go home. We also have a patient rehab service that helps patients who have been deconditioned. We also work with nursing homes that offer rehab for elderly patients.

Lifelines

Name: Ali Hamdan

Position: Medical director of hospital medicine for F.F. Thompson Hospital. Supervises team of about 30 people –both physicians and advanced practice providers.

Hometown: Beirut, Lebanon

Education: Damascus University, Syria; residency: University of Rochester School of Medicine, Rochester, American University of Beirut, Lebanon

Specialties: Board-certified, internal medicine, American Board of Internal Medicine; board-certified, critical care medicine, American Board of Internal Medicine

Affiliations: F.F. Thompson Hospital; University of Rochester

Organizations: Society of Clinical Care Medicine

Family: Wife, children

Hobbies: Reading, philosophy, theology

Pain, Tingling or Numbness in Your Feet?

By Andrea Ide

Pain, Tingling, or Numbness in your hands, feet or legs may be due to Nerve Damage. If left untreated this small annoyance can lead to big problems. Unfortunately, most people have no idea what to do abut this problem and some don’t even realize how big of a problem it is. They tell their doctor who gives them drugs and injections which only mask the pain and there is no surgery, other than amputation, that will heal/stop neuropathy from progressing.

Neuropathy is a term used to describe damaged nerves, primarily in the hands and/or feet, that are progressively breaking down due to a lack of blood supply, nutrients and oxygen reaching the nerves along with a lack of communication from the brain. Since the nerves are what the brain uses to communicate with the area and they are breaking down, the brains ability to communicate with the area lessens over tine, allowing for the progression of more breakdown and worse symptoms. It can be caused by Diabetes, Poor Ciculation, Poor Nutrition, Chemotherapy, Agent Orange, Misaligned Spinal Bones Placing Pressure on the Nerves, along with over 100 other causes. “Patients experience extreme sensations, loss of feeling, even No Feelings in their Hands and/or Feet along with muscle spasms, pain, weakness, numbness, tingling, and burning and many have a very hard time with balance” says Dr. Nathan Riddle of Riddle Wellness, a Neuropathy testing and treatment clinic.

This condition can eventually lead to further nerve damage, causing complete loss of legs or arms leading to amputation, death or brain injury due to falls, burns or other injuries that will not heal, along with organ failure in some cases.

Are you or someone you love suffering with loss of balance, numbness or pain from Nerve Damage in your hands and/or feet that just won’t heal? You don’t have to any longer. This local clinic right here in Rochester, NY is helping people find lasting relief without the use of drugs or surgery! That’s BIG EWS!

HEALING IS POSSIBLE

More than 20 million people in the U.S. Are dealing with some form of Neuropathy. Most commonly noticed first in the hands or feet, causing weakness, numbness, tingling pain and debilitating balance problems, often frustrated with no place to turn to and no hope of recovery. “By the time they come to see us, they feel like they have tried everything. Their MD put them on Anti-Seizure or Epilepsy meds like Gabapentin, Neurotin, Cymbalta or Lyrica and told them they will just have to live with the pain,” said Dr. Riddle.

ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY

With recent advancements in nerve regeneration technology and treatment options, clinics all over are seeing larger success rates and faster results with their neuropathy patients.

“This new technology paired with our multifaceted approach, has been life altering for our patients and our clinic,” said Dr. Riddle.

The development and success of these new, highly effective Neuropathy Protocols by Dr. Riddle and his team at Riddle Wellness have been the talk of the town in recent months. “Neuropathy patients have been coming in from all over the state and the results that they are getting is truly amazing,” said the Patient Coordinator at the Clinic. There are some things people can do at home to aide in the healing process of their neuropathy however, healing neuropathy is an all-encompassing process that ill require lifestyle changes, home care and may or may not include chiropractic, (varying from patient to patient) along with guidance from a medical professional that is experienced, skilled and trained to treat neuropathy.

Dr. Riddle and his skilled care team in Rochester have been treating neuropathy for years now in and judging by their 5 Star patient reviews, and all their patient video testimonials, they have been doing a very good job providing excellent patient care. One person had all but given up, they were crying in their testimonial. They were so thankful and its all because of this amazing new treatment option! They state it

New Treatment Options for Neuropathy

ing pain, numbness, tingling, pins and needle sensations, cramps and burning in your feet, or hands, along with the many other bodily symptions this horrible condition plagues people with, take action because it will progress.

Not everyone is able to start care at the clinic but, those who do are thankful! Find out if you are a candidate for their Neuropathy Protocols so they can help you regain the feeling in your hands or feet, stop the pain and start living life again! “Our Neuropathy Protocol is a multifaceted approach to heal neuropathy by nurturing the nervous system, increasing circulation, blood and oxygen, working to rebuild, strengthen and balance the body, all while stimulating the damaged nerves. Revitalizing and healing the damaged areas, enabling them to reactivate and function at an increasingly higher rate over time, all while increasing the patients quality of life dramatically,” said Dr. Riddle.

has about a 98% effective rate!

FIND

LASTING RELIEF

Claim Your Voucher Now for a Consultation & Examination to determine if you are a good candidate for treatment... Dr. Riddle and his care team are here once again to help readers learn about new options for finding pain relief! Call the clinic today to receive your comprehensive (normally $250).

The clinic utilizes the most advanced Pain Free Testing and a full, easy to understand report of finding

with Dr. Riddle going over your options for care if you are able to move forward.

Call 585-670-0020 and use Code NUMB0021. They have agreed to reduce their usual cost of $250.

But hurry, due to the number of patients the office can see, this is a limited time offer, with only 25 spaces at this exclusively discounted rate. These will be on a first come, first serve basis, messages left will count. My advise, don’t suffer any longer, waiting around for it to get worse... If you or your loved one is experienc-

Over the years they have treated thousands of patients with chronic conditions of Neuropathy, Sciatic nerve pain, Back & Neck problems, Whiplash Injuries along with Knee Pain. The office is well known and has a good reputation. Patients drive hours to this clinic and the vast majority enjoy superior, lasting relief. In fact, many who have suffered and tried other treatment options with no luck, only to have been told that they are just stuck with their pain and discomfort, have credited the care team at Dr. Riddle office for giving them their lives back!

Call them now at their Rochester, NY location, for a full, thorough Consultation and extensive Neuropathy Consultation at $49. Use Code: NUMB0021 (saving you over $200) to determine if and how Dr. Riddle and his team can help you recover, just as they have helped so many others that suffer with the Pain and Numbness of Nerve Damage.

“I feel like myself again. The pain is gone and I am even sleeping through the night”

~Gill B. Rochester NY

Special Needs: New Service Aims to Reduce Child Care Suspensions, Expulsions

Anew prevention-based, consultative service at Child Care Council Inc. will help ensure children with disabilities have access to quality child care.

Child Care Council’s special needs consultation service will equip caregivers with strategies and supports to reduce suspension and expulsion for young children with disabilities in child care. Built on relationship-based practices, the service is provided through observation, modeling and collaboration.

According to a 2018 article by the Center for American Progress, “Suspensions Are Not Support,” children with disabilities in early childhood settings represent about 13% of enrolled children but account for 75% of suspensions and expulsions.

Children with autism are the most likely to be suspended or expelled, according to Child Care

Council, which served 125 families who self-reported at least one child was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders between January 2016 and December 2019.

Child Care Council’s team of special needs consultants will provide a caring, compassionate, responsive and effective service to meet each program and child’s unique needs. The special needs consultation service is funded by a $175,000 grant from the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation.

The service, which does not provide one-to-one care to children, is available in Monroe, Wayne and Livingston counties.

Child care providers interested in learning more about this service can contact Bethany Williams, special needs services supervisor, at 585-6541287 or b.williams@childcarecouncil. com.

HealthcareinaMinute

By George W. Chapman

Medical Debt: No. 1 Contributor to Personal Bankruptcy

Medical debt has become the No. 1 contributor to personal bankruptcy. Over 100 million of us have significant medical debt. The Consumer Financial Protection Board issued a letter to the IRS outlining its recommendations to give indebted consumers relief.

1. Debt resulting from necessary medical care kept off credit reports.

2. Ban hospitals from selling patient debt to collection agencies. 3. Require hospitals to increase their financial

assistance and charity care as they are tax exempt. 4. Establish standards for charity care. (NYS has a “bad debt and charity pool” that can compensate hospitals for charity care, but it is basically underfunded and pays only a fraction of charity care.) More than two-thirds of hospitals sue their patients or take other legal actions. The collection industry has pushed back saying these consumer protections will only hurt their provider clients.

infections further reducing the strain on overtaxed and understaffed hospitals. I understand while they are at it, they can help set up your TV.

Trinity Health Losses

In what is probably a sign of the times for the hospital industry, the Michigan-based 100 bed hospital system lost nearly $300 million in the second half of last year. St. Joseph’s in Syracuse and St. Peter’s in Albany are affiliates. The pandemic has created a “new normal” for hospitals, meaning inpatient revenues will continue to be a declining percentage of overall revenues. The innovative hospital-at-home program discussed above, born out of necessity, exemplifies the rapid transition to cheaper non-inpatient settings such as home care, ambulatory care, digital/virtual care, urgent care, remote monitoring and pharmacy care.

Insulin Costs Capped

Depression in Physicians

The pandemic has been debilitating impact on care givers. A recent survey of more than 9,000 physicians by Medscape revealed 25% of the respondents indicated they suffered from clinical depression and 9% indicated they had suicidal ideations (versus 5% of the general population). 40% of the docs surveyed admitted they have not shared their thoughts with anyone, let alone sought professional help. A legitimate fear of disclosure is the possibility of an untoward or punitive action by a medical board. Clearly, the pandemic has increased depression and anxiety in all of us. But when it severely impacts those who battle on the front lines, we are all in deeper trouble. Many of the respondents felt our fractured healthcare “system” continues to contribute to the depression and anxiety felt by patients and physicians alike.

Medicare Trust Fund

Safety Net Hospitals Threatened

They are typically located in isolated rural communities and underserved urban neighborhoods. Consequently, they serve a relatively higher percentage of patients with Medicaid insurance or no insurance at all. Consequently, these hospitals, so critical in providing care to underserved populations, receive “disproportionate share payments” to help them maintain fiscal viability. Congress is now threatening to cut $8 billion in DSP to these safety net hospitals. At least nine hospital and medical associations have petitioned congress to maintain the funding needed to keep these hospitals open. Still reeling from the negative impact of the pandemic, the $8 billion cut could not come at a worse time.

Industry analysts predict dozens of these hospitals, already on the brink of financial crisis, could close.

Healthcare From the Geek Squad?

In what is certainly innovative, Atrium Health has partnered with Best Buy, (yes, Best Buy) to provide what they call “hospital-at-home” care. It was born out of the pandemic which undoubtedly strained inpatient care. According to Rasu Shrestha, the chief “innovation and commercialization” officer (yes, commercialization) the program has served more than 6,000 patients at home saving the insurer 25,000 inpatient days. Initially serving mostly patients suffering from COVID-19, they now treat chronic heart problems, COPD, pneumonia, asthma and

Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, effective Jan. 1, Medicare members with Part D (drug) coverage will pay no more than $35 a month for insulin. The rest of Medicare recipients, all of whom have Part B (physician) coverage, will pay not more than $35 a month effective July 1. 34 million of us, or one in 10, suffer from diabetes. Drug manufacturer Eli Lilly will voluntarily slash its price for insulin. Mark Cuban’s company will follow suit as well as nonprofit Utah based Civica. Diabetes is one of the fastest growing chronic conditions in younger Americans. The Inflation Reduction Act also permits Congress to negotiate the price of 10 selected drugs starting in 2026. That’s right. JUST 10 drugs. THREE years from now. But that “leaps” to 20 drugs SIX years from now. Cynics worry, and with good cause, drug manufactures will simply raise prices on the myriad other drugs where prices aren’t negotiated. Optimists hope the insulin price competition will infiltrate the industry and finally result in more price competition outside negotiations. It is estimated that 44% of us don’t fill prescriptions, or reduce dosages and cut pills, due to cost.

It is expected to be near depletion in just five years. This is a concern for all of us, both younger than and older than 65. Medicare taxes have been subtracted from our paychecks since we started collecting one. President Biden is proposing to raise the Medicare tax rate from 3.8% to 5% on those making more than $400,000 a year. Analysts believe that certainly will help, but not make Medicare totally solvent. Negotiating ALL drug prices immediately, not just 10 prices in 2026, will make Medicare solvent. It should be noted, Medicare (basically congress) SETS fees/reimbursement for physician and hospital services. While provider lobbyists can plead, there are NO formal negotiations.

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

U.S. Pedestrian Deaths Keep Rising

Pedestrian deaths have surged on U.S. roads in recent years, and they are climbing again.

Pedestrian deaths hit a 40-year high in 2021, and numbers for the first half of 2022 were up about 5% over the same period in 2021, according to a new Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) analysis.

It cites a variety of contributors, including heavier vehicles that are more likely to injure or kill people on foot. Roads, meanwhile, are designed to prioritize fast-moving traffic over the slower speeds that are safer for pedestrians, according to the GHSA.

Many parts of the United States lack adequate sidewalks, crosswalks and lighting, the group noted.

In addition, dangerous driving surged at the start of the pandemic and has not abated.

“There is a pedestrian safety crisis on our roads, and it's only gotten worse since the start of the pandemic,” Jonathan Adkins, chief executive officer of GHSA, said in an association news release. “A single roadway death is tragic. But it's absolutely mind-boggling and heartbreaking that drivers are killing an average of 19 pedestrians every single day.”

GHSA's annual Spotlight on Highway Safety report is based on preliminary data from state highway safety offices.

GHSA said the increase is even more alarming compared to 2019, before the pandemic.

Between the first half of 2019 and 2022, pedestrian deaths surged 18%, the GHSA found. The numbers

showed 1.04 pedestrian deaths per 100,000 people in 2022, up from 0.9 per 100,000 in 2019.

There were 168 more deaths during the first half of 2022 compared to the first half of 2021, the findings showed.

“The only way to reverse this awful trend is to do more of everything that works — more and better designed infrastructure to keep people walking safe, equitable enforcement of traffic safety laws to stop dangerous driving and engaging more communities where the impacts of this crisis are felt the hardest,” Adkins said.

The GHSA said it supports a solution based on the safe system approach outlined in the U.S. Department of Transportation's national roadway safety strategy.

Its elements — safe road users, safe vehicles, safe speeds, safe roads and post-crash care — provide a multilayered safety net to protect people on foot as well as other road users, GHSA said.

The reported increases continue a decade-long trend.

In the first half of 2013, the United States recorded 2,141 pedestrian deaths — compared to 3,434 in the first half of last year. That's a 60% increase and nearly 1,300 more people killed.

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that 2021 also saw the most roadway deaths since 2005, about 43,000.

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No material may be reproduced in whole or in part from this publication without the express written permission of the publisher. The information in this publication is intended to complement—not to take the place of—the recommendations of your health provider. Consult your physician before making major changes in your lifestyle or health care regimen.

By Gwenn Voelckers

Practical tips, advice and hope for those who live alone

Need Help? No Need to Go it Alone

It hasn’t been easy. Like many people, I’ve been reluctant to ask for help, not wanting to be a burden or inconvenience my family and friends.

But things have changed. Thankfully, for the better.

As I write this column, spring cleaning is tugging at my proverbial apron strings.

I need, I must, make sense of the boxes and bags of family photos, documents and items I inherited after losing my mother and father. I’ve procrastinated far too long. It’s time.

So ... I called my dear friend Carol and asked if she would help me begin the emotion-laden process of deciding what to keep, donate or throw away.

A self-described decluttering guru, Carol happily agreed to get me started. Among many helpful tips, she encouraged me to ask myself, “Does it have value? Does it bring me joy?”

I’m delighted to report that we made great progress. Her help was invaluable!

And we had a good time together, often laughing at the silly things I’ve held onto all these years. My grade school report cards come to mind. No need to be reminded that I “whispered too much.”

Below is an essay titled “Asking for Help” that I included in my book, “Alone and Content: Inspiring,

empowering essays to help divorced and widowed women feel whole and complete on their own.”

I hope it inspires you to reach out and ask for assistance if you need it.

Asking For Help

A ride to the doctor’s office. Extra hands to move heavy furniture. An emergency dog-sitting request. Giving and receiving help from my friends and family has proved to be a wonderful way for me to strengthen bonds. I have learned time and again that asking for help brings blessings, not burdens.

Many people — and often those of us who need it most — find it hard to reach out and ask for help in times of need.

The reasons are numerous, but my experience tells me that lots of women and men who live alone avoid asking for help because they fear being seen as weak or vulnerable.

I know that after my divorce I was reluctant to ask for help. I

Which High School Sports Cause Kids the Most

Injuries?

Fewer high school athletes are getting hurt playing sports, but those who do are more likely to suffer severe injuries that require surgery or a timeout from their chosen sport, new research shows.

Which teens are most at risk?

Those who participate in football, girls' soccer and boys' wrestling, the study authors found. Knee and ankle sprains and strains, along with head injuries such as concussions, were the most common injuries seen.

Exactly why injuries are becoming more severe isn't fully understood, but having kids specialize in sports too early may play a role. That can lead to an increase in overuse injuries, overtraining and burnout, said study co-author Jordan Pizzarro, a medical student at George Wash-

ington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, in Washington, D.C.

Still, the new data isn't a reason for kids to stop playing sports.

“Sports build endurance and stamina and help with growth and maturity,” Pizzarro said. Instead, parents should talk to the school or coach about pre-season training programs that may help stave off injuries among young athletes.

For the study, the researchers tapped into 2015 to 2019 injury data from 100 high schools. These schools have athletic trainers who report injuries for five boys' and four girls' sports.

Overall, there were 15,531 injuries that occurred during 6.8 million athletic exposures. (An athletic expo-

wanted to show the world that I was perfectly fine, thank you very much. I avoided asking anybody for anything, determined to muscle through on my own. It led to isolation and pointless hardships.

But the biggest shame? Not asking for support kept me distant from friends and family. I denied myself (and them) the chance to connect on a genuine and meaningful level. Looking back, it’s clear to me that my healing and personal growth came more slowly as a result.

I encourage you to let go of any excuses not to ask for help, in favor of being true to yourself and to those who love and want to support you.

How can you help yourself?

• Be honest. Take a moment to reflect on what keeps you from asking for assistance. Could it be pride? Do you think you’ll be seen as incapable or inadequate? Are you concerned about being a bother? Or, would asking for help force you to acknowledge that, indeed, you need it?

• Redefine what it means to be strong. Everyone needs outside support from time to time, and seeking help on your terms is not a weakness. In fact, the strongest people are often those who have the courage to admit they need reinforcements. I’ve always admired this quality in others. Real strength is knowing your personal limitations and having the confidence to recruit assistance when necessary.

• Have some faith. Believe that people truly want to help. Just think about how you’d respond if a friend, family member or co-worker asked for a helping hand. You likely wouldn’t hesitate; you might even feel slighted if not asked, especially if someone you cared about was having real difficulty. Know that others, too, want to be there for their friends and family in need.

• Take a chance. When you choose to open yourself up and expose your authentic self, you are taking a risk. That’s a good thing! When you are real like this, you have an amazing opportunity to cultivate deeper, more meaningful bonds with others.

• Make the request. First put some thought into where you could really use some support; then ask for help with one specific item. It could be something as simple as asking a neighbor for help raking out a garden bed to something as important as identifying a financial adviser.

If you think you’ll feel awkward making the request, you might start out by saying, “You know, I’m not very comfortable asking for favors, but I wonder if you might be able to help me with something?”

• Express your gratitude. You know this, of course. A heartfelt thank you in person or in writing will be warmly received by the person whose help you have accepted. No need to go overboard. Remember, people want to help others and don’t expect to be compensated for doing a good deed.

• Offer help in return. Because giving can be as gratifying as receiving, make it known that you are available to return the favor. Better yet, find opportunities to offer help. We all have gifts and can be of great assistance to one another.

So, take it from me ... life can be better, just for the asking.

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

sure is defined as one athlete participating in one practice or competition during which an injury could potentially occur.) This equals an overall rate of nearly 2.3 injuries per 1,000 athletic exposures, which can be extrapolated to 5.2 million sports-related injuries among high schoolers nationally.

Most injuries took place during games. Overall, the injury rate was higher in boys' sports compared to girls' sports, and 3.5% of all injuries were fractures, and these mainly occurred in boys' baseball, basketball and football. Overall, just over 6% of injuries — most often from wrestling, girls' basketball and boys' baseball — required surgery.

In total, 39% of sports injuries resulted in athletes taking less than one week off from their sport, while 34% of injuries required taking up to three weeks off to heal. Seven percent of injuries required athletes to take more than three weeks off to

heal, and nearly 21% of injuries led to medical disqualification for the season or career.

The new research was presented at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) annual meeting March 7 to 11. Research presented at medical conferences should be considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.

"The majority of high school sports are recreational, so the players may be under-conditioned and not prepared for the grinds of organized sports, making them more prone to muscle strains and other soft tissue injuries,” said Sean Tabaie, an orthopedic surgeon at Children's National Hospital in Washington, D.C..

His advice? “Start early and introduce kids to a lot of different sports. Rotating the sports that kids play throughout the seasons is really important. Don't focus on one sport, as that will leave you prone to overuse of specific muscles,” Tabaie said.

Things You Need to Know About A-Fib

By Ernst Lamothe Jr.

It’s a condition that results in more than 454,000 hospitalizations in the United States each year. Even worse, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention predict around 12.1 million people could be diagnosed with the ailment by 2031. Atrial fibrillation — or a-fib — is an abnormal heart rhythm from the top chambers of the heart. This often causes the heart to beat irregularly and quickly. The risks resulting from atrial fibrillation include stroke, heart failure and other heart-related complications.

“Upwards of six million Americans have atrial fibrillation,” said physician James Gallagher, an electrophysiologist with UR Medicine Cardiac Care in Rochester.

He explains five things you should know about a-fib.

1.Symptoms

Atrial fibrillation often presents with racing heartbeats, irregular heartbeats and a lack of stamina. However, many patients have no symptoms, particularly those whose heart rates are not as fast when they are in atrial fibrillation. Other symptoms include lightheadedness, extreme fatigue, shortness of breath and chest pains. A normal heartbeat begins with one electrical impulse from the sinus node, a single point in the heart’s right atrium. A healthy person’s heart usually beats 60 to 150 beats per minute. With a-fib, electrical impulses fire from multiple sites in both atria. That can cause the atria to contract 400 or more times per minute. The ventricles become overwhelmed trying to keep up with the contractions.

“Sometimes the alert for patients to see the doctor is when an at-home

blood pressure monitor shows an irregular heartbeat. Checking your blood pressure regularly not only helps screen for high blood pressure, but also a rhythm problem such as atrial fibrillation,” said Gallagher.

“Don't ignore the symptoms of your heart or the findings on your blood pressure monitor.”

If a clot breaks off and enters the bloodstream and lodges in an artery leading to the brain, a stroke results. About 15% to 20% of people who have strokes have this heart arrhythmia. This clot risk is why patients with this condition are put on blood thinners.

2.Prevention

by your physician.”

Episodes of atrial fibrillation may come and go. Or, they may be persistent. However, even though the condition isn’t always life-threatening it has the possibility of leading to more serious medical conditions that require proper treatment.

3.Family history

Serving

A healthy lifestyle with regular aerobic exercise and a well-balanced diet helps reduce your risk of atrial fibrillation and other forms of heart disease. Exercise works like beta-blocker medication to slow the heart rate and lower blood pressure at rest and also when exercising. A combination of aerobic workouts including walking, running, swimming, in combination with strength training, remains the ideal combination for great heart health. High blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart disease. In addition, experts recommend avoiding tobacco and smoking. Whether it’s your eating habits leading to diabetes or the way you handle your environment leading to stress and high blood pressure, Gallagher also suggests making sure to monitor those aspects of life. “Obesity and sleep apnea are associated with atrial fibrillation,” said Gallagher. “Lower your risk by maintaining a healthy weight and using a continuous positive airway pressure machine, if recommended

Family history can play a role in atrial fibrillation. Certain genes have been identified as associated with atrial fibrillation. If you have familial atrial fibrillation, you may get it earlier in life than do those without a family history of the condition.

“There is ongoing research to better understand this, but at this point, we do not have gene-altering treatments for atrial fibrillation,” said Gallagher. “It is not uncommon to see someone who develops atrial fibrillation at a young age to also have a family member who had atrial fibrillation at a young age.

Asian and Black populations see lower atrial fibrillation rates than those of European ancestry.”

4.Misconceptions

A common misconception about atrial fibrillation is that a pacemaker is the first and best therapy. A pacemaker does not keep the heart beating regularly. It increases the heart rate.

“When the heart is beating irregularly, medications and ablation

procedures can be used to restore a normal rhythm,” said Gallagher. “However, longtime use of the medications can slow the heart rate dramatically and many people with atrial fibrillation receive pacemakers later.”

5.Climbing upwards

Atrial fibrillation incidence is climbing. While no single cause links to atrial fibrillation, the possibility does increase as you age. “While some risk factors are not able to be modified, such as age and genetics, some risk factors for atrial fibrillation can be modified to try to decrease the chances of this occurring,” he added.

Physician James Gallagher, an electrophysiologist with UR Medicine Cardiac Care in Rochester.

The Demand for EMTs Remains High

Jennifer Everett, paramedic, captain and training manager at Gates Ambulance Station: Company used to average 15 calls daily but for the past 18 months, it’s been 35 calls a day

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

If you are interested in the medical field and enjoy high adrenaline situations, working as an emergency medical technician might be for you.

Emergency medical technician (EMT) programs at community colleges or other schools last one semester (about 100-150 hours) and accept applicants as young as 17 (must be 18 upon completion). After successfully passing the exam, EMTs must complete 36 hours annually as a refresher and recertify every three

years to maintain their credential.

In addition, “you have to be a people person,” said Jevon Tomaschko, chief of operations at Brighton Volunteer Ambulance. “You’ll be dealing with people who are having a bad day, and are in vulnerable states. You have to have understanding and compassion. You don’t find emergency medical services; emergency medical services finds you.”

He added that interest in biology and ability to effectively manage

stress help.

The state requires that each person working as an EMT must be able to lift 125 pounds individually or 250 with assistance, read and speak English fluently and carry a valid driver’s license. Individual agencies may also have additional requirements, such as a commercial driver’s license for a mobile stroke unit.

The role has significant turnover because of the entry-level nature of the work.

“Typically, people start as an EMT and use the experience to move on to nursing school, medical school, police department or fire department,” Tomaschko said. “There’s also the paramedics. Many start as an EMT and if they have a passion for it, they go on to a paramedic, which is one year to 18 months’ education. It’s much more in-depth education with cardiology, pharmacology, patient diagnosis and pathophysiology.”

Taking a National Registry EMT course and passing the associated exam can enable an EMT to work on cruise ships, oil derricks, in rural areas and internationally.

“These positions can be very lucrative,” Tomaschko said.

Jennifer Everett, paramedic, captain and training manager at Gates Ambulance Station in Rochester, has worked in emergency medical services for 35 years, starting as an EMT while in college. She volunteered with her local ambulance agency and eventually made it her career.

“No day is ever like another one,” Everett said. “There’s always something different.”

In addition to going into training as Everett did, she said that EMTs can also work at some doctor’s offices or hospitals providing minor patient care or with a hospital-based ambulance.

The demand for EMTs is high. Everett said that her company used to average 15 calls daily but for the past 18 months, it’s been 35 calls a day.

“We’re looking for creative ways to bring people into the industry and to be considered an essential service,” Everett said. “That would help increase funding. Every industry is hurting for people to work. The truth is if we can’t find people to do the job, someone may not get an ambulance on time. We do the best we can with mutual aid from other ambulance companies. We do what we can to support each other.”

Despite the long, difficult shifts and emotional demands of the work, Everett still believes that it’s a great job.

“The pay is improving and it has job security. You could go almost anywhere in the world and get a job as an EMT. You do have the opportunity to save lives. If you save someone dying in front of you, that drives you to come back the next day.”

Paramedic classes take one to two years to complete with an average of 1,000 hours of training and 800 hours of clinical time. The model used to be one paramedic and one EMT per ambulance.

However, Everett said that the current staffing model because of fewer providers is two EMTs per ambulance with a paramedic in a “fly car” responding to acute calls as needed.

“Priority is assigned by an accredited 911 center,” Everett said. “We don’t make that decision.”

She encourages anyone interested in working as an EMT to take advantage of opportunities at volunteer agencies that provide free classes for those who pass the exam.

Rx:

A Good Night’s Sleep

UR Medicine Thompson Health implements new protocol to promote better sleep, speedier recovery.

By Melody Burri

Hospital patients are sleeping better and recovering faster, thanks to new sleep protocols implemented by UR Medicine Thompson Health.

The sleep hygiene guideline was unveiled in 2022 to promote healing and improve patient satisfaction by ensuring a minimum of four hours of uninterrupted sleep for patients. That meant adopting new strategies, including reducing the number of nighttime bedside visits to record vital signs and administer medications, delaying morning lab draws, promoting a wakeful daytime environment and providing patients with items including ear plugs and eye masks.

Leading the charge was an interdisciplinary “Do It group” led by ICU Lead Advanced Practice Provider Anne Finch and ICU–observation unit–diagnostic imaging Nursing Director Mary Kate Corey, both of UR Medicine Thompson Health.

Together with eight additional team members, the DIG created formal guidelines within the hospital’s policy system and placed cues within its electronic health record system to prompt staff to incorporate those guidelines. Staff education was provided, information sheets were distributed to patients and visual reminders were displayed throughout the units.

The changes were essential because the stakes were, and continue to be, high, hospital officials said.

Why sleep matters

“In my interviews with patients, sleep is incredibly important to their satisfaction and overall feeling of wellness,” said DIG co-chair Finch.

Likewise, lack of sleep can be severely detrimental.

“There is increasing research and understanding that sleep deprivation

is a major risk factor for ‘hospital acquired delirium,’ an altered mental state that may delay recovery and lead to both short and even longterm confusion and memory issues,” said Finch.

The ICU traditionally sees the highest incidence of hospital acquired delirium — between 70% to 80% of patients, she said. That altered state is also associated with significant morbidity and mortality, she said.

While the sleep guideline was primarily aimed at reducing rates of delirium in the ICU, the scope of the project was quickly expanded to all patients, said co-chair Corey, who was “incredibly proud to be part of such an important initiative for patients.”

The rollout

“The biggest challenge has been in changing the culture,” said Finch. "We rolled out a fair amount of education and I personally did some sleep rounds, going to the floors and presenting the guideline to the staff to educate and give an opportunity for questions and feedback.”

The changes were well received, she said. But at the three-month follow-up, they were still being utilized less than DIG members had hoped.

So sleep champions were adopted for each of the inpatient units, Finch said. These RNs initiate continued education and guideline protocol.

Another challenge, she said, has been getting staff on board with using the laminated sleep preferences worksheets that now hang in every room to help record and understand the patient's baseline sleep patterns — typical bedtime, wake time, preferred sleep position, preferred sleep aids like medication or white noise.

These remain posted as a visual reminder and guide for caregivers to help replicate home sleep.

An unexpected discovery was made at the six-month post roll-out survey point when Finch interviewed 10 patients in one day.

“Three separate patients on three different floors informed me that there was an individual emptying garbage cans and banging the can to remove the bag in the middle of the night,” she said.

“We clearly had not extended the education to our housekeeping staff,” Finch added. “So I quickly got in touch with the manager of the department and we worked to educate on nighttime quiet hours and using the visual cues — the yellow moon magnet on the door — as reminders that patients are trying to sleep. I know it sounds basic, but it's all about changing the sleep culture in the hospital.”

Safeguards

All patients need restorative sleep, but not all can safely achieve it in the same way.

Almost every patient in the hospital can benefit from some aspects of the sleep guideline, Finch said. They can be well served through a completed sleep preferences worksheet, a wakeful daytime environment and overnight medications that have been safely re-timed to wake hours.

But some patients have specific needs that should be assessed daily on a case by case basis. Nighttime options for stable patients might include reducing the frequency of vital signs or discontinuing continuous monitoring when appropriate. Likewise, patients who need to be turned and repositioned every two hours because of pressure ulcer risk, might be eligible for one skipped turn

during the night if they are deemed to be low risk as calculated using the Braden scale.

Feedback

To gauge the effectiveness of these changes, the DIG conducted patient surveys which highlighted improvements in a number of areas.

“It really hit home when our sixmonth follow up interviews revealed that patients are, in fact, reporting better sleep,” said Finch. “We noted a more than 10% to 30% improvement in reports of deeper sleep, quicker sleep, fewer awakenings, quicker return to sleep if interrupted and better quality night's sleep. It has been so gratifying to see a need and meet it.”

Finch said there’s still plenty of room for improvement, but she’s happy to see measurable evidence of culture shift.

“Just last week, after more than a year into the initiative, I had a unit coordinator reach out and request more moon magnets for one of the units,” she said. “They had more patients on the guideline than magnets available. That's a great problem to have. Back to the craft room to create more moons!”

“The DIG team can be proud of how they implemented an evidenced-based best practice change to improve the quality of care, and patient satisfaction,” said Corey.

Joining Finch and Corey on the DIG were Thompson employees Stephanie Friel, James Hart, Laurie Malotte, Bridget Osterhout, Erica Iversen, Mary Freeman, Shelby Valenti, and Jill Wilson.

The group will be formally honored in May during the health system’s Shining Star awards ceremony.

Physician assistant Anne Finch tends to a patient in UR Medicine Thompson Health’s ICU, with nurse practitioner Kayleigh Argentieri. Photo courtesy of UR Medicine Thompson Health

Imaging Nursing Director Mary Kate Corey of UR Medicine Thompson Health.

By Anne Palumbo

SmartBites The skinny on healthy eating

Little Peas Serve Up Big Benefits

When I was a child, the only peas I ever ate were canned, and the only reaction I ever had was ick!

Mushy and tasteless, canned peas forced me to develop an important culinary survival skill: “food dispersion.”

These days, however, I couldn’t fathom leaving one pea behind!

What prompted my pea epiphany? Two discoveries: fresh and frozen. Make that three: a pea’s remarkable nutrition.

Much like other legumes, these tiny green globes carry quite a punch when it comes to fiber and protein, with a ½-cup portion delivering about 4 grams of each. Both nutrients slow the breakdown of carbohydrates, which means you are less likely to have sudden spikes in blood sugar after eating them. This slower digestion also promotes feelings of fullness, making it easier to resist snacks.

Peas are vitamin superstars, boasting impressive amounts of vitamins C, K, thiamine (B1) and folate (B9), many of which are antioxidants that help reduce inflammation. Multiple studies suggest that anti-inflammatory nutrients, such as these, may help protect against some chronic illnesses: heart disease, diabetes, autoimmune diseases, and more.

Concerned about your blood pressure? Peas teem with minerals that play a major role in blood pressure control: magnesium, potassium, and calcium. High blood pressure, which damages your arteries by making them less elastic, can lead to heart disease or even a deadly heart attack or stroke. In addition, the high fiber content of peas has been shown to lower total cholesterol and “bad” LDL cholesterol, both of which increase the risk of heart disease when elevated.

Eating peas regularly may reduce the risk of cancer. Karen Collins, RDN, nutrition adviser for the American Institute for Cancer Research, says peas contain phytochemicals that help support the body’s antioxidant defenses. Antioxidants disarm compounds that may cause the kind of cell damage that contributes to inflammation and an increased risk of diseases such as cancer.

Similar to other legumes, peas are a bit high in carbs, with ½ cup serving up around 11 grams. A few comparisons: ½ cup carrot slices, 6 grams; 1 medium tomato, 5 grams; and 1 stalk celery; 1.2 grams. However, because peas are nutrient dense, garnering the benefits of those nutrients tends to outweigh a pea’s carbs. Nonetheless, for those watching carbs, monitoring intake of

Milk, or a Plant-Based 'Milk': What's the Nutritional Difference?

Not all milks are created equally when it comes to nutrients. Reading the label can clue you in to what you're getting out of the beverage, whether it be plantbased or dairy, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Nutritional content can vary between different plant-based products, the FDA said in a recent news release. Many don't have the same amount of calcium, vitamin D or other nutrients as dairy milk.

The only plant-based beverage that contains a similar enough nutrient content that it can be included in the dairy group in the federal government's Dietary Guidelines for Americans is fortified soy milk.

“The nutrients you get from plant-based milk alternatives can depend on which plant source is

used, the processing methods and added ingredients, so check the label carefully,” said Susan Mayne, director of the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition at the FDA. “Has the product been fortified with nutrients such as calcium? How much added sugar is in the product? What is the protein content?”

“The Nutrition Facts label on the packaging can help you compare the nutrient content of the various plant-based milk alternatives to milk,” Mayne said. “The label can help you choose the best products to meet your nutrient needs and those of your family.”

Plant-based milks can be made from grains, such as oat, quinoa and rice; legumes, including pea and soy; nuts, such as almond, cashew, coconut, hazelnut, macadamia, pea-

peas is often advised.

Final pea perk? These bead-sized jewels are super low in fat, cholesterol, sodium, and relatively low in calories—only 60 per ½-cup serving.

Helpful tips

If buying fresh peas, look for firm, plump pods that are a vibrant medium green. Unwashed, unshelled peas will last several days in the refrigerator. If buying processed peas, many recommend frozen over canned—for taste, texture, and nutrition. Steaming peas in as little water as possible helps to preserve the vitamin C.

2¼ cups water (or more if too thick)

1 13.5-oz. can fat-reduced coconut milk

1 16-oz. bag frozen peas (or 3¾ cups fresh)

Small handful of cilantro leaves (optional)

Warm the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently for 6 minutes. Add the ginger, garlic, cumin, cayenne, salt, and pepper and cook 2 minutes more, stirring frequently.

Add the water and coconut milk and increase the heat to high. Once the mixture starts to boil, reduce the heat to low and add the peas. Cook just until the peas are bright green and tender, about 5 minutes.

Puree the soup using an immersion blender or a regular blender. Season the soup to taste with salt, ladle into bowls, top with cilantro leaves (optional) and serve.

Sweet Pea Soup with Coconut and Ginger

Adapted from Better Homes & Gardens Serves 4-6

2 tablespoons canola or olive oil

1 small onion, diced

2 tablespoons minced ginger

2 garlic cloves, minced

½ teaspoon cumin

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon coarse black pepper

nut, pistachio and walnut; and seeds including flax, hemp and sesame.

These products may be a good alternative for people who are allergic to dairy milk or want to avoid dairy products for dietary reasons or personal preference, the FDA noted.

Some plant-based products have more calories than nonfat and lowfat dairy milk, so check the label if cutting calories is your motivation for choosing an alternative, the FDA suggested.

Dairy foods provide some key nutrients, some of which people are not getting enough of in their diets. The nutrients in milk include protein, calcium, vitamin A, vitamin D, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, riboflavin, vitamin B12, zinc, choline and selenium.

The FDA suggests choosing milk and plant-based milk alternatives that are higher in protein, vitamin D, calcium and potassium.

These nutrients can help build bones and teeth, muscles, cartilage, skin, blood, enzymes and hormones. They can help people maintain their blood pressure. Some are needed for proper muscle, kidney and heart

function.

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

The FDA recently issued draft guidance that recommends plantbased milks voluntarily include a nutrient statement that communicates how the product is nutritionally different from milk.

Do what you love. Even if it’s nothing at all.

As one of the most important people on earth, you should have nothing to worry about but choosing today’s activity, outing or dining option. Or just enjoying quiet time in beautifully maintained surroundings with 24-hour security.

St. Ann’s Community at Chapel Oaks has no entrance fee, only a low, monthly service fee for all your amenities. You also have complimentary transportation for appointments and activities, and access to higher levels of care if you ever need it.

1- and 2- Bedroom Apartments

• Wellness Center/Pool

• Multiple Dining Venues

Organ Donation

A Second Chance at Life

Then, Chen or one of the other acute care cardiologists resumes the patient’s care.

conditions. One option is a ventricular assist device, a mechanical heart pump, used to treat heart failure. Originally used to keep patients alive while they awaited a new heart, VADs are now also used long-term for those ineligible for transplant, or who choose not to wait for one.

Strong Memorial has thus far implanted more than 900 pumps.

URMC also offers a telemedicine program called TeleVAD, which provides follow-up care for patients who live far from Rochester. A cardiac critical care transport team, composed of cardiac critical care nurses, respiratory therapists, perfusionists and physicians, rushes patients in outlying areas to the medical center.

No matter how state-of-the-art a heart transplant facility is, the team and patients still rely on human donors. “There is a tremendous amount of research going on, but we haven’t reached a point where we’ve been able to create an alternative to another human heart,” said Wood.

She encourages everyone to register as an organ donor.

“It’s an opportunity to give someone a second chance at life and it’s a way for the person who gave their heart to live on,” she said.

In the U.S., there are more than 104,000 people waiting for a heart transplant, including about 8,100 in New York state.

By Donna Jackel

On Dec. 3, 1967, the world watched in wonder as physician Christiaan Barnard performed the first human-to-human heart transplant at the University of Capetown in South Africa. His patient, Louis Washkansky, lived 18 days post surgery.

In 2022, 4,169 heart transplants were performed in the United States, according to the United Network for Organ Sharing.

The University of Rochester Medical Center has the only comprehensive heart failure and transplant care department in Upstate New York. Since the program began in 2001, surgeons have performed 315 heart transplants.

Last year, it completed a record 22 heart transplants.

Most of the patients are from Rochester, Buffalo, Syracuse and the Adirondacks. But people have also come from northern Pennsylvania, Albany and Burlington, Vermont. Heart recipients have included grandparents, teachers, firefighters and students.

The considerably sized heart transplant team includes surgeons, cardiologists, infectious disease specialists, nurses, pharmacists, mental health professionals, social workers and dietitians.

“It’s a really integrative approach with a lot of people involved,” said physician Leway Chen, director of the heart failure and transplantation unit, who has been there since its inception.

Heart failure is the most common condition requiring a heart transplant, said Chen. There is also ventricular fibrillation, a life-threatening heart rhythm that results in a rapid, inadequate heartbeat. Some

patients have heart muscle problems, he added.

Who qualifies for a heart transplant?

“Doctors regularly attend meetings where they present patients and discuss who should be put on the waiting list,” said Chen.

Each patient is evaluated as to whether she or he is a good candidate for a heart transplant. Then, the patient undergoes a series of tests to determine whether their body will accept an organ.

Sometimes a patient with a high body mass index is able to lose enough weight to qualify for the wait list, according to Katherine Wood, one of the three transplant surgeons on the team. “This can be difficult as heart failure patients tend to be tired, retain water and find it very hard to move and be active.”

Other decisions may be driven by patient preference. For example, one potential recipient didn’t want to give up cigarettes.

“We want to meet patients where they are,” said Wood. “Not everyone is able to have a transplant.”

When a donor heart becomes available, the transplant surgeons must move fast. “It’s a very coordinated surgery,” said Wood. While one surgeon jumps on a plane to procure the donor heart, another is preparing the recipient for surgery. It takes between six to 12 hours to perform a transplant.

“You don’t take out the bad heart until you know the good heart has landed; then you quickly proceed with the operation,” said Wood.

In the U.S., only 5.3% of heart transplant surgeons are women. Immediately after the operation, the surgeons care for the patient.

“It’s very intense at the beginning — so much happens the first six month post-transplant — checking for infections, rejections,” said Chen. “After the first year to two years, we wean down medicines and the patients come back twice a year.”

Interpreting the survival data is complex because patients’ overall health varies greatly, said Leslie White, a URMC spokesperson. Overall, the one-year survival rate nationally is 85%; 50% of patients survive 10 years and 15% live 20 years after transplantation. Strong Memorial Hospital’s one-year survival rate is 95.5%, said White.

Since there are thousands of patients with heart failure, Chen uses diet, exercise, medication and physical therapy to manage their

According to the Finger Lakes Donor Recovery Network, the organ procurement organization affiliated with URMC, about 45% of eligible New York state residents are registered organ donors. In the Finger Lakes region, 61% enrolled in the registry, slightly below the national rate of 65%. That leaves many very sick patients waiting longer for a heart.

Anyone aged 16 and older can enroll in the New York State Donate Life Registry by:

• Enrolling online at www. passlifeon.org/;

• At the Department of Motor Vehicles;

• When applying for health care benefits through the New York Health Exchange;

• When registering to vote.

Patients from across the Northeast come to Rochester for heart transplant, the only comprehensive center in Upstate New York

Physician Leway Chen is the director of the heart failure and transplantation unit at URMC. He has been wioth the program since its inception in 2001.

Physician Katherine Wood, one of the three transplant surgeons on the URMC transplantation team.

Organ Donation

NEW YORK STILL LAGS IN ORGAN DONATION

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

When it comes to organ donation designations, New York could do better to meet the need.

According to the US Health Resources and Services Administration, 105,800 people nationwide are waiting for an organ donation. More than 8,500 of those are New Yorkers and about 500 of those will die before they receive a transplant, according to a March 25 2022 report from Excellus BlueCross BlueShield.

“These aren’t just statistics, but rather our loved ones, coworkers and neighbors,” said Lorna Fitzpatrick, vice president medical affairs and senior medical director at Excellus BCBS in a statement. “We can increase their odds for a successful donor match by increasing the number of people who register to be donors.”

On average, each donor can save eight lives and enhance 75 more.

Despite ranking as one of the highest states for donor need, only 49% of New Yorkers eligible to donate have enrolled in the Donate Life Registry; 63% is the national average.

New York-Presbyterian, a healthcare system in New York City, stated that as of 2017, New York state ranks last in the nation for the number of

enrollees.

“Why it’s so low is a question that’s been asked for many years,” said Nancy Ryan, director of development for Finger Lakes Donor Recovery Network, the federally designated donor recovery organization serving 20 counties in Upstate New York. “In New York state, we have come a long way. It’s assumed nothing has changed because we’re a low-performing state. We’ve worked hard to increase our enrollment rates.”

Ten years ago, the New York state enrollment rate for donors was 29% but is nearly 50% now, which Ryan counts as an important increase. Ryan believes that increasing the number of methods for singing up for the NYS Donate Life Registry has helped the rate inch upward. Regardless of how or where a donor registers, it goes to the NYS Donate Life Registry.

Myths about medical care prevent some people from registering.

“People say, ‘If I get admitted and they see I’m a registered donor, they won’t save my life,’” Ryan said. “That is silly because the doctor’s whole career is saving lives. Only donation experts have that access and

we only access at the point of death. The doctors who care for you when you’re critically ill or injured are completely different than those who coordinate donor transplants.”

In fact, Ryan added that all records in the NYS Donate Life Registry are secured in a database closed to medical personnel at hospitals and only accessible to organizations such as Ryan’s. Her organization provides the link in coordinating donation to recipients in transplant centers.

“There are waiting lists and a system of matching organ donors to recipients based on the size or organ and blood type,” she said. “It’s a complex process.”

Some people resist signing up for organ donation as they assume that their family members would want to make that decision. Ryan said that selecting registration in advance can provide comfort to family members who don’t have to make that decision. It can also help them feel that their loved one’s loss can at least benefit someone else.

“Is that something you’d want your family to decide at that worst possible moment?” Ryan said. “Make an informed decision if you want to give the gift of life and document that. That’s alleviating the responsibility from your family.”

Some people assume that their body is too old, ill or unusual to help others. However, Ryan said that no medical information is gathered upon registration.

“At the time of someone’s death, that’s when decisions are made about what can be donated,” she said. “Don’t rule yourself out. There’s no need to play doctor and decide if you’re led a healthy enough lifestyle. By ruling yourself out, you’re possibly ruling yourself out of saving someone’s life.”

Ryan said that many people assume that religion forbids organ donation. Most major world religions support organ and tissue donation, viewing it “as the most generous last

act anyone could do.”

She added that any religious, cultural or familial beliefs should be discussed before deciding about organ donation.

“We don’t claim to be experts in knowing every culture and scenario,” Ryan said. “It’s such a personal decision. Have that conversation with your family and faith leader and a trusted healthcare professional. Say, ‘I’m not sure about this; can I talk this through with you?’ If you decide you don’t want to be a donor, tell your family. That’s important for your family to know so they’re not struggling with this decision.”

The most common transplants in 2021 were kidney (24,670, with 90,483 still waiting); liver (9,236, with 11,891 still waiting); heart (3,817, with 3,502 still waiting); lung (2,524 with 1,051 still waiting) and other (1,108, with 290 still waiting).

The “other” category includes skin, face, hands and abdominal wall. Some things such as a kidney, bone marrow and part of the liver may be donated by living donors. University of Rochester Medicine represents the only transplant programs for heart, liver and live donor liver transplants in Upstate New York (see related story).

Need for Organs in USA

The most common transplants in 2021 in NYS, according to Finger Lakes Donor Recovery Network

Organ Donation

Liver Recipient Marks 20th Anniversary

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant July

2023 marks a special anniversary for Richard Perez of Canandaigua.

The 68-year-old’s fiancée, Christine Brewer, plans to throw a party to celebrate his 20 years since he received a liver transplant at UR Medicine’s Strong Memorial Hospital.

“I call that my second birthday,” Perez said.

He frequently expresses his deep gratitude for the donated liver that gave him more years to live.

“It’s the gift of life,” Perez said. “You can’t live without a liver. It’s not like things you can live without, like both kidneys.”

Many decades ago, he had contracted hepatitis C.

“It’s a silent virus,” Perez said. “In most cases, it takes about 30 years to affect the liver. I encourage people to get checked for hepatitis C if they’ve lived in the ‘50s and ‘60s. I had the virus I believe when I joined the Army.”

Without warning, he became so ill in 2002 that relatives from out of state gathered at Strong Memorial Hospital, fearing the worst. After he pulled through the acute crisis, Perez was still seriously ill and was told he needed a liver transplant to survive. Not understanding the transplant process, Perez asked for the procedure right away. Instead, he was put on a liver transplant recipient list, awaiting a donor liver.

“It’s not like they keep them in the back room!” he quipped.

The sickest patients receive priority on the recipient list. As sick as Perez was, it took 10 months before a

liver was available. In the meantime, he had a pager designated for “the call” from the transplant team at the hospital. After four false alarms — livers that in fact turned out to be not as good a match as initially thought — he received his new liver and hasn’t looked back.

“It was amazing,” he recalled. “I was so sick that I was in a wheelchair. After surgery, I woke up the next day feeling brand new.”

The new liver has helped him live long enough to see his son, Rich Jr., meet important milestones such as graduating from college, moving to Washington, D.C. for his first job, getting married and having children — Perez’s grandchildren.

He also had more years with his wife, Marie, who died six years ago, and another chance at love with Christine Brewer of Canandaigua, whom he plans to wed April 27.

After his surgery, Perez retired and upon Strong’s request began volunteering to raise awareness about organ donation.

“We’re grateful to the people who donate life to a complete stranger,” Perez said. “We like promoting organ donation because that’s what got us here.

“I always like to say, ‘Please register to be an organ donor. You can’t take your organs with you. Give a chance for someone else to live.’

“I was part of seeing that happen. Save someone’s life; don’t throw your organs away.”

In addition to helping raise awareness of organ donation, Perez helped expand and now leads

Overhaul of U.S. Organ Transplant System Proposed

Asingle nonprofit has what amounts to a monopoly over all organ transplants performed in the United States, but the federal government said that it plans to change that.

In 2022, a record 42,887 organ transplants were performed. Yet nearly 104,000 people remain on waiting lists for organs. About 22 people die each day while waiting, even as organs are discarded, damaged while being delivered or not collected, according to a new story published by the Washington Post.

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), which has contracted with the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS)

to run the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network for 37 years, announced in March it will invite organizations to bid for contracts for different parts of the transplant system’s functions.

“Every day, patients and families across the United States rely on the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network [OPTN] to save the lives of their loved ones who experience organ failure,” HRSA Administrator Carole Johnson said in a news release announcing the change. “At HRSA, our stewardship and oversight of this vital work is a top priority. That is why we are taking action to both bring greater transparency to the system and to reform and modernize the OPTN.”

a volunteer program with Strong’s Friends of Strong to provide comfort to patients and families who undergo an experience not unlike his. His volunteering also includes Finger Lakes Donor Recovery Network, the government designated liaison between donors and recipients in the region. Since he began volunteering with FLDRN, the percent of regis-

tered donors grew from 27% to more than 40%.

“This accomplishment can be attributed, in large part, to the hard work of our volunteers — particularly Richard Perez,” said Rob Kochik, executive director of Finger Lakes Donor Recovery Network in a statement.

Among the plan’s many changes are steps to improve the technologies used by surgeons and transplant coordinators.

Network structure would also change, including adding a strong, independent board of directors. A new public dashboard should also make the donation and receipt process more transparent.

UNOS said in a statement it “supports HRSA’s plan to introduce additional reforms into the nation’s organ donation and transplantation system, and welcomed a competitive bidding process.”

“We believe we have the experience and expertise required to best serve the nation’s patients and to help implement HRSA’s proposed initiatives,” the statement said.

But the White House’s U.S. Digital Service called UNOS’s technological system archaic in a confidential 2021 assessment for HRSA. It also recommended breaking up UNOS’s monopoly over that technology, the Post reported.

“UNOS has allowed the organ donation system to become mismanaged, unsafe and self-enrich-

ing,” Greg Segal, founder and CEO of Organize, a nonprofit patient advocacy group, told the Post. “Today’s announcement that HHS will break up UNOS’s monopoly, and bring in competent and transparent new contractors, is a transformative and unequivocal win for patients.”

UNOS oversees a transplantation network that includes about 250 hospitals that perform transplants. Also in the network are 56 government-chartered nonprofits that collect organs and labs that test organ compatibility.

Richard G. Perez is celebrating his 20 years since he received a liver transplant at UR Medicine’s Strong Memorial Hospital. His fiancee, Christine Brewer, said plans to throw a party to commemorate the date.

How to Become an Organ Donor

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

Most people don’t think much about organ donation unless they or a loved one are waiting on an organ recipient list or they work in a role like Nancy Ryan, director of development at Finger Lakes Donor Recovery Network. FLDRN is the federally designated, nonprofit liaison between donors and recipients awaiting donation.

Because so many New Yorkers wait for an organ donation, it is important to sign up as an organ donor.

Unfortunately, too few people do so and as a result, 17 Americans die daily while waiting for a lifesaving transplant. Still more await transplants that could enhance their lives.

Obtaining designation as an organ donor is simple to do — but, for some, hard to think about.

“We live in a society where it is not so easy to think about our own demise,” said Ryan. “We put off making wills until way too late. We put off thinking about our own death as long as we can. When something unexpected happens to a middle-aged or younger person, the family is caught off-guard. A 30-yearold doesn’t make end-of-life plans. Every day is a gift to every person. Being prepared with what you want is important.”

FLDRN serves 20 counties Upstate facilitating organ, eye and tissue transplants.

Anyone age 16 or older may sign up to become a donor. One means of designating as a donor is through the DMV when applying for or renewing a driver’s license. Ryan said that is the most common means. Potential donors can also sign up through the voting registration form. New York is the only state with this option available. New Yorkers applying for or renewing their health insurance benefits through the New York State of Health Insurance Exchange can register as a donor. Yet another is https://donatelife.ny.gov/register, where people can sign up. All meth-

ods are free.

Ryan said that FLDRN has been working to promote donation by making QR codes available in the community for people to scan and access the site.

“We’re getting our hospital partners to put this link in the patient-facing medical record systems,” Ryan said. “On those patient medical record accounts, many put the link to sign up as a donor in those systems, which is fantastic. It’s so relatable.”

When a person passes away or is imminently about to, the medical providers are required by law to contact FLDRN. The organization’s organ procurement coordinators manage the medical side of patients and decedents to match donors with recipients. The family coordinators help honor the end of life designations and speak with family members if the deceased have not registered.

Although donors can make their wishes known using documents such as a driver’s license, last will and testament, or health care proxy, these documents may not be readily available when donation decisions are made. Ryan encourages donors to use the electronic registry and to also make family members aware of the designation decision.

“You want a determination about what will happen after you pass away,” she said. “If you don’t put it in writing and if your family doesn’t know if you wanted to be a donor, they’ll be asked by an organ or tissue agency staff member if they’ll be interested. What a difficult conversation that is.”

Donation does not always mean a deceased donor. Be the Match (https://bethematch.org/about-us) seeks registration for living donors for people to donate bone marrow but not organs. In Upstate New York, University of Rochester Medicine offers the only transplant programs for live donor liver transplants in Upstate New York, as well as the only

cadaver heart and liver transplants.

There’s also donation of a kidney (www.kidneyregistry.org) so people with end-stage kidney disease will not require a regimen of dialysis to survive. The average life expectancy of someone on dialysis is five to 10 years.

To promote more lifesaving and life improving organ donation, the New York Legislature passed the “New York State Living Donor Support Act” which takes effect in April. The state’s health commissioner will set expenses covered for reimbursement. Funding from employee sick leave, the National Living Donor Assistance Program and other sources will first providing coverage and the state program picking up any remaining expenses.

“With expanded assistance for those inspired to become organ donors, I am confident this new law will help more New Yorkers give and receive the gift of life,” said State Sen. Gustavo Rivera (D - Bronx) in a statement. Rivera sponsored the bill in his chamber.

According to the Finger Lakes Donor Recovery Network:

• Every nine minutes, someone is added to the national transplant waiting list.

• More than 5,000 people died in 2022 while waiting for an organ transplant.

• One donor can save up to eight lives through organ donation and could improve the lives of up to 75 more through tissue and cornea donation.

The number of people waiting for a life-saving organ transplant:

Waiting… and Waiting

Nationally: 104,000

New York state: 8,125 (7,000 are waiting for a kidney)

YOUR SUPPORT

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WORTH SUPPORTING

Nancy Ryan, director of development for Finger Lakes Donor Recovery Network

Mental Health

people, it can mean perfectionism regarding a task to the point where the job is never good enough—and never completed, making employment challenging.

Experiencing a few quirks or traits doesn’t a diagnosis make. A recent trend in social media is sharing a video revealing a “diagnosis” in what posters hope is a shocking fashion to gain clicks and likes.

However, without a provider’s actual diagnosis, it’s just guesswork. Most likely, it is incorrect. Unfortunately, some viewers believe it and form a misguided perspective on mental health issues, believing the most extreme “example” is typical.

Mental Health: Words Matter

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

“I just cleaned all my closets—I’m just so OCD.”

“I’m so depressed that I forgot to eat my takeout leftovers— again!”

“Ugh! Rain again?! I’m getting PTSD over the rotten weather lately.”

Posts such as these on social media may seem humorous to the posters, but they all misuse words associated with mental health terms, reducing the meaning of the words.

A mental health issue “is any set of behaviors or experiences that interferes with social or psychological functioning,” said Nicki Ditch, licensed mental health counselor, and owner of In Truth Mental Health Counseling in Webster. “It interferes with relationships. They can’t hold down a job or get in trouble at work or can’t function during the day.”

Typical spring cleaning, forgetting about leftovers or experiencing a rainy day typically do not disrupt activities of daily living for days and weeks. Using mental health terms as part of hyperbole can.

“Having people throw around terms waters down and minimizes

the struggle for people who fit the criteria,” Ditch said. “It makes it difficult for society to really understand it. If people hear all the time ‘It’s my PTSD,’ then society doesn’t take it seriously. They think it’s something less than what it is. Someone who changes mood quickly isn’t bipolar. We have mood fluctuations. Bipolar disorder is a serious set of experiences that is really hard for people.”

In additional to minimizing these struggles, using mental health diagnoses as shorthand for garden variety preferences and inconveniences also makes it seem as if a diagnosis defines those experiencing it, such as, “He’s a bipolar today.”

“With a disorder, there’s a fine line between ‘This is difficult for me’ and then at the same time, it doesn’t define you,” Ditch said. “It’s not moving you around like a puppet.”

Misusing terms also often means defining them in an inaccurate way. Ditch used obsessive compulsive disorder as an example: it doesn’t always present as washing hands 20 times before leaving home every day as many people think. For some

“People are afraid to hear what that diagnosis might be,” said Samantha Colson director of training and programs at National Alliance on Mental Health, Rochester. “We encourage folks to seek treatment and get that diagnosis. It opens doors to be supported with mental health. Language is huge when we talk about mental health conditions.”

Amy Durkee, director at Spiritus Christi Mental Health Center in Rochester, believes that flippant use of mental health terms can add to stigma, especially since the most extreme elements or exaggerated symptoms are sometimes represented as typical of that issue. Or as noted before, everyday inconveniences and preferences are treated as mental health issues.

“It confuses people in general,” Durkee said. “Maybe I don’t have a condition or maybe I do have something seriously wrong with me. It confuses the whole human experience.”

Even experiencing a serious but short-term difficulty in functioning may not qualify as a mental illness. For example, depression impacts activities of daily living for more than two weeks to meet the clinical definition.

Durkee encourages anyone struggling to seek a screening with their primary care provider or ask a mental health professional for help. Those who fear receiving a diagnosis often believe that they will be permanently labeled or viewed as “broken.”

“But that is just a part of what you are,” she likes to remind people. “There’s so much more ‘right’ with you than what’s ‘wrong’ with you.”

Misusing mental health language may also lead people to believe that nothing can help improve their mental health. If “everyone” is depressed, those experiencing real depression “may think there’s nothing that can be done about it,” said Lauren Wadsworth, Ph.D. and founding director of Genesee Valley Psychology in Rochester.

A person with a diagnosis may also feel like they are failing at recovery since they are not coping as well as the self-diagnosed who have no mental health issues.

Although Wadsworth is pleased that people are trying to express their emotional experience—“that’s a great thing for us as a society to do more of,” she said—using the correct terms would “take us further as a society and make space for honest conversations about emotions rather than using terms that increase mental health stigma.”

Are You Putting Off Going to

LEFT: Nicki Ditch

RIGHT: Amy Durkee

How to Help Someone Dealing With Depression

There is little that is harder than watching a loved one struggle with depression. So what can you do?

More than you might think, experts say.

First, depression is a mood disorder that can affect anyone, regardless of age, race, socioeconomic status or gender.

Symptoms ranging from mild to severe and it impacts the way you feel, think and behave, according to the American Psychiatric Association.

Here are a few simple facts about depression, also known as major depressive disorder. According to the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH):

• It's common. An estimated 21 million adults have experienced major depression at least once. It's one of the most common mental health disorders in the United States.

• It's serious. Major depression leads to impairment that impacts your ability to function on a dayto-day basis. Simple activities like eating, sleeping, working and concentrating can become almost impossible. It can lead to feelings of guilt and worthlessness and suicidal thoughts or attempts.

• It's treatable. Depression is treated with psychotherapy or medication. Experts at NIMH remind patients that treatment is a process. It can take time to find a regimen that's

effective.

When someone you care about is experiencing symptoms of depression, it can be hard to know what to do, what to say, or how to help.

“The most important thing we can offer is ourselves, our time,” said Melissa Gonzalez-Strick, who counsels people with depression in Flossmoor, Ill.

Gonzalez-Strick has helped clients on both sides of the coin: the person feeling depressed and the family member or loved one who wants to help.

She stresses that what the person experiencing symptoms of depression needs more than anything is “for you to walk beside them.”

What does that look like?

Here are a few suggestions from Gonzalez-Strick on how to help someone with depression.

• Educate yourself. Learn about the signs, symptoms and treatment options for depression. Understand that it can impact people in different ways. “It affects adults differently than it affects teens and children. It can look different,” Gonzalez-Strick said. She pointed out that when you're fact-finding and gathering information, consider reputable sources like Mayo Clinic and the American Psychiatric Association.

• Be present. It's important to show you care by validating feelings and acknowledging and respecting

NOW HIRING DIRECT SUPPORT PROFESSIONALS

how they feel. Active listening is one way to do this. This means making eye contact, asking open-ended questions, listening to understand, and holding back on making judgments.

• Be a partner. There are times when depression interferes with activities of daily living, like making a meal or doing laundry. Offer to cook dinner or do laundry with your loved one. It's a great way to encourage them to be active and avoid isolation. Working side-by-side on a task can be an opportunity for a discussion on a deeper level. “People generally disclose more when they engage in some kind of activity. It's more casual,” said Gonzalez-Strick.

• Keep them connected. Isolation is a symptom of depression. You might

notice your friend or family member spending more time alone. But, Gonzalez-Strick warned, “The more isolated the person is, the easier it is for that depression to get worse. You want that person to stay connected with life as much as possible.” She suggests enticing them to join you to get out, even if it's for a short period of time. For example, invite them on a quick trip to their favorite store or the drive-thru at a fast-food restaurant. Remember, you aren't forcing them to do something they don't want to do -- you're walking beside them.

• Encourage healthy activities. Exercise, eating a healthy diet and meditation can help ease symptoms of depression. But the person you love might not feel like exercising or meditating. The goal is to invite them to join you in one of these activities. You can provide support by engaging in healthy activities together, like going for a short walk or following guided mediation on YouTube.

• Support them in seeking professional help. As frustrating as it can be, you can't force your friend or family member to get help. However, you can encourage them to seek help and be there when they're ready. One way is to help them research therapy options or offer to sit with them while they make those important calls.

It's critical to understand if your loved one discloses they want to end their life or talks about suicide, “that's the time you need to intervene,” Gonzalez-Strick said. Call or text 988 immediately for free and confidential help available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The staff at our six residential homes strive to provide attentive and compassionate care for our residents with developmental disabilities and complex medical conditions

Herbal Remedies & You: 6 Tips For Your Health

Not all prescription drugs and dietary herbal supplements work well together.

It's important to be aware of possible drug and supplement interactions that could be harmful,

1

The supplement St. John’s wort interacts with many types of drugs, according to the NCCIH. Most often, it speeds up the processes that would change the drug into an inactive substance, meaning a person taking a certain medication would have less of that drug in the body. It can also interact with certain types of antidepressants, causing harmful side effects.

2

Concentrated garlic extracts can thin the blood. That’s similar to what aspirin does. It can be a problem during or after surgery.

according to the U.S. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), a part of the National Institutes of Health.

The organization offered tips on six potential issues.

3

Another type of supplement, concentrated green tea, can interact with the decongestant pseudoephedrine.

4

The herb goldenseal has a high herbdrug interaction risk with some medicines, according to recent research.

Natural Sleep Aids: Get to Sleep Fast Without a Prescription

You toss, you turn, you can't fall asleep. Certainly, there are sleep medications that can be prescribed by a doctor. And with some investment of time, cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia is considered to be an effective option.

Yet, there are also a lot of healthy sleep habits and natural sleep aids that some experts believe can make a difference, too.

With more than 60 million Americans suffering from poor sleep quality, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine, it seems like these easily accessible options could be worth a try when searching for the best natural sleep aid.

Practice good sleep hygiene

About 20% of Americans take sleep medication, according to recent research from the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics. Those include a long list of drugs, such as Sonata, Lunesta and Ambien.

But Sanjeev Kothare, a sleep expert and pediatric neurologist at Cohen Children's Medical Center in Queens, suggests starting with some basics to make sleep a little easier.

'There are certain natural things that you can take and there are certain things that you can do," Kothare

said.

Start with healthy sleep hours, Kothare recommends. For adults, that means going to bed at roughly 10 to 11 p.m. and waking up at 7 a.m., to get a good seven to eight hours of sleep. Teenagers need eight or nine hours a night.

Keep that schedule consistently on weekdays and weekends.

Don't take naps in the afternoon, Kothare said, because the pressure for sleep builds the longer a person stays awake.

If you absolutely must nap, limit it to 20 minutes, Kothare added.

Cut off bright light sources in the late evening, so you don't suppress natural melatonin, which the U.S. National Institutes of Health describes as a hormone that aids in sleep. Dim, yellow light in the late evening and bright light in the morning can help regulate melatonin production.

Some additional tips include keeping the bedroom dark and cool, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. Thermostats are best set at 65 to 72 degrees at night.

Exercise regularly, Johns Hopkins Medicine suggests, but not within two hours of bedtime.

A warm shower at night can also help with relaxation, Kothare said.

Sips before sleep

5 Always tell your health care provider about the medicines and supplements you’re taking, the NCCIH advises. Bring a written list that includes how often you take them and the doses you take.

Some medications have what’s known as a narrow therapeutic index, meaning that if the drug amount is too low or too high, it can be problematic. Some drugs with a narrow therapeutic index include digoxin, cyclosporine and warfarin. Patients taking herbal supplements such as Asian ginseng or St. John's wort, along with a medicine with a narrow therapeutic index, should be closely monitored.

Among natural sleep aids are some recommendations for beverages that range from quite common to a bit obscure.

Warm milk is one of possibilities, an age-old comforting suggestion. It contains tryptophan, Kothare said, and that helps with sleep.

More obscure is tart cherry juice, which might raise melatonin levels and increase the availability of tryptophan, according to the Sleep Foundation.

The body uses tryptophan to help make melatonin and serotonin, the U.S. National Library of Medicine says. Melatonin helps regulate the sleep-wake cycle, and serotonin is thought to help regulate appetite, sleep, mood and pain.

German chamomile served as a tea may help with anxiety and sleep quality, but may not improve the experience for those with insomnia, according to the Sleep Foundation.

"Those are other natural agents, which you can try," Kothare said, "but it's not clear why those work."

Also on the list of potential remedies with unknown mechanisms are slipping some lavender into your bathwater or supplementing with a plant known as kava.

The latter may have an effect on anxiety, according to the U.S. National Institute for Complementary and Integrative Health, but it has also been linked to liver injury.

Whatever you do, don't opt for alcohol or late-afternoon caffeine. It takes eight to 10 hours for caffeine to leave your body, Kothare said.

While alcohol may induce sleep,

it will then wake you up in four hours after it leaves your system, he said.

Pop a supplement

Valerian and the mineral magnesium are two supplements mentioned as sleep aids, but research on them is mixed or minimal. Some think valerian works because of several compounds in it that work together, according to the Sleep Foundation.

The option that is suggested most often is melatonin, a supplement similar to the natural hormone.

Melatonin is naturally released in the brain about four hours before someone feels sleepy, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. It's set off by reduced light.

It helps control the sleep-wake cycle, according to the Mayo Clinic.

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) cautioned against considering melatonin supplements as a "one-size-fits-all" aid for all sleep issues. It's not meant for insomnia.

A further complication is that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration doesn't regulate melatonin, which may affect individual supplements, according to AASM.

For that reason, Johns Hopkins Medicine recommends opting for the same brand and not purchasing melatonin online.

Kothare suggested melatonin supplements for occasional, but not regular, use. Take about 1 to 3 milligrams to induce sleep, he said. For example, you might take it if you think you may have trouble falling asleep before an expected stressful day.

Team Approach Helps Children with Autism Succeed

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

As with medical care in complex cases, the team approach can provide many benefits for a family with a child on the autism spectrum because so many experts may be involved with helping them reach their potential.

Instead of siloed providers offering their expertise, the team approach brings providers together in a coordinated effort.

“Teamwork is a big part of our mission, to work towards our strengths and make sure our participants and families have a positive experience while in our presence” said Maria DiMartin, virtual program and marketing assistant and former program coordinator at AutismUp in Rochester. “It’s really important because it gets everyone on the same page and all the service providers can see things from their perspective to provide the best support for families. Taking into consideration so we can make our judgement calls it’s always super helpful.”

The team approach can also help families discover what meets their needs. At AutismUp, family navigators help connect families find resources and support within the community.

“We also have a director for education and support,” DiMartin said. “If a local community person or group wants to learn about autism a business is looking to hire people with diagnoses, she can open the eyes to the benefits that people with autism can bring.”

Collaboration among experts is also a big part of the team approach.

DiMartin said that at AutismUp, the various experts maintain commu-

nication so that they can see more aspects of participants’ lives and better understand how to meet their needs. This awareness and involvement can last for years.

“We see many participants grow up and we’ve become part of their lives,” DiMartin said. “We hear from their families that they’re starting new therapy or are working with a new group in the community.”

Providing more opportunities in the community benefits people with autism and the team approach can help prepare them for things like volunteering, employment and life skills. AutismUp’s Full Life Academy, part of the Center for Community Transitions, offers changes to learn life skills.

“We work together as a team between AutismUp staff and other community providers and anyone who wants to work with families and participants,” DiMartin said.

The team approach focuses on matching the needs of the program participants and families and what resources could best meet those needs. It’s a far different approach from that of the past.

“We’ve come a long way across the board as we used to talk about diagnoses and symptoms and treating them,” said Nicole DeRosa, PsyD, chief clinical officer with the Kelberman Center in Syracuse. “Just because someone has autism doesn’t mean they need some type of treatment. It’s more if it’s interfering with quality of life or their goals. Who’s it problematic for, me, because I’m uncomfortable, or that person because they want to be happy and it keeps them from achieving their

goals? With the team approach, you have multiple people, services and providers coming together in an integrative and collaboration in a fashion to meet the needs of the individual. It’s a more complete approach. They get support from various areas of expertise, not just one.”

One example she offered is that a participant may manifest a behavior that interferes with their goals because of an underlying problem like a sinus infection.

“That can be treated to address those behaviors,” DeRosa said. “The team approach helps us identify the simple thing that may be going on and then we can take the simplest approach.”

She added that having one point

of contact such as a case manager can also help keep communication moving among providers and among family members and providers. Otherwise, important information can be muddled or dropped.

“You can have multiple people working for a family but there must be communication to really benefit the individual,” DeRosa said. “It may not be easy if you have people at multiple sites. It can be a challenge. But if you have one person managing that it’s helpful. It’s not the family’s or individual’s responsibility to share information with other providers. I think we should explain issues to others like schoolteachers or others. We should effectively communicate issues to others.”

CALENDAR HEALTH EVENTSof

April 4, 12, 20, 25 Hearing Loss Association of America holds meetings

Anyone interested in hearing loss, either their own or someone else’s, is welcome at Hearing Loss Association of America /Rochester Chapter March programs.

All HLAA programs are free. Some are in person while other, virtual programs, require preregistration. The in-person programs feature an inductive loop hearing system and open captions.(To obtain the virtual link, preregister at the chapter website hearinglossrochester.org).

• Tuesday, April 4 – 10-11 a.m. “Hearing Other People’s Experiences” (HOPE). In-person. St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, East Avenue at Westminster Road, Rochester, across from the George Eastman Museum. Vestry Room.

Prospective, new or experienced hearing aid users informally share their experiences, questions, and hearing loss journeys. Audiologist Joe Kozelsky facilitates.

– 11:00-11:30 a.m. Socializing. In person. St. Paul’s Parish Hall.

– 11:30 a.m.-noon. Business meeting and announcements. In person. St. Paul’s Parish Hall.

– Noon-1 p.m. “Challenges: New Technology, OTC Hearing Aids, Assistive Devices.” Hybrid program: In person. St. Paul’s Parish Hall and virtual on Zoom. (To obtain Zoom link, preregister at the chapter web site hearinglossrochester.org).

• Wednesday, April 12 – 7 p.m. “Hearing Other People’s Experiences” (HOPE). Virtual on Zoom. (To obtain Zoom link, preregister at the chapter web site hearinglossrochester.org).

Prospective, new or experienced hearing aid users informally share their experiences, questions, and hearing loss journeys. Audiologist Joe Kozelsky facilitates.

• Thursday, April 20.

– 10 a.m.-2 p.m. “Assistive Listening Devices Demo Center.” Technology team. In person. Lifespan, 1900 South Clinton Ave., Rochester.

View and try out a selection of assistive listening devices before actually buying them. Included are captioning-capable and amplified telephones, signaling-alerting devices and smart phone APP’s related to hearing enhancement. Chapter mem-

bers stand by to answer questions.

• Tuesday, April 25.

– 8-9 p.m. “Hear Together.” With Kristin Bergholtz, certified speech language pathologist. Virtual on Zoom. Bergholtz conducts a virtual support group for parents and caregivers of deaf and hard-ofhearing children. Learn more about your child’s hearing loss, services to benefit them and tips to support their language development. Register at kristinbslp@gmail.com. Bergholtz’s private speech practice is Canalside Speech.

For more information, view the organization website at hearinglossrochester.org or telephone 585 266 7890.

April 25

HOA offers forum on prostate cancer treatment

Hematology-Oncology Associates of CNY (HOA) presents an educational forum on prostate cancer treatment from 6-7 p.m., Tuesday, April 25. The presentation will be held at HOA’s East Syracuse location at 5008 Brittonfield Parkway. It is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served. Reservations are requested at rsvp@hoacny.com or (315) 472-7504, extension 1589.

HOA’s experts in treating prostate cancer will lead the forum. They are medical oncologists, Steven Duffy and Ajeet Gajra, and radiation oncologist, Shing Chin. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask ques-

tions and engage in a discussion with the presenters.

“We are excited to offer this educational opportunity to our community,” said CEO Maryann Roefaro, HOA CEO. “It is important for prostate cancer patients and their loved ones to learn about all of their treatment options directly from a medical oncologist who can manage all of their cancer care.”

HOA is a private, community cancer center established in 1982 with a vision to serve the region by providing the highest level of quality care to patients dealing with cancer and blood disorders. With locations in Auburn, Camillus, For more information, visit hoacny.com.

New Fibromyalgia Support Group resumes in-person meetings

The New Fibromyalgia Support Group, formerly from the Westside YMCA, is now returning to in person meetings once again after a threeyear hiatus due to COVID-19.

The need for people getting together and seeing one another is still very evident and important, according to group coordinators. And that applies to finding support to stay healthy in our everyday life.

If you have an interest in trying out a new group, meeting new people or wanting to see old friends again contact the New Fibromyalgia Support Group at 585-752-1562. Leave a clear voice mail.

By Jim Miller

Donating Your Body to Science

Dear Savvy Senior,

I am interested in possibly donating my body to science when I pass away. What can you tell me about this, and what would I need to do to set it up?

Getting Old Dear Getting,

If you’re looking to help advance medical research, and in the process, eliminate your funeral and burial costs, donating your body to science is a great option to consider. Here’s what you should know.

Body Donations

Each year, it’s estimated that approximately 20,000 people donate their whole body after death, to medical facilities throughout the country to be used in medical research projects, anatomy lessons and surgical practice.

After using your body, these facilities will then provide free cremation and will either bury or scatter your ashes in a local cemetery or return them to your family, usually within a year.

And, just in case you’re wondering, your family cannot not be paid for the use of your body. Federal and state laws prohibit it.

Here are a few other things you need to know and check into, to help you determine whether whole-body donation is right for you:

• Donation denial: Most body donation programs will not accept bodies that are extremely obese or those that have infectious diseases like hepatitis, tuberculosis, H.I.V. or MRSA. Bodies that suffered extensive trauma won’t be accepted either.

• Organ donation: Most medical school programs require that you donate your whole body in its entirety. So, if you want to be an organ donor (with the exception of your eyes), you probably won’t qualify to be a whole-body donor too.

• Religious considerations: Most major religions permit individuals to donate both their full body and organs, and many even encourage it. If you are unsure, you should consult with your pastor or spiritual adviser.

• Special requests: Most programs will not allow you to donate your body for a specific purpose. You give them the body and they decide how to use it.

• Memorial options: Most programs require almost immediate transport of the body after death, so there’s no funeral. If your family wants a memorial service, they can have one without the body. Or, some programs offer memorial services at

their facility at a later date without the remains.

• Body transporting: Most programs will cover transporting your body to their facility within a certain distance. However, some may charge a fee.

How to Proceed

If you think you want to donate your body, it’s best to make arrangements in advance with a body donation program in your area.

Most programs are offered through university-affiliated medical schools. To find one near you, the University of Florida maintains a list of U.S. programs and their contact information at Anatbd.acb.med.ufl. edu/usprograms. If you don’t have Internet access, you can get help by calling the whole-body donation referral service during business hours at 800-727-0700.

In addition to the medical schools, there are also private organizations like Science Care (ScienceCare.com) and Anatomy Gifts Registry (AnatomyGifts.org) that accept whole body donations too. Some of these organizations will even allow organ donation because they deal in body parts as well as whole cadavers.

Once you locate a program in your area, call and ask them to mail you an information/registration packet that will explain exactly how their program works.

To sign up, you’ll need to fill out a couple of forms and return them. But you can always change your mind by contacting the program and removing your name from their registration list. Some programs may ask that you make your withdrawal in writing.

After you’ve made arrange ments, you’ll need to tell your family members so they will know what to do and who to call after your death. It’s also a good idea to tell your doc tors, so they know your final wishes too.

How to Donate Your Body in Rochester

Ask St. Ann’s

By Rola O’Meally

Keep The Lonely Blues Away with Adult Day Programs

If the last few years have taught us anything, it’s that isolation can be devastating. For many seniors, that’s true in the best of times.

Older adults are at increased risk for loneliness and social isolation because they are more likely to experience such things as:

• Living alone

• Loss of family or friends

• Chronic illness

• Difficulty with mobility

• Hearing loss or other impairments.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, that puts them at risk for dementia and other serious medical conditions.

One way to reduce isolation is to enroll your loved one in an adult day program.

These are specially designed programs for older adults who need assistance, companionship or supervision during the day. They are ideal for those who are alone during the day or otherwise lack regular, meaningful social interaction. Programs offering a medical model also offer attention to advanced medical needs by skilled nursing staff.

Adult day programs allow older adults to engage in social activities, make new friends, and stay connected to the community.

Participants of St. Ann’s program at Durand Senior Apartments, for example, recently took a bus trip to the Rochester Public Market, where with the help of our staff they browsed the fresh produce and other merchandise on a fun-filled weekday afternoon. They also enjoy activities like musical entertainment, exercise, crafts, and games like Solitaire.

If your loved one has medical needs, don’t let that discourage you from seeking out an adult day program.

Whether it’s physical therapy, glucose monitoring, oxygen treatment, tube feeding or other needs requiring specialized care, you can

rest assured it’s provided in a medical-model adult day program. In fact, regular health monitoring by our staff has reduced trips to the hospital for our participants. We will also coordinate trips to your loved one’s primary care provider if monitoring indicates that’s a good idea.

A word about the people who staff adult day programs: they have caring hearts and are especially attuned to the needs of fragile older adults. They are always on hand to make sure those in their care get everything they need. That may be a reminder to take medication, assistance with eating or personal hygiene or just a friendly smile to help them through a bad day.

At St. Ann’s, we’ve seen elders who refuse to eat or speak when they first arrive; after a while, through the caring attention of staff, they become lively, engaged, and enjoy coming to the program each day.

In addition to being good for elders, adult day programs provide a much-needed respite for the home caregiver. By enrolling your loved one in an adult day program, you can tend to work and other activities while knowing they are in a safe, caring environment. In many cases, such as at St. Ann’s, transportation is provided; costs may be covered by participants’ health insurance.

Contact an adult day program in your area and arrange a visit. It may be just the opportunity your loved one needs to stay healthy and socially engaged.

Rola O’Meally is a registered nurse and director of adult day services at St. Ann’s Community. She can be reached at 585-4508086 or romeally@ mystanns.com.

The Social Security Office

Ask From the Social Security District Office

Stay Informed With Social Security’s Top Five Social Media Pages

We strive to provide the public with accurate and helpful information. In addition to the resources available on our website at www.ssa.gov, we also regularly post useful information on our blog and on social media. We invite you to read our posts and share items of interest with your family and friends.

1. You can subscribe to our blog. We post articles about programs, policies, current topics and new online services. Read more and subscribe at blog.ssa.gov.

2. You can follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/socialsecurity. You can also share Facebook posts with family and friends.

3. We have many informative videos on YouTube. Our videos cover online services, applying for

Q&A

Q.: I’m reaching my full retirement age and thinking about retiring early next year. When is the best time of year to apply for Social Security benefits?

A.: You can apply as early as four months before when you want your monthly benefits to begin. To apply, just go to www.ssa.gov/applytoretire. Applying online for retirement benefits from the convenience of your home or office is secure and can take as little as 15 minutes. It’s so easy!

Q.: Will my retirement benefits increase if I wait and retire after my full retirement age?

A.: Yes. You can increase your Social Security retirement benefit in two ways:

• You can increase your retirement benefit by a certain percentage if you delay receiving retirement benefits. We will add these increases automatically from the time you reach full retirement age until you start receiving benefits or reach age 70.

• If you work, each additional year you work adds another year of earnings to your Social Security record. Higher lifetime earnings may result in higher benefits when you do retire.

For more information, visit www. ssa.gov/pubs to read, print, or listen to our publication, "When to Start Receiving Retirement Benefits." You also can use our retirement estimator at www.ssa.gov/estimator to determine your estimated future benefits.

retirement and disability benefits, Social Security-related scams, and much more. We also offer some of our videos in Spanish. You can view and easily share our videos at www. youtube.com/SocialSecurity.

4. You can join our many Twitter followers at www.twitter.com/ socialsecurity. We use Twitter to announce new my Social Security features and other service or program changes.

5. We’re also on Instagram. We share stories and resources that can help you and your loved ones. Check out our Instagram page at www. instagram.com/SocialSecurity.

Connect with us on social media to learn helpful information. Follow along and share our pages with a friend, neighbor, or loved one today. Check out all our social media channels at www.ssa.gov/socialmedia.

Q.: What is the earliest age that I can receive Social Security disability benefits?

A.: There is no minimum age as long as you meet the Social Security definition of disabled and you have sufficient work to qualify for benefits. To qualify for disability benefits, you must have worked under Social Security long enough to earn the required number of work credits and some of the work must be recent. You can earn up to a maximum of four work credits each year. The number of work credits you need for disability benefits depends on the age you become disabled. For example, if you are under age 24, you may qualify with as little as six credits of coverage. But people disabled at age 31 or older generally need between 20 and 40 credits to qualify, and some of the work must have been recent. For example, you may need to have worked five out of the past 10 years. Learn more at www.ssa.gov/disability.

Q.: What is the purpose of Supplemental Security Income, or SSI?

A.: The purpose of SSI is to help aged, blind, and disabled people who have little income and few resources to support themselves. It provides financial assistance to meet basic needs for food, clothing, and shelter. You can receive SSI even if you have not worked and paid into Social Security. SSI is a federal income supplement program funded by general tax revenues (not Social Security taxes). Find out more at www.ssa.gov/ssi.

Excellus among best employers America: Forbes

Excellus BlueCross

BlueShield was ranked No. 2 on the Forbes 2023 list of America’s Best Midsize Employers.

HCR Home Care hires new staff

HCR Home Care, a leading

She previously served as regional director and as director of nursing of HCR’s LHCSA. She resides in Spencerport.

“Optimal Resources for Geriatric Surgery,” drives the application and is used as a guideline in the review.

RRH hospitals receive geriatrics verification

“We’re a top employer in America thanks to our employees, who take great pride in our culture of passionately serving our customers and fulfilling our mission of improving access, affordability and the quality of healthcare in the communities we serve,” said Excellus BCBS President and CEO Jim Reed.

provider of home health services to individuals, physicians and other healthcare professionals across New York state, recently announced new hirings.

Jim Reed

“We’re proud of this recognition and are committed to supporting our employees with our inclusive culture, comprehensive employee benefits, flexible work environment and more,” Reed added.

This award is presented by Forbes and Statista Inc., a worldleading statistics portal and industryranking provider.

Forbes and Statista selected the America’s Best Employers 2023 through an independent survey applied to a vast sample of about 45,000 American employees working for companies with more than 1,000 employees. Across 25 industry sectors, 1,000 employers have been awarded, 500 large employers and 500 midsize employers. Midsize employers are companies with 1,000 to 5,000 employees.

The evaluation was based on direct and indirect recommendations from employees who were asked to rate their willingness to recommend their own employers to friends and family. Employee evaluations also included other employers in their respective industries that stood out either positively or negatively.

• Rory Burrill joined as vice president of growth strategy and business development.

Burrill brings to this role more than 20 years of leadership experience in strategy, sales and business development. Most recently, he served as the head of Health Systems at Healthy.io, where he built and executed the sales strategy for the company’s entry into the U.S. health system and provider market. He also served as vice president of sales and business development at VisualDx, a leading A.I.-enabled decision support technology for dermatology. He resides in Pittsford.

• Jessica Northrup joined as

director of patient services for HCR Home Care’s Finger Lakes Licensed Home Care Services Agency (LHCSA).

In this role, Northrup supervises the dayto-day clinical operations and all patient care for the LHCSA. Northrup returns to HCR after serving as a registered nurse at Geneva General Hospital and as a care review clinician at Molina Healthcare.

Clifton Springs Hospital & Clinic (CSHC) and Newark-Wayne Community Hospital (NWCH) have achieved “Level one—Comprehensive Excellence” verification status from the Geriatric Surgery Verification Program (GSV), a quality program of the American College of Surgeons (ACS).

A hospital with level one verification status recognizes its commitment to providing optimal care for its older adult surgical patients by meeting the GSV’s program standards. GSV program verification is granted only to those hospitals that are dedicated to providing the best possible surgical care for older adults.

To attain this level of verification, GSV program standards must be in place and verified across one or more surgical specialties and must reach 50% or more of the hospital’s total population of eligible surgical patients aged 75 years or older. These standards ensure that older adults undergoing surgery receive care under a multidisciplinary program with quality improvement and safety processes, data collection, and appropriate resources provided to them as patients at the hospital.

Only five hospitals in the country have achieved this level verification status from the GSV program — three are in the RRH system. Unity Hospital achieved it in 2020, and now CSHC and NWCH are also the only rural hospitals to obtain the same verification.

In order to become verified, CSHC and NWCH participated in a site review process by an ACS team of reviewers consisting of experienced experts in geriatric care who reviewed the hospital’s structure, process and clinical outcomes data. The current standards document,

“Attaining level one GSV designation is a major achievement for not only Newark Wayne and Clifton Springs Hospitals, but also for the American College of Surgeons,” said physician Matthew Schiralli, director of the geriatric program and Rochester Regional Health’s chief of surgery, Eastern Region. “With these hospital verifications we have proven that ACS-sponsored quality care programs can be effectively rolled out in small and rural hospitals in addition to the larger ones where they were developed. A new standard of surgical care for the elderly has been created at Newark and Clifton, raising the bar for everyone.”

Inclusion Med Spa expands in Webster

Inclusion Med Spa recently

expanded its business and moved to a larger location at 2055 Empire Blvd, Webster.

Inclusion Med Spa originally opened in 2018. In the past five years, business grew to a point where a larger location became necessary.

Rebecca Brown

Rebecca Brown, owner, renovated the new location, formerly Howard Hanna Real Estate Service, and also increased the spa staff to five estheticians and four injectors.

The renovation resulted in a fresh, high-end, relaxing environment to welcome clients, said Broan. Inclusion Med Spa offers spa services and med-spa services, including injectables such as Botox/Dysport, fillers, laser hair removal and skin tightening, facials and waxing, among other services.

Birthing Center Nurse Wins Thompson’s DAISY Award

Registered nurse Dedevie “Dede” Booth of the Birthing Center at F.F. Thompson Hospital is the latest recipient of The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses from UR Medicine Thompson Health.

Booth, of Honeoye, was surprised with her award at work on March 2. She was nominated by a young couple grateful for the care and compassion she provided during the birth of their first child this past December. They described her as “phenomenal.”

“She was very knowledgeable and always made sure we knew what to do and how to do it,” they wrote, adding, “she went above and beyond

explaining things and making sure we were comfortable and we had everything we needed.”

The couple, who live in Canandaigua, were on hand to see Booth receive her award from hospital administrators and nursing leaders. Booth was presented with a certificate, a pin, and a hand-carved sculpture called “A Healer’s Touch.”

As a DAISY recipient, she is also eligible for scholarships, discounts on certifications, and medical mission grants from The DAISY Foundation. She is the third recipient of Thompson’s quarterly DAISY award, which is part of a nationwide nurse recognition program.

Burrill Rory

Jessica Northrup

Registered nurse Dedevie “Dede” Booth, right, is the latest recipient of The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses from UR Medicine Thompson Health. Booth, who works in The Birthing Center at F.F. Thompson Hospital, is pictured with Vice President of Patient Care Services – Chief Nursing Officer Hazel Robertshaw.

Part

01 0203 BE AWARE BE ENGAGED

Childbirth complications are 46% higher among Black mothers. Anyone can help by learning more about this urgent issue. (Tip: start with our podcast episode)1

Every expecting mother should receive unbiased, high-quality care. Examine your own implicit biases. What might need to change?

BE AN ADVOCATE

Along with the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, we’re committed to reducing racial and ethnic maternal health disparities by 50% in 5 years. Join us and take action today: Get

Support policies and organizations that increase access to affordable, culturally sensitive maternal healthcare. Let the expecting mothers in your life know they have a voice, are being heard, AND believed.

When every mom receives the care she needs, EVERYBODY BENEFITS