Head of Wilmot Cancer Institute in Webster explains why UR Medicine built a large cancer center in eastern Monroe County P. 4 MEET MULKERIN,DANIELM.D P. 8 TOO LITTLE SLEEP MAY HARM YOUNG KIDS’ BRAINS Community Farm for People with Disabilities in Spencerport to Expand P. 18 GVHEALTHNEWS.COM SEPTEMBER 2022 • ISSUE 205 ALSO INSIDE Alzheimer’s Better treatments for those diagnosed with Alzheimer’s are on the horizon, say local experts. Grants Available for Local Nonprofits… P. 5 U.S. Hospitals Are Getting Safer for Patients P. 6 Just 8% Lack Health Insurance, a Record Low P. 7 Caregiving: Providing care at home is always an overwhelming job Citicoline: A possible Alzheimer’s treatment See Alzheimers: Pages 10-12
– Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper • September 2022
Astronauts may go to space for weeks or months, and their bones can lose years in that environment.Longperiods in space can irrep arably damage bone structure and cause parts of the human skeleton to age as much as 10 years, new re searchResearchreveals.teams from Germany, the United States and Canada stud ied 14 men and three women before their spaceflights and at six and 12 months after their return. They measured the density and strength of their shin and lower arm bones, the tibia and radius. They also measured the trabecular microstructure inside the bones.Boneturnover — the assimilation of old bone and replacement by new — was also measured using biomark ers in astronauts’ blood and urine. The results, researchers said, are worrisome.Nineof the 17 astronauts had not completely recovered a full year after returning from space. They had a re duction in bone strength and mineral density of up to 2%. “This may not sound like much, hospital news release. The way the bones aged in space appeared different from bones ing on Earth. In space the inner structure of astronauts’ bones was affected more than the periosteum, the exterior sheath that supplies bones with blood, nerves and cells that help them grow and heal. Some astronauts had irreparable damage, the study found.
Space Travel Speeds Up Aging, Weakening of Bones
“We were able to demonstrate that regeneration is more difficult the longer the astronauts were in space,” Liphardt“Bonesaid.turnover is the process by which cells are broken down and new ones form,” Liphardt said. “People with higher activity levels have a higher bone turnover and the challenge is to keep up these activity levels during missions in space.” This finding could have bearing on the future of spaceflight to Mars. “If human beings are in space for three years at a time, we need to keep an eye on the health risks involved as well,” Liphardt said. “This already applies today for missions where astronauts are subject to zero-gravity conditions for usually no longer than individual needs of the astronauts is crucial, according to the study. “Developing new sports equip ment that works in zero-gravity know enough about exactly how they work in microgravity,” Liphardt said. “We recommend conducting further systematic research into the combination of medical therapy and physicalTheseexercise.”findings may also be able to help people with chronic diseases on Earth. Some lead to muscle and bone loss due to a lack of activity. The findings were recently published in the journal Scientific Reports. as scene that works
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September 2022 • IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper • Page 3 Family Member of a Physician House Calls patient I can sleep well at night knowing that my dad is being taken care of by Physician House Calls. health care right at home. The Physician House Calls practice has a team of medical professionals who provide medical care in your home. This includes routine visits, urgent visits, medication review, and care coordination with a 24-hour on call service. A safe and secure option for adults over age 65. If you are in need of a new primary care provider, or would like to find out more about the practice, call (585) 244-5993 or visit jslphysicianhousecalls.org. A service of Jewish Senior Life Phys ician Hou s e Call s Prima ry G eriatric Care at Ho me
Hometown: Walla Walla, Washington Education: Jefferson Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University Affiliations: Strong Memorial Hospital; Highland Hospital Organizations: American Society of Clinical Oncology; Empire State Hematology Oncology Society
A: That’s great question. When we look at the demographics, Webster is the largest of what we’d call the suburbs of Rochester, with more than 50,000 people. This population has a significant cancer burden, in part due to our high rates of smoking in Upstate New York and other factors. So it’s both the size and the smoking-related illnesses. It’s also an area that’s relatively underserved when it comes to making care convenient for people at home. Even the 25-minute commute into Rochester and dealing with parking on campus could create issues. So we wanted to be able to provide quality care to Webster and challenges in less Q: ratescreatingofwhatsmoking,Beyondaresometheissueshighofcancer size of the How long have you been open?
Q: Of the Webster area patients that had been going to Wilmot, what percentage do you think the Webster site has captured so far? A: I can only speak for the University of Rochester patients, not people who receive care through the Rochester Regional or similar programs. I think up to 10% or more of our main campus will be eligible. And that includes people who are on the east side of the bay. That includes Webster, Ontario, Penfield, all with convenient access to our Webster location. So it will end up being a sizable percentage of our total patient population.
That Morning Cup of Coffee May Extend Your Life Folks who take their coffee with a little cream and sugar have reason to rejoice, health-wise.Anewstudy shows that coffee’s potential health benefits persist, even if you add a bit of sugar to your java. People who drink any amount of unsweetened coffee are 16% to 21% less likely to die early than those who don’t im bibe, based on data drawn from more than 171,000 British par ticipants without known heart disease or cancer. And even folks who take their coffee with sugar saw some health benefits, researchers found.
A: There’s a wide range of services. Our center is large enough that we have medical cancer specialists, surgical cancer specialists and capacity for radiation oncology and a linear accelerator on site. We have an infusion center, which allows us to give chemotherapy on site. We’re able to draw and administer blood onsite. I have physician specialists who focus on things like gastrointestinal cancer care, breast cancer care, urinary cancer care, as Batavia, as far east as Geneva and as far south as Elmira, we have a variety of operations, and caring for and growing the program in those locations is my responsibility.
Daniel Mulkerin, M.D Head of Wilmot Cancer Institute in Webster explains why UR Medicine built a large cancer center in eastern Monroe County
By Chris Motola
A: I do think the potential size of the population dictates the size and scope of the program. It does take a critical number of individuals. A site that draws from, say, a population of less than 15,000 people, we’re not able to deploy the full technology and a full-time practice in a way that’s financially responsible for the community. But for any community that has more than 15,000 or 20,000 people, that’s enough to deliver full scale cancer care in a community setting.
Sweetened coffee drinkers who downed an average 1.5 to 3.5 cups a day were 29% to 31% less likely to die during an aver age seven-year follow-up than non-coffee drinkers, according to findings published May 31 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
“On average, even when your coffee is a little bit sweet ened, it still seems to be poten tially beneficial and at least not harmful,” said physician Chris tina Wee, the journal’s deputy editor, who wrote an editorial that accompanied the study. Don’t rush out to order that caramel macchiato just yet, though — people in the study tended to add modest amounts of sugar to their brew, experts noted.On average, people put about 1 teaspoon of sugar in each cup of coffee, said Wee and Anthony DiMarino, a registered dietitian at the Cleveland Clinic’s Center for Human Nutrition.
Participants were tracked for an average seven years to see whether coffee drinking affected their overall risk of death, as well as their risk of death from cancer or heartResearchersdisease. found that unsweetened coffee reduced par ticipants’ risk of death regardless how much they drank, with a “sweet spot” of maximum bene fit around 2.5 to 3.5 cups a day. Sweetened coffee also had health benefits, as long as the person drank fewer than 4 cups a day. Sweetened or unsweet ened, coffee also appeared to consistently reduce the risk of death from specific causes such as cancer or heart disease, the researchers found.
Lifelines
Q: Can you describe your role at the new cancer center in Webster?
Q: What made you interested in this position?
Q: How far do you think this concept of university center-quality care in community settings can be stretched? How small can the community be? Or how wide a footprint can it draw in? What’s the ideal community for a satellite cancer center?
A: The new center in Webster is one of 15 regional locations for the Wilmot Cancer program. It is the newest and one of the largest. I’m responsible both for seeing patients directly myself and also placing new services into the center.
Name: Daniel Mulkerin, M.D Position: Associate director, Regional Operations for Wilmot Cancer Center
Page 4 • IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper • September 2022 Meet Your Doctor
A: [At time of interview] We just opened two weeks ago. I would say the patients and the providers are really enjoying being able to be seen in or service in a brand-new facility close to home. [Patients] are able to receive almost all the care that they can receive on the main campus close to them. It’s a state-of-the-art facility providing a variety of care in location that minimizes the disruption to their lives while they face cancer.
A: Prior to moving to Rochester, I had been doing similar work for the University of Wisconsin in Madison. For me, I think it’s about the passion of trying to bring the very best of what large cancer centers have to offer into community settings. Because for our patients facing cancer; being able to receive care close to home is important. It allows the patient to have a support network. It minimizes hassles during a very difficult time in their lives. We think programs like this allow us to bring the very best of a large university cancer center into a community setting.
Q: What does this offer relative to the main site?
Q: Why was Webster selected as a site?
“This is roughly only 16 extra calories, which is not significant,” said DiMarino, who wasn’t involved with the study. “In contrast, most specialty coffees run hundreds of calories from sugars and fats.”
Family: Wife (Mary, an oncology nurse), four adult children Hobbies: Swimming, going to national parks
• Reducing health disparities in racial, ethnic, LGBTQ communities, people with disabilities, people living in rural or urban communities or other groups of people that may be at a higher health risk for: – Medical issues and conditions (chronic or acute) – Behavioral health or mental health conditions – Negative outcomes from the above, including death or suicide For additional information and the online application, please vis it www.excellusbcbs.com/communi ty, scroll to the Health Equity Awards and click Submit Application. Proposals that have detailed scope, goals, rationale for support, and measures will receive the strongest consideration. Award winners will be announced mid-November.
Nonprofits
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September 2022 • IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper • Page 5
Recognizing structural racism as a driving force of health inequities, Excellus BlueCross BlueShield invites nonprofit organi zations to apply for its Health Equity Awards.The awards help fund health and wellness programs that address racial and ethnic health disparities in Upstate New York. Deadline for the application is 11:59 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 15. “At Excellus BlueCross BlueSh ield, the health of our communities is at the center of everything we do. Together we can confront the crisis in health disparities, embrace and address long-standing gaps in care, and bridge health equity gaps in our underserved communities. That’s why we fund programs that improve access to care, advance specific health outcomes and support organizations in our community that share our mission,” said physician Gina Cuy ler, vice president health equity and community investments, Excellus BCBS. Nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organiza tions in Excellus BlueCross Blue Shield’s service area are invited to apply for Health Equity Awards. Ap plication proposals must in clude clear, defined goals for reduc ing health disparities and improving health equity for people that face a higher burden of health inequities and social Organizationsdisadvantages.willbe required to specify how funding will measurably assist in improving racial and ethnic health equity outcomes. Health equi ty categories include:
By George W. Chapman
The new study relied on data gathered by the Medicare Patient Safety Monitoring Program, an effort created in the wake of a landmark 1999 Institute of Medicine report that drew national attention to patient safety in hospitals, the study authors said in background notes.
Finally, Lower Drug Prices.
“There has been a precipitous, very important drop in the num ber of these events, which to me validates the idea that these were preventable,” said senior researcher Harlan Krumholz, a physician who serves as director of the Yale New Haven Hospital Center for Outcomes Research and Education in New Haven, Connecticut. “The status quo wasn’t written in stone. We have been able to actually make hospitals safer for those conditions.”
George W. Chapman is a healthcare busi ness consultant who works exclusively with physicians, hos pitals and Consultingeratesorganizations.healthcareHeopGWChapmanbasedin Syracuse. Email him at consulting.com.gwc@gwchapman
But Wait… I t’s a victory, but don’t get too excited. After years of frustra tion, Congress has passed a bill allowing Medicare to use its massive purchasing power to negotiate drug prices with manufacturers. The drug lobby has managed to keep this bill from passing for decades, even though 85% of us sup port negotiating. And why does it take an official bill to “allow” Medi care to simply negotiate drug prices? Shouldn’t the government be negotiating the price of just about everything it buys with our tax dollars? Fearing the passing of the bill, the huge drug lobby ran total ly misleading and threatening ads claiming government “price fixing” will lead to less drug development. First, negotiating prices is not “fixing” prices. Second, most manufacturers invest just 20% of income on research and development. The top 14 largest manufacturers spent $57 billion of income more on stock buy backs and dividends than R&D. The bill also includes a 1% excise tax on stock buybacks.Industry watchdogs will let us know if we will finally get the discounts that other countries have been getting for years. So, all is good, right? Well, not exactly. The bill allows Medicare to ne gotiate the price of just 10 drugs. Yep. Ten. The drugs selected must be on the market for several years and with no competition.Negotiations don’t start until 2026! That gives drug companies four years to jack up their prices ahead of negotiations.In2027Medicare gets to nego tiate a whopping 15 prices and then gets to negotiate 20 prices a year after that. Sounds to me like the drug lobby did its job and still controls Congress.ACEO of one of the largest and most profitable manufacturers was whining to congress about having to negotiate 10 prices. He’s fortunate to be negotiating ANY prices. Just ask a physician or hospital. are rising much faster than what CMSItbudgets.seemslike SNFs just can’t get ahead financially. The current reimbursement sys tem is gimmicky, confusing, divisive and, worst of all, consumes way too much of management’s valuable time, resources and attention. While there will always be legit imate cases of resident abuse, con sidering the overwhelming negative circumstances ranging from severe staffing shortages to totally inade quate reimbursement, most SNFs do a commendable job.
Primary Care Upheaval Healthcare is a $4 trillion mar ket. Primary care is a $260 billion sub-market. Industry analysts pre dict giant retailers and new startups could grab 30% of the primary care market by 2030. There are a lot of negatives facing traditional primary providers including a shortage of physicians, increasing demand for digital and virtual medicine and the transition from volume-based fee for service to value-based care or even capitation.Onone side of the coin, deep pocket nontraditional upstarts like Amazon, CVS and Walmart are lick ing their collective chops. Amazon just bought fledgling One Medical for almost $4 billion. Although not profitable, One Medical operates around 200 offices in 30 markets. It has approximately 800,000 mem bers. Amazon will grow its online pharmacy and diagnostic services via this purchase. On the other side of the coin, cash-strapped tradition al providers like hospital systems continue to merge hiring more and more primary care physicians who are abandoning private practice. It remains to be seen which side of the coin will prevail in the delivery of primary care over the next several years.
HealthcareinaMinute
The investigators found that for the four most common reasons a per son winds up in the hospital, safety has indeed improved:
Page 6 • IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper • September 2022 U.S. Hospitals
PhysicianAddressedShortage
Price Transparency As of July 1, 2022, all insurance companies and self-insured business es are required to post online what they paid for just about everything including physician services, hos pitals, surgery centers and skilled nursing facilities. This includes previ ously secretive negotiated rates. This is different from the law that requires hospitals to post their most common charges.
• Heart attacks (17% of hospital izations) had a reduction in adverse events from 218 to 139 per 1,000 discharges.• Heart failure (17%) had an ad verse event reduction from 168 to 116 per 1,000 discharges.
Nursing Homes Struggle
Are Getting Safer for Patients, Study Finds
Just about every healthcare orga nization and association, including the AMA and AHA, has petitioned Congress to allow foreign medical students in the US to forego the visa requirement that they return home for two years before returning to the US to practice. Experts are predicting a shortage of 45,000 physicians in just a few years.The Conrad 30 Waiver Program and Physician Access Reauthoriza tion Act would eliminate the twoyear visa wait if the student agrees to work in a designated physician manpower shortage area. This would be an immediate boon to rural and underserved communities.
Uninsured Hits Low Record Thanks primarily to expanded Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act, the US has achieved a record low of 8% uninsured or about 26.5 mil lion people without insurance. The continuation of ACA premium subsi dies for people making from 100% to 400% of poverty guidelines has been particularly instrumental in lowering the uninsured rate to 8%. Now, if we only had universal healthcare.
• Pneumonia (21%) had adverse events fall from 195 to 119 per 1,000 discharges.•
U
• Adverse drug events, hospi tal-acquired infections, and general adverse events declined significantly across all patient groups, the findings showed. Events following a major surgery also declined.
.S. hospitals became much safer places for patients over the past decade, with medical errors and adverse events declining significantly across the nation, feder al government data show. Between 2010 and 2019, patient safety dramatically improved among the four types of conditions for which people are most often hos pitalized: heart attacks, heart fail ure, pneumonia and major surgical procedures.Peoplehospitalized for those problems became less likely to suffer from medication errors, hospital-ac quired infections, procedure-related adverse events, pressure ulcers from being bedridden or serious falls that cause injury, researchers found.
“There was a recognition that patients are being harmed in hospi tals, and we can’t determine if things are getting better without tracking them in a reliable, consistent way,” said co-researcher, physician Mark Metersky, a professor of medicine at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine, in Farmington. The researchers analyzed the de-identified medical records of nearly 245,000 patients treated at more than 3,100 U.S. hospitals during the past decade, looking at a list of 21 potential harms that can befall a hospitalized person during their stay.
It seems like everyone has a horrific story about their or someone else’s experience in or with a skilled nursing facility (SNF). We all know bad news travels faster and further than good news. Some perspective is needed. There are currently about 15,000 SNFs in the U.S. More than 1,000 SNFs closed between 2015 and 2021 and another 400 will close this year. Most closed for financial reasons. There are 60 million people older than 65 (Medicare-eligible). This number is growing exponentially as baby boomers age. At any given time, there are about 1.3 million to 1.5 mil lion SNF residents. The average resident is 83 years old. About half of SNF residents die in six months with the average pass ing being in 14 months. Nursing homes are facing un precedented and dangerous staffing shortages, certainly exacerbated by the seemingly interminable pan demic. SNFs, like hospitals, are paid prospectively by CMS (Medicare and Medicaid.) In other words, payment rates are predetermined based on a patient’s acuity and need for thera py services. Higher acuity results in higherButreimbursement.prospectivepayment is based on budget neutrality. CMS budgets a fixed amount for SNFs every year. The theory (hope) is high er-than-average claims will be offset by lower-than-average claims which results in budget neutrality or breakeven. Of course, this never works as planned. The system basically encourages what critics call acuity creep. SNF costs and patient acuity
Major surgical procedures (22%) experienced a decline from 204 to 130 adverse events per 1,000 discharges.
“In the last 10 years, the rates of those events overall have declined, so hospitals are becoming safer, at least as measured by this metric,” Meter sky said.Theresearchers credit the improvement in part to programs undertaken by hospitals to reduce harmful events like medication errors and infections.
September 2022 • IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper • Page 7 A monthly newspaper published by Local News, Inc. Distribution: 33,500 copies throughout more than 1,500 high-traffic locations. In Good Health is published 12 times a year by Local News, Inc. © 2022 by Local News, Inc. All rights reserved. P.O. Box 525, Victor NY 14564. Phone: 585-421-8109 • Email: Editor@GVhealthnews.com SERVING MONROE AND ONTARIO COUNTIES Editor & Publisher: Wagner Dotto Writers: Deborah J. Sergeant, Chris Motola, George Chapman, Gwenn Voelcker, Anne Palumbo • Advertising: Anne Westcott (585-421-8109) • Linda Covington (585-750-7051) • Layout & Design: Kris Adams • Office Manager: Bernadette Driscoll No material may be reproduced in whole or in part from this publication without the express written permission of the publisher. The information in this publication is intended to complement—not to take the place of—the recommendations of your health provider. Consult your physician before making major changes in your lifestyle or health care regimen.
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The number of Americans with out health insurance continues to drop, reaching 8% in 2022 — a record low. That leaves about 26 million peo ple living in America without health insurance.Theannouncement was made early in August by the U.S. Depart ment of Health and Human Services. “Every American has the right to the peace of mind that comes with access to affordable, quality health care,” President Joe Biden said in a HHS statement, according to the As sociated Press. The significant decline began last year, helped by the $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package approved by Biden and Congress. Federal subsidies for people buying private insurance through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) helped more people afford coverage, driving the percent age of uninsured folks down to just under 9% in 2021. Also, premiums and out-of-pock et expenses were set at lower rates for new and returning customers.
Those numbers may improve again after Congress passed the Democrats’ latest proposal, which would provide money for climate and health care, including extending federal subsidies for health insur ance.As part of their 725-page pack age, Democrats proposed spend ing $64 billion to extend those price breaks for three more years, the APBeforereported.lastyear’s decline, the rate of uninsured Americans was in double digits for decades, though it began dropping after the ACA was enacted in 2010. The ACA expanded Medicaid and offered health in surance to people who didn’t have health plans through their jobs. About 2% of children in the United States are among those who remain“Weuninsured.knowthat access to qual ity, affordable health care is key to healthier lives, economic security and peace of mind,” HHS Secretary Xavi er Becerra said in a statement.
• Make it look (and sound) as if you are still at home. Leave the TV on and use automatic timers on lights and radios.
Too Little Sleep May Harm Young Kids’ Brains
Creating a Safe Haven Practical tips,
F or peak performance, schoolage children need more than a healthy diet and exercise. They also need plenty of sleep.
As summer transitions to fall, I welcome a respite from gardening. I’m ready to embrace the change of season, the crisp air and the savory scents of Septemberautumn.ismy favorite month of the year, and not just because it’s my birthday month (smile)! I love making my home warm and cozy in anticipation of chillier weather. And I’m already looking forward to cozy nights by my fire place with my rescue cat Little Merry and an historical novel on my lap. But each September also brings with it a cautionary memory. It was years ago on a Friday night around 10:15 pm. I returned home from a night out with friends and all was good — that was, until I walked through my front door. I could tell something was amiss the moment I stepped inside. Things were slightly out of place. The lid on one of my little decorative boxes was askew. A door was ajar. My dog was jumpy.Feeling uneasy, I poked my head into the living room and saw nothing unusual there. Whew! Then, I made my way upstairs and found some thing that took my breath away. My bedroom and spare room were completely torn apart: clothes and personal effects strewn every where, drawers yanked open and emptied in the middle of the rooms, closets ransacked. Even the lamp shades burglar might still be present. Holy (expletive)! I hadn’t thought of that. I grabbed my cell phone, left the house, and waited in my locked car for the police to arrive. While waiting, I called a friend and asked him to come over. Needless to say, that experience was a wake-up call for me. Realizing I needed to pay closer attention to my safety and security at home, I talked with police, insurance con sultants, and other reliable safety advisers to put into practice multiple precautions to protect myself and my property.Ishare them with you here: If you are going out for the evening, do the following:
Live Alone & Thrive By Gwenn
A new study finds that elemen tary school kids who get less than nine hours of sleep each night show significant differences in some brain regions responsible for memory, in telligence and well-being compared to those who get the advised nine to 12 hours’ sleep.
• Stop mail and newspaper de livery. Better yet, have a neighbor or friend sign on for pick-up duty. Hav ing someone you trust making daily visits to your home when you’re not there offers added protection.
The study findings were pub lished online July 29 in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health. To promote optimal health, the
• Turn on interior and exterior lights. Light is your friend, and the enemy of those with misguided intensions.•Lock all doors and windows. You’d be amazed how many people don’t do this!
• Make arrangements to have your grass mowed or snow shoveled depending on the time of year. To be extra cautious, ask your local police to keep an eye on your home. Make long-term investments in home security:
• Keep your purse, wallet, mon ey, jewelry and other valuables out of sight — at least out of view from a window. If you are going away for an extended period of time, do the following:
• Consult a good locksmith to have high-quality deadbolts and oth er locking systems installed on your doors and windows.
Page 8 • IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper • September 2022
thatcautioningimmediately,thegettoldAImovie!outlikecrooked.wereItlookedasceneofascaryTrembling,called911.dispatchermetooutofhousethe
American Academy of Sleep Medi cine recommends children aged 6 to 12 sleep for nine to 12 hours every night.The American Academy of Pe diatrics advises parents to instill in their children healthy sleep habits. Its advice includes prioritizing adequate sleep as a family, maintaining a regu lar sleep schedule, promoting phys ical activity during the day, limiting screen time and avoiding screens an hour before bed. advice and hope for those who live alone Voelckers
By Gwenn Voelckers
• Again, make it look and sound as if you are still home with the help of automatic timers on lights and radios.•Give a spare key to a neighbor you trust, rather than hiding one outside your home or apartment. Let this same trusted neighbor know of your travel plans, itinerary and how to reach you.
• In addition to your front and back porch lights, consider mo tion-detector lights outside your home or install a Ring-type system of video surveillance.
“We found that children who had insufficient sleep, less than nine hours per night, at the beginning of the study had less gray matter or smaller volume in certain areas of the brain responsible for attention, mem ory and inhibition control compared to those with healthy sleep habits,” said study co-author Ze Wang. He is a professor of diagnostic radiology and nuclear medicine at the Univer sity of Maryland School of Medicine, in Baltimore. “These differences persisted after two years, a concerning finding that suggests long-term harm for those who do not get enough sleep,” Wang said in a university news release. These differences were associated with more severe mental health is sues, such as depression, anxiety and impulsive behavior, in those who got too little sleep. Inadequate sleep was also linked to difficulties with mem ory, problem solving and decision making.
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
• Eliminate hiding places outside your home. Cut back bushes and shrubs, especially those that hide windows.•Consider installing a security system, especially one with a loud alarm and flashing lights that will attract immediate attention. The door or lawn sign provided by your alarm company may help deter a break-in all byWhileitself.there are never any guar antees, using common sense and some simple precautions can reduce your risks of a break-in that could result in theft, property damage, or worse.Let’s face it, crime is a reality. Women and men who live alone need to take extra measures to protect themselves.Besafe, not sorry. Instead, be happy and content, knowing you have secured your home and well-be ing.
A. It stands for Peer Advocates Lending Support. We match some one newly diagnosed with breast or gynecologic cancer with someone else in the community who shares a similar diagnosis and characteristics. If it’s a single mother, a non-English speaking Hispanic woman or a man with breast cancer, we make careful matches so that they have someone else that they can speak with that they’ll be able to relate to or that will relate to them. Somebody that has walked that walk can be really helpful in helping formulate the questions that you need to be asking, the things you may not be thinking about.
A. They get a full day of training in the medical language of cancer, providing emotional support and the different circumstances that they may not have experienced but are within normal limits for other survivors and other subjects. You can have a sim ilar diagnosis, but have a different experience. We also have a on staff a PALS mentor who is available to them for any questions, any concerns or worries.
and
Executive director of the Breast Cancer Coalition talks about the group’s mission, how it helps families and patients for the battle against cancer and the fact that her organization is celebrating a big milestone: over $1 million in small seed grants given to local researchers
Q. Who does the coalition serve? A. Anyone in the aftermath of a breast or gynecologic cancer diag nosis. Typically, people will come to us after a diagnosis. We also support the families and friends that are part of the network of the person who is newly diagnosed.
The Breast Cancer Coalition offers free educational courses and peer mentoring for those who have been diagnosed with breast or gynecologic cancers, along with support networks for them and their loved ones. With just 11 employees and about 75 volunteers, the nonprofit served 6,852 people in 27 Upstate New York counties just last year. It currently operates with a budget of just over $1 million. The coalition also supports breast cancer research with annual grants to established scientists and pre- and post-doctoral fellows in Central and Western New York who are researching those diseases and their treatment. The award, which was previously named a research training grant, is now named The Pamela Delp Polashenski M.D. Breast Cancer Research Trainee Grant, after a former member of its board. Since 2003, the coalition has given over $1 million in grants to the region’s researchers. Holly Anderson, executive di rector of the Breast Cancer Coalition, spoke to In Good Health about the nonprofit and its work.
A. I think the complexity of the disease is actually what tends to bring people to our door. People think of breast cancer as just one disease, but it actually has quite a number of subtypes. They can have specific subtypes, for example triple-negative breast cancer and inflammatory breast cancer. It can be really overwhelming. We’ve had people describe that feeling of being overwhelmed as landing in a foreign country without a map, no compass and you don’t speak the language.
A. This is very unusual for a grassroots community-based organi zation, but we really tired of seeing so much fundraising on behalf of breast cancer research without really knowing what the research is, where is it going, who gets it, what percent age goes to actual researchers? We know that a lot of the breast cancer research funding does not make it to the research benches of the actu al researchers doing it. We believe that funds raised for breast cancer research should stay right where those funds were raised. We just hit a milestone of having given over $1 million in small seed grants to these researchers since 2003.
n For more information on the Breast Cancer Coalition, go to https://bccr.org/ gynecologic cancer survivors their caregivers.
All programming is free of charge for breast and
Q. You’ve described the Breast Cancer Coalition as the “What now?” of breast and gynecologic cancer. What do you mean by that?
Q & A
Q. How do you prepare peer mentors for the PALS program?
A. Much of the focus on breast and gynecologic cancer is on screen ing and early detection initiatives, which are important. There really was nothing as far as programs, services, education and support ini tiatives if those screening and early detection methods worked. We are the “What now?” if you get a diag nosis of breast or gynecologic cancer. The majority of our staff, as well as our board of directors, are breast or gynecologic cancer survivors them selves.
A. We have networking groups that are particularly helpful. The networking groups are filled with people from all walks of life who have gone through this. We have everybody from retired teachers to stay-at-home moms to ministers and lawyers. We have physician partici pants—physicians get breast cancer too. It’s the whole gamut. We also have hidden, private social media groups that are specific to cancer subtypes.
Q. Does the coalition offer support groups for those who have been diag nosed with cancer and their partners, families and friends?
Q. What brings people to the coalition?
Q. Could you describe some of the ed ucational services the coalition pro vides?
(585) 473-8177 • BreastCancerCoalition.org WELCOMING • SAFE • CONFIDENTIAL If you have breast or gynecologic cancer... WE CAN HELP. YOU ARE NOT ALONE.Learn more!
Q. Why do the coalition’s research grants go only to researchers who are working in the Central and Western New York?
By Mike Costanza
A. It’s really making sure that the survivor community is well-versed on what they need to know as they live their lives with breast cancer or gynecologic cancer. I think the most familiar part for people would be breast cancer or gynecologic cancer 101. We call them “BC 101” and “GYN 101.” It’s a one-on-one counseling session for the newly diagnosed person and whoever is supporting them. It’s an opportunity for the person to sift through and sort through what they know and what they may need to know for surgical visits, medical oncology and radiation oncology visits and so on. Sometimes they come with their part ner, sometimes they come with their mother or a daughter or son.
Q. You offer a program called “PALS.” Can you tell us about it?
HollywithAnderson
September 2022 • IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper • Page 9
Afew small studies have found that supplementation with citicoline, a choline derivative, may be useful to limit neurologic damage in stroke patients. Citicoline occurs naturally in the body as part of cellBecausemembranes.norandomized con trol trials have been conducted, it remains unclear whether citicoline could be used in the treatment of dementias. Still, the initial positive findings and anecdotal reports indi cate that further study on citicoline is warranted.“Citicoline, or CDP-choline, is a nutritional supplement that is made up of choline, an essential nutrient
“I lean things towards diet and lifestyle and working with pharma cist and doctors to work on appropri ate supplementation,” Deutschbein said. He added that regular exercise, staying socially engaged, enjoying hobbies and managing stress comple ment a healthful diet for promoting brain health.
Teresa Galbier
Sabia typically sleeps for hours after spending a few days with her mother. Regardless of the challenges, Sabia feels rewarded following her mother’s wishes and having more time to spend with her. Her experience is common among family caregivers. “Caring for someone with Alzheimer’s can be overwhelming and caregivers often have a variety of family and work responsibilities in addition to day-to-day care and support of their loved one,” said Teresa Galbier, executive director of Alzheimer’s Association Rochester Finger Lakes Chapter. “Alzheimer’s caregivers often report experiencing high levels of stress. And too much stress can affect the health of the caregiver.”
Alzheimer’s
Gregg Deutschbein, staff mem ber of Lori’s Natural Foods Center in Rochester, said that following the MIND diet and Mediterranean diet is good for brain health. “These focus on fruits and veg etables, whole grain, low fat, little to no dairy,” he said. “Those not only help keep blood pressure normal but help the brain. They’re rich in antiox idants and polyphenols. They protect us cell by cell and preserve delicate systems in the nervous system and the brain.”Inaddition to citicoline, helpful supplements and herbs include lion’s mane mushrooms, ginkgo biloba, ba copa, phosphatidylserine and acetyl l-carnitine.Heurges clients to contact their healthcare provider before making dietary changes and/or adding sup plements to their regimen.
The extra help also helps, con sidering Sabia’s chronic back and nerve issues that have disabled her from working and that she supports the care of another brother who has developmental disabilities. At times, it can feel emotionally, mentally and physically exhausting.
Page 10 • IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper • September 2022
“Antioxidants in fruits, vegeta bles, coffee and tea improve cogni tive functioning,” she added. “Red apples with skins, onions, blueber ries, cranberries and strawberries all contain a compound called quercetin, which may protect against brain cell damage.”Marge Pickering-Picone, nutri tional coach specializing in vitamins and supplements and founder and CEO of Professional Nutrition Ser vices of Rochester, Inc., has worked with people diagnosed with Alzhei mer’s.“We’ve help them remain stable, where they were, instead of further declining,” Pickering-Picone said. “We use Cognitex products. Cholines are a main piece.”
Providing Memory Care At Home: Always an Overwhelming Job
By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
She uses a combination of sup plemental nutrients for supporting brain health, as consuming enough through food sources is tough for most people. Organ meats, like liver and chicken gizzard, are two exam ples of less common but rich sources of these foods. In addition to the omega-3 rich foods, she encourages clients to include in their diets green tea, dark chocolate, blueberries, green leafy vegetables, olive oil, eggs and avoca does to support brain health.
Citicoline: A Possible Alzheimer’s Treatment
By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant Karen Sabia, 58, of Newark, cares for her mother, Bert Sabia, 91, who lives in Pittsford and has Alzheimer’s, macular degen eration and glaucoma. Bert Sabia remembers little of working as a potter for 30 years. When Karen’s father died unexpect edly in early 2021, she and her broth er, Mark, became aware their father had provided 24-hour care. “From one day to the next, my life was changed,” Sabia said. She provides transportation, companionship, housekeeping and cooking. Mark and other friends and family members help, as does No Place Like Home Senior Care in Henrietta.“Having more people here brings her more engagement,” Sabia said. “It helps her stay in her home longer as she wishes.”
The organization provides a 24/7 helpline, 800-272-3900, online infor mation, support groups and educa tional“Theyprogramming.sometimes don’t realize what they’re walking into,” said Deb ra Kostiw, owner of No Place Like Home Senior Care, a Henrietta-based business specializing in helping fami lies care for Alzheimer’s patients. Kostiw is a nationally certified dementia practitioner and recently completed writing “Forget Me Not,” a book about dementia care and caregiver strategies, available on Amazon. She also operates a Face book group “Answers About Aging & Alzheimer’s” and posts YouTube videos for her channel “Answers About“CaregivingAlzheimer’s.”forsomeone with neurodegeneration is very challeng ing because most people will ad vance to the point where they need help with personal care,” Kostiw said. “It’s equally important to find ways for caregivers to cope with challenges and keep a realistic per spective.” She listed anxiety, depression, exhaustion, sleeping issues, denial and overreacting as signs of caregiver stress. Building a team helps. “A lot of times, we don’t focus on the caregiver but the person in need of assistance,” said Andrea Mac Donald, a registered nurse, clinical operations manager for Nascentia Health, which operates in Rochester. “Caregivers seldom call until they reach that crisis or point that they can’t do it any longer or their health is suffering.” She encourages caregivers to seek respite programs, whether a few scheduled in-home hours per week or as temporary stays at a long-term care facility, so they can run errands, engage in personal care or take a vacation.Families can also schedule care with a home health aide through Nascentia Health or other organiza tions. MacDonald also mentioned day programs, which gives patients a regular place to go for supervised care, activities and socialization. She also encourages families to enlist friends, neighbors and their church’s social circle who may want to help.“Ifyou can take care of yourself, you’ll be better and stronger to take care of your loved one,” said Susan Spina, licensed clinical social worker consults for Nascentia. “Self-care is very important. I can’t tell you how many folks do it on their own. They may have an elderly spouse. They never want to put them in a nurs ing home and they themselves are getting worn down. Sometimes, they really just don’t know where to turn and on occasion, the caregiver breaks down.”While challenging, caregiving brings often unexpected rewards, including knowing that the patient’s wishes have been honored. Care givers “feel great about the care that they provided. They feel that this person had increased quality of life. They know them and their needs better than anyone else and they un derstand their loved one better than anyone else. I consider it uncondi tional love.”
and cytidine, that may offer protec tion from cell damage and enhance brain function,” said Melissa God deau, registered dietitian nutritionist and owner of Nutrition Care of Roch ester, PLLC in Pittsford. “Choline works closely with folate to support cell structure, cell communication and neurological functions.”
Good dietary sources of choline include organ meats, wheat germ, eggs, chicken, salmon, shrimp, oysters and roasted soybeans. While Goddeau favors food sources of nutrients, supplementation may be helpful for some people and safe, if approved by their primary care provider.Tosupport good brain health, Goddeau recommends including in a balanced diet foods that control inflammation, like sources of ome ga-3 fatty acids like fatty fish, ground flaxseed, walnuts and soybeans.
September 2022 • IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper • Page 11 Are you caring for someone with dementia? We're here to help. Call our 24/7 Helpline 800.272.3900
RevealedResearchAlzheimer’sbreakingGround-
Submitted by the Alzheimer’s Associa tion Rochester Finger Lakes Chapter.
“There is great progress in Alzheimer’s and dementia re search,” said Teresa Galbier, exec utive director of the Alzheimer’s Association Rochester Finger Lakes Chapter. “This year at AAIC, we heard new ideas about what makes us at risk, as well as a diverse array of treatments and prevention meth ods for Alzheimer’s disease and all dementia. The work of the scientific community holds great promise for the future.”TheAlzheimer’s Association is available with information and support for families as they navigate the disease and related research. For more information, visit alz.org or call the 24/7 Helpline at 800.272.3900.
To hear more of Frank’s story and learn if CyberKnife is right for you, visit hoacny.com
Alzheimer’s
sure to interpersonal and institution al racism was associated with lower memory scores, especially among Black individuals.
“The original diagnosis was to treat my prostate cancer with seven weeks of radiation, five days a week. I was kind of upset that I was never given the option of CyberKnife,” said Frank. “The precise radiation achieved by CyberKnife, far fewer treatments, and the personalized care I received from Dr. Chin and his team made my decision an easy one. Better, the treatment was a real success!”
• Racism’s impact on memory. In a study of nearly 1,000 adults, expo
Page 12 • IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper • September 2022
Frank Guido couldn’t be happier he had a choice for treating his prostate cancer!
• Another reason to move your body. Results are in from the lon gest-ever clinical trial of exercise in older adults with mild memory problems. After 12 months of regular physical activity — aerobic exercise or stretching — study participants experienced no significant cognitive decline.•Junk food might be hurting our brains. Researchers studied more than 10,000 people over eight years and found that high consumption of ultra-processed foods led to a 28% faster decline in cognitive function.
• More long-term impacts of COVID-19. Researchers found that loss of smell due to COVID-19 infection may be a better predictor of longterm cognitive and functional impair ment than severity of the illness.
More than 10,000 researchers recently attended the Alzhei mer’s Association Interna tional Conference (AAIC) 2022 both in person and virtually to share the latest in Alzheimer’s and dementia science.Highlights include:
• Earning less money may increase dementia risk. Compared with workers earning higher wages, sustained lowwage earners experienced signifi cantly faster memory decline in older age.
Frank chose non-surgical CyberKnife® at HOA –offering 5 treatments instead of 35!
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Smoking Cessation Matters for Men Experts: Smoking raises risks exclusive to men, including erectile dysfunction, impotence, lower sperm count and greater risk of prostate cancer bad habit that will kill you, what we offer can help you quit,” Rizzo said. He recommends checking into the seven FDA-approved cessation medications to support an effort to quit, along with counseling to address the psychological reasons people smoke. A supportive envi ronment at home and work can also promote“Mostsuccess.haveto try 10 to11 times before they’re successful,” Rizzo said. “They need a strong support group of family friends and counseling. They need support from those they live with. If your wife or husband smokes, it’s a great time for both of you to Thequit.”American Lung Associ ation’s Freedom from Smoking program has proven helpful for many people who want to quit. It “uses techniques based on pharma cological and psychological princi ples and methods designed to help tobacco users gain control over their behavior and break their addiction,” according to the website. “Because no single quit method is effective for all tobacco users, the program includes a comprehensive variety of evidence-based, proven-effective cessation techniques. The curricu lum also includes information about nicotine replacement therapy (gum, inhalers, patches, lozenges and nasal spray) and other FDA-approved smoking cessation medications such as Zyban and Chantix.”
Page 14 • IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper • September 2022
AIDSAgainstFightHasPandemicStalledHIV/
Men’s Health
In addition to the increased risks for health issues that both genders experience, smoking also raises risks exclusive to men, including erectile dysfunction, impotence, lower sperm count and greater risk of recurrence and dying for those diagnosed with prostate cancer. In addition, smoking “is a caus ative factor in not only lung diseases but cardiovascular diseases. It affects the circulatory system and contrib utes to heart attacks,” said Albert Rizzo, chief medical officer of the American Lung Association. Heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the US, followed by cancer and, in fourth place, stroke. Of American men aged 18 and older, 14.1% smoke cigarettes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Rizzo said that 80% of lung can cers are related to smoking.
“Some studies I’ve run across show there may be differences relat ing to sex,” Rizzo said. Some theorize that overall, men may be affected by cigarette smok ing worse than women because they smoke more often, inhale deeper or smoke longer in du ration than women. The psychology behind smoking matters when it comes to menordepressslimsmokingwomenAlthoughcessation.manybegantostay—smokingcanappetite—dealwithstress,tendtosmoke for different, more complex reasons that are harder to shake. Embracing a healthful diet and exercise regimen can help control weight and engaging in self-care can help manage stress. Advertising campaigns for cigarette companies have made smoking appear rugged, manly and appealing to men, such as the long run of the Marlboro Man. The self-image of rebellion and inde pendence hooked many men decades ago and made quitting more difficult. Smoking became part of their person ality.“It’s an addiction, one of the strongest known, and rather than giving lip service to the fact that it’s a
fforts to end the global HIV epidemic have slowed as money and attention go toward fighting COVID-19, a new report“Thisshows.isan alarm to the world to say that COVID-19 has blown the AIDS response significantly off track,” Matthew Kavanaugh, dep uty executive director of UNAIDS, said of the findings. Among the concerns are that HIV testing has slowed or stopped in places dealing with COVID-19 surges. HIV infections have climbed in parts of Asia and the Pacific, where they had been falling.Aglobal decline in new infec tions is leveling off instead of drop ping as it had been for years, en dangering the United Nations’ goal of fewer than 370,000 new HIV in fections by 2025. Last year there were still 1.5 million. About 650,000 people died last year from AIDS-re lated illnesses, the report found. “People are exhausted with epidemics and pandemics,” phy sician Anthony Fauci, the U.S. government’s leading AIDS expert and director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told the Associated Press. “We have to fight twice as hard to get HIV back on the radar screen where it Disparitiesbelongs.”continue to grow for women and girls. In sub-Saharan Africa, women and teen girls are three times as likely to get HIV as boys and men. A teen girl or wom an was newly infected every two minutes last year, the AP reported. Meanwhile international aid has dropped, leaving low- and mid dle-income countries with $8 billion less than they need to fund efforts, the report found.
E
Tom Porpiglia, licensed mental health counselor and owner of Life Script Counseling Services in Roches ter, provides emotional freedom tech nique (EFT) to help people quit. EFT involves tapping on targeted places where nerves intersect to soothe the nervous system. That is why it is also called “tapping.” Because many men smoke to self-medicate stress, anxiety and depression, EFT can help address their underlying issues and rewire the brain so that smoking does not meet those emotional needs. “EFT works on the body’s energy system, sending signals into the brain,” Porpiglia said. “It can unwire the connections that are keeping you addicted. The brain has neuroplasti city.”He teaches clients how to tap themselves so that at any time, they can quell a craving. Many times, clients find that they do not have nicotine withdrawal symptoms.
September 2022 • IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper • Page 15
By Anne Palumbo Why You Should Go Nuts for Walnuts
1½ teaspoons chili powder
Since walnuts go rancid when exposed to warm tem peratures for long periods of time, it’s best to keep them cold. Store walnuts in their original packaging (or airtight container) in the fridge or freezer. If your walnuts smell like paint thin ner, they’re rancid and should be tossed. For best flavor, wait to shell, chop or grind walnuts until ready for use.
1½ tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon ground cumin
12 mini or 6 (6”) flour or corn tortillas
1 cup crumbled cheese, cotija or goat ½ cup fresh cilantro lime wedges
1½ tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 cup corn, drained or fresh cooked
1½ tablespoons olive oil, for cooking Tacos
Anne Palumbo is a lifestyle colum nist, food guru, and seasoned cook, who has perfected the art of preparing calorie-consciousnutritious, dishes. She is hungry for your questions and comments about SmartBites, so be in touch with Anne at avpalumbo@aol.com.
There are several reasons why walnuts promote longer lives. First of all, walnuts do a heart good — in more ways than one. Along with “good” fats that may lower your LDL or “bad” cholester ol and triglyceride levels, walnuts contain more heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids than any other nut. These fatty acids, together with a walnut’s special form of vitamin E, may help prevent the buildup of plague in arteries, as well as lower blood pressure.Despite being high in calories, walnuts actually support weight iesNumerousacontributemaylaterpeciallyweight,aMaintainingcontrol.healthyesinyears,alsotolongerlife.studshowthatnuts are not associated with weight gain and, in fact, may contribute to weight loss because they are so satiating.
“When people eat nuts, they tend to compensate by eating less during others times of the day and offsetting a good portion of the energy,” says Richard D. Mattes, professor of nutri tion science at Purdue University. Another way walnuts champi on longevity? They’re loaded with polyphenols, plant-based com pounds that may reduce the risk of certain cancers (breast, prostate and colorectal) by quelling inflammation and by blocking hormone receptors in the body. Results of a recent study, conducted at Marshall University, showed that eating two ounces of walnuts a day for about two weeks slowed breast cancer growth or reduced the risk of developing the disease. While more studies are needed to confirm walnuts’ affect on cancer, the data so far is promising.Ahandful of walnuts (about ¼ cup) has 190 calories, 2 grams of fiber, 4.5 grams of protein and 18 grams of (most ly) good fats. Low in choles terol and sodium, walnuts are rich in a variety of vita mins and minerals, especially copper and manganese. Stir together hot sauce ingredi ents. Refrigerate until serving. Mince garlic in large food proces sor, then add the roughly chopped mushrooms and gently pulse a few times until mushrooms are evenly chopped to the size of a popcorn kernel. Scrape contents into medium bowl.Place walnuts in processor and pulse in a similar fashion to mush rooms. Add walnuts to mushroom mixture, along with spices, soy sauce and lime juice, and gently combine. Heat olive oil over medium-low heat in a non-stick skillet. Add wal nut mixture and cook for 8-10 min utes, stirring until it releases some liquid and begins to turn dry and browned. Stop whenever the crumble texture suits you. Adjust seasonings. Spoon walnut taco meat over tortillas; top with corn, cheese, hot sauce, cilantro and lime wedges.
*Note: Toast raw walnuts in a 350 F oven for 8 minutes; let cool.
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice salt & pepper to taste Walnut Taco Meat
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The skinny on healthy eating
Walnut Mexican Tacos
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1½ tablespoons hot sauce of choice (I used Sriracha) ½ cup low-fat sour cream
3 cups roughly chopped white mushrooms
2-3 cloves garlic
Eat more walnuts and you just may live That’slonger.themessage from a recent study at Harvard that explored the link between walnut consumption and longevity. According to Yanping Li, senior research scientist at Harvard, “What we’ve learned from this study is that even a few handfuls of walnuts per week may help promote longevity, especially among those whose diet quality isn’t great to begin with.”
SmartBites
with Corn Adapted from walnuts.org Hot Sauce
Helpful tips
1½ cups toasted chopped walnuts*
“Another example is that we’d treat people with fractures for a long period of time in traction or in casts. Today, there are all kinds of specialty rods and plates and screws that can be used to treat fractures surgically and have people moving, functioning and using their joints right away,” he continued. Developing that relationship To a patient, bedside manner and trust in your doctor matter a lot. Tanner believes in developing that relationship.“I’mhappiest with the person al interactions,” he said. “With all the technology, being in an exam room and sitting down, talking with people one-on-one is so important. Someone coming in with knee arthri tis, you don’t jump right to surgery. There are more simple things that can be done to resolve the problem. When those don’t work, you do the actual technical “Orthopedicspiece.and particularly joint replacement is highly success ful. It does really change your life. A surgeon takes your appendix out, has just saved your life. Your life is back to normal. With knee arthritis, it gradually limits you more and more. With knee replacement, you sud denly have your life back again—it makes a quantum improvement in things. It’s great to be able to do that for people.”Inhispractice, he would see 25 people a day, personally. Once in the exam room, “We’ll focus on your knee or the Yankees or our grandkids. People share their personal lives. They tend to open up in a doctor’s office differently than when you’re out buying a new car or even getting your haircut,” he said. “I was always impressed that people opened up and shared things with me.”Tanner said he loves orthopedics.
Page 16 • IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper • September 2022
Orthopedic surgeon Edward Tanner, 73, retired in August. He said he performred about 40,000 surgeries during his career.
One-night stays Tanner started his career at the University of Rochester in the ‘60s on a work-study program, toiling in the cafeteria and the engineering library. His favorite long-term job was work ing in the hematology lab. “I joked that at 18 I was doing hematological research,” he ex plained. “But what I really did was clean out the lab and sterilize the test tubes.”Encouragement from the director of the lab for four years bore fruit. Tanner added biology and biochem courses to his engineering matricu lation and applied for med school, also at the UofR. With his new M.D., he applied for an orthopedics resi dency that had him serving patients at Strong, Highland, Genesee and Rochester General hospitals. In 1981, he established his prac tice as part of the team at Rochester General.Tanner has a well-earned per spective on the practice of orthope dics and medicine in general today, versus when he started 45 years ago. “The knowledge base has ex panded an incredible amount,” he said. “Going back to my residency, general surgery was kind of the ulti mate. Everybody was headed toward general surgery. Now it’s expanded so that there are several sub-special ties. Most people go through their residency training and then do a year fellowship in spine, pediatrics, sports medicine, joint replacement or hand surgery.”“Ithas become much more sur gically oriented, particularly going through the residency. Much more emphasis is on the surgical side,” he added. “Nonsurgical patients are fre quently handled by other specialties like rheumatology and physical med icine. Family practice doctors also see a lot of the nonsurgery things to diagnose and treat.” Today there’s more and more emphasis on cost in the medical field, shortening up hospital stays and moving things ahead quickly, he noted. “As an example, when I was starting in practice, when you had a total knee or hip replacement, we would have kept you in bed for a few days to rest after your surgery. You’d then get up and be instructed by physical therapy. You’d frequently be two or three weeks in the hospital,” he explained. “Now, there’s a lot of emphasis on outpatient or one-night stays. We’re finding that getting people up and weight-bearing shortly after the surgery is better for your overall health. That’s changed dramatically.”
Physician Edward Tanner, head of orthopedics at Rochester General, retires after 45 years of patient service
Lessons Learned in the Lumber Yard
By John Addyman Edward Tanner‘s family ran a small retail lumber yard in Broadalbin, near Albany. He worked there as a teenager through college vacations and med school vacations.“Throughout my medical prac tice career, I kept thinking about what impressed me with working with my father. When people came into the hardware store, the lumber yard, he was always trying to solve their problem for them. It was never, ‘How much can I sell you?’ It was never about sales,” he recalled. “His approach was, ‘What do you need and can I instruct you in how to do it yourself? Or do you need to hire a contractor?’”Tannersaid he “kind of absorbed that.”“I don’t think I appreciated that’s how I was thinking in my early years as a doctor. As time went on, I used to joke, ‘Everything I needed to know in orthopedics I learned in a lumber yard.’”Tanner, 73, retired in August from his 25-year position as head of orthopedics at Rochester General Hospital and 45 years as a doctor. He and his wife, Elizabeth, a former orthopaedic nurse and nurse manager, live in Brighton and are ready to enjoy retirement. “We’ll travel. I love to ski, down hill and cross-country in the win ter. Spring, summer, fall it’s biking, hiking, canoeing and kayaking,” he said. “I hope to get back to my hob bies — gardening, photography and woodworking.” Sitting in his office on a sum mer’s morning, he’s no longer surrounded by the mementoes you might expect. It’s been pretty much cleaned out. He has a warm smile; his speech measured and reassuring. He provides information, then asks questions. You have a problem; he wants to help. You want to share something? He’ll listen.
“I couldn’t imagine anything better. If I could fix anything, I wish there were something to make people better quickly. Everything in ortho takes months and months,” he said. Computers are a love-hate rela tionship. He loves the ease of get ting all kinds of information on his patients, especially X-rays. But with more information comes more work for doctors, who are often forced to take that work home after a normal 11- or 12-hour day. For Tanner, who loves the interaction with his pa tients, the computer is an inanimate object that demands and draws his attention away from patients. He also loves being a part of a team in his office, in the operating room and with his patients; remem bering how his dad treated employ ees and partner merchants in the lumber“I’myard.nota superstar,” he said. “I love to interact with the whole team.”
The pandemic has highlighted traveling nurses as one way hospitals address worker short ages and increased demand for care. The effects of staffing with travel ing nurses extend from the healthcare provider to the other providers to the patients.Traveling nurses do not work directly for the healthcare provider, such as the local hospital. Like a tem porary agency, they work for a third party and receive their pay from the thirdTheparty.concept may seem especially appealing for nurses who want to work short-term in different cities and experience the culture and enter tainment of various regions. Their higher pay compared with staff nurses draws many nurses. For example, Zippia.com states that the 1,453 traveling nurses working in Monroe County make an average sal ary of $72,768, which is comparable to a directly employed nurse. But the top 10% earning traveling nurses can make $121,000 annually. Their status as traveling nurs es — even if they live locally — can mean that healthcare organizations retain flexibility for their staffing needs.Travel nursing also has its down sides. Uprooting every few weeks or months to work elsewhere dis rupts family life. The stress of living elsewhere temporarily could prove problematic for nurses who travel only for the higher payrate and are not as interested in tourism. The cost for healthcare organiza tions will be higher by hiring through a third party, making hospital bud gets tighter, according to a Sept. 15, 2021 story for NBC news by Leticia Miranda. She further stated that the salary discrepancies between travel nursing (between $5,800 and even $9,562 weekly) and working for a ru ral hospital ($1,346) has caused rural hospitals to struggle to compete.
Although travel nurses receive health insurance and other typical benefits from their employers, Rocke feller said that pensions are not part of the package. Although that helped draw her back to staff nursing, she said that better benefits and a higher payrate would help more retain more staff nurses. “That way, you wouldn’t have to bleed more money into travel nurses,” she said. “We’ve lost a lot of people to travel nursing.”
Demand for Traveling Nurses Continues High Lindsay Rockefeller of Rochester is a nurse at Rochester General Hospital. For a brief period a few years ago she worked as a traveling nurse. She expressed mixed feelings about travel nursing. “I prefer an environment where I know what to expect.”
She expressed mixed feelings about travel nursing. While the high er payrate was nice, she wanted to stay in Rochester where she was born and raised and worked for 14 years. “I love this hospital,” she said. “I love where I am and I’m loyal to the company. I’m comfortable with my coworkers and managers. I prefer an environment where I know what to expect. Every hospital has different protocols. We get some travel nurs es in who aren’t familiar with our protocols.”Astravel nurses work in a vari ety of locations, they must acclimate themselves to the in-house proce dures and policies. This can nega tively affect continuity of care. While their nursing skills must equate those of staffers, they lack the familiarity inherent in a group of long-term coworkers.“Youwant to work like a welloiled machine,” Rockefeller said. “With travel nurses who come in and leave, no one gets to know each other. There’s no efficiency. Things are moving slower. Now with my coworkers, the staff people, we don’t have to even speak in the room.”
By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
September 2022 • IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper • Page 17
Aya Healthcare, a San Diego based staffing provider, advertises travel nursing jobs at up to $6,950 per week, more than five times the rates offered by many rural hospitals. Not all travel nurses travel far away from home. Some can find assign ments within a commutable distance, making travel nursing a much more financially appealing option. The higher wage attracted Lindsay Rockefeller of Rochester to try travel nursing through Adventis Medical in 2020. The lure of $1,800 to $4,000 a week — about double of what the RN makes as a staff nurse at Rochester General Hospital’s ER — appealed to her. The pandemic cut short her travel nursing career and she feels it has contributed to the rise of travel“Travelnursing.nurses help the work load,” she said. “We are extremely short staffed and have half travelers and half staff nurses. Without them, we wouldn’t be able to run as many emergency rooms as we do now.”
Providing Independent and Enriched Living Apartments to Seniors in the Finger Lakes for over 20 years. 190 Ashton Court Clifton Springs Providing Independent and Enriched Living apartments to seniors in the Finger Lakes for over 20 years. Family Owned, Family Operated, Family Atmosphere 315.462.3140 | AshtonPlaceNY.com 190 Ashton Court Clifton Springs 315.462.3140 | AshtonPlaceNY.com There are over 1,696,386 traveling nurses currently employed in the United States, according to zippia.com D E P AUL
Q: The third phase is the most ambi tious, what do you have in mind? A: We will use our 30 remaining acres to create an inclusive housing village that will give 250-plus people what true inclusion looks like. The learning opportunities for people with disabilities out in the fields and in our farm store are not “busy work.” Their hard work helps feed nearly 200 families who are part of our subscription community-sup ported agriculture program, and the many more that visit our store. We have over 3,000 visitors each year who enjoy listening to music, hosting events and exploring our canal-side property. People come here knowing the money they spend at our store, café or grill supports our mission. We have memberships that offer perks like garden boxes, U-pick options and discounted barn rentals for private events. We are currently raising funds to complete our Forev er Homestead, which will transform our 200-year-old estate home into a learning and enrichment center able to serve people year-round.
Q: How many people are involved in your programs, which are designed for those who have disabilities as well as people who don’t? How many em ployees do you have? How many vol unteers?
Homesteads for Hope, a nonprofit community farm for people of all abilities, recently received a major grant from Kubota Tractor Corp. One of the plans is to create an inclusive housing village that will give 250-plus people a place to call home
By John Addyman
Q: What does Homesteads for Hope of fer today as a farming enterprise? A: We grow more than produce. We grow hope and show people ‘We grow more than produce. We grow hope and show people what true inclusion looks like.’
A: Our intentional agriculture community currently serves over 600 families, but our dreams have outgrown our current setup and we stand by our promise to triple our impact and welcome more families to Homesteads. Many team members and volunteers have personal con nections to the special-needs commu nity. With around 13 full-time staff and 30 regular volunteers, we make magic happen. Imagine what we can do when can hire more staff!
Jennyrae Brongo describes herself as a “sister to autism,” because she grew up with her brother, Chucky, who has profound needs. When the school bus stopped coming, so did many of the services Chucky relied on. As his sole guardian, Brongo embraced the big sister role, then extended it to others in the special-needs community by creating Homesteads for Hope in 2013, a nonprofit community farm for people of all abilities.
Q: Describe the first two phases of your plan. A: We wanted to create a com munity farm of acceptance where people with disabilities and their families could feel hopeful again. Phase one and two are all about growing what people can do. We have created various programs and enterprises on the farm that encour age everyone to learn, grow and socialize. We get them off the couch and into nature’s classroom, where they make friends, learn skills, and are empowered to dream up a new kind of life for themselves.
Page 18 • IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper • September 2022
“I came to terms with the fact that I would have to create something for my brother, and now this is so much bigger than just us,” she said. With fundraising, good advice from experts nationwide, and hundreds of volunteers, Brongo purchased her great uncle’s 55-acre farm with 3,000 linear feet of frontage on the Erie Canal in Spencerport in 2016. It was perfect timing — viable options for people with special needs are even more scarce today. That farm is the locus of a three-phase plan Brongo developed. The farm continues to grow and is safe haven for many who have been displaced from more traditional options. In Good Health recently interviewed Homesteads for Hope’s founder Brongo and Heather Burroughs, the organization’s grants and media director.
Community Farm for People with Disabilities in Spencerport to Expand
The Homesteads for Hope community farm in Spencerport recently received a grant from Texas-based Kubota Tractor Corporation. The money, two installment of $100,000, will help the nonprofit to further service people with disabilities. Photo provided. a place to call home. With group homes closing at an alarming rate, many people are very concerned. Our ability to be self-sustaining and be around for generations to come lies in the enterprises in our first two phases. We are not skipping steps or cutting corners. With a strong foundation, we will be able to pro vide solutions that help address the housing crisis in the special-needs community.
Anyone who feels a friend or loved one is in imminent danger should call 911 or transport the person to the emergency department. For others, it may be only a consider ation at this point, but nonetheless it needs to be addressed.
Suicide Prevention Begins with Connections
• Increasing use of alcohol or drugs.
• Changing normal routine, including eating or sleeping patterns.
Q: You recently won a $200,000 grant from Kubota Tractor. Where will that be put to use? A: This funding will help us ex pand our social garden program for those with more challenging needs and mobility-based disabilities, dou ble our 80-plot community garden, and help us renovate the estate home to weatherproof the main program spaces. It will also allow us to up grade our historic barns and continue to pour new concrete pathways to increase accessibility.
• Withdrawing from social contact and wanting to be left alone.
A: Your dollars will go to some thing you can see that creates a valuable and needed resource for our community, like our Forever Home stead. With donations, we’ll make our campus accessible to all physical abilities, create a recreational learn ing trail, renovate our historic barns, and redesign our raised garden beds to better serve our members with more profound needs. We appreciate people who set up regular monthly donations, no matter the size, be cause that helps sustain us through the winter season, when we cannot grow and sell produce. Contractors willing to donate labor or materials for any of our projects are invaluable, especially given what inflation has done to costs.
• Developing personality changes or being severely anxious or experiencingparticularlyagitated,whensomeof the warning signs listed above.
Q: What does your brother Chucky think about plans for Homesteads’ fu ture? A: I would like to think Chucky understands our mission and all that will unfold in the years to come. Every time he is here, Chucky is smiling and doing things that are not possible when he is not here. The outside world is not made for him –this community is…and he feels that. Everyone does. Heather Burroughs is Homesteads for Hope’s grants and media director.
• Saying goodbye to people as if they won’t be seen again.
“If it’s a loved one who says ‘I don’t think life is worth living’ take it seriously,” Dubovsky said. “If you don’t feel comfortable about it, ask who you they’ve talked with. Sug gest they see a doctor or to the ER. If they say no and say they’re going to drive into the Niagara River. don’t jump into the car and try to stop them. Call 911.”
By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
▪ Anxiety ▪ Weight Loss ▪ PTSD Depression ▪
CDC: 46,000 Americans died by suicide in 2020 Sept. 10 is World Suicide Preven tion Day. Nearly 46,000 Ameri cans died by suicide in 2020, or about one death every 11 minutes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Although rates declined in 2019 and 2020, it is still a leading cause of death in the United States. The CDC states that about 12.2 million adults considered suicide, 3.2 million planned an attempt and 1.2 million attempted. In 2020, it was one of the top nine leading causes of death for those aged 10 to 64 and the second leading cause of death for those 10-14 and 25-34.
• Getting the means to take your own life, such as buying a gun or stockpiling pills.
• Having mood swings, such as being emotionally high one day and deeply discouraged the next.
Q: Homesteads for Hope has been blessed with in-kind and financial do nations. How will monetary gifts be used? What in-kind help do you need?
• Doing risky or self-destructive things, such as using drugs or driving recklessly.
“They may think the solution to their problems is suicide,” Dubovsky said.Like Porpiglia, talking about sui cide frankly and without minimizing their concerns can represent the first step towards seeking professional help. Asking direct questions can help determine the level of risk and then the next step, whether mak ing an appointment with a mental healthcare professional or seeking emergency care.
• Giving away belongings or getting affairs in order when there’s no other logical explanation for doing this.
• Talking about suicide — for example, making statements such as “I’m going to kill myself,” “I wish I were dead” or “I wish I hadn’t been born.”
Never minimize others’ consid eration of suicide or feel too uncom fortable about the topic to avoid addressing it.
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Jennyrae Brongo is the founder and CEO of Homesteads for Hope.
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He added that talking about suicide will not “make” someone attemptAnyoneit. struggling with thoughts of suicide or who knows someone who is struggling should call 988 or if an emergency 911.
“You may want to say, ‘I under stand you’re in a lot of pain. What can I do to help you?’ It’s not taking responsibility for them, but being there to support and listen,” Por pigliaPeoplesaid. contemplating suicide need a safe space to share their struggles without fearing judge ment or condemnation. They need to know that another person cares about them. It is also important to stress to these individuals that they have value and worth, but they don’t realize it.
▪ Addictions HYPNOSIS:
SUICIDAL SIGNS
WARNING
September 2022 • IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper • Page 19
Phobias Smoking
THE MAYO CLINIC LISTS AS SUICIDAL WARNING SIGNS:
• Feeling trapped or hopeless about a situation.
• Being preoccupied with death, dying or violence.
“The bottom line is you can have a conversation about it,” said Tom Porpiglia, licensed mental health counselor and owner of Life Script Counseling Services in Rochester. “You need to determine how serious they are, do they really have an in tention, a plan. How serious are they about doing it?”
Offering to make an appointment with a healthcare provider and pro vide transportation may be enough support to get professional help. Of tentimes, the person suffering has an underlying mental health condition, according to physician Steven Du bovsky, president of UBMD Psychi atry and professor and chairman of the department of psychiatry, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences in Buffalo. “Most commonly, it’s depression, bipolar, schizophrenia and certain personality disorders and substance use disorders,” Dubovsky said. “Those are conditions with the high est risk of Receivingsuicide.treatment for any un derlying conditions can help reduce risk of Peoplesuicide.who feel hopeless be cause of recent grief or loss may lose progress they have made in treating mental health Conversely,issues.someone who has struggled with depression for a long time and abruptly states they are fine may have developed a plan for suicide.
• 10 a.m.-2 p.m. “Assistive Lis tening Devices Demo Center.” Tech nology team. In person. Lifespan, 1900 S. Clinton Avenue, Rochester. At this free demonstration area, consumers are invited to view and try out a selection of assistive listen ing devices before actually buying them. Included are captioning-capa ble and amplified telephones, signal ing-alerting devices and smart phone APP’s related to hearing enhance ment . Chapter members are on hand to answer visitors’ questions.
a tour of our beautiful Webster campus, including: • Independent Living Cottages & Apartments • Assisted Living • Memory Care • Skilled Nursing 585.697.6702 900 Cherry Ridge Boulevard Webster, NY 14580 stannscommunity.com
Thursday, Sept. 22
September schedule:
• 11-11:30 a.m. Socializing. In person. St. Paul’s Parish Hall.
CALENDAR HEALTH EVENTS
Jewish Senior Life now offers a new service at the Atkin Center for Outpatient Rehabilitation: to treat and prevent injuries in golfers. Physical therapist Matt Berliner is certified by the Titleist Professional Institute (TPI), the world’s leading educational organization dedicat ed to the study of how the human body functions in relation to the golf swing.Since 2003, TPI has analyzed thousands of golfers with various skill levels, sizes, ages and shapes. A certified therapist can assess how a properly functioning body allows a player to swing a golf club in the most efficient way possible. “Using the TPI body-swing con nection screen, we can evaluate your physical fitness, movement quality and biomechanics in an effort to pro vide you with the most healthy and efficient body,” said Berliner. “TPI does not believe in one way to swing a club, rather in an infinite number of swing styles. Once the screen is fin ished, the results are used to create a plan unique for that golfer. The plan may include fitness training, physical therapy intervention, referral to a golf professional, or all of the above.”
The Atkin Center for Outpa tient Rehabilitation is located on the Jewish Senior Life campus at 2021 S. Winton Road in Rochester. For more information or a con sultation, call 585-784-6530 or email ACOR@jewishseniorlife.org.
• 11:30am-noon Business meet ing/announcements. In person. St. Paul’s Parish Hall. Noon-1 p.m. “Primer On Hear ing, Hearing Loss and Hearing Aids.” In person. St. Paul’s Parish Hall and virtual on Zoom. What should patients expect from their hearing aids? Retired audiologist Joseph Kozelsky reviews the basic anatomy and physiology of the outer, middle and inner ear, em of
Senior Life Now Provides Rehab Services for Golfers
Page 20 • IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper • September 2022
phasizing where hearing losses can occur. Then he will cover basics of hearing and hearing aid use, with a concentration on “reasonable expec tations.”
Jewish
Sept. 13, 22, 27 HLAA programs to focus on hearing loss Anyone interested in hearing loss, either their own or someone else’s, is welcome at Hearing Loss Association of America /Rochester Chapter (HLAA) September pro grams.The third most prevalent health related condition of older people (behind arthritis and heart disease), hearing deficits affect about 20% (48 million) Americans of all ages to someUntreateddegree. hearing loss has been shown to increase propensity to wards dementia, with more severe hearing deficits worsening chances of cognitive decline. Even mild hearing loss increases the risk of falls. All HLAA programs are free and in real time. Most feature an induc tive loop hearing system and open captions.HLAA
• 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. Prospective, new or experienced hearing aid users can share their experiences, questions, and hearing loss journeys in an informal discus sion. Retired audiologist and hearing aid user Joseph Kozelsky facilitates.
For more information, view the organization web site at hearinglossrochester.org or telephone 585 266 7890. at Cherry Ridgeat Cherry Ridge at Cherry Ridge St. Ann’s Community at CherrySeniorRidgeliving at its finest! today for
Call
Tuesday, Sept. 13
Tuesday, Sept. 27 8-9 p.m. “Hear Together.” Virtu al on Zoom. Speech language pa thologist Kristin Bergholtz conducts a virtual support group for parents and caregivers of deaf or hard of hearing children. It is planned as a safe community for connecting advo cates of these youngsters. To register, contact kristinbslp@gmail.com
“In addition to assessing traditional risk factors for heart disease, such as diabetes, family history, blood pressure, cholester ol and smoking, this research shows the importance of identifying and accounting for social determinants of health when calculating risk,” said study co-author, physician Wen dy Post, director of cardiovascular research at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore.
Deaths from heart-related caus es have dropped over the past 20 years, though differences persist by race and ethnicity as well as where people live and their access to care.The U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), which partially funded the research, detailed the results of three papers. The findings were published July 18 in the Ameri can Heart Association journal Circu lation.One study used data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, finding that death rates linked to heart disease dropped between 1999 and 2019 for both Black and white adults. While gaps between the two groups lessened, Black adults contin ued to have higher death rates than white adults. This was especially true in rural or segregated areas and among younger Black adults.
“More importantly, we must identify systemic factors in our society that can be altered to improve these longstanding inequities,” she said in the release.
September 2022 • IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper • Page 21
The third paper reported an in crease in heart deaths related to heat among U.S. adults during summers from 2008 through 2017. Older adults, men and Black adults were most likely to die of heart-related causes when the tem perature hit or topped 90 degrees. Potential remedies might include increasing access to shade or cooling centers in affected communities, the authors“Multiplesaid. factors can inde pendently and synergistically influ ence cardiovascular health,” said Dr. Nicole Redmond of the Division of Cardiovascular Sciences at the U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
Ago Prepare for new opportunities that stimulate engagement, feed your curiosity, and inspire a fresh desire for learning. St.
“The persistent disparities ob served in our study likely reflect the fact that Black adults disproportion ately experience social, economic and environmental barriers to optimal health due to systemic inequities and structural racism,” co-author physician Rishi Wadhera said in an NIH news release. He’s an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School. In a second study, researchers with the Multi-Ethnic Study of Ath erosclerosis (MESA) described simi lar associations.Forthatstudy, MESA followed more than 6,800 adults for 15 years. About 20% died during that time. Of those, 25% were from heart-re latedThecauses.study found that Black adults had a 34% greater overall risk death during the follow-up compared to white adults. Factors such as a person’s income, neighborhood, education level and access to health care were independent predictors for prema ture death. After adjusting for those factors, researchers found that Black adults had a 16% greater risk of death.Hispanic participants and Asian Americans had the lowest overall risk for early death, though that trend was partly reversed when researchers accounted for immigra tion history. Living for a shorter time in the United States was protective. It wasn’t clear whether that was be cause these participants started out healthier or if it was due to having less time to adapt to an unhealthy American lifestyle.
Fewer Americans Are Dying of Heart Disease Than a Decade John’s
full array of service options address evolving needs within compassionate community settings. • Independent Senior Living • Enhanced Assisted Living • Respite Care • Rehabilitation • Skilled Nursing Care • Dementia Resource Center • Hospice Care Many life-enhancing choices await you. SCHEDULE A TOUR TODAY. 585-760-1300 | stjohnsliving.org Welcome Change THE TIME AND PLACE FOR A
Q. I prefer reading by audio book. Does Social Security have audio publica tions?
A. Yes, they do. Members of Congress, the president and vice president, federal judges and most political appointees have paid taxes into the Social Security program since January 1984. They pay into the system just like everyone else, no matter how long they have been in office.
Ask
By Christine Freeley
The phrase “ask your pharma cist” is becoming increasingly common — and with good reason.Today’s pharmacists are an inte gral part of the healthcare communi ty and are relied upon as an import ant source of Pharmacistsknowledge.canhelp people stay on track with medications — especially important for seniors and others taking multiple medications. They are an excellent resource for information on any prescription (Rx) and over the counter (OTC) drugs you take. You can count on them to:
Call Lifespan to make your appointment. Or, attend one of our Medicare workshops. See lifespanrochester.org for the schedule.
Call Lifespan to make your appointment. Or, attend one of our Medicare workshops. See lifespanrochester.org for the schedule.
No person shall be denied benefits or subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal Assistance on grounds of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, disability, or marital status. This program is funded by participants’ contributions, U.S. Administration on Aging, N.Y. State Office for the Aging, N.Y. State Department of Health, Monroe County Dept. of Human Services / Office for the Aging. Lifespan’s certified Medicare counselors are available for one-onone consultations.
A. Yes, we do. You can find them at www.ssa.gov/pubs. Some of the publications available include “What You Can Do Online,” “Work ing While Disabled — How We Can Help,” “Apply Online for Social Security Benefits” and “Your Social Security Card and Number.” You can listen now at www.ssa.gov/pubs.
Turn to Lifespan for nothing-to-sellguidance
• Explain side effects that could impair judgment or cause a fall or an accident • Screen for Rx drug interactions, as well as interactions with OTC medicines, herbal supplements, or certain foods • Check for possible allergic reactions•Recommend generic substi tutes in place of brand names to make medications affordable Best of all, you don’t need an appointment or insurance to talk to your pharmacist; just stop in or pick up theHerephone.area few tips from the in-patient pharmacists at St. Ann’s Community on how your pharmacist can help you manage your medica tions:• Choose one pharmacy. As a regular customer, you’ll get to know the pharmacist and have your entire medication history in one place. With the click of a mouse, your pharma cist can check for and troubleshoot prescription and drug interaction problems and advocate for changes on your behalf with your healthcare provider.
pharmacist about prescription pack aging options, such as daily doses in pouches, or electronic pillboxes. Either tool may make it easier to remember to take your medications as prescribed.•Carrya medication list. Keep the paper in your purse or wallet so you or your family or first respond ers will find it. Whether you’re at a routine check-up with your doctor or on your way to the emergency room, healthcare providers need to know what you take before prescribing or administering drugs. • Get rid of old medicines. There’s no reason to keep old Rx and OTC drugs in your home; in fact, having them in your medicine cabinet may create confusion. Take old medications to your pharmacist or local police department for proper disposal instead of throwing them in the garbage or down the drain. You’ll help protect the environment and eliminate the risk of other people misusingFinally,them.when you or your loved one needs skilled nursing care, be sure to choose a facility with full-time pharmacists on staff and a full-ser vice pharmacy on site for quick prescription delivery. St. Ann’s Home has both to ensure the health and safety of its residents and provide the best care possible. With so many medications and opportunities for confusion, it’s easy to understand why having a good pharmacist is the prescription everyone needs to stay healthy and independent.
Lifespan’s certified Medicare counselors are available for one-onone consultations.
Page 22 • IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper • September 2022 Ask St. Ann’s
The Social Security Office Q&A
Q. My spouse died recently and my neighbor said my children and I might be eligible for survivors benefits. Don’t I have to be retirement-age to receive benefits?
No person shall be denied benefits or subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal Assistance on grounds of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, disability, or marital status. This program is funded by participants’ contributions, U.S. Administration on Aging, N.Y. State Office for the Aging, N.Y. State Department of Health, Monroe County Dept. of Human Services / Office for the Aging. Lifespan’s certified Medicare counselors are available for one-onone consultations.
Call Lifespan to make your appointment. Or, attend one of our Medicare workshops. See lifespanrochester.org for the schedule.
A service of Lifespan’s Health Insurance Information Counseling & Assistance Program (HIICAP).
Or, attend one of our Medicare workshops. See lifespanrochester.org for the schedule.
Mwithedicare
A. No. As a survivor, you can receive benefits at any age if you are caring for a child who is receiving Social Security benefits and who is under age 16. Your children are eligi ble for survivors benefits through So cial Security up to age 19 if they are unmarried and attending elementary or secondary school full time. Keep in mind that you are still subject to the annual earnings limit if you are working. If you are not caring for mi nor children, you would need to wait until age 60 (age 50 if disabled) to collect survivors benefits. For more information about survivors benefits, read our publication Survivors Bene fits at www.ssa.gov/pubs.
A service of Lifespan’s Health Insurance Information Counseling & Assistance Program (HIICAP).
585 244 8400
Call Lifespan to make your appointment.
A. You can report fraud online at www.oig.ssa.gov/report or call the Social Security Fraud Hotline at 1-800-269-0271. Social Security has zero tolerance for fraud and uses many proven tactics to prevent fraud, waste, and abuse. Our Office of the Inspector General is relentless in its pursuit of people who conceal work activity while receiving disability benefits. We investigate and seek prosecution for people who receive benefits for a child or children who aren’t under their care, or who fail to notify Social Security of the death of a beneficiary and continue to receive and cash checks of the deceased. We also depend on you to help stop fraud.
Christine Freeley, a registered pharmacist (RPh), is director of pharmacy at St. Ann’s Community in Roches ter. Contact her at cfree ley@MyStAnns.com or 585-697-6450, or www.stannscommunity.visit com.
Lifespan’s certified Medicare counselors are available for one-onone consultations.
Q. I suspect that someone I know is col lecting Social Security disability bene fits when they shouldn’t be. What is the best way for me to report fraud?
585 244 8400A service of Lifespan’s Health Insurance Information Counseling & Assistance Program (HIICAP).
• Establish a routine. Refill all your prescriptions at the same time every month to eliminate confu sion and to stay on track. Ask your How Can My Pharmacist Help Me
585 244 8400 Call Lifespan to make your appointment. Or, attend one of our Medicare workshops. See lifespanrochester.org for the schedule. 585-244-8400
Q. Do Members of Congress have to pay into Social Security?
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585 244 8400
• Answer questions about medi cations and proper dosing
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From the Social Security District Office
No person shall be denied benefits or subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal Assistance on grounds of race, color, sex, religion, national origin,disability, or marital status. This program is funded by participants’ contributions, U.S. Administration on Aging, N.Y. State Office for the Aging, N.Y. State Department of Health,Monroe County Dept. of Human Services / Office for the Aging. For advice & Medicarewithassistance Turn lifespanto guidance.nothing-to-sellfor
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Remain Independent?
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Dear Penny, For many seniors, like yourself, who only want a simple basic cell phone for emergency purposes and occasional calls, there are a number of super cheap plans available from small wireless providers you may have never heard of. Here are some of the best deals available right now.
Dear Savvy Senior, A few months ago, I read a column you wrote on extremely cheap smartphone plans for bud get-conscious seniors. Can you do a similar column for those of us who still use basic flip phones? My old 3G flip phone is about to become obsolete, so I’m looking for the cheapest possible replacement.
Some other super cheap wireless plans worth a look are Ultra Mo bile’s “PayGo” plan (UltraMobile. com/PayGo), which provides 100 talk minutes, 100 texts for only $3 per month. And Tello’s (Tello.com) “build your own plan” that starts at $5 per month for 100 talk minutes and unlimited texting. Both Ultra Mobile PayGo and Tello also run on T-Mobile’s network and will let you use your existing phone (if compatible or unlocked) or buy a new one.
September 2022 • IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper • Page 23
Subsidized Plans: You also need to know that if you’re on a govern ment program such as Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income or food stamps/SNAP, or, if your annu al household income is at or below 135 percent of the federal poverty guidelines – $18,347 for one person, or $24,719 for two – you might also qualify for free or subsidized wireless plans from various carriers via the federal Lifeline program. To find out if you’re eligibility or to apply, visit LifelineSupport.org. Not a Subscriber?
Cheapest Basic Plans: For extremely light cell phone users, the cheapest wireless plan available is through US Mobile (USMobile.com), which has a “build your own plan” that starts at only $2 per month for 75 minutes of talk time. If you want text messaging capabilities, an extra $1.50/month will buy you 50 texts per month.USMobile runs on Verizon’s and T-Mobile’s networks and gives you the option to bring your existing phone (if compatible or unlocked) or purchase a new device, while keep ing your same phone number if you wish. If your flip phone is becoming obsolete, as you mentioned in your question, you’ll need to buy a new device, which you can do through US Mobile if you choose their plan. They offer the NUU F4L flip phone for $39 for new customers. Or you can purchase an unlocked phone through retail stores like Walmart or Best Buy or online. One of the best value flip phones right now is the (unlocked) Alcatel GO FLIP 4044 4G LTE, avail able at Amazon.com for $80.
CITY/TOWNADDRESSNAME STATE ZIP 1 YEAR (12 ISSUES)$35.00$21.00 2 YEARS (24 ISSUES) Clip and Mail with payment to: In Good Health P.O. Box 525, Victor, NY 14564 Subscribe and get In Good Health: Rochester’s Healthcare Newspaper right to your home or office! At Kirkhaven every therapy plan is personalized to meet your unique needs, goals and optimize your success, now and in the future. We focus on your care and your comfort with aroundthe-clock staff to address your medical concerns. We work with you to get you back on your feet and back to your life at home. We bring experienced clinicians together to deliver the highest quality of Skilled Nursing, Physical, Occupational, and Speech therapy services, focused on achieving the best possible outcomes for the patients we serve. Areas of specialty include: The Preferred Choice for Rehab Therapy Kirkhaven || 254 Alexander Street || Rochester, NY 14607 www.kirkhaven.com || kirkhaveninfo@kirkhaven.com Your Bridge from Hospital to Home Call us today if you or a loved one want to learn more about the care options available at Kirkhaven. 585-461-1991 ext. 3010 • Post-surgical Care • Cardiac Rehab • Fractures & ReplacementJoint • Wound Management • Sepsis & Infection Recovery • Respiratory ManagementIllness
Cheap Basic Cell PinchingPlansPhoneforPennySeniors
Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior. org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.
By Jim Miller
I only need a simple cell phone (no data) for emergency calls when I’m away from home.
— Penny Pincher
Senior-Targeted Providers: In addition to these super cheap plans, there are several other wireless com panies that cater to older customers and offer low-cost basic plans and simple flip phones. One of the least expensive is through TracFone (Trac fone.com), which offers a 60-minute talk, text and web plan for $20 that lasts for 90 days. That averages out to $6.66 per Threemonth.otherproviders that are popular among seniors are Snapfon (Snapfon.com), which offers a 100 minutes and unlimited texting plan for $10. Consumer Cellular (Con sumerCellular.com), which provides an unlimited talk plan for $15 per month. They also give 5% discounts to AARP members. And Lively (Live ly.com), maker of the popular Jitter bug Flip2 senior-friendly flip phone. Their cheapest monthly plan is 300 minutes of talk and text for $15.
“Jewish Senior Life is honored to be recognized for being a great place to work. Our employees are special people who take immense pride in what they do to support the people we serve. As an organization we want to provide every employee with the support they need to do what they love at a place where they enjoy working,” said Michael S. King, pres ident and CEO, Jewish Senior Life. Survey respondents answered questions that measure five dimen sions of trust: credibility, respect, fairness, pride, and camaraderie. Overall, JSL received a higher score than the national benchmark of like organizations, earning a trust index score of 78 — compared to the national benchmark of 71. Despite the challenges of the pandemic, JSL has grown its score year over year for the past three years and this year surpassed comparative benchmarks in nearly all areas, especially in the pride employees feel in their work, having a safe work environment, and having the resources and equipment needed to do their jobs. A variety of recent employee-cen tered actions at JSL include wage increase and enhancement benefits, frequent recognition celebrations and food trucks and scholarships and hardship support.
A fellow of the American Acad emy of Nursing and the American Heart Association, she served as a Josiah S. Macy Jr. Faculty Scholar from 2015-2017, where she developed an interdisciplinary certificate in primary palliative care. Individuals from many different practice areas have since earned the certificate and are caring for patients in rural and underserved areas that do not have access to specialty palliative care.
LisaKitko,A. an beenclinician,educatorar,plishedaccomscholresearcher,andhasnamed the sixth dean of the Univer sity of Roch ester School of ciateNursing.Theassodeanfor graduate education and director of the Ph.D. program at the Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing at Penn State University, Kitko emerged as the leading candidate in a national search this spring to replace Kathy Rideout, who announced last year she was stepping down after 11 years as dean. Kitko accepted an offer from Mark B. Taubman, MD, CEO of the University of Rochester Medical Center last week, and was expected to assume her new role Sept. 1. “It’s my pleasure to welcome Lisa Kitko as the next dean of the UR School of Nursing,” said Taubman. “Lisa has an outstanding academic record, and I believe that she has the ability to take our School of Nursing to the next level with regard to re search, scholarship, and educational innovation. Lisa’s engaging and en thusiastic personality will be an ideal fit within the medical center, and I look forward to working with her on bringing the School of Nursing and School of Medicine and Dentistry together and enhancing the School of Nursing’s research profile through out the KitkoUniversity.”hasbeena member of the nursing faculty at Penn State for more than 20 years, rising from the ranks of clinical instructor to associ ate professor. She was named interim director of the Ph.D. program in 2019 and assumed leadership of the pro gram and was named associate dean for graduate education in January 2020. In those dual roles, she was in strumental in reinvigorating interest in the college’s graduate programs— including the Ph.D. program, which more than doubled in enrollment.
Lisa A.
Richardson is a graduate of SUNY Brockport and currently re sides in Rochester.
“I am happy and excited to join the great team at the University of Rochester School of Nursing, and thankful for the opportunity to build on its tremendous legacy of innova tion and excellence,” said Kitko. “I loved the graciousness and kindness I felt at the UR School of Nursing, and I was very much attracted to the shared commitment of faculty and staff to make the school the best it can be and provide a top-notch environment for students. I am also exhilarated by the school’s close ties with the medical center, and I am looking forward to working with our colleagues across the street to expand and broaden our clinical-academic partnerships.”Kitkobegan her professional career in 1990 as an intensive care and trauma care nurse and spent more than a decade working as a clinician and hospital administrator. She developed the stroke program at Altoona Hospital while she pursued her master’s degree at Penn State, and later managed the hospital’s in patient and outpatient neurovascular services.Kitko has served as principal investigator or co-principal investiga tor on nearly a dozen grants, includ ing several large projects funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Science Founda tion, the American Heart Association, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HRSA). Kitko is an internationally recognized ex pert in palliative care and heart fail ure and has widely disseminated her work through both peer-reviewed presentations and publications.
Richard son joined Excellus BCBS in 2018 and was promoted to manager of the appropriatereferralsmembershighconnectingshe2019,programconnectionscommunityinwhereledateamriskwithto health care and community services. Working with community-based organizations, she also coordinated healthy lifestyle initiatives and mem ber events. Her community outreach efforts and rapport with members and com munity partners earned her a Life time Way Award from Excellus BCBS in 2019. The Lifetime Way awards recognize employees who embrace and lead change and reflect the orga nization’s values and behaviors.
After more than four years of hard work, Rochester Regional Health’s Primary Care and Ambu latory Specialty Institute (PCASI) has achieved magnet status from the American Nurses Credentialing CenterPCASI(ANCC).becomes the first prima ry care organization, and only the second ambulatory care group in the nation to achieve this prestigious designation. Magnet status is the in ternational gold standard of nursing excellence, and less than 500 hospi tals out of nearly 6,500 in the U.S. are magnet“Thisrecognized.remarkable achievement is a testament to the excellence of PCA SI nurses and the entire PCASI care team who were unwavering in their passion and dedication to achieve this goal throughout a rigorous and uniquely challenging multi-year preparation and appraisal process,” said RRH CEO Richard “Chip” Davis. “During the magnet surveys which took place in May, PCASI was repeatedly praised by the surveyors for the progressiveness of its nurse practitioner care model, visibility and accessibility of PCASI leadership, and the fact that staff feel they have a strong voice in making continuous improvements.”“Thishasbeen a humbling and amazing experience,” said Liz Carreira, RRH nursing director for ambulatory care and the magnet program director. “Our primary and ambulatory care nurses are innova tive, talented, incredibly smart and nimble in the face of all of what has been coming at us over these last few years. We are excited to also be able to pave the way for future programs like ours to pursue their own magnet designations.”
A native of Pennsylvania, Kitko received her bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of Pittsburgh in 1990. She earned her master’s as a clinical nurse specialist in 2001 and a Ph.D. in nursing with a minor in gerontology in 2010, both from Penn State.
UR School of Nursing Has New Dean
Dajia Richardson
Excellus BlueCross BlueShield recently named Dajia Richardson as community investments and part nerships manager for the company’s Rochester region. Her responsibilities include over seeing strategic investments with the goal of improving access to care, advancing specific health outcomes, and supporting organizations in the region that align with the company’s mission to improve the health and well-being of the communities it serves.
RRH’s Primary Care and Ambulatory Specialty Institute achieves magnet status
Excellus has new community investments and partnerships manager
Heinsler Westerveltandjoin HCR Cares board HCR Cares, a nonprofit partner of HCR Home Care, which focuses on addressing barriers to indepen dent living and nursing-workforce shortages through research projects and educational initiatives, has recently name two professionals for its board.They are: • Christa Heinsler, a nurse prac
Page 24 • IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper • September 2022 Health News
Jewish Senior Life certified as a ‘Great Place to Work’ Great Place to Work Institute and its senior care partner Activat ed Insights have recentlyJewishhonoredSe nior Life (JSL), munity,mentcareedonlyRochester’sdesignatcontinuingretirecomwith certification as a great place to work for the third year in a row.
The certifi cation involvedprocess surveying 100% of employees across JSL’s continuum of care and evalu ating more than 60 elements of team members’ experience on the job. These included employee pride in the organization, the belief that their work makes a difference, and feeling that their work has special meaning. Rankings are based on employees’ experiences, no matter who they are or what they do.
MichaelKitkoKing
• Margaret Fowler of Naples, webmaster-digital coordinator, cor porate communications • Amber Lane of Manchester, certified nursing assistant, M.M. Ewing Continuing Care Center skilled-transitional unit
Jennifer Eslinger
Dave Carro has been hired as the director of corporate hasFlorida.tythegraduateCarroCanandaigua,residentHealth.ThompsonURmunicationscomatMedicineA25-yearofisaofUniversiofCentralHespentthe majority of his career in healthcare settings, including serving as public relations manager for Unity Health System, director of communications for CP Rochester and Happiness House, and director of communica tions for Finger Lakes Visiting Nurse Service prior to that organization joining the UR Medicine Home Care family of services. Most recently, Carro served nearly six years as vice president for external affairs at Our Lady of Mercy School for Young Women in Brigh ton. “We’re excited to have Dave on our team,” said Thompson Health Executive Vice President/COO Kurt Koczent. “His years of experience in and out of the healthcare sector will prove to be beneficial for our organi zation.”
Dave Carro
September 2022 • IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper • Page 25 Health News
Thompson launches new way to honor nurses UR Medicine Thompson Health recently launched a new program to honor its nurses: The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses, part of the DAISY Foundation’s mission to recognize the extraordinary, compas sionate care provided every day. A nonprofit organization, the DAISY Foundation was established in memory of J. Patrick Barnes. He died at the age of 33 in 1999 from complications of idiopathic throm bocytopenic purpura (ITP), a little known but not uncommon autoim mune disease. His family was in spired by the care he’d received and wanted to find a way of thanking nurses. DAISY is an acronym for dis eases attacking the immune system. Thompson nurses — from throughout the health system and not just its hospital — may be nomi nated for a DAISY award by patients, families and colleagues. On a quar terly basis, a committee at Thompson will select a recipient. Each honoree will be celebrated during a small ceremony, receiving a certificate, a pin and a hand-carved sculpture called A Healer’s Touch. In addition, the honoree and fellow staff mem bers on their unit will celebrate with cinnamon rolls, Barnes’ favorite treat during his illness.
RRH appoints new chief operating officer
“Being named a Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion for a second year reflects the dedica tion, passion and work of so many throughout the health plan — guid ed by a commitment to inclusion, diversity, equity and access. While we celebrate this designation, we recognize our work is never done and will continue to drive positive change for our employees, members, and the communities we live in and serve,” said Sady Alvarado-Fischer, corporate director of diversity, equity and inclusion for Excellus BlueCross BlueShield.
Christa Heinsler
Rebecca Westervelt
titioner at St. Ann’s rector of HNP Capital, who oversees wealth management services and operations for individuals, corpora tions and retirement plans. She has more than 23 years in the financial services industry, previously serving as partner and senior vice president at Generation Capital Management. Westervelt earned her MBA degree from RIT and her bachelor’s degree in economics and English from Buck nell University.
“We are proud to be among the healthcare organizations participat ing in The DAISY Award program,” said Thompson Health Vice President of Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer Hazel Robertshaw.
Laura Petrescu
Dave Carro
“Nurses go above and beyond every day. It’s important our nurses know their work is highly valued, and this provides another way for us to ensure that.” Robertshaw noted existing forms of nursing recognition will remain in place at Thompson. These include Star Catchers, Cheers for a Peer, Service Excellence Awards, Nurses’ Week recognitions and Shining Star Awards.Tonominate a Thompson nurse, visit www.ThompsonHealth.com/ DAISY.
Six receive service excellence awards from Thompson UR Medicine Thompson Health’s Service Excellence Team recently announced the 2022 third-quarter recipients of the health system’s Ser vice Excellence Awards. They are:
atcommunicationsnameddirectorThompsonHealth
Regional Health has appointed nationally recognized health care executive Jennifer Eslinger as its new president of health care operations and chief operating officer (COO). She joins the organization Sept. Eslinger12. has been in the industry for more than 25 years, and has vast experi ence establish ing, growing and managing complex, effi cient hospital and haserations.systemhealthopSheworked extensively in both for-profit and nonprofit health careMostsectors.recently, Eslinger served as president of Henry Ford Health’s Wyandotte and Downriver market in Wyandotte, Michigan, where she had financial, operational and strategic responsibility for a 401-bed teaching hospital, off-campus free-standing emergency department, ambulatory surgery center, inpatient behavior al health hospital, inpatient acute rehabilitation hospital, long-term acute care, and more than 20 ambula tory clinic sites. Strategic growth and operational initiatives implemented under Eslinger’s leadership led to the financial turnaround of the Downriv er market in just a few short years. “I had the opportunity to work with Jennifer at Henry Ford, and witnessed first-hand her remarkable talents and enthusiasm for modern izing the health care delivery model in innovative ways that yield consis tently excellent results for patients, employees, and the area communi ties served,” said RRH CEO Richard “Chip” Davis, PhD. A native of Georgia, Eslinger earned her undergraduate degree from Georgia Southern University and a Master of Business Administra tion from the University of Georgia. She is a fellow of the American Col lege of Healthcare Executives.
• Adam Dickerson of Canandai gua, biomedical technician, facility services•Liz Fellows of Naples, clinical secretary, OB-GYN
Local doctor opens direct primary care practice Physician Laura Petrescu recent ly opened what she says it is the first and only direct primary care prac tice Upstate New York. The practice is located in primaryPittsford.Directcare (DPC) is a servicesprimarytotheirpartnerphysiciansmodelhealthcarewherewithpatientsprovidecareunder a flat, periodic fee.membership All services are included at no extra cost. According to a practice’s news release, by moving outside of the ad ministrative burdens of the tradition al insurance-based billing system, DPC practices are able to provide a wide spectrum of care in a transpar ent, affordable manner. As the founder and owner of Athena Direct Primary Care & Life style Medicine, Petrescu saw her first patient in PetrescuJanuary.graduated from Grig ore T. Popa Medical School in Iasi, Romania, in 2001. After completing four years of general surgery training at St. Spiridon University Hospital in Iasi, she moved to the United States with her family. She pursued intern ship and internal medicine residen cy training through the Rochester General Hospital internal medicine residency program. She was selected by her peers to serve as chief medical resident at Rochester General Hos pital.Petrescu said she decided to open a direct primary care practice with a mission and vision in mind to offer highly personalized prima ry care services to the community. Her passion, she said, is to provide personalized whole person care, which includes the bio-psycho-social determinants of health and evi dence-based lifestyle interventions to optimize health.
managingWestervelt,University.St.ticenursingdoctorateisRochesterUniversityinggreemaster’searnedHeinslerofversityColumbiaArialStrongtimeHospital,estertionssheter.HealingWoundCenPreviously,heldposiatRochGeneralLifeCareandMemoHospital.graduateofUniSchoolNursing,herdeinnursfromtheofandpursuingherofpracdegreeatJohnFisher•Rebeccadi
Excellus named to ‘Best Places to Work for Disability Inclusion’ Excellus BlueCross BlueShield has been named to the Best Places to Work for Disability Inclusion after receiving a top score of 100% on the 2022 Disability Equality Index (DEI), a national benchmarking sur vey by Disability:IN and the Amer ican Association of People with Disabilities.TheDEI is a comprehensive benchmarking tool that helps compa nies build a roadmap of measurable, tangible actions that they can take to achieve disability inclusion and equality. Each company receives a score, on a scale of zero (0) to 100, with those earning 80 and above recognized as a “Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion.”
• Tonya Moon of Macedon, patient care technician, hospital floor 3 West • Kerry Westerfield of Himrod, assistant nurse manager, M.M. Ewing Continuing Care Center skilled-tran sitional unit
Acupuncture Center USA 7th Generation Rui Wang, LLC Clinton Crossings Medical Center Building C, Suite 105, 919 Westfall Road, Rochester, NY 14618 Tel1: 585-358-6186; Tel2: 315-378-5556; Tel3: 607-372-2082 Ancient Wisdom Integrated with Modern Medicine LIFE CHANGING MEDICINE, MOVING MEDICINE FORWARD ONE OF THE BEST ACUPUNCTURE CENTERS IN THE WORLD Acupuncture is a general practice alternative medicine, it can help a wide range of health problems at different extents. Ask for professional, confidential, personalized evaluation / consultation appointment before starting any treatment Balance Immune System Build Stronger AutoimmunePain?Featuring7thwww.AcupunctureCenterUSA.comImmunityGenerationMedicalAcupunctureRuiWang,MDofChina,L.Ac.RUIAnti-InflammatoryAcupuncture,MedicalOncologyAcupuncture,andNeuromedicineAcupunctureAndHardtoRelieve?Diseases?Neuropathy?Arthritis?CancerCare?Post-COVID-19Conditions?ExperiencedinbothWesternMedicine&TraditionalChineseMedicineExperiencedinbothAcademic&PrivatePracticeExperiencedinbothBasicScience&ClinicalScienceExperiencedinCancerResearchatMajorMedicalCentersinUSATHEWORLD’SGREATESTTREASUREOFMEDICINE
September 2022 • IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper • Page 27 CITY/TOWNADDRESSNAME STATE ZIP 1 YEAR (6 $35.00$21.00ISSUES) 2 YEARS (12 ISSUES) SUBSCRIBE to 55Plus, the only magazine serving active adults in Rochester! Don’t miss a single issue. Clip and Mail to: 55 Plus P.O. Box 525, Victor, NY 14564 DON’T MISS THE NEW ISSUE A nonprofit independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association CARING FOR THE WHOLE YOU. BODY AND MIND. Now more than ever, your emotional wellbeing is key to overall health. Having meaningful connections with others is important for both physical and mental health. CONNECT Spend time with family and friends. Connections and support are important for your emotional health. EXERCISE You don’t have to pump iron or run a marathon. Short walks around the block throughout the day have big benefits. TRY SOMETHING NEW Find a new hobby or old one. Or sign up to volunteer somewhere. You’ll give your brain and mood a boost. Check out our podcast episode, “An Honest Conversation About Mental Health” in the Community Check-in. Find it wherever you listen to podcasts. 55 PLUS • NEW ISSUE For Active Adults in the Rochester Area Issue 77 – September / October 2022 roc55.com MONEY: HOW TO FIND YOUR FAMILY’S FORGOTTEN ASSETS Fall Foliage FREE Fall foliage is coming to Western New York. Nature photographer and WROC Rochester personality John Kucko suggests places in the region to visit during this time of the year. P. 40 JOURNALISTINSIDE SHARES PHOTOS OF HIS AFRICAN SAFARI • CANANDAIGUA LIBRARIAN: 48 YEARS ON THE JOB AND COUNTING • SQUARE DANCING IS KICKING UP ITS HEELS AGAIN P. 8 • Cable TV: Cut the cord, cut the cost • Budgeting for and during retirement • Make a lasting impact • Couple finds success running business • Meet the “geriatric gardner” • 80-year old in a wheelchair goes on a zipline ride to celebrate birthday • Organizations offer classes for boomers • Best bets for local leaf peeping • Square dancing is kicking up its heels • Moving services help people downsize and relocate • Journalist shares experience of traveling through Africa • Sarah Jane Clifford: training kids in more than gymnastics • Daniel Teaches owner now over 55 • Memories and magic on wheels ...and so much more!
Page 28 • IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper • September 2022
