The Business Journals - Week of January 3, 2022

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AWARD WINNING EDITORIAL

INCLUDING THE HUDSON VALLEY JANUARY 3, 2022 VOL. 58, No. 1

westfaironline.com

Has legalized sports betting increased gambling addictions?

CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO

BY JUSTIN MCGOWN jmcgown@westfairinc.com

D $8.4M IMAGING SUITE READIED AT PHELPS

BY PETER KATZ

Pkatz@westfairinc.com

P

At Phelps Hospital in Sleepy Hollow, they're putting the finishing touches on a new $8.4 million PET/CT imaging suite expected to be operational in February. It houses a scanner manufactured by Seimens Healthineers that simultaneously does Positron Emission Tomography (PET) and Computerized Tomography Imaging (CT) imaging. Obtaining both PET and CT images previously required two separate sessions using two separate pieces of equipment. Phelps is a Northwell Health hospital and the new 3,800-squarefoot imaging suite will be used in the treatment of patients at the Northwell Health Cancer Institute at Phelps. In addition, patients being diagnosed and treated for issues such as cardiac problems, seizures and dementia will under-

PET/CT scanner at Phelps. Photo by Peter Katz.

go imaging procedures there. The new imaging suite is located on the first floor of the hospital, not far from the lobby at the hospital's main entrance. “It's very exciting because we're able to fully enhance our radiological capabilities here, our imaging studies, but even more importantly we're going to be able to add to our cancer center and be able to provide care for our cancer patients that we otherwise weren't able to,” Eileen Egan, executive director of Phelps, told the Business Journal. “It seems to be becoming standard of care for cancer patients to have PET/ CT and we've had to refer them elsewhere and now they can get it right here at Phelps.” Egan said that one of the things they're proudest of at Phelps is that the new equipment makes it possible for patients » PHELPS HOSPITAL

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raftKings, FanDuel and other sports betting apps have blitzed Connecticut with advertising throughout 2021 after Gov. Ned Lamont signed a bill in May that legalized both online sports books and internet gaming. “By signing this bill into law, Connecticut is now on the cusp of providing a modern, technologically advanced gaming experience that will be competitive with our neighboring states and positions us for success into the future,” Lamont said at the time of the signing. The law’s passing allowed the placing of bets on thousands of sporting events and their outcomes as well as a host of virtual slot machines, roulette wheels and card games. The new law was implemented alongside a memorandum of understanding which would allow the Mohegan Tribal Council and the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe to operate the online sites through their Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods casinos, respectively. In return for being able to realize millions of dollars in additional revenue, tribal nations agreed to send a portion of that money directly into state coffers. In November, the first full month of operations, Connecticut earned $4.2 million with 59% stemming from online sources before taxes on the casino’s earnings were factored in. While the state stands to gain a considerable amount from this change to the law, including potential expansion of casinos which are already major employers, it is not without risk. The presence of gambling and sports betting apps on phones and computers could be » SPORTS BETTING

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