IGH - WNY, #79 MAY 2021

FREE

BFOHEALTH.COM

Saying Thank You to Nurses

MAY 2021 • ISSUE 79

Celebrate National Nurses Week With In Good Health!

About 40,000 U.S. Children Have Lost a Parent to COVID-19 DEBRA LUCZKIEWICZ, M.D. New medical director at Hospice & Palliative Care Buffalo talks about new position, challenges and what it takes to be a doctor treating end-of-life patients. P. 4

SPIRITUAL CARE Meet Rev. Melody Rutherford, the new director of spiritual care at Roswell Park P. 9

Page 7

The Future of Cancer in America Breast cancers are projected to be the most common, with lung cancer third and colon cancer fourth, says study

A

t first glance, it appears that little will change between now and 2040 when it comes to the types of cancers that people develop and that kill them, a new forecast shows.

Breast, melanoma, lung and colon cancers are expected to be the most common types of cancers in the United States, and patients die most often from lung, pancreatic, liver and colorectal cancers, according to the latest projections.

But beneath the surface, changes are occurring due to a shift in the nation’s top causes of cancer, and those trends are likely to affect treatment and research for decades, experts say.

Lung cancer cases and deaths are expected to continue to decline, like-

ly due to the success of anti-smoking campaigns. However, deaths from obesity-related cancers — pancreas, liver, colon — are projected to hold steady or increase, the researchers said.

“We’ve already seen a little bit of a shift from smoking-related cancers to an increase in the proportion of cancer cases and deaths that are related to obesity,” noted Kim Miller, a scientist with the American Cancer Society’s surveillance and health equity team, who reviewed the new study.

In general, researchers expect that cancer cases will continue to increase overall in the United States as the population becomes larger and grayer, said senior research-

CALENDAR of

HEALTH EVENTS

May 8, 22

Free, Drive-Thru Rabies Vaccination Clinics Protect dogs, ferrets, and indoor ans outdoor cats; appointments required The Erie County Department of Health (ECDOH) has opened registration for free rabies vaccination clinics in May in Kenmore and the city of Buffalo.

• 9 a.m. – 1 p.m., Saturday, May 8, Town of Tonawanda Highway Department (Located off Military, North of Kenmore Avenue) 450 Woodward Ave., Kenmore Register: bit.ly/0508rabies •9 a.m. – 1 p.m., Saturday, May 22, Buffalo Public School 84462 Grider St., Buffalo Register: bit.ly/0522rabies Appointments are required and a limited number of appointments are available. Individuals who are unable to access online registration may call 716-961-6800 during business hours to schedule an appointment.

Pet owners must make an ap-

pointment in order to attend these clinics. No walk-ins will be accepted. Dogs, cats and ferrets 3 months of age and older are eligible for a vaccination. Up to three pets will be accepted per appointment. Pet owners are asked to bring proof of vaccination with them to the event in order to receive a three-year vaccination certificate; otherwise, a one-year certificate will be given.

Staff are asking pet owners to limit the number of people in the vehicle. Face masks or cloth face coverings will be required at all times, and physical distancing will be strictly enforced by clinic staff.

ECDOH thanks the Niagara Frontier Veterinary Society, the Medaille College Veterinary Technology Program, the SPCA Serving Erie County and Erie County SMART for providing volunteers and support in coordinating these free rabies vaccination clinics.

Page 2 • IN GOOD HEALTH – Buffalo & WNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • May 2021

er, physician Kevin Nead. He’s an assistant professor of epidemiology with the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center’s division of cancer prevention and population sciences.

“Our population is going to get bigger, and we’re going to see more and more cancers. I think no matter what happens in the future, we’re going to see more cancers,” Nead said.

However, Miller said, cancer deaths have been declining since 1991 and are expected to continue to fall in the future.

“A large proportion of that drop is due to lung cancer death rates very, very rapidly declining, but we’re seeing progress for a lot of cancers and I think that’s important to keep

in mind,” Miller said.

For this study, Nead and his team combined cancer incidence and death rates with updated demographic data from 2016 to project cancer cases and deaths out to 2040. They published their findings online April 7 in JAMA Network Open.

Overall, the most frequent cancer types are expected to change slightly due to an increase in melanoma cases, making it the second most common cancer by 2040. Breast cancers are projected to be the most common, with lung cancer third and colon cancer fourth.

“Melanoma has moved up, and we don’t necessarily know exactly why that is,” Nead said. More people might be exposing themselves to the sun’s UV rays, or there might be improved detection of the early stages of melanoma skin cancer.

Prostate cancer is expected to drop to the 14th most common cancer by 2040, possibly due to changes in screening guidelines, the researchers said.

As far as cancer deaths, lung cancer is expected to continue to be the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in 2040, but with an overall declining number of deaths, the report said.

At the same time, pancreatic and liver cancers are expected to surpass colon cancer to become the second and third most common causes of cancer-related death.

“The steady increase in gastrointestinal cancers is troubling,” Nead said. “Seeing cancers creeping up where I think we still have some work to do in prevention, I think that’s a little more scary than situations where we have good prevention and surveillance, we just need to use it better.”

Community Action Organization of WNY Come grow with us!

• HR Specialist • HR Assistant • Purchasing & Inventory Clerk • Child Development Specialist • Senior Substance Abuse Counselor • Family Case Worker • Asst. Center Director (Asst. Principal) • Data & Assessment Coordinator • Community Crisis Specialist • Job Developer • Health Coordinator

• Family & Community Partnership Coordinator • Maintenance Associate • Nutrition Associate • Teacher III • Teacher IV • Certified Teachers • Teacher I II • Youth Services Counselor • Youth Services Site Coordinator (Job #1250) • Program Coordinator (Job #1233) • Family Partner

For full job descriptions and to apply, please visit our website: www.caowny.org

Special on Kids Health.

Don't miss the next issue of In Good Health. To advertise, send an email to editor@BFOhealth.com

BestSelf is Hiring Nurses BestSelf nurses have great benefits including: Signing bonus: $1K signing and $1K retention Flexible Hours: No nights, weekends or holidays No more 12-hour shifts, low patient loads, less stress, generous PAID-TIME OFF, Opportunity for student loan forgiveness, free parking!

Apply at BestSelfWNY.org

May 2021 • IN GOOD HEALTH – Buffalo & WNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • Page 3

Meet

Your Doctor

By Chris Motola

Debra Luczkiewicz, M.D. Decrease Seen in U.S. Suicide Rate Telehealth services among factors for the decline

T

here was a nearly 6% drop in suicides in the United States last year, the largest annual decline in close to four decades, preliminary government data show.

While the extent of that decline could be smaller when final figures are available, officials expect there will still be a significant decrease, despite concerns there would be more suicides due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Associated Press reported.

There was a steady rise in suicides from the early 2000s until 2018, when the U.S. suicide rate reached it highest since 1941, before falling slightly in 2019 due to what experts said was increased mental health screenings and other suicide prevention measures.

In 2020, there were fewer than 45,000 suicides, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That was the lowest number since 2015, the AP reported.

Along with increased availability of telehealth services and other efforts to reduce suicides, another factor may help explain last year’s large drop in the suicide rate, according to Christine Moutier, chief medical officer of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

“There’s a heroism phase in every disaster period, where we’re banding together and expressing lots of messages of support that we’re in this together,” Moutier told the AP. “You saw that, at least in the early months of the pandemic.”

But while suicides overall decreased last year, it’s possible that suicides by youths and young adults did not, Moutier added.

She noted there may be a delayed effect on the mental health of many people, as they get past the pandemic’s initial threats but sink into grieving the people and things they have lost.

“There’s sort of an evolution of mental health distress,” she told the AP. “It’s possible we will see the whole mental health ramifications of this pandemic” later.

New medical director at Hospice & Palliative Care Buffalo talks about new position, challenges and what it takes to be a doctor treating end-of-life patients Q: You recently became the head of your facility.

A: I’m the medical director of Hospice Buffalo as of January of this year.

Q: What path led you to that position?

A: I’ve been at Hospice Buffalo for about 11-and-a-half years. Initially I was a part-time physician, but I’ve been full-time for quite a while.

I’ve been an attending physician in our inpatient unit. I have, over the years, done palliative care consults in hospitals and a little bit of home care. So I’ve been here for awhile and been involved in a lot of the different patient care areas and also in the education efforts and research.

Q: Did you seek out a leadership role?

A: It was offered to me. The previous medical director was cutting back on her hours and stepping away from the position. Over the last year I’d become very involved in our COVID policies and infection control.

I’ve been working closely with several members of our leadership team.

They approached me to see if I’d be interested in assuming the medical director position and I was.

Q: What challenges were there jumping into this role while under pressures from COVID-19?

A: There’ve been ongoing issues with everything related to COVID whether it’s been trying to get adequate PPE [personal protective equipment], making sure our policies regarding patient care and staff are in line with the CDC and state of New York policies, which are constantly changing. So there have been a lot of efforts there. We’re also continuously updating our formal infection control policies to match new information as it comes out.

Q: Given how vulnerable hospice and palliative care patients are, what special considerations have they needed during this time?

A: Our patients are very medically compromised.

Nearly all of them are at a high risk of suffering complica-

Page 4 • IN GOOD HEALTH – Buffalo & WNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • May 2021

tions from COVID or the flu or any other illness. We’ve erred on the side of being conservative with the use of PPE as well as policies regarding staff quarantining and isolating even when there isn’t a positive test but there’s a strong suspicion someone might have COVID or COVID-like symptoms. We try to be very, very careful to limit exposure for patients and their family members since the family members may in many cases be elderly or medically compromised as well.

Q: My impression in recent years is that there’s been a push toward a focus on quality of life over quantity of life when it comes to end-of-life care. How do you keep that mission in mind during a crisis like COVID-19, which is having an extremely negative effect on many people’s quality of life?

A: That’s been a challenge as well. We’ve never had to completely limit visits the way they have in nursing homes. We’ve been able to allow visiting, but we’ve had a decrease in number of visitors at a time and in visiting hours. We feel it’s so vitally important for patients and family to have time together. We’ve worked very hard to keep that going in a safe way for patients, family and our staff. We have also at times been the place where families have been reunited with their loved ones after a prolonged hospitalization or a nursing home stay. Our interdisciplinary provides a lot of psycho-social support for patients and their families, because it’s been very difficult for everyone over the past year—just the isolation for the patients and lack of access for the families.

We also have a bereavement team that remains in contact with families for up to 13 months after their loved one passes, so we provide support there.

We also have social

workers, chaplains and expressive therapies department that provide support for patients and their families.

Q: Do these policies differ between the hospice and palliative care side of things?

A: In terms of COVID? No. In a lot of ways the patients are similar or have similar medical issues. The main difference between hospice and palliative care is often whether the patients are still pursuing aggressive care. But they may still be elderly or have advanced illness in palliative as well. So we have applied the same policies to both sides of our operations here.

Q: What kind of impact do you want to have as medical director?

A: As always we want to provide the best possible care for our patients and support for their families.

I’m trying to work hard to maintain the communication between all of our departments. I hope that I’m approachable and able to respond to any concerns anyone has. We’re working hard to support our staff because it’s been a very challenging year. We’re sort of in a continual process of hiring. So we’re continuing to try to fill vacancies and allocate staff to where they’re needed most.

Q: Are you still practicing?

A: I am still one of the attending physicians in the inpatient unit, so I see patients in the inpatient unit every day in addition to the more administrative parts of my job. I’m also heavily involved in our education activities. To me that’s a very important part of my job, providing education to other medical professionals.

Q: How would you pitch hospice and palliative care to a prospective physician?

A: It takes the right kind of person, the right kind of personality.

You have to be suited to it. I often explain palliative care and hospice care as being a different viewpoint.

We’re practicing the same medicine, using the same medications, treating the same diseases and disease processes. We’re looking at the patient, their goals, their symptoms and their quality of life. I’m not treating an illness or strictly following guidelines because they no longer really apply when someone is in their last months of life. This is a specialty where we spend a lot of time with the families of patients as well as the patients themselves. So it requires someone who enjoys the communication aspects of medicine. It’s a very rewarding specialty and one that I think more medical students are becoming aware of even though there isn’t a lot of training for it in medical school.

It’s usually something they encounter afterwards.

Lifelines Name: Debra Luczkiewicz, M.D. Position: Medical director at Hospice & Palliative Care Buffalo Hometown: St. Louis, Missouri.

Education: SUNY Buffalo School of Medicine Affiliations: Hospice & Palliative Care Buffalo Organizations: American Academy of Family Practice; Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine Family: Husband (Ken), two children Hobbies: Sourdough baking; reading; gardening

ALZHEIMER'S Q & A: THE GREEN MEMORY STUDY TARGETING THE GUT TO TREAT THE BRAIN Brought to you by:

Dr. Kinga Szigeti, md, phd, ubmd neurology

date: tuesday, june 8, 2021 time: 11am et rsvp: https://alzheimersgreenmemory.eventbrite.com 14000-gvm-015 ver11aug20

May 2021 • IN GOOD HEALTH – Buffalo & WNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • Page 5

FDA Approves First AI Tool to Boost Colonoscopy Accuracy

T

he first device that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to help detect possible signs of colon cancer during colonoscopy has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The GI Genius uses AI-based machine learning to help identify lesions such as polyps or suspected tumors in real time during a colonoscopy, according to the agency.

“Artificial intelligence has the potential to transform health care to better assist health care providers and improve patient care. When AI is combined with traditional screenings or surveillance methods, it could help find problems early on, when they may be easier to treat,” said Courtney Lias, acting director of the GastroRenal, ObGyn, General Hospital and Urology Devices Office

in the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health.

She noted that studies show missed lesions during colon cancer screenings can be a problem even for well-trained clinicians.

“With the FDA’s authorization of this device, clinicians now have a tool that could help improve their ability to detect gastrointestinal lesions they may have missed otherwise,” she added in an agency news release.

The FDA’s recent approval of the device is based on an Italian study that included 700 people between the ages of 40 and 80 who had colonoscopies with or without the use of GI Genius.

Colonoscopy plus GI Genius identified lab-confirmed adenomas or carcinomas in 55.1% of patients, compared to 42% with standard

colonoscopy, according to the FDA. The device includes hardware and software that highlights areas of the colon where a potential lesion is detected. During a colonoscopy, the software uses AI algorithm techniques to identify areas that may require further assessment, including closer visual inspection, tissue sampling, testing or removal, or ablation (burning) of the lesion.

The GI Genius is compatible with many standard video endoscopy systems.

Colon cancer is the third-leading cause of cancer death in the United

States, according to the National Institutes of Health. Colon cancer usually starts from polyps or other precancerous growths.

Colonoscopies are performed as part of a colon cancer screening plan to detect changes or abnormalities in the lining of the colon and rectum.

Healthcare in a Minute

By George W. Chapman

Shortage of Mental Health Professions to Worsen

T

he pandemic has served to highlight and exacerbate the ongoing crisis in mental access and delivery in the US. Historically, mental health has been the underappreciated and underfunded stepchild of both government and private insurers. To make matters worse, people are often uncomfortable talking about mental health issues with their families, let alone providers.

There has always been a stigma attached to mental health. Consequently, many mental health professionals have either left the field altogether or dropped out of participating in insurance plans, causing patients to foot 100% of the bill.

It is projected that in just four years, 2025, there will be a nationwide shortage of 15,000 psychiatrists and 27,000 other providers like psychologists, counselors, therapists

and nurses. Anyone who has recently tried to find a mental health provider for themselves or a family member, knows firsthand how frustrating and bad it is. Experts in the field believe access can be improved with increased funding of mental health, (it has improved lately due to the scarcity of providers versus an epiphany) and the effective integration of digital apps into clinical practice. Personalized digital programs complement easier access to and support from “telecounseling.”

Care can be accessed when needed versus a prearranged appointment. (Most patients do not see their provider in person.) Behavioral issues such as anxiety, stress, PTSD, depression, panic disorders, family marriage, grief, eating disorders, substance abuse and ADHD can effectively be treated with the digital telecounseling model.

Employers Taking Charge

of in-person and virtual providers, urgent care, home care and specialty clinics. So far, the employer-sponsored Firefly digital networks have reduced expensive and unnecessary ER visits by an average of 52% and lowered overall costs by 30%.

Four-year-old Firefly intends to expand outside current markets in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Maine.

Recognizing and understanding employers' frustration with rising premiums and employee indifference to healthy lifestyles and habits, companies are rushing in to provide solutions. Upstart company Firefly Health recently raised $40 million from investors to start a new model health plan for employers looking to lower costs AND improve employee attitudes towards their health. The plan rewards employees for smart lifestyle and provider choices, which in turn saves money for everyone involved in the new digital network.

Firefly is betting most employees are not necessarily loyal to their current providers and will be willing to enroll in a plan that improves their health while delivering significant out-of-pocket savings. Each member is assigned to a care team consisting

Outpatient Surgery Growing

In 2020, hospitals were forced to postpone elective surgery due to the pandemic. While most hospitals suffered significant losses last year, conversely, most insurance companies had very profitable years due to the decline in claims. The pandemic has directly contributed to an outburst in the construction and development of

Page 6 • IN GOOD HEALTH – Buffalo & WNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • May 2021

ambulatory surgery centers by hospitals, insurers and private investors.

The fear of getting COVID-19 in an inpatient center coupled with the fact that outpatient procedures cost far less than inpatient procedures are driving the surge in ASCs. Experts predict ASCs will grow by 8% a year for the foreseeable future. Each year, thanks to technological advances, Medicare adds to the list of procedures that can be performed safely and efficiently as ASCs.

Cyberattacks Up

Healthcare providers can’t catch a break. As if COVID-19 wasn’t bad enough, ransomware attacks are up 45% from last year. Despite investing heavily in cyber security, hospitals and medical practices are preferred targets of criminals because the data they can steal is invaluable. The average attack costs about $8 million after figuring disruption to operations and paying the ransom. It takes about 10-12 months to recover and return to normal operations. The larger the healthcare provider-target, the larger the cost. The University of Vermont Medical Center was attacked last fall. It was costing $1.5 million a day.

UVM predicts an eventual loss of around $64 million when all is said and done. Hackers infected 5,000 interconnected computers and 300 employees were furloughed because of the breach. While there is breach insurance, there are also limits to the liability insurers will pay. The extortionists threaten to completely destroy all files unless the ransom is paid; so, paying the ransom is the lesser of two evils. As more and more attacks occur, breach insurance premiums are understandably surging.

Criminals demand to be paid via cryptocurrency, like bit coin, so the ransom is not traceable. Thirty-two bills have been introduced in Congress to monitor and prevent illegal payments via cryptocurrency and block chain.

Telehealth Satisfaction

A recent survey of 2,000 consumers by a health marketing company revealed a high satisfaction with care received virtually via telehealth. 60% of us have had at least one telehealth encounter this past year versus just 19% of us in March 2020. 66% of the survey respondents said they had doubts about telehealth before the pandemic. But since the pandemic, 88% are very satisfied and prefer telehealth for non-urgent care. The top advantages of telehealth expressed by the respondents were: no commute or parking hassles 41%; increased access and communication 85%; and lower cost 31%. 74% believe telehealth is the new norm for non-urgent care and a surprising 64% are OK with parts of a physical being done virtually. Experts predict telehealth will continue to grow 21% annually.

NY Excelsior Passport

New York is the first state to develop a digital vaccine passport.

It can be used for entry into major sporting events or privately owned venues and businesses looking to be 100% open while protecting both staff and patrons. Madison Square Garden will require the passport.

It is based on IBM’s digital health pass platform. It does not contain any underlying medical or personal information. It is a smart phone wallet app with a QR code similar to an airplane boarding pass. It can also be printed out.

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

Thank you, Spectrum Health Nurses, for your tireless efforts and your dedication.

You’re the heart of Spectrum Health.

Our nurses at Spectrum Health & Human Services provide unwavering care for individuals in some of life’s most difficult situations.

They are a shining example of what it is to work as a cohesive team, always willing to go above and beyond for one another and the clients they serve.

About 40,000 U.S. Children Have Lost a Parent to COVID-19

M

ore than 40,000 U.S. kids have lost a parent to COVID-19 and the longterm impacts could be severe, experts warn.

Americans under age 65 account for about one in five COVID-19 deaths. Of those, as many as 15% involve someone in their 40s and 3% someone in their 40s.

“In these younger age groups, substantial numbers of people have children, for whom the loss of a parent is a potentially devastating challenge,” said Ashton Verdery, an associate professor of sociology, demography and social data analytics at Penn State University.

Using a statistical model to estimate how many kids have lost a parent to COVID-19 since February of last year, researchers say three-quarters are in their teens and the rest are elementary school-aged youngsters.

This reality is more dire for Black families, who have been especially hard hit by the pandemic, researchers said. Of those who lost a parent, an estimated 20% are Black children, even though only 14% of the nation’s kids are Black.

The study estimates that deaths due to COVID-19 will boost the nation’s total cases of parental bereavement by 18% to 20% over a more typical year — straining a system that already fails to connect all kids who are eligible to needed resources.

In comparison, the number of kids who lost a parent to COVID-19 is about 13 times the estimated 3,000 kids who lost a parent in the World Trade Center attacks.

Verdery said kids who have lost parents in the pandemic are at higher risk for traumatic pro-

longed grief and depression, lower educational attainment, economic insecurity and accidental death or suicide.

And the COVID-19 losses come at a time when kids may be facing other pandemic challenges, including social isolation and economic struggles. This may strain their access to support services at a time when they also are less connected to other family and community supports.

“Teachers are such a vital resource in terms of identifying and helping at-risk children,” Verdery said in a university news release, noting that this is one reason it is important for schools to resume in-person instruction as soon as it is safe to do so and provide support for overburdened educators.

Research suggests proven interventions delivered widely could help head off severe psychological problems in bereaved kids, although some may need longer-term support, the authors said.

“I think the first thing we need to do is to proactively connect all children to the available supports they are entitled to, like Social Security child survivor benefits—research shows only about half of eligible children are connected to these programs in normal circumstances, but that those who do fare much better,” Verdery said. “We should also consider expanding eligibility to these resources. Second, a national effort to identify and provide counseling and related resources to all children who lose a parent is vital.”

The findings appear in the April 5 issue of JAMA Pediatrics.

We are looking for qualified individuals to join this team. Visit our website to apply today!

SHSWNY.ORG/CAREERS

Thank you to all of our dedicated staff.

We appreciate you!

3333 Elmwood Avenue Kenmore NY 14217 Tel: 716.874.1566 SchofieldCare.org

HOSPICE & PALLIATIVE CARE BUFFALO

Celebrating All Nurses

THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU ARE. We recognizeYOU your significant contributions THANK FOR ALL THAT YOU and tireless commitment. You truly care We recognize your significant contributions about your patients and it shows. and tireless commitment. You truly care You mean worldand to us. about yourthe patients it shows.

ARE.

You mean the world to us.

(716) 686-8000

HospiceBuffalo.com

SERVING WESTERN NEW YORK 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. © 2021 by Local News, Inc. All rights reserved.

3380 Sheridan Dr., #251 • P.O. Box 550, Amherst, NY 14226 Phone: 716-332-0640 • Fax: 716-332-0779 • Email: editor@bfohealth.com Editor & Publisher: Wagner Dotto • Writers: Deborah J. Sergeant, Jim Miller, Gwenn Voelckers, Anne Palumbo, Chris Motola, George W. Chapman, Michael J. Billoni, Jenna Schifferle, Julie Halm, Jana Eisenberg, Ernst Lamothe Jr., Catherine Miller Advertising: Anne Westcott, Amy Gagliano • Layout & Design: Joey Sweener Office Manager: Nancy Nitz 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.

Locally focused!

Available everywhere!

For advertising information: editor@BFOhealth.com May 2021 • IN GOOD HEALTH – Buffalo & WNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • Page 7

Live Alone & Thrive

By Gwenn Voelckers

Practical tips, advice and hope for those who live alone

Spring Cleaning: Make the Most of ‘Letting Go’

A

re you convinced you’ll never find love again? Or, do you regret the way you behaved in your marriage? Still angry at your ex? Or yourself?

Holding on to past hurts, slights, negative thinking or lost opportunities can compromise your sense of well-being and ability to be alone and content.

Whether it’s emotional baggage or tangible reminders that keep you from moving forward, I encourage you to do some “spring cleaning” in favor of a fresh start.

Letting go is a beautiful thing. And not just for those who live alone. Letting go of old ways of thinking, of a poor self-image, or of destructive thoughts or behaviors can free you up to embrace life’s blessings and the possibility of feeling whole and complete on your own.

I discovered the power of letting go quite by accident. It was after I purchased my country cottage, which sits on a bucolic piece of rural land.

One of my first home-improvement projects was to carve out a fire pit in my backyard. I’ve always loved a bonfire: the warm glow it casts on the faces of those gathered around it, the earthy scent of burning logs, the flames that invite inspection . . . and,

importantly, introspection.

Little did I know that when I built my fire pit that it would also become the ceremonial dumping ground for my “old baggage,” those painful ruminations, beliefs and feelings that were holding me back and keeping my life small.

I remember one evening in particular. I’d been holding on to my old Day-Timers, those large, leather-bound calendar/ planners that were popular before everything went digital. In my Day-Timers, I made calendar entries that captured the good, the bad, and the ugly over the course of what turned out to be a dismal and highly disappointing decade.

Why I hung onto these Day-Timers I’ll never know. Maybe out of misplaced sentimentality. But this I do know: Whenever I looked at that stack of 12 volumes stashed away in my closet, I would wince inside.

But then I decided, no more.

Years ago, on an early spring evening, I held my very first letting-go ceremony. I grabbed my Day-Timers, made my way to the fire pit and built a bonfire. There I sat with my memories (and glass of wine) while I slowly, deliberately leafed through each leather-bound year of my life,

“Whether it’s emotional baggage or tangible reminders that keep you from moving forward, I encourage you to do some 'spring cleaning' in favor of a fresh start.” before tossing it on the hot embers.

It was a moving experience. Sad at times. But mostly, I began to feel lighter, freer. And I felt something I didn’t expect: a sense of peace and self-satisfaction for having taken control and done something good for myself.

That evening set the stage for many letting-go ceremonies to come.

I look forward to them and the release of the pent-up, negative energy they promise.

Might you consider holding a letting-go ceremony of your own?

Here are some tips: • First: Identity what is holding you back or keeping you stuck. Be honest. Ask yourself what negative beliefs or thoughts are getting in the way of your ability to feel hopeful and enthusiastic about yourself and your future.

What do you need to release to move forward? Resentment toward something or someone? Regret over a past mistake? Guilt? A negative self-image? An addiction or bad habit? Or a deep sadness?

• Second: Identify something tangible (as I did with my Day-Timers) that conjures up painful or disappointing memories. This

negative “something” a photograph, gift, letter or other reminder can be powerful. Even if it’s out of sight, you know it’s there and just having it in your possession may keep you tethered to a painful past.

If nothing tangible comes to mind, try describing your negative belief or thought in a “Letter to Self.”

Put it down on paper and get it out of your system.

• Third: Hold your own letting-go ceremony, in whatever style or fashion that suits you. I like the bonfire option, but you may prefer another method. Tying your Letter to Self to a stone and throwing it into a lake may be more fitting and cathartic. Or perhaps you’ll prefer to bury your anger in your backyard.

You decide. On your own or in the company of friends or family, symbolically let go of what’s holding you back and keeping you stuck.

Doing so may help liberate the hope, passion and power residing deep inside you. It can be a meaningful step toward peace and independence.

Needless to say, letting-go ceremonies aren’t a cure-all. Believe me; my long-held feelings about my difficult decade didn’t magically dissipate with the burning of my Day-Timers. But I did feel better and more empowered afterwards.

I could go on and on, but you’ll need to excuse me. It’s a beautiful spring evening. I have a bonfire to build and some baggage to burn.

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 Voelckers to speak, visit www.aloneandcontent.com

FDA Approves First New Children’s ADHD Drug in 10 Years

T

he first new drug developed in over a decade for children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Qelbree, also known as viloxazine, comes in a capsule that is taken daily, and is not a stimulant. This makes it harder to abuse than older ADHD drugs, nearly all of which contain the stimulants amphetamine or methylphenidate.

Experts say the drug may appeal to parents who don’t want to give their child stimulants.

It also could be an option for kids who already have substance abuse problems, dislike the side effects of stimulants or need additional therapy, physician David Goodman told the Associated Press. He’s an

assistant professor of psychiatry at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore.

Goodman said most ADHD patients are prescribed long-acting stimulants, which are harder to abuse to get a high than the original, fast-acting versions of these drugs.

Developed by Supernus Pharmaceuticals of Rockville, Maryland, Qelbree carries a warning about the potential for suicidal thoughts and behavior, which occurred in fewer than 1% of volunteers in studies of the drug, the AP said.

Supernus wouldn’t disclose the drug’s list price, but it’s sure to be higher than the many cheap generic ADHD pills on the market today, the AP said.

ADHD affects about 6 million American children and adolescents,

Page 8 • IN GOOD HEALTH – Buffalo & WNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • May 2021

according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For many, problems include trouble paying attention and completing tasks, fidgeting and impulsiveness.

In a late-stage study funded by Supernus, 477 children aged 6 to 11 took the drug for six weeks. Inattention and hyperactivity symptoms were reduced by about 50% compared to the placebo group, the AP reported. Qelbree helped reduce symptoms in some study volunteers within a week. Common side effects included sleepiness, lethar-

gy, decreased appetite and headache.

Supernus is in late-stage testing of Qelbree for adults with ADHD, the AP said. It’s in a much smaller group than children, but that market is growing because few adults currently take ADHD medicines.

Viloxazine was sold as an antidepressant in Europe for several decades, but was never approved by the FDA, the AP reported. The maker ended sales for business reasons nearly two decades ago, as popular pills such as Zoloft and Prozac came to dominate the market.

New Buffalo TV Series to Employ Youth with Autism

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

B

ecoming employed as a person with autism is not easy compared with most neurotypical people.

That is why Rock Autism, SonMax Entertainment and Villa Maria College are developing Setlist, a TV series shot in Buffalo about the truelife experiences of Sonny Muscato, a drummer with autism making a life in the music industry with his guitarist brother, Max and their father, Marc.

A setlist is the performance plan for a band—the songs they will play in order and when they will take breaks and address the audience.

The TV show uses the term “setlist” as a metaphor for life. Parents may have a perceived “setlist” for their children; however, autism may change their plans remarkably. That has certainly proven true for the Muscato family, who is producing the show. Through Setlist, Max and

Sonny Mustcato hope to depict how autism affects their family dynamic and the challenge of making it in the music industry. Max is also the founder of Rock Autism, Inc. and SonMax Entertainment.

A nonprofit, Rock Autism offers music and film workshops for teens and young adults with autism.

Finding meaningful employment is difficult for people with autism because “the workplace has not properly prepared to interview them,” said Alea Conte, executive director of Rock Autism, Inc. “They don’t have the proper interviewing style. Just asking them to do a task will show they can perform the task. Asking them to perform in an interview— they oftentimes cannot. Sometimes, some kids who have self-confidence or self-visualization issues aren’t prepared. It goes both ways.”

Setlist is about more than raising autism awareness. The filming will offer youth with autism opportunities to learn about film production,

Sonny Muscato plays drums with Emily Styn in the background and Max Muscato playing guitar at the Rock Autism Music Festival. technology, and interpersonal skills.

“We wish to grow Rock Autism music and film workshops to creatively strengthen the mental health of the local autism community while connecting them to professionals in the Buffalo film industry,” Conte said.

The Mustcatos have three 27-minute episodes written and hope to create five more for the first season. The episodes will include six main characters, plus extras. They plan to release the first on YouTube to build the show’s following and eventually pitch it to the entertainment industry.

New Leader of Roswell Park’s Spiritual Care Team Brings Inclusion, Welcomes All

By Jana Eisenberg

W

ith all that Rev. Melody Rutherford brings to the table, it’s no wonder that Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center selected her as best-suited to be its next director of spiritual care.

In her new role, which she had been filling on an interim basis during a national search, Rutherford now officially oversees the interfaith spiritual care department, which supports Roswell’s commitment to “whole person” or “whole patient” medical and health care. This type of care recognizes that spiritual, emotional, social and psychological care are as important as physical care.

Rutherford is passionately dedicated to helping others.

Possessed of a deep faith, a broad professional background and a nonjudgmental nature, her connections in the community and her leadership skills, both innate and earned, are bolstered by academic training. She is the first Black person to hold the position; this is part of the 123-yearold institution’s “conscientious and proactive efforts to achieve a diverse workforce.”

Her staff includes several administrators and chaplains, and is supplemented by visiting spiritual care providers from an expansive range of faiths and traditions, as well as many volunteers.

Working collaboratively with Roswell’s health care professionals, chaplains provide spiritual care to patients and their families and loved ones, regardless of religious affiliation. Among other programs, prayer and worship services, annual retreats, memorial services, and grief support groups are offered.

Rutherford has assumed this role with grace—a defining tenet for her, along with her abiding belief in love and mercy.

“I grew up as a Christian; I was taught love, honor and forgiveness— respect for God, and for our neighbors,” she said. “Whoever I meet, and wherever I go, I want to do it with love, grace, and mercy.”

“My church emphasized visiting the sick and those who are shut in,” continued Rutherford. “My heart felt it; I wanted to visit those who might be suffering. Earlier on, as a church minister, I was already listening to sick and hurting people; when I learned that ‘chaplaincy’ was a career, it made sense to professionalize it. Spiritual care is part of my life’s destiny.”

Like almost anything she does, she “professionalized” it completely: on top of her other degrees—a bachelor’s and two master’s (one in divinity, and the other in management), she is currently working toward a doctoral degree in ministry. Among her credentials, she is a certified palliative care chaplaincy specialist.

Higher education was encouraged by family; her mother, uncles and other family members are “strong advocates.” “Spiritual workers can benefit from other degrees and training,” she said. “It can help us learn how to collaborate with others to make real and lasting differences. It helps me feel more confident—I can offer more. It’s also important for me to grow and stretch.”

She and her staff are recognized by colleagues for their valuable contributions; physician Amy Case, Roswell Park’s Lee Foundation endowed chairwoman of the Palliative and Supportive Care Department is one of Rutherford’s champions, and a firm believer in the whole patient philosophy.

“The ‘whole person approach’ includes that spiritual piece; what Melody and her team do is to connect

people—especially those who might be approaching the end of life—with what brings them meaning,” said Case.

“If someone says they’re not spiritual or religious, Melody takes the time to ask what brings them joy.

They might love poetry, art, or music.

Patients may want to reconnect with family, or their religion. And linking them with a volunteer or one of Roswell’s many programs might help enrich them and bring purpose,” Case added. “Melody can take it a step further; she’s more like a counselor, offering input to care plan, and helping people move in the direction they need to go with healing.”

Rutherford concurs that making such connections is a crucial part of her job and her mission.

She and her colleagues strive to enter every situation with no agenda except to listen.

“I am honored to serve patients and their family members, or even staff here, who seek help,” said Rutherford. “When we’re welcomed into a person’s life who is suffering, we enter sacred ground. We can advocate, offer a presence…or silence if it’s needed. My aim—and what I encourage chaplains here to do—is to be there. We offer care in a manner that is respectful of everyone’s differences and needs—without losing our own beliefs.”

In addition to her religious and spiritual work at Roswell and her

church, Rutherford is close with family; married for 32 years, she and her husband enjoy their three grown children and five young grandchildren. Rutherford is also active in the community, serving on boards, working with nonprofits to increase diversity and access for underserved populations. She does so, she said, because of her belief in inclusion.

“At the table where ‘the work of life’ gets done, no one’s gift is greater than any other person’s; everyone brings something… but sometimes the invitation doesn’t get to everyone,” she posited. “It is important for me to stand on the bridge and welcome all to the table.”

May 2021 • IN GOOD HEALTH – Buffalo & WNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • Page 9

5 F

Things You Need to Know About Allergies

There are many food allergy myths that need to be dispelled

By Ernst Lamothe Jr.

ood allergies can run the gamut and be quite complex. For some people, even a small amount of allergy-causing food causes a dramatic reaction to their digestive system. Food allergy affects an estimated 6–8 % of children younger than three, according to the Mayo Clinic.

“Food affects our bodies in various ways whether that is lactose intolerance or allergies,” said Allison Freeman, pediatric allergist and immunologist at the University at Buffalo Medical Department and Oishei Children’s Hospital. “However, there are many food allergy myths that also need to be dispelled.”

Here are five things you need to know about food allergies.

1.

Some food allergies can be prevented.

In an effort to help prevent your child from being allergic to specific foods, medical officials said eggs and peanuts are two prime candidates.

The key is introducing both early.

“Historically, many pediatricians believed that you should avoid eggs and peanuts. But, we were proven wrong. Now we suggest introducing both to babies at 4 to 6 months and even earlier if they are at high risk for allergies,” said Freeman, who is also a clinical assistant professor of pediatrics at the University at Buffalo.

Whether that is taking scrambled eggs or a spoonful of watered

down peanut butter, you can mix them with other foods. Babies who have moderate to significant eczema are examples of those who may be at high risk for allergies and can be considered for allergy testing first at age 4 months.

allergies are 2.Food dangerous.

Food allergies are supposed to be taken seriously. Anaphylactic reactions have caused death in many including teens. That is the reason why it’s essential to be prepared with an epipen, used in emergencies to treat very serious allergic reactions to insect stings, bites, foods, drugs or other substances. Epinephrine acts quickly to improve breathing, stimulate the heart, raise a dropping blood pressure, reverse hives, and reduce swelling of the face, lips, and throat.

“We suggest that you become diligent in reading all food labels because there are foods that you wouldn’t think would have certain ingredients that may trigger anaphylactic shocks,” added Freeman.

oral immunotherapy 3.Food is now available Oral immunotherapy involves slowly giving an allergic individual an increasing amount of an allergen.

For example, a person allergic to peanuts may be given very small amounts of peanut protein that would not trigger a reaction. This

small amount is gradually increased in the allergist’s office or a clinical research setting over a period of months. The goal of therapy is to raise the threshold that may trigger a reaction and provide the allergic individual protection against accidental ingestion of the allergen.

“This was one of the therapies I brought to Buffalo and we have seen incredible advances in helping people who are allergic to all nuts, sesame seeds, eggs, wheat, milk and other food options,” said Freeman.

“It’s important that people know that this therapy is not a curative therapy, but it can help prevent extreme reactions if you accidentally have something you are allergic to.”

It doesn’t eliminate 4. you from getting the COVID-19 vaccine

Food allergy is not clearly linked to the very rare anaphylactic reactions to COVID-19 vaccine. That’s the reason why medical officials are educating people on why it doesn’t eliminate them from being vaccinated. In addition, patients with food allergies should still get vaccinated.

“There have been very few cases of anyone having a significant reaction to the vaccine. We can supervise the vaccinated person to see how they react,” said Freeman.

In addition, patients with other drug allergies should still get vaccinated and patients with a history of

Allison Freeman, pediatric allergist and immunologist at the University at Buffalo Medical Department and Oishei Children’s Hospital.

vaccine allergy can consult with an allergist first if they wish.

Food allergy panels on 5. blood or skin testing are not always helpful for screening purposes.

Many times when people feel like they have food allergies they may go to an allergist who performs food panels to gauge what may trigger the reaction. However, experts believe food testing needs to be based on the history of exposure, the age of the patient and the types of foods in the diet already.

“With certain patients, you are not going to find out much. Migraines and headaches can be triggered by food, but those triggers are not found on allergy testing,” said Freeman.

Writer on the Run

By Jenna Schifferle

jenna.schifferle@gmail.com

Challenge for Runners: Motivation

I

n the day-to-day grind of training, motivation reigns. You need huge reserves of motivation to log mileage, recover, cross-train and stretch. Most importantly, you need motivation to take the first step out the door.

You may think it’s easy to stay motivated when you do something a lot, but the truth is that it can be just as difficult to sustain motivation as it is to find it in the first place. This delicate balance of developing and maintaining motivation takes practice. In the end, this balance can be the reason you either reach your goal or fall short.

I’ve been thinking a lot about the value of motivation as I train to run 30 miles. While there days when I instinctively lace up my running shoes and get to it, there are also days when I’m cuddled up with blankets and too cozy to move. Want to take a guess at which situation happens more often? (Hint: it’s not the easy-

breezy route.)

So, how do we go about getting motivated and staying motivated?

It’s a question asked and analyzed by many.

Abraham Maslow explained motivation as either intrinsic (coming from deep within) or extrinsic (coming from something outside yourself). He further pointed to a hierarchy of needs that drives motivation: • Physical: food, water, air, etc.

• Security: shelter, stability, etc.

• Social: a sense of community, connection, etc.

• Ego: recognition, prestige, self-esteem, etc.

• Self-actualization: the need for development and creativity My theory is that if you ask yourself “Why?” enough times, you will eventually uncover one of the needs above. And once you recognize what’s motivating you, you can leverage that reason to stay motivated. Write out your reason in big,

bold letters and hang it somewhere you can see it. When your motivation wanes, reread your reason and recenter yourself.

For me, motivation is a mixed bag. Doing big things like a 30-miler makes me feel good about myself (ego), but it is also a way of connecting with the friends I’ll be running with (community). When I really drill down, though, I realize that my strongest motivator is health. Faced with a family history of diabetes and myriad other health conditions, continuing to move forward as I get older becomes more critical. So, I run.

If you’re someone who struggles with motivation, here are a few tips to get (and stay) motivated: Connect with a community of people who share similar goals. Motivation is contagious.

Schedule time to work toward your goals and stick to it.

Incentivize yourself with a reward for doing what you need to do.

Page 10 • IN GOOD HEALTH – Buffalo & WNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • May 2021

Chocolate works wonders.

Consider what will happen if you don’t do what needs to be done.

Fear of not reaching your goal can be a powerful motivator.

Get started. Once you find motivation in the first place, you can build momentum to keep going.

However you manage your motivation, find your fit and don’t stop until you get it done. Wishing you all the best of luck along the way.

Until the next mile, Jenna

Tinnitus Relief Is Possible There is no known cure, but new technology offers ways to cope with ‘ringing in the ears’

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

O

n March 21, Kent Taylor, the founder and CEO of the Texas Roadhouse restaurant chain, died from suicide at 65.

In a press release his family sent to the Associated Press, Taylor “took his own life” following “a battle with post-COVID related symptoms, including severe tinnitus.”

Tinnitus, also called “ringing in the ears,” is not a disease but usually a symptom of damage to the auditory system. People with tinnitus hear “phantom sounds” such as buzzing, humming, clicking, chirping or, rarely, looped, repetitive music.

For a small minority, the unwanted sounds become extremely bothersome and interrupt sleep and activities of daily living. Scattered anecdotal reports have linked COVID-19 with tinnitus. Shortly before his death, Taylor, a longtime philanthropist, committed to funding research on tinnitus.

COVID-19 has also been linked with depression and anxiety. Left untreated, depression and anxiety raise the risk of suicide. Research printed in a November 2020 issue of Lancet Psychiatry indicates that after reviewing 69.8 million electronic health records, 20% of the 62,000 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 were also diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder such as anxiety, depression or insomnia within three months. Of those, 5.8% were a first-time mental health diagnosis. The study compared people with COVID-19 with patients without COVID-19 during the same period, which means that the illness itself, and not just societal shifts and stress, contributed to the increase in mental health diagnoses.

Regarding the death of Taylor, Lixin Zhang, neurologist and founder of Dent Neurologic Institute in Amherst, said “I was really shocked but not surprised.”

Annually, he treats about 1,500 patients with tinnitus, which he said can be very severe.

Among patients with severe tinnitus, he very often sees tinnitus, hearing loss and anxiety, depression and/or stress concurrent conditions, although other health conditions can

Kent Taylor, the founder and CEO of the Texas Roadhouse restaurant chain, died from suicide at age 65. following “a battle with post-COVID related symptoms, including severe tinnitus. cause tinnitus.

“If you manage the clear underlying factors, like anxiety, stress and depression, their tinnitus will be improving,” Zhang said.

Since tinnitus is in part of the brain that correlates with hearing loss, those with tinnitus usually have hearing loss.

“The brain won’t receive hearing stimulation and becomes hyperactive to compensate for the hearing loss,” Zhang said.

He said that for most patients with tinnitus, wearing a hearing aid to amplify the sounds they miss can help reduce the effects of hearing only the unwanted sounds.

Other causes can include excessive earwax, trauma, certain medications, temporomandibular joint (TMJ) issues, blood flow issues, psychiatric disorders, tumors, vestibular issues such as dizziness or vertigo and autoimmune diseases. Diet, stress, alcohol and caffeine can worsen tinnitus.

Though it has no cure, interventions can mitigate its effect.

Of the more than 45 million Americans with tinnitus, only 4% say that it significantly interferes with

their activities of daily living such as sleep and work.

No medication currently exists to treat tinnitus; however, Zhang is leading early research exploring medicine that can interrupt the signal from the ear to the brain.

“A lot of the treatment involves covering the tinnitus with a noise that’s more pleasant,” said Salvatore Gruttadauria, doctor of audiology with Diversified Hearing and Balance Centers in Buffalo, Kenmore, Elma, Hamburg, Lockport, Niagara Falls, Warsaw, Williamsville and Westfield. “If they listen to music or are in meetings all day, they don’t focus on the tinnitus.”

Much like people who eventually become used to the different sound of a new refrigerator, many people with tinnitus can learn to not pay attention to the phantom sounds. But it is more challenging for hearing than other senses to develop tolerance.

Gruttadauria said that people who have no hearing loss can wear devices that look like hearing aids, but instead of amplifying, they mask the tinnitus sounds.

“Most Jill Bernstein people can be helped,” he added. “It’s not something that should be ignored. You want to make sure it’s not an indicator of something more serious. There is help.”

Jill Bernstein, doctor of audiology and assistant director of Hearing Evaluation Services of Buffalo in Amherst, said that by offering local resources as needed, such as professionals to address psychological issues, tinnitus experts can fully address the more severe cases of tinnitus.

“We have questionnaires that are standardized across the US about how bothered they are by their tinnitus,” Bernstein said. “Depending on those answers, we might make a referral to therapy.”

As part of how they address tinnitus, her office uses relaxation strategies and a variety of mechanism like apps. A large part of what Hearing Evaluation Services does is educating patients. Since stress and anxiety can worsen symptoms, Bernstein said that it is important to educate patients so they feel empow-

ered by their knowledge.

“Helping them understand it can reduce the stress and anxiety to reduce their symptoms,” she said. “They can habituate to the tinnitus.

Habituation is our goal. It means they’ve gotten used to it and it’s not Christina Stocking bothersome.”

Christina Stocking, doctor of audiology with UB’s Speech Language Hearing Clinic, also said that gaining more information decreases patient stress.

“The first thing we do for all our patients is informational counseling so they understand what’s happening and what’s causing it and take away the fears people have,” Stocking said. “They often think they’re going deaf or losing their mind or that it’ll get worse and worse. We give them hope it can get better and get managed.”

A growing body of evidence indicates that mental health initiatives such as cognitive behavioral therapy, tinnitus retraining therapy and practicing mindfulness and meditation can help manage the response to tinnitus.

“If you change how you think about it, you can change the effect it has on your life,” Stocking said.

She encourages patients to resist searching the internet for information, unless they view the sites of reputable health organizations. They should seek a medical professional specializing in tinnitus for information and treatment.

“Oftentimes, patients go to their doctor and they do an exam and say that nothing’s wrong and to just learn to live with it,” Stocking said.

“It’s easier said than done. Telling someone to ignore it or to learn to use strategies are two different things.”

For more information from American Tinnitus Association (www.ata.org), Hearing Loss Association of America (www.hearingloss.org), American Speech and Hearing Association (www.asha. org), American Academy of Audiology (www.audiology.org) and the National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (www.nidcd.nih.gov).

Re-focusing on Getting Fit? Heart Experts Offer These Tips

W

ant to get rid of all that weight you put on during the pandemic?

To help out, the American Heart Association (AHA) is launching an initiative called Move More.

One in four U.S. adults is sitting for longer than eight hours each day, which can harm one’s mental and physical health, according to the AHA. “For too many of us, our daily routines have become more sedentary over the past year due to the pandemic, making it even more important to find ways to increase

physical activity in our day,” said physician Eduardo Sanchez, the AHA’s chief medical officer for prevention.

“Any movement is better than no movement, and more is better. Even small breaks of activity throughout the day will benefit health and reduce stress,” Sanchez said in an AHA news release.

The association outlines ways to get more active: • To avoid long stretches of inactivity, set reminders to move around for five minutes multiple times a day.

• Find more ways to get off the couch. For example, take a walk

around the house or do a few pushups between episodes of a TV show.

If you have a pet, take breaks to play or go for a walk outside. Active chores such as vacuuming and tidying up clutter also help.

• Reduce screen time. Schedule a time each day for the whole family to unplug and take an activity break. Take a walk, play a game of hide-and-seek inside, or put on your favorite music for a dance party.

• Move more while working at home. Try to reduce meetings by five minutes when possible and use that time to do basic strength exercises like squats or crunches, move

to different part of your home to do stretches, or stand every time you create or answer an e-mail.

• Find types of exercise you enjoy and that fit your schedule.

The AHA recommends that adults get at least 150 minutes a week of moderate intensity aerobic activity such as brisk walking or gardening, or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity aerobic activity such as running or aerobic dancing, or a combination of both intensity-level activities.

It also recommends two days of moderate-to high-intensity muscle strengthening activity weekly, such as resistance training.

May 2021 • IN GOOD HEALTH – Buffalo & WNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • Page 11

SmartBites

The skinny on healthy eating Why You Should Eat More Asparagus

A

sparagus is known for making urine smell funny. But that’s not why you should eat more asparagus. You should eat more asparagus because it’s packed with nutrients that support good health and longevity.

Asparagus is a vitamin K superstar, providing well over half of our daily needs in one cooked cup. While vitamin K is crucial for coagulation, it’s just as important for bone health because it helps our body absorb calcium. Some studies suggest that vitamin K may even keep osteoporosis at bay. Along with vitamin K, asparagus contains a variety of minerals, in lesser amounts, that also support bone health: iron, potassium, phosphorous, zinc, and magnesium.

This slender-but-mighty vegetable is an excellent source of folate, also known as vitamin B-9. An essential nutrient that plays a central role in cell growth and the formation of DNA, folate is especially important at times of rapid growth, such as during gestation, infancy, and adolescence. Getting enough folate from sources like asparagus can protect against neural tube birth defects, including spina bifida.

Of course, adults benefit from folate, too, and in more ways than one.

Because it helps to lower homocysteine, an amino acid that, when elevated, has been linked to narrowing and hardening of the arteries, it may reduce the risk of heart disease and

stroke. Folate’s impact on homocysteine levels may also lower the risk of depression, since too much of this amino acid may interfere with the production of the feel-good hormones that regulate mood.

Another great reason to reach for asparagus? It may help you lose weight and beat bloat. Low in calories (only 20 per half cup), high in water, and rich in fiber, tasty asparagus has many features that make it a weight-loss friendly food. It beats bloat because it’s a natural diuretic and its fiber promotes regularity and healthy digestion.

Sauteed Asparagus and White Bean Salad Serves 4

Salad

3 cups asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 1½ lb.)

15 oz. can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed 2 teaspoons canola oil 5-6 thinly sliced radishes ½ cup crumbled feta or goat cheese 1 medium shallot, peeled and thinly sliced

Dressing

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt ⅛ teaspoon coarse black pepper In a large sauté pan, heat canola oil over medium-high heat. Add asparagus pieces and sauté for 5-6 minutes, stirring throughout. Remove from heat and transfer to plate for cooling.

Combine cooled asparagus, beans, sliced radishes, crumbled cheese, and sliced shallot in a medium bowl. Whisk together dressing ingredients and pour over asparagus mixture, tossing gently to coat. Adjust seasonings and serve.

Helpful tips Select spears that are firm with compact tips and a rich green color almost the entire length of the stalk. Steer clear of stalks that are limp, wilted, or have a smell. Thinner stalks tend to be tougher than thicker ones.

Best used on day purchased, but if you need to store, wrap the stem ends in a damp paper towel, place in a plastic bag, and store in the refrigerator for up to four days. Don’t wash the spears until you’re ready to use; and try not to overcook them, as overcooking may diminish some nutrients.

Anne Palumbo is a lifestyle columnist,

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

5 Foods That Cut Colon Cancer Risk

W

hen it comes to guarding against colon cancer, what you eat is everything.

You can reduce your risk of colon cancer by eating five food types, an expert says. These include: vegetables; whole grains; legumes; nuts and seeds; and fiber-rich fruit.

“Vegetables contain cancer-preventing nutrients called carotenoids and flavonoids,” said Amy Rosenfeld, program coordinator of community health, education and outreach and a registered dietitian at the Center for Healthy Living at Northern Westchester Hospital, in Mount Kisco.

“Vegetables are high in fiber, bulking your stool and limiting the amount of time waste spends in your colon, reducing your risk for colorectal cancers,” she added.

At every meal, you should try to cover half your plate with colorful vegetables, and that can include frozen vegetables, which are affordable and ready to eat, Rosenfeld said.

Whole grain foods have high levels of fiber. When shopping for bread and cereal products, select those that list whole grain ingredients first.

“Try replacing white grains — like white rice — with whole grains or mixing the two together. Eating three servings, or about three ounces of whole grains a day, will not only increase fiber, but also B vitamins and important minerals, such as iron, zinc, copper and magnesium,” Rosenfeld said.

Examples of whole grain products include whole wheat bread, barley, oats, quinoa, buckwheat, corn, brown rice and wild rice.

Legumes have lots of fiber and help keep your digestive tract healthy. “By regularly eating beans and lentils, you lower your risk for cancerous colon polyps (small growths)," Rosenfeld said. "Try substituting beans or lentils for meat twice a week or reducing meat in your recipes and add in legumes."

Put navy beans, chickpeas, fava beans, kidney beans, lentils, lima beans, black beans and cannellini beans on your grocery list, she suggested.

The next category is nuts and seeds, which “are the perfect foods,” according to Rosenfeld. “Their fiber, healthy fat, phytochemicals, and

antioxidants all have cancer-fighting properties. Try snacking on nuts or seeds instead of chips or pretzels.

Natural nut and seed butters make a great dip for your favorite fruit. Mix in ground flax seeds or chia seeds into oatmeal.”

It’s also important include fresh or frozen fiber-rich fruit in your diet, she said in a hospital news release.

“Eat the rainbow when it comes

Page 12 • IN GOOD HEALTH – Buffalo & WNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • May 2021

to fruits,” Rosenfeld recommended.

“Try to eat one to two cups of fruit each day and mix up the colors. Each color fruit has a unique combination of nutrients with cancer-fighting properties. Fruit also has fiber, vitamins and minerals, and its natural sweetness helps you resist refined sugary treats without nutritional benefits.”

A hibiscus grows in the front yard of Nancy Kalieta’s home.

Gardening Can Help People Bloom, Too Watching something grow that you started can give you a sense of satisfaction

By Julie Halm

T

he world has finally come alive with color and every shade of green again in Western New York, and for many, that is a signal it is time to get out to their gardens.

Gardening has many notable health benefits. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, gardening is considered a moderate intensity level activity and can help a person reach the recommended 2.5 hours of weekly physical activity of that level.

According to the CDC, reaching that goal each week can reduce the risk for obesity, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, heart disease, stroke, depression, colon cancer and premature death. Not only that, but those who choose gardening as a moderate intensity activity are more likely to exercise between 40 and 50 minutes longer on average than those who choose more traditional workout methods, such as taking a walk or a bicycle ride.

It likely would not come as a surprise to most that getting your body moving and being out in the fresh air can have positive impacts.

But, according to gardeners in the Western New York area, the mental and emotional upsides can be just as immense, if not greater.

Paula Gober is the president of the Hamburg Garden Club, which is a member of the Federated Garden Clubs of New York State Eighth District. She joined the club in 2017 and has held her current title since 2019.

The club itself was formed nearly 100 years ago, in 1924, and became federated in 1951.

The club’s membership is large, fluctuating between numbers in the 50s and 60s and that group of people not only shares a love of all that grows, but a mission as well.

“What we do is we kind of support each other in learning about horticulture and how we can use that to beautify the homes in the commu-

Members of the Hamburg Garden Club gathered flowers from their own gardens and put together floral arrangements for the Hamburg High School graduation, a project they undertake annually. nity,” she said.

The group volunteers time to help out in the village, including working with the library and youth programming, where they not only beautify, but educate. The act of constantly learning within the group as well as educating others, Gober said, is a kind of mental exercise which benefits one’s mind, in addition to the physical benefits of gardening.

Nancy Kalieta has been a gardener all of her adult life and is the director of District Eight of the Federated Garden Clubs of New York State. She was a teacher for 33 years and although she gardened in the summers, she said she did not join a club for a long time and had to learn many lessons about horticulture the hard way. She joined a garden club about 15 years ago and rapidly moved up the leadership ladder to the position she now holds.

She said the benefits of gardening certainly can be physical.

“If you put your hands in the soil, your blood pressure drops,” she said. “You’re bending, you’re lifting.”

But much like Gober, Kalieta said that gardening can improve many aspects of a person’s well-being.

“The biggest benefits are mental and emotional,” she said. “The joy of watching something grow that you started, you get a sense of satisfaction.”

She also gives lectures to help people grow their knowledge of the craft. She often taught in-person before the pandemic, but now passes her wisdom along via video conferences. She said that is an important aspect of being in a garden club.

Both women also said that gardening, specifically within a club, is an emotional boost as well because of the friendships one can forge.

Depending on which club one was to look at, members are often retired.

Both Kalieta and Gober said that the organizations give people the opportunity to make new friends and form new connections.

“Garden club people are very nurturing,” said Kalieta. “They’re kind people, because if you nurture plants, you’re going to nurture peo-

ple as well… They care about things like the environment, their plants and their gardens, when they’re growing vegetables, sharing what they have.”

“You need to be around people,” said Gober. “It’s uplifting to be around people and hear different stories.”

And gardening and garden clubs don’t just improve an individual’s health, but the community’s as well.

Many clubs, according to both women, participate in many community-minded and philanthropic endeavors. That includes going to nursing homes and working with residents, gathering supplies for local shelters, volunteering to beautify public spaces, offering activities for the community and donating to charities with a variety of beneficiaries such as water-based efforts in Sudan or helping communities replant trees that have been lost due to things such as natural disasters.

“We’re way more community involved than garden clubs used to be in the past, so it does add up, and again that then goes back to the members themselves, the sense of satisfaction the feeling that you’re making a difference, that you’re helping the community, that you’re helping the world, the environment.

We talk a lot about leaving the world better than we found it for our children, our grandchildren,” said Kalieta.

She also said that her own gardening efforts have brought neighbors to her home to talk about her garden, allowing the chance to meet those in your own community.

For Gober, the act of gardening is something that not only improves a place aesthetically, but improves one’s overall self.

“Aside from making your house beautiful, it makes you beautiful,” she said. “Because you’re happy and healthy.”

May 2021 • IN GOOD HEALTH – Buffalo & WNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • Page 13

Nursing Special

Nursing Shortage Was Already Bad. Then Coronavirus Came

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

W

hile the pandemic has spotlighted the essential and difficult work nurses perform, it has also underscored— and worsened—the nursing shortage.

According to The American Nursing Association, in addition to the 3.9 million nurses in the US, an additional million are needed to become adequately staffed. The Bureau of Labor statistics shows that more than 300,000 additional nursing jobs will be added to the market by 2028, making nursing the third fastest growing career for adding new openings.

All these statistics were in effect before the pandemic upended the industry.

Coronavirus has added additional stressors to healthcare, especially to nursing.

“Without a doubt, the pandem-

ic is making the nursing shortage worse,” said Jamie Volkenner. She holds a bachelor’s degree in nursing and is a member of the Professional Nurses Association of Western New York. She works at Mercy Hospital of Buffalo. “It’s been said, more oftentimes than not through tired, defeated eyes, ‘I didn’t sign up for this pandemic when I became a nurse.’

No one did. No one planned this.”

She feels like direct care nurses are on the frontlines of a war—a conflict against illness that constantly changes with new rules, news and developments nearly daily. While nurses manage that uncertainty with aplomb, they must also put up with the knowledge of people who don’t care.

“They are not taking the proper precautions, placing more and more lives at risk,” Volkenner said. “It has

been over a year now, with COVID numbers rising and falling, giving both fear and hope in waves. That being said, we can’t control the rest of the world, we can only enforce the rules, put on our scrubs and mask, walk into those hospitals as the heroes we are, and fight this fight.”

The dynamics of bedside nursing have changed since the pandemic began. With fewer visitors, many people must rely upon nurses for their emotional support. That places another emotional burden on nurses.

These factors are contributing to nurses leaving the profession or moving away from much-needed bedside nursing into indirect roles.

Pay can also be a reason nurses leave to working in a more remunerative area of nursing than the bedside or start their own businesses consulting, private nursing or coaching.

Demographic shifts also affect the nursing shortage. About 660,000 baby boomer nurses were working in 2020, about half of the number in their cohort in 2008, according to www.healthaffairs.org. As they age, these retirees will add to the pool of people needing more care and they are not being replaced quickly enough by new nurses.

The availability of nursing programs limits the number of people receiving training to become nurses.

That often stems from a shortage of nursing faculty. Nearly two-thirds of the survey respondents to the 20192020 American Association of Colleges of Nursing stated that faculty or clinical preceptors were the reason behind limiting their programs.

Since nurses need more education to become nurse educators, that hinders many nurses from shifting to academia, according to Patricia Losito, who has a master’s degree in nursing and a doctorate in education.

She serves as executive dean nursing at Erie Community College.

“It’s difficult to find qualified nurses to teach, typically because the entry level pay for faculty is not that of an entry level nurse,” she said.

“Our associate degree nurses make more than master’s prepared nurses at the faculty level.”

Many nurses shift to academia because they want more stable hours and working conditions, not for the pay. These nurses are usually older, more experienced workers. That means as the baby boomer generation retires, fewer nurse educators will be available.

“Many schools have decreased enrollment because they don’t have the faculty,” Losito said.

Stressed, Exhausted:

Frontline Workers Faced Big Mental Strain in Pandemic

D

octors, nurses and other frontline health workers in U.S. emergency departments have struggled with significant mental health challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, a new poll reveals.

“As the nation moves into what many believe is a fourth wave of COVID, this study is important to our understanding of the impact of the pandemic on the mental well-being of frontline medical personnel,” said lead author Robert Rodriguez, a professor of emergency medicine at the University of California, San Francisco.

His team surveyed about 1,600 physicians, nurses, advanced practice providers, social workers and other personnel at 20 U.S. emergency departments between May and July of 2020.

Survey respondents reported high stress levels, emotional exhaustion, insomnia and nightmares. The results also revealed that nearly one-fifth were at increased risk for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Their greatest concerns included exposing loved ones or others to the

virus, the well-being of co-workers diagnosed with COVID-19, and patients with an unclear diagnosis who might expose others in the community.

The study found that regular COVID-19 testing helped reduce stress levels, particularly among those who had previously tested positive for coronavirus antibodies.

The survey participants were from emergency department staffs in 16 states, including New York.

The findings were published April 9 in the journal Annals of Emergency Medicine.

“We found that feelings of work-related anxiety, emotional exhaustion and burnout were prevalent across the full spectrum of emergency department staff,” Rodriguez said in a university news release.

That’s why recognizing signs of stress, burnout and anxiety early on is critical, he explained.

“Emergency department personnel serve as the initial hospital caregivers for the majority of critically ill patients with known or suspected COVID-19 infection,” Rodriguez said. “Protecting and maintaining the health of the emergency department

workforce is imperative in the ongoing battle against COVID-19.”

Rodriguez suggested that employers encourage workers to take time off, get adequate rest and use available well-being resources. That’s especially important “considering the relatively high levels of burnout symptoms, and that more than half of participants reported experiencing

Page 14 • IN GOOD HEALTH – Buffalo & WNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • May 2021

at least one symptom of PTSD and as many as 20% were at higher risk,” he noted.

In contrast to previous research by the same team, the new study found that personal protective equipment was no longer among the top five concerns for emergency department staff, suggesting that it has become more widely available.

Thank you nurses for the exceptional work you do, we recognize you this month and offer our most sincere thanks for your dedicated efforts.

Please consider joining the over 400 members of our organization, as it strives to support the interests of our very fulfilling profession.

We welcome RNs of all ages and backgrounds, from every setting where nurses have chosen to pursue their ongoing career goals.

4511 Main Street Rear Snyder, NY 14226 # (716) 839-4075

Follow us on Instagram PNAWNY

Like us on Facebook

Professional Nurses Association of WNY

May 2021 • IN GOOD HEALTH – Buffalo & WNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • Page 15

Nursing Special

5

Top Issues Facing Nurses

Internal and external forces can create conflict and stress for nurses, and many of these are exacerbated by the pandemic

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

N

ursing represents a rewarding, yet challenging career. Both internal and external forces can create conflict and stress for nurses, and many of these are exacerbated by the pandemic.

Working Conditions

The nurses unable to come into work, combined with additional demand for nurses have stretched resources thin.

“Everyone’s tired, right?” said Jamie Volkenner, who has a bachelor’s degree in nursing and is a member of the Professional Nurses Association of Western New York. She works at Mercy Hospital of Buffalo. “More often than not, we are digging deep into that extra cup of coffee for the strength to just get through the next couple of hours or days. We are tired.”

Conforming to CDC guidelines for personal protective equipment means nurses must wear PPE for eight to 12 hours straight. That has also caused more fatigue among care providers. They also have more hoops to jump through with daily check-ins to assure they have not been exposed to COVID-19. Any nurses who do not pass their assessment cannot report to work, which causes other nurses to have to cover their shifts.

When patients cannot have family visiting, nurses provide the emotional support and advocacy for patients. That adds another layer of emotional demand on nurses.

Diversity

Especially when sick or hurt, “we want to be taken care of by people who understand our culture and our

Fighting Nurse Burnout

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

D

emanding on the body, mind and emotions, nursing is not an easy career path. As the pandemic has made a tough career even harder, leaders in nursing have been looking at ways to reduce burnout in the nursing field.

“Many nurses have their own way of coping with stress, whether it be relaxing in a hot tub, taking an extra-long shower or bath, watching funny movies to bring levity to their minds, holding their kids (both human and ‘fur babies’) or getting massages, either professional or from loved ones to work out all the kinks and knots to release tension,” said Jamie Volkenner. She has a bachelor’s in nursing and is a member of the Professional Nurses Association of Western New York. She works at Mercy Hospital of Buffalo.

She added that emotional support from colleagues and families

make a big difference in fighting burnout. But reaching out for professional help may be stigmatized by some people. A therapist can provide unbiased professional feedback.

“Going into work with the right mindset, after what we consider is a good night’s sleep, seeing the friends and staff that actually want to be there and changing lives makes all the difference,” Volkenner said.

With adequate staffing, nurses can take enough time to care for themselves, both with breaks while on the clock, and sufficient days off.

Patricia Losito, who has a master’s in nursing and a doctor of education degree, believes that burnout ultimately goes back to staffing. She serves as executive dean nursing at Erie Community College.

“Burnout happens because you’re doing more with less,” Losito said. “The socio-economic issues

needs,” said Patricia Losito, who has a master’s degree in nursing and doctorate in education. She serves as executive dean of nursing at Erie Community College. “It’s nice those opportunities are available.”

She said that ECC is working to ensure any student who wants to study nursing has the opportunity to earn an education and that will help diversify the nursing workforce.

“In nursing education, nursing has always talked about ethnicity and culture and its effect on health,” said UB’s assistant dean for undergraduate studies, Cathy Mann, RN, who has a doctorate in education and is a clinical nurse specialist in community health and certified nurse educator.

She believes that the past year’s development of the Black Lives Matter movement and the recent violence against Asians has heightened the importance of diversified workforces in healthcare. She added that the healthcare industry needs to not only diversify the population of nurses, but also improve on reaching target communities with health initiatives.

Educational Opportunities

CNAs seeking to become LPNs or RNs may lack that chance. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing states in its 2019-2020 Enrollment and Graduations in Baccalaureate and Graduate Programs in nursing that US nursing schools turned away 80,407 qualified applicants because they lacked capacity for teaching them. That includes faculty, classroom space and other resources.

“There’s a nursing faculty shortage,” Mann said. “The pandemic has made nursing very visible and nursing schools have seen an uptick. That call to nursing has been elevated. But applicants don’t equate nurses.”

Nurses seeking to become educators must earn a master’s degree to fill those roles.

In addition, Mann said that a limited number of clinical sites means competition among educators for positions for placing nursing students completing their clinical obligation.

“Even if a school says, ‘We have a faculty member so we can increase with patients are complicated. You want to provide outstanding care and when they leave, you have to put in place things to ensure the safety, health and wellbeing of the patient and family. If you don’t have good staffing, you’re chasing yourself all day long.”

While she appreciates medical personnel’s collaborative efforts and the community’s support of healthcare providers, she said that the pandemic has been exhausting, as it has placed further strain on nurses by wearing extra personal protective equipment and providing additional emotional support to patients.

“Losing patients faster than they ever had has certainly taken an emotional toll on people,” Volkenner said. “We’re not out of it yet. We have yet to see what this is going to look like on the other end of it.”

Gale Klinshaw, master’s-trained nurse and UB Clinical Lab coordinator, recommends nurses regularly exercise and participate in mindfulness or meditation.

“Nurses can turn to the wrong things like eating or drinking too

Page 16 • IN GOOD HEALTH – Buffalo & WNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • May 2021

enrollment by 10 or 20 students,’ you need spots at clinical sites,” Mann said. “There are only a finite number of places at each facility.”

Like other healthcare professionals, nurses are required to take continuing education units (CEUs).

Finding the time to do so and the courses challenges many nurses.

Joining nursing organizations can help them stay up to date on opportunities to fulfill their CEU obligations and enrichment courses.

Safety

In addition to staffing issues creating the potential for safety problems among both staff and patients, other safety concerns include limited personal protective equipment (PPE), “which has improved, but is still a challenge,” Mann said.

As some members of the community avoid vaccination and/or become lax about ongoing safety protocols, the number of admissions jumps.

“Increased rates in admissions is taxing to the healthcare providers,” Mann said.

It also places more people with COVID-19 in the care of healthcare workers, which increases their chances of infection.

Working Relationships

Nursing is a field based on relationships: caregiver to patient, caregiver to caregiver and leader to caregiver. Mann said that issues can arise in those professional relationships when the people who have risen through the ranks in an organization obtain leadership roles. That can create strife when others with less experience but additional education work under those leaders.

“I’d love to say that someday there will be no lateral/horizontal conflict within the workplace,” Mann said. “We try to prepare our students to ask managers at their interviews how they deal with this.”

New nurses represent the largest group leaving nursing. Mann said to combat this, organizations need to develop zero tolerance policies about bullying. Unit managers should view this as a priority and use these situations as teaching opportunities.

much and what they should do is provide more opportunities for relaxation,” Klinshaw said. “Mindfulness is my big thing. They should also try yoga or other activities they enjoy.”

She has found that nurses complaining of stress-induced physical symptoms like headache, gastrointestinal issues and insomnia find relief after practicing mindfulness after six weeks.

“I hope mindfulness won’t go away as a fad but that we incorporate it into everything we do,” Klinshaw said. “It’s like the oxygen mask on airplanes, in that you have to put yours on before you help someone else. You need to take care of yourself before you can care for someone else.”

In addition to caring for patients, many nurses also care for children or elder relatives at home since nurses are nurturers by nature. For these, the schedule is especially important.

Klinshaw added that finding meaning in their work and cultivating an outlook of gratitude is one way that nurses can prevent burnout.

Nursing Special

For Angela Vacanti, Infection Prevention is a Labor of Love Even after 40 years and several health crises, she’s not ready to stop

By Julie Halm

A

ngela Vacanti is an infection prevention practitioner at ECMC and the knowledge and wisdom she has developed during a more than four-decadeslong career has come in quite handy during the past year.

After graduating from a twoyear program in 1979, Vacanti went straight to ECMC. She said that her reasoning for entering the medical realm was fairly straightforward.

“It’s just helping people, there’s no better feeling in the world,” she said. “It’s a rewarding career and you’re constantly fulfilled by helping others.”

And helping others is just what she has endeavored to do through her entire career, 35 years of which she has spent in infection prevention.

While this pandemic has been referred to as “unprecedented” countless times since COVID-19 changed life as everyone knew it, this is hardly the first time that Vacanti has dealt with a major health crisis.

Early in her career, a terrifying new virus, known as HIV, suddenly began taking the lives of people who had otherwise seemed perfectly healthy. She handled that situation just as she has handled many situations since, by doing her best to educate herself as thoroughly as possible about the foe at hand.

Since then, she has also been witness to Ebola, as ECMC was and remains, a designated Ebola center.

When Vacanti became a mom, she intended to take some time off, but that was not in the cards. She recalled being home for only a handful of days when she received the call, asking if she would like to come work in infection prevention.

Although she now carries both her immense knowledge and responsibility in a way that seems effortless in speaking with her, reaching this point was not a task without its tribulations.

As an adult, Vacanti went back to earn her bachelor’s degree.

“There were times my kids would go to bed and they’d get up in

the morning and I’d still be up working,” she said.

But for a woman who thrives on the notion of helping others, the sacrifices have been more than worth it.

“One of the rewarding things about infection prevention is that you benefit the patients as well as the staff in every department,” she said.

“It’s every person.”

She takes joy in not only constantly educating herself, but helping to educate those around her.

“It’s a lot of constant reading and educating yourself and making sure that you’re on top of this stuff. It’s really important,” she said. “If I’m going to be the go-to, I need to know what I’m talking about.”

And she is, in many ways, to many people, the go-to person.

Whether she is sitting on one of a large number of committees which deal with anything from hospital associated infections to quality improvement work to committees that deal with policies and procedures or whether she is simply helping to comfort, educate and reassure staff and patients alike, she is looked to as an immense resource in how to keep all those who walk through the hospital’s doors as safe as possible.

While that was never a light load to carry, COVID-19 has made it all the more immense and she said that now more than ever, making sure that people are educated about what we are facing, is critical.

“This thing has been so fluid and that has had an effect on the confidence of the staff, too,” she said.

“You just have to talk to them and focus on the science and what the experts are saying.”

When she has encountered those who seem to be suffering the ill effects of misinformation, she said that although that can be challenging, the response is fairly simple. She deals in facts and science and stays calm and non-confrontational at all times.

While Vacanti said that she loves what she does, this has been a time of immense responsibility for her, with calls often coming in the middle of

Celebrating National NursesWeek Week!

Celebrating National Nurses !

Angela Vacanti, an infection prevention practitioner at ECMC, talks to a colleague at the hospital. “There were times my kids would go to bed and they’d get up in the morning and I’d still be up working,” she says. the night and a never-ending need to continue to be vigilant; but it is the very environment in which she works that makes that easier to bear.

“The feeling of responsibility has been huge through this and that mother in you comes out, because ECMC is my family,” she said. “Even back when it was Ebola, I would tell them, ‘I’m here, whatever you need.

You are my people, you are my family and I’m not going to let anything happen to you if I can help it.’”

With that sense of family has come a feeling of camaraderie that has also carried her through.

“I will say, I don’t carry this alone,” she said. “Our leadership team here is incredibly supportive and very connected from the very top all the way to the front lines.”

And Vacanti is back on the front

lines these days, volunteering to work in the vaccination clinic.

“I’ll tell you, that’s one of the most rewarding things that I do,” she said.

She said she also takes pride in how ECMC has handled the administration of the vaccine, making sure that the process runs smoothly and none of the precious vials go to waste.

Perhaps it is the sense of family, the feeling of fulfillment, the robust support or just the knowledge that what she does is so important, but after 40 years and several health crises, Vacanti said she simply isn’t ready to think about walking away from the field and the second home that she loves.

“I’m just not ready yet.”

Happy Nurses Week!

Obstetrics & Gynecology

We’re RightPlace Place for Career We’re thethe Right forYour Your Career Passionate about providing comfort and quality of

Passionate about providing comfort and quality of life for others in life for others your community? are hiring partyour community?

We’reinhiring part-time & We full-time:

time and full-time:

• Admissions Nurse • Hospice House RN • Admissions Nurse • HHAs for Hospice House & Home Care

• Hospice House RN

You will enjoy a rewarding career providing expert care to families • HHAs for Hospice House & Home Care during challenging times while having a great work-life balance and generous paid time off!

You will enjoy a rewarding career providing expert care to families during challenging times while having a

Apply at NiagaraHospice.org/Careers great work-life balance and generous paid time off!

Apply at NiagaraHospice.org/Careers

To our dedicated team – thank you!

Your care and compassion this past year has been unmatched. With your perseverence, dedication and kindness, we continued caring for our patients in-person and launched our new telemedicine service.

We provide care for: • General obstetrics & gynecology for pediatric, adolescent, adult and geriatric • Reproductive endocrinology & infertility

• • • •

High-risk pregnancies Complex contraception Pelvic health Menopause management 716.636.8284 • Hormone UBMDOBGYN.COM BUFFALO | WILLIAMSVILLE therapy

May 2021 • IN GOOD HEALTH – Buffalo & WNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • Page 17

Nursing Special

Nurse Jennifer Leffler works in Batavia. When she isn’t working, she can be found at her Varysburg farm, where she and her family produce 1,400 gallons of maple syrup a year, and other products, sold under the label Over the Hill Maple.

Erin Hafner, a nurse working in labor and delivery at Mercy Hospital of Buffalo, harvests eight to 12lb. of honey from her home-based hives each year.

Two WNY Nurses Share Their Sweet Hobbies Diversions help them relax after dealing with the pressures of nursing

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

N

urses provide healthcare, reassurance and health education to patients. Beyond their caring, professional demeanor, they may have hobbies and interests that patients and colleagues would not envision.

The patients of two Western New York nurses would likely never guess that their caregivers enjoy sweet hobbies.

Jennifer Leffler, a nurse in the emergency department for Rochester Regional United Memorial Medical Center in Batavia, makes 1,400 gallons of maple syrup a year from her Varysburg farm, Over the Hill Maple.

Leffler learned the craft of sugar making from her father, Mark Flint of Castile. Although her family used old-fashioned buckets on spiles embedded into maple trees, Leffler and her husband, Zebulun, use modern equipment like a vacuum system and plastic tubing to ferry sap from their 4,400 taps to their sugar house.

That is where the couple houses a 6,000-gallon tank where UV lights reduce the bacteria.

A reverse osmosis system helps evaporate the sap more quickly and then the liquid goes to the evaporator to achieve the right consistency and sweetness. It takes about 40 gallons of sap to make one gallon of maple syrup.

A seasonal product, maple producers tap trees from the end of fall

through the early part of winter and the sap starts flowing around January or February as early thaws begin. Sap flows only during times of freezing nights and warmer days. Sap collecting lasts about six weeks.

The Lefflers bottle syrup and create a few value-added products, including maple cream and granulated maple sugar in their farm’s commercial kitchen and sell from the farm and at stores. The couple’s children “like helping out,” Jennifer Leffler said. Zebulun’s parents, Ron and Kim Leffler, assist as well.

Jennifer Leffler sometimes talks about her maple farm with patients.

“Usually, talking about nonmedical things can cheer them up and it helps them feel better instead of focusing on their illness,” she said.

“It’s an encouragement.”

She has quite a few farmers come into her care, and they are particularly interested in Over the Hill Maple and the couple’s other agricultural business, making hay for livestock.

“Choose joy in doing what you do,” Leffler said. “Maple is hard and baling is hard, but we really enjoy what God has given us. We enjoy it.”

Honey production

Erin Hafner, a nurse working in labor and delivery at Mercy Hospital of Buffalo, harvests 8 to 12 pounds of honey from her home-based hives

each year.

Though at work she helps babies, her hobby is helping bees. For the past five years, she has kept one to two hives at her home.

She became interested in beekeeping through an introduction to beekeeping class at Masterson’s Garden Center in East Aurora. Her beekeeping complements her enjoyment of gardening and flowers on her one-acre property. To keep her little honey-makers in good health, she eschews herbicides and provides plenty of wildflowers for their nectar gathering. Since bees will forage as far as five miles away, Hafner’s location near three garden centers provides additional opportunities for the bees.

“Some people think I’m crazy for keeping bees,” she said. “I think they’re beautifully fantastic little creatures. I’m in love with them.”

With an apology to her bees, Hafner gathers just a small amount of what they produce, as bees use the honey they have stored in the comb as their food. She gives away some to friends and keeps some for her family.

“The honey is a nice perk,” she said. “I do it more for what they teach me.”

She views caring for her hives every two weeks from May through September like a 20- to 30-minute meditation where she remains fully

Page 18 • IN GOOD HEALTH – Buffalo & WNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • May 2021

in the moment with all her senses engaged: hearing buzz, watching and feeling their movement, smelling the sweet hive aroma and finally, tasting honey.

She named her current queen Athena.

The other 30,000 to 40,000 bees by necessity must remain nameless.

“A queen’s body is completely different from the other bees,” she said.

Hafner said that as a matriarchal society, bees have only about 500 males per hive. All the bees seen foraging on flowers are females. The male drones live in the hive and die after mating with the queen.

“If there are any males at the end of the summer, they kick them out,” Hafner said.

Inside the hive, each bee performs a job based on the age of the bee: cleaner, nursery worker or attendant to the queen whose only job is egg laying.

She said that like other nurses, she is a nurturer by nature.

“To invest this time and energy into something for me, it helps me from getting burned out,” Hafner said. “This is my ‘me’ time. I’m also helping out the environment.”

Maria • 14 years experience on the Helpline • Proud mom of 2 kids • Loves to bake

By Jim Miller

How to Search for Senior Discounts in 2021 Dear Savvy Senior, I just turned 60 and would like to find out the best way to go about locating senior discounts.

Looking to Save

Dear Looking, One of the best, yet underutilized perks of growing older in the United States is the many discounts that are available to older adults.

There are literally thousands of discounts on a wide variety of products and services including restaurants, grocery stores, travel and lodging, entertainment, retail and apparel, health and beauty, automotive services and much more. These discounts — typically ranging between 5% and 25% off — can add up to save you hundreds of dollars each year.

So, if you don’t mind admitting your age, here are some tips and tools to help you find the discounts you may be eligible for.

Ask!

The first thing to know is that most businesses don’t advertise them, but many give senior discounts just for the asking, so don’t be shy.

You also need to know that while some discounts are available as soon as you turn 50, most don’t kick in until you turn 55, 60, 62 or 65.

Search Online

Because senior discounts frequently change and can vary depending on where you live and the time of the year, the internet is the easiest way to locate them.

A good place to start is at TheSeniorList.com (click on the “Senior Discounts” tab), which provides a large list of discounts in categories, i.e., restaurant dining, grocery stores, retail stores, prescription medications, travel discounts and more.

You can also search for discounts by provider. Go to a search engine like Google and Yahoo and type in the business or organization you’re curious about, followed by “senior discount” or “senior discount tickets.”

If you use a smartphone, there are also apps you can use like the “Senior Discounts & Coupons” app (available on the App Store and Google Play), which categorizes discounts by age and type.

Join a Club

Another good avenue to senior discounts is through membership organizations like AARP, which offers

G ET TO K N OW T H E P E O P L E B E H I N D T H E H E L P L I N E The Alzheimer’s Association Helpline is staffed by master’s-level clinicians who offer real support and guidance and are ready to talk at any time of the day or night. We’re putting a face to one of the welcoming voices on the other end of the phone so you can get to know who’s here to help.

its members age 50 and older a wide variety of discounts through affiliate businesses (see AARPdiscounts.com).

If, however, you don’t like or agree with AARP, there are other organizations you can join that also provide discounts like the American Seniors Association (AmericanSeniors.org), the American Automobile Association (AAA.com), or for retired federal workers, the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association (NARFE.org).

Types of Discounts

Here’s an abbreviated rundown of some of the different types of discounts you can expect to find.

• Restaurants: Senior discounts are common at restaurants and fastfood establishments — like Applebee’s, Arby’s, Burger King, Chili’s, Denny’s and IHOP — ranging from free or discounted drinks, to discounts off your total order.

• Retailers: Many thrift stores like Goodwill and Salvation Army, and certain retailers like TJ Maxx, Banana Republic, Kohl’s, Michaels, Ross and Walgreens stores offer a break to seniors on certain days of the week.

• Grocery stores: Many locally owned grocery stores offer senior discount programs, as do some chains like BI-LO, Piggly-Wiggly, Fry’s Food Stores, New Seasons, Fred Meyer, and Hy-Vee, which offer discounts on certain days of the week, but they vary by location.

• Travel: American, United and Southwest Airlines provide limited senior fares in the U.S. to passengers 65 and older, while British Airlines offers AARP members discounts of up to $200. Amtrak provides a 15% discount to travelers over 62. Most car rental companies give discounts to 50-plus customers or those who belong to organizations like AARP. Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, Celebrity and Carnival cruise lines offer discount rates to cruisers 55 and over. And, most hotels offer senior discounts, usually ranging from 10 to 20%.

• Entertainment: Most movie theaters, museums, golf courses, ski slopes and other public entertainment venues provide reduced admission to seniors over 60 or 65.

And the National Park Service offers a lifetime senior pass for those 62 and older for $80 (see nps.gov/planyourvisit/passes.htm).

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.

Chat with Maria or one of our other dementia specialists today.

800.272.3900

Senior Living Community

Embrace Seasons Past...

Begin Life Anew!

Stimulating Social, Educational and recreational activities Medication management Access to 24-hour personal care assistance Affordable memory care

Experiencing Vision Loss?

Experiencing Ask About Our Move-In Specials

For More information Call 716-632-3000 410 Mill St. - Williamsville,NY 14221

www.park-creek.com

Experiencing Special Vision Loss?

Vision Loss?

Glasses Special Can Help.

Glasses Macular Degeneration Can Help.

Diabetic Retinopathy Macular Degeneration Stargardt’s Disease Diabetic Retinopathy Stroke Stargardt’s Disease Stroke

Call today to schedule a Call today to schedule a Low Vision Evaluation.

Low Vision Evaluation.

George S. Kornfeld, O.D., FAAO CallLow Dr.Vision Lucy Yen O.D. Optometry 585-271-7320 • 866-446-2050 (408) 294-9900 294-9900 www.kornfeldlowvision.com www.LowVisionSanJoseCA.com

Call Dr. Lucy Yen O.D.

www.LowVisionSanJoseCA.com

May 2021 • IN GOOD HEALTH – Buffalo & WNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • Page 19

Alzheimer’s Association Offers Free Education to Workplaces/Businesses

A

lzheimer’s disease exacts an enormous economic toll — on individuals and families who exhaust their life savings providing and paying for care, and on state and federal governments that spend billions through Medicare, Medicaid and smaller programs to help pay for health and long-term care.

Those costs are widely recognized.

What is less well known is the cost to American businesses — a cost that occurs even though Alzheimer’s is closely associated with advancing age and the vast majority of people with the disease are out of the workforce by the time it strikes.

But there are also other costs that impact the workplace: family caregiving — absenteeism, productivity losses and replacement costs — as workers struggle to balance the overwhelming responsibilities for a loved one who has Alzheimer’s disease with their obligations on the job and the business share of health and long-term care.

Some of those costs can be mitigated by education that helps caregivers understand how dementia is impacting their loved one, how to provide the best care and find resources to assist them in caregiving.

The Alzheimer’s Association

Western New York now offers free educational programs that cover a wide range of subjects and can be offered during the workday i.e.

“Lunch ‘n’ Learn” programs, to allow employees access to these vital caregiving tools in a convenient environment.

These classes cover the basics about Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, communication, caregiving, legal and financial concerns, healthy living and more and can be tailored to a time frame that is optimum for your workplace (30- or 60-minute sessions).

Among recent corporate participants was M&T Bank. “M&T Bank Caregiving Resource Group has been fortunate to partner with the Alzheimer’s Association to provide interesting, informative and beneficial presentations to our employees,” said M&T Vice President Shirley Jaskier, a steering committee member of the bank’s Caregiving Resource Group. “We received great feedback from our staff participants, and plan on having them back again for future presentations.”

To learn more or to schedule a learning opportunity at your workplace, contact Chelsea O’Hara in the WNY Chapter office at cohara@alz. org or 716.626.0600 ext. 8972.

Healthy Living in Middle Age Pays Off in Senior Years Live well, live longer

N

ew research offers more evidence that the mantra rings true: People who got regular exercise and ate a healthy diet in middle age had a reduced risk of serious health problems as seniors.

“Health care professionals could use these findings to further promote and emphasize to their patients the benefits of a healthy diet and a regular exercise schedule to avoid the development of numerous chronic health conditions in the present and in later life,” said study author Vanessa Xanthakis, an assistant professor of medicine and biostatistics in the section of preventive medicine and epidemiology at Boston University School of Medicine.

Her team analyzed long-term data from nearly 2,400 Americans in a large ongoing U.S. health study to determine how closely they followed U.S. government dietary guidelines and physical activity guidelines.

Physical activity guideline advocate at least 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous physical activity per week, such as walking or swimming.

The adults in the study were an average age of 47 when assessed between 2008 and 2011, and in their senior years when assessed in 20162019.

In middle age, 28% of the adults followed both the physical activity

and dietary guidelines, while 47% followed only one of the guidelines.

Adhering to the physical activity and dietary guidelines in middle age was associated with a lower chance of developing the metabolic syndrome and other serious health conditions later in life, according to the study published March 31 in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

“The earlier people make these lifestyle changes, the more likely they will be to lower their risk of cardiovascular-associated diseases later in life,” Xanthakis said in a journal news release.

Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of health conditions -- including excess fat around the waist, high blood pressure, insulin resistance, high blood sugar, abnormal cholesterol or triglyceride levels -- that increase the risk of heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes.

The risk of metabolic syndrome was 51% lower among those who followed the physical activity recommendations alone, 33% lower in those who followed the dietary guidelines alone, and 65% lower in those who followed both guidelines.

All of the adults in the study were white, so the findings can’t be generalized to other racial or ethnic groups, and further studies that include a range of racial or ethnic groups are needed, the researchers said.

Ask The Social

Security Office

From the Social Security District Office

Faster Processing of Disability Claims for People with Alzheimer’s Disease

T

oday, more than 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease. Since the onset of Alzheimer’s can occur in people before they retire, it may strike during an individual’s working years; preventing gainful employment as the disease progresses.

As a result, people must come to grips with a devastating diagnosis while losing their salary and benefits.

People with Alzheimer’s disease and their caregivers must figure out how they’ll pay for care. Our benefits and services are vital to people with early-onset Alzheimer’s who are unable to work and have no other source of income.

For over a decade, Social Security has included Alzheimer’s disease

Q&A

Q: Is it true I can save about $5,000 per year if I qualify for Social Security’s extra help with the Medicare prescription drug program?

A: Yes. If your income and resources meet the requirements, you can save nearly $4,900 in prescription costs each year. Resource limits for 2021 are $14,610 (or $29,160 if you are married and living with your spouse). Income limits are $19,140 (or $25,860 if you are married and living with your spouse). If your income or resources are just a bit higher, you might be eligible for some help with prescription drug costs. To learn more, visit www.ssa.gov/prescriptionhelp.

Q: Why should I sign up for a My Social Security online account?

A: My Social Security gives you a personal online account you can securely use to check your Social Security information and do business with us. With a My Social Security account you can: • Keep track of your earnings and verify them every year.

• Get an estimate of your future benefits if you are still working.

• Get a replacement Social Security card.

• Get a letter with proof of your benefits if you currently receive them.

• Manage your benefits: – Change your address or telephone number.

– Start or change your direct deposit.

– Get a replacement Medicare card.

– Get a replacement SSA-1099 or SSA-1042S for tax season.

To find all of the services available and set up an account, go to www.ssa.gov/myaccount.

Page 20 • IN GOOD HEALTH – Buffalo & WNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • May 2021

in its Compassionate Allowances program. The Compassionate Allowances program identifies debilitating diseases and medical conditions so severe they obviously meet our disability standards. Compassionate Allowances allow for faster processing of disability claims for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease, mixed-dementia, and primary progressive aphasia.

You can read more about our Compassionate Allowances program at www.ssa.gov/compassionateallowances. To learn more about how Social Security disability insurance works, visit our disability page at www.ssa.gov/disability. Please share these resources with friends and family.

Q: I got married and I need to change my name in Social Security’s records.

What do I do?

A: If you change your name due to marriage or for any other reason, you’ll need to report the change and get a corrected Social Security card with your new name. You will need to fill out Form SS-5. You can get a copy of this form by visiting www. ssa.gov/ss5doc or by calling our toll-free number 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778). You’ll also need to provide the original marriage certificate showing your new and old names. You can mail the documentation to your local Social Security office. In some cases, we may need other forms of documentation as well. For more information, visit www.ssa.gov/ssnumber.

Q: How can I check the status of a pending application for retirement benefits?

A: If you applied for retirement or disability benefits online, you can check the status of your application at www.ssa.gov by selecting “Benefits” and “Check Application Status” under “Apply.” You will need to enter your Social Security number and the confirmation code you received when you filed online.

Your application status will show: • The date we received your application.

• Any requests for additional documents.

• The address of the office processing your application.

• If a decision has been made.

Q: How do I know if I meet the eligibility requirements to get Social Security disability benefits?

A: To qualify for Social Security disability benefits, you must have worked long enough in jobs covered

by Social Security (usually 10 years).

Got an Hour?

Save a Life: Donate Blood There is currently a critical and urgent need for blood donations

By Catherine Miller

D

onna Smith-Phelan donated blood this past March for the first time. She donated in honor of her late father, Bud Smith.

“My dad passed away a year ago this March,” explained Phelan, “He was a 45-year faithful blood donor.

In honor of the one-year anniversary of his passing I decided to give blood and plan on making it a habit.”

Her timing could not have been more perfect. Now, more than ever, there is a critical and urgent need for blood donations in our area. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected many things, including our blood supply. Gone are the days when the bloodmobile stood outside of office buildings and schools with lines of people eagerly waiting to donate. So, without the visual reminder during the work day, most people have foregone their habit of giving a pint of blood every eight weeks or so.

“This really is the perfect storm with regard to our desperate need for blood donors,” admitted Amanda Farrell, Director of Donor Recruitment for ConnectLife, “Currently with elective surgeries on the rise and a decrease in blood drives at schools and corporations we are at a critical need for blood donors. We are presently at a low two– or three-day supply in our region. On the average we never want to be lower than a five-day supply.”

Smith-Phelan admits she is just one of the Bud Smith daughters jumping on the blood donor bandwagon. Sister Dory began donating shortly after the death of their father.

And, their sister, Deb, a Florida resident, has been a regular blood donor for years.

The Smith sisters donate in honor of the father that made it a part of his routine to visit a local blood bank

every 56 days.

“I remember growing up knowing that my dad was a blood donor,” said Phelan, “He just wanted to help the community and held people in need. That is just the way he was. I’m honored to do this in his memory.”

Donating blood is easy, safe and all blood donations to our local blood banks help people right in our community. Masks are worn, COVID-19 restrictions are in place and appointments are recommended at donation sites; although walk-in appointments can usually be accommodated.

You can log in to a blood donation portal after donating to find out your blood type and schedule future donation appointments.

“The actual blood draw only takes five-10 minutes,” explained Farrell. “Although first-time donors can expect to be in and out in about an hour for the full process. You can donate whole blood every 56 days and platelets every two weeks. We are in a dire need for O negative blood as it can be universally used for all people in need.”

To make an appointment, contact the American Red Cross at redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-REDCROSS. You can also contact ConnectLife (formerly UNYTS) at 716-529-4270 or visit www.connectlife.org You can look up local donations sites and blood drives near you using your zip code and get addresses for the most convenient place and time. If you’ve recently received the coronavirus vaccine there is no need to wait. You can donate the same day as long as you are feeling well. And if you’ve recently had COVID-19, you can donate as soon as you complete the required quarantine time and are feeling well and are asymptomatic.

If you are looking for a way to

Fatherhood Program For New Dads Now Available in WNY

B

uffalo Prenatal-Perinatal Network (BPPN) and Oishei Children’s Hospital have launched a fatherhood training program to bring support and educational resources to new fathers.

This program is targeted at new and expectant fathers and will provide parenting education, support groups, and mentorship for these male caregivers. Fathers will be taught swaddling techniques, tips for bonding, how to help with breastfeeding, bathing best practices and post-partum effects. The objective of this collaboration is to highlight the significant role fathers play in promoting the health of women and infants in the community.

“Far too often, men who are transitioning into fatherhood or fathering are overlooked and under-

Member of the North Buffalo rugby team donating blood at Kenton Elmwood Commons. honor a loved one, celebrate a life event, or just get friends together for a good cause, and we could all use a bit of positivity in our lives, consider hosting a blood drive. ConnectLife will help you to set up an event at a community center, fire hall or anywhere their mobile bus can travel.

“One young mother just celebrated her son’s 1 year birthday by holding a blood drive,” said Farrell.

“She needed 12 units of blood at the time of her delivery. The 12 people that donated blood to her attended her blood drive and met the mother and baby that they saved.

I cannot think of a better way to celebrate the birth of your child than

to spend it with the ones that made his birth possible.”

“I am eligible to donate again in May,” said Phelan. “And I will definitely be donating then and in the future. My daughter, Carley, began to donate as well. Our hope is that one day if we, or a loved one, are in need of blood there is someone out there in the community that will donate for us.”

Check out the websites for the American Red Cross and ConnectLife for additional information and locations where you can donate today.

This is a perfect time to find a reason to donate.

valued in the field of maternal and infant health,” said Antoine Johnson, program manager of the Buffalo Fatherhood Initiative. “The Buffalo Fatherhood Initiative’s collaboration with Oishei Children’s Hospital is significant because it highlights the significance of fathers and the unique contribution that they make in supporting women and infants.”

When fathers are involved with their children from birth research shows that children reach developmental milestone earlier, form better friendships, do better at school, and can develop higher IQs. This program provides educational resources for dads and a safe place to learn.

Fathers who go through the program will receive tools and resources like “dad bags” for overnight stays at the hospital during and after labor.

“We’re delighted to partner with the Buffalo Perinatal-Prenatal Network and the Buffalo Fatherhood Initiative to establish the Fatherhood Training Program as a way to improve the health and well-being of

children by empowering fathers to be active, informed and emotionally engaged parents and partners,” said Tami Paycheck, women’s services supervisor at Oishei Children’s Hospital.

“We are thrilled to be teaming up with the remarkable John R. Oshiei Foundation to bring the community this necessary program for expectant fathers,” said LuAnne Brown, CEO of Buffalo Prenatal-Perinatal Network. “Fathers are a critical part of healthy development for the child.

We are proud to provide home-based services to a population that follows them from prenatal to the postpartum period in the home and we can’t wait to expand our education offering on the Oishei campus.”

You can learn more about Buffalo Prenatal-Perinatal Network and the Buffalo Fatherhood Initiative at its website www.bppn.org or contact Antoine Johnson at ajohnson@bppn. org to learn more about upcoming programs.

May 2021 • IN GOOD HEALTH – Buffalo & WNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • Page 21

Health News ECMC Sr. VP Pamela Lee honored by ‘City & State’ Pamela Lee, senior vice president of operations at Erie County Medical Center (ECMC) Corporation, was recently selected to be honored as an “Above & Beyond” awardee Pamela Lee

by City & State New York, the premier media organization dedicated to covering New York’s local and state politics and policy.

City & State New York will honor 40 women who exhibit exemplary leadership in their fields and have made important contributions to society in the sectors of business, public service, media, nonprofit and organized labor. These accomplished women were profiled in a special edition of “City & State” magazine and celebrated at a virtual event held March 31–––.

“We are thrilled that City & State New York has chosen Pamela Lee, a valued member of our executive team, to be honored as one of only 40 women in New York as an Above & Beyond awardee,” said ECMCC President and CEO Thomas J. Quatroche Jr., Ph.D. “Pamela is a true leader and professional with extensive knowledge and experience who has contributed significantly to the successes achieved at ECMC. On behalf of the ECMC Board of Directors, our executive team and all our staff, we congratulate Pamela upon receipt of this well-deserved recognition!”

Lee holds a Master of Business Administration and a Master of Nursing Administration from the University of Illinois in Chicago.

She also holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Iowa. Prior to her role at ECMC, she served as the chief operating officer of Ozarks Medical Center in West Plains, Missouri. During her career, she has served in several executive positions that have focused on operations, patient safety, and quality.

Roswell Park recognized for adult and pediatric care Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center has once again been named a center of excellence (COE) for pediatric and adult populations by health services leader Optum for providing quality treatment for cancer patients. It is the only such designated center in Upstate New York.

The Buffalo-based cancer center retained the Optum COE designation after completing a rigorous qualification process.

“Optum provides a great resource to patients through this designation and all the work that goes into it,” says physician Boris Kuvshinoff, chief medical officer at Roswell Park.

“Patients young and old can feel confident knowing they are receiving the highest-quality comprehensive cancer care when they come to Roswell Park.”

“We selected Roswell Park because of its commitment to providing high-quality care to patients receiving cancer treatment,” said physician Jon R. Friedman, chief medical officer at Optum for medical benefit management. “We commend them

Mental Health Providers in Short Supply

for their excellence in providing a best-practice cancer program.”

Roswell Park is also designated as an Optum Center of Excellence for both adult and pediatric blood and marrow transplantation (BMT) and has received that designation each year since 2005.

The Optum Cancer Centers of Excellence network provides access to cost-effective, high-quality cancer care for complex, hard to treat and hard to diagnose cancers. Optum developed its elite network of cancer centers by identifying best practice cancer programs throughout the U.S.

Evergreen Health gets $250,000 to develop health center Evergreen Health recently received $250,000 from KeyBank, in partnership with the First Niagara Foundation, which will support Evergreen’s recent acquisition of People Inc.’s primary care practice and intent to establish a location for primary care services at 1870 Elmwood Ave. in Buffalo. This marks KeyBank’s first monetary contribution to Evergreen Health.

“We are extremely grateful for this significant level of support provided by KeyBank and the First Niagara Foundation, as we look ahead to bringing People Inc.’s primary care patients into the Evergreen family,” said Raymond Ganoe, president and CEO of Evergreen Health. “Evergreen’s recent expansion, through our acquisition of People Inc.’s Article 28 operations, was a result of People Inc. seeking a partner with a shared mission of serving those who are underserved by the healthcare system. We have found in KeyBank

The profession has seen drastic changes in recent years

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

A

s with physical healthcare providers, America is facing a crisis-level shortage of mental healthcare providers.

The U.S. has 30 psychologists per 100,000 people and 15.6 psychiatrists per 100,000. More than 115 million people live in designated shortage areas where the ratio of mental healthcare provider to resident is lower than 1 per 30,000 people, according to www.goodtherapy.org.

As the stressors of the pandemic have raised the need for mental healthcare, the problem has worsened.

While expanding insurance coverage to include telehealth visits has helped, it cannot solve the dearth of providers.

“We absolutely do not have enough at this time,” said. Anna Shurmantz, licensed clinical social worker and owner of Shurmantz Counseling, PC, in Cheektowaga.

“Part of the reason is the demand for services has exploded. We have a wait list. Every place I know has a wait list. Even agencies that historically have never had a wait list.”

Part of the reason is that many providers had to discontinue offering care at the beginning of the pandemic until they could start meeting remotely through secure platforms and ensure their patients would receive insurance coverage.

That created a backlog. The stressors of the pandemic also exacerbated any existing mental health issues, enflamed any tendency towards issues like anxiety and depression, and contributed to completely new cases.

“We’re social animals,” Shurmantz said. “We’re designed to be in contact with other people. When we’re not accessing that social experience, we don’t do well.”

The loss of work, school, sched-

ule and routine causes more stress when the normal coping mechanisms are removed, such as connecting with friends or going on outings.

“It is very likely, because the media has been positive and encouraging during the pandemic, there are more people not only more open to joining mental health treatment but also there’s the option now to do so from the comfort of your own home which could also create an influx of patients,” said Brittany Bennet, licensed mental health counselor and owner of Bridge over Troubled Water, PLLC, in Towanda.

While she is glad that more people feel open to seeking help, it is stretching resources even thinner as more people are seeking care who in the past could not surmount barriers to care such as distance, transportation, childcare or stigma.

“Mental health has been destigmatized, but it means more people

Page 22 • IN GOOD HEALTH – Buffalo & WNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • May 2021

what People Inc. found in us — and their support will allow us to realize our full potential for serving our new patients.”

KeyBank’s donation will supply Evergreen with necessary resources, including medical equipment and furniture, to expand its patient population, particularly individuals with disabling conditions or other special needs, at 1870 Elmwood Ave. In February, Evergreen Health announced its partnership with People Inc., particularly its acquisition of the People Inc. Elmwood Health Center Primary Care clinic (Article 28). Once the transition occurs later this year, Evergreen will serve 5,000 new patients, in addition to its annual patient population, made up of 14,000 individuals.

Evergreen intends to open a new primary care clinic on Elmwood Avenue, by leasing space in the building, which will remain owned and operated by People Inc. The new clinic will fall under Evergreen’s federally qualified health center lookalike scope of services and include primary care services, as well as gynecology, podiatry and neurology, and services for individuals with disabling conditions and other special needs.

“It is our mission at KeyBank to support programs and organizations that address the needs of our most vulnerable neighbors by providing the resources necessary to support the underserved,” said Elizabeth Gurney, executive director of the KeyBank and First Niagara foundations. “Evergreen’s new primary care clinic will fill a critical need in our city by providing high quality medical care for those in need to achieve greater health and well-being.”

are accessing mental health providers, especially in the past year with the pandemic and racial injustice coming to the forefront,” said Amy Cross-Viola, licensed clinical social worker in private practice and adjunct professor at University at Buffalo.

The aging Baby Boomer generation is decreasing the pool of therapists faster than they are being replaced by new therapists according to www.goodtherapy.org.

Cross-Viola thinks that the low remuneration for master’s trained providers may be one reason that new professionals abandon the field.

She said that graduates work for clinics instead of opening a more profitable private practice to gain experience so that insurers will pay for sessions.

Shawn Marie Cichowski, a provider with AbleTo, a virtual behavioral health provider headquartered in New York City and a certified life coach and owner of Western New York Life Coaching in Williamsville, would like to see more collaboration to help connect people with therapists to avoid waiting lists.

“We need to be putting the services together,” she said. “I’m a behavioral coach and I collaborate with therapists. Having more integrative, collaborative team support would help. There needs to be a bridge and a connection to put it all together.”

May 2021 • IN GOOD HEALTH – Buffalo & WNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • Page 23

Our dedicated frontline heroes are here for you.

©2020 ECMC

Our ECMC family is incredibly grateful for the doctors, nurses, specialists, and staff who are working tirelessly to care for our community with undeterred dedication. Amid the challenges of the pandemic, you are fighting COVID-19 head-on. Even when we’re through this chapter, your courage and sacrifices will always inspire our community.

The difference between healthcare and true care ECMC.edu

TM

Page 24 • IN GOOD HEALTH – Buffalo & WNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • May 2021