Cny igh 176 aug14

in good Meet The Vero SBRT This system is now available at the new SUNY Upstate Cancer Center: It means state-of-the-art technology helping fight cancer.

August 2014 • Issue 176

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CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper

The NP will see you now...

New state law gives nurse practitioners more freedom to practice medicine. Medical organizations oppose the law PagePage 12 18

Not Healthy After All Study: A little alcohol may not be good for your heart after all

Dealing with Back Pain — the Alternatve Way

Retired? Time to Get Busy

Special Golden Years issue SUNY Upstate physician, Palma Shaw, explains how vascular surgeons help patients get better.

Writer Launches Weight Loss Book Deborah Jeanne Sergeant, staff writer at In Good Health, Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper, has recently launched a book discussing weight loss. She is shown practicing martial arts as one of her fitness activities. Her book encourages people to find a vigorous hobby they enjoy to keep moving. Page 9

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August 2014 •

Passion Over Pain: Syracuse Native Jon Arnow’s Story Jon Arnow deals with pain every day due to a traumatic skiing accident that left him partially paralyzed at the age of 45. Despite his condition, he finds energy and the passion to climb mountains, hike. sit-skiing, kayaking, etc.

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IN GOOD HEALTH – CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper

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A Little Alcohol May Not Be Good for Your Heart After All How will HealtheConnections benefit YOU & YOUR PROVIDER? Fewer repeated tests & procedures Enhanced sharing of medical records Provider access to your consolidated medical history Information that speaks for you in an emergency Improved communication & sharing of your records between providers Ask your healthcare provider to join HealtheConnections today!

HealtheConnections, working with over 360 participating healthcare organizations, brings patient medical records together electronically, safely and securely, to assist with better patient care

Look for our article in the September issue of In Good Health 315.671.2241 ● www.healtheconnections.org Connecting You to Better Care

New gene-focused review suggests that cutting down on drinking is always heart-healthy

A

new study challenges the widely held belief that light drinking of alcohol may be good for your heart.

Researchers analyzed more than 50 studies that examined drinking habits and heart health in more than 260,000 people.

They found that those with a form of a gene tied to lower levels of drinking generally had healthier hearts. The gene affects how a person’s body breaks down alcohol, resulting in unpleasant symptoms such as nausea and facial flushing. Having this variant has been shown to lead to lower drinking over the long term, the researchers explained.

On average, people with the gene had lower blood pressure, lower body-mass index (an estimate of body fat based on height and weight) and a 10 percent lower risk of heart disease.

The results suggest that cutting alcohol intake — even for light-to-moderate drinkers — benefits heart health, according to the authors of the

study in the July 11 issue of the BMJ. “While the damaging effects of heavy alcohol consumption on the heart are well-established, for the last few decades we’ve often heard reports of the potential health benefits of light-to-moderate drinking,” study senior author Juan Casas, a professor of epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said in a university news release.

“However, we now have evidence that some of these studies suffer from limitations that may affect the validity of their findings.

“In our study, we saw a link between a reduced consumption of alcohol and improved cardiovascular health, regardless of whether the individual was a light, moderate or heavy drinker,” Casas said. The study could only show an association between the two, however, it couldn’t prove cause-and-effect.

Further large-scale gene studies are needed to confirm these findings, the researchers said.

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HEALTH EVENTS

Aug. 2

Aug. 16

Event offers multi-organ blood analysis

Healing Waters Coming to Clayton

Oswego Health and the Oswego Kiwanis Club will hold their annual multi-organ blood analysis Aug. 2 at Leighton Elementary School in Oswego. The analysis screens individuals for various conditions such as anemia, diabetes, and others, as well as for coronary, kidney, and liver diseases.

Phlebotomists from Oswego Hospital will be on hand to conduct the blood draw. The cost of the analysis is $35.

Typically, these tests can cost more than $340.

In addition, this year there are two optional tests that cost $20 each. These tests include a prostate specific antigen (PSA) test, which is recommended to men older than age 50, and a vitamin D test. Individuals can also ask for a free colorectal kit.

The screening will be offered from 6:30 – 10 a.m. and appointments can be made by calling 341-0018. This phone line is conveniently open 24 hours a day. A 12-hour fast is required. Checks to cover the cost of the screenings should be made out to Oswego Health.

The results of the multi-organ blood analysis will be sent directly from the Oswego Hospital lab to the participant’s home and physician in an easy to read format.

Military families with wounded warriors and anglers with a passion for fly fishing will be able to learn more about Project Healing Waters at the Clayton-1000 Islands Gun & Sportsmen Show Aug. 16-17 at Cerow Recreation Park Arena, 615 E. Line Road in Clayton.

The nonprofit Project Healing Waters began at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC in 2005.

Wounded soldiers returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan learned how to tie fishing flies and were paired with volunteers on fishing trips to promote physical and mental healing.

The project now has more than 100 Chapters across the U.S. For show information, contact Tom Neely, 315-482-4596, or Bud Baril, 315686-2832.

Aug. 6

Substance abuse highlighted in event

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IN GOOD HEALTH – CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • August 2014

The VOW Foundation is organizing the first Oswego County Substance Awareness Family Education Fair, which will be held from noon to 9 p.m., Aug. 5, at the Mexico VFW. Organizers are using a $200 mini grant the Oswego-County Youth Bureau and the New York State Office of Children and Family Services to rent a large tent for this event to house games and other outdoor activities.

This free event will have information for all ages as well as entertainment, raffles, music by DJ Dave Spence, karaoke by J&K Knopp, food, games and prizes. Dinners will be provided by Carnivores BBQ and include a pulled pork sandwich, salt potatoes, coleslaw and bottled water for $10.

Tickets can be purchased in advance from VOW Foundation board members Teresa Woolson (315-402-6119), Karen Perwitz (315-256-3455), Sarah Gauger (315-592-1606) or Lisa LaPrate (315-3964357) or through email at Twoolson@ oswegocounty.org. A complete list of our sponsors and details of the event can be found at www.vow-foundation. org and Facebook page at www.facebook.com/thevowfoundationinc.

The VOW Foundation was formed in 2013, named in honor of Victor Orlando Woolson who had a fatal reaction to synthetic drugs. This organization is dedicated to educate and advocate about synthetic drugs in Oswego County and NYS.

Aug. 27

At NYS Fair: Keys to women happiness To help women find happiness amidst the hectic schedules of work, family, soccer practice, swim lessons, the phone, diapers, and dinner on the table by 6, the 2014 Great New York State Fair has invited motivational humorist Yvonne Conte to provide the keynote presentation at the Women’s Day luncheon on Wednesday, Aug.27.

Conte, CEO of Humor Advantage, Inc. and a nationally-recognized speaker and author, will present ‘The 7 Habits of Supremely Happy Women’ at the fair luncheon event.

Women’s Day at the NYS Fair begins with activities in the Arts and Home Center at 10:30 a.m. The Women’s Day luncheon will be held in the Empire Room at noon, hosted by Liz Ayers of WCNY Public Television.

The reservation form for the Women’s Day luncheon can be downloaded from the New York State Fair website at www.nysfair.org under Your Visit: Special Fair Days or call 315-487-7711 x1265. Yvonne Conte and Humor Advantage can be reached at 315-727-8668.

Aug. 23 – 24:

Free retreat for prostate cancer patients For the first time, those diagnosed with prostate cancer are invited to enjoy a two-day summer retreat sponsored by Camp Good Days & Special Times in collaboration with Us TOO Rochester NY. All meals and comfortable overnight accommodations in cabins with indoor plumbing are provided at no cost. This is a great opportunity for survivors to get away from daily obligations or chores and

continued on page 14

Crouse Hospital Posts Prices Online

MEDICAID ELIGIBLE? need managed long-term care? now you have options

We’re here to answer questions about any long-term Medicaid services you receive now, and to help you join VNA Homecare Options, so you can get all the care and benefits you’re entitled to.

At www.crouse.org/prices, consumer can find prices for more than 300 procedures

C

rouse Hospital is the first Central New York hospital to list prices for its most common medical procedures on its website.

The hospital has just posted a new section that can be accessed at crouse. org/prices.

Estimated average prices for more than 300 medical procedures and tests are included on the site that is broken down by inpatient and outpatient procedures, OB procedures, robotic surgery procedures and medical and other surgical procedures.

“Healthcare today can be confusing and complicated,” says Crouse Chief Financial Officer Kelli Harris.

“At Crouse, we try to make it as easy as possible to navigate the healthcare system, and that includes being transparent and informing our patients and our community about the cost of medical services we provide.”

Along with the estimated average price for the most commonly performed procedures or tests, the site also contains a list of frequently asked questions, as well as the total number of a particular procedure or test done at Crouse in the previous year.

Other information provided online includes the average age of the patients who received the test or procedure along with the average amount paid by Medicare, Medicaid and other patient insurances. A link to additional information about that particular procedure or test is also included.

Harris emphasizes that prices listed on the website may vary based on pre-existing health conditions, severity of illness, and the actual procedure performed. In addition, prices listed do not include physician fees, which are typically billed separately by individual providers and not the hospital.

Examples include charges from a surgeon, anesthesiologist or radiologist, says Harris, who encourages patients and consumers to contact their insurance provider to help determine what their actual out-of-pocket payments may be.

“One of our Crouse values is open and honest communication,” says Harris. “This is another step in shar-

Average Pricing Sample • Birth delivery: $3,823 • Total knee replacement: $29,005 • Total hip replacement: $31,064 • Major small large bowel procedures without complications: $36,480 ing information about the payment process in healthcare.”

Harris adds that patients should also research the quality of care provided at a particular hospital, as that that does not always correlate with pricing. Numerous online resources that contain information about hospital quality exist, but Harris recommends Hospital Compare, the official federal government site for Medicare at hospitalcompare.hhs.gov. Hospital Compare is a consumer-oriented website that provides information on how well hospitals provide recommended care to their patients. This information can help consumers make informed decisions about healthcare options. The site allows consumers to select multiple hospitals and directly compare performance measure information related to heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia, surgery and other conditions. Consumers are also encouraged to visit the quality section of the Crouse website at crouse.org/ quality.

Prices listed on the Crouse website are current as of June 2014. Information will be updated annually. Recent pricing changes, however, may not be reflected. The hospital welcomes patient and consumer questions regarding online pricing at pricesonline@ crouse.org.

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To request home delivery ($15 per year), call 315-342-1182.

In Good Health is published 12 times a year by Local News, Inc. © 2014 by Local News, Inc. All rights reserved. Mailing Address: P.O. Box 276, Oswego, NY 13126. • Phone: 315-342-1182 • Fax: 315-342-7776.

Editor & Publisher: Wagner Dotto • Associate Editor: Lou Sorendo Contributing Writers: Jim Miller, Eva Briggs, M.D., Gwenn Voelckers, Deborah Banikowski, Deborah Sergeant, Anne Palumbo, Melissa Stefanec, Matthew Liptak • Advertising: Jasmine Maldonado, Marsha K. Preston, Jim Maxwell • Design: Chris Crocker • Office Manager: Laura J. Beckwith No material may be reproduced in whole or in part from this publication without the express written permission of the publisher. The information in this publication is intended to complement—not to take the place of—the recommendations of your health provider.

Consult your physician before making major changes in your lifestyle or health care regimen.

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IN GOOD HEALTH – CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper

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Meet

Your Doctor

By Mike Costanza

Palma Shaw, MD Surgeon: “Vascular interventionists help patients live better lives with shorter hospital stays, less open surgery and fewer complications. “ Q. Some of the readers might not know of your specialty, vascular surgery. Could you tell us about it?

A. A vascular surgeon is a surgeon who specializes in performing procedures that have to do with the blood vessels. We do open surgery on arteries and veins, and we also do minimally invasive procedures. For example, we may want to treat a blockage in the left thigh. The less invasive approach would be to go through the artery in the left groin to treat the left leg. We have wires and catheters that allow us to do those procedures. We might use a balloon [catheter] to open up the blockage or sometimes we also place stents. It’s a little bit like what the cardiologists do in the heart, only vascular surgeons don’t deal with the heart. I perform the broad spectrum of vascular surgery.

Q. Why did you originally decide to become a surgeon?

A. When I was in high school, I met a female plastic surgeon, so my first impression of a physician was a surgeon.

Q. What drew you to vascular surgery?

A. The nice thing about being a surgeon is that, in general, our work helps people get better faster. If there’s a blockage and the patient could lose their leg, we do surgery to quickly restore blood flow to the foot. If somebody has a stroke, and there’s a piece of plaque or narrowing in the neck, we can make an incision or we can put a balloon or stent in the artery to reopen the artery and prevent further stroke.

I also like the technical aspects of vascular surgery. We do procedures all over the body, with the exception of the heart, there’s a lot of variety, which I enjoy.

For example, today I will go and connect a small artery in the wrist to a small vein within the arm to create a connection between the artery and vein. That will then allow the vein to dilate, so that this man can undergo hemodialysis, which is a necessary part of his life, because his kidneys have failed. Also, we can do venous work, where we can remove the varicose veins, or treat patients who have a lot of venous problems that cause them discomfort, and affect their day to day life.

IN GOOD HEALTH – CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • August 2014

Q. Recent studies have shown that large numbers of Americans continue to suffer from hypertension and other serious medical conditions as the result of their lifestyles. Do such problems present challenges for vascular surgeons?

A. Aside from people not managing their blood pressure and cholesterol and struggling with obesity, another very big problem that we deal with as vascular surgeons is diabetes. Diabetics have many problems that are related to their vascular systems. They are at increased risk for stroke, heart attack, kidney failure, visual problems and limb loss. Fifty percent of the non-traumatic limbs lost in the country are in diabetics—they have a tendency to get blockages in the small arteries in their calves.

They also have something called neuropathy, where they get numbness f r o m

problems with the nerves to the feet. Because of that, they may be wearing a shoe that doesn’t fit properly, and they can’t necessarily feel that there’s pain or a blister or a wound developing, so they’re at increased risk of developing a wound on their foot that they may not be able to identify. They also have trouble fighting infection, so that wound that they’re not even aware of…may get infected, and they don’t even notice it until they smell a bad odor. By then, the bone may already be involved. That may be the first time that we find out that they have vascular disease, and we have to go through the whole spectrum of trying to save their leg.

Q. Can you tell us of some of the high points of your career?

A. It’s a good feeling to know that you were able to help somebody who was very scared and at great risk of either being an amputee or of having a big stroke, or losing their life from a ruptured aneurysm. Maybe they’re going to have a better life because I was able to do something successfully.

That’s a nice feeling. It’s a continual payback.

Q. Are there parts of your job that you enjoy that do not involve direct patient care?

A. The one thing that I enjoy the most is education. I enjoy working with the residents and fellows in vascular surgery.

Having come here to Syracuse, I hope to raise awareness of vascular disease. I aspire to complement the care offered by an already excellent group of vascular surgeons.

Q. Do you see your field changing in the next five to 10 years?

A. Advances in medical management of vascular patients, complemented by the expansion of techniques in minimally invasive therapies will allow the vascular interventionists to help patients live better lives with shorter hospital stays, less open surgery and fewer complications.

At Upstate, the expansion of our vascular service will help us achieve these goals and provide patients with most cutting-edge advanced vascular care.

Lifelines: Current Positions: Director of the venous program, associate professor of surgery, member of the division of vascular and endovascular services, Upstate Medical University, Syracuse.

Education: BS, general science, Villanova University, Villanova, Pa.; MD, Hahnemann University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pa; Surgical internship: Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC. Surgical Residencies: Guthrie Clinic/Robert Packer Hospital, Sayre, Pa.; St. Vincent’s Hospital and New York Medical College, New York, NY. Fellowships: Endovascular research, Montefiore Hospital and Medical Center, Bronx, NY; Vascular Surgery, Newark Beth Israel Medical center, Newark, NJ. Personal: Enjoys spending time with her two young children, traveling and skiing.

CNY’s New Cancer Center Syracuse’s new Upstate Cancer Center offers state-of-art resources, one-stop location for patients

By Matthew Liptak

A

n administrator at the new Upstate Cancer Center expects the facility to be just what the doctor ordered not only for people in Onondaga County, but for patients throughout Upstate New York.

The $90 million, five-story, 100,000-square-foot building was expected to open for clinical operation in late July.

“I think the overall care is going to be state-of-the-art here,” said Richard Kilburg, associate administrator for the Upstate Cancer Center. “The environment will be very inviting and warm. It will be a healing environment.”

Renato Mandanas, chief medical officer of Oswego Health, agreed that the new cancer center should only strengthen overall cancer care in Central New York.

“The new all-outpatient cancer center will more than likely attract additional skilled and knowledgeable physicians who will want to provide care in this new highly technologically advanced setting, which will benefit the community which needs cancer care services,” Mandanas said.

Kilburg highlighted the new center’s multidisciplinary approach as one of the main assets that may help draw patients in from outlying areas. The center is providing a one-stop location where someone fighting the disease can have most, if not all, of their needs met.

“Particularly what the multidisciplinary programs do is they combine a surgeon, a medical oncologist and a radiation oncologist — the three main service treatment options that are available to patients,” Kilburg said.

“It brings them together to review each patient’s case. Those physicians come to an agreement on the particular patient’s treatment plan. The patient basically has one plan and it’s agreed

on by all the specialists as opposed to going to three different specialists and potentially getting three different treatment options.”

In addition to medical needs, the center will provide help to patients for issues that often surround cancer treatment. There will be space for social workers, nutrition counseling, emotional support, financial counseling and spiritual care counseling. The center also expects to offer integrative therapies like yoga and acupuncture down the road.

The $74 million, five-story, 100,000-sq.-ft. Upstate Cancer Center in Syracuse is expected to open for clinical operation in late August. Photo courtesy of Robert Mescavage Photography.

Upstate Cancer Center will also be able to boast of state-of-the-art technology such as two new linear accelerators used to shrink tumors with radiation.

The Vero linear accelerator will be only the third of its kind in the United States to be used clinically, Kilburg said. He also said the other, named a Varian TrueBeam, is the “latest and greatest” the Varian company has to offer.

The Varian TruBeam will also be available at the radiation oncology office at the Seneca Hill Services Center in Oswego in the fall. Oswego Health often collaborates with Upstate University Hospital in serving cancer patients in the Oswego area.

The use of the Varian TrueBeam will deliver more powerful treatment, Mandanas said.

“For lung and other tumors subject to respiratory motion, TrueBeam has the technology to monitor the patients breathing and compensate for movement of the tumor while the radiation dose is being delivered,” he said.

Because of its pinpoint accuracy tumors in other sensitive areas like the liver, breast, head and neck could also be treated, Mandanas noted.

Other features at the new cancer center in Syracuse will be the 27 private infusion areas for receiving chemother-

apy treatment. The infusion areas look out onto the new four-season roof top healing garden in order to promote a sense of wellbeing.

With all that, two of the five floors of the building are being reserved for future use. What they will be filled with has yet to be determined.

“It could be anything,” Kilburg said. “It could be additional infusion chairs for chemotherapy. It could be diagnostic radiology equipment like a PET/CT. It could be additional multidisciplinary program space. The jury is still out on what that space will be used for.”

In all likelihood, things will be busy at the new center if statistics are any indicator.

Onondaga County has 3,000 new cases of cancer a year and Oswego County has 700 to 800 new cases a year, Kilburg said. Many of them may become patients at Upstate’s new center.

Kilburg said recently with baby boomers entering prime cancer-risk age, the incidences of the disease are projected to grow by 30 percent over the next 10 years. The hospital’s previous cancer programs saw 2,000 new adult patients each year and 60 to 100 pediatric patients.

At that time, Upstate has had

Cutting-edge technology

A highlight of the Upstate Cancer Center is new technology that is now available to treat cancer. The Vero SBRT (Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy System) is for advanced treatment of lung, liver and prostate cancer. Photo courtesy of William Mueller.

patients coming from Canada, Pennsylvania, Rochester and Albany, said Kilburg. If that range extends even further with the new center, Upstate expects to be ready.

“Probably we could serve in the neighborhood of 2,000 new patients outside the county,” Kilburg said. “We can take as many as get referred here basically now.”

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IN GOOD HEALTH – CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper

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Page 7

Live Alone & Thrive

By Gwenn Voelckers

Practical tips, advice and hope for those who live alone

Finding Love in Unexpected Places

R

emember the song, “Looking for Love” by Johnny Lee? I recently heard it on an oldies radio station, and it inspired this column.

Need a reminder? Here is the chorus:

I was lookin’ for love in all the wrong places, Lookin’ for love in too many faces, Searchin’ their eyes, lookin’ for traces Of what I’m dreamin’ of, Hopin’ to find a friend and a lover I’ll bless the day I discover Another heart lookin’ for love.

August is as good a time as ever to remember that love comes in all sizes and shapes, colors and contrasts. Some love appears shiny and bright like last month’s Fourth of July fireworks. Other loves come in plain brown “sandwich” paper.

Few would argue that love — in all its many manifestations — makes life rich and full and worth living. But love, defined too narrowly, can spell heartbreak and disappointment for those who don’t have a special someone in his or her life.

In one of my most cherished books, “Life Lessons” by Dr. Elisabeth Kübler-

Ross and David Kessler, the authors make an important point: that we don’t always recognize love because we categorize it, declaring romantic love to be the only “real” kind of love.

Those of us who live alone can fall prey to that way of thinking. I’ve been guilty of thinking along these lines myself. But, thanks to time, introspection, and the teachings of others, I have broadened my perspective. I now see and enjoy meaningful connections everywhere I go, and it has made an amazing difference in my life. It may make a difference in your life, too.

Lately, some of my most intimate moments have been with an old high school friend, Terry.

Both divorced, we enjoy a comfortable brother-sister relationship that is as practical as it is profound. We attend work functions together, we hang out and help each other with household chores on weekends, we celebrate birthdays, and we are there for each other when we are facing life’s challenges. While not romantic in the classic sense of the term, there is no shortage of love in my relationship with Terry.

Many single people have what can

KIDS Corner Baby Gate-Related Injuries Nearly Quadrupled Since 1990 Researchers call for advances in gate design, increased caregiver education

I

f you are a parent, chances are you have used or will use a baby gate at some point. Baby gates are designed to help protect young children from stairs and other dangers around the home. If you use these in your home, take note. A new study from researchers in the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital has found gates can lead to injury if used incorrectly.

The study, published in the MayJune print issue of Academic Pediatrics,

Page 8

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is the first nationally representative study to examine injuries associated with these gates. From 1990 through 2010, emergency departments in the United States treated an estimated 37,673 children younger than 7 years of age for baby gate-related injuries. That is an average of 1,794 per year, or about five injured children per day.

More than 60 percent of the children injured were younger than 2, and they were most often injured by falls down stairs after a gate collapsed or

IN GOOD HEALTH – CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • August 2014

be described as “passionate friendships” — those relationships in which we feel completely comfortable and where we can express ourselves openly and honestly, without the complications that can sometimes come with sexual intimacy. I enjoy this kind of relationship with Terry, and my life is the richer for it.

We delight in each other’s company and, because of this relationship, I have discovered that intimacy is not the exclusive purview of romantic unions.

While you may not currently have someone special on your arm, it doesn’t mean you won’t find and enjoy love in your life. Love can be found in many unexpected places, even in incidental, accidental relationships.

I’ve discovered that every relationship, every encounter, however trivial, can deliver happiness and take us to a loving place. I lead a body conditioning class at my local YMCA once a week on Saturdays. I show up, members show up, and we immediately get to work, building strength and getting healthier. We’ve been working out together for years.

While these class members could be considered passing strangers, they

when it was left open, leading to soft tissue injuries like sprains and strains and traumatic brain injuries. Children aged 2 to 6 years old were most often injured by contact with the gate itself after climbing on it, which can lead to cuts.

“Baby gates are essential safety devices for parents and caregivers, and they should continue to be used,” said Lara McKenzie, the study’s co-author and a principal investigator in the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. “It is important, however, to make sure you are using a gate that meets the voluntary safety standards and is the right type of gate for where you are planning to use it.”

McKenzie recommends parents think of pressure-mounted gates as products that should only be used as room dividers or at the bottom of stairs because those kinds of gates are not designed to withstand much force and will not prevent a fall down stairs.

For the top of the stairs, only gates that have hardware, which needs to be screwed into the wall or railing, will be strong enough to prevent a child from falling down the stairs.

The fact that the rate of injury associated with this safety product nearly quadrupled during the time period covered by the study, going from 3.9 per 100,000 children in 1990 to 12.5 per 100,000 children in 2010, shows more can be done to prevent these types of

have, instead, become people I care about and who care about me. “I show up because of you,” one long-time member said recently. That made me feel loved!

More recently, I have entered into what I hope will become a penpal relationship with an In Good Health reader who describes himself as a “rapidly aging male, hardly in your target audience.” That made me smile. While we’re not potential “dating material,” I can already tell we share a love of the written word and have lots in common.

We are both divorced and have been living alone for more than 30 years.

In his most recent email he shared, “I like my house, and find the single life acceptable and sometimes definitely superior (though occasionally not) to anything else.” My thoughts exactly!

My advice to you this summer: Recognize the potential for love and intimacy in the world around you. Reach out and make real connections with the people you meet and interact with during your daily routines. Look them in the eye, hear what they have to say, and share what’s in your heart.

If you are not in an intimate relationship, it doesn’t mean that your life won’t be filled with richness, love and special moments. Count your blessings for the many opportunities for human warmth that exist and for the magic in the connections we experience every day, no matter how seemingly insignificant. Love is the wonder that surrounds us. With an open heart, you won’t miss this life-giving and lovefilled gift.

Gwenn Voelckers is the founder and facilitator of Live Alone and Thrive, empowerment workshops for women held throughout the year in Mendon. For information about her workshops or to invite Gwenn to speak, call 585-624-7887 or email: gvoelckers@rochester.rr.com.

injuries. Study researchers recommended a combination of efforts to educate families on correct ways to use gates and changes in gate design to reduce these types of injuries.

Tips to help reduce gate-related injuries • Use hardware-mounted baby gates at the top of stairways. Gates that only press against walls, called pressure-mounted gates, are not secure enough to prevent falls.

• Install gates in homes with children between 6 months and 2 years of age.

• If possible, remove the gates when the child turns 2, or when the child has learned to open the gate or climb over it.

• If removing a gate is not possible because of other children in the home, use a gate without notches or gaps that could be used for climbing.

In Good Health Writer Publishes Weight Management Book Deborah Sergeant, a staff writer for In Good Health and 55 PLUS, recently launched her first book, “The Big, Fat Answer,” which is a compilation of information she accumulated while reporting on and writing about health-related topics for various publications since 2000

By Aaron Curtis

T

here’s no shortage of questions when it comes to how to lose weight and, when lost, how to keep that weight off.

There are also plenty of purported answers — the Atkins diet program, the grapefruit or “Hollywood” diet plan, and most recently, the consumption of garcinia cambogia extract, to name a few.

After reporting on the field of health for more than a decade, In Good Health writer Deborah Jeanne Sergeant said that the answer is simpler than these weight-loss fads popularized by media outlets. According to Sergeant, the answers are within reach of all those looking to shed those unwanted pounds, and is also outlined in her first book.

Sergeant recently penned “The Big, Fat Answer,” which is a compilation of information she accumulated while reporting on and writing about health-related topics for various publications since 2000. After reflecting on her notes from approximately 700 interviews from a hodge-podge of healthcare experts, the decision to layout her knowledge in a book was natural.

“It only makes sense for me to use this information I’ve absorbed through all these resources to write a book about healthy weight management,” Sergeant said.

Weight loss methodology seems to be a hefty topic across the U.S., and according to information posted by the

Center for Disease Control and Prevention, it is easy to understand why.

According to the organization, obesity affects nearly 35 percent of U.S. adults as well as 17 percent of children nationwide. The health issues experienced by the nation as a result of this fact is reflected in the medical cost of obesity in the U.S. — estimated to be $147 billion in 2008, according to the CDC website.

Since this problem has impacted so many, millions of Americans turn to a landscape of information through the various media outlets that submerge us all. According to Sergeant, the information out there can be conflicting and confusing, and might lead to disappointment for those desperate to drop a few belt sizes.

Sergeant reflected on the strife of a friend she has who decided to give one of the well-known diet plans a shot.

She noted that her friend was able to drop approximately 30 pounds as a result of her investment into the program. However, that newfound weight did not last, she said. When the diet was completed, the pounds came back.

All the hard work and the financial investment ultimately left her back at the weight-loss starting line.

“People are looking for that answer,” she said. “And it is not going to be found through tricks or a gimmick.

What it comes down to is practicing common sense and living the healthy lifestyle.”

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That is the underlying message that Sergeant explores in her first book. “’The Big, Fat Answer’ does not provide a secret formula,” she said.

In her book, aside from expert perspectives, the 40-year-old married mother of two who lives in Wayne County lays out details of how she has kept herself in quality shape through the years. She pointed out that achieving that desired size doesn’t end with avoiding fast food, and targeting menus of healthy foods. Sergeant stated that it also comes down to movement — cutting the calories that the person is bringing in, and finding a fun way to do it.

“Find something that you enjoy to be active, “ Sergeant said. “I tried swimming ... but it didn’t work for me.

Some people hate going to the gym ... and that’s fine. There are plenty of

things that people can do to be active.

And if they find something they like, they’ll stick with it.”

For Sergeant, the motivation to maintain the healthy lifestyle is easy to explain.

“The motivator is to live a long and healthy life,” Sergeant said. “You hear the cliché of the man who lived to be 110 and died fat and happy. But hoping for that is gambling against the odds.

“Why go there?” she said. “Why not be sure that you are going to be that (person) with good health and vitality until the end.”

“The Big, Fat Answer” is available on a variety of online stores, including Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

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IN GOOD HEALTH – CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper

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Page 9

My Turn

containing an injection of epinephrine.

By Eva Briggs

All About Ticks, Bees And Wasps — Jeopardy Style

R

ecently I listened to an audiobook, My Short, Happy Life in “Jeopardy,” read by my friend and CNY-based voice-over specialist Rich McVicar. That gave me the idea of writing this month’s column as a Jeopardy-style quiz with categories related to common summer maladies.

Category 1: Ticks A: Hot cigarette Q: What is a bad way to try to remove a tick?

I am frequently amazed by the number of people who come to the urgent care who tell me that they tried to remove a tick by holding a hot cigarette to the tick’s rear end, because they heard it would make the tick let go and back out. It doesn’t work. Think about it. The glowing end of a hot cigarette or match is much larger than the tick itself. That would be like someone holding a 6-foot diameter mega-cigarette to your human derriere. If that thing were incinerating your backside, would you stop whatever you were doing and back up into it? I didn’t think so.

A: Head and mouthparts Q: What is OK to leave behind when you remove a tick?

Ideally, of course, you want to remove the entire tick. But often the tick breaks and tiny mouthparts remain imbedded in the skin. If you can’t

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easily remove the mouthparts with tweezers, don’t worry. Those bits are very superficial and will work their way out on their own. Tick-borne disease occurs when the tick regurgitates some of its stomach contents into your bloodstream. The detached head does not pose a risk for Lyme and other tickborne illnesses. You will cause more damage by digging the head out than you will by leaving it alone. Don’t believe me? Ask the CDC and visit www. cdc.gov/ticks/removing_a_tick.html.

A: White-footed mouse Q: What is the principal reservoir for the Lyme disease causing bacteria?

Yes, it is actually mice rather than deer that are most likely to infect ticks with the Lyme disease bacterium.

Fragmentation of our forests into patches less than five acres provide a habitat that allows white-footed mice to flourish. This is one reason for the rising incidence of Lyme disease.

A: Tick twister and tweezers Q: What are two good ways to remove ticks?

The tick twister is an inexpensive, reusable tool that looks like a mini-prybar. Slide the notched end over a tick, twist and pull, and usually the whole tick is out in less than 60 seconds. You can find them at a variety of places such as veterinarian offices, pet stores, pharmacies, and garden supply store.

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IN GOOD HEALTH – CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • August 2014

481 in Fulton, just south of the Fulton Urgent Care where I work.

A: Anaplamosis, Babesiosis, Borrelia myomotoi, Colorado tick fever, Erlichiosis, Heartland virus, Powassen disease, Rickettsia parkeri, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Southern tick-associated rash illness, Tick-borne relapsing fever, Tularemia, 364D Reckettsiosis.

Q: What are some illnesses besides Lyme disease that are transmitted by ticks.

Sounds scary, but really, it is still generally safe to go outdoors.

Category 2: Venomous Hymenoptera (Bees And Wasps) A: A large warm area that may be itchy and/or painful that develops soon after a sting.

Q: What is a local reaction?

Some local reactions are pretty impressive, but if the redness and swelling is at the site of the sting and there are no symptoms elsewhere in the body, it is not an allergy. It’s a reaction to the toxins in the insect venom. You can treat it with ice, over-the-counter antihistamines, topical hydrocortisone or aloe, and elevating the injured part.

You don’t need to carry a bee sting kit

A: Eye swollen shut after a sting.

Q: What is a local reaction?

Your eyelids and face have lots of blood vessels and a bee sting can cause impressive swelling. The treatment is as described above.

A: Hives, wheezing, throat tightness, lightheadedness or fainting, swollen lips and tongue, diarrhea and abdominal pain.

Q: What is anaphylaxis?

These are signs of a true serious allergy. Call 911 and administer epinephrine if the victim has it.

A: Perfumed soaps, scented shampoos and deodorants, perfume, and cologne?

Q: What are some ways to attract stinging insects?

During bee and was season, avoid these products to reduce your risk of being stung. Also wear light colored clothing, bathe daily, and dispose of discarded food.

A: Bring your car to a slow safe stop and roll down the windows.

Q: What should you do if a bee is in your car?

Don’t panic. Over the years I’ve seen people injured, some seriously, because they panicked and lost control of their vehicle.

That’s it for today’s round. How many correct answers did you know?

Eva Briggs is a medical doctor who works at two urgent care centers (Central Square and Fulton) operated by Oswego Health.

Jon Arnow deals with pain every day due to a traumatic skiing accident that left him partially paralyzed at the age of 45. Despite his condition, he finds energy and the passion to climb mountains, hike and sit-skiing, kayking.

Passion Over Pain: Syracuse Native Jon Arnow’s Story

By Matthew Liptak

F

ormer Syracuse resident, 57-yearold Jon Arnow, deals with pain every day due to a traumatic skiing accident that left him partially paralyzed at the age of 45. The crash also left him with severely damaged internal organs, an injured pelvis and it punctured his lungs.

He was in the hospital for six months and nearly died from his injuries.

It hasn’t stopped him from descending and ascending a 5,000-foot Grand Canyon trail on crutches last year, being the first paraplegic to circumnavigate Lake Tahoe by kayak this past January (along with paralyzed friend Mark Wellman,) or sit-skiing across the Sierra Mountains.

The passion for the outdoors he gained — while going down local slopes like Song Mountain and Toggenburg — sustains him today in his life.

He continues to get outside to pursue adventure sports but his way of doing it has changed dramatically and there is constant pain and bowel and bladder issues that often go with being a paraplegic.

Arnow — a physician by training who now lives in Reno, Nevada — said

that most people only associate paralysis with a loss of mobility. They are less informed about those other conditions that come with it.

“Good for them for not knowing because it sucks,” he said.

He is frank about his condition, without self pity, but Arnow continues to struggle with the reality that he can’t do what he once did. At one time he did ice climbing, was a ski mountaineer (taking multi-day trips on skis through mountain ranges,) and an avid alpine mountain climber too.

“It was a horrible adjustment,” he said. “It was like going 90 miles an hour to zero instantly. I’m not over it yet. I’m frustrated always. I didn’t just recover in a few years. A lot of people get paralyzed between the ages of 18 to 22 and I think that their adjustment is different, faster. Having had the injury at 45 I had a lot of good experiences under my belt and, man, did I miss doing those things. I miss them as we speak. I’m a slow recoverer.”

Arnow has recovered enough to have partial use of his right leg, where all his muscle groups are working, but weak. His left leg is paralyzed and he wears a brace on it to use it to pivot

and hobble around the house, using walls to lean on. He uses crutches when he’s outside.

The physician said the March 2013 descent of the Grand Canyon was not difficult. It was only fatiguing toward

the end. He was on a main trail that had switchbacks and had able-bodied friends along with him to watch his back.

Descending the canyon was actually pretty fast, Arnow said. It was coming up that was slow.

“Just one step in front of the other and over time you’ll get there,” he said.

He admits though that it took him days to recover from the journey.

More recently the ear nose and throat doctor has gotten into kayaking.

He realized it was something of an optimum sport for him because you do it in a sitting position. He could also carry camping gear on his kayak with him. Camping is a pursuit he also enjoys but his back is no longer strong enough to haul a pack.

Kayaking has been wonderful, Arnow said, and he hopes to do a lot more of it. Just recently he did a 100 mile, two-day trip on the Sacramento River with a friend. And of course there is the circumnavigation of Lake Tahoe that took place on New Year’s 2014. He was pleased with that accomplishment, which he achieved with paralyzed friend Mark Wellman.

“It was just the two of us so we were very proud that we accomplished that without anybody’s help,” he said.

“It was a big deal to us. In the big picture nobody gives a hoot, but in our little world it mattered.”

Arnow considers his sit-ski trek across the Sierra Mountains as a feather in his cap too. Sit-skiing or Nordic skiing is skiing on a seat with an aluminum frame with two cross-country skis bolted to it. The skiers use two poles to propel themselves. In Arnow and Wellman’s case they carried camping supplies with them for the multi-day trip.

Passion for the Outdoors Rooted in Syracuse The doctor traces his passion for the outdoors back to his time in Syracuse. Arnow said he particularly enjoyed the snowy winter here.

He has fond memories of going to Pebble Hill School in DeWitt from grades 3 through 11. In his senior year Arnow said he was “rebellious” and transferred to Nottingham High School. He lived off Euclid Avenue.

After graduating high school he left Syracuse to go to Brown University and then went on to the Yale School of Medicine. Arnow did a rotation of family medicine on the Navaho reservation in the Four Corners area out west, where Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico and Utah meet. He fell in love with the grand

landscape of the West.

“It’s just drop dead beautiful — open skies...if you’ve got to ask you can’t understand,” he said. “It’s just beautiful.”

Today he lives in Reno, Nevada, with his wife, Debbie, of 27 years.

He doesn’t intend to move back East, though his passion for the outdoors is rooted here.

It is a passion he uses to push past the pain every time he goes out in the Western wilderness, but he remains pragmatic about pursuing the life style he loves.

“You’ve just got to work your ass off to get it done and there will be rewards,” he said.

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IN GOOD HEALTH – CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • August 2014

oyce P. Griffin-Sobel has been waiting for this law to become official, especially with states nationwide already on board. She said every nurse practitioner has a bachelor’s and a master’s and are well equipped to handle many aspects of health care.

Taking effect Jan. 1 next year, the Nurse Practitioners Modernization Act has been called by some a way to advance greater patient access to care and recognize the roles that nurse practitioners play as independent healthcare professionals. There are 13 states that allow nurse practitioners to practice with complete Griffin-Sobel independence including Alabama, Arizona, District of Columbia, Iowa, Idaho, Maine, Montana, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. New York is 14th.

“The law was basically just an exercise in paperwork,” said Sobel, a registered nurse who is also the dean and professor of Dollinger the College of Nursing in SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse. “We provide wonderful care for so many primary care needs on numerous specialties. Nothing happens quickly in New York state, but this is a step in the right direction.”

The new law removes the requirement of a written practice agreement between an experienced nurse practitioner and a doctor as a condition of opening their own practice.

Any nurse practitioner with more than 3,600 hours of practice or two years will be able to continue extending their expertise and freedom beyond the current limitations. Previously that signed written collaborative agreement with the physician was as narrow or broad as the medical doctor was willing to go.

Nurse practitioners practice in a variety of primary and spe-

cialty care settings, including ambulatory, acute, long term and primary care.

They are licensed and certified by NYS Education Department to diagnose illness and physical conditions, perform therapeutic and corrective measures, order tests, perform health screenings, annual check ups and prescribe medications without direct supervision. In addition to their advanced certification by the nursing board, many NPs are certified by national accrediting agencies in one or more practice specialty.

With the new law, nurse practitioners will be able see patients independently and even open their own practice.

In the wake of doctor storages in Central and Western New York, officials believe the new law was monumental. By the year 2020, there will be a shortage of between 100,000 to 150,000 doctors nationwide, according to the American Medical Association. New York itself is short about 1,200 doctors.

With the roll out of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and Upstate and Central New York doctor shortages, Griffin-Sobel views nurse practitioners are essential for

taking care of a growing patient population.

“There have been studies that mention there are better health outcomes when people deal with a nurse practitioner in certain situations than a primary care doctor. Often they have more time to work with patients, have better patient satisfaction scores and have a higher rating when it comes to following up on the patient,” she added.

As a family nurse practitioner, Marilyn Dollinger has long wanted the opportunity to operate more independently of doctors, while still having the collaborative relationship. She has fought to take away the stigma that nurse practitioners were not capable of doing many of the tasks that were routinely part of their job as well as being able to practice medicine without the medical version of a signed consent form from a physician. In fact, she would like it to go even further and not require written consent with doctors at all instead of having to wait until they have worked 3,600 hours.

“There is a shortage of primary care providers and nurse practitioners are doing a very good job filling in the gaps,” said Dollinger, who is also the associate dean of the Wegmans School of Nursing at St. John Fisher College in Rochester. “We focus on the whole care of people and their families and manage anything from acute health issues to regular checkups.”

Those who disagreed with the law said a physician’s training is far superior to that of a nurse practitioner, which is why the collaborative, written consent was something essential to the health care system. Officials say physicians train five to 10 years more than an NP before they join the workforce because of medical school and residency. Nurse practitioners typically can start participating fully in the work force two to four years after they receive their bachelor’s because they don’t have a residency program.

Dollinger disagrees with the assessment that there will be any drop in care after this law. She believes the role of NPs are becoming more understood and appreciated nationwide. A 2010 Institute of Medicine Future of Nursing Report stated that NPs provide high quality safe care, are cost effective and the patient satisfaction scores are consistently high.

“The Institute of Medicine reviewed all of the data and determined that lifting the restrictions on practice was the right thing to do. If it is good enough for the Institute of Medicine to value our worth then not much more needs to be said,” said Dollinger, who is also the co-chairwoman of the legislative committee for the regional NP association. “This is an important evaluation from a non-partisan expert group and should have credibility.”

Medical societies oppose new legislation: NPs can’t perform same functions as MDs

T

he new nurse practitioner law has been met with mixed reaction — from jubilation to worry. Medical societies throughout New York state have weighed in on the issue.

Nancy Adams, executive director of the Monroe County Medical Society, said nurse practitioners are a valued and integral part of the medical team.

“However, some nurse practitioners have been trying for many years to expand their scope of practice to allow them to perform the same functions as a physician,” said Adams. “Their graduate-level education consists of two to four years with no residency and a total of 500-720 hours of patient care hours required through training. This compares with four years of medical school, three to seven years of residency, and 12,000-16,000 hours of total patient care required through training for the physicians to which they claim to be equivalent.”

She said medical degrees cannot be legislated and that written practice agreements are in the best interest of patients and promote high quality care.

“Nurses who want to practice medicine independently should go to medical school,” added Adams.

James Coulthart, executive vice president of the Onondaga County Medical Society, said there have been a wide range of opinions from physicians in the area. He believes the previous system with coloration with the nurse practitioners was working fine and didn’t need alterations to the extent that the new law has placed.

“You need someone to be the team captain and that is a role best played

by the physician,” said Coulthart. “We do have physicians that are concerned about this new direction.”

Elizabeth Dears, senior vice president for legislative affairs for the Medical Society of New York, said the new law strikes a delicate balance for both sides. Nurse practitioners no longer need the written consent after 3,600 hours; however, doctors have the right to decide whether they want to enter into a relationship with a nurse practitioner even if they surpass the required hours.

She said that leaves both sides empowered because NPs can select physicians who support the new measures and work with them, while doctors can choose to only deal with nurse practitioners who are fine with a written consent form. There were some nurse practitioners who wanted the law to go even further with no consent necessary regardless of the number of hours they worked, a measure the Medical Society of New York greatly disagrees with. “Nurse practitioners do not have anywhere near the same training in medicine as physicians. As a whole, physicians do not believe they should be able to practice independently of doctors,” she said. “The relationship should be collaborative, with the doctor as the lead of the team.” She added that she was happy that the new law specifically states that if a physician and nurse practitioner disagree with the mode and method of treatment, the doctor’s decision prevails.

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CNYHEALTH.COM August 2014 •

IN GOOD HEALTH – CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper

•

Page 13

SmartBites

By Anne Palumbo

The skinny on healthy eating

Water-Rich Cucumbers Are Nutrient-Rich, Too

I

am married to a man who eats an entire cucumber in one sitting.

Peel, seeds, ends, everything. So I asked him the other day if he knew what was nutritious about cucumbers. He shrugged his shoulders and speculated, “All the water?”

Yes, I confirmed, cucumbers are 96 percent water. Beyond that, though, he was clueless.

I don’t think he’s alone. Cukes don’t get much attention for the very fact that they are mostly water.

Not that being full of this vital nutrient is a bad thing. In fact, now, during the hot month of August, it’s a very good thing. Parched? Reach for a cuke. Headache looming? Corral the mighty cuke. Skin a tad dry? Ditto.

But a cucumber’s high water content is just the tip of its nutritious iceberg. This crisp and highly versatile vegetable (really a fruit!) is an impressive source of phytonutrients — valuable compounds found in plants that

Helpful tips

may help prevent disease through their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer benefits.

Reduced risk of estrogen-related cancers, in particular, has been associated with a specific group of cucumber phytonutrients known as lignans.

On the vitamin front, one medium cucumber is a commendable source of vitamin K, providing about twothirds of our daily needs, and a decent source of vitamin C, offering up about one-sixth of our daily needs. Vitamin K helps maintain bones and ensures proper blood clotting, while vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant with immune-boosting capabilities, works hard

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IN GOOD HEALTH – CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • August 2014

Select cucumbers that are firm and bright medium to dark green. Avoid cucumbers that are wrinkled at the tips. Thin-skinned, narrower cucumbers generally have fewer and less bitter seeds. Store unwrapped in the refrigerator for up to a week, but the sooner you use — the better. Since a cucumber’s skin and seeds are both richer in nutrients than the flesh, consumption of these parts is highly recommended. If so desired, buy organically grown cucumbers (waxed or not) or conventionally grown cucumbers that have not been waxed. As a precaution, both should be thoroughly washed under cool water while scrubbing with a brush. Conventionally grown waxed cucumbers should always be peeled.

1 ¼ cups whole wheat couscous 1 ½ cups water 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved 2 medium unwaxed cucumbers, cut into 1/4-inch pieces 2/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leafed parsley 2/3 cup chopped fresh mint 1 medium red bell pepper, seeded, diced 1 cup crumbled feta cheese 2 medium green onions, chopped 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon grated lemon peel 1 clove garlic, minced 1/4 teaspoon (or to taste) kosher salt 1/8 teaspoon (or to taste) coarse black pepper To prepare couscous, bring 1 ½ cups water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add couscous and stir to blend.

Remove saucepan from heat; cover and let stand 10 minutes. Once the granules have absorbed all the liquid, fluff the cooked couscous with a fork. Let cool.

Next, put the couscous, tomatoes, cucumbers, parsley, mint, red pepper, feta, and green onions in a large bowl.

In a separate bowl, whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, lemon peel, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper.

Pour over couscous; toss gently to coat.

Anne Palumbo is a lifestyle columnist, food guru, and seasoned cook, who has perfected the art of preparing nutritious, calorie-conscious dishes.

She is hungry for your questions and comments about SmartBites, so be in touch with Anne at avpalumbo@aol.com.

Minty Tabbouleh with Cucumber, Tomato and Bell Pepper Adapted from eatright.org.

Serves 8

CALENDAR of HEALTH EVENTS

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Page 14

to keep our tissues in tip-top shape.

And on the potassium front, cucumbers provide enough of this essential mineral to give it a shout-out.

Potassium helps regulate blood pressure and also works with sodium to maintain the body’s water balance.

Watching your weight? Cucumbers are a dieter’s dream food: they’re fat free; they’re low in calories (only 45 per medium cuke); and they have next to no sodium. Plus, they’re natural diuretics, which may make that swimsuit feel a bit less snug.

continued from page 4

enjoy the company of others who know what you’re going through. The retreat takes place at the 13-acre recreational site for Camp Good Days located in Keuka Lake, Branchport. Those diagnosed with prostate cancer, no matter where they live, work or receive care, can attend either or both days to enjoy boating, fishing, hiking, swimming, educational discussions and much, much more. Advance registration is required.

Visit www.campgooddays.org or call 585-624-5555 for more information.

getting help and a safety net for people in crisis.

For more information about volunteering, go to www.contactsyracuse. org/volunteer or contact Laurie Best, volunteer coordinator at 315-251-1400 x 112 or lbest@contactsyracuse.org.

Sept. 12–14

The 15th annual Pagan Pride Day festival will be held at Long Branch Park in Liverpool from 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. on Sept. 20. Throughout the day, the event offers music and other entertainment, workshops on various aspects of pagan life, vendors offering unique and handcrafted items, children’s activities, food and lots of good family fun. There will be an autumn equinox celebratory observance that visitors can take part or just observe to learn more about pagan pride.

Through education, activism, charity and community, the project promotes tolerance and understanding between people with different belief systems. Non-pagans can better understand their friends, coworkers and family members who follow an earth-centered spiritual path.

For information on this event, contact Kurt Hohmann at 315.402.3571 or churchofthegreenwood@gmail.com or visit www.cnyppd.org.

Course to train volunteers for Contact Hotline

Training to become a volunteer telephone counselor for the 24-hour Contact Hotline will be held the weekend of Sept. 12-14th. In addition to the weekend classes, training includes observation and apprenticing shifts.

Participants learn active listening skills and are well prepared to respond to hotline callers, including those in crisis.

Contact Community Services began in 1971 as a 24-hour telephone counseling and crisis hotline staffed entirely by volunteers. It has been operating continuously since then. During this time, volunteers have been responding to calls about suicide, abuse, depression, relationships, financial and job worries, family issues, sexuality issues and much more. Calling the hotline has been a first step towards

Sept. 20

Pagan Pride Day takes place in Liverpool

Alternative therapy can treat chronic back pain

Back Pain at a Glance

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

M

ost Americans will experience back pain at some point in their lives, most of them because of an injury. Especially for chronic back pain sufferers — apprehensive about taking medication — other pain management and treatment may help.

Chiropractor Vincent Sportelli, owner of Syracuse Cold Laser Center, is certified and authorized by Theralase to use cold laser therapy. He said the non-invasive, non-medicated approach to treating pain “works about 80 to 90 percent of the time.” He adds that cold laser has no side effects. “It will either help or do nothing.”

Though he is also trained in other modalities, he said that cold laser is the most effective because of its four-inch penetration depth.

“With the laser, we work on the area of distortion or pain,” Sportelli said. “It includes muscle, bone, tendon, ligament, cartilage: all types of cells.

Chiropractor Vincent Sportelli

Chiropractor Rick Tesoriero The laser stimulates cells to regenerate.”

The number of treatments depends on the patient’s body type, structural condition and more.

“Nothing is a one-shot deal,” Sportelli said. “By the time someone comes in with chronic pain and they’ve suffered for years, [the condition] is worse for its neglect and the underlying problem has progressed. By that time, medication doesn’t work anymore.”

Of course, some conditions require surgery such as a ruptured disk or if fragments are present. But he said that for some patients with a bulging disk, the cold laser can help reduce inflammation and reduce pain.

Practitioners don’t use cold laser therapy on the thyroid gland, pacemakers, an infected site, or on anyone who’s had cancer for the past five years.

Treatments start at $40 and are generally not covered by medical insurance.

Rick Tesoriero, doctor of chiropractic and owner of Tesoriero Chiropractic in Oswego, often uses his hands-on method with back pain patients. In addition to his providing any needed spinal manipulation, he trains clients in stretches and core exercise movements that can help keep them moving and strengthening their backs.

For many types of back pain, “movement helps things heal,” he said. “The best thing you can do is move. Of course, it needs to be pain-free movement.”

By incrementally working through different exercises over a few weeks, he said that he helps clients improve their pain-free range of motion, as long as they keep up with the exercises at home.

After six weeks under his care, many clients see improvement and need to only keep performing home exercises as maintenance, he said, adding that his approach is conservative.

“More and more the medical community realizes that conservative care is the key,” he said. “In the ‘80s, I saw people as a last resort. Now I’m getting referrals from medical doctors and physical therapists.”

But if they need different treatment than what he provides, Tesoriero sends clients out on a referral.

Tesoriero may also suggest lifestyle changes that could include losing weight, reduce stress, becoming more active, eating better, and quitting smoking to help clients improve their health.

The American Chiropractic Association has found that: • “Thirty-one million Americans experience low-back pain at any given time.

• “Low back pain is the single leading cause of disability worldwide.

• “One-half of all working Americans admit to having back pain symptoms each year.

• “Back pain is one of the most common reasons for missed work. In fact, back pain is the second most common reason for visits to the doctor’s office, outnumbered only by upper-respiratory infections.

• “Most cases of back pain are mechanical or non-organic—meaning they are not caused by serious conditions, such as inflammatory arthritis, infection, fracture or cancer.

• “Americans spend at least $50 billion each year on back pain—and that’s just for the more easily identified costs.

• “Experts estimate that as many as 80 percent of the population will experience a back problem at some time in our lives.”

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www.oswegohealth.org August 2014 •

IN GOOD HEALTH – CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper

•

Page 15

Parenting

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What a Wild Ride

T

his summer marks my daughter Stella’s third birthday. It’s been a wild ride. There have been smiles, tears, tantrums, giggles, silliness, failures and triumphs all around.

I’ve learned a lot during the past three years, and I thought I would share some of my lessons learned with In Good Health readers. These three years have been the most challenging and awesome three years of my life, and it’s only proper I reflect back on them and get weepy, proud and nostalgic.

Lesson 1 – Kids are awesome

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As long as you have mentally signed on to having children, kids are really spectacular. They are impulsive, honest, creative and passionate in a way most adults could never hope to be again. They change your perspectives and realign your priorities in way that makes life make more sense.

Lesson 2 – Kids are gross

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Actually, kids are really gross. They are sticky and gooey. They are dirty and greasy. They get food in places food just shouldn’t be. They don’t understand modesty. They enjoy things so completely, that they are often literally covered in that enjoyment (for example, ice cream, lollipops, sand and markers). They smear unidentified stains on your clothes and walls. They don’t let this bother them; they know it can all be cleaned up. (We adults should try to take a little perspective on this.)

IN GOOD HEALTH – CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • August 2014

I always laugh when someone says the solution to a parent vs. child problem is to make the kid do something.

As much as I think my daughter is under my control, I know better. Kids are people. People have free will, and they aren’t afraid to use it. You can’t force a child to do something, so you might as well start exploring other options to motivate desired behaviors.

Lesson 4 – Kids are savvy Very often, when I try to put one over on my daughter, I get schooled.

I’m amazed by how shrewd my Stella is, even at the tender age of 3.

Even though kids seem like they are constantly distracted, very little gets past them. I offer this quick anecdote.

I wanted to take Stella strawberry picking, but also wanted to run it past my husband. I told him we would go you-know-what picking, and then told Stella in a joking tone that we could

go nose picking. She responded with a resounding, “No, I want to go strawberry picking.” I know I mentioned it a few weeks before in passing, but I am blown away by how intuitive children can be.

Lesson 5 – My husband and I need to be more of a team than ever Because of Stella’s savviness and shrewdness, my husband and I have to stick together more than ever. This means not getting my way and very carefully choosing my battles, but it’s crucial. Kids are very quick to learn if and when they can pit parents against one another. They also know how to spot the weakest link. If you present anything less than a unified parenting front, your children will divide and conquer you.

Lesson 6 – Be consistent (and follow through on your consistency) Children are quick to recognize inconsistencies and equally as quick to throw tantrums in their honor. If you don’t do what you say you are going to do, kids will take advantage of you.

You have to be sickeningly consistent about the important stuff. They very quickly catch on to your level of sincerity.

Lesson 7 – Kids are silly and imaginative beyond an adult’s wildest dreams There is a reason the best kind of wonder is child-like wonder. Kids have awesome little brains that are full of awesome little thoughts. You have to nurture those thoughts. There is plenty of time ahead for mortgages, taxes and life insurance. For now, I plan to let Stella dream her way into books, enlist sticks as countless types of toys and ask for purple strawberries. She will catch onto concrete world someday, but now is too wonderful of a time. I don’t let my realities stifle her imagination.

Lesson 8 – It’s so much fun, we are going to do it again Our family is expecting another little one. We are all very excited. Some days I feel I should be committed for adding more time consumption, stress, financial obligation, and craziness to my life. Then my daughter starts out a day with an, “I love you with all my heart mommy,” and everything makes perfect sense.

Golden Years Key to Aging in Place: Retirement Real Estate Mowing acres of grass and painting a house may not pose a problem now, what about in 15 or 20 years?

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

I

f you’re looking to downsize your home now that the children are grown and your retirement approaches, choose your new dwelling carefully. Your selection could make the difference between aging gracefully in place or forcing yourself or your family to make hard decisions when you’re elderly and need more support for your safety and wellbeing.

In the real estate world, the phrase “location, location, location” describes the top three aspects of an ideal home. The principle Brangman applies to selecting your retirement-age residence.

Sharon Brangman, geriatrician with SUNY Upstate, said that choosing the right location can help retirees achieve “the goal to stay in your own home as long as possible. It’s good to plan ahead. Where your home is located is one of the biggest issues.”

Your new home should support the kind of lifestyle you want to live.

If you want to stay physically active, it may help to live near walking trails, golf course or community center with a pool. Some locations along busy highways may not offer as many ways and places to walk or bike, for example.

Brangman advises to choose a home convenient to services and resources you use.

“The farther away you live to care providers, the harder it is to access care,” she said. “It can be hard getting services into your home like Meals on Wheels or getting aids into your home if you live in the country.”

The home should be near public transportation or within the service range of a cab service in case you’re unable to drive eventually, too.

It may seem extreme to choose a home based upon the proximity of resources and family when you’re in good health and completely independent; however, a stroke or other sudden health emergency changes everything.

As one ages, home maintenance becomes more difficult. Although mowing acres of grass and painting a house may not pose a problem now, what about in 15 or 20 years?

“Look for a house or fix up your house so it has the lowest amount of maintenance like painting the siding, lawn care, and surfaces that need repair,” Brangman said.

The type of house also makes a big difference in your ability to live at home.

She recommends a single story home with wide enough doorways and

hallways for a wheelchair or walker.

Of course, small changes such as adding grab bars and better lighting are easy to do as health necessitates. However, home features such as a sunken living room or the only full bathroom being on the second floor are much more costly to change.

Choosing a smaller home reduces costs and time spent cleaning. Although it can be hard to let go of large, cherished furniture, it helps to pass it along to a grandchild who needs it and would feel thrilled to use it.

Tracie Wallace, program coordinator at RSVP in Oswego, said that among her baby boomer volunteers, some choose to downsize.

“They are seeking a simplistic and

minimalist lifestyle,” Wallace said.

“One RSVP couple, for example, lived in a large farmhouse with many acres out in the country for 50-plus years.

They recently opted to move to the outskirts of Oswego into a one-story ranch with attached garage and low maintenance yard.”

The couple gave many treasured possessions to children and grandchildren and pared down to what the really important items.

“Two years later, they are still happy with the move: close to all the amenities, yet private enough to mimic the farmhouse,” Wallace said.

Another possibility is to choose a home close to commonly used resources and with an in-law suite or apartment to accommodate live-in help such as children or grandchildren who may be able to lend a hand as you need more assistance later.

The Cottages at Garden Grove in Cicero to Open Loretto, Crouse Hospital and St. Joe’s cooperate to open nursing community

A

cooperative project to build a skilled nursing community consisting of 12 small homes is nearing completion in Cicero. Smallhome residences are an innovative care model that Loretto, Crouse Hospital and St. Joseph’s are introducing to Central New York.

The concept is taking hold across the nation as traditional nursing home facilities are replaced with small, homelike environments; environments that support individual choices and free elders from much of the defined routines of a traditional nursing home.

This endeavor was funded as part of the NY Heal 12 Grant Project.

Said Loretto President Kim Townsend: “This project is the perfect example of what collaboration among organizations who share a common vision can achieve. The Cottages at Garden Grove will transform the face of elder care in our community. We are blessed to have progressive partners in Crouse Hospital and St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center and to have the strong support of the Town of Cicero.

They have welcomed us with open arms. We already feel like members of

August 2014 •

the community.” Loretto will operate the skilled nursing community, which is sponsored by Crouse Hospital and St. Joseph’s Hospital Heath Center’s Plaza Corporation.

Residents of Rosewood Nursing Home in Syracuse will be among the first elders to move into the skilled nursing community, but it will also be open to other elders who require skilled nursing care or short-term rehabilitation. Private pay, Medicare, Medicaid and private insurance will all be accepted.

IN GOOD HEALTH – CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper

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Page 17

Golden Years Protective Services: Main concern is with elder abuse Most adults who are abused in Central New York don’t get the help they need

By Thomas Burgess

V

ulnerable adults are among the neediest and most neglected members of our community.

Among them are the frail elderly, the mentally ill, those with mental or physical disabilities, the substance abuser, the chronically impoverished, the abused and the exploited.

They often are not known to any agency, have been refused services or have not accepted assistance — and are isolated from family and friends.

The need to help these individuals is growing as our population ages and families are unable to do it all.

Supports may also be strained by the stresses of supplying care.

Elder abuse can happen to any older individual, it can occur anywhere, and it can affect senior citizens across all cultures, races and socio-economic groups.

Someone you know or know of may be a victim of elder abuse.

Last year in Onondaga County, our office, Adult Protective Services, took 1,066 calls and assigned 467 referrals, including 229 alleging adult abuse of which 175 were for investigation of suspected elder abuse. That number represents 37.5 percent of all adult protective referrals and 76.4 percent of all adult abuse referrals received and assigned locally.

According to estimates by experts at the New York State Office of Chil-

dren and Family Services, fewer than one in five adult abuse cases, and only one in 14 abusive incidents that involve someone over the age of 60 is actually reported nationwide.

This means that very few adults who are abused may actually get the help they need. In particular, those who have cared for and protected us in the past now need our care and protection.

In 2011, New York state published the first ever statewide prevalence study, which found elder abuse to be

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IN GOOD HEALTH – CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • August 2014

specifically “under the radar” throughout our state — the Central New York and Southern Tier areas were the most under-reported. With only one of approximately 35 incidents of elder abuse being brought to the attention of local authorities, we can estimate there were approximately 5,950 incidents of elder abuse that were never reported in Onondaga County in 2013 alone.

In order for an adult protective referral to be assigned, adults must meet three criteria: they must be impaired (whether mentally or physically); they must be at risk of harm; and they must have no other reliable, responsible assistance.

In addition, we operate under two guiding principles: adults have the right to self-determination (unless found to be medically incompetent by two physicians or legally incapacitated by the New York State Supreme Court); and adults have the right to live in the least restrictive safe environment.

Adult Protective Services was created by law to aid in the protection of impaired adults over the age of 18 who may be falling victim to neglect or abuse.

Adult Protective Services has been granted limited legal powers by both state and federal legislation to help ensure the safety of adults, normally within three working days unless there is a life-threatening situation, in which

case within one working day. However, the office is not to be used in an emergent situation nor are its caseworkers first responders. In case of an emergency, always call 911 first.

In Onondaga County, Adult Protective Services is part of the Department Adult & Long Term Care Services.

Located on the fifth floor of the Civic Center, we are here to help; but we can do nothing unless notified.

In the absence of mandatory reporting, Adult Protective depends on voluntary reporting by service providers, family members, friends, and other concerned citizens. Whenever adult neglect or abuse is suspected, please call our local intake unit at 435-2815 during normal business hours (Monday thru Friday, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.); after hours, on weekends, and on holidays, please call the county Helpline at 435-8300 for human services information and referral, Contact at 251-0600 for mental health crisis intervention, or Vera House at 468-3260 for support in a domestic crisis.

Thomas Burgess is a casework supervisor at Onondaga County Adult Protective. For more information, call 315-435-2815, ext. 4216.

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Come Smile With Us! Bruce Stewart, DDS

By Jim Miller

How to Protect Your Medicare Card from Identity Theft Dear Savvy Senior, I just turned 65 and received my Medicare card.

I see that the ID number on my card is the same as my Social Security number, and on the back of the card it tells me I need to carry it with me at all times. What can I do to protect myself from identify theft if my purse and Medicare card get stolen?

Conflicted Beneficiary Dear Conflicted, Many people new to Medicare are surprised to learn that the ID number on their Medicare card is identical to their Social Security number (SSN). After all, we’re constantly warned not to carry our SSN around with us, because if it gets lost or stolen, the result could be identity theft.

But the Medicare ID is more than an identifier. It’s proof of insurance.

Beneficiaries need to show their Medicare card at the doctor’s office and the hospital in order to have Medicare pay for treatment.

Over the years, many consumer advocates have called for a new form of Medicare identification. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, which administers Medicare, also acknowledges the problem, but so far nothing has been done.

One of the main reasons is because it would cost an estimated $255 to $317 million to fix it. And that’s just the direct cost to the federal government. It doesn’t include the expense for physicians and other healthcare providers to adjust their systems, or the cost to the states.

Other government health systems like the Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense have already begun using ID numbers that are different from SSNs, but no one knows when Medicare will follow suit.

In the meantime, here are some tips offered by various consumer advocate groups that can help keep your Medi-

care card safe and out of the hands of fraudsters.

Protect Your Card For starters, AARP suggests that you simply don’t carry your Medicare card at all, because it’s not necessary.

Most healthcare providers already have their patients in their electronic systems and know how to bill you.

But if you really don’t feel comfortable not having it with you, then the Privacy Rights Clearing House, a national consumer resource on identity theft, recommends that you make a photocopy of your card and cut it down to wallet size. Then use scissors to cut out the last four digits of your SSN, or take a black marker and cross them out, and carry that instead.

You will, however, need your actual Medicare card with you the first time you visit a new health care provider, who will likely want to make a photocopy of it for their files.

If you’re worried that you’ll need your card in an emergency situation in order to get care, you should know that emergency personnel cannot refuse you care until you show an insurance card. Although you’ll need to come up with billing information before leaving a hospital, that doesn’t mean you won’t receive care.

Lost or Stolen Cards If your Medicare card does happen to get lost or stolen, you can replace it by calling Social Security at 800-7721213. You can also apply for a new card online at ssa.gov/medicarecard or go to your local Social Security office.

If your Medicare card has been lost or stolen, you will need to watch out for Medicare fraud. You can do this by checking your quarterly Medicare summary notices for services or supplies you did not receive. If you spot anything suspicious or wrong, call the Inspector General’s fraud hotline at 800-447-8477.

If you need help identifying Medicare fraud, contact your state Senior Medicare Patrol program. See smpresource.org or call 877-808-2468 for contact information.

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IN GOOD HEALTH – CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper

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Page 19

Golden Years Retired?

Time to Get Busy

Get something to do, expert says. Enjoying excessive “us time” with your spouse can be suffocating

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

N

ow that you’re retired, it may feel like it’s finally time to loaf.

But don’t overdo it. Just as you planned financially for retirement, you need to know how you’ll spend your time now that your time is your own.

“It’s very important [to plan] because the stress of retiring can be enough to make someone sick physically and emotionally,” said Sharon Brangman, geriatrician with SUNY Upstate.

If you’re part of a couple, you may relish the extra time you have to enjoy each other, but don’t feel you must spend all your time Brangman together. Some couples find that too much “us time” can be smothering.

“One of my women patients said that her husband follows her while she’s vacuuming and goes grocery shopping,” Brangman said. “Another said her husband wants to go along with her at her book club. Some things you might do together and some you don’t.”

Since traditionally women are often the social coordinators in the family, some men don’t build many relationships outside of work. Finding a part-time job can help build new friendships, pad the retirement budget, and help create structure in each day.

More Americans Kept Awake by Fido, Fluffy

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ogs whimpering that they need to “go outside,” cats with medical needs, even pets that snore — it’s all adding up to sleepless nights for many Americans, a new report finds.

Overall, the percentage of people reporting sleep-time trouble with their pets rose from 1 percent in 2002 to 10 percent by 2013, according to a small study

by Mayo Clinic researchers in Phoenix.

“While the majority of patients did

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“Work is such a big part of what we are and can shape your identity,” Brangman said. “It’s a big social outlet whether you realize it or not. Just playing bingo all day isn’t an accurate picture of retirement anymore. Some people find that they miss the structure, purpose and social interaction work provided.”

A job can help you socialize more and feel productive and connected to the field with which you’re familiar.

Don’t fear that employers would shy from hiring someone your age. Many employers treasure the experience and work ethic of retirees. Hiring part-time employees also helps fill in gaps in the schedule that are hard to fill. Consider looking at temporary agencies. After your assignment is done, enjoy some down time until the next one starts.

If your budget allows, Brangman encourages retirees to stay engaged by volunteering such as tutoring, mentoring, or for religious-based groups.

A former teacher who tutors, a former nurse who volunteers at the hospital or a retired business professional who organizes a charity’s operation has more free time for family and hobbies than when working full-time, yet uses skills they spent a lifetime mastering.

Don’t feel bashful about calling an organization to volunteer.

Tracie Wallace, Oswego Retired & Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) program coordinator, said that the organization has received an influx of retirees calling to say, “’I just retired and I am looking for something to do!’ We try and find their passions and what makes them excited to get out of bed in the morning.”

These include activities involving food pantries, AARP tax aides, driving safety instructors, animal assistance groups and more.

“With a corps of boomers and other seniors more educated, healthier and living longer than at any time in history, RSVP will continue to strive to offer a high quality experience to volunteers by developing opportunities that meet critical needs and improve lives,” Wallace said.

Consider informally volunteering such as babysitting the grandchildren a few hours a week, driving an older friend or relative to appointments or to lunch, visiting shut-ins no longer able to attend your church or club, or helping your adult children with repair projects around their homes. not view their pets intolerably disturbing their sleep, a higher percentage of patients experienced irritation [and] this may be related to the larger number of households with multiple pets,” study lead author Lois Krahn, a Mayo Clinic psychiatrist, said in a clinic news release.

“One patient owned a parrot who consistently squawked at 6 a.m.,” Krahn noted. “He must have thought he was a rooster.”

The study was presented at the annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies in Seattle, involved 110 patients treated at the Mayo Clinic Center for Sleep Medicine in Arizona between August and December 2013.

IN GOOD HEALTH – CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • August 2014

The Social Ask Security Office Provided Deborah Banikowski, Social Security OfficeSocial Security Office

‘My Social Security’ Simplifies Your Life

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o many people buzz through efits you and your family may receive extremely busy and complicated based on your earnings. If you already schedules these days. A smartreceive Social Security benefits, you phone in one hand, a computer in front can use my Social Security to check and a digital task list that never seems your benefit information, change your to end. In addition, to complicate address and phone number, change things just a little more, there’s another your electronic payment methods, and event you need to add to your list — even obtain a benefit verification letter.

National Simplify Your Life week. This Check it out and sign up for event takes place Aug. 1 through my Social Security at www.

7. Put it on your calendar so you socialsecurity.gov/myaccount. don’t forget!

After you check your Most organized people online Social Security Stateagree that planning ahead is a ment, be sure to visit our great way to simplify your life.

Retirement Estimator. Like my Whether you’re planning tomorSocial Security, you can use it row’s schedule, next summer’s as many times as you’d like. vacation, or your retirement.

The Retirement Estimator lets We have a suggestion that you compute potential future can help you simplify your life Social Security benefits by when it comes to Social Security. Banikowski changing variables, such as If you haven’t already (it’s probretirement dates and future ably on your task list), open your own earnings. You may discover that you’d personal my Social Security account. rather wait another year or two before What’s my Social Security? It’s a you retire to earn a higher benefit. To free, secure, online account that allows get instant, personalized estimates of you immediate access to your personal your future benefits just go to www.

Social Security information. During socialsecurity.gov/estimator. your working years, you can use my There are many tools at www.

Social Security to view your Social Sesocialsecurity.gov that are simple and curity statement to check your earnings convenient to use. Open a my Social record and see estimates of the future Security account today by visiting retirement, disability and survivor ben- www.socialsecurity.gov/myaccount and simplify your life.

Q&A

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.socialsecurity.gov/ss5doc or by calling our toll-free number 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-3250778). You’ll also need to provide the original marriage certificate showing your new and old names. You can mail or take 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.socialsecurity.gov/ssnumber.

Q: Do I have to give my Social Security number whenever I’m asked?

A: No. Giving your Social Security number is voluntary. If requested, you should ask why the person needs your Social Security number, how it will be used, what law requires you to give your number, and what the consequences are if you refuse. The answers to these questions can help you decide whether to give your Social Security number. However, the decision is

yours. Keep in mind that requestors might not provide you their services if you refuse to provide your Social Security number. For more information, visit www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs to read or print our publication, “Your Social Security Number And Card.”

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

A: Yes. You can increase your Social Security retirement benefit in two ways: • You can increase your retirement benefit by a certain percentage if you delay receiving retirement benefits. We will automatically add these increases automatically from the time you reach full retirement age until you start receiving benefits or reach age 70; and • If you work, each additional year you work adds another year of earnings to your Social Security record.

Higher lifetime earnings may result in higher benefits when you do retire.

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

H ealth News Lotkowictz named Upstate physical plant director Robert Lotkowictz, who for the past five years has served as director of municipal operations for the village of Skaneateles and has held key facility management positions with Welch Allyn, Carrier Corp., and Cornell University, has been named director of physical plant at Upstate Medical University.

He succeeds Gary Kittel, who has retired.

As director of physical plant, Lotkowictz is responsible for the operation Lotkowictz and maintenance of Upstate’s Downtown Campus, including 27 buildings, consisting of more than 3.5 million square feet.

Additionally, the position supervises the departments of physical plant and records storage.

In his most recent post for the village of Skaneateles (2009 – 2014) Lotkowictz was responsible for the daily activities of all village operations, including the public works, wastewater treatment operations, municipal electric and water plant, among others.

His responsibilities for Welch Allyn and Carrier included management and development of some of the companies’ international facilities. At Cornell, Lotkowictz was responsible for developing and administering capital plans for the university’s four statutory colleges — agriculture and life sciences, human ecology, industrial and labor relations, veterinary medicine — and coordinated capital construction with the SUNY Construction Fund.

Lotkowictz holds an M.B.A. from the University of Maryland (2005), where he also earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Cornell.

A licensed professional engineer, Lotkowictz resides in Skaneateles.

American Red Cross welcomes new COO

The Central New York Region of the American Red Cross recently named Scott Aminov as chief operations officer.

Aminov is responsible for the management of physical assets, such as buildings and vehicles, and financial assets, including the regional budget. He also oversees volunteer engagement and the region’s service to the armed forces and international services programs, and will supervise the planned consolidaAminov

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tion of certain offices in the 16-county Central New York Region.

“I’m confident that the combination of my education and experience make me uniquely qualified for this position,” Aminov said. “I realized that I wanted to do this type of work for the rest of my life, and the Red Cross allows me to use my background to truly help others.”

Born in Central Asia, Aminov received his master’s degree in public health from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. He worked in Uzbekistan as deputy country director for Samaritan’s Purse (an international Christian relief organization), and later worked in Indonesia as country director for Food for the Hungry.

Now living in Syracuse, Aminov fluently speaks Russian, Uzbek, and Tajik. He considers himself a “serial hobbyist” and enjoys such pursuits as aeromodelling, maintaining saltwater aquariums, and making homemade sausage.

“Scott’s incredible experience and dedication with humanitarian efforts make him perfect for this position,” said said Regional Chief Executive Officer Rosie Taravella. “We are excited to add Scott as a dynamic part of our Central New York team and look forward to a promising future with him on board.”

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Food Bank nominates new board member

Peggy J. Rowe, a certified publicat accountant and a partner in the accounting firm Dannible & McKee, LLP, has been nominated to serve on the board for Food Bank of Central New York starting in September. Food Bank of Central New York is a nonprofit or-

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Beck appointed to lead St. Joe’s business analytics

St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center has appointed Bernard Beck to the position of director of business analytics. The new position reports to the chief financial officer. Beck will oversee the business analysis unit staff and ultimately be responsible for financial projections, business and quality analytics.

With more than 20 years of financial experience, Beck has spent the last 13 years of his career in a hospital setting.

He’s worked at St. Beck Joseph’s as a coordinator in finance and most recently has worked on development of financial models for new population health management programs.

He has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Hamilton College and a master’s degree in business administration from Syracuse University.

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H ealth News ganization aiming to eliminate hunger through nutritious food distribution, education, and advocacy in 11 counties throughout the area. Since 1985, it has been the main food supplier to the CNY emergency food network.

Rowe has more than 20 years of experience overseeing audit, accounting and consulting services to a wide variety of organizations.

She is a certified Rowe fraud examiner and provides fraud detection and prevention services to a large clientele.

Additionally, Rowe has earned the designation of certified bank auditor offered through the Bank Administration Institute. She is responsible for overseeing audit, accounting and consulting services in the financial services and nonprofit industries. Rowe is also responsible for providing auditing services to a variety of employee benefit plans.

St. Joseph’s Ranked Among Top in Nation for Heart Surgery

St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center’s cardiac surgery team has been ranked in the top 15 in the country, according to Consumer Reports. The surgeons include (from left to right) Ahmed Nazem, Charles Lutz, Mehdi Marvasti, G. Randall Green and Zhandong Zhou.

Consumer Reports has ranked St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center among the highest in the United States when it comes to heart surgery. The rating for heart bypass surgery and aortic valve replacement surgery, plus the two combined, puts St. Joseph’s in a very elite class, which includes only 15 hospitals out of more than 400 nationwide.

The national ranking adds to several other recognitions St. Joseph’s has received for its cardiac care services, including HealthGrades 100 Best Hospitals for Coronary Intervention, Top 10 Percent in the nation for coronary interventional procedures, and the Society of Chest Pain Center and Society for Thoracic Surgeons (three out of three star rated).

In addition, St. Joseph’s cardiac care program is the area’s only nationally certified cardiac rehabilitation program, has been selected as the only hospital in Central New York to provide transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), and is the

only hospital in CNY offering PPM and ICD lead management including lead extractions.

St. Joseph’s is fully accredited for cardiac catheterization by Accreditation for Cardiovascular Excellence (ACE), the first hospital in New York and the second in the United States to accomplish accreditation in all three cardiovascular quality disciplines with the ACE: diagnostic cath, PCI and carotid artery stenting.

“Our entire team could not be more proud of these results,” said physician G. Randall Green, who serves as St. Joseph’s program director for cardiac surgery. “We deliberately chose the STS database, and the goal to achieve three stars in all categories almost three years ago. The physicians and hospital administration have worked very closely since then to build a structure compatible with meeting the goal. In the end, the credit really goes to every single person on our team who puts the patient first, and relentlessly pursues being the best in their space.”

Crouse Community Center appoints executive director The board of directors of Crouse Community Center has appointed DJ Raux as their executive director of its nonprofit organization. Crouse Community operates a skilled nursing, sub-acute, and rehabilitation center in Morrisville, as well as three medical model adult day care centers in Cazenovia, Hamilton and Sherburne.

Raux holds a bachelor’s degree in health administration from the State Raux University of New York and has more than 17 years of senior living operations experience. He began his career as a licensed nursing home administrator operating facilities in Vermont, Tennessee, Maine and New York.

For the past nine years, he has

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been a regional executive for two of the largest senior living companies in in the country, Assisted Living, and Continuing Care Retirement Communities in New York, Rhode Island, and several other Northeastern states.

Crouse gets best performance award Crouse Hospital has been honored with the 2014 CNY Best Learning and Performance Practices Award by the CNY Chapter of the American Society of Training and Development.

Crouse received the award based on its quality improvement projects with local emergency medical services providers to engage in active performance improvement activities using lean six sigma principles.

The hospital formed a learning collaborative with EMS providers in 2010 to identify ways to improve patient care processes and hand-offs between the hospital and EMS providers. The collaborative was expanded in 2013 to include Welch Allyn as a partner.

The results and outcomes of this learning partnership have significantly improved the processes and quality of patient care provided by EMS professionals in 11 New York state counties, improved EMS operational efficiency, advanced the quality of care within the hospital setting and strengthened Crouse’s relationship with its EMS partners. In addition, results of many of the collaborative projects have been shared regionally, state wide and nationally at various professional conferences.

Accepting the award on behalf of Crouse were Derrick Suehs, chief quality officer, and physician Michael Jorolemon, senior quality officer for the department of emergency medicine.

I am ensuring our physicians, nurses and other staff members deliver highquality care.

Oswego Health wants to be the community’s healthcare provider of choice.

I am ensuring excellent quality care and customer service.

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www.oswegohealth.org

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IN GOOD HEALTH – CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • August 2014

Sports PT divests downstate clinics Sports Physical Therapy of NY (Sports PT), a statewide physical therapy company, recently divested its 13 New York City-area physical therapy clinics to Professional Orthopedic and Sports Physical Therapy (“Professional”), according to Sports PT owner and CEO Lynn Steenberg.

The clinics that transitioned to Professional, a Great Point Steenberg Partners I, L.P. portfolio company, are based in Metro New York City, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Rockland County. Through this divestiture, Sports PT will now devote additional focus on the growth and development of the Upstate New York market from Buffalo to Saratoga Springs.

Sports PT was founded nine years ago.

“This transition is very exciting because it allows Sports PT to refocus on the tremendous opportunities in the communities of Upstate New York,” Steenberg said. “Due to the fact that Professional is headquartered in downstate, the staff, patients, and the medical community will benefit from more direct, local support. I saw this divestiture as a great opportunity to do what is best for both our patients and staff.”

Sports PT of NY now has seven locations in Upstate New York. There are two locations in the Buffalo area (Tonawanda and Downtown Buffalo),

two locations in Rochester (Greece and Webster), two locations in the Syracuse area (Camillus and Liverpool), and one location in Saratoga Springs. It is headquartered in Syracuse.

There are active plans to expand in the Upstate New York market in 2014 and 2015, according to Steenberg.

Laboratory Alliance launches new website Laboratory Alliance of CNY has redesigned its website, taking advantage of current Web technology and accessibility from any device, Senior Vice President Anne Marie Mullin said.

New features on the website, www. laboratoryalliance.com, include a patient service center finder linked to Google maps, a laboratory test directory with detailed specimen collection information for healthcare providers, an online employment application and links to patient and provider information.

“Posting the contents of our nearly 500-page directory of services online in an organized and easy-to-access format will be a huge benefit to healthcare providers who need to access this information on a daily basis,” Mullin said. “Laboratory tests are vital to diagnosing and treating illness and disease, and this enhanced website is another service we can offer doctors, healthcare providers and Central New York patients to assure high quality healthcare.”

The site was produced by Syracuse Design Group.

Laboratory Alliance provides clinical and anatomic pathology testing services and performed more than 10 million medical tests last year. The local firm employs more than 430 people.

First cardiac cryoablation procedure in Syracuse performed at Crouse Crouse Hospital cardiologist Jamal Ahmed is the first physician in Syracuse to perform an advanced, minimally invasive cardiac procedure called balloon cryoablation to treat atrial fibrillation (A-fib), a common heart rhythm problem.

Cryoablation is a treatment that uses the removal of heat from tissue to treat cardiac arrhythmias.

It restores normal electrical conduction by freezing the cardiac tissue or pathways that interfere with the normal distribution of the heart’s electrical impulses.

A-fib is a type of heart rhythm irregularity that can cause a person’s heart to beat rapidly, leaving them tired, exhausted and at significant risk for stroke.

Though 6 percent of people 65 and over suffer from A-fib, there is a whole subset of younger people who are troubled by the condition. Some are adrenaline affected, including athletes and long-distance runners.

Patients with A-fib are not only significantly more at risk for stroke than the average person, but many experience symptoms which contribute to a poor quality of life, says Ahmed, a partner in The Heart Group of Syracuse. For some people, the symptoms come and

go, whereas others have symptoms all the time. A-fib symptoms can include general fatigue, rapid and irregular heartbeat, shortness of breath and anxiety and fatigue when exercising.

The cryoablation procedure uses a cold application to a heart arrhythmia instead of a heat application, which is traditionally used in radio-frequency catheter ablation. There are several advantages to balloon cryoablation over traditional heat ablation, according to Dr. Ahmed.

“There’s less inflammation and pain post procedure and more stability for the ablation catheter.”

“We are proud to build on Crouse Hospital’s leadership in cardiac care by offering the latest electrophysiology advances and treatment to Central New York patients,” says physician Kwabena Boahene, medical director of Crouse’s electrophysiology program and partner in Cardiology PC. Boahene, along with physician Traian Anghel, also a partner in The Heart Group of Syracuse, were both instrumental in bringing cardiac cryoablation services to Crouse’s Miron Cardiac Care Center.

Welcomes the following providers ~ Bruce Silverstein, MD Morgan Road Family Care 7445 Morgan Road Liverpool, NY (315) 420-5056

Navpriya Oberoi, MD Widewaters Gynecology 5844 Widewaters Parkway E. Syracuse, NY 13057 (315) 471-4911

Immediate Care West Gregory Steencken, MD Robert Felter, MD 5700 W. Genesee Street Suite 100S Camillus, NY 13031 (315) 488-6393

Adrienne Salomon, MD The Synergy Center 4500 Pewter Lane Manlius, NY 13104 (315) 692-2037

Mark Billinson, MD RECEIVE 55Muhammad Naim, MD 5100 W. Taft Road 4000 Medical Center Drive PLUS AT HOME Suite 2J Suite 214 Liverpool, NY 13088 Fayetteville, NY 13066 (315) 452-2968 (315) 329-4968

Michael Tong, MD West Taft FamilyCare 4820 W. Taft Road Suite 108 Liverpool, NY 13088 (315) 413-0004

Laura Martin, DO 1304 Buckley Road Suite 302 Syracuse, NY 13212 (315) 671-5790 (OPENING SEPTEMBER 2nd) August 2014 •

IN GOOD HEALTH – CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper

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IN GOOD HEALTH – CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • August 2014