Heather Drake-Bianchi

THANKS TO CINEMEDICS CNY FOUNDER, THE SHOW GOES ON

Jason Klaiber

Right around the time that spring turned to summer in 2020 — just after the unions of the entertainment industry put the brakes on moviemaking amidst rising COVID cases — it was the team behind CineMedics CNY that swooped in with an updated health and safety protocol, one that could be used by those on film sets anywhere and everywhere.

“That was kind of where everything started,” said Heather Drake-Bianchi, the Syracuse native who founded the mobile medical service.

Now, a little over a year later, the company is firmly in the routine of performing polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing for many of the most elaborate and buzzed-about movie productions in the country.

Drake-Bianchi said a key part of her company’s response is the transportation of laboratory equipment directly to sound stages, backlots and other spots where films are being shot. This prevents the admittance of cast and crew members to hospitals or clinics where there would be a greater chance of contact with sick patients.

The service also makes efficiency a priority without the sacrifice of quality, as Drake-Bianchi said she and her team have been able to test upwards of 300 people in a single hour with accurate results.

In her eyes, the success of CineMedics CNY over the last year can be largely attributed to the varied, complementary backgrounds of its personnel — an outcome deliberately pursued during the recruitment stage.

Welcomed into the fold are not only first responders and lab techs equipped with knowledge of bench research and medicine but also special operations military veterans, “logistical gurus” and people well-versed in cinema and the filmmaking landscape. “Every single person on this team is hand-selected for the skill set that they bring,” Drake-Bianchi said. “I might own the business, but I am nothing without this team and all of their gifts and abilities. If one of them leaves, this integral puzzle piece that makes up the whole is gone, and we feel that gap.”

On top of the on-site nasopharyngeal testing they provide, CineMedics CNY has sometimes been tasked with imposing compliance with mask mandates and social distancing recommendations on different sets.

Since such guidelines can inhibit both character portrayals in a fictional, COVID-less storyline and the direction of scenes that call for sizable crowds, the company has mostly relied on the use of a bubble with regimented zones.

The ‘A’ zone is a constrained space that relaxes masking rules for the acting talent, though they’re expected to undergo testing five times a week. The remaining ‘B,’ ‘C’ and ‘D’ zones comprise support staff and construction workers in the process of assembling additional film scenery.

There had usually been medics present on film sets pre-COVID, but back in those times, they would mainly be on standby to treat injuries sustained by stunt doubles, which is still a common responsibility, or else they would remain available to provide over-the-counter medication.

As always, austere conditions are dealt with calmly and accordingly, such as when the CineMedics CNY team had to maintain steady power in negative-degree weather last winter while on the set of Don’t Look Up, an upcoming dark comedy starring a bevy of big names, including Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence.

In its first year of operation, CineMedics CNY has gone from being entirely self-funded to having branches established in New York City, Boston, Atlanta and Los Angeles.

“None of us ever thought that it was going to take off to this extent,” Drake-Bianchi said. “We just knew that we were going to make the most efficient, high-end, risk-mitigating logistical laboratory that we could possibly think of.”

She added that money was never the primary focus for this undertaking, claiming that she and her colleagues would not have entered the field of paramedic work had that been the case. Instead, the objective is to give back and stay linked to the local community.

In line with that, CineMedics CNY created a scholarship program at Onondaga Community College that will go into effect this fall for students hoping to become paramedics. Chosen by people from the community college and Upstate University Hospital, the scholarship recipients would be able to follow a full-ride route as long as they maintain at least a 3.2 grade point average from one semester to the next.

As the female founder of a business that has witnessed, in her words, “astronomical growth,” Drake-Bianchi said her advice to young women—and men too—is to remain transparent and full of integrity throughout their careers, even after some wobbly steps and certain failures.

“Having integrity speaks louder than anything else,” she said. In her years, Heather Drake-Bianchi has worked around the world in the realm of critical care medicine. She has served as a paramedic for such organizations as Ocean Classroom Foundation and Remote Medical International, and she has assisted in search and rescue efforts in the wake of natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina.

Going forward, she hopes for CineMedics CNY to incorporate individualized genetic sequencing, a process to be carried out in brick-and-mortar reference labs that would indicate which symptoms and variants are being encountered by patients and thus which medical treatment pathways should be followed on a person-to-person basis. SWM

• Heather Drake-Bianchi founded CineMedics CNY amidst the entertainment industry’s search for a new health and safety protocol. • CineMedics CNY collaborated from the get-go with Syracuse production company American High, and now the medical service provider is contracting with HBO, National Geographic and Netflix. • Drake-Bianchi completed her undergrad at the Rochester Institute of Technology, where she studied biomedical science. She later earned a master’s degree in anatomy and physiology from New York Chiropractic College and another in molecular DNA analysis from Syracuse University, where she met the lead scientist for CineMedics CNY, Molly May. • This summer, CineMedics CNY has also been dabbling in television work, lending assistance on the set of an untitled limited series based on Jeff Pearlman’s book Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s.

Meet the Women of 60 Strong

Some Central New Yorkers you may know will soon be ‘pin-ups’ in the new Syracuse 60 Strong calendar. Late last month, winners of the Syracuse 60 Strong contest were announced. Winners, who must be between the ages of 60 and 69, were chosen by a panel of local celebrities for their commitment to their community, their perseverance in the face of difficulty and their resilience in overcoming adversity.

The calendar contest was sponsored by Family Care Medical Group, in conjunction with the launch of Salt City Senior Care Advantage IPA, a program designed to provide seamless and greater coordination of care for their senior patients.

The 2022 Syracuse 60 Strong calendar highlights Syracuse area events, entertainment, and activities, and serves as a roadmap to good health. Many of the winners devoted their lives to charities or made lifestyle changes because of a chronic illness or disease.

All proceeds from calendar sales benefit Alzheimer’s Association, Central New York Chapter.

Mary Lou Balcom

Four years ago, Mary Lou was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent a lumpectomy. But even through her treatment, she never stopped living her life to the fullest. An avid gardener, Mary Lou inspires others through her positive attitude. She often says, “the seeds we sow today are tomorrow’s successes,” to encourage everyone around her to get active and enjoy their daily dose of nature.

Today, Mary Lou is thankful for her continued negative scans. She maintains a healthy diet and enjoys walking and hiking with her husband, as well as taking yoga classes. Mary Lou is a Master Gardener through the Cornell Cooperative Master Gardening Program—through which she educates others and gives back to the community. Since finishing the program, she has volunteered at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo once a week for the last five years. In addition to her work at the zoo, Mary Lou teaches children about gardening and healthy eating through local school and after-school programs.

When not at the zoo or at one of her school programs, Mary Lou can be found at her local greenhouse, starting plants for Blocks in Bloom, an organization that selects different blocks in Syracuse to create a pollination corridor. Mary Lou donates her time to this organization, providing native plants for front yard gardens. The program ends in a planting day for the whole block in which the residents help the gardeners plant.

For Mary Lou, gardening has always brought her joy, and sharing that with others in the community is the greatest gift of all.

Vicki Brackens

Vicki Brackens is an entrepreneur, a champion for Syracuse youth, and a lover of gospel music. Vicki has been working in financial education and financial services for over 25 years. As the president of her own company, her goal is to provide others with the tools they need to succeed. This shines through in the ways she gives back to the community, having supported just about every event and fundraiser that takes place in Syracuse - including the Rosamond Gifford Zoo, the Everson Museum, and the CNY Jazz Foundation’s annual Black History Month Jazz Cabaret.

Above all, Vicki is passionate about helping young people, something she does through sponsoring events, offering internships and mentoring. She hopes that by offering support, she can be a validation point to keep their dreams alive. Perhaps this stems from Vicki’s own struggles with confidence growing up. Vicki said that she had to overcome a great obstacle in her life: fear. But with support from some of the adults in her life, she worked to overcome that fear and believe in her own abilities.

Today, Vicki says that “failure” is just a word that means “do it again!” Vicki prioritizes her mental health through meditation. She values her time with family members and friends. Every morning, she starts her day with mindfulness. She reads the bible or listens to gospel music — something through which she finds so much joy. Vicki is inspirational in the way she gives to young people and is a shining example of what it means to lead with grace and generosity.

Donna Dunn

Donna Dunn lost her daughter, Mary, in 2007 when she was hit by a car. Today, Donna finds comfort in the fact that her daughter’s organs saved the lives of four people. After Mary’s passing, Donna began to give back through volunteering at the Finger Lakes Donor Recovery Network (FLDRN). She helps with everything, from hosting Donate Life tables at local events to speaking at schools, places of worship and college campuses. Through FLDRN Donor Family Council Group, she strategizes how to better approach donor families as well as plans Donor Family Celebrations. She lives her life by the FLDRN motto: “live life to the fullest and pass life on.”

On the day after Donna’s 60th birthday, she was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. Thus, began Donna’s fitness journey to improve her health losing 30 pounds. She walks three to four miles going through the cemetery to visit her daughter each day. She often walks in 5ks for local charities, continuing this through the pandemic with virtual walks. She participates in the Transplant Games of America every other year. To raise money for the team, Donna once picked up and recycled over 10,000 cans from the side of the road over a 6-month period.

A memorable moment for Donna was meeting Dominick, a local businessman, father of five and the man who received her daughter’s liver. He started a scholarship at Mary’s high school, given annually to a student pursuing early childhood education (one of Mary’s passions). Because of Donna’s activism, hundreds of her friends and family members have signed up to the donor registry.

Pat Floyd Echols

Pat has always had a heart for family, friends, and community. She was a special education teacher for years and pioneered a program for children with autism. She moved on to administration and served as a principal in several schools, including one in an economic diverse region and another school that supported the emotionally disturbed.

When she was 15 years old, her brother was killed in a car accident. She doesn’t go a day without thinking of the life he could have led. She also lost her father from cancer when she was 33 years old and her mother to emphysema in 2014. Today she is retired, but spends her spare time giving back. She crotchets baby gifts for her friends’ grandchildren, makes t-shirt quilts for her sons, volunteers at a Girl Scout camp, and has sewed over 200 face masks to distribute to children in need. She also enjoys going on hikes and walks in Camp Evergreen with her husband and friends at the YMCA.

During her time as a principal, she co-founded a program named Sister to Sister. She saw that some girls needed a safe place to express emotions and feelings with others. She had a rule that whatever was said in the club, stayed in the club. At the end of the year, she took the girls to a special outing and luncheon. The club dubbed the experience “The Yellow Limousine.” She has run this program in every school she’s worked at, including the school with emotionally disturbed children.

Pat walks up to 18 miles a week and finds joy in taking the YMCA class, “Women on Weights,” where she learned how to strengthen her core. She now spends retirement supervising student teachers at Syracuse University. She also mentors two young people who were former students. She buys groceries, pays their phone bills and gives them a reason to push forward, keep up with their homework and contribute to society.

Mary Jensen

Mary has been a loyal member of her local YMCA since it opened 15 years ago. In addition to taking all the classes it has to offer, she serves on the board. Mary was the first in her family to graduate from a four-year college and she went on to get her master’s degree in social work, through which she has devoted herself to helping her community.

In the early 2000s, Mary joined a task force that was studying the issue of prostitution in the city of Syracuse. The group soon learned that prostitution was not only a community crisis, but also a family crisis that is closely tied with substance abuse. This inspired her to become the co-founder of Mothers and Children in Crisis (MCC). The group is working to open a residential treatment center in Onondaga County that allows women to bring their children to live with them in the treatment facility. Over the years, MCC has developed a close relationship with the Problem-Solving Courts, and Mary and a nurse have met with more than 250 women involved with the courts and connected them with medical providers.

To provide support to the families involved with the ProblemSolving Courts, MCC has hosted a back-to-school event in August for the past six years to collect new clothes, shoes, underwear, socks, backpacks, and school supplies for children with parents in one of these courts.

“People say to pull yourself up by your bootstraps, but they don’t have boots,” Mary said. When she is not working out or working with Mothers and Children in Crisis, she and her husband find joy in traveling to Denmark to see her husband’s family. Mary lost both of her parents to cancer; her mother died the day before she graduated from college and her father died 7 years later, on the same day. She has raised two wonderful children; her daughter is an aerospace engineer, and her son is currently studying computer engineering.

“You’re not responsible for the entire world, just the part on which you stand,” she says, and she continues to make a difference in her corner of the world and inspires others to do the same.

Liz Malcolm Scheibel

Once a European fashion model, Elizabeth Malcolm had a life-changing experience in her thirties that would set the stage for a lifetime of service to others.