Mv igh 119 jan16

in good

Meet Your Doctor

January 2016 • Issue 119

Dr. Margaret Scandura See Page 4

Ready for cold, flu season?

See Page 11

MVhealthnews.com

free

Mohawk Valley’s Healthcare Newspaper

Plight of Homeless Youth

Oneida County seeks ways to protect, shelter outcast children

Women’s Health

See Page 3 Meet Your Administrator

Special Edition Wheelchair warrior overcomes obstacles, competes in marathon See Page 12

• Quit cozying up to comfort foods! • Page 8

Introducing: Janine Carzo

• Cleanse yourself of toxic relationships • Page 6

See Page 9

Turmeric

Why you should add this Indian spice to your diet

­

Stress Levels Doctor Burnout Rates on the Rise January 2016 •

U.S. Abortion Rate Hits Record Low: CDC

IN GOOD HEALTH – Mohawk Valley’s Healthcare Newspaper

•

Page 1

CALENDAR of

HEALTH EVENTS

Got a health-related activity or event that you would like publicized? Call Lou Sorendo at 315-749-7070 or email lou@cnymail.com.

Mondays

Support group for OCD sufferers The Central New York Obsessive Compulsive Foundation, Inc., a registered nonprofit agency, has offered OCD sufferers in the region a weekly support group since 1997.

Brian’s OCD Support Group meets from 6:30-8 p.m. every Monday except holidays in the Sister Regina Conference Room, first floor, St. Elizabeth Medical Center, 2209 Genesee St., Utica.

Meetings are professionally assisted the third Monday of each month.

For more information, call founder Susan Connell at 315-768-7031, email her at info@cnyocf.org, visit www.cnyocf.org or check out Cen NY OCD Support Group on Facebook.

A speakers’ bureau is available at no cost.

Women’s support group to get together A women’s support/therapy group is meeting weekly from 5:30-7 p.m. on Mondays.

Groups will be held in a confidential location in New Hartford and group size will be limited to protect anonymity.

Topics of discussion may include family issues, stress, anger, relationships, grief, and more.

Clinical therapist Cynthia Davis,

who has over 20 years of experience, will lead the group.

To pre-register, contact Davis at 315-736-1231, 315-794-2454 or email cindycsw@yahoo.com.

Tuesdays

Insight House offers family support group Insight House Chemical Dependency Services, Inc. is offering a family support group meeting from 6:15-7:30 p.m. Tuesdays at Insight House, 500 Whitesboro St., Utica.

The group is free and open to anyone who is concerned about a loved one’s relationship with alcohol, opiates/heroin, or other substances.

For more information about the group, call 724-5168, ext. 265, from 8:30-4 p.m. weekdays.

All calls are strictly confidential.

Wednesdays

MVHS begins chapel prayer sessions Mohawk Valley Health System invites patients, residents, families and staff members of all faith traditions to join together in prayerful meditation in regular sessions called Prayerful Pauses.

Prayerful Pauses will be held at 2:30 p.m. each Wednesday of the month in the following rotation: • First Wednesday: St. Marianne Cope Chapel at St. Elizabeth Medical Center

Community Information Seminar:

Bariatric Surgery January 13, 2016 • 6:00 pm Presented by

January Hill, MD Utica Business Park 125 Business Park Drive, Suite 150, Utica, NY The offices of William A. Graber, MD, PC

To register call 315-235-2540 or toll free 877-269-0355

• Second Wednesday: St. Luke’s Campus Chapel • Third Wednesday: Faxton Campus Chapel • Fourth Wednesday: St. Luke’s Home Chapel Individuals are welcome to pause and pray or meditate on their own if there is a fifth Wednesday in the month.

Faxton St. Luke’s Healthcare and SEMC are affiliates under the MVHS.

Wednesdays/Thursdays

Overeaters Anonymous plans meetings Overeaters Anonymous meets from 5:30-6:30 p.m. every Wednesday in Room 101 (first floor) at Rome Memorial Hospital, 1500 James St., Rome.

It also meets from 7-8 p.m. every Thursday at Oneida Baptist Church, 242 Main St., Oneida. Participants are asked to use the rear door.

There are no dues, fees, weighins or diets.

For more information, call OA at 315-468-1588 or visit oa.org.

Jan. 3

The Mohawk Homestead offers open houses The Mohawk Homestead, 62 E. Main St., Mohawk, will be hosting an open house from 1:30-3:30 p.m.

Jan. 3. Tours will be provided of the Victorian mansion and refreshments will be served.

On Jan. 14, The Mohawk Homestead will be hosting a “Lunch on Us” at noon. Attendees will be able to taste homemade meals that are served at The Mohawk Homestead.

A short discussion on adult care options will follow the luncheon.

Reservations are required only for the “Lunch on Us” by Jan. 12.

The Mohawk Homestead, a nonprofit adult home, provides accommodations for a respite of a few weeks, the entire winter or long-term stays as well.

For more information, contact Patty Shenberger, administrator, at 315-866-1841 or email info@mohawkhomestead.com.

Jan. 5

Free smoking cessation class features reward Are you ready to quit smoking?

Register for a free three-week smoking cessation program and earn a $20 grocery gift card when you complete the program.

In partnership with the Oneida County Health Department, Rome Memorial Hospital is hosting the three-week smoking cessation program starting Jan. 12.

The class will be taught by Rachel Evans, Oneida County Health Department public health educator and certified Freshstart program facilitator.

Space is limited to 15 people and advance registration is required.

To register, call the Oneida County

Health Department at 315-798-5486

by Jan. 5 or email Rachel at revans@ ocgov.net.

The program is open to all Oneida County residents over the age of 18.

Classes will be held from 5-6:30 p.m. Jan. 12, 19 and 26 at Rome Memorial Hospital, 1500 N. James St., Rome, in conference room 201.

Participants are asked to enter the main lobby from North James Street.

The program is based on the American Cancer Society’s Freshstart program that combines information and support to help smokers break the addiction.

The program is free and those completing all three classes will be rewarded with a $20 grocery gift card.

Anyone wanting to learn more about smoking cessation can contact the New York State Smokers’ Quitsite at 866-NY-QUITS (866-697-8487) or www.nysmokefree.com.

Other information may be obtained by visiting www.smokefree. gov.

Jan. 11

Cancer support group to meet The Cancer Center’s monthly support forum for patients and cancer survivors meets at 6 p.m. on the second Monday of every month in The Cancer Center’s fireplace lounge on the main floor of Faxton Campus, 1676 Sunset Ave., Utica.

The next meeting is Jan. 11.

For more information or to RSVP, call 315-624-5241.

Jan. 15

Women’s retreat set in Fair Haven The next Inspired Results Women’s Weekend will be held beginning at 5 p.m. Jan. 15 until 3 p.m. Jan. 17.

Rebeccah Silence of Inspired Results LLC said the weekend takes place at an eight-bedroom house on Lake Ontario in Fair Haven.

Twelve participants will spend the entire weekend together in this space, engaging in intensive Silence group experiences and individual coaching.

“I don’t give much away in terms of what happens during the weekend,” said Silence. “But I will say you can expect it to be life-changing.”

The cost of the weekend is $1,200, which includes accommodations, food, materials, and the program. Those interested in attending or giving a ticket as a holiday gift can learn more and make a reservation by visiting www.inspiredresultscoach.com/events/ or contacting Silence at 303-521-1413 or rebeccah@ inspiredresultscoach.com.

In Good Health: Mohawk Valley’s No. 1 source of health news!

Page 2

•

IN GOOD HEALTH – Mohawk Valley’s Healthcare Newspaper • January 2016

Jacquie lost 100 lbs. and found a whole new perspective.

Sitting down for storytime with her students was hard. Getting back up was nearly impossible. But since Jacquie had weight-loss surgery,

Is Weight Loss Surgery Right for You? Upcoming FREE Seminars: Jan. 4 • Jan. 16 • Jan. 21

she’s found the energy to keep up with her class. Jacquie also found a compassionate team at Crouse. From trusted surgeons and nutritional experts to an ongoing support group that’s with her every step of the way.

Hear Jacquie’s story at crouse.org/weightloss.

To register: crouse.org/weightloss 315/472-2464

Homeless Youth

Community seeks to embrace those who slip through cracks

By Patricia J. Malin

A

s director of mental health for Oneida County, Michelle Kuhn can be expected to have empathy for individuals, especially young people who are struggling with depression, drugs, alcoholism and homeless.

“I feel the kids’ pain,” she said.

However, little do they know she has more in common with them than her title suggests.

“I didn’t share a lot with them,” she said, referring to her background in which she overcame the adversity of homelessness. “There are not many opportunities to Kuhn have that conversation.”

Kuhn recently participated in a public seminar by the Mohawk Valley Runaway & Homeless Youth Task Force at Mohawk Valley Community College that helped to raise awareness on the struggles of the Mohawk Valley’s “invisible youth.”

These are generally teens that wind up homeless either through choice or unusual circumstances.

They might become substance abusers; they might become abused by older adults. Yet they are indifferent about seeking help.

Kuhn sat alongside Crystal Bollinger, a young woman from Utica, during a panel discussion and both of them revealed their surprising past histories.

Some social and human services agencies in the Mohawk Valley, such as the Oneida County Department of Mental Health, Catholic Charities, Insight House and the House of Good Shepherd are determined to

make young people aware of their free services. Other partners are law enforcement, hospitals and especially schools and colleges who are more likely to come into direct contact with troubled youth.

“Children, teens and adults don’t always know these services exist, and 20 years ago, these offices were indeed less visible and perhaps less funded than they are today,” said Kuhn, explaining why it took her a long time to get intervention.

Kuhn, 44, a licensed master social worker, has been in Utica just two years. She Bollinger had spent almost a decade on the streets of New York City, plus another 10 years turning her life around.

She joined the Oneida County Health Department in January 2014 as the director of the mobile crisis assessment team, a crisis services unit serving Oneida, Herkimer, Delaware, Schoharie, Chenango and Otsego counties.

The team provides 24-7 intervention to children and adults in crisis, including those battling depression or having thoughts of suicide that could be dealing with abusive relationships and suffer from mental health issues.

MCAT works collaboratively with hospitals, schools/colleges, law enforcement agencies, substance abuse agencies and nursing homes to identify mental health problems before they escalate.

Last January, Kuhn, who has a master’s degree in social work, became the county’s adult mental

health director.

“After a year here, they thought my experience at mobile crisis would be helpful,” said Kuhn.

As she detailed her own experiences of living on the streets, she revealed her resilience and determination to overcome some bad breaks and her deep resolve to help others in distress.

A New Hampshire native, she spent years wandering throughout the U.S. Interestingly, it was in the maze of New York City where she found invaluable assistance that eventually led her back to a normal life.

It started when she was 16 and confronted with an abusive home situation.

“My biological father had married a woman who told me plainly I was only a ‘guest’ in my home,” she related. “Finally she asked me to leave. There were lots of issues like

January 2016 •

emotional abuse and neglect.”

As typical of teenagers, her response was to demonstrate her independence without giving any thought to the consequences.

“You know, as a child, you really don’t know how to function,” Kuhn said, “but you think you know it all. You’re vulnerable, so you try to connect to others. Sometimes there are predators who do take advantage of you as a kid.”

She migrated to Boston, thinking it would be cool to hang out in a metropolitan city.

Life of a hobo

She linked up with other young people who lived as vagabonds.

They never spent too much time in one place, but managed to eke out a modest existence. She even worked briefly at McDonald’s.

Continued on Page 13

IN GOOD HEALTH – Mohawk Valley’s Healthcare Newspaper

•

Page 3

Transplanted Face May Age Prematurely

T

ransplanted faces seem to age faster than normal, a new study suggests.

More than 30 face transplants have been performed worldwide, but there is little information about recipients’ long-term outcomes, the researchers said.

In this study, three fullface transplant patients were followed for three years. They had a significant decrease in facial volume that resembled premature aging, said physician Bohdan Pomahac, of Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, both in Boston.

This change in appearance was the result of bone and muscle loss rather than the reduced facial fat or skin thickness that occurs in normal aging of the face, said Pomahac, who in 2011 led the first full-face transplant in the United States.

The study was published online Dec. 3 in the American Journal of Transplantation.

The findings show the need to find ways to prevent, delay or reverse muscle and bone loss in face transplant patients, Pomahac said.

Cornell: Private Hospital Rooms Cut Infection

I

n the war against infections, constructing single-patient rooms — rather than sickbay style, multi-patient rooms — reduces hospital-acquired infections among patients.

A new Cornell-led study finds that the purported high building costs of private hospital rooms are more than offset by the financial benefits of keeping patients safer from infection.

“We showed that although single-patient rooms are more costly to build and operate, they can result in substantial savings compared with open-bay rooms — all of this by avoiding costs associated with hospital-acquired infections,” said Hessam Sadatsafavi, Cornell postdoctoral researcher and lead author of a recent paper on the Journal of Critical Care.

Parkinson Drug May Prevent and Delay AMD

R

PB-supported researchers have made a significant discovery that might lead to the delay or prevention of the most common cause of blindness in the elderly: age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Patients who take the drug L-DOPA (for Parkinson Disease, Restless Legs or other movement disorders) are significantly less likely to develop AMD and, if they do, it is at a significantly later age.

Page 4

•

Meet

Your Doctor

By Patricia J. Malin

Dr. Margaret Scandura

Pediatrician Margaret Scandura recently accepted a position at Bassett Healthcare Network in Herkimer. She discusses her career and the changes she’s witnessed in pediatrics in the last 20 years with In Good Health senior writer Patricia J. Malin.

Q.: Why did you decide to practice in the Mohawk Valley?

A.: I was raised on Long island.

My family vacationed in Upstate New York every summer. I left the state for my education and training and eventually settled in Wisconsin to raise my family. My husband and I have always planned to eventually settle in Upstate New York, with no particular area planned. The opportunity to work at Bassett Healthcare made it possible to begin our transition back to the East Coast and the beautiful state of New York.

Q.: What prompted your interest in medicine and your specialization in pediatrics?

A.: My own childhood doctor was my greatest inspiration to become a doctor. I can’t say why or when I decided to specialize in the health of children (pediatrics) because I can’t remember wanting to do anything else.

Q.: What age groups do you treat and what are their most common maladies?

A.: I take care of children from birth to age 18. The common concerns which bring them to see me change with their age. Many new parents have concerns that simply need reassurance. Children of all ages come in for wellness checks.

Of course, illnesses such as a cough, sore throat and abdominal pain bring many children to the doctor.

Q.: What is the most challenging aspect of your job?

A.: The challenges of this profession have changed over my career.

Helping parents navigate parenthood and understanding both health and illness of their children used to be the biggest challenge, as well as helping them to know what is worrisome and what is not. Now, navigating government regulations and insurance requirements are a daily source of frustration.

Q.: What is the most positive aspect of your job?

A.: Building confidence in and becoming part of the families that I care for is the most rewarding thing.

Watching children grow and bloom is so awesome.

Q.: You have spent time researching sports and exercise. Is this a personal interest? You were an athlete in college, so do you believe your background improves your knowledge and treatment of your patients?

Do you treat student athletes?

A.: Sports medicine has always been an interest of mine. I did research for almost three years at the Nicholas Institute of Sports Medicine

in New York City. I only managed to play lacrosse for three weeks in college, but I played field hockey in high school and rugby in college. I also spent time as a personal trainer before going to medical school. I do think my professional interest in athletes combined with my experience in sports helps me to treat my patients from a perspective of the athlete and their sport.

Q.: Some parents, sociologists and physicians remark that chil-

dren today spend too much time playing video games or browsing the Internet rather than playing sports and are thus more likely to be obese.

Have you noticed any similar trends in your practice over the last 20 years?

A.: I do agree that children are much more sedentary now, with too much screen time. Obesity is just one of the issues with that behavior. They aren’t building imagination, but playing off someone else’s. They aren’t learning to work out differences face to face on the playground. They aren’t learning to talk to their peers and hold conversations. They are desensitized to violence in the games they play. They have accidental and then purposeful exposure to adult content on the Internet at a young age, just to name a few of my concerns with too much screen time.

Q.: What advice do you give parents who think obesity is a problem with their children? Can you make recommendations to parents who don’t think their children’s diet or lack of exercise is a problem?

A.: I start by trying to educate parents on what we define as obesity in children.

Continued on Page 14

Lifelines Hometown: Long Island Education: Bachelor of Science in biology, Dickinson College, Carlisle, Pa.; Adelphi University School of Nursing, Garden City; post baccalaureate, physiology, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.; medical degree, Medical College of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pa.; pediatric internship/ residency, Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wis.; fellow, program for integrative medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, Ariz.

Affiliations: Assistant professor of clinical pediatrics, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York City Family: Married for 25 years; daughter in college and son in high school; chocolate Labrador retriever Hobbies: Spectator sports, travel, gardening, needlework, reading

IN GOOD HEALTH – Mohawk Valley’s Healthcare Newspaper • January 2016

Women’s Health Between You and Me

By Barbara Pierce

What’s your purpose?

Unlock your driving spirit

T

he rush hour traffic crawled along as I drove home from work, absent-mindedly punching the scan button on the radio, spacing out mostly. Suddenly, a thought jumped into my head from out of the blue: “Maybe I’ll get in an accident so I won’t have to go back to work for awhile.”

I jerked to full alertness. What did I just say to myself? Get in an accident so I don’t have to go to my job? Wow! It’s that bad? Yes, it was that bad, and I’d been denying how bad it was.

Pierce The next morning I marched in and quit. I didn’t have another job, I had a teenager at home to support, but I knew I had to get out.

For the first time in months, I was happy. And I did get a job that I loved. Each morning, I got out of bed, happy to go my job as a psychotherapist. I loved helping people, sitting with them, helping them figure out how to get through the dark places in their lives.

I was fortunate to find work I felt passion about. “Passions ignite us and keep us going,” said Alan Gettis in his book “The Happiness Solution.”

“But some of us are so entrenched in our daily lives that we’ve lost sight of our passions. Passion is personal. It comes from the deepest part of you. It stirs your emotions,” he said.

Passion is energizing. When you are working with passion, it gets you going in the morning. Passion is bigger than you.

Passion engages others. When you are working with passion, other

Oneida, Herkimer in good

All about love

Your passion is based on doing what you love. Usually what you love to do is also what you do best.

When you look for your next job, next career, or next place to make a difference, build on what you do well, what comes easily to you.

People with a sense of purpose live seven years longer, and they are happier.

“Finding” your purpose is a misleading concept. It’s not something we have to go out and “find,” but rather something we need to look within and “unlock.”

How do you unlock it? Listen to your heart. Your purpose will always be something that you are good at and that you care deeply about.

Your heart is your best tool to access your true purpose and passion.

Ask yourself what you love. Start taking steps to do what you love.

By doing what you love, you will be inspired and gain insights into what brings you the most joy.

You can’t think your way into your life’s passion and purpose; you have to “do” your way in. This means taking steps toward what you want, and removing those things in your life that you don’t want. If you

and

Health MV’s Healthcare Newspaper

people want to know what’s giving you so much oomph.

It’s about your passion, your purpose, your calling. Whatever term is applied, it is both an inner urge and your capacity, expressed in work that’s right for you — Work you love to do, work that satisfies you. It’s that simple.

It may be a career or a volunteer position. It may be working for yourself or a 9-to-5 job in a cubicle. It may be the work that pays the bills or the work that holds your family together or the work that transforms your community. Your calling will change over time.

Madison

are looking for your purpose and passion, stop looking and start doing.

The more you act, the more you will get clear on things. So, instead of over-thinking it, start taking steps toward your goals and start trying new things.

Last month, Chase Miller shared her story with In Good Health. Miller follows her passion by traveling to Africa, spending her annual vacation giving medical care to patients there.

She told us, “Several years ago, I felt a huge tug in my heart as I read about the earthquake in Haiti. I said ‘I’ve got to help.’ I went there and I helped. My heart was torn open, feeling for the people and feeling their suffering.” The next year she joined World Medical Mission in Africa, and has continued to find a purpose

there.

Miller listened to her heart, acted on what she heard, and found her purpose.

When was the last time you felt really exhilarated, felt real joy? Close your eyes and tune into those experiences. Trust your instincts; listen to your instincts.

What can you do to get more of that feeling of joy?

• Barbara Pierce is a retired licensed clinical social worker with many years’ experience in helping people. If you would like to purchase a copy of her book “If I’m so Fantastic, Why am I Still Single?” or if you have any concerns you would like her to address, contact her at BarbaraPierce06@yahoo.com.

counties

A monthly newspaper published

by Local News, Inc. 20,000 copies distributed. To request home delivery ($15 per year), call 315-749-7070.

In Good Health is published 12 times a year by Local News, Inc. © 2016 by Local News, Inc. All rights reserved. Mailing Address: 4 Riverside Drive, Suite 251, Utica, NY 13502 • Phone: 315-749-7070 Email: lou@cnymail.com

7 Timmerman Ave. St. Johnsville, NY 13452 Phone: 518-568-5037

Editor & Publisher: Wagner Dotto Associate Editor: Lou Sorendo Contributing Writers: Patricia Malin, Barbara Pierce, Kristen Raab, Deb Dittner Advertising: Donna Kimbrell Layout & Design: Eric J. Stevens Office Manager: Alice Davis

www.stjrnc.com

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.

The industry leader in skilled nursing and outpatient rehabilitation services.

January 2016 •

IN GOOD HEALTH – Mohawk Valley’s Healthcare Newspaper

•

Page 5

Women’s Health De-toxing from Relationships Understand basic rights in relationship with significant other

By Barbara Pierce

“

This explains things! This is why I feel bad all the time!” Tears fell as Joanne read the paper her counselor gave her.

What she read was “Basic Rights in a Relationship,” from Patricia Evans’ book “The Verbally Abusive Relationship”: • The right to emotional support • The right to be heard by the other and to respond • The right to have your own point of view, even if this differs from your partner’s • The right to have your feelings and experiences acknowledged as real • The right to live free from accusation and blame • The right to live free from criticism and judgment • The right to live free from emotional and physical threat • The right to live free from angry outbursts and rage • The right to be respectfully asked, rather than ordered

These basic rights apply to each of us and they apply to every relationship. Not only with our partner, but with our parents, our kids, our friends, our boss, our neighbors.

“Everyone deserves to be in a safe, healthy relationship,” said Kari Procopio, director of grants and communications, YWCA Mohawk Valley.

The YWCA identifies a healthy relationship as one in which both people feel respected, supported and valued; decisions are made together; both have friends and interests outside of the relationship; and disagreements are settled with open and honest communication.

Melissa Loiacano, community education supervisor at the YWCA, said, “In a healthy relationship, the person I am with is very supportive of things that I do, likes to listen when I have something on my mind, and understands that I have my own life too.”

Joanne said, “I have to always walk on eggshells waiting for his reaction to whatever situation — he gets mad so easily. And he orders me around all the time.

And calls me names. What I think isn’t important to him. My rights aren’t being respected in this relationship.”

Loiacano says this is abusive behavior. “Abuse can be emotional, physical or sexual — behavior which one person uses to control another.

It takes many forms such as threats, name calling, and preventing contact with family or friends,” she said.

“The abuser calls the victim names or puts them down in front of other people.

The abuser is jealous when the victim talks to others. The victim apologizes for the abuser’s behavior or makes excuses for them.

The abuser is always checking up on the victim and demanding to know who they have been with and where they have been,” Loiacano said.

INSIGHT HOUSE Chemical Dependency Services, Inc.

Drug & Alcohol Treatment Services OUTPATIENT CLINIC & DAY REHABILITATION PROGRAM • DWI Assessment & Counseling • Suboxone Therapy *** Psychiatric Assessment • Family Support Group *** Adolescent Services *** Women’s Track • Addiction & Opiates *** Relapse Prevention Groups INTENSIVE RESIDENTIAL 7-9 MONTH PROGRAM • Appropriate for Males & Females • Suboxone Therapy *** Psychiatric Assessment SCHOOL-BASED PREVENTION PROGRAMS • HYPE (Helping Youth Thru Prevention Education) *** Project Success All inquiries are strictly confidential. Most medical insurances and Medicaid accepted.

Sliding fee scale available. No individual denied services for inability to pay.

(315)724-5168 1-800-530-2741 www.insighthouse.com 500 Whitesboro Street, Utica New York 13502 Page 6

•

Scars run deep

“The scars from mental cruelty can be as deep and long-lasting as wounds from punches or slaps but are often not as obvious. In fact, even among women who have experienced violence from a partner, half or more report that the man’s emotional abuse is what causes them the greatest harm,” Lundy Bancroft said in his book, “Why Does He Do That?”

Both men and women are equally guilty of not respecting their partner’s rights.

“Nothing is more damaging to your confidence and self-esteem than being in an emotionally abusive relationship,” says life coach Barrie Davenport online. “Unlike physical abuse which rears its ugly head in dramatic outbursts, emotional abuse can be more insidious and elusive.

In some cases, neither the abuser nor the victim is fully aware it’s happening.”

Toxic people are like vampires,” adds Davenport. “They will suck the very life out of you, especially if you’re an empathic, sensitive person who keeps trying harder and harder

to ‘fix’ the relationship and ‘understand’ this abusive person.”

“If you’re in a toxic relationship, here’s a wakeup call: You cannot fix it. An ocean of understanding will not change them. There are only three options for you —Manage it.

Leave it. Or accept it.”

Manage it if you have the strength, Davenport advises, and they begin to see the light of day and really want to change. If you don’t have the strength now, you must recognize this person for what he or she is and learn to build boundaries and call them out on their crap.

Anyone who suspects he or she is now or ever have been in an abusive relationship is urged to call the YWCA 24-hour hotline. Individual and group counseling services are free and confidential. The number for Herkimer County is 315-866-4120, and the number for Oneida County is 315-797-7740. YWCA Mohawk Valley can be found online at www.ywcamv. org.

Support groups are held Rome and in Utica. For more information, call 315-732-2159 ext. 239.

Bruce Stewart, DDS Ultra Modern Dentistry Backed

by Old Fashioned Values

• Advanced Laser Periodontal therapy available.

• Implants placed and restored • CEREC Crowns - beautiful, strong, done in one visit • Digital low radiation x-rays • Root Canal therapy • Natural tooth colored fillings • Complete Smile makeovers • Complete recare services including periodontal and oral cancer screenings Extended Payment Plans through Care Credit

IN GOOD HEALTH – Mohawk Valley’s Healthcare Newspaper • January 2016

NOW ACCEPTING DELTA DENTAL

321 Main St., Oneida, NY 13421

(315) 363-4940 www.oneidanydentist.com Join Us On FACEBOOK

Women’s Health The Balanced Body

By Deb Dittner

Taking Care of No. 1

Make sure to take care of yourself with healthy lifestyle changes

I

n this ever-changing world of health and wellness, self-care needs to be incorporated into your daily life as the best preventive healthcare.

Our current healthcare system is broken with healthcare provider visits lasting approximately seven minutes. You can barely discuss a symptom in that period of time let alone receive a diagnosis and treatment.

Can your provider get to the root cause of that symptom?

Oftentimes, this is not likely. Then there is the copay amount on top of the premium on the rise making for fewer and farther-between visits.

It’s somewhat of a glum picture I just painted. There is plenty that each and every Dittner one of you can do in the selfcare category. Complaints of fatigue, joint pain, insomnia, stress, and weight gain are common and some may consider these simply inevitable with age.

Not so fast!

These complaints may seem common but what have you done to try to change your life and create a new one?

Self-care needs to become a priority. Begin by incorporating small, gradual changes into your every day life. Not sure where to begin?

The help of a health coach can put lifestyle changes into perspective and guide you on the right path.

There are also many books that can assist in this process as well. My book, “Body Balance Empowering Performance,” is available through Northshire Bookstore in Saratoga Springs and Manchester, Vt. Once you begin your lifestyle journey, you will see changes in how

you feel and look. These changes are called lifestyle changes for a reason; they need to be for life to continue to feel and be the very best.

So what can you do, you ask?

• Eat well: Look at the foods that you put into your body. Are they high-quality, whole-nutrient dense foods? Proper nutrition is key to health and may need to be changed up from time to time.

Each of you is an individual and requires different nutritive sources. Listen to your body, as it will provide you with valuable information. It is important to not skip meals.

Preparation of nutrient-dense foods from home will keep you on the right track. Foods rich in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals and essential fatty acids will keep weight off, skin looking younger, and joints from aching.

• Hydration: Water is very simple to incorporate into your daily activities. Drinking a minimum of 70 ounces daily will keep skin plump and younger looking.

When you are dehydrated, your skin will become dry and wrinkle-prone. Water also increases energy levels.

That mid-afternoon fatigue and possible headache can simply be the result of dehydration.

Drink a large glass of water and see how much better you will feel in 15-20 minutes. Adding lemon, orange or lime slices, cucumber slices, or mint leaves can help with the taste for those who say they dislike the taste of water.

• De-stress: Stress can cause a variety of symptoms from weight gain to poor sleep. Stress management techniques to incorporate into

your self-care lifestyle include but are not limited to meditation, yoga, walking, breathing techniques, “emotional freedom technique,” Epsom salt baths, and more.

Emotional freedom technique is a form of counseling intervention that draws on various theories of alternative medicine.

Look at your relationships, ask for help when needed, and take one day at a time. Don’t worry about the past. The past is over and done and cannot be changed. Be present and move on.

• Physical movement: As you age, your metabolism may slow down so you need to improve your metabolism by moving. This will also help with any additional weight and will improve circulation.

Weight-bearing exercises, strength training and cardio combined will

January 2016 •

help to tone the body, improve muscle building, build strong bones, and burn more calories.

• Sleep: Sleeping 7-9 hours nightly is important to keep your body functioning properly. During sleep, your body will repair and grow.

To encourage restful sleep, keep your room cool and dark, have a bedtime routine, avoid caffeine after noon (or none at all if caffeine sensitive), avoid electronics an hour before bed, and get to bed at a reasonable hour.

• Deborah Dittner is a nurse practitioner and health consultant for amateur and professional athletes. If you’re an amateur or professional athlete looking to increase your energy, boost your performance and shorten recovery time, check out www.debdittner.com to learn how.

IN GOOD HEALTH – Mohawk Valley’s Healthcare Newspaper

•

Page 7

Women’s Health

Craving comfort food?

Here’s advice on avoiding that unnecessary weight

By Barbara Pierce

M

ac and cheese, mashed potatoes, meatloaf, stews, soups, hot chocolate — are you hungry for these kinds of foods as the cold wind howls and the snowdrifts build up?

Are you craving hardier and richer foods as the temperature drops? Eating more foods that make you feel warm and cozy?

You’re not alone if you’re scarfing down more comfort foods lately.

And there is a reason your body has cravings.

Lack of sunlight means your body doesn’t produce as much serotonin, said Crystal Hein, a registered dietitian and owner of Crystal Clear Nutrition, Herkimer.

Serotonin is a chemical in our body that affects much of our functioning, including our mood, sleep, body temperature, hunger, and appetite.

Therefore, less sunlight means less serotonin, which leads to cravings for carbohydrates, or comfort foods. Eating carbohydrate-rich foods boosts our serotonin levels and creates a calming effect.

The food industry seizes on our weather-related cravings, designing its product releases and ads to capitalize on this. Campbell’s soups uses a kind of “misery index’ that tracks when and where the weather takes a nasty turn, then amps up soup ads in those cities.

McDonald’s changes its offerings on its digital menu board based on the local weather and time of day.

When it’s cold, expect to see lots of hot beverages and hardier meals.

Supermarkets also rely on weather forecasts to know what to stock.

Experts agree with Hein: When winter hits, cravings for comfort foods increase. And few of us find comfort in whole-wheat pita bread

and carrot sticks.

In the winter, your body is hungrier and naturally craves comfort food while the media, stores, and restaurants slickly capitalize on this.

You’re not burning it off in your usual ways, and the result is most of us will gain a few pounds before it warms up.

Weight gain happens when we eat more calories than our body needs and we don’t burn enough calories from exercise, Hein reminds us.

Hein offers these tips to limit weight gain and deal with your cravings for comfort food during the winter: • Try to get some sunlight every day. Since days are shorter, get out early in the morning or on your lunch break for some rays.

• Include protein at every meal.

Protein gives us a feeling of fullness and will hold us over to the next meal. Eating more protein should reduce your total food intake. Good sources of protein include peanut butter, eggs, beans, meat, fish, milk,

nuts and cheese.

• Don’t totally restrict yourself from eating the foods you really want. If you always restrict certain foods, you will crave them more. So enjoy the foods you like in moderation. If you allow yourself to have a small portion, this will prevent you from going overboard when you have the opportunity.

• Ask yourself if you are truly hungry. If the answer is no, find something else to take your mind off the food you are craving. Read a book, take a walk, call a friend or even clean a closet.

• Sometimes we perceive thirst as hunger. Drink water before indulging in your food craving. We need eight to 10 glasses of water a day.

• Don’t let yourself get too hungry. Eat three balanced meals a day and this will decrease your chances of binging on your favorite food.

• Eat a healthy diet. Limit carbohydrates like sweets, sugary drinks, white breads and pastas. Make

an effort to include more complex carbohydrates in your diet. Foods like whole grain breads and cereals, sweet potatoes, yams, squash, fruits and vegetables. More complex carbohydrates take time to digest.

• Substitute your bad craving for something a little healthier. Instead of a sugary treat, try some fruit. Take advantage of the season to try pomegranates, cranberries, or citrus fruits.

If you crave chocolate, try a granola bar with a little chocolate in it.

• Get moving! Do whatever you can to move more. Exercise increases serotonin levels, which will improve your mood. Don’t stay cooped up inside all winter.

Get out and about; remember how much you liked being out in the snow when you were a kid.

You can purchase or rent exercise DVDs to use at home. Create a gym at home with an exercise ball, yoga mat and dumbbells. Use your home exercise equipment at home when you can’t get outside or to the gym.

If you exercise at home, do whatever you can to make it entertaining. Put a TV in front of your treadmill. Invite your friends to join you.

• Get a good night’s rest. If you get enough sleep, you won’t have to rely on sugar and stimulants to keep you awake and energized.

• Reduce your anxiety and stress without using food. Take a bubble bath, read a book, listen to your favorite music, watch a funny movie, or have some quiet time or meditation.

Hein provides nutrition and behavior counseling for general nutrition and wellness needs, weight loss, and various medical conditions for adults and children.

For more information, call 315717-2202, or visit www.acrystalclear. life or www.Facebook.com/crystalhein.rd.

Beware of sodium in ‘Salty Six’ foods

E

ating too many salty foods can create many health problems, including high blood pressure ,which can lead to stroke, the No. 5 killer of Americans. But did you know the majority of the sodium we consume is not from a salt shaker at the dining table? It’s from common foods we enjoy every day.

The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association is increasing awareness of sodium and the “Salty Six” — common foods that may be loaded with excess sodium that can increase your risk for heart disease and stroke.

Sodium overload is a major health problem in the United States.

The average American consumes about 3,400 milligrams of sodium a day — more than twice the 1,500 milligrams recommended by the AmerPage 8

•

ican Heart Association/American Stroke Association. That’s in large part because of our food supply; more than 75 percent of our sodium consumption comes from processed and restaurant foods.

The Salty Six

Breads and rolls. We all know breads and rolls add carbohydrates and calories, but salt, too? It can be deceiving because a lot of bread doesn’t even taste salty, but one piece can have as much as 230 milligrams of sodium. That’s about 15 percent of the recommended amount from only one slice, and it adds up quickly.

Cold cuts and cured meats. Even foods that would otherwise be considered healthy may have high levels of sodium. Deli or pre-packaged turkey can contain as much as 1,050

milligrams of sodium. It’s added to most cooked meats so they don’t spoil after a few days.

Pizza. We know that pizza is not exactly a health food, because of cholesterol, fat and calories but pizza’s plenty salty, too. One slice can contain up to 760 milligrams of sodium — and frozen varieties can be even higher. Two slices can send you over the daily recommendation in just one meal.

Poultry. Surely chicken can’t be bad for you, right? Well, it depends on how you prepare it. Reasonable portions of lean, skinless, grilled chicken are OK but may still contain an added sodium solution.

And when you start serving up the chicken nuggets, the sodium also adds up. Just 3 ounces of frozen and breaded nuggets can add nearly 600

IN GOOD HEALTH – Mohawk Valley’s Healthcare Newspaper • January 2016

milligrams of sodium.

Soup. This is another one of those foods that seems perfectly healthy.

It can’t be bad if Mom gave it to you for the sniffles, right? But when you take a look at the nutrition label it’s easy to see how too much soup can quickly turn into a sodium overload.

One cup of canned chicken noodle soup can have up to 940 milligrams of sodium. And remember that soup cans typically contain more than one serving.

Sandwiches. This covers everything from grilled cheese to hamburgers. We already know that breads and cured meats may be heavy on the sodium. Add them together, then add a little ketchup or mustard and you can easily surpass 1,500 milligrams of sodium in one sitting.

Meet

Your Administrator

By Thomas Werth

Janine Carzo The Regional Primary Care Network was founded in Rochester in 1964 as a social agency and later evolved to meet the health care needs of underserved and low-income populations. In 2010, the Utica Community Healthcare Center was started by the RPCN health care network and is the only federally qualified health center between Syracuse and Amsterdam. Janine Carzo, chief operating officer of RPCN, is based in Utica. She supervises staff, manages services and allocates budgets at five health care centers in the RPCN network.

Q.: How did you get your start in the health care business?

A.: My career in health care was not by design. I always had an interest in all things science even as a young girl. I started off getting my degree in the sciences, but found I had an interest more in the human side.

On a whim, I took a course in social work while attending Utica College and fell in love with it. While in college, I worked in a pharmacy to pay the bills. When I graduated with my social work degree, I couldn’t get a job in the field, so I took a job working for Mohawk Hospital. Again, health care seeped into my career plans. I finally got a job working for Oneida County Department of Social Services.

Later, an opportunity came up to work on a project to help reduce smoking in Utica, called Utica Commit. One thing led to another and every job after that was in the health care industry. I then realized this was my career path and decided to get my master’s degree in health care administration.

Q.: How has the RPCN evolved since it started in 1964?

A.: When it first started in the 1960s, it was to address the needs of social unrest in Rochester. It was organized to provide economic justice, job training, nutritional and social service support for the inner city.

In the 1980s, it became a watchdog for federal grant money for Rochester Community Health Centers, among the first federally qualified health centers in Upstate New York. In 2010, RPCN became a direct service provider of health care by acquiring Rushville Community Health Center and opening the Utica Community Health Center.

Q.: How has the UCHC changed during the past five years?

A.: The need is growing and unfortunately we have a waiting list for our services. In 2014, we added the NYS Department of Health Refugee Health Program and added the dentistry program for Utica public schools. We also added an administrative office on Parkside Court in Utica.

Health care is changing and Utica has been preparing its workforce to address those changes. We have a grant from the Health Foundation of Western and Central New York so

we can adjust accordingly and share what we have learned with other community health centers.

We have patient centered medical home level 3 recognition and are extremely active in the Central New York delivery system reform incentive program focused on services for the Medicaid and uninsured populations.

Q.: What are your daily job functions?

A.: My primary responsibility is to assure that our sites are fully operational and functioning in a way that brings our patients the highest quality of service. This can mean anything from signing purchase orders to introducing a new service line.

In the upcoming year, I will be spending most of my time getting new sites opened, training the workforce to meet new market demands, and assuring behavioral health is fully integrated.

Q.: What is the most challenging aspect of your job?

A.: It is competing demands and trying to prioritize the most important thing first. The diversity of my responsibilities can take me from planning one minute to problemsolving another. I would note the

most challenging is not necessarily the most frustrating. I am frustrated when the “system” gets in the way and actually is a hindrance rather than help. The most rewarding part of my job is working with a team of individuals who are caring and compassionate. I often wonder how they do what they do and still smile at the

end of the day.

Q.: What specific population does the RPCN serve?

A.: We are considered a safety net provider. We serve everyone regardless of cultural, financial or social barriers. Our primary population is those on Medicaid or without medical or dental insurance coverage. We have a sliding fee program and a pharmacy assistance program to assist those in need.

Q.: Why is it important for RPCN and UCHC to provide primary care services to low-income populations?

A.: We are a safety net provider.

Our purpose is to catch those who might otherwise have no other alternative or who have fallen through the cracks. Our social work team assists those trying to get government insurance or signs up people for our sliding fee program.

If all else fails, we see the person in need, regardless. We have a payment program to help people through difficult times.

Q.: Do primary and specialized resources seem sufficient for accommodating the needs of the community?

A.: No, they are not. We are looking to expand so we can meet the needs of the community. In 2016, the organization plans to open sites in Ilion and Elmira. It will also integrate new behavioral health services in Rushville and Utica.

Lifelines Age: 60 Hometown: Whitesboro Education: Associate of Science, science/chemistry, Mohawk Valley Community College, 1975; Bachelor of Science, social work, Utica College of Syracuse University, 1977; Master of Science, health services administration, Robert J. Milano School of Management and Urban Studies, New School, New York City, 1999 Personal: Husband Rocco Carzo; son Paul Sadlik; stepson Rocco Carzo; stepdaughter Lisa Carzo Hobbies: I like to travel, walk and read. I am a big Boston Red Sox fan and enjoy going to Fenway Park.

January 2016 •

IN GOOD HEALTH – Mohawk Valley’s Healthcare Newspaper

•

Page 9

NOT TAKING YOUR PRESCRIPTIONS AS DIRECTED?

YOU’RE TAKING

A CHANCE.

If you have a chronic condition like high blood pressure, diabetes or high cholesterol, taking your prescriptions as directed is essential to healthy living. So remember:

If you’re not taking your prescriptions as directed, you’re taking a chance.

To learn more, visit ExcellusBCBS.com/TakeAsDirected. #TakeAsDirected

In Good Health

6

Mohawk Valley Healthcare Newspaper

Reasons to Advertise with In Good Health Free Distribution. The paper is everywhere. Available at more than 1,000 high traffic locations (hospitals, medical centers, doctors’ offices, diners, convenience stores, etc).

Content. Stories about the local healthcare industry, all written exclusively for In Good Health. Plus popular columns such as Live Alone, Smart Bites and Savvy Senior.

Low Cost Advertising. Advertise for as little as $83. No kidding!

Life Span. Each issue available all month long.

Niche Market. In Good Health focuses exclusively on healthcare issues. Readership: 75,000 readers based on 20,000 copies distributed monthly.

Online. We’re a hard-core print publication — with a great website that reaches additional readers.

Targeting Healthcare Consumers / Providers Call today: 315-749-7070 or send an email to donna@MVhealthnews.com

Page 10

•

IN GOOD HEALTH – Mohawk Valley’s Healthcare Newspaper • January 2016

Sickness is Catchy Here’s some advice on how to avoid contracting cold, flu

By Barbara Pierce

D

o you believe that if you go out in the cold without warm clothing or with wet hair you’ll catch a cold? If you say no, you’re correct.

You will not catch a cold by going out into the cold.

A virus causes the common cold, according to Mohammed Rizvi, chief resident of the St. Elizabeth Family Medicine Residency Program.

It is spread by a virus — or by “germs” as your mother may have called them.

Germs from other Rizvi people — from direct contact or by inhaling viral particles, explained Rizvi. Cold viruses travel through small liquid drops when someone with a cold sneezes or coughs.

When you shake hands with a person who has sneezed or coughed and gotten germs on his hands, or has sneezed or coughed near you, you are exposed.

Also, you can get the germs from surfaces that have been exposed to the virus, added Rizvi. Viruses can live on surfaces for several hours.

So if someone has cold germs on his hands and touches a doorknob or a computer keyboard, and hours later, you touch that same knob or keyboard, the germs will be transferred to your hands. Then you touch your face in some way, as we all do often without even thinking about it, and germs with the cold virus enter your body.

Two or three days later, you’ll start blowing your nose and sneezing. Your throat will become sore.

For a week or so, you’ll be miserable with your cold.

The best way to prevent a cold is to avoid touching your face.

As the particles containing the cold virus live for many hours on surfaces, they will spread to your hands when you touch that surface.

Then, when you touch your face, the virus has a good chance of entering your body.

Time to not share

Avoid sharing drinking cups or tissues with anyone who has a cold.

It’s also a good idea to frequently wash your hands with soap and water, added Rizvi. Scrub them for at least 20 seconds, paying special attention to your fingernails, between your fingers and wrist. If soap and water aren’t available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Wash your hands before you prepare food, eat, and after coughing or sneezing.

Colds are much more common than the flu. Though colds and the flu are often confused, they are actually quite different, explained Rizvi.

Different viruses than those that cause colds lead to the flu.

This is why a cold, caused by a cold virus, cannot “morph” into the flu.

Flu symptoms are worse than cold symptoms, and they come on suddenly. When you’re hit with the flu, you know it. You’ll have a fever, chills, and aching muscles and joints.

To avoid the flu altogether, your best shot is to move to the tropics.

Flu season is nonexistent in hot and humid conditions. Viruses thrive in wintry conditions.

Flu is very contagious. People coming down with it spread it to oth-

Arc recognizes outstanding employees

T

he Arc, Oneida-Lewis Chapter recently held its employee recognition dinner in Utica.

More than 250 employees and board members attended the event, with many awards being given out to the outstanding staff working at the agency.

The team of the year was presented to the residential services department in both Oneida and Lewis counties for providing the best possible care to people they support.

Arc Board President David Mathis presented the President’s Cup to Monique Millard, a program director at The Arc’s Day Services site in Turin.

The highlight of the night was the presentation of the employee of

the year award to Allan Foote by Arc Chief Executive Officer Karen Korotzer. Foote, a clinical supervisor in The Arc’s Residential Services Department, was surprised when accepting the award.

“I humbly accept this great honor, fully cognizant that each of my fellow nominees are equally worthy of this distinction,” Foote said. “I dedicate this award to the outstanding direct support professionals in our residential services department who each week insure the health, safety and quality of life of the many people we support.”

The Arc is looking for people to join its team. For more information on available positions, visit www. thearcolc.org or call 315-272-1538.

January 2016 •

ers one day before they have symptoms and up to seven days after.

Some people may be infected with the virus but have no symptoms; they still spread the virus.

Most commonly, the virus travels through the air in droplets from coughs and sneezes. People with flu can spread it to others up to six feet away. Like a cold, you can get flu by touching a surface that has the virus on it.

To avoid the virus, stay away from sick people. Wash your hands often with soap and water. Do not share linens, eating utensils and dishes used by those who are sick before washing them thoroughly. Clean any surfaces that the sick person touches.

Stay home from work or school if you’re sick. Avoid passing on your flu by always covering your mouth and nose when you sneeze or cough, throw your used tissues away immediately, wash your hands often, and keep your distance from others.

Prevention techniques to ward off the flu are the same as preventing the cold.

To treat a cold: There is no specific treatment, said Rizvi. Treatment is supportive care and alleviating the symptoms.

To treat the flu: There are anti-virals available for the flu, if it is diagnosed within the first 48 hours.

General prevention strategies

Rizvi gives this advice to promote a healthy immune system, which is especially important during the cold and flu season: Eat a balanced diet, exercise, and get adequate sleep.

About that myth that being chilled causes colds: In a research project, 400 volunteers were exposed to the cold virus. Some were exposed to very cold temperatures, some to 60-degree temperatures, and some to a hot 80 degrees. All had the same rate of infection.

This shows that the crucial factor that determines whether you get a cold is being exposed to the virus that causes the cold.

Choose a medical home that’s close to home.

Now welcoming new patients of all ages. Same and next day appointments available.

New patients call: 315-867-2700

IN GOOD HEALTH – Mohawk Valley’s Healthcare Newspaper

•

Page 11

The Social Ask Security Office Access affordable health care, insurance marketplace

T

he Affordable Care Act (ACA) provides Americans with better health security by expanding coverage, lowering healthcare costs, guaranteeing more choice, and enhancing the quality of care for all Americans. Everyone is entitled to affordable healthcare.

Under the law, a new Patient’s Bill of Rights gives the American people the stability and flexibility they need to make informed choices about their health. Some of the benefits of this coverage include: Ending pre-existing condition exclusions for children: Health plans can no longer limit or deny benefits to children under 19 due to a pre-existing condition.

Keeping young adults covered: If you are under 26, you may be eligible to be covered under your parent’s health plan.

Ending arbitrary withdrawals of insurance coverage: Insurers can no longer cancel your coverage just because you made an honest mistake.

You now have the right to ask

that your plan reconsider its denial of payment.

Open enrollment began in November and ends Jan. 31. Compare healthcare plans so that you can find the best one for you, and sign up before the enrollment period ends. You can learn more about the insurance marketplace and how to apply for benefits at www.healthcare.gov.

If you are 65 or older, you are entitled to Medicare. Certain people younger than age 65 can qualify for Medicare, including those who have disabilities and those who have permanent kidney failure. The program helps with the cost of healthcare, but it does not cover all medical expenses or the cost of most long-term care.

You can access everything you need for Medicare, including online applications and publications, at www.socialsecurity.gov/medicare.

Social Security and affordable healthcare go hand-in-hand. The Affordable Care Act and Medicare help ensure that you and your family are covered.

Cancer Care at its Best The Only CNY Cancer Practice that is &HUWLˋHG IRU 4XDOLW\ E\ WKH $PHULFDQ 6RFLHW\ RI &OLQLFDO 2QFRORJ\

hoacny.com

Page 12

•

Tammy Delano, a Rome native and Sitrin STARS wheelchair athletes, recently excelled at the International Paralympic Committee Shooting World Cup at Fort Benning, Ga.

Local athletes meet the challenge

Rome native wins bronze in Paralympic World Cup; Utican impressive in wheelchair marathon Rome native and Sitrin STARS wheelchair athlete Tammy Delano won the first World Cup medal in her career at the International Paralympic Committee Shooting World Cup recently at Fort Benning, Ga. The Sitrin Success Through Adaptive Recreation and Sports athlete captured the bronze medal in the women’s 10-meter air rifle standing SH1 event thanks to a personal best score of 627.7.

With this feat, Team USA earned a fifth spot in the 2016 Paralympic Games. Athletes who win quotas guarantee their nation a place in the Paralympic Games in that specific event.

The U.S. Paralympic Team will select the individuals who will represent the United States in the Games

by July 31. The games will take place Sept. 7-18 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Delano, 42, dedicated her score to her father, who died in July.

“I just wish my dad was here to see this,” said Delano. “That’s the best I’ve ever shot — Two personal bests, a medal and a quota all in one match. Sounds pretty good to me.”

Delano explained the air rifle competition for paralympians: “I sit when I shoot in my wheelchair.

I have a special shooting table that attaches to my chair for a prone position. And for a standing position, I don’t use any type of support.”

Delano has pursued a career in adaptive shooting for more than four years and is among a handful of athletes considered prospects for the 2016 Paralympic Shooting Team. She was previously awarded two consecutive one-year residencies at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Co. The Sitrin STARS program provides opportunities for individuals with physical disabilities to participate in a variety of adaptive sports, including wheelchair curling, road racing, wheelchair basketball, target shooting, paddling, biathlon and archery.

Sitrin STARS athletes have competed on the international and Paralympic level and have represent-

IN GOOD HEALTH – Mohawk Valley’s Healthcare Newspaper • January 2016

ed the U.S. throughout the world.

Competes in marathon

Hermin Garic, 25, of Utica recently placed in the top 30 of the 35th Oita International Wheelchair Marathon in Oita, Japan.

Garic, who competed against 89 other athletes from 14 different countries, finished with a time of 1 hour, 48 minutes, 44 seconds on the 26.2-mile course.

Garic was one of only six athletes to represent the United States in the competition.

The Oita International WheelGaric chair Marathon, established in 1981, is the largest wheelchair race in the world and is an approved event by the International Paralympic Committee.

Garic is a member of the Sitrin Health Care Center’s STARS (Success Through Adaptive Recreation and Sports) program. Before coming to the U.S. with his family in 2000, Garic lived in Bosnia, where an accident when he was 4-years-old caused him to lose the use of his legs.

He began wheelchair road racing when he was 14 through the Sitrin program and is trying to make racing a career.

The Sitrin STARS program provides opportunities for individuals with physical disabilities to participate in a variety of adaptive sports, including wheelchair curling, wheelchair road racing, wheelchair basketball, target shooting, paddling, biathlon and archery. Sitrin STARS athletes have represented the U.S. throughout the world at the international and paralympic level.

Garic placed in the top 25 at the recent TCS New York City Marathon for the second consecutive year. In addition, last February, Garic defended his title in his age division in the Miami Marathon.

Oneida County forms safety net for homeless youth Continued from Page 3 “I had people who helped me,” she said of her early years. “They gave me rides. They gave me food or they found a couch for me to sleep on. They were kids helping kids, even though we didn’t have any resources.”

However, the help had its limitations. No one put her in touch with any professionals or social agencies or more importantly, none of them was seeking help.

“I was all over (the U.S.),” she added. “I’ve been everywhere. You just wander. You don’t know how you survive, you just do. You’re not embarrassed about it or ashamed, but you’re not anxious about finding any way out. That’s hard. Even then, we had no idea we could get a shelter or food stamps or Medicaid.”

Big Apple blues

Kuhn and her pals made it to California. Once they grew tired of that, they had enough resources to get to New York City. One day, she finally got a break.

“I was living on the streets,” she said. “It was February and a guy came up to us and offered us access to a building with heat and hot water.

“I was very lucky. I met a wonderful man who ran a nonprofit.”

By this time, she was older and wiser and ready to accept assistance.

“I had already spent 10 years on the streets and I was very blessed to run into him,” Kuhn said. “He saved me.”

He steered her into volunteering

By Jim Miller

with his program, Midtown Community, before giving her a part-time job. “It wasn’t a shelter, but a rehabilitation program for women who were suffering from HIV/AIDs,” she explained. “The program was open to anybody.”

With a modest salary, Kuhn was able to get herself a rental apartment.

She was encouraged to complete her high school education. She got her GED and decided to get into social work herself.

She went on to receive a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Touro College and became a resident counselor for Catholic Charities in New York City. It was there that she began working with mentally ill individuals, many of whom were homeless.

“It was my first job and I was a bit intimidated,” she recalled. “I asked them to help me understand their symptoms and their illnesses. It was a great experience.”

Also at this time, she located her birth mother. “It was a struggle for awhile because the last time she had seen me I was only 16. I was absent for 10 years,” she said.

They did reconcile, however, and her mother and stepfather agreed to help pay for her studies at Fordham University where she obtained her master’s degree in 2012.

Kuhn said there are still many homeless youths in the Mohawk Valley. There are few people as eager as her to extend a helping hand.

“I tell them, ‘Come in for awhile.’

I’ve been there and I understand,” she said.

How To Write Your Own Obituary

Dear Savvy Senior, Can you provide any tips on how to write your own obituary? At age 80, I am in the process of preplanning my funeral and would also like to take a crack at writing my own newspaper obit, too.

Still Alive Dear Alive, For many people, writing their own obituary can be a nice way to sum up their life, not to mention avoid any possible mistakes that sometimes occur when obituaries are hurriedly written at the time of death. Here’s what you should know, along with some tips and tools to help you write one.

Obit Tips

Before you start writing your obit, your first step is to check with the newspaper you want it to run in.

Some newspapers have specific style guidelines or restrictions on length, some only accept obituaries directly from funeral homes and some only publish obituaries written by newspaper staff members.

If your newspaper accepts self-written obits, find out if they have a template to guide you, or check with your funeral provider.

Most funeral homes provide forms for basic information, and will write the full obituary for you as part of the services they provide.

You also need to be aware that most newspapers charge by the word, line or column inch to publish an obituary, so your cost will vary depending on your newspaper’s rate and length of your obit — most range between 200 and 500 words.

What to Include

St. Louis Gonzaga Church Maronite Young Adult Group donates to CMN at FSLH The Maronite Young Adult Group from the St. Louis Gonzaga Church in Utica recently made a $2,000 donation to the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals at Faxton St. Luke’s Healthcare in Utica. MYA hosted a fall social hour with proceeds benefiting CMN. MYA is a Christian life movement for individuals who choose to learn more about their Catholic faith. On hand for the check presentation are, from left, John Salamy and Josh Lewis, MYA co-chairmen, and Rev. John Faris.

Depending on how detailed you want to be, the most basic information in an obituary usually includes your full name (and nickname if relevant), age, date of birth, date of death, where you were living when you died, significant other (alive or dead), and details of the funeral service (public or private). If public, include the date, time, and location

January 2016 •

of service.

Other relevant information you may also want to include is: cause of death; place of birth and parents names; your other survivors including your children, other relatives, friends and pets and where they live; family members who preceded your death; high school and colleges you attended and degrees earned; your work history and military service; your hobbies, accomplishments and any awards you received; your church or religious affiliations; any clubs, civic and fraternal organizations you were members of; and any charities you feel strongly about that you would like people to donate to either in addition to or in lieu of flowers or other gifts.

You’ll also need to include a photo, and be sure to leave copies with your funeral director and/or immediate family members.

Need Help?

If you need some help writing your obituary there are free online resources you can turn to like legacy. com, obituaryguide.com or caring. com/obituary, which offer tips, templates and sample obits.

Or, if you want your obit to be more memorable, purchase the ObitKit (obitkit.com). This is a $20 workbook that helps you gather the details of your life so you can write an obituary that will reflect your personality and story.

Ethical Will

If you’re interested in writing your own obituary, you may also be interested in writing a legacy letter or ethical will.

A legacy letter is a heartfelt letter that you write to your loved ones sharing with them your feelings, wishes, regrets, gratitude and advice.

And an ethical will (which is not a legal document), is like an extension of a legacy letter that many people use to express their feelings as well as explain the elements in their legal will, give information about the money and possessions they’re passing on, and anything else they want to communicate.

For help in creating these, there are lots of resources available like celebrationsoflife.net and personallegacyadvisors.com, which offers practical information, examples and materials you can purchase to help you put it together.

Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit www.savvysenior. org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.

IN GOOD HEALTH – Mohawk Valley’s Healthcare Newspaper

•

Page 13

Meet

KIDS Corner

Your Doctor

By Patricia J. Malin

Pediatrician first line of defense for kids Continued from Page 4 The greatest concern is when a child’s body mass index or their weight for their height is greater than the 85th percentile for their age. That means that 85 percent of their peers (same gender) have lower BMIs. We are not looking for children to be thin. But if a child lives above the 85 percent, their risk of adult obesity with heart disease, hip disease and diabetes, for example, is so much greater. I never put a child on a diet, but use the BMI as a tool to discuss nutrition and ways to improve what and how they eat as well as look at activity level. All I can do is give parents the best advice I know to help their child be as healthy as possible.

Good habits in childhood lead to lifelong good health.

Q.: What is the best source of information for parents who strive to raise healthy children (e.g. TV shows, medical sources on the Internet, other parents, family physician, etc.)?

A.: The best source of information all depends on what type of advice they are looking for. Parents need to be aware of the source of their information, especially on the Internet. I recommend if they have a

health concern, they start with their child’s pediatrician. Wellness checks are a great time to discuss non-urgent concerns.

Q.: Do you see the issue of obesity becoming a greater problem for children in the future?

A.: I think we have reached a point in this epidemic that education and awareness both for children and adults are starting to make a difference and will make us healthier in the future.

Q.: Do you still participate in sports? What do you do to relax from a stressful job?

A.: I am returning to a regular exercise routine with a goal of running several 5K races per year. I finished a virtual 5K recently, where I registered and did my run in a gym and sent in my time. I have work to do!! But I was proud that I finished. I relax by spending time with my husband and children and attending my son’s sporting events. I enjoy knitting when I find the time and hope to get back in the habit of reading for fun.

When I practiced tai chi every morning for a while, I found that to be the best 20 minutes of my day. I started every day in a much better state of mind.

Send in this Coupon and get

Electronic cigarette use rising among teenagers

U

se of electronic cigarettes — or e-cigs, for short — has increased among adolescents, but the jury is still out on how many young people are becoming addicted, and how harmful they are for both young people and adults, relative to cigarettes.

Jonathan Foulds, professor of public health sciences at Penn State College of Medicine, says use of e-cigs among young people is escalating — as public health professionals continue to explore how dangerous it is.

“Thirteen percent of American high school students have tried an e-cig in the past 30 days, but the proportion using them most days is quite small,” Foulds said. “Of those who’ve tried an e-cig in the past month, 45 percent only used it on one or two days in the month and only 16 percent used on 20 or more out of the past 30 days. This means that around

Cholesterol levels are problem for many U.S. kids

A E 6 FRE ISSUES

of In Good Health mailed to your home!

Name___________________________________________________________ Business/Organization______________________________________________ Address_________________________________________________________ City / Town_________________________ State_________ Zip______________ Email Address ____________________________________________________

Clip and Mail to: In

Good Health

4 Riverside Dr., Suite 251, Utica, NY 13502

No obligation. If you choose to subscribe after the trial period, the cost is $15 a year.

Please send me information on how to advertise for as little as $90 a month. Call me at:

your phone # here

expires Jan. 30. 2016 Page 14

•

2 percent of high school students are daily e-cig users.”

Current opinion is that e-cigs do much less damage than smoked cigarettes, the use of which has decreased to about 9 percent among adolescents, according to recent studies.

However, that does not mean e-cigs are harmless. The nicotine itself is harmful to the unborn fetus when absorbed during pregnancy, and a recent study in Hong Kong found an association between adolescent e-cig use and respiratory symptoms.

Although the nicotine can still create or feed an addiction, there is great variability in the types and use of e-cigarettes. Foulds said among adolescents who use e-cigs, some studies have found that more than 40 percent say they use e-cig liquid that does not contain nicotine. “Many say they just tried it once or twice to see what it was like,” he said.

bout 20 percent of U.S. children have problems with their cholesterol levels, such as high levels of "bad" cholesterol or low levels of "good" cholesterol, according to a new report.

The report found that, overall, 7.4 percent of children aged 6 to 19 have high levels of total cholesterol, meaning their cholesterol levels are at or above 200 milligrams per deciliter.

High cholesterol levels are more common in children who are obese, the report found. Among obese children in the study, 11.6 percent had high total cholesterol levels, compared with 6.3 percent of children whose body weight fell into the normal range.

In addition, the researchers found that girls were more likely to have high cholesterol levels than boys: nearly 9 percent of girls had high total cholesterol levels, compared to about 6 percent of boys.

The most common cholesterol problem in kids was having levels of "good" cholesterol that were too low, meaning having levels of HDL cholesterol below 40 mg/dL, the report found. Overall, 13.4 percent of children had low HDL cholesterol, but the rate was much higher among obese children. About 33 percent of children with obesity had low HDL cholesterol, compared with only 6.8 percent of children with a normal

IN GOOD HEALTH – Mohawk Valley’s Healthcare Newspaper • January 2016

weight.

Studies suggest that risk factors for heart disease, including abnormal cholesterol levels, "track from childhood into adulthood," the researchers said. "Continued monitoring of abnormal cholesterol levels among children and adolescents may inform public health interventions to promote long-term cardiovascular health and prevent [cardiovascular disease] in adulthood," they said.

Health Briefs ‘Caught Caring’ at St. Johnsville Tanya Dillenbeck has been named recipient of November’s 2015 Caught Caring award at St. Johnsville Rehabilitation and Nursing Center.

“She demonstrates our values by being a very dedicated and caring certified nursing assistant,” a spokesperson said. “The residents’ needs always come first and she always has a positive attitude.”

Caught Caring is a peer program dedicated to highlight values, trust, respect and dignity.

Healthcare in a Minute

By George W. Chapman

Healthy competition

Competition among insurance companies is good — up to a point.

According to studies published in the recent edition of Health Affairs, the addition of just one more insurance company doing business in a market tended to lower rates for the one existing plan that was considered the benchmark or dominant plan in its market by an average of 3.5 percent.

However, the impact on the benchmark plan’s premium with the addition of two or more plans was nominal. Going “too low” in the market can result in disaster. So, a choice of two or three plans is good.

Health Republic, a New York-based insurance coop, was one of 17 plans offered on the NY Exchange. It came in with premiums way below market.

It had no impact on the premiums of market dominant plans.

In November, Health Republic, citing claims expenses far exceeded premium revenues, went out of business. “Healthy’ competition means that the plan you select would still be around for the foreseeable future.

Like anything else we buy, if the price seems too good to be true …

Exchange deadline

To enroll for healthcare coverage via the exchange, you must do by Jan. 31. In previous years, there was a special enrollment around April 15.

If you elect not to buy insurance, you will be fined the greater of $695 or 2.5 percent of your household income.

Affordable Care Act 2017

It’s hard to predict what will happen to the ACA once President

Obama is out of office at the end of 2016. He won’t be around to veto any more attempts to repeal it.

However, it is safe to say that the entire law will not be repealed because too many Americans count on the ACA for insurance. Certain basic features like insurance portability from job to job, the elimination of lifetime limits and an insurer’s right not to cover preexisting conditions are all firmly incorporated into all commercial and government plans.

Also to be considered, but still fairly transparent to most consumers, is the impact of the ACA on hospitals, physicians and even insurance companies. The entire delivery system and how providers will be paid is being revamped. It will be close to impossible to turn back this tide.

Billions have been invested on electronic records, information technology and the formation of large, integrated comprehensive healthcare systems — accountable care organizations — that encourage and reward cooperation and coordination between physicians and hospitals.

Most likely, any efforts to reform the ACA post 2016 would include eliminating the individual and employer mandates, the medical device tax and the Cadillac tax on super-rich benefit plans.

Cost is top concern

Not surprisingly, a recent Gallup poll revealed that the biggest concern among us is cost. Twenty-two percent of respondents indicated this as their No. 1 concern. A family premium averages about $20,000 a year. The No. 2 concern was access

to care. Regarding the No. 1 concern, cost-containment measures are slowly being introduced to the delivery system under the ACA. Most will take effect by 2018.

Despite how much it costs, only 53 percent of those polled rated U.S. healthcare as good or excellent, which is the lowest rating in 10 years.

It is hoped that the development of more consumer-focused delivery models will improve satisfaction scores.

Concierge practices

Also referred to as direct primary care, “concierge” medicine is still a very small component of the healthcare system. Almost all of these practices have four or fewer physicians. The average monthly cost to a patient is around $100. According to one survey, 84 percent of these practices relied only on the monthly fee. It should be noted that most of their patients also carried traditional insurance to cover all other care not provided by the concierge practice.

Concierge or DPC medicine is still an emerging model, so there still isn’t a lot of reliable data proving it provides better care than traditional practices.

stroke. Number of states: 45. High school graduates: 6 percent of population. Available over the counter: Marijuana, heroin, morphine.

Who we still trust

Despite all the problems consumers have with costs, accessibility, quality and the overall “medical establishment” per se, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, most of us trust and value our own physician. So, physicians can play a huge role in mitigating the confusion and fear among consumers trying to fend their way through the maze of our increasingly faceless healthcare system.

A lot of confusion and fear is created by the drug industry through direct to consumer advertising. In a largely symbolic gesture, the American Medical Association has recently voted to support a ban on drug advertising that drives up both the cost and unnecessary utilization of drugs.

While the U.S. is only 4-5 percent of the world’s population, we consume 50 percent of all the drugs.

The powerful drug industry counters that it is merely creating an informed consumer.

In 1915

George W. Chapman is a health consultant who operates GW Chapman Consulting in Upstate New York.

To reach him, email gwc@gwchapmanconsulting.com.

Or 100 hundred years ago.

Average life expectancy: 47 years.

Homes with a phone: 8 percent.

Average hourly wage: about 25 cents.

Physicians with college education: 10 percent (They attended so-called medical schools right out of high school.) Leading causes of death: flu, tuberculosis, diarrhea, heart disease,

U.S. abortion rate hits record low: CDC

Greater use of more effective birth control may help explain trend, expert says

T

he U.S. abortion rate has declined by more than one-third over the past two decades to a record low, federal officials reported Friday.

Abortions fell 35 percent between 1990 and 2010, reaching 17.7 procedures per 1,000 women aged 15 to 44, said report lead author Sally Curtin, a statistician for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics.

That's the lowest abortion rate since the CDC began tracking the procedure in 1976, Curtin said.

"Abortion has been on a nearly steady decline since the rate peaked in 1980," she said.

The pregnancy rate also hit an all-time low in 2010, according to the report.

Many factors likely contribute to the reduction in abortions, but increased use of highly effective birth control is one of the most important trends, said report co-author Kathryn Kost, principal research scientist at the Guttmacher Institute, a sexual and reproductive health think-tank.

Pregnancy rates have been declining across the board for women

under age 30, according to the CDC report. That includes a 67 percent reduction for teens 14 or younger and a 50 percent reduction for teens 15 to 19.

At the same time, pregnancy rates increased for women 30 and older between 1990 and 2010, suggesting that men and women are using effective contraception and

choosing to start families later in life, Kost said.

"Across the states, the rate of unintended pregnancy is going down," Kost said. "That suggests that fewer women are getting pregnant when they don't want to. It's happening across the board, and affects the birth rate and the abortion rate."

U.S. life expectancy holds steady; infant death rate drops

I

nfant mortality dropped to a record low in the U.S in 2014, and mortality rates for several leading causes of death among adults have decreased as well, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The infant mortality rate dropped from 596 infant deaths per 100,000 live births in 2013 to 581 infant deaths per 100,000 live births in 2014 — a rate that’s a “historic low,” the researchers wrote in their report, published Dec. 9.

When the researchers looked more closely at this drop, analyzing the rates of the 10 leading causes of infant death, they found that the rates remained largely the same from 2013 to 2014. The only significant change was in the rate of deaths from respiratory distress in newborns, which dropped from 13.3 deaths per 100,000 live births to 11.5 infant deaths per 100,000 births, according to the authors of the report.

There was also a slight decrease in the rate of death among adults,

January 2016 •

which dropped from 731.9 deaths per 100,000 people in 2013 to 724.6 deaths per 100,000 people in 2014, according to the report. This rate also represents a new record low, the researchers wrote.

The rates of death decreased significantly for five of the 10 leading causes of death among adults: heart disease, cancer, chronic lower respiratory diseases, diabetes, and influenza and pneumonia (these two conditions are grouped together). On the other hand, the rates of death increased significantly for unintentional injuries, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease and suicide.

There was no change in the rate of death from kidney disease.

IN GOOD HEALTH – Mohawk Valley’s Healthcare Newspaper

•

Page 15

WOMEN’S HEALTH ASSOCIATES IS NOW

ACCEPTING

NEW PATIENTS We are excited to announce the opening of our second office location at

8080 TURIN ROAD, ROME

The skinny on healthy eating

The amazing health benefits of turmeric

W

hy does India have one of the lowest rates of colorectal, prostate and lung cancer in the world? Why do elderly villagers in India have one of the world’s lowest rates of Alzheimer’s?

Interest in turmeric — and especially curcumin, the active ingredient in the spice credited with its numerous health benefits — began years ago when researchers went looking for answers to these important questions and arrived at this possibility: The reason may be the turmeric that they consume in their daily curries.

Turmeric, a brightly colored relative of ginger, is a major ingredient in Indian curries, makes American mustard yellow, and adds a distinctive zing to most dishes. It is also believed to have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and perhaps even anticancer properties, which explains why turmeric is one of the most researched medicinal plants in history.

What has the research revealed?

Let’s begin with turmeric’s anti-inflammatory properties, since chronic inflammation and its link to a plethora of diseases seems to top many of our health-worry lists.

In some studies, turmeric’s anti-inflammatory effects have been shown to be comparable to potent drugs, from hydrocortisone to Motrin. That’s good news. Also good: Unlike the drugs, which may produce side effects, turmeric is relatively side-effect free. Recent research suggests that turmeric may help

quell inflammatory bowel disease, may offer relief for arthritis, and may even play a role in protecting us from life-threatening diseases linked to inflammation, such as heart disease and Alzheimer’s.

Turmeric is a powerful antioxidant, the Michael Jordan of the spice world. Antioxidants minimize cell damage that may lead to heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s and other diseases by neutralizing toxic free radicals that attack healthy cells and tissues. According to a study published in Basic and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, mice receiving turmeric showed significant decrease in oxidative stress and notable increase in a liver-produced enzyme that acts as an antioxidant.

Another study showed that turmeric may improve liver function by increasing its detoxification abilities.

This bright yellow spice may also turn out to be a bright light in our fight against cancer. While there is no definitive research on humans that shows that turmeric can prevent or treat cancer, early trials have shown some promising results. In a recent American study that combined curcumin with chemotherapy to treat bowel cancer, cells in a laboratory showed that the combined treatment killed more cancer cells than the chemotherapy alone. In another American study, mice appeared to show that curcumin helped to stop the spread of breast cancer to other parts of the body.

Krislyn L. Flint, M.D.

Hazem Qalla, M.D.

Nancy Peek, N.P.

WOMEN’S HEALTH A S S O C I A T E S

EXCEPTIONAL WOMEN'S MEDICINE… IN YOUR CIRCLE OF care!

Proudly offering to continue exceptional care to the patients of Dr. Temple in Rome, Camden and the surrounding communities.

SmartBites

Mehri L. Del Pino, M.D.

ONEIDAHEALTHCARE.ORG | 336-4721 While our culture is not one of “daily curries” — a dietary behavior that may explain the low rates of certain cancers in India — there are easy ways we can bolster our diet with turmeric. We can add it to scrambles, frittatas and rice; toss it on roasted vegetables; eat more curried dishes; consume extracts in tablet and capsule form; and drink turmeric tea (I add ¼ teaspoon directly to my mint tea).

Helpful tips

How much turmeric should we consume to reap benefits? Amounts vary because turmeric can be consumed in many forms, from the fresh root to the dried root powder. The University of Maryland Medical Center recommends ½ to 1 ½ teaspoons per day of powdered turmeric, while other sources say the ideal turmeric dosage is about 1 teaspoon per day.

Almost all sources recommend eating turmeric with black pepper and some fat, as the combo boosts absorption of curcumin. Best bet on amount?

Check with your doctor or nutritionist.

Cauliflower Steaks with Ginger, Turmeric, and Cumin Adapted from The Kitchn (Serves 3-4)

1 large head cauliflower Salt and pepper 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger (or ¼ tsp. dried) 1 teaspoon ground cumin ½-1 teaspoon ground turmeric Small handful of cilantro, chopped

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Remove the leaves and trim the stem end of the cauliflower, leaving the core intact. Using a large knife, cut the cauliflower from top to base into three 3/4-inch-thick "steaks." Season each steak with salt and pepper on both sides. (Reserve any loose florets for another use.)

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the cauliflower steaks until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Gently transfer the steaks to a baking sheet.

Whisk together the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil, ginger, cumin, and turmeric. Brush or spoon the mixture onto the cauliflower steaks.

Roast in the oven until tender, about 15 minutes. Garnish with cilantro.

Suggestion: Serve atop a bed of quinoa; add chickpeas for more protein 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.

St. Elizabeth Family Medicine Residency earns two national accreditations

S

t. Elizabeth Medical Center’s Family Medicine Residency has earned osteopathic recognition from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education.

It also received continuing accreditation through June 2020 from the American Osteopathic Association, achieving scores of 100 percent for the institutional and 99 percent for the residency program.

There are 30 residents in trainPage 16

•

ing, 10 in each year of the threeyear program, which is an affiliate of Mohawk Valley Health System.

Last June’s graduation brought the total number of family physicians completing the nationally accredited, three-year postdoctoral training program to 257.

The ACGME and the AOA Graduate Medical Education Accreditation Systems will be fully merged in July 2020, creating a new, single

accreditation system. When fully implemented, the new system will allow graduates of osteopathic and allopathic medical schools to complete their residency and/or fellowship education in any accredited program.

Through osteopathic-focused residency programs, the new accreditation system will broaden the recognition of the principles and practices component of the osteopathic medi-

IN GOOD HEALTH – Mohawk Valley’s Healthcare Newspaper • January 2016

cal profession and its contributions to healthcare.

Osteopathic medicine emphasizes the interrelationship between structure and function, and includes an appreciation of the body’s ability to heal itself.

The Family Medicine Residency Program was established in 1975 and expanded in 1995 when it relocated to its current location on 120 Hobart St., Utica.

H ealth News Breast surgeon joins MVHS Laura J. Borgos has joined the Mohawk Valley Health System as a breast surgeon.

Before joining MVHS, Borgos worked as a breast surgeon and director of the breast program for Easton Hospital in Easton, Pa. She also established the breast care program and performed breast surgeries at Geisinger Wyoming Valley Borgos Medical Center in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. and was an attending breast surgeon at South Jersey Surgical Associates in Vineland, N.J. Borgos taught as an assistant professor of surgery at Temple University Medical Center in Philadelphia, Pa. Borgos received her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill in Chapel Hill, N.C. and her Doctor of Medicine from the Medical College of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Pa. She completed an internship and residency in general surgery at Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Cleveland, Ohio, and a fellowship in trauma/surgical critical care at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore, Md. She is board certified in general surgery and surgical critical care and is a member of the American College of Surgeons, American Society of Breast Surgeons and the Society of Critical Care Medicine.

Vascular surgeon joins MVHS Ankur Chawla, a specialist in vascular surgery, has joined the Mohawk Valley Health System Medical Group’s new vascular surgery group office and has admitting privileges at St. Elizabeth Medical Center and Faxton St. Luke’s Healthcare in Utica.

Prior to joining the MVHS Medical Group, Chawla most recently was affiliated with New York Hospital of Queens in Flushing.

Chawla Chawla earned his Doctor of Medicine with distinction in research at University of Rochester School of Medicine in Rochester, and his Bachelor of Science in ecology and evolutionary biology from the University of Rochester.

He completed a vascular surgery fellowship at the North Shore University Long Island Jewish Health System in Manhasset, and is board

certified in general surgery and vascular surgery. Chawla is also trained in minimally invasive vascular surgical procedures.

Breast Care Center receives donation The Mohawk Valley Health System’s Breast Care Center was recently presented with a $4,000 donation in memory of Brenda Roller and Maggie Sadallah.

Paragon Athletic Club and Daylight Donuts sponsored a tennis tournament where Paragon members played tennis and raised money in honor of Roller and Sadallah.

The money raised will be used to assist patients that require financial assistance related to their breast cancer diagnosis as well as provide gas cards for those requiring several trips for treatment.

Donations made to the Breast Care Center are raised through the Faxton St. Luke’s Healthcare Foundation. For more information, call the foundation at 315-624-5600 or visit www.faxtonstlukes.com/foundation.

Education channels added to patient TVs Education channels have been added to patient televisions at the St. Luke’s Campus and the inpatient rehabilitation unit at the Center for Rehabilitation and Continuing Care Services thanks to funding from the Faxton St. Luke’s Volunteer Association.

The free channels include topics on patient safety, healthy living, specific diagnosis information and mother-baby care.

The methods in which patients are educated about their disease or diagnosis have changed significantly.

From handing a patient a brochure to read to the wealth of information that is available today on the Internet, patient education plays a vital role in improved outcomes and patient confidence.

“With the right education, patients feel empowered to make decisions related to their care and they are more likely to follow their recommended healthcare plan,” said Colette Wilk, director of education for the Mohawk Valley Health System.

The Faxton St. Luke’s Volunteer Association raises funds through the gift shops — Acorn Gifts at the St. Luke’s Campus and The Gift Gallery at the Faxton Campus. The Volunteer Association also coordinates vendor sales throughout the year to raise funds to support the hospital. In addition to their monetary donation, volunteers contribute nearly 60,000 hours of services to the hospital each year.

For more information about the education channels, visit www.faxtonstlukes.com.

Subscribe today!

Call 749-7070

From left, Wendy Barnum, Dolly Golowski and Mary Jane Brosemer prepare to retire from St. Elizabeth Medical Center in Utica after a combined total of 111 years of service.

SEMC employees recognized at retirement

S

t. Elizabeth Medical Center in Utica lost 111 years of combined experience in December when Wendy Barnum (34 years), Mary Jane Brosemer (47 years) and Dolly Golowski (30 years) retired from their positions at the Sister Rose Vincent Family Medicine Center.

• A graduate of the St. Elizabeth College of Nursing, Barnum was nurse manager of the pediatric unit and then worked in the obstetrics unit before moving to the SRVFMC in 1996, where she has spent the last 20 years working with family medicine residents and patients.

“It was a great experience to work with all of the residents, many of whom are now our physicians,” she said. Barnum retired after most recently serving as the clinical operations manager.

• Brosemer began her career

with the SEMC in 1969 and worked on the medical-surgical floors for 43 years as a licensed practical nurse.

“In the early years, we had to crank beds up and down – they weren’t electric,” she said. “In general, I like taking care of patients, regardless of what they need, inpatient or outpatient.”

Brosemer retires after most recently serving as part of the nursing staff of SRVFMC. • Golowski worked in X-ray for 10 years before her time as a patient representative at the Hobart Street location. “Sister Rose Vincent knew everyone’s name, and Sister Johanna was the same way,” she said.

All three said they missed the sisters and will miss their colleagues and patients. Each of them was recognized at the SEMC Founder’s Day Mass recently in the Saint Marianne Cope Chapel.

FSLH stroke program receives award

the emergency department.

According to the AHA/ASA, stroke is the No. 5 five cause of death and a leading cause of adult disability in the United States.

On average, someone suffers a stroke every 40 seconds; someone dies of a stroke every four minutes; and 795,000 people suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year.

To receive the Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award, FSLH achieved 85 percent or higher adherence to all Get With The Guidelines-Stroke achievement indicators for two or more consecutive 12-month periods and achieved 75 percent or higher compliance with five of eight Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Quality measures.

To qualify for the Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite Plus, FSLH met quality measures developed to re-

Faxton St. Luke’s Healthcare in Utica, an affiliate of the Mohawk Valley Health System, has received the American Heart Association/ American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines® Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award with Target: StrokeSM Honor Roll Elite Plus.

The award recognizes FSLH’s commitment and success ensuring that stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines based on the latest scientific evidence.

FSLH has also met specific scientific guidelines as a primary stroke center, featuring a comprehensive system for rapid diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients admitted to

January 2016 •

Continued on Page 18

IN GOOD HEALTH – Mohawk Valley’s Healthcare Newspaper

•

Page 17

H ealth News Continued from Page 17 duce the time between the patient’s arrival at the hospital and treatment with the clot-buster tissue plasminogen activator, or tPA, to treat ischemic stroke.

For more information on Get With The Guidelines, visit heart.org/ quality.

SEMC Foundation receives grant The Community Foundation of Herkimer & Oneida Counties, Inc. recently awarded $16,500 to the St. Elizabeth Medical Center Foundation to purchase a BloodTrack Emerge system for the SEMC Laboratory.

The BloodTrack Emerge system allows the SEMC laboratory to store blood products in the emergency department or operating room in order to provide immediate access, while also maintaining the security and traceability of the blood inventory.

The system increases patient safety by maintaining control of emergency blood, decreases time to access blood in clinical areas and reduces blood inventory and waste.

“Our ability to purchase this system means that when our staff members are presented with a situation where a patient is losing an excess amount of blood, we have access to an emergency blood supply, which can mean the difference between life and death,” said Andrea LaGatta, director of development for the SEMC Foundation.

Since 1952, The Foundation has invested $52 million into Oneida and Herkimer counties.

For information about the SEMC Foundation, visit www.stemc.org/ foundation or call 315-801-4441. For information about The Foundation, visit www.foundationhoc.org or call 315-735-8212.

Rome Hospital welcomes new pediatrician When asked about her choice to become a pediatrician, Olubukola T. Adeyeye said, “I can’t think of another thing I would rather be doing.”

A new member of Rome Memorial Hospital’s medical staff, Adeyeye is a board-certified pediatrician at Rome Medical Group, the hospital-affiliated practice located at 1801 Black River Boulevard, Rome.

She joins Desmond Francis, Adeyeye Andrew Halpern, Vivienne Taylor and Kiran Yelakanti in the pediatric department.

A native of Nigeria, Adeyeye earned a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery degrees from Obafemi Awolowo University College of Health Sciences, Ile-Ife, Nigeria before making her way to the United States in 2009. She earned her Page 18

•

master’s degree in public health from Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York City, with a focus on population, child and adolescent health.

Adeyeye completed her residency in pediatrics at the Woodhull Medical and Mental Health Center, Brooklyn, where she provided inpatient, outpatient and emergency care to pediatric patients. She recently became a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics, a designation earned after obtaining board certification in pediatrics and making an ongoing commitment to lifelong learning and advocacy for children.

Adeyeye is married and resides in Rome with her two children.

RMH names nurse manager of maternity Aimee L. Simmons is the new nurse manager of the maternity department at Rome Memorial Hospital.

An employee since 2003, Simmons previously worked as a registered nurse in the maternity department at the hospital, as well as at the hospital’s prenatal care services clinic downtown. She has also served as a circulating nurse in the hospital’s Simmons operating room.

In addition to her employment at RMH, Simmons has worked in postpartum, nursery, and OB-GYN at SUNY Upstate Community Campus.

More than 600 babies a year are born at RMH. Simmons earned her associate’s degree in nursing from Mohawk Valley Community College, Utica, and is expected to complete her bachelor’s degree from Keuka College, Pen Yan, at the end of December.

She is also certified in basic life support and neonatal resuscitation.

Hawks Against Hardship dinner held Mohawk Valley Community College’s Student Congress hosted the Hawks Against Hardship charity event, which provided a festive holiday dinner for approximately 200 people from the community.

Students used some of the proceeds from October’s Nick Jonas concert to put on the dinner, and then accepted donations from the MVCC community to provide gift bags to all attendees. The bags were filled with blankets, first aid kits, and hygiene products that were then given to the guests.

Student Congress also will donate $1,000 each to the seven different organizations that helped bring attendees to the dinner, including the Rescue Mission of Utica, Thea Bowman House, Veterans Outreach Center, the Salvation Army, St. Joseph’s, Hope House and Care Net.

Students learn lifesaving skills thanks to CPR in Schools There are hundreds more potential heroes in the Oneida area, thanks to CPR in Schools. With help from volunteers, Oneida High School recently trained its student body of approximately 760 students in hands-only CPR over two days. These students are now equipped with the skills to respond if they witness a cardiac arrest emergency. Last September, the New York State Board of Regents voted to officially include hands-only CPR training as part of the high school curriculum. Now, every student in New York will learn this lifesaving skill before they graduate. For more information on hands-only CPR, visit www.heart.org/handsonlycpr.

Aside from several Sodexo professionals, the dinner was staffed entirely by student volunteers, who set the tables, served the food, and provided entertainment with the MVCC Drama Club and Pulse dance group.

spokesperson said.

She is a graduate of the LPN program of Madison-Oneida BOCES and has over 23 years of nursing experience.

Cynthia Street, a licensed practical nurse, has been named employee of the year for 2015 at Slocum-Dickson Medical Group, New Hartford.

Street began her career in 2012 as an LPN. She cares for patients in the family practice department as part of Dr. N. Marino Selvarajah’s office.

“Cynthia has proven to be a great asset to the group. She Street is known for her positive, upbeat attitude and always communicates with patients and staff in a kind and considerate manner,” an SDMG

been named employee of the fourth quarter of 2015 at Slocum-Dickson Medical Group PLLC, New Hartford.

Dye started her career with SDMG in 2002, working out of its former Valley location. Upon the opening of its Ilion facility in 2006, she began caring for patients within the internal medicine practice.

Dye’s reliabiliDye ty, professionalism and customer service skills have proven to be an asset to the group, according to Tammy Stone, clinical coordinator for the Ilion office, who describes Dye as dependable, knowledgeable and a true team player.

Dye is a graduate of Herkimer County BOCES and Mohawk Valley Community College with an education in nursing. She has been working as an LPN, caring for patients in a variety of settings, for over 27 years.

SDMG names employee of SDMG names employee of quarter the year Rebecca “Becky” Dye, LPN, has

Mohawk Valley In Good Health: Your source for health news!

IN GOOD HEALTH – Mohawk Valley’s Healthcare Newspaper • January 2016

Herkimer County HealthNet presents ‘New Year … New YOU’ campaign

H

Celebrating Founder’s Day are, from left, Scott Perra, Mohawk Valley Health System president/CEO; Nancy Eannace; Bunny Gottuso; and Robert Scholefield, MVHS executive vice president/COO.

SEMC celebrates 149th anniversary of service

S

t. Elizabeth Medical Center in Utica celebrated its 149th anniversary recently by honoring an employee and a recipient of its community award.

Following a noon Founder’s Day service in the SEMC Saint Marianne Cope Chapel, Nancy Eannace of Eannace Funeral Home received the Founder’s Day Community Award and Bunny Gottuso received the Mother Bernardina Award, which is named after SEMC’s founder and is presented to an employee.

SEMC employees choose the winner of this award for significant contributions to the medical center,

exemplifying its mission, vision and philosophy and for always going the extra mile.

The Eannace Funeral Home, Inc. in Utica serves families of Whitesboro, Yorkville, New York Mills, New Hartford, Washington Mills, and many other towns throughout the Greater Utica area.

Gottuso has been employed at SEMC for 31 years. She works as executive assistant to the senior vice president and chief medical officer of the MVHS. She and her daughter Tracy, sonin-law Dominick and granddaughter Bianca Nitti reside in Utica.

AHA accepting applications for grants

T

he American Heart Association/American Stroke Association is accepting applications for community impact grants online.

Community impact grants help local organizations start or continue programs that have a positive impact on the heart health of the Greater Utica area.

The AHA/ASA has recognized the need to fund and partner with community-based organizations that are working toward its mission of building healthier lives, free of cardiovascular disease and stroke.

Many local groups are working, or would like to work, on projects that would result in improvements in the cardiovascular health of children, families, and the community at large.

This funding will help to ensure the activities continue and that new, creative projects and partnerships are developed in the Greater Utica area.

Programs should fall under one

of four cause areas of the AHA/ASA: “Go Red For Women,” childhood obesity, “Power To End Stroke,” or physical inactivity. Special consideration will also be given to programs aimed at improving access to healthy foods and increasing CPR/AED training and implementation in the community.

The AHA in Utica will receive $50,000 for the grant program, which will provide funding for community-based organizations in the Greater Utica area.

Interested organizations can get a grant application at http://heartofuticagrants.heart.org, as well as information on grant eligibility, programs of focus, criteria and a pre-application worksheet.

The deadline to submit applications is Jan. 31.

For additional information, call the AHA at 315-580-3964.

erkimer County HealthNet is introducing a diabetes prevention campaign in 2016 called “New Year … New YOU” in an effort to promote physical activity, healthy eating and other lifestyle changes.

As part of a program to prevent Type 2 diabetes, Herkimer County HealthNet is working with the Centers for Disease Control on the National Diabetes Prevention Program and will be offering classes after the New Year.

Herkimer County HealthNet is offering an evidence-based lifestyle change program led by the CDC to prevent diabetes and is available at over 1,300 locations and 43 states throughout the country.

More than 36,000 people have participated in this healthy lifestyle investment grogram with a lifestyle coach who helps participants learn tactics for healthy eating, physical activity and other lifestyle changes.

The program helps participants deal with stress, problem solve and enhance coping skills during their everyday lives. Herkimer County HealthNet administers the program

and will be offering it free to Herkimer County residents.

Alison J. Swartz, program coordinator for Herkimer County HealthNet, said, “Pre-diabetes and preventing obesity is a nationwide concern, especially in rural communities. We are also concerned about it locally. Fortunately, pre-diabetes may be reversible, and this program aims to do just that.”

People with pre-diabetes (higher-than-normal blood glucose sugar levels) are five to 15 times more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes than those with normal blood glucose levels.

In fact, many people with pre-diabetes will develop Type 2 diabetes within three years if they do not take steps to prevent it.

For more information about program with NDPP and upcoming classes, contact Herkimer County HealthNet at 315-867-1552.

Doctor burnout rates on the rise

B

urnout is a growing problem among American doctors, a new study indicates.

Analyzing the results of 2011 and 2014 surveys of more than 6,000 doctors across the U.S., researchers found that the number who met the criteria for burnout rose from 45 percent to 54 percent over that time.

Burnout rates rose in nearly all specialties, but the highest rates of burnout were among those in general internal medicine, family medicine and emergency medicine. There was no increase in work hours or in rates of depression among doctors.

Doctors' satisfaction with work-

Health

life balance fell between the two surveys, according to the study, which was published Dec. 1 in the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings and conducted by Mayo Clinic researchers in partnership with the American Medical Association.

"Burnout manifests as emotional exhaustion, loss of meaning in work, and feelings of ineffectiveness," study author, physician Tait Shanafelt, said in a Mayo news release.

"What we found is that more physicians in almost every specialty are feeling this way, and that's not good for them, their families, the medical profession or patients."

in good

MV’S HEALTHCARE NEWSPAPER

EMPLOYMENT Advertise your health-related services or products and reach your potential customers throughout the Mohawk Valley for as little as $90 a month.

Call 749-7070 for more info.

January 2016 •

IN GOOD HEALTH – Mohawk Valley’s Healthcare Newspaper

•

Page 19

Page 20

•

IN GOOD HEALTH – Mohawk Valley’s Healthcare Newspaper • January 2016