Mohawk Valley IGH Utica Jan 2017

in good

Meet Your Doctor

January 2017 • Issue 131

Q. Tony Wang Welcome to his world of interventional neurology Page 4

Winter driving Motorists: Be careful out there!

MVhealthnews.com

Music Therapy

free

Mohawk Valley’s Healthcare Newspaper

For many, treatment comes in the form of tunes See Page 5

Women’s Health Special Section

Page 3

Have you made your New Year’s Resolutions?

Find your workout niche with fitness expert Pauline DiGiorgio

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Pediatricians’ group: Martial arts can be hazardous to children Page 18

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Pizza Trends

Pizzas are trending toward thinner crusts as half of consumers prefer to go thin. Find out the top 10 habits Americans have when it comes to pizza.

Page 13

War on drugs

Erasing AIDS

Kayleigh Murphy, Herkimer County standing up to drug epidemic

Jean Gessner, ACR Health report good news regarding fight against AIDS

Page 11

Page 19

January 2017 •

IN GOOD HEALTH – Mohawk Valley’s Healthcare Newspaper

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Page 1

CALENDAR of

Julis Meditation

HEALTH EVENTS

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Working together with conventional medicine in finding a source of balance, inner strength, and resilience to live a more fulfilling life.

Focused awareness meditation incorporates an evidence-based systematic method of bringing mindfulness into focus.

Instruction by: Julia Aikens, RN. BSN. Certified Meditation Specialist

Specializes in Stress, Anxiety, Pain, Cancer, and Cardiac Management

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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 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.

Present Tense Psychiatry

Wednesdays/Thursdays

Overeaters Anonymous plans meetings

Dr. Brady, DNP, NPP-BC

Overeaters Anonymous meets

Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner

Continued on Page 14

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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.

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IN GOOD HEALTH – Mohawk Valley’s Healthcare Newspaper • January 2017

Between You and Me

By Barbara Pierce

It’s time for resolutions Most of us won’t be successful, but it’s worth a try

O

K, I’m going to do it. I’ll get my act together. It’s the first of the year, so I’ll get organized.

I’ll write a daily to-do list and then follow it.

Like me, maybe you’ve made resolutions for the new year. About half of us vow to do things differently starting in January. You’ll go to the gym faithfully, you’ll stop eating ice cream every night, you’ll walk every day, and you won’t drink as much.

But here’s the thing: Psychologists aren’t optimist about our chances of sticking with those resoluPierce tions. Only a few of us will achieve our New Year’s resolutions, they say.

The reality is that by next month, gym memberships will lapse, chocolate will replace carrots and Candy Crush will edge out the walk.

It’s not only because we’re undisciplined slugs. It’s that much of what we know — or think we know — about how to change behavior is wrong.

Wendy Wood, psychology professor at the University of Southern California, has written much online that might help us change. She says there is a lot of misinformation about how habits are formed and how they can be changed.

— Myth 1: We lack willpower.

Not really, says Wood. That’s because many of our behaviors are not guided by self-control. Willpower is about looking at those yummy chocolate chip cookies and refusing them.

A good habit ensures those chocolate chip cookies are not around.

People with lots of self-control aren’t constantly battling temptation, they’re simply relying on good habits they have, things they do without thinking about it.

To create or change a habit, you

have to think more about changing your environment and your patterns of living than work on steeling your mind.

Habits — at least good ones — exist so we don’t have to resist temptation all the time. Imagine if every morning you had to debate with yourself about whether you should eat that cold pizza or have some eggs for breakfast. You probably have the habit of eating something relatively healthy for breakfast, so you aren’t lured by food you shouldn’t eat.

— Myth 2: Apps can help us change our behavior. This is another myth. Apps like Fitbit, MyFitnessPal and BookLover promise to help us change our habits by tracking our good (or bad) behavior.

Some websites say they work, running lists like “17 bad habits you can kick using nothing but a smartphone” or “mobile apps that can help you kick your bad habits.”

Most apps simply monitor what you’re doing, which doesn’t lead to

Worldwide cancer rates up more than one-third in past decade

C

ancer cases rose 33 percent worldwide in the past 10 years, a new study shows. In 2015, there were 17.5 million diagnoses and 8.7 million deaths in the world from the disease, the researchers found. The rise in cancer cases was mainly due to population aging and growth, along with changes in age-specific cancer rates, according to the Global Burden of Disease Cancer Collaboration study.

The lifetime risk of developing cancer was one in three for men and one in four for women, the researchers said.

Prostate cancer was the most

a change in your behavior. The leap from recording information to changing behavior is huge.

Wood says until there’s broader evidence of effectiveness, she recommends you don’t bother with them.

Fact or fiction?

— Myth 3: It takes 21 days to make or break a habit.

The myth of 21 days somehow became a fact with no real proof. A group who researched this found that the time varied greatly, anywhere from 18 days to 245 days, depending on the person’s temperament and the task. Average was 66 days.

When developing a new habit, be prepared for repetition and lots of it.

One study found we have to repeat a behavior 300 times before it becomes a habit. It might take you 300 nights of walking your dog before you have a habit, something you do automatically.

Forming a new habit is simple, but not easy. Suggestions from Wood

on how to make healthy habits a natural part of your life: • Take advantage of life changes: There’s evidence that linking new habits to changing circumstances will help make them stick. Habit change is easiest when you are in a transition — when you move to a new house, start a new job, get married, or even go on a long vacation.

These changes alter familiar circumstances and disrupt old habits.

Pretty much any time when you are exposed to a new environment can be good for starting new habits.

• Changing your environment helps: For example, if you keep cookies, candy, and chips on your kitchen counter, removing these cues can help stop snacking.

• Time and place are keys: Repeat the same action at the same time and the same place, until it becomes automatic. If you practice going for a walk every evening when you get home from work, then after a while, when you enter your house, you will think of going for a walk.

• Repeat the behavior the same time every day in the same way. If your goal is to meditate every day, if you do it in the morning one day, at lunch the next, and the evening next, your brain will be confused. Do it the same time every day.

• Figure out your clue: If you eat ice cream on the couch every night, and you’d like to stop, try to figure out what’s triggering the ice cream. Understand what puts your unconscious mind into that state. If watching TV on the couch makes you want to eat, then do something else somewhere else.

Here’s wishing we are all successful in developing new habits!

• 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.

Bruce Stewart, DDS

common type of cancer in men (1.6 million cases), and tracheal, bronchus and lung cancer was the leading cause of cancer death in men. Breast cancer was the most common cancer for women (2.4 million cases), and the leading cause of cancer death in women.

The most common cancers in children were leukemia, other neoplasms, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and brain and nervous system cancers, said researcher Christina Fitzmaurice, from the University of Washington in Seattle.

The study was published online Dec. 3 in the journal JAMA Oncology.

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IN GOOD HEALTH – Mohawk Valley’s Healthcare Newspaper

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Page 3

Meet

Your Doctor

By Lou Sorendo

Q. Tony Wang

Tony Wang, a specialist in interventional neurology, recently joined the Faxton St. Luke’s Healthcare medical staff in the department of medicine/interventional neurology.

He is practicing at the St. Luke’s Campus. Recently, Mohawk Valley In Good Health Associate Editor Lou Sorendo interviewed Wang regarding his profession and thoughts on health care.

Q.: Can we ask what the “Q” stands for in your first name?

A.: “Q” is the initial of my first name Qingliang. Since many folks had trouble pronouncing it correctly, I go by my middle name “Tony” to make it easier for everyone.

Q.: Can you give our readers a sense of what interventional neurology entails?

A.: Interventional neurology is an interdisciplinary subspecialty of neurology that combines the knowledge and skills of vascular neurology, neuroimaging/neuroradiology, neurocritical care and neuroendovascular surgery to treat a variety of neurovascular conditions through endovascular interventions. Depending on the physician’s primary training background, it is also called interventional neuroradiology and endovascular neurosurgery.

Q.: What motivated you to select this particular field as a specialty?

Were there any influences on your decision?

A.: I knew I wanted to be a stroke neurologist at a very young age when my beloved grandmother died of a stroke. I realized during my neurology training that I needed to be able to provide all necessary diagnostic and effective treatment options for my neurovascular/stroke patients, who often require endovascular interventions as the part of the management. In addition, the feeling of gratification to be able to offer a complete cure to some of these often life-threatening or severely debilitating conditions motivates us more than anything else.

Q.: What are some of the more prevalent diseases and conditions of the brain, neck and spine that you see on a regular basis?

A.: Some of the most common neurovascular conditions include ischemic stroke, TIA (so-called transient ischemic attack), cerebral hemorrhages including subarachnoid hemorrhages from rupture of cerebral aneurysms or AVMs (arteriovenous malformation), carotid artery and intracranial stenosis from atherosclerosis, epistaxis, neuro-trauma, head/neck tumor pre-surgical embolization, migraine and vascular dementia.

Q.: What are some of the more prevalent treatment options that you employ as an interventional neurologist?

A.: We combine medical treatments, such as IV tPA for ischemic stroke, with catheter-based endovascular interventional approaches in treating various neurovascular Page 4

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diseases. These include stroke thrombectomy/clot retrieval, aneurysm coiling and stenting/embolization, carotid artery angioplasty and stenting, embolization for epistaxis and head-neck tumors, etc.

Q.: What recent technological advances have occurred in the area of interventional neurology that has made diagnosis and treatment more effective?

A.: Technologies and tools of interventional neurology have advanced in leaps and bounds recently.

For example, the development of stent retrievers for ischemic stroke dramatically improved the efficacy and efficiency of clot retrieval of stroke thrombectomy that significantly and positively impact patients’ outcomes in both morbidity and mortality. Another good example of recent advances is the invention of flow diverters for treating previously untreatable fusiform cerebral aneurysms with amazing clinical outcomes.

Q.: What do you believe are the most challenging aspects of specializing in interventional neurology?

A.: It requires technical skills and clinical judgments in managing some of the most complex and challenging neurological conditions and therefore needs extensive and long periods of clinical and procedural training before one can become proficient. It is also a very competitive field to get

into as a trainee.

Q.: What are the more gratifying or “feel good” components of being an interventional neurologist?

A.: Nothing is more gratifying than seeing a dying or otherwise severely disabled stroke or cerebral hemorrhage patient walking out of the hospital after treatment, going back to his or her life as before. Everyone deserves a second chance in life and we can give our patients that second chance!

Q.: What skill sets are most needed in order to be a successful interventional neurologist?

A.: A combination of skills and knowledge in the areas of vascular neurology, neurocritical care, neuroimaging and endovascular interventions is needed to be a successful interventional neurologist. In addition, clinical research and trials are the driving force for technology development and field advancement.

We try to participate in these research activities as well.

Q.: Is there a shortage of interventional neurologists in the medical field today? If so, why?

A.: I personally believe there is still a growing need for more interventional neurologists in the medical field today, especially in underserved areas, although there is debate in the field about whether that need is being met with the current training programs in place.

Q.: What type of advice would you give a student who is contemplating studying and practicing to be an interventional neurologist?

A.: You first have to be interested and passionate about what you do, especially when it requires a long period — often seven to eight years post-medical school clinical training. You also should be a hands-on person with operative capabilities, including good hand-eye coordination.

Lifelines Date of birth: April 10, 1971 Birthplace: Chongqing, Sichuang Province, China Current residence: Westchester Education: Doctor of medicine, Jiamusi Medical College, China; PhD: Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Affiliations: United Health Services/Mohawk Valley Health System Personal: Married to Erin Li with two children Hobbies: Cooking, tennis, movies and family activities

IN GOOD HEALTH – Mohawk Valley’s Healthcare Newspaper • January 2017

Turn up the therapy!

Listening to music soothes, energizes and heals

By Barbara Pierce

I

was in a hospital room with my dad. His journey with cancer was brief, and we knew he was nearing his time to leave us. I helped my mother gently maneuver headphones on his ears.

“We hoped music could help relax him, even just a little, and provide his body enough peace to be able to sleep after days of agitation and pain. Within an hour, he was asleep.

The nurses asked what we had done to calm him and ease his pain.

“We just played music,” I said.

“That was a life-changing moment for me.”

From that moment 23 years ago, described by Colleen Bennett of Sherrill, the Knowledge, Education for Your Success, Inc. program was born.

KEYS brings music, comfort, hope and smiles to kids going through the same difficult time in their life, in memory of Bennett’s father.

With Bennett’s background in music, including the study of music therapy, she recognized the healing power of music and devoted her life to bringing it to children.

KEYS, or the nonprofit children’s charity founded by Bennett and her husband, retired NASCAR official David Bennett, delivers music, hope and smiles to kids battling cancer and those in need of healing through music.

KEYS provides music outreach, family respite days and sibling support programs to families, all at no cost.

Bennett knows that listening to music improves our mental wellbeing and boosts our physical health in surprising and astonishing ways.

Music is the sound track of our lives, whether we’re aware of it or not. It has helped heal body and spirit since the dawn of humanity.

Some of the amazing, scientifically proven benefits of music: — Music makes us happy: Research shows that when you listen to your favorite music, your brain re-

leases dopamine, a “feel-good” neurotransmitter. The next time you need a boost, listen to your favorite tunes for 15 minutes. That’s all it takes to get a natural high.

— Music lowers stress: Listening to music you enjoy decreases levels of the stress hormone cortisol in your body. This is an important finding since stress causes 60 percent of all our illnesses and disease. One study showed when people actively participated in making music by playing instruments or singing, their immune system was boosted even more than if they just listened.

• Music helps you sleep better: A study showed students who listened to relaxing classical music for 45 minutes before turning in slept significantly better than students who listened to an audio book or did nothing different from their normal

routine. If you’re having trouble sleeping, try listening to a little Bach or Mozart before bedtime.

Music lessens the blues

• Music reduces depression: Millions suffer from depression around the world. A whopping 90 percent also experience insomnia. According to sleep research, symptoms of depression decreased significantly in the group that listened to classical music before bedtime.

The type of music you listen to makes a difference. Meditative sounds and classical music lifts people up, but techno and heavy metal makes people even more depressed.

• Music helps you eat less: Re-

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search showed softening the lighting and music while people ate led them to consume fewer calories. Try dimming the lights and listening to soft music when you sit down for a meal if you’re looking for ways to curb your appetite.

• Music decreases pain: Music reduces pain more than standard treatments for hospital patients. The selection needs to be either classical, meditative, or songs of the patients’ choosing.

“There is growing scientific evidence showing that the brain responds to music in very specific ways,” says Lisa Hartling, professor of pediatrics at the University of Alberta. “Playing music for kids during painful medical procedures is a simple intervention that can make a big difference.”

• Music helps stroke patients recover. Stroke patients who listened to music they chose for two hours a day had significantly improved recovery of cognitive function compared to those who did not. Most of the music contained lyrics, which suggests that it’s the combination of music and voice that bolstered the patients’ auditory and verbal memory.

“At the KEYS program, we experience the power of music every day through our music outreach programs,” said Bennett. “Whether singing a silly song with a child undergoing chemotherapy, dancing in the halls of the hospital with an IV in one hand and tambourine in the other, or playing a lullaby while a child is being rocked to sleep in their parent’s arms — KEYS is there delivering music, comfort, hope and smiles when words are just not enough.

“We have a great crew of 125 active volunteers. “They make it happen.”

For more on this heart-warming program, visit www.thekeysprogram. org or call 315-363-6446.

January 11, 2017 • 6:00 p.m.

Presented by

January Hill, MD

counties

A monthly newspaper published

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

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

In Good Health is published 12 times a year by Local News, Inc. © 2017 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

Editor & Publisher: Wagner Dotto Associate Editor: Lou Sorendo Contributing Writers: Patricia Malin, Barbara Pierce, Kristen Raab, Deb Dittner Advertising: Amy Gagliano Layout & Design: Dylon Clew-Thomas Office Assistant: Kimberley Tyler 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.

January 2017 •

IN GOOD HEALTH – Mohawk Valley’s Healthcare Newspaper

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Page 5

WOMEN’S HEALTH A S S O C I A T E S

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Women’s Health

NP practice opens in New Hartford

CNY Family Nurse Practitioner opens for business

By Patricia J. Malin

I

learn so much from my patients,” exclaimed Brenda Carney, CEO of Central New York Family Nurse Practitioner, a new practice at One Mill Street, just off Oxford Road, in the village of New Hartford. Carney knows that Mary Jane DePalma, an 83-year-old retired nurse, will be keeping a close eye on her new primary care provider.

DePalma was a patient at Northeast Nurse Practitioners, a medical group practice operated by Judy Balch and Terry Smith, for about the last five years at this location.

Northeast was the first office in the Utica area run solely by nurse practitioners. However, Smith decided to relocate to Florida and Balch began specializing in rehabilitation, so they put the business up for sale.

DePalma is going to have high expectations, too. CNYFP offers convenient hours and location. In addition, Carney and her staff insist on providing experienced, personalized care.

DePalma received her nurse’s license in 1957 and worked as a psychiatric nurse at Marcy Psychiatric Center for more than 37 years, so she has certainly seen a lot of changes in health care. “I’ve seen the old ways and I see the new ways,” she said.

Carney adds, “It’s important for health care providers to learn about their patients’ history and how to connect with them. Her [DePalma] ideas are getting changed. I talk with her about keeping an open mind, and about the resources we can provide; Page 6

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for example, occupational and physical therapy.”

More changes in the health care system could be in store for Americans if the Affordable Care Act is diminished under incoming President Donald Trump. Still, it won’t affect CNYFNP’s approach of offering a wide range of preventive care services.

Carney, who has a master’s degree as a family nurse practitioner, is from the Utica area and is a graduate of SUNY Institute of Technology (now SUNY Poly). For the last two years, she lived in North Carolina to help out her brother, who was ill, and his family, she said. Carney also found work in a teaching hospital.

Her brother then died. Last summer, when she heard about Northeast NP closing, she decided to return home.

Foundation of clients

Not only was the business intact, but the majority of Northeast’s patients stayed on, she said.

“There was a good nurse practitioner practice here. It’s important to carry on an NP practice offering a choice of health care provisions,” she said.

“This business was important to me as a former president of the NYS Nurse Practitioner Association — Mohawk Valley chapter. The promotion of NP is important in health care today because in the future, it is highly likely they will be the primary care provider,” she explained.

Carney has 10 years’ experience in family health, urgent, emergent and intensive care. She also has an

Nurse practitioner Brenda Carney provides her patient, Mary Jane DePalma, assistance during her recent checkup at the Central New York Family Nurse Practitioner office in New Hartford. interest in treating chronic pulmonary obstructive disease and stress management.

She hired Jennifer Walther, who also has a master’s from SUNYIT and eight years of experience, and specializes in treatment of high blood pressure, diabetes, as well as general primary care.

Linda O’Connor, who has a bachelor’s degree from Syracuse University, has 33 years of experience. She specializes in internal medicine and cardiovascular disease and is skilled in minor medical procedures.

Just a few years ago, in light of a nationwide shortage of doctors, the New York State Legislature passed a law allowing certified NPs to set up independent practices without requiring supervision from physicians

IN GOOD HEALTH – Mohawk Valley’s Healthcare Newspaper • January 2017

or needing to co-locate in a doctor’s office.

Even with such legislation, CNYFNP does collaborate closely with local physicians, particularly Paul Palumbo, a family medicine specialist.

“This enables us to always have another professional resource,” Carney said. “He is also available to sign orders for home care services because a nurse practitioner cannot sign those orders yet. Our lawmakers have not updated this law to mirror the independent practice NPs now have in New York state.”

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Andrew Wickline, MD, FAAOS (left) and John Sullivan, MD, FAAOS (right), are surgeons at SEMC who perform partial knee resurfacing.

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Meet Your Provider Julis Meditation - Focused Awareness Meditation Q. What is meditation?

A.: Meditation is that process of attending to the mind by learning to slow down and becoming aware of your thoughts in order to achieve a peaceful, calm and focused mind.

Its practice dates back more than 5,000 years and has been found to be part of all major religions and cultures. Currently, we see aspects of these ancient practices in mainstream medicine as well as popular culture. The most popular are what is called mindfulness, transcendental meditation, open monitoring and focused awareness meditation.

Meditation needs two components in order to be a complete practice. As a bird needs two wings to fly, meditation needs both the component of mindfulness and concentration. These two components give the practitioner the tools to develop the awareness and focus needed to sustain freedom and fulfillment.

Q.: What is focused awareness meditation and how is it different from other form of meditation?

A.: There are many forms of meditation. In focused aware-

ness meditation, we use an evidenced-based five-step systematic approach to bring mindfulness into focus with the essential component of concentration.

When you learn a systematic approach to meditation, you see consistent results and improvement in your physical, emotional and mental health. The purpose is to train the nervous system to support a calm and responsive way of being as opposed to reactive and disruptive.

Focused awareness meditation trains your mind to serve your highest potential.

Q.: How long does it take?

A.: To learn meditation, it’s useful to work with a trained and skillful teacher who is able to bridge the science with the practical application. Dr. Susan Taylor has developed a four-session course to provide the foundation for students to learn the basics in four sessions.

Q.: What are the benefits of meditation?

A.: Meditation allows us to learn to respond as opposed to react to an ever-changing world. It allows the mind to turn from chaos to calm and stable. Medical research shows

Julia Aikens, RN, BSN - Owner of Julis Meditation meditation benefits those experiencing cardiac disease, immune issues, anxiety and depression, pain, post-traumatic stress disorder and other health issues. Practicing as little as 5-10 minutes a day, we have seen profound changes in the way par-

ticipants deal with the stressors of everyday life.

Q.: How do I get started?

A.: Once you want to commit to getting on the path to learning, take a class or a private lesson with a qualified meditation specialist.

Julis Meditation - Focused Awareness Meditation — 505 N. James St., Rome, N.Y. 13440 — 315-338-1318 January 2017 •

IN GOOD HEALTH – Mohawk Valley’s Healthcare Newspaper

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Page 7

Women’s Health Pauline’s Pieces

By Pauline DiGiorgio

Find Your Fitness Fancy Exploring the top 5 trending group fitness crazes

W

hen you start your fitness journey, the last thing you want to feel is boredom.

I believe that success behind living a healthy, fit lifestyle is keeping the excitement factor up and running. Now more than ever, getting in a workout is not just viewed as an activity that will benefit your health, but a social outing and fun sessions that provide you with the opportunity to meet new people and cultivate new friendships.

Imagine how much fun you’ll have sharing workout tips, DiGiorgio nutrition advice, and other tidbits of information with your workout peers.

Group fitness studios are the new “hot spot” happy hours in my eyes.

So now that you’re ready to pencil in some brand new “FITSPO” (fitness inspiration) into your routine, Let’s choose what type of class would most benefit yourself.

Over the next several months, I will be touching on each of these five major class types.

I have tried each of these classes personally and I will break down the top five most popular group exercise classes in the area.

Even if these exact studios and gyms aren’t in your area, you’ll be

able to get an idea of what class you’d most likely enjoy.

This month’s segment deals with:

Indoor cycling

— What is it: Stationary bikes that provide you an aerobic workout set to music and led by a certified instructor. Spinning involves using a special stationary exercise bicycle with a weighted flywheel in a classroom setting.

Most classes last between 40 to 60 minutes. The dynamics are in your hands, everything from your speed and resistance to your intensity level, so it can be as easy or as challenging as you want it to be.

— Whom it’s for: Spinning is great for people who want a motivating workout that they can control at their own pace. Even if you’re not into choreography-based fitness classes, you can still enjoy spinning because it involves neither rhythm nor complex moves.

It’s a fun class, so if you’re the type that doesn’t like a workout that feels like a workout but more like an experience, this is for you. It’s low impact, so it’s very suitable for people who want to balance out higher-impact exercises (like running) or for people who have some joint problems.

— Why (benefits): Major calorie burn. If your fitness goals include weight and/or fat loss, you’ve come to the right place. Riders can burn anywhere between 400-600 calories per average 45-minute class.

Since it takes 3,500 calories to burn one pound of fat, just five to

DiGiorgio eight indoor cycling classes, combined with a healthy diet, can help you whittle down your body fat.

Increased muscle endurance. This happens when you pedal against resistance, which can greatly increase the endurance of the muscles in the legs, particularly the quadriceps, hamstrings, gluteus, and even calf muscles.

Working out these muscles will also help to strengthen the surround-

ing bones, tendons and ligaments.

Some classes are now even incorporating light hand weights so that you can tone while you’re getting your cardio fix in.

Lower stress levels. You’ve probably heard of the runner’s high. You will get the same rush in an indoor cycling class — a release of those happy-mood inducing neurotransmitters known as endorphins.

Endorphins are known to create feelings of euphoria, lower your stress level and enhance the body’s immune response.

— Where: Retro Fitness Gym, Yorkville — Perks: It’s an uplifting class complete with music to find your beat. You are not only getting a strong dose of high-intensity cardio for ultimate fat-burning power, but strength training also when you use light dumbbells as you run through step-by-step sculpting moves for a true full-body workout.

The class even features an abdominal stretch portion to build that coveted six-pack.

— Cons: The seat of the bike is something individuals must get used to. It’s known to be uncomfortable the first few classes, especially for men. Also, since there are only a set amount of bikes per spin studio, you need to make sure to reserve a spot in class, which can be difficult if you don’t plan ahead of time.

• Next month: Bikram (hot) yoga/powerflow yoga and cross-fit.

• Pauline DiGiorgio is a fitness ambassador and Group X instructor at Retro Fitness gyms. Questions?

Email her at ptlifts@gmail.com

Menopause before 40? Risk of broken bones may be higher Traditional preventive treatments don’t erase added danger, new study suggests

W

omen who undergo menopause before age 40 are more likely to get broken bones, and a new study suggests calcium and vitamin D supplements won’t eliminate the extra risk.

Researchers were disappointed by the finding because supplements and hormone replacement therapy have been thought to improve bone health.

The researchers were led by Shannon Sullivan, medical officer from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. They examined the medical records of almost 22,000 women who took part in the Women’s Health Page 8

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Initiative. This 15-year study, by the U.S. National Institutes of Health, reviewed the most common causes of poor health and death among postmenopausal women.

The study team found that those women who entered menopause before age 40 had a significantly higher risk of broken bones than those who did later, regardless of the treatments they tried. On average, women enter menopause around age 52.

The researchers said there’s hope for other strategies, including earlier or longer treatment with calcium, vitamin D or hormones; different doses; or longer follow-up.

The study was published recently in Menopause, the journal of the North American Menopause Society.

“This study highlights the need for health care providers to take into consideration a woman’s age at menopause onset when evaluating patients for fracture risk,” said Dr. JoAnn Pinkerton, the society’s executive director.

“Women at risk for bone loss need 1,200 mg (milligrams) of calcium per day, with adequate vitamin D, and [are] encouraged to get as much as possible through diet due to concern that too much supplemental calcium may increase atherosclerot-

IN GOOD HEALTH – Mohawk Valley’s Healthcare Newspaper • January 2017

ic plaque in women,” she said in a society news release.

Pinkerton added that women with early menopause should ask their health care provider whether they are candidates for hormone therapy and discuss appropriate amounts of calcium, vitamin D and hormones.

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Women’s Health The blended family When you say ‘I do’ and your kids say ‘I don’t’

By Barbara Pierce

K

ristina Wolf of Port Charlotte, Fla. has been living with Alex for a few years. They’re planning to marry.

Her husband died years ago, and Alex is the first man she’s really cared about. She’s excited about marrying him and making a committed relationship.

However, her 13-year-old daughter, Crystal, is totally opposed to the marriage. Whenever her mother tries to talk about it, she runs into her room and slams the door. All she will say is: “I don’t want you to marry Alex! Never ever!”

Kristina wants her daughter to be as happy and excited about the wedding as she is, but this isn’t happening. She doesn’t want to drop her plans to please her daughter, but she sure wishes Crystal was on board with her.

Alex’s 11-year-old son, who lives with them weekends, is fine with whatever.

It’s tough enough to parent a teenager. For most families it’s a natural time of turmoil. When parents blend to create stepfamilies, it usually doesn’t go well. Many children, like Crystal, resist change. Change is fearful; change is scary.

Changes to a family take time for everyone involved, said Deanna Brady, psychiatric nurse practitioner and owner of Present Tense Psychiatry in Clinton. It can take a long time for a blended family to begin to feel comfortable and function well together.

Brady offers guidelines to help blending families get through the adjustment period and live together successfully.

“As a couple, decide how you plan to parent,” said Brady. “You

have to have new strategies. You’re no longer a single parent; you’re a team. You have to figure things out as a team.”

All fun and games until ...

While you as parents are excited about remarriage and a new family, your kids probably aren’t as excited.

They feel uncertain about the upcoming changes; they worry about how it will affect relationships with their natural parents. They’re concerned about living with stepsiblings they may not know or may not like.

To give yourself the best chances for success, start planning how your blended family will function before the marriage takes place. Agree how you intend to parent together, and then begin to make these changes to your parenting styles before you marry. It will make for a smoother transition and your kids won’t become angry at your new spouse for initiating changes.

“The team planning should include the children,” Brady stressed.

“Children should be involved in figuring out the rules, the way things will work. Everybody needs to know what’s expected of him or her. Everybody needs to know the rules and the consequences.”

After you’ve survived a painful divorce, or the death of a spouse, then finally find a new loving relationship, it’s tempting to rush into remarriage and a blended family without first laying solid foundations. However, by taking your time, you give everyone a chance to get used to each other, and used to the idea of marriage.

Too many changes at once can be unsettling to children. Blended families have the highest rate of success if you wait two years to remarry after a divorce.

Many couples live together before marriage. Research shows living together does not prepare a couple

for marriage nor does it help them avoid divorce. It’s usually never a good idea as it can cause your children a great deal of pain when the relationship ends.

“I remember the day my 2 year old asked me: ‘Where’s my daddy?’ (a man who had moved in briefly). It was a knife to my heart. At that moment I would have done anything to go back and undo him being there,” says Elizabeth Moll Stalcup online.

“Later, I married a wonderful man and she got the daddy she longed for,” she said. “But the adjustment from family-of-two to family-of-three was painful. He struggled to become an instant dad. She didn’t like sharing mommy with the new guy. At first, I wondered if our marriage would survive.”

Don’t expect to care for and love your partner’s children overnight.

Get to know them, Brady recommends. Love and affection take time to develop and will grow on its own.

Developing a relationship can be especially difficult with teenagers, she adds. A close relationship grows from spending time together. Think about what he or she likes to do and do it. Take time and show interest in his or her interests.

Let the child set the pace in a developing relationship; every child is different. Some kids are open and willing to engage; others who are shy and introverted take time to warm up to you.

Always make time together as a couple, time away from the children, concluded Brady. This goes for every couple that has children. Without the marriage relationship, there is no family. You’ll have a better marriage and you’ll be better parents if you spend time without the kids.

Contact Brady at 315-853-2125 or visit www.presenttensepyschiatry. com.

Telemedicine visits in Upstate NY likely to surge this year

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pstate New Yorkers will embrace telemedicine as an alternative to getting care for minor conditions this year and are expected to use that option more than 50,000 times by the year 2018, Excellus BlueCross BlueShield officials recently predicted.

Relying on national studies, local projections and preliminary results from a pilot program of its own employees’ use of telemedicine, the health plan said a surge in the use of telemedicine is likely to begin in 2017 and grow rapidly every year through the remainder of this decade and beyond.

“Ideal medical care is when a patient sees his or her physician face-toface, and both know and trust each other, but in our rapidly changing and fast-paced world, some of those

face-to-face visits can’t always take place,” said Martin Lustick, senior vice president and corporate medical officer for Excellus BlueCross BlueShield.

“Telemedicine is an alternative that is in place and will gain popularity across the country,” Lustick said.

“It allows people in rural areas to see specialists in urban settings. It serves the needs of patients who find it difficult to get out of work to see their doctor when they need to address a problem for themselves or their children. And, it’s a speedy alternative to going to an urgent care center or even the hospital emergency room for minor medical conditions.”

Historical advances in clinical decision-making; the evolution of customer-friendly technology applications for smartphones, tablets and

computers; and more people having high-deductible health policies are the most frequently cited reasons driving the trend. Remote medical care, known as telemedicine, is when the patient and the provider are in two different locations but linked by telephone or a secure two-way video connection.

While telemedicine services are available to anyone with or without health insurance, easy-to-use platforms are being built into most health insurance offerings throughout Upstate New York.

Starting Jan. 1, 2017, MDLIVE will be the platform offered by Excellus BlueCross BlueShield to all privately-insured and Medicare Advantage members as their new enrollment or re-enrollment begins.

“There’s an old adage that you

January 2017 •

should be skeptical of a chef who doesn’t taste his own cooking,” Lustick said. “With that in mind, Excellus BlueCross BlueShield ran a pilot program that encouraged our employees to register themselves and family members with MDLIVE. The responses we received for getting this benefit and using it were overwhelmingly positive.”

Relying on New York State Department of Health data labeled “potentially preventable” emergency room visits, Excellus BCBS reported earlier this year that 10 common conditions represent more than 2 million annual visits to hospital emergency rooms statewide, and nine out of 10 of those could have been avoided or treated elsewhere. Of 6.4 million emergency room visits in 2013, more than 2 million were for common conditions.

IN GOOD HEALTH – Mohawk Valley’s Healthcare Newspaper

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Page 9

Diet & Fitness The Balanced Body

By Deb Dittner

A little too late Weight issues can lead to tragic consequences

O

ur world is in the midst of an epidemic — An obesity epidemic.

There are so many weight loss fads, diets and supplements and, more recently, the promotion of bariatric surgery even for the young.

All of this saddens me and possibly even more so today as I’m writing this only a few days after the passing of my cousin.

You see, my cousin was only 47 years of age.

Ever since I can remember, he was overweight — not obese or morbidly obese. For years, my other cousin (his brother) and I tried our hardest to encourage Dittner him to a better life — better eating, more movement and emotional support. He read my book “Body Balance Empowering Performance” along with a variety of other books on different diets. He had every kitchen gadget you could imagine. But did he use them? Not so much.

One of his major dislikes were vegetables, except for corn, which really isn’t a vegetable. He always had meat and typically not what would be considered a serving, but so much more. He loved to dine out, especially at establishments where you can have all you could eat.

Beside his weight issue, he developed other health issues from elevated blood sugar and pressure, joint pain, digestive issues, and sleeping issues requiring the need of a CPAP machine.

These issues led to medications that resulted in other symptoms.

He thought of bariatric surgery at

one point a number of years ago but never followed through as you need to lose a certain amount of weight before you can be considered for the surgery.

He wasn’t willing at that time to lose the weight. Was he depressed?

Absolutely! And the more weight he gained, the more depressed he became. It was one vicious cycle after the next.

So how do we as health care providers stop this epidemic? If I fully had that answer, how wonderful that would be!

I always go back to Hippocrates’ saying, “Let thy food be thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food.”

Education is critical, which then leads to prevention. Today, there are only six medical schools in the United States that teach nutrition.

To me, this is unconscionable.

Education needs to start somewhere.

Is it prenatally, in the schools, in the senior centers, in support groups, at the gym, in the cardiac center, in the diabetic center, in recovery, at the

physical therapist?

I believe education needs to be at each and every one of these sites and more. As education continues, prevention will occur.

Slips through cracks

Several weeks ago, my cousin said to me (by phone as he lived in another state) that a number of providers over the years told him he needed to lose weight and exercise but they never offered any advice as to how he was to accomplish this task.

He was never sent to a nutritionist. He was never sent to a trainer. So what was he to do? I asked him (as he was now in the hospital following more recent provider visits) to ask the nurse to obtain an order to see the nutritionist and the physical therapist.

He did and they came. He began moving (walks up and down the hall) which he said actually felt pretty good. In regards to his meals: “Well, I know I’m ultra-picky” but

what he described did not fit my idea of a whole nutrient-dense diet.

All facilities are not alike, so I apologize to those that do provide real food. But if one facility can, why can’t all facilities? You may say it’s financially driven. Again, I apologize, but healthy eating can be done on a budget.

My cousin fell into a category where health care providers saw his weight but didn’t see the person inside and his need to be educated in a variety of lifestyle modalities.

They seemed to only see a very large man. The couple weeks he was in the hospital and then moved to the nursing home to continue treatment, he told me he lost about 20 to 40 pounds with very little effort on his part.

I could discern in his voice a glimmer of hope as he appeared encouraged. We talked about incorporating palatable smoothies to get vegetables in. We talked about a recumbent bicycle and water activities.

He appeared to be ready.

Unfortunately, this was all a little too late. His health issues were too much for his heart to handle as he became increasingly short of breath followed by an arrhythmia. The health care team tried to revive him, but to no avail — he lost his battle for life.

My message for those of you with weight and/or other medical issues: Please encourage your providers to “see” you and your need for education so we can prevent negative outcomes in the future.

• 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.

Americans’ cholesterol levels keep decreasing

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liminating trans fats from the U.S. diet may be one factor in this healthy trend, CDC researchers say Healthier diets may be a factor in the ongoing decline in levels of unhealthy blood fats for Americans, new research suggests. According to the report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, blood levels of total cholesterol, LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, and the blood fats known as triglycerides have continued to fall among adults through Page 10

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2014.

All of that may be adding up to improved heart health nationwide, with death rates from heart disease also on the decline, the CDC noted.

“Removal of trans-fatty acids in foods has been suggested as an explanation for the observed trends of triglycerides, LDL-cholesterol levels, and [total cholesterol] levels,” wrote a team led by CDC researcher Asher Rosinger.

These trends “may be contributing to declining death rates owing to

coronary heart disease since 1999,” the study authors suggested.

One cardiovascular specialist was heartened by the news.

“Although heart disease remains the No. 1 cause of death, we have made tremendous strides in lowering the number of people at risk,” said physician Satjit Bhusri, a cardiologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.

“As this study shows, through prevention and education we have helped lower cholesterol; a key risk

IN GOOD HEALTH – Mohawk Valley’s Healthcare Newspaper • January 2017

factor in heart disease,” he said.

Average total cholesterol fell from 204 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) of blood in 1999-2000 to 189 mg/dL in 2013-2014. Between the relatively short span of 2011-2012 to 2013-2014, average total cholesterol levels plummeted by 6 mg/dL, the authors noted.

Average triglyceride levels also decreased — from 123 mg/dL in 1999-2000 to 97 mg/dL in 2013-2014, with a 13 mg/dL drop since 20112012.

Addiction Staring Down an Epidemic

Scourge of heroin, opioids wreaks havoc on Mohawk Valley communities

By Patricia J. Malin

I

n the small, rural cities and towns that dot Herkimer County, it’s sometimes possible to hide illegal activities from the police and even from one’s family.

These actions can lead to fatal consequences. But it’s never too late to ask for help.

The Community Partnership Coalition of Herkimer County is there to lend a hand to individuals, families and Murphy caregivers concerned about substance abuse and addiction, whether it’s due to alcohol, illegal drugs or common prescription medicines.

The coalition will host two, free information sessions in January devoted to Narcan training — the prescription medicine that blocks the effects of opioids and reverses an overdose.

The first session will be held at 9 a.m. Jan. 13 at Herkimer College’s Robert McLaughlin Center and is open to local social service agencies and staffers who want to learn about Narcan training.

Catholic Charities, 61 West St., Ilion, will host an event for the public starting at 10 a.m. Jan. 14.

Participants are asked to register

by Jan. 6 with CPCHC. In 2008, 17-year-old Justin Veatch of downstate New York, an aspiring professional musician, was found dead in his bedroom from an accidental heroin overdose. His family turned the tragedy around and began reaching out to young people.

His father, Jeffrey Veatch, started The Justin Veatch Fund, a nonprofit, 501(c)3 organization with a two-fold mission: It provides music scholarships to talented teens while simultaneously visiting schools and informing students about the pitfalls of drug use.

Jeffrey Veatch gave a multimedia presentation at Herkimer College recently to a crowd of about 350 local residents, according to Kayleigh Murphy, project coordinator, drug free communities support program, Community Partnership Coalition of Herkimer County.

The tragedy of drug overdoses can happen anywhere, in the finest communities, including among smart, high-achieving teens like Justin Veath, whose addiction began with smoking marijuana.

“Addictions can happen in any family,” said Murphy. “His message was, ‘Don’t ignore the signs. It’s very real.’ We’re trying to get the message out there that we’re here to provide resources and training.”

Every day, 78 Americans die from opioid overdoses that include

heroin and prescription painkillers like fentanyl, hydrocodone, methadone and oxycodone, according to recent statistics released by the Centers For Disease Control.

The report, cited by The Washington Post, has been posted on CPCHC’s Facebook page.

Startling statistics

From 2014-15, opioid deaths increased by nearly 5,000. In 2015, the total numbers of deaths surpassed 30,000 for the first time in recent history. Deaths from heroin jumped by more than 2,000 cases.

Deaths involving powerful synthetic opiates, like fentanyl, rose by nearly 75 percent from 2014 to 2015, the report said. For the first time since at least the late 1990s, there were more deaths nationwide due to heroin than to traditional opioid painkillers.

Yes, even Herkimer County youths have fallen victim to the drug epidemic. Although it’s on a much smaller scale, the problems faced by these addicts are no less harmful to their families and neighborhoods.

The CPCHC, through the collaboration and mobilization of community members, is dedicated to the prevention of alcohol and substance use among youth and adults in Herkimer County.

The partnership is a coalition of social service agencies in Herkimer County. It started five years ago after seeing an epidemic of synthetic drugs sweep through the region.

“We got together with law enforcement to implement the drugfree community program,” Murphy said. “We don’t see as many synthetic drugs anymore. The program was working, so we kept going. In 2015, we received a grant for $500,000. It allows us to do more training and get more resources.”

CPCHC said the philosophy behind the drug-free community pro-

gram is local drug problems require local solutions. Recent evaluation data indicate reductions in alcohol, tobacco and marijuana use in communities where drug-free program dollars are invested.

Ronald Petrie, chief of police in the town of Frankfort, sees a strong need for the program and finds the Narcan training extremely valuable in saving lives.

“The number of police and EMS interactions with overdoses, and specifically opioid overdoses, has risen drastically in the past 12 to 24 months,” he said. “I personally have not administered any Narcan.

However, my agency has been involved in administering Narcan on at least three occasions in the last nine months, all three occasions resulting in the recovery of the person afflicted.”

Rising to challenge

Since the drug problem does not follow any predictable pattern, community resources have to evolve to meet the steep challenge. “As far as the type of drug overdoses, they have gone from prescription pain pill overdoses to heroin overdoses, and currently we battle the combination of heroin laced with prescriptions such as fentanyl,” Petrie said.

“Some addicts continue to walk the streets and have the availability of recovery due to our joint efforts.

However, to my knowledge, none of the three (overdoses) has sought any successful recovery effort yet.”

In the past, most addicts would have been locked up, but law enforcement recognizes that it’s not a longstanding solution. “This is not a problem the police are able to solve by making arrests only. We need the assistance of other agencies to combat this problem on all levels,” Petrie said.

The drugs-free program grant has allowed the partnership to offer seminars like the one with Veatch and to continue to spread the message to schools and students in five public high schools throughout Herkimer County: Central Valley, Dolgeville, Poland, Frankfort and Town of Webb.

“We’ve been around five years, but I think just now the community is becoming aware of our resources,” said Murphy. “We offered resources to the community in the past, but they weren’t interested. I think there is a bit of denial that it’s happening in Herkimer County.”

The county’s law enforcement officials have joined the fight. They are now providing drop boxes for expired prescription drugs.

Murphy assures residents that the work of the CPCHC and its agencies remains confidential and free of charge.

“We want the community to be scared by what they see, but also to come to us for help for someone with an addiction. If they know someone with a problem, we’re here for them.

We’re like a coach helping you stay on track,” she said.

To register for the Narcan training sessions, contact CPCHC, 61 West St, Ilion, at 315-894-9917, Ext. 258.

Herkimer County Rx drop box locations and hours of access: — Dolgeville Police Department, 41 N. Main St., Dolgeville, 24 hours/7 days — Herkimer Police Department, 120 Green St., Herkimer, 24/7 — Ilion Police Department, 55 First St., Ilion, 24/7 — Frankfort Village Department, 110 Railroad St., Frankfort, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

— Frankfort Town Department, Town Hall, 201 Third Ave., Frankfort, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

— Herkimer County Sherriff’s Department, 320 N. Main St., Herkimer, 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., weekdays — Little Falls Police Department, 659 E. Main St., Little Falls, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., weekdays — Town of Webb Police Department, 3139 state Route 28, Old Forge

Have a story idea for In Good Health newspaper?

January 2017 •

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Page 11

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

What if you could choose?

5 Days or 45 Days

hoacny.com

Page 12

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Survey: U.S. doctors still over-prescribing drugs More than one in four say antibiotics are given when the drugs will likely do no good

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espite evidence that certain drugs aren’t always necessary, doctors are still prescribing these treatments, a new survey of doctors reveals. Antibiotics are by far the drugs most frequently used in situations where they’ll provide no value for patients. The survey found that more than a quarter of doctors surveyed (27 percent) said that antibiotics are often administered to patients when the drugs will do no good.

In most cases, the antibiotics are prescribed to treat upper respiratory infections even though these are most often caused by viruses unaffected by the medication, said Amir Qaseem.

He’s vice president of clinical policy for the American College of Physicians (ACP) and chairman of the ACP’s High Value Care Task Force.

Other treatments that doctors use frequently despite their questionable value include aggressive treatments for terminally ill patients (9 percent), drugs prescribed for chronic pain (7 percent), and dietary supplements such fish oil and multivitamins (5 percent), the survey revealed.

“There is a lot of waste in our health care system, and we need to acknowledge that,” Qaseem said.

The results are from a random

IN GOOD HEALTH – Mohawk Valley’s Healthcare Newspaper • January 2017

survey of 5,000 ACP member physicians. The survey asked doctors to identify two treatments frequently used by internists that were unlikely to provide high value care to patients.

The CDC itself estimates that as much as one-half of antibiotic use in humans is either unnecessary or inappropriate. An estimated 47 million unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions are handed out in the United States each year, the agency said.

Pressure to fulfill patients’ expectations might be driving some doctors to prescribe antibiotics, Qaseem said.

SmartBites

The skinny on healthy eating

Why haddock is a nutritious catch

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very fish has its hook and…its sinker. Some, like shrimp, are high in muscle-building protein, but then also potentially high in contaminants if farm-raised in undesirable conditions. Others, like white tuna, keep our bodies humming with energizing B vitamins, but then also give us pause with high mercury levels. Still others, like salmon, are omega-3 superstars, but then not such bigwigs on the fat and calorie front.

It’s all relative, especially when it comes to your individual needs.

Come January, with the eating season officially over and resolutions on the upswing, many of us desire to cut back on calories and feel more fit.

Eating lean protein, such as fish, is universally recommended by nutritionists and leading institutions alike.

My family’s go-to fish in January (and throughout the year) is haddock.

Mild-tasting and reasonably priced, this flaky white fish teems with good things. An average 3.5-oz serving has only 112 calories, scant fat, a whopping 24 grams of protein and healthy doses of three B vitamins: niacin, B6, and B12. All together, these B vitamins strengthen our immune system, convert food to energy, keep our nerves in tiptop shape and help make red blood cells.

Another nutritious hook? Haddock rocks with impressive amounts of two essential minerals: phosphorous, which helps form and maintain healthy teeth and bones; and selenium, a powerful antioxidant that helps prevent cell damage and that may also prevent certain cancers.

As for mercury levels, haddock routinely makes the “lowest levels” list, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council. Mercury can impair the neurological brain development in fetuses, infants and children, which is why children and women of childbearing age are advised to limit their exposure to “high mercury” fish.

Wondering if haddock has any “sinkers”? Well, much like sole, snapper and flounder, haddock is no great catch when it comes to the almighty heart-healthy omega-3s. Alternating haddock with a fish that’s high in this fatty acid, like salmon, works for our family.

Helpful tips:

Fresh fish should be cooked within two days, up to three at most, from the time it was purchased (it’s best though to cook it the day you buy it).

Once cooked, any leftover fish remains good for three to four days.

Frozen haddock, like other lean white fish, typically lasts between six to

eight months. The key to keeping haddock’s calorie and fat content low is in its preparation: grilled, broiled or baked versus breaded and fried.

Italian-Style Baked Haddock Adapted from Bon Appetit; serves 4 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 small onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 8-oz. pkg. sliced mushrooms, hard stems removed 1 yellow or orange bell pepper, chopped 1 teaspoon dried basil or 1 Dorot basil cube* 1 14.5 oz. can petite diced tomatoes, drained ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional) Salt and pepper to taste 1½ pounds haddock fillets 1 cup shredded mozzarella or cheese of choice Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly oil a nine-inch glass baking dish. Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic,

mushrooms, bell pepper and basil and sauté until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and red pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper, and cook for five to eight minutes more, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened.

Arrange fish in prepared dish.

Pour sauce over. Sprinkle mozzarella on top. Bake until fish is cooked through, about 25 minutes. Pair with rice or linguine. *Dorot basil cubes are a convenient, economical way to add the taste of fresh basil to dishes. They come 16 to a tray and can be found in the frozen section of most major grocery stores.

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.

The Top Eight American Pizza Habits

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mericans consume 350 slices of pizza every second, and 15 percent deem it their top comfort food. In the November issue of Food Technology magazine associate editor Melanie Zanoza Bartelme outlines eight American pizza trends, preferences and consumption habits.

1

Over half (58 percent) of U.S. pizza eaters say they would buy more frozen pizza if it had more premium or gourmet ingredients.

2

Pizza consumption in restaurants is trending at its highest level in the past four years . Seventy-six percent of consumers have eaten at a pizza restaurant in the past 12 months.

3

Pizzas are trending toward thinner crusts and half of consumers prefer to go thin. Hand-tossed, however, is the No. 1 crust type found on restaurant menus, preferred by 57 percent of consumers.

4

Another trend in pizza crust centers on gluten-free. Gluten-free launches increased 58 percent between 2012 and 2015.

5

Tomato-based red sauce remains

January 2017 •

the most common topping on pizzas, but nontraditional sauces such as ranch, alfredo and white sauce are also appearing.

6

Mozzarella is the most commonly used pizza cheese, with 71 percent, with ricotta and Parmesan at a distant two and three (35 percent and 32 percent, respectively), but alternate cheeses are on the rise. These include goat, gorgonzola, fontina, Romano, asiago, provolone, feta, and even pepper jack gaining traction. In addition, preference for gouda is increasing, and it is among the fastest-growing cheeses on restaurant menus.

7

Sausage and pepperoni are still the top meats, being featured on 73 percent of restaurant menus, but bacon is also widely available, and chicken breast is up 22 percent, likely due to its perception as a healthier meat. Prosciutto is growing, up 27 percent since 2010. Other emerging meat toppings include meatballs, salami and anchovies (Packaged Facts 2015).

8

Onion, tomato, mushroom and peppers are featured as pizza toppings on at least 73 percent of restaurant menus.

IN GOOD HEALTH – Mohawk Valley’s Healthcare Newspaper

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Page 13

CALENDAR

The Social Ask Security Office

From the Social Security District Office

Social Security always evolving

S

ocial Security is always evolving to meet the needs of the American public. We’re optimistic about the future and the limitless possibilities for progress.

Much of the progress we’ve made together, as a nation, is through the shared responsibility of paying Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) tax. This federal payroll tax funds Social Security — programs that provide benefits for retirees, the disabled, and children of deceased workers. You help us keep millions of hard working Americans out of poverty.

Without your contribution, wounded warriors wouldn’t receive the benefits they deserve. Children who have lost parents would have no social safety net. Millions of elderly people would be destitute. In the same way that we take great pride in helping people who need it, you should take pride in making this country stronger. You can see the many ways our retirement benefits help your loved ones and neighbors

Q&A

Q: I’m trying to figure out how much I need to save for my retirement. Does the government offer any help with financial education?

A: Yes. For starters, you may want to find out what you can expect from Social Security with a visit to Social Security’s Retirement Estimator at www.socialsecurity.gov/ estimator. The Financial Literacy and Education Commission has a website that can help you with the basics of financial education: www.mymoney. gov. Finally, you’ll want to check out the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which offers educational information on a number of financial matters, including mortgages, credit cards, retirement, and other big decisions. Visit the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau at www.consumerfinance.gov.

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

A: If you change your name due to marriage, or for any other reason, you’ll need to report the change and get a corrected Social Security card with your new name. You will need to fill out form SS-5. You can get a copy of this form by visiting www. socialsecurity.gov/ss5doc or by calling our toll-free number 1-800-7721213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778). You’ll also need to provide the original marriage certificate showing your new and old Page 14

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at www.socialsecurity.gov/retire.

The strength of our nation relies on cooperation and the empathy to understand each other’s unique struggles. Similarly, Social Security has an obligation to provide benefits quickly to applicants whose medical conditions are so serious that their conditions obviously meet disability standards.

Compassionate Allowances offer a way of quickly identifying diseases and other medical conditions that invariably qualify under the Listing of Impairments based on minimal objective medical information. This also lets Social Security target the most obviously disabled individuals for allowances based on objective medical information that we can obtain quickly.

You can view the list of Compassionate Allowances at www. socialsecurity.gov/compassionateallowances.

Visit www.socialSecurity.gov to empower your future, for today and tomorrow.

names. You can mail or take the documentation to your local Social Security office. In some cases, we may need other forms of documentation as well. For more information, visit www.socialsecurity.gov/ssnumber.

Q: I’m planning to retire next year. I served in the Navy back in the 1960s and need to make sure I get credit for my military service. What do I need to do?

A: You don’t need to do anything to apply for the special credit for your military service — it is added automatically. For service between 1957 and 1967, we will add the extra credits to your record at the time you apply for Social Security benefits. For service between 1968 and 2001, those extra military service credits have already been added to your record.

So you can rest assured that we have you covered.

Q: How do I report a change of address if I’m getting Supplemental Security Income (SSI)?

A: A person receiving SSI must report any change of address by calling our toll-free number, 1-800772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778), or by visiting a local office within 10 days after the month the change occurs.

You cannot complete a change of address online. You should report your new address to Social Security so you can continue to get mail from Social Security when necessary, even if you get your benefits electronically by direct deposit or Direct Express. Learn more about SSI at www.socialsecurity.gov/ssi.

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.

Continued from Page 2 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. 5

Parents bond to battle addiction A support group — Parents of Addicted Loved Ones — will meet from 7-8:30 p.m. on the first and third Thursdays of every month at the Canajoharie Fire House, 75 Erie Boulevard, Canajoharie.

The support group is for parents with a son or daughter who is addicted to drugs and/or alcohol.

The next meetings are Jan. 5 and Jan. 19.

According to recent research cited by the National Institute for Drug Abuse, opioid and heroin overdose deaths now exceed annual deaths from car crashes.

PAL is incorporated as a nonprofit organization and is run by a volunteer board of parents. For more information on the organization, visit www.palgroup.org or call PAL at 480-300-4712.

Jan. 9

Support forum for patients, cancer survivors The Mohawk Valley Health System’s Cancer Center’s monthly support forum for patients and cancer survivors will be held at 6 p.m. Jan. 9.

The cancer support forum 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 forum, led by the Cancer Center’s social worker, offers support to anyone who has received a cancer diagnosis.

Light refreshments will be served. For more information or to RSVP, call 315-624-5241.

Jan. 9

Support group to meet at Rome Memorial Hospital The brain aneurysm, AVM (arteriovenous malformation) and stroke support group meets from 5:30-7:30

IN GOOD HEALTH – Mohawk Valley’s Healthcare Newspaper • January 2017

p.m. on the second Monday of every month at Rome Memorial Hospital’s second-floor classroom.

The next session will be held Jan. 9.

RMH is located at 1500 N. James St., Rome.

For more information, call Deb Dunn at 315-533-6467 or email RomeNY@JoeNiekroFoundation.org.

Jan. 9-12

MVCC to offer free fitness week Mohawk Valley Community College’s Center for Corporate and Community Education will offer a Free Fitness Week Jan. 9-12 on MVCC’s Utica campus.

During this week, all classes are free and open to the public. Participants can sample many of the health and wellness classes offered at MVCC and the Jewish Community Center.

For a fitness week schedule, visit mvcc.edu/cced or call 315-792-5300.

No registration is required.

For information or to register for a spring class, call 315-792-5300 or visit mvcc.edu/cced.

Office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays.

All MVCC non-credit instruction is self-supporting, including indirect costs, and requires no public funding.

Jan. 16

Family support group focuses on addiction Families who are dealing with the problems of addiction can find help and information at a support group meeting from 6-7 p.m. Jan. 16 in the second floor classroom at Rome Memorial Hospital.

The group meets the third Monday of each month and is free and open to everyone.

Offered by the hospital’s Community Recovery Center, the support group provides an opportunity to discuss issues with others who are in the same situation.

Certified by the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services, the Community Recovery Center, 264 W. Dominick St., Rome, offers alcohol and substance abuse treatment for adolescents and adults.

Open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday and Friday and from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, the center participates with most major insurance programs, including Medicare and Medicaid. A sliding scale fee is available for self-pay clients.

For more information about the support group or the Community Recovery Center, call 334-4701.

Cheaper hearing aids coming into market

By Jim Miller

How much you’ll pay for Medicare in 2017 G

FDA to ease up on hearing aid rules

Expect modest increases Dear Savvy Senior, I know there won’t be much of a cost-of-living increase in Social Security benefits next year but what about Medicare?

How will the 0.3 percent Social Security raise affect our Part B monthly premiums in 2017?

Inquiring Beneficiary

Dear Inquiring,

Considering the rising cost of health care coverage, the news regarding your Medicare costs for 2017 is not too bad. Here’s what you can expect.

Part B Premiums

Because the Social Security Administration is giving out a measly 0.3 percent cost of living increase starting in January — that equates to about a $4 to $5 monthly increase on average — the 2017 Part B monthly premium for about 70 percent of Medicare recipients will increase only about $4 to $5.

Thanks to the Social Security Act’s “hold harmless” provision, Medicare cannot pass along premium increases greater than the dollar increase in their Social Security checks.

So, if your Medicare Part B monthly premium is currently $104.90, you can expect it to be around $109 (on average) in 2017.

Or, if you signed up for Part B for the first time in 2016, your $121.80 monthly premium will rise to around $127 (on average) next year.

Some Will Pay More

Unfortunately, the hold harmless provision does not protect all Medicare recipients. New Medicare enrollees (those who will enroll in 2017), beneficiaries who are directly billed for their Part B premium, and current beneficiaries who have deferred claiming their Social Security will pay more.

If you fit into any of these categories, your Medicare Part B premium will be $134 per month in 2017, up from $121.80.

The hold harmless rule also does not protect high-income Medicare beneficiaries who already pay higher

Part B premiums because their annual incomes are above $85,000 for an individual or $170,000 for a couple. If you fit into this category, here’s what you’ll pay for your Part B premium next year, based on your 2015 tax returns.

• Individuals with incomes of $85,000 to $107,000, or married couples filing joint tax returns with incomes of $170,000 to $214,000, will pay $187.50 per month.

• Individuals earning $107,000 to $160,000 (couples $214,000 to $320,000) will pay $267.90.

• Individuals with incomes of $160,000 to $214,000 (couples $320,000 to $428,000) will pay $348.30.

• Individuals with incomes over $214,000 or couples above $428,000 will pay $428.60.

Another increase high-income beneficiaries (those with incomes over $85,000, or $170,000 for joint filers) need to be aware of is the surcharge on Part D premiums. Affluent seniors that have a Medicare Part D prescription drug plan will pay an additional $13.30 to $76.20 per month, depending on their income, on top of their regular Part D premiums.

etting a hearing aid should be less of a hassle — and eventually less expensive — under new rules introduced by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The FDA said early in December it will no longer enforce a requirement that people aged 18 and older receive a medical evaluation or sign a waiver before buying most hearing aids.

The agency said it will also consider creating a category of overthe-counter hearing aids that could provide innovative and lower-cost devices to millions of Americans.

Currently, a pair of hearing aids typically costs $4,000 or more, putting them out of reach for the majority of older Americans who need them, according to the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.

“Today’s actions are an example of the FDA considering flexible approaches to regulation that encourage innovation in areas of rapid scientific progress,” FDA Commissioner Robert Califf said in an agency

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Deductibles and Co-Pays

Other changes that will affect all Medicare beneficiaries include the Part B deductible, which will increase to $183 in 2017 from $166 in 2016. The Part A (hospital insurance) annual deductible will also go up to $1,316 in 2017 (it’s currently $1,288) for hospital stays up to 60 days. That increases to $329 per day for days 61-90, and to $658 a day for days 91 and beyond. And the skilled nursing facility coinsurance for days 21-100 will also increase to $164.50 per day, up from $161 in 2016.

For more information on all the Medicare costs for 2016 visit Medicare.gov and click on “Find out how much Medicare costs in 2017,” or call 800-633-4227.

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.

news release.

The President’s advisory council and other critics had argued that existing FDA rules were a potential barrier to people getting hearing aids, and provided little to no benefit to patients.

“Untreated hearing loss, especially in older Americans, is a substantial national problem,” the council said in a recent report. Hard-of-hearing seniors face significantly impaired communication, social participation and overall health and quality of life, the report noted.

Changes to the FDA rules, which take effect immediately, could lead to technological breakthroughs that result in less-expensive hearing-aid options, according to the council.

Although some 30 million people in the United States suffer from hearing loss, only about one-fifth who could benefit from a hearing aid seek help.

The FDA said it will continue to enforce the medical evaluation requirement for prospective hearing aid users younger than 18.

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January 2017 •

IN GOOD HEALTH – Mohawk Valley’s Healthcare Newspaper

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Page 15

H ealth News Upstate Cerebral Palsy features new COO/CFO Geno DeCondo has been appointed chief operating officer and chief financial officer of Upstate Cerebral Palsy.

He began his career with the agency in 2008 as the chief financial officer and later was named executive vice president.

Through his attention to the fiscal environment at the local and state level and within the agency, DeCondo navigates between the DeCondo complex funding streams for people with disabilities.

In addition to handling an extensive budget across multiple affiliate agencies, he is executive director of Mohawk Valley Handicapped Services, Inc., the affiliate that serves as a holding corporation for many UCP facilities. During his tenure, DeCondo also served as a shared executive director of affiliate agency, the E. John Gavras Center in Auburn.

As the newly appointed COO/ CFO, DeCondo will continue in his current capacity and also provide oversight of all education, adult and community service programs of UCP. These include New Discoveries Learning Center and Tradewinds Education Center for children up to the age of 21, as well as residential, day habilitation and employment programs for adults.

He has nearly 30 years of experience in financial management and knowledge of agency programs, services and the many families that are served.

MVHS names payroll manager Kyle Graves has been appointed payroll manager for the Mohawk Valley Health System.

Prior to this position, Graves was employed at Faxton St. Luke’s Healthcare as senior payroll clerk and also served as assistant manager of Capital District Graves Off-Track Betting Corp., both in Utica.

Graves earned his associate’s degree in accounting at Mohawk Valley Community College and is continuing his Bachelor of Science in accounting at SUNY Institute of Technology, both also in Utica.

Interventional neurologists join FSLH The Mohawk Valley Health System has welcomed the following three physicians to the Faxton St. Luke’s Healthcare medical staff in Page 16

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the department of medicine/interventional neurology.

All are practicing at the St. Luke’s Campus.

• Yahia Lodi, a specialist in interventional neurology, is affiliated with United Health Services in Johnson City.

Lodi served as neurosciences academic chair at SUNY Upstate Medical University at the Binghamton Clinical Campus at Wilson Lodi Regional Medical Center in Binghamton.

He also served there as director of the Comprehensive Stroke and NeuroEndovascular Center, as well as previously directing programs in Michigan and New Jersey.

Lodi earned his medical degree and completed an internship at Mymensingh Medical College in Bangladesh. He also completed an internship in internal medicine and a residency in neurology at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, Wis. Lodi completed a fellowship in neurosciences critical care and stroke at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md. He is board-certified in neurology, vascular neurology and neurocritical care.

• Varun Reddy, a specialist in interventional neurology, is affiliated with United Health Services in Johnson City and SUNY Upstate Medical University in Binghamton.

Reddy earned his bachelor of medicine degree Reddy at Bangalore Medical College in India. He also completed an internship in internal medicine at Staten Island University Hospital in Staten Island, and residencies in neurology at both New York University Medical Center and at St. Vincent’s Hospital in New York.

Reddy completed a clinical and research fellowship in vascular neurology at Harvard Medical School in Boston, Mass.

• Q. Tony Wang, a specialist in interventional neurology, is affiliated with United Medical Associates/ United Health Services in Johnson City as a stroke and endovascular neurologist.

Wang was previously the director of neurovascular services at Reading Hospital/Health System in Reading, Pa. Wang and a neuroendovascular specialist at MidHudson Regional Hospital

Robert Upton of Utica, front row left, winner of the Mother Bernardina Award, is joined by Louis Tehan, president and CEO of Upstate Cerebral Palsy, winner of the Founder’s Day Community Award at St. Elizabeth Medical Center in Utica. Helping to celebrate are, back row from left, Scott Perra, Mohawk Valley Health System president/CEO, and Robert Scholefield, MVHS executive vice president/COO.

SEMC celebrates 150th anniversary of service to community

S

t. Elizabeth Medical Center in Utica celebrated its 150th anniversary recently by honoring an employee and a recipient of its community award.

Following a Founder’s Day service in the St. Marianne Cope Chapel, Louis Tehan, president and CEO of Upstate Cerebral Palsy, received the Founder’s Day Community Award, and Robert Upton received the Mother Bernardina Award, named after SEMC’s founder and presented to an employee.

SEMC employees choose the winner of the latter award for significant contributions to the medical center, exemplifying its mission, vision and philosophy and for always going the extra mile.

UCP is located at 932 S. St., Utica.

It serves families of Whitesboro, Yorkville, New York Mills, New Hartford, Washington Mills, and many other towns throughout the Greater Utica area.

Today, UCP has more than 2,000 employees at over 80 locations.

Upton, of Utica, has been employed at SEMC for 24 years. He works as a radiologic technologist in the MVHS Radiology Department.

Upton is a graduate of Champlain Valley School in Plattsburgh, and is a strong supporter of the Abraham House in Utica, where he has been a volunteer for 10 years.

He has acted as a Big Brother to several children in the Utica area and is not only known for his selfless compassion but as an artist, a comic book creator and a baker of novelty cakes.

of Westchester Medical Center in Poughkeepsie.

Wang earned his medical degree at Jiamusi Medical College in Jiamusi, China, and his doctor of philosophy in human genetics and molecular biology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, Md. He completed internships in internal medicine at the Hospital of Harbin Institute of Technology in Harbin, China, and Jacobi Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx before completing his residency in neurology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine,

where he was chief resident.

His research fellowships involved studies in neuroscience, molecular biology and genetics, and ophthalmology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, in addition to his three clinical fellowships at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City in cerebrovascular neurology, diagnostic neuroradiology and interventional neuroradiology/ endovascular neurosurgery. He is board-certified in neurology and vascular neurology.

IN GOOD HEALTH – Mohawk Valley’s Healthcare Newspaper • January 2017

Continued on Page 17

H ealth News Continued from Page 16

Athletes raise funds for breast care center The Center State Conference girls’ tennis teams raised $450 in September to benefit local patients receiving care at the Mohawk Valley Health System’s Breast Care Center.

Teams from local high schools — Sauquoit Valley, Waterville, Westmoreland, Little Falls, Holland Patent, Herkimer, Clinton, and Canastota — competed in the CSC Girls Tennis Kick Out Cancer Tournament in September at the Parkway Tennis Courts.

Members of each team purchased CSC Girls Kick Out Cancer Tournament event shirts and sold items at the concession stand to raise funds.

Coaches from the CSC donated to the breast care center because they wanted their money to go to a local agency that would directly impact those men and women in the area that are affected by breast cancer, an MVHS spokesperson said.

MVHS council seeks new members The Mohawk Valley Health System Patient and Family Engagement Council is seeking new members.

The council acts as an advisory resource to the leadership and staff at MVHS as the organization strives to continuously improve patient care.

The council consists of several members of the community who have recently experienced the health care system either as patients or family members of patients receiving care, as well as several MVHS staff members.

The council was established at St. Elizabeth Medical Center in 2006. It expanded to include staff members of Faxton St. Luke’s Healthcare, as well as community representatives with experiences at FSLH, after the organizations affiliated in 2014.

Council members advise MVHS on improvements throughout the system, including but not limited to patient education materials, construction and renovation projects, patient safety initiatives, and parking improvements.

Anyone interested in the council may get more information or request an application at www.stemc.org/ patients, www.faxtonstlukes.com/ pfec or call 315-624-6142.

Toys donated to Children’s Health Center patients Several children at the Mohawk Valley Health System Children’s Health Center received holiday gifts during their visits in December, thanks to employees in the customer service department at Preferred Mutual Insurance Company in New Berlin.

Above from left, Jamie lee Rifanburg and Lisa Benson from Preferred Mutual Insurance present toys to Children’s Health Center staff members Amy Mazza, Jill Polizzi, Deborah Finch and Gina Waters. Knowing there is much need in the Utica area, the department’s 19 employees purchased toys in all shapes and sizes for children and also solicited gifts from the public through the help of a Dollar General store that helped collect donations. The CHC providers care for approximately 5,000 pediatric patients aged 0-18 years during the course of a year. out of its former Valley location.

With the opening of the new Ilion facility in 2006, Dye began caring for patients within the internal medicine practice of Dr. Thang Q Le at the Ilion location.

Dye’s reliability, professionalism, and customer service skills have proven to be an asset to the group, according to Tammy Stone, clinical coordinator for the Ilion office.

“She is dependable, knowledgeable and a true team player,” Stone said.

Dye is a graduate of Herkimer County BOCES and Mohawk Valley Community College with an education in nursing. She has been working as a licensed practical nurse, caring for patients in a variety of settings for over 28 years.

SDMG names employee of SDMG featuring state-ofart mammography exams the year

Dye

Rebecca “Becky” Dye has been named employee of the year for 2016 at Slocum-Dickson Medical Group PLLC in New Hartford.

Dye began her career with SDMG in 2002, working

Slocum-Dickson Medical Group in New Hartford is offering Genius™ 3D Mammography™ exams, developed by Hologic, Inc., a worldwide leader in women’s health.

Utilizing advanced breast tomosynthesis technology, Genius exams are clinically proven to significantly increase the detection of breast cancers, while simultaneously decreasing the number of women asked to return for additional testing.

In conventional 2D mammogra-

phy, overlapping tissue is a leading reason why small breast cancers may be missed and normal tissue may appear abnormal, leading to unnecessary callbacks.

A Genius exam includes a three-dimensional method of imaging that can greatly reduce the tissue overlap effect.

The Hologic system is the only clinically superior breast tomosynthesis system as approved by the Federal Drug Administration.

The new system is recommended for women of all ages and breast densities. The system allows radiologists to more effectively pinpoint the size, shape and location of abnormalities.

Fidelis Care opens downtown Utica office Fidelis Care, a statewide health plan with 1.5 million members, recently opened its downtown Utica community office.

The new 2,100-square-foot facility is located at 209 Elizabeth St. Fidelis Care representatives are available to help current and prospective members with any questions they have, from renewing their coverage and reviewing health insurance product choices, to applying for enrollment. Fidelis Care staffers speak multiple languages.

“As a mission-based organization, we strive to deliver customer service with dignity and caring and

January 2017 •

provide access to quality, affordable health coverage,” said Fidelis Care Chief Marketing Officer Pam Hassen.

“Our new Utica community office will allow us to provide our members and other residents with personal one-on-one time and accessible space to hold workshops and events with community partners.”

Open enrollment for metal-level products through the New York State of Health began on Nov. 1 and runs through Jan. 31.

The Fidelis Care Utica Community Office will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. Fidelis Care has 19 offices in New York state.

Office locations can be found at www.fideliscare.org/findanoffice.

For more information, call 1-888-FIDELIS (1-888-343-3547) or visit fideliscare.org. It can be followed on Twitter at @fideliscare and on Facebook at facebook.com/fideliscare.

Thrift store closing for renovations The New 2U Thrift Store, 726 Washington St., Utica, will close Jan. 1 for renovations.

Those with donations for the store are asked to hold them until renovations are complete.

Thrift store proceeds benefit the Parkway Center and the Central New York Veteran’s Outreach Center.

IN GOOD HEALTH – Mohawk Valley’s Healthcare Newspaper

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Page 17

Healthcare in a Minute

By George W. Chapman

Merger Mania to Intensify

T

he trend will continue at an accelerated pace in 2017 as both hospital systems and commercial insurers engage in “bigger is better” business strategy.

As the chess pieces move around, the ultimate impact on consumers will most likely differ from market to market. On one hand, bigger really is better for consumers if consolidation results in improved services, access, outcomes and lower prices due to standardization and economies of scale.

On the other hand, bigger is worse for consumers if consolidation results in no improvement in services, access, outcomes or prices due to lack of competition and choice.

The Department of Justice looks at all mergers and remains vigilant on behalf of consumers. When bigger is better, rural consumer areas tend to benefit the most, but suffer disproportionality when bigger is worse.

Trump Health Appointees

Tom Price, former orthopedic surgeon turned congressman from Georgia, will head Health and Human Services. He has been an outspoken critic of the ACA and advocates its repeal.

The American Medical Association has been guarded about its

approval/endorsement of Price as physicians seem split 50/50 over the ACA and are frankly tired of all the volatility and wrangling. For inexplicable reasons, Price is in favor of privatizing Medicare, which works well and increased only 1.7 percent in 2015.

Seema Verma, former CEO of Seema Verma Consultants, will head CMS. Interestingly, Verma was instrumental in the implementation of Indiana’s expanded Medicaid program (ACA) while Mike Pence was governor.

ACA Repeal and Hospitals

Proving there is far more at stake to repealing the ACA, the American Hospital Association projects a collective loss of $166 billion on net income should the ACA be repealed without an adequate replacement due to the loss of insurance coverage by the 20 million people who receive coverage via the ACA.

Healthcare Ads

If it seems like every other ad on TV is either for a drug, hospital or insurance plan, you’re not far off.

The healthcare industry is solidly entrenched among the top 10 industries when it comes to advertising, according to Kantar Media.

Advertising in healthcare totaled almost $10 billion in 2015, which was an 11 percent increase over 2014 spending. Drug advertising accounted for $6.6 billion, hospitals and healthcare systems $2.3 billion and

insurance $1.1 billion.

The favorite medium was TV where the industry spent over half of the $10 billion. Other media like magazines, digital, newspapers, billboards and radio combined for the remainder of ad spending.

So, when pressed, where does the average person turn to for health information? The Internet. According to a survey by Kantar media, three out of four of us research health issues on the Internet.

How Washington Works

Just how things get done (or not) in Washington is exemplified by how the “21st Century Cares Act” (TCCA) became law. Most agree the current heroine epidemic was created largely by drug manufacturers spending billions to get the medical community to prescribe their opioids.

Four of five heroin addicts started out on an opioid like OxyContin.

The TCCA commits billions of tax dollars to medical research and $1 billion to states to combat heroin and pain killer addiction, which all sounds good enough. But a bill this size would never see the light day without the blessing of the various lobbyists on the hill, most notably the drug lobby.

A total of 1,455 lobbyists representing more than 400 companies made their client’s views known. As a result, the bill includes reductions in regulations and protocols which the drug industry found too restrictive and costly. While there was

broad support for the bill on both sides of the aisle, and from the president, critics see the “compromise” with the drug industry as a blow to consumers who are protected by the protocols and regulations.

Life Expectancy

A recent article in the Wall Street Journal summarized a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There was no change in the average life expectancy of all Americans born in 2014 vs 2013.

There was a very slight decline in the life expectancy of a white males born in 2014 (78.8) vs 2013 (78.9).

Life expectancy is based on the year you were born. The report noted that since 2000, white middle aged Americans are dying at a rising rate largely due to suicide, drug/alcohol abuse and chronic liver disease. The US ranks only 53rd out of the top 100 countries in life expectancy. Monaco leads the way at 89.

George W. Chapman is a healthcare consultant who works with hospitals and medical groups.

He operates GW Chapman Consulting based in Syracuse.

Email him at gwc@ gwchapmanconsulting.com.

KIDS Corner Martial Arts Can Be Hazardous to Kids

Experts: Certain practices put children at risk of serious injury

P

erhaps there’s a black belt in your child’s future. But for safety’s sake, kids should only engage in noncontact forms of martial arts, a new American Academy of Pediatrics report says.

About 6.5 million U.S. children practice martial arts such as mixed martial arts, karate, taekwondo and judo. While these popular sports can improve fitness, motor skills and emotional development, they also carry the risk of injury.

Certain disciplines are riskier Page 18

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than others, the pediatricians’ group says.

“There are so many different types of martial arts for families to consider and enjoy, but such a difference in injury risk between the different non-contact and sparring forms,” report author Chris Koutures said in a news release from the medical group. Koutures is a member of the academy’s Executive Committee on Sports Medicine and Fitness.

Bruises and sprains account for most martial arts injuries, but more

serious injuries also occur.

Certain practices in mixed martial arts, for instance, carry a higher risk of concussion, suffocation, spine damage, arterial ruptures or other head and neck injury, the academy notes.

These risky movements include direct blows to the head, repetitive head thrusts to the floor and choking movements, the academy says.

Injury rates vary from 41 to 133 injuries for every 1,000 athletic exposures, depending on the type of martial art, the report says.

With no proof that protective equipment such as soft helmets and mouth and face guards prevent concussions, this gear may provide a false sense of safety, according to the academy.

“We hope that this report will enable pediatricians to help families

IN GOOD HEALTH – Mohawk Valley’s Healthcare Newspaper • January 2017

select the most appropriate options for their child and realize how strongly certain practices and rules can impact a participant’s safety,” Koutures added.

The group recommends delaying martial arts competition and contact-based training until children and adolescents show adequate physical and emotional maturity.

The report also recommends eliminating a taekwondo rule that awards extra points during tournaments for kicks to the head because these increase the risk of concussion.

But mixed martial arts seems most concerning. Even watching too much mixed martial arts may put children at risk of injury if they imitate what they see, the academy says.

The report appears online Nov. 28 in the journal Pediatrics.

Is the battle being won?

ACR Health: Disease is in controllable phase

By Barbara Pierce

“

Every year it gets better! We’re ending the epidemic!”

Jean Kessner, director of public relations for ACR Health, Syracuse, triumphantly spoke these words recently.

ACR Health — previously known as AIDS Community Resources — is a nonprofit, community-based organization providing support to those in the Mohawk Valley with chronic diseases, includKessner ing HIV/AIDS, diabetes, heart disease, obesity, asthma, substance use disorders, and serious mental illnesses.

After so many years of death and suffering from AIDS, it is astonishing to consider that New York, the state at the heart of the disease, is even talking about this, much less coming close to doing it.

Ending the epidemic doesn’t mean that a cure exists, explained Kessner. “It means that it’s considered a controllable disease.

“There’s no cure for AIDS. You can live with it, but not without issues. Your life is compromised. It is no longer a death sentence, but this is one disease you can’t cure.”

Ending the epidemic means that

new infections become so rare that the epidemic essentially peters out. It means that fewer than 750 new cases statewide are diagnosed per year.

This is the goal of ARC Health.

At the height of the epidemic, New York had 14,000 new cases each year. The number is now down to 2,500. Governor Andrew Cuomo has made New York the first state in the nation to commit to ending the AIDS epidemic.

“Only since medications have we been able to make this change,” said Kessner.

There are two medications and they are the game-changers.

PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis) for those at high risk, is a huge scientific breakthrough. It has enormous potential to stop the epidemic. It a pill, that taken daily, prevents HIV transmission.

It’s 99 percent effective and it’s the real key to ending the epidemic, said Kessner.

It’s like the birth control pill, she said. Take it daily and you won’t get AIDS. This pill does not replace condoms, which still must be used, as it reduces the risk of other sexually transmitted diseases.

New York state underwrites the cost of PrEP for those who are unable to purchase it.

Another pill is the post-exposure pill. If you have an encounter with unprotected sex, go the emergency room and request this pill, the sooner the better.

Will Murtaugh, executive director of ACR Health in Syracuse, lights a candle at Grace Episcopal Church in Utica during a “Service of Life and Remembrance” on World AIDS Day observed on Dec. 1.

Taken within 72 hours, it is fairly effective.

The world reflects

In December, World AIDS Day was observed at Grace Episcopal Church in Utica.

“World AIDS Day is a touchstone,” said Kessner. “We have really accomplished something in New York state. In other states, it’s different. In other places in the world, it’s different.”

World AIDS Day offered an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against AIDS; to show their support for those living with HIV; and to remember those who have died.

ACR Health’s World AIDS Day events acted as a springboard to release compelling evidence that the incurable and deadly disease can be contained.

AIDS was first recognized as a disease in 1981. New York and California were at the epicenter of the outbreak in the early 1980s. When the mysterious disease was first recognized in 1981, no one could begin to anticipate the magnitude of what was coming.

January 2017 •

From 1981 to 2013, an estimated 1,194,039 people in the United States had been diagnosed with AIDS. Of those, 658,507 have died. Today, more than 1.2 million people in the U.S. are living with HIV infection. It is estimated that almost one in eight don’t know they are infected.

This is a disease that’s close to home. Nearly one in 10 Americans newly infected with HIV live in New York state. In fact, New York state leads the nation in the number of people living with diagnosed HIV/ AIDS. Approximately 18 percent of AIDS diagnoses in the U.S. have occurred in New York state. The state took aggressive action to help those with AIDS and to prevent the spread of HIV. “There’s been a lot of time, energy and money invested,” added Kessner. “Here at ARC Health, we’ve been doing a really good job and have been recognized by the state.”

The Utica Office of ARC Health can be reached at 315-735-9551 or visit www.archealth.org.

All services are confidential and free.

IN GOOD HEALTH – Mohawk Valley’s Healthcare Newspaper

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Page 19

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Heed these winter driving tips and stay safe, alive

By Barbara Pierce

I

t’s January. Snowplows and tow trucks will be out in force this month in the Mohawk Valley.

Driving in the winter is a major hassle — there is an increase in accidents.

Winter weather can be both frightening and dangerous for automobile travel.

Winter is the most difficult season in which to drive. Not only do you have snow and ice — there are fewer hours of daylight. Ed Welsh, regional general manager, AAA Northeast, offers suggestions on how avoid an accident in winter.

“In this area, there is a developing trend. More and more cars are four-wheel drive or all-wheel drive,” he said.

Drivers of these cars are often overconfident that their vehicles will get them through the snow.

They give the driver a false sense of security.

“They drive too fast for the conditions and end up in the ditch or on the guard rail,” he said.

Driving in the winter takes patience, finesse and traction. Fourwheel or all-wheel vehicles do have better traction, but no better ability to steer and to stop. There is a saying — “An all-wheel drive will get you to the ditch faster.”

“Four-wheel drive does nothing to help you handle the snow and slop,” Welsh said.

So that you don’t end up in the ditch or on the guardrail, he recommends that if your car can be taken out of four-wheel drive, take it out and drive in two-wheel. Drive your Page 20

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all-wheel vehicle as if you did not have all-wheel drive.

Also, winter weather has become less predictable. Coming out to your car and finding it covered with snow can happen. It’s important to take the time to brush the snow off, Welsh said.

What other time of year would anyone ever consider it safe to operate a vehicle on a public road when better than half of the windshield, door glass or rear window is not clear? Ice- and snow-covered roads provide enough of a risk to safe driving, so why compound that risk by driving without clear vision forward, to the sides or rear?

Then there’s the danger to other drivers and pedestrians. Snow blowing off your car reduces visibility for other drivers, but it doesn’t end there. Ice can form on the surfaces of your car, and when the interior warms up, the bond between the ice and roof panel weakens and large sheets of ice can be blown off the roof onto following vehicles.

Be considerate of others

While we might think there’s little risk of these ice sheets causing any damage, many windshields are shattered every winter due to this carelessness. Of course, if a driver

swerves to avoid a large sheet of ice heading toward his or her car, there’s the risk of colliding with another vehicle.

Welsh recommends using a telescoping snow brush. It works well and can be bought where auto supplies are sold. “It’s a matter of your safety as well as other motorists,” he said.

Another thing that causes accidents in winter months, said Welsh, is that fewer of us are putting on snow tires. Instead, people rely on all-season tires.

“All-season tires are good to a point,” he said. But snow tires are built specifically to perform in winter conditions like low temperatures, ice, slush, and snow. The tread compound of all-season tires can harden in low temperatures, so there’s less traction between the road and your tires.

“Buy four snow tires,” recommended Welsh.

Also, bad lights — burned out or dim lights — cause accidents. As it gets dark at 4:30 in the afternoon these winter days, we need good lights. Make sure your lights are good.

“With the wide swings in temperature we have these days, we see

IN GOOD HEALTH – Mohawk Valley’s Healthcare Newspaper • January 2017

a lot of flat tires,” said Welsh. The rule of thumb is for every 10 degrees Fahrenheit change in air temperature, tire pressures will change about 2 percent (up with higher temperatures and down with lower).

Make sure your tires are inflated properly. Use a gas station that provides free tire pressure checks, or get your own tire gauge and use it. Make sure your tires have the pressure that is recommended in the operating manual for your car.

Avoid driving if you are drowsy.

Feeling sleepy is especially dangerous when you are driving as it slows your reaction time, decreases your alertness and impairs your judgment, just as much as drugs or alcohol.

Drowsy drivers are involved in an estimated 21 percent of fatal crashes, up from 16.5 percent from 2010. Drivers themselves are often the victims who die in single-car crashes. Crash risk rises dramatically with only one to two hours of sleep less than the recommended average of seven hours of sleep per night.

Triple-A provides emergency roadside service, 24 hours every day, for a reasonable cost, as well as offering many other benefits to members.

For more information, see www.aaa. com, or call 866-789-2809.