IGH Rochester #181 September

PRICELESS

SEPTEMBER 2020 • ISSUE 181

GVHEALTHNEWS.COM

&

Women Alzheimer’s Numerous studies show women have twice the risk of Alzheimer’s disease than men. What is behind that?

Story on page 17

New funding and designation help further research into intellectual and developmental disabilities, says chief of child neurology at Golisano Children’s Hospital, Jonathan Mink

Profits for Major Insurers Double This Year.

Does it Mean We Will Get a Premium Rebate?

Early Intervention Challenged During Pandemic

Rice Noodles Why a beloved Thai noodle dish has skyrocketed in popularity

P.15

Compliance Study: Women more likely to skip meds than men P. 5

Yoga Shown to Relieve Anxiety, Study Shows

Y

oga improves symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder, a condition with chronic nervousness and worry, suggesting the popular practice may be helpful in treating anxiety in some people.

Led by researchers at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, a new study found that yoga was significantly more effective for generalized anxiety disorder than standard education on stress management, but not effective as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), the gold standard form of structured talk therapy that helps patients identify negative thinking for better responses to challenges.

“Generalized anxiety disorder is a very common condition, yet many are not willing or able to access

evidence-based treatments,” says lead study author, physician Naomi M. Simon, a professor in the department of psychiatry at NYU Langone Health. “Our findings demonstrate that yoga, which is safe and widely available, can improve symptoms for some people with this disorder and could be a valuable tool in an overall treatment plan.”

For the study, 226 men and women with generalized anxiety disorder were randomly assigned to three groups — either CBT, Kundalini yoga or stress-management education, a standardized control technique.

After three months, both CBT and yoga were found to be significantly more effective for anxiety than stress management. Specifically, 54%

of those who practiced yoga met response criteria for meaningfully improved symptoms compared to 33% in the stress-education group.

Of those treated with CBT, 71% met these symptom improvement criteria.

However, after six months of follow-up, the CBT response remained significantly better than stress education (the control therapy), while yoga was no longer significantly better, suggesting CBT may have more robust, longer-lasting anxiety-reducing effects. The results were published online Aug. 12 in JAMA Psychiatry.

Can Yoga Help Treat Anxiety?

According to researchers, generalized anxiety disorder is a common, impairing, and undertreated condition, currently affecting an estimated 6.8 million Americans. While most people feel anxious from time to time, it is considered a disorder when worrying becomes excessive and interferes with day-to-day life. CBT is considered the gold standard firstline treatment. Medications, including antidepressants and sometimes benzodiazepines, may also be used.

Yet, not everyone is willing to take medication which can have adverse side effects and there are challenges with accessing CBT for many, including lack of access to trained therapists and long waitlists.

“Many people already seek complementary and alternative interventions, including yoga, to treat anxiety,” says Simon. “This study suggests that at least short-term there is significant value for people with generalized anxiety disorder to give yoga a try to see if it works for them.

Yoga is well-tolerated, easily accessible, and has a number of health benefits.”

According to Simon, future research should aim to understand who is most likely to benefit from yoga for generalized anxiety disorder to help providers better personalize treatment recommendations.

“We need more options to treat anxiety because different people will respond to different interventions, and having more options can help overcome barriers to care,” she says.

“Having a range of effective treatments can increase the likelihood people with anxiety will be willing to engage in evidence-based care.”

Funding for the work came from the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health grants.

RECONNECT WITH YOUR HEALTH. WE’RE HERE TO HELP. At Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, we’re here to care for communities across Upstate New York. And a big part of that is helping people take care of themselves. If you’ve been holding off on scheduling appointments or addressing ongoing health concerns, now’s a good time to reconnect with your doctor. So focus on your health and move forward with confidence, knowing that we’re with you every step of the way.

Get started today at ExcellusBCBS.com

Find a doctor or specialist Compare your options Estimate out-of-pocket costs for care

A nonprofit independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association

Page 2

•

IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper • September 2020

health care right at home.

The Physician House Calls program provides a convenient way for you to get high-quality care in the comfort of your own home. For over 10 years, our medical team has provided one-on-one medical assessments, medication review, and care coordination. We’ll work with you to develop a comprehensive care plan that will give you and your family peace of mind. Available to individuals 65 years and older.

Call (585) 244-5993 or visit jslphysicianhousecalls.org A service of Jewish Senior Life

Dr. Baratta is wonderful.

I feel comfortable when she is here; she’s so welcoming and makes me smile. patient

Physician House Calls Primary Geriatric Care at Home

September 2020 •

IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper

•

Page 3

Meet

Your Doctor

By Chris Motola

Jonathan Mink, M.D. New funding and designation will help further research into intellectual and developmental disabilities, says chief of child neurology at Golisano Children’s Hospital

Q: The University of Rochester was recently designated as an Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center (IDDRC) by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

Can you give us a rundown of what that means?

A: This is a newly developed IDDRC center. And it is one of 14 in the country funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. These are really historically important centers, so it’s a real honor to be funded through them. In a way, it’s a cap of many years, even decades of focus on both clinical patients and decades of research in intellectual and developmental disabilities. It’s a complex kind of grant in that what it does is support a lot of core functions that other people can take advantage of. It supports identifying research participants, characterizing those participants, provides support for doing certain types of research: neuro-imaging research, physiology, developing and testing animal models of intellectual developmental disabilities. But most importantly, it brings all these things together. It also supports things that can be leveraged for providing care for individuals with developmental disabilities, but most importantly pushes new treatments and provides increasing opportunities for patients and families to participate in research for the development of new treatments.

Q: What’s your role in the IDDRC? A: I’m the co-director along with John Foxe. We oversee the whole program. Each core function has a director that’s independent in a way, but they also report to us. So it’s really co-directing that. Dr. Foxe is a neuroscientist. I’m also a neuroscientist, but I’m also a child neurologist.

So I’m the clinician co-leader and he’s overseeing more of the scientific aspects.

Q: It seems like the knowledge base on developmental disorders is developing very rapidly in recent years, particularly where autism is concerned. It seems like they’re surprisingly common.

A: So two things. One, overall intellectual and developmental disabilities are quite common. What we’ve learned is that for

something like autism, autism has certain features that define it, but the specific underlying causes may differ from person to person. Some of these are relatively common. Autism itself is quite common, but many individual causes of autism can be quite rare.

So one of our areas of focus is on rare and neglected disorders that may affect a small number of people, but if you take all of them together, they affect a sizable portion of the population. And a lot of the discovery right now is identifying both common and rare causes and developing treatments that may be focused on those specific causes.

Q: Can you give an example of one of those causes?

A: One of the core projects of this center is focused on something called Batten disease. Batten disease is quite rare. There about 13 or 14 forms of it, all of which are quite rare. But this is one of the most important causes of progressive development disability, where children lose cognitive and physical function over time. So even though it’s quite rare, the things we learn from studying it and the models we develop have important implications for more common disorders. So we’re really working to identify things that can be focused on very specific disorders, but also where the approaches can benefit a large number of people.

Q: What might these approaches look like in practice?

A: So if there’s a number of different disorders that all cause speech and language impairment, the approaches that we might use to help with communication in those individuals may not depend on what the underlying cause is and may be globally applicable to a large number of individuals. But there may also be treatments that work for some sub-groups but not others. So the research center really helps to move treatments forward in both categories: those that are very broad and those that are really focused on very specific issues.

Q: In terms of definitions of success, what’s considered a successful outcome in the context of developmental disability?

A: Ultimately, the big picture goal is to be able to prevent intellectual and developmental disabilities when possible. To treat underlying causes so we can minimize the impact of those conditions, and in situations where we can’t treat the specific causes, to provide interventions that will maximize independent functions and maximize quality of life for individuals with these conditions. So treatment development progresses along many different lines. So conditions where we’re trying to identify and prevent causes all the way conditions where we can’t alter the underlying cause but can still affect the quality of life for these individuals.

Q: And I take it this includes adults who may have

Page 4

•

IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper • September 2020

In the News The University of Rochester has been designated an Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center (IDDRC) by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD).

The award recognizes the medical center’s national leadership in research for conditions such autism, Batten disease and Rett syndrome, and will help will translate scientific insights into new ways to diagnose and treat these conditions, and provide patients and families access to cutting edge care. The IDDRC at the University of Rochester will be led by John Foxe, Ph.D., director of the Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience, and Jonathan Mink, M.D., Ph.D., chief of child neurology at Golisano Children’s Hospital. The designation is accompanied with more than $6 million in funding from NICHD. missed being diagnosed as children?

A: So one of the important things about our center is that we’re looking across lifespan. Many of these disorders are thought of as childhood disorders, but there are many adults who live with intellectual and developmental disabilities, so we have many programs focused on caring for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It’s possible that some of the treatments coming in the future may be applicable to adults as well as children.

Q: Since Rochester is one of only a handful of these centers, what impact do you think it will have on the city’s research community?

A: I think it’ll have a tremendous impact. The University of Rochester has been one of the UCEDDs [University Center for Excellence in Development Disabilities]. It’s also been a LEND [Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities]. This is kind of the third leg of that stool, to have the IDDRC designation. This really focuses on the research aspect, and I think it’s going to provide more infrastructure to help make current research more efficient and effective. It’s also a tremendous foundation on which to build research growth to allow support for people who are extending their work into new areas. And it serves as a magnet to attract more people to the University of Rochester to join our faculty and help develop our programs.

Lifelines Name: Jonathan Mink M.D., Ph.D. Position: Chief of child neurology at Golisano Children’s Hospital Hometown: St. Paul, Minnesota Affiliations: University of Rochester Medical Center; Golisano Children’s Hospital Education: Washington University School of Medicine, MD, Ph.D. Organizations: Child Neurology Society; Society for Neuroscience; American Academy of Neurology; American Academy of Pediatrics Family: Wife (a pediatrician); daughter, son Hobbies: Canoeing, hiking, music, cooking

U.S. Women More Likely to Skip Meds Than Men

I

n the United States, many women with chronic medical conditions aren’t filling prescriptions or are trying to make their medications last longer due to the cost, a new study finds.

Not filling prescriptions, skipping doses, delaying refills or splitting pills may put their health at risk, the study authors noted.

For the study, researchers collected data on patients in 11 high-income countries, including the United States, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

Among U.S. patients, one in four younger women (aged 18 to 64) reported cost-related non-adherence to their prescriptions compared with one in seven younger men.

The researchers found that the largest disparities between men and women occurred in the United States

Compassionate Care in the Comfort of Your Home Servicing Monroe, Genesee, Livingston, Ontario & Wayne Counties

– 54%, compared to 33% in Canada and 17% in Australia.

“Prescription drug coverage systems — like those in the U.S. and Canada — that rely on employment-based insurance or require high patient contributions may disproportionally affect women, who are less likely to have full-time employment and more likely to be lower income,” said lead researcher Jamie Daw. She’s an assistant professor of health policy and management at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, in New York City.

“The disparities we found in access to medicines may produce health disparities between men and women that should be further explored,” Daw added in a university news release.

The findings were published online Aug. 3 in the journal Health Affairs.

WE SPECIALIZE IN NURSING AND LPN SERVICES! Additional Services:

▪ Speech Therapy ▪ OT/PT ▪ Nutritional Counseling ▪ Respiratory Therapy ▪ Home Health Aide ▪ Personal Care Aide

24 Hours/Day ▪ 7 Days/Week ▪ 365 Days/Year Call or email us today to set up a free consultation. Lunch is on us!

(585) 615-0499 ▪ info@nyregional-homecare.org www.nyregional-homecare.org 3545 Buffalo Road, Ste. 3, Rochester 14624

New Trend: Zoom Meetings Driving Surge in Face-Lifts

P

eoples whose only contact with the outside world is Zoom are taking a close look at themselves and flocking to plastic surgeons for face and eye lifts, the New York Times reported in August.

“I have never done so many face-lifts in a summer as I’ve done this year,” Diane Alexander, a plastic surgeon in Atlanta, told the Times.

She had done more than 250 procedures from May 18 through the end of July. “Pretty much every face-lift patient that comes in says: ‘I’ve been doing these Zoom calls and I don’t know what happened but I look terrible.’”

“This is the weirdest world I live in,” Alexander added. “The world is shut down, we’re all worried about global crisis, the economy is completely crashing and people come in and still want to feel good about

B

A GREAT Resource for Senior Care Professionals

themselves.”

The trend is surprising in a bad economy, because cosmetic surgery isn’t covered by insurance and procedures can cost up to $25,000 for a full body makeover, $3,300 for eyelid surgery and $10,000 for breast lift and enhancement, the Times reported.

Patients report they’re using money they would have spent on travel, concerts, sports tickets and the like.

Physician Lynn Jeffers, president of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, told the Times that the nationwide “demand is definitely busier than what we had expected,” though she added: “What we don›t know is if the pent-up demand is transitory, and will go back to normal, or will even dip.”

Networking ■ Education ■ Advocacy ■ Multiple opportunities to network with 300+ members ■ Educational programs ■ Eldercare Fairs ■ Business Promotion in The ElderPages ■ Advocate for seniors at annual town meeting

Join GRAPE Today! (585)256-4351

Another COVID Hazard: False Information e careful that the COVID-19 information you›re getting is accurate and not opinion masquerading as the real McCoy, says the American College of Emergency Physicians.

Watch out for bold claims and instant cures touted on social media or by friends. Get health and medical information from experts like the ACEP and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the physicians’ group says.

“A troubling number of purported experts are sharing false and dangerous information that runs counter to the public health and safety guidelines endorsed by ACEP and the nation’s leading medical and public health entities,” said physician William Jaquis, president of the college.

“This kind of misinformation can not only be harmful to individuals, but it hinders our nation’s efforts to

GET CONNECTED!

get the pandemic under control,” he added in a college news release.

You should know that there is no cure or vaccine for COVID-19.

Scientists keep learning more about the virus and how to treat it. COVID-19 can be spread by anyone even people who don›t think they›re infected.

About 40% of those infected don’t have symptoms, but can spread the virus. The virus isn’t harmless, and its long-term effects are still being studied.

Without a cure, the best defense is making smart choices and safe behaviors, the college says.

“There are still many questions about COVID-19, but we know these three simple steps offer the best protection that we have until a vaccine is developed: cover your face, wash your hands frequently and practice social distancing,” Jaquis said.

September 2020 •

www.grapelder.org ■ info@grapelder.org

DRIVERS WANTED To distribute copies of In Good Health, Rochester’s Healthcare Newspaper, in offices and other high traffic locations in Monroe County. Great for active retirees or at-home moms in need of some extra cash.Not a regular job. Work only one or two days a month during office hours (9 to 5). $11.80/h plus 30 cents per mile —it amounts to about $150 - $200 per month. The paper is distributed at the beginning of the month, usually on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Drivers pick up the papers at our storage area near Kodak.

No heavy lifting. Drivers are required to have a dependable vehicle, be courteous and reliable.

We audit all areas of distribution.

Call 585-421-8109 and ask for Nancy for more information.

IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper

•

Page 5

Live Alone & Thrive

By Gwenn Voelckers

Practical tips, advice and hope for those who live alone

An Antidote for Hard Times: Build a Home in Your Heart “Build thy home in thy heart and be forever sheltered.”

– Anonymous This is one of my favorite quotes. It captures so beautifully what I practice every day — especially these days — and it’s what I emphasize in my Live Alone and Thrive workshops: that the relationship with ourselves is the most worthwhile and enduring of all.

Most of the women and men whom have made peace with living alone are busy leading interesting lives even during these uncertain and changing times.

They have challenged, as have I, the age-old belief that marriage, as it has been traditionally defined, is the only state in which we can be happy, fulfilled, secure and successful.

Many are finding that time alone has proven to be a gift, not a burden.

Whether divorced, separated, single or widowed, we are not spending this precious time bemoaning our fate. We have experienced hardship, fear and loss and are the stronger for it.

We have taken our lives into our own hands and have embraced the choices and possibilities that living alone has to offer.

This is what we know . . .

• Living alone doesn’t mean living in isolation. Even with physical distancing, we can be together heart-to-heart.

Those of us who live alone know

how vital it is to stay connected when times are good. We also don’t hesitate to pick up the phone, text, email or Facetime with friends and family when loneliness and sadness show up.

• Accepting a virtual or in-person safe party invitation is worth doing.

I attended an open-air graduation ceremony recently and enjoyed the camaraderie of masked friends for the first time in a long time.

• Solo travel can still be enjoyed. We can still explore the world through virtual online tours of museums, national parks, landmarks and popular cities, from San Francisco to Paris. One of my favorite sites is GLOBOTREKS. • Figuring out how to join a Zoom meeting, make home repairs (thank you YouTube!), or grow your own vegetables can be very rewarding.

I fixed my own water spigot the other day, and gave myself a highfive with my own Purell-coated hands.

We have learned that . . .

• Rediscovering your “true self” and identifying those things that bring meaning and happiness into your life can turn living alone into an adventure of the spirit.

When rehearsals for my community band were suspended due to COVID-19, I decided to learn how to play a drum set. Awkward at first, I’m finally getting the hang of it. My neighbors may not agree. Ha!

s d i K Corner

Help Your Kids Navigate School Amid a Pandemic

T

his school year comes with special challenges for kids as the United States grapples with a coronavirus pandemic, but experts say parents can help their children navigate the tough emotional terrain.

Whether returning to a school building, continuing online learning or adjusting to a hybrid school environment, it is normal for children and adolescents to have some stress or anxiety about going Page 6

•

back to school, said Samanta Boddapati, a child clinical psychologist and prevention coordinator at Big Lots Behavioral Health Services at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio.

Fears of getting sick or following school safety protocols for COVID-19 may make the transition even more difficult.

In a survey of parents by Nation-

• Doing a “random act of kindness” is a great antidote when you’re feeling sorry for yourself.

• Friends matter, especially now.

Reach out. Nurture your friendships.

And honor your commitments.

If I make a plan to walk with a friend, I show up, even if I’m not quite in the mood. Without exception, I always feel better afterwards.

• Caring for and serving others is empowering and helps us feel connected to a greater good. It can feed your soul. Even a simple gesture, such as sharing a word of encouragement, can turn someone’s day around.

A larger gesture, such as shopping, dog walking, or lawn care for a neighbor who cannot safely leave home can give you a sense of belonging and purpose.

We will never forget that . . .

• Letting go of the idea that you need to be married or “coupled” to have any chance of being happy and secure is essential. This supposed idea will only keep you from finding a brighter and more fulfilling future.

• Treating yourself well builds esteem. Prepare and enjoy decent meals at home. Get enough sleep. Exercise. You’re worth it. Tell yourself so by taking good care of yourself.

• Continuing to celebrate holidays, birthdays, graduations, anniversaries and other important occasions is important. Be creative and find safe ways to recreate the special rituals that have enriched your life.

• Our spiritual underpinnings and faith traditions, however defined, can be a real source of strength, hope, and inspiration. Believing that we are all connected to each other, even to those long gone, enable us to carry their vitality and energy in our hearts.

And we will always remember that . . .

• Expanding your definition of love beyond “romantic love” will stand you in good stead. Embrace

wide Children’s, two out of five said they had concerns about their kid’s social and emotional well-being.

Very young children can suffer from separation anxiety about being away from family and in new environments. For these children, experts recommend making a special goodbye part of your routine and reminding your child when you will see each other again.

Some kids like a transitional object — an item that reminds them of mom or dad while at school.

Older children being in a classroom might be uncomfortable.

“Maintaining a routine is important, especially for families who are continuing to do online learning fulltime. Create a part of your child’s day that is structured and a part of their day that has some flexibility,” said Parker Huston, a Nationwide Children’s pediatric psychologist.

The hospital’s experts offer these tips for parents and caregivers: • Tell your child there are a lot of unknowns, but that you and oth-

IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper • September 2020

“passionate friendships” — those relationships in which you can be yourself and feel completely comfortable . . . in your sweatpants.

• Hanging out with negative people is a real downer.

I enjoy spending time with friends who are finding silver linings amid the hardships we are experiencing. Imposed downtime has provided a needed rest and break from relentless striving and doing. We are feeling less stress, greater peace and healthier as a result.

• We all have tools — inner resources — and now is the time to recall your best qualities and to draw upon them. It could be patience, generosity, creativity, kindness or a sense of humor. These qualities have helped you survive hard times in the past and they can serve you now.

• Feeling and expressing gratitude starts a ripple of goodness that reaches further than you can imagine. Every note you write, every kindness you extend and every word of thanks will make a positive difference. It begins with you and ends with a joyful connection.

Last month, I found a wounded robin in my yard. I took it to Wildlife Rescue, where I met with a young staff member named Jamie. She tenderly took possession of the robin and promised me they would do everything possible to restore the robin to good health.

As I got ready to leave, I said thank you, but then it didn’t feel like enough. I turned back and said, “Jamie, if you were my daughter, I would be so proud of you.”

Her eyes crinkled with a smile.

Gwenn Voelckers is the founder and facilitator of Alone and Content, empowerment workshops for women, and author of “Alone and Content,” a collection of inspiring essays for those who live alone. For information about her workshops, to purchase her book, or invite her to speak, visit www. aloneandcontent.com ers are there to help them.

• Discuss fears and talk through options and alternatives.

• Model coping skills to your children, so they know how to respond to unknowns and build resilience.

• Help them understand special procedures in schools such as wearing a mask and undergoing temperature checks.

• Find out what resources are available at school for your child, such as social-emotional support or counseling.

“A certain amount of stress is normal, but parents, caregivers and educators should look out for drastic changes in functioning or behavior,” Huston said in a hospital news release. “Sleep changes, mood changes, inability to engage with social environments or friends, increased anxiety about things that they maybe weren›t nervous about in the past are changes you want to talk to your child’s pediatrician about.”

Healthcare in a Minute

By George W. Chapman

Profits for Major Insurers Double This Year. Does it Mean We Will Get a Premium Rebate?

T

he short answer is: don’t hold your breath. A recent article in the New York Times by Reed Abelson explained. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) caps what commercial insurers can retain as profits. For small businesses and individuals, insurers must rebate “profits” over 20% of premiums. Profits include operating costs as well. For large businesses, insurers must rebate profits over 15% of premiums. Second quarter profits for major national insurers this year are almost double the second quarter profits of last year. Reported second quarter 2020 profits are $3 billion for CVS/Aetna, $2.3 billion for Anthem and $6.7 billion for United. COVID-19 claims, (most are Medicare), are easily offset by the dearth of claims from elective surgeries, emergency rooms and office visits.

The Trump administration is well aware of these excess profits which by any measure are expected to continue throughout 2020. Washington has “encouraged” the insurance giants to rebate anticipated excess profits or reduce premiums during this fiscal year instead of waiting to calculate year-end results. Industry observers predict: OK, good luck with that.

Before issuing any rebates, insurers are granted a three-year grace period following any fiscal year to be sure they have calculated all claims. In the meantime, individuals and businesses are struggling to pay their premiums and healthcare providers are struggling with the devastating negative impact of the virus on their bottom lines and staff.

Unrestricted Profits As discussed above, the ACA caps profits on insurance lines of business. Written 10 years ago, the ACA does not restrict profits on other lines of healthcare business now owned and operated by the largest commercial insurers. Carriers have purchased or started up their own clinics and have merged with major drug retailers. Retailers like Walmart have even jumped into the insurance and clinic fray. To date, the current administration and a lot of politicians have provided mostly lip service to effectively controlling drug costs. A bipartisan bill written up in Congress last year, allowing Medicare/ Medicaid to negotiate a couple dozen drug prices for starters, has yet to be

presented to the Senate for a vote.

Telemedicine’s Future

COVID-19 is already considered a “black swan event” similar to other significant life changing occurrences — like both world wars, 9/11 and the launching of the personal computer.

Up until the virus, telemedicine was ever so slowly being incorporated into the delivery of healthcare. Since the virus, telemedicine use has skyrocketed. Consumers are happy with the convenience and no copay. While some providers may still prefer office visits to virtual visits, all are happy with the enhanced reimbursement for telemedicine visits which, so far, are equal to an office visit. The billion-dollar question is: will enhanced September 2020 •

reimbursement continue? The key is, what will Medicare do? (Commercial carriers tend to follow suit.) Right now, the enhanced reimbursement is authorized in 90-day segments. The current temporary 90-day authorization ends Oct. 31. I’m sure all provider group lobbyists (AMA, AHA, etc.) are pushing for permanency.

Their efforts must be working. CMS chief Seema Verma recently commented, “Reversing course would be a mistake.” While it remains to be seen what ultimately happens, the signs are good for permanency.

Verma noted that 9 million Medicare members have used telemedicine since the pandemic. Medicare paid providers $9 billion for telemedicine services in March and April this year versus only $60 million in March and April 2019. The virus has exposed and compounded our embarrassing lack of a national health policy.

It’s been every state for themselves.

Consequently, due to the lack of a national health policy providing some consistency across state lines, the governors from four western states: Washington, Colorado, Oregon and Nevada, are collaborating to improve, standardize and coordinate telemedicine access and coverage for their collective populations.

Veterinarians Are Flourishing As we postpone or even cancel healthcare due to the ongoing pandemic, physicians and hospitals will continue to endure the financial strain. Quite ironically, veterinarians are flourishing. Unlike human care, trips to the vet are way up. A recent Associated Press story describes this phenomenon. Vet offices and animal hospitals are scrambling to increase staff, phone lines and office hours to accommodate the average 18% surge in pet care. According to pet health insurer “Trupanion,” July business was up 28% over last July. Industry observers and vets themselves attribute the increase in business to more people working from home, pets as

emotional support, increased pet adoptions from shelters and price.

Pet care is still primarily cash on the barrel head, so veterinary offices and hospitals are much more transparent with pricing as a third-party insurer is rarely involved, which normally introduces price confusion.

Private Practice Success

About half of all physicians are still in private practice. Despite the negative financial ramifications due to the pandemic, social media consulting firm PatientPop got enough physicians in private practice to respond to its survey. One of the survey questions asked for their non-financial indicators of success.

Sixty-seven percent answered success meant a positive patient experience; 35% said effective patient communication; 30% thought strong or positive online reviews; 27% considered a high ranking in online searches to be an indicator of success; while 23% said their high performing website was an indication of success. When asked what frustrates them the most, 49% said dealing with the myriad of insurers with their different fees, regulations and coverages; 33% said collecting what is owed them; 31% are frustrated with patient no shows and cancellations (exacerbate by the pandemic); and 31% said dealing with compliance and related expenses.

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

IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper

•

Page 7

Survey: A Majority of U.S. Adults Lose Sleep Due to Reading

Q A & with

A

new survey from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) shows a majority (66%) of U.S. adults report losing sleep due to staying up past their bedtime to finish a book.

The survey also found that women (71%) are more likely to lose sleep due to reading a book than men (61%).

If you find yourself losing track of time while reading, it may be time to change up your nighttime routine, according to AASM. Sleep experts recommend setting a bedtime alarm to remind yourself that it’s time to put the book down for the night.

“It can be tempting to try and squeeze in one more chapter of a great book, but everyone should make it a priority to get enough sleep to wake feeling refreshed and alert,” said AASM President Kannan Ramar. “Consistently waking up feeling unrefreshed, or struggling to stay awake throughout the day, is a warning sign that either you are not getting enough sleep, or you may have an untreated sleep disorder.”

If you are unsure about how many hours of sleep you should be getting, the AASM’s website — SleepEducation.org. — can help identify the appropriate bedtime based on your schedule and age.

The personalized calculation can help you keep a routine that will provide adequate, healthy sleep, so you can finish your next novel without nodding off.

Page 8

•

Andrea DeMeo

Trillium Health’s president and CEO discusses caring for the LGBTQ community during the pandemic and how the nonprofit has managed to survive financially

By Mike Costanza

D

espite the coronavirus pandemic, Trillium Health has continued to provide an entire range of healthcare to its patients. In Good Health recently asked Andrea DeMeo, Trillium Health’s president and CEO, how the organization is faring these days. The nonprofit employs about 270 people at facilities on Rochester’s Monroe Avenue and Science Parkway and three other sites, and has a current budget of $32 million Q. “Trillium Health” is an interesting name for an organization. What is its significance?

A. Trillium is a rare flower that’s found in Upstate New York, and it has three petals. It was chosen to be part of our name to represent the three aspects of health, and that is physical health, mental health and social health.

Q. What is Trillium’s mission?

A. Our mission is that we ensure access to healthcare for all individu-

als, regardless of their ability to pay.

We are a community-based clinic, and we’re a federally qualified health center look-alike, meaning that we need to meet all of the requirements of a fully designated federally qualified health center. We ensure access to healthcare for all, including our LGBTQ [lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer] communities and that finances are never a barrier to care.

Q. How did Trillium respond to the coronavirus pandemic?

A. Our No. 1 priority was staff and patient safety. We needed to modify our programs and services to make sure that we provided the vital care that our patients and clients deserved. That required facility enhancements, moving our staff to be able to work remotely as quickly as possible, investing in our IT [information technology] structure so that it would support telehealth visits and other telephone-like visits, and modifying our facilities.

IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper • September 2020

Q. Trillium Health treats a few of its patients onsite. What measures have you taken to protect them, and your staff?

A. Less than 30% of the workforce is currently working onsite. We also had to make sure that all of our staff were trained in the use of personal protective equipment. Masks are required for staff, and anybody visiting Trillium Health.

Q. Your nonprofit specializes in the treatment of infectious diseases, which includes testing for HIV, hepatitis C and sexually transmitted infections.

A. Because we are leaders in infectious disease, we do have a number of our patients whose immune systems are compromised, and we also are experts in sexual health.

We needed to move from face-to-face visits, and we quickly created an at-home service for members of our community to receive free at-home HIV and STI [sexually transmitted infections] testing Q. How can you do that in a patient’s home?

A. It’s a self-contained kit that has all the necessary test tubes, instructions, gloves and vials. Once a sample is taken, it’s sent off to a lab for diagnostic testing, and those test results are shared with our clinicians.

Q. How has Trillium helped other vulnerable populations through this crisis?

A. People of color as well as those who are low income or living in poverty are at greater risk for acquiring the virus. We’ve launched mobile access for COVID-19 testing in partnership with community organizations, and also provide testing onsite with Trillium Health on Monroe Avenue.

Q. Trillium also has a pharmacy and food bank. How have you managed to keep them running, while reducing the risk of coronavirus transmission?

A. We had to “turnkey” our pharmacy operation — turn it from an onsite pharmacy to a home delivery service. We use the US postal service. For urgent, same-day deliveries, we deliver them ourselves. Pharmacy home delivery and telehealth have been very well received. We also continue to provide our food bank, but needed to change it to a grab-and-go operation, as opposed to a shopping experience.

Q. Has the pandemic affected Trillium’s finances?

A. Our visit volumes are still behind what they were before COVID, which has necessitated us to take action to reduce expenses. We wanted to make sure that we kept morale up, and provided [staff] payroll security for four-and-a-half months to keep people economically secure. Eventually we did receive a Paycheck Protection Program loan. We also received some funds through the last CARES Act that was approved

by Congress. Most recently, we’ve had local funders step up to help us.

We have strong sea legs to recover financially.

Q. How are you folks doing overall?

A. We are becoming accustomed to the new way of providing care.

We’ve fully expanded our operations and we’ve reopened our pediatrics and GYN clinic at 170 Science Parkway. I’m very grateful for the heroic efforts of all of our staff because we could not continue to provide care if we didn’t come together with the strength of the cadre of people who work at Trillium Health.

For more information on Trillium Health, go to: www.trilliumhealth. org.

96513_NG_LCI_FincngAD_IGH_Sept T: 9.75” x 13.75” B: NA L: 9.75” x 13.75”

4c

Because energy and good health go hand in hand.

Get 0% financing on select energy-efficient upgrades.

Ensuring the health and safety of your patients and staff is essential. We can help you meet new guidelines for building wellness right now with 0% financing options on select energy-efficient upgrades. It’s a great way to keep air quality up and energy costs down, without having to make a significant upfront investment. When you’re ready to have a conversation about the health of your facility, talk to us. Our door is always open.

Open up to new possibilities at nationalgridus.com/Financing-Options *0% financing available for 24- and 36-month terms. Financing and streamlined application decisions subject to credit parameters. Neither Ascentium Capital or National Grid is the agent of the other. Ascentium Capital, not being the manufacturer, seller or distributor of the property being financed, makes no representation or warranty concerning it, including any representation or warranty related to energy efficiency, cost savings, or positive cash flow related thereto. Financing described herein is available only for National Grid customers’ project to purchase qualifying energy-efficient equipment, fixtures, systems and other measures. All projects must receive prior approval from National Grid. Incentive program is only available until the funds in the National Grid pilot program have been exhausted.

September 2020 • 96513_NG_LCI_FincngAD_IGH_Sept.indd 1

IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper

•

Page 9

8/25/20 11:22 AM

Disabilities

Early Intervention Challenged During Pandemic

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

W

hen schools faced mandatory shutdowns last spring during the pandemic, education shifted to virtual modes.

For pre-kindergarten children needing early intervention for their special needs, meeting through Zoom or Facetime isn’t always effective.

Many parents delayed seeking the intervention.

Cindy Toleman, director and CEO of Clinical Associates of the Finger Lakes based in Victor, serves families needing special education services for speech, language, occupational therapy, physical therapy and autism. Though she’s glad the state moved swiftly to approve teletherapy models, “it’s so difficult,� she said. “Not every family is prepared or has the ability to use that kind of service. It can’t be just phone calls but must include a video component.�

Some families lack high speed internet access. Others must juggle all their newfound computing needs among several family members, such as parents working at home and trying to educate older children at

home.

Toleman said to compensate for this the virtual therapy, her therapists have offered more activities for parents to do at home with their children as well as interacting with children on the screen. “Our staff was great,� she said. “I’m a bit in awe with how quickly they adapted to this new service delivery model. Most of the struggle has been because most of the therapists are parents themselves and their children are at home trying to home school. Scheduling is always an art.�

Since they’re also working around their own families’ needs, the therapists haven’t been seeing as many children, but the smaller caseload also means less income for the therapists. “We all thought it would be a one- or or two-month thing,� Toleman said. “Now that the pandemic seems to be better under control, the state is opening to in-person visits.

But a lot of children have not received the services to which they’re entitled.�

She thinks that once therapists can evaluate a child’s status, they may find they need to begin “more intensive levels of therapy to make up for that lost time,� she said. But she’s not sure how long these effects will last.�

While engaging with children firsthand is ideal, Toleman has seen more parental involvement because of both the unavailability of therapists to treat in person and also because parents’ schedules have otherwise cleared.

Vicki Follaco, owner and direc-

tor of Room to Bloom in Rochester, said that when parents are actively involved, “the children have fared well. At early intervention, the premise behind it is that it’s family-centered and it involves a great deal of parental coaching.�

Room to Bloom offers pre-K children special education, speech therapy, occupational and physical therapy.

The pandemic has drawn families back to that philosophy of family-centeredness since most babies and toddlers cannot log onto Zoom or Doxy.me sessions. “Initially, there were families who opted out,� Follaco said. “Like so many of us, they thought this would be short-lived. They changed their minds after we realized this would be a long-winded event.�

Mirroring schools’ approach, special education providers such as Room to Bloom now offer hybrid sessions so sometimes children see their therapist in person and other times, it’s virtual.

CP Rochester’s

Family Dental Center

Â

� � � � � �  ­ € ‚ �

­ � ‚ ƒ „ � … �

­ � † ‡ ˆ � ­ ‡ †

Furthering Opportunities for Independence The Arc of Monroe supports adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities and has been providing a variety of programs and services for over 1400 people with I/DD and their families in the Rochester community for over 60 years.

(585) 271-0660 arcmonroe.org Page 10

•

_clinic.asp

IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper • September 2020

“Parent involvement is huge,�

Follaco said. “Our community at large as far as the providers of early intervention and preschool have rallied around this situation and have come to different ways to aid our families and their children with special needs.�

Heather Hanson, chief operating office and physical therapist at Step by Step in Rochester, said that switching to virtual sessions “has had an enormous impact across the system, from children to providers.

Even with our maximum effort to get everyone on telehealth, our volume was cut by 50% because families weren’t able to participate.�

As of early August, the organization hasn’t returned to pre-pandemic levels. While that’s challenging for Step by Step, it also means challenges for the children not receiving services. “A lot of data that suggests the earlier you intervene, the better it is for the child as the brain is developing so rapidly,� Hanson said. “It’s the prime time to optimize development.

When you’re older, the brain can develop and learn but it happens at a different pace. A child 1 year old who’s 6 months behind — that’s half of their life in perspective with their age.�

In addition to hampering the children’s short-term and possibly long-term development, delaying therapy costs more. Hanson said that data suggests that it saves $7 to $12 per $1 spent on early intervention done by age 3. Waiting costs the education system more money.

In addition, early intervention sets up children who need it to be better learners.

Hanson hopes that telehealth will continue as an option for times when therapy cannot happen in person, such as during bad weather or when a patient’s sibling is ill. Remote sessions also expand the capacity of delivering early intervention. “Many kids are on a list waiting for services,� Hanson said. “It decreases the time so you’d be able to see more kids than if you had to drive between visits. It opens up the opportunity for skilled, trained providers who have their own constraints.�

Disabilities Kayla, far right, with her parents, Mark and Patti McKeon.

Kayla Mckeon: Beating All the Odds

Upstate woman with Down syndrome — who holds silver medal from Special Olympics World Games in Athens — helps the fight to change the public’s view of those who are differently abled

By Mary Beth Roach

P

ersevere and don’t give up on yourself. This is one of Kayla McKeon’s favorite phrases, and one that has guided her life and her work.

The 32-year-old North Syracuse resident has Down syndrome, yet through her spirit of perseverance, she is doing her part, in no small way, to change the public’s view of those who are differently abled.

Currently, she works part-time as a lobbyist and the manager of Grassroots Advocacy with the National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS), while taking an online class at Onondaga Community College, and keeping up an aggressive public speaking schedule. Prior to the pandemic, she was scheduled to travel to to Nairobi, Kenya and the United Nations.

“Kayla is one of the most incredi-

ble advocates I have ever witnessed,” said Ashley Helsing, director of government Relations for the NDSS.

Her Perseverance McKeon had learned to read by the age 4, she’s gotten a driver’s license, she graduated from Cicero-North Syracuse High School in 2006 and was inducted into its Wall of Distinction in 2017. She has been selected as Law Enforcement Athlete of the Year and named 40 Under 40 Leaders in CNY. Beginning as a teen, McKeon has been doing public speaking engagements, sharing her story and creating awareness. After earning silver and bronze medals at the Special Olympics World Games in Athens, Greece, she began receiving invitations for September 2020 •

speaking engagements from all over the world.

She’s earned more than half the credits needed toward her associate’s degree at Onondaga Community College, taking a course a semester either online or on campus; and has become a self-advocate, which, she explained, means that she stands up for her own rights as well as those of others.

Her advocacy work got an unexpected enormous boost in October of 2017, when she became the nation’s first registered lobbyist in Washington with Down syndrome. It’s a job that brings her face-to-face with representatives and senators at the U.S. Capitol. Her appointment brought her national media attention, including interviews with The Washington Post, CBS and NBC’s Today program.

McKeon has been effective in helping to push for legislation on several key issues that impact the lives of the differently abled, including employment opportunities and equal pay; organ transplant discrimination, savings plans and Marriage Access for People with Special Abilities Act (MAPSA), which would protect the Social Security benefits if a couple with Down syndrome get married.

“Her tenacity and genuine passion for these issues is part of what really inspires legislators to commit to our priorities to improve the lives of people with Down syndrome. We, as the leading human rights organization for all individuals with Down syndrome, are so grateful to have her as part of our team,” Helsing said.

During a recent conversation with McKeon and her parents, Mark and Patti McKeon, she and her mother further explained the details on some aspects of the legislation. With regards to organ donations, those who are differently abled often aren’t given equal consideration when it comes to receiving an organ.

According to a fact sheet by the Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress, there are several misconceptions that cause this discrimination, such as that people with disabilities especially those with intellectual, developmental or psychiatric disabilities are unable to manage complicated post-operative treatment plans and medications, and are therefore, less likely to benefit from the transplant. Another is that people with disabilities have a lower quality of life and therefore, would not benefit as much from life-saving transplants.

McKeon has been successful in helping to get an amended ABLE Act passed. The Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act allows those with disabilities to save without jeopardizing their healthcare benefits.

Although the ABLE accounts were authorized by Congress several years ago, this recent legislation allows for more money to be put into the accounts and enables a tax credit to be earned.

MAPSA was introduced in Congress in 2019. According to Title XVI of the Social Security Act, if two people are husband and wife, only one of them may be eligible for SSI benefits. In an article McKeon cowrote for The Washington Examiner in 2019, this cuts an eligible individual’s income by 25%, and requires the couple’s income be combined when

Kayla McKeon, an advocate for the National Down Syndrome Society, has an aggressive public speaking schedule, which in the near future includes trips to Nairobi, Kenya, and the United Nations. determining the eligible individual’s benefits. Her article also pointed out that this is devastating to those who are differently abled, whose conditions can sometimes cost more than $2 million over a lifetime.

Her Start in Politics Kayla McKeon’s interest in politics was piqued, in part, by her involvement with the National Down Syndrome Society’s (NDSS) Buddy Walk on Washington Advocacy Conferences, according to her mother. The annual event brings the Down syndrome community together to push for legislation that impacts those with Down syndrome and their loved ones.

Then in 2014, she met U.S. Representative John Katko when he was first running for office. He gave her his business card, and was surprised when McKeon offered him hers, which she had for her work as a freelance motivational speaker.

Katko said that if he got elected, he wanted McKeon to come work for him. Katko did win, and after taking office, McKeon began interning in his Syracuse office and attending some meetings with him.

“He introduced me to the world of lobbying when I did a roundtable event with him. It was employment in the workplace with others that are differently abled,” she said. In attendance at this GOP Conference-led event was Sara Hart Weir, then-president and CEO of NDSS. Hiring a lobbyist with Down syndrome had been something that Weir had been considering. Although she had known McKeon for several years through the NDSS, it was during this event in 2017 that led Weir to pursue McKeon for a job.

“One of my proudest accomplishments during my tenure at NDSS was recruiting Kayla,” Weir said in an email. “She brought her A-game that day. She demonstrated a unique ability to share her personal story in the context of policy change.

After hearing her speak, I leaned over to my co-moderator during the roundtable, Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers, and said, ‘I need to hire this woman to be the face of disability advocacy on Capitol Hill.’”

McKeon’s biggest challenge in meeting with these lawmakers is not what one might expect. It’s not a case of being nervous or anxious. Her

continued next page

IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper

•

Page 11

VEALS TER

nted time perheroes—

ssionals gers es nicians

CRISIS REVEALS REVEALS CRISIS CHARACTER CHARACTER

tion is inspiring!

ochester, NY 14620 • 585-271-0761 • MaryCariola.org

During this unprecedented time unprecedented timeteam!

We’dweDuring love tothis have you join our honor our Cariola Superheroes— we honor Cariola Superheroes— Direct our Support Professionals

Direct Support Managers Professionals Residential Teachers •Managers Nurses Residential Social Workers• Nurses • Clinicians Teachers Support Staff Social Workers • Clinicians Support Staff Your commitment and dedication is inspiring!

Kayla McKeon interviewing Congressman Paul Tonko (D-NY20) on his stand on various issues

‘Kayla McKeon is paving the way so future generations of individuals with disabilities’ from previous page

Show Your Character and Apply Today

biggest challenge, she said, is getting on their calendars. Sometimes, they might only have five minutes to talk, 1000 Elmwood Avenue • Rochester, NY 14620 she added.

1000 Elmwood Avenue • Rochester, NY 14620 • 585-271-0761 • MaryCariola.org “Kayla’s position is so much 585-271-0761 • MaryCariola.org more than• the hard work she does 1000 Elmwood Avenue • Rochester, NY 14620 • 585-271-0761 MaryCariola.org day in and day out to change laws and outdated stereotypes,” Weir added. “Kayla is paving the way so future generations of individuals We Are Open and Accepting New Patients with disabilities have the opportunity to pursue their own American dream and help us end the vicious cycle of poverty we force people with disabilities to be born into because of archaic, discriminatory laws.”

Your commitment and dedication is inspiring!

As A Motivational Speaker

Specialized Outpatient Physical Therapy — At Home Whether you have had a recent event, such as a fall, joint replacement, or stroke, or if you just don’t have the energy you once did—we are here to help you get back to doing what you love. Best of all, there’s no need to leave home for your physical therapy visits when your personal Thrive rehabilitation therapist comes to you!

We are also known for our unique expertise in working with people with Parkinson’s disease.

Things to Know:

n Thrive offers outpatient PT in your home. You do not need to be homebound to qualify. n Thrive does not charge extra for services being delivered at home. n We accept Medicare and most commercial insurances. n You do not need a doctor’s referral to get started.

Contact us today to speak with a physical therapist about how Thrive can help you get back to doing what you love!

P: 585-851-8259

info@thriveptandwellness.com | www.thriveptandwellness.com We make it easy for you to consistently get the therapy you need — and consistency is the key to results.

Page 12

•

Long before she was addressing members of Congress, she was — and continues to be — a motivational speaker.

“She had said she wanted to help others, so she started doing these speeches. She’d go to schools and speak to assemblies about her abilities, not her disabilities,” McKeon’s mother said.

One exchange that comes to mind often, McKeon said, was during a talk with some middle schoolers. She said one of the students asked her if she was ever ashamed of being “a retard.” She detests the use of the “R” word, yet she remained unflappable. She responded, “Whoa. A. Excuse me. Did you hear my speech? And B. I am never ashamed of being differently abled because it’s who I am.” She said that a teacher apologized for the student’s remarks, but it was that encounter that proved to her that her talks were needed.

One of her favorite audiences are nursing students, McKeon said.

She tells them that when they help to deliver a baby with Down syndrome, they should tell the parents “Congratulations.”

“That’s the first thing you want to tell them. It’s not a sad diagnosis, and I’m living proof,” she said.

IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper • September 2020

She has become quite adept at social media, having her own website, blog and podcast, to further promote awareness of Down syndrome. While her blogs are more about what’s going on in her own life, her podcasts feature interviews with various guests, including CEOs of companies, like Tim Shriver, chairman of Special Olympics; members of the NDSS board of directors; other self-advocates; and parents of children with Down syndrome.

“I want to talk to some of the parents about how they raise their children, how they perceive their child,” she said.

Her own parents remain her role models and inspiration. “They give me something to look up to,” McKeon said.

Following an interview that McKeon did after being hired as a lobbyist, Patti McKeon said she received a call from a mother who asked her how she got McKeon to read so young. As Patti recalled she said that it was Kayla who discovered for herself that she enjoyed reading.

“You have to find something that means something to them,” she said.

Mark and Patti McKeon would often read to Kayla as a child, and they assumed that she had been memorizing the books over time, but when someone gave her a book for her fourth birthday, she read it by herself! Years later, she announced that she wanted to get her driver’s license. Patti told her to do the DMV practice tests online, and when she scored 100, they’d start the process of getting her a license. Of course, Kayla aced the practice test, only missed two questions on the actual test, and after several road tests, got her license.

Mark commented that people often say that they’re phenomenal.

But “it’s all Kayla,” he said.

“I always strive for my best,” Kayla McKeon said. “No matter what, I never give up.”

Meet Your Provider

Clear Choice Hearing & Balance Founded in 2008 by Christine Tirk, Clear Choice Hearing and Balance is a private, full-scope audiology practice that serves patients from infants to geriatrics with diverse hearing health care needs. The staff is committed to providing the best care for those with hearing loss, tinnitus, balance and dizziness, middle ear fluid and auditory processing disorder.

By Ron D’Angelo, Doctor of Audiology

Q: Did you close during COVID-19?

A: No. Clear Choice was deemed an essential business by the state and we provided the same superior level of care with safety protocols in place following all CDC guidelines.

We did not lay off any personnel nor did any staff leave due to COVID-19.

We decided early on that we would work as a team and continue to provide the same high level of service to our patients, while many of our competitors closed down. We also have had a lot of walk-ins during COVID-19 as patients have been grateful that we remained opened and available with no appointment necessary since most of the other audiology offices remained closed and they needed help with hearing aids or testing.

Q: Has the COVID-19 virus affected your practice?

A: By now it is clear the year

2020 will be known as the year of the coronavirus. There is barely a facet of life it has not affected in some way or other. Businesses have had to rethink many aspects of their daily operations and practices and so have we. We practice social distancing, intense hand washing and mask wearing, among other precautions as recommended by the CDC. But, most importantly, health issues and hearing issues did not go away during COVID-19. So, as a team, we are committed to providing the safest environment possible along with the same level of service patients have grown to expect.

Q: How important was it to adapt to the changes?

A: As a full scope, diagnostic audiology and hearing aid dispensing practice, we are deeply enmeshed in the medical community. We collaborate with primary care, otolaryngology, neurology, pediatrics and rehabilitation

Staff of Clear Choice Heating and Balance: Following CDC guidelines. centers, all of whom rely on our services for the proper care of their patients. We were not content to abandon those who put their trust in us for their care.

Q: How did you implement the changes?

A: As the first wave of virusrelated restrictions was felt, we were immediately formulating plans to attend to the patients who wanted and needed our services. This could not be done haphazardly or without regard to safety. We carefully studied the CDC

guidelines for safe care and took every precaution. Hand washing is nothing new, of course, as we must always wash our hands between every patient. Infection control continuing education coursework is mandated in our profession, and we felt prepared to use all necessary precautions. We take temperatures of staff and patients, increased disinfection of all surfaces, screen with questions and use face masks/shields. We will always be here to help keep people on a good path to ear health.

ClearChoiceRochester.com • info@clearchoicerochester.com Greece Office: 103 Canal Landing Blvd., Suite 3 • 585-723-3440 Brighton Office: 1065 Senator Keating Blvd., Suite 210 • 585-342-4327

“Totally painless!”

—Vincent, CyberKnife cancer patient

Non-invasive and pain-free Minimal recovery time

Treatment typically completes in 1–5 sessions

Learn more at

HOACNY.COM/CyberKnife

CyberKnife treats tumors in the brain, spine, lung, liver, prostate and more.

September 2020 •

IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper

•

Page 13

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder: What Educators and Schools Need to Know

By Jennifer Faringer

A

Experts in Hearing and Balance Care.

s we approach Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) Awareness Day on Sept. 9, it is important for schools and educators to understand the unique challenges that students with FASD bring to the classroom.

FASD is a 100% preventable developmental disability caused by exposure of the unborn child to alcohol during any point during pregnancy. Students with FASD have a wide range of behavioral challenges with many going unidentified as they do not show the “typical” facial features that educators may expect to see. In fact, the majority of students will not have physical characteristics that were once thought to be more indicative of those with FASD. Students are impacted both behaviorally and cognitively. Common challenges to be aware of include: • Impulsivity, hyperactivity, attention and memory deficits • Inability to complete tasks • Disruptive behaviors • Poor social skills • Difficulties understanding boundaries • An apparent disregard of rules • Need for supervision and support What are some successful strategies educators might consider for students with FASD? • Use concrete examples • Use role plays and hands-on learning • Use charting to establish structure and routines • Provide clear and consistent instructions • Always check back with student for understanding • Be prepared to repeat tasks and instructions often • Provide supervision and support

Only YOU can secure your meds.

Monitor

Trust your Hearing and Balance Care to our Doctors of Audiology.

We have over 40 years of experience in fitting and dispensing the latest in hearing aid technology with devices to fit every lifestyle and budget.

We now offer the most advanced diagnostic testing and treatment for dizziness and imbalance.

Why are there so many challenges with students with a FASD? FASD impacts the decision-making part of the brain. If you think of the brain as a computer, information may not be successfully stored, or if stored, not able to be successfully retrieved when needed. However, students with FASD possess a wide range of IQ scores from 29 to over 100. It is often their behavioral challenges and their level of adaptive functioning that is the most obvious challenge in school.

It is important to identify children with FASD as early as possible so that necessary supports may be put into place to assist them in achieving the greatest likelihood of success.

To learn more about FASD, resources and referrals, visit the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug-Dependence-Rochester Area’s website at https://ncadd-ra.org/ resources/awareness-campaigns/fetal-alcohol-spectrum-disorder/.

To schedule a presentation on FASD or a number of other addiction related topics for staff, school and community groups, please contact jfaringer@depaul.org or call 585-7193480.

Jennifer Faringer is the director, DePaul’s NCADD-RA (National Council on Alcoholism & Drug DependenceRochester Area). She can be reached at jfaringer@ depaul.org or 585-719-3480.

Medication Drop Box Locations

Count your medications regularly.

Bristol

Secure

Canandaigua

Lock up any medications you don’t want anyone to access.

Dispose

Dispose of medications you are no longer using.

Town Hall

Naples

Clifton Springs

Richmond

Hospital & Clinic (lobby)

East Bloomfield Town Hall

Farmington Geneva

Hearing & Balance

Police Station North Street Pharmacy

585-266-4130 I HartHearing.com Brighton I Brockport I Greece I lrondequoit I Fairport

Questions?

Call us at (585)

396-4554

Spring2020 Good Health.indd 4:56 PM Page 14 Hart • Hearing IN GOOD HEALTH1 – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare2/8/20 Newspaper • September 2020

Mental Health Clinic (3019 County Complex Dr)

DMV Office FLCC (near gym) Police Department The Medicine Shoppe Thompson Hospital (lobby)

State Trooper Barracks

AIB Trained and Certified

Hopewell

Village Hall

Phelps

Community Center Town Hall CVS Pharmacy

Rushville Village Hall

Shortsville

Fire Department

Victor

Mead Square Pharmacy

SmartBites

The skinny on healthy eating

The Nutritious Perks of Whole-Grain Rice Noodles

By Anne Palumbo

A

popular takeout during normal times, pad Thai — a beloved Thai noodle dish — has skyrocketed in popularity, according to recent surveys. In our house, we certainly love its bold, savory flavors and variety of textures!

Rice noodles play a key role in this tasty dish, and while there are many varieties available, most restaurants use white rice noodles.

Much like regular pasta that is made from refined flour that’s been stripped of its nutrient-dense bran and germ, white rice noodles are made from rice flour that has undergone a similar process.

A stickler for whole grains when-

ever possible, I now make my own pad Thai with whole-grain brown rice noodles.

The good news is, these healthier noodles are easily found at the local grocery store. The even better news is, they rock with some valuable nutrients that their refined cousins have left behind.

Fiber is one of those important nutrients. Well known for its ability to keep us regular, fiber helps us in other ways that truly deserve a shout-out. From stabilizing blood sugars to lowering cholesterol, from keeping us satiated to reducing the risk of dying from certain diseases, this workhorse nutrient should be

Pizza Study Shows Body’s Resilience to Pigging Out

E

ver felt guilty for that occasional binge on high-calorie, fatty foods?

Relax: A new study of folks overindulging on pizza finds that if you’re healthy and you don’t ‘pig out’ regularly, your body deals with it just fine.

British researchers looked at the effects of eating until not just full, but so full that the participants could not take another bite. Then, they tested the b––lood of the 14 healthy young men who participated in the study to determine whether there were any changes in blood sugar, blood fats, insulin and other hormones.

The team discovered that even when the men had eaten double the amount of pizza that it would take to make them comfortably full, their blood tests showed no negative consequences.

“I think that’s the really remarkable thing here, that we have a huge capacity to overeat and, despite that huge capacity, the body does really quite well at controlling blood sugars

and blood fat after that meal,” said study author James Betts, a professor of metabolic physiology at the University of Bath’s Centre for Nutrition, Exercise and Metabolism.

Betts said it was notable both that the body’s response kept blood sugar and lipids under control after such a big meal, and that it was possible for participants to consume so much excess food.

When eating until full, they averaged the equivalent of a large pizza. When eating until maximally full, they ate about two large pizzas, Betts said.

“We expected people to eat more when they were asked to go beyond full, but we expected that to be slightly more,” Betts said. “We were really amazed that it was almost exactly 100% more.”

The study was published online recently in the British Journal of Nutrition.

Betts and one of his co-authors stumbled upon the idea for the study while traveling to a conference. The only open airport restaurant was a September 2020 •

consumed daily. An average serving of brown rice noodles dishes up an impressive 3 to 4 grams.

Phytonutrients and antioxidants, whose consumption, according to the USDA, promote good health by slowing or preventing free-radical cell damage that may lead to cancer and certain diseases, abound in whole grains like brown rice noodles. The intact whole-grain kernel also teems with a variety of other beneficial nutrients: B vitamins, several minerals, healthy fats and even some protein.

The complex carbohydrates found in brown rice noodles are the “good” ones (versus the “bad” ones found in refined foods that zip through us). These good carbs take longer to digest, which keeps blood sugars and energy levels on a more even keel. A growing body of research shows that diets rich in whole grains and other less-processed carbohydrates may decrease the risk for developing Type 2 diabetes.

Low in cholesterol, sodium and fat, brown rice noodles deliver about 200 calories per average serving.

They are also gluten-free.

Healthy Pad Thai with Whole-Grain Rice Noodles 8 oz. whole-grain pad Thai rice noodles 1 ½ tablespoons brown sugar (or agave syrup) 3 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce 1 ½ tablespoons fresh lime juice 1 ½ tablespoons rice vinegar 1-2 teaspoons Sriracha sauce 2 teaspoons fish sauce (optional) 1 ½ tablespoons vegetable oil 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1-inch chunks (or, protein of choice) 1 red or yellow bell pepper, sliced into thin strips and strips halved 2 cups snow peas 1 cup matchstick carrots 2 cloves garlic, minced 5 green onions, whites minced,

McDonald’s, so they each got a McMuffin breakfast sandwich.

“We ate those and enjoyed them and said, ‘Oh, I could eat another one,’” Betts said. “That prompted a discussion of ‘How many do you think you could eat?’ and ‘What would be the physiological responses to eating more and more?’”

While researching during the long flight, they discovered there had been no previous studies about eating beyond full, Betts said.

They chose pizza because it tastes good, so people would keep eating. Its high fat and carbohydrate content offered a big challenge to the body, Betts said.

Typically, blood sugar and blood lipids increase in response to how much a person eats, Betts said.

A small meal will result in fewer changes than a medium meal, for example.

Yet, after overeating, blood sugar was no higher than after a normal meal. Blood lipids such as tri-

Helpful tips

Look in the Asian/International aisle of your local grocery store for whole-grain rice noodles.

Cooked rice noodles, stored in an airtight container or plastic bag, last about five days in the fridge.

Add a variety of colorful vegetables to make your pad Thai even more nutritious! greens sliced into 1-inch pieces 1 cup fresh bean sprouts (optional) 2 eggs (optional) ¼ cup unsalted peanuts, chopped Cook noodles according to package directions, drain. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together brown sugar, soy sauce, lime juice, rice vinegar, Sriracha sauce, and fish sauce; set aside.

Heat oil in a wok or large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken and sauté until cooked through, about 8 minutes, stirring throughout. Transfer to a plate, leaving oil in pan.

Add bell pepper, snow peas, and carrots and sauté 5-6 minutes; then add garlic, green onions, and bean sprouts and sauté 1 minute more.

Push veggies to edges of pan and crack eggs in center. Cook and scramble until eggs have cooked through.

Return chicken, add noodles and sauce, and toss everything together; cook 1-2 minutes.

Serve warm, topped with chopped nuts.

Anne Palumbo is a lifestyle colum-

nist, 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.

glycerides were slightly higher, even though fat consumption was double. Insulin, which is released to control blood sugar, was 50% higher than normal. Hormones that increase feelings of fullness changed the most.

Connie Diekman, a food nutrition consultant in St. Louis, said the study documents what scientists already understand about the body and its ability to process food. Sometimes people get confused when wondering whether they are eating right, should consume fewer carbs, eat fewer fats or should try something like a Keto diet or intermittent fasting, Diekman said.

“I think it does demonstrate very nicely that our body knows what to do with the food we eat. It knows how to fuel us well,” Diekman said.

IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper

•

Page 15

Bill and his wife, Giovanna Campomizzi May of Rochester. Giovanna recently published her first book discussing her years suffering from bipolar disorder. Her husband contributes to the book.

‘Witness to Two Worlds’ Rochester woman’s first book paints bipolar disorder from within

By John Addyman

T

he picture on the cover of the book tells you a lot.

A little girl from the 1950s pensively stares over your shoulder.

She has just the merest wisp of a smile.

Giovanna Campomizzi May of Rochester, now 72, was the little girl.

And her picture is torn right across her forehead.

“We debated about that cover,” she says, “but we finally decided to leave it like it is.”

There’s a symbolism to that photo, because May has fought bipolar disorder for 50 years after sustaining a concussion slipping in a hallway at college.

May has lived in two worlds in more ways than one and the book’s title, “Witness to Two Worlds: A Memoir of Bipolar Disorder, Immigration and Faith,” prepares you a little for what’s inside.

For more than 30 years, lithium treatment has given May a life she struggled to nail down after three significant incidents — that first one in college — left her lying in a hospital mental ward. She’s been on the inside of what most of us would consider to be a tornado of confusion and rage and depression, and through faith, persistence and love, she’s found her way out of the storm.

But the book has two other worlds — her married family life, and her experience as a strictlybrought-up Italian child who first saw America at age 6, a little girl who entered first grade unable to speak English, but do her arithmetic with Page 16

•

the best in the class.

She met her husband, Bill May, in college. Even though she carried a personal stigma of her first encounter with a psych ward, Bill accepted her for the beautiful, kind and decent person he saw.

“He is honest, a good person, and he was an RA in his dorm with a lot of responsibility,” she said. “He treated me like a normal, regular person. He didn’t know anything about me in the hospital.”

May came on warm and gentlemanly. When he said he wanted to marry her, she jumped up and hugged him. They were wed in 1972.

Three children — Stephanie, Stacie Anne and Michael followed.

On a vacation with the kids in 1981, Giovanna May came unglued.

Bill took her to Strong Memorial Hospital, where she was unable to find — as she states in the book — “when.” Time stopped for her and she didn’t know where she was in it.

“Hysteria cut loose the anchor of my sanity,” she wrote. “Loneliness was breaking my heart.”

After days of treatment, Bill visited her.

“In her eyes I could find no more than a thimble of the woman I had known for 11 years,” he wrote. Yes, he has important passages in the book.

What Giovanna May describes in aching detail are her surroundings, her feelings, and with a razor’s cut, she slices into her brokenness and feelings of being lost. She had to fight to get back to “when,” and a copy of

“Witness to Two Worlds: A Memoir of Bipolar Disorder, Immigration and Faith,” was published in the spring and is available on amazon.com.

the Democrat & Chronicle did that for her.

She takes the reader through the mania, the treatments. She remembers the shock therapy from the hospital in college. “I can still feel it today,” she said. “I remember the electricity very clearly.” She remembers the side effects from Haldol treatment later on.

When she was released from Strong, May had to reclaim her husband, her kids and get a career started. The transition to lithium treatment gave her so much hope she thought she was cured, but that relationship had just started.

Her father died. A prisoner of war in Italy in the 1940s, he had PTSD and could be very difficult.

At his funeral mass, “I felt the depression lift from my life,” May writes. “It was as if my dad had

IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper • September 2020

slipped into the pew behind me, touched me on the shoulder an said, ‘Jo, I’ve been freed of my pain; I can take some of yours from you.’”

Seven normal, blessed years followed. She was teaching part-time at Our Lady of Perpetual Help and was the religious education coordinator when she started to lose control again. Bill put her back into the hospital, Rochester General this time, and she was there for four weeks, again regaining stability with the lithium having positive effects.

She taught science at St. Charles Borromeo in Greece, at Northeaster Catholic and then at Wheatland-Chili for 11 years, where she ran science fairs, was granted tenure and was honored by Canandaigua National Bank’s Teacher Recognition Program.

Substitute teaching followed. Then she retired.

And she got serious about writing the book.

Physician Lyman Wynne, at Strong Memorial, had urged her to start journaling in 1985. She worked on that in fits and starts, but this was a basis. She was able to get her medical records to add more detail.

The book really started to come together when May signed up for memoir-writing classes at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at RIT. She took three classes, got help from her fellow students, and went back to her roots.

She called on her mother to help flesh out childhood times in Italy and Malvern, Ohio, where the family emigrated to.

“My life in Italy was very overpowering; it was very strong,” May said. “To me, my life started in Italy, not when we came to America. What happened in Italy in my first six years influenced me when we got here. My father and mother were very strict and used different customs than we had here with my American friends. My life was different.”

It was also rich. She tells layers of stories about growing up, dealing with relatives and both sides of her family. She weaves a brocade of life lessons.

Her family was central to the book. May realized she had to persevere and strengthen herself to win her family back, to return things to normal. Her last bipolar episode, in 1989, was difficult, but everyone in the family rallied: even the kids helped mom with her work responsibilities.

May’s faith — there were times when God was looking over her shoulder or was an arm’s length away — promised that a future was there for her but what future?

At what sacrifice? She has traveled the road now, and her mission is to share.

“It is my book, my life,” she said.

“People have been very warm and respectful of it.”

The day she is looking for will come to pass when someone writes her a note or stops her at a book-signing and says, “You wrote about me: Thank you for telling my story.”

Her book was just published this spring (it’s available on Amazon. com), and now she’s looking for a second effort, stories about her kids.

A quiet woman who loved teaching and being around children, Giovanna Campomizzi May wants to have her second effort centered on kids and faith and persistence, with her six grandchildren invited to participate in their tales from life.

Alzheimers

Women at Higher Alzheimer’s Risk Compared to Men Older age not the only culprit for more incidence of Alzheimer’s among women, researchers say

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

N

umerous studies have established that women have twice the risk of Alzheimer’s disease than men.

Researchers assumed that it’s because women tend to outlive men on average and older age is one of the risk factors for developing Alzheimer’s.

However, a recent study published in Neurology, “Sex-Driven Modifiers of Alzheimer Risk,” indicates there’s more to it than longevity.

Researchers found that hormones appear to make a difference in risk.

Though the study used a small sample — 85 women and 36 men — the results point to a higher number of vital biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease among women who have experienced menopause, whether natural or bilateral hysterectomy menopause.

This factor was identified as associated with Alzheimer’s biomarkers more than age, health history, and comorbidities that increase risk such as diabetes, high cholesterol, smoking, poor diet and lack of exercise.

Women using estradiol hormone therapy exhibited fewer factors that indicate development of Alzheimer’s.

It’s still not clear why most women who transition through menopause will not develop Alzheimer’s and some will, nor is it clear if estrogen is a direct or indirect factor.

“One concept emerging is that a woman’s reproductive history has been correlated with Alzheimer’s risk,” said physician Anafidelia Tavares, senior director of program for the Alzheimer’s Association and statewide research liaison.

Women with multiple live births seem to have lower their risk of Alzheimer’s as do women with early onset menses and later menopause.

Though this points to correlation with hormonal influences, Tavares said that more research is necessary to draw conclusions.

In addition, Tavares said that known factors such as more years of formal education and more challenging mental stimulation place women currently in their older years at a disadvantage. The traditional pattern for this generation of women was to

Are You Struggling to Cope This Year?

You Don’t Have to Struggle Alone

get married out of high school, stay home to rear children and not engage in employment or much social interaction. Though currently, more women than men are enrolled in college, that was not the case 50 years ago.

Today’s young women may find in their older years that their higher education and opportunities for employment and mental engagement are protective. But other factors, such as delaying childbearing and limiting the number of children may mitigate the benefits of more intellectual stimulation. Tavares said that it’s hard to tell how these correlative factors will affect women.

“That’s why it’s important we have this research to understand the drivers and the increased risk in women,” Tavares said. “We need to look at the modifiable risk factors.”

Older age a factor Family history represents a non-modifiable risk factor; however, physician Marla Bruns, board member and medical science committee member with the Rochester and Finger Lakes Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, tells patients worried about family history that longevity is a much bigger risk factor, with Alzheimer’s present in one in nine people over 65; one in six of those over 75; and one in three over 85.

She also said that a 2018 study of 14,595 women indicated that mothers of three or more have a 12% lower risk compared with women who had only one child. Anytime a woman reported a miscarriage, she had a 9% higher risk compared with women who had never miscarried. Women who had their first period at age 13 or younger had less risk, but those

who were 16 or older had a 31% greater risk.

Bruns said this appears to indicate that hormones play a role in Alzheimer’s risk.

“It’s very interesting how reproduction history can have that much impact,” she said. “A lot of people joke about ‘pregnancy brain’ or ‘menopause brain’ but it may be protective in some ways.”

She advises women to pay more attention to self-care.

“If you have a family history or even if you don’t, disease modifying factors can include staying active physically, mentally and socially,” Bruns said. “The Mediterranean diet can help, especially during pregnancy and menopause.”

In general, what’s good for the heart is good for the brain when it comes to diet, exercise and stress, she said.

Women tend to be the primary caregivers for both children and their elderly parents, in-laws and other relatives. This adds additional stress to their lives, along with the tendency for women to stretch themselves too thin to help others.

“It takes a lot of time and can cause burnout,” Bruns said. “Women can silently ignore their own needs and suffer depression.”

Tavares encourages lifestyle changes to reduce risk of Alzheimer’s and improve overall health, including a healthful diet, tobacco cessation, prevention of brain injury (such as avoiding risky behaviors and wearing seatbelts and bike helmets), and engaging in regular physical activity.

“Staying socially engaged, treat depression, and get a good night’s sleep,” Tavares said. “These are brain protective.”

Together to Fight Suicide Together to Fight Suicide

Call Meg for help with anxiety or Shelby for help with depression

Meg Garcia,

LMHC

Specializing in Anxiety, Grief, & Caregiver Fatigue

Shelby Kibler, LMHC

Specializing in Depression & Adjusting to Life-Changing Events

In Truth - Mental Health Counseling Services

Show Your Support at afsp.org/westernNY Show Your Support at afsp.org/westernNY

Accepting new clients in our Webster or Greece locations

To schedule an appointment (585) 210-3663 or visit www.nickiditchlmhc.com September 2020 •

IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper

•

Page 17

Alzheimers

COVID-19 and Dementia Isolation has had negative impact on people living with cognitive impairment

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

S

ocial isolation during the pandemic has brought a myriad of changes, from the inconsequential to the life-changing.

For people with Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia, isolation can have lasting negative effects.

Kathleen O’Brien, a nurse practitioner retired from University of Rochester, has years of experience in caring for dementia patients. A resident of Bristol with her husband, Graham Thompson, O’Brien has early-onset dementia. She is 68.

Since caring for patients with dementia was her specialty as a nurse, she realized it long before it was diagnosed. O’Brien considers herself lucky to have husband Thompson with her, despite struggles with getting items they need.

“Isolation increases the progression considerably early,” she said. “It steps up the pace. The social isolation can cause bad depression and that’s not good with dementia. For people living alone with dementia and aides coming and going, this is a terrible time for them.”

Although most healthy people can go places even during quarantine, most people with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia are likely elderly or, like O’Brien, have health issues beyond her frontal temporal dementia that place them at higher risk. Many have both age and comorbidities against them.

For those at a more advanced stage of the disease, it may be difficult to understand why their schedule has been disrupted, relatives aren’t coming to visit or they can’t go

places they would like to go.

“For families who have loved ones in assisted living or a nursing home, the visiting lockdown has been horrible,” said Marla Bruns, cognitive neurologist with Rochester Regional Health. “People do not remember what they’ve seen on the news. They don’t understand why they have to wear a mask.”

It’s also challenging for those with hearing impairment to understand caregivers who are wearing masks as their voices sound muffled and their lips and expressions are concealed.

Limiting interaction with people outside the household has also limited the possibilities for respite care, such as a caregiver helping out or taking the person to an adult day program. This can lead to caregiver burnout and less stimulation for the patients.

When Bruns has tested patients’ memory scores from before the pandemic to now, she says she noticed a decline. “There are noticeable declines. I can’t attribute that to the progression of disease. There are environmental factors. Even if they’re at home, they’re out of their routine. They can’t participate and take walks any time they feel like it.

Feeling tethered is causing anxiety and aggravating behaviors that come with dementia later in the process.”

In some cases, it can be challenging to delineate between decline and the emotional effects of the isolation.

“Access to medical care is very difficult,” said physician David Gill, affiliated with Rochester Regional Health. “We try to do it with telemedicine. Most of the time, I don’t see anyone under 90. Even their children in their 70s don’t have access to technology.”

Like Bruns, Gill has seen many cases of cognitive decline and negative effects on mood among dementia patients because of COVID-19.

“The isolation has caused a direct decline,” Gill said. “It’s made apparent how important social interaction is. Studies show interaction can slow decline. Lack of it causes decline.”

While he believes that telehealth cannot take the place of in-person visits for these patients, he said it

does allow providers to see a patient’s home, which can be helpful at times, as it shows the day-to-day difficulties a patient faces.

“Sometimes, the house is clearly unsafe or someone else is in the home and it’s quite stressful,” Gill said. “From a provider’s standpoint, it’s been a challenge which makes it harder to provide care. It’s a struggle for everyone at every level. It shows us how the impact on the most vulnerable is so all-encompassing.”

Physician Anafidelia Tavares is the state-wide research liaison for the Alzheimer’s Association. She said that discussing neurological issues over the phone is difficult. In addition to its regular assistance, the organization’s 24-hour helpline (800272-3900) has been offering families support in navigating telehealth, such as ideas on what to ask doctors over the phone and ways to discuss their own or their loved one’s mental health.

“We’ve been working with health systems with how they might respond with their loved one’s COVID risk,” Tavares added.

The association is also helping people who have never used telehealth with tasks like logging onto Zoom or engaging in conference calls.

“For the caregivers who are struggling in the pandemic, we are here for them,” Tavarez said. “Alzheimer’s disease doesn’t have to be a lonely journey. We have all these free, virtual services. Our helpline is available with well-trained staff and social workers to respond to whatever your needs are. We have emotional support groups and they share strategies that work for them.”

She encourages caregivers to establish a new routine during the pandemic to help create a safe sense of normalcy for their loved one.

For O’Brien, hearing from her family and friends helps her feel better connected. She also tries to keep busy with gardening and swimming.

By filling up her days with activities like this, it helps her pass the time without feeling overwhelmed.

“It helps me keep my spirits up,” she said. “I’m extremely busy every day.”

Fauci, Cuomo Top Trump as Reliable Sources on COVID-19: Survey

D

espite facing continued criticism from the Trump administration, physician Anthony Fauci is still considered the best source for COVID-19 information, an online poll finds.

A growing number of Americans say federal, state and local governments are doing a poor job of responding to the coronavirus pandemic — and a shrinking number see President Donald Trump as a reliable information source.

Page 18

•

The survey was conducted June 19-26 by the University of Southern California’s Center for the Digital Future as a follow-up to an April study.

The new findings revealed 44% of Americans rely on Fauci, director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, more than anyone else.

After Fauci, people rely on New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (19%); CNN medical correspondent physician Sanjay Gupta or their local may-

or (16%); and coronavirus response coordinator, physician Deborah Birx (15%).

In the June survey, 12% of Americans trusted Trump for reliable pandemic information, down from 20% in April.

Two percent of liberals and 29% of conservatives said they relied on the president, though he was tops among 40% who identified themselves as very conservative.

Fewer had faith in any govern-

IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper • September 2020

mental response to the pandemic.

Forty-three percent said the federal response was poor — up from 39% in April. Eighteen percent called state and local response poor in June — up from 14% in April.

In all, 28% called the federal government’s response good or excellent down from 33% in April.

More than 1,000 people participated in the online poll. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

Grandparents Are Raising Millions of Kids, and It’s Tough About 2% of U.S. children — 2.9 million — are now being raised by their grandparents, according to study

N

early 3 million children in the United States are being raised by grandparents, and life has placed these kids on a rocky road toward adulthood, a new study reports.

These children are much more likely to have experienced traumatic events that will influence their

development, according to the report published online Aug. 3 in the journal Pediatrics.

For example, children in grandparent-led households are six times more likely to have had a parent or guardian serve time in jail, and four times more likely to have lived with someone who has a drug or alco-

hol problem, the researchers found.

By school age (6 to 17 years), these kids are almost twice as likely to be diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and they are five times more likely to be found to have ADHD during preschool (ages 3 to 5), the findings showed.

The stats show a “history of adversity” for these kids, leaving them with “potentially less opportunity” than kids raised by their parents, said senior researcher, physician Andrew Adesman, chief of developmental and behavioral pediatrics at Northwell Health›s Cohen Children›s Medical Center, in Manhasset, Long Island.

However, some prominent people have shown that being raised by a grandparent can be the launching pad for success — among them presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, comedians Carol Burnett and Jamie Foxx, and musicians Eric Clapton, Willie Nelson and 50 Cent.

“Not everyone is going to turn out to be president of the United States, but we should be careful about painting with a broad brush,” Adesman said. “Grandparents who step in and care for their grandchildren are doing amazing work. It’s vital they assume these responsibilities when the need arises, and they should all be commended given the challenges they have.”

About 2% of U.S. children — 2.9 million — are being raised by their grandparents. To find out more about them, Adesman’s team analyzed data from the National Survey of Children’s Health, a regularly conducted federal study of health trends among U.S. kids.

The researchers compared just over 2,400 grandparent-headed

households against over 78,000 households headed by parents between 2016 and 2018.

Besides having a parent in jail or with a substance abuse problem, other adverse experiences that were more common among kids being raised by their grandparents included: • Having their family torn apart by divorce or separation (more than four times more common).

• Observing physical violence between parents or adults (more than four times as likely).

• Being a victim of or witnessing neighborhood violence (more than twice as likely).

• Living with someone who was mentally ill, suicidal or severely depressed (twice as common).

And children being raised by grandparents were more than six times as likely to have experienced three or more of these traumatic events, the study found.

The grandparents are helping raise these kids in very difficult circumstances, Adesman noted.

“We found grandparents had lower education, lower household income and a greater proportion of them were single caregivers,” he said. “Those all represent additional potential challenges to grandparents raising their grandchildren.”

The good news is that grandparents appear to be up to the task.

“When we looked at measures of coping and asked how well they’re handling the day-to-day responsibility, we found the grandparents were coping just as well in terms of their parenting after properly controlling statistically for many of the underlying sociodemographic differences,” Adesman said.

Group Home Residents at Higher Risk for COVID

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

A

new study published in Disability and Health Journal of 20,000 New Yorkers indicates that people who have developmental disabilities and are living in group homes have more than double the rate of death than the general population.

Among those whom the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states are at higher risk include: • People who have limited mobility or who cannot avoid coming into close contact with others who may be infected, such as direct support providers and family members • People who have trouble understanding information or practicing preventive measures, such as hand washing and social distancing • People who may not be able to communicate symptoms of illness These are true of many individuals who live in group homes for persons with developmental disabilities. The congregant nature of living in a group home, along with the continual circulation of employees who bring in outside exposure, also contribute to higher risk. Not all residents can wear masks because of health issues.

This population also tends to experience higher rates of co-morbidities that have been associated with worse COVID-19 cases, including

hypertension, heart disease, respiratory disease, and diabetes.

Jennifer O’Sullivan is the director of communications with New York State Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) in Albany.

“OPWDD has taken the threat of COVID-19 to the people we support and the broader community very seriously and all staff are fully trained on infection control practices, PPE use and quarantine protocols,” O’Sullivan said. “The agency activated our emergency response team at the onset of this public health emergency to closely monitor all reports of possible contact within our system and created a 24-hour emergency services number for providers and staff to call with any issues. We continue to monitor the needs of our providers and staff to ensure the continued health and safety of the people we support as we return to a new normal.”

Similar to nursing homes, group homes have many factors that increase risk, yet little attention has been given to group home residents’ risk compared with nursing home residents.

“All congregant settings put people at more risk,” said Gregg Beratan, director of advocacy for the Center for Disability Rights, with offices in Rochester, New York, September 2020 •

Geneva and Corning. “People don’t have control over who feeds them, prepares their food or touches their body.”

During the quarantine, limiting outside contact such as day programs, visitors and the number of different staff members coming into the home are just a few ways that group home directors have tried to curtail the spread of COVID-19.

Beratan said that offering care in their own homes represents the best way to keep healthy persons who have disabilities.

“Everyone’s first instinct is to improve this model, but the model is broken,” Beratan said. “Flu has gone through congregant settings before only now it’s more deadly and seemingly more contagious. The model itself is broken. If you want to value disabled lives and want people to live, offer home- and community-based services to live in their own homes. This is what’s needed, not a better congregant setting.”

In congregant settings like group homes, residents don’t have the opportunity to practice social distancing. Some may not understand the importance of hand washing and may not be capable of washing their own hands or wearing a mask.

“The governor tried to imply on Meet the Press that group homes are

just as safe, but they aren’t,” Beratan said. “Living in their own homes is the way to keep people alive.”

He doesn’t think enough attention has been giving to group homes compared with nursing homes; however, many of the same risk factors are present in both.

Marisa Geitner, president and CEO at Heritage Christian Services, which operates 63 group homes from Rochester to Buffalo, believes that the factor of co-morbidities is why group home residents face such a higher risk than the general population.

“Early on, we limited the amount of staff in and out of the program,” Geitner said. “The first two and a half months, we relied on a lean staff to keep the transition in and out of the program to a minimum.”

When the pandemic first started, Heritage also started a 24/7 hotline to answer questions posed by employees and residents’ family members. Heritage also developed an inventory-based system to stock and distribute essential items and signed up each group home with an Instacart account to limit exposure.

Like other such organizations, to help reduce the risk, she said that Heritage follows social distancing, masking, sanitation, and hygiene protocols as well as employee screening.

IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper

•

Page 19

Men’s Health

Breakthrough Discovery to Transform Prostate Cancer Treatment A novel formulation of the prostate cancer drug abiraterone acetate — currently marketed as Zytiga — will dramatically improve the quality of life for people suffering from prostate cancer, as pre-clinical trials by the University of South Australia show the new formulation improves the drug’s effectiveness by 40%.

Developed by Professor Clive Prestidge’s Nanostructure and Drug Delivery research group at UniSA’s Cancer Research Institute, the breakthrough discovery uses an oilbased oral formulation that not only enables a smaller dose of the drug to be effective, but also has the potential to dramatically reduce possible side effects, such as joint swelling and diarrhea.

Despite Zytiga being the leading

formulation to treat prostate cancer, lead researcher, physician Hayley Schultz, says the new formulation will ultimately provide a better treatment for patients with prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men, with one in six at risk of diagnosis before the age of 85.

In 2019, more than 19,500 cases of prostate cancer were diagnosed in Australia. Globally, prostate cancer cases reached 1.28 million in 2018.

“Many drugs are poorly water soluble, so when they’re ingested, they enter the gut but don’t dissolve, which means that their therapeutic effect is limited,” Schultz says.

“This is the case for Zytiga. Here, only 10% of the dose is absorbed, leaving the other 90% undissolved,

where it simply passes through the body as waste.

“On top of this, patients taking Zytiga must fast for two hours prior to taking the drug, and another hour after taking the drug to achieve predictable absorption. And as you can imagine, this can be painstakingly inconvenient.

“Our new formulation changes this. By using oils to mimic pharmaceutical food effects, we’re able to significantly increase the drug’s solubilization and absorption, making it more effective and a far less invasive treatment for patients.”

The new formulation uses very high levels of abiraterone acetate dissolved within a specific oil and encapsulated within porous silica microparticles to form a powder that can be made into tablets or filled into

capsules. Applied to human treatment, it could reduce the dose from 1000mg to 700mg per day, without the need for fasting.

Professor Prestidge says if the team can secure funding, clinical trials in humans could be just two years away.

“Based on our knowledge of this drug’s pharmaceutical food effect, we hypothesize its absorption in humans will be extensively improved using this technology”, Prestidge says.

“Anything we can do to contribute to the development of a commercialised product to improve the lives of patients, is invaluable.

“This novel formulation is flexible enough to be adopted by thousands of different medicines; its potential to help patients of all kinds is exponential.”

Beard Care During COVID-19 Do men need to shave their beards to comply with the CDC’s recommendations?

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

A

2017 infograph by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) about beard styles began circulating social media since February incorrectly labeled as COVID-19 protocols.

The infograph depicts most facial hair styles except for the smallest mustaches and goatees as incompatible with wearing a mask.

The CDC has since labeled the infograph as meant for workplace respirators, not face coverings to be worn by the general population during the pandemic.

According to Politifact’s website, “The wrong information developed out of a CNN wire story that was re-packaged by San Francisco-based news station Kron4.com. We saw it shared on plenty of other news websites. The story was flagged as part of Facebook’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed.”

Despite the misapplication of the infograph, the information spread quickly from beard-haters to beard-wearers to “prove” their beards are unhygienic.

While hirsute men don’t need to shave their beards to comply with the CDC’s recommendations, it does make sense to keep beards groomed, especially since wearing a mask tends to trap sweat on the beard and flatten out the hair into a weird shape — like “hat hair” for the beard.

Joe Cocozza, owner of Joe’s Upscale Barber Shop in Webster, said that the quarantine encouraged many men to grow out their beards since they could get through the awkward, part-way phase in their homes.

Page 20

•

“Beards have been big for a few years, but it seems that men are really growing their beards out now,” Cocozza said. “It’s definitely changed.

Men are keeping them longer.”

Instead of just a seasonal beard, it looks like these are for keeps.

To keep beards clean, Cocozza recommends using beard soap or shampoo, as these help the hair stay clean and soft without unduly drying out the skin. Men also don’t lack for styling tools.

“There’s beard combs and brushes and little blow dryers and hair straighteners,” Cocozza said. “It’s a cool thing to have a beard.”

To help keep the hair clean, he said it’s important to wear disposable masks only once and to wash reusable masks between uses.

At time of press, barbershops are still not permitted to do beard work since masks cover them. Cocozza encourages men to comb it out daily and use some products at home.

“There’s beard balms and waxes for styling,” Cocozza said.

Many men’s beards have wiry hair or curly texture which adds volume. Adding products can help men groom their beards to their liking.

Chris Joy, barber at Comb & Razor in Webster, said that many more guys are asking for recommendations for products.

He said that combing in beard oil “helps a lot, and keeping it trimmed up and shaped as well as they can.”

Trimming the line along the cheek does require the right tools and a fair amount of precision. As long as the patron wears a mask that doesn’t cover this area, such as one suspend-

ed from the ears, barbers can help clean up this area. Baclava or bandana masks cover more of the face.

Shaving stray hairs on the neck

IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper • September 2020

and overall shaping will help a beard look more intentional and groomed, along with keeping the mustache trimmed to the lip line.

Premature Births Drop Dramatically During Pandemic

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

F

ewer babies were born prematurely in a number of hospitals worldwide during the pandemic lockdown period, representing a decrease among some hospitals ranging from 20% (Nashville) to 90% (Denmark).

The March of Dimes states that close to one in 10 babies is born prematurely, that is, before 37 weeks’ gestation. Premature birth is linked to lower birthweight and increased risk of short-term and lifelong health complications.

“We speculated that maybe women aren’t accessing care as much so providers may not be reporting premature births,” said Darcy Dreyer, regional of maternal-child health for March of Dimes. “It’s still early to say that the prenatal births are decreasing. In Western New York and the Finger Lakes area, we haven’t seen much change.”

Dreyer added that some have speculated that among women with high blood pressure who would be hospitalized and possibly induced early, perhaps a share of them were at home relaxing and avoided this out-

come. Although a worldwide pandemic brings its own stress, being at home may be viewed as a welcomed retreat for introverts or mothers who would otherwise be working on their feet all day.

“If she’s home with a partner, that could be helpful, but if she’s home and isolated, that’s the opposite,” Dreyer said. “Nutrition is definitely important for pregnancy.

If you’re home relaxing and off your feet, that’s definitely a benefit. If you’re socio-economically disadvantaged and living in housing with more families that isn’t as beneficial.”

Midwives are a big part of maternal care in Denmark, which may indicate moms receive another layer of care that American women typically don’t receive.

While isolated, fewer women were exposed to illnesses such as the flu, which is associated with increased risk for premature birth.

Staying at home also reduces exposure to another preterm risk: air pollution. Fewer cars on the road contributes to this effect.

Adriana Lozada, owner and

post-partum educator with Birthful in Rochester, said that stress likely played a role in reducing prematurity during lockdown.

“People without commutes are getting more sleep,” she said. “It’s not like stress has gone away; it’s shifted.”

Improved nutrition may also be a factor. Instead of missing meals or grabbing fast food, more people were cooking at home — likely in a comfortable chair, lingering over their meals.

Working at home or enjoying some furlough time “does allow them more flexibility to listen to their bodies,” Lozada said. “It allowed for more flexibility in terms of their schedule. They don’t have to clock in at one time. They can take a break and make up those hours later in the day. It allows for better connection with the body and listening to their body’s needs for sleep and nutrition.”

More down time also allowed more women to fit in exercise, such as walking. The entire pace of life slowed down to permit pleasurable pursuits that perhaps had been

Adriana Lozada, owner and post-partum educator with Birthful in Rochester.

Working at home or enjoying some furlough time helped decrease number of premature births pushed aside. These kinds of experiences could help moms savor this time in their life as they await their little one’s arrival.

“People are telling me how they’re feeling less fear of missing out because they’re at home cocooning and focusing on nutrition and sleep,” Lozada said. “With less demand to go out, it makes it easier.”

Everyone wants to live longer.

But nobody wants to get old. So tell me, how does that work? At St. Ann’s Community, we believe that the key to staying young is feeling young. That’s why we provide a full range of senior services designed to keep you healthy, active and enjoying all that life has to offer – no matter what your birth certificate says.

Caring for the Most Important People on Earth

StAnnsCommunity.com | 585.697.6000

September 2020 •

IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper

•

Page 21

Ask St. Ann’s

By Nichole Tyler

How Does a ‘Continuum of Care’ Benefit Seniors?

F You don’t have to face hearing loss alone.

The Rochester Chapter of the Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA) unites people with all degrees of hearing loss.

Come to one of our monthly chapter meetings to meet others with hearing loss and learn from the professionals who treat it.

Visit our website for details: HearingLossRochester.org

or many seniors, moving to a retirement community is the perfect way to simplify their lives.

Finding a community that offers a range of services and activities makes it easier to start a new chapter and make new friends, while affording you the independence you desire.

As you start planning, remember that even if you live independently today, there is no guarantee you will be able to do so tomorrow. A retirement community that offers a continuum of care will be able to help you as your needs change.

• Priority placement — The best reason for moving to a continuum of care retirement community while you are independent is that you will get priority access to higher levels of care should the need arise.

This allows you to “age in place,” remaining close to your support network and the community you’re familiar with as your needs change.

• Care options — Having access to assisted living, memory care and skilled nursing services within the community gives you options — and peace of mind. It’s comforting to know that, as the level of care you need becomes greater, it’s readily available. It also relieves your family of the responsibility of finding and

coordinating those advanced levels of care if and when you need them.

• Medical professionals on staff — When considering retirement communities, ask whether the medical staff are employees or contractors. Doctors, nurses, and other specialists who are on staff have a greater level of interaction with their patients. Often they are more attuned to the specialized medical needs of those they serve. This staffing detail can make a difference in the timely prevention or resolution of your health issues.

• Focus on wellness — In addition, look for a community that

l Elections

n Presidentia

. Biden, 77 Trump, 74, vslem?

Is age a prob n Traveling

nd Bargains abou g for those willin to travel

55

n Cannabis

Assemblymann Harry Bronsoto on working legalize pot

PLUS

0 /October 202 September lts Issue 65 • Adu For Active a hester Are in the Roc

roc55.com

Inside er: Nancy Dubn th A Life of Pa r Paving fo Women

more r reflects on ing TV ancho of TV cameras.

Award-winn es in front cad ething de som ee rn than thr and I lea is different, “Every day s. day,” she say every single

the key to for over 20 years. to seniors in the Finger Lakes affordable living!

Nichole Tyler is a Senior Admissions Professional at St. Ann’s Community.

She manages admissions for all three long-term care centers at St. Ann’s Community.

Contact her at ntyler@mystanns. com or 585-6976507, or visit www. stannscommunity. com.

-19

by COVID s Affected for Retiree p el H l ia Financ

‘

Ginny Ryan Providing Independent and Enriched Living WHY SPEND ANOTHER SNOWY Apartments to Seniors in the Finger Lakes WINTER COOPED UP for over 20 years.

OR STRANDED?

oviding Independent and Enriched Living apartments oviding Independent andhold Enriched Living to seniors in the We Finger Lakes for overapartments 20 years.

strives to help residents stay healthy and live independently as long as possible through health and wellness. Look for nutrition and fitness programs as well as emotional, spiritual and intellectual experiences that support the whole person.

• Reduce the worry — The process of moving to a new home is a big decision and can seem like a daunting task. By choosing a retirement community that offers a continuum of care, you can take some of the worry out of the road ahead and enjoy your next chapter.

spond k Artists Re Local Blac

‘

free please share

Injustice to Racial PM 8/17/20 2:12

55 PLUS

For Active Adults in the RochesterArea. d 1

Cover-3.ind

Subscribe Now!!!!

Subscribe today and get 55 PLUS From medication management to helpwith activities of daily living, we’re magazine mailed to your home! your solution. Three delicious meals amongst friends, transportation to Discover Ashton Place...

appointments, round the clock staffing, housekeeping, and interesting diverse activities are sure to provide peace of mind for you and your family members.

Family Owned, Family Atmosphere Call or tour today;Operated, we’ll answerFamily all of your questions.

Name_____________________________________________________ Address___________________________________________________

amily Owned,Family Family Operated, Family Atmosphere 190 Ashton Court mily Owned, Operated, Family Atmosphere City / Town_________________________State_________Zip_________ Clifton Springs, NY 1.800.819.5791 AshtonPlaceNY.com

Ashton Court 190190 Ashton Court Clifton Springs Clifton Springs 190 Ashton Court Clifton Springs 315.462.3140 | AshtonPlaceNY.com 315.462.3140 | AshtonPlaceNY.com

Page 22

•

Clip and Mail to:

55 PLUS

P.O. Box 525, Vicotr, NY 14564

IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper • September 2020

15 1 year $25 2 years $

State-of-the-art hearing technology

Ringing in the ears?

Dizziness?

Hearing loss?

By Jim Miller

An Executor’s Guide to Settling A Loved One’s Estate

We Hear You!

Dear Savvy Senior, My aunt recently asked me to be the executor of her will when she dies. I’m flattered that she asked, but I’m not sure what exactly the job entails. What can you tell me about this?

Inquiring Niece

Dear Inquiring, Serving as the executor of your aunt’s estate may seem like an honor, but it can also be a lot of work. Here’s what you should know to help you prepare for this job.

As the executor of your aunt’s will, you’re essentially responsible for winding up her affairs after she dies. While this may sound simple enough, you need to be aware that the job can be time consuming and difficult, depending on the complexity of her financial and family situation. Some of the duties required include: • Filing court papers to start the probate process (this is generally required by law to determine the will’s validity).

• Taking an inventory of everything in her estate.

• Using her estate’s funds to pay bills, including taxes, funeral costs, etc.

• Handling details like terminating her credit cards and notifying banks and government agencies like Social Security and the post office of her death.

• Preparing and filing her final income tax returns.

• Distributing assets to the beneficiaries named in her will.

Be aware that each state has specific laws and timetables on an executor’s responsibilities. Your state or local bar association may have an online law library that details the rules and requirements. The American Bar Association website also offers guidance on how to settle an estate. Go to AmericanBar.org and type in “guidelines for individual executors and trustees” in the search bar to find it.

Get Organized

If you agree to take on the responsibility as executor of your aunt’s estate, your first step is to make sure she has an updated will and find out where all her important documents and financial information is located. Being able to quickly put your hands on deeds, brokerage

statements and insurance policies after she dies will save you a lot of time and hassle.

If she has a complex estate, you may want to hire an attorney or tax accountant to guide you through the process, with the estate picking up the cost. If you need help locating a pro, the National Association of Estate Planners and Councils (naepc. org) and the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (naela.org) are good resources that provide directories on their websites to help you find someone.

Avoid Conflicts

Find out if there are any conflicts between the beneficiaries of your aunt’s estate. If there are some potential problems, you can make your job as executor much easier if everyone knows in advance who’s getting what, and why. So, ask your aunt to tell her beneficiaries what they can expect. This includes the personal items too, because wills often leave it up to the executor to dole out heirlooms. If there’s no distribution plan for personal property, suggest she make one and put it in writing.

Executor Fees

As the executor, you’re entitled to a fee paid by the estate. In most states, executors are entitled to take a percentage of the estate’s value, which often ranges anywhere from 1% to 5% depending on the size of the estate. But if you’re a beneficiary, it may make sense for you to forgo the fee. That’s because fees are taxable, but Uncle Sam in most states doesn’t tax inheritances.

For more information on the duties of an executor, get a copy of the book “The Executor’s Guide: Settling A Loved One’s Estate or Trust” at Nolo.com.

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

September 2020 •

n Tinnitus treatment

n Middle Ear Fluid

n Hearing aids

n Auditory Processing Disorder

n Balance Disorders

n Pediatric Audiology

Make An Appointment Today!

ClearChoiceRochester.com Greece 723-3440

Brighton 342-4327

103 Canal Landing Blvd, Suite. 3

1065 Senator Keating Blvd, Suite 210

We BUY TEST STRIPS We will pick up and pay on the spot

Highest Prices Paid We pick up 6 days a week.

11am to 6:30pm One Touch Ultra & Freestyle Lite.

All Brands Considered. Up to $50.

(585)-284-3455

Subscribe to In Good Health Get In Good Health (Rochester’s Healthcare Newspaper) in the mail as soon as we publish it. Subscribe today!

Rochester Healthcare Newspaper Name ________________________________________ Address_______________________________________ City / State / Zip________________________________

Clip and Mail w/ your check to:

In Good Health

P.O. Box 525, Victor, NY 14564

21.00 1 year $ 35.00 2 years

$

IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper

•

Page 23

Ask The Social

Security Office

From the Social Security District Office

See Your Lifetime Earnings with My Social Security Did you know you can see your work history online all the way back to your first job? Your earnings history is a record of your progress toward your Social Security benefits.

We keep track of your earnings so we can pay you the benefits you’ve earned over your lifetime. This is why reviewing your Social Security earnings record is so important.

If an employer didn’t properly report just one year of your earnings to us, your future benefit payments could be less than they should be.

Over the course of a lifetime, that could cost you tens of thousands of dollars in retirement or other benefits to which you are entitled. It’s important to identify reporting problems as soon as possible. As time passes, you may no longer have easy access to past tax documents, and some employers may no longer exist or be able to provide past payroll information.

While it’s your employer’s

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: My grandmother receives Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits.

She may have to enter a nursing home to get the long-term care she needs.

How does this affect her SSI benefits?

A: Moving to a nursing home could affect your grandmother’s SSI benefits, depending on the type of facility. In many cases, we have to reduce or stop SSI payments to nursing home residents, including when Medicaid covers the cost of the nursing home care. When your grandmother enters or leaves a nursing home, assisted living facility, hospital, skilled nursing facility, or any other kind of institution, you Page 24

•

responsibility to provide accurate earnings information to us, you should still review and inform us of any errors or omissions so you get credit for the contributions you’ve made through payroll taxes. You’re the only person who can look at your lifetime earnings record and verify that it’s complete and correct.

The easiest way to verify your earnings record is to visit www.ssa. gov/myaccount and set up or sign in to your personal my Social Security account. You should review each year of listed earnings carefully and confirm them using your own records, such as W-2s and tax returns. Keep in mind that earnings from this year and last year may not be listed yet.

You can find detailed instructions on how to correct your Social Security earnings record at www.ssa.gov/ pubs/EN-05-10081.pdf.

Let your friends and family know they can access important information like this any time at www. ssa.gov and do much of their business with us online.

must notify Social Security right away. Learn more about SSI reporting responsibilities at www.socialsecurity.gov/ssi. Call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) to report a change.

Q: Are Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments paid only to disabled or blind people?

A: No. In addition to people with disabilities or blindness, SSI payments can be made to people who are age 65 or older and have limited income and financial resources. For more information, read Supplemental Security Income (SSI) at www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/11000. html.

Q: I pay my monthly premium directly to my Medicare prescription drug plan provider. Why can’t I also pay my income-related monthly adjustment amount directly to my Medicare prescription drug plan provider?

A: By law, we must deduct your income-related monthly adjustment amount from your Social Security payments. If the amount you owe is more than the amount of your payment, or you don’t get monthly payments, you will get a separate bill from another federal agency, such as the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services or the Railroad Retirement Board. Read Medicare Premiums: Rules for Higher-Income Beneficiaries for an idea of what you can expect to pay at www.socialsecurity. gov/pubs.

Health News UR Medicine Home Care appoints new director

ingly complex long-term care environment,” said Chrisann Fennessey, director of education at St. Ann’s Community and head of the new Stephanie M. Chalupa has been GPN residency program. “Graduate appointed to the position of senior practical nurses will work on the director of units and in our nursing classroom certified home and lab with nurse educators who health agency have diverse experience in long-term services at UR Medicine Home care, acute care, occupational and Care (URMHC). community health, and leadership and teaching roles at local schools Chalupa has broad home and colleges. They will also work with nursing staff on various units health care under registered nurse (RN) superviknowledge sion and interact with other discifrom her years plines to gain a better understanding of experience of their roles.” as a clinician, Prospective licensed practical clinical manager, and most recentnurses interested in the GPN residenly as the director of certified home cy program at St. Ann’s Community health agency (CHHA) services in are encouraged to apply directly to the Finger Lakes at URMHC. Amanda Falzone, talent acquisition She obtained her nursing degree specialist. A resume, official tranfrom the University of Rochester scripts, and two letters of recommenSchool of Nursing and a Bachelor of dation are needed to apply. ApplicaArts and Science degree in economtion materials can be sent directly to ics from Concordia University in Amanda at afalzone@mystanns.com.

Montreal, Quebec. She is currently working toward a master’s degree in health care management and leadership at the University of Rochester School of Nursing. Her goal in this challenging new leadership role is to utilize and enhance her knowledge and skills to help facilitate the proviGenesis Pediatrics, located on sion of quality patient care across the Elmgrove Road in Gates-Chili, has continuum of care. recently added a new physician and Chalupa was born and raised in a nurse practitioner to its staff.

Montreal, Quebec, is of Ukrainian de• Pooja Makhija is a board-certiscent and is fluent in English, French fied physician and Ukrainian. She moved to the and a fellow of U.S. in 1994 and has been a Penfield the American resident for the past 23 years.

Academy of PeIn addition to her career and diatrics (FAAP). educational pursuits, her husband She received Michael and she have been busy her medical raising three children, Maksym 21, degree from the Brianna 17, John 15.

State University of New York at the University of Buffalo in 2016. She finished her pediatric residency at the John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital in Buffalo in 2019. She also completed one year in cardiology fellowship at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. Makhijia is passionate St. Ann’s Community recently about newborns and adolescent announced the addition of a gradumedicine. She resides in Rochester ate practical nurse (GPN) residency with her fiance. program to its lineup of employee • Caitlynn Fantigrossi is a New benefits. The program is designed to York state regishelp support and advance individtered nurse and uals interested in becoming licensed completed her practical nurses (LPN). pediatric nurse Applicants of the GPN residency practitioner program at St. Ann’s Community (PNP) degree will receive hands-on training from from the Unversome of the area’s leading experts in sity of Rochesnursing and education while workter in May 2020. ing and being paid as an LPN. This Before joining training will coincide with the apGenesis, she plicant working toward their board worked as an licensing exam. Graduates from the RN at Golisano program will be reimbursed for exam Children’s Hospital at Strong Memocosts, and they will be promoted to a rial Hospital and was part of the pehigher paying LPN position within diatric critical care transport team for St. Ann’s Community upon compleseven years. Fantigrossi is passionate tion of their residency. about congenital heart defects. Fan“The graduate practical nurse tigrossi resides in Rochester with her residency program at St. Ann’s is dehusband. signed to acclimate and welcome the new LPN graduate into the increas-

Genesis Pediatrics adds physician, nurse practitioner

St. Ann’s unveils new graduate practical nurse residency program to support nursing careers

IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper • September 2020

H ealth News Thompson recognized for stroke care UR Medicine Thompson Health announces that its F.F. Thompson Hospital has once again received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines–Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award.

Thompson is a state-designated stroke center and this award recognizes its commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines following the latest scientific evidence. In order to earn the award, the hospital had to meet specific quality achievement measures relating to a number of things including the proper use of medications and other treatments, the education provided prior to discharge and other care-transition interventions.

“Thompson is dedicated to improving the quality of care for our stroke patients by implementing the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines-Stroke initiative,” said Thompson’s stroke coordinator Sarah Gallagher. “The tools and resources provided help us track and measure our success in meeting evidence-based clinical guidelines developed to improve patient outcomes.”

Thompson additionally received the association’s Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll Award. To qualify for this recognition, hospitals must — for at least 12 months — meet quality measures developed with more than 90% of compliance for the “overall diabetes cardiovascular initiative composite score.”

Rochester Regional recognized for delivery care Rochester Regional Health announced receiving five-star ratings for vaginal delivery at Newark-Wayne Community Hospital, United Memorial Medical Center and Unity Hospital, and a five-star rating for C-sections at Newark-Wayne Community Hospital and United Memorial Medical Center as recognized by Healthgrades, the leading resource that connects consumers, physicians and health systems.

UMMC has received a five-star rating for vaginal delivery for the last six years and Newark-Wayne and Unity have received it for two consecutive years. The five-star rating indicates the hospitals’ clinical outcomes for vaginal delivery and C-sections are statistically significantly better than expected.

“The five-star ratings reflect our teams’ commitment to providing the highest quality of care to all patients during some of the most profound moments in their lives,” said Meghan Aldrich, vice president of operations for women’s health. “We appreciate the trust our community puts in us to take care of their families, and we are proud to relentlessly pursue ever more extraordinary care for our

patients.”

“Hospital quality should be top of mind for consumers when they evaluate and compare hospital performance,” said physician Brad Bowman, chief medical officer with Healthgrades. “Women who select a hospital with a five-star rating can feel confident in their choice knowing that these organizations are committed to providing exceptional women’s care to their patients.”

Thompson again named ‘high performing hospital’ When U.S. News & World Report released its latest hospital ratings and rankings recently, F.F. Thompson Hospital again achieved the highest possible rating with regard to two health conditions.

For the second year in a row, the UR Medicine-affiliated hospital is a “high performing hospital” for both heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

According to its website, U.S. News evaluates data from nearly 5,000 medical centers nationwide.

Survival rates, patient experience, specialized staff and advanced technologies are among the factors weighed. Hospitals receive one of three ratings — high performing, average or below average — unless they treat an insufficient number of patients to be rated.

“To me, these designations demonstrate how patient-centered our associates are, and they also show our dedication to delivering excellence and being a high-reliability organization,” said Thompson Health Director of Quality and Safety Wendy Blakemore.

With regard to COPD, Thompson also holds advanced COPD certifications at four of its primary care locations and a standard certification at its hospital. These certifications are from The Joint Commission, the nation’s premier healthcare quality improvement and accrediting body.

Former Rochester General executive to lead WNY’s largest hospital system Robert J. Nesselbush has been named chief executive officer (CEO) for Kaleida Health, Western New York’s largest health systems, based in Buffalo.

Nesselbush, currently the organization’s chief financial officer, came to Kaleida Health in April 2019 after spending 24 years at Rochester Regional Health (RRH).

He will succeed Jody Lomeo, who announced earlier this year that he will not renew his contract at year’s end.

At RRH, Nesselbush rose through the hospital system, beSeptember 2020 •

Canandaigua Orthopaedics Associates to join Rochester Regional Health Canandaigua Orthopaedics Associates, a leading provider of care in the Finger Lakes area since 1979, is joining Rochester Regional Health on Oct. 1.

Local patients will still visit their team of experts and board-certified surgeons at the same Canandaigua office. However, patients will now have the added benefit of undergoing surgeries in the brand-new operating suite at nearby Clifton Springs Hospital & Clinic. This spring, the hospital opened its new operating suite, which includes a patient access center, pre-admission evaluation unit, procedure rooms, recovery rooms, and some of the most technologically advanced operating rooms in Upstate New York.

“Partnering with Rochester Regional Health gives us the best opportunity to remain the community-oriented practice we have been for more than 40 years,” said physician Robert Meyer, managing partner of Canandaigua Orthopaedics Associates. “This will allow us to continue to be a part of the community, remain local and accessible, and continue to provide the highest level of care to our patients. We are excited about the transformation going on at Clifton Springs Hospital, and we are honored that Rochester Regional has invited us to join them. Together we will be providing surgical care in one of the most modern surgical facilities in Upstate New York and with more resources to help our patients live healthier and happier ginning as the director of financial reporting and finishing as the executive vice president and chief operating officer (COO) of the $2.4 billion system. As COO, he led the merger integration of four health systems in June 2014: Rochester General Health System, Unity Health System, Clifton Springs Health System and United Memorial Medical Center.

“It is a truly incredible honor to be asked to lead and serve this great health system of ours,” said Nesselbush. “In my time in Rochester, I was fortunate enough to watch the growth and expansion that was underway at Kaleida Health. So when I had the chance to join the organization in 2019, I jumped at the opportunity. As a proud Western New Yorker, I am very excited about building upon the many successes that Kaleida Health has achieved over the last seven years.”

Nesselbush’s achievements in his three decades Rochester are many.

Among them, he led the acquisition of over 80 physician practices, accounting for over 200 providers; developed and invested in a physician and nursing informatics department focused on improving the electronic health record; and partnered with physician leadership in GRIPA to manage various payer risk contracts.

lives.”

In addition to the new facilities at Clifton Springs, patients of Canandaigua Orthopaedics Associates will have access to a broad range of complementary resources offered by Rochester Regional Health, including specialists in physical therapy, occupational therapy, pain management, and primary care.

“We’re excited to have Canandaigua Orthopaedics Associates joining our team. Rochester Regional Health continues to invest in our community, and we are committed to transforming health care in the Finger Lakes Region,” said physician Dustin Riccio, president of Rochester Regional Health’s Clifton Springs Hospital & Clinic and Newark-Wayne Community Hospital. “Everyone should have a comprehensive network of care close to home. We are proud to build that network and have Canandaigua Orthopaedics Associates in a significant role.”

This announcement is the latest in a growing list of investments Rochester Regional Health has made in the Finger Lakes area.

In addition to completing the new operating suite at Clifton Springs, it opened a new multi-specialty destination campus in Geneva, began Phase Three of the $32 million medical village project at Clifton Springs and announced plans to build a new emergency department at Clifton Springs Hospital, expected to open by early 2022.

In his time at Kaleida Health, Nesselbush has worked closely with operations and the executive management team to standardize strategic, financial and operating planning processes for the system. In addition to this, he spearheaded revenue cycle improvements, instituted a new payer governance structure, and implemented a new revenue recognition model.

“The opportunity to work with Jody and the executive team since my arrival last year, and now the ability to work side-by-side with them through this transition, affords me the ability to really hit the ground running,” Nesselbush said. “I want to thank Jody for all that he has done for the organization and community; I am humbled to follow in his footsteps. I also want to thank the board of directors for their confidence in the team and our strategy. We have a unique opportunity to emerge from these uncertain times as a stronger organization that will continue to focus on patients, team and executing our plan.”

Prior to serving as COO at RRH, Nesselbush was the senior vice president of the health system’s acute care division and the president of Rochester General Hospital.

IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper

•

Page 25

Balance Immune System Build Stronger Immunity www.AcupunctureCenterUSA.com 7th Generation Medical Acupuncture Rui Wang, MD of China, L.Ac. Featuring RUI Anti-Inflammatory Acupuncture, Medical Oncology Acupuncture, and Neuromedicine Acupuncture Pain, Neuropathy, Cancer Care, Inflammatory Diseases, Neurological Disorders, Autoimmune Diseases, Digestive System Disorders, and More Experienced in both Western Medicine & Traditional Chinese Medicine Experienced in both Academic & Private Practice Experienced in both Basic Science & Clinical Science Experienced in Cancer Research at Major Medical Centers in USA

CLINICALLY PROVEN TO BE SAFE AND EFFECTIVE Acupuncture is a general practice alternative medicine, it can help a wide range of health problems at different extents.

Ask for professional, confidential, personalized evaluation / consultation appointment before starting any treatment

Acupuncture Center USA 7th Generation Rui Wang, LLC

Clinton Crossings Medical Center

Building C, Suite 105, 919 Westfall Road, Rochester, NY 14618

Tel1: 585-358-6186; Tel2: 585-471-8118; Tel3: 315-329-7666; Tel4: 315-378-5556

Ancient Wisdom Integrated with Modern Medicine

LIFE CHANGING MEDICINE, MOVING MEDICINE FORWARD Page 26

•

IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper • September 2020

When to Breakup with Your Physician And how to find one that’s right for you

By Kimberly Blaker

Y

our physician is one of the most essential people in your life when it comes to your health. Your doctor should be someone with whom you feel comfortable discussing any health-related matter and whose knowledge you trust. You need a doctor who cares about your well-being and is accessible when you need one. Yet, sometimes, we fail to remember that a physician’s main job is to service and treat patients to the best of the doctor’s ability. If you feel that isn’t happening, it’s both your right and responsibility to your health to find a better fit.

Still, choosing to leave your physician can be a big decision. So consider all of your options before making the big leap.

able to do.

• It’s challenging to get appointments: If your physician is very busy making it difficult to schedule appointments when you need them, you may want to consider a new provider. Getting care when you need it is often vital.

• It just doesn’t feel right: It’s essential that patients trust their physicians, feel confident in their doctors’ abilities and current knowledge, feel heard, can communicate openly without judgment, and feel safe in their provider’s care. If you don’t have this experience with your doctor or just have a gut feeling that it isn’t a good fit, listen to your instincts. When it comes to your health, you need to do what’s best for you.

• Your doctor stopped taking your insurance: Sometimes, physicians make changes to the coverages they accept and discontinue accepting specific insurance plans. Patients may also be affected if the practice cuts down on Medicare or Medicaid patients or if their provider changes practices by either opening a new one or joining another.

• Your situation has changed: Many life changes may leave you needing to leave your current physician. Maybe your insurance plan has changed because you got married, divorced or started a new job. Also, if you move, visiting your old doctor’s office may be impractical or impossible.

• Your physician is not meeting your needs: There are many reasons why your doctor may not be the best match for you anymore. Perhaps you’ve developed a new medical condition that requires a more specialized background. You may also come to realize your doctor’s treatment philosophy differs from yours. For example, you may prefer a more holistic approach or want a more definite diagnosis requiring a testing your doctor is not willing or

Once you decide to leave your current healthcare provider, you should begin your search for a new one immediately, even if you don’t need to see one right away. It’s often several weeks to several months for new patients to be seen. After your new patient visit, future appointments are typically scheduled in a reasonable timeframe. When calling around, you might want to ask what is typical for scheduling appointments once you become an established patient.

Before you begin your search, jot down the reasons you’re leaving your current doctor. This can help you avoid those same problems in the future. Then make a list of what you want or expect from your new physician.

The first crucial step in your search is to narrow it to providers who take your insurance. Otherwise, you won’t be covered or may have to pay more out of pocket for your visits. On the other hand, if you can change insurance if necessary, you might consider physicians outside your insurance network.

Your insurance provider can help you search for physicians and practices with whom they have an agree-

Reasons you may need to leave your doctor

How to find a new physician

ment. You can narrow your search to fit your criteria. Then contact doctors’ offices directly to determine if they are a good match for you and accepting new patients.

Once you’ve found a good fit, check your state’s online licensing board website. Most providers can continue practicing despite problems in their history, including malpractice. If the doctor you’re considering comes from another state, check that state’s licensing board as well. You can also do an internet search for the doctor to see what information is available or read reviews. Online reviews are unreliable, however, for many reasons. So don’t put too much weight on them.

Also, there’s no harm in trying out a new physician, or a few, before making a final decision. If the doctor doesn’t end up fitting your needs, you can always continue to your search. Just be careful not to overdo the trials. You want to have a physician who knows you and your history, especially if you have particular health concerns. Seeing the same doctor will help ensure consistency in your treatment. Not to mention changing doctors can be a bit of a process because you’ll need to transfer all of your health records and complete new patient paperwork.

When is it time to see a specialist?

Your primary care physician may not be able to meet all of your particular needs, therefore, requiring you to seek a specialist. The process of finding a specialist is similar to that of finding a new physician. However, you can also get recommendations or a referral from your primary care doctor. If you’re confident in your doctor, this may be the best way to find a specialist you can trust.

Some conditions or situations for which you might want to see a specialist include: • more complex chronic conditions • rare or unique diseases or conditions • a life-changing diagnosis • conditions that require specialized surgery or intervention • certain health conditions, such as cancer • symptoms that aren’t getting better or have returned repeatedly In addition, if you are a senior with multiple chronic health conditions or have health concerns related to your age, you may be better served by seeing a specialist. In this case, you might want to see a geriatrician instead of, or in addition to your primary care physician.

Serving Men, Women and Children

Serving Monroe and Ontario Counties A monthly newspaper published

by Local News, Inc. Distribution: 33,500 copies throughout more than 1,500 high-traffic locations.

In Good Health is published 12 times a year by Local News, Inc. © 2020 by Local News, Inc. All rights reserved.

P.O. Box 525, Victor NY 14564.

Phone: 585-421-8109 • Email: Editor@GVhealthnews.com

Editor & Publisher: Wagner Dotto • Associate Editor: Lou Sorendo • Writers: Jim Miller, Deborah J. Sergeant, Gwenn Voelckers, Anne Palumbo, John Addyman, Kimberly Blaker, Jennifer Faringer, Mike Costanza, Mary Beth Roach Advertising: Anne Westcott, Linda Covington • Layout & Design: Dylon Clew-Thomas Office Manager: Nancy Nitz No material may be reproduced in whole or in part from this publication without the express written permission of the publisher. The information in this publication is intended to complement—not to take the place of—the recommendations of your health provider. Consult your physician before making major changes in your lifestyle or health care regimen.

September 2020 •

Schedule your

complimentary,

confidential hair loss evaluation today and see how easy it is to be yourself again!

Call now!

(585) 272-7320

NEW-U

Rochester’s Hair Replacement Specialists

We specializing in both permanent and non-permanent techniques, gradual hair replacement, and system integration. We can provide topical hair loss treatments and laser hair rejuvenation.

Check out Virtual Reality Hair Replacement for Men at Baldness.com.

Affordable Financing. Onsite service and repairs.

1425 Jefferson Rd., Saginaw Plaza, 2nd floor Rochester, NY 14623 • 272-7320

Restoring hair Restoring confidence

IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper

•

Page 27

Do what you love.

Even if it’s nothing at all.

That’s the joy of living at St. Ann’s Community at Chapel Oaks.

We consider you one of the most important people on earth.

You should have nothing to worry about except choosing today’s group activity, outing or dining option. Or maybe just enjoy quiet time for yourself in spacious, beautifully maintained surroundings with 24-hour security.

Choosing Chapel Oaks means you don’t pay an entrance fee, only a low, monthly service fee for all your amenities. You also have complimentary transportation for appointments and activities, and access to higher levels of care if you ever need it.

•

Luxury 1- and 2- Bedroom Apartments

•

Wellness Center & Pool

•

Multiple Dining Venues

stannscommunity.com

St. Ann’s Community at Chapel Oaks 1500 Portland Avenue l Rochester, NY 14621 l 585-697-6606

Page 28

•

IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper • September 2020