Niagara Carrier - Summer 2015

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Memorial’s Get Well Stay Well Program Gets Results Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center’s Get Well Stay Well program is producing very promising results. The program, which serves adults age 55 and older, celebrated its one year anniversary in May. An independent evaluator found that 60 percent of its patients who were treated for depression and 45 percent of those treated for anxiety achieved clinically significant improvements. “The outcomes of this project clearly demonstrate that the delivery of collaborative care by primary care and behavioral health providers working together in the same setting improves the well-being of patients,” Memorial President & CEO Joseph A. Ruffolo said.

“We have received numerous testimonials from our patients indicating that receiving behavioral health therapy at the same place at which they receive primary care has improved their chronic conditions and has made them feel much better. Many patients have regained their independence and are now enjoying life,” she added. The project has received financial support from the New York State Office of Mental Health and the Health Foundation for Western and Central New York.

The Get Well Stay Well program provides behavioral health therapy and senior support services in an integrated primary care setting at Memorial’s Summit Family Health Center, located at the Summit Healthplex on Williams Road in Wheatfield. Improvements are measured by the percentage of patients with depression or anxiety who see their conditions decrease from either moderate to mild or from severe to moderate. The report released by an evaluation team based at the University of Colorado tracked the status of 89 unique patients who recorded 394 behavioral health visits over the last year. “The Get Well Stay Well Program is not just about numbers and percentages. It is about helping patients successfully deal with personal and family issues, grief and chronic pain,” Memorial Chief Operating Officer Sheila Kee said.

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Niagara carrier JULY 2015

Memorial to Expand Wound Center of Niagara Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center has announced plans to expand its busy Wound Center of Niagara. The center, which opened in November 2013, is a collaborative effort of the medical center and


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