WNY - IGH - 77 - March 21

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MARCH 2021 • ISSUE 77

What Kids Are Losing with Virtual Learning

Online classes are effective to contain the transmission of coronavirus but they are robbing kids from having the full school experience: interacting with others, developing connections, teamwork. See story on page 13

Kids Special Inside n School days at home: Ergonomics matter for children n 1 in 5 Americans, mostly young people, has STD n Speeding on U.S. roads taking thousands of teenagers’ lives n Substance dependency different in youth than adults

Spring Is Coming: Great Time to Visit the Botanical Gardens

How to Snack Better During the Pandemic

5

Things You Need to Know About

COVID-19 VACCINES

An interview with physician Alan J. Lesse, division of infectious diseases at the University at Buffalo.

WEIGHT LOSS A new drug, marketed as Ozempic can cut 15-20% of body weight. ‘Drug turned out to be amazingly more effective than anything else we’ve seen come before,’ says researcher

Anne Palumbo, author of the SmartBites column, offers several recipes that will make you FEEL NOT guilty about snacking. P. 10

Some medical professionals are experiencing skin abrasions and breakouts from longterm mask wearing.

Maskne —the Face of the Pandemic How to keep blemish-free during COVID-19

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

M

asks are not the only things on people’s faces during the pandemic. Crops of acne

colloquially called “maskne” and other blemishes have also made an appearance, thanks to the face

mask’s presence. Many people have to wear a mask all day, which only exacerbates the problem.

Lisa Ball, Ph.D., board-certified family nurse practitioner and owner of Neiman Dermatology in Williamsville, recommends wearing only a clean mask.

“One a day may not be enough,” she said.

She prefers cotton as it is breathable, gentle on the skin and washable for subsequent use. Wearing the same mask all day – for those who can seldom remove theirs – or wearing the same one every day without washing it causes build-up of oil and dirt on the mask. At least changing the mask midday for a clean one can help keep the face cleaner.

The chemicals used for processing paper masks can contribute to the irritation. Ball recommends using fragrance- and color-free detergent for cleaning cloth masks.

One of the reasons that masks cause breakouts is that they trap moisture against the skin because of respiration. Before donning a mask, Ball recommends applying a zincbased barrier such as one used for diaper dermatitis, or a barrier like Vaseline, Aquaphor or, at the corners of the mouth, Triple Paste AF, an anti-fungal treatment. All of these are over-the-counter products.

“The most important thing is gentle cleansers,” Ball said. “Don’t go scrubbing your face. Be careful with retinoids. Don’t exfoliate so much.

Use non-comedogenic moisturizer under the mask. Wash your face in the morning and in the evening with a gentle, hydrating cleaner.”

She likes SkinCeuticals, Cetaphil

Time to Make A Move?

and CeraVe products.

Women are not the only ones with skin issues caused by masks. In addition to acne, men wearing masks tend to experience folliculitis which can manifest as a pimple-like blemish, but it is caused by friction against a shaved hair. The overlying, thickened skin will not allow the hair to break through and can trap bacteria.

This causes the blemish.

Shaving the beard with an electric razor or allowing a short beard to grow can alleviate this issue as it lessens the irritation to the skin.

“We’ve had to write notes asking if men can be allowed to grow their beard,” Ball said. “There are products we can provide but it’s a very difficult treatment.”

Friction also causes problems for women, especially if they are wearing foundation and other makeup under the mask. Pat Riley, owner of Avon Beauty Centers by Pat Riley in East Amherst and Depew, said that using a quality moisturizer provides a protective barrier to the skin.

“Many people don’t use a moisturizer because they don’t think they have to with a mask on,” she said. “They don’t keep up with daily cleansing. They think their skin isn’t getting dirty because it’s under the mask.”

She advises women who wear a mask all day to skip makeup and stick with just a moisturizer to avoid irritating the skin.

A nighttime moisturizer can help restore the skin’s balance, as its photosensitive formula works best in the dark.

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IN GOOD HEALTH – Buffalo & WNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • March 2021

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New Weight-Loss Drug Can Cut 15-20% of Body Weight ‘Drug turned out to be amazingly more effective than anything else we’ve seen come before,’ says researcher

A

new weight-loss drug is almost twice as effective as current medications, clinical trial results show, and experts say it could revolutionize the treatment of obesity.

Overweight and obese people lost an average 15% of their body weight using a weekly injectable 2.4 milligram dose of semaglutide (Ozempic), a new report reveals.

What’s more, one-third of all participants lost 20% of their body weight, a result comparable to those of people who’ve undergone weightloss (bariatric) surgery, the researchers said.

That means a person who weighs 250 pounds could wind up losing as much as 50 pounds after a year and a half on the drug, the results showed.

“This drug turned out to be amazingly more effective than anything else we’ve seen come before,” said senior researcher Robert Kushner, a physician and professor of medicine specializing in obesity treatment at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, in Chicago. “It’s the very first time we have a medication that even begins to approach the weight loss people achieve with bariatric surgery.”

Physician Ania Jastreboff, vice-chairwoman of the Obesity Society’s clinical care committee, agreed that semaglutide’s effectiveness could significantly alter the field of obesity medicine.

“This degree of weight loss is significantly more than what we’ve seen with any other medication thus far,” said Jastreboff, co-director of the Yale Center for Weight Management, in New Haven, Connecticut.

The drug’s maker, Danish pharmaceutical firm Novo Nordisk, applied for approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in January based on these clinical trial results. It hopes for approval before year’s end, Kushner said. The company funded the drug trial.

Semaglutide is already on the market at a lower dose as a treatment for Type 2 diabetes.

The drug is a synthetic version of human glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), “a hormone that all of us make,” Kushner said.

“When this hormone is released, it helps reduce our appetite, reduces our hunger and helps us feel full sooner,” Kushner said.

Nearly 2,000 overweight or obese adults participated in the 68-week clinical trial, which ran from the fall of 2019 to spring 2020 at 129 sites in 16 countries.

The entire group started with an average weight of 232 pounds and a body mass index (BMI) of 38, which placed them firmly in the obese category, the researchers said. BMI is a measurement of body fat based on height and weight.

People taking semaglutide had an average weight loss of 15%, compared to about 2% for a group treated with a placebo, the findings showed.

That makes semaglutide roughly 1.5 to 2 times more effective than other weight-loss drugs, which tend to help people lose between 4% and 11%, the researchers said.

Seven out of 10 participants lost at least 10% of their starting body weight, and one in three lost 20% or more.

There are some side effects, mostly gastrointestinal, the study authors said. More than four of 10 people taking semaglutide experienced nausea.

Some others reported diarrhea, vomiting or constipation.

However, these side effects could be managed, Kushner said. Only 7% of participants had to drop out of the trial because they couldn’t tolerate the drug.

Doctors prescribing this drug probably can limit these side effects by gradually raising the dosage in new patients, Jastreboff said.

Serving Western New York A monthly newspaper published by Local News, Inc. Distribution: 32,500 copies throughout more than 1,500 high-traffic locations in the region In Good Health is published 12 times a year by Local News, Inc. © 2021 by Local News, Inc. All rights reserved.

3380 Sheridan Dr., # 251 • P.O. Box 550, Amherst NY 14226 Phone: 716-332-0640 • Fax: 716-332-0779 • Email: editor@bfohealth.com Editor & Publisher: Wagner Dotto • Writers: Deborah J. Sergeant, Jim Miller, Gwenn Voelckers, Anne Palumbo, Chris Motola, George W. Chapman, Michael J. Billoni, Catherine Miller, Jana Eisenberg, Jenna Schifferle, Daniel Meyer • Advertising: Anne Westcott, Amy Gagliano Layout & Design: Dylon Clew-Thomas • Office Manager: Nancy Niet 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.

NESTLED IN THE HEART OF WILLIAMSVILLE, STILL WNY’S MOST AFFORDABLE ASSISTED LIVING AND MEMORY CARE • Three Celebrating home-cooked meals Our 13th Anniversary!! daily and snacks • • Three home-cooked meals Beautiful, full-sized Chapel daily and services snacks with daily • • Beautiful, full-sized Chapel Personally tailored Care with daily services Services • Personally tailored Care • Services Stimulating social, educational and • Stimulating social, recreational activities educational and • recreational Housekeepingactivities and laundry Beauty/barber salon • • Housekeeping and laundry • • Beauty/barber salon Transportation services Residents & staff would like • • Transportation services to thank all of the families & Soda Shop open 24 hours friends of Park Creek for all a day Shop open 24/7 • Soda of their love & support.

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Degree, Bachelors preferred with 5 years’ experience in Benefits Administration. Full • Teacher III & Teacher IV: The incumbent Time $38k – 48k (depending on experience). of this position assists in performing educational work that ensures a healthy, • HR Assistant: Perform day-to-day safe facility and a conductive educational HR task, such as clerical duties, record climate for infants/toddlers. Bachelors keeping, receptionist duties, data entry and or Associates degree in Early Childhood preparing a variety of complex documents Education with 2-3 years’ experience teaching and carrying out secretarial functions.

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March 2021 •

IN GOOD HEALTH – Buffalo & WNY’s Healthcare Newspaper

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Page 3

Meet

Your Doctor

By Chris Motola

Most Americans May Keep Wearing Masks, Distancing Even After Pandemic: Survey

W

earing masks, frequent hand-washing and avoiding large crowds may not have been part of the American culture before the coronavirus pandemic began, but those habits are likely to stick around for a while, new research suggests.

A national survey from Ohio State University’s Wexner Medical Center of more than 2,000 Americans shows that a majority of people don’t plan to return to their old ways anytime soon.

The survey found that nine of 10 Americans will continue frequent hand-washing and sanitizer use after COVID-19, while four of five will still avoid crowds. Nearly three-quarters of respondents said they planned to continue wearing masks in public.

“While the progress we’re making toward recovery is exciting, it is critical that we don’t ease up on the precautions that we know have worked thus far,” said survey leader Iahn Gonsenhauser, a physician and chief quality and patient safety officer at Wexner Medical Center.

“Masks and physical distancing are still our very best weapons for limiting spread, and now that we have a vaccine it will make those precautions even more effective and will drive new cases way down if we stay the course,” he said in a university news release.

These behaviors may help ease people’s anxiety about returning to public spaces and provide a sense of control, researchers said. Some societal changes forced by the pandemic may also continue, including telehealth for medical appointments and working from home.

Gonsenhauser pointed to this year’s flu season as proof of the effectiveness of behaviors such as hand-washing, social distancing and mask wearing.

“Flu cases and hospitalizations are way down compared to recent years, and a lot of that is likely because precautions like masking, physical distancing and hand hygiene are absolutely working for flu,” Gonsenhauser said. “I think a lot of people are realizing that what we’ve learned from COVID-19 can be applied more generally to keep our population healthy.”

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Taylor Hoff, D.P.M.

Foot doctor talks about bunion deformity (and new ways to fix the problem), neuropathy, diabetes and why you should wear running sneakers for casual wear even if you’re not a runner Q: You’re relatively new to Buffalo Medical Group, yes?

A: I’ve been a podiatrist for five years. I did my residency in Erie, Pennsylvania. That was a three-year surgical residency. And then my first two years out in practice I joined a small private practice in Jamestown.

Then the opportunity came about with Buffalo Medical Group. I was sort of ready for something new, so I joined Buffalo Medical Group in October.

Q: What attracted you to the group?

A: I really like that we have such a broad network of providers. It’s great not just for the patients — who get access to different specialties within the group — but it makes it easy for the providers to be able to discuss patients they have in common.

Q: Where do podiatrists fit into the mix of medical care now?

A: Podiatry has evolved quite a bit over the years. The training now involves a minimum of three years in surgical residency. A big component of our practice now is diabetic limb salvage. We see patients in a couple of the area hospitals for in-patient consults. So we’re taking care of patients with diabetes and peripheral vascular disease. So we’re doing a lot of complex wound care and working with other specialties. There’s some overlap with orthopedics in forefoot

and rearfoot reconstructive surgery.

Q: What affects does diabetes have on the feet?

A: With diabetes the main things we see are loss of sensation in the feet.

So something kind of innocuous, like having a small callous can develop to the point where it’s a wound on the bottom of the foot. With the neuropathy caused by diabetes, they don’t necessarily feel or notice that there’s a problem going on and don’t always mount an immune response like a non-diabetic person. It puts the patient at risk for wounds, infections and delayed healing. When severe enough, some infections require surgery and amputation. So our role as podiatrists is to educate our diabetic patients and address issues before they become more serious and dangerous.

Q: What kinds of interventions are you able to do?

A: One of the newer procedures our group offers is a bunion procedure, the lapiplasty bunionectomy.

That involves a multidimensional correction of a bunion deformity.

What’s novel about this surgery is that it allows the patient bear weight to the foot almost right away. This is in contrast to older methods where the patient would have to be off their foot, in a cast, for weeks to months.

Because we’re able to let people walk

IN GOOD HEALTH – Buffalo & WNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • March 2021

right away, we’re seeing a much quicker return to normal activities.

Q: What causes bunions?

A: We don’t know exactly the reason, but there’s definitely a hereditary component. A lot of people with bunions have a family member who also has bunions. There are also some bio-mechanical theories that relate to pronation or hyper-mobility. It’s equally prevalent in both men and women, but women are more likely to have pain from them and seek help.

That part mostly has to do with the types of shoes women tend to wear.

Q: So shoes aren’t a cause themselves?

A: No, that’s something that a lot of people used to say that turned out not to be very accurate. Shoes can exacerbate the problem by irritating the bunions, but it’s not something caused by the shoes themselves. try?

Q: What got you interested in podia-

A: I came from a medical family.

My dad was an OB-GYN and my mom was a nurse, so I ended up exposed to a lot of specialties through their friends and colleagues. My mother got me interested in podiatry after she had a foot fracture. That put it on my radar. It’s an interesting field because so many disease processes can have a manifestation in the feet.

Neuropathy and peripheral vascular disease can be early symptoms.

Q: When you’re talking about neuropathy, that’s not just diabetes, right?

A: Right, a lot of conditions can cause neuropathy. Diabetes is one of them, but it can also be due to problems in the lower back like disc herniation. People on certain drugs, particularly chemotherapy, can also develop neuropathy in their feet. So, it doesn’t always have to be diabetes, that’s just the most common cause for it that we see in podiatry.

Q: In terms of structural issues, at what point would you refer a patient to an orthopedist?

A: We work closely with our orthopedic colleagues, so if we ran into a complex deformity that required a major reconstruction more appropriate to orthopedics, we would refer out.

Q: What general advice would you give people for taking care of their feet?

A: Definitely investing in good, supportive shoes is important. One thing we’re seeing with COVID is that, with folks not leaving their houses as often, they’re walking around barefoot or in slippers for much of the day. So we’re seeing a lot of people complaining about generalized arch pain and fatigue. And a lot of that is from not having support. I usually recommend running sneakers for casual wear even if you’re not a runner.

They tend to have the best support.

Lifelines Name: Taylor Hoff, D.P.M. Position: Podiatrist with Buffalo Medical Group Hometown: Phoenix, Arizona Education: Temple University Affiliations: Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital; South Buffalo Mercy Hospital Organizations: American Board of Food and Ankle Surgery Hobbies: Skiing, traveling

1 in 5 Americans Has an STD O ne in five people in the United States probably carries a sexually transmitted infection, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says.

On any given day in 2018, nearly 68 million people had a sexually transmitted disease, according to the new CDC report. There were 26 million new cases that year. The agency refers to these diseases — such

as HIV, syphilis and gonorrhea — as sexually transmitted infections, or STIs. Nearly half of newly acquired STIs occurred in people aged 15 to 24 years, and new cases in 2018 would result in nearly $16 billion in direct medical costs, the report said.

People with STIs don’t always have symptoms. Left untreated, some STIs can increase the risk

of HIV infection or cause chronic pelvic pain, pelvic inflammatory disease, infertility, and/or severe pregnancy and newborn complications, according to the report published online Jan. 23 in the journal Sexually Transmitted Diseases.

HIV and human papillomavirus (HPV) infections are the costliest STIs, according to the report. Medical expenses for these infections

include lifetime treatment for people with HIV as well as treatment for HPV-related cancers.

Of the estimated $16 billion in lifetime medical costs from STIs acquired in 2018, most ($13.7 billion) were associated with HIV. Another $755 million were attributed to HPV infections.

More than $1 billion in lifetime medical costs were connected with chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis combined, the researchers said in a CDC news release.

About 60% of those costs were among 15- to 24-year-olds. Nearly 75% of the $2.2 billion in non-HIV-related STI medical costs were among women, according to the report.

The total cost of STIs is far higher than the medical costs estimated, however, the study authors noted.

The report didn’t include costs associated with lost productivity, other non-medical expenses, or STI prevention.

“The burden of STIs is staggering,” said physician Jonathan Mermin, director of CDC’s National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention.

At a time when sexually transmitted infections are at an all-time high, they have fallen out of the national conversation, he said.

Healthcare in a Minute

By George W. Chapman

COVID-19: Experts Believe Virus is Here to Stay

T

he FDA will expedite the review process for manufacturers developing updates and boosters to counter the United Kingdom and South African strains or variants to the coronavirus. An advisory panel of independent experts will be charged with reviewing and approving the booster shots. Pfizer, BioNtech and Moderna boosters have already gone through the process. Most epidemiologists warn COVID-19 will not just go away even after we have achieved herd immunity or have it under control. Like the common flu, we may require annual boosters until a “one and done” shot is developed. The worldwide pandemic will be reduced to a manageable epidemic. In the meantime,

ACA Open Enrollment Expanded

Millions of workers have lost their employer sponsored health insurance primarily due to the ravages of the pandemic. Via executive order, President Biden created a special expanded three-month open enrollment period from Feb. 15 thru May 15. The previous open enrollment period under the previous administration was only the last six weeks of 2020, Nov. 15 thru Dec. 31. The Association of Health Insurance Plans lauded the executive order and expressed no concern over possible “adverse selection.” (Adverse selection can occur when a previously uninsured person can enroll in a plan any time they want, versus only during a designated sign up or enrollment period. The

President Biden has invoked the Defense Production Act to get more equipment and supplies to vaccine manufacturers for increased points of care and at home testing. The goal is to have 61 million home testing kits available by the end of summer.

FEMA has awarded $1.7 billion to 27 states to establish community vaccine centers, especially in underserved areas. Overlooked and under appreciated is the role of primary care providers can play in the delivery of vaccines. Once supplies are adequate and distribution streams improved, primary care practices are clearly more appropriate for vaccine and booster administration than state fairgrounds, hospital parking lots and football stadiums. fear is those who wait until they are sick or injured, then sign up.)

Medicare Ad Fatigue

If you’re wondering why the seemingly endless (and annoying) Medicare ads are still disrupting your favorite TV viewing long after Dec. 31, you’re not alone. In the past, all seniors were covered by “regular” or traditional Medicare. Since there was no choice, the government didn’t need to advertise. The ubiquitous ads ruining your viewing are run by Medicare Advantage plans that are administered by commercial insurers that are looking to sign newly eligible seniors as they turn 65 throughout the year. (Open enrollment, which runs October thru December, is for seniors already covered looking

to switch plans.) Competition for members among commercial plans results in a lot of TV advertising.

And for good reason. Forty percent of all Medicare eligibles belonged to a Medicare Advantage plan last year; and with the onslaught of savvy baby boomers turning 65, there is a lot at stake. Traditional or “regular” Medicare will probably phase out for adults without a disability, over the next several years as Medicare Advantage plans continue to grab most of the newly eligible seniors.

There is another reason for the heavy advertising: huge profits. Many commercial carriers are making more money in Medicare Advantage plans than employer-based commercial plans. United Healthcare, for example, covered 3.5 million members last year and expects to add another 900,000 this year. United made $15.4 billion last year, despite the pandemic. The ads claim they may reduce the amount being withheld from your Social Security check for Medicare by $100 or so a month. That is accomplished by switching seniors from their traditional Medicare plan to Advantage plans.

Hospital Pricing

As of Jan. 1 hospitals must post “prices” for 300 “shoppable” procedures such as MRI, labs, consults, obstetrics, surgeries, psychotherapy.

Unfortunately, it’s almost impossible for just about anyone to do comparison shopping. Warning: you may need psychotherapy if you try to do this. The problem is, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services left it up to the hospitals and didn’t provide many guidelines. Consequently, some posted spread sheets with “prices,” “fees” and “negotiated rates” while others provided online “cost estimators.” To add to the confusion, many don’t even use the universally accepted billing codes to

March 2021 •

easily identify the 300 procedures. So how do you compare? You can’t. As predicted here last year, this would be a mess. Regardless of trying to find the best deal, can the typical consumer really shop around? The hospital you select may not be in your network. Your chances of getting approval to go outside of your network for one of the routine “shoppable” services is probably zero. The physician you select for a consult or procedure may not be in your network or even have privileges at the hospital you select. Even if he or she does, it may not be their preference. So right now, until there is more uniformity, shopping around for the best deal is a fool’s errand.

Pandemic Preparedness

Another pandemic is inevitable. The Northeast Business Group on Health has developed a list of recommendations for employers so they aren’t caught off guard again.

1. Build a pandemic response plan; keep it simple. 2. Establish a safe workplace. 3. Enhance employee experience working from home. 4.

Have a strong return to work plan. 5.

Address employee benefits stressed by the pandemic, like behavioral care. Develop your vaccine strategy.

6. Plan for future pandemic or epidemic now.

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 – Buffalo & WNY’s Healthcare Newspaper

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Page 5

Live Alone & Thrive

By Gwenn Voelckers

Practical tips, advice and hope for those who live alone

Embrace the Joy of Missing Out!

C

hances are you’ve heard the expression: Fear of missing out — or FOMO. It refers to the anxiety that occurs when you fear you are missing out on fun, events, experiences or invitations that could potentially make your life more exciting.

Gripped by FOMO, you can become consumed with chasing any and every opportunity to be socially connected and in-the-know. The constant striving and longing, comparing and despairing, can be exhausting. And seriously stressful.

The good news? The pandemic has knocked the wind out of FOMO, given that many of us still remain anchored at home with few outside activities.

It came as no surprise then when FOMO was replaced with a better, healthier version of itself: The joy of missing out — or JOMO. It’s all about appreciating the life you have, living in the moment, and being content with your life “as is.”

JOMO means slowing down, deepening human connections, being intentional with your time, and focusing on the things that matter to you.

The poem below sums it up beautifully:

“Oh, the joy of missing out.

When the world begins to shout And rush towards that shining thing; The latest bit of mental bling – Trying to have it, see it, do it, You simply know you won’t go through it; The anxious clamoring and need This restless hungry thing to feed.

Instead, you feel the loveliness; The pleasure, of your emptiness.

You spurn the treasure on the shelf In favor of your peaceful self; Without regret, without a doubt, Oh, the joy of missing out!”

– Michael Leunig Making the most of missing out during this pandemic has been an eye-opening experiment and experience for me.

Here are a few of the joys I’ve discovered in the hopes that they might inspire you to create your own list. n The joy of guilt-free rest and relaxation I’ve embraced my inner sloth.

Even in retirement, I was running at

a frenzied pace, overprogrammed, and overwhelmed with things to do. Today, I enjoy more leisure time, often watching a matinee movie, followed by a luxurious “no-power” nap. n The joy of deepening relationships With fewer options for going out and socializing, I’ve stayed in closer touch with my dearest friends during our weekly “walks and talks” (at a safe distance). Strolling along the canal, on park trails or in residential neighborhoods, we are getting to know each other on a deeper level.

Making more meaningful connections has been one of the pandemic’s silver linings for which I am so grateful. n The joy of uninterrupted presence Having the time and space to pause and savor pleasant experiences has made an enormous and positive difference in my life. I’m determined to never let this go. I’ve made a promise to myself to stand still and admire what’s right in front of me, to take the time to internalize the beauty and goodness that’s all around us.

One simple example: Lately, I’ve been watching the birds at my feeder for longer than usual. I can now identify the species, marvel at their exquisite markings and recognize their songs.

This practice of paying closer attention to life’s sweet pleasures has been a tremendous source of joy for me. n The joy of masking up Oh, the freedom! I love not putting on make-up these days. Behind my mask I’m all “naturelle,” as the French would say. No foundation, no blush, no lipstick, no nothing. The time and effort I save at my bathroom sink can be better spent watching the birds!

My mask also provides, at times, a welcome measure of anonymity, especially when I complete the look with my big, furry winter hat. All

s d i K Corner

Just 2% of U.S. Teens Eat Recommended Amount of Veggies

I

n findings that may ring true to parents, a new government survey shows that a paltry 2% of U.S. high school students are eating enough vegetables.

The study is the latest look at teenagers’ eating habits by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And experts described the results as “disappointing.”

Of more than 13,000 high school students surveyed in 2017, only 2% were getting the minimum recommended allotment of veggies: 2.5 to 3 cups per day.

Fruit, meanwhile, was only mildly more popular. About 7% of Page 6

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high schoolers were getting enough, and 100% fruit juice counted toward those servings.

The figures show no progress since the CDC’s previous report on the topic: In 2013, as well, 2% of high school kids were eating their veggies as recommended.

“The findings aren’t necessarily surprising, but they are discouraging,” said Marlene Schwartz, director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at the University of Connecticut, in Hartford.

There have been some positive policy moves in recent years, according to Schwartz, who was not

involved in the study.

They include efforts to make fresh produce more accessible to low-income Americans through food stamps and the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program. There are also rules around fruits and vegetables in the National School Lunch Program.

The problem is that relatively few high school students participate in lunch programs — about 39%, according to the CDC. Instead, Schwartz said, they are free to bring lunch to school or go off-campus, often to fast-food places.

“Unfortunately, that leads to a decline in dietary quality,” she said.

IN GOOD HEALTH – Buffalo & WNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • March 2021

covered up, I can sneak in and out of the local grocery store without being stopped to discuss, well, nothing actually.

Being incognito has been a gift! n The joy of cooking or not Many of my married friends have shared this particular joy: They relish being released from food shopping and the routine of preparing three square meals a day. The pandemic has relaxed many of our daily rituals and this is probably most noticeable in the kitchen.

Eating avocado toast four nights in a row? Is that so wrong? n The joy of fewer choices I just saw this headline: “The paradox of modern life: so many choices, so little joy.” That resonates with me. I think it explains my love of air travel. My choices are limited.

I’m confined to my seat, my meal options are few, and my activity pattern is reduced to reading, listening to music, and ignoring the snoring person seated next to me.

On the plane, I have no important decisions to make or complex problems to solve. It’s heaven! Too many choices can be paralyzing.

The pandemic has contracted our lives and limited our choices. It has delivered untold hardship and heartache. But it has also delivered valuable time in which to reflect and rethink the way we live, the way we love, and the way we experience joy.

Are you missing out on life?

Good for you. It’s time for a joyful celebration!

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 Gwenn to speak, visit www. aloneandcontent.com

The findings, published Jan. 22 in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, paint a generally bleak dietary picture.

Vegetable intake was low across the board (among boys and girls, and white, Black and Hispanic teens). The median veggie intake was just one serving per day, which means half of the students ate even less.

The CDC said “new strategies,” such as social media campaigns, are needed to coax kids into eating more healthfully.

Any strategies would be up against a powerful marketing campaign by food manufacturers.

And research shows that such marketing, via traditional ads and social media, undoubtedly gets kids — and adults — to eat processed foods.

“There’s a reason companies spend all that money,” Schwartz said.

In contrast, she added, “fresh fruits and vegetables aren’t branded.”

Then there are the economic factors. Despite nutrition assistance programs, many families find fresh produce too expensive, Schwartz said. And if parents are not buying vegetables, kids won’t develop an affinity for them.

“I think parents are doing the best they can, with the resources they have,” Schwartz said.

Photos of the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens courtesy of Ben Read.

Spring Is Coming: Great Time to Visit the Botanical Gardens It is the perfect place to relax, get tips for your own garden and enjoy the ‘Gardens After Dark -Spring Flower Exhibit’

By Catherine Miller

T

here is something about nature that helps to make the world seem less complex and cold.

If you, like me, are yearning for a glimpse of spring and want to take in a bit of botanical beauty, there is no better place than the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens.

Whether you want to get your hands dirty in a horticulture class, stroll along palm trees and feed koi fish or plan your spring garden, our local botanical gardens can whisk your mind away from winter’s snow and transport you to a warm, vibrant leaf-filled oasis. A heavenly haven of greenery, the botanical gardens is truly one of the most beautiful destinations in our area and worthy of a visit to relax, reflect or meditate.

A living museum, the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens was designed and built in the late-1800s and stands within South Park, one of the Olmsted Park system sites. It is contained by a pedestrian walking path and outdoor gardens.

Within the Victorian-styled glass building dwells hundreds of botanical species ready to behold. The gardens

provide a relaxing respite from our hectic worlds. As you stroll though the various exhibits notice the climates and cultures change around you. Travel the Asian rainforest and aquatic gardens, and then wander into the Florida Everglades and straight into the Panama cloud forest.

You can figuratively go around the world in 80 minutes.

New to the gardens is the Gardens After Dark -spring flower exhibit” which will feature colorful tulips, hydrangeas, hyacinths and daffodils.

Each display is basked in tinted lighting to create a meditative aura. It’s a perfect family event for date-night or place to take a leisurely stroll on your own. Your self-guided tour can focus on relaxation, romance, or inspiration.

“The Gardens After Dark exhibits utilize upward and overhead lighting techniques to create a unique effect in the gardens,” said David Swarts, president of the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens. “The result is both soothing and psychologically calming. We are pleased that the exhibit has done so well.”

The Botanical Gardens of Buffalo

and Erie County has risen to the challenges of the pandemic. Noting that nature has an innate comforting effect, especially in time like these, the gardens remain open seven days a week for both day and evening visits, as its spring flower exhibit unfolds. They offer nature-based art classes, makeit and take-it workshops, children’s events and botanical demonstrations.

If you can’t make the on-site class, fear not. The gardens offer virtual group programs and student workshops online, making it a perfect change-of-pace for home-bound and home-schooled individuals.

If you’ve been thinking about giving your backyard garden oasis a fresh look the Buffalo Botanical Gardens has got you covered at home as well. Its great plant sale is now under way and better than ever. A way to increase the botanical beauty of your garden, the great plant sale is a yearly event that allows you to order a vast array of trees, shrubs, perennials and hanging baskets from now through mid-April. Pick-up times are scheduled at the beginning of May, just in

March 2021 •

time for Mother’s Day and planting season.

Other upcoming events include Arbor Day tree tours and the Fairy Festival, complete with a fairy filled scavenger hunt. Visit the garden’s website for dates, tickets and additional information. Reservations can be made online at www.buffalogardens.com and the gardens continue to host birthday parties and wedding events. As expected, masks must be worn at all times while inside the buildings. While touring the gardens note the arrows on your path to adhere to distancing guidelines.

Botanical gardens around the world are largely known for their mental health benefits. A combination of beautiful settings, natural sunlight, quiet surroundings, oxidized air and natural scents aid to relieve anxiety and stress and help with depression.

We are fortunate to have one of the finest botanical gardens in our own backyard. If you haven’t visited the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens in a while you are in for a beautiful and warm, relaxing retreat.

IN GOOD HEALTH – Buffalo & WNY’s Healthcare Newspaper

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Page 7

have now made it more so. Because of this pandemic dying has been made more difficult and suffering greater and not just for the patient but also for their family.

COVID Vaccines

Q: What has it been like for patients to not be surrounded by family at this time?

A: It has been extremely harmful to people who are demented and cannot process all of this. They feel they have purposefully been abandoned. When you think about your closing of life and that is your perceived reality, it just does not get any worse. One of our best roles here is to bring people into our inpatient unit and we are allowed two visitors at a time during this pandemic. That has allowed families to reunite. The depths of this pandemic are horrendous. Our staff has been courageous through all of this and like so many in health care, they are the heroes behind the masks.

Safe for Organ Transplant Recipients: Study

H

ere’s some good news for people who’ve had solid organ transplants and have weakened immune systems: mRNA coronavirus vaccines are safe for these vulnerable folks, new research shows.

The study included 187 transplant recipients who received an initial dose of either the Moderna or Pfizer mRNA vaccines between Dec. 16 and Jan. 16.

The participants, median age 48, were recruited for the study by invitation through their transplant centers or social media.

Their transplants had occurred a median of six years earlier and all were taking immunosuppression drugs to prevent rejection of their transplanted organs.

The participants included kidney (52%), liver (19%), heart (14%), lung (9%), kidney and pancreas (3%), and other multi-organ (3%) recipients.

In the week after they received their COVID-19 vaccine, none of the patients were diagnosed with COVID-19. Rates of adverse systemic reactions to the vaccines were low — for example, chills (9%) and fever (4%) — and similar to those in large randomized clinical trials that assessed the safety of the vaccines.

Many of the participants reported local reactions after vaccination, including mild pain at the site of inoculation (61%), mild redness (7%) and mild swelling (16%).

There were no cases of organ rejection, which is a concern in this group of patients, according to the study published online recently in the journal Transplantation.

“We hope to further this research by exploring any unexpected safety issues with long-term follow-up studies of these patients in the future,” senior study author Jacqueline Garonzik Wang, a physician and associate professor of surgery at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, said in a Hopkins news release.

The American Society of Transplantation has more on COVID-19 vaccines at www. myast.org/covid-19-vaccine-faqsheet.

Q A &

with Christopher Kerr

CEO of Hospice & Palliative Care Buffalo on his new book about dying, and on the ‘traumatic’ experience of separating end-of-life patients from their families due to COVID-19

By Michael J. Billoni

P

hysician Christopher Kerr joined Hospice Buffalo in 1999 as its medical director and served in that capacity until 2011, when he was appointed chief executive officer and chief medical officer of the Hospice & Palliative Care Buffalo.

Born and raised in Toronto, Canada, Kerr is a fifth-generation physician. He earned an undergraduate degree in psychology, a doctorate in medicine and a Ph.D. in neurobiology. He completed his residency in internal medicine at the University of Rochester. A recipient of numerous awards for his clinical performance as well as his success as an educator and scientist, he is also an author recently completing the book, “Death is But a Dream.”

He has also overseen the integration and expansion of palliative care

into local hospitals and developed one of the nation’s largest homebased palliative care programs, Home Connections, and Essential Care for Children. The Buffalo Center for Hospice and Palliative Care has 400 employees and annual budget of $43 million.

Q: How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected the way the Buffalo Center for Hospice and Palliative Care cares for its patients?

A: It has been traumatic. Those suffering, particularly at end of life, what they need most is to be connected to those they love. The pandemic has caused us to take something as challenging as the dying process and we have been forced to make it more complicated by separating people when they need to be brought together. Dying is inherently lonely and we

Q: What makes your staff so special in working with these patients?

A: What is unique here is we allow our staff the time and space to do their jobs. This is very hard work and it is easy to extinguish the flames which brought people to this profession, but we allow them to know their patients as people as they care for them here or in their homes. They care for them in the context of their families. Our model is compassion, rich in its delivery and we have very special people who do this work.

Q: In your book, “Death is But a Dream,” was there some surprising finds in your research of the dreams of the dying?

A: When we asked people questions every day leading up to death, nearly 90% were experiencing one kind of an inner experience. In a way the experience had a way of putting them back together by bringing them back to the best parts of the life they lived. It was very therapeutic for them and it showed how dying was a paradox – physically diminishing but inside, they are very much alive.

We found this lessened their fear of death.

Q: You state in many ways we have lost our way in dealing with dying as it is easier now to live longer than to die well.

What were some of those dreams like from patients who had a tough time dying?

A: We found 15% of those we studied had distressing themes to their dreams. You die as you live and what we found most fascinating is that those patients were most transformational in that it led to some form of reconciliation and atonement.

Q: What were some of the common themes you discovered in your research about dreams?

A: Most common was the notion of these patients being reacquainted with those they had loved, or they had lost and there was not a randomness to their dreams.

For more information about Hospice Buffalo, visit www.hospicebuffalo. com. For more information about Kerr’s book “Death is But a Dream” go to www.drchristopherkerr.com.

Find us online @ www.bfohealth.com Page 8

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IN GOOD HEALTH – Buffalo & WNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • March 2021

MOCHA Buffalo and Evergreen Health to Merge Evergreen official says groups share values, mission to provide inclusive healthcare. The merger expected to finalize in May

By Jana Eisenberg

I

t was a natural move for Evergreen Health to bring MOCHA Buffalo into its expanding portfolio of like-minded organizations. It was recently announced that, as of May, the Buffalo location of MOCHA, founded in Rochester in 1996 as the Men of Color Health Awareness Project, will become an official part of Evergreen.

Evergreen is a comprehensive healthcare delivery system fostering healthy communities by providing medical, supportive and behavioral health services to individuals and families in Western New York -- with a focus on those living with chronic illness or who are underserved by the healthcare system.

MOCHA focuses on improving the health and wellness of LGBTQ+ people of color in Rochester and Buffalo; the organization’s Buffalo location has been a partner with Evergreen for many years, and its missions and methods are closely aligned.

The two providers, with their emphasis on working towards more equitable healthcare for all, pride “Writer on the Run” is a

themselves on organizational qualities like an inclusive, non-judgmental attitude, more accessible healthcare, and a broad range of services that go beyond the traditional.

According to Ekua MendsAidoo, Evergreen Health’s chief equity and inclusion officer, bringing MOCHA Buffalo into the fold will allow Evergreen to reach people in new ways.

“Between MOCHA and Evergreen, we have more than 60 years of commitment to the community,” Mends-Aidoo said. “MOCHA’s focus on communities of color and LGBTQ+ folks strengthens all of our connections with these communities, and broadens Evergreen’s ability to fulfill part of our mission: that of creating inroads for those who are underserved by the health system.

It will become an easier handoff for MOCHA clients to receive direct referrals to services within Evergreen, such as primary and specialist care, and mental health.”

“Health equity” is a tenet that both organizations are united in support of and work toward.

“We define ‘health equity’ in part as working to remove avoidable obstacles and barriers for populations to reach health,” said MendsAidoo. “There is a direct connection between a person’s health and their ‘social determinants of health.’ A smaller part of a person’s ability to be healthy comes from their access to doctors; the majority of that ability is social components like education, the neighborhood that you live in, and whether you have access to healthy food and adequate housing; those factors are what make up someone’s total health.”

MOCHA Buffalo will be housed within Evergreen’s Center for Supportive Services, which includes its Health Education & Engagement, THRIVE Wellness, and Housing, Transportation, and Nutrition programs. MOCHA will bring additional health, wellness, and sex-positive programming to the larger organization.

MOCHA’s programs, designed by and for LGBTQ+ people of color, include a drop-in center, which is a safe space for LGBTQ people of color to gather and socialize. Activities include discussion groups, movie nights and “Club MOCHA/MOCHA Lounge,” an LGBTQ youth gathering featuring music, food and games.

MOCHA also offers confidential HIV, STD and hepatitis C counseling, testing, referrals and education. As part of its mission to help clients live more sex-positive lives, MOCHA provides access to treatments like PrEP and PEP to assist people with remaining HIV negative, as well as education about other protective tactics, including free condoms and lubrications.

Ekua Mends-Aidoo, Evergreen Health Services chief equity and inclusion officer. “Between MOCHA and Evergreen, we have more than 60 years of commitment to the community,” she says. Photo courtesy of Evergreen Health.

“Throughout MOCHA Buffalo’s more than 20 years of service, we have remained committed to addressing racial disparities in healthcare and providing space for young LGBTQ+ people of color to be themselves,” said De’Jon Hall, manager of MOCHA Buffalo, in a statement. “By joining Evergreen Health, MOCHA Buffalo will be able to continue our legacy of serving queer and trans folks of color throughout the Western New York region, in furtherance of the values we were founded on.”

Writer on the Run

By Jenna Schifferle

jenna.schifferle@gmail.com

Running in the Freezing Weather

O

ne year ago, life as we know it changed. Going into public suddenly brought heightened fear and anxiety about getting sick.

Our personal lives, professional lives and responsibilities now intertwine in ways that feel overwhelming. This has undoubtedly impacted how we interact with the world around us, bringing about new challenges to our mental health.

For me, the COVID-19 pandemic has made my home the epicenter of everything I do — working, exercising and virtually socializing.

Some days, this constancy feels like a welcome break from the grind of commuting and overbooking myself.

Other days, it feels like a lonely think tank.

Running allows me to clear my head, but the cold wintery months often discourage me from getting outside. This, of course, just compounds the issue. I often resort to logging miles on the treadmill to avoid the weather. Despite this, nothing compares to fresh air, even when it’s biting cold out.

Earlier this month, a blizzard hit on a day when I was scheduled to run seven miles. I found myself dreading the thought of the cold while simultaneously feeling like I needed to get out of the house. After

Running during a blizzard: “The first mile felt miserable, and the second mile passed at a slow pace.” dragging my feet for hours, I finally found myself outside my front door.

The wind whirled by as the snow blew diagonally down the road. My mind wanted to pull me back inside.

Instead of listening to it, I took a step forward and got started.

The first mile felt miserable, and the second mile passed at a slow pace. By the time I reached three miles, I felt lighter. By the fifth mile, I

noticed the serenity around me. The vacant streets were dusted in white, a blank canvas brushed only by my footsteps. The wind slowed to a soft flurry and the snowflakes grew thicker. Despite the ice on my eyelashes, it felt like I was a tiny figurine in the middle of my own snow globe.

The world is full of these little wonders. Often, it just takes a little push to get through the storm and

March 2021 •

find them. To date, I have achieved a 43-day run streak before taking a day off, and I have exceeded 230 miles for the year. Many of those miles involved running, but many also involved walks outside while bundled up in bulky layers and warm gloves.

If you’re looking to get outside this winter, here are a few recommendations. I’ve explored all of these places in 2021 and highly recommend them. Just note that you may want to use Yaktrax, snow shoes or other winter footwear to prevent falls.

• Tonawanda Rails to Trails • Eighteen-Mile Creek, Hamburg • Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve, Depew • Chestnut Ridge, Orchard Park Winter can be tough, but with a little push, we can all feel like kids in a snow globe. Here’s to hoping we all find wonder this season!

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Page 9

Make healthy swaps

It’s easy and fun to come up with healthier versions of your favorite indulgences. Call a family powwow, list your most popular snacks, and assess their integrity. Too sugary?

Too salty? Too high-fat? Too devoid of any nutrients whatsoever? Highlight the ones that don’t make the healthy cut and consider alternatives.

Suggestions: If you have a sweet tooth, choose fresh or dried fruit over candy, homemade banana ice cream or smoothies over ice cream, and healthy granola bars instead of cookies. If you have a salty tooth, reach for popcorn over chips, nuts over crackers, and meat roll-ups instead of beef jerky.

Practice portion control

Remember, size matters, especially when it comes to snacks, including healthy ones. Controlling your portion can help you enjoy between-meal bites without spoiling your appetite for lunch or dinner. A few portion-control tips: Place snacks on smaller plates; brighten up where you snack (research from Cornell University found that subjects who dined in a darker room consumed 36% more food and were less accurate in estimating how much they consumed than those who ate in a bright room); and don’t give healthy foods — i.e., avocado, granola, smoothies, whole grains — a free pass just because they’re nutrient-rich. Their calories can add up, too.

How to Snack Better During the Pandemic

By Anne Palumbo

W

hat do potato chips, pretzels and popcorn have in common? You may have guessed: They’ve been flying off the shelves during the coronavirus pandemic.

Same for cookies, candy and other indulgences during this stressful time.

Snack food consumption has increased by over 8% since lockdown, which is more than during the Great Recession, between 2008 and 2010, where snack food consumption increased by only 1%.

Unfortunately, all this snacking has resulted in snugger waistbands for many, with an average weight gain of seven pounds, according to new data from a COVID-19 symptom study.

On the bright side, however, and because of our move toward healthier eating in recent years, many of us are bypassing highly processed, empty calorie snacks for more nutritious snacks. So the issue is not the snack as much as it is the constant craving for the snack.

I can relate. After working at my desk for hours on end, my mind starts to wander … to the just-baked granola bars whose scent has made a beeline for my nose … or to the creamy hummus with my name etched in the top … or to the popcorn laced with soy sauce and Parmesan cheese. Feet don’t fail me now!

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Unquestionably, being homebound can turn snacking into a fullfledged pastime; and, if you’ve got kids at home, well, that pastime can become a battleground.

But it doesn’t have to be. When eaten in moderation, good-for-you snacks can help manage hunger, boost nutrition, and even foster togetherness time for those living under the same roof.

Let’s take a look at six ways to snack better during the pandemic:

Prep and plan snacks ahead of time

They say not to grocery shop on an empty stomach and the same holds true for snacking: Know what’s in your snacking future and you’ll be less likely to overindulge or land on something unhealthy. Game for some fruits and veggies? Then take time the night before or in the early morning to wash and cut up your produce. After, place everything at eye level in the fridge so it’s the first thing you reach for. Do the same for other healthy snacks, such as dips, smoothies, roll-ups, hard-boiled eggs, and more. Be sure to enlist help — from snack suggestions to prep, assembly to serving.

Don’t multitask while snacking

Snacking straight out of the bag

while watching TV or working at your computer can lead to overeating and weight gain. Distraction and not really thinking about what you’re consuming can do that. When you’re ready to snack, eliminate distractions (screens, social media, texting), sit down, and focus on your snack. Chew slowly, savor every bite, appreciate textures and tune into your hunger-fullness scale. According to a recent study, people who ate a meal in 22 minutes consumed 88 fewer calories and felt less hungry than those who cleaned their plates in nine minutes.

Set snack times

The urge to graze is understandable these days, now that COVID-19 has upended our schedules and routines. Feeling adrift and uncertain, many of us have found ourselves reaching for snacks at all hours, with restless kiddos being particularly vulnerable. Establishing structure around snacks by setting specific times has numerous advantages, according to health experts. It establishes an expected routine and gives us purpose; it helps us feel more in control; and it reins in the urge to constantly nibble. A good rule of thumb is to snack (or provide snacks) a few hours after one meal ends and about one to two hours before the next meal begins.

IN GOOD HEALTH – Buffalo & WNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • March 2021

Creamy White Bean Hummus

1-2 garlic cloves 1 can cannellini beans (15 oz), drained and rinsed 2 tablespoons tahini 2 tablespoons olive oil juice of 1 lemon 1 tablespoon water (more, if seems thick) 1 teaspoon cumin ½ teaspoon coriander ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon coarse black pepper ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

Place garlic in food processor and pulse until minced. Add remaining ingredients and process until well blended. Serve with cut-up veggies.

Bump up healthy snacks with protein and good-foryou fats

Ever eat a pretzel or cracker and feel hungry shortly after? Snacking on carbohydrate-based snacks can have that affect — even snacks made with fiber-rich whole grains.

Same with celery, carrots, apples and bananas. While their dietary fiber certainly helps us feel fuller longer, the feeling doesn’t last forever.

An excellent way to prolong the

“fullness factor,” say nutritionists, is to pair your healthy snack with protein or good-for-you fats — two nutrients that take longer to digest.

Some popular snack pairings: wholegrain toast with mashed avocado, veggies dipped in hummus or Greek yogurt ranch dip, popcorn sprinkled with grated cheese, or a scoop of peanut butter spread over a lengthwise-sliced banana.

Lastly, the internet is loaded with healthy snack recipes. From roasted chickpeas to baked sweet potato chips, fruit roll-ups to applesauce muffins, the recipes are yours for the trying.

Here in our household, we aim to try something new every week. Not only does it give us something to do, but it encourages meaningful time together in our favorite area of the house: the kitchen!

Greek Yogurt Ranch Dressing

1 cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice or rice vinegar 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon onion powder 1 teaspoon dried dill or chives ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon coarse black pepper milk or water, as needed to achieve desired consistency In a medium bowl, stir together all the ingredients. Add milk or water by the tablespoon until desired consistency is reached.

Bake for 30 minutes; cool in pan for about an hour. Using parchment handles, remove from pan and cut into bars.

Ready-in-Minutes Banana Ice Cream

3-4 bananas, peeled, frozen, broken into chunks ½ cup coconut milk (lite or regular) 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup (optional)

Baked Granola Bars

2 ½ cups rolled oats (not quick or instant) 2 tablespoons brown sugar ¼ cup flaked sweetened coconut 1 cup (total) of “extras”— chopped nuts, dried cranberries, chocolate chips 3 tablespoons canola oil ¼ cup honey 1 teaspoon cinnamon ¼ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Line a 9” x 9” square pan with 2 crisscross sheets of parchment paper (not foil), leaving extra overhang on all sides.

Combine oats, brown sugar, coconut and extras in a large bowl.

Whisk together oil, honey, cinnamon, salt and vanilla in a small bowl. Add honey mixture to oat mixture and mix thoroughly. Spread in prepared baking pan, pressing down firmly with the back of a spatula.

SmartBites

The skinny on healthy eating

Canned Tomatoes Linked to Better Health

D

o I have an unusual attachment to canned tomato products? You might think so by the stash in my pantry: diced, crushed, whole, stewed, pureed.

Truth is, of all the canned goods I tap for cooking, canned tomatoes make my heart sing more than any other.

They’re economical, convenient and never seem to spoil. I like that in a vegetable. No waste!

They’re also, much like their forbearer, high in both nutrition and flavor.

According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, canned foods can be just as nutritious as fresh and frozen foods because the fruits and vegetables used for canning are picked at peak freshness.

Although most nutrients remain relatively unchanged by the canning process, the water-soluble nutrients — such as vitamins A and C, thiamine and riboflavin — can be damaged by the high heat canning requires. On average, canning destroys from one-third to one-half of the vitamins mentioned above.

The high heat, however, has a remarkable affect on perhaps a tomato’s most valuable nutrient: lycopene.

It increases the amount. For example, one medium-size fresh tomato delivers 4 mg of lycopene, whereas a cup

1 teaspoon vanilla Put the frozen bananas, coconut milk (shake can before opening), honey (or maple syrup) and vanilla into a blender and blend, starting at low speed and working your way up gradually to high speed until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Do not over blend (otherwise the friction will melt your ice cream).

Serve immediately as soft serve, or transfer to an airtight container and freeze for a few hours for firmer

nutrient don’t end there. Several studies suggest that lycopene may also be your heart’s best friend, thanks to its ability to help reduce inflammation, lower bad cholesterol, and maintain good blood pressure.

In fact, promising research from Finland demonstrated that men with the greatest amount of lycopene in their blood had a 55% lower chance of having any kind of stroke. Another V8, please!

Worried about the sun’s harmful rays? Premature wrinkling? A diet rich in lycopene may help increase your skin’s defense against sunburns and damage caused by UV rays.

While tomatoes, especially those canned or cooked, can’t substitute for sunscreen, they can provide a consistent level of skin protection, say scientists.

Anne’s Break-Out-the-Chips Salsa

of tomato soup or a half-cup of tomato puree delivers a whopping 25 mg.

Although there is no recommended daily intake for lycopene, current studies suggest daily intakes between 8-21 mg to be most beneficial.

A powerful antioxidant, lycopene helps defend your cells from damage caused by potentially harmful molecules known as free radicals. When free radicals accumulate, they can increase your risk of chronic diseases such as cancer, Type 2 diabetes, and heart disease. Fortunately, eating antioxidant-rich foods like tomatoes can help reduce the risk of these diseases.

But the benefits of this superstar

4 cloves garlic 1 jalapeno pepper (less if desired) 1 cup fresh cilantro (optional) 1 large onion 1 orange bell pepper 1 yellow bell pepper 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes 1 15-oz. can petite diced tomatoes fresh lime juice from 1 to 2 limes 1 tablespoon chili powder 2 teaspoons cumin 1 teaspoon sugar 1 ½ teaspoons salt (or more) ½ teaspoon coarse black pepper Finely chop garlic and jalapeno pepper in a food processor, then add cilantro (if using) and process about a minute more. Cut onion and bell peppers into large chunks and add to food processor. Pulse about 10 times or until onion and peppers look

March 2021 •

Helpful tips Not all canned tomato products are created equal, so be sure to read the label and ingredient list.

Choose “low sodium” or “no salt added” if salt is a concern for you.

Look for cans that say or indicate “Non BPA” (most do). Since your body absorbs more lycopene when it’s combined with a little fat, consider adding some healthy fats, like olive oil, to your dish. evenly chopped.

In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add mixture from food processor to saucepan and sauté for about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, and lowering heat if mixture starts to burn.

Add crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, lime juice and all spices to saucepan; mix well. Bring mixture to a simmer and let it simmer, uncovered, for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn heat down if it starts to boil and sputter. After 15 minutes, adjust seasonings, cover, turn heat to lowest setting and let it cook for 15 minutes more. Turn off heat and allow to cool to room temperature. Place in jars and refrigerate: good for about 2 weeks.

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.

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Page 11

Good Dental Health for Life Starting good dental care early promotes good health

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

G

ood dental health for life relies upon consistent home care and professional care; however, each stage of life brings certain focal points of dental care.

For children 6 months to 5 years, “the big concerns are making sure the teeth are erupting in the proper sequence,” said Igor Kaplansky, dentist and owner of Dentistry by Dr. Kaplansky, PLLC, in Gasport. “If there’s delayed eruption or the teeth are not coming in symmetrically or if they’re incorrectly positioned or rotated or discolored or misshaped: all these things parents need to pay attention to.”

While it may seem early to bring in a baby who is just starting to cut teeth, Kaplansky said that these visits are mostly about parent education.

Parents should begin wiping teeth off with a washcloth or cleaning them with a soft brush and flossing between them at home at least twice per day. This keeps plaque off the teeth. Plaque causes tooth decay. Although baby teeth eventually fall out, they serve as placeholders for adult teeth. Losing them early can mean a greater chance of misalignment.

In addition to keeping the teeth clean, parents need to stick with only water in bottles and sippy cups between meals and at bedtime.

“The temptation a lot of time is to put something sweet in their mouth so they calm down and go to sleep,” Kaplansky said. “That is a very horrible thing to do to teeth. Baby bottle tooth decay is what happens. It could be milk, juice and we’ve even seen pop -- in a baby bottle. It creates an environment for decay.”

Since babies do not swallow all the liquid, some pools in their mouths feeding the bacteria that will damage their tooth enamel and cause cavities.

By the time children can write their own name, they should be able to brush their teeth, but parents should monitor them to ensure good hygiene and maintain regular checkups to keep cavities away.

“You need to check on their

brushing and also the flossing,” Kaplansky said. “They also need fluoride applied to protect against cavities.

“There’s a big misconception out there that baby teeth are not important because they’ll fall out anyway.

They hold room for permanent teeth.

Permanent teeth will come in crooked and crowded if baby teeth are lost early.”

He has cared for young patients who have lost all their baby teeth early and as a result suffer from speech problems and malnourishment because they cannot chew properly.

By the preteen years, the baby teeth have left and parents should continue encouraging good hygiene.

“If kids develop good habits with eating healthy foods and keeping teeth clean, it’ll continue,” Kaplansky said.

Parents should keep an eye on their children’s consumption of sugary treats and beverages. These contribute to cavities. Acidic beverages such as citrus fruit juice, energy drinks and soda particularly damage tooth enamel.

For the teen and young adult years, periodontal problems become the biggest threat, mainly caused by smoking, poor oral hygiene habits and diabetes. It is easy for teens to become lax about brushing when they leave home and go to college.

They may not keep up with their dental cleaning visits, too.

“You still need a good diet,” Kaplansky said. “Avoid tobacco and drugs. Tobacco is a known factor in gum disease spread. Those who smoke lose their teeth earlier.”

When a person reaches middle age, many health issues that they have ignored become more apparent.

Many studies have found an association between periodontitis and many other diseases and conditions, including respiratory disease, chronic kidney disease, obesity, diabetes and cancer.

Kaplansky encourages anyone with missing teeth to seek replacements right away.

Americans Pay Much More for Prescription Drugs On average we pay 2.5 times to 3.4 times more for the same drugs

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mericans pay nearly three times more for prescription drugs than people in dozens of other countries, a new study shows.

Researchers analyzed 2018 data and found that prescription drug prices in the United States average 2.5 times more than in 32 other Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) nations.

The cost of brand-name drugs is even more — an average of 3.4 times Page 12

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higher — in the United States than in other countries.

However, generic drugs are slightly cheaper in the United States than in most other nations. In this country, generic drugs account for 84% of drugs sold by volume but only 12% of drug spending, according to the researchers at the RAND Corp., a nonprofit, nonpartisan research organization.

“Brand-name drugs are the primary driver of the higher pre-

“If people go with missing teeth, their adjacent teeth will shift,” he said. “The gap opens up a gateway to plaque, gum disease and cavities.

It’s a chain reaction – a domino effect.

You’ll lose the next tooth. Don’t wait; replace teeth as they’re lost.”

He prefers dental implants over bridges as the latter can damage adjacent teeth over time.

By the 50s, many people begin to experience cracked teeth and need dental caps. Dentist Antonio Calascibetta, owner of Celestial Dental in Henrietta, said that stress-induced tooth grinding and the age-related wear on the teeth are primary causes of cracks.

“We have seen a lot more cracks since the pandemic began because of everyone’s stress,” Calascibetta said.

Anyone 65 or older is “pushing the limits of our teeth,” Calascibetta said. “We will see frequently that the

elderly have gum and bone recession.”

Negligent home care and smoking contribute to this process, among other reasons. The problem with receded gums is that the root surface has thinner enamel and is more prone to cavities for this reason. The more teeth lost, the more the jawbone breaks down.

Many older adults take medications that can cause dry mouth.

“Any patient with dry mouth is more prone to having dental issues without the saliva flushing away bacteria,” Calascibetta said.

Moisturizing mouth rinses and drinking plenty of water may help.

Arthritis can make brushing properly more challenging. To promote better oral care in these cases, Calascibetta recommends clients use an electric brush and prescription toothpaste with extra fluoride.

Age Emphasis 6 mos. to 4 years

Parents should establish good habits of brushing, flossing and dental visits. Drink only water between meals and at bedtime.

5-12

Parents should supervise brushing, flossing and fluoride rinsing. Minimize sugar intake.

Teens

Continue home and professional care.

Avoid tobacco use and minimize sugary beverages and snacks.

Young adult Middle-aged adult Older adulthood

Continue home and professional care. Address any other health concerns like diabetes that can affect dental health.

Continue home and professional care. Address small dental issues before they become big issues.

Continue home and professional care. Ask about moisturizing mouth rinses, prescription fluoride toothpaste and an electric toothbrush

scription drug prices in the U.S.,” said study author Andrew Mulcahy, a senior health policy researcher at RAND. “We found consistently high U.S. brand-name prices, regardless of our methodological decisions.”

For their study, the researchers used manufacturer prices for drugs due to a lack of availability of net prices, which are those ultimately paid for drugs after negotiated rebates and other discounts are applied.

But even after adjusting U.S. prices downward based on estimated discounts, U.S. drug prices remained substantially higher than those in other countries.

Among other nations, the United Kingdom, France and Italy generally have the lowest prescription drug prices, while Canada, Germany and Japan tend to have higher prices, according to the study, which is available on the RAND website and

IN GOOD HEALTH – Buffalo & WNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • March 2021

the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services website.

“Many of the most expensive medications are the biologic treatments that we often see advertised on television,” Mulcahy said in a RAND news release. “The hope is that competition from biosimilars will drive down prices and spending for biologics. But biosimilars are available for only a handful of biologics in the United States.»

Across all the nations in the study, total drug spending in 2018 was an estimated $795 billion. The United States accounted for 58% of sales, but just 24% of the volume.

U.S. drug spending surged 76% between 2000 and 2017, and is expected to increase faster than other areas of health care spending over the next decade as new, expensive specialty drugs are approved, according to RAND.

kids special

What Kids Are Losing with Virtual Learning Online classes are effective to contain the transmission of coronavirus but they are robbing kids from having the full school experience: interacting with others, developing connections, teamwork

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

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ttending school is more than learning academic subjects and physical education.

For many children, it represents their main source of socializing opportunities with peers, indefinitely on hold for the pandemic.

Even children who ordinarily home school have lost face-to-face connections with those in their home school groups, clubs, athletic teams and other social outlets as these have been shuttered or at least curtailed during the pandemic. While deemed necessary to curb the spread of coronavirus, online school presents a different dynamic to children.

They may be able to interact with teachers in real time and with each other on a limited basis, but they have lost the incidental socializing in a normal school day: chatting between classes, sharing stories over lunch, hanging out while waiting for the school bus, sitting with friends riding to and from school. These moments may seem inconsequential; however, they help children learn and develop in many ways.

For the very youngest students, “these are critical years for them to develop socialization skills,” said Robert Nazario, licensed master social worker and supervisor of schoolbased services for Endeavor Health Services in Buffalo and Rochester.

“For kids that are just learning how to be verbal and express themselves,

it’s critical in their emotional health.

It’s been a set setback for them. For older kids, it’s been isolating. The pandemic has isolated them and their families and that has led to a lack of services being provided – help they may need.”

A lack of social interactions – positive, negative and neutral – means fewer opportunities for developing emotional intelligence and skills that will help children navigate relationships of all sorts. Unlike planned interactions with friends through technology (a Zoom meeting between best friends), the more spontaneous interactions in a school day (learning how to befriend an irksome classmate) tend to be more educational. Children also miss chances to develop teamwork skills.

“There’s not that natural progression of relationships and connections,” Nazario said.

He also sees the lack of in-person schooling as limited the safety net for families who need help with physical, mental, emotional and developmental needs, although wellness check-ins can help mitigate the effects.

“There are age-specific emotional milestones we want children to attain,” said pediatrician Steven Lana, with Delaware Pediatrics in Buffalo.

“All people -- all children -- by nature are intended to be social animals.

Whenever we’re isolated, we’ll suffer

for that isolation. There are so many things children learn from interaction with their peer groups. When that doesn’t happen, their development is stunted.”

Since the pandemic began, all of this – and more – shifted to the digital world. Lana said that it is not an equal replacement for in-person interaction.

While those who are introverted may welcome reduced pressure to engage with others and more barriers between themselves and social interactions, that may not be beneficial for their development. And for those who thrive on socializing, stunting these interactions can feel as if they are hamstrung.

Mark O’Brien, licensed clinical social worker and Erie County’s commissioner of mental health, said that reaching out to friends virtually can help, especially for older children.

Their peer groups are even more important, so they may enjoy connecting through Facetime or Zoom.

“Online stuff isn’t ideal, but it’s better than not having any contact,” he said.

These interactions let them discuss shared and differing interests and home lives and practicing their social skills. When these opportunities cannot happen, parents can help fill in some of the gaps.

Parents should stay attentive to their children’s emotional needs and watch for any signs of depression or anxiety, such as changes in eating and sleeping habits and extreme changes in behavior beyond the garden variety acting up or regression.

Luna thinks that taking time to pay attention to each child one-onone can help mitigate the effects of fewer peer interactions.

“Plan a playdate with your children,” Luna said. “Plan on doing things that are interesting, fun and educational. It helps you bond. The silver lining is you have an opportunity to spend more time with your children and partner than would have otherwise.”

Any families in need of help can contact Endeavor Health Services at 716-895-6701.

If parents are concerned about their children’s mental health, they should consult a primary care provider, who can recommend what to do next, he advised.

Parents can help their children simply be being present in their lives.

For example, make meals together as a family, play games, and share outdoor activities such as walks or runs, Jolly suggested.

“Anything you can do together as a family will help,” he said.

Some gatherings with friends are fine, as long as everyone follows social distancing measures such as meeting in open spaces, wearing masks and staying 6 feet apart, according to Jolly.

Suicide is the second leading cause of death among people aged 10 to 34 in the United States.

Child Suicides Are Rising During Lockdown; Watch for the Warning Signs

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mong the many dangers the coronavirus pandemic has brought, parents really need to be on the lookout for one in particular: an increased risk of suicide among vulnerable teens.

“We’ve seen an upsurge in really bad suicide attempts,” and the pandemic is likely behind that increase, said Taranjeet Jolly, an adult and pediatric psychiatrist at Penn State Health’s Milton S. Hershey Medical Center.

Social isolation during the pandemic can push youngsters with underlying mental health issues “over the edge,” Jolly said in a Penn State Health news release.

Other factors include family dys-

function and long amounts of forced time with others. Even children in socalled healthy families can feel overwhelmed. Anxiety about pandemic shutdown-related financial struggles, constant bad news and health-related worries can also transfer from parents to children.

Parents should watch for certain behavioral changes in their children, Jolly said. Have their sleep habits changed? Do they sleep more or less?

Do they have trouble concentrating?

Do they seem drowsy or lethargic?

Do they spend more time alone in their room? Do they snap at or become angry at small things?

“Don’t be afraid to reach out,” Jolly said.

March 2021 •

IN GOOD HEALTH – Buffalo & WNY’s Healthcare Newspaper

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kids special

Telemedicine, Behavioral Health Growing at Oishei Children’s Hospital Hospital offers myriad services for young patients

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

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s with many other healthcare organizations, Oishei Children’s Hospital had to shift to how it delivered care last year as the pandemic curtailed numerous aspects of everyday life.

“Telemedicine has been a big part of how we provide services,” said Allegra Jaros, president of Oishei.

“Where we’ve seen that serve our patients well is in behavioral health services. Virtually all of our services are through telemedicine.”

Mental healthcare has unique barriers to care, including too few providers, stigma surrounding care and location, as many people live a good distance from providers.

Telehealth addresses each of those concerns. Without driving into the office, providers can see more patients. Telehealth can increase privacy for patients. Since distance does not matter, those living in remote locations or with visits scheduled for days of bad weather can still make their appointments.

As a result, Oishei has increased the number of patients served in behavioral health by 25%.

In addition to its robust behavioral health offerings, Oishei represents the only provider of tertiary and quaternary care of pediatric patients in the region. This means the hospital offers care that specializes not only in an area of expertise but also in pediatric patients with those needs. Oishei partners with or employs subspecialists and clinicians in the community to ensure any patient’s need is met.

“We offer the full-scale children’s hospital services,” Jaros said. “It’s soup to nuts.”

The care begins at the neonatal intensive care unit. If your child is born prematurely or is critically ill or injured, it is likely you will be referred to Oishei for care, as its specialists and unique services provide a level of care like none other in the area.

Since Oishei is on the same campus as Buffalo General Hospital, the continuity of care is seamless for mothers delivering prematurely.

“We have adult specialists available if the mom needs someone,” Jaros said. “We’ve been able to enhance the level of critical care.”

BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York recently recognized Oishei Children’s Hospital with a Blue Distinction® Centers for Maternity Care designation, as part of the Blue Distinction Specialty Care program.

Oishei is also part of a joint venture with Roswell Park, which is also on the same campus. Oishei collaborates to run a program for children.

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Roswell treats out-patient children with cancer and Oishei treats in-patient children.

“As a result, we’ve been able to offer bone marrow transplant to children under five which we couldn’t do in the past,” Jaros said.

She views the people at Oishei as what makes the hospital truly stand out.

“Working here is a privilege,” Jaros said. “It is an honor. I think our staff exudes that in everything we do from a day-to-day perspective.

They’re part of our family and we try hard to keep it that way.”

Jaros said that the patients and the community that the hospital serves draws providers to work at Oishei. She hopes to continue to expand the hospital’s tertiary and quaternary services.

“We want to enhance some of those subspecialty services, like complex/special needs services, behavioral health services, long-term epilepsy program, and the Healthy Weight program that we started 6 or 7 years ago,” Jaros said. “That is multidisciplinary with specialists in gastro-intestinal, nutrition and bariatric surgery if needed. These help a child and their family who has a weight concern. We’ve been able through education and collaboration to help many kids lose the weight they need to live a fruitful, active and healthy lifestyle.”

In 2016, the hospital established Oishei Healthy Kids, a Medicaid Health Home providing care management services to Western New York children who have complex physical and/or behavioral health conditions.

Oishei Children’s Hospital has the region’s only Level I Pediatric Trauma Center, Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and state-designated Regional Perinatal Center.

The Leapfrog Group, an independent watchdog organization, named Oishei a ‘Top Children’s Hospital’ in 2018 and 2019.

Photos courtesy of Oishei Children’s Hospital.

Support Services Offered at Oishei Children’s Hospital:

• Family Resource Center • Artists in Residence • Bereavement Support Services • Child Life Program • Spiritual Care • Patient & Family Centered Care • Patient Advisory Council • Discharge Planning and Social Work • Stone’s Buddies

Outpatient Services offered at Oishei Children’s Hospital:

• Audiology • Autism Spectrum Disorder Center • Ear, Nose & Throat • Healthy Weigh • Intestinal Rehabilitation • Neurofibromatosis • Occupational/Physical Therapy • Orthopedics • Pediatric Surgery

IN GOOD HEALTH – Buffalo & WNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • March 2021

• Perinatal Center of WNY • Plastic Surgery • Rheumatology • Robert Warner Rehabilitation Center • Speech • Sports Medicine • Urology • Vascular Anomalies • Dermatology • Neurology • EEG • Ophthalmology • Blood Draw • Dental • Craniofacial Center of WNY • Children’s Psychiatry Clinic • Genetics • Lead Poisoning Prevention Resource Center of Western New York • Maternal Fetal Medicine Center • Ophthalmology • Pulmonology • Sickle Cell & Hemoglobinopathy Center of WNY • Gastroenterology & Nutrition

Children’s Mental Health Matters, Too Experts offer ways to help children cope during pandemic

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

C

hildren have plenty to worry about these days. As the pandemic drags on, they continue to educate at home, missing their sports, clubs and activities.

Their parents may be out of work, working at home or working much more than they did before.

Stories of unrest at least populate the news, if not affecting their own cities. The stress of school at home weighs on some children who relied upon their structure of attending school in-person.

“The children affected the most are the ones that went into the pandemic with an issue, like an anxiety disorder, ADHD, and mood disorders,” said physician Steven Lana, with Delaware Pediatrics in Buffalo. “They’re hard hit as they no longer have access to the community resources they need. There’s no way to sub with something virtual.”

Regardless of ability, children thrive on predictability and routine and since last spring, that has been lacking in many areas. Lana said that can be problematic for children.

“This is a completely new situation,” Lana said. “Sometimes, that’s interpreted as there’s no consistency and no one knows what they’re doing with the pandemic. As we learn, we modify our message. We update it.”

It has taken some time for children’s mental health issues to manifest during the pandemic. Many people assumed this would be a temporary or at least short-lived situation before returning to normal.

“At the beginning of the pandemic, some students with anxiety related to school weren’t reporting those symptoms as frequently because of less pressure of performing in the classroom,” said Robert Nazario, licensed master social worker and supervisor of schoolbased services for Endeavor Health

Services in Buffalo and Rochester.

“They are feeling it now.”

He added that the stress of the household trickles down to even the understanding and emotions of young children. Some fear falling behind in their schoolwork and miss connecting with classmates.

Some children lack the technology to dependably connect for both schoolwork and socializing, which can keep them behind their peers. Those with learning disabilities may struggle even more.

As some schools have planned a return to classes, that can prove stressful for some children.

“Kids are worried about the virus,” Nazario said. “They’re worried about their connection with peers.

They haven’t interacted for almost a year. Learning is different in the classroom.”

He said that many children have also expressed concern about social unrest they see on television as well as the financial stressors adults in their home have experienced.

“These have become topics of discussion within families and anxiety with not knowing where all of this is going,” Nazario said.

“The stress from the adults in the home has also been the same for the children.”

“Kids not only are exposed to the information they’re exposed to but they observe their parents’ reactions,” said Mark O’Brien, licensed clinical social worker and Erie County’s commissioner of mental health.

While remaining stoic may appear like the right tactic, O’Brien advised that may further push children away because they feel they cannot relate to you. Instead, showing your own struggles at an age-appropriate level can help them feel you understand.

“You have to acknowledge as a parent and as a child what can you

and what can’t you control,” he said.

“What I can control are my words, actions, behaviors, and my responses. What I can’t control are other people’ behaviors, feelings, decisions, the weather, the pandemic and the economy.”

Influencing the things one can control helps build the predictability that children crave. For example, fun events enjoyed in the past may be canceled; however, the family can plan activities to enjoy together.

Parents should also not act dismissive of their children’s concerns and fears, even if they are wildly inflated. O’Brien encourages parents to help children label their feelings so they can better understand and control them.

“Kids will act out what they can’t talk out,” he said. “The more an adult can help a child put words to it, that puts it within their stream of conscious and makes it less scary. It also makes it less scary for the adult to acknowledge and validate what the

child is feeling.”

Beyond holding affirming conversations, the best thing parents can do is to maintain a regular schedule and routine, such as a ritual to begin and end the day where children can check in with their parents like sharing a craft project together, watching a movie or reading a book together, or taking a walk.

For teens, those attachments to parents become less important than the attachments they form with their peers as they begin to mature; however, that parental bond is still vital.

O’Brien said that finding meaningful and pleasurable activities can help children connect with their parents. Regardless of the children’s ages, that represents the best way to support their mental health.

“Help them to do something fun -- things that are distracting that take them out of their worries,” he said.

“Physical exercise is a great thing.

Get them involved in something that helps them help someone else. Kids will feel empowered.”

Speeding on U.S. Roads Is Taking Thousands of Teenagers’ Lives

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early half — 43% — of all fatal car crashes involving teens and their passengers are the result of speeding, a new automobile safety report reveals.

The finding stems from an in-depth analysis of all fatal motor vehicle accidents across the United States between 2015 and 2019. During this five-year period, 4,930 teen drivers and passengers died in crashes involving speeding.

And while the report acknowledges that deadly speeding is a problem at any age, it warns that the consequences of speeding pose a particularly grave danger to young drivers between the ages of 16 and 19.

“We have a culture of speeding in this country,” said Pam Fischer. She’s

senior director of external engagement for the Washington, D.C.-based Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA), which represents highway safety offices across all U.S. states and territories.

Although the period studied did not include the pandemic, GHSA executive director Jonathan Adkins said in a statement that the United States “has a speeding problem that has only worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

According to Adkins, “Thousands of people die needlessly on our roads because some drivers mistakenly think less traffic means they can speed and nothing bad will happen. The data tell us that teen drivers are the most likely to be tempted to speed, so the need to address this issue is more

critical than ever, given traffic death trends during the pandemic.”

Fischer noted that wide acceptance of speeding means that, in practice, many drivers view speed limits as minimums rather than maximums.

As a result, speeding has become a “national pandemic,” she said.

Fischer puts it down to a simple equation: Inexperience plus immaturity plus speeding equals deadly accidents.

As the GHSA report itself noted, “teen drivers do not have the experience necessary to recognize and quickly react appropriately to dangerous situations, which makes speeding even riskier for them.”

Fischer presented the findings earlier this year.

The study found that teen drivers

March 2021 •

who died in a speeding accident were more likely to be male (37% versus 28%), and were more likely to not be wearing a seatbelt. Teen fatalities also tended to involve being run off the road and/or car rollovers.

Younger teens (16- to 17-yearolds) were found to be at the highest risk for a deadly speeding crash. But teens aged 18 and 19 were more likely to get into an accident between midnight and 5 a.m. Older teens were also more likely to have accidents while on a highway or freeway.

And when it comes to speeding fatalities when passengers were in the car, more was decidedly worse: The greater the number of teenagers in the car alongside a teen driver, the greater the risk for a deadly speeding accident.

IN GOOD HEALTH – Buffalo & WNY’s Healthcare Newspaper

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Page 15

kids special Ergonomics Matter for Children Arrange your home workspace for comfort, good health

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

E

rgonomics in the workplace ensures workstations help keep employees in comfortable positions that fit their size and helps them perform work without strain.

The principles are just as important for children who now spend many more schooldays at home, more likely than not working at makeshift desks -- or no desk at all. Most children at home are working on

laptops, which were meant for short periods of work, not for hours.

You may not realize right away that your children are not comfortable in their home education set-up since the effects of poor posture are not as quickly evident in children most of the time. They are known for sleeping and sitting in odd positions and not feeling sore as an adult would. However, Jeana Voorhies,

doctor of chiropractic and assistant professor of chiropractic clinical sciences at New York Chiropractic College in Seneca Falls, said that since children are still growing, “it can have an impact on neurological development. It puts some strain on t hose structures. Over time, especially as a child, we’re setting them up for some bad habits and potential longterm effects.”

Ideally, parents should have a workspace the right size for each child; however, this gets complicated as finances and space are strained in dedicated space for each child and possibly the parents as they may be working from home as well.

Voorhies said that the 90/90/90 rule is the goal. When seated, the back and hips, knees and ankles should each be bent at a 90-degree angle.

The line of vision is also important.

“We don’t want to be looking down for too long,” Voorhis said.

“Ideally, that screen should be right in your line of vision. That can be simple by putting books under the laptop. It brings it up to the line of vision so the neck is in a neutral position.”

In a regular school day, most children move around more than they may move at home. Ordinarily, they may join in activities in the classroom, PE, athletics or at least moving from class to class, depending upon their age. Voorhis said that at home, children can move their laptop to different positions such as standing to break up their day.

“One position I love to let their children do is to take the tablet or lap top and lie on their tummy, propped

Routine Childhood Vaccinations Slipping Skipping or delaying a child’s vaccination may put them at risk

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

W

hile the eyes of the world have focused on COVID-19 vaccination, some parents have missed their children’s routine vaccination. During the onset of the pandemic last year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advised delaying all non-emergency visits. Once doctor’s offices reopened for these visits, some parents did not feel comfortable bringing their children in and still others faced long delays as doctors have scrambled to catch up on backlogged well child visits, the appointments when they typically administer these vaccines.

“Early on, people were afraid to come to the office,” Steven Lana, pediatrician with Delaware Pediatrics in Buffalo. “Children were missing out on well visits, screening exams, and preventive care, and vaccinations.”

Currently, parents may bring in their child after they set up an appointment and as long as no one in the household is sick or has been in contact with someone sick with COVID-19 or has traveled out of state.

Most facilities encourage only one parent or guardian to come into the office with the patient and require masks for anyone older than the age of two. Normally, vaccines begin at two months of age.

Skipping childhood vaccines “is Page 16

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a bad idea,” Lana said. “A vaccine delayed is a vaccine denied. These diseases we immunize against have not gone away because of COVID-19.

Meningitis, pneumonia, whooping cough, rotavirus, measles, diphtheria, tetanus, mumps rubella and chicken pox, are all still there lurking. When vax rates go down, children become vulnerable to things that are preventable. We’ve become complacent because vaccines have become so effective at eliminating diseases that people don’t have firsthand experience at suffering from them.”

Many of today’s young parents do not know anyone who experienced polio or other vaccine-preventable diseases, so they believe that they have been eradicated or that they are not all that serious.

Some parents believe that skipping vaccination toughens up their children’s immune systems to become better at warding off disease. Sarah Ventre, pediatrician with UBMD Pediatrics in Buffalo and clinical assistant professor of Pediatrics, University at Buffalo, said that the opposite is true.

“Vaccination is a tool for your body to protect itself,” she said.

“When children are given vaccine, their immune system can build up the antibodies if and when exposed in the future.”

She likens vaccination to providing the body with a “dress rehearsal” for when the body is exposed to the

illness.

Anecdotal evidence of problems caused by vaccines usually arise because of a coincidental event, such as the timing of routine vaccine happens to occur once children are developmentally capable of being diagnosed with autism.

Other parents feel concern about side effects such as mild malaise.

“Most parents do have concerns about side effects of vaccines,” Ventre said. “The important thing is that the reaction to a vaccine is not necessarily a bad thing. To have a fever, body aches or tiredness within 24 to 48 hours is a normal side effect and a sign the vaccine is doing its job. The benefits of vaccinations far outweigh the possible side effects.”

Of all medication, vaccines represent the most tested. The long-term use of vaccines with rare and minimal side effects point to the safety of vaccines.

Some parents fear that their young children receiving multiple vaccinations in one or two injections may experience an “overload” of exposure that could unduly tax their immune systems. However, everyday exposures such as petting the family dog, crawling across the floor, placing objects in their mouths and many other common interactions expose children to many germs repeatedly all day.

“We are concerned because of the pandemic, there will be a larg-

IN GOOD HEALTH – Buffalo & WNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • March 2021

on their elbows,” she added. “In that position, you take your neck and spine out of that flexed posture.

It gets the spine into an extended position.”

At any opportunity, children should stretch and get active, including after the schoolwork is done.

Otherwise, sitting in a hunched over posture can cause upper crossed syndrome. A deformation of the neck, pectoral and back muscles, upper cross syndrome leads to many problems such as headaches originating from the neck and pectoral muscles.

Bridget Hughes, pediatrician at UBMC Pediatrics and is a clinical assistant professor at University at Buffalo, said that many children are coming to the office with headaches, backaches and poor sleep that have worsened during the pandemic.

“It can relate to the fact that they’re sitting in a chair all day that isn’t great fitting or they’re hunched over on the couch,” Hughes said.

“We recommend working with what you have at home to get your kids in the best, most supportive environment.”

This could include a chair with back support and using firm cushions and an adjustable chair to raise them to the correct height.

“Definitely sitting on the couch or bed, or not on a set workspace, can contribute to problems,” Hughes said.

To counteract the overall lack of movement in the day, Hughes recommends breaks for children that include walking around the house, running up and down the stairs, jumping jacks or a family dance party. er number of children with missed vaccine doses because of COVID 19,” said Gale Burstein, physician and commissioner of health for the Erie County Department of Health.

“People haven’t been practicing healthcare in person as they usually have for recommendations.”

Although data is not yet available for Erie County, she said that national data indicates lower numbers of vaccinations compared with previous years.

HPV and influenza are two of the vaccinations that Burstein has observed families skipping. Neither is required for school attendance (although the routine vaccinations are required for children who are attending school remotely). Administered to children beginning at around age 11 in two doses, HPV prevents certain cancers. HPV requires two doses, as does meningitis.

“Those get more easily missed,” Burstein said.

The rapid spread of COVID-19 should underscore how easy it is for a communicable disease to go global without vaccine or any natural immune response. Reintroduction of “eradicated” diseases is only a plane trip away.

“The vaccines that are available for children and adults prevent some very serious diseases,” Burstein said.

“It’s important that people keep themselves and their children up to date on their vaccines.”

Anyone lacking insurance can call 855-355-5777 to obtain insurance.

New York participates in the CDC’s Vaccines for Children program so that the vaccine is free. Parents pay only for the healthcare visit.

CALENDAR of

HEALTH EVENTS

March 2, 9, 18

Hearing loss group presents program

By Jim Miller

How to Choose a Hospice Care Program Dear Savvy Senior, Where can I turn to find a good Medicare-covered hospice provider? My husband’s mother has a terminal condition and wants to die at home, if possible, so I’m helping out where I can.

Sad Sandy

Dear Sandy, Hospice is a wonderful option in the last months of life because it offers a variety of services, not only to those who are dying, but also to those left behind. Here’s what you should know about hospice care, along with some tips to help you choose one.

Understanding Hospice Hospice care is a unique service that provides medical care, pain management and emotional and spiritual support to people who are in the last stages of a terminal illness — it does not speed up or slow down the process of dying. Hospice’s goal is to simply keep the patient as comfortable and pain-free as possible, with loved ones nearby until death.

The various services provided by a hospice program comes from a team of professionals that works together to accommodate all the patients’ end-of-life needs.

The team typically includes hospice doctors that will work with the primary physician and family members to draft up a care plan; nurses who dispense medication for pain control; home care aids that attend to personal needs like eating and bathing; social workers who help the patient and the family prepare for end of life; clergy members who provide spiritual counseling, if desired; and volunteers that fill a variety of niches, from sitting with the patient to helping clean and maintain their property.

Some hospices even offer massage or music therapy, and nearly all provide bereavement services for relatives and short-term inpatient respite care to give family caregivers a break.

Most hospice patients receive care in their own home. However, hospice will go wherever the patient is — hospital, nursing home or assisted living residence. Some even have their own facility to use as an option.

To receive hospice, your mother-

in-law must get a referral from her physician stating that her life expectancy is six months or less.

It’s also important to know that home-based hospice care does not mean that a hospice nurse or volunteer is in the home 24 hours a day.

Services are based on need or what you request. Hospice care can also be stopped at any time if your motherin-law’s health improves or if she decides to re-enter cure-oriented treatments.

How to Choose The best time to prepare for hospice and consider your options is before it’s necessary, so you’re not making decisions during a stressful time. There are more than 4,300 hospice care agencies in the U.S., so depending on where you live, you may have several options from which to choose.

To locate a good hospice in your area, ask your mother-in-law’s doctor or the discharge planner at your local hospital for a referral, or you can search online at Medicare.gov/ care-compare, which provides lists and ratings of hospice providers in your area.

When choosing, look for an established hospice that has been operating for a few years and one that is certified

by Medicare. To help you select one, the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization offers a worksheet of questions to ask CaringInfo.org.

Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA) Rochester Chapter offers virtual programs in March for anyone interested in hearing loss. All use the Zoom platform. Preregistration is required by visiting the HLAA website at http://hearinglossrochester.org All presentations are free and in real time. Closed captioning is an option for all participants.

• Noon, March 2: Behavioral psychologist Samuel Trychin will show strategies for preventing and reducing unwanted emotional reactions to the challenges faced by people with hearing loss in “Calm during COVID.” His presentation emphasizes the stress that masking and distance have on people with hearing loss during the current pandemic, offering techniques for dealing with it. A practitioner in Erie, Pennsylvania, Trychin has authored numerous books and conducted workshops and training sessions.

• 10 a.m., March 9: Prospective, new or experienced hearing aid users can share their experiences, questions, and hearing loss journeys in an informal virtual round table discussion facilitated by Joe Kozelsky, a retired audiologist and hearing aid user. Real hearing aid users discuss real problems and concerns.

• 10 a.m., March 18: This is a continuing orientation to the online “Virtual Demo Center” website. It is a review of selected assistive listening devices, captioning-capable and amplified telephones, signaling-alerting devices and smart phone APP’s related to hearing enhancement and gives the opportunity for the presenters to answer questions from those joining the Zoom meeting.

Medicare Coverage Medicare covers all aspects of hospice care and services for its beneficiaries. There is no deductible for hospice services although there may be a very small co-payment — such as $5 for each prescription drug for pain and symptom control, or a 5% share for inpatient respite care.

Medicaid also covers hospice in most states, as do most private health insurance plans.

For more information, see the “Medicare Hospice Benefits” online booklet at Medicare.gov/pubs/pdf/02154-medicare-hospice-benefits. pdf.

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.

March 2021 •

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

The Rochester Chapter of the

Hearing Loss Association The Rochester Chapter of theof Hearing (HLAA) Loss Association of America is committed (HLAA) unites people to America providing resources and with allfor degrees of hearing loss. support individuals and Come toaffected one of our families bymonthly hearing chapter meetings to meet loss. others with hearing loss and learn from the professionals Come to one who treat it. of our virtual

programs.

Visit our website for to details: Youother don’t have Meet people with HearingLossRochester.org face hearing alone. hearing loss andloss learn from professionals treat it.

The Rochester that Chapter of the

Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA) unites people Programs are captioned with all degrees of hearing loss. and archived on YouTube Come to one of our monthly chapter meetings to meet Forothers details current withand hearing loss and schedules visit: learn from the professionals HearingLossRochester.org who treat it.

Visit our website for details: HearingLossRochester.org REGISTRATION IS

REQUIRED.

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WNY’s Healthcare Newspaper Advertise your services and products to more than 60,000 readers who every month grab a free copy of In Good Health — WNY’s Healthcare Newspaper. Low rates, wide distribution, good information. Available all month long.

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5

Things You Need to Know About COVID-19 Vaccines

Separating the myths from facts about vaccines

By Ernst Lamothe Jr.

I

n mid-December, the first 170,000 doses of the coronavirus were ushered into the state of New York. Double that number came a week later. Slowly every state has received its initial doses of the vaccine. Now, under the new Biden administration, there is a strong push for everyone to be vaccinated.

In mid-February, the president said that by July everyone who wants to be vaccinated will be able to do so.

There have been many questions and rumors about the vaccine as residents hope it is the first wave of good news when it comes to COVID-19 and the attempts to return to normalcy.

“I think the vaccines are safe and effective. I’ve taken my first injection and will take the second to generate a protective response,” said physician Alan J. Lesse, associate professor, division of infectious diseases, department of medicine, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo.

“When you are offered the vaccine, it is based on your risk of getting sick or doing poorly once you become infected.”

Lesse answers five frequently asked questions about the COVID-19 vaccine.

1.

What is the process of the vaccine coming to market?

Some people may wonder if the vaccine was fast-tracked and created too soon. But experts say there is a reason why the vaccine came through in less time than others because COVID-19 had similar strains from Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). The vaccines were built upon years of work in developing vaccines for similar viruses.

More than 70,000 people volunteered in clinical trials for two vaccines (Pfizer and Moderna) to see if they are safe and work to prevent COVID-19 illness. To date, the vaccines are 95% effective in preventing COVID-19 with no safety concerns.

“No shortcuts were done in the testing of the vaccines. The speed came from two major factors,” said Lesse. “First, given the worldwide pandemic, the U.S. and other countries, poured billions of dollars into the vaccine trials. This allowed a much more rapid accumulation of data. By having so many people enrolled, the same amount of data was obtained in a very short time.”

Lesse said the other major factor in the speed of the vaccine was the government’s commitment to buy the vaccines and cover the cost of vaccine production even before the vaccine was approved. Normally, because of the expense in ramping up to make the actual vaccine in the trials, companies produce small amounts of vaccine and wait to see if the vaccine trial proves effective. If approved, then the company makes many more vaccines, but there is always the question of how well it will sell and how much to make.

“By committing to purchase the vaccine before it was available, the economic risk to the companies was eliminated and the process was sped up greatly,” said Lesse. “This meant that millions of doses of every vaccine in clinical trials are being manufactured, but only those that are successful will be approved for use, allowing for vaccines to ship to people the day after approval is granted.

It normally takes months or longer to scale up production.”

2.

Signing up During the initial roll out and during the beginning of the year,

Ask The Social

Security Office

From the Social Security District Office Q: I currently receive Social Security disability benefits. I now have a second serious disability. Can my monthly benefit amount be increased?

A: No. Your Social Security disability benefit amount is based on the amount of your lifetime earnings before your disability began and not the number of disabling conditions or illnesses you may have. For more information, go to www.socialsecurity.gov/disability.

Q: How much will I receive if I qualify for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Page 18

•

benefits?

A: The amount of your SSI benefit depends on where you live and how much income you have.

The maximum SSI payment varies nationwide. For 2021, the maximum federal SSI payment for an eligible individual is $794 a month and $1,191 a month for an eligible couple.

However, many states add money to the basic payment. For more information, go to www.socialsecurity. gov/ssi.

federal elected officials, health care workers, those working in nursing homes and senior citizens were prioritized with the vaccine. The COVID-19 vaccine will be distributed in phases to groups of people at increased risk of exposure or severe illness. Phased distribution will take time, with vaccines not expected to be widely available to all New Yorkers until mid-2021. The different phases of COVID-19 vaccine distribution are determined by New York State and may change. The federal government determines how much vaccine New York state receives. The federal government has given New York about 300,000 vaccines per week for more than seven million people who are eligible, as a result supply is very limited.

3.

Should you get the vaccine?

There are people on either side of the vaccine who are either highly excited and plan to receive it right away and others who are skeptical and may take a wait and see approach. Lesse has a clear answer when asked if people should get vaccinated.

“I strongly recommend that everyone should be vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2 because it is highly effective and offers widespread protection,” he added. “This has been a tragic year for humanity with the loss of more than half million souls in the U.S. and more than 1.7 million people worldwide due to COVID-19.

The pandemic has also crushed the economy and there is no hope of repairing the economy until the pandemic is under control. That will require a massive vaccination effort.”

Have there been any side effects?

There is no COVID-19 in 4. the vaccines and there are no serious side effects. But a few common oc-

Q: I noticed that my date of birth in Social Security’s records is wrong. How do I get that corrected?

A: To change the date of birth shown on our records, take the following steps: • Complete an Application For A Social Security Card (Form SS-5); Show us documents proving: • U.S. citizenship (if you have not previously established your citizenship with us); • Age; and • Identity; then • Take (or mail) your completed application and documents to your local Social Security office.

Note that all documents must be either originals or copies certified by the issuing agency. We cannot accept photocopies or notarized copies of documents. For details on the documents, visit www.socialsecurity.gov/ ss5doc.

Q: I’m gathering everything I’ll need to file my taxes this month. Do I have to pay taxes on Social Security benefits?

Also, where can I get a replacement

IN GOOD HEALTH – Buffalo & WNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • March 2021

Physician Alan J. Lesse, division of infectious diseases at the University at Buffalo. “I think the vaccines are safe and effective. I’ve taken my first injection and will take the second to generate a protective response,” he says. currences have happened in people.

“The main side effects of the vaccine are pain, swelling, and redness at the injection site,” said Lesse. “Fever and muscle aches are also seen after vaccination. Since both vaccines require two administrations, the second vaccination may have more or less side effects of the same type.”

What are some myths about the 5. vaccine Lesse said the major myth to

dispel is that the vaccines were not properly tested and inappropriately rushed to market.

“While the large investment of time and money made the emergency use authorization of the vaccines possible, the safety data for the immediate use of the vaccine in a pandemic was more than sufficient to confirm the known and potential benefits of this vaccine outweigh the known and potential harms of becoming infected with the coronavirus disease COVID-19,” said Lesse.

1099?

A: Some people who get Social Security must pay federal income taxes on their benefits. Still, no one pays taxes on more than 85% of their Social Security benefits.

You must pay taxes on some portion of your benefits if you file an individual federal tax return and your income exceeds $25,000. If you file a joint return, you must pay taxes if you and your spouse have combined income of more than $32,000.

If you are married and file a separate return, you probably will have to pay taxes on your benefits. You can read more about tax preparation in relation to Social Security at www. socialsecurity.gov/planners/taxes. htm. Social Security benefits include monthly retirement, survivors, and disability benefits. They don’t include Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments, which are not taxable. You can also get a replacement 1099 or 1042S when you open your own personal my Social Security account at www.socialsecurity.gov/ myaccount.

H ealth News Roswell Park’s Candace Johnson named to ‘Health Power 100’ list Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center President & CEO Candace S. Johnson, Ph.D., has been named to City & State’s Health Power 100 list.

Johnson, the only Western New Yorker named to the top 50, was Johnson ranked by the media organization at 44th among medical professionals, policymakers and influencers who are leading New York state forward despite a year of unprecedented challenges.

This year, the publication states, healthcare was New York’s top priority as COVID-19 “tore through the state.” Under Johnson’s guidance, the center has worked day in and day out to ensure that cancer patients are still able to access high-quality of care throughout the pandemic, implementing comprehensive measures to keep patients, employees and the wider community safe.

While the COVID-19 pandemic, City & State notes, “has drawn most of the attention of medical professionals across the globe, other life-threatening illnesses remain as much of a threat as they were before. [Johnson’s] world-class cancer center has kept up the fight, treating patients and pioneering innovative treatments while adapting to the coronavirus threat.

Johnson leads a team of more

than 3,700 as president and CEO and M&T Bank Presidential Chair in Leadership at Roswell Park. She joined Roswell Park in February 2002 from the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute/University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

HealthNow named one of best employers by Forbes HealthNow New York, Inc., doing business as BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York and BlueShield of Northeastern New York, has been named by Forbes as one of America’s Best Midsize Employers.

One of New York’s leading nonprofit health plans, HealthNow serves nearly one million members and employs more than 2,000 associates. Employees enjoy a portfolio of benefits, featuring medical and dental coverage, 401(k) contributions, competitive pay and paid time off, plus access to an employee assistance program (EAP) and mental health support. Beyond traditional benefits, employees are rewarded with tuition assistance, adoption reimbursement, and several development opportunities.

The Forbes ranking honors employers based on an independent survey asking how likely employees would be to recommend their employer — and other employers in their respective industries — to someone else.

“This award is a great point of pride for our more than 2,000 employees, leadership team and company,” said Doug Parks, senior vice president, chief human resources officer, HealthNow New York, Inc. “Our employees are our greatest asset. While that’s evident every year,

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it’s especially true this year as we continue to support our members throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, which makes this distinction even more impactful.”

Forbes, in partnership with Statista.com, conducted an anonymous survey with a sample of over 50,000 employees belonging to institutions comprised of more than 1,000 employees in the U.S., across 25 different industries. The scores are calculated based on participants’ direct and indirect recommendations as well as their opinions of other work-related topics such as working conditions, potential for development, and their company’s response to COVID-19.

Yielding best-in-class results year after year, HealthNow has a long history of conducting employee engagement surveys. This honor from Forbes provides another proof point of the company’s position as a great employer.

Award to allow Roswell Park to study breast cancer disparities A research team headed by Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center epidemiologist Zhihong Gong, Ph.D., has been awarded a five-year, $1.9 million grant from the National Cancer Institute for an investigation into the role that certain Gong genetic molecules play in the disparities seen between Black people and white people with breast cancer. This project is the latest among many multimillion-dollar grants earned by Roswell Park to focus on addressing race-based cancer health disparities.

Women of African ancestry are more likely than those of European descent to develop aggressive and hard-to-treat breast cancer tumors, such as high-grade, estrogen-receptor-negative (ER-negative) and triple-negative types, and they have poorer prognosis. As the rate of breast cancer increases among Black women, approaching the rate seen in white women, this disproportional burden grows greater.

Gong’s study will focus on a type of genetic molecule known as long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) — a newly appreciated class of gene regulators that play a role in cancer genesis and tumor progression.

“We understand that abnormal expression of certain long noncoding RNAs is associated with breast cancer metastasis and cancer cell survival,” explains Gong, associate professor of oncology in Roswell Park’s department of cancer prevention and control. “But studies to date have focused exclusively on white women, and few have used next-generation sequencing technology to provide

March 2021 •

unbiased and comprehensive profiling.”

Gong and colleagues will look closely at large existing databases of tissue samples and information about tumor characteristics, clinical outcomes, treatments received and lifestyle factors. Using next-generation sequencing technology, the team aims to identify long noncoding RNAs that are associated with aggressive breast cancer types and poor prognosis, and to discover the underlying mechanisms of how these molecules contribute to cancer progression.

“Our study is novel and addresses an understudied area in breast cancer research among this underserved population with the worst prognosis,” says Gong. “We’re excited to learn more. It’s our hope that our findings will shed light on new tumor markers and the development of targeted preventive and therapeutic strategies for people at high risk for breast cancer.”

$1.5 million grant to ECMC to address hepatitis C The New York State Department of Health AIDS Institute has again awarded a $1.5 million “Eliminating Hepatitis C by Improving Access to Care and Treatment” grant to Erie County Medical Center (ECMC) Corporation’s Martinez Center for Hepatology Care. The center was previously funded by the same state source from 2015-2020.

As a result of the grant award, $300,000 per year will be awarded to the center over a five-year period from June 1 through May 31, 2026.

Selection was based on the competitive review and evaluation of ECMC’s response to the grant request issued by the state health department in September 2019 for the Western New York region.

“We are very thankful to the New York State Department of Health AIDS Institute for again recognizing the vital services provided through ECMC’s Center for Hepatology Care,” said physician Anthony Martinez, medical director of hepatology at ECMC. “Their continued support is further confirmation of the positive outcomes we have achieved for our patients. This critically important funding will enable our clinical team to improve access to care and treatment of hepatitis C patients throughout our region.”

The Center for Hepatology Care, established in 2012, is a key location for hepatitis Cvirus (HCV) management in Western New York, treating over 2,000 patients since its inception and it is now a well-established, sustainable program for primary care, comprehensive liver disease, and substance use management.

IN GOOD HEALTH – Buffalo & WNY’s Healthcare Newspaper

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Page 19

Our dedicated frontline heroes are here for you.

©2020 ECMC

Our ECMC family is incredibly grateful for the doctors, nurses, specialists, and staff who are working tirelessly to care for our community with undeterred dedication. Amid the challenges of the pandemic, you are fighting COVID-19 head-on. Even when we’re through this chapter, your courage and sacrifices will always inspire our community.

The difference between healthcare and true care ECMC.edu

TM

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IN GOOD HEALTH – Buffalo & WNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • March 2021