In Good Health

May 2013 • IN GOOD HEALTH – CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper •

CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper

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May 2013 • Issue 161

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Study: Bras Make Breasts Sag

5 Kinds of Tea That Can Save

Your Life

Bedside Manner

New in CNY: Aerial Yoga

Program at SUNY Upstate University uses actors to help medical students sharpen their skills when dealing with patients. Page 9

ShinglesHit 60 years of

age? You should consider taking

a vaccine against shingles

Mud Runs New practice getting lots of attention from both serious

athletes looking for a physical challenge and couch potatoes

looking for a good time

Eye CareIf you’re 55-plus, you should see

your eye doctor at least once a year.

Find out why

Orthopedic surgeon in

Auburn holds a Bronze Star for

his performance in Afghanistan

• IN GOOD HEALTH – CNY’s Healthcare Newspaper • May 2013

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For generations, women have been advised that wearing a bra would

keep breasts from sagging, prevent back pain and im-prove posture.

Wrong, wrong and wrong, according to a study conducted by Jean-Denis Rouillon, a sports medicine specialist from the Centre Hos-pitalier Universitaire in Besan-con, France.

“Medically, physiologically, ana-tomically — breasts gain no benefit from being denied gravity,” Rouillon said, as quoted on TheLocal.fr. “On the contrary, they get saggier with a bra.”

Rouillon should know: Since 1997, he has been studying the breasts of 330 volunteers aged 18 to 35 using a slide ruler and a caliper to record the chang-es in breast position as the women aged.

His meticulous research revealed that women could experience about a 1/4-inch (7-millimeter) lift in the nipples each year they didn’t wear a bra, news site Counsel & Heal reports.

The researchers involved in the study suggested that bras — which Rouillon now calls “a false necessity”— discourage the growth of supporting breast tissue, leaving the breasts to sag more quickly.

Other research has challenged the conventional wisdom that breast-feed-ing causes breast ptosis (sagging). A 2007 study of 132 women revealed that

Each year, only 5 percent of the estimated 1.5 million children with an autism spectrum disorder

in the US participate in clinical research studies. This is in stark contrast to pediatric cancer studies, which have a nearly 90 percent enrollment rate — a rate that has helped advance treatment and outcomes for childhood cancers substantially in the last decade.

In an effort to accelerate similar progress within the autism community, a group of academic medical centers has collaborated to launch an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) sub-reg-istry within ResearchMatch (www.researchmatch.org), a disease-neutral national database connecting patients with ongoing research. The new ASD sub-registry helps act as a matchmaker, linking families with autism research-ers around the nation. Registration on ResearchMatch takes about five minutes and is open to volunteers of all ages and conditions including volun-teers without health conditions.

“If we could raise the autism re-search participation level to that of the pediatric cancer community, we think we could realize similar gains in new knowledge, treatments and outcomes,”

said Rose Hallarn, program director for clinical trials recruitment at the Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS) at The Ohio State University and Institutional Liaison for Research-Match.

Working with researchers at Vanderbilt University, Hallarn’s team interviewed families of autistic chil-dren, autism advocates and research-ers to come up with five additional questions that have been added to the registration process for those who have identified themselves (or their depen-dents) with ASD during registration. The questions help identify behaviors and medications that could make children eligible for certain studies. The registry allows for a range of participa-tion levels from volunteers — some studies involve going to a lab or taking medication, other studies are just look-ing for volunteers to take online health information surveys.

“Research studies can be stalled or prematurely closed if they are unable to enroll enough study participants. We’re hopeful that the simplicity of this registry will encourage people to join,” said Hallarn.

Bras Make Breasts Sag, Study Suggests

breast-feeding had no effect on the degree of breast sagging.

What did affect breast ptosis, that research revealed, was age, smok-ing status and the number of times a woman had become pregnant.

Because Rouillon’s study focused on younger women, he cautioned that the results can’t be generalized to all women.

“It would be dangerous to ad-vise all women to stop wearing their soutien-gorge [bra] as the women involved were not a representative sample of the population,” he said, as quoted in French news site The Con-nexion.

“It would be of no benefit to a 45-year-old mother to stop wearing a bra,” Rouillon said.

One of the participants in the study extolled the virtues of going bra-free: “There are multiple benefits: I breathe more easily, I carry myself better and I have less back pain,” she told news site France Info.

New Autism Registry Hopes to Boost Research Participation Rates

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CALENDARHEALTH EVENTS

of May 4Cicero dance studio to celebrate Pilates Day

Fitness of Dance of CNY in Cicero will host a free class and demo day from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 4 to celebrate national Pilates Day, which is on that day. Pilates enthusiasts around the world will celebrate the life and work of Joseph Pilates. Pilates, origi-nally from Germany, used his exercise regimen to rehabilitate British soldiers in World War 1 during the influenza outbreak of 1918. He introduced his exercise method to the United States in New York City in 1925 where his work with equipment and routines became very popular with dancers from the New York City Ballet. Profes-sionals at Dance of CNY will perform demonstration on the Pilates reformer, tower, chair and spine corrector. Owner Valerie Patrick, one of the only instruc-tors in the area to complete a compre-hensive Pilates certification, will be on hand to demonstrate the equipment and to show how Pilates can change your body, strengthen your core, align your spine and help you to live a better life. For more information, contact the studio by emailing [email protected] or calling 480-9727.

May 7Unbiased Medicare workshops held in Auburn

Learn about the basics of Medicare at free workshops to be held from 6 –8 p.m. May 7 and from 1–3 p.m. May 8 at the basement training room of the Cayuga County Office Building. These sessions will be geared toward Cayuga County residents only who are ap-proaching Medicare enrollment and for those already enrolled who are over-whelmed or confused by the informa-

tion and the options available. These are not meetings during which sales efforts will be made, and no insurance vendors will be present; these presenta-tions will contain unbiased information only. Information included in these programs will be: the basics of original Medicare; Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D prescription coverage; Medicare Preventive benefits; Medicare supplemental insurance and EPIC; costs, co-pays and deductibles; and information about available assistance to help those beneficiaries of a low-income status. Registration is required and will be accepted until such time as the seating limit has been met. Regis-tration is currently open for all classes. For more information or to register, please call the Cayuga County Office for the Aging at 315-253-1226, or visit the news & activities section of www.co.cayuga.ny.us/aging/events.htm.

May 15CPR certification course offered at St. Joe’s

St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center is offering a CPR certification course from 6 – 9:30 p.m. May 15, in room 201 A & B at its main facility, 301 Prospect Ave. Syracuse. This is in response to requests by people in the community to be able to learn CPR, as well as to sup-port the American Heart Association’s goal of increasing the number of people who can perform this life-saving skill. Call 448-5847 to register. The cost is $50. Space is limited.

May 18Annual Oswego Health Charity Walk planned

Oswego Health will hold its eighth annual Charity Walk/Run on Saturday, May 18 at the Seneca Hill Health Com-

munity. This year’s event will benefit Oswego Health’s cancer outreach and education support services. The event is also supported by the Oswego and Fulton YMCAs. The paved course at the Seneca Hill campus is a certified 3.1 (5K) mile course for runners and walk-ers. There is also a 1.5 mile course for walkers. In addition, the unpaved na-ture trail walk will be available. Check in begins at the upper parking lot of The Manor at Seneca Hill at 8 a.m., with the race starting at 9 a.m. The pre-registration fee is $15 for adults and $6 for children aged six to 12. Same day registration is $20. There is also a fam-ily rate of $35. Children under the age of 5 can participate for free. The Manor and Springside, both located on the Seneca Hill campus, Oswego Hospital and several local businesses. A form will be available on the Oswego Health website at www.oswegohealth.org.

May 18, 19Cystic fibrosis group holds walk events

The Central New York chapter of Cystic Fibrosis Foundation invites the public to join the group premier walk event, which will take place at several locations in Central New York. This year’s goal is to raise over $325,000 for life-saving cystic fibrosis (CF) research and therapeutics development across nine walk sites in Ithaca, Utica, Au-burn, Ogdensburg, Oswego, Sidney, Syracuse, Watertown, and Binghamton.

• In Syracuse the event will take place 9 a.m. on May 19 at the Inner Harbor in Syracuse.

• In Oswego, it will start at 10 a.m. on May 18 at Breitbeck Park.

• In Auburn, the event will take place starting at 10 a.m. on May 18. A location was to be determined as of press time.

You can help the group reach its goal by participating in a Great Strides Walk near you. Register online at www.cff.org/great_strides and you’ll have the opportunity to use the interactive fundraising to reach your personal goal. You also can invite walkers to join your team, request online dona-tions, and check your fundraising status. Once you register, there are skilled staff at your local CF Founda-tion chapter who are available to assist you with your fundraising efforts. Contact your local chapter by calling 315-463-7965.

May 20Brain aneurysm group to meet in E. Syracuse

The CNY Brain Aneurysm Support Group has scheduled a meeting from 6:30 – 8 p.m. May 20 at Health Link/OASIS, (old Telergy Building), 6333 Route 298, E, Syracuse. Issues related

OASIS, a nonprofit organiza-tion whose mission is to enhance the lives of mature adults 50 and older through lifelong learning, healthy living and social engagement will sponsor two seminars in May.

• “Chronic Disease Self Man-agement Program” Will be held onTuesdays from May 14 through June 18. On six consecutive OASIS will present this class at the Liv-erpool Library from 5:30-8:00 pm. The purpose of this program is to enhance attendees’ ability to manage their health and maintain an active and fulfilling lifestyle.

This class is presented by Diane Sheedy and Sue Stowell, co-peer leaders certified by Stanford Univer-sity. The program is made possible with the support from The Advo-cates for Upstate Medical University, The Centers at St. Camillus, Onon-daga County Department of Aging

and Youth, and OASIS. This class free to all OASIS members. • “Change and Resilience Work-shop.” On eight Tuesdays beginning May 21 from 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m., this class will be presented by San-dra Tars, clinical psychologist and former clinical associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sci-ence at Upstate Medical University. This course is designed to develop skills for welcoming, planning and managing change, allowing us to make the most of our lives what-ever challenges and opportunities confront us.

Membership to OASIS is free. The fee for the entire course is $48. This class is held at the OASIS Center at 6333 state Route 298, next to the Double Tree Hotel off Carrier Circle. For class processing fees or other information call 464-6555 or stop in our offices.

OASIS presents programs on chronic disease management, change and resilience

to brain aneurism will be addressed at the meeting. The group was started to provide support to individuals affected by a brain aneurysm as well as their family, friends, and caregivers in the Central New York area. The support group meets every third Monday of the month. For more information, please contact [email protected], call 315-656-2446, or visit www.braincny.org.

May 20 – June 28Equine-assisted therapy course offered at SU

A new innovative course offered at Syracuse University this summer will benefit children with physical and cog-nitive challenges. Teenagers and adults with autism, Down syndrome and other cognitive or intellectual disabili-ties, as well as military veterans and individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder and various health and mental health problems will also benefit. The three-credit course (SWK 400/600) is open to professionals in mental health, health care, child and family services, physical therapy, occupational and recreation therapy, education and other fields. Undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in human services or health profession degree programs are also invited to enroll. The course is scheduled from May 20 through June 28 and includes a classroom session on campus (Mondays 6–9:45 p.m.) and an experiential session with From the Ground Up Therapeutic Horseman-ship, Inc., on Wednesdays 4–7:45 p.m. or Thursdays noon-3:45 p.m. Andrea Colella, director of From the Ground Up Therapeutic Horsemanship, Inc. and a PATH Intl Certified instructor and Paul Caldwell, associate professor of Social Work at Syracuse University will teach the course. A limited number of slots will be available for a non-cred-it enrollment fee of $750. For registra-tion information contact summer.syr.edu. For questions about the course, contact Paul Caldwell at [email protected] 27Memorial Day event to benefit Lafayette Outreach

The Columbian Presbyterian Church in LaFayette will host a Me-morial Day Benefit for LaFayette Outreach, Inc., the local food pantry and service-referral agency. The event will take place from 8 a.m. – 12 p.m., May 27, on the church grounds at the corner of routes 11 and 20, LaFayette. The event will consist of a silent auc-tion, bake sale, plant sale, “Red, White & Blue Ice Cream Sundaes,” and free kid’s craft area. Organizers say they have added new attractions for this year’s event. For more information or to volunteer, call 315-677-3293 or email [email protected].

Check styles of all items -- should not be italicized

Safe disposal of “sharps,” also known as needles, syringes and lan-cets, is a concern to all members of the Syracuse community. St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center provides a convenient site for the safe disposal of sharps for people with medical conditions that require at-home, self-injections, through the free residen-tial sharps collection program. The program takes place from 10 a.m. to

1 p.m. on the first and third Satur-day of every month at St. Joseph’s emergency department.

St. Joseph’s accepts used nee-dles, syringes and lancets in clean, biohazard-labeled sharps contain-ers or in clean, plastic bleach or laundry detergent bottles with a screw-on cap. Those wishing to drop off sharps may call St. Joseph’s at 448-5173 for more information.

‘Sharps disposal available at St. Joe’s


A monthly newspaper published by Local News, Inc. Distribution: 35,000 copies. To request home delivery ($15 per year), call 342-1182.

In Good Health is published 12 times a year by Local News, Inc. © 2013 by Local News, Inc. All rights reserved. Mailing Address: P.O. Box 276,

Oswego, NY 13126. • Phone: 315-342-1182 • Fax: 315-342-7776.

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.

HealthCNY’s Healthcare Newspaper

in goodONONDAGA, OSWEGO, CAYUGA AND MADISON COUNTIES

Editor & Publisher: Wagner Dotto • Associate Editor: Lou Sorendo Contributing Writers: Jim Miller, Eva Briggs, M.D., Gwenn Voelckers, Deborah Banikowski, Deborah Sergeant, Anne Palumbo, Melissa Stefanec, Matthew Liptak, Mary Beth Roach, Chris Motola, Allison

Kanaley Trudell • Advertising: Jasmine Maldonado, Tracy DeCann • Design: Chris Crocker • Office Manager: Laura J. Beckwith

Upstate New York hospitals have been more successful than state facilities as a whole in lowering

rates of two commonly reported hospi-tal-acquired infections, according to a detailed analysis of four years of patient infection data issued in April by Excellus BlueCross BlueShield.

“Hospital-acquired infections are serious but avoidable public health prob-lems that reduce a patient’s ability to heal, causing suffering, extended hospi-tal stays, expensive treatments and even death,” said physician Arthur Vercillo, regional president, Excellus BlueCross BlueShield.

“In an ideal world, no patient would ever get an infection from a hospital stay,” Vercillo continued. “Recognizing that we don’t live in a perfect world, and that systematic reporting is central to the success of hospital-acquired infec-tion control programs, New York state began tracking and reporting hospital-specific rates of surgical site infections and central line-associated bloodstream infections in 2007.”

Excellus BlueCross BlueShield’s analysis of the New York state reports finds that each year between 2008 and 2011, Upstate New York hospitals had lower rates of these two, common types of hospital-acquired infections than New York state hospitals. It also notes that hospitals in New York state — especially those in upstate New York — have made great strides in reducing infection rates:

• Surgical site infection rates in Up-state New York hospitals decreased by almost 8 percent between 2008 and 2011, when surgical site infection rates among New York state hospitals decreased 3 percent. During that time, surgical site infection rates dropped 33 percent in the Finger Lakes region, 13 percent in Utica/Rome/the North Country and .4 percent in Western New York. Surgical site infec-tion rates increased by almost 11 percent in Central New York (even though they were among the lowest of all Upstate New York regions in 2008 and 2011) and 4 percent in the Southern Tier.

• In 2011, the surgical site infection rate per 100 procedures in Upstate New York hospitals was 1.97, while the rate in New York state hospitals was 2.10. Upstate New York hospitals in the Finger Lakes region recorded the lowest surgi-cal site infection rate (1.49 infections per 100 procedures), while hospitals in the Southern Tier and Western New York had the highest surgical site infection

rates (2.35 and 2.34 per 100 procedures, respectively).

• Between 2008 and 2011, central line-associated bloodstream infection rates in Upstate New York decreased 46 percent, while central line-associated bloodstream infection rates in New York state hospitals decreased 42 percent. The largest decline in central line-associated bloodstream infections among Upstate New York hospitals was in Utica/Rome/the North Country (79 percent), followed by the Finger Lakes (65 percent), Central New York (50.5 percent), Western New York (14 percent) and the Southern Tier (8 percent).

• In 2011, the central line-associ-ated bloodstream infection rate per 1,000 days in Upstate New York hospitals was 1.12, while the rate in New York state hospitals was 1.37. In Upstate New York, Utica/Rome/North Country hospitals had the lowest central line-associated infection rate (34 infections per 1,000 days), and Western New York hospitals recorded the highest rate (1.52 infections per 1,000 days).

“Differences in Upstate New York hospital infection control practices may partially explain regional variations uncovered in the Excellus BlueCross BlueShield report,” said Vercillo. “While clinical surveillance systems that use sophisticated techniques to compile and analyze hospital data help hospitals spot infection patterns and target areas for im-provement, not all hospitals have them.”

Continuing Upstate New York ef-forts to lower hospital-acquired infection rates will help patients avoid additional suffering, save lives and slow the growth in health care costs, according to Vercillo. In 2010, New York state reported about 108,000 hospital-acquired infections, including 24,000 in upstate New York. Those hospital-acquired infections led to nearly 5,000 New York state deaths, 1,100 of which were in upstate New York.

If Upstate New York hospitals could lower the number of hospital-acquired infections by even 20 or 40 percent, there would be 5,000 to 10,000 fewer infec-tions and 200 to 400 associated deaths, the Excellus BlueCross BlueShield report concludes. That would also annually save Upstate New York state hospitals between $68 million and $137 million.

To view the complete report, “The Facts About Hospital-Acquired Infec-tions in Upstate New York,” go to excel-lusbcbs.com and select “News & Infor-mation” at the bottom of the page.

Surgical Site Infection Rate Among CNY Hospitals Up 11 Percent

Cataract Informational SeminarHosted by Eye Consultants of Syracuse

Wednesday, June 5th, 6:00 p.m.Specialty Surgery Center

225 Greenfield Parkway, Suite #105, Liverpool, NY 13088

If you experience one or more of these symptoms, you may have cataracts, a clouding of the eyes natural lens that affects many of us

as we grow older. We will be hosting a free informational seminar for anyone interested in learning more about cataracts, the treatment

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Please R.S.V.P by Monday, June 3rd to 315-422-4412 Ext. 308. Please ask for Heath or Cyndi.

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Meet Your Doctor

By Chris Motola

Q: You’re an orthopedic surgeon specializing in sports medicine. Is most of your work sports medicine related?

A: I also do a bunch of shoulder work, too.

Q: What kinds of injuries do you typically encounter?

A: Lately I’ve been seeing injuries to the rotator cuff, the knee, shoulder instabil-ity surgery, ACL reconstruction.

Q: What are the primary causes of these injuries?

A: Most of the rotator cuff injuries I’ve seen are in the older population. Falls, overuse injuries. The ACL knee stuff has been basketball injuries.

Q: What is usually involved in the surgeries you perform?

A: Most surgery I do is minimally invasive, through the arthroscope.

Q: You received a Bronze Star for you performance in Afghanistan. What was your experience over there like?

A: I was the head of orthopedics for Bagram, which is a military medical center for Afghanistan. While I was there, I dealt with a lot of interesting cases with a lot of local national trauma and soldier trauma. Blast injuries, gunshot wounds and even routine stuff like injuries from working out or training. The combat related stuff was pretty intense.

Q: Did you have to be a bit of an emergency medicine doc-tor over there or were you able to stick to your specialty?

A: It was pretty much a team effort with most of the cases. I wouldn’t say it was emergency medicine, but I was on call not just for orthopedics but for trauma. We’d be available to help solve problems and work together to bring about the best-case scenario with some of the most horrific injuries you could imagine.

Q: Would you attribute the relatively low fatal-ity rate among

American soldiers to better medical intervention?

A: I think it’s threefold. We’ve learned, in combat, from 2000 onward that body armor works. It saves lives. The other thing we learned is that having a rapid medevac system also contributes to saving lives. The thing that we didn’t realize or expect is the amount of significant disabling injuries that would be suffered. War is a horrible, horrible thing, but if there’s one good thing that came out of our involvement in the war, from a medical standpoint, is that we’ve really learned a lot about blast injuries and soft tissue wounds. We’ve also gotten a lot better with the development of prosthetics. The US government pumped a ton of money into prosthetics and rehab. We’ve also learned a lot about traumatic brain injury, which is something else that came out of the war. Some of the soldiers who would have died in the past now sur-vive, but unfortunately they may not have all their faculties after a serious concussion or head injury. Combined with what you’re seeing from NFL football injuries, there’s a lot of research into traumatic brain injury now. I hate to call it a benefit, but a lot of advances tend to come about during war-time. Necessity is the mother of invention, unfortunately.

Q: As far as medical intervention, what can be done to minimize the level of disability one might be left with from a wartime wound?

A: That’s a chal-lenging question.

Obviously, receiving proper quality care and evacuating them back to the states for a higher level of care. It’s a huge team approach as the soldier receives care and is transitioned into the VA sys-tem. I really think

it’s a function of the system being supported and the

facilities under-standing

that

soldiers are willing to give the ultimate sacrifice for their country and showing a dedication to helping those soldiers. Out-side of that, if you’re missing two limbs, you’re going to be disabled. Some people, like that soldier on Dancing with the Stars, can endure a whole lot.

Q: Do you still deal with trau-matic head injuries, or does that fall more into the realm of neurology and neurosurgery?

A: It’s mostly neurology, but it’s im-portant to be able to recognize those symp-toms if you’re a sports medicine specialist to make sure they get the right treatment and rest. That’s especially important for avoiding double concussion syndrome, where you have a kid get a concussion, his symptoms are missed and then he goes back into the game and gets another concussion within 24 hours. That second concussion is a significant multiplier as it relates to the worsening of symptoms. It’s no longer acceptable for a kid to have his bell rung, shake it off and go back into the game. It’s better to err on the side of caution until they’re evaluated.

Q: On a similar note, where is there some overlap between nerve conditions and orthopedic conditions?

A: The nervous system supplies mes-sages to the muscular-skeletal system, so if nerves get irritated, there can be numbness in extremities or muscle spasms or weak-ness. Nervous conditions often manifest themselves in a muscular or skeletal complaint.

Q: So what’s up with the rotator cuff? Why is that muscle such a prob-lem for athletes?

A: I think a lot of it has to do with overuse and lack of education. Some of it’s just inherent anatomy. There are three dif-ferent types of acromium, which is the ball that sits above the rotator cuff. That bone can be flat, slightly curve or hooked. If it’s hooked, there’s less space between the soft tissue and the bone, so you’re automatically set up for the bone rubbing on the muscle. That can lead to wear and partial tearing and eventually to full tearing. A lot of the time, when we exercise, we’re exercis-ing our big muscle groups over our little muscle groups. When we overtrain of our anatomy, it causes an imbalance. Unfortu-nately, the rotator cuff can take the brunt of those changes.

LifelinesName: Robert D. Swift, D.O.Hometown: Carlisle, PaEducation: New York College of Osteo-pathic Medicine. Residency: UMDNJ- SOM Stratford/ Cooper University Medi-cal Center. Trained in advanced arthroso-copy, shoulder and sports medicine. Has received additional training in trauma and shoulder problems from Vanderbilt Univer-sity and was a team physician for Michigan Tech University a DI Hockey programCareer / Awards: Sixteen years of military service in the United States Army, Pro-vided orthopedic service in Afghanistan battling the war on terrorism. Recipient of numerous military awards and academic endeavors. Most notably, he received the Bronze Star Medal for service in Afghani-stan and the Meritorious Service Medical for service at Fort Campbell, KYAffi liations: Auburn Memorial Hospital Organizations: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons; American Osteo-pathic Academy of Orthopedics; American Osteopathic Association; Society of Mili-tary Orthopaedic Surgeons; Orthopaedic Trauma Association; Southern Orthopaedic AssociationFamily: Single, one dogHobbies: Biking, skiing, hiking, traveling

Robert Swift, DOOrthopedic surgeon in Auburn holds a Bronze Star for his performance in Afghanistan

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“War is a horrible, horrible thing, but if there’s one good thing that came out of our involvement in the war, from a medical standpoint, is that we’ve really learned a lot about blast injuries and soft tissue wounds.”

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Smartphone applica-tions, commonly called “apps” have

changed the way many Americans perform tasks, get information and entertain them-selves. They also have changed how people manage their health and how healthcare profes-sionals monitor health.

Ashlea Youngs, who holds a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology and works as a per-sonal trainer at Metro Fitness in Syracuse, said health apps are growing in popularity.

“I believe people are using them be-cause they know that they should be ex-ercising to improve their health but they aren’t sure how, so by using these apps, they are finding the answer and being proactive,” she said.

Nike Training Club is one app she likes. It offers a va-riety of workouts for all different fitness levels and also different types of training, such as circuit training and strength training. The app designer also accounted for today’s busy life-style.

“They accommodate people look-ing to get in a quick half an hour work-out or those who have more time to take on a hardcore workout,” Youngs said.

Youngs also likes “My Fitness Pal” which helps track food intake, exercise

level and water con-sumption.

“Diet is 80 per-cent of weight loss and holding yourself accountable is some-times the hardest part, which is where My Fitness Pal comes in,” Youngs said.

Nike Plus is an app available at the Apple Store online. It integrates with an iPod and a shoe de-

signed with a sensor in it to count steps and monitor fitness.

The store also offers Fuel Band, which also counts steps and corre-sponds to a website where users can record their calories by what food they’ve been eating.

As of January 2012, patients of SUNY Upstate Medical Center can access MyChart on their iPhone or An-droid phones to check out their medi-cal information, including medication lists, allergies, immunization history, and most test results. Patients can email their doctors non-urgent medical questions, review upcoming appoint-ments, and request an appointment or medication. Patients who want to use MyChart need to contact their primary

AutoVerbal Pro from No Tie Software, LLC in Rochester allows non-verbal users to use their iPhone, iPad or iPod to communicate verbally with others, including healthcare providers

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

care physician’s office to obtain an ac-cess code.

“Launching Upstate MyChart, our patient-driven EMR access platform, creates convenience for patients, but also promotes consistency for health-care providers,” said Neal Seidberg, Upstate University Hospital chief medical information officer.

“The EMR creates one standard-ized record of all of that patient’s information,” Seidberg added. “For instance, when determining a prescrip-tion a physician can see any other medications that patient may be taking, allergies or related complaints without having to access additional files.”

Apps are also helping patients communicate better with their physi-cians. AutoVerbal Pro from No Tie Software, LLC in Rochester allows non-verbal users to use their iPhone, iPad or iPod to communicate verbally with others, including healthcare providers.

“It has hundreds of prepro-grammed buttons for a variety of phrases, including health and feelings, plus programmable buttons that can have a custom photo and speak any phrase,” said Todd Bernhard, president of No Tie.

Users may also type their message and select a male or female voice to fur-ther customize the experience.

The $9.99 app replaces devices that can cost as much as $6,000 and offers the opportunity for non-verbal people to speak through a common device carried by many Americans, instead of a clumsy soundboard that may stigma-tize its user to others.

AARP selected AutoVerbal as a winner in the Relationship/Family Caregiving category at the organiza-tion’s Sterling Awards competition in Jan., 2012.

Apps Help Doctors and Patients

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Practical tips, advice and hope for those who live alone

Live Alone & Thrive By Gwenn Voelckers

Faithful readers of this column know that I traveled alone to Paris in 2004 to celebrate my 50th birth-

day. It turned out to be the most glori-ous and memorable 10 days of my life.

It was also life changing. While in Paris, I began to think

about my life and my “calling” at this significant milestone. I wondered, What do I have to offer? What could I do on a personal level to contribute to this big, beautiful, complex world?

Sipping an espresso in Café de Flore, on Boulevard Saint-Germaine, I can remember asking myself: “What do I know well? What am I good at? What could I possibly give back to a world that has been so good to me?” And that’s when the idea of helping women live alone with success percolated to the surface.

I thought, I know how to live alone, I’m pretty good at it. I enjoy it! Maybe I could help other divorced or widowed women my age reclaim their lives. Maybe I could help them get a better handle on living alone and to feel more content with themselves and their inde-pendence.

And the rest is history. When I came back to New York, I put all the pieces together and launched, “Living Alone: How to Survive and Thrive on Your Own” a three-part workshop designed to give women the know how to forge a meaningful and enriching life on their own.

I’ve been leading the workshop

and very alone, faced with both the practical and emotional challenges of living alone.

It took years and some hard-knock lessons, but I eventually discovered a resourcefulness within myself that enabled me to forge a joyful and mean-ingful life on my own. My time-tested experience, combined with valuable resources and tried-and-true advice has inspired and helped many workshop participants.

Q. How large are the workshops?A. Ideally, I like to have eight

women in each workshop, although, on occasion, I have led workshops with a few more and a few less. This ideal size (eight) gives everyone a chance to actively participate and benefit from the experience.

Q. Where are the workshops held?A. At House Content Bed & Break-

fast in Mendon. House Content is a little historic gem, situated on a pic-turesque six-acre site, surrounded by horse farms and parkland. Reminiscent of a quaint English cottage, this setting serves as a peaceful and inspirational setting for the workshops.

Q. I’d like to sign up for the work-shop. What’s my next step?

A. I like to speak with potential participants by phone, as a first step. That way, I can answer your questions and you’ll be in a better position to decide whether this workshop is right for you. Just call me at 585-624-7887 or email me at [email protected]. You’ll find information about my upcoming workshop in the “Calen-dar of Health Events” included in this issue.

Gwenn Voelckers is the founder and facilitator of Live Alone and Thrive, empowerment workshops for women held throughout the year in Mendon, New York. For information about her May workshop, call 585-624-7887 or e-mail Gwenn at [email protected].

for over five years now, and often get questions from “In Good Health” readers about what the workshop covers and how it is organized. In this month’s column, I am pleased to an-swer the most frequently asked questions.

Q. What is the purpose of the workshop and what do you cover?

A. Because I’ve walked in your shoes, I know how painful it can be to find yourself alone at this time in life. I also know that it is possible to rediscover yourself and reclaim your life. Getting good at living alone will improve your chances of finding happi-ness on your own. And it will improve your chances of finding a new healthy relationship, if that’s what you desire.

When you feel better about your-self — more confident and resourceful — life on your own or with a special someone can be richer and more satis-fying

My workshop will help you think differently about living alone. In a nutshell, I cover how to overcome loneliness and other emotional pitfalls, banish negative thinking, rediscover your true self, socialize in a couples’ world, and otherwise embrace what may be a once-in-a-lifetime opportu-nity to create a wonderful and reward-

ing life on your own.Q. Who attends the workshop?A. Most, but not all, of the women

who attend the workshop are between the ages of 40 and 65, and have come

out of long marriages or relationships. Some are on their own for the first time in their lives.

All have one thing in common: They want to get a better handle on living alone and to feel more con-tent with themselves and their independence. Many see this workshop as an ex-tension of the support they are receiving from friends, family, a therapist, and/or their congregation.

Q. I’m still grieving the loss of my marriage/spouse. Is this workshop

right for me?A. Good question. My Living

Alone workshop is a “nuts and bolts” practical workshop to help women become more resourceful and indepen-dent on their own. It is not a grief or mental health support group. If you are still in the grieving process and seek support, I recommend grief counseling or the help of a professional counselor.

Q. What are your credentials?A. I’m not a licensed professional.

My expertise is born out of real-life ex-perience. I’ve “been there.” I emerged from my divorce feeling very deflated

KIDSCorner

About 11 percent of school-age children in the United States — and 19 percent of high-school-

age boys — have been diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), according to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.

The figures show that about 6.4 million children aged 4 to 17 have been diagnosed with ADHD at some point in their lives, a 16 percent rise since 2007 and a 53 percent increase over the past decade.

Also, about two-thirds of kids with a current diagnosis of ADHD take prescription drugs such as Adderall or Ritalin, which can improve the lives of patients, but may also lead to addiction, anxiety and even psychosis, the report said.

The data could add to growing concern among many doctors that the ADHD diagnosis and its drug treatments are overused in American children.

Nearly 75 percent of commercial pre-packaged meals and savory snacks for toddlers are high in

sodium, according to research present-ed at the American Heart Association’s Epidemiology and Prevention/Nutri-tion, Physical Activity and Metabolism 2013 Scientific Sessions.

In the first study to look at the sodium content in U.S. baby and tod-dler foods, researchers compared the sodium content per serving of 1,115 products for babies and toddlers using data on major and private label brands compiled by the U.S. Centers for Dis-ease Control (CDC).

Baby food was categorized as in-tended for children less than 1 year old, and toddler food was categorized as intended for children between the ages of 1 and 3.

A product was defined as high in sodium if it had more than 210 mg of sodium per serving. Toddler meals had significantly higher amounts of sodium than baby meals, and the amount of so-dium in some of the toddler meals was as high as 630 mg per serving — about 40 percent of the 1,500 mg daily limit

You’ve Got Questions? I’ve Got Answers

Report: One in 10 U.S. Kids Diagnosed With ADHDBut many children who get diagnosis may not really have the condition, experts say

Most Pre-packaged Meals, Snacks for Toddlers: Too Much Salt

recommended by the American Heart Association. The foods with the most sodium were savory snacks and meals for toddlers.

“Our concern is the possible long-term health risks of introducing high levels of sodium in a child’s diet, be-cause high blood pressure, as well as a preference for salty foods may develop early in life.

The less sodium in an infant’s or toddler’s diet, the less he or she may want it when older,” said Joyce Maalouf, lead author and fellow at the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. Consuming excessive amounts of sodium has been linked to the development of high blood pressure in scientific studies.

“Parents and other caregivers can read the nutrition facts labels on baby and toddler foods, to choose the healthiest options for their child,” Maalouf said.

The American Heart Association recommends limiting sodium con-sumption to less than 1500 mg a day.


When actor David Baker of Syr-acuse was doing a stage tour of West Side Story through

Europe he may not have thought that one of the parts that would have the most longevity for him would be that of a standardized patient. The role of the medical patient, though, is one that many actors have been drawn to at Upstate Medical University’s Clinical Skills Center.

Standardized patients are mostly actors who play the role of patients meeting with medical students. These encounters help these students sharpen their skills when dealing with a variety of patients.

“What we try to do is we create simulations of real-life situations that medical students would encounter so that we could teach them and evalu-ate them and help them improve their skills,” said Steve Harris, director of the program at Upstate.

The encounters between medical student and actor, or standardized pa-tient, take place in one of the 22 exam rooms of the center located in the base-ment of the Setnor Academic Building. They are used to help students improve their bedside manner and evaluate their clinical skills.

As the medical student does an exam and history of the standardized patient, two cameras are watching the pair from above. An instructor keeps track of what is happening on the

closed circuit TV from the solitude of a video room elsewhere in the center. Making the whole process believable for the student is critical.

“It’s a great learning experience,” Harris said. “People who do this, who are a little skeptical at first, almost always discover rather quickly it feels really realistic really fast. That’s our goal. We want you to forget that this is a simulation. The Clinical Skills Cen-ter has been a tremendous help for us because when a student is in the room they really do forget about the cameras pretty quickly and it becomes just me and my patient. It has to be real. We want students, within a few seconds af-ter starting the interaction with you, to forget that you’re not really the person whose name I read out there.”

David Baker is the longest serv-ing standardized patient at Upstate, having done it for 16 years. He is not a volunteer. Like the other 120 to 150 other standardized patients working at the university, he is paid. Harris said that the position is not a full time one, though a core group of 70-80 work fairly regularly. Who gets called to do an evaluation depends a lot on the demographics of the patient the center is looking to simulate.

“Dave has probably been 9,000 dif-ferent people at this point,” Harris said. “Every medical student who graduates from Upstate in the last 15 years has encountered Dave at least a couple of

times.“Many of the folks who work for

me are like Dave. They’re profession-ally trained actors. Dave is one of the few who actually makes his living as an actor. We have people who are members of the Screen Actors Guild. We also have some great standardized patients who have never been on a stage in their life, never had an acting lesson and couldn’t care less about acting but they are able to become that character that we need them to become and portray that simulation beautifully. To be perfectly honest I’ve had really well-trained actors who are probably fabulous on stage who just weren’t cut out to be standardized patients because they just didn’t understand the nature of what we do.”

The work of the center varies. It can exist just to give students the experience of a medical exam and be ungraded, but the curriculum of the university also calls for every medical student to pass a clinical skills evalu-ation in their third year in order to graduate.

Harris and Baker say that what they do is fun, but it is also serious business. Standardized patients will have up to eight pages of background information to memorize on a specific patient before they can go into an exam room with a student. They must not break character until the evaluation is over.

“They’re not a script,” Harris said of the patients. “They’re a scenario. It’s who you are. You are this person and you are coming to the doctor today be-cause this is what’s wrong and here are some symptoms you’ve been having. It also often includes behavior. You might be acting sad. You might be angry. You might be in a lot of pain. There’s a char-acter that’s involved. There’s also a lot of background information about who are you. What do you do for a living? Are you married? Do you have chil-dren? All those kind of things that may or may not be part of the interview that any given student does but helps you become that person that you are going to be.”

Where Acting Meets MedicineActors help medical students at SUNY Upstate learn how to deal with patients By Matthew Liptak

A 2009 photo provided by Upstate Medical University shows Stacy Crandall posing as a patient while medical student Elizabeth Dawson proceeds with regular health exams. This training is part of a program that helps medical students sharpen their skill when dealing with patients.

These scenarios are standard-ized so that a half a dozen or more standardized patients working with students in different exam rooms can offer, as close to as possible, the exact same patient to different students. But since every medical students is an individual, they may ask questions that are unpredictable. If a question posed to the standardized patient from the student seems to come out of left field the standardized patient can’t break character. He has to come up with a response that both doesn’t break char-acter and correlates to the rest of the patient’s background.

“All standardized patient cases can become, some more so than others, the ultimate improvisation exercise for actors,” Harris said. “When they ask you a question that we didn’t antici-pate and didn’t give Dave an answer to he can’t say ‘Gee I don’t know. Steve didn’t tell me what to say if you asked me that question.’ He’s got to stay in character and provide an answer that fits with everything else.”

“You can’t possibly be prepared for everything they might ask you,” Baker said. “You make it up on the spot, try to bring own personal background into it “as much as possible so they can’t throw you a curve that you can’t answer. Certain cases I like better than other cases. There are some that have been less comfortable but I like the interaction with the students.”

The concept of standardized pa-tients was developed back in the ‘60s in California but the idea didn’t gain a lot of ground until more recently. There was some resistance to the idea in the beginning, Harris said, but now there’s hardly a medical university to be found without a center like Upstate’s. Har-ris believes the center is helping create doctors and other medical staff who are better communicators.

“When I started doing this it was not particularly well understood,” he said. “There were certainly people in the medical school world who didn’t think this was a valuable thing. That’s definitely not the case anymore.”

David Baker, left, a local actor who often portrays an ill or injured patient stand in one of SUNY Upstate’s mock exam rooms with Steve Harris, director of the standardized patients program at SUNY Upstate Medical University.


By Eva BriggsMy Turn

Calcium conjures up images of bones — healthy bones. That makes sense because 98 per-

cent of the body’s calcium stores are found in the skeleton. But some of our calcium is found in the blood, where regulatory hormones normally tightly control its level. Sometimes things go awry, and the level rises too high.

Normal calcium levels are 8-10 mil-ligrams (mg.) per deciliter (dL.). One deciliter, in case you are wondering, is a one tenth of a liter, or 100 milliliters, roughly 1 1/3 ounces. Mild calcium elevation is 10 –12 mg./dL. Moderate is 12 –14 mg./dL. Severe hypercalce-mia, or hypercalcemic crisis, is a level exceeding 14 mg./dL.

What are the symptoms of elevated blood calcium?

Medical students learn about “Stones, bones, moans, and groans.” The first on this list, renal “stones,” refers to kidney effects, such as kidney stones. The kidneys may excrete too much water, a condition called diabe-tes insipidus, distinct from the better-

known diabetes mellitus characterized by elevated blood sugar. The word diabetes comes from the Greek word for siphon, because both conditions cause patients to pass too much urine, like water through a siphon. In diabe-tes insipidus the kidney is unable to concentrate the urine, leading to loss of water and salt, potentially producing dehydration and altering electrolyte levels in the blood.

“Bones” refers to the skeletal ef-fects of hypercalcemia, such as bone pain, arthritis, osteoporosis. Osteoporo-sis, you might wonder, isn’t that caused insufficient calcium in the bones? Yes, but often the excess calcium in the blood comes from abnormal mobiliza-tion of calcium from the bones.

Abdominal “moans” are gastro-intestinal symptoms. These include nausea, vomiting, decreased appetite, weight loss, constipation, and abdomi-nal pain. Other associated gastrointesti-nal symptoms include pancreatitis and peptic ulcer disease.

Psychic “groans” may manifest as

a single parathyroid gland, or it can be enlargement of all four parathyroid glands. Sometimes the parathyroid glands produce too much PTH in re-sponse to conditions arising outside the parathyroid glands, causing what can be termed secondary or even tertiary hyperparathyroidism.

Certain cancers can cause hyper-calcemia. Some tumors, such as lung, head, neck, and kidney tumors, pro-duce substances that resemble parathy-roid hormone. Other tumors, such as multiple myeloma or metastatic breast cancer, can raise calcium levels by breaking down localized areas of bone.

Discovery of an elevated calcium level should prompt your doctor to obtain appropriate evaluation to determine the underlying cause. The treatment becomes guided by the cause and severity of the condition.

So when now when you think of calcium, remember it’s not just bones.

Stones, Bones, Moans and GroansWhen too much calcium is not a good thing

Eva Briggs is a medical doctor who works at two urgent care centers (Central Square and Fulton) operated by Oswego Health.

impaired concentration and memory, lethargy, fatigue and muscle weakness. In severe cases there can be confusion, stupor, or coma.

There are also some symptoms that don’t fit neatly into the above clas-sification scheme. These include high blood pressure, EKG changes, and cardiac arrhythmias, as well as itching and eye inflammation.

Whew! That’s a lot of potential symptoms, and fortunately most peo-ple get few or no symptoms. But what runs amok causing calcium to become elevated in the first place? There are many potential causes: the first article that I consulted listed 18 causes! The two most common causes are hyper-parathyroidism and cancer.

Sitting adjacent to the thyroid gland in your neck are four pea-sized parathyroid glands. They secrete para-thyroid hormone, one of the substances regulating blood calcium levels. Too much parathyroid hormone (PTH) pumps up the level blood calcium via several mechanisms. It mobilizes cal-cium from the bones; it stimulates the kidneys to reabsorb calcium from the urine, and prompts the kidneys to con-vert vitamin D to an active form that stimulates calcium absorption from the intestinal tract. Often the excess PTH secretion, hyperparathyroidism, is primary, meaning it arises from a dis-order of the parathyroid glands. This can be a growth called an adenoma in

Change is oftentime seen as good, and in the case of Hematology-Oncology Associates of Central

New York, it is also downright healthy.HOACNY established a Center

for Cancer Care and Blood Disorders location in Auburn in 2012, and just re-cently decided to upgrade into a more spacious and accommodating facility.

HOACNY recently expanded its services and began seeing patients in its new space at the Health Central Building, 37 W. Garden St., suite 301, in March.

In addition to expanded physi-cian coverage, HOACNY’s expansion allows for on-site clinical laboratory, pharmacy, nutritional, and counseling services, as well as access to a robust clinical research program.

“The Auburn practice continues to thrive and Hematology-Oncology As-sociates of Central New York is privi-leged to serve this community,” said Maryann Roefaro, CEO of HOACNY.

Physicians Margaret Boufal, David Churchill and Angelie Roman are cur-rently seeing patients in the Auburn practice.

Roman said HOACNY is commit-ted to providing patient-centered care.

“With that in mind, our Auburn office will give patients access to onsite treatments, nutrition and counseling services, pharmacy for oral chemother-apy drugs, and a clinical laboratory,” Roman said.

“Our research program gives

HOACNY Expands Services, Relocates Office in AuburnBy Lou Sorendo

patients the opportunity to participate in the most current clinical trials. As a local resident of Auburn and an HOA physician, I believe it is vital for the patients’ well being to be treated closer to home, in their own community, with the support of family and friends,” she added.

Margaret Boufal and Roger Tinsley had operated successful hematology-oncology practices for many years, Roefaro noted. When Tinsley concen-trated his practice focus in Cortland, HOACNY integrated Boufal into its practice.

Roman and Churchill attend office hours one day a week, as their primary locations are North Medical Center in Liverpool and Brittonfield Medical Center in East Syracuse, respectively.

Boufal has weekday office hours.The office is staffed daily with phy-

sicians, advanced practice staff such as nurse practitioners and physician assistants, administrative assistants, oncology certified nursing and clinical staff, laboratory technologists and certi-fied pharmacy technicians supervised by pharmacists.

Appointments with a nutritionist, social worker and the research depart-ment are scheduled as needed.

The new site includes a state-of-the-art infusion center with patient amenities such as private TVs, wireless Internet, warmed blankets and plenty of snacks.

Roefaro said the move was necessi-

tated because the practice needed more space and parking to accommodate expanded services.

The office is conveniently located in a medical center with many other physician specialties and plenty of free parking.

The urgent care center that is open-ing soon will also be helpful to resi-dents of Auburn, she added.

“The new site is conducive to expanded physician and ancillary ser-vices,” Roefaro said.

Another plus associated with the new office space is that the site is large enough to accommodate future growth.

Roefaro said the keys to deliver-ing excellent medical oncology and infusion services in an effective and successful manner include ensuring a patient-centered focus; maintaining highly trained, skilled and compas-sionate staff; access to the newest and most effective treatment modalities; a commitment to clinical research, and a reduction in variation.

Reducing variation, or standard-izing methods so physicians work the same way, reduces costs and increases quality, Roefaro noted.

Roefaro said HOACNY has a competitive edge over other healthcare organizations.

Two out of three adult cancer patients in Central New York choose HOACNY, she said.

Roefaro said HOACNY’s patient satisfaction scores range from 97 to 99 percent.

“We offer comprehensive hemato-logic and oncologic care—and we do nothing else—that’s our entire focus,” she said. “Our highly skilled, dedi-cated, respected and loving physicians and staff make all the difference.”

Vicente Melendez-Tirado, pharmacy technician, flashes a thumbs-up while working at the new HOACNY office in Auburn.

Center for Cancer Care and Blood Disorders in Auburn moves to larger office as service expands


WRVO Public Media is adding a new half-hour program to its Sunday evening broadcast

schedule. “Take Care,” a conversation on health and wellness, will be co-host-ed and produced by Lorraine Rapp and Linda Lowen.

“Take Care” will feature a mix of national, regional and local guests

discussing everyday health concerns as well as the latest in diagnosis and treatment, public health and policy, mental health, and new advancements in medicine.

In addition to each program, a brief feature report on the same topic will air during select WRVO newscasts. These reports are being funded by a grant from the Health Foundation for Western and Central New York. The grant is also funding a series of community forums on health issues.

“There’s been an explosion in health care options in the last few years, and between online information and smartphone apps the average con-sumer has unlimited access to medical resources and wellness advice,” said Rapp. “We see ‘Take Care’ as a way to help listeners through this maze of information by tapping experts in a variety of fields to provide the kind of candid guidance they’d give to their

own family and friends.” Over the past 15 years, Rapp and

Lowen have partnered together to create and produce original local pro-gramming for WAER-FM, Time Warner Cable, and WCNY-TV.

WRVO’s news director, Catherine Loper, and producer, Leah Landry, are both working with Rapp and Lowen

on the new show which debuted 6:30 p.m. on April 14. The show will also be live-streamed on the WRVO website and available as a podcast.

The show will air Sun-day evenings following

The Campbell Conversations, another locally-produced interview program on WRVO.

Take Care completes a block of lo-cal and science-centered programming heard each Sunday including programs like Big Picture Science and Sound Medicine. The community health forums will be recorded to air in our rotating ‘Public Radio Presents’ block, following Take Care, at 7 p.m.

“We are delighted to join WRVO after having listened to and supported the station for years,” said Rapp. “It’s a vital and growing NPR affiliate with tremendous listener support, and a terrific fit for us. We are truly looking forward to working together on ‘Take Care.’”

Affectionately known as “The Medicare Lady”, Theresa Cangemi, independent agent

and president of Medicare Made Simple in Syracuse, helps educate seniors and their families about the

multitude of options available to them when the time comes to enroll in Medicare.

“People often come to me confused and some-what intimidated by the system,” says Cangemi. “I dispel the myths, and replace uncertainty with

knowledge, so that they can make the best choices for their own unique situ-ation.”

Veterans in particular often struggle with the intricacies of how to integrate VA benefits, Medicare, and supplements, according to Cangemi. Many settle for gaps in their cover-age — often without even realizing those gaps exist — when there are zero premium and low-cost premium plans that can help. Cangemi holds frequent seminars specifically for veterans and their families through organizations such as Clear Path for Veterans.

“While the government supplies basic information to seniors as they approach the age of 65, the information is general and sifting through it isn’t always easy,” explains Cangemi. “My clients benefit from an individualized approach. We sit together and look at the whole picture – their unique and in-dividual situation – ensuring that they are clear about their options, and well-

informed on the latest program require-ments, such as late enrollment penalties which can stay with you for life.”

Specializing in Medicare keeps Cangemi on the leading edge of changes to benefit programs as well as new options being offered, something more challenging for a generalist. She is also a certified senior adviser, meeting a strict code of professional conduct for ethical business practices in dealing with seniors. Her fee is paid through commissions paid by Medicare when a client chooses a program to enroll in, so there is no additional cost for the one-on-one consultations and individu-alized service.

“People need to understand that Medicare is not an entitlement pro-gram; it’s a benefit that Americans pay for over the course of their entire work-ing life. When the time comes to enroll, you want to maximize that investment and get the very best coverage for you. That’s something that I enjoy know-ing I can assist seniors in doing,” says Cangemi.

In fact, most of Cangemi’s clients are the next generations of the same families. Often the child of a client she is working with today will ask her to call them back for their own appoint-ment when they near age 65. Social worker, case managers, financial advi-sors and estate planners also make fre-quent referrals to Cangemi’s practice.

For a calendar of Theresa Cange-mi’s upcoming seminars, or for more information on her services, visit www.MyMedicareMadeSimple.com

‘Medicare Lady’ Helps Veterans, Others Navigate Medicare Coverage Options

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New Health and Wellness Show Debuts on WRVO

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Tired of the same-old foot-pound-ing, 5-kilometer foot race? Maybe it’s time you threw an obstacle

course into your spring fitness routine. Say, swim through a vat of ice cubes. Maybe getting chased over rough ter-rain by zombies over would kick your heart rate up a notch.

Consider, then, the challenge of an adventure run, more commonly known as mud runs — foot races that include an endurance race and some form of obstacle course, and usually a mud pit. Or two. Costumes are generally encouraged — the wilder the better — and live bands, food and bever-ages await the weary at the finish line. Mud runs are getting lots of attention from both serious athletes looking for a physical challenge and couch potatoes looking for a good time.

In Central New York, there two mud runs on tap for spring, and more if you are up for a road trip. They sell out quickly, so early registration is a good idea.

J.P. Kidwell recognized the poten-tial for fun and community-building in an adventure mud run, and helped found the inaugural Mighty Run, set for May 4 in Utica.

The Mighty Run is a two-person team event set for May 4 in Utica. The 5K event promises “mud, sweat, fire

Mud Runs New practice getting lots of attention from both serious athletes looking for a physical challenge and couch potatoes looking for a good timeBy Allison Kanaley Trudell

Mark Your CalendarSeveral adventure and mud runs will take place in the region in the coming months. They are:• The Mighty Run, May 4, Utica. 5k run with obstacles. Moe information: the-mightyrun.com.• The Warrior Dash, July 27, Wyndham, 5k with obstacles• The Tough Mudder, July 27 and 28, Buf-falo, 11 miles with obstaclesFor 5K runs and adventure events, check the following: syracusechargers.org and cnyrunning.com

and water” and 12 obstacles. Kidwell, race director, said he’d like to see 4,000 participants at the Mighty Run. “We’re trying to do this really, really well,” he said, noting that Utica is home to the wildly successful 10-mile Boilermaker Run. The event’s website, mightrun.com, is getting hundreds of hits each day, Kidwell said.

All fun aside, safety is a factor in any activity that involves physical challenges. The obstacles featured in mud runs can be as benign as climbing over a car that’s been slathered in dish soap — or perilous as jumping over a hay bale that’s on fire. And although these events focus on fun, they are also geared to be physically and mentally challenging.

So whether you plan to start train-ing tomorrow, or just roll off the couch and into your sneakers the day of the event (not recommended), there are certain things to consider — besides what color tutu to wear.

1. Choose a run that fits. Pick the right mud run for you and your fitness level. Do you want to just have fun, or are you prepared to put in the time it takes for a serious physical challenge? Do you want to accomplish your run in a day, or make it a weekend of buddy bonding? Many mud runs are taking a family-friendly approach by adding mini-mud versions for the smaller set. “You want to make sure that your fit-ness level is up to the challenge,” says John Parker, an orthopedic surgeon with Syracuse Orthopedic Specialists. In other words, don’t go in cold.

2. Which run to run? There are mud runs just for women, and some adventure races work like triathlons, only with teams working together to get to the finish line. If you want your experience to reach beyond yourself, choose an event that is tied to a chari-table cause. Todd Curtis, a 37-year-old Tough Mudder from DeRuyter, chose that event in large part because of its affiliation with the Wounded War-riors Project. He and his brother, Mike Curtis of Jamesville, wanted to choose a run with a purpose. “It’s a nice char-ity event,” he said. “Mike and I aren’t vets, but have family who are.” A little research on the Internet, and talking to people who have experienced a certain race, can help you make an informed

choice. Utica’s Mighty Run will also feature a half-mile Mighty Mites kids’ run. Pay attention to location; if the run is more than a couple of hours from home, consider camping nearby, or renting a hotel room. Mud runs are fast becoming a mini-vacation destination for singles, couples, or team-building with friends.

3. Know the risks. Every repu-table mud run requires participants to sign an insurance waiver that puts the responsibility for injuries on the runner. Extra insurance fees are becom-ing more common, especially with the larger, national and international events.

4. Read the fine print. Are registra-tions transferable? What about inclem-ent weather? While lightning is about the only thing that will stop most mud runs, it’s a good idea to check the FAQ (frequently asked question) section of a mud run’s website to get details.

5. Prepare your body. Check with your doctor to see if your fitness level is up to the challenge. Put in as much training time as possible to prepare your body for what lies ahead. One of the leading causes of sports-related in-juries is not being fit enough, or skilled enough, for the activity. Many races offer training tips, even timed training schedules, to help participants prepare.

6. Wear the right clothing and footwear. This is an important safety issue, as clothes that are snug are less likely to become caught on obstacles. Dress for comfort and practicality. Having the right footwear is critical to preventing injuries, says orthopedic surgeon Parker, who partners often with Fleet Feet in Syracuse in helping athletes find what is right for their feet and their activity. Even with obstacles that call on other parts of the body to perform, feet still bear the brunt of the workout.

7. Who’s who? While your bib will serve as identification through the race, be sure to have your driver’s license and insurance card with you some-where at the event, either in a locker or in your vehicle.

8. Run with a buddy. Even if your event isn’t team-based, having some-one else there just makes sense. Most runs encourage participants to help each other out during.

9. Be prepared for what comes at the finish line, aside from the beer and live music. Have a complete change of clothes, water, and first aid basics (like Band-Aids, Neosporin, and ibu-profen) at the ready. Many mud runs offer basic shower facilities to rinse off afterward, but are likely to be joined by thousands of participants, making long lines a pretty sure bet.

10. Have fun! Some athletes are in it to beat the clock, last year’s time, or the guy next to them. Others simply want to cross the finish line in an up-right position. Respect others in your heat, and keep the dirt in the mud pit.

The Curtis brothers have both completed marathons, and were happy to step off the pavement and into the mud. It also proved to be a good way to share something between brothers and friends. As far as training, Curtis said he uses the Tough Mudder to gear up for the Empire State Marathon, which is held in Syracuse in the fall. He also formulates his own training program, adding cross-training and weights into his running routine.

That kind of preparation is es-sential to having a successful, and safe, run in any circumstance or event, says Parker, who has seen an uptick in injuries as the popularity of mud runs increases. While athletes like runners typically have overuse injuries like stress fractures, those who participate in adventure runs like the Tough Mud-der throw themselves into a different category altogether, said Parker.


COLOR5 Cups of Tea That Could Save Your Life Sip on this. Your favorite cup or mug just might hold the key to your health. By Gina Roberts-Grey

erative disorders. Ulcers

There’s no need for your stom-ach to ever be in knots again. That’s because Darjeeling tea can block the development of ulcers and many other stomach-related diseases, says a new study conducted at the University of Massachusetts. It turns out a cup of Darjeeling has probiotic powers and helps to regulate the enzymes and bac-teria in your gut.

Adding honey or lime can boost the tea’s healthful benefits, says Kali-das Shetty, professor of food biotech-nology, at the University of Massachu-setts and a co-author of the study. But try to avoid adding mix to your mix. “Milk can prohibit some of the compo-nents in the tea from being effective,” says Shetty.

Ovarian cancer Black tea is packed with powerful

polyphenols, organic chemicals that have high amounts of antioxidants. And studies have found the types of antioxidants found in black tea are effective at lowering a woman’s risk of developing ovarian cancer. Green and herbal teas also have ovarian cancer-busting antioxidants, but black tea has some of the highest levels of the anti-cancer antioxidants.

Blood pressure The next time you’re feeling

stressed out or like your blood pressure is surging out of control, steep your-self a cup of Chinese oolong tea. The compounds in oolong tea help keep enzymes that are naturally produced in the body and that are major players in regulating your blood pressure from raging out of control and causing your blood pressure to spike, according to a recent study. “There is the likelihood of many health benefits of drinking tea every day,” says Louise Bennett, senior research scientist and one of the study’s authors.

It’s great paired with a scone or if you need to perk up a dreary day. But a cup of tea could save your

or your family’s life, while it calms your nerves or helps everyone unwind after a hectic day. It turns out that many types of teas have natu-ral compounds and nutrients that can fend off heart dis-ease, Alzheimer’s and all sorts of other life-threaten-ing illnesses. So the next time you’re steeping, consider brewing up a cup of these promis-ing healthy teas.

Colon cancer Imagine preventing colon

cancer is as simple as developing a taste for yerba mate tea. A recent Uni-versity of Illinois study says keeping this deadly disease at bay just might be possible because the compounds in yerba mate tea actually kill off human colon cancer cells. “Put simply, the cancer cell self-destructs because its DNA has been damaged by the compo-nents in the mate tea,” says Elvira de Mejia, a University of Illinois associate professor of food chemistry and food toxicology, and one of the study’s authors.

Wildly popular in South America, one cup of yerba mate also reduces in-flammation in your body. That’s impor-tant because inflammation can trigger the steps of cancer progression, says de Mejia.

Alzheimer’s Black tea’s bold, earthy flavor isn’t

just pleasing to for your palate. The antioxidants in black tea have been shown to prevent the formation of deposits in the brain that contribute to the development and progression of Alzheimer’s disease as well as Parkinson’s disease. White tea is also helpful in the fight against Alzheimer’s because it’s effective at minimizing the effects of stress in the nervous system

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Acrobatics meets yoga. This seems to be the best way to describe aerial yoga, a program

recently introduced to the Central New York area at the Lotus Life Yoga Center. Classes have already found a strong core of devotees.

In one of the rooms of the Dewitt-based center, 10 hammocks are sus-pended from the ceiling and can hold up to 1,000 pounds each, according to instructor Kim Fischer. Students begin with easy routines using the hammocks — stretching out their backs and hips. Before long instructor Fischer advances to more intricate movements and, for nearly the next hour, the participants are hanging, flipping and twisting, be-fore finally cooling down and cocoon-ing for the last few minutes of the class.

The various movements help to loosen the joints, improve flexibility and mobility, and stretch out the spine, Fischer said. By gripping the fabric in order to support the body while do-ing the flips and spins, she explained, students also tone the deltoids and the

upper body and further develop the wrist, forearm and hand coordination.

She pointed out the psychological benefits from aerial yoga. The move-ments will not only stretch the body, but “the will of the mind” as well. “It brings you right to the edge of fear and breaks through the barrier,” Fischer said.

Nicole Montanaro said she found her first session to be challenging. “This is hopeless,” she recalled re-cently. But she was encouraged by a fellow classmate, Milena Marzulo, to persevere. Now, Montanaro said, she is hooked and is convinced that it has helped with some of her back prob-lems. Marzulo took the activity up a while ago in another locale. She said that she become obsessed with it, and attends several sessions a week.

An introductory workshop, while not mandatory, is strongly recommend-ed, in order to familiarize students with the basic postures, before moving on to the more advanced programs.

Aerial Yoga Anyone?New yoga practice finding a strong followingBy Mary Beth Roach

Aerial yoga participant Kyra Pinsky.

Kim Fisher, an instructor at the yoga center, said the various movements in her class help to loosen the joints, improve flexibility and mobility, and stretch out the spine.

Warm up period during a classes of aerial yoga at Life Yoga Center in DeWitt. Students begin with easy routines using the hammocks — stretching out their backs and hips.

Milena Marzulo up and running in her yoga class.Stephanie Sobczak already floating during her yoga lesson.


Anne Palumbo is a lifestyle columnist, food guru, and seasoned cook, who has perfected the art of preparing nutritious, calorie-conscious dishes. She is hungry for your questions and comments about SmartBites, so be in touch with Anne at [email protected].

By Anne Palumbo SmartBitesThe skinny on healthy eating

I’ve never met a cheese I didn’t like. Parmesan, mozzarella or anything in

between: I could eat cheese at ever meal. But I don’t. Cheese, like chocolate, can pack on the pounds and clog the ol’ arter-ies if consumed without constraint.

So I moderate myself by eating less of the hard cheeses (which tend to have a higher fat content) and more of the soft cheeses, like mozzarella, ricotta, and — the star of today’s col-umn — feta.

A key component of the heart-healthy Mediterranean diet, feta is low-er in fat and calories than most cheeses. A quarter cup — enough to satisfy any salad lover — has 7 grams of fat and only 90 calories. As a comparison: The same serving of cheddar has 11 grams of fat and 133 calories.

Just like milk, feta serves up healthy doses of calcium, protein and phosphorous, three nutrients that contribute in some way to the develop-

ment and maintenance of strong bones. Protein is also a powerhouse building block for muscles, cartilage, skin and blood.

Feeling a bit sluggish? Reach for some feta: it’s a mighty source of two indispensible B vitamins that fuel our engines. Riboflavin (B2) helps convert food to energy and protect our bodies from free-radical damage; vitamin B12 is essential for making red blood cells and maintaining a healthy nervous system.

Thanks to feta’s strong flavor, you don’t need to eat a lot to feel satisfied. Which is good, considering that a quar-

ter cup has about a fourth of your daily needs of saturated fat and a little over 10 percent of your daily sodium needs.

But all fat is not bad. In fact, in-dulging in a little of this dairy dynamo can keep you slim. According to a study in “The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition,” women who ate an ounce of full-fat cheese every day gained fewer pounds over time than those who didn’t. Now that’s some-thing to ruminate!

Helpful Tips

Choose feta made from goat’s milk, if pos-sible. Goat’s milk is easier to digest and contains more tryptophan than cow’s milk. Feta should be white — not yellowish — and the container should state that it is pasteurized (im-portant for pregnant women). Opt for reduced-fat feta to lower your intake of saturated fat.

Tomato, Cucumber, and Feta Salad

Serves 4

6 tomatoes, diced2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and

sliced in half-circles1 clove garlic, minced1 cup crumbled feta cheese3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar¼ cup fresh basil leaves, cut into

thin stripssalt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a me-

The Skinny on Feta

dium bowl and stir to combine. Allow the salad to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before eating.

Serve cold or at room temperature.

Chew on this fact

A scientific study done on people who had lived beyond the age of 100 showed one common denominator — all of the centenarians were consum-ers of goat’s milk.


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Being a Mom is Good for YouBy Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

Mother’s Day

Of course, no woman becomes a mother to improve her health, but it’s nice to know you receive

some health perks that come with the role. Christine Goldman, DONA-certi-fied birth doula and owner of Doulas of CNY, noticed that when she became a mother, she began modeling better eating habits.

“We strive to put together balanced meals,” she said. “I try to focus on the essentials, eating healthfully and teach-ing them to think about what they’re putting in their bodies.

“The kids will watch and see what you’re eating. I think about taking care of myself for them.”

Goldman children also have helped her stay more active, as the family enjoyed playing outside together. Gold-man also thinks the children helps keep her mentally fit.

“Engaging and teaching the young keeps your brain young,” she said. “Getting on their level and playing with them and teaching them keeps us young.”

For women who engage in risky or unhealthful habits, pregnancy and motherhood can help them change. Lynn Hickox, certified nurse mid-wife, nurse practitioner, and owner of Midwifery & Womens Services in Liverpool, has seen this play out many times.

“I find that pregnancy will encour-age women to at least decrease their smoking if not quit totally,” she said. “Sometimes they do pick up the habit again after, but it’s definitely decreased after because they don’t want to smoke around the baby or in the house.”

Beyond adopting healthful habits and nixing negative ones, becoming a mother also offers women health ben-efits, including a reduced risk of some kinds of cancer throughout a woman’s life.

“We have shown that breast cancer, ovarian cancer and uterine- endome-trial cancer are clearly decreased in those women who have completed pregnancy,” said James Brown, OB-GYN with St. Joseph’s Hospital. “The natural child spacing that occurs with breastfeeding may further add to this decrease in potential risk of cancers.”

He added that pregnancy and breast feeding may reduce the risk of weakening bones and osteoporosis later in life, too.

Nursing helps mitigate some of the weight gain caused by pregnancy since it burns about 300 calories daily. Plus, nursing helps the uterus more quickly return to its pre-pregnancy pear size. It also lowers the risk of excessive bleed-ing associated with pregnancy.

“With the cry of the infant there is an immediate and sudden release of oxytocin which causes uterine con-traction,” Brown said, “in addition to the preparation for milk let down and feeding. This uterine contraction causes less bleeding and an immediate dramatic cut down on risk for hemor-rhage. Therefore, [there is] less risk for anemia and consequences of that.”

He added that prolactin and oxy-tocin may help decrease post-partum blues and depression, since these hor-mones stimulate a calming effect.

Anecdotally, some women with au-toimmune diseases pre-pregnancy, in-

Chris Goldman, center, with her family (behind her, from left), Niki, 23, husband Nathan, Jenna, 19, and Cienna, 14. Josh, 25, is on the right and Jordan, 13, is in front.

cluding rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis or psoriasis, enjoy a prolonged remission during pregnancy.

“Even some believe that asthma may improve for pregnant women,” Brown said.

Many moms drop bad habits for the sake of their children, such as lax oral care, and skipping immunizations and health screenings. Whether they take these steps for the sake of preg-nancy or to become a good example for their children, many moms continue in their new, healthful lifestyle.

“The sense of being loved, wanted, needed, that occurs by being a mother is exceptional,” Brown said. “And then there’s a personal boost of self-esteem and confidence when success of being that parent is realized. If we feel better

about our family and our children, then we are better and our experiences are clearly more appreciated, and our suc-cesses are more visible to all.”

Later in life, the social interaction and support that adult children and grandchildren usually provide can help you age better, especially if you’re a single mother or if like many elderly women, you end up widowed.

“I look forward to when I have grandchildren and I want them all around me,” Goldman said. “That’s what we’re working towards, to have a really close-knit family unit.”

She views the woman as the matri-arch and “the one who pulls it together. It really does create this wonderful sense of nurturing.”

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I’m sure that my last column ruffled some feathers. Discipline is a very controversial topic. No parent

disciplines a child in the same way or for the same digressions. Regardless of the digression, in last month’s column I advocated not using corporal punish-ment as a means of discipline. I offered multiple reasons for this recommenda-tion. I used pertinent information from the discipline manual of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). I’m sure my critics are out there, but I would like to offer some more effective ways to discipline a child.

The AAP defines discipline as a system of teaching and nurturing that prepares children to achieve compe-tence, self-control, self-direction, and caring for others. All discipline is not created equal. The AAP lists three key elements of an effective discipline sys-tem. It has: 1) a learning environment characterized by positive, supportive parent–child relationships; 2) a strategy for systematic teaching and strengthen-ing of desired behaviors (proactive); and 3) a strategy for decreasing or

eliminating undesired or ineffective behaviors (reactive).

This month’s column will focus on the last element of effective discipline: reactive discipline.

According to the AAP, children need reactive discipline when they place themselves or others in danger, are non-compliant with reasonable expectations of adults, or behave in a way that interferes with positive social interactions and self-discipline.

Here are some reactive discipline alternatives to corporal punishment. This list is not all-inclusive. If you have any questions, please consult a health-care professional. They have the re-sources and expertise necessary to help parents administer effective discipline.

Taking a break from a situationChildren easily get worked up and

have a hard time calming down. If your child is in a situation that is causing him or her to be upset, remove your child from it. Leave the room, store or wherever you are. After your child

ParentingBy Melissa Stefanec

[email protected]

How to Discipline Kids

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calms down, discuss the situation and his or her reaction. Discuss and plan alternative ways of handling or avoid-ing the situation in the future.

RedirectionThis is exactly what it sounds like

and is an ideal discipline option for very young children. If a child throws a block, take the block away and then explain that blocks are for building, not throwing. The child will most likely be upset, but redirect him or her to another toy.

Time-out This is a very effective tool, when

administered properly. These strategies are most effective when parents:

• Make clear what the undesired behavior is and what the punishment will be if the child commits it

• Provide an immediate conse-quence when the behavior occurs

• Consistently provide that con-sequence for subsequent, identical behavior

• Stay calm and empathetic when implementing the consequence

• Provide a reason for the conse-quence

Parents must ensure that timeout lasts for an appropriate time. Many pediatricians recommend one minute of time-out for each year of age. Time-out cannot last for excessive periods of time. If a child reacts to time-out with a tantrum, parents need to ignore the child. Parents cannot interact with a child in time-out. Time-out is a long-term solution to negative behavior. It takes time for children to learn from time-outs. However, their self-esteem isn’t damaged after timeout, and the undesirable behaviors will eventually decrease. The biggest challenge for time-outs is the way parents conduct themselves during the process. Stay calm, be consistent and don’t interact.

(Note, note, note to self.)Removal of privileges

This is typically used for older children and has to follow the rules set forth in the above list. Children who experienced effective time-outs re-spond well to this alternative.

Verbal reprimandsParents have to target verbal

reprimands at specific behaviors and use them discriminately. If parents use this tool too much, it loses its effective-ness. Overuse can lead to an increase in undesired behaviors, as the child thrives on the attention. It’s important that parents use verbal reprimands to describe the behavior and not the child. Putting down a child is not an effective form of discipline.

The take-away messageNo matter what punishments

parents choose to use on their chil-dren, parents need to administer those punishments with love. Parents must never withdraw love or affection. They should not make the child feel aban-doned. Effective discipline relies on a loving relationship between the parent and child.

After researching information for this article, I realized that the way I conduct myself when my daughter misbehaves is just as important as the discipline I use. I have a long and challenging road ahead of me, but I hope to produce a well-disciplined and happy little lady. Looks like the next few months will be a mommy-daugh-ter discipline boot camp. Let’s hope we pass.

To read more about the reference materials used in this article and the AAP’s Guide to Effective Discipline visit pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/101/4/723.full.pdf.


Golden Years

Mary Ann Raemsch, 68, has retired from the nursing profession, but her caring

nature hasn’t retired at all. So when she learned about Seniors Helping Seniors

Mary Ann Raemsch assisting Ron (at his home in a western suburb of Syracuse) with his shoes following an afternoon of shopping. Raemsch and a partner run Seniors Helping Seniors in the Syracuse area.

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a couple of years ago, she knew she had found her niche.

“I just wanted to provide care be-cause I had done that all my life,” she said. “I found that it was something

I thought I would really enjoy, and I have.”

Founded in 1998, the agency has franchises throughout the country that offer in-home, non-medical services for older citizens by providers who are 50 years or older. Franchises in the Upstate New York area include one that serves Oswego, Cayuga, Wayne and Seneca counties operated by Deb Turner; one in the Greater Syracuse area, run by Corey Hunt and Brenda Watson; and those in Northern New York, Oneida County and Genesee Valley.

That the providers are seniors themselves is a key philosophy for Seniors Helping Seniors.

The receivers are more receptive to getting or taking help from people closer to their own age, said Turner. She and Mary Ann Raemsch explained that it’s more like a friendship; there are more shared experiences with the provider and receiver being closer in age.

Duties can include companion-ship, light housekeeping, meal prep, transportation to and from doctors, shopping, and yard work, but they don’t provide baths, showers, or other personal hands-on care, Turner said.

Currently Raemsch and another provider are caring for Ron at his home in a western suburb of Syracuse, visit-ing him Monday through Friday to

prepare his evening meal. The provid-ers provide him healthy evening meals and companionship, Turner said.

“I have fun,” Ron said. “The girls are peaches.”

The program can also provide support and peace of mind for family members, who may not be able to care for their older loved ones full-time.

Such was the case for Naomi, who had been living with her daughter, Judy. Judy worked outside the home during the day, so Raemsch provided Naomi some assistance and compan-ionship during the day, while allay-ing Judy’s concerns for her mother. Although Naomi has since passed, Raemsch still stays in touch with Judy.

“There’s always something I learn from them,” Raemsch said. “I’m still learning from these people who are seniors. It makes it very nice relation-ship. You do form a bond with these people.”

Another scenario that Corey Hunt has seen is when grown children who live out of town return home for the holidays and realize that Mom or Dad might not be faring well on their own and need some assistance. Through that assistance, receivers are able to stay independent and in their homes.

There are several facets to the screening process for both receivers and providers, as Turner explained.

She visits every receiver’s home to chat with the receiver and family members in order to get to know them and what their needs are. She then reviews her list of providers to decide who would be a good pairing. She at-tempts to match personalities. She says that sometimes people don’t click, and if that’s the case, a switch can be made. Open communication between the pro-vider, the receiver and family members are key, Turner said. “We strive to make our seniors comfortable and safe in their homes.”

For more information on becoming a provider or to receive services, visit www.seniorshelpingseniors.com .


Vaccination for shingles may rank among of the wisest, cheapest and easiest preventive health

measures you can take. The Centers for Disease Control recommends that ev-eryone over age 60 receive the vaccine.

Shingles manifests with a painful, burning rash that appears in a wide band, not just random lesions, on areas such as the trunk and face.

“Once you have chicken pox, the virus stays in your body and it can be-come reactivated later and that’s where shingles comes from,” said Michelle Smith, a nurse at Marcellus Family Medicine. “People think they can pass on the virus, and they can’t unless they come in contact with someone else who never had chicken pox or a chicken pox vaccination, such as someone who’s very young.”

Someone infected by a shingles patient will experience chicken pox, not shingles. Pediatricians typically do not vaccinate children until they are about 15 months old. Like children with the chicken pox form of the virus, adults with shingles remain contagious until their sores have scabbed over.

Experts are not sure why the virus remerges nor why it tends to do so later in life. But when it does, itmani-fests with moderate to severe pain, instead of the itching associated with chicken pox.

For some patients, the rash hurts so much that burning capsaicin-based topical cream is often used to mask the jabbing pain. In addition to the fluid-filled blisters, patients may also experi-ence fever, chills, headache and upset stomach.

Though rare, some patients experi-ence serious complications, including ophthalmic shingles, which may cause vision loss.

“Depending on which nerves are affected, shingles can cause an in-flammation of the brain, encephalitis; facial paralysis; or hearing or balance problems,” said Debbie LoSecco, a registered nurse and project nurse at Passport Health in Syracuse.

Improperly treated blisters can cause bacterial skin infections.

About 20 percent of shingles pa-tients may also experience post-herpet-ic neuralgia, which is pain at the site of the shingles rash, even up to 20 years after it has healed.

“It occurs when damaged nerve fibers send confused and exaggerated messages of pain from your skin to your brain,” LoSecco said.

Until its lesions scab, shingles is contagious for spreading chicken pox (not shingles) around 20 to 25 percent

Golden YearsHit 60? Consider Getting a Shingles VaccineIf you think your good health and hardy constitution will spare you from getting shingles, you may be in for an unpleasant surpriseBy Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

for a normal, healthy host and higher for those who have compromised im-mune systems, are elderly or infirm. Anyone who has been vaccinated against chicken pox is not at risk.

If you think your good health and hardy constitution will spare you from getting shingles, you may be in for an unpleasant surprise. The Centers for Disease Control reports that “almost one out of three people in America will develop shingles during their lifetime. Nearly one million Americans experi-ence the condition each year.”

The older you get, the higher the chance you will have shingles and the risk of serious complications and greater pain goes up.

If you have already experienced shingles, you should be vaccinated. The vaccine reduces the risk by 50 percent, and for those vaccinated who do succumb, they are less likely to have a severe case.

The timing of the vaccination contributes to its effectiveness. Though doctors generally do not discourage people 70 and older from seeking vac-cination, after age 70, the protection it

offers diminishes.Administered in a single, subcuta-

neous injection, shingles vaccine begins offering protection quickly, even faster than influenza vaccine.

“We’ve given hundreds of these vaccinations and no one has ever come back or called to complain about a side effect,” Smith said. “There could be some itching at the site, but that’s about it.”

If you have already received a shin-gles vaccination, no booster is required.

Contraindications for the shingles vaccine include severe reactions to gelatin, neomycin, or any other compo-nent of the vaccine and weakened im-mune system, such as patients with a history of leukemia, lymphoma, AIDS, or those on medications that weaken the immune system, such as those often used for treating autoimmune diseases. It’s always important to discuss all health issues, medications and supple-ments with your care provider.

From Smith’s experience, not many insurers in the area cover the vaccina-tion, which “is expensive but worth it,” she said.

Community conversations series helps healthcare consumers be more informed, engaged and empowered

With the goal to help Central New Yorkers become more informed,

engaged and empowered health-care consumers, Crouse Hospital is launching Crouse Connects, a series of open conversations with community members.

“At Crouse, we believe the best care is delivered when patients, family members and the healthcare team work together as partners to ensure safe, effective care, says President & CEO Paul Kronenberg, a physician. “We’re launching Crouse Connects to have conversations about how a team approach to healthcare pro-vides better outcomes and experi-ences for all involved.”

The first Crouse Connects program, titled “A Healthcare Partnership: Patients and Hospi-tals Working Together to Inform, Engage, Empower,” will be led by Chief Medical Officer Ron Stahl, and Chief Quality Officer Derrick Suehs.

Topics to be discussed will include the role of transparency in creating open and honest commu-nication; the role of patients and family members; how hospitals respond to and learn from adverse events; and ensuring safe patient care.

Stahl, a member of the Crouse medical staff since 1993 and chief medical officer since 2005, over-sees approaches for continued cost, quality and efficiency proj-ects involving the medical staff, as well as working with the medical staff to improve patient safety. Derrick Suehs has served as chief quality officer at Crouse Hospital since 2002, and is responsible for the organizational transformation and cultural performance through oversight of the hospital’s initia-tives to improve quality outcomes, advantage human resources, reduce risks, create a learning environment, enhance the custom-ers’ experience and promote the mission, vision and values of the hospital.

If You Go — The first pro-gram of Crouse Connects — “A Healthcare Partnership: Patients and Hospitals Working Together to Inform, Engage, Empower” — will take place from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, May 14, in the Marley Education Center, 765 Ir-ving Ave. This program is free and open to the public but pre-regis-tration is requested by calling 315-472-2464. Free parking is available in the Marley and Crouse garages.

Crouse to Launch ‘Crouse Connects’


If you’re frugal retiree and on a tight budget, it may seem tempting to skip getting an annual eye exam,

especially if your glasses seem to work fine; however, you may be endangering your health.

“If there is no medical problems with eyes, they should come in every year,” said Paige Reitz, optician with the office of physician Ivan Proano in Oswego. “As you get older, there’s risk for cataracts. We have patients who didn’t know they had any issues but they had glaucoma or are a glaucoma suspect. Macular degeneration is also important to find.”

Though some of these conditions may not manifest with any symptoms you would notice, it’s important to seek professional care if you notice anomalies such as blurred or cloudy vi-sion, changes in how colors look (such as a brown or yellow tinge), glare, reflections or decreased night vision. These could indicate cataracts. Cataract surgery has become a routine proce-dure for the lens problem.

“If they have loss of vision, spotted vision can indicate macular degenera-tion,” said Mike McElwee, an optician representing Eyewear Unlimited in Liverpool.

As dry macular degeneration progresses, the patient loses more of his central vision while the peripheral vision seems fine. Some people report that activities such as reading or even recognizing others during conversa-tion become difficult because macular degeneration blurs what is directly in front of them.

Though dry macular degenera-tion damage is irreversible, the disease progresses slowly and dietary changes

A cataract is a clouding of the eyes natural lens. When we look at something, light enters our eye

through the pupil. The light is focused onto the retina by the cornea and the lens. The lens must be clear in order to focus light properly onto the retina. If the lens has become cloudy, this is called a cataract.

Risk factorsAdvanced age, diabetes, family his-

tory of cataracts, smoking, radiation, long term steroidal use, extensive ex-posure to sunlight, obesity, high blood pressure

Vision problems with cataracts:• Sensitivity to glare• Cloudy, fuzzy, foggy or filmy

vision• Difficulty seeing at night• Loss of color intensity

Golden YearsWhy Eye Exams Are Important for SeniorsBy Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

and supplementation may be recom-mended by a healthcare professional to support eye health.

Though one of the leading causes of blindness in the world, glaucoma doesn’t have to rob sight. It can be treated. Unfortunately, most people do not realize they have any problems until it is well advanced.

“We have people who are glauco-ma suspects and the doctor can check the pressure for a baseline and check for increases in pressure from year to year,” McElwee said.

Any damage caused by glaucoma causes irreversible damage.

How Eye Exams Have ChangedIf it’s been a while since you’ve had

an eye exam, you may be surprised at what has changed relating to technol-ogy, medical science and how you’re tested compared with when you were younger.

“There are so many different things available now to do to your glasses that will help with problems seniors may have,” said Reitz, optician with the of-fice of physician Ivan Proano, Oswego. Many seniors aren’t aware of what’s out there that can help them see more clearly. They’re used to a basic lens and out the door they go. They have a lot more options now.”

McElwee recommends non-glare coating for some seniors. “They get 10 percent more light into the eye. Tinted lenses or transition may not be a good idea for a senior unless their eyes are very sensitive.”

If your glasses seem to have be-come heavier over the years, it’s not your imagination. Stronger prescrip-tions often result in heavier glasses;

however, thinner, high index material may help, according to McElwee.

“With thinner, lighter lenses, it’s important to have that non-glare coat-ing,” he said. “The material is more dense, so when light hits it, it is filtered out more.”

What To Expect at an Eye Exam Bausch + Lomb offers the follow-

ing information on senior eye exams (www.bausch.com):

Typically, your eye doctor will review your personal and family health history for eye hereditary problems of eye disease, diabetes, high blood pres-sure or poor vision.

Then your doctor will conduct tests to check for:

•Vision –The doctor can check for nearsightedness (myopia), farsighted-ness (hyperopia), astigmatism and presbyopia. While you look at an eye chart, the doctor will measure your vision precisely, and, if necessary, determine a prescription for corrective lenses.

•Coordination of eye muscles - The doctor will move a light in a set pattern to test your ability to see sharply and clearly at near and far distances, and to

use both eyes together. •Side (peripheral) vision - The

doctor will move an object at the edge of your field of vision to make sure you can see it.

•Pupil response to light - The doc-tor will shine a light in your eye and watch the pupil’s reaction.

•Color testing - The doctor will ask you to describe figures in a series of illustrations made up of numerous colored dots or circles. This tests your ability to differentiate colors.

•Eyelid health and function - The doctor will examine your eyelid, inside and out.

•Interior and back of the eye – Af-ter dilating your eyes (by both using a few eye drops and dimming the lights so the pupils will widen), the doctor will use a special instrument called an ophthalmoscope to see through to the retina and optic nerve at the back of the eye. This is where clues to many eye diseases first show up.

•Measurement of fluid pressure – The doctor will release a puff of air onto your eye using an instrument called a tonometer. This tests the pres-sure inside the eye, an early indicator of glaucoma and other diseases.

Cataracts 101• Halos around lights• Difficulty driving, reading and

recognizing facesTreatment

Cataracts can develop at different levels in the lens. Glasses can remedy the situation in certain instances. If the glasses fail to improve the vision, then surgery is the next option to consider. In the majority of cases cataract sur-gery is uneventful and tolerated well. However, like any surgery there is risk involved and should be discussed with your surgeon prior to the procedure.

Submitted by Eye Associates of Syracuse, 2215 E Genesee St., Syracuse. For more information, call 315-472-5329.

The practice is sponsoring a “Cataract Information Semimar” on June 5 in Liver-pool. See advertisement on page 5.


By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

What They Want You to Know:

Deborah Jeanne Sergeant is a writer with In Good Health. “What Your Doctor Wants You to Know” is an ongoing column that appears monthly to give our area’s healthcare profes-sionals an opportunity to

share how patients can improve their care by helping their providers and by helping themselves.

Opticians

In its Occupational Outlook Hand-book, the US Department of Labor describes dispensing opticians as

professionals who “help fit eyeglasses and contact lenses, following pre-scriptions from ophthalmologists and optometrists. They also help customers decide which eyeglass frames or type of contact lenses to buy.”

In New York, opticians must be licensed.

• ”People in general should have an annual eye exam if they are working on computers more than 60 to 70 per-cent of the day, wear contact lenses or have other health issues like diabetes. It should be at least every two years otherwise.

• ”We tell our patients to take breaks every 20 minutes to look 20 feet away for 20 seconds. We call it ‘20/20/20.’ It gives the patient’s eye muscles a break.

• ”Contact lens and glasses wear-ers say they feel a little better doing breaks.

• ”There are a number of different lenses available now that we didn’t have a few years ago. We can fit bifocal contact lenses, help people with an astigmatism, and meet the needs of people who people didn’t think they could wear contact lenses. They aren’t for everyone, but many can be helped.

• ”You need ultraviolet protection A and B. Any tinted lens can do it, even ones costing $30 or $40, but it’s how clear the optics are. Polarized lenses block all light horizontally and is better for glare, especially if you have a pool or on the water a lot or out in the snow. Gray lenses block colors equally. Brown is good on hazy days because it filters blue light and it’s better for glare.”

Mike Gzik, optician with New

York Optometric, Syracuse

• ”I work with Dr. [Ivan] Proano [in Oswego] and talk with the patients as to what they need and want in their glasses.

• ”We then decide what frame styles will work for them and lenses will suit their needs. Do they want metal, plastic, composite or whatever.

• ”We see everyone from little kids to seniors. I enjoy that. Every patient is a different scenario.

“We do a lot of post-cataract glasses. We inform patients of protec-tion for the eye after surgery and what they’ll need to do differently.

• ”A lot of times, people come in after cataract surgery and ask different questions about the bifocals. We take some time to go over that. They have a bifocal for reading and say, ‘There’s no prescription on the top.’ They think there’s no prescription on top, but there is. They’re just seeing a lot better because of the surgery.

• ”People often ask for glasses that are much too large or small and we have to talk about what they’ll look like. There are so many options with lenses and frames. They think it’ll be a quick in and out but we have to slow them down to talk about how they’ll use them.

• ”Patients should have some gen-eral idea of the style of glasses they’re looking for. If they don’t want a nose pad, for example, we have to get them with a uni-fit bridge. If they tell me that right away, that makes it quicker. If they want prescription sunglasses, that is good to know.

• ”A lot of people assume that when they come into a private office that the cost is high. It’s actually pretty competitive. In the last few months, people are becoming price conscious. People like coming in to have every-thing done, including the exam and get the glasses here. It simplifies things for people quite a bit so they don’t have to go back and forth.

• ”We also carry the standard reading glasses people can get in the grocery store and accessories that cater to our patients.”

Paige Reitz, optician with the of-fice of Dr. Ivan Proano, Oswego

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Q&A

The Social Security Offi ce

Ask Column provided by the local Social Security Office

Can’t Work Due To Disability? Disability is something most

people don’t like to think about. But if you’re not able to work

because you have a disabling condition that is expected to last at least one year or result in death, then it’s a subject you may not be able to avoid.

You should apply for disability benefits as soon as you become dis-abled. It may take you months to ob-tain all your medical records and for us to process an application for disability benefits.

The types of information we need include:

• medical records or docu-mentation you have; we can make copies of your records and return your originals;

• the names, addresses, and phone numbers for any doctors, hospitals, medical facilities, treatment centers, or providers that may have information related to your disabling condition;

• the names, addresses, and phone numbers for recent em-ployers and the dates worked for each employer; and

• your federal tax return for the past year.

If you don’t have all of the infor-

mation handy, that’s no reason to delay. You should still apply for benefits right away. Social Security can assist you in getting the necessary documents, including obtaining your medical re-cords. Just keep in mind that if you do have the information we need, it will probably speed up the time it takes to make a decision.

The fastest and most convenient way to apply for disability is online at www.socialsecurity.gov/applyfordis-ability. You can save your application as you go, so you can take a break at

any time.If you prefer, you may

call our toll-free number, 1-800-772-1213, to make an appointment to apply at your local Social Security office or to set up an appointment for someone to take your applica-tion over the phone.

If you are approved for disability benefits, that doesn’t mean you’ll never be able to work again. In fact,

Social Security has special rules called “work incentives” that allow you to test your ability to work.

Learn more about disability ben-efits and take advantage of the helpful Disability Starter Kit at www.socialse-curity.gov/disability/disability_start-er_kits.htm.

Q: My wife doesn’t have enough work under Social Security to qualify for Social Security or Medicare. But I am fully insured and eligible. Can she qualify on my record?

A: Yes. The question you’ve raised applies to husbands as well as wives. Even if your spouse has never worked under Social Security, she (or he) can, at full retirement age, receive a benefit equal to one-half of your full retire-ment amount. Your wife is eligible for reduced spouses benefits as early as age 62, as long as you are already receiving benefits. If your spouse will receive a pension for work not covered by Social Security such as government employment, the amount of his or her Social Security benefits on your record may be reduced. For more information, take a look at the fact sheet, Govern-ment Pension Offset, Publication No. 05-10007 at www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10007.pdf. For more information, visit www.socialsecurity.gov and select the “Retirement” tab.

Q: My neighbor said he applied for Social Security retirement benefits on the computer. Can you really apply for retirement without traveling to an office?

A: Yes you can! And what’s more, it’s the easiest, fastest, and most con-venient way to apply for retirement benefits. There’s no need to fight the traffic to visit an office and wait to be served. Our website makes it simple, allowing you to apply for retirement benefits in as little as 15 minutes. You

can get started now at www.socialsecu-rity.gov/applyonline.

Q: What is the earliest age I can begin receiving retirement benefits?

A: The earliest age you can begin receiving Social Security retirement benefits is 62. If you decide to receive benefits before your full retirement age, which for most people is age 66 or 67, you will receive a reduced benefit. Keep in mind you will not be able to receive Medicare coverage until age 65, even if you decide to retire at an earlier age.

Q: Is there a time limit on how long I can receive Social Security dis-ability benefits?

A: Your disability benefits will continue as long as your medical condi-tion has not improved and you cannot work. Social Security will periodically review your case to determine whether you continue to be eligible. If you are still receiving disability benefits when you reach your full retirement age, your disability benefits will auto-matically be converted to retirement benefits.

Q: Why is there a five-month waiting period for Social Security dis-ability benefits?

A: The law states Social Security disability benefits can be paid only after you have been disabled continu-ously throughout a period of five full calendar months. Social Security dis-ability benefits begin with the sixth full month after the date your disability began. You are not able to receive ben-efits for any month during the waiting period.

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

By Jim Miller

Dear Savvy Senior,What can you tell me about

online dating for older people? My daughter has been urging me to give it a try, but at age 62, I’m a little hesitant.

Lonely Senior

Dear Lonely,Dating sites have become

enormously popular among the older generation in recent years. In fact, boomers and seniors make up about 20 percent of online daters today, and the numbers keep grow-ing. Here’s what you should know.

Meeting Online If you’re interested in dating again

or are just looking for a friend to spend time with, dating websites are an easy way to meet hundreds of new single people without ever having to leave home.

If you’re feeling hesitant, a good way to ease into it is to visit a few dating sites and look around. Most services allow you to check out their members at no cost or obligation. Then, if you like what you see, you can sign up (fees typically range between $15 and $60 per month, however some sites are free) and start emailing members you’re interested in or they can email you. Here are some other tips to help you get started.

Choose a SiteWith over 1,000 matchmaking sites

on the Internet today, choosing can be a bit overwhelming. Depending on your preferences here are some popular op-tions to look into.

If you don’t want to spend any money, free sites like PlentyofFish.com and OKCupid.com are good places to start, but beware that these sites have a lot of ads.

If you’re interested in other choices, consider mainstream sites like Match.com and eHarmony.com which have huge memberships in all demo-graphics.

Or, if you are looking to find a spe-cific type of person, there are hundreds of niche sites like OurTime.com and SeniorPeopleMeet.com for those 50 and older, Alikewise.com for book lovers, DateMyPet.com for animal lovers, Veg-gieDate.org for vegetarians, JDate.com for Jewish singles, BlackPeopleMeet.com for African Americans, and Chris-tianMingle.com whose slogan is “Find God’s Match for You.” Or, check out AARP’s new dating website partner HowAboutWe.com.

Create a ProfileWhen you join a dating site you’ll

need to create a personality profile that reflects who you are including recent photos, hobbies, interests, favorite activities and more. If you need some help, sites like eFlirtExpert.com or VirtualDatingAssistants.com can write one for you for a fee.

Use CautionWhen you register with a dating

site you remain anonymous. No one gets access to your full name, ad-dress, phone number or email until you decide to give it out. So be very prudent who you give your informa-tion to, and before meeting, chat on the phone a few times or video chat online, and when you do meet in person for the first time, meet in a public place or bring a friend along. If you want to be extra cautious, you can do a quick background check on your date for a few dollars at sites like valimate.com and mymatchchecker.com.

Don’t be NaiveIn an effort to get more responses,

many people will exaggerate or flat out lie in their profiles, or post pictures that are 10 years old or 20 pounds lighter. So don’t believe everything you see or read.

Make an EffortA lot of times, people — especially

women — sit back and let others come to them. Don’t be afraid to make the first move. When you find someone you like, send a short note that says, “I really enjoyed your profile. I think we have some things in common.” Keep it simple.

Don’t Get DiscouragedIf you don’t get a response from

someone, don’t let it bother you. Just move on. There are many others that will be interested in you and it only takes one person to make Internet dat-ing worthwhile.

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.

Looking for Love and Companionship Online

Safe Vision Improvement Without Surgery

Do you have macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, inoperable cataracts, or other eye problems that have robbed you of better eyesight you used to enjoy?

Do you want the freedom to read smaller print, to see street signs, or to watch your grandchildren and friends across the room, without resorting to dangerous and expensive surgery? Do you have poor eye sight which does not improve with regular glasses?

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Nutritious, hot noon meals are available throughout Cayuga County for those seniors unable to prepare a meal for themselves. Meals can be home delivered or available at one of six senior meal sites. (There is a suggested donation)

If you know someone who could benefitFrom a hot noon meal, call the:

Cayuga County Office for the AgingSenior Nutrition Program 253-1427

HOME DELIVERED MEALS ARE A LIFELINE TO MANY FRAIL

ELDERLY SENIORS


Gregory Eastwood is not a man to slap himself on the back.

The 72-year-old served as president of SUNY Upstate Medical University from 1993 to 2006 and was the interim president of Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland from 2006-2007.

In a recent interview, he down-played both his role in the expansion of Upstate Medical University during his tenure and the financial recovery of Case Western Reserve University while he was there.

That’s not to say Eastwood, who is now both a professor of bioethics and humanities and a professor of medicine at Upstate, doesn’t take time once in a while to appreciate what he helped accomplish.

“I take a great deal of satisfaction in the Children’s Hospital,” Eastwood said. “I’m sitting in my office right now directly across the street from that building. I’m looking at it right now. The snow’s coming down. It looks beautiful. But what did I do? All I did was I attended a bunch of meetings. I put my words behind it. I tried to see that there was appropriate funding, but it was Dr. [Thomas] Welch who actu-ally did it. He had help. But still he was the one who was the driving force.”

Welch is the chairman of pediatrics at Upstate University Hospital and medical director at Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital. Applauding his colleagues is a common response for Eastwood when asked about his long list of accomplishments.

Eastwood’s ‘baby’The idea for a Children’s Hospi-

tal in Syracuse was one that had been circulating at Upstate for two decades before he arrived, Eastwood said. But it wasn’t until someone was found to spearhead the idea and help turn it into a reality that the hospital could be built. It is one of Eastwood’s tenets of good leadership.

“You have to have a person on the ground who knows the area and whose job it is to do that,” he said. “We never would have had the children’s hospital if we had kept to the way we were. Many people thought it was a great idea but could not take the time, effort and energy to do it.”

Eastwood’s praise of Welch is similar to his approval of the man who succeeded him at the presidency at Upstate, David Smith.

“The new president is a terrific per-son,” Eastwood said. “He has abilities that I don’t have. He has a very good political sense and I mean that in a very positive way. I worked with elected politicians and agency people and I did a good job of it but they’ve been able to take that other step. He’s a very good organizer. He’s a very good visionary.”

When Eastwood left Upstate in 2006, he planned on taking a one-year sabbatical to immerse himself in the study of bioethics, but a sense of duty suddenly called him in a different di-rection. Case Western Reserve Univer-sity had recently lost its president to a vote of no confidence. The university

Former SUNY Upstate President: A New Role as a ProfessorPhysician Gregory Eastwood remains active at Upstate after presiding it for more than 10 yearsBy Matthew Liptak

had some serious financial issues.Rescues alma mater

Case Western Reserve happened to be Eastwood’s alma mater. He earned his medical degree there in 1966. They wanted him back to guide them through the rough waters of transition as interim president.

Eastwood led the school of 10,000 students back from its difficulties and helped it hire a new president. He con-tinues to serve on its board of trustees.

“People there were very apprecia-tive,” Eastwood said. “They gave me what’s called the university medal. It’s their highest honor. I think what hap-pened was I was the right person at the right place at the right time. Everyone wanted the university to succeed. Ev-eryone meaning the people who were there, the faculty, staff and students, the community, and alumni all over.”

The doctor has hit many peaks both figuratively and otherwise. While in his 40s, before both his hips were replaced, he was an avid outdoorsman. Eastwood climbed all 48 mountain

peaks in New Hampshire that are over 4,000 feet.

He has a wife of almost 50 years and children and grandchildren. The couple both like opera and frequently visit The Metropolitan Opera House in New York City. They also enjoy travel-ing. Eastwood belongs to a book group made up of “guys just like me.”

Like everybody who has dreams and aspires to have a rewarding career, the doctor’s story starts at the begin-ning, in grade school.

The doctor said he was a pretty good kid growing up in Detroit and did not give his parents much to stress about. He did have an independent mind. It led him to question his ortho-dox Protestant faith but it also led him to medicine through a mentor.

“When I was in sixth grade in De-troit I had a Sunday school teacher who was in his final year of a surgical resi-dency,” Eastwood said. “His name was Gerald Wilson. He really influenced me a lot. I sort of hero-worshiped him. When I got in high school I accompa-nied him sometimes. When I was in

college he got me a job in an operating room in a hospital in Detroit. I was like a scrub nurse.”

Eastwood’s career has taken him to Massachusetts, Georgia and finally to Syracuse. He expects the bioethics and humanities center might have him for a few more years before he and his wife take retirement and split their time between homes in Massachusetts (what he calls his “emotional home”) and Hil-ton Head, S.C. (where they can avoid the winters).

Syracuse and the rest of the medi-cal community are likely to miss this humble individual who calls himself a physician and man of science first.

“He’s a great colleague,” said Kathy Faber-Langendoen, chair of the center. “He is generous of spirit. He is humble. He is an incredibly hard worker. He was my superior and then about five or six years ago he joined the Center for Bioethics and Humanities which I’m the chair of. So we joke that we call each other boss all the time. I still call him boss.”

Former SUNY Upstate President Greg Eastwood (right) and current president, David Smith.


tral New York in 2010 as a clinical co-ordinator, bringing with her more than six years of home care experience. She is a graduate of the Herkimer County Career Tech Center’s adult practical nursing program.

New OB-GYN joins Upstate Community

OB-GYN Allison M. Loi of Ska-neateles has joined Upstate Commu-nity of Upstate University Hospital.

Loi is a graduate of the University of Rochester School of Medicine, where

she earned her medical doctorate degree. She re-mained at the University of Rochester to complete her residency in OB-GYN at Strong Memorial Hospital.

Loi was previously in a private practice in Skaneateles. She has established a new office in the physician office

building north on Upstate University Hospital’s Community Campus. In ad-dition to her office practice, Loi will be part of the OB-GYN hospitalist service.

New bariatric surgeons join St. Joseph’s Hospital

Physicians Gregory Dalencourt and

January Hill have recently joined Wil-liam A. Graber MD, PC and are now part of the team of bariatric surgeons

and weight loss surgery that’s affiliated with St. Joseph’s Hospital Center.

Dalencourt earned his Bachelor of Science degree in biology with a minor in chemistry from Walsh University in North Canton, Ohio, and Doctor of Medicine from Ross University School of Medicine in the Com-monwealth of Dominica, West Indies. He com-pleted an internship and residency at Geisinger Medical Center in Dan-ville, Pa., an internship at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center in Hershey, Pa., and a

fellowship in bariatric and minimally invasive surgery at Tufts Medical Cen-ter in Boston.

Prior to joining physician William A. Graber’s office, Dalencourt was a surgeon for the Peconic Bay Medical Center Multi Specialty Organization and Twin Forks Surgical Associates, PC, both in Riverhead, N.Y. Dalencourt is a member of the American College of Surgeons, Medical Society of New York and American Medical Association.

Hill earned her bachelor of science in biology with a minor in chemistry from Xavier University of Louisiana in New Orleans, and her doctor of medi-cine from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine in Lubbock, Texas. She completed an internship and residency in surgery at SUNY Buffalo in Buffalo, and a fel-lowship in laparoscopic and bariatric

Health NewsOrthopedic surgeons join Oneida Orthopedic

Oneida Healthcare has announced the addition of two surgeons to Oneida Orthopedic Specialists. David Patalino and Jonathan Wigderson join physi-cians Joseph Pierz and John King and physician assistant Christopher Lott at their office on Route 5 in Oneida. Patalino received his medical degree from SUNY Health Science Center at Syracuse College of Medicine and com-pleted his residency in orthopedic sur-

gery at Upstate Medical University, from which he also has a fellow-ship in orthopedic hand surgery. Patalino special-izes in hand and wrist reconstructive surgery; hand and wrist trauma and endoscopic carpal tunnel release (CTR), as well as wrist, elbow and shoulder arthroscopy. He is board certified in orthopedic surgery by the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery.

Wigderson received his medical degree from Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medi-cine, Athens, Ohio, and completed his orthope-dic surgery residency at Peninsula Hospital Cen-

ter is Far Rockaway, NY. He is board-certified in orthopedic surgery and is a trained trauma specialist with a trauma fellowship from Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City. Wigderson is a member of the American Osteopathic Association, American Osteopathic Academy of Orthopedics, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and Orthopaedic Trauma Association.

Oneida Orthopedic Specialists is operated by Oneida Healthcare.

Amy Davis promoted at Home Aides of CNY

Home Aides of Central New York, a local leader in eldercare services since 1966, has announced the promotion of Amy E. Davis to assistant manager of clinical services. She is a licensed prac-tical nurse and lives in Manlius.

In her new role, Davis will oversee the day-to-day activities of the agency’s nursing, scheduling, and intake/customer service depart-ments, which handle the caseload of more than 1,500 clients annually.

“We are tremen-dously proud of Ms. Davis and all she has been able to accomplish during her time with the

agency,” said Sandra Martin, agency president. “Her strong management skills, remarkable clinical abilities and high level of integrity have shown her to be a valuable contributor and natural leader. This advancement is well-deserved, and I know she will continue to play an important role in the agency’s success.”

Davis joined Home Aides of Cen-

Rural/Metro Medical Services announced it has achieved a perfect score in the renewal of its accredita-tion from the Commission on Ac-creditation of Ambulance Services (CAAS).

In 1993, Rural/Metro was one of the first ambulance services in the country to achieve accreditation, and has been Central New York’s only CAAS accredited agency since that time. The three-year renewal of gold standard accreditation is valid through 2016.

“Rural/Metro has an ongoing commitment to provide the absolute highest quality ambulance service to the people of Central New York. Maintaining the gold standard of accreditation through CAAS is evidence that you can always count on Rural/Metro,” said Mike Ad-dario, division general Manager for Rural/Metro. In New York state, only five agencies have achieved CAAS accreditation. Three of those are Rural/Metro operations in Syra-cuse, Buffalo, and Rochester. On a national level, only 156 ambulance services have achieved the presti-gious designation.

CAAS is an independent ac-crediting agency formed by the American College of Emergency Physicians, the National Associa-tion of EMS Physicians, the National Association of State EMS Directors, the International Association of Fire Chiefs and several other organiza-

tions. The accreditation process re-quires an organization to meet over 100 different standards covering all aspects of ambulance operations. Some of these standards include mutual aid and disaster coordina-tion, community education, creden-tialing, training, clinical standards, and quality improvement.

Agencies must renew their accreditation every three years by going through a full review and on-site inspection process. CAAS accreditation is a recognized nation-al standard. Several states recog-nize CAAS accreditation in their EMS licensure requirements, and a growing number of municipalities require accreditation for ambulance services providing emergency medi-cal care to their residents. Rural/Metro was first accredited in 1993 and has maintained its accreditation on a triennial basis since.

Rural/Metro Medical Services of Central New York has achieved perfect accreditation scores in previ-ous triennial reaccreditation pro-cesses as well, including 2004, 2007, and 2010.

“This achievement means that the exceptional work our staff does every day is above and beyond national standards for emergency medical services,” said Addario. “We stand committed to all aspects of quality delivery of prehospital care.”

surgery at Inova Fairfax Hospital in Falls Church, Va.

Hill is board certified in surgery and is a member of the Society of American Gastrointestinal and En-doscopic Surgeons and the American College of Surgeons.

Central Square Urgent Center has new director

Board certified family practice phy-sician Martin Waldron has been named medical director for Oswego Health’s Central Square Urgent Care Center, located at 3045 Main St. in the village.

A resident of Bernards Bay, Wal-dron said he was looking forward to

practicing close to his home. “This is really exciting for me because I am able to provide care in a small setting, some-thing I have wanted to return to for some time.” He said.

When he first began his medical career, Wal-dron provided care in small hospitals, urgent

care centers and emergency rooms that were part of the well-known Mayo Clinic headquartered in Rochester, Minn. During his years with the Mayo Clinic, Waldron served as director of family practice at the Albert Lea Medi-

cal Center.In addition, Waldron ran his own

private family practice for several years in Syracuse. Most recently, he has been providing care in the emergency room of Syracuse’s St. Joseph’s Hospital.

Waldron earned his undergradu-ate degree from SUNY Albany and his medical degree from Loma Linda University’s School of Medicine. While at medical school, he served as presi-dent of his medical class and was pre-sented the Walter B. Ordelheide Award for outstanding achievement in family medicine. He graduated in the top 5 percent of his class. The new medical director completed his residency in family practice medicine at the Mayo Clinic.

Oswego Hospital has additional ER doctor

Oswego Hospital has welcomed physician Reza Emami to its emergency room staff.

A physician with experience working in area emergency rooms, Emani is now providing full-time care in Oswego Hospital’s ER. Emani may be a familiar face to some as he had been working part time in the Oswego Hospital ER, as

Rural/Metro Receives Perfect Score on Accreditation Renewal

Wigderson

Patalino

Davis

Loi

Waldron

Delancourt

Hill

Emami


emergency department of St. Elizabeth Medi-cal Center in Utica. She has experience treating patients with multiple complaints, prescrib-ing medications and admitting patients to the hospital.

Tschudi has com-pleted clinical rotations in a variety of medical

settings, including Upstate Surgical Group, North Medical Family Physi-cians, Oneida Pediatric Group and the Regional Oncology Center at Upstate University Hospital.

In 2011, Tschudi received her Master of Science degree in physician assistant studies from Le Moyne Col-lege in Syracuse. Prior to pursuing her master’s degree, she received a Bache-lor of Science degree in biology from Le Moyne in 2004. She has special training in advanced cardiovascular life support (ACLS), infection control and blood-borne pathogens and HIPPA basics. Tschudi currently resides in Liverpool.

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well as at another area hospital when a full-time local position in Oswego became available.

“I like the patients who seek care in the local emergency room and I really enjoy working with the staff,” Emami said of his decision to join Oswego Hospital. “It’s also a pleasure to work in this ER facility as it offers a lot of space, has private and clean rooms and layout allows for optimum patient care.”

Emami earned his undergraduate degree in biology from Rutgers Uni-versity. He attended medical school at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, located in New Brunswick, N.J., and completed his internship at Staten Island University and his residency at North Shore University.

Fulton Urgent Care has new director

Oswego Health has named physi-cian Martin Weitzel as the medical

director for the Fulton urgent care center, lo-cated at 510 S. Fourth St. in Fulton.

Weitzel is a familiar face at the healthcare facility as he has worked part time at the urgent care facility for the past two years. He replaces Richard Koehler, who is retiring from the posi-

tion and served as the medical director since the urgent care’s opening in 2009.

The new medical director has 26 years of primary care experience, hav-ing owned and operated his own medi-cal practice for many years. Weitzel, in addition to providing care at the Fulton urgent care, most recently worked at Cayuga Medical Center’s urgent care center located in Ithaca.

“We are pleased to welcome Dr. Weitzel to our healthcare team,” said Lori Greeney, clinical nurse manager of the Fulton urgent care center. “He is experienced, very thorough, a good listener and has a great relationship

with the staff. I am sure those that visit urgent care will find he provides excel-lent care.”

Weitzel grew up in Michigan in a family with strong medical ties. Both his father and a brother are physicians, while a sister is a nurse. He earned his undergraduate and doctor of osteo-pathic medicine from Michigan State University. He completed his family practice residency at Metro Health Center in Erie, Pa., and his internship at Saginaw Osteopathic Hospital in Saginaw, Mich.

North Medical Urgent Care has new PA

St. Joseph’s Medical, P.C., doing business as North Medical, an affiliate of St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Cen-ter, announces the addition of Diane Tschudi to North Medical Urgent Care’s medical staff.

Tschudi has worked as a physician assistant in emergency medicine at the

TschudiWeitzel

People looking for primary care providers in the Chittenango area have another option thanks to

physician Robert T. Friedman. In Octo-ber Friedman partnered with Oneida Healthcare to open Chittenango Inter-nal Medicine. The office is located on Genesee Street in Chittenango.

Friedman hopes to fill a niche in an area where access to primary care phy-sicians is historically low. Primary care physicians serve as a first contact for patients and provide continuous care throughout medical treatments. They are also known as general practitioners.

Friedman hopes practicing in the

In charge of Chittenango Internal Medicine are from left Trisha Leonard, medical offi ce assistant; Kathy Krause, a registered nurse; physician Robert Friedman; and Michelle Holeck, medical offi ce clerk.

Chittenango Practice Fills Need in Madison CountyBy Melissa Stefanec

Chittenango area will give people more local options for healthcare. He plans to serve Chittenango residents, as well as people who live outside of Chittenan-go, including the Fayetteville, Manlius, Bridgeport and Cazenovia areas.

Friedman and his staff provide medical services to seniors and adults. Patients receive services such as immu-nizations, physicals, smoking cessation counseling, sick visits, pre-operative exams, suture removal, and cardiac risk assessment and reduction.

To meet the needs of a smaller com-munity, Friedman places an emphasis on personal service. His first practice was dedicated to just that, as he started out as a solo practitioner. He eventually joined a large practice in Fayetteville. When Oneida Healthcare presented him the opportunity in Chittenango, he saw it as a chance to redirect his energy to a smaller practice and get back to his roots.

“It’s always been my interest to be in a smaller practice,” said Friedman. “It’s a more intimate environment for the patients and staff. It makes sense to have this sort of practice in a smaller community.”

With the support of Oneida Health-care, Friedman maintains a small-town feel in his practice. He has a core staff

that supports the day-to-day opera-tions of the practice.

Friedman prides himself on being able to serve his patients each day of the week. He even offers same-day sick visits, which gives patients a chance to see their primary care physician as op-posed to going to an urgent care center or emergency room. This availability is important to Friedman. If his pa-tients are very ill and want to be seen, he will make the time to see them. He sums it up with a rhetorical question that reflects the emphasis he places on personal care.

“If I can’t be available to you when you are sick, what good is that?” asked Friedman. “It’s important for people to have a primary care physician and to have access to him when they need it,” said Friedman.

Friedman is a graduate of SUNY Upstate Medical School, board certified in internal medicine and a fellow of the American College of Physicians. He previously served as director of medi-cal education at St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center and was the recipient of multiple awards during his time at St. Joseph’s.

His office is accepting new patients and can be reached at 315-510-3677.


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