By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 4 November 2014 at 12:00 am
Provided photo – Conni Nenni, clerk for Holley Central School, won last year’s “Biggest Loser” contest at the district by losing about 30 pounds. She has kept the weight off.
HOLLEY – The school district is inviting the community to participate in its third “Biggest Loser” contest. The event kicks off this evening at 6:30 p.m. with weigh-ins at the new Fitness Center located in the Elementary School.
There will also be a child/parent fitness challenge beginning at 6 p.m. The district will also provide a fitness seminar at 7 p.m.
The Biggest Loser will be picked based on percentage of weight loss over the following months. Last year’s winner, Connie Nenni, will speak at the kick off tonight.
Nenni, clerk for the school district, said she lost about 30 pounds over four months last year from February through June. She counted calories, committed to a walk/run routine and cut back on pasta, breads and potatoes.
“I tried different things before but wasn’t able to keep off the weight,” she said today.
Participants will be eligible for monthly prizes. There is no specific weight loss program to follow.
“Do it your way on your own time line,” the district advises.
There is no charge to participate. The contest is open to anyone who lives in or who works for the school district.
By Nola Goodrich-Kresse, Public Health Educator for Orleans County Health Department
If you noticed you are exceptionally early for things, you may need to double check your clock. This past Sunday everyone should have been setting their clocks back one hour for daylight savings time.
This is also a great time to look at protecting your family and your home. Check your smoke alarm and carbon monoxide alarm batteries and clean them out according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Never remove batteries from either of these alarms other than to put in fresh batteries in the fall and spring when you change your clocks. If your alarms are more than 10 years old, or you don’t know how old they are, consider replacing them with new alarms.
Take time to go through your emergency supplies. Make sure they haven’t expired. Changing these items twice a year helps you know what you have and makes sure you don’t have expired foods or water in your emergency kits. You might also want to freshen up any clothes or blankets you have packed and make sure they are appropriate for the winter season.
If you haven’t already made one, make an emergency kit for your pets. Make sure you have at least a 3-day supply of water and food for your furry friends. Double check their vaccinations to make sure they are current and keep copies of them in their supply kit in case you have to leave your home in an emergency. Most public shelters do not allow pets, so plan ahead for your pets.
File photo by Tom Rivers – Much of Orleans County had its electricity knocked out in an ice storm last December, just before Christmas.
Contact your out-of-town/state buddies you have listed for your family to contact in the event you are separated in an emergency. Touch base with them to make sure you have their current information and remind them how important they are as a contact for your family. Offer to be their contact as well if you are able.
Make sure your emergency supply kits have fresh batteries, chargers, flashlights that work and other comfort items for sheltering in place or if you have to leave in a hurry. Keeping copies of current medical information for each family member, insurance forms, licenses, etc. will go a long way in helping during recovery efforts.
Make sure your house and vehicles are in good repair for the upcoming winter and keep emergency kits in your car and your workplace because you may get stuck someplace other than home.
Remember, when you turn your clocks back in the fall and forward in the spring, it is always a good time to plan ahead for safety. Have a great Fall season!
If you would like to ask the Public Health Educator a health related question to be answered in a future column, e-mail her at Nola.Goodrich-Kresse@orleansny.com. The Health Department reserves the right not to answer any questions deemed unsuitable.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 27 October 2014 at 12:00 am
Photo by Tom Rivers
ALBION – The crowd of 1,000 participants at The Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk raised $50,000 on Sunday for breast cancer research and for programs for people battling the disease.
The top photo shows a group of students from the Iroquois Job Corps Center in Medina at the beginning of the 5-kilometer walk.
The $50,000 raised on Sunday brings the total to $325,000 over 10 years since Watt Farms started hosting the event.
The American Cancer Society organizes other walks in the region and they typically are in urban areas. There was another Making Strides walk on Sunday at Jamestown Community College.
The walk in Albion differs from the others for its farm setting, said Monica Dailey, a specialist for community events for the American Cancer Society.
She praised the participants and Karen Watt, co-owner of the farm and a breast cancer survivor, for working so hard on the Making Strides walk at Watt Farms.
“The community rallies together,” she said. “You see a sea of pink.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 26 October 2014 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – The 10th annual Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk at Watt Farms drew about 1,000 people this morning at the farm on Route 98.
In the top photo, Melinda Maedl, business and community liaison for the Iroquois Job Corps Center in Medina, waves and leads a group at the beginning of the walk.
Karen Watt, a breast cancer survivor, addresses the crowd before the walk. Gene Christopher is pictured in lower right. His wife Judy fought breast cancer. She died at age 70 on Aug. 3, 2013.
Organizers of the walk set a $55,000 goal for today’s event. Watt said some of that money will go to advance cancer research. She said Orleans County is fortunate to be between major cancer research facilities in Buffalo and Rochester.
Karen Watt is pictured with two of her employees who are both breast cancer survivors. Melanie Vanacore, center, was diagnosed in July and Elizabeth “Perk” Banker was diagnosed five years ago. Watt is a 10-year survivor.
Watt said 70 Orleans County residents are diagnosed with breast cancer each year. In the 10 years of the walk at the Watt Farms, about 700 people in the county have been diagnosed with breast cancer, Watt said.
About 1,000 people were out walking in the orchards at Watt Farms for the breast cancer walk this morning.
There were 23 students from the Iroquois Job Corps in Medina on the walk today. Students sold ribbons and competed in a dorm vs. dorm event to raise $350 for the cause.
Participants ventured past the pond in the orchard on the 5-kilometer route.
Members of the CSEA employee union in Orleans County are pictured before the walk. County employees raised about $1,000 for the walk. Pictured, in back from left include: Debbie Sherk, Paula Bensely, Linette Kropp, union president Cindy Troy, and Alexis Montes and Johanna Cuadra whose mother Diana Kephart works for the county.
The two girls in front, Gracelynn and Isabelle Perkins, are Troy’s granddaughters.
Robbi Hess of Albion, center, is a breast cancer survivor. She was diagnosed 2 years, 3 months and 11 days ago. She had a mammogram just before her 50th birthday, and had surgery and radiation. She is pictured with her sister Cheryl Sipple of Medina, left, and cousin Pam Gray of Medina. The three raised $400 for today’s walk.
Hess volunteers as a mentor with the Breast Cancer Coalition of Rochester, connecting with women recently diagnosed with breast cancer. She also is active on the Cancer Survivors Facebook page, arranging for people with cancer to receive cards in the mail.
Members of the Elba football and soccer teams gather for a picture before today’s walk at Watt Farms.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 25 October 2014 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – The Albion School District made a big effort to promote today’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk at Watt Farms in Albion.
Before the walk at 10 a.m., about 150 students and staff gathered next to the football stadium for a picture. The group is arranged in the shape of the breast cancer awareness ribbon.
Some of the group is pictured walking on East Bacon Road as part of the 5-kilometer course at the farm. Students and staff raised about $6,000 for the American Cancer Society. Nancy Moore, a teacher’s aide, and Jennifer Blanchard, a teacher, pushed the cause throughout the district.
Two teachers have recently been diagnosed with breast cancer and several others also were diagnosed with cancer in recent years.
“We’ve had so many people affected by cancer and other tragedies,” Moore said this morning.
MEDINA – The Buffalo law firm of Lippes Mathias Wexler Friedman LLP is issuing the following statement on behalf of its client, Orleans Community Health/Medina Memorial Hospital, in response to recent media reports addressing its decision to apply for status as a Critical Access Hospital.
Dolores Horvath, President and Chief Executive Officer, Orleans Community Health Medina Memorial Hospital:
On the reports that the hospital is downsizing:
Medina Memorial Hospital was certified, on paper, for more beds than it actually needed or used to treat the patients of Orleans County, and this paper surplus of beds was preventing us from accessing important state and federal grants, incentives, and other funding.
Changing to Critical Access status will enable the hospital to receive additional significant sources of revenue, funding that will be crucial as we move forward with the goal of better serving the residents of Orleans County and the surrounding region.
Additionally, our hospital was recently designated a “safety net hospital” by the New York Department of Health, a move that signals the state’s belief that Medina Memorial is a vital community resource that provides necessary medical care – including life-saving emergency care – in Orleans County and beyond.
Addressing reports that there is uncertainty as to whether or not hospital staff will be impacted by a potential change in status:
There have been no discussions of any reduction in hospital staff as part of the Critical Access designation. This isn’t about reducing costs through staffing cuts, it is about updating the status of the hospital to best reflect its current level of service and to open the door to new federal and state funding opportunities. It is incredibly difficult in the current market to operate an independent rural hospital, and this classification will help to provide the funding Medina Memorial needs to ensure that we are able to provide high quality health care that meets the growing needs of our community for many years to come.
Responding to the assertion that the hospital is cutting services:
We are not cutting services. Reports that we are seeking to decertify beds in our pediatric department, for example, don’t account for the fact that we have not had a pediatrician on the hospital staff for several years. In reality, the conversion of those beds is a regulatory paperwork issue, not a cut in services.
As the Federal Rural Assistance Center has explained, “Conversion to Critical Access Hospital status does not mean losing services. In some instances, hospitals that have converted to CAH status may choose to expand their range of services to better meet their community’s needs.” That is certainly true for our facility. Under our current plan, we will be able to add cardiology and expanded orthopedic services, two specialty areas that we did not effectively cover, but will be especially critical to serving a rapidly aging population in the years ahead.
On the reports that Critical Access status is reserved for hospitals in “financial distress”:
That is simply not true. The ability to apply for Critical Access status is something reserved for rural hospitals, to promote access to necessary care. A hospital’s financial condition is not part of the evaluation under Federal law.
Statement from Bruce Krenning, Chairman of the Orleans Community Health Board of Directors:
The board of directors has been working diligently for more than a year to evaluate the ongoing status of Medina Memorial Hospital and to develop a long-term strategy that will best serve the residents of this community. Our foremost goal is always providing the highest level of care to our patients, and applying for Critical Access status is an important step in ensuring that the residents of Orleans County and the surrounding region have a hospital that is capable of meeting their medical needs well into the future.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 4 October 2014 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
LYNDONVILLE – Gretchen Albone receives a massage this morning from Stacie Bermel, a massage therapist and owner of Vitality Massage in Medina. Bermel was one of 18 vendors at a health fair put on by the Lyndonville PTA.
The health fair was part of the school district’s homecoming celebration. PTA member Stephanie Freas coordinated the health fair, wanting to promote proper nutrition, wellness and exercise in the community.
Jaime Brennan, left, of Albion is owner Tranquility Herbals and Tranquility Herbals Health Coaching. She is talking with Noreen Nelson of Lyndonville as part of the health fair, which lasted from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 4 October 2014 at 12:00 am
EAST SHELBY – Charlene Pratt, left, of Medina joins about 250 participants in the 26th annual Knights-Kaderli walk and run this morning. The 3.5 mile course started next to the East Shelby Volunteer Fire Company.
Melissa Knights Bertrand, daughter of the late Richard Knights, welcomes the group of runners and walkers. Her niece Natalie Pellicano is at right. Natalie kicked off the race by shouting. “1, 2, 3, Go!” Bertrand helps organize the race and volunteers with for the Knights-Kaderli Fund.
The walk and run has raised about $20,000 each of the past five years. The Fund typically has about $50,000 a year to share with Orleans County residents and their families fighting the disease.
These runners take off near the start of the race. In its 26 years, the walk and run has raised nearly $250,000 for the Knights-Kaderli Fund. For more information on the fund, click here.
The fund was started by two families in honor of Richard Knights, who died from cancer in 1984, and Sue Scharping Kaderli, who died from the disease in 1989.
Todd Zinkievich, left, was among the participants in today’s walk and run. For many years the Zinkievich family has helped raise money for the Knights-Kaderli Fund.
This trio walked the course in honor of Susan Bennett of Barre, who was 67 when she died from cancer on Jan. 11. Kathy Jurs, left, is best friends with Bennett’s daughter, Amy Neal (center). Bennett’s daughter-in-law Jennifer Bennett also joined the walk today.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 22 September 2014 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers – Molly, a 3-month-old black lab, snuggles with Abby Ferris, 6, who has epilepsy and suffers from unpredictable seizures. Molly will be trained to watch for the seizures and to alert Abby’s parents or an adult.
CARLTON – The seizures started with Abby Ferris was she was 2, often striking at night. In the four years since then she has had about 30 seizures. They are unpredictable.
Abby, now 6, has epilepsy. Her parents, Kristin and Todd Ferris, keep a watchful eye on her, afraid to keep her out of sight in case of a seizure. They don’t let Abby sleep alone or go play by herself for very long.
Abby should soon be able to have more independence because the family purchased a seizure response dog, a black lab named Molly. The dog is just 12 weeks old but has already begun some basic training. Molly will be trained to observe Abby for seizures. If Abby is having one, the dog will be trained to go paw at Mr. or Mrs. Ferris.
“I want her to be a normal kid to be able to sleep in her own bed and go play on her own,” Mrs. Ferris said.
Abby Ferris is pictured with her parents, Kristin and Todd Ferris, and Abby’s seizure response dog, Molly.
Abby is very much an active 6-year-old, dancing at Gotta Dance by Miss Amy, jumping on a trampoline and riding a Barbie Car in the backyard.
There is a good chance she will outgrow epilepsy, a neurological disorder. Her seizures can be long, often more than 5 minutes. The family has medication at home if there is an extended seizure.
Mr. Ferris is a long-time Carlton firefighter, a former chief who led the department for 8 years. If Abby has a seizure, he can administer her medication and then check her pupils, muscle strength and equalization – the strength of her left and right sides of the body. Mrs. Ferris also worked in a doctor’s office.
Abby drives her battery-charged Barbie car in her backyard in Carlton.
The couple has learned not to panic when their daughter has a seizure.
However, they said they feel always on alert that their daughter could lose consciousness from a seizure. It’s particularly worrisome at night if she were to have a seizure and vomit. If she were alone, she could choke to death.
“It’s a guessing game. It’s so unpredictable,” Mrs. Ferris said.
Molly, the seizure response dog, gives the family some peace of mind, as well as providing an energetic playmate for Abby.
The family is working with Laura Gates from Gates Dog Training in Ransomville to have Molly become a trained seizure response dog. That training could cost $5,000 to $7,000.
Abby Ferris enjoys jumping on the trampoline.
The family is teaming with the Orr family in Albion for a fund-raiser on Oct. 25 to help pay for the costs of medical dogs.
Tyler Orr, 9, has juvenile diabetes. He was diagnosed almost two years ago. He has unpredictable seizures. His medical dog will be trained to detect a drop or spike in blood sugar levels. Tyler was featured in an Orleans Hub article on Aug. 3: “Family seeks medical dog for son with diabetes.”
Iva McKenna and Country Lane Veterinary Services in Barre are organizing the spaghetti dinner and basket raffle. For more information about tickets or to donate a basket, call Country Lane at 589-9835.
Staff Reports Posted 18 September 2014 at 12:00 am
ALBION – Orleans County residents are welcome to drop off unused prescriptions at three locations on Sept. 27 as part of the “National Prescription Drug Take-Back Initiative.”
The three locations will accept the prescriptions form 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The locations include:
Orleans County Public Safety Building – 13925 State Route 31 – Albion
Holley Fire Department – 7 Thomas Street – Holley
Medina Fire Department – 600 Main Street – Medina
This is a collaborative effort with the U.S. Department of Justice – Drug Enforcement Administration, the Orleans County Health Department, and the Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism & Substance Abuse.
This is a great opportunity for the public to surrender unwanted or expired medications for safe and proper disposal, Sheriff Scott Hess said.
“Events such as these have dramatically reduced the risk of prescription drug diversion and abuse, as well as increasing awareness of this critical public health issue,” he said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 13 September 2014 at 12:00 am
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – Hoag Library hosted its first health fair today with about 25 vendors attending the three-hour event.
In the top photo, Dr. Ahmet Guler, a cardiologist for Medina Memorial Hospital and Orleans Community Heath, talks with Cindy Perry, director of health education, wellness and outreach for the hospital and OCH.
Dr. Guler was hired as a local cardiologist in July. He promoted the hospital’s new vein center at today’s health fair. The Albion Urgent Care Center also offers vein screening services. Guler said Medina has the only vein center between Rochester and Buffalo.
The Care Net Pregnancy and Family Center in Albion also attended the health fair, trying to promote its services, which include pregnancy tests, ultrasound, testing for sexually transmitted infections, and other family services. In this photo, Sara Moore, left, is pictured with center director Gloria Lear. Moore is the nurse manager for Care Net, which is located across from McDonalds. The center has its annual “Walk/Run for Life” next Saturday at Mount Albion Cemetery beginning at 10 a.m.
Wayne Litchfield, the coordinator for VALOR, talks about the program with Leanne Serrato, a registered nurse with Medina Memorial Hospital. VALOR stands for Volunteer Alliance Linking Orleans Resources. The group provides volunteer support for public health preparedness.
“Unless it affects you personally, you don’t know the services that are out there,” said Nola Goodrich-Kresse, public health educator for Orleans County. She helped plan the health fair with Hoag Library staff.
She expects the health fair will become an annual event at the library.
“By coming here you now have names and faces to connect with organizations,” Goodrich-Kresse said.
Lyndonville Central School will host a health fair on Oct. 4 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. as part of its homecoming weekend.
Contributed Story Posted 2 September 2014 at 12:00 am
Provided photo
KENDALL – The Kendall Boys Varsity Soccer Team raised $100 to fight breast cancer by selling bracelets highlighting the disease. Team members presented a check to Orleans Community Health.
Pictured, from left, include Richie Swift; Cindy Perry, director of Health Education, Wellness and Outreach Department; Will Condo; Alex Sutphen, Kendall Boys Varsity Soccer Team Captain; and Lori Condo, President, Kendall Sports Boosters.
Orleans Community Health’s Community Partners offers programs for breast cancer patients and survivors. The soccer team plans to raise money again in October at Senior Night.
ALBION – Hospice is well known for caring for seriously ill patients in their final months, weeks and hours of life. What might be less well known is the care Hospice also provides to the families of those who have passed away.
Hospice social workers, chaplains and volunteers offer support, and bereavement services are made available for the first full year following the loss of a loved one.
As part of the ongoing training of its respite and bereavement volunteers, Hospice of Orleans is hosting Holley author Lindsay Collier at 1 p.m. this Saturday at Hoag Library. The public is welcome to attend this free talk.
The day after Lindsay Collier lost his wife of 40 years to ovarian cancer, a huge rainbow surrounded the couple’s Rochester home. This occurrence inspired Collier to write “Jan’s Rainbow,” a book containing his own accounts, as well as his family and friends’, about ways they have taken comfort through signs in nature and coped with their grief in creative ways.
“Writing this book was a major factor in my own recovery from the loss of my wife Jan,” Collier said. “But what makes me feel really great is the fact that this book and the presentations I’ve made to many groups have helped hundreds of people who have lost spouses and other loved ones.”
Collier was a Kodak engineer, developing expertise in creativity and innovation. He retired early to write and pursue other adventures. He now divides his time between Holley and The Villages in Florida and has published several books, in addition to “Jan’s Rainbow,” including: “Organizational Mental Floss,” “Organizational Braindroppings,” “Quotations to Tickle Your Brain” and “How to Live Happily Ever After.”
BROCKPORT – An emergency room will open Tuesday morning at the former Lakeside Memorial Hospital, the University of Rochester Medicine announced today.
The state Department of Health approved the emergency department at Strong West, the former hospital that closed in April 2013 in Brockport.
The current urgent care center will switch over to become Strong West Emergency at 8 a.m. Tuesday. The long-awaited approval means a return of higher-level, 24-hour emergency care to the Brockport area.
The change will improve emergency health care access for eastern Orleans residents, and will reduce commute for some ambulance crews that have been taking patients into Rochester.
UR Medicine’s Strong Memorial Hospital has worked closely with New York State DOH since last summer, submitting plans to develop an off-campus ED, the health care system said. This unique health care model has been adopted by several other downstate institutions.
Off-campus EDs are designed to offer acute emergency care for patients and are open around the clock, seven days a week. Unlike urgent care centers, these EDs can accept patients brought in by ambulance (urgent care sites, by law, cannot) and are staffed by a physician 24 hours a day.
Because off-campus EDs have no in-patient hospital beds – Strong West will have three short-term observation beds – patients who require more intensive care and hospitalization will be treated and transferred to UR Medicine’s Strong Memorial or Highland Hospital or a hospital the patient chooses.
Contributed Story Posted 14 August 2014 at 12:00 am
Contributed Photo
A large field of 72 participated in the Shelridge Women’s Golf Association’s Rally for the Cure Tournament on Wednesday. The event raised over $1,400 for cancer research. The participants are shown here. The overall winners were the foursome of April Serianni, Crystal Buchan, Kathy Allesandro and Lynn Evans.
