Batavia hospital will look for another location

Photo by Tom Rivers – United Memorial Medical Center withdrew its plan to turn a former gas station and food mart on Route 31A into a women’s health center after the property was tested for environmental concerns.

smartDesign Architecture of Batavia made this rendering of the United Memorial Medical Center project, which included an addition of about 800 square feet as well as a canopy and brick for the front of the facade.

MEDINA – A plan to turn a former gas station on Maple Ridge Road into a women’s health center has been withdrawn after environmental auditing at the property.

United Memorial Medical Center in Batavia eyed the former K & K at 11360 Maple Ridge Rd. for obstetrics, gynecological care and other health services. UMMC currently provides those services out of space on Ohio Street. UMMC leases from Orleans Community Health.

The Batavia hospital wants more space for doctors and patients. It will look for another site in the Medina area after withdrawing from the Maple Ridge property.

That application was due to be reviewed by the Orleans County Planning Board on Thursday but was taken off the agenda just before the meeting.

Medina Memorial Hospital closed its birthing unit on July 1, 2011. The Batavia hospital now delivers about 100 babies to Orleans County women.

The former K & K site is owned by Reid Petroleum. Chad LaCivita was in the process of acquiring it, with the plan to then lease it to UMMC. The site would have been renovated, and expanded with a new brick exterior on the front and wrapping around the front sides.

By Nola Goodrich-Kresse, Public Health Educator for the Orleans County Health Department

For some folks, the holidays bring thoughts of office parties, family gatherings and other social gatherings. This may be a time of renewing friendships, relaxing with family, new friends or enjoying down time with co-workers.

The problem generally comes when alcohol is added to the mix. Many people don’t think about the consequences of drinking alcohol until it is too late.

Studies have shown that holiday drinking tends to fuel bad behavior. Most people link alcohol and parties with drunk driving only, but mixing alcohol with various social activities has also been known to increase inappropriate text messages, sexual antics and other inappropriate behaviors that have major repercussions affecting both family and work relationships.

Any party where alcohol is served freely not only increases the risk of injury from falls, car crashes, assaults, etc., but has also been shown to increase overuse of alcohol.

Many folks tend to drink more if they are not paying for the beverages. Also depending on who is preparing the drinks, some drinks are more than the recommended serving size of 1 ½ ounces of hard (distilled) liquor, 5 ounces of wine and 12 ounces of beer. Many of the glasses people use are larger than the recommended serving size so the person is getting more alcohol than they think.

Most parties have finger foods available to munch on, but it may not be enough to offset the amount and speed of alcohol being drunk. People are also usually visiting and aren’t paying attention to how much they are drinking or do not want to hurt someone’s feelings by refusing a drink until it is too late.

The only way to get the alcohol out of the bloodstream is through time, about one hour per drink serving. That means no alcohol for at least one hour after you finish the last drink before having another drink.

Another myth about staying sober is having a cup of coffee before leaving the party. If you have had even a couple of drinks (which may be double depending on the measurement of the alcohol) and are getting ready to leave and think a cup or two of coffee will clear your head, you are wrong. It may make you more awake. However, the effects of alcohol are still slowing your reaction time and clouding your judgment.

If you are planning on hosting a party, consider not serving alcohol. If that doesn’t work for you, designate one or two people to tend bar and make sure they know how to measure the correct amounts.

Use smaller glasses and make arrangements for guests to get home safely. Keep an eye on folks and cut them off early if you think they have had too much to drink. Have plenty of food for your guests to enjoy and in turn it may slow down the number of drinks they have. Do not leave anyone alone who has passed out from drinking alcohol – get them to a hospital.

Jobs and relationships have been lost due to drinking. Think before you drink and NEVER drink and drive!

Photo by Tom Rivers – Todd and Becky Wolford are pictured outside their home on West State Street in Albion on Wednesday. The couple worked in ministry together for about two decades with Mr. Wolford serving as a pastor and his wife the worship leader.

ALBION – Eight years ago on Thanksgiving, Becky Wolford was recovering from brain surgery. A massive softball-sized tumor had been removed from her brain a couple weeks before the holiday.

Wolford would have a skull piece inserted on her shaven head, and that skull piece would lead to infection and more surgery on Dec. 13, 2005.

She would suffer through deep depression, memory loss and anger in the months and years that followed. But Wolford said the ordeal has made her a better person with battle-tested faith.

“I have more sensitivity,” she said. “I feel things more now for people when they are going through something difficult.”

Wolford, 52, is now a college student with a goal of becoming a crisis counselor. She has written a book about her battle with cancer and her recovery. She will have a book-signing for “Trusted To Go Through” on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Bindings Bookstore, 28 West Bank St., Albion.

Wolford and her husband Todd moved to Albion with their four children 14 years ago. They bought a big house in the village on West State Street. They moved to Albion drawn to a house that was cheap with a decent size lawn.

At the time, Todd was pastor of Victory Full Assembly of God church in Akron. Becky was the worship leader, singing contemporary Christian music and praise songs.

Becky has been singing in church since she was a little girl. She has performed at Darien Lake for Kingdom Bound, a Christian festival. She and her husband were a team, with Todd delivering a message from the pulpit and Becky leading congregations in singing.

When the tumor was detected on the left side of her brain, doctors said if she survived, she might not be able to sing again.

The cover of Becky Wolford’s book shows the scan of the tumor in her brain.

“The tumor was the worst size and it was in the worst place,” she said Wednesday at her home.

Doctors feared she wouldn’t be able to see, and her speech, math skills and memory would all be disrupted because of the invasive surgery.

Wolford had the tumor removed at the Cleveland Clinic. Doctors did an experimental surgery, cutting open the back of her head to go in between the halves of her brain. That approach proved a success.

Wolford, about six weeks after the surgery, sang a solo at the Batavia Assembly of God church.

It would be five years, however, until she could sing without looking at notes. Wolford said still struggles with her short-term memory.

But that hasn’t kept her from singing on a stage in public. She is part of the worship band at the Albion Free Methodist Church.

Her husband is now a full-time teacher at Lyndonville Central School, teaching business and technology. He is a pulpit supply preacher, filling in at churches when the regular pastor is on vacation. His wife will often join him at the churches, and sing for the congregations.

Wolford has home-schooled the couple’s four children, ages 17 to 30. She said she finally feels like herself from a decade ago, about two years before she had the tumor removed. Wolford suspects it was growing in her brain for years.

“I had headaches, but I thought it was stress,” she said. “I was tired a lot. I was so exhausted.”

Her energy has returned. She has taken up biking, joining her husband on bike rides on the canal and around Albion.

She is studying crisis counseling through Liberty University, and she hopes her book will encourage people at a crossroads. She titled the book, “Trusted To Go Through,” believing God will not forsake the faithful in a crisis

“We Christians don’t always have it easy,” she said. “This is the real world. It’s not Heaven. There are some things that we’re called to go through.”

For more on the book, click here.

By Nola Goodrich-Kresse, Public Health Educator for the Orleans County Health Department

Did you know being thankful is healthy? When you are optimistic or hopeful, you are also generally thankful for what you have. Thankful people also tend to think of what they can do for their community. They are generally healthier and they tend to heal quicker if they become ill or are injured.

If you tend to be pessimistic or negative, try to choose one thing to be thankful about and each day add something new. Being thankful and optimistic is your choice.

When dealing with the stresses or loneliness of the holidays, find a way to turn those feelings into something positive.

Consider the following tips to choose to be more thankful each day:

Talk with your family about what the holidays mean to you. Be honest about what you can afford and encourage everyone to give the more meaningful giftthe gift of their time.

Consider sharing stories about how thankful you were when someone helped you out, or when you helped someone out.

Share your gratitude with others by sharing your time with them. Take turns reading a favorite holiday story together, play board games or just enjoy one another’s company.

Volunteerthere are many options to volunteer. Ring the bells for the Salvation Army, volunteer at a soup kitchen, visit folks in a nursing home or who are shut-in. Helping others takes the focus off of yourself and you may make new friends.

Also, consider volunteering all year round, not just during the holidays as there are always folks who need help and it will make you feel good and more positive too!

Consider sending cards to members of our armed forces or to VA hospitals to thank them for their service.

Listen to and share joyful laughter.

Don’t forget to get in regular exercise – it helps keep the extra pounds from adding up and also relieves stress and gives you a brighter outlook.  Some ways to help get more exercise: park further away and walk, take stairs instead of escalators and elevators, and/or take time to play.

Finding ways to keep active 30 minutes each day for most days of the week helps with your appetite / digestion; you sleep better; and it helps keep you mentally focused.

Another way to consider being thankful is to participate in the 1^st Annual Holiday Spirit 5 K Fun Run/Walk held on Saturday, Dec. 7. The course starts at the Albion Fire Hall on Platt Street. Registration begins at 8 a.m. and is $25. Race time is 9:30.

All proceeds from the race will benefit MHA of Orleans County to continue to provide a safe, drug/alcohol free drop-in center and peer-driven support groups for adults 18 and older.

For more information or to register, call Nola Goodrich-Kresse at the Orleans County Health Department at 589-3162 or e-mail Nola.Goodrich-Kresse@orleansny.com.

To get the ball rolling on being thankful, I would like to thank each of you for reading this column, for your comments and your column suggestions.  You are much appreciated! Thank you! So, what are you thankful for?

A new leader has been appointed for Oak Orchard Health, a healthcare organization with sites in Albion, Lyndonville, Brockport and Warsaw.

Jim Cummings, the new CEO, is familiar with the community. He was an executive at Lakeside Health System since 2006.

Cummings

“It is with great pleasure and excitement that the board announces our hiring of Jim Cummings as the next CEO at Oak Orchard Health,” said Karen Watt, the OOH board chairwoman. “He will begin in this position by the middle of December and is enthusiastic and appreciates that he is joining a truly gifted and extraordinary staff.”

As an executive at Lakeside, Cummings first served as vice president of human resources, then senior vice president, and finally interim CEO.

Watt said Cummings keenly understands the health care needs and issues of our region. He provided executive leadership for all aspects of strategic planning, executive and physician recruitment, compensation, benefits administration, employee relations, organizational development, volunteers, and oversight of Lakeside hospital operations starting in 2011.

“It is my honor to have been selected to serve the community by leading Oak Orchard Health through this turbulent, yet exciting time of transition in American health care,” Cummings said. “Oak Orchard has a 40-year history of providing affordable quality services to families and individuals who might not otherwise have access to care. It will be my job to ensure that this important resource is well-positioned to thrive into the future and to continue to provide the community excellent preventative and primary care services.”

Prior to Lakeside, Cummings held a series of executive positions at Corning Hospital over a 26-year period. Corning Hospital is a 99-bed acute care facility with high volume outpatient services, 550 employees, and is an affiliate of Guthrie Healthcare System.

While employed by Corning Hospital, Cummings was vice president of human resources and vice president of operations. For the five years prior to that, he held various management positions at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Elmira.

“Jim Cummings clearly stood out from among the 85 applicants for the president and CEO position, as a person that both intimately understands health care administration and is keenly committed to the Oak Orchard service area and patients,” said OOH Board member Dave Jewell. “There is no question but that we are placing Oak Orchard in very capable and caring hands.”

Robert Q. Hendershott served as interim president and CEO for Oak Orchard since August 2012.

“Under Bob Hendershott’s experienced guidance, Oak Orchard has very considerably strengthened its management and other systems,” Watt said. “He has helped build an excellent executive team, and is handing over the organization in fine condition.”

Provided photo – Marsha Rivers, development director for Hospice of Orleans, receives a symbolic turkey from Albion Tops Manager Rick Wartinger. The grocer is donating a full, pre-cooked Thanksgiving dinner to the Martin-Linsin Hospice Residence.

Press release
Hospice of Orleans

ALBION This Thanksgiving will be the first at the Hospice of Orleans Martin-Linsin Residence, which opened last December.

But for the terminally ill patients who live there, it will likely be their final opportunity to celebrate this very special holiday with family and friends. With the help of Hospice staff and volunteers and a Thanksgiving dinner donated by Tops Market of Albion, they’re planning to make it a memorable one.

End-of-life has a way of doing that: Inspiring people to make the most of the time that they have remaining together. In early September, residents of the eight-suite “home away from home” began looking forward to the holiday season, starting with “Turkey Day.”

Long before the leaves fell from the multicolored maples on the Hospice campus, Martin-Linsin patients were discussing menus, dreaming up decorations, and comparing notes about favorite recipes from years gone by.

While patients enjoy nutritious meals prepared daily at the nearby Villages of Orleans Health & Rehabilitation Center, the residents requested a feast of a fancier sort.

“What we’d really like is a proper Thanksgiving turkey dinner with all the trimmin’s,” said 97-year-old Nora.

So Hospice turned to Tops. Martin-Linsin is well-equipped to provide patients with a “home away from home” when their own home is not suitable for the level of care they need. However, the facility lacks a commercial-grade kitchen where food can be prepared from scratch by state-certified personnel. The arrangement with The Villages allows Hospice to receive and reheat ready-made meals.

Tops offers heat-and-eat food for its customers. So when Hospice of Orleans approached its nearly-next-door neighbor about serving the folks at Martin-Linsin, Store Manager Rick Wartinger promptly replied, “Yes! What kind of pie would you like with that apple or pumpkin?”

The fresh turkey dinner features a fully cooked Butterball bird, herb stuffing, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, turkey gravy, sweet potato casserole, cranberry orange relish and, of course, a 10-inch piemake that pumpkin, please!

Hospice personnel will pick up the complimentary meal, valued at $74.99, around 11 a.m. next Thursday, warm it up for the recommended two hours, and serve the grateful residents.

“This is my first Thanksgiving with Hospice as well,” said Marsha Rivers, director of development and community relations since June of this year. “Hearing the affirmative reply from Tops just added to what I’ve already been overwhelmed and blessed to witness: When it comes to taking care of each other, the Orleans community comes together.”

Photo by Tom Rivers

MEDINA – Health officials set up in the lobby at Medina Memorial Hospital today to share information about the dangers of smoking.

Nola Goodrich-Kresse, a public health educator with the Orleans County Health Department, and Jen Srock, an outreach coordinator for Community Partners with the Orleans Community Health, were at the table as part of the Great American Smokeout.

The jar in the front left represents a year’s worth of tar from smoking that end up in a smoker’s lungs. The other jar shows teeth in tobacco juice.

Orleans County has one of the highest smoking rates for adults in the state. It is one of nine counties with a rate at 25 percent or higher. The state average is 16.9 percent.

Health officials will make reducing the county’s smoking rate a priority, Goodrich-Kresse said.

The county Health Department recently submitted a community health assessment to the state, which includes strategies for combatting tobacco use and other high-risk behaviors. That assessment will be reviewed by the state Department of Health.

ALBION – Volunteers at The Villages of Orleans, the county-owned nursing home in Albion, will need flu shots or else they will have to wear a mask if they want to be inside the facility interacting with residents.

The state Health Department issued that decree for the upcoming flu season. The Health Department first put the policy in place near the tail end of last year’s flu season.

The new policy already has rankled one volunteer. Adolf Genter is a regular presence at the nursing home, playing his accordion. He doesn’t want to get a flu shot.

He spoke out against the new state policy during Wednesday’s County Legislature meeting.

The state health commissioner hasn’t declared the start of the flu season yet, so Genter can continue to play the accordion at the nursing home without a flu shot or protective mask. But he won’t be able to much longer.

The flu season generally runs from November through April. There haven’t been enough cases yet to prompt the commissioner to declare the official start of flu season, said William Gillick, the nursing home administrator.

The new policy applies to nursing home employees, volunteers and interns. It may also extend to other personnel who occasionally work in the facility, including Buildings and Grounds and information technology staff, said Paul Pettit, the county’s public health director.

The new state policy doesn’t apply to nursing home visitors.

The policy extends to hospitals, nursing homes, health clinics, home care agencies and hospices. State health officials say they want to help contain the spread of the flu.

New York recorded 45,352 confirmed cases and 9,537 patients hospitalized with influenza last season, the Associated Press reported. After a spike in flu cases last January, Gov. Andrew Cuomo declared a public health emergency.

By Nola Goodrich-Kresse, Public Health Educator for the Orleans County Health Department

Veterans’ Day for some the day is mixed with emotions, some good, some not so good and unfortunately for many, it is just another day or a day off.

According to Wikipedia, “Veterans Day is an official United States holiday which honors people who have served in armed service also known as veterans. It is a federal holiday that is observed on November 11. It coincides with other holidays such as Armistice Day and Remembrance Day, which are celebrated in other parts of the world and also mark the anniversary of the end of World War I. (Major hostilities of World War I were formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, when the Armistice with Germany went into effect.)

Veterans Day is not to be confused with Memorial Day; Veterans Day celebrates the service of all U.S. military veterans, while Memorial Day is a day of remembering the men and women who died while serving.”

When pondering on what to write for this week’s column the thought of so many who have given their service and for some, their lives, the thought of saying thank you in a health column was easy to consider.

Many of those who have served in our Armed Forces over the years were serving either because they wanted to do something for this great nation we live in. For some, they entered the service because they were drafted and didn’t have a choice and for others they were looking for job training, structure, and / or an adventure. Whatever the reason, thank you!

Thank you for doing your best to protect our freedoms. Thank you for doing your best to protect our borders. Thank you for leaving your families and potentially risking your lives for those of us who live here. Thank you for ignoring the rudeness of those who treated your poorly when you returned home from service because they disagree with what you stand for.

Thank you to your families who stood by you through the mail and more recently through technology. Thank you to your families who missed you and thank you to you for all the dinners, nighttime tuck-ins, school events, parties, weddings and good-byes you couldn’t say because you were / are protecting us.

Whatever your reason for serving, whatever your experiences while serving, you are appreciated and your service and sacrifices are not forgotten.

Thank you!

Editor’s note: Nola Goodrich-Kresse sent this in time for Veterans’ Day. My apologies for not posting it sooner.

ALBION – Albion homes are increasingly becoming infested with bed bugs, a problem that may be difficult to prevent because the bugs are “hitchhikers,” a public health officials told the Albion Village Board.

The Orleans County Health Department has been getting complaints about bed bugs locally since 2011, but the calls have increased this year, public health sanitarian Nancy Kelly told the Village Board on Wednesday.

“It’s a growing concern,” she said.

Bed bugs are considered a private nuisance, instead of a public health nuisance. That means the public health department isn’t very involved in the cases. When a complaint is made, Kelly will typically contact the local code enforcement officers.

Ron Vendetti, the code officer for Albion, said many local landlords have purchased steam cleaners and can take care of the problem at their properties. Other residents may turn to exterminators.

Houses and apartments that are clean can typically be rid of the bugs quickly. Homes with hoarders, with a lot of clutter, may struggle to get rid of the pests, Vendetti said.

Kelly said bed bugs bother people from all backgrounds – rich, poor and middle class. The bugs have been discovered in schools and work places. They easily can “hitch hike” from public places and come home with someone, she said.

The bugs also spread from discarded furniture. Some furniture has been left by the curb because of a bug infestation. The couch or chair often is then picked up by a passing motorist, who brings it – and bed bugs – home.

Mayor Dean Theodorakos said the village will use its newsletter to warn residents about picking up discarded furniture due to the bed bug possibility.

Kelly said Albion could also pass legislation requiring landlords and property owners to take action when there is a complaint about bed bugs. Vendetti didn’t think a new law was a good idea or would accomplish much.

“How do you legislate a bug?” Vendetti asked.

The landlords also shouldn’t be held entirely responsible for the property, Vendetti said. The residents often bring in the bugs, and their lifestyles may make it difficult to rid the places of the pests.

“We also have cockroaches and mice,” Vendetti said. “We have a number of problems that revolve around the condition of properties.”

Horvath makes commitment to Orleans Community Health

Photos by Tom Rivers – Dolores Horvath, CEO of Orleans Community Health, checks some of the merchandise up for bid at Saturday’ night’s Treasure Island fund-raiser for OCH. On Monday, the OCH board of directors named Horvath the chief executive officer, removing interim from her title.

MEDINA – Three months ago Dolores Horvath arrived in Medina for what she thought would be a six-month job, helping Orleans Community Health find a permanent CEO for a healthcare organization that includes a hospital, a health care facility in Albion and other outpatient sites.

Horvath impressed the board of directors at OCH, and the community won her over. She is staying, and not just as the interim leader of the OCH. On Monday the board of directors appointed her chief executive officer.

Horvath would like to serve in the position for five years. She is looking for a house in Medina.

‘This is a wonderful little town,” she said Saturday at the hospital system’s Treasure Island fund-raiser. “You have a committed board and a community that supports you. There are staff that have worked here for 40 years. You just don’t see that kind of commitment too often.”

The Treasure Island event was another demonstration of the community support for the hospital. About 275 people attended the event at the Sacred Heart Club. Numerous businesses and residents donated items to be sold. The event typically raises about $50,000 for Orleans Community Health.

Greg Canham weighs a bid on some of the items at the 20th annual Treasure Island fund-raiser to benefit Orleans Communtiy Heath.

Horvath will remain an employee with HealthTech Management Services, a firm hired to manage OCH in June. That contract was for an initial three-year deal.

On Monday, the OCH board decided it wanted to retain Horvath through HealthTech.

“She has addressed a lot of issues and we’re moving in a positive direction,” said Bruce Krenning, president of the OCH board. “She has a lot of experience and she fits what we’re trying to do.”

Horvath has already led a complete assessment of OCH’s operations and finances. She said this is a tumultuous time in health care with a new federal health care law taking effect and many smaller hospitals struggling to stay open. Lakeside Memorial Hospital in Brockport shut down in April, for example.

Krenning said Medina Memorial Hospital isn’t closing.

Horvath said the organization needs to position itself towards more outpatient services. She will be working to recruit more primary care physicians. She said the organization needs to expand its services and will likely need a capital plan to upgrade some of the facilities.

Bruce Krenning, president of the board of directors for OCH, attended the Treasure Island fund-raiser on Saturday. Tammi Pritchard, administrative assistant for CEO Dolores Horvath, volunteered at the event, helping people pick bottles of wine.

“We haven’t decided on that yet,” she said.

Horvath said the organization wants to be known as the preferred health care provider for the entire county. Other outside healthcare organizations also are pushing for Orleans County residents as patients. The former Brockport hospital is now known as Strong West. Strong Memorial Hospital and the University of Rochester Medical Center are running that site and they are advertising in Orleans County.

Horvath said Orleans Community Health is the only health care organization whose sole mission is primarily targeted to Orleans County residents. (The organization also serves patients in Genesee and eastern Niagara counties.)

“We are focused on Orleans County,” she said.