Local rural health departments want to address and prevent adverse childhood experiences
Press Release, Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments, and Wyoming County Health Department
Genesee, Orleans, and Wyoming County Health Departments, in collaboration with Rochester Regional Health at United Memorial Medical Center (UMMC), Orleans Community Health (OCH), and Wyoming County Community Health System (WCCHS), have announced the completion of the 2022-2024 GOW Community Health Assessment (CHA) and Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP).
Every three years, health departments, local hospitals and community partners come together to complete a comprehensive assessment about the community’s current health status and needs. This process includes collecting quantitative data, qualitative data, and community feedback related to health in our community. Much of the data looks beyond the traditional medical definition of health to examine the social determinants of health such as housing, income, employment, education, and access to healthy food, all of which play an integral role in health outcomes.
“With the help from the public and our community partners, we were able to collect a total of 2,094 survey responses between March and June 2022,” stated Paul Pettit, Public Health Director for the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments. “The Community Health Assessment compares the data trends in the GOW region and guides the selection of priority areas for the Community Health Improvement plan.”
The Community Health Improvement Plan is an interactive document that is continuously updated based on the needs of the community. It is a strategic plan for local health departments, hospitals and community partners to work on over a three-year period to address the priority areas identified in the Community Health Assessment, and to improve the community’s health.
In the 2022-2024 GOW Community Health Improvement Plan, the community survey and community conversations helped inform some of the public health initiatives that the local health departments and hospitals will focus on in the coming years. The 2022-2024 priority areas are:
Prevent Chronic Disease
Prevent initiation of tobacco use
Increase cancer screening rates
Improve self-management skills for individuals with chronic diseases
Promote Well-Being and Prevent Mental and Substance Use Disorders
Prevent opioid overdose deaths
Prevent and address adverse childhood experiences
“We look forward to collaborating with community partners throughout the GOW region to address these local public health issues and improve the health of the communities we serve,” stated Laura Paolucci, Wyoming County Health Department Public Health Administrator. “By working together to address these priority areas, we can increase access to public health programs and services to meet the needs of our residents.”
To access the 2022-2024 GOW Community Health Assessment and Community Health Improvement Plan, visit your respective health department website: GO Health Website (click here) and Wyoming County Health Department (click here).
To provide comments on the GOW Community Health Assessment, complete this feedback form.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 5 May 2023 at 7:59 am
Photo by Ginny Kropf: Scott Robinson, director of Marketing at Community Partners, talks with Randi Ingersoll about the Day of Remembrance she is organizing Sunday at Oak Orchard Assembly of God.
MEDINA – Day of Remembrance was a tradition organized by nurse Deb Cook at Orleans Community Health, until her retirement. Then Covid hit and the event was dropped.
This year, nurse Randi Ingersoll has agreed to take over and revive Day of Remembrance, which honored all the patients of Orleans Community Health who passed away during 2022.
In preparation for the event, Ingersoll has been meeting regularly with others at Orleans Community Health who have the same passion as she does for this event.
All patients lost who were associated with Orleans Community Health will be recognized with prayer and a candle lighting ceremony. This includes patients of the dialysis units in Medina and Batavia, Emergency Room, Medical/Surgical Unit and North Wing, said Scott Robinson, director of Marketing at Community Partners.
Invitations have been sent to each family member and the hospital would love for families to come receive their condolences, Robinson said.
Guest speaker for the event will be the Rev. Randy LeBaron, a pastor who serves with Supportive Care of Orleans.
The service is scheduled at 3 p.m. Sunday at Oak Orchard Assembly of God on Ridge Road.
Provided photos: Participants in Wednesday’s MOUD Anti-Stigma and Awareness Town Hall at the Genesee County Office for the Aging are, from left, Dr. Samantha Gray, Randi Johnson, Reilly Climenhaga, moderator Paul Pettit, Kate Gregory, Daniel Hauck and Scott Davis.
By Mike Pettinella, GCASA Publicist
BATAVIA – Treating someone struggling with substance use disorder can take many paths, but the road to recovery can become much easier to navigate with the help of specific clinically proven medications.
That premise was brought to light on Wednesday night by six professionals in the substance use field – including two who have experienced the pain of addiction – who participated in a “MOUD Anti-Stigma and Awareness Town Hall” event at the Genesee County Office for the Aging.
The session was sponsored by the HEAL Initiative and Genesee-Orleans-Wyoming Opioid Task Force, with Paul Pettit, public health director for Genesee & Orleans Health Departments, serving as moderator. About 45 people attended.
“I have sustained healthy sobriety for just under three years, and one of the tools I used to get that sobriety in my toolbox of recovery is buprenorphine,” said Reilly Climenhaga, a detox technician at Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, who said he has fought the substance use battle in his life for more than 20 years. “My issues and those of many others go much deeper than just the use of a chemical. There are many paths to sobriety for someone addicted to opiates, but I truly believe that using MOUD (Medication for Opioid Use Disorder) greatly increases a person’s chances.”
The Food & Drug Administration has approved buprenorphine, methadone and naltrexone to manage opioid use disorder, and those medications are available through local agencies such as GCASA, Horizon Health Services and Rochester Regional Health.
Pettit pointed out that opioid use disorder has been recognized as a chronic disease and these medications work by relieving withdrawal symptoms, addressing psychological cravings and lowering the risk of return to use and overdose death.
“And that is the goal of The HEALing Communities study (a countywide initiative funded by the National Institutes of Health and Columbia University) – to reduce opioid deaths by 40 percent,” he said, noting that data shows that Genesee County has one of the highest opioid overdose death rates in New York.
Dr. Samantha Gray, PhD, an advanced practice clinician at Horizon Health Service’s Batavia location and an adjunct professor at the University of Buffalo, emphasized that MOUD not only helps with substance use disorder but also with the mental health aspect that usually is a key part of the treatment process.
“Over at Horizon, we are an integrated clinic. So, we assess for both substance use and mental health,” she said. “For those of you who are familiar with this population, those two things generally go hand in hand.”
Randi Johnson, a physician assistant at GCASA who works at the agency’s detoxification facility and Albion outpatient clinic, said MOUD, despite what people may think, is not a matter of trading one drug for another.
“I think we’ve probably all heard that at one point or another. But the important thing to remember is that we are treating this like a disease,” she said. “So, if you go to your primary care physician, you have high blood pressure, you have diabetes, you have any number of other common complaints, we’re going to give you a medication to help treat that.
“The beauty of MOUD is that we can use this to take away any withdrawal symptoms for patients. This allows them clarity … it gives them a good baseline that they can function at, so that they can work with the counselors to change the behavioral aspect of this.”
Johnson said she has utilized buprenorphine micro-inductions – a gradual process – to successfully initiate many patients on buprenorphine.
About 45 people attended the two-hour session that explored the issues surrounding medication for opioid use disorder.
For Daniel Hauck, a clinical supervisor at Hope Haven Inpatient Rehabilitation, RRH Chemical Dependency unit in Batavia, medication for opioid use disorder has evolved over the years, leading to his acceptance of the practice.
“As I’ve seen it evolve, I’ve seen that there’s better access to those medications. And as we really see better outcomes, it becomes much easier to engage a patient who feels hopeless in that moment, to actually be willing to come into that first appointment and come back to that second appointment,” he offered. “Oftentimes, that hopelessness comes from times where they have tried and feel like they failed.”
Hauck, along with panelist Kate Gregory, a licensed master social worker who manages the chemical dependency unit at RRH and Hope Haven, said they have made great strides in expanding services locally.
Gregory said it was a matter of figuring out how to serve patients better by developing immediate access.
“We launched a community-based care where we were able to go out and really serve patients, where they are literally meeting patients where they’re at – figuring out how not to let the EMR (electronic medical record) stop us from getting creative, and instead really expanding our services to meet the patient at any stage in their recovery,” she said.
When RRH added peer recovery advocates, that was a game-changer, she said.
One of those peers is Scott Davis, who also took part as a panelist at the public forum. Davis is in his second year as a recovery coach and certified peer advocate with RRH and is in recovery after many years of substance use.
In and out of legal trouble, including stints behind bars, Davis said that MOUD as prescribed by a physician was a key factor in his recovery.
“When I went to inpatient (treatment) in 2019, fentanyl was everything in my life,” he said. “I had cravings in rehab but I chose to go to a higher dose (of MOUD). I talked to my doctor, he had a plan, and when I got out I went to the Atwater (Community Residence) halfway house.”
It was there that Davis said he finally found the support system he needed, and eventually went to work for GCASA as a peer, before joining RRH as a recovery coach.
The panelists also shared their thoughts about the stigma attached to substance use disorder – perceptions among friends, family members and the community that can affect a patient’s self-worth.
“I think that, as a mental health or addiction therapist, it’s really important to just acknowledge that that exists. That validation alone can be huge,” Gregory said. “It’s also really important to infuse the culture of your agency with the right language and with the right education and with the right trainings and expectations around what creates a welcoming environment for people.”
She acknowledged the differing views of community members, and said that continuing education through public forums such as this town hall meeting will help to change perceptions.
Johnson said a major hurdle is that patients tend to believe the negative things that are said about them.
“As much as the community stigmatizes them at times, they come in and they believe that so wholeheartedly,” she said. “And so, one of the conversations I usually have with my patients, because almost every single one of them will come in and say I failed my urine test today, that it’s not pass or fail. We have that education in the visits with them because I don’t want them to feel like one use constitutes a failure.”
Photos by Ginny Kropf: (Left) Orleans Community Health CEO Mark Shurtz, left, issued comments and introduced Medina Mayor Mike Sidari and Deputy Mayor Marguerite Sherman at right during a celebration Wednesday to commemorate the hospital’s Wound Care Center being named a Center of Distinction. (Right) Lisa Albanese Klein, right, program director for the Wound Care Center at Medina Memorial Hospital, right, accepts an award from Toni McCutcheon, director of operations at Healogic, recognizing the hospital’s wound care center as a Center of Distinction.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 4 May 2023 at 7:37 am
MEDINA – Orleans Community Health held an open house Wednesday morning to celebrate its Wound Care Center being named a Center of Distinction by the national company Healogic, based in Jacksonville, Fla.
Healogic’s director of operations, Toni McCutcheon, presented the award to Lisa Albanese Klein, program director at the Wound Care Center, during a ceremony, which included hospital CEO Marc Shurtz, Dr. David Walborn, Medina Mayor Mike Sidari, Deputy Mayor Marguerite Sherman, Wound Care Center nurses Amanda Jendrowski and Kylie Dougherty, and a satisfied patient, Jackie DeHollander of Lockport, formerly of Medina.
In presenting the award, McCutcheon said earning this honor is not an easy achievement.
“To qualify, a center must have a patient satisfaction rating of 92 percent or higher; a wound mix comprehensive heal rate of 75 percent or higher; and an outlier rate of 16 percent or less,” she said. “The highly skilled and trained staff has made it possible to achieve this award. They provide exceptional wound care within this community and you should be proud of them.”
The Wound Care Center specializes in chronic or non-healing wounds that without treatment could lead to infection, hospitalization or possible amputation, she said.
“The Orleans Community Health’s Wound Care Center is about healing patients and this wound care center has achieve a great honor in receiving the Center of Distinction Award from Healogics, the nation’s leading wound care expert,” McCutcheon said.
Klein said this was an amazing accomplishment for the Center, and one they couldn’t have achieved without the support and leadership at Orleans Community Health. She thanked hospital CEO Marc Shurtz, nursing supervisor Kim Gray for their commitment and vision they had in providing wound care service for the local community.
“You identified a service that was lacking and brought our team in to support that need,” Klein said. “That was a huge undertaking, especially when the Center opened in December 2019, just before the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.”
Jackie DeHollander of Lockport, formerly of Medina, shared her experience of being healed at Medina Memorial Hospital’s Wound Care Center. She shows a sequence of pictures of the wound on her head and praised the care she got there.
“Our small but mighty team has accomplished tremendous results for patients,” Klein added. “Our medical director Dr. Joseph Canzoneri, our clinical nurse manager Teresa Clark, Dr. David Walborn and our newest doctor Samuel Grodman are all dedicated to providing exceptional patient care and healing results. I am awed by the dedication and compassion I see demonstrated by this team.”
Klein introduced former patient, Jackie DeHollander, who showed pictures of a nasty wound on her head and the progression as it healed. She fell down concrete steps while attending a concert in Buffalo in December. She was taken to ECMC, where they X-rayed her and sent her home. When she visited her primary care doctor, he didn’t even look at her head, but sent her to physical therapy, thinking she needed to have her balance improved.
The sore continued to worsen and thick matter and blood were oozing from it, so she put a paper towel over it. When she finally went back to the doctor and the paper towel was pulled off, the raw sore was more than an inch in diameter.
DeHollander had nothing but praise for nurses Amanda Jendrowski and Kylie Dougherty.
“I’ll say it a million times. They were outstanding,” DeHollander said. “They were wonderful to me. I loved all of them. These are people who really care.”
DeHollander would visit the Wound Care Center once a week for three months before the wound was healed enough for her to be discharged from their care.
Medina Mayor Mike Sidari commended the hospital on its tremendous growth, which he said has been happening for the last 10 to 15 years.
“When you pull in the parking lot, you can’t find a place to park, and that’s good,” he said. “When new people come to Medina I tell them about all the services we have here, and I’m proud to tell them my wife was a nurse here for more than 30 years.”
Shurtz said it was the hospital’s goal to keep growing and bring more award-winning services to Medina.
“You shouldn’t have to drive to the city to get health care,” he said.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 3 May 2023 at 7:27 am
Photo by Ginny Kropf: Jeanne Crane, president of Medina Memorial Hospital’s Association of Twigs, welcomes the group to their annual luncheon at Zambostro’s on Monday. Seated, from left, are hospital Foundation director Megan Johnson, hospital CEO Marc Shurtz and longtime member Sandra Madejski.
MEDINA – Medina Memorial Hospital’s Association of Twigs met Monday at Zambistro’s for its annual luncheon and business meeting.
President Jeanne Crane welcomed the almost two dozen who attended and introduced guests, Orleans Community Health CEO Marc Shurtz and OCH Foundation director Megan Johnson.
Secretary Trish McAdoo read the minutes of last year’s meeting, and recapped some of the things she reported last year. This included a letter written to the Twig organization more than 60 years ago asking them to plan a fundraising card party for the hospital.
Treasurer Sandy Smith reported a balance of $38,422 in the checking and savings accounts, which the membership voted to spend on projects for the hospital. It was customary for the Twigs to make a significant gift to the hospital every year from proceeds of the hospital Gift Shop, which Twigs ran.
Since Covid and closing of the Gift Shop, however, the Twig’s ability to make money has been restricted to profits from the vendor machines and sale of popcorn in the lobby.
Items which the hospital is requesting (some for the North Wing Long Term Care) include a leather recliner, 10 bedside tables, sit-to-stand lift, wheelchair scale, medication chart, 30 visitor chairs, four rocking chairs for the lobby and miscellaneous other items for patient comfort and activities. Shurtz added they want to purchase privacy film for the hospital windows along the sidewalk, mainly in the kitchen area. This will not only provide privacy but will block out UV light.
The Twigs voted to let the hospital have the balance in their accounts and use it as far as it will go to buy the things they need most.
CEO Marc Shurtz told about the progress being made at the hospital. He said the community needs this hospital, the Albion Walk-In Clinic and lab draw sites. In recent months, surgeon Dr. Misiti has moved his office in the hospital and been joined by another surgeon, Dr. Todd Prier. Podiatrist Dr. Canzoneri does surgery and has hours in Medina hospital one day a week. Outpatient cardiology is available with Dr. Harry McCrea. Volume in the Albion Walk-In Clinic has almost doubled since the addition of local provider Cheryl Kast. The Wound Care Center was recently recognized with a national award as a Center of Distinction.
Shurtz continued to say a recent patient satisfactory survey was returned by more than 100 patients.
“We will use that information to celebrate and look at where we can do better,” he said.
He added 94% of people who come to Medina hospital get treated there. Only six percent are transferred.
“We did very well in 2022,” Shurtz said. “We are on track to more than double our patient base on the second floor. Our patient base in short-term sub-acute rehab has increase by 50 percent.’
He also said patient revenue was the highest in 2022 since 2014.
“Our goal is to keep services here and local,” Shurtz said.
Twig member Jan McCloy had a friend who was in transitional care on the second floor, and said the care was excellent.
“This is wonderful if you live alone and need help after surgery,” McCloy said.
Shurtz said all the rooms on the second floor are private and TV is free.
OCH Foundation director Megan Johnson reported their gala was a success. She said they have raised the majority of the $150,000 to buy 60 new IV pumps for the hospital, and the Foundation will make up the rest of what they need.
“These are really going to make a difference in the community,” she said.
She reported on the gala to support the hospital, which 80 people attended.
“It was a wonderful event,” Shurtz said. “A lot of the people stayed to dance.”
He shared that the hospital had reached out to the public about the time of Covid asking for input on what they wanted at their local hospital. The majority wanted a maternity ward. He said they had corresponded with another hospital, who said the break-event point for a hospital maternity ward is 400 babies a year.
The luncheon concluded with a drawing for assorted gift cards.
Press Release, Genesee & Orleans County Health Departments
Did you know that May is Asthma Awareness Month? Asthma is a medical condition that affects the airways in our lungs and makes it difficult to breathe.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 1 in 8 people will be diagnosed with asthma during their lifetime. Symptoms of asthma include shortness of breath, tightness in the chest, coughing, and wheezing. Additionally, symptoms may get worse at night and wake the person up.
From 2018 to 2020, residents of the City and Town of Batavia went to an emergency department for asthma symptoms 169 times, according to the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) Asthma Dashboard. This was almost half of the emergency visits for asthma in all of Genesee County. The medical cost of these trips can be expensive, but family members also lose money from missed time at work and school and the cost of transportation. The medical and indirect costs can be thousands of dollars each year for a person with asthma, according to the CDC AsthmaStats.
However, there are ways to control asthma symptoms and reduce these costs. People with well controlled asthma are less likely to have attacks that need emergency treatment. Asthma may be controlled by:
Taking a daily controller medication
Avoiding triggers such as mold, dust, cigarette smoke, or scented products
Using an inhaler before exercising
It is important to pay attention to the warning signs of an asthma attack. These include a runny or stuffy nose, increased mucus, an itchy neck or chin, and feeling tired. Children may say their tummy hurts, have dark circles under their eyes, seem more tired or irritable than normal, and have pale skin or red cheeks.
Many people with asthma will be prescribed both a daily medicine and a quick-relief medicine to use during an asthma attack. It is important to talk to your primary care provider (PCP) about when to take medications and to create an asthma action plan.
An asthma action plan is a written plan that lists steps to take during an asthma attack. The plan notes what symptoms trigger using a quick-relief medicine and how long to wait before taking an extra dose or trying another medication to stop the attack. It lists when to call your PCP and when to seek emergency care.
The Genesee County Healthy Neighborhoods Program (HNP) offers free home assessments to residents of the City and Town of Batavia. These assessments look for conditions that could worsen asthma, along with other safety risks in the home.
Participants who have been diagnosed with asthma receive education on asthma symptoms and triggers. For more information on the Healthy Neighborhoods Program, call 585-344-2580 ext. 5555 or visit www.GOHealthNY.org.
By Robin Govanlu, Director of Behavioral Health, Oak Orchard Health
When people think of substance use, they typically associate it with having fun and feeling good, however, once an individual crosses over to a state of physical and psychological dependency to that substance, they’re no longer chasing a high—they’re avoiding the agony of withdrawal. Substance Use Disorders (SUD) are a global epidemic; taking countless lives and leaving families and communities to grieve in the wake of those losses. Substance use disorders come in many forms and impact us all, whether you are the individual using, a loved one, friend, or a community member, it touches all of our lives in one way or another.
Navigating an opioid use disorder (OUD) is a challenging road for our patients. If it were easy, no treatment programs would exist.
There are many roads to recovery.
When it comes to opioid use disorders, some find support through community programs like Narcotics Anonymous, SMART Recovery, or fitness-based recovery groups, while others start their recovery journey in therapy or find another pathway. Therapy for substance use disorders is effective and supports the healing of underlying trauma and mental health symptoms that contribute to use.
Beyond that, many individuals get support in their recovery through Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT), which involves taking a medication to manage withdrawal symptoms and reduce cravings to use. MAT includes medications like Methadone, available at specialty treatment programs, and other medications like Buprenorphine and Naltrexone, which can be prescribed at a doctor’s office.
Let’s talk about MAT.
The stigma around substance use disorders prevents people from getting help. At Oak Orchard Health, we consider SUD a chronic medical condition just like any other. Part of our treatment approach at OOH is recognizing that those struggling with a SUD deserve respect and compassion in their care.
Medication Assisted Treatment, or MAT, can help people struggling with opioid use disorder because these medications are backed by research to be safe, and they help people reach their recovery goals to meaningfully live their lives again.
MAT can lessen the damage caused by SUD. This is called harm reduction—the idea that keeping people as healthy as possible and preventing their death is a step in the right direction, even if it doesn’t immediately solve every problem.
Where Oak Orchard Health comes in.
Oak Orchard works closely with specialty substance treatment providers in the community, including programs like GCASA (The Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse), Strong Recovery through the University of Rochester, and others, to help clients get connected to the level of care that they need.
What We Offer:
We have many providers at OOH who are able to prescribe medications for substance use disorders, such as Buprenorphine and Naltrexone. In our setting, patients who have achieved stability in their recovery and are on a therapeutic dose of their medication from a specialty treatment provider can be given a referral and transferred to one of OOH’s licensed providers for ongoing medication maintenance. We are an important part of the substance care continuum as we pick up where specialty treatment ends; we support patients with MAT as long as they need it and can receive the rest of their medical care.
A holistic approach to treatment.
Whatever type of treatment patients receive, one of the most powerful ways to support their recovery is to see them as a whole person. Everyday our staff at OOH take steps to screen for substance use, help patients get connected to services, and remember the importance of not shying away from talking about behavioral health issues.
Oak Orchard Health takes a supportive role alongside our clients during the maintenance stage of their recovery. And while we know most patients’ goal is to never have a return to use, if something does happen down the road, we are here to help them get them the support and services that they need.
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance use or have questions about MAT at OOH, contact our Behavioral Health Care Manager at (585) 637-3905 ext. 2102.
Press Release, Genesee & Orleans County Health Departments
April 24-30, 2023 is National Infant Immunization Week, which is observed yearly and highlights the importance of protecting children from birth to two years of age from serious childhood diseases.
As a parent, you want to protect your little one from harm. Vaccines, which are among the most worthwhile and successful public health tools, have significantly reduced infant deaths and disability caused by 14 preventable diseases like measles, whooping cough, chickenpox and polio. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), among children born from 1994-2018, vaccinations will prevent an estimated 936,000 early deaths, 8 million hospitalizations, and 419 million illnesses.
GO Health encourages parents to make sure their children are up-to-date on their routine vaccinations.
“Children who may have missed or skipped vaccinations may be at an increased risk of diseases, which can be serious,” stated Paul Pettit, Public Health Director for Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments (GO Health). “It is important to stay on track with well-child visits and recommended vaccination schedules. Please check with your healthcare provider to make sure your children are up to date on their routine vaccinations.”
For more information about vaccines and the diseases they prevent, visit these resources:
ALBION/BROCKPORT – Karen Kinter has served as Interim CEO of Oak Orchard Health since September 2022. The Board of Directors is pleased to announce the appointment of Kinter officially as the CEO of Oak Orchard.
Karen Kinter
“We are thrilled that Karen will be leading our health centers,” said Karen Watt, chairwoman of the Oak Orchard Health. “She brings with her 20 years of executive leadership experience and dedication to serving underserved patients.”
Kinter is a seasoned healthcare executive with more than 20 years in the industry and vast experience establishing, stabilizing and growing healthcare organizations. She has worked extensively with Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC).
Before joining Oak Orchard, Karen served as CEO of Regional Health Services FQHC and Vice President of Specialty Revenue Programs at Rochester Regional located in Rochester, where she had financial, operational and strategic responsibility for programs across a large health system.
The RHS FQHC program serves more than 90,000 patients at over 20 locations. In this role, she successfully launched and expanded multiple initiatives to expand access for patients. Additionally, she led the system-wide federal 340B pharmacy program and the business office for the College of Health to focus on developing career paths for nursing professionals and was awarded numerous grants to help grow and sustain services for underserved populations
Prior to joining RRH, Kinter worked at Anthony Jordan Health Center. And before this, she spent more than 10 years with Oak Orchard as the Chief Financial Officer.
A native of Orleans County, Karen earned her undergraduate degree from Medaille College and a Master of Business Administration from the Simon School of Business at the University of Rochester.
“I live in Orleans County with my family and understand its healthcare needs,” Kinter said. “OOH is poised to take the lead for a healthier community. We have many great community partners that I am looking forward to collaborating with to make us all stronger.”
About Oak Orchard Health
Originally founded in 1973, Oak Orchard Health has grown from a migrant health project into an integrated health center with multiple locations providing health care services including primary and pediatric care, vision and dental care, behavioral health, as well as nutrition and outreach services for everyone located in the communities they serve. Oak Orchard Health is a recognized patient-centered medical home and 501(c)(3) nonprofit Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) located in the towns of Albion, Alexander, Batavia, Brockport, Corfu, Hornell, Medina, and Warsaw, New York. Learn more about Oak Orchard Health at www.oakorchardhealth.org.
Photo by Tom Rivers: Karen Kinter, then the interim CEO of Oak orchard Health, celebrates a new mobile dental unit for the organization during a ribbon-cutting on Oct. 11. The mobile dental unit is available for the five school districts in Orleans County – Albion, Holley, Kendall, Lyndonville and Medina. The unit was paid for with a $650,000 grant from the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation.
‘The program is very person-centered and we focus on connecting people to what they want and need to overcome the disorder and be successful in their recovery.’
By Mike Pettinella, GCASA Publicist
As the deadly drug fentanyl wreaks havoc in the United States, resulting in more than 100,000 deaths last year according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the use of psychostimulants also continues at an alarming rate.
Nearly one in five overdose deaths involve cocaine, one of a host of drugs (both illegal and legal) that are categorized as psychostimulants. More than 5 million Americans reported cocaine use in 2020, which is almost 2 percent of the population, and an estimated 6 million people misused prescription stimulants, such as amphetamines, in the past year.
The misuse of psychostimulants has spread to all populations in all settings, significantly contributing to the overdose epidemic in the U.S.
Jarett LoCicero
Locally, the professionals at Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse have recognized the impact of drugs such as cocaine, methamphetamine, ecstasy and prescription stimulants (brand names Adderall, Ritalin, etc.), and the nonprofit agency has received funding through the Health Resources and Services Administration Rural Communities Opioid Response Program – Psychostimulant Support.
The grant, $500,000 for three years through July 2025, will allow GCASA to provide treatment and recovery services to those with psychostimulant use disorder along with prevention education strategies to address the condition and to reduce stigma associated with the disease.
Amy Kabel, assistant director of Grants & Projects, has been assigned as the HRSA RCORP-PS project director; Jarett LoCicero, has been hired as the project coordinator, and Lisa Schutt has been appointed as the project’s lead counselor. GCASA is accepting resumes for the prevention educator position and for peer advocate positions attached to the grant.
Already, project leaders have linked to a consortium that includes Genesee County Mental Health, Orleans County Mental Health, Oak Orchard Health and Lake Plains Community Health, and have started a community support group that meets from 2-3 p.m. every Tuesday at the County Building on East Main Street Road, Batavia.
“The program is very person-centered and we focus on connecting people to what they want and need to overcome the disorder and be successful in their recovery,” LoCicero said. “We understand that there is a huge mental health component and are fortunate to be able to partner with the agencies in our consortium.”
LoCicero said the grant opens the door for GCASA to expand its “continuum of care” philosophy that encompasses treatment, recovery, prevention, maintenance, transportation and supportive living programs.
“Psychostimulant use, cocaine and crack cocaine as well as meth, is an ever-increasing problem, especially among young people and those in ‘commonly overlooked populations such as the LGBTQ and Black communities,’” he said. “Our goal is to reach as many people as we can.”
Kabel, a four-year employee at GCASA, said the project will be successful “because Jarett (who is in recovery) is very focused and understands what substance use disorder is all about.”
She said that more people are hearing about the support group and that residents of both Genesee and Orleans counties are in counseling programs led by Schutt.
The HRSA RCORP-PS project at GCASA offers prevention, treatment, and recovery services specific to individuals who struggle with psychostimulants. Those services include 24/7 peer support, case management, support group, transportation, recovery activities, wellness and fitness, parent and family support, insurance/resource navigation, hepatitis/HIV navigation and naloxone training.
Transportation to the support group at The Recovery Station is available by checking the schedule on The Recovery Station calendar on Facebook or by calling LoCicero at 585-664-4146.
Press Release, Genesee & Orleans County Health Departments
The Orleans County Health Department will be hosting a free drive-thru anti-rabies immunization clinic on Saturday, April 15, from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Orleans County Fairgrounds (12690 State Route 31, Albion, NY).
“Rabies continues to be a serious public health issue in Genesee and Orleans counties,” stated Paul Pettit, Public Health Director for Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments (GO Health). “We urge pet owners to take this opportunity to safeguard their pets and protect them against rabies. Our drive-thru clinics are well-organized, run very smoothly and prevent animals from getting into any altercations with other animals.”
Vaccinations are free for dogs, cats, and ferrets, but voluntary donations are accepted. Animals must be at least 3 months old. Each animal must be leashed or crated and accompanied by an adult who can control the animal. Limit 4 pets per car maximum.
The next anti-rabies immunization clinics are as follows:
Genesee County Clinic at the Genesee County Fairgrounds (5056 East Main Street, Batavia, NY) on Thursday, May 18, from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Orleans County Clinic at the Orleans County Fairgrounds (12690 Rt. 31, Albion, NY) on Wednesday, June 7, from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Note day and time change to Wednesday evening.
For more information on Health Department services, visit GOHealthNY.org or call 589-3278 for Orleans County or 585-344-2580 ext. 5555 for Genesee County.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 10 April 2023 at 6:45 pm
Provided photo: Medina Memorial Hospital in December 2019 opened a Wound Care Center on the first floor of the hospital.
MEDINA – Orleans Community Health has announced that it’s Wound Care Center has been recognized by Healogics, the nation’s largest provider of advanced wound care services, as a 2022 Center of Distinction.
To earn this designation, the Center achieved outstanding clinical outcomes for 12 consecutive months, including a patient satisfaction rate of 96 percent, according to a news release from Scott Robinson, director of Marketing at Community Partners.
“There have been plenty of challenges over the last three years in healthcare,” said Marc Shurtz, CEO/CIO of Orleans Community Health. “Whether you’re in Medina, Lockport, Middleport or Newfane, bringing sustainable services to the community remains our priority.”
The Wound Care Center is located on the first floor of Medina Memorial Hospital and offers highly specialized wound care to patients suffering from diabetic ulcers, pressure ulcers, infections and other chronic wounds which have not healed in 30 days. Leading edge treatments at the Center include negative pressure wound therapy, bio-engineered tissues, biosynthetic dressings and growth factor therapies.
The Wound Care Center opened in December 2019, just before the Covid pandemic.
To achieve Center of Distinction recognition is a tremendous accomplishment, especially for such a young center. Dr. Joseph Canzoneri, medical director of the Wound Care Center, noted that “this team has demonstrated their commitment to providing exceptional care to patients. The Center of Distinction award was earned by every member of the team – from the front office to the nurses and providers – and exemplifies a true calling for wound healing.”
The Center’s program director, Lisa Albanese Klein, announced the recognition today.
“This achievement demonstrates the team’s dedication to our patients and to the community,” Klein said. “Our team is committed to providing patient-focused care and clinical excellence for our patients, the community and to our hospital partners. Now, more than ever, it is important to be able to provide wound care treatments that help to keep patients from requiring emergent services.”
An award ceremony is scheduled for 10 a.m. May 3 at the Wound Care Center on the first floor of the hospital. Anyone wishing more information may call (585) 798-8176.
Press Release, Genesee & Orleans County Health Departments
This week, April 3-9, is National Public Health Week. The goal of National Public Health Week is to recognize the contributions of public health, the workforce and highlight issues that can improve the health and well-being of our communities.
The primary purpose of public health is prevention, protection, and improving the health of the entire population.
“Many of the leading causes of death for individuals in our community result from chronic conditions, which are among the most common, costly, and preventable of all health challenges,” stated Paul Pettit, Public Health Director for Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments (GO Health).
GO Health supports and implements programming and interventions that address emerging health issues and topics including, but not limited to, chronic diseases, overdose deaths, suicides, communicable diseases, substance use disorders, adverse childhood experiences, trauma, maternal and child health, a safe environment, and social determinants of health.
“At GO Health, we have an enthusiastic staff that aims to protect and improve the health of residents in our community,” Pettit said. “We thank them for their service and dedication.”
However, we know that we cannot make a difference without building effective working relationships with partners in healthcare and other sectors. As Chief Health Strategists, GO Health collaborates with partners outside of the health sector, including city planners, transportation officials, educational officials, legislators, and private businesses, because we recognize that other sectors can influence health factors and outcomes.
“We would like to take this time during National Public Health Week to thank our partners,” Pettit said. “We could not make the impact and improve the lives of our residents without the tireless work and effort our partners and volunteers put into our communities.”
This Public Health Week, GO Health encourages residents of Genesee and Orleans Counties to help celebrate the week by participating in activities to help improve your health and make our community healthier, stronger, and safer. Some suggestions include:
Eat less processed foods and drinks.
Quit smoking and vaping. Call the New York State (NYS) Quitline at 1-866-697-8487 for free patches and more.
Be active. Take a walk or bike ride along the canal, on a trail, or in a village.
Make sure you are up-to-date on routine screenings for colorectal (colon) cancer, breast cancer, and cervical cancer.
Make sure you and your children are up-to-date on routine immunizations.
Stay away from wildlife, including injured animals and pets that aren’t yours, to reduce your risk of rabies. Love your own, leave the rest alone.
Keep your pets up-to-date on their rabies vaccination.
Learn how to administer Naloxone (Narcan).
Volunteer at a local service organization that contributes to the health and well-being of our community.
Read to your children, every day.
The only way to find out if your children have been exposed to lead is through a blood test. Get your children tested for lead at ages 1 and 2.
Make sure your children sees his or her doctor for routine well-child visits to monitor their growth and developmental milestones.
Be prepared and make a family emergency plan. Practice your plan with your family/household and make sure your emergency kit is stocked with essential items. For more information, visit ready.gov/plan.
Practice mindfulness or try yoga to help relieve stress.
Photos by Tom Rivers: The inaugural GLOW With Your Hands: Healthcare included 600 students from 28 school districts from Genesee, Livingston, Orleans, and Wyoming counties. They were able to meet with 50 different vendors, including some that offered hands-on healthcare career exploration in an event at Genesee Community College.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 24 March 2023 at 5:59 pm
BATAVIA – About 600 high school students from 29 districts in Genesee, Livingston, Orleans and Wyoming counties spent several hours today at Genesee Community College, learning about career opportunities in healthcare.
The inaugural GLOW With Your Hands: Healthcare was held at GCC. The five school districts from Orleans County – Albion, Holley, Kendall, Lyndonville and Medina – were among those that attended the event.
The students received hands-on instruction and experience in first aid/CPR, nursing, caretaking and other healthcare-related activities. The students were also provided information about secondary career paths such as physical therapy, complementary and alternative medicine, Doctor of Medicine, and many other careers in healthcare.
“The kids have shown a spark,” said Jay Lazarony, executive director of the GLOW Workforce Development Board. “They’ve said they like so many of them.”
The event was supported by business and educational groups and sponsors, with many of the healthcare providers saying they need workers.
The event grew out of success from the GLOW With Your Hands event at the Genesee County Fairgrounds. That event educates students through simulations and other hands-on experiences in the advanced manufacturing, agriculture, food processing and skilled trades sectors on career opportunities available in students’ own backyards.
A large team in the GLOW Workforce System organizes the Glow With Your Hand events.
Oak Orchard Health was among the organizations and businesses looking to connect with students. Joe Palmeri, left, is the organization’s chief human resources officer and Mary Kelly-Pelletier is the director of nursing.
“We want to get our name out in the community and get younger people interested in healthcare,” Kelly-Pelletier said.
Oak Orchard has sites in Albion, Lyndonville, Medina, Brockport, Batavia, Pembroke and Alexander, as well as Warsaw and Hornell.
“Recruiting healthcare workers can be a challenge in rural areas,” Palmeri said.
Orleans Community Health had a spot at the event with students able to meet Kristin Grose, left, the human resources benefits specialist at OCH and Christine Kropf, the corporate educator for the organization.
Orleans Community Health has been growing, adding about 40 jobs in the past 2 ½ years with a short-term rehab of about two to four weeks on the second floor of Medina Memorial Hospital, and also more surgical services offered at the hospital.
“We’ve grown a lot with the additional services at the hospital,” Grose said. “We thought it was really important to expose kids to all the different aspects of healthcare.”
Students may only think of nurses and doctors for healthcare careers, but Grose said there are many other positions, from respiration therapists, to working in the lab and other services.
The OCH spot at GCC also quizzed students on whether they could tell the difference based on appearance of pills and candy. Grose said students were right 70 to 80 percent of the time. Some vitamins look very much like a prescription pill, she said.
All of the students stopped by first responder demonstrations in the gymnasium at GCC.
This photo shows Dustin Pahura, a Medina firefighter, showing students how to do CPR. Andrew Cheverie, another Medina firefighter, also showed how to do CPR, including on infants.
Pam Cherry of Albion (right), outreach coordinator for Mercy Flight EMS, and Terry Thompson, an advanced EMT, showed students how to apply a tourniquet as part of a “stop the bleed” demonstration.
Cherry said the students were very engaged in wanting to know how to do emergency medical care. She encouraged many of them to seek out their local fire departments to volunteer. That is often the first step to getting training to become an EMT, she said.
“We are trying to spark something,” she said about Mercy Flight’s presence at today’s event. “This industry is in desperate need. Most of the fire departments say they need people, especially in Orleans County where almost all of the fire departments are volunteer.”
Justin Niederhofer, Orleans County’s emergency management director, and LeeAnn Dann, Monroe Ambulance’s training manager, also let students try to “stop the bleed” with tourniquets.
Niederhofer said many students showed interest in careers as firefighters and EMTs.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 22 March 2023 at 12:14 pm
Students will see hospital, deliver medical supplies, teach basic hygiene to kids
Provided photo: Nursing instructor Courtney Slack, right, poses with three of her nursing students who are going to Ghana March 30 to work in a hospital there for 10 days. From left are Samantha McIntyre, Miranda Gebo and Arie Decker.
MEDINA – Three students in a nursing class at Medina Memorial Hospital will be leaving March 30 for a 10-day visit to Ghana.
Arie Decker and Samantha McIntyre, seniors at Royalton-Hartland Senior High School, and Miranda Gebo, a senior at Albion High School, are students in Courtney Slack’s offsite BOCES Career and Technical Education class, which meets at Medina Memorial Hospital.
The girls heard about the trip from Decker, whose teacher Melissa Brigham knew a doctor who made the trip every year with Global Partnership for Education. Usually they send 25 to 30 people annually to developing countries. This year, primarily school teachers are going, along with six students, three of whom are from the Medina Memorial Hospital class.
The girls will be involved in team building there, Decker said.
Gebo said they will also help build rowboats for the women to use to get their wares to market on the mainland. Ghana is an island, and getting their products to the mainland to be sold consumes their profits, Gebo said. The women make coconut oil and bracelets, among other things.
McIntyre said they will be visiting a hospital in Ghana, where they will give them donations, including medical supplies for wound care, such as gauze; no-rinse soap and dental products.
Decker said they will shadow doctors and will also take soccer balls and baseballs for the children.
“This is a great opportunity to help people ,” Decker said.
“This is bigger than anything I’ve ever done before,” McIntyre said. “We are going to a remote island with no electricity and no running water.
She is concerned about traveling abroad with people she doesn’t know and the food.
“Their diet consists mainly of seafood, and I don’t care for seafood,” she said. “I know it’s going to be a massive culture shock.”
Gebo said she wanted to go to help the children. They will also teach simple hygiene, she said.
There will be a couple of days for sightseeing, Decker said, including a visit to Cape Coast Castle, which was involved in the slave trade. People were taken as prisoners and kept in dungeons under the castle until they sold, she said.
Decker plans to become a physician’s assistant in pediatric oncology, she said. McIntyre hopes to attend medical school to become an anesthesiologist, while Gebo aspires to become an Emergency Room nurse practitioner.
This will be the first time any of the girls have been out of the country, except for Canada.
“I’m so proud of them,” Slack said.
She explained that although the students are members of BOCES Career and Technical Education class, they come to the hospital’s classroom every day, seniors in the morning and juniors in the afternoon. Being hospital-based makes it easier for us to work through shadowing and internship rotations in the different hospital departments, Slack said.
The students had to raise their own money for the trip. They will fly to JFK Airport, where they will board a plane for Ghana.
By Robin Govanlu, Director of Behavioral Health, Oak Orchard Health
This week, April 3-9, is National Public Health Week. The goal of National Public Health Week is to recognize the contributions of public health, the workforce and highlight issues that can improve the health and well-being of our communities.
