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 Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 19 March 2023 at 12:14 pm
Orleans Community Health recognizes them as part of National Women’s History Month
Photo by Ginny Kropf: Four of the 21 women who head departments at Orleans Community Health are shown here. From left, they are Kim Gray, chief nursing officer and director of Surgical Services; Meghan Siddons, director of the Medical/Surgical Department; Melanie McAdoo, director of Case Management and Utilization Review; and Mackenzie Sullivan, director of the Emergency Department and lead nursing supervisor. The women were recognized during National Women’s History Month.
MEDINA – With a predominantly female work force, Orleans Community Health is taking advantage of National Women’s History Month to acknowledge the women in leadership roles at Medina Memorial Hospital.
National Women’s History Month was proclaimed by Congress in March of 1987, and March 8 is celebrated as International Women’s Day. Orleans Community Health recognized its female employees that day by posting their photos on social media, according to Scott Robinson, director of marketing at Community Partners.
Women continue to be a vital part of Orleans Community Health’s team, dedicated to providing important health care services to their community.
According to Robinson, there are 27 departments at Orleans Community Health, 21 of which are led by women. Four of them sat down recently to share their duties and love of their jobs.
They are Kim Gray, chief nursing officer and director of Surgical Services; Mackenzie Sullivan, director of the Emergency Department and lead nursing supervisor; Melanie McAdoo, director of Case Management and Utilization Review; and Meghan Siddons, director of the Medical-Surgical Department.
Gray has been at Medina Memorial Hospital for 20 years, Sullivan a total of nine (two previously and then she left and has been back for seven years), Siddons for a year and a half and McAdoo for 5 years.
“The highly qualified team that works tirelessly to care for our community is second to none,” Gray said. “Some of the women who have chosen to join Orleans Community Health have been here for decades, some have left larger health care systems for us, while others are newer to the profession. Either way, you know when you come to Orleans Community Health, you’re getting a team that prioritizes patient care.”
Sullivan said she thinks that women in general don’t get the recognition they deserve. She also noted that healthcare is predominately a female industry, and can’t be compared to manufacturing, where most CEO or CFO positions are not female. She said leadership at the hospital supports females in leadership roles.
She stated that people using the ER are at numbers they haven’t seen since 2018.
“People are less hesitant in post Covid time to seek health care,” she said. “They know who’s taking care of them here.”
The hospital’s Foundation board is predominately female, and the president is Jeanne Crane. Likewise, the majority of members of the hospital board are women, Robinson said.
Of the hospital’s employees, 68% live in Orleans County, 37% in Medina.
Sullivan serves on the Sexual Assault Task Force of Orleans County and the Mental Health Task Force.
“As women in leadership, we have the opportunity to change how people view females in our positions,” she said. “Often, older patients are uncomfortable with a male nurse.”
Robinson noted the connection between the ER and the second floor.
“Often people who come to the ER are admitted to the second floor,” he said.
While the hospital has added or expanded services in recent years, Sullivan said they also recognize what they can’t do and aren’t hesitant to transfer a patient when necessary.
“We are able to do a lot more and give people the care they need here, instead of going to the city,” Siddons said. “We also have a lot of out-patient services here, and a great patient/nurse ratio.”
McAdoo said Orleans Community Health’s North Wing offers the best of care, with hospital services available under the same roof.
“Our sub-acute rehab provides a higher level of care for medically complex rehab patients,” McAdoo said. “The North Wing also benefits by having the skilled medical team on hand 24/7.”
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 15 March 2023 at 12:04 pm
HOLLEY – Community Action of Orleans and Genesee has been working hard to bring cost-free health-related educational opportunities to the public, according to Jeanette Worsley, case manager and health coach at Community Action.
There will be a Narcan training class at 10:30 a.m. on March 29. Attendees will learn to spot signs of an opiate overdose and the correct way to administer the life-saving overdose reversal drug, Narcan. All participants will receive a free Narcan kit to take home.
Community Action is partnering with GCASA to offer the class for free that is open to the public. However, participants under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Pre-registration is required. To sign up, call or text (585) 866-5494, or stop by the Holley center at 75 Public Square.
In addition, Community Action is offering a free eight-week nutrition-based series titled “Promote Health, Precent Cancer” that will cover topics such as healthy eating patterns, portion size, nutrition, maintaining a healthy weight and physical activity.
The series will be presented by an educator from the Center for Community Health and Prevention at the University of Rochester.
Classes will take place at 12:30 p.m. Monday starting April 17 at the Eastern Orleans Community Center, 75 Public Square in Holley.
Pre-registration is required. To sign up, contact Katie at (585) 350-9190 or e-mail PHPC@urmc.rochester.edu.
BATAVIA – It can be difficult to attract medical providers to community health centers however we are delighted to introduce three qualified clinicians that have recently joined Oak Orchard’s Batavia office.
They include a family medicine physician who is also board certified in Addiction Medicine, a Family Nurse Practitioner who is bilingual, and a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner. Please welcome:
Azadfard
Dr. Mohammadreza Azadfard is a specialist in family medicine and sub-specialist in addiction medicine allowing him to address many medical issues within a family. He chose to work at Oak Orchard Health (OOH) to provide primary care services to all.
“Community health centers reduce the cost and language barriers. Here we can address both. OOH also offers mental health and dental services. And with my expertise in addiction medicine, I can help patients in the treatment and recovery of addiction,” said Dr. Azadfard.
Hein
Emily Hein is a pediatric nurse practitioner who recently returned to where she grew up. As a mother of two, she takes health care for children to heart.
“I believe that you and your child are at the heart of the care team. I strive to listen to your thoughts and concerns so you can make informed decisions about your child’s health and treatment,” Hein said.
Rojas
Shelby Rojas is a bi-lingual Family Nurse Practitioner who is passionate about caring for patients within the local community and from the Hispanic immigrant population who have difficulty getting high-quality health care.
“I want to provide a warm and welcoming atmosphere to my patients so that they feel satisfied with their health. I strive to ensure that the patient is always an active participant in their own health decisions, together with my medical expertise and training, to provide the best outcomes possible for my patients,” said Shelby.
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 care, pediatric care, vision care, 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) nonprofit Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) located in the towns of Albion, Alexander, Batavia, Brockport, Corfu, Hornell, Medina and Warsaw. With the addition of the Mobile Medical Unit and Mobile Dental Unit, we will further increase access to care for our patients.
Press Release, Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments
ALBION – The Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments (GO Health) will be holding their Local Early Intervention Coordinating Council (LEICC) Quarterly Meeting.
The meeting is scheduled for Thursday, March 9, from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. at the Orleans County Health Department (14016 Route 31 West, Albion, NY 14411) or by Zoom video conferencing. During the meeting, advocacy will be discussed and the election of officers will take place. Refreshments will be provided.
The LEICC is a supportive group made up of county officials, early intervention providers, child care providers, parents of children with disabilities and other community members. The members of the council are encouraged to collaborate and voice their opinions to help raise concerns to better the program, and ultimately, help the children.
The goal of the LEICC is to afford the opportunity for parents and other members to voice their thoughts and concerns on the strengths and weaknesses of the Genesee and Orleans County Early Intervention Program and to work together to improve the program. The Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments are encouraging parents to attend and to offer input as to how we can best meet the needs of all infants and toddlers.
For zoom connection information or for more information on the meeting, please contact Deborah Krenzer-Lewter, Director of Children with Special Needs for Genesee and Orleans, at 585-344-2580 ext. 5572 or 585-589-2777.
‘We are here to make sure you get what you are paying for’
Provided images: The 2023 inspection seals are predominantly found on gas pumps and store register scales.
Press Release, Genesee & Orleans County Health Departments
Promoting a fair and equitable marketplace is the work of the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments, Department of Weights & Measures (GO Health W&M). This department protects open market transactions, ensuring fairness for both buyers and sellers.
Ronald P. Mannella
“The worth of county and state Weights & Measures departments are more valuable than ever,” said Ronald P. Mannella, GO Health W&M director. “Persistent price increases of everyday necessities are straining our communities and people are stretching their money to new levels. We are here to make sure you get what you are paying for.”
2022 included 470 inspections accounting for 1,211 devices in 209 businesses. These tests involved pumping more than 26,000 gallons of fuel and using more than 5.9 million pounds of test weight. The department handled 13 complaint investigations, confirmed 591 package weights & 300 item prices, and collected 132 fuel samples confirming fuel sold within both counties met a variety of parameters.
With support from New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, GO Health has already confirmed over five times as many item prices compared to 2022. “This is just another way we are able to protect consumers. Pricing accuracy is a top priority for us going forward,” Mannella. said
2023 Audits (to date):
92 Overcharges (Prices at checkout were higher than shelf tags)
30 Undercharges (Prices at checkout were lower than shelf tags)
8 Missing shelf tags
Keep a watchful eye on your receipts to confirm prices match at checkout
Sharing Services, Reducing Costs
After recently celebrating 10 years of shared services between the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments, GO Health W&M started its fourth year of the cross county collaboration. Savings have exceeded $150,000 in W&M costs alone.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 21 February 2023 at 3:59 pm
Photo by Ginny Kropf: Megan Johnson (left), director of Orleans Community Health Foundation, and Amanda Luckman, admissions coordinator, hold one of the red hearts given to employees of Medina Memorial Hospital in observance of February as American Heart Month.
MEDINA – With heart disease being the number one killer of men, women and many ethnic groups within the United States, according to the Center for Disease Control, Orleans Community Health is celebrating February as American Heart Month with a number of events and giveaways.
It is reported that one in every four deaths is due to heart disease and approximately 805,000 people have a heart attack every year.
On a positive note, according to information from Scott Robinson, director of marketing at Orleans Community Health, heart disease is largely preventable by following basic tips. These include eating foods that promote heart health, avoiding smoking tobacco products, making sure to get at lease 30 minutes of physical activity for five days a week and talking with your doctor to make sure you’re keeping track of blood pressure and checking for other warning signs.
February was declared American Heart Month by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964, nine years after his own heart attack. Orleans Community Health is taking the opportunity this month to highlight the importance of heart health and the fact that heart disease is largely preventable.
“The time is now to take heart disease seriously, and research steps you can take to reduce your own personal risk,” Robinson said.
Medina Memorial Hospital offers several services in the Cardiac Department that can help. Electrocardiograms (or EKGs) are an innovative diagnostic tool. An EKG records the electric signal from the heart and is useful in detecting arrhythmias, heart attacks and heart failure.
An echocardiogram is a type of ultrasound that uses two-dimensional, three-dimensional and Doppler ultrasound waves to create a clear image of the heart. That image can then be used to diagnose conditions that affect the heart’s valves and chambers.
Vascular ultrasounds use similar techniques to form images of blood vessels. At Medina Memorial, this tool is used to diagnose blood clots, blockages and other sources of congestion.
Cardiac stress tests are used to measure the heart’s ability to respond to stress, such as exercise or other stimulation. A stress test is an essential tool for identifying problems with blood flow, like blockages or arrhythmias aggravated by stress.
In addition, the Sands-Constellation Heart Institute opened a location in Medina Memorial Hospital in 2022.
Robinson added February is great time to take advantage of heart health information, and that is why Medina Memorial is celebrating the month by handing out red heart stress balls and sponsoring several other giveaways in an effort to raise more awareness of heart disease.
Provided photo: From left include Karen Kinter, interim CEO of Oak Orchard Health; George Sokolsky, president of the Kiwanis Club of Brockport; and Robin Govanlu, OOH director of Behavioral Health.
BROCKPORT – The Kiwanis Club of Brockport donated $1,000 to Oak Orchard Health’s Mommy and Me Healthy We Will Be program and $300 to the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program.
The Mommy and Me Program supports new moms and babies experiencing postpartum depression and anxiety. The WIC program offers eligible families breastfeeding support, nutrition counseling, health education, health care referrals, referrals to other services, and nutritious foods.
“The Kiwanis Club of Brockport is dedicated to improving the world one child and one community at a time. The local club began in 1926 and has always focused on fundraising and service projects to help children. The Mommy and Me and Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) programs fit perfectly with our mission,” said George Sokolsky, president, Kiwanis Club of Brockport.
The initial idea for Mommy and Me came from our Medical Director and Pediatrician,
Dr. Danielle Renodin-Mead. She brought to our attention that the U.S. has some of the poorest health outcomes for children and their birth mothers. Just one large contributing factor to this is our culture’s approach to postpartum mental health, as well as the stigma that often surrounds this. That stigma is a barrier to mothers seeking the necessary care they need.
“Did you know that 1 in 7 women experience postpartum depression or anxiety?” said Karen Kinter, interim CEO, Oak Orchard Health. “The goal of Oak Orchard’s new program is to achieve optimal maternal and child health and to make it easier to have conversations about postpartum depression and anxiety. This program integrates behavioral health care managers into the pediatric care team.”
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.
