Press Release, Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments
You can’t see it. You can’t smell it. But breathing in high levels of radon can increase your risk of lung cancer even if you don’t smoke.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer and it is estimated to cause over 20,000 deaths each year in the United States. This is the reason it is so important to get your home tested for radon.
Radon is a colorless, odorless gas that seeps into your home through cracks in the foundation, walls and joints. It can be found in well water and in dirt floors. Whether your home has a basement, sits on a slab, is brand-new or old, radon can build-up and go undetected.
Testing your home with a short term radon test kit is a quick and easy way to determine if there are high levels of radon in your home. The Genesee County Health Department has a limited number of short term test kits available free of charge for Genesee County residents. These test kits are easy and quick to use.
“Testing for radon is one of the easiest preventative health measures you can take,” stated Darren Brodie, Environmental Health Director for Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments. “If your radon levels are low, we suggest you test every couple of years. If your radon levels are high, we can give you information about how to mitigate the radon. Either way, you have made an important step to keep your family safe.”
For more information about radon and how to receive a free radon test kit in Genesee County, contact the Genesee County Health Department at 585-344-2580 x5555 or Health@co.genesee.ny.us.
Press Release, Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments
According to the 2023 County Health Rankings, released by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, Genesee and Orleans Counties rank 42nd and 55th respectively in overall Health Outcomes. The rankings are available at www.countyhealthrankings.org.
“Each year we look at the County Health Rankings to get an overview of our health and factors that influence our health,” stated Paul Pettit, Public Health Director for the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments (GO Health). “The county with the lowest score (best health) gets a rank of #1 for that state and the county with the highest score (worst health) is assigned a rank corresponding to the number of total counties ranked in each state. New York State has 62 counties.”
According to the rankings, the five healthiest counties in New York State starting with most healthy are Putnam, followed by Saratoga, Nassau, Rockland and Tompkins. The five counties in the poorest health, starting with least healthy are Bronx, Cattaraugus, Sullivan, Chemung and Montgomery.
The rankings are broken into two main categories: Health Outcomes, which include length of life and quality of life, and Health Factors, which include health behaviors, clinical care, social and economic factors and physical environment.
The 2023 County Health Rankings findings for Genesee and Orleans counties are:
Orleans County
Ranked 55/62 in Health Outcomes compared to 54/62 counties in 2022
Ranked 57/62 in Health Factors compared to 55/62 counties in 2022
Genesee County
Ranked 42/62 in Health Outcomes compared to 38/62 counties in 2022
Ranked 22/62 in Health Factors compared to 16/62 counties in 2022
“As Chief Health Strategists, we collaborate with our partners and community members to provide quality training, education and referrals as well as develop coalitions to explore the best way to help our county residents thrive and improve health factors,” Pettit stated.
As referenced below, both Genesee and Orleans counties have health factors that could be improved specifically with local access to physicians, mental health providers and dentists along with excessive drinking, adult obesity, and adult smoking.
Access to care significantly impacts and drives the rankings for both counties. Additionally, it is a substantial barrier for residents and ultimately, has an impact on not only an individual’s physical, social and mental health, but their overall quality of life.
Chart from Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments
This year, the focus area of the rankings was the connection between civic health and the health of the community. The factors that were added included Voter Turnout (Genesee at 64.3%; Orleans at 56.9%) and Census Participation (Genesee at 64.3%; Orleans at 54.0%). Voting and participating in the U.S. census are both examples of civic participation, which can help influence residents’ quality of life and help improve the health of our community.
The rankings have become an important tool for communities that want to improve health for all. Working collaboratively with community partners in Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming counties (GOW), Genesee and Orleans counties have completed the GOW 2022-2024 Community Health Assessment and are working on the chosen priorities in the Community Health Improvement Plan over the next three years.
We analyze the rankings along with New York State data and community input from the Community Health Assessment survey and Community Conversations to determine these priorities.
For the 2022-2024 Community Health Improvement Plan, prevent chronic disease, promote well-being, and prevent mental and substance use disorders were selected as the priority areas that will be the focus moving forward.
For more information on Health Department programs and services, visit GOHealthNY.org or call your respective health department at:
Photos by Ginny Kropf: More than 40 current and retired nurses attended the first ever nurses’ recognition brunch Friday morning at Medina Memorial Hospital.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 13 May 2023 at 8:32 am
MEDINA – Orleans Community Health stepped up to show their appreciation of nurses, by honoring them at a brunch Friday morning at Medina Memorial Hospital.
More than 40 current and retired nurses attended the event, which surgical nurse Kim Gray says will be an annual event.
Former Medina resident Jane Punch came from Florida. She was director of nursing during her career at the hospital. She started working at the hospital through BOCES in 1973 and 1974.
“I loved every minute of it,” Punch said. “This is the gang that kept it all together all those years.”
Rebecca Mannella first came to work at the hospital in 1993 as director of cardiac services. She left and returned in 2015 when she became director of nurses for the North Wing and employee health nurse.
(Left) Debbie Guild, Charlie Smith and Mary Williams were classmates in nursing school. They all went on to work at Medina Memorial Hospital. They shared memories at the nurses’ brunch Friday morning. (Right) Mary Dunn, a nurse on the surgical floor, hugs Dorothy Casey, who worked 42 years as a nurse at Medina Memorial Hospital.
Elaine and Charlie Smith are both registered nurses. She worked in maternity for 20 years and Charlie is still employed there. He has done just about everything, from working in the ER, as ICU/ER supervisor and occasional shifts on the North Wing.
Dorothy Casey started at the hospital as a nurses’ aide and went on to become a licensed practical nurse. She would have 42 years of service when she retired in 2005. She continued as a nurse for Dr. Thomas Madejski several years after that.
Three registered nurses who attended went to nursing school together. Then, after graduating in 1973, Mary Williams, Debbie Guild and Charlie Smith all ended up working at Medina Memorial Hospital.
Williams’ daughter Kate Brauen is currently director of pharmacy at the hospital. Williams was born at the hospital, she said.
Another nurse who attended was Brenda Sidari, wife of Medina mayor Mike Sidari. During her 30 years there, she worked in every department, including supervisor of the ER.
Everyone had such a good time and the turnout was so great, they will definitely be making this an annual event, according to Gray.
(Left) Joanne Bracey of Medina and Jane Punch of Florida share old times at the nurses’ recognition brunch Friday morning. (Right) Four nurses at Medina Memorial Hospital enjoyed catching up at the brunch Friday morning to honor nurses. From left are Leighann VanAuker, Darlene Etheridge, Dorothy Casey and Joanne Bracey.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 12 May 2023 at 6:29 am
MEDINA – Orleans Community Health has been celebrating Nurses Week May 6 to 12 and Hospital Week from May 7 to 13.
During the past week, teams at Medina Memorial Hospital, Albion Healthcare Center, Dialysis centers in Medina and Batavia and the Middleport lab draw station have been acknowledged with special events.
“Hospital Week provides an opportunity to showcase all of our teams throughout Orleans Community Health,” said Scott Robinson, director of Marketing at Community Partners. “A schedule of events has been scheduled for departments to take part in during the week, all centered around the ‘Spirit Week’ theme.”
There are also opportunities in which the community can participate, Robinson said. Burger King donated a portion of their proceeds to Orleans Community Health Foundation from purchases made on Wednesday.
Additionally, everyone is welcome to attend a Vendor Fair and Farmers’ Market from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. today in the parking lot of Medina Memorial Hospital. A food truck will be on site. Vendors will include Catherine Street Bakery, Baker Farms (eggs, dehydrated garlic and meat), Flower Fields Forever (bouquets and flowers), Jeannie Wodo (wreath orders), Judy Szulus (Tupperware), Gardner’s Garden (artisan salts, fudge, jam, popcorn and teas), Blue Groove Coffee, Making it Right Reiki Services and Human Farms (plants and flowers).
Nurses Week will conclude with a celebration to honor Florence Nightingale on her birthday. This year, Orleans Community Health is hosting a brunch for current and former nursing team members. The brunch will provide an opportunity to not only recognize dedicated individuals of today, but honor those who served the community in previous years, Robinson said.
“There’s a reason we call our hospital team ‘healthcare heroes,’” Robinson said. “They spend every day trying to make the community better for everyone. Whether it’s through their involvement in organizations, or assisting those who come through our doors, these individuals are truly some of the best.”
As the federal public health emergency declaration for Covid-19 expires today, the New York State Association of Counties is commemorating the county role in fighting the pandemic while warning of challenges that remain for local governments that continue to experience significant workforce shortages.
“County officials played a crucial role in responding to the public health and economic crisis, working tirelessly to protect residents and preserve our way of life,” said NYSAC President and Clinton County Administrator Michael E. Zurlo. “They kept local services functioning, maintained critical infrastructure, administered elections, provided emergency medical services, and performed other essential jobs, sometimes at great personal sacrifice and risk. For county governments, it truly was both our darkest and finest hour.”
While the end of the public health emergency is a significant milestone, Covid-19 remains a threat. Coronavirus was the fourth leading cause of death in the United States in 2022, and it will likely remain a leading cause of death in 2023, especially for our most vulnerable residents.
Adding to the lingering threat posed by Covid and other infectious diseases is the significant depletion of the public workforce that counties have suffered in the wake of the pandemic, down 3% (40,000 workers) since March 2020.
The drop has been most acute among local health departments. A study conducted by the NYS Public Health Officials Association found that New York State’s local health department workforce saw a 26% decline in the number of full-time staff employed between 2019 and 2021.
Compounding the existing staff shortage, all LHD respondents, regardless of size, reported high impending retirements, with 990 FTEs (almost 10% of the current workforce) planning to retire within the next three years. Since the start of the pandemic, 31% of LHD leaders (Commissioners/Directors) have retired or left their departments.
The end of the public health emergency will have tangible consequences for counties’ ability to respond to this threat. Healthcare providers will have less flexibility, over-the-counter tests will be more difficult to access, telehealth coverage may be limited, and many Americans will see a decrease in social safety net benefits.
“As we close this chapter of the pandemic, we are reminded of the fear, struggle, and pain county officials faced every day at the height of the outbreak and the triumph they experienced in working to protect the public,” said NYSAC Executive Director Stephen Acquario. “Moving forward, counties will continue to innovate and adapt to protect their communities and help them recover from the economic devastation that the pandemic caused. As we honor our local leaders for their courage and dedication in responding to the pandemic, we must also renew our dedication to supporting and strengthening the public workforce, investing in emergency preparedness, and rebuilding trust in our institutions.”
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.
You can’t see it. You can’t smell it. But breathing in high levels of radon can increase your risk of lung cancer even if you don’t smoke.
According to the 2023 County Health Rankings, released by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, Genesee and Orleans Counties rank 42nd and 55th respectively in overall Health Outcomes. The rankings are available at 
By Robin Govanlu, Director of Behavioral Health, Oak Orchard Health
