‘Vaping is a public health crisis, claiming too many lives and making countless others sick in a short period of time.’ – Gov. Cuomo said.

Press Release, Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Office

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced the 15th proposal of his 2020 State of the State agenda: legislation banning all flavored nicotine vaping products including menthol flavors and vaping advertisements aimed at youth.

The legislation would also authorize the State Department of Health to regulate the sale of chemicals used in vaping-related products and ban the sale of vaping product carrier oils deemed to be a public health risk.

Finally, the legislation would prohibit the online, phone and mail order sale of e-cigarettes; only registered retailers would be allowed to purchase e-cigarettes using those methods.

“Vaping is a public health crisis, claiming too many lives and making countless others sick in a short period of time,” Governor Cuomo said. “The problem is made worse by unscrupulous vaping companies who are targeting young people with candy flavored products like Cotton Candy and Bubble-gum and other marketing ploys. While the federal administration continues its empty rhetoric on an issue impacting more than a quarter of all high school students, in New York we’re using every tool at our disposal to keep help children safe and stop them from forming an unhealthy and potentially deadly lifelong addiction.”

Ban the Sale of Flavored Nicotine Vaping Products

The Governor will introduce legislation banning the sale of all flavored nicotine vaping products, including menthol — an extension of the State’s ongoing efforts to reduce youth use of both tobacco and vaping products. Nearly 40 percent of 12th grade students and 27 percent of all high school students are now using e-cigarettes, with this increase largely driven by flavored e-liquids used in vaping devices. With this ban New York continues to lead the charge on limiting the use of flavorings in all vaping products and provide critical support to local communities who are fighting this growing epidemic.

Restrict Vaping Ads Targeted to Youth

In addition to restricting the sale of flavors that appeal to kids, the Governor’s legislation will ban all vaping-related ads targeted to youth, including those in more traditional forms of advertising such as newspapers and magazines, as well as in digital formats in periodicals, social media and on websites with significant youth viewership. Advertisers will also not be allowed to make vaping product safety claims or pitch vaping products as smoking cessation options without FDA-approval.

Ban Harmful Unregulated Carrier Oils

Following the alarming number of hospitalizations and deaths involving patients who had reported a history of using e-cigarettes or vaping products, Vitamin E acetate — which is sometimes used as an e-liquid diluent — has been identified as a chemical of concern. In order to quickly respond to the proliferation of these dangerous, untested and unregulated chemicals used in vaping related products, the Governor will also advance legislation to empower the Department of Health to ban the sale of vaping carrier oils that include chemicals or ingredients that when inhaled through a vaping device are deemed to be dangerous and a significant public health risk.

Limit Online Sale of Vaping Products

The current sale of e-liquids and e-cigarettes through online, phone and mail order allows underage youth to purchase products unlawfully and circumvent sales taxes. Therefore, the Governor will advance legislation restricting the online, phone and mail order sale of e-liquids and e-cigarettes only to licensed vaping product retailers. Only registered retailers would be allowed to purchase e-cigarettes using those methods. This restriction, which already applies to the sale of conventional tobacco products, will help stop the illegal sale of dangerous vaping products to underage purchasers.

Governor Cuomo has taken unprecedented steps to ensure the health and safety of all New Yorkers by combatting the use of harmful tobacco and nicotine products. In 2017, Governor Cuomo expanded the Clean Indoor Air Act to prohibit e-cigarette use in nearly every workplace to protect workers and the public from harmful secondhand tobacco smoke and vaping aerosols.

In 2019, e-liquid retailers were required to register with the Department of Taxation and Finance and a 20 percent sales tax on e-liquids will be imposed. In November of 2019, the legal age for purchasing tobacco and e-cigarette products was raised to 21, further discouraging youth from accessing the products.  Moreover, at the Governor’s direction, DTF will triple the number of regulatory inspections of retailers authorized to sell tobacco products from 2018.

Press Release, Gov. Andrew Cuomo

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo unveiled the 14th proposal of his 2020 State of the State agenda – increasing transparency in healthcare costs.

Under this proposal, Governor Cuomo will direct the Department of Health, the Department of Financial Services and the New York State Digital and Media Services Center – a joint enterprise of the Office of Information Technology Services and Office of General Services – to create a consumer-friendly website, called NYHealthcareCompare, where New Yorkers can easily compare the cost and quality of healthcare procedures at hospitals around the state.

The platform will also provide consumers with educational resources designed to help consumers know their rights including financial assistance options, what to do about a surprise bill and more.

“New York has made tremendous progress protecting consumers from unreasonably expensive medical care,” Governor Cuomo said. “But the cost of many healthcare procedures has risen in recent years in part because consumers don’t have an easy way to compare prices at different hospitals in their area. This new website will give New Yorkers the facts they need to make informed decisions about the cost and quality of healthcare procedures – helping increase competition in the marketplace and driving down prices.”

Governor Cuomo has taken nation-leading steps to protect consumers from high medical costs. In 2014, the Governor signed first-in-the-nation legislation to protect consumers from surprise bills for out-of-network costs, and in 2019 the Governor signed legislation further extending these protections. Governor Cuomo has also supported making information about healthcare services available to the public. With the development of the All Payer Database system, New York is entering a new era of cutting-edge healthcare research and transparency in healthcare costs and delivery.

However, the burden of healthcare costs is increasingly falling to consumers, and there are increasing demands for reliable information for decisions, especially for planned services where there is a choice. The cost of planned services can vary widely within a region.

For consumers to be empowered to shop for healthcare services, consumers first need to be aware that there is a trusted source of information that is presented in a user-friendly and accessible way. Existing information is scattered across websites. Consumers cannot easily find what they are looking for, leading them to give up on finding the information they need.

This new website will allow consumers to easily shop for healthcare services and understand their rights all in one site, empowering New Yorkers to become educated consumers of healthcare services and choose the healthcare facility that fits their needs. The website would also enable consumers to:

• See cost, quality and volume data by specific hospital;

• Search by medical procedure costs;

• Search affordability questions; and

• Search laws and programs to help New Yorkers with medical bills, health insurance complaints, hospital complaints and practitioner/provider complaints.

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Medina site makes an upgrade and gives used glidescope to health center

Photo by Ginny Kropf: Kaitlyn Miller, Emergency Room director at Medina Memorial Hospital, and Emergency Room physician Dr. Joseph De James discuss the hospital’s donation of a glidescope to the Virgin Islands. De James has also worked for 19 years at a health center in the Virgin Islands, where he will deliver the medical equipment.

MEDINA – When the category five Hurricane Irma hit the Virgin Islands in 2017, many of the country’s health resources were destroyed.

Thanks to a doctor who works in the Emergency Room at Medina Memorial Hospital, a health center in the country will receive some much-needed medical equipment

Dr. Joseph De James, who not only works in the ER at Medina Memorial Hospital, has also worked at the Myrah Keating Smith Community Health Center in the Virgin Islands for 19 years.

Recently, Orleans Community Health received a grant from New York State to purchase a new glidescope, which according to Cindy Perry, director of education, marketing and outreach, is a device used for airway management in emergency situations.

De James will deliver the donated glidescope to the health center in the Virgin Islands.

“It will be a lifesaving piece of equipment,” De James said.

Rebuilding the health system’s resources has been a difficult challenge for the Virgin Islands after the devastation left by the hurricane, the doctor said. Most of the economy is based on tourism that they are slowly rebuilding. After losing continual access to health care and support networks, there has also been a spike in ER visits. The donation of this equipment will help the residents of the island, as well as tourists, De James explained.

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Press Release, Gov. Andrew Cuomo

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced further action to address the growing threat of e-cigarette use, with measures to combat the increasing number of vaping-related illnesses. As part of these efforts, the Department of Financial Services today issued guidance advising New York insurers that they must cover the costs associated with most vaping cessation – without co-pays, coinsurance, and deductibles – using the same treatments recommended for smoking cessation.

“E-cigarette use has exploded in recent years and many of the people who want to quit are now having trouble because vaping is more addicting than they previously thought,” Governor Cuomo said. “New Yorkers trying to stop vaping need access to treatment, and this action will require insurance companies to provide the same coverage they would for smoking cessation to anyone seeking to stop using e-cigarettes.”

As of Dec. 3, there were 2,291 cases of e-cigarette-associated lung injury reported to the Centers for Disease Control from 50 states, and 48 deaths have been confirmed in 25 states, including here in New York, where a second death due to a vaping-associated illness was reported on Nov. 20.

To combat this growing problem, Governor Cuomo has taken several actions, including banning the sale of flavored e-cigarettes in New York, warning New Yorkers against e-cigarette use, and directing the New York State Department of Health to investigate companies that produce vaping substances and require smoke and vape shops to post warnings advising New Yorkers of the health risks – all while the federal government stalls on banning e-cigarettes.

According to the circular letter issued today, because e-cigarettes contain nicotine, and people who vape may become addicted to nicotine, insurers should provide coverage for vaping cessation treatment using methods recommended for smoking cessation, including screening, behavioral interventions and FDA-approved pharmacotherapy for adults and behavioral interventions for school-aged children and adolescents, as appropriate.

“Insurers must adapt to address emerging issues in public health and that includes vaping, which is growing in use including among teenagers causing illnesses and even deaths,” said Financial Services Superintendent Linda A. Lacewell. “Insurers must cover vaping cessation in the same way they cover services for smoking cessation, and do so without cost-sharing.”

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Press Release, GCASA

Christen Ferraro

BATAVIA – Christen Ferraro has been hired by Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse as project coordinator of the Genesee-Orleans-Wyoming Opioid Task Force.

GCASA Executive Director John Bennett announced the appointment of Ferraro, who received her bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences Interdisciplinary with a concentration in community and mental health from the University of Buffalo earlier this year.

A Batavia High School graduate, Ferraro said she recently moved back to Batavia from Buffalo and is excited to connect with task force stakeholders in the tri-county area.

“I missed the community and am thankful to be able to have a role in bringing agencies and people together to take on this epidemic,” Ferraro said. “Our goal is to continue the momentum that Allison (Parry-Gurak) has developed.”

Ferraro is replacing Parry-Gurak, who accepted the director of treatment position at GCASA’s Albion clinic.

As part of her college program, Ferraro served as an intern with the Genesee-Orleans Youth Bureau from August 2018 through May 2019, assisting with event planning, supervision, Youth Court and Youth Lead.

The GOW Opioid Task Force currently has over 350 members from across the tri-county region.

Members represent various sectors of the community, including public health, mental health, human services, local government, substance use disorder treatment and recovery agencies, law enforcement, EMS, faith-based groups, health systems and medical practitioners, education, businesses, concerned individuals, families, and individuals in recovery.

The task force project coordinator oversees six “work groups” – access to care, community education, data, family & loved ones, law enforcement and Naloxone, and two sub-committees – hospital policies and faith-based – and provides periodic progress reports to a steering committee.

For more information about the GOW Task Force, go to www.gowopioidtaskforce.org.

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Press Release, Gov. Andrew Cuomo

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that opioid overdose deaths among New York State residents, outside New York City, declined 15.9 percent in 2018 compared to 2017, the first decrease in 10 years.

While close to 2,000 people tragically died from opioid overdoses last year, the decrease remains a significant milestone and is the result of several aggressive actions taken the past several years to combat opioid addiction.

These actions are outlined in the new Heroin and Opioid Task Force Progress Report detailing three years of work and improvements to expand and enhance services aimed at combatting the opioid crisis. The Task Force recommendations were signed into law in 2016.

“New York’s first reduction in opioid overdose deaths in over ten years is an important milestone and demonstrates our work to combat this deadly scourge is working,” Governor Cuomo said. “And while New York has taken the most aggressive actions to combat the opioid crisis of any other state in the country, the opioid epidemic continues to devastate too many families and we will not rest until we put an end to it once and for all.”

After years of rising opioid-related overdoses deaths among New York State residents, 2018 finally saw a drop, from 2,170 deaths in 2017, to 1,824 deaths – a 15.9 percent decrease – according to preliminary State Health Department data covering areas outside New York City. Furthermore, hospitalizations for opioid related overdoses decreased 7.1 percent – from 3,260 in 2017 to 3,029 in 2018. Overdose deaths, hospitalization and other data are included in the most recent New York State County Opioid Quarterly Report, available here.

(Editor’s Note: In Orleans County the overdose deaths increased from 4 in 2017 to 6 in 2018, according the state data. The number of emergency room visits due to opioid overdoses increased from 36 in 2017 to 40 last year.

The state report also says the number of Orleans County residents admitted to certified chemical dependence programs for opioid addiction increased from 224 in 2017 to 234 in 2018.

The state also tracks how many times Naloxone is administered by EMS and law enforcement. Naloxone, also known as Narcan, helps stop an overdose. Naloxone was administered 48 times in 2017 by EMS in Orleans, and 30 times in 2018. Naloxone was administered 1 time by law enforcement in 2017 and 13 times in 2018, according to the state report.)  

The progress announced today is the direct result of recommendations from the New York State Heroin and Opioid Task Force, which Governor Cuomo convened in 2016. The Governor reconvened the Task Force in his 2019 State of the State proposals. Co-Chaired by Lt. Governor Kathy Hochul and Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS) Commissioner Arlene González-Sánchez, the Task Force proposed new, non-traditional services, including recovery centers, youth clubhouses, expanded peer services, Centers of Treatment Innovation, mobile treatment, telehealth and 24/7 open access centers, which provide immediate assessments and referrals to care. These services have since been established in numerous communities around the state and have helped people in need access care closer to where they live.

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Health center’s Albion complex named in honor of Karen Watt, with wellness center named for the late David Pike

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Oak Orchard Health this morning celebrated the opening of a new wellness center at 317 West Ave., a building that was the long-time site of an Off-Track Betting parlor.

Oak Orchard bought the property and spent about $500,000 in renovating the site, adding offices for two primary care rooms, two rooms for mental or behavioral health counseling, a group therapy room for music and massage therapy, a lab, and also offices for staff.

The wellness center is named in memory of David Pike, a physician’s assistant at Oak Orchard for 24 years. He passed away on April 6, 2013.

Pike’s grandchildren – Charlotte, left, and Lillian – are in front.  Others in the photo include, from left: Karen Watt, vice chair of the OOH board; Julia Hopkins, Chad Pike’s fiancé; Dr. Nancy Ciavarri, family physician and chief medical officer for OOH; Charlene Pike, David Pike’s wife; Chad Pike, David Pike’s son; Mary Ann Pettibon, Chief Executive Officer for OOH; Gary Skoog, chairman of the OOH board; Lorienda Smith (in back), OOH board member; Kathy Williams, OOH board member; and David Jewell, Ph. D., an OOH board member.

The new wellness center started serving patients about three weeks ago. There was an open house today as part of the grand opening.

The wellness center has primary care, behavioral health, and music and massage therapy. The new center will work closely with the Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, with the two agencies referring patients. GCASA will do the initial addiction treatment while Oak Orchard will help patients maintain their health.

Oak Orchard Health unveiled a new sign in front of the Albion health center and the wellness center, naming the complex in honor of Karen Watt, an Albion fruit grower who has served on the Oak Orchard Health board for nearly 20 years, including many years as the board chairwoman.

During that time, Oak Orchard expanded the Albion health center and pushed to develop the wellness center. It also acquired Dr. David Bell’s former medical office in Lyndonville, and expanded with health care sites in Warsaw and Hornell. Oak Orchard has facilities in Brockport, and also runs a mobile dental unit that visits local school districts and is available to community members.

Mary Ann Pettibon (left), Chief Executive Officer for OOH, announces Oak Orchard’s Albion healthcare facilities will be named in honor of Karen Watt. Before joining the Oak Orchard board, Watt served as a president of the Orleans County Farm Bureau and was on the state board of directors for the New York Farm Bureau.

Watt also served as the chairwoman of the National Advisory Council on Migrant Health. In 2013, she received the Outstanding Migrant Health Center Board Member Award from the National Association of Community Health Centers.

Watt is also an advocate for breast cancer research and organized the annual Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Orchard Walk at Watt Farms each fall from 2005-2017. For 11 years, the event raised over $350,000 for the American Cancer Society and in 2016-17 raised money for the local Genesee-Orleans Cancer Services Program.

Watt said she has enjoyed working the Oak Orchard staff and board members to expand services in Orleans County and in Oak Orchard’s other communities.

She said David Pike, the late physician’s assistant who was dedicated to the Oak Orchard patients, is far more deserving of recognition from Oak Orchard.

“David epitomizes wellness in our community,” Watt said. “He wanted to serve rural community healthcare. It really tugs at the heart strings because the need is so great.”

Charlene Pike and her son Chad Pike of Albion accept a plaque that recognizes the service of David Pike.

“He really enjoyed being a part of the community,” Chad said about his father. “We would go to the grocery store for what should have been a 5-minute trip and it would be over an hour and half because of all the people stopping him and thanking him.”

Charlotte and Lillian, David Pike’s grandchildren, check out some of the musical instruments in the music therapy room. This is the first of Oak Orchard’s six sites that offers music and massage therapy, as well as behavioral health treatment.

Gary Skoog, a Brockport farmer and OOH board chairman, said the organization is committed to serving Orleans County.

“We’re in continual growth mode at Oak Orchard,” Skoog said. “We’re trying to increase opportunities for wellness in Orleans County.”

Oak Orchard Health is a Federally Qualified Health Center and receives about 30 percent of its budget from the federal government. Oak Orchard started in 1966, initially focused on farmworkers’ health. The center has expanded since then and is available to the entire community.

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MEDINA – Orleans Community Health has announced it is now equipped with a new device to help treat sudden cardiac arrest.

The ZOLL AutoPulse Resuscitation System helps to improve blood flow to the heart and brain during sudden cardiac arrest because of the unique, high quality chest compressions it generates, according to Cindy Perry, director of Outreach, Education and Marketing for Orleans Community Health. The equipment was purchased with grant funding from the state, Perry said.

Cardiac arrest is a substantial public health problem with more than 720,000 people in the United States affected every year. According to Keys to Public Health/Population Health Collaborative, Orleans County ranks in the worst 25% of all counties for age adjusted deaths from heart attacks in New York state.

“Our goal is to protect the lives of our community’s citizens, and this equipment is an important step in helping to achieve that goal,” said Dr. Richard S. Elman, FACEP, Emergency Department director at Medina Memorial Hospital. “I have been a professional Emergency Department physician for more than 40 years, and I have never seen a devise that does what AutoPulse does. With it, we are better equipped to deal with sudden cardiac arrest.”

Elman continued to say that manual CPR is the standard for providing temporary circulatory support and oxygen delivery during cardiac arrest. However, due to physical challenges, delivery of high-quality manual CPR is difficult to provide in many situations and can quickly become tiresome for health care workers to do for prolonged periods of time.

“Improvements in resuscitation practices could save many lives,” Elman said.

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Press Release, Public Health Departments in Orleans and Genesee counties

This week is National Influenza Vaccination Week (NIVW). As family and friends are gathering for the holidays, flu activity is increasing.

NIVW serves as a reminder it is not too late to get a flu vaccine. Paul Pettit, Public Health Director of Genesee and Orleans Counties wants to remind folks that when you get a flu vaccine, you are also protecting your loved ones and your community.

“Getting vaccinated isn’t just about keeping you healthy,” Pettit said. “It is also about helping to protect others around you who may be at risk of becoming very sick, such as babies, older adults, and pregnant women.”

The flu is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses that infect the nose, throat, and lungs. When someone with the flu coughs, sneezes, or talks, they spray tiny droplets. These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby. People can also get the flu by touching a surface or object that has flu virus on it and then touch their own mouth, nose, or eyes. Influenza can cause mild to severe illness, and at times can lead to death. Although the majority of hospitalizations and deaths occur in people 65 years and older, healthy young children and adults can have severe disease or even die from the flu.

“To be protected against the flu, you have to get the vaccine every year,” explains Brenden Bedard, director of Community Health Services for Genesee and Orleans counties. “Because flu viruses are constantly changing, flu vaccines may be updated from one season to the next to protect against the viruses that research suggests may be most common during the upcoming flu season. For the best protection, everyone 6 months of age and older should get vaccinated annually.”

In addition to receiving the flu shot, it is also important to practice good health habits. The tips below will help you learn about ways you can protect yourself and others from germs this season.

• Stay home when you are sick. If possible, stay home from work, school, and errands when you are sick. This will help prevent spreading your illness to others.

• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing – or cough/sneeze into your elbow if no tissues are available. It may prevent those around you from getting sick. Flu and other serious respiratory illnesses, like respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and whooping cough are spread by coughing, sneezing, or unclean hands.

• Wash your hands. Good hand washing takes 20 seconds. Sing the “Happy Birthday” song twice while you wash. Scrub with soap and water to remove germs. Always wash hands before eating, and after coughing, sneezing, spending time outside, touching animals, using the bathroom, or changing a baby’s diaper. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub.

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs are often spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth.

• Practice other good health habits. Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces at home, work or school, especially when someone is ill. Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat nutritious food.

Flu seasons are unpredictable and can last late into the spring. As long as flu viruses are spreading and causing illness, vaccination should continue throughout the flu season in order to protect as many people as possible. It’s important to remember that it takes about two weeks after vaccination for antibodies to develop in the body and provide protection against influenza virus infection.

If you have not received your annual flu vaccine this year, now is the time!

To find a place near you to get a flu vaccine, visit HealthMap Vaccine Finder.

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Press Release, Orleans Community Health

MEDINA – A new Wound Care Center at Medina Memorial Hospital will open on Dec. 4 to offer advanced wound care for people living with chronic, non-healing wounds.

Orleans Community Health has partnered with Healogics, the nation’s leading provider of advanced, chronic wound care services. Healogics is headquartered in Jacksonville, Fla., and has a nationwide network of nearly 700 Wound Care Centers.

It is estimated that chronic wounds affect 6.7 million people in the U.S. and that number is rising, fueled by an aging population and increasing rates of conditions such as diabetes, obesity and the late effects of radiation therapy. If left untreated, chronic wounds can lead to diminished quality of life and possibly amputation of the affected limb.

“It is my great pleasure to open this new Wound Care Center,” said Mark Cye, CEO of Orleans Community Health. “This service comes from an identified need in our local community for greater access to care for wounds that are not healing as they should, such as diabetic wounds.  Our area has seen a very high incidence of diabetes and is important that patients have access to treatment within this region without having to leave the area for this intensive type of treatment.”

The Orleans Community Health Wound Care Center offers an evidence-based, systematic approach to advanced wound care. A patient’s individualized treatment plan may include specialized wound dressings, debridement, compression therapy, advanced cellular products and topical growth factors, edema management and/or non-invasive vascular assessment. These treatments are the result of a team approach between the Center’s physicians, nurses and the referring physician. A treatment plan is developed and scheduled based on the patient’s needs. Once treatment is complete, the patient will return to their primary physician to continue routine care.

“We are excited to be able to provide quality wound care to the patients in Medina and surrounding areas,” said Lisa Albanese, program director of the new Wound Care Center. “As part of our mission, we are committed to advancing wound healing by creating and sharing our wound care expertise; everywhere we can, for every patient who would benefit, by the best means available.”

Albanese is also the program director of Wound Care at United Memorial Medical Center’s Wound Care & Hyperbaric Medicine in Batavia. The UMMC Center has earned clinical excellence achievement awards for past three consecutive years.

“This is an opportunity to reach additional patients, and provide them with the same clinical expertise that our patients in the Batavia area have experienced,” she said.

Likely candidates for treatment at the Center are those suffering from diabetic ulcers, pressure ulcers, infections, compromised skin grafts and flaps, and wounds that haven’t healed within a reasonable time frame. People with wounds that have not improved with traditional methods of treatment may benefit from a visit to Orleans Community Health Wound Care. No referral is needed. The new Wound Care Center is located on the First Floor of Medina Hospital at 200 Ohio St.  To make an appointment with a wound care specialist, please call 585-798-8176.

“Wound Care treatment can have a huge impact on patient outcomes,” Cye said. “By actively treating open, non-healing wounds with specialized treatments, we can increase the chances of a wound healing by 95 percent. This can be the difference between a patient needing an amputation, or not. I am proud that we can now offer this highly specialized, much needed care right here in Medina.”

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Press Release, Orleans Community Health (Medina Memorial Hospital)

MEDINA – A top-three ranking in the state is a good thing – unless it’s for the number of adults who smoke. According to recent data from the New York State Department of Health, Orleans County unfortunately ranks third in the state (28.6 percent) for prevalence of adult smoking. Orleans Community Health wants to change that.

In partnership with the New York State Smokers’ Quitline (Quitline) and just in time for the nationwide Great American Smokeout on Nov. 21, Medina Memorial Hospital now offers Opt-to-Quit™ for all tobacco-using patients.

After patients are screened for tobacco dependence, those identified as tobacco-users will be automatically enrolled in free Quitline services unless they choose to opt out. Because of this direct referral approach, Medina Memorial Hospital’s tobacco-using patients can expect to receive a call from one of the Quitline’s Quit Coaches within 24 to 72 hours for coaching support and nicotine replacement therapy, such as nicotine patches, gum and lozenges.

“More than 25,000 New York State residents die from smoking each year, so it’s critical that Orleans Community Health make tobacco cessation a central focus for our patients,” said Cindy Perry, director of community outreach for Orleans Community Health. “By tying in the Quitline’s Opt-to-Quit™ program at our Admissions Department, we can reach every patient who walks through our doors at Medina Memorial Hospital. This is a worthwhile collaborative approach to tobacco dependence treatment, which enhances the care we provide on-site.”

Health Systems for a Tobacco-Free Western New York (HSTFWNY) played a key role in creating the partnership between Medina Memorial Hospital and the Quitline. Just like the Quitline, HSTFWNY receives funding through the New York State Department of Health’s Bureau of Tobacco Control and is based at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in Buffalo. HSTFWNY works with healthcare organizations throughout eight Western New York counties to implement systems- and evidence-based methods for tobacco dependence treatment.

“When patients are thinking about quitting smoking, contacting the Quitline is an extra step they might not think to take,” said Kimberly Bank, program coordinator for HSTFWNY. “Thanks to Medina Memorial Hospital’s implementation of Opt-to-Quit™, they’ve removed the burden for patients to have to call the Quitline themselves. One extra layer of support can make all the difference toward a successful quit-attempt.”

The Quitline’s Quit Coaches work with hundreds of smokers daily in developing customized quit-plans to overcome triggers and stay on track. The Quitline also encourages smokers to always talk with their healthcare professionals and access their health plan benefits for additional cessation support and stop-smoking medications.

In addition, as announced in October by the New York State Department of Health, the Quitline now offers expanded services available to help e-cigarette users quit vaping. Based on an assessment via phone at 1-866-NY-QUITS, an e-cigarette user 18 years of age or older may be eligible to receive complimentary patches, gum, lozenges or a combination of these products. Coaching support at the Quitline is available for New Yorkers of all ages, including adolescents.

About the New York State Smokers’ Quitline

The New York State Smokers’ Quitline is a service of the New York State Department of Health and based at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in Buffalo. It is one of the first and busiest state quitlines in the nation and has responded to nearly 3 million calls since it began operating in 2000. The Quitline encourages nicotine users to talk with their healthcare professionals and access available Medicaid or health insurance benefits for stop-smoking medications. All New York State residents can call 1-866-NY-QUITS (1-866-697-8487) for coaching and resources, free of charge, seven days a week beginning at 9 a.m. Visit www.nysmokefree.com for more information.

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Press Release, WNY Public Health Alliance

The Western New York Public Health Alliance is urging everyone over the age of six months to get a flu vaccine to protect themselves from the effects of influenza.

Influenza is a potentially serious disease that can lead to hospitalization and sometimes even death. Every flu season is different, and influenza infection can affect people differently, but millions of people get flu every year, hundreds of thousands of people are hospitalized and thousands to tens of thousands of people die from flu-related causes every year.

An annual seasonal flu vaccine is the best way to help protect against flu. Vaccination has been shown to have many benefits including reducing the risk of flu illnesses, hospitalizations and even the risk of flu-related death in children.

It is important that people understand how the flu vaccine works. Flu vaccines cause antibodies to develop in the body about two weeks after vaccination. These antibodies provide protection against infection with the viruses that are used to make the vaccine.

The seasonal flu vaccine protects against the influenza viruses that research indicates will be most common during the upcoming season. Most flu vaccines in the United States protect against four different flu viruses (“quadrivalent”); an influenza A (H1N1) virus, an influenza A (H3N2) virus, and two influenza B viruses. There are also some flu vaccines that protect against three different flu viruses (“trivalent”); an influenza A (H1N1) virus, an influenza A (H3N2) virus, and one influenza B virus. Two of the trivalent vaccines are designed specifically for people 65 and older to create a stronger immune response.

It is also important to understand when to get a flu shot. You should get a flu vaccine before flu viruses begins spreading in your community, since it takes about two weeks after vaccination for antibodies to develop in the body and provide protection against flu. Make plans to get vaccinated early in fall, before flu season begins. CDC recommends that people get a flu vaccine by the end of October. Getting vaccinated later, however, can still be beneficial and vaccination should continue to be offered throughout the flu season, even into January or later.

Children who need two doses of vaccine to be protected should start the vaccination process sooner, because the two doses must be given at least four weeks apart.

Flu vaccines are offered in many doctor’s offices, clinics, health departments, pharmacies and college health centers, as well as by many employers, and even in some schools.

Even if you don’t have a regular doctor or nurse, you can get a flu vaccine somewhere else, like a health department, pharmacy, urgent care clinic, and often your school, college health center, or workplace.

For more information, please contact your local Health Department or go to the Center for Disease Control website (click here).

The Western New York Public Health Alliance (WNYPHA) is a not-for-profit organization comprised of the Health Commissioners/Public Health Directors and other community public health leaders from the eight counties of Western New York. Their mission is to support collaboration across WNY to further public health initiatives and priorities. As part of this mission, the WNYPHA works to provide health education and information to prevent disease and improve population health.

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Photo courtesy of Albion Central School: Albion Board of Education members recently toured the mobile dental unit, which visits local schools. Pictured from left include BOE members Margy Brown, Elissa Nesbitt, Linda Weller, Mobile Dental Unit Coordinator Denise Beardsley, BOE President Kathy Harling and Karen Watt, chairwoman of the board for Oak Orchard Health.

Press Release, Albion Central School

ALBION – For 15 years the Albion school district has partnered with Oak Orchard Health to provide oral health services to Albion students and their families.

The services take place during school hours and are intended for students that do not have a dentist. The unit accepts insurances and provides a sliding fee based on family income.

The mobile dental unit visits the school district every year for a couple of months to provide cleanings, dental exams, x-rays, and fluoride applications for cavity prevention. If needed, they also provide fillings, extractions, sealants and stainless steel crowns.

New this year, they are providing vision screenings for students. The simple screen can help identify if a child has vision issues and needs further evaluation. To date, 45 students have used the new vision screening service.

Oak Orchard Health Board Member Karen Watt and Mobile Dental Unit Coordinator Denise Beardsley recently offered tours of the unit to school staff and board members. Margy Brown, Kathy Harling, Elissa Nesbitt, and Linda Weller toured the facility before Monday’s BOE meeting. They were impressed with the services offered by Oak Orchard and commended them for their work serving Albion families.

For more information about this service or to schedule an appointment, contact Denise Beardsley at dbeardsley@oochc.org or call her at 585-267-9236.

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The law raises legal age for purchasing these products from 18 to 21

Press Release, Gov. Andrew Cuomo

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced New York’s law raising the minimum sales age for tobacco and electronic cigarette products is in effect beginning Nov. 13. The law raises the legal age for purchasing these products from 18 to 21, building on the Governor’s comprehensive efforts to combat health threats from tobacco and e-cigarette products.

“The goal of this law is simple – to prevent cigarettes and vaping products from getting into the hands of our youth, creating an addiction to a deadly habit,” Governor Cuomo said. “We are taking aggressive action to make sure the decades of progress we’ve made to combat tobacco addiction is not undone by a sharp rise in e-cigarette use among younger New Yorkers.”

According to Department of Health data, nearly 40 percent of 12th grade students and 27 percent of high school students in New York State are now using e-cigarettes, and this increase is largely driven by flavored e-liquids.

High school use in 2018 (27.4%) is 160 percent higher than it was in 2014 (10.5%). While New York’s high school student smoking rate dropped from 27.1% in 2000 to a record low of 4.3% in 2016, aggressive marketing promoting flavored e-cigarettes stands to turn that trend.

Flavoring is a key youth marketing strategy of the vaping/aerosol industry just as it is in the cigarette, cigar, and smokeless tobacco markets. E-cigarette marketing highlights flavors such as mint chocolate, bubblegum and cherry cola, and creates a mistaken belief that they are not harmful to users. Studies show nearly 78% of high school students, and 75% of middle school students report being exposed to pro-tobacco marketing in 2016.

To further crack down on retailers selling tobacco and vaping products to underage youth, State Police is partnering with the Department of Health to conduct undercover investigations across the state under The Adolescent Tobacco Use Prevention Act, which enlists underage youth to attempt to buy tobacco and e-cigarette products. As of November 1, over 1,700 inspections have occurred since July outside of New York City focusing on youth 18 years and under. Retailers found selling tobacco and vaping products to underage individuals will now face criminal penalties in addition to civil penalties.

Because tobacco use persists among youth and adults, New York State continues to prevent young adults from starting smoking. According to the Surgeon General, 88% of adult smokers started using tobacco before age 18 and 90% of the people who purchase cigarettes for minors are between the ages of 18 and 20. By raising the legal purchase age to 21, this legislation will help prevent underage children from obtaining tobacco products from their friends, reducing the likelihood young adults ever start smoking and become addicted, and ultimately save thousands of lives.

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