Provided photo – This group includes, from left: Angela DiRosa, Orleans Community Health Foundation executive director; Anthony Wynn, OCHF board member; Jeanne Crane, OCHF board member; and Alix Gilman, host of Shirt Factory Café.
Posted 23 May 2018 at 7:48 am
Press Release, Orleans Community Health Foundation
MEDINA – The Orleans Community Health Foundation is seeking individuals who live or work in Orleans County to serve on the Board of Directors. In order to share more information about the Foundation and the Board’s responsibilities, we are holding a meet and greet for candidates on June 6.
The OCHF Board is looking for eager and committed community members to serve as directors. The meet and greet starts at 6:30 p.m. at The Shirt Factory Café. The event offers an opportunity for folks to learn more about OCHF and how they can serve the organization and Orleans Community Health, said Angela DiRosa, OCHF executive director.
“We’re excited for new healthcare services and opportunities through our partnership with Rochester Regional Health,” DiRosa said. “These opportunities will most likely come with the need for facility renovations and technology upgrades so we need the community’s support more than ever. We are looking for neighbors who can bring a fresh perspective and energy to drive our mission to raise funds to support the quality healthcare services provided by Orleans Community Health to the communities it serves.”
If you’re interested in attending the meet and greet, or if you cannot attend and would like more information about the OCHF Board of Directors, please call the office at (585) 798-8061.
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo last week announced an aggressive Lyme and tick-borne disease control plan to control tick populations on public lands, increase public awareness and access to available data, and create a working group to participate in a Lyme disease summit this summer.
To implement this plan, the Governor has directed the Department of Health, Department of Environmental Conservation, and the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation to collaborate in order to target priority counties and public lands with the highest risk of tick exposure and Lyme disease. Tick season has started in many areas of the state and will continue through November.
“Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses are a major threat to the health and wellbeing of New Yorkers, and we are taking aggressive actions to help stop the spread of these disease,” Governor Cuomo said. “With this control plan, New York is making a major commitment to research, awareness, and prevention of this public health crisis to keep New Yorkers safe and free of these preventable diseases.”
Tick Control Methods
Tick control methods will include strategic application of eco-friendly tick control treatments on parkland in the Hudson Valley, Capital Region, and Southern Tier where the public is at the highest risk of tick exposure and Lyme disease. Additionally, the state will expand the use of 4-Poster “tickicide” deer treatment feeding stations that help to control ticks spread by white-tailed deer. While the deer feed on corn at the station, treated rollers brush insecticide against the animal’s neck, head, and ears where many adult ticks tend to feed. The stations are already successfully in use in certain areas on Long Island, including Robert Moses State Park and Connetquot River State Park.
Due to rodents also being largely responsible for infecting ticks with Lyme disease, the state will expand use of commercial products to combat the spread of illness by rodents. This includes the deployment of tubes filled with permethrin-treated cotton balls which mice use for nesting material, which kills the ticks in their early larval stage when they attach to mice. The state will also expand its usage of the Tick Control System, a small box that attracts rodents. When an animal enters the box, it receives a low dose of fipronil, which is the active ingredient in many treatments used to eliminate ticks on dogs and cats. The state will also conduct aggressive routine maintenance of vegetation areas at these parks to minimize potential exposure of visitors to ticks.
Expanded Education and Outreach
Beginning immediately, participating agencies will develop a campaign focused on deploying information about tick-borne disease and prevention, specifically targeting high-risk groups such as hunters and hikers. DEC will expand its website to include a tick-borne disease page featuring information relevant to anglers, hunters, trappers, hikers, and those who enjoy outdoor recreation in New York. This page will also be linked with DOH’s website.
In addition, DEC will coordinate with 1,600 sporting license issuing agents across the state to distribute information and material on ticks and tick-borne diseases, and will utilize agencies’ mailing lists and electronic newsletters to keep thousands of outdoor enthusiasts informed. OPRHP will also distribute information and materials to hunters through their hunting permit program and make information available to visitors, and will continue to post metal tick warning signs on state lands and parks.
Expanded Data Access
DOH will post current and retrospective tick collection and testing results to Health Data NY, opening up the data to the public. This information was previously only shared with local health departments and state park managers to aid in their education and prevention campaigns. Given the considerable interest in this information from providers, researchers and advocates, the Department will now make this information more readily available to the general public.
Research and Evaluation
Tick-borne diseases, particularly Lyme disease, are among the fastest growing infectious diseases in the United States. However, diagnosing Lyme disease can be particularly difficult. Patients with Lyme disease can present a number of possible symptoms, which can wane over time, and be easily confused with hundreds of other diseases. The Governor has directed the Department of Health to pursue private research partnerships to develop a better diagnostic test, which can ultimately lead to more effective treatments.
Working Group and Summit
Governor Cuomo has directed the Department of Health to establish a new working group on Lyme and other tick-borne diseases comprised of representatives from professional organizations, academic institutions, and local health departments. The working group will join participating state agencies at a one-day summit, to be held this summer, to review New York State’s current initiatives and make policy recommendations on actions that New York State can take in the next one to three years to advance prevention, diagnostics, and other best practices.
New York State Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker said, “These new initiatives complement the Department’s renowned research efforts and aggressive actions to better inform and better protect New Yorkers from tick-borne illnesses. I commend Governor Cuomo for this commitment and for instituting bold new control measures to help limit the spread of these diseases and protect public health.”
Tick Prevention Tips
• While hiking, working, or spending time in wooded areas: Wear long pants and long-sleeved shirts to protect against ticks other biting insects
• Check for ticks every two to three hours while outdoors and brush off any ticks before they attach.
• Perform a full body check multiple times during the day, as well as at the end of the day to ensure that no ticks are attached.
• Consider use of repellents containing DEET, picaridin, or IR3535, following label instructions
Press Release, Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments
Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments were recently notified each county would receive $30,500 in New York State Department of Health’s ongoing Local Health Department Performance Incentive Initiative.
This is the fourth year of the program which NYSDOH chose to focus on improving performance in chronic disease prevention for the fall 2016 to June 2017 timeframe.
Although chronic disease has surpassed communicable disease as the leading cause of death and disability in the United States, public health activities to prevent chronic disease may be less established for some local health departments.
The 2016 Performance Incentive initiative encouraged LHDs to strengthen those efforts and meet related standards established by the Public Health Accreditation Board. In addition to improving chronic disease prevention activities, this year’s Incentive Program exposed LHDs to the process of submitting documentation for full PHAB accreditation.
This incentive program is voluntary and 41 local health departments participated, completing the initiative by submitting all the required documentation during the performance period.
All participating counties received a $5,000 base award and a total of 20 LHDs received a base award and additional incentive award based on the scoring of their submission. The incentive awards ranged from $25,500 to $60,500 based on county population size. Of the 17 small counties that participated, eight were awarded the full incentive funding which included Genesee and Orleans counties.
“I am pleased with the efforts the staff in both counties put forth while participating in the Incentive Program and to be recognized by receiving the maximum award,” said Paul Pettit, director of Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments. “It also gave our staff an opportunity to see the process used to eventually apply for national accreditation in the future.
Pettit said the health departments in Genesee and Orleans are looking at options for spending the grant.
“All funds are to be spent to support costs associated with Article 6 eligible services / state aid-eligible,” he said. “These funds will help support several different public health projects over the next year.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 17 May 2018 at 9:59 am
Joyce LaLonde has autoimmune condition that made her hair fall out
Photos courtesy of Joyce LaLonde: Joyce LaLonde hasn’t shied away from going bald. When she started to lose her hair, some people encouraged her to get a wig. “Societal standards of beauty are incredibly off base in many ways, and the significance of hair is one of those ways,” she writes in SELF magazine.
Joyce LaLonde has been Rapunzel during Halloween, with her flowing mane of red hair a highlight of the costume. For much of her childhood and in college, LaLonde’s red hair was a big part of her identity.
Now the Albion native, 22, is bald after losing her hair. She has alopecia, an autoimmune condition that causes hair to fall out. She started to notice the hair loss a year ago.
LaLonde graduated from Syracuse University in May 2017. She and her friends celebrated that milestone by going on a trip to Central America. On that trip she noticed a bald spot on her head. In the next three months, more bald spots appeared as her hair became thin. Finally, in August she shaved her head.
LaLonde posted a selfie on social media, letting people know she had alopecia. She said she was determined to rock the bald look. More than 1,000 people liked her post and gave her strong affirmation.
She had a hashtag about alopecia on her post, and that is how SELF found her and reached out to her.
Almost a year after her hair started to fall out, LaLonde isn’t optimistic it will come back. She has changed her diet, exercised more and made other changes for her health. In some cases, those changes have made a difference for people with alopecia.
Many people who see her assume she has cancer or some other disease. In reality, LaLonde said she may be the healthiest she’s ever been, she just doesn’t have any hair.
Joyce’s long strawberry blonde hair was a big part of her identity growing up.
This week she is one of seven women with alopecia featured by SELF magazine. Lalonde is the first of seven women profiled in the magazine.
She says society is very beauty focused and attaches too much significance to hair. She acknowledges going bald is difficult.
“I cried in the process of losing my hair,” she said.
However, when she shaved her head, “it was liberating.”
For some people with alopecia, going bald is like grieving the loss of a limb, she said.
LaLonde works at Syracuse University as a student communications specialist. She earned her bachelor’s degree there in public relations and policy studies.
Doctors don’t know why she developed alopecia. Not knowing the cause makes it difficult to treat.
LaLonde is the daughter of Steve and the late Dr. Kathy LaLonde. Dr. LaLonde also went bald, and would succumb to cancer at age 54. Joyce said she is grateful her baldness isn’t from a serious disease.
“I feel very fortunate,” she said.
And her friends and family “have all been incredible.”
LaLonde had never heard of alopecia until a year ago. Some kids get it in elementary and middle school.
“I have it easy, really,” she writes in SELF. “I made it to 22 with a head full of Rapunzel hair. I had hair through middle school.”
Photos by Ginny Kropf: Sarah Climer, left, shines light from her cell phone on her aunt Marie Preston after power in the entire Lyndonville area went out Tuesday night. Preston is a cancer survivor, who shared her story during For Women Only at White Birch Golf Club.
Posted 16 May 2018 at 12:50 pm
Cindy Perry, right, director of education, wellness and marketing for Orleans Community Health’s Community Partners, introduces cancer survivor Carol D’Agostino of Kendall in the dark at For Women Only after power in the Lyndonville area went out Tuesday night.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent
LYNDONVILLE – The 22nd annual For Women Only was a night to celebrate and educate women, said Cindy Perry, director of education, wellness and marketing at Orleans Community Health’s Community Partners.
It also presented a bit of a challenge when half way through the evening, the power in the Lyndonville area went out, and the only light available was from the ladies’ cell phones.
The event not only celebrates cancer survivors, but provides an evening of entertainment while stressing the importance of early detection. Perry said that money donated to the event stays right in Orleans County to help underinsured, those with no insurance or those who just fall through the cracks.
Many of the nearly 200 women in the room have attended every one, while for others, like Kellie Hurrell of Medina, it was the first one.
Hurrell is only two years from breast cancer detection. After moving to Massachusetts for 10 years, she moved back to Medina in 2013 and was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2016.
“I’m so blessed it happened while I lived here,” she said.
She said she thought For Women Only was a wonderful event for women.
Lisa Franclemont, coordinator of Cancer Services Program of Genesee and Orleans counties, said she just loves the concept of For Women Only.
“It’s not just for survivors, but all women,” Franclemont said. “We are all touched by cancer. Nearly everyone is either currently in the fight or a survivor, or we know someone who is.”
Women had an opportunity to visit several vendors’ booths, including wine tasting.
Artist Carol Culhane of Gaines designed this Tree of Life, which was displayed at For Women Only Tuesday night at White Birch Country Club. Culhane placed a dot on the tree for any woman who wanted to honor or memorialize a loved one affected by cancer.
Local artist Carol Culhane designed a Tree of Life, on which she painted a dot for any woman who wanted to honor or memorialize anyone affected with cancer. The painting will be donated to Medina Memorial Hospital.
Guest speaker was Chelsea Young, who talked about “Simple Steps to a Healthier Home,” and the positive impact on one’s health by changing to essential oils and natural products. Nearly all cleaning and beauty products contain toxic chemicals, many of which are not regulated or tested long term, she said.
Chelsea Young, guest speaker at Orleans Community Health’s For Women Only, talked about “Simple Steps to a Healthier Home,” urging women to read the labels on products they buy and consider changing to natural ones.
She urged women to read the labels when purchasing any of these products. She said the American Lung Association lists cleaning supplies and household chemicals among the top indoor air pollutants. Young said 133 different carcinogens have been detected in products we use every day, and candles and air fresheners are on the top 10 list.
She grew up in what she called an “unhealthy home,” where everyone had health problems. Her father was diabetic, her mother had chronic infections and she had to have regular allergy shots.
“The day we made the decision to try essential oils and natural products was the day we began to take our lives back,” Young said.
Two cancer survivors shared the story of their journey from being diagnosed with breast cancer to their successful surgeries.
Carol D’Agostino, principal of Kendall High School, said she doesn’t like to talk about herself, but felt it was important to step outside her comfort zone to help others going through the same thing. She was first diagnosed with breast cancer 25 years ago when she was only 32 years old.
As in many cases, cancer doesn’t strike when it is convenient. D’Agostino was an adult in college, trying to finish her degree. She found the lump when her arms were aching after a day of Christmas shopping.
She met with doctors and settled on a course of action. She was scheduled to start teaching in September and she was determined to meet that goal.
“The hardest part was that nagging queasiness in my head – would I ever see my grandchildren,” she said.
The surgery was successful, but then on January 2, 2017, her cancer journey began anew when she was again diagnosed with breast cancer.
“That’s the reason to have a mammogram every year, so you can catch the cancer early,” D’Agostino said.
This second diagnosis came as she and her husband, with their family, were preparing to go on a cruise in April to celebrate her 40th anniversary.
“I didn’t want to give cancer control over my life,” she said, determined not to cancel their cruise.
Her surgery was scheduled Feb. 14 and she opted to have a mastectomy and reconstructive surgery at the same time – a procedure which took eight hours.
“My outcome was positive because I had regular mammograms and they found the cancer early,” D’Agostino said.
A group of women called the Lawn Chair Ladies from Kendall entertained at the 22nd annual For Women Only Tuesday night at White Birch Golf Club in Lyndonville.
Marie Preston of Kent shared a much different journey, being a cancer survivor for two years.
Her story began with her adoption by foster parents and growing up in the town of Greece. She married her husband Jim and in 2011 had a job as manager for an RV park at a country club.
They had started a landscaping business and planned to move to Myrtle Beach, when in September he was not feeling well. He went to work, but collapsed at his desk. He was diagnosed with colitis and died in the night.
“My dreams, my plans, my financial support were all gone,” Preston said. “I was too young to get Social Security. I didn’t know what to do.”
A friend in Florida sent her a ticket to come down for a visit, and she was all packed to go when she discovered a lump on the right side of her breast. At 7:30 a.m. the next day, she was at the Wendy Logan Clinic, as she had to be at the airport at 3:30 p.m. After her mammogram, she was told she needed to stay for an ultrasound as they had found something in her left breast. Then she needed a biopsy.
“They told me I had better not go on this trip,” Preston said.
Then came the call nobody wants to hear, she said.
Surgery was scheduled for January 26 and she underwent a lumpectomy.
In April, she started radiation.
“While I was still recuperating, I learned I would not have a job in the spring,” Preston said. “I now had no job and was not up to par to look for a new one.”
Fortunately, a campground owner she had come in contact with at her previous job heard about her situation and offered her a job at his campground on Conesus Lake. It was a good hour’s drive, but it was a job.
“I finished radiation, started my new job and made new friends,” she said. “But I still started and ended my days crying.”
This went on for a year, and then her son James got her interested in the landscaping business.
“He told me I was not alone in my grief,” she said. “He said he had lost his dad and his business partner, also. He told me to pick myself up and dust myself off.”
She did – she decided to open a gift shop and country market to complement the landscaping business.
On Saturday, Preston’s Country Market at 14877 Ridge Rd., Kent, will celebrate its grand opening.
Dr. Mary Rykert-Wolf with Orleans Community Health in Albion, added her message about the importance of early detection.
She had two women in her life – one is her mom and the other her aunt.
“My mom had early detection and is here with me,” Wolf said. “My aunt smoked and should have had a CAT scan of her lungs, but didn’t. She collapsed in December and was dead by January. You have to take care of yourself. If you find it early, you’re good. You have to do it for your family, because when you’re dead, they’re the ones suffering.”
ALBION/BROCKPORT – The Board of Directors of Oak Orchard Health is pleased to announce the appointment of Mary Ann Pettibon as Chief Executive Officer, effective May 7.
She succeeds Jim Cummings, who retired after serving about five years as Oak Orchard’s CEO.
Ms. Pettibon comes to Oak Orchard with outstanding qualifications. With an Executive MBA from the University of Pittsburgh, Katz School of Business, and almost 20 years of health care administration experience in Ohio and Pennsylvania – including roles as a CEO and COO in Federally Qualified Health Centers in Ohio – Ms. Pettibon has a wealth of experience on which to draw as she takes the reins of Oak Orchard Health.
Not only well versed in the management and operations of a multi-million dollar health care facility, Ms. Pettibon has also authored grants in which she secured almost $2 million in funding for her organization. Her experience includes primary medical care, dental care, and behavioral health care along with substance abuse and pharmacy operations.
Ms. Pettibon is drawn to health care in the rural setting because she knows how patients in the rural areas struggle with access to quality medical care.
“Caring for the whole person,” says Ms. Pettibon, “is critical. We have to offer integrated, coordinated care, including transportation, assistance with housing, health education … and continue to work toward breaking down barriers to quality health care that our rural population faces.”
In her spare time, Ms. Pettibon is an avid runner who also enjoys biking and hiking. An accomplished half-marathoner, she is looking forward to exploring our region’s hiking and biking trails, Lake Ontario and the Finger Lakes Wine Trail.
Oak Orchard Health is a recognized patient-centered medical home and Federally Qualified Health Center located in Brockport, Albion, Lyndonville, Hornell and Warsaw.
Press Release, Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming Public Health Departments
Ticks can spread disease. Not all ticks can cause disease and not all bites will make you sick, but as these diseases become more common it’s important to learn how to prevent a bite, how to remove a tick and what to do if you think you could have a tick-borne disease.
“Springtime sets the stage for a flourishing tick population, learning how to recognize ticks and know how to remove them on yourself, family and pets can help prevent illness,” said Brenden Bedard, Director of Community Health Services for Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments.
Lyme disease is the most common disease spread by ticks in New York but there are other serious diseases ticks spread including Anaplasmosis, Erhichioisis, Babesiosis, and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.
There are many different species of ticks but locally the most common is the Deer Tick. The Deer Tick is a carrier for several diseases (Lyme disease, Babesiosis, Anaplasmosis) and received the name because of its habit of living and feeding on white-tailed deer, however ticks get Lyme disease by feeding on infected mice and other small rodents.
“It is important to note that ticks are here locally and you can’t tell which are infected by disease or not,” said Paul Pettit, Genesee and Orleans Public Health Director.
According to the New York State Department of Health Bureau of Communicable Disease Control data Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming Counties have had 35 reported cases of Lyme disease between 2014- 2016, he said.
Ticks may be found in many types of settings such as woodlands, tree stumps, lawns and gardens, around stone walls, nature trails, outdoor summer camps, and playing fields. Ticks do not jump or fly, they attach to their host when a human or animal makes contact with something that a tick is on, like tall grass, shrubs, or an animal.
The risk of human infection with Lyme is greatest in late spring and summer, but ticks can be active any time the temperature is above freezing.
“The high concentration of ticks in NYS counties including Long Island, Mid-Hudson and Capital Regions leads me to believe the threat of tick-borne diseases will continue and likely increase locally in the future, this is why it is important to become aware and prepare now,” Pettit said.
Lyme can only be transmitted after being bit by an infected tick- seeing an attached tick or a tick bite does not necessarily mean Lyme has been transmitted. It generally takes between three days to one month after a tick bite for Lyme disease symptoms to develop. In 60-80 percent of Lyme cases a “bulls-eye” circular rash or solid red patch develops at or near the site of the tick bite first and steadily gets larger or spreads out. You can also get several patches of rash on your body. Early on in the disease (days to weeks post-tick bite) you may develop symptoms such as fever, chills, headaches, joint pain and/or swelling, fatigue, or facial paralysis (Bell’s Palsy), sometimes these can be very mild.
As Lyme disease progresses more severe symptoms like arthritis with severe joint pain and swelling may develop months-to-years post tick bite in 60 percent of persons who are not given antibiotic treatment. It is important to keep in mind that getting Lyme disease once does not provide protection against getting Lyme in the future, if you are bitten again at a different time you can get Lyme disease again. If you develop any of these symptoms you should call your doctor right away to inquire about getting tested and treated.
To prevent tick-borne illness exposure while outdoors you and your family can do the following:
• Wear light-colored clothing with a tight weave to spot ticks easily.
• Wear enclosed shoes, long pants and a long-sleeved shirt. Tuck pant legs into socks or boots and shirt into pants.
• Check clothes and any exposed skin frequently while outdoors.
• Use insect repellent with 20-30% DEET.
• Stay on cleared, well-traveled trails. Avoid dense woods and busy areas.
• Avoid sitting directly on the ground or on stone walls.
• Keep long hair tied back, especially when gardening.
• Bathe or shower as soon as possible after going indoors (preferably within two hours) to wash off and more easily find ticks that may be on you.
• Do a final, full-body tick check at the end of the day (also check children and pets), and remove ticks promptly.
• Check your pets thoroughly before bringing them back in the house. Comb through their fur with your fingers to see if you feel any bumps on the skin. Ticks can be as small as a pinhead or as big as a grape. Check your pet’s paws and between all the toes, inside and behind ear flaps, around the face / neck / shoulders, around eyelids, under the tail, around groin
Additional prevention tips for homeowners to create a tick-free zone in your backyard to keep you, your family and pets safe from tick exposure:
• Keep grass mowed, along with clearing tall grasses and brush.
• Remove brush and leave around stonewalls and wood piles.
• Keep wood piles and bird feeders away from your home.
• Keep family dogs and cats out of wooded areas to reduce ticks brought into your home.
• Place swing sets, sand boxes, decks and patios in a sunny spot away from yard edges and trees.
• Place a 3-ft wide barrier of wood chips or gravel between lawns and wooded areas and around patios and play equipment.
What you can do if you find a tick attached to you, a family member, or a pet:
• You should use fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the ticks by its mouth parts, as close to the surface of the skin as you can. Carefully pull the tick straight up without twisting. Do not touch the tick. Do not squeeze the body of the tick (may increase your risk of infection). Clean your hands and the areas on your skin where the tick was. Watch the site of the bite for rash (3-30 days after bite). Removing a tick within 36 hours of attachment to the skin may lower the risk of contracting Lyme disease.
To learn more about ticks, Lyme disease and other diseases ticks can spread visit the New York State Department of Health, click here.
Photos by Tom Rivers: A new drug take-box box was added to the lobby of Medina Memorial Hospital last Friday. Mark Cye, chief executive officer for Orleans Community Health and the hospital, is pictured with Kate Brauen, the hospital’s director of pharmacy.
MEDINA – Two new pharmaceutical take-back boxes have been added in Medina with new boxes at Medina Memorial Hospital, 200 Ohio St., and Rosenkrans Pharmacy, 526 Main St.
The State Department of Environmental Conservation in February announced the collection boxes were approved for Medina Memorial and Rosenkrans, which are now among 246 sites to be funded by the DEC for the take-back effort.
“We’re very excited about it,” said Kate Brauen, director of pharmacy for Medina Memorial Hospital. “We think it’s a great community service.”
The DEC paid for the box and packaging materials to send the medication to a service where the pharmaceuticals will be incinerated.
Mark Cye, CEO of the hospital, said the box will help eliminate unneeded prescription drugs from the community.
Rosenkrans received its collection box about two weeks ago. Both Rosenkrans and Medina Memorial have the boxes available while they are open. For the hospital that is all the time, 24-7, because the box is in the lobby for the emergency department.
“Installing medication drop boxes in community pharmacies, hospitals and long-term care facilities, increases opportunities for New Yorkers to properly and easily dispose of unwanted medications,” DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos said in February. “The hundreds of pharmacies and facilities participating in New York’s free drug take-back program are protecting their communities and the environment.”
Under the drug take-back program, DEC will purchase medication collection boxes and pay for the disposal of waste pharmaceuticals collected by participating facilities for two years. Implementation of this pilot program will help improve water quality, protect public health by removing medications from home medicine cabinets, and reduce potential adverse impacts to fish and aquatic organisms, Seggos said.
The statewide Pilot Pharmaceutical Take-Back Program is funded with $2 million from the state’s Environmental Protection Fund.
With technological advances in analytical techniques, it is now possible to detect low levels of drugs in surface water and groundwater. Some drugs pass largely unaltered through wastewater treatment plants and enter rivers and other waterways, the DEC said.
Flushed medications have been found in New York lakes, rivers, and streams and can negatively affect the waterways. A national study conducted in 1999 and 2000, by the U.S. Geological Survey found low levels of drugs such as antibiotics, hormones, contraceptives, and steroids in 80 percent of rivers and streams tested. Medications adversely affect fish and other aquatic wildlife and increase the development of drug-resistant bacteria.
In addition, there are concerns about unused pharmaceuticals getting into the wrong hands. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that one U.S. citizen dies every 16 minutes from a drug overdose and has declared this public health threat an epidemic.
This shows what is accepted and what isn’t at the collection boxes.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 2 May 2018 at 1:47 pm
Photo by Tom Rivers: Mark Cye, chief executive officer for Orleans Community Health, is pictured by Medina Memorial Hospital, which is part of OCH.
MEDINA – Mark Cye is now officially the chief executive officer of Orleans Community Health. He has been serving as the interim leader since Jan. 1.
The OCH board of directors on April 24 voted to make him the CEO.
“It was a unanimous decision by the board of directors,” said Dawn Meland, president of the board. “He demonstrates professionalism and vision for OCH and was instrumental in developing the affiliation with Rochester Regional Health. Mark understands the need for our community to continue to offer quality services close to home. He is an excellent manager with a strong financial background and is highly respected by our employees as well as the medical staff.”
Last month OCH entered into an affiliation with Rochester Regional Health. Through the agreement, Orleans Community Health will contract select health care services from Rochester Regional Health and its hospital in Batavia, United Memorial Medical Center.
Orleans Community Health remains its own independent organization under the terms of this agreement.
Cye has worked 20 years in healthcare, including an earlier stint as controller for OCH from 2006 to 2008.
Parents agree that feeding and sleep schedules are important to help keep their children healthy. The same goes for childhood immunizations. Vaccinating children on time is the best way to protect them against 14 serious and potentially deadly diseases before their second birthday. National Infant Immunization Week, April 21-28, is an opportunity to spread awareness and education on how important it is to vaccinate children against vaccine preventable diseases.
Before a vaccine is approved for use in the U.S., it goes through years of careful testing to make sure it is safe and effective. Highly trained scientists and doctors at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) evaluate the results of these clinical studies. Vaccines are only given to children after they have been approved by scientists, doctors, and healthcare professionals.
Vaccine side effects are almost always mild such as redness or swelling at the site of the shot, but this is minimal compared to the pain, discomfort, and risk of injury and death from the diseases these vaccines prevent. Serious side effects following vaccination, such as severe allergic reaction, are very rare. The disease-prevention benefits of getting vaccinated are much greater than the possible side effects for almost all children.
It is important to follow the recommended immunization schedule to protect infants and children by providing immunity early in life, before they encounter potentially life-threatening diseases. Vaccine preventable diseases still circulate in the United States and around the world, so continued vaccination is necessary to protect everyone from potential outbreaks. Even when diseases are rare in the U.S., they can still be common in many parts of the world and unvaccinated individuals can bring them to the U.S., putting unvaccinated people at risk.
Brenden Bedard, director of Community Health Services for the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments, states that, “Vaccinating your baby according to the recommended immunization schedule gives your child the best protection against 14 serious childhood illnesses like measles and whooping cough before they are 2 years old. The recommended schedule is designed to protect infants and children early in life, when they are most vulnerable and before they are exposed to potentially life-threatening diseases.”
Although the number of vaccines a child needs in the first two years may seem like a lot, doctors know a great deal about the human immune system, and they know that a healthy baby’s immune system can handle getting all vaccines when they are recommended. Bedard cautions against parents delaying vaccination.
“There is no known benefit to delaying vaccination,” he said. “In fact, it puts babies at risk of getting sick because they are left vulnerable to catch serious diseases during the time they are not protected by vaccines.”
If you have questions about the childhood immunization schedule, talk with your child’s doctor or nurse. For more information about vaccines, please visit www.cdc.gov/vaccines/parents.
Hospice of Orleans will have staff at Walmart today
Press Release, Hospice of Orleans, Inc.
ALBION – Hospice of Orleans, Inc., along with other national, state and community organizations, are leading a massive effort to highlight the importance of advance healthcare decision-making, an effort that has culminated in the formal designation of April 16 as National Healthcare Decisions Day (NHDD).
As a participating organization, Hospice of Orleans is providing information and tools for the public to talk about their wishes with family, friends and healthcare providers, and execute written advance directives (healthcare power of attorney and living will) in accordance with New York state laws. These resources are available by clicking here.
Specifically, Hospice of Orleans staff is welcoming the public from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. today at Walmart in Albion with free information about advance care planning and advance directive forms.
“As a result of National Healthcare Decisions Day, many more people in our community can be expected to have thoughtful conversations about their healthcare decisions and complete reliable advance directives to make their wishes known,” said Kellie Spychalski, CEO of Hospice of Orleans. “Fewer families and healthcare providers will have to struggle with making difficult healthcare decisions in the absence of guidance from the patient, and healthcare providers and facilities will be better equipped to address advance healthcare planning issues before a crisis and be better able to honor patient wishes when the time comes to do so.”
Press Release, Orleans Community Health and Rochester Regional Health
File photo by Tom Rivers: Medina Memorial Hospital will stay independent but will also be part of a new affiliation with Rochester Regional Health.
MEDINA – Orleans Community Health, the parent organization of Medina Memorial Hospital, is entering into an affiliation with Rochester Regional Health. Through the agreement, Orleans Community Health will contract select health care services from Rochester Regional Health and its hospital in Batavia, United Memorial Medical Center.
“We’re excited about this new affiliation,” remarked Dawn Meland, board chair of Orleans Community Health. “It gives us more attractive options when we decide how to bring new services to the area, which is a great thing for our patients. Additionally, as we identify opportunities to reduce costs, improve efficiency and make health care more sustainable in this part of the region, we now have a partner ready to help us better take advantage of those opportunities.”
Shortly after the start of the new year, Rochester Regional Health began to expand its primary care offerings through this agreement. Market research has identified a shortage of primary care providers in Medina and Orleans County. In January, a full-time primary care office began to operate at the United Memorial Medical Center’s Medina location on Maple Ridge Road. Orleans Community Health is also looking to expand this office space to support future growth. UMMC joined the RRH system in 2015.
Orleans Community Health will remain its own independent organization under the terms of this agreement.
“Orleans Community Health is a critical asset to our community and they share our commitment to delivering great care close to where people live and work,” said Dan Ireland, president of United Memorial Medical Center. “It’s a natural partnership. It’s also an important partnership for the future. Together, we’re making care more accessible in a model that can adapt as the needs of patients continue to evolve.”
(Update at 2:51 p.m.) Medina Mayor Mike Sidari posted this statement on Facebook this afternoon:
“With a working relationship between these three hospitals I feel it will benefit all of Orleans and Eastern Niagara Counties,” Sidari said. “We should be seeing more specialized services here in Medina so area residents will not have to travel to Rochester. I encourage residents to be in touch with the hospital and take advantage of the services they will be able to provide.”
By Nola Goodrich-Kresse, Health Educator and Public Information Officer for Orleans County Health Department
The first week of April is National Public Health Week (NPHW), a week set aside encouraging us to choose healthier living.
National Public Health Week started in April of 1995 by the American Public Health Association (APHA) with a focus on Public Health prevention topics. This year’s theme is, “Healthiest Nation 2030 Changing Our Future Together.” This year the focus is on working together to make changes in our health and the health of our communities.
“As we look at overall health we know there are many components that can affect our wellness and participation in activities such as work, school and recreation,” said Paul Pettit, Director of both Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments. “Taking positive steps in our personal lives by choosing to make healthier food choices, become more active, limit or stop the use of nicotine/tobacco products and alcohol and seeking help when we are experiencing depression and anxiety will have an impact on our lives and our communities. Taking small steps can make a difference in the long run.”
Review the following daily themes and see what you can do to work toward becoming the Healthiest You 2018!
The focus areas chosen this year are:
• Monday – Behavioral Health: Advocate for and promote well-being
• Tuesday – Communicable Diseases: Learn about ways to prevent disease transmission
• Wednesday – Environmental Health: Help to protect and maintain a healthy planet
• Thursday – Injury and Violence Prevention: Learn about the effects of injury and violence on health
• Friday – Ensuring the Right to Health: Advocate for everyone’s right to a healthy life
This article only touches on a couple of the focus areas listed above. To learn more about National Public Health Week and the movement for change, visit their website at www.nphw.org.
Behavioral Health: Advocate for and promote well-being. Being aware that mental health and wellness plays a major part in our overall health. This is an opportunity to de-stigmatize mental health diagnoses and encourage people who are experiencing mental unwellness to seek treatment. There are several trainings to teach about the services available in our respective communities. Mental Health First Aid, SafeTALK are two trainings that help increase awareness of mental unwellness and where to seek help.
Communicable Diseases: Learn about ways to prevent disease transmission. “Washing your hands often is the single most effective way to limit the spread of many diseases,” said Brenden Bedard, Director of Community Health Services for both Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments. “As we have seen in this year’s flu season it is important so make sure you and your family are up to date on immunizations against vaccine-preventable diseases.”
One of the easiest ways to strive toward a healthier nation is to take care of you. Make sure you eat well, engage in physical activity often, spend less time in front of a screen, and get plenty of rest. Treat yourself and others with care and respect. And finally, remember to have fun and laugh … after all, laughter is the best medicine.
Provided photos: Howard Watts, a Shelby volunteer firefighter, was among the participants in a “Stop the Bleed” training session on Wednesday at GCASA.
ALBION – The Orleans United Drug Free Communities Coalition sponsored a “Stop the Bleed” training on Wednesday at the GCASA offices in Albion. Mackenzie Smith, Emergency Department nurse manager for Orleans Community Health, shared her expertise with 18 community members who attended the one-hour training.
“Stop the Bleed” trainings were motivated by the 2012 school shooting in Sandy Hook and the multiple tragedies that have occurred in the ensuing years. The resulting injuries from manmade or natural mass casualty events generally present with severe bleeding which, if left unattended, can result in death.
“The skills and basic tools to stop uncontrolled bleeding are able to provide immediate frontline aid until first responders are able to take care of an injured person,” Smith said.
Mackenzie Smith, Emergency Department nurse manager for Orleans Community Health, leads the training on Wednesday.
Due to many situations, there may be a delay between the time of injury and the time a first responder is on the scene. Smith shared the ABC’s of Bleeding: A – Alert – call 911; B – Bleeding – find the bleeding injury; and C – Compress – apply pressure to stop the bleeding.
Smith also shared how to apply tourniquets to stop the blood flow and the basics of wound packing.
Three actions that could save a life include:
• Apply pressure with hands.
• Apply dressing and press.
• Apply tourniquets if the bleeding doesn’t stop. The tourniquet may be applied and secured over clothing. If the bleeding doesn’t stop, place a second tourniquet closer to the torso from the first tourniquet. (A belt could be used as a tourniquet.)
Smith also recently offered a Stop the Bleed training for Lyndonville Central School staff. Aaron Slack, principal of the LCS Secondary School, coordinated the training through his role on the Board of Directors for Medina Memorial Hospital and Orleans Community Health.
Smith offers training to Lyndonville physical education teacher Laura Valley and health teacher Shane Phillips.
COVA will offer class this Saturday
This Saturday is “National Stop the Bleed Day” and COVA will be teaming with the Orleans County Health Department to offer a free training from 9 a.m to 12:30 at the Carlton Rec Hall on Route 98.
The program is designed to encourage bystanders to get involved and help until local emergency response personnel can arrive on scene. It promotes an all-hazards approach to this issue. It does not matter if the injury is accidental in nature, or the result of an act of violence. Giving people the confidence to act can save lives.
Barb Morlino, the training coordinator for COVA, will lead the class with help from Justin Niederhofer, Carlton’s assistant fire chief.
The program on Saturday is free. Click here for more information or to register.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 24 March 2018 at 6:22 pm
The event, in its fourth year, honors the memory of Wayne Burlison
Photos by Marsha Rivers
ALBION – Lisa Burlison welcomes the runners and walkers to fourth annual Run for Wayne, which honors the memory of her husband Wayne Burlison. This year the event became the Wayne A. Burlison-Colon Cancer Awareness 5K Run and Walk.
Burlison, an Albion elementary music teacher, was 36 when he died from colon cancer on March 26,2014. He was active in several musical groups in the community and also helped start the Albion Running Club. He lost more than 150 pounds through better nutrition and exercise.
The race started on Clarendon Road near the elementary school. The course headed to Mount Albion Cemetery and then back to the school.
There were 110 runners and walkers in today’s event.
Lisa Burlison and her son Adam greeted the runners, and released the balloons the start the race. Brian Krieger, left, and Mark Moore, right, of the Running Club helped organize the event. Randy LeBaron, pastor of the Albion Free Methodist Church, also shared a short message and prayer for the runners and walkers.
“As you run today, I encourage you to think about those seemingly small things in your life that are precious to you,” Mrs. Burlison told the group. “Notice the people around you, and extend a smile. Notice the scenery, and be thankful for what is there. While the things of this world may be temporary – they are gifts and blessings. It is my hope that you see them today and in the days to come.”
The race gets started as the balloons are released. Reuben Rivers, 13, of Albion was the overall winner in a time of 19:38. Sabrina Quiros, 14, of Medina was the fastest female at 23:47.
Photo by Tom Rivers: Lisa Franclemont, coordinator of Cancer Services of Genesee and Orleans, urged people to get screened for colorectal cancer. She also said working to reduce stress can help fight the disease.
The Running Club teamed with Oak Orchard Health in organizing the Wayne A. Burlison-Colon Cancer Awareness 5K Run and Walk. Both groups want to raise awareness about colon cancer as the third-leading cause of death by cancer for men and women. Colon cancer is preventable or treatable with the proper knowledge, resources, and early detection.
Some of the proceeds from today’s event also go towards developing a walking trail at Bullard Park.
