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St. Joseph’s opens new surgical tower. Page 2.

The List: Clinical Testing Labs. Page 6.

Health-Care People-on-the- Move newsPage 7.

INSIDE

October 24, 2014

Individuals involved with Clarkson University’s Department of PA Studies discuss PA training. The demand for PAs grew more than 300 percent over the past three years, according to a news re-lease from the AAPA.

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Page 2 • HealthCare Provider October 24, 2014

SYRACUSE — St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center lis-tened “intently” to the people who would work in the Christina M. Nappi Surgical Tower.

That’s according to Dr. Richard Waldman, president of the St. Joseph’s medical staff, who spoke during the formal opening ceremony the hospital held in early September.

As the planning pro-cess continued, the hos-pital sought input from the nursing staff, the surgeons, and the phy-sician assistants on how they could best function

in the new facility, he noted. “From the private rooms with a view, from

the mechanical lifts on every bed, to the spa-cious work areas, this hospital has done it very, very well,” Waldman contended.

The $63 million, 104,000-square-foot tower includes 110 private rooms and new intensive-care units, St. Joseph’s said in a news release describing the facility.

“To give you some orientation, you are in [the surgical tower’s] family-waiting room,” Kathryn Ruscitto, president and CEO of St.

Joseph’s Hospital, told the assembled crowd at the ceremony, noting the significance of the venue.

The 4,000-square-foot surgical-waiting room has seating for about 135, the hospital said.

The Central New York regional economic-development council defined it as a priority eco-nomic-development project, Kenneth Adams, president, CEO, and commissioner of Empire State Development, said.

“It became abundantly clear to us back in Albany that this was vital for health-care ser-vices for employment, for community develop-ment, for a whole host of economic impacts that the project has in Syracuse and beyond,” said Adams.

The surgical tower is part of the final phase of an expansion project the hospital outlined in a long-range plan unveiled in 2004, according to a historical timeline posted at the hospital’s website.

The Hayner Hoyt Corporation of Syracuse served as the construction manager, while King + King Architects, LLP, also of Syracuse, designed the surgical tower.

More than 1,100 construction workers helped in the building process, a figure that represents all area building trades, according to a fact sheet that St. Joseph’s provided.

“You’ve constructed a building where the rooms are designed to meet the needs of the patients where the identical layouts of the rooms make it easier for staff,” Dr. Howard Zucker, acting commissioner of the New York State Department of Health, said during the ceremony for the tower.

Hospitals are thinking about situations to make the work of their physicians easier, he contends.

“Work stations enable health-care providers to be able to work collaboratively and to work with patients and to work with the families as well,” he said.

The new surgical tower is named after Christina Nappi. Her son and daughter-in-law, Samuel and Carol, made a donation to the project on behalf of their family, in honor of Christina Nappi.

The surgical tower isn’t the only St. Joseph’s facility bearing Nappi’s name. It is also part of the hospital’s new emergency-services build-ing, along with that of her late husband, Ralph Nappi.

St. Joseph’s also used its news release to outline how it is financing the expansion project.

The Central New York regional eco-nomic-development council had identified the Phase 2B expansion as a priority proj-ect. The state then awarded the hospital a $2.5 million grant for the project, St. Joseph’s said.

In addition, the Onondaga Civic Development Corp., a local development cor-poration that Onondaga County Executive Joanne Mahoney recently formed, provided St. Joseph’s an inducement of $177 million for tax-exempt bonding.

The corporation has the authority to as-sist nonprofit organizations that undertake economic-development projects.

The remainder of the investment will come from hospital reserves, along with the St. Joseph’s Hospital Foundation’s Generations capital campaign, the hospital added. q

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com

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St. Joseph’s opens new surgical tower

ERIC REINHARDTJOURNAL STAFF

PHOTO COURTESY OF ST. JOSEPH’S HOSPITAL HEALTH CENTER

The exterior of the Christina M. Nappi Surgical Tower, part of the St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center campus. The tower formally opened in September.

HealthCare Provider • Page 3October 24, 2014

Five Star Urgent Care, a provider of walk-in, ur-gent-care services, has launched a new website that enables patients to view current wait times for any of its six medical facili-ties directly on the home page.

Five Star updates the wait times in real time, which it says enables patients to make more informed decisions regarding their

health. The urgent-care

practice announced the new website fea-ture in an Oct. 2 news release.

Five Star says it has “optimized” the new website (www.fivestaruc.com) for desk-tops, laptops, smartphones, and tablets so customers may access the wait times while they are at home or on the go, according to the release.

People don’t like to wait, Dr. John Radford, founder of Five Star Urgent Care, says in an interview.

“So we wanted to be transparent and let

people know how long wait times would be,” he adds.

Some emergency rooms nationwide have started a similar practice, hoping to redirect traffic from emergency rooms for people with minor ailments, according to Radford.

Five Star is aiming to give patients a “heads up” and choice if they’re traveling in an area within driving distance of two sites so the patient can decide which location would have the shortest wait for a visit.

“Our average in and out time is between 30 and 40 minutes, so there’s never really much of a wait time, but there are different peaks and spikes,” says Radford.

The wait-time feature is part of a re-vamped website for Five Star Urgent Care. Buffalo–based 19 Ideas, a marketing and communications agency, created and man-ages the Five Star site.

“So, this is like version two of our first website and we just integrated this new fea-ture into it,” says Radford.

Five Star had been discussing and plan-ning for the new site for about a year, he adds.

When asked if Five Star bases the wait times on the number of people in the waiting room or their ailments, Radford replied, “A little of both.”

“It’s primarily based on volume, but we also know that we could have three very

simple things there [that] would take a short time to go through, and we may have one patient that would take longer than the time to [handle] the three,” he says.

Five Star adjusts the wait times at indi-vidual office locations based on algorithms that it assembled, assigning different time values, depending on the person’s ailment.

For example, Five Star will assign a differ-ent time value to a patient seeking treatment for a sore throat than to an individual who fell and needs an X-ray and a suture.

“The [employees] … right at the front desk … are on the front lines putting the times in and updating it … roughly between every 15 and 20 minutes,” says Radford.

Radford declined to disclose how much

the new feature cost the company, saying it was part of the overall cost of the website upgrade.

Five Star on Sept. 4 opened a location in Fayetteville, representing its third office in the Syracuse area and sixth overall.

Earlier in the year, it opened a location at 3504 W. Genesee St. in the Fairmount area of Camillus.

Five Star first entered the Syracuse mar-ket in May 2013 when it opened a new facil-ity on Route 11 in Cicero.

It also operates offices in Ithaca, Big Flats, and Jamestown. q

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com

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Five Star Urgent Care adds wait-time feature to website

Oswego Health hires Wang as new medical imaging chief OSWEGO, N.Y. — Oswego Health an-nounced it has named David Wang, M.D., of CRA Medical Imaging, as the new chief of service for medical imaging.

Wang has more than 20 years of experi-ence as a physician radiologist. A native of Michigan, he earned his medical degree from Wayne State University in Detroit. He completed his residency in diagnostic radiology at Sinai Hospital of Detroit and his fellowship at Henry Ford Hospital in nuclear medicine in that same city.

While he is trained in all medical-imaging areas, Wang specializes in nuclear medicine and mammography, Oswego Health said in a news release.

In early 2015, Oswego Health will install a fixed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) unit, which it contends is cutting-edge equipment. The organization will install a new MRI breast coil, the most advanced available, and build a new MRI suite inside Oswego Hospital, the release stated.

Oswego Health has imaging locations throughout Oswego County, including Oswego Hospital, the adjacent Oswego Health Services Center, the Central Square and Fulton Medical Centers, the Pulaski Health Center, and Oswego Health Center on George Street. q

Page 4 • HealthCare Provider October 24, 2014

The growing role of physician assistants in health careWith more than 100,000 physician assistants (PAs) currently practicing na-tionally, and more than 6,000 new PAs entering the workforce each year, this fast-growing medical field shows no signs of slowing down.

“I think we’re going to continue to see growth,” says Mary Springston, director of the Department of Physician Assistant Studies at Le Moyne College in Syracuse.

Le Moyne has seen increasing interest in its two-year PA program, which can accommo-date 54 students per class. “This year, we had over 1,000 appli-cants for our program,”

she says. “I think it’s because word regard-ing the profession is getting out there.”

According to the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA), PAs practice medicine in all medical and surgical set-tings and specialties including primary care, emergency medicine, surgery, pediatrics, and more. The average PA will treat 3,500 patients a year.

The demand for PAs grew more than 300 percent over the past three years, according

to a news release from the AAPA.The aging population is one driver be-

hind the increased need for PAs, Springston says.

Another factor is the Affordable Care Act, says Michael Whitehead, founding chair and program director of Clarkson University’s Department of PA Studies. More people

with health insurance means more people are heading to the doctor’s office. For doc-tors, having one or more PAs on staff means the office can see more patients, Springston notes. “The need for primary care [practitio-ners] has exploded,” Whitehead adds.

A poll from Harris shows that many pa-tients agree that PAs add value to the health-care system. Of those surveyed, 91 percent said PAs are part of the solution to address-ing the shortage of providers and 92 percent agreed that having a PA at a practice makes it easier to get an appointment.

Becoming a PA provides an option for those who either cannot or don’t want to attend medical school, says Springston. Between medical school and residency, be-coming a doctor is generally an eight-year process, she says. The PA program is an intensive two year master’s program, mean-ing people can get through the program and get out there to practice much sooner, she notes. For others, the appeal of more stable hours while still earning a good sal-ary — the median annual salary is $90,000 according to the AAPA — is the deciding factor, Whitehead says.

Whatever the reason, the result is that interest in PA programs has been steadi-ly increasing. Clarkson just graduated its first class of 16 PA students this past May, Whitehead notes. For the class of 20 enrolled students set to begin in January, Clarkson received more than 700 applicants.

TRACI DELORE

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

See PAs, page 5

PHOTO COURTESY OF CLARKSON UNIVERSITY

Individuals involved with Clarkson University’s Department of PA Studies discuss PA training. The demand for PAs grew more than 300 percent over the past three years, according to a news release from the AAPA.

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Registered Licensees by County NumberBroome 19Cayuga 6Chemung 12Chenango 0Cortland 14Herkimer 3Jefferson 8Lewis 1Madison 12Oneida 22Onondaga 70Oswego 7Seneca 2St. Lawrence 23Tioga 9Tompkins 34CNY TOTAL 242NYS Total 1571

Source: NYSED.org, data as of July 1, 2014

HEALTH-CARE CAREERS BY THE NUMBERS:

ATHLETIC TRAINERI n New York state, those who want to

become a “certified athletic trainer” must meet three requirements: be

at least 21 years old, meet educational requirements, and pass an examination, according to the New York State Education Department’s Office of the Professions. An individual must have a bachelor’s de-gree or higher from an athletic-training program and receive satisfactory scores on the athletic-training examination from the National Athletic Trainers’ Association

Board of Certification.A certified athletic trainer works under

the supervision of licensed physicians to provide services to individuals who have suffered athletic injuries or illnesses, such as sprains, strains, or contusions.

Below find the breakdown of licensed athletic trainers by Central New York coun-ties and the number of licenses issued in New York state over a five-year period. q

— Nicole Collins, Research Manager

220

200

180

160

140

130

02009 2010 2011 2012 2013

131

161

200209

197

Athletic-Trainer Licenses issued in NYS

Source: NYSED.org, data as of July 1, 2014

According to the AAPA, there are more than 190 accredited PA programs across the country, with 78 percent of graduates receiving multiple job offers. About 52 per-cent of graduates receive three or more job offers.

Both Springston and Whitehead say that trend holds true at Le Moyne and Clarkson, where the majority of PA program students have jobs lined up, often before they gradu-ate.

“It’s pretty much a guaranteed job,” Springston says.

According to the AAPA, PAs may take a patient’s medical history, conduct exams, diagnose and treat illnesses, order and inter-pret tests, develop treatment plans, counsel on preventive care, assist in surgery, write prescriptions, and make rounds in hospitals and nursing homes. Specific duties vary depending upon the setting, their level of experience, their specialty, and state laws.

In New York, PAs must hold a bachelor’s degree before completing a PA program and must pass a national certification test.

Contact The Business Journal at news@cnybj.com

PAs: For the class of 20 enrolled students set to begin in January, Clarkson received more than 700 applicants

Continued from page 4

The Central New York Business JournalCall (800) 836-3539 today to subscribe

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Page 6 • HealthCare Provider October 24, 2014

THE LISTResearch by Nicole Collins

ncollins@cnybj.com(315) 579-3911

Twitter: @cnybjresearch

ABOUT THE LISTInformation was provided by representatives of listed orga-nizations and their websites. Other groups may have been eligible but did not respond to our requests for informa-tion. While The Business Journal strives to print accurate information, it is not possible to independently verify all data submitted. We reserve the right to edit entries or delete categories for space considerations.

WHAT CONSTITUTES THE CNY REGION?Central New York includes Broome, Cayuga, Chemung, Chenango, Cortland, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Madison, Oneida, Onondaga, Oswego, Seneca, St. Lawrence, Tioga, and Tompkins counties.

NEED A COPY OF A LIST?Electronic versions of all our lists, with additional fi elds of information and survey contacts, are available for purchase at our website, cnybj.com/ListsResearch.aspx

WANT TO BE ON THE LIST?If your company would like to be considered for next year’s list, or another list, please email ncollins@cnybj.com

COMMERCIAL CLINICAL-TESTING LABSRanked by No. of Tests Performed in 2013

Rank

NameAddressPhone/Website

Tests Performed in2013

—Patient Contacts in

2013

No. of CNY:Employees

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Page 10 • HealthCare Provider October 26, 2012

A New York City–based not-for-profit home health-care organization has received state approval to expand its Medicaid managed long-term care plan to 24 counties out-side of the city — includ-ing several in the Syracuse and Utica areas.

The Visiting Nurse Service of New York (VNSNY) is moving on plans to spread its VNSNY Choice Medicaid Managed Long Term Care plan to Herkimer, Madison, Oneida, and Onondaga counties. That’s after the state approved the market expan-sion in September.

The managed long-term care plan is tar-geted at seniors and individuals with chron-ic illnesses and disabil-ities who cannot live

independently at home, but do not want to move into a nursing home. It’s a voluntary option for Medicaid-eligible beneficiaries that provides nurse-care managers who visit members’ homes and coordinate the health-care services they receive.

News of VNSNY Choice’s expansion follows New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo ac-cepting recommendations from a Medicaid Redesign Team in February. The redesign lifted a moratorium on the extension of existing Medicaid managed-care plans, ac-cording to Christopher Palmieri, president of VNSNY Choice Health Plans, who also acted as an adviser to the state during its Medicaid redesign. VNSNY has been open

to the option of growing its service area since before that moratorium was lifted, he adds.

“We’ve been interested in expanding our service area since about 2003,” he says. “It was something that we’ve been working on for the entire year. We started our process to apply for market expansion in the early part of 2012.”

VNSNY Choice isn’t the only Medicaid managed long-term care plan that will be growing into Central New York and its sur-rounding areas. Fidelis Care, a Catholic health plan based in Rego Park in the New York City borough of Queens, announced in August it was expanding its Fidelis Care at Home managed long-term care program into 11 counties in and around Central New York.

Numerous plans have applied to the state for expansion, Palmieri says. VNSNY Choice wants to offer its plan to all eligible New York residents eventually, he contin-ues.

“Our organization felt that we should be offering our coordinated care through managed long-term care across the state,” Palmieri says. “[This] expansion was one step toward becoming a statewide health plan and serving all 62 counties in the state.”

MV/CNY expansionVNSNY Choice has opened a Utica–area

office at 2 Ellinwood Drive in New Hartford and hired three employees to start building relationships with senior centers, nursing organizations, and hospitals that could be-come part of its network. Palmieri expects to hire more employees in Central New York and the Mohawk Valley in the future, although exact timelines and staffing levels are not set.

“It is safe to say that we’ll have a major

presence in Oneida County, Herkimer County, and Onondaga County, and we’ll look at whether we need an office in Madison County,” he says. “A lot of our work force is field based.”

VNSNY Choice has hired its own nurse care managers in New York City. It could follow that model in upstate New York, or it could turn to subcontractors if they seem like a good fit, Palmieri says.

“Those care managers have a direct relationship with the patients today,” he says. “When there aren’t those opportuni-ties, we’re happy to build the infrastructure ourselves.”

The Medicaid managed long-term care plan does not have any members in Central New York or the Mohawk Valley at the mo-ment. It could sign up interested members today but will likely make a push at the end of 2012 or beginning of 2013, according to Palmieri.

VNSNY Choice doesn’t know how many members it will sign up, and it’s not clear how many competitors it will face in the up-state market. It has nearly 14,000 managed long-term care beneficiaries in New York City, Palmieri says.

Rough estimates show the plan will re-ceive about $18,500 per member per year in Medicaid revenue. Those payments will vary by hundreds of dollars in different state rating regions, however.

“Around the first of the year is when we’ll have a formalized business plan based upon what we’ve projected and budgeted,” Palmieri says. “The challenge we have right now is, because there has not been a man-aged long-term care delivery system for this type of long-term care in the past, it’s going to be tricky to get the rates right.”

VNSNY Choice has 1,470 total employ-ees. It offers Medicare Advantage plans, Medicaid long-term care plans, and a health plan for individuals with HIV/AIDS and their children. It forecasts premium revenue of about $1 billion in 2012 — about $550 million of which will come from man-aged long-term care plans. Palmieri didn’t

have estimates of premium revenue for 2013, but says top-line revenue is estimated to be about $1.8 billion in 2013.

The managed long-term care plan has existing operations in New York City’s five boroughs and previously received state approval to grow into Nassau, Suffolk, and Westchester counties.

More recent state decisions have given it approval to expand into Herkimer, Madison, Oneida, and Onondaga counties, as well as other counties. They include Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster, Albany, Columbia, Delaware, Fulton, Greene, Montgomery, Otsego, Rensselaer, Schenectady, Saratoga, Schoharie, Warren, Washington, and Monroe counties.

VNSNY Choice has hired seven people in Fishkill in Dutchess County to spearhead its efforts in the Hudson Valley counties. It leased a 3,000-square-foot office there.

Palmieri is no stranger to the Mohawk Valley. He’s a Utica–area native who helped build Faxton St. Luke’s Healthcare’s Senior Network Health managed long-term health-care plan in the late 1990s, he says. q

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HealthCare Provider • Page 7October 24, 2014

adirondack community physicians

John S. Robertson, M.D., has joined the Adirondack Community Physicians (ACP) Washington Mills Medical Office. He was previously a family physician/department head for the David R. Ray Branch Health Clinic at Marine Corps Base in Quantico, Va. Robertson also held positions as a ship’s family medical of-ficer on the USS Enterprise (CVN-65) in Norfolk, Va. and family medicine physi-cian at Naval Hospital Bremerton (NHB) Branch Health Clinic Bangor in Silverdale, Wash. He earned his bachelor’s degree in molecular biology and biochemistry from the University of Colorado in Boulder, and his doctorate in medicine from Upstate Medical University in Syracuse.

aspen dental management

Aspen Dental Management Inc. (ADMI) has promoted Arwinder Judge, D.D.S., to chief clinical officer. He joined ADMI in 2008 as vice president of clinical-support ser-vices. Prior to joining the leadership team at ADMI, Judge founded and spent 11 years as president of a dental group practice, during which time he estab-lished six new dental practices in New York and Texas. Judge holds a doctor of dental surgery from New York University College of Dentistry.

bassett healthcare management

Mark J. Hornyak, M.D. has joined Bassett Healthcare Network as chief of neurosurgery at Bassett Medical Center. He most re-cently worked in the Detroit area as chief of neurosurgery at Detroit Receiving Hospital, an assistant professor at Wayne State University, and cared for pa-tients at the Detroit Medical Center and Henry Ford Hospital. Hornyak earned his undergraduate degree at Loyola College and his medical degree at University of Maryland School of Medicine. He complet-ed his residency in neurosurgery at New York Medical College, Valhalla, and a fel-lowship in skull base surgery at University of Utah in Salt Lake City.

crouse hospital

Crouse Hospital has appointed neurosur-geon Eric M. Deshaies, M.D., medical

director for endovascu-lar and cerebrovascular neurosurgery, effec-tive Nov. 10. He will be affiliated with Crouse Medical Practice and specializes in brain aneurysms, arterio-venous malformations of the brain and spi-nal cord, stroke rescue therapies, and skull base and brainstem tumor surgery. Deshaies is one of only a few dual-fellowship trained neurosur-geons in the country and the only one in Central New York, Crouse says. In practice for 14 years, he holds a medical degree from University of Connecticut School of Medicine. Deshaies currently serves as director of Neuroendovascular, Cerebrovascular and Skull Base Tumor Services at Upstate Medical University, where he also is associate professor of neurosurgery, neuroscience, and physiol-ogy. He has been the primary investigator on a number of brain aneurysm and stroke trials and has authored more than 50 pub-lications.

eye associates of utica

Lorna Grant, M.D., has joined Eye Associates of Utica, PC. She received her bach-elor’s degree in biolo-gy from the University of Vermont College of Arts and Sciences and her doctorate in medicine from the University of Vermont College of Medicine. Grant completed an internship at Tucson Hospitals Medical Education Program and a residency in ophthalmology at the University of Arizona College of Medicine. She also completed a medical retina fellowship at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine.

the family & childrens society

The Family & Children’s Society has ap-pointed Cara Fraser as Family Mental Health Clinic director. She has worked for Greater Binghamton Health Center and Broome County Mental Health Clinic and has significant administrative experience.

faxton st. luke’s healthcare

Margaret J. Celebi has joined the Regional Rehabilitation Center at Faxton St. Luke’s Healthcare (FSLH) as an outpatient lym-phedema therapist in conjunction with The Regional Cancer Center. She previously worked as director of rehabilitation services for the Presbyterian

Home of CNY/PORT in New Hartford; as rehabilitation services supervisor for Seco Physical Therapy in Norwich; and as director of rehabilitation services for Valley Health Services, Inc. in Herkimer. Celebi received her bachelor’s degree in physical therapy from Russell Sage College in Troy, N.Y. and her doctorate in physical therapy from Des Moines University in Iowa.

Candace R. Correa, M.D., a radiation oncologist with 21st Century Oncology, has joined The Regional Cancer Center at FSLH. She previously worked as a radia-tion oncologist in The Center for Women’s Oncology at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Fla. Correa received her bachelor’s degree in engineering from the University of Michigan, College of Engineering in Ann Arbor, and her doctorate in medicine from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in Philadelphia.

FSLH Adirondack Community Physicians (ACP) announced that Meira Yeger-McKeever, M.D. has joined the Orthopedic Group as an orthopedic surgeon. She previously worked as an orthope-dic surgeon in multiple New Jersey medical cen-ters including St. Barnabas Medical Center

in Livingston and Morristown Medical Center in Morristown. Specializing in sports medicine, Yeger-McKeever has served as the assistant team physician for Baltimore Ravens Football, Baltimore Blast Professional Soccer, Washington Nationals Major League Baseball, and university sports programs including Morgan State, Goucher, Loyola, and Johns Hopkins. She received her bach-elor’s degree in biology from Florida State University in Tallahassee, and her doctorate in medicine from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-New Jersey Medical School in Newark.

Tina A. Maxian, M.D., Ph.D. has joined FSLH’s ACP Orthopedic Group as an orthopedic sur-geon. Prior to joining ACP, she worked as an orthopedic sur-geon for Schenectady Regional Orthopedic Associates. Maxian received her bachelor’s degree in engi-neering mechanics from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, her master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, and her doctorate in philosophy and doctor-ate in medicine and biomedical engineering from the University of Iowa. q

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Page 8 • HealthCare Provider October 24, 2014

Patient-Centered Care: the Future of Health Care

S he was a 30-year-old patient headed for an all-too-typical experience in our health-care delivery system.

She was coping with a series of physical and emotional challenges that had resulted in multiple visits to the emergency depart-ment, several hospital admissions, and a regimen of up to 10 different medications. Care was being delivered, but in an unco-ordinated way. Fortunately for this patient, she was about to experience how her care — and life — could change through a patient-centered approach to health-care delivery.

The patient started receiving care at a new practice, one that had recently become recognized as a Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH). The concept of a “medical home” is not new. The terminology was first introduced by the American Academy of Pediatrics in 1967, which envisioned at the time, a central source for all medical in-formation related to a child, especially those with special needs. Since then, the term has evolved and expanded in definition to allow for “every American” to have a “patient-centered medical home” and outlines the way a patient should receive acute, chronic, and preventive services.

The joint principles that define PCMH have been established through the co-hesive efforts of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), American College of Physicians (ACP), and American Osteopathic Association (AOA). For the most part, PCMH is a team-based, health-care delivery model led by a physician that provides comprehensive and continuous medical care to the patient with the goal of obtaining the best health outcome pos-sible.

The care should be coordinated, acces-sible, accountable, comprehensive, inte-grated, patient-centered, safe, scientifically valid, and satisfying to both patients and their physicians. It should be designed around patient needs and can include a team of providers — such as physicians, nurses, nutritionists, pharmacists, and so-cial workers —who work together to im-prove access to care through extended office hours and increased communication via email and telephone. The goal is to enhance the overall quality of care while reducing costs.

Studies have shown that the medical-home model’s attention to the “person” and integration of all aspects of care offers sev-eral benefits to the patient as well as to the health-care provider. The benefits for the patient, to name a few, include improved physical and mental health, access to com-munity-based social services and optimal management of chronic conditions.

In the case of our 30-year old patient, after reviewing the records, the nurse as-signed to her detected something amiss in her care-utilization pattern and brought it to the attention of the primary care physi-cian, who in turn immediately contacted the patient and engaged her and her family in a detailed discussion about her experi-ences. In short order, the nurse developed a personalized-care plan. In the two years since, the patient’s care has been well co-ordinated. Her conditions are now under control, her hospital visits and medications have been minimized, and she is now fully engaged in her own care. The patient’s quality of life has vastly improved.

The benefits to the medical practice in-clude improved patient satisfaction, better IT integration, increased practice productiv-ity, and an overall boost to the bottom line. PCMH has delivered impressive results where it has been implemented — includ-ing in some cases reductions of more than 30 percent in hospital stays and emergency room use along with significant reductions in the need for medications and overall costs.

PCMH recognitionSo how does a physician practice be-

come a Patient-Centered Medical Home? Numerous assessment instruments are available to measure and accredit medical homes if they meet specific criteria. While some states are looking to national accredi-tation organizations for formal recognition, others are developing their own standards to recognize medical homes.

The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA),for example, developed in 2008 the widely used NCQA Physician Practice Connections — Patient-Centered Medical Home (PPC PCMH) standard to formally recognize medical homes. This instrument relies on medical practices to

self-report data on nine standards includ-ing access and communication, patient tracking and registry functions, care man-agement, patient self-management and sup-port, electronic prescribing, test tracking, referral tracking, performance reporting and improvement, and advanced electronic communication.

Subsequent recognition programs include NCQA PCMH 2011 and NCQA PCMH 2014. If practices achieve NCQA’s PCMH recognition, they can take advan-tage of financial incentives offered by health plans, employers, and federal and state-sponsored pilot programs. Furthermore, they may qualify for additional bonuses or performance incentive payments.

The PCMH recognition process should be looked at first as a “transformation jour-ney.” Encouragement from the start can be gleaned from the fact that the practice has made a commitment and is starting to peel back the layers of the onion to understand the true nuts and bolts of managing the art of quality-driven, patient-centered care. Throughout the transformation journey, a practice may find opportunities to improve processes, and even perhaps, be in a situa-tion where they are validating the evidence of processes, policies, procedures, and workflows already in place.

Discovering multiple “aha” moments while validating and celebrating their com-mitment to quality-driven patient care, and uncovering new opportunities to improve delivery of patient care, are essential com-ponents of the transformation journey. This journey can take weeks to months, and should be considered an evolving process that never ends.

The most important component of PCMH sustainability is a continuing com-mitment from the entire practice team, including leadership, providers, and the en-tire patient-care team. Passion for the new

model of quality-driven, patient-centered care will guide the entire team to ongoing long-term sustainability and success.

In order to maintain the momentum, it is imperative that medical practices con-tinue to use and apply actionable reports to assess and measure evidence of clini-cal quality measures as well as service quality measures. The findings from re-ports should be assessed to determine if clinical and service outreaches are yielding positive/negative results and what actions need to be taken. Most importantly, these findings need to be shared with practice staff at regular team meetings and used to develop and/or modify measurable goals based upon outcomes. Outreaches should be completed on an annual basis at the very minimum. All team members should share the responsibility of developing attainable improvement goals and tracking progress against these goals.

As appropriate, all members of the prac-tice-care team should also be involved in developing corrective-action plans. The practice should celebrate successes, both big and small. Employees will feel engaged and energized to maintain the culture of competence, passion, and commitment if they see the results of their efforts.

As of October 2014, a total of 8,386 practices have been recognized as PCMH by the NCQA. As Medicaid spending continues to overwhelm state budgets, the medical-home model of care offers a method of positively transforming the en-tire health-care delivery system. Medical homes can enhance the overall quality of care and reduce costs through an innova-tive approach to delivering comprehensive patient-centered care. q

Susan Maxsween is the director of RMS Healthcare, which is part of Research & Marketing Strategies, Inc., or RMS, a full-service marketing and market-research firm based in Baldwinsville. Maxsween is a former managed-care executive who helps physician practices and health systems transform their operations to become more efficient and op-timize quality care outcomes. Contact her at SusanM@RMSresults.com. Lori Lichorobiec is the communications coordinator at RMS. Contact her at LoriL@RMSresults.com.

By susan Maxsween & Lori LiCHoroBieC

viewpOint

susquehanna nursing & rehabilitation Center garners quality awardBy Journal Staff

JOHNSON CITY — Susquehanna Nursing & Rehabilitation Center, LLC, (SNRC) was recently recognized as a 2014 recipient of the “Bronze – Commitment to Quality Award” from the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living

(AHCA/NCAL). SNRC said it was honored for its “dedication to improving the lives of residents through quality care.”

SNRC received the award at the AHCA/NCAL 65th annual convention and exposition in Washington, D.C. Jeni Demarais, adminis-trator; Shannon Cayea, chief operating officer; and Phyllis Watson, admissions director, ac-

cepted the award for the organization, accord-ing to an SNRC news release.

The AHCA/NCAL awards program hon-ors assisted-living centers across the nation that have demonstrated their commitment to improving quality care for seniors and indi-viduals with disabilities. The Bronze Award recognizes that the facility has developed

a foundation to begin a journey of continu-ous quality improvement, the release stated. SNRC was one of 14 centers to receive the Bronze level award in New York.

Susquehanna Nursing & Rehabilitation Center has 160 certified beds and 215 full-time employees, according to CNYBJ Research. q

HealthCare Provider • Page 9October 24, 2014

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Page 10 • HealthCare Provider October 24, 2014

EXCELLENCE IN HEALTH CARE AWARDS 2014

SPONSOR MESSAGESBANKERS HEALTHCARE GROUP

Bankers Healthcare Group (BHG) is proud to take part in celebrating 2014’s Excellence in Health Care honorees. As a lender that works exclusively with health-care professionals, we see � rsthand the hard work and sacri� ce required to deliver high-quality care. The accomplishments of this event’s honorees underscore the drive, vision, and compassion of health-care professionals in Central New York.

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Congratulations to each of the award winners. We are grateful for the contributions you make to our communities every day.

HARBRIDGE CONSULTING GROUP

Harbridge Consulting Group is proud to sponsor and congratulate our local health-care leaders and innovators.

The actuaries and advisors of Harbridge Consult-ing Group have been helping clients with employee-bene� t consulting solutions for close to three decades. We are dedicated to delivering what our clients expect: quality, commitment, and expertise. Harbridge Con-sulting Group provides quality — in the soundness and practicality of our solutions, our responsiveness to our clients, and the impact we have on their businesses.

Our commitment to our clients is the foundation of our business. We under-stand the challenges our clients face in creating and managing competitive and cost-e� ective employee-bene� t plans. Our success in helping our clients meet these challenges is re� ected in many long-standing client relationships.

Harbridge Consulting Group o� ers expertise in diverse areas of specialization, including pension and health-care actuarial services (ASC 715, GASB 27 and GASB 45), non-quali� ed executive bene� ts, plan compliance, vendor selection and management, post-employment bene� ts, and health-bene� t man-agement. Our consultants are distinguished by their quality, their depth of experience, and their dedication to excellence. Members of our consulting sta� consist of credentialed actuaries and advisors, many of whom hold advanced degrees in mathematics and business management.

TERACAITERACAI is proud to sponsor the Business Journal News

Network’s (BJNN) Excellence in Health Care Awards in support of the extraordinary individuals and organizations in the Central New York health-care community. The TERACAI team would like to thank all of the 2014 honorees for being leaders and innova-tors in what has become an increasingly complex and dynamic health-care environment. Central New York has some of the greatest health-care facilities, led by some of the most skilled physicians, nurses, and administrators in the nation.

At TERACAI, we understand that patients are the number one priority for any health-care system. That’s why our technol-ogy solutions allow health-care practitioners to provide an increased level of care for their patients and families. Our goals are to improve the health of networks, maximize the e� ciency

of IT infrastructures, and protect the security of patients’ private information. Our commitment to these goals enables CNY care-givers to focus on what really matters — their patients.

Our families, friends, and neighbors rely on our local health-care organizations every day to provide quality care and superior expertise. This signi� cance is what makes being an Excellence in Health Care honoree such an important distinction within the CNY community. TERACAI congratulates all of the 2014 honorees and we thank you for your commitment to excel-lence. We are pleased to partner with the BJNN in recognition of your hard work, dedication, and service to our community.

Peter BelyeaPresident of TERACAI

Congratulations to the Excellence in Health Care Honorees and Thank You

to Our Sponsors

HealthCare Provider • Page 11October 24, 2014

EXCELLENCE IN HEALTH CARE AWARDS 2014

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CATEGORY: PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT OF THE YEARJOEL DELANEY

Describe your relevant work history, awards, and accomplishments: I have been working as a physician assistant (PA) in family practice since I graduated from Le Moyne Col-lege’s inaugural physician-assistant class in 1998. My career has been centered in Liverpool and

Baldwinsville. I am cur-rently working with Family Practice Associates, which recently earned certi� ca-tion as a Patient Centered Medical Home.

What contributions have you made to your organization and to the community?

Baldwinsville is an area of growth but is still a close knit community. People take pride in the community and like to conduct business in Baldwinsville. I feel that I am treating neighbors. I have also been involved with the training of PA students from Le Moyne as a clinical preceptor. I � nd teaching rewarding as the students gain knowledge and con� dence. Family practice experiences a wide range of patient types and illness which exposes students to multiple areas of medicine. I have expanded my role with Le Moyne this year by becoming an adjunct professor in the physical diagnosis and patient evaluation lab.

Why did you choose to work in the medical � eld? I chose to work in the medical � eld be-cause of the challenges it presents. Medicine is a complex and dynamic � eld. There are new guide-lines, procedures, diagnostics, and treatments

that become available every day. To be a good practitioner you have to stay current. This career has been more rewarding than I ever anticipated as I have the opportunity to listen to patients, try to understand their concerns, and work together to � nd solutions. To have patients put their trust in you is humbling.

What is your greatest challenge? My great-est challenge, like most people, is trying to � nd a good balance between work and family life. I am fortunate that I work in the same community in which I live. I have two sons who have busy schedules, and am lucky to have a terri� c partner, my wife Karin. She took a leap of faith this year by starting her own law practice. I am inspired by her courage and con� dence.

How do you spend your leisure time? I love cycling. This is a relatively new interest and a great way to stay in shape and meet a good group of guys who share a similar interest. I also enjoy running and hiking. I hope to conquer more Adirondack high peaks now that my boys are old enough to join me. I like to stay involved with the kids and their activities.

Who is your mentor or the person who has helped direct your career? When I graduated from Siena College, I was not sure what I wanted to do. A friend of our family who is a physi-cian suggested I shadow the PAs in St Joseph’s Hospital Health Center. I was impressed by their knowledge, level of responsibility, and autonomy. This has been a rewarding career. I have always felt support and respect from my supervising physicians. I am most appreciative of the brilliant doctors, PAs, and nurse practitioners in this com-munity who provide care to our mutual patients and who are there when I need them.

CATEGORY: HEALTH CARE VOLUNTEER OF THE YEARJESSICA PATTERSON

Describe your relevant work history, awards, and accomplishments: In 2007, I earned my associate degree in social sciences and humanities from Morrisville State College. In 2009, I earned my bachelor’s degree in sociology. In 2013, I started working as a pe-

diatric volunteer in the Child Life Department at Golisano Children’s Hospital and then took Child Life coursework through the University of Wisconsin. On Aug. 10, 2013, I earned the title of Ms. Wheelchair New York 2013-2014. The organization is

built on one’s disability advocacy, volunteer-ing, and overall lives of women who happen to be wheelchair users. I also competed in the Ms. Wheelchair America Competition in August 2014 in Long Beach, Calif. This led to me to working for an amazing wheelchair and medical equipment provider, Monroe Wheel-chair, in the role of business and marketing consultant for the Rochester–based company. It is imperative to me to be able to help people live a better life.

What contributions have you made to your organization and to the community?

I am a huge advocate of health care and disability in my community. I have dedicated every Wednesday evening since February 2013 to helping with programs at Golisano Children’s Hospital. I also spend a time tending to the

emotional support and needs of patients who are con� ned to their hospital rooms. As a young woman who was hospitalized as a child, I am able to closely relate to the patients.

Why did you to choose to work in the medical � eld? As the age of 15, I was injured in a motor-vehicle accident, and I felt it was my duty in life to help those who were going through similar situations. Being paraplegic has not been easy, but I took a bad situation in my life and decided to do “good” with it. Spend-ing two months at Upstate Hospital after my accident, I now want to give back to those who gave to me.

Overall, being in the medical � eld as both a volunteer and a medical equipment provider, I have chosen to utilize my life experiences to better the lives of others.

What is your greatest challenge? My greatest challenge has been adapting to the ever-changing world as a woman with a phys-ical disability. Over the past 11 years, I have had to learn a whole new way of life with the use of a wheelchair. I have had di� cult chal-lenges with accessibility, but I always � nd my way and I am thankful for the independence I have. Having this independence has allowed me to become an active member of my com-munity.

Who is your mentor or the person who has helped direct your career? Working at Golisano Children’s Hospital for almost the past two years, Sue Karl, the child life specialist that I volunteer under, has given me the most amazing direction in life. Ultimately, Sue has led me to love the work that I do with the pediatric patients.

EDITOR’S NOTE: The write-ups are based on forms completed and submitted by the honorees.

Page 12 • HealthCare Provider October 24, 2014

EXCELLENCE IN HEALTH CARE AWARDS 2014

CATEGORY: HEALTH CARE FACILITIES OF THE YEARCROUSE COMMUNITY CENTER

Awards and accomplishments: Crouse Com-munity Center in Morrisville, is a 4-star quality provider, certi� ed by the federal government. The center was recognized by New York State Depart-ment of Health Bureau of Immunization and the New York State Commissioner of Health with a Certi� cate of Excellence Award in September 2013 for Greater than 90 percent Healthcare Personnel In� uenza Vaccination Partici-pation and E� orts 2012-2013. The Immunization Action Coalition recognized Crouse Com-munity Center by placing it on the In� uenza Vaccination Honor Roll in 2013.

The center has been recog-nized by Leading Age for its services over the years. In 2014, we were designated as a Vital Access and Safety Net Provider for Madison County, and were awarded a Vital Access Grant to expanded rehabilitation services for both inpatient and outpatient care.

Contributions to the community: Crouse Community Center is one of the premier health-care providers in Madison County, employing more than 200. We work alongside Morrisville State College, Hamilton College, Colgate Uni-versity, and Cazenovia College, partnering with them for student internships and intergenera-tional programs for our residents.

We continue to sup-port numerous civic groups annually throughout Madi-

son County, allowing the use of our facilities

to hold meetings and events, including blood drives.

Friday Night Concerts are o� ered for the community throughout the summer and

our residents are also involved with their own fundraising e� orts for the local food bank, ambu-lance service, and children’s camp each year.

Organization description: Crouse Communi-ty Center is a nonpro� t organization that opened in 1991 and is located in the heart of Madison

County, providing rehabilitation, post-acute care, skilled nursing, and adult day programs. It consists of a 120-bed health care and rehabilita-tion center located across from the Morrisville State campus. There are three medical adult day programs located in Cazenovia, Hamilton, and Sherburne.

Vision for the organization over the next 3-5 years: Crouse Community Center is looking at continuing to meet the needs of Madison County residents with expanding needed health-care and living services. We are currently in the process of developing full-service outpatient therapy, which will open in 2015. Other areas being considered are expansion of services in: assisted living; independent living; a� ordable housing for seniors, veterans, and adults with dis-abilities; and other needed health-care services for Madison County as the landscape of health-care changes over the next several years.

New technology deployed at the facility: We are using the latest technology in several areas. First, we have invested in several new pieces of equipment, therapy software, and technology for

the rehabilitation gym that allows us to deliver state-of-the-art the techniques for strength and recovery for residents. Another area with new technology is in o� ering Tele-Psych services to our residents on weekly basis, which has been extremely successful. Finally, this year, we have enhanced our wound-care treatment abili-ties by o� ering “Wound Vac” services to those individuals that require specialized wound-care treatment.

VALLEY HEALTH SERVICES Awards and accomplishments: Valley

Health Services (VHS) began in 1984 as a 32-bed nursing home and has expanded today to a 160-bed, long-term care and short-term rehabilitation facility. Over the years, outpatient rehabilitation therapies, two adult day health-care programs and a palliative-care program have been added. The ribbon cutting for the new 46-unit, assisted-living facility will be on Oct. 20.

Various awards have been presented to VHS. Among them, our palliative care program was recognized as the 2004 Outstanding Rural

Health Program of the Year from the New York State Association for Rural Health, the facility was honored as the 2010 Herkimer County Business of the Year from the Herkimer County Chamber of Commerce, and the 2013 Out-standing Community Partner of the Year from the Herkimer County Board of Cooperative Educational Services. U.S. News and World Re-port named Valley Health Services a top-ranked nursing home in its annual “Best Nursing Homes” report in 2013 and 2014. VHS also earns excellent ratings from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Contributions to the community: Valley Health Services has a history of bringing unique services to the community that community members would otherwise have to travel out of the area to receive. These include cardiac reha-bilitation, specialized wound therapy, speech therapy, palliative care, enriched housing, and an assisted-living program.

Description of facility: Evolving from a

32-bed to a 160-bed, long-term care and rehabilitation facility resulted from the closure of Herkimer Memorial Hospital. Valley Health Services is a major health-care provider of long-term, sub-acute, rehabilitation, and adult day health care. It is a privately owned, not-for-prof-it organization. It has a comfortable, healthy environment with quali� ed sta� who place an equal emphasis on mind, body, and spirit. It is the leading provider of skilled nursing and rehabilitative services in Herkimer County.

Vision for the organization over the next 3-5 years: Valley Health Services strives to become the premier provider of adult living services, ensuring that all aspects of long-term care are available. It is o� ering its new, enriched housing option and an assisted-living program, in addition to the currently operated nursing home. The nursing home contains a designated short-term rehabilitation unit, outpatient reha-bilitation therapies, two adult day health care programs, and palliative care. VHS is achieving

its goal of providing the full continuum of long-term care services to the region.

New technology deployed at the facility: Valley Health Services uses state-of-the-art cardiac rehabilitation equipment, wound-vac therapy, and telemedicine.

CATEGORY: PHYSICIANS OF THE YEARAMIT DHAMOON, M.D., PH.D.

Describe your relevant work history, awards, and accomplishments: I attended medical school at SUNY Upstate Medical University and received a combined M.D. and Ph.D. in 2007. I subsequently trained at Massachusetts General Hospital for my internal medicine residency and currently work as an internist at SUNY Upstate.

What contributions have you made to your organization and to the community? The highlight of my day is working with the excellent internal medicine residents and students and

collaborating with the superb nursing sta� at our institution. I work as an associate program direc-tor for the Upstate Internal Medicine Residency Program and I also serve as the vice chair for quality for the Department of Medicine.

Why did you choose to work in the medi-cal � eld? My interest in medicine stems from growing up with the � nest physician I have ever worked with, my mother, who has changed countless lives in her career.

What is your greatest challenge? My great-est challenge is balancing my life as a physician, educator, father, and husband — all equally

important aspects of my life.

Who is your men-tor or the person who has helped direct your career? At SUNY Upstate I have relied on the mentorship of my friend and boss, Dr. Vincent Frechette, my department chair, Dr. Michael Ian-nuzzi, and the program director for our training program, Dr. Stephen Knohl.

KAREN BECKMAN, M.D. Describe your relevant work history, awards,

and accomplishments: CNY Family Care was founded in1999. I joined CNY Family Care in East Syracuse in 2006. I began my career as teaching faculty at St Joseph’s Hospital Health Center, and moved to private practice in 2003. I have been practicing family medicine for 17 years, and gradu-ated from St. Joseph’s Hospital Family Medicine Residency in 1998. I am a diplomat of American Board of Family Medicine since 1999, and a mem-ber of the American Academy of Family Physicians since 1999.

What contributions have you made to your organization and to the community? I have been a partner physician at CNY Family Care since 2013 and a member of the CNY Family Care-NCQA Certi� cation Team, certi� ed 2014. I have been an assistant clinical professor at SUNY Upstate Medical University since 1998. I am preceptor of

St Joseph’s Hospital Family Medicine Residency. Committees that I am involved with include the University of Rochester Title IX Women in Athletics, St. Joseph’s Hospital ACQA Primary Care Physi-cian Implementation, Community Board Service: Syracuse Hebrew Day School, Congregation Beth Sholom-Chevra Shas, Syracuse Jewish Federation Super Sunday Campaign, Paige’s Butter� y Run Team Co-Captain, and Relay for Life.

Why did you choose to work in the medical � eld? I have the ability to join scienti� c problem-solving skills while connecting with each patient on a personal level. Every single day I am grateful for a career so personally and intellectually rewarding.

What is your greatest challenge? Practicing excellent medicine, focusing on each patient, while allowing minimal interruption/corruption of the doctor-patient relationship from outside interests.

How do you spend your leisure time? Running, hiking, biking, reading, winter sports, vegetarian cooking, parenting.

Who is your mentor or the person who has helped direct your ca-reer? I have been strongly in� uenced by my parents — a pediatrician/emer-gency medicine physician and a nurse practitioner; I strive to emulate their integrity, honesty, and hard work. Also, Dr. Ken Kroopnick, a teaching pediatric physician in Albany, demonstrated true care and commitment to his patients and their families. He connected with patients, and strove to treat each of them as he would treat a family member. This level of car-ing and connection is so important in medicine, especially family medicine. These individuals each inculcated me with the ability to recognize and rejoice in our patients’ triumphs while supporting them through their struggles.

HealthCare Provider • Page 13October 24, 2014

excellence in health care awards 2014

category: community partners/advocates of the yearheaLth aLLiance physician orGaniZation

awards and accomplishments: Many similar physician organizations have come and gone, but the Health Alliance Physician Organization (HAPO) has proven again and again to be a valuable asset to its members. For the physicians, the organization’s secure, members-only website is a source of needed information on contracts and fee schedules as well as up-to-the-minute news from the health-care business world. Regularly sched-uled meetings for member practices provide a platform for guest speakers representing various entities such as health plans, regula-tory agencies, and information-technology experts to interact with and educate practice representatives, bringing their expertise to as-sist providers in the health-care evolution. The continuity of the staff — the same executive director since the founding of the organization and the other two staff members each serving for more than 10 years —serves to provide members with important historical informa-tion and perspective for our practices where change is a constant challenge.

contributions to the community: HAPO provides a conduit for information on the latest news on the “business” of health care

to be relayed to the providers and their staff. HAPO provides a resource center where questions can be asked and answers found by physicians, practice personnel, and HAPO staff. Understanding the intricacies and challenges of today’s health-care environment is necessary and crucial for every health-care provider today, and the HAPO searches out the ex-perts on any subject of interest to the health-care community and elicits valuable information, prepares tools, and supports practices as needed to utilize knowledge gained in order to improve and enhance patient care. HAPO assures its physician members are aware of in-novations, new regulations, and how physicians nationwide are meeting their patients’ needs and helps thereby assure its members do the same for their patients here in CNY.

Organization description: The HAPO has evolved over the past 20 years, from a focus on contracts and credentialing to that of advocacy and education for health-care pro-fessionals. Managing health-care resources is complex and ever-changing and never stands still. A staff of three manages the operation of the organization which serves almost 400 providers and 90-plus practices, with a goal of meeting the expressed needs of physicians

and their staff so they can focus on providing the best in patient care.

Vision for the organization over the next 3-5 years: The challenges of health care today make it imperative that the HAPO continue to assess the needs of providers in the region and work with available resources to antici-pate meeting those needs.

new technology used by the organiza-tion: We are building the infrastructure to be a Clinically Integrated Network (CIN) permitting all our members, in private practices, PCP and specialists, the hospitals, and other important sources of care and support for patients to seamlessly communicate to assure patient-centered care with ever-improving outcomes for patients.

heaLthy syracuse coaLition Organization description: The Healthy Syracuse

Coalition was initially founded in 2010 by the YMCA of Greater Syracuse and the Onondaga County Health Department. The acquisition of the Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) ACHIEVE (Action Com-munities for Health, Innovation, and Environmental change) grant was awarded to the YMCA of Greater Syracuse in 2010. This grant was part of the CDC’s Healthy Communities Program and provided both staff resources and funding for grant initiatives. To further the coalition’s commitment to community health, the YMCA Greater Syracuse received ad-ditional funding in 2013 through the CDC’s REACH (Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health) Initiative. The REACH initiative gives com-munities the opportunity to develop and implement initiatives to eliminate racial and ethnic disparities in health. Healthy Syracuse has led several successful efforts that address local community need.

the healthy syracuse coalition is a now a well-established and high-functioning collaboration of more than 25 key organizations in the community. The Coalition’s collaborative reach is further ex-tended through its working subcommittees in which additional community organizations participate.

contributions to the community: Healthy Syra-cuse has led several successful efforts that address local community need. Significant accomplishments include the implementation of a referral system to the local diabetes prevention program, establish-ment of a local worksite wellness effort, the imple-mentation of a local ordinance that limits smoking in city parks, and the implementation and support of policy/environmental changes in the local city school district, which are known as: The Healthy Syracuse Youth Wellness Initiative (2012-2014); Healthy Syracuse Tobacco Free Initiative; Healthy Syracuse Diabetes Prevention Initiative; and Healthy Syracuse Worksite Wellness Initiative (2012-2014).

Vision for the organization over the next 3-5 years: The Community Health Improvement Plan will serve as a guiding document for the work of Healthy Syracuse over the next 3-5 years. Coalition efforts will strive to address the health concerns and disparities as outlined in the Community Health Assessment. With this focus, the Healthy Syracuse Coalition will strive to facilitate community improvement to im-prove the overall health of our community.

research & marKetinG strateGies (rms)

company description: Research and Marketing Strategies, Inc. (RMS) is a full-service market-research firm located in Baldwinsville. Formed in 2002, RMS now works with clients all over the country, but maintains a strong presence in the Central New York area. RMS Healthcare, a division of RMS focuses on optimizing relationships with its health-care clients. It has made significant contributions to the health-care industry across the country and in the CNY area.

services: RMS Healthcare offers targeted health-care consulting and research services directed to the specialized needs of health-care clients, ultimately aimed to optimize practice efficiencies. RMS Healthcare develops custom-ized work plans to ensure successful achieve-ment of operational goals while maximizing use of technology as well as guidance and assisting in achieving operational goals to achieving Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH) recognition. This is a national recogni-

tion that requires rigorous certification of stan-dards and procedures. Our team works with hospitals, health-related facilities, and primary and specialty-care practices. RMS Healthcare has assisted more than 100 practices in their transformation journey to become a recog-nized Patient Centered Medical Home, which is the gold standard.

experience/clients: RMS Healthcare has more than 50 years of collective and proven experience in health-care practice transforma-tion, staff training and development, strate-gic planning, business-plan development, Community Health Needs Assessment, HIPAA training, and patient satisfaction measurement specific to the health-care industry. Its clients include physician practices, health-care deliv-ery systems, hospitals, physician organizations, and community health-care organizations.

research: RMS has provided community health needs assessments, image and aware-ness studies, focus groups, mystery shopping, and detailed analysis for counties, hospital, and health-care systems across Central New York. This research and consulting has helped them identify and improve their delivery of care

in numerous ways that have benefitted the community. RMS is also an approved vendor by the Center of Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to conduct the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) sur-vey administration. Approved survey vendors must adhere to strict protocols and processes in the survey administration to ensure that all patients are receiving the survey in a consis-tent manner to ensure accuracy. In 2013, RMS was recognized as one of the “largest patient satisfaction measurement firms” in the country, according to Modern Healthcare Magazine.

3pound heaLth, LLc company description: 3Pound Health is a

start-up health and wellness software company. Its goal is to empower individuals and engage communities to optimize their health through sustained behavior modification by focusing on the principles of human behavior and the power of connecting people by utilizing information in unique ways.

The company has developed Euco, a patient-engagement platform designed to expand the reach and impact of clinician-managed health and wellness programs. The platform is comprised of a clinician-focused web application, Euco Insight, which securely connects to a corresponding mobile application for patients, the Euco personal health manager. The solution reaches beyond patient engagement and provides a simple way to put clinicians’ advice in patients’ hands every day, giving insight into adherence.

company background: The company is a realization of a long-nurtured vision of Dr. Bob Corona (advisory board member) and Dr. Wendy Scinta (chief medical officer and advisory board member). After years of first-hand experience in the field, they envisioned a way technology could be used to help address behavior change, which they believe to be the single greatest determinant of health and yet the most difficult health variable to assess, quantify, and influence. At the core of 3Pound Health is the belief that by empowering individuals, we can influence healthy behavior across entire communities.

This vision was made possible by business leader and entrepreneur, Jud Gostin, who had the desire to invest in the CNY community in the fields of health care and technology. The company is led by President and CEO Brian Buys who has years of experience in the clinical and business end of health care. Evident by Buys’ leadership over a 2-year time period, 3Pound

Health has grown from an idea into a company with 12 employees and a commercially available software platform (Euco).

new technology developed and/or used by the company: The company developed a patient-engagement platform designed to en-hance the patient-clinician interaction for exist-ing health and wellness programs and practices, while recognizing the value of the patient-clini-cian relationship. The Euco platform includes the EucoTM Personal Health Manager, mobile app for patients/participants which securely connects to Euco InsightTM, a web-based coaching dash-board for clinicians to set up health plans and to manage participants in their programs.

impact of new technology developed by the company: An IRB-approved, 16-week feasibility study was performed at Medical Weight Loss of NY, PLLC in the fall of 2013 to assess the utilization of the Euco platform in a clinical setting.

contributions to the community: As part

of 3Pound Health’s mission and vision, the company is passionate about creating healthier communities with the help of technology and focusing that initiative in the Central New York region. One initiative 3Pound Health is working on is making Euco freely available to wellness programs already taking place within these organizations, in order to pilot new markets and generate additional user feedback.

category: innovations in heaLth care

Page 14 • HealthCare Provider October 24, 2014

excellence in health care awards 2014

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category: INNOVATIONS IN HEALTH CAREPENNY ABULENCIA

describe your career: As a registered nurse, I have enjoyed to date a wonderful career filled

with opportunity. I served at Crouse Hospital for 20-plus years, serving as vice president for patient services for the last five years of my tenure. During that time, I formulated my care philosophy and my belief that the way to success is to advocate for an innovative work

environment where employees can flourish while maintaining the structure needed to ensure that quality care/service is being delivered.

who were your mentors?: Jim Maher, president of Crouse, and Marilyn Baader, RN, EVP, were instrumental in giving me the opportunity to lead and implement new ideas, such as the first Recovery Care Center in the area allowing for 24-hour discharge and a second surgery center at Madison Irving, allowing for the expansion of ambulatory surgery. I also led a project with the local area ophthalmologists and Crouse Hospital with a 50/50 partnership to bring laser surgery for vision correction to Syracuse called LaserView.

what contributions have you made to your organization and to the community?: In 2001, Jim Introne, president of Loretto at the time, asked me to manage the PACE program, an all-inclusive care of elders is a federal program that operates in cooperation with New York State. In 1994, this innovated program championed by Loretto in cooperation with St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center was one of only four in New York state (now eight). This program currently serves

475 individuals in two locations. Over the last 14 years, the size of the program has doubled. Lo-retto has worked in cooperation with Christopher Community to apply for and be awarded two 202 apartment houses (for a total of four) where elders who qualify can receive services while living independently. The third PACE Center to be situated between the two O’Brien Apartments is planned for 2020.

what other key initiatives have you worked on in your field? I served on the Medicaid Rede-sign Work Force team in 2010 as the Department of Health (DOH) began to implement moving all people receiving long-term-care services into managed care. I continue to be involved politi-cally at both the state and federal levels.

In April of this year, the McAuliffe PACE Center will relocate from the main campus into a new 38,000-square-foot facility with the opportunity to double capacity over the next five to eight years. This is the culmination of five years of planning.

I worked with Housing Vision in partnership to build Forest View on Fayette Street, a tax-credit facility. This one-of-a-kind arrangement provides family-style living for 14 PACE participants where aide service is available 24/7. This model is a fore-runner to the Cottage at Garden Grove currently opening in Cicero Commons.

I am most proud of the wonderful group of PACE/Licensed Agency employees. A sur-vey completed by the DOH on all managed long-term-care plans, including MAP and PACE participants found our participants rated the plan at 98 percent, receiving the highest score in 2010; in 2012, at 96 percent, again obtaining the highest score of “rating of health plan” (state wide average 85 percent). In data recently released, we tied with a MAP plan for the highest rating at 89 percent.

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HealthCare Provider • Page 15October 24, 2014

EXCELLENCE IN HEALTH CARE AWARDS 2014

CATEGORY: NURSE OF THE YEAR CATEGORY: DENTIST OF THE YEARTRAVIS DeBOIS

Relevant work history, awards, and accomplishments: In 2010, I graduated from Cayuga Community College with an associate degree in nursing. Following graduation, I was hired by Upstate Medical University

to work on the Neurological Step Down Intensive Care Unit. During my � rst two years on the unit, I was a preceptor to new hires, was a member of the

Nurse Residency Advisory and Shared Governance committees and also completed my bachelor’s degree in nursing at Roberts Wesleyan College. In 2012, my nursing journey brought me to the Community Campus of Upstate Medical, where I currently work as a sta� / shift coordinator in the Radiology Department. I currently sit on the 3RPN committee at the Community Campus and am scheduled to be inducted into the Omicron Alpha chapter of the

Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau in November of 2014. I am cur-rently working on my master’s degree in nursing with a major in family nurse practitioner and a minor in nursing education, and am scheduled to gradu-ate in the spring of 2016.

Contributions made to the orga-nization and the community: Over the years, I have been a volunteer at the Mathew House in Auburn, with the Knights of Columbus Council 207, as well as a volunteer at the Tomato Fest which bene� ts the food pantry of Cayuga County.

Why did you to choose the medi-cal � eld? I � rst contemplated a career in the medical � eld after being dis-charged from the U.S. Army. I thought that I was going to take care of our troops after they returned home from overseas.

What is your greatest challenge? The greatest challenge for me is to never to fail as a father or husband. I continuously have the challenge of balancing work and school while continuing to make my home life my priority.

How do you spend your leisure time? I spend my leisure time with my

3-year-old son Ashton, my 1-year-old son Camden, and my wife Tara. We spend as much time together as a family as we possibly can. We really enjoy traveling. The remaining leisure time I have is spent with my two older brothers on the � shing bank, playing golf, working on my house, or sitting in a tree stand.

Who have been your mentors? I have been mentored throughout my young nursing career in every position. I have had the opportunity to work for a couple di� erent managers, and one director while at Upstate and have taken things away from all of them. The people whom I would call my life mentors were my grandparents Bob and Dorothy Mekeel. He was a man who worked within the community and was always respected by all, and she was a loving housewife who was dedicated to her religion. He taught me to be a man, how to respect myself and others. She taught me to worship the Lord. His kindness and compassion for helping others came with no bias and he implemented that in me. His genuine character is something that I try to implement every day when I’m at work.

RICHARD A. KONYS, JR., D.M.D.Relevant work history, awards, and accom-

plishments: I returned to Central New York in 1988 after completing my post-graduate studies and sur-gical training in Boston. Although the majority of my career has been in private practice, I was a member of the sta� at the Health Services Association from 1993-1998.

Why did you to choose the medical � eld? I come from a health-care family. My mother is a retired registered nurse, and my father is a retired physician. So it really is no surprise I would also � nd myself in a health-related � eld. However, as an art major in college, I just happened to take an unusual path to get there.

What is your greatest challenge? My greatest daily challenge is that despite the stress of the job, I must always remember that I am treating someone that is generally frightened and would rather be anywhere else but in my o� ce. So I must always be upbeat and positive regardless of how I actually may be feeling. I liken it to performing 30 one-act plays a day, without a bad performance.

How do you spend your leisure time? My leisure time is best spent with family and friends or sitting on a beach — preferably one with no cell-phone service.

Who is your mentor or the person who helped direct your career? In the � eld of oral and maxillofacial surgery, my mentor is Dr. Donald Booth. A brilliant and skilled surgeon, for some reason, he took me under his wing and taught me everything. But in life, my mentors are my mom and dad. My father taught me the meaning of hard work and relentless dedication to my career, and my mother taught me to put the wants and needs of others in front of my own.

THE JUDGESELIZABETH HARTIGAN SUNY Upstate Medical University

Elizabeth Hartigan has been a registered nurse since 2008. As a nurse of � ve years, she started her career at St. Joseph’s Hospital in a medical/surgical unit. After working there for six months, she then moved to Ver-

mont to work in the surgical ICU at Fletcher Allen Hospital. After a year, she and her husband moved back home to Syracuse. She then chose a job in the Coronary Care ICU at Upstate. Hartigan has been at Upstate for four years. She started as a bedside RN, was promoted to a patient service leader after a year and a half, and then promoted to the trainer of the unit shortly after that. She was recently promoted to Medical ICU Unit manager. During Hartigan’s initial two years at Upstate, she obtained her BSN and CCRN. Hartigan is currently working toward her MBA in health care and anticipates a graduation date of May 2015. Along with three other nurses on her unit, she helped create the community education group called Strong Women Strong Hearts. It holds an annual event in February, which is free to the public and educates women on the number one killer heart disease.

ANITA ROBERTS & ERIN REESE Mercy Flight Central

Anita Roberts’ introduction to the medical industry began in October 2005 when she joined Mercy

Flight Central as the company’s human-resources manager. Previously, she worked in the IT industry for 13 years. She gained experience � rst in administra-tion and human resources, then moved into the marketing and communications � eld. In addi-tion to her human-resources role at Mercy Flight Central, Roberts has also been involved in the Development Department — bringing her past knowledge of corporate marketing and event planning to fundraising e� orts

for the nonpro� t. As the human-resources manager, her focus was on the recruitment, selection, and hiring of nurse and paramedic applicants as future potential air medical professionals.

Erin Reese came up through the ranks in the emergency medical profession at an early age. She worked as an EMT prior to attending nursing school. After graduating as an RN, Reese worked in emergency departments in Geneva, Canandaigua, Rochester, and Washington, D.C., before settling into a � ight nurse position at Mercy Flight Central (MFC) in 2003. At MFC, medical � ight teams provide peer-to-peer feedback on every patient encounter via the quality assurance committee. Reese � rst served on and then chaired this committee. From QA chair, she was asked to step up to serve as the clinical manager. In this position for a short period, her colleagues saw her natural leadership abilities and promoted her to program director, the position she now holds.

THERESA CANGEMI Medicare Made Simple, LLC

Theresa Cangemi is president and director of sales & marketing of a business that helps a growing gen-eration of retirees understand the Medicare system

and their options. As an indepen-dent agent and consultant, she is a specialist in the Medicare � eld and calls her business “Medicare Made Simple.”

Cangemi believes in educat-ing those eligible for Medicare

on how the system works, then discussing and comparing other Medicare options such as Medicare Advantage plans, Medicare Supplement plans (aka: Medigap), and Prescription Drug plans. Cangemi’s clients a� ectionately call her “The Medicare Lady.”She has more than 18 years in the insurance industry.

Cangemi educates and enrolls those eligible for Medicare either one-on-one or in a group setting, and she o� ers Medicare plans from several carriers. She also o� ers long-term-care insurance, life insur-ance, dental, and � nal expense (burial) insurance; and recently became certi� ed to o� er the New York State of Health insurance exchange plans.

Cangemi is a graduate of Le Moyne College with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a minor in marketing. In April 2012, she earned her certi� ed senior advisor (CSA) designation given by the Society of Certi� ed Senior Advisors. In August 2012, she earned her certi� cation in long term care (CLTC) designation.

JAMIE WATERSTRIPE SUNY Upstate Medical University

I have been a registered nurse since 2004. As a nurse of 10 years, I started my career at Community General Hospital in the orthopedics unit. After working there for six years, I then chose a job in the Coro-

nary Care ICU at Upstate. I have been at Upstate for 4 years, starting as a bedside RN and promoted to a patient service leader after a year. I serve on many patient safety and quality committees ensuring the best care of our patients. I am currently working on my bachelor’s degree in nursing with an expected graduation date of August 2015. I am also currently studying to take the CCRN exam next month. Along with three other nurses on my unit, we created the community education group Strong Women Strong Hearts. Strong Women Strong Hearts holds an an-nual event in February that is free to the public and educates women on the number one killer, heart disease. In the past three years, we have educated approximately 800 women in the Central New York community and look forward to many more.

HealthCare Provider • Page 15October 24, 2014

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Page 16 • HealthCare Provider October 24, 2014

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