healthcare happenings december 2011

The War on

Bacteria and Hospital-

Acquired Infections

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Employee News + Lifestyle Magazine

C A M P A I G N F O R Q U A L I T Y C E L E B R A T E S 1 0 T H A N N I V E R S A R Y P A G E 1 3

Bariatric Center of Excellence Recognized #1PG 8

FSLH’s OB Care Center Welcomes LaboristsPG 18

Technology Helps Local Marine See Daughter’s BirthPG 22

Scott H. Perra, FACHEPresident/CEO

Keeping our patients and residents safe is what we do. This past year we initiated ‘Safety First.’ As you enjoy this publication of Healthcare Happenings you will see some of the ways our dedication to safe care is changing the organization.

Our entire healthcare team has been waging a war against bacteria and hospital-acquired infections. For those of you who have been in the hospital lately, as a patient or a visitor, you may have noticed our practice of having caregivers and family members wear gowns, gloves and sometimes face masks when caring for patients with bacterial infections. Read on to learn more about our actions and the excellent results. Just the simple task of good hand wash-ing makes a difference in the spread of germs. To spread the message about the importance of hand hygiene, FSLH’s creative team including Aspiring Leaders participants developed a video called ‘Spread the Word, Not the Germ.’ Yes, we are on YouTube with our story!

Also under our safety initiative are the bariatric surgery and breast imaging programs. We are pleased to report that we have been recognized by HealthGrades as the number one Bariatric Surgery Program in New York State. That designation is a testament to the expertise and commitment of our surgeons, nurses and support team. The same applies to our radiolo-gists, mammographers and their team who worked diligently to receive the American College of Radiology (ACR) designation as the area’s only ACR Breast Imaging Center of Excellence.

As we enjoy this holiday season we are reminded of loved ones who can’t be home to celebrate with family and friends. Our story about the birth of a beautiful baby girl and the op-portunity our staff created for her father, who was stationed in Afghanistan, to be present via Skype at her birth, shows how technology can bring families together.

Wishing you a happy holiday season and a healthy new year,

A Message From the CEO

Our entire healthcare team has been

waging a war against bacteria and

hospital-acquired infections.

2 H e a l t h c a r e H a p p e n i n g s M a g a z i n e

Vice President of Communications and MarketingDebra Altdoerffer

Communications SpecialistErin Gigliotti

Graphic DesignerJustin Palmer

WebmasterStephanie Barone

Web Content SpecialistJacquie Klotzbach

Healthcare Happenings is a publication of the Communications and Marketing Department of Faxton St. Luke’s Healthcare.

This publication is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as medical advice. It has not been designed to replace a physician’s medical assessment and medical judgment. Always consult first with your physician about anything related to your health.

Send correspondence regarding address changes to: Communications and Marketing DepartmentFaxton St. Luke’s Healthcare1676 Sunset Avenue Utica, NY 13502-5475

If you do not wish to receive this publication or have questions, please contact Debra Altdoerffer at 315.624.5716 or e-mail at [email protected].

Check us out at www.faxtonstlukes.com

Our Mission: To provide the highest quality health care in our region.

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8 Faxton St. Luke’s Healthcare’sBariatric Center of Excellence recognized as number one in New York State by HealthGrades in 2011.

By Aida Mariani

Feature Story

The War on Bacteria and Hospital-Acquired InfectionsThis year, Faxton St. Luke’s Healthcare initiated ‘Safety

First’ to create a greater awareness of patient safety.

Safety First isn’t a campaign or a slogan; it is how

we care for our patients.

By Erin Gigliotti

ContentsCampaign for Quality Celebrates 10th AnniversaryMore than 460 physicians, healthcare workers, students and community members from across New York State attended this educational event.By Erin Gigliotti

The Area’s Only ACR Breast Imaging Center of ExcellenceFSLH also offers a Breast Patient Navigator program to patients.By Erin Gigliotti & Aida Mariani

OB Care Center Welcomes LaboristsOB/GYN Hospitalist Program provides 24/7 support for Labor and Delivery Unit and OB Care Center.By Jacquie Klotzbach

Technology Helps Local Marine See Daughter’s BirthBy Aida Mariani

The Patient’s Journey Home Begins with Subacute Rehabilitation at St. Luke’s HomeFor many who suffer an unexpected illness or injury, they are left wondering if their life will forever be changed. It’s not until they come to Subacute Rehabilitation at St. Luke’s Home that returning home is a reality within their reach.By Jacquie Klotzbach

In Every Issue

26 Medical Staff Announcements

30 Patient Letters

The

WARon Bacteria & Hospital-Acquired InfectionsThis year, Faxton St. Luke’s Healthcare initiated ‘Safety First’ to create a greater awareness of patient safety. Safety First isn’t a campaign or a slogan; it is how we care for our patients.

By Erin Gigliotti

Imagine if police in your neighborhood were trying to locate a suspect, but the suspect was invisible. This would make the job nearly impossible and you proba-bly wouldn’t be able to fall asleep at night feeling secure in your home. Well this is what Faxton St. Luke’s Healthcare (FSLH) employees do on a daily basis when try-ing to keep bacteria such as Clostridium Difficile (C. diff ) and Methicillin Resis-tant Staph Aureus (MRSA) out of patient

rooms. It’s not an easy job, but with a number of precautions our employees and medical staff have been taking, we have been able to reduce C. diff and MRSA rates and keep our patients, visitors, employees and providers safe.

C. diff and MRSA are bacteria that can be spread easily from an infected patient by the hands of healthcare work-ers or by equipment that is contaminated with the bacteria. In January of 2011, the

hospital made it mandatory for any-one entering a patient’s room that is on contact precautions to wash their hands, wear an isolation gown and put on gloves, even if they do not come in contact with the patient.

“It only takes one person not wearing a gown and gloves to pass bacteria such as MRSA or C. diff from one patient to another,” said Mary Beth Dowling, BSN, RN, nurse manager for ICU/CCU and 2


The

WARon Bacteria & Hospital-Acquired InfectionsThis year, Faxton St. Luke’s Healthcare initiated ‘Safety First’ to create a greater awareness of patient safety. Safety First isn’t a campaign or a slogan; it is how we care for our patients.

By Erin Gigliotti

West. “Requiring everyone to wear gowns and gloves protects everyone. It supports our hospital’s safety and quality goals by keeping patients safe.”

Spread the Word, Not the GermAccording to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the number one way to prevent the spread of infections is to practice good hand hygiene. To empha-size the importance of hand washing no

matter where you are or what you’re doing in the hospital, members of FSLH’s Aspir-ing Leaders put together a music video titled “Spread the Word, Not the Germ.”

The video, which can be seen on www.youtube.com/faxtonstlukes, encour-ages everyone to either use an alcohol-based sanitizer or soap and water for 15 seconds to wash their hands. The message is brought to life with dancing, smiles, and even a show-stopping conga line to

demonstrate how easy it is to prevent the spread of infection simply by washing your hands and doing it often, making it a routine.

“I have young children at home so I know how important it is to properly wash my hands to prevent bringing any germs home, or bringing any of their germs to work with me” said Jerry Plows, Relation-ship-Based Care coordinator, who worked closely with the group of Aspiring Leaders

H e a l t h c a r e H a p p e n i n g s M a g a z i n e 5

to see this project go from idea to reality. “Aspiring Leaders and FSLH’s purpose is to not only serve the patients, but ourselves, co-workers and medical staff. This video inspires anyone who sees it!”

More Private Patient RoomsIn recent months, FSLH has had the opportunity to restructure our delivery of inpatient care including the addition of more private patient rooms.

Private patient rooms help reduce the risk of infection because patients are no longer cohorted with another patient. It creates a better patient experience for the patient, their family, providers and employees. With the new configuration we move from 41 percent private rooms to 67 percent.

The Infection Prevention Team recently attended the New York Organization

of Nurse Executives (NYONE) Annual Leadership Conference in Tarrytown,

New York. At the conference, which took place November 6 through 8, 2011,

they were awarded a best practice award in the Central New York category

for their Catheter Associated Urinary Tract Infections Reduction Team. Since

implementing this team, FSLH has seen a 25 percent overall reduction of UTIs

facility wide and the rate continues to decline.

Environmental Services Hard at WorkNo matter how many private patient rooms we have, they are not effective if the rooms aren’t kept clean with the proper disin-fectants and equipment. Environmental Services staff is extra careful about cleaning patients’ rooms, making sure to hit every high-touch area and use bleach when necessary since bleach is the preferred product for killing C. diff spores.

“Our Environmental Services team takes their jobs very seriously because they know the important role they play in the Safety First initiative at FSLH,” said Jordan Little, general manager of Hospitality Services at FSLH. “In fact, many of our staff members had to buy new work shirts because their shirts got ruined from all of the bleach they have been using to sanitize patient rooms. We work diligently with the nursing floors to keep our hospital clean and infection-free.”

Soap and Water is Sometimes BestIt even comes down to the little things such as posting a sign on the hand sanitizer dispensers in each C. diff room encour-aging staff and visitors to use soap and water instead of hand sanitizer since that is the best way to rinse away C. diff spores. Sarah Bugbee, RN, BSN, nurse clinician, along with the staff on 2 West, started this initiative that has been rolled out to the entire hospital to remind staff and visitors that soap and water is best in certain situations.

“Our hospital staff on every unit has done a great job owning the safety initiatives we have put in place to make sure we are providing the best quality care possible to patients,” said Scott H. Perra, FACHE, president/CEO of FSLH. “By being consistent, taking ownership and not being afraid to remind someone to put on a gown and gloves or wash their hands, it becomes second

(Left to right) Heather Bernard, Barb Folger and Mary Boyd, with the poster they presented at the New York Organization of Nurse Executives (NYONE) Annual Leadership Conference.

(Above) Dr. James Bramley, Infection Prevention officer, washes his hands and puts on a gown and gloves before entering a patient room.


“By being consistent, taking ownership and not being afraid to remind someone to put on a gown

and gloves or wash their hands, it becomes second nature for physicians and employees to take

precautions when entering a patient room.” - Scott H. Perra, FACHE, president/CEO of FSLH

nature for physicians and employees to take precautions when entering a patient room.”

Reducing Hospital-Acquired InfectionsAs a result of all the hard work our staff has done to reduce the spread of bacteria and hospital-acquired infections, our Stool NIMs (the marker for hospital acquired C. diff ) rates from March to September 2010 were compared to October 2010 to Septem-ber 2011 and our hospital has seen a 31 percent decrease in Stool NIMs from baseline to active. This means that during this timeframe, 67 patients were prevented from acquiring C. diff, more than $278,700 was avoided in additional direct costs and 516 hospital days were prevented. And not only are we saving money, but we are earning extra reimbursement as well. Because our Stool NIMs rates have dropped, FSLH has made Quality Leaders status with Excellus BlueCross BlueShield. This means that our hospital will receive approximately $10 in additional

reimbursement per each Excellus patient we care for throughout 2012.

“From October 2010 though September 2011 we’ve seen a reduction in the number of patients colonized or infected with resistant organisms such as MRSA or C. diff,” said Dr. JamesBramley, Infection Prevention officer. “We believe that manda-tory isolation gowns, gloves and hand washing may be contrib-uting to this improvement. It is important that we continue to follow these safety initiatives in order to improve outcomes for patients. It’s all about Safety First.”

Our ability to provide an exceptional patient experience is greatly enhanced by the safety changes we are making. These changes, and how we set up our plan of care, help us to continu-ally provide a safe environment that delivers quality care by an experienced and compassionate team. FSLH’s mission is to provide the highest quality health care in our region and based on our C. diff statistics, we are headed in the right direction.



Sixty-two-year-old Linda Glennon’s weight had contributed to a host of health problems including high blood pressure, diabetes, depression, uterine cancer, asthma, high cholesterol, acid reflux and sleep apnea.

“I wasn’t sleeping through the night, was on a lot of medications and couldn’t even work in my garden without getting out of breath or tired,” she said.

Obesity is a serious, chronic disease affecting more than 93 million Americans, with more than 15 million of those being morbidly obese, says Jennifer Pekola, RN, bariatric coordinator of Faxton St. Luke’s Healthcare’s Bariatric Center of Excellence. “Every day more than 1,000 people in the United States will die from obesity and its health-related conditions,” she adds.

After much research and soul searching, Glennon decided it was time to take her health into her own hands and opted for a Laparoscopic Roux Y Gastric Bypass performed by Dr. William Graber, the medical director of the Bariatric Surgery Program at FSLH.

Recognized as number one in New York State by HealthGrades in 2011 By Aida Mariani


Dr. Graber is a board certified surgeon specializing in minimally invasive surgery, and has performed more than 3,000 gastric bypasses. Glennon was in and out of the hospital in days, and her whole life was about to change.

FSLH is the number one ranked bariatric hospital in New York State in 2011 and is among the top five percent of hospi-tals in the nation for its Bariatric Surgery Program with a 5-star rating by HealthGrades in 2011. FSLH is also a recipient of the HealthGrades Bariatric Surgery Excellence Award for the fourth consecutive year (2007-2011).

HealthGrades notes that bariatric surgery patients have a nearly 70 percent lower risk of experiencing an in-hospital com-plication at a top-rated hospital such as FSLH after analyzing 193,518 bariatric surgery patients from 2007 to 2009.

“We are very proud of this accomplishment,” said Scott H. Perra, FACHE, president/CEO of FSLH. “Our physicians, surgical team, nurses and support team have worked hard to achieve a successful and safe Bariatric Surgery Program for our patients.”

The successful program at FSLH has helped Glennon begin a new chapter in her life.

“I started my new life journey at 62 and haven’t looked back,” she said. “People tell me I smile a lot these days. I have a whole new life, free of extra weight and pain; my diabetes and sleep apnea have gone away.”

Today, Glennon is only four pounds from her goal weight. She has gone from a size 22 to a size 14. “I’m enjoying the questioning looks on people’s faces who aren’t quite sure if they know me or not...and then their smiles when they say ‘My gosh! Linda?’,” she said.

Despite her success, Glennon maintains a realistic per-spective of what it means to achieve a healthy weight. She still enjoys going out to eat with her husband, but now brings home leftovers, and she exercises by doing things she enjoys, like working in her garden. “I was able to plant my huge vegetable garden this year without once groaning,” she said. “Since the surgery, I live more comfortably with myself.”

And her future looks bright. She is already planning to run or walk in a race in 2012 and is anticipating the day when she can begin to ride horses once again.

“I have tons of energy now – I plan to use it!” said Glennon.

Bariatric Surgery ProgramFounded in 2002, the Bariatric Surgery Program located at the St. Luke’s Campus of FSLH performs an average of 60 proce-dures a month. The hospital is a designated Center of Excel-lence by the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS).

“Bariatric surgery is a life-changing procedure,” said William A. Graber, MD, FACS, founder of the Bariatric Surgery Program at FSLH who practices along with Dmitri V. Baranov, MD, PhD. “Candidates are evaluated on multiple health factors, including physical and emotional well-being. Informed and dedicated patients have the greatest chance for success.”

I started my new life journey at 62 and

haven’t looked back. People tell me I

smile a lot these days.

I have a whole new life, free of extra

weight and pain.

H e a l t h c a r e H a p p e n i n g s M a g a z i n e 1 1

Types of Weight Loss SurgeryFSLH doctors perform both gastric bypass surgery and adjust-able gastric band surgery, two of the most widely practiced types of weight loss surgery.

During gastric bypass surgery, the stomach is stapled in two sections, creating a small pouch that serves as the “new” stomach. The new stomach limits the amount of food intake and provides patients with the familiar feeling of fullness. The pouch is connected directly to the small intestine.

In adjustable gastric band surgery, a silicone band is placed around the upper part of the stomach, creating a small pouch. The pouch fills after consuming only a few small bites of food. The silicone band is connected to a port that is placed just under the skin in the abdominal wall. Adjustments can be made to the band through this port. Saline solution is added or removed to the band’s inflatable inner surface to adjust its tightness.

About HealthGradesHealthGrades is America’s most trusted, independent source of physician information and hospital quality outcomes. Health-Grades online properties are the nation’s leading destination for physician search and empower more than 200 million consum-ers annually to make informed health care decisions.

FSLH’s Bariatric Surgery Program offers:

Nurses, social workers, therapists, pharmacists, case managers

and other clinical experts who specialize in the care of weight

loss surgery patients

Registered dietitians who provide pre-operative and post-

operative diet education and counseling

Education and support in which family and friends can

participate in individual educational sessions

Physical and occupational therapists that provide education

regarding exercise tolerance, improving mobility, work and

leisure activities and assistive devices as needed

A comprehensive patient guide for patients to follow from

pre-operative consultation through the post-operative period

A support group where you can share your experiences with

other weight loss surgery patients.


Bariatric Patients Breathe Easier with CPAP TherapyBy Jacquie KlotzbachBariatric patients prone to sleep apnea syndrome can now rest easier following surgery. FSLH recently purchased 19 new i-Sleep Continuous Positive Air-way Pressure (CPAP) units. These machines provide “forced” airflow at a given pressure to patients’ airways keeping the airway open to prevent collapse while sleeping.

“The i-Sleep machines are able to detect and monitor the patients’ needs for more or less airway pressure and self-adjust accordingly,” said Gerald Vallese, BS, RRT, registered respiratory therapist for FSLH.

CPAP therapy is especially important for post-bariatric surgery patients because their risk for sleep apnea is increased by the influence of anesthesia and certain pain medications.

“The most common question patients ask is ‘Do I really need this?’” said Vallese. “And the answer is yes! The benefits of CPAP therapy far outweigh the mild discomforts associated with use.”

Patients Now One Click Closer to Achieving Weight Loss GoalsVisit the new www.bariatricexcellence.com to learn more about FSLH’s award winning Bariatric Surgery Program. Find out why quality matters when choosing a weight loss surgery facility and the reasons FSLH was named HealthGrades’ #1 weight loss program in New York State for 2011. Tour the site to meet our surgeons and support staff, use interactive tools to see if surgery is an option for you or contact us directly through the site to schedule a consultation. It’s easy to see why FSLH is the patient’s best choice for success.

By Erin Gigliotti

A N N I V E R S A R Y

C E L E B R A T E S


More than 460 physicians, healthcare workers, students and community members

from across New York State attended this educational event.

By Erin Gigliotti

A N N I V E R S A R Y


“Through programs like Campaign For Quality, we are able to support a future where lifelong edu-cation, excellence in healthcare and maintaining good health endures.” - Dr. Daniel Kopp, chief medical officer for FSLH

On October 14 and 15, 2011, FSLH’s Campaign For Quality celebrated its 10th anniversary with more than 460 physicians, healthcare workers, students and community members from across New York State. This popular program held at Hamilton College in Clinton, New York, featured national and local experts who pre-sented on current trends in healthcare, quality improve-ment topics and patient safety initiatives.

Our community’s health is a shared responsibil-ity, shared by patients, their families, providers, our hospital staff and caregivers. This year’s Campaign For Quality gave participants an understanding of how we can all work together for the benefit of a healthy com-munity and provided information about what other organizations and communities are doing to improve patient care and safety.

“This was our most successful Campaign For Qual-ity to date,” said Dr. Daniel Kopp, chief medical officer for FSLH. “First-rate speakers from national and re-gional speaking circuits shared up-to-date information that will directly impact the quality of health care in our community. Through programs like this one, we are able to support a future where lifelong education, excellence in healthcare and maintaining good health endures.”

On Friday, October 14, keynote speaker Linda Ken-ney presented her story “Patient Safety From a Patient Perspective.” After nearly losing her life as the result of

Campaign For Quality committee members James Frederick, MD (left) and Daniel Kopp, MD (right) with speakers Kenneth Sands, MD (second to left) and Jack Silversin, DMD, DrPH (second to right).

Keynote speaker Scott Griffith presents “The Price We Pay for Expecting Perfection– How a ‘Blame and Shame’ Culture Harms Our Patients” on Saturday at Campaign For Quality.

an adverse medical event, Linda Kenney spoke about the need for support for patients, family members and clinicians after a medically induced trauma oc-curs. Throughout the day, 15 one-hour sessions were offered. Participants selected the sessions they at-tended based on their interests. Topics included heart disease; horizontal violence; CPR; stroke management; prostate cancer management; infection prevention; nutrition; hyperglycemia, and one person’s journey and triumph over tongue cancer.

Speakers on Saturday included keynote speaker Scott Griffith, who’s presentation “The Price We Pay for Expecting Perfection – How a ‘Blame and Shame’ Culture Harms Our Patients” discussed the need for a Just Culture in hospitals. Jack Silversin, DMD, DrPH, talked about how engaging physicians can transform healthcare and Kenneth Sands, MD, presented on what hospitals and employees can do to eliminate prevent-able harm.

Campaign For Quality is coordinated by the KAF Center for Continuous Learning at FSLH and is sponsored by FSLH, FSLH Medical Staff, St. Elizabeth Medical Center Medical Staff, Iroquois Healthcare, the American Heart Association, Go Red for Women and Slocum-Dickson Foundation.

For information about the event and speaker presentations, visit www.campaignforquality.com.


The Area’s Only ACR Breast Imaging

Center of ExcellenceFSLH also offers a Breast Patient Navigator program to patients

By Erin Gigliotti & Aida Mariani


There is strength in numbers and at Faxton St. Luke’s Healthcare’s Regional Cancer Center, a team approach is taken to care for patients. We offer a full array of breast care services including digital mammography, surgery, medical and radiation oncology services and support through our Breast Patient Navigator pro-gram. We are also pleased to announce our designation as a Breast Imaging Cen-ter of Excellence by the American College of Radiology (ACR).

Breast Imaging Center of ExcellenceFSLH is the only Breast Imaging Center of Excellence in the Mohawk Valley and one of a few in the upstate region. For hospitals and health systems, earning breast imaging accreditation is not easy. The ACR bases the designation on several factors and the healthcare facilities must pass rigorous, though voluntary, breast imaging accreditation programs and modules.

“As a Breast Imaging Center of Excel-lence, we offer the highest quality of standards to diagnose breast cancer,” said Sean Whip, RT(R), CT, director of Medical Imaging at FSLH. “Our technologists have been trained by a world-renowned mam-mographer and our radiologists are the only physicians in the Mohawk Valley that have specialized advanced breast imaging training. Our staff is committed to provid-ing exceptional care to our patients and our work to be named a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence demonstrates that.”

By awarding facilities the status of a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence, the ACR recognizes breast imaging centers that have earned accreditation in mam-mography, stereotactic breast biopsy and breast ultrasound (including ultrasound-guided breast biopsy). Peer-review evalu-ations, conducted in each breast imaging modality by board-certified physicians and medical physicists who are experts in the field, have determined that FSLH has achieved high practice standards in image quality, personnel qualifications, facility equipment, quality control procedures and quality assurance programs.

The ACR is a national professional organization serving more than 34,000

diagnostic/interventional radiologists, radiation oncologists, nuclear medicine physicians, and medical physicists with programs focusing on the practice of medical imaging and radiation oncol-ogy and the delivery of comprehensive health care services.

Breast Patient Navigator ProgramEach day Suzy Burns, RN, is building relationships with breast cancer patients.

As a breast patient navigator and registered nurse at The Regional Cancer Center, she is specially trained to co-ordinate the clinical, educational and

supportive needs of patients who are either facing a possible breast cancer diagnosis or are newly diagnosed with breast cancer.

“Breast cancer is a complex disease,” Burns said. “You have several courses of treatment with multiple physicians that will care for you. You may need to decipher clinical language that is com-monly used, and will need to coordinate numerous appointments. It’s my job to assist with the plan of care and serve as a resource that patients can always con-nect back to. Our goal is to offer seamless coordinated care so patients and their families can focus their energy on getting well - not just on difficult details of a can-cer diagnosis and its treatment that can be so overwhelming.”

Burns is located at the Faxton Cam-pus at The Comprehensive Breast Care Center and she serves as an expert guide in all aspects of breast care. From the time of an abnormal mammogram, she is available providing education, support and assistance in comprehensive breast care all at no charge to patients in the community.

For more information about the Breast Patient Navigator program at The Regional Cancer Center please call 315.624.5764.

“Our goal is to offer seamless coor-

dinated care so patients and their

families can focus their energy on

getting well - not just on difficult

details of a cancer diagnosis and

its treatment that can be so

overwhelming.” - Suzy Burns, RN

Suzy Burns, RN, breast patient navigator, is an expert guide in all aspects of breast care.

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The Birthplace has launched an OB/GYN Hospitalist Program, frequently referred to as a Laborist Program. The program will provide care for the nearly 1,700 women followed in the OB Care Center (OBCC) and assist private practice OB/GYN physicians whenever needed.

Five laborists will share 24/7 in-house coverage on the Labor and Delivery Unit, serving the OBCC and unassigned patient populations, as well as covering the Emergency Department.

The coverage enhances patient safety and provides greater stability to a busy practice. Patients won’t have to wait for a physician to arrive from home, or his or her office.

“The laborists will give patients in the OB Care Center easier access to consistent care throughout their pregnancy,” said Kathleen Dean, RN, in the OBCC. “It’s comforting for patients to know there is always someone available to care for them.”

The Hospitalist Program movement has grown over the past 15 years. Physicians are specializing in in-patient care across a number of specialties, including internal medicine, orthopedics and now obstetrics and gynecology. FSLH instituted a general Internal Medicine Hospitalist Program in 2005 and recently expanded the program to include an orthopedic surgeon as well.

For information about our OB Care Center and services please call 315.624.6241.

OB Care Center

Welcomes LaboristsOB/GYN Hospitalist Program provides 24/7 support for Labor and

Delivery Unit and OB Care Center

By Jacquie Klotzbach



A N N U A L


Faxton St. Luke’s Healthcare’s ‘Safety First’ initiative supports greater awareness and practice of patient safety throughout the

organization. The Operating Room (OR) is one of the most critical areas for patient safety, where Surgical Services take center stage to promote Safety First.

This year’s Annual Giving Campaign gives you a ‘back stage pass’ to Surgical Services, where skill, technology and our commitment to patient care changes lives every day. The campaign offers a behind-the-scenes look at what your gift will provide, including:

• High definition imaging in the OR

• Tracking monitor for families with minute-by-minute status on patients undergoing surgery

• Calm, relaxing environment for patients entering surgical areas

• Specialized equipment upgrades and enhancements in surgical areas.

Your contribution helps to advance the ever changing needs of Surgical Services, a program that uses both high tech and high touch to care for patients.

“Helping our patients be more com-fortable and to heal without complication is everyone’s goal,” said Dr. Mark Williams, Department of Surgery chairman. “This is a service we can give to our community by having the most up-to-date technology possible in our surgical suites.”

“Our patients deserve great care and this campaign provides amazing support for Surgical Services,” said Chuck Williams, director of Central Sterile. “In Central Sterile, we routinely work with instrumen-tation, equipment and supplies required in our operating room suites. Whether it’s something as routine as a scalpel or com-plex technology, our patients get the very best we have to offer. We constantly look ahead to see what’s on the horizon with new surgical technology and training.”

Help put Safety First by supporting the Annual Giving Campaign. To make a donation, please call 315.624.5600 or visit www.faxtonstlukes.com/foundation.

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Technology Helps Local Marine See Daughter’s BirthBy Aida Mariani


A lthough separated by nearly 7,000 miles, Brandon Olsen was able to see his wife Meghan as she delivered their first child at The Birthplace at Faxton St. Luke’s

Healthcare. He felt like he was in the room beside her thanks to modern technology and a compassionate team of nurses and doctors.

On Friday, July 8, 2011, the Whitesboro family welcomed daughter Brayana into the world. After two days of labor, her mother, Meghan, was told a C-Section would be required and she was brought to the surgical suite in Labor and Delivery.

Although Meghan knew she would be in good hands with the skilled nurses and physicians present including Drs. Daniel Horth, William Jorgenson and Ashraf Aly, she was missing a very important person in her life, her husband Brandon.

(Above) (Left to right) Kathy Surawski, RN, Nursery, Debbie Mahoney (Meghan’s mother and a medical transcriptionist for FSLH), Meghan Olsen who is holding her daughter Brayana, and Jill Neal, RN, (Meghan’s sister and a RN in Interventional Radiology at FSLH).

(Left) Pictured are Brandon and Meghan Olsen in the delivery room during the birth of daughter Brayana, assisted by Faxton St. Luke’s Healthcare Registered Nurse Kathy Surawski.

He had been deployed and was serving in Afghanistan for the United States Marine Corps.

“I knew he wasn’t going to be able to be home when our daughter was born but it was still difficult when the time came,” Meghan said. “When the nurses and doctors made it possible for him to witness her birth, I was overwhelmed with happiness.”

While doctors delivered Brayana, the nurses and administra-tion arranged for Brandon to Skype through a laptop computer in the surgical suite.

“This was so special for obvious reasons,” said Rayanne Schoonover, RN, maternal/child services clinician at FSLH. “The staff embraced the opportunity to make this happen for Meghan and her family.”

Schoonover said that the computer was placed on a table with wheels that staff kept bringing back and forth to Meghan and then the baby as she was delivered. “That is what every new dad does…pace between the mom and the baby so it really was like he was there in the room with her,” Schoonover said.

“I was so excited I was almost in shock,” Brandon said of the experience. “And what was even better was that I was able to hear her (Brayana) cry and was the first to see her as soon as she was delivered.”

Today Brandon has returned from his tour overseas and en-joyed time with his daughter and wife before returning to North Carolina for the Marines.

“We are so thankful for having the experience of the birth of our daughter together. I just never imagined that they (the nurses and doctors) would have been able to make that happen for us,” Meghan said. “It’s a cherished memory that we can be thankful we both were able to share.”


I t’s another blustery morning in Central New York as you make your way down the unshoveled front walk to the snow covered car parked in the driveway. As forecasted, a fresh layer of snow was sprinkled about over night. But you’re not thinking about the weather conditions; instead

your thoughts wander to the laundry in the washing machine and the neighbor’s dog barking in the distance.

Just as you reach into your pocket for the car keys, the patch of ice beneath your feet breaks your stride and gravity pulls you to the ground. The searing pain radiating throughout your leg overtakes your thoughts and your only concern now is how to make it stop.

No one expects to slip on ice and break a bone or suffer a stroke, but it happens. And when it does, it’s sometimes difficult to imagine being able to return to the life you had before.

The Subacute Rehabilitation Team at St. Luke’s Home knows that recovery takes time and is dedi-cated to helping patients return home quickly and safely.

After a hospital stay, many patients lack the strength or support to care for themselves. For those who require less intensive therapy, a short-term stay in Subacute Rehabilitation offers a therapeutic environment for assisted recovery.

The 41-bed unit provides patients with 24-hour skilled nursing, rehabilitation services and an interdisciplinary team that puts the patient at the center of care.

Discharge planning is initiated as soon as the patient arrives at St. Luke’s Home. A social worker meets with the patient and his or her family to set goals for recovery and establish a plan for achieving them.

The Patient’s Journey Home Begins Here . . .Subacute Rehabilitation at St. Luke’s Home

By Jacquie Klotzbach


“As patients make progress, we keep updating their goals and plans,” says Aaron Rooney, a social worker at St. Luke’s Home. “I know it’s a bumpy road, but I tell patients to ‘keep their head up’ because this is the last step before home.”

Goals are achieved through exercises and therapy that take place throughout the day. Therapy sessions are reinforced by certified nursing assistants (CNAs) who work with patients on daily living activities.

“Overtime patients progress from depending solely on us to being able to do things on their own,” said Angeline Papa, a CNA on the Subacute Rehabilitation Unit.

Progress isn’t always easy to achieve and is often inhibited by the patient’s fear of fall-ing or failing.

“I can’t do it” is a common response pa-tients give when asked to try new activities. Usually, the patient is physically capable but afraid to attempt it. “Patients get frustrated sometimes but you just have to keep push-ing them,” says Papa. “When they are able to do things for themselves, they see why it was so important for us to push them.”

“Patients need to have confidence and trust in their bodies, as well as their caregiv-ers,” says Physical Therapist Tim Salamon. “Whether we have to come in early or stay late, we make sure everyone has the indi-vidual time they need to do just that.”

Salamon believes that the team ap-proach to patient care at St. Luke’s Home is critical to a patient’s success. “Recovery involves all aspects of patient care,” he says. “It’s a relief for patients to know that some-one from Housekeeping will have made their bed for them by the time they return from therapy.”

Working together, the Subacute Reha-bilitation Team helps patients safely return home to continue their recovery on an outpatient basis. Saying good-bye to patients can be bittersweet, but the feeling of having helped someone achieve their goal far out-weighs the sadness.

For many, their unexpected journey begins with an accident that leaves them wondering if their life will forever be changed. It’s not until they come to St. Luke’s Home that returning home is a reality within their reach. And looking back on thoughts of laundry and the neighborhood pup, it’s hard to believe anyone could take these for granted.

“Patients need to have confidence

and trust in their bodies, as well as

their caregivers. Whether we have to

come in early or stay late, we make

sure everyone has the individual

time they need to do just that.”

- Tim Salamon, Physical Therapist

Medical Staff Announcements


Local Surgeons Join Faxton St. Luke’s Healthcare’s Adirondack Community Physicians Surgical Group

Jorge Ferreiro, MD, John Sperling, MD, Robert Wasiczko, MD, and Mark Williams, MD, general and vascular surgeons, have joined the hospital’s Adirondack Com-munity Physicians (ACP) surgical group. The practice is located at Faxton St. Luke’s Healthcare, St. Luke’s Campus, Profes-sional Office Building, Suite 335 - Third Floor, 1656 Champlin Avenue, Utica. The surgeons are accepting new patients and can be reached at 315.624.4090.

Dr. Ferreiro received his bachelor’s degree in Microbiology from University of South Florida and his medical degree from

the Universidad Autonoma de Barcelona in Spain. He completed his residency in general surgery at New York Medical College in Bronx, New York and has been on the medical staff at Faxton St. Luke’s Healthcare since 1986. He is board certified by the American Board of Surgery.

Dr. Sperling, a Com-mander, in the US Navy Reserves, re-cently returned home from deployment to Camp Bastion in the

Helmand Province, Afghanistan. He served with British and American troops at the Role 3 Hospital.

Dr. Sperling earned his bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies/Biol-ogy from Alfred University in Alfred, New York, and received his medical degree from Georgetown University in Washington, DC. He completed his internship and residency in general surgery at Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch, New Jersey. Prior to join-ing FSLH, Sperling was a staff surgeon and director of Emergency Services at Griffiss Air Force Base. He has been on the medical staff at FSLH since 1991.

Dr. Wasiczko received his bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from Stevens Institute of Technology in Hobo-ken, New Jersey, and

his master’s degree in Chemistry from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York. He earned his medical degree from Albany Medical College, where he

also completed his internship and residency in general surgery. Dr. Wasiczko is board certified by the American Board of Surgery and serves as vice chairman for the Depart-ment of Surgery at FSLH. He had served on the FSLH medical staff from 1996 to 2001, and returned to the community to practice

in January 2006.

Dr. Williams received his bachelor’s degree in Biol-ogy from The City College of The City University of New York and earned his

medical degree from The State University Health Science Center at Brooklyn. He completed his residency in general sur-gery at Staten Island University Hospital in New York. Board certified by the American Board of Surgery, he has served on the FSLH medical staff since 2000. He is currently the chairman of the Department of Surgery for Faxton St. Luke’s Healthcare.

New Providers With our Adirondack Community Physicians Group

Michael Attilio, MD, has joined the Adirondack Community Physicians (ACP) Barneveld Medical Office as a family practice physcian.



Dr. Attilio received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Delaware and completed medical school at Drexel University College of Medicine in Phila-delphia. He completed his internship and residency at Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu, Hawaii, and is board certified in family medicine.

Prior to joining FSLH, Dr. Attilio was the medical director for Bennett Health Clinic in Fort Hood, Texas, where he was the staff family physician for the Depart-ment of Family and Community Medicine at Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center. Prior to that, he was a medical officer in Afghanistan with the 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment supporting Operation Enduring Freedom and an officer in charge at Monroe Health Clinic in Fort Hood, Texas. Dr. Attilio has earned many honors and awards from his work with the Army from 2005 through 2011. He is a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians.

Dr. Attilio is accepting new patients at the office located at 7980 State Route 12, Barneveld. To schedule an appointment, please call 315.624.8440.

Elizabeth Cooley, MD, has joined the Adiron-dack Community Physi-cians (ACP) North Utica Medical Office as a fam-ily practice physician.

Dr. Cooley received her Bachelor of Arts from Middlebury College in Vermont and her Doctor of Medicine from the University of Vermont College of Medi-cine. She completed her family medicine residency at St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center and an internship in Obstetrics and Gynecology at SUNY Upstate Medical University. She is a member of the American Medical Associa-tion and the American Academy of Family Physicians.

Dr. Cooley is accepting new patients at the office located at 35 Riverside Drive, Utica. To schedule an appointment, please call 315.624.8400.

Irena Kokot, MD, has joined the Adirondack Community Physicians (ACP) New Hartford Medical Office as a fam-ily practice physician.

Prior to joining FSLH, Dr. Kokot completed the Family Medicine Residency Program at St. Elizabeth Medical Center where she served as a chief resident.

Dr. Kokot earned her doctor of medi-cine degree from Danylo Halytsky Lviv National Medical University in Ukraine, where she completed her residency in psychiatry.

Dr. Kokot began her career as a board certified psychiatrist at Lviv Regional Psychiatric Clinic in Ukraine. She is also interested in ophthalmology and was a certified ophthalmic assistant at Eye Associates of Utica.

She is a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians, American Medical Association and the Medical Society of the State of New York.

Dr. Kokot is accepting new patients at the office located at 4301 Middle Settlement Road, New Hartford. To schedule an appointment, please call 315.624.8500.

Faxton St. Luke’s Healthcare and St. Elizabeth Medical Center, in a collabora-tive initiative, welcome Yannick Grenier, MD, to their organizations. She has joined the neurosurgical practice of Clifford B. Soults, MD, and is on active staff at both hospitals.

Dr. Grenier is a native of Montreal, Canada, where she earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Neurobiology from McGill Univer-

sity. She earned her medical degree from Pritzker School of Medicine in Chicago and completed her residency at North-western Hospital, also in Chicago. She then went on to complete a fellowship in

Pain and Movement Disorders at Stanford University.

Dr. Grenier is board certified in Neurological Surgery. She has practiced in the Midwest for several years, most recently at Gundersen Lutheran Health System in LaCrosse, Wisconsin. She currently resides in Clinton, New York.

Dr. Grenier is accepting new patients and her office is located at 2206 Genesee Street, Utica. The office phone number is 315.792.7629.

Faxton St. Luke’s Healthcare is pleased to announce that Maria Gesualdo, DO, has joined its 2011 Board of Directors.

Dr. Gesualdo is an attending pulmonary/critical care physician and medical director at Slocum-Dickson Medical Group, where

she also serves on the Board of Managers and is director of the Pulmonary Func-tion Testing Laboratory. Prior to joining Slocum-Dickson, she was an attending pulmonary/critical care physician at Bethlehem Pulmonary Associates in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

Dr. Gesualdo earned her medical degree at New York College of Osteopathic Medicine in Old Westbury, New York, com-pleted her fellowship in pulmonary, aller-gy and critical care medicine at Penn State Health System in Hershey, Pennsylvania, and completed her residency in internal medicine at St. Luke’s Hospital in Bethle-hem, Pennsylvania. She is board certified in pulmonary and critical care medicine and currently serves on the Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee and Critical Care Committee at FSLH. She has also served on the High Alert Medication Committee and the Computerized Physician Order Entry Taskforce at FSLH.

Dr. Gesualdo’s office is located at Slocum-Dickson Medical Group,1729 Burrstone Road, New Hartford, and she can be reached by phone at 315.798.1658.


Randolph Landgrave Snow, DO, MBA, PhD, has joined Faxton St. Luke’s Health-care as a consultant in the Palliative Care Program at The Regional Cancer Center.

Dr. Snow is a 2011 gradu-ate of the St. Elizabeth Family Medicine Resi-dency Program.

Dr. Snow received his bachelor’s degree

from Utica College, PhD at SUNY-Health Science Center in Syracuse, MBA at Penn-sylvania State University, and DO from Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Dr. Snow serves as a medical director for Hospice and Palliative Care, Inc. and is a primary care physician at the Utica Community Health Clinic on Oneida Street, Utica.

Dr. Snow has earned honors and awards for his teaching, scientific and clinical work from 1989 through 2011 and has lectured widely in the areas of neuroscience, gross anatomy, histology and public health.

The Palliative Care Program is part of The Regional Cancer Center, 1676 Sunset Avenue, Utica. To request a consult, please call 315.624.5555.

Madana Mohana Reddy Vallem, MD, has joined Faxton St. Luke’s Healthcare as an orthopedic surgeon.

Dr. Vallem earned his medical degree from Osmania Medical College in Hyderabad, India, where he also completed his residency

in orthopedics at Gandhi Medical College. He completed a fellowship in orthopedic hand surgery at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City, an adult joint reconstruc-tion fellowship (primary and revision total hip and knee replacement surgeries) at University of Virginia Medical Center in Charlottesville, Virginia, and an orthopedic trauma fellowship at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia.

Dr. Vallem is accepting new patients at the Mohawk Valley Orthopedics office located at 1903 Sunset Avenue, Utica. The office phone number is 315.797.1212.

Ashish V. Regulagadda, MD, has joined Mohawk Valley Nephrology Associates, LLP, as a nephrologist.

Dr. Regulagadda earned a bachelor’s degree in Medicine and Surgery at Sri Venkateswara Medi-cal College in India. He received his master’s

degree in Public Health (Environmental Health) at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

Dr. Regulagadda completed his residency in Internal Medicine as well as his fellowship in Nephrology at SUNY University of Buffalo. He is board certified in Internal Medicine and is board eligible in Nephrology.

Dr. Regulagadda is accepting new patients at Mohawk Valley Nephrology Associates, LLP, 555 French Road, Suite 103, New Hartford. To schedule an ap-pointment, please call 315.735.3541.

John Vakios, MD, radiation oncologist with 21st Century Oncology, has joined the Radiation Oncology Department at Faxton St. Luke’s Healthcare.

Dr. Vakios completed his undergraduate education at Franklin & Marshall College in Lan-caster, Pennsylvania, and received his medical de-

gree from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. He completed an internship in surgery at Graduate Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a neuro-surgery residency at Abington Memorial Hospital in Abington, Pennsylvania, and an internal medicine internship at Mountain-side Hospital in Montclair, New Jersey.

Dr. Vakios began his professional career as a radiation oncologist at Greater Pittsburgh Cancer Center in Bridgeville,

Pennsylvania, followed by work as a staff radiation oncologist at The Brooklyn Hos-pital Center in New York. While at Brooklyn Hospital, he was a clinical instructor of Radiation Oncology at Weill Medical Col-lege of Cornell University. Prior to joining FSLH, Dr. Vakios was chairman of Radiation Oncology at the Guthrie Clinic at Robert Packer Hospital in Sayre, Pennsylvania, which is an American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer approved cancer program. Dr. Vakios is board certified by the American Board of Radiology and is a mem-ber of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology.

Dr. Vakios is accepting new patients and may be reached at The Regional Cancer Center at 315.624.5300.

Faxton St. Luke’s Healthcare welcomes the following physicians to the Laborist Program. This program provides care to women followed in the FSLH OB Care Center (OBCC) and assists private practice OB/GYN physicians whenever needed.

Kwaku Amankwah, MD, FACOG, received his bachelor’s degree and his medical degree from Stony Brook University in Stony Brook, New York.

He completed an internship in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Medicine and Dentistry at Robert Wood Johnson Hospital in Piscataway, New Jersey, and his residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Drexel University College of Medicine at St. Peter’s University Hospital in New Brunswick, New Jersey.

Dr. Amankwah is an OB/GYN with Slocum-Dickson Medical Group and is board certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology. He is a fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and a member of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine and the American Medical Association.



Susan Sterlacci, MD, FACOG, received her bachelor’s degree in Biology from SUNY Binghamton and her medical degree from

Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Bronx, New York, where she also completed her residency in Obstetrics and Gynecol-ogy. She is board certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Dr. Sterlacci has worked as an OB/GYN at numerous hospitals and medical offices in New York, Arizona and Virginia, and was most recently employed with the OB Hospitalist Group. She is a fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and is a member of the American Medical Association, the American Medical Women’s Association and the American Association of Gyneco-logical Laparoscopists.

M. Robert Neulander, MD, FACOG, earned his bachelor’s degree from LeMoyne College and his medical degree from SUNY Upstate Medical University, where he also completed his residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology. He completed his fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinol-

ogy and Infertility at Stony Brook Univer-sity Medical Center, in Stony Brook, New York. He is board certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Dr. Neulander is currently an attend-ing and senior physician at Crouse Irving Memorial Hospital and Upstate Medical University Hospital. He also holds clini-cal assistant professorship and faculty positions at Upstate Medical University, LeMoyne College and SUNY Stony Brook. He is a fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American College of Laparoscopists and is a member of the American Medical Association, the State of New York Medical Society, the North American Menopause Society, the American Institute of Ultra-sound Medicine and the American College of Colposcopy and Clinical Pathology.

Tanya D. Mays, MD, FACOG, received her bachelor’s degree from Barnard College of Columbia University in New York, New York,

and received her medical degree from Al-bert Einstein College of Medicine in Bronx, New York. She completed her residency in

Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. She is board certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Dr. Mays has been named a Top Doctor in Obstetrics and Gynecology by Castle Connolly each year since 2006 and is also a fellow of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Sheila Elaine Brown, MD, received her bach-elor’s degree from Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, and her medical degree from Wake Forest School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. She completed an internship in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Arizona Health Sciences Center in Tucson, Arizona, and her residency in Ob-stetrics and Gynecology at the Kansas Univer-sity Medical Center in Kansas City, Kansas.

Dr. Brown was most recently employed as a locums physician at Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, Pennsylvania, and has been employed as a physician at several hospitals and medical centers located in Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Missouri. She is board certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Patient letters


Dear Faxton St. Luke’s Healthcare, I am writing to inform you of the care I received at The Birthplace. My second daughter was born this past May and my experience was just as excellent as it was when my first daughter was born. Every employee that cared for me while I was in Labor and Delivery and Maternity - nurse, aide, doctor - was kind, compassionate, professional, and knowledgeable.

I would like to mention one care-giver in particular, as the care I received from her really touched my heart. This special person was my maternity nurse, Christy. She helped me in all of the usual ways - taking my vitals, checking on me periodically, taking any requests for food or drink I had, and instruction regarding my post-delivery care. Christy possessed all four traits I mentioned earlier - kind-ness, compassion, professionalism, and knowledge.

The day after my daughter was born, I was tested for and diagnosed with a superfi-cial blood clot in my leg. Dr. Beattie (whom I might add is an excellent doctor, both caring and knowledgeable) went to great lengths to confer with the hematologist at FSLH and a specialist at Yale University regarding my situation. Upon review, Dr. Beattie decided I ought to be treated with daily Heparin shots, which I would need to give myself. The thought of having to give myself shots brought me to tears and gave me great anxiety. Christy came not long after the doctor gave me the news to in-struct me on how to give myself the shot and to observe me administer my first one. I was in tears, a little shaky, and very hesitant. I hate to admit she was by my side for roughly twenty minutes. It went something like this: “OK, here we go, on 3. One, two…” “No, wait!!! I can’t do this!” Christy brought her humor and compas-sion and helped me along until finally I

did it. I kept apologizing for wasting her time and she only reassured me that there was no need to apologize and that this was something I COULD do.

Thanks to Christy, I was able to get over my fear in order to receive the treat-ment I needed and my mind was more at ease. Her kind, down-to-earth demeanor made me feel very comfortable while I was in the hospital. My time at The Birth-place was an extraordinary experience in my life and it was made more positive by the care I received.

Sincerely,Margaret TallmanUtica, New York

Dear Faxton St. Luke’s Healthcare, I am writing to commend your staff on the excellent care I recently received when I was admitted to the St. Luke’s Campus

for an unexpected surgery. The compas-sionate care that I received from every-one I encountered helped to make this emotionally difficult time, a little more bearable. Everyone was superb; from the patient registration department, to the medical imaging staff, to the great care attendants and nurses on the ambula-tory surgery unit, to the surgical team in the OR. I was comforted and encouraged by their reassuring touches, smiles and kind words. Not only did they take care of me, but they also made sure that my family was taken care of and comfortable throughout my stay.

I would especially like to thank my physician, Dr. Papandrea, and my nurse on ambulatory, Sue D., for their fantastic care. As a fellow employee of the organiza-tion, and being my first experience as a

patient here, it makes me proud to say I work at Faxton St. Luke’s Healthcare. Not only do we talk about Relationship-Based Care, but I was able to see it working first-hand. Even during these challenging times for our facility, your staff is continu-ing to put the needs of the patients first and provide superior and compassionate care. Thank you to everyone who helped make my stay as enjoyable as possible.

Sincerely, Jennifer EnjemSauquoit, New York

Dear Faxton St. Luke’s Healthcare, I just wanted to share my appreciation for your staff at Urgent Care. In July, Sue Colb, RN, and Dr. Cimo pretty much met us at the door when I walked in with my 5 year old son with a very bad laceration to his top lip. After a brief evaluation, Dr.

Cimo made the decision that he needed a plastic sur-geon, and immediate-ly got on the phone with Dr. Orlan-do’s office to

set up the referral. They were prompt, very kind and made us feel very comfortable. Urgent Care nurse manager Tom Zinger was very kind as well, allowing my son to sit with him while I got him registered and Dr. Cimo set up the referral. Our total visit took only 20 minutes. Dr. Cimo, Sue Colb, RN, and Tom Zinger were absolutely outstanding. I just wanted to say thank you for having such wonderful staff at this facility. It makes patients and their family members more comfortable knowing that there is a reliable facility nearby where they can get the care that they need.

Thank you, Lori C. WinstonUtica, New York

I was comforted and encouraged by their reassuring touches, smiles and

kind words. Not only did they take care of me, but they also made sure

that my family was taken care of and comfortable throughout my stay.

PO Box 479Utica, NY 13503

NON-PROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGE

PAIDUTICA, NY

PERMIT NO. 60

Happy Holidaysfrom Faxton St. Luke’s Healthcare! Nicholas Page, Whitesboro, NYMiracle Child, Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals

healthcare happenings december 2011

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