rochester in good health

May 2011 • IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper •

May 2011 • Issue 69

in good FREE

Rochester–Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper

Hula Hoop

Way

Losing Weight

TheNo.1

OUR FITNESS ISSUE

Meet Your Doctor:

CharlesAlbrecht

Is it a cold? Allergy?Is your asthma due to

allergy? Answers inside

Golden Years

A Radio Show Like No Other at WXXI

Blood Clot

LIVING ALONE

Tending the Garden Within

Things Not to Ask Your Doctor5

New study shows walnuts beat peanuts, almonds, pecans and pistachios

as the top nut for heart-healthy antioxidants

Reachout Radio features a new program focused on services for those with vision loss

If Serena Williams, a 29-year-old in top

shape, could develop a pulmonary embolism,

what about the rest of us?

Achoo!Achoo!

Men Fuel Rebound in Cosmetic Surgery

Find out what types of cosmetic surgeries are

more popular among men

• Memory-boosting games: Beneficial or bunk?• Elder abuse: Many still don’t report problem• Reverse mortgages have gotten more affordable• A valuable gift for mom: A savings of nearly $4,000

• IN GOOD HEALTH – Rochester / Genesee Valley Healthcare Newspaper • May 2011

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A Pregnant Woman Never Drinks Alone

National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence – Rochester Area

(585) 719-3480 • www.ncadd-ra.orgDEPAUL

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder

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If you’re pregnant, don’t drink.

If you drink, don’t get pregnant.

Learn more about FASD.

To nominate a Healthy Hero visit

Girls on the Run

Congratulations toHealthy Hero

Paula Burgin. Paula created Girls on the Runto keep girls in grades 3-8 on the move and toinstill a sense of self-respect and healthy livingin a non-competitive, supportive environment.

THE

AWARD

HH_AD_igh_may2011(5x6.75).eps 1 4/7/11 2:13 PM


Statistics released March 21 by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) show that more

men are going under the knife. Overall cosmetic plastic surgery procedures in men were up 2 percent in 2010 com-pared to 2009.

However, many male surgical procedures increased significantly. Facelifts for men rose 14 percent in 2010 while male liposuction increased 7 percent.

2010 ASPS statistics show that men underwent more than 1.1 million cosmetic procedures, both minimally invasive and surgical.

The majority of the men’s top 10 fastest-growing cosmetic procedures are surgical, which bucks the previous trend of growth in minimally invasive treatments.

“The growth in cosmetic surgical procedures for men may be a product of our aging baby boomers who are now ready to have plastic surgery,” said ASPS President Phillip Haeck. “Minimally invasive procedures such as Botox and soft tissue fillers work to a point. However, as you age and gravity takes over, surgical procedures that lift the skin are necessary in order to show significant improvement.”

Plastic surgeons say that another trend they see in male plastic surgery is the type of patient seeking their services.

“Typically people think of celebri-ties and high profile men going under the knife,” said Stephen Baker, an ASPS member surgeon based in Washington DC. “And while that may be true, the typical male cosmetic surgery patient that I see is an average guy who wants to look as good as he feels. Most of my patients are ‘men’s men,’ the kind of guy you might not think would have plastic surgery.”

Baker said that baby boomers who are now reaching retirement age are the new face of the male plastic surgery trend. “They want to look good. So when they have the financial means to do it, they are ready to do it now,” said Baker.

In fact, one of Baker’s patients is an “average Joe” named Joe Marek. He recently underwent a facelift and eyelid surgery. The 57-year old said, “I didn’t feel that old. I felt young. I was working out. I was pretty active and I wanted to look like I felt inside.”

Marek also said his 52-year-old girlfriend supported his decision to have plastic surgery.

For more statistics released today on trends in plastic surgery including gender, age, regional, national aver-age fees, and other breakouts, visit the ASPS Report of the 2010 Plastic Sur-gery Statistics at http://www.plastic-surgery.org/Media/Statistics.html.

Fastest Growing Male Cosmetic Procedures (by percentage increase) The list is comprised of the fastest growing surgical and minimally invasive procedures from 2009 to 2010. Criteria for inclusion: Procedure performed on at least 1,000 men in 2010.

1) Facelift* ........................................................... 14% Increase 2) Ear Surgery* (Otoplasty) ................................. 11% Increase 3) Soft Tissue Fillers ........................................... 10% Increase 4) Botulinum Toxin Type A ..................................... 9% Increase 5) Liposuction* ...................................................... 7% Increase 6) Breast Reduction in Men* ................................. 6% Increase 7) Eyelid Surgery* ................................................. 4% Increase 8) Dermabrasion* .................................................. 4% Increase 9) Laser Hair Removal .......................................... 4% Increase 10) Laser Treatment of Leg Veins ........................... 4% Increase

(Surgical procedures are denoted by *).

Most Popular Male Cosmetic Procedures(by volume)This list is comprised of the top five surgical and top five minimally invasive procedures by volume in 2010:

2010 Top 5 Male Cosmetic Surgical Procedures: 1) Nose Reshaping ........................................................ 64,000 2) Eyelid Surgery .......................................................... 31,000 3) Liposuction ................................................................ 24,000 4) Breast Reduction in Men ............................................ 18,000 5) Hair Transplantation ................................................... 13,000

2010 Top 5 Male Cosmetic Minimally-Invasive Procedures:

1) Botulinum Toxin Type A ............................................ 337,000 2) Laser Hair Removal ............................................... 165,000 3) Microdermabrasion ................................................. 158,000 4) Chemical Peel ........................................................... 90,000 5) Soft Tissue Fillers ...................................................... 78,000

Men Fuel Rebound in Cosmetic SurgeryNew statistics show sizeable increases in facelifts and other surgical procedures for men

For more information, call (585) 624-7887 or e-mail [email protected]

Do you live alone?Living alone can be a challenge, especially for women in mid-life who are divorced or widowed. But it can also be the start of a rich and meaning-ful chapter in your life. Need a jump start?

In the workshop led by Gwenn Voelckers — a women who’s “been there” — you’ll discover how to overcome loneliness and other emo-tional pitfalls, reconnect with your true self, and socialize in a couples’ world. $125 fee includes manual, empowerment exercises and other helpful resources.

Living Alone: How to Survive and Th rive on Your OwnTuesdays, May 10, 17 and 24 7:00 pm - 9:00 pmHouse Content B&B, Mendon, NY

Licensed Doctors of Audiology

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Ask about our Path to Wellness or Smoking Cessation packages!

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CALENDARHEALTH EVENTS

of April 27Care for your pet in a disaster situation

The Community Connection, sponsored by Clifton Springs Hospi-tal & Clinic, will present a discussion titled “Caring for Your ‘Best Friend’ in a Disaster — What Every Pet Owner Should Know.” The event will be held at 5 p.m. Wednesday, April 27, in Clifton Springs Hospital dining rooms 1 and 2. At this dinner, Karen Kelley, long-time Red Cross disaster action team captain, will touch on prepared-ness, first aid and the potential benefits of having an animal as a companion during a disaster. Cost to participate is $6, which includes dinner. Reservations are required. Please call (315) 462-0120 or email [email protected] with your name and the number of guests in your group.

April 30AAIR to conduct free asthma tests in Victor

Allergy Asthma Immunology of Rochester (AAIR) is conducting a free asthma screening event to celebrate National Asthma Awareness month, which is in May. The event will be held from 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Saturday, April 30, at Eastview mall in Victor and is open to the public. There will be an AAIR board-certified allergist, Donald Pulver, and several nurses who will perform a simple test to determine breathing ca-pacity and be able to answer questions. There will also be educational informa-tion and articles for those interested in finding out more about asthma. For additional information, call Linda Mar-quardt at (585) 442-0150.

April 30 – May 1Garage sale held at Browncroft Boulevard area

The Browncroft Neighborhood Association on the eastern edge of the City of Rochester is planning its bi-annual garage sale that will feature a number of items offered by more than 200 households. The event will take place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., April 30-May 1, on and around Browncroft Boulevard. Organizers say one in three households will have items available for sale. New this year are portable re-strooms in the Rose Garden at Brown-croft Boulevard and Merchants Road. Shopper may find out what is available before the sale at www.browncroftna.org. Shoppers can print out the map

showing the 17 streets with address numbers for homes with sales.

May 3Hearing problems to be discussed at meetings

The Hearing Loss Association/Rochester (HLAA) chapter will meet at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 3, at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, East Av-enue at Westminster Road across from George Eastman House.

At 11 a.m. meeting a trio of expe-rienced audiologists takes the floor for “Ask the audiologists” panel question and answer session. “Ask the audi-ologists” presentation is completely impromptu and unrehearsed. Guests are prepared to field your questions on all aspects of hearing loss. Panelist are: Sheila Dalzell, audiologist, of Dalzells Hearing Centers, The Hearing Center, Inc.; John McNamara, audiologist, of Ontario Hearing Centers; and Ramona Pompea, PhD, director of audiology operations,

Rochester Hearing and Speech Center.

At 7 p.m. meeting panelists will discuss “VA: Caring for veterans in the 21st century,” highlighting the services provided by the VA.

For more information visit www.hlaa-rochester-ny.org or telephone 585 266 7890.

May 5VA to host ‘Pie, Ice Cream, Plant & Rummage Sale’

On Thursday May 5, the com-munity is invited to attend the annual “Pie, Ice Cream, Plant & Rummage Sale” being held from 9:30 a.m. – 2 p.m. in the building No. 5 auditorium of the Canandaigua VA Medical Center. Just $3 will buy a generous piece of pie with ice cream along with a cup of coffee. Plants will be sold at various prices as will pots, vases, rummage sale items and baked goods. All items are donated by VA volunteers and employees. Mon-ies raised will be used to support ac-tivities at the medical center. For more information, call the Canandaigua VA Medical Center Voluntary Service Of-fice at (585) 393-7757. The Canandaigua VA Medical Center is located at 400 Fort Hill Ave., Canandaigua.

May 9Triathlon training program for beginners offered

Fleet Feet Sports is offering “Triath-lon Community College” (Tri CC), an 11-week training program for begin-ners hoping to do their first triathlon race this summer or for newbies look-ing improve. Triathlon is a multisport event, consisting of a swim portion, bike portion and run portion. The purpose of the program is to introduce participants to the lifetime fitness activ-ities of swimming, biking and running and to encourage them to live healthier lifestyles. The program begins May 9 and will culminate with the Shoreline

Triathlon July 24 or summer triathlon of their choice, a goal which partici-pants will work towards throughout the program. A $165 registration fee by May 9 will cover all aspects of the pro-gram. The fee increases to $180 from May 10 through May 16. There is a free informational session at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, May 4 at Fleet Feet Sports, 2210 Monroe Ave. in Brighton. For more information, visit www.fleetfeet-rochester.com.

May 13MHA to offer seminar for seniors’ caregivers

Have you noticed that your aging loved one appears overly anxious or depressed? As a professional working with older persons, do you recognize the difference between anxiety and de-pression that may require professional help vs. just feeling down or having age-related anxiousness?

Do you know about treatment and strategies that can help? On May 13 The Mental Health Association presents three dynamic presentations focusing on: “Depression in Older Adults,” “Anxiety Disorders” and “Dealing With Problematic Older Adults and Caregivers.” Plan to attend ($10 registration fee for each workshop) to gain practical information, tools and strategies to improve your relationship with an older person or become more effective in serving them. For more information, call MHA at 325-3145 or visit mharochester.org.

May 14Free mammograms offered to women older than 40

Highland Breast Imaging in conjunction with the Breast Cancer Coalition of Rochester and the Cancer Services Program of Monroe County is celebrating Mothers Day by offering free mammograms to women 40 and older who do not have health insur-ance or are underinsured. The event will take place from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Saturday, May 14, at Highland Breast Imaging, 500 Red Creek Dr., suite 130, in Rochester. Thanks to a generous donation from the Breast Cancer Coali-tion of Rochester, a nurse practitioner will be available to perform clinical breast exams for women who have not had one during the past year. Massage therapists will be on hand to provide a free 10-minute chair massage after your mammogram. Schedule your appoint-ment with a friend or family member and receive a ‘buy one get one free’ certificate for lunch at Lorraine’s Food Factory. Parking is free and refresh-ments will be provided. Please call Highland Breast Imaging at 487-3300 to make an appointment in advance. Women who cannot make the screen-ing day can be scheduled for a different day.

May 14Amyloidosis group to meet in Rochester

The Amyloidosis Support Group is sponsoring a meeting 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, May 14, at Rochester General Hospital, Weiner Conference Room, 1425 Portland Ave. in Rochester. Complimentary lunch will be provided and participants will hear a discussion of the condition led by Dr. Raymond Comenzo. Amyloidosis is a life threat-ening illness caused by the produc-

tion of abnormal proteins circulating in the blood and accumulating in the organs as heart and kidney and liver, leading to organ failure. There is no cure, but with early detection, there are treatment options. Amyloidosis is considered a rare disease and is often underdiagnosed or misdiagnosed. For more information, call MaryAnn Kraft at (585) 334-7501, Muriel Finkel at (866) 404-7539 or visit www.amyloidosissup-port.com.

May 16Doctor to discuss high blood pressure treatment

Cardiologist John Bisognano will be the guest speaker during a meeting sponsored by the nonprofit Mended Hearts Rochester. He will speak on “Treating High Blood Pressure in 2011: How Low Is Low Enough?” at 7:15 p.m. Monday, May 16 at the Henrietta Volunteer Ambulance Facility, 280 Calkins Rd, Henrietta. Bisognano is board certified in internal medicine and cardiovascular disease. He is professor of medicine/cardiology at the University of Rochester Medical Center. Mended Hearts Rochester is in its 45th year of giving support to people with heart disease and their families, by visiting those recovering from heart surgeries at Strong Memo-rial and Rochester General Hospitals and through its informative monthly meetings. For more information, visit www.mendedheartsrochester.org or call Sharon Feldman at (585) 544-1565.

May 17Lifespan, St. Ann’s offer senior workshop

Professionals from Lifespan will offer a free seminar at St. Ann’s Home May 17 that will discuss long-term insurance. It will take place at 5:30 p.m., Tuesday, May 17 at St. Ann’s Home, located at 1500 Portland Ave., across the street from Rochester Gen-eral Hospital. This is part of a series of seminars that take place every third Tuesday of the month until September. Future seminars will be: “Medicare 101;” Tuesday, June 21; “G-Forces of Caregiving;” Tuesday, July 19; “Scam Prevention;” Tuesday, Aug. 16; “Spiri-tuality and Aging;” Tuesday, Sept. 20. Attendees are encouraged to make a reservation by calling (585) 697-6507.

May 17Celiac support group to meet in Rochester

Gastroenterologist Anthony V. Baratta will discuss celiac disease during the Rochester Celiac Support Group meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday, in the Social Hall at St. Anne Church, 1600 Mount Hope Ave. in Rochester 14620. The event is free and open to the public. Newcomer orientation starts at 6:30 p.m. Youth group aged 10 to 17 meets same time as the meeting. Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder in which the immune system reacts to gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley. The autoimmune response causes damage to the lining of the small intestine resulting in the body’s inability to absorb needed nutrients. Untreated, celiac disease results in a variety of debilitating symptoms in-cluding osteoporosis and an increased chance of intestinal lymphoma. For more information visit www.rochester-celiacs.org or call 861-4065.

REACH PEOPLE WHO CARE FOR THEIR HEALTH.Advertise with In Good Health. (585)421-8109

Genesee Valley/Rochester’s Healthcare Newspaper


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HealthRochester–GV Healthcare Newspaper

in goodSERVING MONROE, ONTARIO AND WAYNE COUNTIES

Editor & Publisher: Wagner Dotto Associate Editor: Lou Sorendo Writer: Mike Costanza Contributing Writers: Dr. Eva Briggs, Jim Miller, Deborah J. Sergeant, Gwenn Voelckers, Anne Palumbo, Karen Boughton Siegelman, Fred Jennigs, Debbie Waltzer Advertising: Marsha K. Preston, Beth Clark

Layout & Design: Chris Crocker Officer Manager: Laura Beckwith

No material may be reproduced in whole or in part from this publication without the express written permission of the publisher. The information in this publication is intended to complement—not to take

the place of—the recommendations of your health provider. Consult your physician before making major changes in your lifestyle or health care regimen.

A new national study indicates that the number of hospital emergen-cy visits involving the illicit drug

Ecstasy increased from 10,220 in 2004 to 17,865 visits in 2008 — a 74.8 percent increase.

According to this new study by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), most of these Ecstasy-related visits (69.3 percent) involved patients aged 18 to 29, but notably 17.9 percent involved adolescents aged 12 to 17.

Ecstasy use can produce psyche-delic and stimulant side effects such as anxiety attacks, tachycardia, hyperten-sion and hyperthermia.

The variety and severity of adverse reactions associated with Ecstasy use can increase when the drug is used in combination with other substances of abuse — a common occurrence among Ecstasy users.

This SAMHSA study indicates that 77.8 percent of the emergency depart-

ment visits involving Ecstasy use also involve the use of at least one or more other substances of abuse. Among Ecstasy-related emergency department cases involving patients aged 21 or older 39.7 percent of the patients had used Ecstasy with three or more other substances of abuse.

“The resurgence of Ecstasy use is cause for alarm that demands im-mediate attention and action,” said SAMHSA Administrator Pamela S. Hyde. “The aggressive prevention ef-forts being put into place by SAMHSA will help reduce use in states and communities, resulting in less costly emergency department visits related to drug use.”

The study “Emergency Depart-ment Visits Involving Ecstasy” was developed as part of the agency’s strategic initiative on data, quality and outcomes. A copy of the report is acces-sible at: http://oas.samhsa.gov/2k11/dawn027/ecstasy.cfm.

A report from the nation’s leading cancer organizations shows rates of death in the United States

from all cancers for men and women continued to decline between 2003 and 2007.

The findings come from the latest Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer.

The report also finds that the over-all rate of new cancer diagnoses for men and women combined decreased an average of slightly less than 1 per-cent per year for the same period.

Dr. Edward J. Benz, Jr., president of Dana-Farber Cancer in Institute in Boston, called the news encouraging, but cautions we still have a very long way to go in our fight against cancer.

“Overall, the rate of cancer deaths is falling, but not by a lot, not nearly enough,” said Benz. “But considering that the incidence of cancer continues to increase, while the number of deaths is flat or falling a little bit, it does sug-gest that efforts of prevention, early detection, and better treatments are having a positive impact.”

The report is co-authored by researchers from the North American Association of Central Cancer Regis-tries, the National Cancer Institute, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the American Cancer Society. It was posted on the website of the Journal of the National Cancer In-stitute on March 31, and was expected to be published in the journal’s May 14 print issue.

The authors emphasized the need to focus further on reducing the cancer burden in the population as a whole through prevention, detection and treatment of cancer.

“One of the best ways to avoid dying of cancer is to prevent it in the first place,” added Benz. “This involves making lifestyle adjustments, such as not smoking, being careful about expo-sure to the sun, diet and exercise, and being careful about exposure to chemi-cals in the workplace. Patients also need to be sure to participate with their primary care physician in the kinds of screening that can pick up cancers very early.”

ER Visits Related to “Ecstasy” Use Increased Nearly 75 Percent Nearly 70 percent of these visits involved patients aged 18 to 29

Cancer Death Rates in Decline, Report Finds

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Meet Your Doctor

By Mike Costanza

Q. Why did you enter the field of radiation oncology?

A. A radiation oncologist is a doc-tor who specializes in treating cancer, and uses radiation to do it. It’s some-thing that’s intellectually stimulat-ing, but also gives me a lot of patient contact. You see patients at a vulner-able stage of their lives, and you’re able to help them come to terms with life threatening experiences.

Q. You’ve spoken of yourself and other radiation oncologists as being “full-service doctors.” What do you mean by that?

A. We see patients, and we decide what sort of workup they need. We coordinate with whatever doctors, or surgeons, or medical oncologists are also involved in cancer care, so that we really do work as a team, even though we’re not in the same offices.

We also have more time to give to patients, generally, than a lot of people do. In addition, we’re often in a bet-ter position than some of the patients’ other doctors to help them cope with a cancer diagnosis. Patients come in for radiation every day for several weeks, generally. Our staff is seeing them ev-ery day, and the radiation oncologist is seeing the patient at least once a week. Our staff is also trained in paying at-tention to what is going underneath the surface of what the patient is dealing with. If there is anything that our staff picks up, that the patient is having a tough time struggling with, they’ll let us know.

Q. How might a patient respond when told of the presence of cancer?

A. Getting a diagnosis of cancer is a big deal. It’s an emotional blow that gives people the feeling like, “Hey, I’m going to die from that; I never really thought of that.” There are also some people who say, “Cancer is God’s pun-ishment for this or for that.” Not too many times, but I’ve seen it.

Q. I can’t imagine how I would respond if someone asked me whether cancer is God’s punishment. What might you say in response to such a question?

A. I’ll say, “No. It’s one of the things that could happen to people, and this is what happened to you, and let’s do the best we can to help you.” Most patients with cancer of the throat have a possible smoking history; they may have a possible drinking history. It’s also possible they may have a viral infection in their throat, the same sort of thing that causes cervical cancer. It’s nothing they have done.

Q. What kinds of treatments do you provide at the Finger Lakes Radia-tion Oncology Center?

A. We use radiation therapy, using techniques that do our best to cure the cancer without causing unnecessary damage to the other tissues. We also use, especially for someone with cancer of the throat, a therapy called IMRT, or Intensely Modulated Radiation Ther-apy. That sort of modality is designed to really give a much higher dose of ra-diation where we know there’s cancer.

Q. You spoke of IMRT as allow-ing radiation oncologists to irradiate cancerous cells while decreasing the ir-radiation of non-cancerous cells. How do you mean that?

A. You have an organ that’s in-volved with cancer and is sur-rounded by other organs, which you don’t want to damage. You can just think of it [IMRT] as using a magnifying lens and sunlight. In IMRT, you have a number of direc-tions to treat from, and each one of them uses a magnifying lens, rather than the sun through an open window.

Q. Can you give us an illus-tration of the use of IMRT—say in the treatment of cancer of the throat?

A. You often will need to treat the areas around the salivary glands. In the past, say, 14 to 15 years ago, almost anytime you treated patients with head and neck cancer, the salivary glands were dam-aged. The mouth would dry out, the

tongue would stick to the roof of the mouth, and they’d have very severe problems with their teeth, as far as a lot of cavities, teeth breaking, and things like that. The patient usually had to carry a bottle of water with them all the time. With IMRT, we’re able to cut down he risk of that sort of thing, because the salivary glands will get maybe 30 percent of what we give the area around the cancer. We do the best we can to get rid of cancer without causing unnecessary harm.

Q. Can IMRT be used to treat other types of cancers as well—say, prostate cancer?

A. Yes. You can give a high dose of radiation to the prostate, and cut down the amount of radiation you give to the bowels and to the rectum and to the bladder. We have a very good rate of curing early prostate cancer, and not having patients have the complications that come with surgery. In general, the amounts of urinary problems that people get after treatment for prostate cancer are less than they have after sur-gery. We have two linear accelerators; one is equipped and dedicated to doing IMRT treatments.

Q. How do you mean, “cure.” I thought that the proper term to use for a positive result of cancer treatment was “remission?”

A. “Remission” means there is no sign of disease. “Cure” means you don’t expect there’s going to be a sign of the return of the cancer involved. With most cancers, what you’re trying to do is cure the patient—they live their expected lifespan without the cancer coming back. Patients with throat can-cer or laryngeal cancer, if they’re free of

disease two years, three years, four years after you treat

them, it’s probably not going to come back.

They might be at risk for other

cancers of the head and neck, but if the cancer has been treated, and it hasn’t come back in a couple of years, it generally doesn’t. Pa-tients with breast can-cer, there

is some risk of it coming back, but the risk dimin-ishes as time

goes on.

Q. Is radiation therapy always used in conjunction with surgery and chemotherapy to combat cancer?

A. No—it depends exactly on the circumstances. There are some types of cancers, like prostate cancer, for which the patients get radiation without getting chemotherapy. A patient with breast cancer often now will be able to have a small amount of surgery, taking the bump out and sampling the actual lymph node, and then having radiation afterwards. In many cases the breast has a very good appearance after that, and there’s a very low risk of the can-cer coming back.

Q. How has radiation oncology changed since you entered the field close to 30 years ago?

A. Yes. It all boils down to we’re able to use X-Rays, MRIs and CT scans to really have a much more precise knowledge of where the cancer is than we did 15-20 years ago. We also have better ways of integrating treatment with surgery and chemotherapy. The equipment we use delivers treatment that is much more precise, much more tailored to the patient’s individual needs.

We also make much more extensive use of computers. The computer plans that we do now—I look at a plan that we did back in 1995, and I can’t believe we did that back then.

Q. Computer plans?A. In the mid–90’s, if you had a

patient with breast cancer, you’d take X-ray pictures. At that particular part of the breast, you had a decent profile of how much radiation was getting where. Now what we do that patient is to have a CT scan that’s put directly into the planning computer. It uses what is called “3-D planning,” which means that the computer program shows what’s happening at every level. It gives you a reconstructed picture of what the breast looks like and how the radiation beam relates to the breast. If there’s less tissue here, it shows you how much less radiation you need to give there to give the dose you want. You know how much radiation to give to a particular part of the body you’re treating. You’re not overexposing something that doesn’t need it and then you’re adequately treating something that does need radiation. You want to have the right amount of radiation for each place.

LifelinesPractice: Medical director, Finger Lakes Radiation Oncology Center, 7 Ambulance Drive, Clifton Springs.Education: BA, cum laude, Lawrence University, Appleton, Wis; MD, Univer-sity of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wis.Residencies: Chief resident, radiation oncology, SUNY Health Science Center at Syracuse; radiation medicine and diag-nostic radiology, University of Kentucky Albert B. Chandler Medical Center, Lex-ington, KY.Fellowships: American Cancer Society Clinical Fellowship.Personal: Married, one grown daughter. The family lives in PittsfordLeisure activities: Enjoys doing needle-work, playing acoustic guitar, and reading histories and works of fantasy and science fiction. Also enjoys watching movies, at-tending concerts, and walking local trails and the sands of faraway beaches with his family.

Dr. Charles AlbrechtRadiation oncologist talks about IMRT (Intensely Modulated Radiation Therapy), the difference between ‘remission’ and ‘cure’ and how cancer treatments have evolved in the last decades


By Fred Jennings

There’s something noble about people who give unto others, and no finer example of this exists

than genial 65-year-old Chris Kotary.Since 1988, he has served as in-

house attorney at Mark IV Enterprises, the largest property owner and devel-oper in the Rochester region.

His focus is on real estate, business development and corporate practice. But Kotary’s life far exceeds the bounds of his job. It transcends over into his four decades-long voluntary service with the Rochester Chapter of the American Red Cross. During that time the modest man with a kind word for everyone has given an extraordinary amount of blood, making him among the top 10 donors locally.

“Chris is a super guy. He always greets us with a smile and a hug,” said Trina Matijczyk, collection specialist. “He’s been a dedicated blood donor for years. His generosity is greatly appreci-ated by all of here at the center.”

His Red Cross romance began early, and it was love at first sight. The engagement that began during his freshman year at the University of Rochester blossomed into a full-blown marriage.

Over the years, he has donated more than 43 gallons of his A-positive blood that potentially has saved the lives of thousands. At last count, this human blood-producing machine had given his 345th unit, on average once every two weeks. So how does the man have the energy? His food consump-tion is normal, but a jam-packed sched-ule rarely leaves him time for lunch.

Although Kotary had been a whole blood donor for 37 years, he jumped at the chance to participate in the new apherisis (pronounced A-Fur-EE-sis) program introduced by the Red Cross in 2000.

This procedure, conducted at the Red Cross headquarters on John Street in Henrietta, allows donors to give only their blood platelets, the tiny cells that help control bleeding. After chemother-apy and radiation treatments, patients are no longer able to produce enough platelets of their own to survive. Recipients can use up to 120 doses of platelets waiting for their bone marrow to engraft.

Specialized machines and highly trained people are required to perform the more sophisticated procedure which takes close to two hours instead of 10 minutes required for whole blood donors.

Emotions run highGiving blood can be an emotional

experience as well.Among many cases Kotary could

recall was the Syracuse attorney who was about to undergo emergency open heart surgery. “The 80 units of blood delivered by State Police helicopter during a snowstorm ended up saving the patient’s life,” Kotary noted.

On a more personal note, Kotary’s own mother had been rushed to Roch-ester General Hospital with a serious internal bleeding problem. The two units of blood supplied by unknown donors prolonged her life until she passed away in her mid-90s.

With a bachelor’s degree in busi-ness administration, Kotary continued his education at Syracuse University where he earned a master’s degree in business administration and, subse-quently, a Juris Doctorate degree from its school of law. He graduated cum laude.

During the Vietnam War era, Kotary also served active and inactive duty time in the U.S. Army Reserves.

Kotary worked for a prestigious law firm in Syracuse. In 1968, he mar-ried Mary Ann Malecki, an elemen-tary school teacher. After 10 years of practice with the Syracuse firm, the couple returned to Rochester to care for Kotary’ elderly parents.

By 1979, he and his wife had moved to Webster where he began to practice with a law firm in the Roch-ester area. Kotary also teaches col-lege-level courses in paralegal studies, criminal justice programs, and notary public training classes for several other local organizations including the Webster Central School District Adult Education Program.

For kicks, Kotary once drove his own souped-up 2000 Camaro at the Watkins Glen raceway. With a tank full of high-octane fuel, he attained speeds of up to 120 mph. Now, he says he’s “more sedate, driving around Webster well within posted speed limits.”

Blood Brother

For several decades, Rochester attorney has donated blood once every two weeks on average making him one of Red Cross’ top 10 blood donors

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Practical tips, advice and hope for those who live alone

Live Alone & Thrive By Gwenn Voelckers

KIDSCorner

It wasn’t until I purchased my coun-try home with its overflowing flow-erbeds that I unwittingly discovered

my love of gardening. It was a do or die situation: either I

do the work or they die — all those gor-geous peonies, iris, columbine, daisies, pink poppies and more. Not on my thumb!

So I got busy. I picked up my trowel and dug

right in. I became a self-taught, home-grown gardener and have never looked back. I’m completely hooked. Come springtime, I get restless with anticipa-tion and can’t wait to get my knees and hands dirty.

Gardening is all about caretaking and tending and love. Slack off, even for a few days, and all things unwelcome show up and take root.

By osmosis, gardening has taught me how to take better care of myself. I have absorbed its rich messages and learned how to nurture my inner garden and growth as a women on her own.

Gardening is ripe with life lessons for those who live alone. Fertile ground exists in each of us, and a little tending can produce beautiful results. Here’s what I have learned:

Plan. Realizing the garden of your dreams begins in your imagination, followed by careful planning. Diagram your garden and it will help you avoid planting bulbs on top of bulbs or mis-taking a poppy for a weed. Likewise,

America’s prom season is on the horizon and with it comes dis-tress for thousands of teens who

will be distraught to see a pimple raise its ugly head on their nose or chin.

They’ll get over it — eventually. But for many teens, acne is a bigger prob-lem than a facial blemish. New research from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center finds that depression and other psychological disorders may be more prevalent in adolescent acne patients.

Steve Feldman, a medical doctor and a professor of dermatology at Wake Forest Baptist, conducted a systematic review of published literature which

envisioning your life goals and com-mitting them to writing will help you flourish and grow.

Cultivate. Good, cultivated soil promotes healthy, deep roots. When you add fertilizer and mix it up you are rewarded with abundance. Add-ing essential ingredients to the foun-dation of your dream garden (and your dream life) will nourish all that follows. You can’t go wrong with good food and plenty of sunshine!

Plant. So many choices! Revisit your plan and em-bed your carefully selected seeds with a tender, loving touch, being careful not to overcrowd or plant more than you can manage.

And remember: We reap what we sow, so fol-low your dreams. Plant a rose and you get a rose; plant a dandelion and you get a dandelion. Seed your future with healthy choices that promote well-being.

Weed. We all need room to breathe and positive space in which to blos-som. It holds true for your garden and your life. Weed out the negativity and any dream-stealing toxins that con-taminate your life, dash your hopes, or spoil your fun. When you pull out the bad, you can more easily focus on the good in your life.

Prune. When weeding is not

enough, a major pruning may be just what the arborist ordered. A job, relationship, or home that no longer satisfies or meets your needs may need a hard look. It may be time to pull out that pair of “life loppers.”

Mulch. Mulching keeps weeds at bay, keeps the ground moist, and re-turns nutrients to the soil. It also adds a finishing touch!

Mulch offers a blanket of protec-tion, in the same way that regular doctor appointments, insurances, and safety measures protect our lives. You can learn a lot from mulching!

Wait. We all know what happens to those who wait. When you exercise pa-tience, go slowly, and enjoy the gradual

unfolding of a flower, an idea, or a friendship, your life can be savored and more deeply appreciated. Each year, I look to my garden to remind me that growth takes time.

Enjoy. Before you know it, your labor of love and patience will pay off. Take pleasure in the trans-formation as the colors, textures, and fragrances emerge. Too often, we fail to “stop and smell the roses” in our gardens and in our lives.

Take a deep breath. And a good look. There’s nothing quite as satisfying as stepping back and ad-miring what you’ve accomplished. It’s reason to celebrate!

And now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some work to do. My garden and my life need tending, and there’s no time like the present. Why not grab a spade and join me? Beauty, growth, and an energizing sense of renewal are waiting for us season after season.

found that while most teenagers consider acne to be a cosmetic prob-lem, many others report that acne has a significant impact on their self-es-teem and quality of life, often leading to anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts. The study appears on Der-matology Online Journal.

“With this study, we found that acne is more than skin deep for those aged 13 to 18,” Feldman said. “De-pending on how the patient feels about it, acne can have a potentially large and negative impact on their lives or it can have a small affect.”

As a result, Feldman said the pres-ence of these psychological disorders

“should be considered in the treat-ment of acne patients when appro-priate.”

Acne affects 85 percent of teenag-ers, and some adults. It doesn’t have to be viewed as a normal rite of passage that goes along with puberty, Feldman said. A strong physician-patient rela-tionship and taking a thorough medical history may help to identify patients at risk for these adverse psychological effects, he added. And for teens who are successfully treated, symptoms of depression can be alleviated and their quality of life improved.

“Acne affects how we perceive our-selves. It affects how others perceive us. And it affects how we perceive how other people perceive us,” Feldman said.

Feldman said the research also shows that teenagers and their parents may not always be adequately edu-cated about the causes and treatment of acne which may further delay or affect successful treatment. And poor adherence to therapy is also a barrier to successful acne treatment.

“It’s a medical condition and there are some really good treatments.” Feld-man said. “Teens afflicted with acne shouldn’t have to suffer. They should talk to their physician.”

Living Alone: Tending the Garden Within

Acne is More Than a Nuisance For Some TeensStudy shows acne can cause depression, lead to suicidal thoughtsDISABILITY

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By Debbie Waltzer

It’s late in the day on a recent Tues-day afternoon. While Alice Cala-brese—president and CEO of Lol-

lypop Farm and the Humane Society of Greater Rochester—is finishing up some paperwork in her office, a black-and-white medium hair cat named Scooter is keeping her company on a nearby couch.

Scooter is just one of a parade of fe-lines that meander into Calabrese’s of-fice throughout the day, while patiently awaiting adoption.

“He’s just chilling out right now,” Calabrese explains, noting that Lol-lypop takes in roughly 13,000 animals each year, ranging from dogs and cats to horses and the occasional lizard. About 65 percent of those critters are adopted by new, loving owners.

Just as Scooter is helping Calabrese tackle her myriad responsibilities, so do most pets help their owners attain optimal health and well-being.

Time and time again, Calabrese and her colleagues hear new adopters exclaim: “I came to Lollypop Farm to save a pet…but the pet ended up sav-ing me.”

She cites several examples. One woman, who had a mild form of epi-lepsy, found that her newly adopted dog could sense an oncoming seizure and provide her with advanced warn-ing. “That dog helped his owner with life and living,” Calabrese notes.

Another adopter, a 90-year-old widower, comes in every few years to adopt an older dog. He names each of them Tasha, and when they are old and ready to be euthanized, he brings them back to Lollypop, then immediately adopts another venerable dog. “This gentleman literally comes in crying, but leaves smiling with a new pet by his side,” Calabrese says. “It keeps him going.”

Pets can have a profound posi-tive effect on an individual’s physical and mental health, says Honeoye Falls resident Jane Kjoller, a physician who has an internal medicine practice on South Goodman Street in the city of Rochester.

“Pets are like teddy bears for adults,” she explains. “They provide comfort and centering for their own-ers, and help us put our focus outside of ourselves.”

Having a pet is therapeutic, in that the bond between animal and human helps release endorphins, which can reduce blood pressure and aid in circu-lation, adds Kjoller, who owns several dogs as well as a 14-year-old parrot named Stuart, who sings a mean ren-dition of “Lida Rose” from “The Music Man.”

“Pets are completely non-judg-mental, and their personalities are all so different,” she says. “Animals are especially therapeutic for people who are isolated. Often it turns out that people trying to rescue an animal end up rescuing themselves as well.”

Having a pet carries numerous responsibilities, too, and knowing that Rover or Tabby relies on its human for regular exercise and meals helps put structure into the owner’s day.

“Owning pets is a marvelous expe-rience that takes you outside yourself,” says Kjoller, who would someday like to add chickens to her animal menag-erie. “I’ll never be without animals.”

Brighton resident Kerrie Merz feels the same way. Sadly, her family’s beloved 14-year-old pet dog Tess passed away recently. It’s been a tough experience for Kerrie—an editorial as-sistant for the linguistics department at University of Rochester and a freelance grant writer for a non profit organi-zation—as well as for her husband Bob, a senior claims representative for Progressive Insurance, and their three daughters, ages 9, 11 and 14.

“Tess got me through three preg-nancies, recoveries after my daughters’ births, and she even trained with me for the 2002 Long Island Marathon,” Kerrie says. “Tess was an amazing dog.”

Fortunately, the family also owns a 2-year-old mixed breed dog named Tucker, who is now “trying to fill big paws left by Tess,” explains Kerrie, who co-facilitates the Brighton Youth

Should You Own a Pet?Experts say pets are like teddy bears for adults. They can have a profound positive effect on an individual’s physical and mental health

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Running Club. The pair runs together every day, and Bob and the couple’s children take Tucker for frequent walks and neighborhood runs.

Regardless of whether they’re tired from a tough day at work, Kerrie and Bob know that Tucker needs them to take him out for a walk or run at the end of the day. “Actually, it’s great because once you get outside, start moving and warming up, you really start to enjoy yourself,” Kerrie adds.

Also pleasant is the fact that the family’s neighborhood is a haven for fellow animal and fitness lovers. “Our dogs have had a huge impact on our social life because they help you get out and meet people,” she says. “I might not always remember a person’s name, but I never forget their dog’s name.”

Indeed, adds Lollypop Farm’s Calabrese, pet ownership carries nu-merous benefits such as lowering bad cholesterol levels and blood pressure, decreasing depression and helping folks lose weight through rigorous pet-walking or running programs.

Lollypop offers an animal pet ther-apy program, through which trained

facilitators bring gentle pets into nurs-ing homes and facilities for individuals with developmental disabilities. “The animals elicit a lot of smiles, and often coax nursing home residents to come out of their rooms and socialize,” she says.

Best of all, pets form a lifelong bond with their owners, Calabrese adds.

“Without very little effort, they manage to leave little shadows in the corners of our homes and hearts,” she says.

Editor’s Note: Writer Debbie Waltzer and her family are smitten with their two 10-year-old orange cats, Ari and Simba, known affectionately as “The Boys.”

Pet TherapyAnimal-assisted therapy (AAT),

also known as pet therapy, utilizes trained animals and handlers to achieve specific physical, social, cognitive, and emotional goals with patients.

The enjoyment of animals as com-panions dates back many centuries, perhaps even to prehistoric times. The first known therapeutic use of animals started in Gheel, Belgium in the ninth century. In this town, learning to care for farm animals has long been an important part of an assisted living

program designed for people with dis-abilities.

Some of the earliest uses of animal-assisted healing in the United States were for psychiatric patients. The pres-ence of the therapy animals produced a beneficial effect on both children and adults with mental health issues. It is only in the last few decades that AAT has been more formally applied in a variety of therapeutic settings, including schools and prisons, as well as hospitals, hospices, nursing homes, and outpatient care programs.


By Eva BriggsMy Turn

Sometimes people request infor-mation, assistance or treatment that I can’t provide. Most people

understand when I tell them that I can’t comply, although some are amazingly persistent, as if wheedling or begging will change what I am able to do. So I’ve come up with a list of five things not to ask your doctor, as well as five things that you should ask.

1Don’t ask me to diagnose without seeing you. One of my former partners had a great response

when a mother called asking him to treat her child’s rash based on a phone conversation. He very sweetly asked the mother to hold the baby up to the phone so he could get a better look. Of course that occurred before we even imagined that there would be such a thing as a video chat. For your doctor to diagnose your problem, he’ll need a careful history and a hands-on exam. The former takes more time than is typically possible during a phone call, and the latter requires the patient’s physical presence. And if you are not an established patient, the doctor can’t treat you based on a phone call. The law requires that a doctor maintain an

adequate record of your treatment. It’s impossible to do that without an actual exam.

2Don’t ask me to prescribe drugs just because someone else

gave them to you in the past. Your request may be legitimate or you might be a drug seeker looking for controlled substances. In any case, I’ll need to find out what your symptoms are, figure out the diagno-sis (which may or may not be what your last doctor thought) and determine the correct medicine. Your medical history may have changed since the medica-tion was last prescribed, new or better treatments may be available, or the old medicine may no longer be available.

3Don’t ask me to perform a proce-dure for which I am not qualified. Once I’ve told you that something

is beyond my scope of practice, please don’t make repeated requests for me to provide that service. I know it seems crazy, but some people really do beg

5 Things Not to Ask Your Doctor; and 5 Things to Ask

me to perform procedures that I’ve just told them I don’t know how to do! One angry woman even went so far as to storm out shouting angrily because, in her opinion, any doctor should be able to do anything! She actually thought that I could do brain surgery in the ur-gent care. In reality, she needed a neu-rosurgeon with years of training after medical school along an anesthesiolo-gist and a fully equipped and staffed operating room. I am happy to help direct and guide patients to a colleague who can provide the treatments that I can’t offer. Also, if you just had surgery or a procedure done by another doctor, and develop a problem related to that

surgery, call or return to the original doctor. Without knowing the details of the original procedure, I often can’t render a wise decision.

4Don’t ask me to give a second opinion when I don’t have your old

records. Unless I know what tests and workup have already been done, and what treatments have already been tried, a lot of time and money will be wasted. Sometimes patients mistakenly believe that if I

receive records from their old doctor, I won’t be able to come up with an inde-pendent opinion. Also, it probably isn’t wise to ask a generalist for a second opinion about a specialized problem that has already been evaluated by one or more specialists in that field.

5Don’t ask me to discuss a family member’s personal information. If the patient is 18 years old or older,

I can’t even discuss their care with a parent or spouse, unless the patient has given consent. Although it can frustrate well-meaning parents of adult children, it’s the law.

Questions You Should Ask

There are some things that patients should ask.

Do ask me for help in quitting smoking. There are lots of methods and resources for would-be quitters. And it’s one of the most important lifestyle changes a person can make to improve long-term health.

Do ask me to write down anything you might need help to remember: the names of drugs, how to take your medications, the names and results of tests that were ordered.

Do ask me to explain anything that you don’t understand before you leave the office or clinic. Grumbling to the nurse or secretary under your breath on the way out of the office won’t help you to get the answer that you need.

Do ask me about herbs and supple-ments that you are using. Sometimes these substances have side effects or drug interactions that affect your treat-ment.

Do ask when you should come back. Is there a time frame for a re-check? Or what symptoms should prompt your return.

Eva Briggs, a board-certified physician, works on the staff at Cayuga Medical Center in Ithaca, in its two urgent care centers: one in Ithaca, and the other in Cortland.

Pharma companies release new versions of erectile drugs to battle generics

Pharmaceutical companies are releasing new versions of erectile dys-function drugs in anticipation of more competition from generic makers as they battle for a larger slice of the $5-billion a year market.

Pfizer recently launched Viagra Jet, a chewable form of Viagra in Mexico, and will soon market the erectile drug to other countries.

Another ED drug, Levitra, is sold as a dissolvable tablet in nine Euro-pean nations by Bayer and will soon be sold in the U.S. under the brand name Staxyn. The tablet fizzes and dissolves in seconds.

Cialis, now eight years in the market, is the best seller among the ED drugs because of its promise of enhanced sexual performance for males for 36 hours. Industry observers forecast that Cialis will dethrone Viagra from the No. 1 spot held by Pfizer since 1998.

A Brazilian drug firm is creating a faster-acting version, which dissolves faster under the tongue and would increase blood flow to the male organ within 10 or 15 minutes. It would work faster than existing pills which enter the bloodstream indirectly through the stomach, intestines and liver.

When Pfizer’s patent for Viagra’s chemical expires in the U.S. in 2012,

BRIEFSgeneric ED pills could be sold for only a fraction of the current selling price of branded versions at $10 or more.

Pfizer has a second patent for use against impotence, which will lapse by 2019. The firm filed a lawsuit in a Virginia federal court in March 2010 against Teva Pharmaceutical Industries over patent use.

Ibuprofen may protect against Parkinson’s disease

Adults who regularly take ibupro-fen have about one-third less risk of developing Parkinson’s disease than non-users, according to a new study.

Harvard School of Public Health researchers said in a statement that since there is no cure for Parkinson’s, the possibility that ibuprofen, which is relatively non-toxic, may help protect against the disease is “captivating.”

Parkinson’s disease is a progressive nervous disease that usually occurs after the age of 50. It affects at least half a million Americans. About 50,000 new cases of the disease are reported every year, and that number is expected to rise with the aging U.S. population.

Researchers hypothesize that ibuprofen may reduce inflammation in the brain that may contribute to the disease.

The researchers analyzed data from about 99,000 women and 37,000 men and found that those who took ibu-profen two or more times a week were

about 38 percent less likely to develop Parkinson’s than those who regularly took aspirin, acetaminophen or other non-aspirin NSAIDs.

A report on the study is published in the March 2 online edition of the journal Neurology.

Study: Vegetarians at lower heart disease risk

Vegetarians may be at a signifi-cantly reduced risk of developing heart disease than their carnivorous peers, according to a new study.

Researchers at Loma Linda Uni-versity said that vegetarians have a 36 percent lower prevalence of metabolic syndrome than meat eaters. Metabolic syndrome is a precursor to heart dis-ease, diabetes and stoke.

The condition is defined as exhibit-ing at least three of the five total risk factors — high blood pressure, elevated HDL cholesterol, high glucose levels, elevated triglyceride levels and an unhealthy waist circumference.

The study’s participants were a group of 700 randomly sampled adults.

The Loma Linda researchers said that while 25 percent of vegetarians had metabolic syndrome, the number went up to 37 percent for semi-vegetar-ians and 39 percent for non-vegetar-ians.

A report on the study is published in the journal Diabetes Care.

Figures show 2.6 million babies stillborn yearly

The World Health Organization recently reported that about 2.6 million stillbirths occurred worldwide in 2009.

This amounts to more than 7,200 babies a day. Ninety eight percent of the stillbirths happened in low- to mid-dle-income nations. However, WHO warned that high-income countries are not immune from the problem.

In a rate that has changed little over the past 10 years, about 320 babies were stillborn in these nations in 2009.

The WHO statistics show that stillbirths worldwide have declined by only 1.1 percent per year, from 3 mil-lion in 1995 to 2.6 million in 2009.

The five main causes of stillbirth children are childbirth complications, maternal infections in pregnancy, maternal disorders like high blood pressure and diabetes, fetal growth re-striction and congenital abnormalities, according to a WHO statement.

Almost half of stillbirths — 1.2 million — happen when women are in labor. WHO says these deaths are directly related to lack of skilled care.

About 66 percent of stillbirths oc-cur in just 10 countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, China, Democratic Repub-lic of Congo, Ethiopia, India, Indone-sia, Nigeria, Pakistan and the United Republic of Tanzania.


By Karen Boughton Siegelman

Jen Moore never enjoyed hula hoop-ing as a child, but this 30-year-old mother is certainly making up for

lost time. Moore, of Rochester, rediscov-

ered this activity after she had a very unpleasant experience while making some childhood memories for her own kids at Seabreeze Amusement Park.

“My 4-year-old daughter and I started to board the pirate ship ride,” recalled Moore, “ but I was told by the attendant that I had to get off because I weighed too much. Then five minutes later we went on another ride, and as I walked away I heard the attendant refer to me as a ‘fat cow.’”

At the time Moore said she was over 150 pounds over-weight, tipping the scales at 285. She admits she has strug-gled with her weight through-out her life, and in the past few years she had added additional pounds while coping with the stillborn death of her daughter.

“The incidents at the amusement park made me feel just horrible about the weight I had gained,” contin-ued Moore. “I grew up in an unstable household, and based on my experiences with my mother, who had addiction issues, I have always strived to be the best mom I could be. I never wanted to be a mom who embarrassed her children, and that day at the amusement park I realized I could turn out to be one of those mothers if I didn’t do something.”

Moore had tried fad diets in the past, but was unsuccess-ful at keeping the weigh off, so she knew drastic measures were necessary if she was going to drop pounds and inches.

“I needed to make a life-style change,” said Moore, “I also had to teach myself how to be active, but I wanted something fun to do that I would look forward to doing.”

Moore decided to go back to an exercise studio where she had felt comfortable a few years ago when she was pregnant with her son, who is now 4 years old. She explained the teacher there had been a certified hoopnotica instructor. (hoopnotica, which started in California in 2006, is a fat-burning workout program that utilizes 1.5 lb fit-ness hoops and rhythmic movements).

Unfortunately Moore found out the instructor had moved and the studio no longer offered hoopnotica classes. She decided to buy a hoop and hoop-notica DVD and teach herself.

I started in September 2009 doing 15 minutes in a corner of the YMCA gym,” said Moore.” I attracted some

attention because I spent more time dropping the hoop and then picking it up, but I was exercising. I lost 12 pounds in the first month.”

“After three weeks I believed I could do it,” Moore added, “and I improved so much because I had some confidence. In three weeks I went from just keeping the hoop up for three sec-onds to lasting through an entire song. I kept teaching myself more and more

moves, went from level one to four and soon discovered I had lost 50 to 60 pounds.”

Early last year Moore became a certified hoopnotica instructor, and she was inundated with offers to teach hooping at various facilities. She now teaches classes seven days a week at local YMCAs and fitness centers. She also works privately with individuals in their homes and leads classes for em-ployees of various businesses and the Rochester City School District.

Moore, who now weighs 145 and has reduced her body fat composition from 49 to 19 percent, points out that many people arrive at her classes with preconceived notions about hooping, based on their childhood experiences with old-fashioned hula hooping. However she soon convinces them that

the exercise she believes in so strongly is quite different.

“First of all, I recommend using a hoop that weighs only 1 ½ pounds, instead of the 3 to 5 pound hoops you see in the stores,” explained Moore, whose husband, Keith, makes the recom-mended hoops and sells them online at (www.

RocCityHoopdance.com). “Also we use bigger hoops [in diameter] because they make slower revolutions so beginners don’t give their muscles a workout that is too strenuous.”

“Of course during the first few classes it can look like you are having sei-zures,” Moore said. “I also hear all kinds of excuses at the beginning about how someone’s hips are too big or small; however, I prom-ise everyone that they will walk out of the class hoop-ing, and they do.”

Besides using a push/pull motion to keep the hoop around their waist, participants may also spin the hoop around other parts of the body such as the arms and legs during

the hour classes.“Hooping is a full body work-

out,” Moore said. “ It is very versatile and multi generational too. Everyone from my 6-year-old to my 77-year-old grandmother can do it. In fact I did a demonstration at a nursing home and a 95-year-old woman was twirling the hoop around her hands while sitting in a chair.”

Therese Galusha, 54, of Greece, attends Moore’s hooping class once a week, and she agrees that everyone can do this type of workout.

“We all make mistakes and drop the hoop,” said Galusha, “but we all

Losing Weight the Hula Hoop WayJen Moore of Rochester goes from 285 lbs. to 145 lbs. thanks in part to hula hooping — now she’s teaching others how to do it

laugh about it. There’s no feeling of having to keep up with the next per-son.”

“I love it because it is different, fun and brings back some childhood memories,” Galusha continued. “It’s sort of like riding a bike. You pick up where you left off. After taking the first class I could really feel a difference in my obliques, and from what I hear, Jen’s got some pretty tough moves using the hoop not just on your waist, but also your hips and legs, so you can target all areas of your body.”

This versatile and fun exercise can burn 300 calories an hour at a low im-pact pace, according to Moore.

“If you add squats and lunges, and moving inside the hoop, you can burn up to 500 to 600 calories,” she added. “It never gets boring because you can add weights and more hoops as you get better at it.”

“However it is not a competition to see who can use the most hoops,”

Moore stressed. “ It is all about finding your own individu-al flow.”

Moore has definitely found her own flow. She is now studying to be a master trainer with hoopnotica, which will allow her to certify oth-ers to teach these classes. She is also part of a circus arts performance group called the R.O.C. ShowGirls, which use hoops in some of their routines.

Moore also has a business partner

who believes in hooping as strongly as she does. Her husband, who is also a hoopnotica instructor and personal trainer, has lost over 100 pounds since he began his involvement in this exer-cise program.

“We are proof that it is never too late, “said Moore, who was a size 26, but now heads to the size 4 racks. “Hooping has completely changed our life, and it is allowing us to help others change their lives too”

For more information on Jen Moore’s hoop-ing classes go to www.RocCityHoopdance.com or www.Hoopnotica.com.

Jen Moore before and after her hula hoop practice (with husband Keith) about four years ago. She has lost 140 pounds.

AFTER

BEFORE


Miranda Adams work in microbiology lab at URMC. She has participated in Zumba classes for two months and has already lost 10 pounds and feels her energy level has increased. “I saw the ads on TV and it looked high-energy, fun and everyone said how fun it was,” she said.

Is a ‘Dance Party’ Really a Good Workout?

By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

Zumba Fitness urges would-be participants to “ditch the work-out and join the party.” The

dance exercise program features upbeat Latin music, less structure than most aerobic classes and an-inclusive envi-ronment for all ages and body types.

Since its inception in 2001, Zumba has grown to include 10 million participants taking weekly classes in more than 90,000 locations in over 110 countries. The numbers alone attest to its popularity, but is a “dance party”

really a good workout?

Heather Van Orden, manager for the Fitness and Wellness Center at University of Rochester Medical Center, has taken Zumba classes before and calls it “a total body workout because you’re using both your arms and legs. You use your arms more than in a step class.”

She estimates that Zumba participants can burn about 700 calories per hour, which is higher than the average number burned by high-impact aerobics (511 to 763 per hour, states the Mayo Clinic).

Allison Pulvino, physical therapist at Rochester General outpatient rehabilitation, used

a heart monitor device the first time she participated in a Zumba class and the device said that she burned 400 calories in the 50-minute class, but conceded that as a beginner, she likely was not burning as many as someone accustomed to practicing Zumba.

“The more you learn the techniques and the more you get into it, the more you burn,” she said. “It’s good for your heart and the rest of your body.”

The number of calories burned in any activity depends upon the weight of the individual and other variables. The Mayo Clinic’s range of calories was based upon a person weighing 160 to 240 pounds. Someone weighing less would burn fewer calories per hour.

“It’s a fun way to get people moving who don’t like treadmills or boring exercise,” Pulvino said.

Most methods of exercise don’t cover all facets of fitness, however.

“I wouldn’t say there’s much strength training,” Van Orden said. “It’s mostly aerobic.”

Strength training keeps muscles strong and helps promote a healthy weight, but Zumba could be a valuable part of an overall fitness plan. Zumba Toning and Zumba in the Circuit, variants of the original program, incorporate strength training moves. There’s also Zumbatomic, a child-oriented program, Zumba Gold for baby boomers, and Aqua Zumba, a pool-based workout.

In addition to its ability to torch calories, Zumba attracts many participants because it is different from other activities they’ve tried.

“The nice thing is that you’re having so much fun it doesn’t seem like exercise,” Van Orden said. “It’s so fun. People don’t like to exercise in general, so any way you can make the class fun is great. Because Zumba is a lot of

fun that’s why it’s so popular. It’s like going out to a Latin night club.”

Amita Vaidya, a biology student at the University of Rochester Medical Center, started taking Zumba Fitness classes in mid-October, 2010.

It was one of many classes that the medical center gym offered for a six-

week period. “I didn’t know

what it was until I went to that class,” Vaidya said. “They told me it was a bunch of nice songs and you had to dance to it. Since it was music, I thought I’d try it since I like to dance. I was looking for a cardio exercise.”

She had previously tried running on the treadmill, which eventually bored her. But joining a class proved to be motivational and was a means for her to maintain her cardiovascular fitness.

In addition to the weekly classes at URMC, Vaidya

tries to work out at home two times per week. She said that it’s making a difference in her level of fitness.

“I was out of town for a month not working out and I could feel that I was tired sooner,” she said. “Once I got into the routine again, my energy has improved. I can do more now.”

Miranda Adams work in microbiology lab at URMC. She has participated in Zumba classes for two months and has already lost 10 pounds and feels her energy level has increased.

“I saw the ads on TV and it looked high-energy, fun and everyone said how fun it was,” she said. “Being a larger frame, I was worried I wouldn’t be able to keep up. I don’t have a dance background and I’m lacking in coordination.”

Fortunately, Adams found the instructor easy to follow and the camaraderie also draws her back to class.

“Because the class is made up of women of all ages, shapes and sizes,

you don’t feel intimidated. Everyone’s there for the same purpose: to get a workout and burn some calories. It doesn’t matter if you can follow her exact steps.

You keep up as much as you can and laugh at yourself if you can’t do the steps right.”

Adams also likes that the Zumba instructor at URMC incorporates other high-energy music, providing a

variety that appeals to more participants, including top pop music hits and hip-hop.

“It’s a great workout and it doesn’t seem like a workout,” Adams raved. “I’ve tried lifting weights, elliptical, jogging and I couldn’t find anything I enjoyed. This is the first class I’ve taken. I look forward to going every week.”

She uses her exercise bicycle and elliptical machine at home the mornings she does not go to Zumba class and she has also signed up for a Tai Chi class that she will incorporate into her fitness regimen.

“Having a monotonous workout is boring,” Adams said.

Zumba requires no equipment but space and music, and

participants start at their own level, learning the dance steps as they go. But it’s not like taking dance lessons.

“It’s something that you learn,” Van Orden said. “You have to at least have a sense of rhythm but you don’t have to be a dancer.”

Participants are encouraged to wear non-skid, supportive shoes such as cross-trainer shoes and comfortable exercise clothing. Zumba Fitness also sells licensed apparel. Devotees can purchase Zumba Fitness videos to follow at home.

The Zumba story from www.zumba.com

“In the mid-‘90s, no one could have predicted the success of the Zumba program, not even Alberto “Beto” Perez, who created the Zumba program, after what many have called a true ‘happy accident.’

“As a fitness instructor in his native Cali, Colombia, Beto’s life took an unexpected turn one fateful day in the mid-‘90s when he darted off to teach an aerobics class and forgot his traditional aerobics music. He improvised using his own mix of music from tapes he had in his backpack (salsa and merengue music he grew up with). Spontaneously, he created a new kind of dance-fitness, one that focused on letting the music move you (instead of counting reps over the music). Energy electrified the room; people couldn’t stop smiling. His class loved it! And on that day, a revolutionary new fitness concept was born — the Zumba fitness-party.”

Heather Van Orden, manager for the Fitness and Wellness Center at University of Rochester Medical Center, has taken Zumba classes before and calls it “a total body workout because you’re using both your arms and legs. You use your arms more than in a step class.”

Amita Vaidya, a biology student at the University of Rochester Medical Center, started taking Zumba Fitness classes in mid-October, 2010. “I didn’t know what it was until I went to that class,” Vaidya said.



Stability balls may puzzle those not familiar with them. How can a piece of equipment that looks like

a beach ball and weighs almost noth-ing help anyone get fit? Also known as “exercise balls” or “fitness balls,” they can enhance and encourage a variety of exercise movements.

Merely sitting on stability balls without attempting any additional movements engages muscles. It works because as the ball shifts slightly, it throws the user off-balance. Muscles compensate for the imbalance to keep the upright.

“It causes back and stomach muscles to contract,” said Allison Pul-vino, a physical therapist for Rochester General outpatient rehabilitation. “It prevents further injury because you’re strengthening the core muscles.

“You can start with basic exercises just sitting on the ball sitting up nice and tall or do more dynamic exercises where you’re using your arms and feet on the ball.”

For example, lifting free weights while sitting on the ball employs the upper body at the same time.

“I noticed right away that the ab-dominals are the first thing to tighten,” Pulvino said. “As soon as you get tired that’s when the balance is hard to keep. Sitting on a ball vs. sitting on a chair is extremely different.”

Christine Pilaroscia, co-owner of Bounce Aerobics in Rochester, recom-mends using a stability ball for Pi-lates-style movements while lying on the back with the ball supporting the body’s weight. This position “makes it easier on the back,” she said.

A stability ball can simultaneously build muscle on the inner and outer thighs. Pilaroscia said to sandwich the ball between the lower legs and perform leg lifts with both legs holding the ball.

“To work the upper body, an easy

way of doing a push-up is to place their quads on the ball so their hands are on the floor and do push-ups with the ball,” she said. “From there, they can build themselves up until they can place the ball under their feet. That’s more challenging.”

At home or work, some people replace their desk chair with a stability ball.

“It does help keep proper posture because sitting on them forces you to keep your spine erect but in standard chairs you have the option to slouch,” said Jill Valentino, physical therapist at Unity Physical Therapy and Rehabili-tation. “But you have to stay centered and even on your hips on the ball.”

Most exercise balls come with an instructional booklet or DVD. Numer-ous websites offer free stability ball workouts, too.

Especially if you have experienced back problems, it’s wise to get your doctor’s approval before using a sta-bility ball. Then select the right size.

Valentino recommends measur-ing the distance from the floor to the top of your knee when you’re seated in a chair with your hips and knees at a 90 degree angle. This measurement should equal the diameter of the ball. You may need a slightly larger ball if you have long legs, have experienced back problems or if you plan to use the ball for a chair.

If you’re not sure, go with one slightly larger since you can always leave it a little underinflated.

Select a model that comes with its own air pump. You may not have the right sized air pump at home. When you’re just starting out, leave the ball a little soft. It makes it easier to use because the “give” will make it more stable.

If sitting on a ball seems like an ac-cident in the making, don’t worry; you

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How Stability Balls Came About

The use of stability balls origi-nated in rehabilitation. As early as the 1900s, physical therapists

have been using balls in addressing the neurological disorders of their patients.

Then, in the early 1960s, Aquilino Cosani, an Italian toy maker, made the ball and sold it, known then as the ‘Gymnastik.’ Two decades later, Cosani established a company called Gymnic and became the major sup-

plier of stability balls for rehabilitation programs and centers.

Because of the advantages, the use of the ball then shifted to the athletic area, in the 90s. It was used for con-ditioning of professional athletes and thereafter became very prominent in the fitness community.

At present medical specialists and fitness professionals recommend the use of the stability ball in your exer-cise program.

won’t fall.“The whole idea is that

it’s unsteady,” Valentino said, “but really, most people when they sit on them because of their body weight and having their feet spread at a comfortable dis-tance won’t fall.”


A new scientific study positions walnuts in the No. 1 slot among a family of foods that lay claim

to being among Mother Nature’s most nearly perfect packaged foods: tree and ground nuts. In a report at the 241st National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society in Cali-fornia, scientists presented an analysis showing that walnuts have a combina-tion of more healthful antioxidants and higher quality antioxidants than any other nut.

“Walnuts rank above peanuts, almonds, pecans, pistachios and other nuts,” said Joe Vinson, Ph.D., who did the analysis. “A handful of walnuts contains almost twice as much antioxi-dants as an equivalent amount of any other commonly consumed nut. But unfortunately, people don’t eat a lot of them. This study suggests that consum-ers should eat more walnuts as part of a healthy diet.”

Vinson noted that nuts in gen-eral have an unusual combination of nutritional benefits — in addition those antioxidants — wrapped into a conve-nient and inexpensive package. Nuts, for instance, contain plenty of high-quality protein that can substitute for meat; vitamins and minerals; dietary fiber; and are dairy- and gluten-free. Years of research by scientists around the world link regular consumption of small amounts of nuts or peanut butter

with de-creased risk of heart dis-ease, certain kinds of cancer, gallstones, Type 2 diabetes, and other health problems.

Despite all the previous research, scientists until now had not compared both the amount and quality of antioxi-dants found in different nuts, Vinson said. He filled that knowledge gap by analyzing antioxidants in nine differ-ent types of nuts: walnuts, almonds, peanuts, pistachios, hazelnuts, Brazil nuts, cashews, macadamias, and pe-cans. Walnuts had the highest levels of antioxidants.

Vinson also found that the quality, or potency, of antioxidants present in walnuts was highest among the nuts. Antioxidants in walnuts were 2 to 15 times as potent as vitamin E, renowned for its powerful antioxidant effects that protect the body against damaging natural chemicals involved in causing disease.

“There’s another advantage in choosing walnuts as a source of anti-oxidants,” said Vinson, who is with the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania. “The heat from roasting nuts generally reduces the quality of the antioxidants. People usually eat walnuts raw or un-roasted, and get the full effectiveness of those antioxidants.”

Walnuts Are Top Nut for Heart-Healthy Antioxidants

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Anne Palumbo is a lifestyle columnist, food guru, and seasoned cook, who has perfected the art of preparing nutritious, calorie-conscious dishes. She is hungry for your questions and comments about SmartBites, so be in touch with Anne at [email protected].

SmartBitesThe skinny on healthy eating

By Anne Palumbo

Ah, the sweet smells of spring…cut grass, clean air, hyacinth flowers, and the enticing aroma

of a freshly baked strawberry-rhubarb pie. Raised in Ohio, where rhubarb grew wild alongside our house, I couldn’t wait to harvest the tall, pinkish stalks.

These days, I continue to eat rhubarb, both fresh and frozen. While I don’t consume it on a regular basis, I appreciate its tart taste, as well as its many health benefits.

Low in fat, cholesterol, sodium and calories (only 26 per diced cup), rhu-barb is a decent source of fiber, a good source of vitamin C, and a great source of vitamin K. Vitamin K, which accord-ing to nutritionist Susan Brown, helps to keep calcium in the bones and out of the arteries, is an “overlooked bone builder and heart protector.”

Used in traditional Chinese medi-cine for thousands of years, rhubarb is often prescribed as a digestive aid and laxative for its natural ability to stimulate a sluggish system. That being said, no wonder rhubarb has earned the nickname, “nature’s broom.”

On the research front: Scientists at Sheffield Hallam University in the UK

recently found that baking rhubarb for 20 minutes boosted its levels of anti-cancerous chemicals. The antioxidants, known as polyphenols, have been shown to selectively kill or prevent the growth of some cancer cells.

All the good stuff notwithstanding, I’ll be reaching for rhubarb this May because nothing evokes the feel-good memories of my childhood quite like this unique vegetable — and, in my book, that always “does a body good.”

Helpful tips Choose stalks that are medium in

width, firm, and have glossy skin. Cut off and discard the leaves (if present), which are poisonous. Wrap rhubarb in plastic wrap and store in the cold-est part of the refrigerator for up to a week. Cook only in non-reactive cookware — glass, stainless steel, Teflon-coated aluminum, etc. — due to its acidic nature. Rhubarb cooked in reactive cookware — aluminum, iron, copper – will turn an unappetizing brown color.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Crunch

For the filling:5 cups rhubarb (cut into

¾” pieces)2 cups sliced strawber-

ries3 – 4 tablespoons

sugar1 tablespoon cornstarch1 teaspoon fresh

lemon juice

For the topping:½ cup all-purpose flour½ cup wheat flour¾ cup rolled oats½ teaspoon baking powder½ teaspoon coarse salt½ teaspoon cinnamon1/3 cup brown sugar½ cup chopped walnuts, toasted (8

minutes in 350 degree oven)6 tablespoons butter, melted

(recommend: “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! Sticks)

1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prep 9-inch square baking dish with non-stick cooking spray or light coating of oil. Make the filling: Mix rhubarb, strawberries, sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice in a bowl. Transfer to bak-ing dish.

Make the topping: Stir together flours, oats, baking powder, salt, cin-namon, sugar and nuts. Whisk vanilla into melted butter and slowly add to dry ingredients, stirring gently with a fork until clumps form.

Sprinkle topping evenly over fill-

ing. Bake until brown on top, about 1 hour. Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool for 20 minutes before serving. Top with scoop of vanilla frozen yogurt (optional).

Rhubarb: More Than Just Pie Filler

© 2011 Greater Rochester Health Foundation

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By Mike Costanza

If blindness or other physical dif-ficulties prevent you from reading, you can now tune in to a local audio

show to learn of useful products, ser-vices, and tips for everyday life. Best of all, it comes with a touch of humor, and the cameraderie of shared experiences.

“One thrust is information, and the other is to let people know that others have overcome problems,” says Peter Torpey, co-host of the show “View Point.”

Peter has been blind for all his life. His wife and co-host, Nancy Goodman Torpey, is sighted.

“View Points” is a program of WXXI Reachout Radio, a closed-circuit broadcast partnership of radio station WXXI, Rochester’s public broadcasting station, and ABVI Goodwill. Through the show, Peter and Nancy bring about 30 minutes of useful information on a variety of topics to homes through-out the Rochester region each week. Reachout Radio broadcasts to specially-tuned radios that are available for free to eligible applicants for the service.

Ruth Phinney, Reachout Radio’s program director, conceived the idea of a show like “View Points” after being contacted by those who wanted to know more about the products and services that are available for the blind and visually impaired.

“People had, through the years, contacted me, and said, ‘I know there’s stuff out there that would help me, I know there’s products, I know there’s things I could do, but I just don’t know what they are,’” Phinney says.

Phinney broached the idea to the Torpeys, two retired research physi-cists who had begun volunteering for WXXI. They were initially reluctant to volunteer for a job that required them to develop and research topics for a weekly show, Nancy says.

“We’ve got four segments in each show, so that’s a couple of hundred ideas in just the first year,” Nancy says.

Still, they decided to give it a try, and found it to their liking.

“It’s kind of interesting, doing the research every week for these pro-grams,” Peter says.

The Torpeys recorded the first “View Points” in the beginning of Oc-tober, and their first show aired on Jan.

5. Nowadays, they come in to WXXI’s studios every two weeks to record two 28-minute shows.

Each View Points begins with a “tip of the week,” for its audience. In their first show, the Torpeys encouraged their listeners to wear eyeglasses to protect their open eyes from

foreign objects, even if they couldn’t see. Why?

“Because you don’t blink,” Peter says.

After that comes what the Torpeys call the “low-tech,” and “high-tech” segments of the program. The low-tech segment offers the kind of information that someone who is blind or visually impaired might need in order to travel across town or arrange the goods in his or her pantry. On the other hand, the high-tech segment presents the kinds of devices, goods or services that their listeners might desire, such as a refreshable Braille display that presents printed material in tactile form.

“The high-tech segment is some-thing that’s usually a bit more comput-er-oriented, or for someone who is into technology gadgets,” Peter explained.

Last comes the “focus” segment

A New Kind of View PointWXXI Reachout Radio features a new program focused on technology and services for those with vision loss

of the program, wherein the Torpeys spend one-half to one-third of their air time talking about one subject in depth. During one upcoming show, they’ll discuss the challenges of dating when one or both of the parties cannot see or has difficulty seeing.

The Torpey’s bring a wealth of experiences and anecdotes to “View Point.” Both are 58 years old, have been married 27 years, and continue to live full lives. The two were once avid dancers, and share a love of the out-doors.

“I tell people, ‘Gee, I go bike riding with my wife—it’s (a) tandem,’” Peter says.

They’ve even helped build a house together. When the local chapter of Habitat for Humanity, an organization that builds and refurbishes homes for those in need, announced a need for volunteers, Nancy gathered a crew of friends and headed out to the con-struction site with her husband. Pete worked alongside his wife and friends for about a year-and-a-half, while they helped keep him safe on the site.

“One of the owners came in as I was painting, and said, “You’ve got blind men painting my rooms!’” Peter says, laughing.

Nancy says that the couple hopes to transmit that can-do attitude to their listeners, some of whom might feel un-able to leave their homes because they are blind or have poor vision.

“The message is, ‘Yeah, you can. You just need some ideas on how to make it work,’” Nancy says.

For information on WXXI Reachout Radio, go to wxxi.org/reachout.

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Radio couple: Peter Torpey and and his wife Nancy Goodman Torpey host “View Points,” a program of WXXI Reachout Radio designed to bring information to those with visual impairment.


Asthma is a chronic and poten-tially life-threatening lung dis-ease in which airways become

inflamed, swollen and narrowed, mak-ing it hard to breathe.

An estimated 24 million Americans suffer from asthma, including one in 10 school aged children — and the num-bers are on the rise.

Seventy percent of people with asthma have nasal allergies, and very often, these same allergens also trigger asthma and contribute to much of the longstanding underlying inflammation in the lungs, which can be present even when someone is feeling good.

Many asthmatic people can go for long periods of time without signifi-cant symptoms even with inflamma-tion present, but this inflammation makes them more likely to “tip over” when infections, irritants, weather changes, exercise or more allergens stress the system.

Allergic asthma is the most com-mon form of asthma, but the symptoms of allergic and non-allergic asthma are often the same (coughing, chest tight-ness, shortness of breath or wheezing).

All types of asthma are often exac-erbated by infections and exercise, but patients with underlying allergic in-flammation are often more susceptible when these other triggers come along.

Allergens are harmless substances that normally shouldn’t cause any trouble, however, in many people the problems arise because their body misidentifies these harmless substances and overreacts by producing chemicals which cause the inflammation. Ex-

posure to allergens such as pets, dust mites, pollens and molds can trigger immediate asthma symptoms, but most people with allergic asthma don’t experience a full flare every time they are exposed to the allergens.

Very often, under the radar, these exposures are making them more vulnerable when other triggers come along. People with unrecognized or undertreated disease are not only at risk for asthma attacks and decreased quality of life, but also for long term permanent damage in the lungs if left untreated. Even people with mild asthma can suffer a life threatening at-tack caused by environmental hazards.

Treatment of asthma often consists of a rescue inhaler that will temporarily alleviate symptoms, but does nothing for underlying inflammation, and as a result is not protective against long term scarring and lung damage.

Needing a rescue inhaler more than twice a week is indicative of your asthma not being well controlled. Oral steroids such as prednisone or orapred are potent anti-inflammatory treatments for acute asthma treat-ment, but using these more than once a year indicates uncontrolled persistent asthma even if there are few symptoms between flares. It is recommended that these patients should strongly consider a daily standing anti-inflammatory medication to prevent attacks, and to also prevent long term damage.

The best strategy for treatment is to reduce the number of triggers caus-ing your inflammation, and as a result minimize the amount of medication

required for control.Like someone with high blood

pressure who can often drastically reduce medication requirements by reducing salt, losing weight, exercising and stopping smoking, asthma suffer-ers should also learn their underlying causes of inflammation and triggers, and implement strategies to reduce or eliminate them.

Asthma management needs to be individualized, and allergy skin testing can identify contributing allergens, and guide avoidance/reduction techniques which can improve control and help minimize the need for medications.

In those who still require long term medications, allergen desensitization injections can reduce a person’s over response to the allergens and help decrease the inflammation before it oc-curs, and as a result help reduce symp-toms and medication requirements. Because allergens are everywhere, it’s important that people with allergic asthma understand their allergy and asthma triggers and learn the facts about preventing asthma symptoms. For asthma sufferers, complete control

of asthma is not only possible, but should be expected.

For further infor-mation and related articles go to www.aair.info.

Albert S. Hartel, M.D., works at Allergy Asthma Immunology of Rochester (AAIR).

A runny or stuffy nose and non-stop sneezing can leave you feel-ing miserable, but is it a cold or

are allergies taking a toll? Finding out whether your symptoms are caused by a cold or allergy is the first step to find-ing relief, according to allergist mem-bers of American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI), doctors who are experts at diagnosing and treating allergies and asthma.

Colds are contagious and are caused by one of more than 200 viruses. You can’t catch allergies, which are triggered by allergens, prompting your immune system to overreact. There are many possible allergens, from pollen to pet dander. And while spring sneezing might be due to a cold, high levels of tree and grass pollens and mold spores cause misery at this time of year for the 60 million Americans who suffer from allergic rhinitis, often called hay fever.

So how can you tell whether it’s a spring cold or spring allergies? Here are some general guidelines:

How does the suffering start? Colds evolve, usually starting with

a stuffy nose, throat irritation and low grade fever. Next comes the sneezing and a runny nose, with thickening mucus that often turns yellow or green. Common allergy symptoms include itchy eyes and nose, as well as sneezing, but the mucus is typically clear.

Can’t shake your symptoms?Colds usually run their course after

a week or two. “Allergy symptoms, on the other hand, hang on or even increase as long as you are exposed to the allergen that is triggering your symptoms,” said allergist Dr. Myron Zitt, past president of ACAAI. “For spring allergies that may mean six

weeks or more.” Give me fever?

If you’re achy and feverish, you most likely have a cold.

Do your eyes have it?Itchy eyes strongly suggest

allergies, although eye discomfort can occur with a cold, too.

Say ahhh?Although a sore throat and

cough can occur with allergies, those symptoms more likely suggest you have a cold. Coughing, however, can be a sign of asthma, especially in children. A persistent cough should be evaluated by an allergist as other diseases can have this symptom, too.

Visit www.allergyandasthmarelief.org to take a relief self-test, find an allergist who can help you find out if you have allergies and develop a plan to stop your suffering.

2011 allergy season to last longer this yearHealth experts offer tips for eye allergy sufferers.

The 2011 allergy season is expected to be 27 days longer in northern portions of North America, ac-

cording to health experts. Researchers who conducted a recent study on the topic have linked the issue to a rise in global warming, with more weeks of pollen season.

Upper latitudes are warming faster than mid-latitudes, and the pollen season is increasing with the warming. Thereby areas of America are experi-encing additional weeks added on to their traditional allergy season.

Findings of the study can be found in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. One of the areas that is particularly troublesome are eye allergies.

According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, 50 mil-lion Americans have allergies, which may in turn trigger asthma. Ragweed allergies, or hay fever, affects up to 30 percent of Americans.

“Ocular (eye) allergies affect one in every five individuals and it is estimated that 50 percent of individu-als with seasonal and indoor allergies also experience some degree of ocular allergy,” said Dr. Paul Karpecki, clinical director of the Koffler Vision Group in Lexington, Ky.

Karpecki offers the following ad-vice to allergy sufferers:

• Find out what causes your al-lergy and try to avoid the trigger. “If pollen is what bothers you, try to stay indoors and minimize the amount of time you are in the wind, which blows allergens around.”

• Be cautious with allergy pills that claim to ease allergy symptoms. “Quite frequently, allergy medication can dry the eyes out. If you must take an al-lergy pill, try to take it at night so the drying effect is not as dramatic. Talk to your doctor about what medication(s) are best for you.”

• Allergy season is particularly challenging for some contact lens wear-ers because allergens and other irritants can build up on contacts over time, leading to discomfort and symptoms such as itching, tearing and redness.

• Use preservative-free artificial tears. “People who suffer from eye allergy symptoms may also find that the preservatives in artificial tears also cause discomfort.”

• Consider allergy drops, which are prescribed by a doctor. “I tell my patients to put the drops in each eye in the morning before inserting contact lenses and then put a few drops in at night after they remove their lenses.”

• Take more frequent showers to wash away allergens and at night, turn off ceiling fans, as allergens and dust are easily picked up by a fan.

• Take a cool washcloth and place it over the eyes to ease swelling and discomfort. “Relax for a bit with the washcloth over the eyes to relieve symptoms.”

Asthma / Allergy Asthma / Allergy Asthma / Allergy Asthma / Allergy

Is Your Asthma Due To Allergens? Allergic asthma is the most common form of asthma but the symptoms of allergic and non-allergic asthma are often the sameBy Albert S. Hartel, M.D.

Achoo! Is it a Cold or Allergies? Find Out the Difference and Find Relief


After managing a restaurant for six years, Brenda LaRocca wanted a job that would give

her more time with her family.“I had to work at finding some-

thing that was going to work for my family, and with the job market,” says the Pittsford wife, mother and step-mother.

One position seemed to fit the bill. Dental assistants work closely with dentists, who generally have more family-friendly working hours than the restaurant business allows.

“I can still do my job, and still be able to go home and have family time,” LaRocca says.

Moreover, as a dental assistant LaRocca should have much greater job security than those in many types of positions. Dental assistants are skilled professionals who prepare dental instruments, supplies, and work areas, who comfort patients, and in other ways help make those patients’ of-fice visits as fruitful as possible. The website Health Guide USA projects the occupation to be among the fast-est growing in the U.S. in the coming years.

To get the training she needed, LaRocca enrolled in the dental assistant course at the Monroe 2-Orleans Board of Cooperative Educational Services Center for Workforce Development — or BOCES 2 . Since February, she’s spent five days a week either at the public educational facility’s classrooms in Gates or local dentists’ offices train-ing for her new profession, she says.

The Center for Workforce Devel-opment prepares adults for variety of positions. Through relatively brief, intensive courses, students can obtain

the skills they need to begin in careers that can range from heating, ventila-tion and air conditioning technicians, information technology specialists, and phlebotomists, to name just a few.

“We are here to help them, to give them those skills and help them go out to the next step and get a job,” says Mary Ellen Spennacchio-Wagner, direc-tor of the Center for Workforce Devel-opment.

The center offers five full-time courses designed for those interested in ob-taining the skills they need to enter or excel in health care fields. Three are clinically oriented. In addition to training as dental assistants, students can also learn to care for patients as nurs-ing assistants, or to draw and appropri-ately handle blood and bodily fluids as phlebotomists, Spin-nacchio-Wagner says.

All three courses involve combinations of classroom experi-ences and hands-on training. Spennac-chio-Wagner says that by the time LaRocca

completes her training in June, she should have taken 400 hours of class-room instruction and 200 hours of clini-cal training in local dental offices.

“You go out and you practice the craft, so that you have a mentor or tutor right there,” Spenacchio-Wagner says.

Mary Ellen Spennacchio-Wagner, director of the Center for Workforce Development, part of BOCES 2 in Rochester.

Courses at BOCES 2 prepare studentsfor medical careers Officials say most students upon graduation find jobs in their chosen or similar fields By Mike Costanza

Monroe 2-Orleans Board of Cooperative Educational Services Center for Workforce Development — or BOCES 2 – offers a variety of medical-related courses at its facility located at 3625 Buffalo Rd., Rochester.

In addition, those training to be dental assistants have to spend at least 20 hours observing, or “shadowing” others working in their field on the job. Thereby, they gain additional knowl-edge that can help guide them as they enter their new career. LaRocca says she particularly enjoyed her time in a pediatric practice.

“I love working with kids,” she says.

If all goes as planned, LaRocca will graduate in June.

You might say that those enrolled in the Center for Workforce Develop-ment’s phlebotomy and laboratory services course must keep an eye out for arms. Phlebotomists assist other medical professionals by collecting blood and other body fluids, preparing them for testing, and through other du-ties. Students training for the position must practice giving “sticks,” or draw-ing blood.

“They try to get 50 ‘sticks,’” Spin-nacchio-Wagner says.

“Sticks” first drew Shakera D’Piazza to the idea of becoming a phlebotomist. The married mother of two watched as her mother was treated for hypertension in her native Jamaica.

“She used to go to the doctor for a lot of blood work,” D’Piazza says. “That fascinated me.”

After her mother died, D’Piazza moved with her family to the U.S. She enrolled in the phlebotomy course in January, and watched an instructor give a stick on her second day in the course.

“I was, like, really scared,” she says.

D’Piazza has undergone hours of classroom instruction since then, and initially practiced what she learned on prosthetics and artificial arms. Upon becoming more proficient, she began pulling family members and friends in to contribute to her education. Even co-workers from her part-time job at a local Walmart proffered their arms help her prepare for her new career.

“They know that this is my dream—working in the health field,” she says.

D’Piazza was due to graduate in mid-April, but hopes that her time at the Center for Workforce Development will only be the beginning of her medi-cal training.

“I would like to be an RN [regis-tered nurse]” she says.

The Center for Workforce Develop-ment also provides courses for those more interested in the administrative

Shakera D’Piazza enrolled in the phlebotomy course at BOCES 2 in January, and was due to graduate in mid-April. “[Eventually] I would like to be an RN,” she says.

end of medicine. By enrolling in its medical office assistant and medical billing & coding courses, they can learn some of the skills they need to enter or advance within the medical office environment. The facility’s clinical and administrative courses range in price from about $2,000 to $6,200, including texts and other necessary items, Spen-nacchio-Wagner says. Student loans and federal grants are available for those who qualify.

Whatever course a student choos-es, the odds are good that he or she will get a job upon graduating. Spen-nacchio-Wagner says that of 27 who graduated from the center for Work-force Development’s 2009-2010 dental assistants’ class, 81 percent found jobs in their chosen or similar fields.

“We have had many students who have come back to us two to three years later to say, ‘You don’t realize what you have done to help us,’’ Spin-nacchio-Wagner says.

Brenda LaRocca of Pittsford used to manage a restaurant but she is now pursuing a career as dental assistant at BOCES 2. “I can still do my job, and still be able to go home and have family time,” LaRocca says of her future occupation.


Tennis star Serena Williams is recovering from a pulmonary embolism, or a blood clot in her

lung, according to news reports. The news left some wondering how a 29-year-old in top shape could develop the condition.

“Many young and healthy people don’t get a blood clot,” says Anthony Pietropaoli, associate professor in the division of pulmonary and critical care medicine at the University of Rochester Medical Center.

Williams’ representative an-nounced the top-seeded tennis player’s condition to People magazine in Febru-ary. Without treatment, a pulmonary embolism could threaten her life.

Just after winning her fourth Wimbledon title in July of last year, Williams cut the bottom of her right foot on broken glass while at a res-taurant, according to news reports. Since the injury, which required surgery and 18 stitches, the winner of multiple Grand Slam singles titles

and doubles championships has been unable to play in competitive matches.

Williams received further treat-ment for her foot in New York in late February, and then flew to Los Angeles, her representative said. The ten-nis star suffered a pulmonary embolism during or shortly after the flight. On Feb. 28, Williams was treated for a hematoma, a col-lection of blood, which is usually clotted, that de-velops outside of the body’s blood vessels and inside of its organs, tis-sues or spaces.

The physi-cians who spoke to In Good Health had not exam-ined Williams or her records, but say that she appeared to have been at increased risk of suffering a pulmonary embolism prior to her diagnosis with the condition. To understand why, we

need to know a little more about blood clots.

Blood clotting, or coagulation, is an important process that prevents exces-sive bleeding at the time of an injury. Under normal circumstances, the blood thickens, plugs the hole made by an injury, and then dissipates when it is no longer needed.

“Circulating in our blood all the time are proteins that are designed to make our blood clot, and then other proteins that are designed to prevent or reverse a blood clot,” Pietropaoli says.

Clots may abnormally develop within blood vessels for several rea-sons, the main ones being trauma, inac-tivity and a genetic propensity to do so. To begin with, blood vessels respond to trauma just like the other organs of the body.

“If organs are traumatized or inflamed, they release chemicals that promote clotting,” Pietropaoli says.

That normal response can backfire, if for some reason the clot grows too large, or does not dissolve normally.

Clots may also form even in the ab-sence of trauma or inflammation, due to a lack of physical activity.

“It’s a lack of mobility, to some degree, that creates that situation,” says Patrick Riggs, the division head of vascular surgery at Rochester General Hospital.

Studies have suggested that some airline passengers who spend long periods in the air—and largely im-

mobile—are more prone to develop blood clots in their legs.

Abnormal blood clots may also form due to the presence of a genetic condi-tion that Riggs refers to as “hy-percoagulability syndrome.”

“There are certainly some people that are more prone to clotting than others, just for genetic rea-sons,” he says.

Some dis-eases, such as

cancer and lupus, also increase the risk of abnormal clotting, Pietropaoli says. Women who take birth control pills that contain estrogen are also at greater

Serena Williams Sidelined by a Blood ClotIf a 29-year-old in top shape could develop the condition, how about the rest of us?By Mike Costanza

Symptoms of a pulmonary embolism• Shortness of breath. This symptom usually appears suddenly, whether you’re active or at rest.• Chest pain. This may feel much like a heart attack. The pain may grow worse as you cough, breathe deeply, eat, bend, stoop, or eat. It will also grow worse with exertion, but won’t decrease when you rest.• Cough .Your cough may produce up bloody or blood-streaked sputum.

A pulmonary embolism may also cause: • Wheezing• Swelling of one or both legs• Bluish-colored or clammy skin• Excessive sweating• A rapid or irregular heartbeat• A weak pulse• Lightheadedness or fainting

risk of suffering abnormal clots.Blood clots can develop in any part

of the circulatory system, but those that end up in the lung generally begin in the lower half of the body.

“Most commonly, it comes from the leg, or the pel-vis,” Riggs says.

A clot that de-velops in the deep veins of the leg is called a “deep venous thrombo-sis,” Riggs says. Several symptoms can herald the presence of a DVT, including pain and swelling in the af-fected area.

Sometimes, a DVT breaks free from a vein, and is pumped by the heart into the lungs’ blood vessels.

“Those blood vessels begin as vary large blood vessels, but they taper pro-gressively, and get smaller, and smaller, and smaller,” Pietropaoli says.

As it travels through the lung, a DVT may lodge somewhere in that progressively smaller web of veins, becoming a pulmonary embolism. At that point, it could reduce the flow of oxygen through the body, raise the blood pressure of the person involved, or both. Those suffering from the condition may experience chest pain, a rapid pulse or other symptoms.

“I’ve seen it here, where they said, ‘Well, gee, I just walked up the stairs and I couldn’t catch my breath,’” Riggs says.

Once symptoms appear, a pro-

cedure such as a spiral CT scan can determine whether a pulmonary embo-lism is present. Without treatment, the condition can be fatal, Pietropaoli says.

Williams’ foot injury, and the subsequent surgery she underwent for it, might have singly or in combination laid the seeds of her pulmonary embo-lism, Riggs says.

“Post-surgery presents risk, particularly surgery on the leg, and particularly surgery that makes you immobile,” he says.

Williams’ cross-country plane ride may have increased her risk of devel-oping the condition, Pietropaoli says.

He adds that she should also be checked for a family history of blood clots, tested to be sure the balance of pro and anti-clotting agents in her bloodstream is correct, and examined to see whether she is suffering from an illness that can prompt her body to engage in abnormal clotting.

Once diagnosed, treatment of a pulmonary embolism must begin im-mediately, Pietropaoli says. An untreat-ed blood clot can grow, taking on new material the way an ice crystal swells on a cold, wet day.

“The sooner you begin the treat-ment, the less likely someone is to have a complication, or die from it,” he says.

Generally, the treatment regimen involves the use of blood thinners first via injections, then orally—the latter to continue for at least three months. In the case of larger clots, a physician may prescribe more powerful thinners called “clot busters,” Pietropaoli says. Surgery may be used to remove a clot, if absolutely necessary.

Pietropaoli

Riggs


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You’ve probably seen ads for electronic memory boosting games that promise to help you

stay sharp as a tack as you grow older. The baby boomer generation provides a sizable market for these products since most people are concerned about maintaining their ability to recall facts and process information quickly.

Who wouldn’t want to play games that could help ward off dementia?

But do these games live up to the hype?

“We’re not at a point to make definitive statements about whether

or not they’re helpful,” said Mark Mapstone, a neuropsychologist director of the memory care program at Uni-versity of Rochester Medical Center. “One of the big issues at hand is how [the skills translate] from us-ing these devices and games to activities of daily life. The studies

aren’t conclusive yet.”For example, you may score bet-

ter and better at a memory game the more times you play it; however, that improvement may not help you re-member where you parked at the mall or recall that your phone bill is due in five days.

“Until those studies come in, my recommendation is to go out and do the things you enjoy,” Mapstone said. “If you’re sitting in front of a computer screen trying to remember a string of digits and you don’t enjoy it, you’ll get no benefit compared with going out and socializing if that’s something you do enjoy.”

Ronette Coston, recreation thera-pist at DeMay Living Center in New-

ark, said that spend-ing lots of money on expensive games really isn’t necessary.

“Any game just about will help,” she said. “I’m sure there’s a lot of money spent on [memory games]. I’m sure they’re good but we don’t all have the money to spend on

them.”Instead, she recommends some less

expensive but very effective means of exercising the brain, including jig-saw puzzles, crossword puzzles, and Sudoku.

“It has to do with a person’s inter-ests,” Coston said. “Some people don’t care for puzzles so they won’t do them. It’s helpful to realize every person is

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different and they have different inter-ests. Other cognitive activities can be put in their places.”

Some prefer word games like Scrabble, playing checkers, cards or bingo.

“Keeping your brain healthy has to do with staying curious and involved with life,” Caston said.

Researching genealogy, learning how to paint, picking up a new instru-ment or practicing a familiar one: any one of these could be an example of brain-stimulating activities.

Melissa von Stein, care coordina-tor for the Rochester chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, said the organization “encourages any type of brain activity.

“Reading uses more brain power rather than being sedentary watching TV. You don’t have to be engaged. With reading, you’re reading, analyzing and processing.”

Watching television is too passive to provide much mental exercise and also tends to be an isolating activity. Staying socially active does wonders for maintaining cognitive ability, von

Stein said.Some baby boom-

ers enjoy using the Internet for reading and socializing.

“It’s a little more stimulating than televi-sion, but the studies haven’t been done,” Mapstone said. “My impression is that it would probably be a

step up because you’re actively pro-cessing and you’re participating more as opposed to television where you’re fed the information. But it’s not as good as conversing.

“Social interaction online is the next step up from clicking on links. You are performing some sort of com-munication. There are a lot of cues we don’t get on the Internet, such as facial expressions, body language and ges-tures and these enrich the interactive experience.”

Joining a club or civic organiza-tion, signing up for a class or attending church are a few ways to socialize.

“We also encourage physical activity and eating right in the hopes that leading a healthy lifestyle helps ward off heart disease and diabetes,” von Stein said. “Limited oxygen to the brain can limit cognition.”

With a doctor’s approval, 20 min-utes of exercise three times per week is a good place to start. Exercising also improves the body’s health and can also provide a social outlet if per-formed with others.

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no wrongdoing but rather attempts to make the victim take the blame.

Abuse victims do not have to ac-cept this treatment.

“If the elder person feels they’re in imminent danger, call 911,” Crossdale said. “If they’re being exploited or they aren’t quite sure, they can call the N. Y. Connects/Elder Source line.”

The caller will speak with a coun-selor who can help them talk through what’s going on and a caseworker may sched-ule a home visit. N.Y. Connects keeps calls private.

“We won’t reveal any information they don’t want us to,” Crossdale said. “They can call us even if it’s

physical and they don’t want to call the police. There are a number of things we can do.”

This could include protecting the senior’s finances through appoint-ing a representative payee to prevent a predator from taking advantage of their finances.

To prevent further physical abuse, N.Y. Connects works with the district attorney’s office and also offers safe homes as needed. Verbal/emotional abuse can be the hardest type of abuse to prevent; however, it impacts quality of life and tends to escalate into other types of abuse.

Fortunately, “whenever a case-worker gets involved, that type of abuse diminishes,” Crossdale said. “We would stay involved. If it’s a caregiver, we can link that elder with a different part of the system so they can get care. There are other services than ending up in a skilled nursing facility.”

It’s also important to note that if an elderly person calls for help, no one will force him to act.

“It’s up to the elderly person as to whether or not they want to re-ceive those services,” Crossdale said. “Abuse is hard to recognize some-times. If someone even suspects or feels uncomfortable, make the call and talk to somebody.”

The N.Y. Connects/Elder Source line is (585) 325-2800. Or call Lifes-pan’s abuse prevention program at (585) 244-8400 or toll-free at 1-800-454-5030. Online, visit http://www.lifespan-roch.org/elder-abuse-pre-vention.htm.

Child abuse and spousal abuse garner numerous headlines. However, another popula-

tion commonly endures abuse and is mostly overlooked: the elderly.

According to a summary report released by Lifespan of Greater Roch-ester, Inc. of a study on elder abuse, one in 13 older adults suffered some form of elder abuse in the year preced-ing the survey.

The study also point to a dramatic gap between the rate of elder abuse reported by older residents in the survey and the number of cases referred to and served by formal elder abuse service systems.

Monroe County Office for the Aging

director Corinda Crossdale isn’t sur-prised by the findings.

“When people think about it, they think about physical abuse,” she said, “If we’re talking about all types, no, it doesn’t surprise me.”

Abuse is a pattern of behavior that inflicts harm on another. It can be physical, mental/emotional, and financial. Sometimes, elderly people are abused in more than one way.

Ann Marie Cook, president/CEO of Lifespan, was present when 90-year-old Mickey Rooney testified before the U.S. Senate Select Com-mittee on Aging about his experi-ence of being financially exploited.

“He told the committee, ‘Life was unbearable,’” Cooke said. “’I felt trapped, scared and helpless. When I tried to speak up, I was told to shut up and was told that I didn’t know what I was talking about.’”

Often, abuse victims, regardless of age, are made by their tormen-tors to feel they are mentally unfit, mistaken or confused. Abusers can be very gregarious and charming to outsiders, which helps conceal the abuse, while making the victim appear to be the cause of anything which might indicate an abusive situation to an outsider.

If an elderly person’s abuser is also his caretaker, he can feel he has no place to turn because if he seeks help and the abuser finds out, the abuse will worsen.

“If it can happen to Mickey Rooney, it can happen to anyone, and it does,” Cook said. “As Dr.

Golden Years

The study’s major findings included:

• A total one-year incidence rate of 76 per 1,000 older residents of New York state for any form of elder abuse. Applying the inci-dence rate to the general population of older New Yorkers, an estimated 260,000 older adults in the state were the victims of at least one form of elder abuse in a one-year period in 2008 and 2009.

• However, the survey of “documented cases” identified just 11,432 victims in all service systems in New York state in 2008, meaning for every known case, 24 were unknown.

• The highest one-year rate of elder abuse occurred for major financial exploita-tion (theft of money or property, using items without permission, impersonation to get ac-cess, forcing or misleading to get items such as money, bank cards, accounts, power of at-torney) with a rate of 41 per 1,000 surveyed.

• The study also found that 141 out of 1,000 older New Yorkers have experienced an elder abuse event since turning age 60.

Elder Abuse: Many Still Don’t Report ProblemLifespan study shows one in 13 older adults suffers abuseBy Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

CrossdaleCook

Elder Mediation Can Help Adult Families Resolve Conflicts

While mediators have been used for years to help divorcing couples sort out legal and

financial disagreements and avoid court battles, elder care mediation is a relatively new and specialized field designed to help families resolve dis-putes that are related to aging parents or other elderly relatives.

Family disagreements over an ill or elderly parent’s caregiving needs, liv-ing arrangements, financial decisions and medical care are some of the many issues that an elder care mediator can help with. But don’t confuse this with family or group therapy. Mediation is only about decision-making, not feel-ings and emotions.

The job of an elder mediator is to step in as a neutral third party to help ease family tensions, listen to every-one’s concerns, hash out disagreements and misunderstandings, and help your family make decisions that are accept-able to everyone.

Good mediators can also assist your family in identifying experts such as estate-planners, geriatric care managers, or health care or financial professionals who can supply impor-tant information for family decision making.

Your family also needs to know that the mediation process is com-pletely confidential and voluntary, and can take anywhere from a few hours to several meetings depending on the complexity of your issues. And if some family members live far away, a speaker phone or Webcam can be used to bring everyone together.

If you’re interested in hiring a private elder care mediator, you can expect to pay anywhere from $100 to more than $400 per hour depend-ing on where you live and who you choose. Or, you may be able to get help through a nonprofit community mediation service which charges little to nothing.

Since there’s no formal licensing or national credentialing required for elder mediators, make sure the person you choose has extensive experience with elder issues and be sure you ask for references and check them. Most elder mediators are attorneys, social workers, counselors or other profes-sionals who are trained in mediation and conflict resolution.

To locate an elder mediator, start by calling your area aging agency (call 800-677-1116 or see www.eldercare.gov to get your local number) which may be able to refer you to local resources. Or try websites like eldercaremedia-tors.com and mediate.com. Both of these sites have directories that will let you search for mediators in your area. Or, use the National Association for Community Mediation website (www.nafcm.org) to search for free or low-cost community-based mediation programs in your area.

Savvy Tip: The Center for Social Gerontology (see www.tcsg.org) pro-vides some good information on their website including an online brochure titled “Caring for an Older Person and Facing Difficult Decisions? Consider Mediation.”

Mark Lachs, our principal investigator, stated in his testimony before the same committee, ‘Elder abuse is the most hideous form of ageism imaginable.’”

Many times, the abuser is a relative or has befriended the victim to gain his trust and the abuse grows gradually. Like the proverbial frog in the pot of boiling water, the abuse increases so slowly that the victim does not realize what is happening until he is trapped.

Physical abuse can include inten-tionally inflicting pain to the elderly person’s body or withholding adequate necessities of life: food, clothing, medication, meaningful activity/so-cialization and shelter. Mental/emo-tional abuse includes manipulation, willfully causing emotional anguish or fear, belittling or humiliating the elder. Financial abuse may be manifested by stealing the elder’s identity, using or taking his finances, or gaining power of attorney over the elder’s assets.

Of course, occasionally a friend or loved one may say something that hurts an elderly person’s feelings or make a mistake in finances; however, abuse is earmarked by a pattern of this kind of behavior and the abuser admits


The Social Security Office

Ask Column provided by the local Social Security Office

Q&AQ: I can’t seem to find my Social

Security card. Do I need to get a re-placement?

A: In most cases, knowing your Social Security number is enough. But if you do apply for and receive a re-placement card, do not carry that card with you. Keep it with your important papers. For more information about your Social Security card and num-ber and for information about how to apply for a replacement, visit www.socialsecurity.gov/ssnumber. If you be-lieve you’re the victim of identity theft, read our publication Identity Theft And Your Social Security Number, at www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10064.html.

Q: What can Social Security do to help me plan for my retirement?

A: Social Security has some great online financial planning tools you can use to make an informed deci-sion about your retirement. Social Security’s online Retirement Planner and our online Retirement Estimator are both tools you can access online at any time. These will let you compute estimates of your future Social Security retirement benefits. They also pro-vide important information on factors

A Valuable Gift For MomHelping moms save nearly $4,000 a year

Mother’s Day is right around the corner. It’s always nice to give Mom a card, flowers and

candy. But this year people all over the country are helping their moms save nearly $4,000 a year on the cost of prescription drugs. You can help your mom too — and it won’t cost you a dime.

The high cost of prescription medication can be a burden on mothers (or anyone) who have limited income and resources. But there is extra help — available through Social Security — that could pay part of her monthly premiums, annual deductibles, and prescription co-payments. That extra help is worth an average of almost $4,000 a year.

To figure out whether your mother is eligible, Social Security needs to know her income and the value of her savings, investments and real estate (other than the home she lives in). To qualify for the extra help, she must be enrolled in Medicare and have:

• Income limited to $16,335 for an individual or $22,065 for a mar-ried couple living together. Even if her annual income is higher, she still may be able to get some help with monthly premiums, annual deductibles, and prescription co-payments. Some ex-amples where income may be higher include if she or her spouse:

–Support other family members who live with them;

–Have earnings from work; or–Live in Alaska or Hawaii; and• Resources limited to $12,640 for

an individual or $25,260 for a mar-ried couple living together. Resources include such things as bank accounts, stocks and bonds. We do not count her house and car as resources.

Social Security has an easy-to-use online application that you can help complete for your mom. You can find it at www.socialsecurity.gov. Just select the link on the left of the page that says, “Get extra help with Medicare prescription drug costs.”

To apply by phone or have an application mailed to you, call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) and ask for the Application for Help with Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Costs (SSA-1020). Or go to the nearest Social Security office.

To learn more about the Medicare prescription drug plans and special en-rollment periods, visit www.medicare.gov or call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227; TTY 1-877-486-2048).

So this Mother’s Day, give your mom a gift she can really use year-round — a savings of up to $4,000 a year on her prescription drugs. Flowers whither and candy is consumed, but the extra help through Social Security will keep on giving throughout the year.

affecting retirement benefits, such as military service, household earnings, and Federal employment. You can ac-cess our Retirement Planner at www.socialsecurity.gov/retire2. Find the Retirement Estimator at www.socialse-curity.gov/estimator.

Q: I understand that to get Social Security disability benefits, my dis-ability must be expected to last at least a year or be expected to result in death. But I’m disabled now. Does this mean that I must wait a year after becoming disabled before I can receive benefits?

A: You do not have to wait a year after becoming disabled. If you’re disabled and expect to be out of work for at least a year, you should apply for disability benefits right away. It can take months to process an application for disability benefits. If we approve your application, your first Social Security disability benefit will be paid for the sixth full month after the date your disability began. For more infor-mation about Social Security disability benefits, refer to Disability Benefits (Publication No. 05-10029) at www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10029.html.

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In Good Health

Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit www.savvysenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.

By Jim Miller

Dear Savvy Senior,What can you tell me

about reverse mortgages? I was considering one a few years ago but decided against it because it was too expensive. But now I hear they are much more afford-able. What can you tell me?

Looking for Cash

Dear Looking,One of the biggest draw-

backs of reverse mortgages over the years has been the high upfront costs. But now, thanks to some new federal rules and reduced lender fees, reverse mortgages are much cheaper for cash-strapped retirees to get into. Here’s what you should know.

The BasicsLet’s start with a quick review. A

reverse mortgage is a unique loan that lets older homeowners convert part of the equity in their home into cash that doesn’t have to be paid back as long as they live there. To be eligible you must be age 62 or older, own your home (or owe only a small balance) and current-ly be living there. There’s no income qualification. You can receive the cash either as a lump sum, a line of credit, regular monthly checks or a combina-tion of these. And with a reverse mort-gage, you, not the bank, own the house, so you’re still responsible for property taxes, insurance and repairs.

Repayment is due when you or the last borrower dies, sells the place or lives elsewhere for 12 months. Then you or your heirs will have to pay off the loan (which includes the money you borrowed plus accrued interest and fees) either with the proceeds from selling the place, or if you want to keep the house, with money from another source.

Cheaper LoansMost reverse mortgages on the

market today are known as Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM), which are backed by the Federal Hous-ing Administration (FHA). The big complaint about HECMs has always been the high upfront fees, which include a 2 percent loan origination fee,

2 percent mortgage insurance, along with appraisal fee, closing costs and other miscellaneous expenses. All told, the cost of getting a HECM can run around 5 percent of the value of your home.

But starting last fall, the FHA introduced a new HECM “Saver” loan that offers a smaller loan amount that’s about 40 percent cheaper than a tradi-tional HECM has been (which is now known as the HECM “Standard”). The new Saver loan virtually eliminated the 2 percent upfront insurance premium to create the savings.

But with the Saver, the amount you can borrow is about 10 to 20 percent less than what you could get with the HECM Standard. So, for example, a 70-year-old with a home worth $300,000 could get a lump sum of about $149,000 with a Saver, versus around $187,000 with a Standard loan. To calculate how much you may be able to borrow visit www.rmaarp.com.

Lender Fee CutsYou also need to know that as a

way to drum up business, many lend-ers today — like Generation Mortgage, MetLife Bank, Bank of America, Wells Fargo and others — are waiving loan-origination fees and other upfront charges on some loans, which could also save you thousands of dollars. Most lenders, however, are offering these deals only to fixed-rate HECMs that require borrowers to take out a lump sum. The cuts are generally not available to adjustable-rate loans that can be taken as a line of credit or in monthly payments.

Required CounselingBecause reverse mortgages are very

complicated, you’re required by the government to first meet with an inde-pendent counselor to make sure you completely understand how they work. Counseling can be done in person or over the phone and many counseling agencies today provide it for free or at a minimal fee. Some locations charge around $125. For more information on reverse mortgages, or to locate coun-seling agencies in your area, visit hud.gov/offices/hsg/sfh/hecm/hecm-home.cfm or call 800-569-4287.

Reverse Mortgages Have Gotten More Affordable

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What They Want You to Know:

Deborah Jeanne Sergeant is a writer with In Good Health. “What Your Doctor Wants You to Know” is an ongoing col-umn that appears monthly to give our area’s healthcare

professionals an opportunity to share how patients can improve their care by helping their providers and by helping themselves.

HospitalistsThe Mayo Clinic describes a

hospitalist as “physician whose primary professional focus is

the care of hospitalized patients. Most hospitalists are board-certified internal medicine physicians, although some are pediatricians and family practice physicians. What brings them under the same umbrella is that they work exclusively in the hospital, and they have dedicated their careers to the care of hospitalized patients.”

■ “Hospitalists really do spend all of their time in the hospital so they understand how hospitals work. From the standpoint of being available for patients’ emergencies, we’re constant-ly on site.

■ “A lot of people have a miscon-ception that their primary care physi-cian isn’t allowed to do this care, but the primary can provide better care if they’re in their offices and let the hospitalist provide care in the hospital setting.

■ “People are worried about go-ing home before they’re ready to go home or before they have all the an-

swers they want. That’s important and understandable, but if there’s someone who no longer requires nurses and physicians all the time and they can be managed at home, we have to make the decision to send them home if someone’s waiting to get in that bed.

Walter Polashenski, M.D. and hospi-talist at Rochester General Hospital

■ “The old paradigm was one family doctor who took care of you in a clinic and the hospital, but it’s prov-ing to be too complex for one person to do both.

■ “I can respond to tests in real time so we find that people are in the hospital for shorter periods of time. They don’t have to order tests in the morning and wait all day. I can get the results by 10 a.m. It speeds up the process. It allows us to move people through the hospital more efficiently. The shorter time in the hospital, the better. It’s good for the patients and the hospitals.

■ “The disadvantage of the hospitalist is that it’s nice to have the doctor who already knows you.

■ “But the advantage is I feel like I’m more of an expert at hospital medicine and am familiar with all the systems at the hospital and can make things happen more efficiently.

■ “I have practiced small town medicine and taken care of my pa-tients in the hospital and I didn’t feel like I could do either very well. It’s easier to be focused on one area, not split.

■ “When you come to the emer-gency department, expect to be admit-ted. Have all the things you’d want if you knew you’d be admitted such as a list of all your medications and allergies. If you have a complicated medical history, have your high points written out. It makes for an easier transition and decreases the chances we’ll make a mistake. If you come in at 2 a.m. Saturday, we won’t be able to contact your doctor until Monday. The more organized you are the less likeli-hood it will be missed.”

Roy Trumbo, M.D., hospitalist with Unity Hospital

■ “Come to the hospital as soon as possible. For example, if you get a patient with stroke beyond two hours, he won’t be a candidate for clot bust-ers. It will change the whole course of treatment. There’s nothing to do but watch and prevent further complica-tions.

■ “When you keep a patient in the hospital longer, they do worse sta-tistically. We’re seeing resistant bugs that don’t respond to antibiotics.”

Alex Fahoury, M.D., director of the hospitalist program at Lakeside Memorial

Hospital

■ “If a surgeon takes out a gall bladder of someone with diabetes or asthma, the hospitalist provides the medical management and consultation so the surgeons can do the operation and allow the hospitalist to manage the issues not directly related to the surgery. Patients come in with a lot of medical problems that may or may not be in control that can affect the outcome.

■ “People think we’re the first line of people they see in the ER. When you come in, the ER physi-cian is the first physician to see you and they determine if you need to be admitted.

■ “When patients are admitted, we call the outside doctor to obtain information and let them know what’s happening with their patient.

■ “We coordinate the continuity of care. We communicate at the time of discharge with the primary physi-cian what we did, diagnosed and what we’re treating and we decide on a follow-up plan and treatment. There are misconceptions that this does not occur. We’re not separate entities who take people into the hospital and then send them home.

■ “Whenever there’s a significant downward course with the patient, we let the primary doctor know.

■ “There’s more of a team aspect to patient care that allows everyone on the care team as to what the problems are and how to address them. The nurses have direct access and the care management team does. That type of knowledge is very valuable in coordi-nating the care.”

Dr. Jason Feinberg, vice president, medical affairs and chief medical officer for Finger Lakes Health, and director of

hospital medicine for Finger Lakes Health, and hospitalist

■ “In addition to their medical expertise, pediatric hospitalists are adept in the coordination of complex care, especially when many specialists are involved.

■ “Because pediatric hospitalists are hospital-based, they are readily accessible to staff and to patients and their families, and are therefore able to provide patient/family-centered care.

■ “At the time of discharge, the pediatric hospitalist facilitates a smooth transition of care back to the patient’s primary care physician.”

Michael Leonard, M.D., pediatric hospitalist with Golisano Children’s

Hospital University of Rochester Medical Center.

A community effort launched in March will help educate local Latinos on the impor-

tance of making their end-of-life wishes known.

Excellus BlueCross BlueShield will work with The Community Place of Greater Rochester and the Ibero-American Action League to train staff and volunteers on the advance care planning process, including health care proxies. The proxy designates an individual to make health care decisions on your behalf if you are unable to do so. Volunteers and staff will share their knowledge with the community.

“Anyone can face an unex-pected illness or injury that leaves them unable to make health care decisions for themselves,” said Dr. Patricia Bomba, vice president and medical director/geriatrics, Excel-lus BCBS.

“We want to make sure that Rochester residents of all back-grounds and income levels have access to the education and docu-ments needed to complete a health care proxy, and that they’ve talked to loved ones about their end-of-life wishes,” she added.

Educating Latinos on how to pick the right representative and talk about their end-of-life wishes is part of an ongoing community effort that is also reaching out to college students, older adults and African Americans. Such outreach is critical since nearly nine out of 10 Rochester adults surveyed said completing a health care proxy is important, yet only about half of them had actually designated some-one to be their proxy, according to a 2008 Excellus BCBS report. The Community Place plans to edu-cate more than 200 older adults in the next year on the importance of advance care planning. They’ll edu-cate clients at their senior centers and educate volunteers who work with frail elders in their homes.

“Our population primarily speaks Spanish, so we want to make sure they can access information in their language and understand the importance of completing advance directives,” said Katy Allen, director of the aging services department at The Community Place.

Ibero is familiarizing older Latino adults in its Centro de Oro Seniors program with advance care planning so they can make end-of-life decisions.

“Advance care planning is im-portant for Latino seniors because they generally don’t plan ahead for when crucial health care decisions need to be made,” said Elisa DeJe-sus, vice president of the family service division of Ibero.

Spanish-language materials are being developed for the initiative. To access advance care planning materials in Spanish, go to Compas-sionAndSupport.org

New initiative to ensure Latinos’ end-of-life wishes are honored

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Health NewsChris Booth promoted president of Excellus BCBS

Christopher C. Booth of Pittsford has been appointed president of Excel-lus BlueCross BlueShield.

The announcement of his appoint-ment came from David Klein, the company’s chief executive officer, and

Randall Clark, chair-man of the board of di-rectors for health plan’s holding corporation,

“This appointment recognizes the great leadership Chris has demonstrated for our organization,” said Klein. Booth also re-tains his existing title of chief operating officer for both the health plan

and the holding company that he has held since January 2010.

“With this promotion, Chris as-sumes responsibility for the health plan’s entire operations,” Clark said.

Joining the company in 2004 as chief administrative officer and general counsel, Booth was promoted to executive vice president for com-mercial markets and health care affairs in January 2009. He has more than two decades of experience working with the corporation, having worked for Hinman Straub PC, the corporation’s outside legal counsel in Albany.

Booth, 50, resides in Pittsford, N.Y., with his wife Gail and their three daughters. He serves on the board of directors for the Finger Lakes Health Systems Agency, the Greater Rochester Enterprise and the Young Entrepre-neurs Academy and he serves as a trustee of United Way of Rochester, St. John Fisher College and WXXI-TV and Radio.

Ronald Sham, an attending physician at Rochester Gen-eral Hospital’s Lipson Cancer Center and the Mary M. Gooley Hemophilia Center, has been awarded the 2011 Father George Norton

Award for Physician Excellence. Sham was among a number of

Rochester General Hospital physi-

cians nominated for the annual award, honoring those who touch the lives of patients and the com-munity. Nominations are submitted by Rochester General Health Sys-tem nurses, social workers, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, housekeepers, volunteers, students, patients and fellow medical col-leagues.

The award is named in mem-ory of Father George Norton who served as director of pastoral ser-vices at the hospital for more than two decades until his death in 2004.

Sham is a resident of Brighton.

St. Ann’s Community announces changes

St. Ann’s Community recently an-nounced some staff changes.

Anne Marie Lynch of Irondequoit has recently been hired as a physician

assistant. She is respon-sible for three long term care units in St. Ann’s Home where she will access medical prob-lems, order and inter-pret diagnostic tests, prescribe medications and educate residents, families and staff of pertinent medical is-sues. Lynch previously worked as a physician assistant at Rochester General Hospital.

Louis Nicolosi of Rochester was promot-ed to manager of pur-chasing, environmental services and laundry. His new responsibili-ties include overseeing and coordinating the purchasing, environ-mental and laundry operations. Nicolosi

previously worked as the purchasing man-ager and has been at St. Ann’s Community for approximately 14 years.

Peter G. Varlan of Webster was hired as finance office manager. He is responsible for managing the financial business office activi-ties for all of St. Ann’s communities. Varlan

previously worked for the Lattimore

Community Surgicenter.St. Ann’s Community is one of

Rochester’s largest private employ-ers with over 1,000 employees, and provides a varied range of services and care levels designed to meet the individual needs of older adults.

Hillside hires director of nutrition and food services

Hillside Family of Agencies re-cently hired Janice Phillips as director of nutrition and food services. In her new position she will be responsible for providing direction for all food service

operations and nutri-tion across all Hillside Family of Agencies affiliates; Crestwood Children’s Center, Hill-side Children’s Center, Hillside Work-Scholar-ship Connection and Snell Farm Children’s Center.

Phillips most recently served as operations manager of

nutritional services at Highland Hos-pital where she was employed for the past 21 years.

With more than 27 years in the food service industry, Phillips has an associate’s degree in restaurant and ho-tel management from SUNY Delhi. She is currently taking classes at the Roch-ester Institute of Technology where she is working on her Bachelor of Science degree with a concentration in health systems administration.

Phillips resides in Chili with her family.

CP Rochester’s Kate Proctor honored

Kathy Proctor, manager of commu-nications at CP Rochester, has recently been recognized by the New York State Elks Association with its prestigious Citizen of the Year Award.

According to the Elks, Proctor was selected as a result of her creative and supportive efforts to connect the people

who are served through CP Rochester with the members of Elks Lodge #24 in Henrietta.

“The award allows the Elks to recognize individuals who may not be members but work with the group to help make the world a better place,” said Shir-ley Schuhart, speaking on behalf of Elks Lodge

#24. “Willing to do whatever it takes, Kate is always positive and supportive of any event or idea that is presented.”

CP Rochester was founded as United Cerebral Palsy Association in 1946 by a small group of parents whose children had cerebral palsy. Since then the organization has grown its sup-ports and services, now offering a wide array of alternatives to over 2,000 children and adults with a broad range of physical and developmental disabili-ties. Our primary goal is to enable the greatest degree of independence and connection to community for those we serve.

Lifetime Health’s Care Connection recognized

Lifetime Health Medical Group’s Care Connection Program has been selected as an honoree in the Roches-ter Business Journal’s annual Health Care Achievement Awards. The Care Connection Program is one of three honorees selected in the “Health Care Innovation” category and received an award at a March 22 luncheon rec-ognizing excellence, innovation and quality of health care in the Greater Rochester area.

The goal of Lifetime Health Medi-cal Group’s Care Connection Program is to improve the overall quality of patient care and utilize medical ser-vices in a cost-efficient manner. The program’s nurse care coordinators “connect” patients to their primary care doctors and specialists and link them to community health resources to assist them in managing and understanding their medical needs. Implemented in

UCVA, a privately-owned cardiology practice that serves the Greater Rochester, Finger Lakes and Southern Tier areas, has recently launched its website at www.ucva.com. The site brings a wealth of information about cardiovascular diseases and lists a full range of services provided by the practice. A section of the site carries an

“Elder Care Resources” designa-tion discussing topics ranging from elder abuse prevention to in-home services. The site also offers patients the ability to make appointments, pay bills and watch a variety of videos related to heart problems and prevention. UCVA has offices in Brighton, Greece, Geneseo and Dansville.

UCVA Launches New WebsiteUCVA headquarters at 2365 S. Clinton Avenue, suite 100 in Brighton.

Dr. Ronald Sham Recognized For Physician Excellence

Booth

Proctor

Phillips

Varlan

Lynch

Nicolosi


Health News2009, this was the first coordinated care program of its kind in the Rochester and Buffalo regions. In 2010, the pro-gram “connected” with 2,040 patients.

“This award is a wonderful reflec-tion on Lifetime Health Medical Group. The Care Connection Program could not be a success without the support of the entire organization,” says Julie Grossman, Care Connection Program manager. “The program reflects the mission and vision of our organization and our guiding principle of ‘Patients First.’”

Conifer Realty opens Village East in Victor

The Village East, an apartment community for those 55 years of age and older, has recently celebrated its grand opening. It’s located just off Turk Hill Road in Victor.

“The Village East is the answer to what the eastside senior apartment market has been looking for,” said Timothy Fournier, CEO of Conifer Re-alty, LLC, the company that owns and manages Village East.

“It’s the first, and only, 55-plus apartment community that offers fine amenities such as controlled building access, friendly on-site staff, exercise and yoga/Pilates studios and a fireside club room, yet doesn’t require payment for services you don’t need like meals and housekeeping,” Fournier added.

The Village East has 10 floor plans to choose from and it’s located near shopping mall, restaurants and the I-90.

NYCC Interns helping migrant workers

Under the supervision of assis-tant professor Joseph Miller, interns from New York Chiropractic College recently began carrying out clinical du-ties with Geneva Community Health, enabling the students to provide care one day a week at the facility whose

diverse clientele includes the local population of migrant workers through the Finger Lakes Migrant Project.

NYCC’s Dean of Health Centers Wendy Maneri noted that this is the college’s first health center in Geneva and is further demonstration of the college’s commitment to serving the community and continued dedication to the college’s mission of academic excellence, quality patient care, and professional leadership.

Geneva Community Health was established in 1989 as a provider of healthcare for agricultural workers. It is committed to providing compre-hensive, accessible, and quality medi-cal care while meeting the healthcare needs of patients. A large community dental program was added in 2004 to better serve the primarily Spanish-speaking population.

Clifton Springs Hospital Auxiliary recognized

Clifton Springs Hospital & Clinic Auxiliary has been awarded the 2010 Auxiliary Advocacy Recognition Cer-tificate by the Healthcare Association of New York State (HANYS). This is the sixth consecutive recognition earned by the Clifton Springs Hospital Auxiliary.

The Auxiliary plays an active role in the daily life of the hospital as well as promoting fundraising to purchase needed items. In 2010 the Auxiliary donated more than $10,000 toward the purchase of new gastroenterology equipment, the third part of a three-year, $30,000 pledge. The Auxiliary sponsors an annual scholarship for a Midlakes High School graduating senior who enters a health care related field of study. Auxilians also make up the majority of the volunteers at the hospital, staffing the information desk, assisting patients, and performing a myriad of tasks critical to the smooth operation of the facility.

In addition to its philanthropic work, the Auxiliary sponsored events such as a child car- and booster-seat

Rochester Area Community Foundation has awarded a grant of $5,000 to CP Rochester’s Assistive Technology Evaluation Services.

Many individuals who were not born with disabilities but have acquired them through age, illness or injury need specialized assis-tance to stay independent and at home. There is limited funding or insurance coverage available for the assistive technology evaluations these people need. CP Rochester’s Assistive Technology Service helps more than 100 such individu-als each year to gain more access within their own home and remain connected to their community.

People with an acquired dis-ability (such as traumatic brain

injury, multiple sclerosis, ALS or a disability related to aging) may experience a significant loss of function. Simple, every day activi-ties can become burdensome. With the help of assistive technology, many people with these acquired disabling conditions can remain independent and safe at home.

CP Rochester’s Assistive Tech-nology Service provides an in-home evaluation to identify the most use-ful technology for the individual, paying special attention to how that person’s needs may evolve. This highly trained, multi-disciplinary team consists of an occupational therapist, physical therapist/assis-tive technology practitioner, and a patient care coordinator.

inspection, a child fingerprinting and identification event in cooperation with the Ontario County Sheriff’s Depart-ment, and community blood drives.

AORN selects VA nurse as president elect

Members of the Association of peri-Operative Registered Nurses (AORN) recently announced they have elected Deborah G. Spratt, a nurse who lives in Avon, to be the association’s next presi-dent-elect. Spratt is the chief of the ster-ile processing department (SPD) at the Canandaigua VA Medical Center. She has also held perioperative manager/director positions at the University of Rochester’s Strong Memorial Hospital, Highland Hospital and the Lattimore Community Surgicenter.

AORN represents the interests of more than 160,000 perioperative nurs-

I am writing regarding the error in the March 2011 issue of In Good Health. The article, “What They Want

to Know: Audiologist” by Deborah Jeanne Sergeant has a very serious error in stating “audiologists are physicians.”

Audiologists are allied health professionals with advanced gradu-ate degrees, but are not physicians. In most cases, audiologists hold the degree of Clinical Doctor of Audiol-ogy (Au.D.) or Doctor of Philosophy in Audiology: (Ph.D.), and some au-diologists have been grandfathered into the profession with a Master’s

of Arts or Science in Audiology (M.A. or M.S.). Audiologists do not attend medical school; therefore, they are not Medical Doctors (M.D.) and cannot perform surgery, write prescriptions, or perform other duties within the physician’s scope of practice.

Understandably, this error is of-fensive to many of my colleagues at URMC that are in fact physicians, attended medical school, and thereby have the title M.D. There is a huge misconception among many individu-als who do not work in healthcare that anyone with a doctoral degree is a physician. Most people are familiar with the term “doctor” being used

for professors at universities that hold a Ph.D. in a content area (e.g. mathematics, physics) and do not mistake these individuals for physicians.

It is important to educate users of healthcare services that several of the allied health professions (e.g. pharmacy, audiology) are requir-ing a doctorate degree for entry level into the profession; however, they are not and should not be mistaken for or misrepresented as physicians.

Thank you for your help in correcting this error.

Christy Monczynski Hopson, Au.D., M.S. director of clinical servic-es audiology department University of Rochester Medical Center, 2365 South

Clinton Ave., Suite 200, Rochester.

• See article “What Makes a Doctor” on page 27.

Letter to the EditorAre Audiologists Medical Doctors?

es, provides nursing education, standards, and services that enable optimal outcomes for patients undergoing operative and other invasive procedures. AORN’s 40,000 regis-tered nurse members fa-cilitate the management, teaching, and practice of perioperative nursing, are enrolled in nursing

education or engaged in perioperative research.

Spratt earned her diploma in nursing from Highland Hospital, her bachelor’s degree in nursing from Al-fred University in Alfred, and a mas-ter’s degree in public administration from SUNY Brockport. She has been a perioperative nurse since 1973 and a member of AORN since 1975. She contributed to the AORN publications, Ambulatory Surgery Principles and Practices, and Leadership in Action-A Manager’s Guide to Success. She is one of several authors of the book Operat-ing Room Management.

Hickok Center granted $20,000 from foundation

The Hickok Center for Brain Injury

has received a $20,000 grant from the Daisy Marquis Jones Foundation to help fund the replacement of the roof on its main building, located on 114 S. Union St. in Rochester.

“This couldn’t have come at a better time, we are so grateful for the support of the Daisy Marquis Jones Foundation”, said Elaine Comarella, CEO of the Hickok Center.

On average, the center serves about 100 survivors of brain injuries a week. It provides day habilitation, vocational programs, community integration counseling and other services to adults with traumatic or acquired brain inju-ries. It also has a center in Newark in Wayne County.

Rochester Area Community Foundation awards grant to CP Rochester

Spratt


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Becoming a medical doctor in the United States is a rigorous process to ensure that patients

can trust their doctors to give them top-notch care.

To summarize the American Medical Association (www.ama-assn.org) explanation on how to become a medical doctor, the minimum educa-tion is eight total years: four years of undergraduate school and four years of medical school.

The AMA further elaborates on its site that a doctor must have earned a four-year bachelor of science or bach-elor of arts degree at an accredited col-lege or university. Normally, these are degrees focusing on science, including biology, chemistry or physics, choices that would mesh with a medical career.

Next comes four years of under-graduate medical education at a U.S. medical school that has been accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education(www.lcme.org), a national-ly-recognized accrediting organization. The undergraduate medical education will include preclinical and clinical experience.

Now the person is an official medical doctor; however, to practice independently, he must complete more training. Graduate medical education, or residency program, is facilitated by the national matching program. That provides three to seven years or more of supervised training with a senior physician educator.

Different medical specialties require differing lengths of residency training. Once finished with school-ing, the MD must obtain a license to practice medicine from a state or jurisdiction of the U.S. where they plan to practice.

After the graduate medical educa-tion, the MD may opt for one to three years’ additional if he is pursuing a highly specialized field or a subspecial-ty such as an age-related specialty.

Board certification is optional, al-though it can only enhance his practice in a specialty.

Required continuing medical education (CME) helps ensure doctors stay up-to-date. CME varies by spe-cialty and the state in which the MD

practices.So, are audiologists physicians?

— Yes and no. The term “physician” was used to describe the health ben-efits that these professionals provide to those they help, not to assert that they necessarily hold doctorate degrees. Mirriam Webster’s Dictionary defines a physician as “a person skilled in the art of healing,” which certainly would in-clude audiologist, who treat disorders related to hearing and balance.

Yet many people commonly use “physician” and “doctor” interchange-ably. Even Webster’s secondarily defines “physician” as commonly used to refer to a “doctor of medicine.”

Some states require audiologists to hold doctorate degrees and nearly all of the audiologists interviewed for “What They Want You to Know” hold doctorate degrees and may accurately be called “doctor.”

But New York is not one of the states requiring audiologists to hold doctorate degrees. The reference in “What They Want You to Know” that called audiologists physicians was poor word choice considering the common use of “physician,” but was meant as no disrespect to medical doctors, only as an acknowledgement of the study and licensure required for practicing audiologists.

The New York State Office of the Professions (www.op.nysed.gov) states that in New York, audiologists must have completed a graduate degree in audiology from a New York State reg-istered licensure qualifying program; a program accredited by the American Speech Language and Hearing Associa-tion (ASHA), or the equivalent; and a minimum of 36 weeks of supervised experience in speech-language pathol-ogy or audiology.

This article was prompted by feed-back to a recent issue of In Good Health in which the “What They Want You to Know” column on audiologists referred to them as “physicians.” A few readers, including an audiologist, contacted editor Wagner Dotto to let him know that audiologists are not medical doctors and “physician” should not be used to refer to them. Read letter to the editor on page 26.

What Makes a Doctor a Doctor?By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

U.S. community hospitals billed insurance companies and federal and state programs $1.2

trillion in 2008 for inpatient care, ac-cording to the latest News and Num-bers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. This represents a 28 percent increase over the $900 billion, adjusted for inflation, billed in 2004.

In particular, in 2008:• Total charges billed to Medicare

($534 billion) and Medicaid ($159 bil-lion) accounted for about 60 percent of all charges in 2008. Private insur-ers were charged $373 billion, or 32 percent of the total. The uninsured accounted for $48 billion, or 5 percent of the national bill.

• One-fifth of Medicare’s total bill ($107.5 billion) was for treatment of heart disease, heart failure, heart at-tack, heart rhythm disorders, stroke, or heart valve disorders.

• Medicaid and private insurers saw the largest biggest bills for preg-nancy and childbirth ($22 billion and $30 billion, respectively) and care of newborn infants ($19 billion and $21 billion).

• Among the uninsured, heart at-tack was the most expensive reason for hospitalization ($2.4 billion). Three of the top 20 most expensive reasons for hospitalizations for the uninsured in-volved head injuries, leg fracture, and internal injuries ($2.9 billion).

Hospital Charges Surpass Trillion Dollar Mark


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