Dedication held to commemorate completion of new hospice unit

Niagara Hospice and the Schoellkopf Health Center held a dedication celebration at David’s Path, a dedicated hospice unit on the Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center campus.

The new unit, located on the second floor of the Schoellkopf Health Center, is named for David Winker, a beloved Memorial Medical Center employee who spent his final days surrounded by family members while being cared for at Niagara Hospice House in Lockport. David, who passed away last year, had worked at Memorial since 1966 when he was hired as a dietary kitchen helper. He was promoted to senior attendant in 1970 and assigned as a dietary stores clerk in 1983.

David Winker was well known by his colleagues at Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center as a man who, except in the wintertime, rode his bicycle to work every day for nearly 47 years from his Town of Niagara residence. The unit is named David’s Path, providing a fitting tribute to him and his love of riding.

“In a very real sense, the Memorial Medical Center family was David’s family. In the 47 years that he worked here, I don’t know that he ever missed a day until he became ill last year,” Memorial President & CEO Joseph A. Ruffolo said. “David was one of those guys who everybody seemed to know and we all felt a very real sense of loss when we learned of his passing. Dedicating our new hospice unit for him is our way of saying how much he meant to us.”

The newly renovated wing at Schoellkopf that houses the hospice unit is now fully operational. The ten private rooms have new flooring, new beds and new furniture.  Residents there receive specialized hospice services from combined Schoellkopf and Niagara Hospice staff that include physicians, pharmacists, nurses, medical social workers and spiritual care providers as well as massage therapists, allied therapists, support staff, volunteers and bereavement counselors.

Niagara Hospice President & CEO John Lomeo said: “Niagara Hospice has enjoyed a long term relationship with Schoellkopf Health Center as a partner in care. When Niagara Hospice was looking to expand its footprint in ways to better serve terminally ill residents residing in nursing facilities, we strategically selected facilities that shared a common mission of caring and commitment to the community, the staff and most importantly the residents that call their facility home. Our shared commitment continues through David’s Path as we bring more care and more comfort to residents and families on their end of life journey.”

Hospice services emphasize comfort care for people with serious illnesses. Such care, also known as palliative care, focuses on providing relief from the symptoms, pain and stress of a serious illness with the aim of improving the quality of life for both the patient and the family. Several studies have found that people with serious, incurable illness who choose hospice care live longer and with better quality of life than those who do not elect the hospice care benefit that is covered by Medicare, Medicaid and most private insurance.

Hospice care is appropriate for individuals when the prognosis is approximately six months or less to live if the disease were to run its normal course. Patients who live longer than 6 months can often continue on hospice. For more information about David’s Path or to schedule a tour, call Schoellkopf Health Center at 278-4578. For more information about hospice care, call Niagara Hospice at 439-4417 or visit www.niagarahospice.org.

Roswell Park to Host Be the Match Bone Marrow Donor Drive June 3

WHAT:                    Each year, more than 30,000 children and adults will be diagnosed with diseases for which a bone marrow transplant is the only chance for cure. Only 30% will find a matching donor within their family. Over the past 25 years, Be The Match, operated by the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP), has managed the largest and most diverse marrow registry in the world.

You can help save a life by donating bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cells. A simple swab of the inside of the donor’s cheek provides the necessary tissue typing information, which is put into the NMDP to record individuals who have agreed to join the registry and potentially donate marrow or stem cells. Potential donors can then be matched with patients of the same tissue type.

A transplant involves replacing the patient’s bone marrow with healthy new blood-forming cells. Donors must be between 18 to 44 years old and should not have any history of cancer, diabetes or heart problems. Drive costs are being covered by the NMDP and Marrow Drive Rochester.

WHEN:                   Tuesday, June 3, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

WHERE:                 Main lobby,  Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Elm & Carlton Streets, Buffalo, N.Y. 

                                                                        

Medical Center Auxiliary to hold chicken and rib fund-raising event

The Auxiliary of Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center will hold a dinnertime fund raising event at The Bakery Restaurant on Monday, May 19 from 4 to 8 p.m.

The restaurant, located at 3004 Niagara St., will provide its renowned rib and chicken dinner for guests who either dine in or take out. Tickets are $15 and include a beverage, draft beer, soda or coffee with the dinner.

Tickets are available at the Medical Center gift shop and The Bakery Restaurant. For ticket information, call Patty at 545-7012 or Mary at 807-9388.

The Auxiliary raises funds for programs and equipment to benefit patients of Memorial Medical Center and Schoellkopf Health Center.

Independent Health honored as one of the Best Companies to Work for in New York

BUFFALO, N.Y. (May 7, 2014) – Independent Health has been named one of the best companies to work for in New York State for the seventh consecutive year.

Independent Health, which ranked 15th among 28 finalists in the large-size company category, was honored at an awards dinner on May 6 in Albany. Independent Health is one of just four companies across the state to be named a finalist for seven years in a row. The Best Companies to Work for in New York State program, presented by the New York State Society for Human Resource Management, in conjunction with Best Companies Group, Journal Multimedia Corporation and the Business Council of New York State, motivates employers to focus on moving their workplace towards excellence.

“Independent Health is honored to again be one of the best companies to work for in New York State,” said Patricia Clabeaux, senior vice president of human resources and organizational development, Independent Health. “We are proud to maintain a culture that supports innovation, collaboration and personal and professional growth.”

This statewide survey and awards program was designed to identify, recognize and honor the best places of employment in New York, benefiting the state’s economy, its workforce and businesses. The final rankings were based on a company evaluation and employee survey.

For more information on the Best Companies to Work for in New York State program, please visit www.BestCompaniesNY.com.

Headquartered in Buffalo, Independent Health began operations in 1980 and has consistently been rated among the top health plans in the country for customer service and member satisfaction. Independent Health’s comprehensive portfolio of product and service offerings include HMO, POS, PPO and EPO products, Medicare and Medicaid plans, traditional indemnity insurance, consumer-directed plans, coverage for self-funded employers, plus health savings account (HSA) and pharmacy benefit management (PBM) services. Combined, the company provides health benefits and services to nearly 375,000 individuals in Western New York and throughout the country. For more information, visit Independent Health’s website at www.independenthealth.com.

ECMC Celebrates the Difference Between Healthcare and True Care with Kool & The Gang

25th Annual Springfest Gala at Buffalo Niagara Convention Center

BUFFALO, NY; May 6, 2014—Erie County Medical Center (ECMC) Corporation and the ECMC Lifeline Foundation welcome musical Legends Kool & the Gang to their 2014 Springfest Gala set for Saturday, May 10, 2014; at 6:00 PM, to be held at the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center. The Gala is expected to draw over 1,400 guests from the business, medical, and ECMC communities for an evening of entertainment, fine dining and celebration.

Presented by LP Ciminelli, Springfest Gala will honor the distinguished service of Joseph Kowalski, MD, Director of the Spine Center at ECMC and Clinical Associate Professor of Orthopaedics, University at Buffalo; Karen Ziemianski, MS, RN, Senior Vice President of Nursing at ECMC; and Robert D. Gioia, President of the John R. Oishei Foundation.

“We are thrilled to be able to honor three such outstanding individuals in the ECMC Community,” said Jody Lomeo, President and CEO, Great Lakes Health System of Western New York. “We have a very special evening planned for our honorees and guests and are very much looking forward to welcoming Kool & the Gang home to Buffalo.”

Kool & the Gang are headlining a night of world-class entertainment which also features The Bobby Militello Quartet as well as Total Eclipse and the Buffalo Horns.

All proceeds from the evening will benefit the life-saving medical services of ECMC, Western New York’s only Adult Regional Trauma Center. The Lifeline Foundation also supports ECMC’s Regional Center of Excellence for Transplantation and Kidney Care, Regional Behavioral Health Center of Excellence, and the area’s only Mobile Mammography Coach, as well as numerous other ECMC initiatives that directly benefit the WNY community.

Springfest Gala is proudly presented by LP Ciminelli with support from: WNY Imaging; AT&T; and Russell’s Steaks, Chops and more. Additional sponsors include: Morrison, Exigence, Kaleida Health, Willcare, Palladian Health, Key Bank, UB Orthopaedics, McGuire Development, and Jody & Mary Lomeo.

ECMC Lifeline Foundation Elects New Chair and Board Members

BUFFALO, NY; May 5, 2014—The Erie County Medical Center (ECMC) Lifeline Foundation today announced the election of a new board chair and the addition of four new board members at its Annual Meeting. 

The newly-elected Chair is Jonathan A. Dandes, President of Rich Baseball Operations, who had recently served the Board as Vice-Chair. In addition to the Buffalo Bisons, Dandes is also responsible for the Northwest Arkansas Naturals and the Jamestown Jammers, teams owned by Rich Products Corporation.

New board members elected include: Benjamin Obletz, President of First Amherst Development; Dr. Gil Farkash, Chief of OB/GYN at Children’s Hospital; William Paladino, CEO of Ellicott Development; and Ronald Raccuia, President of AdPro Sports.

“We are very pleased that Jon has accepted leadership of the Foundation,” said Richard Cleland, President/Chief Operating Officer and Interim CEO of ECMC Corp. “Jon and the newly elected members are valued additions to our current Lifeline Board.”

The Lifeline Foundation supports the work of ECMC with a number of programs. The Foundation most recently sponsored the ECMC Mammography Coach and operates a number of programs that benefit the hospital.

March of Dimes awards grant to the Independent Health Foundation to help improve the health of mothers and babies in WNY

Baby & Me: Tobacco Free program now available to expectant mothers

BUFFALO, N.Y. (May 1, 2014) – The March of Dimes New York State Chapter has awarded a $43,174 grant to the Independent Health Foundation to support its new Baby & Me: Tobacco Free program, which has been created to help alleviate the burden of tobacco use for the pregnant and post-partum population in Western New York.

This grant is one of many the March of Dimes awards in pursuit of its mission to prevent birth defects and infant mortality.

“Since women who quit smoking are less likely to have premature and low-birth weight babies, we are using the March of Dimes grant to provide smoking cessation to expectant mothers and reduce the damaging effect of secondhand smoke on their children,” said Carrie Meyer, executive director, Independent Health Foundation. “We are grateful to those volunteers who support the March of Dimes by participation in events like March for Babies and who donate in other ways, helping women and babies who need it most.”

As part of the Baby & Me: Tobacco Free program, all eligible participants receive at least four in-home prenatal cessation counseling sessions provided by community health outreach workers from Independent Health and the Buffalo Prenatal-Perinatal Network. After the birth of the baby, if the mother is smoke-free, she will receive a monthly voucher for diapers for up to six months. The mother may use her voucher for any brand or size of diapers at local stores.

Women who would like to learn more about the eligibility guidelines for Baby & Me: Tobacco Free and apply for the program can call the Foundation at (716) 635-4959.

Established in 1992, the Independent Health Foundation works to improve the health and well-being of Western New York residents through awareness, prevention, and educational programs focused on community health priorities. For more information on the Foundation’s activities, visit www.independenthealth.com/foundation.

The Buffalo Prenatal-Perinatal Network is one of 16 comprehensive Prenatal-Perinatal Service Networks in New York State. Established in 1987, the not-for-profit organization is committed to helping improve the health of women and babies in the Buffalo regional area. Additional information is available at www.buffaloprenatal.org.

The March of Dimes is the leading nonprofit organization for pregnancy and baby health. For more than 75 years, moms and babies have benefited from the March of Dimes research, education, vaccines, and breakthroughs. To learn more, visit www.marchofdimes.com. You can also find March of Dimes on Facebook and Twitter.

Roswell Park Receives $1.5 Million Competitive Contract for Tobacco Cessation Program

Cancer center to partner with health-care providers across region to reduce tobacco dependence

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI) has been awarded a five-year, $1.5 million contract to operate the Western New York Tobacco Health System Change Center (WNY-THSCC). The Center is funded by the New York State Tobacco Control Program and will promote systems changes supporting expanded tobacco-cessation services throughout Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Niagara, Orleans and Wyoming counties.

The Western New York Tobacco Health Systems Change Center is one of eight centers across the state that will collaborate with targeted health-care providers to assist these organizations in the adoption of policies and programs designed to help patients quit using tobacco products. The newly awarded competitive contract represents a change in approach for the RPCI program, which has previously focused on engaging and assisting medical offices and staff in Erie, Niagara, Orleans and Genesee counties.

“Our continued presence in the four northern counties of Western New York, as well as the expansion of our geographic coverage to now include Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua and Wyoming counties, is an opportunity to refocus our efforts and concentrate on collaborations with health-care organizations, including health-care systems and Federally Qualified Health Centers. Through these partnerships, we will identify and implement policies to promote the delivery of tobacco control services across a diverse mix of health-care settings,” said Martin Mahoney, MD, PhD, Professor of Oncology in the departments of Health Behavior and Medicine at RPCI.

The program strives to increase the number of health-care provider organizations that have systems to screen all patients for tobacco use, deliver brief advice to quit at all visits, and provide assistance to help patients quit successfully. Evidence demonstrates that brief advice to quit smoking from a health-care provider significantly increases the odds that a smoker will quit.

“We will maximize our efforts by working with health-care organizations that primarily serve patients who are disproportionately impacted by tobacco dependence, such as Federally Qualified Health Centers and mental-health service providers,” added Kimberly Bank, RN, Director of the WNY-THSCC.

While New York State has made great strides in reducing tobacco use, smoking prevalence has not declined for those with low incomes and less education, and those with self-reported poor mental health. These at-risk groups can least afford the costs of tobacco and the consequences of addiction.

To learn more, contact the WNY-THSCC at 716-845-8255 or visit its website at www.facebook.com/TCCofWNY.