Niagara Hobby and Craft Mart Announcement

Hobbies are healthy! Niagara Hobby and Craft Mart has a lot going on in February, including:

US$1.00 & less Art & Craft Sale!
Atlas O track & accessories 50% off
Lionel accessories
Godzilla collectible figures 25% off
Herpa/Gemini die cast airliners (Buy 1; Get 1)
USA G scale track
Christmas Crafts
Die Cast vehicles
Hobby Master die cast military aircraft
Wm. Britain military figures and accessories 50% off

Some of what arrived this week:

ARTS & CRAFTS: Jewelry findings & tools; Bead organizer & bead board; Clock faces & movements; Artist easels; Embroidery loops; Spirodesign tin sets; Duct-tape kit; Artist & Craft brushes; Canvas; Acrylic ink; Erasers; Matt boards; Children's craft kits; Dollhouses; Dollhouse Miniature magazine; Students & Teachers always receive a 10% discount on art, craft and architectural supplies; Made In Australia jigsaw puzzles from Aboriginal artist Noel Doyle;

TATTOO ARTIST-ONLY SUPPLIES: Dettol, Fusion, Eternal, Radiant Color, After Inked, Cosco, Black Dragon, Phantom, Precision, Defend, Dynamic, Intenze, Mom's, and Tat Soul Spearman, amongst others. In order to purchase or place a special order, customers must provide their valid Erie County and/or Niagara County Tattoo/Body Piercing Artist Certificate;

GAMING: Games Workshop (Warhammer, Warmhammer 40,000, The Hobbit, Fantasy Flight Games, The Lord of the Rings, Citadel, etc.; paints, kits, accessories); Flames of War; Privateer Press (Warmachine, Hordes, etc.); Fantasy Flight Games; X-Wing; Netrunner; Gundam Bandai; Sobol; Wyrd Miniatures; Books; Free gaming every day; We place special orders Monday & Tuesday; products generally arrive by Friday; As part of recent renovations, an additional 90ft of shelving was devoted to gaming. We now have board games from Fantasy Flight Games, Iello, AEG, Privateer Press, Wyrd, and GF9. Games for everyone- families, children from age five, to adults seeking more in depth in strategy or resource management. We have expanded our miniature gaming section to include the largest selection of Privateer Press Warmachine and Hordes in WNY! Adding to an increasing selection from Games Workshop's Warhammer 40,000. We have expanded our selection of the Flames of War line by including Plastic Toy Soldiers, an affordable alternative for creating massive 15mm armies. We will introduce Infinity soon. We have Fantasy Flight Games X-Wing and Netrunner. These games exemplify our store motto as games that you can grow with... and continue to develop new and exciting strategies. Increased gaming area permits us to enhance our gaming nights and gaming events. A list of our always FREE gaming nights, always FREE gaming events and always FREE tournaments is in the calendar section ofwww.niagarahobby.com.

Ongoing Niagara Hobby Happenings Include:

Tuesday & Friday nights are miniature wargame night from 5:00 pm-8:00 pm

Thursday is Board Game night, including X-Wing and Netrunner from 5:00 pm- 8:00 pm

February 1st 11:00 am- 5:00 pm; X-Wing Tournament (bring out your X-Wing squadrons and compete for alternate art cards and a Star Wars medal!)

February 1st, 11:00 am- 5:00 pm: Netrunner Tournament (bring your Corporation and Runner decks to win alternate art cards and potentially a Netrunner play mat!)

February 2nd: 12:00 pm-5:00 pm High Command Tournament (bring your High Command Deck for a chance to win alternate art warcaster cards)

February 15th: Scenery Making Day (in preparation for the upcoming demo day as well as our expanded gaming section we need more terrain for our tables! So come out and be a part of the stores growth and take an active role in modeling the battlefields of tomorrow!)

February 22nd: Warmachine Stampede Event (fun event day of attack and defending in the Iron Kingdoms, bring out your army and see how long you can hold out against a never ending swarm of opponents.

February 23rd: Board Game demonstration day (due to the HUGE success of the recent Journeymen League we are asking you our customers what you would like our next league night to be. Demos will be run all day and you will get to cast your vote for the next store league. Demos for the day include: Infinity, Warmachine, Flames of War, Malifaux, Warhammer 40,000, Firestorm Armada, and X-Wing.)

RC (rechargeable battery & non-rechargeable battery): Traxxas Top Fuel (20% & 33%); O'Donnell Fuel (20% & 30%); Products (aircraft, vehicles, boats, helicopters) from Horizon (Blade, E-flite, Losi, ProBoat, Hobbyzone, ecXrc.com) have seven-days-a-week telephone customer service direct from the manufacturer;

SCIENCE, KITES & ROCKETS & MORE COOL STUFF: Estes rocket kits, launch sets, engines, accessories; Yo-Yos & accessories; Whittling supplies- knives, sets, gloves, thumb guards, wood shapes, magazines; Thames & Kosmos science sets; Konus telescopes; Perfect science glassware; Magcraft rare earth magnets; Wilescao steam-powered toys, fuel and supplies;

SLOT CARS (1/64th, 1/32nd, 1/24th): Carrera 1/32nd scale slot cars (Digital & Analog), track, accessories; Super Tires lubricants, parts and tires for 1/32nd scale and 1/64th scale slot cars; AFX 1/64th scale slot car sets, track sections, Tune-Up kits; Parma controllers; Motors- 90,000 rpm and 105,000 rpm; Slot.it 1/32nd scale slot cars, parts; Scalextric 1/32nd scale slot cars, parts; Life-Like 1/64th scale slot car sets, slot cars, track sections; Professor Motor controllers; NSR 1/32ndscale slot cars, motors, parts;

DIE CAST (metal & plastic & resin including 1/18th, 1/24th, 1/43rd, 1/64th, 1/87th): Auto World 1/24th scale die cast Toyota NHRA Patron Funny Car driven by Alexis DeJoria (autographed and non-autographed);

TRAINS (Z, N, HO, O, G): Atlas HO scale locomotives and rolling bstock, N scale rolling stock;Fox Valley N scale rolling stock; Lionel track, accessories; Bachmann HO scale and N scale EZ Track; Smalltown USA HO scale structure kits; Walthers Cornerstone HO details; Mini Metals HO scale vehicles; Split Jaw G scale track accessories; We repair N scale, HO scale, O scale & G scale locomotives and rolling stock; USA Trains G scale 8-foot curved track box SALE; Atlas O scale rolling stock SALE; Lionel O scale special edition Railroad Museum of Long Island RCA Operating Railroad Car;

MODELS (plastic, wood, glue, no glue): Dragon 1/35th scale figure kits; Brengun 1/72nd scale aircraft and missile kits; Gofer Racing 1/24th scale and 1/25th scale decals; Imex display cases; Cape Shore wooden ships, ship kits, ship-in-a-bottle kits; YELLOW tag plastic model sale;

THOMAS & FRIENDS, CHUGGINGTON, BREYER, SAFARI, SCHLEICH: Thomas & Friends (Wooden Railway, Take-n-Play, Trackmaster) characters, track, accessories, play tables; NHCM 3366 caboose (Made in the U.S.A.; compatible with Thomas & Friends and Brio); Chuggington Wooden Railway engines, track packs, accessories;

BOOKS, MAGAZINES, DVD, CLOTHING: Magazines;

SUPPLIES & COOL STUFF: Glues; Paint; Miniature hardware and drill bits; Hobby tools; Plastic sheets, strips, shapes, tubes; Metal sheets, rods, strips; Coin collecting supplies; Woodland Scenics scenery supplies, built-up structures, structure kits, O scale/HO scale/N scale figures; hobby wood - pieces, strips, sheets, dowels, blocks, plywood; Dremel tools, bits and accessories; Pinewood Derby kits, parts, decals, lubricants, tools and accessories; Sandpaper (wet/dry); Busch scenery supplies; Faller scenery supplies; Life-Like scenery supplies; Bachmann N scale/HO scale scenery supplies; Noch scenery supplies; JTT scenery supplies; Hot Wire Foam Factory tools;

2014 Always Free Event List

Carrera Slot Car Race Day- Saturday, 8 March
Modeling Railroading- Saturday, 15 March
Model Railroading- Saturday, 29 March
Thomas & Friends Play Day- 12 April
Estes Model Rocket Children's Workshop- 24 May
Chuggington Wood Play Day- 7 June
Estes Model Rocket Children's Workshop- 28 June
Carrera Slot Car Race Day- 27 September
Breyer Horse Fun Day- 4 October
Spooktacular Pre-Halloween Day- 25 October
Thomas & Friend Play Day- 8 November
Carrera Slot Car Race Day- 14 November
Early Holiday Kids Crafting Day- 6 December
Santa, His Elf & Reindeer- 29/30 November & 6/7/13/14/20/21 December
We Repair N, HO, O, & G scale trains!

Slot car racing every day!
Table Top Miniature Gaming every day!
Buffalo Yo -Yo Club monthly meeting !

Children enjoy our Schleich, Thomas & Friends (Wooden & Take-n-Play & Trackmaster), Chuggington Wooden Railway, Kapla and Tegu play tables; The Classroom's craft events; 6-lane 185+ ft Carrera Digital/Analog 1/32nd scale & 1/24th scale slot car track; 4-lane 60+-ft HO scale slot car track and Drag Strip & return loop!

Niagara Hobby & Craft Mart, located at 3366 Union Road (at Walden Avenue) · Cheektowaga, New York 14225-5110, Telephone: (716) 681-1666 · E-mail: manager@niagarahobby.com

http://www.niagarahobby.com
www.facebook.com/niagarahobbyandcraftmart
www.linkedin.com/niagara-hobby-&-craft-mart
www.twitter.com/@NiagaraHobby

Monday-Saturday 10:00 am to 8:00 pm
Sunday 12:00 am to 5:00 pm

Have a ‘super’ Sunday by designating a sober driver

As one of America’s most anticipated and celebrated sporting events, the Super Bowl brings together families, friends and fans each year to enjoy the excitement of the big game. In many instances, fans will gather to watch the game at sports bars, restaurants or Super Bowl-themed parties. The Resource Training Center in Amherst, provider of the Drinking Driver Program, wants to spread an important safety message about designating a sober driver on Super Bowl Sunday.

“Fans don’t let fans drive drunk,” said Monica Farrar, director of The Resource Training Center. “Before choosing to drink, choose a sober designated driver. Avoid the unsportsmanlike conduct of driving drunk by handing off your keys so that you, your passengers and everyone on our roads can safely arrive home. Drunk driving is always preventable.”

If you’re attending a Super Bowl party or watching the game at a sports bar or restaurant, please consider the following:

• Designate your sober driver before the party begins.
• Avoid drinking too much alcohol too fast. Pace yourself. Eat plenty of food, take breaks and alternate with non-alcoholic drinks.
• If you don’t have a designated driver, ask a sober friend for a ride home, or call a cab, friend or family member to come get you. Or, if possible, stay where you are for the night and don’t drive until you are sober.
• Never let friends drive drunk. Arrange a safe way for them to get home, too.
• Always buckle up. It’s still your best defense against other drunk drivers.

If you’re hosting a Super Bowl party: 

• Make sure all of your guests designate their sober drivers in advance, or help arrange ride-sharing with sober drivers.
• Serve plenty of food and non-alcoholic beverages at the party.
• Host your party just like they do at the stadium. Stop serving alcohol at the end of the third quarter of the game. The fourth quarter is perfect for serving coffee and dessert.
• Keep the phone numbers of local cab companies on hand and take the keys away from anyone who might be thinking of driving drunk.
• Remember, you can be held liable and prosecuted if someone you served ends up in a drunk-driving crash.

Located in the Harlem Road Community Center at 4255 Harlem Road, Amherst, The Resource Training Center offers a wide variety of services, including the New York State Drinking Driver Program for individuals convicted of an alcohol- or drug-related driving violation, and Alive at 25, a unique program that teaches young drivers to change how they approach driving through role playing, workbook exercises, interactive media segments and more.

For more information, please call 983-2258, email info@wnyresourcetraining.org or visit www.wnyresourcetraining.org. You can also follow The Resource Training Center on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pages/The-Resource-Training-Center/112019195650348.

Dr. Sobhana Narayanan, Board Certified in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Joins the Brain and Spine Center, InvisionHealth

Dr. Sobhana Narayanan, board-certified in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, is joining the Brain and Spine Center, InvisionHealth on February 24, 2014. She will be treating patients at three InvisionHealth locations to include Williamsville, Derby and Niagara Falls.

A graduate of Trivandrum Medical College in India, Dr. Narayanan completed her Residency training in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Strong Memorial Hospital, University of Rochester School of Medicine, Rochester, NY.

Recently, Dr. Narayanan held the position of Senior Instructor and Physician in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Rochester School of Medicine. Prior to that, she worked at Kaleida Health System in Buffalo, NY and was the Medical Director of the Rehabilitation unit at DeGraff Memorial Hospital in Buffalo, NY.

Dr. Narayanan has more than a decade of experience in performing electrodiagnostic studies such as EMG and nerve conduction studies, as well as management of most rehabilitation problems including stroke, musculoskeletal injuries, spinal cord and other neuromuscular disorders, joint disorders, automobile and work-related injuries.

For more information regarding InvisionHealth, Diagnostic Imaging Associates, the Brain and Spine Center, Madonna OB GYN, Suburban OB/GYN,

Spa400, and the InvisionHealth Foundation, please visit www.invisionhealth.com or call 716-631-3555.

Are You Suffering from Chronic Back, Neck and Leg Pain? FREE Presentation with Refreshments

Dr. Eric Roger will discuss Chronic back, neck and leg pain, complex spine issues and minimally invasive surgery. The presentation will begin at 6:00 pm. Eric Roger, M.D., BSc, FRSC(C) is a Cleveland Clinic trained neurosurgeon based in Western New York. The event is being held at the Buffalo Marriott, 1340 Millersport Highway, Amherst, NY 14226, RSVP by calling 853-BACK.

February 19: Women's Heart Health

Event Details
Date	Wednesday, February 19, 2014
Time	10 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Place	OLV Senior Neighborhood Community Room 55 Melroy Avenue Lackawanna, NY 14218 Parking is free.
Cost	Free
Registration	Register online or call  (716) 706-2112

Join Catholic Health for a candid discussion on women’s cardiac health at this free community event.

Beth Nicastro, RN, will discuss risk factors, symptoms, and prevention of heart disease in women - plus emerging information on diagnosis and local treatment options.

This event is free and open to the community.
Register Today

Registration is required. To register, please register online or call HealthConnection at (716) 706-2112.
More Events

For additional events hosted by Catholic Health, click here to view our calendar.

Recurrent Ovarian Cancers Respond to Cancer Vaccine After “Reprogramming” With Decitabine

PHILADELPHIA — Treatment with the drug decitabine prior to administration of chemotherapy and a cancer vaccine yielded clinical benefit for women with recurrent ovarian cancer, suggesting that this combinatorial chemoimmunotherapy may provide a new treatment option for patients with this disease, according to a study published in Cancer Immunology Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

A prerequisite for a patient’s immune system to recognize and attack his or her tumor is the presence of high levels of a protein not normally found in the patient’s healthy cells. Proteins with this profile are called tumor antigens and can be good targets for anticancer vaccines.

“NY-ESO-1 is one of the few tumor antigens that have restricted expression in normal tissues but become aberrantly expressed in epithelial ovarian cancers and other solid tumors, so we focused on this antigen as the lead candidate for development of cancer immunotherapy,” said Kunle Odunsi, M.D., Ph.D., principal investigator of the study, the M. Steven Piver professor and chair of the Department of Gynecologic Oncology, and director of the Center for Immunotherapy at Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI) in Buffalo, N.Y. “However, we observed that this antigen is not uniformly expressed by epithelial ovarian cancers, so our goal was to force the expression of NY-ESO-1 on ovarian cancer cells in order to allow the immune system to recognize and attack them.

“Expression of NY-ESO-1 is regulated by an epigenetic process called DNA methylation. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that epigenetic reprogramming of NY-ESO-1 using the demethylating agent decitabine will augment vaccine-induced immunity,” he added. “Although clinical results were not a focus of this phase I trial, we saw evidence of clinical benefit in up to 60 percent of the patients with chemotherapy-resistant tumors. The combination of a demethylating agent, chemotherapy, and cancer vaccine may have enabled this remarkable effect.”

Odunsi and colleagues conducted a phase I dose-escalation trial of decitabine, to which they recruited 12 women with epithelial ovarian cancer that had not responded to multiple lines of chemotherapy, with an estimated progression-free survival time of three months. All patients received decitabine on day one, the chemotherapy drug doxorubicin on day eight, and the cancer vaccine (NY-ESO-1 protein with Montanide and GM-CSF) on day 15.

In preclinical analysis reported as part of this study, the investigators established the best sequence of drug administration: decitabine was effective only when administered before chemotherapy, and it was ineffective if given after chemotherapy; vaccine administration was the last step.

The clinical trial participants were randomly assigned to receive a low, middle, or high dose of decitabine.

Of the 10 patients evaluable for clinical response, five had stable disease for up to 7.8 months, and one had a partial response with disease remission that lasted 5.8 months. All patients from the low- and middle-dose cohorts of decitabine showed clinical benefit, whereas one-third of the patients who received the high dose showed benefit. These data suggest that lower doses of decitabine are associated with improved clinical response using this regimen. The treatment was well tolerated, and adverse events included hematologic side effects that were clinically manageable, according to Odunsi.

“One of the most remarkable results in terms of immune responses was that we were able to evoke what we call ‘antigen spreading,’” he said. “Although we immunized against a single target [NY-ES0-1], we analyzed and found that we were able to induce immune responses against three other antigens, against which we did not immunize.

“We propose that patients should actively seek these kinds of combination therapies. Even though the majority of these types of therapies are experimental at this point, there is enough scientific and clinical evidence to indicate that they are likely to be beneficial,” Odunsi added.

To this end, Odunsi and Adam R. Karpf, Ph.D., a co-principal investigator of the study and associate professor at the Eppley Institute and member of the Fred and Pamela Buffett Cancer Center in the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, are currently planning a phase II trial at Roswell Park Cancer Institute and the Fred and Pamela Buffett Cancer Center to test whether this treatment approach lengthens progression-free survival in patients with ovarian cancer.

This study was funded by the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund, the Roswell Park Alliance Foundation, a Cancer Vaccine Collaborative Grant, the Anna Maria Kellen Clinical Investigator Award, the National Cancer Institute, and Eisai Pharmaceuticals. Odunsi has declared no conflicts of interest.

###

About the American Association for Cancer Research:

Founded in 1907, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) is the world’s oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research and its mission to prevent and cure cancer. AACR membership includes more than 34,000 laboratory, translational, and clinical researchers; population scientists; other health care professionals; and cancer advocates residing in more than 90 countries. The AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise of the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, biology, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer by annually convening more than 20 conferences and educational workshops, the largest of which is the AACR Annual Meeting with more than 18,000 attendees. In addition, the AACR publishes eight peer-reviewed scientific journals and a magazine for cancer survivors, patients, and their caregivers. The AACR funds meritorious research directly as well as in cooperation with numerous cancer organizations. As the scientific partner of Stand Up To Cancer, the AACR provides expert peer review, grants administration, and scientific oversight of team science and individual grants in cancer research that have the potential for near-term patient benefit. The AACR actively communicates with legislators and policymakers about the value of cancer research and related biomedical science in saving lives from cancer. For more information about the AACR, visit www.AACR.org.

Follow the AACR on Twitter: @AACR

Follow the AACR on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/aacr.org

About Roswell Park Cancer Institute:

The mission of Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI) is to understand, prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1898, RPCI is one of the first cancer centers in the country to be named a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center and remains the only facility with this designation in Upstate New York. The Institute is a member of the prestigious National Comprehensive Cancer Network, an alliance of the nation’s leading cancer centers; maintains affiliate sites; and is a partner in national and international collaborative programs. For more information, visit www.roswellpark.org, call 1-877-ASK-RPCI (1-877-275-7724) or email askrpci@roswellpark.org. Follow RPCI on Facebook and Twitter.

Dr. David Kurss, Board Certified Obstetrician-Gynecologist, Joins InvisionHealth

Dr. David Kurss, a nationally recognized, board-certified, Obstetrician-Gynecologist is joining InvisionHealth on January 1, 2014 and will be treating patients in a new office location at 100 College Parkway, Suite 120, in Williamsville, NY.

Dr. Kurss received his MD, with honors, in 1982 from SUNY at Buffalo School of Medicine. He completed his Residency in 1986 at the SUNY at Buffalo affiliated Obstetrics and Gynecology Program where he received an award for delivering outstanding care. Dr. Kurss became a Diplomate in the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology in 1991. He became a Fellow in the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists in 1993. Dr. Kurss also achieved recognition as a Nationally Certified Menopause Practitioner by the North American Menopause Society.

In 1993, Dr. Kurss founded the Women’s Wellness Center of Western New York, the area’s first physician-associated wellness center. Here, Dr. Kurss offers a myriad of health promoting programs to his female patients and to their families.

Dr. Kurss was the first in WNY to perform in-office gynecological procedures such as Endometrial Ablation – to address heavy menses, and Essure – for permanent birth control. This offers patients an effective treatment without the need for a hospital stay.

As a Clinical Assistant Professor at the SUNY at Buffalo School of Medicine, Dr. Kurss instructs physicians in training – both in the hospital and at the University. In addition to frequently speaking to community groups and serving as a guest media commentator, Dr. Kurss is a highly sought after Keynote Lecturer to professional audiences throughout the United States.

Dr. Kurss has been recognized as one of America’s Top Doctors (Castle Connelly/US News and World Report) for nine consecutive years, received the regional HealthTap award, (2013 Top Doctor), and was cited by Business First WNY as a Health Care Innovator. He was also elected as a life-long member of Cambridge Who’s Who.

Dr. Kurss was past President of the Buffalo Gynecology and Obstetrics Society. He presently represents his Obstetric and Gynecology colleagues as a member of the Physician Advisory Board of p2 Collaborative, where he advocates for improved health care for the women of Western New York.

Dr. Kurss is on the faculty of the SUNY at Buffalo School of Medicine, a Past President of the Buffalo OB/GYN Society, a Business First Health Care Innovator Award Winner, a Nationally Certified Menopause Specialist, cited as a Top Doc in US News and World Report, a member of Cambridge’s Who’ Who, pioneered in office GYN surgical techniques in WNY, a Women’s Health Consultant to the media, and is a highly sought after Keynote Lecturer and thought Leader in Women’s Health throughout the United States.

InvisionHealth offers an integrated, multidisciplinary approach which results in convenience and patient-centered care. Our specialists in radiology, neurosurgery, neurology, rheumatology, physiatry, interventional pain management, family practice, internal medicine, obstetrical and gynecologic care, functional medicine, physical therapy, chiropractic care, medical massage therapy, diagnostic testing, infusion therapy and med spa services all work together to provide a full range of health, wellness, preventative care and surgical services.

For more information regarding the InvisionHealth family of services, Dr. David Kurss and the Women’s Wellness Center of Western New York, please visit www.invisionhealth.com or call 716-631-3555.

Looking to Lose Weight in 2014? Begin with a Healthy Breakfast!

Many people who have lost weight and kept it off eat breakfast, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“The old saying is absolutely true, breakfast is the most important meal of the day,” said Patricia Salzer, a registered dietitian and a health and wellness consultant at Univera Healthcare. “To ‘break’ the ‘fast,’ start your days with a step in the right direction. Our bodies, including our brains and muscles, require energy to work. This is especially important after we have gone for hours without eating.”

One in 10 U.S. consumers does not eat breakfast, according to a 2011 study by The NPD Group, a marketing research company. Males who are 18- to 34-years-old are the ones most likely to skip breakfast.

“Eating breakfast is important since what you consume affects your energy level for the rest of the day,” Salzer said. She recommends consuming carbohydrates with fiber, plus protein and fat. “This will delay symptoms of hunger and help you feel full until the next meal.”

Salzer offers several breakfast tips.

Sick of traditional breakfast foods? Try eating: · Last night’s leftovers

· Hummus on toast

· Rice and beans

· Brown rice with fruit, nuts and cinnamon (similar to oatmeal)

Breakfast foods can be low in calories, high in nutrients. Give these nutritious breakfast options a try: 

· Greek yogurt with fruit

· Oatmeal with nuts

· Whole grain toast topped with low-fat ricotta cheese and fruit

· Whole-wheat tortilla filled with lots of sautéed vegetables and scrambled eggsFor those not hungry at breakfast time, start with a lighter meal: · A glass of chocolate milk

· A piece of toast or some yogurt

Then, have a mid-morning snack to complete the meal by eating:

· A hard-boiled egg

· Cheese and fruit

For more quick breakfast fixes that will help you manage your weight, visit: http://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org/manage-your-weight-with-breakfast

Great News for Upstate New York

Low Uninsured Rate Already Exceeds National Health Care Reform Goal for 2023

Upstate New York has a lower uninsured rate than all but three states in the nation and already exceeds the goal of what federal health care reform seeks to accomplish by the year 2023, according to a new report issued today by Univera Healthcare.

"The Facts about Health Insurance Coverage in Upstate New York" analyzed the most recent data available (2010-2012) for residents of all ages, and 2012 data for residents through age 64. (At age 65, all U.S. citizens automatically become eligible for Medicare.)

All ages coverage (2010-2012)

Upstate New York’s uninsured rate of 8.4 percent was significantly below the state’s uninsured rate (11.4 percent) and the national rate (15.1 percent). “What that means,” said Univera Healthcare President Art Wingerter, “is that 324,000 more upstate New Yorkers have health insurance than would have coverage if we were at the national rate.”

The report points out that the upstate New York region studied has a population larger than 28 other states, but its uninsured rate is lower than all states in the nation, excluding Massachusetts and the less populous states of Vermont and Hawaii.

Employer-based coverage (2010-2012)

Upstate New York’s employer-based health insurance coverage rate of 62.5 percent also compared favorably to the state rate of 57.4 percent and national rate of 54.8 percent, according to the Univera Healthcare analysis.

“From a taxpayer’s perspective, job-based health insurance is preferable to government-based coverage, because it costs taxpayers less,” Wingerter observed. “We have 371,000 more upstate New Yorkers covered due to job-based benefits than we’d have if we were at the national rate for employer-based coverage.”

Upstate New York vs. national goals for coverage (2012)

Looking at 2012 survey data pertaining to residents younger than age 65, the Univera Healthcare analysis shows that 91.3 percent of upstate New Yorkers had health insurance coverage, well above the national rate of 83.1 percent.

A May 2013 Congressional Budget Office report forecasted that the health insurance coverage rate for the U.S. population younger than age 65 would reach 89 percent by the year 2023. "Before federal health care reform could even have an impact, our region started where the nation as a whole hopes to be nine years from now,” Wingerter said.

“Our region is in much better shape than most of the country,” said Wingerter. “I believe that upstate New York promotes a climate for wiser health care spending fostered by strong local collaborations among those who provide care and the employers and insurers who finance it. Upstate New York is also in a predominately local, nonprofit health plan marketplace characterized by low operating margins among most competing insurers.”

Detailed upstate New York regional uninsured figures available

The analysis also provides detailed uninsured figures for 2010-2012, based on clusters of upstate New York counties (and individual counties) with populations greater than 20,000.

Upstate New York, for purposes of the analysis, was defined as an area bounded by Buffalo to the west, Utica to the east, Binghamton to the south and the Adirondacks to the north. The Univera Healthcare report is based on data collected from 2010 to 2012 by the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, the largest and most current national data source available.

To view the report, The Facts About Health Insurance Coverage in Upstate New York, go to UniveraHealthcare.com/factsheets.

Univera Healthcare is a nonprofit health plan that is part of a family of companies financing and delivering health services for more than 1.8 million upstate New Yorkers. Based in Buffalo, the health plan serves members across the eight counties of Western New York.

To learn more about Univera Healthcare, follow us on:

Our website: http://www.univerahealthcare.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Univera_WNY

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/Univerahealthcare

Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/company/univera-healthcare

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/univerawny

Catholic Health to Sell Three Continuing Care Facilities

In order to preserve and strengthen community-based senior care services, while responding to changes in the healthcare market, Catholic Health has agreed to sell three of its continuing care facilities to Comprehensive Healthcare Management Services, LLC. 

They include:

• St. Francis of Williamsville, a 142-bed skilled nursing/subacute care facility
• St. Elizabeth’s Home of Lancaster, an adult home with 117 beds 
• St. Vincent’s Home of Dunkirk, an adult home with 40 beds

Together, the homes employee about 315 associates.

Catholic Health has sustained multi-million dollar losses, including a projected $3 million in 2013, since taking over the facilities in 1998.

“The current healthcare environment makes it difficult for us to continue making the needed investments that will be required to maintain these facilities,” said Mark Sullivan, executive vice president & COO for Catholic Health. “In making this decision, our goal was to position each facility so it could remain open for our residents, their families and our staff.”
New Ownership Plans to Offer Positions to Staff

Comprehensive Healthcare operates several nursing and adult homes in New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Oklahoma and Missouri. The new ownership team plans to offer positions to associates affected by the sale.

“During their site visits, Comprehensive Healthcare’s leadership team was very impressed with the facilities, our staff, and the care they provide,” Sullivan added. “We believe this is good news for everyone involved and for the communities served by these facilities.”
Four Other Skilled Nursing Facilities Not Affected by Sale

Catholic Health operates four other skilled nursing facilities – Father Baker Manor in Orchard Park, Mercy Nursing Facility in Lackawanna, St. Catherine Labourè Health Care Center in Buffalo and McAuley Residence in Tonawanda – which are not affected by the sale.

“We are committed to providing long term care services in our community and will continue to make improvements in our remaining facilities to enhance care, comfort and safety,” Sullivan added. “With the changing needs of area seniors, we are also working to expand our home care, PACE and other programs to provide area families with even more options for their loved ones’ continuing care needs.”

Sale May Take Up to a Year to Complete

The sale, which was approved by Catholic Health’s Board of Directors, is subject to approval by New York State. The sale process may take up to a year to complete, during which time Catholic Health will work closely with the homes’ associates, residents and family members to maintain continuity of care, ensure a smooth transition and welcome the new owners to Western New York.

Catholic Health will also host ceremonies to mark a new chapter in the history of these facilities and to recognize their contributions to the health and residential needs of seniors in their communities.