Littauer and American Renal Associates set the foundation for Fulton County dialysis center Posted on June 17, 2016 by Dakota PikeGLOVERSVILLE – Nathan Littauer Hospital, in partnership with American Renal Associates, is proud to announce the “foundation setting” for its new state-of-the-art dialysis center in Gloversville. The new facility in Fulton County will offer the latest technology for the care and comfort of patients suffering from kidney disease. On Friday, June 17, Nathan Littauer Hospital administrators, together with Dr. Soo Lee and Dr. Hani Shahata of American Renal Associates and local dignitaries, ceremoniously set the foundation as the construction of the center got underway. “We are very excited about this venture with Littauer,” said Dr. Lee. “Dialysis is an essential service, and it will be a tremendous advantage to patients in Fulton County and beyond the region.” The new dialysis center at Nathan Littauer Hospital will be the first dialysis center in Fulton County and one of the few dialysis centers in the nation attached to both a hospital and a nursing home. The center is fully prepared to serve all local patients suffering from kidney disease on an outpatient basis. “Drs. Lee and Shahata of American Renal Associates share our mission of providing world-class healthcare services to Fulton County,” said Laurence E. Kelly, president and CEO of Nathan Littauer Hospital. “Our ongoing partnership with these extraordinary doctors will increase our capacity to better serve our neighbors.” Littauer expects the dialysis center to improve the quality of life for patients suffering from kidney disease. Many dialysis patients have to travel hours for a treatment that can last up to four hours, three times a week. It is Littauer’s mission to provide world-class healthcare locally. Although the new dialysis center is an outpatient facility, Littauer has filed an application with the New York State Department of Health to offer dialysis to patients admitted to the hospital. The facility fully expects approval for this request. As stated, the Gloversville dialysis project is unique to the area since it is adjacent to a nursing home. According to Dr. Shahata, many nursing homes cannot offer dialysis services due to the time, frequency, and transportation costs. The new 7,000-square-foot facility will house 12 dialysis stations, with one isolation station, and will treat approximately 60 patients a week. The total cost from start to finish is $3.5 million. Littauer anticipates being in the test phase by Dec. 1, and being open for dialysis by Jan. 1, 2017. “This is the right project, at the right time, with the right partners,” confirmed Kelly.From left: Leslie Beadle, Vice President, Administrator/NLH Nursing Home; Geoff Peck, Executive Director, Nathan Littauer Foundation; Laurence E. Kelly, President and CEO, Nathan Littauer Hospital & Nursing Home; Dr. Irina Gelman, director of the Fulton County Public Health Department; Dr. Soo Lee, American Renal Association; Jean Wilkinson, Littauer Auxiliary; Brian Hanaburgh, Chairman, Littauer Board of Directors; Janine Dykeman, Board Chair, Nathan Littauer Foundation and Mark Kilmer, President, Fulton Montgomery Regional Chamber of CommerceLaurence E. Kelly, President and CEO, Nathan Littauer Hospital & Nursing Home, left, together with Dr. Soo Lee, American Renal Association stand together on the new dialysis center construction site in Gloversville
Littauer Primary Care has weekend hours Posted on June 14, 2016 by Dakota PikeSummer is here, and because illness and injury can happen any time, Nathan Littauer Hospital Primary Care offers weekend hours. On Saturdays and Sundays, you can trust your healthcare with the providers you already know and trust. Weekend hours are available from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. both days at Littauer’s Primary Care Center located at 99 E. State St., in Gloversville. For questions or an appointment, please call 773-5690.
Nathan Littauer Hospital & Nursing Home and 1199 SEIU Members Ratify New Contract Posted on March 17, 2016 by Dakota PikeThe new pact heralded by both sides for fairness and employee protectionsMarch 15, 2016 Four hundred healthcare workers at Nathan Littauer Hospital and Nursing Home in Gloversville, New York who are represented by 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East have a new collective bargaining agreement. Monday, March 14 the members voted overwhelmingly in favor of the union agreement. The ratification vote took place after eight months of negotiations. “The end result is an agreement that is fair to both sides,” stated Laurence E. Kelly, Nathan Littauer’s President and CEO. 1199SEIU Vice President Rosa Lomuscio said, “We came into the process with the goal of securing good wages and affordable health and pension benefits, and after a long haul, we succeeded. Negotiating is never easy, especially when people’s livelihoods are at stake. The most important thing to remember is the connection between the well-being of healthcare workers and quality care. That makes this agreement a win for everyone — the hospital, the workers, our patients and in the end the entire community.” 1199SEIU represents 40 percent of the hospital’s total workforce. “From the beginning, this was a real collaboration,” explained Lana E. Wydra, PHR, SHRM-CP and Vice President of Human Resources for Littauer. “Each negotiating session was a true working group – committed to working together towards a reasonable contract. We rolled up our sleeves and shared common goals. In the end, we hammered out a contract that is equitable and fair.” She concluded, “I am proud of the outcome because it honors all of our employees and our broader patient mission.” Today, the two sides announced a final four-year agreement. The new contract provides for increases in base wages, plus increased pension and health insurance contributions by the hospital and the employees. The new contract is effective to June 30, 2019. Littauer employees covered by the bargaining unit are technical and service employees, including licensed practical nurses, certified nursing assistants, environmental services, nutritional services, lab and pharmacy technicians, diagnostic imaging services, engineering staff and others. “This is an impressive accomplishment,” said Mr. Kelly. He went on to say, “We’ve reached a very good contract, with very good employees. These negotiations have proved Littauer and its employees can adapt to the ever-changing workforce and move forward with confidence.” Melissa Tambasco, an 1199SEIU negotiating committee member and Ward Clerk at the hospital said, “This contract is about economic security for me. It’s not easy to make ends meet at home anymore. Knowing that I have affordable health insurance, guaranteed wages increases and a pension for my future is a big relief. When I go to work, I want to be fully present for my patients and their families — not worrying about paying the next bill.” That sentiment is echoed by 1199SEIU negotiating team member and Littauer Printer, Charles B. Pettit III. “Negotiations went nicely and we’re glad it’s settled.” Mr. Pettit added, “We were happy to work together to reach an agreement in a reasonable time.”XXXABOUT 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East is the largest and fastest-¬growing healthcare union in the nation, with over 400,000 nurses and caregivers throughout Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Washington, D.C. and Florida. 1199SEIU is part of the 2.1 million member Service Employees International Union. 1199SEIU’s mission is to achieve quality care and good jobs for all. For more information please visit www.1199seiu.org.ABOUT Nathan Littauer Hospital and Nursing Home Nathan Littauer Hospital and Family of Health Services serves Fulton, Montgomery, and Hamilton counties in upstate New York with a full-service, 74-bed acute care hospital, nine primary care centers, a nursing home and a community education center. The hospital was founded in 1894 and has 1,000 employees. For more information, please visit www.nlh.org.
Nathan Littauer Hospital Designated Blue Distinction® Center for Maternity Care Posted on March 17, 2016 by Dakota Pike GLOVERSVILLE – In an effort to help prospective parents find hospitals that deliver quality maternity care, Excellus BlueCross BlueShield announced that Nathan Littauer Hospital has been designated as one of the first hospitals to receive the Blue Distinction Center for Maternity Care designation, a new designation under the Blue Distinction Specialty Care program.Nearly four million babies are born in the U.S. annually, making childbirth the most common cause of hospitalization. This new Blue Distinction Centers for Maternity Care program evaluates hospitals on several quality measures, including the percentage of newborns that fall into the category of early elective delivery, an ongoing concern in the medical community. Compared with babies born 39 weeks or later, early term infants face higher risks of infant death and respiratory ailments such as respiratory distress syndrome, pneumonia, and respiratory failure, among other conditions. These babies also have a higher rate of admission to Neonatal Intensive Care Units.In addition, hospitals that receive a Blue Distinction Center for Maternity Care designation agreed to meet requirements that align with principles that support evidence-based practices of care, as well as having initiated programs to promote successful breastfeeding, as described in the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative by Baby-Friendly USA or the Mother-Friendly Hospital program by the Coalition for Improving Maternity Services (CIMS) through its “Ten Steps of Mother-Friendly Care.” The program also evaluates hospitals on overall patient satisfaction, including a willingness to recommend the hospital to others.Blue Distinction Centers for Maternity Care, an expansion of the national Blue Distinction® Specialty Care program, are hospitals recognized for delivering quality specialty care safely and effectively, based on objective measures developed with input from the medical community.“I am so proud of our team,” said Maureen Mosher, Littauer Manager of Maternal Child Health. “Being one of the first hospitals designated as a Blue Distinction Center for Maternity Care is a distinction we have achieved through our heartfelt dedication to our patients and community.”Blue Cross and Blue Shield (BCBS) companies across the nation have recognized more than 280 hospitals as Blue Distinction Centers for Maternity Care. Hospitals recognized for these designations were assessed using a combination of publicly available quality information and cost measures derived from BCBS companies’ medical claims.Since 2006, the Blue Distinction Specialty Care program has helped patients find quality providers for their specialty care needs in the areas of bariatric surgery, cardiac care, complex and rare cancers, knee and hip replacements, spine surgery and transplants. Research shows that compared to other facilities, those designated as Blue Distinction Centers demonstrate better quality and improved outcomes for patients.For more information about the program, visit www.bcbs.com/bluedistinction.XXX Nathan Littauer Hospital and Family of Health Services serves Fulton, Montgomery, and Hamilton counties in upstate New York with a full-service, 74-bed acute care hospital, nine primary care centers, a nursing home and a community education center. The hospital was founded in 1894 and has 1,000 employees. Nathan Littauer continues to offer the latest in diagnostic imaging, including a new MRI suite. Littauer’s medical staff provides well over 100,000 patient encounters each year. For more information, please visit www.nlh.org.Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, a nonprofit independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, is part of a family of companies that finances and delivers vital health care services to about 1.5 million people across upstate New York. Excellus BlueCross BlueShield provides access to high-quality, affordable health coverage, including valuable health-related resources that our members use every day, such as cost-saving prescription drug discounts and wellness tracking tools. To learn more, visit ExcellusBCBS.com.The Birthing Center at Nathan Littauer Hospital has been designated as one of the first hospitals to receive the Blue Distinction Center for Maternity Care designation
Former Chief VanDeusen helms security at Littauer Posted on March 17, 2016 by Dakota PikeGLOVERSVILLE – Littauer is proud to welcome Donald W. VanDeusen III as the hospital’s new Supervisor of Security and Emergency Management. VanDeusen is well known in the community for his 26 years as a Gloversville Police officer and more recently as the Gloversville Police Chief. “Littauer is thrilled to have a professional with Don’s law enforcement experience working directly on our campus,” said NLH Vice President of Community Relations, Cheryl McGrattan. “His integrity and vast knowledge in the field is an asset to Nathan Littauer.” VanDeusen has smoothly transitioned into his new role. “I have met a lot of good people which makes the management transition from a municipality to health care much easier,” said VanDeusen. VanDeusen’s responsibilities include hospital security, and emergency management at Littauer and all nine primary & specialty cares centers.Littauer’s new Supervisor of Security and Emergency Management, Donald W. VanDeusen III
The Birthing Center at announces the Littauer Leapster Posted on March 17, 2016 by Dakota PikeGLOVERSVILLE – Paisley Raye Carpenter made her grand entrance into this world at 9:32 a.m. on Feb. 29, 2016. Waiting until a week after her due-date, she was born at Nathan Littauer Hospital’s Birthing Center on the 2016 Leap Year. She is the daughter of Dallas and Dan Carpenter of Johnstown, and joins a two-year-old brother Ryder. “I haven’t even thought about how we will spend her first birthday,” said Dallas Carpenter. “I know people with birthdays on Feb. 28 and March 1. We may just choose any special day, like St Patrick’s Day? We will do something big every four years for sure,” she added. Feb. 29 pops up every four years to keep up with the disparity in the Gregorian calendar and the earth’s rotation around the sun. Earth’s complete orbit around the sun takes exactly 365.2422 days. Every four years we need to add a day to our 365 day calendar year to keep us in sync with clocks, calendars and seasons. “I was told by people that I would probably have the baby on Leap Year. My first child was born two weeks early, so I never believed Paisley would be this late,” said Dallas. “She is special, and we are so happy.”Littauer Leapster Paisley Ray Carpenter with her parents Dallas and Dan Carpenter of Johnstown. Paisley was born at Nathan Littauer Hospital on Feb. 29, Leap Year 2016
