Littauer annual Tree of Lights program brings special meaning to loved ones Posted on January 30, 2015 by Dakota PikeGLOVERSVILLE – The Nathan Littauer Hospital & Nursing Home Auxiliary annual Tree of Lights program was held Monday, Dec. 1 before a gathering of 80 people in the Littauer Hospital lobby. Auxialian Rosanne Manuele, program co-chairman opened the ceremony saying, “This is a very special night and it means many different things to many people.” Littauer President and CEO Laurence Kelly added, “There is a reason we are all here this evening as we remember someone special. Everyone here has a story that goes with a light on the tree.” Auxialian and program co-chairman Donna Ellithorpe read a poem she composed for the evening and said, “Each of our loved ones is remembered with a light. It really touches our hearts.” Susan McNeil, Volunteer Director said, “The Auxiliary plans the evening, and in coordination with various Littauer departments, we bring this all together.” McNeil went on to say, “It’s a team effort all the way, and that’s what makes this night so beautiful.” Tom Hobson led the program playing piano as his wife Mickey sang “Good Christian Men Rejoice.” Pianist Pat Travis-Doull led the auxiliary singers “Nate’s Notes” as they sang Christmas Carols after the program. Auxilians Barb Tucci and family decorated the Tree and Toby Ortell handed out programs. The Reverend Bonnie Orth, Pastoral Care Coordinator at Nathan Littauer Hospital and Nursing Home led the Blessing.Charles and Anita Ashelman of Gloversville read the names of loved ones posted at the Nathan Littauer Hospital & Nursing Home Auxiliary annual Tree of Lights program
Littauer’s Dr. Husson, featured guest on WAMC’s Medical Monday Posted on January 30, 2015 by Dakota PikeDr. Paul Husson, a urologist at Nathan Littauer Hospital & Nursing Home’s Gloversville Primary & Specialty Care Center was on WAMC’s Medical Monday, December 15 with Dr. Alan Chartock . The broadcast was heard across seven states.Many listeners, including women called to ask about urological issues, including: kidney stones, urinary tract infections, incontinence and screenings for prostrate, bladder and kidney cancers. Local stations broadcasting the interview were:WAMC, 90.3 FM, Albany NYWAMC, 1400 AM, Albany, NYWCAN, 93.3 FM, Canajoharie NY
Littauer presents check to Make-A-Wish Northeast New York Posted on January 30, 2015 by Dakota PikeGLOVERSVILLE – The Nathan Littauer Hospital & Nursing Home’s Courtesy Counsel annual Holiday Basket raffle raised $5400 for Make-A-Wish Northeast New York this year. The donation remains local for a medically eligible child. Over 20 baskets were donated from departments throughout the hospital and nursing home. “The employees here at Nathan Littauer are very giving and willing to help their community” said Moshgan Jones, NLH Courtesy Counsel Chairperson. “Each department is so creative.” “Every year we support a local community non-profit organization, and typically raise $5000,”said Jones. “We are thrilled that Make-A-Wish gives back so greatly to those in our community. We met the recipient of last year’s donation, and it meant to world to our employees.” For the second year in a row, the NLH Courtesy Counsel has partnered with Make-A-Wish Northeast New York. In the course of two and a half days on Dec. 10, 11 and 12, 2014 employees and guests of NLH brought $5400 for the fundraiser. Receiving the check for Make-A-Wish Northeast New York was the foundation’s CEO, Dr. William Trigg. He told the crowd gathered at the celebration, “Know that you are bringing hope, strength, and joy to a special child with this generous donation.” Adding “We can’t thank you enough for your generosity and this money will be used locally to make a child’s wish come true.” Make-A-Wish grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. Since 1987, Make-A-Wish Northeast New York has granted nearly 1,500 wishes in the 518 area code and currently grants 90 to 100 wishes each year. Littauer CEO and President Laurence Kelly, left, Littauer Courtesy Council Chairman Moshgan Jones and Make-A-Wish CEO Bill Trigg
Wellness Words January 2015 Posted on January 16, 2015January 28, 2015 by Dakota PikeHealthLink Littauer’sWELLNESS WORDSSubmitted by Wendy Chirieleison, MS EdCommunity Health EducatorStay Safe This WinterWinter weather can definitely be frightful! There are things you can do to be better prepared for winter weather situations. Making good choices is one way to stay safe, such as staying indoors when it is extremely cold and windy, or staying outside for just a short time if you must go out. When you do go outside, wearing layers, hats, gloves, scarves, coat, and boots helps prevent frost bite, which is damage to the body from the cold that can affect a person from the skin to the bone. Cheeks, ears, nose, fingers, chin, and toes are at the greatest risk of frost bite so be sure to cover up all areas of your body when heading outside. Here are some other tips for staying safe this winter:WalkingBe sure walkways are cleared, shoveled, salted, and free from ice. If not, find a different path.Purchase shoe grips and cane grips to help you stay steady on icy or snowy grounds.Re-purpose empty parmesan cheese shakers by filling them with sand or salt. Take one with you wherever you go and sprinkle the sand or salt whenever you feel you need it.DrivingKeep a coffee can or bucket filled with sand or salt in your car.If it is very cold, windy, snowing, or if the roads are icy, stay home.Plan ahead by stocking up on things you need, and running errands on good weather days.Make sure your car is ready for winter. When you have your oil changed, ask the mechanic to also check the anti-freeze, windshield wipers, and tires, and have them replaced if needed.Be sure to have a blanket, extra hat, gloves, and a sweatshirt in your car for an emergency, along with a shovel, flashlight, snow brush, and even a first-aid kit.CommunicationAlways take your cellphone with you in case of an emergency. If you don’t have one, consider purchasing a pay-as-you-go phone that requires you to buy inexpensive “minute cards” or “airtime” periodically.When traveling, arrange to check in with someone when you have arrived at your destination. That person can also call to check on you if they have not heard from you.At Home: Outside and Inside Make sure your walkways are cleared, sanded or salted, and properly lit.If you are shoveling, be mindful of your body. Shoveling snow can be hard work. Talk to your doctor to be sure that this is something that you can do safely. If you are not able to do this on your own, ask a neighbor, friend, local Boy Scout troop, etc. to assist you.Check the batteries on smoke detectors and carbon-monoxide detectors. Make sure your fire extinguisher is in working condition. If you do not have one, consider purchasing one that can be used in a variety of fires.Always have a lantern, flashlight, plenty of blankets, non-perishable food, and bottled water on hand in the event of a power outage. Make arrangements ahead of time to stay with family or friends if there is an extended power outage.Have a list of emergency numbers by the phone for your use as well as a list of your emergency contacts posted somewhere visible, such as the refrigerator.The winter months can be a beautiful time of year, but winter can also be dangerous if you are not taking the proper precautions to stay safe. Be sure to check in with family and friends on a regular schedule, make good decisions, bundle up when going out, and have a safe and happy winter!For more information, visit healthinaging.org or contact HealthLink Littauer at 736-1120. You can e-mail us at healthlink@nlh.org, see our website at nlh.org, or visit our NEW wellness center at 2 Colonial Court in downtown Johnstown, Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. We’re your community health & wellness service of Nathan Littauer Hospital and Nursing Home.
Visitation guidelines announced Posted on December 18, 2014 by Dakota PikeALBANY, N.Y., December 16, 2014 — Visitation guidelines are being implemented at several regional hospitals to further protect patients from influenza and other infectious diseases. These actions are being taken in response to increasing numbers of cases of influenza (Type A-H3N2) across the state and in this region.The guidelines will be implemented in all hospitals joining this announcement by Friday, December 19, 2014.Hospitals implementing the restrictions include Albany Medical Center; Nathan Littauer Hospital; St. Peter’s Health Partners acute care hospitals including Albany Memorial Hospital, Samaritan Hospital, St. Mary’s Hospital (Troy), St. Peter’s Hospital, and Sunnyview Rehabilitation Hospital; Ellis Medicine acute care hospitals including Bellevue Woman’s Center and Ellis Hospital; Glens Falls Hospital; Columbia Memorial Hospital; St. Mary’s Healthcare (Amsterdam); and Saratoga Hospital.The restrictions include the following:A maximum of two visitors will be permitted in a patient’s room at any one time.Children 12 and under will be prohibited from visiting patients’ rooms, as they are more likely to have and transmit respiratory infections.Visitors with rash, diarrhea or respiratory symptoms will be prohibited from visiting patients. These symptoms include fever, sore throat, cough, shortness of breath.The hospitals also are urging all visitors to use hand-washing stations before entering and upon leaving a patient’s room. Hand sanitizers are available at many hospital entrances and at many other locations throughout these hospitals, including the doorways of many patient rooms.Some hospitals have special care units or physical layouts which may have additional visitation restrictions.Hospital officials said there is a potential that this flu season could be more severe as one of the strains circulating is not in the vaccine. They advised that it is still important to get vaccine, as it offers protection against other circulating strains and will reduce the likelihood of severe illness.The same guidelines announced today were developed and temporarily implemented in previous years to address influenza outbreaks. These temporary restrictions are intended to help limit the transmission of the virus and protect the health and safety of patients and the professionals who provide their care during the outbreak.
Littauer Primary Care earns national recognition Posted on December 18, 2014 by Dakota PikeLittauer Primary Care earns national recognition for Patient-Centered CareNCQA Patient-Centered Medical Home™ standards emphasize enhanced care through patient-clinician partnershipGLOVERSVILLE—The(NCQA) announced the Primary and Specialty Care Centers of Nathan Littauer Hospital have received NCQA Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) Recognition for using evidence-based, patient-centered processes that focus on highly coordinated care and long‐term, participative relationships. “We are pleased that the NCQA has recognized our high-quality of medical care being provided at all eight of our Primary and Specialty Care Centers. We have all focused on becoming a Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) because we believe that is what is best for our community” said Patrice McMahon, Vice President of Primary Care for Littauer. “We have collaborated with our entire medical team and spent the last several years investing in and reforming our practice to provide better, more comprehensive care for our patients.“ The NCQA Patient-Centered Medical Home is a model of primary care that combines teamwork and information technology to improve care, improve patients’ experience of care and reduce costs. Medical homes foster ongoing partnerships between patients and their personal clinicians, instead of approaching care as the sum of episodic office visits. Each patient’s care is overseen by clinician-led care teams that coordinate treatment across the health care system. Research shows that medical homes can lead to higher quality and lower costs, and can improve patient and provider reported experiences of care. “NCQA Patient-Centered Medical Home Recognition raises the bar in defining high-quality care by emphasizing access, health information technology and coordinated care focused on patients,” said NCQA President Margaret E. O’Kane. “Recognition shows that Littauer has the tools, systems and resources to provide its patients with the right care, at the right time.” To earn recognition, which is valid for three years, Littauer demonstrated the ability to meet the program’s key elements, embodying characteristics of the medical home. NCQA standards aligned with the joint principles of the Patient-Centered Medical Home established with the American College of Physicians, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Osteopathic Association.To find clinicians and their practices with NCQA PCMH Recognition, visit http://recognition.ncqa.org. NCQA evaluates nine Physician Practice Connections®-Patient Centered Medical HomeTM standards, including 10 “must-pass” elements, which can result in one of three levels of recognition. Level 3 is the highest level of recognition. The PPC-PCMH program reflects the input of the American College of Physicians, American Academy of Family Physicians, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Osteopathic Association, and others. “With a PCMH, our patients’ health should improve as we strive to provide seamless coordinated care” added Littauer’s McMahon. About NCQANCQA is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. NCQA accredits and certifies a wide range of health care organizations. It also recognizes clinicians and practices in key areas of performance. NCQA’s Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS®) is the most widely used performance measurement tool in health care. NCQA’s Web site (ncqa.org) contains information to help consumers, employers and others make more informed health care choices.XXXNathan 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, eight primary care centers, a nursing home and a community education center. The hospital was founded in 1894, has 1,000 employees and recently hosted ground-breaking spine surgeries. For more information please visit www.nlh.org.
Wellness Words December 2014 Posted on December 15, 2014 by Dakota PikeHealthLink Littauer’sWELLNESS WORDSSubmitted by Wendy Chirieleison, MS EdCommunity Health EducatorGive Of Yourself This Holiday SeasonTake a look around at all that you have. You might think that you have “nothing” or “not that much.” Stop and take a second look, and you will recognize all of the blessings that you do have, and how fortunate you really are. This is important to keep in mind, when often times the focus at this time of year is materialistic things and who is going to give the best gift. When you really think about it, the best gift that you can give someone is YOU! Your time or a random act of kindness just because.Just as in “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” – when the Grinch stole all of the gifts from everyone in Whoville, the Who’s still celebrated the holiday. “It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes, and bags.” The Who’s knew that the holiday meant something greater than the giving and receiving of material things, and they were happy to have each other. You can put this kind of spirit into your holiday as well, by giving of yourself this year.VOLUNTEER FOR A GOOD CAUSEThere are so many local organizations that would love to have some volunteers! Some organizations are run solely on volunteers, and they are usually looking for people with fresh ideas and special skill sets. Great volunteer opportunities may include, but are not limited to: soup kitchens, museums, theaters, libraries, recreation departments, hospitals, senior centers, animal shelters, community colleges, support groups, hiking trails or hiking organizations, after-school programs, or sports programs. Why not offer to donate a few hours each week or each month to one of your favorite organizations?According to research by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), not only will you feel satisfaction, accomplishment, and pride in your work, you will also be establishing connections with others in your community, helping to solve problems, improve lives, and strengthening your community. In addition, the CNCS has also discovered some health benefits of volunteering as well, such as living longer, lower rates of depression, and overall improved physical and mental health.PAY IT FORWARDDid you know that some local businesses accept monetary donations that they put towards goods and services for people in need who would otherwise go without? It is also a nice surprise when someone finds out that they do not have to pay their bill because someone ‘paid it forward.’ You never know how an act of kindness, big or small, can impact the lives of others.According to the Huffington Post, the parents of Alyssa Josephine O’Neil had no idea what kind of difference a simple random act of kindness could make. The Pennsylvania family had a daughter who struggled with epilepsy. One September evening, Alyssa asked her parents to take her to Starbucks for a pumpkin-spiced latte the next morning. Unfortunately she did not make that trip the next day as she succumbed to her illness. After her passing, her parents decided that since Alyssa could not enjoy her latte, they would buy 40 pumpkin-spiced lattes in her memory at Starbucks. They asked the baristas to give them away with the Alyssa’s initials AJO written on each cup.Starbucks staff were so moved, they bought another 50 lattes to give away. This small gesture was enough to get attention on the internet, and people all over the world began offering random acts of kindness for others at cafes, restaurants, salons, stores, etc., and posted pictures of bills and receipts with ‘AJO pay it forward’ written on them. Because of the overwhelming response from people, the O’Neil’s decided to start the AJO Forever Fund, which helps families pay for medical bills related to epilepsy and also serves as a scholarship fund for aspiring nurses. This movement has gained global recognition.How can you pay it forward? How about leaving coupons you aren’t going to use on community message boards, buy a bowl of soup for someone in need, donate food and clothing to a church or food pantry, offer to run errands for a neighbor, when shopping leave some money with the cashier to help pay for the goods and services of the person next in line.A CALL TO ACTIONPracticing volunteerism or paying it forward can help improve your physical and mental health, and can make the season less stressful and a bit more cheerful, no matter what holiday you and your family observe. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Kwanza, Hanukkah, etc., instead of buying and sending presents this year, be present, send your love, wrap someone in a hug, give the gift of your time, and surprise someone with a random act of kindness. You will be happy that you did!Also, remember that when the Grinch thought he had stolen Christmas, he expected the Who’s to be sad but he was shocked when he heard that, “every Who down in Whoville, the tall and the small, were singing without any presents at all!” The Grinch was confused but then “he thought of something he hadn’t before. What if Christmas does not come from a store? What if Christmas…perhaps…means a little bit more.”For more information, contact HealthLink Littauer at 736-1120. You can e-mail us at healthlink@nlh.org, see our website at nlh.org, or visit our wellness center at 213 Harrison Street Ext. in Johnstown, Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. We’re your community health & wellness service of Nathan Littauer Hospital and Nursing Home.
