ALBANY BU. REVIEW: “Littauer has run in the black each of the past 16 years” Posted on November 16, 2017 by Dakota PikeHere’s a story from our media partner, the Albany Business Review:Five questions with Laurence Kelly, president and CEO of Nathan Littauer HospitalALBANY BUSINESS REVIEW:SUBSCRIBER CONTENT: Nov 10, 2017, 6:00am ESTPHILIP SCALIANathan Littauer Hospital & Nursing Home CEO Laurence E. KellyIn an industry where the big players keep getting bigger, Laurence Kelly says he’s happy with where his hospital is.Nathan Littauer Hospital in Gloversville has been in the black each of the past 16 years. That financial footing lets the hospital make decisions that allow doctors to provide better care, even if it may not help the bottom line.Kelly, president and CEO of the hospital, compares it to baseball players Dustin Pedroia or Jose Altuve who are both small in stature but have been among the best players in the league.They were supposed to be too small to be successful, but they surprised people, Kelly says.Have you been approached about affiliations or mergers with other larger hospitals? You know, everybody wants us. We’ve been in the black 16 years in a row. I don’t think there’s another hospital that can say that. We think there’s no reason we can’t stay independent, and what I tell people who ask me is, “When things change here, we’ll call you.”Patient days declined for hospitals on The List again this year, while outpatient visits were up. What do you see as the driving forces behind that? It’s been going on for a long time. Inpatient revenue is about 20 percent of our total revenue. Look at the average hospital, and it’s closer to 40 percent, and those hospitals aren’t doing as well.Did the Affordable Care Act play a role in that? It could have accelerated it a little bit, but it’s hard to track it. We opened a primary care center in Fonda this year. It hasn’t had health care in years. One patient told us he thought there’d been a doctor there in the ‘80s. Since August, we’ve been getting one or two new patients a day, some who are seeing a doctor for the first time. That was a goal of the ACA, to visit doctors before things get bad and you end up in the ER or get admitted.Health care is a fast-growing sector for hiring. Is it difficult to get people to come to Gloversville? We had Sen. Chuck Schumer here a few weeks ago and he was blown away when I told him we have employees here from 20 different countries. It’s like a mini-United Nations, and we’re proud of that. There are some niche jobs that are difficult to fill, but we have been able to recruit who we need.What’s next for the hospital? We’ve got a bunch of things up our sleeve. One thing we’re seeing are the CVS’s, the Rite Aids, the Price Choppers, drug stores building a little corner for telemedicine. In the next year or two, there’s going to a proliferation of alternatives for going to the doctor’s office for simple things. Any health care organization not doing that now better figure out how to do that.
2017 Priscilla Parkhurst Ferguson and Robert A. Ferguson Fund for Education recipients Posted on November 8, 2017November 8, 2017 by Dakota PikeLittauer employees are recipients of the Priscilla Parkhurst Ferguson and Robert A. Ferguson Fund for EducationLittauer President and CEO Laurence E. Kelly, Scholar Kayla Bellinger, Benefactor Dr. Priscilla Parkhurst Ferguson, Scholar Tammy Merendo, and Littauer Foundation Executive Director Geoffrey Peck(Missing in photo: Scholar Krista Sheils)GLOVERSVILLE, NEW YORK (October 24, 2017) – Nathan Littauer Hospital & Nursing Home recently revealed the recipients of scholarships from the Priscilla Parkhurst Ferguson and Robert A. Ferguson Fund for Education. Kayla Bellinger, RN, BSN, Tammy Merendo, RN, and Krista Sheils RN, BSN received awards during a presentation at Littauer.“The Nathan Littauer Foundation is honored to present these prestigious awards to Littauer employees wishing to continue their healthcare education. This has become an annual tradition made possible by the Ferguson’s generosity” said Geoffrey Peck Vice President / Executive Director Nathan Littauer Foundation. “They have been great benefactors, and we are thankful that they have chosen to support the education of Littauer staff.”Kayla Bellinger works at Littauer’s Johnstown Surgical Center and is pursuing a career as a Family Nurse Practioner. “I am grateful for this award,” said Bellinger. “I can now pursue my dreams and soon give back to my community.”Tammy Merendo, Director of Community Education for Littauer’s HealthLink, is currently finishing a Bachelor’s degree in Nursing. Upon completion, she plans to pursue her Master’s degree. Merendo expressed gratitude noting; “I am so grateful for this opportunity to grow in my profession while remaining at Littauer.”Krista Sheils, a Littauer maternity department nurse, is currently pursuing her Master’s in Nursing and her licensure as a Family Nurse Practitioner.Priscilla and Robert Ferguson have created a legacy of support for Nathan Littauer Hospital. Scholarships have been awarded annually since 2014, to enhance the careers of Littauer employees.Priscilla and Robert had expressed that helping Littauer and its employees is an excellent way to serve the community. Just as Littauer employees are the heart and soul of the hospital, so too is the hospital as it sustains Gloversville as a vital and desirable place to live.
U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer visit Nathan Littauer Hospital, vows to fight for rural hospitals Posted on October 15, 2017 by Dakota Pike
Orthopedic spine surgeon, Joseph Popper, MD, welcomed at Littauer Posted on October 3, 2017October 3, 2017 by Dakota PikeNathan Littauer Hospital & Nursing Home proudly announces the addition of Dr. Joseph E. Popper, Orthopedic Spine Surgeon as one of their latest privileged providers. Dr. Popper is joining doctors: Shen, Cecil, and Ortiz at Mohawk Valley Orthopedics.“We are pleased to have Dr. Popper join Littauer,” said Littauer CEO and President, Laurence E. Kelly. “His expertise will improve the quality of life for so many of our patients.”Dr. Popper is an Orthopedic Spine Surgeon specializing in the comprehensive treatment of the neck, back, and spine. He has completed a combined Neurosurgical and Orthopedic Spine Surgery Fellowship at the world-renowned Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota. He is a specialist in cervical spine surgery and minimally-invasive lumbar procedures.“I have been here and I have been highly impressed with the quality of care model Nathan Littauer provides,” said Dr. Popper.You can schedule an appointment with Dr. Popper at Littauer by calling the Mohawk Valley Orthopedics PC, located at 135 S. Kingsboro Ave., Johnstown or call (518) 773-4242.Dr. Joseph Popper
Nathan Littauer awarded $2.9M Posted on September 21, 2017September 21, 2017 by Dakota PikeA story by Kerry Minor in the Leader Herald:Nathan Littauer awarded $2.9MJuly 31, 2017GLOVERSVILLE — Nathan Littauer Hospital has been awarded $2.9 million in funds from the state as a part of the Statewide Health Care Facility Transformation Program.Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced $13.9 million to support three projects that will protect and transform the Mohawk Valley’s health care system.The funds are a part of the $491 million in funding being awarded to improve patient care through the development of high-quality medical facilities and programs serving the inpatient, primary care, mental health, substance use disorder and long-term care needs of communities throughout New York state.“Now, more than ever, we need to protect health care in New York and ensure the system in place is meeting the needs of current and future generations of New Yorkers,”Cuomo said in a news release. “While others seek to decimate our hospitals and reduce access to quality healthcare, we are investing to help ensure a stronger, healthier New York for all.”The $2,995,689 award for Nathan Littauer is to “design, construct, and equip a new primary and specialty care facility on the hospital campus to improve access to care.”According to a news release from Nathan Littauer, the hospital will be utilizing the monies to design, construct, and equip a new primary and specialty care facility on the hospital campus to improve access to care.“This grant will help our transformation as we evolve from a hospital into a health network” said Laurence E. Kelly, Littauer’s president and CEO in a news release. “Our community benefits when our hospital is strong and growing. As a small, independent, rural hospital we are in the unique position of expanding despite the changing dynamics in healthcare. And we are growing without losing our local roots.”Nathan Littauer is investing in primary and specialty care to improve access caused by burgeoning patient needs. The proposed facility will add capacity while filling a regional void. The hospital will begin the first phase of the plan this summer.“We are grateful to Gov. Cuomo for his steadfast commitment to rural health. His vision to fortify hospitals while others seek to dismantle healthcare should be lauded by every New Yorker. His vision to improve access to quality healthcare mirrors Littauer’s mission,”said Kelly in the release.Nathan Littauer’s Board President, Brain Hanaburgh said, “Nathan Littauer is vital to our community. This grant will ensure our legacy of care will endure for many generations to come.”Assemblyman Marc Butler said of the news: “Community hospitals are vitally important to the care and health of residents in counties like Fulton County. It is wonderful news that the Nathan Littauer Hospital will be receiving a nearly $3 million grant from the New York State Department of Health to begin design of a new Primary/Specialty Care Center. The center provides services in a wide variety of practices from internal medicine, women’s health, pediatric, occupational medicine and many more. I am pleased to have voted in favor of this grant program to support the modernization of this important hospital to benefit the people of Mohawk Valley.”Kerry Minor can be reached at kminor@leaderherald.com.
