Stay up-to-date on the companies, people and issues that impact businesses in Syracuse, Central New York and beyond.

Reed begins duties as Excellus president & CEO
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The leadership transition at Excellus BlueCross BlueShield is complete as James Reed began his duties as president and CEO on May 3, succeeding Christopher Booth in that role. Excellus has appointed Reed as CEO of the $6.2 billion health plan and its parent company, the Lifetime Healthcare Companies. Reed has been serving […]

Partners team up on free legal services for injured workers
The New York State (NYS) Workers’-Compensation Board has launched the Injured Workers Legal Assistance Project (IWLAP), its “first-ever” legal-assistance project to help injured workers obtain medical treatment. Under the project, injured workers can complete a simple online form maintained by the New York State Bar Association (NYSBA) to directly request a match to an NYSBA-member attorney

New interim dean starts at St. Joseph’s College of Nursing
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — A woman who once served as an intensive-care unit nurse at St. Joseph’s is now the interim dean of the College of Nursing. St. Joseph’s Health has named Susan Berger to the post. Berger has served on the governing board for the College of Nursing for the past seven years and as

Oswego Health offers RN tuition-assistance program, emergency-services residency
OSWEGO, N.Y. — Oswego Health is offering its employees some perks to provide incentive to keep workers offering health care locally. They include an RN (registered nurse) tuition-assistance program and an emergency-services residency. RN tuition-assistance program Oswego Health is offering its employees an RN tuition-assistance program if they’re “looking to advance their training as a

Syracuse law professor Reed named dean of Georgia State College of Law
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — LaVonda Reed — associate provost for faculty affairs and professor of law at Syracuse University — has been named the first African

Oneida County COVID update for Friday
UTICA, N.Y. — Oneida County on Friday reported the following COVID-19 numbers, which continued the improving trend. 23 new positive cases, 21,694 total (down
VIEWPOINT: The Surprising Connection Between Hearing Health and COVID-19
While COVID-19 most frequently affects the lungs, other parts of the body may also be impacted, such as a loss of taste and smell. For a smaller number of people, instances of hearing loss are emerging, according to the International Journal of Audiology. Of equal or greater concern is that some people with hearing loss may be

Schumer calls on U.S., Canadian governments to devise a plan to reopen border
MASSENA, N.Y. — U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D–N.Y.) on Wednesday called on the U.S. and Canadian governments and public-health officials to develop a

Utica College to hold in-person graduation for Class of 2021 but without guests
UTICA, N.Y. — Utica College will hold commencement ceremonies for Class of 2021 on May 15 at the Adirondack Bank Center at the Utica Memorial

New York State reports 6-month lows in daily COVID deaths, positivity rate
ALBANY, N.Y. — New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Thursday announced that the state had 23 COVID-19 deaths the previous day, the lowest single-day death
Stay up-to-date on the companies, people and issues that impact businesses in Syracuse, Central New York and beyond.