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VIEWPOINT: Can Schools Finish the Year Normally?
COVID-19 cases are surging across the U.S., a harsh reality that students, parents, teachers, and staff feared would happen when many schools opened for fall sessions. As a result, schools throughout the nation have closed and shifted to remote learning in recent weeks. What will it take to return kids to the classroom and keep schools open? […]
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COVID-19 cases are surging across the U.S., a harsh reality that students, parents, teachers, and staff feared would happen when many schools opened for fall sessions. As a result, schools throughout the nation have closed and shifted to remote learning in recent weeks.
What will it take to return kids to the classroom and keep schools open? Though vaccines have been approved and started being rolled out, it may be months before most children, their families, and school personnel are vaccinated. Until then, implementing a plan that includes processes for virus detection and response is paramount.
The problem that schools are facing is there is still a significant prevalence of COVID in many communities. Schools need to do everything they can to prevent student outbreaks; otherwise it’s going to continue shutting down schools.
But on top of that you have to deal with a tremendous amount of anxiety. The students, parents, faculty, and staff are all on pins and needles because they are feeling insecure about their health. The only way to address all of this is through a comprehensive health-security strategy that can work when so many variables are in play.
Here are some suggestions to safely open schools while navigating the continuing COVID-19 crisis and waiting for vaccinations to become widespread:
• Daily temperature checks. They’re not a fool-proof way to see if someone has COVID. A significant number are asymptomatic, but fever is a common symptom, and because it is, temperature checks should be a fundamental daily procedure. Designate some staff members, who can each scan 200-300 students an hour; 2) use thermal scanners, a device that can scan 400-600 per hour.
• Screening for symptoms and close contacts. This starts at home, where parents can help prevent the spread at schools by keeping children home who are showing COVID-like symptoms or have been in close contact with someone with COVID. At schools, everyone returning should be screened on a range of symptoms. Those with symptoms should be sent home and referred for testing.
• COVID surveillance testing. Though this is rarely being done in K-12 schools, Frequent asymptomatic testing of the student population is a very effective way to limit the spread of the virus in the school. Positive test results necessitate the immediate need to perform contact tracing with the goal of identifying everyone who was in close contact with the infected student.
• Daily prevention protocols. Prevention measures include mask-wearing by all students and staff throughout the school day, frequent disinfection of surfaces, the availability of hand sanitizers in classrooms, frequent reminders to wash hands, and as much social distancing as possible in classrooms.
Positivity rates in the community need to be held to a reasonable level for schools in an area to be open. And when they are open, there are a lot of moving parts for school officials to deal with in order to avoid an outbreak. But if they’re not dealt with, ultimately your school could be closing again.
Dr. Jonathan Spero (www.inhousephysicians.com) is a physician and an expert on pandemic preparedness and employee health. For over 30 years, he has been the CEO of InHouse Physicians. His company is delivering COVID-19 testing to K-12 schools in New York City.

FLH Medical, P.C. Clifton Springs Internal Medicine has a new office
CLIFTON SPRINGS — FLH Medical, P.C. Clifton Springs Internal Medicine, recently announced it has moved to a new office at 120 Clifton Springs Professional Office Park. The practice was previously located at 420 Clifton Springs Professional Office Park. This medical practice includes internal-medicine physicians Dr. Wilfredo Cruz and Dr. Reihaneh Derafsh and nurse practitioner Kelly
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CLIFTON SPRINGS — FLH Medical, P.C. Clifton Springs Internal Medicine, recently announced it has moved to a new office at 120 Clifton Springs Professional Office Park.
The practice was previously located at 420 Clifton Springs Professional Office Park.
This medical practice includes internal-medicine physicians Dr. Wilfredo Cruz and Dr. Reihaneh Derafsh and nurse practitioner Kelly Bowen.
FLH Medical, P.C. Clifton Springs Internal Medicine offers same-day appointments, electronic medical records, as well as telemedicine appointments as an alternative to in-person visits.
It is part of Finger Lakes Health, a health-care system based in Geneva. The organization operates hospitals, health centers, and doctor’s offices in four Finger Lakes counties —Seneca, Wayne, Ontario, and Yates.

Sciarabba Walker & Co., LLP promoted CHRISTOPHER HART to partner, effective Jan. 1. He joined Sciarabba Walker in 2008 and currently serves as head of the firm’s tax department. Hart focuses on tax planning and preparation for individuals and small businesses. He also serves as a member of the firm’s high-technology group. Hart received his
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Sciarabba Walker & Co., LLP promoted CHRISTOPHER HART to partner, effective Jan. 1. He joined Sciarabba Walker in 2008 and currently serves as head of the firm’s tax department. Hart focuses on tax planning and preparation for individuals and small businesses. He also serves as a member of the firm’s high-technology group. Hart received his master’s degree in accounting from Niagara University and later earned the CPA designation.
Riger Marketing Communications
Riger Marketing Communications recently acquired the assets, including several clients, of Cull Martin & Associates, formerly of Vestal. Riger also hired a core team of tenured Cull Martin & Associates employees: ANDREW CROSSETT, writer; JOSEPH BENARICK, account executive; and ADAM PEDRONE, graphic designer. Riger Marketing Communications has also hired MARYLOUISE DOYLE as the firm’s new
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Riger Marketing Communications recently acquired the assets, including several clients, of Cull Martin & Associates, formerly of Vestal. Riger also hired a core team of tenured Cull Martin & Associates employees: ANDREW CROSSETT, writer; JOSEPH BENARICK, account executive; and ADAM PEDRONE, graphic designer. Riger Marketing Communications has also hired MARYLOUISE DOYLE as the firm’s new print production coordinator. She brings a wide range of skills in print production, attention to detail, and design.

United Radio has named HEATHER REED general manager of the company’s communications division. She comes to United Radio after serving several years as a commercial manager at M&T Bank. Reed plans to utilize her experience in leadership, relationship management, and communications as well as her business-development skills to grow the communications division.
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United Radio has named HEATHER REED general manager of the company’s communications division. She comes to United Radio after serving several years as a commercial manager at M&T Bank. Reed plans to utilize her experience in leadership, relationship management, and communications as well as her business-development skills to grow the communications division.

S.E.E.D. Planning Group has hired DAVE NIRCHI as VP of strategic planning and operations. In his role, he coordinates the day-to-day operations across the organization and implements strategic-planning initiatives. Nirchi previously spent more than five years working as a senior consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), providing operational and managerial analysis for asset and wealth-management firms. He
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S.E.E.D. Planning Group has hired DAVE NIRCHI as VP of strategic planning and operations. In his role, he coordinates the day-to-day operations across the organization and implements strategic-planning initiatives. Nirchi previously spent more than five years working as a senior consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), providing operational and managerial analysis for asset and wealth-management firms. He earned his associate degree in business administration from Broome Community College and his bachelor’s degree in finance and accounting from Iona College.

JOSEPH LORENZETTI, M.D. and SUSAN RANDALL-MANTELLA have moved to Seneca Family Health Center in Waterloo after previously caring for the Seneca County community at 28 Cayuga St. in Seneca Falls for more than 33 years. They have joined the provider team of Sixto Medina, M.D.; Eric Shives, M.D.; Christina Gray, MSN, ANP, CNS; Roberta Korich,
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JOSEPH LORENZETTI, M.D. and SUSAN RANDALL-MANTELLA have moved to Seneca Family Health Center in Waterloo after previously caring for the Seneca County community at 28 Cayuga St. in Seneca Falls for more than 33 years. They have joined the provider team of Sixto Medina, M.D.; Eric Shives, M.D.; Christina Gray, MSN, ANP, CNS; Roberta Korich, FNP-C, RNFA; and Elizabeth Smith, MSN, FNP.
Lorenzetti is board-certified by the American Board of Family Medicine. He completed his family practice residency at St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center in Syracuse and earned his medical degree from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.
Randall-Mantella received her nursing degree from Crouse Hospital in Syracuse and completed her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in health-care administration from the New School for Social Research in New York City. Randall-Mantella completed her nurse-practitioner certification in family medicine at Community General Hospital in Syracuse.

Longview, an Ithacare Community, announced that its board of directors has named PAUL PHILLIPS as its new CEO, effective Jan. 11. He succeeds Mark Macera, Longview’s longtime executive director, who is retiring after 30 years. Phillips brings more than 30 years of expertise in nonprofit aging services to Longview. He began his career at Friendly
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Longview, an Ithacare Community, announced that its board of directors has named PAUL PHILLIPS as its new CEO, effective Jan. 11. He succeeds Mark Macera, Longview’s longtime executive director, who is retiring after 30 years. Phillips brings more than 30 years of expertise in nonprofit aging services to Longview. He began his career at Friendly Senior Living in Rochester. His responsibilities included nursing-home administration; managing moderate-income senior housing; and developing, opening, managing, and expanding an entire startup senior living campus. Phillips also served as CEO for the Lathrop Communities, a Kendal affiliate, in Northampton and Easthampton, Massachusetts, and served on the Kendal Corporation’s leadership team. Most recently, Phillips served as senior-living specialist at LECESSE Construction Services, where he performed client consulting and business development for senior-living campuses across the eastern United States. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in gerontology, the latter with an emphasis in long-term care administration and is licensed as a nursing-home administrator in both New York and Ohio.

YOGESH DESHMUKH has joined Preferred Mutual Insurance Company as VP of finance. He will be responsible for providing leadership to the finance function and building an enterprise capability around financial planning and analysis. Deshmukh’s role will be to foster business strategies to improve profitability by leveraging data, analytics, and actuary intelligence. He brings to Preferred
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YOGESH DESHMUKH has joined Preferred Mutual Insurance Company as VP of finance. He will be responsible for providing leadership to the finance function and building an enterprise capability around financial planning and analysis. Deshmukh’s role will be to foster business strategies to improve profitability by leveraging data, analytics, and actuary intelligence. He brings to Preferred Mutual more than 25 years of financial services, operational, and leadership knowledge, with considerable time within the property and casualty insurance industry. Most recently, Deshmukh was VP of finance and administration at Plymouth Rock Assurance Company, and the chief financial officer of General Insurance IT at American International Group (AIG).

Kenefick named regional president of Chemung Canal Trust Company
ELMIRA, N.Y. — Chemung Financial Corp. (NASDAQ: CHMG) recently announced it has named Jeffrey P. Kenefick regional president of its main banking subsidiary, Chemung Canal
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