SYRACUSE — The Hiscock Legal Aid Society board of directors announced that in January it said “goodbye to long-time and dedicated” board members Anita Cottrell, JoAnn Wallace, Anthony J. Malavenda, Samuel C. Young, and Carl Pesko. Collectively, these members have served on the board for more than a century, the Society said in a news release. 

“We are grateful for the energy, enthusiasm, and passion that each of these members brought to the Hiscock Legal Aid Society over the past decade,” said Linda Gehron, president and CEO of the Society. “Their efforts have helped us to promote justice for some of the most vulnerable people in our community.”

As the board says farewell to longtime members, it has named a new group of “engaged local citizens who can build upon the legacy” of the Society. John Buss, Patricia A. Lynn-Ford, Patricia J. Curtin, Shannon T. O’Connor, and Carol Dwyer will be joining the board at its March meeting. 

Buss is a financial planner, Lynn-Ford is an insurance attorney, Curtin is a retired CPA, O’Connor is a lawyer, and Dwyer has worked for the Syracuse mayor’s office and for Syracuse University.

SYRACUSE — The Central New York Sales & Marketing Executives (CNYSME) organization has chosen Kimberly Boynton, president and CEO of Crouse Health, as the 42nd recipient of its annual Crystal Ball Award. 

CNYSME will honor Boynton during the annual Crystal Ball and Sales & Marketing Excellence Awards event, set for April 10 at the Marriott Syracuse Downtown, the organization said in a news release.

Boynton says she is “absolutely honored” that CNYSME selected her as this year’s recipient.

“I’m very proud to accept this award on behalf of all Crouse Health employees, physicians, and volunteers who are the heart and soul of our organization,” says Boynton, who spoke with CNYBJ on Feb. 14.

An “enduring symbol” of the organization’s mission, CNYSME annually awards the Crystal Ball to a local businessperson or group of business people “in recognition of their contributions to the sales and marketing profession and for their endeavors in the areas of community development and support.” 

CNYSME informed Boynton that she was the recipient in a meeting near the end of 2017, she says.

When asked if CNYSME cited anything specific in choosing the Crouse Health CEO, Boynton said, “It’s a reflection of the wonderful work that we do here at Crouse Health. It’s about our entire team … that works together at all levels of our organization.”

Founded in 1935, CNYSME says it is the only organization focused exclusively on the needs of sales and marketing professionals in Central New York. Its mission is to help members grow their businesses by offering workshops, trainings, networking opportunities, and scholarships to those planning a career in the industry.

Crouse Health regional role

When asked about Crouse Health’s current role in health care across Central and upstate New York, Boynton notes that it’s “more than just a hospital. We’re an entire health-care system.”

“The growth that we’ve experienced over recent years is a reaction to the needs of health care in our community,” she adds.

Its physician group, Crouse Medical Practice, has more than 80 providers, according to Boynton. 

Besides the Syracuse hospital, Crouse Health has affiliation agreements with Community Memorial Hospital in Hamilton, along with Carthage Area Hospital in Jefferson County, Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center in Ogdensburg in St. Lawrence County, and River Hospital in Alexandria Bay in Jefferson County.

Under those agreements, Crouse Health is “able to provide them with what they need to continue to provide high quality care within their communities,” says Boynton.

In addition, Crouse Health also has a clinical-affiliation agreement with Long Island–based Northwell Health, New York state’s largest health-care provider and private employer.

About Boynton

Besides her role as president and CEO of Crouse Health, Boynton serves as VP of the Crouse Health Foundation. She began her career at Crouse in 1998, and prior to her appointment as CEO in January 2014, had served as CFO since 2003.

A Syracuse native, Boynton is “actively involved” in the community, currently serving as president of University Hill Corporation, according to the CNYSME release. She is also a member of the board of directors of the Healthcare Association of New York State; Greater New York Hospital Association; Iroquois Healthcare Alliance; Syracuse 20/20; CenterState CEO; SRC, Inc.; AAA of Western and Central New York; and Christian Brothers Academy. 

Boynton is also a member of the Morrisville State College President’s Advisory Council. She has previously served as board president of the United Way of Central New York and board treasurer of Catholic Charities. Boynton was also a member of the board of directors of Elmcrest Children’s Center; American Red Cross; Crouse Hospital Auxiliary; and the McMahon/Ryan Child Advocacy Site.

Crystal Ball Award: Criteria, recent past winners

The criteria for Crystal Ball recognition includes holding a position of CEO, president, or director of a Central New York business; a person who visibly impacts the progress and prosperity of Central New York; a leader who “demonstrates commitment to superior quality and professionalism;” a person who “fosters excellence” in their industry; local involvement in community and civic organizations; and “demonstrates and practices an appreciation” of the sales and marketing industry, per the CNYSME.

“When I look at the criteria that CNYSME’s Crystal Ball Award is based upon, Kimberly Boynton is clearly a worthy recipient of the award,” Brooks Wright, president of CNYSME, said in a news release. “Her leadership qualities, community involvement, knowledge of her industry and willingness to participate in so many worthy organizations are impressive! We are proud to honor Kimberly Boynton and look forward to presenting her with the Crystal Ball Award on April 10.”

Boynton will join a list of past Crystal Ball winners that includes the 2017 recipient, Phil VanHorne, chairman and CEO of BlueRock Energy, Inc.; the 2016 winner, Allen Naples, senior VP and regional president of M&T Bank (NYSE: MTB); the 2015 honoree, Robert Daino, president and CEO of WCNY, the area’s public broadcaster; and the 2014 recipient, Howard Dolgon, owner, president, CEO, and team governor of the Syracuse Crunch minor league hockey team.

Other past winners include Peter Belyea, president of CXtec and TERACAI in 2013; Debbie Sydow, former president of Onondaga Community College in 2012; John Stage, founder and CEO of Dinosaur Bar-B-Que in 2011; Peter Coleman, the publican of Coleman’s Authentic Irish Pub in 2010; and Edward (Ed) Levine, president and CEO of Galaxy Communications in Syracuse in 2009, according to the CNYSME website.  

UTICA — Utica College has the support of New York’s U.S. senators as it pursues federal dollars to “fill the funding gap” to build a new training center for its “growing” construction-management major.

The college has raised $2.8 million in private and state funds, but the total project is expected to cost $4.1 million, the office of U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D–N.Y.) said in a news release issued Feb. 19.

Both Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D–N.Y.) are supporting Utica College’s application to the federal Economic Development Administration (EDA), Schumer’s office said.

Schumer visited Utica College Feb. 19 to express his support of its pursuit of the EDA funding.

To date, Utica College has raised $2.1 million from gifts and pledges, including a $1 million donation from 1968 graduate Gary Thurston, chairman and CEO of the Syracuse–based Hayner Hoyt Corporation. The college has also secured a $700,000 grant from New York State through the Mohawk Valley’s Regional Economic Development Council.

“With the supply of construction-industry jobs expected to grow over the next several years, Utica College’s construction management program aims to meet that demand by equipping students with the tools they need to be successful in the future. But with enrollment in the program expected to rapidly grow, Utica College needs additional space and upgraded technology to properly train students,” Schumer said in the release. “That is why I am asking the Economic Development Administration to ‘put cash on the nail’ and approve this investment so Utica College’s Construction Management Training Center can become a reality.”

Project details

Utica College plans to build a new, “technologically-advanced” facility on its campus because the program “has outgrown its facilities,” Schumer’s office said.

The school’s construction-management program is “training the next generation of workers to meet a growing need in the construction industry both locally and nationally,” per the release.

Construction management is described as one of Utica College’s “fastest growing” degree programs.

In response to this growth, the college plans to construct a 15,000-square-foot, two-story academic building to house the construction-management program. The facility will be equipped with a new materials laboratory on the ground floor that will include an open-bay design with overhead door, materials-testing equipment, workspace for mock construction projects, and instructional-support technology. 

The second floor will include two new computer laboratories with work stations configured for “industry-standard,” building information modeling (BIM) software. 

It will also include a multi-use auditorium, “high-tech smart” classrooms, and a design that will allow for future expansion, Schumer’s office said. 

Program growth

The construction-management program has become “one of the most successful and fastest growing” programs at Utica College, Schumer’s office said.

Currently graduating 12 to 15 students annually, the college expects to grow the program to 25 graduates per year over the next three to nine years. By 2019, the college expects to see a total enrollment of more than 100 students and anticipates graduating between 220 and 250 students over the next decade, “many of which will make the Mohawk Valley their home.” 

Despite the program’s “recent success,” it has outgrown its current “antiquated” facilities and needs much more instructional space and upgraded technologies “to provide the level of career preparation that both students and future employers expect,” Schumer’s office said.                                           

DeWITT — A pet-friendly policy has helped one area senior-living facility attract clients.

“They are thrilled that we allow pets,” says Jennifer Ingerson, VP of housing for Loretto and executive director at The Nottingham. She says the pet-friendly policy has helped convince people to move in. And, she is not aware of anyone who decided against living there because pets were allowed.

Owned by Loretto, The Nottingham is a senior living community — located at 1301 Nottingham Road in the town of DeWitt — with housing options ranging from cottages, independent living apartments, and assisted living to accommodations for skilled nursing. It has 300 units in all.

Ingerson says residents at each level of care have had pets. There are 12 to 18 cats and dogs right now and there once was a pet bird.

The pet-friendly policy dates back to when The Nottingham opened in 1989, Ingerson says, and from the start there have been rules.

First and foremost, residents must be able to take care of their pets, Ingerson says. She adds that there are services available to ease the task. There are dog-walking services, pet sitters, as well as businesses that will transport pets to appointments with groomers or veterinarians. Some home-care agencies offer companion care as well, she says.

Pets are not allowed in common areas, Ingerson says. Nor are they allowed on elevators — unless residents have a waiver because they can’t use the stairs in the two-story facility. If they are going on an elevator, pets must wait until there is no one else in the elevator.

“There’s a lot of really good community rules around pets,” Ingerson says. She says residents helped modify the rules over the years.

The Nottingham’s website lists the frequently asked question, “Am I able to have a pet in my apartment?” and provides a straightforward answer: “Residents can have a pet that weighs less than 30 pounds in their apartment. All pets must be properly vaccinated and be under the medical supervision of a veterinarian. The Nottingham requires that we have an emergency contact in addition to the resident who cares for the pet. Our resident agreement has a pet addendum to sign for this.”

The reality, as Ingerson explains it, is a bit more nuanced. There are exceptions for dogs over 30 pounds. She says some larger dogs make great additions to the environment. She singled out Labrador Retrievers for being welcomed additions, even if they weigh more than twice the limit. “It has to be the right pet,” she says.

“They really add a lot. It’s like built-in pet therapy, and not just for residents,” she says of pets that can help make some days better for residents and staff.

There is an extra fee of $25 a month for keeping a pet, Ingerson says, and all pet owners are told about the rules and the addendum to the resident agreement required before they move in. “It’s a big responsibility,” she says. Most pets arrive when the owner moves in. Few people get pets after they’ve moved in, she says.

While there are rules in place should a resident no longer be able to properly care for a pet, Ingerson says they’ve never been invoked. Residents and families have worked to see that pets were adopted by others. Those new owners have included staff at the Nottingham, Ingerson notes.

Once, she recalls, the whole place adopted a dog that made its home in the assisted care facility. “Everyone took care of it,” she says.

“We’ve always been able to work it through.”

“The problem of access is even more exacerbated in our more rural communities and we did not want that to be a barrier for people getting the care they might need, so we added in the psychiatric component,” says Feld.

Feld says many MVP members aren’t able to seek psychiatric treatment due to limited availability of in-person appointments and transportation issues, or a reluctance to seek help in an office setting because of a “perceived stigma” attached to seek behavioral-health care.

The online psychiatric visit includes an initial evaluation of the member to determine a diagnosis and “often” results in recommendations for care that may also include a referral to a therapist. This service might also result in a prescription for the member when needed but does not include prescribing controlled substances, per MVP.

In addition to psychiatry services, members can also use myVisitNow to connect with behavioral-health therapists. Behavioral-health therapy promotes well-being by preventing or intervening in mental health conditions, such as depression or anxiety, and by providing support for individuals with a range of addictions, for example. Clinical psychologists and social workers listen, offer coaching, and help direct patients to the care they need, the health insurer says.

MVP contends its telemedicine benefit is “different” from many of those offered by other insurers “in the breadth of services offered.” It is available to members of all its fully insured plans, along with its Medicare, Medicaid, and Essential Plan members. 

Schenectady–based MVP Health Care insures nearly 60,000 people in Central New York, according to the 2017 Book of Lists. It has about 100,000 members in New York’s individual and small-group markets.

Altogether, the health insurer services more than 700,000 members in New York and Vermont.