St. Luke’s Home renamed MVHS Rehabilitation and Nursing Center

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UTICA, N.Y. — St. Luke’s Home in Utica is changing its name to MVHS Rehabilitation and Nursing Center (RNC). St. Luke’s is the Mohawk Valley

Citing “hard choices,” founder’s son puts “Herb” Philipson’s up for sale

Construction, Design & Real Estate, Employee Benefits & Human Resources, New York News, Regional News, Small Business, Sports, Entertainment & Tourism

ROME, N.Y. — “Herb” Philipson’s Army/Navy Stores is for sale. Gary Philipson, president of the nine-store sporting-goods and apparel chain, announced the decision Monday. “While

Syracuse Behavioral Healthcare hiring 49 for new treatment center in Broome County

Construction, Design & Real Estate, Employee Benefits & Human Resources, Health Care, Nonprofits, Regional News

DICKINSON, N.Y. — Syracuse Behavioral Healthcare has begun the process of hiring 49 doctors, nurses, administrative workers and others for a substance-abuse treatment center it

CNY tweets – 1/15/18

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Here are some recent tweets that came across the @cnybj Twitter feed, offering various business, career, personal, and digital/social media tips. NFIB @NFIBNew year, new skills? These free (or low-cost) #smallbiz #elearning courses can help you build new talents, strengthen your leadership, and more: http://bit.ly/2CXsve5 Metric5‏ @Metric_5Getting ready to follow your dreams? Check this article from

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CNY ATD announces 2018 leadership team

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SYRACUSE — CNY ATD, the local affiliate chapter of the Association for Talent Development (ATD), has announced its 2018 leadership team. It named the following 16 people: • President – Amy Bartolotta, The Hartford • President Elect – Steven DeHart, Progressive Insurance • Executive VP – Peggie Chan, OBG • VP Membership – Cynthia Doss, SUNY Syracuse EOC • VP

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New York milk production falls slightly in November

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New York dairy farms produced 1.19 billion pounds of milk in November, down 0.3 percent from the year-ago period, the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) recently reported. Milk production per cow in the state averaged 1,905 pounds in November, down 1 percent from 1,925 pounds a year prior. The number of milk cows on

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Gifford Foundation announces new officers

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SYRACUSE — At its annual meeting in December, the Gifford Foundation elected a new slate of officers for 2018. Jaime Alicea is president, Michael Feng is VP, Joseph L. Charles is treasurer, and Merike Treier is secretary. Alicea, who serves as the superintendent of the Syracuse City School District, takes over for previous Gifford Foundation

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Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh discusses poverty, education, neighborhoods in inaugural address

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SYRACUSE — Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh on Jan. 6 took the oath of office for a second time during a public inauguration held inside the Landmark Theatre on a snowy Saturday morning. “…it is with great pride, humility and — most important — optimism that I assume the duties of Mayor of the City of

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SYRACUSE — Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh on Jan. 6 took the oath of office for a second time during a public inauguration held inside the Landmark Theatre on a snowy Saturday morning.

“…it is with great pride, humility and — most important — optimism that I assume the duties of Mayor of the City of Syracuse,” Walsh said in opening his remarks.

Transition team

In his speech, Walsh noted the work of his transition team “over the past month.” The group of nearly 90 citizen volunteers sought to “assess the challenges and opportunities” that Syracuse faces, Walsh said.

The group included four committees that collected input from the public on topics that include poverty and economic opportunity, education, safety, and neighborhoods, and the city’s fiscal condition.

The group has issued its initial report to Walsh and will provide a “comprehensive” report to the public “soon.” As he continued, Walsh outlined “key” themes and initial recommendations.

Poverty

Lifting people out of poverty, according to Walsh, will be the “single biggest challenge we confront together,” and it will be “central to our agenda” over these next four years.

A segregated city that concentrates wealth in some places and poverty in others is “not a modern, progressive city,” he contended.

The City will address the issue “on many fronts” because Walsh sees “no one way” to solve the problem. He contends that economic growth is “one key answer.”

“On the advice of the transition committee, I will authorize a task force to explore how we can ensure that, as we create progress, we create prosperity for all in our community. We will not achieve real progress until we lift up the economically disadvantaged and those who have, in the past, been left behind,” Walsh said.

Education

Walsh also called education and the condition of city schools “another critical issue” facing Syracuse.

“Together, we will push our graduation rate from just over 60 percent today to 70 percent, then 80 percent and beyond until we can be counted among the best urban school districts in America,” Walsh promised.

The mayor’s office and Walsh’s administration will “forge a close working relationship” with the Syracuse City School District. “As a parent in the district myself, I will actively encourage other parents and families to take a direct interest in their child’s education whenever possible,” he noted.

Neighborhoods

The City of Syracuse must also improve its neighborhoods and make its streets safe for all citizens, Walsh noted.

The transition committee has confirmed Walsh’s “commitment” to form a quality-of-life commission “as soon as possible this year.” It will include city department heads, common councilors, residents, and business owners focused on matters that include beautification of city streets, gateways, and business districts; addressing nuisance crimes that destabilize city neighborhoods; and enforcement of ordinances using data and metrics to prioritize neighborhood services.

“We are reminded, all too regularly, how much work we have to do to ensure our public safety. One person being shot and killed in our city is too many. So, we will put more officers on the street,” Walsh said.

But the city must “go beyond policing,” he added.

Syracuse needs to build relationships between police officers and neighbors and a police force that “reflects the rich diversity of our community.”

“I am pleased that we are taking positive steps in this direction already and I look forward to working with the community and with law enforcement in the search for our next chief of police,” said Walsh.

Interstate 81

In his remarks, Walsh also addressed the upcoming Interstate 81 project.

“We will do everything in our power to make the Interstate 81 project a positive and transforming opportunity for our neighborhoods and our city. While other options are being studied, I will be a consistent and passionate voice for the “community grid.” The overwhelming majority of city residents see what I see: the community grid is the best model to bring new life and vitality in to our city while meeting the transportation needs of the entire region. I will work to lead our city in advocating for this model,” Walsh said.

Fiscal condition

As the new mayor continued, he noted that the city’s fiscal condition is “precarious,” but the “outcome is not preordained.”

Current projections indicate that its reserves “could be exhausted” in as soon as two years.

“But that assessment is based on the construct and realities that existed yesterday,” according to Walsh.

His transition committee recommended that he hold a fiscal summit in partnership with the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University. The meeting will include Syracuse’s “anchor” institutions, business leaders, the banking community, along with county, state, and national leaders.

“We will find new ways to improve efficiency and service delivery, and to work with our partners to address the deep structural issues that underlie the city’s revolving deficits,” said Walsh.

He also indicated that his administration will work with business owners and developers and “encourage investment and new jobs” in Syracuse.

MVHS begins search to replace CEO Perra who plans to retire in 2019

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UTICA — The board of directors of the Mohawk Valley Health System (MVHS) has formed a search committee to find the nonprofit health system’s next president and CEO who will replace its current leader in 18 months. Scott Perra, president and CEO of MVHS, plans to retire on June 30, 2019, the health-care organization announced

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Scott Perra, president and CEO of MVHS, plans to retire on June 30, 2019, the health-care organization announced Jan. 8.

Perra was appointed president of Faxton St. Luke’s Healthcare (FSLH) in January 2009. When FSLH and St. Elizabeth Medical Center (SEMC) affiliated in March 2014, Perra was named president and CEO of the newly formed MVHS.

Perra joined what was then the St. Luke’s-Memorial Hospital Center (SLMHC) in 1985, becoming the executive VP/chief operating officer in 1989. He remained in the position through the Faxton Hospital and SLMHC consolidation that began in November 1998 and formed FSLH.

He was named president/CEO of FSLH in January 2009 with the retirement of former CEO Keith Fenstemacher.

“We are grateful to have Scott’s vision, leadership and commitment, always working to move our health system to a new level of excellence,” Joan Compson, chair of the MVHS board of directors, said in the release. “The opportunity to build a new regional health-care system for our community was Scott’s vision as well as the board’s, and we are grateful for all he is doing to help make that vision into a reality. We believe finding a new CEO for the system will take some time and we appreciate that we can continue to work with Scott in the [18] months ahead.”

Downtown hospital project

Perra’s retirement announcement comes as MVHS is planning to build a new regional health-care campus in downtown Utica. It expects to start construction in 2019 and open the hospital in 2022. Perra has played an instrumental role in developing the plan and helping to make it happen.

MVHS on Nov. 16 revealed the site plan and outline of its new regional hospital. The organization is planning for a 373-bed, 672,000-square-foot facility, and a 1,550-car parking structure on 25 acres in downtown Utica.

MVHS this year will begin the permitting process with the State Environmental Quality Review (SEQR) to “identify and mitigate” project impacts. The health-care system’s design team will continue to develop the site plan along with the “character” of the campus landscape. At the same time, the MVHS design team will develop the “interior and exterior character of the project,” the nonprofit said in a news release.

The organization plans a groundbreaking for the health campus sometime next year.

MVHS serves a multi-county area in the Mohawk Valley and Central New York. The system includes 571 acute-care beds, 202 long-term care beds, and more than 40 locations throughout Oneida, Herkimer, and Madison counties.

MVHS describes itself as an “integrated delivery system” with about $566 million in revenue, more than 4,250 full-time equivalent employees, and nearly 23,500 inpatient admissions and 650,000 outpatient visits annually.

Five Ways to Make 2018 Your Best Year Yet

Business Mentors, Subscriber Only

1. Try something new. In their “Habits Across the Lifespan” study, Duke University researchers found that nearly half of human behaviors are habit-based, regardless of age. For example, we not only have favorite restaurants, but we also tend to choose the same menu items over-and-over again. It’s the same in business. After receiving a promotion, Carrie’s boss

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1. Try something new.

In their “Habits Across the Lifespan” study, Duke University researchers found that nearly half of human behaviors are habit-based, regardless of age. For example, we not only have favorite restaurants, but we also tend to choose the same menu items over-and-over again.

It’s the same in business. After receiving a promotion, Carrie’s boss asked her to serve on the selection team for her replacement, but cautioned her not to look for someone just like her.

If half of our thought processes are habitual, it takes conscious effort to try new things, whether it’s a different color of clothing, how we feel about owning a self-driving vehicle, or selecting someone to succeed us at work.

As it turns out, your smartphone can have a similar problem. When it doesn’t operate properly, it may need to change its “thinking.” Pressing the reset button gets it back to the way it was when new. We all accumulate habits that interfere with our performance. When that happens, it’s time for a “mental reset.”

2. Take advantage of “fresh starts” in making sales

Birthdays, anniversaries, a new baby, graduations, and starting a new job are well-known “buying occasions.” But current research points to many more times when we’re inclined to “turn the page” and make new commitments.

In one study, researchers found that college students were more likely to visit the fitness center at the start of a new week, a new semester, or just after a birthday. These are called “fresh start events.” Receiving a bonus, getting a promotion, coming back from vacation, attending a workshop, among others, can make us more open to going in a new direction.

Armed with this insight, marketers and salespeople can take advantage of “fresh starts.” A life-insurance agent finds that a prospect has an upcoming birthday and suggests that it this might be a good time to meet.

In other words, it’s not when you and I want to make the sale, it’s when the customer is ready. Figuring that out is the job.

3. Communicate your purpose clearly

Sears, Roebuck & Co. kicked off a retail revolution 125 years ago with the clear purpose of bringing thousands of products and services to rural America with its huge iconic catalog. Today, Walmart and Amazon and some others continue that tradition.

But it’s the absence of a vibrant message that’s missing with too many companies. It seems the only reason they’re in business is to sell something. It’s as if just meeting with a salesperson or seeing a pop-up ad is a sufficient reason to buy. It isn’t.

From L.L. Bean’s current “Be An Outsider” campaign to Opdivo’s “A Chance To Live Longer” medication for those with a certain type of cancer, the message that the brand has a purpose is clear.

4. Improve the customer experience

There is one question anyone in marketing and sales should never stop asking themselves: “What does my customer expect?” It applies in every situation, whether you’re selling autos or equities, books or bathrooms, homes or heating. There are no exceptions. Unfortunately, most get it backwards. “What can I get out of it?” is their top-of-mind question — an attitude that leaves the customer experience in tatters.

But today it doesn’t need to be this way. For example, sales transactions at an Apple store are virtually invisible. You see customers handed white bags, but paying for the item is over so fast, you can’t catch it. With ApplePay it’s essentially seamless.

Then, there is life insurance. Surveys show that consumers want to buy it, but don’t get around to it because they think it is time-consuming — filling out pages of questions, making time for meetings, having a physical, and then waiting weeks to get the policy. Now, those seemingly insurmountable road blocks are gone. It takes only minutes for a couple of phone calls, answering a few medical questions, signing the application electronically, and having the policy, up to $1 million or more, delivered by email in less than a week.

It starts and ends with doing what customers expect.

5. Learn from complaining customers

We’re told that customer complaints benefit a business since they point out problems that need correcting. Even though that helps, it’s essentially a reactive strategy, like trying to get the genie back in the bottle.

There is a more significant problem: customers who refuse to be ignored. According to a study conducted by Edison Research, many customers may be cynical about businesses responding to complaints so they turn to social media — Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter, among others.

“Seventy-nine percent of those complaining about a brand on Twitter do so in the hopes that their ‘friends would see it.’ While 52 percent hope the ‘company would see it,’ only 36 percent expect that the brand would ‘see it and address the problem,’” according to the study.

Not only can we learn from complaining customers what needs correcting, but we can also let them know that we want to hear from them and give them easily accessible ways to communicate with us — and then respond quickly.

John R. Graham of GrahamComm is a marketing and sales strategist-consultant and business writer. He is the creator of “Magnet Marketing,” and publishes a free monthly eBulletin, called “No Nonsense Marketing & Sales Ideas.” Contact him at jgraham@grahamcomm.com, or visit: johnrgraham.com

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