Bassett selected for initiative to improve care for older adults

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COOPERSTOWN — Bassett Healthcare Network was recently chosen to join a group of 30 health systems across the country in the Age-Friendly System-Wide Spread Collaborative led by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement. Participating health systems, which also include Cedars Sinai in Los Angeles, Gracy Health in Atlanta, and Mount Sinai Health System in New York […]

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Participating health systems, which also include Cedars Sinai in Los Angeles, Gracy Health in Atlanta, and Mount Sinai Health System in New York City, will accelerate and spread adoption of evidence-based, high-quality care for older adults across all their sites and care settings.

“Age-Friendly Health Systems are an influential framework for individualized, compassionate care for our 65 and older population, many with multiple chronic conditions,” Bassett Healthcare Network Director of Quality Laura Palada said in a news release. “We are privileged to have been chosen to participate in this collaborative effort to better serve one of our largest growing and most vulnerable populations of patients. It is also important to bring the perspective of rural health care to the conversation.”

Age-Friendly Health Systems aim to follow an essential set of evidence-based practices, cause no harm, and align with what matters to older adults and their caregivers.

The four essential elements of an Age-Friendly Health System are:

• What Matters – know and align care with each older adult’s specific outcome goals and care preferences;

• Medication – use age-friendly medication that do not interfere with what matters to the patient;

• Mentation – prevent, identify, treat, and manage dementia, depression, and delirium across care settings; and

• Mobility – ensure older adults move safely every day.

Bassett Healthcare Network earned the initiative’s Committed to Care Excellence designation in 2023 after demonstrating reliable practice of those essential elements in all five of its hospitals.

Now, during the 18-month collaboration, Bassett will build on its progress and test changes to ensure those elements are provided equitably as a standard practice as older adults receive care across its entire system.

“We are honored to have Bassett Healthcare Network participating in this collaborative and applaud their dedication to equitably delivering age-friendly care as older adults and their family caregivers receive care across their practices, hospitals, and nursing homes,” Institute for Healthcare Improvement VP Leslie Pelton said. “This is an exciting and ambitious endeavor and a testament to the increasing importance of the Age-Friendly Health Systems movement as we prepare our health systems and workforce to provide excellent care to the growing older adult population.”

Since 2018, the movement has recognized 3,907 care settings as age-friendly.

Age-Friendly Health Systems is an initiative of the John A. Hartford Foundation and Institute for Healthcare Improvement in partnership with the American Hospital Association and the Catholic Health Association of the United States.

Along with its five corporately affiliated hospitals, Bassett Healthcare network also includes school-based health centers, community-based health centers, and skilled-nursing facilities, and provides services to a 5,600-square-mile region in upstate New York.

Northeast College teams with Canisius to ease transfers

Education & Training, Health Care, Subscriber Only

SENECA FALLS — Northeast College of Health Sciences in Seneca Falls is working with Canisius University in Buffalo to allow eligible Canisius students to more easily transfer into a chiropractic program at Northeast College. The collaboration guarantees that Canisius students can seamlessly transition into Northeast’s doctor of chiropractic program, Canisius said in its June 17

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The collaboration guarantees that Canisius students can seamlessly transition into Northeast’s doctor of chiropractic program, Canisius said in its June 17 announcement.

Canisius students need to meet specific program requirements while earning bachelor’s degrees in sports and exercise healthcare or health and wellness.

The accelerated 4+3 option enables students to earn their bachelor’s degree from Canisius and doctorate degree from Northeast a full year earlier than it would take to earn each degree separately, “saving students time and money.”

In addition, Canisius students are eligible for merit scholarships from Northeast, based on their academic standings, per the Canisius announcement.

“With job growth in allied healthcare professions projected to grow faster than average in the next 10 years, Canisius is excited to partner with Northeast College to offer students a clear and accessible pathway to graduate study in chiropractic care,” Karl Kozlowski, professor and chair of the department of kinesiology at Canisius, said in the school’s announcement.

“We are honored to partner with Canisius University to create academic opportunities for even more students and provide pathways that will allow them to seamlessly enter our Doctor of Chiropractic Program,” Michael Mestan, president of Northeast College of Health Sciences, said. “We look forward to welcoming Canisius students who want to become future doctors and leaders in healthcare.”

The Northeast College of Health Sciences in Seneca Falls was founded in 1919 and focuses on the education and training of health-care professionals. The school offers graduate and undergraduate academic programs in areas such as chiropractic, nutrition, human anatomy instruction, massage therapy, and the imaging sciences.

New York home sales fall more than 4 percent in May

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ALBANY — New York realtors sold 8,465 previously owned homes in May, down 4.1 percent from the 8,826 existing homes they sold in the year-ago month, as mortgage rates remained at elevated levels. Pending sales slid by a similar amount in April, foreshadowing further declines in closed home sales in the next couple of months.

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ALBANY — New York realtors sold 8,465 previously owned homes in May, down 4.1 percent from the 8,826 existing homes they sold in the year-ago month, as mortgage rates remained at elevated levels.

Pending sales slid by a similar amount in April, foreshadowing further declines in closed home sales in the next couple of months. That’s according to the May housing report that the New York State Association of Realtors (NYSAR) issued on June 21.

“Home sales dropped across New York State in May as mortgage rates continued to remain above 7 percent,” NYSAR said to open its housing report.

NYSAR cites Freddie Mac as indicating mortgage rates hit as high as 7.22 percent in May and settled at an average monthly rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage of 7.06 percent. A year ago, at this time, the interest rate stood at 6.43 percent. Freddie Mac is the more common way of referring to the Virginia–based Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation.

New York sales data

Pending home sales in New York totaled 10,537 in May, a decrease of 4 percent compared from the 10,981 pending sales in the same month in 2023, according to the NYSAR data.

The months’ supply of homes for sale at the end of May stood at 2.9 months, down more than 6 percent from the 3.1 months’ supply at the end of May 2023, per NYSAR’s report. A 6-month to 6.5-month supply is considered a balanced market, the association said.

The inventory of homes for sale totaled 26,076 in May, a decline of 10.8 percent from the May 2023 figure of 29,236.

Amid continued tight supply, home prices continued to rise. The May 2024 statewide median sales price was $422,500, up 8.3 percent from the May 2023 median sales price of $390,000.

New listings of homes for sale in the Empire State rose 2.1 percent to 15,265 in May from 14,957 in the year-prior month.

All home-sales data is compiled from multiple-listing services in New York, and it includes townhomes and condominiums in addition to existing single-family homes, according to NYSAR.

NYSOFA expands initiatives to combat loneliness, age-related issues

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ALBANY, N.Y. — The New York State Office for the Aging (NYSOFA) has started phase six of its animatronic pet initiative and the second phase of its intergenerational game project. Both efforts are in partnership with Pawtucket, Rhode Island–based Ageless Innovation, delivering 4,725 animatronic pets and games to older adults through New York State’s aging

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ALBANY, N.Y. — The New York State Office for the Aging (NYSOFA) has started phase six of its animatronic pet initiative and the second phase of its intergenerational game project.

Both efforts are in partnership with Pawtucket, Rhode Island–based Ageless Innovation, delivering 4,725 animatronic pets and games to older adults through New York State’s aging network, per NYSOFA’s June 4 announcement.

Since 2018, NYSOFA has distributed 31,500 animatronic pets to older adults who are socially isolated and lonely — a program that has since been replicated in more than 30 states. NYSOFA said.

The life-like animatronic pets are designed to make realistic sounds and motions, providing comfort and companionship to older adults. Data show that the pets are making “a positive impact.” NYSOFA found that 75 percent of older adults receiving these pets reported a reduction/significant reduction in loneliness as well as a 75 percent decrease in pain.

The Joy for All games include Scrabble Bingo, Trivial Pursuit Generations, and Game of Life Generations. The games, which launched in 2023 in partnership with Hasbro, have been “reimagined to be even more fun and better suit the needs” of the older-adult community, the office contends. Features include larger fonts and intergenerational gameplay and storylines.

In 2024, Ageless Innovation anticipates adding more game titles to its portfolio, expanding its licensed partnership with Hasbro to continue launching “innovative, reimagined” games for its audience.

“NYSOFA, in partnership with our aging services network, is proud to continue these initiatives that are helping thousands of New Yorkers across the state,” Greg Olsen, director of NYSOFA said, in the office’s announcement. “We’ve initiated multiple innovative solutions, bolstered by technology, to connect people, provide companionship, and significantly reduce isolation and its consequences. Proudly, I can say data shows our efforts are working and exceeding expectations. We are proud of our six-year partnership with the team at Ageless Innovation and the Association on Aging in New York.”

Susan Schrader, program director of the Community Health Center of the North Country said she has “seen first-hand the power of these pets” in the hands of lonely older adults.

“One individual immediately comes to mind: a 97-year-old woman with well-established dementia. While well cared for at home, she exhibited boredom and confusion, spending many hours in front of a TV that she couldn’t see because of her condition,” Schrader said. “She received an animatronic cat while on hospice care – and it was transformational. Protective and nurturing of her newfound companion, she petted it, tended to its paws, and talked to it every time it meowed. That is the power of pets.”

NYSOFA says it works with area agencies on aging and community partners to identify individuals who are isolated and lonely and could benefit from receiving pets. The initiative has been supported in recent state budgets as part of a package of “innovative” programs through NYSOFA to address social isolation and provide support for caregivers.

Individuals who are interested can contact their local office for the aging or can use New York’s discount code NYS20 at website http://joyforall.com/.

Most CNY sub-regions add jobs in May compared to a year prior

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The Syracuse, Utica–Rome, Watertown– Fort Drum, Binghamton, and Elmira sub-regions of Central New York all gained jobs between May 2023 and this past May, with growth ranging from 1.3 percent to 2.5 percent. Bucking the trend, the Ithaca region had no change in jobs in the same period. That’s according to the latest monthly employment

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SU’s interim vice chancellor and provost begins work

Education & Training, Subscriber Only

SYRACUSE — Syracuse University’s (SU) interim vice chancellor and provost started in her new position on July 1, as did her predecessor who moved to a new role on the SU campus. Syracuse University Chancellor Kent Syverud appointed Lois Agnew to the position of interim vice chancellor and provost. Agnew has served as associate provost

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SYRACUSE — Syracuse University’s (SU) interim vice chancellor and provost started in her new position on July 1, as did her predecessor who moved to a new role on the SU campus.

Syracuse University Chancellor Kent Syverud appointed Lois Agnew to the position of interim vice chancellor and provost. Agnew has served as associate provost for academic programs since July 2023, per the school’s June 21 announcement.

Agnew assumes the duties that Gretchen Ritter previously carried out. Following a three-year tenure as vice chancellor, provost, and chief academic officer, Ritter on June 18 announced she would step down from the role.

Ritter is now serving as SU’s VP for civic engagement and education. It’s a “new opportunity that will allow her to leverage her areas of expertise and pursue her professional passion,” per a university announcement on June 18.

About Agnew

Syracuse University (SU) has appointed Lois Agnew as interim vice chancellor and provost, effective July 1. She has served as associate provost for academic programs since July 2023. Agnew assumes the duties previously held by Gretchen Ritter, who becomes SU’s VP for civic engagement and education, also effective July 1.
PHOTO CREDIT: SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY NEWS WEBSITE

Syverud calls Agnew “an outstanding scholar, skilled administrator and trusted leader at Syracuse University.”

“In working with Lois, I have found her to be a source of wise counsel, sound judgement and strategic leadership,” the chancellor said. “I am confident she will transition seamlessly into this new position and be an outstanding steward of the academic and research enterprise.”

A member of the SU community since 2004 and professor of writing and rhetoric, Agnew has held several leadership roles throughout her tenure, the school said. Prior to her time as associate provost, Agnew served as interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences (A&S), SU’s largest academic unit.

Prior to that, she was the college’s associate dean of curriculum, innovation and pedagogy, a role she was appointed to in July 2017. Other administrative positions held by Agnew include interim chair of the department of African American studies; chair of the department of writing studies, rhetoric and composition, and director of undergraduate studies for the writing program.

Over the last year, Agnew has been “instrumental” in advancing several of the university’s strategic priorities, including through her work serving as a member of the academic strategic plan steering committee and as chair of the curricular thematic group.

About Ritter

Before her new role, Ritter began as provost in the fall of 2021 and focused on opportunities for SU to advance key academic priorities, the school said.

“Gretchen arrived at Syracuse University in the midst of a global pandemic and made an immediate impact on our academic and research enterprise,” Syverud said. “Among her most significant achievements, Syracuse University now has a new academic strategic plan and has already begun implementing its ambitious priorities. Gretchen’s contributions as the University’s chief academic officer will be felt for many years to come, and I look forward to her continued impact in this new role.”

Under Ritter’s leadership, Syracuse recruited and hired academic deans to lead five schools and colleges, as well as faculty scholars, including hiring two of the largest faculty cohorts in the school’s history.

SU also collaborated across academic disciplines, schools and colleges to create “Leading with Distinction,” an academic strategic plan created by faculty, staff and students. It also “responded to, prepared for and navigated the challenges” created by the Supreme Court ruling eliminating race-based admissions, per the announcement.

Syracuse University also launched several centers and institutes designed to tackle complex national and global issues, including the Institute for Democracy, Journalism and Citizenship and the Center for Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing.

Ritter, an expert in the history of women’s constitutional rights and contemporary issues concerning democracy and citizenship in American politics, joined SU after serving as executive dean and vice provost for the Ohio State University College of Arts and Sciences. Prior to her time at Ohio State, Ritter served as the Harold Tanner Dean of Cornell University’s College of Arts and Sciences, SU

AI in the workplace offers rewards and risks

Technology, Employee Benefits & Human Resources, Subscriber Only

Local cybersecurity experts are optimistic about the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in workplace applications, seeing it as a powerful tool for enhancing efficiency and security. They believe AI can streamline processes, detect anomalies, and respond to threats faster than traditional methods. However, these experts caution that businesses must approach AI implementation thoughtfully and strategically

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ChatGPT wrote that above paragraph after being given a prompt to “write a paragraph that says how local cybersecurity experts believe artificial intelligence holds great promise for workplace applications, but businesses have to use the technology wisely to avoid pitfalls.”

Use of AI in the workplace — whether it’s to write, research, or automate — is becoming more common by the day, which means workplaces need to consider when, how, and even if they will adopt the use of the ever-evolving technology.

“In general, AI is going to be part of our daily lives whether we want it or not,” says Javier Figueroa, cybersecurity manager at M.A. Polce IT and Cybersecurity in Rome. The key is to figure out how to incorporate it while still protecting privacy and security.

“It’s reaching almost an infection point,” Cully Patch, senior program manager for cybersecurity at Quanterion Solutions, Inc. in Utica, notes. “Some of it’s rather amazing.”

IBM defines artificial intelligence as “technology that enables computers and machines to simulate human intelligence and problem-solving capabilities.”

The original intended use of AI was as an agent or tool for humans, Patch says, adding it was a tool to take over some of the mundane tasks.

AI has uses ranging from speech recognition for speech-to-text applications to evaluating vast amounts of data in search of anomalies. As consumers, we may be interacting with AI on a company website when we use the chat feature to ask basic questions and chatbots are able to provide answers to them.

In medicine, AI’s ability to analyze vast amounts of data — and pick out patterns in data — could help lead to things like better disease detection or improved treatment plans, Figueroa says.

“I think doctors will start using it as part of their overall toolkit,” he adds.

However, the benefits of AI don’t come without risks, Patch says. First, AI can only analyze the data it’s given. Incomplete data — or data with biases — will come through in the results.

“These are real smart search engines, if you will,” he says of AI technologies, but they can’t completely replace the human element just yet. Users should carefully review any material produced by AI for accuracy, biases, and other potential negatives.

For example, a chatbot can manage a bunch of FAQ — frequently asked questions — chats simultaneously, but a human should be monitoring those chats to make sure the chatbot is giving the correct answers, Patch advises.

AI also comes with legitimate privacy concerts, Figueroa says. It’s important to ask what happens to your data once you input it into the AI technology. What about copyright? Who owns the material produced? Do you have to openly label any material produced by AI?

Those are all questions that should be addressed in the company’s AI vetting process and policy.

“Unfortunately, on the cybersecurity side, we’re seeing the bad guys use AI,” he adds. Technology like ChatGPT allows those bad guys to write better phishing emails, for example.

Fortunately, the good guys are also using AI to help them detect — and react — to malicious activity much faster, Figueroa says.

For any business even thinking about adopting AI technology as part of their operation, the first place to start is policy, he says. Define the acceptable uses of AI within the company, including what information can be input into the technology.

Patch recommends businesses visit cisa.gov, the website of the federal Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, for some best-practice tips.

“It’s probably gotten to the point where businesses can leverage these tools without a high cost,” Patch says, which can provide a strong return on investment.

Amazon’s Clay fulfillment center decommissions plastic air-pillow equipment

Energy, Environment & Sustainability, Manufacturing & Engineering, Subscriber Only

CLAY — Amazon’s (NASDAQ: AMZN) fulfillment center in the town of Clay in June had a ceremonial decommissioning of its plastic air-pillow equipment to “officially offline the material locally,” Marc Heintzman, of Amazon field communications in New York, tells CNYBJ. It was part of the company’s overall effort to replace 95 percent of the plastic

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It was part of the company’s overall effort to replace 95 percent of the plastic air pillows from delivery packaging in North America with paper filler. Amazon is working toward full removal by the end of the year, per its June 20 announcement.

“We’re constantly inventing and thinking big to make our packaging small. We want to ensure that customers receive their items undamaged, while using as little packaging as possible to avoid waste, and prioritizing recyclable materials,” Amazon said. The removal of 95 percent of its plastic air pillows is “another step in our path to avoid and reduce packaging” — and part of its multi-year effort to remove plastic-delivery packaging from North America fulfillment centers.

To date, this will be Amazon’s largest plastic-packaging reduction effort in North America and will avoid nearly 15 billion plastic air pillows annually. For Prime Day this year, “nearly all” of its customer deliveries will not contain plastic air pillows.

Last October, Amazon announced its first U.S. automated-fulfillment center in Ohio to eliminate plastic-delivery packaging, including the transition from plastic air pillows to paper filler. The work in Ohio allowed the e-commerce giant to test and learn and move quickly on transitioning to paper filler for 95 percent of its shipments in less than a year.

To achieve this, Amazon’s personnel collaborated with suppliers to source paper filler made from 100 percent recycled content, while also coordinating the transition across hundreds of its fulfillment centers. The effort included working with thousands of employees to change its machinery as well as to host employee trainings for these new systems and machines, Amazon said.

Through its testing of paper filler — which the firm says included an assessment by a third-party engineer lab — Amazon discovered that it offers “the same, if not better,” protection to products than plastic air pillows. The paper filler is also curbside recyclable, making it easier for its customers to recycle at home, and made from 100 percent recycled content, it added.

CHA adds new chief digital officer role

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CHA Consulting, Inc. — a full-service engineering, design, consulting, and program/construction-management firm with an office in Syracuse — named Jeff Netland as EVP and chief digital officer, a newly created position, on June 3. As chief digital officer, Netland has overall responsibility for the technology and digital ecosystem at the company. As a member of

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As chief digital officer, Netland has overall responsibility for the technology and digital ecosystem at the company. As a member of the executive-leadership team, he will work across CHA’s business lines to further advance digital enablement at the company.

Netland brings more than two decades of leadership experience across multiple organizations in driving organizational growth through advanced-technology applications and development to his new role.

“We are thrilled to welcome Jeff to CHA as we accelerate our digital capabilities to better support our teams in developing best-in-class solutions and serve our clients,” CHA Holdings CEO Jim Stephenson said in a news release. “Jeff’s expertise in advancing technology initiatives, driving business efficiencies, and proven experiences in next-generation product development and delivery will be pivotal in shaping CHA’s future during this time of digital transformation.”

Prior to joining CHA, Netland served as chief technology officer and VP of engineering at Carrier Fire & Security. His experience also includes various leadership roles at Ecolab, Honeywell, and General Electric.

“Joining CHA at this exciting time of rapid advancement in technology, particularly in AI that is changing the landscape in the A&E industry, presents a truly unique and challenging opportunity,” Netland said in the release. “I look forward to collaborating with CHA’s teams and leadership to continue to identify opportunities to become a leader in digitally enabled solutions and leverage the investments CHA has already made in its IT infrastructure and commercial applications.”

Netland holds an MBA from the University of Utah and a bachelor’s degree in engineering from North Dakota State University.

Headquartered in Albany, CHA Consulting says it delivers sustainable, integrated solutions for infrastructure projects across utilities, transportation, water, and other critical commercial and industrial markets.

Syracuse Athletics teams up with Micron for STEM of Sports Academy

Education & Training, Manufacturing & Engineering, Subscriber Only, Technology

SYRACUSE — Syracuse University (SU) Athletics says it’s teaming up with Micron Technoloy, Inc. (NASDAQ: MU) for a one-day STEM of Sports Academy for high-school students this summer. The effort is designed to “ignite and cultivate student interest and engagement” in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) concepts “through the lens of sports,” SU Athletics

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SYRACUSE — Syracuse University (SU) Athletics says it’s teaming up with Micron Technoloy, Inc. (NASDAQ: MU) for a one-day STEM of Sports Academy for high-school students this summer.

The effort is designed to “ignite and cultivate student interest and engagement” in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) concepts “through the lens of sports,” SU Athletics said in its June 12 announcement.

The STEM of Sports curriculum, which is designed for all interest levels, will use sports as the “real-life catalyst” to engage rising 9th grade and 10th grade participants. Students don’t have to be athletic or excel in science to participate, as the overarching goal is to “provide a meaningful learning experience applicable to all who enjoy sports and are intrigued by STEM,” per the announcement.

“This Syracuse University and Micron initiative will bring STEM to life through the lens of sports,” Salatha Willis, associate athletics director for diversity, culture and climate at Syracuse University, said in a news release. “The academy is intended to help captivate young minds, foster curiosity, and ignite a passion for science and technology. By blending hands-on STEM activities with the excitement of athletics, young student scholars will have the opportunity to discover the joy of learning while exploring the endless possibilities of STEM, hopefully sparking future opportunities to learn and grow.”

The academy will offer two co-ed sessions and one session exclusively for female students. The one-day sessions will be held at the Lally Athletics Complex. Registration for the academy will be coordinated through local school districts, with Syracuse University Athletics partnering directly with select districts to facilitate enrollment.

“Whether we talk about the evolution of the helmets worn in football, hockey or lacrosse, or the memory in the tablets utilized by coaches at Syracuse University —STEM and sports are intertwined to ensure student athletes are successful on the field, and safe during competition,” Robert Simmons, director of Micron Gives North America at Micron Technology, said in the release. “Micron’s collaboration with Syracuse University Athletics Department and the College of Engineering and Computer Science gives me great confidence that young people who join us for the STEM of Sports Academy will not only enhance their understanding of STEM but also make connections to semiconductor careers of the future, and Micron’s commitment to Central New York.”

The curriculum for the STEM of Sport Academy was developed by Cindy Smith, assistant teaching professor for SU’s College of Engineering and Computer Science. Smith’s “innovative” approach ensures that students not only grasp STEM concepts but also see their real-world applications in the context of sports, “fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation for both disciplines,” SU contends.

The school says Smith brings expertise in sports engineering to the development of the STEM of Sport Academy curriculum.

“This initiative makes STEM more accessible to young minds by tapping into their passion for sports,” Smith said.

For inquiries and registration details, contact Salatha Willis (swillisj@syr.edu).

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