Upstate Urology at Oswego Health moving to Fulton

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FULTON — Upstate Urology at Oswego Health is moving to a new location at 806 West Broadway in Fulton where Associated Medical Professionals previously operated. The urology practice will begin operations at the new location on May 6, Jamie Leszczynski, senior VP of communications and chief brand officer at Oswego Health, tells CNYBJ in an […]

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Samaritan uses Kinney gift to expand mental-health services

Health Care, North Country, Subscriber Only

WATERTOWN — Samaritan Medical Center in Watertown is using a donation from the Kinney Drugs Foundation to expand its mental-health treatment services and treatment space within the hospital. Gouverneur–based Kinney Drugs and the Kinney Drugs Foundation donated $250,000 in funding to the Samaritan Medical Center Foundation of Northern New York to help fund the expansion.

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WATERTOWN — Samaritan Medical Center in Watertown is using a donation from the Kinney Drugs Foundation to expand its mental-health treatment services and treatment space within the hospital.

Gouverneur–based Kinney Drugs and the Kinney Drugs Foundation donated $250,000 in funding to the Samaritan Medical Center Foundation of Northern New York to help fund the expansion.

In recognition of this recent financial commitment, the adult inpatient mental-health unit space will be named in honor of Kinney Drugs.

The New York State Office of Mental Health has approved the request from Samaritan’s inpatient mental-health unit to increase the bed count in the unit from 34 to 39 beds, the hospital tells CNYBJ in an April 30 email. It expects crews to complete construction work within five months.

The five additional rooms will be private, which is a “significant need,” per a March 13 announcement from Samaritan Medical Center. The current physical space consists of only of double-occupant rooms. The rooms “often cannot be used” for two patients due to aggression, infection control issues, and other reasons, the hospital said.

The unit is “typically full,” and with the “increase in mental-health crises,” patients go to the emergency department. Fifty percent of the adults who visit the emergency department in a psychiatric crisis will need a stabilization inpatient stay within this unit, Samaritan noted.

Kinney’s support

The Kinney Drugs Foundation is the philanthropic arm of KPH Healthcare Services, Inc. with locations in 14 states, including its home state of New York. Since its inception in 2002, the Kinney Drugs Foundation has provided more than $12 million to help the communities in which it operates, per the Samaritan announcement.

Kinney Drugs and its foundation remain among Samaritan’s top donors, supporters, and partners. They are dedicated to the pediatric-patient population and have donated needed funds in multiple departments within the Car-Freshner Center for Women & Children, including the Level II neonatal intensive care unit (or NICU); the play area on the pediatric-inpatient unit; and a cesarean surgical suite in labor and delivery.

In addition, Kinney is a partner and fundraiser for the Samaritan’s Children’s Miracle Network program.

Geneva General Hospital adds neurosurgeon to medical staff

Health Care, Subscriber Only

GENEVA — Neurosurgeon Lucas Aurich has recently joined the medical staff of Geneva General Hospital, which is part of UR Medicine Finger Lakes Health. Aurich is an assistant professor of neurosurgery at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester and serves as neurosurgery director of Geneva General Hospital, according to an April 22 announcement from UR Medicine

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Thompson outlines goals as new Bassett CEO

Health Care, Mohawk Valley, Subscriber Only

COOPERSTOWN — For Bassett Healthcare Network’s new president and CEO Staci Thompson, joining the rural health-care organization just felt right. She first came aboard Bassett in 2023 as its chief operating officer (COO) after working for more than 27 years at the Guthrie Clinic in Sayre, Pennsylvania. Guthrie is another rural-based provider where Thompson held

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COOPERSTOWN — For Bassett Healthcare Network’s new president and CEO Staci Thompson, joining the rural health-care organization just felt right.

She first came aboard Bassett in 2023 as its chief operating officer (COO) after working for more than 27 years at the Guthrie Clinic in Sayre, Pennsylvania. Guthrie is another rural-based provider where Thompson held several positions including executive VP and COO.

“What drew me to Bassett … was I felt connected with it,” she says. The organizations share the same mission of working to ensure patients have access to medical care.

After joining Bassett last May, Thompson served as its interim president and CEO since Jan. 1 of this year after her predecessor Dr. Tommy Ibrahim left the post. Bassett’s board made the role permanent in May.

“I’m right where I’m supposed to be,” Thompson says of Bassett and her new role there as leader.

She’s excited to take the help at the health-care organization and knows there are some hurdles to overcome. The biggest challenge on her to-do list? “It’s, first and foremost, organization efficiency and stability,” she says.

Thompson’s focus is on five key areas — recruitment and retention, improving the patient experience, providing improved access, organizational culture, and organizational stability.

“Making sure financially we have an organization that’s healthy and can invest back into the organization,” she explains.

Her goals build upon those set by Ibrahim, who focused on bringing the organization together.

In recent years, Bassett has grown into a health system that includes five corporately affiliated hospitals — A.O. Fox Hospital in Oneonta, A.O. Fox Hospital Tri-Town Campus in Sidney, Cobleskill Hospital in Cobleskill, Little Falls Hospital in Little Falls, and O’Connor Hospital in Delhi.

Ibrahim’s focus was on making sure all locations were using the same systems and things like that. “So that work had started, and my goal is to continue to build upon that,” Thompson adds.

Her focus is on the bigger picture, making sure the entire organization functions as a system to avoid unnecessary duplication while also recognizing the unique history and individuality of each of those locations that have become part of the Bassett network.

Like many health-care organizations, Bassett lost many employees during the COVID pandemic and has struggled to fill those empty slots, especially when other organizations are looking to hire as well. “Everyone is recruiting from the same pool of resources,” Thompson says.

Currently, Bassett has about 150 employment-agency workers filling those open roles — a solution that gets expensive.

With a goal of having enough staff to not need agency fill-ins, one of the changes Bassett has made under Thompson’s guidance is to bring recruitment back in-house. “We’re seeing good results with that,” she contends.

Other efforts include partnering with area institutions to train the future workforce. Bassett recently announced a new partnership with the Otsego Northern Catskills Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) for a practical nursing certification program.

“I’m excited about being able to grow the organization,” Thompson says. “It’s exciting to me to look how we can do things a little differently.”

Bassett’s Valley Health Services recognizes five newly certified nursing assistants

Education & Training, Health Care, Mohawk Valley, Subscriber Only

HERKIMER — Valley Health Services (VHS) in Herkimer recently celebrated the most recent graduates of its nurse-aid training program that helps its resident assistants become certified nursing assistants (CNAs). The program graduated five new CNAs on April 11, VHS announced in a news release. “At Valley Health, we are all extremely proud of these five

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Work underway on Rome Health’s surgical center, ICU addition

Construction, Design & Real Estate, Health Care, Mohawk Valley, Subscriber Only

ROME — Rome Health says work on the Kaplan Center for Surgical Services and ICU (intensive-care unit) construction project “is really starting to take shape,” per an April 15 announcement on its website. The milder weather in February gave the crew from the Hayner Hoyt Corporation of Syracuse a window of time to excavate the

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ECA Onondaga names director of family wellbeing

Health Care, Subscriber Only

SYRACUSE — The Early Childhood Alliance (ECA) Onondaga, a coalition of community stakeholders with a shared vision for a more coordinated and strategic early childhood system, announced it has recently appointed Brandi Mee as director of family wellbeing. In her new role, Mee will develop, implement, and evaluate community-informed strategies to drive transformative change and

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VIEWPOINT: New York State Budget Bill’s Impact on the Workplace

Business Mentors, Health Care, Subscriber Only

State enacts paid prenatal leave, keeps paid COVID-19 sick leave on the books through mid-2025 After much anticipation, New York State lawmakers came to a final agreement on a budget bill that contains several key changes employers should note. Three employment-law provisions of Gov. Kathy Hochul’s executive-budget proposal, which we reported on in January, survived

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State enacts paid prenatal leave, keeps paid COVID-19 sick leave on the books through mid-2025

After much anticipation, New York State lawmakers came to a final agreement on a budget bill that contains several key changes employers should note. Three employment-law provisions of Gov. Kathy Hochul’s executive-budget proposal, which we reported on in January, survived in altered form. Others did not make it into the final approved budget bill.

Paid prenatal leave

New York becomes the first state to mandate paid prenatal leave, with a budget amendment requiring employers to provide pregnant employees with 20 hours of paid prenatal leave during any 52-week calendar period. This mandate is an amendment to Labor Law § 196-b and is in addition to the state’s existing mandatory paid sick leave. The 20-hour allotment is a decrease from the governor’s original proposal, which would have required 40 hours of leave. The leave can be used for “physical examinations, medical procedures, monitoring and testing, and discussions with a health care provider related to the pregnancy,” and can be taken in hourly increments. The paid prenatal-leave requirement will take effect on Jan. 1, 2025, and only applies to private-sector employers.

Paid breaks for breast-milk expression

Gov. Hochul also proposed adding paid break time to the state’s existing requirement to provide nursing mothers with unpaid break time to express breast milk. The original proposal of 20 minutes of paid break time was increased during budget negotiations. The final law amends Labor Law § 206-c and requires all private and public-sector employers to provide 30 minutes of paid break time and allow employees to use other paid break or mealtime for time in excess of 30 minutes “each time such employee has reasonable need to express breast milk.” Given the “each time” language, it is conceivable an employee would be entitled to multiple paid breaks during a workday for this purpose. The paid breast-milk expression mandate begins on June 19, 2024.

Paid COVID-19 sick leave

One or the more closely watched budget items for employers was the proposed end of paid COVID-19 sick leave. Many employers have been hoping for the leave mandate to expire, viewing it as irrelevant, confusing, and duplicative of existing sick-leave mandates in light of the end of the public-health emergency. As we recently reported, the law’s application is questionable given recent changes to CDC guidance.

The budget bill repeals the paid COVID-19 sick-leave requirement — but not for another 14 months. While Gov. Hochul originally proposed ending the law on July 31, 2024, the final bill adds an extra year. Paid COVID-19 sick leave continues to be the law of New York State until July 31, 2025.

Proposals that failed to make the cut

Two proposals we reported on in January did not make it into the final bill. Despite the governor and both houses including an increase in the benefit amount for short-term disability insurance in their legislative proposals, the topic was removed from the bill during negotiations. Therefore, the state-mandated disability benefit will remain $170 per week for the foreseeable future.

The governor’s proposal to clarify Labor Law § 198, related to the requirement that manual workers be paid on a weekly basis and the damages available in the event of a violation, also failed to survive the legislative process. The bill would have made clear that if employees are paid at least semi-monthly, they would not be entitled to 100 percent liquidated damages, settling a split among New York courts. Without a legislative clarification, the issue of liquidated damages for manual workers who employers fail to pay on a weekly basis will continue to be litigated until the state’s Court of Appeals settles the split in authority among courts — or until lawmakers take further action.

Kristen E. Smith is a member (partner) at Syracuse–based Bond, Schoeneck & King PLLC. A member of the law firm’s Labor & Employment practice, Smith works with employers to help ensure compliance with the complex maze of labor and employment laws. She also co-chairs the firm’s municipalities practice. This article is drawn and edited from Bond’s website.

Antisemitism on College Campuses is a Direct Threat to Our Democracy

Opinion, Subscriber Only

Tensions on our college campuses have risen to unsustainable levels, and without targeted, immediate action, I fear what further escalation might look like. Protests over the conflict in the Middle East have created dangerous conditions, especially for our Jewish students who are fearful to go to class, visit family, or leave their dorms at all.

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Protesting violence by creating an atmosphere of fear is both hypocritical and un-American, yet that is exactly what we have seen in recent weeks at institutions across our country and most recently at Columbia University. Tensions on campus have become so toxic it is virtually impossible to move about the campus without risk of intimidation or worse.

College is supposed to be where young minds meet to share ideas, learn, and prepare for a career. That is the furthest thing from what our reality is here in New York.

Antisemitism on college campuses has been a growing problem. In November, I sounded the alarm after incidents at Cornell University and in our City University of New York schools shook our higher-education system. Now, we are approaching even more dangerous levels of hatred. As a legislative body, we must intervene.

To that end, Assemblyman Ed Ra (R–Franklin Square) has spearheaded the charge to enact the “Dismantling Student Antisemitism (DSA) Act,” which would require comprehensive sensitivity training for students, faculty, and staff and establish critical reporting requirements for higher-education institutions.

Colleges who fail to take necessary steps to reduce antisemitism would lose access to state funding. This legislation needs to move forward, and the fact that it has been repeatedly stalled by Democrats represents a stunning lack of awareness or empathy to the hardships Jewish students are facing on campus.

The rising level of threats and violence on college campuses is a danger to everyone. Racism and hatred are not partisan considerations, and they have no place here. I understand protesting the conflict abroad and people have a right to express their opinions. What I do not understand or condone is fostering an environment of hatred, danger and disruption under the guise “peaceful protests.” I call on the leadership of these universities, their staff, faculty, and students to do better. The safety of our communities depends on it.

William (Will) A. Barclay, 55, Republican, is the New York Assembly minority leader and represents the 120th New York Assembly District, which encompasses all of Oswego County, as well as parts of Jefferson and Cayuga counties.

OPINION: Bridge collapse highlights importance of infrastructure

Opinion, Subscriber Only

T he collapse [in late March] of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore is a vivid reminder of the crucial role that infrastructure plays in our 21st century economy. It’s also an opportunity to reflect on the importance of government in maintaining our roads, bridges, and ports. The 1.6-mile-long bridge, a fixture of the

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he collapse [in late March] of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore is a vivid reminder of the crucial role that infrastructure plays in our 21st century economy. It’s also an opportunity to reflect on the importance of government in maintaining our roads, bridges, and ports.

The 1.6-mile-long bridge, a fixture of the Baltimore skyline, collapsed in an instant when a giant container ship lost power and struck one of its columns. Tragically, six bridge workers lost their lives. The toll could have been much worse, but bridge traffic was stopped in time.

The damage was considerable, however, and its effects will be widespread. The Port of Baltimore shut down, putting the jobs of thousands of dock workers on hold. Commuters and others who relied on the bridge will have to find alternative routes. The impact on the city and region is large and immediate.

The effects will also ripple through the economy and affect us in ways we can’t entirely predict. The Port of Baltimore is one of the 20 largest U.S. ports for the volume and value of its shipping, and it’s one of the biggest on the East Coast. In 2023, the port handled 52.3 million tons of foreign cargo worth almost $81 million, according to Maryland data. It supports more than 15,000 jobs.

The port plays an outsized role in certain industries. It’s No. 1 for shipping cars and light trucks, and it ranks near the top for coal and soybeans. Distributors will have to reroute their traffic through other ports, possibly resulting in delays and higher costs for consumers.

Just a few years ago, it was rare to hear news reports about the supply chain. That changed with the COVID-19 pandemic, when it became hard to purchase face masks, cleaning and disinfecting supplies, medical equipment, and even toilet paper. Firms shut down or reduced production, and shipping became more difficult and expensive. The network of businesses and people getting products to market couldn’t keep up. As COVID vaccines became widely available and the economy recovered, shortages of semiconductors and other essentials disrupted trade.

These issues highlighted the importance of infrastructure, and the government stepped up when Congress passed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act in November 2021, making about $1 trillion available over time for improvements. It was one of President Joe Biden’s rare initiatives to receive bipartisan support. Rolling out massive spending legislation in a way that’s fair and transparent is like turning a battleship, however. A Brookings Institution analysis found the infrastructure bill was just hitting its stride two years after it passed.

The Baltimore bridge collapse is a reminder that we not only need to build infrastructure, but also that we need to maintain and protect it. A series of rare circumstances apparently caused the container ship to strike the bridge, but it will be important to understand what went wrong and to prevent similar incidents.

Meanwhile, it will take a lot of work and resources to repair the container ship, remove the wreckage from the Patapsco River, and reopen the port, all while helping support affected workers. The Biden administration has promised support, and Maryland requested and received an initial $60 million.

It’s goes to show how, when disaster strikes, Americans turn to government. We criticize and complain about government, often with justification. But when we get into a crunch — when we need to rebuild a bridge or reopen a port — we rely on government to get the job done.

And the importance of infrastructure to America’s economy is almost immeasurable. The quality of our roads, bridges, ports, rail lines, airports and utility systems is intricately tied to our security and prosperity. Regardless of party or political orientation, we should agree on that.

Lee Hamilton, 93, is a senior advisor for the Indiana University (IU) Center on Representative Government, distinguished scholar at the IU Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies, and professor of practice at the IU O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs. Hamilton, a Democrat, was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for 34 years (1965-1999), representing a district in south-central Indiana.

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State enacts paid prenatal leave, keeps paid COVID-19 sick leave on the books through mid-2025

Paid prenatal leave

Paid breaks for breast-milk expression

Paid COVID-19 sick leave

Proposals that failed to make the cut

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