Binghamton University starts new pharmacy-technician program

Get our email updates

Stay up-to-date on the companies, people and issues that impact businesses in Syracuse, Central New York and beyond.

VESTAL — Binghamton University says it has approved a new educational program through its School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. The pharmacy-technician program microcredential is a 19-week, 420-hour Binghamton University microcredential (noncredit) that will prepare graduates to start their careers in an expanding health-care field, the school said in an April 22 announcement. Kanneboyina Nagaraju, […]

Already an Subcriber? Log in

Get Instant Access to This Article

Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.

Learn More and Become a Subscriber

VESTAL — Binghamton University says it has approved a new educational program through its School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.

The pharmacy-technician program microcredential is a 19-week, 420-hour Binghamton University microcredential (noncredit) that will prepare graduates to start their careers in an expanding health-care field, the school said in an April 22 announcement.

Kanneboyina Nagaraju, dean of the Binghamton’s School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Science, originated the program to help both local hospitals and the community. “Thanks to a generous grant,” the program is free for anyone who wants to enroll, Binghamton University said in its announcement.

“There is an urgent need for pharmacy technicians in Southern Tier healthcare facilities,” Nagaraju said. “The School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences is excited to offer this program for free to high school students in our area to fill this need. It will help encourage them to pursue a career in healthcare fields, especially pharmacy.”

For a student to enroll in this program, they must be at least 18 years of age by July 1. Some of the requirements also include having a high-school diploma (by July 1) or high-school equivalency diploma or higher. They must also pass a criminal background check and urine drug screening.

The deadline to enroll is June 1. To apply, go to the Binghamton University website and search for Pharmacy Technician Program Microcredential.

Pharmacy technician role

Pharmacy technicians help pharmacists in various tasks related to medication dispensing and patient care, the school said.

The role of the pharmacy technician under the supervision of a pharmacist “has been expanded in recent years” to include medication reconciliation, screening for medication allergies. and immunization administration.

Besides those activities, a pharmacy technician also focuses on dispensing new prescriptions and refilling orders, packing and labeling prescriptions, preparing sterile and nonsterile compounded medications, tracking medication inventory and processing insurance claims.

“We are excited to partner with local community and hospital pharmacies to both help fill a need in their workforce and expand the interest in pharmacy and pharmacy-related careers locally,” said Sarah Spinler, professor, and co-chair of the department of pharmacy practice. “Faculty members Elizabeth Hageman, Kenneth McCall, Nick Schweir and Marissa Langett have been working together as a team for the past year developing our curriculum and admission processes. The microcredential approval is the icing on the cake.”

“We are excited to identify persons locally who are interested in a high-demand healthcare career and train them to meet our local workforce needs,” Kenneth McCall, program director, co-chair, and clinical professor of pharmacy practice, said in the announcement.

Grant help, fee

For 2024, programmatic costs are funded through donations and a grant from the New York City–based Mother Cabrini Health Foundation.

It includes supplies and online access to ASHP’s PharmTech Ready curriculum, which includes online learning lectures, videos and virtual laboratory simulations. These estimated expenses “represent a good-faith effort” to disclose the true costs of attendance.

ASHP is the Bethesda, Maryland–based American Society of Health-System Pharmacists.

In addition to these expenses, after graduation, a graduate will pay a $175 one-time fee to the New York State Education Department’s Office of the Professions for pharmacy-technician licensure.

Ask Rusty: Older Husband and Working Wife Seek Guidance

Business Mentors, Subscriber Only

Dear Rusty: I am 74 years old, retired and receiving Social Security (SS). My wife will be 65 in January 2025. Our hope was to start paying off some credit-card expense by her receiving SS when she turns 65. However, it appears there would be a substantial reduction to her benefits. Her work income is

Already an Subcriber? Log in

Get Instant Access to This Article

Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.

Learn More and Become a Subscriber

Dear Rusty: I am 74 years old, retired and receiving Social Security (SS). My wife will be 65 in January 2025. Our hope was to start paying off some credit-card expense by her receiving SS when she turns 65. However, it appears there would be a substantial reduction to her benefits. Her work income is $37,500 a year, and she wasn’t planning on retiring from work at age 65. Because I am 11 years older, we felt it makes sense to use her Social Security as a means to lower our debt. We have $27,000 in credit-card debt, and I don’t really want to use my 401(k) funds due to taxes. We pretty much live on my Social Security and pension.

Signed: Seeking Suggestions

Dear Seeking: Your wife’s full retirement age (FRA) for Social Security purposes is age 67. Because she will not yet have reached her FRA in January 2025 (when she is 65), if she claims SS to start at that time, not only will her monthly amount be reduced, but she will be subject to the Social Security annual-earnings test. The earnings test sets a limit for how much can be earned by beneficiaries who claim SS before FRA.

The earnings limit for 2024 is $22,320. The limit for next year is not yet published (it’s based on changes to the national wage index) but will be a bit higher — likely about $23,500. Thus, I can’t provide the exact impact, but if your wife’s 2025 earnings exceed next year’s limit, the Social Security Administration (SSA) will take back $1 in benefits for every $2 over the limit (half of the amount over the limit). So, if your wife earns $37,500 per year, that will likely be about $14,000 over the limit and the SSA will take back half of that ($7,000). It “takes back” by withholding future benefits, or you can repay the SSA in a lump sum. So, you will have a choice — repay the SSA from your other assets, or it will withhold your wife’s SS benefits for the number of months needed to offset her penalty for exceeding the earnings limit. The number of months the SSA will withhold depends on how much is owed and what your wife’s monthly SS benefit is. For example, if your wife’s age-65 SS benefit is about average ($1,900) and her penalty for exceeding the limit is $7,000, the SSA would withhold your wife’s benefit for four months to recover the penalty, but she would receive her full benefit for the remaining eight months of the year.

Unless your wife tells the SSA in advance that she will exceed the limit, the agency will find out the following year (after you file your income taxes). But, in any case, your wife cannot avoid the annual-earnings test for working before reaching her full retirement age. The earnings test goes away when your wife reaches her FRA of 67. Until that time, if she continues working, she will have a choice to have her benefits withheld for a portion of the year, or simply repay the SSA in a lump sum (in which case her benefits would continue uninterrupted).

FYI, there is a silver lining in this. If your wife has benefits withheld because she exceeds the earnings limit before her FRA, after she reaches her FRA, the SSA will give her time credit for the months when benefits were withheld. This will result in her monthly Social Security payment amount increasing somewhat at her full retirement age. Thus, over time, your wife may recover the benefits that were withheld for exceeding the annual-earnings limit. But to get 100 percent of the benefit she’s earned from a lifetime of working, and be exempt from Social Security’s earnings limit, she would need to wait until she reaches her FRA to claim.

Russell Gloor is a national Social Security advisor at the AMAC Foundation, the nonprofit arm of the Association of Mature American Citizens (AMAC). The 2.4-million-member AMAC says it is a senior advocacy organization. Send your questions to: ssadvisor@amacfoundation.org.

Author’s note: This article is intended for information purposes only and does not represent legal or financial guidance. It presents the opinions and interpretations of the AMAC Foundation’s staff, trained and accredited by the National Social Security Association (NSSA). The NSSA and the AMAC Foundation and its staff are not affiliated with or endorsed by the Social Security Administration or any other governmental entity.

State budget funds Empire AI, ON-RAMP initiatives

Construction, Design & Real Estate, Subscriber Only, Technology

It includes a flagship facility in Syracuse ALBANY — New York State has established Empire AI as part of the newly enacted state budget, which also includes a $200 million investment to support four ON-RAMP advanced-manufacturing training centers, including a flagship facility in Syracuse.

Already an Subcriber? Log in

Get Instant Access to This Article

Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.

Learn More and Become a Subscriber

It includes a flagship facility in Syracuse

ALBANY — New York State has established Empire AI as part of the newly enacted state budget, which also includes a $200 million investment to support four ON-RAMP advanced-manufacturing training centers, including a flagship facility in Syracuse.

Empire AI is described as a “first-of-its-kind consortium to secure New York’s place at the forefront” of artificial intelligence (AI) research, the office of Gov. Kathy Hochul announced April 22.

The ON-RAMP advanced-manufacturing training centers will seek to prepare New Yorkers for the jobs of the future, Hochul’s office said in a separate April 22 announcement.

In addition, the spending plan includes a $500 million capital investment to jumpstart a $10 billion partnership for next-generation chips research.

Empire AI consortium

The consortium will leverage a $275 million state investment to create and launch a “state-of-the-art” AI computing center on the campus of the University at Buffalo. The center will be used by New York institutions to “promote responsible research and development, create jobs, and advance AI for the public good,” the governor’s office contended.

The Empire AI consortium will include seven New York–based founding institutions: Cornell University, SUNY, CUNY, Columbia University, New York University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and the Flatiron Institute.

“Whoever is at the forefront of artificial intelligence will dominate the next chapter of human history — and I’m committed to seizing that opportunity here in New York,” Hochul said in the announcement. “AI will have a transformational effect on our economy and industries, and these investments ensure that we are using the extraordinary growth opportunity to benefit New Yorkers.”

The initiative will be funded by more than $400 million in public and private investment, including a $250 million state capital-grant investment, and $25 million over 10 years in SUNY funding. The project will also receive more than $125 million from the founding institutions and other private partners. They include the Simons Foundation, whose Flatiron Institute works to advance research through computational methods, and Tom Secunda, co-founder of Bloomberg LP and the Secunda Family Foundation, which provides millions of dollars a year in grants to conservation, health care, scientific advancement, and other causes.

In addition, as part of the budget, Hochul signed legislation to prioritize “safe, ethical” uses as the state continues to build its AI footprint. The legislation includes a requirement that all forms of political communication — including image, video, audio, text or any technological representation of speech or conduct — “disclose the use of materially deceptive media.”

ON-RAMP centers

The new spending plan includes a $200 million investment to establish One Network for Regional Advanced Manufacturing Partnerships (ON-RAMP). It’s a network of four new workforce-development centers to prepare New Yorkers for the jobs of the future, Hochul’s office said.

As the state continues to attract high-tech businesses in fast-growing industries like semiconductor manufacturing, ON-RAMP centers will offer credentials and training related to advanced manufacturing and “help expand opportunities for disadvantaged populations,” per the state.

The program will focus on “strategic, high-impact locations” in upstate New York.

Investing in chips research

The budget also includes a $500 million capital investment for NY CREATES’ Albany Nanotech Complex to help jumpstart a $10 billion partnership and bring a High NA EUV Lithography Center to the complex.

Hochul announced the partnership with IBM (NYSE: IBM), Micron Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: MU), Applied Materials, Tokyo Electron, and other leaders from the semiconductor industry last year as part of the effort to establish a global hub for semiconductor manufacturing in New York.

Once completed, Hochul’s office said the new center will build on other semiconductor-related investments to make New York home to the first publicly owned High NA EUV Lithography Center in North America, support the long-term growth of New York’s tech economy, and create and retain thousands of direct, indirect, and union construction jobs.

Northeast College unveils new imaging-sciences wing

Construction, Design & Real Estate, Health Care, Southern Tier, Subscriber Only

SENECA FALLS — The Anatomy Center at the Northeast College of Health Sciences in Seneca Falls has a new imaging-sciences wing that includes sonography and radiological suites. The college formally opened the wing and suites during a ceremony held on Feb. 13, per its announcement. The new imaging-sciences facilities provide advanced learning spaces for students

Already an Subcriber? Log in

Get Instant Access to This Article

Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.

Learn More and Become a Subscriber

SENECA FALLS — The Anatomy Center at the Northeast College of Health Sciences in Seneca Falls has a new imaging-sciences wing that includes sonography and radiological suites.

The college formally opened the wing and suites during a ceremony held on Feb. 13, per its announcement.

The new imaging-sciences facilities provide advanced learning spaces for students in Northeast’s new associate-degree programs in radiologic technology and diagnostic medical sonography, the college said.

The suites are also the latest addition to the Northeast College’s Anatomy Center, which already includes the computerized anatomy resource lab (CARL) containing 3D virtual Anatomage technology, a cadaveric dissection lab, and an observation theater.

The addition of the new sonography and radiologic technology suites provide incoming undergraduate students with the “most advanced” equipment as they study to earn their associate degrees in less than two years, the college said.

Other new Northeast College programs beginning in the fall of 2024 include a bachelor’s degree in health-care administration that can be completed fully online in less than three years, and a massage-therapy certificate program that prepares students to become a licensed massage therapist (LMT). Northeast also anticipates offering a planned future master’s degree in physician-assistant studies.

Michael Mestan, president of the Northeast College of Health Sciences, says the goal is to not only educate, but also inspire the next generation of health-care professionals.

“We are pleased to become a new source of providing a highly skilled workforce for our regional health centers and hospitals, and to help improve the health and wellness of the members of our community,” Mestan said in a statement. “Together let us continue to strive for excellence and make a lasting impact on the future of healthcare, our College and the Finger Lakes region.”

The Northeast College of Health Sciences also anticipates offering a planned future master’s degree in physician-assistant studies.

The college, founded in 1919, currently operates on a 286-acre campus.

Oswego Health reopens pulmonary function testing lab

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

OSWEGO — Oswego Health has reopened its pulmonary function testing lab (PFT) following its closure in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The health system held a formal reopening ceremony for the PFT lab on April 3. PFTs are noninvasive tests that show how well the lungs are working. The tests measure lung volume, capacity,

Already an Subcriber? Log in

Get Instant Access to This Article

Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.

Learn More and Become a Subscriber

Five more hospitals join the Respect and Heal campaign

Health Care, Subscriber Only

SYRACUSE — Five more Central New York hospitals and health systems have joined the Respect and Heal campaign, which is aimed at ensuring the “safe and respectful treatment” of health-care workers. Carthage Area Hospital, Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center in Ogdensburg, Oneida Health, Samaritan Medical Center in Watertown, and the UHS System brings the total number of

Already an Subcriber? Log in

Get Instant Access to This Article

Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.

Learn More and Become a Subscriber

Carthage Area Hospital, Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center in Ogdensburg, Oneida Health, Samaritan Medical Center in Watertown, and the UHS System brings the total number of participants in the campaign to 12, per the April 25 announcement on the website of Upstate Medical University.

Seven other regional hospitals and health systems announced their commitment to the campaign in October 2023. They were: Mohawk Valley Health System, Auburn Community Hospital, Crouse Health, Oswego Health, Rome Health, St. Joseph’s Health, and Upstate University Hospital.

The campaign — initiated by Upstate University Hospital — was started in response to rising incidents of violent, disrespectful, and disruptive behavior aimed at health-care workers.

“We welcome our health-care colleagues in this joint effort to ensure the safe and respectful treatment of our health care team members,” Dr. Robert Corona, CEO of Upstate University Hospital, said in the announcement. “Together, I’m certain we can make a difference on this important issue.”

Part of the Respect and Heal platform addresses federal and state legislation that provides more penalties for individuals who knowingly and intentionally assault or intimidate hospital employees.

“Samaritan Caregivers deserve a safe and courteous workplace so they can care for our patients and residents,” Thomas Carman, president and CEO of Samaritan Medical Center, said. “The uptick in workplace violence from patients and visitors at Samaritan towards our caregivers is concerning. Being part of the Respect and Heal campaign is showing a united front that local healthcare will not tolerate violent, disrespectful, and disruptive behavior. Together, we can educate our communities and provide clear expectations.”

Officials say bringing together health-care leaders to speak in one voice demonstrates a vigorous commitment to “fostering a culture of safety and respect that values the physical and psychological well-being of healthcare workers and patients,” officials say.

John Carrigg, president and CEO of United Health Services, believes it’s a campaign that UHS should be involved in.

“Workplace violence comes at a high cost, but it can be prevented, and we have committed the resources to do so,” Carrigg said in the Upstate announcement. “As we unite with like-minded healthcare institutions across Central New York for stronger standards and expectations, this effort also supports the vast majority of patients and families who are very grateful for our staff and services. Both our patients and our caregivers expect and deserve an environment where we can deliver great clinical care and focus on healing.”

When the Respect and Heal campaign was announced last October, Upstate’s Corona underscored the major goal of the campaign: “that all staff will be treated with respect, and that we redouble our commitment and implement and strengthen violence prevention strategies to ensure a safe healing environment for our health care workforce and patients.”

Cayuga Health sets up shop at The Shops at Ithaca Mall

Construction, Design & Real Estate, Health Care, Southern Tier, Subscriber Only

Offers cardiology, other medical services in new location LANSING — Cayuga Health has a new location at The Shops at Ithaca Mall with many of the health-care services already in operation. The organization’s cardiology service started operations in the new location on March 25. Formerly located in two separate facilities on Triphammer Road and

Already an Subcriber? Log in

Get Instant Access to This Article

Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.

Learn More and Become a Subscriber

Offers cardiology, other medical services in new location

LANSING — Cayuga Health has a new location at The Shops at Ithaca Mall with many of the health-care services already in operation.

The organization’s cardiology service started operations in the new location on March 25. Formerly located in two separate facilities on Triphammer Road and at Island Health and Fitness in downtown Ithaca, those two locations of Cayuga Heart and Vascular are now together at one site, per a late March Cayuga Health announcement.

Besides the cardiology service, Cayuga Primary Care (formerly located at Brentwood Drive and Trumansburg Road) and Cayuga Rheumatology (formerly located at Community Corners) opened on April 8.

The health-care system also plans to open a medical laboratory in the new space this June, Cayuga Health tells CNYBJ in an April 30 email.

The staggered implementation sought to “help minimize disruption” in providing patient care, Cayuga Health said in its March announcement.

“As we open the doors of our latest facility at the Ithaca Mall, we’re not just providing care, we’re creating a new standard of accessibility and excellence,” Jeff Penoyer, VP of ambulatory services and COO at Cayuga Medical Associates, contended. “This milestone marks a pivotal moment in Cayuga Health’s journey, symbolizing our unwavering commitment to serving our community with top-notch healthcare services.”

The more than 60,000-square-foot space will house an increased number of exam rooms with updated equipment. A TCAT (Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit, Inc.) bus stop is located just outside the doors of Cayuga Health at Ithaca Mall, “allowing greater access for many patients.,” per the announcement.

The Shops at Ithaca Mall location also has ample parking, wheelchair accessibility, an onsite laboratory, and easy-to-use kiosks for appointment check-in, Cayuga Health noted.

Penoyer went on to say, “By consolidating these specialties under one roof, we’re not only simplifying the patient experience but also fostering stronger connections between our providers and those we serve. We’re thrilled to welcome our community to this dynamic space.”

About Cayuga Health

Ithaca–based Cayuga Health has two hospitals — Cayuga Medical Center in Ithaca and Schuyler Hospital in Montour Falls — as well as a multi-specialty group, Cayuga Medical Associates.

Its combined employee count, including affiliated organizations, is more than 2,800. Cayuga Health also has clinical-service line affiliations with Mayo Medical Laboratories, Rochester Regional Health for cardiac services, and the University of Rochester for neurosciences.

Upstate Urology at Oswego Health moving to Fulton

Health Care, Subscriber Only

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

Already an Subcriber? Log in

Get Instant Access to This Article

Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.

Learn More and Become a Subscriber

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.

Already an Subcriber? Log in

Get Instant Access to This Article

Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.

Learn More and Become a Subscriber

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

Already an Subcriber? Log in

Get Instant Access to This Article

Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.

Learn More and Become a Subscriber

Get our email updates

Stay up-to-date on the companies, people and issues that impact businesses in Syracuse, Central New York and beyond.

Get our email updates

What's New

Upcoming Events

Project Homecoming Job & Career Fair 2025

Annual Nonprofit Conference 2026

2026 CenterState CEO Economic Forecast Breakfast

CNYBJ Job Board

Get Instant Access to This Article

Pharmacy technician role

Grant help, fee

Get Instant Access to This Article

Get Instant Access to This Article

It includes a flagship facility in Syracuse

Empire AI consortium

ON-RAMP centers

Investing in chips research

Get Instant Access to This Article

Get Instant Access to This Article

Get Instant Access to This Article

Get Instant Access to This Article

Offers cardiology, other medical services in new location

About Cayuga Health

Get Instant Access to This Article

About Dr. Kord

Get Instant Access to This Article

Kinney’s support

Get Instant Access to This Article

Get our email updates