Townsend named coordinator for Oneida County STOP-DWI

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UTICA, N.Y. — Oneida County Executive Anthony J. Picente, Jr. recently appointed Eric Townsend as the county’s new STOP-DWI coordinator. He officially began in his

Schumer seeks funding boost to prevent opioid overdoses

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SYRACUSE, N,Y, — U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D–N.Y.) wants an additional $3.2 billion in federal funding to help the nation and Central New York organizations like Helio Health to combat opioid addiction. Schumer’s office referred to it as a “public health crisis.” The senator cited a recent local news report indicating fatal overdoses

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Schumer’s office referred to it as a “public health crisis.” The senator cited a recent local news report indicating fatal overdoses in Onondaga County have increased more than 100 percent over the last six years.

The Democrat wants lawmakers to increase funding for three specific goals within the National Drug Control Strategy: prevention, treatment and recovery.

The increase in funding will allow Central New York organizations like Helio Health to tap more dollars to further support evidence-based prevention, treatment, and addiction-recovery services, Schumer added.

Schumer spoke during a June 20 visit to Helio Health’s regional addiction-treatment center at 329 N. Salina St. in Syracuse.

“The data shows that Syracuse and Central New York are on the front line of the opioid scourge, and today’s push is to supercharge the funds that can have a meaningful impact saving lives,” Schumer said. “In far too many communities, including Central New York, the pandemic has made opioid addiction and its health impacts worse. That is why we need an all-of-the-above approach: more interdiction, prevention, treatment and recovery, to fight the flow of drugs, and more effectively assist those who are suffering from addiction.”

Onondaga County had 186 opioid overdose deaths in 2021, a 19 percent increase from the previous record-high 156 deaths in 2020, Schumer’s office said. The “epidemic has been made worse by a scourge of fentanyl” in Syracuse and across upstate New York, the senator added.

“I’ve already talked to the White House about this and I am confident we can get bipartisan support for this supercharge, as well, because we are seeing this as a national trend in many ways, transcending ideology and the like,” Schumer said.

An additional $3.2 billion for the National Drug Control Strategy would boost the total pot to $42.5 billion, per Schumer’s office.

With the overall boost in funding, Schumer said Onondaga County would “absolutely” receive more funding to help combat the “pandemic-fueled increases” in opioid addiction.

ConnextCare Pulaski project brings much-needed updates

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PULASKI, N.Y. — Crews have begun work on a project that seeks to bring “much-needed updates” to the ConnextCare health center at 61 Delano St. in Pulaski. ConnextCare is an Oswego County health-care provider. It was previously known as NOCHSI, or Northern Oswego County Health Services Inc. The project will include a covered drive-thru testing

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Work begins on Georgia–based firm’s $16M hatchery project in Watertown

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WATERTOWN, N.Y. — Construction work is underway on a project that will be the largest hatchery in New York State and that is expected to create 20 new full-time jobs. CWT Farms International on June 15 broke ground on a $16 million chick hatchery in the town of Watertown. The upcoming 50,000-square-foot hatchery is located at

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WATERTOWN, N.Y. — Construction work is underway on a project that will be the largest hatchery in New York State and that is expected to create 20 new full-time jobs.

CWT Farms International on June 15 broke ground on a $16 million chick hatchery in the town of Watertown.

The upcoming 50,000-square-foot hatchery is located at the Thousand Islands International Agriculture and Business Park in Jefferson County, Empire State Development (ESD) said in its announcement.

For more than 60 years, Gainesville, Georgia–based CWT has produced “high standard” broiler hatching eggs for its global customer base, ESD noted, describing CWT Farms International as a “recognized leader” in hatching egg exports into Canada.

The Watertown facility will include a laboratory and high-tech equipment to incubate, vaccinate, and handle eggs and live chicks. It will also include specialized equipment for each stage of the production process, ESD noted.

The facility was initially planned to handle 500,000 eggs to produce 400,000 chicks per week and grow to handle up to 1 million eggs to produce 800,000 chicks by 2025. In a change in plans, CWT Farms International will now open at full capacity.

A project rendering describes it as a “Lundy Group Project” and bears the logo of LUNCO Design Build, a Lundy Group company that’s led by President Michael Lundy, a well-known North Country developer.

“Jefferson County is an ideal location to place our new hatchery and I could not be more thankful for the support and partnership at the State and local levels, and from our supply chain and construction partners who really helped get this project off the ground,” Jeff Pierce, VP of marketing and strategic alliances at CWT Farms International, said. “Without this support from Empire State Development and the JCIDA, this project would not have become a reality.”

To encourage this project’s success and job-creation goals, the North Country Regional Economic Development Council (NCREDC) recommended a $1 million ESD capital grant and up to $500,000 in performance-based Excelsior Jobs Program tax credits. In addition, CWT Farms will be the first agriculture-production company in the new Thousand Islands Agriculture and Business Park, which was made possible with a $500,000 ESD capital grant recommended by the NCREDC.

“CWT Farms International’s state-of-the-art facility spotlights the North Country as an incubator for agribusiness innovation,” Hope Knight, president, CEO, and commissioner of Empire State Development, said. “We’re proud to support this project, which will create new jobs, strengthen cross-border business and add to regional growth.”

David Zembiec, CEO of Jefferson County Economic Development, thanked CWT Farms International for choosing to locate in Jefferson County.

“CWT had many options in different states for their new facility and the North Country, as the State’s gateway to Canada, and the state’s previous investment in Thousand Islands International Agriculture and Business Park, put Jefferson County on top,” Zembiec said. “We are looking forward to watching this company grow in the region.”

Crews complete improvements to Chittning Pond in Oneida County

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SANGERFIELD, N.Y. — Crews recently finished improvements along Chittning Pond in the town of Sangerfield in Oneida County, including rehabilitation of the dam that impounds the pond and an enhanced fishing-access site. The 70-acre pond located in the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s (DEC) Albert J. Woodford Memorial State Forest is home to

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The 70-acre pond located in the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s (DEC) Albert J. Woodford Memorial State Forest is home to a warm-water fishery and provides habitat for a multitude of bird, amphibian, reptile, and mammal species.

“DEC is committed to enhancing and improving facilities and infrastructure on state lands and sites to provide quality recreational experiences and make visiting these destinations safer and more enjoyable for all,” DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos said in a release. “Chittning Pond is a regional asset for anglers and improvements to the dam and fishing accessibility will help attract more visitors who enjoy largemouth bass and panfish, as well as those just looking for a place to experience Oneida County’s natural surroundings.”

Repairs to the 60-year-old dam bring the structure into compliance with New York State dam-safety regulations. Work began in 2021 and was completed in coordination with the New York State Office of General Services (OGS). The projects were funded with $1.5 million from NY Works.

Improvements include:

• Removing woody vegetation from the upstream embankment slope and placing stone rip rap for wave-erosion protection;

• Repairing a depression on the downstream embankment slope;

• Cleaning and lining the twin service spillway outlet pipes;

• Improving the service spillway-intake structure stop log system;

• Replacing the non-operational low-level outlet sluice gate; and

• Cleaning and lining the low-level outlet discharge pipe

DEC also replaced the existing fishing pier with an access site more accessible to people with disabilities. Combined with the project’s other improvements, the enhanced fishing-access site will bolster Chittning Pond’s status as a regional fishing destination, the department contends. Fish found in the pond include largemouth bass, black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, chain pickerel, golden shiner, largemouth bass, pumpkinseed, white sucker, and yellow perch. The harvest season for largemouth bass began June 15; bass measuring more than 17 inches have been reported at the pond.

The Albert J. Woodford Memorial Forest contains 2,664 acres, the majority of which is former pasture and cropland. Tassel Hill, located in the northern portion of the property, is the point of highest elevation in Oneida County. The state forest was created for the purposes of reforestation, wildlife management, timber production, recreation, and watershed protection.

Adirondack Railroad has bustling 2022 schedule

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UTICA, N.Y. — After two years of reduced pandemic offerings, the Adirondack Railroad has already kicked off a season packed full of events and celebrates its 30th anniversary this July. “It was difficult to get through,” Adirondack Railway Preservation Society, Inc. board member and marketing committee member Vince Sperrazza says of the past two years

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UTICA, N.Y. — After two years of reduced pandemic offerings, the Adirondack Railroad has already kicked off a season packed full of events and celebrates its 30th anniversary this July.

“It was difficult to get through,” Adirondack Railway Preservation Society, Inc. board member and marketing committee member Vince Sperrazza says of the past two years when the railroad’s activities were either paused or modified due to COVID-19 restrictions. The society, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit, operates the railroad. A loan, since paid off, helped keep things afloat during the pandemic, and the organization just tightened its belt to get through, he says.

“Rail bikes really helped us get through,” Sperrazza recalls. For a time early in the pandemic, they had to park the trains, and once the society had permission to operate them, it had to follow COVID protocols.

The railroad’s “Polar Express” train did run in 2021, but with fewer actors on board and changes like handing out mugs and packets of cocoa for passengers to take with them rather than serving the hot chocolate on board.

The rail bikes — four-seater “bikes” that people can pedal up and down the tracks — proved to be a great pandemic-friendly option, Sperrazza says. During the pandemic, the railroad rented bikes to just one party at a time. The downside of that was that if a party was less than four people, they still had to rent all four seats.

“Now we are back to where you can get two seats and maybe two people you don’t know are in the other two seats,” he says. The Adirondack Railroad runs two different rail bike routes. One runs from Thendara to Big Moose and back, while the other runs south from Thendara along the Moose River before turning around and heading back.

There are many returning favorites. Tickets are already on sale for this year’s Polar Express. The railroad also has a bunch of new offerings on the schedule this year.

“We started this season running winter trains for the first time,” Sperrazza says. “For the first time ever, we ran a dinner train in February. It sold out completely.”

Following on that success, the railroad will offer dinner trains this summer. The railroad is also partnering with Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute to bundle a curated tour of the institute’s Normal Rockwell exhibit with a beer and wine train from Utica to Remsen and back. Finally, the railroad extended its line this year and will run trains from Thendara to Beaver River.

It’s all about getting people back out there and providing opportunities for them to ride the rails and enjoy themselves, Sperrazza says.

The first revenue run of the railroad was July 4, 1992, after a group of volunteers cleared track to make the run possible. On July 9, the railroad will honor those volunteers along with train crews and others who helped launch what has now become the second largest tourism attraction in Oneida County, according to the railroad.

The 30th anniversary events begin at noon at the railroad’s Thendara station at 2568 State Route 28, following the arrival of the regular excursion train from Utica. There will be tributes, railroad-themed music, and refreshments. The railroad will sell commemorative items celebrating the milestone.

“Our success during the past 30 years of providing service is due to the hundreds of volunteers who have contributed tens of thousands of hours of time,” board president Frank Kobliski said in a news release. “Many of those being honored have volunteered time and effort since our beginning. Keeping the right of way clear, answering questions from passengers on trains, operating locomotives, and helping make smiles for children on the Polar Express are all part of making the Adirondack Railroad experience memorable.”

On-site therapy key to aging in place at assisted-living community

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NEW HARTFORD, N.Y. — The Community at Sunset Wood says it has found a way to bring therapy services to residents, improving their quality of life and helping to mitigate issues such as falling. As an independent-living facility, the state Department of Health does not permit Sunset Wood to offer such services itself. However, through

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NEW HARTFORD, N.Y. — The Community at Sunset Wood says it has found a way to bring therapy services to residents, improving their quality of life and helping to mitigate issues such as falling.

As an independent-living facility, the state Department of Health does not permit Sunset Wood to offer such services itself. However, through a partnership with RISE Senior Living of Hunt Valley, Maryland, on-site physical and occupational therapy services are now available to residents.

“They’ve really perfected what it takes to get a clinician into a place like ours and make it successful,” says Dominick Manfredo, executive director and CEO of the Community at Sunset Wood. The community built out its wellness center last year in anticipation of adding therapy services.

It’s important to be able to offer these services on site for several reasons, he notes. First, when services are on-site, residents are more likely to use them. Mobility and transportation issues can be problematic getting residents to off-site services, he adds.

The services are important because they improve independence and mobility for residents, Manfredo says. It keeps them from advancing to the next level of care such as assisted living. “We want people to age in place and live in their own homes as long as they can,” he says.

It also means fewer falls and other incidents that might require getting additional care for residents. Since RISE started working with residents, the number of falls decreased 57 percent. Some tenants that participate in Sunset Wood’s internal wellness program have gone from being near-constant fall risks during walking activities to now being able to walk a mile in about 30 minutes after receiving therapy. More than 30 percent of residents are utilizing therapy services.

Manfredo says one of the things that makes the RISE program so successful is that “they look at the total person and how they’re living.” Therapists can visit a resident’s apartment and get a full picture of their daily life.

It might seem odd, he notes, but a therapist was able to eliminate one resident’s fall risk by discovering his shoes were too big and making him fall.

“It’s helping people age with better quality,” Manfredo says. “It’s helping them get engaged and get involved in our programs.” RISE bills therapy services directly to Medicare, third-party payors, or the residents themselves.

With their recharged mobility, residents will celebrate The Community at Sunset Wood’s 140th anniversary this summer during the community’s annual Summerfest party for residents and their families. The event, which will highlight renovations made to the community’s common area, also serves as its annual fundraiser.

Located at 118 Genesee St. in New Hartford, The Community at Sunset Wood, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, offers an aging-in-place model for senior housing offered at or below market rate. Housing includes 43 suites and 24 penthouses available to seniors ages 62 or older.

RISE Senior Living is a HealthPRO Heritage brand. HealthPRO provides therapy-management and consultation services to organizations including hospitals, outpatient facilities, assisted and independent living communities, home-health agencies, and more.

Lawmakers to consider Onondaga County’s senior stimulus program

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SYRACUSE, N.Y. — The Onondaga County Legislature will take up a proposed senior household stimulus program during its legislative session scheduled for July 5. Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon proposed the program during his 2022 State of the County address. It calls for eligible senior households to receive a one-time $200 stimulus to assist in

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Rome Health partners with SOS to offer hip and knee joint care in Rome

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ROME, N.Y. — Those in need of hip and knee joint care in the Mohawk Valley might not have to travel as far to find a doctor thanks to a new collaboration between Rome Health and Syracuse Orthopedic Specialists (SOS). Rome Health recently announced a team of four SOS joint-replacement surgeons will work with the

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Rome Health recently announced a team of four SOS joint-replacement surgeons will work with the Rome Health orthopedic team at Rome Health Orthopedics & Sports Medicine, located in Chestnut Commons at 107 East. Chestnut St.

SOS orthopedic surgeons Stephen P. Bogosian, Max R. Greenky, Kevin A. Kopko, and Anthony M. Orio will provide in-office visits, consultations, and surgical services at Rome Health for the convenience of patients. Surgical patients will meet with Rome

Health’s therapy team prior to surgery to create a rehabilitation plan and schedule their first post-operative appointment.

“What we hear from the community is that they want to receive their care locally,” says Ryan Thompson, chief operating officer at Rome Health. Not every patient has the means or ability to travel out of the area to receive the care they need, he notes, so Rome Health figured out a way to bring that care to them.

As a community hospital, Rome Health’s mission is to provide the best care it can to the community it serves, he adds.

“Partnerships really do provide that access,” Thompson says. Rome Health decided to

partner with SOS because the two organizations have similar philosophies of care, he says. SOS focuses on evidenced-based protocols and pathways to better manage pain, minimize the risk of complications, and provide the best outcome for patients.

“We are pleased to welcome SOS here at Rome Health,” President/CEO AnnMarie W. Czyz said in a statement. “Since opening its doors in 1999, Syracuse Orthopedic Specialists has been a leading name in providing comprehensive orthopedic care.”

Bogosian, who served four years in the military, earned a bachelor’s degree from the United States Military Academy at West Point and his medical degree from SUNY Upstate Medical University. He completed post-graduate training in California, New

York, and Massachusetts, including an adult reconstructive surgery fellowship at New England Baptist Hospital.

Greenky completed a fellowship in adult reconstruction surgery at the Duke University Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and completed his residency and internship at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, where he was named academic chief resident in 2019. He received his medical degree from the Sydney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University and his bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania.

Kopko earned his medical degree from Penn State College of Medicine and completed an orthopedic residency at Stony Brook University Hospital. He completed a fellowship in joint replacement surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital, part of the Harvard combined orthopedic surgery program in Boston.

Orio is a fellowship-trained orthopedic surgery and completed an adult reconstruction fellowship at the NYU Langone Medical Center/Hospital for Joint Diseases and the Insall Scott Kelly Institute. He was the administrative chief resident while completing his residency at Boston University. Orio received his medical degree from the Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.

Rome Health, a nonprofit health-care system, provides services ranging from primary and specialty care to long-term care. It is an affiliate of St. Joseph’s Health and an affiliated clinical site of New York Medical College.

Transport robots delivering medicine, meals at Upstate University Hospital

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SYRACUSE, N.Y. — A small fleet of robots is providing help at Upstate University Hospital, transporting items such as medicine and meals around the facility. SUNY Upstate Medical University has invested in a fleet of 14 TUG robots manufactured by Aethon Inc., which produces mobile robots that perform delivery and transportation tasks in hospitals and

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SYRACUSE, N.Y. — A small fleet of robots is providing help at Upstate University Hospital, transporting items such as medicine and meals around the facility.

SUNY Upstate Medical University has invested in a fleet of 14 TUG robots manufactured by Aethon Inc., which produces mobile robots that perform delivery and transportation tasks in hospitals and other facilities.

A TUG is an autonomous mobile hauling robot designed specifically for hospitals, Upstate University Hospital said.

More than a year ago, Upstate said it determined that “given the state of the technology and the challenges that COVID presented to its supply chain, along with staff shortages on the horizon,” that it would invest in robotic-transport technology.

Upstate has used robots to perform minimally invasive surgeries, including brain surgery, and they’ll now “serve another role by helping alleviate staff shortages brought on by Covid.”

The use of the TUGS will free up “critical time” for medical staff to focus on patient care, the health-care organization noted.

Beginning with the transport of drugs from the pharmacy within the hospital to the cancer center, Upstate plans to use the new fleet of transport robots to also transport medical supplies, drugs, linen, meals, and, potentially, even clinical equipment.

The robot uses lidar, laser, sonar, and infrared sensors to navigate. It can get on and off the elevator. When it arrives at its destination it can let itself in. And each of its seven drawers can only be unlocked at the destination it was programmed for and by the person the delivery is for.

The fleet of 14 TUGS are all about four feet tall and can travel at a rate of 30 inches per second. On average, TUGS are traveling 370 miles a week around hospitals, delivering thousands of pharmacy orders, linens and meals, among other things.

“The possibilities are endless and only bound by what can be safely transported,” Steve Roberts, director of autonomous machines at Upstate, said. “Even now, we are thinking about how best to integrate these robots with drones. As our nationally recognized drone program continues to evolve, this handoff will become essential to supporting the transport needs of our remote sites.”

Upstate says hospitals across the country are turning to robots to help with staff and nursing shortages and the medical-robot market is projected to grow into a $43 billion industry in the next five years. Currently, 37 Veterans Affairs hospitals use the same TUGS made by Aethon, as does Stanford Hospital and University of California San Francisco Medical Center.

Preparing to use

In order to use the robots, Upstate University Hospital officials had to map the entire facility so the robots can navigate. They also had to upgrade the elevators so the robot server and the elevator server could communicate.

Roberts said he put in the order for the first TUG in November and then had to immediately order 13 more since the need for help has been “so great.” He would normally have six months to a year to plan and figure out logistics, but the robot roll out is moving “much more quickly than he anticipated because the process so far has been very smooth,” Upstate said.

A team of 20 staff members from different departments meets every other week to “figure things out,” including programming the best route for the first TUG to take from the pharmacy over the bridge to the Cancer Center, Roberts noted.

Three robots, also called TUG Drawers, have a set of secure drawers and can carry up to 500 pounds. Health-care providers can use the drawers for anything, such as medicine, samples, or food.

Roberts said one will be stationed at the main reception area to bring patient belongings up to nursing stations.

The additional units, called TUG T3s, include a flat bed with a lifting mechanism and can carry up to 1,000 pounds. They can drop off and pick up carts of food trays, linens, or refuse.

Upstate will first use the units in the hospital pharmacy, the 6I Nursing station, Food and Nutrition and Distribution. Eventually, Roberts said, the TUGS can deliver food and coffee to units as well.

Upstate will also use the TUGs in the upcoming Nappi Wellness Building, which is scheduled to open in the spring of 2023. Upstate plans to meet the needs of this new facility, at least in part, by using the transport robot to move material in from the hospital.

“Anything you can put on a cart and move around, these things can carry,” Roberts said.

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