By Andrea Harwood Palmer
CDPHP is acting as partner facilitator for a new multi-practice medical specialty complex located at 1785 Route 9 in Clifton Park.
“CDPHP, in partnership with a number of independent physical practices, is building what we consider to be the medical park of the future,” said Ali Skinner, CDPHP vice president of strategic communications. “The goal is to provide the ultimate patient experience in a state-of-the-art complex.”
Though April groundbreaking plans were delayed due to the COVID-19 crisis, the plan remains for the facility to open in late 2021.
Some ancillary services being considered are valet parking, a meditation room, an in-house pharmacy, a café and a centralized check-in area regardless of which practice someone is coming to see.
“We’re focusing on enhancing the patient experience with all the bells and whistles you get when you go into a non-medical facility. What are all those things a consumer wants and needs, and what does that look like when they go into a doctor’s office?” said Skinner.
Hudson Headwaters Renovated Women’s Center Has More Comprehensive Services
By Susan E. Campbell
Women’s Health, part of the Hudson Headwaters Health Network, reopened its doors following months of interior renovation.
The changes make the center at 90 South St. in Glens Falls “an optimal experience” with more comprehensive services for women and their families, according to practice leader Sally Howard.
“We expanded up and down,” said Howard, who has been with the practice for three years. “The physical expansion of the facility creates an environment where patients and providers feel they will get the best care.”
Hudson Headwaters Health Network has centers from Champlain down to Moreau and west to North Creek. The recently re-named Women’s Health became a part of the network in 2013, said Dr. Ted Denious, who co-leads it with Dr. Danielle Goertzen.
Saratoga And Glens Falls Hospitals Get Aid As Part Of the Federal CARES ACT
The federal government in May distributed more than $100.7 million to health care providers in the Capital Region as part of aid prompted by the pandemic.
Hospitals lead the regional list of recipients, with Albany Med’s $20.3 million at the top. But funds also went to providers such as physician groups and nursing homes. The non-hospital group that received the largest payment was New York Oncology Hematology, which received $3.5 million.
Glens Falls Hospital received $4.9 million. Saratoga Hospital received $7 million.
Inpatient and outpatient skilled nursing groups received some of the largest payments, including Wesley Health Care Center with $733,715.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is allocating $50 billion to providers as part of the CARES Act. Congress approved the funds to help health care providers offset lost revenue and increased expenses because of the COVID-19 crisis.
Health systems and physician groups have said
New Owner Of Alpine Lodge In North Creek Has All 36 Rooms Set Up For Health Safety
By Jennifer Farnsworth
The North Country expect the Alpine Lodge’s transformation into what new owner Keir Weimer describes as both a smart hotel and a property set up to keep people safe from COVID-19.
The real estate entrepreneur purchased the property at 264 Main St., North Creek, in late May for about $1.2 million.
Weimer, president of Adirondack Hospitality Ventures LLC, said she has worked to transform the 19-room property with top-level voice, streaming and energy-efficient technology as a way to provide guests with a modern, yet still rustic, experience. Weimer said the company is excited to show patrons the changes in technology.
But the top priority is safety. He said they have been working diligently to ensure the safety of their employees and guests in light of the coronavirus pandemic.
Thermal Camera Screening System Can Detect Elevated Body Temperatures
By Susan E. Campbell
Shepherd Communication & Security, an electronic security and structured wiring integrator, is helping client companies stop coronavirus “at the front door” by offering thermal cameras it says that screen people for elevated body temperature before they step into a business.
“Thermal imaging is a fairly mature technology that came out of the military 45 years ago,” said Richard Ruzzo, managing partner, who founded the company with Robert Guillerault in 2007. “Infrared thermal imaging today has a broad variety of medical applications for screening and diagnosing a patient in real time.”
Ruzzo said elevated body temperature levels (EBT ) are being captured extensively with cameras and scanners by first responders during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“EBT is highly correlated with sickness,” he said. “Identifying individuals with EBT as an early warning can dramatically slow the spread of viruses and infections,” he said.
Lobbies Slowly Re-Opening For Customers As Banks Come To Terms With Safety Rules
By Jennifer Farnsworth
As the Capital Region and North Country navigate their way through phases one and two of New York state’s reopening, phases, questions remain as to what is considered open for business and what’s not. Banks are no exception.
With decisions being made on a company-by-company basis, and sometimes even a branch-by-branch basis, local banks are working to roll out a plans that both meet customer needs while and state safety guidelines.
At NBT Bank, officials are evaluating conditions specific to each region and market. Customers are encouraged visit the company’s website to learn about branch hours and service options, before visiting any location. Crystal DeStefano, president and director of public relations for Strategic Communications LLC, which works for NBT, said they will be implementing a number of new protocols to ensure safety for customers and employees.
BNI Networking Group Replaces Face-To-Face Meetings With Weekly Online Sessions
By Andrea Harwood Palmer
Business Network International, known as BNI, has revamped its networking approach in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The group, which has chapters in Saratoga and Warren counties, refers to the transition as a “brand refresh.”
The international organization has more than 9,500 chapters worldwide. Eleven of these are in the Albany and surrounding region.
Michael Cruz, chapter director consultant for the Greater Glens Falls BNI chapter, said “there was a project already underway within BNI. We were figuring out how to turn live, face-to-face training, into online training. BNI had purchased 10 seats of Zoom to begin this training. Ironically, at the time, they thought they overbought. Then the shutdown happened, and BNI decided to re-purpose the training platforms into meeting platforms. By the third week of March, we’d launched BNI Online,” said Cruz.
“Almost immediately, we were able to do meetings online,” he said. “We produced a slide deck that mimicked the in-person meeting presentation as close as we could. For the most part, we kept the tenor of the meetings the same. Passing referrals, the one to ones that members do with each to build trust—all of this went to the Zoom platform. We tried to do everything we could to keep it flowing. And we were able to do it for all of our chapters.”
Personnel Briefs: June 2020
Advokate LLC in Glens Falls design and marketing firm, announced the hiring of Angela Nardin of Glens Falls as a graphic designer.
Nardin is a graduate of SUNY Adirondack with a media arts degree and also has a music degree from SUNY Adirondack.
She joined the company as an intern in April and was hired in the last week of May. She was a student ambassador at SUNY Adirondack, president of the Glens Falls High School Drama Club, designed the GFHS prom T-shirts and tickets, was president of the Glens Falls High School Octet, earned a scholarship when she won first place at Glens Falls’ senior art show.
Nardin was on the Dean’s List for all of her semesters of college. She previously was employed at Best Buy.
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Laurie Guyon, WSWHE BOCES assistant coordinator for model schools, was among five educators chosen nationwide by CoSN and EdScoop for the 2020 NextGen: Emerging EdTech Leaders Program.
Selection was based on their personal essays and the diversity of the populations they serve, among other criteria. CoSN said the designation goes to leaders with the hands-on experience and vision needed to ensure that technology makes a profound difference in education.