Month: May 2023

By Paul Post

A new facility offering day programs for people with traumatic brain injury, Alzheimer’s and dementia is now open, after a three-year delay caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

It replaces a facility that was in Fort Edward.

STRIVE, which stands for Supportive Techniques for Rebuilding Independence & Vital Experiences, is a program of nonprofit AIM Services that supports people with developmental and intellectual disabilities, including those with traumatic brain injuries and those looking for nursing home transition or diversion.

 STRIVE is for people in Saratoga, Warren and Washington counties, but participants may also come from the immediate Capital Region along with Fulton and Montgomery counties as well.

AIM is headquartered at 4227 Route 50 in Wilton, near the intersections of Old Gick and Ingersoll roads. Previously, STRIVE was housed at a somewhat remote location in Fort Edward, which presented transportation obstacles for many people.

The American College of Surgeons (ACS) has verified Albany Medical Center as a Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Center. 

Glens Falls Hospital is part of the Albany Med heath care system.

The Massry Family Children’s Emergency Center, which opened in 2018 as the region’s only designated pediatric emergency department, is the referral center for all seriously ill and injured children in a 25-county area of northeastern New York and western New England. Physicians in the center are fellowship-trained and board-certified in the specialty of pediatric emergency medicine.

The Level 1 verification is the highest a hospital can attain and comes after a rigorous review by the ACS Committee on Trauma to ensure the hospital is meeting all aspects of trauma care, prevention, rehabilitation, and more.

“The comprehensive and expert care provided to pediatric trauma patients at Albany Medical Center is second to none,” said Dr. Dennis P. McKenna, president and CEO of the Albany Med Health System. “As the region’s only Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Center, we are demonstrating our commitment to elevate the level of critical and emergency care provided to our youngest patients.”

The Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce will present a workshop about employee burnout 7:30-9 a.m. on Wednesday, May 17, at SUNY Adirondack, Scoville Learning Center, 640 Bay Road, Queensbury.

The ARCC Workplace Health & Wellness Council is coordinating “Stop, Drop and Roll: Addressing Burnout in the Workplace.” Sue McManus, executive director of Adirondack Employee Assistance Program will be the presenter.

As a follow up to the discussion from last year’s event Reclaim Your Brain, audience feedback requested further discussion around the issue of burnout in the workplace, how to identify it and how to address it, ARCC officials said. 

The discussion will assist in defining and identifying burnout, creating mindfulness exercises, enhancing the understanding of vicarious and collective trauma, providing tips on having difficult conversations about fatigue in the workplace, and discussing what employees can do to recover.

McManus is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) and certified employee assistance professional (CEAP). She has 40 years of experience in the mental wellness and addiction field, serving in many roles in the United Kingdom, Germany and the United States.