Category Archives: Healthcare

A new partnership between Albany Medical College and several regional health organizations provides a unique opportunity for medical students to gain early clinical exposure.

The Introductory Longitudinal Clerkship (ILC), part of the Medical College’s major curriculum modification, places first year medical students with primary care physicians throughout the community. 

Since January, 145 medical students have attended regular half-day sessions with primary care physicians from Community Care Physicians, St. Peter’s Health Partners (SPHP), the Stratton VA Medical Center, Albany Med Health System members Columbia Memorial Health and Saratoga Hospital, as well as several private practices.

The ILC gives students the opportunity to work with the same physician preceptors as they provide care to their patients over time. Traditionally, medical students would not start clinical patient care training until the third year of medical school.

“Such early longitudinal clinical experiences with positive physician role models have been shown to help students develop foundational clinical skills, self-confidence, empathy toward patients, and a sense of professional identity,” said Dr. Alan Boulos. “We’re grateful to our community partners who have so generously volunteered their time to help us educate the next generation of physicians.”

The early exposure to patient care has also been shown to promote student career interest in primary care fields such as family practice, internal medicine, and pediatrics. This is of particular importance to area health organizations and the medical community as they try to meet the challenges of an ongoing shortage of primary care physicians, officials said.

The organizations participating recognize the mutual benefit that such a strategic medical education partnership provides.

New York state is making a $1 billion transformative, multi-year investment to overhaul its continuum of mental health care and drastically reduce the number of New Yorkers with unmet mental health needs. 

The Mental Health Care Plan was passed as part of the 2024 state budget, and will increase inpatient psychiatric treatment capacity, dramatically expand outpatient services, boost insurance coverage, and develop thousands of more units of supportive and transitional housing for people with mental illness, officials said. 

“Since the onset of the pandemic, more than one in three New Yorkers has either personally sought or knows someone in need of mental health care, and our young people are reporting distress at rates unlike anything we’ve ever seen,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said. “My Mental Health Care Plan marks an historic shift in our approach towards addressing mental health challenges, reversing years of neglect to our system and bringing bold investments to ensure that every New Yorker has access to high-quality care. This plan uses an all-hands-on-deck approach that utilizes community resources at every level to meet the needs all New Yorkers in every corner of our state.”

The 2024 budget provides $890 million in capital and $120 million in operating funding to establish and operate 3,500 new residential units serving those with mental health challenges. It also includes $30 million to expand mental health services for school-aged children throughout the state, including $20 million for school-based mental health services and $10 million to implement wraparound services training. 

Additionally, the budget includes $10 million to strengthen suicide prevention programs for high-risk youth.

State Office of Mental Health Commissioner Dr. Ann Sullivan said the state plan “is a thoughtful and comprehensive strategy that will dramatically increase access to mental health services in communities all across the state, including those that have been underserved for many years. The historic initiatives she’s championed will help ensure that all of New York’s children, adults, and families have access to the mental health support and services they may need.”

U.S. employees have high expectations for green office spaces and expect more eco-friendly practices from their employers, according to new research released by hygiene and health company, Essity, which has nearly 350 workers  at its paper mill in South Glens Falls, its converting facility in Greenwich and its distribution center in Saratoga. 

The company recently conducted a survey of employees who have returned to the office at least part-time since COVID-19 and found that the majority of employees (75 percent) say they want a more environmentally-friendly office.  

The research also found that those surveyed have become markedly “greener” than before the pandemic began. Just over half of employees working from an office (51 percent) say they became more eco-conscious while working from home during lockdown periods. 

Another 46 percent say they feel more aware of how ‘green’ their workplace is then when they worked in the pre-pandemic office.  In fact, more than half (58 percent) feel their office is ‘shamefully eco-unfriendly’, with one-third (34 percent) believing the introduction of eco-friendly practices within their workplace is usually an afterthought.  

“Working from home and in their personal spaces during the pandemic increased employees’ attention on what it takes to create environmentally friendly workplaces and employers should take note – especially those looking to retain and attract talent in this market,” said Don Lewis, president of Essity’s professional hygiene business. “Our research shows that as many as four in ten employees prioritize companies based on their sustainability reputation and actions when looking for a new job. Increasing eco-friendly priorities in the workplace and empowering employees can create a greener office while helping drive employee engagement.”  

A new staffing agency will provide contract nursing staff to the hospitals and facilities of the Albany Med Health System, including Saratoga Hospital and Glens Falls Hospital. 

The Albany Med Health System (AMHS) Staffing Alliance was formed in April of 2021 as an affiliate of the VNA of Albany and became fully operational in October of 2021. Its mission is to provide a strategic source of contract nurses exclusively for the Albany Med health system’s facilities to fill temporary staffing gaps, and to provide flexible, temporary work schedules that meet individual and system needs.

“The AMHS Staffing Alliance is an appealing option for nurses who are interested in an Albany Med Health System hospital or facility but due to their current situations, prefer temporary nursing assignments instead of a permanent position,” said Susan Larman, RN, CEO of VNA of Albany. “Interested candidates can work with a dedicated team to help find flexible work schedules with their choice of these four highly reputable hospitals that make up the Albany Med Health System. It is a mutually beneficial opportunity for the candidates and the System facilities.”

The AMHS Staffing Alliance differs from private staffing agencies in that it is not focused on supporting multiple customers in several markets.

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.