Category Archives: Healthcare

By Rod Bacon

The technologies used by dental professionals have steadily improved over the years, offering a less stressful experience for patients while helping dentists and hygienists provide the best care possible.

One technology that has only recently been widely accepted in the dental field is artificial intelligence, or AI. While AI was first described in 1950, several limitations in early models prevented widespread acceptance and application to medicine. In the early 2000s, many of these limitations were overcome by the advent of deep learning. Today, artificial intelligence is used in dentistry primarily for radiographic analysis, orthodontic treatment planning, clinical documentation and practice management. Programs such as Pearl, Overjet and VidealHealth are becoming increasingly popular in the diagnosis and treatment of oral health issues.

In 2024, Gregory P. Dodd, DDS, FAGD, owner of Family Dentistry based in Saratoga Springs, attended the annual Yankee Dental Conference in Boston. When he returned, he integrated Pearl Dental AI into his practice, where dentists in all nine of his locations use the technology.

In addition to offices on Church Street and Maple Avenue in Saratoga Springs, the practice offers a range of services in Clifton Park, Queensbury, South Glens Falls, Lake George, Greenwich, East Greenbush, and Gloversville.

“The program helps to read radiographs,” said Alex Ruckert, DDS, one of 15 dentists in the practice. “Instead of looking at a black-and-white image there are digital sensors that can be pulled up on a computer and then they can change colors so patients can see the parts of a tooth and understand the issue and how to correct it. It makes diagnosis much easier and communication with patients more focused.”

“A qualified dentist does not need artificial intelligence to identify obvious decay, bone loss, or other dental conditions,” added Dr. Dodd. “What AI does exceptionally well is present that information in a visual format that is easier for patients to understand. It transforms what can often feel like a complex grayscale image into a more intuitive educational tool. The result is that patients become more engaged in the discussion of their oral health.”

By Rod Bacon

It’s a fact of life that as people age they often lose the ability to perform the daily tasks they once could. It’s also a fact that one’s home is what provides the greatest amount of comfort and peace of mind when dealing with life’s challenges.

Home Instead, founded in 1994 in Omaha, Nebraska, by Paul and Lori Hogan, is a non-medical senior care company with over 1,200 franchised locations in the United States and abroad.

In 2000, Nelson Carpenter, who had retired from a 33-year career in both the public and private sectors, became a Home Instead franchisee when he opened an office in Gansevoort serving Saratoga, Warren and Washington counties.

“He researched home care companies and decided Home Instead was the best one with which to partner,” said his daughter, Maureen Hopkins, R.N., general manager and co-owner. “I came on board  later to help out in the office for a while, discovered I loved it and never left.”

Carpenter was director of employee health benefits for the New York City Mayor’s Office of Labor Relations and later deputy director of the New York State Governor’s Office of Employee Relations. In the private sector he served as vice president of Value Health, Inc. and national vice president of Prudential Healthcare.

After moving to the area he served on the board of directors of the Senior Center of Saratoga Springs, the Visiting Nurse Services Foundation of Schenectady and Saratoga Springs, and the Alzheimer’s Association of Northeastern NY. 

By Paul Post

A $340,000 renovation is positioning Southern Adirondack Independent Living (SAIL) to better serve the more than 7,000 clients it serves each year.

Project highlights include a new roof; a re-milled, regraded and resurfaced parking lot and a totally revamped grand entryway at the non-profit agency’s building, at 71 Glenwood Avenue in Queensbury.

“We’re really working to make SAIL a regular household name that promotes inclusivity, belonging and welcomeness,” Executive Director Tyler Whitney said. “This brand new, nice looking, welcoming environment really lends itself to our spirit right now.”

During construction, scheduled for completion by late June, SAIL continues to serve people at Aviation Mall, in a temporary space adjacent to Auntie Anne’s.

Founded almost 40 years ago, SAIL’s mission is to help people live more independently, and demand has grown almost exponentially in recent years because Warren County has one of the state’s oldest populations age-wise.

“As people are aging, they have more temporary disabilities and are using our services a lot more,” Whitney said.

Equipment loans for things such as wheelchairs, crutches and walkers is one of SAIL’s most well-known and popular services, totally free to eligible clients. But it’s one of just 15 services the agency provides in a territory stretching from Columbia and Greene counties north to the Canadian border.

In addition to Queensbury, SAIL has satellite offices in Plattsburgh and at Wilton Mall. Other services run the gamut from health insurance to advocacy, education about disability and health-related topics, and helping families understand options to avoid long-term nursing home stays.

by Christine Graf

During the past decade, the number of board-certified physician assistants (PAs) has increased more than 75 percent, with more than 168,000 currently practicing in the field. Each year, PAs are responsible for more than 500 million patient interactions, collaborating with physicians and surgeons to diagnose and treat patients.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that the PA profession will increase 28 percent from 2021 to 2031. Currently, the demand for PAs is so high that 75 percent of graduates receive multiple job offers upon graduation.

In the late 1960s, Duke University established the country’s first physician assistant program. There are now 245 accredited programs in the United States, one of them at Albany Medical College where 42 PAs graduate each year from the 28-month program. Established in 1972, Albany Med’s PA program began as a collaboration with Hudson Valley Community College.

By Jill Nagy

The Workplace Health and Wellness Council of the Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce tries to spread a culture of wellness in the business community. An all-volunteer committee plans monthly meetings with guest speakers on timely topics.

The May meeting, Wellness from Head to Toe, focused on mental health as well as physical wellness. 

“It was a really beautiful panel,” said Ava Kanninen, the council liaison and the chamber’s membership chair. “It was beautiful to see these women calling back to the other speakers’ messages,” she added. 

All three speakers that month were women. Erin Kivitski, a psychologist and wellness coordinator, moderated the program. Speakers were Susan McManus, a mental health and addiction specialist; Cathy Reichen, a physical therapist who manages the return to work program at Glens Falls Hospital; and Lyndsey Brainard, who discussed the importance of access to nourishing food.

The June meeting will observe Pride Month with a look at LBGTQ health issues, led by Pam Cardinale of Lower Adirondack Pride. July’s meeting will focus on gun safety. In August, the council will work with the Glens Falls Collaborative on a celebration of city parks. Earlier meetings this year examined autism awareness, colorectal cancer, and breast cancer awareness. 

By Christine Graf

For the past 45 years, Constance “Conni” Tucker has been volunteering her time, serving the community as a member of the Bay Ridge Rescue Squad. Tucker joined the squad in 1979, receiving her EMS certification while attending nursing school. Working her way up the ladder, she was certified as a paramedic in the 1990s.

The daughter of a City of Glens Falls firefighter, Tucker describes herself as a “nurturer by trade.”

“When I was a kid, I brought home stray dogs, stray cats, stray people—anyone who needed help. That’s how I ended up in health care.”

After working as a board certified emergency room nurse for 25 years, Tucker left nursing, embarking on a career in real estate. A licensed real estate agent, she works for Howard Hanna Real Estate Services in Queensbury.

“I was suffering from significant burnout after being in the ER for so long, and I found that real estate was a different way of taking care of people,” she said.

Through it all, Tucker has remained a fixture at Bay Ridge, one of three ambulance squads that serve the Town of Queensbury. In 2023, two of the squads—Bay Ridge and North Queensbury—joined forces, now operating as one agency with a combined board of directors.  

“It’s always been my hope that the three rescue squads in the Town of Queensbury would become one rescue squad. It’s a goal I have had a hand in working towards for over 20 years. By combining the agencies, you are able to give better care to the residents. That’s always been the goal,” said Tucker.

By Susan Elise Campbell

Over his 33-year career at Glens Falls Hospital, Paul Scimeca, president and CEO since January 2022, has seen dramatic changes, both at the hospital and in the community.

These changes are shifting more of the hospital’s attention to the needs of seniors and to behavioral transformations among the population in general, according to Scimeca.

“The community we are privileged to care for is aging,” he said. “As people grow older and live longer, we need to focus on chronic disease in a way that continues to evolve with the population and mirrors the needs of the community.”

Within the past three years Glens Falls Hospital developed a state-designated Center of Excellence for Alzheimers Disease and received certification for its Stroke Center, he said. The demand for these health services follows the population curve.

“The C.R. Wood Cancer Center is one of the first projects I worked on when I came to the Hospital more than 30 years ago,” he said. “The center continues to grow as it becomes more successful in identifying, treating and helping individuals of all ages survive cancer.”

Chronic decease and mental health services are of equal priority to the hospital and are equally challenging, according to Scimeca.

“Emergency care has changed significantly over the years,” said Scimeca. “Some conditions have to be treated immediately, so care starts right in the emergency department.”

One of the current priorities, and a personal priority for Scimeca as well, is to renovate and expand the emergency department, since “it was not built for the kind of care that must be delivered today,” he said.

“The facility is currently constrained functionally by the design of the department,” Scimeca said. “The hospital is at the beginning stages of planning for both a slight expansion and a full renovation.”