Glens Falls Business Journal

Hudson Headwaters Renovated Women’s Center Has More Comprehensive Services

May 14, 2020

A staffer works at the newly renovated Women’s Center in Glens Falls.
Courtesy Hudson Headwaters Health Network

By Susan E. Campbell

Women’s Health, part of the Hudson Headwaters Health Network, reopened its doors on April 6 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.

Stewart’s Shops Offers Funds To Help Nonprofit Groups During The Current Crisis

May 14, 2020

Stewart’s Shops, which has a longstanding history of giving back to nonprofits in local communities, has started a fund to help.

“During these difficult times, the need is even more prevalent” to help nonprofits, a company news release said. “The coronavirus virus has impacted different groups in different ways.

Stewart’s is encouraging nonprofits impacted by COVID-19 to reach out for additional help for sustainability. Grants will be given on a case by case scenario as they come in. There is no deadline for submission.

As of April 30, the company reported nearly $200,000 in grants had been awarded.

With an increased demand on services, many nonprofits are experiencing strains on budget, staffing and resources. “Whether you are a food pantry feeding families in need or a concert venue/theater uncertain about the future with ticket sales on hold for an indefinite time; there is no doubt that these current circumstances are difficult for everyone,” the company said.

COVID-19 Issues Cause Slowdown In Sales At Medical Device Maker AngioDynamics

May 14, 2020

In the three months prior to the pandemic, AngioDynamics reported sales of $69.8 million, but like many corporations, COVID-19 has had an adverse effect on business.

By Christine Graf

Medical device manufacturer AngioDynamics is experiencing a decline in sales as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the three months prior to the pandemic, the company reported sales of $69.8 million. This represented a 6.5 percent increase compared to the prior-year quarter, according to the company. The growth was in all three of its business units—oncology, vascular interventions and therapies, and vascular access.

Officials said sales for medical device manufacturers began to plummet after hospitals were forced to postpone non-essential surgeries—surgeries that are able to be delayed without placing undue risk to the current or future health of a patient. These surgeries typically account for 40 to 50 percent of revenue at U.S. hospital.

“Because our customers are healthcare providers, many of the cases we support have been reclassified as elective,” said AngioDynamics communications director Saleem Cheeks.

Hudson Headwaters Finds Telehealth Network A Big Help During Pandemic

May 14, 2020

If anything good comes from the COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth will fall into that category, Hudson Headwaters Health Network Chief Medical Informatics Officer Dr. Kevin Gallagher said.

“I think this is an exciting time in health care and a really great opportunity for us to redesign our care delivery,” he said in an interview about the organization’s telehealth program, which expanded rapidly to accommodate COVID-19 concerns and social distancing guidelines.

“I think we’re just at the tip of the iceberg with how we can get creative with this.”

Hudson Headwaters Community Relations Manager Jane Hooper said the network was planning to introduce telehealth this year over a number of months, but the pandemic dramatically upped that timeline.

Gallagher joined Hudson Headwaters March 2, and just days later telehealth became the main focus of his work as the organization had to start addressing how to minimize COVID-19 exposure for patients and providers.

NYS Builders Association Asks Gov. Cuomo To Start Now, Not Take Phased-In Approach

May 14, 2020

The New York State Builders Association has gone on record to ask the state to allow construction to resume right away—statewide—rather than wait for the proposed phased approach by region that the governor has outlined.

Lewis Dubuque, association executive vice president, said in a May 4 statement that homebuilders “have a limited time-frame based on the weather to undertake construction of residential housing. It is critical for the building industry to get back to work to capture as much of the remaining construction season as possible,” according to the statement.

“Residential construction companies that reside in areas that border other states further risk losing valuable subcontractors who may search for employment in Pennsylvania, Connecticut, New Jersey and Ohio where construction is currently ramping up,” he said.

In late April, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo outlined a phased plan to re-open New York and re-imagine a new normal for the state starting with construction and manufacturing. He said the plan will be based on regional analysis and determinations. Based on CDC recommendations, once a region experiences a 14-day decline in the hospitalization rate they may begin a phased reopening.

Stewart’s Shops Plans To Build Shops Are On Hold, But Company Will Open New Ones

May 14, 2020

During the shutdown caused by the coronavirus, Stewart’s Shops has had to scale back on building new stores, cutting the 2020 construction budget by 40 percent.

By Jennifer Farnsworth

With New York state’s businesses “on pause,” many construction projects came to a complete halt. Stewart’s Shops are feeling the effects and have had to freeze several projects in the works.

While the company reports they are still able to open new stores, they have had to scale back on their construction budget, according to Erica Komoroske, public relations specialist for the company.

“We have had to delay nearly 12 projects and we’ve cut our 2020 construction budget by 40 percent. At this point, we are four to six weeks behind schedule,” said Komoroske.

Komoroske said they have not been able to get the approvals needed in a timely manner, with many municipality offices being closed. This has not only set them back on their time line for beginning projects, but it has also stopped projects already in process.

The state may soon be relaxing its call for stopping construction projects, but municipal approvals are another matter.

P-Tech Program Offered Through BOCES Helps Address Local Skilled Labor Shortages

May 14, 2020

By Christine Graf

New York State P-TECH (Pathways in Technology Early College High School) programs have been designed to address critical skilled labor shortages that are impacting manufacturing and technology companies throughout the state.

Washington-Saratoga-Warren-Hamilton-Essex Board of Cooperative (WSWHE BOCES) was the first to offer the program locally. It is called Southern Adirondack P-TECH.

“We were one of the first 16 cohorts (partnerships) in New York state to receive a seven-year grant to create the program. We received the grant in 2013, and that was a planning year for us. Our first cohort of students started in 2014 and are graduating this year,” said Kim Wegner, lead coordinator for Innovative Programs at WSHWHE BOCES.

“There wasn’t a lot of guidance. It was a thought and idea based off a program that launched in 2009 at a school in Brooklyn. (The state) decided they wanted to expand program across state. There were some guidelines, but we built the program as we moved through it. Where we are today is not where we were six or seven years ago.”

Business Consultant Sees Need For Examining How Companies Will Look Post-Pandemic

May 14, 2020

By Andrea Harwood Palmer

Brian Rollo, a leadership coach and cultural business strategist, is re-examining his business model in response to the business climate caused by COVID-19 and challenges employers will face.

“I’m always thinking, ‘What is three steps from now? How is this going to change business for me, and for the people I help?’ There are three key things businesses will need to think about as we move into a new normal,” said Rollo, who does business as Brian Rollo Consulting.

“First, in what way do we bring people back into the office now that we’ve built the infrastructure for them to work remotely. How many and who? Or is it more efficient to allow people to work from home? Do we build a hybrid workforce?” said Rollo.

“Second, there’s going to be real conversations going forward on social distancing and wearing masks. If everyone is back at work, how do we navigate some staff feeling comfortable attending closely-packed meetings when others don’t? What does that look like? What if some people are more comfortable wearing a mask while others are not, and will that become its own source of unintentional bias?”

Warren County Local Development Corp.Loan Program Helps Small Businesses

May 14, 2020

The Warren County Local Development Corp. has created a loan program to help small businesses recover from economic hardships due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

A total of $200,000 has been allocated for loans of up to $15,000 each with a 4 percent interest rate. Repayment of a loan must be within four years, with loan payments deferred for the first two months, officials said. There is no prepayment penalty.

To be eligible:

• Applicants must be either sole proprietors, independent contractors, self-employed, or an LLC operating within Warren County. They cannot previously have received Payroll Protection Plan or other loans.

• Businesses must have 20 or fewer full/part time employees.

• Loans may be used for working capital, payroll, rent, utilities, mortgage and monthly expenses.

• They must have been in business for at least two years.

Federal Reserve Expands $600 Billion Business Loan Program; 4-Year Terms Offered

May 14, 2020

The Federal Reserve has expanded its $600 billion Main Street Lending Program to serve much smaller businesses.

The move comes after the Federal Reserve accepted more than 2,200 comments about the proposed lending program from people, businesses and nonprofits. The Fed has yet to set a start date, saying that will be “announced soon.”

The minimum loan amount under the program will now be $500,000 for new loans and priority loans, down from the originally proposed $1 million, opening up the program to smaller businesses. The “expanded” loan type will be a minimum of $10 million, designed for larger businesses.

The ceiling for loans will also be raised to companies with up to 15,000 employees or up to $5 billion in annual revenue, compared with original thresholds of 10,000 employees or $2.5 billion in revenue when the program was first announced. That means much larger companies will now qualify for the program.

There will be a new type of “priority loan” in which the Federal Reserve will buy 85 percent of the loan made by a bank, as opposed to the 95 percent the Fed will buy through its Main Street New Loan Facility and Main Street Expanded Loan Facility, announced earlier this month.