11

Philanthropy

Update

Give the Gift of LifeThere are many ways you can make a

gift to Alice Hyde Medical Center. Theadvantages of making a PLANNED GIFTto Alice Hyde Medical Center are:

• Gifts of CashYou may get an immediate tax deduction

• Gifts of Appreciated PropertyLarge savings on estate taxes are possible

• Gifts of Real Estate, Gifts of LifeInsurance, and Gifts that ProvideIncome for Life to youThe satisfaction of knowing your gift willbenefit your local community Hospital foryears to come.

Please keep in mind that as you beginto develop or update your estate plan, youshould seek the counsel of a qualifiedattorney and other trained professionals.Please feel free to contact AHMC repre-sentatives about the best way to fulfill yourpersonal financial needs when you includea gift to the Hospital.

Call the AHMC Development office at518-481-2248 to request additional infor-mation or to make a gift. Thank you foryour support.

I would like to contribute in the category checked:

I would like to donate: ❏ $100 ❏ $50 ❏ $25 ❏ Other:

❏ Enclosed is $______________________

❏ I prefer to pledge $_________ ; my first payment of $__________ is enclosed.

Please charge my:

❏ MasterCard #

❏Visa #

Expires: /

Name as it appears on card

I/we have included the AHMC in my/our estate plan.

Name

Address

City

State Zip

Home Phone ( )

Business Phone ( )

Special Gift Requests:

❏ In Memory of :

❏ A Get Well Wish:

❏ Honoring a Special Occasion:

Name

Please send a gift card (amount of gift not included)

Name

Address

City State Zip

*A gift to Alice Hyde Medical Center is tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law.

GIFT OF SUPPORT:William Gonzales/Wyeth LabsNorth Franklin Federal Credit UnionRobert Dominic/Wyeth LabsMemory Tree 2003

MEMORIALS:Marion Avery by Janet HazelChristine LaDukeNeola Todd by Catherine and Don GroganMyrna Langlois by Kalpana ReddyChristine LaDuke

CIRCLE OF FRIENDS RenewalsSince January 2003:Charles and Mazie HesseltineEarl and Joan LavoieBarbara DrakeGlen and Jean DavisStuart ChildChristian LaMarreMary Kay TullochPaul and Francoise GoodrowAndrea L. Maiorana and Tiffany

Garth and Sharlene CallahanWilliam and Carol DirolfLilyan MacKenzieRobert and Sherry GasparMichele WigginsRalph and Trudy KriffDorothy Dufrane

PINNACLE:Lynn BasiliereMemory of Noel Basiliere

2

In July, upon the retirement of Dr.Alfred Hartmann, Jan Close, MD,MMM, joined Alice Hyde MedicalCenter as Medical Director.

Dr. Close is no stranger to the NorthCountry. For the past 22 years, he has hadlived in Winthrop, been apracticing physician ininternal medicine, and amember of the MedicalStaff at Canton-PotsdamHospital. Then why cometo Malone?

“The position at AliceHyde offered me anopportunity to apply whatI know about clinical med-icine and what I’ve learnedabout management,” saidDr. Close, referring toreceiving his Masters ofMedical Management fromTulane University threeyears ago. “As a practicing physician, I wasable to take care of and advocate for, onepatient at a time. As a clinical manager, Ican fine tune a process or a guideline thatoffers value and impacts a larger numberof people.”

A native of Wisconsin, Dr. Closereceived his medical degree from AlbanyMedical College and did his residency ininternal medicine at St. Mary’s Hospital inWaterbury, Connecticut. For ten years hehad an internal medicine practice inNorwood, New York and was also a mem-ber of the medical staff of MassenaMemorial and Little Falls Hospitals. For

the last 11 years, Dr. Closeserved as Canton-PotsdamHospital’s Director ofEmergency Services and,since 1997, he also served asthe Regional Medical

Director ofEmergencyPhysiciansAssociates,with over-sight of fiveemergency departmentswith a combined total ofmore than 85,000 annualvisits and approximately 22physicians.

“Serving as theRegional Medical Directorfor five emergency depart-ments really gave me theunderstanding about howclinical experience and

management expertise can make a differ-ence in health care,” explained Dr. Close.“Being a physician and a manager helpsme understand the perspectives of boththe hospital administration and the medicals taff, which enables me to offer uniquecontributions to the medical and opera-tional aspects of the medical center.”

One of Dr. Close’s passions is enhanc-ing the quality of care for large popula-tions of patients through closely examiningvariability in treatment. This means thathe takes a look at patient data to deter-mine if physicians are treating the samepatient condition in the same way. Where

variability exists, he askswhy and works with themedical staff to identify thebest way to treat commonconditions such as pneumo-nia, congestive heart failure,chronic obstructive pul-monary disease; conditionsthat affect more than half ofthose treated at Alice Hyde.

“Developing this type of‘clinical guidelines’ will

enhance the care for every patient thatcomes to Alice Hyde,” explained Dr.Close.“And, they also improve communi-cations among physicians and patients. Itis going to take some time and patience todevelop these guidelines, but within thenext couple of years we will start to see areal difference.”

While being AHMC’s Medical Directoris a full-time job, Dr. Close continues torun the Clarkson University HealthService, as he’s been doing for the past 20years.

When he’s not working, Dr. Closespends time with his wife, Patricia, andenjoys outdoors sports (hunting andfishing), a little golf, woodcarving andwoodworking, gourmet cooking, andcollecting wines. The Closes have threeadult children who are all involved inscience-related fields.

“I’m glad to be here at Alice HydeMedical Center,” said Dr. Close. “Beingclose to my home of 20 years and know-ing that I can make a difference.”

Meet Dr. Jan CloseAHMC’s New Medical Director

Dr. Jan Close

Being a physicianand a manager

helps meunderstand theperspectives of

both the hospitaladministration

and the Medical Staff

10

• When grilling, be sure to wrapvegetables in aluminum foil or grillskewers of pineapple, eggplant,nectarines, zucchini, or cherry tomatoes.

For Snacks and Desserts:• Drink 100% fruit and vegetable juices

in place of high-calorie drinks, such assoft drinks. Remember, one serving is 6 ounces or 1/2 of a cup.

• Top off a bowl of frozen yogurt or low-fat ice cream with berries or sliced freshfruit. They add flavor and texture andare an easy way to meet your 5-a-Daygoal.

These 5-a-Day tips have been providedby the Education Department andwww.5aday.org

Smoking andPregnancy

I n this edition of To Your Health, Dr.David Gorman, President of AliceHyde Medical Center’s Medical Staff

and a practicing obstetrician/gynecologistin Malone and Plattsburgh, talks about therisks associated with smoking whilepregnant.

About 12 percent of women in theUnited States smoke during pregnancy.Unfortunately, in Franklin County, thisnumber is much higher. Cigarette smokecontains more than 2,500 chemicals, and,unfortunately we don’t know which chem-

icals are harmful to a developingbaby. However, both nicotineand carbon monoxide arebelieved to play a role in caus-ing adverse pregnancy out-comes. And, if all pregnantwomen in the United Statesstopped smoking, there wouldbe an estimated 10 percentreduction in infant deaths.

How can smoking harm anewborn?

Smoking nearly doubles a woman’s riskof having a low birth weight baby. Lowbirth weight babies face an increased riskof serious health problems such as cerebralpalsy, mental retardation, learning problems,and even death. Low birth weight canresult from poor intrauterine growth, pre-term delivery, or a combination of both.And, it’s not just smoking—studies suggestthat regular exposure to second handsmoke may reduce fetal growth and alsoincrease a woman’s chances of having a lowbirth weight baby.

However, if a woman stops smoking bythe end of her first trimester of pregnancy,she is no more likely to have a low birthweight baby than one who never smoked.

Babies whose mothers smoke duringpregnancy are three times more likely todie from sudden infant death syndrome(SIDS) and exposing the baby to smokeonce it is born also increases the risk ofSIDS. More recent studies suggest thatsmoking may contribute to certain birthdefects such as foot deformity (club foot)and cleft palate/cleft lip. Smoking duringpregnancy has also been linked tochildhood obesity, asthma, autism, andlearning and behavioral problems.

What type of pregnancy compli-cations can smoking cause?

Smoking in early pregnancy appears toincrease a women’s risk of having anectopic pregnancy in which the embryobecomes implanted in a fallopian tube orother abnormal site instead of the uterus.Cigarette smoking also appears to double a

woman’s risk of developingplacental complications (which

occur in about 1 percent ofpregnancies). These includeplacenta previa, a conditionin which the placenta isattached too low in theuterus and covers part or all

of the cervix, and placentalabruption, in which the

placenta separates from theuterine wall before delivery. Both

conditions can result in a delivery thatjeopardizes the life of mother and baby,although a cesarean delivery can preventmost deaths.

Smoking may also increase a woman’srisk of miscarriage.

How can a woman protect her babyfrom the risks associated withsmoking?

The best way to protect the fetus is toquit smoking. If you plan to conceive achild in the near future, quitting isessential. A woman who quits within thefirst three or four months of pregnancycan lower the chances of her baby beingborn premature or with health problemsrelated to smoking.

Pregnancy is a great time for a womanto quit! No matter low long she has beensmoking, her body benefits from quittingbecause it lessens her chances ofdeveloping future tobacco-related healthproblems such as lung and heart diseaseand cancer.

It’s important to stay smoke-free afterthe baby is born. Both mother and fathershould refrain from smoking in the homeand ask visitors to do the same. Babieswho are exposed to smoke suffer frommore respiratory illnesses and earinfections than other babies.

If you would like to learn more aboutquitting smoking for both your and yourfamily’s health and well-being, contactAHMC’s community wellness programsfor information on classes and othersupports.

What’s a serving size?• One medium-size fruit • 1/2 cup raw, cooked, frozen or

canned fruits (in 100% juice) orvegetables

• 3/4 cup (6 oz.) 100% fruit orvegetable juice

• 1/2 cup cooked, canned or frozenlegumes (beans and peas)

• 1 cup raw, leafy vegetables • 1/4 cup dried fruit

3

This summer, Dr.Alfred Hartmann, a native ofMalone who practiced medicine here for close to30 years, left the area to relocate to Manhattan.Given his rich history with Alice Hyde MedicalCenter and the Malone area, we asked Dr.Hartmann to share some of his thoughts aboutmedicine and the Malone area and to give us aglimpse of what he’s now doing.

As many of you may know, I ama native of Malone—was bornand raised here. Becoming aphysician just seemed the right

thing for me to do. I grew up with afather who was a physician and I likedscience, particularly science as it related topeople not strictly science in a labenvironment. After finishing my medical

training, I was extremely fortunate to havehad the opportunity to come back topractice medicine in Malone with Dr. BertDavis, who was a tremendous influence inmy life, while also indirectly assisting myfather with his practice. For more than 25years, I enjoyed the privilege of caring forand serving a group of people who neededand deserved good medical care. I considerthis to be my greatest achievement. Otheraccomplishments, of which I am proud of,during my tenure with Alice HydeMedical Center, include creating arelationship with Fletcher Allen HealthCare, with Dr.Art Levy, and developingAlice HydeMedical Center’sCardiac

Rehabilitation Program.Just recently, I left the Malone area and

headed to a very different environment.Some would say it was a 180-degree flip-flop. I’ve gone from a small rural town,where I had easy access to the outdoors, toa major metropolitan area with manyother attributes, but limited access to thenatural environs I have been so familiarwith. While I do miss the beauty of theNorth Country, I am able to enjoy a touchof home when walking along the“Adirondack Trail” in Central Park and theriver close to my new home. Mostimportantly I take pleasure in being closer

to my children. I’m also stillpracticing medicine here in NewYork City. Today, I work for theVisiting Nurse Service of New Yorkin its hospice program where I notonly help with administration, butalso still see patients; in fact, I amnow seeing patients in their homes inboth Manhattan and the Bronx.

I do miss Malone and thewonderful, friendly, and progressivepeople who live there. I’d like tothank you all for allowing me to havebeen a part of your lives, for letting

me care for you and your family, and forembracing me and my family as part ofthe community. I’d also like to extend myappreciation to the Alice Hyde MedicalCenter Administration and Board ofDirectors for its open-minded, progressiveapproach to providing health care servicesto the people of Malone.

I wish you all the best of health, joy,and happiness for the future.

Dr. Hartmann ContinuesCaring Role in NYC

Dr. Hartmannin 1967 andin 2003

9

Healthy News &

Tips to Use

AHMC’s New “InTouch with Health”Community WellnessProgram

A key ingredient for meeting ourmission is offering educationalprograms that foster wellness and

healthy lifestyle choices for all members ofthe communities served by Alice HydeMedical Center. The EducationDepartment’s “In Touch with Health”Community Wellness Program is designedto provide, under one umbrella, all of thecommunity outreach, wellness education,health screenings, support groups, lecturesand seminars that have been and are beingoffered by many various departments atthe Medical Center.

The Program provides needs assessment,development, scheduling, logistical, presen-tation and evaluation support, whilebringing the expertise of the MedicalCenter’s Departmental staff members to ourcommunity for state-of-the-art lectures,demonstrations, workshops, support groupsand screenings, covering the full array ofhealth related topics.

Among the areas for communityeducation are: diabetes, heart disease,cancer prevention and treatment, asthma,advanced directives, diet and nutrition,exercise and health, stress management,allergies, depression, headaches, smokingcessation, baby sitter safety training, teddybear clinic, safe driving, and car seat safety.

The Community Wellness EducationProgram serves as a focal point for healthand wellness education for all ages andbackgrounds, with interactive, engagingresources available for everyone. Forfurther information, call 481-2247.

Health Tips

Dieting: Do or Don’t in 2004

Has America’s obsession with dietingresulted in a healthier nation?Consider the following:

• The number of people with diseasesassociated with obesity and inactivitysuch as heart disease and type 2 diabetesis on the rise.

• More than half of U.S. adults are overweight

• The number of overweight individualscontinues to rise for all age groups.

Diets don’t work. They are too restric-tive and most do not provide strategies forpermanent lifestyle changes.“People reallyneed to take time to focus on changingtheir lifestyle instead of following a diet.Diets imply a short-term, quick fix ratherthan helping get to the root of theirunhealthy habits and make long-termchanges,” advises Kristin Ellis-Wood,AHMC dietician.

Be cautious of any weight loss plan thatpromises quick weight loss or results thatare too good to be true, promotes orexcludes certain foods, or that claims towork for everyone. Be skeptical of dietsthat suggest that high priced supplementssuch as bars or shakes are necessary forweight loss. Persons with chronic diseasessuch as diabetes or high blood pressureshould always check with their healthcareprovider before beginning any diet plan.

The American Dietetic Associationreminds us that,“successful weight loss(losing weight and keeping it off for atleast five years) is accomplished by makingpositive changes to both eating habits andphysical activity patterns.”

Eat less and move more. Eliminate just500 calories a day and you’ll lose a pounda week.That’s 52 pounds a year! Readingnutrition labels on the foods you buy canhelp you make healthier food choices.

While eating at your favorite fast foodrestaurant, ordering a salad (with low fatdressing) and low fat milk with your sand-wich instead of French fries and soda willsave hundreds of calories. Exercise burnscalories and builds muscle, which aids inweight loss.

Other helpful hints that will aid in los-ing excess weight include: keeping a fooddiary, finding supportive friends and familymembers, and, most importantly, persever-ing!

Don’t give up! Change isn’t always easy,even if it is for the better. Be patient,you’re a work in progress! You are morelikely to be successful if you make gradualchanges in your eating and exercise habits.It’s better to make small changes that youcan stick with for the long term. Committo stick with any small change until itbecomes a habit (approximately 3 months).

For more information about losingexcess weight and strategies for keeping itoff please call the Alice Hyde MedicalCenter,“In Touch with Health”,Community Wellness Program at 481-2247.

Five-a-Day the Easy Way

Getting the recommended five to nineservings of fruits and vegetables every day isas easy as creating arainbow on yourplate.

Here’s how.

For Breakfast:• Wake up with

5-a-Day! Add sliced banana,blueberries, or raisins to cereal.

For Lunch and Dinner:• At a restaurant, get some of your 5-a-

Day by trying vegetable pizza, vegetablepasta (but watch out for cream sauces),or a fresh vegetable “wrap.” Instead ofFrench fries, order a plain baked potato,vegetable soup, or a small salad.

4

Technology

News

AHMC Named One of “Most Wired”Hospitals in Nation

Alice Hyde Medical Center wasnamed one of the nation’sMost Wired Small and RuralHospitals, according to the

2003 Most Wired Survey andBenchmarking Study conducted byHospitals & Health Networks incooperation with McKesson Corporateand the Healthcare Information andManagement Systems Society (HIMSS).

“Hospitals are empowering patientswith information and providing tools todoctors and nurses to improve quality,” saysAlden Solovy, executive editor of Hospitals& Health Networks, the journal of theAmerican Hospital Association, which hasnamed the 100 Most Wired hospitals andhealth systems annually for five years.

“Technology that brings us closer toour medical colleagues and our patientshas been a critical part of Alice HydeMedical Center’s game plan,” said John W.Johnson, AHMC President/CEO. “We

made a conscious decision to invest ininformation systems and cutting edgetechnology because we know it is essentialto our future. Innovations like PictureArchiving and Communications Systemsand Electronic Medical Records arecritical for rural hospitals like ours to beable to provide a full scope of services toour community.”

The survey, completed and submittedby AHMC, measures hospitals on their useof Internet technologies for safety andquality, customer service, disaster readiness,business processes, and workforce issues.Results from the survey were used todetermine the most wired and mostwireless hospitals in the nation.

Physicians at AliceHyde Medical Centerget the big picturefrom a tiny camera

Atiny camera called the M2Acapsule is making a hugeimpact on hard-to-diagnoseintestinal problems, with the

potential to help many more of the 19million Americans who have diseases ofthe small intestine. This technology,capsule endoscopy, assists physicians indetermining the cause for recurrentabdominal pain, diarrhea, bleeding oranemia in most cases where otherdiagnostic procedures, such as endoscopy

or colonoscopy failed todetermine the reason forsymptoms. And it is nowavailable in Malone.

“It is a great option for ourpatients,” said Dr. Rajiv Shah,M.D., Internal Medicine/Gastroenterology, an activemember of Alice Hyde MedicalCenter’s medical staff. “TheM2A provides a complete viewof the digestive tract and allportions of the small intestine

without the discomfort that accompaniesan endoscopy or colonoscopy.”

Once a patient swallows the vitamin-pill sized video capsule, it travels throughthe body for eight hours and 40,000images are sent to a data recorder worn bythe patient on a waist belt. The M2Apasses out of the body unnoticed.

“Another advantage of the M2A is thefreedom the patient has to resume theirnormal daily routine as the capsule movesthrough the gastrointestinal tract,” saidShah.

The images are put together as a 90-minute computer “movie,” which thephysician watches to find problem areas.The physician can pause, rewind, and fast-forward the images as needed. Because theM2A photographs the entire GI tract,physicians can see areas that cannot beviewed by other methods, such endoscopyand colonoscopy. In certain chronicgastrointestinal diseases, the method canhelp to evaluate the extent to which yoursmall intestine is involved or to monitorthe effect of therapeutics. Physicians mightuse Capsule Endoscopy to obtain motilitydata such as gastric or small bowel passagetime.

“The M2A allows for earlier diagnosisand treatment,” said Dr. Shah.

To date, over 52,000 patients worldwidehave swallowed the M2A and experiencedthe advantages of Capsule Endoscopy.

PET: State-of-the-ArtImaging Comes tothe North Country

Alice Hyde Medical Center inMalone, Canton-PotsdamHospital in Potsdam, andMassena Memorial Hospital in

Massena, together with the Reddy CancerTreatment Center in Malone and theWarner Cancer Treatment Center inPotsdam, have finalized plans to offer PET(Positron Emission Tomography) imaging

8

New Faces at

Alice Hyde

Kudos

to AHMC Staff!

continued from page 5

Pennsylvania and a Territory Manager forUS Food Service. Mr. Snell holds aCulinary Arts Degree from Paul SmithsCollege.

Pamela Blume, RN,Clinical Nurse Manager

Pamela Blume recently joined AliceHyde Medical Center as a Clinical NurseManager to oversee nursing care in theAlice Hyde Nursing Home. Her

background includeshaving served twelveyears as a RegisteredNurse, Sacred HeartMedical Center’sGeropsychiatry Unit,in Spokane,Washington. Mostrecently, Ms. Blume

acted as Director of Nursing theCommunity Nursing Home in Potsdam.She is certified as a Mental Health andPsychiatric Nurse.

Fletcher Allen HealthCare Names New CEO

The Fletcher Allen Health Care Boardof Trustees has named Melinda L. Estes,M.D., as president and chief executiveofficer of Vermont’s academic medicalcenter following a national search.

Dr. Estes, 50, is aneurologist andneuropathologistwho also has amaster’s degree inBusinessAdministration. Shehas spent most ofthe last two decades

in The Cleveland Clinic health caresystem, holding a variety of positions ofprogressive responsibility. Since 2001, shehas served as chief executive officer andchair of the board of governors ofCleveland Clinic Florida where sheoversees both Cleveland Clinic Naples andCleveland Clinic Weston.

In addition to her tenure with theCleveland Clinic health care system,Dr. Estes served as executive vice presidentand chief of staff for the MetroHealthSystem (MHS) in Cleveland from 1997-2000. In that role, she was responsible forall operational and financial management,strategic planning and hospital managementof MHS, a 700+ bed academic medicalcenter with an employee base of 5,000.

In addition to serving as head ofneuropathology at the Clinic, Dr. Estes isthe recipient of numerous awards andhonors, and her research has resulted inmore than 100 scientific papers havingbeen published.

She received her medical degree fromthe University of Texas, Galveston in 1978,and completed a neurology residency atthe University of Texas, Galveston in 1982.She also was a neuropathology fellow atThe Cleveland Clinic Foundation from1982-1984 and completed special trainingin pediatric neuropathology at theChildren’s Hospital of Philadelphia in1984. Dr. Estes earned her bachelor ofscience degree from Sam Houston StateUniversity in Huntsville,Texas, and earnedan MBA from Case Western ReserveUniversity Weatherhead School ofManagement in 1995.

Alice Hyde Medical Center likes to hearfrom our patients! Here’s what some ofthem told us in recent surveys:

• I am extremely impressed with all aspectsof AHMC. I am from Plattsburgh andhave told everyone I know how greatAHMC is!

• Nurses are extremely kind and considerate!

• The discharge was wonderful—it let usleave at our own pace.We were notrushed at all, it was great!

• When we looked at Alice Hyde and metthe staff members we were overjoyed. Itwas everything we wanted in a hospitaland staff so we made the decision to givebirth there and it was the best decisionwe made for our daughter… We loved ourexperience with your hospital. The staffwas great they made it very easy to havemy baby, they were there when neededand for any questions or help but gave usplenty of alone time to bond with ourbaby. Our family loved the staff, theywere friendly and helpful to them as well.

• Thank you for the wonderful experience.

Moving Forward TogetherAlice Hyde Medical Center employees, medical staff, volunteers, and Board of

Directors are entering 2004 together as a strong, cohesive family. As we reflect onthe past year and look forward to the new one, the Alice Hyde Medical Centerfamily is focused on our mission of providing high quality care for you, ourpatients and community members. While there were some difficult times late in2003 as AHMC negotiated new employee contracts with Local 1199, we haveemerged as a health care family who plans to build on our legacy of caring in theupcoming year. Thank you for your continued support.

5

New Faces at

Alice Hyde

technology to patients in St. Lawrence andFranklin Counties. The cooperative effort,called North Country PET Imaging, willbegin serving the region this month,utilizing a mobile unit that will rotatebetween the three hospitals.

PET is an imaging tool that usesunique technologies with many differentapplications, in cancer treatment,neurology, and cardiology. While mostimaging technology, such as X-ray, CT, andMRI show body structures, PET showsthe actual chemical functioning of anorgan or tissue. The technology allows forvery accurate imaging of cancer, clearlydifferentiating between malignant andbenign tissues and showing the spread ofcancer better than existing tools.

PET imaging also has excellent resultsin assessing heart and brain tissues. PETscanning often shows changes inbiochemical processes in tissues prior totraditional imaging tools that will onlylook for changes in actual structures. As anew state-of-the-art tool, it is notcurrently widely available. Only about 10percent of hospitals nationwide offer thisservice.

“This state-of-the-art technologyprovides our communities access to themost advanced imaging capabilitiesavailable today—a significant health careenhancement for the North Country,”stated John W. Johnson,Alice HydeMedical Center President/CEO.

PET services will be available on arotating basis at each hospital, having timewith the PET scanner once per month perfacility. The first Friday of each month,the scanner will be at Alice Hyde MedicalCenter. The fourth Friday will be a“floater day,” allowing the PET scanner belocated to best meet the needs of patients.Days and hours for the scanner will beincreased as it is needed. Up to tenpatients can be treated on any one day.

For more information, contact the AliceHyde Medical Center Medical ImagingDepartment at 518-481-2304

Emile Benardot, MDEmile Benardot, MD, a board-certified

Pediatrician, has returned to Malone aftercompleting hisinternship andresidency in pediatricsat Rush PresbyterianSt. Luke’s MedicalCenter in Chicago.He received hisDoctor of MedicineDegree from Albany

Medical College of Union University inAlbany, New York where he was therecipient of the Neil Hellman Prize, whichis awarded annually to a member of thegraduating class who has demonstratedoutstanding sensitivity and commitment tohumanistic values in dealing with patients.Dr. Benardot is a member of the AmericanAcademy of Pediatrics.

Benardot Pediatrics, which opened inNovember 2003, is located at 183 ParkStreet, Suite #2. Patients may call 483-5800 to schedule appointments.

Julie Marshall, RN, BSN,Director of PrimaryCare Services

Julie Marshall, RN, BSN, has beenappointed Director of AHMC’s PrimaryCare Services and will oversee the fourHealth Centers, the Veterans

AdministrationClinic, dentalservices and otherprimary careprograms andservices. Shecomes to AliceHyde fromMassena Hospital

where she served as Director of QualityManagement and Risk Management. Ms.Marshall also has 14 years experience inpatient family management and medicalstaff credentialing, as well as a backgroundin perinatal services and nursing staffdevelopment. Currently, she is completingher Masters in Administration from SUNYPlattsburgh,

Ada Santaferra,Community WellnessSpecialist

Recently,Ada Santaferra joined AliceHyde Medical Center as CommunityWellness Specialist to help bring wellness

education to NorthCountry communitiesand to meet communityhealth needs. Previously,she served as an AdjunctInstructor, SUNY

Potsdam; Project Coordinator, St.Lawrence County Health Initiative; andInterim Internship Coordinator for theCommunity Health Department at SUNYPostdam. Ms. Santaferra is also a volunteerwith REACHOUT, 24-hour crisiscounseling center, Special Olympics, andMeals on Wheels. She holds a Bachelor ofScience in Community Health, SUNYPotsdam, a Master of Science in Teaching,Elementary Education, and is workingtoward a PhD in Public Health with aconcentration in community health.

Peter Snell, FoodService Manager

Peter Snell has joined Alice HydeMedical Center asFood ServiceManager to direct allnutritional servicesfor the MedicalCenter. Previously,he was a restaurantand catering serviceowner in

continued on page 8

76

In 1805, the village of Malone wassettled. In the ensuring years, a groupof concerned citizens realized theneed for a hospital to deal with

seriously ill people who were forced totravel to Montreal, Ogdensburg, or Corn-wall due to the lack of any proper healthcare facility. The few practicing physiciansresiding in Malone at the time were notequipped to care for the number ofpeople in need of medical attention. Inresponse to the lack of a health careinstitution, the cadre organized the MaloneHospital Association.

Lack of funds were preventing anyprogress on the new hospital. In 1908,

Mrs. Mary A. Leighton bequeathed anendownment fund of $10,000 for the cause.A few years later Clarke J. Lawrence, vice-president of the Farmers’ National Bank ofMalone offered $25,000 for the erection ofa building; provided an equal amount wasraised by subscription and the namechanged to Alice Hyde HospitalAssociation. The name, as a result, becameAlice Hyde Memorial Hospital in memoryof his beloved niece who died a year earlier.

A fund raising campaign was started tomeet the provisions declared by Mr.Lawrence, and $50,000 was raised by allthe surrounding towns. The directors ofthe hospital declared the majority of the

monies to be used to erect a two storyfireproof building on the corner of Parkand Third Street. The corner stone waslaid in 1911 and the hospital formallyopened on September 15, 1913.

Several years passed without any majorchanges to the hospital until 1930 whenthe American Legion made a generousdonation that provided a means to build apediatric ward to be located in TheAmerican Legion Memorial Wing. Thecommunity supplemented the remainingcosts through fund-raising. More additionswere built in the 1950s, such as a five storystructure, housing medical, surgical,obstetrical, and nursing units, as well as

dietary, x-ray, emergency, and laundryservices.

A rise in the need for long-term carefor seniors in the community promptedthe association to open a twenty-four bednursing home to meet the needs of theelderly. Because additional space wasneeded, in 1968, a two-story home wasdedicated and the forty-five rooms werequickly filled. By 1972, the second floorwas also occupied with residents and theproject was complete.

The increasing need for an intensivecare unit became evident in the early1970s. The ICU was built and speciallytrained doctors and nurses were hired tocare for the patients with sophisticatedequipment. This new addition alsoincluded four new rooms in the medicalunit, two of which were reserved forisolation.

With the advent of the 1980s, thehospital realized the need to provideoptimal health care and the need to keeppace with advances in technology. Inorder to do so, an addition was builtcontaining a new emergency room,operating room, suites, laboratory, and X-ray department in 1989.

Since 1990,Alice Hyde has undergonea tremendous expansion. During the pastdecade,AHMC:

♦ upgraded CT scan twice and upgradedagain in 2003 for improved medicalimaging

♦ began using an MRI

♦ updated the mammography unit

♦ opened an ER overflow unit

♦ implemented an on-line computersystem to streamline communicationand increase the over-all quality of allhospital operations

♦ initiated community benefit activitiessuch as, a public forum on lyme disease,breast cancer, and various support groups

♦ established four new health centers incommunities surrounding Malone

♦ opened an in-house dental clinic

♦ established a state-of-the-artHemodialysis center

♦ expanded the Holmes OutpatientPhysical Therapy Department

♦ opened the sophisticated, cutting edgeReddy Cancer Center

♦ established a Veteran’s Clinic

♦ completed a new Ambulatory CareCenter

♦ opened the Stone CardiacRehabilitation Center

♦ acquired the Holmium Laser, one ofonly three in the United States at thetime

♦ introduced the Mammotone BreastBiopsy System

♦ opened The Women’s Imaging Center

♦ renovated the Intensive Care Unit

♦ initiated the Telemedicine Link withFletcher Allen Health Care

The History of Alice HydeMedical Center

About Alice Hyde…

M iss Alice Lawrence Hyde was born in Benone, Mich, in 1866, the daughterof Susan Persons Hyde and Henry Fitch Hyde, who was the brother ofMrs. Lucy Hyde Lawrence of Malone.

In 1878, when Miss Hyde was 12 years old, her mother died of cancer and shecame to Malone to reside with her aunt and uncle, Mr. Clark J. Lawrence. Miss Hydeattended the Malone public schools and graduated from Franklin Academy in the classof 1884. She entered into all the activities of the young people in the school and inthe Congregational Church, of which she was a member since May 2, 1880.

Riding, skating, snowshoeing, and tennis were the sports of her day and sheenjoyed them all. She loved her home and under the guidance of her aunt, became atruly expert homemaker, accepting much of the responsibilities of their householdduties. She enjoyed gardening also and always was willing to help the gardener at heruncle’s home. She supplied flowers for church every Sunday for a number of years.

Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence were ardent travelers and Miss Hyde always accompaniedthem.

In 1899, Miss Hyde helped form the Adirondack Chapter of the Daughters of theAmerican Revolution with ten charter members and served as the first treasurer.

In the last years of her life, she developed cancer of the arm and in spite of severalperiods of treatment and hospitalization in the Ogdensburg Hospital, courage anddetermination kept her interested in her usual activities. She never talked of her ill-ness and was reluctant to mention it.

On the morning of July 4, 1909, in her 44th year, Miss Hyde died suddenly of car-cinoma, with Dr. D.R. Belding as the attending physician.

♦ began the New Visions program, offeringlocal college-bound students an oppor-tunity to study medicine at AHMC

♦ opened its expanded and renovatedFamily Maternity Center

♦ implemented the Pyxis MedStation RxSystem 2000, which automates thedistribution, management, and controlof medications

♦ acquired a new digital x-ray system

♦ received an award from the AmericanHeart Association’s Emergency Cardio-vascular Care Committee for its workas a training center and for being in thetop 10 percent in growth of trainingprograms in Eastern New York State

♦ signed a stronger, amended affiliationagreement with Fletcher Allen HeathCare

♦ was the recipient of the nation’s MostWired Award for Small and RuralHospitals

The 1911 ground-breaking for Alice Hyde

Memorial Hospital.

WINTER 2004

Iinvite you to read through the firstedition of To Your Health,Alice HydeMedical Center’s newly formattedcommunity newsletter. Building on

Beyond Health Care 2000, this re-vamped newsletter provides you withhealth tips, the latest news and medicaladvances available at Alice Hyde MedicalCenter and our partnerFletcher Allen Health Care,updates about new faces inour health care community,and a calendar of events foreducational programmingand fundraising events.

Since the publication ofour summer newsletter, wehave so much news to share!As you may know, this year,Alice Hyde Medical Centercelebrated its 90thanniversary. It is trulyamazing how much haschanged in health care andhere at AHMC in the past century. Twothings have remained constant throughoutour history however—our dedicatedemployees and physicians and our caringand supportive community. Our thanksfor all your continued support. Moreinformation about our anniversary is

To Your Health…Alice Hyde Medical Center’s Newsletter Designed Just For You!

included on pages 6 and 7of this newsletter.

Also during the pastquarter, Dr.AlfredHartmann, who had been amember of the Alice HydeMedical Staff since 1974and our Medical Director

for five years,retired andmoved to NewYork City to be closer to hischildren and grandchildren. Weare fortunate that Dr. Jan Closejoined us as Medical Directorupon Dr. Hartmann’sretirement. In this edition of ToYour Health, Dr. Hartmannshares his thoughts aboutMalone and his tenure at AliceHyde Medical Center and we’vealso included a profile about Dr.Close so that you can get toknow him.

Other news of note include our recentaward as one of the nation’s most wiredsmall and rural hospitals and theestablishment of our new In Touch withHealth Community Wellness program—expect more information about this incoming editions of To Your Health.

It is with pleasure thatwe share this inauguraledition of To Your Healthwith you and your family.We welcome yourcomments and suggestions.

On behalf of the Boardof Directors, the staff, andthe physicians at Alice HydeMedical Center, I’d like totake this opportunity to

thank you for supporting us. We willcontinue to fulfill our commitment tobring you advanced medicine and compassionate care.

John W. JohnsonPresident/CEO

We will continueto fulfill our

commitment tobring youadvanced

medicine andcompassionate

care.

Inside This Issue

Meet Jan Close . . . . . . . . . Page 2

Dr. Hartman Continues Caring Role . . . . . . . . . Page 3

Technology News . . . . . . . Page 4

New Faces . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 5

The History of AHMC . . . Page 6

Healthy News & Tips to Use . . . . . . . . . . Page 9

Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 12

12

Non Profit Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDMalone, NY

12953Permit No. 35

Community Wellness Programs

Alzheimers Support Group Date: First Wednesday of every monthTime: 7:00pmMeeting Place: North Country Home Services

Breast Cancer Education Sessions Date: First Thursday of every monthTime: 5:00pm-7:00pm Meeting Place: AHMC Main Floor Conference

Room

Diabetes Education ProgramContact: Hallie Garland/Anne SlocumPhone: 481-2427 or 481-2280Date: Six-week sessionTime: 5:30pm-8:30pmMeeting Place: AHMC New Cafeteria

Conference Room

Diabetes Support Group:Date: Third Thursday of each monthTime: 6:30pm-7:30pmMeeting Place: AHMC New Cafeteria

Conference Room

Hospice Bereavement ServicesDate: variesTime: variesMeeting Place: throughout Franklin County

Lamaze ClassesDate: ongoing; every Monday for six weeks (two

weeks between sessions)Time: 6:00pm-9:30pmMeeting Place: AHMC Education Classroom G015

Narcotics AnonymousDate: every MondayTime: 4:00pmMeeting Place: St. Joseph’s Church, crying room

Date: every FridayTime: 6:30pmMeeting Place: Malone Adult Center, Morton St.

Organ Donor/Recipient Support Group Date: First Monday of every monthTime: 7:00pm-8:30pmMeeting Place: AHMC Main Floor Conference

Room

“Man to Man” Prostate Cancer Support Group Contact: Reddy Cancer Treatment CenterPhone: 1-518-483-9190Date: First Tuesday of every month Time: 7:00pm-8:30pmMeeting Place: AHMC Main Floor Conference

Room

Small Souls SupportUpon request

Smoking CessationDate: appointments are available at the Medical

Center on ThursdaysTime: appointments are scheduled for 9:00am,

10:00am, 11:00amMeeting Place: AHMC Main Floor Conference

Room

Cardiac Support GroupDate: First Wednesday of every month Time: 6:00pm-8:00pmMeeting Place: AHMC Main Floor Conference

Room

Weight WatchersDate: every Monday NightTime: 6:30pm until weigh in is completedMeeting Place: AHMC Cafeteria

MassenaDate: every Thursday and every SaturdayTime:Thursday 5:00pm-600pm; Saturday 8:15-

9:00amMeeting Place: St. Lawrence Center Mall (across

from Deb’s behind the empty store front)

Calendar

of EventsP.O. Box 729133 Park StreetMalone, New York 12953

About Medicare Advanced Beneficiary Notices Alice Hyde Medical Center, along with all hospitals nationwide, must follow rules and

regulations of the Medicare program, which provides health care coverage for individuals65 and over and/or individuals with disabilities. One of the Medicare rules is that it willonly pay for tests that it feels are reasonable and necessary, and Medicare and othercompanies it contracts with to pay bills determine what tests will be covered. If thesecompanies determine that a particular diagnosis is not a valid reason for a test to beperformed, then it would not be covered and an individual may have to pay for it. Giventhis Medicare rule, hospitals like Alice Hyde would then be required to give an AdvancedBeneficiary Notice (ABN).An ABN is a waiver that must be signed by MedicareBeneficiaries when tests are ordered that may not be paid for by Medicare. For moreinformation please contact: 1-800-MEDICARE or go on-line at www.medicare.gov.

POSTAL PATRON