ALBANY MED

TODAYKNOWN FOR OUR EXPERTISE. CHOSEN FOR OUR CARE.

Employees Celebrate 25 Years of Service / p.2

VOLUME 11 NUMBER 10 | OCTOBER 2016

Better Health for Patients Drives Booming Research Efforts at Albany Med As the region’s only academic medical center, research is foundational to Albany Med’s mission, and 2016 has been an especially good year. With studies underway in basic, translational, clinical and population health science research, the scope of these investigations is vast, yet a common theme unites them all: Albany Med’s goal to advance the science of medicine and improve people’s health.

There are currently 56 basic science studies in progress at Albany Med. Earlier this year, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) provided a five-year $3.8 million grant aimed at finding a vaccine for inhaled tularemia infection. Karsten R.O. Hazlett, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Immunology and Microbial Disease, is one of the study’s principal investigators. The NIH also provided a five-year $2 million grant for the study of a new hepatitis vaccine that is being conducted in the same department by associate professor Michael Robek, PhD. Important work continues in the lab of their department chair, Dennis Metzger, PhD, whose substantial program project grant to study increased protection against mucosal pathogens in pulmonary tularemia is in its twelfth year.

Seven other Albany Med scientists received significant NIH funding this year, and, over the summer, the following researchers also received NIH awards: Dale Tang, PhD, professor in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, A. Ariel Jaitovich, MD, assistant professor in the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Paula McKeown-Longo, PhD, Muntz Professor and co-chair in the Department of Regenerative and Cancer Cell Biology, and Qi Yang, MD, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Immunology and Microbial Disease.

Clinical trials are also in full swing at the Medical Center. Patients are invited to participate in these studies, which explore whether a medical strategy, treatment or device is safe and effective. They are known for producing the best data available for health care decision-making.

One hundred and fifty-nine funded clinical trials are now underway at Albany Med. Twenty-five of these studies are being conducted at the Albany Med Division of Community Endocrinology, which has become a leading national force in diabetes drug research, contributing to studies all over the world. Robert Busch, MD, director of the Community Endocrinology Research Unit, and his colleagues recently embarked on four PIONEER studies that

will examine the safety and efficacy of a pill, taken once daily, that has been shown to lower blood sugar levels and weight gain in patients with type-2 diabetes.

Cardiologist Mohammad El-Hajjar, MD, and research coordinator Wendy Stewart are working with patients on the ISCHEMIA Trial, which aims to determine the

best way to manage stable ischemic heart disease. Mandeep Sidhu, MD, MBA, FACC, FAHA, assistant dean for Medical Education Years 3/4 and Student Research, is one of the coordinating investigators of this sizable international trial.

On the surgical side, many clinical trials are also in progress. Vascular surgeon Yaron Sternbach,

MD, associate professor of surgery and a practicing physician at The Vascular Group, is working closely with Megan Ferguson, RN, and Ryan Kaim, RN, to enroll patients in the Leopard Trial, which compares various FDA-approved devices for repairing abdominal aortic aneurysms. Their colleague Clement Darling, III, MD, chief of the Division of Vascular Surgery, is participating in the BEST Study, which examines the suitability and cost of open surgery versus endovascular treatment for patients who are candidates for both.

Francis D. Ferdinand, MD, chief of the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, and Augustin DeLago, MD, director of interventional cardiology, are working with Nancy Giebelhaus, RN, to enroll patients in the PORTICO Trial, an evaluation of a transcatheter aortic valve that can be implanted by a delivery system through a patient’s leg or chest. And this month Ronald P. Kaufman, Jr., MD, FACS, associate professor in the Division of Urological Surgery and a practicing physician at The Urological Institute of Northeastern New York, will perform a first-of-its-kind surgical procedure at Albany Med that uses robotic technology and high-velocity jets of water to remove tissue in a patient with an enlarged prostate as part of the WATER Study.

Diane Timmers, ASA V

Albany Med and community leaders at a groundbreaking ceremony in Niskayuna in August.

Albany Med Brings Care Closer to Home for Patients in Schenectady CountyConstruction is underway on a state-of-the-art medical office building in Niskayuna that will make Albany Med caregivers easily accessible to patients in Schenectady County and the surrounding areas.

The new building, located at 1769 Union Street, will house the Albany Med Community Division of Gastroenterology and Surgery, a high-tech ambulatory endoscopy and general surgery suite, and an Albany Med EmUrgentCare facility operated in partnership with Capital Care Medical Group.

The 37,821-square-foot building is scheduled to open in early 2017.

Dr. Robert Busch and Loretta Grimm, NP, a sub-investigator in the Community Endocrinology Research Unit.

From left: Dr. Michael Robek and Dr. Karsten Hazlett.

A Quarter-Century SaluteSixty-five new members were inducted into Albany Med’s Twenty-Five Year Club in September. Employees who have worked for Albany Medical Center for 25 continuous years or a cumulative sum of 25 years are eligible to be inducted into this distinguished circle. This year’s inductees were honored at a special reception at the Albany Marriott. Congratulations to all! The 2016 inductees are:

Ventura AcevedoLauren Albright, NPHeather C. AllardAnnette M. Arduini Joyce J. BagyiVictoria Balkoski, MDDawn K. BellvilleJacqueline G. BergLester B. ClarkeSamantha M. Cleveland, RNGeorge Clifford, PhDKimberly Curtiss, RNMelissa M. Doyle, PhD, LCSWRichard F. Duncan, Jr.Marilyn A. Fisher, MDJennifer Gagnon, CPhTRobin M. Glennon, RNMargaret Goldin-Denio, PA-CRobin M. Gray, NPHelene M. GregoryKathy GriffinZohra HechehouchePam Hepburn

Elizabeth M. HotalingDeborah Igoe Lyudmila Ioffe, RNTheresa LamsonValerie LaTantMatthew Leinung, MDPaula Malone, RNMark MasonDiane M. McAlpineCynthia H. Miller, MDAnn Norelli, RNPatti Norris, RNMary Alice Norton, NPGerald M. ObertingColeen Ohl, RNTina Omorogbe, NPKathryn PattonMarianne C. PellonAnne PierceThomas Joseph Jude PotanovicMark F. Resnick, LPNRoscoe J. Richardson, III Carol Salvador, RN

Deborah S. ShawJudy SmithKerrie T. Snyder, RNIvan Wesley SpenceKathy Staley-Ross, RNLaura Stevens, RNGeorge E. Stewart, III, RN Don StichterJoyce Lee Stratton Toni M. ThompsonTroy A. ThompsonLinda A. ThorpeNorma Jean ThorpeDiane O. TimmersPeter A. Vincent, PhDDavid H. WempleKriste A. Yarter, RNLisa A. YoungKathleen Zabinski-Kramer, MD

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From left: Carol Salvador, RN, and Rena Rovere, NP.

Recent Appointments in College Leadership

Jodi Della Rocca, MS, CRNA, ’02, PhD, Director of the Center for Nurse Anesthesiology

Michael Gruenthal, MD, PhD, Senior Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs

Kim Kilby, MD, ’03, Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs and Interim Associate Dean for Medical Education

Dennis McKenna, ’92, Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs

Matthew Leinung, MD, Assistant Dean for Curriculum Integration

Tara Lindsley, PhD, ’90, Assistant Dean for Curricular Assessment

Hyacinth Mason, PhD, Assistant Dean for Student Support and Inclusion

Mandeep Sidhu, MD, Assistant Dean for Medical Education Years 3/4 and Student Research

David Bounds, Practice Coordinator, Latham Medicine/Pediatrics Group

“ David handles every curveball thrown at him with diplomacy and integrity. He is a pillar of professionalism and exemplary service.”

Tammy Colley-Ogden, Recreation Therapist

“ Tammy has a way of motivating the people around her, and a way of giving patients and their families hope during their most difficult times.”

Forbes Fraser, Patient Service Associate

“ Patients have written him letters, thanking him for the ways he helped them while they were here. He is kind at every turn—a real model to those around him.”

Evelyn Pedralvez, Assistant Nurse Manager, The Birth Place

“ The entire night shift looks forward to working with Evelyn – she’s a wonderful caregiver and colleague.”

Albany Med All-StarsAlbany Med names an “Excellence in Customer Service All-Star” monthly from among employees, volunteers and vendors who continuously demonstrate a commitment to high-quality service. Here’s what coworkers said about four recent honorees:

Support Team Associate Lester Clarke

Cardiology Pearls for Primary Care: Basics & Beyond

Saturday, October 29, 2016 Hudson Valley Community College, Troy

The Division of Cardiology and the Office of Continuing Medical Education will host this comprehensive review of

common cardiac conditions that all primary caregivers, in and out of the hospital, face daily. Designed for all medical professionals who are involved in the primary care of patients, including internal medicine and family practice physicians, hospitalists, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, residents, fellows, nurses and medical students, the conference has been approved for CME credits. For more information, please contact the Office of Continuing Medical Education at (518) 262-5828.

OCTOBER IS CYBERSECURITY AWARENESS MONTH!

Vol. 11, No. 10October, 2016

Albany Med Today is published monthly by the Department of Policy, Planning and Communications at Albany Medical Center. Comments and story suggestions can be directed to Public Relations at (518) 262-3421 or albanymedcommunications @mail.amc.edu.

ALBANY MEDICAL CENTER OFFICERS

JAMES J. BARBA, JDPresident and Chief Executive Officer

STEVEN M. FRISCH, MDSenior Executive Vice President for the Integrated Delivery System

VINCENT VERDILE, MDThe Lynne and Mark Groban, M.D. ’67, Distinguished Dean of Albany Medical College and Senior Executive Vice President for System Care Delivery

GEORGE T. HICKMAN Executive Vice President for System Information and Data Services and Chief Information Officer

GARY J. KOCHEMExecutive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer

FRANCES SPREER-ALBERT Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

FERDINAND VENDITTI, MDExecutive Vice President for System Care Delivery and Hospital General Director

COURTNEY BURKESenior Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer

JOHN DEPAOLAExecutive Associate Dean of Albany Medical Collegeand Chief Administrative Officer for System Care Delivery

LOUIS FILHOUR, PHD, RNChief Executive Officer for Albany Medical Center Hospital’s Performing Provider System

MICHAEL GRUENTHAL, MD, PHDSenior Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs and President of the Faculty Group Practice

CATHERINE HALAKANSenior Vice President for Human Resources

LEE R. HESSBERGSenior Vice President and General Counsel

NOEL HOGANSenior Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer

KEVIN M. LEYDENSenior Vice President for Business Development and Strategic Partnerships

DENNIS P. MCKENNA, MDSenior Vice President for Medical Affairs and System Chief Medical Director

MOLLY NICOL Senior Vice President for Development and Communications

HENRY POHL, MDVice Dean for Academic Administration

KATHLEEN ROCHE, RN, MSSenior Vice President and System Chief Nursing Officer

ROBERT WELCH Senior Vice President for Diagnostic and Therapeutic Services

ALBANY MED TODAY | OCTOBER 2016 | 3

Albany Med Reservist Introduces Nurse Manager to Life in the National GuardSaturday is usually a day off for Pamela Stefanelli, RN, BSN, but on Sept. 10 the nurse manager at South Clinical Campus found herself high above the Hudson Valley in a Black Hawk helicopter. She was sitting in one of the forward seats, wearing headphones and talking with the pilot, Army National Guard Maj. Paul Reo.

Normally, these two are far more likely to be communicating in the surgical unit at South Clinical Campus where they care for patients. (Reo is a surgical physician assistant at Albany Med.)

On this particular Saturday, though, things were a little different.

Maj. Reo, an aviation officer in the New York Army National Guard, had invited his manager, Leslie McCann, RN, BSN, associate director of Surgical Services, to accompany him on a “boss lift”—a visit to the Camp Smith training site in Peekskill, N.Y., that would allow her to see, first-hand, his work as a reservist. “It was my way of saying thank you to Leslie, specifically, and the institution as a whole,” he said.

McCann, who already had plans to be out of town, suggested a stand-in, their colleague Stefanelli, who gladly accepted and joined 19 other civilians from businesses in and around Albany and the Long Island area for the day trip. (She and Reo were the only representatives from Albany Med.)

“After we landed, we were given a briefing,” Stefanelli said. “Then we went to target practice. I’d never

held a gun before, and I shot two clips of ammunition.” The group engaged in a number of activities, including visits to simulation labs that mimicked a Humvee rollover and an enemy ambush.

Stefanelli said she returned home with personalized dog tags, her first taste of a combat-ration meal, which they were served for lunch (“fajitas,” she said), and a profound appreciation for the men and women who serve in the National Guard.

The trip was sponsored by Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, a Department of Defense program that aims to promote cooperation and understanding between Reserve Component Service members and their civilian employers.

Reo, who has worked for Albany Med for five years, said his appreciation for his colleagues runs deep.

“For me, it all starts with Leslie,” he said. “She’s the one I go to when I need to work out my schedule, and she couldn’t be more helpful and supportive. She’s a great leader. I think we all

feel very indebted to her on South Clinical Campus.”

He also mentioned retired U.S. Navy Capt. Dennis McKenna, MD, senior vice president for Medical Affairs and system chief medical officer, who, shortly after Reo returned from a deployment in the Middle East, made a point to schedule a meeting with him. (Dr. McKenna has made four deployments himself, two as a reservist to Iraq.)

“He asked me how I was doing, how it felt to be back,” Reo said. “I’ve been in the National Guard for 24 years and it was the first time the senior leadership of an institution showed that kind of concern for my well-being. It really meant a lot to me.”

Equally moving, Reo said, has been the support of his co-workers. “I couldn’t do this without their help and cooperation. I often say, ‘You may not think you’re part of the war effort, but if you’re helping to cover a co-worker’s absence during a deployment, you’re also helping our country.’ It may be a degree or two removed, but it makes a difference.”

Paul Reo, PA-C, and Pamela Stefanelli, RN, BSN

Workforce Gathers for Annual Employee Celebration The 2016 Employee Celebration Picnic in September was an out-of-the-gate success. Afterward, Albany Med President Jim Barba thanked organizers and volunteers, calling the picnic “a tremendous, flawlessly executed event, where thousands of employees and students got together for good food, good music and a well-deserved break on a gorgeous day.”

This year, employees were invited to participate in the first-ever Employee Photo Contest. Winning photographs will be on display in the hospital’s basement hallways to help brighten and personalize the space. A photo submitted by Vivian Teng, RN, nurse manager in the Medical Surgical Hospitalist Unit, is at right.

Albany Medical Center again extends its gratitude for the hard work and dedication its workforce brings to the job every day.

“ I’m grateful to Albany Med for being such a cooperative, military-friendly employer.”

– Army Maj. Paul Reo, PA-C

High School Senior Selected as ‘ShenNext Medicine Scholar’A Shenendehowa High School senior who dreams of becoming a physician was selected as this year’s “ShenNext Medicine Scholar.”

Seventeen-year-old Kaitlin Davis, of Clifton Park, was chosen as part of a unique partnership of Shenendehowa High School, Siena College and Albany Medical College. “ShenNext Medicine: Selecting Tomorrow’s Doctors Today” offers the opportunity for a Shen student who wants to become a physician to be accepted more than a year earlier than usual for Siena and Albany Medical College’s combined eight-year program.

The initiative offers acceptance to both college and medical school at the same time and includes a scholarship at Siena of about $18,000 for four years.

The program was conceived by Albany Med President and CEO Jim Barba, a graduate of Siena College, and L. Oliver Robinson, PhD, superintendent of Shenendehowa Central Schools, as a way to provide area students with more opportunities while preparing well-educated, compassionate doctors.

Dr. Richard Uhl

For more information, please visit: www.siena.edu/amc.

Kaitlin Davis

Albany Medical Center Foundation43 New Scotland Avenue (Mail Code 119)Albany, New York 12208(518) 262-3322 Fax (518) 262-4769Email: development@mail.amc.eduwww.amc.eduChange Service Requested

4 | ALBANY MED TODAY | OCTOBER 2016

C O M M U N I T Y M AT T E R S … AT A L B A N Y M E D

Dr. Uhl Honored by the Arthritis FoundationIn September, Richard Uhl, MD, head of the Division of Orthopaedic Surgery and a practicing physician at Bone & Joint/Capital Region Orthopaedics, was honored by the Arthritis Foundation’s Northeastern New York Chapter at its 2016 Commitment to a Cure reception. Albany Med board member John J. Nigro, president of the Nigro Companies, was the evening’s honorary chair.

Dr. Uhl, a renowned hand surgeon, brought a hopeful tenor to the evening by describing the advancements in arthritis medication he has witnessed over the course of his career. Foundational to this progress, he said, has been the hard work of researchers like Joel Kremer, MD, Pfaff Family Professor in Albany Med’s Division of Rheumatology, who conducted important early studies on methotrexate, one of the first medications to treat the progression of arthritis—not just its symptoms.

“I’m doing far less surgery on patients with arthritis now,” Dr. Uhl said. “I see a big part of my job as an orthopaedic surgeon as knowing when to send people to rheumatologists to get the medications that will help them most. And the work of the Arthritis Foundation has been so important in helping to further research and keep patients and families informed about new developments.”

“Together,” said Heidi Barcomb, manager of the Northeastern New York Chapter of the Arthritis Foundation, “we are working to find a cure, and Dr. Uhl has been a real champion of the cause. We are honored to have him here tonight.”

Dr. Uhl has pioneered and taught many techniques to restore function in the hands of patients with conditions like arthritis and other neurological disorders, as well as those affected by trauma, sports injury and carpal tunnel syndrome. He has served Albany Med as division head for 16 years.

Walk for a CausePlease join “Team Albany Med” at this year’s “Making Strides Against Breast Cancer,” sponsored by the American Cancer Society. The three-mile walk will be held Sunday, Oct. 16, in Washington Park, Albany, at noon. Registration begins at 10 a.m. and all participants will receive a free T-shirt. For more information, please contact team co-captains Theresa Weinman, administrative coordinator in the Department of Family and Community Medicine, and Lisa Frankoski, MS, RNC, education specialist in the Center for Learning and Development, at weinmat@mail.amc.edu or frankol@mail.amc.edu.