A host of local dignitaries and medical professionals gathered in the North Street parking lot today for a groundbreaking ceremony on a $20 million expansion of United Memorial Medical Center.

The project will add 44,000 square feet to the facility as a one-story addition to the front of the current structure. Operating room space will double from 300 square feet to 600 square feet. An additional 19 private recovery beds will be added to the hospital as well.
 

By the end of the summer, city residents will no longer hear the wap-wap-wap of Mercy Flight helicopter blades flying in and out of UMMC, the hospital's spokeswoman Colleen Flynn told WBTA.

Flynn said the heli-pad at the hospital will provide new parking spaces.

She said patients requiring air transport from UMMC to Buffalo or Rochester would first be taken via ground ambulance to the Mercy Flight facility at the Genesee County Airport.

Officials of United Memorial Medical Center met with local media this afternoon to confirm a report earlier in the day by The Batavian that a member of the hospital staff tested positive for the H1N1 strain of flu and to discuss precautions instituted by the hospital.

During the conference, both spokeswoman Colleen Flynn and Lorri Goergen, infection prevention manager, confirmed that other employees have reported flu-like symptoms, but the cases seem largely unrelated.

The fact is, as the County's interim health director Randy Garney, discussed with The Batavian this morning, H1N1 is now widespread in Genesee County.

"The first one who called in (sick) with symptoms had no contact with the first case we identified," Goergen said. "What seemed to happen almost simultaneously is that our ER had a sudden increase in patients coming in with the same symptoms, and the doctor's offices this Monday were calling quite rapidly."

The first infected employee is recovering at home, Flynn said.

Flynn said the hospital reacted quickly and transparently with employees about the first confirmed case, sending out a memo Tuesday telling employees to stay home if they had even subtle flu-like symptoms. 

All of the employees and the doctors of patients who might have come into contact with the infected worker were given instructions and opportunities for preventative steps.  Exposed employees were screened and offered anti-viral medications.

As Garney discussed this morning, because this is not currently flu season, any flu-like feelings should be considered H1N1. People who feel ill should stay home and have minimal contact with other people. If you feel sick, call your doctor. Health officials stress it is best to avoid going to the emergency room or doctor's office unless severely ill.  H1N1, like any other flu, can be treated safely at home if directions are followed. Any public exposure by an infected person to others increases the risk of spreading the virus, and just because a case is mild in one person doesn't mean that person couldn't pass along the virus to another person who will have a much more severe reaction.

UMMC officials stressed the importance of washing your hands and avoiding hand to mouth contact.

And while your annual flu shot will not offer much protection against this new strain, they did stress the importance of annual flu shots.

As Goergen noted, some 36,000 people die from the flu every year. Any case of flu should be treated with care, not just H1N1.

Because H1N1 is now pervasive in the community, the hospital also instituted some visitation rule changes.

• No children under 14 are allowed to visit
• Visitors are limited to 2 per patient
• Visiting hours should be strictly enforced
• 4th floor (maternity ward) are restricted to fathers only
• Time spent in the hospital should be limited -- employees are encouraged to ask visitors to avoid public areas, including the snack shop, cafeteria and lobby

A fire alarm was triggered at UMMC, 16 Bank St. Firefighters are on scene and investigating. No further information is available at this time.

Press Release:

In recognition of National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, United Memorial urges men and women over aged 50 to get screened for colorectal cancer. Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer diagnosed in men and women in the United States, excluding skin cancers, and the third leading cause of cancer-related death in New York State.  Approximately, 11,000 new cases of colorectal cancer are diagnosed each year in New York, and 4,000 men and women die from the disease annually.

Colorectal cancer is the term used for cancers that start in the colon or the rectum.  Colorectal cancer often starts as a small growth called a polyp, long before symptoms appear.  A polyp is a non-cancerous growth of tissue or tumor that grows before cancer develops. A polyp grows on the lining of the colon or rectum and may change into cancer.   “Screening tests can prevent cancer by finding it early when the chance of being cured is very good,” said Michael Merrill, MD, VP of Medical Affairs.

All men and women ages 50 and older should be screened for colorectal cancer.  Colorectal cancer can affect anyone, men and women alike, and the risk only increases with age. According to the American Cancer Society, more than 90 percent of colon cancer cases occur in people aged 50 and older.

Some people are at greater risk for the disease than others, though, such as those with a personal or family history of colorectal cancer, history of intestinal polyps or inflammatory bowel disease, and people with a history of certain inherited diseases such as familial adenomatous polyposis and hereditary nonpolyposis colon cancer.

Colorectal cancer can be prevented or detected early through regular screening.  United Memorial Medical Center urges you to lower your risk of developing colorectal cancer by:

·         Getting screened- Begin regular screening at age 50. If you have a personal or family history of colorectal cancer or colorectal polyps, or a personal history of another cancer or inflammatory bowel disease, talk to your health care provider about getting screened before age 50.

·         Eating healthy- Enjoy a low-fat diet that is rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains from breads, cereals, nuts, and beans.  Eat foods with folate such as green, leafy vegetables. A daily multivitamin containing .4mg of folic acid may also be helpful.

·         Kicking the habit-If you use tobacco, quit. If you don't use tobacco, don't start.

·         Skipping the alcohol- If you use alcohol, drink only in moderation. Alcohol and tobacco in combination are linked to colorectal cancer and other gastrointestinal cancers.

·         Getting moving- Exercise for at least 20 minutes three to four days each week. Moderate exercise such as walking, gardening, or climbing may help reduce your risk.

“Talking with your healthcare provider is vital when it comes to preventing colorectal cancer, stressed Dr. Merrill, colorectal cancer is easily treated and often curable when detected early.  The tests are often covered by Medicare and many health insurers.”

 If you are uninsured or underinsured there is a program in this community that provides access to free colorectal cancer screening.  For more information about colorectal cancer, contact the Genesee Orleans Cancer Partnership at (585)344-5497 or visit us on-line at www.ummc.org.

We just received a press release from United Memorial Medical Center stating that 14 employees were laid off in Januray, and previously 16 vacant positions were eliminated, in response to the economic downturn.

For the past three months, United Memorial has been working to take pro-active steps in positioning the organization to effectively cope with the impact of reduced reimbursements from governmental payers and the effects of the declining stock market. To remain financially viable and protect the high level of service provided to our patients, we have applied organizational changes.

United Memorial began implementing several cost saving strategies in January which included limiting expenses unrelated to patient care, restricting the travel and education budgets and re-evaluating projects and capital purchases. All contracts for supplies, utilities and services were re-examined for cost savings. The Cardiac Rehab program was altered to increase class size and allow fewer days of operation. The Process Improvement Department was restructured under Quality Management and the employee shuttle service was outsourced.

As a part of this process, 16 vacant open positions with the equivalent hours of 12 full time employees were eliminated and since January, 14 employees were let go. While the 14 individuals affected by this action account for less than 2% of our 770 person workforce, they were our colleagues, co-workers and friends. Each possessed admirable work ethics and they have collectively provided the Hospital with decades of respected service. Those that were eligible were offered severance packages and where appropriate, options to extend their healthcare coverage.

The eliminated positions include three in management and 27 support staff.

The Surgical Expansion and Affordable Senior Housing Projects will continue as planned. The Hospital leadership team has worked conscientiously to make decisions that will allow United Memorial to continue to grow and provide quality services that meet the healthcare needs of our community.

From the United Memorial Medical Center:

United Memorial Medical Center (UMMC) is sponsoring a Nurses’ Night Out event for Thursday, February 26, 2009 at Terry Hills Restaurant, 5122 Clinton Street Road, Batavia. This social and educational event is open to all nursing and pharmacy professionals.
 
Michelle Spiotta, BS, RPh, and Pharmacy Clinical Manager for United Memorial will address the 2009 Patient Safety Standard on Anticoagulation during her discussion, “Anticoagulation Management and Heparin Induced Thrombocytopenia.”
 
Registration and Social Hour will be at 5:30 pm. Dinner will begin at 7:00 pm. Attendees should reserve a seat by phoning (585)344-7432 by February 23rd.
 
Non-UMMC employees will be charged $20 per person to cover the cost of dinner.

We received the following notice of closures at the United Memorial Medical Center:

"Due to today’s severe winter weather the following outpatient services of United Memorial will be closed today:

• Batavia Family Care

• Tountas Family Care

• Tonawanda Seneca Family Care

• Byron Family Care

• The Corporate Health Center

• All services at the Jerome Center including laboratory and medical imaging

• Pembroke Diagnostic Center

• LeRoy Diagnostic Center

• Cardiac Rehab Services, EKG, Echo and Stress Testing"

From United Memorial Medical Center:

New York State Senate Majority Leader and President Pro Tem, Dean G. Skelos, Senator Mary Lou Rath and United Memorial Medical Center CEO, Mark C. Schoell will announce New York State Senate support of the Hospital’s planned renovation of the former St. Jerome Hospital.

The former St. Jerome Hospital will be repurposed to a 37-unit affordable senior housing project, revitalizing an important area in downtown Batavia, providing jobs and improving access to healthcare.

United Memorial Medical Center was formed by the merger of Genesee Memorial and St. Jerome hospitals in January 2000. Following the merger, the majority of healthcare services were consolidated at the North Street campus, leaving the St. Jerome facility underutilized and vacant.

During the summer and fall of 2007, the former St. Jerome Hospital Emergency Department and Ground Floor were renovated to create a comprehensive outpatient diagnostic center, primary care and occupational medicine services. The housing project would address the upper four floors of the main physical plant.

WHO: Senator Dean Skelos, NYS Senate Majority Leader and President Pro Tem (9th Senate District), NYS Senator Mary Lou Rath (61st Senate District), and Mark C. Schoell, President and CEO, United Memorial Medical Center

WHEN: 5 pm on Thursday, October 23, 2008

WHERE: United Memorial Jerome Center, Bank and Washington Streets, Batavia

CONTACT: Colleen Flynn, Community Relations, United Memorial (585)344-5415 or email to: cflynn@ummc.org

From United Memorial Medical Center:

The United Memorial Medical Center League is planning an Open House for Thursday, October 30, 2008 from 2 to 4 pm in the Snack Shop and Gift Shop at the Hospital’s North Street campus. Free cake and punch will be available to the public. The League recently completed renovations to the Snack Shop by investing $2,000 in refurbished décor and new counter stools.
 
The Gift Shop will offer a 40% discount on all Halloween items purchased that day and 10% off all additional gift ware. The UMMC League operates both the Gift Shop and Snack Shop at the North Street campus with all proceeds directly benefitting United Memorial. The League has given over $1 million in support since their inception. This year’s charitable contributions will be earmarked for new equipment in the Maternity Unit.
 
The League is open to new members and volunteers. For information on becoming a volunteer, please contact Karen Tennity at (585)344-7465.

The Masonic Temple and several buildings around it on Main Street in downtown Le Roy have been demolished, according to WBTA's Dan Fischer. In all, eight buildings have come down, leaving a large swath of downtown vacant until construction begins on the Walgreen's that will be taking their place. Fischer connected with Le Roy's police chief, Chris Heywood, who spoke about the "new view of Lake Street."

In other news, the "credit crunch" spawned by the subprime housing crisis may be having an effect on Main Street atfer all. Fischer reports that at Genesee Community College, students may have a harder time procuring private loans. Apparently, "fewer and fewer banks are offering the loans." Most students, however, fund their tuition—and I speak out of experience here—via federal loans and grants. Now, as far as I know, those federal loans have not become harder to come across. Financial aid director at the college, Joe Bailey, told Fischer that the private loans are not as popular as the federal loans, but it's the only "means of paying tuition" for some students. How many? What percentage? "Some" never gets us anywhere when we're talking statistics, and we always seem to be talking statistics.

No matter how dire the "credit crunch," the state always seems to have money to give away. This time it's $3 million going to United Memorial Medical Center to help fund its $20 million "surgical expansion project" and add two more operating rooms at the hospital.

From United Memorial Medical Center:

United Memorial Medical Center Diabetes Education Program and Cardiac Rehab will participate in “Step Out: Walk to Fight Diabetes” on Saturday, October 4th. The walk begins and ends at the VA Medical Center, 222 Richmond Avenue, Batavia. Registration opens at 9am. The self-paced 3.5 mile walk will begin at 10 am.
 
To join the hospital in supporting this important health initiative, call Diabetes Health Educator, Margie Mager, RN at (585) 344-5437. Participants may also register on-line through the hospital website, www.ummc.org.
 
Money raised through the walk will be used to fund vital research towards a cure; education and advocacy for people with diabetes; and programming such as Sunshine Camp-the American Diabetes Association summer camp for children with diabetes, right here in Western New York.
 
Participants who raise at least $75 will receive a free t-shirt.

From United Memorial Medical Center:

United Memorial Medical Center will offer free blood pressure screenings each Thursday in October, the 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd and 30th, from 1:30 to 3:00 pm at our Cardiac Rehab Department located at 215 Summit Street, Batavia. Appointments are not needed and walk-ins are welcome.

The American Heart Association claims that nearly one in three U.S. adults has high blood pressure, but because there are no symptoms, nearly one-third of these people don't know they have it. Many people have high blood pressure for years without knowing it. Uncontrolled high blood pressure can lead to stroke, heart attack, heart failure or kidney failure. The only way to tell if you have high blood pressure is to have your blood pressure checked.

For additional information please contact Healthy Living, United Memorial’s Community Education and Outreach Department at (585) 344-5331.

From the United Memorial Medical Center:

United Memorial Medical Center Foundation will be holding its Annual Auction on Saturday, October 25, 2008 at the Holiday Inn at 8250 Park Road in Batavia, N.Y.

The Social Hour, Silent Auction and Chinese Auction featuring themed baskets will begin at 6 pm.  Dinner is scheduled for 7 pm followed by the live auction at 7:30 pm.  Auction items include: Buffalo Sabres game tickets, Fran Tarkenton autographed football, family pass to Casa Loma Estate Gardens in Toronto and one-night stays at Morgan Samuels Inn in Canandaigua and the Esperanza Mansion on Keuka Lake.

All proceeds from this auction will be restricted to UMMC’s surgical expansion project.

Tickets for this event are $20 in advance; $25 if purchased October 20-25 and include buffet, wine, beer, soda and dessert table.

Please contact the UMMC Foundation for further information at (585) 344-5300.

From the United Memorial Medical Center:

The Cancer Services Partnership of Genesee and Orleans County (formerly known as the Healthy Women’s Partnership) has scheduled its annual breast cancer awareness event, Pink Hatter’s Night Out, for October 9th at Batavia Downs, 8315 Park Road, Batavia.

All attendees are encouraged to wear a pink hat. Each year prizes are awarded for hats in several categories. Doors open at 4 pm to preview the Chinese Auction items. Dinner will begin at 6 pm. 

Tickets to the event are $20 each and available at the Healthy Living Partnership, 211 East Main Street, Batavia; or by phoning (585)344-5494. Seating is limited and is expected to sell out early.

Michele Odrabina, MD who practices in obstetrics and gynecology in Albion and Medina will be the featured speaker.

The group DIVA by DIVA will present a special performance of “A Celebration of Women.” This O’Connell & Company original production is now in its 9th year. Each performance features different materials and cast in a fast paced whirl of sequins, songs, humor and quotes by, for and about women.

The Cancer Services Partnership is a grant funded program which provides access to free colorectal, breast and cervical cancer screenings for men and women, age 18 to 64, who are uninsured or underinsured. United Memorial manages the Partnership for Orleans and Genesee Counties.

Renovation will begin today at the former St. Jerome Hospital on Bank Street, according to WBTA. United Memorial Medical Center plans to erect a 37-unit affordable senior housing structure for the site. The project is expected to disrupt traffic and parking in the vicinity.

In other news, Batavia's City Council will meet tonight at 7:00pm at City Hall. Please refer to our earlier post for more details or to download the agenda.

United Memorial Medical Center issued the following news briefs:

United Memorial Medical Center will offer free blood pressure screenings on Wednesday, July 9th from 10 am to 12 noon at the Batavia Senior Center, 2 Bank Street, Batavia. For additional information on this and other community outreach programs, contact the Healthy Living Department at (585) 344-5331.

United Memorial Medical Center is a proud sponsor of Walk the Villages, a free event initiated by Senator Mary Lou Rath to encourage residents to walk in 6 local communities. Batavia’s community walk is scheduled for Thursday, July 6th at 6pm. It will begin at the Batavia City Centre where United Memorial will offer free health screenings and giveaways. Participants will have the opportunity to go on a guided walk downtown where they will learn about the history of some of Batavia’s businesses and landmarks. For more information on Walk the Villages visit our  website at www.ummc.org.

United Memorial Medical Center will host an informational presentation on Bariatric Surgery on July 16th at Richmond Memorial Library, 19 Ross Street, Batavia. The program is free and will begin at 6:30 pm. Anthony DiBenedetto, MD Chief of Surgery for Rochester General Hospital, will lead the discussion on surgical options for significant weight loss. Seating is limited. Reservations may be made by calling the Healthy Living Department at (585) 344-5331.

From the Daily News (Tuesday):

• O glorious day! Today's Daily News features the third installment of Tom Rivers' adventures in agriculture series — cherry picking. Rivers begins the article with a confession of his rampant fear of heights, ladders in particular, which makes for a tense and funny start to what proves another gem in a great series. Go read it.
• United Memorial Medical Center received a $2.2 million state grant that will help finance the renovation of the Jerome Center on Bank Street. Reporter Paul Mrozek writes: "The project will provide 37 condominium-style apartments for low-income senior citizens, ages 55 or older. Rent will be from $475 per month to $575 per month, depending on the person's income." The total cost of the project is about $8.2 million. No date has yet been set for the start of the project, but UMMC spokeswoman Colleen Flynn said that they hope to start soon.
• The Genesee County Nursing Home was told it will get $800,000 in "retroactive Medicaid reimbursements," money that was supposed to be granted by the state as reimbursement for Medicaid patient care provided by the nursing home. Also, the state will start to pay more for Medicaid services and the county should see an added $600,000 "in unanticipated revenue," writes Paul Mrozek, which means more good news for an institution that hasn't heard much of it in recent months.
• And the money just keeps flowing... The city of Batavia received a check for nearly $630,000 from the state thanks to Batavia Downs video gaming facility. An article in the Daily News Friday made mention of the state funds — some went to the county and some to the town, as well. After reading today's article, I still don't quite understand why the state gives money to community's for hosting video gaming centers, which I believe are no more than video slot machines. Reporters Tom Rivers and Joanne Beck explain how it came about: "The state last year approved legislation allowing host communities to receive payments for having video gaming centers within their municipal borders. They share 3.5 percent of the total net revenue generated by the video gaming centers." I assume that "they" here refers to the "host communities." But then the next sentence says that the "money comes from the state and not the tracks that operate the gambling centers." I'm confused. Whose money is this? Is it the state's or does it belong to the Downs? Why do municipalities get a share? Anyone know how this works?
• A fire at a home in Corfu Monday morning resulted in the death of two cats and caused about $50,000 in damage. No one was home at the time, and the Corfu fire chief said the house is not habitable.
• The owner of BrightLine, a television marketing company, was honored as the Batavia High School Graduate of Disctinction Sunday. Jacqueline Corbelli Modzelewski graduated from the school in 1982.
• Brian Hillabush reports on the NFL-sponsored football camp at Batavia High School. More than 400 kids are enrolled in the camp, and they come from schools all over the area. It's an interesting article, worth reading.

For the complete stories, the Daily News is available on local newsstands, or you can subscribe on BataviaNews.com.

From the Daily News (Thursday):

• A 68-year-old California man who confessed June 17 to the murder of his wife back in 1992 was extradited to Genesee County Jail on murder charges. Robert Kirkup's wife, Janet, went missing in 1992 when the couple was traveling across country in a mobile home, and an investigation into her disappearance went "cold" in 1999. Detectives in San Bernardino County in California reopened the case on June 10 and took Robert Kirkup into custody following his confession. It is now believed that Janet Kirkup's body is buried somewhere in Genesee County.
• A story on the front page about United Memorial Medical Center potentially losing IDA funding was reported yesterday on The Batavian — including a link to full coverage of the issue by the Buffalo News.
• The New York State School for the Blind held its graduation and student awards ceremony yesterday. Amanda Benoit, David Roberts, Andrew Hershelman, Amy Mae Snyder and Catherine Truesdale got their diplomas, and dozens of others were honored with awards.
• Reporter Roger Muehlig does a good job writing up the current exhibit at GO ART! in Batavia. The show is titled Artitude and features works in pen and ink, watercolor, colored pencil and crayon by members of the Genesee County Mental Health Association's Social Club. You can see the show at the cultural center at 201 E. Main St., Batavia. The gallery is open from 9:00am to 4:00pm daily.

For the complete stories, the Daily News is available on local newsstands, or you can subscribe on BataviaNews.com.