Category Archives: Health / Community Services

By Jill Nagy

A local company ptSource (pronounced “patient source”) has taken over the front office operations for OrthoNY, an orthopedic medical practice with several offices in the Capital District.

The company schedules appointments, answers telephone calls, provides information, and performs similar tasks on an around-the-clock basis.

“We provide a much better patient experience than any practice can do themselves” at a reduced cost, said company president Craig Skevington.

His company has been in business for about 20 years providing services to some 60 clients, mostly providing after-hours telephone coverage. OrthoNY is the first client to sign up for 24-hour service.

“The Monday morning and late afternoon stress” are gone, he said.

“Everything is working great so far,” said OrthoNY CEO Michelle Brinkman. “The partnership has helped us achieve our goal of easier patient access.” 

Saratoga Hospital has been named one of “The World’s Best Hospitals 2021” by Newsweek—a distinction earned by just six hospitals in the state.

Other “World’s Best” facilities in New York are The Mount Sinai Hospital, New York-Presbyterian, and NYU Langone Hospitals, all in New York City; North Shore University Hospital on Long Island and Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester.

Saratoga Hospital is the only Capital Region facility and the only community hospital in the state to make the list. With 171 beds, the hospital also is the smallest of the New York facilities counted among the list.

“We are in great company, and it’s all because of our amazing team,” said Angelo Calbone, Saratoga Hospital president and CEO. “Regardless of their role or department, our team members put patient care and satisfaction above all else. That’s what it means to be part of Saratoga Hospital, and the results are obvious—in the excellent care we provide, our investments in technology, and our emphasis on kindness and customer service with our patients, visitors and each other.”

The Newsweek ranking lists the best hospitals in 25 countries based on three data sources: recommendations from medical experts, results from patient surveys and medical key performance indicators for hospitals.

According to Newsweek, those that merit the World’s Best designation “stand out for their consistent excellence, including distinguished physicians, top-notch nursing care and state-of-the-art technology.”

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.

Saratoga PLAN recently received its largest private cash gift ever—$500,000 from the Sarah B. Foulke Charitable Fund for producing the Friendship Trails System.
The donation will underwrite the planning, design and stewardship of more than 20 miles of publicly accessible, permanently conserved trails in the 40,500-acre Southern Palmertown Range, an ecologically important area that stretches north from Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs to the Hudson River, and is bordered by routes 9 and 9N, on the east and west, respectively.
Saratoga PLAN aims to design Friendship Trails that will provide enjoyment through an inclusive spectrum of outdoor activities: walking, running, wheelchairing, dog-walking, mountain-biking, horseback-riding, bird-watching, botanizing, forest-bathing, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, and learning about nature and local history.

The Saratoga County Citizens Committee for Mental Health (SCCCMH) named Laraine Desmond as 2019 Citizen of the Year.
Desmond has provided direct care for hundreds of severely mentally ill individuals during her 30-year career working with Transitional Services Association (TSA), thee agency said.
For most of that time, she has served as the program director for the Stonebridge Community Residence. Officials said she has served with integrity and commitment through more than a few transitions and changes within the field of mental health and at TSA.
“The stability, sincerity, and experience Laraine brings to her job is both substantial and significant. It is impossible to calculate the positive impact Laraine’s service has had on TSA residents over the years,” the agency said in a statement. “It has literally been felt daily by people living with mental illness for her entire tenure at TSA. When asked about her work, Laraine said, ‘Often you hear people saying they love helping people, but I say I love the people I help. It is that simple.’”

Certified nurse midwife Jennifer Kittell, of Saratoga Hospital Medical Group – Midwifery and Women’s Health Services, was named a fellow for the Duke-Johnson & Johnson Nurse Leadership Program.
A partnership between Duke University School of Nursing and Johnson & Johnson, the program provides leadership development for nurse practitioners and certified nurse midwives, especially those who work in community practice settings.
Kittell is one of 41 nurses from across the U.S. who were selected for the 2019-20 program. Fellows will participate in three leadership retreats, monthly distance-based learning activities and a transformative health leadership project. A key objective is to equip fellows to provide more effective, efficient healthcare services to vulnerable populations and to lead innovative health improvement initiatives for their organizations and communities.