Category Archives: Healthcare

(Story Updated 9-20-2017 from June 2017 Print Issue)

By Maureen Werther

Richard L. Dennis, DMD, FAGD, of Saratoga Smiles dental practice on 176 Lake Avenue, Saratoga Springs, began implementing a new orthodontic alignment program less than one year ago, and it is rapidly gaining in popularity.

The treatment program is an adult orthodontic aesthetic treatment that has proven effective in straightening teeth and improving overall appearance. While it shares certain similarities with traditional orthodontic procedures, it is less invasive and it uses tooth-colored wires and resin brackets.

Like traditional orthodontics, patients in the Six Month Smiles program see Dr. Dennis every few weeks to change the wires and gauges. Unlike the Invisalign treatment, which has been around for several years and takes much longer to work, Six Month Smiles is true to its name, usually taking between six to eight months.

The other notable difference between Six Month Smiles and traditional orthodontic or Invisalign treatments is cost.

“This procedure costs about half of traditional orthodontics,” said dental hygienist Rachel Lyons, who has been with the practice for nearly ten years. She added that a typical Six Month Smiles treatment program usually costs about $3,400.00.

SUNY Empire State College and SUNY Ulster have formed a new partnership to address the demand for registered nurses in New York state to have completed a bachelor’s degree.

Thanks to the partnership, graduates of SUNY Ulster’s nursing program will transfer seamlessly to SUNY Empire’s RN to BSN program, college officials said.

SUNY Ulster’s nursing graduates also will be able to complete upper-division SUNY Empire RN to BSN courses through a blend of online and face-to-face learning at SUNY Ulster’s campus.

“We can take our nursing program and bring it to Ulster where it’s needed,” said Merodie A. Hancock, president of SUNY Empire. “Our partnership provides a highly regarded, convenient baccalaureate degree option. We’ll share faculty, leverage SUNY Ulster’s facilities, so that students will be able to stay close to their homes, communities and places of employment, complete their BSN and move on with their careers.”

“This is a unique opportunity for registered nurses looking to attain their BSN for career advancement and professional development to do so right here in Ulster County affordably,” said Alan P. Roberts, president of SUNY Ulster. “We are delighted to partner with Empire State College to expand access to this degree, which is in high demand, and feature our partnership as a model for other RN to BSN programs.”

The Wesley Community has acquired  Saratoga Springs-based home care provider Senior Solutions, which will enable the senior services organization to offer in-home care to clients and residents.

The move expands the service offerings of the Wesley Community from its Saratoga Springs campus to a home-based setting, and extends the geographic footprint of the organization from beyond Saratoga and Warren counties to include the adult aging population within the Schenectady area, officials said.

The acquisition also allows the Wesley Community to add another level of service to its continuum of care model, which includes independent and enriched living, short-term rehabilitation and long-term care options for seniors.

“Aging at home is an important priority for many adults and their families. Wesley Senior Solutions provides the senior population with an alternative option beyond the traditional residential care currently available on our campus,” said Wesley Community CEO Brian Nealon. “All of us at The Wesley Community are dedicated to providing the highest quality of care, and this new offering will allow us to bring that same level of service to clients who wish to remain in the comfort of their own home.”

By Jill Nagy

At the new Vent Fitness facility in Saratoga Springs members have to share the data collected by their heart-rate monitors. The idea, according to marketing and promotion manager Germaine Wright, is to keep things competitive and to promote “compatibility and camaraderie” and encourage people to “reinvent together.”

The facility, at 307 Broadway, at the corner of Congress Street, is the fifth in the area for Vent Fitness, but the first to feature a studio concept.

Vent has renovated an existing building to provide 4,600 square feet of space. A mid-June “soft opening” is planned with something more celebratory later in the summer. They expect to employ between five and 10 people, including fitness instructors and office staff.

Members will participate in group classes featuring interval training at various levels of difficulty.

Interval training alternates periods of high-intensity exercise with less strenuous intervals. Every student receives a heart-rate monitor and the data is posted on a screen for all to see. Sharing is compulsory, Wright said.

The gym will also have locker rooms and showers, as well as a lounge area, a live DJ to provide music, a shake bar and a retail sales area, selling athletic clothing and gear and other items that might come in handy during a workout.

Improvements and enhancements at the Wesley Community’s Springs building include this upgraded dining area. Enhancements began in 2015 and more are scheduled over time.

Courtesy The Wesley Community

The Wesley Community in Saratoga Springs, a provider in housing and services for independent seniors and those requiring all levels of care, recently unveiled a series of enhancements and improvements to its Springs building.

The renovations to the fifth floor of the Springs building increase the amount of private rooms from four to 17, officials said. The redesigned floor includes an upgraded dining room, warm and inviting common spaces with gas fireplaces, new LED lights to make the space brighter, and an improved air circulation system that will increase resident comfort.

Resident rooms on the fifth floor have received a substantial upgrade as well. Each room now features an updated bathroom with shower, new furnishings, and a flat-screen television. Meals will now be delivered from a centralized kitchen that is also accessible to residents.

Meredeth Conley, an aesthetician at North Country ENT and MedSpa, applies a facial treatment to a client. The business has added a spa treatment feel in addition to providing medical services.

©2016 Saratoga Photographer.com

By Jennifer Farnsworth

North Country ENT has undergone a revitalization and is now known as North Country ENT and MedSpa.

Just as the change in name suggests, the business has evolved into more of a spa retreat feeling, according to office manager Claire Hensler.

Dr. Robert Hughes and staff are now not only ear, nose and throat specialists, but offer a full holistic treatment service spa as well.

Hensler said the MedSpa offers European waxing, which covers all areas of the body; permanent makeup, which aids individuals with visual impairments or dexterity-related conditions that may make applying makeup a challenge; laser-free tattoo removal; micro-needling, also known as collagen induction therapy; cosmeceuticals, which helps to create and maintain a youthful looking complexion; acne treatments, facials and peels, BioLOGIC cosmeceutical spray tan, FuturaFace light therapy, teeth whitening and Infra-Slim body contouring.