Great Heroes top fund-raiser for Herkimer-based Red Cross
March 24, 2004
When a Christmas Day snowstorm pounded the area in 2002, the Mohawk Valley Ambulance Corps, or MOVAC, went above and beyond the call of duty.

Keeping resolutions: Lifestyle changes are ultimate goal
Feb. 23, 2004
If keeping a New Year’s resolution was part of some cutthroat reality TV show, then nearly half of America would have been voted off the island by now.

Bassett Healthcare receives nursing honor
Feb. 19, 2004
The staff at Bassett Healthcare erupted in joy recently when President and CEO William Streck announced that Bassett received the Magnet Recognition for Excellence award from the American Nurses Association.

Congenital heart woes a struggle
Jan. 26, 2004
Rebecca Alford of Ilion remembers shopping in the early 1970s with her mother in Nichols department store. She also remembers the cashier asking her mother why Rebecca’s lips were purple. Rebecca was not cold — it was a 90-degree day, she said — and she did not eat a grape lollipop either.

Area hospitals pumping money into projects
Jan. 12, 2004
From new surgeons to consolidation to massive expansions, the area's five hospitals will see changes this year.

Health educator leaves legacy
Jan. 12, 2004
Without fail, one of the first things people say about JoAnn Nora is that she always had a smile on her face.

So far, area immune to flu crisis
Dec. 9, 2003
Cailin Rech, 4, was singing a song to her stuffed Dalmatian, Doggie, as she waited her turn to get a flu shot.

Air medical care firm sets up
Oct. 31, 2003
At a quick glance, Life Net's new offices could pass for hotel rooms. There are two waterbeds in one room. A night table with a clock radio. For entertainment, a television and VCR. But Life Net's helicopter outside, and the weather-mapping tools inside, deflates any idea it's running a hotel.

Cancer walk exceeds expectations
Oct. 20, 2003
Six-year-old Taylor Miller's bright eyes and sunny smile are a stark reminder why 2,700 people came out Sunday for the American Cancer Society's Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk.

Stores selling expired medicine
Oct. 14, 2003
A survey of retail stores by the state attorney general's office found nearly a third were selling expired over-the-counter medications in violation of state law.

Little Falls hospital's drive aims at equipment
Oct. 2, 2003
Little Falls Hospital's 2003-04 development fund drive has a goal of $150,000 to be used toward buying two essential pieces of equipment, hospital Board of Trustees Chairman John D. Bullis said.

Hospitals rated poorly in helping uninsured patients
Oct. 2, 2003
Hospitals don't make it easy for uninsured New Yorkers to access the $847 million a year taxpayers contribute to charity care, a consumer advocates' group said Wednesday.

State may forgive $2.4M Medicaid debt for county
Sept. 25, 2003
Oneida County may be able to take an item listed as a $2.4 million liability off its books, assisting its overall financial picture, county Social Services Commissioner Theodore C. Mohr said.

Medical group celebrates 65 years in Mohawk Valley
Sept. 17, 2003
Slocum-Dickson Medical Group is kind of like one-stop shopping. With more than 50 physicians offering 25 specialities, residents from the Mohawk Valley can come from near and far and see all of their doctors under one roof, all in one day.

CURE benefit to help battle epilepsy
Sept. 2, 2003
More than 2.5 million Americans suffer from epilepsy, and Utica resident Christopher Donalty was one of the thousands of people who died from the condition in 2002.

Young, happy -- and uninsured
Aug. 29, 2003
On weekdays, Tina Zysk, a registrar with Faxton/St. Luke's Healthcare, calls and asks patients for a few bits of basic information -- name and insurance company -- so they can bypass registration upon arrival. Shuffling paperwork across her desk, Zysk admires the different types of coverage. Unlike most of the patients, Zysk does not have health insurance herself.

Schumer wants Canadian medications available in U.S.
Aug. 27, 2003
Making Canadian medications available to New York consumers would be a priority when U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., heads to Congress next month.

St. Elizabeth offering surgical fellowship program
Aug. 26, 200
St. Elizabeth Medical Center is one of 11 sites in the country offering an annual fellowship program to give a trained physician a more comprehensive surgical experience.

Area dentist uses exercise, diet to turn his life around
Aug. 18, 2003
Pediatric dentist Norman J. Cognetto describes himself as the kid who was always overweight. He didn't play sports (except for some casual hockey as a boy) and failed at every diet he ever tried. His wife Valerie dutifully cooked the required menu for each new diet and prodded him to exercise.

Hospitals operate on backup power
Aug. 15, 2003
Patients at Utica hospitals were unaffected Thursday as operations continued on backup power, officials at Faxton-St. Luke's, St. Elizabeth Medical Center and Heritage House said.

HealthFriends receives $7,000 contribution
Aug. 13, 2003
HealthFriends, an organization that provides free prescription medications for uninsured low-income area residents, has received a $7,000 donation from the Utica Dispensary Fund of the Community Foundation of Herkimer and Oneida Counties.

Eco-Festival connects youths, Earth
Aug. 10, 2003
Showing off a letter that a third-grade student in Mexico sent to her organization, Kids Against Pollution summer intern Jessica G. Tovar reflected Saturday on the child's artwork.

Sitrin health center selected for project
July 30, 2003
The New York State Intensive Group of the National Nursing Home Quality Initiative has selected the Sitrin Health Care Center to participate in the quality initiative project.

Starting today, no ifs, ands or butts for smokers
July 24, 2003
While cigarette smokers took advantage of their last night of smoking in area bars and restaurants, another group of tobacco aficionados went out in high style at Hotel Utica's "Last Legal Smoke-Out."

Volunteers bolster staff at Red Cross chapter
July 22, 2003
The staff of the Mohawk Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross increased when two AmeriCorps volunteers joined the organization at the end of May.

ConMed Corp. earnings exceed expectations for second quarter
July 18, 2003
ConMed Corp. exceeded its expectations for the second quarter of this year with a sales increase of 11.9 percent and a net income increase of 13.3 percent, the company announced Thursday.

Military hospital unit members return from Kuwait posting
July 12, 2003
Two days after Thanksgiving 2002, 150 members of the 865th Combat Support Hospital left for Camp Doha, Kuwait.

Fitness an afterthought for many refugees
July 9, 2003
Impressed by Arnold Schwarzenegger's chiseled body in 1982's "Conan the Barbarian," 6-year-old Emin Hodzic began his life-long commitment to fitness.

Medicaid applications surge
July 6, 2003
Jeanette Saponaro was one of a steady stream of people entering and leaving the county medical services office Tuesday morning.

Doctor's healing hands still working magic at 88
July 6, 2003
Nestled in a small ranch-style building on the corner of Kemble and Eagle streets is a medical office reminiscent of the 1940s and 50s era. At the sturdy wooden desk inside the office sits a distinguished man, Dr. Abraham L. Shaheen.

Nurses return to negotiation table again
July 1, 2003
Registered nurses at St. Elizabeth Medical Center have withdrawn their notice of intent to picket and plan to go back to the negotiation table with management. The nurse's contract expired Monday.

Oneida County seniors to be eligible for Medicaid HMO in July
June 26, 2003
Starting next month, Medicare-eligible senior citizens in Oneida County will have the option of getting their coverage through an HMO.

Rome plans health fair Sept. 6
June 25, 2003
Mayor John Mazzaferro announced Tuesday details of the community health festival to take place Sept. 6 on the City Hall Green.

Red Cross begins summer push for blood
June 23, 2003
As the need for blood donations increases during summer months, area blood donations decline, said Carole Glinski, Rome Chapter of the American Red Cross executive director.

Doctor helps kids with asthma at summer camp
June 22, 2003
Dr. Martin Masarech spends most of his vacation time with his wife and children, but there's a week every August that he devotes exclusively to other people's children.

Charity unfazed by diocese cutbacks
June 18, 2003
Cutbacks in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Syracuse won't have a major impact on Catholic Charities of Oneida-Madison Counties, officials said this week.

St. E's nurses may plan to protest
June 12, 2003
Registered nurses from St. Elizabeth Medical Center plan to conduct public protests and job actions should contract negotiations not be resolved at the end of this month, the state nurse's association said this week.

2 possible SARS cases in Oneida County
June 10, 2003
Oneida County health officials announced Monday that two possible cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome were detected in the county over the weekend.

Cancer society's annual fund-raiser touches many
June 8, 2003
Dozens of men, women and children with cancer survivor badges pinned to their royal purple T-shirts proudly led off Sauquoit's first Relay for Life Saturday.

Hospice Foundation continues mission
May 30, 2003
The Herkimer County Hospice Foundation will continue to exist, even though the county disbanded its hospice program and transferred it to Hospice Care Inc. several months ago, foundation Chairman Kalman Socolof said.

New center in New Hartford to house hospice patients
May 29, 2003
Fund-raising for a new $1.7 million center that will provide housing for terminally ill patients is underway at Hospice & Palliative Care Inc. in New Hartford, Executive Director Pi T. Gentile said Wednesday.

Tribulations don't stop man from racing
May 26, 2003
Climbing the hills of the Utica Boilermaker Road Race is tough enough for an able-bodied runner. Imagine doing it in a wheelchair – and not in a low-riding, lightweight racing chair, but in a taller, heavier, standard chair.

Son's death leads mother to fight for epilepsy cure
May 8, 2003
Chris Donalty of Utica had his whole world ahead of him when he died suddenly in February 2002 at age 21. He was found dead in his bed, a textbook beside him and an application he was filling out for a summer job with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms next to his books. Chris died from SUDEP - Sudden Unexplained Death due to Epilepsy.

Hospitals seek lower C-section rate
Apr. 30, 2003
In a quiet log house, Sherry Joslyn-Ruffrage watches her infant boy yawn and wriggle his face into sleepy expressions. George Robert Ruffrage is the family's third child. This time, the family used the assistance of a midwife at Rome Memorial Hospital, which is one change the hospital is making to lower its Caesarean section rate.

Multiple c-sections' effects concern some doctors
Apr. 30, 2003
Following a campaign that lowered cesarean rates nationwide, the rates are going back up. Part of the reason for that increase is that medical professionals have changed their opinions regarding vaginal birth after c-section, or VBAC.

Hamilton College hosts AIDS Hike for Life
Apr. 26, 2003
AIDS Community Resources and Hamilton College are teaming up Sunday for the fifth annual AIDS Hike for Life, a fund-raiser to benefit those in the Mohawk Valley affected by HIV and AIDS.

ConMed continues climb
Apr. 25, 2003
ConMed Corp. reported increased sales and earnings Thursday for the first quarter of this year. Sales increased to $118 million ($115.5 million at current exchange rates), compared to $113.2 million in the first quarter of 2002.

Region prepares for SARS
Apr. 25, 2003
A patient shows up at the local emergency room coughing, short of breath and feverish. Is it SARS? Probably not, especially if that person hasn't done any recent traveling to SARS-affected countries like China or Vietnam or come in close contact with someone who has.

Medical professionals adapting to new privacy rules
Apr. 22, 2003
Barriers at the pharmacy inside Eckerd Drugs on Genesee Street in Utica prevent customers from peeking at prescriptions. A new clipboard covers up the names of those who sign for prescriptions.

Hospitals fear state cuts
Apr. 19, 2003
An already weakened health care system in New York state is likely to need life support if Gov. George Pataki's proposed budget is enacted, health care officials say.

Fearing SARS, colleges recall students from China
Apr. 17, 2003
Two local colleges have called home students studying in China this semester because of the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). But school officials say no reason exists to believe students have been exposed to the virus.

New procedure completes heart institute
Apr. 16, 2003
The Mohawk Valley Heart Institute recently completed the final component to make it a full service cardiac program with the launch of an electrophysiology service lab at St. Elizabeth Medical Center.

No SARS cases reported in area
Apr. 11, 2003
The Oneida County Department of Public Health Thursday sought to reassure the public that the county has not seen any cases of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, a pneumonia-like illness that was first diagnosed in China and has taken scores of lives in Asia.

ConMed expansion creates jobs
Apr. 8, 2003
ConMed Corp. is in the process of filling 30 new manufacturing jobs locally that stem from the acquisition and relocation of a Jacksonville, Fla.-based company it purchased earlier this year, a company official said Monday.

Editorial: Disabilities awareness program a worthy goal
Apr. 8, 2003
Some of the very best lessons needn't come from textbooks. And a program conducted in area schools by The Arc, Oneida-Lewis Chapter, NYSARC, is a good example of how life lessons can complement classroom instruction when it comes to the education of our children.

Walkers to help fight MS
Apr. 5, 2003
Multiple sclerosis is a disease that people rally against, whether it be through fund-raising walks or awareness campaigns, said Sarah Fedele, the special events manager for the National MS Society's Upstate New York chapter.

State board looks at nursing cases
Apr. 2, 2003
Two local nurses have been cited by the state Board of Regents.

Reaction to smoking ban mixed
Mar. 30, 2003
Restaurant owners, residents and local leaders around the Mohawk Valley are split about the new tobacco law that would ban smoking in all bars and restaurants in the state.

Deal for nurses at jail OK'd
Mar. 27, 2003
The Oneida County Board of Legislators Wednesday approved funds for the temporary hiring of nurses at the Oneida County Correctional Facility. The jail's medical facility, which is mandated by the state to have six full-time nurses and a supervisor, is operating with only a nursing supervisor and two part-time nurses.

ConMed revises earnings, settles suits
Mar. 22, 2003
ConMed Corp. is revising its previously announced net income for the fourth quarter and the year 2002 because of a litigation settlement, company officials said. The company has agreed to make a one-time payment of $1.5 million to the Ludlow division of Tyco International Ltd., parent company of Kendall Co. in Oriskany Falls, over a dispute regarding gel used in some of the company's EKG electrodes.

Herkimer Co. focuses on health issues
Mar. 14, 2003
Herkimer County has yet to find out if it qualifies for a mandatory Medicaid managed care program, a topic that stirred much debate in October among health care providers and Medicaid recipients.

Group criticizes doctor care
Mar. 11, 2003
Medical errors -- not doctors' malpractice-insurance costs -- are a crisis in New York, a group of consumer advocates claimed Monday.

Disabled groups press agenda
Mar. 10, 2003
As a half-dozen people in wheelchairs rolled into a second-floor office of the state Capitol, the receptionist behind the desk stiffened. "Do you think you could move back into the hallway? It's a little crowded," she said to activists from Rochester and New York City here to protest policies of Gov. George Pataki.

Faxton-St. Luke's envisions major changes
Mar. 9, 2003
For Christmas three years ago, Keith Fenstemacher's family gave him a history book about Utica. With more than 30 years experience in the health care industry, most of it in Utica, and a history buff to boot, he found the chapter on the city's hospitals particularly interesting.

Patients of Rome doctor may call for information
Mar. 5, 2003
Patients of the Rome doctor who allegedly sent $4 million to Iraq through a charitable organization may contact his office for information regarding their appointments and medical records.

Area psychiatric workers fear changes
Mar. 4, 2003
More patients and more staffers coming to the Mohawk Valley Psychiatric Center would add stress to workers and patients, union representatives said. Under Gov. George Pataki's plan, 111 patients and 236 staffers from Hutchings would be transferred to the Mohawk Valley site in West Utica.

Activists protest cut in benefits for disabled
Mar. 4, 2003
Disabled activists Monday protested a proposal by Gov. George Pataki to cut $13 a month from their government benefits, occupying a Capitol office until an official agreed to meet with them.

Web site a healing connection; Cancer patient keeps online journal
Mar. 1, 2003
Cancer patient Barry Depot explains why he posted his picture on his Web page after his hair fell out in one day. Depot is receiving treatment at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.

Rome doctor charged in Iraq probe
Feb. 27, 2003
A doctor with a practice in Rome is one of four men charged by the U.S. Attorney's Office in Syracuse with funneling $4 million to Iraq over the past nine years. Federal prosecutors Wednesday charged Dr. Rafil Dhafir, 55, of Fayetteville, who also practices in Rome, and Maher Zagha, 34, of Amman, Jordan, with conspiring to transfer money to Iraq in violation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.

Women return confident after smallpox vaccination
Feb. 27, 2003
Patrice Bogan and Claudia Held, who Tuesday were the first people in Oneida County to be vaccinated for smallpox under a new government initiative, say they are feeling just fine.

Health fair takes aim at local medical problems
Jan. 27, 2003
It was only because Jeannette Fardan was about to give birth to her son that she found out she was facing potentially grave health problems. Her blood pressure was so high, she was, at age 17, on the brink of having a stroke.

Herkimer County switches to new hospital consultant
Jan. 27, 2003
The Herkimer County Legislature has chosen Little Falls Hospital to provide physician services for the county's Public Health department, replacing Bassett Healthcare, which has had the contract for a number of years.

ConMed expands again
Jan. 14, 2003
ConMed Corp. has entered into an agreement to purchase a publicly traded Pennsylvania company that develops and manufactures sports medicine and trauma products.

Doctor bides time on state decision
Jan. 9, 2003
The man at the center of a waiting game between the state and Herkimer County is still taking it all in stride. County legislators said Wednesday they continue to wait for approval from the state Health Department of their October appointment of Dr. Gregory O'Keefe as the county's permanent Public Health director.

ConMed disappoints; earnings fall short of goal
Jan. 9, 2003
ConMed's record sales in the fourth quarter of 2002 did not meet the company's expectations and will lower its fourth quarter and full-year earnings, a company official said during a conference call with investors Wednesday.

Area dentist upset about fine
Jan. 8, 2003
A Herkimer dentist has been disciplined by the state Board of Regents in connection with a 1998 assault. In response to the board's charge of professional misconduct last spring, Dr. David J. Zilka filed a document in June agreeing to the penalty of a two-year suspension, two years of probation and a $1,500 fine.