Watertown, NY – On May 8, a select group of Samaritan nurses were honored for their outstanding contributions to the organization, its patients, and long-term care residents. The exclusive event, held at Samaritan Summit Village, recognized the enduring dedication and professionalism of both Registered Nurses (RNs) and Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) throughout their careers with Samaritan.

Qualified medical providers were invited to nominate nurses by submitting essays that highlighted the meaningful relationships between nurses and providers, showcasing the deep collaboration essential to quality care.

Samaritan Medical Center President and Chief Executive Officer Tom Carman welcomed attendees, setting the tone for an evening of heartfelt appreciation and reflection. Dr. Marylene Duah, infectious disease specialist, served as the master of ceremonies, guiding the program with poise and passion.

John Green, Samaritan’s Vice President of Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer, expressed his admiration for the honorees:

“Nurses are the heart of our healthcare system, and the compassion and professionalism displayed by these individuals set the standard for what patient-centered care truly means,” said Green. “It is a privilege to celebrate their achievements and to recognize the powerful connections they build with both patients and colleagues every day.”

This annual recognition event is part of Samaritan’s ongoing commitment to honor and support the invaluable work of nursing professionals across the system.

The following individuals were honored in their respective categories:

Education:
Recipient: Natalie Jackson, BSN, RN – Intensive Care Unit
Nominated by: Rory Sears, DO

Excellence in Nursing Practice (Medical Center):
Recipient: Shirley Ward, RN – Interventional Radiology
Nominated by: Russell Reeves, MD

Excellence in Nursing Practice (Long Term Care):
Recipient: Deb Lashway, LPN – Samaritan Summit Village
Nominated by: Collins Kellogg, MD

Excellence in Nursing Practice (Clinics):
Recipient: Janielle Siver, RN – Samaritan Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT)
Nominated by: David Gordon, MD

Innovation:
Recipient: Katheryn Shadeed, RN – Interventional Radiology
Nominated by: Marlene Duah, MD

Leadership:
Recipient: Michael Belles, RN – Emergency Department
Nominated by: Maja Lundborg-Gray, MD

Quality and Safety:
Recipient: Kristan Andrus, RN – Quality Improvement
Nominated by: Maja Lundborg-Gray, MD; Rory Sears, DO; and Brian Zafonte, MD

Rookie of the Year:
Recipient: Deni Hotchkiss, RN – Surgical Services
Nominated by: Brian Zafonte, MD

# # #

Watertown, NY – April 28, 2025 – Samaritan Medical Center is pleased to announce a partnership with Kopp Billing Agency, based in Syracuse, New York, to manage patient billing services, effective May 1, 2025. This transition follows a comprehensive search to find the best partner for our patients and our organization, and we are confident that Kopp Billing Agency will provide enhanced customer service and a patient-centered approach.

After working with a former vendor as our patient billing partner since 2012, we are excited to transition to Kopp, a well-regarded billing agency with extensive experience in serving hospitals and healthcare organizations throughout New York State. Their commitment to excellent customer service and a strong focus on patient experience made them the ideal choice for our community.

Samaritan Medical Center processes over 10,000 patient billing statements each month, and as such, we rely on a trusted partner to assist with these crucial billing services. Kopp Billing Agency will begin receiving patient billing information starting May 1, 2025, and will assume full responsibility for all patient billing activities moving forward. During this transition, there will be a five-month period where both the former billing partner and Kopp will work with patients as they continue to receive bills from two different partners. This overlap ensures that patients have adequate time to manage their bills and that the transition is as seamless as possible for all. This transition does not impact any current staffing at Samaritan, this is only an agency change.

This change may be challenging, and we are committed to helping patients navigate this process since there will be two different web links to pay bills online, two different remittance addresses, and patient statements will look different. We will provide support through our website and phone line, 315-786-4900, for patients who may need additional assistance or have specific questions. Our team will be available to guide and support patients through this transition.

“We would like to thank our patients for their continued trust in Samaritan as their healthcare provider as we work with Kopp Billing Agency to improve the overall billing experience for everyone we serve,” stated Samaritan’s Chief Financial Officer, Maxine A. Briggs. “We are confident this change will result in better service, enhanced communication, and a smoother billing process for both our patients and staff. Medical billing is extremely complex and individualized, and we look forward to having Kopp as a new partner.”

For additional information or questions, please visit our website or contact our Patient Billing Support team at 315-786-4900.

About Samaritan Medical Center
Samaritan Medical Center is a not-for-profit, community-based healthcare provider committed to delivering quality, compassionate care to the residents of Northern New York. We offer a comprehensive range of services, including emergency care, surgical services, and outpatient care, with a focus on providing personalized care to all our patients.

About Kopp Billing Agency
Kopp Billing Agency is a trusted billing partner based in Syracuse, New York, with decades of experience in providing billing solutions to healthcare organizations across the state. Known for their patient-centered approach and exceptional customer service, Kopp works with hospitals, physicians, and other healthcare providers to ensure an efficient and supportive billing experience for patients.

For further information, contact:
Samaritan Medical Center
Patient Billing Support Team
Phone: 315-786-4900
Website: www.samaritanhealth.com

Watertown, N.Y. – Samaritan Medical Center is proud to announce a $5.8 million investment in its staff with market rate wage adjustments across the organization for non-union employees. This initiative underscores the organization’s commitment to providing competitive compensation in line with the current healthcare job market, improving recruitment and retention efforts, and ensuring that staff across all departments are compensated for their hard work and dedication.

Samaritan’s senior leadership team and Board of Trustees carefully reviewed compensation data. They identified opportunities to align wages with industry standards better, reflecting staff’s critical role in delivering exceptional patient care. These market rate adjustments will apply to a wide range of positions across the organization; over 1,400 titles were impacted. This investment comes on top of major adjustments already made in 2024 for several other titles and through contract negotiations.

“We are deeply committed to supporting our employees, who are the heart of our mission,” said Samaritan’s President and Chief Executive Officer, Thomas H. Carman.  “Over the past few years, a national workforce crisis struck every industry, and healthcare was uniquely impacted due to the specialized training, credentials, and experience needed to fill the roles we have. We must continue to offer competitive wages to recruit and retain the talented individuals who make our health system a trusted place for care. We will continue to work hard to ensure we can financially cover the steep increases in wages we have experienced over the past few years.  It is a necessary investment to continue our role as the region’s largest healthcare system and anchor acute care hospital.”

In addition to market rate adjustments, the Board of Trustees approved a discretionary, one-time payment for non-union staff based on job grades and titles, weighted more heavily to those who earn the least. The market rate adjustments and one-time payments will take effect in late January 2025.

Along with the $5.8 million workforce investment, Samaritan will also significantly increase the starting wage for Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) as part of a broader effort to address staffing shortages and retention efforts for a population of caregivers with a higher turnover rate. Recruiting, training, and retaining skilled CNAs is essential to maintaining excellent service and care standards for our long term care residents. Effective January 1, 2025, the starting wages for all new CNAs were increased to $20 per hour at both Samaritan Keep Home and Summit Village.

“Certified Nursing Assistants play a critical role in the daily care and well-being of long term care residents, and we want to convey how essential they are to us by ensuring they are compensated for the care they provide,” said Carman. “By increasing the starting wage for CNAs, we are not only investing in our workforce but also demonstrating our dedication to creating an environment where our employees feel valued and supported for the care they provide.”

The $5.8 million investment and increased starting wage for CNAs are intended to improve wage equity and meet market demand in a competitive healthcare environment. By investing in its people, Samaritan hopes to enhance employee satisfaction further, reduce turnover, and create a positive work culture that fosters excellence in patient and resident care. By adjusting compensation to meet market expectations, Samaritan reinforces its position as an employer of choice for healthcare professionals in the region.

###

As of October 23, 2024, Samaritan is still experiencing several phone and fax issues with our clinics and other locations. We are working diligently with our vendor, however there is no timeframe at this time for the issues to be resolved.

—
October 17, 2024 Update:
Samaritan locations are currently experiencing intermittent phone and fax service issues. We are trying to work with our phone vendor to fix the issue, but there is not an immediate solution at this time.

If you are trying to reach our various locations and the call is dropped, you cannot get through, or the quality of the call is poor, please understand this is out of our control. We encourage patients to call back or use their Patient Portal account (if set-up). Please know that if anyone is having a life-threatening emergency to call 911 directly or head to their nearest emergency department.

Thank you for your patience as we work through this issue.

Samaritan Medical Center, the Walker Center for Cancer Care, and some community-based services are addressing computer systems issues. They will need to limit and reschedule some patient appointments. We anticipate most services will be back up and running by noon today, Friday, July 19, 2024.

Most scheduled appointments at the hospital’s Main Registration area, including most radiology/imaging, lab, ECHO, EKG services, etc., are canceled today until noon. Samaritan employees will contact scheduled patients with more information.

Medical oncology appointments at the Walker Center for Cancer Care will also be canceled up until noon. Radiation oncology appointments are not impacted.

Walk-in lab and X-ray services at all Samaritan community locations, including the Family Health Centers, are canceled Friday, July 19, 2024, until noon.

Scheduled radiology/imaging appointments at the Health and Wellness Plaza will also be canceled until noon today.

The scheduled patients of surgical, infusion, interventional radiology, and physical, speech, and occupational therapy are not impacted.

All clinics and specialty services are open and patient appointments are not impacted.
We are working to contact patients and fix the technical issue as quickly as possible. This has a direct correlation to the vendor, CrowdStrike, and the national computer systems that have been impacted.

We sincerely appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to resolve this issue. Your cooperation is invaluable during this challenging time.

Watertown, NY – Samaritan’s Cape Vincent Family Health Center will hold an Ice Cream Social for area residents to meet new provider Colin Ross, PA-C. The event will take place on Thursday, May 30, 2024, from 4:30 – 6:00 p.m. at the Cape Vincent Family Health Center, 782 East Broadway Street, Cape Vincent.

Join us for free ice cream plus meet the team at the clinic and take a tour. Colin and the team are excited to care for the greater Cape Vincent community and are accepting new patients.

Mr. Ross attended Clarkson University and completed a Master of Science degree in Physician Assistant Studies. Mr. Ross is certified by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA).

The Ice Cream Social is open to all. To RSVP, please visit https://samaritanhealth.com/upcoming-event/ice-cream-social/.

#

The expanded Blue Distinction^® Centers for Maternity Care Program aims to provide patients with higher-quality care, with a goal of reducing preventable or treatable pregnancy-related complications.

WATERTOWN, NY – Samaritan Medical Center has been designated as a Blue Distinction Centers+ for Maternity Care by Excellus BlueCross BlueShield (BCBS) as part of the Blue Distinction Specialty Care program.

The Blue Distinction Centers for Maternity Care program plays a key role in the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association’s (BCBSA) National Health Equity Strategy aimed at reducing racial health disparities across the care spectrum and improving patient outcomes for all Americans.

Based on data from the current designation cycle, facilities designated under the Maternity Care program demonstrate higher-quality care compared to non-Blue Distinction Center facilities, with overall average rates of 26% lower episiotomies, 60% fewer elective deliveries and 17% lower cesarean births—all of which point to healthier outcomes for patients.

“We are pleased that Samaritan has once again earned the Excellus BlueCross Blue Shield designation as a Blue Distinction Center+ for Maternity Care,” said Courtney Emmerich, director, Car-Freshner Center for Women and Children. “Samaritan first earned this designation in 2016 and is very proud to continually uphold it.  Each year families of the civilian and military community place their trust in us to provide high quality maternity care. With some of the most experienced and compassionate caregivers, we are able to offer the exceptional level of care that our patients deserve.”

Blue Distinction Designation Offerings:

Facilities that meet the program’s selection criteria are eligible for designation at one of two levels:

• Blue Distinction Centers (BDC): recognizes health care facilities that deliver quality care, safely and effectively.
• Blue Distinction Centers+ (BDC+): recognizes health care facilities that deliver quality care, safely and effectively, in addition to demonstrating more affordable care. BDC+ designated facilities also exhibit an average savings of 21% for maternity care, according to a recent program survey.

“Congratulations to the team at Samaritan Medical Center on achieving this important quality recognition,” said Eve Van de Wal, Excellus BlueCross BlueShield Utica regional president. “The Blue Distinction designation is one more tool to help members make informed decisions about their health care, allowing them to be assured that the facility has met specific benchmarks”

Commitment to Maternity Care:

Severe maternal morbidity rates are on the rise among all pregnant women in the United States, which has the highest maternal mortality rate than any developed country. Moreover, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Black women are three times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause than white women. These disparities are unacceptable and demand immediate attention.

BCBSA is committed to reducing racial disparities in maternal health and has executed a multi-year National Health Equity Strategy to achieve this goal. To align with this strategy, the Blue Distinction Centers for Maternity Care program enhanced its quality and measurement standards to recognize higher-quality facilities that have taken action to respond effectively to obstetric emergencies, reduce racial disparities, and improve maternal health outcomes.

The Blue Distinction Centers for Maternity Care program’s selection criteria was devised to close clinical care gaps and reduce inequities that persist throughout the maternal care spectrum. The selection criteria includes components of BCBSA’s Maternal Health Equity Actions, which dismantle the cultural, operational and structural barriers that created inequities in maternal care.

To be designated under this program, each applicant facility was evaluated on a combination of objective data on patient outcomes as well as the practices implemented to reduce racial disparities and improve maternal health outcomes, such as:

• Using evidence-based best practices to respond effectively to obstetric emergencies
• Offering unconscious bias training
• Participating in the regional Perinatal Quality Collaborative
• Having doula support available on the maternity care team
• Collecting race, ethnicity and language data
• Having a program dedicated to quality improvements in maternal care
• Running drills and simulations to prepare providers are prepared to deal with a range of obstetric emergencies
• Demonstrating health outcomes that exceed the selection criteria from our program’s previous evaluation cycle

To further drive improvements to maternal care, BCBSA will be working closely with Excellus BCBS to encourage facilities to implement performance improvement activities that will enhance their maternity care programs and improve patient outcomes.

“It is time to raise the bar. Everyonedeserves to have higher-quality care at every stage of their pregnancy,” said Erin Barney, BCBSA’s vice president of Network Solutions. “Facilities that earned a Blue Distinction Centers for Maternity Care designation have proven that they deliver higher-quality maternity care and are committed to reducing maternal health disparities that are often treatable and preventable. Closing clinical care gaps is a joint effort, and we are proud to recognize facilities that put insights into action, creating a more equitable system of health for all.”

Since 2006, the Blue Distinction Specialty Care program has helped patients find quality specialty care at lower costs in the areas of bariatric surgery, cancer care, cardiac care, cellular immunotherapy, fertility care, gene therapy, knee and hip replacement, maternity care, spine surgery, substance use treatment and recovery, and transplants, while encouraging health care professionals to improve the care they deliver.

For more information about the program and for a complete listing of the designated providers, visit our website.

All companies and trademarks listed above are the property of their respective owners and used for identification purposes only and are in no way associated or affiliated with the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. Use of these trademarks does not imply endorsement. The Blue Cross^® and Blue Shield^® names and symbols and Blue Distinction^® are registered trademarks of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association.

About Samaritan Medical Center

Samaritan Medical Center (Watertown, New York) is a 290-bed not-for-profit community medical center, offering a full spectrum of inpatient and outpatient healthcare services. From primary and emergency care to highly specialized medical and surgical services, such as cancer treatment, neonatal intensive care, behavioral health and addiction services, and imaging services, Samaritan Medical Center and its team of healthcare professionals proudly serves the medical needs of our civilian and military community. Quality, compassion, and safety are the basic principles by which exceptional care is delivered at Samaritan.

About Excellus BlusCross BlueShield

Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, is a nonprofit health plan with 1.5 million upstate New York members. The company’s mission is to help people live healthier and more secure lives through access to high-quality, affordable health care. Its products and services include cost-saving prescription drug discounts, wellness tracking tools and access to telemedicine. With more than 4,200 employees, the company is committed to attracting and retaining a diverse workforce to foster innovation and better serve its members. It also encourages employees to engage in their communities by providing paid volunteer time off as one of many benefits. To learn more, visit ExcellusBCBS.com.

About the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association
The Blue Cross Blue Shield Association is a national federation of independent, community-based and locally operated Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies that collectively provide health care coverage for one in three Americans. BCBSA provides health care insights through The Health of America Report series and the national BCBS Health Index^SM. For more information on BCBSA and its member companies, please visit bcbs.com.

About Blue Distinction Centers
Blue Distinction Centers (BDC) met overall quality measures, developed with input from the medical community. A Local Blue Plan may require additional criteria for providers located in its own service area; for details, contact your Local Blue Plan. Blue Distinction Centers+ (BDC+) also met cost measures that address consumers’ need for affordable healthcare. Each provider’s cost of care is evaluated using data from its Local Blue Plan. Providers in CA, ID, NY, PA, and WA may lie in two Local Blue Plans’ areas, resulting in two evaluations for cost of care; and their own Local Blue Plans decide whether one or both cost of care evaluation(s) must meet BDC+ national criteria. National criteria for BDC and BDC+ are displayed on www.bcbs.com. Individual outcomes may vary. For details on a provider’s in-network status or your own policy’s coverage, contact your Local Blue Plan and ask your provider before making an appointment. Neither Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association nor any Blue Plans are responsible for noncovered charges or other losses or damages resulting from Blue Distinction or other provider finder information or care received from Blue Distinction or other providers.

###

Watertown, NY – Samaritan Medical Center is in the process of applying for Level III Adult Trauma Center Designation through the New York State Department of Health.  As part of this initiative, we are prepared to treat and stabilize trauma patients effectively and Samaritan aims to take a community approach to injury prevention.

November 18, 2023, is National Injury Prevention Day, also termed “Shine a Green Light” day, and many healthcare facilities nationwide are bringing attention to the incidents that can lead to unnecessary injuries.

Injuries and violence are the leading causes of death and disabilities for people from age one to 44 years old. Advocacy organizations like Injury Free Coalition for Kids®, Safe Kids Worldwide, Safe States Alliance, the American Trauma Society, the American Academy of Pediatrics, BeSMART, a division of Everytown for Gun Safety, the Society for Advancement of Violence and Injury Research, the Trauma Centers of America Association and JPMA Cares a division of the Juvenile Products and Manufacturers Association are part of the coalition to bring awareness to the cause.

Samaritan appreciates the City of Watertown for their Proclamation of November 18, 2023, in the City as Injury Prevention Day. 

Samaritan has had almost 1,000 patients present with preventable injuries through the Emergency Department this year.  Awareness and education are key for community members to make better choices and to prevent injuries. “We are grateful for the support the City of Watertown has shown to our community education effort,” states Dr. Daniel Bryden, General Surgeon and Chief of the Trauma Program at Samaritan.  “Our team has been working on this designation and are fully prepared to care for local patients.  Outside of the clinical needs, community education is key; prevention is key. Acknowledging and celebrating this Injury Prevention Day is the start of our public outreach efforts.”

There are many ways to prevent injuries, but there are significant areas of focus such as: All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) safety, daycare safety, fire safety, firearm injury prevention, home safety, motor vehicle safety, playground safety, poison prevention, safe teen driving, sports injury prevention, water safety, and wheeled sports safety.  Each of these areas outline specific ways to reduce injuries and be safe. Learn more at https://injuryfree.org/

On average, Samaritan’s Emergency Department has over 30,000 patient visits each year.

Watertown, NY – Samaritan recognizes the benefits to our patients through visitation. With the decrease in COVID-19 cases in the community, we have increased the opportunities for visitation to those who are inpatients of the hospital.  

As of Monday, June 26, 2023, most inpatients (patients admitted) at Samaritan Medical Center may have two (2) visitors present at a time during designated visiting hours, and there is no limit to the number of total visitors per day.

Our intensive care unit will now have visiting hours from noon – 8 p.m. to allow for more personalized patient care each morning with our providers.

For health and safety purposes, all visitors must be in good health. Inpatient visitors will need to show a driver’s license or other government-issued photo ID at the time of visit. Most visitation is restricted to those 12 years of age or older. A parent or guardian must accompany visitors under the age of 18. Masks are required in certain cases and visitors will be made aware if masks are required, as well as proper hand-washing throughout the visit.

Support persons in our Emergency Department and outpatient services has not changed.

Please review our policy online in its entirety at samaritanhealth.com/visitation.

###