Gabi Hoover, Author at Samaritan Health

November 28, 2023November 28, 2023

Samaritan Receives Jefferson County Nonprofit COVID Recovery Grant

Watertown, NY – In October, Samaritan Medical Center received an award notification for $150,000 from the Jefferson County Nonprofit COVID Recovery Program stewarded by the Northern New York Community Foundation. The program was made possible through $1 million in funding that county officials have allocated from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to help nonprofits recover and respond to the negative impacts resulting from the coronavirus pandemic.

This grant aims to support organizations heavily impacted by the pandemic’s repercussions on local nonprofits. Samaritan’s expenditure on contractors soared to historic spending levels from 2019 to 2022, and the award significantly boosts Samaritan’s efforts to recoup losses from the rise in traveling nurse contracts executed during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

With the recovery funds, Samaritan will invest in nursing scholarship programs, and will address and alleviate the staffing crisis by hiring a clinical educator, and nurse recruiter. Collaborations with local partners are also in the works, intending to establish growth pathways in local healthcare to increase recruitment and retention efforts. These strategies not only aim to reduce the hospital’s reliance on high-cost contracted travelers but also ensure that the North Country community continues to receive quality healthcare without disruptions.

Samaritan extends its sincere thanks to both our Jefferson County governing officials and to the Northern New York Community Foundation for its role in stewarding this vital federal grant funding. Samaritan looks forward to sharing with the community the positive effects this grant funding will have on the Samaritan Health System and overall care for the community.

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November 24, 2023November 24, 2023

Build Better Habits with Samaritan’s Healthy Lifestyles

It’s no surprise that those who live healthier lives can live longer—but how much longer?

Depending on where you look or what you read, you’ll find studies that have found individuals who exercise regularly, maintain a healthy diet, and don’t smoke can live as much as 14 years longer than those who don’t.

That’s a lot of extra days to spend with family and friends, pursue favorite activities, or enjoy some peaceful (and healthy) time alone—and at a time when hours seem to be flying by, we’d all like to extend our lives as much as possible. Acknowledging this is the easy part.

Do you think changing habits is hard? If so, you’re not alone.

“Whether with ambitious diets or New Year’s resolutions, pursuing drastic changes can set even the best-intentioned people up for failure,” says Dr. Joseph Wetterhahn, primary care physician at Samaritan. “Making big changes starts with small steps, like finding a program that can support your individual health goals.”

This is how Samaritan’s Healthy Lifestyles program has worked for many people.

A healthier you, by you

Good health doesn’t happen in days, weeks, or overnight. It takes planning, information and support with the help of professionals, then a commitment from the individual to use what they’ve learned and make beneficial changes permanent.

Samaritan’s Healthy Lifestyles is designed to provide direction to those interested in pursuing healthier habits and teach how to self-manage one’s own health, fitness routine, and overall wellness in the years ahead.

“Through our Healthy Lifestyles program, we’re able to show people healthier ways to live,” says Teresa Intorcia, a registered dietician nutritionist (RDN) with Healthy Lifestyles. “With a combination of education and helpful guidance, we can support each individual as they make changes that, little by little, can lead to big results.”

Monitored by Samaritan physicians, the program uses a comprehensive approach to chronic disease treatment and prevention that includes nutrition, exercise, and behavior therapy for those in need. Health education is provided in both group and individual settings; and as each enrollee advances through the program, reports are provided to their individual physicians to inform of their ongoing progress.

“These progress reports can provide both information and motivation, and that motivation is certainly a goal of the program,” says Dr. Wetterhahn. “Maintaining one’s health isn’t an easy job, so we’re happy to provide a push to those pursuing a better life.”

Who can benefit from Healthy Lifestyles?

All children and adults could benefit from guidance available through Samaritan’s Healthy Lifestyles program. But the program can provide essential help for those currently suffering from diagnosed medical conditions such as:

obesity
diabetes
Celiac disease
eating disorders
heart disease
lipid/cholesterol
cancer
hypertension
lung disease
failure to thrive
tube-feeding
and much, much more

All services within the Healthy Lifestyles program require a physician referral. Please contact your insurance company to verify coverage.

An added focus on weight management and wellness

Saying no to food can be hard—especially when excessive eating can provide comfort in the most stressful of times.

If you’re looking for help focusing specifically on managing these urges, then the Healthy Lifestyles Weight Management and Wellness program may be for you. It’s designed to give adults the tools they need to be successful in achieving their initial weight loss goals, and then manage a healthy weight for life.

“Weight loss success can be as simple as having the right tools,” says Intorcia. “With this segment of our Healthy Lifestyles program, we try to provide as many tools as possible, all to help with the individualized needs of each enrollee.”

Led by a team of nutrition and weight loss professionals, enrollees can learn how to:

develop healthy eating habits
make a menu within a budget
shop smart at the supermarket
get energized with exercise
pursue and practice healthier habits year-round

To learn more about Samaritan and the various aspects of its Healthy Lifestyles program, visit https://samaritanhealth.com/service/healthy-lifestyles-program/, or call (315) 785-4667.

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November 24, 2023November 24, 2023

Early Screenings and Advanced Procedures Lead Samaritan’s Lung Care

According to the American Cancer Society, more people die of lung cancer per year than those from breast, colon, and prostate cancers combined.

Concerning diagnoses, final estimates for new lung cancer cases in the U.S. hover around 234K by the end of 2023, but note: there is good news with these numbers. Over the past five years, annual case counts have decreased. This means individuals are staying away from things that negatively affect their lung care and are pursuing ways to stay healthy—and breathe a little easier.

At Samaritan, our team of board-certified pulmonologists offers comprehensive pulmonary care to provide the best prevention, detection, treatment, and rehabilitation services for patients throughout our area of New York State.

“We’re very proud of lung care services consistently ranked as the best in the region,” says Dr. Aaliya Burza, specializing in Pulmonology and Critical Care. “Our wide range of care can meet a variety of different needs and, in many cases, address breathing issues before it’s too late.”

Whether you or a loved one is struggling with symptoms of lung cancer or seeking relief from other pulmonary-associated conditions like asthma, sleep apnea, and more, Samaritan is proud to offer advanced procedures and programs that help detect and treat all issues of concern, led by credentialed pulmonologists who can care for you close to home.

Here are some ways we do it:

Screen early

Early detection is a proven, successful strategy for fighting many forms of cancer. That’s why Samaritan Medical Center’s developed its Early Lung Cancer Screening Program, which offers a low-dose computed tomography (CT) screening for people at high risk for lung cancer. Because lung cancer has no symptoms in its early stages, more than 85 percent of men and women diagnosed with lung cancer today are diagnosed in a late stage, after symptoms occur and when there is very little chance of cure.

But with Samaritan’s early screening steps, everyone has a chance.

“We encourage all patients concerned about their lung health to get screened,” says Maria Pascolini, Samaritan’s director of Radiology. “A CT scan can find 85 percent of lung cancers in their earliest, most curable stage, allowing for treatment and the possibility of eventual recovery.”

Individuals who may benefit from the Early Lung Cancer Screening Program are current or former smokers between the ages of 55-74 and a 30-pack-a-year smoker; or over the age of 50, a 20-pack-a-year smoker, and have one other risk factor for lung cancer.

Cutting-edge bronchoscopy treatments

A bronchoscopy is a procedure that allows doctors to look inside your lungs’ airways (called the bronchi and bronchioles) and find the cause of a lung problem, including such things as bleeding, blockage, infection, or the existence of a tumor.

At Samaritan, we use different types of state-of-the-art bronchoscopy treatments, depending on the needs of the patient. A technologically advanced robotic bronchoscopy can be used to view the inside of lungs, obtain tissue samples for biopsy, and, through the use of Auris Health’s Monarch™ Platform, we can typically provide an earlier and more accurate diagnosis of small and hard-to-reach nodules in the periphery of the lung.

Samaritan is the first hospital in Central New York and the North Country to invest in this new technology, and one of only two sites in the entire state to utilize the platform. This provides the region’s patients with next-generation care for the health concerns of today.

“It’s essential that we invest in these tools to provide the best outcomes for our patients,” says Eva Edwards, Samaritan’s director of Oncology. “This allows for early intervention, and in turn, saves more lives.

In addition to its robotic bronchoscopy, Samaritan can also perform an electromagnetic navigation bronchoscopy (or ENB), which combines specialized endoscopic tools and technology with traditional bronchoscopy to provide computer-driven guidance, based on a patient’s CT scan. The tools extend much further into the lungs than standard bronchoscopes, which enables a safe way for physicians to reach more lung tissue for a more accurate diagnosis.

Endobronchial ultrasound

For those who have lung concerns that do not require bronchoscopy treatments, Samaritan offers other, less invasive options to help diagnose issues. An endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) uses real-time ultrasound to identify and sample small abnormalities within your lungs without having to perform surgery. The EBUS system also makes biopsies safer and more accurate than conventional methods, all while providing necessary peace of mind for Samaritan patients.

“It’s all about pursuing the most suitable way to find a solution,” says Edwards. “Patients come here for us to care for them. We’re committed to providing care and helping each patient to enjoy a healthy life.”

To learn more about Samaritan and its Lung Care capabilities, visit https://samaritanhealth.com/service/lung-care/.

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November 21, 2023November 24, 2023

At Samaritan, women’s wellness remains a top priority

In 2020, nearly 2.3 million women were diagnosed with breast cancer, surpassing lung cancer as the most common cancer endured by American women.

These are staggering numbers to consider, as is the statistic that, according to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, a woman somewhere in the world is diagnosed with the disease every 14 seconds. This makes the task of breast care across the globe significant, and the vital need for this medical focus is growing by the day.

That’s one reason why Samaritan has continued to invest in equipment, facilities, and services in the realm of women’s wellness to support its local patients.

“At Samaritan, we’ve developed a medical destination to meet women’s wellness needs,” says Tom Carman, president and CEO of Samaritan Medical Center. “With our tandem of effective treatments and skilled medical staff, patients can come here and feel confident they’ll receive the best care.”

New facility enables enhanced care

Opened in 2019, Samaritan’s Women’s Wellness and Breast Care consolidated services previously offered across multiple locations, while adding amenities and more diversified breast care services to provide the most comprehensive experience for women in need.

“Combining services in this centralized and renovated space has helped us better serve patients and significantly enhance the way we can care for each,” said Dr. Mario Victoria, chief medical officer at Samaritan. “This patient-first approach is critical to what we do and how we can help women lead healthier, more enjoyable lives.”

Located in the Samaritan Health and Wellness Plaza at 1575 Washington Street., Women’s Wellness and Breast Care stands as a beacon for breast care for those in need throughout the North Country.

Treatments, procedures to preserve patient health

Inside Women’s Wellness and Breast Care, patients experience a serene atmosphere within a modern facility during exams, procedures, and treatments.

Our expanded radiology services and online screening mammogram scheduling offer solutions for patients seeking breast imaging and treatments locally, as well as instruction on preventative measures to help patients maintain healthy breast care at home.

“As a dedicated breast radiologist, I help diagnose breast cancer and determine next steps for treatment,” explains Dr. Kelly McAlarney. “We have an excellent team of technicians and equipment that help produce accurate and timely results for patients.”

“One treatment isn’t for everybody,” says Jennifer Zajac, nurse practitioner. “That’s why, at Samaritan, we take time with each patient to determine what works for them, then craft a plan to pursue the healthiest outcome. This is personalized care, and it’s necessary to give our patients the support they deserve.”

Medical specialists, ready to support

But even with new healthcare space and an enhanced list of services, the success of Samaritan still relies on its team of skilled medical professionals, ready to administer care that makes women’s wellness possible.

This team of specialists—including a board-certified breast radiologist—manages patient care through all needed treatments and procedures, making each individual journey as simple as possible. This not only improves the health outcomes of each Samaritan patient; it also encourages others to consult their physicians, stay on top of their wellness concerns, and seek treatments for concerns like breast cancer in their earliest stages.

“Living a healthy life is easier when you have some guidance and help along the way,” says Carman. “That’s what we do here, and there’s nothing more satisfying for us than leading our patients to their best lives.”

To learn more about Samaritan and its Women’s Wellness and Breast Care services, visit https://samaritanhealth.com/service/womens-wellness/.

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November 21, 2023November 24, 2023

Samaritan sets regional standard for maternity care 

According to numbers recently detailed in the American Journal of Managed Care, inadequate prenatal care continues to be a problem for hospitals across the U.S. Despite spending the most on healthcare amongst its high-income country peers, there continues to be a national escalation of poor maternity services and an inability to provide the best care for America’s most precious patients. 

But at Samaritan Medical Center, the focus on care for mothers and their children has never wavered.  

  Set within the Car-Freshner Center for Women and Children and bolstered by the capabilities of its dedicated team, the hospital continues to provide superior maternity services that support new and expanding Northern New York families, every day. 

“Samaritan helps deliver more babies than other local hospitals with the largest OB/GYN offices connected to our maternity unit,” says Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Mario Victoria. “This sheer volume of births makes our team very knowledgeable and prepared.” 

This commitment to comprehensive maternity services continues to set Samaritan apart from its industry peers and ascend in an opposite trajectory from aforementioned U.S. trends. But with a focused approach on neonatal care, support of military families and providing services to mothers and their families, the hospital has a multi-pronged approach to remain a leader in supporting childbirth—and bringing more happy and healthy children into the world. 

   A regional leader in neonatal care 

Samaritan’s excellence in maternity care starts with its Level II Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), a high level of care for a newborn and the only one of its kind in the region. This allows the hospital to also lead Northern New York in comprehensive labor and delivery services and deliver and care for most babies locally with an average of 1,500 each year.  

“Our NICU is uniquely equipped to care for newborns that need extra care after birth, so that they can go home and continue to thrive,” says Dr. Karl J. Komar, a neonatologist at Samaritan for the last 29 years. “I am part of the team that helps ease families concerns and care for these tiniest patients. It is a true honor and something I take great pride in.” Dr. Komar and Dr. Craig Guerin, who has been at Samaritan for the past 9 years, are the lead physicians of the NICU.
 
The unit’s capabilities are essential in caring for the tiniest patients, consisting of babies delivered at 32 weeks and older that need a little extra care before they can go home. Amenities in the newly renovated space include 12 private rooms for family bonding, state-of-the-art monitoring equipment to connect when families can’t be together and 24-hour neonatology coverage by Samaritan’s highly trained staff. This specialized unit helps us to be a regional leader in maternity care and providing patients and families with critical support when they need it most.  

Support for military families 

With its proximity to Fort Drum, Samaritan Medical Center has the honor of providing our full range of maternity services to military families. Unlike other military installations, our connection is unique because Fort Drum does not offer all healthcare services. Samaritan Caregivers provide a supportive environment for all families who need local assistance.  

“Fort Drum’s OB/GYN office is connected to our hospital and their doctors and midwives deliver newborns at Samaritan,” says Tom Carman, President and CEO of Samaritan. “Our hospital maternity services lay the foundation for how closely we work with Fort Drum and how intertwined we are. Samaritan provides most of the acute care services to our miliary community, and we take great pride in this unique relationship.” 

Samaritan is proud to collaborate with the Soldier Family Readiness Division, which works in tandem with the hospital to offer a variety of familial supportive services, including the Fort Drum New Parent Support Program. This program offers expectant military parents and parents of newborns and young children the opportunity to learn new skills as parents or improve old ones to better accommodate their needs.  

Stronger families make for a stronger community, and Samaritan is dedicated to supporting this progress. 

Caring for the Northern New York community 

As the Northern New York community grows, so does Samaritan’s role in providing the best care possible to mothers and their children.  

The Car-Freshner Center for Women and Children features newly renovated mother/baby rooms; new labor and delivery rooms; two dedicated C-section suites; lactation specialists for assistance with breastfeeding; an entire nursing staff who specialize in maternal and infant care; reserved parking and a dedicated entrance for families; and even a way to commemorate each birth with its Children’s Miracle Network Miracle Giving Wall.  

Before the day of delivery, Samaritan also provides a series of free, classes, focused on such topics as the specifics of pregnancy, breastfeeding, labor and caring for a new family. Each complements the commitment the hospital makes to its maternity services and in turn, the growing Northern New York community it serves. 

“Samaritan has invested heavily in our maternity services over the years,” says Beth Fipps, vice president of the Samaritan Foundation and community services. ”The Foundation and our community role as a Children’s Miracle Network hospital have allowed us to create the Car-Freshner Center for Women and Children with families in mind and to purchase needed equipment. With the area’s only NICU, the largest maternity department, and a dedicated pediatric unit, we feel fortunate to care for these patients locally.”  

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November 3, 2023November 21, 2023

Excellus BCBS Awards Hospitals $28 Million for Quality Improvements

Watertown, NY – Samaritan was among eight Utica/Rome/North Country Region hospitals awarded quality improvement payments from Excellus BlueCross BlueShield as part of their 2022 Hospital Performance Incentive Program.

Samaritan is appreciative of the support from Excellus BCBS to ensure high quality healthcare in our community.

The full Excellus BCBS press release can be found here: https://news.excellusbcbs.com/news/article?articleId=36710621&classPK=475619988

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October 31, 2023November 1, 2023

Samaritan Thanks Community for Support During Water Loss

A disaster can bring out the best in a team, a community, and partners. Teams become closer, and new bonds are formed. This past water crisis in the City of Watertown was a considerable challenge for Samaritan, yet in every crisis, we learn, grow, and remain grateful for those who helped. The Samaritan Caregivers would like to thank all the community groups that helped us, checked in on us, and ensured we could care for patients and residents. The list is long, and we are sure a few unsung heroes may have been missed, but truly, we are grateful to all.

Carthage Area Hospital – your team and facilities helped our Central Sterilization and Lab teams keep functioning. We are so grateful for your help and for letting us use your equipment. Our team and patients are so thankful.
Local and regional hospitals – thank you for accommodating the patients who would have been treated at Samaritan. We appreciate you and your expertise.
Our local fire departments – we worked closely with City of Watertown Fire Department personnel and Jefferson County Emergency Management teams to ensure our facilities had water for our mechanical systems. Volunteer fire departments throughout the county placed portable tanks at each primary location and ensured we had what we needed.
Local EMS (first responders, emergency medical, and ambulance services) – this was a historic event, and being unable to serve patients left a crippling impact on local services not being able to transport patients to Samaritan Medical Center. Thank you for your patience and the many extra miles you were forced to travel to care for those in your care.
John Allen Sanitation – your team worked quickly to get us 20 portable bathrooms for our staff at a very low cost. We are grateful for your swift action and response.
Kinney Drugs – thank you for your over 800 lbs. of bagged ice donation to our patients, residents, and staff. After buying all we could from our supplier, you gave us what we needed.
Detail This – thank you for our needed water tanker and water delivery.
Coca-Cola– thank you for the large delivery bottled water delivery to ensure we had drinking water.
Lab Corp – as one of our reference labs, it became necessary to send specimens to your team to help decrease the volume on our lab staff; thank you for being a strong partner.
Yellow Cab – we needed reliable and continuous transportation for some of our operations, and you became that partner; thank you.
Century Laundry – thank you for laundering our over 14,000 lbs. of laundry quickly and timely, we appreciate your help.
Fort Drum – the leadership and troops rallied to help our entire city and provided essential support to Samaritan during this time. This partnership is special and beneficial to all.
Local and State officials – Our team of leaders spent much time and conversation with city of Watertown officials, local emergency management teams, and other important contacts. Our need to communicate was imperative, and each team stepped up and provided information and updates. We also want to acknowledge the resources and guidance the State of New York provided. Seeing their swift action and resource allocation was uplifting.
State Department of Health – thank you for the assistance and guidance before, during, and after the event.
Our inpatients and residents – thank you for understanding our challenges during the water crisis and for working so well with our caregivers.

And the most enormous thanks go to our compassionate and amazing team of caregivers at Samaritan. You made the best of a terrible circumstance. You rallied and communicated, and together, we went above and beyond to ensure patients and residents were safely cared for when a basic staple of life was unavailable. We are grateful to each of you and enormously proud that you are a part of the Samaritan family.

October 11, 2023October 11, 2023

Samaritan’s Pilot Emergency Nurse Residency Program sees Success with recent Graduate

Watertown, NY – On September 14, Sarah Wallace, RN, was the first to complete the Samaritan Medical Center Emergency Nurse Residency Program.

“The main reason for my participation in the Emergency Nurse Residency Program stems from the love for emergency medicine I developed when I was a patient care assistant,” Sarah said. “The staff that is/was there helped to form my interest in Nursing and encouraged me to pursue the field. From providers to ancillary staff, I was able to learn something from someone each day that I was at work.”

In 2022, Samaritan’s nursing leadership created the Emergency Nurse Residency Program upon recognizing the dire need for front-line emergency nurses while solving the time gap of one year of experience required by New York State before a graduate nurse can work in emergency care.

Samaritan’s program offers a curriculum tailored to meet fundamental needs for well-rounded knowledge and a broad skill set of nurses who are passionate about critical care.

Picture here: Kim Smith, director of Nursing Critical Care at Samaritan, and Sarah Wallace, RN.

Sarah added, “I believe that this program is a great program to help new nurses explore emergency medicine while encompassing other departments. This aids in strengthening the community within Samaritan by having the residences go on rotations to each floor.”

New graduate nurses are navigated through Samaritan’s nursing recruitment team to the residency program, and they do not need to be licensed as a Registered Nurse before they apply.

“We are encouraged with Sarah’s graduation that we have developed a program that will help us train and retain RNs in the Emergency Department, this is our long-term goal,” said Jacqueline Dawe, vice president of patient care services and chief nursing officer, Samaritan Medical Center. “Currently we have another seven students at various stages in the program and we look forward to accepting new nurses as they apply. We also plan to expand our nursing residency in more areas. These programs work.”

While in the program, the new graduate nurses are exposed to all the areas and departments in the hospital, from the medical/surgical floors to labor and delivery, pediatrics, and behavioral health to the daily assignments and responsibilities in the emergency department.

Graduate nurses, or nurses who will soon graduate, are encouraged to call our nursing recruitment team at 315-779-5236. New nurses to Samaritan may be eligible for a variety of sign-on bonuses and benefits including loan and relocation assistance.

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October 10, 2023October 10, 2023

Samaritan Announces Apogee Hospitalist Group Recipient of Program of the Year Award

Watertown, NY – Samaritan Medical Center is proud to announce that its contracted hospitalist group, Apogee Physicians, led by Dr. Asim Kichloo, program director, recently won the “Program of the Year” award.

Apogee is the largest Hospitalist group in the nation. They proudly hold a yearly Program Director Summit where they gather from around the country to celebrate the best of the best in Hospital Medicine. This year, the hospitalist program at Samaritan Medical Center was selected as the award recipient.

According to Dr. Kichloo, “Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision, the ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results. This is the Watertown Apogee/Samaritan hospitalist team for you, always achieving uncommon results.” He went on to say, “The team is orchestrated by good balance of experience, commitment, passion, and team spirit. Each one is an invaluable member of the team, which I have had the pleasure to serve and learn from over the last five years.”

To achieve this award, the local team, in collaboration with hospital leadership, must be aligned in multiple aspects of the delivery of patient care. All programs are evaluated on their performance in key quality metrics like re-admissions, length of stay, patient health metrics, team staffing, recruiting, retention, and collaboration with hospital drivers of quality.

The “Program of the Year” has the highest level of performance while maintaining the most important Apogee staple, “What is best for the Patient is best for the Practice.” “We could not achieve this level of service without a committed hospital administration, specialist support, and an amazing team of nursing and other floor staff. We are proud of the entire team and very proud to be part of the Apogee Samaritan Medical Center partnership,” said Jaime Upegui, MD, Apogee division president.

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Background:

The hospitalist program at Samaritan began in 2003 with only four physicians. The program has grown to over a dozen. Apogee Physicians began management of the program in 2019 because we needed to make sure the team was fully staffed to care for our inpatients.

A hospitalist is a physician who specializes in internal medicine and in the evaluation and treatment of patients who require hospital care. The goal of the hospitalist program is to deliver exceptional, efficient and compassionate medical care to Samaritan patients, communicate clearly with these patients and the family members who care for them, and to ensure a smooth transition from the hospital back into their daily lives, always maintaining close contact with the patient’s primary care provider.

October 5, 2023October 5, 2023

Local Bikers Raise $15,500 for Children’s Miracle Network of NNY

Adams, NY — The Azz Dogz-Northern Chapter, a motorcycle group that meets at the Adams Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), holds various events each year to raise funds for a local charity. They selected Children’s Miracle Network of Northern New York at Samaritan Medical Center this year.

The two-year-old son of Azz Dogz members Erik Demianenko and Abby Putnam was born prematurely and was admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Crouse Hospital, where he remained for more than two months. Samaritan’s Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) program assisted the family with travel expenses for trips to Syracuse from their home in Dexter, NY.

“These guys (Azz Dogz) are so awesome, and they raise money for different charities every year,” said Abby. “I encouraged them to choose Children’s Miracle Network because we just wanted to give back for what CMN did for us. We are personally so honored to be a part of this and to give back.”

“We worked especially hard to get as many contributions as we could,” said Azz Dogz member Jeff Greene. “The biggest event we have is our March Party to kick off the year, then we had two motorcycle runs during the year to raise money.”

The group also raffled off a minibike with help from Carson’s Pizzeria in Adams where many tickets were sold.

Angie VanWormer, director of Children’s Miracle Network at Samaritan, said “It’s especially heartwarming when a family that was assisted by CMN is so passionate about helping us and other families in return. The Azz Dogz raised an incredible amount of money for CMN, as well as awareness of what we do. We are extremely grateful for this donation and their support.”

Samaritan Medical Center has served as the North Country’s only Children’s Miracle Network Hospital since 1990, striving to raise and allocate funds to improve the health and wellbeing of children in Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties.

Funds raised through the Children’s Miracle Network program support child-centered areas of Samaritan through the funding of capital projects and purchase of critical pediatric equipment. In addition, funds raised provide direct financial assistance to local families with a child facing a medical crisis for travel expenses and other out-of-pocket medical costs — a program unique to Samaritan.

For more information on Children’s Miracle Network, contact Samaritan Medical Center at 315-785-4053 or [email protected]

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