Author: Kathleen Montogomery

Because of unexpected mechanical equipment challenges, patient care at Samaritan’s Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) Clinic in Watertown is temporarily on hold.
We are calling affected patients and will do our best to reschedule appointments as soon as possible.
We’re sorry for the delay and truly appreciate your patience and understanding while we fix the issue.

Watertown, NY – Samaritan Medical Center is proud to recognize two exceptional team members as the May 2025 recipients of its Outstanding Workers in Long Term Care (OWL) Award.

At Samaritan Summit Village, Isabella Running, a Licensed Practical Nurse, was celebrated for the compassion and warmth she brings to her role. She was nominated by the family member of a former resident, who shared how deeply Isabella’s kindness and dedication impacted their loved one’s experience—making a lasting difference for both residents and their families.

At Samaritan Keep Home, Chuck Norris, a valued member of the maintenance team, was honored for his outstanding service. Fellow caregiver Jenna Pitkin nominated Chuck, noting: “We could use more hardworking, kind people like Chuck. He always goes above and beyond for residents and fellow caregivers.”

Both honorees received certificates and tokens of appreciation during special recognition ceremonies held at their respective facilities.

The OWL Award celebrates the everyday heroes who go the extra mile to provide excellent care and support in Samaritan’s long term care communities. Nominations are accepted year-round from patients, residents, families, and colleagues.

To learn more about the OWL Award—and the DAISY and BEE Awards that also recognize extraordinary caregiving across the Samaritan system—visit www.samaritanhealth.com/daisy-bee.

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About Samaritan’s Long Term Care Services

Caregivers at Samaritan Summit Village and Samaritan Keep Home provide round-the-clock skilled nursing care and significant assistance with the activities of daily life. Nursing homes have nursing staff on duty 24 hours a day to help individuals meet their daily physical, social and psychological needs. A licensed physician supervises each resident’s care and therapy, including speech, occupational, and physical therapy are available to provide rehabilitation services. Samaritan Summit Village also offers Assisted Living with six neighborhoods and apartments that are comfortable, functional, and safe. This facility is for those who need a little extra help while continuing an independent lifestyle.

Chuck Norris, Maintenance, Samaritan Keep Home

Isabella Running, LPN, Samaritan Summit Village

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

As of Tuesday, July 1, 2025, most inpatients (patients admitted) at Samaritan Medical Center may have up to four (4) visitors present during designated visiting hours, which are 8 a.m. – 8 p.m., and there is no limit to the total number of visitors per day. The exceptions to this change are the intensive care unit (ICU) and Car-Freshner Center for Women and Children which remain at two (2) visitors.

All visitors must be at least twelve years old (some exceptions apply) and must check in and out through the Main Lobby of the Medical Center or the Car-Freshner Center for Women and Children (for labor and delivery, mother-baby, and pediatric patient visitation only). Visitors will be required to wear a name tag that will be provided upon check-in.

For health and safety purposes, all visitors must be in good health. For any patient on isolation precaution, their visitors must wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) while in the hospital. Visitors are encouraged to practice proper hand hygiene throughout their visit.

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

Watertown, NY—Samaritan consistently evaluates its programs and services. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, Samaritan has put more emphasis on frequent analysis of each. After thorough analysis, it has been determined that the Pain Management Center will close its doors, effective February 28, 2025, as it is not meeting the organization’s goals. The Pain Management Center has 15 employees and one contracted physician.

“We hope to retain all employees in other roles that need their area of expertise throughout the health system,” Tom Carman, president and CEO of Samaritan said. “Samaritan has provided ample notice to impacted employees, including counseling opportunities with Human Resources. It is a formal closure which causes formal layoffs, but we have jobs available if they wish to remain with Samaritan.”

Samaritan currently has over 400 job openings across the system, and employs over 2,400 employees.

Samaritan will notify Pain Management Center patients if they have been there for services within the last year. Patients will receive written correspondence through the mail. This notification will include local and regional solutions for other Pain Management facilities accepting new patients.

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Watertown, NY – Samaritan Medical Center is pleased to announce its outstanding workers in long term care (OWL) Award recipients for August 2024.

Samaritan Summit Village housekeeper Desiree Mashaw, and Samaritan Keep Home Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) Roxanna Smith won the OWL Award for their respective facilities.

Mashaw was nominated for the OWL Award by a family member of a Samaritan Summit Village resident who said:

“She always takes her time with my mom. She is always helpful and makes us smile. She always goes out of her way.”

Smith was nominated for the OWL Award by a long term care nurse manager with the following statement for nomination:  

“Roxanna has served this facility for close to 25 years and remains committed to her residents. She is dependable and so supportive of our residents. She even volunteers to give haircuts to the residents when our stylist is unavailable.”

Mashaw and Smith were presented with certificates and tokens of appreciation during recognition ceremonies at their respective facilities.

These awards will continue to be presented throughout the year, and nominations can be submitted by patients, families, or colleagues at any time. To make a nomination or to learn more about the Samaritan DAISY, BEE, and OWL Awards, visit www.samaritanhealth.com/daisy-bee.

Watertown, NY – As of May 10, 2024, the Emergency Department, Samaritan Keep Home, and Samaritan Summit Village, will return to mask-optional for all staff, patients, residents, and visitors under certain criteria. This decision comes after closely watching transmission levels of COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses, declining COVID-19 infection rates, flu prevalence ending in New York State and other supporting indicators. If any of the metrics have an uptick, departments or facilities belonging to the Samaritan Health System could return to wearing facemasks.

Patients, residents, visitors, and/or healthcare personnel are to follow masking practices per unit/department when specifically indicated. For the health and safety of the community, we reserve the right to require any patient in any area who has signs or symptoms of respiratory illness or COVID-19 to wear a facemask as per Samaritan practices. 

Visitors who are not feeling well, have symptoms of fever, nausea/vomiting, or diarrhea, or have been in contact with anyone who tested positive for COVID-19 cannot visit patients or residents.

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WATERTOWN, NY – At Samaritan, we have volunteers who serve at the hospital, long term care facilities, special events, off-site offices, and on various boards of our respective entities. Initiated in 2023, HIVE (Helpful Indeed – Volunteering Excellence) Award is a way to honor those volunteers who have contributed an extraordinary level of dedication, and shown exceptional service to Samaritan while consistently demonstrating the HEART values, which are Honest, Empathetic, Accountable, Respectful, and Trustworthy.

Why HIVE? The beehive is symbolic of teamwork, unity, growth, and development. At Samaritan, we are all caregivers, including those who have committed to showing extraordinary compassionate care as a volunteer. We need each other to care for our community.

The HIVE Award complements the existing DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses® and the BEE Award (Being Excellent Every Day) honoring other outstanding staff members who support patient care, at the hospital and all outpatient clinics. Altogether, we recognize the amazing caregivers of the Samaritan Health System and the culture we embrace.

The inaugural recipient of the HIVE Award is Mary Martuzas. Mary served as an employee of the Samaritan Auxiliary operated gift shops before stepping into a volunteer role. Mary has consistently demonstrated the HEART values throughout her time as a volunteer.  Mary volunteers in the gift shop at Samaritan Summit Village two days a week.  She has held this volunteer position since the gift shop re-opened after closing due to the COVID-19 pandemic.   

Manager of Volunteer Services Amanda Bradbury said, “Mary goes above and beyond, getting to know each of the residents that frequent the gift shop, knowing their likes and dislikes and always ensuring the gift shop has what the residents need and want.  Mary recognizes that many residents do not have the opportunity to shop outside of the facility so she works hard to make sure the gift shop is well stocked for those residents with items that are affordable.  Mary is on a first name basis not only with the residents but with the staff that shop the gift shop, as well.  Mary always greets residents with a smile, a warm welcome and a helping hand making sure they feel happy and valued with their interaction.”

Those interested in recognizing a Samaritan volunteer may submit an online nomination at samaritanhealth.com/hive there are also paper nomination forms available at the Medical Center and Samaritan Summit Village gift shops. 

There is an uptick in COVID positivity cases at the hospital among inpatients and emergency department patients, as well in the community overall. Following our Infection Prevention source control policy, Samaritan Medical Center (the hospital), including the Walker Center for Cancer Care, will now require facemasks in all patient care areas and public spaces within the hospital.  Long term care remain masks-required. 

This does not impact Samaritan’s outpatient locations including specialty clinics, family health centers or lab and imaging locations.

Thank you for your patience as we try to minimize the spread of the virus and keep our patients, visitors and staff protected.

Any further updates to this change will be added to samaritanhealth.com/news.

As announced on October 25, 2023, most Samaritan locations are using an outbreak approach to mandatory facemask use. Visitors, patients, and employees may be asked to mask in various locations if there is an outbreak in that specific location.

At this time, as of November 6, 2023, Walker Center for Cancer Care is experiencing an ongoing transmission and are under temporary masks-required conditions. Samaritan will announce when this is lifted and the center returns to masks-optional.

Visitors and patients will be notified upon entry if the location they are visiting is masked for the day.

Samaritan’s long term care facilities and emergency department remain masks-required due to the heightened risk of exposure.

Any further updates to this change will be added to samaritanhealth.com/news.

Watertown, NY – For weeks Samaritan’s infection prevention team has been researching facemask guidelines from other facilities and discussing with leadership to determine if Samaritan should make a change to its source control guidelines. After thorough consideration of risks associated with COVID-19 illness, review of metrics and trends across the organization and county, and in collaboration with key department leaders, Samaritan has determined the organization will return to mask-optional on Wednesday, October 25, 2023, in most locations for staff, patients, and visitors, with exceptions. 

The emergency department and long-term care facilities will remain facemask required. This decision comes from seeing an increase in positive cases among residents in the long term care setting and the increased risk associated with patient and employee illness and/or exposure in the emergency department environment.

The remaining locations will use an outbreak approach to mandatory facemask use. Visitors, patients, and employees may be asked to mask in various locations if there is an outbreak in that specific location. Visitors will be notified upon entry if the location they are visiting is masked for the day. Visitors who refuse to wear a facemask in a mask-required area will be asked to leave. At this time, there has been no change in visitation.

Any further updates to this change will be added to samaritanhealth.com/news.