Author: Leslie Distefano

Watertown, NY – Samaritan recently launched an online scheduling tool for patients to self-schedule their mammography screenings at Samaritan’s Women’s Wellness and Breast Care office, located at 1575 Washington Street.

Patients can visit www.samaritanhealth.com/mammogram to use the online scheduling tool to book a screening appointment, which outlines available days and times of upcoming appointments. Once an appointment time is selected, questions will be asked to ensure patients have orders for a screening mammogram and have no other medical history or need for a different, more diagnostic exam.  The online scheduling tool makes it simple and convenient for patients to book an appointment through a secure website and removes the need to call the scheduling office.  Online appointments can be made as far as six months in advance. Many women receive their physician orders before the timeframe for a screening mammogram. Now it’s possible to book an appointment and receive reminders about upcoming screening tests in advance.

Samaritan has three mammography machines and two stereotactic breast biopsy machines that are state-of-the art. In 2021 alone, the clinic completed 7,000 mammograms, with six highly-trained mammography technologists. The Women’s Wellness and Breast Care location also offers the only dedicated Breast Surgeon in our region, Dr. Agnieszka Dombrowska, and a dedicated Breast Cancer Nurse Navigator.  In addition, Women’s Wellness and Breast Care offers local women a place to have their annual exams, breast care needs, and gynecological care in one beautiful and convenient location. 

“Giving patients easier and greater access to screening mammograms is critical to early breast cancer detection,” says Samaritan’s Director of Radiology, Marie Pascolini.  “We are pleased to bring this convenient scheduling tool to patients.  Anything we can do to make it more convenient, less stressful, and more routine to visit our facility for a screening mammogram is extremely beneficial for all local women,” she states.

Watertown, NY – Samaritan Health is pleased to announce that Patrick W. Calli has been selected as its next Vice President of Long Term Care. This position is responsible for oversight of all the Long Term Care Services including Samaritan Keep Home and Samaritan Summit Village. Mr. Calli is responsible for the executive management team at each organization as well as the strategic direction, clinical and financial performance and organizational development. He brings nearly a decade of experience to the role, including several years spent in nursing home administration.

Calli comes to Samaritan from the Upstate Services Group organization, where he was Administrator of Van Duyn Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing, in Syracuse, for the past year. Here, he was responsible for directing the day-to-day operations of the 513-bed rehabilitation and nursing center, overseeing upwards of 600 employees. Before serving this facility, Calli was Administrator of Bridgewater Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing in Binghamton which included a specialized pulmonary rehabilitation and ventilator unit as well as an outpatient dialysis center. Calli also spent nearly 6 years as Administrator of the 5 STAR rated Central Park Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Syracuse where the facility earned designation in both U.S. News and World Report and Newsweek as “Best Nursing Homes” of 2019-2020. Calli and his team were also awarded the Bronze National Quality Award from the American Health Care Association (ACHA). He also has prior experience at long term care facilities in Little Falls and the Utica, NY area.

“We are pleased to welcome Patrick to Samaritan’s administration and senior leadership team,” said Tom Carman, President and CEO of Samaritan Medical Center. “His impressive resume with significant experience in long-term care will benefit the residents and staff at Samaritan Keep Home and Samaritan Summit Village. We look forward to his guidance and insight as we continue to foster long-term care communities that value independence, comfort, companionship and safe, quality care.”

“Aligning myself with an organization such as Samaritan Health which is patient-centric and community-focused is an opportunity that I truly welcome,” states Patrick Calli, Vice President of Long Term Care. “I am looking forward to continuing Samaritan’s tradition of providing quality and compassionate care in an environment where the residents are at the forefront. Collaborating with our incredible team of dedicated caregivers, staff, leaders, and residents shall afford us the ability to fulfill the organization’s mission and commitment to enhance the quality of life of the people that we serve, as well as the greater North Country community. I am eager to work with the residents and their families to meet their needs and create the home-like environment they deserve.”

Calli holds a Master of Science in Health Administration from Regis College, Weston, MA, and a Bachelor of Science from Union College. He is a New York State Licensed Nursing Home Administrator, a board member of the Healthcare Management Association of Central New York, and a member of American College of Healthcare Executives, American Health Care Association and other associations. Mr. Calli is originally from New Hartford located just outside the Utica, NY area. Calli began his employment at Samaritan on Monday, January 31, 2022.

Calli replaces Barbara Morrow, who retired as Vice President of Long Term Care and Chief Compliance Officer in January, after 20 years of service to Samaritan.

With the holidays upon us, we want to make our community aware of special hours of operation and closures for many of our clinics and services. Happy Holidays!

Holiday Hours & Closures
The Samaritan clinics and the Resource Line will be closed on December 24th and December 31st.

The Drive-Up Testing Site will be closed on Christmas Day (12/25) and New Year’s Day (1/1/22)

Main Hospital Registration:
December 24th open 8:00am – 4:30pm (no scheduled services)
December 25th – closed
December 31st open 8:00am – 4:30pm (no scheduled services)
January 1st open 8:00am – 4:30pm

Walk-In Lab/X-Ray at Samaritan Health and Wellness Plaza (Watertown):
December 24th & 25th – closed
December 31st & January 1st – closed

Lab/X-Ray at the Adams Family Health Center:
December 24 – closed
December 27 – closed
December 29 – closed
December 31 – closed

The 19^th annual North Country Festival of Trees was held from November 26^th – December 4^th 2021, benefitting the Samaritan Medical Center Foundation and Watertown Family YMCA.

This year’s theme was “Merry and Bright” and it was held at the Former Bon-Ton at the Salmon Run Mall.  There were 74 beautifully decorated trees and an incredible Live Show Case event held on Channel 7. The tree auction raised over $48,000 for the two organizations. Upwards of 1,000 people attended the public viewing. We were not able to host our Sugar Plum Ball or Gala this year but we are hopeful to have it back again next year.  Below is a list of award-winning trees. Thank you to everyone who supported this year’s Festival!

Winners:

Best Use of Festival Theme

• “It’s a Wonderful Life” – Sponsored by A.T. Matthews & Dier, Decorated by Nancy Storino, Lisa Ruggiero & Beth Arthur
• “Merry and Bright” – Sponsored by Complete Family Care & Laser Center, Decorated by Donna Trumbo

Most Traditional

• “Peace, Love, Joy and Be Merry” – Sponsored by SBS Rentals.  Decorated by Watertown Lions Club
• “Cozy Country Christmas” – Sponsored by The Kellie and Joseph Sanzone Family Living Trust.  Decorated by Alisha Lafex, Mariah McNeely & Kimberly Rizzo

Most Elegant

• “Girls Night Out” – Sponsored by The Heather Freeman Foundation.  Decorated by Karla Stefanini & Karen Nevills
• “Sisterly Love” – Sponsored by The Paddock Club.  Decorated by Kathy Dyer, Chris Rickett & Michelle Leo

Most Innovative

• “Furry and Bright” – Sponsored by The Animal Doctors.  Decorated by Julia & Lola Stoddart, Lynn & Danel Godek
• “Adventure Awaits in NYS” – Sponsored by Carthage Savings & Loan Association.  Decorated by Carthage Savings & Loan Association

Judge’s Choice

• “Holidaisy” – Sponsored by BCA Architects & Engineers.  Decorated by Karla Stefanini & Karen Nevills
• “Merry and Bright” – Sponsored by Knowles Family.  Decorated by Lisa O’Driscoll & Liz Culbertson

Jim Henry Most Whimsical

• “Operation Yellow Ribbon” – Sponsored by Colello Air Technologies.  Decorated by Tillie Youngs, Judy Gentner, Ashley Shepherd, Nancy Datoush, Alisson Gorham & Marry Corriveau
• “Love the Lake” – Sponsored by Cheney Tire.  Decorated by Brenda Sipher

People’s Choice

• “Holidaisy” – Sponsored by BCA Architects & Engineers.  Decorated by Karla Stefanini & Karen Nevills
• “Donate Life in Loving Memory of Tyler R. Christman” – Donated by Christman Fuel Service.  Decorated by Faith Parks & Lillian Buck
  
  Honorable Mentions
• “For the Love of Being Outdoors” – Sponsored by Slack Chemical Company.  Decorated by Shari Simmons
• “Waltz of Angels” – Sponsored by Knowlton Technologies.  Decorated by Stacey Bristow
• “No Peeking” – Sponsored by Northern Radiology.  Decorated by Jean Goodfriend, Kimberly Roberts & Cherie Schneckenburger
• “Candy Can Christmas” – Sponsored by King & King Architects.  Decorated by Jeff Pawlowski, Rich Baldwin & Michelle Fuller
• “ReJOYce! For he is Born” – Sponsored by North Country Family Health Center.  Decorated by Kevin Kitto.

Did you know that next year’s Festival of Trees theme will be “It’s a Wonderful Life”?  We can’t wait to see what our decorators will come up with next!

WATERTOWN, NY – Samaritan Medical Center is compelled to pause inpatient visitation and support persons in outpatient settings (lab, imaging/radiology tests and more), all Clinics, the Emergency Department and Surgical Services because of the recent increase in positive cases and hospitalizations in the local region.  This takes effect Monday, August 23, 2021.  This is out of an abundance of caution to minimize additional people in our facilities to help keep patients and staff safe.

This is also in response to Jefferson County Public Health’s recent report that the COVID-19 virus is present at higher levels in the City of Watertown’s wastewater, which in an indication we can expect to see more positive cases in our region.   We will continually reevaluate the positive cases locally to determine when we can safely implement inpatient visitation and support person presence.

This pause in visitation does not impact our end-of-life patients, patients under the age of 18, nursery/neonatal intensive care unit patients or patients that require a support person due to an intellectual and/or developmental disability (I/DD) or a cognitive impairment, including dementia. These visitors need to continue to use the Rotunda entrance at the hospital.  This does not impact our obstetrics/maternity patients.  These patients need to continue to use the Car-Freshner Center for Women and Children entrance. 

To see all visitation policies and protocols, please visit our website. Please note, these protocols are likely to change as the pandemic shifts.  

Samaritan will continue to encourage our community to get the COVID-19 vaccine, maintain social distancing, practice proper face mask use and frequent hand washing.  Samaritan can report that 91% of our current COVID-19 inpatients have been unvaccinated. 

Samaritan Health today announced the first COVID-19-related death at one of its two long-term care facilities since the onset of the pandemic in March 2020.

The resident, who was cared for in Samaritan Summit Village’s skilled nursing facility, first tested positive for the virus on December 20 and later was hospitalized. As with many of our skilled nursing residents, this person did have several underlying health conditions.

“On behalf of our entire organization, we extend our deepest condolences to the resident’s family,” said Barbara E. Morrow, Vice President of Long-Term Care, Samaritan Summit Village and Samaritan Keep Home. “The rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine to our residents and staff in the coming days offers great hope there may be a light at the end of the tunnel, but today’s announcement is a stark reminder regarding the heavy toll this pandemic is taking throughout the U.S., particularly for our senior population.”

Residents and staff at Samaritan Summit Village and Samaritan Keep Home will be offered the COVID-19 vaccine through our partnership with Walgreens starting January 4 and January 5, respectively. 

Samaritan Health places the health and safety of our residents and staff above all else. We will continue diligent efforts to prevent the spread of this virus in our facilities, following all NYSDOH directives for testing, contact tracing, safety equipment precautions, staff screening and close monitoring, and frequent temperature checks for all residents.