Category: News

Watertown, NY – The Samaritan Auxiliary has awarded two $1,500 scholarships to Samaritan employees who are advancing their education.

The first was awarded to Jessica Helm, a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) Scrub Tech in Samaritan’s Car-Freshner Center for Women and Children. Ms. Helm has worked for Samaritan Medical Center for 16 years and is currently attending Excelsior College to become a Registered Nurse (RN). The second recipient is Ashlie Hall, an LPN at Samaritan Summit Village. Ms. Hall has been an LPN for 11 years, and has been employed by Samaritan for 6 years. She is attending St. Joseph’s College of Nursing to become an RN and expects to graduate this December.

“Today, more than ever before, education plays a vital role in career advancement, especially in the field of healthcare,” says Berline Dodard, Samaritan Auxiliary Board President. “Working and going to school at the same time is never easy, and these scholarships are one way we can support Samaritan employees who are pursuing a degree to advance within their current field or to enter a new healthcare field.”

Each year, the Auxiliary proudly awards scholarships to two Samaritan employees wishing to further his or her education in the healthcare field. The scholarship is awarded based on academic achievement. Funds for the scholarship are raised through the Auxiliary’s Starbucks; gift shops at Samaritan Medical Center, Samaritan Keep Home and Samaritan Summit Village; and through other fundraising activities.

Watertown, NY – Samaritan Health is complying with new guidelines from the New York State Department of Health for restricted family visitation at long term care facilities.

Below is an outline of the new procedures taking effect September 17, 2020. Full guidance from the state can be found by clicking here. Please note that these policies are for visits where no barrier is present, whether indoor or outdoor. They do not impact fence or window visits, which are encouraged to continue while weather permits.

• All visitors, regardless of age, must show proof of a negative COVID-19 test result received within seven days of the planned visit. *The state has since issued follow-up guidance stating that this policy will go into effect September 24, 2020.
• Indoor visitation will start immediately under these limitations:
  • Restricted visitation will be offered weekdays between 10:00 am and 4:30 pm and on weekends between 10:00 am and 3:30 pm. Each visit will last 30 minutes, and there will be a limit of visits allowed each day.
  • All visitors will be screened, which includes a temperature check and questions about travel history and COVID-related symptoms.
  • Two visitors per resident are allowed. Any visitor under age 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
  • All visitors must wear a mask and use proper hand hygiene.
  • No physical contact is allowed, including hugging or kissing. Social distancing must be adhered to.
• All visitation must be arranged through the Samaritan Keep Home (SKH) and Samaritan Summit Village (SSV) activities staff. At SKH, please contact Rose Busler at 315-785-4403, and at SSV please contact Sandra Baril at 315-782-7010. If you have any issues reaching these staff members, please call the respective main phone number and someone will assist you.

The NYS COVID-19 testing requirement is brand new and may interrupt the frequent visitation families are planning. However, there are numerous community locations where COVID-19 tests are offered. Samaritan, through the state, offers free COVID-19 testing to any community member for any reason; however, results take 5 to 7 days to process, so families should plan visits accordingly. An appointment for a free test can be requested at: www.samaritanhealth.com/covid-test.

In positive news, the updated state guidance allows facilities to resume select small group activities for residents. Also, in the unfortunate circumstance either facility has another positive case, visitation can resume after 14 COVID-free days, rather than the previous wait time of 28 days.

SpaceOAR™ Hydrogel is Clinically Shown to Help Reduce Risk of Side Effects After Radiation Treatment

Watertown, NY – Samaritan Medical Center has added a new pre-treatment option for prostate cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy. At its Walker Center for Cancer Care, Samaritan is pleased to offer SpaceOAR™ Hydrogel – the first and only FDA-cleared spacer that aims to reduce rectal complications and help patients maintain their quality of life after radiation treatment.

Because of the proximity of the prostate to the rectum, prostate radiation therapy can cause unintended damage to the rectum, which can lead to fecal incontinence issues or other long-lasting side effects. SpaceOAR Hydrogel is an absorbable gel inserted via a minimally invasive procedure that creates a temporary space between the prostate and the rectum, allowing the doctor to complement the patient’s radiation treatment to better target their cancer while preserving healthy tissue. The hydrogel spacer remains in place for about three months. After about six months, the hydrogel is naturally absorbed and cleared from the body in the patient’s urine.

“SpaceOAR is an important advance that reduces the radiation dose to the rectum during radiation treatments, helping to prevent unwanted side effects,” said Dr. Justin Budnik, Radiation Oncologist at the Walker Center. “We understand men diagnosed with prostate cancer have some difficult decisions to make, but knowing that an option like SpaceOAR Hydrogel can help limit the risk of damage to other organs during radiation treatment will hopefully make a few of those decisions easier.”

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in American men, with more than 183,000 new cases diagnosed each year. Annually, more than 60,000 American men opt to treat their prostate cancer with radiation. In a randomized clinical study, men who underwent radiation therapy without SpaceOAR Hydrogel were eight times more likely to experience a decline in bowel, urinary and sexual function when compared to men who underwent radiation therapy with SpaceOAR Hydrogel, at a median follow-up of three years.

SpaceOAR Hydrogel is made up of two liquids that, when combined, form a soft gel material mostly made of water. Studies have shown that the material is biocompatible – it can be used in the body without causing injury or a reaction – and that it can be safely absorbed by the body. SpaceOAR Hydrogel is made from materials that are used in other implants, such as surgical sealants used in the eye, brain and spine.

FDA clearance was granted for SpaceOAR Hydrogel following completion of a prospective, multicenter, randomized clinical trial. SpaceOAR patients experienced a significant reduction in rectal radiation dose and severity of late rectal toxicity when compared to control patients who did not receive SpaceOAR Hydrogel. The full pivotal clinical trial results have been published in the peer-reviewed Red Journal.

Financial impact of coronavirus pandemic necessitates layoffs of 51 employees, and the reorganization of various departments and services to ensure financial sustainability of region’s largest healthcare system

Watertown, N.Y. – As the economic fallout from the COVID-19 crisis continues for healthcare systems regionally and nationwide, Samaritan Health leadership has been compelled to make the difficult decision to lay off 51 employees effective September 10, 2020. In addition, 44 open positions will not be filled for a total of 95 impacted positions. Several Samaritan health services will also be restructured to increase operational efficiencies and respond to lower patient volumes.

Twenty-one employees originally placed on furlough in April will have their furlough extended. Samaritan leadership aims to call those furloughed employees back to work when patient volume and operations stabilize.

It is important to note the hospital is still hiring for a number of critical positions and many of the impacted employees will have the opportunity to apply for these 200 open positions. Samaritan’s Human Resources team will be working with those employees to help fill these roles. If a different position within the healthcare system is not possible, Human Resources will coordinate with the New York State Department of Labor to provide outplacement assistance.

Staff members impacted who do not find another position within the organization will be offered a severance package based on years of service. The positions affected span several departments, from nursing to senior leadership.

The staffing changes will result in a $5 million cost reduction from salaries for the healthcare system, which faces an anticipated $10 million revenue shortfall for the year. While cost savings are part of the plan, Samaritan will also pursue pending, revenue-generating opportunities to help the overall budget shortfall.

The shortfall is a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in patient volumes dropping by as much as 40 percent at certain points throughout the year, higher costs for PPE and testing, among other unanticipated expenses. The pandemic has caused patients to fear coming to the hospital for services and many have delayed care as a result.

As a community, we have made significant social changes in our lives. Schools are reopening extremely cautiously, and the economic recession has left many unemployed and in some cases without health insurance. Samaritan has also been preparing for a possible second wave of COVID-19 cases as we enter the fall. All of these factors have translated to a challenging financial situation for all healthcare systems.

In addition, federal CARES Act relief provided to Samaritan was much less than expected, as the organization missed out on the initial round of rural funding, and proportionately far less than others in the region. Samaritan also did not receive Paycheck Protection Program funds, another pocket of CARES dollars, due to being designated an urban area and employing more than 500 people.

“Prior to 2020, Samaritan experienced a decade of uninterrupted growth in revenue and services. However, the drastic negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on patient volumes and revenue has necessitated the difficult measures we’re taking to ensure the continued financial viability of our healthcare system,” said Tom Carman, president and chief executive officer. “Healthcare systems  everywhere are facing the same financial constraints driven primarily by fewer patients. We recognize the important role Samaritan plays as the largest private employer in the community, with more than 2,300 full-time employees, and it’s our intention to place the interests of our patients and our broad employee base first as we continue to weather this challenge.”

The following measures have been implemented to help stabilize the financial burden Samaritan faces, gain operational efficiency and adhere to COVID-19 restrictions:

• The Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Program and Adult Day Health Care remain temporarily suspended, until spacing regulations and other COVID-19 restrictions are lifted
• Samaritan’s Transportation Department will be eliminated. Samaritan will engage local, third-party vendors to transport long-term care residents for medical care off-site
• The consolidation of the Sackets, Lacona and Cape Vincent clinics into other existing larger clinics will remain intact until the end of the year, when that measure will be reassessed. LeRay Family Health Center has re-opened and providers are seeing patients in their existing space, though radiology services at this location will cease
• LeRay Urgent Care will permanently close effective Sunday, September 13, but all providers and staff will be relocated to other primary care locations, where Samaritan will offer more same-day appointments and will accept more new patients, including at the LeRay Family Health Center located in the same building
• Lab Service Centers at Orthopaedics and Neurology will remain closed. Patients can access these services at other community-based locations.

Many of the cost-saving measures initiated in April will also continue, including:

• The 15-percent pay cut for all senior management positions
• Deferment of all merit increases for management staff
• Suspending new capital construction projects that are not revenue-generating and limiting capital purchases to emergency projects or supplies

“We have long believed employees to be our strongest asset,” said Carman. “These decisions were not made lightly, and all measures taken reflect our best efforts to sustain the viability of this important healthcare system for years to come. Our commitment to patient care has not wavered and we look forward to the day when the national and local economic situation allows us to resume our full, comprehensive slate of quality services.”

Samaritan Health continues to work to restore its computer system after taking it offline as a precaution on July 25 due to security concerns involving malware.

Steady progress has been made as we restore our systems and network slowly and methodically to ensure a thorough and safe process. Below is our latest update.

The following systems/applications have been restored and are fully operational:

• Primary hospital electronic medical records (EMR)
• Behavioral Health/Addictions EMR and scheduling
• Long-term care EMR
• Accounting and payroll applications
• Other ancillary patient care systems

Our IT team and third-party computer forensic professionals continue to work to restore the following systems at these clinic locations:

• All primary care locations
• Women’s Wellness and Breast Care
• Wound Care Center
• Dermatology
• Pain Management Center
• Urology
• Infectious Disease
• Rheumatology
• All online patient portals and smartphone applications

We are continuing to see existing patients at these locations, as well as new patients at many sites. We are scheduling appointments to the best of our ability given the challenges we face. As with every medical appointment, it’s a good idea to bring your most recent medication list and any pertinent medical updates.

Our online portals and smartphone applications are not operational, so please give us a call if you have any questions or concerns.

We appreciate the community’s continued patience and support during this outage.

Watertown, NY – Samaritan Medical Center has restored its primary hospital Electronic Medical Records (EMR) application, accounting, and payroll systems.

The restoration of the hospital EMR will enable hospital staff to resume regular processes for electronic patient registration, hospital scheduling, as well as patient records utilization.

Hospital patient records recorded manually while the hospital operated on down-time procedures will be inputted into the EMR to ensure seamless delivery of care.

This latest development follows Samaritan’s successful restoration last week of various applications. Samaritan’s internal IT team continues to work around the clock with third-party experts to bring the entire computer system back online, prioritizing applications related to patient care. Given the size of the network, this process will take time to ensure a safe and thorough restoration. The successful reinstatement of the primary EMR application marks significant progress.

Samaritan Medical Center takes the privacy and security of its patients’ information very seriously and continues to investigate this incident. At this time, there is no evidence that patient or employee records were accessed or acquired.

Please note, Samaritan’s website, telephone and fax lines are all working. Patient communication remains active and the impact to patient care remains minimal.

Watertown, N.Y. – Samaritan Medical Center announced the first COVID-19-related death in Jefferson County. The patient, an elderly Jefferson County resident with underlying health conditions, acquired COVID-19 in the community and was admitted to Samaritan’s COVID-19 unit for treatment. 

“We wish to extend our deepest condolences to the patient’s family,” said Thomas H. Carman, president and CEO, Samaritan Health. “We are deeply saddened by this outcome, and disappointed our community could not be spared the terrible realities of this virus. This tragic development is a sobering reminder of the importance of abiding by public health guidelines to prevent the spread of COVID-19, including wearing face masks in public, keeping six feet of distance, and limiting large gatherings. We must come together to protect our most vulnerable community residents, particularly our senior residents and those with underlying conditions.”

Samaritan Medical Center remains the main local hospital providing care to patients diagnosed with COVID-19, and has been for the past four months. At this point there is one other inpatient with COVID-19 at the hospital. Samaritan remains well prepared to care for these patients, with proficient staff and critical care physicians, ample personal protective equipment, and dedicated space to separate patients with COVID-19 from the rest of the patient population.

“We want to thank our staff once again for their dedication and their efforts to continue to ensure safe, quality health care for our patients over these last several months,” said Carman. “We ask the community to remain diligent as we work together to respond to this ongoing pandemic.”

Samaritan Medical Center took its computer system offline on Saturday, July 25, as a precautionary measure after identifying a potential security incident. Samaritan is conducting a full investigation to determine the exact nature and scope of the incident, and working to restore the system with the assistance of computer forensic professionals. We’re able to continue providing care for patients, though out of an abundance of caution have rescheduled a limited number of non-urgent patient procedures and appointments due to the outage.

Samaritan takes seriously the privacy and security of its patients’ and employees’ information. At this point in the investigation, there is no indication that any patient or employee information was involved. Samaritan’s telephone and fax lines are all working and patient communication is still active. We greatly appreciate our employees’ efforts and the community’s patience as we work to return to normal system operation. We can’t thank our dedicated staff enough for their commitment to the highest quality patient care as we continue our down-time procedures.

Watertown, NY – Samaritan Medical Center is proud to announce the first recipients of its newly established DAISY and BEE Awards. The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses® recognizes exemplary nursing staff at the hospital, and the BEE Award honors other outstanding staff members who support patient care.

Diane Jesmore, a Registered Nurse in Samaritan’s Infusion Unit, received the first DAISY Award and Raymond Hirst, Access Management Counselor, was given the first BEE Award. Both honorees were nominated by fellow staff members and selected by a committee.

Jesmore was nominated for her flexibility and devotion after she extended a 12-hour shift on a holiday weekend to help a patient in need. Her manager, Kimberly Smith, described the event in her nomination form for Jesmore:

“After working eight hours of her 12-hour scheduled shift on Friday evening of Memorial Day weekend, Diane was notified that there was a young patient who was extremely ill and was in need of infusion treatment. She graciously went to the Intensive Care Unit to administer this medication, which is a five- to six-hour infusion. She never once questioned working over her scheduled shift, but rather told me that this patient was in need of our services and that she would be happy to help.”

“Diane always puts the patients’ needs first,” writes Smith. “She is an expert in her field and shares her knowledge and skills with others. She is devoted to our patients and dedicated to her career. We are extremely fortunate to have Diane on our team.”

For receiving the DAISY Award – which is an international award backed by The DAISY Foundation – Jesmore was presented a certificate commending her as an extraordinary nurse, a DAISY Award pin, and a symbolic sculpture called “A Healer’s Touch,” which is hand-carved by artists of the Shona Tribe in Zimbabwe. A larger version of this sculpture has also been installed in the Healing Gardens at Samaritan in honor of all DAISY and BEE Award winners to come. It was purchased using funds donated by the Samaritan Auxiliary.

Hirst was nominated for the BEE Award by the entire nursing leadership team at Samaritan Medical Center for his helpful and compassionate work in the hospital’s main registration area. Having joined the Samaritan staff just a few months ago, he has quickly become a welcome face for patients checking in for outpatient visits.

“Raymond makes sure that each patient and employee is treated with the utmost respect, kindness, and compassion,” reads his nomination form. “He is a role model for others and is a pleasure to work with.”

Hirst was presented a certificate, a BEE Award pin, and a gift bag with other tokens of gratitude.

Both 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 DAISY and BEE Awards, visit www.samaritanhealth.com/daisy-bee.

Samaritan would like to thank Panera Bread® for donating cinnamon rolls for recurring DAISY Award celebrations and Staples® of Watertown for help with promotional items for both awards.

About The DAISY Foundation
The DAISY Foundation is a not-for-profit organization, established in memory of J. Patrick Barnes, by members of his family. Patrick died at the age of 33 in late 1999 from complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP), a little known but not uncommon auto-immune disease. (DAISY is an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune System.) The care Patrick and his family received from nurses while he was ill inspired this unique means of thanking nurses for making a profound difference in the lives of their patients and patient families. In addition to the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses, the Foundation expresses gratitude to the nursing profession internationally in over 3,900 healthcare facilities and schools of nursing with recognition of direct care Nurses, Nurse-led Teams, Nurse Leaders, Nursing Faculty, Nursing Students, through the J. Patrick Barnes Grants for Nursing Research and Evidence-Based Practice Projects and for nurses participating in medical missions. More information is available at http://www.DAISYfoundation.org.

Watertown, NY — Samaritan Summit Village is pleased to announce it has been approved to allow limited visitation for all residents. Guidance for limited nursing home visitation was provided by the New York State Department of Health on July 10, 2020. Samaritan Summit Village submitted its plan following the strict guidelines on Wednesday, July 15, and received notification of approval on July 19, 2020. The new limited visitation began Monday, July 20, 2020.

The state issued guidance to ensure the safety of long-term care residents, who are vulnerable during the current pandemic. The new limited visitation will adhere to the following guidelines:

• Visitation is only allowed outside, weather permitting, with very limited exceptions.
• Visits are by appointment only for a maximum of two people per resident.
• Visits will be scheduled every 30 minutes, for a duration of 20 minutes, to allow us to disinfect between visits.
• Visitation times are Monday through Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
• Visitors will be limited to one visit per day so we can accommodate as many as possible.
• All visitors must wear masks and practice social distancing during the visit.
• There is no physical contact allowed.
• If any staff member or resident tests positive for COVID-19, limited visitation will be suspended until the facility is COVID-free for 28 days.
• All visitors will be screened, including a temperature check and a series of questions regarding health status and recent travel history. If a visitor does not meet requirements or has any questionable travel, they will not be allowed to visit.

Resident families have been notified of these guidelines. Summit Village Skilled Nursing visits can be made by contacting Sandi Baril at [email protected] or 315-782-7010. Summit Village Assisted Living visits can be made by contacting Dani McLean at [email protected] or 315-779-5113.

Summit Village staff is committed to keeping our residents safe and connected during the pandemic. We are still encouraging window visits, phone calls, video chats and more. All Summit Village staff are being tested weekly for the Coronavirus, a state mandate that has been extended until August 8th. With the new limited visitation, if a staff member or resident tests positive for the virus, all residents must then be tested.