AMSTERDAM, N.Y., Jan. 7, 2025—Dr. Govind Rao, one of the region’s most beloved, respected physicians, is partnering with St. Mary’s Healthcare to ensure continued access to exceptional care for patients at the region’s largest pediatric practice.

As of Jan. 7, Dr. Rao and his team are in practice at Neena Rao Family Health Center at 442 ½ Guy Park Avenue, a hospital-owned building on the St. Mary’s Hospital campus. Their patients continue to receive the same high-quality care, from the same providers—in a new location.

The collaboration helps secure the future of a practice that has served the region’s pediatric and adolescent patients for more than half a century, regardless of families’ ability to pay. As a service of the hospital’s professional corporation, Carondelet Regional Medical, the practice can now provide more seamless access to imaging and other specialty services through St. Mary’s Healthcare.

“Dr. Rao and his family exemplify selflessness, compassion, and generosity,” said Jeff Methven, St. Mary’s president and CEO. “We are honored and grateful that Dr. Rao has entrusted St. Mary’s to build on his legacy by upholding the core values of his practice and enhancing the care and services available to his patients.”

The partnership with Dr. Rao is the latest example of St. Mary’s strategy to forge alliances with local providers to enable the rural community hospital to continue to grow while remaining independent.

On Jan. 1, St. Mary’s Healthcare, Nathan Littauer Hospital & Nursing Home, and Mohawk Valley Orthopedics launched a partnership that clears the way for them to collaborate on orthopedic care. In 2023, Amsterdam Family Health joined St. Mary’s to partner on providing primary care services.

“St. Mary’s is determined to provide both the scope of services our region deserves and the personalized, compassionate care that is the hallmark of a community hospital,” Methven said. “We see enormous value in developing strategic relationships with like-minded, trusted partners.”

Dr. Rao moved to Amsterdam in 1972 and has been enhancing the health and quality of life in the community ever since as a pediatrician, as medical director for the Montgomery County Public Health Department, and via his philanthropy.

Through their Neena Rao Charitable Corporation, Dr. Rao and his wife, Jyothi Rao, consistently provide critical support to local organizations that serve the most vulnerable: children, veterans, seniors, those who are homeless, and countless others in need. The Rao family is among St. Mary’s most generous supporters, giving $1 million to the campaign to build the hospital’s Rao Outpatient Pavilion.

“There are no better partners than Dr. Rao and the Rao family—for St. Mary’s and the region we serve,” Methven said.

***

About St. Mary’s Healthcare, Amsterdam: St. Mary’s Healthcare has been providing high-quality, compassionate healthcare to the people of Montgomery and Fulton counties since 1903. At St. Mary’s Hospital, the Rao Outpatient Pavilion and other locations, the local, independent healthcare system offers the comprehensive, critical services its community needs and deserves. For more information: (518) 842-1900, www.smha.org or www.facebook.com/smha.org.

 

Contact:

Kristin Mosher

Director, Marketing and Communications

St. Mary’s Healthcare, Amsterdam

(518) 770-7505

kristin.mosher@nysmha.org

St. Mary’s Healthcare, Nathan Littauer Hospital launch Fulton-Montgomery Medical

Mohawk Valley Orthopedics joins as first service line.

AMSTERDAM, N.Y., Jan. 2, 2025—Three long-standing, independent regional providers—St. Mary’s Healthcare, Nathan Littauer Hospital & Nursing Home, and Mohawk Valley Orthopedics—have joined forces to ensure that orthopedic care is available where residents need it most: close to home.

The two hospitals have launched Fulton-Montgomery Medical, a professional corporation that enables them to partner   in attracting and retaining much-needed providers and medical practices.

The joint venture already is having the desired effect. As of January 2025, Mohawk Valley Orthopedics, the leading sports medicine and orthopedic group for the Mohawk Valley Region, will become a service of Fulton-Montgomery Medical, PC.

“Mohawk Valley Orthopedics has been providing excellent care, right here in Fulton and Montgomery counties, for decades,” said Sean Fadale, president and CEO of Nathan Littauer Hospital and Nursing Home. “This new partnership enables patients to continue to receive the highest level of care from two exceptionally skilled orthopedic surgeons—Dr. Russell Cecil and Dr. Gerald Ortiz—whom our community already know and trust.”

As partners in Fulton-Montgomery Medical, St. Mary’s and Nathan Littauer will collaborate to ensure continued, ease of access to orthopedic care locally. Equally important, the hospitals will partner in recruiting additional providers to expand the scope of services offered by the practice to meet the growing orthopedic needs of the region.

The hospitals anticipate that the joint-venture may present additional opportunities to improve local access to other services that can have a positive impact on community health and quality of life.

“This collaborative approach benefits everyone involved: the hospitals, the individual medical practices and, above all, our community,” said Jeffrey Methven, president and CEO of St. Mary’s Healthcare. “Through this partnership, we can pool limited resources for certain service lines, enhance our ability to reduce duplicate expenses, and free those funds to invest in attracting and retaining highly qualified specialists. That, in turn, will result in improved, more seamless access to care.”

***

About Fulton-Montgomery Medical, PC: A joint venture of St. Mary’s Healthcare and Nathan Littauer Hospital & Nursing Home, Fulton-Montgomery Medical, PC, was founded in fall 2024 to help ensure continued, seamless access to essential care locally. Instead of competing on certain service lines, the two independent community hospitals created a vehicle to collaborate in attracting and retaining physicians and other providers. Orthopedics is the first specialty under this new partnership.

 

AMSTERDAM, N.Y., Dec. 17, 2024— Dr. Karen Krutchick has joined St. Mary’s Healthcare – Canajoharie Family Health Center. She brings more than a decade of urgent care and family medicine experience, most recently at a primary care practice in Galway.

Dr. Krutchick was drawn to St. Mary’s by the opportunity to practice at a community hospital that welcomes providers’ input on ways to enhance patient care. Her focus is on caring for the whole person and working with patients to achieve their health goals and improve their quality of life.

“Dr. Krutchick shares St. Mary’s commitment to excellence, compassion, collaboration and continuous quality improvement,” said Jeff Methven, St. Mary’s president and CEO. “Both St. Mary’s and our patients will benefit enormously from having her on our team.”

A graduate of the University at Buffalo, Dr. Krutchick earned her medical degree and completed a family medicine residency at the University at Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Life Sciences. She is board certified in family medicine and is a member of the American Association of Family Physicians and the New York State Academy of Family Physicians.

Dr. Krutchick is accepting new patients. For an appointment, call St. Mary’s Healthcare – Canajoharie Family Health Center at (518) 673-2573.

***

About St. Mary’s Healthcare, Amsterdam: St. Mary’s Healthcare has been providing high-quality, compassionate healthcare to the people of Montgomery and Fulton counties since 1903. At St. Mary’s Hospital, the Rao Outpatient Pavilion and other locations, the local, independent healthcare system offers the comprehensive, critical services its community needs and deserves. For more information: (518) 842-1900, www.smha.org or www.facebook.com/smha.org.

Contact:

Kristin Mosher

Director, Marketing and Communications

St. Mary’s Healthcare, Amsterdam

(518) 770-7505

kristinmosher@nysmha.org

AMSTERDAM, N.Y., Dec. 9, 2024—St. Mary’s Healthcare has named three new members—Nancy Baghaei-Rad, Ph.D., Joel Bien-Aime and Richard Vertucci—to the hospital’s Board of Trustees.

Dr. Baghaei-Rad, of Amsterdam, has been an educator for nearly 40 years, including 16 in teaching, administrative and leadership roles in the Greater Amsterdam School District. Currently, she is principal of William Barkley Elementary School. Dr. Baghaei-Rad earned a doctoral degree in education from Northcentral University in Arizona (now National University) and master’s degrees from the College of St. Rose in Albany and Lesley College in Massachusetts. She is president of the Mental Health Association in Fulton and Montgomery Counties and a member of professional organizations including Kappa Delta Pi, International Honor Society for Education; the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development; and the New York State Association for the Education of Young Children. Honors include the Mental Health Association Ruth S. Voorhees Appreciation Award, Zonta Yellow Rose Award, and the Friend of Education Award from the School Administrators Association of New York State.

Bien-Aime, of Johnstown, heads New Process Cleaners, which his family has owned since 1996. Previously, he worked in human services at the ARC Lexington, Saratoga ARC (now Saratoga Bridges) and the state Office of Children and Family Services. Bien-Aime earned an associate degree in business administration from Fulton-Montgomery Community College (FMCC), where he was instrumental in founding the club now known as the Black and Latino Student Association. In 2022, in recognition of his accomplishments within and beyond FMCC, he was named a Distinguished Alumnus. Bien-Aime is a member of several dry-cleaning organizations, the Amsterdam Rotary Club and the Johnstown Lions Club.

Vertucci, of Amsterdam, is a lifelong resident of the city, owns two local businesses—Rick’s Robo Car Wash and Gabriel Sealcoating—and has a record of community service. He recently received the 2024 Fr. Joseph F. Girzone Crystal Pillar of the Community Award from the Montgomery County Office for Aging for his commitment to enhancing the quality of life of the county’s older citizens. Vertucci is a longtime member of the Amsterdam Rotary Club and a recipient of its Citizen of the Year Award. A past vice president of the Foundation of St. Mary’s Healthcare, he volunteers with Leatherstocking Honor Flight and is founder and president of the Mohawk Valley Sharp Spurs Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation. Vertucci also holds annual fundraisers to benefit many area nonprofits and community organizations. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Syracuse University, with majors in magazine journalism, political science and American history.

“Nancy, Joel and Rick bring invaluable skills, experiences, and perspectives to the board,” St. Mary’s President and CEO Jeff Methven said. “Equally important, they share our belief in the vital role of independent community hospitals and our commitment to continue to grow St. Mary’s and secure its position as the first choice for healthcare in our region.”

The new members join board Chairperson Michael Pepe, Montgomery County legislator and retired bank executive; Vice Chairperson Benjamin Ziskin, retired NBT Bank executive; Treasurer Thomas Cichy, retired CPA and partner, Lutz, Selig & Zeronda; Secretary Mohammad R. Ghazi, MD, St. Mary’s urologist; Rev. O. Robert DeMartina, Albany Catholic Diocese; Emily Etzkorn, MD, private internal medicine and pediatrics practice; Andrew Heck, president, Alpin Haus; Mary Anne Heenan, CSJ, province director, Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet; Ronald Marsh, MD, St. Mary’s Healthcare, general surgeon; Methven; Jason Packer, former CEO, Hill and Markes; David Santos, vice president, D.A. Collins Construction; and emeritus member Susan L. Davis, Ed.D, RN, FACHE.

***

About St. Mary’s Healthcare, Amsterdam: St. Mary’s Healthcare has been providing high-quality, compassionate healthcare to the people of Montgomery and Fulton counties since 1903. At St. Mary’s Hospital, the Rao Outpatient Pavilion and other locations, the local, independent healthcare system offers the comprehensive, critical services its community needs and deserves. For more information: (518) 842-1900, www.smha.org or www.facebook.com/smha.org.

 

Contact:

Kristin Mosher

Director, Marketing and Communications

St. Mary’s Healthcare, Amsterdam

(518) 770-7505

kristin.mosher@nysmha.org

AMSTERDAM, N.Y., Nov. 12, 2024—St. Mary’s Healthcare Auxiliary will hold its 18th annual “Christmas in November” fundraiser on Nov. 23. A highlight of the holiday season, the event includes tours of holiday homes and the Sanford Stud Farm, plus a holiday sale and raffle at the St. Mary’s Carondelet Pavilion Auditorium.

Self-guided tours, Saturday Nov. 23, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

• Four beautifully decorated Amsterdam homes: the Gaetano home at 68 Romeyn Ave., the Shwajlyk home at 69 Romeyn Ave., the Phetteplace / Teetz home at 122 Joanne Way  and the Methven home at 5 Coolidge Road.
• The historic Sanford Stud Farm, on Route 30 in Amsterdam: Come see Santa and enjoy some refreshments.

Tickets cost $20 in advance, $25 the day of the tour and $8 for children under 12.

Advance tickets cost can be purchased at:

• St. Mary’s Hospital Gift Shop and Volunteer Office, 427 Guy Park Ave., Amsterdam
• St. Mary’s Memorial Campus, front desk, 4988 Route 30, Amsterdam
• Chad Majewski Real Estate, 59 Lyon St., Amsterdam
• Second Wind Coffee, 132 West Main St., Johnstown
• Studio Herbage Florist, 16 North Perry St., Johnstown
• Mohawk Harvest Cooperative Market, 30 North Main St., in Gloversville

Same-day tickets are available at the Carondelet Pavilion, 380 Guy Park Ave., Amsterdam, and at the tour locations.

Holiday sale, Thursday, Nov. 21- Saturday, Nov. 23

Carondelet Pavilion Auditorium, 380 Guy Park Ave., Amsterdam

 

• Featuring Christmas items from the auxiliary’s “You”nique Boutique, Thanksgiving sweets and the auxiliary’s “famous raffle baskets.” If you stop by the auditorium after the home tour, be sure to mark the locations you’ve visited on your ticket and enter it in a drawing for a surprise.

Sale hours are:

• Thursday, Nov. 21, from 8 a.m. – 6 p.m.
• Friday, Nov. 22, from 8 a.m. – 6 p.m.
• Saturday, Nov 23, from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
• All are welcome; no tickets required.

Special thanks to premier event sponsor Catholic Charities and those who are generously opening their homes to the public for this fundraiser. Proceeds support the mission of St. Mary’s Healthcare.

***

About St. Mary’s Healthcare, Amsterdam: St. Mary’s Healthcare has been providing high-quality, compassionate healthcare to the people of Montgomery and Fulton counties since 1903. At St. Mary’s Hospital, the Rao Outpatient Pavilion and other locations, the local, independent healthcare system offers the comprehensive, critical services its community needs and deserves. For more information: (518) 842-1900, www.smha.org or www.facebook.com/smha.org.

Contact:

Kristin Mosher

Director, Marketing and Communications

St. Mary’s Healthcare, Amsterdam

(518) 770-7505

kristin.mosher@nysmha.org

 

 

AMSTERDAM, N.Y., April 2, 2024—St. Mary’s Healthcare has received a $1,000 Stewart’s Holiday Match Grant to feed local children and support the hospital’s youngest patients and their families. The grant will help St. Mary’s stock its mission cupboards and “Annie’s Closet.”

The cupboards provide nonperishable food items for patients and employees who need extra help with groceries. Annie’s Closet is filled with supplies to support parents and their babies. Located in the St. Mary’s Obstetrics and Gynecology Health Center, the closet is actually an entire room, filled with diapers, infant goods, personal care items and more.

“The Stewart’s Holiday Match Grant will help St. Mary’s meet some of the most basic needs of children in our community,” said Maureen Rhodes, executive director of the Foundation of St. Mary’s Healthcare. “The grant and Holiday Match program are wonderful reminders that we have such kind, generous neighbors in Stewart’s Shops and their customers.”

Each year since 1986, from Thanksgiving until Christmas, Stewart’s has collected and matched donations from customers in its shops. As a result, since its founding, Stewart’s Holiday Match Program has awarded over $38 million to support children under 18 in Stewart’s market areas.

AMSTERDAM, N.Y., March 27, 2024—Grant Norton, of Scotia, has been named director of patient accounts at St. Mary’s Healthcare. Previously, he was a senior business analyst at the local, independent healthcare provider.

Norton also has held positions at other Capital Region hospitals and healthcare-related organizations. He has served as practice manager for system outreach at the Albany Med Health System, performance consultant for the Healthy Alliance social care network, and manager of pediatrics for Ellis Medicine.

Norton joined St. Mary’s in February 2023 and quickly earned recognition for both his collaborative approach and ability to identify and improve billing processes, according to Keith Waters, St. Mary’s vice president and chief financial officer.

“Grant has garnered the trust, respect and support of his peers and the entire revenue cycle staff,” Waters said. “His willingness to listen, learn processes, understand issues, offer solutions and build consensus, coupled with his ability to make data-informed decisions, make him a perfect candidate for this director position.”

Norton has strong ties to the Capital Region. He grew up in Scotia, graduated from Scotia-Glenville High School, and earned a bachelor’s degree from Siena College. He also holds a Master of Science degree in healthcare data analytics and a Master of Business Administration in healthcare management, both from Clarkson University.

AMSTERDAM, N.Y., Feb. 27, 2024—Asif Syed, a healthcare professional with extensive experience in laboratory management, has been named administrative director, laboratory, at St. Mary’s Healthcare.

Syed has held leadership positions in clinical laboratories across New York state. Most recently, he served as administrative director of clinical laboratories for Precision Clinical Laboratories in Clinton, New York. He has held similar roles at Guthrie Cortland Medical Center in Cortland, Oneida Healthcare in Oneida and A.O. Fox Hospital in Oneonta.

At St. Mary’s, Syed oversees lab operations at the hospital and five satellite lab sites: the Rao Outpatient Pavilion, Holland Circle Medical Plaza, and family health centers in Canajoharie, Gloversville and Johnstown. He also collaborates with Dr. Charles Schwartz, pathologist and medical director, laboratory, at St. Mary’s, to ensure easy access to high-quality lab services for residents of the Fulton-Montgomery region.

“Our goal, always, is to provide timely, reliable lab results for patients and healthcare providers,” said Jeff Methven, St. Mary’s president and CEO. “Together, Asif and Dr. Schwartz have the operational and clinical expertise to help fulfill our strategic objectives and make St. Mary’s the first choice for lab services in our community.”

Syed is a New York state-licensed clinical laboratory technologist, American Society for Clinical Pathology-certified clinical laboratory scientist and an inspector for the Laboratory Accreditation Program of the College of American Pathologists. A graduate of Weber State University in Utah, he also has a Master of Business Administration, with a concentration in healthcare management, from New England College in New Hampshire.

This article was originally published by the Daily Gazette, written by Joanne McFadden on February 22, 2024. 

 

After listening to Lisa Mazzoccone talk about her employer for any length of time, one might be tempted to quit their current job and find one at St. Mary’s Healthcare, an institution that has been serving residents of Fulton and Montgomery counties since 1903.

Mazzoccone joined the St. Mary’s team in September as executive director of human resources and chief people officer. Since then, she’s been part of the systemwide expansion, improvements and upgrades continued by the institution’s new president and CEO Jeff Methven, who took the helm in January of last year.

Mazzoccone, who grew up in the Schenectady area, graduated from the SUNY Oneonta in 2005 with a bachelor’s degree in political science. After working as an executive assistant for the New York State Assembly, she took a job as office administrator for the national defense litigation firm William Elser. It was her next position — as senior director of operations at Jackson Lewis, P.C., a national law firm focused on labor and employment law that operates 63 offices in 39 states — that augmented her skill set and made her a great candidate for her current position at St. Mary’s, she said.

Mazzoccone’s track record of success in building and sustaining supportive work environments is one reason St. Mary’s brought her on board.

Ironically, she had never pictured herself working in the health care field before she applied, but she has found that there’s something special about it. Her work allows her to make an impact in the Capital Region community as she supports St. Mary’s employees who are seeking to do the same.

Mazzoccone’s desire to have a career with an impact is what prompted her to leave the large law firm after 15 years. “Things were changing, where we were looking to make different decisions that weren’t putting people first,” she said. “I realized that after 15 years I had done everything that I could do,” she said. “I had an amazing career and mentorship path. I wanted to use those skills somewhere that would make an impact.”

She describes her desires and the needs of St. Mary’s as puzzle pieces fitting together.

“They needed someone with a different background and I needed a place where I could make an impact in a positive way. It’s most rewarding going home every day and realizing that you make a significant impact.”

That’s exactly how she wants every St. Mary’s employee to feel.

“I think [human resources] is one of the most impactful professions because you work for your people,” Mazzoccone said. “We have this nuanced opportunity where we touch every single person in every department.”

The HR field has unique challenges, including job descriptions, benefits and compensation, Mazzoccone said. She knows she cannot make all 1,475 staff members happy, but that’s not her goal.

“I do want to make sure that everyone feels respected, validated, safe and challenged,” she said. “Patients are their priority; associates are my priority. This has a domino effect of strength and passion that makes us work together as a unit and be stronger.”

She wants employees to leave at the end of the day feeling satisfied that they were able to help someone in the community or a fellow co-worker.

To that end, Mazzoccone places a high priority on making staff feel valued, employing a variety of strategies to accomplish that.

One is through education, which Mazzoccone believes is key in getting people to come to St. Mary’s not just for a job but for a career. One of her short-term goals is to bolster both the clinical and nonclinical educational opportunities for employees.

“Education is the foundation of all things,” Mazzoccone said. “It assists in recruitment and onboarding, and also helps with retention,” she said, noting that recruitment and retention are “all day, every day” duties for her. To improve education, the hospital system restructured its education department and brought on new resources for the education of staff working in acute, ambulatory, clinical and nonclinical areas, as well as informatics.

Professional development goes hand in hand with education, and one of Mazzoccone’s long-term goals is to expand the health care system’s mentoring programs to ensure that employees have opportunities to develop professionally and feel there’s a career path for them at St. Mary’s.

Another long-term goal is furthering the improvements in the company culture that the health care organization has made in the recent past.

“Culture is something you build on and improve on every day,” Mazzoccone said. Her staff puts on what they’ve dubbed the “HR Roadshow,” where they go out to some of the 15 St. Mary’s locations in Fulton and Montgomery counties to talk about what human resources means and solicit feedback from St. Mary’s associates.

“Then we come back to our office and look at what are the issues and challenges,” Mazzoccone said. “We use that so we can roadmap what we’re going to do, revamping policies to address concerns.”

She and her staff monitor the labor market to make sure St. Mary’s is offering competitive wages and encourage work-life balance through a wellness program with CDPHP, gym membership reimbursement and an employee assistance program that has two full-time staff members on campus. They also recognize outstanding employees with the help of St. Mary’s Associate Recognition Team.

“I think that makes employees feel really valued,” Mazzoccone said.

The changes in community culture have netted benefits, helping Mazzoccone in her recruitment and retention goals. In 2023, 85 employees who had left the organization came back to work after hearing about the changes. Lead X-ray technologist Tabitha Sabater is one of them. Former co-workers reached out, encouraging her to apply.

“That is what I missed the most — the people,” Sabater said. “Once you join the team here, you develop great relationships. Your associates become friends that turn into family. I know that what we have here is unique.”

All that Mazzoccone does is working toward building a supportive work environment.

“It’s a challenge to attain but once you have it, it’s a very special thing,” Mazzoccone said. “Everyone comes together, all working for a larger cause, and that’s really special.”

In the long term, Mazzoccone plans to focus on diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I).

“When we go out to find new associates and revamp departments, we do that with DE&I at the top. This includes developing relationships with additional colleges within a three-hour radius of Amsterdam. St. Mary’s is also widening its application pool to include bilingual and trilingual staff so that it can better serve and support the community.”

In addition to the traditional job fairs, another recruitment tool the HR department uses is “Walk-in Wednesdays,” where job seekers can come to the campus between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. to learn about open positions at St. Mary’s.

While Mazzoccone considers her position at St. Mary’s as her greatest professional accomplishment, being a mom to a 10-year-old son and 6-year-old daughter tops her list of personal achievements. They got to experience their mom’s new job one day when she couldn’t find a babysitter and her kids had no school.

“They thought because of the gift shop and the cafeteria that this is the best place ever,” she said, laughing. “It’s a very family-friendly environment here.”

To relax, she makes pasta with her kids in their Loudonville home, a nod to her family’s Italian heritage.

She speaks the language fluently, too. “There’s something about making the dough by hand and then rolling it out and then we cut it,” she said. “The almost methodical process that you go through can be really de-stressing.”

Mazzoccone’s enthusiasm for her new position is palpable.

“There is something really special about St. Mary’s,” she said. “It’s almost intangible. It’s electric. And you want to work here. And you want to be a part of what is happening here.”

Q&A with Lisa Mazzoccone

Question: What are St. Mary’s post-COVID hiring challenges?

Answer: I don’t really think that we have many. I think with the impact of 85 people coming back to St. Mary’s as rehires, our retention and our longevity speaks for itself. I think that if I had to say there is one challenge, I would have to say it would probably be the hybrid-remote effect that has gone across the whole country, but we’re addressing that. We’re looking at different positions that don’t have to be on site all day, every day. Obviously patient-facing — like the emergency room — that goes without saying, they have to be there every day. But we’re looking at some of our operations, some specific to billing and collections. We’ve done some remote there. We’re also involved in telehealth and telemedicine when it comes to behavioral health and dieticians. So I think that’s been a really good opportunity for us to test the toe in the water of what remote and hybrid looks like.

Q: What is the labor market like?

A: The labor market I think is strong. We got over 4,700 applicants last year. We hired almost 700 people in 2023. We do probably about 100 or so applicants a week depending on what the position is. I think it’s impactful that we had 26 people come in this week on Walk-in Wednesday. It was the middle of the week, the middle of the day, and you have that many people coming in to really hear about the opportunities, fill out an application, meet the hiring manager, and some of them go on a tour in different parts of the hospital if they can, depending on the position. I think it’s strong. I think that our community stands with us, which is such a great and fulfilling experience. I think it’s only going to increase in 2024, and I think we have all good things ahead with respect to labor and market.

 

AMSTERDAM, N.Y., Feb. 12, 2024—St. Mary’s Healthcare has been awarded $1.1 million from the state Department of Health to provide free cancer screenings to eligible New Yorkers through 2028.

The grant is funded under the DOH Cancer Services Program, which makes no-cost screenings—for breast, cervical and colorectal cancers—available in healthcare settings in every New York State county for uninsured and underinsured individuals ages 40 to 64.

St. Mary’s has led the CSP of Fulton, Montgomery, and Schenectady counties since 2008, with grants renewed every five years. During 2018-2023, the most recent five-year period, St. Mary’s and its 30 regional partners provided 960 free screenings for breast cancer, 205 for cervical cancer and 132 for colorectal cancer. They also provided free follow-up services for 500 patients and detected eight cases of breast cancer.

“These are essential, potentially life-saving services that otherwise might be out of reach for residents in our region,” said Suzanne Hagadorn, program manager, CSP of Fulton, Montgomery and Schenectady counties. “With this critical funding, and the support of our local CSP partners, we are detecting cancers sooner, when treatment is more likely to be effective.”

CSP also includes outreach, education and case management services. Its Medicaid Treatment Program provides full Medicaid coverage for treatment costs for eligible uninsured individuals who are diagnosed with breast, cervical, colorectal or prostate cancer. (CSP does not pay for prostate cancer screening or diagnostic services.)

Free CSP screenings are available from St. Mary’s Healthcare, Nathan Littauer Hospital, Ellis Medicine, Bellevue Woman’s Center and other healthcare partners.

For more information, go to St. Mary’s Cancer Services Program, New York State Cancer Services Program (ny.gov) or call 518-841-3726.