AHI Presents Littauer’s Third Winner of The Rural Health Champion Award Posted on October 29, 2019October 29, 2019 by Dakota PikeNathan Littauer Hospital & Nursing Home staff member, Margaret “Maggie” Rowley, care coordination manager, was awarded the prestigious “Rural Health Champion of the Year Award” October 24. The award was presented by Executive Director of Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment (DSRIP) and the Fulton Population Health Network (FPN), Nancy Gildersleeve, and Littauer’s Vice President of Population Health and Executive Director of the Nathan Littauer Foundation, Geoff Peck.Executive Director of DSRIP at Adirondack Health Institute, Nancy Gildersleeve (left), Littauer’s Vice President of Population Health and Executive Director of the Nathan Littauer Foundation, Geoff Peck (right), present the Rural Health Champion Award to Care Coordination Manager of Littauer, Maggie Rowley (middle)“I am honored and humbled,” Maggie reflects. “The credit for the award not only goes to me, but to all Nathan Littauer staff. It is a collective effort.”To qualify for the Rural Health Champion of the Year Award, recipients must demonstrate a great amount of dedication and exceptional healthcare service to the community. Nathan Littauer Hospital & Nursing Home is proud to have distinguished three Rural Health Champions. Maggie has been an employee of Littauer for nearly three years.“Together as a hospital, we’ve really embraced the needs of the community,” Maggie continues. “My family and friends come to Littauer. It’s very personal, and we want the community to know that we’re here to help. We work very closely with other organizations and providers in the community and our joint efforts are paramount in making a better experience for the patient.”“Maggie has done an outstanding job by leading a team of discharge planners, community navigators, and others to reduce overutilization of the emergency room and hospital services by a challenged population,” says Dr. Frederick Goldberg, Chief Medical Officer of Littauer. “She is highly deserving of this award. These patients are among the most vulnerable that we serve. These patients struggle with navigating the healthcare system to manage their illnesses. Maggie leads by example by actively listening to the struggles and concerns of these patients with sincere empathy. Thanks to Maggie’s leadership and the efforts of her team; utilization of our emergency room by this population has been reduced by over 30 percent over the past two years.”“She has played a crucial role in community-based care navigation and direct patient intervention,” agrees Geoff Peck, Vice President of Population Health and Executive Director of Nathan Littauer’s Foundation. “We’re very proud to have her as part of our staff.”# # # About Nathan LittauerNathan Littauer Hospital and Nursing Home is a full-service, 74 bed acute care hospital with an 84 bed skilled nursing home. Since 1894, Nathan Littauer has provided safe, high-quality health and wellness services with a focus on securing appropriate new technologies for people residing in Upstate New York. Over the years, the hospital has expanded its services in order to offer health care that is comprehensive, accessible, and relevant to the needs of the communities they serve. More information can be found by visiting www.nlh.org.
Littauer joins with The Baby Box Co. bringing a safe sleeping environment to all NLH Birthing Center newborns Posted on February 23, 2017 by Dakota Pike2. The Baby Box Co. and Littauer collaborate to bring Baby Boxes to the Littauer community. Shown here is the first baby to receive the giftGLOVERSVILLE, NEW YORK (February 15, 2017) – Nathan Littauer Hospital and The Baby Box Co. announced the launch of the Universal Safe Sleep program at Nathan Littauer Hospital.“This program is a critical first step in reducing infant mortality,” stated Cheryl McGrattan, Vice President of Community Relations for the hospital. The new program is free to the new parents of the expected 340 newborns welcomed into the world at Nathan Littauer’s Birthing Center over the course of a year. Ms. McGrattan added, “According to our research, we are the first hospital in New York State to provide Baby Boxes to every family throughout the year.”This program is focused on reducing the infant mortality rate in the U.S. which hovered around 6.5 percent in 2015 which is worse than all EU countries, Japan, South Korea, Australia and even Cuba. The innovative new program combines the Baby Box University information platform for new parents along with the proven safety of the Baby Box. Empowering parents and families with essential information for them to properly care for newborns is the heart of this new initiative.Nathan Littauer’s Baby Box program is accessible to all expecting and new parents regardless of socioeconomic status. The Baby Boxes are available upon discharge from The Birthing Center.The use of Baby Boxes has been associated with helping Finland achieve one of the world’s lowest infant mortality rates. The Finnish initiative, which enables every expecting woman in the country to claim a free Baby Box once she receives prenatal care and parenting information from a healthcare professional, is credited with helping to decrease Finland’s infant mortality rate from 65 deaths for each 1,000 children born in 1938 to 2.26 deaths per 1,000 births in 2015.“What makes this program so unique is the focus on education” explained Maureen Mosher, RN, NLH Manager of Maternal Child Health, adding, “Every mother must watch a video syllabus in the prenatal stage to secure the box”. The multi-media parenting curricula called Baby Box University has video featuring local experts. The families will begin reviewing the syllabus in the prenatal stage. Upon completion, they are given a certificate which can be used to secure the free Baby Box.3. An example of the Baby Box contents new babies will receive after being born at Nathan Littauer’s Birthing CenterThe Adirondack Rural Health Network (ARHN), a program of Adirondack Health Institute, partially funded the Nathan Littauer Hospital’s Baby Box project, one of seven ARHN Prevention Agenda Projects, with support from the New York State Department of Health Charles D. Cook Office of Rural Health. “Providing families with a means to keep their newborn safe and secure is such a privilege,” said Margaret M. Vosburgh, CEO, Adirondack Health Institute. “We are grateful for the opportunity to support our partners at Nathan Littauer Hospital in this important work.”The Baby Boxes themselves, which are made from durable cardboard and come with a firm mattress, waterproof mattress cover and fitted cotton sheet, are traditionally used in Finland as a baby’s bed for up to the first eight months of life.Participants in the safe sleep program receive a Baby Box that contains the following items at Littauer:MattressWaterproof mattress protectorFitted sheetSafe sleep sackPampers baby wipesPampers Swaddlers diapersLansinoh breast pads and nipple creamVroom baby brain boosting activity cardsOnesieBoard bookThermometerInfant Mortality Rate Stats:Approximately 3,500 infants die annually in the United States from sleep-related deaths, including sudden unexpected infant death (SUID); ill-defined deaths; and accidental suffocation and strangulation.The number of infant deaths initially decreased in the 1990s after a national safe sleep campaign but has plateaued in recent years.The Baby Box Co. is Rooted from a Finnish Tradition:The use of Baby Boxes has been credited with helping Finland achieve one of the world’s lowest infant mortality rates. The initiative, which enables every expecting woman in the country to claim a free Baby Box once she receives prenatal care and parenting information from a healthcare professional, is credited with helping to decrease Finland’s infant mortality rate from 65 deaths for each 1,000 children born in 1938 to 3 deaths per 1,000 births in 2013, according to the World Health Organization.The success of the Finnish Baby Box intervention inspired the founders of The Baby Box Co. to adapt this tradition with enhanced multimedia parenting curricula through Baby Box University to the benefit of nonprofits, hospitals, government institutions and individual families worldwide.The Baby Box University program’s exponential growth has solidified the model as an impactful safe sleep and parenting education intervention for millennials.About The Baby Box Co.Entrepreneurs Michelle Vick and Jennifer Clary founded The Baby Box Co. to offer a safe sleep environment to babies everywhere. Through its Baby Box University platform, Baby Box Co. is an innovative, integrated program to support parents and improve maternal and infant healthcare outcomes globally. The Baby Box Co. partners with hospitals, government agencies and non-profit organizations to provide Baby Boxes, quality products, resources and ongoing education to families on a large scale. Baby Boxes are also available direct to consumer either as a standalone item or filled with new baby essentials. Serving families in 52 countries, The Baby Box Co. has offices in USA, UK, Canada, Australia and Singapore. For more information or to purchase a Baby Box, please visit www.babyboxco.com The Baby Box University education resource is at www.babyboxuniversity.comAbout Nathan Littauer Hospital & Nursing HomeNathan Littauer Hospital and Family of Health Services serves Fulton, Montgomery, and Hamilton counties in upstate New York with a full-service, 74-bed acute care hospital, nine primary care centers, a nursing home and a community education center. The hospital was founded in 1894 and has 1,000 employees. Littauer’s medical staff provides well over 100,000 patient encounters each year. For more information, please visit www.nlh.org.1. The Hart family with the first baby to receive a Baby Box from Littauer
2016 ARHN Rural Health Community Wellness Champion Margaret “Maggie” Luck of NLH Posted on November 17, 2016 by Dakota Pike2016 ARHN Rural Health Community Wellness Champion Margaret “Maggie” Luck! Maggie, at center. Littauer VP Communications, Cheryl McGrattan, left, Littauer CEO and President, Laurence Kelly, AHI Executive Director Community Assessment & Prevention, Nancy Gildersleeve, and Littauer Director of Community Education, Tammy MerendoIt’s National Rural Health Day and Littauer’s own Maggie Luck is recognized as a 2016 ARHN Rural Health Community Wellness Champion. This is what the Adirondack Health Institute has to say: AHI celebrates NATIONAL rural health day, announces 2016 rural health champions[Glens Falls, NY] – In recognition of National Rural Health Day, November 17, AHI – Adirondack Health Institute announces five 2016 Rural Health Champions. The annual Rural Health Champion recognition is a collaborative effort of the North Country’s seven Rural Health Networks, including the Adirondack Rural Health Network (ARHN), a program of AHI, supported with funds from the NYS Department of Health Charles D. Cook Office of Rural Health.2016 Rural Health Champions:Rural Health EMS Champion: Vicky Campbell, Salem Rescue Squad Captain (Washington County), nominated by Kathy Jo McIntyre, fellow member of the Southern Washington/Northeastern Rensselaer County Mobile Health Steering Committee. “Vicky’s dedication to her community and the surrounding communities to provide care, safety and programs in a rural setting is commendable,” wrote McIntyre.Rural Health Public Health Champion: Jessica Darney Buehler, Senior Health Educator, Essex County Public Health (Essex County), nominated by colleague, Linda Beers, and Josy Delaney, The University of Vermont Health Network – Alice Hyde Medical Center. “Jessica personifies ‘leadership’ and ‘collaboration’ and is dedicated to approaches that positively influence health behaviors and outcomes,” wrote Beers and Delaney.Rural Health Community Wellness Champion: Margaret “Maggie” Luck, Nathan Littauer Hospital & Nursing Home Lifeline Services (Fulton County), nominated by colleagues Cheryl McGrattan and Tammy Merendo. “The most amazing thing about Maggie is how kind and willing she is to help anyone. She sets an excellent example in her work ethic and loyalty to the community,” wrote McGrattan and Merendo.Rural Health Leadership Champion: Stephens Mundy, President & CEO, The University of Vermont Health Network – Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital (Clinton County), nominated by colleague Karen Ashline, Adirondacks ACO. “Through partnerships, Stephens has been instrumental in creating real, practical and meaningful health care programs for those who have traditionally been underserved, demonstrating that patient-centered care can be both high-quality and cost-efficient. He has made far-reaching contributions to rural health care in the Adirondack region,” wrote Ashline.Rural Health Behavioral Health Champion: Robert Ross, CEO, St. Joseph’s Addiction Treatment and Recovery Centers (Essex County), nominated by colleague Tina Buckley. “He (Robert) is a forward thinker who is constantly advocating for rural health care needs and looking to improve access to care for all those who live and work in our rural communities,” wrote Buckley.“From accessibility issues and health care provider shortages, to aging populations and a higher rate of uninsured and underinsured citizens, rural communities are facing more challenges than ever,” stated Courtney Shaler Smith, ARHN Manager. “Today we have an opportunity to both raise public awareness of rural health care and celebrate the unsung heroes in our region who are making a lasting contribution to the rural health care system.” According to Shaler Smith, nominees can be providers or non-providers who deliver or promote outstanding care and make significant personal and professional contributions to their community.“This region is extremely fortunate to have so many talented individuals dedicated to creating a more efficient and effective rural health care system that is easily accessible, affordable, and provides a better overall patient experience,” said Margaret Vosburgh, CEO, AHI. “Each of our five honorees has had a profoundly positive impact on improving the lives of people in their respective communities and we’re so pleased to recognize their contributions.”Created by the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health (NOSORH), National Rural Health Day showcases the work being done to address the unique health care needs of rural communities. For more information, please visit www.nosorh.org/nrhd.The Adirondack Rural Health Network (ARHN) is a multi-stakeholder, regional coalition that informs on planning assessment, provides education and training to further the NYS DOH Prevention Agenda, and offers other resources that support the development of the regional health care system. The ARHN includes members from New York’s Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Hamilton, Warren, and Washington counties. For more information, please visit www.ahihealth.org/arhn.AHI – Adirondack Health Institute is an independent 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization licensed under the New York State Public Health Law as an Article 28 Central Services Facility. Since 1987, AHI has supported hospitals, physician practices, behavioral health providers, community-based organizations and others in the region in sharing our vision and mission of transforming health care and improving population health. A joint venture of Adirondack Health, Glens Falls Hospital, Hudson Headwaters Health Network, St. Lawrence Health System, and the University of Vermont Health Network – Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital, AHI’s mission is to create transformative initiatives to improve access to health care services allowing the residents of the Adirondack region to realize their full potential and live a healthy life. For more information, please visit www.ahihealth.org.
