Nathan Littauer Gift Shop Reopens Posted on March 15, 2023April 17, 2023 by Dakota PikeNathan Littauer Auxiliary and Staff have Ribbon-cutting Ceremony after Completing RenovationsGLOVERSVILLE, NY – Nathan Littauer Hospital and Nursing Home is excited to announce the reopening of its gift shop to the public on March 14, 2023, after remaining closed for some time, due to planned renovations. The Nathan Littauer Auxiliary gift shop will once again offer a variety of unique gifts, snacks, and personal items to patients, their families, hospital staff, and members of its community – with even more variety and products to choose from than before. “The gift shop’s grand opening was widely anticipated by our Auxiliary, our employees, and our patients,” said Nathan Littauer President and CEO, Sean Fadale. “They say, ‘Good things come to those who wait.’ This could not be more true for our Auxiliary. Even though the recent snow storm impacted the opening, the gift shop still had robust sales.”The reopening of the Nathan Littauer Auxiliary gift shop is a significant milestone for Nathan Littauer. The gift shop has been a beloved fixture of the hospital for many years, providing patients and their families with a convenient and accessible way to purchase items they may need during their hospital stay. The gift shop has also served as a source of comfort and support for many patients and their families, offering a selection of thoughtful and inspiring gifts. “We’ve waited a while for its completion,” said Nathan Littauer Auxiliary President Evelyn McSpirit and Auxiliary Gift Shop Chairman Frances Mosconi. “It was so worth the wait. It’s spacious, beautiful, and we’re glad it’s open to patients, their family members, Nathan Littauer employees, and our community.”“We appreciate our volunteers’ hard work and patience in the reimagining of our retail shop,” says Nathan Littauer Vice President of Business Development and Executive Director of the Nathan Littauer Foundation, Geoffrey Peck. “Curating a small space can be challenging, but our team has truly done an outstanding job.” Now having undergone extensive renovations and upgrades to safety and aesthetics, the shop features a more spacious layout, new lighting fixtures, new displays, and a wider selection of items to choose from.Nathan Littauer’s Engineering Services Team completed most of the renovations alone, an impressive feat for the hospital’s small engineering team. While the engineering team was renovating the gift shop, they were also maintaining regular hospital and nursing home operations. “Our team worked tremendously hard on this project, and it turned out really well,” said Nathan Littauer Director of Engineering Services, Paul Mahaney. “It was a wonderful example of what great teamwork could accomplish. We thank everyone that played a part in its revitalization, and we hope everyone enjoys all that it has to offer.”In addition to offering a variety of products for patients, family members, and staff, the gift shop will also serve as a fundraising tool for the hospital. As a separate non-profit organization from the hospital, The Nathan Littauer Auxiliary and its members volunteer in the Nathan Littauer Gift Shop. The funds from purchases made in the gift shop then assist with the Auxiliary’s commitment to help Nathan Littauer Hospital and Nursing Home with purchasing necessary medical equipment for patients. “This is a huge investment for our hospital, Auxiliary, and for our community,” says Nathan Littauer Development Coordinator, Kelly Colby. “Our gift shop is more than just a cosmetic upgrade. At times, it is a beacon of hope and comfort. During a hospital stay, a small gift can make all the difference in a person’s care, and the gift shop plays an important role in those moments of compassion.”What’s more, The Nathan Littauer Auxiliary and Volunteers are excited to announce that they are currently accepting applications for new volunteers, including positions to volunteer in the newly renovated gift shop. “Our volunteers play a vital role in supporting patients and their families during their hospital stay, and we welcome anyone who wishes to join to fill out an application!” adds Colby. Individuals who are interested in volunteering at Nathan Littauer Hospital or Nursing Home are encouraged to apply online at https://www.nlh.org/about-nlh/auxiliaryvolunteers or contact the Volunteer Office at (518) 773-5505 for more information.“On behalf of our great organization, we are glad our gift shop is back open,” adds Fadale. “We invite the members of our community to stop by for a visit – you’ll be impressed with what you find!”###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.
Local teddy bears are feeling much better now Posted on August 14, 2019August 14, 2019 by Dakota PikeNathan Littauer staff volunteer to put children at ease.Nathan Littauer celebrated their Second Annual Teddy Bear Hospital August 4, 2019. The event had over 316 participants. Local children brought their action heroes, stuffed animals, and teddy bears to Nathan Littauer Hospital to be “treated” by clinical staff.“Teddy Bear Hospital is a home run for our community. It showcases our wonderful staff and our clinical excellence in a nonthreatening setting made for children. Not only does it help put children at ease, our team is able to share our love of medicine with our youngest neighbors,” said Dr. Purcell, Pediatrician and volunteer at Littauer’s Teddy Bear Hospital.Teddy bears approve of the treatment received at the event.The hospital would like to thank all of the volunteers who made the event possible. In all, 69 volunteers worked Sunday to ensure the event went smoothly. Littauer would also like to thank the Gloversville Fire Department, Fulton County Ambulance, LifeNet, and the Gloversville Police Department for their services. The agencies provided the children with an inside look of their department’s vehicles and equipment.This event is special to Nathan Littauer because it provides local children the opportunity to feel right at home with their community hospital. “It’s a wonderful benefit to the community. It’s close-by and children can get comfortable with our hospital and learn so much,” states Melissa Buanno, Admissions Coordinator for the Extended Care Facility, and a Teddy Bear Hospital volunteer.“It is important to get young children comfortable with all the staff here in the hospital. It was a great opportunity to be connected with our care providers. When the children do need these important services, they are already familiar with the staff and the medical processes,” said Verneta Collar, Care Coordination, Discharge Planner, and volunteer.The event had stations for children. These stations were designed specifically to help children understand emergency medicine and wellness. Cheryl McGrattan, Vice President of Marketing and Communications explains, “With a great amount of teamwork we showed local families and children our mission to provide the greatest comfort and highest level of care to our patients. And yes, we even provide quality care to teddy bears.”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.
Wellness Words December 2014 Posted on December 15, 2014 by Dakota PikeHealthLink Littauer’sWELLNESS WORDSSubmitted by Wendy Chirieleison, MS EdCommunity Health EducatorGive Of Yourself This Holiday SeasonTake a look around at all that you have. You might think that you have “nothing” or “not that much.” Stop and take a second look, and you will recognize all of the blessings that you do have, and how fortunate you really are. This is important to keep in mind, when often times the focus at this time of year is materialistic things and who is going to give the best gift. When you really think about it, the best gift that you can give someone is YOU! Your time or a random act of kindness just because.Just as in “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” – when the Grinch stole all of the gifts from everyone in Whoville, the Who’s still celebrated the holiday. “It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes, and bags.” The Who’s knew that the holiday meant something greater than the giving and receiving of material things, and they were happy to have each other. You can put this kind of spirit into your holiday as well, by giving of yourself this year.VOLUNTEER FOR A GOOD CAUSEThere are so many local organizations that would love to have some volunteers! Some organizations are run solely on volunteers, and they are usually looking for people with fresh ideas and special skill sets. Great volunteer opportunities may include, but are not limited to: soup kitchens, museums, theaters, libraries, recreation departments, hospitals, senior centers, animal shelters, community colleges, support groups, hiking trails or hiking organizations, after-school programs, or sports programs. Why not offer to donate a few hours each week or each month to one of your favorite organizations?According to research by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), not only will you feel satisfaction, accomplishment, and pride in your work, you will also be establishing connections with others in your community, helping to solve problems, improve lives, and strengthening your community. In addition, the CNCS has also discovered some health benefits of volunteering as well, such as living longer, lower rates of depression, and overall improved physical and mental health.PAY IT FORWARDDid you know that some local businesses accept monetary donations that they put towards goods and services for people in need who would otherwise go without? It is also a nice surprise when someone finds out that they do not have to pay their bill because someone ‘paid it forward.’ You never know how an act of kindness, big or small, can impact the lives of others.According to the Huffington Post, the parents of Alyssa Josephine O’Neil had no idea what kind of difference a simple random act of kindness could make. The Pennsylvania family had a daughter who struggled with epilepsy. One September evening, Alyssa asked her parents to take her to Starbucks for a pumpkin-spiced latte the next morning. Unfortunately she did not make that trip the next day as she succumbed to her illness. After her passing, her parents decided that since Alyssa could not enjoy her latte, they would buy 40 pumpkin-spiced lattes in her memory at Starbucks. They asked the baristas to give them away with the Alyssa’s initials AJO written on each cup.Starbucks staff were so moved, they bought another 50 lattes to give away. This small gesture was enough to get attention on the internet, and people all over the world began offering random acts of kindness for others at cafes, restaurants, salons, stores, etc., and posted pictures of bills and receipts with ‘AJO pay it forward’ written on them. Because of the overwhelming response from people, the O’Neil’s decided to start the AJO Forever Fund, which helps families pay for medical bills related to epilepsy and also serves as a scholarship fund for aspiring nurses. This movement has gained global recognition.How can you pay it forward? How about leaving coupons you aren’t going to use on community message boards, buy a bowl of soup for someone in need, donate food and clothing to a church or food pantry, offer to run errands for a neighbor, when shopping leave some money with the cashier to help pay for the goods and services of the person next in line.A CALL TO ACTIONPracticing volunteerism or paying it forward can help improve your physical and mental health, and can make the season less stressful and a bit more cheerful, no matter what holiday you and your family observe. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Kwanza, Hanukkah, etc., instead of buying and sending presents this year, be present, send your love, wrap someone in a hug, give the gift of your time, and surprise someone with a random act of kindness. You will be happy that you did!Also, remember that when the Grinch thought he had stolen Christmas, he expected the Who’s to be sad but he was shocked when he heard that, “every Who down in Whoville, the tall and the small, were singing without any presents at all!” The Grinch was confused but then “he thought of something he hadn’t before. What if Christmas does not come from a store? What if Christmas…perhaps…means a little bit more.”For more information, contact HealthLink Littauer at 736-1120. You can e-mail us at healthlink@nlh.org, see our website at nlh.org, or visit our wellness center at 213 Harrison Street Ext. in Johnstown, Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. We’re your community health & wellness service of Nathan Littauer Hospital and Nursing Home.
Littauer’s Susan McNeil Serves as Statewide President to Professional Association Posted on September 25, 2012September 26, 2012 by Dakota PikeNew organization formed under her leadershipSusan McNeil lead statewide organzationGloversville, NY …Nathan Littauer’s Director of Volunteer Services, Susan McNeil recently finished serving a two-year term as President of the New York State Volunteer Services Administrators, Inc. The statewide organization’s mission is to promote and contribute to the principles and practices of sound administration of volunteer services in health care organizations, and to foster the professional development of its members. Susan McNeil’s term started in 2010 and ended recently when she handed the reigns over to Julie Chrysler. In her farewell address Susan noted, “You are a great group of men and women that I have had the pleasure of working quite closely with these past two years.”Under Sue’s tenure the organization changed their association name, secured their non-for-profit status, improved their financial status and bottom line by 900% , developed a new website and launched new social media platform. Colleagues throughout the state have been very complimentary and appreciative of her leadership. Amy L. McAden, Director of Volunteer Services at Kingston Hospital, also a NYSVSA member explained, “In addition to her daily tasks of overseeing Volunteer Services, Sue McNeil promotes positive visibility and good will towards the hospital. She has set high standards by taking on additional leadership roles in advancing the practice of healthcare volunteer management. She is responsible for the advancement of our profession through management initiates and creative leadership innovations.” XXX
