Category: Business

RCC launches new Associate of Science in Healthcare Science

Virtual Information Session to be Held August 16

ROCKLAND COUNTY (August 9, 2022) – RCC has launched a new program, an Associate of Science degree in Healthcare Science. This program offers a new option for students interested in a variety of healthcare fields and will be available starting in the fall 2022 semester. A virtual information session will be held on Tuesday, August 16 from 4 to 5 pm.

The program provides a strong foundation in both math and science as well as core courses that are necessary for a successful career in healthcare administration, community health, physical therapy, physician assistant, healthcare informatics specialist, emergency services management, nutrition/dietary management, health education specialist, radiology technology, surgical technology, and/or biotechnology. This track is also an option for RCC students who may not meet the requirements for the Nursing or OTA programs. Students who complete the program will be prepared to transfer so they can seamlessly pursue a bachelor’s degree in their chosen field.

“The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that generalized careers in healthcare will grow 16%   from 2020-2030, which will add 2.6 million new jobs in healthcare. Well trained, competent   healthcare professionals are in demand and must be prepared to enter today’s challenging  workforce with a strong understanding of the skills and knowledge needed to succeed. RCC’s new Healthcare Science degree affords students the opportunity to explore a variety of healthcare fields and gives students a strong foundation in academics to prepare them for the realities of this demanding industry,” says Dr. Kathy Hopkins, Dean of the School of Nursing, Health and Wellness.

To register for the session, visit  https://sunyrockland.edu/event/healthcare-science-virtual-information-session/

Dominican’s new Public Health Informatics program kicks off August 30th

(ROCKLAND COUNTY) August 8, 2022 – This fall, Dominican University is offering undergraduate students, healthcare and IT professionals the opportunity to join an emerging field linking healthcare and technology, a sector that is forecast to experience major growth and generate high-paying careers. The new program focuses on public health informatics which is the science of using data, information, and knowledge to improve human health and the delivery of services by solving complex healthcare issues.

The program is offered as an online certificate program for those already in the workforce with a bachelor’s degree. Undergraduate students can earn a concentration or minor and will take daytime classes in person while evening classes will be virtual. Classes begin August 30th. Those in the healthcare and IT fields with interest are encouraged to learn more through the scheduled Zoom sessions or by visiting https://try.dc.edu/phitforce/ . Financial support may be available through employers as well as through financial aid.

“Whether you’re seeking to enter the healthcare field, want to accelerate your healthcare or IT career, or are an employer in need of a workforce with upgraded skills, the Public Health Informatics and Technology (PHIT) program at Dominican can open the door to a wealth of opportunities,” stated Carrie Boericke, PHIT Program Director. She added, “The difference between Dominican’s program and other similar offerings is that ours is taught through the lens of public health, with its focus on epidemiology, social determinants of health and interoperabilty.”

The future of healthcare is being powered by data. The highly trained specialists who can connect people, technology, and information to improve healthcare outcomes and safety while streamlining costs will be in great demand. In fact, Health Informatics is in the top 10 highest-demand healthcare occupations and is growing 10 times faster than healthcare jobs overall. Salaries can range from about $69,000 to more than $132,000. Obtaining a degree or completing a certificate in this area could result in increased salary, faster advancement, and job security.

Private medical practices, hospitals, and larger healthcare systems are increasingly transitioning to all-electronic data collection and other digital tools, paving the way for a workforce that can manage all facets of data analytics from telehealth visits, virtual patient engagement, mobile apps, billing, and insurance reimbursements. Some of the jobs that will be in high demand include Nurse Informaticist, Public Health Informaticist, Data Analyst, Public Health Data Quality Analyst, and Clinical Informatics Specialist.

The PHIT courses will include a discussion of career options and case studies of how it can be used to address health disparities in communities. Students will then hone data and project skills in an emergency response role-play exercise, simulating a public health emergency.

All PHIT students will have a paid internship to cap off their studies, recognizing that employers are looking for real-world experience among job applicants. Those internship opportunities are being provided, in part, by a consortium of partners that are advising the program, including Bon Secours Charity Health System, CorEvitas, Cornerstone Family Healthcare, Mount Sinai Health System, EmpiRx Health, and the New York State Department of Health.

Registration is taking place now for Dominican University’s Public Health Informatics and Technology programs. Several Zoom sessions are being offered this month to provide more information and answer questions: 

●          August 11 (Thursday) 7pm

●          August 12 (Friday) noon

●          August 16 (Tuesday) noon

●          August 17 (Wednesday) noon

●          August 18 (Thursday) 7pm

●          August 23 (Tuesday) noon

●          August 24 (Wednesday) 6pm

●          August 25 (Thursday) noon

To register for the Zoom sessions, visit: https://tinyurl.com/phitforce

The PHIT program at Dominican College is funded through a $1.9 million PHIT Workforce Program grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC). Dominican College was one of only 10 higher education institutions nationwide to receive this funding. The grant aims to strengthen U.S. public health information technology efforts, improve COVID-19 data collection, and increase the diversity of the public health IT workforce. More information about the program can be found here: https://try.dc.edu/phitforce/

Four WMCHealth Hospitals recognized for stroke care excellence

Stroke team at Good Samaritan Hospital

American Heart Association/American Stroke Association Cite Westchester Medical Center, Good Samaritan Hospital, MidHudson Regional Hospital and HealthAlliance Hospital  


VALHALLA, NY (August 3, 2022) ― Four Westchester Medical Center Health Network (WMCHealth) hospitals have again been cited by national associations* for stroke care excellence.

Westchester Medical Center, Good Samaritan Hospital, MidHudson Regional Hospital and HealthAlliance Hospital have each earned the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get with the Guidelines® Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award for 2022. The award recognizes each hospital for its commitment to, and success in, ensuring stroke patients receive excellent care based on the latest evidence-based scientific guidelines. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association also appointed each of these hospitals to the Get with the Guidelines Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll.

Additionally, Westchester Medical Center and Good Samaritan Hospital attained Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite status from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. To qualify for this recognition, each hospital met quality measures developed to reduce the time between patient arrival at the hospital and treatment with tissue plasminogen activator, or r-tPA, a therapy for for treating ischemic strokes, which are caused by blood clots.

Learn Stroke Signs, Get the Needed Stroke Care
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, stroke is a leading cause of death in the United States with about 795,000 people in the United States suffering a stroke each year. WMCHealth encourages the public to learn more about stroke symptoms and to call 911 at once if someone shows signs of a possible stroke. Emergency medical services can be directed to take a stroke patient to the closest awarded WMCHealth hospital for expert care if transport is considered safe for the individual.

WMCHealth Hospitals Collaborate to Provide Timely and Effective Stroke Care
Westchester Medical Center is certified by New York State as a Comprehensive Stroke Center, a designation that represents the most advanced stroke treatment available in a given geographic area*. Also,Good Samaritan Hospital, MidHudson Regional Hospital and HealthAlliance Hospital are all designated by the New York State Department of Health as Primary Stroke Centers.

Recently, WMCHealth began offering a minimally invasive surgical procedure (thrombectomy) at MidHudson Regional Hospital for the safe, fast and effective removal of stroke-causing blood clots.

“Our WMCHealth stroke care teams work in concert for the administration of timely stroke care,” said Ji Chong, MD, a vascular neurologist and Director of Stroke at Westchester Medical Center. Under Dr. Chong’s guidance, the stroke program at Westchester Medical Center now has a stroke specialist caring for each patient 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

“We offer neuroendovascular and other neurointerventional services all day, every day along with around-the-clock neurocritical care, neurosurgery and vascular neurology. In addition, we have expanded our telemedicine services so now colleagues in hospitals both within and outside of the WMCHealth Network can contact us at any time for stroke care consultation,” added Dr. Chong. “A telemedicine consult can save critical minutes during diagnosis and treatment application. This time saving might mean the difference between a full recovery, a lifetime of disability or worse for the patient.”

Additionally, WMCHealth is a community resource for stroke education and prevention. WMCHealth has a long-term Academic Affiliation Agreement with New York Medical College, hosts professional, stroke-centric learning events for clinical specialists and is also active in the community with stroke education.


About Westchester Medical Center Health Network
The Westchester Medical Center Health Network (WMCHealth) is a 1,700-bed healthcare system headquartered in Valhalla, New York, with nine hospitals on eight campuses spanning 6,200 square miles of the Hudson Valley. WMCHealth employs more than 13,000 people and has nearly 3,000 attending physicians. The Network has Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 trauma centers, the region’s only acute care children’s hospital, an academic medical center, several community hospitals, dozens of specialized institutes and centers, Comprehensive and Primary Stroke Centers, skilled nursing, assisted living facilities, home-care services and one of the largest mental health systems in New York State. Today, WMCHealth is the pre-eminent provider of integrated health care in the Hudson Valley. For more information about WMCHealth, visit WMCHealth.org or follow WMCHealth on Facebook.com/WMCHealth or Instagram.com/WMCHealth.

Caring for Your Plants During a Heat Wave

(Pomona, New York) August 4, 2022 — Taking care of your garden and house plants during the dog days of summer can be stressful. Here are some tips and tricks on plant care during a heat wave.

For Outdoor Plants:

  • Water plants deeply, ideally first thing in the morning while temperatures are still low. Potted plants will probably want to be watered more than once a day during a heat wave. The next best time to water during hot weather is in the early evening. Generally speaking, established trees will need deep waterings 2-3 times a week or more during heat waves. Soaker hoses and drip irrigation work well for deep waterings as they ensure there is less water run-off.
  • Mulch! If you don’t already have a thick layer of mulch around your plants, apply some as soon as possible. Organic mulch helps keep soil temperatures lower, retains moisture, keeps weed pressure down, and improves soil health.
  • Move potted plants to a shaded area. Plants in black plastic pots are more susceptible to having their roots fried in those hot pots than plants in the ground. While the heat wave persists move these plants to a cool area if possible. Also, beware of potted plants close to a wall that might receive radiant and or reflective heat during the day.
  • Set up a shade cloth for young tender plants. Younger plants may not be able to handle the heat as well as more established plantings. Consider placing a temporary shade cloth over them during a heat wave.
  • Watch the leaves on your plants. Leaves wilt during extremely hot and sunny days as a defense mechanism. The wilting lowers the surface area exposed to the sun thus limiting transpiration and sunburn. However, if the plant does not perk up in the evening or after watering in the morning then it might be a sign of too much or too little watering.
  • Install an irrigation system. The best defense against extreme weather is having healthy established plants. Caring for them year-round with the right organic fertilizers, seasonal pruning, and good watering practices are the best way to ensure your plants make it through extreme weather.

Don’t forget your indoor plants!

Depending on how well your home is insulated and air-conditioned, a heat wave can affect indoor conditions, too. If you notice temps are climbing inside, your houseplants will drink water faster.

  • Consider turning on the humidifier. Just like humans, plants can dry out too when the air gets too hot. If your indoor plants are taking up water faster during the heat wave, it might be time to break out the humidifier to boost water vapor in the air.
  • Limit direct sunlight. If your plants are suited for direct sunlight, they should be okay unless it is an extreme heatwave in which case you want to remove them from direct sunlight and increase your watering.
  • Save re-potting for after the heat wave. If you need to transplant your plants—particularly your outdoor plants—hold off until temperatures return to normal. Between the extreme heat, lower water levels, and drier conditions, heat waves can stress your plants more than usual; re-potting can jeopardize their health.
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