Patient Praises CVPH Interventional Radiologist After Close Call

When Robert Noble arrived at CVPH in August, he was already in a fight for his life, undergoing chemotherapy to battle cancer. But at this particular moment in time, there was a pressing issue that, as it turned out, had nothing to do with the cancer. 3D reconstructed CT angiogram images show the 3 aneurysms Noble needed repaired. Initially, the concern was COVID-19. The 70-year-old, who had been stationed at the Plattsburgh Air Force Base many years ago, came to the hospital with a f [...]

This Holiday Season, I'm Thankful for You

An open letter to CVPH Employees: This Holiday season, we find ourselves at a time like no other in our lives. Our public health crisis is ramping up yet again, as COVID-19 cases surge in our county and throughout the Northern New York region, while at the same time our country has never been closer to bringing this pandemic to an end. The crisis continues to produce uncertainty and stress in our communities, while people of all ages and walks of life rise to the challenge [...]

COVID-19: Hitting Close to Home

What we do now determines if our hospitals will get overwhelmed

As COVID-19 cases surge in our region, many people are worrying about where they might contract the virus. In reality, you may only need to go as far as your own home. For most of us, our guard is up once we leave our home. We are on high alert, taking many precautions to reduce the risk of getting sick. Yet, the number of positive COVID-19 tests in Clinton, Essex and Franklin counties is rising at a troublesome rate. As of Thursday, December 17 in Clinton County alone, the seven-day rolli [...]

Turning the Tide Against COVID-19 During Thanksgiving

What we all need to think of before the holiday

COVID-19 is spreading faster and wider in our region than we have seen before. And, with Thanksgiving right around the corner, this opportunistic virus is ready to take a stronger grip on our community if we are not careful. Many of us are thinking about spending time with family and friends we have not seen in person for a long time due to the pandemic. Thanksgiving traditionally brings our loved ones together to watch football, catch up with each other and share a meal. It seems harmless [...]

Giant Stuffed Bear Surprise Brightens Patient's Stay

Gift highlights impact of Rabin Fund

Sometimes, it’s the little things that make a big difference for our patients. In this case, it was a cuddly companion that would lead to tears of joy for one woman being cared for at the hospital. The patient had been at CVPH for more than three months by the time September rolled around. With no family in the area and no pets to keep her company, staff on the floor noticed she seemed to be quite lonely. “We’ve all gotten very attached to her,” R5 Floor Director Ho [...]

A Bond is Born

Nurse Honored with DAISY Award for Care of Fellow RN

Caring for our patients and each other is the theme behind CVPH’s newest DAISY Award winner, Melissa Hamel, RNC-OB, C-EFM. Melissa was surprised with the award during a ceremony at the Alice T. Miner Women and Children’s Center at CVPH. As a nurse in the Women and Children’s Center, you never know what’s going to walk in the door. For Melissa on one day in April, it turned out to be a bond that she and her patient will never forget. One of the reasons behind that [...]

The Diabetes Guessing Game

Expanding Our Knowledge About Types and Treatments

Written by: Ashley Williams, PA in Endocrinology It sounds like a bad joke, “Three people walk into a clinic. One pulls out an insulin pump, the second a bottle of pills and the third a carrot. When the front desk staff asks what they are there for they all respond, 'Diabetes.'” This depicts the great variation in types of diabetes and treatments for the disease.  Treatment is not quite as simple as it used to be. Since the discovery of insulin in 1922, w [...]

New Ambulance Arrives on Scene

Your generosity is ensuring patients in our region are getting the top notch emergency care they need. This new ambulance rig just recently went into service in the Keeseville and Peru areas. Because of your support, The Foundation contributed $125,000 to help pay for it. “It’s great for us, but I think, more importantly, it’s great for those communities,” Director of Emergency Management Michael Cahoon said. “We benefit because we get state-of-the-art equipment [...]

Patient Touts Safety Undergoing Surgery at CVPH

It’s natural to get nervous about having to go through a major surgery. Getting the procedure done in the middle of a pandemic is sure to add to those nerves for many people. But, for Plattsburgh resident Richard Boulrice, COVID-19 was hardly a concern. “I could not have asked for a better situation than I had right here at CVPH,” Boulrice said just a couple weeks after undergoing a complicated gall bladder surgery at the hospital this summer. Richard Boulrice The [...]

Providing Care for Long Term Patients

Recognizing Advanced Practice Provider Week

In “The Nurse Practitioner in Long-Term Care: Guideline for Clinical Practice,” White & Truax (2007) address the growing trend of utilizing the nurse practitioner in the skilled nursing facility to manage patients as well as to serve as a practical resource for managing conditions commonly encountered within the geriatric patient population. Within the nursing home setting, the nurse practitioner performs the initial admission assessment for new long-term care admissions, sub- [...]