Community Archives - Page 9 of 10

Hauptman-Woodward to Open Doors for Science & Art Cabaret

January 24, 2013 by BNMCin Community, Event, Member Institution(s), News11 Comments

The Hauptman-Woodward Medical Research Institute (HWI) will open its doors to the public on Jan. 30 for “Modularity,” the latest event in Buffalo’s Science & Art Cabaret series.
Each cabaret centers around a common theme, featuring short talks by scientists and artists on how that theme relates to their work. The next topic of conversation will be modularity, which refers to the way ideas and objects, from molecules to artwork with repeating patterns, can be broken down into standardized units.

“Modularity” will begin at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 30 at HWI at 700 Ellicott St., Buffalo. The event is free and open to the public.

The lineup:

A talk by University at Buffalo Professor of Physics Surajit Sen on sociophysics: modeling battles, terrorism and chimpanzee social behavior with simple rule-based dynamics, which rely in part on the methods of physics to describe dynamical problems beyond the traditional bounds of physics.
A presentation by HWI researcher Vivian Cody, a UB professor of structural biology, on the artful structural models of protein/enzymes and their functions.
A video interview with Western New York artist Katherine Sehr, whose work is notable for its intense modularity. As described in Artvoice in 2007, “Sehr’s drawings don’t look like drawings at all, but rather like prints of simple, paired squares of muted colors. Upon closer inspection, however, they reveal themselves to be something entirely different — large, frenetic, scribbled testaments to compulsive, repetitive motion.”
Bill Louden, who will present, “Piece for String Quartet and Chladni Pattern Generator.”

The event will give the public a chance to step inside HWI’s state-of-the-art research building, which opened in 2005. The sleek, modern facility features an innovative floor plan that supports HWI’s collaborative and open culture.

The Science & Art Cabaret series is organized by the UB College of Arts and Sciences, Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center and Buffalo Museum of Science.

“Modularity” is the 13th cabaret held since 2009, and the third of the 2012-13 season. For information on the Science & Art Cabaret and past events, visit http://www.buffalo.edu/news/13376 and http://www.hallwalls.org/science-art.php.

Charlotte Hsu (UB); chsu22@buffalo.edu; 716-645-4655, 510-388-1831

Pharmacy Opens in Innovation Center on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus

January 10, 2013 by BNMCin Allentown, Campus-wide, Community, Fruit Belt, Innovation Center, News6 Comments

For Immediate Release
Thursday, January 10, 2013

For more information:
Contact Kari Bonaro
kbonaro@bnmc-old.local, 716-218-7157

Pharmacy Opens in Innovation Center on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus

Mobile Pharmacy Solutions (Formerly VascuScript) Offers Prescription Delivery Services, In-Home Visits, and More in New Location

(BUFFALO, NY) – The Thomas R. Beecher, Jr. Innovation Center is pleased to welcome Mobile Pharmacy Solutions (MPS), a full service, brick and mortar pharmacy, locally owned and operated, as one of its newest tenants. MPS is located on the first floor of the building in 2,495 sq ft of brand new, state-of-the art space. Its hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

While also functioning as a community drug store, MPS implements home-based services for patients including in-home pharmacist consultations, free delivery and/or mailing of prescription and over-the-counter medications, advanced courtesy refills, medication therapy management, immunizations, and specialty compounded medications. When the pharmacy is physically closed, patients still have access to an on-call pharmacist through an automated system 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. MPS employs 17 team members, including six pharmacists.

“We are thrilled to be a part of the Medical Campus community, and look forward to helping to meet the needs of the nearby Fruit Belt and Allentown community residents, as well as patients and employees on the Medical Campus and in the central business district,” said Dean P. Trzewieczynski, RPh., Chief Operating Officer of Mobile Pharmacy Solutions. “Working closely with our affiliates, we are able to offer unique services to our customers, beyond traditional retail pharmacies. The success of this model can be attributed to the ability of the care team to interface with other health care providers such as nurse practitioners, physicians, surgeons, physician assistants, therapists, etc. to provide a higher level of patient care.”

Formerly known as VascuScript while operating in Cheektowaga, Mobile Pharmacy Solutions is affiliated with Mobile HealthCare Connections, a collaboration of service providers delivering a wide range of innovative medical care, remote vital signs telemonitoring, in-home primary care and streamlined pharmacy services –all delivered directly to the patient’s home. The triage and clinical monitoring centers are staffed with fully trained nurses who analyze and evaluate remotely monitored patients. They provide coaching, patient support and notifications to primary caregivers in cases of readings outside established parameters.

About the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus

The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus (BNMC) is dedicated to the cultivation of a world-class medical campus for clinical care, research, education, and entrepreneurship on 120 acres in downtown Buffalo. It is home to the region’s top clinical, research, and medical education institutions, including: the University at Buffalo, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Olmsted Center for Sight, Kaleida Health, Hauptman-Woodward Medical Research Institute, Buffalo Medical Group, Buffalo Hearing & Speech Center, Unyts, and the Center for Hospice and Palliative Care. There are over 40 public and private companies on the BNMC. More than 12,000 people come to work at the Medical Campus every day, and BNMC institutions see over one million patients and visitors annually. The Campus has an annual economic impact of $1.5 billion on the region. The Medical Campus consists of more than 6 million square feet of research, clinical, and support space. bnmc-old.local

About the Thomas R. Beecher Innovation Center

The Thomas R. Beecher, Jr. Innovation Center, located at 640 Ellicott Street in downtown Buffalo, is a LEED-certified research and development space housing life sciences and biotech companies, as well as companies offering support services like IP attorneys, talent acquisition, sales, and marketing. This state-of-the art facility is designed to accommodate small to medium companies seeking office, wet lab and/or research space, on a month-to-month basis or via longer term leases, located in the heart of the thriving Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus. There are currently 40 companies located in the building.

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New Year, Better You – Healthy Living Opportunities on the BNMC

January 3, 2013 by BNMCin Campus-wide, Community, Healthy Communities, Wellness18 Comments

Creating a healthier community is an important tenant of the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus institutions. On the BNMC, there are many ways to promote healthy and active lifestyles. In 2013, we are once again encouraging overall wellness through our Lunch ‘n Learns series. These indoor wellness sessions are designed to inform and inspire employees to lead a healthier life.
Join wellness experts and fellow BNMC employees this spring to support living a healthier lifestyle at our Lunch ‘n Learns, every 3rd Wednesday from 12 noon – 1 p.m., January 16 until May 15.

New Center of Excellence Tenant's Research to Help Treat Muscular Dystrophy

December 20, 2012 by BNMCin Community, Homepage, Life Sciences Companies, Member Institution(s), News, Research15 Comments

Inspired by his grandson, JB’s Duchenne muscular dystrophy diagnosis, Jeff Harvey, Tonus Therapeutics co-founder and chief financial officer, along with Frederick Sachs, University at Buffalo (UB) Distinguished Professor, Thomas Suchyna, Research Assistant Professor, and Philip Gottlieb, Research Associate Professor, all from UB’s Department of Physiology and Biophysics, partnered to develop a therapy for muscular dystrophy. Establishing Tonus Therapeutics in 2009, the group began to work together based off of initial research Sachs and his team first came across nearly 10 years ago, studying the effect of venoms on mechanosensitive ion channels.
As one of several forms of muscular dystrophy, Duchenne is the most lethal, rapidly getting worse over time causing respiratory problems in addition to severe and increased limb-muscle weakness. The absence of the dystrophin protein is due to a defective gene commonly found in males. Dystrophin helps muscle cells maintain their shape structure. Without that protein, cell membranes tear apart more easily and cause the muscle to contract abnormally. According to Sachs, when this hwp-contentens, the body “starts digesting muscle from the inside out.”

A UB spin-off company, having made the New York State Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics & Life Sciences (CoE) its home headquarters, Tonus Therapeutics will continue its quest to develop drugs that help distribute and control the transfer of mineral substances like calcium to cells through the tiny conduits known as mechanosensitive ion channels. These channels, which Sachs co-discovered in 1983, connect the inside of a cell with its outside. Normally, in healthy cells the channels are closed, but when a cell is stretched or contorted, the channels open and let calcium and other substances into the cell.

Using GsMTx4, a peptide that scientists at UB discovered in the venom of the Chilean rose tarantula, Tonus Therapeutics will use the FDA “orphan drug” designation to move forward with the development of a therapy for muscular dystrophy. The designation of GsMTx4 comes with recognition from the government agency that the peptide is a promising method of treatment for a rare disease like muscular dystrophy. Research shows that GsMTx4 is capable of staying in the body for a long time without breaking down. This means it could be possible to deliver low doses infrequently, reducing costs for patients. The company has gathered preliminary data showing that GsMTx4 is nontoxic in mice and did not disturb heart function in mice or ferrets or isolated human heart muscle.

In November, Tonus Therapeutics licensed UB patents relating to GsMTx4 through UB’s Office of Science, Technology Transfer and Economic Outreach (UB STOR).

Harvey stated that “Being located in a hub of research activity in Buffalo, close to other entrepreneurs and biotech startups, is important to [Tonus Therapeutics].” He also stated that “The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus is extremely important to us because it provides ready contact with experienced entrepreneurs and potential clinical and commercial partners, including those within the [CoE].”

The CoE, a part of the 400,000 sq. ft. Buffalo Life Sciences Complex, houses more than 100 scientists with biological, physical and computational expertise. The CoE’s efforts aims to leverage its research resources, helping to create new technological advantages for health care and life sciences industry sectors, partnering with and supporting biomedical, research and development companies like Tonus Therapeutics. Marnie LaVigne, UB associate vice president for economic development stated that “Tonus benefits from the technological and business resources available here, and their continued growth will be an asset to Western New York’s economy.”

Prior to their move into the CoE, the Tonus team benefited from other UB resources and partnerships. Harvey is a graduate of the UB School of Management’s High-Tech Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership program, and Tonus received funding through the UB Center for Advanced Biomedical and Bioengineering Technology (UB CAT). The Children’s Guild Foundation and the John R. Oishei Foundation have provided additional funding.

Learn more about Tonus Therapeutics below:

Roswell Park Recognizes Staff, Community Supporters at 5th Annual Eva M. Noles Progra

December 13, 2012 by BNMCin Community, Event, Member Institution(s), News20 Comments

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEDecember 12, 2012
Contact: Annie Deck-Miller, Senior Media Relations Manager
716-845-8593; annie.deck-miller@roswellpark.org

Roswell Park Recognizes Staff, Community Supporters at 5th Annual Eva M. Noles Program
Scholarship awarded to RPCI employee in tribute to Buffalo’s first African-American nurse

BUFFALO, NY — DeMarco Ogletree, a cashier in the Nutrition & Food Service Department at Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI), earned the $2,000 Eva M. Noles Scholarship Friday, December 7 at the fifth annual Eva M. Noles Scholarship and Community Recognition Breakfast at RPCI. The annual program honors the legacy of Eva M. Noles, RN, Buffalo’s first African-American registered nurse and a longtime RPCI employee who served in many leadership roles at the Institute, including as Director of Nursing.

Ogletree joined the Roswell Park staff in the spring of 2012. He is presently pursuing degrees in both nursing and theology at Erie Community College and plans to continue his work in healthcare, helping to fight health disparities in the Buffalo area. “From his first days with us, DeMarco has committed himself wholeheartedly to the Roswell Park mission,” said David Scott, RPCI Director of Diversity and Inclusion. “He has contributed greatly as an employee, and now we have a great opportunity to reward that commitment — which embodies the work, spirit and legacy of Ms. Noles — and help him achieve his career goals by providing a scholarship toward his studies.”

Darius G. Pridgen, Pastor of True Bethel Baptist Church in Buffalo and Ellicott District Councilmember for the City of Buffalo, gave the keynote address at the program, during which several RPCI staff members and volunteers were recognized for their role in providing cancer education and preventive outreach to underserved communities throughout Western New York. Among those recognized were Georganne Alexander, a volunteer with the Buffalo/Niagara Witness Project; Ramon Luciano Jr., a volunteer with Minorities Allied for the Need to Understand Prostate Cancer (MAN UP); Carmen Sepulvedad, a volunteer with the Esperanza y Vida Project; and Gloria Quarles, a volunteer who serves on Roswell Park’s Community Advisory Steering Committee.

Staff and volunteers were also recognized for their contributions to Cruisin’ for a Cure, a prostate cancer education and screening event held at RPCI in September, and to the African American Roswell Employee Network, whose activities include year-round community outreach on behalf of RPCI.

The mission of Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI) is to understand, prevent and cure cancer. RPCI, founded in 1898, was one of the first cancer centers in the country to be named a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center and remains the only facility with this designation in Upstate New York. The Institute is a member of the prestigious National Comprehensive Cancer Network, an alliance of the nation’s leading cancer centers; maintains affiliate sites; and is a partner in national and international collaborative programs. For more information, visit RPCI’s website at http://www.roswellpark.org, call 1-877-ASK-RPCI (1-877-275-7724) or email askrpci@roswellpark.org.

Pharmacy Opens on the BNMC, Serves Entire Community

December 13, 2012 by BNMCin Campus-wide, Community, Innovation Center, Wellness5 Comments

Mobile Pharmacy Solutions (MPS), located in the Innovation Center at 644 Ellicott Street, is a convenient pharmacy option on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus for the entire community. The locally owned and operated pharmacy opened its doors the first week of December. True to its name, MPS operates using a distinct pharmacy care model offering over-the-counter prescription and free delivery services for Western New Yorkers right where they are. Customers can also receive prescriptions by mail. The full-service pharmacy functions as a normal drugstore and in addition to its mobile services, MPS also provides immunizations and medical therapy management. Order by phone, online, or in-person.
The pharmacy hours are Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 7 p.m., and Saturday, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. Prescriptions can be ordered by phone, online, or in-person. To speak with an MPS representative, call 716.247.5300.

MPS is dedicated to helping its customers receive the best pharmaceutical care that can be administered. Complimentary compounded medications (medications tailored to each patient’s treatment needs) are created in-house and its staff of pharmacists provide scheduled in-home and virtual consultations.

Clinics for influenza vaccinations and outpatient wellness will be conducted frequently and there are certified diabetic educators on staff. When the pharmacy is closed, patients have access to an on-call pharmacist 24/7 through an automated phone system.

Through the Courtesy Care program, refills are automatically filled using a pharmacy dispensing system. When your prescription is due, you don’t even have to worry about keeping up with expiring medication dates.

Other services include:

Adherence Services
Collaborative Consultative Services
Patient Management and Outcomes Programs
Diabetes Education and Management Program, CDE
Mobile Healthcare Connections Collaborator
Ancillary Services

Helping patients save time and the hassle of having to pick-up a prescription, MPS provides same- and next-day prescription delivery to your home or workplace. The convenient delivery service gives each individual the opportunity to focus on life’s daily to-dos as they rest assured that the pharmaceutical treatments recommended are en route.

New to MPS? Begin receiving your prescription services today and receive free glucose monitoring as a new patient. MPS accepts all Medicare part D plans and most commercial insurance plans as well. MPS has a total of 17 employees, including 6 pharmacists.

Visit www.mpswny.com to learn more.

GO Bike Buffalo Receives National $50,000 Grant from Play Streets®

November 15, 2012 by BNMCin Community, Environment, Healthy Communities, Homepage, News, Wellness21 Comments

GO Bike Buffalo has announced that they have received a $50,000 grant from Play Streets®, an initiative created to help prevent and combat childhood obesity by the Partnership for a Healthier America and the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.
As 1 out of 10 cities chosen to receive the award, Buffalo will continue on its journey to create a city where alternative modes of transportation, healthy communities, and the education of the future generations are a top priority.

In addition to GO Bike Buffalo, collaborators include BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York, the City of Buffalo and the Common Council. The award will help to make the City of Buffalo a place where children can play in the streets safely as they are provided with more options the stay active and healthy.

The President and CEO of BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York, Alphonso O’Neil-White, stated that “BlueCross BlueShield sees Play Streets® as a transformative program that will improve the health of our region and inspire people to make healthy choices.”

For one year, Buffalo, including the other 9-city award recipients (Minneapolis, MN, Savannah, GA, Durham, NC, New Orleans, LA, Omaha, NE, York, PA, San Francisco, CA, Chicago, IL, and Caguas, PR) will host Play Streets® events that will result in closing designated streets to traffic making the play-friendly road open to the community. In addition to the funds, each awardee will receive technical assistance, and communications and marketing support from the Partnership for a Healthier America, Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, and local Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies to help promote the events that will take place in each community.

GO Bike Buffalo’s efforts to create healthy, environmentally sustainable, community-friendly transportation options in the City of Buffalo have not gone unnoticed. The non-profit organization’s dedication to local initiatives like the Complete Streets, GO Buffalo, Buffalo Green Code, Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities, and more has made a substantial impact in the community.

Justin Booth, Executive Director of GO Bike Buffalo stated that “GO Bike Buffalo is proud to introduce Play Streets® to the City of Buffalo in partnership with the Health Kids, Healthy Communities initiative to create safe, accessible and healthier communities by opening our streets so individuals and families can come together to participate in fun, healthy activities.”

A major contributor of childhood obesity is inactivity. It is recommended that children take part in physical activities for at least 1 hour per day. According to the Project HOPE. Child Obesity Policy Brief: The Pervasive Effects Of Environments On Childhood Obesity, 1 out of every 5 children (15 million) in America do not have access to a playground. In that same policy brief, more than a third of the children in this country are said to have no access to recreation centers in their immediate communities. Play Streets® is an effective solution that offers a high-impact way to encourage more physical activity in neighborhoods that often lack open space.

The grant will help to promote walking and cycling this summer and will hopefully pave the way for continued and more frequent Play Streets® support in the future.

Visit gobikebuffa.org to stay up-to-date on the progress and events that emerge from the award.

November = Lung Cancer Awareness Month

November 6, 2012 by BNMCin Campus-wide, Community, Environment, Homepage, Member Institution(s), News, Wellness15 Comments

It is natural to think of family, food and the things one is most thankful for when November rolls around. Raising awareness for lung cancer during the month of November is important to think about as well. While only 1 out of every 10 smokers will get lung cancer, it is still the number 1 cancer killer of men and women in the country, killing nearly 150,000 people per year. It is the second-most diagnosed cancer in men and women as well.
Its cause: smoke inhalation. Smoking tobacco or any kind of drug is the highest risk factor for lung cancer. Secondhand smoke causes nearly 50,000 deaths of nonsmokers every year according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Lung cancer has increasingly become a disease that is not just associated with smokers. Other risk factors include exposure to radon, asbestos, polluted air, and an existing lung disease.

According to Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI) Associate Professor of Oncology and Director of Collaborative Research in the Department of Medicine, Mary Reid, PhD, between 60% and 70% of patients with lung cancer are diagnosed too late, making surgery a non-option. As efforts increase to create more early screening options, the probability of prolonging life increases dramatically.

RPCI Lung Cancer Screening

Through its High-Risk Lung Cancer Program, RPCI offers lung cancer screening for those who meet the criteria below:

Previously treated lung, oral, throat and/or esophageal cancer
Smoking more than a pack of cigarettes a day for at least 20 years or the equivalent
Chronic lung disease, such as emphysema, chronic bronchitis or chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD)
Occupational-related asbestos disease
A family history of lung cancer in a first-degree relative
History of substantial secondhand smoke exposure

Tests used to detect lung cancer in its early stages are Bronchoscopy and Low-Dose Chest CT Scan (LDCT).

RPCI Lung Cancer Treatment

The Thoracic Lung Cancer Center at RPCI offers specialized comprehensive care for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer. Lung cancer patients treated at the Thoracic Center receive the the latest and most efficient treatment and surgical procedures, including Video Assisted Thoracic Surgery (VATS). VATS is a minimally invasive surgery that enables the surgeon to remove tumors in openings no bigger than 1-inch in diameter using a small video camera.

Cessation Programs

The New York State Smokers’ Quitline is free and confidential. Services include telephone counseling, a starter kit of free nicotine replacement, medications for eligible smokers, access and referrals to local smoking cessation programs and more.

RPCI offers a smoking cessation program, Just Breathe, helping smokers to quit using customized plans, in addition to providing behavioral counseling, and pharmacotherapy.

Learn more about lung cancer on RPCI’s website.

RPCI’s Mary Reid, PhD

BNMC Partners and Fruit Belt Residents Embark on Leadership Empowerment Program

October 29, 2012 by BNMCin Community, Fruit Belt, Healthy Communities, Member Institution(s), News, Outreach14 Comments

Members of the Fruit Belt neighborhood will begin leadership training that will ignite change within their community. These leaders will participate in an eight week course in which they will identify and create change in pursuit of increasing their quality of life. Led by a coalition of BNMC Partners, such as the University at Buffalo (UB), with other BNMC member institutions; Roswell Park Cancer Institute and Kaleida Health, the training provided by the UB School of Management and Leadership Buffalo will teach the group how to identify the most prevalent issues, build a plan to address each issue, and measure their success.
A kick-off event for the training will occur Wednesday, November 7th (rescheduled from Tuesday, October 30th) starting at 5:00 p.m. at Roswell Park Cancer Institute’s Gaylord Cary Meeting Room in the Research Studies Center on Carlton Street. Group participants will convene with Council member Darius Pridgen to meet the mentors, the leadership trainer, institution representatives and become acquainted with one another as they prepare to embark on the four-month long journey to impact their community.

The expert training will also prepare the group with strategies on how to take advantage of collaboration opportunities with BNMC member institutions. The group will work collaboratively with churches, businesses, and other organizations interested in building partnerships that address the social, cultural, and economic issues they wish to improve.

Following the training, the group will develop a project that will be implemented to have a positive effect on the neighborhood.

The BNMC and its partners are committed to serving as a catalyst for groups in the neighboring communities that want to identify and change issues facing their community. To learn more about the training and how to participate, contact Ekua Mends-Aidoo at 716.218.7806 for more information.

Training Schedule:

Class 1: Wednesday, Nov. 7th 5-7 p.m.

Class 2: Saturday, Nov. 17th 1:30-3:30 p.m.

Class 3: Thursday, Dec. 6th 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Class 4: Monday, Dec. 17th 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Class 5: Wednesday, Jan. 9th 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Class 6: Wednesday, Jan 23rd 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Class 7: Wednesday, Feb 6th 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Class 8: Wednesday, Feb 20th 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Thereafter, project implementation.

State-of-the-Art Bike Storage Shelter – Coming Soon!

October 29, 2012 by BNMCin Biking, Campus-wide, Community, Environment, Transportation16 Comments

In an effort to continue to encourage employees to bike to work, the BNMC has partnered with GO Bike Buffalo on the construction and management of a state-of-the-art bike storage facility located on the corner of Ellicott and North Oak Streets. The facility will be completed by the end of the year and will open in Spring 2013.
Approximately 20 bicycle commuters will soon be able to securely access and lock their bikes inside the new facility without having to worry about theft, vandalism or inclement weather. Other amenities and maintenance items will also be made available. The creation of bicycle commuter storage facilities is a natural extension of our goal to promote the use of alternative transportation modes for a more active, sustainable and healthy BNMC.

Commuting by bike presents a fun way to exercise, improve your mental health and reduce stress. It also saves money! As a GO BNMC member, cyclists get rewarded for biking to work. Members receive a free GO Bike Buffalo membership, the opportunity to enter raffles and win prizes, and can participate in the Bicycle Commuter Tax Program. Help create a sustainable environment by reducing gas emissions as you choose to bike to work rather than drive.

Funding for the facility was made available by the Federal Transit Administration. Visit www.gobnmc-old.local to learn more to become a member of GO BNMC today. To sign-up to gain access to the storage shelter, contact us by e-mail at gobnmc@bnmc-old.local or by phone at 716.566.2316. Access will be given to cyclists on a first-come, first-serve basis.

'Know Your Stats' Promotes Prostate Cancer Screening for 2nd Year

October 15, 2012 by BNMCin Community, Event, Member Institution(s), WellnessLeave a Comment

Roswell Park, Buffalo Bills Team up on ‘Know Your Stats’ Awareness Campaign for Second YearAmerica’s first cancer center, Bills partner to host prostate cancer screening clinic at Ralph Wilson Stadium

One in six men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer, but with early detection, about 90 percent of these cancers will be cured. Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI) and the Buffalo Bills are encouraging men over 50, or those 40 and over with risk factors such as a family history of the disease, to get informed about prostate cancer and talk with their doctor about whether early detection is right for them.

For the second consecutive year, RPCI and the Bills are hosting the Prostate Cancer Early Diagnosis Outreach Clinic, a free prostate cancer education and screening event, in connection with the American Urological Association Foundation’s Know Your Stats about Prostate Cancer® campaign. RPCI doctors will be performing free screenings that will include prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood tests and digital rectal exams (DRE) for eligible men at the event on Tuesday, October 23rd from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Ralph Wilson Stadium located at 1 Bills Drive in Orchard Park.

Special wp-contentearances will be made throughout the event by the Buffalo Jills, Buffalo Bills alumni and Buffalo Bills Wide Receiver David Nelson. Tours of Ralph Wilson Stadium will be offered for attendees, who will also be eligible to win raffle prizes.

Men planning to attend the clinic should call 1-877-ASK-RPCI (1-877-275-7724) or complete the online registration form at http://www.roswellpark.org/knowyourstats. From that site, visitors can also access ads featuring Bills wide receiver David Nelson, whose father is a prostate cancer survivor.

Light-A-Life 2012 Gives the Gift of Remembrance

October 11, 2012 by BNMCin Campus-wide, Community, Fundraiser, Member Institution(s)Leave a Comment

A great way for families to memorialize a loved one that they have lost.

Every year, the holiday season presents an opportunity to give gifts to our loved ones and to those we may not even know. While the holiday season ignites feelings of charity, love, food, and family, nostalgia often arises when it is time to make new memories in the midst of remembering those of old.

The Hospice Foundation of Western New York gives individuals and families the opportunity to memorialize loved ones during the holiday season. In its 24th year, the annual Light-A-Life fundraiser serves to honor lost loved ones and to assist with the care of patients within Hospice Buffalo. Helping to keep memories alive and provide the best care for individuals with serious end-of-life illnesses, the Hospice Foundation is shooting for a $120,000 goal this year. With the overwhelming support of family and friends last year, gifts in 2011 reached $117,000. By remembering your loved one, you can help the Hospice Foundation reach this year’s goal to support patients in hospice care.

The Light-A-Life commemorative bells will be given to supporters who give a gift of $55. The porcelain bells are the 18th in a collectible series that can be remembered for future generations. The hand-painted bells by Buffalo ceramic artist Becky Plummer of Barking Spider Pottery will have your loved one’s name inscribed in the inside by a dedicated Hospice volunteer. The traditional Light-A-Life Memorial Tree lighting event will take place on Saturday, December 1st. The trees will be adorned with red, silver, gold and green bows and tags with loved ones’ names on them. The event is free and open to the public.

Additional gift levels include:

Did you know that Hospice Buffalo is the only licensed hospice program in Erie County? Hospice Buffalo places an emphasis on offering the best quality of life services to patients enduring end-of-life illnesses. Patients are guaranteed to receive holistic care that not only caters to physical needs, but to the social, psychological, emotional and spiritual needs of the patient as well. With the help of its team of doctors, nurses, social workers, spiritual advisors, and volunteers, Hospice Buffalo serves the patient and their family members, helping each to live their best lives.

To give the gift of life and honor your loved one, please visit www.community.hospicebuffalo.com/lal2012-support

On-the-Spot Mammograms and Breast Cancer Education at Patient Voices Network Event

October 8, 2012 by BNMCin Campus-wide, Community, Event, Health care, Healthy Communities, Outreach, WellnessLeave a Comment

Free wellness event and walk are sponsored by Patient Voices Network, a network of patient action teams, established by UB Family Medicine and Jericho Road Ministries
A free breast cancer awareness walk and wellness event will be held Saturday, October 13 at 10 a.m. in Masten Park by the Patient Voices Network. The network is a patient empowerment partnership between the University at Buffalo Department of Family Medicine, and patients from UBMD Family Medicine at Jefferson and Jericho Road Family Practice.

The 1.6 mile walk will start at 10 a.m. at the Best Street entrance to Masten Park, with registration starting at 8:30 a.m. The wellness event begins at 11 a.m. in Masten Park. Health care providers will be available to talk to participants and there will also be information on breast health, breast cancer and screening. Healthy snacks and free T-shirts will be distributed.

On-site screening mammograms will be available for women who have a prescription and who pre-register by calling WNY Breast Health at 1-855-464-7465, prior to the event. Free services through the Cancer Services Program are available for the uninsured. Those who are unable to get screened on Oct. 13 will be provided with an wp-contentointment for another day.

The idea for the event originated with members of the Patient Voices Network, which was formed by the UB Primary Care Research Institute of the Department of Family Medicine and Jericho Road Ministries. In the network, patients living with chronic illness work together to improve primary care and to boost the rate of cancer screenings at the network’s practice partners, Jericho Road Family Practice and UBMD Family Medicine at Jefferson, which is operated by the UB Department of Family Medicine.

“We were talking about how everyone knows what the pink ribbon means, but to really reach people on Buffalo’s East Side, we would need to put on an event right in the community,” says Laurene Tumiel-Berhalter, PhD, associate professor of family medicine and director of community translational research at the Primary Care Research Institute in UB’s School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. “We started talking about walking right down Jefferson Avenue, bringing people out of their homes to join us and to get screened for breast cancer.”

According to Tumiel-Berhalter, patients and providers were committed to making sure that both the walk and the event be free in order to ensure the highest possible participation rate. Those who want to donate to breast cancer research will be able to do so; gift bags for participants will include information on how to donate.

“This is not a fundraiser,” she stresses. “This is an event we are holding to educate people on the East Side about breast cancer and to screen them for it.”

The free walk and event are being made possible by grants to the Patient Voices Network from the Western New York Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure and from the New York State Division of Science, Technology and Innovation (NYSTAR).

During the event, women who have pre-registered will be screened at the WNY Breast Health’s Mobile Mammography Unit, which will be stationed in Masten Park. Additional screenings will take place on Oct. 18, when the unit will be stationed in front of UBMD Family Medicine at Jefferson and UBMD Gynecology Obstetrics, 1315 Jefferson Ave. in Buffalo.

Throughout the rest of the fall, women will have additional opportunities to receive mammograms. The unit will be stationed at Jericho Road Family Practice, 184 Barton St., Buffalo, on the fourth Tuesday of every month and at Jericho Road Family Practice, 1609 Genesee St. on the third Tuesday of every month. To pre-register, call 1-855-464-7465.

“By stationing the mammography machines in such convenient and visible locations, we hope that as many people as possible in the community will get screened,” says Tumiel-Berhalter.

If a screening indicates that further tests are necessary, patients will be referred to an wp-contentropriate health care provider if they do not already have one.

The need for breast cancer education in minority communities is urgent, says Tumiel-Berhalter, because:

–Among African-American women, breast cancer is the most common cancer and the second most common cause of death;

–African-American women have a higher incidence rate of breast cancer before age 40 and are more likely to die from it at every age than are non-Hispanic, white women;

–While mortality rates decreased for white breast cancer patients from 1975 to 2003, they actually increased for African-American women.

The Patient Voices Network began with a grant Tumiel-Berhalter received from the National Center for Minority Health and Health Disparities, part of the National Institutes of Health. She used the grant to develop an organization in which patients could promote ways to improve primary care in their community by helping one another. The response from patients was so enthusiastic that the group, which began meeting monthly, now meets on a weekly basis. The network provides education and assistance in the community for patients with diabetes and, with Roswell Park Cancer Institute, has promoted colorectal cancer events and screenings. More information on the network is here: http://www.fammed.buffalo.edu/patientvoices.

Ellen Goldbaum (UB); goldbaum@buffalo.edu; 716.645.4605; @egoldbaum

RIA Takes the Challenge on Reducing College Student Substance Use

September 20, 2012 by BNMCin Campus-wide, Community, Member Institution(s), News, Research, WellnessLeave a Comment

For release: September 20, 2012Contact: Sara R. Saldi, saldi@buffalo.edu
University at Buffalo
716-645-4593

RIA Takes the Challenge on Reducing College Student Substance Use

BUFFALO, N.Y. — No longer considered an innocent rite of passage, binge drinking among college students contributes to wp-contentroximately 1,800 deaths and nearly 600,000 injuries each year.

And that’s just alcohol.

The University at Buffalo’s Research Institute on Addictions (RIA), an internationally recognized leader on the subject of substance use and abuse since 1970, is tackling this problem head on.

This fall RIA will offer a three-pronged wp-contentroach to educating students, health care and mental health workers, and college administrators about the dangers, new trends and treatments for reducing substance use and excessive drinking in college kids.

RIA Director, Kenneth Leonard, PhD “Despite strong efforts, excessive alcohol and substance use among college students have not substantially diminished in the past decade. While many colleges have educational programs or referral services, many college administrators are not aware of or have not implemented services that have been shown to be the most effective.

“Therefore, there is a pressing need for a more active and ongoing dialogue among researchers, practitioners and administrators regarding the current state of knowledge about college student drinking and substance use—a dialog that will also benefit parents and their children in college.”

A photo of Leonard is available at: http://www.buffalo.edu/news/13681.

First, the RIA is releasing the fifth in its series of expert summaries, “RIA Reaching Others: College Student Drinking,” a fact sheet describing the dangers of college student drinking, especially binge drinking—the scope of the problem, specific points for parents and the value of prevention.

The fact sheet is available at: http://www.ria.buffalo.edu/ExpertSummaries/ES5.html.

Second, as part of RIA’s Fall 2012 Seminar Series, Mark Wood, PhD, a professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Rhode Island (URI) and an expert on substance use among college students, will speak on “Individual and Environmental Preventive Intervention to Reduce Collegiate Alcohol Abuse: A Full-Cycle Approach.”

His presentation will be at 10 a.m. Oct. 26 in Room 132 of the RIA building, 1021 Main St. on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus. It will be free and open to the public.

For more information on the Wood presentation, visit: http://www.ria.buffalo.edu/events/index.html

Third, RIA is hosting a two-day conference, titled “The Challenge of Reducing College Student Substance Use: A Conversation in the Disciplines,” to take place Nov. 8 and 9 in the Ramada Hotel and Conference Center, 2402 North Forest Road near the Audubon Parkway in Getzville, adjacent to the UB North Campus.

The two-day event will feature alcohol and substance use experts from UB and from across the state. It is sponsored by the Conversations in the Disciplines Program of the State University of New York.

The conference will bring together front-line staff from throughout the SUNY system who grwp-contentle with the real problems of college students’ alcohol and substance use and abuse, and the researchers who seek to develop and evaluate substance-use prevention and intervention strategies. It also will provide an opportunity for participants to present information about their programs and to discuss issues regarding the startup and operation of effective programs.

Even more importantly, however, the conference will explore the potential for developing a multi-campus network of researchers and practitioners across New York State to address excessive college student substance use.

“This will facilitate the development and evaluation of innovative and comprehensive wp-contentroaches to reducing substance use, and provide a communications network that will enhance the efforts of practitioners to offer the most effective strategies for their campuses,” Leonard said.

Information about the conference and how to register are available at http://www.ria.buffalo.edu/CID2012/index.htm

Meet Rear Admiral Rebecca McCormick-Boyle During Buffalo Navy Week

September 4, 2012 by BNMCin Campus-wide, Community, Event, Health care, Member Institution(s), WellnessLeave a Comment

Community members will get the opportunity to meet Chief of Staff, U.S. Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, Rear Admiral Rebecca McCormick-Boyle on Wednesday, September 12 from 3:00 – 4:00 p.m. at the Swift Auditorium at Buffalo General Medical Center. The U.S. Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery is the headquarters of Navy and Marine Corps medicine. The event is free and open to the public.
Rear Admiral McCormick-Boyle will address Navy Medicine’s humanitarian assistance/disaster relief efforts, emergency medicine, research and development, and wounded warrior care to key medical personnel of the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus during a presentation in honor of Buffalo Navy Week. McCormick-Boyle will also highlight the Navy’s global mission of being forward deployed to provide a power projection and deterrence role while also being ready to respond to humanitarian assistance and disaster response requirements.

“When the world dials 911, it’s not to make an wp-contentointment,” said McCormick-Boyle. “We are a global force for good. We build our Navy for war. But we operate our Navy for peace.”

Navy Medicine consists of 63,000 personnel that provide health care support to the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, their families and veterans in high operational tempo environments, at expeditionary medical facilities, medical treatment facilities, hospitals, clinics, hospital ships and research units around the world. Navy Medicine works closely with inter-agency, non-governmental organizations and community partners during humanitarian assistance/disaster relief missions and homeland security operations around the globe.

Getting Around Brochure Highlights Amenities Near the BNMC

August 30, 2012 by BNMCin Allentown, Amenities, Attractions, Campus-wide, Community, Fruit Belt, HomepageLeave a Comment

Many visit Buffalo and experience the beauty of the city and its major attractions. The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus has published an updated Getting Around Brochure featuring four of the most lively neighborhoods in the city, along with the best places to visit within each.
An array of services are listed in the brochure with itemized categories offering business names, addresses, and phone numbers. Everything from health and wellness organizations, neighborhood associations, all the way to religious organizations and night life attractions. There is also a corresponding map making it easy to find a business using the grid-style blueprint of all of the neighborhoods. The map stretches as far north as Summer Street, as far south as Huron Street, as far east as Jefferson Avenue, and as far west as Richmond Avenue.

Known for its historic and artistic character, the Allentown Historic Preservation District is a neighborhood full of life. In 1978 the neighborhood was listed as a local preservation district. Two years later in 1980, it was listed on the National Registry of Historic Places. It is home to many popular festivals, home tours, eateries, entertainment hubs and more. The spine the neighborhood has in Allen Street will be the anchor for the Western Gateway, the funneling intersection connecting the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus with Allentown through Main Street.

The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus’ consortium members bring the best in clinical, research, and medical education to one place on its 120 acre campus. With more than 12,000 employees, the Medical Campus continues to add new buildings and private companies to its list of innovative organizations. Within the confines of the campus are some of the best places to grab a lunch, have a meeting behind great scenery, and stop for cocktails after business hours.

The Fruit Belt is a residential neighborhood that has a strong community infrastructure. Established in 1839, the area is named after orchards planted throughout the neighborhood by the initial residents, the Fruit Belt is an area where more residential housing and development is underway, bringing housing options to employees looking to live near their work as more jobs are created. With many of the streets paying homage to the planted fruits by name, like Cherry, Lemon, Peach, Grape, and Orange Streets, the residents proudly pass on community unity as they look to empower the local youth, revive the shopping strips, and share the benefits of city living. In the heart of the Fruit Belt are community and senior centers, and St. Johns Baptist Church.

Theaters, sports arenas, hotels, and an overabundance of restaurants and entertainment spots line the streets weaving in and out of Downtown Buffalo’s Theater District. On any given day, one can experience a great performing arts play, afterward a musical, and later have a great dinner at a nearby establishment. There are dozens of dance clubs and bars that can conclude a nice night out on the town.

Enjoy the Getting Around brochure and experience the great amenities surrounding the area. If you can’t find your business or organization in the Getting Around brochure or would like to have copies for your organization, please let us know. E-mail us at suggestions@bnmc-old.local or call 716.854.BNMC (716.854.2662).

Safe Routes to School Program Launches at PS 74

August 27, 2012 by BNMCin Biking, Community, Healthy Communities, Homepage, News, Outreach, Transportation, WellnessLeave a Comment

GO Bike Buffalo has launched the Buffalo Safe Routes to School Program (SRTS) at Hamlin Park School 74 . A part of a national program promoting the benefits of walking and biking to school for students, SRTS seeks to help students become more physically active. SRTS also aims to reduce vehicle congestion around schools, resulting in safer access and lower exhaust emissions.
Through a technology class at Hamilton Park, the Recycle-A-Bicycle (RAB) program will be incorporated into the curriculum. At Hamlin Park, students will learn how to build bicycles using salvaged parts and they will be taught how to make environmentally sound transportation choices which will undoubtedly have an impact on the health of the communities they live in. As they grow in their understanding of the importance of being physically active, the SRTS program will also teach them how to ride bicycles safely.

With the support of City Hall representative, Council Member Demone Smith, the program’s success will most likely be included into additional Buffalo Public Schools as a useful educational program. Smith stated that “Instituting healthy lifestyles and behaviors early in life are essential to developing healthy young people and communities. We will continue to work with GO Bike Buffalo to make improvements in the District as well as among our youngest residents.”

Media Alert: BNMC Hosts Summer Block Party for Employees (8-20-12)

August 20, 2012 by BNMCin Biking, Campus-wide, Community, Environment, Event, Healthy Communities, Member Institution(s), Outreach, Transportation, WellnessLeave a Comment

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Tuesday, August 20, 2012

Contact

Kari Root Bonaro, BNMC

716.218.7157, kbonaro@bnmc-old.local

MEDIA ALERT

BNMC Hosts Summer Block Party for Employees

Hundreds of Employees Expected to Attend the “GO BNMC” Transportation-Themed Event Focusing on Smarter, Greener, Healthier Ways to Get Around

WHAT: GO BNMC Summer Block Party, a free event for employees on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus (BNMC)

WHEN: Thursday, August 23^rd from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. (Rain or shine –party will be under a tent)

WHERE: 941 Washington Street Lot (behind the Allen/Medical Campus NFTA Station)

This free event will highlight innovative and economical ways in which GO BNMC, a new commuting and rewards initiative, will promote healthy lifestyles and active living for employees on the Medical Campus.

Employees will learn about the different transportation options available on the BNMC that can help them save money, get fit, and create a more sustainable environment, with the overall goal to improve employee’s abilities to get around in healthier, greener, and more economical ways.

Features educational videos and materials, demonstrations, and hands-on activities, including:

– Bicycle obstacle course sponsored by GO Bike

– Pedi-cab pick-ups (at Kaminski Park & the corner of high & Ellicott)

– Buffalo CarShare and BikeShare, including a sneak peak at the new bikes

– Segway tours

– Test drive an electric vehicle

– Public safety information

– The Fender Blender from the Community Foundation of Greater Buffalo

– Lunch from Whole Hog Food Truck

This event is sponsored by NYSERDA and the NYSDOT.

ABOUT THE BNMC

The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus is dedicated to the cultivation of a world-class medical campus for clinical care, research, education, and entrepreneurship on 120 acres in downtown Buffalo. It is home to the region’s top clinical, research, and medical education institutions, including: the University at Buffalo, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Olmsted Center for Sight, Kaleida Health, Hauptman-Woodward Medical Research Institute, Buffalo Medical Group, Buffalo Hearing & Speech Center, Unyts, and the Center for Hospice and Palliative Care. There are over 40 public and private companies on the BNMC. More than 12,000 people come to work at the Medical Campus every day, and BNMC institutions see over one million patients and visitors annually. The Campus has an annual economic impact of $1.5 billion on the region. The Medical Campus consists of more than 6 million square feet of research, clinical, and support space. bnmc-old.local

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BNMC Summer Block Party 2012

July 31, 2012 by BNMCin Biking, Campus-wide, Community, Event, Healthy Communities, Outreach, Transportation, WellnessLeave a Comment

Hundreds of employees on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus (BNMC) are expected to attend this year’s BNMC Summer Block Party, a BNMC Fit spinoff themed GO BNMC: Smarter, Greener, Healthier Ways to get Around.
The event’s theme will focus on active living and alternative transportation this year to promote healthy and sustainable options that are best for individuals and the environment. The event aligns with the launching of the new BNMC transportation campaign called GO BNMC.

From 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Thursday, August 23 at the 941 Washington Street Lot, GO BNMC: Smarter, Greener, Healthier Ways to get Around will motivate, inform, and empower employees throughout the Medical Campus to enhance their quality of life by making practical commuting choices.

GO BNMC aims to create an innovative and sustainable transportation system for Medical Campus employees. The initiative is a part of the GO Buffalo campaign, a greater project exploring and promoting better ways for Buffalonians to get around, in addition to creating safe streets for pedestrians, cyclists, and transit riders. Through GO BNMC, employees are offered a menu of options to choose from to determine how they will get to and from work. This initiative will help expose employees on the campus to commuting alternatives available such as walking, bicycling, Metro Bus and Rail, carpooling and vanpooling.

The event will feature displays and demonstrations related to the GO BNMC campaign, including bike and pedestrian safety and education, and car-sharing demos. The new Social Bicycles called SoBi will also be unveiled and employees will be able to test drive electric vehicles. There will be transportation related raffles and giveaways, including raffles for free monthly passes.

Organizations attending the event include: GO Buffalo, NYSERDA, NYSDOT, NFTA, Buffalo CarShare, GO Bike Buffalo, the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo with the Fender Blender, R&R Pedicabs, and more. R&R Pedicabs will be giving employees free rides from Kaminski Park and a stop on the corner of High and Ellicott Streets. Information tables and booths will be set-up for employees to view the services available.

GO BNMC offers employees smarter, greener, and healthier options to get around and incentivizes these options through its member rewards program.

To become a member of GO BNMC and get rewarded for smart commuting choices, click here to create a profile.

The popular campus event, BNMC Fit, will adopt an active living and alternative transportation theme this year to promote healthy and sustainable options that are best for individuals and the environment.

New Women and Children's Hospital Design Concept Submitted to City Planning Board

July 17, 2012 by BNMCin Allentown, Community, Construction, Fruit Belt, Member Institution(s)Leave a Comment

The anticipated conceptual design for the Kaleida Health affiliated Women and Children’s Hospital of Buffalo (WCHOB), which displays a 12-story, 430,000-square-foot facility, was presented to the City Planning Board with the hope of getting wp-contentroval to begin construction in the spring of 2013. The WCHOB looks to complete construction of its new hospital building on the corner of Ellicott and High Streets in 2016.
Teresa Quattrin, MD, Professor of Pediatrics, Chair, Department of Pediatrics, University at Buffalo and Pediatrician-in-Chief, Chief, Division of Endocrinology-Diabetes, Women & Children’s Hospital of Buffalo expressed the benefit and outcome of moving into the new building. “[W]e have a beautiful new building to look forward to, but also and more importantly, one that will deliver the best possible care available for women and children throughout Western New York and beyond,” said Dr. Quattrin.

Shepley Bulfinch joins the group of architects designing state of the art buildings on the Medical Campus. The Physician Strategic Planning Committee comprised of nearly 50 physicians chose the firm because of Shepley Bulfinch’s experience designing clinically complex facilities focused on patient and family care, especially when it comes to children’s hospitals. In addition to the physician-led committee, there have been 150 planning meetings for the project held by 26 user groups, solely focused on producing a plan for the new hospital and ambulatory space.

The City of Buffalo Planning Board wp-contentroved the hospital’s previously submitted environmental impact statement (EIS). Back in May, the Board discussed initial building massing, floor plates and hospital access for the new building. Official site plan wp-contentroval for the inpatient tower project is the next step.

In the coming weeks, the hospital will officially submit its Certificate of Need (CON) with the New York State Department of Health. The CON process is the state regulatory process that governs among other things, construction and renovation of health care facilities; much like the plan for a new Women & Children’s Hospital of Buffalo Hospital.

Read updated coverage about the new plans for the WCHOB site below:

Women & Children’s Hospital Sells Adjacent Properties

Kaleida to Take Next Step on Children’s Hospital

Plans for New Women and Children’s Hospital Move Forward

Planning Board to Get Detailed Look at Hospital Proposal

Design for the Future

City Planners Get Look at New Children’s Hospital

New Designs for Women and Children’s Hospital

Designs Released for New Women and Children’s Hospital

Women and Children’s Releases Drawings of New Hospital

Conceptual Design for Women & Children’s Hospital Released

Memorial Sculpture to Honor John E. Friedlander

July 17, 2012 by BNMCin Campus-wide, Community, Health care, Homepage, Member Institution(s), VolunteersLeave a Comment

As one of the community leaders and visionaries who helped to lay the foundation for the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus (BNMC) in 2001, the late John E. Friedlander will be honored with an art sculpture to memorialize his leadership. The BNMC came to be after visionaries in the health care industry came together to help promote wellness and economic development in the Buffalo-Niagara region. It is now a leading biomedical, research, education, business, and clinical consortium helping to fuel economic growth in the area.
He was the first President and CEO of Kaleida Health, serving from October 1996 until June 2005. Friedlander is also the former Buffalo General Medical Center President and CEO. For more than 20 years, Friedlander contributed his skills and experience to build a strong health care delivery system in Western New York and now his former colleagues, friends and family are partnering with the BNMC to honor him.

He was a dynamic visionary and respected health care leader who was loved by the community, striving to make a difference. For members of the community who would like to support the campaign efforts to actualize the John E. Friedlander Memorial Art Sculpture and recognize his deep commitment to the health of Western New York residents, click here.

Buffalo Niagara Enterprise Produces In-Depth Relocation Guide

July 16, 2012 by BNMCin Amenities, Attractions, Community, EnvironmentLeave a Comment

The Buffalo Niagara Enterprise (BNE) has created an extensive “Where Life Works” Relocation Guide for individuals considering a move to the Buffalo-Niagara region. As growing and thriving organizations continue to create new career opportunities, attracting people from other states and countries to the area, this new resource gives the best and brightest an in-depth look at reasons to make this area the place they want to work in and call home. Features include Erie and Niagara counties, also highlighting Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming. The guide was produced with grant support from BNE investors, National Grid, and NYSEG. A hard copy and online version is available.
The guide can be used as a tool for businesses investing in the region and can also be used by local organizations to recruit employees from outside the area. The comprehensive 65-page guide provides lists of education, health care, business organizations, in addition to listing the top employers. There is a list spotlighting cultural and entertainment events that have become staples within communities.

“As part of our mission to attract business and talent to Buffalo Niagara, we showcase neighborhoods to prospects, and often, their spouses,” said Tom Kucharski, President & CEO of the BNE. “What’s been missing in this effort is a comprehensive, one-stop guide that answers common questions individuals and families have when making the decision on where to live and work.”

It serves as a Canada traveling tip resource too. Suggestions for day trips and descriptions of the area’s cities, towns and villages are included.

“We’ve really covered the gamut when it comes to pointing out the benefits of living and working in Buffalo Niagara,” Kucharski added. “Sidebars throughout the guide paint a vivid portrait of our culturally rich and geographically diverse region.”

Placing the region as a highly competitive destination to raise a family, build and enhance a career, and experience various cultures, this guide offers the pitch necessary to help people fall in love with the area.

Support for Bike Lanes Sought to Increase Safety for Riders

July 12, 2012 by BNMCin Biking, Campus-wide, Community, Environment, Healthy Communities, Homepage, Outreach, Transportation, WellnessLeave a Comment

GO Bike Buffalo is helping to create a city where people of all ages can safely bike to work.
Through a push to create awareness of the need to establish safe streets for all users upon roadways, GO Bike is looking to increase safety on Buffalo’s streets through the Bicycle Lane Request Form. Unfortunately, most people choose not to ride their bicycles because they do not feel safe doing so. The initiative is a part of the Complete Streets campaign to promote health, safety, community, environmental sustainability, and quality of life for all, in every season.

GO Bike seeks to have parents in the City of Buffalo feel comfortable about allowing their children to bike to school and ensure fellow citizens have realistic alternatives to automobile transportation. By replacing drive-alone trips with alternative methods such as biking, individuals will not only improve their health, but the health of the environment and the health of the greater community will be improved as well.

Working with the City of Buffalo, Go Bike is looking to build safe and well-designed bicycle facilities throughout Buffalo. Join GO Bike by signing the Bicycle Lane Request Form in order for the demand and need for bike lane locations to be made known.

The goal is to reach 1,000 signatures by the end of July! For more information on how to increase safety on the streets for cyclists, visit the GO Bike Buffalo website, a GO Buffalo partner helping to increase alternative transportation options in Buffalo.

Help create a more bike-friendly city today!

Buffalo CarShare Opens Up Transportation Options

July 3, 2012 by BNMCin Biking, Community, Parking, TransportationLeave a Comment

Buffalo CarShare is making it easier to have access to reliable and convenient transportation without having to own a car. CarShare members have the option to choose from vehicles that best suit their needs and use them on an hourly basis. Whether at work or at home, if there is a CarShare hub nearby, members can easily reserve a car and use it to run errands.
For affordable monthly or yearly dues, members can use a CarShare vehicle located at 1 of the 10 hubs throughout the city. Members near the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus (BNMC) can find 2 vehicles to choose from in the Washington Street parking lot near the BNMC/National Grid Model Energy Home. Hub locations are near many communities, colleges, and business districts. The options for memberships vary and can be extended to families and businesses, and there are even discounts for non-profit organizations. Flagged with the noticeable green leaf attached to a key ring logo, many of the cars can also be easily identified by the blue-colored paint.

It is very easy to reserve a CarShare vehicle which can be done 1 of 3 ways. Members can go to the Buffalo CarShare office located at 14 Allen Street, call 716.898.0850, or go online to reserve a vehicle. Once it is reserved, members go to a hub, use their personalized key fob to gain access to the car in order to drive it. The car has technology within it that tracks the time it is taken out, the time it is brought back, and the number of miles traveled. When done, all members have to do is park it back at the same hub they drove it from.

An opportunity to bring another transportation option that is less strenuous on the wallet and the environment to the Medical Campus and other locations has been created through grant funds received by Buffalo CarShare. In August, BikeShare will be introduced through a beta program which will be tested by 200 bike riders. In partnership with Go Bike Buffalo, CarShare will launch bike-sharing by offering the use of 75 new social bicycles, all equipped with GPS systems and locks operated by access codes.

The Department of Transportation and NYS Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) granted funds a total of $284,000 in to Buffalo CarShare, BNMC, and GO Bike Buffalo.

“One thing that CarShare does and what BikeShare will do for the Medical Campus is to provide employees who take transit, carpool or use alternative modes to get to and from work easier,” said William Smith, who is working hard to enhance access to the BNMC. “Both help to create added-mobility options for things such as wp-contentointments, errands, meetings and lunches once employees are already at work.”

As a collective, Buffalo CarShare, the BNMC, Go Bike Buffalo, and other partners form GO Buffalo, an initiative to enhance and promote the transportation options in Buffalo. CarShare received $143, 000 to create the bike-share program. The BNMC is using the awarded $121,000 to create the Transportation Toolkit through GO BNMC and to incentivize use of transportation alternatives, and GO Bike Buffalo is using the $20,000 awarded to help create Complete Streets throughout the City of Buffalo.

To see the cost for your vehicle each day, month, and year, use the Car Cost Calculator to determine how much money you could be saving if you were to join Buffalo CarShare. For more information about the BikeShare program, contact Buffalo CarShare at info@buffalocarshare.org.