Wellness Archives - Page 2 of 3

Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus Offers “Walking on Wednesdays”

July 5, 2016 by BNMCin Campus-wide, Community, Employees, Event, Homepage, Member Institution(s), Wellness3 Comments

MEDIA ADVISORY

CONTACT: Susan Kirkpatrick

skirkpatrick@bnmc-old.local/716-866-8002

Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus Offers “Walking on Wednesdays”

Free guided tours offer lunchtime exercise and an insider’s guide to the growing Medical Campus

What: “Walking on Wednesdays” (W.O.W.) is a series of free guided tours of the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus in Downtown Buffalo every Wednesday throughout the summer in partnership with The Wellness Institute of Greater Buffalo. A representative from the Wellness Institute will guide the tours each week in conjunction with a guest tour guide from the Medical Campus.

When: Each Wednesday at 12:10 PM – 12:40 PM. June 1 through August 31, 2016. Rain or Shine!

Where: All Walks begin and end at Roswell Park Cancer Institute’s Kaminski Park, located at Carlton and Elm Streets. A weekly Farmers Market is also offered there between 11 AM – 2 PM on Wednesdays!

Who: The Walks are ideal for employees on the Medical Campus, as well as for visitors and the interested public and will be led by a variety of guest tour guides. June guides and topics include:

June 1 – Mark McGovern, BNMC’s Senior Project Manager/Construction Update

June 8 – Justin Booth, GObike Buffalo’s Executive Director/Biking infrastructure along Main Street

June 15 – Matt Enstice, BNMC’s President & CEO along with Tom Beecher, Chair Emeritus/Medical Campus history and progress

June 22 – Craig Coyne, Senior Planner at Roswell Park Cancer Institute/RPCI’s new Clinical Sciences Center

June 29 – Ekua Mends-Aidoo & Sarah Warner, Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus/Neighborhood Explorer program overview

Coordinated by the Wellness Institute of Greater Buffalo and sponsored by the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc.

Why: Add to your “step count”

Get a break from your workplace

Refresh your spirit

Enjoy the fresh air and Buffalo’s beautiful summer weather

Learn more about the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus

Learn more: Visit bnmc-old.local/wow

About: The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. (BNMC Inc.) is a self-sustaining social enterprise successfully combining innovation, job creation, and urban revitalization. It serves as the umbrella organization of the anchor institutions that make up the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus located within the 120-acre campus bordering Allentown, the Fruit Belt and Downtown. The BNMC Inc. fosters conversation and collaboration among its member institutions, its partners and the community to address critical issues impacting them, including entrepreneurship, energy, access and transportation, workforce and procurement, neighborhoods, and healthy communities, with the goal of increasing economic development and building a strong community. bnmc-old.local.

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BNMC Partners with GoBike to Promote Alternative Transportation Options to Campus Employees

January 25, 2016 by BNMCin Homepage, News, Sustainability, Transportation, Wellness3 Comments

Buffalo, N.Y., January 22, 2016 – The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. (BNMC) announced today that it will partner with GObike Buffalo to assist with managing and promoting alternative transportation options for employees and visitors to the growing Medical Campus.
The two not-for-profit organizations have worked together for more than a decade on increasing active living opportunities throughout the City of Buffalo, promoting biking to work, and ensuring infrastructure on the Campus and within the surrounding neighborhoods that support and promote alternative transportation options. The formal partnership marks a more structured arrangement in that GObike will provide specific services and staffing for BNMC that will supplement the significant transportation and planning work currently undertaken by BNMC and its partners. Under the agreement, GObike will conduct in-depth assessments of current commuting choices for participating Medical Campus employers, help implement various strategies and infrastructure improvements to promote alternative transportation modes, and provide educational resources for people working on the Medical Campus who are interested in smarter commuting options.. In addition, GObike will assist in marketing and outreach as well as day-to-day management of the current GO BNMC program, which works to provide employees with better access to healthier, greener and affordable transportation options.

According to William Smith, Director of Access and Planning for BNMC, “As the Medical Campus continues to grow, it is critical to educate our community on alternatives modes of transportation that are more cost effective, better for our environment and that address parking challenges in a dense, urban environment. GObike has a proven track record of supporting alternative modes of transportation including transit, carpooling and walking, as well as biking. We believe that this unique partnership can be a model for other companies seeking to promote alternative modes of commuting, as well as those interested in the overall health and wellbeing of their employees.”

Justin Booth, Executive Director of GObike Buffalo added, “We know that employers can play a significant role in encouraging their employees to consider leaving the one-person, one car model of commuting behind. We are delighted to work more closely with the BNMC to help educate and motivate Medical Campus employees to consider alternative means to get to work that will benefit their health, the environment and to help to ease transportation and parking congestion on campus.”

About the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. (BNMC)

The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. (BNMC) is a self-sustaining social enterprise successfully combining innovation, job creation, and urban revitalization. It serves as the umbrella organization of the anchor institutions that make up the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus located within the 120-acre campus bordering Allentown, the Fruit Belt and Downtown. The BNMC fosters conversation and collaboration among its member institutions, its partners and the community to address critical issues impacting them, including entrepreneurship, energy, access and transportation, workforce and procurement, neighborhoods, and healthy communities, with the goal of increasing economic development and building a strong community. bnmc-old.local.

About GOBike Buffalo

Through advocacy efforts, infrastructure improvements, and community programs, GObike Buffalo works to create healthy, environmentally sustainable, community friendly options in the greater Buffalo region.

BNMC Fit

July 14, 2015 by BNMCin Employees, Event, GO BNMC, Healthy Communities, Homepage, Member Institution(s), Wellness1 Comment

This year’s BNMC Fit event will feature health enhancing activities, raffle prizes and giveaways.
Don’t miss this fun event on Thursday, August 20, 2015. All BNMC employees and neighboring community members are encouraged to attend.

The purpose of the BNMC Fit event is to motivate, inform, and empower employees by offering knowledge and support of eating healthy, active living, and making small steps towards success in building a healthy future. The event will feature displays and demonstrations related to fun and active exercise options as well as demonstrations related to bike and pedestrian safety and education and transportation demos.

The event is scheduled to between the hours of 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. with an intended audience of 1000 employees from our nine member institutions.

BNMC Fit

June 18, 2013 by BNMCin Campus-wide, Employees, Event, Healthy Communities, Member Institution(s), Sustainability, Transportation, Wellness

This year's BNMC Fit event will feature health enhancing activities, raffle prizes and giveaways.

Don't miss this fun event. All BNMC employees and neighboring community members are encouraged to attend.

The event is scheduled to between the hours of 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. with an intended audience of 1000 employees from our nine member institutions.

Walking on Wednesdays (W.O.W) Is Back

May 23, 2013 by BNMCin Campus-wide, Community, Employees, Member Institution(s), WellnessLeave a Comment

Spread the word – bring your friends and co-workers! Walking on Wednesdays (W.O.W.) is back this spring. This great, mid-day break walk will get you back to work refreshed and ready to tackle the afternoon.
Join us at the RPCI Kaminski Park every Wednesday on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus. Walks are wp-contentroximately 1.5 miles. All walks begin at 12:10 p.m. and end at 12:40 p.m. Be sure to dress for the weather as walks take place whether it rains or shines, except if there is lightning.

Stop by the RPCI Farmer’s Market beginning June 5 – October 2, every Wednesday from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. before or after each walk to get some fresh vegetables, fruits, jams, baked goods and more.

For your comfort and safety, please remember:

Wear proper, comfortable footwear
Watch for eye-level bushes and trees
Watch for broken concrete, potholes and uneven surfaces
Obey all traffic signs and signals
Alert walk leaders and other walkers of unsafe conditions
Walk leaders have cell phones and should be notified of any incidents so they can summon help if necessary
Sun protection: sun block, (should be wp-contentlied a half hour before exposure) sunglasses, wide-brimmed hat
Adequate hydration before, after and during the walk.
Have fun!

Corporate Challenge 2013

May 20, 2013 by BNMCin Campus-wide, Community, Employees, Event, Member Institution(s), Wellness1 Comment

It’s team time again! This year will mark the 33rd annual JPMorgan Chase Corporate Challenge in Buffalo. The event will most likely top last year’s number of participants which included 12,667 runners from 403 companies. The event usually includes fun tent activities and lots of barbeque. Public and private companies throughout the city will have employees who sign-up in droves, including the member institutions and companies on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, all to enjoy the festivities that will take place on Thursday, June 6th, at 6:45 p.m. at Delaware Park.
Not only do participants get to build company camaraderie, complete a 3.5-mile route by running, jogging, or walking, and promote health and wellness, they also get to support a local non-profit. The YMCA Buffalo Niagara will receive a donation from JPMorgan Chase & Co. in honor of all of the event participants to support the chapter’s summer day camp initiatives. The donations to local non-profits has been a long-standing tradition to help bring awareness to the amazing work being done to enrich the lives of those each non-profit serves.

YMCA Buffalo Niagara has been the 2nd oldest YMCA in the United States since its establishment in 1852. This chapter provides programs “designed to build a healthy spirit, mind, and body for all.” Through the Strong Kids Campaign, more than 15,000 children and families receive financial assistance for programs such as school age child care, summer camps or a general membership. Attendees enjoy various activities including swimming, sports, special events and much, much more.

As a health and human services volunteer-based and led organization, the YMCA Buffalo Niagara receives assistance and guidance from nearly 150 volunteers that help to implement the 3 main areas of service:

• Youth Development: Nurturing the potential of every child and teen
• Healthy Living: Improving the nation’s health and well-being
• Social Responsibility: Giving back and providing support to our neighbors

For more information and to register to participate with your company, click here.

Insulin Fights Inflammation and Even Small Amounts of Glucose Trigger it in Type 1 Diabetics

May 14, 2013 by BNMCin Homepage, Member Institution(s), News, Research, Wellness2 Comments

Findings of small UB study are significant for understanding, treating infections in Type 1 diabetics

A small University at Buffalo (UB) study has found for the first time that in Type 1 diabetics, insulin injections exert a strong anti-inflammatory effect at the cellular and molecular level, while even small amounts of glucose result in “profound inflammation.”

The findings show that in Type 1 diabetics, insulin has a powerful anti-inflammatory effect. This effect essentially suppresses the important pro-inflammatory protein called HMG-B1, which facilitates the synthesis of pro-inflammatory cytokines (messenger proteins) that induce even further inflammation when secreted and released by the injured cell.

The work builds on previous research by the investigators in the UB School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, which showed that insulin had the same anti-inflammatory effect in obese and Type 2 diabetes patients, but it highlights some important differences.

According to the paper, published in February in the American Journal of Physiology: Endocrinology and Metabolism, insulin’s anti-inflammatory effect takes longer to occur in Type 1 diabetics, about six hours, as opposed to two hours in Type 2 diabetics and obese patients. It also took about six hours for inflammatory markers known as reactive oxygen species to wp-contentear in Type 1 diabetics after glucose infusion whereas it took wp-contentroximately one to two hours in Type 2 diabetics and obese patients.

“The reason for this delayed response to insulin and glucose in Type 1 diabetes patients is not clear and requires further investigation,” says Paresh Dandona, MD, PhD, SUNY Distinguished Professor in the Department of Medicine; chief of the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism in the UB medical school; and first author on the study. “It is possible that these patients have a more intense level of inflammation, which requires a greater effort to induce a change.”

Another significant difference was found when the Type 1 diabetics were infused with glucose alone. While Type 2 diabetics and obese patients demonstrated no changes in glucose concentrations when administered small amounts of glucose, there was a small but significant increase in glucose concentrations in the Type 1 diabetics.

“The infusion of small amounts of glucose, 5 grams per hour over four hours, leads to a profound inflammatory effect, including the generation of the HMG-B1 protein,” says Dandona. “Since 20 grams of glucose is the equivalent of just four teaspoonfuls of sugar, this has extremely important implications for Type 1 diabetics.”

According to Dandona, even relatively small and brief increases in glucose concentrations induce an increase in the expression of inflammatory markers, such as toll-like receptors (proteins that play a key role in the innate immune system) and others at the cellular and molecular level in Type 1 diabetics, because they have no insulin reserve.

“Our findings show that even a small amount of carbohydrate cannot be tolerated by Type 1 diabetics without the protection of injectable insulin even over a short period of time without the risk of inflammation,” he says. “This has profound implications for the severity of inflammation in patients with infections and in terms of taking insulin before meals.”

In the study, 10 Type 1 diabetics received either insulin infusions of two units per hour with 100 milliliters of dextrose per hour or just the dextrose, following an overnight fast. Blood samples were collected at intervals of zero, two, four and six hours after the infusions.

In the group that received insulin plus dextrose, markers of inflammation were suppressed and blood sugar readings stayed normal, at around 100 mg/dl (milligrams per deciliter).

But those who received just dextrose experienced a blood sugar spike from 115 mg/dl after fasting to 215 mg/dl at four and six hours, as well as an increase in the generation of key inflammatory markers. These include reactive oxygen species and several toll-like receptors, which may be involved in inflammatory processes, including gram positive and gram negative infections, metabolic inflammation as associated with obesity and diabetes and atherosclerosis.

“We were interested in these inflammatory markers in particular because although Type 1 diabetics are already being treated with insulin injections, they can be susceptible to infections and other inflammatory conditions, which lead to very serious, even life-threatening, complications, such as septicemia,” he said.

“Based on these observations, we are now beginning a study on meals taken with and without insulin in Type 1 diabetics, so that we can better understand what missing even a single insulin injection at mealtime means to a Type 1 diabetic patient,” he concludes.

Co-authors with Dandona, all from UB, are Husam Ghanim, MD, research assistant professor; Kelly Green and Chang Ling Sia, research assistants; Sanaa Abuaysheh, research associate; Nitesh Kuhadiya, MD, UB medical resident; Manav Batra, UB medical resident; Sandeep Dhindsa, MD, and Ajay Chaudhari, MD, both formerly associate professors at UB.

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

American Cancer Society Seeks Participants for Cancer Prevention Study

May 6, 2013 by BNMCin Community, Employees, Homepage, Member Institution(s), Research, Wellness

To better understand ways to prevent cancer, the American Cancer Society is recruiting men and women across the US and Puerto Rico for a landmark new research study – Cancer Prevention Study-3 (CPS-3). Enrollment is being made possible in partnership with the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus on Wednesday, June 19th at Roswell Park’s Gaylord Cary Conference Room from 7:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Individuals may choose to participate if they are willing to make a long-term commitment to the study (which involves completing follow-up surveys periodically over the next 20-30 years), are between the ages of 30 and 65 years old and have never been diagnosed with cancer. For more information, visit www.cps3buffalo.org, call 1-888-604-5888 or e-mail mcps3@cancer.org.

May = National Bike Month

May 1, 2013 by BNMCin Biking, Campus-wide, Community, Healthy Communities, Homepage, Transportation, Wellness

A number of events are lined up to celebrate National Bike Month here in Buffalo. Created to promote bicycling as a way to have fun, exercise and get from one point to another, National Bike Month is sponsored by the League of American Bicyclists. As a way to celebrate ways to preserve your health and the environment, enjoy the community at large and join a nationwide movement connecting bike-riders everywhere, this month is sure to offer frequent cyclists and those who just ride for fun the opportunity to help promote active and healthy lifestyles.
Join cyclists in your community by biking to work, school, destinations, and to various events in Buffalo to bring awareness to the importance of bicycle-friendly communities and the benefits that come with biking on a regular basis.

Events:

National Bike to School Day: Wednesday, May 8th

Bicycle Commuter Breakfast: Friday, May 17th 6:30 a.n. – 10 a.m. on the BNMC @ 929 Washington Street

National Bike to Work Day: Friday May 17th

National Bike to Work Week: Monday, May 13th – Friday, May 17th

Download the GObike Buffalo Bike Month events poster for an additional list of events around Buffalo. Visit GObike Buffalo for more information about creating sustainable transportation communities.

Play Streets® Comes to Buffalo

April 19, 2013 by BNMCin Community, Healthy Communities, Homepage, Wellness

Play Streets® was created to help prevent and combat childhood obesity by the Partnership for a Healthier America and the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Just like in various cities across the country, Play Streets® will come to Buffalo beginning Sunday, May 5th.
Select streets will be closed to cars and opened to the community to walk, ride bikes, skate and participate in physical activities like dancing, jumping rope, hula-hooping and even climbing a rock wall!

Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities Buffalo helped to shape the development of Play Streets® in Buffalo by providing concrete evidence of growing obesity trends and direct feedback from youth in our city regarding the impact of the environment on their health and well-being, as well as what they'd like to see to improve.

To continue collecting that important evidence, Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities partners are being summoned to assist with data collection at the Buffalo Play Streets® events.

Volunteers Needed!

Volunteer teams of 2-3 people are needed to engage youth and adult participants.
The volunteers will also need to make sure a survey is completed by the participants which should take no more than 10 minutes.

In order to reach the evaluation goal, 20 adult and 30 youth surveys need to be completed at each of the 5 events. People who complete a survey will receive an incentive, probably a frisbee. Of course, before and after the surveys have been completed, volunteers are free to hang out and enjoy all of the Play Streets® activities.

Volunteers are needed to help with set-up, clean-up and assisting event participants.If you'd like to volunteer or if you have any questions, please contact Henry Raess, Play Streets Coordinator by e-mail at henry@gobikebuffalo.org or by phone at 716.218-7161.

Events

People are encouraged to walk and bike to the events and throughout the events, where there are a number of activities to get you moving.

Sunday, May 5th, from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Manhattan Avenue (north of East Amherst Street, behind Bennett High School)
Sunday, June 2nd – Hamlin Park
Sunday, July 7th – Seneca/Babcock
Sunday, August 4th – Allentown
Sunday, September 1st – West Side (Rees St./Buff State/Richardson Complex)

Want to know more? Play Streets features a number of fun activities, including dance workshops, zumba, line-dancing, yoga, bike repair workshops, bike rodeos, a climbing wall, sports and games. Information on nutrition, health and wellness will be available. Buffalo Play Streets partner BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York will have their Healthy Zone Cruiser at each event, providing jump ropes and hula hoops for kids to play with and information on healthcare. In addition, Massachusetts Avenue Project’s Growing Green mobile market will be at several Play Streets, providing information on gardening and urban farming, growing seasons, recipes for preparing and cooking various vegetables and selling their fresh, locally-grown produce.

For more information, go to www.gobikebuffalo.org/programs/play-streets.

National NAACP Director of Health Programs Comes to Buffalo

April 18, 2013 by BNMCin Community, Event, Healthy Communities, News, Wellness

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, April 18, 2013

Contact:
Kari Root Bonaro, BNMC, Inc.
716.218.7157, kbonaro@bnmc-old.local

MEDIA ALERT

National NAACP Director of Health Programs Comes to Buffalo

Shavon Arline-Bradley will talk about health equity, power and privilege

WHAT: “An Evening with Shavon Arline-Bradley, Director of Health Programs, NAACP” is a free event, open to the public, featuring a presentation by the nationally-renowned, dynamic speaker. The discussion will focus on empowering community members to advocate for healthier communities. Attendees will have the opportunity to hear about present and prevailing health disparities, socio-economic barriers and ways to combat each by using power, privilege and knowledge to help make decisions to increase individual and community health equity.

WHEN: Wednesday, April 24th at 6 p.m.

WHERE: WNED Studios – 140 Lower Terrace, Buffalo, NY 14202 (free parking available)

WHO: Shavon Arline-Bradley, MPH, Director of Health Programs, NAACP

Shavon Arline-Bradley is the national director of health programs for the NAACP where she is responsible for coordinating and planning the Association’s health agenda and program implementation efforts. Ms. Arline has over 11 years of public health experience in the areas of health disparities, federal and state government health program management, and community and stakeholder collaborative relationship building. The New Jersey native is a public health advocate and former track and field athlete. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Exercise Physiology and Master of Public Health degree from Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Ms. Arline is currently serving on the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Center for Childhood Obesity advisory board and was asked to serve on the expert advisory panel for the CDC’s Division of Physical Activity and Nutrition to address health disparities. Ms. Arline is also a member of the AIDSVu national advisory committee.

Ms. Arline is a sought after public speaker and has traveled extensively throughout the United States and Caribbean. She has been invited to national and regional conferences to present on disease prevention, exercise physiology, minority and women’s health issues as well as social justice. She also ministers to congregations as an advocate for faith based health, social justice initiatives and spiritual development.

Ms. Arline was awarded Young Leadership and Excellence honors and co-authored “The Queens Legacy” in 2009. She is a member of the Columbia (MD) Alumnae chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. and serves as the co-chair physical and mental health subcommittee of the national program planning and development committee. She is also a member of the Columbia (MD) chapter of the Links Inc. Shavon is also the former health committee chair for the Washington DC branch of the NAACP.

Prior to joining the NAACP, Ms. Arline served as the health programs coordinator of REACH 2010 at the Heart of New Orleans focusing on the heart health of over 1,300 African American women. At the Crater Health District (VA) she was the Community Health and Prevention Supervisor and public information officer and coordinated community health education and outreach programs, administrated grant funding and contractors, and served as the community liaison to the health district.

Ms. Arline served as Health Program Manager with the Black Women’s Health Imperative overseeing community outreach and program implementation for African American women and their families. She was also the Health and Wellness Manager for the National Recreation and Park Association in Ashburn, Virginia where she managed the Action Communities for Health Innovation and Environmental Change (ACHIEVE) program funded by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

Sponsored by the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. and the Buffalo Branch of the NAACP

The event is free, but RSVP’s are requested. RSVP online at bnmc-old.local/events/health/or by phone at 716.854.2662.

About the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc.

The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. (BNMC, Inc.) is the umbrella organization created in 2001 by the anchor institutions located within the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus. The BNMC, Inc. is a not-for-profit organization that fosters conversation and collaboration among its member institutions, the 55+ private sector companies on the Medical Campus, 12,000 employees, and the community; coordinates activities related to sustainable planning, development and enhancement of its 120-acre space; and works to create a distinct, innovative environment that provides opportunities for entrepreneurship and active and healthy living. The BNMC, Inc. also works with partners throughout the community to develop healthier, greener, and more economical solutions to meet the needs of our growing urban campus and the region as a whole. bnmc-old.local

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NAACP Director of Health Programs Comes to Buffalo for Health Talk

April 15, 2013 by BNMCin Campus-wide, Community, Event, Healthy Communities, Wellness

Partnering with the Buffalo Branch of NAACP, the BNMC will welcome Shavon Arline-Bradley, MPH, Director of Health Programs for the NAACP, to Buffalo. On Wednesday, April 24 at 6 p.m. at WNED Studios (140 Lower Terrace), Arline-Bradley will talk about power and privilege – and how to use both – in advocating for healthy communities.
Arline-Bradley received both her Bachelor of Science degree in Exercise Science and her Master Public Health degree in Community Health from Tulane University. Having participated in research examining minority health disparities, she has also led numerous community outreach initiatives to promote wellness and healthy communities. With 10 years of experience in public health, Arline-Bradley now focuses on promoting NAACP's national four-tiered wp-contentroach health agenda to improve the health and well being of communities of color. She is passionate about public health, healthy eating and physical activity and dedicated to providing local NAACP chapters with the resources they need to be successful.

Learn more about Arline-Bradley and NAACP health programs here.

RSVP to attend here. This free event is open to the public.

BNMC Hosts GO Party to Highlight Alternative Ways for Employees to Get to Work

March 5, 2013 by BNMCin Campus-wide, Employees, Event, Healthy Communities, Transportation, WellnessLeave a Comment

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, March 5, 2013

For more information, contact:

Kari Bonaro, Director of Communications
kbonaro@bnmc-old.local or 716.218.7157

MEDIA ALERT

BNMC Hosts GO Party to Highlight Alternative Ways for Employees to Get to Work

About 100 Employees Expected to Attend the Transportation-Themed Event Focusing on Smarter, Greener, Healthier Ways to Get to Work

WHAT: GO Party, a free hwp-contenty hour event for employees on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus (BNMC) who are members of GO BNMC. GO BNMC is a campus-wide movement to connect employees with healthier, greener, and affordable transportation options.

WHEN: Wednesday, March 6^th from 4-7pm

WHERE: Ulrich’s Tavern, 674 Ellicott Street

This free event ($5 for non-members) will highlight innovative and economical ways in which GO BNMC, a commuting and rewards initiative, aims to advance an innovative and sustainable transportation system that focuses on walking, bicycling, Metro Bus and Rail, and carpooling and vanpooling over drive-alone trips to and from 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.

GO BNMC is a campaign of the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. in partnership with NYSERDA & NYSDOT.

About the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc.

The Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. (BNMC, Inc.) is the umbrella organization created in 2001 by the anchor institutions located within the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus. The BNMC, Inc. is a not-for-profit organization that fosters conversation and collaboration among its member institutions, the 55+ private sector companies on the Medical Campus, 12,000 employees, and the community; coordinates activities related to sustainable planning, development and enhancement of its 120-acre space; and works to create a distinct, innovative environment that provides opportunities for entrepreneurship and active and healthy living. The BNMC, Inc. also works with partners throughout the community to develop healthier, greener, and more economical transportation solutions to meet the needs of our growing urban campus and the region as a whole. bnmc-old.local

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Business Sponsorships for GO BNMC Help Members Experience Surrounding Communities

February 11, 2013 by BNMCin Campus-wide, Community, Homepage, Wellness1 Comment

Support from local businesses in the area have poured in for GO BNMC, an initiative encouraging employees on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus (BNMC) to make healthier and sustainable transportation choices.
GO BNMC offers its members opportunities to enjoy the benefits of using alternative transportation methods, giving away rewards and incentives. When employees on the BNMC choose to bike, carpool, walk, take public transit or any other alternative mode to work, they walk the healthier walk and help to mitigate the amount of pollution released into the environment on a daily basis.

Follow @GOBNMC on Twitter for more news and updates.

May’s Monthly Smart Commuting Raffle & Incentives:

1 Gift Certificates to Oliver’s Restaurant

Free 30 Day Metro Pass

GO BNMC Sponsors:

Oliver’s Restaurant offers a wonderful decor and American and Italian food of excellent quality. A premier dining location, Oliver’s re-opened in 1983. Offering a delicious selection of wp-contentetizers, courses, wines and desserts, Oliver’s couples wonderful service with an aura of sophistication.

Betty’s Restaurant is located at 370 Virginia Street. Opening in October, 2004, Betty’s quickly won the hearts and loyalty of Buffalonians with its cheerful, sunny dining room, its friendly and funky staff, and its moderately priced eclectic cuisine. Betty’s food is simple, fresh, and creative, drawing on American and international influences, resulting in food that is wholesome, interesting, and unpretentious.

Located at 41 Virginia Place in Allentown, Fat Bob’s Smokehouse offers great service and our award-winning barbecue food. Authentic smoked meats straight from Fat Bob’s custom built Texas smoker, as well as traditional sides, seafood, wp-contentetizers, and desserts please every customer’s wp-contentetite. Fat Bob’s specializes in authentic barbecue and ice-cold beer.

Located at 33 Virginia Place, Mothers Restaurant main menu features wp-contentetizers such as steamed mussels with red curry and coconut milk broth or spaghetti squash with prosciutto, fresh sage and asiago cheese. Mothers serves unique salads, entrées and specials that are even more intriguing. Specials included two very interesting soups—curried shrimp and broccoli or tomato, sausage, and fennel. Appetizers and salads included freshly shucked Malpeque oysters on the half shell with cocktail and mignonette sauces or a salad of lump crab, avocado.

Located at 32 Allen Street, Madonna’s presents Italy on the plate and Buffalo in the heart. Madonna’s brings the Italian style of simple cooking and perfect ingredients to a city that embodies the same. With Italian style and Buffalo hospitality, this restaurant n Allentown is a great place to enjoy Italian cuisine.

The Dipson Theatres Market Arcade Film & Art Center is located in Downtown Buffalo, across from Shea’s Performing Arts Center. Showing the latest movies and offering concession items to help enjoy a great movie-going experience, the Market Arcade theater includes a cafe area and friendly service.

Located at 3 Symphony Circle, The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra provides a resident, professional, major symphony orchestra of artistic excellence and integrity to enrich the quality of life in Western New York through the presentation of live symphonic music and other musical events which educate and entertain the broadest po
ssible audiences within and beyond the Western New York region.

Located within the Hotel @ The Lafayette at 391 Washington Street, the Pan-American Grill & Brewery is a restaurant brewery with seating for 300-plus and a new mezzanine-level bar evoking the rich history of the former Lafayette Tap Room.

Located at 777 Main Street, Kaydara Noodle Bar is a restaurant that serves Vietnamese, Lao, Thai, Chinese, Korean and Japanese cuisine, including a centrally located 360 degree bar or seating overlooking the open kitchen or in the far corner with windows looking onto Main Street. Customers can also dine on the elevated platform or up in the balcony overlooking the Main Floor. Kaydara’s menu items include noodle-based dishes prepared in-house with a distinctive southeast Asian flare offering vegan and vegetarian options.

Located at 175 Allen Street in Allentown, Quaker Bonnet Eatery is the perfect spot for a breakfast meeting, brunch with friends, or lunch before a concert at nearby Kleinhans. Exhibits by local artists dot the walls, and Quaker Bonnet is a great source of information about cultural events in Western New York. All menu items and specials are available to enjoy at home. Specialty sandwiches, salads, soups, fresh pasta and potato salads daily specials (including hot entrees) & desserts are always available.

Tops Friendly Markets is a local grocery chain store that has grown since its establishment in the early 1920s. Located within every Buffalo neighborhood and throughout the region, Tops provides fresh produce, meat, seafood, baked goods, a carry-out cafe, deli and pharmacy services.

Located at 888 Main Street, Coco by Le Metro offers a variety of menu items including delicious sandwiches, soups, salads and more. Coco serves breakfast featuring fresh croissants, sfogliatelle pastries, breakfast focaccia, and egg sandwiches served on their heavenly English muffins, as well as coffee, tea and juice. Lunch features a full menu of salads, pasta dishes, sandwiches, burgers and more. Dinner is served with a basic dinner menu and changing seasonal dinner entrées.

Roswell Park in Top 6% of U.S. Centers for Blood and Marrow Transplant

February 7, 2013 by BNMCin Health care, Homepage, Member Institution(s), News, Wellness8 Comments

RPCI’s BMT patient results superior to expected outcomes

For the third consecutive year, outcomes for patients receiving blood and marrow transplants through the Blood and Marrow Transplant Program at Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI) are among the best in the nation. The latest report compiled by the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR) puts RPCI in the top 6% of U.S. centers performing allogeneic blood and marrow transplants, based on patient survival rates.

Allogeneic blood and marrow transplantation (BMT) involves infusion of bone marrow or blood cells from a donor, and is commonly used to treat many blood cancers, including some forms of leukemia, multiple myeloma and lymphoma. The CIBMTR (website: http://www.cibmtr.org) is an international research organization that collects and publishes data from centers that perform blood and marrow transplants. Its 2012 report includes outcomes data for 169 U.S. centers. The report, which analyzed related and unrelated donor BMTs performed between 2008 and 2010, places RPCI among 10 centers whose one-year survival results were above what could be expected based on the level of acuity or risk represented among the transplanted population.

The RPCI population was once again assigned to the highest risk category, indicating that the Institute’s BMT cases during the period covered were among the most complicated. Factors such as degree of tissue match/mismatch between donor and recipient and the type of transplant being performed can add risk to these already-complex procedures.

“These outcomes, which have been consistently high for the last three years, are a direct product of the multidisciplinary interaction on which our care is based,” noted Theresa Hahn, PhD, an Associate Professor of Oncology at RPCI and Director of Quality Assurance for the Blood and Marrow Transplant Program. “Our outstanding clinical team has put every effort into constantly improving the experiences of our patients, and that work involves many of Roswell Park’s teams, including our Department of Medicine clinicians, nursing staff, case management, our blood cell apheresis and processing lab, the departments of Laboratory Medicine, Pathology, Radiation Medicine, Radiology and Psychosocial Oncology, our clinical pharmacy staff, physical and occupational therapists, dieticians and housekeeping staff.”

Annie Deck-Miller, RPCI Senior Media Relations Manager; annie.deck-miller@roswellpark.org; 716-845-8593

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

January 3, 2013 by BNMCin Campus-wide, Community, Healthy Communities, Wellness2 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.

Pharmacy Opens on the BNMC, Serves Entire Community

December 13, 2012 by BNMCin Campus-wide, Community, Innovation Center, Wellness2 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, Wellness5 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, Wellness5 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

'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.

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

GO BNMC Rewards Your Smart Commuting Choices

September 21, 2012 by BNMCin Biking, Campus-wide, Environment, Healthy Communities, Homepage, Member Institution(s), Outreach, Parking, Transportation, WellnessLeave a Comment

GO BNMC offers employees on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus incentives for choosing to save money, improve their health, and help the environment by utilizing alternative transportation options. Now BNMC employees can get rewarded for choosing greener and healthier ways to commute to and from work.
A plethora of incentives including the monthly Smart Commuting Raffle, subsidized Metro Bus and Rail monthly and weekly passes, free GO Bike Buffalo memberships, discounted and free trial Buffalo CarShare memberships, and more are available. Sign up today at www.gobnmc-old.local.

Did you know that other than walking, biking is the greenest way to get around? There are bike racks throughout the Medical Campus. Coming soon will be the walk-in secure bike stations that can be accessed by GO BNMC members, allowing bikes to be stored in a dry location. Bike shelters that will be added to the University and LaSalle Stations in the near future, and a walk-in storage facilities will be added on the BNMC for those who want to store their bike out of the elements.

Signing up to become a GO BNMC member is quick and easy. Employees simply create a profile, begin logging commutes and voilà! Once the profile is created, members can enter into the monthly raffles.

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

Division within WCHOB Department of Pediatrics Receives $1.1 M Grant

September 17, 2012 by BNMCin Health care, Homepage, Member Institution(s), News, WellnessLeave a Comment

The Women & Children’s Hospital of Buffalo’s (WCHOB) Division of Neonatology received a grant for $1.1 M from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. A published SUPPORT report trial revealed that there is a lack of knowledge regarding oxygen supplementation, delivery and toxicity in newborn infants. The Optimal Oxygenation in Neonatal Lung Injury grant will be used to propel the research focusing on infant oxygen supplementation.
Neonatal resuscitation is necessary when an infant is asphyxiated. When an infant is born, its pulmonary circulation shifts in order to adjust to the environment outside of the womb. When that adjustment is not flawless and is met with immediate complications, the result can be a condition called Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn (PPHN) which can be fatal.

Dr. Satyan Lakshminrusimha, the Chief of the Division of Neonatology and Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University at Buffalo, is the grant’s principal investigator. His research focuses on the pathophysiology of the cardio-pulmonary transition – how fetal lungs change at birth in order to breathe air – and disorders of this transition such as birth asphyxia, PPHN, retained lung liquid and respiratory distress syndrome.

The Division’s research goals are to deliver the best critical care to infants with respiratory depression at birth and reduce oxygen toxicity; to discover the optimum management of newborns with PPHN; and to further the treatment of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), a gastrointestinal disease that disproportionately affects pre-term infants.

The grant’s disbursement over a 5-year period, with $235, 523 given to the Division each year will go towards the collection of physiological data that will help to establish guidelines for optimal oxygen delivery to premature infants.

The WCHOB has the region’s only level 4 unit in its Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, meaning it can provide immediate trauma care that can evaluate, diagnose, and stabilize patients, also offering a degree of surgery and critical care services. The hospital is Western New York’s center for state-of-the-art pediatric, neonatal, perinatal and obstetrical care.