For Agnes “Cookie” Reis, who underwent a cardiac catheterization procedure in January, HealthAlliance Hospital’s new Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory ensured that she got the advanced care she needed right in Kingston. And because HealthAlliance is a member of the Westchester Medical Center Health Network, when it turned out that Agnes needed open heart surgery, her transfer to Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla was seamless.
Agnes who was nicknamed “Cookie” because her mother said she was no bigger than a cookie at birth, has been through many medical challenges in recent years and says she is grateful for the care she received.
“I can’t speak more highly of WMCHealth,” said Agnes. “Every doctor, every nurse, every aide took a personal interest in me. I received wonderful, wonderful care in Kingston, and Valhalla. It was a very positive experience.’’
Ella’s Story: Brent Truitt and Ella, a Labrador/Shepherd, Visit Seniors at Mountainside
For residents of the Mountainside Residential Care Center, part of Margaretville Hospital, 7-year-old Ella, a Labrador/Shepherd mix, has been a bright spot in their days. Brent Truitt, Ella’s owner and handler, has been paying visits to Mountainside since 2017, and even scheduled virtual visits during the pandemic when residents needed TLC most.
“They light up and smile whenever they see her,’’ said Brent. “When I started this five years ago, I had no idea how powerful these visits would be. When we returned after COVID, they cried they were so happy to see her.’’
In March, Ella reached a milestone, making 10,000 one-on-one visits with residents.
More inspirational stories from Margaretville Hospital:
Andrea Russin was just 26 weeks pregnant with twins, when she unexpectedly gave birth at home to two premature infant boys that weighed just over 1 pound each who were not breathing on their own.
Andrea and her husband, Adam, called 911. Emergency medical technicians revived the babies and then rushed mother and newborns to Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital, a member of the Westchester Medical Center Health Network (WMCHealth). The hospital has the only Level IV Regional Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in the Hudson Valley.
Named Jacob and Samuel, the babies’ condition was dire. They were placed on ventilators, while the NICU staff carefully attended to their needs.
Tragically, Jacob passed away one day after his arrival. Samuel continued to fight, and Andrea, now on leave from her job, stayed by his side. In the months that followed, she and Adam became deeply familiar — and impressed — with the NICU’s caring staff.
“They treated us like we were their family. That’s not something that can be faked or manufactured. The nurses became such a part of our family, and our family story, that we will be forever grateful,” Adam says.
The staff grew just as fond of Andrea and Adam. “They are smart, capable people,” says Edmund F. La Gamma, MD, Chief of the Division of Newborn Medicine at Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital, noting that the couple pored over a textbook, Preemies: The Essential Guide for Parents of Premature Babies, which a faculty member gave them.
Sue Malfa, RN, nurse manager of the NICU, remembers the Russins’ expressiveness and strong connection to their son. “They would come in and cry but, at Samuel’s bedside, they would smile at his beautiful face or even laugh while talking to him,” she remembers.
Sadly, about three and a half months after his arrival at Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital, Samuel succumbed to his critical condition. “It was very quiet in the room,” Malfa recalls. “It involved everyone including the nurses and staff.”
The NICU staff’s tireless efforts to save Jacob and Samuel made a profound and lasting impression on the Russins. “The easy thing to do would be to focus on our sons dying. But instead, we focus on the love and the care that they received while they were here for their short lives, and that’s what means so much to us,” Adam says.
“Adam uses the word superheroes to describe the nursing staff and the first word that comes to my mind is angels,” says Andrea. “Because how could a stranger that doesn’t even know you, show such genuine compassion? It really makes the difference in what the experience is like when you’re watching someone else take care of your baby.”
With donations from family, friends, and community members, the couple established The Russin Family Fund, and uses its resources to support Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital’s NICU. They gifted more than 300 copies of Preemies, the textbook that they relied on during their ordeal, to other NICU parents.
The Russins generosity is helping to expand the care provided by the children’s hospital, which currently treats more than 30,000 critically ill infants and children each year from across the Hudson Valley and beyond.
The hospital’s neonatal group also provides on-site neonatologists to eight other local hospitals, to assist babies from the moment of birth. In Dr. La Gamma’s experience, survival outcomes at Maria Fareri Children Hospital’s NICU rival those of any facility worldwide.
“Beyond high-quality medical services, we also value high-quality communication and interaction,” Dr. La Gamma says. “We understand the heavy toll these situations take on families, and we are committed to supporting them as well.”
“I am forever grateful,” says Andrea. “I was so thankful and blessed that I ended up here sort of by accident in an emergency situation, in such an incredible hospital.” Adds Adam: “If you have to be in a children’s hospital, or your family has to be in a children’s hospital, there is no better place on the planet than Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital.”
More inspirational stories from Maria Fareri Childrens Hospital:
Zechia Mickler has a smile that can light up a room, but severe leg pain sidelined the dancing and music-loving 11-year-old. Her parents remembered the advanced care she received as a toddler at Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital in Valhalla, NY, a member of the Westchester Medical Center Health Network (WMCHealth). At age 1, doctors surgically repaired a life-threatening diaphragmatic hernia that moved her lower abdominal organs into her chest. A decade later, her parents knew WMCHealth could help, again.
They left their Beacon, NY home to drive to the closest emergency room — Maria Fareri Children’s Healthcare Services at MidHudson Regional Hospital in Poughkeepsie, NY. Zechia was admitted, then evaluated by a pediatric orthopedist who diagnosed her with slipped capital femoral epiphysisa (SCFE). The painful hip disorder occurs when the ball at the head of the femur slips off. Emergency surgery was recommended and Zechia transferred seamlessly to Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital. A pediatric orthopedic surgeon used screws to fix the SCFE on the problematic hip and did the same, as a preventative measure, to the other hip.
Thanks to the continuity of care at WMCHealth, Zechia left the hospital pain-free, sporting her megawatt smile and ready to dance, again.
“Maria Fareri Children’s Healthcare Services at MidHudson Regional Hospital is a big deal! It’s great to know that you don’t have to go far if your child has an emergency and that WMCHealth is always there to help. They treat all the kids like their own. Please donate to help keep this service in the community for future generations,’’ said Zechia’s mother Donnalee Mickler.
More inspirational stories from Maria Fareri Childrens Hospital:
Maryann Ey was born at Bon Secours Community Hospital in Port Jervis. In the intervening years she has been a patient, a nurse and now a volunteer.
Maryann said that she believes the significance of Bon Secours Community Hospital’s relationship with the Westchester Medical Center Health Network is important because the Network extends the local hospital’s capabilities by giving area residents access to broader resources for more advanced care.
“Support, gratitude and history – when I donate to Bon Secours Community Hospital, I support local healthcare and I share my gratitude with the staff. I also build upon my parents’ history of giving to the hospital,” said Maryann.
“My relationship with our hospital goes back many years. I was born here; I’ve received care here; I was a nurse here for nearly two decades of my 40-year nursing career. Now I volunteer here. I donate to the hospital because it’s one of the most worthy charitable causes in our community.”
Seven year-old Camryn Kellam was cheered by her family and her care team from Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital during a recent ceremony in which she was presented with an official sash designating her as a hospital ambassador for the Go the Distance Virtual Walk.
Camryn was born with Sickle Cell Disease and underwent a successful stem cell transplant at Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital in March 2020. Camryn’s oldest sister, Skylar, 21, was her life-changing donor. The transplant was successful and now Camryn remains free of the significant symptoms and complications associated with the disease.
Neurosurgical care at Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital also is on the horizon for Camryn as physicians also diagnosed Camryn with Moyamoya Disease, a rare and progressive condition of tortuous (twisted) blood vessels at the base of Camryn’s brain. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Moyamoya Disease can lead to aneurysms, strokes and other serious neurological complications.
Despite these challenges, Camryn is doing well and her spirits are high, which is why Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital, a member of the Westchester Medical Center Health Network (WMCHealth), chose Camryn to represent the thousands of acutely ill and injured children cared for by Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital each year.
Go the Distance is an annual walk and family day fundraiser for Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital. This is the 17th edition of the event that for the safety of participants will be conducted virtually. Families and organizations eager to participate are encouraged to walk a one-mile course of their choosing between now and November 7.
Those who wish to create a team and support the advanced care mission of Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital should call 914.493.2575 or visit Give.WMCHealth.org/GTD21 for team-building and fundraising instructions.
Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital is a Leading Research Center
Camryn’s stem cell transplant was conducted as part of a Sickle Cell Disease research trial led by Mitchell Cairo, MD, Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital’s Chief of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation. Study results reported in a peer-reviewed journal showed 100% subject survival and the elimination of symptoms and complications associated with Sickle Cell Disease. That research trial is one of several studies on Sickle Cell Disease, pediatric blood disorders and cancers for which Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital serves as the lead research site.
The Childhood and Adolescent Cancer and Blood Diseases Center at Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital, is an internationally-recognized, multidisciplinary diagnostic treatment and research center that extends comprehensive care while leading breakthrough research in cancer and blood diseases. Referring physicians or families seeking a consultation with one of the center’s cancer or blood disorder specialists should call 914.493.7997.
More inspirational stories from Maria Fareri Childrens Hospital:
As New York faced the frightening initial wave of COVID-19 infection and illness in March 2020, Elmsford resident Adell Davis and her family were among those first to be infected with the virus. Adell, her husband Lemuel and daughter Crystal, all experienced an ominous litany of symptoms — including a loss of taste and smell. They made an appointment to get tested at Westchester Medical Center, in Valhalla, the flagship of WMCHealth. All three were diagnosed with COVID-19.
Frightened, Adell and Crystal turned to Adell’s primary care physician of 24 years, Carol Karmen, MD, of WMCHealth Advanced Physician Services, Internal Medicine, in Hawthorne. “It was fortunate that they had already established care with us,” recalls Dr. Karmen. “They were comfortable with me already. When they needed help, they knew where to turn.”
Although the family recovered from the initial infection, Adell and Crystal continued to suffer from long term symptoms including fatigue, headaches and hair loss. It was what has come to be known as COVID Long Haulers Syndrome, a condition where symptoms linger long after the initial infection subsides. Fortunately for the family, Westchester Medical Center was one of the first to establish a program to monitor and treat the condition. The Davis family is improving and has regular follow-up appointments as part of WMCHealth’s Post-COVID Recovery Program.
Reflecting on her experience, Adell adds, “I’m happy that we have such a great doctor who cares so much about us. Dr. Karmen is an awesome physician and a caring person.”
Last summer, orthopedic surgeon John M. Hardcastle, MD, received a photo of his patient Jim McIntyre atop Mount Yale, a 14,200-foot mountain in Colorado. This was just four months after Dr. Hardcastle replaced the 67-year-old’s right hip at St. Anthony Community Hospital, in Warwick, a member of the Westchester Medical Center Health Network (WMCHealth).
McIntyre, a retired teacher, is active hiking mountains, climbing glaciers and sking. After experiencing severe hip pain, he consulted Dr. Hardcastle, who had been treating him for several years for osteoarthritis and degenerative joint disease. “You’ll know when it’s time to replace your hip,” he had advised McIntyre. That time had come.
“Despite the pandemic,” says Dr. Hardcastle, “Jim was wise not to delay his care; many safeguards had been put into place to ensure patient safety.”
Shortly after waking from a minimally invasive procedure to replace his hip, McIntyre walked down a hallway with a physical therapist and a walker and then up and down a flight of stairs. “I was already in less pain than before I came in,” he recalls. “I felt better than I had in three years.”
“The staff at St. Anthony Community Hospital was tremendous,” he said. “Dr. Hardcastle is also an athlete, so he understands how important it is to get back to an active life. He’s a terrific human being and surgeon.”
More inspirational stories from St. Anthony Community Hospital:
Adam’s Story: 12-year-old Bike Accident Victim with Complications Grateful for Care at Maria Fareri
What started as a fun camping trip, ended as every parent’s nightmare for Michelle Magwood, whose 12-year-old son Adam had a serious bicycle accident during the trip. Miles from nowhere, Adam was unresponsive when an ambulance arrived and he was ultimately flown to Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital in Valhalla. A team of critical care specialists cared for Adam during his flight to the hospital, a member of the Westchester Medical Center Health Network (WMCHealth), the region’s only Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Center.
In addition to head trauma that required neurosurgical evaluation, Adam had a broken arm when he arrived at Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital and was immediately admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. Under the care of a team of specialists that included pediatric trauma specialists, Adam’s recovery rapidly progressed, but “something wasn’t right,’’ says Michelle. “His breathing was horrible.”
Tali Lando, MD, a pediatric otolaryngologist (an ear, nose and throat specialist) on the team at Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital suspected scarring in Adam’s airway was the cause and received approval from Adam’s parents to perform an emergency tracheostomy.
Within a few days following the procedure, Adam’s airway returned to normal, and within two weeks, the tracheostomy was removed.
“We were able to successfully manage what could have been a very dangerous situation,’’ says Dr. Lando. “His family was very grateful to the entire team.’’
For Adam’s part, he says he was very relieved that the ordeal did not affect his voice, since he loves to act.
“At first, I thought I was going to die,’’ recalls Adam. “Then, I didn’t know if I was going to be able to speak again, but now I’m fine. It was pretty traumatic. But it was such good care at the hospital. It was like a miracle. The hospital was really nice. You could tell they really care.”
Brendan Fleming has a lot to be thankful for. The 23-year-old Mechanicville, NY personal trainer is in good health after suffering a stroke while at his grandparents’ home in Kingston.
Thanks to the quick action of his grandparents and the medical team at HealthAlliance Hospital in Kingston, Brendan is doing well. The medical team at HealthAlliance Hospital — a designated Primary Stroke Center — intravenously administered a drug called tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), which can dissolve stroke-producing blood clots.
“It’s like a miracle medicine,” says Fleming, who was transferred to the intensive care unit at Westchester Medical Center for three days, and was attended to by Ellis Lader, MD, a cardiology and critical-medicine physician with the WMCHealth Heart and Vascular Institute. Dr. Ellis discovered that the stroke was caused by a congenital heart defect, which the surgical team at Westchester Medical Center was able to correct.
Today, Fleming is back to his regular routine and working once again. He is grateful to his quick-thinking grandparents, as well as to Dr. Lader and the staff at HealthAlliance Hospital and Westchester Medical Center for their life-saving care. “They were always there, being supportive of me and telling me everything would be okay,” he says. “They did a great job.”
More inspirational stories from HealthAlliance Hospital:
Dr. David Asprinio is Director of Orthopaedic Surgery at Westchester Medical Center and Chairman of Orthopaedic Surgery at New York Medical College. He completed his undergraduate studies at the College of the Holy Cross and medical school at the University of Vermont. He completed his residency in orthopaedic surgery at Rhode Island Hospital and Brown University. He then completed fellowships in orthopaedic trauma at the Hospital for Special Surgery and orthopaedic spine surgery at the University of Maryland. He is board-certified in orthopaedic surgery and a member of numerous sub-specialty organizations.
Dr. Asprinio joined the medical staff of Westchester Medical Center in 1995 and has been recognized as one of the “Top Doctors” in Westchester County and the New York metropolitan area in each of the last eight years. In 2012, he was named one of the top 29 orthopaedic trauma surgeons in the United States. He is Program Director for the Westchester Medical Center-based New York Medical College Orthopaedic Residency Program. He is involved in clinical and basic science research activities and has lectured nationally and internationally. He has been published in peer-reviewed journals including The Journal of Orthopaedic Trauma, The American Journal of Sports Medicine and The Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgery.
Dr. Asprinio lives in Greenwich with his wife and three children.
Jeremy Abramson is Vice President of The Premier Collection, a family-owned and -operated group of Volvo, Subaru, Lincoln, Mazda and Volkswagen dealerships in the region. Mr. Abramson started his career at 16 washing cars and worked his way up through the ranks to running the day-to-day operations of the entire dealership. After graduating from Towson University in Maryland, he moved to New York where he met his wife, Amy.
Mr. Abramson is deeply committed to community involvement, sitting on several professional and charitable boards including the UJA Business & Professional Division, Westchester Medical Center Foundation (Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital), Jewish National Fund and Young Israel of White Plains, where he and his family have been members since 2011. Mr. Abramson also serves on the board of Blankets for Cancer, an organization founded in memory of his nephew, Jordan, that supports patients and families battling pediatric cancer.
Mr. Abramson and his wife, Amy, reside in White Plains with their three children, Sydney, Alexander and Emma.
Foundation Board activities: Governance/Nominating Committee; Recruitment Committee; Events Committee
Kara Bennorth has nearly 40 years of experience in public affairs, marketing, communications and development in both healthcare and the public sector. A member of WMCHealth since 1995, she served as Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer where she was responsible for overseeing in-network activities, driving organizational development and culture and inter-network and interdepartmental collaboration and coordination. With direct responsibility for the overall brand and image of the organization, Ms. Bennorth was in charge of communications, marketing and philanthropy/grants development for WMCHealth’s nine hospitals, six 501(c)(3) foundations, numerous ambulatory and community-based programs and several hospital-based practice locations.
During her tenure, the organization consistently ranked tops among hospitals in the region for image and quality and earned a national patient satisfaction award from Press Ganey, one of only two hospitals in the northeast to achieve this status. She also was part of the team that led the hospital’s first capital campaign to raise more than $25 million to build the region’s only children’s hospital. Ms. Bennorth holds a bachelor’s degree in English/Journalism from the State University of New York at Plattsburgh and an MBA from Franklin Pierce University. Kara has two grown children, Melissa and Ian, and resides in Putnam County with her husband, Michael Hubertus.
Foundation Board activities: Chair, Campaign Committee; Chair, Special Events Committee; Recruitment Committee; Critical Care Tower Campaign Cabinet
Dr. Robin Altman is a board-certified pediatrician. She got her B.S. in Psychobiology from Yale University and her M.D. from Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. She completed her pediatric residency at New York Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center and joined the faculty at New York Medical College and Westchester Medical Center in 1991. In 1995, Dr. Altman became the Chief of General Pediatrics and Pediatric Hospital Medicine, a position that she maintains today. In 2012, she became the Medical Director of Quality and Safety for Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital, and in 2021 she was appointed Vice Chair, Quality and Safety for the Department of Pediatrics. Dr. Altman continues to practice pediatrics in Hawthorne, NY, but her passion is quality improvement, patient safety and enhancing the healthcare experience for patients and their families.
