SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga Hospital has been designated an “Age-Friendly Health System – Committed to Care Excellence” for focusing on what matters most to geriatric patients and their families. 

An initiative of The John A. Hartford Foundation and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, in partnership with the American Hospital Association and the Catholic Health Association of the United States, Age-Friendly Health Systems is part of a national movement to improve the health and healthcare of older adults. In New York, the initiative is supported by the Healthcare Association of New York State, which has launched the New York State Age-Friendly Health Systems Action Community. 

Saratoga Hospital earned the age-friendly designation by demonstrating that its approach to age-appropriate care is built on evidence-based practices, reduces harm, and emphasizes what matters most to patients and their families. 

“Hospital stays can be particularly stressful for older patients and their families,” said Dr. Mallory Otto, a geriatrician with Saratoga Hospital Medical Group – Geriatric Care. “Our age-friendly designation affirms that patients can count on us to meet the needs of older individuals, taking into account their priorities and personal definitions of quality of life.” 

“That’s an important message – and a source of comfort – in a hospital like ours, where more than 55% of patients are 65 and older, and nearly one-third are ages 75 and older,” she added. 

Otto teamed up with Cindi Lisuzzo, Director of Care Management, to lead the multidisciplinary age-friendly effort at Saratoga Hospital. Michelle Little, Director of Nursing on one of Saratoga Hospital’s medical-surgical floors, also played a key role in implementing the age-friendly framework, which is built around four essential elements known as the 4Ms” 

What Matters: Know and align care with each older adult’s specific health outcome goals and care preferences including, but not limited to, end-of-life care and across settings of care.

Medication: If medication is necessary, use age-friendly medication that does not interfere with what matters to the older adult, mobility or mentation. 

Mentation: Prevent, identify, treat and manage dementia, depression and delirium. 

Mobility: Ensure that older adults move safely every day in order to maintain function and do what matters. 

Nationwide more than 2,200 organizations are recognized as Age-Friendly Health System participants. Of those, less then 30%  – including Saratoga Hospital – have attained the higher distinction of Age-Friendly Health Systems – Committed Care to Excellence. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — A new business has launched in Saratoga Springs, offering post-pandemic self-care parties to nourish and rejuvenate the mind, body, and soul. It’s called Refresh. and its goal is to offer a wellness-centered option for bachelorette parties, baby showers, women’s retreats, corporate retreats, and rites of passage such as milestone birthday parties. 

The business is founded by energy, beauty, and mental health care expert Diane Palma. Palma is a Reiki II practitioner, and New York State and Florida licensed cosmetologist with a master’s degree in Community Counseling. She is certified by the National Wellness Institute in Workplace Wellness and worked for ten years as mental health clinical evaluator at Four Winds Saratoga. 

“Since 2013, I have been consciously transforming my life,” said Palma. “As a single parent of one college graduate and one college student, I also wanted to re-launch myself. 

Palma sold her house and quit her job of 21 years at Jean Paul Salon & Spa and moved to Saratoga Springs. She continues to work as a freelance celebrity hair and makeup artist and offers services at Lockettes The Salon in Ballston Spa. 

“My purpose for moving to this area was my natural attraction to the healing mineral springs. I immersed myself in the Saratoga Integrative Practitioners Network (SIPN) which opened so many doors for my personal development, self-discovery, and growth,” said Palma. “Now I would like to share the practices with others to educate them about self-care and mental health. I started Refresh. to help build back a cohesive community after we’ve all been in isolation for so long. It’s time to refresh ourselves.” 

Parties can be done in-person or virtually, and offer a menu of beauty, wellness, and energy workshops and services focusing on creative, physical, spiritual, financial, and social wellness. Possible options include how to make jewelry; painting classes; how to style hair, makeup, and nails; tours of the mineral springs and of Yaddo; massage; pilates; yoga; Reiki; sound healing; aromatherapy; and many more options. 

Parties start at $100 per person and can be booked online at www.refreshsaratoga.com 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Dr. Riju Banerjee has joined Saratoga Hospital Medical Group – Cardiology. He is one of 11 providers in the growing practice. 

Banerjee is a member of the American College of Cardiology. He sees patients at Saratoga Hospital Medical Group – Cardiology at 254 Church St., Saratoga Springs. Appointments are available by calling 518-886-5080.

Banerjee also provides cardiology consultation to inpatients and outpatients at Nathan Littauer Hospital. This service is provided by agreement with Saratoga Hospital in its capacity as affiliate of the Albany Med Health System. 

For more information on Saratoga Hospital and Saratoga Hospital Medical Group – Cardiology, go to www.SaratogaHospital.org 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — There are new tools on the market to make investing more accessible, brought to you by a company that just launched here in Saratoga Springs.

Brothers Brett and Taylor Sohns left their careers on Wall Street, moved to Saratoga Springs along with family, and shifted focus to make investing easier for do-it-yourself investors. With a combined 25 years of experience, the Sohns brothers founded LifeGoal Investments to help individuals achieve their life goals through financial security and home ownership with easy-to-understand investment products.

On Sept. 9, the Sohns brothers officially launched LifeGoal Investments and its initial public offering for its first ever, patent-pending investment funds. Setting LifeGoal Investments apart from the rest is this patent pending investment process intended to help control volatility and manage risk, allowing people to invest in the stock market while focusing on their biggest expenses – home, children, and vacation. 

Their flagship product, the LifeGoal Homeowner Investment ETF (HOM), intends to help individuals responsibly invest and save for a future down payment on a home.

“This is the first one designed in the world – the first ever patent-pending Homeowner Investment right here in little old Saratoga Springs,” said Taylor. “You’ve got the potato chip that was invented here, and now you also have the Homeowner Investment.”

Read the full story on Saratoga Business Report www.saratogabusinessreport.com.

SARATOGA SPRINGS/ALBANY — Daigle Cleaning Systems is looking to expand in the Capital Region and has taken the first steps to do so by acquiring Clean Care of Saratoga. 

Derek Foster, President and co-founder of Daigle Cleaning Systems, Inc. has roots in the Capital Region and is following in his family’s footsteps of entrepreneurship. Daigle Cleaning Systems opened in 2011, and with 2021 marking their 10-year anniversary, the company is looking to establish itself in the Saratoga area. 

Daigle Cleaning Systems has just recently acquired Clean Care of Saratoga, which will service Saratoga, Warren, and Schenectady counties. Clean Care of Saratoga will be branded under the Daigle Family of Companies and will operate with a similar model, offering the same services as Daigle Cleaning Systems. And, as their offices expand to areas outside of Albany, Daigle Cleaning Systems is looking to expand their workforce as well. 

“We are looking to move up the Northway,” said Foster. “We are hoping to expand quickly in the Saratoga and Malta area.” 

Read the full story on Saratoga Business Report www.saratogabusinessreport.com.

It’s almost that magical time of year again, when seemingly every second or third commercial on television is for Medicare health insurance. That time of year when retired football players and B-list actors take to the airwaves to beseech you to call a national 1-800 number to discuss important health and financial decisions with someone you’ll never meet and never speak with again. Yes, the Medicare Annual Enrollment Period—with all its conflicting messages and confusion—is almost upon us.

The Medicare Annual Enrollment Period occurs each year between October 15 and December 7 and any change made during this period is effective on January 1. This is an important time of year for Medicare beneficiaries because most Medicare Advantage and Part D drug plans evolve from year to year. These changes are communicated to plan members around this time of year, and this is the most common time someone may switch plans to find something more suitable.

But with so many advertisements and confusion, how can you cut through the noise to find the plan that is right for you? We believe that using a local broker with access to numerous insurers can help to match you with the Medicare plan that best suits your needs. The key, however, is finding a broker that is impartial and has contracts with many plans in the marketplace. Additionally, a good broker seeks to build long-term relationships with clients and guides them when updating plans for changing needs.

Given the health and financial implications of making Medicare changes during the Annual Enrollment Period, these decisions are too important to be left to guesswork and slick advertising. Instead, we believe that everyone should have access to a trusted local broker who is impartial, service-oriented and supportive of your needs. To see if consulting a local health insurance broker can assist you in making better Medicare decisions, please call Bruce or Logan at Blue Chip in Saratoga at 518-584-8057 or visit www.1bluechip.com.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Last week, I noticed that New York City will again be hosting the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade with spectators. The City of Schenectady is also planning to host their Holiday Parade the Saturday before Thanksgiving. In early August, I was in Schuylerville as that community hosted their Turning Point Parade. I was a volunteer at the recent Malta 5K and I know Clifton Park did a parade, concert and fireworks on July 4th. In Saratoga Springs, the Flag Day Parade took place on Sept. 11.

Our City has a history of hosting events all through the year that attract local residents and visitors. In 2019, I believe the City issued permits for more than sixty events. The pandemic caused most events to be cancelled. We didn’t have First Night, Chowderfest, Firecracker 4, All American July 4th Festival, the Fall Festival, the Christopher Dailey Turkey Trot, or the Victorian Streetwalk, among others for a year or more.

In July, I had an absolute blast taking part in the Firecracker 4. I was one of the 2,000 runners who ran through the streets to celebrate our nation’s Independence Day. Bob and Mary Vanderminden, Peter Goutos, Keith VanVeghten and a team of volunteers made this happen. They pulled if off in just about thirty days. The city was a huge help. The Saratoga County Chamber, Discover Saratoga, the DBA, and the City Center helped too. We all thought seeing photos of a couple of thousand people running down Broadway would lift people’s spirits and make it clear that Saratoga was open again.

Events are big business for many in Saratoga. They also help to bring locals together and to enhance the quality of living here. The people they attract downtown often spend money generating sales and occupancy taxes. In some cases, the money raised supports vital services of value to our neighbors. As we continue to recover from the pandemic, I hope we can build these events back better.

Here’s three suggestions to do this:

1. Let’s allow event organizers to secure a two-year permit. This could be reserved for organizations that do their event on the same day, same time and same place every year. It will save the organizers time preparing applications and City official’s time reviewing them. Instead of filing a new application every year for the same event, the organizers should be required to detail just any changes they might be making from one year to the next.

2. Establish a fixed fee for each type of event. Right now, the charges from the city can vary from year to year. Every increase in costs assessed by the city means the host organization has to raise more money. These fees should be fixed for the two year period of the contract as well. The reality is sponsor dollars for events was already getting challenging before the pandemic. It could get even harder now. 

3. Host an annual meeting with all event organizers every year. It could be in person or via Zoom. This might be really important with so many new people likely to be taking office in the New Year. Better communication almost always leads to better coordination. State rules often change as do security measures or now more than ever public health protocols. Getting a clear sense early in the year as to what events will be held could help everyone to plan better. This might also be a great forum to talk about sharing volunteer lists or collectively purchasing items that all events need.

Several years ago, we finally created a single online calendar to promote our local events. This action had been talked about for years. Getting this done has made it easier for residents and visitors to find out what’s happening in Saratoga. It also made it easier for event organizers who can now post their event information on any of the participating sites knowing that information is fed to websites including: www.saratoga.com, www.saratoga.org, www.discoversaratoga.org, www.saratogaspringsdowntown.com, www.saratogacitycenter.org, and www.skidmore.edu. 

Restarting our community’s signature events is important. This collaboration means we can promote them like never before. Now we just need to make them a little simpler to organize and less expensive to host. That’s how we can build back better!

LAKE LUZERNE — The Double H Ranch announced the election of a new slate of officers to its Board of Directors following the Annual Meeting in August. The new appointments are Charlie Crew, Chairman; Lisa Moser and Kevin Johnson, Co-Vice Chairs, Charlene Wood, Secretary; and Michael F. Zovistoski, Treasurer. 

The Double H Ranch also welcomed Dr. Angela Antonikowski, Associate Dean of Professional Wellbeing at Albany Medical College and Albany Med’s Inaugural Chief Health Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Officer, to the Board of Directors. Dr. Antonikowski is trained as a Clinical Psychologist with a specialty in child and adolescent Health Psychology. 

ALBANY — Shepherd Communication & Security, a leading provider of advanced technology solutions for electronic and specialty security systems, and CSI Protect, the exclusive U.S. distributor of SelectaDNA forensic marketing and technology, has announced the first successful use of synthetic forensic technology as a crime-fighting tool in the Northeastern United States. 

Deploying innovative SelectaDNA technology, synthetic DNA evidence was captured following an April 23 larceny at Truman Jewelers at 71 North Pearl Street in downtown Albany. In that incident, a suspect made off with approximately $4,000 in merchandise. Unbeknownst to him, he was “misted” by a forensic Criminal Tagging System, which had been installed at the store by Shepherd Communication & Security as part of a pilot crime suppression initiative. 

The forensic marking, or synthetic DNA, is applied covertly using a water-based, non-toxic solution that is invisible and remains on a suspect’s skin or clothing for months after being misted, enabling authorities to scientifically and irrefutably identify them long after a crime is committed. In this case, after the alleged perpetrator was apprehended by Albany Police, forensic mist was detected on his person using a special frequency UV light. The evidence is now available to prosecutors as the case proceeds through the legal system. 

“As a downtown business owner for over three decades, I’m committed to creating a safe and secure environment in which my customers can shop and my staff can work with peace of mind,” said Paul Crabbe, Owner of Truman Jewelers. “This technology provides an added layer of protection and combined with our proactive policies and the professional work of our law enforcement agencies, ensures we can focus on doing business and contributing to our community.” 

Each unit of SelectaDNA contains a unique forensic code associated with a specific location, which can scientifically connect a criminal to a particular crime scene. The Criminal Tagging System can be activated in numerous ways, including a panic button, money clip, remote video monitoring, intrusion and access control systems and sensors. 

SelectaDNA forensic marketing technology has been used in more than 30 countries over the past decade, but only recently made its way to the United States. The system at Truman Jewelers is the first in the Northeast,, but is expected to be joined in short order by entities ranging from retailers to financial institutions seeking to elevate their safety and security protocols. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Julie & Co. Realty announced Courtney Shaner as the newest member of their brokerage in Schroon Lake. Courtney loves all aspects of real estate, especially helping her clients find one-of-a-kind unique homes. She prides herself on guiding her clients through the real estate buying and selling process from start to finish. 

For more information, call 518-350-SOLD (7653), email info@juliecorealty.com or visit www.JulieCoRealty.com.