February 2017

In this issue of Strictly Business our cover article features the dramatic $15 million expansion and redo of the Meadowbrook Healthcare facility in Plattsburgh. Offering rehabilitation services and skilled nursing care, Meadowbrook has embraced new ways of serving clients in what they call “neighborhoods.” Don’t miss our interview with CEO Paul Richards and the accompanying photos! You will be amazed.

A chronic problem in health care is the short supply of general practice physicians, but when we visited Jennifer Facteau-Rabideau at her office on the Tom Miller Road in Plattsburgh, we learned the many ways nurse practitioners are addressing that need.

The merger of the University of Vermont Medical Center, CVPH Medical Center, Elizabethtown Community Hospital, and Central Vermont Medical Center has now been expanded to include Alice Hyde Hospital. Make sure to read our article about Alice Hyde, a small community hospital that has been meeting the needs of the Malone area for more than 100 years.

Condo Pharmacy in Plattsburgh, operated by Steve and Dave Moore, is the last remaining independent pharmacy in the region. The brothers are proving every day that there is still room in the marketplace for small family businesses that provide great service.

Also in this issue, Tish Biesemeyer of Burnham Benefit Advisors in Lake Placid helps Strictly Business readers sort out what can be expected in the transition from “Obamacare to Trumpcare,”

While a focus on health care often means an emphasis on physical health it is critical to recognize the importance of mental health as well. We offer two articles in this issue that showcase how our area is meeting that need: a program for children that brings services into the schools and another that expands mental health services for all.

And then there is our Insight feature with Tom Moran, a fixture at SUNY Plattsburgh, who is known for his dedication to the campus and community. Tom, the former director of the Ethics Institute, came to Plattsburgh as an undergraduate and has left an indelible mark on his adopted community. We wish him a well deserved retirement.

Ask people what innovations they hope to see in health care during the next five to 15 years, and they might first think about medical discoveries like the cure for cancer or a vaccine against Ebola. However, most of the innovations that healthcare leaders are excited about have less to do with medical advances and more to do with improving how health care is accessed, provided and paid for. That makes sense. It is time for innovation. Time for healthcare professionals to question the old ways and replace them with new approaches for how care is delivered and how it is paid for. If that happens, it will be good for all of us, and that’s good for business.