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OLEAN, NY - Upper Allegheny Health System (UAHS), parent company of Olean General Hospital and Bradford Regional Medical Center, elected its 2015 Board of Directors Officers at the organization’s annual meeting January 28. Five Board members were re-elected to three-year terms. The new officers include: Board Chair, Brenda McGee, Senior Vice President, Finance and Administration, St. Bonaventure University; Vice Chair, Muhammed Javed, M.D., Nephrologist at Olean General Hospital and Bradford Regional Medical Center; Secretary, Richard Roupe, Chief Financial Officer, Zippo Manufacturing Company; Treasurer, Martin Digel, President and CEO, Hamlin Bank and Trust. These individuals were also elected as Board officers of Olean General Hospital and Bradford Regional Medical Center. Prior to her election as Board Chair, Ms. McGee served as Vice Chair of the UAHS Board of Directors, Olean General Hospital Board of Directors and Bradford Regional Medical Center Board of Directors. ...

Olean General Hospital (OGH) and Bradford Regional Medical Center (BRMC), member hospitals of Upper Allegheny Health System (UAHS), are following the protocols recommended by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the New York State Department of Health and the Pennsylvania Department of Health. The potential for seeing an Ebola patient here in our region is very small, but our first obligation is to protect the public and make any and all preparations. Since early August, all CDC information regarding Ebola has been shared with medical staff and Emergency Department staff, including online educational programs for clinical staff. Since the confirmation of the first Ebola patient in the United States on September 30, hospitals across the country, including OGH and BRMC, have been working closely with public health officials, including CDC, and have been providing important information to physicians and clinical staff. UAHS recognizes that the health threat posed b...

Three people were hurt – one seriously – in a three car-crash at 11 o’clock this morning on Route 16 in Franklinville. State police say a vehicle driven by 29-year-old Erica Dainotto of Machias cross the center line and hit two other vehicles. Dainotto sustained multiple injuries and was taken by Mercy Flight to ECMC in Buffalo, where she is in serious condition. The driver of the second vehicle, 58-year-old Thomas Young of Hamburg, was taken by ambulance to Bertrand Chafee Hospital in Springville with neck pain. The third driver, 36-year-old Jill Davidson of Clarence Center, was taken by ambulance to Olean General Hospital, also with neck pain. Dainotto was charged with failure to keep right, and troopers say other possible charges are pending. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Olean, NY – Olean General Hospital (OGH) employees have rejected an attempt by the Communications Workers of America (CWA) to represent them at the hospital. “Our employees have said no to the CWA,” said Dennis McCarthy, hospital spokesperson. The final determination came today (Friday, May 23) when the ballots of 11 technical employees were opened by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) in the presence of officials from OGH and the union. The ballot count resulted in a CWA loss in its attempt to organize at OGH. The ballots had been sealed and sequestered since last October when employees of Olean General Hospital voted on whether or not to be represented by the union. The initial results showed 55 employees voting against union representation and 45 voting in favor. The union challenged the results with the NLRB. Following months of proceedings with the NLRB both sides agreed to waive future appeals and let the votes of the 11 technical employees stand and be opened...

A nurse who worked with pediatric patients at Olean General Hospital has pleaded guilty to child pornography charges. Willie Reid was charged after his home computer was seized in May of 2013. He had more than 600 images and videos of children involved in sex acts, some younger than 12. Some of the acts depicted violence as well. Reid was suspended from his job after charges were filed. He faces 10 years in prison when he’s sentenced in August. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

OLEAN, NY – Registered nurses at Olean General Hospital will hold an informational picket in front of the hospital on Wed., June 19 from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. The 220 RNs, who are members of the New York State Nurses Association, have been in contract negotiations with the hospital since November of last year. NYSNA is proposing safe minimum staffing levels at Olean General Hospital to ensure safe care for patients. New nurses are being forced to take on too many patients at one time, and they are burning out -- making recruitment and retention an ongoing problem and financial burden for the hospital. Patient safety is the nurses’ primary concern, but being forced to care for too many patients at one time puts that safety in jeopardy. Nurses have expressed that they often leave their shift “feeling like I did the very best I could do – with very little staff.” When planning RN staffing, acuity, or severity of illness, must be considered. The hospital currently staffs its units ba...

A nurse who works with pediatric patients at Olean General Hospital is accused of distributing child pornography. 46-year-old Willie Reid of Olean was arrested today for downloading videos and images of child porn using a peer-to-peer file sharing program. Some of the images and videos are of pre-pubescent children, and some depict violence. Hospital spokesman Dennis McCarthy says Reid has worked at the hospital since 2000, but hasn’t been to work since last week and is currently on suspension pending further review. Reed is being held until a detention hearing on Wednesday. He is charged with possession and distribution of child pornography. The arrest was part of a nationwide sting operation. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Olean General Hospital says the confirmed cases of hepatitis in Cattaraugus County have not been linked to re-use of insulin pens at the hospital. Hospital spokesman Dennis McCarthy says there is no documentation showing that any patient received an insulin injection from another patient’s pen. The hospital did send letters to nearly 2,000 patients last month saying they might have received insulin from pens used on more than one patient, which is against federal lines, and they suggested that the patients be tested for hepatitis and HIV. He says, although the 13 people who tested positive were patients at the hospital, it’s possible they had the disease before they were admitted because it can remain dormant for years. The Cattaraugus County Board of Health says the people who tested positive will be tested again using a different method in order to rule out false positive results. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Zippo President and CEO Greg Booth will be one of the speakers during a meeting Wednesday concerning the future of Route 219. The meeting will be hosted by the Cattaraugus County Legislature’s Route 219 Corridor Development Committee, and will feature leaders from industry, tourism, health and education. Representatives of state and federal legislators will also be attending the meeting. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss how completion of the Route 219 highway will create sustainable jobs, and promote development in the region. Representatives from Dresser-Rand, St. Bonaventure University and Olean General Hospital have also been confirmed as speakers for the meeting. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

OLEAN, NY – Olean General Hospital announced today that a careful internal review of hospital insulin pen use raised the possibility that their re-use may have occurred with some patients during the period November 2009 to January 16, 2013. The hospital has not identified a single patient who ever received an insulin injection from another patient’s insulin pen. Hospital officials also emphasized there is no documentation at this time of the transmission of any blood borne infections during the stay of any patient who received insulin from the pens during this period. Nonetheless, hospital officials recommend, as a precautionary measure, that those individuals who received insulin from an insulin pen at Olean General Hospital during the time period be tested for hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV. The letter to patients also recommends they be retested for HIV three months after their last insulin pen injection at Olean General Hospital and for hepatitis B and hepati...

Jeff Zewe, RN, MBA, chief nursing officer at Olean General Hospital (OGH) , has been appointed Chief Nursing Officer at Bradford Regional Medical Center (BRMC). Zewe will continue in his current position as Olean General Hospital’s chief nursing officer and began his new responsibilities at BRMC effective January 1, 2013. After a national search and assessing many external candidates for the CNO position at BRMC, it became clear that Jeff Zewe’s nursing experience and background were superior to that of any other candidates considered for this position,” said Timothy J. Finan, president and CEO of Upper Allegheny Health System, Bradford Regional Medical Center and Olean General Hospital. “By virtue of his work within the Upper Allegheny Health System, Jeff already has an understanding of BRMC and has existing professional relationships with many of the hospital’s nursing managers.” “Jeff Zewe’s depth of knowledge of clinical nursing, nursing education and training and ex...

Police have released the name of the woman who died when a man who was charged with DWI hit a car head-on Saturday in Cuba. 71-year-old Amelia Murray of Rushford was taken to Olean General Hospital after the crash at 6:45 p.m. on North Shore Road, but was then taken by Mercy Flight to ECMC in Buffalo, where she died two hours later. Police say 46-year-old William Felicetti of Niagara Falls left his hunting camp and was on Mount Monroe when he didn’t slow down for yield sign and hit a car driven by 51-year-old Kenneth McElheny of Rushford. Murray was a passenger in McElheny’s car. McElheny and his other passenger, 50-year-old Susan McElheny, were treated at Olean General for minor injuries and then released. Cuba Police say they are waiting for an accident reconstruction team to finish its work before deciding whether to charge Felicetti with anything besides driving while intoxicated. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Olean General Hospital’s newest health center celebrated a grand opening today. The region’s newest health care facility will begin treating patients on Monday, August 20. The new $1.4 million health center, located in the Delavan Plaza at 38 North Main Street (Route 16), Delevan, NY, will offer primary care and dental services to residents in and around northern Cattaraugus County. “Improving access to essential care is a priority and a commitment of Olean General Hospital”, said Timothy J. Finan, president and CEO of Olean General Hospital. “The Delevan Health Center delivers the convenience of close-to-home care in a new, modern and comfortable setting.” The new center is located in the Town of Yorkshire, identified by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as both a medically underserved area and a dental professional shortage area. “When we considered this opportunity it was clear to us that placing a health center with both primary care and dental services in the Vill...

OLEAN, NY -- Olean General Hospital (OGH) honored its nursing staff during the eighth annual Hilal Nursing Recognition Program in conjunction with National Nurses Week. The hospital presented its annual Nurse of Distinction Award to Deborah Stevens, RN, CCRN, CDN while Christina Fusco, LPN was named Outstanding LPN, and Ann Burke, RN was selected as Outstanding Staff Nurse. “We congratulate Deb, Christina, and Ann for their outstanding achievements,” said Timothy J. Finan, president and CEO of Upper Allegheny Health System and member hospitals Olean General Hospital and Bradford Regional Medical Center. “These three nurses each demonstrate leadership, and the passion and dedication that we value from our nurses. We thank them, and all of our nurses, for helping our hospital fulfill its mission of providing excellent care in response to the health care needs of the community.” The Hilal Nursing Recognition Program was established in 2005 by Drs. Ahmad and Naheed Hilal to express their ...

Olean, NY — Olean General Hospital and the family of the late Frank W. Higgins, former Governor of New York State joined in a ceremony today to recognize the philanthropy of Higgins family on the one-hundred year anniversary of family’s original land and financial donation to the hospital. “At a time when building a hospital in a rural community seemed a daunting undertaking, community leaders rose to the challenge and expanded the hospital for Olean, so that it would adequately meet the healthcare needs of the community. The Higgins family philanthropy helped make this dream come true”, said Timothy J. Finan, president and CEO of Olean General Hospital. Frank Wayland Higgins, born August 18, 1856, in Rushford, NY was the 35th Governor of New York State. A delegate to the 1888 Republican National Convention, and a member of the New York State Senate from 1894 to 1902, Higgins was Lieutenant Governor of New York from 1903 to 1904, elected in 1902; and Governor of New York from 1905 t...

An Olean man who injured an employee at Olean General Hospital who was treating him has been sentenced to a year in jail. 42-year-old Daniel Richter assaulted the person on August 4. He pleaded guilty to third-degree assault. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

An Olean man who injured an employee at Olean General Hospital who was treating him has pleaded guilty to third-degree assault. 42-year-old Daniel Richter assaulted the person on August 4. He’s scheduled for sentencing on February 27. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Jill Owens, M.D. has been elected as an alternate delegate to the American Medical Association House of Delegates by her peers at the Pennsylvania Medical Society during their recently held annual meeting. The AMA House of Delegates is the principal policy making body of the AMA. The forum represents the views and interests of member physicians who meet twice per year. Policy focus is given to health, medical, professional and governance matters, as well as broad principles within the scope of AMA business activities. Over 500 voting delegates serve alongside a corresponding number of alternate delegates and are selected by the organization they represent. Dr. Owens said she is “excited by the opportunity to serve the American Medical Association in shaping the direction of health care in the future.” Dr. Owens has served as the McKean County delegate to the Pennsylvania Medical Society since 2001. In addition, she served as the Pennsylvania Young Physician Section Delegate to the AMA...

By demonstrating compliance with The Joint Commission's national standards for health care quality and safety, Olean General Hospital has earned a three-year accreditation. The Joint Commission recently conducted an unannounced five-day, on-site evaluation of Olean General Hospital’s compliance with numerous quality and patient safety standards. The accreditation award recognizes Olean General’s compliance with The Joint Commission on a continual basis. Founded in 1951, The Joint Commission is dedicated to continuously improving the safety and quality of the nation's health care through voluntary accreditation. "Above all, the national standards are intended to stimulate continuous, systematic and organization-wide improvement in an organization's performance and the outcomes of care," said Mark Pelletier, R.N., M.S., executive director of The Joint Commission’s Hospital Programs for Accreditation and Certification Services. "The community should be proud Ol...

By George Nianiatus, senior writer/media manager Marketing and Communications Department Upper Allegheny Health System Chest discomfort may not always be an indication someone is suffering a heart attack but those patients have still been getting prompt diagnosis and treatment at Olean General Hospital’s Chest Pain Center. More than 90 percent of the nearly 250 patients admitted to the Chest Pain Center were diagnosed, discharged in less than 24 hours with appropriate treatment and instructions without having to undergo needless testing. A year ago the idea for a Chest Pain Center was introduced by Timothy J. Finan, President and CEO of Olean General Hospital and parent company Upper Allegheny Health System (UAHS), and William Mills, M.D., Senior Vice President of Quality and Professional Affairs at UAHS. They wanted to establish a state-of-the-art service to patients entering the Emergency Department with chest pain. The Center is for patients whose medical evaluations do not indicate...