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Explore Hudson Valley JANUARY 2015 • ULSTER PUBLISHING • WWW.EXPLOREHUDSONVALLEY.COM A Wintry Mix Seasonal activities plus The State of Our Valley Skiing the Berkshires & Catskills, the Culinary Institute's long reach, what's up with the real estate market, long drives for battling cabin fever, creative economies and the threat of gentrifi cation, and what to do with the kids this time of year. Winter 2015 2 | Explore Hudson Valley The healthcare industry is evolving, thanks to policy changes, socioeconomic shifts and technological advances. Amid these changes, HealthAlliance of the Hudson Valley is ensuring we consistently provide the best possible care to every patient today, while becoming the hospital of tomorrow. HealthAlliance is among the state’s leaders in mounting a new strategy for healthcare delivery. The new strategy is based on maximizing value for patients and families — that is, achieving the best outcomes, at a lower cost, with the highest patient satisfaction. $WWKHVDPHWLPHZH·UHZRUNLQJZLWKORFDOGRFWRUVWRUHSODFHWKHLQGXVWU\·VIUDJPHQWHGVWUXFWXUHZLWKDXQLÀHGV\VWHP organized around patients and their needs. This is known as clinical integration. Clinical integration is a strategy, led by area physicians with We’re working on plans to convert the other campus HealthAlliance support, to create a dedicated, multidisciplinary, into a “medical village.” The medical village will be similar mutually reinforcing network of local doctors working together WRDKHDOWKFDUHPDOO³DRQHVWRSGHVWLQDWLRQZKHUH to provide patient care. consumers will have easy access to outpatient, preventive and other health and wellness services. Under the new network, the doctors and other clinicians will treat not simply a disease but rather the “whole person” along Key to the medical village will be enhanced access to the continuum of care. SULPDU\FDUHSK\VLFLDQVDOVRNQRZQDVJHQHUDOSUDFWLWLRQHUV We imagine they will be the “anchor,” while smaller “boutique” This means that while they treat a disease, they will also healthcare providers in the building could offer child and adult consider related conditions, complications and circumstances day care, various types of rehabilitation, prescription drugs, that commonly occur along with it — such as kidney and eye behavioral health, diabetes care and health education. disorders for patients with diabetes. Compatible retailers such as a beauty shop and coffee bar might also be there. They’ll also engage patients and their families in care — such as by providing education and counseling, encouraging adherence HealthAlliance has signed a letter of intent with to treatment and prevention protocols, and supporting Westchester Medical Center, which means we’re now in behavioral changes such as smoking cessation or weight loss. active discussions with the academic medical center about DIÀOLDWLQJ Network members will work as a team, whether they’re in the same building or in different locations. HealthAlliance and Westchester Medical Center both determined that joining forces would improve our hospital Which brings us to three other proposed changes: systems’ ability to provide healthcare services in our Consolidating HealthAlliance Hospital to a single communities. We at HealthAlliance also found the vision campus in Kingston. and goals of Westchester Medical Center to resonate greatly with those of our hospital system. $GDSWLQJWKHRWKHUFDPSXVWRHQULFKSDWLHQWKHDOWK $IÀOLDWLQJZLWKDODUJHUKHDOWKV\VWHPSDUWQHU HealthAlliance and Westchester Medical Center believe a strategic alliance would strengthen both hospitals — but, more We plan to bring all HealthAlliance Hospital LPSRUWDQWZHDOVREHOLHYHWKHDIÀOLDWLRQZLOOOHWXVHQKDQFH services to one campus. The move, involving our ability to provide a full complement of services so vital to substantial facility upgrades, will improve patient care meeting the greater Kingston area’s healthcare needs. DQGSURYLGHPRUHHIIHFWLYHDQGHIÀFLHQWRSHUDWLRQV At HealthAlliance, we are looking to pioneer a model of The innovative physical space on the single campus will innovative, connected care in the region. We believe this will be designed to improve the overall patient experience. be an exciting year and we look forward to sharing news of Needless to say, everything will be located in one spot, our developments. which will be convenient for patients, staff and doctors alike. Indeed, we’re very optimistic as we build the hospital of Assuming we receive regulatory approvals, we expect to begin WRPRUURZ³DKRVSLWDOWKDWGHOLYHUVVWDQGDUGVHWWLQJPHGLFDO the transition this year. care, while reducing healthcare costs, improving patient out As part of the transition, we also have exciting plans comes, and ultimately improving and sustaining the health and for the remaining hospital campus. ZHOOEHLQJRIWKHGLYHUVHFRPPXQLWLHVZHVHUYH Exceptional Healthcare Close to Home hahv.org Winter 2015 Explore Hudson Valley | 3 A wintry mix inter’s here, sing goddamn. Who, looking out as the dark- ness punctuated by various forms of precipitation and chill, doesn’t echo Ezra Pound’s revi- sion of the great Chaucer at this Wtime of year? Some of us struggle to see this time of year in different terms. The new year’s just ar- rived. While some look back, others look forward to deeper analysis of the trends affecting our lives. And maybe even prognostication! And then there are those who thrill at the vari- ous opportunities this time of year offers, from skiing local mountains to ice skating and long drives. Talk about a wintry mix! Paul Smart Among our contributors in this issue: Susan Barnett is a licensed real-estate sales- person affiliated with Gary DiMauro Real Estate. She lives in West Hurley and has been an anchor, producer and reporter for WRGB-TV and was Hudson Valley bureau chief for WAMC Northeast Public Radio. She’s the author of the short-story collection, “The View From Outside,” published by Hen House Press. Jennifer Schwartz Berky is principal of Hone Strategic, LLC, an urban planning and revitalization consulting firm in Kingston. She currently serves on the boards of the Hudson River Valley Greenway, DION OGUST Re>Think Local, Kingston Historic Landmarks This month’s Explore Hudson Valley — A the world making snow, but also build up a large Preservation Commission, KingstonCitizens.org Wintry Mix cover is by David Slutzky, whose portfolio of striking winter images. David is a and Kingston Land Trust’s rail-trail committee. family owns and operates Hunter Mountain in graduate of The Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Jennifer Brizzi has lived in the Hudson Valley Greene County, where his prowess as a master Arts, and president of the Greene County Coun- since 1996, writing about food since 1997, current- snowmaker has not only allowed him to travel cil for the Arts. ly from Rhinebeck. Describing herself a writer- teacher-cook, she writes for newspapers, maga- zines and books, does recipe development, and KIWANIS ICE ARENA cooking demonstrations and teaching. She also writes a weekly health column for Ulster Publish- Open 7 days a week with various times for public skating ing. See her website atwww.jenniferbrizzi.com and Public Open Skating Admissions her blog at www.tripesoup.com. $6 for Adults, $4 for Children 6-18, Children 5 & Under are Free. Carol Clement is owner with her husband John Public Drop In Hockey/Sticks & Pucks $8 for Adults, $6 for Children Harrison of the Bees Knees Café and Heather Ridge Farm in Preston Hollow. They raise, sell Skate Rentals - $3 a pair. Hockey and Figure Skates available and serve animal-welfare-approved grass-fed and Skate Sharpening - $5 a pair pastured livestock and poultry. The café and farm store are open every weekend year-round. www. Visit our website for the skate times heather-ridge-farm.com for every public session Erica Chase-Salerno, an energy healer and BIRTHDAY PARTIES • PRO SHOP founder of HudsonValleyParents.com, writes about area activities for families in the Hudson 845-247-2590 | kiwanisicearena.com | 6 Small World Ave, Saugerties Valley in her weekly Kids’ Almanac column in Ul- ster Publishing’s Alm@nac. Paul Smart is a writer and editor for Ulster Publishing of two decades’ standing. He has ed- ited a number of other regional weekly and bi- weekly newspapers and served as a radio host on WGXC-FM in Hudson, Catskill and Acra. He lives in Greene County. Lynn Woods, long-time Kingston resident and Ulster Publishing writer, is co-author of “Adiron- dack Style: Great Camps and Rustic Lodges” and co-director of the film “Lost Rondout: A Story of Urban Removal.” — 38 YEARS GOING STRONG — Shingles • Wood Shakes Rubber Roofi ng Systems Custom Cooper Bay Windows Metal Standing Seam No Subcontractors Ever! KINGSTON POUGHKEEPSIE (845) 331-9291 (845) 332-4252 Winter 2015 4 | Explore Hudson Valley DAVID SLUTZKY Second time around Yes, you can get like a bad winter. We’re boomers. As much as we I even have an ID that I’m supposed to present deny it, body parts are starting to wear out. when I go to an airport. back to skiing here My left knee. Years of skiing and hiking these I want to ski again. I’m nervous about it, mountains I love, and in the past ten years farm- though, and want to proceed cautiously as I test ing have taken a toll. Three years ago I had ar- the ability of my new knee. Starting over. So in- By Carol Clement throscopic surgery to clean up a ragged meniscus, stead of thinking about which mountain will have and remove floating fragments that were causing the best conditions on those blue diamonds, I’m used to be all about skiing. Downhill constant swelling and pain. The surgery should considering what the beginning and intermediate skiing. I skied every week that the Catskill ski have helped but instead it seemed to provoke ar- areas have to offer. My fantasy is to take a couple areas were open, for fun or for work. I didn’t thritis to take over. The next two years my knee runs on easy gliding beginner trails, pat myself on need to carry trail maps to any of the Catskill became less and less flexible, stiffening up when- the back, and graduate to an intermediate level if ski areas.