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Move Along, Inc.: Enhancing Abilities for All

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By: Liz Landry

Ten years ago, Mike Smithson suffered a spinal stroke and became an incomplete paraplegic, only able to walk and stand up with the help of assistive equipment. As a Navy veteran, retired air-traffic controller, husband and father, the following years were very difficult and involved re-learning his entire way of life.

In 2016, Mike attended an event hosted by the VA hospital and a not-for-profit organization called Move Along, Inc. There, he saw other disabled veterans playing sports, being active and genuinely enjoying life. He was so inspired by the participants that he became involved with Move Along and learned how to play adaptive sports himself, re-capturing his passion for life with every new activity he experienced.

Fast-forward to 2022 and Mike is now the newly elected board president of Move Along, working to achieve the organization’s goal of helping many more physically limited people re-gain enjoyment of life through adaptive sports and human connections.

In operation for over 20 years, Move Along has its roots in the still-active wheelchair basketball and sled hockey teams, the Flyers, which began in 1979. Move Along’s mission is to provide and promote inclusive adaptive sport and recreation opportunities for people with disabilities and allies.

The organization aims to make a difference for disabled people of every age and from every walk of life: veterans, stroke victims, amputees, the elderly, those born with cerebral palsy, spina bifida and other congenital disorders, and the list goes on.

The main goal of Move Along is to make adaptive equipment as available as possible to everyone in the community. Move Along owns many types of devices that are adapted for use by people with varying levels of physical abilities. Recumbent chairs, hand cycles, tennis chairs, wheelchairs for wheelchair basketball, sleds for sled hockey, kayaks equipped with pontoons, and many more, are all available for borrow or rent. Additionally, the organization sponsors and coordinates several events and sporting activities, such as wheelchair basketball and sled hockey tournaments, as well as stroke victim support group meetings, to name a few.

As the organization evolves, another of Mike’s initiatives for Move Along is to build partnerships with other like-minded organizations and increase educational awareness about interacting with disabled people. “We want able-bodied people to engage with us and not ignore us,” Mike explained.

People with physical disabilities often feel marginalized and disconnected from the wider communities they live in. When these individuals get the chance to actively participate in sports and other recreational events, their spirits are uplifted and their excitement is unmistakable.

“We want to reach people to tell them they should not be alone, they should not be looking out the window at their friends riding their bikes – they should be able to get out and play. I know how life-changing it can be,” Mike said.

As a 501(c)(3) non-profit, Move Along accepts donations to help reach its goals and continue to provide adaptive equipment for the community. All are welcome to get involved and help live out the organization’s mission.

To learn more about Move Along and how you can help or lead others to utilize their services you may visit their website at www.MoveAlongInc.org or call 315-350-1726.

Wilkins Mechanical: ‘I accept this challenge’

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By: Tami Scott

Susan Heffernan- Owner, President & CEO

Condensate Repair Manhole #3, Farrell Hall SUNY Delhi

Science III Chiller Upgrades, SUNY Binghamton University

When Susan Heffernan was presented with a chance for change, she grabbed it. It wasn’t part of her plan though it certainly served its purpose.

Heffernan had just enrolled at the Whitman School of Business at Syracuse University to further her education. She had been working as an accountant but felt an inner tug to do something different. Earning a master’s degree in her field was a sensible, safe route to start.

One phone call changed everything.

She learned through a friend that the owners of Wilkins Mechanical were looking to retire and sell their business. Her friend, who was aware of her current discontent, encouraged her to inquire. And so, she did.

“The broker asked if I’d ever considered owning my own business and I said ‘well, not consciously,’” Heffernan said, noting that for years she always worked hand-in-hand with business owners. “I guess you could say in a way, I’ve always been in training for this very moment, it didn’t take long for me to realize that this was the right path to take, so I gladly accepted the challenge and the process began.”

On Dec. 30, 2021, Heffernan became a business owner. For 11 months leading up to that moment, she embraced every occasion to learn from the people who built it.

“I worked alongside the previous owners for a few months with the intent of hitting the ground running a little faster upon closing,” Heffernan said. “That experience certainly helped me gain some insight on what challenges they faced and what I might expect.” 

Heffernan credits her mom and grandmother — her biggest heroes — for instilling the strength to take challenges and leaps of faith because, “if you don’t you never really know what you are capable of, and without risk, there’s no reward, right?”

Looking back, Heffernan said never once did she feel like she couldn’t do it. “I had the attitude of ‘yes, you can do this.’ The experiences I’ve gained over the years have prepared me for this.’”

Heffernan is in the process of working on obtaining her WBE certification, which she hopes to achieve by the end of 2023. “Through research, webinars, and speaking with other certified WBE business owners, I know the process is quite extensive,” she said.

Challenges and rewards

When asked what are the challenges and rewards of this new venture, Heffernan responded by saying that everything is rewarding and challenging all at once.

“They feed each other,” she said. “It’s exciting to be faced with a challenge or obstacle, and finding the solution or resolution to those situations are the reward.”

Before pursuing a shift in her career, Heffernan worked in finance for almost ten years at Martin-Zombek Construction. “We were all encouraged to “think like a business owner,” “think like an entrepreneur,” she said. “At that time, it was practice; now, it’s the real deal.”

Stopping the “I’m an employee” thought process was one of Heffernan’s biggest challenges. Her background at Martin-Zombek, however, prepared her well for the new path she walks today.

“I’m grateful to have had the experience at Martin-Zombek,” she said.

Though Heffernan is the new leader of this female-owned business, she’s mindful of each team member’s purpose within the establishment.

“We all have a very important job to do here and none of us can do it [alone],” she said. “The kind of culture I’m trying to create and build off of [is] the foundation that the Wilkins’ [had] so tirelessly built. We’ve got a solid crew, in the field and in the office.”

Aside from the employee-to-employer transition, Heffernan is also conscientious of continuous learning and the value of networking. The Construction Financial Management Association (CFMA) and the Syracuse Builders Exchange (SBE) — had both served as substantial resources for her in the past. She plans to engage with each again.

 

“[CFMA] and [SBE] were huge for networking and were resources when I was in my previous position in construction,” she said. “I miss that education because [not only] would I learn something new, but it also validated what I knew [already]. That’s how I can be most helpful to my team, by making sure I’m continually learning and knowing  the best way to account for all the hard work my team is doing.”

Though it’s been less than a year, the rewards so far, she said, are seeing the teams come together and watching the business develop.

A little history

Wilkins Mechanical Inc. was formally incorporated in 1997 and family-owned for 41 years. That’s a history that would make anyone who succeeds the founders feel both secure in their acquisition and apprehensive about filling their shoes.

“Many people dislike change,” said Heffernan. “There are times when it’s even uncomfortable for me. So, I understood there was going to be some apprehension [and] potentially some resistance.”

Heffernan noted how oftentimes when a new owner takes over, they decide to build their business from scratch. “It makes sense that there would be some concern,” she said, “but that was definitely not my plan.”

In fact, the only changes she sees on the horizon are newer technology and more staff. For herself, Heffernan implemented an accounting software program within the first six months to keep organized in job costing and project tracking. Her next focus will be organic expansion — growing the business in a way that makes sense.

“I hope to increase employment over the next few years,” she said. “New York State has been a very good customer; we have had success in bidding OGS, DASNY and SUNY projects. ”

Heffernan looks forward to having internal conversations with employees on exploring other gainful avenues, too.

What should their customers know?

Sometimes change can shake up customers’ confidence if they’re uncertain about what to expect. At Wilkins Mechanical, Heffernan exudes a commitment to excellence.

“I carry the same values, work ethic, and pride that the former owners had,” she said. ”I respect that. I want to continue to preserve the reputation that the previous owners worked so hard to build — that’s my goal.”

Does that mean there won’t be any “oh shoot,” “oh darn,” or “I’m sorry” moments? Of course, there might be, she said, because learning curves are a natural — and healthy — part of a new process, and show humility. Heffernan advocates for customer conversations to bring her up to speed on current happenings.

“I appreciate our customers and I am thankful for their patience in our growth,” Heffernan said. Our customers have been wonderful to work with. I’ve very much enjoyed getting to know them.”

In essence, Heffernan’s view on success for everyone is about collaboration. “We’re very prideful in the work that we do because we do a knockout job. We’re welders, we’re pipefitters and nobody can weld as good as we can,” she said. At the same time, feedback is critical, too. “If our client is unhappy with a certain situation, we entertain that. We’re open to that conversation.”

“I see everything as a team,” she added. “Everybody needs support, whether it’s on a project from a project manager to the foreman to the client’s project manager — we all need to work together and that’s the kind of culture and philosophy that I’m trying to build.”

Heffernan may not have ever consciously thought about owning a business, but her experience, philosophies, and can-do attitude, together with team-building principles, appears to have put her on the path she had been seeking from the start.

Main Boiler Plant Combustion Ventilation & Reverse Osmosis System, SUNY Upstate Medical University

Wilkins Mechanical Apprenticeship Program

The Wilkins Mechanical Apprenticeship Program is accredited through the National Center for Construction Education & Research (NCCER), which is recognized by the New York State Department of Labor.

“We encourage anyone, at any age, to join our organization and learn the plumbing, pipefitting, and steam-fitting trade,” Heffernan said.

The typical program is five years. The work processes that an individual is trained on and the minimum required hours are set by the DOL. A newly hired individual who enters the program will “test in,” which will determine their knowledge and skills to influence their entry level.

AmeriCU: Setting the Stage for Success Through Uncertain Times

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By Alycia Schick

Ron Belle, President & CEO

Grand Opening, Liverpool NY Branch

Operating a business in an ever-changing economic climate can be challenging. Being in the financial services industry, credit unions are certainly attuned to shifting economic environments. Despite rising costs in 2022 and economic uncertainties ahead for 2023, AmeriCU Credit Union has continued to grow.

Established in 1950 on Griffiss Air Force Base in Rome, New York, AmeriCU has grown to serve more than 160,000 members across Central and Northern New York. The credit union also specializes in working with over 850 business partners with whom they offer financial solutions and services to their workforces.  

Ron Belle, President and Chief Executive Officer of AmeriCU Credit Union, discusses AmeriCU’s “Stay Connected” strategies that can apply to businesses of any size. 

  1. Stay Connected to Your Markets

AmeriCU understands the importance of staying connected to its members. Identifying trends and changing needs of your market is not just important, it’s critical.  So is knowing how customers want and need to connect and interact with your business. Having this level of knowledge can ensure you are providing the services and technology capabilities necessary to remain relevant as well as could provide your business an opportunity to expand. Having a clear understanding of your market also provides a foundation towards developing a strategic direction.      

AmeriCU has found there are several ways to collect market data. The credit union regularly provides surveys and encourages member feedback to ensure the credit union understands what members are looking for in the way of product and service enhancements, member service expectations, and ease of doing business. AmeriCU has also found value in partnering with research companies who specialize in identifying industry and consumer trends across the region and nation.

  1. Stay Connected to Your Teammates

AmeriCU has strategically enhanced its self-serve technology capabilities for both members and teammates. “Our members require convenience of doing their banking how and when they choose – the same applies to our teammates,” says Belle. AmeriCU has enhanced internal capabilities so they can be more efficient, for example in gaining instant access to important business data. “Beyond any technology changes, our 400 teammates are who make us AmeriCU. We live our culture every day.”

Talent is hard to find and highly coveted. Retaining and promoting is just as important as hiring new teammates. AmeriCU makes it a priority to understand what individuals are looking for in an employer, while recognizing what motivates them to achieve success. This creates a culture that allows individuals to grow and thrive in their career at AmeriCU. The credit union also puts an emphasis on training and expanding the skills of teammates, leading to improved job satisfaction and more opportunities for internal promotions. Doing so helps to improve member experience and service levels that are industry leading.

AmeriCU conducts monthly all-staff meetings that supports transparency across the organization and keeps team members connected to the credit union’s vision and mission. AmeriCU offers a hybrid work schedule to attract and retain individuals, allowing for greater flexibility and balance, along with a generous paid time-off program. Regularly scheduled department and individual meetings along with a bi-annual review processes are in place. These practices keep teammates and management connected throughout the year while cultivating an environment of learning and personal development.

  1. Stay Connected to Your Community

Being a good corporate steward is paramount to success. Research shows individuals want to do business with companies that make a difference and leave the world in a better place for future generations. AmeriCU is committed to giving back to the communities it serves. The credit union supports local charities and community organizations and understands the importance of giving back financially and through volunteerism. AmeriCU regularly engages with community leaders to understand their needs and how to partner together. Teammates are also encouraged to spend time in the community and build connections that make a difference. A benefit at the credit union is a Personal Day of Meaning, giving each teammate the choice of a local organization important to them to volunteer their time. 

  1. Stay Connected to Your Vision, Mission & Strategic Plan

AmeriCU believes that by keeping its vision and mission at the forefront along with annual strategic planning allows them to be flexible and achieve desired outcomes. “The economy has been through a difficult period these last few years with a pandemic and high inflation. We had to plan and prepare more than ever,” says Belle. “Having a strategic plan provided us the ability to adapt during these times.”

When formulating a plan, it is important to identify what you do well, understand market trends, and try to anticipate needs.  These questions, along with direct feedback from the markets it serves, helped AmeriCU develop a strategic plan that teammates can embrace and track progress towards achieving goals. From this, AmeriCU formed a strategic plan and created a business strategy focused on six key pillars to sustain success and growth. Within each pillar are goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely (SMART). 

AmeriCU has project management tools in place and holds regular check-ins with key stakeholders to measure progress against the plan. Strategic planning sessions are conducted to evaluate and adjust plans in response to business needs, shared or new learning opportunities, or external factors. This plan is available to the AmeriCU team and serves as a guiding light for decision making. AmeriCU has found greater structure and documentation allows it to better respond to shifting market conditions.

AmeriCU recognizes every business is different and the future can be uncertain. “In an increasingly disconnected world, real connections matter more than ever. Connecting to our members, our teammates, our communities, and our vision has truly been key to our success,” says Belle.  As a local, member-owned organization and full business service provider, AmeriCU takes pride in helping other businesses achieve their goals and is always there to offer tips and lend a hand.

AmeriCU & You. Let’s Connect. 

For more information on AmeriCU, visit AmeriCU.org or call 800.388.2000.

Drakos Clinical Laboratories: Providing Healthcare Without Walls in Central New York

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COVID-19 has radically disrupted the U.S. healthcare industry, which in turn has disrupted other business industries and entire communities. Healthcare workers are experiencing burnout at alarming rates. In a 2020 EClinicalMedicine survey, almost 50 percent of healthcare workers reported they were burned out from the COVID-19 pandemic. A 2021 special report from Morning Consult found that, since February 2020, 18 percent of healthcare workers have left their roles, 12 percent were laid off, and 31 percent have contemplated leaving their jobs.

Burnout and turnover issues are worsening U.S. healthcare provider shortages and hospital occupancy issues that existed even before the pandemic. Patients often wait long hours in the emergency room before seeing a physician, and many leave before they’re seen at all. If you’re in the healthcare industry, these could be your patients. If you’re in any other industry, these could be your employees. Either way, this issue affects us all.

The healthcare industry needs new, flexible solutions to ensure everyone has the access to care they need. In Central New York, Drakos Clinical Laboratories strives to serve patients wherever they are. Drakos provides mobile, at-work and at-home medical testing, concierge medical services, and medical testing logistics for large-scale events and productions. The company is now pursuing new partnership opportunities to help better reach patients.

“At Drakos, we believe in healthcare without walls,” says Drakos Founder and CEO Heather Drake Bianchi. “If we can go into a patient’s home, workplace, or another safe location to check their vitals and do their laboratory work, it lessens the pressure on hospitals, urgent cares, and physicians. It can also be safer for many patients, especially people who are immunocompromised or have young children or older adults at home.”

Drakos’s story begins in 2020 when its CineMedics division was founded. CineMedics was created to address the unprecedented medical testing needs on film sets during the pandemic.

“When the pandemic began, there was a significant need to keep entertainment productions running safely. People’s livelihoods depended on it,” says Drake Bianchi. “This was particularly important being from Central New York where we have a relatively new, but rapidly growing film industry. We knew that our skills as first responders were a natural fit for protecting people in this moment and ensuring they could do their jobs without worrying about COVID.”

The company’s roots are in community paramedicine. Many of the staff members, including Drake Bianchi, are first responders who are experts at providing critical medical services in any environment. A scientist as well as entrepreneur, Drake Bianchi earned her Master of Science in human anatomy and physiology from Northeast College of Health Sciences and her bachelor’s in biomedical sciences from RIT. Before founding CineMedics and Drakos, she spent 16 years working in critical care medicine, both in the U.S. and internationally. She has served as a paramedic for National Geographic, Remote Medical International, and the Ocean Classroom Foundation.

In the pivotal first months of the pandemic, the Drakos/CineMedics team helped developed new protocols that became the standard throughout the film industry. They provided medical services to major productions, including the cast and crew of the Oscar-nominated “Don’t Look Up.” They were also hand-picked by the CNN conference “LIFE ITSELF” to conduct large-scale event testing for a VIP crowd. At “LIFE ITSELF,” they provided the COVID-19 testing for attendees such as Dr. Anthony Fauci, several past U.S. Presidents, astronaut Mark Kelly, actress Goldie Hawn, and more.

Over the past two years, Drakos/CineMedics has grown from seven people to a team of 50, with locations throughout the U.S. and in the UK. They continue to be sought out by major production companies as the #1 preferred company for these services.

Most recently, CineMedics provided care for the cast and crew of the new Netflix film “The Union.” Described as a “blue-collar James Bond,” the action thriller stars Mark Wahlberg, Halle Berry, and J.K. Simmons.

As a result of CineMedics’ work on the film, Wahlberg asked Drakos/CineMedics to provide concierge medical care for him and his friends and family on his current project, an Apple Original film titled “The Family Plan.”

There’s still more Drake Bianchi and the Drakos team want to do. Drake Bianchi previously assisted in search and rescue efforts for Hurricanes Katrina, Irene, and Sandy. Having seen firsthand the barriers that underserved populations face when trying to access healthcare, she has also committed the next phase of her business to using her mobile technology to bridge that gap for veterans, rural populations, low-income individuals, the sex worker industry, and the LGBTQ+ community right here in Central New York.

“Sometimes I can’t believe this is my life. It’s an incredible honor to be able to deliver quality care to so many people,” says Drake Bianchi. “I love being able to meet people where they are and ensuring they have what they need to be healthy.”

Increasing access to healthcare services became even more important to Drakos when a close colleague was diagnosed with cancer during a recent production. Seeing their friend fight cancer accelerated the Drakos/CineMedics team’s desire to serve more people.

“To survive cancer, you have to survive chemo, which means staying out of the hospital and staying hydrated,” says Drake Bianchi. “We want to reduce their exposure in the hospitals. Our friend and colleague getting their cancer diagnosis jumpstarted our work to provide these services and do them well.”

Drakos believes that this kind of care is the wave of the future, with both immediate and long-term implications. While the immediate need for everyone in our community is apparent, by 2040, more than 20 percent of the U.S. population will be 65 years or older—a demographic change for which the U.S. healthcare and caregiving systems are currently unprepared, especially in light of the damage caused by the pandemic. Additionally, many older people want to age in place, creating a need for services to come to them.

Drakos aims to ensure everyone has the care they need, where they want it, now and in the future.

Looking ahead, Drake Bianchi sees boundless ways to innovate Drakos and how healthcare is provided—which could have significant positive impacts on other entities within the healthcare industry, as well as the health and productivity of our community overall.

“We have the tools to make healthcare more accessible, more inclusive, and more tailored to patients’ individual needs,” says Drake Bianchi. “We’re ready to connect with new partners who are also excited to help shape the future of healthcare.”

For more information on Drakos Clinical Laboratories and CineMedics please visit their respective websites.

 

Are Your New Year Resolutions Setting You Up to Fail?

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By: Jason D. Nickerson, CFP®, EA, Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer, John G. Ullman & Associates

That’s right, I said it.  A quiet voice amongst a crowd of gurus and life coaches that surface this time of year to help you get on track.  I am the opposite of this.  Not because I don’t believe in goal setting.  As an advisor and Certified Financial PlannerTM, this is the second step in our process.  It is essential to have goals.  As Zig Ziglar said, if you aim at nothing, you’ll hit it every time.

We need to aim for something in our personal and professional lives.  So, we set our targets, goals, and New Year resolutions.  Increase profits, increase customer satisfaction, lose weight, and get our financial lives in order.  We use “proven” systems to lay out our goals and plans, we buy-in to the hype of some consultant who is going to help us set our sights, and then ultimately, we fail.  Why?  “I used the SMART system.”  “I had an accountability partner.”  “I did everything they told me to do.”  I am telling you it’s not your fault, its psychology that is built into us.

First, let’s dive into why we set New Year resolutions.  Psychologists call this the Fresh Start effect.  We pick some arbitrary point in time that we feel is the beginning.  Monday, January 2nd, whatever, this is the first step in our failure.  We make such a big deal out of the starting point.  We eat worse because we know we won’t be able to eat the junk food starting at that point.  We rest and reduce intensity and focus knowing we have this big goal we will start working towards starting at some point.  We spend a certain amount of time just getting ourselves up to a pace of work and intensity to make progress and we find ourselves already behind our timeline a short time in.  You see, not your fault.  Its psychology programmed into us.

Second, there are two places we fail in this goal setting and chasing:

  1. We set big, huge, monstrous goals, and as humans, we tend to believe we are capable of more than we are. This is related to the Dunning-Kruger effect.
  2. We lose sight of the fact that there is very little within our control.

Again, I am all for setting goals and achieving them, so please don’t take this article as you should not be setting goals.  There is great advice out there to support this process (like SMART goals).  Let me present ideas on how we can do this better, given the errors I have pointed out.

  1. “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step” (Chinese proverb): Focus on the single step. If you want to lose 20 pounds in 2023 as an example, focus on losing 1-2 pounds the first week.  Then another 1-2 pounds the following week.  That success drives motivation and motion.  This can be attributed to the snowball effect in psychology.  A snowball rolling downhill picks up speed and size.
  2. Realize that there is so much more out of our control than within our control and you won’t lose site of the goal when you get delayed or behind. At the beginning of 2020, people and businesses were on their way to chasing down those big goals and resolutions.  Then a global pandemic hit and shut down the world.  Realize there will always be something that knocks you off course.  The universe is built this way.  Use it to toughen your resolve.  Reset your timeline and then go back to focusing on that next single step.

Psychology has failed you, but do not let that be your crutch and excuse.  Set your goals, get started now, know you will fail, toughen up, reset, and get back after it.  Cheers to you all for a successful 2023!

A New Year – Same Challenges

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By: Pierre Morrisseau, CEO, OneGroup

CEOs are entering 2023 better prepared after a long period of unique challenges yet facing many of the same risks and issues. According to the most recent Fortune/Deloitte CEO Survey, the majority of CEOs are cautiously optimistic that their companies will perform well this year and will continue to focus on investing in key strategic areas, particularly digital transformation and talent acquisition and retention.

This is true at my company as well as we are seeing continued stress on the organization from “The Great Resignation” and “Quiet Quitting.” As a result of the tight and highly competitive market for the best talent, employees have shown that they aren’t hesitant to quit their jobs and find something that better caters to their needs. Adding to that stress, the migration over the past few years to remote work has likely permanently altered the workplace environment and requiring workers to return to the office is showing that is serves to push away top performers.

We’ve seen that pizza parties, ice cream trucks and happy hours are not going to be what entices employees to return to the office. We are working harder than ever to enrich the workplace experience on a personal level for our employees and promote the benefits–both to the employee and our clients–of high-focus collaboration.

According to some business surveys, companies are looking to redirect a portion of their real estate budget towards high-intensity, high impact team off-sites. Our firm has had great success in pulling various teams together in off-site locations to problem solving and camaraderie, as well as holding a company-wide offsite we call Day Of Learning, where all employees come to Syracuse for a full agenda dedicated to their personal growth and enrichment.

We are experiencing there is no one-size-fits-all approach for bringing our employees back to the office. We realized we needed to figure out what works best for our employees, culture, and business needs. Forcing employees to conform to pre-pandemic modes of doing business leads to increased resignations and unhappy employees. Yet new research from Microsoft found that 50% of leaders are planning to require employees to return to in-person work full-time in the next year even while this same research revealed that 52% of employees are considering changing to a full-time remote or hybrid job. We hope to learn from this research and take the corrective steps to prevent losing valued employees. For example, to ensure we are meeting the needs of the individual, it is crucial that our leadership team take the time to solicit feedback from employees.

The Fortune/Deloitte survey confirmed that nearly all CEOs (94%) expect to see talent shortages for certain roles. When asked what they plan to do, CEOs indicated that they will focus on the employee experience, looking at ways to empower employees, and manage the tension around returning to the office. The plan to offer more flexibility and predictability in hours and location of work, increased immediate rewards for taking on more responsibilities, sabbatical programs, paid leave for caregiving, and more.

We at OneGroup view this persistent employee engagement issue as a significant item on the list of operational risk. It is easy to become disconnected from employees, customers, vendors, and the community in the current environment.  As we enter the New Year, we must find ways to adapt and stay connected.

If you have questions about risk management or would like to share ideas on how you are finding success with talent acquisition and retention, I would love to hear from you. Here’s to your great success in 2023.

The State of the Regional Construction Industry

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By: Earl Hall, Executive Director, Syracuse Builders Exchange

2022 proved to be a good, but challenging year for construction industry employers.  Buoyed by both private and public sector investments throughout central New York, the industry enjoyed an abundance of work but saw tighter margins as competition remained strong.  Employers endured supply chain issues, a thin labor market with labor shortages and sky-rocketing inflation that impacted material costs.  In the end, 2022 was a good year for most contractors, but of course their attention has quickly shifted to future opportunities and challenges.

Opportunities

Over the next 1-3 years, central New York will enjoy an extraordinary amount of capital investment by both public and private sectors; however, many of the private sector projects will be subsidized by various governmental entities.  While the normal, routine, and periodic construction work in higher education, public education, hospitals and medical facilities, manufacturing facilities and the service industry will continue, new projects of significance will draw most of the attention of the general public and many contractors.

Besides the well-publicized Micron Corporation’s 20-year investment in their Clay, NY facility, expected to break ground in 2024, contractors will be focused on Onondaga County’s new $90 million aquarium in the Inner Harbor; a $100 million STEAM school in downtown Syracuse; the $2.3 billion Route 81 reconstruction project in and around the city of Syracuse: the $108 million investment in and around Onondaga Lake/Inner Harbor; and $1 billion for development of a new Syracuse neighborhood near Route 81 in the city of Syracuse.  This anticipated construction, in addition to the Davis-Bacon federal infrastructure projects such as sewer and water treatment plants, and highway and bridges reconstruction, will provide employers with an abundance of building and heavy/highway bidding opportunities over the next 3 years.     

Challenges

Labor shortages and lack of skilled labor remains a huge problem with no immediate solution.  Many of the new craftspeople entering the commercial, industrial, and institutional sectors of the construction industry are not skilled or trained to be productive for employers competing in those markets.  In many cases, contractors are being very selective on the projects they bid and occasionally choosing not to bid on projects for fear of a lack of a skilled, productive work force.  While employers and unions alike are investing in future training facilities, such will take time to properly attract and train the next generation construction worker.

Inflation continues to adversely impact contractors’ material costs, as uncertainty remains when bidding on projects.  Anticipating the cost of materials 6-9 months prior to the project starting remains a challenge for estimators and project owners alike.

Wages will increase significantly over the next 3 years.  One of the many features which attracted Micron to central New York is the relatively low cost of labor.  With labor shortages already at historically low levels, demand for skilled labor will increase wages.  Many employers are already experiencing such today, often paying premiums above those wages negotiated in collective bargaining agreements.   Although many of the New York State prevailing wage rates for construction are derived from the Construction Employers Association of Central New York’s collective bargaining agreements, many believe employers will continue to pay above those rates to not only attract new employees, but to retain their current workforce.

Conclusion

Although contractors across the country are experiencing many of the above-noted opportunities and challenges, central New York is well positioned to take advantage of the capital, institutional and governmental investments in our region of New York.  These opportunities do not come without challenges, but what history has shown is that construction industry employers throughout upstate New York are innovative, resilient, and determined.  This region of New York state enjoys some of the best specialty subcontractors, suppliers, general contractors, and construction managers in the United States.  Project owners are fortunate to have access to such contractors as the on-time, on-budget deliverer of construction goods and services will continue despite any challenges the future may hold.  Contractors relish in challenges as opportunities and solutions are often created when challenges are presented.

With Proper Planning 2023 Could Be Your Year

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2022 was an interesting year, right? Actually, I’m sure that most of us would agree that we’ve had an interesting few years now. The manufacturing industry has certainly seen its share of ups and downs over that period. Supply chain issues, inflationary pressures, and workforce shortages are just a few of the issues that have challenged every industry, not solely manufacturing. By definition, most of us understand that we were already technically in an economic recession earlier this year. But most industries didn’t necessarily feel the extent of its pain due to the atypical path that it took our economy to get to that point. However, as we look ahead, we’re suddenly facing the real possibility of a painful recession in 2023. What can manufacturers do to prepare for this, as well as continue to plant the seeds for growth?

Despite the uncertainties around supply chains, inflation, and the overall economy, manufacturers shouldn’t necessarily rush to make cuts just yet. As we all know and have likely experienced, recessions lead many companies to lay-off employees, cut down on research and development costs, slash training budgets, and reduce marketing and sales expenditures. However, given the fact that most manufacturers are already facing workforce shortages and are still working on fulfilling backlogged orders, making cuts at this point would likely just prolong their operating pains. In actuality, manufacturers stand to gain a lot from a downturn. Recessions oftentimes reduce the competitive landscape and weed out the proverbial playing field. Survival of the fittest, anyone? The key is having a recessionary strategy, acting early, and properly positioning your company to seize the available opportunities. Effective measures and strategies include some key components.

First, manufacturers obviously need to control costs and look at their overall financial well-being. A common misconception is that companies should make extreme cuts during an economic downturn. However, the risk in doing this is that companies can sometimes cut too deeply, and those cuts may end up being made in painful areas. Companies who come out on top after recessionary periods act early to control costs, but they do it in a way that protects valuable assets by not scaling back too deeply in those key areas. Successful companies also managed cash flows and balance sheets beyond traditional profit and loss efficiencies. Now is the perfect time for manufacturers to be looking for productivity gains and process optimization. Implementing improvement opportunities and cost savings early on will reduce the need for drastic future measures when the pressure to deliver might be even greater. Automation is also an area that manufacturers should be exploring early. There are still many lucrative grants and funding options out there for manufacturers. Successful organizations think about how to drive efficiency and reinvest in their businesses for the short- and long-terms. Companies should be looking to invest in critical technology and capabilities. Manufacturers need to start planning and executing those investments now.

It may not seem intuitive or even appropriate, but economic downturns can be a great time to explore mergers and acquisitions. Recessions generally result in reduced company valuations across all industries, so some acquisitions become very attractive. Savvy investors can acquire new product lines, customers, and process capabilities at reduced prices, and they should be looking into markets that perform well when other markets are depressed. Due to the workforce shortages in manufacturing and elsewhere, companies should be retaining talent. With numerous open jobs around the industry, displaced employees should have no issues finding employment opportunities elsewhere. This will obviously lead to greater pain once the economic downturn has ended. Layoffs could ultimately hurt manufacturers more than the downturn itself. As we all know, the tight labor market is likely here to stay for the foreseeable future. It’s vitally important that we keep all of our employees right now. As things begin to pick up again, manufacturers will need those people once again.

Regardless of the potential warning signs, predicting the timing and severity of recessions is difficult at best. I’m sure that this won’t give many of you a great peace of mind, but there are steps that manufacturers can take right now to at least initiate the discussion regarding how they can withstand and possibly grow in a recession. TDO’s team is fully certified to help manufacturers make the necessary organizational changes and achieve operational excellence at all levels. Reach out today to learn more and schedule a free consultation!

With Proper Planning 2023 Could Be Your Year

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By: James D’Agostino

2022 was an interesting year, right? Actually, I’m sure that most of us would agree that we’ve had an interesting few years now. The manufacturing industry has certainly seen its share of ups and downs over that period. Supply chain issues, inflationary pressures, and workforce shortages are just a few of the issues that have challenged every industry, not solely manufacturing. By definition, most of us understand that we were already technically in an economic recession earlier this year. But most industries didn’t necessarily feel the extent of its pain due to the atypical path that it took our economy to get to that point. However, as we look ahead, we’re suddenly facing the real possibility of a painful recession in 2023. What can manufacturers do to prepare for this, as well as continue to plant the seeds for growth?

Despite the uncertainties around supply chains, inflation, and the overall economy, manufacturers shouldn’t necessarily rush to make cuts just yet. As we all know and have likely experienced, recessions lead many companies to lay-off employees, cut down on research and development costs, slash training budgets, and reduce marketing and sales expenditures. However, given the fact that most manufacturers are already facing workforce shortages and are still working on fulfilling backlogged orders, making cuts at this point would likely just prolong their operating pains. In actuality, manufacturers stand to gain a lot from a downturn. Recessions oftentimes reduce the competitive landscape and weed out the proverbial playing field. Survival of the fittest, anyone? The key is having a recessionary strategy, acting early, and properly positioning your company to seize the available opportunities. Effective measures and strategies include some key components.

First, manufacturers obviously need to control costs and look at their overall financial well-being. A common misconception is that companies should make extreme cuts during an economic downturn. However, the risk in doing this is that companies can sometimes cut too deeply, and those cuts may end up being made in painful areas. Companies who come out on top after recessionary periods act early to control costs, but they do it in a way that protects valuable assets by not scaling back too deeply in those key areas. Successful companies also managed cash flows and balance sheets beyond traditional profit and loss efficiencies. Now is the perfect time for manufacturers to be looking for productivity gains and process optimization. Implementing improvement opportunities and cost savings early on will reduce the need for drastic future measures when the pressure to deliver might be even greater. Automation is also an area that manufacturers should be exploring early. There are still many lucrative grants and funding options out there for manufacturers. Successful organizations think about how to drive efficiency and reinvest in their businesses for the short- and long-terms. Companies should be looking to invest in critical technology and capabilities. Manufacturers need to start planning and executing those investments now.

It may not seem intuitive or even appropriate, but economic downturns can be a great time to explore mergers and acquisitions. Recessions generally result in reduced company valuations across all industries, so some acquisitions become very attractive. Savvy investors can acquire new product lines, customers, and process capabilities at reduced prices, and they should be looking into markets that perform well when other markets are depressed. Due to the workforce shortages in manufacturing and elsewhere, companies should be retaining talent. With numerous open jobs around the industry, displaced employees should have no issues finding employment opportunities elsewhere. This will obviously lead to greater pain once the economic downturn has ended. Layoffs could ultimately hurt manufacturers more than the downturn itself. As we all know, the tight labor market is likely here to stay for the foreseeable future. It’s vitally important that we keep all of our employees right now. As things begin to pick up again, manufacturers will need those people once again.

Regardless of the potential warning signs, predicting the timing and severity of recessions is difficult at best. I’m sure that this won’t give many of you a great peace of mind, but there are steps that manufacturers can take right now to at least initiate the discussion regarding how they can withstand and possibly grow in a recession. TDO’s team is fully certified to help manufacturers make the necessary organizational changes and achieve operational excellence at all levels. Reach out today to learn more and schedule a free consultation!

Nephrology Associates of Syracuse, P.C. Give Patients a Comprehensive, United Approach to Kidney Care

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By Daniel K. Brantley

[Deck] Over the past 44 years, Nephrology Associates of Syracuse, P.C. has continued to grow and enhance the kidney care they provide, making them a top choice for advanced, compassionate care.

Founded in 1978, Nephrology Associates of Syracuse, P.C. began with a small team that held an important but simple goal: “To provide high-quality nephrological care for our patients.” However, achieving that goal requires nephrologists and other specialists to work closely together. When they do, remarkable things can happen.

“If you get 10 nephrologists in a room, you’re going to have 10 different opinions,” says Matthew Chaffin, MD, a nephrologist with Nephrology Associates of Syracuse and Medical Director of the DaVita Central New York Dialysis Clinic. “Our unified way of practicing and approaching patients is unique for nephrologists, and it is ultimately better for the patient.”

Integral to their practice is taking a comprehensive, holistic approach to kidney care by looking at each of their patient’s medical conditions to determine if and how they might be affecting the kidneys. Dr. Chaffin says they view nephrology “not solely as the practice of caring for kidneys, but for the overall person.”

Over the years, Nephrology Associates of Syracuse, P.C. have increased their locations and grown their service area. They’ve also established an in-house laboratory to provide rapid blood-test results that clinicians can discuss with their patients the same day. The main office, numerous satellite locations and six dialysis units are located in and around Syracuse, accessible to patients from Canada, Pennsylvania and everywhere in between.

Pandemic-Proven Care

As it was for all healthcare facilities, the COVID-19 pandemic was challenging for Nephrology Associates of Syracuse, P.C. But in time, the stresses of the pandemic also offered growth opportunities that ultimately improved how they provided nephrology care.

“The pandemic changed a lot of what we do — especially during the early stages when everything shut down,” says Antoine Azar, MD, nephrologist and internal medicine physician with Nephrology Associates of Syracuse, P.C. and Medical Director of the DaVita Dialysis Clinics in Syracuse and Ithaca. “We had to improvise, to find ways to see kidney patients and ensure they remained stable during unstable times.”

While much of the world shut down, that wasn’t an option for the practice. When serving patients with chronic kidney failure (CKD), closing the doors — even temporarily — could be disastrous. However, some patients started to miss necessary appointments because they were afraid of contracting the virus. That’s when the organization implemented some creative solutions. In addition to setting up virtual visits, the group established alternate, standalone blood test locations that allowed patients to receive necessary tests near their homes, with minimal interaction with others. All visitors and staff must wear masks and be screened upon arrival. The results were forwarded to Nephrology Associates of Syracuse, P.C., for review, and a nephrologist discussed the results with patients in the office or via video conference.

Most patients have returned to in-person visits, where extra precautionary steps continue in place, as kidneys can suffer substantial damage from COVID-19, particularly among ICU patients placed on ventilators. Patients remain isolated from others throughout their visit, reducing their infection risk. Telemedicine is available for patients who cannot make in-person appointments.

Prioritizing Value-Based Care

Today, nearly $114 billion (20%) of Medicare spending goes toward kidney disease care, according to CMS. Value-based programs were designed to reduce the cost of care to patients with CKD and improve the quality of care they receive, ultimately reducing hospitalizations and readmissions.

Nephrology Associates of Syracuse, P.C. makes sure every laboratory test ordered is necessary and that patients receive the appropriate when and where they needed it. An essential element of delivering value-based care is coordination.

“In general, Syracuse-based providers do a good job of coordinating care amongst hospitals and physicians from the moment of discharge until the patient returns to the clinician’s office,” Dr. Chaffin says. “But every step along the way could use improvement.”

One of those improvements is rooted in better communication, particularly with the release of ICD-10, the medical coding system that makes condition recordkeeping more specific. CKD coding is more fragmented, and diagnostic details require even more specificity. While certainly helpful for improving patient outcomes, inputting so much more data is time-consuming. To improve the speed and specificity of data entry, Nephrology Associates of Syracuse, P.C. modified its software. The IT improvement can now more accurately describe a patient’s condition, enhance the patient transition from hospital to office setting and improve the ability to predict potential expense and real-world risk of future events.

Identifying Risk of Rapid Decline

Until recently, clinicians who attempted to predict kidney function decline couldn’t be 100% certain. Nephrology Associates of Syracuse, P.C. now uses KidneyIntelX™, which provides sophisticated and precise data to help forecast rapid decline among their CKD patients. Primarily limited for use on patients with diabetes and those who are nephrotic, KidneyIntelX scores patients based on their risk of experiencing rapid kidney failure progression.

“Although we can use charts and graphs to look at the rate at which a patient’s creatinine is rising, you’re only estimating what [that future level] is going to be,” Dr. Chaffin says. “KidneyIntelX uses a set of newer, novel blood and urine tests to give better predictive values of whether someone is at high risk for kidney failure progression that will ultimately lead to a need for dialysis.”

To complement these new advancements, Chaffin says they are considering the value of offering genetic testing. For example, certain genes, such as apolipoprotein(a) in Black patients, are more common among those at highest risk for progressive CKD and they will eventually require dialysis. Even among patients experiencing mild kidney failure, the presence of certain genes increases the potential risk for future dialysis. Genetic testing can empower providers to further educate their patients to take control of their health in ways that may postpone the need for dialysis.

Smarter Patients Are Healthier Patients

The goal of kidney care is the same for both patients and clinicians: to find ways to maintain optimal kidney health throughout life. Reaching this goal requires medical expertise and patient participation.

“Patients are a key part of their own care team, and to play their role well requires appropriate and frequent education,” Dr. Azar says. “When patients know what’s going on and understand their disease, they tend to be more compliant and follow up.”

In the U.S., 9 of 10 people with kidney disease are unaware they have the condition. These same statistics are mirrored in Syracuse. When referred patients come in for their initial appointment at Nephrology Associates of Syracuse, 90% don’t know why they were referred by their primary provider. Dr. Azar says even among patients who have advanced kidney disease, an estimated 50% to 65% are unaware of their condition.

“This lack of education is striking,” he says. “So we try to shed some light on things.”

In many cases, diagnosis is the first bit of light shedding to take place. Since so many patients are generally unaware of their health problem, and are unfamiliar with kidney disease in general, education is the critical next step. Patients immediately receive education from their care team during each visit and are offered additional educational opportunities.

During CKD education classes, patients learn the specifics of their disease, what may happen to their kidneys in the coming years, available treatment options that are most likely to succeed, diet and lifestyle modifications and more. These one-on-one classes give patients the opportunity to learn at their own pace and engage with an advanced practice provider in person or online about their disease.

Patients who want to learn more can sign up for advanced education classes which go into greater depth on a variety of topics. Classes are also tailored to meet patient needs. They may learn the difference between hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis, survival rates for their condition and other information that helps them get a firmer grasp on their health. Each educational session concludes with an opportunity for patients to ask clarifying questions that help ensure they’re understanding what they’ve learned and can put it into action.

“No matter what disease a patient comes to us with, we strive to make their lives better every day,” Dr. Chaffin says. “It’s why we’re here, and that united philosophy we follow drives everything we do.”

Nephrology Associates of Syracuse, P.C. diagnose and treat the following conditions:

  • Acute kidney conditions
  • Anemia management
  • Autoimmune disease of kidneys
  • Blood pressure management
  • Chronic kidney disease (all stages)
  • Diabetic nephropathy
  • Electrolyte abnormalities
  • Glomerulonephritis
  • Metabolic bone disease management
  • Polycystic kidney disease
  • Renal-related diabetes management
  • Renal transplant care, pre- and post-transplant

Nephrology Care Begins With Primary Care

With so many patients unaware of their kidney disease, many present to Nephrology Associates of Syracuse, P.C. with late-stage disease. As a result, nephrologists often have limited treatment options when a patient arrives for evaluation and therapy. An earlier diagnosis goes a long way toward changing that circumstance.

To increase the number of people diagnosed in the early stages of kidney disease, primary care providers should screen patients regularly. Annual blood and urine tests, especially for those with high blood pressure or diabetes, can detect kidney disease before it progresses.

However, early detection is not always sufficient, as patients may not understand, listen to or act on their provider’s advice. That’s why PCPs should do what nephrologists do: educate their patients until the education has an effect.

“When someone hears they have kidney disease, they may not pay attention or they may be in denial, because it’s a silent disease in the early stages,” says Antoine Azar, MD, nephrologist and internal medicine physician with Nephrology Associates of Syracuse, P.C. and Medical Director of the DaVita Dialysis Clinics in Syracuse and Ithaca. Because it doesn’t cause symptoms early on, Dr. Azar estimates more than 50% of PCP-referred patients neglect their initial nephrology appointment.

“Unfortunately, the majority come back in a year or two with worse kidneys and symptoms,” he says. “By that time, it may be too late to intervene.”

To combat this tendency to ignore kidney disease, patients must understand the severity of their problems and take appropriate action. For this to occur, clinicians should educate patients at each visit, underscoring the fact that they themselves are their best advocate for improved health.

Early Referral Improves Results

Declining kidney function commonly leads to dialysis, whether hemodialysis or peritoneal, in-home or at a dialysis center. When dialysis is insufficient or inappropriate, transplant becomes an option. In these cases, Nephrology Associates, P.C. providers refer patients to the nearest transplant center. They also prepare patients for their transplant and resume care when patients get discharged post-transplant.

But with an early referral, patients may eliminate the need for transplant. Studies have found patients who are referred to a kidney specialist prior to needing dialysis have reduced mortality. Providers are urged to continue referring patients when urine or blood tests indicate kidney disease.

Whether transplant or dialysis is necessary or appropriate, Nephrology Associates of Syracuse, P.C. has the expertise and experience to diagnose and treat all forms of kidney disease.

Satellite Services

When the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the need for convenient care, Nephrology Associates of Syracuse, P.C. adopted telemedicine technology, which they continue using to this day. Virtual medicine is not, however, the only convenience-enhancing approach they use.

Satellite locations throughout the area make it easier for those with kidney disease to receive the care they need, close to home. Nephrology Associates of Syracuse, P.C. satellite offices can be found in the following locations:

  • Camillus
  • Fayetteville
  • Fulton
  • Vernon

Additionally, nephrologists visit patients weekly at Crouse Hospital and St. Joseph’s Hospital and rotate through Central New York dialysis centers.

To refer patients to Nephrology Associates of Syracuse, P.C. in Syracuse or a satellite location, visit nephrologysyracuse.com/contact or call 315-478-3311