By Elizabeth Landry
When Jonathan Huang, DO, AGAF, FAASLD joined Auburn Community Hospital (ACH) in January of this year, his arrival helped meet a significant need in specialized patient care. A board-certified hepatologist and gastroenterologist who serves as Chief of Auburn Gastroenterology at ACH, Dr. Huang helps alleviate the significant shortage of hepatologists across Upstate New York, including the Central and Southern Tier regions outside the city of Rochester.
“I wanted to help address that need by partnering with local community providers and bringing specialized hepatology care directly to patients,” Dr. Huang said of his decision to practice medicine at ACH.
A Rochester native with more than 20 years of medical experience including highly specialized expertise in liver disease, Dr. Huang also practiced at the University of Rochester Medical Center for 15 years as a Transplant and General Hepatologist, where he was an Associate Professor of Medicine and Director of the Digestive and Liver Disease Center for Research. He felt drawn to ACH, which he describes as an “ideal fit”, because of a desire to have a meaningful impact on the surrounding area.
He and the hospital’s administration “shared a strong vision for growth and saw an opportunity to expand specialty services,” said Dr. Huang. “It was an environment where I felt I could both provide high-quality subspecialty care and help build something meaningful for the community.”
Improved Access to Care
A big reason Dr. Huang desired to practice medicine at ACH is the hospital’s central location, which makes it accessible to patients throughout the region. Since he joined the team, a top focus has been making the patient experience as streamlined and accessible as possible, from the initial referral through diagnostic testing and endoscopic procedures, as well as increasing access to gastroenterology and hepatology clinics. Direct-access colonoscopy is one example of how this growth in services has directly impacted patients at ACH.
“For appropriately selected, low-risk anesthesia patients, we can schedule the procedure directly without requiring an unnecessary pre- or post-procedure clinic visit,” Dr. Huang explained. “This can significantly reduce barriers to care and improve access to colonoscopy, while also allowing our clinic appointments to be available for patients who truly need a gastroenterology or hepatology consultation.”
The Auburn Gastroenterology & Hepatology practice at ACH is also offering exciting new technologies that represent an important expansion of the diagnostic capabilities available to patients in the surrounding community, Dr. Huang said. QuinTron Breath Testing and Mindray VCTE technologies are now available at ACH, designating the hospital as a destination for specialized diagnostic services. ACH is also the first location in New York State outside of New York City to offer Mindray VCTE.
“[These technologies] are at the forefront of their respective fields and provide valuable tools for the diagnosis and risk stratification of certain disease processes that previously required patients to travel outside the region,” stated Dr. Huang.
Building Trust and Relationships
Collaborating and building relationships with other local healthcare providers is a central priority for Dr. Huang alongside expanding direct access to patient care. Recognizing the complex nature of the healthcare system, Dr. Huang believes the best care is provided when physicians and healthcare providers work together to deliver comprehensive, coordinated care.
“We often talk about the importance of building trust in the doctor-patient relationship, but I believe it is equally important to build trust among local healthcare providers,” he said. “I’m committed to developing those relationships so that we can communicate effectively, streamline care, and give both patients and referring providers confidence that they are receiving the best possible care.”
Ultimately, Dr. Huang said, his goal is to make the healthcare system feel more connected and seamless for both patients and the providers caring for them. An important part of this collaborative approach is also developing and maintaining close working relationships with larger institutions, such as the University of Rochester Medical Center.
“By serving as a local access point and maintaining strong connections with these centers, we can help patients navigate more complex care when needed, including facilitating access to specialized services such as liver transplantation,” he explained.
Advancing into the Future
Surveying exciting developments on the horizon within both gastroenterology and hepatology, Dr. Huang said he envisions each field becoming increasingly personalized, preventative, and technology driven. Within hepatology, advancements are leading to earlier identification and treatment of chronic liver disease, primarily regarding metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), before patients develop advanced fibrosis or cirrhosis. Additionally, Dr. Huang anticipates advancements in noninvasive biomarkers and imaging technologies will aid in identifying risk and guiding treatment while decreasing reliance on invasive testing.
In the field of gastroenterology, areas such as polyp detection, pathology interpretation, and clinical decision support are being bolstered by the development of artificial intelligence as an adjunct to clinical care. Dr. Huang emphasized the importance of remaining thoughtful about how providers utilize such technologies and preserving both clinical judgment and the physician-patient relationship.
“We’re seeing major advances in areas such as endoscopy, noninvasive assessment of liver disease, biologic therapies, and targeted treatments, and I expect those trends to continue,” Dr. Huang said. “Ultimately, I think the future of GI and hepatology will be about combining these advances with personalized, patient-centered care. Innovation in our field can translate directly into earlier diagnosis, better treatment, and ultimately better outcomes for patients.”
No matter which direction the fields of gastroenterology and hepatology progress into, however, Dr. Huang remain excited about the future of his practice at ACH. Most exciting to him, he said, is being part of a tight-knit community that grows together while delivering specialized care at the forefront of medicine.
“There is a real opportunity to expand access to advanced gastroenterology and hepatology services while maintaining the personable, community-focused culture that makes ACH special,” said Dr. Huang. “Being able to contribute to that growth while building lasting relationships with patients and local providers is what I find most rewarding.”
For patients across Upstate New York, living with Essential Tremor and Parkinson’s Disease, a treatment once confined to a handful of academic centers in large urban areas is within reach at United Health Services (UHS) in Binghamton, NY: magnetic resonance–guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS). This technology delivers hundreds of ultrasound beams through the skull, guided by MRI, to a millimeter-scale target deep in the brain, generating enough heat to create a precise therapeutic lesion—without an incision, a burr hole, anesthesia, or ionizing radiation. UHS was the first healthcare system in Upstate New York to offer MRgFUS. Since launching the program in December 2024, UHS has treated more than 180 patients. More than 30,000 MRgFUS procedures have been performed worldwide.
Ultrasound is performed inside an MRI scanner, which provides real-time target definition, treatment planning, and closed-loop thermometry so the Neurosurgeon can monitor tissue temperature and lesion location as energy is delivered in an awake patient. That “triple feedback” of immediate clinical response, live thermography, and anatomical imaging allows low-temperature test sonications to confirm clinical benefit and identify potential adverse effects before creating a permanent lesion, offering an advantage over the delayed and less predictable effects of radiosurgery (Krishna et al., JAMA Neurology, 2018). Unlike deep brain stimulation, Focused Ultrasound does not require cranial surgery, implanted hardware or ongoing device management. The procedure is performed on an outpatient basis and patients typically experience improvement immediately following treatment.
Focused Ultrasound is generally well tolerated by patients. The most common early adverse effects are gait disturbance and paresthesias, which tend to subside over time; other reported effects include dysarthria, ataxia, taste disturbance, and speech difficulty (Hamani et al., Journal of Neurosurgery, 2026). In the real-world staged bilateral cohort, approximately 45% of patients reported at least one adverse event within six months—most commonly sensory disturbance (27%), instability (12%), and dysarthria (12%)—with nearly all events characterized as mild (Vilas et al., Movement Disorders, 2026). Clinicians should counsel patients that bilateral treatment carries a somewhat higher adverse-event rate than unilateral ablation, historically driven by speech and balance effects, which is why bilateral procedures are staged (Kaplitt et al., JAMA Neurology, 2024). 
Clinical studies continue to demonstrate durable outcomes. Five-year follow-up data following first side treatment showed a 73.1% improvement in tremor severity, a 44.5% improvement in functional disability and quality-of-life measures and no serious or delayed adverse events. 
ssess skull characteristics necessary for treatment. Certain implanted devices and medical conditions may affect eligibility, although ferromagnetic implants, including some pacemakers, do not automatically exclude patients from consideration. With no upper age limit for treatment, Focused Ultrasound expands treatment access for patients who may not be candidates for more invasive procedures. The treatment is covered by Medicare, Medicaid and most commercial health insurance plans.
arly 10 times more prevalent than Parkinson’s Disease. The condition can significantly impact an individual’s quality of life, interfering with activities of daily living, employment, communication and hobbies. Although medications can be effective initially, many patients experience diminishing benefit over time or develop intolerable side effects. Similar challenges occur in patients with Tremor-Dominant Parkinson’s disease, creating a need for alternative therapies.
e is performed at the UHS Salanger Outpatient Center located in Vestal, while initial evaluations and follow-up visits may occur in-person at UHS Neurosurgery in Johnson City or via telehealth,” said Betchen.” “Patients may be referred by a neurologist or primary care physician, or they may self-refer through our website.
UHS is the Southern Tier’slargest and most comprehensive healthcare system. UHS Neurosurgery offers the region’s most comprehensive brain and spine care program, built on more than 40 years of leadership in the field and offers comprehensive adult neurosurgical care, including cranial and spine surgery for cerebrovascular disease including open vascular and endovascular treatment of aneurysms, brain and spine tumors, degenerative spine disease, spine deformities, and neuromodulation. UHS is also Joint Commission certified as a Comprehensive Stroke Center and Core Spine Surgery program. 
Strong partnerships between local health plans and community providers are essential to building a more connected health care system. When providers, hospitals, and health plans work together, they can improve care coordination, reduce fragmentation, and create a better experience for patients and clinicians alike.
ustaining a Level IV neonatal intensive care unit; at Crouse, it’s not only their deliveries that rely upon the NICU, but also babies from 17 hospitals across a 14 county region that spans the Canadian to Pennsylvania borders and from Albany to Rochester. Through its Regional Perinatal Center, Crouse also provides services for the region’s high-risk obstetrics. Crouse has the busiest labor and delivery unit in Central New York, welcoming more than 3,000 babies annually. The NICU serves about 900 babies annually, which includes 300 babies transferred in from the 17 regional hospitals. Staff care for an average of 56 babies daily. The average stay is about 33 days.
Seth Kronenberg, M.D., President and Chief Executive Officer for Crouse Health, said Crouse started as a women’s and infants’ hospital 140 years ago, making it one of its core services. “We’ve been the Regional Perinatal Center since the 1970s, and we’ve always been the market leader in obstetrics and NICU. We have a saying that ‘those with low-risk pregnancies can have great experiences at Crouse, but those with high-risk pregnancies can rest assured that the time from their baby’s birth to the time they see a NICU doctor is reduced, and the shorter that timeframe, the better the outcome.’”
0s, medication called surfactant was developed, which helps lungs absorb and transport oxygen,” she said. Some of the most impressive gains have been around ventilation therapy and ways to support the development of preterm babies’ lungs, which are the last things to develop.
, and the ability to perform major surgical operations here,” Bou Aram said. Fetal surgery can now prevent severe damage from complex fetal problems such as spinal defects, blockages of blood flow into the heart, or severe twin conditions. Precision medicine options have exploded; the rapid use of genetic mapping and neonatal-specific imaging now provide highly accurate results. Crouse has all the necessary equipment to insert breathing and chest tubes and to put babies on heart-lung bypass. “Though comprehensive mapping may take longer than other options, such as the use of microarray or gene sequencing, advanced tools like MRI and genetic testing allow for quicker, more accurate determination of a diagnosis,” he said. “Early, accurate diagnostics give doctors the opportunity to tailor a treatment plan earlier in an infant’s stay.”
“It is very stressful, especially when babies are very sick and every minute counts,” Bou Aram said. “I am a father first, so putting myself in the shoes of these parents adds to the weight of the responsibilities. New parents are naturally overwhelmed, so information needs to be clear, direct and honest. Multiply this by a hundred when the baby is sick.”
“Because neonatology has advanced as a field of medicine, equipment has followed suit,” Dadey said. “We have all the equipment and the doctors and midlevel providers like nurse practitioners, physician’s assistants, nurses, and respiratory therapists who are all trained to use it. But some of our toughest cases are big babies who aspirate meconium during birth or might have an infection when they are delivered, so their lungs are compromised. The technology has evolved to improve survival rates so these babies can leave the hospital. We work very hard for every baby to make sure they have the best outcome.”
e to enhance, expand and invest in those services. The highest-level NICU requires investment in the latest and greatest technology. We already have the best doctors and nurses.”
“Crouse delivers world-class medical care and high-end programs like the Regional Perinatal Center in a family community hospital culture,” Kronenberg said. “It’s that culture that separates us: It’s how we treat each other, how we treat our patients, how everybody interacts. It’s special. Our people aren’t just employees; they are family. We invest in workforce development, invest in them as human beings, and try to have fun at work because healthcare is very serious business. Everyone believes in the mission. At Crouse we say ‘every moment matters,’ and that’s the influence everyone has on patient experience – from environmental services to security to patient access – they are all equal. It’s not just the doctors and nurses; it’s our entire Crouse family. Walk down the hall, and you see smiling faces and people who enjoy being here. That doesn’t take away the stress of being in healthcare, but that family environment really sets up our culture.”
around Syracuse and know that a child in the park or a grown adult or high school or college student you see was once a one-pound baby lying in a bassinet in our nursery brings me so much pride. Neonatal care is truly a collaborative endeavor, and we cannot do it without the backing of our entire Central New York community.”
Going to the Zoo
I often wonder why the patient experience feels complete in one medical practice yet lacking in another. The answer usually lies in a collection of touchpoints: how the phones are answered, how staff greet patients, whether communication remains consistent between visits, and how issues are resolved when something goes wrong. These visible moments are only part of the story, but together they reveal the culture.
Syracuse Community Health was founded in 1978 with the mission to provide high-quality healthcare to the residents of Onondaga County, especially those who are uninsured, disadvantaged or who face other obstacles to care.
SCH employs 200 staff, 23 of them nurses, including eight Registered Nurses and 15 Licensed Practical Nurses. “Nurses are the center of our organization and create the first impression for our patients,” said Yoxall. “We may not be able to pay the highest amount, it’s not the easiest job, not the highest paying, but it is the most rewarding. Our nurses are working here because they want to be here.”
e in as newborns and reach each milestone as they grow up brings the workday extra brightness.”
ogram before she was hired in the same role in the Eye Care Department. She then worked as an LPN for approximately 10 years when she decided it was time to become an RN. Her motivation to stay at SCH is simple. “The patients,” she said. “I really love the community we serve here at SCH.”
called out three physicians who were particularly encouraging while she studied toward her LPN, Oris Moore, DDS, Wilson Sithold, DDS and the late Henry Chionuma, an adult medicine internist who started SCH’s Walk-In Care operation.
becoming an RN. “Working at SCH exposed me to a diverse patient population and allowed me to see the impact nurses have on improving patients’ lives,” she said.
nderson Mitchell. “However, the assistance and support I received from SCH were unparallelled compared to any other organization where I have been employed.”
It’s easy to assume that anyone with an “advanced degree” is exempt from overtime. For physicians managing a practice, that assumption can be costly. The framework for determining which employees are exempt from overtime pay is established by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”) and the New York Labor Law (“NYLL”).
When Sam Neivel was just five or six years old, he began learning the basics of plumbing from his father, Lawrence Neivel, a plumber who has worked in the trade for several decades. Neivel learned a lot from his father that has influenced how he progressed in the field – working first for DBR Plumbing in his teens, then Armani Plumbing for a few years, Town Mechanical in his early twenties, and for DBR Plumbing again in his late twenties.
In the early days of the company, Neivel and his four or five employees worked out of Neivel’s home in Baldwinsville. Franklin remembers having very tight quarters to operate in, but making it work. After several months, the team relocated to an office off Malloy Road in Syracuse for a few years. After utilizing a different office space on Arterial Road in Syracuse for a few more years, Neivel purchased a much larger building with office space and a warehouse on Butternut Drive in East Syracuse, where the company operates today with almost 80 employees. Franklin attributes the company’s growth and expansion to Neivel’s expertise, leadership, and focus on high-quality craftsmanship.
Many of the other projects the Neivel team has completed over the years exemplify the company’s focus on building long-term, trusted relationships with clients. Neivel is the preferred plumber for all the Tully’s and Coppertop restaurants in the Central New York area, all the way from Albany to Buffalo, and down into Pennsylvania. The company has completed several projects for local hospitals, including St. Joseph’s Health, Crouse Hospital, and Upstate University Hospital. Neivel is also the preferred plumber for Visions Hotels, owned by Andrew Patel. The hotels are located all over New York State and Pennsylvania.
For Neivel, though, the success of the company comes down to its employees. He focuses on creating a job setting where employees feel supported and appreciated.
Franklin listed several ways Neivel aims to ensure his employees are well taken care of and feel like family, from sponsoring modified car races, to box seating at baseball games and hockey games, catered meals, the company’s annual clam bake, and multiple charity events. Perhaps the most important way Neivel focuses on the well-being of his employees is through investing in their skills and success, helping them advance in their careers.
