BCH Primary Care Opens Office in Arcade

Bertrand Chaffee Hospital is excited to announce the opening of their new Primary Care Office in Arcade! The office is located in the A. J. O’Dell Foundation Medical Center at 263 Liberty Street. Dr. Sydney Domanowski, who had been working at the Springville location is now seeing patients in Arcade.

The O’Dell Foundation continues to fulfill its mission by working with healthcare providers to serve the Arcade area. “We are thrilled that Bertrand Chaffee Hospital has been able to open their new office in our building”, says Joanne Offers, Secretary/Treasurer for the Foundation.

Dr. Domanowski is Board Certified through the American Osteopathic Board of Family Medicine with over five years of experience.  She is excited to join the BCH Primary Care team’s new office in Arcade. She is accepting new patients of all ages and is looking forward to serving patients in the Arcade and surrounding areas.

Teresa Donohue, CEO of Bertrand Chaffee Hospital is very pleased to make this announcement and extends her thanks to the O’Dell Foundation for helping to make this happen. “We continue to look for ways to improve access to healthcare for the communities we serve”, adds Donohue.

The hours for the new office are Monday and Tuesday from 8am to 6pm and Thursday and Friday from 8am to 4pm. The number to call to schedule an appointment is (716) 794-3309. Current patients of Dr. Domanowski can also use this number to reach her and the staff. All previously, scheduled appointments will be transferred to the Arcade location. Please note that the entrance for the office is in the rear of the building near the handicap ramp.

JBR Welcomes Zeames as New Administrator

November 2023 – SPRINGVILLE, NY — The Jennie B. Richmond Nursing Home has announced it has hired a new administrator, Sharon Zeames, RN, BA, MSED, NHA to manage operations for the facility.

Sharon comes to us with a wealth of experience and knowledge in all aspects of long-term care. Over the course of her career, she has worked her way up from RN to Administrator. She has also held teaching positions at Trocaire and Bryant & Stratton in workforce development and LPN programs.

Sharon is married with two grown children and five grandchildren. She is very excited to be part of the Springville community and looks forward to working with our residents. “My love and desire to work with the elderly has always been a passion of mine” says Zeames.

“We are very excited and thankful to have someone with Sharon’s expertise and understanding of the complexities of long-term care on our team”, states Teresa Donohue, CEO of Bertrand Chaffee Hospital. 

BCH Welcomes Erin Schwab-George

Erin Schwab-George

July 2023 – SPRINGVILLE, NY — Bertrand Chaffee Hospital is pleased to announce it has hired a new Development and Community Relations Coordinator, Erin Schwab-George. Erin will be coordinating all fundraising for the Bertrand Chaffee Hospital Foundation. She will also be our primary contact for community relationships.

Erin earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Human Services from Hilbert College and comes

to us with a plethora of experience that will help her in this new role.

Erin is local to our area, is married and lives in Delevan with her three children. “I am excited to join the team and can’t wait to work together with both the staff and community to support Bertrand Chaffee’s continued success!” said Erin.

“This is an extremely challenging time for healthcare entities. As we continue to work to align services with community needs, Erin will be a valuable part of our team “said Bertrand Chaffee Hospital CEO, Teresa Donohue.

Welcome Jena Morcelle!

Jena Morcelle, PA-C

The Bertrand Chaffee Hospital Surgery Center proudly welcomes Jena Morcelle, PA-C to their surgical team. She will be a key member of Dr. Gavin Davison’s office as she will be seeing patients in the office and assisting in general surgical procedures in the operating room.

Jena has a Master’s in Physician Assistant Studies from D’Youville University and a Bachelor of Arts in Biology from the State University of New York at Buffalo. She is married and is the mom of two little boys. Ms. Morcelle actively participates in PA advocacy as the incoming President for PAs for Women Empowerment to increase the number of women in PA leadership roles.

Morcelle brings her 10 years of experience as a surgical and trauma PA to Bertrand Chaffee Hospital. “I am very excited to join this community hospital and looking forward to the personal care experiences ahead.” Says Morcelle.

The coming year looks bright for the Bertrand Chaffee Surgery Center. Dr. Davison, Chief of Surgery, is very excited and proud to see how far our entire Surgery Department has evolved since he started in 2016. “I am enthusiastic about the addition of Ms. Morcelle to our team; she will be a great asset to the hospital and community,” says Dr. Davison.

Other news from our Surgery Center includes adding a second surgical suite and new anesthesiologist, Dr. Lori Lee. We are poised to serve this community and surrounding areas for years to come.  Our clinical staff is committed to making all patients feel confident and comfortable, before, during, and after their surgical procedure. We continue to look for ways to improve our offerings for surgical services and help keep healthcare local.

The Bertrand Chaffee Hospital Surgery Center is accepting new patients and can be reached at (716) 794-3295.

BCH’s Kathleen Hebdon Displays Research at National Conference

Registered Nurse and Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist from Bertrand Chaffee Hospital, Kathleen Hebdon, MSN, RN, CDCES, had a research poster accepted at the National Association of Diabetes Care and Educational Specialists Conference in Baltimore, MD. Hebdon’s poster was entitled Infection Prevention in Diabetes Care: Is There a Practice Gap? Her research and poster explored the prevalence of incorrect disposal of diabetes-care related medical waste and the potential dangers to family members, healthcare workers, and waste management workers. Hebdon’s poster was on display at the conference from August 11-15, 2022.

Bertrand Chaffee Hospital’s ongoing community and patient education services include prediabetes and diabetes courses and support groups. For more information or to register, please call (716) 592-9643. 

Jennie B. Richmond Nursing Home CNA Training Class Starting on September 12

Jennie B. Richmond is hiring CNA’s and has a training class beginning on September 12, 2022! Looking for a new career this fall? After successful completion of the four-week training course and probation period, new CNA’s will be eligible for a sign-on bonus!
If interested in applying or to learn more, please email bchjobs@bch-jbr.org or call (716) 592-2871. Deadline to register is August 30, 2022.

Bertrand Chaffee Hospital Orthopaedic Surgery Center Completes First Total Joint Replacement

June 2022 marked an important month in Bertrand Chaffee Hospital history – the first orthopaedic joint procedures were completed at the Bertrand Chaffee Hospital Surgical suite. This came about one month after the official opening of the BCH Orthopaedic Surgical Center. The team of Dr. Paul Mason, MD and Jim O’May, PA has been thrilled to meet with and provide care to their first orthopaedic patients at BCH.

Dennis Elbow (pictured), a Wyoming County resident, received the first total joint replacement at Bertrand Chaffee Hospital when he had his right knee replaced in June.

“The introduction of orthopaedic care at Bertrand Chaffee Hospital is a direct response to community need and part of our strategic growth plan,” stated Nils Gunnersen, Bertrand Chaffee Hospital CEO. “We are pleased to have Dr. Mason and Jim O’May sharing their skill, knowledge and expertise and providing excellent care to our new ortho patients. This is a significant milestone in BCH history – having our very own orthopaedic clinic in the Springville community.”

Sue Williams was the second total joint replacement patient, receiving a total hip replacement. She commented “My care from start to finish has been professional, thorough, and complete by a medical team that was caring, fully engaged in my personal well-being, as well as being dedicated to my recovery success. I could not be happier with my choice to put my trust in Dr Paul Mason and Jim O’May and their care professionals at the Bertrand Chaffee Hospital.”

“The response has been tremendous,” commented Dr. Mason. “We are grateful to be providing care to familiar faces and new patients from the Springville community.”

Bertrand Chaffee Hospital’s new Orthopaedic Surgery Center is accepting new patients. For more information, please call (716) 794-3299.

Bertrand Chaffee Hospital Welcomes Dr. Nadeem Haq

Dr. Nadeem Haq

Bertrand Chaffee Hospital is pleased to announce cardiologist Dr. Nadeem Haq has joined the BCH Heart Center.

Dr. Nadeem Haq, MD, FACC completed Medical School at University of Punjab, Pakistan. He completed Internship and Residency in Internal Medicine and Cardiology Fellowship in Adult Cardiovascular Disease at Marshall University School of Medicine in Huntington, West Virginia. Dr. Haq is a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology and is a member of the American Society of Echocardiology, the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology, and the Society for Vascular Ultrasound.

Dr. Haq has published or presented his research in a number of venues including the West Virginia Journal of Medicine, the American College of Physicians (ACP) Annual Associates Meeting, the Southern Medical Association Annual Assembly, and the American Gastroenterological Association.

He previously served at Trinity Medical Cardiology as Co-Director of the Cardiac Catheterization Lab and Director of Echocardiography at Buffalo Mercy Hospital and President of the Cardiology Group of WNY. In addition to his duties at Bertrand Chaffee Hospital, Dr. Haq practices at Great Lakes Cardiovascular and is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University at Buffalo.

Dr. Haq practices non-invasive and invasive cardiology, including transcatheter aortic valve replacement.

“We are pleased to have Dr. Haq join our team at BCH,” said BCH CEO Nils Gunnersen. “His wealth of experience and excellent reputation in the WNY community will be a great asset to our patients and our Heart Center practice.”

Dr. Haq joins Dr. Gomez, Dr. Smith, and Lauralee Sprague, NP in the clinical care of cardiac patients.

The Bertrand Chaffee Hospital Heart Center, located on the hospital’s first floor, provides a comprehensive array of clinical and diagnostic cardiac and vascular services, including outpatient consults, echo, regular and stress echo testing and pacemaker interrogation. For appointments, call (716) 592-9644.

Bertrand Chaffee Hospital and Jennie B. Richmond Nursing Home CEO Announces Retirement

BCH & JBR CEO Nils Gunnersen

Bertrand Chaffee Hospital and Jennie B. Richmond Nursing Home CEO Nils Gunnersen announced he will be stepping down from his leadership role by the end of 2022.

“Nils has served as CEO of Bertrand Chaffee Hospital and Jennie B. Richmond Nursing Home since December 2008 and has provided visionary leadership to our campus throughout his tenure,” said Gary Eppolito, President of the Bertrand Chaffee Hospital Board of Directors. “His guidance has not only preserved but has grown services and certainly fulfilled our organizational mission of Keeping Healthcare Local.”

Under Gunnersen’s leadership, BCH has made great strides at advancing local healthcare. Some of these many accomplishments include the creation of BCH Primary Care, BCH Heart Center, and the BCH Surgical Centers, modernization of the imaging department, and strengthening the partnerships with Keystone Healthcare and Mercy EMS / Mercy Flight.

“We will miss Nils’ experience as a health leader, we will miss his thoughtful leadership, but we will especially miss the great sense of humor he shared with us, even during unprecedented and stressful times for the healthcare industry,” said Johanna Healy,  Chair of the Board’s Strategic Planning Committee. 

Recently, Gunnersen was instrumental in the completion of the construction of the Bertrand Chaffee Health Center, recruitment of new providers for the Primary Care Center, and establishment of the Bertrand Chaffee Orthopaedic Surgery Center. Notably, Gunnersen has been responsible for making strategic investments to our campus while recruiting and retaining a multitude of new providers and staff to BCH and JBR, as well as strengthening BCH’s position of independence as organization. 

“It has been my pleasure to serve Springville and the surrounding communities over the last 14 years,” shared Gunnersen. “I am proud of what we, as a team, have accomplished together to strengthen local healthcare services. My utmost gratitude and appreciation goes out to the BCH and Foundation Boards, volunteers, physicians, and staff. We could not have accomplished our many achievements without the commitment and tireless work of these great people.  It has been my privilege to be a part of this dedicated team. A special thank you for the tremendous support Bertrand Chaffee Hospital and Jennie B. Richmond Nursing Home receives from our community. We are so honored to serve and take care of you.” “The Board has formed a Committee to begin the important work of identifying Bertrand Chaffee Hospital and Jennie B. Richmond Nursing Home’s next leader,” stated Eppolito. “We are committed to a transition by the end of the calendar year.”