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.
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.
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 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.
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 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 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.”
Photo included: Pictured are graduates from our June 2022 Certified Nursing Assistant Training Program. Pictured L-R JBR Nursing Home Administrator Carole Francis, Elizabeth Dimpfl, Leah Seltzer, Laura Esposito, JBR Assistant Director of Nursing Samantha Vecchio, and JBR Director of Nursing Renna Thaine.
Jennie B. Richmond Nursing Home is proud to announce a collaborative agreement with Prometric to become a regional test site for the New York State Nurse Aide Certification Exam. Prometric is a leading provider of technology-enabled testing and assessment solutions to many of the world’s most recognized licensing and certification organizations, academic institutions, and government agencies. They support more than seven million test takers annually at their testing locations in more than 180 countries around the world.
The New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) has contracted with Prometric to develop and administer the New York State (NYS) Nursing Home Nurse Aide Competency Examination and manage the NYS Nursing Home Nurse Aide Registry (NAR). All individuals performing nurse aide duties in a nursing home on a full-time, part-time or contractual basis must meet minimum training and competency requirements in accordance with state and federal regulations and be listed in good standing on the NAR. The majority of nurse aides on the registry become certified by successfully completing a NYS-approved nursing home nurse aide training program and passing the Competency Examination. The exam consists of two parts: 1) a Clinical Skills exam (practical portion); and 2) a Written (oral) exam.
In early December of 2021, Jennie B. Richmond Nursing Home received notification that it was approved for a New York State Nurse Aide Training Program and began to offer training classes in January 2022. Since then, they have had two graduating classes. A challenge the nurse aide candidates was the distance traveling to and from area regional testing sites – some candidates were asked to test 4 hours away. The administration team at Jennie B. felt this limited the chances of candidates passing the exam and as a result, entered into discussions with Prometric to develop a testing area here on the Bertrand Chaffee campus. A computer lab area was created for the written part of the exam and a laboratory area to test clinical skills. “This was no small undertaking as we needed funds to create the computer and simulation laboratories,” reports Carole Francis, Nursing Home Administrator for Jennie B. Richmond Nursing Home. “We saw an opportunity to develop and train new and current staff caring for our residents,” commented Renna S. Thaine, Director of Nursing for Jennie B. Richmond Nursing Home. “This will allow us to develop candidates’ skill sets so that our residents receive the highest quality of care possible. This is our commitment to them and the communities we deliver care in.”
Training coursework is held regularly throughout the year and paid for by the organization. The next CNA training course will begin on August 1; applications are due by July 25. To learn more about the CNA training program or to apply, please email aszarzanowicz@bch-jbr.org.
Bertrand Chaffee Primary Care is pleased to announce the addition of Erin Vogl, PA to its practice, effective May 23, 2022.
Erin Vogl, PA, earned both her Bachelors of Science and Masters of Science from Daemen University.
Vogl brings over four years of internal medicine experience. She has a wealth of experience with in-home health assessments, as well as working in group homes and with developmentally disabled patients. A Colden resident, Vogl “understands the importance of keeping health care close to home and looks forward to providing accessible health care to those in our rural community.”
“We are thrilled to have Erin join our Bertrand Chaffee Primary Care,” said BCH CEO Nils Gunnersen. “She is a great complement to our team of providers and the entire BCH family.”
Vogl and other providers at Bertrand Chaffee Primary Care are accepting new patients at the Bertrand Chaffee Health Center, located at 210 East Main Street in Springville. Please call (716) 592-8140 to schedule an appointment.
