by Rachel Hunter
Walk With A Doc returned to Gouverneur on Saturday, January 18 at the Gouverneur Central School Middle School, 25 Wilson St., Gouverneur. All North Country residents were invited to join a variety of St. Lawrence County healthcare providers for a free, fun walk. This event was open to all and is for people of all abilities.
Walk With A Doc in Gouverneur is made possible thanks to the Community Health Center of the North Country, St. Lawrence County Public Health Department, and a Bridge To Wellness: St. Lawrence County Health Improvement Plan. The event was hosted by the Community Health Center of the North Country, with inspirational addresses by Community Health Center of the North Country (Gouverneur)’s Kylie Lansing, PA-C, and Clifton-Fine Hospital’s Michael McCrory, LMHC. Other health care professionals in attendance includes: Community Health Center of the North Country’s Pediatrician Dr. Donald Schuessler, and Brittany Terpstra, Physician Assistant, among others.
Walk With a Doc is a local chapter of an international 501(c)3 that is inspiring communities through movement and conversation. With an aim to make hope and health accessible to everyone around the world, the doctor-led walking groups are safe, fun and a free place to get in some steps, learn about health, and meet new friends. Walking is recognized by the Surgeon General of the United States of America as one of the single most important things we can do for our health.
The 20-person crowd at the Walk With A Doc in Gouverneur was officially welcomed by Raymond Babowicz, the Community Health Center of the North Country’s Director of Communications and Strategic Partnerships. “This is our fourth event here at the Middle School. It's hard to believe… We’ve always had a great relationship here with the school district, with Gouverneur CSD Superintendent of Schools Jackie Kelly and her predecessor as well. I think that is why it is one of our better-attended events. We appreciate all of you coming out today. This is a unique opportunity for us. Normally we just have one guest presenter, usually from the health center. Kylie will do that in a second. But first and foremost, Michael McCrory is joining us from one of our new partners down in Clifton-Fine. We are glad they have come on board, from an organizational perspective, to be a partner with the Walk With A Doc events.”
Michael McCrory, LMHC, of Gouverneur said he was glad to participate in the Walk With A Doc Program. “I am a licensed mental health counselor,” he said. “I live here in Gouverneur, even though I work in Star Lake. I am a full-time mental health counselor. We’re trying to grow our behavioral health program. Some of you may know we are going through a multi-million dollar expansion in our ER right now. In fact, there is a live cam you can watch via YouTube. We are also a new rural emergency hospital. I believe we are the first one in New York State… Mental health and emotional wellness is everything. It has to do with how you manage at work, how you do coping skills in life, parenting, physical health coping, etc. It is really everything, and really important. If you know somebody who needs help in that area… the reality is that we all do in different times of our life… it’s just like getting the common cold… everybody struggles sometimes. Seek some help. I think society overall has made progress in reducing the negative stigma that sometimes exists with seeking help… thankfully that is dying out. Healthy, strong people address their problems and work to improve their life. If we can be a part of that, we would love to be a part of that.”
“I think it is a perfect pairing today,” Mr. Babowicz said to the crowd. “It takes a healthy mind to have a healthy body, and a healthy body to have a healthy mind. Everybody has to work together.”
“We are very fortunate in this community,” Mr. Babowicz said. “We know we just celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Dr. Schuessler providing care here… And we are welcoming another pediatrician, Dr. Spicer. He will be joining us here in Gouverneur in a couple of months. And we are fortunate that Kylie Lansing, PA-C, joined us. We have a nice pediatric team now in the Gouverneur community.”
Kylie Lansing, PA-C, a Utica, NY native and a recent graduate of LeMoyne College, has joined the Community Health Center of the North Country (Gouverneur), and is new to the North Country community. “It is an honor to be with you all today,” she said to the Walk With A Doc in Gouverneur attendees. “I am new to this type of an event. It is very exciting. It is an honor to start my career in such a strong, rural community. I appreciate everyone who has been so welcoming, and I look forward to meeting you all. I was asked to speak about something that we noticed in the past couple of months… just the ER frequency and where you decide to seek care. There are some easy things to remember if you are thinking: “Should I go to the ER or maybe should I go see my primary physician?” Ask yourself: “Is it an emergency?” Emergency clinicians are trained to think in terms of what is going to acutely hurt you or kill you now. If it is not going to hurt or kill you now, then they will do what they can and send you out. There is no follow-up. Think about: “Do I have shortness of breath?” “Do I have chest pains?” “Am I eating okay?” “Am I going to the bathroom okay?” “Am I in significant amount of pain where this needs to be addressed now?” Another thing I would urge you to think about is the cost associated – not just the monetary cost that sometimes comes with these ER visits, but also the health costs that could possibly be there. There is no question in my mind that everyone has experienced some long ER wait times. And in that wait time, sometimes we can be exposed to some bacteria or illnesses that we might not normally be exposed to. And the last thing I would urge you to think about is: “What do I want them to do differently than my primary care provider would?” “What am I seeking out of this visit?” If they wouldn’t do anything differently, then I would urge you to see your primary care provider… because they do know your health history. They do have a relationship with you. You are not just another new patient that you are seeing on the day-to-day. Really build that relationship with your clinician. I think together we can build a healthier, happier future. I am really excited to meet you all, and I’m really excited to be here.”
The Community Health Center of the North Country this past week issued the following announcement: ”2024 was a year of significant change and planning at Community Health Center of the North Country (CHCNC). After a 10 year run at the helm, Anne Richey, CEO, retired in February. This ushered in a new era under Dave Bender, CEO, who joined the team after many years with St. Lawrence Health System. Other changes have come in other roles: Jennie Flanagan joined as Chief Operating Officer, and Alexander Bryden signed on as the new Chief Financial Officer.
“With new people comes new goals, new visions, and new plans to make those visions reality. There is a renewed commitment to the mission of providing comprehensive, equitable and accessible high quality healthcare and human services to people of all income levels and those with individualized needs. In 2025 this will be most noticeably evident with the addition of new providers and expansion of facilities to meet the needs of these new members of the CHCNC team.
“Starting this month you will see the first in a number of Doctors joining, as the team embarks on an extensive expansion of Pediatric Services. This begins with the return to the North Country of Pediatrician Scott Spicer, MD; he joins the pediatric team of Donald Schuessler, MD and Kylie Lansing, PA at the CHCNC location in Gouverneur. This will be followed by two pediatricians joining at the Ogdensburg health center this summer. Future primary care arrivals in 2025 include Family Practice Physicians at both the Canton and Ogdensburg locations with the potential for an additional Doctor in Malone as well. Finally, after an extensive time searching, CHCNC welcomed Sara Elliott, LCSW and Bob Stickels, LCSW-R to the Behavioral health unit at the Canton health center.
“With the growth in providers comes expansion in facilities. To accommodate the new Pediatricians, remodeling will take place at both the Gouverneur and Ogdensburg health centers which will result in nine new pediatric suites being added; this includes six in Ogdensburg and two in Gouverneur.
“Change can be unnerving, but at the same time exciting. The past 12 months have brought both to Community Health Center of the North Country. The one thing that has not changed is the 50-year commitment to serving the North Country communities the team cares for. Everyone is welcome, and most insurances are accepted at the Full Service Family practices in Canton, Gouverneur, Malone, and Ogdensburg. Services include but are not limited to: primary and pediatric care, dental, behavioral health, physical therapy, care management, outreach and enrollment, WIC, and many programs for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Optometry services are also available at the Arsenal Street center in Watertown.
“Community Health Center of the North Country, one of Northern New York’s premiere independent providers of healthcare services for people of all income levels is part of a national network of community health centers serving over 30 million patients including 300,000 veterans, 1 in 6 Medicaid beneficiaries, nearly 1.2 million homeless, and over 7.5 million children. Join the 2.4 million New Yorkers and over 100,000 people across the North Country entrusting Community Health Centers with their care. Experience, quality, and affordability; that, is the Community Health Center of the North Country experience.”
Thunderous applause sounded in appreciation of the inspirational and motivational addresses. Much gratitude was extended to all the attendees for participating as the walkers headed to the halls at the Gouverneur Middle School for the event. Faithful readers of the Gouverneur Tribune Press will recall that the Gouverneur Central School District’s hall walking program is open to the community during the evening hours. The Middle School is open to walkers on Mondays and Wednesdays from 4:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. The Elementary School is open for walkers on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Please call or stop by either building to fill out an application to participate. For more information, please visit www.gcsk12.org.
Much gratitude is extended to all those who made the Walk With A Doc event in Gouverneur possible. The next event will be held in late-summer at the Gouverneur Fairgrounds. The announcement will be reported in an upcoming edition of the Gouverneur Tribune Press. For more information on Walk With A Doc, visit walkwithadoc.org.