Bassett relaxes emergency visit rules

By: Ted Potrikus 03/01/2022 10:34 am

Bassett relaxes emergency visit rules

Bassett Healthcare Network partially lifted visitation restrictions in its emergency departments across the region effective March 1, 2022.

This includes A.O. Fox Hospital in Oneonta, A.O. Fox Hospital’s Tri-Town Campus in Sidney, Bassett Medical Center in Cooperstown, Cobleskill Regional Hospital, Little Falls Hospital, and O’Connor Hospital in Delhi.

Under the rules announced March 1, patients will be permitted to have one visitor with them during their time in the emergency department. The visitor must stay in the room unless otherwise directed by their loved one’s care team. All visitors must also follow appropriate measures with personal protective equipment (PPE). In general, visitors must be at least 12 years old except in rare situations approved by the patient’s care team.

Extenuating circumstances will continue to be considered on a case-by-case basis for patients who may also need support persons, including children, people who are cognitively impaired, and others. These situations will be at the discretion of the patient’s care team.

Full visitation and support person guidelines for all areas across Bassett Healthcare Network – including hospitals, clinics, and long-term care facilities – are available on www.bassett.org.

Bassett applauds booster mandate suspension

By: Ted Potrikus 02/21/2022 4:03 pm

Bassett applauds new look at booster mandate for health workers

Bassett Healthcare officials are pleased Governor Kathy Hochul suspended plans to enforce a booster mandate for health care workers slated to take effect February 21.

“Bassett Healthcare Network recognizes that getting vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19 is one of the most important things we can do to keep our patients, caregivers, and communities safe,” said Dr. Tommy Ibrahim, President & CEO of Bassett Healthcare Network. “However, we, like many other health systems around the state and country, continue to experience staffing challenges in the wake of the pandemic.”

“We are relieved that an extension has been granted for this mandate; we now have more time to work with our caregivers and practitioners to get them their boosters,” he said. “We are thankful to our state leaders for their responsiveness and willingness to reconsider their position to avoid further staffing issues. Patient safety is always our priority.”

The original vaccine requirement for health care workers in New York State remains in place; Governor Hochul said she and the state’s Department of Health will reassess conditions in three months to decide whether they need to take additional steps to increase booster rates among health care workers.

In-Patient Visitation Suspended Across Bassett Healthcare Network

By: Staff 01/18/2022 4:21 pm

In-Patient Visitation Suspended
Across Bassett Healthcare Network

Bassett Healthcare Network temporarily suspends visitation to inpatient units across all of its hospitals beginning January 19, 2021.

Network officials say the community virus spread around Central New York remains high with the “extremely contagious Omicron variant,” leading to measures to protect the safety and health of its patients and staff. Bassett said its hospitals will consider extenuating circumstances on a case-by-case basis, including for end-of-life patients or those who are cognitively impaired.

Bassett’s emergency departments continue to suspend visitation. Where visitation still occurs – such as long-term care facilities and outpatient clinics – the Network applies special testing processes or other restrictions. Visit www.bassett.org for those details.

Officials plan to reassess community virus trends “after January” and determine whether it is safe to restore visitation.

The January 18 announcement affects the following locations: A.O. Fox in Oneonta, Bassett Medical Center in Cooperstown, Cobleskill Regional Hospital, Little Falls Hospital, and O’Connor Hospital in Delhi.

Greetings, Friends (with apologies to The New Yorker)

By: Reporter 12/30/2021 10:44 am

Greetings, Friends (with apologies to The New Yorker)

Greetings, Friends! The time is nigh
To bid this Covid Year good-bye.
We’ve had enough, we’ve played our parts
Stayed home alone filling Amazon carts.
And cleaning our closets and working online
Making do with our WiFi that’s not always fine.

We’ve said goodbye to some friends, to some relatives too
Our families we’ve not seen, travel’s been so taboo.
Goodbye ’21, au revoir, off you go 
Adios and kwaheri, arrivederci, adjo. 
Go away ’21! But wait! Not before
TFJ has its way with some thank-yous galore.

A.O. Fox Hospital to postpone elective procedures due to limited capacity

By: Reporter 12/09/2021 10:00 am

A.O. Fox Hospital to postpone elective procedures due to limited capacity

Bassett Healthcare announced today that A.O. Fox hospital in Oneonta was placed on a list of hospitals with 90% occupancy and, as a result, will be delaying non-essential procedures for two weeks

This move stems from an executive order enacted by the New York State Department of Health.

Patients who are affected will be notified. Urgent procedures such as cancer treatment, trauma, and heart surgery will continue to be performed.

STERNBERG: Neighbors Helping Neighbors Get Shots

By: Staff 03/11/2021 1:00 pm

LETTER from RICHARD STERNBERG

Neighbors Helping
Neighbors Get Shots

erna — Richard Sternberg, retired Bassett Hospital orthopedic surgeon, is providing his professional perspective weekly during the COVID-19
threat. A village trustee,
he resides in Cooperstown.

This past weekend Bassett performed an amazing feat of vaccinating a large group of people, more than 1,100 over two days. The confirmation of vaccine availability only came though on Wednesday, March 3, leaving but two full days to prepare. Nevertheless, I visited on Sunday and it had the appearance of a military operation (which in a sense it was).

The Bassett community, from Dr. Tommy Ibrahim on down should be proud, as should the staff of the Clark Sports Center, which hosted the event.

I want to especially commend the Bassett Director of Network Pharmacy, Kelly Rudd, Pharm.D., who was in command of the clinic from planning through implementation.

She worked from the list of patients from the state, a list of patients from Bassett’s own scheduling system, and an ad hoc group of volunteers who worked to contact and track down people qualified to be vaccinated, but for whom the computer-driven scheduling system was difficult or even impossible to use.

Also, many thanks are due to the Bassett staff who took the time to make hundreds of calls to help schedule seniors 65+.

There are many reports of computer-savvy individuals signing up friends, family members, and neighbors for vaccine appointments. To see this community spirit and kindness is a great thing.

The clinic was also able to smoothly access the waiting list to make sure no dose went unused. The volunteer group – which went out and identified about 175 people who had difficulty finding appointments on their own – included church members, other faith-based organizations, philanthropic NGOs (non-government organizations) including the Community Foundation of Otsego County, and additional individuals.

Many had been working on an individual basis, but recognized the synergy of working together.

Edward F. Danielski, Jr., 89; Radiologist At Bassett, Fox

By: Jim Kevlin 02/21/2021 4:26 pm

IN MEMORIAM

Edward F. Danielski, Jr., 89;

Radiologist At Bassett, Fox

COOPERSTOWN – Edward F. Danielski, Jr., a radiologist at Bassett Hospital and later director of Fox Hospital’s radiology department, passed away at home on Sunday, Feb. 14, 2021.

The son of Edward Danielski Sr. and Jennie Danielski, Edward was born on July 12, 1930, in Greenfield, Mass.

He attended Deerfield Academy and graduated from Harvard College, cum laude, in 1953. He went to Columbia Medical School and served his internship and residency at the Columbia division of Bellevue Hospital under the service of Drs. Andre Cournand and Dickinson Richards, who had recently received Nobel prizes in medicine.

Bassett Vaccination Clinic For 300 Fills ‘Immediately’

By: Jim Kevlin 01/27/2021 3:15 pm

Bassett Vaccination Clinic

For 300 Fills ‘Immediately’

COOPERSTOWN – As anticipated, Bassett’s Saturday COVID vaccination clinic filled “immediately,” according to spokesman Karen Huxtable-Hooker.

As soon at the posting appeared on bassett.org, all appointments were booked.

“Hopefully we see additional supply of the COVID-19 vaccines coming to New York State and released to rural regions soon,” she said.

People Over 71 To Get Vaccine, Governor Says

By: Jim Kevlin 01/08/2021 8:07 pm

People Over 75

To Get Vaccine,

Governor Says

Bassett Says Second Round Will Be

Done In Pharmacies, Doctors’ Offices

By JIM KEVLIN • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com

COOPERSTOWN – With the Bassett Healthcare Network reporting this evening that it has administered 80 percent of COVID-19 vaccines it has received so far, Governor Cuomo announced this afternoon that the program is being expanded beyond 1A eligible New Yorkers to 1B.

• 1B includes teachers and schools employees, police and firefighters (first responders), public-safety workers, public transit workers and people over 75.

• The 1A category, nearing completion, encompasses healthcare workers, from doctors and nurses to local health department workers who are administering the vaccines.

Dolgeville Couple Parents To First Bassett Baby Of ’21

By: Chrystal Savage 01/01/2021 7:41 pm

Dolgeville Couple Parents

To First Bassett Baby Of ’21

By CHRYSTAL SAVAGE • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com

COOPERSTOWN – Otsego County has welcomed the area’s first baby of the new year.

‘Allan Cotton, son of Mallory Diederichs and Scott Cotton of Dolgeville, was born – a week early – at 9:31 a.m. New Year’s Day at Bassett Hospital.

Allan weighs 9 pounds, 3 ounces and is 22 inches long.

Allan has four siblings: Michael, 12, and Karman, 3, at home and two older siblings, Zachary in Missouri, and Michaela in North Carolina.

HAPPENIN’ OTSEGO: Tour Art Exhibit By Lantern Light 10-21-20

By: Staff 10/20/2020 5:00 pm

HAPPENIN’ OTSEGO for WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21

Tour Art Exhibit By Lantern Light

14-19eventspage

ART IN THE DARK – 6:30 p.m. Tour museums galleries of folk art & fine art by Lantern Light with guides. Learn some of the mysterious, melancholy, untold stories behind the pieces & discover secrets with ultra-violet light. Limited to 8/tour. Cost, $14/non-member. Masks, pre-registration required. Fenimore Art Museum, Cooperstown. 607-547-1400 or visit www.fenimoreartmuseum.org

Bassett, Fox Allowed To Do Elective Surgery

By: Jim Kevlin 05/07/2020 1:43 pm

Bassett, Fox Allowed

To Do Elective Surgery

COOPERSTOWN – Bassett Medical Center and Fox Hospital in Oneonta have been given the go-ahead to resume elective surgeries (outpatient) and non-urgent outpatient procedures, it was confirmed today.

A news conference is planned at 10:30 a.m. next Tuesday, May 12, to outline plans for resumption of those services.

Elective surgeries were put on hold after Governor Cuomo’s emergency declaration Friday, March 13, as Bassett and Fox reorganized to focus on the anticipated challenges from COVID-19.

Bassett: Fewer Testing Positive For Coronavirus

By: Jim Kevlin 04/13/2020 5:45 pm

Bassett: Fewer

Testing Positive

For Coronavirus

6 Percent Affirmative, Down

From 10 Percent A Week Ago

By ELIZABETH COOPER • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com

COOPERSTOWN – Things are heading in the right direction.

Bassett Healthcare Network is seeing fewer positive tests for coronavirus in its eight-county region, Network spokeswoman Karen Huxtable-Hooker said today.

“We have been seeing some numbers trend down,” she said in an email.

Bassett Ready If NYS Sends Patients Here

By: Jim Kevlin 03/21/2020 11:03 am

Locals ‘Prioritized,’ Spokesman Says

Bassett Ready

If NYS Sends

Patients Here

Systems Adds 120 Beds,

Raising Capacity To 300

By LIZZIE COOPER • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com

COOPERSTOWN – Could Bassett Healthcare Network see an influx of COVID-19 patients from downstate? It’s possible.

In his briefing Friday, Governor Cuomo told reporters he is very concerned about finding hospital beds for all those who may be sickened by the Coronavirus.

“We have lower numbers in Upstate, so we are coordinating the downstate need with Upstate hospital beds,” he said. “It could be a person comes in from New York City, but we have a hospital bed in Albany, and if that’s what it gets to that’s what it gets to. If we have a hospital bed with a ventilator anywhere in the state I would be happy.”

400 Called Hotline Over Weekend, 200 More Connect Today

By: Jim Kevlin 03/16/2020 6:33 pm

One Non-Local Patient Treated At Bassett

400 Called Hotline

Over Weekend, 200+

More Connect Today

Many Just Have Colds, Others

Directed To Visit Testing Tents