Category Archives: HealthLink on Air

Up close: A peek at laboratory analysis

Posted on March 8, 2019 by

BY CHARLES McCHESNEY Pneumatic tubes whisk blood samples to the new Core Laboratory on the fifth floor of the Upstate Cancer Center, where two Roche cobas 8000 analyzers stand, whirring quietly. The machines test hundreds of blood samples each day … Continue reading →

Posted in health care, HealthLink on Air, pathology, technology

Seven things your radiation oncologist wants you to know

Posted on February 13, 2019 by

BY AMBER SMITH Linda Schicker, MD, an assistant professor of radiation oncology at Upstate, tells what to expect when you face radiation therapy. She sees many of her patients at the Upstate Cancer Center’s radiation oncology office in Oneida, at … Continue reading →

Posted in cancer, Expert Advice, health care, HealthLink on Air | Tagged , , ,

Questions on the body’s water needs; immunotherapy drugs; suicide prevention; back pain — answered by Upstate’s experts

Posted on December 7, 2018 by

Q: How can I help someone who may be suicidal? A: “There are things you can look for. What you see leading up to suicide is, usually people will withdraw socially. They may start losing their ability to function, either … Continue reading →

Posted in health care, HealthLink on Air | Tagged , ,

Things to think about before you buy a home genetic test kit

Posted on December 5, 2018 by

    BY AMBER SMITH If you’re intrigued by offers of direct-to-consumer medical genetic testing, Robert Roger Lebel, MD, director of medical genetics at Upstate, offers something to consider. Let’s say you come from a family with many members who have had … Continue reading →

Posted in genetics, health care, HealthLink on Air | Tagged , , ,

Damage control: Surgeons rely on Navy strategy in operating on severely injured trauma patients

Posted on August 20, 2018 by

BY JIM HOWE Peter Corigliano is a living example of what “damage control surgery” can accomplish. The Rome resident, now 62, was injured in a horrific industrial accident in 2012. He was working at Rome Strip Steel when a giant electromagnet … Continue reading →

Posted in emergency medicine/trauma, health care, HealthLink on Air, surgery | Tagged , ,

Scientist walks political tightrope: He deals with Taliban to help his native land rebuild

Posted on August 17, 2018 by

BY JIM HOWE An Upstate faculty member who lost his mother as a baby and grew up in a refugee camp hopes he can help his war-scarred homeland, Afghanistan. To do this, he has secured the permission of the local … Continue reading →

Posted in community, education, fundraising, health care, HealthLink on Air, international health care, public health, research, volunteers | Tagged , , , , , , , ,

A remarkable recovery: His stroke care included fast-moving, coordinated efforts by his wife, ambulance crew and specialists at Upstate

Posted on August 13, 2018 by

BY JIM HOWE Dave Cartner has a remarkable story to share. The patient The 50-year-old Marcellus resident had finished breakfast on Feb. 13 and was about to leave for his job as a meat supervisor for a local food chain. … Continue reading →

Posted in brain/neurology, emergency medicine/trauma, health care, HealthLink on Air, medical imaging/radiology, patient story, stroke, surgery | Tagged , , , ,

Meet the ‘magic man’: Surgeon’s demeanor, outlook help patient beat slim odds

Posted on May 14, 2018 by

BY AMBER SMITH Melanoma of the rectum is rare and aggressive, and its prognosis is poor. The majority of people with the diagnosis don’t survive more than 24 months. To Jeri Bem, MD, that’s no reason to give up. A … Continue reading →

Posted in cancer, digestive/gastrointestinal, health care, HealthLink on Air, surgery | Tagged , , ,

10 days in Ghana: Upstate volunteers help build community in Africa

Posted on May 2, 2018 by

BY SUSAN KEETER Near the end of an 11-hour flight from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport, we finally see Ghana out the plane’s windows: saffron-colored earth and lush green foliage dotted with bright blue and pastel pink buildings. … Continue reading →

Posted in adolescents, Alzheimer's/dementia, community, health care, HealthLink on Air, international health care, nursing, prevention/preventive medicine, public health, women's health/gynecology | Tagged , , , ,

Ethics consult: Will your health care proxy honor your wishes?

Posted on March 26, 2018 by

Thomas Curran, MD, and Robert Olick, JD, PhD, are hospital ethics consultants and members of Upstate’s bioethics and humanities faculty They provide advice to patients and families who find themselves in ethically charged situations surrounding care at Upstate University Hospital. … Continue reading →

Posted in bioethics & humanities, cancer, death/dying, health care, HealthLink on Air | Tagged ,