VISION: A call for something more

VISION: A call for something more
Annual Report of Caring
08
“A vision is not just a picture of what could be;
it is an appeal to our better selves,
a call to become something more.”
Rosabeth Moss Kanter, Harvard Business School professor
The purpose of this publication is to demonstrate our commitment to our members,
our providers and our communities. We invest tens of millions of dollars to support local
organizations and initiatives that improve the quality of life in our communities.
A recent health crisis in my family brought home the value
of our health system – from hospitals and health care professionals to our
own health insurance coverage.
When my wife, Linde, was diagnosed
with a rare form of cancer last summer,
we realized that we’re blessed to have
doctors and hospitals in upstate New
York on par with national centers of
excellence. We could have gone
anywhere in the country, but after
much research, we concluded that
quality care is available locally. The
added benefit is having the support
of family and friends nearby.
Many are directly responsible for the
existence of these medical centers. We
support the excellent care they provide
not only through reimbursements for
health care services, but also through
our advocacy efforts with elected
officials, regulators and industry
leaders for supportive public policies.
These include measures to reduce taxes
on the privately insured, more health
insurance options for businesses and
individuals, and use of existing government subsidies to aid individuals and
small groups in buying coverage.
While health insurance may not be a
right guaranteed under our Constitution, our company’s leadership is more
convinced than ever that as many
people as possible should have affordable health care for life. We believe
strengthening private health coverage
is the least costly and most effective
way to accomplish this goal and that
government’s role is to help those
who cannot afford it. We also believe
we have a responsibility to demand
quality health care services for our
customers and to keep escalating
health care costs in check.
Linde and I remain positive about her
prognosis. Our situation has given
me the opportunity to reassess many
things in my life and relationships.
It’s also reinforced my belief that the
success of The Lifetime Healthcare
Companies is vital to our communities.
David H. Klein
President & CEO
The Lifetime Healthcare Companies
Our vision of affordable health
care for life extends beyond our
customers to encompass upstate
New York as a whole. We’re proud
to support other organizations in
their desire and effort to bring
health care to those who need it,
where they need it. In this publication,
you can read how collaboration
among a few helps many.
My family was grateful to have health
insurance to pay for appropriate
medical care. When you’re a patient
or a caregiver, the last thing you want
to think about is how you will pay the
hospital and doctor bills and whether
they’re being paid correctly. If you
do have questions about your health
insurance, you want your insurer to
be patient and supportive.
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We’re more than a health insurance company and provider of health care services. We
not only pay your medical claims and attend to your health care needs, we’re also part
of upstate New York’s economic fabric.
Our business decisions aren’t made in a vacuum or from some far-off state. We live and
work where you do. Our headquarters is in Rochester. We have regional offices stretching
from Buffalo to Utica. Our more than 6,000 employees are located here. Most of our
financial transactions are here.
Something More
On behalf of our 1.8 million members, we paid $4.6 billion in medical claims to:
We’re Committed to Diversity
An organization should look the same on
the inside as it does on the outside, i.e., our
workforce should reflect the diversity of our
communities. We respect, recognize and value
the uniqueness and contributions of each
person as well as promote, model and
reward attitudes and behaviors that foster
inclusiveness.
We also contribute to organizations that are
dedicated to overcoming racism, bias and
discrimination, such as the National Federation for Just Communities. Our Lifetime Health
Medical Group centers have supported this
human relations organization that builds
understanding, respect and trust through
education, advocacy and community involvement. The federation recently recognized one
of our legal counsels, Rebecca Ritchie, for a
screenplay she authored that focused on the
Jewish community and Holocaust survivors.
For the past six years, our Central New York
plan has sponsored the Interfaith Works
Communitywide Dialogue Duck Race to
End Racism.
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106
H
hospitals
18,000
providers
We’re one of New York’s LARGEST
• employers ($335 million payroll)
• consumers of local goods and services ($303 million)
Indirect and induced spending
Goods and services we purchase
$183 million
+
$335 million
+
$303 million
Our economic impact
$821 million
Our payroll
Using a tool developed by the Bureau of Economic Analysis, we estimate the
impact of indirect spending (local spending by the vendors from which we
purchase goods and services) and induced spending (local spending by our
employees) is responsible for infusing $183 million into the upstate economy
and generating 1,530 jobs.
Reforming Medical
Malpractice
We’re a MAJOR taxpayer
NYS Health Care Reform Act (HCRA )
$185 million
Federal corporate income taxes
$28 million
Social Security taxes (company share)
$23 million
New York State Insurance Department assessment
$10.5 million
New York state corporate income taxes
$800,000
Premium taxes
$700,000
Other taxes
$200,000
Total for 2007
$248.2 million
It’s been estimated that 10 cents of every
medical benefits dollar paid by insurance
premiums reflects the cost and liability of
defensive medicine. We support tort reform
that includes setting caps on awards for
noneconomic damages, limiting the time for
filing a medical liability claim, allocating
damages fairly in proportion to a party’s
degree of fault and lowering medical
malpractice costs.
Combatting Fraud
61,000
pharmacies
Our special investigations unit saved more
than $3.4 million by detecting, preventing and
helping to prosecute those involved in using
our members’ premiums fraudulently or
abusively in 2008.
A Healthy Environment
We strive to be environmentally responsible because it’s the right
thing to do and it makes economic sense. Our environmentally
safe practices include:
• A million pounds of paper recycled annually.
• Envelopes produced with wind power.
• Newer facilities and renovated spaces with lights
on timers and HVAC units that run only when a
building is occupied.
• Steam purchased through Rochester District
Heating for heating our Rochester
headquarters.
• “Green” cleaning products, organic lawn
treatment and pro-green paint products
where possible.
• Mercury free blood pressure cuffs in our
health centers.
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Business gurus like W. Edwards Deming and initiatives such as Six Sigma have proven time
and again that quality goods and services don’t have to cost more; in fact, costs are more
controlled when excellence is pursued and achieved.
In the business of health care, we embrace quality measures that result in improved
outcomes, increased patient satisfaction and lower costs. We’re committed to providing
quality on several levels, from giving consumers information to make wise choices about
their health care to helping providers improve performance. What’s good for patients and
providers is also good for our employer groups and us.
Improving the Quality
of Health Care
7 Generics Are REAL
7 Hospital Pay for Performance Program
7 Upstate New York Hospital Quality Initiative
7 Upstate New York Surgical Quality Initiative
Brand-Name Drugs Are Generics
in Disguise
After a December 2005 analysis
showed that increasing the use of
generic drugs in upstate New York
could potentially save consumers more
than $880 million, we created a public
education campaign, Generics are
REAL.
Follow-up analyses took place in 2006,
2007 and 2008 to track generic fill
rate increases in upstate New York
and estimate the savings resulting
from those increases. A consumer
survey in early 2007 assessed the
public’s perception of generic drugs.
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Based on the analyses and survey
findings, Excellus BCBS expanded
the Generics are REAL campaign to
increase public awareness and acceptance of generics. The campaign’s core
message is that generic drugs are
just as safe and effective as their
brand-name counterparts and FDA
approved, but they cost less, lot less.
We encourage patients to “Ask your
doctor or pharmacist if there’s a
generic drug that’s right for you.”
Our campaign successfully has targeted consumers, employers, providers
and members. From 2005 to 2008,
the upstate generic fill rate increased
from 53.8 percent to 68.4 percent. We
attribute the increase to several factors,
including a growing public acceptance
of generic drugs and the introduction
of new generic alternatives to brandname drugs.
From 2006 to 2008, savings achieved
by increasing use of generic drugs
across upstate New York totaled more
than $700 million. Yet those savings
have been offset by an almost 82
percent increase in the cost of brandname drugs over the past five years.
The average cost for a 30-day supply
of brand-name drugs escalated from
$87.45 in 2003 to $159.06 in 2008.
In that same time period, the average
cost of generic prescriptions rose
10.5 percent, with the average cost
of a 30-day supply of generic drugs
$17.43 in 2003 and $19.26 in 2008.*
Our fact sheet, “Generic Drug
Prescribing Patterns Among Physicians
in Upstate New York,” available on
excellusbcbs.com, cites a number of
studies which confirm that patients’
compliance rates for taking medications is higher when they are
prescribed generic drugs rather
than brand-name ones.
Our Generics Are REAL campaign has
generated a groundswell of support from
employees and the public. Above, Excellus
BCBS employees and friends, Stacie Perry,
Shane Kulpa, Dana Plado, Stephanie Perry
and Tom Machnik, supported participants
at Utica’s annual Boilermaker Road Race.
More than 8,336 pairs of Groucho glasses
were distributed, breaking the unofficial
world record for the most number of people
wearing Groucho glasses at one event. The
week prior, 6,571 fans, including Southern Tier
employee Diane Pendell and her husband,
Joey, bottom photo, made “spectacles” of
themselves at the Binghamton Mets game.
*”Cost Trends of Prescription Drugs in Upstate New York,” Fall 2008. Analysis performed by FLRx, Excellus BlueCross BlueShield’s pharmacy management division that provides pharmacy benefit management
services for more than 1.2 million people across 39 counties of upstate New York. Estimates derived by applying an extrapolation model to FLRx administrative data.
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The scoop on costs, quality
and access
To educate the public about health care costs,
access and quality, we regularly produce
Health Policy Reports and Fact Sheets based
on unbiased information. Recent ones added
to our Web sites, excellusbcbs.com and
univerahealthcare.com, are:
• Adults With Asthma in New York State
• Cost Trends of Prescription Drugs
• Leading Causes of Death in Upstate
New York
• The Facts About Health Insurance Premiums
Catching Germs in the Act
That translates into:
Since 2005, when we implemented
our Upstate New York Hospital
Quality Initiative to reduce the
incidence of hospital-acquired
infections, we’ve been heartened by
its success in terms of better patient
outcomes as well as substantial
savings. In the first nine months of
2008, the eight upstate New York
hospitals in the program realized a
12.21 percent clinical improvement
on infection control.
• 295 hospital-acquired infections
prevented.
• 2,064 incremental days length of
stay avoided.
• total economic impact of $1.95
million in hospital direct cost-savings.
• $1.92 million in hospital bottom-line
savings.
Hospitals were selected to participate
based on their location, patient
volumes and willingness to share in
the program’s initial cost. We invested
$2 million to help pay for Cardinal
Health’s MedMined™ services. The
patented data mining technology
allows hospitals to monitor and
continuously analyze their patient
populations for community and
hospital-acquired infections. When
unusual patterns are detected, the
hospital’s infection control team
focuses intervention and education
efforts where they have the greatest
potential for improving patient care
and safety. Real-time electronic access
to infection-related clinical data helps
the hospitals with reporting, charting
and automatic alerts.
We’ve allocated an additional $5
million to expand the program to all
hospitals in our upstate New York
network. Currently, 14 have accepted
and several more are interested. The
offer couldn’t come at a better time.
Since October 2008, Medicare no
longer pays hospitals for treating
two types of hospital-acquired
infections, and hospitals can’t bill
patients for related care.
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"As health care providers, our goal is wellness
maintenance. In the fight against hospitalacquired infections, MedMined is a powerful clinical
support tool that expedites transformation of complex
data into usable information. MedMined's
incorporation of technology and clinically based
education allows our clinicians to practice not only
infection control, but also infection prevention, thus
decreasing infection-related mortality and morbidity
and easing the financial burden to the hospital."
-Katie O'Leary, director of Quality and Clinical Outcomes Management
Unity Health System, Rochester, NY
Performance Counts
In our network, 64 of 76 hospitals that
represent 97 percent of our patients’
admissions now participate in our
Hospital Pay for Performance
Program that rewards hospitals for
improving quality of care by meeting
or exceeding national quality performance averages. As a result, the number
of complications, readmissions and
days in the hospital is reduced and
clinical outcomes are better. Hospital
patients should experience more
consistent treatment and more
routine protocols.
By participating in the program,
these hospitals choose quality performance measures that deliver care
in accordance with published medical
standards developed by national health
care experts. Performance is measured
by clinical care delivery, efficiency,
patient safety and patient satisfaction.
The program allows for flexibility
across the range of hospitals in our
network—from small, rural hospitals
to large, academic medical centers.
We play an integral role in measuring
providers’ quality of care, promoting
meaningful, worthwhile relationships
with them and sharing information
about quality.
A Cut Above the Rest
Improving surgical outcomes is the
goal of our Upstate New York Surgical Quality Initiative. Participating in
our initial effort in 2008 were four
hospitals in our network: Strong
Memorial, Highland and University
hospitals and Bassett Healthcare.
Based on the American College of
Surgeons’ National Surgical Quality
Improvement Program, the intent of
the initiative is to reduce surgical
complications in targeted procedures
and thus reduce costs as well. By
funding a portion of the costs of
participation, we hope to attract
more hospitals to the program in
2009. Although we don’t have results
to report yet, we expect patients,
physicians, hospitals and health
plans to benefit from this program.
" Participation in the Excellus BlueCross BlueShield
Hospital Pay for Performance Program has been a
very beneficial collaboration and is consistent with
our overall performance improvement activities. With
our commitment to the highest quality management
standards in the industry, we focus on specific processes
and measures to verify continual improvement at
St. Elizabeth Medical Center, creating a win/win
situation for our medical center, our patients and their
families. We also add value to the overall health care
delivery system by reducing the costs
associated with avoidable complications."
-David N. Briggs, Quality manager/director of Case Management
St. Elizabeth Medical Center, Utica, NY
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Big-name medical centers are finding that using electronic medical records helps keep
track of patients who have multiple physicians and need complex care. In addition,
physicians are less likely to provide duplicate and/or unnecessary care. Although electronic
medical records can reduce medical errors and administrative costs, they can be very
difficult and expensive to implement. More than $50 million in government grants has
been awarded to six regions in New York for health information technology pilot projects.
As pilot projects get under way, planning and coordination are essential to achieve
economies of scale and standardization.
Catching Up With Technology
7 Genesee Valley Health Partnership
7 Lifetime Care Telemedicine
7 Lifetime Health Medical Group Electronic Medical Records
7 Rochester Regional Health Information Organization
Excellus BCBS awarded $100,000 to
the Genesee Valley Health Partnership to help build an electronic health
information network in Livingston
County. The initiative will use technology to bolster health care quality and
give providers secure and immediate
access to patient records. The project
includes a centralized, standardized
electronic medical records system
for emergency medical services; a
single-point-of-entry system for people
with disabilities and chronic diseases
who seek health care services; and
electronic health records for health
care providers.
We’re actively supporting the
Rochester Regional Health Information Organization, commonly known
as Rochester RHIO. It’s a secure, online
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resource used by authorized medical
providers to obtain essential patient
information, including lab reports,
radiology results, medication history
and more.
Rochester RHIO, one of 30 across
New York and 300 in the country, is
farther along than most online health
information exchanges. More than 250
authorized health care providers use
the service. Benefits include:
• Fewer repeated tests because doctors can quickly access the results of
tests performed at other locations.
• Easier second opinions because all
members of the medical team can
access diagnostic information.
• Reduced risk of mistakes caused by
poor handwriting or hard-to-read
faxes.
• Less chance of drug interactions
because the electronic prescribing
feature automatically warns of incorrect dosage or potential problems.
• Greater convenience for patients,
who may no longer have to handcarry lab reports, prescriptions
and other medical information.
Our Lifetime Health Medical Group
centers have scanned 27 million pages
of medical records into an electronic
medical records system and now
enter all new patient data electronically. Providers find it makes work
easier, documentation faster and helps
them stay current on prescription
renewals. Other benefits include
automatic reminders for vaccinations
or annual exams, reduced risk of
medical errors and enhanced
communication between providers
and patients.
Lifetime Care, one of our subsidiaries,
is the leading home health agency in
the Rochester area to use telemedicine for remote monitoring of patient
conditions, including heart disease,
lung disease, high blood pressure and
advanced diabetes, thus catching
irregularities before they become big
problems. The agency also uses digital
cameras to check wound care and the
latest infusion technology to deliver
intravenous treatments to patients in
their homes. A medication reminder
system is available for patients who
may be at risk if they don’t take their
prescriptions correctly.
Above, remote monitoring of patient conditions
allows Lifetime Care staff to catch irregularities
before they become problematic. Lifetime Health
Medical Group physician, Dr. Doug Golding,
page 8, says that electronic medical records
benefit providers and patients, including Lifetime
Health employee and patient Stacy Sellka.
• Faster crisis care when essential
information is available immediately
to emergency room doctors and
emergency medical technicians.
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Local issues require local solutions and local solutions require collaboration among
all stakeholders—businesses, community leaders, providers and health insurers. If a
community does not manage capacity, costs will increase, services will be duplicated,
the volume of services will increase, and there will be fewer reasons for providers to
work together. We support establishing regional health commissions composed of
key community stakeholders to focus on access, quality and cost. In the meantime, we
work with other organizations to ensure that those who are underserved receive care,
especially those in rural areas of our state.
Planning Goes a Long Way
7 Adirondack Medical Center
7 Canandaigua Clinic
7 Continuing Developmental Services Life Transitions Center
7 Community Free Clinic
7 Rushville Health Center
7 The Health Ministry of the Southern Tier
Pooled Resources
Our donation to the Continuing
Developmental Services Life
Transitions Center in Webster was
used to build a therapy pool for people
with disabilities. CDS clients use the
pool for therapeutic, structured
activities to increase their strength,
endurance and flexibility and for
recreational swimming, photo page
11. Employees also use the pool.
The fully accessible, enclosed therapy
pool has a ramp and a lift for individuals with limited mobility. The temperature-controlled environment of the
pool accommodates individuals with
developmental disabilities, who are
often sensitive to extreme temperatures.
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Taking a Bite Out
of Dental Decay
Many rural areas have a shortage
of dentists, especially providers who
accept Medicaid patients. In addition,
water supplies often aren’t fluoridated,
putting residents at risk for serious
health problems since proper dental
care is crucial to overall health.
In Yates County and the Northern
Adirondacks, our partnership with local
providers helps underinsured and
uninsured residents and those with
Medicaid coverage receive needed
dental services. Since we provided a
grant to the Rushville Health Center
in Yates County in 2007, more than
2,600 children and adults have
received dental care.
This year, the Adirondack Medical
Center’s dental center on wheels will
provide services to residents of five
counties who in the past traveled up
to two hours each way to the center’s
dental clinic in Lake Placid.
Free Health Services and More
Thanks to The Health Ministry of the
Southern Tier, residents in Chemung,
Steuben and Schuyler counties who
lack insurance and the ability to pay
have benefited from free health and
dental services, prescription assistance,
health education, smoking cessation
programs, and specialty health care
and dental referrals. Clinic staff helps
patients determine their eligibility and
apply for government and commercial
insurance programs.
The Community Free Clinic in the
Southern Tier got a shot in the arm
with funding from Oprah’s Big Give
Program via Binghamton’s News
Channel 34 and Excellus BCBS. The
clinic provides uninsured residents in
the Southern Tier with free preventive,
primary and acute health care,
including prescription medications.
Volunteer health care professionals and
community volunteers, in partnership
with local health care institutions,
provide these services pro bono.
Excellus BCBS, Thompson Health and
Canandaigua Churches in Action are
collaborating to provide health care
to the uninsured, underinsured and the
working poor in the Canandaigua area.
Operated by Thompson Health and
staffed by a licensed nurse practitioner,
clinical secretary and medical technician, the Canandaigua Clinic will
open early in 2009. Within three years,
the clinic is expected to handle more
than 3,500 patient visits annually.
Best Interests at Heart
Our Case Management staff helps members
get the right care at the right time. Their
services are much needed by those who have
our low-cost Safety Net products for families
and children who typically can’t afford health
insurance. Real-life examples of staff
interventions include:
• When a patient needed an antibiotic administered intravenously three times a day, our
case manager worked with his physician and
a home care agency to have care delivered
at home. The result? The member avoided
six weeks of hospitalization and had an
excellent outcome.
• With 18 children to care for in her home, a
member was not performing regular blood
sugar checks nor administrating insulin to
keep her diabetes under control. Our case
manager worked with the woman and her
doctor to arrange educational sessions
at the member’s convenience. She’s now
compliant and has avoided complications
from her disease.
• Through her efforts securing care from a
psychiatrist and coordinating school services,
our case manager greatly helped a child
with attention deficit and obsessive compulsive disorders. With his medication adjusted,
the student is better able to control his
behavior. In addition, his grades have gone
from failing to passing.
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Unhealthy behaviors, including smoking, obesity/overweight and sedentary lifestyle,
contribute to heart disease, cancer, trauma and pulmonary conditions. Along with mental
disorders, these conditions account for 35 percent of all health care spending.* There’s
much truth to the adage that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. That’s
why we support many programs that encourage nutritious eating and active lifestyles
from childhood on.
Improving Personal Behaviors
7 2Smart 2Start®
7 Fun 2B Fit®
7 Genesis Health Project
7 Get Healthy Tompkins
7 HeathyBlue/ActiveUnivera®
7 Hornell YMCA Get Fit, Stay Fit
7 Step Up/Take Steps®
7 Youth Sports Teams
Starting Young
Univera Healthcare’s 2Smart 2Start®
is celebrating a decade of bringing
smoke-free programming to the youth
of Western New York. And there's
more reason to celebrate–a Roswell
Park Cancer Institute survey indicates
the percentage of Erie County ninth
graders who smoke plummeted from
33 percent to 18 percent in recent
years. The award-winning, schoolbased program offers a theater production emphasizing the importance of
healthy choices, presentations of the
national Tar Wars curriculum and a
peer counseling initiative. More than
128,000 children at 340 area schools
have signed the 2Smart 2Start pledge
and made their promise to always be
smoke-free.
Starting healthy habits young will
reap benefits far into adulthood is the
premise behind Univera Healthcare’s
Fun 2B Fit® program for elementary
students in Western New York. For 12
weeks, second graders sample recipes
from the Fun 2B Fit recipe collection
that invites them to try different foods.
Led by a Fun 2B Fit fitness instructor,
third graders do fun dance moves and
*Source: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Statistical Brief #167,
“The Five Most Costly Conditions, 2000 and 2004. Estimates for the U.S. Civilian Noninstitutionalized Population," March, 2007.
meps.ahrq.gov/mepsweb/data_files/publications/st167/stat167.pdf.
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stretches and are encouraged to repeat
the workout at home and involve
family and friends. On a field trip
to Wegmans Food Markets, fourth
graders learn about healthy shopping
and food preparation. The two-hour
tour introduces children to a variety
of nutritious foods in a fun and
interactive way that sets the stage for
a lifetime of healthy eating. More than
17,000 Western New York students
at 65 schools have participated in
Fun 2B Fit. Partners are Wegmans
Food Markets, Body Shaping By Sandy,
and Lifetime Health Medical Group.
Univera Healthcare’s Fun 2B Fit program,
page 12 and right, uses cool tools—an
activity book, book bag, portion plate,
stopwatch and shopping list—to get and
keep students and parents active and eating
well. Above left, we also sponsored a youth
indoor soccer team, The Titans, to encourage
physical activity and team playing.
In other efforts to encourage physical
activity for children, we often support
youth sports teams. Univera Healthcare sponsored a youth indoor soccer
team, The Titans. Composed of 20
kids, the team plays at the Brighton
Arena in Tonawanda. In Central New
York, we sponsored Little League
teams, including one for girls and
another for boys in Jamesville-DeWitt.
We also sponsored Little League teams
in the Utica region.
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Starting Later
With 81 percent of upstate New York
black adults being overweight or
obese,* the Syracuse community
launched a program to reduce obesity
among the lower-income black
community in 2004. Spearheaded by
Syracuse University, Wegmans Food
Markets, Wal-Mart, local congregations and Excellus BCBS, the Genesis
Health Project now has eight innercity church pastors and 24 lay health
advocates leading the charge to eat
healthy and get active. In addition to
hearing the message during church
services, participants can engage in
healthy lifestyle programs or attend
special programs aimed at men’s and
women’s health issues or specific
diseases. Last year, each participating
church became a “Fry-Free Zone,”
abolishing fried foods at fellowship
events.
In 2006, we provided support for
the Hornell YMCA Get Fit, Stay Fit
program for adults and children. To
Described in the health plan industry as innovative, our newest health plans,
HealthyBlue® and ActiveUnivera®, demonstrate that health insurance isn’t only
for the sick and injured, but can reward members who practice healthy behaviors.
In the initial year, 2008, members earned more than $1 million for activities,
including getting regular checkups, stopping or not smoking, exercising and
eating nutritiously. HealthyBlue, for Excellus BCBS members, and ActiveUnivera,
for Univera Healthcare members, annually rewards adult subscribers and their
spouses/domestic partners each up to $500 in cash, Visa® gift cards or healthrelated merchandise. Online tools make the process easy.
Last year, HealthyBlue member Jeff Riedl, 30, pictured right, started bicycling and
running. The financial incentive motivated him initially, earning him $400. Once he
got involved in the program, exercise became part of his daily routine.
“Turns out I actually enjoy exercising, especially running,” said the Webster
resident, who lost 20 pounds as a result.
The 2009 versions of HealthyBlue and ActiveUnivera include more ways for
members to use their benefits, earn rewards and practice healthy behaviors.
*Source: NYS Department of Health Behavorial Risk Factor Surveillance System.
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keep people motivated and increase
attendance, creative programs,
including Buff Brides, were added.
More than 250 YMCA members and
employees participated in a Step Up
challenge.
Tompkins County residents can
access Get Healthy Tompkins, a free,
interactive, Web-based program and
e-newsletter, for tools, resources and
educational materials to reach their
weight and activity goals. Conducted
in partnership with the Cayuga
Click to Connect
Medical Center, the program is an
expansion of our Step Up program.
Step Up (Excellus BCBS) and Take
Steps (Univera Healthcare) are
Web-based programs free to anyone.
Designed to improve participants’
health through physical activity and
healthy eating, the program includes
a personalized Web page with tools
to set goals, track progress and record
daily steps and servings. Fitness and
calorie needs, ideal body weight and
more. There’s also a library of fitness
and nutrition articles, recipes and links
to other helpful resources.
You can even challenge friends,
family or your entire organization
to be healthier with our Healthy Competition option. Best of all, we provide
everything you need to get started.
Go to: stepup.excellusbcbs.com or
takesteps.univerahealthcare.com.
Our Web sites, excellusbcbs.com and
univerahealthcare.com, provide a wealth
of health information for the public,
including:
• Links to compare hospital quality.
• Generic drug calculator.
• Medical appointment diary.
• Healthwise® Knowledgebase to check
symptoms, learn about medical tests, find
a support group for a disease or condition.
• Step Up and Take Steps programs.
nutrition calculators help determine
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Some health conditions are inherited; others are the result of unhealthy habits or
environments. We work with local health departments, hospitals, providers and
other organizations to help individuals manage their symptoms, eliminate or reduce
risk factors and improve quality of life and outcomes.
Living Healthier With Disease
7 Asthma Awareness Program
7 Coalition to Prevent Lead Poisoning
7 Lion’s Camp Hickory and Rush Diabetes Camp
7 Live Empowered
Lead poisoning can cause serious
health problems involving the nervous
system and kidneys. To help eradicate
childhood lead poisoning in the
Rochester area, we’re working with
other groups through The Coalition
to Prevent Lead Poisoning, a
nonprofit organization of community
citizens. Among other educational
efforts, the coalition has held lead-safe
work practices classes in English and
Spanish.
Diabetes is the sixth leading killer in
upstate New York.* Complications
include heart disease, stroke, blindness,
kidney failure and amputations. Blacks
are more than twice as likely as whites
to have the disease. The American
Diabetes Association, with an underwriting grant from Univera Healthcare,
*Data sources for number of deaths: "Vital Statistics of New York State,"
New York State Department of Health, table 33A for the years 2003-2005.
16
presented programs targeting at-risk
populations in the Buffalo area. Live
Empowered took place at 12 Buffaloarea churches that have predominantly
black congregations. At three of the
churches, ID Days (I Decide to Fight
Diabetes Days) worship service
discussion centered around the
seriousness of diabetes, its impact
on the community, and how to reduce
risk factors or live better with the
disease through proper medical
management, an active lifestyle
and healthy cooking and food choices.
In the Southern Tier, we have a threeyear commitment with United Health
Services to help fund the Asthma
Awareness Program. The program
aims to improve the quality of care
and health outcomes for children who
have asthma. Education for the child
and his/her family includes efficient
care and self-management. Case
management for high-risk children
and their families is available.
Excellus BCBS awarded scholarships
to the American Diabetes Association to help low-income children in
the Rochester and Utica areas attend
last summer's diabetes camp in Rush.
In a supervised setting, the children
engage in fun activities and learn
about the best ways to manage
their diabetes.
During two of the hottest weeks of
July 2008, 35 children gathered at
Lion’s Camp Hickory on the Seneca
River in Baldwinsville. By the end of
each five-day program, they had
learned skills to manage their Type 1
diabetes while simultaneously experiencing such traditional, fun camp
activities as fishing, hiking, playing
water games and softball. We’ve
supported this camp for four years.
Summer camps are a fun way for kids to learn to
manage their diseases. We awarded scholarships
to the American Diabetes Association to help
low-income children in the Rochester and Utica
areas attend a diabetes camp in Rush and
supported Lion’s Camp Hickory in Baldwinsville.
17
Health is not just physical well-being; it also encompasses mental health and social
well-being. We support local initiatives that educate parents about child development,
build confidence in young students and promote emotional wellness. This approach to
holistic health at the individual level results in strong communities.
Beyond Physical Health
7 Action for a Better Community
7 Building Brighter Futures for Broome
7 North Country Children’s Clinic Adolescent Pregnancy Program
7 Rural Outreach Mobile Program
7 Rural Youth Counseling Program
7 Veterans Mental Health Program
In Broome County, a coalition of 22
agencies representing the human
service, government, private business,
philanthropic, educational and health
care sectors has collaborated to help
all children in the county enter school
ready to reach their maximum potential. We’ve joined 19 child-care centers,
four family resource centers, 30 family
child-care sites and more than 500
families in this countywide effort,
Building Brighter Futures For
Broome.
We were glad to support a new literacy
program for 44 Head Start classrooms
under the auspices of Action for a
Better Community. The purchase
of literacy kits will help 1,140 threeand four-year-old Rochester students
in the preschool program for lowincome children develop reading and
writing skills.
18
In 2007, the Mental Health Association
of Onondaga County noticed an
increasing number of calls from
returning soldiers who suffered from
post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD),
drug and alcohol abuse and relationship problems. We partnered with the
MHA and the office of New York state
Sen. John A. DeFrancisco in 2008 on
a three-year outreach program for
military personnel, veterans and their
families. The Veterans Mental Health
Program aims to strengthen and
coordinate mental health services for
veterans and their families residing in
Onondaga County. In addition to
raising awareness about available
services, the program helps soldiers
and their family members obtain
referrals to therapists who specialize
in PTSD or are veterans themselves.
The program also advocates on behalf
of more mental health services for the
military. Our goal is a 35 percent
increase in referral sources for veterans
and their families, increased knowledge of clinicians who treat veterans
and reduced stigma associated with
mental health issues in the veteran
community.
Young mothers form close bonds with
their babies as they learn valuable
nurturing and parenting skills through
the Way to Grow program at the
North Country Children’s Clinic
Adolescent Pregnancy Program.
Funded in 2008 by a $4,000 grant
from Excellus BCBS, the program
helps teen parents in Jefferson and
St. Lawrence counties learn about a
baby’s normal growth patterns, health
care and nutritional needs, developmental stages and specific activities
to promote development.
In 2008, Excellus BCBS began funding
the Rural Outreach Mobile Program
of the Child Care Coordinating Council
of the North Country. ROMP brings
free play activities to parents and
young children in rural Ellenburg,
Keesville and Saranac. Activities help
foster social and emotional wellness
and gross motor skill development.
ROMP also offers developmental
screenings and links families to
appropriate community agencies
and services. In 2009, the program
will expand into Clinton, Franklin
and Essex counties.
Above, the Rural Outreach Mobile Program
brings play activities to parents and young
children in the North Country. Teen parents in
the Way to Grow program, page 18, learn
valuable nurturing and parenting skills while
at the same time recording their babies’
developmental milestones in the Adolescent
Pregnancy Program of the North Country
Children’s Clinic in Jefferson and
St. Lawrence counties.
The Healthy Community Alliance’s
Rural Youth Counseling Program
serves rural, low-income, at-risk
children and families with little
or no access to needed counseling
services. Program participants are
residents of northern Cattaraugus and
southern Erie counties who come from
troubled families or are in crisis, are
victims of child abuse/neglect, exhibit
self-destructive behaviors, experience
common problems in school or at
home, or are involved with the juvenile
justice system or family court. HCA’s
Parent Empowerment Program
provides education and support for
parents and families in group settings.
19
Education is the foundation upon which our future is built. By helping youngsters achieve
academically, exposing them to a world of career opportunities and providing the tools
needed to excel, we help them be the best they can be. Working with other community
organizations, we develop creative solutions to offset shortages in the health care professions, especially in rural areas.
Today’s Students; Tomorrow’s
Workforce
7 Buffalo Prep
7 Central New York Area Health Education Center
7 Hillside Work-Scholarship Connection
7 Monroe Community College Nursing and Radiological
Technology Programs
7 National Disability Employment Awareness Month
7 Northern Area Health Education Center
7 Oswego County Nursing Shortage Initiative
7 Partnership for Nursing Opportunities
7 St. Elizabeth College of Nursing
7 Wegmans School of Pharmacy
Our collaboration with Thompson Health
in Canandaigua and the Wegmans School
of Pharmacy at St. John Fisher College is one
of several initiatives that encourages students
to enter health care professions and ensures
that needed health care services are provided
to underserved populations.
20
Nursing Opportunities
Excellus BCBS helped St. Elizabeth
College of Nursing in Utica create
a state-of-the-art computer lab for
students and faculty. The lab, which
has 18 computer workstations, 17-inch
flat-screen monitors and Internet
access, allows students to become
familiar with emerging technology.
In addition, students have access to
remedial computer training, online
research resources and Web seminars.
Bassett Healthcare’s innovative Partnership for Nursing Opportunities
program allows nurses to work
part- or full-time in Bassett’s acute
care unit while pursuing an associate
or bachelor’s degree in nursing on the
Bassett campus. In return for tuition,
participants commit to one year of
full-time employment upon completion
of the program. Joining Bassett and
us in this effort are Hartwick College
and the State University of New York
at Delhi.
Shortage Initiative, a 10-year workforce development program. Of the 14
RNs who graduated from the nursing
school at Cayuga Community College’s
Fulton campus in 2007, 10 gained
employment in Oswego County. In
January of last year, 20 students
enrolled in the nursing program.
Along with several other organizations
in the Rochester area, we’ve recommitted to the Monroe Community
College nursing program due to its
success in increasing enrollment and
graduating qualified candidates for
nursing positions.
A shortage of nurses affects health
care across the United States, but is
especially acute in rural areas. Five
years ago, our Central New York
region partnered with the Rural Health
Network of Oswego County and
Oswego County Opportunities to
form the Oswego County Nursing
21
And Other Health Professions
Hands-on work experience in a
hospital setting helps encourage and
prepare youth to pursue health care
careers, thanks to the Central New
York Area Health Education Center.
By promoting health careers to
students before they begin selecting
high school courses and setting goals
for future careers, the program aims
to offset future shortages in health
care careers.
Attendance at CNYAHEC Health
Career Exploration Camps (MASH,
MedQuest and Health Quest) has
grown steadily over the past three
years. In 2008, almost 300 young
people participated in 18 camps
22
at 15 hospitals in the 14-county
CNYAHEC region.
To address the growing health care
workforce shortage in Northern New
York, we’ve partnered with the Northern Area Health Education Center’s
Pipeline to Practice initiative. With our
help, 35 mini-recruitment portals on
the My Health Career Web site link
students and displaced workers directly
to potential educational and employer
partners in Clinton, Franklin, St.
Lawrence, Lewis and Jefferson
counties. NAHEC also provides
foundational skills assessments,
in-school presentations and internship
programs to encourage students to
pursue careers in health care.
We teamed with Thompson Health
in Canandaigua and the Wegmans
School of Pharmacy at St. John
Fisher College in Pittsford to enhance
pharmacy services in the Finger Lakes
area. The three organizations support
a new program in which faculty and
students at the pharmacy school work
at Thompson Health, which has 113
acute care beds and 188 long-term
care beds in Canandaigua.
Program goals are to improve patient
safety, reduce costs, and help bolster
the number of pharmacists who want
to work in a community hospital that
serves a rural population.
We’ve also invested in Monroe
Community College’s radiological
technology program. Over a five-year
period, up to 48 additional radiological
technicians are expected to graduate
from the program.
are provided to 180 students at risk
of dropping out from eight Syracuse
middle and high schools. Goals include
increasing the number of students to
415 during the 2008-2009 school year
and ensuring that all ninth graders
complete the Youth Employment
Training Academy. All Hillside WorkScholarship Connection seniors
graduated from high school in 2007
and 2008; 80 percent pursued higher
education. Our Rochester health plan
also has supported the Hillside
Work-Scholarship Connection.
Lifetime Health Medical Group, one
of our subsidiaries, supports Buffalo
Prep, a consortium of private schools
that helps educate minority students
who demonstrate intellectual promise.
In October, employees at Excellus
BCBS in Rochester, Syracuse and Utica
volunteered to show individuals with
disabilities what they do at work every
day as part of National Disability
Employment Awareness Month.
Students participating in the Central New York
Area Health Education Center exploration
camps, page 22, and the corresponding
program in Northern New York, page 23, get
hands-on experience in the health care
professions. The two programs also aim to
offset future shortages in the state’s
health care workforce.
Additional Support
In 2007, we joined the Hillside Family
of Agencies and Syracuse CHOICE
to address the problem of declining
graduation rates in several local urban
schools. The objectives of the Hillside
Work-Scholarship Connection are to
increase urban high school graduation
rates and ensure that participants leave
high school with the knowledge and
skills to pursue post-secondary education or enter the workforce. Services
23
There are two aspects to end-of-life care. First, there’s the care itself. We work with others
to ensure that terminally ill children and adults get compassionate care where they want
it. National surveys show that the majority of Americans would rather die in their homes
instead of in a hospital or nursing home, yet only a fraction do.
We also work to ensure that patients’ final wishes about the care they receive at the end
of life are acknowledged, respected and carried out.
Care at the End of Life
7 Camp Hope for Kids
7 Champlain Valley Hospital Medical Center/Hospice of the North Country
7 Comfort Care Homes
7 Community Approach to Improving Care at the End-of-Life
7 Community Conversations on Compassionate Care
7 CompassionAndSupport.org
7 CompassionNet
7 Donate Life Community Partner Program
7 Elizabeth G. and Jennifer J. Hildebrandt Hospice Care Center
7 Medical Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment
Lifetime Care’s semi-annual Ceremony of
Remembrance allows families to honor
their loved ones who have passed away.
In 2008, the Tibetan Buddhist tradition
of creating Sand Mandalas was part of the
healing/memorial ritual in the Coleman
Chapel at St. John Fisher College in Pittsford.
24
Last year, we commissioned a survey to
determine upstate New Yorkers’ feelings and actions regarding health care
proxies and living wills. Nearly nine of
10 surveyed said it's important to have
someone close to them making medical care decisions on their behalf if
they were to have an irreversible
terminal condition and were unable
to communicate or make decisions.
Yet, only 42 percent have designated
a health care proxy to ensure their
wishes are actually carried out. It’s
encouraging to note, however, that
the completion rates on health care
proxies are higher in upstate New York
regions than the 30 percent range in
national surveys.
Three years in the making, Medical
Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment or MOLST is now law in New
York state, thanks in large part to
Bomba’s efforts on behalf of our
organization. Starting in 2005, she
helped to establish a MOLST pilot
program in Monroe and Onondaga
counties. Our efforts came to fruition
on July 8, 2008, when Gov. David
Paterson signed into law the bill which
ensures that a person’s end-of-life
wishes are followed, whether he/she is
at home, in a nursing home or in any
other nonhospital setting. Created by
the Community-wide End of Life
Palliative Care Initiative, MOLST is
a single document that functions
as an actionable medical order.
“Our Web site, MOLST video and
advance care planning and end-of-life
care programs have received 10
national awards for excellence,” said
Bomba. “What’s important is that our
programs serve as a model for other
communities across the country to
implement initiatives that will allow
patients to receive the care they want
at the end of life.”
A "living will," the other major
document that is part of advance care
planning, specifies a patient's wishes
and guidelines for medical care if he
or she develops an irreversible terminal
condition. Eight of 10 survey respondents acknowledged the importance
of a living will, but only 26 percent had
completed their own.
Our Web site, CompassionAndSupport.org, provides information, check
lists and forms about health care
proxies and living wills. Also included
is our award-winning Community
Conversations on Compassionate
Care video developed and produced by
Patricia Bomba, M.D., vice president
and medical director of Geriatrics for
The Lifetime Healthcare Companies.
The video features accounts from
patients and families about the peace
of mind afforded them by planning
their or their loved ones’ last days.
25
CompassionNet expands services to seriously ill kids, families
CompassionNet, sponsored by Excellus BCBS and Univera Healthcare, recently completed its
seventh year of serving very sick children and their families. Case managers with CompassionNet
often arrange support services that might not be covered by health insurance: massage therapy
for stressed parents, art and music therapy for siblings, meals, travel reimbursement, or help with
insurance issues.
Ever since the program hired a pediatric nurse practitioner, Philene “Bean” Cromwell, PNP, and a
consulting physician, David Korones, MD, it has offered pediatric palliative care services for the
most gravely ill children and their families.
Cromwell joined CompassionNet in 2004 after 25 years at Golisano Children’s Hospital in
Rochester, where she frequently collaborated with Korones on patient care.
“We’re most likely to get involved with pain and symptom management as a child’s disease
exacerbates,” said Cromwell.
Working as a complement to a child’s primary medical team, CompassionNet providers address
relief of suffering while primary treatments attempt to cure. When a child’s prognosis is poor,
they also facilitate difficult discussions about adjusting goals of care and assist families in
reassessing their hopes and desires.
“With more children signing up for CompassionNet at initial diagnosis [of life-threatening
illness], many respond to treatment well, get cured, and come off the program,” said Cromwell,
whose role is finding out what each child and family needs and deciding how to alleviate
their suffering.
For some, it means a more effective pain management regimen; for others, less conventional
forms.
In one case, Cromwell was contacted when it became clear that a 16-year-old girl’s prognosis
was terminal. The parents asked her to talk to the girl’s sisters and cousins; Cromwell learned
that they worried about not being able to say good-bye. The day the girl died, Cromwell
arranged to bring the siblings and cousins home from school to take part in end-of-life rituals
and say good-bye.
Delivery of care at home is the focus of CompassionNet. “If a child wants to be at home,
we’ll do everything we can so they get the same expert care they would get in a hospital,”
said Cromwell.
A study of end-of-life care for Rochester-area children in CompassionNet confirms the program’s
value. Eighty-eight percent of children who expressed a preference for home or hospital died at
the location they preferred; 73 percent of the deaths were described as peaceful and/or in the
parents’ arms.
The study concluded that children who died in the CompassionNet program “received numerous
supports in the home that may not be available in the hospital setting. Community-based teams
are invaluable in easing the medical, social, emotional and financial burdens of dying children
and their families.”
26
With the passing of the MOLST
legislation, requests for training about
how to implement the MOLST program
increased significantly. In response,
we developed a “Community
Approach to Improving Care at
the End-of-Life” all-day MOLST
conference. The 530 participants are
now equipped to train others on the
MOLST program, form, facility and
community implementation.
Our collaborators/partners included:
• Southern Tier End-of-life Coalition in
Binghamton.
• Kaleida Health Bereavement
Committee and Clinical Education
Department in Erie County.
• Lutheran Home and Rehabilitation
Center in Jamestown.
Lifetime Care’s Elizabeth G. and
Jennifer J. Hildebrandt Hospice
Care Center celebrated its first
anniversary last November. The
11-room center operates at 89 percent
occupancy, with a patient census
averaging 10 a day. As a result,
use of acute care beds for patients
receiving hospice service declined
sharply.
In cooperation with the local sailing
community, Rochester has hosted a
hospice regatta every year since 1999.
These 10 events have raised about
$500,000 to support Hospice of
Rochester and Hospice of Wayne &
Seneca Counties. In 2009, the Hospice
Regattas National Championship and
In conjunction with the Rochester sailing community, Lifetime Care has hosted a hospice regatta,
below left, every year since 1999, raising about $500,000 to support Hospice of Rochester and
Hospice of Wayne & Seneca Counties. This summer, the Rochester Yacht Club will sponsor both
the Hospice Regattas National Championship and the local regatta, with proceeds benefitting
local programs. Below right, children dealing with grief and loss have fun while engaging in
therapeutic activities at Camp Hope for Kids.
the local regatta will take place June
5-7 in the waters of Lake Ontario.
Hosted by the Rochester Yacht Club,
the event will donate proceeds to
benefit local programs. Excellus BCBS
in Central New York sponsored the
Oswego and Jefferson County Hospice
Cup regattas in 2008.
To help local communities provide
quality care for individuals at the end
of life, Excellus BCBS has donated
grants to comfort care homes and
hospices throughout upstate New York
for the last two years. Comfort care
homes, or homes for the dying, care
for one or two people at a time with
the help of volunteers and nurses.
These organizations independently
provide care at no cost to residents
or families. A hospice nursing agency
supports residents’ care with nursing,
social work, chaplain and aide visits.
Because access to quality end-of-life
care in a rural setting can be a
challenge, we collaborated with the
Champlain Valley Hospital Medical
Center and Hospice of the North
Country to provide essential health
care services to individuals with lifelimiting illnesses in rural Franklin
County. By educating physicians on the
importance of early referral to hospice,
increasing the length of time an individual spends in hospice, and providing
community education on advance care
planning and palliative care, we hope
to better meet the medical, spiritual
and emotional needs of patients in
their last days.
Camp Hope for Kids, for children
dealing with grief and loss, is staffed
by professional social workers, teachers
and nurses who have had experience
working with young ones experiencing
these emotions. The camp encourages
fun and play, while at the same time
engaging children in therapeutic activities such as creating memory books
and participating in healing circles.
Campers engage with others their age
who have experienced loss. They can
grieve openly and learn coping skills
to deal with their emotions.
The Donate Life Community Partner
Program through the Upstate New
York Transplant Services is designed
to boost awareness and action with
regard to organ, eye, tissue and blood
donation throughout Western New
York. Univera Healthcare collaborates
with UNYTS on its Donate Life project,
where high school students from select
Buffalo public schools participate
in a leadership and communication
program to increase their awareness
about the Gift of Life.
27
In keeping with our belief that local problems require local solutions, we encourage our
health plans and subsidiaries to respond to nonprofit organizations’ requests for support
and participation. In particular, we like to aid organizations that address health issues.
Keeping It Local
7 AED grants
7 AIDS Ride for Life
7 American Red Cross
7 Carol M. Baldwin Breast Cancer Research Fund
7 CPR Teddy Bears and Training
7 Girl Scouts Foothills Council
7 Kicking for Miracles
7 Lifespan
7 National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
Since 2006, we’ve been a major
sponsor of the Girl Scouts—Foothills
Council’s Veni. Vidi. Vici., the largest
girls-only event of its kind in the Utica
area that celebrates the power of girls
together. Nearly 600 girls from across
upstate New York attended a sleepover
in 2008. Scouts try new activities, test
their skills, learn about healthy behaviors and build new relationships in a
supportive environment.
28
For many years, Univera Healthcare has
been a major corporate underwriter
of Kicking for Miracles, a nationwide
event in partnership with World Class
Tae Kwon Do, American Tae Kwon Do
United and Children’s Miracle Network. In Western New York, students
of
Master Chong’s Tae Kwon Do schools
use their training to break 4,000
boards, collecting sponsorships to
benefit the Women & Children’s
Hospital of Buffalo.
During cardiac arrest, every second
counts; within minutes, brain damage
can be permanent. Immediate use of
automated external defibrillators, in
conjunction with CPR, can save
thousands of lives each year. Univera
Healthcare gave AED grants to the
Buffalo & Erie County Historical
Society, Martin House Restoration
Corp., the Buffalo & Erie County Naval
and Military Park, the Rev. Dr. Bennett
W. Smith Sr. Family Life Center, Riviera
Theatre, Greater Niagara Frontier
Council of the Boy Scouts of America
and Musical Fare Theatre. Excellus
BCBS donated AEDs to senior centers
in Rome and Utica.
In light of recent drowning deaths
and the heroic use of CPR by two
Rochester-area residents, Excellus BCBS
awarded $12,000 to the Finger Lakes
Region of the American Red Cross
to train 500 people in a six-county
area in CPR, first aid and automated
external defibrillator use and to
purchase 24 adult mannequins and 24
junior mannequins to use in training.
Our Central New York region donated
$10,000 to the Onondaga-Oswego
chapter of the American Red Cross to
provide essential services that help our
communities prepare for, prevent and
respond to disasters.
Last year, Excellus BCBS presented
the United Health Services neonatal
intensive care unit with 32 CPR Teddy
Bears. Used as training aids in the
NICU, maternity unit and birthing
center at Wilson Hospital as well as at
United Health Services Hospitals’ Stay
Healthy Center in Oakdale Mall, the
teddy bears also help expectant moms
and dads learn CPR during childbirth
education courses. The bears are sent
home with families when their babies
are released from the NICU.
Excellus BCBS was a sponsor of the
10th Annual Southern Tier AIDS
Program AIDS Ride for Life last
September. The Ithaca tradition brings
together hundreds of riders and volunteers to raise awareness and more than
a quarter of a million dollars.
For many years, EBS Benefit Solutions
has designated the National Center
for Missing and Exploited Children
as the primary beneficiary of its donations. MedAmerica, our long-term
care insurance provider, likewise has
sponsored Lifespan’s Celebration
of Aging event many times. SSA
supported the Carol M. Baldwin
Breast Cancer Research Fund.
In 2008, we donated AED grants to many
local organizations, from the Buffalo & Erie
County Naval and Military Park, top photo, to
the Parkway Recreation Center in Utica. Since
2006, we’ve been a major sponsor of an
annual Girl Scout event that attracts nearly
600 girls from across upstate New York,
photo below. The Foothills Council’s
sleepover allows scouts to try new activities
in a safe environment.
29
Neighbors Helping Neighbors
Our employees are generous with their time, talents and treasures for a variety of worthy causes.
Some have a benefit—volunteer time off—that allows them to work up to eight hours a year on
company time for the charity of their choice.
Employees may support company-sponsored events, such as blood drives and fund-raising walks,
or individual organizations with which they share a passion. Listed here are some of the organizations that benefit from our employees’ involvement.
United Way receives our support through annual campaigns encouraging employees to contribute
to this lead organization that benefits many community groups. Our employees pledged more than
$563,000 in 2008.
162nd Civil Air Patrol Utica
Squadron
174th Fighter Wing Family
Readiness
289 Recoveries
40 Below
4-H
75th Ranger Regiment Association
A Meal and More Soup Kitchens
AAU Girls Basketball
Abraham House
Abundant Life Christian Church
Academy of Managed Care
Pharmacy
Ad Council of Rochester
Adirondack Mountain Club
Adirondack Schools
Advent House
African American Leadership
Development Program
AIDS Community Services
Akron Schools
Al Sigl Center
Al-Anon
Albright-Knox Art Gallery
Members Council
All Inclusive Care for Children
ALS Association
Alternatives for Battered Women
Altmar-Parrish-Williamstown
Schools
Alyssa's Angels
Alzheimer’s Association
Amateur Athletic Union
America’s Health Insurance Plans
American Academy of Professional
Coders
American Arthritis Association
American Association of Diabetes
Educators
American Bar Association
American Cancer Society
American College of Healthcare
Executives
American Diabetes Association
American Field Service
American Heart Association
30
American Institute of Certified
Public Accountants
American Legion/Auxiliary
American Library Association of
Niagara County
American Lung Association
American Nurses Association
American Planning Association
American Red Cross
American Society for Quality
American Society for Training and
Development
American Society of Actuaries
American Youth Soccer
Angel Flight
Angel Food Ministries
Angels2theHeart
Animal Service League
Apostolic Church of Jesus Christ
Aquinas Institute
Art & Soul Café
Arthritis Foundation
ArtPeace
Arts Council
Asbury First United Methodist
Church
Aspire of WNY
Association of Computer Machinery
Association of University Programs
in Health Administration
Audubon Society
Aurora of CNY
Autism Speaks
Avon Ambulance
Awana Clubs International
Baden Street Settlement of
Rochester
Baldwinsville Fire Department
Baldwinsville First United Methodist
Church
Baldwinsville Little League
Baldwinsville Pop Warner
Cheerleading/Football/Wrestling
Baldwinsville Youth Soccer
Association
Barnard Volunteer Fire Department
Basal Cell Carcinoma Nevus
Syndrome Life Support Network
Bay Knoll Church School
Beauchamp Branch Library
Beaver Lake Nature Center
Believers Chapel
Bellegrove Missionary Baptist
Church
Bellevue Elementary Institute
Bellevue Heights Church
Bellevue Middle Academy
BeninCasa
Berne Fire Auxiliary
Bethany House
Bethany Presbyterian Church
Bethel Christian Fellowship
Biddy Basketball
Big Brothers Big Sisters
Binghamton Schools
Birthright of Rochester
Bishop’s Academy at Holy Family
Bishop Grimes Junior/Senior High
School
Bishop Kearney High School/
Alumni Board
Bishop Sheen Ecumenical Housing
Foundation
Bivona Child Advocacy Center
Blessed Sacrament Church
Bloomfield Elementary
School/Cheerleading/PTSA/Youth
Soccer
Bloomfield Middle School Softball
Blossom North Nursing Home
Blue Star Mothers
BlueCross BlueShield Association
Management Association/National
Medical Management Forum
Board of Elections
Boilermaker Health Expo and Race
Bonrinquen Dance Theater
Boonville-Oneida County Fair
Boston Youth Baseball
Boy Scouts of America/Troupe 356,
Otetiana Council
Boys and Girls Club
Breast Cancer Coalition of
Rochester
Bridgeport Elementary School
Bridgeport United Methodist
Church
Bridges for Peace
Brighton Soccer
Brighton Volunteer Fire Department
Brightstar German Shepherd Rescue
Group
Broadway Theatre League
Brockport Central Schools
Brockport Eagles Football/Cheerleading
Brockport Lions Club
Brockport Soccer Club
Browncroft Community Church
Buddy Walk™
Buffalo and Erie County Botanical
Gardens
Buffalo Animal Shelter
Buffalo City Mission
Buffalo Kanazawa Sister City
Committee
Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra
Buffalo Prep
Buffalo Pug and Small Breed
Rescue
Buffalo Response to Love
Community Center
Buffalo Vets Little League
Bureau of Jewish Education
Burning of the Valleys Military
Association
Bushnell’s Basin Fire Department
Business Council of New York State
Business Youth Apprentice Program
Calvary Chapel
Camden Girls Soccer Booster Club
Cameron Ministries
Cameroon Association of Greater
Rochester
Camillus Volunteer Fire Department
Camp Good Days and Special Times
Camp Healing Hearts
Canandaigua Junior Baseball
Canandaigua VA Medical Center
Canastota Memorial Veterans of
Foreign Wars Post 600
Cancer Action
Cancer Survivors Golf Classic
Candy Apple Pre-School Center
Canine Companions
Capital Region Human Resources
Association
CARE
Career Development Services
Carly’s Club
Carol M. Baldwin Breast Cancer
Research Fund
Carthage Basketball Club
Cathedral School of Our Lady
of Pompei
Catholic Charities
Catholic Committee on Scouting
Catholic Engaged Encounter
Catholic Family Center
Catholic Social Workers National
Association
Catskill Area Hospice and
Palliative Care
Cayuga Home for Children
Center for Dispute Settlement
Center for Middle East Studies
Center for Youth Services
Central New York Academy of
Medicine
Central New York Area Health
Education Center
Central New York Cat Coalition
Central New York Chinese School
Central New York Pop Warner
Cheerleading/Football
Central Square Fire Department
Auxiliary
Certified Medical Assistants
Association
Chamber of Commerce
Chances and Changes
Charlotte Beautification Group
Charlotte Public Safety
Charlotte Youth Athletic Association
Charlotte-Genesee Lighthouse
Historical Society
Chenango Bridge School
Child & Family Services
Child Care Solutions
Children’s Miracle Network
Chili Fire Department
Chili High School Baseball/Softball
Chili Lions Pop Warner Football
Chili Soccer Association
Hope House
For several years, Utica employees have
helped prepare and serve meals at Hope
House, a homeless shelter in Utica’s inner
city. The Hope House provides a safe haven
from the streets and offers other resources
to help make life more manageable for the
individuals it serves. Excellus BCBS interns
Steve Guzski, Brittany Beane, Katherine
Volza and Tanida Isaac donned hairnets
and gloves to serve last summer.
Christ Church
Christ Community Methodist
Church
Christ the King
Church/Parish/School
Christmas Bureau
Church of Love Faith Center
Church of the Assumption
Church of the Living Word
Church of the Nazarene
Church of the Resurrection
Church World Service
Churchville Moose Lodge
Churchville Volunteer
Ambulance/Fire Department
Churchville-Chili Schools
Cicero Christian Central Academy
Cicero Democratic Committee
Cicero Little League
Cicero Youth Hockey
Cicero-North Syracuse
Football/Hockey
Circle K
City of Buffalo Animal Shelter
City Wide Crusade Youth Literacy
Program
Clarence Swim Club
Clayville Library Association
Clean Sweep
Cleveland Heights Christian Church
Clifton Volunteer Fire Department
Clinton Historical Society
CNY Friends of the NRA
CNY Recruiters Group
CNY Works
Cobleskill Mutual Ministries
Cobleskill Rescue Squad
College of the Holy Cross
Community Interfaith
Community Outreach Partnership
Center
Community Place of Greater
Rochester
Community Services for the
Developmentally Disabled
CompassCare
Compassionate Friends of Rochester
Compeer
Constantia Volunteer Fire
Department
Cooley’s Anemia Foundation
Corn Hill Navigation
Corn Hill Neighbors Association
Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Corning Museum of Glass
Cortland Christian Academy
Council of Ethical Organizations
Court Street School
Creekside School
Crestwood Children's Center
Crohn's and Colitis Foundation
of America
CROP Hunger Walk
Crouse School of Nursing Alumni
Cub Scouts
CURE Childhood Cancer
Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
East Syracuse-Minoa Youth Sports
Eastern Hills Bible Church
Eastern Hills Wesleyan Church
Eastern Service Workers Association
Eastside Basketball
Eastwood Eagl's Girls Softball
Eden Soccer
Edgewood Free Methodist Church
Eldercare Foundation
Eldersource Advisory Committee
Elite Ladies Household of Ruth
Elks Club/Ladies Auxiliary
Elm Gospel Church
Elmcrest School
Emerson School of Hospitality
Empire Housing and Development
Co.
Empire State Pride Agenda
Enable
End-of-Life/Palliative Care Initiative
English Village School/Soccer
EnMotion-CNY Amputee Support
Group
Epilepsy Foundation
Episcopal SeniorLife Communities
Erick Road School
Erie County Community College
Erie-Niagara Tobacco-Free Coalition
Ernie Davis Community Center
Eugenio Maria de Hostos Charter
School
Explore Rochester I.T.
D’Youville College
Darwin Martin House Restoration
Corp.
Daughters of the American
Revolution
Day of Caring
Deferiet Youth Basketball
Depew Saints Hockey Club
Dimitri House
Dioceses of Albany/Buffalo/
Rochester/Syracuse
Donate Life America
Donovan School
Dorothy Day House
Dunbar Association
Dunham Manor Residents
Association
East Aurora Volunteer Fire
Department
East Avon Fire Department
East Bethany Presbyterian Church
East Coast Sage Circle
East Irondequoit Schools
East Rochester Resource Center
East Rochester Volunteer
Ambulance Corps
East Rochester Youth
Football/Cheerleading League
East Seneca Volunteer Fire Co.
East Syracuse-Minoa Schools
31
Opportunity Knocks
Each year, the Everywoman Opportunity
Center helps women transition into
self-sufficient individuals by providing
the necessary tools and services for
women who are reentering the workforce.
Employees from Univera Healthcare and a
local cleaner took part in a clothing drive
to donate clothing and accessories for the
center’s clothing closet. Pictured here are
Univera Healthcare employees Maryann
Randall, Mary Dickinson, Charlotte Deveso,
Audrey Rozalski, Kandis Fuller and
Carrie O’Geen.
Fairport Area Swim Team
Fairport Baptist Home
Fairport Boys High School
Swimming Booster Club
Fairport Crew Club
Fairport F.I.R.S.T. Robotics Team
Fairport Little League
Fairport Packers Youth
Football/Cheerleading
Fairport Public Schools
Fairport Soccer
Fairy Godmothers of Greater
Rochester
Faith By Love Family Worship
Church
Faith Heritage School
Faith Lutheran Church
Faith United Methodist Church
FAM Fund Run-Walk
Families & Friends of Murdered
Children and Victims of Violence
Families of FANA, WNY
Family & Children’s Society
Family Nurturing Center
Family School
Family Service of Rochester
Family Services of the Mohawk
Valley
Farmington Volunteer Fire
Department
Fayetteville Manlius Schools
Football/Hockey/Lacrosse
Fenner Renewable Energy
Education Center
Fiddlers of the Genesee
Financial Executives International
Finger Lakes Health Systems Agency
Finger Lakes Migrant Health Project
Finger Lakes Occupational Health
Advisory Board
Firemen’s Association of the State
of New York
32
First Baptist Church of Penfield
First Bible Baptist Church
First English Lutheran Church
First Night Binghamton
First Presbyterian Church
First Presbyterian Church of Lyons
First Spanish Baptist Church
First Trinity Lutheran Church
Flower City Work Group
Food Bank of Central New York
Food Bank of the Southern Tier
Food Shuttle
Foodlink
Fourteen Holy Helpers Elementary
School
Francis House
Frankfort Little League
Frankfort Youth Basketball
Franklin Middle School
Free and Associated Masons,
Seneca Lodge
Friends of Beaver Lake
Friends of Ferals
Friends of Gates Recreation and
Parks
Friends of Jefferson
Friends of Sutherland Soccer
Friends of the Public Market
Friendship House
Frontier Central Schools
Future Business Leaders of America
Future Care Planning Services
Advisory Board
Gananda Central Schools
Gates Volunteer Ambulance Service
Gates-Chili High School Music
Booster Club
Gates-Chili Schools
Gay Alliance of the Genesee Valley
Geddes Little League
Geddes-Westvale Pop Warner
Football
Gem & Mineral Society of Syracuse
General Herkimer Schools
Genesee Center for Arts and
Education
Genesee Country Village Museum
Genesee Valley Healthy Partnership
Genesee Valley Medical Foundation
Genesee Waterways Center
Geneva Presbyterian Church
George Eastman House
Gerontological Society of America
Geva Theatre Center
Gilda's Club
Girl Scouts of America
Girls Inc.
Girls Sports Foundation
Golisano Children’s Hospital at
Strong
Golisano Education Partner
Good Shepherd Church
Grace and Truth Sports Park
Grand Island Fire Co.
Great Lakes Girls Hockey League
Greater Rochester Association of
Women Attorneys
Greater Rochester Enterprise
Greater Rochester Medical-Legal
Collaborative for High-Risk
Seniors and Vulnerable Individuals
Greater Rochester Mothers of
Twins Club
Greater Rochester Quality Council
Greece Central Schools
Greece Chargers Football
Greece Eclipse Soccer Club
Greece Little League
Greece Swim Club/Marlins
Swimming
Greece Tree Council
Gregory Kunde Chorale
Grover L. Priess Primary School
Guardian Angels
Gujarati Christians of Philadelphia
Habitat for Cats
Habitat for Humanity
Hadassah
Hamburg Municipal Hockey
Hamburg Schools
Happiness House
Hardwood Club of Syracuse
University
Harris Hills School
Harts Hill School
Hasek’s Heroes Hockey
Head Start Huron
Health Advancement Collaborative
of Central New York
Health Festival
Health Finance Management
Administration
Health Friends
Healthcare Executive Forum
Healthcare Human Resource
Managers Association
Healthcare Information and
Management Systems Society
HealtheLink
HealtheNet
Healthy Kids Day
Heifer Fund International
Helping Hands
Helping Hands Healing Hearts
Henninger High School
Henrietta Christian Fellowship
Heritage Christian Services/Stables
Herkimer County Humane Society
Hickock Center for Brain Injury
Hidden Valley Hospitality
Committee
High Falls Film Festival
Hillside Children’s Center
Hillside Work-Scholarship
Connection
Hillview Elementary
Hilton Parma Recreation Program
Hilton Raiders
Hilton Schools/Boys’ Basketball
Program/Football Committee/
Girls’ Basketball & Booster
Club/Music Booster Club
Hilton Volunteer Fire Department
HIV/AIDS Task Force
Holy Cross Church/School
Holy Family Church/School
Holy Name of Jesus Church
Holy Spirit Church Health Ministry
Home HeadQuarters
Home School Association
Honeoye Falls-Lima Schools/Sports
Honeoye Falls-Mendon Youth
Baseball
Hope Chest Buffalo
Hope for Bereaved
Hope From Home
Hope Hall
Hope House
HOPE Youth Mentoring
Hospice Buffalo
Hospice Care
Hospice of Rochester
House of the Good Shepherd
Housing Opportunities Made Equal
Hugh O’Brien Youth Leadership
Hugs and Hope Foundation
Humane Society
Huntington’s Disease Association
Huther-Doyle
Ilion Pop Warner
Illion Little League
India Community Religious and
Cultural Center
Indian Landing School
Insight House Drug Dependency
and Treatment Center
Institute of Internal Auditors
International Council on Systems
Engineering, Finger Lakes Chapter
For Whom the Bell Tolls
For the past several years, Excellus BCBS
in Rochester has opened its doors to
the Salvation Army. Employees, including
Laurie Polatas, Peggy Capotosto and Matt
Margolis, served as bell ringers to encourage
fellow employees to donate to the
charitable organization.
International Orthodox Christian
Charities
Ionia United Methodist Church &
Food Bank
Irish Festival
Irondequoit Food Cupboard
Irondequoit Soccer
Iroquois Central Schools
It’s About Childhood & Family
James A. Beneway School
Jamesville Community Church
Jamesville-DeWitt Schools
Jefferson Avenue S.D.A. Church
Jefferson Avenue School
Jehovah's Witnesses, Orchard Park
Jessie House
Jewish Community Center
Jewish Community Federation
Jewish Family Service of Rochester
Jewish Family Services of Buffalo
Jewish Home of Rochester
JFK Middle School
Joel Stephens Memorial
Jordan Community Council
Jordan Fall Festival
Jordan-Elbridge Marching Band
Booster Club
Journey Home Comfort Care
Junior Achievement
Junior Ladies of Charity
Junior League
Junior Senators Hockey
Juvenile Diabetes Research
Foundation
Juvenile Firesetter Intervention
Response and Education
Kadimah School of Buffalo
Kenmore East School
Kenmore West High School Girls
Rugby
Ken-Ton Schools
Kids Adjusting Through Support
Kids Miracle Making Club
Kidz Korner Day Care
King of Kings Lutheran Church
Kirk Park Colts Pop Warner Football
Kiwanis Club
KJ’s Angels Memorial Fund
Klem Road South School
Knights of Columbus
Knights of Columbus Ladies
Auxiliary
Knights of Pythias
LaFayette Central Schools
Lake Avenue Baptist Church
Lake Shore Behavioral Health
Lakeland Little League
Lakeside Hospital
Lambda Psi Delta Sorority
Lancaster Depew Baseball/Heat
Softball/Ponytails
Lancer Marching Band/Schools
Latino Association
Le Moyne College
Leadership Rochester
Lean Enterprise Institute
Learning Disabilities Association
of America
LeRoy Christian Community Project
LeRoy Youth Soccer Association
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
Life Solutions
Lifespan
Lifespan Elder Abuse Consortium
Lifetime Assistance
Lighthouse Baptist Church
Lima Presbyterian Church
Lincare Quality Committee
Lion’s Camp Hickory
Literacy Volunteers
Little Peanuts School
Liverpool Community Band/Chorus
Liverpool Community Church
Liverpool Crew and Football
Booster Clubs
Liverpool Middle School Cross
Country/Track
Liverpool Schools/Hockey/Lacrosse
Living Hope Assembly of God
Lockport City Ballet
Locks of Love
Lollipop Farm
Long Ridge Schools
Loretto Foundation
Loretto Utica Center
Lourdes Hospice
LPGA Corning Classic
Lyncourt Little League
Lyncourt Wesleyan Church
Macedon Recreation Facility
Macedon Schools
Madison County Children’s Camp
Main Street Baptist Church
Make A Child Smile
Make-a-Wish Foundation
Manlius Pebble Hill School
Marcellus Central Schools
Marcellus First Presbyterian Church
March of Dimes
Marcy Schools
Marilla First Baptist Church
Marine Corps Heritage Foundation
Martha Brown School
Mary Cariola Children’s Center
Mary M. Gooley Hemophilia Center
Masonic Order
McMahon-Ryan Child Advocacy
McQuaid Jesuit School
Meals on Wheels
Medical Group Management
Association
Medical Societies of Erie, Monroe
and Onondaga counties
Medical Society of the State of
New York
Megan Markus Fund
Memorial AME Zion Church
Memorial Art Gallery
Mendon Center Schools
Mendon Community Baseball
Mendon Fire Department Auxiliary
Mental Health Association
Mercy Outreach Center
Messiah Christian Academy
Messinger Woods Wildlife
Rehabilitation Center
Methodist Clothing Exchange
Mexico Schools
Midget B Team Hockey
Midlakes Schools
Military Officers Association of
America
Miss Greater Rochester Scholarship
Program
Mohawk Regional Dietetic
Association
Mohawk Valley EDGE
Mom’s House
Mommies for Miracles
Moms of Preschoolers
Monroe Community College/
Advisory Board/Foundation
Monroe Community Hospital
Monroe County Bar Association
Monroe County Girls Youth Sports
Monroe County School Boards
Association
Monroe County Schools
Monroe County Youth Hockey
Morgan Road School
Most Holy Rosary Church
Mount Carmel Hospice House
Mt. Hope Family Center
Mt. Zion Ministries
Multiple Sclerosis Resources of
Central New York
Multiple Sclerosis Society,
Upstate Chapter
Muscular Dystrophy Association
NAACP
National Academic Foundation
National Administrative Services
Purchasing Council
National Association of Catholic
Youth Ministry Leadership
National Association of Fire Chiefs
National Association of Health
Underwriters
National Association of Purchasing
Management
National Association of Social
Workers
National Athletic Trainers’
Association
National Black MBA Association
National Center for Missing and
Exploited Children
National Committee for the
Prevention of Elder Abuse
National Kidney Foundation
National Medicare Evidence,
Development and Coverage
Advisory Committee
National Multiple Sclerosis Society
National POLST Paradigm Taskforce
National Weather Service
National Women’s Hall of Fame
Navy Club USA/ Auxiliary
Nazareth College
Nazareth Hall
Nazareth Schools
Near East West Side Task Force
Neighborworks Rochester
Neil Armstrong School
33
New Destiny Development Center
New Hartford Fire Department
New Hartford Historical Society
New Hartford Pop Warner
Cheerleading/Football
New Hartford Schools
New Hope Missionary Baptist
Church
New York eHealth Collaborative
New York Employee Benefits
Association
New York Health Information
Management Association
New York State Amateur Hockey
Association
New York State Athletic Trainers
Association
New York State Bar Association
New York State Delegate for
White House Conference
New York State Elder Abuse
Coalition
New York State Office of Children &
Family Services Community
Advisory Board
New York State School Boards
Association
New York Tree Council
Newark Reds Soccer Booster Club
Newman Oratory at SUNY
Brockport
Next Level Church
Niagara Frontier Industry Education
Council
Niagara Hose Co. #3
Niagara University
Niagara Wheatfield School
Nimmonsburg United Methodist
Church
North Area Health Education Center
North Rose Wolcott Schools
North Syracuse Baptist Church
North Tonawanda Schools
North Utica Community Center
North Utica Little League
North West College Preparatory
Law School at The Frederick
Douglass Campus
Northcoast Basketball Organization
NorthEast Community Center
Northeast Highland Cattle
Association
Northstar Christian Academy
Northstar Christian Academy
Happy Five Soccer
Northtowns Soccer Club
Notre Dame High School/
Basketball/Varsity Football
Nurse Practitioner Association
NYS DEC Hunter Safety Education
Program
NYS Loving Education At Home
NYS Pinto Horse Association
NYS Woodsmen's Association
Ohio Home Interest Organization
Olmsted Parks
Oneida Castle School
Oneida County Community
Oneida County Sheriff's Mounted
Unit
Oneida Pop Warner Football
Oneida Public Library
Oneida Rotary Club
Onondaga Board of Elections
Onondaga County Bar Association
Onondaga County Foster Parenting
Onondaga County Medical Society
Onondaga Youth Hockey
Association
Spreading Warmth
To help a local radio station in the Southern Tier with its annual drive for those
needing winter outerwear, employees in
Binghamton checked their closets and
brought in coats to donate. Employees included Jay Bongiorno, Diane Pendell, Kathy
Phelan, Michelle Zduniak and Kim Ackley.
34
Ontario Primary School
Ontario Volunteer Emergency Squad
Open Door Mission
Operation Christmas Child
Optimist International
Orchard Park Emmanuel United
Methodist Church
Order of the Eastern Star
Our Lady of Czestochowa Church
Our Lady of Mercy Church/High
School
Our Lady of the Assumption Church
Our Lady of the Rosary Church
OUTSpoken For Equality
Paleontological Research Institution
Palmyra Community Center
Palmyra-Macedon Schools Wrestling
Pancreatic Cancer Action Network
Parkinson Support Group
Parkland School
Parkminister Music School
Parkminister Presbyterian Church
Parkside Community Association
Parkway Senior Center
Parma Christian Fellowship
Partners in Caring
Partners of the Americas
Partnership for Nonprofit Executive
Excellence
Pathfinder Village
P.E.A.C.E.
Pearce Parish
Penfield Schools
Penfield Soccer
Penn Yan Community Band/
Chorus/Theater Co. Project
Pennsylvania State University
People for Animal Welfare Society of
Orleans County
People Rebuilding and Living in
Dignity
Perinatal Network
Perinton Community Church
Perinton Food Shelf
Person to Person Citizen Advocacy
Pet Pride
Pinebrook Schools
Pinnacle Lutheran School
Pioneer Hook & Ladder Co.
Pittsford Baptist Church
Pittsford Community Lacrosse
Pittsford Mustangs
Pittsford Schools
Pittsford Volunteer Ambulance
PKD Foundation
Plaid Ministry
Plank Road Chamber of Commerce
Planned Parenthood
PM4Kids
Podhale Parents & Youth
Association
Pride Center of Western New York
Program Management Institute,
Rochester Chapter
Project Management Institute
Psoriasis Foundation
Public Relations Society of America
Pulaski Wesleyan Church
Rescue Mission
Response to Love Center
Risk Insurance Management Society
RIT Golisano College Deans Council
River Keepers
Road Race
Roberson Museum & Science
Center
Roberts Wesleyan College
Rochester Advertising Council
Rochester Area Diabetes Educators
Rochester Area InterFaith
Hospitality Network
Rochester Association of Minority
Police
Rochester Broadway Theater League
Rochester Business Alliance
Rochester Cares
Rochester City Schools #7, 22
and 33
Rochester Community Foundation
Rochester Diabetes Network
Rochester Do the Right Thing
Foundation
Rochester Education Foundation
Rochester Fencing Club
Rochester Futbol Club
Rochester Genesee Regional
Transit Authority
Rochester International Jazz Festival
Rochester Knitting Guild
Rochester Landmark Society
Rochester Lilac Festival
Rochester Museum & Science
Center
Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra
Rochester Protectives
Rochester Psychiatric Center
Rochester Regional Health
Information Management
Association
Rochester Regional Health
Information Organization
Rochester School of the Holy
Childhood
Rochester Society of Radiologic
Technologists
Rochester Speech and Hearing
Center
Rochester Youth Hockey
Rockwell Museum
Rogers Middle School
Rome Free Academy Fastbreak
Booster Club
Rome Memorial Hospital
Foundation
Ronald McDonald House Charities
Rosamond Gifford Zoo at Burnet
Park
Roswell Park Cancer Institute
Rotary Club
Rural Health Network of South
Central NY
Rush Henrietta Schools/Lacrosse/
Singers/Soccer Club/Youth
Football
Rush United Methodist Church
Ruth A. Lawrence Poison and Drug
Information Center
Sacred Heart of Cicero Church
Sacred Heart/St. Mary's Church
Saint Anne Church
Salem Hyde School
Salt City for the Performing Arts
Salvation Army
Samaritan Center
Sands Cancer Center
Scarlet Thread Ministries
School of the Holy Childhood
Scott Spino Foundation/Literacy
Program
Seneca Community Players
Seneca County Children’s
Committee
Seneca Park Zoo
Seneca River North Little League
Serenity House of Victor
Seventh-day Adventist Church
Shared Ski Adventures
Shea’s Buffalo Theatre
Shriner's Hospitals for Children
SIDS Network
Siena Catholic Academy
Sisters of Mercy of Rochester
Skaneateles Outreach Center
Skating Athletes Bold at Heart
Skating for the Cure
Smith Road School
Society for Human Resource
Management
Society for the Protection and Care
of Children
Sodus Point United Methodist
Church Youth Group
Sojourner House
Solace School
Solvay Fire Department
Solvay High School Booster Club
Solvay Little League
Solvay Tigers Athletic Club
Solvay-Lakeland Little League
Soule Road School
South Buffalo Community Table
South Gate Ministries
Southern Oswego Volunteer
Ambulance Corps
Southern Tier End of Life Coalition
Southlawn Primary School
Southside Community Coalition
Southwest Community Center
Spanish Action League
Spaulding Pray
SPCA
Special Olympics
Spencerport Schools
Spiritus Christi
Split Rock School
Spring Farm Cares
Square Pegs Adults With
Asperger's/Autism Support Group
St. Agnes Church
St. Ambrose Church
St. Andrew's United Methodist
Church
St. Ann’s Community Church
St. Anthony’s Church
St. Augustine’s Church
St. Boniface Church
St. Camillus Health and Rehab
Center
St. Catherine of Siena Church
St. Cecilia’s Church
St. Charles Borromeo Church
St. Daniel/St. Matthew Academy
St. Daniel’s Church
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church
St. Elizabeth Hospital/
Foundation/School of Nursing
St. Francis of Assisi Church
St. George Macedonian
Orthodox Church
St. Gregory the Great Church
St. Helen Church
St. James Church
St. John Fisher College
St. John of Rochester Church
St. John the Baptist Catholic Church
LifeTeen Youth Ministry Program
St. John The Baptist Church
St. John’s Lutheran Church
St. Joseph’s House of Hospitality
St. Joseph’s Villa for Children
St. Joseph's Church
St. Joseph's Church Lee Center
St. Joseph's Neighborhood Center
St. Joseph's Villa
St. Jude Hospital
St. Jude’s Church
St. Lawrence Church
St. Leo’s Church
St. Louis Church
St. Luke’s Mission
St. Margaret Mary Church/CYO
Basketball
St. Margaret’s School
St. Mark's Church/Men's Club
St. Martin Lutheran Church
St. Mary Church of the Assumption
St. Mary’s Academy
St. Mary’s Church
St. Mary’s of the Lake Church
St. Matthew’s Church
St. Michael School
St. Michael’s Church
St. Patrick’s School
St. Paul Lutheran Church
St. Paul of the Cross Church
St. Paul’s Church
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
St. Peter's and Paul's Kitchen
St. Philip the Apostle Church
St. Rita Church/School
St. Rose of Lima Church/CYO
Basketball
St. Sophia's Greek Orthodox Church
St. Vincent DePaul Church/Summer
Camp
St. Vincent’s Church
Stafford Volunteer Fire Department
State Society on Aging of New York
Step By Step of Rochester
Stephen’s Ministry
Steven Swan Humane Society
Stittville United Methodist Church
Stonehedge School
Storybook School
Strong Kids Safe Kids
Strong Memorial Hospital
Strong National Museum of Play
Sts. Peter and Paul Church
Studio Arena
Success by Six
Sullivan Community Council Boys’
Basketball League
Sunshine School
SUNY at Brockport Foundation/
Buffalo/Geneseo/Institute of
Technology
Susan B. Anthony House
Susan G. Komen for the Cure
Sweet Home Schools
Syracuse Academy of Science
Charter School
Syracuse Brigadiers Sr. Drum &
Bugle Corps
Syracuse Chargers Rowing Club
Syracuse Opera
Syracuse Select Youth Basketball
Program
Syracuse Stage
Syracuse Symphony Orchestra
Syracuse University Center for
Business Information Technology
Syracuse VA Medical Center
Tawn Marie Dance Center Booster
Club
Tax Executives Institute
Teens Living With Cancer
Temple Adath Yeshurun
Temple Beth Zion
Temple Concord
Ten Lives Club
Ten Thousand Villages
The Arc
The August Group
The Baobab Cultural Center
The Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints
Extreme Makeover
Home Edition
Three Central New York employees,
Kristin Riccardi, Deborah Johnson, left,
and Brandy Burnham, volunteered for
ABC’s Extreme Makeover Home Edition
last summer to benefit a deserving
Geneva family. The three did everything
from carrying boxes of tile to preparing
and serving food to the 1,000 volunteers
who tore down the family home and built
a new one in a week’s time.
35
Shirts tell all
RMSCO employees got good wear out of
their company-sponsored event shirts in
2008. The shirts listed the organizations,
including the ALS, March of Dimes and
breast cancer walks, in which the employees participated. Kevin Vanboden and
Nancy Gouchie model the shirts.
The Community Food Cupboard of
Rochester
The Empire State Pride Agenda
The Father's House
The First Tee of Rochester
The Friendly Home
The Genesis Group
The Girls Sports Foundation
The LAM Foundation
The Leatherstocking Ballet Co.
The Myeloma Research Foundation
The Senior Center
The Towne Players
The Twitchell Lake Water Works
The Vine Wesleyan Church
Thea Bowman House
Thompson Guild
T-NT Youth Wrestling
Toastmasters International
Tompkins County Health Planning
Council
Tonawanda Board of Education/
Booster Club/Schools
Tonawanda Fire Department
Toomey Residential and
Community Services
Torch Club
Tourette’s Foundation
Town of Cicero Teen Center
Town of Greece Soccer
Town of Onondaga Historical
Association
Town of Paris Historical Society
Town of Perinton Youth Soccer
Town of Wheatland Recreation and
Cultural Commission
Toys for Tots
Tri-Cities Opera
Tri-County Youth Hockey
Tri-Town Soccer Club
Tri-Valley Pop Warner Association
True Bethel Development Corp.
Tully United Community Church
36
U.S. Bowling Congress
U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary
U.S. Power Squadron
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