Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/685809
LOCAL NEWS Thirteen-year-old Caitlin Andersen was all smiles recently when she delivered some of the 150 comfort bags she and the com- munity made for cancer patients at Putnam Hospital Center. Andersen, an eighth- grader at Mahopac Middle School, says she was inspired to make the comfort bags after taking part in the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life in Mahopac. "I watched the survivors do the survivors' lap, and it was really cool to see," she says. "I thought about what I could do to make a difference." During the past six months, Andersen, a Girl Scout with Heart of the Hudson Troop 2021 in Mahopac, enlisted the help of other Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, seniors and other community groups in making comfort bags that include necessities for patients undergo - ing chemotherapy and radiation, such as hand lotion, hand sanitizers, lip balm, soap, tissues, hand-knit hats and puzzles. The bags also contain heartwarming cards, handmade by her family and friends, with inspirational messages on the outside of the bags. The American Medical Group Association (AMGA) has announced Cr ystal Run Healthcare as a recipient of its 2016 Congressional Advocacy Award. The award, given to a medical group that has significantly advanced AMGA's advocacy agenda on Capitol Hill, was presented to Cr ystal Run Healthcare's Chief Operating Officer, Michelle A. Kour y, MD, and its Chief Clinical Transformation Officer, Jonathan Nasser, MD, at a reception during AMGA's Annual Conference in Orlando, Florida. AMGA represents medical groups and organized systems of care, including some of the nation's largest and most prestigious integrated healthcare de - liver y systems. The Institute for Quality Leadership is devoted to improving the quality of care delivered in the U.S. healthcare system through the advance- ment of knowledge and the education of healthcare professionals. Caitlin Andersen, center, stands with (from left) Dianne Toscano, oncology nurse navigator, and Anita Minella, Executive Director of the Putnam Hospital Center Foundation, after delivering comfort bags to Putnam Hospital Center's cancer patients. Crystal Run Healthcare's Chief Operating Officer, Michelle A. Koury, MD (middle right), and its Chief Quality Officer and Medical Director, Scott Hines, MD (middle left), are presented with the 2016 Congressional Advocacy Award from Donald W. Fisher, PhD, CAE, President and Chief Executive Officer, AMGA (far left), and Chester A. "Chet" Speed, JD, LLM, Vice President of Public Policy, AMGA, on April 19. Catskill Regional Medical Center leadership and bariatric surgery patient Janice Kadan celebrating the Bariatric & Metabolic Surgical Services program at the ribbon-cutting ceremony April 12 Catskill Regional Medical Center held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on April 12, cele- brating its new Bariatric & Metabolic Surgical Services program. Catskill Regional now offers three surgical procedures to help patients achieve weight loss. Free seminars are held monthly for individuals considering bariatric surgery, and support groups are available to help patients after surgery. For information about Catskill Regional's Bariatric & Metabolic Surgical Services program or to register for a free seminar, visit crmcny.org/services/bariatric-surgery or call 1-855-321-CRMC (2762). Recently, members of the Hudson Valley community mixed and mingled with clinical and administrative leaders from MidHudson Regional Hospital and WMCHealth during Dinner at the Falls, which was held at The Roundhouse at Beacon Falls in Beacon, New York. While raising funds to support the hospital's mission, the gala fundraising event also honored Cornelius Verhoest, MD, and Donald and Dale Adamson. M D N E W S . C O M /// M D N E W S M I D H U D S O N ■ 2 016 2 1