MDNews - Central New York

EXCELLUS BLUECROSS BLUESHIELD EARNS TOP MARKS IN 2018 CORPORATE EQUALITY INDEX Excellus BlueCross BlueShield received a perfect score of 100 per- cent on the 2018 Corporate Equality Index, a national benchmarking survey and report on corporate policies and practices related to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) workplace equality, administered by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. Excellus BlueCross BlueShield joins the ranks of 609 major U.S. businesses that also earned top marks this year. "We're proud to be recognized for the fourth year in a row as one of the Best Places to Work for LGBTQ equality," says Joseph Searles, Corporate Director of Diversity and Workforce Inclusion at Excellus BlueCross BlueShield. "Diversity and inclusion are important parts of our business and culture, and we value the background, experi - ence and creativity of all our employees. "We're proud of our cultural competence training programs," Searles adds, "and value our involvement with the greater LGBTQ community in Upstate New York." The 2018 Corporate Equality Index rated 947 businesses in the report, which evaluates LGBTQ-related policies and practices, workplace protections, transgender-inclusive healthcare benefits, competency programs, and public engagement with the LGBTQ community. Excellus BlueCross BlueShield's efforts in satisfying all Corporate Equality Index criteria results in a 100 percent ranking and the designation as a Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality. For more information on the 2018 Corporate Equality Index, or to download a free copy of the report, visit hrc.org/ campaigns/corpo - rate-equality-index. ■ WENDY SCINTA, MD, NAMED PRESIDENT OF THE OBESITY MEDICINE ASSOCIATION •OMA• Wendy Scinta, MD, a board-cer tified weight-loss physician who practices in the Syracuse area, was sworn in as the 34th President of the Obesity Medicine Association (OMA) on September 16 during the organization's fall meeting in San Antonio, Texas. Prior to her election, Dr. Scinta ser ved two-year terms as president-elect, vice president and secretar y/treasurer of the association. "It's a great honor for me to have been elected by my OMA Peers to this position," Dr. Scinta says. "The Obesity Medicine Association recognizes that obesity is a chronic disease and takes its mission to fight it on a global scale ver y seriously. As President, I will work hard to call attention to the breakthroughs being made to treat this modern-day epidemic and to also advance the field of clinical obesity medicine around the world." Dr. Scinta earned her bachelor's degree in electrical and com - puter engineering from Clarkson University, and her master's degree in electrical and computer engineering from the University of Rochester. She graduated from Upstate Medical University in 1998 and completed her residency in Family Medicine at Duke University between 1998 and 2001. She earned her cer tification in obesity medicine from the American Board of Obesity Medicine in 2007 and has been practicing obesity medicine for the last ten years. "I was for tunate to have a physician as my mentor for my mas - ter's thesis," Scinta says about her transition from engineering to medicine. "I always wanted to be a doctor, but I thought it might be too late for me to switch. He convinced me to pursue my passion, and I'm so glad I followed his advice!" As the founder and Medical Director of Medical Weight Loss of New York, Dr. Scinta has been at the forefront of obesity medicine research, treatment and management for more than a decade. Her practice has treated thousands of over weight and obese individu - als, helping each to lose from 20 to over 200 pounds. Dr. Scinta's book, BOUNCE, A Weight-Loss Doctor's Plan for a Happier, Healthier, and Slimmer Child, has been used as a guide by both physicians and parents alike, and it currently has a 5 out of 5 star rating on Amazon. Utilizing a multi-step approach, the BOUNCE program replaces negative eating behaviors by encouraging healthy eating patterns that will last a lifetime. BOUNCE has also been imple - mented internationally, most recently in Brazil. A former member of the White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity, Dr. Scinta is a Diplomate of the American Board of Family Medicine as well as the American Board of Obesity Medicine, and she has been quoted in multiple media outlets from The New York Times to PBS. She also holds several patents in the fields of robot - ics and medical diagnostics and recently tapped into her computer exper tise to found One Stone Technology, a software company focused on enhancing patient engagement through personalized, scalable texting. For more information about Dr. Scinta, visit weightlosscny.com. For more information on the Obesity Medicine Association, visit obesitymedicine.org. ■ 1 6❱❱❱❱❱ L O C A L N E W S

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