Merrimack Valley Magazine

NoteWorthy – 2/5/17

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NoteWorthy is your weekly news roundup of happenings, movers and shakers, and community events in the Merrimack Valley.

Don’t forget to subscribe to be reminded when the news goes up each week!

AROUND THE VALLEY

NECC Professor Habib Maagoul (center) with students Stevenson Theosmy, Lesley Garcia, David Vinas and Jaritza Paulino.

Lawrence High School Students Starting College Classes Early at NECC

After their high school day is over, a group of ambitious Lawrence students will now be going to college, taking one or two STEM (science, technology, engineering and math courses) on the Lawrence campus of Northern Essex Community College in the late afternoon.

This new partnership between Lawrence Public Schools and Northern Essex was made possible by grants from the Commonwealth Dual Enrollment and the STEM Starter Academy programs. The grants will cover tuition and fees, books, transportation, snacks, and the use of graphing calculators for the 35 students, most of whom are juniors.

Stevenson Theosmy, a junior, is taking precalculus. He’s interested in studying mechanical engineering in college and says the college credit “will help me when I’m applying to colleges.”

In addition to the courses on the Lawrence Campus, Northern Essex is offering two college courses on site at Lawrence High School: English 101 and Medical Terminology. In total, 66 Lawrence students are dual enrolled this year, taking Northern Essex courses that offer high school and college credit.

Beth Israel and Lahey Health Boards to Explore Creating a Combined System

The boards of directors of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Lahey Health today announced they have signed a letter of intent to explore creating a combined system, anchored by two nationally-recognized academic medical centers, that would deliver high quality, affordable care in communities throughout eastern Massachusetts.

While there is a lot of work left to determine the specifics of a combined system, a number of significant items have been addressed. Most notably, the letter specifies that a combined Beth Israel and Lahey Health system will initially adopt a model of shared governance that will lead to full integration of the two systems in a way that fosters collaboration and innovation and brings value to patients and the state of Massachusetts.

 MOVERS & SHAKERS

Todd Higgins has been named director of the Gallaudet University Regional Center-East Region, which is located at Northern Essex. Established in 1980, the GURC at NECC addresses the educational, transition, and professional development needs of deaf and hard of hearing people from birth through adulthood, their families, and the professionals who work with them. Higgins most recently served as a deaf community advisor at the University of Massachusetts Medical School and has extensive experience working with individuals with a wide spectrum of disabilities.

 

Kim Glesmann was recently presented with the Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence’s Jeannie Melucci Award. Named for the late BGCL staff member whose tough love inspired countless children to extraordinary achievement, the award is presented annually to a volunteer who goes above and beyond in service to the kids and club. Glesmann, a special education assistant who retired in September, volunteers at the club three days a week.

 

 

 

Kevin McKinnon has been promoted to Senior Vice President of Pentucket Bank. He has been with Pentucket for over 10 years, serving as the Infinex Investment executive for the bank’s investments and insurance entity. Prior to his work for the bank, McKinnon had over eight years of success in the banking and investment industry. He has also been named “Haverhill’s #1 Financial Advisor” for the past three consecutive years, as voted by Haverhill Gazette readers.

NoteWorthy – 1/29/17

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NoteWorthy is your weekly news roundup of happenings, movers and shakers, and community events in the Merrimack Valley.

Don’t forget to subscribe to be reminded when the news goes up each week!

AROUND THE VALLEY

Lawrence CommunityWorks Celebrates Opening of Duck Mill Apartment Complex

Today, Lawrence CommunityWorks celebrated a ribbon cutting at the opening of the Duck Mill apartment complex in Lawrence. Speakers included State Rep. Niki Tsongas, Lawrence Mayor Dan Rivera LCW Executive Director Jessica Andors and Marquis Victor of the Elevated Thought Foundation, a nonprofit organization that helped decorate the newly renovated former mill building.

Andors cited Marge Piercy’s poem, “To Be of Use,” and the lines: “The work of the world is common as mud./Botched, it smears the hands, crumbles to dust./But the thing worth doing well done/has a shape that satisfies, clean and evident.” She then introduced an emotional Tsongas, who noted, amidst the brickwork of the new building, “We’re all entitled to some beauty in our lives.”

The new union street complex will provide housing for 73 low-to-moderate income families, as well as 10,000 square feet of commercial space.

These four graduates of NECC’s Sleep Technology Program are now working in the Neurocare Sleep Lab at Lawrence General Hospital. Front row, L-r: Mariuxi Cabrera of Lawrence, Adlin Siri of Haverhill and Viveno Moreno of Haverhill. Back row: Jesus Chico of Lawrence.

NECC Expands Partnership with Neurocare, Largest Employer of Sleep Techs in State

Because of a shortage of sleep technologists, students in Northern Essex Community College’s Sleep Technology Certificate Program are getting jobs before they graduate. Eager to hire more sleep technologists, Neurocare, Inc., the largest employer of sleep technologists in Massachusetts, recently expanded its relationship with the college.

A clinical site for Northern Essex students for the past seven years, Neurocare is now hiring students for paid, entry-level positions. Last spring, half of the graduating class of 18 was hired by the company.

The shortage of sleep technologists is being driven in part by the closure of at least two sleep technology programs in recent years. Northern Essex is currently the only college in New England graduating sleep technologists.

Greater Lowell Community Foundation Awards $131,500 to 17 Nonprofit Organizations

This month, the Greater Lowell Community Foundation granted 17 nonprofit organizations funds to support programs improving the quality of life in Greater Lowell and the Merrimack Valley. As part of its discretionary grant cycle, nonprofit organizations were awarded funds in the areas of opioid abuse prevention and treatment, clean water initiatives, elder services, and children’s services.

A seventeen member grants distribution committee representing nonprofit, civic, academic, and private sector interests selected the recipients. This year, $131,500 in discretionary funds was available through this grant-making program. The nonprofit organizations awarded include Habitat for Humanity of Greater Lowell, Merrimack Valley Food Bank, Megan’s House and Clean River Project.

MCC Awarded Grant to Help Refugees Earn Health Credentials

Middlesex Community College has been awarded a one-year, $79,000 grant from the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education’s Bridges to College Program to support the college’s new Health Career Credentialing for Adult Refugees program.

The program is designed to help the employment outlook for Lowell’s significant adult refugee population, explained Denise Garrow-Pruitt, assistant dean of allied health.

“Many adult learners entering the country have previous experience in the health care field, but do not have credentials recognized by the U.S. government,” said Garrow-Pruitt. “This training can enhance the adult-refugee students’ employability at higher wages in local hospitals, offices, nursing homes or clinics.”

Health Career Credentialing for Adult Refugees will provide intensive student supports to 30 adult learners of diverse ethnicities, and give them access to academic coaching and a bilingual advisor. Students can enroll in one of three AHP programs: Nursing Assistant, Phlebotomist and Medical Office Assistant.

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Emma Brooks has been promoted to director of member and community relations at the Greater Lowell Chamber of Commerce. Brooks has been an essential part of the GLCC team for the past two years, and in her new role, will be representing the Chamber at community events, play a vital role in developing and implementing marketing campaigns and strategies and continue to be the key conduit between the Chamber and its members.

 

 

Covenant Health Announces New Appointments

Covenant Health has appointed four senior healthcare professionals to key leadership roles:

John Emerson has assumed the position of vice president of the Integrated Medical Group. His past professional experience includes serving as principal and practice leader for a nationally-known strategic consulting and marketing firm serving the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries, as well as vice president of a Fortune 500 global research and advisory firm. His educational credentials include degrees in Computer Science from Purdue University and Business Administration from the Wharton School of Business.

 

 

Gerard J. Foley has been appointed vice president of post-acute care. Foley brings to the position many years of experience including tenure as president/CEO of Mary Immaculate Health/Care Services; as CEO of Kindred Hospital Boston North Shore and as executive vice president and CEO of Lawrence General Hospital. He holds a J.D. from Suffolk University Law School, a Master of Public Health from Yale University School of Medicine and a B.A. in Philosophy from the College of the Holy Cross.

 

 

Jason VanDiver has joined in the capacity of vice president, strategy and marketing. In this role, his responsibilities include system-wide strategic planning, identification and execution of innovative business opportunities and cross-functional program development. VanDiver is a senior marketing executive with more than 20 years of experience in the healthcare industry. He earned a B.A. in Communications/Journalism from the University of Kentucky and an M.S. in Business Communications from Spalding University.

 

 

Katherine Bechtold will be assuming the position of chief nursing officer effective next month. In this newly created position, Bechtold will have direct responsibility for, and provide overall organization and strategic direction to the nursing management team. Her focus will include the development, implementation, and coordination of programs and initiatives that combine to provide consistent, optimum patient care across the Covenant Health system. Bechtold earned a B.S. in Nursing from the University of Wyoming and an M.S. in Healthcare Administration from the University of Denver.

 

Six Holy Family Hospital Physicians Named Top Doctors for 2017

Castle Connolly Medical Ltd. has announced its Top Doctors for 2017, and six physicians on staff at Holy Family Hospital made the list.

Holy Family Hospital’s Top Doctors for 2017 are Orthopedic Surgeons Eric Arvidson, Barry Bickley, and Tahsin Ergin; Urologist Steven Previte; Plastic Surgeon George Chatson; and Otolaryngologist Daryl Colden.

Castle Connolly publishes its regional list of Top Doctors to help consumers find high quality health care providers. Castle Connolly Top Doctors are rated in the top 10 percent of physicians in their medical specialty in their geographic region, and considered physician leaders within their communities.

NoteWorthy – 1/22/17

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NoteWorthy is your weekly news roundup of happenings, movers and shakers, and community events in the Merrimack Valley.

Don’t forget to subscribe to be reminded when the news goes up each week!

AROUND THE VALLEY

UMass Lowell Rolls Out Free Rides for Students and Employees

UMass Lowell has rolled out a new program that provides free, regional transportation services to students and employees. The program — being offered in partnership with the Lowell and Merrimack Valley regional transit authorities — was officially launched at an event today at University Crossing with UMass Lowell students, faculty and staff, along with transit authority representatives.

Through the partnership, UMass Lowell will pay the fares for students and employees, who can ride for free by simply showing their UMass Lowell ID card when boarding any route in the Lowell Regional Transit Authority system and the Merrimack Valley Regional Transit Authority’s Haverhill-Lawrence-Lowell route.

With the new program, UMass Lowell is increasing transportation options — which include a network of campus shuttles and a free bicycle-sharing program — for the 20,000 students and employees that make up the university community. Approximately 100 of them, along with transit authority representatives, attended today’s event. The reduced vehicle trips that result from the program will contribute to the university’s goal of further decreasing its carbon footprint.

“Through this collaboration, UMass Lowell is able to expand the services it offers the university community and advance our sustainability efforts,” said UMass Lowell Chancellor Jacqueline Moloney. “Our new partnership with our local transit authorities will make it even easier for our students, faculty and staff to get to and from campus and to take advantage of all the region has to offer while supporting businesses and cultural venues.”

NoteWorthy - 1/22/17Citizens Bank Donates $50K to Granite United Way’s Free Tax Prep Program

Citizens Bank has generously donated $50,000 to Granite United Way’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program. A check presentation was made Jan. 18 at Workplace Success in Manchester, N.H., one of the most active VITA sites each year.

Individuals and families with household incomes up to $64,000 are eligible for free tax preparation through the VITA program. Taxes are prepared by IRS-certified volunteers who assist low-to-moderate income residents of the state to access the greatest amount of refunds. Both Granite United Way and Citizens Bank share a common goal of encouraging financial stability and recognize the importance of programs like VITA to families and individuals.

“The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program has served as a catalyst for bringing families out of that poverty line. We’re fortunate to have the support of a corporate partner such as Citizens Bank, who shares our commitment to developing financial stability for individuals and families across New Hampshire,” said Patrick Tufts, president and CEO of Granite United Way.

NECC and Northeastern Partnership Benefits Under-Represented Students

Northeastern University recently received a $5 million grant from the National Science Foundation that could benefit Northern Essex Community College engineering science students.

NECC is one of five colleges selected to partner with Northeastern on the grant, which is designed to support college transfer students from under-represented backgrounds who are studying and doing research in energy. Beginning this fall, three NECC engineering science students interested in the energy industry will be eligible to receive a $2,500 scholarship to support their education each year.

This opportunity is for the next five years with a potential opportunity to enroll at Northeastern University’s prestigious School of Engineering. The five-year program, titled Student Pathways Opening World Energy Resources — or S-POWER — ties in with a national initiative to increase diversity in the science, technology, engineering and math fields, as well as the energy sector.

Merrimack Valley Hospice Receives Deficiency-Free DPH Survey Rating

Merrimack Valley Hospice recently received a deficiency-free hospice agency survey rating by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

DPH periodically reviews home health and hospice agencies, hospitals and skilled nursing and rehabilitation facilities to ensure compliance with state and federal regulations and to assess the quality of care provided. The DPH surveyors conducted a thorough review of clinical documentation, administrative and clinical procedures, employee files, quality data and contracts. In addition, they conducted interviews with clinicians and accompanied staff on home visits to assess the quality of care in the home. At the conclusion of the six-day survey, Merrimack Valley Hospice was found to be in full compliance with all the conditions and regulations.

“With changing and increasingly stringent regulations, achieving a deficiency-free rating is extremely difficult to accomplish,” said John G. Albert, president and CEO of Merrimack Valley Hospice. “We are exceedingly proud of our dedicated and talented clinicians and support staff who are committed to our agency and the patients and families who rely on us for care.”

Women’s Health Care Relocates Satellite Office to Middleton

Women’s Health Care announced it will be relocating one of its satellite offices from Georgetown to Middleton. The Georgetown office closed Dec. 31, and the new location, adjacent to Middleton Family Medicine in Middleton, will open to patients on Feb. 1.

Dr. Mary Chang and Dr. Andrea Rollins will provide OB-GYN services at the new location every Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The new office also has on-site ultrasound capabilities. It is conveniently located at 147 South Main St., Suite B in Middleton off Route 114.

Middlesex Paralegal Program Receives National Recognition

Middlesex Community College’s Paralegal Studies degree programs have been recognized for excellence by the Community for Accredited Online Schools in its 2016-17 national rankings.

Approved by the American Bar Association, MCC’s Paralegal Studies Programs offer two associate degree programs, a career track and a transfer track, as well as a one-year certificate program (for those who have already earned an associate or bachelor’s degree).

 MOVERS & SHAKERS

Mary Duggan has joined Safe Mosquito Removal, the environment and pet/human-friendly mosquito control company recently acquired by Jeff’s Landscape, Inc. and Velvet Green Organic Lawn Care of Wakefield. Duggan will bring her environmental and customer service expertise, as well as her background in environmental studies, mosquito control, and consultation, to Velvet Green Organic Lawn Care’s safe mosquito removal division as its environmental science consultant.

Man with a Plan

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An Interview with Northern Essex Community College President Lane Glenn

Lane Glenn has always been an optimist. In fact, long before he became president of Northern Essex Community College in 2011, he served as president of his local chapter of Optimist International. His innate ability to believe that anything is possible has resulted in the expansion of NECC and spilled over into the student body, staff and community at-large. Today, after playing a crucial role in the launch of The Lawrence Partnership, he can be described as the guiding force in the initiative to revitalize the city of Lawrence—and his optimism seems to have no limit. mvm recently sat down with Glenn to hear more about the story and the spirit behind The Lawrence Partnership.

How do you describe The Lawrence Partnership?
There have been great things happening in the city of Lawrence for some time, and an abundance of organizations doing good things — from the education sector to the private sector to the nonprofit sector. The Lawrence Partnership brings those people together in one room for the specific cause of economic development and finding out how we can grow business, create jobs and attract consumers to help the city prosper. Our mission is ideas, investment and action. We are a “doing” group.

How did the partnership come about?
Through a lot of collaboration — something Lawrence is very good at. Two years ago, former state Sen. Barry Finegold, Lupoli Companies CEO Sal Lupoli and I invited a couple dozen business and community leaders in the city to lunch at the New Balance plant. We had a great conversation about the strengths in the city, and a vision for future economic development that would involve as many people and organizations as possible. We looked to other successful models, like The Lowell Plan and The Salem Partnership, which have both been around for more than 25 years and have accomplished some amazing things for their communities.

What was the response when you approached other influential leaders to participate in The Lawrence Partnership?
In that meeting, and in the months that followed, one after another, the banks, mill and property developers, small and large businesses, educational institutions, nonprofit organizations, and elected leaders stepped forward and made a commitment to that vision for Lawrence’s economic future. No one said “no.” From the very start, there has been excitement and ideas flying around. That tells us there is a great interest and a high degree of faith. We all want to use the influence and ideas we have to drive better business. There’s fertile ground here, and a willingness to collaborate. This is a group that means business. They show up and they do things.

The partnership has hired Derek Mitchell to take the reins as executive director. What does a leader like Mitchell mean for the cause?
Derek is amazing. He has been a community organizer, a nonprofit leader, and an investor and entrepreneur himself. He has international experience, and for the last several years has devoted himself to economic opportunity and development in Gateway Cities like Lowell and Lawrence. We are very excited to have Derek on board as the partnership’s first executive director.

Each of the projects in development has been selected as a priority project, but is there one you’re most eager to see come to fruition?
They are all important for different reasons, and each of them represents what we are all about: ideas, investment and action. Anyone who has been in and around Lawrence for very long remembers when Essex Street was the main shopping and entertainment district in this part of the Merrimack Valley — and we are eager to see how we can build on that history and the strengths of new businesses with our façade improvement program. Of course, getting there will require investment, so the venture loan fund our banking partners are putting together will be important. And from my perspective as president of Northern Essex Community College, I am particularly interested in our proposed partnership with the city on a new regional public safety center downtown — something that will make the city safer, create jobs, and bring thousands of new people to a vibrant new downtown.

 

For more information about The Lawrence Partnership, visit their website at LawrencePartnership.org.

 

Top photo by Adrien Bisson.

 

Northern Essex Community College’s High Tech Mannequins Help Students Learn to Save Lives

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The call wasn’t out of the ordinary — a 67-year-old male at a rehab facility was experiencing chest pains and shortness of breath. The four paramedics who responded checked his medical history, administered aspirin, and provided oxygen to help him breathe. Then the situation deteriorated rapidly.

Students in NECC’s paramedic program ponder over what ails Stan, an eerily lifelike mannequin. Training on Stan - who has a pulse, can sweat and ‘bleed’ - gives students a chance to experience realistic medical emergencies before they see them in the field. Photo by Kevin Harkins.
Students in NECC’s paramedic program ponder over what ails Stan, an eerily lifelike mannequin. Training on Stan – who has a pulse, can sweat and ‘bleed’ – gives students a chance to experience realistic medical emergencies before they see them in the field. Photo by Kevin Harkins.

“It hurts,” the patient moaned. “I can’t breathe.” The heart monitor he was connected to began to malfunction, making it impossible for his rescuers to get an accurate reading. Within seconds, the man went into cardiac arrest.

Luckily the paramedics stayed calm. Using chest compressions, drugs, and finally electric shock, they managed to revive their patient — just in time for the next class at Northern Essex Community College to practice on him.

The “patient” — nicknamed Stan — is a high-fidelity simulator or mannequin that sweats, blinks and bleeds. Students who train on him can insert a chest tube, check a pulse, staunch a wound, even intubate him if necessary. A speaker inside the mannequin allows an instructor in another room to be its voice. Eerily lifelike, Stan — modeled after a Navy SEAL — helps future first responders and current EMTs seeking additional training to hone their skills before they ever face an actual crisis.

Of the nine mannequins the college owns, Stan is the most high-tech. He’s used a lot, but not just by the paramedic classes. Students training to become sleep and radiation technologists, and medical assistants use him to learn how to handle real-life situations, ranging from medical crises to daily care. He’s also used to simulate scenarios that require cultural awareness, including when he poses as a patient suspected of being a victim of domestic abuse.

“If people haven’t seen him before, it can take them aback because he’s so lifelike,” says Rory Putnam, an EMS clinical coordinator and paramedic instructor at the college.

But such realistic detailing doesn’t come cheap. Stan cost about $80,000, according to Nancy Harnois, the college’s technical lab coordinator. And at about a year old, he’s already not the latest model.

“It’s overwhelming how fast the technology is changing,” Harnois says.

Rory Putnam, a coordinator for the program. Photo by Kevin Harkins.
Rory Putnam, a coordinator for the program. Photo by Kevin Harkins.

But the college is working hard to keep up. This fall, when the health education operations move into the $27.4 million El Hefni Health & Technology Center in Lawrence, students will be working on what Harnois calls the “Cadillac” of high-tech mannequins. Priced at about $200,000, the new model is so realistic that a pillow over his face could actually cause him to “suffocate.” And the state of the art facilities will include an ambulance, craned in before the building was constructed, so first responders can get a sense of what it’s like to work on patients under stressful conditions.

For now, though, students who work on Stan have few complaints. Those who are in the paramedic program are all certified emergency medical technicians, and even though the four who responded to Stan’s cardiac crisis all hold jobs as EMTs, practicing on the mannequin provides valuable experience, they say.

“The scope of what we can practice as an EMT is so limited,” says Seth Rohrer, 23, of Lowell. “We can see and observe at work, but in this program we actually get to practice what we see in the field.”

The mannequins also allow students to experience unusual circumstances that could be life-threatening if not treated correctly, Harnois says. As an example, she cites tension pneumothorax, a condition that might occur during a trauma, such as a car accident. In this situation, a lung has been punctured and is leaking air into the chest cavity. The pressure keeps the lungs from inflating, and can only be relieved by inserting a needle directly into the chest wall. Harnois says the situation is rare — a paramedic could have a 20-year career without seeing it — but knowing how to respond quickly, if it happens, is critical.

“We try to throw things at them they might not see very often in the field, but that may cross their paths someday,” Harnois says. “Hopefully if that day comes, they’ll be able to remember what they learned and say ‘this is what I was trained to do.’ ”

Northern Essex Community College El Hefni Health & Technology Center
Lawrence, Mass.  /  NECC.Mass.edu

 

 

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