Healthy Capital District
The Healthy Capital District works to increase access to coverage, provides health planning expertise, and supports health prevention programs across the Capital Region.
Author: Erin Plonka
Renee Birnbaum
Renee Birnbaum is a Certified Senior Advisor and co-owner of Choice Connections NY, a senior housing advisory and placement agency. It was her personal journey coping and caring for her own parents who had both been diagnosed with dementia that inspired her to work in the field of geriatrics.
Renee founded Senior Care Solutions of NY, a long island based geriatric care management practice. She spent many years working with families helping them make a plan and access services for their loved one.
In 2016 Renee joined her current partner, Melonie Pratt, at Choice Connections NY. Choice Connections is a FREE senior housing advisory practice serving the greater capital region and outlying counties.
Choice Connections NY works with families and helps them transition to Independent Living, assisted living, memory care or enhanced care communities when remaining home is no longer desired or possible.
Renee’s expertise in both case management and homecare allows her to work with families, assess their needs and help them navigate the senior housing marketplace and access appropriate resources that are needed. Ms. Birnbaum knows how emotionally overwhelming it is for families to accurately determine the needs of a loved one and to access the services that can maintain and nurture their quality of life.
Eddy Alzheimer’s Services
You don’t have to go through it alone.
There are more than 1 million family members and friends caring for the nearly 400,000 New Yorkers living with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. Eddy Alzheimer’s Services is primarily funded through the Alzheimer’s Caregiver Support Initiative, a New York state grant funded effort which seeks to alleviate the financial and emotional burden placed on these caregivers.
Together Eddy Alzheimer’s Services and its grant partner the Alzheimer’s Association of Northeastern New York, provide a wide range of free supportive services for caregivers across a 11-county region. All services are aimed at helping support the caregiver in their caregiving journey.
Go to https://www.sphp.com/services/memory-care-and-alzheimers/eddy-alzheimers-services to learn more.
Patricia Wukitsch MS, RD, CDN
Patricia Wukitsch MS, RD, CDN is a Registered Dietitian, who received her Dietetics degree from SUNY Oneonta, and a MS in Health Education from Russell Sage College.
Patricia is currently self employed as a Supermarket Dietitian at 3 area Hannaford stores (Delmar, Cairo, Guilderland, NY), working to promote Hannaford’s Healthy Living program. Her duties include weekly nutrition demos/sampling, store tours, virtual Eventbrite nutrition classes and community events (both in-store and out-of-store). In addition, she has contracted with Wellness Concepts for several years, providing nutrition services such as nutrition stations, food demonstrations and virtual presentations. She has also done a variety of programming both live and online for Albany Guardian Society for several years.
Patricia has extensive knowledge and experience, working in the nutrition field for over 30 years. She has worked in a variety of settings, including hospitals, outpatient clinics, and residential settings for persons with developmental disabilities.
Patricia’s effervescent personality and excitement about sharing her nutrition knowledge and healthy cooking techniques are sure to be an asset to the community.
Capital Region Caregiver Coalition
Resources for caregivers when a senior relies on you!
We empower caregivers with essential resources and support during their caregiving journey.
Go to our Website to learn more: https://capitalregioncaregiver.com
Epilepsy Foundation of Northeastern New York
At the Epilepsy Foundation, one of our primary goals is to provide accessible, current information about epilepsy/seizure disorders to individuals with epilepsy, parents, family members, and friends. We also provide information about epilepsy to professionals in the community through our in-service training programs. Our professionally trained staff is available to answer questions about epilepsy and its related concerns. The services and programs we provide include Advocacy, Educational Programs, Service Coordination/Case Management, and Support Groups.
Dr. Millicent Eidson
Dr. Millicent Eidson, a master of intrigue and suspense, weaves her literary magic through the pages of the Maya Maguire microbial mystery series (https://drmayamaguire.com/). With a keen eye for detail and a passion for scientific puzzles, she invites readers into a world where microbes hold secrets more treacherous than any criminal. Millicent’s career as a public health veterinarian and epidemiologist began at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and continued with state health departments in New Mexico and New York. She currently serves as Professor Emerita at the College of Integrated Health Sciences, University at Albany and an instructor in zoonoses and climate change at the Larner College of Medicine, University of Vermont.
Eleonora Morrell
Eleonora Morrell is a dynamic professional trainer and presenter with 25+ years’ experience in developing and delivering training and support to business, government agencies and other organizations. Her responsibilities include delivery, consulting and support to executive, technical and end-user audiences on MS Office suite, desktop publishing, eLearning, digital accessibility and proprietary applications. Ms. Morrell is a regionally known expert in digital accessibility. Eleonora presents regularly to community audiences in various mobile and digital technologies including Android, iPhone, iPad, streaming services and smart devices. Each presentation is developed and delivered as a unique event.
Joellen Lampman
Joellen Lampman is the Tick IPM Coordinator with the Cornell Integrated Pest Management program. With a bachelors in natural resources from Cornell University and a master’s in science communication from Stony Brook University, Joellen is a lifelong environmental educator. At the Cornell IPM Program, she utilizes the clear knowledge-based, decision-making process of Integrated Pest Management to teach ecology and make a difference, one person and property at a time.
Donna Truland, RN, MSN, CWOCN
Donna is a Certified Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nurse (WOCN) with over 45 years of nursing experience. After working for nearly 20 years in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, she became certified in Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nursing in 1996. She has worked in acute care, outpatient care and home care, providing consultation, assessment, and guidance in wound and ostomy care to patients from infants to older adults. Retired from her full-time position in 2022 as a WOCN after 44 years at Albany Medical Center, she continues to work periderm with the wound care team.
A longtime member of the Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nursing Society, she has presented at local and regional conferences on ostomy and wound care topics and has had many poster abstracts accepted at the national level.
Ms. Truland is a graduate of Hartwick College, Oneonta, NY (BSN) and St. Joseph’s College of Maine, Standish, ME (MSN). When not working, she enjoys playing flute with the Capital Area Flute Club and quilting with the Eastside Quilters (Nassau). She has two grown daughters and lives with her husband in Troy, NY.