Crouse Connects

Crouse isn’t just about healthcare. We’re about what we believe sets us apart: Carepassion™ .

We always say we’re not a ‘perfect’ hospital. But our physicians, nurses, providers and staff strive to listen to each patient and family member’s feelings and needs with the respect and dignity you deserve.

Our CrouseConnects blog is designed to talk about some of the ways we connect and do just that. How we work on achieving clinical advances that help us provide the best in patient care for our community and region. And how we try to tend to the “little things” — parking, getting around and dining, for example — to make anyone’s visit or stay at Crouse more welcoming and comfortable.

Stroke Care: Beyond the Hospital

By: Laurie Clark

How Crouse is helping patients recover from stroke long after their hospital stay.

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Are You at Risk for a Stroke?

By: Crouse News

Strokes are among the leading causes of death in the United States. Statistics reveal that approximately 800,000 people in the U.S. experience a stroke every year, which is about one person having a stroke every 40 seconds. Among those, one person succumbs to stroke every four minutes. In November 2022, legendary vocalist Christie McVie with…

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Carotid Artery Disease: Understanding this Pre-Stroke Condition

By: Crouse News

“Check the neck.” This simple mantra is one important way to help detect carotid artery disease, a primary cause of stroke and stroke-like symptoms. The carotid arteries deliver oxygen-rich blood from the heart to both the head and brain via four carotid arteries in the neck, with a pair located on each side. It’s important…

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Professional Painter Adam Armstrong is No Longer Afraid on a Ladder

By: Cheryl Abrams

Life is a series of ups and downs, but especially for Adam Armstrong. As a professional painter who owns his own company, Adam traverses ladders all day long. Approaching 50 years old and tipping the scales at nearly 300 pounds, Adam knew he had to finally do something about his weight. Fortunately, he didn’t yet…

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DAISY Nursing Excellence Award Presented to Brianna Sgroi, RN

By: Crouse News

  Our most recent DAISY nursing excellence award recipient is Brianna Sgroi, RN on 4 North. She recently received a DAISY Award for going above and beyond the expectations of a patient, who wrote the following: “Brianna explained everything she was going to do and why it was being done with patience, compassion, and understanding. Being in…

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Our latest DAISY Award Recipient: Paige Schwarz, RN – Labor & Delivery

By: Crouse News

Crouse nurse Paige Schwarz, RN, Labor & Delivery, recently received a DAISY award for going above and beyond the expectations of a patient, who wrote the following: “In September 2020, we had our first son at Crouse and Paige served as our L&D nurse. We were in labor awhile and Paige was with us throughout…

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Crouse Cardiac Care Nurse Honored with DAISY Award

By: Crouse News

The DAISY Award is an international program that rewards and celebrates the extraordinary compassionate and skillful care given by nurses every day. Crouse Health is proud to be a DAISY Award Partner, recognizing our deserving nurses with this special honor. Our most recent DAISY recipient is Jessica Brosh from 4 South Irving, our oncology unit. She…

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Maternity Experience Exceptional: DAISY Award Honoree

By: Crouse News

Thank you to Matt Sourwine, and his wife Taylor, who nominated OB nurse Amma Chanthabounmy, RN, (center) for a DAISY Award for Nursing Excellence. The award was presented to her today by (left to right) Betty O’Connor, director of Women and Infants Services; Interim Chief Nursing Officer Lynne Shopiro; Brynne Stockton; and Val Acker. Matt’s…

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DAISY Award Recipient for November 2022: Amanda Commisso, RN

By: Crouse News

Crouse nurse Amanda Commisso, from Med/Surg Float Pool, recently received a DAISY award for going above and beyond the expectations of a patient, who wrote the following: “I would like to nominate Amanda Commisso to be recognized for her outstanding efforts in making my stay at the hospital a comfortable and informative one. She was…

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Patient Races Towards Weight Loss Goal with the Help of Bariatric Surgery at Crouse Health

Erin Felix was determined to run a marathon before her 40th birthday. Overweight since childhood, Felix had still always been physically active, says the wife and mother of three from Phoenix, New York. “I feel like I’ve been on a diet all of my life, but I always made sure I was eating the right…

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DAISY Award Recipient for August 2022: Jane Calnon, RN

By: Crouse News

Crouse nurse, Jane Calnon, from 4 Memorial, recently received a DAISY Award for going above and beyond the expectations of a patient, who wrote the following: “Jane, a senior nurse professional, came into my room with a smile on her face and asked how I was feeling. She proceeded to tell me the plan: I…

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Spotlight on Social Work

By: Laurie Clark

The Crouse Social Work team, comprised of 17 social workers, is an essential part of the patient experience, interacting with patients, families and the entire care team. Our social workers are advocates for patients, but they also help patients advocate for themselves. “Their every interaction impacts the patient experience and Crouse social workers are acutely…

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Crouse Provides Opportunities to Grow and Follow ICU Dreams

By: Crouse News

Say hello to ICU team members Bianca Archange, RN, and Ivo Perez Torres, RN, who have taken advantage of career advancement opportunities to discover their passion for critical care nursing. Bianca Archange, RN, started working at Crouse in 2016 while attending Onondaga Community College, with the intention of transferring to Binghamton University for pre-med. While…

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Sean Virginia, RN, is the Latest DAISY Award Recipient

By: Crouse News

Congratulations to the latest DAISY Award recipient, Sean Virginia, BSN, RN, from our 6 North Irving Unit. Sean was nominated by Linda Kurz, a Health Unit Coordinator in the NICU, who found herself in Sean’s care after suffering a right frontal lobe cerebrovascular accident in April. Linda has been a Crouse employee for 41 years,…

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Could You Have Post-COVID-19 Syndrome?

By: Crouse News

For many, getting through a COVID-19 infection was hard enough. Now, a number of people are experiencing post-COVID symptoms weeks or even months later. Also known as long-haul COVID, this after-period can be quite debilitating. Head-to-Toe Symptoms While it has its own name, post-COVID is not the first time symptoms linger post-infection. “This can happen…

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Providing Help for Moms in Need

By: Crouse News

Welcoming a new baby into the world “should” be a joyous time. Yet, not every mom has that experience. If you’re feeling down, nervous, or easily angered you’re not alone. Many women wrestle with perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. Christine Kowaleski, Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner certified in family, neonatal and psychiatric care, offers important advice for…

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DAISY Awards for Nursing Team and Nurse Leader

By: Crouse News

Each month, a DAISY Award is given out to a nominated nurse for exceptional care. These nurses represent the patient experience at Crouse and the Carepassion delivered to every patient. Once a year, we also award a DAISY to a nursing leader and team who exemplify the Crouse mission, vision and values and are models…

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Carepassion in Action: Respiratory Therapists Bring Birthday Cheer to a Patient

By: Laurie Clark

No one would want to spend their birthday in a hospital bed.  Unfortunately for Mary Gersbacher, a COPD patient, that is how she recently spent her 82nd birthday. Fortunately, Mary’s respiratory therapists Todd Davison and Taylor Iannuzzo took the time to make the day special for her and brought her balloons and a necklace. Mary…

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Treating Hernias

By: Crouse News

Hernias are a common condition in both men and women—and are generally harmless if they are addressed appropriately. Some people actually live with hernias their entire life and they’re nothing more than a bit uncomfortable at times. In some cases, no surgical intervention is needed. However, individuals living with painful hernias that inhibit daily activities…

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Colon Cancer Awareness: Why Screening Saves Lives

By: Crouse News

Colorectal cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer death in the U.S. But, the cancer can be treated successfully—if it’s caught in its early stages. That’s why colorectal cancer screening is so important. While previous guidelines recommended screening begin at age 50 for someone of average risk, that age has now been lowered…

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Spotlight on Nursing: Care Coordination

By: Laurie Clark

We’re putting the spotlight on a few of our nurses in the Crouse Health Care Coordination department – there are 21 of them in total – who work daily with physicians, the healthcare team, families and insurance providers to make sure patients receive the proper care upon leaving the hospital. “Our care coordinators work with…

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Interventional Cardiology: Ensuring Optimal Outcomes for Heart Patients

By: Crouse News

Cardiology, the field of heart medicine, has evolved significantly over the last few decades. What were once fatal scenarios can now be mitigated with minimally invasive treatments pre-, mid-, and post-cardiac events. A subspecialty of cardiology encompasses interventional cardiologists, who perform various minimally invasive procedures. “Traditionally, our field involves stent placement, catheter-based procedures. Nowadays it’s…

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Flu Shot: More Important Than Ever

By: Crouse News

According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), flu viruses and the virus that causes COVID-19 are likely to continue to spread this winter. In fact, according to Crouse Health Chief Operating Officer/Chief Medical Officer, Seth Kronenberg, MD, we’re already seeing more community and hospital flu activity than all of last year. “Getting…

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Don’t Get Your Tinsel in a Tangle: Coping with Holiday Stress

By: Laurie Clark

The holidays are a time of giving, joy and merriment, but for many, they can also be a big source of stress. In fact, according to a study by the American Psychological Association, 38 percent of people feel their stress levels increase during the holidays. Crouse experts Christine Kowaleski, DNP, MHNP-BC and Tolani Ajagbe, MD,…

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