SUNY Upstate Medical University

The Upstate Trauma Center in Syracuse introduced employees to its new virtual driving simulator today ahead of the busy summer driving season.  The simulator is unique because drivers get to sit in an actual car and allows people to move the steering wheel.  The front tires of the car rest on elevated platforms with high tech sensors capturing the movement.  Trauma Outreach Coordinator Jerry Morrison prepares drivers before they take a virtual spin.

We’ve heard of March Madness in college basketball.  But Friday could be called Match Madness for nearly 150 Upstate Medical University students who opened envelopes containing their residency assignments.  That’s where they will spend their first year of training as doctors. 

Dozens of graduating medical students at SUNY Upstate have signed a pledge to treat more Medicaid patients once they become doctors in professional practice.  Emily Commesso is one of them, and led the effort.  She and some classmates liked the idea of having more doctors with skin in the game, and extended the pledge to all 150 in their graduating class. 

Pregnant Mothers in Central New York now have an important choice to make at the time their child’s birth… to donate their umbilical cord or not for potential lifesaving stem cell treatments.  The ribbon was cut today on the $15 million Upstate Cord Blood Bank at the Community Campus.  Upstate President Dr. Danielle Laraque-Arena says it’s one of only 32 public cord blood banks across the U-S and only one of two in the State.

The rise in flu cases in Onondaga County isn’t the only thing you can catch during this winter season, other viruses are also active.  Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Dr. Jennifer Nead says there are many strains and types of viruses this time of year.  The road to recovery can take awhile.

A new report released Wednesday by the State Comptroller shows that Central New York’s post-recession economy remains in a state of transition when factoring in unemployment, poverty and large employers moving out.  However, there are bright spots including a workforce of young adults who attended college locally, a technically experienced workforce, and a lower cost of living.  Tom DiNapoli has been focused on auditing economic development programs such as Start-Up New York and others which aims to lure new companies and create new jobs. He says there’s room for improvement.

  When you think of a hospital Emergency Room, the words fantasy and whimsy aren’t the first that come to mind. Today Upstate University Hospital opened its new Pediatric E.R. aimed at giving a more kid-friendly experience to younger patients. Chair of Emergency Medicine, Dr. Gary Johnson understands how difficult a hospital visit can be for families.

Upstate Medical University Cancer Center researchers are optimistic that the recent “Cancer Moonshot” initiative by the White House will bring positive advancements towards treating the disease. Professor Leszek Kotula says this new push will help expand research efforts.