Roof Garden Biz: Somerset Trust Co. honored; Myers elected to board; JMBCC donations accepted

Roof Garden Biz is a monthly roundup of business happenings in Somerset County. To submit an item, email news@dailyamerican.com.

Here are some recent business-related news items from the Somerset County region.

Rendell Friend of Social Studies Award

Somerset Trust Co., a community bank headquartered in Somerset, was recognized by the Pennsylvania Council for the Social Studies (PCSS) as the 2023 Rendell Friend of Social Studies Award winner.

Somerset Trust Co., is a 130-year-old institution that has long supported social studies education in the communities it serves. Exhibiting the “conscientious interest and involvement, in promotion of social studies education,” by underwriting the costs of students across the region to tour historical locations and museums and supporting scholarship programs that enable students to take dual-enrollment collegiate classes.

Somerset Trust Co.’s commitment to community extends through its 460 employees: the company provides multiple days of paid time to each employee as they look to engage in volunteer service within the communities they serve.

May recognized for excellence in pediatric palliative care

Courageous Parents Network Inc. (CPN), a nonprofit organization in Boston, Massachusetts, orienting and empowering parents and others caring for children with a serious medical condition, has announced the recipients of the 2024 Courageous Provider Awards, including one in Somerset County.

These awards recognize the recipients’ extraordinary contributions to the practice of pediatric palliative care.The 2024 Ilene Beal Courageous Provider Award recipient is Somerset native Carol May, director, Division of Palliative Medicine and Supportive Care, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh.

May’s nominators describe her as “… everyone’s (families, trainees, attending physicians, nurses, social workers and child-life specialists) first call when patients and their families need support.”

The selection committee associated her “innate compassion and mission to minimize patient and families’ suffering and maximize their quality of life” with the interests and values of Ilene Beal.

Girls Night Out Altoona $50,000 donation

Matching its largest donation to date, The Girls Night Out Altoona Inc. (GNOAI) committee presented a check for $50,000 to the Joyce Murtha Breast Care Center (JMBCC) in support of patient care services.

Each year the committee hosts an annual fundraising dinner that brings together breast cancer survivors, family, friends and supporters. They hosted the 15th annual event in October at the Blair County Convention Center in Altoona with 1,000 people in attendance.

“Girls Night Out Altoona, Inc. raised an impressive sum this year ― $200,000. We are so grateful for the committee’s continued support and dedication to increasing breast cancer awareness and helping patients in our community,” said Kim Oleksa, CSSMCW Foundations/Development Administrator.

GNOAI has been raising funds for the JMBCC since 2008. Since then, they have contributed more than $499,000 to the breast care center. Their donations have helped to fund Pink Ribbon Care, a program that assists patients who are unable to pay for breast-related health services ― including mammograms, follow-up diagnostic services, and genetic counseling.

To date, GNOAI has raised and donated more than $1.5 million. Proceeds from this year’s event have been split between four organizations they support ― the JMBCC, the Penn State Hershey Cancer Institute, UPMC Magee Specialty Center and the Bob Perks Fund.

“We have a very dedicated team of 22 volunteers who work on this event 12 months of the year. Our goal is to provide help and hope to those in the fight against breast cancer with our monies. Already gearing up for our 16th Annual Girls Night Out Altoona Inc. event, this year it will be held at the Blair County Convention Center Oct. 23,” said GNOAI Founder/President Juls Bratton.

Karen Struble Myers serving on UWPA board

Blair, Cambria, and Somerset counties now have a representative on the United Way of Pennsylvania (UWPA) board of directors. United Way of the Southern Alleghenies (UWSA) President and CEO Karen Struble Myers was nominated and elected to a board seat.

The nominations happen after a careful process, judging candidates from across the state. Professional credentials, life experiences, and relationship networks are all considered when board members are nominated.

“Being elected to United Way of Pennsylvania’s board of directors is a tremendous opportunity to enrich our work with those who are ALICE, Asset Limited Income Constrained Employed. UWPA is a leader in advocacy for those who are on the benefits cliff and helps to shape policies to support millions of hard-working people who struggle to make ends meet," Struble Myers said.

UWPA connects local United Ways, providing resources as they work to meet priority community needs.

UWSA plans to help more than 75,000 people in those three counties in the coming year through core work of parental engagement, early childhood development, and youth drug and alcohol prevention. The organization also helps families through immediate needs programs, including home heating assistance, food security programs, shelters and warm coats for kids. The UWSA Diaper Bank, already providing 7,000 diapers a month to families in Cambria/Somerset, is set to expand into Blair County.

Conemaugh physician performs 500th robotic-assisted surgery

Board-certified Bariatrics and General Surgeon D’Arcy Duke, MD, completed her 500th robotic-assisted surgery at Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center on Dec. 19.

“I am honored to have reached this significant milestone in my career,” said Duke. “Surrounded by a great team with brilliant minds, I am grateful to continue to provide our patients with the most advanced, minimally invasive options resulting in faster recovery and better overall outcomes.”

Fellowship-trained in laparoscopic bariatric surgery, Duke has become a trailblazer for robotic-assisted surgery at Conemaugh, using the technology for procedures including gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy, revisional bariatric surgery, inguinal hernia repair, umbilical hernia repair, ventral hernia repair, incisional hernia repair, fundoplication surgery and gallbladder surgery. Robotic surgery procedures are performed through small incisions.

“The da Vinci robot allows surgeons to perform complex operations with more precision, flexibility, and control than is possible with conventional techniques,” said Duke. “The robot translates the surgeon’s hand motions into smaller, more precise movements.”

At Conemaugh, robotic-assisted surgery is offered for general, gynecological, and urology surgeries.

Duke is board-certified in general surgery, specializes in bariatric surgery and serves as director of Bariatric Surgery at Memorial Medical Center. She earned her medical doctorate from Temple University School of Medicine and completed her residency at Boston University before returning to Johnstown. She is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and completed a fellowship in laparoscopic bariatric surgery at UPMC.

Conemaugh Health System accepting applications for Mentoring in Medicine program

Conemaugh Health System’s Mentoring in Medicine program is accepting applicants for the 2024 class. The program was started 21 years ago by Dr. Richard and Diana Schrader to help undergraduate students interested in pursuing their medical education.

Throughout the 10-week summer program, students shadow physicians across the Conemaugh Health System to gain exposure to a variety of specialties. In addition to providing unique clinical experiences, the program also prepares students for the process of applying to medical school.

“Our goal is to offer local students an opportunity to learn about careers in medicine while inspiring them to serve patients in our community,” said Alex Pozun, DO, an emergency medicine physician at Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center and an alumnus of the program who he oversees with his wife Melissa Pozun, DPT.

Since its inception, 196 students have participated in the program, which boasts an 80% acceptance rate into medical school. Eligible candidates must either be a rising junior or senior in college, majoring in pre-med, or a first-year medical student who has completed four out of the five mandatory courses (pre-med, calculus, biology, organic and/or inorganic chemistry, and physics). Applicants must reside in Cambria, Somerset or Bedford counties. Conemaugh Health System underwrites the Mentoring in Medicine program, which provides an income to the participating students while they are in the program.

Interested students can apply or send questions to mentoringinmedicine@outlook.com. Applications are due by Feb. 14.

UPMC Somerset Advanced Wound Care Center recognized

UPMC Somerset leaders and clinicians gathered to recognize The Advanced Wound Care Center at UPMC Somerset, a recipient of the Center of Distinction award by Healogics®, the nation’s largest provider of advanced wound care services. The center achieved outstanding clinical outcomes for 12 consecutive months, including patient satisfaction rates higher than 92%.

“We are fortunate to have an advanced wound care center to meet the health care needs of the residents of Somerset and its surrounding counties. Patients can stay close to home while receiving state-of-the-art care for their wounds,” said Andy Rush, president, UPMC Somerset. “Our team at The Advanced Wound Care Center has worked hard to ensure we’re providing the highest quality of care to our patients.”

The Advanced Wound Care Center offers highly specialized care to patients suffering from diabetic foot ulcers, pressure ulcers, infections and other chronic wounds that have not healed in a reasonable amount of time.

Advanced treatments provided by UPMC wound care experts include negative pressure wound therapy, total contact casting, bioengineered tissues, biosynthetic dressings and growth factor therapies. The center also offers hyperbaric oxygen therapy, which works by surrounding the patient with 100% oxygen to help progress wound healing.

This article originally appeared on The Daily American: Roof Garden Biz: Somerset Trust Co., JMBCC, UWPA news and more in Roof Garden Biz