HealthAlliance Hospital

07/18/2025

Thank you to Ulster County Department of Health for having our very own Shankar Kurra, MD, Chief Medical Officer at HealthAlliance Hospital, on Healthy Ulster Radio to talk about lead poisoning prevention with Donna Greenfield, Lead Education Coordinator at Ulster County Department of Health.

Listen to the show on Saturday, July 19th at 7 AM on WBPM or on Sunday, July 20th at 7:30 AM on WGHQ. If you miss the show when it airs, Healthy Ulster Radio shows are archived at https://ulstercountyny.gov/health/healthy-ulster-radio.

For more information on lead poisoning prevention in Ulster County, visit https://ulstercountyny.gov/health/ulster-county-childhood-lead-poisoning-prevention-program.

07/10/2025

Join us for our 2025 WMCHealth Trauma Consortium Annual Symposium, Wednesday, July 16 from 10:30 am - 5:00 pm at Westchester Community College.

In addition to our amazing WMCHealth Trauma experts led by Kartik Prabhakaran, MD, WMCHealth's Network Medical Director of Trauma and Advanced Surgical Services and Chief, Section of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery for Westchester Medical Center and Trauma Medical Director of Westchester Medical Center, we have invited experts from around the nation to address and highlight leading topics in the care and management of the trauma patient, pre- and in-hospital. Our featured Keynote Speakers are:

Lenworth M. Jacobs, Jr. MD, Professor of Surgery, Professor of
Traumatology and Emergency Medicine & Chief Academic Officer – VP of
Academic Affairs, Hartford Hospital.

Ron Simons, MD
Past Chief, Division of Acute Care Surgery, Maimonides Medical Center

Patrick M. Riley, MD
C. William Schwab Professor – Division of Traumatology & Division of Trauma, Surgical
Critical Care & Emergency Surgery at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center

Register Here: https://bit.ly/3ZsMB8l

This event has been pre-approved for 5 hrs CME by NYS-DOH
BEMS. New York Medical College designates this live activity for a
maximum of 5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should
claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their
participation in the activity. And also approved for 5 hrs CNE.

07/04/2025

Wishing everyone a happy and safe holiday! 🗽

07/03/2025

Most firework injuries and deaths are preventable. Leave the fireworks to the professionals this Fourth of July—and celebrate safely by following these tips:

🎇 Find a safer alternative to sparklers – Sparklers burn at temperatures of about 2,000 degrees—hot enough to melt some metals.
🎇 Keep your distance – Make sure you and your loved ones stay far back from where fireworks are being lit.
🎇 Be prepared – Have a bucket of water or a garden hose nearby in case of fire or other mishaps.

🚨 In case of emergency, call 911 or visit a WMCHealth emergency department—open 24/7. Find a location near you: https://bit.ly/3SpxdWt

Have a blast 🎆—just do it safely!

07/01/2025

🎉 Join Us at the Ballpark! ⚾️
WMCHealth We Care Wednesday!

Heading to the Hudson Valley Renegades game tomorrow, Wednesday, July 2?

Stop by our WMCHealth table starting at 5:30 PM for FREE blood pressure checks!

It’s a great way to cheer on your team and take care of your heart — all in one night! 💙🩺

📍 Look for WMCHealth's Heart and Vascular Institute at the stadium concourse

📅 Don’t miss WMCHealth's We Care Wednesday!

06/30/2025

🎉 Celebrating 4 Years of Advanced, Lifesaving Cardiac Care at WMCHealth's HealthAlliance Hospital – Home to the Only Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory in Ulster County!❤

Congratulations to our exceptional Cardiac Cath Lab experts on 4 years of outstanding cardiac care for the residents of Ulster County and the surrounding regions.

In June 2021, WMCHealth made a vital investment by establishing a state-of-the-art Cardiac Cath Lab in Kingston—bringing advanced heart care directly to our community. Since then, the team, under the direction of Falak Shah, MD, FACC, FSCAI, has saved lives and:

🔹 Performed nearly 1,900 cardiac catheterizations
🔹 Completed almost 400 PCI procedures
🔹 Delivered countless electrophysiology device implants and cerebral angiograms

👏 These numbers reflect the expertise, dedication, and compassion of a team committed to delivering high-quality cardiac care—close to home.

❤️ This milestone comes on the heels of a major network-wide achievement:
Westchester Medical Center recently earned elite certification for heart valve treatment and has surpassed 1,000 TAVR procedures—further strengthening WMCHealth’s position as a leader in heart care. 📰 Learn more: https://bit.ly/45X5sw4

Together, we’re setting the pace for cardiovascular excellence across the Hudson Valley. Learn more about and make an appointment with WMCHealth's Heart and Vascular Institute here https://bit.ly/4hFnRAs

06/23/2025

🔥 Stay Safe in the Heat: Important Tips from WMCHealth!

As temperatures rise in our area, WMCHealth urges everyone to take precautions—especially children, seniors, and those with chronic conditions.

☀️ Here’s how to beat the heat and protect your health:

🔆 Stay Cool
• Avoid strenuous activity from 11 AM–4 PM
• Stay in air-conditioned places like libraries, malls, or cooling centers
• Wear light-colored, loose-fitting clothing and a wide-brimmed hat

💧 Stay Hydrated
• Drink water regularly—even if you don’t feel thirsty
• Avoid alcohol, caffeine, and sugary drinks, which can dehydrate you

🛑 Know the Warning Signs

Watch for heat exhaustion:
Heavy sweating
Weakness or dizziness
Nausea or headache

Heat stroke is a medical emergency:
Hot, red, dry or damp skin
Confusion or fainting
Rapid pulse or trouble breathing

🚨 Call 911 immediately if you suspect heat stroke.

👶 Protect Vulnerable Individuals
• NEVER leave kids or pets in a parked car—not even for a minute
• Check in on elderly neighbors or those with medical conditions

💙 Your safety is our top priority. If you or someone you know is showing signs of heat-related illness, seek medical care right away.

📍 Need help? call 9-1-1 or see our location at wmchealth.org

📲 Share this post to help keep our community safe this summer!

06/16/2025

It was honor for us to participate in Senator Michelle Hinchey's Veterans Resource Fair in Rhinebeck.

Pankajavalli Ramakrishnan, MD, Associate Director of Stroke and Neurointerventional Surgery and Northern Region Chief of Neurology at HealthAlliance Hospital provided information on recognizing signs of stroke symptoms. We also provided information about our Cardiovascular Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Program (CHPD) program, physical therapy, rehabilitation, and more.

We’re grateful for the opportunity to support those who’ve served.

✅ If you or anyone you know is experiencing stroke symptoms, get help right away. BE FAST and call 9-1-1 if you observe any of the following signs:
B - Balance loss
E - Eyesight changes
F - Face drooping
A - Arm weakness
S - Speech difficulty
T - Terrible headache

06/10/2025

Does going to the doctor make you feel anxious? You're not alone. Here are 9 tips from our expert that can help relieve "white coat hypertension."

Regular doctor appointments are essential for maintaining good health. This is especially true when symptoms are present or if there is a family history of disease. Family history is a significant heart disease risk factor, and why regular visits are so important. Schedule yours today: 866.WMC.HEART.

Even routine medical procedures can cause anxiety. These nine tips can help make the procedures and surgeries feel less overwhelming.

06/06/2025

🌟 Always proud when our esteemed physicians are asked to speak at a global forum. 🌟

Pankajavalli Ramakrishnan, MD, PhD, recently was a guest speaker at the European Stroke Organization Conference in Helsinki, Finland, on the topic of Digital Innovation in Acute Stroke.

Dr. Ramakrishnan is the Associate Director of Stroke and Neurointerventional Surgery at MidHudson Regional Hospital, a Thrombectomy Stroke Center in Poughkeepsie and HealthAlliance Hospital, a Primary Stroke Center in Kingston, plus Chief of Neurology at HealthAlliance Hospital.

HealthAlliance Hospital and MidHudson Regional Hospital take care of complex patients locally and close to home. However, if needed, both hospitals have the ability to leverage the Comprehensive Stroke Center specialists at WMCHealth's Westchester Medical Center.

If you, or someone you know, are exhibiting stroke symptoms, call 911, and go to the nearest emergency department. Click here to learn about signs of a stroke: https://bit.ly/4mNsBXV

06/05/2025

Congratulations to everyone who ran the Hudson Valley Marathon at the Walkway Over The Hudson! 🏃 🏅

🏆 Shout-Out to our incredible nurses from the HealthAlliance Hospital Emergency Department who proudly staffed the medical tent for this amazing event.

😇 Our nurses were ready to handle any emergency from the minor to the major. Their dedication and expertise were on full display. We are so proud of our team for going above and beyond—not just within the walls of the hospital, but out in the community as well.

🏃 To our running community: Keep on running, and we'll be here for all of your healthcare needs!

To learn more about all that HealthAlliance Hospital has to offer, visit https://bit.ly/3FMdH3p

05/26/2025

Liberty stands because they stood for us. Today, we stand in gratitude.