Our mission is to provide northern New York with the highest quality of medical care and to satisfy our patient's health care needs in a prompt and efficient manner with warm and caring professional service.
09/25/2025
Meet Melissa Ayen, PMHNP-BC, a psychiatric nurse practitioner on our Adult Inpatient Behavioral Health Unit at Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center.
As a key member of our inpatient psychiatric treatment team, Melissa works side by side with psychiatrists, nurses, social workers, and therapists to support stabilization, medication management, and a safe transition of care. She is dedicated to helping adults navigate complex behavioral health needs, the medical-psychiatric interface, and recovery with compassion and skill.
If you or someone you love needs inpatient behavioral health care, we are here to help.
09/23/2025
Meet Lucille D’Agostino, FNP-C. Since 2022, she's been an integral part of the Richard E. Winter Cancer Center team on the Claxton-Hepburn Medical Campus. Patients know her for listening first, learning what matters most, and shaping care around the whole person. Our staff counts on her steady presence and quiet leadership that keeps care moving forward.
Lucille supports patients with oncology infusion, hospice and palliative care, medical ma*****na certification, and day-to-day symptom management. She walks with families through challenging moments and helps them find a plan that feels right for their lives.
To connect with Lucille and our cancer treatment team, call 315.393.2314 or visit claxtonhepburn.org.
09/22/2025
Free Narcan Training!
Date:
Friday, September 26, 2025
Time:
2:30 to 4:00 PM
Location:
Hess Auditorium | Claxton-Hepburn Medical Campus
(Mansion Ave Entrance)
What You’ll Learn:
Recognize an opioid overdose and administer Naloxone correctly
Outcome:
Completion qualifies you in the proper administration of Naloxone
Presented by: North Star Health Alliance Recovery Services, Seaway Valley Prevention Council, The Valley Recovery Center
Questions: Will Rowsam, NSHA Recovery Services, 860.772.5964
Step in. Step up. Save a life.
09/19/2025
Young at heart is a daily choice!
09/18/2025
Meet Alexis Shippee, PT, DPT!
Alexis is part of our Carthage Area Hospital Physical Therapy team in Philadelphia, NY.
Alexis believes in empowering patients through education and collaboration, treating the whole person with evidence-based care and compassion.
What she focuses on:
• Orthopedic physical therapy, OCS (Certification in process)
• Vestibular rehabilitation
• Concussion rehabilitation
How she helps:
• Post-operative rehabilitation
• Vestibular rehabilitation
• Fall prevention
• Injury prevention
• Joint replacement rehabilitation
• Balance training
Find her at:
Philadelphia Medical Center
Physical Therapy
32787 U.S. Route 11, Philadelphia, NY 13673
To schedule, call 315.782.1650
09/16/2025
It's Nephrology Nurses Week, September 14–20, 2025!
Nephrology nurses play a vital role in caring for patients with kidney disease, dialysis, and transplants. Their expertise, compassion, and dedication make a lasting difference in the lives of patients and families every single day.
Cierra Spearance, RN, Director of Renal Service, shared this message:
"The Ravinder N. Agarwal Center nurses are all an integral part of our team; their commitment to teamwork and our patients makes a difference every day."
Please join us in celebrating and thanking our nephrology nurses for the exceptional care they provide to our community
09/16/2025
09/11/2025
Meet Dr. David Boyce, MD, MHM – Radiation Oncologist!
Dr. Boyce has been part of the Claxton-Hepburn Medical Campus medical staff since 2022, caring for patients at the Richard E. Winter Cancer Center.
With advanced training from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and board certification in Radiation Oncology, Dr. Boyce provides treatments such as:
-Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT)
-Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT)
-Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS)
-Low-dose radiation for benign conditions (LDRT)
He believes in cancer care that blends compassion, innovation, and precision—delivering world-class treatment close to home for North Country families.
📍 Richard E. Winter Cancer Center
5 Lyon Place | Ogdensburg, New York
📞 315.393.2314
🌐 claxtonhepburn.org
09/10/2025
EXCITING NEWS - NEW SERVICE ALERT!
Endocrinology Services Now at Claxton Campus
We are pleased to share that Jolene LaFrance, FNP-C, and Elizabeth Verno, FNP-C, from North Country Orthopaedic Group Endocrinology will now be offering an Endocrinology Clinic at the Claxton Campus Medical Office Building, Suite 304, 3 Lyon Place, Ogdensburg.
👉A referral from your primary care or other treating provider is required.
📞 To schedule an appointment, please call 315.786.0224
📅 Each provider will be available one Wednesday per month at this location.
Endocrinology services can help patients manage:
-Diabetes
-Thyroid disorders
-Osteoporosis and other bone health concerns
-Adrenal gland disorders
-Pituitary disorders
This clinic expands access to specialty care, making it easier for patients in our community to receive the care they need, closer to home.
09/09/2025
Here's the scoop: One page. One home. All updates.
We're bringing everything together to make it easier for you to stay connected with your care and community. Beginning November 1, 2025, the Carthage Area Hospital, Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center & Medical Campus, and North Country Orthopaedic Group pages will be merged into the North Star Health Alliance page.
09/03/2025
Meet Sarah Finnigan, PA-C!
We are excited to welcome Sarah Finnigan, Physician Assistant, to North Country Orthopaedic Group! Sarah brings her expertise and dedication to patient-centered care, and she looks forward to serving the North Country community.
Whether you're recovering from an injury, managing joint pain, or seeking guidance for your orthopedic needs, Sarah is here to provide compassionate care close to home.
📍 North Country Orthopaedic Group
1571 Washington Street | Suite 201
Watertown, NY 13601
☎️ 315.782.1650 | ncorotho.com
Please join us in giving Sarah a warm welcome to North Country Orthopaedic Group!
Address
1571 Washington Street, Suite 201 Watertown, NY 13601
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It was the summer of 1959, a time best remembered in the North Country for the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway, when a young Yale School of Medicine graduate, Walker R. Heap, MD, introduced the practice of orthopaedic surgery to northern New York.
Dr. Heap arrived in Watertown in July of that year, having just completed his orthopaedic training at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. He wasted no time starting his new practice. Within a few weeks of his arrival, he saw his first orthopaedic patient in his new office at 161 Clinton Street.
Dr. Heap's reputation as a skilled surgeon grew quickly, and within a few short years he found himself unable to keep up with the growing demand for his services. Turning to his orthopaedic training program, Dr. Heap persuaded fellow alumnus James B. Fish, MD, to join him in his work.
The surgeons' practice continued to grow through the 1960s. By 1970, the practice had recruited a third Michigan-trained orthopaedist, David O. Van Eenenaam, MD, and moved its offices to a new 11, 000-square-foot facility at 622 Washington Street. It also formally incorporated its business, adopting the name North Country Orthopaedic Group, PC, or NCOG.
The field of orthopaedics continued to change rapidly over the next few decades and NCOG responded accordingly. The practice systematically recruited newly trained orthopaedic surgeons to the group to ensure it always offered the latest surgical techniques and medical advances to its patients – a philosophy we still follow today.
