MASSENA — The Massena Hospital Foundation is holding a fundraiser that doesn’t require leaving home to contribute. Read More ⇒Massena Hospital Foundation holding online giving day fundraiser

WATERTOWN — Hospice of Jefferson County will start welcoming more patients today after its “Room with a View” residence expansion project years in the making. Read More ⇒Hospice of Jefferson County cuts ribbon on ‘Room with a View’ expansion project

MASSENA — New York State Nurses Association nurses from St. Lawrence Health’s Massena, Canton-Potsdam, and Gouverneur hospitals have voted overwhelmingly to ratify their new five-year contracts. Massena and Gouverneur hospital nurses ratified their contracts by a unanimous vote. Read More ⇒Nurses Association members ratify contracts with St. Lawrence Health

MASSENA — Whether to add fluoride to village water was an unanswered question during Tuesday’s Massena Village Board meeting. Read More ⇒Massena village trustee raises concerns about fluoridation of water

MASSENA — Emmanuel Congregational United Church of Christ in Massena has started a new initiative for people living with mental health challenges. Read More ⇒Massena church starts support group for dealing with mental illness

WASHINGTON — Sen. Kirsten E. Gillibrand has reintroduced a bill to Congress that would provide Social Security credits to people who care for sick family at home. Read More ⇒Gillibrand co-sponsors bill to expand Social Security credits to family caretakers

WATERTOWN — Six months ago, Carolyn Neely moved here from New York City to welcome the birth of her first child, wanting to give the baby a life away from the violence of a big city. Read More ⇒Watertown resident mourns nephew killed in New York City subway incident

LOWVILLE — The circle side entrance at Lewis County Health System, 7785 N State St., will be temporarily closed from Friday, May 12, until Saturday, May 20, for National Hospital and Skilled Nursing Care Week activities. Read More ⇒Lewis County Health System circle side entrance to close May 12-20

A new look at the science of preventing breast cancer deaths promises to reshape when, and how many, mammograms American women will get — again. Read More ⇒Expert panel says regular mammograms should start at age 40

SYRACUSE — Juanita Pople’s lower back pain got so bad last month she called 911. Read More ⇒Syracuse ambulance crews make some 911 house calls to ease hospital ER overcrowding

LOWVILLE — A new federal rule in the works will give many north country hospitals a major financial boost in the reimbursements they receive from Medicare for wage payments. Read More ⇒Medicare formula change to bring $21.7 million reimbursement boost for tri-county hospitals

WATERTOWN — Samaritan Medical Center cut the ribbon to a brand new state of the art ear, nose and throat facility on the third floor of the Medical Office Building Friday. Read More ⇒New ENT facility at Samaritan Medical Center doubles the amount of space from old facility

OGDENSBURG — More than 60 workers at Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center, including phlebotomists, ultrasound technologists, respiratory therapists and others voted earlier this week to join the 1199SEIU Read More ⇒Claxton-Hepburn medical employees join union

The North Country Chamber of Commerce is applauding the Biden Administration for lifting the requirement that Canadians be vaccinated against the coronavirus to cross the border into the U.S. starting May 12. Read More ⇒North Country chamber applauds end of Canadian border vax order

ALBANY — Birth control and medication abortion is now easier to access in New York, after Gov. Kathleen C. Hochul signed two bills into law Tuesday morning. Read More ⇒Governor signs bill to provide medication abortion access at all state college campuses

The federal government will lift the vaccination requirement for foreign nationals to enter the U.S. on May 11, after more than 3 years of border restrictions. Read More ⇒U.S. to lift COVID-19 vaccine requirement for international travelers May 11

LOWVILLE — After giving birth to three sons in the Lewis County Health System maternity department — the last in late 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic was ramping up — Caitlyn P. Lee felt “devastating shock” when she learned that department services would be paused due to a lack of vaccinated s… Read More ⇒Lewis County Health thinking out of the box — and going out of town — to unpause maternity services

WATERTOWN — Samaritan Medical Center says it is in the “investigative stage” of constructing a new building near its Washington Street campus. Read More ⇒Samaritan in ‘investigative stage’ of constructing office building on Watertown’s Washington Street

LOWVILLE — The new surgical pavilion being constructed on the Lewis County Health System main campus has come a long way since December when its sides were being enclosed as quickly as possible. Read More ⇒Surgical space is taking shape at Lewis County Health System

SARANAC LAKE — When Tri-Lakes resident Matt Cook has dialysis patients to see in Plattsburgh, Elizabethtown and Malone, it would usually take at least a one-hour drive between each clinic. But with new technology the Plattsburgh-based kidney disease clinic he works at has adopted in recent y… Read More ⇒The (robot) doctor is in: North country kidney specialists rely on new tech to treat dialysis patients

WATERTOWN — The ribbon has been cut on a new 24/7 mental health urgent care in Watertown. Read More ⇒Citizen Advocates hosts Watertown ribbon cutting ceremony, set to open May 1

MASSENA — Picket signs greeted visitors to Massena Hospital on Thursday afternoon as members of the New York State Nurses Association from St. Lawrence Health, along with community and labor allies, shared their demands for a fair contract and more staffing. Read More ⇒Massena Hospital nurses hold informational picket for fair contract, more staffing

MASSENA — Several speakers shared their views about contract negotiations and staffing levels during an informational picket held by the New York State Nurses Association Thursday in front of Massena Hospital. Read More ⇒Speakers share views about contract negotiations, staffing at Massena Hospital informational picket

WATERTOWN — Jefferson County Public Health Service reported Monday that two raccoons in the city of Watertown tested positive for rabies. Read More ⇒Two rabid raccoons found in Watertown

Staying true to the organization’s core mission — “To enhance the well-being of America’s veterans, their families, our military, and our communities by our devotion to mutual helpfulness” — two area posts have set up programs for veterans and the community. Read More ⇒Vets helping vets: American Legion posts lend a hand

Gov. Kathleen Hochul ordered state health officials Tuesday to stockpile 150,000 doses of an abortion medication known as misoprostol, aiming to shield New York from a controversial court ruling that could result in a nationwide ban on another widely used abortion pill. Read More ⇒N.Y. to stockpile alternative abortion medication

POTSDAM — The union representing north country nurses says hospitals aren’t doing enough to entice nurses to stay. Members criticized local hospital takeovers by larger out-of-area health networks, saying they create conditions that could lead to worsening health for patients. Read More ⇒Nurses union says takeovers of north country hospitals creating unsafe conditions

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration is weighing every option to strike down a “reckless” ruling by a federal judge in Texas that suspended U.S. approval of a key drug used in medication abortions, Xavier Becerra, the secretary of Health and Human Services, said on Sunday. Read More ⇒HHS Secretary Becerra says ‘every option’ being weighed after abortion ruling

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The states that have legalized sports betting are reporting record levels of wagering and revenues, but with that growth comes questions about gambling addiction and whether regulators and sportsbooks are doing enough to fight it. Read More ⇒States are learning on the fly about sports-betting addiction

As warmer weather has spurred a boom in pollen production, it’s prolonged what might very well be everyone’s least favorite time of year: allergy season. Read More ⇒Climate change is making allergy season last longer

Syracuse — The Onondaga County Health Department says 40 suspected drug overdoses occurred in a 48-hour period last week. Read More ⇒Onondaga County reports 40 drug overdoses in 48-hour period

Structural steel for the new entrance to Canton-Potsdam Hospital was bing put in place Thursday as construction of the hospital’s Regional Care Pavilion progresses. Read More ⇒PHOTO: Progress at Canton-Potsdam Hospital

MASSENA — The Massena Hospital Auxiliary will be celebrating a milestone in April. Read More ⇒Massena Hospital Auxiliary celebrating 70 years of service since 1953 organization

CANTON — St. Lawrence County may soon be receiving settlement money upward of $780,000 from Walmart, Walgreens and CVS due to prescriptions relating to the opioid crisis. Read More ⇒St. Lawrence County to get $780K from opioid lawsuit settlements

PULASKI - Throughout the month of March ConnextCare will implement a new telehealth platform across all of their locations in Oswego County. ConnextCare will now be using their Greenway Electronic Medical Record (EMR) to ensure a more efficient telehealth experience for patients. Read More ⇒ConnextCare invests in new telehealth platform to improve patient experience

The adult smoking rate in St. Lawrence, Lewis, and Jefferson counties is about 6 percentage points higher than the statewide rate, according to the Seaway Valley Prevention Council. The council recently joined the relaunch of New York’s “It’s Not Just” campaign to warn against the harmful ef… Read More ⇒Study finds tri-county area smoking rate is higher than statewide average, warns of menthol dangers