United Helpers CEO Presented with Leading Age New York's Highest Honor

OGDENSBURG – United Helpers CEO Stephen E. Knight was the recipient of the Lawrence E. Larson Memorial Award of Honor at this year’s LeadingAge New York Conference.

According to a description of the honor on the organization’s website, this award is LeadingAge New York’s highest honor.

“LeadingAge New York’s highest award honors the late Larry Larson, the organization’s first chairman and pays tribute to his distinguished service, dedication and foresight in aging services. This award is given to a member who has made outstanding contributions to the field and is a recognized leader at the state and national level with a reputation for humanitarian achievement and professional vision.”

Mr. Knight was nominated for the honor by United Helpers Vice President of Quality Improvement & Clinical Services Stacey Cannizzo. In her nomination she wrote, “Steve is a tireless advocate of his community, co-workers, staff, and those we serve. He embodies the definition of a trusted leader in health care.”

Many of the qualities Mrs. Cannizzo attributed to Mr. Knight are also the same qualities behind United Helpers’ new “Always Caring” tagline. “I truly believe that Always Caring is much more than a tagline and accurately describes United Helpers and all of our employees from maintenance to food services, from nursing and direct support professionals to therapy staff. It does not matter who you are. If you work for United Helpers, you are always caring.”

Mr. Knight’s advocacy often extends well beyond St. Lawrence County; in fact, in the days leading up the conference, Mr. Knight was in Albany speaking with elected officials and Department of Health staff about the challenges facing many of the companies and organizations providing services similar to United Helpers.

“I have a vision of pay and benefits equity for all health care and community services workers, not just a few. The chasm between reimbursement for state and public workers and those doing the same job for private, not-for-profit community-based organizations is an injustice that can no longer be tolerated,” he said. “United Helpers has a responsibility to take care of the people we serve and we can’t take care of them, if we can’t take care of the people who work for us.”

As CEO of United Helpers, Mr. Knight oversees operations at United Helpers Rehabilitation & Senior Care, which operates two skilled nursing facilities; United Helpers Behavioral Health & Life Skills, which oversees several programs for those with mental illness, as well as programs and homes for those with developmental disabilities; United Helpers Independent Senior Living, which is St. Lawrence County’s lone independent retirement community; and United Helpers Management Company, which oversees the administrative, financial and clerical work associated with those operations.

“I am proud to say that I work for United Helpers,” Mr. Knight said. “I am also proud to have spent the last 30 years of my career serving seniors and those in need in my community. I am grateful to work with more than 1,000 amazing and committed men and women. I am a lucky person.”

To learn more about Leading Age, visit www.leadingage.org.

To learn more about United Helpers, visit www.unitedhelpers.org.

United Helpers CEO Stephen E. Knight was joined at this year’s Leading Age New York Conference by several members of his administrative team, as well as volunteers from the United Helpers Board of Directors. From left, United Helpers Rehabilitation and Senior Care Ogdensburg Vice President Timothy Parsons, United Helpers Vice President of Quality Improvement & Clinical Services Stacey Cannizzo, United Helpers Board of Directors Past President Nancy Rehse, Mr. Knight, Board of Directors Secretary & Treasurer Francine Naccarato, Board of Directors member Martha K. McArthur, United Helpers Director of Rehabilitation Terry Micelli, United Helpers Rehabilitation & Senior Care Canton Vice President of Operations Kimberly Blair, and United Helpers Rehabilitation & Senior Care Ogdensburg Director of Nursing Brittany Thornton.

Helen S. Randles Scholarships Honor Health Care Workers of Tomorrow

OGDENSBURG – Three high school seniors from a field of nearly 30 applicants were honored with Helen S. Randles Scholarships.

The scholarships are presented by the Society of the United Helpers using funds from an endowment created by the late Ms. Randles. 

This year’s winners included two students from Ogdensburg and a student from Massena.

Elizabeth Peo, of Ogdensburg will be attending LeMoyne to enter the school’s nursing program. She is the daughter of Michael and Sheila Peo. She is planning to become a nurse practitioner.

Riliegh Planty, of Ogdensburg will be attending SUNY Oneonta this fall. She will major in biology and is planning to become a physician assistant. She is the daughter of Jennifer Pratt.

Jackson Halladay, of Massena will be attending the University of St. Joseph’s where he will be a health sciences major with aspirations of becoming a physician assistant. He is the son of Shane and Cristen Halladay.

Scholarship Committee Chair Ed Gordon said the decision on whom to select is never an easy one.

“This award isn’t just about academic achievement. It is also about community service. Each applicant must also write a letter explaining why they would like to go into the health care field,” he said before telling the students a little about Ms. Randles, for whom the scholarship they just received was named.

“Education was very important to her,” he said, adding Ms. Randles served as a volunteer with United Helpers for 46 years. “I don’t think anyone has ever served longer.”

The scholarships are awarded each year to students from St. Lawrence County who are furthering their education and planning to enter the health care field.

DSPs celebrated at bFair2DirectCare Rally

OGDENSBURG – More than 100 employees, residents, people who receive services through United Helpers and their family members attended the organization’s first bFair2Direct Care Rally where nearly one dozen speakers spent more than an hour detailing how their lives and the lives of their loved ones have been impacted by Direct Support Professionals.

Sitting in the front row at the event were representatives from Senator Patricia Ritchie’s and Assemblyman Mark Walczyk’s offices. Neither Senator Ritchie nor Assemblyman Walczyk could attend due to obligations in Albany, but both James Reagan, who represents Senator Ritchie and Nick Friot, who represents Assemblyman Walczyk said they would report back on the day’s events.

Michael Sarkin, an Ogdensburg business owner, whose brother Charlie lives in one of the 13 IRAs operated by United Helpers said his brother wasn’t always lucky enough be a member of the United Helpers family. 

Mr. Sarkin said he could recall visits to his brother at another facility. “We would go and visit him and they would always bring him out to us. Then we would play and walk around the grounds,” he said. “I was happy, because I got to see my brother.”

However one day, when he was a little older, Mr. Sarkin said his father asked him if would like to go back to Charlies’ room with him. What he saw there, is an image that now, even more than 30 years later continues to haunt him.

“We walked down a long hallway then we went into this really big room. In that room there was probably 16 beds and one aide sitting in the corner reading the newspaper. Those people weren’t doing anything. They were just there in their beds. As soon as we left that room I began to cry,” he recalled.

In the 1990s though, Charlie was fortunate enough to come to United Helpers, and Mr. Sarkin said it didn’t take long for him to notice positive changes with his brother’s demeanor and even some of his skills.

“When Charlie came to United Helpers, he got the home that he deserved. The people who work in those houses become their family members and they deserve to be paid a living wage for the amazing work that they do,” he said.

IRAs are staffed largely by direct support professionals, who in many instances are making just a little bit more than minimum wage.

Victoria Dewey has been a DSP with United Helpers for more than 12 years, and while she loves her job and the people she cares for, she noted she is paid only slightly more than a worker at a big box store or fast food restaurant.

Ed Fisher has been a DSP for even longer, close to 30 years and he too voiced frustrations with the pay, which sometimes makes putting food on the table and paying bills difficult. “I’ve been here for 30 years, but only make a little but more than new people just starting,” he said.

Several people who receive services through United Helpers, including, Esther Ransom Amanda Thompson, Grace Mancini, Timothy Victory and Emily Peters also spoke at the rally, noting how DSPs essentially become their family. 

Ms. Ransom, who is in a wheel chair said she’s fearful of the quality of life she would have if it wasn’t for the staff at Rensselaer Falls IRA, where she lives. “The quality of life they’re able to give me is amazing. If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t be able to do anything,” she said.

Ms. Thompson noted she just recently celebrated a birthday, which included a birthday party for her thrown by the staff at the IRA in Ogdensburg, where she lives.

The rally concluded with a beautiful rendition of Amazing Grace sung by Ms. Mancini.

United Helpers CEO Stephen E. Knight also spoke at the event, and said he feels like all workers do deserve a living wage, but without an increase in what the state pays in Medicaid reimbursements in more than a decade, the type of raise and benefits direct support professionals and other health care workers deserve is impossible.

“The chasm between reimbursement for state and public workers and those doing the same job for private, not-for-profit community based organizations is an injustice that can no longer be tolerated,” Mr. Knight said. “I believe there is enough money in the health and human services continuum, but only if it is allocated properly and spent wisely.”

Welcome New Hires

Please welcome the following new employees to the United Helpers family.

United Helpers Rehabilitation & Senior Care in Ogdensburg

Georgianna Brossoit - Task Aide
Bailey Dean - Task Aide
Debra Martin - Task Aide
Simeun Ademola-Sadipe - Task Aide
Gabrielle Oatman - Task Aide
David Valeske - Task Aide
Jennifer Ashley - CNA
Emily LaPoint - LPN
Sandra Lindy - RN
Brooke Oshier - GPN
Cassandra McKnight - Occupational Therapist

United Helpers Rehabilitation & Senior Care in Canton

Cole McMahon - Task Aide
Helen Smith - Task Aide
Jessica Barr - RN

United Helpers Rehabilitation & Senior Care Assisted Living Program
Jadin Hanna - Task Aide

Behavioral Health Clinic
Kayla Cardinell - Office Tech

Basta's
Tory Pray - Laborer

Pleasant Valley IRA

Austin Caloren - DSP
Jordan Shorette - Residence Supervisor

Rensselaer Falls IRA

Mallory Fraker - DSP
Brooke LaBar - DSP

Lisbon IRA

Kendell Arndt - DSP
Tabitha Best - DSP
Lyndsay Shenkle - DSP
Joanne Carkner - RN Nurse Manager

Irish Settlement Road IRA

Angelica Clark - DSP
Amy Nicorvo - LPN Supervisor