Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center & Medical Campus

12/01/2025

🌟 The Day is Finally Here! 🌟

All of your favorite updates, stories, and celebrations are now living in one spot on the North Star Health Alliance page!

Why the move?

✅ One convenient location: No more jumping between pages.

✅ The same great news: You won't miss a beat.

✅ Same friendly faces, just one convenient place to follow along.

Make sure you head over and hit that Follow button so you stay in the loop. See you there!

11/26/2025

Ultrasound Department Earns ACR® Re-Accreditation

We are pleased to share that the Claxton Radiology Department has successfully earned American College of Radiology (ACR®) re-accreditation in Ultrasound (US), reaffirming our commitment to exceptional image quality, patient safety, and the highest national standards of care.

The ACR® accreditation process is comprehensive and rigorous. It evaluates image quality, equipment performance, staff credentials, protocols, and quality assurance practices. Achieving re-accreditation shows that our ultrasound services continue to meet and exceed these benchmarks.

Congratulations to Micheline Brouillette, US Team Lead, and to all of our Ultrasound Technologists, Radiologists, and support staff whose hard work made this accomplishment possible. From preparing case submissions to maintaining meticulous scanning and documentation, their dedication ensures every patient receives accurate, reliable, and compassionate care.

Thank you to our entire Ultrasound team for this outstanding achievement and for your ongoing commitment to excellence.

11/25/2025

CLAXTON CAMPUS CT TEAM EARNS ACR® RE-ACCREDITATION

We are proud to share that our Claxton Radiology Department has successfully achieved re-accreditation through the American College of Radiology (ACR®) in Computed Tomography (CT). This recognition reflects our continued commitment to high-quality imaging, patient safety, and meeting the highest national standards.

The ACR® accreditation process is rigorous and looks at:
• Image quality
• Equipment performance
• Radiation dose
• Staff qualifications
• Adherence to best practices

Achieving re-accreditation confirms that our CT services consistently meet, and often exceed, these expectations.

A huge congratulations to Kristin Worden, CT Team Lead, along with all of our CT Technologists, radiologists, our physicist, and support staff, for their hard work preparing QC documentation, phantom submissions, and protocol updates. Their dedication ensures our patients receive safe, accurate, and dependable imaging every day.

Congratulations to the entire CT team on this outstanding accomplishment and for continuing to represent our hospital with excellence!

11/24/2025

Well done, Misty! Congratulations on your achievement! 🤩

✨Staff Spotlight!✨

We would like to give a special congratulations and shout out to our very own Misty Griffith, RN, OCN!

Misty has been an RN for 19 years, the last 15 of which have been dedicated to Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center & Medical Campus . In 2019 she transferred to the Richard E. Winter Cancer Center , where she has remained a fierce advocate and valuable member of our team for nearly 6 years.

Recently Misty sat for, and achieved, her Oncology Certified Nurse (OCN) credentials, a rigorous and highly prestigious certification through the Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation (ONCC)!!

Misty's unwavering dedication not only to our center, but most importantly to our patients, exemplifies her steadfast commitment to helping improve the lives of others and providing the best possible care to our community. We congratulate Misty on her accomplishments, and express our utmost gratitude for having her on our team!

11/21/2025

Did you hear the birthday buzz? Our favorite otolaryngologist (ENT), Dr. John David Schaefer, turned 75 on November 19! 🎉

Our Surgical Services team celebrated with him today in the OR suite, but the appreciation for Dr. Schaefer stretches far beyond those walls. From countless tonsillectomies, ear tubes, and sinus surgeries to simply being there when patients need him most, he is cherished by patients, families, and colleagues alike.

Dr. Schaefer has been part of the Claxton-Hepburn Medical Campus family since 2004, and our community is all the better for it.

Happy (belated) 75th birthday, Dr. Schaefer! Thanks for lending us your skill, your heart, and your listening ear for all these years. 💙

11/20/2025

Every mile matters when you live in the North Country. 💚

Today, on National Rural Health Day, we celebrate the Power of Rural and the people who keep care close to home.

At North Star Health Alliance, our hospitals, practices, and clinics are rooted in the same small towns and villages we serve. We uniquely understand what rural healthcare really looks like:

• Long drives for appointments
• Weather and transportation that can get in the way
• Fewer providers and higher rates of chronic illness in our communities

That is precisely why we are so committed to keeping healthcare local. By working together across our campuses and practices, we strive to:

• Expand access close to home
• Strengthen local care teams
• Connect patients with the proper care at the right time

To our rural healthcare teams and community partners: thank you for showing up, day after day, for our neighbors. You are the heart of local healthcare. 💙

11/20/2025

Please join us in congratulating Michele Catlin, Claxton-Hepburn's Diabetes Program Specialist, on being recognized as one of Fort Drum Regional Health Planning Organization's 2025 North Country Community Health Heroes. 💙

FDRHPO's North Country Community Health Heroes are individuals and organizations who go above and beyond to improve the health and well-being of our region. Their compassion, innovation, and commitment make a real difference in the lives of those they serve.

We are incredibly grateful for Michele's ongoing commitment to our region's health and for the care, education, and support she provides to patients and families every day.

11/18/2025

Looking for a primary care provider?

Certified Family Nurse Practitioner Katelyn McKinley is currently accepting new patients at our Canton Health Center.

Katelyn believes that everyone deserves access to quality healthcare. In her practice, care extends beyond the individual and reaches families, neighbors, and the community as a whole. As a North Country native, she recognizes the needs of her community and the position she is in to help meet them.

Her approach emphasizes accessibility and continuity of care, always keeping in mind that in a small town, every interaction matters and every decision has a ripple effect. Katelyn is committed to providing high-quality, evidence-based care while honoring each patient's autonomy. She sees her role not just as a healthcare provider, but as a trusted resource and advocate for the people she serves.

📍 Canton Health Center
39 West Main Street
Canton, NY

📞 To schedule an appointment with FNP Katelyn, call 315.379.4700.

11/17/2025

Today at Claxton-Hepburn Medical Campus/Center, we celebrated our North Star Health Alliance's STAR Awards, recognizing team members who go above and beyond in demonstrating our values of Service, Teamwork, Accountability, and Resourcefulness. ⭐

In STAR order, our award recipients are:

• Kaylee Kennerly, RN, Emergency Room for Service
• Tara Kroeger, RN, ACU for Teamwork
• Layla Johnson, RN, Children's Mental Health Unit (CHMU) for
Accountability
• William "Bill" Oaks, Maintenance Mechanic II for Resourcefulness

The awards were presented by Brandon Bowline, Chief of Staff, Jerian O'Dell, Chief Operating Officer, and Eliza Dusharm, Senior Vice President, Human Resources.

Congratulations, Kaylee, Tara, Layla, and Bill!

11/17/2025

A small surprise celebration was held today to honor Dr. Michael Seidman, Chief Medical Officer and long-standing nephrologist serving patients at Claxton-Hepburn Medical Campus and the Dr. Ravinder N. Agarwal Renal Center, for his 75th birthday. 🎂

Dr. Seidman began his career at Claxton on December 19, 1983, and has faithfully served our community ever since. He and his wife, Ellen, have been married for 46 years, sharing a lifetime of partnership and support.

Please join us in thanking Dr. Seidman for his decades of compassionate care, leadership, and dedication to keeping high-quality renal care close to home for our North Country community. Happy 75th Birthday, Dr. Seidman!

11/14/2025

Happy National Nurse Practitioner Week to our incredible Nurse Practitioners across North Star Health Alliance! 💙

This year's theme, "NPs: Trusted Voices, Proven Care", honors the essential role NPs play in keeping our communities healthy, close to home.

Trusted Voices speaks to the confidence patients place in our NPs to listen, explain, and guide them through every step of their health journey.

Proven Care recognizes the consistent, evidence-based, and compassionate care they provide every day in our clinics, hospitals, and specialty practices.

To every Nurse Practitioner within North Star Health Alliance, thank you for:

• Building trust with patients and families
• Providing expert diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up
• Expanding access to high-quality local care
• Bringing skill, kindness, and calm to every visit

Join us in celebrating our Nurse Practitioners this week and thanking them for being trusted voices and providing proven care across the North Country. 🩺💙

11/14/2025

✨ Happy Perioperative Nurses Week! ✨

This Perioperative Nurses Week, we proudly recognize the extraordinary perioperative nursing team at Claxton-Hepburn Medical Campus. These nurses embody dedication, compassion, and excellence every single day. They always go above and beyond for both their patients and our community.

From the moment a patient walks through the surgical doors, our perioperative nurses are there—providing reassurance, expert care, and a comforting presence. They manage complex cases with skill and precision, balancing the technical demands of surgery with the human touch that defines true nursing. Whether it’s coming in after hours for an emergency procedure, comforting a nervous patient before surgery, or ensuring every instrument is perfectly prepared, their commitment never wavers.

Thank you to our perioperative nurses for being the steady hands, kind voices, and tireless advocates for every patient who depends on you.