North Star Health Alliance

12/03/2025

Please help us celebrate Lucille D'Agostino, FNP-C, AOCNP, of the Richard E. Winter Cancer Center, on earning her Advanced Oncology Certified Nurse Practitioner (AOCNP) credential.

The AOCNP is a professional certification for oncology nurse practitioners, offered by the Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation (ONCC). It validates advanced expertise in comprehensive cancer care, including diagnosis, treatment, symptom management, and patient education.

Lucille's commitment to ongoing learning and excellence in oncology helps ensure our patients and their families receive skilled, compassionate care every step of the way. We are proud to have her on our cancer care team.

12/01/2025

Carthage Area Hospital Auxiliary is kicking off December with something sweet and festive!

Annual Bake Sale & Holiday Bazaar
• Friday, December 5, 2025
• 8 AM to 2 PM
• Homemade baked goods
• Raffle baskets on display
• Gift Shop stocked for holiday shopping
• Donations of baked goods are appreciated

Holiday Raffles
• Raffle baskets on display starting Wednesday, December 3
• Tickets and viewing available December 3 through December 5
• Raffle drawing on Friday, December 5 at 2 PM

Raffle baskets include:
• Grinch kids' basket
• Grinch bathroom basket
• Gnome wreath with other decor
• Baking basket
• Grinch baking basket
• Ice skate wreath
• Jelly roll rug
• Jelly roll placemats
• Small Christmas quilt
• Home basket
• Bathroom set basket
• Four-piece set of painted seasons pictures

Gift certificates from:
• Cracker Barrel
• Stefano's
• Jreck Subs
• Pizza Hut
• Stewarts
• Morning Ritual

Every ticket and every cookie helps support the Carthage Area Hospital Auxiliary!

11/30/2025

We had a hat trick of a night cheering on The Watertown Wolves! 🏒🐺

Our North Star team hit the stands to support the home team and help raise funds for the Children's Home of Jefferson County — a win for everyone!

Did you know North Star and North Country Orthopaedic Group are the official medical team for the Wolves, keeping players healthy and on the ice where they belong? We’re proud to be official sponsors for the 2025–2026 season, just as we have been since the early days when the team skated under the Privateers name.

A huge shout out to the Wolves Den for making the night a huge sucess! Here’s to a great season ahead — let’s keep the momentum going and the goals coming! 🥅✨


o

11/26/2025

11/26/2025

Excellence in care is at the heart of everything we do at North Star Health Alliance. Claxton's Radiology Department is an example of this. Their Radiology Department's recent American College of Radiology (ACR®) re-accreditation in Ultrasound reflects the high standards, specialized expertise, and quality our member organizations bring to patients across the North Country. Keeping advanced imaging local means our communities receive exceptional care close to home.

11/25/2025

Celebrating Mirza Ashraf, MD, cardiologist at Carthage Area Hospital, who recently marked his 80th birthday on November 21! We are grateful for Dr. Ashraf's enduring commitment and the countless lives he has touched throughout his remarkable career.

We are sending a big, belated happy 80th birthday wish to Dr. Mirza Ashraf, cardiologist at Carthage Area Hospital, who celebrated his birthday on November 21.

Dr. Ashraf first joined the Carthage Area Hospital Medical Staff in 1973 and has spent more than fifty years caring for the hearts of our community. Patients know him for his warmth and reassuring confidence. Colleagues know him as a dedicated physician, a teacher, and a storyteller who brings energy to every hallway he walks down.

Here is to Dr. Ashraf at 80, still caring, still teaching, and still loving celebrations. If you have a favorite memory or kind word to share, drop it in the comments and help show him how much he means to Carthage Area Hospital, North Star Health Alliance, and the North Country. 💓

11/25/2025

At North Star Health Alliance, keeping healthcare local goes hand in hand with our commitment to excellence. Our members, like Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center & Medical Campus, continue to raise the bar across their service lines.

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!

11/25/2025

We are proud of you and your professional achievement, Casey! 👏

We are proud to recognize and celebrate Casey Stevens for achieving the distinguished credential of Certified Case Manager (CCM). This accomplishment reflects not only hard work and dedication but also a deep commitment to excellence in serving individuals, families, and communities.

Earning the CCM credential is a significant professional milestone that demonstrates advanced knowledge, ethical practice, and the highest standard of care coordination. Casey has shown exceptional perseverance throughout the rigorous certification process and now joins an elite group of case management professionals who are nationally recognized for their expertise.

This certification is more than a title. It represents compassion, leadership, and a passion for helping others navigate complex health and social systems. We are incredibly proud of Casey and look forward to the continued impact she will make in the lives of those she serves.

Please join us in congratulating Casey on this outstanding achievement!

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

Happy birthday, Dr. Schaefer! 🎉

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. 💙

11/21/2025

We couldn't "woof" this anymore if we tried! 🐾🐾🥰

11/21/2025

🌬️ Understanding COPD — Breathe Better with Knowledge

November is COPD Awareness Month, a time to shine a light on a condition that affects over 16 million Americans — and millions more who may not even know they have it.

💨 COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) is a long-term lung disease that makes it hard to breathe. It includes conditions like emphysema and chronic bronchitis, which damage the lungs over time.

🚭 Main causes:

Smoking or exposure to secondhand smoke

Long-term contact with air pollutants, dust, or chemicals

Genetic factors (like Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency)

While COPD can’t be cured, it can be managed. The earlier it’s detected, the more treatment can help you stay active and independent. 💙