Thank you for spreading joy and support to those in need, ensuring that our impact continues well into 2025. Thank you for being an essential part of the Friends of Bassett family. We celebrate you this holiday season!

Best regards,

Steven Kroll

Chair, Board of Directors Friends of Bassett Healthcare Network

​“I said this right from the beginning nine years ago, I will never give up. I will do whatever my doctors say is in my best interest. I thank God every morning when my feet hit the floor,” says Ronald Coy, a firefighter from Colonie, New York.

Ronald has been fighting prostate cancer since 2015. He currently receives advanced care at the Bassett Cancer Institute in Cooperstown, where his treatment includes Pluvicto, an innovative radiopharmaceutical. Pluvicto (lutetium Lu 177 vipivotide tetraxetan) is designed to treat advanced prostate cancer that has spread to other parts of the body and is unresponsive to standard treatments. This targeted therapy attaches to cancerous PSMA+ cells, delivering radiation that directly attacks only these cells.

Administered with a syringe in just 10 minutes, patients receive a Pluvicto infusion every six weeks for up to six cycles. It helps slow or stop tumor growth and may alleviate symptoms for patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC).

The Bassett Cancer Institute is leading the way in providing world-class cancer care. We’re incredibly fortunate to have this kind of treatment available locally. To learn more about Ronald’s journey and Pluvicto, click here.

With heart disease as the leading cause of death in New York State and the United States, we are proud to announce that Dr. Dhananjai Menzies, Director of Bassett Healthcare Network’s Interventional Cardiology Program and Catheterization Laboratories, has been appointed to the New York State Cardiac Advisory Committee (CAC). This committee plays a vital role in enhancing cardiac care across New York State by reviewing data, recommending policies, conducting site visits, and advising the New York State Department of Health and other policymakers.

Dr. Menzies, known for his dedication and skill, has seen patients come from both neighboring cities and states to receive care at Bassett. “Patients seek us out due to how good our outcomes have become,” he says. His commitment to excellence has made a profound difference in our community and beyond.

We are grateful for Dr. Menzies’ exceptional leadership in cardiac care. To read the full press release, click  here.

For those who feel anxious when receiving an MRI, we’re excited to share that Bassett Healthcare Network’s new MRI system at Bassett Medical Center in Cooperstown has features that can help. The Philips Ambition X MRI and Ambient Experience systems provide a more comfortable, efficient, and eco-friendly scanning experience, and we’re proud to make this latest advanced technology available in our region. What’s more, the technology is produced locally right in Latham, NY.

Magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, is a non-invasive imaging technique that uses a magnetic field and radio waves to create detailed images of organs and tissues. The Ambition X MRI magnet is especially innovative, requiring only seven liters of liquid helium rather than the typical 1,500 liters. Additionally, it is operationally “helium-free” because it does not need refills, making it more sustainable, given that helium is a limited resource and subject to shortages.

In addition to its eco-friendliness, the Ambition X MRI is designed to reduce patient stress through the Philips Ambient Experience. This feature integrates dynamic lighting, mirrors, calming sounds, and videos, giving patients more control over their environment and helping them feel more at ease. In addition to improving each patient’s experience, reducing anxiety helps patients stay still, improving scan quality  and minimizing the need for rescans.

A 2020 Philips survey highlighted the impact of the Ambient Experience, showing a 70% reduction in rescans and an 80% reduction in patient sedation. Remarkably, 83% of respondents felt it significantly helped ease their anxiety.

We are thrilled to offer this advanced, patient-centered technology to our community.

Read the full press release  here.

Research indicates that integrating the arts into healthcare settings can reduce burnout, boost empathy, and enhance communication and teamwork. In this spirit, Internal Medicine residents, Transitional Year residents, and Cardiology fellows from Bassett Medical Center participated in workshops this fall at the Fenimore Art Museum, thanks to Bassett’s recently reinstated (and Friends of Bassett funded) Arts in Health program.

This Giving Tuesday, December 3, Friends of Bassett Healthcare Network needs your support to help fund a new mobile cancer screening coach – 100% donor-funded! Early detection is the key to reducing cancer in our region, and this coach will bring life-saving screenings directly to patients, specifically those in remote areas. 

As the holiday season approaches, we want to express our heartfelt thanks to our donors and supporters who make such a meaningful difference in our communities. Your generosity helps allow many patients to spend the holidays at home, surrounded by family and friends, rather than in the hospital.

As we near the end of 2024, we continue working to meet our year-end goals which will help us continue providing exceptional care in 2025. They include: 

🎄 School-Based Health Program – Support healthcare for local students. Our 2024 goal is $1 million.

🎄 Bassett Cancer Institute Initiative – Expand cancer care and mobile screening services. We have raised over $1.5 million toward our $3.5 million goal.

🎄 New CT Scanner at O’Connor Hospital – Provide O’Connor Hospital with the CT scanner its patients need. We have nearly $375,000 raised toward our $750,000 goal.

Every gift counts. Remember that donations can be designated to the program or hospital of one's choice. Whether through a one-time donation, monthly gift, stock donation, or planned giving, the generosity of our donors creates lasting change.

From all of us at Bassett Healthcare Network, we wish you a joyful holiday season and a healthy, happy New Year!