Gov. Kathy Hochul delivers a COVID-19 update in the Red Room at the
State Capitol on Sept. 15. Mike Groll/Offi ce of Governor Kathy Hochul
COURIER LIFE, SEPTEMBER 17-23, 2021 17
BY JULIA MORO
During her Wednesday
briefi ng in Albany, Gov.
Kathy Hochul urged everyone
eligible to get vaccinated
as we head into the fall and
winter seasons and defended
her vaccine mandate for all
health care workers in hospitals
and nursing homes.
The state issued the mandate
on Aug. 28 requiring that
all health care workers get
at least the fi rst dose of the
COVID-19 vaccine by Sept. 27.
However, a federal judge temporarily
blocked the state’s
order on Sept. 14, after workers
sued, claiming their Constitutional
rights were being
violated as the mandate disregarded
religious exemptions.
Hochul said she will not
be making any amendments
to the regulations and left out
the religious exemption intentionally.
“It’s the smart thing to do,
we have to continue the mandates,”
Hochul said. “I’m not
aware of a religious exemption
from any organized religion.
In fact, they’re encouraging
their members to get
vaccinated.”
Eighty-two percent of New
Yorkers above the age of 18
have at least one dose of the
vaccine. Hochul said vaccine
rates are trending upwards
as more mandates are put in
place.
“That is affecting people’s
decisions,” Hochul said. “If
you did not know enough on
your own to do this, at least
some of you are doing it now
because it’s a requirement of
your job and that’s the effect
we wanted to have.”
The state has until Sept.
22 to respond to the lawsuit.
Hochul said they will appeal
the Sept. 14 ruling.
“We are going to make sure
that we defend the right of the
state of New York to ensure
that anyone in a health care
facility will not have to worry
that they’re going to contract
a virus from one of the people
who are supposed to protect
their health,” Hochul said.
Hochul addressed some
concerns over whether or not
this mandate will result in a
loss of health care staff. The
governor said that hospitals
are supposed to already have
temporary staffi ng plans
available and will send state
support to hospitals if that issue
arises.
“I think people need to
start realizing that when you
stand up and say, ‘I want to
be a public health offi cial,’
in any capacity, we count on
you to be healthy yourselves,”
Hochul said. “I am pleading
with them: this is not intended
to be dictatorial, it’s intended
to save lives.”
Health
Hochul defends NYS
vaccine mandate for
health care workers
rostate cancer is the most
common type of cancer among
men in the United States after
skin cancer, according to the American
Cancer Society. It is also one of
the most treatable types of cancer,
with high survival rates. While the
screening process is often quick
and painless, many men are intimidated
by the exam and therefore
put it off, according to urology experts
at NewYork-Presbyterian.
In fact, research shows that men
— regardless of income or ethnicity
— are less likely than women to
regularly schedule doctor visits for
preventive care. This includes prostate
exams.
“There are so many men who
are afraid of what they think being
evaluated for prostate cancer
entails that they completely avoid
the topic,” says Dr. Alfred Winkler,
chief of urology at NewYork-Presbyterian
Brooklyn Methodist Hospital
and an assistant professor of clinical
urology at Weill Cornell Medicine.
“Our goal is to offer comprehensive
services that can help men get the
preventive care and screenings they
need so they can stay healthy.”
Dr. Winkler and members of his
team get state the facts about prostate
cancer, as well as dispel some
common misconceptions about
prostate cancer screenings.
Fact #1: When getting screened
for prostate cancer, a rectal exam is
not always necessary.
According to Dr. John Graham
Jr., a urologist at NewYork-Presbyterian
Brooklyn Methodist Hospital
and an assistant professor of clinical
urology at Weill Cornell Medicine,
prostate cancer screening does
not always mean having a rectal
exam. “Look at your first appointment
with your doctor as a conversation,”
he says. “You can expect a
blood test if you consent to it and a
digital rectal exam can be a part of
your exam if that’s something that
you feel comfortable proceeding
with after a conversation with your
doctor.”
Fact #2: The earlier you catch it,
the more treatment options you will
have.
Prostate cancer is highly treatable
if caught early. According to
the American Urological Association,
men should start prostate cancer
screenings beginning at age 55
for those with average risk. But men
should really begin talking with
their doctor in their 40s to see if they
need prostate cancer screening earlier
than age 55 based on their risk
level.
Treatment can vary depending
on the stage of diagnosis. “Each
treatment plan is tailored to the patient,”
says Dr. Graham. “It’s not a
cookie-cutter, one-size-fits-all approach
— it’s all individualized.”
Dr. Winkler adds, “The earlier
a patient deals with this issue, the
more choices they have. The longer
a person waits and the more they delay,
the narrower those choices become.”
Fact #3: An abnormal PSA test
does not always indicate prostate
cancer.
While helpful in early prevention,
a PSA test — a blood test that is
used to screen for prostate cancer —
is not always 100% accurate. A PSA
test can be abnormal for many reasons
other than prostate cancer. One
reason could be an enlarged prostate,
a noncancerous, common condition
that impacts men as they get
older. “PSA tests are just one piece
of the overall screening puzzle, and
discussing this test with a urologist
can be helpful,” says Dr. Meenakshi
Davuluri, an attending urologist at
NewYork-Presbyterian Brooklyn
Methodist Hospital and an assistant
professor of clinical urology at Weill
Cornell Medicine.
Fact #4: Black men have a higher
risk of prostate cancer.
Studies show that one in seven
Black men will develop prostate
cancer in their lifetime. “African
American men are two times more
likely to be diagnosed with prostate
cancer and are more likely to be
diagnosed with a more aggressive
form of cancer,” says Dr. Davuluri.
“So screening for those high-risk
populations is very important.”
Fact #5: Family history increases
risk.
If your father, your brother,
or another close relative has had
prostate cancer, be sure to tell your
doctor. They may want you to be
screened earlier since a family history
increases the potential risk of
prostate cancer. The bottom line: If
you are in a high-risk group, speak
to your doctor about the risks and
benefits of yearly rectal exams and
PSA tests.
Fact #6: You may be asymptomatic
and still have prostate cancer.
Prostate cancer can be silent, often
with no discernible symptoms
until the cancer has spread outside
the prostate. “Early, treatable stages
of prostate cancer are almost always
asymptomatic,” says Dr. Graham.
This is why preventive screenings
are so important.
Fact #7: As you get older, your
risk of prostate cancer increases.
After you turn 65 years old, your
risk of prostate cancer increases exponentially.
About six in ten men
who are diagnosed with prostate
cancer are over 65.
Fact #8: Overall physical health
and lifestyle play a role.
According to Dr. Winkler,
healthy lifestyle changes can make
a difference in reducing the risk for
prostate cancer. His recommendations:
green, leafy vegetables.
“Following healthy dietary
guidelines, making simple lifestyle
changes, and getting recommended
screenings can all reduce the risk
of prostate cancer, but men in highrisk
groups should be under a physician’s
care,” says Dr. Winkler.
Protect yourself by getting
screened for prostate cancer.
Learn more about prostate cancer
treatment at NewYork-Presbyterian
Brooklyn Methodist
Hospital by calling 718.230.7788.
To read more stories of science,
care, and wellness, please visit:
NewYork-Presbyterian’s Health
Matters blog at https://healthmatters.
nyp.org.
Urology experts dispel common myths and misconceptions about prostate cancer and the preventive screenings involved.
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