HAMBURG, NY – Patricia Dole, MSN, RN, has been named Director of Nursing Services at Elderwood at Hamburg, 5775 Maelou Drive, Hamburg. Ms. Dole obtained her associate’s degree in applied science, nursing, at Trocaire College and earned a bachelor’s of science degree in nursing and master’s degree in nursing leadership from Western Governors University, in Salt Lake City, Utah. Her nursing career began in 1987 at Bertrand Chaffee Hospital, in Springville. She later became an ICU Nurse and nursing supervisor at Tri-County Hospital. The bulk of her career was spent with TLC Health Network, where she worked in case management, risk management, staff development and emergency response preparedness. Most recently, she served as Vice President of Patient Care Services and was a corporate compliance officer and clinical liaison. Ms. Dole is a resident of North Collins. Elderwood provides skilled nursing care, specialized subacute and rehabilitation care, cardiac care, cardiac telemetry services, assisted living, independent living and memory care at skilled nursing facilities, assisted living communities and independent living communities across New York State, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island. For more information, visit www.elderwood.com. Contact: Linda Trzyna Communications Coordinator (716) 633-3900, ext. 1243...

AMHERST, NY – Virginia Luke, RN, has been named Director of Nursing Services at Elderwood at Amherst, 4459 Bailey Avenue., Amherst. She received her bachelor’s degree in nursing from Daemen College and earned Master’s of Science degrees in nursing leadership and business administration from Grand Canyon University, in Phoenix, Arizona. She began her nursing career as a staff nurse and charge nurse at Roswell Park Cancer Institute and gradually accepted more responsibility at several area skilled nursing and rehabilitation centers. Ms. Luke is a resident of Lockport. Elderwood provides skilled nursing care, specialized subacute and rehabilitation care, cardiac care, cardiac telemetry services, assisted living, independent living and memory care at skilled nursing facilities, assisted living communities and independent living communities across New York State, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island. For more information, visit www.elderwood.com. Contact: Linda Trzyna Communications Coordinator (716) 633-3900, ext. 1243  ...

AMHERST, NY – Virginia Luke, RN, has been named Director of Nursing Services at Elderwood at Amherst, 4459 Bailey Avenue., Amherst. She received her bachelor’s degree in nursing from Daemen College and earned Master’s of Science degrees in nursing leadership and business administration from Grand Canyon University, in Phoenix, Arizona. She began her nursing career as a staff nurse and charge nurse at Roswell Park Cancer Institute and gradually accepted more responsibility at several area skilled nursing and rehabilitation centers. Ms. Luke is a resident of Lockport. Elderwood provides skilled nursing care, specialized subacute and rehabilitation care, cardiac care, cardiac telemetry services, assisted living, independent living and memory care at skilled nursing facilities, assisted living communities and independent living communities across New York State, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island. For more information, visit www.elderwood.com. Contact: Linda Trzyna Communications Coordinator (716) 633-3900, ext. 1243...

Hutchison will lead Elderwood-Lockport Shari Hutchison has been named administrator of Elderwood at Lockport, 104 Old Niagara Road. Hutchison’s appointment comes after Elderwood’s acquisition of the former Odd Fellow & Rebekah Rehabilitation & Health Care Center and the retirement of its longtime administrator, Eugene Urban. Hutchison will lead the staff at the 126-bed facility. She has more than 30 years of experience in the health care industry, in New York and Ohio. Most recently she was administrator of Edna Tina Wilson Living Center in Rochester. Hutchison holds a bachelor of professional studies degree in health services management from the State University of New York at Utica. Formerly Shari Borner, she lives in the Western New York area. She enjoys spending time with her family, camping and traveling. Welch advances in Connecticut banking Lockport native Carolyn Welch has been named senior vice president of commercial lending management at Chelsea Groton Bank in Connecticut. In her new role, Welch will lead the bank’s commercial lending team in attracting, developing and growing commercial relationships throughout the bank’s market area. Since joining the bank in 2016 as vice president, commercial loan officer, Welch developed relationships with businesses of various sizes and types, as well as legal and accounting professionals throughout Connecticut. In 2017, she closed...

by Barbara O'Brien Being lifelong friends takes on new meaning when you get into your 90s, and you've lived a few blocks away from each other your entire lives. It means you put up with their ribbing and banter, you don't have any secrets – and you count each day with them as a blessing. And now three South Buffalo gals, Jean Ormond, Evelyn Kruse and Jean Conlon, are even closer. They all moved over the city line into Elderwood Assisted Living at West Seneca in the last year. "I don’t think you get a lot of close friends. I can count on them, and they can count on me, I hope," Kruse said. Their daily banter keeps them on their toes, like this exchange over where a photograph was taken: "Where was this taken?" "Templeton Landing." "No,  it can't be Templeton Landing." "Why can't it?" "Because it don’t look like it to me." "Well that's where we had dinner." "But it doesn’t look like it to me, you know what I mean?" "I don't care, but it was. I'm not arguing with you, honey." And so it goes. Conlon, 90, was the first to move to Elderwood, after she broke her neck when she fell down the stairs. "When I was a kid I was...