I was once asked, given my Irish heritage, whether I was a “poet” or a “brawler”! “A poet” I replied, cautioning that even the most soft-spoken Hibernian could become a scrapper under circumstances endemic to the “race”. Yet, there are true Irish gentlemen and in July 1978, on my first day on the surgical unit at Saint Vincent, I had the pleasure of making the acquaintance of just such a fellow. Rather, I almost walked into a tall, handsome, well-dressed, silver haired bear

Tom Miller, M.D. Friday, Dec. 12, 2025 I was 27 years old, but with two years of internship and residency under my belt, I already had a good deal of training in all the disciplines – such as surgery, internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, psychiatry, and subspecialties. I also had a year-plus of internal medicine residency training at State University of New York at Syracuse. I had been the admitting officer of the day and medical officer of the day at the Syracuse Ve

Saint Vincent Urology Group 1973 Top left: Anthony Kaminsky Top right: Harold McLaren Bottom left: Robert Marsh Bottom middle: Russell Roth Bottom right: William Atkins History of urology in Erie County Pennsylvania is intimately tied to the lives and contributions of several pioneering urologists who shape the field in this region. Starting in 1920 the first three generations of esteemed figures such as Elmer Hess, Russell Roth, Anthony Kaminsky, Richard Lyons, Harold Macla

At 7 PM on Saturday April 6, 1946 the Army Day parade was held on State Street and in the jubilant aftermath of the war, all active duty and furloughed personnel were invited to march. Also taking part was the Commodore Perry chapter of the Military Order of the Purple Heart. Following the parade, a ceremony was held in Perry Square during which the Bronze Star was presented to Dr. Joseph M. Faso, recently discharged from the Army with the rank of Major. The award was given f

The history of medical care in Erie County has been an organic process of change. The last book written about Erie’s medical history was published in 1990 by John S. Chaffee M.D. “Reflections on Erie County Physicians“. As suggested by the title, it is a story told through the perspective of Erie county’s past physicians. Through this collection of individual physician stories, we can get a flavor and understand how medical care was delivered and the history of medical care i

Thomas Falasca, DO FACA FACPM February 2, 2023 Hay fever, or seasonal allergic rhinitis has been estimated to affect 40 to 60 million Americans. a However, exposure to hay is not necessary to cause the symptoms of “hay fever” and “hay fever” typically does not produce a fever. So, What Is Hay Fever? Hay fever, or, more correctly, seasonal allergic rhinitis, is an allergic response to environmental substances that peak periodically and cause symptoms mostly related to the

Thomas Falasca, DO FACA FACPM December 29, 2022 The danger of peripheral cold-related injuries is upon us. Although it is usual to think only of frostbite, peripheral cold-related injuries also include frostnip, chilblain, and trench foot.1 Why Peripheral ? These cold-related injuries are peripheral because they localize to specific body parts as opposed to hypothermia which affects the entire body. Nevertheless, the regional effect does not diminish their importance be

Thomas Falasca, DO FACA FACPM Infection and Travel Recently, we all have become highly aware of the infection risks that constantly surround us. Dealing with this has frequently involved restricting travel. But restrictions are difficult to observe long-term, especially when they keep us from friends and family over the holidays. In the upcoming holidays, we will be traveling more than we have in the last few years. Accordingly, here are some tips on maintaining safety from

What is Monkeypox? Monkeypox is a viral disease, usually self-limiting and resolving in 2-4 weeks. It is similar to smallpox but is less infectious and much less lethal1. The incubation period is 4-20 days. Like smallpox and chickenpox, the disease demonstrates a characteristic rash followed by eruptions. The eruptions begin as macular (flat), which then become papular (raised), then vesicular (clear fluid blisters), and then pustular (pus filled). Finally, they scab and t

What is Long COVID? “Long COVID,” is also known as “long-haul COVID” or “post-COVID condition.” The World Health Organization (WHO) defines long COVID as the onset or persistence of symptoms related to an acute COVID infection, occurring at least three months after the COVID infection and enduring at least two months. Symptoms of Long COVID Symptoms are varied but often are of three types: 1) neurological, 2) respiratory, and 3) cardiovascular. Neurological symptoms in

What is Efficacy? Efficacy is a measure of how well something works. Efficacy numbers of the COVID vaccines appear in print frequently efficacies are 95% for Pfizer, 94.1% for Moderna, 70% for AstraZenica (not yet available in the US as of this writing), and 70% for Johnson & Johnson. So, what do these percentages mean? The Pfizer efficacy of 95% means that 95% of those vaccinated will develop the desired effect. In other words, if, in an unvaccinated group of 100 persons,

Vaccination in One Short Sentence Vaccination can save your life and stop the epidemic. Why the Hesitation “Vaccination can save your life and stop the epidemic.” Sounds great, right? So why the hesitation? Hesitation stems from partial information, misunderstood information, and straight-out falsehoods. Let us examine some of the sources of hesitation and misbeliefs about vaccination. COVID Vaccines Arrived in a Rush Of course, after all, this is an emergency. That d

The COVID pandemic has deluged us with adversity, but we can learn plenty from it. Here, for starters, are some lessons. LESSON 1 - Vaccine Complacency The relative success of vaccine development during the pandemic may well inspire vaccine complacency that is unjustified for several reasons. First, there is no guarantee that the next infectious disease will lend itself to the rapid development of a successful vaccine. Second, many deaths would occur before even a successf

Herd immunity is humanity’s perceived salvation from COVID. The major questions are: what is herd immunity and what percentage of immune individuals in a population will achieve this. These questions are easier to ask than to answer. The reasons why are many. What is Herd Immunity? Herd immunity is the indirect protection from an infectious disease that can occur when a sufficient percentage of a population has become immune to the infection, through vaccination or prior

The face mask is one of the best defenses we have against the COVID virus. All face masks, however, are not alike. Here we explore the history of medical masks and discriminate the most effective from the less effective. History and Purpose of Surgical Masks In the 1860s, Louis Pasteur proposed that microorganisms caused spoiling of wine, beer, and milk and invented the process of pasteurization to avoid the “diseases” of wine.1 He believed that microorganisms also caused a

Hand Sanitizing and Washing in the Time of COVID and Flu Now, in the time of COVID and flu, hand sanitizing and washing is more important than ever. These simple measures, done frequently and effectively, help prevent COVID and flu as well as many other infections. However, their use is not so intuitive as imagined. Let’s examine the why, when, and how. Why Sanitize or Wash? Many infectious diseases have no reliable vaccination or treatment. Even for treatable infectious d

Is the day at hand when COVID-19 will be a preventable disease? Is a vaccine possible? Is it achievable in the foreseeable future? We endeavor here to shed some light on these questions. Vaccine Testing New vaccines pass through several phases. Preclinical testing consists in inoculating animals with the vaccine to determine if it produces an immune response. Phase 1 Safety trials consist of using on a small number of people to determine safety and dosage and to confirm s

Protect Yourself and Others from COVID-19 Here are the simple steps to take for protection from COVID-19. Wash hands frequently, especially after sneezing, coughing, blowing the nose, or touching common surfaces as door handles, keyboards, public touch screens, etc. When possible, sneeze or cough into a tissue and dispose of it safely and immediately. Wear disposable gloves and change them frequently if there is a need to frequently touch common surfaces. Avoid coming within

Vaping and Lung Damage On September 6, 2019, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a clear warning about lung toxicity related to e cigarette use. They along with state and local health departments are investigating the cause or causes of this potentially life-threatening disease. The investigation stems from a study of 53 patients from the states of Illinois and Wisconsin who presented to the hospital with lung and gastrointesti