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Go Red chairwoman Heather Drake Bianchi on Syracuse's Morning News with Dave Allen
Drakos Clinical Dynamics announced the hiring of two new healthcare providers at Drakos Pediatric Urgent Care in Liverpool, which cares for patients from birth to age 21, and Drakos Urgent Care in Cicero, which treats patients of all ages.
Back to school and cooler temperatures mean some respiratory illnesses are on the rise. According to Drakos Urgent Care Physician Associate Michelle Ederer, COVID cases are on the rise in central New York. "We are definitely seeing a peak in the number of cases just since the start of the school year in September," Ederer said. "A lot of it has to do with sharing close spaces and obviously communities coming back together and we are definitely seeing an increased number. She says the uptick in case numbers was expected, with the back-to-school season and regular respiratory illness season coming up. But, Ederer said so far cases have been manageable.
A locally owned urgent care chain will open its third location this fall in the former Bon-Ton store in Camillus, its owner told syracuse.com. Drakos Urgent Care is leasing 5,000 square feet of the former department store in Camillus Commons, next to West Genesee High School, owner Heather Drake Bianchi said.
Not quite two years after opening its first location, Drakos Urgent Care will open its third urgent-care center later this year in Camillus. Parent company Drakos Clinical Dynamics first opened its pediatric urgent care in the town of Clay in May 2023, followed by a general urgent-care center in Cicero earlier this year.
Congratulations to this year’s Qualifying Companies! Drakos Urgent Care Recognized in the 15-50 Employees Category
Heather Drake Bianchi, CEO of Drakos Dynamics, will serve as the executive volunteer chairwoman of the 2024 Syracuse Go Red for Women® movement, a comprehensive platform designed more than two decades ago to increase women’s heart health awareness and serve as a catalyst for change to improve the lives of women globally. As the American Heart Association celebrates its 100th birthday, Drake Bianchi will play a critical role by leading the Syracuse Go Red for Women Luncheon and additional efforts to improve cardiovascular health in Central New York. According to the American Heart Association, a global force for healthier lives for all, cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in women, claiming more lives than all cancers combined. Nearly 45% of women over age 20 are living with some form of CVD[1]. Heart disease and stroke continue to be greatest health threat for women in Central New York. “Being asked to serve as the Syracuse Go Red for Women Campaign Chairperson is an honor and one of those times in life when you feel like something is coming full circle,” said Drake Bianchi. “The Go Red Campaign offers an opportunity to come together to make a difference for each generation, for all of the daughters, moms, grandmothers, and great grandmothers in our lives. I would love for as many people as possible to learn why it’s important to contribute to this cause. It’s not just about this year’s event – it’s about our future.”
Galaxy Media Partners and Onondaga County are back again for another year of the Drakos Pediatric Urgent Care Moonlight Movies series. You will have three chances to see double-feature movies with a theme at the Empower Federal Credit Union Amphitheater at Lakeview on their screens.
Galaxy Media Partners and Onondaga County are back again for another year of the Drakos Pediatric Urgent Care Moonlight Movies series. You will have three chances to see double-feature movies with a theme at the Empower Federal Credit Union Amphitheater at Lakeview on their screens.
Galaxy Media Partners and Onondaga County are thrilled to announce the return of the Drakos Pediatric Urgent Care Moonlight Movies series. This free, family-friendly event puts a new spin on the classic drive-in movie experience. Grab the kids and bring your lawn chairs and blankets. It's time to get cozy as you enjoy a double-feature on the Amp's oversized screens. Admission and parking are free. Families are welcome to bring snacks and non-alcoholic drinks. If you’re looking for something sweet to enjoy during the movies, Skippy’s, the official ice cream of Moonlight Movies, will be on-site scooping up tasty treats.
Galaxy Media Partners and Onondaga County are announcing the return of the Drakos Pediatric Urgent Care Moonlight Movies series. This free, family-friendly event puts a new spin on the classic drive-in movie experience. Grab the kids and bring your lawn chairs and blankets. It’s time to get cozy as you enjoy a double-feature on the Amp’s oversized screens. Admission and parking are free. Families are welcome to bring snacks and non-alcoholic drinks. If you’re looking for something sweet to enjoy during the movies, Skippy’s, the official ice cream of Moonlight Movies, will be on-site scooping up tasty treats. Carrie Wojtaszek, Chief Operating Officer of Galaxy Media Partners says, “We’re thrilled to announce the return of our ever-popular Midnight Movies series. We love bringing this fun, free, family-friendly event to Central New York, and have gotten such great feedback about it. We can’t wait to enjoy another summer of movies under the stars!”
Drakos Urgent Care and Oswego Health have partnered to develop a three-part plan to expand healthcare infrastructure – a critical need before the population boom expected ahead of Micron. Wait times in emergency rooms are already long, and many Central New Yorkers already struggle to find primary care. According to NYS Community Health Indicator Reports, with the population increase, our community will see 38,000 additional emergency room visits every year and 10,000 more hospitalizations. Drakos and Oswego Health’s plan is a strong foundation.
Drakos Urgent Care and Oswego Health have partnered to develop a three-part plan to expand healthcare infrastructure – a critical need before the population boom expected ahead of Micron. Wait times in emergency rooms are already long, and many Central New Yorkers already struggle to find primary care. According to NYS Community Health Indicator Reports, with the population increase, our community will see 38,000 additional emergency room visits every year and 10,000 more hospitalizations.
Heather Drake Bianchi, founder of Drakos Urgent Care, is the founder and CEO of Drakos Clinical Dynamics, a healthcare services company based in Syracuse. Michael C. Backus is president and CEO of Oswego Health, a nonprofit healthcare system with locations throughout Oswego County. During this year’s CenterState CEO economic forecast breakfast, CenterState President and CEO Robert Simpson shared harrowing statistics from the New York state community health indicator reports. With Micron joining our community and adding an estimated 100,000 people to our population, we can expect 38,000 additional emergency room visits every year and 10,000 more hospitalizations. We also need to add 100 more primary care physicians, 100 more dentists and 300 mental healthcare providers.
Business of the Year Awards and remarks on artificial intelligence (AI) and Central New York’s economic vision and future were all part of Thursdayafternoon’s annual meeting of CenterState CEO. The event attracted more than 800 business and community leaders to the Nicholas J. Pirro Convention Center at Oncenter, CenterState CEO said
Drakos Clinical Dynamics is opening a second urgent care location in Syracuse’s northern suburbs, available to both pediatric and adult patients. The clinic opens Monday on Route 31 in the Town of Cicero. It comes at a time when a major urgent care player in central New York, WellNow, stopped taking Excellus BlueCrossBlueShield insurance, leaving some of those patients without an urgent care outlet. CEO Heather Drake Bianchi said this new clinic accepts Excellus and while that wasn’t the impetus for opening the new clinic, it may have an impact on the future. "It just serendipitously happened that way," Bianchi said. "And then the pressure to open became more so. That's why we're opening doors on Monday because the community is reaching out. We get 20 plus phone calls a day. 'Are you taking adults? Are you taking adults?' And we'll have adults show up at the pediatric urgent care." Bianchi said the response may have an impact on the future.
Drakos Clinical Dynamics, a pioneer in rapid, accessible healthcare innovation, expanded its services Monday, Feb. 5, with a second urgent care location in Central New York. This expansion marks a significant milestone for Drakos as it broadens the scope of its urgent care to serve both pediatric and adult patients. Drakos now has more than 40 providers, nurses and support staff between its two urgent care locations. The new 3,000 sf inclusive facility, located at 5586 Legionnaire Drive, Cicero, offers traditional urgent care services for children and adults as well as advanced onsite laboratory testing, onsite x-rays and Drakos’ IV and intramuscular wellness program services.
A relatively new local urgent care practice is already expanding — a little earlier than anticipated. Drakos is opening a second location in Cicero next week. Unlike its Liverpool pediatric clinic, which opened last year, the new location is for all ages. Both practices accept Excellus Blue Cross Blue Shield CNY insurance, just as WellNow Urgent Care clinics have stopped doing so. Drakos CEO Heather Drake Bianchi says that’s not why they’re expanding. But she says it did push them to open sooner, to meet the public’s needs. "This was actually not in response to the WellNow thing—it just serendipitously happened that way," Bianchi said. "And then the pressure open became more so. That’s why we’re opening doors on Monday because the community is reaching out."
Drakos Urgent Care is no longer limited to just serving children. The pediatric urgent care facility, which first opened in 2020, will open a new location on Feb. 5 that will accept adult patients. Urgent care expansion in Cicero offers ray of hope for those with Excellus insurance “While the opening of Drakos Urgent Care is a huge deal to us we realize more and more every day that it's an even bigger deal to our community,” said CEO Heather Drake Bianchi. “When we open doors we will take Excellus, we'll take Fidelis, we'll take TRICARE, and the others are going to come to us as soon as they're ready to go.”
With migration for Micron on the horizon in Central New York, there is talk of a housing crisis, but what about the medical care these people will need? Central New York is already dealing with a health care crisis, and Micron could only make it worse. Micron’s local work will benefit from research investment and really big machine in Albany “The current healthcare in our community is obviously taxed,” Onondaga County Medical Society President Dr. Digant Nanavati said. With Micron’s addition, it’s expected there will be 40,000 to 125,000 new patients. “An additional hundred primary care providers are needed in this area at the bare minimum to accommodate what’s projected for the population influx. That is on top of a pre-existing primary care shortage,” Heather Drake Bianchi, CEO of Drakos Urgent Care, said.
A new urgent care is opening this week in Cicero, one month after WellNow Urgent Care stopped accepting Excellus BCBS insurance, leaving thousands of Central New Yorkers without an affordable healthcare option. Drakos Clinical Dynamics, a pioneer in rapid, accessible healthcare innovation, is expanding its services with a second urgent care location in Central New York that will open on Monday, Feb. 5. CNY neighbors look for other care options after WellNow drops Excellus This expansion marks a significant milestone for Drakos as it broadens the scope of its urgent care to serve both pediatric and adult patients. Drakos will have more than 40 providers, nurses, and support staff between its two urgent care locations. The new 3,000-square-foot inclusive facility in Cicero offers traditional urgent care services for children and adults as well as advanced onsite laboratory testing, onsite x-rays, and Drakos’ IV and intramuscular wellness program services.
A new urgent care is coming to Cicero. Drakos Dynamics, the local company that operates Drakos Pediatric Urgent Care in Clay, is expanding with a second location. Except this one won’t just be for kids. WellNow Urgent Care to drop Excellus BlueCross BlueShield on Jan. 1 The new facility will be for people of all ages. It’s expected to open in early February at 5586 Legionnaire Drive in Cicero.
A new urgent care is coming to Cicero. Drakos Dynamics, the local company that operates Drakos Pediatric Urgent Care in Clay, is expanding with a second location. Except this one won’t just be for kids. WellNow Urgent Care to drop Excellus BlueCross BlueShield on Jan. 1 The new facility will be for people of all ages. It’s expected to open Feb. 5, at 5586 Legionnaire Drive in Cicero.
A local company that operates a pediatric urgent care in Clay is expanding next month with a new location in Cicero. The new Drakos Urgent Care facility will treat people of all ages. It will be located at 5586 Legionnaire Drive, off Route 31. Drakos’s founder, Heather Bianchi, opened a pediatric urgent care last year in the Clay Medical Center, 8100 Oswego Road (Route 57), in Clay. That center has treated more than 3,000 children in seven months. The new facility will cater to both children and adults. Together with the pediatric urgent care, Drakos will employ more than 40 medical providers, nurses and support staff. Part-time staff at the pediatric location will become full-time. The Cicero location will have up to 10 new staffers, the company said.
Drakos Clinical Dynamics, a DeWitt–based company that opened a pediatric urgent-care center in Clay in May 2023, is expanding its services with a second urgent-care location in Syracuse’s northern suburbs. Renovation work on the 3,000-square-foot location at 5586 Legionnaire Drive in Cicero is underway, and the space is scheduled to open this February. Drakos Urgent Care will lease space at the location, which is the same building that was once home to a St. Joseph’s Health Primary Care Center, the organization tells CNYBJ in an email.
A local company that operates a pediatric urgent care in Clay is expanding next month with a new location in Cicero. The new Drakos Urgent Care facility will treat people of all ages. It will be located at 5586 Legionnaire Drive, off Route 31.
Effective Monday, Jan. 1, WellNow Urgent Care no longer accepts Excellus Blue Cross Blue Sheild insurance, leaving many Central New Yorkers wondering how they were going to pay for their visits or what care facility they could go to that accepts their insurance. WellNow and Excellus unable to reach deal ahead of Jan. 1 deadline “WellNow is the only option we have to go to, and now you have to pay an absorbent amount of money out of your pocket just to be seen and it sucks,” said Amanda Baker, who has Excellus BCBS. After months of negotiating reimbursement, WellNow decided to no longer accept the insurance. Without it, a visit costs $165 or more per visit. It sucks that you have to pay that much on top of what you pay out of your paycheck already just for health insurance. WellNow reveals what it wanted in corporate fight with Excellus There are 16 urgent care locations Excellus listed in Onondaga, Oswego, Cayuga, Tompkins, and Cortland counties that aren't WellNow centers. This includes Drakos Pediatric Urgent Care. “We're in a position and have staff that are fully prepared and trained to help any folks that need us,” said Director of Marketing and Communications Adam Herringshaw.
Holiday gatherings have spread some unwanted germs and viruses, and if you are lucky enough to be healthy right now, there could be another wave of illness coming when kids go back to school. CNY Central consulted with a medical expert to reveal what is most likely to get you sick between now and the middle of January. Dr. Zaki Badawy says while she is seeing a high amount of COVID cases right now, it's not the only thing to be on guard against. Many other illnesses are spreading. For many people this holiday season, they have had to find a mask and make their way to the doctors to determine what's making them sick.
Upper respiratory illnesses are climbing across the country. 10 states are reporting high activity of COVID-19, flu, and RSV. A few days ago, Central New York wasn’t lumped in with the rest of the country. Now, it’s a different story. Wellness Wednesday: Are green powders bogus or beneficial? Within the past week, parts of Onondaga County have started to see more RSV, flu, strep, and hand foot and mouth.
Upper respiratory illnesses are climbing across the country. 10 states are reporting high activity of COVID-19, flu, and RSV. A few days ago, Central New York wasn’t lumped in with the rest of the country. Now, it’s a different story. Wellness Wednesday: Are green powders bogus or beneficial? Within the past week, parts of Onondaga County have started to see more RSV, flu, strep, and hand foot and mouth. Up Next - Harris continues media blitz with four weeks until Election Day Heather Drake Bianchi said Drakos Pediatric Urgent Care is starting to see the spike. “We’re seeing these kids with really bad Hand Foot and Mouth where it’s really causing them so much pain that they’re not able to eat and drink as much,” she said. They’re now starting to see RSV in daycare and school-aged kids, as well as infants.
Drakos, known for its work bringing COVID-19 testing to Hollywood movie sets and providing lab testing to CNY homes, now has a fully operational pediatric urgent care. Their founder explained why urgent care centers that are catered to pediatric patients are important for any community.
Heather Drake Bianchi was visiting Boston a few years ago when her 2-year-old fell ill with what turned out to be Covid-19. In her panic, she found something there that didn’t exist back home — a standalone urgent care for kids. The trained paramedic saw an opportunity: “Why don’t we have one of these in Central New York?”
A popular outdoor movie series is returning to St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater at Lakeview. The NYS OPWDD Moonlight Movie Series, presented by Drakos Pediatric Urgent Care, will offer double-features of family-friendly movies every Wednesday in July on the big screens at St. Joe’s Amp in Syracuse. Gates open at 5:30 p.m., and films start at 6.
Galaxy Media Partners and Onondaga County Parks are thrilled to announce the return of Moonlight Movies, a free, four-week summer series. The family-friendly event puts a new spin on the drive-in movie experience. Every Wednesday in July, gather your kids and bring your lawn chairs and blankets to enjoy a double feature on the St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater’s oversized screens. Admission and parking are free. Families are welcome to bring snacks and non-alcoholic drinks, or you can purchase popcorn, ice cream and other treats on-site. New York State Office for People with Developmental Disabilities is this year’s title sponsor of the Moonlight Movies. The event is presented by Drakos Pediatric Urgent Care. The event is also underwritten by the Trust for Cultural Resources of Onondaga County.
Back again for another year, Moonlight Movies is returning to St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater at Lakeview. Every Wednesday, for four weeks, you can set up those lawn chairs and blankets with your family and friends to watch a free movie. Galaxy Media Partners, Onondaga County Parks and Wegmans are bringing back this double feature experience for everyone. There will be oversized screens at the Amphitheater for each movie.
On May 15, Drakos Pediatric Urgent Care opened its doors in suite 140 at 8100 Oswego Rd. in Liverpool. The opening comes after founder and CEO Heather Drake Bianchi , who has lived in the Syracuse area for years, had the idea to open this new facility after her own child was sick with COVID while she was working. Her son was helped by a pediatric urgent care and their utilization of Telehealth visits. Drake Bianchi brings her experience working in healthcare to this new venture. In 2020 Drake Bianchi, who has worked in the film industry, founded “Cinemedics.” The company was responsible for keeping people safe on movie sets during the COVID-19 pandemic with testing and risk management. Since her home is in the Liverpool area, Drake Bianchi said she wanted to contribute to healthcare locally. “I started this business to help my hometown,” she said. Many of her coworkers are from the Syracuse area, and they all shared Drake Bianchi’s vision to give back to their community by opening the urgent care. “Ninty-five percent of the staff here are from Syracuse and worked in emergency services,” Drake Bianchi said. She has the established a goal of giving patients the necessary resources they need to continue their care. She wants to provide additional care to those who need it when doctors need to rest after the end of a long day. “We are here when parents and kids need it most,” she said.
Working mom Heather Drake Bianchi was out of town in Boston when her child needed after-hours medical care. It wasn't an emergency, but it was something that couldn't wait. She said she was fortunate to be in a city that had a children's urgent care facility available. But the experience left her feeling that something similar was needed near her home in the Syracuse area. Drake Bianchi, CEO of the movie set medical support group CineMedics, said she's heard from other local parents who find themselves in this gap of needing after-hours care, but not for an issue that's considered an emergency. “What are we supposed to do at 6 p.m., 7 p.m. When my kid is tugging at their ear and screaming, and the only place that I can go is the ER? We don't want them to go to the ER—there's really sick people, they're like, there's gotta be, there's gotta be something else," Drake Bianchi said. That led Drake Bianchi to found the Drakos Pediatric Urgent Care in the Town of Clay.
A new health option for parents is coming to Central New York. Heather Drake-Bianchi joins Andrew Donovan to discuss what went into her decision to bring her company, Cinemedics, to the Syracuse area, to provide another healthcare option for children in our area.