Dr. Evan Calkins

Dr. Evan Calkins

Dr. Evan Calkins founder of the Network in Aging of Western New York, Inc.

Hard work, high goals and a response to real needs are central themes in the long career of Dr. Evan Calkins. Born in 1920 in Newton, Massachusetts, Dr. Calkins arrived in Buffalo with his wife, seven children and his small menagerie of animals in June 1961 having received excellent training in clinical medicine, teaching research, and administration at Harvard Medical School, Johns Hopkins, and the Massachusetts General Hospital. Dr. Calkins saw that Buffalo had the potential to develop a truly first rate medical center and wanted to be part of the action.

His initial appointment was Chief of Medicine at Buffalo General Hospital and Co-chairman of the Department of Medicine at what was then the University of Buffalo. Subsequently, with the incorporation of UB into a State University system, he was asked to become the first Chairman of the University-wide department. Over the ensuing 16 years, Dr. Calkins and his many colleagues saw the Department move significantly toward the goal he had in mind.

Following relinquishing the chairmanship of the University Department of Medicine in December 1977, Dr. Calkins wasted no time in deciding what to do next. He had already concluded that an important aspect of medicine, with major implications for the future, lay in the field of Geriatrics, then just beginning to emerge on the American healthcare scene. He asked Dr. Naughton if he would support him as Director of a Geriatrics Program here. Dr. Naughton said he would and did. So, too, did Dr. James Nolan, Dr. Calkins successor as Department Chairman. This became the seventh Geriatrics Division in the Country.

At this point, the emergency rooms and in-patient floors of our hospitals were becoming flooded with old people, many of whom had multiple chronic diseases, numerous medications, and protein calorie malnutrition. For these patients, a period of hospitalization is often a prelude to disaster: delirium, loss of ability to walk, decubitus ulcers, and, for many, a downward course leading to death. Optimal care requires the input of numerous disciplines in addition to Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Occupation and Physical Therapy, Dentistry, Social Work, Nutrition, Psychology and Psychiatry and Surgery as necessary. New ways to enhance the effectiveness of teams of specialists of this sort needed to be found. Since a major goal of geriatric care is to prevent hospitalization in the first place, ways were needed to bring interdisciplinary care of this sort into place in community institutions, not only hospitals and nursing homes, but also clinics, day care programs and patient’s homes.

This was the motivation that led Dr. Calkins to seek collaboration with leaders throughout the community committed to enhancing the care of older people. The result was the formation of the Network in Aging. Dr. Calkins was elected President for a two-year term then rotated onto the board for about three years, and then withdrew from active participation. The project took hold and, with vigorous support from a series of leaders who came forth when we needed them – it worked miraculously. The Network has continued to attract increasing membership and is about to celebrate its 30th anniversary.

Dr. Calkins was invited to be a member of the National Advisory Council of the National Institute on Aging and also to serve as consultant to a number of other Universities interested in developing programs in this field. In 1982, he was appointed by Governor Mario Cuomo as a member of the New York State Task Force on Life and Law and served for ten years. The Geriatric Fellowship Program became the largest such program in the country and, by the time Dr. Calkins retired after 12 years on the job, had trained ten percent of all fellowship-trained Geriatricians in the country.

Unfortunately, Dr. Calkins’ immediate successor as head of the Division of Geriatrics proved to be someone who had no interest in interdisciplinary patterns of care or involvement in the community. Federal funding for the Geriatric Education Center and for fellowships in Geriatrics was withdrawn and Beck Hall assigned to other programs.

In 1994, however, the administration of the Buffalo General Hospital sensing the need for Geriatric care and teaching at that institution sought Dr. Calkins’s help in recruiting a Director of the Hospital program. They succeeded in attracting Dr. Bruce Naughton, a graduate of our Medical School who was, at that time, assisting the University of Illinois in developing its geriatric program. Subsequently, Dr. Naughton was appointed Chief of the Geriatrics Division at the Medical School.

A number of the Geriatric Fellows trained in the program over the years have remained in Buffalo. Most of them provide care to patients in nursing homes. Others are meeting the needs of geriatric patients at the Erie County Medical Center. Two physicians, Drs. Robert Stall and Eugene Steinberg practice geriatrics in their private offices and patient’s homes respectively; a third, Dr. June Chang has rejoined the geriatric unit at the Veterans Hospital.

Thus, after 31 years of continued development, with support and encouragement from the Network in the Aging, the Geriatrics Division of the Department of Medicine is continuing to do a responsible job.

Following retirement as Head of the Geriatrics Division, because of age (70), Dr. Calkins was invited to join Healthcare Plan as Senior Physician and consultant in aging, a position he held for five years. For the past 18 years, he has maintained a private practice of Geriatrics and Rheumatology, currently sharing office space in Hamburg, New York with his daughter, Dr. Joan Calkins.

Dr. Calkins is the author or co-author of 86 scientific articles in reviewed medical journals, 42 chapters and four books, the most recent of which is “New Ways to Care for Older People – Building Systems Based on Evidence”, Springer Publishing Company, New York, 1998.

In recognition of Dr. Calkins’ accomplishments in medicine, he has been awarded a number of honors during his career. Some of them include: Geriatric Medicine Academic Award, National Institute on Aging, 1980; Recipient, Private Sector Initiative Award (for founding the Network in Aging of Western New York, Inc.), President Ronald Regan, 1983; Recipient, Dean’s Award, School of Medicine, SUNY Buffalo, 1984; Recipient, Second Annual Milo D. Leavitt Award for Leadership in Geriatric Education, American Geriatrics Society, 1986; Master, American College of Rheumatology, 1987; Master, American College of Physicians, 1988; Recipient, Walter P. Cooke Award, Alumni Association, SUNY at Buffalo, 1988; Membership in the American Society for Clinical Investigation, The American Clinical and Climatological Association and the Association of American Physicians.

Dr. Calkins is listed in the “Who’s Who in America” and “Who’s Who in the World”.

Jerry Flaschner

Jerry Flaschner

Jerry Flashner passed away in 2006, he was the editor and publisher of Prime Time Magazine    

http://www.buffalospree.com/foreveryoung/archives/2006_09/0906Flaschner.html

Jerry was on the forefront of promoting the quality of life for the elderly and aging in Western New York for many years.  Jerry’s professional and volunteer activities advanced the understanding, promoted public policy and community services, developed positive social attitudes, and elevated awareness of the elderly regarding their potential.

For years Jerry was the publisher and editor of Living Prime Time Magazine, dedicated to Western New Yorkers age 50 and over.  His publication showcased individuals who exemplified successful aging and provided guidance on items of interest ranging from movies to senior events to legal matters and health concerns.

Jerry also produced a weekly half-hour radio show and monthly television segment on AM Buffalo that delivered expert information on key topics to the “50 plus” in Western New York.  In addition, he produced another television program on Adelphia Cable Channel 13 that ran 16 shows a month.  To round out this media arsenal, his Living Prime Time website contained previews and content from his magazine and radio/TV shows and links to a variety of resources for people 50 plus.

Jerry’s volunteer activities included active participation in numerous organizations and community boards.  He was central to Coordinated Care’s Prime Time Awards for senior programs for many years and was on their board of directors.  He was involved, with HealthforAll, VNA/Kaleida, Musical Fare Theater, Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame and local family care agency.

Perhaps Jerry’s greatest contribution was his devotion to bringing people together to work on common problems and concerns of older adults.  He could be seen almost daily talking with individuals about needs or issues and contacting other individuals to assist in some pertinent way.  He was a  true advocate on behalf of the elderly and we believe him when he says, “The Best is Yet to Come!”

Jerry was the 2002 recipient of the Network in Aging’s Dr. Evan Calkins Award for Meritorious Service.

The Network in Aging established the Jerry Flashner Humanitarian Spirit Award to honor Jerry’s memory in 2006.  It was designed to recognize individuals who demonstrate the same concern for elders in the Western New York Community as exemplified by Jerry and his “no problem” attitude. The nominees have Jerry share Jerry’s belief that “The Best is Yet to Come”, and translate that belief into action.  The Network later turned the award into a scholarship to support students in the field of aging.

Michael Maloney

Michael Maloney

Michael J. Maloney, who worked closely with families as he helped lead some of the region’s top senior living communities, and who became known in recent years for his advocacy and fundraising for ALS research and treatment passed away in February 2017 from Lou Gehrig’s disease at 65 years old.

The initial shock of his diagnosis in August 2012 gave way to determination, Mr. Maloney wrote in a piece he shared with The Buffalo News in 2014. “My fear of tomorrow could not rob me of today,” he wrote. “With that belief and with the love and support of my family and friends I have found a new energy for life.” Born in Buffalo, Mr. Maloney was a 1969 graduate of Bishop Turner High School and 1973 graduate of Niagara University. He lived in Cheektowaga for about 40 years.

He spent his professional career promoting the needs of elders in Western New York. He began his work at the Bristol Home in 1974 and served as executive director there from 1980 to 1992. He served as administrator of Sacred Heart Home/Brothers of Mercy from 1992 to 1999, associate director of Canterbury Woods from 1999 to 2001, executive director of The Green Fields/Niagara Lutheran community from 2001 to 2007 and as the founding executive director of Fox Run at Orchard Park from 2007 until his retirement in 2014. The event center at Fox Run was renamed the Michael J. Maloney Event Center. Mr. Maloney also served his community as a volunteer for organizations that included the Lancaster Chamber of Commerce, Coordinated Care, the Network in Aging, and Leading Age WNY. His efforts earned him numerous awards. He received the Caritas award from Brothers of Mercy. Though limited physically with ALS, Mr. Maloney, his family and his friends became key players in the fight against the disease, which has no cure, and limited treatment. His response to his diagnosis, he wrote in 2014, was “to make some difference for the next guy who hears, ‘You have ALS: So, I embraced awareness and advocacy.”

Elizabeth Krisanda, executive director of the Upstate New York Chapter of the ALS Association, called Mr. Maloney the voice not only for the ALS community in his home region but also as a national advocate .. “He was an amazing force,” Krisanda said. “The fact that he used what remained of his voice in his efforts to address ALS was inspiring.” The Maloney Clan of Family and Friends has been the top fundraising group in the Buffalo Walk to Defeat ALS. The group also has participated in Ice Bucket Challenges and other fundraisers. “He basically was behind everything,” said Maureen Myers, a family friend of 36 years who co-captained Maloney clan activities.

Hours before his death, “he was on the phone with Washington, D.C., with the national chapter,” Myers said. “He never stopped fighting. … Every time he signed a message, it was in gratitude and hope:’ He was an avid bike rider, reader and gardener. He was happiest spending time with family and friends on his backyard deck.

Leonard S. Sikora

Leonard S. Sikora

Leonard S. Sikora was a past board member for many years, and he passed away on June 10th, 2018 at 90 years old. 

Born in Buffalo, he was a 1946 graduate of Seneca Vocational High School. He earned his bachelor’s degree in 1950 from Buffalo State Teachers College and his master’s degree in education from the University of Buffalo in 1957.

Mr. Sikora began his 40-year career in the Buffalo schools as an industrial arts teacher at Kensington High School, School 53 and School 84 before becoming assistant principal at Bennett High School in 1964.

He was named principal at Bennett in 1969 and was appointed principal of his alma mater, Seneca Vocational, in 1975. He retired in 1990.

He was a former vice president of the Buffalo Retired Teachers Association and a vice president for membership of the New York State Retired Teachers’ Association. He also was a former president of the state organization’s Western Zone and chairman of its Founders Fund.

Active in issues affecting seniors and retirees for many years, he was regional advocacy coordinator for the AARP, a member of the advisory committee for Erie County Senior Services and a member of the board of directors of the Network in Aging. In the 1980’s, he was active in Gov. Mario Cuomo’s Skilled Workers Emeritus Program.

He also was chairman of the Polish Arts Scholarship Foundation and established a scholarship fund in his name with the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo.

He was given the Ampol Eagle Citizen of the Year Award in Education in 1975 and received the Buffalo State College Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2008. He was presented with the Buffalo State Foundation Chairman’s Recognition Award in 2005.

AARP recognized him with its Andrus Award for communication and health issues advocacy.

He was the first-time recipient of the “2006 Jerry Flaschner Humanitarian Award”, an award established for local, state and national contributions to the field of aging.

While on a summer job as a clothing salesman in college, he met his wife, the former Irene A. Grudzien, a bookkeeper, who was working in the budget office of the same store. Residing in Amherst, they would have celebrated their 64th wedding anniversary the July after his passing. 

Robert (Bob) Wills

Robert (Bob) Wills

On September 21, 2018 the Network in Aging lost one of its greatest supporters, Bob Wills. Bob was a longtime member of the Network and served two terms as the President of the Board of Directors from 2008-2012. In addition to being the President, and then Past President of the Board for four years, Bob was a co-chair of the Membership Committee. As the co-chair he, almost single-handedly, organized and coordinated the Network with the Network events for many years. He had a knack for pairing agencies to highlight their businesses. In 2006 Bob was an integral part in the creation of the Network’s Jerry Flaschner Humanitarian Spirit Award Scholarship Fund which continues today to benefit students in the field of aging.

Bob was a very accomplished man. As quiet and laid back as Bob was, you may be surprised to see the long list of his accomplishments. An Eagle Scout, Bob was a 1976 graduate of Dunkirk High School. He was the treasurer of his class for all four years, earning letters in varsity football and track. Bob received an appointment to attend the United States Military Academy at West Point where he represented his company in the Sandhurst Military Skills Competition. Graduating in 1980 as a Second Lieutenant, Bob served five years in the Army Corps of Engineers and graduated from the United States Army Ranger School, an elite combat leadership course.

Bob left his military career with the rank of Captain and began his civilian career as a Project Manager in Civil Engineering for Mobil Corporation. In this role, Bob traveled extensively throughout Asia, Great Britain, and New Zealand, living internationally for several years. Bob’s adventurous spirit always resulted in amusing and entertaining travel stories.

After taking time out to receive a Master of Business Administration from the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School in 1992, Bob started his first business called Wills Lawn & Landscaping, an organic landscaping business that he operated for 10 years. Continuing his education, Bob later earned his designation as a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) and started a second business as an independent Financial Planner associated with Waddell & Reed. His financial investment expertise combined with his reputation for integrity and relentless work ethic allowed Bob to build a highly successful client portfolio. Literally hundreds of clients benefitted from Bob’s financial acumen. Bob hosted his own radio show on Buffalo Station WLVL for several years, focused on Financial Planning. He was a very courageous and dedicated person, continuing to serve his clients while fighting his illness to the end.

When talking to Bob, whether it be for business or pleasure, he never let the focus of the conversation be about himself or his illness. Unless you knew about his illness, you would never guess that he was going through the fight of his life.

Not that Bob knew, or if he did, he made light of it, he was a mentor to many, not only with the Network in Aging but in life too. He willingly shared his love and knowledge, gave guidance without giving the answer, he advised with kindness and forethought and he always did this with gentleness and goodwill. To say, to know Bob is to love Bob, is an understatement. He was loved and admired by many and will be greatly missed. Our condolences go out to all of Bob’s family and friends.