Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office says 21-year-old James Meuker of Jamestown was operating the vehicle when it crashed around 11:15 a.m. Sheriff deputies say when EMS units arrived on scene, they discovered Meuker and three passengers had sustained serious injuries. Specific details on how the crash occurred were not provided.

According to a media release, two passengers were flown by helicopter to UPMC Hamot to be evaluated for their injuries. Meuker was transported to Westfield Memorial Hospital for further evaluation and was later taken to UPMC Hamot for serious injuries. The fourth occupant was transported to UPMC Chautauqua to be evaluated for his injuries.

Police say an investigation is ongoing and charges may be filed at a later date.

Assisting at the scene were the Chautauqua, Mayville, Hartfield and Ashville Fire Departments.

A portion of Route 394 in front of the institution was closed to traffic due to the crash.

Deputies say the crash occurred just before 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 13 on Clymer Center Rd. An investigation determined a vehicle driven by 52-year-old Michael Wade of Clymer failed to keep right and struck an oncoming vehicle operated by 69-year-old David Bensink of Wattsburg, Pa.

Investigators say Bensink was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident. Both drivers were sent to UPMC Hamot for their injuries and Bensink died as a result of his injuries a week later on Thursday, Feb. 20.

Wade was charged with failure to keep right and no additional charges are to be filed

According to the Post-Journal, Police were called to the Bullfrog Hotel Bar and Grill on E. Second St. shortly before 1:30 a.m. on Saturday to respond to a shooting incident.

The incident occurred after an altercation took place between two people in a hallway leading into the bar. The victim was struck twice and taken to UPMC Chautauqua and later transferred to UPMC Hamot in Erie where he is now in stable condition.

The individual who fired the gun is reportedly cooperating with law enforcement, but Jamestown police are also seeking potential witnesses.

Anyone with information is asked to call city police at 483-7537, the anonymous tip line at 483-8477 (TIPS), or via the Tips 411 cellphone app.

Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Deputies say they tried to stop the motorcyclist after he committed several vehicle and traffic infractions just before 12:30 a.m. Wednesday, but he fled at a high rate of speed.

The deputies lost sight with the motorcycle but saw a debris field on the road that led them to the accident.

The operator was treated at the scene before he was flown by Starflight to UPMC Hamot and is listed in stable condition. Charges are pending.

(image courtesy of New York State Police)

DUNKIRK – The investigation continues into a north county automobile crash involving an ambulance transporting a Dunkirk man to a local nursing home.

New York State Police say 77 year-old Arthur McArthur was being transported early Tuesday evening from UPMC Hamot in Erie to the Chautauqua Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Dunkirk when the ambulance, which was traveling along Route 5 in Dunkirk, left the roadway and went into a ditch. McArthur is believed to have died as a result of the crash.

The vehicle was being driven by 49 year-old Robin Morey. Police said there was no indication that alcohol or drugs were involved. Both Morey and another EMT were treated for non-life threatening injuries.

The incident remains under investigation.

On Friday Kaleida Health announced it will affiliate with Brooks Memorial Hospital in Dunkirk and is close to a similar arrangement with TLC Health Network in Irving.

The organizations announced the arrangements Friday after the state awarded a $57 million grant to help with restructuring the smaller hospitals, both of which have struggled financially in recent years.

Brooks Memorial will terminate its affiliation agreement with UPMC Hamot in Erie, Pa., to partner with Kaleida Health, while TLC Health Network, the parent of Lake Shore Health Care Center, will make the affiliation official once it emerges from bankruptcy, officials said.

The Brooks board approved the decision to terminate its management and employee lease agreements with UPMC Hamot at a recent meeting. The Kaleida Health board approved the affiliations last month.

Lakeshore Hospital in Irving.

Brooks currently is a 65-bed facility, while Lake Shore Health Care is a 25-bed facility. Like other smaller hospitals in more rural areas, they have experienced difficulties as a result of declining and aging populations, problems recruiting physicians, and updating facilities and equipment.

In a statement, State Senator Cathy Young (R-Olean), said that saving Brooks and Lake Shore from closing has been a long and difficult endeavor, one that now has been won.

The grant came from the state’s Essential Healthcare Provider Support Program, which was created to help financially stressed healthcare organizations with debt retirement, capital projects and other reorganization initiatives.

Representatives at the two hospitals and Kaleida Health said they have yet to flesh out in detail how the affiliation will work, but plan to do so now that an agreement has been reached.

WCA Board Chair Steve Kilburn announces an affiliate agreement between WCA and UPMC during a special event Thursday, Dec. 17 at WCA Hospital in Jamestown, NY.

JAMESTOWN, NY – WCA Hospital will join the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC), becoming the first New York hospital to join the $12 billion Pennsylvania health system.

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The announcement came Thursday afternoon from both WCA and UPMC representatives during an event at the hospital. WCA board chairman Steve Kilburn called it a big win for the community.

“Today is a very exciting big day, and a big win for WCA and for our whole community, Jamestown and Chautauqua County,” Kilburn said. “We have announced today that WCA hospital has entered into an affiliation agreement that will fully integrate WCA Hospital within the UPMC network, which is a world-class healthcare system.”

The new affiliation agreement announced on Thursday builds on a relationship that began in 2012 with UPMC when a partial affiliation agreement was reached. And while the officials from either UPMC or WCA chose to refer to Thursday’s announcement as an affiliation agreement rather than a merger, the deal moves in that direction.

UPMC will invest at least $25 million over the next 10 years to support recruitment and retention of physicians, as well as upgrades to facilities, programs and infrastructure, including information technology and electronic medical records capabilities. It has also agreed to relieve WCA’s debt and cover its pension obligations, freeing up significant additional monies for WCA development.

Kilburn said that there isn’t expected to be any immediate changes regarding hospital staff or administration, although there could be a change in the name of the facility.

“As a result of this integration, which are looking forward to finalizing in the second half of 2016, the name of this facility will become ‘UPMC Chautauqua at WCA,'” Kilburn said.

WCA Struggling Financially in Recent Years

According to Buffalo’s Business First news journal, WCA have struggled to meet state and federal reform obligations. WCA ended 2014 with a small surplus on revenue of $93 million, down slightly from $96 million the prior year, a year that also included a $1 million deficit. The hospital’s net assets dropped from $23 million to $8 million. The affiliation with UPMC is expected to help stabilize finances at WCA and eventually help to expand healthcare services at the local level.

UPMC Senior Vice President Leslie Davis said that UPMC has helped to transform other affiliate hospitals, with 18 different hospitals now being part of the UPMC network.

“UPMC really is a combination of 18 mergers and each one is fairly different. We’re very respectful of the community we work with. We’re respectful of the board and understanding that each geography is somewhat different,” Davis told WRFA following the announcement.

Hospital officials say that the state must first review and approve the affiliation agreement before it is finalized, which could take place by late spring or early summer.

WCA Hospital President/CEO Betsy Wright said Community hospitals across the nation are facing extraordinary challenges in today’s uncertain healthcare environment, adding that WCA is very excited to work alongside UPMC Hamot to provide greater opportunity moving forward into the future of healthcare delivery. She said some of the new opportunities include recruiting new physicians and providing additional local specialty services.