Page Date Headline Courier –Post - sjhealthcare.net · business development ... “We just want them to know that the city cares about their health and by bringing together

Page Date Publication Headline

2 11/01/2012 Courier –Post 2 SJ Hospital Operators Complete Merger Agreement

3 11/03/2012 Courier –Post Portfolio: SJ Business People On The Move 5 11/18/2012 Courier –Post SJH – UMH Health Systems Finalize Merger Agreement 6 11/01/2012 Daily Journal Learning About Health Living 8 11/01/2012 Daily Journal Tri-Chamber Breakfast Set For Today 9 11/01/2012 Daily Journal SJH Inks Merger Deal With UMH

11 11/02/2012 Daily Journal Robot Assists With Bariatric Surgery 15 11/06/2012 Daily Journal SJH Signs Deal With UMDNJ 16 11/08/2012 Daily Journal Neighbors – SJH Celebrates Veterans Day 17 11/11/2012 Daily Journal Alfred Frank Caggiano – President of Sunny Slope Farms 20 11/12/2012 Daily Journal Doctor, Veteran Talks of Service 24 11/15/2012 Daily Journal Health Department Urges Smokers To Kick The Habit 27 11/22/2012 Daily Journal Giving Thanks For Our Blessings 37 11/2012 Daily Journal Health Connection – Shot Through The Heart 46 11/01/2012 Press of Atlantic City Bridgeton’s SJH System Merges with Gloucester County-Based UMH 48 11/12/2012 Press of Atlantic City Health Care Jobs A Hot Commodity In South Jersey 52 11/30/2012 Press of Atlantic City Derailment Sends Chemical Tank Cars Into Paulsboro Creek 53 11/01/2012 South Jersey Times UMH – SJH Merger Agreement Finalized 56 11/08/2012 South Jersey Times SJH – UMDNJ Sign Med School Pact 57 11/08/2012 South Jersey Times SJH Family success Center Opens 58 11/09/2012 South Jersey Times Find Good Health In Hospital Merger 59 11/09/2012 South Jersey Times Sunny Slope Farms Businessman, Community Leader Al Caggiano Dies at 83 62 11/10/2012 South Jersey Times Deal Aims To Keep Docs In NJ 63 11/10/2012 South Jersey Times SJJ – UMH Partnership Promises To Mitigate Physician Shortage 65 11/10/2012 South Jersey Times Veterans Day Events Slated For Salem And Cumberland Counties 68 11/12/2012 South Jersey Times Girl Scouts Visit UMH in Woodbury 69 11/12/2012 South Jersey Times South Jersey Business Briefs – Lynn Cusack - UMH 70 11/12/2012 South Jersey Times Veterans From Cumberland, Salem Counties Recognized For Their Service 72 11/13/2012 South Jersey Times Greenwich Township “Community Appreciation Day: 74 11/15/2012 South Jersey Times News & Views 75 11/19/2012 South Jersey Times Millville’s Channel 2 Hosts Hurricane Sandy Telethon 77 11/20/2012 South Jersey Times High Honors 80 11/21/2012 South Jersey Times SJ Women To Be Honored At Aulettos 83 11/27/2012 South Jersey Times AARP Driver Safety Program Offered At Elmer Hospital 85 11/29/2012 South Jersey Times News & Views 86 11/30/2012 South Jersey Times Paulsboro Train Derailment: Minimal Long-Term Effects on Public Health, Env. 90 11/2012 Various Publications Various Articles 118 11/2012 Various Publications Various Ads 127 11/2012 Various Publications Various Sponsorships

1 Courier‐Post Online November 2, 2012

2 S.J. hospital operators complete merger agreement 5:20 PM, Nov. 1, 2012

Written by | Courier-Post Staff

VINELAND — Two South Jersey hospital operators completed a merger agreement on Thursday.

Officials of Underwood-Memorial Hospital in Woodbury and South Jersey Healthcare in Vineland

sealed the deal at a ceremony in Vineland.

Underwood-Memorial is an acute-care, 305-bed hospital in Woodbury. It was formed by the merger of

two hospitals founded in Woodbury in the early 1900s by doctors J. Harris Underwood and William

Brewer.

Underwood-Memorial has more than 1,800 workers and a medical staff of almost 400.

South Jersey Healthcare began in 1898 with the founding of Bridgeton Hospital. It now has more than

3,500 workers and a medical staff of more than 600 doctors.

It operates SJH Regional Medical Center, a 262-bed facility in Vineland; SJH Elmer Hospital, a 96-

bed hospital in Elmer; and SJH Bridgeton Health Center with 65 mental health and inpatient hospice

beds. The nonprofit also has numerous outpatient sites throughout Cumberland, Salem, Gloucester

and Atlantic counties.


CHRIS CARDILLO

Portfolio: S.J. businesspeople on the move

11:03 PM, Nov. 3, 2012

• Chris Cardillo, CEO of Castle Windows, has been selected as an adviser for Rowan University’s Entrepreneurship Advisory council. The council is to provide the school with a resource of knowledge and expertise that are unique to business owners to help the program.

• Krista M. Mitchell, a Sicklerville resident, has been promoted

to sales and service manager of Haddonfield’s TD Bank

location at 100 N. Haddon Ave. She will be responsible for new

business development, consumer and business lending,

managing personnel and overseeing the day-to-day operations

at the branch.

• Frances A. McElhill, partner at the law firm Archer and

Greiner, and Kim Freemont Fortunato, director, Healthy

Communities at Campbell Soup Co., recently were recognized

as part of United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern

New Jersey’s Tocqueville Society Awards. The awards are presented annually to an individual who

demonstrates outstanding community service and volunteerism. Fortunato was given the Nathan

Asbell Humanitarian Award, in recognition of her work to advance the common good and make

Camden County a better place to live and work.

• Doug Larson has been named golf course superintendent at Wildwood Golf & Country Club in

Cape May Court House. From 1990 to 1992, he worked at WG&CC as an assistant superintendent.

He was most recently the assistant golf course superintendent at Medford Village Country Club.

• South Jersey Healthcare and the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-School

of Osteopathic Medicine have signed an agreement designating the medical center as a major

clinical affiliate of the medical school. The agreement expands the relationship begun five years ago

between the two major health institutions and supports efforts to address the anticipated physician

shortage in South Jersey.


CHRIS CARDILLO

KRISTA MITCHELL

• Timothy Popp and William Stafford, both directors and long-

term staff members of TTI Environmental Inc. of Moorestown,

have become shareholders in the company. In their respective

roles as directors, they are responsible for all areas of

management of their divisions including supervision, proposals,

planning, estimating, safety and budgeting.

• John Franklin has joined SF Shaffer Co. Inc. of Cinnaminson

and will be working both outside and inside sales. He brings

extensive experience both on the distributor level and as a

manufacturer’s representative.

Send news of business promotions, hirings and openings to Todd Shaner at

[email protected]

jonesb

Typewritten Text

11-18-12 Courier-Post SJH/UMH Finalize Merger Agreement

1 The Daily Journal November 1, 2012

Learning about healthy living 11:52 PM, Oct. 31, 2012

Written by Stephanie Loder

VINELAND — More than 100 city

employees decided to take a proactive

approach to their health Wednesday

by attending a city-sponsored health

fair.

The city held its 10th annual health fair

for employees on the second floor of

City Hall.

More than 150 of the city’s 800

employees took advantage, according

to Denise Ciulla, training coordinator in

the Health Department.

“We just want them to know that the city cares about their health and by bringing together so many

vendors, they may find one who can help them,” Ciulla said.

She said some workers were unable to take advantage of the health fair because they were on the

road and could not stop in City Hall.

Still, Ciulla said the employee turnout was a good one.

“We have numerous vendors, flu shots, and chances to win different gift baskets,” she said.

Dina Murray with Allen Associates in Vineland said the independent insurance agency insures more

than 200 city employees. She said she took part in the health fair to meet and talk with employees.

“A health fair brings a level of awareness for people to pay attention to their health,” Murray said.


Laura Gilroy (right), of Vineland has her blood pressure checked by Norma Bouillon, a Cumberland County College nursing student, during a health fair. / Staff photo/Charles J. Olson

“Otherwise, when something happens, you get a crash course in how to use your insurance,” Murray

said.

Lisa Lucena, a spokeswoman with the Vineland Municipal Electric Utility, provided employees with

electrical safety tips.

Lucena also challenged city employees to correctly

answer questions about electrical safety.

A correct answer won a prize, she said.

“I posed questions such as, ‘Is it OK to leave your

holiday lights on when you leave the house?”’ Lucena

said.

The answer is no.

The idea was to bring awareness about electrical safety

home with employees, she said.

Other vendors at the event included: South Jersey

Healthcare, Ledden Family Chiropractic Center, Vineland

Public Health, Spirit of Women, Foot Care Centers,

Premier Orthopaedic Associates, Vineland Health

Department, Vineland Fire Department, Dr. Paul Lewis,

Soaring Dragon Acupuncture and Achieve Physical

Therapy.



Michael McLaughlin (left), board chairman of Underwood-Memorial Hospital, and Peter Galetto, chairman of the South Jersey Health System Board of Trustees, sign a final merger agreement that joins the two facilities at SJH's executive office in Vineland on Thursday. / Staff photo/Charles J. Olson

South Jersey Healthcare inks merger deal with Underwood 11:35 PM, Nov. 1, 2012


VINELAND — Officials with South Jersey Health System and Underwood-Memorial Health System in

Gloucester County officially signed a merger agreement Thursday, promising expanded health care

services for residents and creating the third largest health care system in the region.

A new name for the health system’s four hospitals is expected to be announced in 2013.


The merger means both South Jersey Health System, the parent company of the South Jersey

Healthcare organization, and Underwood-Memorial can begin to “grow health services,” as well as

develop more ambulatory care sites and enhance patient safety and quality care, according to Chet

Kaletkowski, South Jersey Healthcare President and CEO.

Kaletkowski will serve as president and CEO of the combined health system.

Both hospitals will retain their names while specialists develop the new brand that will be used by

each facility, including South Jersey Healthcare’s Regional Medical Center and Elmer Hospital in

Elmer and the Bridgeton Health Center.

With 5,000 employees, 1,000 physicians and 700 beds, the merger makes the hospital system the

third largest in the South Jersey region — Cooper University Hospital in Camden ranks first,

Kaletkowski said.

No jobs will be lost and the merger “is an opportunity to grow,” Kaletkowski said.

“We do not see layoffs. We want this to be a successful merger,” he said.

Kaletkowski said the hospitals would rely on each other’s strengths to grow.

“We have an excellent cancer center, which we want to grow and we may bring it up there to

Woodbury. They provide cardiology specialists in Woodbury and they can help us,” Kaletkowski said.

Both hospital facilities have been preparing for the merger since May, officials said.

However, Thursday was the actual signing of the final merger agreement and the first time officials at

either hospital could begin sharing information.

The signing took place at the executive campus offices adjacent to the Regional Medical Center on

Sherman Avenue.


Dr. Ahmed Attia and the da Vinci robot, which is now used in bariatric procedures. Dr. Attia will answer your Healthline questions. / PHOTO/SOUTH JERSEY HEALTHCARE

Robot assists with bariatric surgery Monthly Healthline tackles topic of new advances in bariatric surgery 9:51 PM, Nov. 2, 2012 Written by Regina Schaffer Special to The Daily Journal

For those who suffer from morbid obesity, one procedure can almost seem like a miracle — a surgery

designed to make the stomach smaller in order to feel satisfied with less food.

Within just weeks of surgery, pounds are shed at a rapid rate — up to 15 pounds a month or more.

But it is the health benefits— an end to diabetes, high blood pressure or sleep apnea — that has

many patients struggling with their weight beginning to consider a surgical answer.


CALL HEALTHLINE

Ahmed Attia, a general and

bariatric surgeon with ESA

South Jersey Bariatrics in

Vineland, is available to answer

your questions, which may be

submitted in several ways:

• By fax to (856) 451-8318.

• By email at

[email protected]; or visit

www.thedailyjournal.com and

click on the Healthline icon.

The deadline to submit

questions is 5 p m Nov 12

Bariatric surgery is the topic of this month’s Healthline, hosted by South Jersey Healthcare and The

Daily Journal.

Dr. Ahmed Attia, a general and bariatric surgeon with ESA South Jersey Bariatrics in Vineland, is

available to answer your questions, which may be submitted in several ways:

• By fax to (856) 451-8318.

• By email at [email protected]; or visit www.thedailyjournal.com and click on the Healthline icon.

The deadline to submit questions is 5 p.m. Nov. 12.

Inquiries will be answered confidentially.

For those suffering from morbid obesity, the simple tasks of walking and breathing can be difficult.

The long-term effects can be even more daunting — diabetes, heart disease and a shorter life

expectancy.

When diet and exercise programs fail, a patient’s health can be jeopardized, Attia said. For those

patients, bariatric surgery can be an answer.

The most popular bariatric surgery in the country is roux-en-Y gastric

bypass surgery. In this procedure, the surgeon creates a small stomach

pouch and then constructs a “bypass” of some of the small intestine.

The smaller stomach pouch restricts the amount of food the patient can

comfortably eat, and the bypass decreases the number of nutrients and

calories absorbed.

Another option, gastric banding, is a restrictive surgical procedure in

which a silicone band is placed around the uppermost part of the

stomach, Attia said. The band is adjustable and can be periodically

tightened or loosened depending on the patient’s needs.

With recent advances, many patients are candidates for laparoscopic

surgery, which allows the surgeon to perform the typical open surgery procedure with just a few small

incisions, a fiber-optic camera, video monitor and long-handled instruments.


Attia, who recently performed a bariatric procedure using the da Vinci Surgical Robot, said the option

offers a greatly reduced chance of infection and a much quicker recovery.

“The surgery in general started a long time ago with open procedures, which involves a big incision,”

Attia said. “And the big incision comes with more pain, more chances for infection and more chances

for hernia.”

“The robotic surgery started with gynecological surgery and cardiac surgery,” Attia said. “But now,

we’re using it for everything. The difference between the robotic and the conventional laparoscopic

surgery …. is the precision. It’s more controlled, with less chances for tremors — the surgeons can

move or shake, but the robot eliminates all of that. The other advantage is a singular incision.”

Not everyone is a candidate for bariatric surgery, Attia said.

To meet the criteria for weight loss surgery, a patient should have a body mass index (BMI) between

35 and 40 or be more than 100 pounds over the ideal body weight, Attia said. Usually, a candidate

also suffers from a secondary condition like high blood pressure, sleep apnea or diabetes.

Before bariatric surgery can be considered, a patient must undergo a number of routine tests,

including blood work, a cardiac evaluation and a psychological evaluation, Attia said.

If a patient meets the qualifications, they are asked to enroll in a nutrition program both before and

after surgery and attend a support group once a month to help prepare for the extreme body changes

that lie ahead.

“There is an average weight loss with each (type of surgery),” Attia said. “With the lap band, from 5 to

10 pounds a month. With the sleeve, 8 to 12 pounds every month. Gastric bypass, 15 pounds or even

more each month. The recovery, if it’s laproscopic, is very quick. The patient is up and about the

same day, usually one night in the hospital.”

But the biggest benefit to surgery, Attia said, is a reversal of many secondary conditions. Many times

patients no longer suffer the effects of diabetes or high blood pressure after surgery.

“We have people walk away from the hospital … and well over 80 percent will be cured from high

blood pressure,” Attia said.


Attia said that there has been several times where former gastric bypass patients have come up to

him on the street, and he didn’t recognize them because of the extreme weight loss.

“This is life changing,” Attia said. “It’s a tool, and when used at the right time, it is very successful.

That’s what keeps me doing what I’m doing, because I see the results in my patients.”


SJH signs deal with UMDNJ 12:10 AM, Nov. 6, 2012

VINELAND — South Jersey Healthcare and the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-

School of Osteopathic Medicine have signed an agreement designating the Vineland hospital as a

major clinical affiliate of the medical school.

This expands a relationship begun five years ago and supports efforts to address the anticipated

physician shortage in South Jersey, which could become particularly acute in the area, officials said.

“By 2020, New Jersey is expected to have 2,800 fewer physicians than needed to adequately care for

its growing — and aging — population,” said Dr. Thomas A. Cavalieri, dean of the UMDNJ-School of

Osteopathic Medicine. “At the same time, we know that physicians are more likely to practice in the

same area where they receive their training.”

Chet Kaletkowski, SJH’s president and CEO, said the partnership was “a natural fit.”

“The school draws almost 80 percent of its students from New Jersey, with almost a quarter from the

southern counties,” Kaletkowski said. “Although our residents will be able to practice anywhere in the

country, I believe a significant number will choose to provide care in our region after getting to know

our hospitals, physicians and employees.”

At any one time, more than two dozen third- and fourth-year students from the medical school are at

SJH, gaining clinical experience in family medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, internal medicine,

general surgery, pediatrics and other specialties.

UMDNJ-School of Osteopathic Medicine has expanded its class size in anticipation of the growing

demand for physicians. The current first-year class of 162 students represents a 50 percent increase

over the typical entering class of just a few years ago.

A recently launched graduate medical education program at SJH will ultimately provide for 140 intern

and residency positions in eight specialty areas under the medical school’s Osteopathic Postdoctoral

Training Institute, as well as the nation’s first osteopathic fellowship program in urogynecology.


Neighbors 11:47 PM, Nov. 8, 2012

SJH celebrates Veterans Day

VINELAND – South Jersey

Healthcare will host a Veterans Day

Ceremony at 2 p.m. Monday to honor

military veterans at the South Jersey

Healthcare LIFE Center, 2445 S.

Delsea Drive. The event is open to

all area residents and will include a

presentation by Dr. Per Montero-

Pearson, a military veteran and SJH

physician and surgeon.

South Jersey Healthcare invites the

community to help recognize all who

have served and are serving in the

military.

Also, flagpole recognition

ceremonies will be held at 2 p.m.

Sunday at South Jersey Healthcare

Regional Medical Center, Elmer

Hospital and the Bridgeton Health

Center


Alfred Frank Caggiano

Alfred Frank Caggiano President of Sunny Slope Farms 7:16 PM, Nov. 11, 2012

Alfred Frank Caggiano, president of Sunny Slope Farms,

passed away peacefully at home Thursday evening, Nov.

8, 2012, with his family by his side.

Alfred was born April 17, 1929, in Elm to his parents,

Vincenzo and Antoinette Mangini Caggiano. He also was

the youngest of nine children. Al grew up in Hammonton

and was a member of the basketball team and the first

graduating class of Saint Joseph’s High School in 1947.

After graduation, Alfred left home to farm with his older

brothers in Bridgeton in the family business.

In the 1950s, three of his brothers expanded operations

in Gaffney, S.C. Along with his eldest brother, Anthony,

Alfred continued the Bridgeton operation, where it grew

into a 1,000-acre apple, peach and nectarine orchard.

The operation continues today under the guidance of his

four children, son-in-law and many faithful employees;

among them is Tony Mazzeo in his 60th year of service to the farm.

In 1959, Alfred married Marie Bonnie Halfpenny of

Lansdowne, Pa. Alfred and Bonnie would have celebrated their 53rd wedding anniversary on Nov.

21.

His involvement with the agriculture industry included service on the NJ Peach Promotion Council, NJ

Farm Bureau and Rutgers’ Cook College Association. In addition, Alfred served on the Hopewell

Township Planning Board, was chairman of the Cumberland County Board of Health, and an original

and ardent supporter of West Cumberland Little League. He also was involved with the formation of

the firearm training range for the Bridge Police Department. Alfred was a member of the Board of


Directors of Farmers and Merchants National Bank for over 30 years, including his service as vice

chairman.

In addition, Alfred enjoyed numerous years of serving on the Board of Directors for the Bridgeton

Hospital, including services as vice president. His 40 years of service culminated with his involvement

in the expansion of facilities throughout Cumberland and Salem counties, now known as South

Jersey Healthcare System, where he also served as vice chairman. Along with the pride he had of

this growth, he felt personal satisfaction that the original Bridgeton Hospital maintained its presence in

his hometown community.

He was a founding member of Saint Teresa of Avila Church and participated with its planning and

construction. He served as chairman of the Parish Council along with singing in the choir.

Alfred was awarded the Bridgeton Area Jaycees’ George J. Woodruff Memorial Award, Bridgeton

Area Chamber of Commerce Business Award and Outstanding Fruit Growers Award from the N.J.

State Horticultural Society and this year, was recognized by the N.J. Peach Promotion Council, who

dedicated their Annual Buyers Guide to him. Alfred was honored to be selected for the first edition of

Dave Hitchner’s article series, “Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow,” featured in Bridgeton News in

2011.

Of Al’s many interests, he enjoyed his breakfast outings with his friends, Monday night card club and

spending time with his family at the farm.

Of all his accomplishments, Al was most proud of his family, his wife of more than 50 years, Bonnie;

their four children and seven grandchildren; his daughter, Lisa and husband Ronald Thomas and their

two children; daughter, Tara and husband Michael Cintron and son, Tyler; his daughter Cheryl and

husband Jeffrey Singer and their three daughters, Kylie, Kendall and Kasey; his son, Alfred Jr.; and

his daughter, Debra and husband Simon Phillips and their two daughters, Allison and Abigail. He also

is survived by one brother, Vincent Jr., and many nieces and nephews.

Al is predeceased by his brothers, Nicolas, Anthony, John, Joseph, Dominic, Louis; sister, Mildred

Ruggero; and five nephews.

His children will remember not only the love and guidance they received from their father, but also

that so many other people came seeking the same advice, knowledge and wisdom.


Relatives and friends are invited to attend the funeral, which will originate at Freitag Funeral Home,

137 W. Commerce St., Bridgeton, Thursday morning at 10:30 and will be followed a funeral liturgy at

the Parish of the Holy Cross/Saint Teresa of Avila Church, 46 Central Ave., Bridgeton, at 11 o’clock.

The entombment will follow at Saint Mary’s Cemetery in Bridgeton. Friends will be received at the

funeral home Wednesday evening from 6 until 9 and Thursday morning from 9 to 10:30.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made in Alfred’s memory to Saint Teresa of Avila

Church, 46 Central Ave., Bridgeton, NJ 08302; or SJ Healthcare HospiceCare, P.O. Box 160,

Bridgeton, NJ 08302.

Written condolences and tributes may be expressed to the family at the funeral home website,

www.freitagfuneralhome.com.


Korean War Navy veteran Norman H. Cain of Millville (left) and Army veteran Victor Chalow of Vineland, who served from 1952-54, remove their caps for The Star-Spangled Banner during the South Jersey Healthcare Veterans Day ceremony. / Staff photo/Cody Glenn

Doctor, veteran talks of service 11:10 PM, Nov. 12, 2012


VINELAND — Speaking before a

handful of veterans on Monday, Dr.

Per Montero-Pearson said he was

humbled to “be in the presence of

warriors.”

Montero-Pearson, a veteran and a

surgeon with South Jersey

Healthcare for more than two

decades, was the keynote speaker

at the Veteran’s Day ceremony held

at the Life Center on Delsea Drive.

About 50 people — some veterans

from the U.S. Air Force, Army,

Coast Guard, Navy and Marines —

and their families, friends, co-

workers from SJH, attended.

Montero-Pearson said he did not

resign his commission.

“So I guess you could call me a pseudo veteran,” Montero-Pearson said. “I can enjoy that secret of

our shared belongings.”

In an impassioned, tear-filled voice that lasted most of his speech, Montero-Pearson told the veterans

who gathered, “I will say I am proud to be in your presence. I wish you calm seas.”

State Sen. Jeff Van Drew, who serves as vice chair of the Veteran and Military Affairs Committee,

thanked veterans for their service.


Dr. Per Montero-Pearson, a veteran and a surgeon with South Jersey Healthcare for more than two decades, was the guest speaker during the South Jersey Health Care Veterans Day ceremony held at SJH Life Center on Delsea Drive in Vineland on Monday. / Staff photo/Cody Glenn

Van Drew recognized the veterans whom he said served with a commitment to their nation and

pledged sacrifice to their country.

“Because of them we have our freedoms. We can speak anywhere and any way,” Van Drew said.

“We have a responsibility to remember them.”

He said historically veterans were “revolutionaries.”

“They were men and women who believed in democracy and were willing to give their lives for it,”

Van Drew said.

Van Drew is currently seeking to establish more benefits for veterans returning home from war.

Among those efforts is a task force to study and develop recommendations for expanding veterans’

health care services in southern New Jersey, he said.

Carolyn Heckman, vice President of Community

Relations and Executive Director, SJH Foundation,

called the veterans “heros.”

“For many, Veterans Day has become a three-day

weekend or a time to start Christmas shopping,”

Heckman said. “We want to stop for a moment and give

thanks for the men and women who served.”

Tears welled in Montero-Pearson’s eyes as he began

his talk and remembered the veterans in his family who

had served.

His father had been in the U.S. Army, serving in North

Africa. His uncle, a U.S. Marine, had served in Korea and his cousin served in the Army in Vietnam.

“They didn’t speak much about what they witnessed, but there seemed to be an inner feeling of

strength they got through it. And their silence reiterated that,” Montero-Pearson said.


“And growing up, it left me with the seed of interest,” he said. “I guess I just had the need to pay my

dues.”

Montero-Pearson, now 64, joined the U.S. Navy in 1982, the year after he married Connie Roman of

Vineland. The couple met in Philadelphia where she where she was doing her nursing residency.

“We never discussed it before we got married. He decided afterward,” his wife said.

The couple spent their first years stationed in Okinawa, Japan, where their son was born and the rest

of Montero-Pearson’s career was in Charleston, where their daughter was born.

“It was a great adventure,” Connie Montero-Pearson said. “

The day is an emotional one for Montero-Pearson because he said he has seen both the emotional

and physical effects of war on those who have been deployed.

Montero-Pearson, joined the Navy during peacetime. He served state side, was activated during

Operation Desert Shield and sent to Pensicola, Fla., for field training.

“Field training for doctors meant learning to build a field hospital in the marsh wearing boots and

weapons of mass destruction gear,” he recalled.

Montero-Pearson said he did not resign his commission.

“So I guess you could call me a pseudo veteran,” Montero-Pearson said. “I can enjoy that secret of

our shared belongings.”

In an impassioned, tear-filled voice that lasted most of his speech, Montero-Pearson told the veterans

who gathered, “I will say I am proud to be in your presence. I wish you calm seas.”

State Sen. Jeff Van Drew, who serves as vice chair of the Veteran and Military Affairs Committee,

thanked veterans for their service.

Van Drew recognized the veterans whom he said served with a commitment to their nation and

pledged sacrifice to their country.


“Because of them we have our freedoms. We can speak anywhere and any way,” Van Drew said.

“We have a responsibility to remember them.”

He said historically veterans were “revolutionaries.”

“They were men and women who believed in democracy and were willing to give their lives for it,”

Van Drew said.

Van Drew is currently seeking to establish more benefits for veterans returning home from war.

Among those efforts is a task force to study and develop recommendations for expanding veterans’

health care services in southern New Jersey, he said.

Carolyn Heckman, vice President of Community Relations and Executive Director, SJH Foundation,

called the veterans “heros.”

“For many, Veterans Day has become a three-day weekend or a time to start Christmas shopping,”

Heckman said. “We want to stop for a moment and give thanks for the men and women who served.”


Patricia Pettit, of Millville uses a Lung Life age testing device under the direction of the Vineland Health Department during a Smoke Out Day health fair at Landis MarketPlace in Vineland on Thursday. / Staff photo/Charles J. Olson

Health department urges smokers to kick the habit 11:08 PM, Nov 15, 2012

Written by Deborah M. Marko

VINELAND — Patricia Pettit of Millville, who has smoked for more than three decades, is just about

ready to quit.

She has tried to stop before, but hasn’t quite been able to completely give up the habit.

But concerns about her health now have Pettit ready to try again.

“I’m getting in the mindset to quit,” Pettit said during a Vineland Health Department health fair held at

the Landis MarketPlace to mark the 37th Annual Great American Smokeout as well as the 2nd

Annual National Rural Health Day.

Getting out of City Hall into the community helps give the health educators more visibility while getting

information into the hands of the public, said city Health Educator Emma Lopez.


Madelyn Frazier, of Gateway Community Action Partnership, discusses ways to receive mammogram testing. / Staff photo/Charles J. Olson

Getting people to end their tobacco addition was her

primary goal, Lopez said. But, passers-by also were able

to the get information about other health screenings and

services.

FamCare and South Jersey Healthcare offered access to

health screenings. Gateway for Life promoted free

mammograms. Ledden Family Chiropractors conducted

spine screenings.

More smokers take the first step to quit on Great

American Smokeout Day than any other day of the year,

Lopez said.

Pettit took a deep breath and exhaled into a device that

measures displaced air to help health educator Ryan Long

determine the “age” of her lungs.

Pettit is only 47 years old, but her lungs were measuring that of a 61-year-old.

Should Pettit opt to quit, Lopez said there are local programs to assist her.

And they work, Lopez said, noting she was able to help two municipal employees with 30-plus year

smoke habits give up tobacco.

There’s no secret to her method, Lopez said, noting it centers on “kindhearted support.”

Long-time smoker, Raphael Martinez, 42, of Vineland said the habit not only takes a toll on your

body, it can hurt your wallet.

Martinez did well on the breath test that showed his lung capacity just about matched his age,

although he admitted he does sometimes find himself out of breath.

To successfully quit, Martinez said, he has to prepare himself.


At a glance • The American Cancer Society offers smoking cessation programs. Call (800) 227-2345 for more information. • Vineland Health Department also offers programs and may be reached at (856) 794-4000, ext. 4709.

Lopez understood that, explaining getting in the right mindset is

one step toward making the commitment.

“It’s planting the seed,” Martinez said.

And that was the opening Lopez needed as she handed

Martinez a bag of smoking cessation information.

“When you are ready,” she told him in that kindhearted support

way, suggesting his upcoming Dec. 16 birthday might be a good

day to start the smoke-free stage of his life.


Giving thanks for our blessings 12:37 AM, Nov 22, 2012

Last month, we asked the community to tell us what they’ll say “thank you” for when they sit down to

Thanksgiving dinner today.

Here are letters we received:

I give thanks for my niece, Lisa Genna Herron, who is cancer-free for one year. I give thanks for

Adam, Lisa’s husband. He was by her side from the beginning, expressing his adoration. I give

thanks for Morgan, 6, and Collin, 3, Lisa’s children. They needed their mother to help their father raise

them to be good, productive citizens.

I give thanks for Lisa’s students. They needed their teacher to nurture them and give them the

required knowledge to continue their educational experience. I give thanks for Lisa’s friends. Their

support showed their love. I give thanks for all of Lisa’s family. We needed Lisa to complete us. All of

these pieces made for powerful prayers.

Second-graders in Marita Cifaloglio's class at Edgarton Christian Academy in Newfield show off letters they wrote about what they're thankful for on this holiday. / Staff photo/Cody Glenn


Our requests have been answered for the first year in hopes of many more to come. The world is a

better place for Lisa’s Divine Blessing.

Dorothy A. Thompson

I have so much to be thankful for. Like my parents for helping me through the good and bad times.

My siblings for all the little moments I cherish and for giving me the coolest nephews, my two children

who brighten up my days with their beautiful smiles and generous hearts, for my aunts and uncles for

being a shoulder to lean on and for the hurdles I went through to find the most loving, generous,

funny, amazing man in my life. I will always be thankful for each and everyone of you.

Kathy Campbell

I am extremely thankful for my family, Dr. Nituica and Dr. Wilson-Smith, third-floor intensive care

employees and second-floor surgical employees at South Jersey Healthcare Regional Medical Center

in Vineland.

I spent 177 days at the Regional Medical Center and had multiple surgeries. I had excellent care from

every employee, from doctors, nurses, aides, housekeeping, safety coordinators, transport,

volunteers, office workers, X-ray tech, etc. Also, thank you to the Revs. Jack Schaser, Albert Morgan

and Robert Dewayne Green Sr.

A special thank you to Karen Cohen, for all she did for my family and me. I was treated very well and

with respect by everyone. I am also thankful to be recovering and returning to good health.

Carol A. Hunsucker

I am thankful for: “Peace and Quiet.”

Michelle Post

The following letters were submitted by Edgarton Christian Academy in Newfield:

• The fifth grade at Edgarton Christian Academy is thankful for our loving families, our friends, our

good health, for shelter, for food, for life, for firefighters, for all who are serving in the armed forces,

for our pets, technology, for the many blessings in our lives, especially our school and the many

people who made the school possible, the gift of faith, and our country.


• The sixth grade at Edgarton Christian Academy is thankful for God’s help and the help of the tireless

people for opening our school, for our parents, our pets, shelter, the chance to be living on earth and

appreciating God’s creation. We are grateful for God always being with us, even when having trouble

on a test, and all the teachers at ECA who have educated us so well.

• The seventh grade at Edgarton Christian Academy is thankful for our parents, and friends, for the

long life of our grandparents, for our classmates and pets and for our parents having jobs. The

seventh grade is especially grateful for our education at ECA, for the school itself and for the news

giving ECA great publicity.

• The eighth grade at Edgarton Christian Academy is thankful for our family, friends, homes, food and

shelter, good health, our pets, sports and music. We are grateful for the freedoms granted in our

country, for God’s blessings, and for the faculty at ECA. Wey are especially thankful for all the people

who made ECA possible, and for giving us a place to remain together for one more year until

graduation.

These letters were submitted by Marita Cifaloglio’s class at Edgarton Christian Academy:

I am thankful for being a student at Edgarton Christian Academy. It has the best principal Dr. Alimenti

and wonderful teachers. I am glad having all my friends at Edgarton. My school has a cool big

playground. My favorite classes are gym, art and music. I like being a cheerleader at ECA. I love Mrs.

Cifaloglio because she is very nice and kind and funny.

Valeriya Kagdina

I am thankful that ECA has the beautiful playground, my friends and the ECA family that we all love,

we care for and we love our teachers and the beautiful Dr. Alimenti.

Cami Cafiso

I am thankful that ECA has beautiful teachers. I am thankful for all the kids in ECA. I love ECA school.

Joshua

I am thankful that ECA has my friends and Mrs. Cifaloglio is so fun to be friends with.

Jimmy K.


I am thankful that ECA has a great playground and we have great teachers. The best one is Mrs.

Cifaloglio and I love school because I love Mrs. Cifaloglio.

Ray Winfield

I am thankful that ECA has my friends and the school.

Ceclia

I am thankful that ECA has second grade and Dr. A (Alimenti) I am also thankful for all of the people

who helped start ECA.

Nathan

I am thankful that ECA has a fun playground. My favorite is the monkey bars. We take turns on the

slide so we are safe.

Vincent

I am thankful for the nice cool school and for the special teachers, Dr. Alimenti and the playground.

Nikki Guzman

I am thankful that ECA has nice classes and it’s nice for us. We always have fun at ECA.

William

I am thankful that ECA has lots of teachers and I am thankful we have our family together at ECA.

Alana Zorzi

I am thankful that ECA has clean classrooms and a big playground. I am new here and I made lots of

nice friends.

Brissey daMaximo

I love ECA. It is the best ever. It’s because of the teachers and lunch ladies and my Aunt Geri. I learn

so much at ECA.

Victoria Negron


I am thankful that ECA has our lunch ready to eat and we have snack. I like the specials. The

teachers are fun.

Madison Cathleen Tomasso

I’m thankful for Egarton Christian Academy. I’m thankful for Dr. A (Alimenti,) the teachers and all of

the my friends. Also, I like the playground. ECA is the best school ever.

Aaron Ortiz

I am thankful that ECA has nice kids and nice teachers. We learn a whole bunch of different kinds of

things. Jesus and God blessed oru school.

Maria Mazzoni

I love all the teachers, and the playground. I am thankful for Dr. A (Alimenti.) I am thankful for the new

school.

Joseph Curcio

I am thankful for my school, ECA. I love the nice teachers and our fun playground. Our classrooms

are big, too. ECA is the best.

Emily Volpe

The following letters were submitted by teacher Lisa M. Cristelli’s fourth-grade class at

Winslow Elementary School in Vineland:

I am thankful for having a hard-working dad who does homework with me even if sometimes I don’t

really need it. Most of the time, I do need it. At work, he works a long time. He works 5 a.m. to 3 p.m.

He helps me with my schoolwork and gives me practice tests. He helps me with school stuff and

helps study for tests. He is the best person ever.

He helps me push harder and he never wants to hear me say, “I can’t do it.” Even if I am playing

football, basketball or baseball, I can’t run away from it or he’ll get me in trouble. He can do a lot of

things and I am thankful for my dad.

Jayden Govan


I am thankful for my mom because she cooks good food for me and my family. She takes me with her

to get my hair and nails done. Also, she takes me to buy some clothes, games, shoes, earrings, and

necklaces. I even get nail polish, candy, and dresses. My mom me to church with her too. I am very

thankful for my mom.

Julia Holmes

I’m so thankful for my sister. She is the greatest sister in the world. Her name is Johani. She is the

greatest sister because she is always on my side. She likes to tease me. I think it is funny. She helps

me with my homework and projects. When my mom and dad aren’t home she gives me food. I’m also

thankful for my name because she picked it. Johani might look mean, but from the inside she has a

lovely heart. She is fantastic. If I didn’t have Johani, I don’t know what I would do. She is the best

sister and I love her. She really cares about me. We might fight and argue, but I know she loves me

and if something happened, she would be the first person there. That’s why I’m thankful for my sister.

(Page 5 of 8)

Kixsia Rivera

I am thankful for my fantastic family because they give me food, a house to live in and clothes to

wear. I LOVE THEM! If you came to my house, they would make you feel like you are at home. They

would offer you anything and you will leave with a big smile on your face. That’s what I love about my

family. They are loving and caring. I also love them because they are overprotective. That’s how I

know they love me and if one day I get lost, they would be crying so much that they would be able to

bathe in their tears. I love them and I know they love me, too. They are the best family I ever had.

They are amazing, caring and loving and I wish them the best.

Maricelis Arce

There are so many things I am thankful for. One thing I am thankful for is my parents because they

take care of me and give me food. My mom checks my homework so I don’t have to fix it at school.

Another thing I am thankful for is my teacher, Lisa Cristelli. She helps me learn stuff I don’t know

about. She helps me when I don’t know how to do something. One more thing I am thankful for is my

brothers because they give me something to do when I am alone. They play with me and laugh at my

jokes. Those are the things I am thankful for.

Trey Batson


I’m thankful for my cat, Tigro. He put his paw on my dad while laying on him then, the next day came,

then, presto, he (my dad) felt better! His new nickname to me is “Magic Cat.” I really love my cat,

although he’s quite a stud. I think he is amazing. Also, I forgot to mention, if it weren’t for my dad,

Tigro wouldn’t be here. I’m thankful for my dad because he let me keep Tigro.

Tony Kapitanic

I am thankful for my second-grade teacher, Mrs. Ochs. I am thankful because she helped me

whenever I needed help and was always there for me. She was nice and kind. She helped me

achieve my goals. She even helped me learn some multiplication. I wish that she was still my teacher

because she was so amazing. I miss my second-grade teacher so much. I am going to make a time

machine and go back in time to second-grade and do it all over again.

(Page 6 of 8)

Meredith Bond

I am thankful for my family, I couldn’t wish for anything better than that. I love my mom and dad

because they take care of me and they are the best parents. I also love my sister Amanda. She is the

best sister ever. She gives me advice when I need it and she buys me stuff. Most of all, I love my two

guinea pigs, Oreo and Reesee. They are cuddly and fluffy. They are the best! I love every single

person in my family including my mom-moms and pop-pops. I also love my aunts and uncles. That is

what I am thankful for.

Carli Hullihen

I always give thanks for Mrs. Cristelli because she is my best teacher ever. Mrs. Cristelli is the most

fantastic teacher I ever had in my life. We do a lot of subjects in school and asks question. There is a

lot of subjects, and I like in school. Winslow School is the best. I have been here for five years. I like

my school, teacher, and my ESL teacher. I always show respect in school. I like my fourth grade

class. I am thankful for my teacher, and my classmates.

Yisena Cruz

The person who makes me thankful is my teacher Mrs. Cristelli I want to thank my teacher because

she inspires me to do my best and she makes me understand everything so much better than I do.

She is the greatest teacher. She takes you through all of the of the steps. She taught me more

division than I already knew. I am also thankful for Mrs. Cristelli because she is so nice and patient.


Mrs. Cristelli is so smart and she is always right. She is so spectacular on everything. Mrs. Cristelli

reads a lot of books to us and tells us what most of the words mean. Mrs. Cristelli is my favorite

teacher in the whole world and I bet she would be your to. That is who I am thankful for.

Jazmin Villafane

My dog Mali makes me give thanks. She’s very nice to everyone she meets, and never bites or

growls. I’m thankful for her because I’m lucky she’s not mean or nasty to others. She will cuddle with

you all day if you are home alone. Also, she is very playful and hyper and is amazing at begging and

getting what she wants. I feel lucky to have her in my life . These are all the reasons why she’s my

little puppy dog, and why I am thankful for her.

(Page 7 of 8)

Julia Piekielko

I am thankful for my mom, Elizabeth Torres, because if it wasn’t for our mom we wouldn’t be in this

world. Every day when we see our moms, we should say we love them. Here are three reasons why:

Your mom feeds you and cares for you and she even used to change all of our stinky diapers. Don’t

say your mom is embarrassing because moms lead you to a great education. Your mom is not just

your mom, she is a person who loves you. I am thankful for my mom because she is a strong woman

who raised all five kids wonderfully. My mom gets me everything, so I can’t say she doesn’t. I am

thankful for my mom because she takes me everywhere and she is funny. She is the best thing that

happened to me.

Isyss Yeoman

I am thankful for my family because my family feeds me. I am thankful for my parents because they

gave me my life. My aunts and uncles buy toys for me. I love my cousins because they take me to so

many places. My aunts, uncles and cousins let us sleep at their houses if something happens at our

house. I am thankful for my whole family because they are the best in the world and I love them.

Gino Giordano

I’m thankful for my teacher Mrs. Cristelli. Mrs. Cristelli teaches spectacularly, fantastically and

incredibly. I know I was going to have a good year in her classroom. I have had the best year ever so

far. I have goals for fourth grade and they are for me not to flip my card before Nov. 19, because it is

my birthday. Also I will get in trouble. These are the reasons I’m thankful.


Harrison Bratis

I give thanks for everything because I love my entire family, including my teachers from first grade to

fourth grade. I give thanks for my mom because if it wasn’t for my mom, I wouldn’t be here right now.

I give thanks for my friends in school and the president because he said, “Don’t you worry, one day

you might be president.” I was shocked to hear that and very thankful that he said that to me. That’s

what I give thanks for.

Jovonny Burgher

My family is thankful for my dad. He likes to do my chores I am so thankful for my dad. My mom is

thankful because she does most of cleaning and cooking. She makes my bed and she cleans. My

aunt and uncle support me. I am thankful for my family.

Jason Roberts

I am thankful for all my friends. They always help me. For example, one of my friends helped me with

my homework. Also, they always play with me. One time we played manhunt. It was a lot of fun. I was

“it” last. I have more friends. They do the same things I told you. I am also thankful for my teacher,

Mrs. Cristelli. She always helps me with my mistakes and tells me when to stop playing around before

I get in trouble. I am so thankful for all my friends and my teacher. I hope they will always help me

and play with me.

Seth Huerta

I am thankful for my dog. My dog is so amazing and fantastic because she listens to everything I say

and obeys me so much. She makes me laugh and smile every day no matter what. I love taking her

for walks feeding her and playing with her. I like teaching her how to do tricks. Sometimes she even

sleeps in my bed with me.

My dog is the most amazing, incredible, terrific, wonderful, brilliant, fantastic, and stupendous thing

that ever happened to me in my life! I care about her so much, and that’s what I am thankful for, my

dog Ruby.

Brooke Benvenuti

I’m so thankful for my mom. I’m thankful for my mom because she takes good care of me. She buys

me my clothes and my toys. She even bought a house for me and my brother and my sisters to live


in. I’m thankful for my mom because she made me. She always takes me places like the mall and the

park. She takes me everywhere. I’m thankful for my mom because she buys me my food. I love my

mom and I’m thankful for her. She stays with me and she plays with me. I’m thankful for my mom

because she will do anything for me.

Juliza Perez

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1 The Press of Atlantic City November 2, 2012

Posted: Thursday, November 1, 2012 11:35 pm

Bridgeton's South Jersey Health System merges with Gloucester County-based Underwood Memorial By THOMAS BARLAS, Staff Writer

VINELAND — Officials with two South Jersey health systems formally signed a merger agreement on Thursday that will create more extensive health-care services for the region.

The merger links the Bridgeton-based South Jersey Health System with the Gloucester County-based Underwood Memorial Health System.

South Jersey Health System is the parent company of South Jersey Healthcare. That company is Cumberland County’s largest private-sector employer and operates the county’s only hospital.

“We are very excited about the merger and confident that uniting as one health system will enable us to enhance the quality, accessibility and convenience of health care for families of southern New Jersey,” South Jersey Healthcare President Chet Kaletkowski said.

Underwood Memorial Health System President Eileen Cardile said the merger allows both companies to look for ways of enhancing cardiovascular, oncology, women’s health, surgery and other services.

“By learning from the best practices of both (health systems), we will develop processes that foster excellence across our new network,” she said. “We believe that together we can achieve new levels of quality and service. Our communities deserve nothing less.”

Officials said in a statement that some of the measures the new health system will include:

• Increasing the number of outpatient care sites. • Build stronger relationships with government agencies regarding public funding initiatives and health-care

policies. • Give patients access to larger number of health-care providers.

South Jersey Health System operates facilities that include South Jersey Healthcare Regional Medical Center here. The system, which also operates in Atlantic and Salem counties, has about 3,500 employees.


Statistics from the Cumberland County Department of Planning and Development show that South Jersey Health system was, as of June 2011, the county’s largest private-sector employer with 2,850 workers. The county’s next larges private-sector employer as of that date was Walmart with 872 workers. The employment statistics were the latest available numbers.

Underwood Memorial Health System operates Underwood Memorial Hos-pital in Woodbury, Glouces-ter County. The company has about 1,700 employees.

Officials with both health systems said merger talks began in May 2011.

Contact Thomas Barlas:

609-226-9197


Medical Assistant/CSR Paulina Figueroa, left, of Weymouth Township, and Office Supervisor Lori Coffey, of Buena Borough, handle operations, Thursday at AtlantiCare Primary Care Plus Physicians Group in Hammonton. Health care systems continue to be major employers and have grown in the past few years.

Health care jobs a hot commodity in South Jersey Posted: Monday, November 12, 2012 12:01 am | Updated: 11:35 pm, Sun Nov 11, 2012.

Health care jobs a hot commodity in South Jersey By BRIAN IANIERI, Staff Writer

Job applications have been streaming in to the region’s hospitals, which receive thousands of resumes monthly for hundreds of open positions.

Historically major employers, hospitals and health care systems have gained new significance as job creators thanks to industry growth — even as the overall economy slumped, leaving the region and state struggling with high unemployment.

Now, as federal directives and an aging population shape the future of health care, regional systems expect to remain major

employers but are seeing shifts to careers focusing on preventive and outpatient care.

And although hospitals report high volumes of job applications, some health care specialties are in high demand.

Health care systems with hospitals in Atlantic, Cape May and Cumberland counties — AtlantiCare, Shore Medical, Cape Regional and South Jersey Healthcare — employ more than 11,400 full-time, part-time and at-will workers, they reported. Overall they have more employees than they did four years ago, and interest remains strong in many positions, including clinical professionals, security, maintenance and business.

“Just with the economy as it is in the area, nearly all entry-level positions — even without advertising — we get a large number of applicants,” said Alan Beatty, vice president of human resources for Shore Medical Center in Somers Point. “There are some specialty positions in pharmacy and nursing that are more difficult to fill.”

In response to the hospital’s growth in surgical areas, Beatty said, Shore created a school to train registered nurses in the operating room specialty.

Six nurses were selected for the program, which drew nearly 50 applicants, he said.

“To find the right person, the right competency, the training is going to be important for all of us, more so than ever before,” he said.


The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts occupations related to health care and personal care will have the fastest job growth this decade, with health care and social assistance projected to create about 28 percent of all jobs.

Registered nurses and home health aides will both add substantial numbers of jobs nationally — more than 1.4 million through 2020, the bureau says.

New Jersey’s 72 acute-care hospitals paid about $7.9 billion in employee salaries in 2011, up 4 percent from $7.6 billion in 2010, the New Jersey Hospital Association reported in October.

“Even in a down economy, hospitals and health care are an important and reliable source of jobs,” said Kerry McKean Kelly, spokeswoman for the Hospital Association, a Princeton-based trade group.

McKean Kelly expects long-term growth to occur on the primary care side — primary care physicians, advanced practical nurses — as well as growth in areas that try to keep citizens healthier and manage chronic conditions before they require hospitalization.

Dietitians, for example, may play a crucial role in treating the obesity epidemic, she said.

As the population ages, health care should remain a growth industry, but one that can be affected by federal policies, she said.

“There’s good news and bad news on the jobs front,” McKean Kelly said. “The good news is hospitals and health care have been a very reliable source of jobs throughout the recession, and there’s been significant growth in health care employment throughout the recession.”

An ongoing concern involves reimbursement rates from Medicare. Typically, New Jersey hospitals can get about a 90 percent reimbursement through the federal program, she said.

That may change next year due to a proposed 2 percent cut in reimbursements stemming from federal deficit talks last year and the Budget Control Act of 2011, she said. Such cuts could result in a $133 million reduction the first year for hospitals, nursing homes, home health agencies and other facilities.

This does not affect Medicare patients but the amount of reimbursement hospitals receive for the care, she said. Ultimately, this could influence job creation across the country and the state.

The largest hospital system in the region is AtlantiCare, which includes AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center’s City and Mainland campuses and a health system with nearly 70 sites in southeastern New Jersey.

AtlantiCare has more than 5,200 employees, about 72 percent of which are full time, and an annual payroll of about $280 million, said Richard Lovering, vice president for human resources and organizational development at AtlantiCare.


The work force has grown by 412 jobs, or more than 8 percent, in the past four years, he said. Nursing represents the largest portion of the work force as a single profession, making up about 28 percent of it, he said.

Lovering said AtlantiCare receives 5,000 to 6,000 job applications a month and routinely carries openings for 200 to 300 positions.

AtlantiCare sees growth ahead in outpatient and urgent care, he said.

“We’ve really geared up care management in the second half of 2011 and are really hitting our stride this year. As we see more and more cases going to the primary care setting, we’ll need more of that work force,” he said. “As the inpatient side stabilizes, this is where we’d have nurses move to care manager settings.”

Shore Medical Center has 1,572 employees, with 31 open positions, Beatty said.

“The delivery of health care is going to be changing. Health care reform is still a work to be decided as to what it will look like in the future, but the delivery of care has already started changing from a few years ago,” he said.

Cape Regional Medical Center employs about 1,200 people, including 824 full-time positions.

The hospital has an annual payroll of more than $50 million, spokesman Tom Piratzky said.

Piratzky said significant growth has occurred in outpatient services. In the past two years, Cape Regional Health System added 14 physicians to Cape Regional Physicians Associates, five advanced practice nurses and 63 nurses and support staff in seven offices in Cape May County. In August, Cape Regional Physical Therapy opened in Cape May Court House and the Seaville section of Upper Township, employing 10 people.

Cape Regional has openings for 19 full-time positions and five part-time ones, Piratzky said. Some of the more difficult positions to fill include nurses with specialty experience, including intensive care and operating, as well as occupational and physical therapists and pharmacists, he said.

The hospital anticipates continued growth in outpatient services as well at Cape Regional Physicians, Cape Regional Physical Therapy, Cape Regional Urgent Care and Cape Visiting Nurse Association, its home health and hospice services, he said.

South Jersey Healthcare employs about 3,400 people, including 2,486 full time. Registered nurses make up the largest group — about 800, said Diana Gervasi, manager of marketing communications.

In 10 years, South Jersey Healthcare has grown from about 2,300 employees.


“Even though we have a high number of applicants, we continue to face challenges when it comes to filling positions in some nursing specialty areas,” Gervasi wrote in an email.

There are 240 open positions at South Jersey Healthcare.

Contact Brian Ianieri:

609-272-7253

[email protected]

1 Press of Atlantic City November 30, 2012

Derailment sends chemical tank cars into Paulsboro creek Posted: Friday, November 30, 2012 8:54 am | Updated: 11:47 am, Fri Nov 30, 2012.

Associated Press

PAULSBORO — Authorities say only one of the derailed train cars in southern New Jersey has leaked hazardous material.

The Department of Environmental Protection says the car leaked vinyl chloride as a gas and all of it has since dissipated.

The chemical can cause nausea and breathing problems.

Several tanker cars derailed in the accident Friday morning on a rail bridge in Paulsboro and toppled into a creek. Part of the bridge has buckled but the full extent of the damage is not yet known.

Officials at Underwood-Memorial Hospital say 11 people have been transported with complaints related to the derailment and five more arrived on their own. The hospital's communication's office says all are believed to have complained of having respiratory problems.

Residents in three towns were told to stay inside after the derailment.

The cause of the accident hasn't been determined.

1 The Bridgeton News November 2, 2012

South Jersey Healthcare and Underwood-Memorial Hospital put pen to paper to finalize the merger of their operations on Thursday. (Seated) Michael A. McLaughlin, chairman of the Underwood Board of Trustees, left, and Peter Galetto Jr., chairman of the new combined SJH-Underwood Board of Trustees. Standing behind them are Underwood President and CEO Eileen K. Cardile and SJH President and CEO Chet Kaletkowski. Don E. Woods/South Jersey Times

Underwood-Memorial Hospital and South Jersey Healthcare merger agreement finalized

By Don E. Woods/South Jersey Times on November 01, 2012 at 8:21 PM, updated November 01, 2012 at 8:22 PM

VINELAND — No layoffs. Only growth.

No plans to close any of the facilities.

That was the promise Thursday as

representatives from South Jersey Health

Systems, Inc., and Underwood-Memorial

Health Systems, Inc. signed a merger

agreement that was more than a year in the

making.

“We both have strengths, and by combining

those strengths, we are going to be a stronger

organization — both financially and from a

clinic service standpoint,” said Chet

Kaletkowski, president and CEO of South

Jersey Healthcare.

South Jersey Healthcare and Underwood-Memorial Hospital publicly announced the merger plans 10

months ago and have listened closely to the community about any concerns through a public

hearing.

“We had the hearing in Woodbury,” said Michael A. McLaughlin, chairman of Underwood’s Board of

Trustees. “A lot of energy in there. A lot of good comments in there.”

The biggest concern for many Gloucester County residents was the Underwood name, which has a

history spanning almost 100 years.


“Everyone loves their names, but I think at some point in the future, we will be branding ourselves as

a new system,” McLaughlin said.

There are no current plans on the new branding for the hospital system. A branding announcement is

expected in early 2013.

Through the merger, the hospitals in Woodbury, Elmer and Vineland can share resources.

There are no plans to close any facilities.

“All the sites, primary sites and satellite sites, will open and grow,” said Eileen K. Cardie, president

and CEO of Underwood.

The new hospital system will have 700 patient beds and employs 5,000 staff members, none of which

will be downsized.

“We want this to be a successful merger,” Kaletkowski said. “We need all the talent we have now.”

As an example of shared benefits, expertise at Vineland’s Frank and Edith Scarpa Regional Cancer

Pavilion can be utilized in Gloucester County and Underwood’s excellent cardiological reputation can

help South Jersey Healthcare.

“This was not a merger because there was a desperate partner here that needed a rescue plan,” said

Peter Galetto Jr., chairman of the combined SJH-Underwood Board of Trustees.

“This was a merger of two healthy organizations to make a better organization. We feel, as a board,

that we are good stewards of the assets that have been accumulated by our forefathers over the years

and this is the best way going forward for those assets to service our communities”

Galetto explained that the merger will bring better health care closer to home in serving the South

Jersey community.

Underwood has worked on finding a health-care system to merge with for the past three years and,

according to McLaughlin, that gave them a head-start on the future of health care.

“It’s time, and you’ll see more of it out there, for hospitals to join together to be one to serve the

communities that they need to because there’s too much pressure on stand-alone, smaller hospitals.

All around the country you will see a lot more of it,” he said.


During the merger authorization, the two health care systems were unable to share certain sensitive

information. With the agreement signed; however, South Jersey Healthcare and Underwood can

now begin collaborating more closely.

“We have two organizations that are successful right now,” Galetto said. “We don’t want to kill a good

thing.”

Contact Don E. Woods at 856-451-1000, ext. 518 or [email protected]

1 The South Jersey Times November 8, 2012



1 South Jersey Times November 9, 2012

Alfred Caggiano was well-known and respected throughout South Jersey for his work in the tree fruit industry through Sunny Slope Farms, as well as his involvement in the Bridgeton-area community. Caggiano passed away Thursday at the age of 83. (Special to South Jersey Times)

Sunny Slope Farms businessman, community leader Al Caggiano dies at age 83

By Lauren T. Taniguchi/South Jersey Times on November 09, 2012 at 8:41 PM, updated November 09, 2012 at 8:46 PM

HOPEWELL TWP. — Alfred "Al" Caggiano Sr.

passed away Thursday at the age of 83, leaving

behind a family, business, industry and

community enriched by his unwavering

dedication and generosity.

In addition to the well-known and respected

legacy of Sunny Slope Farms, Caggiano

humbly served the community through

leadership positions on numerous boards,

including South Jersey Healthcare, Farmers &

Merchants National Bank and the Hopewell

Township planning board, and long-time

involvement with St. Teresa of Avila RC Church.

In addition, Caggiano was known as a family

man who cultivated his business with help from

"a loving, understanding wife," Marie, known as

"Bonnie," and their four children — Al Jr.; Lisa

Thomas, whose husband Ron manages Sunny

Slope's operations; Cheryl Singer (husband Jeff)

and Debbie Phillips (husband Simon.) Caggiano

also was a beloved grandfather of seven: Tara,

Tyler, Kylie, Kendall, Kasey, Allison and Abigail.


Al Caggiano Sr. (center) proudly stands in front of family business Sunny Slope Farms with son Al Jr. and one of his three daughters, Lisa Thomas. (www.sunnyslope.com)

"As long as we were here, he was happy," said Al Caggiano Jr. "Continuing the family business was

difficult, and he was happy he was able to continue it and make it grow. We were just fortunate to be

around him every day."

Caggiano began farming in 1947 with his brother, Tony, before adding adjacent land to Sunny Slope

Farms, which his father, Vincent, founded locally in 1928 on an initial 126 acres. Caggiano officially

took the company reins in 1966 and soon earned a reputation in the agricultural industry as the man

setting the standard for peaches on a farm that grew to exceed 1,000 acres.

"He was very fussy about the quality of the peaches he grew and had a state-of-the-art fruit packing

line. He had one of the first hydrocooling units to bring the temperature of the fruit down as soon as it

was picked, and he used a special pack that sustains better quality than other growers," said Jerry

Frecon, a Rutgers University Cooperative Extension agriculture agent and a friend of Caggiano's for

30 years.

Frecon noted Caggiano served on the New Jersey Peach Promotion Council and farm bureau and was

instrumental in agricultural research; however, Frecon said Caggiano was every bit as focused on

other aspects of his local community, from health care to economics to recreation, even serving as an

original sponsor of West Cumberland Little League in 1958.

Lauren T. Taniguchi/South Jersey

Times"Everyone knew him, and he was very

aware of people's issues and would do what he

could to help them," said Paul Cooper, who

was CEO of the South Jersey health care

network and worked with Caggiano as vice-

chairman of the hospital board, on which

Caggiano served for over 30 years.

"His business wasn't connected to the hospital,

and it wasn't a paid position, but he liked being

involved and his mind was always going on

how to make things better for his community,"

noted Al Caggiano Jr.


Caggiano's work ethic carried him to the orchards until just two weeks before his death despite his

failing health, and not seeing him at Sunny Slope will be tough for everyone who had the pleasure of

knowing him, said his daughter, Lisa.

"You couldn't find a better man than him," said Tony Mazzeo, who worked with Caggiano for 60

years. "I would work for him for free if I had to; he was a heart-and-soul man who was good to

everybody and did such beautiful things."

Friends will be received at the Freitag Funeral Home on Wednesday, Nov. 14, from 6 to 9 p.m. and

again on Thursday, Nov. 15 from 9 to 10:30 a.m.

A funeral service will begin at Freitag's at 10:30 on Thursday, Nov. 15, and be followed by a funeral

liturgy at The Parish of the Holy Cross/St. Teresa of Avila RC Church at 11 a.m. Al Jr. recognized his

father's faith as "the guiding force in everything he was involved in."

Memorial contributions in Caggiano's memory are suggested to the St. Teresa of Avila RC Church, 46

Central Ave., Bridgeton, or to SJ Healthcare HospiceCare, P.O. Box 160, Bridgeton.

Written condolences and tributes may be expressed to the family at the funeral home website,

freitagfuneralhome.com.

Contact Lauren T. Taniguchi at 856-451-1000 ext. 519 or

[email protected] Follow @LAUREIV



South Jersey Healthcare, UMDNJ partnership promises to mitigate physician shortage

By Carly Q. Romalino/ South Jersey Times on November 10, 2012 at 6:30 AM, updated November 10, 2012 at 6:34 AM

A major clinical affiliation between South

Jersey Healthcare and the University of

Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey is being

hailed as a powerful partnership that could help

address the state’s looming physician shortage.

The partnership — five years in the making —

allows graduate medical students at the Stratford-

based UMDNJ-School of Osteopathic Medicine to

complete residencies at SJH’s Vineland Regional

Medical Center. While some UMDNJ students already completed residencies at the Vineland

hospital, the new designation makes the medical center a “full-fledged” teaching hospital, according

to Dr. Michael Geria.

“UMDNJ thinks we are a good enough hospital to be a teaching hospital for them,” said Geria,

director of medical education for South Jersey Healthcare. “We get to say we’re a major teaching

affiliate, and they get to say they’re affiliated with us.”

But the benefits to the partnership are more than sharp business moves. Geria and UMDNJ’s Dr.

Thomas Cavalieri, dean of the school of osteopathic medicine, believe teaming up could have an

impact on the shortage of primary care physicians that is closing in on South Jersey.

“It is well known that where physicians do their graduate medical education is a predictor of where

they will go into practice,” said Cavalieri.


After four years of college, aspiring doctors must complete two years of in-classroom medical school

study, then complete three to seven years of residency work in the field.

Students can be sent out of state for residencies, and once they leave “there’s a good chance they won’t

come back,” Cavalieri said.

By 2020, the state could be short almost 3,000 physicians, with about half in the primary care field.

South Jersey could be the hardest hit by the shortage, he added.

“Because of South Jersey Healthcare, graduates of our medical school, and others, will be able to do

their residency at South Jersey Healthcare and enhance the likelihood that these physicians will stay

in South Jersey and practice here,” Cavalieri said.

The initiative is also expected to attract highly-skilled physicians to the regional medical center, Geria

said.

“It increases the skill level of the physician staff for those who are teaching ... there are certain

physicians who want to work at a teaching hospital,” Geria said.

South Jersey Healthcare is not the only teaching hospital affiliated with UMDNJ. Kennedy University

Hospital in Stratford, which shares a campus with the school, is its principle hospital. Plus, its

students work at Our Lady of Lourdes.

“This expands the school presence into Cumberland County,” Cavalieri said. “We see [SJH] as an up-

and-coming, strong regional medical center.”

Contact Carly Q. Romalino at 856-845-3300 or at [email protected]


Flags decorate the graves at the Salem County Veterans Cemetery in Pilesgrove Township.

Veterans Day events slated for Salem and Cumberland counties

By South Jersey Times on November 10, 2012 at 9:22 PM

Veterans Day is on Sunday and residents in

Salem and Cumberland counties will be

celebrating with various events in both

areas.

Here is a list of upcoming activities:

• In observance of Veterans Day, the

Pennsville Township Historical Society will

present a program about military service during World War II.

Two local veterans will speak about their military experiences.

Al Lemcke will speak about his involvement in the V-12 program at Yale University and

Ken Coney will talk about his experiences in the Papuan Campaign on the Island of New Guinea.

There will be a short DVD presentation of a taped interview with Joe Garrison, who speaks about his

remembrances of the Pearl Harbor attack on Dec. 7, 1941.

The society will also have on display pictures honoring local residents who have served or are serving

in the military.

The event will be held on Sunday at 1 p.m. The program will be held in the Townsend Building Annex

on the property of the Church Landing Farm Museum located at 86 Church Landing Road, Pennsville.

Light refreshments will be served after the program.

The program is free and all are welcome. The Farm House will also be open for tours.


For information call Donna Litvin at 856-678-6435.

• The Alloway Township Veterans Ceremony will be held on Sunday, at 7 a.m. The ceremony will take

place at the Alloway Township Municipal Offices Complex, 49 S. Greenwich St., in the auditorium.

• A Veterans Day Ceremony will be held in Bridgeton Veterans Park, near the Civil War Monument,

on Sunday at 10 a.m.

• A Veterans Day Ceremony will be held at the Veterans Monument on West Broadway in Salem City

on Sunday at 11 a.m. The event is being hosted by VFW Post 253.

• A dedication ceremony will be held at Russell G. Garrison Memorial Park located across from BP gas

station on U.S. Route 40. At 2 p.m. a dedication will be made, including acknowledgment of

improvements the local Girl Scouts recently made. Woodstown Mayor

Don Dietrich and Councilman Joe Hiles will be attending to make some remarks on the monument.

• South Jersey Healthcare will hold a Veterans Day ceremony on Monday to honor military veterans.

It will take place at 2 p.m. at the SJH LIFE Center, 2445 S. Delsea Drive, Vineland. This event is open

to all area residents and will include a presentation by special guest speaker Dr. Per Montero-Pearson,

a military veteran and SJH physician and surgeon.

In addition, flag pole recognition ceremonies will take place on Sunday at 2 p.m. at the Regional

Medical Center, Elmer Hospital and the Bridgeton Health Center.

• Salem County will host a Veterans Day ceremony on Monday at 6 p.m. at Salem Community College,

460 Hollywood Ave., Carneys Point.

• The Woodstown-Pilesgrove Regional School District will hold its Sixth Annual Veterans Day

Celebration on Monday. Activities begin with a breakfast at 8:30 a.m. in the WMS/WHS cafeteria,

followed by a formal celebration at 9:30 a.m. in the auditorium, and lunch at 11 a.m. at the Mary S.

Shoemaker School. For information about lunch accommodations, call the Mary Shoemaker School

office at 856-769-0144 ext. 247.

• Downe Township Elementary School is hosting its annual Veterans Day assembly on Tuesday. The


afternoon will begin at 1:30 p.m. with a reception for local veterans and their guests. The school-wide

assembly will begin at 2 p.m. Students in pre-school through 2nd grade will perform patriotic songs.

Third grade will have a special presentation of “The White Table.” Students in grades 4 through 8 will

recite poems and interesting facts about different service medals. If you are a veteran and would like

to attend the event, please call the school at 856-447-4673.

Contact the South Jersey Times at 856-935-1500 or at [email protected]


PM Girl Scout Troop visits Emergency Department.

Girl Scouts visit Underwood-Memorial Hospital in Woodbury

By Jane Humes/South Jersey Times on November 12, 2012 at 4:52 PM, updated November 12, 2012 at 6:19

Girl Scout Troop visits Emergency Dept.

Girl Scouts from Kingsway Regional Middle School, Troop

62072, visited the Emergency Department at Underwood-

Memorial Hospital in Woodbury recently to learn about

first aid and emergency care. Left to right, the girls are

Kelsey Hoagland, Madison Biester, Catherine Young,

Alexis Cancila, Madison Ambrose, Amya Vedde, Alexa

Plachuta, Sarah Snook, Natalie Dubbs, Danielle Mellon,

and Shannon Skilton. Ryan Gray, left, ED tech, and Karen

McNeely, RN, right, led the tour.


LYNN CUSACK

By Jane Humes/South Jersey Times

on November 12, 2012 at 4:44 PM, updated November 12, 2012 at 6:34 PM

South Jersey Business Briefs - Nov. 12, 2012

Lynn Cusack named Underwood-Memorial Employee of the Month

Lynn Cusack, secretary for the Maternal-Child Health

(MCH) department and resident of Woodbury Heights, was

named Underwood-Memorial Hospital’s Employee of the

Month for October.

In 2004, Cusack joined Underwood as the secretary for the

Antenatal Testing Unit (ATU) and three years ago joined

the staff on the fourth floor. Her responsibilities include

processing the birth certificates and announcements,

maintaining policies, providing back-up for the ATU and

Prenatal Care Program, and supporting the Surgical

Services Steering Committee.

Outside of her unit, Cusack participates on the committees

for Wellness and the 5K race. Every October, she helps to

plan the lunchtime event at Underwood to celebrate breast

cancer survivors. She also participated on the Organizational Improvement team for communications.

Cusack and her husband have two sons, Sean who lives in Virginia with his wife Jess and four

children; and Ryan, a chef in Oregon. Both Sean and Jess hold the rank of Major in the U.S. Marine

Corps.

experience requirements for certification as a certified public accountant. Messick is a resident of

Mount Royal and is a graduate of Richard Stockton College.


Tori White, left and Kassidy Thom of Brownie Troop 92094 during Salem Veteran's Day services on Sunday, Nov. 11, 2012. (Staff Photo by Jesse Bair/ South Jersey Times) Bridgeton and Salem Veteran's Day Services Nov. 11, 2012 gallery (22 photos)

Veterans from Cumberland, Salem counties recognized for their service to their country

By South Jersey Times

By Jesse U. Bair/South Jersey Times on November 12, 2012 at 11:00 AM, updated November 12, 2012 at 11:09 AM

Numerous ceremonies have been held over

the weekend in recognition of Veterans

Day to honor the sacrifices made by

veterans in Cumberland and Salem

counties.

Among the events were ceremonies in

Bridgeton’s Veterans Park and at Salem’s

Veterans Memorial Park.

There are still more veterans recognition ceremonies planned today and tomorrow:

• South Jersey Healthcare will hold an event today, 2 p.m., at the SJH LIFE Center, 2445 S. Delsea

Drive, Vineland.

This event is open to all area residents and will include a presentation by special guest speaker Dr. Per

Montero-Pearson, a military veteran and SJH physician and surgeon.

• Salem County will host a Veterans Day ceremony today, 6 p.m., at Salem Community College, 460

Hollywood Ave., Carneys Point.


• Downe Township Elementary School is hosting its annual Veterans Day assembly on Tuesday.

The afternoon will begin at 1:30 p.m. with a reception for local veterans and their guests. The school-

wide assembly will begin at 2 p.m. Students in pre-school through 2nd grade will perform patriotic

songs.

Third grade will have a special presentation of “The White Table.” Students in grades 4 through 8 will

recite poems and interesting facts about different service medals.

If you are a veteran and would like to attend the event, please call the school at 856-447-4673.


Follow @theSJtimes


Greenwich Township 'Community Appreciation Day' aims to collect food for area food bank

By Rebecca Forand/South Jersey Times on November 13, 2012 at 6:13 PM, updated November 13, 2012 at 6:40 PM

GREENWICH TWP. — Gibbstown Chiropractic’s Dr. Blaise Glodowski will be giving away chiropractic services Saturday in exchange for donations to the Gibbstown-Paulsboro Food Bank during his annual Community Appreciation Day.

Anyone is welcome to receive free services, including

massages, stress exams, fitness evaluations, X-rays and

adjustments from Glodowski, as well as Reiki healing

from Betty-Jo Zeno and blood pressure screenings

from South Jersey Healthcare.

“Each year I donate about $5,000 of my own services,”

Glodowski said. “It’s my way of giving back. You and I

can open the refrigerator and it can be packed but we

say there’s nothing to eat. But there are kids that

literally open their fridge and there’s nothing but

condiments in there.”

All food collected at the day-long event is donated to the Paulsboro-Gibbstown Food Bank, which goes

directly to feeding people in need within the community.

Most importantly, the Food Bank is in need of non-perishable item such as peanut butter, jelly, pasta,

spaghetti sauce, pancake mix, syrup, cereal, canned meats, tuna, juice and canned stews.

“This is not just for my patients, it’s for everybody,” Glodowski said. “The more food we get the more

mouths we can feed. It’s the biggest food drive they have all year. It helps feed people through

Thanksgiving and Christmas.”


Participants will be able to participate in the community day’s events as well as be eligible for door

prizes provided by area businesses.

Everyone is welcome to attend, but appointments are recommended. A donation to the food bank is

necessary for services, but there is no limit or quota for donations.

“All I can tell people is to give from the heart,” Glodowski said. “I do this because I became a doctor to

help people. If I’m able to give them food it’s a wonderful feeling. People that never do volunteer work

don’t know what they’re missing.”

The event will take place all day Saturday at Gibbstown Chiropractic, 360 E. Broad St., Gibbstown.

For more information or to make an appointment call 856-423-3899.

"Contact Rebecca Forand at 856-845-3300 or [email protected].

Follow @thSJtimes



Rain and wind from Hurricane Sandy moves into the area Monday on October 29, 2012. (Staff Photo by Britney Lillya/South Jersey Times) Britney Lillya/South Jersey Times

Millville's Channel 2 hosts Hurricane Sandy telethon

By The News of Cumberland County on November 19, 2012 at 12:37 PM, updated November 19, 2012 at 12:47 PM

MILLVILLE — QBC opens its phonelines on

Dec. 1 to raise money for Hurricane Sandy

victims.

The New Life World Outreach Ministries of

Millville sponsors a telethon, scheduled to run

from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Channel 2.

Local singers and musical groups will display

their talents during the telethon.

James Quinn - a City Commissioner and

Director of Public Affairs - and Rev. Richard

Myers co-host the event.

Telethon speakers include state Sen. Jeff Van

Drew, Mayor Robert Romano of Vineland,

Mayor Tim Shannon of Millville and Donald Fauerback of the Motor Sports Park.

Local pastors Ben Ocasio, Alfred Morgan, David Hadley, Joe Green and Ralph Snook will also be

speaking during the telethon.

During the broadcast, drop-off points at South Jersey Healthcare Regional Medical Center in

Vineland, Salvation Church, Union Temple, Glory Tabernacle, Lowe’s Home Store, Walmart,

Susquehanna Bank and the New Life World Outreach Ministries will be named for any item

donations.


Items in need are diapers, baby supplies, cleaning supplies, paper goods, cases of water, canned fruits

and vegetables, baby food, shelf stable milk and rice.

Gift cards are also accepted for ShopRite, Acme, Lowe’s, Home Depot, Walmart, BJ’s and gasoline

companies.

For more information, call 856-825-3332.

Contact Don E. Woods at 856-451-1000, ext. 518 or [email protected]





South Jersey women to be honored at Aulettos

Published: Wednesday, November 21, 2012, 1:11 PM Updated: Wednesday, November 21, 2012, 1:11 PM

By Bob Shryock/South Jersey Times

Five “Women of Achievement” representing five Southern New Jersey counties will be honored at an awards reception given on behalf of youth served by the Southern New Jersey Council, Boy Scouts of America, Thursday, Dec. 6, 6 to 8:30 p.m. at Auletto’s Caterers, Almonesson.

The honorees are Pamela S. Clark, Gloucester County; Marlene Z. Asselta, Cumberland County; Julie A. Acton, Salem County; Patricia Purdy, Camden County; and Lynda Pagliughi, Cape May County.

Clark, from West Deptford, is a partner with husband Jim and son David Strout in two family-owned businesses, Cettei & Connell Insurance and J & D’s Discount Liquor, both located in Woodbury.

Clark is also a community buzzsaw whose top priority is Woodbury’s Underwood-Memorial Hospital.

She serves on the trustee board at UMH and has been designated to serve on the Systems Board of the newly merged SJ Healthcare-UMH Hospitals. She is a member of the hospital’s Second Auxiliary and serves on the UMH golf and Foundation Ball committees.

.

Clark’s other community passions include the Greater Woodbury Chamber of Commerce (past president), “Dancing With Gloucester County’s Stars” (treasurer), and Woodbury Rotary Breakfast Club (past president, board member 22 years, perfect attendance 22 years, Paul Harris Fellow).

She is on the administrative board of the Kemble Memorial United Methodist Church and active in WORC, Main Street, and the Women’s Leadership Council of the United Way of Gloucester County.

Her many previous awards include the (Gloucester County) BSA Distinguished Citizen Award.

Asselta has been president of the Southern New Jersey Development Council, with more than 350 member organizations in four states, since 1985. She is a registered lobbyist who represents the needs of each member organization, providing an economic way for a group to have an advocate in Trenton and Washington.


A native of Vineland, she began her career as administrative aide to the mayor, then became Director of Volunteer Services for Newcomb Hospital. In 1984, Asselta was Director of Government Affairs for Cumberland County.

She has presided over the Deborah F. Sager Memorial Fund, served as vice president of planning and development of the Atlantic City International Equestrian Festival, and served as chair of the Gloucester County Library Commission, overseeing the design and construction of the new library headquarters in Mullica Hill.

Other volunteer groups: the South Jersey Freeholders Association, Delaware River Port Authority Economic Advisory Committee; and Rowan University Friends of the Arts.

In 1985, Asselta and her husband, tennis pro Sean Sloane started the South Jersey Open, a USTA amateur

tournament still operating.

She is a founding member and chair of the Glassboro Economic Development Corporation.

Asselta, too, has been frequently recognized, including the New Jersey State Jaycees Outstanding Young Woman of the Year Award.

A Pennsville resident, Acton is Salem County’s first female freeholder director, president of the South Jersey Freeholder Association, and secretary for the South Jersey Economic Develpment District.

Heavily involved in community activities, she is a member of the United Way Women’s Leadership Committee, the E. I. DuPont Community Advisory Panel, Salem County Women’s Services Board, Meals on Wheels, Parish Council and Finance Committee for Queen of Apostles Church/St. Gabriel’s the Archangel, NAACP member, Family Promise board member, and Cub Scout pack leader and Boy Scout Troop 15 committee person.

Acton has been fund-raising co-chair for the United Way of Salem County and the American Red Cross.

She graduated in the first class of the Christine Todd Whitman Excellence in Public Service Series.

Julie and her husband John co-own Acton’s Pig Roastin’. For 33 years, she’s been office manager for TJ’s Lawns and Landscapes, Inc.

The Actons’ son, John, attained the rank of Eagle Scout after 13 years in Scouting.

Purdy is president of the Southern New Jersey Council of the Boy Scouts of America and has been active in Scouting since her oldest son joined the ranks in 1987. She has held numerous roles in the Camden and

Pat Purdy, president of the South Jersey chapter of Boy Scouts of America


SJ councils, including den mother and district fund-raiser. Under her direction, the SJ council has created a strategic plan to help increase membership and make the council financially sustainable. She’s a brotherhood member of Scouting’s Order of Arrow.

Marketing technology manager for the law firm of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, she recently transferred from the firm’s New York office to Nashville.

Purdy also has been a Relay for Life team leader in memory of her niece, Melissa Morgan Finnegan, and has taken part in many fund-raisers for the American Cancer Society.

A resident of Avalon, where her husband Martin has been mayor since 1991, former flight attendant Lynda Pagliughi has been active on countless public, private and charitable boards.

She has worked extensively for women’s organizations in the region. She’s a former trustee of the Miss Cape May County Scholarship Pageant and was first female president of the Atlantic Cape Community College Foundation board.

Lynda currently serves as a trustee for the Cape Women’s Resource Fund, the Southern New Jersey Development Council, and the Historic Cold Spring VIllage. She’s also vice president of the Jersey Shore Partnership.

A GOP committeewomen for 20 years, Lynda in 2004 was honored by the New Jersey Federation of Republican Women as “Woman of the Year.”

Funds raised via the event help boys and girls in the SJ scouting program.

Tickets are $125 per person. Call Mike Mahon at the Millville Scout office, 856-327-1700, ext. 25.

Contact Bob Shryock at 856-845-3300 or [email protected]


AARP Driver Safety Program offered at Elmer Hospital

By South Jersey Times on November 27, 2012 at 9:02 AM, updated November 27, 2012 at 9:06 AM

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ELMER — South Jersey Healthcare-Elmer Hospital will sponsor

an AARP Driver Safety Program on Wednesday and Thursday.

Seats are still available for the two-day course which will be held 9

a.m. to noon. Participants must attend both classes. Upon

completion of the course, each attendee will receive a certificate

that could entitle them to an insurance discount or a reduction of

violation points against their New Jersey drivers licenses.

Participants should contact their insurance carrier to see if they

qualify.

The AARP Driver Safety Program is the nation's first and largest classroom refresher course

designed especially for drivers age 50 and older (younger persons may also attend).

The course to be held at South Jersey Healthcare-Elmer Hospital emphasizes safety, teaching

defensive driving techniques, new traffic laws and rules of the road.

It teaches how older people can adjust their driving to compensate for age-related changes in vision,

hearing and reaction time, and how to handle problem situations such as left turns, freeway driving,

blind spots, and driving distractions.

The program also teaches participants about safety features on vehicles, and how to assess one's own

driving ability. The classroom setting promotes group discussion and interaction.


The cost of the course is $12 for AARP members and $14 for non-members. Members should bring

their AARP membership cards. The course fee is payable by check to AARP.

All U.S. military personnel, including: Active duty, retired, guard or reserve and their dependents,

regardless of age, are eligible to receive the course free of charge. Enrollment is limited and classes fill

quickly.

To register, call 1-800-770-7547.


Follow @theSJtimes



Paulsboro train derailment: Minimal long-term effects on public health, environment

By Jessica Bautista/South Jersey Times on November 30, 2012 at 9:20 PM, updated November 30, 2012 at 9:46 PM

TOXIC TRAIN WRECK • Paulsboro train derailment: Princeton company files lawsuit - Updated

• Paulsboro getting back on its feet following derailment, chemical leak

• Editorial: Be it resolved: A happier 2013

• South Jersey's top stories of 2012: Paulsboro train derailment

• Paulsboro residents urged to accurately fill out health surveys on derailment, chemical spill

All Stories | All Photos |

South Jersey officials and experts aren’t anticipating long-term effects on public health or the

environment following the derailment of chemical-carrying tanker cars into Mantua Creek in

Paulsboro.

As Friday came to a close, more than 70 people affected by the chemical spill had been evaluated,

treated and discharged from Underwood-Memorial Hospital in Woodbury, according to UMH

spokeswoman Molly Tritt.

All patients — some transported directly from the scene of the derailment — were reported to be in

stable condition, despite any exposure to the chemical vinyl chloride.

The substance — a colorless, flammable gas with a mild, sweet odor — most commonly causes eye or

throat irritation, headache, shortness of breath. Breathing high levels of it can cause dizziness and/or

sleepiness. Breathing very high levels can cause a loss of consciousness or even death, according to

information provided by Gloucester County.

According to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, rapid recovery after coming into

contact with the gas is common and severe cases mostly develop only after exposure for years at a

time.


Tritt confirmed that chief complaints from individuals — including some children — in the hospital’s

emergency department included respiratory difficulties, burning eyes and scratchy throats.

At the hospital, there was no decontamination area and patients were not separated from the other

emergency room patients, Tritt said.

Hospital employees, however, were seen outside of the emergency room placing people's belongings

into bags while they were being evaluated.

Enlarge Tim Hawk / South Jersey Times Four railroad tanks carrying chemicals, including vinyl chloride, crashed into Mantua Creek in

Paulsboro this morning. Anyone affected by the spill is being sent to Underwood-Memorial Hospital for treatment. (Staff Photo by Tim

Hawk/South Jersey Times) Paulsboro chemical spill response at Underwood-Memorial Hospital, November 30, 2012 gallery (17 photos)

Tritt said this was to minimize any risk of additional contamination.

No one was admitted.

Immediately after the tank cars crashed into the creek around 7 a.m., low-traveling gases created a

visible fog.

Four of the tank cars that derailed and fell into the waterway were carrying vinyl chloride and one of

them was breached.

It contained approximately 120,000 pounds, or 25,000 gallons, of the carcinogen at the time of the

incident.


New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Press Director Larry Ragonese said the

response to the derailment was a fast and thorough one.

NJDEP has been assessing the situation and aggressively addressing potential air and water quality

issues in coordination with other agencies, Ragonese said.

“We’ve been doing everything we can and are hoping to minimize the impacts on the residents and

the environment as much as possible,” Ragonese said. “Right now, there’s nothing else for (residents

in the area) to do. The release of vinyl chloride was immediate. Symptoms will go away. It’s

temporary... There are no long-term effects. People can go out, they can do things, mow their lawns

and rake their leaves,” Ragonese said.

Karyn Collier, chief medical officer of the Saint Francis Veterinary Center, said the same rules apply to

pets.

Enlarge Tim Hawk / South Jersey Times Four train cars

overturned into Mantua Creek causing a vinyl chloride

chemical spill in Paulsboro, Friday, Nov. 30, 2012. (Staff

Photo by Tim Hawk/South Jersey Times) Paulsboro train

derailment, chemical spill, Nov. 30, 2012 gallery (30 photos)

“During an episode of acute exposure, such as

the current spill in Paulsboro, New Jersey, we

urge pet owners to follow the same

recommendations that are being made for

humans,” said Collier. “If you live in the

affected area, make sure to keep pets indoors.

If there are outdoor water sources for pets, they should be emptied and cleaned, and adhere to the

same recommendations as humans for drinking water. If it is safe for people to drink, it is safe for

pets to drink.”

The NJDEP, Environmental Protection Agency, Gloucester County and Conrail are expected to

continue air and water monitoring in the area.

“The air quality is fine at this point. Whatever was there has dissipated,” Ragonese said. “There was

some hydraulic oil from the train or rail bridge that got into the water, but not a large volume. It

should be easily collectible.”


Ragonese also reported that Mantua Creek was closed and boomed by the Miller Environmental

Group of Paulsboro to stop the flow of hydraulic oil. Ragonese said none of the vinyl chloride is

believed to have leaked into the water.

Drexel University Professor of Environmental Engineering Charles Haas also said the brunt of the

mess should be behind everyone at this point.

“I would expect minimal damage to the water. Vinyl chloride doesn’t linger very long and is very

volatile. It could be diluted in the wind,” Haas said.

He added that more chemicals could potentially be released into the air during the tanker removal

process and that “vigilance is the major issue in the future.”

Anyone who believes they need treatment should go to Underwood-Memorial Hospital, located at 509

North Broad Street in Woodbury. Those looking for further information can reach out to the

Gloucester County Department of Health, Senior & Disability Services at 856-218-4101.

In addition, Conrail has set up a public assistance center at the Paulsboro Fire Department, 1502

Swedesboro Avenue, in Paulsboro. Representatives will be there to assist with any issues that have

arisen due to the incident, according to Conrail officials. The center will be open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Call 1-800-230-7049 for more information.

---

Contact Jessica Bautista at 856-686-3729 or [email protected]

1 Becker’s Hospital Review November 2, 2012

Hospital Transactions & Valuation

Underwood-Memorial Hospital and South Jersey Healthcare Finalize Merger

Written by Kathleen Roney | November 02, 2012

Woodbury, N.Y.-based Underwood-Memorial Health Systems and Vineland, N.J.-based South Jersey Health Systems signed a merger agreement Thursday to join the two systems. The systems began merger discussions last May and signed a definitive agreement for the merger in January. The deal received federal approval in July and state approval from the New Jersey Superior Court Judge in October. According to the release, the organizations will incorporate best practices from each and work toward facilitating a system-wide standard of care that can more efficiently and effectively provide patient-focused healthcare. In addition, the merger offers both South Jersey Health and Underwood-Memorial Health growth opportunities. According to the release, the growth opportunities will enhance key service lines, and will include the following: • Develop outpatient care sites in an expanded service area. • Build stronger relationships with government agencies with respect to public funding initiatives and public policy affecting healthcare services in the region. • Give patients access to an expanded local network of providers offering high quality care in a cost effective manner. • Provide more seamless, efficient and effective care over a broader region through the development of combined quality and safety efforts, financial performance and staff development. Representatives from both organizations' boards will hold seats on a newly formed board. Each organization will also retain individual boards of trustees to provide leadership for their hospitals.

1 ModernHealthcare.com November 2, 2012

South Jersey Health, Underwood-Memorial finalize merger By Ashok Selvam

Posted: November 2, 2012 - 6:30 pm ET

Tags: Acquisitions, Deals, Mergers, New Jersey, Physicians, Quality

Two-hospital South Jersey Health System, Vineland, N.J., and one-hospital Underwood-Memorial Health System, Woodbury, N.J., have finalized their merger, according to a news release. Financial terms weren't disclosed. The organizations will form a new system board, which will include current members of the individual hospitals' current boards

“We are very excited about the merger and confident that uniting as one health system will enable us to enhance the quality, accessibility and convenience of healthcare for the families of southern New Jersey,” said South Jersey President and CEO Chet Kaletkowski in the release. Kaletkowski will lead the combined not-for-profit system, which will receive a new name sometime next year. Merger negotiations started in May 2011, and a definitive agreement was signed in January. Officials described the transaction as a merger, not a limited merger, takeover or acquisition. South Jersey Health System consists of 325-bed South Jersey Healthcare Regional Medical Center in Vineland, and 88-bed South Jersey Healthcare—Elmer (N.J.) Hospital. Various outpatient sites are also included. The system employees 3,500 and has a medical staff of more than 600 physicians, according the release. Underwood-Memorial Health System is the parent company of 240-bed Underwood-Memorial Hospital. The company employs about 1,700 and a medical staff of more than 450. Underwood-Memorial also includes various family health centers. “We are particularly anxious to begin exploring ways to enhance a number of our clinical service lines, including: cardiovascular, oncology, women’s health, surgery and neurosciences,” Underwood-Memorial President and CEO Eileen Cardile said in a news release. “By learning from the best practices of both SJH and UMH, we will develop processes that foster excellence across our new network. Individually, we have served our communities well. We believe that together we can reach new levels of quality and service—our communities deserve nothing less.”

1 Philadelphia Business Journal November 1, 2012

Chet Kaletkowski

Underwood-Memorial, South Jersey make marriage official

John George

Philadelphia Business Journal by John George, Senior Reporter Date: Thursday, November 1, 2012, 4:53pm EDT

South Jersey Health System Inc. and Underwood-Memorial Health System signed a final merger agreement Thursday that officially joins the two South Jersey health-care organizations.

Vineland-based South Jersey health and Underwood-Memorial Health System, which operated Underwood-Memorial Hospital in Woodbury, N.J., began merger discussions last May.

“We are very excited about the merger and confident that uniting as one health system will enable us to enhance the quality, accessibility and convenience of health care for the families of southern New Jersey,” said Chet Kaletkowski, South Jersey health’s president and CEO.

Eileen Cardile, Underwood-Memorial’s president and CEO, said the tow organizations are “particularly anxious to begin exploring ways to enhance a number of our clinical service lines, including: cardiovascular, oncology, women’s health, surgery and neurosciences.”

1 West Deptford Patch November 2, 2012

Underwood, South Jersey Healthcare Finalize Merger

The two hospital systems sign off on a final agreement to combine into one organization.

By West Deptford Patch Staff

November 2, 2012

Underwood and South Jersey Healthcare finalized their

merger Thursday. Jrcla2/Wikimedia Commons

A merger nearly a year in the making was completed Thursday, as South Jersey Health System Inc., the parent company of South Jersey Healthcare (SJH), and Underwood-Memorial Health Systems, Inc., the parent company of Underwood-Memorial Hospital (UMH),

signed off on a final agreement to combine the two organizations.

Executives from both SJH and UMH touted it as a means to improve healthcare for patients across Gloucester, Salem and Cumberland counties.

“Since signing our definitive merger agreement at the beginning of this year, SJH and UMH have focused on how merging our two organizations would improve the health and well-being of our communities,” said Chet Kaletkowski, SJH president and CEO, in a statement. “We are very excited about the merger and confident that uniting as one health system will enable us to enhance the quality, accessibility and convenience of health care for the families of southern New Jersey.”

The merger means a chance to work to capitalize on the individual strengths of both organizations, officials said, with enhancements planned for everything from cardiovascular care to women's health to neuroscience.

“By learning from the best practices of both SJH and UMH, we will develop processes that foster excellence across our new network,” Eileen Cardile, UMH president and CEO, said in a statement. “Individually, we have served our communities well. We believe that together we can reach new levels of quality and service—our communities deserve nothing less.”

Hospital officials also said the merger will give patients access to an expanded outpatient care system over a larger area and allow the newly merged healthcare company to build stronger relationships with government agencies, which they said would help with public funding and public health policy affecting the region.

Both members of the UMHS and SJHS boards of trustees will sit on a new system board, and both hospitals will retain individual boards of trustees.

With the merger, patients now have access to facilities across three counties, from the 305-bed Underwood-Memorial Hospital in Woodbury, to the 262-bed SJH Regional Medical Center in Vineland to numerous outpatient facilities.

1 Nurse.com November 5, 2012

New Jersey nurses inducted into Academy of Emergency Nursing Monday November 5, 2012

The Emergency Nurses Association recently announced the 2012 inductees to the Academy of Emergency Nursing. The AEN fellowship recognizes emergency nurses for their contributions to patient care in and out of the ED. The fellows were honored Sept. 15 at ENA’s annual convention in San Diego. "Each year, we honor outstanding emergency nurses by inducting them into the Academy of Emergency Nursing," Gail Lenehan, RN, EdD, MSN, FAEN, FAAN, 2012 president of the Emergency Nurses Association, said in a press release. "Fellows in the Academy represent the best of the best and have provided invaluable groundbreaking leadership in emergency nursing. Their dedication to their patients and their colleagues is inspirational." The 2012 Academy of Emergency Nursing inductees include Gwyn Parris-Atwell, RN, MSN, FNP-BC, CS, CEN, FAEN with the 514th Aerospace Medicine Squadron at Joint Base McGuire Dix in Lakehurst, N.J., and a nurse practitioner at South Jersey Healthcare, Occupational Medicine Combatant Sports Division, in Bridgeton, N.J.

1 Southern NJ Development Council November 5, 2012

Underwood-Memorial Hospital and South Jersey Healthcare merger agreement finalized

Posted on November 5, 2012

No layoffs. Only growth. No plans to close any of the facilities.

That was the promise Thursday as representatives from South Jersey Health Systems, Inc., and Underwood-Memorial Health Systems, Inc. signed a merger agreement that was more than a year in the making.

“We both have strengths, and by combining those strengths, we are going to be a stronger organization – both financially and from a clinic service standpoint,” said Chet Kaletkowski, president and CEO of South Jersey Healthcare.

South Jersey Healthcare and Underwood-Memorial Hospital publicly announced the merger plans 10 months ago and have listened closely to the community about any concerns through a public hearing.

1 Reminder USA November 6, 2012

SJH, Underwood Sign on Dotted Line Nov 06, 2012 | 30 views | 0 | 1 | |

Michael McLaughlin, chairman of the Underwood-Memorial Health Systems Board, and Peter Galetto Jr., chairman of the South Jersey Healthcare Board, finalize the merger on Thursday with their signatures. Eileen Cardile, President and CEO of Underwood-Memorial Hospital, and Chet Kaletkowski, SJH President and CEO, witness the momentous event. VINELAND — It’s official. South Jersey South Jersey Health System, Inc., the parent of the South Jersey Healthcare organization, and Underwood-Memorial Health Systems, Inc., the parent of Underwood-Memorial Hospital and its affiliated organizations, have merged. The two entities announced that they have signed the final merger agreement that will officially join the two organizations and enable them to continue providing high quality health services to community members.

Merger talks commenced last May to address how the health systems could work together to remain strong and provide the best possible care in the region. As for the merger, hospital officials said it’s not a limited venture, takeover or acquisition. UMH and SJH have formed a new system board with members from both organizations. Both SJH and UMH will maintain their hospital boards, which will continue to operate and provide leadership for their respective hospitals. And, UMH, SJH Regional Medical Center in Vineland, SJH Elmer Hospital and SJH Bridgeton Health Center will remain the same. The merger calls for no eliminations, as both SJH and UMH will retain their staffs. The merger provides both SJH and UMH with several growth opportunities. In addition to enhancing key service lines, growth opportunities will include the ability to: • develop outpatient care sites in an expanded service area; • build stronger relationships with government agencies with respect to public funding initiatives and


public policy affecting health care services in our region; • give patients access to an expanded local network of providers • provide more seamless, effective care over a broader region through the development of combined quality and safety efforts, financial performance and development. As outlined in the agreement, representatives from both the SJHS and UMHS Boards of Trustees will hold seats on a newly formed system board. The organizations will also retain individual boards of trustees that will provide leadership for their hospitals. “We are very excited about the merger and confident that uniting as one health system will enable us to enhance the quality, accessibility and convenience of health care for the families of southern New Jersey,” said Chet Kaletkowski, SJH president and CEO. “We are particularly anxious to begin exploring ways to enhance a number of our clinical service lines, including: Cardiovascular, Oncology, Women’s Health, Surgery and Neurosciences,” said Eileen Cardile, UMH president and CEO. Kaletkowski will serve as president and CEO of the system. Cardile, CEO of UMH, now serves on the senior management team as an executive vice president of the new system and will continue to oversee operations at Underwood. An announcement regarding the naming of the new system is expected in the early part of 2013. Read more: Reminder Newspaper - SJH Underwood Sign on Dotted Line

1 Advance For Nurses November 7, 2012

Keeping It All Connected Health IT systems tested by Superstorm Sandy By Chris Kinsey

Everyone knew Superstorm Sandy - a storm many meteorologists called the worst storm to ever hit the Northeast U.S. - was coming and would pack a wallop. It was widely reported in the days prior to Sandy's landfall that there would be widespread power outages, and the predictions were mostly correct; the Department of Energy Situation reported power failures for approximately 8.5 million customers in total across 13 states as a result of the storm.

Some of those failures affected healthcare facilities, including doctor's offices, health centers and hospitals. With a great many facilities moving to electronic health records (EHRs) in recent years - more than 2,000 hospitals and 41,000 doctors in the U.S. now use EHRs - power failures can mean possible chaos and confusion when trying to provide proper care to patients. So as Sandy gathered speed off the Atlantic coast, so did efforts to protect patients' records and the ability to provide care in the event of a power failure.

There's the perception that patient medical data living on a hard drive can easily be lost, especially during a catastrophic weather event or power outage. While this may be true if the proper safeguards aren't enacted, the fact is that the risk of losing patient data can be increased with traditional paper medical records.

"Hurricane Katrina helped to start moving people toward EHRs," said Bill O'Byrne, executive director of NJ-HITEC, a national leader in providing EHR guidance to healthcare practitioners. "Peoples' entire medical histories were wiped out during that storm, and there was no way to ever get those back. One of our jobs before this storm was to help our 6,200 docs keep their information safe because information doesn't mix well with water."

NJ-HITEC sent out a "disaster recovery precaution" checklist to all of its members detailing options for how to back up and protect medical information in the lead-up to the storm. The handout made suggestions such as backing up medical records on external drives and removing the drives from the office so records exist in more than one location.

South Jersey Healthcare (SJH) Elmer Hospital in Elmer, NJ, employs an inpatient EHR system. The facility also experienced a power outage during Sandy. "Our backup generator kept the EHR functional, though," said Nancy Cimprich, information systems director of customer services for SJH. She also said SJH created a "customized response" in anticipation of Sandy, given the nature of the storm and its potential for presenting certain challenges that were "beyond the norm," in her words.

"We had 10 tech experts stay the night at our various facilities in case we needed people to quickly restore operations," she said. "We also have downtime computers on every floor of our hospitals. Critical patient data, such as medication administration information, is sent to these downtime computers with regular frequency - some information is updated every 30 minutes - and the downtime computers have the capability to print medical records in the event of a total power failure," Cimprich added.


At NYU Langone Medical Center in lower Manhattan, patients had to be evacuated mid-storm after flooding knocked out the hospital's backup generators. But those patients' charts didn't have to be evacuated with them because the State of New York employs a health information exchange called SHIN-NY that connects 78 percent of all hospitals statewide. The ability for patient records to be readily available at other facilities means healthcare providers can promptly and confidently provide quality care to patients. This is not possible with paper records.

At Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY, precautions were also taken.

"As part of our emergency preparedness response, Montefiore's IT department ensured that, in the unlikely event our systems failed, we could rapidly convert EHRs to a paper record," said Susan Green-Lorenzen, senior vice president of operations. "Montefiore's system is designed to print critical medical records, such as documentation and medication administration records, in the event that our EHR goes offline."

Virginia Beach, VA, received about nine inches of rain during Sandy. Dale Gauding, spokesperson for Sentara Healthcare, said none of the Sentara hospitals in the Virginia Beach area had to use emergency power. "But we have a manual backup system in place in the event that our EHR system goes down," Gauding said. "We drill the manual system once or twice per year with our staff, so patients won't suffer from any interruptions in care if our systems did go down."

It's becoming clear EHRs are the future - and the federal government has mandated their use nationwide by 2014. EHRs also continue to get more high-tech and interconnected, with the SHIN-NY system being a great example of how patient care can be coordinated and delivered, even in the event of a system failure. According to O'Byrne, a national EHR system may soon be a reality. Should that come to pass, patients benefit, and superstorms like Sandy may no longer present such a threat.

Chris Kinsey is a regular contributor to ADVANCE.

1 City Biz List November 7, 2012

CareKinesisNamedFinalistforGrowthCompanyoftheYearNovember 7, 2012

CareKinesis, a national medication therapy management and technology company headquartered in Moorestown, NJ, has been named one of three finalists for Growth Company of the Year by the New Jersey Technology Council. The winner will be announced November 15 during the Council’s 2012 Awards Gala to be held in Somerset, NJ.

CareKinesis partners with healthcare organizations to provide personalized medication therapy management and pharmacy services for high-risk populations. The results are enhanced medication-related outcomes and greater operational efficiency.

From start-up in May 2009 to July 2012, CareKinesis achieved goals in every important metric: revenues, job growth, participant census and market share.

“We are pleased and proud to receive this recognition from the New Jersey Technology Council,” said Chairman and CEO, Calvin H. Knowlton, BSPharm, MDiv, PhD. “Importantly, client satisfaction is excellent as well, with feedback focused on our patient-centered approach and metrics indicating reduced medication-related risk and improved economic outcomes.”

CareKinesis is the first PACE-specific medication management and distribution pharmacy in the country. The Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) - in some states called Living Independence for the Elderly (LIFE) - provides comprehensive, long-term services and support to Medicaid and Medicare enrollees. PACE/LIFE organizations nationwide rely on CareKinesis to increase medication adherence and reduce participant hospitalizations and recidivism. CareKinesis accomplishes this through expert pharmacist consultation services, the EireneRx.com™ electronic medication management platform, custom adherence medication packaging, and flexible medication access options.

In the State of New Jersey, LIFE at Lourdes, Pennsauken, LIFE St. Francis, Hamilton, Lutheran Senior LIFE at Jersey City, and South Jersey Healthcare LIFE, Vineland all partner with CareKinesis for their medication management and pharmacy needs. This relationship is a win/win from a growth perspective through the provision of a scalable model that supports the successful growth of our client organizations

The CareKinesis leadership, management and software development team members have been working together for over 25 years in several healthcare companies. Using their experiences and expertise, they started CareKinesis to improve the current medication delivery system. Please visit www.carekinesis.com, or contact 888.9PharmD for more information.

1 Advance For Health Information Professionals November 8, 2012

Health IT Systems Tested by Superstorm Sandy By Chris Kinsey

Posted on: November 8, 2012

Everyone knew Superstorm Sandy - a storm many meteorologists called the worst storm to ever hit the Northeast U.S. - was coming and would pack a wallop. It was widely reported in the days prior to Sandy's landfall that there would be widespread power outages, and the predictions were mostly correct; the Department of Energy Situation reported power failures for approximately 8.5 million customers in total across 13 states as a result of the storm.

Some of those failures affected healthcare facilities, including doctor's offices, health centers and hospitals. With a great many facilities moving to electronic health records (EHRs) in recent years - more than 2,000 hospitals and 41,000 doctors in the U.S. now use EHRs - power failures can mean possible chaos and confusion when trying to provide proper care to patients. So as Sandy gathered speed off the Atlantic coast, so did efforts to protect patients' records and the ability to provide care in the event of a power failure.

There's the perception that patient medical data living on a hard drive can easily be lost, especially during a catastrophic weather event or power outage. While this may be true if the proper safeguards aren't enacted, the fact is that the risk of losing patient data can be increased with traditional paper medical records.

"Hurricane Katrina helped to start moving people toward EHRs," said Bill O'Byrne, executive director of NJ-HITEC, a national leader in providing EHR guidance to healthcare practitioners. "Peoples' entire medical histories were wiped out during that storm, and there was no way to ever get those back. One of our jobs before this storm was to help our 6,200 docs keep their information safe because information doesn't mix well with water."

NJ-HITEC sent out a "disaster recovery precaution" checklist to all of its members detailing options for how to back up and protect medical information in the lead-up to the storm. The handout made suggestions such as backing up medical records on external drives and removing the drives from the office so records exist in more than one location.

South Jersey Healthcare (SJH) Elmer Hospital in Elmer, N.J,, employs an inpatient EHR system. The facility also experienced a power outage during Sandy. "Our backup generator kept the EHR functional, though," said Nancy Cimprich, information systems director of customer services for SJH. She also said SJH created a "customized response" in anticipation of Sandy, given the nature of the storm and its potential for presenting certain challenges that were "beyond the norm," in her words.

"We had 10 tech experts stay the night at our various facilities in case we needed people to quickly restore operations," she said. "We also have downtime computers on every floor of our hospitals. Critical patient data, such as medication administration information, is sent to these downtime computers with regular frequency - some information is updated every 30 minutes - and the downtime computers have the capability to print medical records in the event of a total power failure," Cimprich added.

At NYU Langone Medical Center in lower Manhattan, patients had to be evacuated mid-storm after flooding knocked out the hospital's backup generators. But those patients' charts didn't have to be evacuated with them because the State of New York employs a health information exchange called SHIN-NY that connects 78 percent of all hospitals statewide. The ability for patient records to be readily available at other facilities means healthcare providers can promptly and confidently provide quality care to patients. This is not possible with paper records.

2 Advance For Health Information Professionals November 8, 2012

At Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY, precautions were also taken.

"As part of our emergency preparedness response, Montefiore's IT department ensured that, in the unlikely event our systems failed, we could rapidly convert EHRs to a paper record," said Susan Green-Lorenzen, senior vice president of operations. "Montefiore's system is designed to print critical medical records, such as documentation and medication administration records, in the event that our EHR goes offline."

Virginia Beach, Va., received about nine inches of rain during Sandy. Dale Gauding, spokesperson for Sentara Healthcare, said none of the Sentara hospitals in the Virginia Beach area had to use emergency power. "But we have a manual backup system in place in the event that our EHR system goes down," Gauding said. "We drill the manual system once or twice per year with our staff, so patients won't suffer from any interruptions in care if our systems did go down."

It's becoming clear EHRs are the future - and the federal government has mandated their use nationwide by 2014. EHRs also continue to get more high-tech and interconnected, with the SHIN-NY system being a great example of how patient care can be coordinated and delivered, even in the event of a system failure. According to O'Byrne, a national EHR system may soon be a reality. Should that come to pass, patients benefit, and superstorms like Sandy may no longer present such a threat.

Chris Kinsey is a regular contributor to ADVANCE.

1 Elmer Times November 8, 2012

2 Elmer Times November 8, 2012


Hospital-Physician Relationships & Accountable Care Organizations

3 Short-Term Ways Hospitals Can Fight the Physician Shortage

Written by Heather Punke | November 09, 2012

Tags: CSC | Jordan Battani | nurse practitioner | physician assistant | physician shortage | retaining healthcare providers

Healthcare experts have been predicting the impending primary care physician shortage for years because it is the result of long-term trends in healthcare. Therefore, truly solving the shortage will take long-term solutions. "Systematically solving the shortage will take some time," says Jordan Battani, the managing director of CSC's Global Institute for Emerging Healthcare Practices. However, she also says that to solve the shortage, it is important to work on it from both long- and short-term angles. Here, she discusses three ways that hospitals and health systems can protect themselves from the physician shortage in the short-term, before long-term solutions take root nationally.

Support increased scope of care for mid-level providers

Many healthcare consultants are encouraging hospitals to add more mid-level providers, such as physician assistants and nurse practitioners, to lessen the workload of primary care physicians and help combat the physician shortage. "The part that is naïve about those recommendations is that every state has different rules for the scope of practice for mid-level providers," Ms. Battani says. There are several states where the level of care that NPs can provide has been limited by licensing regulations. For example, in 27 states, including Texas, Illinois and New York, nurse practitioners cannot diagnose, treat or prescribe medication without physician involvement. Comparatively, 15 states and the District of Columbia allow nurse practitioners to diagnose, treat and prescribe medicine with no physician involvement, according to Community Catalyst, a national non-profit advocacy organization. The problem with the limited licensing of PAs and NPs is that where the scope of practice is limited, they aren’t especially effective in extending the “reach” of primary care. At the macro level, the restrictions discourage people from choosing a career as does not encourage people to choose being a mid-level provider "Why would someone choose to be a [mid-level provider] if they are facing an environment where they are trained for clinical activities but licensing laws prevent them from doing that?" Ms. Battani says.


So instead of a hospital simply hiring NPs and PAs, it can also get involved on a legislative level. Hospitals and health systems can use their influence to increase the amount of authority given to mid-level providers by the state, thus encouraging more people to enter the profession and safeguarding against a mid-level provider shortage.

Retain caregivers

In a world where physician supply is starting to run low, it is paramount for hospitals and health systems to retain the physicians they already employ, because recruiting physicians is becoming more difficult. While it is important for hospitals to retain quality physicians to combat the shortage, Ms. Battani says it is also important for hospitals to focus on retaining nurses and mid-level providers, especially as they are given more responsibility to lessen the workload of primary care physicians. "You don't want to implement changes to solve the primary care provider shortage but then create a problem for yourself in nursing capacity," she says. "They get overloaded and overstressed and then move out." Therefore, it is important for hospitals to make sure their nursing staff, as well as their employed and affiliated physicians, is happy.

Improve throughput

Improving patient and work flows will allow each caregiver in the system or hospital to perform more efficiently and productively. This becomes especially important when resources, in this case primary care providers, are scarce. If hospitals improve work flows within the organization, primary care physicians are able to use their time more efficiently. Ms. Battani acknowledges that changing work flows in a hospital is not an easy task, but has a suggestion to make it a bit easier. "I think hospitals need to embed this kind of thinking in all of the continuous quality improvement efforts," she says. "Because there are critical resource shortages, the continuous quality improvement needs to be applied to the throughput question." Besides helping with the use of scarce resources, improving efficiency in an organization will also help reduce cost. "The reduced cost can help pay for how hard [improving work flows] is to do," Ms. Battani says. While these three tips can help hospitals with the physician shortage in the short-term, the nation still needs to make long-term changes to really solve the shortage problem. According to Ms. Battani, one indicator that the nation is moving in the right direction is the announcement from CMS about fee schedule and payment rate changes for Medicare and Medicaid programs that favor primary care physicians. "One long-term trend that has exacerbated the primary care shortage was the longstanding decreases in primary care provider incomes, as a result of lower payment for primary care services, relative to specialty services.” Ms. Battani says. The payment structure made becoming a primary care physician unattractive, from an economic and lifestyle perspective, for medical students planning to enter the clinical workforce. "I was pleased to see those announcements because that is one of the things we need to change; we need to create incentives to practice primary care." For more information, view CSC’s paper: U.S. Healthcare Workforce Shortages: Caregivers.


Preparation key with Superstorm Sandy in Philadelphia region With Superstorm Sandy bearing down on the Philadelphia Tri-State region, nurses knew they had a role to fill, and neither rain nor high winds nor power outages nor fallen trees would keep them from their appointed rounds. "I was out on the floor at shift change, around 7 p.m. Monday [Oct. 29], talking to a nurse who had a run-in with a downed tree," said Sue Speero, RN, BSN, CCRN, nurse manager at South Jersey Healthcare’s Elmer (N.J.) Hospital. "I’m letting her tell her story, and all of a sudden we’re in total blackness. We were on generator power until about 10:30 a.m. Tuesday [Oct. 30]. It didn’t really limit us because the generator kicked in right away." The nurse, Melinda Pierce, RN, had been driving to work and, with surrounding lights out, didn’t see the fallen tree until her headlights fell upon it. "She had a short reaction time, swerved and scraped her car," Speero said. "She didn’t stop to look at damage; she just kept coming because she knew she was needed. That’s pretty awesome." Throughout the region, nurses kept staffing levels up, many beating the storm by coming to their hospitals early and staying overnight. They did their part in easing patient anxieties as hospitals made accommodations, which included discharging patients who could go home and postponing surgeries. At Christiana Care Health System in Newark, Del., Diane Talarek, RN, MA, NE-BC, CNO, said the accommodations ensured space was available for injured patients if the emergency included fires, collapsed houses or other disasters. Likewise, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia kept the census low in anticipation of the storm, said Eleanor Gates, RN, MSN, vice president of surgical trauma and director of the emergency management center. "It does all come down to preplanning," Talarek said. "We do have emergency management meetings every two months, and you think, 'Gee, why are we doing this?’ And the answer is — it’s things like this. You hope that things that happened in New York never happen to you, but you never know. It’s being able to execute a plan that you’ve talked about, and you practice it." For nurses, there’s the added task of comforting patients and letting them know emergency preparations have been made. "Nurses did a really good job reassuring the patients," said Cheryl Littlefield, RN, CHEP, emergency management coordinator at Beebe Medical Center in Lewes, Del. "Monday evening [Oct. 29] was our worst time. We lost power for a split second. One of the feeds to the hospital from the town failed, but we have another feed from another place as well as our own generator. The engineering folks were wonderful. We have backups for the backups." Communication remained important throughout the storm, with hospitals setting up command centers to


coordinate. Gates said Jefferson posted messages on its GetWellNetwork and on its website, while Littlefield said communication at Beebe included sending faxes between stations. "We asked the nurses how communication was going and got really good feedback," Littlefield said. "One thing we did was to use our fax machines in-house to print information and post at the nurses’ stations." And, Littlefield pointed out, nurses and staff need reassurance, too. "It starts with nurses preparing their homes and families so they can come to work," she said. "You have to make sure kids, even teenagers, have food, water and know what’s happening. Then you can focus on your patients with a clear mind." At Elmer and Kennedy Health System’s Cherry Hill, N.J., campus, out-of-town families and patients needed a little special care. Jonathan McCarthy, RN, MSN, MBA, NEA-BC, vice president of clinical services at the Cherry Hill campus, said a family from Singapore was in to visit their 89-year-old mother. "We didn’t want them trying to get to a hotel," he said. "There were no taxis, no public transportation. The patient had a private room, and we were able to set the whole family up in there. They raved about how nice everything was." McCarthy said Kennedy had a full staff of nurses on duty, even with significant call outs in other departments. Other facilities also were able to operate with full nursing staffs, something that came with planning. Littlefield said Beebe asked nurses to come prepared to stay overnight, and Speero said Elmer’s nurse managers worked to ensure nurses who lived near the hospital were scheduled. "We have nurses as far away as the shore areas," Speero said. "We didn’t want to have them scheduled, or if they were scheduled, they could come in early and stay at the hospital, make a switch or we would make arrangements for them to switch." Gates said Jefferson made sure nurses who stayed overnight had what they needed. "We provided sleeping accommodations here in our hospital," she said. "We have a disaster plan that provides for areas that we turn into sleeping areas. We have inflatable mattresses, sheets, pillows and blankets. We give them toiletries if they don’t have them. We give them a meal ticket in our cafeteria, and we also give them a parking pass." McCarthy said nurses maintained 100% staffing and stepped up outside the hospitals. "From a commitment standpoint, nurses from all three of our facilities volunteered to staff local shelters," he said. At Christiana, Talarek said, teamwork was essential. "People really pulled together," she said. "They always do. On one ICU, you wouldn’t even know weather was going on. They brought big suitcases, they ordered out — I don’t know where it was from — and they were having their pizza together. It was like a slumber party."


While emergency preparation kicks into high gear when a storm is approaching, being ready is a year-round task, McCarthy said. "We used the Hospital Incident Command System," he said. "It’s a [Federal Emergency Management Agency] thing, and I think all hospitals are on it. It does work. I think the one lesson that we learned from Irene that we’ve been working on all year is for people to know their roles. It helps that all agencies are speaking the same language, have the same systems, have the same responsibilities across organizations. "It really does work and the better you are at being able to deploy it, the better these things go." John Grochowski is a copy editor.

1 HireDiversity.com November 12, 2012

Health‐CareJobsaHotCommodityinSouthJersey Nov 12, 2012

Brian Ianieri

Job applications have been streaming in to the region's hospitals, which receive thousands of resumes monthly for hundreds of open positions. Historically major employers, hospitals and health care systems have gained new significance as job creators thanks to industry growth -- even as the overall economy slumped, leaving the region and state struggling with high unemployment. Now, as federal directives and an aging population shape the future of health care, regional systems expect to remain major employers but are seeing shifts to careers focusing on preventive and outpatient care. And although hospitals report high volumes of job applications, some health care specialties are in high demand. Health care systems with hospitals in Atlantic, Cape May and Cumberland counties -- AtlantiCare, Shore Medical, Cape Regional and South Jersey Healthcare -- employ more than 11,400 full-time, part-time and at-will workers, they reported. Overall they have more employees than they did four years ago, and interest remains strong in many positions, including clinical professionals, security, maintenance and business. "Just with the economy as it is in the area, nearly all entry-level positions -- even without advertising -- we get a large number of applicants," said Alan Beatty, vice president of human resources for Shore Medical Center in Somers Point. "There are some specialty positions in pharmacy and nursing that are more difficult to fill." In response to the hospital's growth in surgical areas, Beatty said, Shore created a school to train registered nurses in the operating room specialty. Six nurses were selected for the program, which drew nearly 50 applicants, he said. "To find the right person, the right competency, the training is going to be important for all of us, more so than ever before," he said. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts occupations related to health care and personal care will have the fastest job growth this decade, with health care and social assistance projected to create about 28 percent of all jobs.


Registered nurses and home health aides will both add substantial numbers of jobs nationally -- more than 1.4 million through 2020, the bureau says. New Jersey's 72 acute-care hospitals paid about $7.9 billion in employee salaries in 2011, up 4 percent from $7.6 billion in 2010, the New Jersey Hospital Association reported in October. "Even in a down economy, hospitals and health care are an important and reliable source of jobs," said Kerry McKean Kelly, spokeswoman for the Hospital Association, a Princeton-based trade group. McKean Kelly expects long-term growth to occur on the primary care side -- primary care physicians, advanced practical nurses -- as well as growth in areas that try to keep citizens healthier and manage chronic conditions before they require hospitalization. Dietitians, for example, may play a crucial role in treating the obesity epidemic, she said. As the population ages, health care should remain a growth industry, but one that can be affected by federal policies, she said. "There's good news and bad news on the jobs front," McKean Kelly said. "The good news is hospitals and health care have been a very reliable source of jobs throughout the recession, and there's been significant growth in health care employment throughout the recession." An ongoing concern involves reimbursement rates from Medicare. Typically, New Jersey hospitals can get about a 90 percent reimbursement through the federal program, she said. That may change next year due to a proposed 2 percent cut in reimbursements stemming from federal deficit talks last year and the Budget Control Act of 2011, she said. Such cuts could result in a $133 million reduction the first year for hospitals, nursing homes, home health agencies and other facilities. This does not affect Medicare patients but the amount of reimbursement hospitals receive for the care, she said. Ultimately, this could influence job creation across the country and the state. The largest hospital system in the region is AtlantiCare, which includes AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center's City and Mainland campuses and a health system with nearly 70 sites in southeastern New Jersey. AtlantiCare has more than 5,200 employees, about 72 percent of which are full time, and an annual payroll of about $280 million, said Richard Lovering, vice president for human resources and organizational development at AtlantiCare. The work force has grown by 412 jobs, or more than 8 percent, in the past four years, he said. Nursing represents the largest portion of the work force as a single profession, making up about 28 percent of it, he said.


Lovering said AtlantiCare receives 5,000 to 6,000 job applications a month and routinely carries openings for 200 to 300 positions. AtlantiCare sees growth ahead in outpatient and urgent care, he said. "We've really geared up care management in the second half of 2011 and are really hitting our stride this year. As we see more and more cases going to the primary care setting, we'll need more of that work force," he said. "As the inpatient side stabilizes, this is where we'd have nurses move to care manager settings." Shore Medical Center has 1,572 employees, with 31 open positions, Beatty said. "The delivery of health care is going to be changing. Health care reform is still a work to be decided as to what it will look like in the future, but the delivery of care has already started changing from a few years ago," he said. Cape Regional Medical Center employs about 1,200 people, including 824 full-time positions. The hospital has an annual payroll of more than $50 million, spokesman Tom Piratzky said. Piratzky said significant growth has occurred in outpatient services. In the past two years, Cape Regional Health System added 14 physicians to Cape Regional Physicians Associates, five advanced practice nurses and 63 nurses and support staff in seven offices in Cape May County. In August, Cape Regional Physical Therapy opened in Cape May Court House and the Seaville section of Upper Township, employing 10 people. Cape Regional has openings for 19 full-time positions and five part-time ones, Piratzky said. Some of the more difficult positions to fill include nurses with specialty experience, including intensive care and operating, as well as occupational and physical therapists and pharmacists, he said. The hospital anticipates continued growth in outpatient services as well at Cape Regional Physicians, Cape Regional Physical Therapy, Cape Regional Urgent Care and Cape Visiting Nurse Association, its home health and hospice services, he said. South Jersey Healthcare employs about 3,400 people, including 2,486 full time. Registered nurses make up the largest group -- about 800, said Diana Gervasi, manager of marketing communications. In 10 years, South Jersey Healthcare has grown from about 2,300 employees. "Even though we have a high number of applicants, we continue to face challenges when it comes to filling positions in some nursing specialty areas," Gervasi wrote in an email. There are 240 open positions at South Jersey Healthcare.


SJH Hospice Tree Lighting When:

Sunday, November 18

Sunday, December 2

Where: Bridgeton and Elmer,

Description:

Two trees with hundreds of lights will soon shine brightly throughout the holiday season in memory of loved ones lost. Area residents are invited to join South Jersey Healthcare HospiceCare’s for its 2012 Trees of Light Ceremony. The traditional tree lighting ceremony will be held in Bridgeton at 5 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 18 and at 5 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 2 in Elmer. SJH HospiceCare’s Trees of Light have given the bereaved a holiday tradition of their own for more than 20 years. Attendees can donate $10 to place a light on the tree in commemoration of their loved one. The donations are used to support SJH HospiceCare’s bereavement programs. After a short dedication ceremony and lighting of the trees, the names of those being remembered will be read by staff and volunteers of HospiceCare.

1 Southern NJ Development Council November 13, 2012

Health care jobs a hot commodity in South Jersey Posted on November 13, 2012

Job applications have been streaming in to the region’s hospitals, which receive thousands of resumes monthly for hundreds of open positions.

Historically major employers, hospitals and health care systems have gained new significance as job creators thanks to industry growth – even as the overall economy slumped, leaving the region and state struggling with high unemployment.

Now, as federal directives and an aging population shape the future of health care, regional systems expect to remain major employers but are seeing shifts to careers focusing on preventive and outpatient care.

Health care systems with hospitals in Atlantic, Cape May and Cumberland counties – AtlantiCare, Shore Medical, Cape Regional and South Jersey Healthcare – employ more than 11,400 full-time, part-time and at-will workers, they reported. Overall they have more employees than they did four years ago, and interest remains strong in many positions, including clinical professionals, security, maintenance and business.


REGIONAL NEWS

Vineland, NJ - Health Systems Finalize Merger Posted on: November 14, 2012

South Jersey Health System and Underwood-Memorial Health Systems, Woodbury, NJ, recently signed an official merger agreement. The two organizations, parent companies of South Jersey Healthcare and Underwood-Memorial Hospital respectively, began merger discussions last May.

By incorporating best practices from each organization, the organizations will work toward facilitating a system-wide standard of care that they believe will more efficiently and effectively provide patient-focused healthcare.

"We are particularly anxious to begin exploring ways to enhance a number of our clinical service lines, including cardiovascular, oncology, women's health, surgery and neurosciences," said Eileen Cardile, MS, RN, CNA, president and CEO of Underwood-Memorial Hospital. "By learning from the best practices of both South Jersey Healthcare and Underwood-Memorial Hospital, we will develop processes that foster excellence across our new network."

As outlined in the agreement, representatives from both the South Jersey Health System and Underwood-Memorial Health Systems Boards of Trustees will hold seats on the newly formed system board. The organizations will also retain individual boards of trustees that will provide leadership for their hospitals.

1 H&HN November 2012

Web Extras

Appointments

• Joseph E. Parrillo, M.D., became chairman of Hackensack (N.J.) University Medical Center's Heart &Vascular Hospital in October. He was professor and chairman of the Department of Medicine at Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, chief of the Department of Medicine, the Edward D. Viner chair of the Department of Medicine and director of Cooper Heart Institute at Cooper University Hospital in Camden, N.J.

• Cecil B. Wilson, M.D., former American Medical Association president, became president of the World Medical Association at its October general assembly meeting in Bangkok, Thailand. The WMA comprises of 100 national medical associations.

Mergers

• Sinai Health System and Holy Cross Hospital signed a definitive agreement for Holy Cross to join the Sinai System at the end of this year. They are neighboring institutions in Chicago. Holy Cross Hospital, currently sponsored by the Sisters of St. Casimir, will retain its Catholic identity.

• The merger of 421-bed South Jersey Healthcare, Vineland, N.J., and 305-bed Underwood Memorial Hospital, Woodbury, N.J., has received federal approval.

Projects

• Children's Hospital of Richmond (Va.) at VCU began construction in September on an $80 million, 640,000-square-foot Children's Pavilion that will include exam rooms; a surgical area with operating and procedure rooms; areas for diagnostic testing, imaging and lab services; and faculty offices. The project is slated for completion in August 2015. Skanska USA is the construction contractor.

Openings

• Sanford Children's Clinic in Klamath Falls, Ore., opened its doors, providing pediatric specialty services including primary and walk-in services all under one roof. The new Castle of Care officially opened on Oct. 1. The 9,000-square-foot facility was made possible by partnerships in the local community, including Sky Lakes Medical Center, the Jeld-Wen Foundation and Klamath Pediatric Clinic. The clinic will be staffed by local pediatricians and will be in cooperation with Sky Lakes Medical Center for hospital and ancillary services. The Sanford Children's Clinic in Klamath Falls is part of Sanford World Clinic, an initiative outlined after a donation from South Dakota businessman and philanthropist Denny Sanford in 2007. A portion of the donation is being used to establish a network of Sanford Children's Clinics in communities around the world in order to increase access to pediatric care.

2 H&HN November 2012

• Good Samaritan Hospital, Kearney, Neb., in September celebrated the grand opening of the West Tower expansion, a project that expands the regional referral facility by more than 120,000 square feet. Also serving as the new home of the Ron and Carol Cope Heart Center, the expansion includes new surgical suites and surgical support departments, new endoscopy suites, and a new cafeteria and dining area. The new heart center consolidates many of the cardiac services offered at Good Samaritan, including outpatient testing, diagnostic and interventional catheterizations, and open heart surgery, into one location. AECOM was planner, architect, interior designer, MEP and structural engineer, and construction manager at risk.

• Community Health Network, Indianapolis, broke ground for the new Community Regional Cancer Center-South on the campus of Community Hospital South. The $24 million, 65,000-square-foot facility will include three-stories dedicated to patient treatment, group support and physician offices; treatment areas for radiation oncology, medical oncology; a pharmacy and a laboratory; a healing garden; and room for future growth. The architect for the project is BSA Life Structures. The center will open in the fall of 20

This article first appeared in the November 2012 issue of H&HN magazine.

Rooms For New Arrivals

Ask your doctor about delivery at

SJH Elmer Hospital.

www.SJHealthcare.net

SJH Elmer Hospital Maternity CareDelivering More for Our Patients

Whether you're having your firstbaby or adding to your family,

South Jersey Healthcare Elmer HospitalMaternityCare will deliver more for youand your new child. With warm, home-like suites and a staff committed to clinicaland service excellence, MaternityCare atElmer Hospital consistently exceeds theexpectations of women and their families.

Our five birthing suites are spacious,allowing you to share the birthing experiencewith your family by your side. Each labor-delivery-recovery-post partum suite has a

private bathroom, four of the five havewhirlpool tubs and the fifth has a birthingtub, the first of its kind in the region.

Our highly trained and friendlyphysicians, certified nurse midwives,nurses and other medical professionalswork together to provide exceptionalcare and manage expectant mothers’pregnancies. This teamwork among SJHmedical professionals means you and yournewborn will benefit from a partnershipthat provides you with quality care that’sclose to your home and family.

If you would like a free tour of SJH Elmer Hospital’s MaternityCare services, please call us at (888) SJH-WOMAN or visit our Web site at www.SJHealthcare.net.

Bringing family-centered advanced care to the families of South Jersey

When your child is sick, you expect the best care possible – but you also want the comforting feeling of knowing what’s going on and what to expect next. Working together, specialists from Nemours and South Jersey Healthcare give you access to expert pediatric care here at your community hospital. The renowned specialists from Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, one of the nation’s best, provide advanced inpatient and emergency care, heart care and neonatal intensive care. With a commitment to guiding your family every step of the way. We’re close when it matters most – so you can stay close to your child. Your child. Our promise.

Find the services nearest you at Nemours.org. To schedule an appointment with a Nemours specialist, call (800) 416-4441.

“South Jersey Healthcare and the Nemours physicians really comforted me through this difficult time.”

-Mother of a premature infant

Ranked in 9 out of 10 specialties by U.S. News & World Report: Cancer, Cardiology & Heart Surgery, Gastroenterology, Neonatology, Nephrology, Neurology & Neurosurgery, Orthopedics, Pulmonology and Urology

Refresh Yourself with Yoga ...and Feel the Benefits

Open to

non-members

Call SJH Fitness

Connection

(856) 696-3924

www.SJHealthcare.net/FitnessConnection

Sunday Mornings, 10amStarting Nov. 11, 10amPrenatal Yoga, 11:30 amMonday Evenings, 6:30pmStarting Nov.19Friday Evenings, 6:30pmStarting Nov. 9Instructor- Linda Schimmel

oga is a series of movements and postures that improve flexibility, strength and muscle tone. Breathing exercises and meditation are used to promote relaxation and help manage stress.

This is a six week session beginning Friday, Nov. 9, 2012

Y

Bringing family-centered advanced care to the families of South Jersey

When your child is sick, you expect the best care possible – but you also want the comforting feeling of knowing what’s going on and what to expect next. Working together, specialists from Nemours and South Jersey Healthcare give you access to expert pediatric care here at your community hospital. The renowned specialists from Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, one of the nation’s best, provide advanced inpatient and emergency care, heart care and neonatal intensive care. With a commitment to guiding your family every step of the way. We’re close when it matters most – so you can stay close to your child. Your child. Our promise.

Find the services nearest you at Nemours.org. To schedule an appointment with a Nemours specialist, call (800) 416-4441.

“South Jersey Healthcare and the Nemours physicians really comforted me through this difficult time.”

-Mother of a premature infant

Ranked in 9 out of 10 specialties by U.S. News & World Report: Cancer, Cardiology & Heart Surgery, Gastroenterology, Neonatology, Nephrology, Neurology & Neurosurgery, Orthopedics, Pulmonology and Urology

Call (856) 696-3924

or sign up at the front deskwww.SJHealthcare.net/FitnessConnection

Monday, Nov., 19, 6 pm • SJH Fitness Connection 1430 W. Sherman Ave.

Jump start this Holiday Season and New Year with a Mindful Eating Approach

with Megan Bosacco, RD

A New Year, a New You

Topics of discussion include:

~ Mindful Munching and Nutritious Noshing ~

~ The Mighty Metabolism~ ~ The Moderation Miracle ~

~ Realistic steps to achieve your goals ~ There will be a time for

Q & A after the discussion

Megan wants to share her secrets to success!

ADVERTISEMENT

Fungal meningitis and tainted steroid injectionshave made national headlines for the past several

weeks. What you might not have heard about is therapid and outstanding response of our health systemin partnership with local and state agencies to thetainted medication that was provided here in ourcommunity. As a health system, we havecontingency plans in place for all types of situations,and it is rewarding and comforting to see these plansimplemented effectively.

From the first announcement of the voluntaryrecall of the medication to the rapid outreach toeveryone who received the injections in ourhospitals, to the clinics we set up in less than a dayto see concerned members of the community, thelocal response has been commendable.

As recommended by the New Jersey Departmentof Health and Centers for Disease Control, ourstaff have worked to contact all patients whoreceived the recalled medication and it has beenremoved from our pharmacies. We also removedthe only other product used in our organizationmade by the same manufacturer. This product hadnot yet been recalled, but, again, we actedproactively to ensure the safety of our patients.

Our next step was to set up special phone lines tobe answered by nurses who could answer questionsfrom patients who had received the epiduralsteroid injections. We also put in place thenecessary staff to hold special clinic hours forconcerned patients.

Throughout all of this, we worked closely with ourpartners at the County, City of Vineland and NewJersey departments of health. We also made every

effort to work with local and regional media tomake sure accurate and useful information wasprovided to the public.

I want to thank everyone who has been involved inresponding to this unfortunate situation. Specialthanks go out to our infectious disease physiciansDr. David Kaufman, Dr. David Galetto and Dr.John Ahrens for their untiring medical leadershipand deep concern for our patients. Our Pharmacyteam, Infectious Disease and Prevention staff,Emergency Rooms, Nursing Department,Emergency Preparedness leadership, Laboratoryand Medical Staff have also responded admirably.Many other departments and individuals haveplayed a part in our response to this situation andthey all deserve our thanks.

These extraordinary efforts have not goneunnoticed by our New Jersey Department ofHealth. I was honored that Health CommissionerMary O’Dowd expressed her appreciation for allthat our health system has done to mitigate thepossible impact of the tainted medication and toprovide the needed services to our community.

You may be wondering how this medication madeits way into our community and why it wasprovided by physicians in our facilities. I can assureyou that we take the purchase and distribution ofmedications in our facilities very seriously. We havea formalized ordering process in our pharmacy andwe partner with a group purchasing organizationthat monitors medication vendors, giving us anadditional layer of oversight.

Most importantly, this medication that wasconnected to cases of fungal meningitis was not

offered to our patients because it was an inexpensivealternative. In fact, it was more expensive than themedications we are currently using to replace them.The formula that this company provided happenedto be a variety that our physicians preferred and feltworked best for their patients for nearly eight years.And because of medication shortages nationwide,this specific formula was not consistently availablefrom other sources.

I want to reiterate that our patients’ safety is alwaysour first priority. As the nationwide examination ofhow medications are produced and distributed tohospitals continues, we intend to stay vigilant inour efforts to ensure patient safety. Please knowthat South Jersey Healthcare remains committed toproviding the needed medical and logisticalassistance to help our community and state dealwith this serious public health issue.

We continue to encourage anyone who may feelthey are experiencing signs or symptoms ofmeningitis to immediately contact their physician,or visit one of our emergency departments. Ourstaff and physicians have been handling this healthissue admirably since it started and are well trainedand prepared to offer assistance to anyone in ourcommunity that needs it. For more information,please visit our web site at www.SJHealthcare.net.

Response to tainted medicationhas been commendableBy Chet Kaletkowski, SJH President and CEO

®


Everywhere you look, the people of southern New Jersey are building strong communities. South Jersey Healthcare is proud to play a part.

With highly experienced clinical professionals and the mostadvanced technology – we’re focused on your well-being.at’s empowering South Jersey to be the best it can be.

Making South Jersey

Happy 50th Anniversary.South Jersey Healthcare is proud to support

the Cumberland County Guidance Center.

Physician Referral Hotline 1-800-770-7547 • www.SJHealthcare.net

Everywhere you look, the people of southern New Jersey are building strong communities. South Jersey Healthcare is proud to play a part.With highly experienced clinical professionals and the mostadvanced technology – we’re focused on your well-being.at’s empowering South Jersey to be the best it can be.

Making South Jersey

South Jersey Healthcare is proud to support the Underwood-Memorial Hospital Foundation.

Physician Referral Hotline 1-800-770-7547 • www.SJHealthcare.net

South Jersey Healthcare congratulatesthe nominees for the March of Dimes

Nurse of the Year Awards.You exemplify the excellence in patient

care and professionalism that is South Jersey Healthcare Nursing.

Congratulations on all you’ve achieved.

Congratulations


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