Spring 2008 - Trinitas Regional Medical Center

Transcription

Spring 2008
Exclusive Interview…
Celebrating
Extraordinary Lives
“ABC News 20/20”
Correspondent Bob Brown
Creates Memorable Portraits
Educating Nurses for Vital
and Dynamic Careers
Spring Awakening
Bring a Breath of Fresh
Air to Your Surroundings
Photo: Ida Astute for ABC News
TRINITAS
BEHAVIORAL HEALTH
& PSYCHIATRY
We’re Here for You!
Trinitas Hospital’s Behavioral
Health services are among the
most comprehensive in the state. Trinitas provides a full range of
inpatient and outpatient psychiatric care for seniors, adults, adolescents and children. Pictured are staff members of the Dually
Diagnosed Inpatient Unit, which is unique in New Jersey. For more
information call (908) 994-7452.
HOSPITAL
Serving Our
Community
With Ten Centers
of Excellence.
CANCER CARE
Since opening in September
2005, the $28 million
Comprehensive Cancer Center
remains the only place in the
state that provides patients with the state-of-the-art Trilogy linear
accelerator. Trinitas Hospital recently unveiled the state’s newest
inpatient Cancer Care Unit, complete with 23 private patient
rooms, specialized staff and equipment, and patient amenities
such as plasma screen televisions. For more information call
(908) 994-8000.
CARDIOLOGY
www.TrinitasHospital.org
Trinitas maintains a full-service
cardiac facility for the intensive
care of patients with heart disease. Patients in need of elective
angioplasty services can now undergo this procedure at Trinitas.
The hospital has provided emergency angioplasty surgery for several years with superior outcomes. For more information call
(908) 994-5695.
MATERNAL &
CHILD HEALTH
Trinitas Hospital is a Catholic Teaching
Hospital sponsored by the Sisters of
Charity of Saint Elizabeth in partnership
with Elizabethtown Healthcare Foundation.
Our spacious 20-bed Mother/Baby
postpartum unit features private
rooms and showers, and modern
Labor/Delivery/Recovery rooms. A Level II Intermediate Care Nursery,
presence of a 24 hour in-house neonatologist and obstetrician, and a
24 hour midwife are hallmarks of our care. Our Pediatric Unit offers
11 beds, centralized monitoring and 24 hour in-house physician coverage. For information, call Maternal Health (908) 994-5294 and
(908) 994-5760 for Pediatrics.
RENAL CARE
225 Williamson Street
Elizabeth, NJ 07207
(908) 994-5000
Home to the End Stage Renal
Program for Eastern Union County,
Trinitas is committed to patients
experiencing kidney failure. Recently, the Hospital was recognized as
having among the best clinical outcomes out of the 1,600 hospitals
and dialysis centers in the Premier network. For more information
call (908) 994-5127.
SENIORS SERVICES
Trinitas Hospital’s commitment to seniors
takes many forms, including the establishment of the Acute Care for the Elderly (ACE)
nursing unit, The Brother Bonaventure
Extended Care Center and the Seniors First
Program that offers free valet parking at the Hospital, discounts in
the gift shop and cafeteria, and special events. For more information call 1-888-8TRINITAS.
SCHOOL OF NURSING
The Trinitas School of Nursing, affiliated with Union County College, has
been supplying the community with
highly qualified nurses since 1891. This innovative program also
boasts one of the state’s highest success rates among its graduates
who take the NCLEX registered nurse licensing exam and a faculty
that is first in the U.S. to be 100% certified in Nursing Education.
For more information call (908) 659-5200.
SLEEP DISORDERS
Accredited by the American Academy
of Sleep Medicine, the Sleep
Disorders Center provides monitored,
fully-attended diagnostic sleep
studies designed to rule out physical, non-stress related symptoms
that may prevent restful sleep. A team of trained sleep specialists
supervise each study in a spacious new facility. For more information call (908) 994-8694.
WOMEN’S SERVICES
Innovative diagnostic services include digital
mammography, breast biopsy, bone density
screening and ultrasound. Women can visit the
hospital for these latest modalities as well as
cosmetic and reconstructive surgery and innovative surgical care for female incontinence. For more information,
call the Women’s Imaging Center (908) 994-5984, or for other
services, (908) 994-5138.
WOUND HEALING &
HYPERBARIC MEDICINE
The Trinitas Hospital Center for
Wound Healing and Hyperbaric
Medicine is one of the best in the nation. Specially trained certified
nurses and physicians treat those with chronic, hard to heal wounds.
A variety of proven clinical treatments and coordinated care assures
excellent outcomes. If you or someone you know suffers from a
wound that won’t heal, please call the Center for more information
at (908) 994-5480.
Magazine
SPRING 2008
Welcome to…
I am very proud to announce that Trinitas received a number of accolades recognizing our excellence in three key
areas: patient care, workplace environment, and marketing.
The publication you are holding is the winner of the prestigious IRIS Award sponsored by the New Jersey Chapter of
the International Association of Business Communicators (NJ/IABC). Founded in 1970, the IABC provides a professional
network of more than 13,000 business communication professionals in over 60 countries. The IRIS Award recognizes
excellence in innovative and effective use of media, overall quality of writing, design, execution, and successful achievement of communications objectives.
Trinitas Hospital’s success in preventing pressure ulcers among our patients has led to our designation as a Mentor
Hospital by the Institute of Healthcare Improvement (IHI). As one of 13 mentor hospitals nationwide, Trinitas is looked
upon to provide support, advice and clinical expertise to hospitals that request assistance with their implementation
strategies. Pressure ulcers are sections of the skin that break down when one remains in the same position for an
extended period of time. An interdisciplinary team at Trinitas addressed this problem through a number of innovations
including the purchase of new beds with state-of-the-art features that help reduce the incidence of pressure ulcers.
Based on employee survey data and a comprehensive review of our Human Resource benefits and policies, NJBIZ
has announced that Trinitas has again joined the ranks of the Best Places to Work in New Jersey. This year marks the
third in a row that NJBIZ has recognized us as among the best 25 large companies in the state. Our fine employees are
the reason we attained this recognition and they are critical to our ongoing success.
Happy reading!
Gary S. Horan, FACHE
President & CEO
SPRING 2008
1
CONTENTS
SPRING 2008
FEATURES
3 Celebrating Extraordinary Lives
“ABC News 20/20” Correspondent Bob Brown Creates
Memorable Portraits
8 Educating Nurses for Vital and Dynamic Careers
Schools in Elizabeth Have Exceptional Impact
12 Nursing: A Career that Counts
Why Nurses Choose to Serve and Care for Others
18 Spring Awakening
Bring a Breath of Fresh Air to Your Surroundings
25 Bringing Better Health Abroad
30 Easing the Grip of Incontinence
Victor M. Richel
Chairman, Trinitas Health & Hospital
Board of Trustees
32 Loving the Skin You’re In
Gary S. Horan, FACHE
President & CEO, Trinitas Hospital
IN EVERY ISSUE
HEALTHYEDGE STAFF
Executive Editor. . . . . . . . . . . . Doug Harris
Director of Public Relations and Marketing
Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kathryn C. Salamone
Manager, Public Relations and Marketing
Contributing Writers . Rena Kotik-Sandberg,
Jennifer Salamone, Judith Trojan
Contributing Photographers . Doug Harris,
Kathryn C. Salamone
Graphic Design . . . . . . . . . . Jama Bowman
ADVERTISING INQUIRIES:
Rob Rubilla
(908) 337-3276
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR:
Healthy Edge
Public Relations Department
Trinitas Hospital
Elizabeth, New Jersey 07207
If you are not interested in your copy of
HEALTHYEDGE which is sent to you free of
charge, please feel free to pass it along to
someone else.
2
HEALTHYEDGE
22 Community Calendar
24 Physicians and Surgeons Directory
34 Vital Signs:
Trinitas Comprehensive Cancer Center News
37 Foundation Focus:
News of the Trinitas Health Foundation
40 Hospital Beat:
People and Events of Note
Trinitas Hospital is a Catholic Teaching Hospital sponsored by the Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth
in partnership with Elizabethtown Healthcare Foundation.
HEALTHYEDGE Magazine is published quarterly by Trinitas Hospital and Trinitas Comprehensive
Cancer Center, 225 Williamson Street, Elizabeth, NJ, 07207.
This is Volume 2, Issue 1. This material is designed for information purposes only. None of the
information provided in Healthy Edge constitutes, directly or indirectly, the practice of medicine, the
dispensing of medical services, a professional diagnosis or a treatment plan. The information in
Healthy Edge should not be considered complete nor should it be relied on to suggest a course of
treatment for a particular individual. You should not rely on information provided in Healthy Edge
as a substitute for personal medical attention, diagnosis or hands-on treatment. You should never
disregard medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read in Healthy
Edge. If you have any health care related concerns, please call or see your physician or other
qualified health care provider.
HEALTHYEDGE EXCLUSIVE
Celebrating Extraordinary Lives
Photo: ABC News
“ABC NEWS 20/20” CORRESPONDENT BOB BROWN
CREATES MEMORABLE PORTRAITS by Judith Trojan
T
There is no mistaking Bob Brown’s voice. Authoritative and distinctive, warm
and engaging, the voice gently threads TV viewers through the lives of some very
“special” individuals. On air and on paper, the veteran “ABC News 20/20”
correspondent is quite simply a master storyteller.
Sometimes celebrated but most often unknown, frequently eccentric yet highly
inventive, fraught with physical or mental challenges, his subjects inspire us with
the innovative ways they take the bull by the horns and tackle obstacles that would
daunt most mortals.
Surprisingly, the native Oklahoman dreamt of life on a national stage at an early
age. He hit the boards as a young actor in local theatre productions, modeling his
voice on the spoken word recordings of Laurence Olivier and Charles Laughton
and studying with the voice coach who trained hometown heroes Tony Randall
and Paul Harvey.
Brown segued from little theatre to the local broadcast marketplace in hometown Tulsa, finally landing a national gig in New York City as general assignment
correspondent for the “ABC Evening News.” Three years later, in August 1980, he
signed on as a fulltime correspondent for “ABC News 20/20” and began to build
his award-winning signature body of work.
Interviewed by phone from ABC Studios in New York City, Brown recalled the
mentor who had far-reaching impact on his career, and the pivotal human interest
stories that changed his life and continue to touch the lives of millions of viewers
across the country in unforgettable ways.
“The people that I really look
forward to filming are the
ones who would otherwise go
unnoticed, and who have these
extraordinary gifts to offer all
of us. To the extent that I can
facilitate the way they offer
their gifts, I’m very happy.”
–Bob Brown
INTERVIEW
Your stories for ‘ABC News 20/20’
consistently celebrate unsung heroes.
What or who provoked this fascination with such personalities?
BB: When I started in broadcasting
in high school, my mentor was Milton
Haynes. We worked at a radio station in
Tulsa. He was seven years older and
came from a very poor family. He paid
his way through what college he could
afford, and saved his money in order to
make a trip to New York and try his talent. He was the most brilliant, effervescent, kind person I ever knew and one
of the first individuals I knew in my life
who had not come from a background
that would have supported that kind of
accomplishment. He got a CBS
Fellowship, went to work for CBS
as a correspondent, was assigned to
the Congo, then got a job at PBS as an
anchor. Eventually, he quit broadcasting
and got a degree in psychology. We
stayed in touch until he died in 2002.
Do you think that your drive to profile inspiring subjects has been an
unconscious attempt to reconnect
with him?
BB: Absolutely. I never would have
thought of it that way. Not only to
reconnect with him, but to tell the
stories in a way that would live up to
his expectations of what a great story
should be. He was a harsh critic, but
harsh in a way that made you want to
be more productive and made you
understand why what you had done
didn’t meet the standards that he set
for you. That to me is what a mentor
really is. It’s someone who sets standards that you’re not yet capable of
Continued on page 4
SPRING 2008
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HEALTHYEDGE
reaching, but who understands that
someday you will be capable of reaching them, and who is able to lead you
toward that. It’s a lost art.
How did you transition from
general assignment reporting for
the ‘ABC Evening News’ to writing
and reporting human interest stories
for ‘ABC News 20/20’?
BB: One of the stories that resulted in
my getting assigned to my first story
for ‘20/20’ was my coverage of the
Harlem portion of Pope John Paul II’s
visit to New York in 1979.
Based on how Milt had recommended I approach things, I convinced
the assignment desk to give me a crew
about 12 hours before the Pope was
supposed to arrive. I went to the street
where he was going to visit between
four and five a.m., just to learn how he
was going to affect a particular aspect
of that environment.
We found a woman leaning out
her second story window in a row of
brownstones on that block. She was
smart and articulate and had children
from Head Start to High School. I
decided to shoot the story from her
point of view. I took our cameras and
shot out the window of the woman’s
apartment, with her leaning out the
window.
We followed how the day
progressed up to the point when the
Pope arrived. By that time, we had this
really incredible picture of one block in
America that was completely animated
by the presence of this man.
How many stories do you cover in
any given year?
BB: The average probably ranges from
a low of 16, to a high of 25. But the
25 would include other shows that are
also produced by ‘ABC News,’ like
‘Medical Mysteries,’ a multiple episode
series that runs several times a year.
What recent medical ‘mystery’ comes
to mind?
BB: One of my upcoming stories is
about two men who both had strokes
and, as a result of the strokes, their
personalities changed completely. They
began to paint and create art, utterly
divorced from anything or any talents
that anybody had ever recognized in
them before. They still don’t understand why the strokes affected their
brains in that way.
One worked as a builder in
Liverpool, and his colleagues reported
that he had a fiery temper and aggressive personality, at no point interested
in creative arts. Following his stroke,
and two weeks after surgery, he began
to fill several notebooks with poems
and verse. In the following months,
he drew hundreds of sketches, mainly
faces. He claimed the brain injury had
left him obsessed with making art, and
he now spends most of his days painting and sculpting. I don’t think anyone
knows what the future is for these two
stroke patients because I’m told they
don’t understand enough about it yet
to really predict.
One of your most captivating stories
for ‘20/20,’ ‘Father Goose,’ was
reborn as the 1996 feature film,
‘Fly Away Home.’ In a most inventive
way, Bill Lishman literally taught a
flock of young, abandoned geese
to migrate. Has he continued this
fascinating work or was this a onetime phenomenon?
BB: I had follow-up contact with him
and his colleague to find out whether
it was just something extraordinary
that happened with the geese or
whether there really was a purpose
behind it that they had hoped there
would be. And indeed there was. In
the succeeding years, they applied the
same techniques to restore Whooping
Cranes to their migratory patterns and
Trumpeter Swans as well.
Any follow-up to your story on Bill
Porter, the door-to-door salesman
from Oregon who triumphed despite
being afflicted with cerebral palsy?
BB: There was an astounding
demand for him to give inspirational
speeches as a result of our story.
Fortunately, when we shot the story,
the Internet was just becoming a
source where you could go and order
products. After our story aired in
December 1997, his Web site did
extraordinary business; and he received
an award at the Kennedy Center in
Washington from the National Council
on Communicative Disorders.
You seemed visibly moved when Bill
started talking about his mother’s
decline. That was an incredibly
powerful sequence in your story.
BB: She had Alzheimer’s disease. What
really affected me was that his mother
had been his mentor. She was the one
who knew that he could go beyond
what anybody expected of him, and
she led him to the point where he
became the person that he wanted
to be.
Without her care and vision, he
would probably have been
institutionalized as a child and
never had an opportunity to
realize his potential.
BB: That’s exactly what they had recommended doing with him. But then
when she had Alzheimer’s, she was
begging him not to leave the house.
By that time, he was supporting her
and had no choice but to continue
with his life. He would come home
to her every night, of course; but every
day, she would beg him not to go.
When you try to imagine yourself in
a circumstance like that, it’s heartbreaking.
He appeared to be such a gentle
soul.
BB: He’s a very sweet man with a
terrific sense of humor. He cared very
much for the people who worked with
him, to the extent that he would stay
up for hours and type out his orders
with one finger rather than ask someone else to do it.
Did William H. Macy seek your advice
when he filmed Porter’s story for TNT?
BB: I never spoke with him,
although I did have lunch with the
producer of the movie. I’m always
flattered and happy when those stories
are seen as valuable enough to make
into movies which are a very permanent representation of them. But I’m
careful not to have anything directly
to do with that process. I would never
do a story thinking that I might obtain
some value from it in the future.
Continued on page 6
THE MANY LIVES OF BOB BROWN STORIES
Door to Door (TNT/2002)
“Bill Porter” (ABC News 20/20)
Fly Away Home (Columbia
Pictures/1996) “Father Goose—
Bill Lishman”
(ABC News 20/20)
The Pursuit of Happyness
(Columbia Pictures/2006)
“Rags to Riches—Chris Gardner”
(ABC News 20/20)
Their Second Chance
(Lifetime Television/1997)
“Long Lost Love”
(ABC News 20/20)
His stories have also served as
the basis for critically acclaimed
feature films and TV/cable
docudramas. Outstanding
examples of films inspired by
Bob Brown’s original “ABC News
20/20” stories are listed below,
followed by Brown’s original
story titles.
Check Amazon.com for
current DVD availability.—J.T.
Photos: ABC News
Bob Brown’s human interest
stories for “ABC News 20/20”
have garnered numerous prestigious awards, including six
Emmy Awards, three Christopher
Awards, an Alfred I. duPontColumbia University Award, a
Media Award from the President’s
Committee on Employment of
People with Disabilities, a CINE
Golden Eagle, and an American
Bar Association Gavel Award,
among others.
Under the Piano
(Lifetime Television/1995)
“Dolly and Henrietta”
(ABC News 20/20)
Nicholas’ Gift (CBS-TV/1998)
“Nicholas’ Gift” (ABC News 20/20)
Yesterday’s Children
(CBS-TV/2000) “Dream Come True”
(ABC News 20/20)
SPRING 2008
5
BB: There are screen versions that are
better and worse of stories that I’ve
done (see Sidebar on page 5), but
screenwriters are obviously looking
for different things than I would be
looking for in terms of how they have
to tell a story. Will Smith filmed ‘The
Pursuit of Happyness,’ after we did the
story on Chris Gardner. I was impressed
by ‘The Pursuit of Happyness’ because
Gardner’s story really didn’t have a
villain in it. I kept expecting them to
create some kind of villain or some kind
of conflict for him. The villain was
circumstance. He kept butting his head
up against circumstance and beating
it. They didn’t phony it up, so I was
impressed with that screenplay.
Your Christopher Award-winning
story, ‘Mother Dolores,’ about
Dolores Hart, who relinquished
Hollywood stardom for life as a cloistered nun, should be required view-
ing for film students intent on producing biographical films. It is so rich
in content and so riveting, yet it’s
less than 30 minutes long.
BB: Mother Dolores, to me, is an
extraordinary example of how we all
choose to commit to life, in one way or
another. Her commitment involved
the ultimate combination of sacrifice
and reward on a profound level. Most
of us never face life as bravely as we
might wish, or with absolute assurance;
so we can take inspiration from the
peace she found in upholding her convictions, even during the times when
she questioned her decisions.
Incidentally, that was one of the last
stories produced under the old system
at ABC where we could still air a segment that was 18 or 19 minutes long
without interruption. If it were done
today at the same length, there’d be a
commercial break in the middle of it. I
really don't like that. If you tell a story,
you want to build a certain amount of
momentum.
Photo: ABC News
In general, how do feel about the
films that have been inspired by your
broadcasts?
Mother Dolores Hart displays a photograph from her years as a promising
star in Hollywood.
What advice do you give broadcasting students?
BB: I try to give them a way to
approach how they tell a story. I recommend that they don’t just cover the
time and place, but find a point of view
that will broaden the story for the audience in a way that no one else will.
After 9/11, we went downtown,
and rather than interviewing dozens of
people—you could have interviewed
virtually anybody in the city of New
York and found a story—we focused on
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There was so much confusion in
those early hours that they weren’t
really called on. But we waited with
them for hours until someone finally
said, ‘Yes, we need to call those guys
in.’ Then they were trucked in to the
World Trade Center site, which is
where our story ended, since at the
time journalists weren’t allowed.
It was a point of view that allowed
us to tell a story that had the important
elements of the larger story but also
was very focused. The other thing
that’s important, and it’s something
that Milt was very specific about in
teaching me how to write, is that not
only is everyone affected by their
environment, but everyone alters their
environment in some way. If you take
the point of view of trying to find out
how subjects are affected by their
environment, then you have a passive
viewpoint. But if you try to find out
how they alter their environment, then
you bring out the character.
Common threads seem to bind your
subjects—they’re determined,
resilient, and stubborn. And they
don’t seem to know the meaning
of the word ‘impossible.’ Why do
they persist in spite of their physical
disabilities or, as in Chris Gardner’s
case, such obstacles as poverty and
discrimination?
BB: There is a quote from a ‘Medical
Mystery’ that I shot recently that sums
it up perfectly. To the extent that anyone knows, or to the extent that science
knows, there are only three young
women in the world today surviving
with what is called Mermaid Syndrome.
The women were born with their legs
fused together and their internal organs
are also either not there or not fully
developed. They historically would die
in the womb or only live for a few days
in a nursery before they died. But medical science has been able to keep these
Photo: ABC News
a group of ironworkers who had gathered just outside the area where the
World Trade Center had collapsed.
Their fathers had built the World Trade
Center, and they were down there to
try to make sure that that rubble could
be taken apart as safely as possible.
Bob Brown with Tiffany Yorks and Shiloh
Pepin who live with Mermaid Syndrome.
three young women alive. One of
them, Tiffany Yorks, age 20, needs a
kidney transplant; it’s amazing she’s survived for as long as she has with the
kidney she was born with. Her ambition
is to go through nurses’ training even
though nobody would have ever
expected she could. I’m pretty sure
that if she lives, she’ll do it.
When I asked her: ‘What motivates
you? What keeps you wanting to go
out and live life with the kind of enthusiasm that you give to it’? She said,
‘I’ve gone through so much to be alive
that I want to make the best of it.’
I think that must be what drives
many of these people that I’ve done
stories on who have gone through
difficult circumstances as she has,
whether it’s been a physical disability
or some other kind of obstacle that
they’ve had to overcome.
I’ve done many stories on people
who would be called disabled in some
way. But I’ve never written a story by
starting with the disability. Obviously,
disabilities are formative in some way;
but I always want to know who the
person is first, not what the disability is.
It’s a simple twist; but it makes a huge
difference, I think, in the way you
approach people and the way you
approach stories.
Judith Trojan, whose profiles of
Andrew and Elisabeth Shue and Mary
Higgins Clark appeared in previous issues
of this magazine, is an award-winning
journalist and the director of the
Christopher Awards, currently celebrating
59 years of films, TV/cable programming
and books that “affirm the highest
values of the human spirit.”
SPRING 2008
7
Educating Nurses for Vital and Dynamic Careers
SCHOOLS IN ELIZABETH HAVE EXCEPTIONAL IMPACT
For more than a century, the City of
Elizabeth has been home to a school of
nursing. The Elizabeth General Medical
Center School of Nursing along with
the Saint Elizabeth Hospital School of
Nursing shared a common presence in
Elizabeth for the better part of the 20th
century. The Elizabeth General Hospital
and Dispensary granted its first diplomas in 1892 from the Elizabeth General
Training School. St. Elizabeth’s Training
School, established as the first Catholic
school of nursing in New Jersey in 1905
following the creation of St. Elizabeth
Hospital by the Sisters of Charity of
Saint Elizabeth, awarded diplomas to its
first three graduates in 1908.
Included in the 1911 graduating
class of the St. Elizabeth Training
School were three members of the
Sisters of Charity religious order.
That same year the Sisters of Charity
acquired the Williamson Mansion
where the curriculum included bandaging, hygiene and sanitation, and
a course on bacteriology and infection.
by Kathryn Salamone
The nine graduates of the class
of 1912 were
the first to take
the New Jersey
State Board
Examinations
and to secure
the title of registered nurse.
Meanwhile,
nurses trained
at the
Elizabeth
General
Training School served in Army hospitals or with the Red Cross during World
War I. By the end of the war, the US
was beginning to experience a crucial
nursing shortage that is being repeated
today as we face unprecedented shortages nationwide.
Facing Challenges
The Depression hit Elizabeth
General Hospital hard. Circumstances
were so grave that the Board considered closing the school. But, like the
rest of the country, the hospital
prevailed and the School of Nursing
expanded its curriculum to a three
year program in 1936. Nursing unit
coordinators helped student nurses
apply theory to clinical practice.
Nursing students also gained experience through a new affiliation with the
Visiting Nurses Association.
During World War II, Elizabeth
General Training School students volunteered for the Cadet Nurse Corp and
received federal funding to continue
their studies. Immediately after the
war, the school formed an innovative
association with then Union Junior
College in Cranford in 1947, a partnership that continues today.
A decade later, Elizabeth General
Hospital and Dispensary School of
Nursing the School of Nursing received
national accreditation from the
National League for Nursing. By 1959,
the enrollment was up to 110 students.
A little more than a decade later, the
8
HEALTHYEDGE
state of New Jersey recognized the
alliance between the school and Union
Junior College through the Department
of Higher Education’s approval of
Elizabeth General’s Cooperative
Nursing program. Now, graduates
received both a diploma in
nursing and an Associate Degree in
Science from the College.
credit curriculum was introduced in
1983. The dawn of the computer age
arrived at the School through a computer lab, thanks to a grant from the
Helene Fuld Health Trust. An accelerated track also offered training for
licensed practical nurses. By the end
of the 1980s, a weekend division was
added and its first graduates received
their diplomas and degrees in the early
1990s. This class also earned a significant milestone by attaining a 100%
pass rate on the National Council
Licensure Exam (NCLEX).
Meeting New Needs
During the 1970s, the Elizabeth
General School of Nursing made a
commitment to serve educationally
disadvantaged students, more mature
students, and those seeking a second
career or greater career mobility.
Exciting developments included the
creation of the country’s first evening
division in a diploma nursing school
and a pre-nursing program. The first
graduates of the evening division
fittingly received their diplomas in
1976, the nation’s Bicentennial year.
In that same year, the School of
Nursing became a member of the
Helene Fuld Health Trust, a philanthropic organization dedicated to the
advancement of student nurses.
From its first graduating class in
1908 until its last in 1969, the Saint
Elizabeth Hospital School of Nursing
granted diplomas to 783 graduates.
Members of its classes participated
in the Professional Student Nurses
Organization and served in state and
district level offices. Over the years,
some of the students of the Saint
Elizabeth School of Nursing program
chose to enter the religious order.
Several of them remained on the staff
of the school while others brought
their nursing skills and administrative
talents to other Catholic hospitals in
northern New Jersey and nearby
Rockland County, New York, notably
St. Joseph’s Hospital in Paterson and
Good Samaritan Hospital in Suffern,
New York, both sponsored by the
Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth.
One graduate served as a missionary
Sister in China.
Identified as a model in Associate
degree nursing programs, the school
now enrolled 300 students. Expansion of
classroom facilities and extensive modernization helped close out the 1970s.
The length of study at the School
also changed dramatically. Since
students sought a more concentrated
nursing program, a five semester 75-
Continued on page 10
A DAY IN THE LIFE
OF A STUDENT
NURSE, 1892
Nursing training one hundred
plus years ago at the Elizabeth
General Medical Center School
of Nursing and Saint Elizabeth’s
Training School was vastly different from the current demands
of nursing education. Nursing
students spent their days in far
less complicated activities and
in an environment that had no
inkling of the technology that
surrounds nurses today.
Early nursing training was divided
into 12 months of lecture and clinical work at the hospital and 12
months of home healthcare visits.
At 7 am, first year students reported to their assigned units. The day
consisted of learning the essentials: making beds, dressing and
bandaging wounds, regulating
and keeping medicine closets
and bathing patients. If time and
staffing permitted, nurses were
allowed two hours a day for
outdoor exercise. The day for a
student nurse ended at 7 pm.
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SPRING 2008
9
Renewal in a New Century
The current school of nursing based
in Elizabeth, operating under the name
of Trinitas School of Nursing, continues
the vision of these dedicated nursing
professionals. Today, more than 1,890
graduates now claim ties to the school.
By being at the forefront of nursing
education in Union County and the
Central New Jersey region, the Trinitas
School of Nursing continues to provide
a diversified nursing program to a
multi-cultural student population. The
program is designed to educate the students in effective interaction with the
community and to assist in identifying
the health needs of those they serve.
“The education our students receive
is enhanced by the strong belief in the
importance of fairness, justice, commu-
nity services, social responsibility for
others, and the courage to be innovative,” stresses Mary Beth Kelley, MSN,
MEd, RN, CNE, who has held the post
of Dean at the School of Nursing for
almost four decades.
At the very basis of nursing is the
ability to use critical thinking and decision-making skills. Nurses assess, diagnose, and treat human responses to
actual and potential health problems.
They provide a holistic response to the
complex health needs of human
beings. Nurses are team players whose
daily work finds them in collaborative
relationships with all members of the
health care team. They provide the distinct range of nursing services that the
client, family and community may
require. At the core of a nurse’s being is
respect for each and every patient, fam-
ily member and community resident he
or she may come in contact with.
Diversity Spells Strength
Trinitas School of Nursing students
are from diverse backgrounds with
differing strengths and experiences.
In recognizing this diversity, the School
provides qualified traditional and nontraditional students with opportunities
to make the most of their individual
potential. The graduate of the School
is prepared to assume the role of a
caring, beginning practitioner in a
variety of settings.
“Nurses are very instrumental in
conveying knowledge to patients, families and the wider community. They are
at the very heart of helping those they
care for to achieve the highest possible
level of health,” says Dean Kelley.
Editor’s Note: Thanks to Dean Mary Elizabeth Kelley of the Trinitas School of Nursing and Sr. Elizabeth McLoughlin of the Sisters of
Charity of Saint Elizabeth who shared archival information and photographs of Elizabeth General Medical Center School of Nursing and
St. Elizabeth Hospital School of Nursing for this article.
DEAN INVIGORATES ACADEMIC LIFE
AT TRINITAS SCHOOL OF NURSING
Mary Elizabeth Kelley, MSN, MEd, RN,
CNE, Dean of the Trinitas School of
Nursing for the past 37 years, is
among the first group of nursing educators to be named a Fellow of the
National League of Nursing Academy
of Nursing Education in 2007.
As one of the 41 members of the first
class of the Academy of Nursing
Education Fellows, Dean Kelley was
recognized for her “enduring and
substantial contributions to nursing
education that are viewed as above
and beyond the responsibilities of the
position.” The Academy of Nursing
Education considered Dean Kelley’s
contributions broad in scope, as
evidenced by her co-authorship
of The Culture of Learning and
Understanding Cultural Diversity,
10
HEALTHYEDGE
Culture, Curriculum and Community in
Nursing. Dean Kelley’s efforts to influence and advance nursing education
through a variety of dissemination
methods demonstrate her visionary
leadership. She developed and implemented the Cooperative Nursing
Program partnership between Union
County College and Trinitas Hospital
as well as the program’s full-time
evening division at the hospital. She
also created the faculty position of
Director of Technology Integration
in response to the prevalence of technology through the curriculum. As
Director of Education at Trinitas
Hospital, Dean Kelley has implemented a Bridge program for novice nurses that has improved the retention
rate of new graduates.
Mary Elizabeth Kelley, MSN, MEd, RN,
CNE, Dean of the Trinitas School of
Nursing
Dean Kelley is also the recipient of
the 2006 Nurse Recognition Award
from the New Jersey League for
Nursing. She has also been recognized by the Philippine Nurses
Association for her commitment to
supporting nurses and student nurses
of diverse backgrounds.
NURSING SCHOOL FACULTY AND GRADUATES
ACHIEVE NATIONAL DISTINCTIONS
Select members of the faculty of the Trinitas School of Nursing are in a
league of their own. The National League of Nursing has recognized the
School of Nursing as the first in the United States to have 100% of its
eligible faculty certified with the Certification in Nursing Education (CNE)
credential. In addition to Dean Kelley, second from left, faculty members
who have attained this achievement are: Virginia Villanueva, Rosemary
Byrne, Anne Ormsby, Karen Joho, Associate Dean Rose Santee, Janine
Graf-Kirk, Teresita Proctor, Nancy Napoliello and Marithely Morales-Allen.
S
M
embers of the graduating classes of Trinitas
School of Nursing consistently achieve outstand-
ing scores on the National Council Licensing Examination
(NCLEX). In the past 18 years, 36 graduating classes have
achieved a 97% average pass rate. The January and June
classes of 2006 attained a 100% pass rate on first writing
of the rigorous NCLEX.
Associate Dean Rose Santee
shared the extraordinary
accomplishments of the
Trinitas School of Nursing
with Cablevision viewers
recently when she appeared
on local cable television.
SPRING 2008
11
Nursing: A Career that Counts
WHY NURSES CHOOSE TO SERVE AND CARE FOR OTHERS
by Kathryn Salamone
HEALTHYEDGE asked several nurses why nursing was the right choice
for them, the choice that counted.
Roberta Heath, BSN, RN
Operating Room
I truly believe that I have been
“called” to give care to others. A student nurse who helped me through
a difficult labor was the person who
made me consider nursing. Her dedication soothed and comforted me. I
wanted to be part of a group dedicated
to caring for others.
Francesca Palazzolo, RN
Maternal and Child Health
I chose nursing as my profession
because it had been my dream for as
far back as I can remember. I started
my nursing classes in high school and
volunteered at a near by hospital.
From then on, I knew nursing was the
right profession for me.
Since I work with new
mothers and newborns,
I enjoy special rewards in
nursing. Here at Trinitas,
the population I care for
is culturally diverse.
Through them I get to
understand and learn
about so many different
cultures.
My work is gratifying
because the babies I care
for depend on me to meet
their most basic needs. Just
to see their little innocent
faces puts a smile on my
face.
12
HEALTHYEDGE
My first visit to an operating room
convinced me that it was the environment I wanted to work in every day.
I’ve been in the OR for 36 years where
I see a spectrum of care delivered to
children, adults, those who are aged.
Beyond patients, operating room
nurses interface regularly with family
members and the bond that forms
between nurses and families is often
instantaneous and sometimes lasting.
The varied disciplines that work
together in the operating room setting
share a single-minded focus — the
patient. We are committed to teamwork and excellence.
Ronald Bornstad, RN
Medical-Surgical, Renal and Telemetry
I became interested in learning about medicine
when I was a young boy. Learning about the human
body in great detail was very intriguing to me – so
was the idea of nursing. My math and science
interests have also helped me make a difference in
the health and care of others. When I finished my
first clinical rotation at the Trinitas School of
Nursing, I realized that nursing was a great fit for me.
The school’s aggressive and disciplined approach to
nursing education gives me confidence every day. I care
for patients who have typical as well as complex care needs
and I frequently find myself responding to their spiritual and
emotional needs as well.
The exceptional nurses and other health professionals I work with
at Trinitas Hospital make each day satisfying.
Maureen “Rene” Herold, RN
Brother Bonaventure Extended Care Center
I wanted to be in a career of service to others.
That desire plus my deep compassion for the sick
and less fortunate were strong pushes for me to go
into nursing. Science and anatomy were strong
interests of mine as well.
My current work with those in a rehabilitative
and long term care facility allows me to see the
progress that patients can make over a period of
time. Escorting someone out upon discharge gives
me a great feeling since I can see that I’ve made a
difference. Establishing close relationships with
patients and their families makes my work worth it
each week.
With my 26 years in nursing associated with Trinitas
Hospital and its predecessors, I feel as if I’ve been part of
a second family and worked at a
place that’s been a second home.
Meg Gold, RN
Judy Cadavillo, LPN
Brother Bonaventure
Extended Care Center
Brother Bonaventure
Extended Care Center
As the oldest of five children, my
mother looked to me to take care of
my younger siblings. As a young
teen, I watched a nurse care for my
grandfather during his battle with
cancer. It was then that I knew that
I wanted to be a nurse. With nearly
two decades in long-term care in the
sub-acute unit, I’ve been fortunate
to see people make progress under
the guidance and assistance of our
multidisciplinary team. Making a
contribution to that effort is priceless.
My nursing skills and knowledge
as a licensed practical nurse help me
lend helping hands to comfort and
heal. In my work with the geriatric
population, I’m committed to their
good health and to their quality of life.
I look forward to adding many years of
service to my 15 years caring for the
geriatric population at Trinitas Hospital.
Kim McKinney, RN
Pediatrics
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Bedside nursing and the ability to
interact with patients and their families
has been my goal and my calling. In
my role as a pediatrics nurse, I see
children and their families in the
inpatient setting. As nurses in pediatrics,
we have the chance to serve patients
from a diverse urban population who
present a variety of needs.
I am rewarded every time a child
smiles at me and responds to the care
I may give, even in the most stressful
and sometimes painful situations. The
thanks that parents express is one of
the most gratifying rewards that my
co-workers and I can receive.
SPRING 2008
13
Valerie Ramsberger, RN
Director of Palliative Care
and do not take things
for granted. Every day is
rewarding for me as I take
care of amazing patients
who truly appreciate what I
do for them. A simple smile
from a patient is
such a gift.
Grace Ragona, RNC, OCN
Trinitas Comprehensive
Cancer Center
Jennifer J. Mattaliano, RN,
BSN, OCN
Trinitas Comprehensive
Cancer Center
I realized that nursing would be
a good fit for me because I enjoy
hands-on interaction with people.
I use my knowledge and critical
thinking skills during assessment
and treatment of my patients.
As a child, I always looked up to
those “perfect-looking women in white
with their starched caps and white
shoes.” I used to think that warmth
and caring flowed from them. After
a short detour into another career, I
decided to pursue my true calling.
As an oncology nurse, I enjoy
caring for patients who I see weekly for
their treatments. I form relationships
with them and really get to know them
as people. I think that helps with the
quality of care I give.
Being an oncology nurse poses
countless opportunities to nurture,
teach and comfort patients. I am
particularly thankful that I chose this
field especially since my husband
recently had a recurrence of a cancer
he had some years ago. My experience
as an oncology nurse for almost 25
years helped me to care for him
confidently and we survived our crisis.
When people ask me what kind
of nurse I am, they are frequently surprised and sad. But, I smile and explain
that I love my job. I consider myself
lucky to be caring for cancer patients
because they are usually very positive
My co-workers and our day-to-day
interactions with our patients make
going to work at Trinitas something I
look forward to everyday. At the end
of the day, there is a sense that I have
done something “good” for someone.
14
HEALTHYEDGE
My first interest was to enter the
Navy to participate in a nursing program that offered financial aid for the
last two years of college. Although I
did not end up in the Navy, the nursing curriculum was a great start for me.
My career in nursing has included
more than 25 years in emergency
nursing. I loved the daily challenges
and the collaborative environment.
My transition into palliative care
nursing has been an outgrowth of both
personal and professional experience.
While some people are uncomfortable
with end-of-life situations, I receive
extraordinary personal satisfaction
when I am able to assist patients and
families during this time in their lives.
The rewards of working at Trinitas
Hospital rest with the opportunities to
work with patients and their families.
In addition, I work with a great team of
professionals who make palliative care
a reality at Trinitas on a daily basis.
Melida Pelaez, RN
Child and Adolescent Inpatient
Psychiatric Unit
Nursing was my career choice
because I always enjoyed caring for
people from “head to toe.” As a psychiatric nurse, I work with the child
and adolescent psychiatric population.
I enjoy the rewards of working with
both patients and their families, seeing
the progress from admission through
day of discharge. The growth and
change I observe among my patients
is a daily remainder that I’ve made
the right choice.
Irina Spivak, RN
Child and Adolescent Inpatient
Psychiatric Unit
As I considered nursing, I believed
that the intriguing field of psychiatric
nursing could offer me many options.
In my work, I notice that children
today seem to be suffering from many
more complex problems and are facing
more difficulties coping than ever
before. My work provides me with
rewards that I see each
day as my interactions
with these patients
make a difference.
The programs and
structure of the
patient care unit
together with my
co-workers makes
my work challenging and gratifying
every day.
Tanisha Smith,
RN
Child and Adolescent
Inpatient Psychiatric Unit
The human mind, especially
a young person’s mind, is fascinating to me. It’s a privilege for me to
care for children during some of their
most vulnerable moments. My work
involves not only educating these
patients on their medications but also
facilitating support groups where they
can express themselves and also learn
how to make better choices. I often
interact in one-on-one settings, too.
I’m proud to be part of the intensive
and extensive psychiatric care program
that Trinitas Hospital offers.
SPRING 2008
15
A LIFE OF TRANSITION YET STABILITY
Bernadette Countryman, Chief Nursing Officer
Growing up in Australia, Bernadette
Countryman, Senior Vice President,
Clinical Operations and Chief Nursing
Officer, had first-hand experience with
nurses who cared for her as a sick child
at the children’s hospital. Recently, Ms.
Countryman shared her thoughts with
HealthyEdge on nursing, its meaning in
her life, and what she sees as the future
of her chosen profession.
As a child, I was drawn to the image
of nurses as people who were capable,
caring and committed to others. As I
got older, I began to see that choosing
a career in nursing would allow me
opportunities to accomplish all the
things that I saw in my future… travel,
an interesting and challenging profession, one that would present continuous
learning opportunities and ever new
experiences. I was the first member of
my family to choose nursing as a
profession and I received an incredible
amount of support in my decision.
Although I had no mentor who
encouraged me to consider nursing,
there were still very vivid individuals
who gave life to my interest in it as
a career.
Nurses cared for my father who had
served in the Australian military in
World War II and who experienced a
long illness after the war. Between my
own early interactions with the nurses
who cared for me and those who then
cared for my father, I was impressed
and influenced by women in military
grays and hospital white uniforms.
They were my heroines.
When I moved beyond the initial excitement of the OR and the ER, I soon
came to the recognition that as a
nurse I could create something very
positive. That realization is what has
Unfortunately, at this time of increaskept me in the nursing profession.
ing need, our numbers are shrinking.
From my early nursing education in
While there are fewer younger indiAustralia to my experience as a nurse
viduals entering the profession, there
midwife, I was eager to expand my
are increasing numbers of women,
knowledge of nursing. I traveled to
and men, who are turning to nursing
London to do my graduate studies at
as a second career. Some of these
the Hospital for Sick Children. During
“second career” nurses come from
that time,
health related
I gained
fields. Others
valuable
come into nurs“Second career” nurses come
experience
ing as a result
to us through obvious careers
in pediatric
of “downsizing”
nursing.
and disillusionas paramedics, first responders,
My travels
ment in a wide
firefighters and those who have
eventually
array of fields
served as medics in the military.
brought me
from banking
Others
come
into
nursing
as
a
here to the
to technology.
United States
For those indiresult of “downsizing” in fields
where I have
viduals, nursing
from banking to technology.
lived since
offers stability
1973.
as well as
Nursing has
flexibility of
been the stabilizing and grounding
hours that is especially appealing.
force in my life through these various
More cultural diversity is filtering
transitions.
into the profession, a diversity vital
My life as a nurse has given me many
opportunities to have an effect upon
ways to improve health systems that,
in turn, intimately touch patients and
their families. Nursing has defined my
life. It has given me a world of knowledge and the impetus not only to care
for patients and families but also to
educate my fellow nurses.
In the future here at
Trinitas and also
within the national
realm of health care,
I am convinced that
nursing will only
continue to grow in
importance and
influence.
I am convinced that nursing will
only continue to grow in importance
and influence.
16
HEALTHYEDGE
by Kathryn Salamone
to the delivery of health care to an
increasingly diverse population.
Ultimately, nursing is stronger today
because of this very mix of experience,
gender and culture that is preparing
the nursing profession for the rest of
the 21st century.
The future of nursing will have to take
into consideration a redefining of the
Bernadette Countryman
role of nurses. While the assessment
and direct care of patients in the
acute care setting will continue to be
the primary role of nurses, that role
will become more and more difficult
as the number of nurses continues to
decline and our community’s need
for health care grows. I’m not sure
how that redefining will take shape,
but I believe that it will require nurses
to be even better educated than we
are now.
As a nurse who has achieved a senior
management position in healthcare
leadership, I look around the United
States and see many nurses who
are Chief Executive Officers, Chief
Nursing Officers, and policy leaders
who function at the highest level of
federal and state government. Nurses
are well positioned to influence
health care decisions for the nation
and their local communities. I believe
that nurses have a distinct capability
to see the whole spectrum of health
care in ways that others do not.
Nurses are definitely part of the
solution for today’s health care
challenges. They are agents of
influence and action in health care,
working each day to make positive
changes. Nurses can aspire to do
great things. As a profession,
nursing can have a far-reaching
and undeniable impact upon health
care. To be a nurse is to be part of
a grand challenge to affect positive
change.
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SPRING 2008
17
Spring Awakening
18
HEALTHYEDGE
BRING A BREATH OF FRESH AIR TO YOUR SURROUNDINGS
by Rena Kotik-Sandberg
In a chaotic world, making your
home and office a true refuge from
negative influences can lead to a calm,
well-balanced life. The Asian tradition
of Feng shui (pronounced fung shway)
uses the laws of both heaven and earth
to arrange objects in deliberate ways in
order to achieve harmony within the
environment.
Based on an understanding of nature,
the way energy flows, and how energy
affects people and situations, Feng Shui
(which means “wind and water”) is
the 5,000 year-old Chinese practice of
correct placement. Its focus is to correct
negative energy and redirect its flow to
make it positive and healthy. In turn,
it reduces stress, creates peace, and
therefore, promotes well being in all
aspects of the home and life. This ancient
philosophy claims that the placement of
all objects – from the front door of your
home to the refrigerator in your kitchen –
influences overall well being.
Even now, in the 21st century,
many architects and interior designers
believe that the arrangement of your
home or office communicates to the
Universe what you want and how you
want to live.
The first step toward establishing
health, peace and good fortune, is
to create a welcoming feeling at the
entrance of the home. Present a wellgroomed appearance by ensuring
the entryway is tidy and clear of any
obstruction. Outside trees, hedges and
lawns should be neatly trimmed while
the pathway to the front door
should be welcoming and open.
These recommendations are important
to keep in mind as elements of “curb
appeal” that communicate important
messages about you as a homeowner.
Once inside, furniture placement
is just as essential in creating a harmonious environment and pleasing
impression. Janice Van Der Veken,
a Realtor with Re/Max in Clark and
owner of Town and Country Home
Staging, based in Westfield, prepares
homes for sale by editing, rearranging
and organizing existing furniture and
accessories to emphasize the positive
features of a home. By simple
rearrangement or organization, Janice
says that homeowners can broaden
the appeal of their home to potential
buyers. She believes that fundamentals
of Feng shui can help create a positive
image and setting within the home.
“You never want to have too much
furniture in a space,” she says. “Less
truly is more.” Janice continues to
explain that instead of framing the
room and hugging the walls with
furniture, position pieces to face the
entry. Make your space appear larger
by hanging mirrors in hallways and
alcoves and rest pictures at eye level.
Feng shui, when applied in the
home or office, helps create harmony.
Here are some essential rules of this
ancient practice for the home:
SPRING 2008
19
Kitchen
In Feng shui, it is vital for the cook
to see the doorway clearly when working at the stove. Because many modern
kitchens have the oven facing the wall,
some Feng shui experts recommend
hanging a reflective object such as a
mirror over the stove so the cook can
always see who is entering the room.
Placement of the stove and sink are
important. Because fire and water
counteract one another, they should
not be located directly opposite each
other. If they are, Feng shui practice
asserts that conflicts will arise within
the family. Placing something green
between the stove and the sink, such
as a plant or green throw rug, is
believed to alleviate the problem.
Bedroom
For a sense of safety, the bed
should be positioned as far away from
the door as possible while still allowing
view of the room’s entrance.
Adding a headboard to the bed is
considered a good practice of Feng
shui because it provides strength and
support behind the head. However,
footboards are viewed as negative
energy because, according to Feng
shui beliefs, they block forward
progress in life.
Bath
A red rug at the base of the toilet is
said to protect against money loss.
20
HEALTHYEDGE
Drawers should be kept closed so
energy does not flow into dark spaces
where it can stagnate.
as well as block ELF/VLF (Extremely Low
Frequency/Very Low Frequency)
electrical radiation.
The toilet should not be seen from
the bathroom doorway. If this cannot be
helped, Feng shui practice recommends
hanging a round, cut-glass crystal from
the ceiling between the door and the
toilet to lift and circulate energy.
Rodger Goddard, PhD, Chief
Psychologist and Director of Wellness
Management Services at Trinitas
Hospital, incorporates Feng shui into
both his psychotherapy and office
space.
Balance and enhance
your office space
“I believe it is extremely important
that my clients are in a warm, caring
environment in which they feel support,
comfort, nurturing and safety,” he
explains. He also includes Feng shui
elements in his office where he positions
his computer between two large picture
windows in order to create a positive
flow of energy from the outside. “The
trees, sunlight, and greenery help to
counterbalance and enrich the computerbased work that I do,” he says.
The essence of Feng shui is to use
the natural positive energy (“Chi”) that
is present in the space to improve your
surroundings. Offices – cubicles in particular – can be a paradigm of weakness and insecurity for employees.
Fortunately, people can improve their
situation by applying elements of Feng
shui to their workspace.
For example, the best position for
your desk is to face the doorway. Since
people normally arrive through the
front door, turning your back on the
entry creates a negative impression. It
is also said that you create a sense of
vulnerability when your back is to the
door because you cannot see who is
entering. For those who cannot move
their desk (or cubicle) position, hanging a small mirror in your space to
reflect the entrance (as you would do
in the kitchen) will allow you to see
when someone is entering.
Energize your space with
plants, lighting
A healthy plant in your work area
will invite vibrant, positive energy.
Since red represents prosperity (see
sidebar), placing the plant in a red pot
doubles the potential of capturing positive energy.
As if staring at the computer for eight
hours isn’t bad enough, intense fluorescent
lighting found in most offices can wreak
havoc on the eyes and cause debilitating
headaches. If using a desk lamp is not
effective, an anti-glare filter for your computer screen may improve the situation.
These filters reduce glare by 99 percent,
Janice Van Der Veken also allows
natural light to flow in her workspace
through large, bare windows. The
bareness of her windows also allows
her to look out into her yard to enjoy
a feeling of peace.
Ahhh, Aromatherapy
An estimated two-thirds of patients
visit their physician because of stressrelated issues. Recent studies indicate
that chronic stress can lead to digestive
upsets, increased blood pressure, back
pain, headaches, anxiety and sleep disorders. Aromatherapy — the practice
of using volatile plant oils (known as
essential oils) for psychological and
physical well being — can be used as a
holistic approach to defeat damaging
effects of stress.
Essential oils can be added to a
bath, massaged into the skin, or
inhaled in small quantities to improve
mood, reduce anxiety or alleviate
fatigue. These oils, distilled from a
variety of aromatic plant materials, are
thought to stimulate the sense of smell.
As soon as the aroma enters the cilia
(fine hairs that line the nose), it travels
to the limbic system which controls our
mood, emotions and memory. At this
point, the aroma stimulates a chemical
release which then lifts feelings of
depression, soothes irritable nerves,
or exerts other healing properties.
(Pregnant women are cautioned to
check with their doctor before using
any essential oils.)
Within the guidelines of holistic
health which emphasizes all aspects of
health including physical, psychological
and social factors, each essential oil has
its own trait. Of approximately 150
essential oils, these are among the
most popular:
Lavender: Relaxes and relieves
stress
Rosemary: Sharpens the mind
Chamomile: Reduces stress
Sandalwood: Eases feelings of
depression
Jasmine: Halts anger
Peppermint: Stops fatigue
Grapefruit: Encourages happiness
Vanilla: Gives a feeling of warmth
and security
Janice Van Der Veken strongly
believes that scents play an active role
in our lives and offers some suggestions on how to use aromatherapy
products in the home to create a positive environment. “I often recommend
a vanilla scent when people place their
home on the market. It offers the feeling of warmth and security, and is soft
enough so it doesn’t give the impression that you are trying to mask an
unpleasant aroma.”
For a decorative touch, Janice suggests using a dinner plate and three
scented pillar candles in various sizes.
“Place the candles in the center of the
dish, add small rocks around the base
and add clear, glass marbles as filler.
Introduce sprigs of silk leaves among
the rocks for color. Use this centerpiece
anywhere – on the dining room table,
vanity in the bathroom, or in a corner by
the tub. It is a versatile accent that helps
create a feeling of peace and serenity.”
even suggests placing a drop of essential oil on a light bulb - its scent will
diffuse into the air when turned it’s on!
The practice of Feng shui offers
general guidelines for overall wellbeing.
However, those who suffer from chronic anxiety and sleep disorders might
want to seek alternative treatment.
Dr. Goddard cautions that anxiety
and sleep disorders can be extremely
serious, debilitating, and dangerous to
our physical health. “These physical
and behavioral problems may become
less pronounced on their own, but very
often the best approach is to get help
from a medical or behavioral health
professional if such problems persist.”
A lifelong fitness enthusiast,
Rena Kotik-Sandberg is a certified
personal trainer and fitness coach.
Rena is also a freelance journalist and
continues her nutrition education at
Huntington College for Health Sciences.
To give the impression of a clean,
well-maintained home, Janice further
recommends incorporating candles or
aromatic plug-ins in a lemon scent. She
BATHE YOUR ENVIRONMENT IN COLOR
Color – like food – is a matter of personal taste. “While lighter colors may
help someone feel uplifted, they can
make another person feel cold,”
explains Rodger Goddard, PhD, Chief
Psychologist and Director of Wellness
Management Services at Trinitas
Hospital. He suggests choosing colors
that work specifically for you. “The most
important thing is to make sure that your
environment gives you a sense of well
being, soothing comfort and support.”
However, for those who choose to
stylize their home with the ancient
Feng shui system that invites beneficial
energies, below is a color guide to
consult in adjusting your environment
to maximize better health and
productivity.
Yin Colors: According to Feng shui
practices, “Yin” colors exude feelings
of healing and relaxation.
Black: In Feng shui, black symbolizes
money. It is thought to embody power
and emotional protection.
White: White is said to symbolize
confidence and purity.
Blue: The color of the sea and sky,
blue is said to create a feeling of
peace and trust. Navy blue reflects
intellect and wisdom.
Green: The color of renewal and new
beginnings, green calms the nerves
and promotes balance and harmony.
Pink: Pink is said to be the color of love.
Purple: Since it lies at the end of the
spectrum, purple is thought to promote physical and mental healing.
Gray: Neither black nor white, gray is
the color of indecision.
Yang Colors: Fung shui practitioners believe that “Yang“ colors provide
enthusiasm and motivation for action.
Yellow: Yellow represents sunbeams;
it is associated with patience and
tolerance as well as friendliness.
However, the use of too much yellow
may cause anxiety.
Orange: This color spurs creativity
and is said to strengthen concentration
and promote organization.
Red: The color of good fortune, red
represents luck, prosperity and abundance, and can be used to acquire
leadership.
Tan/Beige: As earth tones, these
colors convey a sense of neatness.
Brown: Since brown connotes industriousness, it is recommended for
office décor or other workspaces.
SPRING 2008
21
Community Calendar
Seminars (Offered Free to Our Community)
All seminars take place in the Physicians Conference Room,
210 Williamson Street, Elizabeth, except where noted.
To register for any seminar, call (908) 994-5138 or register online
at www.TrinitasHospital.org.
May 6, 2008
Professional Training Opportunities
11:30 am – 1:00 pm
“All About Strokes”
Debbie Milkosky, RN, BSN
Stroke Program Coordinator
Programs for healthcare providers
and first responders.
May 21, 2008
11:30 am – 1:00 pm
“How to Prevent Hearing Loss”
Martha Wendroff, MMCCA
Senior Clinical Audiologist
June 3, 2008
11:30 am – 1:00 pm
“Long-Term Care: What Everyone
Should Know”
Bonnie Busler
June 4, 2008
10:00 am – 1:30 pm
“Consumer Fraud and Identity Theft”
Alison Carter,
American Association of Retired Persons
June 12, 2008
2:00 pm – 3:30 pm
“Learning About Reverse Mortgages”
Carol Ramer, New Jersey Lenders Corp.
July 29, 2008
11:30 am – 1:00 pm
“Lack of Sleep and Driving: A
Dangerous Combination!”
Navin Verma, MD,
Trinitas Sleep Disorders Center
CPR; ACLS & PALS (Advanced
Cardiovascular Life Support) &
(Pediatric Advanced Life Support);
Defibrillator Training; EMT Basic
Training and Renewals; PHTLS; Incident
Command System; Advanced Medical
Life Support
Trinitas Hospital Institute of Healthcare
& Community Education
425 Morris Avenue, Elizabeth, NJ
For further information,
call (908) 527-5222, ext. 12
Special Events
September 15, 2008
Annual Golf Classic &
Day at the Spa
Shackamaxon Golf & Country Club
Scotch Plains, NJ
2 Shotguns, 8:00 am & 1:00 pm
Proceeds benefit the patients
at Trinitas Hospital.
For reservations for this event, call
Laura Ciraco, (908) 994-8249 or
[email protected]
Special Programs
(Offered Free to Our Community)
“Freedom from Incontinence”
An Informative Seminar for Women
about TVT-O minimally invasive surgery
Speaker: Labib E. Riachi, MD
Internationally renowned specialist
in treating problems associated with
stress incontinence
Friday, June 6, 2008 – 11:30 AM
Charlie Brown’s Steakhouse
2376 North Avenue, Scotch Plains, NJ
For information, call (908) 282-2000
Look Good, Feel Better
June 10
Thanks to a partnership of the American
Cancer Society (ACS), the National
Cosmetology Association, and the
Cosmetic, Toiletry & Fragrance Association
(CTFA) Foundation, Trinitas offers patients
at its Comprehensive Cancer Center personal beauty tips and techniques that they
can use everyday.
Location to be announced
Call (908) 994-8244 to register.
Made For Me Boutique
June 5, July 10, August 7
Appointments only.
Call Amparo Aguirre at (908) 994-8244
Managing Your Medications:
“Ask the Pharmacist”
Offered the fourth Tuesday of every month.
May 27, June 24, July 22
11:30 am - 1:00 pm
Free of charge, by appointment only.
Call (908) 994-5984.
22
HEALTHYEDGE
All speakers, dates, times and locations were current as of press time. Readers are encouraged to call in advance if they wish
to confirm any information published here about seminars, special events, classes, support groups or special programs.
Support Groups (Offered Free to Our Community)
Classes
Alzheimer’s Support Group
Breast Feeding Support Group
Breast Feeding Classes
First Wednesday of every month
7:00 pm – 8:30 pm
Family Resource Center
300 North Avenue, Cranford, NJ
Open to anyone caring for a person
who suffers from Alzheimer Disease
(908) 994-7313
Friday mornings
10:00 am - 11:30 am
WIC Center
1124 East Jersey Street, Elizabeth
Every Tuesday
May 6, 13, 20, 27
June 3, 10, 17, 24
July 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
1:30 pm - 2:30 pm
WIC Center
1124 East Jersey Street,
corner of Jefferson, Elizabeth
Breast Feeding Warmline: 800-994-5142
Breast Cancer Support Group
Meets third Monday of every month.
11:00 am – 12:30 pm
Conference Room A
Trinitas Comprehensive Cancer Center
225 Williamson Street, Elizabeth
Open to patients, families, friends
and loved ones. Please RSVP in
English to Donna Filocamo, LCSW,
at (908) 994-8730; in Spanish to
Griselda Hildago, (908) 994-8535.
Trinitas Hospital
Auxiliary
The community is invited to join
in the following activities:
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
“Gypsy”
Trip includes roundtrip bus transportation, ticket to the matinee show and
lunch at DaRosina’s Ristorante Italiano,
NYC; Cost per person $160.00
For reservations and bus departure time
and location, call (908) 994-8988.
Cardiac Support Group
(Open to cardiac patients only)
July 17
5:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Physicians Conference Room
Coping With Cancer
Support Group
Meets second Tuesday of every month
2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Conference Room A
Trinitas Comprehensive Cancer Center
Speakers address cancer-related topics.
Sleep Disorders CPAP
Support Group
Quarterly meetings held on last
Wednesday of the month
July 30, October 29
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Physicians Conference Room
Childhood Obesity Prevention
Second Friday of each month
May 9, June 13 and July 11
2:00 pm
WIC Center
Instructor: Rosa Tamayo, MPA, RD
Call (908) 994-5141 to register
Nutrition Education Program
for Expectant Mothers
March 3 and March 17
WIC Center
corner of Jefferson
Elizabeth, NJ
Call Claudia Lopez, (908) 994-5142,
for dates and registration
Baby Shower for
Expectant Mothers
WIC Center
Sessions about Prenatal Nutrition
will be provided.
Call Claudia Lopez, (908) 994-5142,
for dates and registration
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Day at the Races
Monmouth Park Racetrack
Trip includes roundtrip bus transportation, buffet-style luncheon overlooking
the racetrack in the air-conditioned,
private Rivalry Room, Clubhouse
Admission, Program and pen. For
information, please call the Auxiliary
Office (908) 994-8988.
SPRING 2008
23
Physicians & Surgeons
HEALTHYEDGE is grateful to the following physicians and surgeons for their
support of our publication as a vital health information resource for our community.
CARDIOLOGY/
INTERVENTIONAL
Peter Lenchur, MD
776 E. Third Avenue, Roselle
(908) 241-5545
GASTROENTEROLOGY
Luis J. Delgado, MD
114 Elmora Avenue, Elizabeth
(908) 355-6122
INTERNAL MEDICINE
Union Square Medical Associates
449 Elmora Avenue, Elizabeth
(908) 282-6474
George V. Thalody, MD
240 Williamson St., Suite 400, Elizabeth
(908) 352-0560
OTOLARYNGOLOGY
Raimundo Obregon, MD
1308 Morris Avenue, Union
(908) 688-8855
PEDIATRICS
Union County Pediatrics Group
Raghunandan Sundaram, MD
Narenda Saraiya, MD
Amita Patel, MD
817 Rahway Avenue, Elizabeth
(908) 353-5750
Middlesex Pediatrics
Raghunandan Sundaram, MD
102 James Street, Suite 303, Edison
(732) 662-3300
PULMONOLOGY
Carlos Remolina, MD
515 North Wood Avenue, Linden
(908) 241-2030
Boost Your Business!
Advertise in the HEALTHYEDGE and reach over 55,000 households
and over 5,000 physicians, healthcare professionals and decisionmakers throughout Eastern and Central Union County!
Start reaching the right people call our knowledgeable sales staff today.
Call 908-337-3276 and
ask for Rob Rubilla
or e-mail at
[email protected]
24
HEALTHYEDGE
Bringing Better Health Abroad
TRINITAS HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS
BRING VITAL CARE TO FAR FLUNG NATIONS
by Kathryn Salamone
The healing hands of dedicated
members of the Trinitas Hospital family
care for people of all ages here in
Elizabeth. But, they also extend that
healing care to thousands of men,
women and children in countries
across the globe. Together, they
express the values and mission of
Trinitas Hospital in a generous and
dramatic way.
Sponsored by the University of
Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey
School of Nursing in collaboration with
the Foundation for Peace and the
Nursing Department of the College of
Saint Elizabeth, five nurses from Trinitas
Hospital volunteered for a mission trip
to the island nation of the Dominican
Republic. Cheryl Bryan, RN, Nursing
Administrative Supervisor, Illya DeVera,
RN, Staff Nurse, 7 South Telemetry,
Nagela Saint Fleur, RN, BSN, Staff
Nurse, 4 North Oncology, Yanick Saint
Photo: Maria Serrano
Fleur, RN, BSN, Clinical Coordinator,
areas of the Dominican Republic to
4 North Oncology and Constantin
improve health promotion and chronic
Vintilescu, RN, Staff Nurse, Intensive
disease management for this popula-
Care Unit, visited the island in August
tion. Despite a strengthening econo-
2007 to help relieve the basic health
my, nearly 25% of Dominicans live in
needs of members of several communi-
extreme poverty. The country’s greatest
ties on the island. Eilleen Carrigg
concentration of poverty is located
Specchio, PhD, RN, conducted a
along the entire area bordering neigh-
Nursing Service Leadership Program
boring Haiti.
while Johanna Garcia accompanied the
group as translator.
This mission trip built relationships
The Grip of Poverty
In the Dominican Republic, poverty
with the people by working hand in
is cyclical. Many families don’t have
hand with the local church and provid-
enough food for everyone. Children
ing free medical care for the communi-
frequently do not attend school and
ty. The Trinitas Hospital team found 30
they are often the last to receive food
nurses and nursing students operating
and medical care.
nurse-managed clinics in underserved
SPRING 2008
25
Photo: Cheryl Bryan
Nurses from Trinitas Hospital volunteered for a mission trip to the island nation of
the Dominican Republic. Pictured (from left to right) are Cheryl Bryan, Constantin
Vintilescu, Illya DeVera, Nagela Saint Fleur, and Yanick Saint Fleur.
“Through our experience there, we
came in contact with so many people
who were unable to break free from
poverty,” explained Constantin
Vintilescu. “We traveled on poorlypaved roads to communities where we
engaged in door-to-door visits.”
Thanks to several physicians associated
with Trinitas Hospital, including
Michael Brescia, MD, Vipin Garg, MD,
Maria Khazaei, MD, Peter Lenchur,
MD, Nicholas Maglaras, MD, Edgardo
Vallejo, MD, and Oscar Verzosa, MD,
the group brought many essential
healthcare supplies with them.
little or no opportunity to obtain medical care before,” said Constantin.
During their health care mission
visit, the Trinitas Hospital nurses shared
information about anemia, contact dermatitis, diabetes, fungal infections,
gripe, hypertension, nutrition, parasites, prenatal care, scabies, and sore
throat. They assessed people to determine how best to respond to the needs
of people they met. “Our trip allowed
us to serve people from diverse backgrounds, many of whom may have had
Through their interactions with
Dominicans, the Trinitas team discovered that hope is an essential and
dynamic life force among the people.
“By asking them questions about their
way of life, we learned that hope gives
them meaning and happiness,” said
Constantin, adding, “In turn, we were
reminded of the power of hope and
were re-energized in our commitment
to the nursing profession.”
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26
HEALTHYEDGE
(Clark/Cranford Borders)
On the same island of Hispanola,
just a few months later, Jung Tsai, MD,
vascular surgeon, and a medical team
worked in neighboring Haiti during a
humanitarian health mission trip.
As president of the North American
Taiwanese Medical Association which
boasts a membership of 1500 physicians
and dentists, Dr. Tsai has been a participant in medical missions to various
Caribbean nations since 2003. The
decision to offer medical care in Haiti
evolved out of Dr. Tsai’s recognition of
the predominance of Haitian immigrants
in Elizabeth.
“Haiti is perhaps the most destitute
nation in the Western Hemisphere
due largely to political unrest,” notes
Dr. Tasi, adding, “Consequently, the
majority of Haitians fail to receive even
the most basic healthcare.”
During the five-day medical mission,
Dr. Tsai and his colleagues provided
medical and dental care to approximately 1500 patients. Much of their
time was spent caring for conditions
that are easily remedied in our country
— high blood pressure, skin diseases,
infections, malnutrition and diabetes —
which often go untreated in Haiti. After
caring for patients in the capital city of
Port-au-Prince, the team relocated to a
countryside hospital where in 48 hours,
the surgeons performed 235 procedures. Michael-Angel Ferdinand, MD,
also of Trinitas Hospital, and his wife,
Joseline, provided two months of medical supplies to treat diabetes, high
blood pressure, infections and cardiac
conditions.
“Not only did our doctors and dentists heal the sick, but more importantly, they provided hope and inspiration
to the Haitian community, empowering
them through better health to make a
better tomorrow for themselves,” said
the second poorest country in this
hemisphere.
With an average income of $800
a year, the people of this nation look
to non-profit organizations such as
Hope for Honduran Children which
creates initiatives that bring groups
like the Cleveland Medical Brigade
there to help. Maria reported that
medical professionals and non-clinicians
bring much needed healthcare and
medicine to impoverished villages
across Honduras.
Working with Sister Maria Rosa who
is known as the “Mother Teresa” of
Honduras, the Cleveland Medical
Brigade has helped to establish orphanages, educational programs, schools,
and villages to support persons displaced by Hurricane Mitch and aid
abandoned children and mothers. A
clinic at Nuevo offers free medical and
dental care. Local schools receive aid
that augments teacher salaries, provides
much needed school supplies, and creates programs to help in career development.
In a matter of days earlier this year,
the group aided 1800 villagers, many of
whom walked for hours without any
protection against the elements and
with little water in order to arrive at the
temporary MASH-like clinic. Nearly 150
people, including 11 pregnant women,
were tested for HIV. The American
medical team worked side by side with
Jung Tsai, MD, and Michael-Angel
Ferdinand, MD, at left, both of Trinitas
Hospital, were part of a medical mission
to Haiti sponsored by the North
American Tiawanese Medical
Association.
a doctor and a dentist from Honduras.
“We dispensed toothbrushes, toothpaste
and offered instructions in brushing.
Unfortunately, many teeth are pulled in
Honduras because the people have little
access to good dental care and don’t
practice good dental hygiene,” Maria
explained.
Lawyers and businessmen traded
their briefcases and three-piece suits for
work clothes to help repair buildings
and improve parts of the infrastructure
for the delivery of clean, potable water.
Other non-clinicians helped at orphanages by distributing much needed
clothing and hygienic supplies.
“I am very proud that I could lend
my bi-lingual skills to this effort since
Dr. Tsai.
Help in Honduras
Fruchter & Associates, LLC
For Maria Serrano, Research
Lawyers working for you.
Manager, Trinitas Comprehensive
Cancer Center, a chance encounter in
late 2007 through which she learned
about a mission trip to Central
America, prompted her to pack her
bags for Honduras in January. She put
her bi-lingual skills to use as an interpreter for a group from the Cleveland
Medical Brigade who visited Honduras,
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SPRING 2008
27
groups like the Cleveland Medical
Brigade rely so heavily on reliable interpreters. I’m glad that I had the opportunity to serve the global community,”
Maria adds.
Native Son Returns
In still another far corner of the
world, the influence and reach of
Trinitas Hospital has also been felt.
Pedro Cordero, MD, attending physician in the department of surgery,
recently participated in a much-needed
and highly successful surgical mission
to Legaspi City, The Philippines. The
Society of Philippine Surgeons in
America left the United States to bring
their medical and surgical skills to the
area that was devastated by a major
mud slide and flooding in 2006. More
than 2000 people died in the disaster.
The surgeons worked at a frantic
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Pavan Sachan, MD
Prathibha Chandrasekaran, MD
Suresh Jain, MD
695 Chestnut Street • Union, NJ 07083
(908) 688-6565 • www.cddnj.com
28
HEALTHYEDGE
Diplomates, American board of Gastroenterology
Aaron Javier, PA-C
CHIROPRACTIC
CENTRE OF
ELIZABETH
The operating rooms in which they
works at Legaspi Hospital were filled
with surgical supplies collected by
the operating room staff of Trinitas
Hospital and donated to the humanitarian effort.
CHIROPRACTIC CARE
FOR ADULTS & CHILDREN
MUA
Dr. Cordero is the co-founder of
Mano-a-Mano and Surgical Salvage
Inc., a non-profit organization that
provides surplus medical, surgical and
educational supplies to underserved
Dr. Cordero being assisted by Dr.
Benjamin Zamora during the surgical
mission to Legaspi City, Philippines.
areas around the world.
(Manipulation Under Anesthesia)
As seen on Channel 2 news
FERNANDO BARRESE, DC
CHRISTOPHER J. MONTANA, DC
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Se Habla Espanol •
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• 3 Minutes from Garden State Pkwy
• 3 Minutes from Newark Intl Airport
Off Route 1
908-289-5336
— Free Parking in Rear —
426 Morris Avenue, Elizabeth
Other locations to serve you better:
Official N.J. State Inspection
Computerized Wheel Alignment
Check Engine Light Diagnostic
Tune-Ups / Shocks / Brakes / Mufflers / Wheel Balance / Axles
FLEET SERVICE SPECIALIST
615 E. Jersey St., Elizabeth, NJ
908-351-7175
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SPRING 2008
29
Easing the Grip of Incontinence
Innovative, Minimal Surgeries at Trinitas Target Prolapse
and Both Forms of Female Urinary Incontinence by Rena Kotik-Sandberg
INNOVATIVE SURGERIES RELIEVE PAIN
Fifty-eight year old Robyn Blake (name
has been changed) of Bayonne experienced the unfortunate, nagging symptoms of urinary incontinence for more
than five years. “It’s not easy to always
have to worry about where the bathroom
is,” she says. An astounding 33 million
Americans suffer from overactive bladder,
a condition in which persistent, powerful
urges to urinate cause the bladder to
empty involuntarily.
Fortunately, a revolutionary procedure called InterStim® Therapy is
offered at Trinitas Hospital for those
who have been unsuccessful with
behavioral or pharmacological therapies and wish to treat nonobstructive
urinary retention and the symptoms of
overactive bladder. This effective system controls urinary problems by sending mild electrical pulses to the sacral
nerve, located near the tailbone. The
electrical stimulation greatly reduces or
eliminates certain bladder control
symptoms including urinary urge
incontinence and urgency frequency.
Robyn was overcome with liberation
three days after undergoing a testimplant procedure performed by Labib
E. Riachi, MD, a specialist in advanced
pelvic surgery and female urinary incontinence at Trinitas Hospital. “Today is
the first day I didn’t have to wear an
undergarment!” Robyn exclaims. “For
me, this is such a big deal.”
And what a big deal it is. After a
number of medications failed to improve
her condition, Robyn is now able to
sleep through the night without having
30
HEALTHYEDGE
to urinate. “That hasn’t happened in a
long, long time,” she reported.
Urogynecologist Dr. Riachi performs
this minimally-invasive surgery in two
stages. “The procedure first requires a
test implant,” he explains. This test
allows the patient to examine the efficacy
of the system as well as determine the
viability of the therapy. “A soft wire is
placed near the tailbone and is attached
to a small, portable device,” he continues. Stimulation is applied to the sacral
nerve and the device is carefully tuned to
a voltage specific to the patient’s needs.
The patient then returns home with
this temporary system, ultimately
deciding whether she is a candidate for
the permanent implant. If the patient
experiences a significant decrease in
problematic symptoms and is satisfied
with the test results, she returns in
approximately one week for the second
procedure, also performed on an outpatient basis.
Sixty-nine year old Claudia Knapp of
Roselle Park was the first patient at
Trinitas Hospital to undergo the
InterStim procedure after suffering with
urinary urge incontinence – among
other urinary complications – for a
number of years. After conventional
therapies failed to alleviate the problem, she was referred to Dr. Riachi who
performed her test-implant surgery. She
quickly experienced positive change.
“Within a day or two I noticed significant improvement,” Claudia reported. The second procedure involves the
permanent placement of the InterStim
neurostimulator. Dr. Riachi describes
this neurostimulator as a “pacemaker
of the bladder.” It is attached to a lead
and typically implanted in the buttock
area under the skin. Patients generally
do not experience much pain and can
return to work the next day.
Clinical studies show that InterStim
Therapy patients experience improved
quality of life in terms of physical functioning, physical health status and mental health. “I can now get to the bathroom without having any accidents,”
says Robyn. “If I stay like this, I will be
very happy.”
Through such procedures, Dr. Riachi
hopes to break the taboo against
talking about urinary incontinence
and offer hope to those who suffer
from this common condition. “We are
now starting to open the gates to let
women know that when everything
else fails, we have another solution.”
InterStim Therapy is completely reversible. For those who wish to discontinue
treatment, they may do so without any permanent damage to the nerves.
InterStim is not intended for patients with symptoms of stress incontinence;
nor is it designated for those with mechanical obstructions such as benign
prostatic hypertrophy, urethral strictures or cancer. For more information on
InterStim Therapy at Trinitas Hospital, please call (908) 282-2000.
97-YEAR-OLD PATIENT OPTS FOR SURGERY
Photo courtesy of The Star-Ledger
Trinitas Hospital helps to treat stress incontinence and improve her quality of life
Just three weeks before her 97th
birthday, Antonette discovered that it’s
never too late to take steps to improve
one’s quality of life. And in so doing,
the Elizabeth resident became the oldest person in the United States to
receive minimally invasive surgery for
the treatment of urinary incontinence
and pelvic organ prolapse.
Antonette’s condition resulted in her
being admitted to the hospital week
after week. “I felt so terrible,” said Labib
E. Riachi, MD, a urogynecologist at
Trinitas Hospital. “Why should she suffer when treatment is available?”
Dr. Riachi performed the TVM (Total
Vaginal Mesh Plasty) surgery, which
requires total reconstruction of the
vagina, as well as the minimally-invasive Gynecare TVT-Obturator procedure
that treats female incontinence under
regional anesthesia. She was sent home
36 hours later.
“It was heartwarming to see her
face after the surgery,” said Dr. Riachi.
At 97 years of age, Antonette has
begun a new phase in her life. “She
says she feels like a new woman,” said
Antonette’s daughter-in-law and primary caretaker. She continued, “Dr.
Riachi explained everything very well;
he was concerned and understanding.
We are very pleased with [Antonette’s]
outcome. I would recommend this surgery to anyone.” As far as Antonette’s
outlook on her future, she seems quite
positive. “I’m glad to be home,”
Antonette reported.
This new, cutting-edge TVT-O procedure performed at Trinitas Hospital offers
hope to women who suffer from urinary
stress incontinence. An overwhelming 13
million women in the United States live
with urinary incontinence — a condition
that results in an inability to hold urine.
Generally associated with aging, incontinence can be a problem for women of all
ages, especially those who have experienced childbirth.
Dr. Riachi, who has studied with
pioneering physicians in France and
Belgium, has become one of the first in
the nation to successfully perform the
TVT-O procedure that treats female
incontinence. Performed primarily under
local anesthesia, TVT-O is placed in a
passage away from the urethra and
bladder to reduce the possibility of
injury to these organs. Mesh is placed
without tension underneath the urethra,
which creates a supportive sling. Over
time, the body’s tissue grows into the
mesh and makes it permanently secure.
Dr. Riachi can often complete the surgery in ten minutes. “I have a very efficient team,” he said, adding, “Most
patients find themselves returning to
normal activities within two days.”
nence can be devastating socially.
“Many women feel that it is socially
unacceptable and we want to make
them aware that treatment is available.”
The success rate of the TVT surgery
is at an impressive 90 percent, with the
risk of rejection from foreign bodies at a
mere one percent. The TVM procedure’s
success rate is approximately 80 percent
over five years, while the risk of rejection
is at 4.7 percent.
Dr. Riachi notes that urinary inconti-
At Trinitas, a teaching hospital for
pelvic surgery, Dr. Riachi and his team
have performed more than 720 TVT
procedures and more than 250 TVM
procedures. For more information about
minimally invasive surgery for female
urinary incontinence and prolapse at
Trinitas Hospital, call 908-282-2000.
“Freedom from Incontinence”
An Informative Seminar for Women about TVT-O minimally invasive surgery
Speaker: Labib E. Riachi, MD
Internationally renowned specialist in treating problems associated with stress
incontinence
Friday, June 6, 2008 – 11:30 AM
Charlie Brown’s Steakhouse; 2376 North Avenue, Scotch Plains, New Jersey
For information, call (908) 282-2000
SPRING 2008
31
Loving the Skin You’re In
BODY CONTOURING AFTER MASSIVE WEIGHT LOSS
By Joseph Alkon, MD
As obesity has steadily increased
over the past several decades, many
Americans use diets, exercise and
weight loss programs, medications,
and weight-loss surgery as a means to
reverse this major public health epidemic. Despite the often lifelong battle
and roller-coaster ride of frequent
weight ups and downs, many patients
are achieving significant massive and
stable weight loss. For some, this
success has resulted from lifestyle modification, while others have turned to
surgery. More and more patients are
visiting plastic surgeons, seeking body
contouring after massive weight loss.
Such weight loss is a life-altering
event. Many patients are able to
decrease or completely stop taking
numerous medications they once did
for weight loss. Others can now participate in physical activities or sports that
were once beyond their reach, while
still others now comfortably enjoy
activities like movie going or a shopping
spree for new clothes.
32
HEALTHYEDGE
Having lost more than 50, 100, or
even 200 pounds, these patients show
enormous dedication and success.
However, the change in their size is
sometimes overshadowed by their
unhappiness with the extra “hanging”
skin that remains following weight loss.
As the pounds disappeared, the loose
skin never ‘shrunk’ down or ‘vanished’
in quite the same way. When such skin
does not disappear with the weight
loss it can serve as a painful reminder
of prior obesity.
With the loss of sometimes nearly
half of one’s body weight, one of
the most common concerns among
patients is that their external body
doesn’t reflect how great they feel as
smaller selves. Others may suffer from
various skin irritations and conditions
that may result from the excess remaining skin found head-to-toe. A consultation with a plastic surgeon is often the
last phase of this transformation.
Typically, it is best for a patient to
Dr. Joseph Alkon
seek a plastic surgeon’s recommendations on body-contouring after weight
loss has been stable for at least three
to six months. Body contouring
performed too early post-weight loss
may simply be unwise. It is important
for the patient to realize that the tighter
and toned arms, breasts, abdomen, and
other areas of the body gained from
plastic surgery would be lost as further
loosening and ‘deflation’ occurs during
contnued weight loss. As the saying
goes, patience is a virtue, especially
when people are experiencing significant bodily changes resulting from
weight loss and weight-stabilization.
The American Society of Plastic
Surgeons, the largest and most respected organization of board-certified plastic surgeons in the world, reports that
body contouring procedures following
massive weight loss have risen in
extraordinary frequency. For example,
an upper-arm lift surgery, or brachioplasty (a procedure sought to help treat
the loose, hanging skin that may
remain from elbow to shoulder and
which can prevent many patients from
wearing short-sleeve or sleeveless shirts
or bathing suits) has increased 4,300%
from 2000 to 2006. There have also
been major rises in the frequency of
plastic surgical “lifting” procedures for a
wide range of occurrences of loose
hanging skin of the face and neck,
breasts of both men and women, back,
abdomen, thighs and buttocks.
Many patients express multiple concerns when discussing their reasons for
seeking plastic surgery following significant weight loss. Among them may be
a sagging and deflated appearance of
the thighs or breasts, an overhanging
“apron” of abdominal skin, or loose
skin below the chin, arms, upper back/
bra-region, or buttocks. Sometimes
during a consultation, a hernia may be
identified. Although multiple areas for
body contouring may be addressed
during a single surgery, along with the
possible repair of a hernia at the same
time, the plastic surgeon addressed the
length of time of both the procedure
and the recuperation to ensure patient
safety and comfort. It is valuable for
patients to take recommendations of
the plastic surgeon seriously when
evaluating the benefits of undergoing
several contouring procedures rather
than one.
As patients consider body contouring after significant weight loss, a first
step is to become familiar with the
qualifications of your chosen physician,
making sure that he or she is boardcertified and accredited. In addition,
information about where your surgery
will take place and what type of
anesthesia will be used as well as the
level of experience of the surgeon
based on the number of procedures
performed, particularly the one you are
interested in, should all be taken into
account. Finally, an open discussion of
any potential risks associated with
your surgery and the realistic results
you can expect are important to a safe
and satisfying result that will help you
love the skin you are in.
Dr. Joseph Alkon is a board certified
plastic surgeon with offices in Elizabeth,
NJ. He is the chief of the Division of
Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery at Trinitas
Hospital. Additional information may be
obtained from his practice website at
www.dralkon.com or by contacting his
office at 908-289-6888.
PAUL J.P. BOLANOWSKI, MD
JUSTIN SAMBOL, MD
PRACTICE LIMITED TO CARDIOTHORACIC SURGERY
With Staff Privileges at Trinitas Hospital and University Hospital
219 South Broad Street, Elizabeth, NJ
908-352-8110
Specializing in:
• Basement Water Proofing
• French Drains
• Sump Pumps &
All Types of Masonry Works
CALL US FOR A
FREE ESTIMATE
908.294.0818
908.397.3609
CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES
240 Williamson Street • Elizabeth, NJ 07207
908-994-5300 • Fax 908-994-5308
ARTHUR E. MILLMAN, MD FACC/FSCAI
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF MECICINE
SETON HALL UNIVERSITY
GRADUATE SCHOOL OF MEDICAL EDUCATION
SPRING 2008
33
Vital Signs:
Trinitas Comprehensive Cancer Center News
by Kathryn Salamone
CENTER RECEIVES BOOST IN ACCREDITATION
Not having to travel a great
distance to receive exemplary cancer
care makes the Trinitas Comprehensive
Cancer Center (Trinitas CCC) of great
value to the community and the entire
Central New Jersey region. This fact
has prompted recognition from the
American College of Surgeons (ACoS),
one of the nation’s most prestigious
medical organizations. The ACoS has
recognized the Center which, in just
two short years, has achieved an
upgrade of its accreditation status
to that of “Community Hospital
Comprehensive Cancer Program.”
This certification signifies that the
hospital’s entire cancer program meets
or exceeds rigorous national standards
established by the ACoS. The approval
for the upgraded accreditation was
granted following an on-site inspection
of the program in late 2007.
“Such ACoS approval is granted to
only 20% of the nation’s cancer programs,” explains Dr. Fred Steinbaum,
Associate Medical Director at Trinitas
CCC, noting further that, “Of the 51
approved ACoS cancer programs in
New Jersey, only 17 of them have
been granted the ‘Comprehensive
Community Program’ designation.”
Trinitas Hospital’s overall program
reflects a higher level of commitment
to cancer care. Among the required
elements for ACoS certification are
multidisciplinary tumor board conferences; state-of-the-art services and
equipment; access to clinical trials,
education, and support; cancer screenings; patient follow-up through a cancer registry that collects data on type
and stage of cancers and treatment
34
HEALTHYEDGE
results; and ongoing monitoring and
improvement of care.
“Being approved by the ACoS as a
Comprehensive Cancer Program, the
culmination of both dedication and
hard work since we opened our doors in
2005, confirms that Trinitas is vigorously
raising the level of cancer care in our
region,” said Gary S. Horan, FACHE,
President & CEO of Trinitas Hospital.
The ACoS approval confirms that
Trinitas Hospital has all necessary elements in place to provide exceptional
care to patients with cancer. Chief
among these is that doctors of all
related specialties collaborate to ensure
a coordinated, individualized, and wellthought-out approach to cancer care.
“We owe this achievement to our
outstanding team of oncology specialists, including our physicians, nurses
and staff in our outpatient cancer center;
our excellent surgeons, radiology, and
pathology staff; the skilled nurses of
our 23-private bed brand new in-patient
oncology unit, the hardworking staff in
our cancer awareness and outreach
program, and our fantastic tumor
registrars,” continues Mr. Horan,
adding, “At Trinitas, we hold state-ofthe-art quality care and excellence in
customer service as top priorities.
The official recognition of the ACoS
is certainly satisfying.”
The ACoS Commission on Cancer
approval is given only to those facilities
that have voluntarily committed to
provide the best in diagnosis and
treatment of cancer and to undergo
a thorough evaluation process and
performance review. In order to maintain approval, facilities with approved
cancer programs must undergo an
on-site review every three years.
ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY SPARES PATIENT FROM
DEBILITATING TUMOR
In 2004, the 51-year-old chemist
was diagnosed with a high-grade
sarcoma, a soft-tissue tumor, in his
back muscles. At that time, he underwent surgery, chemotherapy, and
radiation therapies at another hospital.
It was thought that the sarcoma was
eliminated and that all was well.
Regretfully, after an encouraging
year, the sarcoma returned. The patient
was re-admitted and underwent additional surgery, this time requiring the
removal of two ribs and more treatments of chemotherapy and radiation.
Unfortunately, the tumor spread
again. However, following these unsuccessful treatments and procedures, the
patient sought treatment at the Trinitas
Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Using advanced PET/CT scanning,
radiation oncology chair Dr. Lisa Febles
Henson led a medical team that detected the tumor in the patient’s ribs and
bones. Positron Emission Tomography
(PET) combined with Computerized
Tomography (CT) allowed the team to
see anatomical structures while at the
same time measure microscopic metabolic activity of the tumor. Integrating
these technologies gave Dr. Henson
the tools to develop a treatment plan
beneficial to the patient.
Before proceeding, the team consulted with the patient’s team of physicians
from the other hospital and then
reviewed more than 100 pages of medical records from his previous treatments.
“Given that this was a recurring cancer that was already treated with surgery,
chemotherapy, and radiation, we were
presented with a difficult challenge,” said
Anup Jassal, Medical Physicist at the
Comprehensive Cancer Center, adding,
“We had to consider the effects of all the
previous treatments on surrounding
healthy tissues and structures.”
safely removed with surgery.
The team had to move quickly since
the tumor was growing. If it were not
treated quickly, it would soon spread to
both sides of the spinal cord. The consensus was that if the tumor were
allowed to grow any larger, it would
surely leave the patient paralyzed.
“The Trilogy radiotherapy technology offers us the precision to produce
and implement complex treatment
plans,” said Dr. Henson. “It is one of
the most advanced medical tools in
the country and, when fully integrated
with PET, CT, and MRI data, it allowed
us to develop the best treatment plan
possible for this patient. I’m very
pleased that we were able to save our
patient from debilitating paralysis and
preserve his quality of life.”
The Radiation Therapy team went
swiftly to work, developing a treatment
plan using the Trilogy Linear Accelerator.
They were successful in achieving significant shrinkage of the patient’s
tumor to a point at which it could be
For more information, or to speak
with Dr. Lisa Febles Henson,
Chair of Radiation Oncology,
please call 908-994-8000 or
go to www.TrinitasCCC.org.
Seniors and Students
State-of-the-art radiotherapy technology at Trinitas Comprehensive
Cancer Center (Trinitas CCC) used in
conjunction with advanced PET/CT
imaging recently spared a resident of
Edison from an aggressive and inevitably
paralyzing tumor on his spine.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
at state-of-the-art Cancer Center
Are you warm, courteous, and considerate? Would you like to
make a difference in the lives of people affected by cancer?
You can by becoming a Volunteer in our state-of-the-art
Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Volunteers are needed to lend an ear, offer refreshments,
provide supplemental patient care and help on community outreach projects:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Hospitality
Public Relations and Marketing
Arts & Crafts
Patients Escort and Transport
Clerical/Computer Assistants
Flexible hours
CONTACT US TODAY!
Call Lisa Liss, Director, Volunteer Services 908-994-5137
Elizabeth, New Jersey
SPRING 2008
35
VITAL SIGNS
“INKER” OF ANIMAL ASSISTED ACTIVITIES PROGRAM
CARRIES ON AS CANCER SURVIVOR
Inker, the first therapy dog in Trinitas
Hospital’s Animal Assisted Activities
Program, now has something in common with the hospital’s Comprehensive
Cancer Center (TCCC) patients.
The nine year-old Golden Retriever
is undergoing chemotherapy for cancer.
After Pat Dobson, Inker’s owner,
noticed lumps on his neck in December,
she brought him to her veterinarian who
recommended immediate chemotherapy
treatment for Canine Lymphoma. A
common and treatable cancer that
occurs in the lymph nodes or other
organs, approximately 50 percent of
dogs with canine lymphoma achieve
remission through chemotherapy. Inker
is currently undergoing weekly treatments at the Animal Medical Center in
New York City, affiliated with Memorial
Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.
Patients in the infusion department welcome the visits of Inker while they undergo
their chemotherapy.
“Since beginning his treatments, he
is responding to chemotherapy and the
lumps are getting smaller,” reports Pat,
adding “His oncologist believes his
chances for remission are good.”
Pat says that Inker continues to be
a therapeutic presence for patients,
visiting patients each week and spreading his special brand of canine comfort
and cheer. “Many patients have told
me that their bond with Inker is even
stronger knowing that they are both
there for each other,” she said. I tell
patients ‘he’s doing it, you’re doing it,
we’ll all make it together.’”
As this issue was going to press, Inker
lost his battle with canine lymphoma.
Pat Dobson reported that he died very
peacefully. Together, they brought happiness to 1073 patients at Trinitas. There is
no way to measure the love and comfort
Inker brought to our patients, visitors
and staff during his visits. We know for
certain that he will be missed.
36
HEALTHYEDGE
“Inker” caused a media frenzy earlier this year when a number of newspaper and
broadcast media reporters, including this reporter from News 12 New Jersey, visited
Trinitas to interview him and Pat.
Foundation Focus:
News of the Trinitas Health Foundation
by Kathryn Salamone
PREPARING YOUR WILL AND DOING ESTATE PLANNING
“WILL” BENEFIT YOU!
For most people, estate planning and preparing a will is like preparing a tax return – they put it off as long as
they can. However, once you make use of these tools, the benefits are tremendous.
Your will can:
Provide tax benefits and financial
protection for your family and heirs
Ensure the support of your favorite
charitable organization
You can decrease the amount of taxes paid by your
estate by having a well-thought-out will.
What a lasting way to provide a gift for your favorite
charities!
Remind your loved ones of your basic
beliefs and commitments
Can provide peace of mind
The way you distribute your estate expresses your commitments. You can provide for your family and any
charitable organization you are passionate about.
With the correct estate planning, you can relax knowing that your earthly affairs are in order. You can rest
easy knowing that you have cared for those persons
and those concerns closest to your heart.
Ensure that your desires are fulfilled
You can specify the person who will handle the closing
of your estate. You can designate the giving of specific
items to family members and friends.
Please call your attorney today to have your will prepared or updated and consider leaving a bequest to the
Trinitas Health Foundation. There is no better gift to give than to help provide the best healthcare for your
family, friends and neighbors.
For additional information,
please call 908-994-8249
and ask for Nadine Brechner,
Executive Director or Florence
Ruvolo, Director of Annual
and Planned Giving.
SPRING 2008
37
FOUNDATION FOCUS
THE TRUSTEES OF THE TRINITAS HEALTH FOUNDATION:
SHARING A COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE by Doug Harris
The Board of Trustees of the Trinitas Health Foundation give generously of their time to advance a great cause,
explains Nadine Brechner, Executive Director. “This is a group that is without exception hard working, energetic,
generous and caring. They are well-regarded and prominent leaders who represent a cross section of populations that
live and/or work in Elizabeth, and they share a common belief in providing the best healthcare possible.”
“The care we provide at Trinitas is inspired by the knowledge that every patient is a parent, child, sibling or best friend
to someone,” she said, adding, “We all know what kind of care we want for our loved ones, and this is what we strive to
provide for others. This high level of care is supported and advanced by the work of each of our Trustees.”
The Trustees of the Trinitas Health Foundation work to raise funds, and to invest and monitor the assets of the
Foundation. Further, they approve disbursements to Trinitas to meet specific equipment or program needs.
Please meet the Officers of the Trinitas Health Foundation:
John C.
Gibardi,
Chairman
John C. Gibardi is
the President/CEO
of Entertainment Industries Federal
Credit Union since 1986. He graduated
from Kean University and holds
degrees from numerous financial and
management schools. He is the Vice
Chairman of the New York State Credit
Union League, Board of Directors.
Thomas S.
Kachelriess,
Vice Chair
Thomas S.
Kachelriess is the
President and Chief Executive Officer
of Professional Appraisal Associates.
He has extensive experience in all areas
of residential real estate appraisals. Mr.
Kachelriess holds numerous certifications
and approvals from industry regulators
and agencies including: SCGREA, SRA,
CRA, HUD, CRP Fannie Mae, MGIC and
MSA among others. He received his
Bachelor of Science Degree in Marketing
from the University of Dayton in Ohio.
PETER J. MLYNARCZYK, M.D., F.A.C.S.
Diplomate American Board of Surgery
Former Medical Director of Trinitas Center for
Wound Healing & Hyperbaric Medicine
General Surgery - Vascular Surgery
Wound Care Specialist
240 WILLIAMSON STREET, SUITE 302, ELIZABETH, NJ 07202
TEL: (908) 355-3600 FAX: (908) 355-9490
38
HEALTHYEDGE
Susan Head,
Vice Chair
Susan Head is
the Senior Vice
President of
Charitable Services
for Wachovia. She
received her BS in Psychology from
Western Maryland College and her
MS in Psychology from Montclair State
University. She went on and earned
her MBA in Finance from Fairleigh
Dickinson University and is a Certified
Financial Planner.
Eugene J.
Carmody,
Treasurer
Eugene J. Carmody
has eighteen years
of public service experience as a
Councilman and Mayor of Roselle Park
and as a Union County Freeholder.
He received his MBA from Seton Hall
University and spent 2 years in the
U.S. Army, Finance and Accounting
Corps. He worked for Western Electric
Company, Inc. as a Network Staff
Supervisor for Material Planning and
Management.
Gary S. Horan,
President
& CEO
Gary S. Horan,
FACHE, President
and Chief Executive Officer of both
Trinitas Health and Trinitas Hospital,
joined the organization in 2001. He is
Chairman of the Hospital Alliance of
New Jersey, Chairman of the Board of
Governors of the Greater New York
Hospital Association and a member
of the Board of Directors of the New
Jersey State Chamber of Commerce.
He earned his BS degree in Economics
from Saint Peter’s College, Jersey City,
and his MA degree in Health Care
Administration from the George
Washington University School of
Government and Business.
These officers lead a Board that includes the following Trustees who will be
highlighted in future issues of HealthyEdge:
• Elinor K. Blore
• Joseph Cantalupo
• George A. Castro
Century 21 Atlantic, Roselle Park, NJ
• Martha DeNoble
• Richard English
• Botond Farkas
AMB Property Corp., East Rutherford, NJ
• Catherine J. Flynn, Esq.
Lindabury, McCormick Estabrook &
Cooper, Westfield, NJ
• Diane M. Francis, MPH, CCS
Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc., Cincinnati, OH
• Thomas D. Jacobson
Jacobson & Company, Elizabeth, NJ
• Vito Mazza
Vito Mazza Salon & Day Spa, Inc.,
Woodbridge, NJ
• Kevin McCloskey
• Robin McHugh
Trinitas Hospital Auxiliary, Chair
• Michael Minitelli
Township of Union, Union, NJ
• Tricia Mullaney
• Paul D. Napoli
Public Service Enterprise Group, Newark, NJ
• Sharon Patel
Patel Printing Plus Corp., Union, NJ
• Sister Clare Maureen Tracy
Trinitas Hospital, Elizabeth, NJ
• Donald N. Treloar
• Felicia Forarotto
Trinitas Hospital, Elizabeth, NJ, Controller
• Nadine Brechner
Trinitas Health Foundation, Elizabeth, NJ
Executive Director& Assistant Secretary
Honorary Trustees
• John M. Boozan, MD
• Jerome Eckenthal
Ehrenkranz & Co., Roseland, NJ
• Harold Krevsky, Esq.
Krevsky, Silber & Bergen, Cranford, NJ
• Gloria H. Piserchia
• Robert Silbey, MD
Jan Margolis,
Secretary
Jan Margolis is a
Managing Director
and co-founder of
Applied Research Corporation, which
for 15 years has delivered assessment,
coaching, transition leadership, and
performance management services.
Before co-founding the firm, she was
Senior Vice President, Executive
Resources at Bristol-Myers Squibb.
She holds a MS degree in Behavioral
Science from Boston University.
SPRING 2008
39
Hospital Beat:
People and Events of Note
TRINITAS HOSPITAL INTRODUCES TEENAGERS TO BEING
“CUSTOMER SAVVY” By Jennifer Salamone
Innovative education is the name
of the game at Abraham Clark High
School in Roselle where students can
participate in the school’s Health
Occupations program that leads to a
lifetime of learning. Rigorous, practical
training prepares them for a number
of careers in the medical field.
The 28-year-old program that has
graduated about 2500 students is
partnering this year with Trinitas
Hospital to introduce students to a
better understanding of customer
service and the role it plays in a health
services environment. The partnership
allows Trinitas to share its expertise and
guidance as students explore this very
distinct subject matter.
The Health Occupations program
prides itself on its success in implementing transformations and innovations in
the high school curriculum. Program
director Diana Lobozzo, RN, BSN, CDLI
explains that some of these changes
have led to a more challenging and
rewarding educational experience for
her students. In 2005, the school
adopted a new curriculum called the
“High Schools That Work” school
reform model whose guidelines include
academic rigor, interpersonal relationships and emphasis on relevance in
education.
“The academic work is rigorous
since the courses are taught at a
college level. Upon successful completion of the final examination in Health
Occupations, students gain three
tuition-free college credits and an additional three courses can allow a student
to gain up to 12 credits from the
40
HEALTHYEDGE
Nancy DiLiegro, PhD, FACHE, Vice President of CLinical Services; Diana Lobozzo,
Health Occupations Program Director and Lisa Liss, Director of Volunteers, were
photographed with Abraham Clark High School students at the end of their learning
experience at Trinitas Hospital.
University of Medicine and Dentistry of
New Jersey,” Ms. Lobozzo explains.
The staff continuously researches
new ways to energize the curriculum
and Mrs Lobozzo also teaches three
other schools via ITT(interactive television) allowing other school districts to
learn about health careers and help to
train future health care workers. Their
research has now led to a challenging
partnership with Trinitas Hospital. This
spring, the students completed an
assignment that Ms. Lobozzo and
other instructors feel accomplishes
the goals to achieve academic rigor,
stress interpersonal relationships and
emphasize relevance of the learning
experience.
Using the novel “Give ‘Em A Pickle”
customer service program at Trinitas
Hospital as a springboard, Abraham
Clark students spent time within the
hospital environment. In order to
complete the assignment, the students
were urged to seek out patients who
were in pain or who may have been
experiencing a period of stress. The
students were then encouraged to do
what they could to help meet the
patient’s immediate needs. This was
intended to give the students experience
with hands-on customer service while
also providing them with a sense of
accomplishment. Following their
experience, they wrote an essay that
explained how they were able to
fulfill the needs of a patient during a
moment of need. The essay component
reinforced the importance of communicating thoughts and ideas in an effective
manner.
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“The assignment is in line with the
general literacy and writing requirements that are infused throughout
the curriculum,” Ms. Lobozzo explains,
noting that, “It helps to show students
that developing good interpersonal
communication skills is very important
in the world of work.”
As this partnership has developed,
it reinforces the healthy relationship
between Trinitas Hospital and the
Health Occupations program. Trinitas
Hospital has recognized the importance
of educating and guiding these talented students through clinical “shadowing” opportunities in an environment
dedicated to customer service.
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SPRING 2008
41
HOSPITAL BEAT
CANINE VOLUNTEERS LIGHTEN SPIRITS
By Jennifer Salamone
There are few sights more endearing or entertaining than watching
someone enjoying time with a pet.
There is a simplicity to these moments
that strips away the stress and difficulties of daily life.
To help patients experience a respite
from the stress of hospitalization, or
weekly treatments at its Cancer Center,
the Trinitas Hospital Animal Assisted
Activities program has brought humans
and canines together and it is working
wonders.
Since September 2005, the program
has brought comfort and delight to
patients who are struggling through
challenging times. The hospital prides
itself on the level of care and attention
that it provides and the Animal Assisted
Activities program is just another display
of the way in which the hospital accomplishes this goal.
Canine visitors have completed
more than 2000 individual visits to
patients in units throughout the hospital where they display affection in clear,
unconditional ways. Volunteer dogs
and their owners have selflessly dedicated time to visiting patients who may be
feeling anxious or apprehensive, or simply suffering from an exhaustion of spirit that may occur during a hospital stay.
According to Carol Pepe, Director
of Social Work, who also guides the
Staff members like Corinda Ross, RN, Case Manager, delight in visits of the canine
volunteers like “Bonnie” who visited patients dressed as a bumble bee for Halloween.
Animal Assisted Activities program,
members of this canine squad of caregivers don’t have to have pedigrees.
They just need to be calm and loving
creatures who can help bring a few
moments of distraction from pain or
pre-occupation that comes from a
serious medical condition that patients
may be experiencing. To qualify as a
volunteer, these four-legged visitors
must be trained and certified by the
Jordan S. Fersel, M.D.
Center For Pain Relief
Diplomate American Board of Anesthesia
Diplomate American Academy of Pain Management
www.njcenterforpainrelief.com
1 (800) THE CURE
1 (800) 843-2873
Patients Accepted by Physician Referral Only
Jordan S. Fersel, M.D.
42
HEALTHYEDGE
809 North Wood Avenue
Linden, NJ 07036
Phone: 908.486.0400
Fax: 908.486.0442
St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center.
As research into the various areas of
complementary and natural therapies
has increased, scientists have shown a
growing interest in the benefits that
come from owning and spending time
with animals. Studies have found that
animal companions help to lower
blood pressure, reduce stress and aid in
recovery from an illness. Those who
own pets can further attest to the longterm satisfaction and contentment that
pet ownership brings.
The staff reports that while visiting
with canine volunteers, patients seem
to connect immediately, releasing
many of the visual signs of pain or
discomfort, and thereby returning for
a few moments to a greater sense of
calmness and peace. Pepe explains,
“You see an immediate relaxation and
sense of calm. The visits tend to help
them [the patients] forget, if only for a
few moments, all the reasons why they
PETS ARE POTENT
MEDICINE
are in the hospital, many of which are
usually not pleasant.”
This service is also beneficial to
patients’ families. “It just makes family
members feel good to see their loved
ones enjoying a visit from a docile and
lovable dog, something that is so
unique in a hospital setting. The dogs
often help to decrease the stress levels
for families as well,” Pepe notes.
The canines and their handlers,
who are employees of the hospital who
volunteer for the program, have visited
patients in the inpatient oncology unit,
the Comprehensive Cancer Center where
patients undergo chemotherapy infusion,
critical care units, medical-surgical units,
the Wound Care Center, Brother
Bonaventure Extended Care Center,
Behavioral Health & Psychiatry inpatient
units and, occasionally, Pediatrics.
The greatest challenge facing the
Animal Assisted Activities program is
maintaining and growing its family
of volunteers. The program currently
relies on two canine companions who
handle all of the demands of the
current visitation load. Spreading the
cheer by recruiting new volunteers is
a key goal of the program so that as
many patients as possible can enjoy
the warmth and care that the dogs
bring. Pepe is conducting a membership drive to expand the team and
then set manageable schedules for
long-term commitments.
Pepe hopes to bring in a greater
number of consistent volunteers who
will allow for visits to more units within
the hospital. “It’s a simple program
that bring simple joys and pleasure to
many, many patients and their families.
I would like to see a dog visiting in the
hospital every day and covering as
many areas as we can. Once we
achieve that, all the other great stuff
just seems to happen!”
Beyond dogs and cats, there are
many other animals that offer a
beneficial therapeutic presence to
humans at home. Cheerful bird
song, the cuddly fuzziness of
rabbits, hamsters and guinea
pigs, the meditative solitude of
fish, even snakes and lizards in
terrariums can bring a sense
of wonder and enrichment to
humans who enjoy animal
companionship.
Another frequent use of animals
in rehabilitation is therapeutic
horseback riding. Doctors use
horses for many reasons since
the soothing motion of riding
offers opportunities for humans
to connect with these beautiful
creatures. Since humans and
horses have the same basic
movement while walking, equine
therapy can benefit patients with
movement disabilities to help
them improve their balance
and posture.
SPRING 2008
43
COMING SOON…
Construction on a new ferry terminal linking Elizabeth and
lower Manhattan is expected to begin this year, and is just
part of the $2 billion Celadon project - a proposed venture
that will result in 14 glass towers of residential housing
units, restaurants, shopping, a charter school and a hotel.
The Celadon project is located on 30 acres on the
Elizabeth waterfront near Jersey Gardens Mall.
CITY OF ELIZABETH AMONG TOP 50 GREENEST CITIES IN AMERICA
The City of Elizabeth has been
named among the top 50 greenest
cities in America by Popular Science.
The environmentally friendly designation placed the City 45th among
cities with a population of more than
100,000 residents. Elizabeth was the
only New Jersey city to make the
eco-friendly list.
“This honor is a direct result of
coordinating and implementing green
initiatives throughout our City,” stated
Mayor Chris Bollwage.
To determine the greenest cities,
Popular Science Magazine used raw
data from the U.S. Census Bureau and
the National Geographic Society’s
Green Guide, which collected survey
data and government statistics for
American cities of over 100,000 people
in more than 30 categories. Statistics
were condensed and compiled into
four broad categories including:
Electricity, Transportation, Green Living,
and Recycling/Green Prospective.
Popular Science developed a scoring
system in each category to decide a
city’s place in the rankings.
44
HEALTHYEDGE
City officials attribute the national
ranking to the implementation of
diverse programs and strategies that
have set the stage for a greener, more
environmentally friendly community.
Eco-friendly partners, among them
Groundwork Elizabeth and Future City
Inc., have also helped improve the
City’s environment. Since October
2003, Groundwork Elizabeth has
restored recreational parks, landscaped
blighted areas, planted more than
one thousand new trees and created
the first ever Elizabeth “Nature Guide”
with students from their Green Team
program. Future City Inc. educates and
assists residents in policy formation in
order to ensure positive growth within
the environment and community.
program, “Solutions to Storm Water
The Department of PublicWorks
has done its part in keeping the City
“Clean and Green” through restructure
of its extensive recycling program to
provide weekly pick ups of recyclable
materials, participation in neighborhood clean-ups year-round and the
planting of hundreds of trees. To eliminate water pollution, the Department’s
strong,” said Councilman-at-large
Pollution,” adopts ordinances and
regulations that prohibit various
activities that contribute to storm
water pollution.
Fuel:Bio the largest commercial
producer of Bio Diesel in the
Northeast, is now based in Elizabeth.
Fuel:Bio Holdings is a state of the art,
fully automated facility that can
produce up to 50 million gallons of
Biodiesel per year. The new Biodiesel
burns cleaner than regular oil which
is less harmful to the environment.
“As the only city in New Jersey to
make the top 50 list, I hope we can
inspire others to start green programs
and help keep our environment
Frank Cuesta.
Elizabeth, New Jersey 07207

Spring 2008 - Trinitas Regional Medical Center

Transcription

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