Englewood Health Earns 2020 CHIME Digital Health Most Wired Recognition

Posted on by John Williams

Health system uses innovative technology to improve patient care, outcomes

October 6, 2020 — Englewood Health, together with the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME), is proud to announce its 2020 CHIME Digital Health Most Wired recognition, marking its seventh consecutive year named a Most Wired hospital.

The CHIME Digital Health Most Wired program conducts an annual survey to assess how effectively healthcare organizations apply core and advanced technologies in their clinical and business programs to improve overall health and access to care in their communities.

“Hospitals in the New York-New Jersey metropolitan area are among the best places to receive state-of-the-art, comprehensive health care,” said Warren Geller, president and CEO of Englewood Health. “At Englewood Health, our clinical and information technology teams effectively deploy and use the latest technologies to provide care more quickly, more accurately, and with better outcomes.”

A total of 30,091 organizations were represented in the 2020 Digital Health Most Wired program, which this year included four separate surveys: domestic, ambulatory, long-term care, and international. The surveys assessed the adoption, integration, and impact of technologies in healthcare organizations at all stages of development, from early development to industry leading.

Each participating organization received a customized benchmarking report, an overall score, and scores for individual levels in eight segments: infrastructure; security; business/disaster recovery; administrative/supply chain; analytics/data management; interoperability/population health; patient engagement; and clinical quality/safety. Participants can use the report and scores to identify strengths and opportunities for improvement. Participants also received certification based on their overall performance, with level 10 being the highest.

“Digital technology has been a driver of innovation in health care for many years now, but never to the degree that we saw in 2020 with the pandemic,” said CHIME President and CEO Russell P. Branzell. “The Digital Health Most Wired program underscores why healthcare organizations keep pushing themselves to be digital leaders and shows what amazing feats they can achieve. This certification recognizes their exemplary performance in 2020.”

This is the third year that CHIME has conducted the survey and overseen the program. In each successive year, CHIME has expanded the survey to capture more types of organizations that serve patients across the continuum of care. CHIME also continues to promote the program internationally to provide a global overview of digital health advancements.

As in past years, CHIME will publish an industry trends report based on Digital Health Most Wired responses from U.S. participants. The 2020 National Trends Report is scheduled to be released in November during CHIME20 Digital.

For more information about the CHIME Digital Health Most Wired program, please visit chimecentral.org/chime-most-wired-2.

Mental Health Awareness: Substance Abuse

Posted on by Lauren Weaver

Stress can give rise to, or aggravate, a person’s susceptibility to substance abuse, as well as make those in recovery susceptible to relapse. When so many of our normal routines have been disrupted, the lack of structure can lead to anxiety or boredom. And for people who are homebound, it can be difficult for them to draw upon their natural support system.

“Boredom is a risk factor for substance use,” says Danielle Tischer, LCSW, an Englewood Health social worker who sees behavioral health patients at the Englewood Health Physician Network’s Leonia Medical Associates in Englewood. “Change in daily activities can create anxiety for people, particularly those with substance use disorders. For those who are not working, including those who have been furloughed or laid off, or who have recently retired, not being busy can put them at risk of an increase in using or a relapse.”

Social isolation is also a significant concern for those with substance use disorders. Groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous are available (in person or online via Zoom) and offer a way for those with addiction to stay connected. While for some, zoom may not feel quite the same as an in-person meeting, where participants might receive a hug or say a prayer while holding hands, these virtual meetings can still provide needed support and help a vulnerable person to feel less isolated.

Extensive community-based resources are available throughout Bergen County for those struggling with substance use disorders and for family and friends seeking support. The Center for Alcohol and Drug Resources (tcadr.org), in partnership with the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, has a 24/7 call or text hotline available to support people with substance use disorders and their loved ones. Individuals can also get connected to other resources throughout New Jersey by calling 201-589-2976.

7 Tips for Avoiding Drug and Alcohol Misuse or Relapse

  • Make a schedule. Create structure for your day; fill up your schedule and stick to it! Overfill your schedule, so you don’t have time to think about using drugs or alcohol.
  • Keep yourself distracted. Watch a favorite movie on Netflix, read a book, talk with friends, or play a game.
  • Engage in a hobby. This is a great time to enjoy a hobby. Try something new!
  • Exercise. Find ways to exercise at home or outside. Go for a walk. Participate in online group activities such as yoga or Pilates.
  • Seek support. Many community resources are available. The Englewood Health Physician Network offers individual outpatient therapy through in-person and telehealth appointments.
  • Lean on family and friends. Seek out family and friends who are able to be there for you emotionally.
  • Take one day at a time: Anyone in recovery can relapse. Keep an eye out for yourself and your friends and family. Put one foot in front of the other—take one step at a time.

The Graf Center for Integrative Medicine, together with the Gregory P. Shadek Behavioral Care Center at Englewood Health, offers Yoga for Addiction Recovery—a Facebook Live series on Wednesdays from 11 am to 12 noon. It’s a good way to stay active and connected. To join, go to facebook.com/thegrafcenter.

Danielle Tischer, LCSW, is a population health social worker with the Englewood Health Physician Network.

Posted October 5, 2020

Englewood Health Announces Diversity and Inclusion Education Council

Posted on by John Williams

Health system pledges to address healthcare disparities and diversity in the workplace

October 1, 2020 — Englewood Health has announced the formation of its Diversity and Inclusion Education Council, created to implement and foster practices that support and accelerate diversity and inclusion, with a specific focus on addressing healthcare disparities and diversity in the workplace.

The 2020 council members, 12 Englewood Health physicians and team members collaborating across departments, will work with the health system’s leadership team to provide guidance and direction on programs dedicated to ensuring that Englewood Health is fully living up to its goals of diversity and inclusion.

“Our country’s history of racism and current inequalities have impacted every aspect of life and, most importantly, our health and well-being,” said Warren Geller, President and CEO of Englewood Health. “With the establishment of a Diversity and Inclusion Education Council at Englewood Health, we are committing to doing more and doing better for the communities we serve.”

Council members have pledged, first and foremost, to address healthcare disparities among diverse populations in the local community by identifying existing inequalities, developing an action plan, and expanding programs designed to improve access to services and to reduce risk factors for disease.

The council has also committed to identifying, attracting, and retaining a diverse workforce across the organization. Its members have pledged to understand, address, and help diminish unconscious bias in the workplace and in patient care, while recognizing diversity and inclusion issues related to a multigenerational workforce.

“As caregivers, our council will help us closely examine our existing clinical policies and procedures to identify areas of healthcare disparity or lack of healthcare access for our most vulnerable communities,” Geller said. “Our council will also work toward improving diversity in the workplace, most significantly in our leadership and management roles.”

As Englewood Health continues to grow and expand its team of professionals, emphasis will be placed on engaging candidates who will be a “culture add,” and on the importance of perpetual learning to maintain and advance a climate that builds cultural competence and awareness of intergenerational differences.

These initiatives will begin with employee orientation, continue through annual mandatories, and be supplemented by new and ongoing training curriculum, including cross-generational mentoring to improve knowledge transfer.

The announcement of the council comes as Global Diversity Awareness Month is recognized around the world.

3 Skills for Improving Your Emotional Well-Being

Posted on by Lauren Weaver

Looking for ways to improve your quality of life? Learning healthy coping skills on one’s own can help both adults and children improve and maintain their emotional well-being. The three skills described below have been shown to be particularly effective at improving overall quality of life.

  1. Mindfulness: When you practice mindfulness, you stay in the present moment, experiencing it in a nonjudgmental way. Sharpen your mindfulness skills by doing mindfulness exercises regularly. Try a deep-breathing exercise and focus on the sensations of the breath. Pay attention to the physical sensations of everyday activities. When washing dishes, for example, notice how the soap feels, the warm water, the texture of the dish towel. Incorporate mindfulness into your daily routines. You may be surprised by how it changes your experience of the activity. Be patient and try not to become discouraged if you get distracted; like everything, mindfulness gets easier with practice.
  2. Recognize your level of distress: Use a scale to measure the intensity of your emotional distress. The Subjective Units of Distress Scale (SUDS) is a tool used to subjectively rate one’s level of distress. Picture a thermometer where 0 (at the bottom) is feeling calm and peaceful with no distress, and 100 (at the top) is feeling overwhelming negative emotions that are difficult to manage. The goal is to be attentive to your emotional state and aware of your “temperature” on the thermometer. You will learn to recognize when your distress level is rising, so you can apply healthy coping mechanisms to reduce the intensity of your negative emotions and return to your baseline.
  3. Reduce vulnerability: Reducing your emotional vulnerability to stressful events can help you keep your SUDS level lower by acting as a preventative measure. One important way is to take good care of your overall physical health. Use “PLEASE” skills from Dialectical Behavior Therapy (a form of psychotherapy that emphasizes acceptance of difficult emotions and techniques for relieving them): treat Physical ILLness; Eat healthy balanced meals on a regular schedule; Avoid mood-altering substances (unless prescribed); Sleep properly; and Exercise. 

Routinely check in with yourself. Ask yourself, “How am I feeling right now? What is my SUDS rating?” The more in tune you are with how you feel, the better able you’ll be to manage your emotional responses to stressful events. It is easier to intervene and manage distress when it is at a low level. The higher your distress gets, the more difficult it is to think clearly, to apply healthy coping mechanisms, and to reduce the intensity of your emotions. In addition to the three coping mechanisms discussed above, others to try include relaxation techniques, distraction, pleasurable activities, acceptance, and reaching out for support, if necessary.

Yael Yankelewitz, LCSW, is an Englewood Health behavioral health social worker with the Englewood Health Physician Network who sees patients at Bergen Medical Alliance.

Posted September 18, 2020

A Look Back at Englewood Health’s 2020 Summer Internship Program

Posted on by Lauren Weaver

This past summer, COVID-19 threatened to cancel internships across the globe. For students in their senior year as undergraduates or in one-year graduate programs, this meant missing out entirely on student-exclusive internships. This is no small loss, as internships play a vital role in shepherding students from the academic world into meaningful and enjoyable careers in the professional world.

They solve the, “can’t get a job without experience, can’t get experience without a job,” quandary. And, perhaps most importantly, internships allow students to gain clarity about their interests outside the classroom.

As Englewood Health has been fighting COVID-19 on the frontlines this year, whether or not its summer internship program should be held at all was a serious consideration.

Braden Renke, a junior at Franklin & Marhsall College in Lancaster, PA, was accepted into the program in January. Renke recalls being “bummed” when she received an email from Englewood at the beginning of the pandemic advising her to apply to other programs just to be safe.

“Then in April or May,” Renke said, “I got an email saying, ‘If you’re still interested, we’re going to hold the internship. For the first time ever, it’s going to be online’ And I said ‘Absolutely!’”

Renke is a psychology major on the pre-med track, but this summer she interned with Englewood’s communications team.

“I liked how there were a lot of different areas I could intern in—that it was versatile and I didn’t have to make up my mind right away,” Renke said.

Renke has a diverse range of interests—she was previously a government major and interned for Senator Cory Booker last summer. Recently, she’s become more passionate about mental health and psychology.

“Back in January, I hadn’t figured out what I wanted to do with my life yet, but through this internship I was able to speak to so many different doctors, administrators, and executives, which helped me figure out what I wanted to do,” Renke said.

Renke was joined by fellow intern Kiana Lim, a senior nursing student at Villanova University in Pennsylvania. The pair became fast friends and ended up working on their end-of-summer project together.

“Braden mentioned she was interested in mental health and I’d learned about mental health issues last semester,” Lim said, “so we decided to do some more research on the mental health-poverty trap.”

Along with several other interns, Renke and Lim put together a presentation with actionable suggestions for how Englewood Health could perform community outreach: distributing pamphlets, sending representatives to places of worship, and running wellness programs beyond the hospital campus.

“We had the hospital leadership hop on a Zoom call with us so we could get their feedback and answer any questions they had, which was really cool,” Lim said.

This summer, Lim interned with physicians working in the ICU. She and three other interns helped collect and organize data on COVID-19 during the months when there was still vast confusion about the disease.

“We were collecting data on patients’ symptoms, comorbidities, and treatment plans and plugging that information into the Society of Critical Care Medicine [SCCM]. They used that data to create a website compiling information from many different hospitals so doctors could figure out who was at high risk for COVID and what treatments were working,” Lim said.

Thanks to Lim and her colleagues’ work this summer, Englewood Health is now the top hospital for enrolled patient data on the SCCM site.

“Once a week, each of us was able to attend rounds on the ICU floor, get some clinical experience, and talk to the residents and doctors about their experiences during the pandemic,” Lim said.

Lim explained that, despite what some may expect, getting a close-up look at an ICU during the pandemic did not deter her from her dream of being a nurse. Instead, Lim found it inspiring and was left with an even stronger resolve to pursue medicine.

“I’m still in touch with one of the physicians I worked with over the summer and I’m helping her out with further research on a volunteer basis,” Lim said. “I think a benefit of the Englewood Health internship program is that it’s not just for the summer. You make professional connections that extend far beyond a traditional internship.”

Posted September 2020

Ask the Doctor: Prostate Health with Dr. Maz Ganat

Posted on by John Williams

If you ask most men in their 50s and 60s what medical screening they’re overdue for, chances are they’ll tell you it’s their prostate screening. Urologic care, which includes treating conditions of the prostate, bladder, kidney, testes, and penis, is often an uncomfortable topic of discussion for men who are experiencing signs of a problem. Maz Ganat, MD, program director of urologic oncology at The Lefcourt Family Cancer Treatment and Wellness Center at Englewood Health, and a urologic surgeon in the Englewood Health Physician Network, encourages men to push past the awkwardness and have the important conversations.

Do I really need to schedule my prostate screening now? Can’t it wait?

Dr. Ganat: It’s important to discuss with your doctor if and when prostate cancer screening is right for you. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men in the U.S. (after skin cancer), but it can be monitored or treated successfully when caught early. In the early stages of prostate cancer, patients often don’t experience symptoms that would alert them to get checked, however screenings can detect the disease. Those at average risk for developing prostate cancer should discuss the risks and benefits of screening starting at age 50–55, while those at higher risk—African American men or men with a family history of prostate cancer—should begin screening earlier, starting at age 45 or, for those at highest risk, age 40.

I’ve heard the screening exam is really uncomfortable. What can I expect?

Dr. Ganat: While it may not be the highlight of your day, a prostate exam can be an important part of screening. We start by taking a family history and discussing any change in urinary habits. The PSA (prostate-specific antigen) blood test and the digital rectal exam (DRE) help detect prostate cancer. What many men are most nervous about is the examination, but it’s generally very quick and allows us to feel for any abnormalities in the prostate.

When I get my screening, what should I talk to my doctor about?

Dr. Ganat: Urinary issues, which are commonly related to BPH (benign prostatic hyperplasia), shouldn’t be minimized or ignored. Going too often? Noticing slower stream, urgency, or discomfort? Not fully emptying your bladder? These symptoms are important to discuss with your doctor, especially if you experience them more than once or if they last longer than a week. Your primary care physician should be able to guide you in the right direction.

Posted September 2020

Do you have a question for a doctor?

From your head to your toes, and everywhere in between, the Englewood Health Physician Network has you covered. Ask a question about your health. Selected questions will be answered in this column.

Ask the Doctor: Gut Check with Dr. Peter Kaye

Posted on by John Williams
Gut Check – Sometimes bowel talk is just what the doctor ordered.

When it comes to bowel troubles, most people keep a lid on the details, assuming no one wants to hear what’s going on behind closed (bathroom) doors. Peter M. Kaye, MD, a colon and rectal surgery specialist in the Englewood Health Physician Network, reassures patients that going to the doctor to get to the bottom of bottom issues doesn’t have to be embarrassing—and can provide tremendous relief.

How do I know when it’s time to see a doctor for bowel issues? Maybe I just have an upset stomach.

Dr. Kaye: As the saying goes, trust your gut! You know your body best, but you may not always act on those gut feelings. If you have temporary discomfort that subsides and doesn’t return, chances are you don’t need to seek help immediately. If you notice anything new and unusual—recurring pain, changes in bowel habits, blood in the toilet—something else is going on and it’s time to call your doctor.

How much information is too much to share?

Dr. Kaye: Nothing is TMI when it comes to bowel issues. Remember, it’s okay to look before you flush. We’ve heard it all: color, shape, consistency, frequency, yesterday’s lunch. Knowing when and where you’ve been feeling pain or discomfort will help your doctor take a closer look. The more we know, the easier you’ll go.

Is there anything I can try at home to keep my gut in check?

Dr. Kaye: Simple lifestyle changes can go a long way. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! Eat more fiber, fruit, and vegetables, and less empty carbohydrates. Keep a food diary to see what helps versus what hurts. And get moving! Incorporating exercise into your daily routine will help keep your trips to the bathroom regular.

If I make an appointment, does that mean I’ll need a colonoscopy?

Dr. Kaye: Not necessarily. There are several approaches we can take to evaluate and diagnose bowel issues, depending on the patient and the severity of symptoms. These methods include physical exams, bloodwork, imaging tests, stool collections, and sigmoidoscopy. If other options don’t paint a clear enough picture and a colonoscopy does end up being required, the procedure and the preparation will be fully explained. We’ll work with you to make the experience as comfortable and stress-free as possible.

Posted September 2020

Second Opinion Podcast: Easing “Reentry Anxiety”

Posted on by John Williams
Second Opinion Podcast

A discussion with social worker Lauren Menkes and Danielle Lambert, Behavioral Health Manager.

As COVID-19 regulations are easing to allow businesses and schools to reopen, many people are experiencing anxiety. It’s what’s being called “reentry anxiety.” In this Second Opinion, Englewood Health social worker, Lauren Menkes, talks with Behavioral Health Manager Danielle Lambert about this stressful time and what measures you can take to ease anxiety. Their first message, fear and anxiety are normal during this unprecedented pandemic. Ms. Lambert has advice on how to assess your comfort level going to reopened places and why it’s so important to keep open channels of communication with family and friends. And don’t forget to take care of yourself — eating nutritious food and getting good exercise! Remember, we are going to get through this together!

Listen Now

Published on August 29, 2020

Second Opinion Podcast: Taking Care of Your Heart

Posted on by John Williams
Second Opinion Podcast

A discussion with Dr. Ramin Hastings and Dr. Joseph De Gregorio.

Are you aware of signs of heart disease? Could you be at increased risk of developing heart problems? In this Second Opinion, the Executive Director of Englewood Health Cardiovascular Services spells out what to look out for and which medical conditions put you at greater risk. Dr. Joseph De Gregorio explains how interventional cardiologists can now treat blocked arteries or damaged heart valves through minimally-invasive procedures with remarkable results. Patients have shorter recovery times. The key is getting baseline testing to identify a potential problem before it can become life-threatening.

Listen Now

Published on August 19, 2020