2. LEARN TIPS FOR EATING BETTER
Eating better is about more than willpower. Learn ways to cook easy and “clean” meals for you and your family at one of our cooking classes. Or learn to become a savvy grocery shopper with a guided tour of Whole Foods Market, led by our nutritionists.
3. QUIT SMOKING
We don’t need to explain why. If you’re finally ready to kick the habit for good, we’ve got a smoking cessation program that combines group sessions with acupuncture. It begins January 9 and space is limited, so register today.
4. LOSE EXCESS POUNDS
Losing weight is about more than looking good. It’s about your health. If you’ve struggled to lose weight, come to our weekly info session to meet our experts and see if weight loss surgery is right for you.
6. AWAKEN YOUR SENSES
Lavender, vanilla, citrus, and sage — learn the power of aromatherapy to support your well-being. Or spend an hour listening to chimes and gongs at our sound therapy workshop. Let the gentle touch of a Reiki master relax your mind and restore your energy, or participate in an art therapy project.
7. EDUCATE YOURSELF
Knowledge is power — our lectures and workshops cover topics from cancer screening to joint replacement, CPR training to the benefits of acupuncture. Get relevant and expert tips from our doctors, so you can make 2018 a healthy and happy one for you and your family.
Englewood, NJ (December 8, 2017) — Englewood Hospital and Medical Center has once again been nationally recognized as a leader in providing exceptional and safe patient care by Healthgrades, The Leapfrog Group and Carechex®–an information service of Quantros, Inc. According to an analysis by Quantros, the medical center is among the top 10 percent in the nation and in New Jersey for overall medical care, and is No. 1 in the state for excellence and patient safety in major clinical areas.
At a recent award ceremony held at the medical center, representatives from Quantros and Healthgrades, another health rating agency, presented medical excellence and patient safety awards in the following clinical areas: cardiac surgery, cardiology, gastroenterology, general surgery, urologic surgery, neurosurgery/orthopedic surgery, pulmonology, vascular surgery, and women’s health.
These awards follow on the heels of Englewood Hospital and Medical Center’s twelfth consecutive Hospital Safety Grade “A” since 2012 from The Leapfrog Group. Only three hospitals in New Jersey and 59 in the nation have achieved this record of distinction. In addition, the 2017-18 issue of US News and World Report’s Best Hospitals named Englewood Hospital and Medical Center as a “Best Regional Hospital.”
“Receiving national recognition for our care is truly humbling,” said Warren Geller, president and CEO of Englewood Hospital and Medical Center. “Each and every one of these honors is a testament to the dedication of our staff to ensure that our patients have the best possible experience and outcome.”
#1 in NJ and Top 10% in Nation CareChex Medical Excellence
Major Neurosurgery
#1 in NJ and Top 10% in Nation CareChex Patient Safety
Major Cardiac Surgery
Major Neurosurgery
Vascular Surgery
Top 10% in Nation CareChex Medical Excellence
Major Cardiac Surgery
Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage
Hip Fracture Repair
Orthopedic Care
Top 10% in Nation CareChex Patient Safety
Heart Failure Treatment
Stroke Care
Gastrointestinal Care
Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage
Gall Bladder Removal
Hip Fracture Repair
Pulmonary Care
Overall Medical Care
Top 10% in NJ CareChex Medical Excellence
Gastrointestinal Care
General Surgery
Women’s Health
Top 10% in NJ CareChex Patient Safety
Major Bowel Procedures
Trauma Care
Top 5% in Nation Healthgrades Women’s Care Excellence Awards
Obstetrics and Gynecology Excellence Award
Labor and Delivery Excellence Award
Top 10% in Nation Healthgrades Prostate Surgery Excellence Awards
Prostate Surgery
5-Star Recipient Healthgrades
Defibrillator Procedure (5 years in a row)
Appendectomy (2 years in a row)
Transurethral Prostate Resection Surgery
Vaginal Delivery (2 years in a row)
C-section Delivery (2 years in a row)
Hospital-wide awards
Leapfrog Group:
Twelfth consecutive Safety Grade of “A” – Fall 2017
1 of 3 hospitals in NJ and 1 of 59 hospitals nationwide to earn straight “A’s.”
Hospitals & Health Networks:
One of Healthcare’s “Most Wired” Hospitals – fourth consecutive time
U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Hospitals”:
“Best Regional Hospitals”
High-performing in Heart Failure, Colon Cancer Surgery, and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
More than 130 nursing professionals gathered for the 23rd annual nursing research evidence-based practice conference focusing on patient and provider safety.
In an effort to further prioritize patient safety and provider well-being, Englewood Hospital and Medical Center hosted the joint 23rd Annual Nursing Research Evidence-Based Practice Conference/9th Annual Northern New Jersey Nursing Evidence Based Research Consortium Conference, “Integration of Research for Safety of Patients and Nurses,” on Nov. 17, 2017.
Program presenters from several organizations provided unique perspectives to the 130+ attendees, comprising nursing professionals from Englewood Hospital and Medical Center and consortium hospitals, nursing students, and other health care providers. Keynote speaker Dr. Patricia Dykes, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, kicked off the morning with a presentation on evidence-based fall prevention. In the afternoon, Dr. Neal Wiggerman, specialist research scientist at Hill-Rom, spoke on patient positioning in bed and implications for patient and caregiver safety.
Speakers from the Northern New Jersey Nursing Evidence-Based Research Consortium included Dr. Jill Cox from Englewood Hospital and Medical Center, Dr. Pam Pascarelli from Hackensack Meridian Health, Janet Pagulayan from St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center, Nicole Reyes from Jersey City Medical Center – RWJBarnabas Health, Bonnie Weinberg from The Valley Hospital, and Oksana Yakoff from Holy Name Medical Center. Ramapo College of New Jersey is also a member of the consortium.
Over the course of the day, discussion topics ranged from accompanying patients into the operating room, enhancing patient safety through accurate electronic weight, best practices to increase discharge of total joint replacement patients, using the teach-back method in discharge education, self-reported competence of entry-level registered nurses, and pressure injuries in the critically ill population.
Pictured from Left to Right: Kai Zacharowski, MD, University Hospital of Frankfurt, Germany; Axel Hofmann, ME, Vienna Austria; Sherri Ozawa, RN, Englewood Hospital and Medical Center; Aryeh Shander, MD, Englewood Hospital and Medical Center, Daryl J. Kor, MD, Mayo Clinic; Pierre Tibi, MD, The Society for the Advancement of Blood Management.
November 14, 2017 — On November 3, Englewood Hospital and Medical Center hosted its 8th International Symposium on Patient Blood Management, featuring a panel of high-profile speakers from around the world working on projects in the field of patient blood management. These professionals presented to an in-person audience of 150+, while reaching almost 1,000 viewers from 15 different countries via live webcast over six hours.
With natural disasters occurring on an all-too-frequent basis, blood is a resource in desperate need of preservation. As members of the public line up with arms outstretched, ready to donate this priceless commodity, the importance of exploring other options is increasingly apparent.
Last week’s symposium was intended to educate both Englewood Hospital and Medical Center clinicians and the community at large on global advancements in patient blood management, including the scientific and clinical impact EHMC has made on the field.
The program’s speakers included:
Aryeh Shander, MD, Chief of Anesthesiology, Critical Care Medicine, Pain Management, and Hyperbaric Medicine, and Executive Medical Director of The Institute for Patient Blood Management & Bloodless Medicine and Surgery at Englewood Hospital and Medical Center
Kai Zacharowski, MD, PhD, Director of the Department of Anesthesia, Intensive Care Medicine and Pain Therapy at the University Hospital Frankfurt
Daryl J. Kor, MD, MSC, Vice Chair of the Critical Care Research Committee, Co-Director of the Anesthesia Clinical Research Unit, Medical Director of the Health Care Systems Engineering Program at the Mayo Clinic
Pierre Tibi, MD, Medical Director of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the Yavapai Regional Medical Center and President of the Society for the Advancement of Blood Management
Axel Hofmann, ME, Director of the Medical Society for Blood Management and medical economist
Moderator Sherri Ozawa, RN, Clinical Director of The Institute for Patient Blood Management and Bloodless Medicine and Surgery, Senior Director of Patient and Family Engagement, at Englewood Hospital and Medical Center, and President-Elect of the Society for the Advancement of Patient Blood Management.
These speakers had all been led by the Englewood vision of patient blood management, incorporating it into their work on national and international projects; they discussed how these principles can positively impact patient outcomes—reducing mortality, minimizing complications, and improving the economic delivery of health care across nations and continents. Their words provided a glimpse of what the rest of the world is doing in patient blood management, allowing those most invested to hear the latest in science and medical literature.
“We are very well aware of the culture here in bloodless and blood management,” Ozawa said, “but I think sometimes we don’t realize internationally the impact that we’ve had on others and where they’ve taken the work of this field from a scientific and a clinical perspective.”
Ozawa stressed that this year’s conference was particularly exciting, as work done at Englewood has influenced the most current international patient blood management project—the Western European Initiative. “It’s exciting to hear how others are doing this in other parts of the world and how Englewood has inspired them to do so,” she said.
For more information about Society for the Advancement of Blood Management, visit www.sabm.org. For more information about The Institute for Patient Blood Management & Bloodless Medicine and Surgery at Englewood Hospital and Medical Center, visit www.BloodlessMed.org.
November 14, 2017 — Dr. Kenneth Rubin, gastroenterologist and director of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center at Englewood Hospital and Medical Center, has earned Advancement to Fellowship with the American College of Gastroenterology, and was recognized in October as one of the 50 most influential volunteers in the history of the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation’s New Jersey Chapter.
Rubin has been involved with the American College of Gastroenterology for more than 30 years. The organization defines its advancement to fellowship as “recognition of significant professional achievement and superior competence within the field of gastroenterology.”
To obtain fellowship, members must show maintenance of educational status by attending ACG meetings regularly, and evidence of professional leadership in the fields of clinical practice and/or academic medicine, often by presenting publications at the ACG meetings. Endorsement by two fellows of the College is also required.
Rubin said his advancement is an honor, calling ACG “the most well-regarded clinical organization for gastroenterologists across the United States,” many of whom he met with at the College’s Annual Business Meeting in Orlando, Fla., where he received congratulations from ACG President Dr. Carol A. Burke.
While in Orlando, Rubin also attended the World Congress of Gastroenterology, a combined meeting with the ACG that welcomes gastroenterologists from all over the world to join and present from unique perspectives.
Rubin’s involvement in the field began with a two-year fellowship in gastroenterology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, where Dr. Burrill B. Crohn was the first to identify and describe Crohn’s disease. After his initial training, Rubin stayed on to teach as a full-time faculty member at Mount Sinai for one year, working closely with Dr. Henry Janowitz (who took over Burrill’s practice) and Dr. David Sachar, before going into private practice in Englewood. He continues to teach as a clinical assistant professor of medicine in the division of gastroenterology at Mount Sinai, several months a year.
Once in New Jersey, Rubin felt it was only natural to get involved locally with the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation. “It’s a great organization that devotes itself to research and also educational formats for patients,” he said. “So I thought it was the perfect mix.”
In honor of the Foundation’s 50th anniversary, Rubin has been named among the top 50 volunteers in the history of the New Jersey Chapter. “As a valued partner in our chapter’s history, Dr. Rubin has committed to helping the Foundation find a cure for Crohn’s Disease and ulcerative colitis and to improving quality of life for his patients affected by these devastating diseases,” said New Jersey Chapter Executive Director Rosemarie Golombos.
Rubin was recognized in October at the chapter’s “50 & Fighting” event, a celebration including food, themed cocktails, dancing, and words from the evening’s honorees and patient speaker. “Fifty is a relatively small number, so I’m actually quite honored,” he said.
Rubin’s favorite part of volunteering with the Foundation has been networking with people committed to fighting IBD, including patients, family members, donors, and other physicians, all interested in the latest developments. He has served the New Jersey Chapter as its chairman of state’s medical advisory committee, and is an active member of its board of trustees. Rubin was previously recognized for his efforts in 2006, when the chapter presented him with the Dr. David Kaufman “Physician of the Year Award.”
For more information about the American College of Gastroenterology, visit www.gi.org. For more information about the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America, visit www.crohnscolitisfoundation.org.
“There’s no way to put into words the thanks I have,” says Karen, a self-employed mother of four from Bergen County. Karen was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer after receiving a mammogram made possible thanks to funds raised from the Walk for Awareness. After early intervention and treatment, Karen is doing well.
October 31, 2017 — Englewood Hospital and Medical Center has earned an “A” designation from The Leapfrog Group, a national nonprofit health care ratings organization, for the 12th consecutive time since 2012 — one of only 59 hospitals in the United States and 3 in New Jersey to achieve this record.
“As the healthcare industry continues to evolve, our efforts to improve patient safety and quality are unwavering,” said Warren Geller, president and CEO of Englewood Hospital and Medical Center. “Earning an “A” rating from the Leapfrog Group for the 12th straight scoring period is a testament to the tireless efforts of our entire staff that work to ensure that our patients receive the best, and safest, medical care.”
“We applaud all hospitals that earn an A for safety, a significant achievement. Englewood Hospital and Medical Center takes that achievement one step further by earning an A year after year,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group.
Developed under the guidance of an expert panel, the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade uses 27 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to assign A, B, C, D and F grades to more than 2,600 U.S. hospitals twice per year. It is calculated by top patient-safety experts, peer reviewed, fully transparent and free to the public.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States according to the Centers for Disease Control. High blood pressure, high cholesterol and smoking are all significant risk factors for developing a cardiovascular condition. Today, there are many new advances to treat heart disease and save lives. We talked with cardiologist Dr. Joseph De Gregorio, section chief of Invasive Cardiology at Englewood Hospital and Medical Center, about heart disease and his team’s approach to treating and managing it.
Q: What do you find most exciting about treating patients with heart disease today?
Joseph De Gregorio, MD
Dr. De Gregorio:
There are great advancements in the technology that allows us to do more in a less invasive fashion. In cardiology, we are able to fix a lot of the problems that we find and we can do it with less invasive procedures than even just a decade ago. Things have changed a lot in the 20 years that I’ve been practicing medicine. For example, critically ill and elderly patients who were too high risk for certain procedures in the past can now be helped tremendously. We are able to save lives and improve the quality of life for patients for whom there were no options even just a few years ago.
Q: Are there new technologies that improve care for patients?
Dr. De Gregorio:TAVR—One of the most dramatic differences is in aortic disease, which commonly occurs in elderly or very elderly patients. In the past, the only option was surgery to replace the damaged valve, which could be very high risk, especially for patients with co-existing conditions, and the recovery from surgery can really be very traumatic. Now we can put a new valve into the heart through catheters, which is much less invasive, the recovery is much quicker and the patient generally goes home the next day.
At Englewood Hospital, we were one of the first hospitals in the country to perform transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) after it was FDA approved in 2011. TAVR provides a treatment option for patients with severe aortic stenosis who are at intermediate to high-risk for cardiac surgery. We perform these procedures as a team with Englewood’s cardiothoracic and vascular surgeons and have treated over 250 patients with a high success rate and outcomes better than the national average.
Absorbable Stents were FDA approved last year after clinical trials in which Englewood Hospital participated. A traditional metal coronary stent acts as scaffolding to open up the artery. The absorbable stent is the evolution of the technology. These new stents start to be reabsorbed at six months. The idea is that you don’t need the stent anymore because the artery has healed in an open position. Right now, it’s not for everyone, but in the future perhaps this will be standard treatment. We’re trying to help evolve this technology.
Other new catheter-based technologies include MitraClip to treat mitral valve regurgitation, chronic total occlusion PCI, for opening total coronary blockages, and Impella®, a life-saving device used to sustain circulation for critically ill patients at high-risk for an interventional cardiology procedure.
Q: What sets your cardiology practice apart from others?
Dr. De Gregorio: At Bart De Gregorio, MD, LLC, we have eight cardiologists in our practice and each is specialized. We have expertise in each subspecialty of cardiology to care for adult patients of all ages with any kind of heart condition. We’ve structured our practice so that can each physician can be very efficient in applying their expertise. For example, I’m based onsite at Englewood Hospital for invasive procedures and to see patients in the hospital. We have the efficiency and personalized touch of a smaller practice.
In our office in Glen Ridge, we perform all outpatient non-invasive testing for diagnosing cardiovascular disease, including: nuclear stress testing, echocardiography, Holter monitors, carotid artery and peripheral vascular disease testing, CT angiography and more allowing us to perform tests and interpret all results right in our office. This means we can provide specialized expertise and a superior level of quality and convenience for our patients.
Our philosophy has always been to provide the best quality of care. However, it’s not just having skilled physicians who understand how to diagnose and treat cardiovascular disease, but also about how we treat the patient as an individual. We have a highly personalized environment. We know our patients and their families and they know us. We’ve created an environment where patients feel comfortable – including with our staff, in our office setting, and in their relationship with their physician. If a patient calls up and says they are having a symptom, we act quickly. We are very available and active in treating patients.
Q: How does teamwork improve care for patients?
Dr. De Gregorio: Part of what makes Englewood Hospital unique is the collaboration between specialists in the Heart and Vascular Institute. We have a real team approach and camaraderie which results in optimal care for the patient. Collegial relationships among the specialties allow us to be involved with some of the newest technological advances to treat cardiovascular disease. It is an incredibly important aspect of our care for certain patients, such as TAVR, where interventional cardiologists, cardiothoracic surgeons and vascular surgeons all have a role in the procedure.
Q: What is the most important takeaway?
Dr. De Gregorio: The great thing about cardiology is that we find problems and we treat problems: most often this can be done with minimally invasive methods. You want to address things early. When we find things earlier, they can be treated before they cause any problems. We have ways of treating your condition that are safe and effective, so it’s important to be evaluated.
As the summer break comes to a close, it’s time to start prepping for back to school. With so much to do before the first day, it’s easy for families to get overwhelmed. We sat down with Dr. Alexandra Gottdiener, chief of medicine and medical director of the Braverman Family Executive Wellness Program at Englewood Hospital and Medical Center, and Nina Spiegel, a holistic nutritionist at the Graf Center for Integrative Medicine at Englewood Hospital and Medical Center, to discuss ways to start the school year off right.
Q: As both parents and their children prepare for the new school year, what do you recommend for a healthy start?
Alexandra Gottdiener, MD
Dr. Gottdiener: Prepare as much as possible in advance. I recommend the following:
1. Make a wellness appointment.
Before starting school, your child should get a wellness exam, including a physical, eye, and dental checkup. Make sure to check with the school beforehand to learn of any immunization requirements and recommendations.
2. Fill prescriptions and submit any health forms.
Notify the school and submit any health forms if your child has a health condition, being sure to identify triggers. For certain conditions, such as asthma or an allergy, your child may be permitted to carry medication.
3. Establish a regular sleep and meal-time schedule.
Sleep is essential for children’s development. An established routine can help make the transition to a school schedule easier. Children and teens should get at least 8 hours of sleep every night. As electronics can impact sleep, children and teens should store them away at least an hour before bed.
Meals should coordinate with your child’s school schedule. Don’t forget about breakfast! Skip the sugary cereals in favor of a hearty breakfast that combines lean protein, good fats like avocado, and complex carbohydrates made from whole grains to help fuel your child in the morning.
4. Remind children about good hygiene and safety practices.
Washing hands after sneezing or coughing, as well as before and after meals, can help prevent the spread of germs. To avoid injury to the back or neck, make sure any backpack used is not too heavy.
Nina Spiegel, Nutritionist
Nina Spiegel: Shop and prepare healthy meals and snacks.
At the beginning of each week, make a list of different meals you and your family can put together and have for the rest of the week based on tastes, preferences, and any diet restrictions. Last night’s meal can easily be turned into a new dish with a little bit of creativity. For example, chicken or vegetable stock can be added to leftovers of chicken, pasta, and vegetables to become tomorrow’s lunchtime soup.
As a family, learn about proper portion sizes, how to read labels for nutritional content, and healthy eating on the go.
Dr. Gottdiener: Also, practice stress management. Children, tweens, teens – and parents – have to balance a lot of activities, so it’s never too early to learn techniques to reduce anxiety and/or stress before and after school.
Shop together for school supplies, allowing your child to pick out some items, which can help them feel positive about returning to school.
Create a checklist together the night before so there’s less anxiety in the morning. Check off items when complete such as when lunch is packed, clothes are laid out, and backpack is ready.
Communicate about any back-to-school jitters and how each school day went. Discuss appropriate expectations for the school year and extracurricular goals.
Create a distraction-free homework space.
Encourage breaks when studying to help the mind and body recharge.
Explore gentle exercises such as meditation and mindfulness, yoga, sound therapy, and dance to help manage anxiety and stress related to homework, grades, and peers.
The Graf Center offers evidence-based sessions in yoga, therapeutic massage, meditation, stress management, nutritional counseling, and reflexology, among other relaxation services, that may be beneficial to both parents and their children. Starting in the fall, the Graf Center also will offer a back to school wellness package, healthy cooking classes, and mindfulness events to help families transition into the new school year.
For more information on the Graf Center for Integrative Medicine, call 201-608-2377, and for more information on the Braverman Family Executive Wellness Program, call 201-608-2355.
Love at first sight is a particularly illusive kind of magic, the existence of which has been debated for centuries. But if you ask Matthew Antonelli, he’ll tell you he knows it to be real — because he it felt it the second he laid eyes on Carolina. He took one look at her curly head of hair and her bright smile and knew instantly that she was the one for him. It wasn’t long before he got down on one knee and a proposed atop a snowy mountain.
“It was a fairytale. I found the right girl, we got married and then it gets even better — she’s pregnant. But then it just goes downhill,” he says.
Fourteen weeks into her pregnancy, Antonelli was diagnosed with cervical cancer. The couple faced a nearly impossible decision.
“We knew we wanted a family. We wanted this baby more than anything. It was a tough situation to accept,” Antonelli says.
The choice of whether or not to terminate the pregnancy in the interest of her own health plagued the couple. They worried that following through with the pregnancy might endanger mother and baby, but terminating meant losing the possibility of a future with biological children.
In recent years, cervical cancer has become somewhat rare. It was, and still is, even rarer to have cervical cancer during a pregnancy.
“We had to perform a robotic pelvic lymphadenectomy during her second trimester to make sure the cancer hadn’t spread to the lymph nodes,” says Nimesh Nagarsheth, MD, director of gynecologic oncology and director of robotic surgery. “In all the world’s literature we have, this was only the second time this procedure was performed. After confirming that the cancer hadn’t spread, Carolina was able to choose to keep the pregnancy.”
After her surgery, Antonelli underwent chemotherapy. “We did our research; we visited other hospitals. But nothing gave us the warm feeling we got at Englewood Health. They gave us the positive atmosphere and reassurance we needed,” Mr. Antonelli says. He was at her side every day and, within a few months, a healthy baby girl was born.
“Angelina is the sweetest little girl. She’s such a miracle. I’m so grateful to Englewood Health. Because of them, I have a beautiful family and a lot to look forward to,” Antonelli says.
Posted September 18, 2017
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