Beverly James reflects on the unexpected symptom of lung cancer that led to her early diagnosis and saved her life.
It began with stomach pain. Looking back now, 69-year-old Beverly James also recalls losing weight in the weeks leading up to her collapse.
“I’d noticed my clothes were fitting bigger on me, but, at the time, attributed it to my workout regimen,” said Beverly.
Recently retired after decades of service to the New York Department of Education, Beverly spent five days a week at a senior’s exercise club doing aerobics, Pilates, and yoga.
When she wasn’t in exercise classes, Beverly walked for an hour each day. She was, by all reasonable estimation, in excellent shape as she neared her 70th birthday.
Which made it all the more shocking when crushing stomach pain brought her to her knees one Sunday morning in church.
After her fall, parishioners called an ambulance that swept Beverly to the emergency department at Englewood Health. Soon thereafter, a PET scan detected something abnormal in her lungs.
“I was in shock,” said Beverly. “I’d never smoked. I wasn’t a drinker. I exercised seven days a week. Lung cancer was the furthest thing from my mind.”
When Beverly thought about the possibility of having cancer in the past, she most often imagined breast cancer—a disease her mother, grandmother, and sister all had in their lifetimes.
“That’s why I always got my annual mammogram,” said Beverly. “But I had never imagined I could have lung cancer, which is why I never thought to get screened for it.”
“While many of us associate symptoms like coughing, shortness of breath, and chest pain with lung cancer, there are lesser-known symptoms as well, such as stomach pain,” said Dr. Stavropoulos. “Some patients with lung cancer will experience elevated calcium levels that cause digestive issues like stomach pain, constipation, or nausea.”
According to Dr. Stavropoulos, these lesser-known symptoms illustrate why it’s important to pay attention to your body and see your doctor any time something feels off.
“I liked and felt comfortable with Dr. Stavropoulos right away. He’s a nice man and a great doctor,” said Beverly. “Thankfully I didn’t need chemotherapy, but I did need surgery to remove the cancer from my lungs.”
Though Beverly was scared to undergo surgery, the mother-of-three knew it was necessary to save her life.
Of the experience of recovery, Beverly said, “I’m building back my strength and getting better every day.”
Today—four weeks after her surgery—Beverly has returned to her daily walks and feels confident she’ll be doing Pilates and yoga at the senior’s club in no time.
“When I look back now, I’m thankful I got sick that day in church, because it led me to Englewood Health and is the reason I was diagnosed so early on, when the cancer was most treatable.”
Beverly said if there’s any advice she can offer to others based on her own experience, it’s to listen to your body, get medical attention when you need it, and get screened for a wide array of cancers—not just the ones that run in your family.
For more than a decade, John had suffered with debilitating back pain. In August 2022 he underwent his third operation, a minimally invasive robotic-assisted spine surgery at Englewood Health. Waking up from surgery, he was able to sit up in bed and even walk to the bathroom—the first of many life-changing moments. The improved recuperation period, he says, has allowed him to get back to his daily life, feeling physically and mentally stronger every day.
November 21, 2022 — Englewood Health has been named a top three health system in New Jersey by the NJBIZ 2022 Reader Rankings.
In more than 50 categories, the annual survey identifies the best of New Jersey across a range of businesses and industries as chosen by the state’s residents, business owners, clients, customers, colleagues, and patients.
During an open voting process, Englewood Health was ranked by voters as a top health system in all four applicable categories: top health care system; top physician network; top hospital; and top cardiac care center.
“We are honored to be voted a top health system by our state-wide community,” said Warren Geller, president and CEO of Englewood Health. “This distinction reflects the hard work and dedication of our entire health system in bringing patients comprehensive, high-quality care on our hospital campus, as well as in our hospital outpatient departments, urgent care centers, and physician offices across northern New Jersey and beyond.”
November 17, 2022 — Englewood Health received an “A” Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade for fall 2022. The ‘A’ rating is a national distinction that Englewood Health has achieved consecutively for three years from The Leapfrog Group, an independent nonprofit organization committed to driving quality, safety, and transparency in the U.S. health system.
“We are honored to receive an ‘A’ rating from the Leapfrog Group,” says Kathleen Kaminsky, MS, RN, NE-BC, senior vice president, patient care services and chief nursing officer at Englewood Health. “This grade reflects the commitment of our entire health care team to prioritizing patient safety.”
“We’re proud to see our team’s dedication to ensuring patient safety recognized once again by The Leapfrog Group,” says Tina Bloemer, RN, MSN, CPHQ, CPHRM, FASHRM, vice president for quality at Englewood Health.
“I applaud the hospital leadership and workforce for their strong commitment to safety and transparency,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “An ‘A’ Safety Grade is a sign that hospitals are continuously evaluating their performance, so that they can best protect patients.”
To see Englewood Health’s full grade details and to access patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit HospitalSafetyGrade.org.
November 10, 2022 — Englewood Health has appointed Tina Bloemer, MSN, RN, CPHQ, CPHRM, FASHRM, vice president of quality; Jamie Ketas, vice president of population health; and Marcello Guarneri, CPA, vice president of finance.
Tina Bloemer, MSN, RN, CPHQ, CPHRM, FASHRM
Tina Bloemer Joins Englewood as VP, Quality
Bloemer brings over 14 years of experience in risk and quality management to her role at Englewood Health.
Bloemer earned her BS in nursing from the University of Connecticut, followed by her MSN from the University of Phoenix. She served as a neonatal intensive care unit nurse at Yale New Haven Hospital and as a case manager for mothers and infants at Moorestown Visiting Nurse & Hospice.
Bloemer held various progressive positions at Virtua Health, including corporate director of risk management. Before taking on her role at Englewood Health, she spent five years as the director of patient safety, quality, and risk management at Penn Medicine Princeton Health.
As vice president of quality, Bloemer will provide executive oversight of quality, risk management, infection prevention, patient relations, and patient and family engagement.
A key part of her role will be to partner with clinical leaders and administrators to improve and enhance performance, ensure high-quality patient care, and provide superior customer service.
Bloemer succeeds Jamie Ketas, who has served as vice president of quality since 2019.
Jamie Ketas
Jamie Ketas Named VP, Population Health
Ketas has been a member of the Englewood Health team for over a decade, most recently as vice president of quality, and has provided executive oversight of quality management, patient and family engagement, care transition teams, data analytics, and clinical research.
Before serving as vice president of quality, Ketas was the senior director of research and care transitions. Prior to that, she was director of the hospital’s Clinical Research Center and Institutional Review Board.
Ketas previously held a variety of progressive positions focused on research at Weill Cornell Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center.
After receiving her BS in biology from the University of Notre Dame, she earned an MS in management with a graduate certificate in clinical trials management from Thomas Edison State University.
As vice president of population health, Ketas will oversee the development and implementation of the health system’s population health strategy. She will provide strategic and operational leadership to the team built to support Englewood Health’s value-based care model, advance health equity efforts, and promote community health. Ketas will also maintain oversight of data analytics and research operations for the organization.
Marcello Guarneri, CPA
Marcello Guarneri Joins as VP, Finance
Guarneri joins Englewood Health with more than 30 years of experience in healthcare finance.
Most recently, he was chief financial officer at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center of RWJBarnabas Health. An accomplished and results-oriented financial executive, Guarneri has an extensive background in healthcare financial management and administration, with previous appointments at Saint Michael’s Medical Center, Hospital for Special Surgery, and Holy Name Medical Center, among others. He is a member of the New Jersey Institute of Certified Public Accountants (NJSCPA), Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA), and American Institute of CPAs (AICPA). He also serves as a member of the NJHA Audit and Compliance Committee and the NJHA Finance Committee. Guarneri received his BS in business administration at Montclair State.
In this newly created role reporting to Anthony Orlando, CFO, Guarneri will oversee finance, budget and reimbursement, payroll, accounts payable, and materials management and support services at Englewood Health.
This one-year fellowship—accredited by the Society of Surgical Oncology—will train future leaders in breast surgical oncology in the multidisciplinary management of breast disease.
Breast fellows will immerse themselves in the learning environment of Englewood Health, including its Leslie Simon Breast Care and Cytodiagnosis Center, and engage in research projects and formal rotations in breast surgery, medical oncology, radiation oncology, plastic surgery, pathology, breast imaging, integrative medicine, high risk genetic counseling, psycho-oncology, rehabilitation medicine, and community service and outreach.
“We wholeheartedly congratulate the incredible team of breast specialists who made this fellowship possible,” said Warren Geller, president and CEO of Englewood Health. “This accomplishment is a testament to their commitment to training and supporting the emerging generation of breast surgeons.”
Surgical specialty fellowships offer optional, additional training following the completion of surgical residency.
“During fellowship, these surgeons will expand upon basic surgical skills to develop expertise within their chosen subspecialty,” said Violet M. McIntosh, MD, chief of breast surgery at Englewood Health. “Being fellowship-trained demonstrates a commitment to elevating the level of knowledge and approach with which a surgeon engages in the treatment of a specific condition or set of conditions.”
“The founding of this fellowship program highlights our commitment to exemplary patient care, teaching, and research,” said Steven Brower, MD, medical director of the Lefcourt Family Cancer Treatment and Wellness Center and chief of surgical oncology at Englewood Health. “The fellowship is the latest affirmation of the breadth and depth of our breast services, as well as our capabilities as a teaching hospital.”
The breast surgical oncology fellowship builds upon Englewood Health’s academic mission, joining programs like the vascular surgery fellowship, nurse residency, internal medicine residency, and dentistry residency—all of which have expanded significantly in recent years.
Englewood Health will be participating in the next breast oncology fellowship match with the anticipation of welcoming an incoming breast fellow in August 2024. Applications for the fellowship will open in December.
“We are looking forward to having the opportunity to expose our fellows to the kind of multidisciplinary, patient-focused care we offer here at Englewood Health,” said Rachelle Leong, MD, breast surgeon at Englewood Health who will serve as the fellowship director.
Warren Geller, president and CEO, Englewood Health, joined by team members from environmental services, food and nutrition, facilities, population health, and security.
October 27, 2022 — This week, Warren Geller, president and CEO of Englewood Health, joined leaders of over 650 U.S. hospitals in signing the Health Care Sector Climate Pledge.
The Office of Climate Change and Health Equity developed the pledge in conjunction with the White House to prompt meaningful action within the health care industry to help improve the environment.
“The health and well-being of the communities we serve are at the forefront of our decision making,” said Geller. “To that end, addressing matters of public health requires that we also prioritize our environment. This pledge marks an important starting point in our sector’s collaboration—one that Englewood Health is proud to be a part of.”
This mark of distinction reflects the accomplishments of the Structural Heart and Valve Program at Englewood Health in treating patients with valve disease using innovative, minimally invasive procedures.
Englewood Health is the only hospital in New Jersey to achieve this honor.
“We whole-heartedly congratulate the interventional cardiologists, cardiothoracic surgeons, and other practitioners and clinical staff who work together to perform this life-saving procedure,” said Warren Geller, president and CEO of Englewood Health. “It is the incredible expertise and collaboration of this team that ensures the best possible outcomes for our patients.”
Englewood Health was one of the first hospitals in the country to begin offering TAVR, a minimally invasive heart valve replacement procedure, following its FDA approval in 2011.
“To date, our Structural Heart and Valve Program has performed over 1300 TAVR procedures, with the best possible success rates and outcomes for our patients,” said Joseph De Gregorio, MD, executive director of cardiovascular services at Englewood Health.
TAVR is used to treat aortic stenosis, a narrowing of the heart valve that often leads to symptoms such as shortness of breath, lightheadedness, and fatigue. During the procedure, a thin tube is used to guide a new, artificial aortic valve into the heart to replace the damaged valve.
“TAVR offers patients relief from their aortic stenosis symptoms, as well as shorter hospital stays and quicker recovery times than open-heart surgery—the traditional method of valve replacement,” said Ramin Hastings, MD, medical director of the Structural Heart and Valve Program and interventional cardiologist at Englewood Health.
TAVR was originally offered as an alternative treatment for patients who were not candidates for open-heart surgery due to their age or risk for complications. Since then, the number of patients who stand to benefit from the use of TAVR has grown significantly.
“The indications for TAVR have expanded over time given the safety of the procedure and the benefits from a patient recovery and quality of life standpoint,” said Adam Arnofsky, MD, chief of cardiothoracic surgery at Englewood Health.
Englewood Health’s TAVR program has also expanded to include lower risk patients and is growing at a rate of 10 percent each year. With each additional procedure performed, their wealth of experience grows, yielding even better results for patients.
October 21, 2022 — Englewood Health has been named a Most Wired Hospital in the 2022 Digital Health Most Wired Survey, marking the ninth consecutive year Englewood Health has achieved this honor.
The annual survey — conducted by the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) —functions as a comprehensive “Digital Health Check-up” for healthcare organizations across the world.
Englewood Health achieved a prestigious Level 9 out of 10 for both acute and ambulatory care. In doing do, Englewood Health also earned the Performance Excellence Award for these important services.
Among the more than 38,000 organizations surveyed, Englewood Health ranked above peers in categories like analytics and data management, population health, infrastructure, and patient engagement.
Members of the IT team at Englewood Health.
“We are proud of our solid technology foundation that advances digitally integrated care across our acute and ambulatory functions,” said Inderpal Kohli, vice president and chief information officer at Englewood Health. “This year’s CHIME survey—which highlights our marked improvements in the areas of patient engagement and innovation—is a testament to the role of technology as an enabler for a clinically integrated experience for both patients and clinicians.”
As success in digital health increasingly influences the quality of patient care, the scope of the Digital Health Most Wired survey reflects the progress of leading healthcare providers as they reinvent healthcare for a new era.
The survey assessed the adoption, integration, and impact of technologies in health care organizations at all stages of development, from early development to industry leading.
CHIME President and CEO Russell P. Branzell said in a statement that Englewood Health’s “pioneering performance in the industry inspires other organizations by example. Patients in communities around the world receive better care when you drive change through digital transformation, as you have proven through your success in this rigorous program.”
Video: Englewood Health ZT Systems Outpatient Center Opens at 2 Journal Square
Ribbon-cutting celebrates $4 million gift from ZT Systems, bringing urgent care, primary care, imaging and laboratory services, specialty care and more to Hudson County
September 21, 2022 — Physicians, local leaders, and members of the community gathered today to celebrate the opening of the Englewood Health ZT Systems Outpatient Center at 2 Journal Square.
The outpatient center is a three-floor, 73,000+ square-foot facility that offers urgent care, primary care, imaging and over a dozen specialty care services to the Hudson County community.
Conveniently located across from the PATH station, the outpatient center also offers patients free parking and easy access to public transportation. The facility brings all the expertise, resources, and existing infrastructure of the hospital to its patients in Jersey City and beyond.
Left to right: Councilman Richard Boggiano; Mark Shapiro, MD; Councilman Yousef Saleh; Celinés Morales-Ribeiro, MD; Michael Gutter, Chairman, Board of Trustees, Englewood Health Foundation; Tina Mousouroulis, Executive Director, ZT Systems; Doug Huang, Vice President, ZT Systems; Warren Geller, President and CEO, Englewood Health; Mayor Steven Fulop; Richard Lerner, Chairman, Board of Trustees, Englewood Health; Councilman James Solomon; Stephen Brunnquell, MD, President of Englewood Health Physician Network; Rini Palathingal, MD; Helene Wolk, Chief Operating Officer, Englewood Health.
“Travel should never be a barrier to comprehensive, high-quality health care,” said Warren Geller, president and CEO of Englewood Health. “That’s why we continue to expand our services throughout northern New Jersey. Our outpatient center in Jersey City will increase access to preventive care and diagnostics right where people live and work.”
For those who already receive care within the Englewood Health Physician Network—which provides primary and specialty care services across Hudson County—the outpatient center offers seamless collaboration with their referring physicians and true continuity of care.
Made possible by a historic philanthropic gift
The founding of the outpatient center was made possible by a historic philanthropic gift from ZT Systems, an international leader in the IT sector.
The $4 million gift from ZT Systems is the largest corporate pledge in Englewood Health’s history and has fueled the mission of bringing these important medical services to Hudson County.
“ZT Systems is proud to support Englewood Health in giving back to the local community by bringing urgent care, primary care, imaging and laboratory services, specialty care and more to Jersey City,” said Frank Zhang, president and CEO of ZT Systems. “The Englewood Health Foundation shares our company’s values of partnership and people first, and we are very excited to be a part of this important initiative.”
A comprehensive, outpatient medical center
Primary and specialty care
On the first floor of the outpatient center, orthopedic experts care for patients from diagnosis through rehabilitation for any orthopedic-related condition.
Primary care services are located on the second floor, as are specialties including pulmonology, gastroenterology, dermatology, neurology, bariatric and general surgery, colon and rectal surgery, behavioral health, and vascular surgery.
A diabetes center on the second floor offers patients access to diabetes education and nutritional counseling, as well as podiatry and endocrinology. Also on the second floor are hematology and oncology offices.
“For over 130 years, Englewood Health has provided personalized, compassionate care to the residents of Northern New Jersey and beyond,” said Stephen Brunnquell, MD, president of the Englewood Health Physician Network. “While our reach has included Jersey City and the people who live and work there, the addition of this new location at Journal Square will be a game changer. With increased access to expertise, services, and screenings, people will be able to get the care they need, when they need it, right in their own neighborhood.”
Imaging
Born of a need for increased access to high-quality medical imaging, Englewood Hospital Imaging at Jersey City is a full-service imaging center, offering highly sophisticated technology and advanced diagnostic testing opening to patients on October 3, 2022.
“Access to imaging services such as CT scans and MRIs enable the early detection of cancer, heart disease, joint and spine injuries, abdominal disease, and problems related to brain function,” said Mark Shapiro, MD, chief of radiology at Englewood Health. “As many of these conditions are treatable or curable in their early stages, Englewood Health’s continued efforts to expand diagnostic imaging directly improve health outcomes within our community.”
At the brand-new imaging center, a team of fellowship-trained radiologists provides same-day results, as well as urgent and emergent consultations when necessary. The facility will offer multimodal imaging using state-of-the-art equipment, including:
A major focus of this new center is to bring Englewood Health’s expert breast services into the community.
“Getting an annual mammogram in Hudson County just got easier,” said Mindy Goldfischer, MD, chief of breast imaging at Englewood Health and medical director of The Leslie Simon Breast Care and Cytodiagnosis Center at Englewood Health. “At the imaging center in Jersey City, screening mammography, diagnostic evaluations, and advanced breast procedures are performed by our breast imaging specialists. Having access to these important breast services locally will save lives.”
Englewood Health is a regional leader in breast imaging and is accredited and nationally recognized by the American College of Radiology as a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence.
In addition, Englewood Health’s breast cancer disease management team—which includes medical oncologists, breast surgeons, pathologists, radiologists, radiation oncologists, and geneticists—works together to create individual care plans for each of their patients.
Urgent Care
Located on the main level, Englewood Health Urgent Care at Jersey City offers same-day, walk-in services for adults and children with non-life-threatening injuries and illnesses, as well as preventive care services, routine vaccinations, and telemedicine. Urgent Care is open Monday through Friday, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., as well as Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Cookie Consent
We use cookies and other tools on this website to enhance the user experience and to analyze our web traffic. By continuing to use this site, you agree to the use of cookies and similar technologies. For more information, see our Terms of Use.
Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
