Contact:
Barbara Franzese Cron
Manager, Marketing Communications
(201) 530-7904
cron@holyname.org

Teaneck, NJ — November 30, 2011 — Holy Name Medical Center now offers the latest generation in SPECT imaging with its recent installation of the Siemans Symbia® S imaging system. The Symbia® S represents the absolute latest generation in nuclear medicine imaging technology, bringing significantly shorter test time and high resolution 3-D images. It is highly versatile in its ability to detect disease across multiple medical specialties, providing exquisitely detailed information about illnesses and abnormalities that are complicated or difficult to diagnose. 

The Symbia® S assists physician specialists by giving them the data they need to make accurate decisions about therapy and follow-up for their patients. For example, cardiologists at Holy Name use it to diagnose heart disease, oncologists find tumor cells and stage cancer before it can be seen by other imaging modalities, and infectious disease specialists conduct white blood cell scans to determine the source of fevers of unknown origin. 

“The most compelling advantage to patient care is the new technology’s ability to produce high resolution images in less time,” says Jacqueline Brunetti, MD, Medical Director of the Department of Radiology at Holy Name Medical Center. “Clear images ultimately improve patient outcomes because they give us the information we need to treat our patients appropriately—that’s our highest priority. But it’s also important to maintain a high level of patient satisfaction, and cutting down on scanning time goes a long way toward that goal.”

Contact:
Cynthia Bacon
(718) 670-2515

Debra Pagano Cohen
(718) 670-1586

Flushing, NY — November 28, 2011 — The Flushing Rotary Club donated $10,000 to New York Hospital Queens Save-A-Life campaign. The money will be used to purchase cardiac equipment for hospital ambulances. The hospital's Women’s Auxiliary partnered with the hospital’s Community Advisory Council to bring the fund raising campaign into the community. The campaign also included a raffle with a 40-inch flat screen T.V. and a Tiffany & Co. silver chain and pendant as prizes. Diane Sixsmith, M.D., Chair, Emergency Medicine, NYHQ, picked the winning tickets belonging to Vincent Gianelli and Cyrille Kousiaris.

Caption:  Flushing Rotary, Diane Sixsmith, M.D., Chair, Emergency Medicine, NYHQ, Cyrille Kousiaris, member, Flushing Rotary, Veronica Tsang, Pres., Flushing Rotary, and Al Harris, member, Flushing Rotary

The equipment that will be purchased will be top-of-the-line cardiac monitors/defibrillators at a cost of approximately $30,000 each. The new cardiac machines are designed to bring the Emergency Room physician—virtually— to the patient. Vital signs, heart rhythms (ECG) and other important information are wirelessly sent to the receiving hospital. A physician can view the information from a computer monitor at the hospital and give direct guidance to the paramedics and EMTs before the patient arrives. Hospital staff can also prepare a plan of care before the patient arrives. The machines use hands-free leads that are applied to the chest to “shock” a patient’s heart back to a normal rhythm. In addition, a patient’s risk of death or brain damage can be reduced because the patient’s inner core temperature is carefully monitored.

To make a donation to the Save-A-Life Campaign please call the hospital’s development office at 718-670-1009.

Contact:
Nicole Russell
(201) 833-3284
n-russell@mail.holyname.org

Teaneck, NJ – November 21, 2011 – The Holy Name Health Care Foundation recently held its annual Founders Ball at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.  With approximately 550 guests in attendance, the evening raised close to $650,000 to benefit patient care at Holy Name Medical Center.

This year’s gala honored Lucia Palestroni and the Alfiero and Lucia Palestroni Foundation, Inc. with the Spirit of Healing Award for their continued dedication and generosity to Holy Name Medical Center and most recently, their generous gift to the Villa Marie Claire Hospice in Saddle River.  “The Museum of Modern Art was an ideal venue for a gala honoring such a unique and extraordinary individual and Foundation,” said Michael Maron, President/CEO, Holy Name Medical Center.  “The support that Mrs. Palestroni and the Palestroni Foundation have extended to Holy Name and Villa Marie Claire is an excellent example of their commitment to the community.”

Contact:
Barbara Franzese Cron
Manager, Marketing Communications
(201) 530-7904
cron@holyname.org

Teaneck, NJ — November 18, 2011 — “Brilliant” is how Bertram Siegel describes his wife Jo Anne’s decision to admit her terminally ill mother to Holy Name Medical Center’s Villa Marie Claire residential hospice. 

When it became apparent to the Siegels that Shirley Harris would no longer benefit from hospital therapies aimed at treating her illness, they knew Mrs. Siegel’s mother would need a different kind of care.  But the Siegels weren’t sure of how to proceed, until a physician and social worker at The Valley Hospital directed them to Villa Marie Claire in Saddle River.

“I hadn’t heard of the Villa,” says Mrs. Siegel, who is Jewish. “I was nervous about the name, nervous when I pulled up to the door.”

Caption:  From left to right: Shawn Siegel, Bertram Siegel and Jo Anne Siegel with Jean Leone, Executive Director/Administrator, Hospice and Palliative Services and Villa Marie Claire; and Michael Maron, President/CEO, Holy Name Medical Center. 

But any religion-based anxiety she felt was quickly replaced with relief. “It was a new, beautiful, immaculate home,” says Mrs. Siegel, who resides with her husband in Woodcliff Lake. “The staff treated my mother with respect, dignity and sensitivity—like a queen. Our family was made to feel welcome.”  

Villa Marie Claire is a program of Holy Name Medical Center’s Hospice and Palliative Services division. And while the Medical Center is sponsored by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace, a Roman Catholic congregation, its appreciation for and sensitivity to all religions and faith-based practices prevails throughout all departments and affiliated facilities.  Staff at the Villa are trained to embrace religious and cultural diversity, and encourage patients and their families to exercise their religious traditions. The Villa is also accredited by the National Institute for Jewish Hospice.

Contact:
Amy Pietzak
NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital
amp9049@nyp.org
(212) 305-5587

New York, NY — November 17, 2011 — NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center has officially opened the Center for Acute Respiratory Failure, which offers, among other services, expertise in using lung bypass technology to help adult patients whose lungs are rapidly shutting down.

The Center's launch coincides with publication of a review article in today's New England Journal of Medicine that details how the technology, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), can take over the function of the lungs in adults with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) to give severely damaged lungs time to rest and heal.

ARDS, which can be caused by injury or disease, affects more than 140,000 individuals a year, and mortality may be very high, especially in those with the most severe forms of the disease, according to the NEJM article. It was written by Dr. Daniel Brodie, a pulmonary critical care specialist, and Dr. Matthew Bacchetta, a thoracic surgeon, who are co-directors of the new Center.

Contact:
Gloria Chin
NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital
glc9010@nyp.org
(212) 305-5587

New York, NY — November 9, 2011 — Dana Buchman, fashion designer and founder of the Promise Project, and Eugene Lang, entrepreneur and founder of the Lang Youth Medical Program and I Have A Dream Foundation, will each be honored with an Award for Distinguished Service by the Columbia Presbyterian Health Sciences Advisory Council. The award ceremony will take place on Thursday, Nov. 10, at the Vivian and Seymour Milstein Family Heart Center at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center, 173 Ft. Washington Ave., N.Y.C. (9:30 a.m., 12 p.m. award ceremony).

Dana Buchman is an American fashion designer and creator of the eponymous Dana Buchman fashion label. She is founder of the Promise Project, an organization that works with NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center to help underserved children with learning disabilities get the support they need to learn.

Contact:
Maureen Curran Kleinman
(201) 291-6310

Ridgewood, NJ — November 8, 2011 — The Valley Hospital recently hosted a Halloween Reunion Party for children who had been cared for in the hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.  This heavily attended annual event reunites parents and children with the physicians and nurses who cared for them.

Caption:  Shown at center are Director of Neonatology Frank Manginello, M.D.; Neonatologist Michelle Lasker, M.D.; Associate Director of Neonatology Carly Pane, M.D.; and Neonatologist Beth Benjamin, M.D.; surrounded by nurses and staff of the NICU and the Department of Women and Children’s Services.

The party drew hundreds of families from throughout northern New Jersey and lower New York State and included fun-filled activities for the children, such as pumpkin decorating.  It also offered the chance for parents to catch up with each other and the medical and nursing staff.

This year’s event was held at Valley’s Robert & Audrey Luckow Pavilion, located in Paramus.

Contact:
Nicole Russell
(201) 833-3284
n-russell@mail.holyname.org

Teaneck, NJ – November 8, 2011 – The Holy Name MS Center held its first MS Awards Dinner and Dance held on Thursday, October 13 and raised over $100,000 to benefit the MS Center. Over 200 people attended the event held at the Rockleigh Country Club to celebrate the two honorees.  

Caption:  Chris Cimmino, Larry Inserra, Jr., Michael Maron, President/CEO Holy Name Medical Center, and Susan Zurndorfer

Holy Name Medical Center presented Larry Inserra, Jr. and Susan Zurndorfer with the Lawrence R. Inserra Leadership Awards for their tireless efforts on behalf of the MS Center and the patients it serves.  This award was named after Larry Inserra’s late father, Lawrence R. Inserra, who inspired not just patients, families, and staff of the MS Center but the entire Holy Name community in his battle with the disease.

The MS Center at Holy Name Medical Center has been confronting this disease head-on since 1985.  For more than 25 years, the MS Center has become a beacon of hope providing individualized care for MS patients and their families at Holy Name; investigating modalities that modify the disease; helping to reduce symptoms; improving overall function; preventing progression; and promoting independence. Holy Name’s MS Center is the only nonprofit center in Bergen County offering this level of service and expertise. 

For more information on the MS Center at Holy Name Medical Center, visit www.holyname.org.

Contact:
Alicia Park
alk9007@nyp.org
(212) 305-5587

New York, NY — November 7, 2011 — Sharon Greenberger is joining NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital's management team as senior vice president for facilities development and engineering, effective today. She was most recently chief operating officer of the New York City Department of Education.

"After an extensive nationwide search, I am delighted to welcome Sharon Greenberger. With more than 20 years of urban planning and development, design, construction and operations management experience, she has the requisite skills to ensure that our Hospital's facilities continue to meet the needs of patients and their families," says Dr. Steven J. Corwin, CEO of NewYork-Presbyterian.

Contact:

Nicole Russell

Public Relations Coordinator

(201) 833-3284

n-russell@mail.holyname.org

Teaneck, NJ – November 4, 2011 – Holy Name Medical Center is one of the nation’s best places to work in health  care, according to the 2011 survey conducted by Modern Healthcare magazine. HNMC is ranked Number 9 in the “large companies” category. There are no other hospitals in Bergen County on the list, and the Medical Center continues to be the highest ranked New Jersey hospital in the program.This is the fourth year Modern Healthcare has conducted its “Best Places to Work in Healthcare” program, and the fourth year that Holy Name has received the honor for workplace excellence.

“Best Places to Work in Healthcare” recognition is based on the results of a comprehensive employer questionnaire and an anonymous survey of randomly-selected employees from the organization, who provide in-depth feedback on eight core workplace criteria: leadership and planning, culture and communications, role satisfaction, working environment, relationship with supervisors, training and development, pay and benefits, and overall engagement.

 “It is an honor to be acknowledged as an outstanding employer, and I’m very proud of our staff for helping us achieve this national recognition,” says Michael Maron, President/CEO. “Employee engagement is key to job satisfaction, and it’s something we’re always working on. We empower the staff to do what they do best, and we reinforce and reward outstanding performance and dedication to the Medical Center’s mission.” Mr. Maron explains that Holy Name’s policies and procedures recognize the employees’ need to balance their work lives with their personal lives. “We pursue the drive for excellence,” he notes, “while maintaining a workplace environment that is friendly, safe and family-oriented.”

Holy Name Medical Center

Holy Name Medical Center is a fully accredited, not-for-profit healthcare facility based in Teaneck, New Jersey, with off-site locations throughout Bergen County.  Founded and sponsored by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace in 1925, the comprehensive 361-bed medical center offers leading-edge medical practice and technology administered in an environment rooted in a tradition of compassion and respect for every patient. Holy Name provides high quality health care across a continuum that encompasses education, prevention, early intervention, comprehensive treatment options, rehabilitation and wellness maintenance—from pre-conception through end-of-life. Affiliation with the NewYork-Presbyterian Healthcare System brings an added dimension to care, in the form of increased access to clinical trials, highly specialized physicians, and expanded opportunities for professional medical education.

The New York State Osteoporosis Prevention and Education Program (NYSOPEP), headquartered at Helen Hayes Hospital, will be offering comprehensive Bone Health Education Seminars this fall and winter.  The seminars will be repeated on the following dates:

Thursday, November 17, 2011             10:15 am registration
Auditorium                              10:30 am - 1:00 pm Program

Thursday, December 1, 2011              10:15 am registration
Noyes Conference Center         10:30 am - 1:00 pm Program

The seminars are open to hospital patients, as well as individuals in the community who are interested in learning more about the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis.  Participants will learn what their bone density test results mean, how to promote healthy bones and how to reduce the risk factors for osteoporosis and fracture.  The most current information about nutrition, exercise and medications available for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis will also be discussed.  Speakers will be Shari Silverstein, RN, MS. And Michelle Mosner, RD, CDN.

The Bone Health Seminars are free of charge and open to the public.  Pre-registration is required.  For additional information, or to register,

call 845-786-4771.

Continuing Medical Education Courses

The following Medical Education Courses offered by Weill Cornell Medical College are open for registration.

Information / Register Online

5^th Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery and Navigation: Hands-on Symposium

Thursday, December 1, 2011, 12:00 - 5:30 pm

Friday - Saturday, December 2-3, 2011, 7:00 am - 5:30 pm

Weill Greenberg Auditorium

Weill Cornell Medical College

1305 York Ave., New York, NY

Course Directors:  Roger Härtl, MD and Luiz M. Pimenta, MD, PhD

Course Information / Register Online  

Surgical Approaches to the Skull Base

Thursday, December 15, 2011, 7:15 am - 6:00 pm

Friday - Saturday, December 16-17, 2011, 7:30 am - 6:00 pm

Uris Auditorium

Weill Cornell Medical College

1300 York Ave., New York, NY

Course Directors: Philip E. Stieg, PhD, MD and Antonio Bernardo, MD

Course Information / Register Online  

Dr. Betty Shabazz Health Center

November 17 - Thanksgiving Health Fair 

3 pm - 5 pm

999 Blake Ave., Brooklyn 

Helen B. Atkinson Health Center 

Thanksgiving Health Fair - please call (212) 426-0088 for date
10 am - 12 pm
81 W. 115th St., Manhattan   

Community League Health Center 

 November 10 - Diabetes Educational Workshop
 11 am - 1 pm
1996 Amsterdam Ave., Manhattan                        

Contact:
Doug Feingold
NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital
dof9022@nyp.org
(212) 305-5587

New York, NY - Nov. 4, 2011 – NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center today became the first in the United States to implant the SAPIEN transcatheter aortic heart valve as an FDA-approved standard of care. This major advance in patient care follows the FDA's decision on Nov. 2 to approve SAPIEN as a preferred treatment for patients too sick to undergo traditional aortic valve surgery.

The recent FDA approval was based on results of the 26-center Placement of AoRTic TraNscathetER Valve (PARTNER) clinical research trial co-led by Drs. Martin Leon, Jeffrey Moses and Craig Smith at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia. Since the start of FDA-approved clinical trials in 2005, the Medical Center has performed more than 300 valve procedures - the most in the country.

NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia physicians Drs. Susheel Kodali and Mathew Williams will also lead a live demonstration of the procedure on Nov. 9 at the annual TCT meeting in San Francisco. Going forward, the Medical Center will be one of only four sites to train American physicians in the procedure. 

Contact:

Maureen Curran Kleinman

Marketing and Communications

(201) 291-6310

mcurran@valleyhealth.com

Ridgewood, NJ – November 1, 2011 – By the standards of most cardiac programs, the thoracic aneurysm inside Constance “Candie” Frank’s aorta wasn’t one that required an intervention. At 4.8 centimeters in size, it was well below the 5.5 centimeter size that the American Heart Association, American College of Cardiology, and Society of Thoracic Surgery would consider the threshold for surgery, according to current guidelines.

Luckily for Mrs. Frank, her cardiac specialists at The Valley Hospital Heart and Vascular Institute had the expertise and state-of-the-art technology to determine that the Lanoka Harbor, NJ, teacher’s aneurysm was not one that should wait. A common birth abnormality, called bicuspid aortic valve (BAV), was detected during her specialized workup at the Institute’s Thoracic Aneurysm and Bicuspid Aortic Valve program. Combined with the aneurysm, this put Mrs. Frank, 54, at higher risk for an aneurysm-related catastrophe.

Caption: Patient Candie Frank with Jason Sperling, M.D., Subspecialty Director, Thoracic Aneurysm and Bicuspid Aortic Valve Program at The Valley Hospital.

Contact:

Sonia Nayak

Public Affairs

(718) 780-5367

sdn9002@nyp.org

Brooklyn, NY – November 1, 2011 – New York Methodist Hospital was recently named a Center of Excellence Epicenter for Robotic Thoracic Surgery, the first such center in the Northeast and the third in the United States. The designation means that the Hospital will be a training facility for physicians from throughout the United States, who will come to New York Methodist to observe robotic thoracic surgery.  The daVinci surgical system, a powerful tool, was acquired by NYM last year.

Robot-assisted thoracic surgery was first introduced to New York Methodist Hospital by Richard S. Lazzaro, M.D., chief of thoracic surgery. Dr. Lazzaro is board-certified in both thoracic and general surgery and has performed over 3000 minimally invasive procedures. He received his training for these procedures at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center under James Luketich, M.D., one of the pioneers in the field of robotic surgery.