Contact:

Maureen Curran Kleinman

Marketing and Communications

(201) 291-6310

mcurran@valleyhealth.com

Ridgewood, NJ – May 31, 2012 – It looks like Star Wars’ R2-D2, but it is in fact innovative germ-zapping technology that is the latest instrument in the war against hospital-acquired infections (HAIs). The Valley Hospital is the first hospital in New Jersey to use Xenex’s portable room disinfection system, which has been proven in studies to get hospital rooms 20 times cleaner than traditional housekeeping methods.

The device pulses blue ultraviolet light throughout patient rooms, operating rooms, the emergency department and other areas of the hospital to quickly destroy viruses, bacteria and bacterial spores – typically in about 5-10 minutes per room.  Valley uses the device after the room has been thoroughly cleaned by housekeeping staff.

Contact:

Maureen Curran Kleinman

Marketing and Communications

(201) 291-6310

mcurran@valleyhealth.com

Ridgewood, NJ – May 31, 2012 – The Valley Hospital is proud to announce that 89 members of the hospital’s Medical Staff in 42 specialties were included in a special edition of (201) Health Magazine featuring Bergen County’s Top Doctors.  Only 5 percent of Bergen County doctors received this prestigious recognition.  The selection process was independently conducted by Key Professional Media, Inc., a leading researcher and the publisher of Super Doctors®. Key Professional Media asked doctors in Bergen County to nominate one or more colleagues they would choose in seeking medical care.  Candidates were evaluated on 10 indicators of peer recognition and professional achievement.

The Valley doctors who were included on (201) Health’s list of Bergen County’s Top Doctors, listed by medical specialty, are: 

Allergy & Immunology:  John V. Bosso, M.D.; Patricia M. Hicks, M.D.; Jay M. Kashkin, M.D.; and Mary Ann Michelis, M.D. Cardiology:  Dennis S. Reison, M.D.; Gerald Sotsky, M.D.; Mark I. Sotsky, M.D.; and Janet E. Strain, M.D.  Critical Care Medicine: James Cornell, M.D., Ph.D.; Steven C. Jacoby, M.D.; and Marc S. Melamed, M.D.

Contact:

Doug Feingold
(212) 305-5587
dof9022@nyp.org

Hospital Wins Fourth Straight Excellence Award from Practice Greenhealth

New York, NY – May 29, 2012 – NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital has been honored with a 2012 Environmental Excellence award for its commitment to environmentally responsible operations in areas such as waste reduction, source reduction programs and mercury elimination.

The award was presented on May 2 by Practice Greenhealth-a national membership organization dedicated to sustainability in health care-at the 10th annual CleanMed conference in Denver. The awards honor outstanding environmental achievements in the health care sector each year, and it is the fourth straight year NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital has received an award. Over the last year, the Hospital has expanded programs to recycle, significantly reduce regulated medical waste and grow staff engagement in environmental initiatives.

Contact:

Jacqueline Kates
Community Relations Coordinator
( 201) 530-7902
kates@holyname.org

Teaneck, NJ – May 23, 2012 – The American College of Surgeons’ Commission on Cancer has granted three-year accreditation with commendation to the Regional Cancer Center at Holy Name Medical Center (HNMC).

The American College of Surgeons’ Commission on Cancer (CoC) is a consortium of professional organizations dedicated to improving survival rates and quality of life for cancer patients. There are currently more than 1500 CoC-accredited cancer programs in the United States and Puerto Rico, representing almost 30 percent of all hospitals; this 30 percent diagnoses and/or treats approximately 80 percent of all newly diagnosed cancer patients each year. 

Contact:

Will Deitz
Public Affairs Associate
(718)780-5367

wid9023@nyp.org

Brooklyn, New York – May 23, 2012 – With physical activity and nutrition identified as a health priority in New York Methodist Hospital’s (NYM) Community Service Plan, the Hospital recently partnered with New York City Council Member Brad Lander to produce Teen Battle Chef, a program created with the goal of reshaping teens' approach to food and nutrition, while teaching them culinary skills.

The eight-week Teen Battle Chef program, based in the former John Jay High School building, which is located just north of the NYM campus, included hands-on training in the kitchen as well as cooking competitions. The students, who competed in two teams, were selectively chosen from the schools housed at the John Jay building. Each of the weekly contests featured a different “all-star” judging panel composed of community leaders, local restaurant owners, former Battle Chef contestants and New York Methodist employees.

At the end of April, students from Park Slope Collegiate, Millennium/Brooklyn and the Secondary School for Law, three of the four schools housed in the John Jay building, gathered in NYM’s cafeteria for the program's final competition. The students' enthusiasm for cooking shone through in the delicious, healthy dishes they prepared, and as judges heaped praise on all competitors, it was clear that Teen Battle Chef had been a great success.

Caption:  Student chefs John Carter and Liliana Garita from “Team Numero Uno.”

Leading Robotic Prostate Cancer Surgeon Recognized for His Achievements in Urology

Contact:

Linda Kamateh

(212) 821-0560

lib9027@med.cornell.edu

New York, NY – May 23, 2012 – Dr. Ashutosh K. Tewari, director of the Lefrak Center for Robotic Surgery at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, will be awarded the prestigious Gold Cystoscope Award from the American Urological Association for outstanding contributions to the field of urology and urologic oncology. He will receive the award May 23 at an awards dinner during the Association's Annual Meeting in Atlanta, Ga.

The award, presented annually to an urologist distinguished by outstanding contributions to the profession within 13 years of completing residency training, recognizes Dr. Tewari for his treatment of prostate cancer and the development of novel techniques to improve the outcomes of robotic radical prostatectomy.

Contact:

Elizabeth Howell

Development and Public Relations

(212) 545-2404

ehowell@chnnyc.org

Comprehensive Case Management Will Improve Care, Reduce Health Care Costs

New York, NY – May 23, 2012 – We've recently been selected to serve as a lead Health Home in Queens. This announcement follows our earlier designation as lead in Brooklyn and co-lead in The Bronx. In addition to providing better-coordinated and comprehensive care for approximately 975,000 chronically ill Medicaid patients, the Health Home program is projected to achieve Medicaid savings of $33.2 million in fiscal year 2011-12.

Our partner organizations in Queens will include Medisys Health Network, New York Hospital Queens, Mount Sinai Queens, and iHealth, a coalition of 20 COBRA Targeted Case Management organizations.

As a lead Health Home, we'll oversee and ensure access to: a wide range of health and mental health services; comprehensive care management; transitional care; patient and family support; referral to community and social support services; and use of health information technology to link services.   

Contact:

Elizabeth Howell

Development and Public Relations

(212) 545-2404

ehowell@chnnyc.org

New York, NY – May 23, 2012 – We run one of the only health centers that provides comprehensive services in a family health setting to the city's growing transgender community. So we were especially thrilled to have recently received a $50,000 grant from the New York City AIDS Fund to support our ongoing work in providing mental, social, and physical health services to the city's transgender population.

This funding has allowed us to expand our Queens transgender program, which now has over 80 regular patients. Our Bronx program, launched in 2003, has approximately 150 transgender patients.

Contact:

Elizabeth Howell

Development and Public Relations

(212) 545-2404

ehowell@chnnyc.org

New York, NY – May 23, 2012 – We've recently been awarded a $500,000 capital construction grant to expand capacity at both of our Bronx centers and better serve patients. The money was made available through the Affordable Care Act and provided by the federal government via the Health Resources and Services Administration.  

With the funding, we will be able to make specific and concrete improvements to our Bronx Health Center and Tremont Health Center and will measurably improve the patient experience through added comfort, security, and privacy.

Contact:

Elizabeth Howell

Development and Public Relations

(212) 545-2404

ehowell@chnnyc.org

New York, NY – May 23, 2012 – We're proud to announce that we've formed a partnership with The Family Center and the YMCA as we help lead up a comprehensive health and wellness program in central Brooklyn called "Brooklyn-Stay Well, Enjoy Life" (B-SWEL). The program is aimed at addressing the disproportionately high rates of diabetes in the area.

We're taking diabetes care to the next level by working with patients to improve their health. Through CHN's Caribbean House and CABS health centers, we're providing six weeks of diabetes self-management workshops and offering individual diabetes education to all our patients.

So far, we've held more than 52 screening events, with almost 1,000 people screened. More than a fifth of those tested were diabetic and almost half were pre-diabetic. Thanks to our collective efforts, the average A1C score of CHN patients has decreased .65, and the average post-test score of those took our diabetes knowledge questionnaire was 85% compared to the 62% pre-test score.  

Going forward, our goal is to enroll 300 clients over three years so that we can continue to improve community health.   

Contact:

Elizabeth Howell

Development and Public Relations

(212) 545-2404

ehowell@chnnyc.org

New York, NY – May 23, 2012 – In 2011, Community Healthcare Network achieved the following impressive numbers with respect to providing quality care to patients:

·         85% of diabetes patients routinely received their A1C (glycated hemoglobin) screening.

·         We decreased the percentage of patients with blood pressure greater than 130/80 by 17 percentage points.

·         90% of patients scheduled follow-up appointments

·         91% contraceptive use among teen patients

·         50% of our patients receive Medicaid, 40% are uninsured, and 0% are turned away.   

·         NCQA's Diabetes Recognition Program awarded several of our centers for providing quality diabetes care and management 

Contact:

Lauren Zaccardi Samman

(845) 348-2773

zaccardil@nyackhospital.org

Nyack, NY – May 21, 2012 – The Nyack Hospital Foundation held its annual Golf outing on Monday, May 14 raising $230,000.  It was the most successful Nyack Hospital golf event in many years.  David Cone, Retired Major League Baseball Player & On-Air Personality for the YES Network was the outing’s Special Guest and presented awards to the tournament winners.

The outing returned to beautiful Rockland Country Club in Sparkill, NY.  Net proceeds from the event entitled Let There Be Lights! will be designated for the purchase of new LED lights in the Hospital’s operating suites.  129 golfers enjoyed the course during morning and afternoon tee-offs and the golfers were joined by other guests for cocktails and dinner.

Executive Director of the Nyack Hospital Foundation and Vice President, Development Jill Garland said, “On behalf of everyone at the Foundation, I want to thank our terrific Golf Committee, all our generous sponsors especially Northeastern Anesthesia Services for their leadership support.  Thank you also to David and Taja Cone for coming out and supporting the Hospital.  Everyone had a great day on the course and their participation helped to raise significant dollars for the Hospital.  We said ‘let there be lights’ and our community responded with great enthusiasm.  Thank you!”

Caption:  (left to right) Laborers' Local 754 sponsored foursome winners Sean Neelen, Stephen Reich, Michael Pugliese, and Richard Reich with retired major league baseball pitcher David Cone, center. 

The Helen Hayes Hospital Clinical Research Center in West Haverstraw is conducting a clinical research study to test an investigational medication for Osteoporosis.

Qualified participants will receive all study-related care, including physician visits, laboratory services and study medications.

To be eligible for the study, a woman must be postmenopausal, between 55 and 85 years of age.  In addition, the individual must have been diagnosed with osteopenia/osteoporosis and have been taking alendronate (Fosamax®) for at least one year.

Osteoporosis is a serious health concern worldwide. It is a preventable disease which causes weakening of the bones and a loss of bone mass, resulting in fractures and disability.  The disease is expected to affect one in every two women. Helen Hayes Hospital is one of the country’s leading centers in osteoporosis research.

For more information on this study, contact Nancy Barbuto, R.N., at 845-786-4804 or barbuton@helenhayeshosp.org

Contact:

Cynthia Bacon
(718) 670-2515
crm9002@nyp.org

Debbie Pagano Cohen
(718) 670-1586
dec9067@nyp.org

Flushing, N.Y. – May 14, 2012 – Making a decision on where to have a child’s surgery just became much simpler for parents in Queens. Now, parents can rely upon New York Hospital Queens (NYHQ) for pediatric surgery services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, whether a necessary procedure is planned or due to an emergency.

The hospital’s new pediatric surgery program is dedicated to the health and well being of children and families in Queens. The program is led by Charles Coren, M.D., director, Pediatric Surgery, NYHQ, and includes physicians and surgeons affiliated with the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons -- also a member institution of the NewYork-Presbyterian Healthcare System.

“Today, children and their families do not need to leave Queens to find a higher level of pediatric surgical care,” said Stephen S. Mills, president and chief executive officer, NYHQ. “We are proud that we can provide the Queens community with increased access to a level of expertise and compassionate service that has been rated among the very best in the country.”

NYHQ offers a full complement of pediatric services, including a 20-bed pediatric inpatient unit, a dedicated pediatric emergency room, pediatric intensive care unit, Level III neonatal intensive care unit, The Theresa Lang Children’s Ambulatory Care Center, the longest running, free-standing pediatric asthma program in Queens, as well as the full spectrum of pediatric subspecialties, from gastroenterology to cardiology.

New York Hospital Queens is a member of the NewYork-Presbyterian Healthcare System and is affiliated with the Weill Medical College of Cornell University.

Contact:

Nicole Russell
Public Relations Coordinator

(201) 833-3284
n-russell@mail.holyname.org

Teaneck, NJ—May 14, 2012 – Holy Name Medical Center has recently been granted a three-year term of accreditation in echocardiography in the area of Adult Transthoracic by the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC).  “Holy Name is proud to have obtained this accreditation by such a prestigious organization,” said Stephen Angeli, MD, cardiologist and director of Cardiology Services at Holy Name Medical Center.  “This illustrates our commitment to offering our patients state-of-the-art medical care and treatment.”

“Holy Name Medical Center has been extremely supportive of cardiac services including the echocardiography accreditation,” said David Wild, MD, medical director of the Echocardiography Laboratory and Holy Name Medical Center cardiologist.  “Patients that come to Holy Name can be confident that they are being provided with the latest in cardiology services and medical technology.”

Accreditation by the IAC means that Holy Name Medical Center has undergone a thorough review of its operational and technical components by a panel of experts.  The IAC grants accreditation only to those facilities that are found to be providing quality patient care, in compliance with national standards through a comprehensive application process including detailed case study review.  IAC accreditation is a “seal of approval” that patients can rely on as an indication that the facility has been carefully critiqued on all aspects of its operations considered relevant by medical experts in the field of echocardiography.

To learn more about cardiovascular services at Holy Name Medical Center please call, 1-877-HOLY-NAME (1-877-465-9626).

Caption (from left to right) Allison Koutsoftas, Holy Name Medical Center echocardiographer; David Wild, MD, FACC, medical director, Holy Name Medical Center Echocardiography Laboratory and cardiologist; Michele Acito, RN, MSN, administrative director Holy Name Medical Center cardiovascular services; Faye Goldshor, RDCS, Holy Name Medical Center echocardiographer; and Marcy Baisley, Holy Name Medical Center echocardiographer.            

Contact:

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

Teaneck, NJ – May 8, 2012 – For the seventh consecutive year, Holy Name Medical Center has been named among the “100 Best Places to Work in New Jersey” by NJBIZ magazine. Holy Name has achieved recognition for workplace excellence in the large employer category every year since 2006.

According to NJBIZ, the survey and award program identifies and honors the best places of employment, which benefit the state’s economy, its workforce and businesses. Companies from across the state enter a two-part application process that begins with an examination of workplace policies, practices, philosophy, systems and demographics, worth 25% of the total evaluation. The second part, worth 75%, consists of confidential surveys to measure the employee experience.  The combined scores determine the top companies and the final ranking.  The overall registration and survey process is managed by Best Companies Group (BCG), which analyzes the data and determined the final rankings.

“As a new member of the Holy Name family, I’m incredibly impressed with the expertise and dedication I’ve witnessed, and I’m happy to be part of an organization that is accomplished in so many areas,” says April Rodgers, Vice President for Human Resources at HNMC, where about 2,500 medical, nursing and allied health professionals, as well as non-clinical staff, are employed.   “Holy Name has a positive working environment focusing on quality, safety and patient satisfaction. The pride our employees take in their jobs and their enthusiasm is very evident in the care they give our patients.”

Ms. Rodgers explains that the Medical Center shows its employees how much they are valued not only by offering them benefits and amenities aimed at improving their quality of life, but by empowering them to use their skills, advance professionally, and to think creatively.

The Medical Center has also received awards for workplace excellence for four consecutive years from Modern Healthcare magazine’s “Best Places to Work in Healthcare” program and from Companies That Care’s “Honor Roll” for three years in a row.

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.

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, Columbia University Medical Center and Weill Cornell Medical College Present Public Service Award

Contact:

Doug Feingold
(212) 305-5587
dof9022@nyp.org

New York, NY – May 8, 2012 – NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, Columbia University Medical Center and Weill Cornell Medical College presented their annual Public Service Award to Senator Arlen Specter yesterday for his sustained efforts to increase support for biomedical research and enhance mental health care services at their reception during the 2012 American Psychiatric Association Meeting in Philadelphia.

The annual award honors a member of the American community for his or her contributions to psychiatric medicine and mental health. Dr. Jeffrey Lieberman, psychiatrist-in-chief at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center and president-elect of the American Psychiatric Association, and Dr. Jack Barchas, psychiatrist-in-chief at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical College, presented Senator Specter with the Public Service Award.

Helen Hayes Hospital in West Haverstraw will host a Blood Drive on Wednesday, June 13, 2012, from 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM in the hospital’s Auditorium.

There is a continuous need for blood donors in the Hudson Valley region. All eligible donors are urgently encouraged to come out and donate blood. Blood donors receive a mini-medical exam on-site including information about their temperature, pulse rate, blood pressure and hemoglobin level.

Employees, volunteers, visitors, and community members are invited to donate blood. Donors should be healthy, between the ages of 17 and 76, weigh at least 110 pounds and not have donated whole blood in the last 56 days, or an ALYX donation in the last 112 days. People age 76 and over may also participate by presenting a doctor’s note Donors must eat and drink well before donating and present photo or signature I.D.

 Donating blood is literally giving the gift of life. There is simply no substitute for donated blood. Without volunteer donors, our community would not have an adequate community blood supply.Appointments are not necessary and walk-ins are welcome. For further information, please call 845-786-4967.

Helen Hayes Hospital in West Haverstraw has announced the schedule for the upcoming season of its GolfAbility program. GolfAbility is an adaptive golf instruction program to teach the basics of golf to individuals with disabilities.

GolfAbility workshops and outings have been schedule to run from May through July. The workshops will take place at the GolfAbility center, which is located on the campus of the physical rehabilitation hospital. The center consists of a 1300 square foot synthetic putting green with six cups and three accessible netted tee areas. Participants will learn how to use appropriate adaptive golf equipment, including single-rider carts. A single-rider cart is a specially equipped golf cart that allows a disabled golfer to play seated or standing, directly from the cart, and can be driven right on to the green.  The two outings will take place at a local golf course.

Joyce Fried, LPGA golf pro, conducts lessons and outing are conducted by recreational therapists. Sessions will start with a group lesson, with participants then breaking into small groups to practice concepts learned during the lesson, as well as building on skills learned in previous sessions. The GolfAbility programs will take place from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. and each workshop will be limited to 16 participants. GolfAbility outings will take place at the Rockland Lake Executive Course with a tee time of 3:00 pm. Players will pay their own course fees.  Dates are as follows.

Workshops:

May 7  Putting (modeling the hold, alignment stroke)                      

May 14  Chipping (modeling the hold, alignment stroke)     

June 4  Iron off tees  (model the hold, alignment, follow-through)         

June 11 Iron off tees (target, hold set-up & follow-through)                        

June 18  Fairway metals & sand bunker                                                  

July 2   Short game competitions/review & questions                                   

July 9  Driving woods (swinging the club)                                              

July 16  Specialty shots (hooking, fading, high, low, bunker shots)

 Outings: 

May 21 and June 25 *

* Must attend at least one workshop to qualify for outing registration

Designed For Individuals of All Abilities

Helen Hayes Hospital has announced the introduction of Ai Chi classes, designed specifically for people of all abilities. Classes will meet for six week sessions on Mondays and Wednesdays  from 1:15-2:00 p.m. at Helen Hayes Hospital, in the warm water aquatic center, in West Haverstraw. Participants must wear water shoes and bring their own towel.

Ai Chi is an easy water exercise that uses deep breathing and slow, controlled movements of the arms, legs and torso in smooth continual patters to encourage relaxation and increase flexibility, balance and pain. 

The instructor, Krista Hludzinski, OTR/L is experienced in teaching Ai Chi to individuals of all abilities. She says Ai Chi helps provide a, "mind-body relationship including improved physical health, better sleep, effective stress and anger management and reduced responsiveness to stress hormones."

Pre-registration for Ai Chi classes is required.  The fee is $48 for the six week session.  For information or to register, call Matthew Castelluccio, Adapted Sport Coordinator at Helen Hayes Hospital at 845-786-4950. 

Contact:

Will Deitz
Public Affairs Associate
(718)780-5367

wid9023@nyp.org

Brooklyn, New York – May 3, 2012 – On April 26th, the New York Methodist Hospital (NYM) board of trustees, Hospital administration, staff and friends gathered with hundreds of NYM volunteers for the Annual Volunteer Recognition Ceremony. The ceremony celebrated the contribution of NYM’s 1,232 volunteers, a number breaking the previous year’s record. All told, those volunteers gave almost 100,000 hours of their time to NYM in 2011, and over 40,000 of those hours were spent in direct contact with patients.

“Being a volunteer here goes above and beyond the call of duty,” said Mark J. Mundy, president and CEO of NYM. “That you’ve chosen to dedicate yourselves to New York Methodist speaks to that inner core, to that sense of self, and to what life is all about.”

Caption:  Mark J. Mundy, president and CEO of New York Methodist Hospital, addresses award winners at NYM's Annual Volunteer Recognition Ceremony.

Dear Colleagues:

Last month, Governor Andrew Cuomo issued an executive order for New York to implement a health insurance exchange by 2014 as mandated by the Affordable Care Act. A “health care exchange” is an online marketplace where individuals and small businesses can choose among competing health insurance plans. Seventeen states have either enacted, or are in the process of passing, health insurance exchange legislation. We believe that a health care exchange presents several benefits for the community, physicians and hospitals.

Benefits of a Health Insurance Exchange for the Community

Through the creation of Web-based marketplaces for health insurance exchanges, individuals or small businesses in need of coverage can find health plan information in a standardized format with coverage options and pricing that can be quickly and easily compared. Another guaranteed benefit of the exchange would be that insurers cannot refuse to insure any individuals.

The goals for establishing a health insurance exchange are to ensure that all Americans have access to affordable, quality health insurance coverage and to drive down the overall cost of insurance. Increases in health care costs are driven by increases in costs per case, not merely the overall prevalence of disease. It makes sense that by having greater access to health coverage, the pool of uninsured people decreases, and so would the cost per case. Earlier entry in the health care system with community-based, preventive care has been shown to reduce the severity of illness and critical care expenditures. An exchange can help reign in health care costs and preserve the health of the community.