SPRING 2017
TODAY, GROWING A CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL MEANS MORE THAN BRICKS AND MORTAR PG 4 also inside: New Applications for Genomics | Our Legacy Challenge | Hospital Areas Then and Now
SPOTLIGHT ON CARDIOGENETICS Some abnormal heartbeats can be deadly, which makes a new collaboration between genetics and electrophysiology a true lifesaver for many. Using comprehensive gene panels to detect abnormal heart beats, our new Cardiogenetics Program works with patients and their family members in identifying risks for certain inherited cardiac arrhythmias or irregular heartbeats. Stephen Winters, MD, director, Cardiac Rhythm Management Program; Michael Katz, MD, director, Inherited Arrhythmia Program and Darius Adams, MD, medical director, Jacobs Levy Genomic Medicine and Research Program, have formed this unique collaboration – the only one in the state – using the latest in genomic testing to assist in diagnosing, monitoring and treating cardiac arrhythmias. “Once we identify a family member who is at risk, we can test other family members for that same risk, which is incredibly valuable and can prevent the most devastating of outcomes from happening,” says Dr. Adams. To support life-saving advances in genomics, please contact Noelle Deihl-Harteveld, major gifts officer, at 973-593-2409 or noelle.harteveld@atlantichealth.org.
Media Services
Q&A with Darius Adams, MD Darius Adams, MD, medical director of the Jacobs Levy Genomic Medicine and Research Program that opened in 2012, explains the new applications for genomics that are increasing across disciplines at Morristown Medical Center.
Q: What’s new with genomics?
Q: I n pediatric genetics, are there any recent breakthroughs?
A: W e currently have seven genetic counselors
lung tumor. The idea now is to learn what mutations are in a tumor and to apply the treatment based on the mutation,
in our oncology, pediatric, cardiogenetics and
A: T here is presently a mini explosion occurring
maternal fetal monitoring programs, and we
in discovering the genetics of autism. We
are expanding as a dedicated referral center
are now capable of detecting autism
for the NJ Newborn Screening Program;
susceptibility regions through a genomic
building up our Pediatric Genetics Program;
microarray analysis. This test looks at the
offering a Cardiogenetics Program (see
structure of the genome as opposed to
spotlight on opposite page); looking at the
sequencing individual genes. What we have
We know that slow metabolizers have a
mutation of tumors that may lead to safer
discovered is that there can be structural
higher risk of experiencing side effects and
and more effective cancer therapies in the
changes in the genome that increase
have varied response rates to medicine,
future; and delving into pharmacogenomics,
susceptibility, in addition to single gene
which is particularly important in psychiatric
which determines how one metabolizes many
disorders causing autism. We now have a
patients, a population we are currently
common drugs.
2,000-gene panel for genetic causes of
studying. What we’ve found is that, by
autism and other developmental issues,
knowing a patient’s metabolic rate, we can
which we use with children who are already
find the optimal dose needed in a single
diagnosed to develop more focused therapies
drug and, in many cases, cut the patient’s
based on their specific genetics.
four or five other medications completely out.
Q: How has genetic testing on babies expanded recently? A: S tates started checking babies for specific genetic conditions in the 1960s with the original Phenylketonuria (PKU) test. We’re
not the location. Q: W hat advances are occurring in pharmacogenomics? A: T his area studies how we metabolize drugs.
Results have been fewer drugs, fewer side Q: How is genetics changing cancer treatments?
effects and a savings of $1,000 a year per patient.
on the cusp of expanding the NJ Newborn Screening Program to 60 conditions by
A: R ecent scientific breakthroughs have
adding five more genetic disorder tests for
revealed the value of advanced genomic
babies all related to lysosomal storage disor-
tumor assessments that identify mutations in
ders. In these disorders, an excess of lipids
a cancer cell’s genetic profile. By looking at
or glycogen builds up and the cell’s lyso-
the tumor’s genetic profile, physicians may
somes begin to swell beyond their normal
be able to recommend a drug or protocol
size, which can cause enlarged organs and
not previously considered – such as using a
death if not treated.
traditional breast cancer therapy to treat a
f4mmc.org | Viewpoint
3
GORYEB’S VISION AND GROWTH Last year, doctors at Goryeb Children’s Hospital were forced to divert a record high 83 seriously ill children to other medical centers because the Joan and Edward Foley Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) and the pediatric inpatient unit were full. Both the PICU and inpatient floor operate close to or at 100 percent capacity during winter flu peak season, which limits Goryeb’s ability to treat every child who needs advanced care. Overcrowded conditions can also sour the experiences of the families of patients who are admitted. And that competition for space is only expected to grow, particularly with Goryeb ranked as the number one hospital in New Jersey for the treatment of pediatric cancer (Castle Connolly).
Each child’s health, healing and improved quality of life are paramount.” “This priority – aim number one – is the critical reason behind this necessary and deliberate expansion,” he says.
INFRASTRUCTURE CHANGES In the proposed expansion, the second floor of Goryeb will be reconfigured to create a larger PICU, adding an additional six beds to the now nine-bed unit. All second-floor outpatient services will move out of the hospital to 55 Madison Avenue, which gives families easy access and convenient parking. These adjustments lay the groundwork for a future that industry analysts believe will see children’s hospitals functioning as large ICUs that treat the highest acuity patients, while outpatient efforts keep the general pediatric population healthy and out of the hospital.
“This is a time in our history when community engagement in philanthropy is essential to our success and survival,” says Dr. Rosenfeld.
COLLABORATIVE MODEL Addressing the second part of the triple aim, Dr. Rosenfeld and his medical teams look forward to the challenge of improving the health of the overall population served by Goryeb. What this means is taking chronic diseases found in children, such as asthma, type 1 diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, eating disorders, headaches, seizure disorders, depression and other mental health issues, and collaboratively addressing them on a large scale – ideally preventing them from escalating. “We can improve the health of the population we serve by dealing with these relatively common chronic diseases with absolutely stellar
The need for expansion is imminent and critical, but in health care today even the most well thought out expansion plans have a new dimension. “Today’s health care landscape adds several critical layers that need to be addressed at the same time expansion efforts are underway,” says Walter Rosenfeld, MD, chair of pediatrics at Goryeb Children’s Hospital, To address those elements, Goryeb has adopted the Triple Aim health care model, introduced by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement. It’s a concept Atlantic Health System has embraced throughout its network of hospitals. The three-pronged approach focuses on improving the outcomes and the experience for patients and their families (aim number one), improving the health of populations (two) and reducing per capita cost of health care (three). This new paradigm goes hand-in-hand with Goryeb’s vision, which, Dr. Rosenfeld explains, “centers on the child and family experience.
4 Focus On | f4mmc.org
Renderings of the new outpatient services offices at 55 Madison Avenue
The Valerie Fund Children’s Center, for hematology and oncology patients, will move from the second floor to the third, into a muchneeded larger space. The third floor‘s existing 26-bed inpatient unit will expand into Deskovick A (connected to Goryeb by a hallway) and eight more beds will be added. The cost is estimated at $33.2 million. The $5 million raised for pediatrics in Campaign 3SIXTY will finance part of the expansion, particularly the inpatient unit and a portion of the PICU. The hospital will make a $16.7 million investment in the project, which leaves an $11.5 million shortfall.
care coordinated through new collaborative models,” says Dr. Rosenfeld. “We have beautifully demonstrated this model already through the Farris Family Center for Advanced Medicine in Pediatrics [CAMP].” At CAMP, pediatric patients with complicated illnesses receive highly specialized diagnostic and therapeutic interventions with a team of medical experts.
A new expanded 15-bed Foley PICU
Another example of this collaborative model in action is the pilot program IMPACT (Improving Mood: Promoting Access to Collaborative Treatment), funded by the Women’s Association for Morristown Medical Center.
which will address the third issue in the triple aim – reducing per capita costs of health care,” he says.
Dr. Rosenfeld explains that most mental health issues begin in childhood and no one in the region is currently looking at this health problem and finding better ways to address it on a larger scale.
The expansion efforts will also address quality improvement measures, adding Renderings for the new additional capabilities 8-bed Deskovick addition to the pediatric inpatient unit for complex surgeries, such as correction of spinal deformities and airway conditions, and creating a clinically integrated network for pediatrics where care will be coordinated, evidenced-based and interconnected.
“We may be able to dramatically improve these issues in children,” he says. “But we can’t use the old model of care where one child who is depressed is sent to a psychiatrist. It needs to be tackled as a larger issue and in a new way.” With IMPACT, Goryeb will place a behavioral health care worker in one of its pediatric practices who will flag children with depression or anxiety. Screenings, treatment, and psychotherapy will take place here, reducing the need for referrals to other mental health resources. “Our goal is to demonstrate improved outcomes at a lower cost for common health conditions,
“Health care today needs lots of team players,” says Dr. Rosenfeld. “This expansion will allow us to continue with our A-game.” To learn more, please contact Geraldine Kling at the Foundation at 973-593-2414 or geraldine.kling@atlantichealth.org. f4mmc.org | Focus On
5
C ON NY B EAM & LOR I N MO ON EY
“ We balance each other out without even having to talk about it.” — Lorin Mooney, RN, BSN Employees often travel or relax at home while on vacation, but not Conny Beam RN, BSN, and Lorin Mooney, RN, BSN. The two nurses used a week of theirs to organize and oversee the Employee Basket Raffle for which they have been co-chairs two years in a row. “You have to,” says Mrs. Beam, clinical coordinator and educator for the Surgical Access Unit at Morristown Medical Center. “The week is crazy.” Four days out from the big event, they are scrambling from early morning until late afternoon collecting and labeling baskets (sometimes assembling and wrapping them too). They oversee ticket sales, count money, and make phone calls. On raffle day, the two arrive at 5:30am and pull a 12-hour shift. Cleaning up the day after and writing thank you notes comes next. While discussing their over-the-top volunteer schedule, neither seems bothered by the long hours or the selfless sacrifice of time. In fact, they’ve both signed up to do it all over again. “I find it fun,” says Mrs. Beam, who estimates it’s about 100 hours of work for each co-chair beginning with the first committee meeting in early March until the last thank you letter is written by late November. “I’m a bit of a gambler so I really enjoy it,” she says. “I love seeing people’s faces light up when they win something.” Mrs. Mooney, an educator at the Ambulatory Surgery Center, sees past the long hours, too.
Pictured (l-r) Conny Beam and Lorin Mooney
“As far as committees go, it’s a really fun one to chair because you get to support the hospital in a unique way,” she says.
“Conny is energetic and outgoing,” she says. “It’s helpful because she can effortlessly do stuff that would be a real struggle for me.”
Their efforts have certainly paid off. In 2016, the two raised the highest profit in the history of the raffle: $21,400. Matched by the Foundation, the total increased to $42,800, which was a significant jump from the $27,468 grand total the year before.
The two confess their biggest challenge is employee participation. They found one solution last year: donating a basket counts as the morale booster requirement on the professional advanced clinical tract (PACT), which many nurses are working on every year.
The proceeds went to Project Independence, the Foundation’s relief fund, which is tapped when patients face economic hardship after extended periods of illness.
Basket donations from the nursing department significantly increased once this new PACT requirement was in place.
What’s the secret to their success?
“I’m hoping for even more PACT participants this coming year,” says Mrs. Beam.
“We balance each other out without even having to talk about it,” says Mrs. Mooney, who is described by her co-chair as organized and committed.
6 Portrait | f4mmc.org
Can they pull off another record breaker? “It’s a lofty goal,” says Mrs. Mooney.
Becky Bedrosian
Becky Bedrosian
‘UNQUIET’ NO MORE Intent on breaking the stigma of mental illness, the Women’s Health Philanthropy Council welcomed Dr. Kay Redfield Jamison at its annual spring lecture, April 20, 2017. A professor of psychiatry at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and New York Times bestselling author of An Unquiet Mind: A Memoir of Moods and Madness, Dr. Jamison shared her own journey with bipolar disorder and fielded questions with our panel of experts. The event was sponsored by pharmaceutical company Lundbeck, which specializes in the treatment of brain diseases.
Media Services
Pictured above left (l-r) WHPC Chair Katie Simon, Dr. Kay Redfield Jamison, Psychiatry and Behavioral Health Chairman Dr. Thomas S. Zaubler, crisis intervention coordinator Christine R. Anderson, Psychiatrist Dr. Michael Giuliano and National Alliance on Mental Illness Chapter President Sudhir Jain; pictured above, Women’s Health Philanthropy Council members
Pictured far left, current and former members of the Women’s Association’s Executive Committee (l-r) Katie Nolle, Nancy Alfano, Pat O’Connor, Tina Mulhare, June Meehan, Mary Courtemanche (president), and Anne Fritz
BRIGHT SPACES Lead supporters took private tours of the new Head Family Inpatient Psychiatric and Behavioral Health Center on March 2, 2017, appreciating the dramatic improvements made. Now 13,000 square feet, the Deskovick 5 center can accommodate 24 beds – 16 doubles and 8 singles with private baths. Expansive windows and translucent walls create a much lighter and more vibrant environment. There is space for group treatments, recreational activities, private consultations and more. Comfortable and inviting, the center even has a reading room with an electric fireplace.
Pictured left (l-r) donor Kathy Head, Dr. Thomas Zaubler and donor Linda (Head) Flanagan
FACES OF HOPE
Media Services
Media Services
The Craniofacial Center of Goryeb Children’s Hospital hosted a gala, March 23, 2017, to benefit infants and children born with facial or skull deformities. Held at the Basking Ridge Country Club, the annual event – now in its 7th year – honored Deborah Straka-deMarco, a pediatric physical therapist (pictured far left in black with Dr. Catherine Mazzola) and several families challenged by craniofacial disorders, including Jennifer, Sophia and Matthew Parisi (pictured left looking over the silent auction items).
Happenings | f4mmc.org
7
care
TO THE RESCUE
Our veterans have left the trauma of combat behind them, but they often face their greatest adversaries back on U.S. soil in struggles with posttraumatic stress, substance abuse, depression and anxiety.
Additional Donors to the True North Program Gail and Kenneth Boertzel William and Susan Bruen Harry G. Carpenter Bill and Nancy Conger Bobbi Cox Doug and Susan Haynes Dr. and Mrs. Bernard Robins David and Lisa Welsh Tom and Bonnie Welsh
8 News | f4mmc.org
A recent $450,000 gift from the Bouras Foundation and $50,000 from the Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey will launch the new True North veterans program coordinating medical care and providing connections to other community organizations that support this population. An additional $60,000 generously given from other donors (see sidebar) will also go toward program start-up costs. These include hiring two clinicians who will provide outpatient clinical services as needed and function as navigators, linking veterans to much-needed resources. “Our vision is to meet these critical and often unmet postwar behavioral needs for veterans who seem to slip through the cracks once they arrive back home,� says Lori Ann Rizzuto, LCSW, director, Behavioral and Integrative Health Services. If you are interested in supporting this program, please contact Noelle Deihl-Harteveld, major gifts officer, at 973-593-2409 or noelle.harteveld@atlantichealth.org.
SAFETY RULES Stellar reputations can fuel lots of talk. But KJ Feury, APN, was left speechless when $80,000 arrived because of her program’s good name.
When Myra Brookfield bequeathed her home in1892, she set the tone for a century and a quarter of generous giving from our community to the hospital. To pay homage to this visionary while celebrating the hospital’s 125th anniversary, the Foundation has launched a $125,000 Legacy Challenge.
The injury prevention coordinator for Northern New Jersey Safe Kids received the check from Safety Town, a child safety project spearheaded by another area hospital. That project was closing, and its assets needed to go to a successful program with a similar mission. Ms. Feury’s hospital-based Safe Kids fit the bill.
Here’s how it works: the first 25 planned giving donors in 2017 will not only become Brookfield Legacy Society members, but the Foundation will designate, on each donor’s behalf, $5,000 to a clinical area of his or her choosing.
“I was shocked, but at the same time excited that others have so much faith in our work,” she says.
“Myra Brookfield’s generosity certainly sparked a chain reaction that has continued for decades,” says Bill Bruen, Foundation trustee and chairman of the Brookfield Legacy Society. “It’s important to continue this necessary thread of planned gifts as we follow Miss Brookfield’s lead.”
She would like to see the funds used to develop an interactive learning station that could teach elementary school children about injury prevention in a fun way.
EPIC CHALLENGE
Bequests through wills and trusts, all types of annuities, beneficiary designations in IRAs and insurance policies, and many other available planning vehicles all qualify for the challenge. To participate, contact Cynthia W. O’Donnell, JD, director of gift planning, at 973-593-2418 or cynthia.odonnell@atlantichealth.org.
MINI GRANTS – MIGHTY PURPOSE Meeting needs is our mission, but helping patients is our passion. That’s why the Foundation allocates $160,000 of unrestricted donations annually for mini grants. “This is a wonderful way for hospital staff to identify a need that enhances the level of care that our patients at Morristown Medical Center receive,” says Bonnie Gannon, director of corporate and foundation relations. During the first quarter of 2017, five of19 applicants received funding of up to $20,000 each. Among them was a project that will provide 55 uninsured or financially burdened COPD patients with a free supply of inhalers for six months. Another project will measure the usefulness of ultrasonic vein mapping to guide successful IV placement, especially for patients who are ‘hard sticks.’ And yet another will deploy12 iPads on rolling carts so patients who are hearing impaired or have limited proficiency in English will have access to interpreters via video. Interested in making an unrestricted gift? Call the Foundation at 973-5932400 or visit f4mmc.org.
IN STEP WITH GIVING Is Gillian Klein more dedicated to her dancing or her giving? Hard to say. The 18-year-old dancer who graduates in June from Mount Saint Mary Academy found time amid hours of dance practice to donate 100 teddy bears to patients, raise thousands of dollars through Kids4Kids, the Foundation’s youth philanthropy group, and launch a personal fundraiser of her own. That last effort raised nearly $1,000 for kid-friendly IV poles. The poles, with animal and cartoon toppers and a skateboard base, are for pediatric patients with cancer or blood disorders who receive extended IV treatments. “It’s rewarding to see how my fundraising ideas can change lives,” says the Warren resident. Maybe we should be asking: What’s next for this powerhouse?
f4mmc.org
| News
9
SAVING KNOWLEDGE As an Emergency Medical Technician with the New Vernon Volunteer First Aid Squad, Sue Sameth, RN, has been helping to save lives for decades. Now, she’ll be helping even more since she and her husband, Robert, gave a $20,000 gift to launch The Sameth Emergency Department (ED) Medical Education Fund. The new fund is designed to help ED nurses and medical staff acquire specialized certifications and advanced degrees. Mrs. Sameth was hospitalized at Morristown Medical Center twice in 2016 and wanted to find a way to express her gratitude: “Every time I walk into the ED, I see the importance of the work being done.”
turning up THE DEGREES DUE PROPS It’s easy to describe what loyalty looks like and even easier when we’re talking about the George Link, Jr., Charitable Trust. The Trust never fails to say yes year after year on funding requests for myriad programs at the hospital. For 2017, the Trust gave $15,000 toward the Hospital Elder Life Program, addressing the unique health needs of geriatric patients. Another $10,000 was awarded for the Cardio-Oncology Program to help patients maintain optimal heart health during and after cancer treatment. In previous years, the Trust was instrumental in funding other key initiatives in pediatrics, geriatrics, cancer, cardiology and more. “We’re very responsive to Morristown because of the trust and mutual respect that’s been built between us,” says Trustee Debra Wayne.
10
News | f4mmc.org
There never seems to be anything but good feelings, praise and support when it comes to our nurses. Three big cheers recently worth noting are Mrs. Marguerite Troxel’s $100,000 gift, The Charles Foundation’s $50,000 donation and Mr. Anu Gupta’s $2,500 contribution – all going toward nursing education. The donations couldn’t have come at a better time as the Nursing Department begins prepping for its next Magnet® recognition. They have already received Magnet status four consecutive times, an honor claimed by less than 1 percent of the world’s hospitals. By 2018, the hospital must show a plan that 80 percent of the nursing staff will have their bachelor’s degrees in nursing (BSN) by 2020, to receive a fifth recognition. “A higher percentage of BSN nurses brings about better patient outcomes,” says Wendy Silverstein, RN, nurse manager at the hospital. “However, the biggest barrier for many in continuing their education is financial.” If you are interested in supporting this area, please contact Noelle Deihl-Harteveld, major gifts officer, at 973-593-2409 or noelle.harteveld@atlantichealth.org.
QUIET IN THE CHAOS Admission into the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) usually means tragic circumstances and leaves worried loved ones floundering in a patient’s wake. To make matters worse, the ICU waiting room is almost always overcrowded at more than double its capacity. A much-needed expansion is in the works, but will cost $150,000 to complete. “ICU families are in desperate need of a place where they can regroup and process what they are experiencing,” says Kristin Ospina, RN, nurse manager, ICU, Morristown Medical Center. The current ICU waiting room also lacks a separate space where physicians can have conversations with family members about sensitive issues. The current consultation area only fits three people and often these meetings need to include extended family.
NEW F4MMC TRUSTEE
MARK CLOUSE CEO, Pinnacle Foods
“When physicians need to meet with larger families, they end up in the staff break room, which is not an ideal place for privacy,” she adds. To offer your support, please contact Connor Dierk, major gifts coordinator, at 973-593-2437 or connor.dierk@atlantichealth.org
LOVE-LIGHTS SHINE “She lit up every room,” says Roxanne Sattar-Mayrowetz, manager of physician referral and event registration at Morristown Medical Center, when describing her late daughter Julia Lynn Mayrowetz. Having died unexpectedly at 13 from primary pulmonary hypertension, Julia is remembered by her family most for her humor and loving personality. Faced with spending their daughter’s birthday without her, her parents dreamed up a tribute they knew she would appreciate. “I also wanted to lift our son Darren’s spirits and show him how much his sister is loved,” says the Denville resident. They started a memorial fund in their daughter’s name at the Foundation, funded by selling light bulbs and small twinkling strands in Julia’s favorite color — pink. On Julia’s birthday, those lights were shining from lamp posts, inside houses and throughout colleagues’ offices. Many have kept them aglow, in her memory. Their efforts raised $1,000 for cardiology and reminded them that, in the midst of pain, angels are everywhere.
FRIEND TO MANY Engaging in the community is something that Sunrise ShopRite does as effortlessly as selling groceries. The result? Enriching many people’s lives and landing the Foundation’s 2016 Friend of Philanthropy Award along the way. “We believe that it’s our business to help people take care of themselves and their families,” says Ned Gladstein, president of Sunrise ShopRite, located in Parsippany and West Caldwell. The grocer’s annual Charles Matejka Golf Outing, established to honor a former ShopRite employee who died of cancer, brought $29,000 into the Good Neighbor Fund at the Valerie Fund Children’s Center at Goryeb. The fund supports families of children with cancer or blood disorders who are in dire financial need by off-setting their daily living expenses. Pictured above: (l-r) Marianne Cutalo, executive administrator; Joanne Zambrello, vice president of human resources and consumer affairs; Scott Emerson, store manager, West Caldwell Shoprite and Les Quick, vice chairman of the Foundation board
Roxanne Sattar-Mayrowetz (standing) with (l-r) Darren, Julia and Jerry Mayrowetz
f4mmc.org | News
11
footsteps
GRANTED Rick Meier & Associates
A PAINLESS PURSUIT Watching a child suffer with chronic pain brings its own kind of discomfort to a parent, but a recent $20,000 gift from Don and Fran MacMaster for the new Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndrome (AMPS) Program at Goryeb has already delivered relief. “Finding the right program for your child is a blessing, and finding the right program within a reasonable commute is priceless,” says Madison resident Fran MacMaster. The only one of its kind in New Jersey, this program focuses on retraining the brain in the way it interprets pain. Pediatric patients spend time in physical and aquatic pool therapy working their bodies as well as occupational therapy for engaging their muscles and nerves.
Dr. Michelle Sirak, pediatric physiatrist
Putting one foot in front of the other just got a little bit easier for children struggling with the crippling effects of cerebral palsy thanks to
CARE FILLED Creative thinkers and exceptional caregivers are how Noreen and Cliff Vongrej describe the physicians at Morristown, and it’s also the main reason they give each year to our Annual Fund, supporting pediatrics. “Our son Dylan was born with Canavan disease, a rare brain disorder that makes him medically complex,” says Mrs. Vongrej. “Some medical professionals probably wouldn’t even consider him as a patient, but the physicians here have been nothing but wonderful ever since his birth.” Now 9 years old, Dylan is wheelchair bound and non-verbal and at the hospital at least twice a month. “Anything we can learn from the doctors or they can learn from Dylan is a benefit to everyone,” she adds. Pictured above: Cliff, Dylan and Noreen Vongrej
12 News | f4mmc.org
a $50,000 anonymous gift toward a new movement disorder lab and a $5,000 grant from Medtronic for a video promoting the Spasticity and Gait Disorder Center. The video, launched recently on YouTube and Facebook, “helps to educate parents of children with movement disorders about the treatment options available here,” says Catherine Mazzola, MD, director of Pediatric Neurological Surgery at Goryeb Children’s Hospital. The new movement disorder lab is being developed jointly through Atlantic Health System’s Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation with collaborative efforts from the New Jersey Institute of Technology. “It has been years in the making and a dream come true,” says Dr. Mazzola. “We will be able to objectively analyze changes in a child’s movement and walking abilities that will allow us to provide to them a much higher level of care.”
BONING UP ON FRACTURES Everyone remembers the first line of the old rhyme ‘sticks and stones may break my bones.’ Nowadays, however, it’s contact sports breaking bones at alarming rates – in children of all ages – and the reason a Pediatric Bone Health Research Initiative has been tasked to find out why. Studying this growing phenomenon of fractures at the Children’s Orthopedic & Sports Medicine Center, part of Atlantic Health System, researchers are evaluating the bone health and vitamin D levels of children and adolescents. The study will follow 200 patients between ages 5 and 18 to find ways of developing peak bone mass in these individuals. “Kids want to get back to playing sports, and we need some concept of when it’s safe,” says Barbara Minkowitz, MD, medical director of pediatric orthopedics at Morristown Medical Center and lead investigator of the study, which has a philanthropic funding need of $125,000. To help support this project, please contact Geraldine Kling or Susan Johns, major gifts officers, at 973-593-2400 or geraldine.kling@atlantichealth.org, susan.johns@atlantichealth.org
CONQUERING CHRONIC DISEASE Chronic disease is crippling health care nationwide, but a pilot program in population health at Morristown Medical Center may find a new way to slay this giant. With a focus on prevention and, ultimately, lower health care costs, Creating Health Equity for At-Risk Populations will address diabetes and cardiovascular disease risk, two conditions with particularly high volumes in the Sameth Emergency Department. “Factors that keep people from being healthy often happen in their community,” says Chris Kirk, director of Community Engagement and Health Improvement at Atlantic Health System. “We’re reaching beyond the walls of our health care system and traditional medicine practices to supply additional support to patients.” The Foundation is seeking $250,000 in program support, including the salary of a community health worker for three years. That person will beef up resources and provide necessary social support, such as helping with problem solving, which often can lead to behavioral changes, healthier lifestyles and, best of all, lower rates of chronic disease. Interested? Please contact Noelle Deihl-Harteveld, major gifts officer, at 973-593-2409 or noelle.harteveld@atlantichealth.org.
PLAY IT AGAIN This is a story about a mother and son. She inspires him to play the piano just like her, and he rekindles her long lost dream of traveling and performing concerts. Michelle Chen Kuo and her son, Chris, call their cross-country tour Two Piano Journey, with all proceeds going to local charities. Their first benefit concert earlier this year at Whippany Park High School garnered $2,350 for Goryeb Children’s Hospital. “I believe in miracles,” says Chris Kuo. “We’re both so thrilled with the results. Every concert we perform is for the benefit of an organization doing critical work to make our world a better place.” Pictured above: Christopher and Michelle Kuo
PRETTY IN PINK Can police officers pull off the color pink? When Mount Olive Township officers donned pink patches that led to a $3,500 check for the Inpatient Oncology Integrative Medicine Program at Carol G. Simon Cancer Center, they looked good and felt even better. Craig Austenberg, a Mount Olive lieutenant, led his police department’s participation in the Pink Patch Project, which is a nationwide initiative where police officers sell patches and donate profits to breast health. The Mount Olive force sold t-shirts and tote bags as well. “My grandmother, mother and sister had breast cancer,” says Lieutenant Austenberg, who plans on continuing the project this year. “All of them were treated here at Morristown. They feel blessed.” Pictured above: Mount Olive Township Police Officers
f4mmc.org
| News
13
THEN&
NOW In 1892 Myra Brookfield bequeathed her home for the purpose of establishing a hospital. This year, as we commemorate our 125th Anniversary of Morristown Medical Center, we take a moment to look back in gratitude and to look ahead in celebration at the strides our hospital has made in the last century and a quarter.
COMMUNITY PHILANTHROPY THEN: In 1892, the first fundraising campaign yielded just under $17,000. NOW: In 2016, Campaign 3SIXTY brought in $106.7 million.
EPIDEMICS THEN: In the hospital’s 1895 contagion ward (one of only three hospitals nationwide to have one) the large scale epidemics of small pox, influenza, scarlet fever, diphtheria and typhoid fever were contained from spreading into the community. NOW: In the last decade, our Sameth Emergency Department staff were trained and equipped to deal with avian flu, Ebola, SARS, swine flu, West Nile and Zika. While patients were admitted with avian flu, there were no admissions for the others, though there were a few suspect cases.
OVERSEAS DUTY THEN: During World War I, 11 doctors and 13 nurses served overseas in either the armed forces or Red Cross units. NOW: Our doctors, nurses and allied health professionals serve on global medical missions spanning Belize, Brazil, China, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Ghana, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, India, Israel, Kenya, Madagascar, Mexico, Myanmar, Nigeria, Peru, Peruvian Amazon, Philippines, Syrian refugee camps in Northern Greece, Vietnam and more.
CHARITY CARE THEN: Only 13.5 percent of patients were able to pay for their care in the first 13 months of the hospital’s operation. NOW: The hospital continues to help those in need, with charity care for 2015 topping $9.6 million.
Illustrations: Paul Zwolak
WOMEN’S ASSOCIATION THEN: Founded in 1893 to provide financial support to the hospital, the Women’s Association funded hospital buildings, purchased the first ambulance, underwrote the training of nurses and funded charity care. They also stitched hospital linens, folded diapers and picked vegetables in nearby fields to feed patients. NOW: With over 700 members, the group has raised nearly $25 million since its inception and hosts a variety of fundraisers, including its signature event Mansion in May Designer Showhouse and Gardens. They operate the hospital’s gift shops and The Bargain Box Thrift Boutique and partner with Starbucks and three Apple A Day cafes located throughout the hospital campus. 14 News | f4mmc.org
A SELECTION OF ANNUAL FUNDING PRIORITIES BEHAVIORAL HEALTH
INTENSIVE CARE UNIT
Hospital Elder Life Program (HELP) | $161,000
ICU Survivors Support Group | $56,000
HELP is a comprehensive program of care for hospitalized older patients, designed to prevent delirium and functional decline. Morristown Medical Center implemented HELP on a general medical floor in September 2010. The program has grown both in scope and importance since its implementation and is one of the most successful in the country. The rate of delirium has decreased over 40 percent on most medical units and up to 60 percent on others. In addition, we’ve seen more than a two-day decreased length of stay for patients enrolled in HELP. The program is entirely dependent on philanthropic and grant support.
Between 46 and 80 percent of ICU patients experience a phenomenon called “Post-Intensive Care Syndrome.” This term describes the cognitive and functional impairment critically ill patients suffer at time of discharge. While the exact causes are unknown, researchers believe heavy sedation, immobility, and physical and emotional stress are to blame. Many liken the syndrome to a moderate traumatic brain injury. Funding is needed to hire a social worker who will provide real-time individualized counseling/ crisis intervention for families. This approach has proven to mitigate postdischarge symptoms and improve the recovery of recent ICU patients.
CARDIOLOGY
ONCOLOGY
Radial Lounge | $75,000
Child Life Program | $35,000
This post-procedure lounge, designed with the look and feel of a living room rather than a hospital room, would improve the recovery experience for patients who undergo radial cardiac catheterization. Radial catheterization, in which a catheter is threaded through an artery in the wrist – rather than the groin – is increasingly used to treat coronary artery disease because it tends to be easier for the patient to tolerate, decreases the patient’s hospital stay, reduces bleeding complications and improves patient comfort. Patients would recover in this lounge sitting up with more freedom to move.
FAMILY HEALTH Family Health Center – Family Counseling and Guidance Program $97,750 The Family Health Center, Morristown’s charity care pediatric clinic, provides health literacy and psychosocial services to over 250 at-risk children and their families through the Family Counseling and Guidance Program. The program addresses the underlying causes of poor health and improves access to high quality health care services for children who are at risk for high rates of poor nutrition and childhood obesity. Funding needs for the program include salary support for a social worker and a program educator. Support is also needed for program activity fees for participant gym memberships, cooking classes, and exercise programs like “Girls On the Run.”
INPATIENT HOSPICE AND PALLIATIVE CARE Integrative Medicine for Hospice | $50,000 Support is needed to provide complimentary healing and energy therapies for patients at their bedside and also for family members. Therapies include Jin Shin Jyutsu, Massage, Relaxation Techniques, Guided Imagery and Reflexology.
The Child Life Program offers age-appropriate play/art-based interventions and activities for children who have a parent with cancer. As the number of adults with cancer grows so, too, has the need for enhanced support. Funding will provide support to add psychoeducational group sessions, overnight retreats and more educational outreach to our current program.
PEDIATRICS Social Skills Group for Children with Autism | $28,750 Funding is needed to cover costs associated with the design and implementation of this new group as well as resource materials (e.g. Super Flex Curriculum and Super Flex workbooks.) This would be a collaborative effort between the therapists and practitioners. The groupbased social skills program will be designed to strengthen communication skills and social interaction abilities.
WOMEN’S HEALTH General Obstetrics: SIMone Simulator | $60,950 The OB/GYN Department wants to train all of its current residents and practicing physicians in forceps delivery. The use of a 3B Scientific SIMone™ simulator will allow trainees to confidently learn and develop the skills necessary for performing complicated procedures. SIMone™ gives the opportunity to practice an instrumental delivery in a realistic manner repeatedly with little or no setup time and with no risk to a patient. With this training and acquired skill set, we can be assured that our patients receive the expert care they deserve in all situations. You can make a difference! To lend your support, please call the Foundation at 973-593-2400 or visit f4mmc.org, view the full list of priorities and make a gift online. f4mmc.org
| Funding Priorities
15
NON PROFIT ORG. US POSTAGE PAID CALDWELL, NJ PERMIT #1502
Foundation for Morristown Medical Center 475 South Street | Morristown, NJ 07960
CalendarofEvents For upcoming events, log on to f4mmc.org and select Events Celebrating 125 Years in 125 Words
What Morristown Medical Center Means To Me by STEPHEN F. WANG, MD I am grateful to Morristown Medical Center because it has given me a “dream come true”: A chance to combine my interests in medical practice and physician education. The opportunity to begin the growth of a Department of Pediatrics, which now consists of over 200 generalists and subspecialists working within a well-regarded children’s hospital.
The institutional support to develop a hospital research program that allows our patients opportunities to participate in innovative nationwide medical studies. The ability to work at a facility where I was supported and taught by medical colleagues, administrative leaders, and farsighted trustees. Pictured right: Dr. Stephen Wang now and in the 1970s (inset)
Dr. Wang came to Morristown in 1972 as chair of the Department of Pediatrics, after being a faculty member at Yale Medical School for three years. In 1979, he was appointed director of medical education. He then became vice president for academic affairs, first at Morristown and subsequently at Atlantic Health System. Retired since 2003, he and his wife Sherry continue to live in the area and support the hospital.
To opt out of receiving this communication from the Foundation, please contact us at f4mmc@atlantichealth.org or 973-593-2400.
Writer: Laura Deal | Editor: Regi Diverio Layout: Susan Falcone, Envoi Design
The Foundation for Morristown Medical Center is a nonprofit public foundation whose mission is to inspire community philanthropy to advance exceptional health care for patients at Morristown Medical Center and Goryeb Children’s Hospital. Our objective is to use philanthropy to preserve and expand programs and services in direct patient care, clinical research, medical and public health education and preventive medicine.
FSC Logo (remove outlined box)
Shelley Kusnetz
A significant role in the transformation of a community hospital into a nationally ranked tertiary care teaching hospital, recently chosen as a major campus of a respected medical school.