Central Jersey Health

Your Guide to Healthcare in 2015

Recently University Medical Center of Princeton acquired two new da Vinci Surgical System速 robots, which enable surgeons to perform complex surgeries with fewer and smaller incisions, resulting in less scarring and faster recovery for patients.

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The Week of June 26, 2015

Smaller incisions.

Less scarring. Faster recovery.

That’s the power of minimally invasive surgery.

Imagine an appendectomy with barely a scar. Or having kidney surgery and going home the same day.

Years ago, it would have seemed like science fiction but recently, Bruce R. Pierce, MD, FACOG, a board certified OB/ GYN and Medical Director of the Robotic Surgery Program at University Medical Center of Princeton (UMCP) performed a hysterectomy through a woman’s belly button enabling her to go home that day, with minimal pain and almost no visible scarring.

This innovative procedure was performed with a technique called Minimally Invasive Robotic Surgery on the new state-of-the-art da Vinci Surgical System®.

The da Vinci Robotic Surgery System.

The da Vinci Surgical System puts UMCP surgeons’ hands at the controls of a state-of-the-art robot. This enables them to perform the most delicate procedures through tiny incisions with dramatically enhanced vision, precision and control.

“This is a very new and exciting technique,” said Dr. Pierce. “It’s less invasive, more cosmetically appealing and allows for a quick recovery.

For the patient, it’s better all around.”

Recently UMCP acquired two new da Vinci Surgical System robots: the Si System for single-site surgeries and the da Vinci Xi System – the newest and most advanced version – which enables surgeons to perform complex surgeries through multiple small incisions.

• Prostate and kidney procedures • Colorectal procedures • Lymph gland removal • Gynecologic and urogynecologic procedures • Biopsy and nodule removal

Minimally Invasive gynecologic & urogynecologic procedures.

The benefits are big.

If you’re a woman dealing

Minimally invasive surgery with the da Vinci Surgical System offers a host of benefits for patients: • Significantly less pain • Less scarring • Less blood loss • Shorter recovery times • Less risk of infection • Faster return to daily life • Better outcomes

with a gynecologic condition that has affected your quality of life, take a moment to consider what Minimally Invasive Surgery can do for you. Typically, traditional gynecologic surgeries have required large incisions to gain access to the uterus and surrounding areas. Thanks to the da Vinci Surgical System, surgeons can perform hysterectomies that might

From the minor to the complex.

allow you to leave the hospital the very same day with little or no pain. Plus they can treat a range of gynecologic and urogynecologic conditions such as: • Uterine fibroids • Endometriosis • Uterine and vaginal vault prolapse • Bladder and kidney diseases • Cervical and uterine cancers • Ovarian disease

Learn more.

UMCP has been at the forefront of performing minimally invasive surgeries for a wide variety of conditions. To learn more or to find one of UMCP’s board certified, minimally invasive experts, call 1.888.PHCS4YOU (1.888.742.7496) or visit princetonhcs.org/daVinciSurgery.

The da Vinci Surgical

System offers an alternative to traditional surgery. In fact, each year, the UMCP Robotic Surgery Team performs hundreds of minimally invasive procedures on practically every part of the body: • Surgery on the lungs, gallbladder and gastrointestinal tract • Hernia repair

Princeton Family Institute Psychotherapy for Couples, Families, and Individuals www.princetonfamily.com Founded in 1982, Princeton Family Institute consists of a group of experienced clinicians who are devoted to psychotherapy with couples, families and individuals.

Our approach is collaborative, culturally sensitive and humble, and justice oriented.

We listen to people’s inner experience and traumatic occurrences, but we also emphasize the significance of people’s network of personal relationships and social contexts.

Whenever we see children, adolescents, or young adults we bring in the strengths and resources of their families by convening meetings with all family members or the parents. Family conversations create the energy for healing and change.

Equally, what may appear to be one spouse’s issues reveal themselves to the relationship-focused perspective as expressions of a deeply conflicted or traumatized couple’s relationship. The enormous diversity of couple or family forms prompts us to pay attention to the socio-economic, cultural, and gender-related uniqueness of the people who come to consult with us.

Besides psychotherapy for couples, families, and individuals we provide: • Collaboration with schools and medical groups, especially with pediatric and primary care teams, and integration of psychotherapy into medical treatment, especially in cases of chronic illness; • Support and advocacy for newly immigrated families; • Services to families with a relative in prison or in the process of re-entering into the community; • Evaluations in complex divorce or custody cases; • Professional training to clinics, schools, and mental health agencies; • Supervision and consultation to professional colleagues; • Organizational consultation to agencies in the public and private sector.

For information contact Dr. N. A. Wetzel: wetzel@princetonfamily.com

Bruce R. Pierce, MD, FACOG, Medical Director of the Robotic Surgery Program at University Medical Center of Princeton

Central Jersey Health

The Week of June 26, 2015

Hearing aids are an important investment: do you understand the price tag?

HAVE YOU HAD YOUR HEARING TESTED? We offer the following specialized services for both the adult and pediatric population: • Audiological Evaluations • Newborn Hearing Screenings • Hearing Aids • Auditory Processing Testing

There’s no way around it – hearing aids are expensive. The high price tag is often a barrier to getting the help and hearing relief hearing aids provide, but it doesn’t have to be. Hearing aids are an important purchase and it is crucial to think of how they’ll positively impact your quality of life as you’ll be wearing these devices most hours during the day, seven days a week. When buying hearing aids, it’s essential to be sure the money and time spent is well worth it.

How much do hearing aids cost?

The purchase price of a single hearing aid is generally anywhere from $1000 to $4000 per ear, and most insurance providers do not cover this cost. The price of a hearing aid typically includes the consultation and fitting time, follow-up appointments, cleanings and a device warranty that can range from one to three years. The warranty often covers all repairs and includes a one-time replacement policy if you lose the hearing aid during the first year.

Why is there such a large range of pricing for hearing aids?

The main factor that affects the purchase price of the hearing aid is the level of technology. The more advanced the technology in a hearing aid, the more expensive the device. All hearing aids have a basic level of sound processing technology that will automatically adjust for sound coming in and account for your hearing loss. The more advanced hearing aids also have technology available for feedback reduction, hearing in noise solutions, wireless capabilities and other features to improve the listening experience.

Why do hearing aids cost so much?

Hearing aid pricing includes the cost of the device itself as well as the services from the professional. Much of the cost in manufacturing hearing aids is from the research needed to continue making technology advancements. Each year, hundreds of millions of dollars are spent by the industry to improve how these devices perform. This investment back into research ultimately benefits the person with hearing loss.

When you purchase a hearing aid(s), the price is part of a process that includes all of the professional services plus the A, B, C’s of hearing rehabilitation: hearing aids that provide the Audibility, Brain exercises to retrain the brain how to process sounds that you have been missing and Compensatory listening strategies to teach you to be a better listener. In addition your hearing ability may change, your hearing aid may need repair and you may have questions from time to time that you need answered. You are making an investment in the entire rehabilitative process which includes the hearing aid technology.

Here’s another way to think about the price of hearing aids. An average pair of hearing aids is $5000 and they have a life expectancy of about five years. If you break it down, the hearing aids will cost you $2.84 a day which is less then the cost of a mocha at your favorite coffee shop. In other words, while the initial amount sounds high, the ongoing usage price is reasonable.

Communication is our business

Audiology Outpatient Center at Monroe 609.409.1170 (voice, TTY) 100 Overlook Drive Monroe Township, NJ 08831 www.jfkaudiology.org

Virginia G. Toth Au.D.,CCC/A NJ Audiology License #176 NJ Hearing Aid Dispenser #542 Supervising Licensee

Classes & Consults: • Tai Chi • Energy Medicine • Qigong • Aromatherapy • Reiki Skype Sessions & one-on-one available

Siobhan Hutchinson, MA Holistic Health

No Kicking, Punching, or Screaming?

Finding Serenity Locally The phone rings and a voice timidly asks, “Do I need a mat? Do we roll around on the floor, as I have trouble getting up?” I can’t help, but gently tease and respond by saying that “There’s no kicking, punching, screaming, rolling around on the floor, or backflips.” And, then dryly adding, “No stilettos either.” Although, the gentle movements of Qigong have been practiced for centuries by seniors in China for health benefits, defining it and explaining it can be a bit confusing for us here. Working with other teachers in a Qigong Association, we often discuss the dilemma of what term to use, Qigong or T’ai Chi. There are many forms of Yoga and my understanding is that they were able to come together and just use one word “Yoga” to represent all. Qigong is the “Granddaddy” or umbrella under which all types of “Energy Medicine” fall under: Acupuncture, Yoga, T’ai Chi, Martial Arts, Reiki, Acupressure, Meditation, etc. Most T’ai Chi forms in this country are considered a Martial Art or have a Martial Art base.

However, and bear with me, the form I teach locally called T’ai Chi Chih®: Joy thru Movement, is a NONMartial Art. We describe it as more Qigong-like than Martial Art. In fact we even pronounce the “Chi” differently than the Martial Artists.

Those of you who have experienced the gentleness of T’ai Chi Chih keep returning to our local classes because of the health benefits. And, even if one cannot stand or stand for long doing these movements, it can be done seated and you most likely will discover the health benefits along with the serenity that comes with the practice. Although research has indicated that T’ai Chi Chih specifically helps with increasing immunity, improving sleep quality, and reducing the symptoms of depression, many students have found additional benefits: better balance, decrease in high blood pressure, improvement in the symptoms of arthritis and Parkinson’s.

This is a practice for self-empowering you in your health journey and you may discover a wonderful feeling of peacefulness, too. We welcome ALL to our classes. Just as exercise is neutral and not religiously based, so is T’ai Chi Chih. Many find that after practicing these movements it is a nice segue in meditation or prayer of your choice. We stick to just teaching the movements, just like any other exercise. We welcome you to join us!

Accredited T’ai Chi Chih teacher, Siobhan Hutchinson, just received the Holistic Healing Artist and Qigong Master Award from the United Fellowship of Martial Artists. This prestigious event in Philadelphia was attended by over 200 area teachers, students, and guests. Hutchinson credits her many teachers from the T’ai Chi Chih community, the Donna Eden Energy Medicine program, and the Georgian Court University Graduate studies in Holistic Health for gaining this recognition. In the fall, Hutchinson will be teaching Qigong to undergraduates as well as offering her T’ai Chi classes throughout Central NJ and Bucks County. Additionally, she teaches Reiki and provides Reiki+ sessions. Her mission is to introduce holistic health practices to those desiring to self-empower themselves in better health and vitality. You may reach her at 609-752-1048 or email Siobhan@ NextStepStrategiesLLC.com

When you consider the communication, relationship and health benefits that you get from wearing a hearing aid, most people agree that it is well worth it.

Why not buy hearing devices online or through mail order?

You can purchase a lot of things cheaply online, including a ministry ordination and a medical degree. The thing you don’t usually get with online hearing devices is a professional fitting. If you needed a hip replacement, would you order the part online and try to find a surgeon to implant it.

The Better Hearing Institute surveyed more than 2000 hearing aid users about their fitting experience and level of satisfaction. The outcome was straightforward: those users who were fitted using a clinically validated hearing aid fitting protocol had greater satisfaction with their hearing aids and actually heard better!

Another finding in this survey was that a typical hearing aid user will need about three visits after purchase to get a hearing device properly adjusted, and some wearers will need more. You will not be able to get that type of service through the mail.

Specifically, of those hearing aid users who received a comprehensive clinical protocol: 81 percent would repurchase the same brand of hearing aids 99 percent were satisfied with the benefit they received from the hearing aids Alternatively, when an incomplete fitting and adjustment method is used, such as what might be offered to those who order hearing aids from the internet: 14 percent would repurchase the same brand of hearing aids 12 percent were satisfied with the benefit they received from the hearing aids Overall when it comes time to invest in your hearing healthcare remember you are not just purchasing a hearing aid you are purchasing professional services as part of a comprehensive hearing rehabilitative program. This purchase should be viewed as a long-term investment which includes fittings, auditory training, compensatory listening strategies, adjustments, maintenance and the chance to establish a relationship with your hearing healthcare professional.

In a nutshell: when hearing aids are fit with an appropriate, comprehensive protocol from a hearing care professional, you get more satisfaction and benefit from the hearing aids, which in the long run is well worth the financial investment.

Adapted from Healthy Hearing.com

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Getting kids college-ready A physician helps high school grads prepare, physically and emotionally, for this new experience

Susan Brill, MD, chief of adolescent medicine at The Children’s Hospital at Saint Peter’s University Hospital, counsels a high-school student prior to her departure for college.

Every August, area high school graduates pack up their clothes and computers and head off to college. Whether they are traveling two miles or 2,000, the emotional distance is what’s most important, as they move from dependent teen to independent undergraduate. Susan Brill, MD, chief of adolescent medicine at The Children’s Hospital at Saint Peter’s University Hospital, believes in preparing her patients for this great leap forward, both medically and mentally.

Most incoming college students need their physicians to fill out medical history forms, conduct a pre-registration physical exam and confirm that all required immunizations are up to date. Dr. Brill takes that occasion to go over anything the young adult may need to know about managing chronic health conditions such as asthma or diabetes. “If they are on medications, we talk about how they will obtain them at college and what to do if they have an acute health issue,” she says. “Saint Peter’s has an online

portal with access to their electronic medical records, so I make sure the kids know how to use that if they need medical care at college.

I also make sure they are able to reach me at any time, if necessary.”

While most 18-year-olds don’t have serious ongoing physical health concerns, almost all have some anxiety about leaving home. “Some can’t wait to leave, while others feel more uncertain,” says the doctor. “Some have never been away before. Most are a little ambivalent, feeling excited about taking the next step and at the same time a little scared.

And that’s healthy.” Even students who will live at home and commute to class will face new challenges and new freedoms.

Dr. Brill takes the time to discuss several “big topics” regarding college life.

The first is alcohol and drug use. “The data around first-semester freshman alcohol use is astonishing,” she says. “Many kids are completely unprepared to handle the amount of drinking that is routinely encountered at college.” She gives her patients a brochure detailing facts about drinking and the dangers of alcohol poisoning and sexual vulnerability that come with it.

“Navigating sexuality is also big,” she says. “Many young people are surprised at how open hook-ups are in college. There is

more pressure to be sexually active. I counsel them that college can be a time for sexual exploration, but that it should be done safely and without compromising one’s values.”

With openly LGBT (Lesbian-Gay-BisexualTransgender) patients, she discusses making sure there is a like-minded community on campus where they can feel comfortable.

She also talks about basic health issues such as getting enough sleep, eating well, exercising, stocking a first-aid kit, and even personal hygiene. “Kids often get so caught up in college life that they forget these things,” she says.

Dr. Brill finds that most of her collegeage patients are essentially well prepared, but she sometimes refers more anxious patients—and their parents—for counseling.

“Parents may need help with their feelings and expectations, too, especially for the first child they are sending off to college—or perhaps the last,” she says.

She calls her college-prep counsel a “value-added service I provide. My patients are not coming in for this, but it is stuff they should hear,” she says. “Most of the time all is fine, and I tell them, ‘I think you’re ready.’

But sometimes they need a little extra help to prevent a crash landing.”

New joints for an active life To meet growing demand, a new Orthopaedic Institute provides comprehensive bone and joint care— including joint replacements—in one place Chances are, you know someone who has had a hip or knee replaced. It might even be you. Joint replacement is one of the world’s fastest-growing surgeries, thanks to new, minimally invasive surgical techniques and improved replacement devices—and to the aging of baby boomers, a generation intent on staying active. According to data presented in 2014 by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), total knee replacements increased by 120 percent from 2000 to 2009, and total hip replacements by 73 percent. Revisions of previous replacement surgeries also jumped, by 133 percent and 27 percent, respectively. And all indications are that the increase continues. More than 7 million Americans are now living with an artificial knee or hip, and the AAOS says adults younger than age 65 account for much of the growth in these procedures. But even so, adults in the prime of life may be underutilizing this safe and effective option for degenerative joint disease.

To help meet the growing demand for orthopaedic care, Saint Peter’s Healthcare System has created an Orthopaedic Institute at Saint Peter’s University Hospital in New Brunswick and has expanded the number of surgical practices within Saint Peter’s Physician Associates, its network of primary and specialty practices.

“The goal is to improve care for all orthopaedic patients at Saint Peter’s and to centralize that care,” says Alfred Tria Jr., MD, medical director of the institute.

The orthopaedic institute includes a dedicated inpatient unit—with private rooms—in Saint Peter’s University Hospital for patients who have orthopaedic surgical procedures. Members of a dedicated nursing and technical support staff are specially trained in caring for orthopaedic patients.

And a rehabilitation unit with trained physical therapists is also nearby for the critical rehabilitation process, which often

begins the same day as surgery.

Until now, orthopaedic patients were mixed in with other patients throughout the hospital. “Centralization makes a big difference,” says Dr. Tria.

“The institute serves as a ‘hospital within a hospital,’” says his colleague, surgeon Marc Malberg, MD. “We want patients to experience unified care, from the valet parking to certified orthopaedic nurses who are not overwhelmed by special equipment such as overhead trapezes or traction devices, to physical therapists who know what recovery expectations are. All of these things help reduce the anxiety of being in the hospital and identify us as a place of excellence for orthopaedics.”

The institute doesn’t treat just hips and knees, of course. “This group of doctors provides most of the orthopaedic care needed, including joint replacement, spine surgery and sports injury care,” says orthopaedic surgeon V. Karthik Jonna, MD. “Everyone is coming together under one umbrella in a centralized place at Saint Peter’s.” That will improve communication and collaboration among the physicians, he says. “For example, the members of the institute can discuss the various options that exist for any particular orthopaedic condition or any complicated surgery such as revision hip and knee replacements.”

Spine surgery is a specialty at the institute and Dr. Malberg says there are exciting new options for spine patients. Saint Peter’s can offer new techniques for spinal fusion (surgery to join bones in the spine), laser surgery for slipped discs, and less invasive options for treating spinal stenosis (the narrowing of spaces in the spine, causing pressure on the spinal cord and nerves). He is also hoping to start a clinical trial on disc replacement surgery.

“Having this institute at Saint Peter’s gives us the support to try these things,” he

The Saint Peter’s Orthopaedic Institute is headed by, l-r, physicians Donald Polakoff, MD, Marc Malberg, MD, V. Karthik Jonna, MD, and Alfred Tria Jr., MD

says. “The institute helps me introduce new technologies quickly to the administration and operating room staff, and we can streamline the evaluation of new technologies to find out what works and doesn’t work for us.”

Joint replacement does make up the bulk of the surgeries at the institute and new technology has allowed significant advances in this area as well. “Implants today are lasting up to 20 years, much longer than in the past,” Dr. Jonna says. “That makes it more reasonable for younger patients to undergo surgery earlier, while they can enjoy activities like golf or tennis, and the success rates are in the 95 to 98 percent range. It’s very exciting.”

Also, new rehabilitation strategies are helping patients get back to golf, tennis and the like more quickly than ever. “We try to get our patients up the same day as surgery,” says orthopaedic surgeon Donald Polakoff, MD. “They regain more function when they get up early, and it decreases

complications such as blood clots, pressure sores, pulmonary problems, and urinary difficulties. It also shortens hospital stays.

When I started practice, the typical length of stay for a joint replacement was 14 days.

Now the standard is two or three days, and some highly motivated patients can go home in one day. Our physical therapists are particularly interested in joint replacement and starting early mobilization to get patients up and walking.”

As medical director, Dr. Tria hopes to expand the institute by three to six more orthopaedic surgeons, adding specialists in pediatric orthopaedics, sports medicine, foot and ankle surgery, and more. “It’s pretty exciting,” he says. “I have been at Saint Peter’s since 1981 and I wanted to leave something when my career ends that will be significant for the hospital, the patients and the city itself. It is a pleasure to work there and this will be the way orthopaedics will go in the future.”

Concussion treatment program 1st in N.J. to combine testing, rehab, outreach to schools It takes a team to treat teen athletes injured on the playing field

Arlene Goodman, MD, a pediatric sports medicine physician, performs cognitive testing on a high school athlete who suffered a concussion while in competition on the playing field.

Saint Peter’s Healthcare System has launched a concussion management program that is the first in New Jersey to combine physical and cognitive testing, social work outreach to area schools, and medical diagnosis and rehabilitation services under a single roof in the treatment of concussion in high school athletes. The program, a service of Saint Peter’s Sports Medicine Institute, is headed by Arlene Goodman, MD, a pediatric sports medicine physician and expert in the treatment of pediatric and adolescent concussions. Goodman joined Saint Peter’s in September. She previously was a pediatric

and adolescent sports medicine physician in the division of orthopaedic surgery at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

Concussions are common in sports, particularly in hard-contact athletics such as football, and student athletes and adults are at risk of this often debilitating injury.

This “invisible” injury disrupts the brain’s normal physiology, which can affect mental endurance and function. Cognitive and physical rest is essential to recovery, as is a proper rehabilitative program in the more severe cases.

The Saint Peter’s concussion management program is unlike any other in New Jersey because it is the only one that integrates a pediatric sports medicine physician, athletics trainer, a social worker, and physical therapists into a single diagnostic and curative team, Goodman explained.

This multi-disciplinary approach enables the Saint Peter’s concussion management program to not only identify and assess the severity of a concussion but to build a treatment regimen that fits each athlete while working with local schools to ensure a student receives accommodations within the classroom.

Symptoms and recovery The signs and symptoms of a concussion include: headache; dizziness; loss of consciousness; disorientation; nausea; vomiting; confusion; vision changes; balance problems, changes in personality; anterograde amnesia (difficulty remembering events that take place after the injury), and retrograde amnesia (difficulty remembers events that took place before the injury).

Initial treatment for a concussion is both cognitive and physical rest. Patients under cognitive rest cannot take part in demanding activities such as going to school, homework, reading, using a computer, watching television or playing video games, texting, or listening to loud music.

Eighty percent of high school athletes recover from a concussion within three weeks. However, 20 percent will take more than one month to recover. If an athlete has not recovered within a month and complains of headaches, eye strain, blurry vision, dizziness, or balance problems, a doctor will prescribe vestibular ocular rehabilitation with a physical therapist trained in concussion rehab. If the headaches are severe, a doctor will recommend that

the patient see a neurologist for medication management.

When can an athlete return to play?

An athlete should not return to play until they can perform a full workload at school without accommodations while being symptom free. Return to play should be gradual.

How to lower the risk of concussions • Encourage and teach good sportsmanship • Instill in athletes the need to follow the rules • Teach proper on-the-field techniques • Ensure that athletes wear properly fitting equipment.

• The equipment should be checked and maintained regularly.

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Healthy New Jersey envisions longer lives

By Stephanie Vaccaro Special Writer

Healthy New Jersey 2020 is a state program inspired by the federal program Health People 2020. Its vision is simple: for New Jersey to be “a state in which all people live long, healthy lives.” The 10-year plan began in 2011 and will continue through 2020.

Access to primary care

One of the objectives of the program is to increase the number of individuals who have access to a primary care physician. At the start of the program, 83.5 percent of residents had access. The percentages vary by groups: African Americas (82 percent), Asians (84 percent), and whites (89 percent). Unfortunately, not only has the goal of reaching 90 percent gone unrealized, the percentage actually decreased from 2011 to 2013 to 81.4 percent.

Childhood immunization

The immunization objectives have seen more progress.

Starting with a baseline of 47.3 percent of newborns receiving a birth dose of the hepatitis B vaccine, with the ul-

timate goal being 75 percent, the 2013 reached 59.8 percent.

The number of children receiving the PCV vaccine has also increased from 83.9 percent at baseline, with the 2020 goal of 90 percent, increased to 86.6 percent in 2013.

Although there is still more progress to be made on the vaccination front, the National Immunization Survey ranked New Jersey above the national average in this category in 2012.

Improving birth outcomes The goal to reduce smoking and alcohol consumption by pregnant women has made progress since the initiative’s inception. The baseline for pregnant women smoking was 6.2 percent in 2008, with an ultimate goal of 5.5 percent, and by 2011, the goal had been reached. The same was true for the 2008 and 2011 number for alcohol consumption among pregnant women. The percentage of childhood The baseline of 0.9 percent Jersey 2020 program. dropped to 0.8 percent.

Jersey 2020 has a number of The Obesity Challenge objectives in this area, including preventing an increase in Between 2001 and 2012, high school student obesity, the percentage of adults in reducing high school student New Jersey who are obese in- soda consumption, reducing creased from 19.6 percent to high school TV time to two 24.6 percent. Healthy New hours per day, preventing an

immunization has seen some improvement since the implementation of the Healthy New creasing high school student physical activity and decreasing high school student soda consumption, the news isn’t good. Starting with a 2009 baseline of 10.2 percent, with an ultimate goal of maintainWith the exceptions of in- ing that percentage, by 2011

increase in adult obesity, increasing high school student daily consumption of vegetables and fruit, increasing both high school student and adult physical activity, among others.

11 percent of high school students were obese. The same was true for adult obesity.

They set out to maintain the 23.7 percent figure throughout the program, but between 2011 and 2013, the percentage had increased to 26.8.

Learn to eat healthy with the Suppers Program

By Stephanie Vaccaro Special Writer

2006. She utilized a number of resources to help her shape the program including the 12-step programs, counseling models, medical nutritionists and the whole food movement.

The program is designed to focus more on the individual needs than on one specific treatment model, so members go through a process of individual discovery through food experiments, observation and journaling.

“We start with the assumption that how you feel is data,” Ms. Mullen said in the video.

“Members learn to observe how foods change their mood, their energy or their ability to focus.”

In 2012, the Suppers Program put together a collection of 130 stories of transformation Ms. Mullen first launched the program in and published a book cataloging the group’s

The nonprofit is a free-to-users program that is a network of meetings where participants prepare meals together while supporting one another’s path to a healthy life. It offers its When we talk about health in New Jersey, participants the support they need to make the we cannot forget about what we eat. lifestyle and diet changes that can effect real One of the most interesting programs oper- change in their lives. ating at the local level that is making a real difIt is designed to be a safe environment, ference in the health of the local community is that has no judgment or commercial messages. the Princeton-based Suppers Programs.

It respects both biological individuality and in“Can you imagine that you could cook, dividual goals, all in the context of gathering, taste, and feel your way to vibrant health?” sharing, cooking, and eating together around a Dorothy Mullen poses this question at the start common table.The four guiding principles are: of an introductory video on the Suppers Pro- whole food preparation, no commercial mesgrams website. “It’s doable, and it happens in sages, the active practice of non-judgment and the intentional community that we call Sup- the restoration of the family table.

pers.”

ideology, methods, and personal experiences.

It’s titled “Logical Miracles.”

Although the program began with a counseling model, it has had a variety of types of groups, including one for parents who simply wanted their children to eat healthier food at home.

“Each group is designed by the passion of the facilitator who offers it,” Ms. Mullen said in the video.

The only cost of participation is contributing to the meal that is made at the meetings you attend. And everyone can take part in the preparation of the meal.

They have compiled a number of recipes that can be found online. For the recipes, and for more information, go to www.thesuppersprograms.org.

Princeton Ob/Gyn Because Experience Matters This is readily discernible to patients after their first encounter in the office. The practice has almost 30 years of experience in providing comprehensive care to women in the Princeton area while keeping pace with current times. Dr. Alan Friedman and Dr. Jeffrey Gross are the founding members of the practice and were excited to expand their practice after 11 years with the addition of Dr. Alison Petraske. The practice has grown in recent years with two new physicians, Dr. Nicole Siems and Dr. Sejal Amin, while still providing the high quality care their patients have come to expect.

The practice relocated to a new facility in the Medical Arts Pavilion in December 2012. The doctors are a few steps away from Labor and Delivery at the University Medical Center of Princeton where all five are attending physicians. Patients are able to take advantage of in-office services such as ultrasound, phlebotomy and the Ideal Protein weight loss program. Other services such as the ambulatory surgical center, maternal fetal medicine and diagnostic imaging are available within the same building.

Princeton Ob/Gyn is a full service Obstetrics and Gynecology practice treating routine and high-risk patients.

Having a baby is an exciting time in a women’s life and the doctors at Princeton Ob-Gyn are here to guide you through your pregnancy providing the medical care and support you need each step of the way. All of the physicians are experienced at managing gynecological needs and problems such as irregular menses, infertility, fibroids, and abnormal pap smears. Minimally invasive surgery via laparoscopy is certainly an option for patients considering surgery. Well women exams offer an excellent opportunity to meet with the doctor whether you are 17 and headed to college or 50 and dealing with menopause. These highly trained physicians and their dedicated staff offer unparalleled care for women and their growing families. All physicians are gladly accepting new patients. See www.princetonobgyn.com for participating insurances.

Alan Friedman, MD Jeffrey Gross, MD Alison Petraske, MD Nicole Siems, DO Sejal Amin, MD

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Tips for busy moms to find ways to stay fit Working mothers have a lot on their plates. In addition to the responsibilities that come with raising a family, working moms also must focus on their careers.Many mothers find that managing such hectic balancing acts leaves little time for physical fitness. But there are ways for working moms to stay physically fit even as they juggle their commitments to career and family.

● Work out in the early morning. Working out in the early morning, when the kids are still asleep and the office has yet to open, is a great way for busy working mothers to get their daily exercise.

mends that adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity each week, and women who get up just 45 minutes earlier each morning can meet those requirements and then some.

An added benefit to working out in the early morning is that many people who follow such regimens insist they have more energy throughout the rest of the day. ● Exercise with the kids.

Working mothers looking to find time for exercise can turn part of family time into a time to exercise with their children.

Play in the yard with youngsters while dinner is cooking or go for nightly post-meal walks. Exercising with kids is a great way for mothers to get their daily exercise while also instilling a love of physical activity in their children.

Designate a room in your home where you can spend time each morning doing some light strength training before hitting the treadmill or elliptical machine. The United ● Have a backup plan on States Department of Health and Human Services recom- hand. Working out at a gym

can be motivational, as many mothers want to make sure their monthly membership fees aren’t going to waste. But there will inevitably be days when working mothers can’t get to the gym. Prepare for such days by purchasing home workout DVDs you can play while the kids are doing their homework or after they have gone to bed. ● Look for gyms with childcare. Many gyms now offer on-site childcare to parents of young children who can’t stay home alone while their folks are at the gym. Gyms that offer on-site childcare may prove more reliable and even less expensive than hiring a sitter, and some gyms even offer fitness programs to An early morning fitness routine can benefit busy mothers. youngsters, helping to ensure your daily exercise during and then go for a walk around kids get the daily exercise lunch breaks. Take advantage the campus or a nearby park they need as well. of on-site exercise facilities if rather than eating at your desk. ● Exercise during lunch your company offers them. If breaks. If possible, squeeze in not, take your lunch outside Finding time to exercise is

a common dilemma for working mothers. But there are some creative ways for moms to stay fit without affecting their commitments to work and family.

When It’s Time To See A Urologist:

Take An Active Role In Your Healthcare Men and women alike can benefit greatly from the expertise of a urologist. From common everyday health concerns to more complex needs, the urologists of Urology Care Alliance (UCA) are here to help and offer you the best treatment plan possible. But how do you know when you need to see a urologist? Here are few health issues and concerns that should be a sign it’s time to see a urologist:

Painful Urination Infections can occur in any part of the urinary tract, and are most often caused by bacteria. A urologist can determine the cause and recommend targeted treatment.

Kidney Abnormality If your doctor detects anything unusual in your kidney on an X-ray, CAT scan, or other imaging study, you should be referred to a urologist.

Urinary Incontinence It’s time to see your urologist if the incontinence begins suddenly or if it interferes with your lifestyle. Urinary incontinence is fairly common and can be managed or treated to alleviate the inconvenience.

Frequent Urination Several issues can cause a frequent need to empty your bladder. Frequent urination can indicate a number of different issues in both men and women and should be discussed with a urologist.

Blood in Your Urine Even if you experience blood in your urine off and on, it may be a signal that something could be wrong. Blood in the urine is never a normal occurrence and necessitates a trip to the urologist.

Elevated Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) Level Typically, very little PSA is found in the bloodstream. When there is a change or higher level of PSA in the blood, a urologist can determine the cause.

Abnormal Prostate Exam The digital rectal exam is an important part of the early detection and diagnosis of prostate conditions such as prostate cancer and BPH (enlarged prostate). Any abnormality could indicate a developing problem, so it should be checked by a urologist.

Managing your health means learning as much as you can (asking any questions you may have, staying informed, and selecting the best possible treatment plan). If you experience any of the symptoms listed above, talk with your primary care physician about a visit to a urologist.

For more information about Urology Care Alliance or a referral to a UCA Urologists in the Central New Jersey area, visit us online at www.urologycarealliance.com.

DEDICATED PROFESSIONALS COMPREHENSIVE CARE

8 Central Jersey Health

The Week of June 26, 2015

Central Jersey Health

The Week of June 26, 2015

Well-Rounded Experts Our physicians are recognized as leaders in their fields. While each has specific interests in various areas of asthma and allergy, all are thoroughly trained and accredited in the diagnosis, treatment and management of asthma and allergy-related conditions in patients of all ages.

Each maintains strong ties with area healthcare facilities, serving on their medical staffs and academic institutions.

They also are actively involved in the leading professional associations.

With five asthma and allergy specialists on staff, we have the advantage of consultation among the physicians as well as the ability to ensure patients can get appointments with a specialist when needed -- even at the height of allergy season.

D. Loren Southern, MD

Helen Skolnick, M.D.

Medical Staff Dr. Southern is especially interested in the management of asthma in both pediatric and adult patients. His clinical research has focused on the latest drugs used to treat asthma, and these now allows patients to control this chronic disease.

Medical Staff Dr. Skolnick has been trained to care for a wide array of allergic disease. After training in pediatrics at New England Medical Center, she attended a pediatric allergy and immunology fellowship program at Johns Hopkins Hospital and has been cross-trained in adult allergy and immunology. Dr. Skolnick specializes in food allergy and has conducted research in this field. Dr. Skolnick regularly conducts food challenges in the Princeton office. Food challenges aid in the diagnosis of food allergy as well as help determine whether a child has “outgrown� his/her food allergy.

Andrew J. Pedinoff, MD Medical Staff Dr. Pedinoff is currently the chief of Allergy and Immunology at University Medical Center of Princeton. He is also the Medical Director of the Princeton Center for Clinical Research. He has more than 15 years experience conducting clinical trials. Dr Pedinoff is the author of many articles on allergic rhinitis and asthma. He conducts research to help advance treatment of asthma and allergic rhinitisc.

Julie Caucino, D.O. Medical Staff Dr. Caucino completed her fellowship training at Albert Einstein and Montefiore medical center in NYC eleven years ago and then entered private practice. She is also a Clinical Instructor at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and actively involved in clinical research at Princeton Allergy and Asthma in Skillman.

Her areas of expertise include comprehensive care in allergy, asthma, sinusitis, anaphylaxis and drug reactions.

Kristen M. Sikorski, M.D. Medical Staff Dr. Sikorski specializes in contact dermatitis. She offers comprehensive Patch Testing to determine if a specific substance is causing an allergic reaction.

Jayanti Rao, M.D. Medical Staff Dr. Jayanti Rao is Board Certified in Allergy and Immunology and Internal Medicine.She received her training in Allergy and Immunology at Brigham and Womens Hospital in Boston,Massachusetts. In addition to her clinical work, her research entailed the cellular mechanisms in the pathophysiology of asthma. She is well versed in a wide array of allergic and immunological conditions, such as angioedema, urticaria, respiratory and food allergies, and asthma.

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10 Central Jersey Health

The Week of June 26, 2015

GLOBAL ORGANIZATION OF SELF HEALING LLC LEADING WOMAN ENTREPRENEUR Name: Sangita Patel

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Biography: There is no greater testament to the power of self-healing than Sangita Patel’s story. A tragic car accident, one that made her feel like she’d lost everything, including her brother, left her hurt, angry, and emotionally and physically devastated for eighteen years. Most people saw a woman who had given up—unable to cope with the constant pain in her heart and her body—and Sangita almost did. In a last, desperate plea for help, she reached out to the universe, and the universe responded. Sangita was introduced to the spiritual and metaphysical techniques of self healing, and through making connections with some of the most respected Masters out there, she was able to create a personal transformation within herself, one which helped her heal emotionally, and physically, too! From there, a new Sangita emerged, one who had profound love and appreciation for herself, as well as her family, including her two amazing children, Nishan and Pooja. She’d tapped into something, and was eager to explore more. Today, Sangita is the owner of the Global Organization of Self Healing, holds a degree in Metaphysical Sciences and hosts various seminars, tele classes and workshops for people year round. Sangita is the author of the book Embrace Your Inner Self, co-author of four books, and a radio host for her show, ‘Embrace Your Inner Self and Empower Yourself.’ She is also a certified teacher of Seraph ADALIAN’s Love and Faith; member of the Global Association of Holistic Psychotherapist; Certified Holistic Coach; Spring Forest Qigong Level 4 Practitioner; Level 1 Certified EFT Practitioner; Integrated Energy Therapy Master Instructor; Practitioner of Chakra Healing; and DoTerra University Independent Product Consultant. In her personal life, Sangita receives endless joy from her children, Nishan and Pooja. Embracing the lessons that she’s taught others, Sangita has always been a strong advocate of her children following their own dreams and passions. Her son Nishan, a gifted artist, is an art teacher and published children’s book author and illustrator (he has even created the artwork for her book: Embrace Your Inner Self), and her daughter, Pooja, a graduate with a degree in Mechanical Engineering and Indian classical kathak dancer. She is supported by her mother’s love, her husband, friends, family, mentors, guides, and Rocky, her German Sheppard You can visit Sangita and get in touch via her web-site: www.embraceyourinnerself.com Favorite quote or words that inspire: Be the Change You Want to See in the World ~ Mahatma Gandhi and this can happen when you Embrace Your inner Self and Awaken Your Natural Ability to Heal.

INNOVATION AND MARKET POTENTIAL What is innovative and original about their business. From my own experiences and healing process, I have simplified the healing techniques so that you do not have to struggle and waste your valuable time in researching what will work and what will not. I will share the right “tools” from my Holistic Toolbox that I have created just for you to make your healing journey smoother and more efficient. My Divine Blueprint System is one of the unique combination of several different philosophy’s. Astrology, I Ching, Kabbalah, and the Chakra System. It is a map to the nature of your being. A logical system to understand, a way to see yourself. The way you were designed. You will discover what is the most powerful combination of cutting edge new age information ever assembled. It is a unique and powerful system of knowledge.

It provides not only a framework for understanding human life itself, but very specific knowledge about each individual. It speaks to their strengths, talents, gifts, and their vulnerabilities. It can instill confidence.

It makes life easier and helps to restore a sense of purpose and meaning sometimes lost in our modern lives. Life is meant to be enjoyed and to have beauty in it. Wouldn’t it be incredible not to feel frustrated and angry? To feel comfortable and relaxed inside. To actually feel fulfilled? It is not about changing who you are but recognizing who you have always been.. The Divine Blueprint System and Human design can bring about this transformation.

Company’s future vision: The future vision of my company is to be a spiritual reminder and shine the light into each hearts so they can get connected with their Inner Self and guide them to awaken their natural ability to heal themselves and the planet. The world needs YOU!!!

Company’s competitors and how the business distingushes itself to the users and market.

ADVOCACY FOR WOMEN For additional information regarding advocacy for woman, please vist our website at www.embraceyourinnerself.com

Stephen I. Hudis DDS FACP

As Princeton’s only board-certified prosthodontic specialist, Stephen I. Hudis, DDS, is highly trained to handle complex cases and manage very involved care. In addition to the intensive training devoted to challenging dental situations, Dr. Hudis has pursued extensive advanced training throughout his 30-plus year career. He is also an associate clinical professor of prosthodontics and advanced dentistry at New York University College of Dentistry and University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine, teaching tomorrow’s dental specialists how to handle complex challenges. Dr. Hudis and his team offer the highest level of skill and capability with state-of-the-art techniques and a knowledge-rich perspective needed for these types of cases.

Dr. Hudis comments: “The nature of my specialty and the intensity and duration of the training meant to me that I would be fully able to make a difference in people’s lives. I remain fully committed to that mission”.

Central Jersey Health

The Week of June 26, 2015

11

Proper nutrition and aging go hand-in-hand

Nutrition is important for people of all ages, but it’s especially important for men and women over the age of 50, who can dramatically improve their quality of life by eating a well-balanced diet filled with vitamins and nutrients. Though that may seem like common sense, research has shown that men and women in this age group, who are often referred to as “Baby Boomers,“ are not necessarily as healthy as they may seem.

While the baby boomer generation, which is generally regarded as those people born between 1946 and 1964, boasts longer life expectancies than any generation that came before them, some of that can likely be chalked up to advancements in medical care, including a booming pharmaceutical industry that seemingly has an antidote to every ailment.

But a 2013 study from researchers at the West Virginia University School of Medicine found that baby boomers are less healthy than the generation that immediately preceded them, tending to be more likely to have higher levels of hypertension, diabetes and high cholesterol.

While that news might be sobering, it’s

Including ample low-fat protein, which can never too late for men and women over 50 to start eating healthier diets, which can reduce be found in fish, eggs and low-fat dairy among their risk of a wide range of ailments, includ- other foods, will aid in muscle recovery, benefitting aging athletes as well as those men and ing heart disease, stroke and osteoporosis.

The following are a few ways men and women over 50 who recently started exerciswomen over 50 can alter their diets so their ing as a means to regaining their physical fitbodies are getting what they need to live long ness. A diet lacking in sufficient protein can and healthy lives well into their golden years. contribute to muscle deterioration, arthritis and As is always the case, men and women should even organ failure, so it’s important for men discuss any potential changes to their diets and women to prioritize including protein in with their physicians to ensure the changes their diets.

Carbohydrates are also an important part of will be both effective and healthy. a balanced diet, as they are a great source of ● Balance your diet. Kids hear of the bene- energy that can help men and women stay acfits of a balanced diet seemingly from the mo- tive well past the age of 50. Carbohydrates ment they enter a classroom for the first time, found in fruits, grains and vegetables are the but many adults fail to heed that basic advice most beneficial, as these contain valuable vitaas they get further and further away from kin- mins, minerals and nutrients. dergarten. ● Don’t denounce dairy. Dairy is a great When changing your diet, be sure to in- source of calcium, which promotes strong clude plenty of protein and carbohydrates. Pro- bones and teeth. Men and women over the age tein maintains and rebuilds muscles, which is of 50 want their bones to be as strong as possiespecially important for aging men and women ble because aging is one of the strongest risk who might find themselves unable to keep up factors for osteoporosis, a potentially debilitatwith the physical demands of everyday life as ing medical condition in which loss of tissue well as they used to. causes bones to become brittle and fragile. Vi-

tamin D is necessary to effectively absorb calcium, and vitamin D can be found in certain dairy products, including pasture-raised eggs and grass-fed cow’s milk, and can be generated when men and women get enough sunlight.

Other healthy sources of vitamin D include salmon, light tuna packed in oil, sardines, and sun-grown mushrooms. ● Cut back on sodium intake. Cutting back on sodium intake can be very beneficial, especially for men and women over the age of 50, who are at greater risk of diabetes, hypertension and chronic kidney disease. But cutting back on sodium intake takes more than just throwing the salt shaker away. Processed foods, soups, canned goods, salad dressings, condiments such as mustard and ketchup, and breakfast cereals are just a few of the many products that may contain alarming amounts of sodium.

No one is too old or too young to embrace a nutritious diet. But men and women over the age of 50 are in a unique position to vastly improve their quality of life by adopting a lowsodium diet that is rich in vitamins and minerals.

State looks for ways to fight chronic diseases

By Stephanie Vaccaro Special Writer

In 2012, 59 percent of all deaths in New Jersey were the result of a chronic illness, according to a statement from the Office of the Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Health. This included heart disease, diabetes, stroke and cancer.

In an attempt to promote an evidencebased approach to address the plague of chronic illness touching every facet of society, the New Jersey Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Plan: Partnering for a Healthy New Jersey was launched in 2011.

Although there is progress to be made, New Jersey ranks well compared to other states. In a report from the United Health Foundation that compared the states on a number of issues, New Jersey is ranked in the top 10 for lowest smoking rates, lowest adult obesity rates, infectious disease rate, and infant

mortality rate, among others.

Despite this, the report noted that at times the “home rule” ethos can be counterproductive, and cited the substantially lower percentage of physicians using electronic health records when compared to the national average, 53.8 percent versus 71.8 percent. Another challenge is that hospital readmission rates for Medicare patients is much higher than the national average.

This initiative spanned both public and private organizations, with a change in emphasis from illness to wellness.

The report also noted that “obesity attributable healthcare” cost the state $2.2 billion in 2009.

Although the national percentage of deaths caused by chronic illness is higher than New Jersey’s at 70 percent, the rates of some cancers are not. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the rate of women under the age of 65 was higher in New Jersey, as was the age-adjusted cancer incidence rate

for both men and women.

It is widely known that poverty increases the likelihood of chronic illness. So, how does the Mercer County poverty level compare to others? When the report was issued, it was 10.7 percent. While it is much higher than say Hunterdon (3.6 percent) or Somerset (3.7 percent), it’s significantly lower than Cumberland (15.7 percent).

One step in addressing chronic health in the state has been to identify “winnable battles,” steps that can be taken that have proven results. They are: ● Improve nutrition. ● Eliminate tobacco use. ● Increase physical activity. ● Improve access to quality healthcare. ● Improve environmental health. ● Enable self-management. ● Increase early detection.

Although any statewide plan addressing complex issues is multifaceted, a part of this

plan involved looking at four domains via working groups that looked at the following: epidemiology, surveillance and evaluation; environmental strategies; health system interventions; and community-clinical linkages.

Certain needs surfaced across all of the domains, including improving communication, collaboration, health literacy efforts, as well as implementing electronic health records. They also found a need to pilot test both a variety of patient navigator and community health worker models and community-based care models.

“The work of chronic disease prevention and health promotion is not happening in a vacuum,” the authors wrote. “There are a number of state, federal, and private initiatives that directly impact this work and bring both expertise and funding to the implementation of this plan.”

For more information see www.nj.gov.

Central Jersey Health

Senior Living At The Gardens at Monroe, we see every day that a strong family support system enhances health care and recovery. We have designed additional services as a part of our Family Focused Care program to help our patients and their families maintain strong relationships and support one another as a team on the road to achieving health and rehabilitation goals.

Transportation services make it easy for you to visit! We provide a car service Monday through Friday for our short-term rehabilitation patient’s family member to visit.

Transportation is complimentary for the first 20 days of your loved one’s stay and offered at a discounted rate thereafter.

Continue to enjoy meals as a family. There is no replacement for the quality time a family spends together over dinner. We encourage you to join your loved one for a daily meal while you are visiting. A complimentary meal daily is provided to the primary caregiver with additional meals available to family and friends at a nominal fee.

Contact us today to learn more about how our services support the needs of patients and family alike.

THE GARDENS AT MONROE 189 Applegarth Road, Monroe, NJ 08831 Gardensatmonroe.com

609-448-7036 Call our admissions team today to schedule a tour!

Exceptional Care That Feels Like Home.

Atrium Senior Living of Princeton is the perfect choice when it’s time to transition from home to a place that’s comfortable yet manageable, where independence is respected and assistance with activities of daily living is provided. Residents enjoy a warm, vibrant environment and are at ease knowing that their daily needs are met.

The transition to a senior living community is a significant change that should not be taken lightly, so the team at Atrium Senior Living of Princeton provides emotional support, actively engaging residents so that they feel a part of the family. Their goal is to provide a positive, caring environment where residents can live life to the fullest.

Atrium Senior Living of Princeton offers modern, private and shared apartments plus a host of convenient amenities and hospitality services. Residents enjoy delicious meals in a restaurant-style dining room, energizing fitness and wellness programs, and a diverse range of cultural and social activities. The center also offers concierge service, weekly housekeeping services, courtesy car service and much more.

Trained, professional health care aides are available to assist residents with dressing, bathing, eating and mobility. The onsite nursing staff is available around-the-clock and residents can make appointments with a variety of visiting physicians including dentist, podiatrist, psychiatrist and more. Transportation to medical appointments is also provided when necessary.

The center’s Respite Care program gives those who care for loved ones an opportunity to take time away to relieve stress, restore their energy and regain balance in their daily lives. Caregivers have peace of mind knowing that the center’s compassionate team is focused on meeting their loved one’s medical and emotional needs. Guests receive expert supervision, medical care and have access to dining, entertainment and a diverse array of planned outings.

Atrium Senior Living of Princeton is also home to a variety of other services created to meet the changing needs of its residents, including programs for Alzheimer’s and dementia that help residents continue to find personal fulfillment and maintain their dignity and sense of self.

As a part of the Atrium Health and Senior Living family of post acute care centers and senior living communities, Atrium Senior Living of Princeton is dedicated to creating a healing environment with clinical programs that are focused on achieving the best possible outcomes for its residents. For more information, visit atriumhsl.com.

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The Week of June 26, 2015

If you’re like millions of other family caregivers, you want the best care for your aging loved one. But getting that care can be frustrating. You know what it’s like to drive your loved one to different appointments. You know managing medications and coordinating care between doctors can be challenging. And you struggle with leaving your loved one at home alone during the day. It doesn’t have to be this way. LIFE St. Francis can coordinate all the care and services your loved one needs, so you don’t have to place them in a nursing home.

The LIFE Center is an important part of this program.

It is located at 1435 Liberty Street in Hamilton Township and will be relocating to a brand new site in Bordentown in Early 2016. Here, seniors receive health care, nutritious meals, and participate in activities with others so they may remain active, socialize and make new friends. The LIFE Center provides one location where doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals including physical therapists, occupational therapists and social workers can provide treatment and services while monitoring changes in an individual’s health. Transportation to the Center is included.

The LIFE team will: • Make a special healthcare plan for and with each participant.

• Manage all healthcare services for participants.

• Help participants to live safely in the community.

Participants receive all healthcare services from LIFE St. Francis. Other than emergency care, all services must be authorized by the care team. A provider within the LIFE network must deliver these services. Participants may be liable for the payment of unauthorized or outof-network services.

Call LIFE St. Francis at 609.599.LIFE (5433) to see if you or your family member is eligible.

Brookdale Hamilton:

Dedicated to Caring New name. Same company. Familiar faces.

Introducing

Brookdale Hamilton Formerly

Clare Bridge of Hamilton You are cordially invited to attend a

Ribbon Cutting Ceremony Guided tours also available. We are eager to share this exciting milestone with you!

Monday, June 29th, 2015 Open House from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.

Ribbon Cutting at 5:30 p.m.

1645 Whitehorse-Mercerville Rd. Enjoy light hors d’oeuvres, beverages, entertainment & casino games!

R.S.V.P. to (609) 586-4000 or email eszydlo@brookdaleliving.com.

BROOKDALE HAMILTON Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care 1645 Whitehorse-Mercerville Rd., Hamilton, NJ 08619 (609) 586-4000

I

n just a few days, Clare Bridge at Hamilton, located at 1645 Whitehorse Mercerville Road, is getting a new name. And though it will soon be called Brookdale Hamilton, many things will stay the same.

“We’re not changing who we are or what we do,” administrator Gretchen Mangone said of the Alzheimer’s and dementia-specific assisted living community. “None of our staff is changing… We’ll take care of our residents the same way we always have. It connects us with our national brand and strengthens our ties within the New Jersey market. It will make us more recognizable to seniors and their family members looking for solutions.”

The facility has specific memory-care services. “Our nursing staff is available seven days a week, 24 hours a day,” Mangone said. “We provide hands-on care to our residents as needed, as well as housekeeping and laundry. We have services that come into our community, including physicians, podiatrists, dentists, therapy, hospice, hairdressers, optometrists, X-ray and a lab” The community offers a number of programs that enhance the quality of its residents’ lives. The Optimum Life program focuses on six components to enhance the quality of life, including intellectual, emotional, physical, spiritual, social, and purposeful. It is designed to help residents live life to the fullest regardless of age or physical limitations.

For example, they have a B-Fit Every Day program where residents use hand-held weights to increase bone density and improve balance.

“For people to feel good about themselves, they often need to feel like they’re accomplishing things,” Ms. Mangone said of the component of the program that centers on purpose. For example, if a resident was once a housewife who felt good doing tasks in the home, the Brookdale Hamilton staff will create opportunities for that resident to help fold laundry or set tables. It is not meant as a means to put them to work, but rather to help them feel useful and valued.” Another example, focusing on the social component of the Optimum Life program, allows a current resident to participate with the new resident welcoming committee, which makes that resident feel integral to the community and more socially engaged..

“Every day we schedule programming to meet the six components of Optimum Life at the different levels that each of our residents have,” Ms. Mangone said.

Another key feature is the signature dining program which offers three meals served restaurant-style, made fresh by chefs each day. Their Refresh program involves the use of hot washcloths that are scented with citrus in the morning and lavender in the evening.

Citrus helps with the appetite, and the lavender in the evening helps to calm people with dementia down in the evenings.

The maximum capacity at Brookdale Hamilton is 50 residents. “The building itself was designed specifically for people with dementia or Alzheimer’s. We have a town square center with two houses off the town square, and then the residents feel like they’re going someplace.

It’s very open so they can walk, in a secure environment. We love to share our community and welcome visitors anytime.”

Brookdale Hamilton is located at 1645 Whitehorse Mercerville Road, Hamilton. For more information, go to www.brookdale.com or call 609-447-3075.

Central Jersey Health

The Week of June 26, 2015

13

A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE ON LIVING A HEALTHY LIFE Who is Dr. Veronica Anderson?

From an early age, Dr. Veronica Anderson knew she wanted to spend her life helping people, telling her parents at four years of age that she was going to be a doctor when she grew up. Her determination led her to an education that included premed at Princeton University, an MD with honors after internship and residency at the prestigious Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital and New York’s Mt. Sinai Medical Center, and a fellowship in glaucoma. By the age of 31, she had built an ophthalmology practice that ultimately boasted over 11,000 patients.

But Dr. Veronica was not happy. She saw thousands of patients, many of them with end stage diseases, and she was constantly frustrated by an inability to help. The clinical challenges and emotional toll of the practice were proving to be heavy and she felt trapped and exhausted by the endless and hopeless cycle of “sick care” she saw every day. She wanted to give her patients the tools they needed to become healthy and stay healthy, and to stop or reverse their problems, but she didn’t have enough time. She realized that, to be effective, she would have to reach people on a much broader scale, to teach them how to achieve longterm wellness as part of a healthy lifestyle and to break the “sick care” cycle. In a bold and courageous move, she decided to close her busy practice and embrace a new direction, one that would allow her to realize her vision of “health care, not sick care” and a wellness lifestyle for her patients and clients.

One of the first duties of the physician is to educate the masses not to take medicine.

William Osler

Current Practice Focus This move was the impetus behind the new face of Dr. Veronica Anderson. Since then, she has emerged as a smart and outspoken, fun-loving voice for healthy living, applying her life experiences, knowledge of science, medical intuitive skills, and educational and medical background to help improve the lives of thousands of people in a different way.

She began with the launch of the radio show “Wellness for the REAL World with Dr. Veronica Anderson”, a spirited and provocative one hour radio interview program focused on personal wellness—in mind, body and spirit. This interactive show, which currently runs on blog talk radio (accessible from her website, www.drveronica.com) has covered everything from health care reform to sex (including tantric sex and why women fake orgasms), depression,

weight, obesity and eating addictions. Through this medium, she has interviewed hundreds of guests on health and wellness topics that go beyond conventional Western medicine and embrace complementary and alternative medicines, including homeopathy.

“Many people know intimately how to be sick and play the victim but they have no idea how to be well. I lead people toward wellness through mentoring and coaching while blending conventional Western medicine, complementary approaches and my intuitive abilities. This really changes lives.”

Dr. Veronica Anderson Her next move was to deepen her understanding, through research and study, of the different areas of complementary and alternative care.

Professionally, Dr. Veronica began to focus more on these alternative disciplines, receiving certification in homeopathy at the largest international school of homeopathy in the world and becoming a licensed member of the Pastoral Medicine Association. Through her research, she began seeing “miracle” stories stories about people getting well and surviving deadly diseases far more often than through conventional medicine.

Being an entrepreneur at heart, Dr. Veronica started other businesses along the way, one of them, an international export business that had nothing to do with medicine. However, she was the face of the company, and people who received her newsletters realized she was also a doctor and began to seek medical knowledge from her, often from thousands of miles away. Before they even told her what their problem was, Dr. Veronica was able to “see” what was wrong with them from a health, emotional and spiritual standpoint, and she understood what they needed to do to improve their situation. Soon, she was coaching and counseling people from all over the world regarding their health. Her business coach, Wendy Darling, told her, “You’re a medical intuitive, Veronica - you have a gift and talent that can help a lot of people and you have to start talking more about this, so you can help more people.”

MD and Medical Intuitive Dr. Veronica was reluctant at first to talk about her skills as a medical intuitive.

Clairvoyance was something she couldn’t explain in scientific medicine-based terms and she thought her medical colleagues and others would think she was crazy. However, since medical school, and during rounds as an intern and young doctor, she had unconsciously tapped into this clairvoyance, accessing her other senses and making a strong empathetic connection with each patient. As a result, she was an excellent clinician, able to see things very clearly but never acknowledging the source.

Then she went to a conference and met certified scientific hand analyst, Jayne Sanders, who offered to do an analysis that would prove to be a watershed event. On a whim, Dr. Veronica agreed because she thought it would be fun. Instead, it clarified the purpose in what she

was meant to do. Jayne revealed to her, through the analysis, that she had 8 gift markings in her hands, 5 of which relate to having strong intuition. Jayne convinced her that she couldn’t continue to keep silent about something that was such a big part of her and her master life purpose. Dr. Veronica finally acknowledged her intuitive abilities and now, is able to script strategic wellness plans for people that include mind, body and spirit.

Her intuitive readings are even more effective because, as a medical doctor with training in homeopathy and other complementary means, she is able to uncover the emotional and spiritual blocks that have led to manifestations of illness and injuries in her clients.

Making the Connection

Dr. Veronica’s goals throughout her journey haven’t changed – her overriding purpose is to help people lead a healthy and more fulfilling life.

Her clients are people - people who are doing everything they know to feel well with conventional medicine, and who are still searching for answers. Her vision is to free her clients from being slaves to their illnesses - to help them gain independence and freedom from desperation and suffering, not by throwing away their other doctors but by supplementing what they are doing now with alternative medical approaches that improve their health and their lives.

traditional medical training. Over the course of an hour-long phone session, Dr. Veronica will use her highly developed psychic senses of clairvoyance, clairaudience, clairsentience, claircognizance and other senses outside the physical realm to read and assess health problems and their root causes.

Medical Intuitive Readings “To really heal, you MUST address the emotional and spiritual root causes that are associated with the physical disease.” – Dr. Veronica Anderson

At the conclusion of the session, Dr. Veronica will provide feedback and recommendations on conventional Western remedies, as well as complementary approaches including (but not limited to) homeopathy, acupuncture/traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), Ayurveda, chiropractic, and nutritional, where appropriate. Suggested actions to take may include dietary adjustments, specific types of physical activity and/or therapy, and recommendations for lifestyle corrections. She will also include recommendations for music and reading that she knows, intuitively, will speed your progress. Affirmations and other spiritual exercises are always included during sessions, and they are one of the most important elements in gaining better health.

Regain your Health

Maybe it’s time for you to consider something different – something deeper – and something that gets results. To find out more about attending one of Dr. Veronica’s live events, call us at 866-714-4661. Dr. Veronica can give you specific strategies and solutions to put you on the path to wellness and healing.

For a medical intuitive reading or for more information, contact us at www.drveronica.com or by calling 888-886-1216. There is an energetic, scientific, and well-known explanation for illness and a way to resolve it. Let Dr. Veronica, Medical Doctor and Medical Intuitive, guide you to good health and a better life.

Today, Dr. Veronica runs a successful wellness practice. She integrates her traditional medical background and knowledge with the practices of functional and holistic medicines, as an MD and Medical Intuitive who knows about medications, surgical options, and complementary and alternative approaches like chiropractic and acupuncture, as well as the underlying spiritual and emotional correlates of disease and injuries.

Dr. Veronica is a wellness mentor, functional wellness practitioner, naIt is more important to know tional speaker, and designer of the what sort of person has a dis- Wellness for the REAL World Proease than to know what sort of gram. She is a highly sought guest on national television and syndidisease a person has. cated radio and has hosted her own Hippocrates radio show. Her professional education includes doctor of medicine As a way to reach out and educate (with board certification in ophthalthe community, Dr. Veronica holds mology), training by the CEDH in regular seminars, coaching sessions, Homeopathy, and she is a member and one-on-one medical intuitive of the Institute for Functional Medireadings to guide clients to lead- cine. She is also president of Mediing a healthier life. Her passion for cine World Enterprises. A licensed improving the health of her clients provider for the Pastoral Medical is evident during each session. She Association, Dr. Anderson serves feels that it is vital to thoroughly only members of their free Member pinpoint the underlying issues be- Share Network. fore she treats her clients. Part of her mission is to introduce her clients to a better way of living that allows them to enjoy a healthier life. “We not only provide care, but we spend most of the time educating our clients on how to manage their own Contact 888-886-1216 FREE or health,” says Dr. Veronica.

A medical intuitive reading (MIR) is a highly organized psychic reading, focused on the physical body and health as it relates to your emotional and spiritual state. An MIR combines intuitive abilities and skills with full

visit www.DrVeronica.com. Dr. Veronica advocates natural, noninvasive programs for gaining and preserving wellness through broad lifestyle enrichment rather than disease management through medications.

14 Central Jersey Health

The Week of June 26, 2015