July 2013 - Inspira Health Network
Transcription
July 2013 - Inspira Health Network
Inspira Health Network Media Coverage Summary July 2013 July Media Summary Table of Contents Page Date Publication Headline 3 07/2013 The Daily Journal Health Line – The Hormone Therapy Question – Dr. Sussannah Walsh 6 07/03/13 The Daily Journal Urgent Care Centers Planned Here 8 07/05/13 The Daily Journal Neighbors – Driver Safety Class Offered In Elmer 9 07/10/13 The Daily Journal Two Honored For Great Work In Bridgeton 11 07/11/13 The Daily Journal Helping Hand Arrive at Vineland Hospital 13 07/14/13 The Daily Journal Neighbors – Free Skin Cancer Screening In Elmer 14 07/17/13 The Daily Journal Doctor Joins Foot And Ankle Center 15 07/18/13 The Daily Journal A Good Day To Be In Vineland 27 07/2013 The Daily Journal Health Connection 30 07/26/13 Courier Post The Hormone Therapy Question – Dr/ Sussannah Walsh 32 07/01/13 Press of Atlantic City Giving Back Briefs 34 07/03/13 Press of Atlantic City Cumberland County Banking on Prisons for Economic Stability 37 07/04/13 Press of Atlantic City Catching Up: Cumberland Teen Program Working Well 39 07/27/13 Press of Atlantic City Former Kessler Hospital Ready For Renovations 41 07/2013 Press of Atlantic City Bariatric Options: Dr. Ahmed Attia 42 07/10/13 South Jersey Times Gloucester County, Other’s Sued by Attorney’s Widow Over 2011 Cardiac Arrest 44 07/11/13 South Jersey Times Woodstown Junior Women’s Club Makes Donation at Inspira Medical Center Vld. 45 07/15/13 South Jersey Times Bridgeton Pregnancy Prevention Receives $5m 47 07/18/13 South Jersey Times Deptford Mall Opens New Indoor Playground 49 07/18/13 South Jersey Times SJ Heat Wave Toughest For Those That Must Work Outdoors 51 07/19/13 South Jersey Times Relief From Heat Headed Our Way This Weekend 53 07/25/13 South Jersey Times Video Communication and TelePresence For Inspira 54 07/27/13 South Jersey Times A Lot of Heart at 22nd Annual Sunset Triathlon 56 07/28/13 South Jersey Times Tri-County Health Assessment Points to Chronic Diseases 60 07/30/13 South Jersey Times Comcast Business Ethernet 62 07/31/13 South Jersey Times Inspira Health Fair In Woodstown 63 07/2013 Various Publications Various Articles 125 07/2013 Various Publications Various Ads & Sponsorships The hormone therapy question - Healthline Should you seek help for symptoms of menopause? Jun. 28, 2013 7:29 PM Written by Regina Schaffer Purchase Image Dr. Sussannah Walsh OB/GYN from Cumberland Obstetrics & Gynecology in Vineland will answer your questions this month on hormone therapy. - / Staff photo/Cody Glenn Hot flashes, sleeplessness, thinning hair, night sweats and mood changes — the symptoms for women going through menopause can vary from mild to downright unbearable. Fortunately, for many women, there are options for relief. A variety of treatments that replace the hormones lost during menopause are now readily available in multiple forms, allowing women to choose their best course of therapy. 1 The Daily Journal June 28, 2013 Menopausal hormone therapy is the topic of this month’s Healthline, hosted by Inspira Health Network and The Daily Journal. Dr. Sussannah Walsh, an OBGYN with Inspira Medical Center Vineland, is available to answer your questions, which may be submitted in several ways: • By fax to (856) 451-8318. • By email at healthline@sjhs.com; or visit www.thedailyjournal.com and click on the Healthline icon. The deadline to submit questions is 5 p.m. July 8. Inquiries will be answered confidentially. Menopause is the normal change in a woman’s life when her menstrual cycle stops — typically once a woman has not had a period for 12 months in a row. According to U.S. Census data from 2000, there are about 37.5 million women reaching or currently at menopause (ages 40 to 59), according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. During menopause, a woman’s body slowly makes less of the hormones estrogen and progesterone, which can lead to some unpleasant symptoms. “After menopause, with the absence or extreme reduction in those levels of hormone, what we find is bones get brittle, we tend to be more prone to fractures, the vaginal tissue gets drier, we lose some of the pliability in the skin,” Walsh said. Walsh has seen many patients — some in their late 30s — who have had difficulty dealing with the symptoms of menopause or perimenopause. Walsh said it often boils down to one common feeling among her patients — the women just don’t feel like themselves anymore. “With women in their late 30s, I get a lot of, ‘Oh, I just don’t have a libido anymore,’” Walsh said. “Towards the late 40s and early 50s, it’s often, ‘Sex is painful, I’m having hot flashes, I can’t sleep at night and I don’t feel like me — how I used to feel.’” 2 JULY HEALTHLINE: Menopausal hormone therapy is the topic of this month’s Healthline, hosted by Inspira Health Network and The Daily Journal. Dr. Sussannah Walsh, an OBGYN with Inspira Medical Center Vineland, is available to answer your questions, which may be submitted in several ways: • By fax to (856) 451-8318. • By email at healthline@sjhs.com; or visit www.thedailyjournal.com and click on the Healthline icon. The deadline to submit questions is 5 p.m. July 8. Inquiries will be answered confidentially. The Daily Journal June 28, 2013 That, she said, is where menopausal hormone replacement comes in. MHT, which used to be called hormone replacement therapy, involves taking forms of the hormones estrogen and progesterone (women who don’t have a uterus anymore just take estrogen). “Hormone therapy is basically manufactured forms of hormones that occur naturally in women prior to menopause, used to alleviate the symptoms of menopause that cause disruptions in their daily lives,” Walsh said. “You want to prescribe the lowest dose for the shortest amount of time — that’s the current standard of care.” “We use (hormone replacement) to treat the symptoms of menopause — hot flashes, sleeplessness, mood changes,” Walsh said. “If your life is intolerable, that’s when we say, well, let’s try hormone therapy.” Hormone therapy comes in multiple forms; the most common being pill form. Hormone patches, topical creams and vaginal rings also are available. “You want to target (the type of therapy) to what the woman’s issues are,” Walsh said. “If a woman says, ‘I feel fine … but sex isn’t pleasant,’ then you want to prescribe a topical estrogen cream. If a woman is having hot flashes … I’ll say, let’s try an estrogen /progesterone replacement (therapy).” There are side effects associated with the extended use of hormones. The most common are heart disease, stroke and blood clots. Walsh said it is important for women to weigh the risks and benefits with their doctor. “You have to weigh what the quality of life is for a patient,” Walsh said. “With hormone therapy … you’re not actually replacing (hormones). You’re giving back a version of them to help life become more bearable for her.” Women with a history of stroke, clots in the lung or leg, active cardiac disease, or gynecological cancers are not typically candidates for hormone replacement, Walsh said. Walsh also cautioned women to be wary of what are called bioidentical hormones —also referred to as natural hormone therapy. Often, these hormones, which are not regulated by the government, are marketed with claims of being better or “more natural” than standard hormone therapy. “They’re not regulated by the FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration),” Walsh said. “They say it’s the same hormone … but you want something that’s regulated.” 3 The Daily Journal June 28, 2013 Urgent care centers planned here Walk-in clinics would offer lower costs, quicker service than ER Jul. 3, 2013 Written by Joseph P. Smith VINELAND — Cumberland County could be home to two “urgent care” medical centers within the next 12 months, with definite plans for one in South Vineland. Vineland planning officials last month cleared MedExpress Urgent Care, based in Morgantown, W.Va., to convert a commercial building on South Delsea Drive near College Drive into an urgent care center. MedExpress has opened three other centers this year in New Jersey, including one in Woodbury. It declined to discuss an opening date for its proposed Vineland facility. Meanwhile, Inspira Health Network recently decided to build an urgent care center in the county. It is evaluating six sites and hopes to start construction this year. Inspira opened its Tomlin Station Park urgent care center almost two years ago in Mullica Hill. It’s now building a second facility in Woolwich. Urgent care centers, also referred to as “walk-in clinics,” combine elements of primary care and emergency medicine. Patients can stop in for a vaccination or examination of a cold, but they also can obtain X-rays or minor surgeries. The centers are open for more hours and days than a typical doctor’s office, while offering lower costs and quicker service compared to an emergency room. There currently are no urgent care centers in Cumberland County. 1 The Daily Journal July 3, 2013 MedExpress representatives told the Vineland Zoning Board its site will be open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. The center will have 10 employees, including a doctor and a nurse, and anticipates seeing 50 to 60 people daily. The board approved a site plan for the center, which includes an 853-square-foot addition to the building. John DiAngelo, Inspira’s executive vice president and chief financial officer, said the hospital system’s Tomlin Station Park center draws about twice the patient traffic that had been anticipated. In addition to the urgent care center, the 16,000-square-foot facility includes primary care and orthopedic doctors’ offices, physical therapy offices and a radiology center. DiAngelo said the urgent care center attracts some people who otherwise would go to one of Inspira’s four emergency rooms. “However, hopefully, it’s the volume that really shouldn’t be there to start with,” he said. DiAngelo said an urgent care center should handle patients who don’t have a personal physician or can’t reach their doctor when they need immediate care for a condition that isn’t life-threatening. “So this is an option where people can get access to care when they’re not significantly sick, if you would, and hopefully can get you in and out in a much shorter period of time,” he said. “And it will cost you less to go through an urgi-care center than it would to go through an ER, because an ER is set up to take care of all those very significant cases.” DiAngelo said the arrival of MedExpress probably will affect Inspira’s evaluations of where to locate its urgent care center. Research suggests two centers can thrive even if they are as close as 5 miles apart, he said. “If we feel there’s a big enough need, we may open up down the corner from MedExpress,” DiAngelo said. “I don’t know. It’s all a function of what works for our community and what works for people that need to use it.” DiAngelo said it doesn’t make sense to place a center too close to a hospital. “That’s what’s worked at Tomlin Station for us,” he said. “It’s not near either Woodbury’s ER or our Elmer ER — sort of in the middle.” 2 The Daily Journal July 3, 2013 Neighbors July 5, 2013 Driver safety class offered in Elmer ELMER – Inspira Health Network will sponsor an AARP Driver Safety Program from 9 a.m. to noon July 29 and 30 at the Inspira Medical Center Elmer, 501 W. Front St. Participants must attend both classes. Upon completion of the course, attendees will receive a certificate that may entitle them to an auto insurance discount and a reduction of violation points against their New Jersey drivers’ license. The program is designed as a refresher course for drivers age 50 and older, but younger drivers may attend. The course emphasizes safety, teaching defensive driving techniques, new traffic laws and rules of the road. It teaches how older people can adjust their driving to compensate for age-related changes in vision, hearing and reaction time, and how to handle problem situations such as left turns, freeway driving, blind spots, and driving distractions. The program also teaches participants about safety features on vehicles and how to assess one’s own driving ability. The fee is $12 for AARP members and $14 for nonmembers. To register, call (800) INSPIRA or visit www.InspiraHealthNetwork.org 1 The Daily Journal July 5, 2013 2 honored for great work in Bridgeton Jul. 10, 2013 11:19 PM Frank and Carol Brigio / Submitted photo BRIDGETON — The late Dr. Frank Brigio was called “The Spirit of the Community.” Paul Cooper, former president and CEO of South Jersey Healthcare System, has been referred to as “a man of the people.” Now they’re being honored as Bridgeton Legends. Cooper and his wife, Joyce, will join Brigio’s widow, Carol, as they’re celebrated as Bridgeton Legends on Oct. 5 at Centerton Country Club with an evening of remembrance, music and entertainment, auctions and prizes. The event is sponsored by CompleteCare Health Network, Inspira Health System, the Center for Diagnostic Imaging and several other contributors. Organizers say Dr. Brigio reached far beyond his often charitable medical practice to become the leading philanthropist of his adopted city of Bridgeton. His epitaph speaks of his personal philosophy in life: “What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others around us is and lives eternal.” 1 The Daily Journal July 10, 2013 Paul and Joyce Cooper / Submitted photo Paul Cooper grew up on a local farm, worked his way up through the ranks to become lead Bridgeton Hospital and always put his employees and community first, organizers say. His vision led to the integration of a score of small hospitals and medical providers into a South Jersey-wide health system. Cooper continues to serve his community through volunteer leadership with Bayshore Center at Bivalve and to help build the area’s health system for the underserved by serving on the CompleteCare Health Network board of directors. Tickets for the Oct. 5 celebration cost $50. Proceeds will benefit Bridgeton Main Street and the Alden Field Baseball Refreshment Stand. For tickets, call Richie Elwell at (856) 457-1085 or Carola Hartley at (856) 453-8130. To download a ticket order form, visit www.getbridgeton.com and click on the “Bridgeton Legends” icon. For information or sponsorships, call Bridgeton Legends co-chairs Dave Hitchner at (856) 455-5168 or Gil Walter at (856) 391-1127. 2 The Daily Journal July 10, 2013 Helping hands arrive at Vineland hospital Jul. 11, 2013 11:44 PM Written by Joseph P. Smith Lower Alloways Creek resident Johanna Brown holds her week-old baby, Pamela Elizabeth, at Inspira Medical Center Vineland. The baby on Thursday was the first to receive a package of goods, including hand-shaped pillows known as Zaky Hands, from the Junior Woman's Club of Woodstown. Club members (from left) Kathleen Terry, Colleen Prater (holding Zaky Hands) and Karen Perry delivered the donations. / Staff photo/Joseph P. Smith VINELAND — Pamela Elizabeth Brown arrived in the world in the usual way, with all her toes and fingers and even crowned with a dusting of brown hair like mom. And while Pamela is healthy, her delivery July 3 came five weeks ahead of schedule. An incubator at Inspira Medical Center Vineland is her crib for a little while as she catches up on lost in-the-womb development time. Now, thanks to a donation, her medical care includes a special pillow that holds her around-the-clock if her mom or a nurse isn’t around. 1 The Daily Journal July 11, 2013 Four members of the Junior Woman’s Club of Woodstown dropped off a package of infant care products to the hospital’s neo-natal intensive care unit Thursday. The donation includes four “Zaky Hands,” a fairly new and expensive pillow formed in the shape of a human hand and forearm. The concept advances the tradition of swaddling clothes and bedding. Hospital nurse manager Mary Matyas said Zaky Hands and similar products do more than comfort a baby. “The most important thing that these products do is promote boundaries around babies,” Matyas said. “Obviously, they’re all balled up in mom’s belly. When they are born, they don’t have those boundaries and it’s really for developmental care to create those boundaries. “So in the hospital, we historically have used blanket rolls and we create our own,” she said. “Now, there are these developmental products to really help with all the developmental care in the special care units, the NICUs.” Matyas said the pillows, in wrapping around an infant, encourage proper alignment of hands, feet and hips as well as good muscle tone. Heart rates and breathing are improved, too. Woman’s Club President Colleen Prater and members Lisa Hunt, Karen Perry and Kathleen Terry dropped off the pillows, along with a pair of baby slings and a pair of baby blankets. Prater, a Woodstown resident, said her organization raises money every year for a variety of causes. The idea to buy Zaky Hands formed after she watched a “Good Morning America” episode that demonstrated them. “Everyone else thought it was fantastic, too, so we just raised some money for it,” Prater said. “I happen to also be on the state board of the Junior Woman’s Club,” she said. “So we also made it a statewide project. So several hospitals have received these in different parts of New Jersey.” “We tried to pick hospitals near and dear to us,” said Terry, a Pilesgrove resident and a nurse at Inspira Medical Center in Elmer. Prater said the club paid $400 for the pillows, but the manufacturer provided four more as a match. Pamela’s mother, Johanna Brown, who’s lived at the hospital since the delivery, said her daughter was delivered weighing 4.6 pounds and 16 inches long and has made “awesome” progress. Brown, 27, hopes to soon bring Pamela to their Lower Alloways Creek home, where two sisters are waiting to meet her. 2 The Daily Journal July 11, 2013 Neighbors Jul. 14, 2013 Free skin cancer screenings in Elmer ELMER – Do you have skin that has been exposed to the sun or tanning salon, or a family history of melanoma or other skin cancers? Do you have itching or changing moles or other skin lesions? If so, you may want to attend a free skin cancer screening hosted by Inspira Health Network from 9 a.m. to noon July 27 at Inspira Medical Center Elmer, 501 W. Front St. The event is sponsored by Inspira Cancer Services and Ingrid P. Warmuth, M.D., and Ana Newport, M.H.A. Appointments are required. To schedule an appointment or for information, call (856) 641-8670. 1 The Daily Journal July 14, 2013 Doctor joins Foot & Ankle Center Jul. 17, 2013 10:19 PM MILLVILLE — Cumberland Foot and Ankle Center has announced the addition of Dr. Jeffrey M. Belancio, DPM. Originally from Philadelphia, Belancio received his Bachelor’s of Science from Temple University, as well as his Doctor of Podiatric Medicine from the Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine. He graduated from his residency at Inspira Health Network in Vineland, where he was the chief resident of foot and ankle surgery. Belancio’s special clinical interests include complicated forefoot, rearfoot and ankle surgery, as well as wound care, pediatrics, castings, trauma and general podiatric practice management. He has extensive training in such procedures as ankle arthroscopy, external and internal fixation, tendon and ligament repairs, and bunion and hammertoe correction. His residency at Inspira included a vascular surgery rotation at Deborah Heart and Lung Center as well as the Rubin Institute of Advanced Orthopedics in Maryland, where he had exposure to lower extremity foot deformities. Belancio will accept new patient appointments at Cumberland Foot and Ankle Center. He also is on staff at Inspira and will be see patients at Inspira Wound Care Center in Elmer. For information, call (856) 293-1880. 1 The Daily Journal July 17, 2013 A Good Day to be in Vineland Fox 29 turns host loose on Landis Jul. 18, 2013 Written by Joseph P. Smith and Matt Turner VINELAND — The downtown reveled in television coverage Wednesday morning as Vineland residents seized a rare chance to spotlight the best of the city’s past and present for the rest of the Delaware Valley. As multiple handmade signs punned, it was “a good day” for Vineland because of a three-hour visit from the Fox 29 News show “Good Day Philadelphia” and reporter Jennaphr Frederick. The 600 block of East Landis Avenue was turned over to the station for most of the morning. Vineland is the first New Jersey community to be featured on Frederick’s occasional feature, “Jenny On Your Block.” It took a satellite link to beam Frederick’s interviews to Philadelphia but the show went off without a technical hitch. “This place is awesome,” Frederick said. “You know, a lot of times we go to towns like this and you can tell that the cheerleaders have been told to smile and you can tell that the business owners have been told to do something. This town, it really felt like everyone wanted to be here and was genuinely happy to be here too. It’s so early in the morning and it’s so hot and for them to have these big, old smiles on their faces — it says a lot.” Wednesday’s event was put together in about two weeks, starting with an exploratory call from the station to the Greater Vineland Chamber of Commerce. The chamber and city eagerly agreed to help host the show. Mayor Ruben Bermudez and other city officials circulated throughout the event, stopping to pose with Frederick and talk to residents. The mayor said the show’s visit was important, and he enjoyed posing with Frederick while holding a welcome sign. “Today is a great opportunity for the city of Vineland to showcase our city,” Bermudez said. In his first year in office, Bermudez has made marketing the city a priority. He introduced “Discover the Difference” as the city’s new slogan this spring. 1 The Daily Journal July 18, 2013 “We have something here for everybody,” Bermudez said. “I’m excited people showed up and responded.” In the background, Natalie Bermudez, the mayor’s niece, could be heard singing and playing her guitar. She performed with about a dozen Vineland High school football players at one point. She writes her own music, which she describes as acoustic pop-rock. “It’s kind of like Sara Bareilles meets John Mayer,” she said. Council President Anthony Fanucci, Vice President Paul Spinelli and Councilwoman Maritza Gonzalez walked the crowd. “It’s a great affair, there’s a lot of organizations out here and a lot of great businesses,” Spinelli said. “We’re showing that Vineland is a great place to do business.” “I think this was so great,” Gonzalez said. “Everyone came out. “Jenny On Your Block” got a good view of a little bit of Vineland — the diversity we have. All the different talent. I think it was wonderful. But the response from the community was wonderful.” Vineland is eager to market itself as widely as possible as an entertainment stop as well as a place to work and do business. Money can’t buy the kind of exposure the city got Wednesday morning. Fox 29 news producers met with city and business groups like the Vineland Downtown Improvement District and the Chamber of Commerce to game plan a coverage strategy for the three-hour visit. “I think it went great considering this all came together in probably about two weeks or less,” VDID Executive Director Todd Noon said. “It’s amazing the community came together like this and really supported it. It’s great to see. I think she got a good taste of what Vineland’s all about.” The 600 block of East Landis Avenue was blocked off to traffic starting around 5 a.m. and turned over to about 50 exhibitors drawn from government, businesses and community groups. Cheerleaders, Vineland football players, restaurants and food vendors lined up with health and fitness specialists, historical demonstrators, and city police, fire and rescue units. Some folks came a distance just to meet Frederick, who was taking pictures with fans throughout the morning. Kathy Baker, 55, of Pitsgrove is one self-described super-fan. “I’m the biggest fan there is,” Baker said. “Her show makes my day. Jennaphr is a crazy woman. I said to her she’s just like me, we are both nuts.” 2 The Daily Journal July 18, 2013 The temperature got an early start on the way to a predicted 100-degree day, so tents and stands with cover and air-conditioned businesses like Landis Marketplace seemed especially attractive. Wednesday already was a special day for Landis MarketPlace, home to the Amish Market. It earlier had picked the day to debut a new upper level anchor tenant, the Dienner’s Amish Family Restaurant. Frederick did seven, 20-second reports and several three-and-a-half-minute reports during her time on the Avenue. The Amish restaurant was chosen for the first of the lengthier reports. Lancaster, Pa. resident and Amish businessman John Stoltzfus is the master tenant for the MarketPlace. He was interviewed in the new Amish restaurant, which is owned by his son-in-law and daughter. “It gave me the opportunity to thank downtown Vineland and the community for supporting us,” Stoltzfus said about the interview with Frederick. “I think it’s great exposure for us here in downtown Vineland,” Stoltzfus said.“We want to be part of the new growth going on. I think the city is doing the best it can and we (Amish Market) are a piece of that.” “It’s pretty cool,” said Gary Holloway, the MarketPlace public manager. Frederick’s first stop quickly was with a local cheerleading school that had laid out a tumbling mat. Blizz All Star Cheerleading had one of the largest groups to come out and, under a hot sun, sweated through routines throughout the visit. “We have something to offer for everyone,” owner Alena Blizzard told Frederick. Cheerleading students Isabella Castagna, Francesca Sherma and Aylsia Finger greeted Frederick with a “Have a ‘Good Day’ in Vineland” sign. Blizzard said the mayor asked her to come out for “Jenny On Your Block.” “We like to do community events,” she said. “It’s a big part of what we do.” Vineland resident Esco Buckman, 28, came to watch his daughter Gianna, 9, perform. Father and daughter like to watch “Good Day Philadelphia” together. “She was really excited about being on TV today,” Buckman said. “She’s been talking about it.” Dripping sweat, first-year Blizz student Jason Rodriguez said this was his idea of fun. 3 The Daily Journal July 18, 2013 “It’s an experience to do this for the city of Vineland,” Rodriguez, 17, said. “It’s fun,” cheerleader Samantha Claudio said. “We’re not being judged. Whatever we do is liked.” Cheerleading mom Kisha Finger, took a day off from work to come to the event. “She lives, breathes, eats cheerleading,” Finger said of her daughter. “She loves it. She wants to be at the gym every day.” Pearl Giordano, president of Limbert Brothers Inc. was serving up some tasty, healthier, treats at a tented stand the dessert manufacturer set up to distribute samples. The samples included new products the company hopes will be successes. “We call these fusion flavors — Broccoli Rob and B-berry,” Giordano said. “They are made with vegetables and ice cream.” Frederick was pleasantly surprised with the broccoli concoction. “I didn’t think I was going to like it,” Frederick said. “Because we always try to be honest and real, I looked at her and I said, ‘I don’t think I’m going to like it.’ One scoop in, I was hooked. I’m going to be disappointed that it’s not near my town.” Giordano invents all the flavors and takes pride in using Vineland grown vegetables first. Serene Custard and Miniature Golf, also at the event, sells the unique flavored ice cream. Habitat for Humanity volunteers were in the crowd promoting their charity golf tournament, held on August 23 at the Buena Vista County Club. Volunteer Robert Scarpa touted the raffle prize — two tickets to Super Bowl XLVIII in New Jersey. Mascots from ABC Learning Academy dressed as popular cartoon characters like Spiderman and Sonic the Hedgehog, giving children hugs and high-fives. The child care center was advertising their summer enrichment program. Dawn Truett, director of Cumberland County Partnership for Healthy Teens, was raising awareness for the partnership’s program to decrease teen pregnancies. Another stop for Frederick inside Landis MarketPlace was Robin Hope Designs, which offers handmade goods. 4 The Daily Journal July 18, 2013 Hope gave Frederick a specially made apron from one of her supplies decorated with “Jenny On Your Block.” “I’m one of the pioneers here,” Hope said. “When I first came on this floor, it used to echo when we talked to each other. Dawn Hunter, executive director of the chamber of commerce, said the day was turning out exactly as she had hoped. “I had a lot of great people, the VDID, the mayor,” Hunter said. “A lot of people stepped forward. Obviously, this market was a big piece of it. Everyone stepped forward to support it. That’s so awesome. To me, it shows the positives of the city.” Hunter was especially glad to see the attention the Amish restaurant was getting. “That’s a big deal in the development of Landis MarketPlace,” she said. Fans of Vineland’s unique history also turned out in the form of members of the Vineland Historical and Antiquarian Society and the Friends of Historic Vineland. Sarah Snow, a Friends of Historic Vineland member, dressed in period costume as local suffragette Portia Gage. Her 10-year-old daughter Libby joined her, also in late 1800s dress. “I take part in Founder’s Day and I do talks on Portia Gage,” Snow said. About a dozen Vineland football players spent the morning at the show. “We’re here to support the community as they support us,” Coach Dan Russo said. “We do our best as long as it’s not in season. It’s tough with our Friday night games. I want to network the kids so in the future hopefully they stay in Vineland, get a job in Vineland and stay home. Russo wants to get players involved with Habitat for Humanity this year. 5 The Daily Journal July 18, 2013 Page 1 of 1 http://www.print2webcorp.com/news/Vineland/HealthConnection/20130701/img/cover.jpg 7/24/2013 The Daily Journal - www.thedailyjournal.com Page 14 and Page 15 Quality care for healthier mi... Page 1 of 2 Quality care for healthier minds By Chet Kaletkowski Inspira Health Network President and CEO With all of the events happening in the news these days, it seems that life can be a challenge for all of us at times. Anxiety, sadness and even fear are all normal emotions as we react to the world around us. But did you know that nearly 25 percent of adults — or 77.9 million people nationwide—are coping with mental health issues? Fortunately, more and more of us are becoming aware of how mental health problems can affect our lives, which helps to reduce the stigma that was attached to them in years gone by. At Inspira Health Network, we feel that providing access to quality behavioral health services is essential to helping our neighbors lead more fulfilling and successful lives. That’s why we’ve been offering a comprehensive array of behavioral health services in southern New Jersey for more than 30 years. Our skilled team of behavioral health providers at the Inspira Health Center Bridgeton and Inspira Medical Center Woodbury are available for families in need 24 hours a day and seven days a week. We provide mental health services to more than four thousand people each year. Whether someone needs short-term counseling for a difficult emotional issue or intensive therapy to avoid hospitalization, our Behavioral Health Services team can tailor care to meet the personal needs of each individual. I’m excited to announce that this summer our behavioral health services will continue to grow. We will be celebrating the expansion and renovation of our adult inpatient behavioral health unit at Inspira Health Center Bridgeton. It is part of a multi-million dollar renovation and expansion project at our Bridgeton facility that began in 2011. This state-of-the-art new adult behavioral health unit will provide a comforting environment with more private rooms for our patients. With double the square footage of our current unit and a total of 33 beds, the new center will allow our staff to help even more families in our region in need of mental health services. The project in Bridgeton will continue with the renovation of our 12-bed child and adolescent unit in January 2014. Our Bridgeton facility also houses additional behavioral health services, including an intermediate child and adolescent unit for patients who require a short-term inpatient stay, as well as outpatient behavioral health services for children, adolescents and adults. Inspira Medical Center Woodbury also provides Gloucester County area residents with quality Behavioral Health Services in a positive and supportive environment. Woodbury’s Adult Partial Hospitalization Program specializes in the care of co-occurring disorders of mental health and substance abuse. In addition, a Children’s Behavioral Health program there offers intensive support to children ages 5 through 12. Both of these programs provide services that are similar to inpatient treatment, but allow patients to remain at home with their families. The Inspira Medical Center Woodbury Emergency Room houses a 6-bed behavioral health unit. We are one of just a few hospitals in the region with dedicated behavioral health beds in our emergency department. This unique service provides patients and their families with additional privacy at a time when http://www.print2webcorp.com/news/Vineland/HealthConnection/20130701/p14_15_s1.htm 7/24/2013 The Daily Journal - www.thedailyjournal.com Page 14 and Page 15 Quality care for healthier mi... Page 2 of 2 they need it most. Many of us may need some additional assistance to cope with stress or other issues during the course of our lives. And at Inspira Health Network, we’re dedicated to providing these much needed services to patients throughout southern New Jersey. Inspira’s Behavioral Health Services in Bridgeton and Woodbury represent the most comprehensive continuum of mental health services in our region. To find out more, call Inspira Behavioral Health Services Bridgeton at (856) 575-4111 or Inspira Behavioral Health Services Woodbury at (856) 251-3300 for adults and (856) 251-9059 for children’s services. Visit our website at www.InspiraHealthNetwork.org. http://www.print2webcorp.com/news/Vineland/HealthConnection/20130701/p14_15_s1.htm 7/24/2013 The Daily Journal - www.thedailyjournal.com p14_15 Bridgeton Mayor Al Kelly Page 1 of 1 Bridgeton Mayor Al Kelly http://www.print2webcorp.com/news/Vineland/HealthConnection/20130701/p14_15_a1.htm 7/24/2013 The Daily Journal - www.thedailyjournal.com Page 22 and Page 23 Salem, Cumberland Wellnes... Page 1 of 2 Salem, Cumberland Wellness Calendar » Addiction Support: Alcoholics Anonymous will meet at 7:30 p.m. Saturdays at Inspira Bridgeton Health Center and 11 a.m. Sundays at Inspira Medical Center Elmer. For more information, call (800) 322-5525. » Advanced Cardiac Life Support, initial course: The next ACLS two-day class will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. July18 and19 at Inspira Medical Center Vineland. For more information call (856) 641-7535. » Advanced Cardiac Life Support, recertification: A class will be held 5 p.m. to finish July 15 and July 29 as well as from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. July11at Inspira Medical Center Vineland. For more information, call (856) 641-7535. » Alcoholics Anonymous: Sessions will be held at 7:30 p.m. Saturdays at Inspira Bridgeton Health Center and at11 a.m. Sundays at Inspira Medical Center Elmer. For more information, call (800) 322-5525. » Alzheimer’s Disease Support Group: The Alzheimer’s Support Group of Cumberland County meets at 7 p.m. on the second Thursday of each month at the Millville Center of Genesis Eldercare, 54 Sharp St., Millville. Call (856) 691-3079. » Alzheimer’s Family Caregiver Support Group: The Alzheimer’s Family Caregiver Support Group will meet at 7 p.m. July 22 at the Friends’ Home, Woodstown. For more information, call (800) 272-3900. » Autism Support: Cumberland County Autism Links is an organization that “links” high functioning Autistic and Asperger preteen and teens socially with others on the spectrum while learning social skills. This group meets every Thursday from 4:45 to 6 p.m. at Fourth Methodist Church, 308 Kates Blvd. in Millville. For further information email at memom52@verizon.net or call (856) 332-2433. » Bariatric Support Group: An information and support group for those who are thinking of having bariatric (weight loss) surgery, including gastric bypass and LAP-BAND procedures will be held 7 to 8:30 p.m. June 26 and July 24 at Inspira Fitness Connection in Vineland. Additional meetings will be held from 7 to 8:30 p.m. July 17 at Inspira Medical Center Elmer’s second floor community room. For more information, call (856) 641-8398. » Bariatric Support Group: A “new beginnings” group for those in the first year after weight-loss surgery will be held from 7 to 8 p.m. July 3 and a “graduate” support group for those who are one to five years post-op will be meeting from 7 to 8 p.m. July 10 at Inspira Fitness Connection in Vineland. For more information, call (856) 641-8398. » Blood Drives: The American Red Cross regularly schedules blood drives in South Jersey. For specific dates, times and locations, call (800) GIVELIFE. » Brain Injury Support: A support group for people who have suffered brain injuries meets at 7 p.m. on the first Tuesday of every month at the HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Vineland, 1237 W. Sherman Ave., Vineland. For more information, call (856) 697-7342. » Breastfeeding Classes: A breastfeeding class will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. July 10 at Inspira Medical Center Vineland. Classes are also held at Inspira Medical Center Elmer. For more information, call (856) 641-7535. » Breastfeeding Support: Mother to Mother support for nursing moms is provided by La Leche League of Vineland at 9:30 a.m. on the second Wednesday of each month. For location or assistance. PGardella1@comcast.net or (856) 691 9569. » Back to Work and Breastfeeding: A class will be held 1 to 2:30 p.m. July 2 at Inspira Fitness Connection’s aerobic room. For more information or to register, call (856) 641-7535. » Cancer Program: The American Cancer Society’s “Look Good … Feel Better” program teaches female cancer patients beauty techniques to help restore their appearance and self-image during chemotherapy and radiation treatments. The next free http://www.print2webcorp.com/news/Vineland/HealthConnection/20130701/p22_23_s1.htm 7/24/2013 The Daily Journal - www.thedailyjournal.com Page 22 and Page 23 Salem, Cumberland Wellnes... Page 2 of 2 sessions will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. July 17 at Inspira Medical Center Vineland, garden level conference room. For more information or to register, call the American Cancer Society at (800) 227-2345. » Cancer Resource Center:The center is open daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the Breast Cancer Bridge Program Office at the Inspira Medical Center Elmer. There also is a 24-hour center in the waiting area of the Transitional Care Unit at Inspira Medical Center Vineland. Free. No appointment necessary. » Cancer Screenings: Over 50,000 people die from colon cancer each year, and many of the deaths could be prevented with early detection. The Gastroenterology Group of South Jersey is now offering more convenient hours throughout the year for routine screenings, including Saturdays. To find out more, call 856-691-1400. » Cancer Screenings: Free screenings for breast, cervical, prostate and colorectal cancers are offered at Inspira Medical Center Vineland. The services are available to uninsured people, ages 40 to 64. For more information or to make an appointment, call (856) 641- 8686. » Cancer Support: Inspira Health Network’s Breast Cancer Bridge Program offers support for women diagnosed with breast cancer.A community education nurse who also is a breast cancer survivor will meet with the patient in person or on the phone to offer advice, information and support. The program is partially funded through the Susan G. Komen Foundation. For more information, call Inspira Medical Center Vineland at (856) 641-7974 or Inspira Medical Center Elmer at (856) 363-1514. » Cancer Support: A breast cancer support group will meet 6 to 8 p.m. July 30 at the Inspira Scarpa Cancer Pavilion conference room. The next meeting will be held in January. For more information, call (856) 641-8686. » Cancer Support: The “Man to Man” Prostate Cancer Support Group meets from 7 to 9 p.m June 26 and July 24 at Inspira Fitness Connection, 1430 W. Sherman Ave., Vineland. For more information, call (856) 6418674. » Cancer Support: Athyroid cancer support group will meet 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. July 20 at Inspira Fitness Connection. For more information, call (856) 641-8670. » Child-safety Seat Inspections: The Cumberland County Sheriff’s Department offers free child-safety seat inspections from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays at the Millville Rescue Squad, 600 Cedar St. For more information, call (856) 451-4449, ext. 107. » Childbirth Education Class: A one-day class will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. July 20 at Inspira Medical Center Vineland. Four-week classes are also held at Inspira Medical Center Vineland. For more information, call (856) 641-7535. » Childbirth Refresher Class: For more information, call (856) 641-7538. » Children’s Health: The STEPS program teaches fitness and nutrition to kids. It is open to Vineland students ages 8 to12, as well as their parents. The program is held at the Cumberland http://www.print2webcorp.com/news/Vineland/HealthConnection/20130701/p22_23_s1.htm 7/24/2013 The Daily Journal - www.thedailyjournal.com Page 22 and Page 23 Salem, Cumberland Wellnes... Page 1 of 3 Salem, Cumberland Wellness Calendar Cape Atlantic YMCA in Vineland. For more information or to register, call Lisa Scheetz at (856) 691-0030, ext. 119. » Children’s Health: Shots for Tots of Cumberland County offers free immunizations for uninsured children up to age 18. The shots are offered from 9 a.m. to noon on the third Wednesday of the month at Vineland Community Nursing Service, Suite 1, 610 Montrose St. Vineland, andfrom10 a.m. to noon on the fourth Thursday of the month at First United Methodist Church, 2nd and Pine streets, Millville. For more information, call (856) 453-2160 or (856) 794- 4261. » Community Healthcare: Families are now being enrolled in Complete- Care, which covers doctors visits, prescriptions and hospital stays for low-income uninsured adults, children or caregivers. For more information, call 451-4700, ext. 2047. » CPR, adult, child and infant: For information, dates and times, call (856) 641-7535. » CPR, community class: Classes are held at Inspira Fitness Connection. For more information, call (856) 696- 3924. » CPR, Heartsaver course: Classes are held from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at Inspira Medical Center Vineland. For more information and dates, call (856) 641-7535. » CPR, Healthcare Provider initial course: The course will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. July13 and July 27, as well as from 6 to10:30 p.m. July17 at Inspira Medical Center Vineland. For more information and registration, call (856) 641-7535. Classes also will be held from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. July 20 at Inspira Medical Center Elmer. For more information and registration, call (856) 363- 1806. » CPR, healthcare provider renewal: The course will be held 6 to10:30 p.m. June 27, July 11, July 18 and July 25 as well as 8 a.m. to noon July16 and July 30 at Inspira Medical Center Vineland. For more information, call (856) 641-7535. Classes will be held at Inspira Medical Center Elmer from 6 to 10:30 p.m. July 10 and July 26. For information, call (856) 363-1806. » Depression Support Group: The depression support group of Millville provides an opportunity for those with similar life experiences to share, empathize, and offer practical advice. They meet on Thursdays from 6:30 to 9 p.m. For location and to inquire about joining, please call (856) 825-3521. » Diabetes Exercise Program: Classes are held at Inspira Fitness Connection. For more information, call (856) 696-3924. » Diabetes Self-Management Education: This four-week program offered by Inspira Medical Center Elmer gives basic information about diabetes to those diagnosed with the disease. To register or for more information, call (856) 641-7535. » Diabetes Support Group: The group will meet 2 to 3 p.m. July 3 at Inspira Medical Center Vineland. For more information, call (856) 641-7542. » Diabetes Workshop: “Understanding Diabetes,” a free class will be held between noon and 1 p.m. Wednesdays June 26, July 10 and July 31 at Inspira Medical Center Vineland, and at noon to1p.m. Thursdays July 4 and July 18 at Inspira Medical Center Elmer. Registration required. For more information, call (856) 641-7535. » Diabetes and Pregnancy: Class is held at Inspira Medical Center Vineland. Must pre-register. Call (856) 641- 7535 for class dates, times and to register. » Grief Support: “Helping Hands” is a support group for parents who have lost an infant or experienced a miscarriage. For more information, call (856) 507-2768. » Grief Support: A support group for adults living with a loss meets for daytime and evening sessions. For a schedule or for more information, call Inspira Medical Center at (856) 575- 4277. » Grief Support: The Parents Living with a Loss Support Group meets at the Vineland Health Center, Suite 240, 1038 E. Chestnut Ave.,Vineland. For location and information, call (856) 507-2768. » Heart Failure: A free class will be held1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Tuesdays and10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Fridays at Inspira Medical http://www.print2webcorp.com/news/Vineland/HealthConnection/20130701/p22_23_s2.htm 7/24/2013 The Daily Journal - www.thedailyjournal.com Page 22 and Page 23 Salem, Cumberland Wellnes... Page 2 of 3 Center Vineland. For information or to register, call (856) 641-7535. » Heart and Lung Support Group: The group will meet from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. July 18 at Inspira Medical Center Vineland. For more information, call (856) 641-7748. » Hip/Knee Replacement: Are you having a total hip or knee replacement? Millville Center Genesis HealthCare offers free pre-surgery rehabilitation seminars at 2 p.m. on the third Wednesday of every month. To register, call (856) 327-2700 » HIV Testing: Free, rapid diagnostic HIV testing is available by appointment at Vineland Health Department, Suite 1, 610 Montrose St., Vineland. For more information, call (856) 794-4000, ext. 4806. Testing is also available at the Fam- Care Building, 30 Magnolia Ave., Bridgeton. No appointment is necessary but you must arrive between 4 and 5 p.m. Information: (856) 327-7602. » Immunizations: Shots for Tots of Cumberland County offers free immunizations for children ages 2 months to 18 years who are without insurance or Medicaid eligible. No appointment is necessary. Up-to-date shot record is required. Vaccinations are given in three locations: from 10 a.m. to 12 noon at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, 186 E. Commerce St., Bridgeton on the 2nd Thursdayofeachmonth;from10 a.m. to 12 noon at the First United Methodist Church, N. 2nd and Pine streets, Millvilleon the 4thThursdayof each month; and from 9 a.m. to 12 noon at the Vineland Public Health Nursing Site, 610 Montrose St., Suite 1, Vineland on the 3rd Wednesday of each month. Call (856) 327-7602, extension 1114 for more information. » Mental Illness: The National Alliance on Mental Illness Cumberland County Chapter meets from 7 to 9 p.m. on the third Monday of each month at Chestnut Assembly of God, 2554 E. Chestnut Ave., Vineland. For more information, call (856) 691-9234 or (856) 794-9987. » Narcotics Anonymous: Narcotics Anonymous meets on several nights each week in various locations throughout Cumberland County. For the full list of meetings, visit www.na.org. » Nutrition: “i-Healthy Family” is a free, five-week nutritional series for parents held from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at ShopRite in Vineland and Bridgeton. To register, call (856) 575-4868. » Nutrition: Free information sessions on nutrition will be offered at either10 a.m. or 5 p.m. monthly at Inspira Fitness Connection. For more information, call (856) 696-3924 » Parenting Support: Baby Talk Tea, a discussion group for moms of babies up to 7 months of age, is held 9:30 to 11 a.m. Tuesdays at Inspira Vineland Health Center, 1038 E. Chestnut Ave. Babies are welcome. For more information, call (856) 641-7538. » Parenting Support: Baby Talk Tuesdays, a free program dealing with parenting issues, for moms with babies and tots to 3 years of age, is held from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Tuesdays at Inspira Fitness Connection, Aerobic Room II. For more information, call (856) 641-7535. » Parenting Support: The next newborn series of classes will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. July 8 at Inspira Medical Center Vineland. For more information, call (856) 641-7535. » Pediatric Advanced Life Support, initial course: The next PALS two-day class will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in August at Inspira Medical Center Vineland. For information, call (856) 641- 7535. » Pediatric Advanced Life Support, recertification: A course will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 16 at Inspira Medical Center Vineland. For more information call (856) 641-7535. » Radiology Support: A patient education seminar is held at 5:15 p.m. on the secondWednesday of each month at the Center for Diagnostic Imaging,1450 E. Chestnut Ave.,Vineland.Theevent is free, but RSVP is requested. Space is limited. Call (856) 794-1700 or visit www.CenterForDiagnosticImaging.com. » Senior Class: This class is for seniors who want to make new friends, learn about healthy living and enjoy an educational luncheon with fellow senior citizens. The next class will be held at noon in August at the Inspira Fitness Connection in Vineland for lunch and educational presentations from health experts. Joining Senior Class is easy, and there is a $6 fee for each lunch. If you are interested in joining, call Suzanne Bauer at (856) 575-4214. » Sexually Transmitted Disease Clinic: The Vineland Health Department holds an STD testing and treatment clinic 4 to 5 p.m. Tuesdays at the Newcomb Outpatient Building, 1038 E. Chestnut Ave.,Vineland. Clinic is located on second floor. No appointment is necessary. For more information, call (856) 794-4000, http://www.print2webcorp.com/news/Vineland/HealthConnection/20130701/p22_23_s2.htm 7/24/2013 The Daily Journal - www.thedailyjournal.com Page 22 and Page 23 Salem, Cumberland Wellnes... Page 3 of 3 ext. 4806. » Sexually Transmitted Disease Clinic: The Cumberland County Health Department holds an STD testing and treatment clinic Wednesdays with registration from 4 to 5 p.m. at the Fam- Care Building, 30 Magnolia Ave., Bridgeton. No appointment is necessary. Information: call (856) 327-7602. » Stroke Support: A stroke support group meets at 2 p.m. on the second Tuesday of every month at the Health- South Rehabilitation, 1237 W. Sherman Ave., Vineland. For more information, call (856) 697-7342. » Tai Chi: Classes run through the Arthritis Foundation and are held at Inspira Fitness Connection. For information, call (856) 696-3924. » Volunteer Training: Inspira Health Network HospiceCare offers training for volunteers who want to help with bereavement support. For more information, call (856) 575-4278. » Weight Management: The BetterFit Weight Loss is a 12-week program that includes consultations with certified personal trainer and a registered dietitian at Inspira Fitness Connection. The fee is $300 per person. For more information or to enroll, call (856) 696-3924. » Yoga: Classes are held at Inspira Fitness Connection. For more information, call (856) 696-3924. » Yoga Mommies: A six-week class is held 11:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. Sundays at Inspira Fitness Connection. Formore information and registration, call (856) 696-3924. http://www.print2webcorp.com/news/Vineland/HealthConnection/20130701/p22_23_s2.htm 7/24/2013 Page 1 of 1 http://www.print2webcorp.com/news/Vineland/HealthConnection/20130701/img/backcover.jpg 7/24/2013 The hormone therapy question Should you seek help for symptoms of menopause? Jul. 26, 2013 | Written by Regina Schaffer Gannett New Jersey Hot flashes, sleeplessness, thinning hair, night sweats and mood changes — the symptoms for women going through menopause can vary from mild to downright unbearable. Fortunately, for many women, there are options for relief. A variety of treatments that replace the hormones lost during menopause are now readily available in multiple forms, allowing women to choose their best course of therapy. Menopause is the normal change in a woman’s life when her menstrual cycle stops — typically once a woman has not had a period for 12 months in a row. According to U.S. Census data from 2000, there are about 37.5 million women reaching or currently at menopause (ages 40 to 59), according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. During menopause, a woman’s body slowly makes less of the hormones estrogen and progesterone, which can lead to some unpleasant symptoms. “After menopause, with the absence or extreme reduction in those levels of hormone, what we find is bones get brittle, we tend to be more prone to fractures, the vaginal tissue gets drier, we lose some of the pliability in the skin,” Walsh said. Walsh has seen many patients — some in their late 30s — who have had difficulty dealing with the symptoms of menopause or perimenopause. Walsh said it often boils down to one common feeling among her patients — the women just don’t feel like themselves anymore. 1 Courier‐Post July 26, 2013 “With women in their late 30s, I get a lot of, ‘Oh, I just don’t have a libido anymore,’ ” Walsh said. “Towards the late 40s and early 50s, it’s often, ‘Sex is painful, I’m having hot flashes, I can’t sleep at night and I don’t feel like me — how I used to feel.’ ” That, she said, is where menopausal hormone replacement comes in. MHT, which used to be called hormone replacement therapy, involves taking forms of the hormones estrogen and progesterone (women who don’t have a uterus anymore just take estrogen). “Hormone therapy is basically manufactured forms of hormones that occur naturally in women prior to menopause, used to alleviate the symptoms of menopause that cause disruptions in their daily lives,” Walsh said. “You want to prescribe the lowest dose for the shortest amount of time — that’s the current standard of care.” “We use (hormone replacement) to treat the symptoms of menopause — hot flashes, sleeplessness, mood changes,” Walsh said. “If your life is intolerable, that’s when we say, well, let’s try hormone therapy.” Hormone therapy comes in multiple forms; the most common being pill form. Hormone patches, topical creams and vaginal rings also are available. “You want to target (the type of therapy) to what the woman’s issues are,” Walsh said. “If a woman says, ‘I feel fine . . . but sex isn’t pleasant,’ then you want to prescribe a topical estrogen cream. If a woman is having hot flashes . . . I’ll say, let’s try an estrogen /progesterone replacement (therapy).” There are side effects associated with the extended use of hormones. The most common are heart disease, stroke and blood clots. Walsh said it is important for women to weigh the risks and benefits with their doctor. “You have to weigh what the quality of life is for a patient,” Walsh said. “With hormone therapy . . . you’re not actually replacing (hormones). You’re giving back a version of them to help life become more bearable for her.” Women with a history of stroke, clots in the lung or leg, active cardiac disease, or gynecological cancers are not typically candidates for hormone replacement, Walsh said. Walsh also cautioned women to be wary of what are called bioidentical hormones —also referred to as natural hormone therapy. Often, these hormones, which are not regulated by the government, are marketed with claims of being better or “more natural” than standard hormone therapy. “They’re not regulated by the FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration),” Walsh said. “They say it’s the same hormone . . . but you want something that’s regulated.” 2 Courier‐Post July 26, 2013 Giving Back Briefs: Run raises $36K, hospital group donates defibrillator and other news of the volunteer community Posted: Monday, July 1, 2013 12:00 am Run raises $36,000 The family of Peyton Laricks, 5, of Sea Isle City, hosted the fifth Annual Peyton's Promise 5K Run/2K Walk on Sea Isle's oceanfront promenade June 8. The event raised $36,000 for congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) research. CDH is a birth defect that occurs when the diaphragm fails to fully develop, allowing abdominal organs to enter the chest cavity. Peyton was born with CDH in 2008. Following months of intensive care at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and numerous surgeries, she was finally able to go home to Sea Isle City. Grateful that their daughter's life was saved, her parents, Dustin and Debbie Laricks, made a promise to help raise awareness and money for ongoing CDH research. Over five years, the run has raised $150,000. Giving Back Briefs: Run raises $36K, hospital group donates defibrillator and other news of the volunteer community Peyton Laricks, 5, second from right, is shown with her parents, Debbie and Dustin, sister Quinn, 2, and brother Dusty, 7, during the 2013 Peyton’s Promise 5K Run/2K Walk on June 8 in Sea Isle City The event was followed by a family-friendly celebration at The Springfield Inn Carrousel, which featured food, music, raffles and an award ceremony for the winners of the 5K. To learn more about Peyton's Promise, visit peytonspromise.com. Pillow cases for kids The Tri-County Community Interact Club, sponsored by the Vineland Rotary Club, participated in a project with the ConKerr Cancer organization to make pillow cases for children battling serious illnesses. The community service club for students also recently planted a garden at the Vineland YMCA, sponsored a BINGO night at 1 Press of Atlantic City July 1, 2013 the N.J. Veterans Memorial Home in Vineland and participated in the Rotary Adopt-a-Road program by picking up litter on Landis Avenue in Vineland. The Interact Club is a community-based club with members from Schalick High School in Pittsgrove Township, Vineland High School, Buena Regional High School, Our Lady of Mercy in Newfield and Sacred Heart High School in Vineland, as well as Rossi and Wallace Middle Schools in Vineland. For more information, contact Melanie Druziako, youth service director of the Vineland Rotary Club at 609-774-3671 or info@vinelandrotary.com. Bandstand ball More than 450 supporters turned out to twist and shout at the "American Bandstand Grand Ball" at Loews Philadephia Hotel to raise money for the Inspira Health Network Foundation, formerly South Jersey Healthcare Foundation. IHN medical staff hosted the event and co-chairs were Lawrence A. Pepper Jr., David Robbins Jr., Dr. Michael A Villani and Dr. Scott E. Wagner. The event included cocktails, dining and dancing featuring The David Christopher Orchestra. All proceeds support the Inspira Foundation. In keeping with the "American Bandstand" theme, a Philadelphia Getaway Weekend, courtesy of the Loews Philadelphia Hotel, was the door prize won by Dave Moore, of Bridgeton. For more information about the IHN Foundation visit inspirafoundation.net or call 856-641-8290. Noyes gets free AED Representatives of the Heart Institute at AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center presented an automated external defibrillator (AED) to the Noyes Museum of Art, Stockton College through the ARMC Heart Heroes Matching Funds Program during the museum's summer season opening reception. The donation was AtlantiCare's 98th matching funds or full donation of an AED since it implemented the Matching Funds Program in 2002. The ARMC Heart Heroes is a volunteer group that raises funds to place AEDs in the community. For more information about the AtlantiCare Heart Heroes Matching Funds Program, including how to make a donation, visit atlanticare.org, call the AtlantiCare Access Center at 888-569-1000 or find AtlantiCare on Facebook at facebook.com/AtlantiCare. Group seeks legal help Body in Balance gym in Linwood and the local Parkinson's Support Group are looking for legal help in setting up a non-profit corporation in order to apply for grants. For more information contact Norman Cohen at at ncohen12@comcast.net (Items for the Giving Back page can be e-mailed to givingback@pressofac.com) 2 Press of Atlantic City July 1, 2013 Cumberland County banking on prisons for economic stability Posted: Wednesday, July 3, 2013 10:43 pm Cumberland County banking on prisons for economic stability By THOMAS BARLAS, Staff Writer Cumberland County's financial dependence on guarding men and women behind prison bars continues to grow after more than four decades. Cumbo prisons The latest venture involves housing prisoners from Gloucester County at the Cumberland County jail in Bridgeton, a program that should reap Cumberland County millions of dollars to help balance its budgets. South Woods State Prison in Bridgeton is one of three state prisons in Cumberland County. About a third of New Jersey's state prison population is housed in South Woods and Bayside State Prison and Southern State Correctional Facility. Those three prisons also employ more than 1,500 Cumberland County residents, making it likely the largest employer in Cumberland County. Those prisoners - the county will accept between 100 and 350, depending on space - will join thousands of inmates lodged in three state prisons located in Cumberland County. Bayside State Prison and Southern State Correctional Facility in Maurice River Township and South Woods State Prison in Bridgeton house about a third of the more than 23,100 inmates in all of the state's prisons. Those three prisons also represent something else to Cumberland County - they make up perhaps the largest and most stable employer in a county with one of the worst economies in New Jersey. The state Department of Corrections employs 1,591 Cumberland County residents. That represents about 19 percent of the department's entire work force. Of those employees, 1,534 work at Bayside, South Woods and Southern State. The Cumberland County Department of Planning and Economic Development lists Inspira Health Network as the county's largest private-sector employer, with more than 2,800 workers. That figure includes Inspira's entire work force from several counties. Cumberland County's next largest private-sector employer is Durand Glass Manufacturing Co. in Millville, which has 970 workers U.S. Census Bureau data lists the median household income for Cumberland County from 2007 to 2011 as $52,004. The average state corrections department worker earned $69,394 in fiscal year 2012, with the figure standing at $72,915 for a senior corrections officer. 1 Press of Atlantic City July 3, 2013 The federal Bureau of Prisons also operates a correctional facility in Fairfield Township. The number of inmates and prisoners at the facility was not available. Cumberland County Freeholder Chairman William Whelan contends the county's 70,000-person labor pool - of which the state reports almost 13 percent was unemployed as of last month - would be in even worse shape without the state prison jobs. "Without those prisons, unemployment is another two points higher," he said. The deal to accept prisoners from Gloucester County's jail, which is scheduled to be shuttered this month, is something that Cumberland County officials say is necessary to help them close budget gaps. Under the deal, Gloucester County will pay $100 per day for each prisoner lodged in Cumberland County's jail. Cumberland County officials say they expect to realize at least $3 million from the agreement annually. The county will get about $1.7 from the agreement this year. The first 73 prisoners arrived at the Bridgeton facility on June 22 and 23. County officials said the number was expected to increase to about 120 by the end of last month. Cumberland County Administrator Kenneth Mecouch said it is probable that the county will wind up realizing more than $3 million annually as the program progresses. The agreement between Cumberland and Gloucester counties was not without controversy. The Cumberland County Board of Chosen Freeholders approved the agreement in concept in March. Some county residents told the freeholders at that time the deal would result in more criminals staying in the county upon their release. They alleged that is happening with inmates released from the three state prisons. "We do not want them," Vineland resident Steve Lewis told the board. "We do not need them." While allegations that state prison inmates remain in Cumberland County after their release have been debated for decades, there is no hard evidence to show that it happens. Corrections Department spokeswoman Dierdre Fedkenheuer said the department does not track where state prisoners go following their release. Department officials say they offer prisoners the opportunity to buy an NJ Transit bus or rail ticket to "aid in their transition into the community." The New Jersey State Parole Board also does not track where ex-offenders go upon their release from a state correctional facility. Anecdotal information indicates that most state prisoners return their home counties upon release, they said. Officials with the Cumberland County Board of Social Services did not respond to requests from The Press of Atlantic City for comment about the issue. 2 Press of Atlantic City July 3, 2013 Bridgeton Police Chief Mark Ott said there are only "a couple of instances that stick in my mind" involving criminal problems related to people released from the state prisons in the county. "That prison has been there a long time," he said of South Woods, which opened in 1997. Still, Ott believes that the state should formally study where state inmates go upon their release. That might finally put the issue to rest, he said. Whelan said objection to or support of all the prisons in Cumberland County is something with which officials and residents must live. "Whether you like the fact that there is a prison in your backyard, the decisions were made years ago," he said. Contact Thomas Barlas: 609-226-9197 TBarlas@pressofac.com State prisons in Cumberland The state Department of Corrections operations three prisons in Cumberland County. Bayside State Prison is located on more than 1,100 acres in the Leesburg section of Maurice River Township. The facility opened in 1970 and houses more than 2,100 prisoners in three operational units. The facility has 661 employees, including 404 from Cumberland County. Southern State Correctional Facility occupies 77 acres in the Delmont section of Maurice River Township. The facility opened in 1983 and houses more than 2,000 prisoners in prefabricated, dormitory-style units. The facility has 646 employees, including 396 Cumberland County residents. South Woods State Prison occupies 85 acres in Bridgeton and is the state's newest prison. The facility opened in 1997 and houses more than 3,400 prisoners, more than any other state prison. The prison has three medium-custody housing facilities and a minimum-custody housing unit. The facility has 998 employees, including 734 from Cumberland County. Source: New Jersey Department of Corrections 3 Press of Atlantic City July 3, 2013 Catching Up: Cumberland teen program working well Posted: Thursday, July 4, 2013 11:15 pm Thirty-three months ago: Cumberland County program addresses teen pregnancy In October 2010 officials at South Jersey Healthcare - now called Inspira Health Network - unveiled a comprehensive plan to help Cumberland County's teen pregnancy problems. The county has long led the state in teen pregnancy, with the rate reported at 16 percent at the time the program was announced. But local officials unveiled a plan to work with current sixth-graders and their families on a nearly daily basis and make sure they have everything they needed to stay in school, and for their families to have proper counseling and support for their children. The program was supplied by a $5 million grant from the Carrera Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Program, which provided a model for the program. So far it's been successful. Dawn Truett, project director for the Partnership for Healthy Teens program at Inspira Health Network, said they have finished the second year of the program and have 125 future eighth-graders from Vineland and Bridgeton enrolled. Truett said the program is going very well and they are working closely with the parents to ensure they are closely monitoring their kids' progress. The staff of 25 people - including five full-time employees - meet with the youths five days per week and also hold weekend events throughout the year, she said. "The plan is to give them hope. Hope is very powerful," she said. "If they are empowered to move forward they will not want to lose their opportunities." Nine months ago: Atlantic County installs new shuttle Atlantic County started a new shuttle on Oct. 1 that runs from Tilton Road in Northfield to English Creek Avenue in Egg Harbor Township from 7 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. seven days a week. The service - which costs $1 each way - has become very popular, and the county added more buses beginning July 1. The shuttle will now run every 45 minutes instead of every two hours. There are 14 total stops, including five that connect to NJ Transit bus stops. 1 Press of Atlantic City July 4, 2013 To view the new schedule and learn more about the English Creek-Tilton Road Community Shuttle, visit www.driveless.com or call Cross County Connection at 856- 596-8228. Ten Months Ago: Cape May County adds security cameras in shore towns In September 2012 the Cape May County Prosecutor's Office secured a $250,000 Homeland Security grant and added nearly 30 cameras on the boardwalks in Ocean City, Wildwood, Avalon and Cape May. With the summer season under way, Prosecutor Robert Taylor says so far the program has been a success and led to multiple arrests. Now the office is working with local officials, business owners and residents to identify the next places to add cameras when more grant money becomes available, he said. The prosecutor added North Wildwood and Sea Isle could be the next shore towns to get cameras. The office has also started to identify all of the publicly and privately owned security cameras in the county so the office knows every location that is covered by video surveillance. Contact Joel Landau: 609-272-7215 jlandau@pressofac.com 2 Press of Atlantic City July 4, 2013 Former Kessler Hospital ready for renovations work to begin Posted: Saturday, July 27, 2013 12:01 am Former Kessler Hospital ready for renovations work to begin By MICHELLE <br>BRUNETTI POST, Staff Writer HAMMONTON - Work on the roof, windows, and heating and air conditioning systems at the planned Kessler Medical Arts Complex is starting now that the investment group that bought the defunct hospital has all approvals needed from the town. "They can proceed to do improvements, and are in a position to firm up several proposed tenants," said Hammonton attorney Frank G. Olivo, who represents the owner, Kessler Management LLC. "It will be nice to see the building come back, and good for the town with jobs coming in." Kessler Management got permission from the Planning Board this month to change the use of the property from a hospital to a medical arts building. The board also granted the group a waiver of site plan approval, since the footprint of the building won't change. The building is on the White Horse Pike at East Central Avenue, on the shore of Hammonton Lake. Steve Kirby, managing partner for Kessler Management's holding company, Community Healthcare Associates LLC of Bloomfield, Essex County, predicted in a presentation to the Planning Board in April that the complex will provide jobs for about 200 people when fully occupied. He said then that the company planned to recruit physicians, outpatient surgery centers, blood labs, imaging services, physical therapy and rehabilitation services, as well as behavioral health and sleep centers, as tenants. He also predicted some tenants might move in this fall, if all approvals were quickly granted. Kirby has also said the group has a signed letter of intent from a North Jersey surgical center to open in the Kessler building, but that a more complex process of opening would prevent it from beginning operation before 2014. Community Healthcare purchased the 94,000-square-foot former William B. Kessler Memorial Hospital for $2.6 million in October 2011 after bankruptcy court proceedings. The 130-bed hospital closed in 2009 after years of financial turmoil and a failed attempt to merge with South Jersey Healthcare. Community Healthcare created a similar medical arts center at the 300,000-square-foot Barnert Hospital in Paterson, Passaic County. It purchased it after bankruptcy proceedings and renovated it as the Barnert 1 Press of Atlantic City July 27, 2013 Medical Arts Complex. Renovations began in 2008, and now the building is about 95 percent full, Kirby has said. The Kessler facility would compete with AtlantiCare's $20.6 million, 40,000-square-foot Hammonton Health Park, which opened about two miles down the White Horse Pike in 2011. The health park offers woundhealing, cardiac diagnostics, a clinical laboratory, imaging center, satellite emergency department and other services. But Kirby has said his facility is likely to attract a different mix of tenants. At the request of the state, AtlantiCare had operated an emergency facility in Kessler for many months, starting the day the hospital closed in 2009, Kirby has said. It invested about $2 million in upgrades there. Contact Michelle Brunetti Post: 609-272-7219 MPost@pressofac.com 2 Press of Atlantic City July 27, 2013 Gloucester County, others sued by attorney's widow over 2011 'cardiac arrest' in court complex By Joe Green/South Jersey Times on July 10, 2013 at 6:00 AM, updated July 10, 2013 at 6:01 AM CAMDEN — The widow of an attorney who died two years ago after his heart allegedly stopped in the Gloucester County Justice Complex is suing the county and others in federal court, claiming negligence and faulty defibrillators caused his death. Amy Vasquez of Burlington, an attorney herself, is also litigating the suit she filed Monday, seeking various damages for the death of her husband, Peter Nicholas Fiorentino. She names herself and her five-year-old daughter, the only child she and Fiorentino had together, as the plaintiffs. Vasquez names as defendants the county, the Sheriff’s Department, Sheriff Carmel Morina, the county Emergency Medical Services (EMS), EMS Chief Andy Lovell, two manufacturers of the automatic external defibrillators (AEDs) in question and several “John and Jane Does,” individuals not necessarily identified yet as of the filing of the suit. According to the suit, on July 7, 2011, Fiorentino was on the second floor of the Justice Complex with two other attorneys when “he went into cardiac arrest.” The suit doesn’t specify why his heart stopped, but later says that “The emergency room cardiologist reported that Pete did not suffer a heart attack.” Vasquez earlier in her suit said that her 42-year-old husband was “in good health” at the time. Sheriff’s officers, who provide security in the courtrooms and the Justice Complex overall, did not respond with AEDs, Vasquez claims, “and the officers on the scene reportedly did not know immediately where to locate the AEDs housed by their office in the building.” Eventually, the suit continues, and AED was used but malfunctioned. It’s not clear when and by whom the device was used. But Vasquez alleges that “hospital staff reported that an AED used to treat (Fiorentino) malfunctioned by canceling a charge in preparation for a shock.” 1 South Jersey Times July 10, 2013 She says the Sheriff’s Office and county EMS in part failed to train their employees in operating and maintaining the AEDs. Fiorentino’s heart that day was eventually restarted, and he was taken to what was then Underwood Memorial Hospital, not Inspira Medical Center, in Woodbury. But, the suit claims, he never regained consciousness. He died several days later from anoxic brain injury, it says. Vasquez blames his death on “the minutes it took before an AED was brought to the scene and used to effectively restore (Fiorentino’s) heartbeat.” Contact staff writer Joe Green at 856-845-3300 ext. 253 or jgreen@southjerseymedia.com 2 South Jersey Times July 10, 2013 Photos from South Jersey Times Staff photos from the South Jersey Times Woodstown Junior Woman's Club makes donation to NICU at Inspira Medical Center, Vineland, July 11, 2013 Thursday, July 11, 2013 3:07 PM By Cindy Hepner/South Jersey Times Follow New mom, Johanna Brown, holds her preemie newborn, Pamela Elizabeth Brown, as members Colleen Prater, center, and Karen Perry, of the Junior Woman's Club of Woodstown, make a donation of Kangaroo slings, Zaky hands and blankets during a visit to the NICU Maternity unit at Inspira Medical Center in Vineland, Thursday, July 11, 2013. The items donated help with premature babies and parents in the health and bonding after delivery. (Staff Photo by Cindy Hepner/South Jersey Times) 1 South Jersey Times July 11, 2013 Bridgeton pregnancy prevention program receives $5M By Brittany M. Wehner/South Jersey Times Follow on Twitter on July 15, 2013 at 7:20 AM BRIDGETON — Reaching out to youth to educate and prevent pregnancy, a local program received $5 million in federal funding to continue to empower adolescents and promote abstinence. With the motto “At Promise not At Risk,” the Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Program — sponsored by Inspira Health Network — targets children in grade six to empower them and help them develop personal goals and a desire for a productive future. The free program educates adolescence about abstinence, potential consequences of sexual activity, and independent growth. Kishawn Fentress drys the washed vehicle. Students, who participate in the Inspira Health Network Pregnancy Prevention Program, held a car wash at West Avenue School in Bridgeton, Wednesday, July 10, 2013. The fourweek summer program focuses on life skills, pregnancy prevention and education. (Staff Photo by Cindy Hepner/South Jersey Times) According to Jasmine Demby, program coordinator, the goal is to help kids develop an avoidance of pregnancy, model opportunities for youth to discover interests, invest in talents, and emphasize education and employment. “We are very detailed and stay with children year after year,” Demby said. “Our main three goals of the program are to help the children not become mommies and daddies, graduate high school, and continue their education.” According to the coordinator, there are about 60 students in Bridgeton Public School District and another 60 in Vineland Public School District enrolled in the program — 30 girls and 30 boys at each location. This is the third year for the program. Students meet in two different locations, depending on their school district. According to Demby, 60 students gather at Wallace Middle School in Vineland, and West Avenue School in Bridgeton. The program follows seven main components including: education, employment, mental health services, family life and sexuality education, self-expression, lifetime individual sports, and full medical, dental and vision care with local providers. The students in the program recently met on Wednesday to hold a car wash at West Avenue School to interact and get involved as part of the job component of the program. 1 South Jersey Times July 15, 2013 Youth in the program meet five days a week throughout the school year and also participate in a fiveweek annual summer program. The theme this summer is entrepreneurship — the kids doing something different each week from a car wash to running a lemonade stand. According to Demby, those involved with the education and pregnancy preventing will keep an eye out as times change, in the case of needing to start working with students even younger in age. “It’s a teenage pregnancy prevention program and that is the number one, important thing. Besides that, it is to have a safe place for kids to come after school. It’s a safe haven and kids know they have somewhere to come and they are provided with transportation,” Demby said. Demby added that the long-term hope is to continue receiving funding to keep the program reaching incoming sixth-grade students once the current 120 graduate from high school. Contact staff writer Brittany M. Wehner call 856-935-1500 or email bwehner@southjerseymedia.com 2 South Jersey Times July 15, 2013 Deptford mall opens new indoor playground By Andy Polhamus/South Jersey Times on July 18, 2013 at 5:34 PM, updated July 18, 2013 at 9:04 PM Jacob Rich, 2, from Sicklerville, plays in the new custom Kids Play Zone as his babysitter, Jen Sheldon of Glassboro watches, Thursday, July 18, 2013. The Kids Play Zone is located on the upper level near the food court of the Deptford Mall, sponsored by Inspria Health Network. (Staff Photo by Tim Hawk/South Jersey Times) DEPTFORD TWP. — As soon as the mascots from various mall eateries broke down the foam block barrier into the new “soft play” area, the kids rushed in. The indoor playground, sponsored by Inspira Medical Center of Woodbury in conjunction with the Deptford Mall, was open for business Thursday morning. “What I like about it is that today we’re dealing with obesity in this country, and we’re dealing with the socialization of kids,” said Chet Kaletkowski, Inspira CEO. “What better way to have kids exercising and interacting?” 1 South Jersey Times July 18, 2013 With a model hot air balloon in the center paying homage to Deptford’s history as the landing site of America’s first flight, the play area is modeled after a garden, with flower and butterfly motifs decorating the floors and slides. The floors are specially padded, and seating along the edges allows parents to keep an eye on their kids. And in the midst of a brutal heat wave, children and adults alike were happy to have a place to escape the weather. “It’s nice to be inside and find spots where we can cool off,” said Jen Sheldon of Glassboro, who was babysitting on Thursday. “It’s good to see all the people in the community.” Ten-month-old Nataniah Rios crawled along, watching older children at play. “If she’s happy, I’m happy,” said her mother, Isolina Rios of Bellmawr. “I like it. She can interact and play with other kids.” Lisa Dougherty of Deptford said the playground made running errands more fun for her son, Logan. “I think it’s a really great idea,” she said. “It’s nice because there’s an incentive. ‘If you come shopping with me, you can play.’” In addition to the opening festivities, children could participate in crafts and get their faces painted. Clowns and costumed mascots roamed the area posing for pictures with the children. “I like it because it’s kind of like a garden,” said 6-year-old Casi O’Connor. “My favorite part is the flowers.” “There’s so much equipment to play with,” said 4-year-old Ethan Halaby of Williamstown. “My favorite part was knocking over the blocks.” Kaletkowski looked on as children climbed over the fixtures in the playground. “This is our way of saying we’re not just here for when you’re sick,” he said. “We’re here for you locally.” Contact staff writer Andy Polhamus at 856-686-3729 or apolhamus@southjerseymedia.com 2 South Jersey Times July 18, 2013 South Jersey heatwave toughest on those who must work outdoors By Josh Strope/South Jersey Times on July 18, 2013 at 6:00 AM, updated July 18, 2013 at 6:07 AM SALEM — For those whose jobs require them to work outdoors, there is no escape from South Jersey’s current heatwave. Extreme heat can cause heat stress, dehydration, heat stroke, and in extreme cases death for people who work outdoors, like construction and agricultural workers. Temperatures for the past three days have it the mid to high 90s. Warmer weather is expected today through Saturday. On Wednesday, the mercury soared to 97 degrees. View full sizeDespite the extreme heat Wednesday, workers continued with a project at Fort Mott State Park in Pennsville. The temperature hit 97 degrees on Wednesday.Staff Photo by Cindy Hepner Local businesses have been making sure workers stay hydrated by using coolers full of ice to keep drinks cold. “Most of our employees wear long sleeve shirts. It keeps sweat close to the body and helps deflect the sun.” says Jim Thorpe owner of The J Boys. For those working on highway projects, the key is working off-hours. “Most of the major construction happens at night because there is less traffic. However, maintenance crews will start work earlier in the day so they can avoid the extreme heat.” says Tim Greeley, Press Officer at the New Jersey Department of Transportation. For Bill Martinez, a heavy highway construction worker who was outside Wednesday on Buckshutem Road in Maurice River Township, the key is to take care of himself the night before working 10 hours outside by resting and eating right. “As long as you keep up with your fluids and try to snack on potassium and protein, you can be okay.” “Pretty much, you have to get yourself in a mindset that you have to push through it. Noon is the hardest but you get accustomed to the heat.” Richard Keen, who has been a mechanic for 30 years, powers through the heat while working on motor vehicles at Hassler Repair Garage, located on Route 49 in Salem. “I’m kind of used to it, but this week is really hard,” he said. 1 South Jersey Times July 18, 2013 Despite the extreme heat, folks seem to be heeding warnings to take care of themselves. “We haven’t seen any heat related issues besides one case (where the heat contributed to an illness) in Woodbury,” said Diana Gervasi, manager of marketing/communications at Inspira Health Network. Extreme heat creates a higher possibility for fires. There is also an added danger for a firefighter in the heat because of the protective gear they must wear. “Once the danger level goes down, we can take our jackets off and since the fires are so hot, the air is usually cooling, however in extreme heat like this it is harder for us to cool down which can lead to issues such as heat stroke, heat exhaustion and more,” said Paulsboro Fire Chief Alfonso Giampola. “It’s a dangerous situation, add it with gear it’s twice as hard to cool down.” According to the National Weather Service, relief from the extreme heat isn’t expected until the weekend. The hot weather prompted the New Jersey Department of Environmental protection to issue a Code Orange air alert for today because air pollution concentrations may become unhealthy for sensitive groups such as those with asthma, heart and lung diseases and the elderly. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has launched a campaign to spread public awareness to inform workers and employers of heat hazards and safeguards. According to OSHA, there are three words that can help prevent heat related illnesses — Water, Rest, and Shade. “Getting the message out is a matter of life and death,” said Kristine Logue, an OSHA representative. “Last summer 4,400 workers were hospitalized, 61 of them died,” she said. OSHA has also created a website and a phone application which has a lot of information for employers, which can be found on the OSHA website at www.osha.gov, or by calling 1-800-596OSHA. Staff Writer Brittany M. Wehner contributed to this report. --- Contact reporter Josh Strope at 856-935-1500 or jstrope@southjerseymedia.com 2 South Jersey Times July 18, 2013 Relief from the extreme heat headed our way this weekend By South Jersey Times on July 19, 2013 at 5:41 PM, updated July 19, 2013 at 5:58 PM Relief is coming. The extreme heat which has gripped the region for nearly a week is expected to break this weekend, forecasters say. An approaching cold front on Saturday is expected to spark thunderstorms — some heavy — and bring more seasonal temperatures. The latest heatwave began Sunday when the temperature hit 90 degrees. Throughout the week the mercury soared, rising into the mid to upper 90s each day. The hottest day of the week was Wednesday when the temperature hit 97 degrees. Coupled with high humidity, the temperatures produced heat indices reaching as high as 105 degrees. The heat has not only been uncomfortable, but dangerous. A spokesperson for Inspira Health Network said in the past week its emergency departments at its Bridgeton, Elmer, Vineland and Woodbury facilities have seen a few patients suffering from the effects of the heat. At The Memorial Hospital of Salem County in Mannington Township, the emergency department has seen a 10 percent spike in patients because of visits by those suffering from the effects of the heat, according to Dr. Stephen Katz, director of the emergency department. Patients have suffered from heat exhaustion and heat cramps. Despite the extreme heat, an Atlantic City Electric spokesperson said today that the utility has experienced no problems with outages. While demand for electricity is up to power air conditioning, no new output records have been set. 1 South Jersey Times The utility continues to ask its customers to conserve power where they can. The National Weather Service forecast calls for thunderstorms, especially in the evening to move through the region Saturday ahead of an approaching cold front. The storms could contain damaging winds, heavy rainfall and frequent lightning. Highs Saturday are expected to be in the lower 90s. The forecast for Sunday calls for more seasonal highs with temperatures in the mid 80s. Contact the South Jersey Times at 856-935-1500 or 856-451-1000 and news@southjerseymedia.com 2 South Jersey Times 1 South Jersey Times July 25, 2013 A lot of heart at 22nd Annual Sunset Challenge Triathlon at Parvin State Park By Spencer Kent/South Jersey Times Follow on Twitter on July 27, 2013 at 6:00 PM, updated July 28, 2013 at 12:39 PM PITTSGROVE TWP. — Hannah Devlin, member of the Mullica Hill Woman’s Tri Club, was petrified early Saturday morning at the 22nd Annual Sunset Challenge Triathlon held at Parvin State Park. The triathlon involved combinations of swimming, biking and running. Devlin was not afraid of the running or biking, but prior to her start, expressed an immense fear of water. Yet, there she was Saturday, in her pink and black wet suit, ready to take on the challenge head on — like a true champ. And if she conquered her water-phobia, medal or no medal — it would be something truly invaluable. She came over to her teammate Colleen Fossett, of Mullica Hill, to help quell her angst. “You’re going to be fine,” Fossett said with Club teammates all around. Devlin dug deep and dove in head first — she was off. Bruce Willson, race director for the Bridgeton Exchange Club, has been volunteering the event for 21 years. Willson, who works at the Inspira Health Network fitness center, doesn’t compete in triathlons. He prefers squash. But for Willson — it’s about the camaraderie visible all around Saturday. “People keep coming back and a lot of friendships develop here,” Willson said. “That’s something I really like. It’s a good positive environment with a lot of success stories.” Willson added that all event proceeds go to the Exchange Club — a national foundation that helps fund the work of local Exchange Clubs that help develop and maintain community-based child abuse prevention programs. Willson had to call the event off last year — the first time in 22 years — from the damage caused by the derecho storm. Up until two years ago, the event was originally staged at Sunset Lake, in Bridgeton — but the storm on Aug. 14, 2011 following Hurricane Irene, caused immense flood damage. The lake is now in dismal conditions as bacteria forced the lake to be closed and emptied two years ago. But the elusive Willson, whose event duties barely had him in one spot for more than a minute — was off again. 1 South Jersey Times July 27, 2013 For some, the event was very serious. For others, it was something low key. Kyle Gandy, 36, of Bridgeton, was there with his wife Jayne and kids 8-year-old Mason and 5-yearold Ella. The married couple have been coming to the event for nine years. Kyle Gandy, who played basketball for Bridgeton High School, was just there to push himself Saturday. He described the agonizing pain involved in triathlons. “When you’re in the water, you can’t wait to be on your bike. Half way on your bike, you can’t wait to get off and be running. And when you’re running, you just can’t wait to finish.” Jayne, a member of Mullica Hill Woman’s Tri Club and a Cumberland Regional High School alumni, said for her — the tough exercise keeps her “mentally balanced.” But others were just down right competitive and wanted to beat everybody — like 69-year-old Ted Hardies, of Marlton. “I have a very competitive personality,” he said. “However, waking up at 4:30 a.m. to do this stuff, sometimes I will say to myself — ‘what am I doing.’” People from all over the East Coast were in attendance, 346 entries in all — which included Pat O’Connell, of Avon, CT. At about 10 a.m., runners began to make a last dash to the finish line, the crowd roaring names of friends, family and loved ones. Competitors crossed the orange line, glistening with sweat, men embracing one another with sweaty shirtless hugs and fist bumps. Alexandra Jaslar, Vicki Foody and Rebecca Rinaldi, of Florence, NJ, celebrated as Rinaldi took first in the 30-34 age group. “I’m so glad I passed that chick,” Rinaldi said. She added, “Now I can’t wait to go eat a pound of pizza at my husband’s restaurant.” And receiving the whooo’s of his mom was the impressive and feisty 13-year-old Alex Horgan, of Wilmington, DE, who crossed the finish line along with all the adults. As for Hannah Devlin, the one ever so fearful of water — she did it. She finished. “Not well, but I got through,” she said smiling. Her teammate Colleen Fossett swam with her the entire way. To view race results visit: https://www.lin-mark.com/raceresults 2 South Jersey Times July 27, 2013 Tri‐county health assessment points to chronic disease, obesity, mental health issues plaguing region By Michelle Caffrey / South Jersey Times Follow on Twitter on July 28, 2013 at 7:00 AM, updated July 28, 2013 at 7:10 AM Diabetes, often managed by blood sugar testers like the one in this file photo, was one of the chronic diseases that are leading health concerns in all three counties (AP Photo/Joerg Sarbach, file). Five health systems, 12 hospitals, three county health departments and a range of community partners in South Jersey got a check-up, last week when the results of a tricounty community health assessment were presented at Camden County College. The study involved the Kennedy, Lourdes and Virtua health systems as well as Inspira Medical Center of Woodbury and Cooper University Health Care in Camden along with health departments from Gloucester, Camden and Burlington. The purpose of the study, which is mandated by the Affordable Care Act, is to identify key health issues affecting consumers in the region. Topping the list of pressing concerns in the three counties is access to health care as well as chronic health conditions like diabetes, heart disease and cancer along with mental health, substance abuse and obesity. To complete the intensive 10-month study, the five health systems called on Pennsylvania-based research and consulting company Holleran. They tapped secondary data from the Health Research & Educational Trust of New Jersey on a range of health statistics, combining that with a telephone survey of nearly 2,500 tri-county residents and interviews with 165 Camden City residents of diverse populations. Researchers also conducted focus group discussions and interviews with 154 local community leaders. 1 South Jersey Times July 28, 2013 While collaboration wasn't mandated, the director of communications for Inspira Medical Center of Woodbury said it made sense. “We all serve the same communities, we overlap," said Molly Tritt. "There’s always strength in numbers ... There’s a competitive nature among hospitals, but this was very much a collaborative project.” __ The data revealed various levels of health issues faced by each county, such as the percentage of respondents surveyed who said they needed to see a doctor in the past year but couldn’t due to cost. Only 12.8 percent of respondents in Gloucester County said that was an issue, compared to 16.2 percent in Camden County, 15.9 percent in Burlington County and 38 percent in Camden City, which is consistently an outlier in the data. Gloucester also ranked highest in insurance coverage, with 92.3 percent of residents surveyed reporting coverage by private health insurance or government-issued plans like Medicare. That compares to 87.9 percent in Camden County, 76 percent in Camden City and 90 percent in Burlington County. The average in New Jersey is 88.5, but just 84.9 percent nationwide. For illness, diabetes, is a significant issue in all three counties, with reported rates slightly higher than the national and state averages of 9.3 and 9.2, respectively. Gloucester County has the highest rate of respondents reporting high blood cholesterol, coming in at 42.3 percent. That compares to 41.1 percent in Burlington County, 37.3 percent in Camden County, 37 percent statewide and 38.5 percent nationwide. The survey found that Camden County has more high blood pressure, though, with 43.3 percent of respondents reporting a diagnosis, compared to 37.1 percent in Gloucester County, 32.3 percent in Burlington County, and 30.6 percent statewide. Among the three counties studied, Gloucester has the lowest rate of asthma at 14.1 percent, but that number is higher than the state average of 13.3 percent and the national average of 13.5 percent. Camden City has the highest asthma rate with 27.7 percent, followed by Burlington County with 18.5 percent and Camden County with 17.8 percent. Skin cancer rates were the lowest in Camden City, with just .6 percent of respondents reporting a previous diagnosis of skin cancer, compared to 7.3 in Burlington County, 6.6 in Gloucester County and 5.5 in Camden County. The national average is 5.7 and state average is 4.8 percent. For all types of cancer, however, Gloucester County has the highest rates with 8.3 percent of respondents reporting a cancer diagnosis. In Camden County, that number of cancer diagnoses drops to 6.1 percent, compared to the state average of 5.5 percent and national average of 6.5 percent. — The survey also measured risk factors that contribute to chronic disease, including exercise, obesity and smoking. 2 South Jersey Times July 28, 2013 In Gloucester County, 70.4 percent of respondents said they participated in physical activities in the past month, compared to 70.2 in Camden County, 60 in Camden City and 72.9 in Burlington County. The entire region comes under the state average of 73.4 percent and national average of 75.6 percent. Gloucester County’s consumption of sugared soda was far below the national average, however, with just 11.3 percent of respondents replying they drank full-sugar soda on a daily basis in the past month. That compares to a 17.3 percent national average, 11.5 percent in Burlington County and 14.6 percent in Camden County. The tri-county region was nearly equal in the percentage of fast food consumed, with 23.8 percent of respondents reporting consumption of fast food one to seven times a week. The same percentage applied to Camden County, but Burlington County came in slightly lower at 23.1 percent. Smoking, a significant contributor toward cancers, breathing issues and a variety of health conditions, saw the highest rate in Camden City with 57.5 respondents reporting that they smoked every day. That number dropped to 31.3 for all of Camden County, 29.5 percent for Gloucester and 27.1 for Burlington. — In addition to the household surveys, researchers interviewed local leaders in health and human services, government agencies and community groups. The interviews identified five key health issues that applied to all three counties: access to care, diabetes, obesity, substance and alcohol abuse, plus mental health and suicide. The interviewees pointed to a lack of health insurance for residents, the inability to pay out-of-pocket expenses, inability to navigate the health care system, lack of transportation, and lack of provider availability as the highest barriers to getting proper health care. Focus groups, six in total with two per county, pointed to similar needs in the community, adding to the need for community awareness of available programs, a need for more mental and behavioral health services as well as a need for a centralized place to get information along with a listing of resources. These respondents suggested a range of improvements including transportation assistance, patient navigation services, nutrition and exercise programs, support groups, and chronic disease management programs among others — With survey results in hand, the health systems and county agencies will now establish a prioritization process to look closer at the areas of need and come up with collaborative ways to match the needs of the community with the ability and reach of each entity. “Our next step for the whole collaborative is to get together and look at all of this and prioritize what issues we can effectively address and decide what organizations will address what,” said Frances Atkinson, vice president of marketing for the Kennedy Health System For example, Kennedy could decide to tackle chronic disease, specifically diabetes, and put together an outreach program. Community organizations could offer venues to reach the community, and a county health department could address the need for better transportation. 3 South Jersey Times July 28, 2013 The Gloucester County Board of Health has a community health plan in place to address some of the problems put forward in the survey, according to county Public Health Officer Annmarie Ruiz. “Some of the issues that came out were already aligned with that,” Ruiz said. She added that the county board meets twice a year with hospitals and local boards of health to inform them about the available county programs including free flu shots to county residents, free screenings for various chronic diseases at the County Store in the Deptford Mall, and community resource guides provided to local medical practices. “They’re all important topics,” said Ruiz. “We now have to work together, prioritize the topics and areas we’re going to focus on, and move forward.” Contact staff writer Michelle Caffrey at 856-686-3686 or mcaffrey@southjerseymedia.com 4 South Jersey Times July 28, 2013 PR Newswire Read the latest New Jersey business press releases Comcast Business Ethernet Just What the Doctor Ordered for Inspira Health Network High-Speed Connection Assists South Jersey Healthcare and Underwood-Memorial Hospital with Transfer of Radiology Images and Electronic Medical Records VINELAND, N.J., July 30, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Comcast Business, a unit of Comcast Cable, the nation's largest video, high-speed Internet and phone provider to business and residential customers, today announced that the recentlynamed Inspira Health Network, which combines South Jersey Healthcare and Underwood-Memorial Hospital, is using Comcast Ethernet services to transfer high-resolution radiology images, internal office communications and documents, and electronic medical records (EMRs). The Ethernet network solution will provide the necessary bandwidth to improve collaboration among physicians across multiple locations, while also paving the way for the healthcare organization to launch new online initiatives that will improve patient care for the local community. Inspira Health Network combines two of southern New Jersey's premier health care systems – South Jersey Healthcare and Underwood-Memorial Hospital – to offer primary, emergent and specialty care to patients throughout Cumberland, Salem, Gloucester, Atlantic and Camden counties. With more than 5,100 employees and 1,000 medical staff, the organization includes the SJH Regional Medical Center, SJH Elmer Hospital, SJH Bridgeton Health Center, Underwood-Memorial Hospital and dozens of outpatient sites throughout the region. As medical technology evolved and high-resolution radiology images and electronic medical records became part of the hospital's standard operating practices, Inspira needed a network solution that could accommodate the ongoing transfer of these critical, bandwidth-demanding files across each of its facilities and internal data centers – without interrupting workflow. With its vast network reach and portfolio of Ethernet services, Comcast responded with a network solution that combined several different Ethernet services, including: • • • • Five 1 Gbps Ethernet Private Line connections that now run between four locations: SJH headquarters in Vineland, Bridgeton Hospital, Elmer Hospital and Underwood-Memorial in Woodbury; 11 additional Ethernet Private Line connections with speeds of between 10 and 100 Megabits-per-second (Mbps) to link eight remote sites to Bridgeton Hospital and three remote patient facilities to Elmer Hospital; Six 6 Mbps Ethernet Private Line over Hybrid Fiber/Coax lines that now connect two remote sites to Elmer Hospital and four to Underwood-Memorial; and Two 100 Mbps Ethernet Dedicated Internet connections at both its Bridgeton Hospital and Elmer Hospital locations to improve Internet access speeds. "One of the great things about our Comcast Ethernet services is the ability to reroute our data traffic through a separate private line to access our files from any of our connected locations. This, combined with being able to quickly scale up our bandwidth with a simple phone instead of a site visit, has allowed our doctors and nurses to be more 1 South Jersey Times July 30, 2013 responsive to our patients by having all the information at their fingertips, regardless of location," said Thomas Pacek, vice president and chief information officer for Inspira Health Network. "As we acquire new practices, having a technology partner that can provide us with reliable connectivity, high speeds, and vast network coverage will allow us to continue doing what we need to do as a premier health network." Inspira Health Network is currently using its Ethernet services as the basis for its Health Information Exchange, an online portal that allows physicians to access a variety of patient and office data, including hospital records, surgery center notes, home health diagnostics, internal files, and more. The organization is testing out a similar portal for its patients as well, which it expects to complete in the coming months. "Ethernet has become an increasingly popular connectivity solution for many healthcare organizations that are constantly struggling with wanting to improve patient care while still being cognizant of costs, especially as the industry shifts to digital healthcare," said Kevin Conmy, vice president of Comcast Business, Freedom Region. "Comcast has made a number of investments in making its fiber infrastructure broadly available and completely diverse from other networks so that hospitals, physicians' offices and patient care facilities across regionally-dispersed locations can all be connected and benefit from the scalability, reliability and speeds that Ethernet offers." About Comcast Business Comcast Business, a unit of Comcast Cable, provides advanced communication solutions to help organizations of all sizes meet their business objectives. Through a modern, advanced network that is backed by 24/7 technical support, Comcast delivers Business Internet, TV and Voice services for cost-effective, simplified communications management. The Comcast Business Ethernet suite offers high-performance point-to-point and multi-point Ethernet services with the capacity to deliver cloud computing, software-as-a-service, business continuity/disaster recovery and other bandwidth-intensive applications. Comcast Ethernet services are significantly faster than standard T1 lines and other legacy technologies, providing scalable bandwidth from 1 Mbps up to 10 Gigabits-per-second (Gbps) in more than 20 major US markets. For more information, call 866-429-3085 or visit http://business.comcast.com/enterprise. Follow us on Twitter @ComcastBusiness and on other social media networks at http://business.comcast.com/social. About Comcast Cable Comcast Cable is the nation's largest video, high-speed Internet and phone provider to businesses and residential customers. Comcast has invested in technology to build an advanced network that delivers among the fastest broadband speeds, and brings customers personalized video, communications and home management offerings. Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK) is a global media and technology company. Visit www.comcastcorporation.com for more information. SOURCE Comcast Cable Back to top RELATED LINKS http://www.comcastcorporation.com 2 South Jersey Times July 30, 2013 Inspira plans health fair in Williamstown By South Jersey Times on July 31, 2013 at 12:40 PM, updated July 31, 2013 at 12:49 PM WILLIAMSTOWN — Inspira Health Network will host a free Health Awareness Fair on Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at St. Matthew’s Community Development Recreation Center, 245 Glassboro Road, Route 322, in Williamstown. Area residents are encouraged to come out for a day filled with free health screenings, educational information, door prizes and free give away items, including Wawa gift cards and more. In addition, special presentations will feature information on local health care access, heart health and stress management. Inspira Health Network is a charitable nonprofit health care organization formed in November 2012 by the merger of South Jersey Healthcare and Underwood-Memorial Hospital. The network, which traces its roots to 1899, now comprises three hospitals, four multi-specialty health centers and a total of more than 60 locations. For more information about Inspira Health Network, visit www.InspiraHealthNetwork.org. Contact the South Jersey Times at 856-845-3300 or at news@southjerseymedia.com 1 South Jersey Times July 31, 2013 July 11th & 18th 1 Elmer Times July 2013 EMR & HIPAA An Open Forum for EMR, EHR, HIT and HIPAA Related Information-EMR! CIO Reveals Secrets to HIE Inspira Health Network is a community health system comprising three hospitals in southern New Jersey, with more than 5,000 employees and 800 affiliated physicians. It is an early adopter of health information exchange technology. In this Q&A-style paper their CIO and Director of Ambulatory Informatics share secrets to their successful Health Information Exchange implementation. One of the most impressive numbers from their HIE implementation is that they were able to get 600 providers using the portal and 36 EMRs connected. Plus, they were able to get their HIE up and running in 4 months while many of the public HIEs were still working on their implementations. As I’ve written about previously, I see a lot of potential in the Private HIE. So, it’s great to see a first hand account from a CIO about their private HIE implementation. Here are some of the other benefits the CIO identifies in the paper: • • • • • Ties the Physician Community to the Organization Helps Meet the Meaningful Use Patient Engagement Requirements Helps Address Care Coordination Requirements Paper, Postage, and Staff Resource Savings Improve Patient Length of Stay Check out the full Q&A for a lot of other insights including rolling out the HIE to doctors who have an EMR and those who don’t. I also love that the CIO confirmed that the biggest technical challenge is that every EHR vendor has interpreted the HL7 standard differently based on the technical limitations of the application. This is why I’m so impressed that they were able to get 36 EMRs connected. I hope more CIOs will share their stories of success. We’ve heard enough bad news in healthcare IT. I want to cover more health IT success stories. 1 EMR & HIPAA July 2013 Comcast Business supplies Ethernet services to NJ healthcare network July 31, 2013 Lightwave Staff Comcast Business, a unit of cable MSO Comcast Cable, says it will supply a variety of Ethernet services to the new Inspira Health Network in New Jersey. The healthcare network, which comprises the resources of South Jersey Healthcare and Underwood-Memorial Hospital, will use the Ethernet services to transfer high-resolution radiology images, internal office communications and documents, and electronic medical records (EMRs), as well as collaboration among physicians, according to Comcast. The Inspira Health Network has been established to offer primary, emergent, and specialty care to patients throughout Cumberland, Salem, Gloucester, Atlantic, and Camden counties in New Jersey. Network facilities include three hospitals, four multi-specialty health centers, and dozens of outpatient sites that bring the total number of facilities on the network to more than 60. Comcast will link these sites via a blend of Ethernet-based services: • Five 1-Gbps Ethernet Private Line connections that now run between four locations: Inspira Medical Center Vineland, Inspira Medical Center Elmer, Inspira Medical Center Woodbury, and Inspira Health Center Bridgeton • Eleven new Ethernet Private Line connections with speeds of between 10 and 100 Mbps that connect eight remote sites to Bridgeton and three remote patient facilities to Elmer • Six 6-Mbps Ethernet Private Line over hybrid fiber/coax (HFC) lines that now connect two remote sites to Elmer and four to Woodbury • Two 100-Mbps Ethernet Dedicated Internet connections at both the Vineland and Elmer locations to improve Internet access speeds. With the exception of the 6-Mbps services, all of the Ethernet connections will use direct fiber-optic cable connections, according to a source. The Inspira Health Network also will use the Ethernet connectivity to support its Health Information Exchange, an online portal that allows physicians to access a variety of patient and office data. The healthcare organization also is testing a similar portal for its patients, which it expects to complete in the next few months. “One of the great things about our Comcast Ethernet services is the ability to reroute our data traffic through a separate private line to access our files from any of our connected locations. This, combined with being able to quickly scale up our bandwidth with a simple phone instead of a site visit, has allowed our doctors and nurses to be more responsive to our patients by having all the information at their fingertips, regardless of location,” said Thomas Pacek, vice president and chief information officer for Inspira Health Network. “As we acquire new practices, having a technology partner that can provide us with reliable connectivity, high speeds, and vast network coverage will allow us to continue doing what we need to do as a premier health network.” “Ethernet has become an increasingly popular connectivity solution for many healthcare organizations that are constantly struggling with wanting to improve patient care while still being cognizant of costs, especially as the industry shifts to digital healthcare,” said Kevin Conmy, vice president of Comcast Business, Freedom Region. “Comcast has made a number of investments in making its fiber infrastructure broadly available and completely diverse from other networks so that hospitals, physicians’ offices, and patient care facilities across regionally dispersed locations can all be connected and benefit from the scalability, reliability and speeds that Ethernet offers.” For more information about Carrier Ethernet equipment and suppliers, visit the Lightwave Buyer’s Guide. 1 LightWave July 31, 2013 Comcast Business Ethernet Just What The Doctor Ordered For Inspira Health Network High-Speed Connection Assists South Jersey Healthcare and Underwood-Memorial Hospital with Transfer of Radiology Images and Electronic Medical Records VINELAND, N.J., July 30, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — Comcast Business, a unit of Comcast Cable, the nation’s largest video, high-speed Internet and phone provider to business and residential customers, today announced that the recently-named Inspira Health Network, which combines South Jersey Healthcare and UnderwoodMemorial Hospital, is using Comcast Ethernet services to transfer high-resolution radiology images, internal office communications and documents, and electronic medical records (EMRs). The Ethernet network solution will provide the necessary bandwidth to improve collaboration among physicians across multiple locations, while also paving the way for the healthcare organization to launch new online initiatives that will improve patient care for the local community. Inspira Health Network combines two of southern New Jersey’s premier health care systems – South Jersey Healthcare and Underwood-Memorial Hospital – to offer primary, emergent and specialty care to patients throughout Cumberland, Salem, Gloucester, Atlantic and Camden counties. With more than 5,100 employees and 1,000 medical staff, the organization includes the SJH Regional Medical Center, SJH Elmer Hospital, SJH Bridgeton Health Center, Underwood-Memorial Hospital and dozens of outpatient sites throughout the region. As medical technology evolved and high-resolution radiology images and electronic medical records became part of the hospital’s standard operating practices, Inspira needed a network solution that could accommodate the ongoing transfer of these critical, bandwidth-demanding files across each of its facilities and internal data centers – without interrupting workflow. With its vast network reach and portfolio of Ethernet services, Comcast responded with a network solution that combined several different Ethernet services, including: • • • • Five 1 Gbps Ethernet Private Line connections that now run between four locations: SJH headquarters in Vineland, Bridgeton Hospital, Elmer Hospital and Underwood-Memorial in Woodbury; 11 additional Ethernet Private Line connections with speeds of between 10 and 100 Megabits-persecond (Mbps) to link eight remote sites to Bridgeton Hospital and three remote patient facilities to Elmer Hospital; Six 6 Mbps Ethernet Private Line over Hybrid Fiber/Coax lines that now connect two remote sites to Elmer Hospital and four to Underwood-Memorial; and Two 100 Mbps Ethernet Dedicated Internet connections at both its Bridgeton Hospital and Elmer Hospital locations to improve Internet access speeds. “One of the great things about our Comcast Ethernet services is the ability to reroute our data traffic through a separate private line to access our files from any of our connected locations. This, combined with being able to quickly scale up our bandwidth with a simple phone instead of a site visit, has allowed our doctors and nurses to be more responsive to our patients by having all the information at their fingertips, regardless of location,” said 1 Daily Markets July 30, 2013 Thomas Pacek, vice president and chief information officer for Inspira Health Network. “As we acquire new practices, having a technology partner that can provide us with reliable connectivity, high speeds, and vast network coverage will allow us to continue doing what we need to do as a premier health network.” Inspira Health Network is currently using its Ethernet services as the basis for its Health Information Exchange, an online portal that allows physicians to access a variety of patient and office data, including hospital records, surgery center notes, home health diagnostics, internal files, and more. The organization is testing out a similar portal for its patients as well, which it expects to complete in the coming months. “Ethernet has become an increasingly popular connectivity solution for many healthcare organizations that are constantly struggling with wanting to improve patient care while still being cognizant of costs, especially as the industry shifts to digital healthcare,” said Kevin Conmy, vice president of Comcast Business, Freedom Region. “Comcast has made a number of investments in making its fiber infrastructure broadly available and completely diverse from other networks so that hospitals, physicians’ offices and patient care facilities across regionallydispersed locations can all be connected and benefit from the scalability, reliability and speeds that Ethernet offers.” About Comcast Business Comcast Business, a unit of Comcast Cable, provides advanced communication solutions to help organizations of all sizes meet their business objectives. Through a modern, advanced network that is backed by 24/7 technical support, Comcast delivers Business Internet, TV and Voice services for cost-effective, simplified communications management. The Comcast Business Ethernet suite offers high-performance point-to-point and multi-point Ethernet services with the capacity to deliver cloud computing, software-as-a-service, business continuity/disaster recovery and other bandwidth-intensive applications. Comcast Ethernet services are significantly faster than standard T1 lines and other legacy technologies, providing scalable bandwidth from 1 Mbps up to 10 Gigabits-per-second (Gbps) in more than 20 major US markets. For more information, call 866-429-3085 or visit http://business.comcast.com/enterprise. Follow us on Twitter @ComcastBusiness and on other social media networks at http://business.comcast.com/social. About Comcast Cable Comcast Cable is the nation’s largest video, high-speed Internet and phone provider to businesses and residential customers. Comcast has invested in technology to build an advanced network that delivers among the fastest broadband speeds, and brings customers personalized video, communications and home management offerings. Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK) is a global media and technology company. Visit www.comcastcorporation.com for more information. SOURCE Comcast Cable 2 Daily Markets July 30, 2013 Comcast Corporation : Comcast Business Ethernet Just What the Doctor Ordered for Inspira Health Network 07/30/2013 | 10:05am US/Eastern VINELAND, N.J., July 30, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Comcast Business, a unit of Comcast Cable, the nation's largest video, high-speed Internet and phone provider to business and residential customers, today announced that the recently-named Inspira Health Network, which combines South Jersey Healthcare and UnderwoodMemorial Hospital, is using Comcast Ethernet services to transfer high-resolution radiology images, internal office communications and documents, and electronic medical records (EMRs). The Ethernet network solution will provide the necessary bandwidth to improve collaboration among physicians across multiple locations, while also paving the way for the healthcare organization to launch new online initiatives that will improve patient care for the local community. Inspira Health Network combines two of southern New Jersey's premier health care systems - South Jersey Healthcare and Underwood-Memorial Hospital - to offer primary, emergent and specialty care to patients throughout Cumberland, Salem, Gloucester, Atlantic and Camden counties. With more than 5,100 employees and 1,000 medical staff, the organization includes the SJH Regional Medical Center, SJH Elmer Hospital, SJH Bridgeton Health Center, Underwood-Memorial Hospital and dozens of outpatient sites throughout the region. As medical technology evolved and high-resolution radiology images and electronic medical records became part of the hospital's standard operating practices, Inspira needed a network solution that could accommodate the ongoing transfer of these critical, bandwidth-demanding files across each of its facilities and internal data centers - without interrupting workflow. With its vast network reach and portfolio of Ethernet services, Comcast responded with a network solution that combined several different Ethernet services, including: Five 1 Gbps Ethernet Private Line connections that now run between four locations: SJH headquarters in Vineland, Bridgeton Hospital, Elmer Hospital and Underwood-Memorial in Woodbury; 11 additional Ethernet Private Line connections with speeds of between 10 and 100 Megabits-per-second (Mbps) to link eight remote sites to Bridgeton Hospital and three remote patient facilities to Elmer Hospital; Six 6 Mbps Ethernet Private Line over Hybrid Fiber/Coax lines that now connect two remote sites to Elmer Hospital and four to Underwood-Memorial; and Two 100 Mbps Ethernet Dedicated Internet connections at both its Bridgeton Hospital and Elmer Hospital locations to improve Internet access speeds. "One of the great things about our Comcast Ethernet services is the ability to reroute our data traffic through a separate private line to access our files from any of our connected locations. This, combined with being able to quickly scale up our bandwidth with a simple phone instead of a site visit, has allowed our doctors and nurses to be more responsive to our patients by having all the information at their fingertips, regardless of location," 1 said Thomas Pacek, vice president and chief information officer for Inspira Health Network. "As we acquire new practices, having a technology partner that can provide us with reliable connectivity, high speeds, and vast network coverage will allow us to continue doing what we need to do as a premier health network." Inspira Health Network is currently using its Ethernet services as the basis for its Health Information Exchange, an online portal that allows physicians to access a variety of patient and office data, including hospital records, surgery center notes, home health diagnostics, internal files, and more. The organization is testing out a similar portal for its patients as well, which it expects to complete in the coming months. "Ethernet has become an increasingly popular connectivity solution for many healthcare organizations that are constantly struggling with wanting to improve patient care while still being cognizant of costs, especially as the industry shifts to digital healthcare," said Kevin Conmy, vice president of Comcast Business, Freedom Region. "Comcast has made a number of investments in making its fiber infrastructure broadly available and completely diverse from other networks so that hospitals, physicians' offices and patient care facilities across regionally-dispersed locations can all be connected and benefit from the scalability, reliability and speeds that Ethernet offers." About Comcast Business Comcast Business, a unit of Comcast Cable, provides advanced communication solutions to help organizations of all sizes meet their business objectives. Through a modern, advanced network that is backed by 24/7 technical support, Comcast delivers Business Internet, TV and Voice services for cost-effective, simplified communications management. The Comcast Business Ethernet suite offers high-performance point-to-point and multi-point Ethernet services with the capacity to deliver cloud computing, software-as-a-service, business continuity/disaster recovery and other bandwidth-intensive applications. Comcast Ethernet services are significantly faster than standard T1 lines and other legacy technologies, providing scalable bandwidth from 1 Mbps up to 10 Gigabits-per-second (Gbps) in more than 20 major US markets. For more information, call 866-429-3085 or visit http://business.comcast.com/enterprise. Follow us on Twitter @ComcastBusiness http://business.comcast.com/social. and on other social media networks at About Comcast Cable Comcast Cable is the nation's largest video, high-speed Internet and phone provider to businesses and residential customers. Comcast has invested in technology to build an advanced network that delivers among the fastest broadband speeds, and brings customers personalized video, communications and home management offerings. Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK) is a global media and technology company. Visit www.comcastcorporation.com for more information. SOURCE Comcast Cable 2 • • PRESS RELEASE July 30, 2013, 10:07 a.m. ET Comcast Business Ethernet Just What the Doctor Ordered for Inspira Health Network High-Speed Connection Assists South Jersey Healthcare and UnderwoodMemorial Hospital with Transfer of Radiology Images and Electronic Medical Records VINELAND, N.J., July 30, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Comcast Business, a unit of Comcast Cable, the nation's largest video, high-speed Internet and phone provider to business and residential customers, today announced that the recently-named Inspira Health Network, which combines South Jersey Healthcare and Underwood-Memorial Hospital, is using Comcast Ethernet services to transfer high-resolution radiology images, internal office communications and documents, and electronic medical records (EMRs). The Ethernet network solution will provide the necessary bandwidth to improve collaboration among physicians across multiple locations, while also paving the way for the healthcare organization to launch new online initiatives that will improve patient care for the local community. Inspira Health Network combines two of southern New Jersey's premier health care systems -- South Jersey Healthcare and Underwood-Memorial Hospital -- to offer primary, emergent and specialty care to patients throughout Cumberland, Salem, Gloucester, Atlantic and Camden counties. With more than 5,100 employees and 1,000 medical staff, the organization includes the SJH Regional Medical Center, SJH Elmer Hospital, SJH Bridgeton Health Center, UnderwoodMemorial Hospital and dozens of outpatient sites throughout the region. As medical technology evolved and highresolution radiology images and electronic medical records became part of the hospital's standard operating practices, Inspira needed a network solution that could accommodate the ongoing transfer of these critical, bandwidth-demanding files across each of its facilities and internal data centers -- without interrupting workflow. With its vast network reach and portfolio of Ethernet services, Comcast responded with a network solution that combined several different Ethernet services, including: -- Five 1 Gbps Ethernet Private Line connections that now run between four locations: SJH headquarters in Vineland, Bridgeton Hospital, Elmer Hospital and Underwood-Memorial in Woodbury; -- 11 additional Ethernet Private Line connections with speeds of between 10 and 100 Megabits-per-second (Mbps) to link eight remote sites to Bridgeton Hospital and three remote patient facilities to Elmer Hospital; -- Six 6 Mbps Ethernet Private Line over Hybrid Fiber/Coax lines that now connect two remote sites to Elmer Hospital and four to Underwood-Memorial; and 1 The Wall Street Journal July 30, 2013 -- Two 100 Mbps Ethernet Dedicated Internet connections at both its Bridgeton Hospital and Elmer Hospital locations to improve Internet access speeds. "One of the great things about our Comcast Ethernet services is the ability to reroute our data traffic through a separate private line to access our files from any of our connected locations. This, combined with being able to quickly scale up our bandwidth with a simple phone instead of a site visit, has allowed our doctors and nurses to be more responsive to our patients by having all the information at their fingertips, regardless of location," said Thomas Pacek, vice president and chief information officer for Inspira Health Network. "As we acquire new practices, having a technology partner that can provide us with reliable connectivity, high speeds, and vast network coverage will allow us to continue doing what we need to do as a premier health network." Inspira Health Network is currently using its Ethernet services as the basis for its Health Information Exchange, an online portal that allows physicians to access a variety of patient and office data, including hospital records, surgery center notes, home health diagnostics, internal files, and more. The organization is testing out a similar portal for its patients as well, which it expects to complete in the coming months. "Ethernet has become an increasingly popular connectivity solution for many healthcare organizations that are constantly struggling with wanting to improve patient care while still being cognizant of costs, especially as the industry shifts to digital healthcare," said Kevin Conmy, vice president of Comcast Business, Freedom Region. "Comcast has made a number of investments in making its fiber infrastructure broadly available and completely diverse from other networks so that hospitals, physicians' offices and patient care facilities across regionally-dispersed locations can all be connected and benefit from the scalability, reliability and speeds that Ethernet offers." About Comcast Business Comcast Business, a unit of Comcast Cable, provides advanced communication solutions to help organizations of all sizes meet their business objectives. Through a modern, advanced network that is backed by 24/7 technical support, Comcast delivers Business Internet, TV and Voice services for cost-effective, simplified communications management. The Comcast Business Ethernet suite offers high-performance point-to-point and multi-point Ethernet services with the capacity to deliver cloud computing, software-as-a-service, business continuity/disaster recovery and other bandwidthintensive applications. Comcast Ethernet services are significantly faster than standard T1 lines and other legacy technologies, providing scalable bandwidth from 1 Mbps up to 10 Gigabits-per-second (Gbps) in more than 20 major US markets. For more information, call 866-429-3085 or visit http://business.comcast.com/enterprise. Follow us on Twitter @ComcastBusiness and on other social media networks at http://business.comcast.com/social. About Comcast Cable Comcast Cable is the nation's largest video, high-speed Internet and phone provider to businesses and residential customers. Comcast has invested in technology to build an advanced network that delivers among the fastest broadband 2 The Wall Street Journal July 30, 2013 speeds, and brings customers personalized video, communications and home management offerings. Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK) is a global media and technology company. Visit www.comcastcorporation.com for more information. SOURCE Comcast Cable /CONTACT: Maria-Christina Kolodziej, Davies Murphy Group, 781.418.2424, mckolodziej@daviesmurphy.com; Jeff Alexander, Comcast, 215.642.6465, Jeff_Alexander@cable.comcast.com /Web site: http://www.comcastcorporation.com 3 The Wall Street Journal July 30, 2013 Comcast Business Ethernet Just What the Doctor Ordered for Inspira Health Network High‐Speed Connection Assists South Jersey Healthcare and Underwood‐Memorial Hospital with Transfer of Radiology Images and Electronic Medical Records By Comcast Cable Comcast Cable Last modified: 2013‐07‐30T14:09:34Z Published: Tuesday, Jul. 30, 2013 ‐ 7:09 am Copyright 2013 . All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. VINELAND, N.J., July 30, 2013 ‐‐ /PRNewswire/ ‐‐ Comcast Business, a unit of Comcast Cable, the nation's largest video, high‐speed Internet and phone provider to business and residential customers, today announced that the recently‐ named Inspira Health Network, which combines South Jersey Healthcare and Underwood‐Memorial Hospital, is using Comcast Ethernet services to transfer high‐resolution radiology images, internal office communications and documents, and electronic medical records (EMRs). The Ethernet network solution will provide the necessary bandwidth to improve collaboration among physicians across multiple locations, while also paving the way for the healthcare organization to launch new online initiatives that will improve patient care for the local community. Inspira Health Network combines two of southern New Jersey's premier health care systems – South Jersey Healthcare and Underwood‐Memorial Hospital – to offer primary, emergent and specialty care to patients throughout Cumberland, Salem, Gloucester, Atlantic and Camden counties. With more than 5,100 employees and 1,000 medical staff, the organization includes the SJH Regional Medical Center, SJH Elmer Hospital, SJH Bridgeton Health Center, Underwood‐ Memorial Hospital and dozens of outpatient sites throughout the region. As medical technology evolved and high‐ resolution radiology images and electronic medical records became part of the hospital's standard operating practices, Inspira needed a network solution that could accommodate the ongoing transfer of these critical, bandwidth‐demanding files across each of its facilities and internal data centers – without interrupting workflow. With its vast network reach and portfolio of Ethernet services, Comcast responded with a network solution that combined several different Ethernet services, including: Five 1 Gbps Ethernet Private Line connections that now run between four locations: SJH headquarters in Vineland, Bridgeton Hospital, Elmer Hospital and Underwood‐Memorial in Woodbury; 11 additional Ethernet Private Line connections with speeds of between 10 and 100 Megabits‐per‐second (Mbps) to link eight remote sites to Bridgeton Hospital and three remote patient facilities to Elmer Hospital; Six 6 Mbps Ethernet Private Line over Hybrid Fiber/Coax lines that now connect two remote sites to Elmer Hospital and four to Underwood‐Memorial; and 1 The Sacremento Bee July 30, 2013 Two 100 Mbps Ethernet Dedicated Internet connections at both its Bridgeton Hospital and Elmer Hospital locations to improve Internet access speeds. "One of the great things about our Comcast Ethernet services is the ability to reroute our data traffic through a separate private line to access our files from any of our connected locations. This, combined with being able to quickly scale up our bandwidth with a simple phone instead of a site visit, has allowed our doctors and nurses to be more responsive to our patients by having all the information at their fingertips, regardless of location," said Thomas Pacek, vice president and chief information officer for Inspira Health Network. "As we acquire new practices, having a technology partner that can provide us with reliable connectivity, high speeds, and vast network coverage will allow us to continue doing what we need to do as a premier health network." Inspira Health Network is currently using its Ethernet services as the basis for its Health Information Exchange, an online portal that allows physicians to access a variety of patient and office data, including hospital records, surgery center notes, home health diagnostics, internal files, and more. The organization is testing out a similar portal for its patients as well, which it expects to complete in the coming months. "Ethernet has become an increasingly popular connectivity solution for many healthcare organizations that are constantly struggling with wanting to improve patient care while still being cognizant of costs, especially as the industry shifts to digital healthcare," said Kevin Conmy, vice president of Comcast Business, Freedom Region. "Comcast has made a number of investments in making its fiber infrastructure broadly available and completely diverse from other networks so that hospitals, physicians' offices and patient care facilities across regionally‐dispersed locations can all be connected and benefit from the scalability, reliability and speeds that Ethernet offers." About Comcast Business Comcast Business, a unit of Comcast Cable, provides advanced communication solutions to help organizations of all sizes meet their business objectives. Through a modern, advanced network that is backed by 24/7 technical support, Comcast delivers Business Internet, TV and Voice services for cost‐effective, simplified communications management. The Comcast Business Ethernet suite offers high‐performance point‐to‐point and multi‐point Ethernet services with the capacity to deliver cloud computing, software‐as‐a‐service, business continuity/disaster recovery and other bandwidth‐ intensive applications. Comcast Ethernet services are significantly faster than standard T1 lines and other legacy technologies, providing scalable bandwidth from 1 Mbps up to 10 Gigabits‐per‐second (Gbps) in more than 20 major US markets. For more information, call 866‐429‐3085 or visit http://business.comcast.com/enterprise. Follow us on Twitter @ComcastBusiness and on other social media networks at http://business.comcast.com/social. About Comcast Cable Comcast Cable is the nation's largest video, high‐speed Internet and phone provider to businesses and residential customers. Comcast has invested in technology to build an advanced network that delivers among the fastest broadband speeds, and brings customers personalized video, communications and home management offerings. Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK) is a global media and technology company. Visit www.comcastcorporation.com for more information. Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2013/07/30/5608321/comcast‐business‐ethernet‐just.html#storylink=cpy 2 The Sacremento Bee July 30, 2013 Comcast Business Ethernet Just What the Doctor Ordered for Inspira Health Network High-Speed Connection Assists Inspira Health Network with Transfer of Radiology Images and Electronic Medical Records VINELAND, N.J., July 30, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Comcast Business, a unit of Comcast Cable, the nation's largest video, high-speed Internet and phone provider to business and residential customers, today announced that the recently-named Inspira Health Network, which combines South Jersey Healthcare and UnderwoodMemorial Hospital, is using Comcast Ethernet services to transfer high-resolution radiology images, internal office communications and documents, and electronic medical records (EMRs). The Ethernet network solution will provide the necessary bandwidth to improve collaboration among physicians across multiple locations, while also paving the way for the healthcare organization to launch new online initiatives that will improve patient care for the local community. Inspira Health Network combines two of southern New Jersey’s premier health care systems – South Jersey Healthcare and Underwood-Memorial Hospital – to offer primary, emergent and specialty care to patients throughout Cumberland, Salem, Gloucester, Atlantic and Camden counties. The network, which traces its roots to 1899, now comprises three hospitals, four multi-specialty health centers and a total of more than 60 locations. These include outpatient imaging and rehabilitation centers; urgent care; numerous specialty centers, including sleep medicine, cardiac testing and wound care; home care and hospice; and more than two dozen primary and specialty physician practices. With its vast network reach and portfolio of Ethernet services, Comcast responded with a network solution that combined several different Ethernet services, including: • • • • Five 1 Gbps Ethernet Private Line connections that now run between four locations: Inspira Medical Center Vineland, Inspira Medical Center Elmer, Inspira Medical Center Woodbury and Inspira Health Center Bridgeton; 11 additional Ethernet Private Line connections with speeds of between 10 and 100 Megabits-persecond (Mbps) to link eight remote sites to Bridgeton and three remote patient facilities to Elmer; Six 6 Mbps Ethernet Private Line over Hybrid Fiber/Coax lines that now connect two remote sites to Elmer and four to Woodbury; and Two 100 Mbps Ethernet Dedicated Internet connections at both its Vineland and Elmer locations to improve Internet access speeds. "One of the great things about our Comcast Ethernet services is the ability to reroute our data traffic through a separate private line to access our files from any of our connected locations. This, combined with being able to quickly scale up our bandwidth with a simple phone instead of a site visit, has allowed our doctors and nurses to be more responsive to our patients by having all the information at their fingertips, regardless of location," said Thomas Pacek, vice president and chief information officer for Inspira Health Network. "As we acquire new practices, having a technology partner that can provide us with reliable connectivity, high speeds, and vast network coverage will allow us to continue doing what we need to do as a premier health network." Inspira Health Network is currently using its Ethernet services as the basis for its Health Information Exchange, an online portal that allows physicians to access a variety of patient and office data, including hospital records, surgery center notes, home health diagnostics, internal files, and more. The organization is testing out a similar portal for its patients as well, which it expects to complete in the coming months. 1 The Press Enterprise July 30, 2013 "Ethernet has become an increasingly popular connectivity solution for many healthcare organizations that are constantly struggling with wanting to improve patient care while still being cognizant of costs, especially as the industry shifts to digital healthcare," said Kevin Conmy, vice president of Comcast Business, Freedom Region. "Comcast has made a number of investments in making its fiber infrastructure broadly available and completely diverse from other networks so that hospitals, physicians' offices and patient care facilities across regionally-dispersed locations can all be connected and benefit from the scalability, reliability and speeds that Ethernet offers." About Comcast Business Comcast Business, a unit of Comcast Cable, provides advanced communication solutions to help organizations of all sizes meet their business objectives. Through a modern, advanced network that is backed by 24/7 technical support, Comcast delivers Business Internet, TV and Voice services for cost-effective, simplified communications management. The Comcast Business Ethernet suite offers high-performance point-to-point and multi-point Ethernet services with the capacity to deliver cloud computing, software-as-a-service, business continuity/disaster recovery and other bandwidth-intensive applications. Comcast Ethernet services are significantly faster than standard T1 lines and other legacy technologies, providing scalable bandwidth from 1 Mbps up to 10 Gigabits-per-second (Gbps) in more than 20 major US markets. For more information, call 866-429-3085 or visit http://business.comcast.com/enterprise. Follow us on Twitter @ComcastBusiness and on other social media networks at http://business.comcast.com/social. About Comcast Cable Comcast Cable is the nation's largest video, high-speed Internet and phone provider to businesses and residential customers. Comcast has invested in technology to build an advanced network that delivers among the fastest broadband speeds, and brings customers personalized video, communications and home management offerings. Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK) is a global media and technology company. Visit www.comcastcorporation.com for more information. SOURCE Comcast Cable Back to top RELATED LINKS http://www.comcastcorporation.com 2 The Press Enterprise July 30, 2013 Inspira Health Network taps Comcast Business Ethernet Tuesday 30 July 2013 | 19:18 CET | News Comcast Business, a unit of Comcast Cable, has announced the recently-named Inspira Health Network, which combines South Jersey Healthcare and Underwood-Memorial Hospital, is using Comcast Ethernet services to transfer high-resolution radiology images, internal office communications and documents, and electronic medical records (EMRs). The Ethernet network will provide the necessary bandwidth to improve collaboration among physicians across multiple locations, while also enabling the healthcare organisation to launch new online initiatives that will improve patient care for the local community. Comcast's network offering combines several different Ethernet services, including: five 1 Gbps Ethernet Private Line connections that now run between four locations: SJH headquarters in Vineland Bridgeton Hospital, Elmer Hospital and Underwood-Memorial in Woodbury, eleven additional Ethernet Private Line connections with speeds of between 10 and 100 Mbps to link eight remote sites to Bridgeton Hospital and three remote patient facilities in Elmer Hospital, six 6 Mbps Ethernet Private Line over Hybrid Fibre/Coax lines that now connect two remote sites to Elmer Hospital and four to Underwoode-Memorial and two 100 Mbps Ethernet dedication internet connections at both its Bridgeton Hospital and Elmer Hospital locations to improve internet access speeds. 1 Telecompaper July 30, 2013 Comcast Business Ethernet Just What the Doctor Ordered for Inspira Health Network Published: July 30, 2013 12:01 PM PRNewswire Published: July 30 2013 12:01 VINELAND, N.J., July 30, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Comcast Business, a unit of Comcast Cable, the nation's largest video, high-speed Internet and phone provider to business and residential customers, today announced that the recently-named Inspira Health Network, which combines South Jersey Healthcare and Underwood-Memorial Hospital, is using Comcast Ethernet services to transfer high-resolution radiology images, internal office communications and documents, and electronic medical records (EMRs). The Ethernet network solution will provide the necessary bandwidth to improve collaboration among physicians across multiple locations, while also paving the way for the healthcare organization to launch new online initiatives that will improve patient care for the local community. Inspira Health Network combines two of southern New Jersey's premier health care systems South Jersey Healthcare and Underwood-Memorial Hospital - to offer primary, emergent and specialty care to patients throughout Cumberland, Salem, Gloucester, Atlantic and Camden counties. With more than 5,100 employees and 1,000 medical staff, the organization includes the SJH Regional Medical Center, SJH Elmer Hospital, SJH Bridgeton Health Center, UnderwoodMemorial Hospital and dozens of outpatient sites throughout the region. As medical technology evolved and high-resolution radiology images and electronic medical records became part of the hospital's standard operating practices, Inspira needed a network solution that could accommodate the ongoing transfer of these critical, bandwidth-demanding files across each of its facilities and internal data centers - without interrupting workflow. With its vast network reach and portfolio of Ethernet services, Comcast responded with a network solution that combined several different Ethernet services, including: 1 Providence Journal July 30, 2013 • Five 1 Gbps Ethernet Private Line connections that now run between four locations: SJH headquarters in Vineland, Bridgeton Hospital, Elmer Hospital and Underwood‐Memorial in Woodbury; • 11 additional Ethernet Private Line connections with speeds of between 10 and 100 Megabits‐per‐second (Mbps) to link eight remote sites to Bridgeton Hospital and three remote patient facilities to Elmer Hospital; • Six 6 Mbps Ethernet Private Line over Hybrid Fiber/Coax lines that now connect two remote sites to Elmer Hospital and four to Underwood‐Memorial; and • Two 100 Mbps Ethernet Dedicated Internet connections at both its Bridgeton Hospital and Elmer Hospital locations to improve Internet access speeds. "One of the great things about our Comcast Ethernet services is the ability to reroute our data traffic through a separate private line to access our files from any of our connected locations. This, combined with being able to quickly scale up our bandwidth with a simple phone instead of a site visit, has allowed our doctors and nurses to be more responsive to our patients by having all the information at their fingertips, regardless of location," said Thomas Pacek, vice president and chief information officer for Inspira Health Network. "As we acquire new practices, having a technology partner that can provide us with reliable connectivity, high speeds, and vast network coverage will allow us to continue doing what we need to do as a premier health network." Inspira Health Network is currently using its Ethernet services as the basis for its Health Information Exchange, an online portal that allows physicians to access a variety of patient and office data, including hospital records, surgery center notes, home health diagnostics, internal files, and more. The organization is testing out a similar portal for its patients as well, which it expects to complete in the coming months. "Ethernet has become an increasingly popular connectivity solution for many healthcare organizations that are constantly struggling with wanting to improve patient care while still being cognizant of costs, especially as the industry shifts to digital healthcare," said Kevin Conmy, vice president of Comcast Business, Freedom Region. "Comcast has made a number of investments in making its fiber infrastructure broadly available and completely diverse from other networks so that hospitals, physicians' offices and patient care facilities across regionally-dispersed locations can all be connected and benefit from the scalability, reliability and speeds that Ethernet offers." About Comcast Business 2 Providence Journal July 30, 2013 Comcast Business, a unit of Comcast Cable, provides advanced communication solutions to help organizations of all sizes meet their business objectives. Through a modern, advanced network that is backed by 24/7 technical support, Comcast delivers Business Internet, TV and Voice services for cost-effective, simplified communications management. The Comcast Business Ethernet suite offers high-performance point-to-point and multi-point Ethernet services with the capacity to deliver cloud computing, software-as-a-service, business continuity/disaster recovery and other bandwidth-intensive applications. Comcast Ethernet services are significantly faster than standard T1 lines and other legacy technologies, providing scalable bandwidth from 1 Mbps up to 10 Gigabits-per-second (Gbps) in more than 20 major US markets. For more information, call 866-429-3085 or visit http://business.comcast.com/enterprise. Follow us on Twitter @ComcastBusiness and on other social media networks at http://business.comcast.com/social. About Comcast Cable Comcast Cable is the nation's largest video, high-speed Internet and phone provider to businesses and residential customers. Comcast has invested in technology to build an advanced network that delivers among the fastest broadband speeds, and brings customers personalized video, communications and home management offerings. Comcast Corporation is a global media and technology company. Visit www.comcastcorporation.com for more information. 3 Providence Journal July 30, 2013 Comcast Business Ethernet Just What the Doctor Ordered for Inspira Health Network High-Speed Connection Assists Inspira Health Network with Transfer of Radiology Images and Electronic Medical Records VINELAND, N.J., July 30, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Comcast Business, a unit of Comcast Cable, the nation's largest video, high-speed Internet and phone provider to business and residential customers, today announced that the recently-named Inspira Health Network, which combines South Jersey Healthcare and UnderwoodMemorial Hospital, is using Comcast Ethernet services to transfer high-resolution radiology images, internal office communications and documents, and electronic medical records (EMRs). The Ethernet network solution will provide the necessary bandwidth to improve collaboration among physicians across multiple locations, while also paving the way for the healthcare organization to launch new online initiatives that will improve patient care for the local community. Inspira Health Network combines two of southern New Jersey’s premier health care systems – South Jersey Healthcare and Underwood-Memorial Hospital – to offer primary, emergent and specialty care to patients throughout Cumberland, Salem, Gloucester, Atlantic and Camden counties. The network, which traces its roots to 1899, now comprises three hospitals, four multi-specialty health centers and a total of more than 60 locations. These include outpatient imaging and rehabilitation centers; urgent care; numerous specialty centers, including sleep medicine, cardiac testing and wound care; home care and hospice; and more than two dozen primary and specialty physician practices. With its vast network reach and portfolio of Ethernet services, Comcast responded with a network solution that combined several different Ethernet services, including: • • • • Five 1 Gbps Ethernet Private Line connections that now run between four locations: Inspira Medical Center Vineland, Inspira Medical Center Elmer, Inspira Medical Center Woodbury and Inspira Health Center Bridgeton; 11 additional Ethernet Private Line connections with speeds of between 10 and 100 Megabits-persecond (Mbps) to link eight remote sites to Bridgeton and three remote patient facilities to Elmer; Six 6 Mbps Ethernet Private Line over Hybrid Fiber/Coax lines that now connect two remote sites to Elmer and four to Woodbury; and Two 100 Mbps Ethernet Dedicated Internet connections at both its Vineland and Elmer locations to improve Internet access speeds. "One of the great things about our Comcast Ethernet services is the ability to reroute our data traffic through a separate private line to access our files from any of our connected locations. This, combined with being able to quickly scale up our bandwidth with a simple phone instead of a site visit, has allowed our doctors and nurses to be more responsive to our patients by having all the information at their fingertips, regardless of location," said Thomas Pacek, vice president and chief information officer for Inspira Health Network. "As we acquire 1 PR Newswire July 30, 2013 new practices, having a technology partner that can provide us with reliable connectivity, high speeds, and vast network coverage will allow us to continue doing what we need to do as a premier health network." Inspira Health Network is currently using its Ethernet services as the basis for its Health Information Exchange, an online portal that allows physicians to access a variety of patient and office data, including hospital records, surgery center notes, home health diagnostics, internal files, and more. The organization is testing out a similar portal for its patients as well, which it expects to complete in the coming months. "Ethernet has become an increasingly popular connectivity solution for many healthcare organizations that are constantly struggling with wanting to improve patient care while still being cognizant of costs, especially as the industry shifts to digital healthcare," said Kevin Conmy, vice president of Comcast Business, Freedom Region. "Comcast has made a number of investments in making its fiber infrastructure broadly available and completely diverse from other networks so that hospitals, physicians' offices and patient care facilities across regionally-dispersed locations can all be connected and benefit from the scalability, reliability and speeds that Ethernet offers." About Comcast Business Comcast Business, a unit of Comcast Cable, provides advanced communication solutions to help organizations of all sizes meet their business objectives. Through a modern, advanced network that is backed by 24/7 technical support, Comcast delivers Business Internet, TV and Voice services for cost-effective, simplified communications management. The Comcast Business Ethernet suite offers high-performance point-to-point and multi-point Ethernet services with the capacity to deliver cloud computing, software-as-a-service, business continuity/disaster recovery and other bandwidth-intensive applications. Comcast Ethernet services are significantly faster than standard T1 lines and other legacy technologies, providing scalable bandwidth from 1 Mbps up to 10 Gigabits-per-second (Gbps) in more than 20 major US markets. For more information, call 866-429-3085 or visit http://business.comcast.com/enterprise. Follow us on Twitter @ComcastBusiness and on other social media networks at http://business.comcast.com/social. About Comcast Cable Comcast Cable is the nation's largest video, high-speed Internet and phone provider to businesses and residential customers. Comcast has invested in technology to build an advanced network that delivers among the fastest broadband speeds, and brings customers personalized video, communications and home management offerings. Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK) is a global media and technology company. Visit www.comcastcorporation.com for more information. SOURCE Comcast Cable 2 PR Newswire July 30, 2013 press release July 30, 2013, 10:00 a.m. EDT Comcast Business Ethernet Just What the Doctor Ordered for Inspira Health Network High‐SpeedConnectionAssistsSouthJerseyHealthcareandUnderwood‐Memorial HospitalwithTransferofRadiologyImagesandElectronicMedicalRecords VINELAND, N.J., July 30, 2013 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ ‐‐ Comcast Business, a unit of Comcast Cable, the nation's largest video, high‐speed Internet and phone provider to business and residential customers, today announced that the recently‐named Inspira Health Network, which combines South Jersey Healthcare and Underwood‐Memorial Hospital, is using Comcast Ethernet services to transfer high‐resolution radiology images, internal office communications and documents, and electronic medical records (EMRs). The Ethernet network solution will provide the necessary bandwidth to improve collaboration among physicians across multiple locations, while also paving the way for the healthcare organization to launch new online initiatives that will improve patient care for the local community. Inspira Health Network combines two of southern New Jersey's premier health care systems ‐ South Jersey Healthcare and Underwood‐Memorial Hospital ‐ to offer primary, emergent and specialty care to patients throughout Cumberland, Salem, Gloucester, Atlantic and Camden counties. With more than 5,100 employees and 1,000 medical staff, the organization includes the SJH Regional Medical Center, SJH Elmer Hospital, SJH Bridgeton Health Center, Underwood‐Memorial Hospital and dozens of outpatient sites throughout the region. As medical technology evolved and high‐resolution radiology images and electronic medical records became part of the hospital's standard operating practices, Inspira needed a network solution that could accommodate the ongoing transfer of these critical, bandwidth‐demanding files across each of its facilities and internal data centers ‐ without interrupting workflow. 1 MarketWatch July 30, 2013 With its vast network reach and portfolio of Ethernet services, Comcast responded with a network solution that combined several different Ethernet services, including: ‐‐ Five 1 Gbps Ethernet Private Line connections that now run between four locations: SJH headquarters in Vineland, Bridgeton Hospital, Elmer Hospital and Underwood‐Memorial in Woodbury; ‐‐ 11 additional Ethernet Private Line connections with speeds of between 10 and 100 Megabits‐per‐second (Mbps) to link eight remote sites to Bridgeton Hospital and three remote patient facilities to Elmer Hospital; ‐‐ Six 6 Mbps Ethernet Private Line over Hybrid Fiber/Coax lines that now connect two remote sites to Elmer Hospital and four to Underwood‐Memorial; and ‐‐ Two 100 Mbps Ethernet Dedicated Internet connections at both its Bridgeton Hospital and Elmer Hospital locations to improve Internet access speeds. "One of the great things about our Comcast Ethernet services is the ability to reroute our data traffic through a separate private line to access our files from any of our connected locations. This, combined with being able to quickly scale up our bandwidth with a simple phone instead of a site visit, has allowed our doctors and nurses to be more responsive to our patients by having all the information at their fingertips, regardless of location," said Thomas Pacek, vice president and chief information officer for Inspira Health Network. "As we acquire new practices, having a technology partner that can provide us with reliable connectivity, high speeds, and vast network coverage will allow us to continue doing what we need to do as a premier health network." Inspira Health Network is currently using its Ethernet services as the basis for its Health Information Exchange, an online portal that allows physicians to access a variety of patient and office data, including hospital records, surgery center notes, home health diagnostics, internal files, and more. The organization is testing out a similar portal for its patients as well, which it expects to complete in the coming months. "Ethernet has become an increasingly popular connectivity solution for many healthcare organizations that are constantly struggling with wanting to improve patient care while still being cognizant of costs, especially as the industry shifts to digital healthcare," said Kevin Conmy, vice president of Comcast Business, Freedom Region. "Comcast has made a number of investments in making its fiber infrastructure broadly available and completely diverse from other networks so that hospitals, physicians' offices and patient care facilities across regionally‐dispersed locations can all be connected and benefit from the scalability, reliability and speeds that Ethernet offers." 2 MarketWatch July 30, 2013 About Comcast Business Comcast Business, a unit of Comcast Cable, provides advanced communication solutions to help organizations of all sizes meet their business objectives. Through a modern, advanced network that is backed by 24/7 technical support, Comcast delivers Business Internet, TV and Voice services for cost‐effective, simplified communications management. The Comcast Business Ethernet suite offers high‐performance point‐to‐point and multi‐point Ethernet services with the capacity to deliver cloud computing, software‐as‐a‐service, business continuity/disaster recovery and other bandwidth‐intensive applications. Comcast Ethernet services are significantly faster than standard T1 lines and other legacy technologies, providing scalable bandwidth from 1 Mbps up to 10 Gigabits‐per‐second (Gbps) in more than 20 major US markets. For more information, call 866‐429‐3085 or visit http://business.comcast.com/enterprise. Follow us on Twitter @ComcastBusiness and on other social media networks at http://business.comcast.com/social. About Comcast Cable Comcast Cable is the nation's largest video, high‐speed Internet and phone provider to businesses and residential customers. Comcast has invested in technology to build an advanced network that delivers among the fastest broadband speeds, and brings customers personalized video, communications and home management offerings. Comcast Corporation /quotes/zigman/89307/quotes/nls/cmcsa CMCSA +0.10% /quotes/zigman/89420/quotes/nls/cmcsk CMCSK +0.25% is a global media and technology company. Visit www.comcastcorporation.com for more information. SOURCE Comcast Cable Copyright (C) 2013 PR Newswire. All rights reserved 3 MarketWatch July 30, 2013 Comcast Business Ethernet Just What the Doctor Ordered for Inspira Health Network Copyright 2013 PR Newswire. All Rights Reserved 2013-07-30 VINELAND, N.J., July 30, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Comcast Business, a unit of Comcast Cable, the nation's largest video, high-speed Internet and phone provider to business and residential customers, today announced that the recently-named Inspira Health Network, which combines South Jersey Healthcare and Underwood-Memorial Hospital, is using Comcast Ethernet services to transfer high-resolution radiology images, internal office communications and documents, and electronic medical records (EMRs). The Ethernet network solution will provide the necessary bandwidth to improve collaboration among physicians across multiple locations, while also paving the way for the healthcare organization to launch new online initiatives that will improve patient care for the local community. Inspira Health Network combines two of southern New Jersey's premier health care systems – South Jersey Healthcare and Underwood-Memorial Hospital – to offer primary, emergent and specialty care to patients throughout Cumberland, Salem, Gloucester, Atlantic and Camden counties. With more than 5,100 employees and 1,000 medical staff, the organization includes the SJH Regional Medical Center, SJH Elmer Hospital, SJH Bridgeton Health Center, UnderwoodMemorial Hospital and dozens of outpatient sites throughout the region. As medical technology evolved and high-resolution radiology images and electronic medical records became part of the hospital's standard operating practices, Inspira needed a network solution that could accommodate the ongoing transfer of these critical, bandwidth-demanding files across each of its facilities and internal data centers – without interrupting workflow. With its vast network reach and portfolio of Ethernet services, Comcast responded with a network solution that combined several different Ethernet services, including: • • • • Five 1 Gbps Ethernet Private Line connections that now run between four locations: SJH headquarters in Vineland, Bridgeton Hospital, Elmer Hospital and Underwood-Memorial in Woodbury; 11 additional Ethernet Private Line connections with speeds of between 10 and 100 Megabits-per-second (Mbps) to link eight remote sites to Bridgeton Hospital and three remote patient facilities to Elmer Hospital; Six 6 Mbps Ethernet Private Line over Hybrid Fiber/Coax lines that now connect two remote sites to Elmer Hospital and four to Underwood-Memorial; and Two 100 Mbps Ethernet Dedicated Internet connections at both its Bridgeton Hospital and Elmer Hospital locations to improve Internet access speeds. "One of the great things about our Comcast Ethernet services is the ability to reroute our data traffic through a separate private line to access our files from any of our connected locations. This, combined with being able to quickly scale up our bandwidth with a simple phone instead of a site visit, has allowed our doctors and nurses to be more responsive to our patients by having all the information at their fingertips, regardless of location," said Thomas Pacek, vice president and chief information officer for Inspira Health Network. "As we acquire new practices, having a 1 IT News Online July 30, 2013 technology partner that can provide us with reliable connectivity, high speeds, and vast network coverage will allow us to continue doing what we need to do as a premier health network." Inspira Health Network is currently using its Ethernet services as the basis for its Health Information Exchange, an online portal that allows physicians to access a variety of patient and office data, including hospital records, surgery center notes, home health diagnostics, internal files, and more. The organization is testing out a similar portal for its patients as well, which it expects to complete in the coming months. "Ethernet has become an increasingly popular connectivity solution for many healthcare organizations that are constantly struggling with wanting to improve patient care while still being cognizant of costs, especially as the industry shifts to digital healthcare," said Kevin Conmy, vice president of Comcast Business, Freedom Region. "Comcast has made a number of investments in making its fiber infrastructure broadly available and completely diverse from other networks so that hospitals, physicians' offices and patient care facilities across regionally-dispersed locations can all be connected and benefit from the scalability, reliability and speeds that Ethernet offers." About Comcast Business Comcast Business, a unit of Comcast Cable, provides advanced communication solutions to help organizations of all sizes meet their business objectives. Through a modern, advanced network that is backed by 24/7 technical support, Comcast delivers Business Internet, TV and Voice services for cost-effective, simplified communications management. The Comcast Business Ethernet suite offers high-performance point-to-point and multi-point Ethernet services with the capacity to deliver cloud computing, software-as-a-service, business continuity/disaster recovery and other bandwidth-intensive applications. Comcast Ethernet services are significantly faster than standard T1 lines and other legacy technologies, providing scalable bandwidth from 1 Mbps up to 10 Gigabits-per-second (Gbps) in more than 20 major US markets. For more information, call 866-429-3085 or visit http://business.comcast.com/enterprise. Follow us on Twitter @ComcastBusiness and on other social media networks at http://business.comcast.com/social. About Comcast Cable Comcast Cable is the nation's largest video, high-speed Internet and phone provider to businesses and residential customers. Comcast has invested in technology to build an advanced network that delivers among the fastest broadband speeds, and brings customers personalized video, communications and home management offerings. Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK) is a global media and technology company. Visit www.comcastcorporation.com for more information. SOURCE Comcast Cable 2 IT News Online July 30, 2013 Comcast Business Ethernet Just What the Doctor Ordered for Inspira Health Network July 31, 2013 High-Speed Connection Assists South Jersey Healthcare and UnderwoodMemorial Hospital with Transfer of Radiology Images and Electronic Medical Records VINELAND, N.J., July 30, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Comcast Business, a unit of Comcast Cable, the nation's largest video, high-speed Internet and phone provider to business and residential customers, today announced that the recently-named Inspira Health Network, which combines South Jersey Healthcare and Underwood-Memorial Hospital, is using Comcast Ethernet services to transfer high-resolution radiology images, internal office communications and documents, and electronic medical records (EMRs). The Ethernet network solution will provide the necessary bandwidth to improve collaboration among physicians across multiple locations, while also paving the way for the healthcare organization to launch new online initiatives that will improve patient care for the local community. Inspira Health Network combines two of southern New Jersey's premier health care systems – South Jersey Healthcare and Underwood-Memorial Hospital – to offer primary, emergent and specialty care to patients throughout Cumberland, Salem, Gloucester, Atlantic and Camden counties. With more than 5,100 employees and 1,000 medical staff, the organization includes the SJH Regional Medical Center, SJH Elmer Hospital, SJH Bridgeton Health Center, UnderwoodMemorial Hospital and dozens of outpatient sites throughout the region. As medical technology evolved and highresolution radiology images and electronic medical records became part of the hospital's standard operating practices, Inspira needed a network solution that could accommodate the ongoing transfer of these critical, bandwidth-demanding files across each of its facilities and internal data centers – without interrupting workflow. With its vast network reach and portfolio of Ethernet services, Comcast responded with a network solution that combined several different Ethernet services, including: • • • • Five 1 Gbps Ethernet Private Line connections that now run between four locations: SJH headquarters in Vineland, Bridgeton Hospital, Elmer Hospital and Underwood-Memorial in Woodbury; 11 additional Ethernet Private Line connections with speeds of between 10 and 100 Megabits-per-second (Mbps) to link eight remote sites to Bridgeton Hospital and three remote patient facilities to Elmer Hospital; Six 6 Mbps Ethernet Private Line over Hybrid Fiber/Coax lines that now connect two remote sites to Elmer Hospital and four to Underwood-Memorial; and Two 100 Mbps Ethernet Dedicated Internet connections at both its Bridgeton Hospital and Elmer Hospital locations to improve Internet access speeds. "One of the great things about our Comcast Ethernet services is the ability to reroute our data traffic through a separate private line to access our files from any of our connected locations. This, combined with being able to quickly scale up our bandwidth with a simple phone instead of a site visit, has allowed our doctors and nurses to be more responsive to our patients by having all the information at their fingertips, regardless of location," said Thomas Pacek, vice president and chief information officer for Inspira Health Network. "As we acquire new practices, having a technology partner that can provide us with reliable connectivity, high speeds, and vast network coverage will allow us to continue doing what we need to do as a premier health network." Inspira Health Network is currently using its Ethernet services as the basis for its Health Information Exchange, an online portal that allows physicians to access a variety of patient and office data, including hospital records, surgery center 1 Fierce Health Care July 30, 2013 notes, home health diagnostics, internal files, and more. The organization is testing out a similar portal for its patients as well, which it expects to complete in the coming months. "Ethernet has become an increasingly popular connectivity solution for many healthcare organizations that are constantly struggling with wanting to improve patient care while still being cognizant of costs, especially as the industry shifts to digital healthcare," said Kevin Conmy, vice president of Comcast Business, Freedom Region. "Comcast has made a number of investments in making its fiber infrastructure broadly available and completely diverse from other networks so that hospitals, physicians' offices and patient care facilities across regionally-dispersed locations can all be connected and benefit from the scalability, reliability and speeds that Ethernet offers." About Comcast Business Comcast Business, a unit of Comcast Cable, provides advanced communication solutions to help organizations of all sizes meet their business objectives. Through a modern, advanced network that is backed by 24/7 technical support, Comcast delivers Business Internet, TV and Voice services for cost-effective, simplified communications management. The Comcast Business Ethernet suite offers high-performance point-to-point and multi-point Ethernet services with the capacity to deliver cloud computing, software-as-a-service, business continuity/disaster recovery and other bandwidthintensive applications. Comcast Ethernet services are significantly faster than standard T1 lines and other legacy technologies, providing scalable bandwidth from 1 Mbps up to 10 Gigabits-per-second (Gbps) in more than 20 major US markets. For more information, call 866-429-3085 or visit http://business.comcast.com/enterprise. Follow us on Twitter @ComcastBusiness and on other social media networks at http://business.comcast.com/social. About Comcast Cable Comcast Cable is the nation's largest video, high-speed Internet and phone provider to businesses and residential customers. Comcast has invested in technology to build an advanced network that delivers among the fastest broadband speeds, and brings customers personalized video, communications and home management offerings. Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK) is a global media and technology company. Visit www.comcastcorporation.com for more information. SOURCE Comcast Cable 2 Fierce Health Care July 30, 2013 Information contained within the links below is distributed by companies featured through PR Newswire. Neither Dallas South News nor PR Newswire is responsible for the content. Headlines from PR Newswire Comcast Business Ethernet Just What the Doctor Ordered for Inspira Health Network High-Speed Connection Assists Inspira Health Network with Transfer of Radiology Images and Electronic Medical Records VINELAND, N.J., July 30, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Comcast Business, a unit of Comcast Cable, the nation's largest video, high-speed Internet and phone provider to business and residential customers, today announced that the recently-named Inspira Health Network, which combines South Jersey Healthcare and Underwood-Memorial Hospital, is using Comcast Ethernet services to transfer highresolution radiology images, internal office communications and documents, and electronic medical records (EMRs). The Ethernet network solution will provide the necessary bandwidth to improve collaboration among physicians across multiple locations, while also paving the way for the healthcare organization to launch new online initiatives that will improve patient care for the local community. Inspira Health Network combines two of southern New Jersey’s premier health care systems – South Jersey Healthcare and Underwood-Memorial Hospital – to offer primary, emergent and specialty care to patients throughout Cumberland, Salem, Gloucester, Atlantic and Camden counties. The network, which traces its roots to 1899, now comprises three hospitals, four multi-specialty health centers and a total of more than 60 locations. These include outpatient imaging and rehabilitation centers; urgent care; numerous specialty centers, including sleep medicine, cardiac testing and wound care; home care and hospice; and more than two dozen primary and specialty physician practices. With its vast network reach and portfolio of Ethernet services, Comcast responded with a network solution that combined several different Ethernet services, including: • • • • Five 1 Gbps Ethernet Private Line connections that now run between four locations: Inspira Medical Center Vineland, Inspira Medical Center Elmer, Inspira Medical Center Woodbury and Inspira Health Center Bridgeton; 11 additional Ethernet Private Line connections with speeds of between 10 and 100 Megabits-per-second (Mbps) to link eight remote sites to Bridgeton and three remote patient facilities to Elmer; Six 6 Mbps Ethernet Private Line over Hybrid Fiber/Coax lines that now connect two remote sites to Elmer and four to Woodbury; and Two 100 Mbps Ethernet Dedicated Internet connections at both its Vineland and Elmer locations to improve Internet access speeds. "One of the great things about our Comcast Ethernet services is the ability to reroute our data traffic through a separate private line to access our files from any of our connected locations. This, combined with being able to quickly scale up our bandwidth with a simple phone instead of a site visit, has allowed our doctors and nurses to be more responsive to our patients by having all the information at their fingertips, regardless of location," said Thomas Pacek, vice president and chief information officer for Inspira Health Network. "As we acquire new practices, having a technology partner that can provide us with reliable connectivity, high speeds, and vast network coverage will allow us to continue doing what we need to do as a premier health network." Inspira Health Network is currently using its Ethernet services as the basis for its Health Information Exchange, an online portal that allows physicians to access a variety of patient and office data, including hospital records, surgery center notes, home health diagnostics, internal files, and more. The organization is testing out a similar portal for its patients as well, which it expects to complete in the coming months. "Ethernet has become an increasingly popular connectivity solution for many healthcare organizations that are constantly struggling with wanting to improve patient care while still being cognizant of costs, especially as the industry shifts to digital healthcare," said Kevin Conmy, vice president of Comcast Business, Freedom Region. "Comcast has made a number of investments in making its fiber infrastructure broadly available and completely diverse from other networks so that hospitals, physicians' offices and patient care 1 Dallas South News July 30, 2013 facilities across regionally-dispersed locations can all be connected and benefit from the scalability, reliability and speeds that Ethernet offers." About Comcast Business Comcast Business, a unit of Comcast Cable, provides advanced communication solutions to help organizations of all sizes meet their business objectives. Through a modern, advanced network that is backed by 24/7 technical support, Comcast delivers Business Internet, TV and Voice services for cost-effective, simplified communications management. The Comcast Business Ethernet suite offers high-performance point-to-point and multi-point Ethernet services with the capacity to deliver cloud computing, software-as-a-service, business continuity/disaster recovery and other bandwidth-intensive applications. Comcast Ethernet services are significantly faster than standard T1 lines and other legacy technologies, providing scalable bandwidth from 1 Mbps up to 10 Gigabits-per-second (Gbps) in more than 20 major US markets. For more information, call 866-429-3085 or visit http://business.comcast.com/enterprise. Follow us on Twitter @ComcastBusiness and on other social media networks at http://business.comcast.com/social. About Comcast Cable Comcast Cable is the nation's largest video, high-speed Internet and phone provider to businesses and residential customers. Comcast has invested in technology to build an advanced network that delivers among the fastest broadband speeds, and brings customers personalized video, communications and home management offerings. Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK) is a global media and technology company. Visit www.comcastcorporation.com for more information. SOURCE Comcast Cable RELATED LINKS http://www.comcastcorporation.com 2 Dallas South News July 30, 2013 Comcast Business Ethernet Just What the Doctor Ordered for Inspira Health Network High‐SpeedConnectionAssistsSouthJerseyHealthcareandUnderwood‐Memorial HospitalwithTransferofRadiologyImagesandElectronicMedicalRecords JULY 30, 2013 -VINELAND, N.J., July 30, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Comcast Business, a unit of Comcast Cable, the nation's largest video, highspeed Internet and phone provider to business and residential customers, today announced that the recently-named Inspira Health Network, which combines South Jersey Healthcare and Underwood-Memorial Hospital, is using Comcast Ethernet services to transfer high-resolution radiology images, internal office communications and documents, and electronic medical records (EMRs). The Ethernet network solution will provide the necessary bandwidth to improve collaboration among physicians across multiple locations, while also paving the way for the healthcare organization to launch new online initiatives that will improve patient care for the local community. Inspira Health Network combines two of southern New Jersey's premier health care systems South Jersey Healthcare and Underwood-Memorial Hospital to offer primary, emergent and specialty care to patients throughout Cumberland, Salem, Gloucester, Atlantic and Camden counties. With more than 5,100 employees and 1,000 medical staff, the organization includes the SJH Regional Medical Center, SJH Elmer Hospital, SJH Bridgeton Health Center, Underwood-Memorial Hospital and dozens of outpatient sites throughout the region. As medical technology evolved and high-resolution radiology images and electronic medical records became part of the hospital's standard operating practices, Inspira needed a network solution that could accommodate the ongoing transfer of these critical, bandwidth-demanding files across each of its facilities and internal data centers without interrupting workflow. With its vast network reach and portfolio of Ethernet services, Comcast responded with a network solution that combined several different Ethernet services, including: • • • • Five 1 Gbps Ethernet Private Line connections that now run between four locations: SJH headquarters in Vineland, Bridgeton Hospital, Elmer Hospital and Underwood-Memorial in Woodbury; 11 additional Ethernet Private Line connections with speeds of between 10 and 100 Megabits-per-second (Mbps) to link eight remote sites to Bridgeton Hospital and three remote patient facilities to Elmer Hospital; Six 6 Mbps Ethernet Private Line over Hybrid Fiber/Coax lines that now connect two remote sites to Elmer Hospital and four to Underwood-Memorial; and Two 100 Mbps Ethernet Dedicated Internet connections at both its Bridgeton Hospital and Elmer Hospital locations to improve Internet access speeds. "One of the great things about our Comcast Ethernet services is the ability to reroute our data traffic through a separate private line to access our files from any of our connected locations. This, combined with being able to quickly scale up our bandwidth with a simple phone instead of a site visit, has allowed our doctors and nurses to be more responsive to our patients by having all the information at their fingertips, regardless of location," said Thomas Pacek, vice president and chief information officer for Inspira Health Network. "As we acquire new practices, having a technology partner that can provide us with reliable connectivity, high speeds, and vast network coverage will allow us to continue doing what we need to do as a premier health network." Inspira Health Network is currently using its Ethernet services as the basis for its Health Information Exchange, an online portal that allows physicians to access a variety of patient and office data, including hospital records, surgery center notes, home health diagnostics, internal files, and more. The organization is testing out a similar portal for its patients as well, which it expects to complete in the coming months. "Ethernet has become an increasingly popular connectivity solution for many healthcare organizations that are constantly struggling with wanting to improve patient care while still being cognizant of costs, especially as the industry shifts to digital healthcare," said Kevin Conmy, vice president of Comcast Business, Freedom Region. "Comcast has made a number of investments in making its fiber infrastructure broadly available and completely diverse from other networks so that hospitals, 1 Cloud @ IT Business July 30, 2013 physicians' offices and patient care facilities across regionally-dispersed locations can all be connected and benefit from the scalability, reliability and speeds that Ethernet offers." About Comcast Business Comcast Business, a unit of Comcast Cable, provides advanced communication solutions to help organizations of all sizes meet their business objectives. Through a modern, advanced network that is backed by 24/7 technical support, Comcast delivers Business Internet, TV and Voice services for cost-effective, simplified communications management. The Comcast Business Ethernet suite offers high-performance point-to-point and multi-point Ethernet services with the capacity to deliver cloud computing, software-as-a-service, business continuity/disaster recovery and other bandwidthintensive applications. Comcast Ethernet services are significantly faster than standard T1 lines and other legacy technologies, providing scalable bandwidth from 1 Mbps up to 10 Gigabits-per-second (Gbps) in more than 20 major US markets. For more information, call 866-429-3085 or visit http://business.comcast.com/enterprise. Follow us on Twitter @ComcastBusiness and on other social media networks at http://business.comcast.com/social. About Comcast Cable Comcast Cable is the nation's largest video, high-speed Internet and phone provider to businesses and residential customers. Comcast has invested in technology to build an advanced network that delivers among the fastest broadband speeds, and brings customers personalized video, communications and home management offerings. Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK) is a global media and technology company. Visit www.comcastcorporation.com for more information. SOURCE Comcast Cable Copyright 2013 PR Newswire. All Rights Reserved 2 Cloud @ IT Business July 30, 2013 Comcast Business hooks up health network with Ethernet Tue, 07/30/2013 - 12:50pm Mike Robuck Today's top stories for broadband professionals - Sign up now! Inspira Health Network is using Comcast Business’ Ethernet services to transfer high-resolution radiology images, internal office communications and documents, and electronic medical records (EMRs) across various locations. Medical professionals in the Inspira Health Network will be able to share medical files across multiple locations in a high bandwidth, secure manner. Inspira Health Network combines two of southern New Jersey's health care systems—South Jersey Healthcare and Underwood-Memorial Hospital— to offer primary, emergent and specialty care to patients throughout Cumberland, Salem, Gloucester, Atlantic and Camden counties. With more than 5,100 employees and 1,000 medical staff, the organization includes the SJH Regional Medical Center, SJH Elmer Hospital, SJH Bridgeton Health Center, Underwood-Memorial Hospital and dozens of outpatient sites throughout the region. As medical technology evolved and high-resolution radiology images and electronic medical records became part of the hospital's standard operating practices, Inspira needed a network platform that could accommodate the ongoing transfer of these critical, bandwidth-demanding files across each of its facilities and internal data centers. In order to meet Inspira’s needs, Comcast responded with an offering that combined several different Ethernet services including: 1 • Five 1 Gbps Ethernet Private Line connections that now run between four • • locations: SJH headquarters in Vineland, Bridgeton Hospital, Elmer Hospital and Underwood-Memorial in Woodbury; • 11 additional Ethernet Private Line connections with speeds of between 10 • • and 100 Megabits-per-second (Mbps) to link eight remote sites to Bridgeton Hospital and three remote patient facilities to Elmer Hospital; • Six 6 Mbps Ethernet Private Line over Hybrid Fiber/Coax lines that now • • connect two remote sites to Elmer Hospital and four to Underwood-Memorial; and • Two 100 Mbps Ethernet Dedicated Internet connections at both its CED July 30, 2013 • • Bridgeton Hospital and Elmer Hospital locations to improve Internet access speeds. "One of the great things about our Comcast Ethernet services is the ability to reroute our data traffic through a separate private line to access our files from any of our connected locations. This, combined with being able to quickly scale up our bandwidth with a simple phone instead of a site visit, has allowed our doctors and nurses to be more responsive to our patients by having all the information at their fingertips, regardless of location," said Thomas Pacek, vice president and chief information officer for Inspira Health Network. "As we acquire new practices, having a technology partner that can provide us with reliable connectivity, high speeds, and vast network coverage will allow us to continue doing what we need to do as a premier health network." Inspira Health Network is also using its Ethernet services as the basis for its Health Information Exchange, an online portal that allows physicians to access a variety of patient and office data, including hospital records, surgery center notes, home health diagnostics, and internal file.. The organization is testing out a similar portal for its patients as well, which it expects to complete in the coming months. "Ethernet has become an increasingly popular connectivity solution for many healthcare organizations that are constantly struggling with wanting to improve patient care while still being cognizant of costs, especially as the industry shifts to digital healthcare," said Kevin Conmy, vice president of Comcast Business, Freedom Region. "Comcast has made a number of investments in making its fiber infrastructure broadly available and completely diverse from other networks so that hospitals, physicians' offices and patient care facilities across regionally-dispersed locations can all be connected and benefit from the scalability, reliability and speeds that Ethernet offers." Aided by the customer wins in its Ethernet product portfolio, Comcast Business Services generated $2.4 billion in revenue last year, which was an increase of 34 percent from the previous year. Comcast first launched its Metro Ethernet services in 2011. Comcast will report its second quarter earnings tomorrow. 2 CED July 30, 2013 July 30, 2013 Comcast Aids Inspira Health Network Comcast’s Ethernet services are connecting the recently-named Inspira Health Network, which combines South Jersey Healthcare and Underwood-Memorial Hospital. The healthcare provider is using the services to transfer high-resolution radiology images, internal office communications and documents, and electronic medical records (EMRs). According to Comcast, the Ethernet network solution will “provide the necessary bandwidth to improve collaboration among physicians across multiple locations, while also paving the way for the healthcare organization to launch new online initiatives that will improve patient care for the local community.” The cable MSO’s Ethernet offerings include five 1Gbps Ethernet private line connections that run between 4 locations, 11 additional Ethernet private line connections with speeds of between 10 and 100 Mbps to link eight remote sites to Bridgeton Hospital and three remote patient facilities to Elmer Hospital. There are also six 6 Mbps Ethernet Private Line over Hybrid Fiber/Coax lines now connect two remote sites to Elmer Hospital and four to Woodbury. “As we acquire new practices, having a technology partner that can provide us with reliable connectivity, high speeds, and vast network coverage will allow us to continue doing what we need to do as a premier health network,” said Thomas Pacek, vice president and chief information officer for Inspira Health Network. Inspira Health Network is currently using the Ethernet services as the basis for its Health Information Exchange, an online portal that allows physicians to access a variety of patient and office data, including hospital records, surgery center notes, home health diagnostics, internal files, and more. The organization is testing out a similar portal for its patients as well, which it expects to complete in the coming months. 1 CableFax Tech July 30, 2013 Comcast Biz Hooks Up NJ Healthcare Posted on July 30, 2013 by BTR Staff Inspira Health Network, which combines South Jersey Healthcare and Underwood-Memorial Hospital, is using Comcast (NASDAQ:CMCSA) Business Ethernet services to transfer high-resolution radiology images, internal office communications and documents, and electronic medical records (EMRs). Comcast installed five 1 Gbps Ethernet Private Line connections, 11 additional Ethernet Private Line connections with speeds of between 10 and 100 Mbps, six 6 Mbps Ethernet Private Line over HFC lines, and two 100 Mbps Ethernet Dedicated Internet connections. 1 Broadband Technology Report July 30, 2013 Broadway World.com Comcast Business Ethernet Just What the Doctor Ordered for Inspira Health Network VINELAND, N.J., July 30, 2013 - Comcast Business, a unit of Comcast Cable, the nation's largest video, high-speed Internet and phone provider to business and residential customers, today announced that the recently-named Inspira Health Network, which combines South Jersey Healthcare and Underwood-Memorial Hospital, is using Comcast Ethernet services to transfer high-resolution radiology images, internal office communications and documents, and electronic medical records (EMRs). The Ethernet network solution will provide the necessary bandwidth to improve collaboration among physicians across multiple locations, while also paving the way for the healthcare organization to launch new online initiatives that will improve patient care for the local community. Inspira Health Network combines two of southern New Jersey's premier health care systems – South Jersey Healthcare and Underwood-Memorial Hospital – to offer primary, emergent and specialty care to patients throughout Cumberland, Salem, Gloucester, Atlantic and Camden counties. With more than 5,100 employees and 1,000 medical staff, the organization includes the SJH Regional Medical Center, SJH Elmer Hospital, SJH Bridgeton Health Center, UnderwoodMemorial Hospital and dozens of outpatient sites throughout the region. As medical technology evolved and high-resolution radiology images and electronic medical records became part of the hospital's standard operating practices, Inspira needed a network solution that could accommodate the ongoing transfer of these critical, bandwidth-demanding files across each of its facilities and internal data centers – without interrupting workflow. With its vast network reach and portfolio of Ethernet services, Comcast responded with a network solution that combined several different Ethernet services, including: • • • • Five 1 Gbps Ethernet Private Line connections that now run between four locations: SJH headquarters in Vineland, Bridgeton Hospital, Elmer Hospital and Underwood-Memorial in Woodbury; 11 additional Ethernet Private Line connections with speeds of between 10 and 100 Megabits-per-second (Mbps) to link eight remote sites to Bridgeton Hospital and three remote patient facilities to Elmer Hospital; Six 6 Mbps Ethernet Private Line over Hybrid Fiber/Coax lines that now connect two remote sites to Elmer Hospital and four to Underwood-Memorial; and Two 100 Mbps Ethernet Dedicated Internet connections at both its Bridgeton Hospital and Elmer Hospital locations to improve Internet access speeds. "One of the great things about our Comcast Ethernet services is the ability to reroute our data traffic through a separate private line to access our files from any of our connected locations. This, combined with being able to quickly scale up our bandwidth with a simple phone instead of 1 Broadway World.com July 30, 2013 a site visit, has allowed our doctors and nurses to be more responsive to our patients by having all the information at their fingertips, regardless of location," said Thomas Pacek, vice president and chief information officer for Inspira Health Network. "As we acquire new practices, having a technology partner that can provide us with reliable connectivity, high speeds, and vast network coverage will allow us to continue doing what we need to do as a premier health network." Read more about Comcast Business Ethernet Just What the Doctor Ordered for Inspira Health Network - BWWGeeksWorld by geeks.broadwayworld.com 2 Broadway World.com July 30, 2013 July News and Product Briefs Comcast Business, a unit of Comcast Cable, has announced that the Inspira Health Network, which combines South Jersey Healthcare and Underwood-Memorial Hospital, is using Comcast Ethernet services to transfer high-resolution radiology images, internal office communications and documents, and electronic medical records (EMRs). The Ethernet network solution will provide the necessary bandwidth to improve collaboration among physicians across multiple locations, while also paving the way for the healthcare organization to launch new online initiatives that will improve patient care for the local community. Inspira Health Network has more than 5,100 employees and 1,000 medical staff, the organization includes the SJH Regional Medical Center, SJH Elmer Hospital, SJH Bridgeton Health Center, Underwood-Memorial Hospital and dozens of outpatient sites throughout the region. 1 Bio‐IT World July 30, 2013 "COMCAST BUSINESS ETHERNET JUST WHAT THE DOCTOR ORDERED FOR INSPIRA HEALTH NETWORK" 30.07.13 | 16:01 Uhr | 2 mal gelesen VINELAND, N.J., July 30, 2013 /PRNewswire/ ‐‐ Comcast Business, a unit of Comcast Cable, the nation's largest video, high‐speed Internet and phone provider to business and residential customers, today announced that the recently‐named Inspira Health Network, which combines South Jersey Healthcare and Underwood‐ Memorial Hospital, is using Comcast Ethernet services to transfer high‐resolution radiology images, internal office communications and documents, and electronic medical records (EMRs). The Ethernet network solution will provide the necessary bandwidth to improve collaboration among physicians across multiple locations, while also paving the way for the healthcare organization to launch new online initiatives that will improve patient care for the local community. Inspira Health Network combines two of southern New Jersey's Premier health care systems – South Jersey Healthcare and Underwood‐Memorial Hospital – to offer primary, emergent and specialty care to patients throughout Cumberland, Salem, Gloucester, Atlantic and Camden counties. With more than 5,100 employees and 1,000 medical staff, the organization includes the SJH Regional Medical Center, SJH Elmer Hospital, SJH Bridgeton Health Center, Underwood‐Memorial Hospital and dozens of outpatient sites throughout the region. As medical technology evolved and high‐resolution radiology images and electronic medical records became part of the hospital's standard operating practices, Inspira needed a network solution that could accommodate the ongoing transfer of these critical, bandwidth‐demanding files across each of its facilities and internal data centers – without interrupting workflow. With its vast network reach and portfolio of Ethernet services, Comcast responded with a network solution that combined several different Ethernet services, including: Five 1 Gbps Ethernet Private Line connections that now run between four locations: SJH headquarters in Vineland, Bridgeton Hospital, Elmer Hospital and Underwood‐Memorial in Woodbury; 11 additional Ethernet Private Line connections with speeds of between 10 and 100 Megabits‐per‐second (Mbps) to link eight remote sites to Bridgeton Hospital and three remote patient facilities to Elmer Hospital; Six 6 Mbps Ethernet Private Line over Hybrid Fiber/Coax lines that now connect two remote sites to Elmer Hospital and four to Underwood‐Memorial; and Two 100 Mbps Ethernet Dedicated Internet connections at both its Bridgeton Hospital and Elmer Hospital locations to improve Internet access speeds. "One of the great things about our Comcast Ethernet services is the ability to reroute our data traffic through a separate private line to access our files from any of our connected locations. This, combined with being able to quickly scale up our bandwidth with a simple phone instead of a site visit, has allowed our doctors and nurses to be more responsive to our patients by having all the information at their fingertips, regardless of location," said Thomas Pacek, vice president and chief information officer for Inspira Health Network. "As we acquire new practices, having a technology partner that can provide us with reliable connectivity, high speeds, and vast network coverage will allow us to continue doing what we need to do as a Premier health network." 1 Ad Hoc News July 30, 2013 Inspira Health Network is currently using its Ethernet services as the basis for its Health Information Exchange, an online portal that allows physicians to access a variety of patient and office data, including hospital records, surgery center notes, home health diagnostics, internal files, and more. The organization is testing out a similar portal for its patients as well, which it expects to complete in the coming months. "Ethernet has become an increasingly popular connectivity solution for many healthcare organizations that are constantly struggling with wanting to improve patient care while still being cognizant of costs, especially as the industry shifts to digital healthcare," said Kevin Conmy, vice president of Comcast Business, Freedom Region. "Comcast has made a number of investments in making its fiber infrastructure broadly available and completely diverse from other networks so that hospitals, physicians' offices and patient care facilities across regionallydispersed locations can all be connected and benefit from the scalability, reliability and speeds that Ethernet offers." About Comcast Business Comcast Business, a unit of Comcast Cable, provides Advanced communication solutions to help organizations of all sizes meet their business objectives. Through a modern, Advanced network that is backed by 24/7 technical support, Comcast delivers Business Internet, TV and Voice services for cost‐ effective, simplified communications management. The Comcast Business Ethernet suite offers high-performance point-to-point and multi-point Ethernet services with the capacity to deliver cloud computing, software-as-a-service, business continuity/disaster recovery and other bandwidth-intensive applications. Comcast Ethernet services are significantly faster than standard T1 lines and other legacy technologies, providing scalable bandwidth from 1 Mbps up to 10 Gigabits-per-second (Gbps) in more than 20 major US markets. For more information, call 866-429-3085 or visit http://business.comcast.com/enterprise. Follow us on Twitter @ComcastBusiness and on other social media networks at http://business.comcast.com/social. About Comcast Cable Comcast Cable is the nation's largest video, high-speed Internet and phone provider to businesses and residential customers. Comcast has invested in technology to build an Advanced network that delivers among the fastest broadband speeds, and brings customers personalized video, communications and home management offerings. Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK) is a global media and technology company. Visit www.comcastcorporation.com for more information. SOURCE Comcast Cable 2 Ad Hoc News July 30, 2013 Survey details health-care needs in South Jersey By Curtis Skinner, Inquirer Staff Writer POSTED: JULY 27, 2013 Nearly one in six Camden County diabetics surveyed said that they had not seen a health professional in the last year. One in eight of those polled in Gloucester County reported health problems that required special medical equipment. And one in seven in Burlington County rated themselves in poor physical health for 15 to 30 days over the last month - all levels higher than national and New Jersey averages. These were just a few of the findings presented Thursday morning by Holleran, a Lancaster consulting firm, from its 2013 tri-county health assessment to an audience of South Jersey hospital executives and government officials. Holleran, in collaboration with five health systems, 12 hospitals, the health departments of Camden, Gloucester, and Burlington Counties, and an array of community groups, developed over the last nine months a comprehensive health-needs report of the communities they serve. The reports are required by the Affordable Care Act. Their purpose is to make sure that the money hospitals spend on community health benefits, which helps ensure their tax-exempt status, aligns with communities' needs. Virtually all nonprofit hospitals spend money on programs to improve community health, but this report can help them determine priorities. "This is specifically from the voice of the customer and the community," said Catherine R. Curley, director of community outreach at Virtua Health. "There's always a bit of a gap between what we think our community wants compared to what they say they actually need." The findings were based on focus groups and telephone and online surveys with 2,710 South Jersey residents, as well as more than 150 interviews with local leaders. Holleran consultants found that the most acute issues across the tri-county area were lack of access to care, chronic disease and weight management, and mental-health and substance-abuse services. A smaller, on-site survey of 165 Camden City residents painted a stark picture. More than half of the respondents who had smoked at least 100 cigarettes in their life still smoked daily; more than a quarter had asthma; and more than a third said costs prevented them from seeing a doctor even when they needed care. Holleran consultant Janeen Maxwell urged caution around these numbers due to the small sample size, but said they suggested serious health needs. Although this was the first time that members saw summary numbers, some were not surprised. 1 Philly.com July 27, 2013 "While the data made some of these problems a little more evident, there weren't a lot of surprises for us," said Joseph W. Devine, president and chief executive officer of Kennedy University Hospitals. He noted that with more granular data, access to care and behavioral modification were two areas where Kennedy could continue to expand services. The next step for the collaboration will be to tailor service-area reports for individual hospitals, including those at Cooper University Health Care, Lourdes Health System, and Inspira Medical Center-Woodbury. Those are expected to be done in the fall and open to the public. After that, hospitals will develop programs or retool existing ones. Members of the collaborative are excited to continue the joint work. "That's our lifeline," said Paschal Nwako, health officer at the Camden County Department of Health and Human Services. While the project is a partnership of competitors, Nwako said, "the best way to improve health care is through collaboration, and everyone needs to come together." 2 Philly.com July 27, 2013 Survey details health-care needs in South Jersey Curtis Skinner, Inquirer Staff Writer POSTED: FRIDAY, JULY 26, 2013, 3:01 AM Nearly one in six Camden County diabetics surveyed said that they had not seen a health professional in the last year. One in eight of those polled in Gloucester County reported health problems that required special medical equipment. And one in seven in Burlington County rated themselves in poor physical health for 15 to 30 days over the last month - all levels higher than national and New Jersey averages. These were just a few of the findings presented Thursday morning by Holleran, a Lancaster consulting firm, from its 2013 tri-county health assessment to an audience of South Jersey hospital executives and government officials. Holleran, in collaboration with five health systems, 12 hospitals, the health departments of Camden, Gloucester, and Burlington Counties, and an array of community groups, developed over the last nine months a comprehensive health-needs report of the communities they serve. The reports are required by the Affordable Care Act. Their purpose is to make sure that the money hospitals spend on community health benefits, which helps ensure their tax-exempt status, aligns with communities' needs. Virtually all nonprofit hospitals spend money on programs to improve community health, but this report can help them determine priorities. "This is specifically from the voice of the customer and the community," said Catherine R. Curley, director of community outreach at Virtua Health. "There's always a bit of a gap between what we think our community wants compared to what they say they actually need." The findings were based on focus groups and telephone and online surveys with 2,710 South Jersey residents, as well as more than 150 interviews with local leaders. 1 Philly.com July 26, 2016 Holleran consultants found that the most acute issues across the tri-county area were lack of access to care, chronic disease and weight management, and mental-health and substance-abuse services. A smaller, on-site survey of 165 Camden City residents painted a stark picture. More than half of the respondents who had smoked at least 100 cigarettes in their life still smoked daily; more than a quarter had asthma; and more than a third said costs prevented them from seeing a doctor even when they needed care. Holleran consultant Janeen Maxwell urged caution around these numbers due to the small sample size, but said they suggested serious health needs. Although this was the first time that members saw summary numbers, some were not surprised. "While the data made some of these problems a little more evident, there weren't a lot of surprises for us," said Joseph W. Devine, president and chief executive officer of Kennedy University Hospitals. He noted that with more granular data, access to care and behavioral modification were two areas where Kennedy could continue to expand services. The next step for the collaboration will be to tailor service-area reports for individual hospitals, including those at Cooper University Health Care, Lourdes Health System, and Inspira Medical Center-Woodbury. Those are expected to be done in the fall and open to the public. After that, hospitals will develop programs or retool existing ones. Members of the collaborative are excited to continue the joint work. "That's our lifeline," said Paschal Nwako, health officer at the Camden County Department of Health and Human Services. While the project is a partnership of competitors, Nwako said, "the best way to improve health care is through collaboration, and everyone needs to come together." 2 Philly.com July 26, 2016 First Custom Themed Soft Playground in Southern New Jersey Opens at Deptford Mall, a Big Hit with Families PRWeb Tuesday, July 23rd 2013 Deptford, NJ (PRWEB) July 23, 2013 During a large grand opening celebration, Deptford Mall, a dominant regional shopping center located in Gloucester County, NJ unveiled its new Kids Play Zone, a historically themed soft play area sponsored by Inspira Health Network. This soft play area is the first of its kind in the southern region of New Jersey. After a dramatic countdown to the official opening, kids enthusiastically rushed into the play area and instantly began having fun climbing, sliding, crawling and exploring the newly installed soft playground equipment artfully created by Center Stage Productions, a leading manufacturer and installer of custom themed soft play parks. As part of the celebration, hundreds of children in attendance were treated to face painting, balloon sculptures, crafts, fun prize giveaways, refreshments and more. Looking to introduce a unique family friendly amenity, Deptford Mall in Southern New Jersey attracts crowds with a historically inspired custom indoor playground created by Center Stage Productions and sponsored by Inspira Health Network. The grand opening celebration was just the beginning of all the attention the new soft play area has been getting. “We are thrilled to see so many families continuing to pour into Deptford Mall to experience our new Kids Play Zone,” said Lori Anzivino, Marketing Manager for Deptford Mall. “We have seen a spike in the number of families joining our Kids Club and our merchants are seeing an increase in shopper traffic, ” added Anzivino. The custom designed indoor soft play park was inspired by the historic moment when the first hot air balloon landed in Deptford, NJ. More than 200 years ago, President George Washington watched as Jean-Pierre Blanchard soared over the Delaware River and into New Jersey skies, before finally landing in Deptford Township for the first hot air balloon flight and landing in North America’s history. 1 Virtual‐Strategy Magazine July 23, 2013 The play area illustrates the landing of the hot air balloon in a colorful meadow. The centerpiece is a large rainbow-colored hot air balloon with a cloud slide and is accompanied by a flower crawl bridge, a dairy cow and bumble bee ride-on and a caterpillar crawl through and slide. These imaginative soft play pieces are surrounded by a custom created padded carpet, which absorbs impact and exceeds ASTM’s standards for drop and fall ratings, ultimately protecting children and keeping them safe. In addition, parents will not have to worry about germs because Center Stage Productions’ play pieces are coated with naturally antimicrobial urethanes, which inhibit the growth of bacteria and other microorganisms. To add to the fun, wall-mounted interactive play activities including a silly spinner and slider pegs will keep kids entertained. Comfortable seating, shoe cubbies and an exterior stroller parking area are all contained within the play area. “We couldn’t be more proud to be a part of this new healthy play attraction that promotes wellness, physical activity and social engagement,” said Suzanne Bauer, Manager of Community Outreach for Inspira Health Network. “It’s rewarding to see the play area filled with children who are simply having a great time while exercising,” added Bauer. The Kids Play Zone is located on the mall’s upper level near the food court and is free to the public for their enjoyment. “We are delighted to provide this family friendly amenity to our shoppers and invite them to come and play again and again,” concluded Anzivino. About Deptford Mall Deptford Mall, a 1,042,000 square-foot regional shopping center, features four major department stores and over 125 specialty stores. Located off of Routes 42 and 55 at 1750 Deptford Center Road in Deptford, NJ; Deptford Mall is owned and operated by Macerich. For more information, visit http://www.deptfordmall.com. Read more at http://www.virtual‐strategy.com/2013/07/23/first‐custom‐themed‐soft‐playground‐southern‐new‐jersey‐ opens‐deptford‐mall‐big‐hit‐famil#YVrlHQH0vlFZglsQ.99 Read more: http://www.virtual‐strategy.com/2013/07/23/first‐custom‐themed‐soft‐playground‐southern‐new‐jersey‐ opens‐deptford‐mall‐big‐hit‐famil#ixzz2ZtI6Ydek 2 Virtual‐Strategy Magazine July 23, 2013 First Custom Themed Soft Playground in Southern New Jersey Opens at Deptford Mall, a Big Hit with Families Looking to introduce a unique family friendly amenity, Deptford Mall in Southern New Jersey attracts crowds with a historically inspired custom indoor playground created by Center Stage Productions and sponsored by Inspira Health Network. Deptford, NJ (PRWEB) July 23, 2013 During a large grand opening celebration, Deptford Mall, a dominant regional shopping center located in Gloucester County, NJ unveiled its new Kids Play Zone, a historically themed soft play area sponsored by Inspira Health Network. This soft play area is the first of its kind in the southern region of New Jersey. After a dramatic countdown to the official opening, kids enthusiastically rushed into the play area and instantly began having fun climbing, sliding, crawling and exploring the newly installed soft playground equipment artfully created by Center Stage Productions, a leading manufacturer and installer of custom themed soft play parks. As part of the celebration, hundreds of children in attendance were treated to face painting, balloon sculptures, crafts, fun prize giveaways, refreshments and more. The grand opening celebration was just the beginning of all the attention the new soft play area has been getting. “We are thrilled to see so many families continuing to pour into Deptford Mall to experience our new Kids Play Zone,” said Lori Anzivino, Marketing Manager for Deptford Mall. “We have seen a spike in the number of families joining our Kids Club and our merchants are seeing an increase in shopper traffic, ” added Anzivino. Families flock to Deptford Mall's new soft play area. We are thrilled to see so many families continuing to pour into Deptford Mall to experience our new Kids Play Zone, said Lori Anzivino, Marketing Manager for Deptford Mall. The custom designed indoor soft play park was inspired by the historic moment when the first hot air balloon landed in Deptford, NJ. More than 200 years ago, President George Washington watched as Jean-Pierre Blanchard soared over the Delaware River and into New Jersey skies, before finally landing in Deptford Township for the first hot air balloon flight and landing in North America’s history. The play area illustrates the landing of the hot air balloon in a colorful meadow. The centerpiece is a large rainbow-colored hot air balloon with a cloud slide and is accompanied by a flower crawl bridge, a dairy cow and bumble bee ride-on and a caterpillar crawl through and slide. These imaginative soft play pieces are surrounded by a custom created padded carpet, which absorbs impact and exceeds ASTM’s standards for drop and fall ratings, ultimately protecting children and keeping them safe. In addition, parents will not have to worry about germs because Center Stage Productions’ play pieces are coated with naturally antimicrobial urethanes, which inhibit the growth of bacteria and other microorganisms. 1 PR Web July 23, 2013 To add to the fun, wall-mounted interactive play activities including a silly spinner and slider pegs will keep kids entertained. Comfortable seating, shoe cubbies and an exterior stroller parking area are all contained within the play area. “We couldn’t be more proud to be a part of this new healthy play attraction that promotes wellness, physical activity and social engagement,” said Suzanne Bauer, Manager of Community Outreach for Inspira Health Network. “It’s rewarding to see the play area filled with children who are simply having a great time while exercising,” added Bauer. The Kids Play Zone is located on the mall’s upper level near the food court and is free to the public for their enjoyment. “We are delighted to provide this family friendly amenity to our shoppers and invite them to come and play again and again,” concluded Anzivino. About Deptford Mall Deptford Mall, a 1,042,000 square-foot regional shopping center, features four major department stores and over 125 specialty stores. Located off of Routes 42 and 55 at 1750 Deptford Center Road in Deptford, NJ; Deptford Mall is owned and operated by Macerich. For more information, visit http://www.deptfordmall.com. About Inspira Health Network Inspira Health Network is a charitable nonprofit health care organization formed in November 2012 by the merger of South Jersey Healthcare and Underwood-Memorial Hospital. The network, which traces its roots to 1899, now comprises three hospitals, four multi-specialty health centers and a total of more than 60 locations. These include outpatient imaging and rehabilitation centers; urgent care; numerous specialty centers, including sleep medicine, cardiac testing and wound care; home care and hospice; and more than two dozen primary and specialty physician practices in Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem counties. Together with its medical staff of more than 1,100 physicians and other care providers, Inspira Health Network provides evidence-based care to help each patient achieve the best possible outcome. Clinical and support staffs are focused on providing safe care in a safe environment. For more information about Inspira Health Network, visit http://www.InspiraHealthNetwork.org. About Center Stage Productions Center Stage Productions, based in Fair Lawn, NJ, custom creates a range of promotional environments including children’s soft play areas, seasonal décor and modular barricades for shopping centers, retailers, airports, amusement parks, museums, zoos and more. Center Stage Productions’ innovative designs have been created for hundreds of destinations across the United States and the world. In business for nearly 30 years, Center Stage Productions’ comprehensive services include design, planning, production, transportation, management and operations. For more information, visit http://www.cspdisplay.com. 2 PR Web July 23, 2013 Inspira-Sponsored Kids Play Place Opens at Deptford Mall The new, soft environment gives young children a place to run around, right in the middle of the mall food court. Posted by Matt Skoufalos (Editor), July 18, 2013 at 06:11 pm Families visiting the Deptford Mall this summer have a new attraction to show their young children the next time they visit the food court: a custom "kids zone" play place. Designed to help children burn off energy and give mom and dad a break, the $150,000, custommade play area was built by the mall as a permanent amenity for preschool-aged children. For the first year of its operation, the play area will be sponsored by Inspira Health; its CEO, Chet Kaletkowski, remarked that having a place for physical activity and social engagement is important developmentally for children. The play area was designed by Center Stage Productions of Fair Lawn, NJ, and central to its design elements are symbols of the township of Deptford, including a large hot air balloon sculpture that commemorates the first hot air balloon landing in the United States. There is no fee to access the play zone, and it will be open during all mall hours. Soft to the touch and coated in an antibacterial glaze, the structure is situated on top of carpet that has an extra three layers of padding beneath. There's stroller parking, squishy slides and interactive toys throughout the space. Kids are supposed to remove their shoes to play, but in all the excitement of the opening ceremony, that instruction was skipped over Thursday. "It's another amenity to lengthen a stay for customers," said Lori Anzivino, marketing manager for the Deptford Mall. "The closest malls that have this are King of Prussia and Hamilton." Mike Mazzuca, a third-grade special education teacher and father of two girls, said that his children were having a great time. Since the family lives around the corner from the mall, Mazzuca said, he could see them asking to return often. After giving the equipment a thorough romp, 6-year-old Casi O'Connor said the new digs were "pretty awesome," and her mother, Pati, said that the activity is a good indoor alternative to the summer heat. 1 West Deptford Patch July 18, 2013 Teens learn pregnancy prevention and other valuable lessons Posted: Jul 16, 2013 5:57 PM EDT Updated: Jul 16, 2013 6:19 PM EDT Posted By Ryan Ross - email BRIDGETON With wide smiles on their faces, kids in Bridgeton may not look like they are receiving a lesson in teen pregnancy prevention. But after a five million dollar federal grant and use of the Carrera Model, the Partnership for Healthy Teens Program through Inspira Health Network is takinga broad approach to a specific issue. "It's actually a teen prevention program that takes a holistic approach, above thewaste approach. So it addresses all the factors that contribute to teenpregnancy." Project Director Dawn Truett says the program provides lessons in several topics like job preparedness, health and self-expression. The program, which received the grant in 2010, uses one million dollars a year tofollow 130 students in Bridgeton and Vineland from sixth grade through highschool, students like soon to be eight grader Makaylee Ford. "It seemed like a pretty nice program and me and my parents thought that it wouldbe a great way to come out of my shell because I used to be really shy and itshelped a lot," said Ford. 1 NBC40.Net July 16, 2013 Andby learning to express herself through making tie dye shirts and otheractivities, Makaylee realizes her involvement will help shape her adult life. "I like how it combines all the kids and you can make really great friends and itjust helps you be prepared for life cause some kids aren't when they graduatehigh school," said Ford. Dr.Michael Carrera, who helped develop the program, once said that hope is a powerful contraceptive. And through education, the goal is that these kidsbecome healthy and successful young adults. "It's amazing," said Site Coordinator Jasmine Demby. "We're going to take these 65 kids, they'regoing to graduate high school, they're not going to be mommies and daddies and hopefully continue their education in college or vo-tech, whatever they decideto go." And that "sky's the limit" attitude is something that has certainly beenpassed down to the students. "I've learned to just be yourself and you can do anything," said Ford. The program will run for five weeks during the summer and continues as an after-school program during the school year. 2 NBC40.Net July 16, 2013 REGIONAL NEWS Vineland, NJ-Inspira Facilities Earn Magnet Redesignation Posted on: July 9, 2013 Inspira Medical Center Elmer, Elmer, N.J., Inspira Medical Center Vineland, Vineland, N.J., and the Inspira Health Center Bridgeton, Bridgeton, N.J., recently earned Magnet redesignation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center. The facilities were initially designated in 2008. "To be redesignated as a Magnet organization is an incredible honor," said Elizabeth Sheridan, MA, RN, chief operating officer of Inspira Medical Center Vineland and chief nurse executive. "The Magnet journey has a way of raising the bar for everyone, and in this new designation we have found that our outcomes for patient care are much more defined." 1 Advance For Nurses July 9, 2013 What Does Birth Cost? Hard to Tell Family July 8, 2013, 2:22 pm By GINA KOLATA Jessica Kourkounis for The New York Times Therese Allison, 35, with her daughters Olivia, 4, center, and Amaya, 2. Ms. Allison, who is uninsured, had difficulty finding the price of a normal delivery. We’re continually told that when it comes to health care, we need to be savvy and shop around for the best prices. To that end, policy experts and politicians promote health care savings accounts, saying they make “health care consumers” (a k a patients) more conscious of prices, bringing down the cost of medical care. Here is what happened to my daughter, Therese Allison, when she tried to be just the sort of shrewd and informed patient that politicians should love. Therese is more than seven months pregnant and uninsured — in fact, she is uninsurable. Pregnancy is a preexisting condition, so she can’t get health insurance at any price. And now that the birth of her baby is imminent, she wants to find out what a delivery will cost, maybe even negotiate a price for this expensive procedure. In a way, she’s lucky. She and her husband, who are self-employed, live in New Jersey, so she qualifies under a little-known and unadvertised law that caps hospital expenses for uninsured people with incomes less than five times the poverty level. 1 The New York Times July 8, 2013 Under the law, a hospital can charge 115 percent of what it accepts from Medicare for the same services. Although most Medicare beneficiaries are 65 or older, the federal program also includes younger people who are disabled. As a result, Medicare covers pregnancies. California, New York and, as of last year, Colorado, have similar laws, but none are as generous as New Jersey’s. Her Alice in Wonderland tale began in June, when Therese’s midwife offered to call the two hospitals she uses and get their prices. Therese is planning and fervently hoping to have a normal vaginal delivery, without an epidural anesthetic, and to leave the hospital the next day. Elmer Hospital, in Elmer, N.J, said it would charge $4,300 for a normal delivery without an epidural and with no complications. Newborn care would be $1,400 more. Kennedy University Hospital, in Washington Township, refused to say, but told the midwife that Therese could apply for Medicaid or New Jersey Family Care (she does not qualify for either) and could apply for charity care if she was turned down. If accepted, she would have to pay only a fraction of what the hospital charged. But what would the hospital charge? The hospital was mum, saying it could not give a price because if Therese needed additional services, its quote would be wrong. Therese called the hospitals herself. But all she heard — after calling Kennedy University Hospital three times and asking for a price — was two voice mail messages. In one, she was told to apply for New Jersey Family Care. In the other she was told to apply for Medicaid. Isn’t there a law, Therese asked me, requiring hospitals to reveal their prices? I asked Uwe Reinhardt, a Princeton health care economist who is a frequent contributor to The New York Times. No, he said. Hospitals do not have to tell you their prices, and often they keep them secret until they send the bill. “When I was chair of the New Jersey commission on hospitals two years ago, my wife, at my behest, tried to get a price for a normal delivery from the Princeton Medical Center,” Dr. Reinhardt said. “She pretended to be an uninsured entrepreneur earning $80,000 a year. She got nowhere. I then called to try out a colonoscopy. I got nowhere too.” The commission then recommended that all hospitals be required to list their prices for their top 25 procedures. That never happened, but instead the New Jersey Legislature passed the law limiting hospital charges for the uninsured with low incomes. The problem, though, is that even if you know what a hospital charges, you may not be able to find out what Medicare pays. Medicare publishes a giant spreadsheet with its payments for the 100 most popular hospital procedures and treatments in 3,000 hospitals across the country. Pregnancy is not on the list. Even people with insurance can have a hard time finding out what they will have to pay. After my inquiry, Dr. Reinhardt did a little sleuthing. Private insurers, he said, claim they let patients know what their out-of-pocket costs are likely to be. So he checked UnitedHealthcare’s Web site. First he put in “normal delivery.” Nothing came up. He tried “vaginal delivery.” Nothing. Then he tried another common procedure, an appendectomy. Nothing. “I called the UnitedHealth hot line and asked the lady there to help me find the ‘cost estimates’ (as they are called) for normal delivery and appendectomy,” Dr. Reinhardt wrote in an e-mail. “She couldn’t find the items either.” 2 The New York Times July 8, 2013 “It is all so pathetic,” he said. Last month, Senator Charles E. Grassley, Republican of Iowa, and Senator Ron Wyden, Democrat of Oregon, introduced a measure to make Medicare reveal what it pays providers for every service. Mr. Wyden said the uninsured could use the data to negotiate, as could people with health care savings accounts. A searchable list of Medicare payments should be a fundamental service, Mr. Wyden said. “Every single person in government tells people, ‘Oh, you’ve got to make good choices,’ ” he said in an interview. “But patients have their hands tied. They can’t get costs and they can’t find out about quality.” If that bill were law, Therese’s problem would be solved. But for now, she needed some extra help to find out what those two hospitals were allowed to charge. So I e-mailed Donald McLeod, a Medicare spokesman, and asked for assistance. He got the answers. Medicare would pay Elmer Hospital $3,550 for a normal delivery without an epidural and $1,028.30 for newborn care. Kennedy is a teaching hospital, so it gets bigger payments: $4,327.60 for a normal delivery and $1,253.55 for newborn care. I finally called Kennedy Health System, identifying myself as a reporter, and not surprisingly was given a price. The system’s president and chief executive, Martin A. Bieber, called to tell me. A normal delivery is approximately $4,900, and newborn care costs about $1,400. And, he added, Kennedy charges all uninsured patients those prices, which are 115 percent of the Medicare rates, no matter what their income. In a way, even with the overcharges by Elmer, its prices — and Kennedy’s — look like a bargain. Dartmouth, one of the few places that posts its prices, says it charges the uninsured about $11,000 for a normal delivery and newborn care. Meanwhile, Therese found the bill for her previous pregnancy. She had a normal delivery with no epidural in December 2010 and refused all extras, even Tylenol. She was insured, and her baby was born at the University of Pennsylvania. Her insurer’s negotiated price? $16,672. This post has been revised to reflect the following correction: Correction: July 8, 2013 An earlier version of this article misspelled the surname of the president and chief executive of Kennedy Health System. He is Martin A. Bieber, not Beaver. 3 The New York Times July 8, 2013 Inspira Health Center Bridgeton opens new Behavioral Health Center By Don E. Woods/South Jersey Times Follow on Twitter on June 29, 2013 at 7:10 AM, updated June 29, 2013 at 7:11 AM BRIDGETON — Inspira Health Center Bridgeton celebrated the opening of its new Behavioral Health Services unit on Friday, which has expanded from the previous facility. Inspira Health Network opens new adult behavioral health unit at Inspira Health Center in Bridgeton, June 28, 2013. (Staff Photo by Britney Lillya/South Jersey Times) Britney Lillya/South Jersey Times Behavioral Health Services has doubled in space, now equaling 17,000 square feet. Inspira invested approximately $9 million into the facility, out of a total of $18 million in general investments to the health center. “Behavior health clients are a very marginalized population and to provide such a great service for that population, it really does display the commitment to the community,” said David Moore, executive director of Behavior Health Sciences at Inspira Health Center Bridgeton. Out of the total 33 beds — an increase of four beds from the previous facility — there are beds reserved for residents of Cumberland and Salem counties. Although, the behavioral health unit can accept other patients from throughout the state. “If we have a bed and you’re in an emergency room in need of mental health treatment — and you meet the dangerousness threshold — we are certainly there for anyone in the state,” Moore said. Inpatient behavioral units are meant for adults with mental illness that pose a danger to themselves or others without treatment, including depression, delusions or psychosis. “Mental illnesses are treatable and with treatment, you certainly show that you can make those dangerous behaviors go away with appropriate treatment and counseling,” Moore said. “That’s what we do.” Treatment includes psychiatry, medication and even a creative arts therapy program. 1 South Jersey Times Artwork from the therapy program was on display at Friday’s ceremony at the center, located at 333 Irving Ave. The need for increased space for the inpatient unit allows patients — both voluntary and involuntary — to have more focused care and allow them to be divided from the more agitated patients, according to Dr. Amit Kurani, medical director and chairman of the department of psychiatry for the health care network. Previously, with the health center unable to separate patients, a cascading effect occurred where the more agitated patients compromised the treatment of other patients. Now, those patients can be separated from the rest and be closely monitored by staff. “There are certain patient populations that require a higher level of care and monitoring,” Kurani said. Mayor Albert Kelly sees the opening as a boon to the community. “It makes me happy that the citizens can have a first-class mental health unit, a first-class facility and a first-class hospital here in our own city,” Kelly said. The mayor also serves on the Inspira Health System Board. He originally took a tour of the facility when it was under construction in May but, seeing the finished product, he is impressed. “It’s stressful times and we need a first class operation and this is a first class operation,” Kelly said. Contact staff writer Don E. Woods at 856-451-1000, ext. 518 or dwoods@southjerseymedia.com Expanding its Health Center, Inspira delivers on promise to remain in Bridgeton 2 South Jersey Times Surgery Ask the Doctor Todd Campbell, M.D. Board Certification: General Surgery, American Board of Surgery Additional Certification: Stereotactic Breast Procedures, American Society of Breast Surgeons Inspira Medical Group General Surgery Elmer 525 South State Street, Suite 5 Elmer, NJ 08318 (856) 363-1522 What is the most important thing to consider when choosing a surgeon? For many people, choosing a surgeon can be overwhelming and often times they don’t know where to begin. I would say that the most important factors to consider when selecting a surgeon for a procedure include: the amount of experience the surgeon has in their specialty, the reputation they have from patients they’ve treated and other physicians, and also their clinical outcomes as this speaks to the quality of treatment they provide. And, it’s also important to remember that a referral is not required which means the choice is yours. What surgical expertise and technology is offered right here in the community? Area residents have access to quality care, right here in their region and they don’t have to travel across the river or out of town to find the latest technologies. Through Inspira Medical Center Elmer, my practice provides minimally invasive surgery for a range of procedures including hernia, gallbladder, appendix, and more. In addition, Elmer is home to a state-of-the-art wound care center, offering hyperbaric oxygen therapy, and the latest surgical and non-surgical treatments for breast cancer. What are the greatest patient benefits of minimally invasive surgical procedures? During a minimally invasive procedure, the surgeon will make small incisions through which they insert a special lens called a laparoscope, which allows them to visualize the surgical site and insert additional surgical instruments if needed. This technique provides patients with many benefits, a few of which include: less pain and a reduced risk of infection over traditional open surgery, a better cosmetic results with minimal scarring, and a quicker recovery time so that patients can return to their normal daily activities faster. 1-800-INSPIRA InspiraHealthNetwork.org/medicalgroup ADVERTISEMENT Inspira Brings New Wound Healing Technology to Our Region By Chet Kaletkowski, Inspira Health Network President and CEO W e all experience cuts and minor wounds from time to time. And fortunately for most of us, it’s usually a temporary discomfort because of our bodies’ amazing ability to heal. But for some people who lack that ability to heal, wounds can cause severe health risks and may result in life-threatening infections, debilitating health problems and possible amputation. Every year nearly five million Americans suffer from chronic wounds caused by diabetes or circulatory problems. In fact, 15 percent of all diabetics will develop chronic wounds and more than 60,000 of them undergo amputation each year. With diabetes on the rise in our country, you can see how important the treatment of non-healing wounds can be for many of our neighbors. That’s why Inspira Health Network offers comprehensive wound care in both Elmer and Woodbury. Our teams of expert physicians and nurses at our wound care centers specialize in treating chronic wounds that have resisted healing after months or even years of traditional treatment. In fact, many of our patients begin to heal quickly after visiting one of our wound care centers. Non-healing wounds can be very difficult to treat for both the physician and the patient. Making an accurate wound diagnosis can be challenging because there may be many different causes. It takes a high level of expertise to diagnose and properly treat these wounds. And that’s what Inspira offers at our wound care centers: the staff and expertise required to diagnose and to treat chronic wounds. Inspira’s Wound Care centers in Elmer and Woodbury are staffed by wound-certified physicians with years of experience treating all types of chronic wounds. But patients also have access to a comprehensive wound care team that also includes specialized nurses, therapists, diabetic educators, and clinical dieticians who can help them to heal. In addition to our great team, we’ve also introduced new technologies to give our communities access to advanced wound care. Last month we opened a new hyperbaric oxygen therapy chamber at Inspira Medical Center Elmer, which offers even more advanced treatment for healing wounds. During hyperbaric oxygen therapy, patients relax in a comfortable, spacious chamber that is pressurized with 100 percent pure oxygen. This oxygen-rich environment promotes the body’s natural ability to heal and dramatically speeds up the healing process of chronic wounds. By increasing the amount of oxygen in your blood that is circulated to body tissues, hyperbaric oxygen therapy can promote wound healing, preserve damaged tissues, help to control infection and increase the formation of blood vessels. Hyperbaric therapy treatments generally last from 90 to 120 minutes and are safe and pain-free. So it allows most patients to simply relax while listening to music, watching TV or even napping during the treatment. Most wound patients receive a series of treatments ranging from 20 to up to 40 visits. Patients with chronic wounds tend to require a longer series of treatments. This is just another example of how the Inspira Health Network is introducing new health care technology to keep our communities healthy. And with excellent wound care available in Woodbury and Elmer, we’re giving patients with non-healing wounds the care they need to get back to their lives and their families. For more information about our wound care centers, please visit our website at InspiraHealthNetwork.org. www.InspiraHealthNetwork.org Stop getget healthy, Stopsmoking smoking& & healthy, youhave havemore important thingsthings to do.to do. you important If you’d like to hear about proven methods that will help you stop smoking , join our Certified Tobacco Treatment Specialist for a free 1-hour group session where you can ask questions about your smoking in a non-judgmental way. All smokers are invited to attend along with a friend or family member. Wednesday, Thursday, July 24, 2013 – 6:30-7:30 pm at Inspira Frank and Edith Scarpa Regional Cancer Pavilion, 2nd Floor 1505 W. Sherman Avenue, Vineland, NJ 08360 Attendees will receive a free 2 week trial membership to Inspira Fitness Connection, including an evaluation by a personal trainer. Space is limited. Light refreshments will be served. Please call (856) 641-8670 to register. www.InspiraHealthNetwork.org 1-800-INSPIRA Stop smoking & get healthy, you have important things to do. If you’d like to hear about proven methods that will help you stop smoking, join our Certified Tobacco Treatment Specialist for a free 1-hour group session where you can ask questions about your smoking in a non-judgmental way. All smokers are invited to attend along with a friend or family member. Thursday, July 24, 2013 – 6:30-7:30 pm at Inspira Frank and Edith Scarpa Regional Cancer Pavilion, 2nd Floor 1505 W. Sherman Avenue, Vineland, NJ 08360 Attendees will receive a free 2 week trial membership to Inspira Fitness Connection, including an evaluation by a personal trainer. Space is limited. Light refreshments will be served. Please call (856) 641-8670 to register. www.InspiraHealthNetwork.org 1-800-INSPIRA INSPIRING EXCELLENCE THROUGH Michael Geria, DO Director, Medical Education and OB/GYN Residency Program EXPERT CARE Inspira Health Network brings together expert physicians from three hospitals into one powerful, new network. With the joining of South Jersey Healthcare and Underwood-Memorial Hospital, you now have greater access to the skills and expertise of physicians at more than 60 convenient locations. Here, you’ll be connected to inspiring medicine—a cardiac team that treats heart attacks 34% faster than the national standard, cancer specialists awarded for excellence in quality cancer care, and neonatologists who care for New Jersey’s most delicate deliveries at the region’s first Level IIIa NICU. Now that’s true confidence in care. To find a physician near you, visit InspiraHealthNetwork.org. INSPIRING MEDICINE © Inspira Health Network INSPIRING MEDICINE TO MOVE FORWARD Ashley Garton, RN Medical / Surgical South Jersey Healthcare and Underwood-Memorial Hospital have joined forces to bring inspiring medicine to our region. The new Inspira Health Network brings advanced medicine to the region through one, powerful network. With it comes better access to skilled physicians and nurses, the convenience of more than 60 locations, and a patient experience designed to keep families healthy. It’s exactly how inspiring care should feel. Learn more at InspiraHealthNetwork.org. INSPIRING MEDICINE © Inspira Health Network Welcome New Physicians! Inspira Health Network is dedicated to building a medical staff that shares our mission of providing the highest quality care for our patients. Please join us in welcoming these new physicians to our community. Eric Miller, MD Department of Medicine Cooper Hospitalist Program (856) 641-7790 Durr Sayed, MD Family Medicine Paulsboro Family Practice (856) 423-0033 Abdullah Sakarcan, MD Pediatric Hospitalist Inspira Health Network (856) 845-0100 Megan Urguhart, DO Department of Emergency Medicine Inspira Health Network (856) 641-8000 Randy Ackerman, MD Robert Barsky, MD Michael Bernstein, MD Robert Biester, MD Gordon Brown, DO Rajen Butani, MD Shih-han Chow, MD Karl Ebert, MD Samuel Goldenberg, MD Louis Love Keeler, MD Mitch Kotler, MD Evan Krisch, MD Robert Linden, MD Thomas Mueller, MD Marcella Nachmann, MD Richard Orth, MD James Sipio, MD David Sussman, MD Paul Thur, MD Department of Surgery Delaware Valley Urology, LLC (856) 582-9645 With a medical staff of more than 1,100 physicians representing more than 40 specialties, Inspira Health Network gives you access to doctors in your community that provide a number of services. For a physician referral or more information about finding a doctor, call our toll-free physician referral line at 1-800-INSPIRA. 1-800-INSPIRA www.InspiraHealthNetwork.org Inspira Health Network’s FREE! Everyone is welcome! 3rd Annual Family Fun Day Saturday, September 7 9am – 1pm • Inspira’s Tomlin Station Park (at the corner of Route 322 & Tomlin Station Rd., Mullica Hill) • FuntasTECH 5K run • Phillies player appearance • Fun for kids - inflatables, Xbox games, magic green screen • Music by Mix 106.1 • Check out the latest in mobile health technology and apps • Experience Microsoft’s newest gadgets • Food including a farm stand by Rosie’s Farm Market and samples from Botto’s Italian Line Restaurant • Giveaways including Flat screen TVs, XBOX, FitBits, Phillies Tickets, concert tickets Enter to win a FLAT SCREEN TV! Just scan the code or visit us at http://goo.gl/IKjyT and let us know you’ll be attending. www.InspiraHealthNetwork.org YOUR FUTURE. One goal motivates Inspira Health Network’s commitment to providing the best possible healthcare in southern New Jersey – it’s you. We’re welcoming new hospital partners, expanding facilities and services, strengthening relationships and raising the bar even higher on talent and technology. With each initiative, Inspira Health Network is building a healthier future for you – and the ones you love. To find a physician near you, visit InspiraHealthNetwork.org. INSPIRING MEDICINE