NYCHSRO MedReview Newsletter Vol. 16 No. 1

A Publication of
NYCHSRO/MEDREVIEW
VOLUME 16, NO. 1
January -June 2013
www.medreview.us
Joseph Stamm Attends Unveiling of Congressional Gold Medal
Honoring Raoul Wallenberg
N
YCHSRO/MedReview
President
and Chief Executive Officer Joseph
Stamm had the honor of attending
the unveiling of the designs of the Raoul
Wallenberg Congressional Gold Medal in
Washington D.C. on May 9, 2013. Mr.
Stamm was invited by United States Treasury
Secretary Jacob J. Lew to a ceremony in the
Treasury’s historic Cash Room, in the presence of Their Majesties King Carl XVI and
Queen Silvia of Sweden.
The Congressional Gold Medal recognizes the achievements and heroic actions of
Wallenberg during the waning days of the
Holocaust. In his remarks, Secretary Lew reminded the audience that the Congressional
Gold Medal is one of the nation’s highest
civilian awards, and that only 31 foreign citizens have been honored in this way. Raoul
M
Joseph Stamm, Queen Sylvia of Sweden,
and Peter Rebenwurzel
Wallenberg was honored for his heroism
in risking his own life to rescue more than
100,000 Hungarian Jews during the Ho-
MedReview Outreach in Israel
edReview’s President/CEO Joseph Stamm took time out from
his vacation in Israel to meet
with local political leaders to advise
them of MedReview programs that may
be of value to their constituents. Mr.
Stamm met with the Mayor of Jerusalem,
the Honorable Nir Barkat and his first
deputy Yitzchak Pindrus. Mr. Stamm
has a long standing friendship with the
deputy mayor dating back to the time
that he was the Mayor of Beitar.
Deputy Mayor Pindrus was impressed with MedReview’s activities
and had a first hand opportunity to see
MedReview in action when he visited
Joseph and Anne Stamm
its headquarters on a recent trip to the
with Nir Barkat and Yitzchak Pindrus
United States. Mr. Pindrus personally
introduced Mr. & Mrs. Stamm to Mayor
Barkat. Mr. Stamm told the mayor of his special interest in the Israeli health care delivery
system dating back to when he wrote his Master’s thesis on Israel’s utilization of health care
services. Mr. Stamm also had the unfortunate opportunity to witness the system in operation
several years back when he broke his leg on a visit to Israel.
Mayor Barkat listened intently to Mr. Stamm’s presentation, after which the mayor gave
Mr. Stamm a special pin from the city of Jerusalem and agreed to be in touch regarding
healthcare utilization issues.
For Additional Pictures Please See Page 7
locaust. Born in Sweden, Raoul Wallenberg
graduated from the University of Michigan
and returned to Sweden where he became
a businessman. He subsequently became a
Swedish diplomat which gave him cover for
his rescue efforts. While serving as Sweden’s
special envoy in Budapest in 1944, he issued
protective passports (German: Schutz Pass)
and sheltered Jews in buildings designated
as Swedish territory. Wallenberg also prevented the liquidation of the Budapest ghetto
by threatening the German General that he
would be brought up on War Crimes if he allowed the deportation of Jews to Auschwitz,
a ploy that was successful. Today, thousands
of American Jews can directly or indirectly
attribute their own lives to Wallenberg’s heroic actions. His ultimate fate is a mystery.
continued on page
3
Inside This Issue....
w Joseph Stamm Attends Unveiling of
Congressional Gold Medal
Honoring Raoul Wallenberg...1
w MedReview Outreach in Israel...1
w Healthcare Headline Summaries....2
w NYCHSRO/MedReview Returns to
Water St. After Hurricane Sandy...3
w P olitical Roundup...4
w News in Review Profile:
Juanita Evereteze, M.D, MPH ...5
w NYCHSRO/MedReview
Client Activities...5
w HRM Annual Fundraising Breakfast...6
w HRM in The News...7
w 2013 Summer Outing...8
wN
YCHSRO/MedReview Honors Staff...8
For the Elderly, Medical Procedures to Avoid February 28, 2013-NY Times- The Choosing
Wisely campaign, an initiative by the American Board of Internal Medicine Foundation
in partnership with Consumer Reports, warns
against the following policies for the elderly:
•Feeding tubes for people with advanced
dementia.
•Routine prescribing of antipsychotic medications for dementia patients who become
aggressive or disruptive. Though drugs like
Haldol, Risperdal and Zyprexa are widely
used, they have been shown to increase
the risk of stroke and cardiovascular death
and should be last resorts, after behavioral
interventions.
• Prescribing medications to achieve tight
glycemic control in elderly diabetics, who
need to control their blood sugar, but not
as strictly as younger patients.
• Turning to sleeping pills as the first choice
for older people who suffer from agitation, delirium or insomnia. Xanax, Ativan,
Valium, Ambien and Lunesta continue to
slow reaction times, resulting in falls and
auto accidents. Other sleep therapies are
preferable.
• Prescribing antibiotics when tests indicate
a urinary tract infection, but the patient
has no discomfort or other symptoms.
Caesarean Deliveries Vary Widely, Study Finds
- March 4, 2013, NY Times - The rate of Caesarean deliveries, the most common operatingroom procedure performed in the United States,
varies drastically among hospitals across the
country, a new study has found, ranging from
7 percent of all births at the hospital with the
lowest share of Caesarean deliveries to 70 percent at the hospital with the highest rate.
Caesarean deliveries are often performed
to improve birth outcomes in high-risk pregnancies, but they can also be performed for
the convenience of the mother or the doctor.
The rate has increased significantly in recent
years, to 33 percent of all births in 2011, up
from 21 percent in 1996, the study said, citing
numbers from the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention.
For deliveries of single babies carried to
term who were not breech and were born to
mothers who had never had a Caesarean before, the rates varied from a low of 2 percent
to a high of 36 percent. Clinical risks alone,
like having twins or triplets — a factor that has
increased in recent years — are not enough to
explain the difference, the researchers found.
Nor was the variation explained by hospital
size, geographic location or an institution’s sta-
tus as a teaching hospital.
And two other factors — women asking
for Caesarean deliveries and doctors pushing
them for reasons linked to liability — are also
unlikely to explain the difference because they
account for only a small percentage of all Caesareans. It is suspected that the vast patchwork
of health management techniques is driving the
variation, including how patients are admitted,
how their labor is managed and how hospitals
and clinicians are paid for the work.
The Costs of Emergency Room Cost-Cutting March 31, 2013, NY Times- For close to 50
years, emergency rooms have been fingered
as a major source of excessive health care
costs. And while some newer research has
challenged the idea that a large proportion of
patients visit the emergency room for routine
problems, many payers and policy makers
continue to focus on these patients as a major
source of wasteful spending.
Not long ago, for example, in an effort to
cut back on Medicaid expenditures, several
states zeroed in on these so-called “unwarranted visits” and proposed a policy so apparently
logical that it was hard to resist the temptation
to slap yourself on the forehead. The proposal
was to reimburse for an emergency room visit
based on the urgency of the discharge diagnosis.
Bills would be paid for true emergencies,
like a heart attack or ruptured aneurysm. But
payment would be reduced or denied for visits
that turned out to be less serious, like heartburn, constipation or an insect bite. It sounded
like an obvious way to discourage unnecessary
and expensive visits to the E.R.
But according to the new study published in
The Journal of the American Medical Association, such a policy relies on a huge, and erroneous, assumption: that patients can predict
the urgency of their diagnosis based on initial
symptoms alone.
Researchers reviewed the records from almost 35,000 patient visits to emergency departments across the country. In 6 percent of
cases, the patient was discharged and could
have been treated in a doctor’s office.
The researchers then combed through the
initial symptoms or complaints of these nonurgent cases and discovered that in nearly
90 percent of the other, more urgent cases,
patients came to the emergency room with
the same primary presenting symptoms, complaints like abdominal discomfort, chest pain
or fever. In addition, more than 10 percent of
these urgent patients ended up requiring hospital admission, surgery or intensive care.
In other words, basing reimbursement on
discharge diagnoses is just Monday morning
quarterbacking, health care policy style.
Since July of last year, emergency departments in Washington State have established
programs to educate patients on how to access
care as well as other measures designed to improve care, including statewide guidelines on
prescribing narcotics, shared electronic health
and prescription information, and regularly updated reports on how emergency department
resources are utilized. The policy has already
resulted in significant changes and a projected
savings of over $31 million by the end of the
fiscal year.
Small Firms’ Offer of Plan Choices Under Health
Law Delayed - April 1, 2013 -NY Times-Unable
to meet tight deadlines in the new health care
law, the Obama administration is delaying
parts of a program intended to provide affordable health insurance to small businesses and
their employees — a major selling point for the
health care legislation.
The law calls for a new insurance marketplace specifically for small businesses, starting
next year. But in most states, employers will not
be able to get what Congress intended: the option to provide workers with a choice of health
plans. They will instead be limited to a single
plan.
The choice option, already available to
many big businesses, was supposed to become
available to small employers in January. But
administration officials said they would delay
it until 2015 in the 33 states where the federal
government will be running insurance markets
known as exchanges. They will also delay the
requirement for other states.
The administration cited “operational challenges” as a reason for the delay. As a result,
it said, most small employers buying insurance
through an exchange will offer a single health
plan to their workers next year.
Health insurance availability and cost are
huge concerns for small businesses. They have
less bargaining power than large companies
and generally pay higher prices for insurance,
if they can afford it at all.
Businesses with up to 100 employees will
be able to buy insurance in the exchanges.
In 2014 and 2015, states can limit participation to businesses with 50 or fewer employees.
Companies with fewer than 25 workers may be
able to obtain tax credits for up to two years of
coverage bought through an exchange. States
can open the exchanges to large employers in
2017.
2
NYCHSRO/MedReview Celebrates
its Return to Water Street After Hurricane Sandy
A
s was reported in the last Newsletter, Hurricane
Sandy hit the New York City area in October,
2012 and left the entire region devastated.
NYCHSRO/MedReview’s office at 199 Water Street
was among the buildings that had significant water
damage from the flood surges. In the aftermath of
the Hurricane, NYCHSRO/MedReview established
three temporary offices in Manhattan to allow it to
continue its normal business activities.
NYCHSRO/MedReview was eventually able to
reoccupy its offices on January 10, 2013.
The building welcomed the staff on its return with
coffee and pastry in the lobby but NYCHSRO/MedReview
C.E.O., Joseph Stamm believed that was not sufficient.
Throughout its displacement, NYCHSRO/MedReview staff put in extra time and
effort to ensure that work activities continued normally and Mr. Stamm decided the
organization should express its thanks to the staff in its traditional way; by having a
Sandy Survival breakfast.
The breakfast was held in the Executive Board room and presented the usual array of foods including bagels, salads, fruit and pastry. Mr.
Stamm expressed gratitude to the entire staff for their efforts in allowing the organization to continue functioning during this difficult period.
The events surrounding Hurricane Sandy had a lasting impact on everyone in the New York area. NYCHSRO/MedReview staff displayed its
perseverance and dedication and the whole process brought staff members closer together, working for a common goal. The celebratory breakfast was a small thank you for everyone who worked so hard and cared so much.
Joseph Stamm Attends Unveiling of Congressional Gold Medal Honoring Raoul Wallenberg
1
Wallenberg disappeared while being escorted out of Hungary toward
the Soviet Union. In 1981, President Ronald Reagan made him an
honorary U.S. citizen.
The medal’s obverse (heads) side will feature a close-up portrait
of Wallenberg, with the inscriptions RAOUL WALLENBERG, ACT OF
CONGRESS 2012, and HERO OF HEROES. The medal’s reverse
(tails) side will depict Wallenberg as he extends a Schutz-pass and
a background view of those he could not reach being boarded on a
train bound for a concentration camp. Inscriptions on the reverse side
will include HE LIVES FOREVER THROUGH THOSE HE SAVED around
the upper border and ONE PERSON CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE
beneath the Schutz-pass. The inscriptions were inspired by Peter Re-
continued from page
benwurzel, Chairman of the Raoul Wallenberg Centennial Celebration
Commission, who is a Hungarian-born child of Holocaust survivors.
Congressman Gregory Meeks of New York, the original sponsor
of the Wallenberg Gold Medal Legislation in his opening remarks attributed the efforts of Ezra Friedlander, CEO of The Friedlander Group.
The group spearheaded the effort to recognize the heroism of Wallenberg through the creating of the Raoul Wallenberg Centennial Commission established in honor of the centennial of Wallenberg’s birth
to be the driving force behind awarding Raoul Wallenberg with the
Congressional Gold Medal.The United States Mint worked closely with
the Wallenberg Commission, who was dedicated as the liaison to the
Mint on the design of the medal.
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3
Political Roundup...
H
H
I
t has been a long standing MedReview
policy to keep public officials informed of
MedReview’s activities.
MedReview C.E.O. Joseph Stamm and
Executive Vice President, Helen Mutchler
were privileged to attend Governor Andrew
Cuomo’s State of the State address where
the Governor outlined an ambitious program
with an emphasis on health care. While in
Albany, Mr. Stamm and Ms. Mutchler also
had the opportunity to attend New York
State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli’s reception
and meet with Assemblymen Dov Hikind and
Steven Cymbrowitz.
Mr. Stamm and Ms. Mutchler subsequently met with New York City Council members
Mark Weprin and David Greenfield to voice
concern regarding the impact that mandatory
Medicaid Managed Care has had on Medicaid recipients in New York as well the impact
MedReview With: Charles Rangel, William
Thompson, David Dinkins, and Scott Stringer
the changes had on the organization.
Mr. Stamm once again attended the
Council of Jewish Organization’s (“COJO”)
annual legislative breakfast. COJO’s breakfast has become a critical stop for city, state,
and federal public officials in New York. It is
a place to be seen and be heard. Mr. Stamm
took advantage of the event to reach out to
Public Advocate and Mayoral Candidate, Bill
de Blasio, State Comptroller, Tom DiNapoli,
NYC Comptroller John Liu, NY Congessmen
Hakeem Jeffries and Elliot Engel, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, Bronx
Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. and City
Councilmen David Greenfield, Mike Nelson,
and Mark Weprin.
Other events attended by MedReview staff
included Congressman Charles Rangel’s annual birthday party and forums presented
by Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP. The most
recent forum was held May 1, 2013 and
featured Lieutenant Governor of New York
Robert Duffy. The forum was titled “The Rising Road of the Lieutenant Governor of New
York” and was moderated by the former State
Attorney General Robert Abrams.
Lastly, with the upcoming Mayoral Primary
Race looming in the background, Mr. Stamm
attended the Flatbush Jewish Community Coalition Forum attended by all of the leading
mayoral hopefuls: Bill de Blasio, John Liu,
Speaker of the City Council Christine Quinn,
Former City Comptroller Bill Thompson, and
former Congressman Anthony Weiner. Thereafter, Mr. Stamm met with Scott Stringer, a
candidate for The NYC Comptroller’s office.
MedReview continues to follow this ambitious
agenda to ensure that its clients’ concerns are
listened to on a City, State and Federal level.
MedReview With: John Liu, Ruben Diaz Jr. with Bill and Chirlane deBlasio, Mark
Weprin, Elliot Engel, Brad Lander, Mike Nelson, Tom DeNapoli, Scott stringer, Robert
4
Abrams and Robert Duffy, David Greenfield, and mayoral candidate hopefuls.
News In Review Profile:
Dr. Juanita Evereteze, M.D., M.P.H, Medical Director
T
his edition’s profile features NYCHSRO/MedReview’s Medical Director, Juanita Evereteze. Dr. Evereteze has been a fixture at NYCHSRO/MedReview, having served as a Physician
Adviser since 1985 before assuming her position as Medical Director in 2003.
Dr. Evereteze is a graduate of the State University of New York
at Buffalo and pursued Post- Doctoral fellowships at Harvard Medical School Department of Medicine and Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons Department of Medicine. She
was a Medical Intern at the Mount Auburn Hospital and a Medical
Resident at Harlem Hospital. Dr. Evereteze received her Masters’
in Public Health Administration degree from the Columbia University School of Public Health. She also completed a Nephrology
Fellowship at The Rogosin Kidney Center at the New York Hospital,
Cornell University Medical Center. Dr. Evereteze served as a Clinical Research Fellow in Hypertension at the American Association
of Medical College at the National Institute of Health and the International Society of Hypertension in Blacks.
Dr. E as she is known around the office performs the day to day
activity as NYCHSRO/MedReview’s Medical Director, performing
physician reviews in Utilization Management, that include pre-certification, retrospective, readmission, and DRG reviews (initial and
appeals) as well as quality assessment on the panel of physician
reviewers at the organization.
In addition to her activities at
NYCHSRO/MedReview, Dr. E
served as an Assistant Clinical
Professor of Medicine at Columbia University’s College of Physicians & Surgeons in the Division of General Medicine. She
served on various committees at
Presbyterian Hospital including
the Resident Selection Committee. She also took part in numerous
research projects for major pharmaceutical manufacturers including Pfizer, Roche, Roberts, Amylin and Searle.
Dr. E’s wealth of knowledge from her many years performing
all types of Utilization Management activities is a critical resource
for everyone at NYCHSRO/MedReview. Her unique way of approaching the multitude of issues facing a Medical Director also
makes her a user-friendly asset for clients. She always gets right to
the point and delivers the information with a smile.
NYCHSRO/MedReview has been fortunate to have Dr. Evereteze as its Medical Director and representative to the medical
community. The organization looks forward to many more years
working with Dr. E.
NYCHSRO/MedReview’s Client
Relations Activities
N
YCHSRO/MedReview makes every effort to reach out to clients on a regular basis.
These contacts are made via conference calls, client surveys or site visits and are a
useful tool in allowing NYCHSRO/MedReview to measure client satisfaction.
NYCHSRO/MedReview has been working closely with the 1199 National Benefit Fund
for several years, developing an annual review format which compares the current year’s
review results with the previous year’s results and offers recommendations. This format has
become a model for other client reports.
In addition to its regular client outreach activities, NYCHSRO/MedReview is active in
a number of professional business organizations such as BALCONY – Business and Labor
Coalition and The Labor Press. These organizations are useful tools in allowing NYCHSRO/MedReview to network with other major business groups in the New York area and
to learn more about services they provide.
Lou Gordon with MedReview Staff
Neal Tepel from Labor Press
1199 Annual Meeting
Meet Our New
Marketing Team!
Lydia Murphy, Helen Mutchler, Sherlon McKenzie
5
H
HRM Children’s Foundation Annual Breakfast
RM Children’s Foundation (‘HRMCF”)
is a not-for-profit organization established by MedReview Executive Vice
President Helen Mutchler to help poverty-
HRMCF’s third annual fundraising breakfast on May 23. The breakfast is the major
fundraising activity for the foundation and its
proceeds are critical to its ability to continue
its vital activities. The breakfast included a
selection of hot and cold delicacies and was
attended by clients, staff members and other
friends of the organization. HRMCF was fortunate to have Jerry Kremer, Esq. serve as
its special guest speaker. Mr. Kremer is a
stricken children in rural villages in the Philippines. The Foundation provides them with
three meals a day, separate housing for boys
and girls, each equipped with running water,
electricity and indoor plumbing, luxuries to
these children that many people in this country take for granted.
The Foundation also
pays for their school
tuition, supplies and
all other school related expenses through
college. Without the
support of HRMCF,
these children would
not be able to go to
school and would be
resigned to working
along their parents to
help put food on the
table.
MedReview hosted
partner in Ruskin, Moscou, Faltichek, a leading law firm based in Long Island. He previously served as Speaker of the New York
State Assembly and has worked on behalf of
many charitable organizations in New York.
He has been involved with HRMCF since its
inception and he spoke about Ms. Mutchler’s
dedication which made the foundation a reality.
This year’s breakfast was the
most successful ever and Ms.
Mutchler thanked everyone for
their participation and for allowing her to continue fulfilling the
commitment she made to these
children. Please contact Helen
Mutchler if you would like more
information about the Foundation. Please note that 100% of
money raised goes to help the
children since HRMCF is operated by volunteers.See accompaning article on Page 7.
Joseph Stamm, Jerry Kremer and
Helen Mutchler Addressing the
Fundraising Breakfast Crowd.
MedReview’s Outreach in Israel
6
A Foundation for a Life
Helen Mutchler helps children in the Philippine village of her birth
F
GIVING
woman has on the children of
Cebu, a small province in the
Philippines. Mutchler, executive
vice president/CFO and vice president for human resources at
NYCHSRO/MedReview, was born
in Cebu. Several years ago, during
a family visit to the Philippines, she
was starkly reminded of the devastating effect of the countryside’s
poverty on the future of village
children.
Mutchler decided to change lives,
one by one. She created the HRM
Children’s Foundation, now in its
sixth year of operation, to provide
basic needs — food, housing,
tuition, books and uniforms — that
change the life paths for each of the
children the Foundation fosters.
“Helping the children of this village is my endowment of the
future,” says Mutchler. “They are
my surrogate children.”
Mutchler decided to take
responsibility for a small group of
children from a single family. To
fund the expenses, she asked her
boss, Joe Stamm, CEO at NYCHSRO/MedReview, to authorize a
loan against her retirement
account. He was concerned. “Even
after years of working together,”
recalls Stamm, “Helen was a very
private person. But that was a different moment; I feared for her
well-being.
Assuring him that she was fine,
she introduced Stamm to the work
she and her sister were doing in
the Philippines. Stamm introduced
her to the concept of forming a
501(c) 3 nonprofit corporation for
the Foundation. Mutchler questioned, “Why would people care
about starving kids in a foreign
country?” Stamm replied, “When
people want to give, they give
from the heart.”
“Joe Stamm was really an important factor in the creation of the
Foundation,” Mutchler says. “I did
not envision the Foundation as a
formally organized program.
Initially, I had planned just to help
about 10 kids, providing basic
necessities, including housing and
education. Joe said there could be
more. He got that from the Jewish
community, [whose members]
mitzvah — a good
deed. When people
see children in need,
they don’t have to be
Jewish children. I
think it’s a big kiddush
Hashem — a sanctification of God’s name.
Photos courtsey NYCHSRO/MedReview
By MAXINE DOVERE
rom the windows of Helen
Mutchler’s Lower Manhattan
office, one can see the ocean
waves. Not even their movement
approaches the impact this singular
(Above): Elementary and high school students at the HRM Children’s Foundation in the Phillipines,
which was founded by Helen Mutchler, executive vice president/CFO and vice president for human
resources at NYCHSRO/MedReview.
(Left): Mutchler with NYCHSRO/MedReview CEO Rabbi Joseph Stamm.
always help one another. I am very
thankful for having him as director
of the Foundation’s fundraising
efforts.”
“This work was not for an individual to do alone,” says Stamm. “I
was really impressed with what
Helen was doing. The only way to
be successful long term is with help
and fundraising.” Stamm volunteered to help, and offered to
arrange a fundraising breakfast.
William Thompson Jr., Bill de
Blasio and Arthur “Jerry” Kremer, a
veteran of the New York State
Assembly and former head of the
Ways and Means Committee, have
been featured speakers. Kremer was
the 2013 keynote speaker.
Stamm is a religious man. “My
life is guided by Torah. Before I
became involved with Helen’s foundation I went to my rav and asked if
‘tithe’ money could be used for a
non-Jewish cause. The response of
the rav was ‘Absolutely — as long
as one is sure the money is being
used for good, it is absolutely
allowed.’
“According to Jewish tradition,
you take care of your own, then go
to the broader community. To help
any child, Jewish or not Jewish, is a
‘If we can save a child, we’ve
performed the greatest good deed
possible. We are creating another life,
building another bridge to the future.’
If anyone is in need, someone come from places with no running
should reach out and help.”
water or electricity. We teach them
hygiene and civilized living — to
hirty-three children, ages 9 to live like normal people, not the dirt
18, currently live at the HRM poor,” says Mutchler.
One young man the Foundation
Children’s Foundation Hope House
in the Philippines. “Many have helped came to Hope House as a
T
Life
continued from page 15
graduated cum laude and is now
working and helping his family
build their first home. “He is breaking the cycle of poverty, doing
exactly what I envisioned for those
who receive assistance from the
Foundation,” says Mutchler. During
one of her annual trips to the
cried,” recalled Mutchler.
When Foundation students go to
university, they live in an apartment
in Cebu City on the same street as
Mutchler’s own home. Currently,
three girls reside in her home; four
boys reside in the Foundation-sponsored apartment. All the students
share meals “at home” and are
supervised by the Foundation
administrator “on the ground.”
Helen is in contact through Skype
and email. “We have constant dis-
In the Filipino community, ‘social
classes rarely mix: the rich think the
poor should be there to serve them
and are uninterested in changing the
cycle of poverty.’
high school student. He had been
second in a class of about 50, but
unable to afford college. When he
was offered support to attend university in Cebu, recalls Helen, “he
almost fainted!” Four years later, he
continued on page 18
“I have worked with Joe and
many members of the Jewish community for years,” says Mutchler. “I
have gotten to know the traditions
and holidays. The community supports so many amazing organizations to help the poor. The Filipino
community is totally different.
Social classes rarely mix: the rich
think the poor should be there to
serve them and are uninterested in
changing the cycle of poverty.
“The most exciting thing is the
accomplishment of the children.
These were kids destined to poverty. Because of the HRM Children’s
Foundation, they are learning,
going to high school and college.
This is saving lives, breaking the The girls’ (above) and boys’ (below) houses at the HRM Children’s Foundation Hope
cycle of poverty.”
House.
A
ccording to Stamm, the 2013
breakfast was the most successful to date, and raised an
Philippines, she took the new grad- cussion about each student,” says amount sufficient to fund the tuition
uate and his mother to dinner. “She Mutchler. “I wish I could be there and housing for the 33 children curwas in awe with gratitude, and cried more often, but I have to work to rently fostered by the Foundation.
for happiness. Actually, we both support our efforts.”
Additional funding is needed to
purchase a minibus. “Even an older
vehicle would help a great deal,”
notes Mutchler, “as long as it runs
well and is reliable for the children’s travel.”
“At the outset, the kids had no idea
about Jews,” she adds. “Now they
know about Joe, an Orthodox Jew,
and they know about the contributions of the Jewish community.”
“As long as God gives me
health,” says Stamm, “I will help tion. Everything is done on a volun- creating another life, building
another bridge to the future.”
her. I will not forsake Helen or her teer basis.”
26, 2013 says15 “Eventually we hope to really
“In • JULY
the Philippines,”
cause. I know forJEWISH
a fact thatTRIBUNE
100
percent of money donated to the Mutchler, “a few dollars can change grow. We’d like to be like Oprah,
Helen Mutchler Foundation is used a life and an attitude. And if we can and have Hope House Centers all
for the children’s needs. No one save a child, we’ve performed the over the Philippines. There will defA young girl before (left) and after (right) joining the Foundation.
receives salary or any compensa- greatest good deed possible. We are initely be a Joe Stamm Center.”
Belarus
Reprinted
from The Jewish Tribune
mixed-Jewish families and hope to and non-formal Jewish education,
find Jewish matches.
we must continue to invest in our
collective Jewish future by supporthe revival of Jewish cultural ing Jewish learning for Russianand tradition is gaining traction speaking Jews.”
The Jews of Belarus are not
across the Belarusian Jewish community. Young Jews are assuming a accustomed to hosting large conferleading role in shaping the Jewish ences attended by many internationcommunity and want to make it al guests. But local volunteer comappeal to even the most disinterest- mittees did an excellent job of
T
July 26, 2013
continued from page 14
from different countries to touch
and to feel Jewish culture and life
— not as [an exercise in] nostalgia,
but as the proud modern Jewish
community of Belarus.”
Many of the young people who
attended the conference made reference to their parents’ disengagement from Jewish life, including
their own families’ experience in
life in Vitebsk left a definitive
imprint on his work throughout his
long life — literature, music, the
history of the Western Wall, even
the Israeli fashion world. And there
was more: a heated panel discussion
focused on the differing political
philosophies of Menachem Begin
and Shimon Peres, and a debate as
to which was a greater a priority —
Young Belarusian Jews are assuming a leading role in
shaping their community, and want to make it appeal to
community to deepen their knowledge of Jewish traditions and heritage. Reconnecting with the global
Jewish world by … learning about
contemporary Jewish life and Israel,
for me, is about not forgetting who
we are as people, and is a huge step
in strengthening our Jewish future.”
Today, in Belarus, most Jews lead
normal lives, marrying, raising children and otherwise engaging in the
pursuit of happiness. But it is also
abundantly clear — and the success
of the Limmud Conference is a
good barometer — that the Jews of
7
A Day In Atlantic City
I
t was cloudy and there was an afternoon storm but nothing could
dampen the spirits of the NYCHSRO/MedReview staff as they returned to Atlantic City for the summer outing. We once again
boarded busses headed to the Tropicana Hotel. Instead of the buffet
lunch we had on previous trips, the staff members were treated to a
delicious full course lunch at Carmines in the Tropicana.
After the last calamari was eaten and the tiramisu and coffee
were finished, staff members moved on to the casino, shops and
boardwalk which are always a highlight of a trip to Atlantic City.
Although the rain forced people indoors for part of the afternoon, some were able to visit the Sand Sculpture exhibit
on the boardwalk.
Some people won money, others didn’t, but everyone
had a great time. Even the bus ride was fun. The summer
outing is an event everyone looks forward to, giving staff the
chance to spend some social time together outside of the
office. The best part of the summer outing is that when it’s
over, the Holiday party is just around the corner.
Professional and Administrative Support Staff Breakfasts 2013
T
he extended period away from the main office only served to magnify the exceptional efforts regularly made by NYCHSRO/MedReview’s professional and administrative support
staff. Despite being displaced from their usual work areas, they all rose to the occasion
and helped ensure that client needs were met. NYCHSRO/MedReview’s annual breakfasts
honoring its professional review and administrative and support staff were well deserved thank
yous for their efforts all year and especially during the difficult period after the storm. Once
again, NYCHSRO/MedReview honored the
staff on both occasions with bagels and pastry.
Breakfasts at NYCHSRO/MedReview have
become a tradition and this year was no different. For both events the executive boardroom
was filled to capacity as the organization started off its day the right way: with full stomachs and
smiling faces. As usual, Mr. Stamm paid tribute to the entire organization, but especially the
Nurses, Coders and other reviewers at the breakfast honoring professional review staff. The administrative support staff members who handle the day to day functions that allow NYCHSRO/
MedReview to continue satisfying its clients were similarly lauded for their outstanding efforts at
the breakfast in their honor.
NYCHSRO/MEDREVIEW
199 Water Street, 27th Floor
New York, NY 10035