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April 28, 2008
To: South Jersey Healthcare, Vld
Attention: Ms. Elizabeth Sheridan, Chief Nurse Executive
Re: Nursing Recognition
Dear Ms. Sheridan,
After reading the Magnet article in the paper recently, I came across your name and thought it would be nice to contact you. I’ll try no to take up to much of your time, but I need to make you aware of some rather important matters. Important to my family at least. I recently gave birth to a beautiful baby girl named Stephania Elizabeth Hope on February 9, 2008. During my difficult pregnancy, I was taken to the Vineland Regional Medical Center on numerous occasions. The care I received in your ATU, Labor & Delivery and the Mother & Baby unit within your establishment was exceptional. We were so grateful for the care that we had received (before the birth) that we wrote a letter to Dawn, the department administrator, hoping that the employees would be recognized. I also came to the Magnet interviews and spoke on behalf of the hospital in hopes that more would be acknowledged. Congratulations, by the way. Not knowing exactly how high of an administrative level would receive my letter, gave me the idea of writing to you. There are so many people who run to other nearby, larger cities to deal with their health issues and I feel that your facility doesn’t always get the positive praise it deserves. My family has received the most phenomenal care imaginable. My doctors are there after being chosen by me to oversee my care, but as for the nursing staff, you get whatever is given to you. That is why I feel you should know that the nurses in your hospital are the best around. They were all so caring and genuinely interested in our opinions and well being. That means a lot when you are not feeling your best and are feeling vulnerable. I’ve been at other paces and can’t say that I felt the same way. At every level of our experience, the nurses were so knowledgeable about everything we were experiencing. Being first time parents, the help was very appreciated! I hope that being in your position, that you take the opportunity to express how grateful you are to have employee such as these wonderful nurses. The are your representatives and you should be very proud of the impression that they give for you, your establishment, and the job that you do. I’ve always believed that to have good workers, you must have good management. With that being said, my husband, baby and myself would like to extend our deepest gratitude for all that have provided us with the astonishing care that we received.
Sincerely,
Julie, George & Stephania
Millville, NJ
November, 2007
My sister was recently a patient in South Jersey Healthcare Regional Medical Center.
I would like to thank all nurses, and sraff on surgical acute for the excellent care she received during her stay. Also, a big thank you to Barbara and Tracy.
Anthony K.
August, 2007
I was a patient of Dr. Black and Dr. Smeal at the SJH Wound Care Center.
"They were the best Dr.'s I have ever had".
July, 2007
My mother is 81 and was recently diagnosed with Alzheimerts disease. In late June, she needed to be
taken to the emergency room of South Jersey Healthcare's Regional Medical Center by the Millville
Rescue Squad.
We have all heard of long waits and poor service at the medical center since its opening. But I just
want to give credit where credit is due.
They did not make us wait and the quality of service was excellent. The registered nurse on duty,
Pennie Tharp, and Dr. Laura Kasper could not have been more caring and professional.
In closing, I will say that even though compassion in the health care field may be fading, there is still
hope because of doctors and nurses like these two...
Michael
Millville, NJ
July, 2007
Hospice care is changing.
Here’s how our team changed someone’s life.
*Names have been changed to protect patient and family privacy.
When Jack and Kathy Miller learned that she was dying, they faced some difficult decisions. Jack wanted
Kathy to be as comfortable as possible – and still spend every moment with her. They also worried about their two boys who couldn’t understand that their mother would be gone soon. Jack found a place to turn when his family needed it most. And a new beginning.
An exceptional philosophy that touches the entire family.
The Millers made a choice – to live life fully until the end. So Kathy spent her final days at home, surrounded by her loved ones, receiving remarkable care from our expert team of physicians, nurses, home health aides and social workers. We also provided Jack and the boys with emotional and spiritual support from our chaplain and bereavement specialist, before and after Kathy’s passing. And today, Jack is one of our favorite volunteers.
SJH HospiceCare is dedicated to helping anyonefacing a life-limiting illness – with dignity and comfort.
We offer the region’s first and only inpatient hospice facility, along with outstanding end-of-life care wherevera person calls home. With services throughout Cumberland, Salem, Gloucester and Atlantic counties,we help ease the burden for families affected by any condition, from cancer to Alzheimer’s to heart disease.We give help and hope. That’s what we mean by“Changing Medicine. Changing Lives.”
June 2007
Weight-loss surgery is changing.
Here’s how our doctors changed someone’s life.
Barbara White spent most of her life watching from the sidelines. At 366 pounds, she sat alone as her husband and son skied together or enjoyed summer evenings at their favorite amusement park. It was enough. Barbara was determined to make a difference for herself and her family. A breakthrough procedure and a team of compassionate experts transformed Barbara’s future.
Exceptional bariatric care. Closer to home.
Barbara shed 180 pounds – thanks to a hybrid gastric bypass procedure performed by our physicians. But her transformation didn’t stop there. Intense in-patient education, support groups and one-on-one nutrition and fitness counseling made her bariatric surgery a complete success. And she got everything she needed, right here in Vineland/South Jersey.
That’s our promise.
We are dedicated to providing extraordinary care, delivered by the area’s leading professionals, using the most advanced technology in the industry. Our bariatric program has been nationally recognized as a Center of Excellence by the American Society of Bariatric Surgery. The finest care …and it’s in your neighborhood. That’s what we mean by “Changing Medicine. Changing Lives.”
March 2006
A Special Thank You to SJH Elmer Hospital
Your Emergency Department saved my son's life. He was dying right in front of us, and they just took control and gave him life-saving care. He ended up having a ruptured appendix and had it not been for the doctors and nurses at SJH Elmer Hospital, my son would not be having Christmas with us this year.
Patty
March 2007
Cardiac care is changing.
Here’s how our team changed someone’s life.
Anyone who knows Paul Cooper knows about his trademark walk. Determined, confident and quick as lightning. Paul rarely stayed still – whether working in the board room or spending an afternoon aboard his boat. A busy man with a full schedule, it was difficult for him to accept his heart couldn’t keep up with the rapid pace. Even after valve replacement surgery.
Exceptional heart care. Closer to home.
When Paul needed superior cardiac rehabilitation, he turned to our experts. We designed a customized program to maximize his recovery – blending carefully monitored exercise, dietary input and educational support. Rehab became a second home, where someone called to check on him if he missed a visit, where caring professionals helped him transition into a healthier lifestyle. Today, Paul still works out three times a week at our Fitness Connection facility…and his pace is faster than ever.
That’s our promise.
We are dedicated to providing extraordinary care, using the most advanced technology in the industry. Led by outstanding physicians, nurses and physiologists, our Cardiac Center of Care features the county’s first catheterization lab, heralded by doctors as the best they’ve seen. The finest care …and it’s in your neighborhood. That’s what we mean by “Changing Medicine. Changing Lives.”
April, 2007
“To the nursing staff of room 245…”
....my goddaughter was in room 245. I cannot put into words what all of you have done for me and my goddaughter. You were truly the epitome of the word caregivers. You were supportive, conscientious, connected and efficient. In my world, you guys can wear a big "S" on your chests and a red cape tucked into your uniforms.
Addrianna
November 2006
“With help from SJH, I’m here for my grandchildren.”
Bob Gramp, an active 68 year-old who has been teaching an aerobics class for more than 12 years, never thought about having a heart attack. During the week he watches his grandchildren, a job that requires as much stamina as his aerobics class. But despite his healthy lifestyle, he began to experience bouts of fatigue.
When routine tests did not show anything out of the ordinary, Bob went to see a cardiologist who scheduled him for a procedure that probably saved his life: a cardiac catheterization. Fortunately, the SJH Regional Medical Center has a state-of the-art cardiac catheterization lab right here in our region.
“I was blessed that SJH had that catheterization lab right there so I could get a quick diagnosis,” said Gramp. “I had a great doctor and he said I was fortunate because I was a heart attack waiting to happen.”
After life-saving quadruple bypass surgery, Gramp completed his cardiac rehabilitation at the SJH Regional Medical Center.
“I was back teaching my class 10 weeks later and I feel super now, more like 48 than 68,” said Gramp. “I really missed spending time with my grandkids, so it was a real benefit to receive all of this excellent care so close to home. Now I have the energy I need to keep up with them again.”
| Minimally Invasive Orthopedic Surgeries at the SJH Regional Medical Center Reduce Patient Discomfort and Recovery Time |
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August 29
John Pustizzi, a 58-year-old resident of Newfield, knows how uncomfortable it is to live with joint pain. After two arthroscopic surgeries for a work-related injury to his right knee ten years ago, performing even simple daily routines was becoming very painful.
“I was getting by but eventually it became hard even to walk,” said Pustizzi. “The pain was there every day and I knew I had to do something to get better.”
That’s when his physician advised him about total knee-replacement surgery using new, minimally invasive surgical techniques at the South Jersey Healthcare Regional Medical Center .
During traditional knee replacement surgery, lost cartilage and worn out surfaces of the knee are replaced with a prosthesis through an 8 to 10 inch incision. Using minimally invasive techniques, total knee replacements can now be performed through smaller incisions 4 to 6 inches in length. This surgery causes less damage to the surrounding tissue and muscle, reducing the patient’s post-operative discomfort and facilitating a faster recovery.
“Performing surgeries with smaller incisions is the wave of the future,” said Dr. Per Montero, SJH Chairman of Surgery. “It offers less morbidity, less opportunity for infection and faster recovery times for patients.”
Pustizzi, who works as a sheet metal mechanic, looks forward to getting back to a normal routine at work. But most of all, he wants to return to his favorite physical activities, hunting and hiking.
“I worked very hard at my physical therapy and my doctor says that my rehabilitation is moving along very quickly,” said Pustizzi. “I felt some pain in the beginning but the constant pain I experienced before the surgery is gone. I was walking on my own four weeks after my surgery and getting stronger every day.”
The SJH Regional Medical Center has been offering minimally invasive orthopedic procedures to patients for nearly two years. The technique can be used for knee, hip and shoulder replacement surgeries.
Montero feels that providing the latest minimally invasive surgeries locally will benefit many people in the region.
“Patients who go to Philadelphia hospitals for this procedure will travel a long distance and their attending surgeon may not be performing the surgery,” said Montero. “At the Regional Medical Center, our patients receive surgery from board-certified orthopedic surgeons with follow-up from their family physicians, all right here in the community.”
Pustizzi is very pleased with the results of his minimally invasive knee replacement and feels that his quality of life will continue to improve.
“I’m very thankful that I made the decision to get this surgery,” said Pustizzi. “I’m getting around 100% better than I was and with a lot less pain.”
SJH is a nonprofit, integrated health care system, providing access to a continuum of health services. SJH provides hospital services, numerous community health clinics, home health services, and specialty services, which serve the medical and health care needs of Southern New Jersey residents | |
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