Cooper University Health Care Receives Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation

Camden, NJ — Cooper University Health Care announced today that the Emergency Department at Cooper University Hospital has been reaccredited as a Geriatric Emergency Department (GED) by the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP), earning Level 3 (Bronze) Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation (GEDA). The designation, first obtained in 2022, recognizes Cooper’s commitment to delivering high-quality, specialized emergency care for older adults.

The Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation program was developed by ACEP to recognize emergency departments that meet rigorous standards for the care of older patients. Accreditation signals to patients and families that an emergency department is equipped with the expertise, processes, and environment needed to address the unique medical and social needs of aging adults.

Cooper’s GEDA accreditation reflects the leadership and collaboration of an interdisciplinary team, including Katherine Selman, MD, Zack Cutaneo, MSN, RN, and colleagues across emergency medicine, nursing, and hospital operations.

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Virtua Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital Recognized for Excellence with ACC Transcatheter Valve Certification

The American College of Cardiology (ACC) has recognized Virtua Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital for its expertise and commitment to high-quality care for patients undergoing transcatheter valve repair and replacement procedures. The hospital earned Transcatheter Valve Certification in December 2025 following a comprehensive evaluation of its multidisciplinary team structure, formalized training processes, shared decision-making practices, and performance in national clinical registries.

“Virtua Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital has demonstrated its commitment to providing Southern New Jersey with excellent heart care,” said Deepak L. Bhatt, MD, MPH, FACC, chair of the ACC Accreditation Management Board. “ACC Accreditation Services is proud to award Virtua Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital with Transcatheter Valve Certification.”

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Philly Highways Get a Green Makeover

Concept photo of Philadelphia’s “Gateway to the City” project along Schuylkill East Bound near 30th Street. / Photo: Courtesy of City of Philadelphia

The Office of Clean and Green Initiatives, in partnership with Mural Arts Philadelphia and the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, announced the “Gateways to Philadelphia” Anti-Graffiti & Highway Beautification project.

The endeavor focuses on highway beautification and landscaping improvements for major entryways and interchanges spanning from Philadelphia International Airport and 30th Street Station to Independence Hall. It blends graffiti removal, gardening updates, and mural art to enhance our key roads.

Noteworthy Mention: A forthcoming semiquincentennial-themed mural on I-76 at Spring Garden Street will nod to Philadelphia’s pivotal role in U.S. history.

Why It Matters: This initiative helps shape visitors’ first impression of Philadelphia upon their arrival.

Camden County Freedom Medal to be presented to 11 community leaders

(Cherry Hill, NJ) – On Wednesday, January 21, a ceremony will honor 11 Camden County residents for their selfless contributions to improving their community at the 2026 Camden County Freedom Medal Ceremony.

Established by the Board of Commissioners in 2001, this award honors residents in Camden County who demonstrate ideals and actions that reflect the principles of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and have made a tangible contribution and lasting impact on their community. These accomplishments must be based strictly on volunteer work, excluding any remuneration. Since it began 25 years ago, more than 1,200 Camden County residents have received this prestigious honor.

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President Trump Unveils The Great Healthcare Plan to Lower Costs and Deliver Money Directly to the People

President Donald J. Trump’s Great Healthcare Plan is a broad healthcare initiative that will slash prescription drug prices, reduce insurance premiums, hold big insurance companies accountable, and maximize price transparency in the American healthcare system.

This plan will deliver money directly to the American people, not insurance companies, big pharma and special interest groups—putting patients over industry leaders’ profits, just as he promised. The Great Healthcare Plan also builds on the successes of his first term by promoting competition, eliminating wasteful spending, and putting consumers back in control.

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Virtua Mount Holly Hospital WelcomesThe First Baby Born in Burlington County in 2026

(Mount Holly, NJ, January 1, 2026) … The First Baby of 2026 to be born in Burlington County, NJ, has arrived at Virtua Mount Holly Hospital. Beautiful Enola Isabel Hale was born at 12:18 pm on January 1, weighing 7 pounds, 3 ounces. Her family resides in Burlington County.

Every year, Virtua’s maternity teams celebrate the First Baby milestone. The health system delivers approximately 9,000 babies annually across its three hospitals offering maternity services and its Midwifery Birth & Wellness Center.

Welcome to the world, Baby Enola!

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America 250: Presidential Message on the Anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation

On January 1, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln signed the legendary Emancipation Proclamation—one of the most significant documents in human history and a grand edict that paved the way to the liberation of millions of slaves and the full glory of the American promise.

As the bloody Civil War raged into its second year and the Nation fought to preserve the Union, President Lincoln made a “fit and necessary” military decree that would redefine the entire conflict. With the Emancipation Proclamation declaring that those held in slavery in the

rebellious states “shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free,” the purpose of the war shifted—and every Union advance now carried with it the blazing torch of liberty, justice, and dignity for all.

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Gloucester Township Police Annual Sock Drive 2025/ 2026!

We’re collecting NEW, unused socks for those in need this winter through one of our local homeless outreach programs!

Drop off NEW, unused socks at the GTPD Watch Desk, located at the front bottom floor of 1261 Chews Landing Road, Gloucester Township, NJ 08021!

150 Volunteers Help Virtua Receive Truckload of Toys for Young Patients

The holidays will be brighter for hundreds of South Jersey children this year, thanks to the Joseph Lacroce Foundation. The Haddonfield, N.J.-based charitable organization recently delivered a box truck filled with toys, games, and craft sets to Virtua Voorhees Hospital.

About 150 volunteers unloaded and sorted the holiday gifts, which will be distributed over the coming weeks to children in pediatric units at Virtua hospitals and those served by other Virtua programs across Burlington, Camden, and Gloucester counties (details below).

A festive parade of about 75 classic and exotic cars accompanied Virtua’s two Pediatric Mobile Services Units to help deliver the toys.

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Dr. Stephen Trzeciak Honored With Inaugural National Schwartz Compassion Champion Award

CAMDEN, NJ) Cooper University Health Care is proud to announce that Stephen Trzeciak, MD, MPH, the Edward D. Viner Endowed Chief of Medicine and Medical Director for the Adult Health Institute at Cooper, has been awarded the inaugural Schwartz Compassion Champion Award by the Schwartz Center for Compassionate Healthcare. The honor was presented at the 30th Annual Kenneth B. Schwartz Compassionate Healthcare Dinner held recently in Boston.

The event brought together health care leaders and supporters from across the country and raised more than $900,000 to fund programs supporting compassionate patient care. Dr. Trzeciak, who also serves as Professor and Chair of Medicine at Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, delivered the evening’s keynote address.

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