Category: SCIENCE/MEDICAL NEWS

State of New Jersey Diverts Tax Dollars Allocated to 911 System Improvements

By Emily S. Moore |

The Center Square

A decade ago, a fee was placed on every New Jersey resident’s phone bill to be allocated to improving the state’s out-of-date 911 system.

However, only 10 to 15 percent of those funds is used to upgrade the three state-operated 911 centers, John G. Donnadio, executive director of the New Jersey Association of Counties, said in an interview with The Center Square.

“The 197 or so the county and municipal 911 centers have not received any funding from the state during this time and have been forced to rely on the use of local property taxpayer dollars to fund 911 system upgrades,” he said.

The funds, instead, have been diverted for general operating expenses at the Department of Law and Public Safety. The diversions prohibit New Jersey from applying for millions of dollars in grants from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to upgrade 911 systems.

Donnadio said the solution to improving New Jersey’s 911 system is a technology called Next Generation 911 (NexGen 911).

“All 911 centers (public safety answering points) across the country must enhance their systems with NextGen 911 technology, which is an upgrade from analog to digital or Internet Protocol (IP) technologies,” he said.

The current system dates to the 1980s and can give incorrect location data and have trouble locating cell phone callers.

The Federal Trade Commission reported that NextGen 911 could save more than 10,000 lives annually if implemented nationwide.

In New Jersey, the 90-cent tax on phone bills was implemented in 2004 by the state Legislature to upgrade the 911 system, bringing in an average of $124 million a year.

In January, state officials held a news conference in Trenton to ask for diversions of funds that should be used for 911 system improvements to stop.

“That money has ended up in the black hole of the state budget,” Sen. Michael Testa, R-Vineland, said

in an interview

with

NJ.com

. “It’s long past time for the state to do the right thing.”

published by Gloucestercitynews.net with permission of

The Center Square

Virtua Surgeon Performs 1,000th Robotic Surgery

Medical milestone underscores Dr. Arthur T. Martella as national leader in his field

Perfectly timed with American Heart Month, Arthur T. Martella, MD, recently performed his 1,000

th

robotic-assisted heart surgery. He is among an elite group of surgeons, nationally and internationally, to achieve this milestone.

“The people of South Jersey are fortunate to have a surgeon as skilled and experienced as Dr. Martella performing such advanced procedures so close to home. When Virtua and Lourdes came together last year, we considered the cardiothoracic program, led by Dr. Martella, to be among the most important and complementary services we could now offer to a wider community. Dr. Martella’s achievement reinforces our belief that Virtua and Lourdes are truly better together,” said Virtua Health Executive Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer Reginald Blaber, MD, FACC, MBA.

As chief of cardiothoracic surgery at

Virtua Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Camden, N.J.,

Dr. Martella strives to provide the highest quality outcomes through the least invasive methods. His clinical outcomes demonstrate the advantages that robotic surgical systems provide to both providers and patients. For surgeons, the robotic equipment offers greater flexibility, visualization, and precision – which often benefits patients through less pain, reduced risk of infection, faster recovery, and minimal scarring. Dr. Martella and the Virtua team perform common, though highly complex, robotic procedures, including mitral valve repair or replacement, lead placement for pacemakers and defibrillators, and coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery.

“I am proud to have had the opportunity to improve the patient experience by offering an option that allows patients to get back to their lives sooner,” said Dr. Martella. “It’s wonderful to be recognized for 1,000 surgeries, and I look forward to the next 1,000.”

About Dr. Martella

Dr. Martella is a leader in the use of robotics in cardiothoracic surgery. He has been chief of cardiothoracic surgery at Virtua Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital since 2011, during which he led the specialty to national recognition. He is board certified in surgery and thoracic surgery.

Prior to joining Lourdes Health System (now Virtua Health) in 2011, Dr. Martella was an attending cardiothoracic surgeon at Phoenixville, Brandywine, Pottstown, and Mercy Fitzgerald hospitals, and served as a clinical assistant professor at the University of Pennsylvania.

Dr. Martella is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons. He is a member of multiple medical societies, including the American College of Cardiology, the American Heart Association, and the Society of Thoracic Surgeons. He serves as a member of Johnson & Johnson’s Professional Education Advisory Board.

Dr. Martella received his undergraduate degree from Columbia University and his MD from Jefferson Medical College. He performed a surgical residency and internship at Montefiore Medical Center/Einstein College of Medicine and completed a fellowship in cardiothoracic surgery at the University of Rochester. He has authored numerous publications and has presented his research at national and international medical conferences.

About Cardiothoracic Surgery at Virtua Health

Virtua Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital is the leading cardiothoracic surgery program in South Jersey and serves as the central location for Virtua Health’s cardiovascular program. Over the years, the program has received a variety of awards for its outstanding quality care. Virtua Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital was included among Watson Health’s list of 2020 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals. In November 2019, the hospital received the highest ranking, an A, in the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade report. In June 2015, the

New York Times

featured Virtua Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital as a national model in the effective and swift treatment of heart attacks. For more information, please visit

www.virtua.org

or call 1-888-VIRTUA-3.

Virtua Health, Inc. maintains systems for protection of electronic information, which are the property of Virtua Health, Inc. and are to be used for legitimate business purposes. You shall at all times protect and maintain the confidentiality of your user name and password and shall not disclose them to any third party. You are responsible to comply with the regulations and security rules set forth by HIPAA and Virtua Policies regarding the protection of data & confidentiality. Excessive use of systems for any reason other than legitimate business purposes is prohibited. Virtua Health, Inc. monitors all system transactions. No right to privacy exists when using Virtua Health, Inc. systems at work or when accessing Virtua systems from a personal computer or other device. Virtua Health, Inc. has the right to monitor, access, review, audit and disclose information obtained through Virtua Health. Inc. systems, including email, without advance notice to and/or without consent. All users of Virtua Health, Inc. systems are required to notify the IS Help Desk if they become aware of any misuse. I confirm that I have read this acknowledgment and understand

NIH Purchases of Aborted Fetal Parts for ‘Humanized Mice’ Testing

(Washington, DC)

– Judicial Watch announced it received

676 pages

of records from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) showing that the agency paid thousands of dollars to a California-based firm to purchase organs from aborted human fetuses to create “

humanized mice

” for HIV research.

The records show that NIH paid at least $18,100 between December 2016 and August 2018 to Advanced Bioscience Resources (ABR) for livers and thymuses from second trimester aborted fetuses. They include at least 26 such purchases from ABR by Dr. Kim Hasenkrug,

senior investigator

at the

NIH lab

in Hamilton, Montana.

Purchase orders associated with the transactions state: “These tissues, liver and thymus, are required [by] Ron Messer for ongoing studies of HIV in the Hasenkrug Lab. Our mice will be ready for reconstitution soon.”

Beginning with a December 21, 2016, payment to ABR and running through April 2018, the records show that a fetal liver and thymus set costs $680, and payment was due upon receipt. On May 23, 2018, the cost increased to $750.

The records also include “Tissue Acquisition Invoices” and sales receipts issued by ABR. Payment was made by credit card.

Judicial Watch received the records through a March 2019

lawsuit

against the Department of Health and Human Services for all contracts and related documentation between the FDA and Advanced Bioscience Resources (ABR) for the provision of human fetal tissue to be used in humanized mice research (

Judicial Watch v. U.S. Department Health and Human Services

(No. 1:19-cv-00876)).

ABR has been the subject of

criminal referrals

from House and Senate committees investigating whether Planned Parenthood or any other entity was illegally profiting from the handling of fetal tissue from aborted babies.

Federal

law

regulates the purchase and acceptance of human fetal tissue for research purposes.  It is unlawful to knowingly transfer fetal tissue for profit. According to the records, agency officials concluded in March 2018 that: “Federal regulations for the protection of human subjects do not apply to above named activity.”

The records include a November 2009 “

Request for Review of Research

Activity Involving Human Subjects” with the protocol title “Study of HIV infection and vaccine protection in mice reconstituted with a human immune system” that describes the development of a “cohort” of humanized mice using human fetal tissue:

Recent reports have demonstrated that immunodeficient mice reconstituted with 17-19 week old human fetal tissue develop a human immune system and are susceptible to HIV infection and disease. The goal of this project proposal is to create such humanized mice to study the role of immune cell subsets and virus-neutralizing antibodies in vaccine protection. The experiments will entail the development of a cohort of mice all reconstituted with the same human cells so as to be histocompatible. This will require transplantation of the mice with 1 mm

3

pieces of fetal thymus as well as reconstitution with stem cells isolated from cord blood and liver. Once the humanized mice have been established some will be vaccinated to prime distinct subsets of immune cells. Immune cell subsets from vaccinated mice will be adoptively transferred into naive mice, which will then be infected with HIV to test the antiviral activity of the immune cells. The goal of these experiments is to establish correlates of immunity against HIV.

In an “

Overview

” provided by Advanced Bioscience Resources, the firm describes itself as a “non-profit corporate foundation” which is “devoted to providing services in connection with the procurement of human organs and tissues for medical and scientific research.”

In Hasenkrug’s November 2009 “

Request for Review of Research

Activity Involving Human Subjects” he is asked: “Where are the subjects of this research activity located?” Hasenkrug answers: “The material for this research is obtained from natural or induced abortions from females in California.” Another question is: “Has the research activity that you are proposing in this form been approved by an Institutional Review Board (IRB) elsewhere?” Hasenkrug answers: “No IRB review of the research activity … has taken place.”

The records include a November 2009

email

from the deputy director of the Office of Human Subject Research (OHSR) in Bethesda, MD, to Hasenkrug at the NIH lab, approving his research project and instructing him: “Provide documentation that you will not seek the identity of the subjects who have provided the samples you will receive as well as documentation from ABR that under no circumstances will the identity or link to the identifiers of the subjects be released to you.” The signature block concluding the email includes the phrase: “The NIH is committed to maintaining the highest stands for the protection of human subjects.”

The Advanced Bioscience Resources’ “Tissue Acquisition Invoices” show:

On December 21, 2016, NIH’s Rocky Mountain Labs was

billed $680

for a second trimester thymus and liver, which were paid for by credit card on January 10, 2017. The “justification” states: “These tissues, liver and thymus, are required [by] Ron Messer for ongoing studies of HIV in Hasenkrug Lab. Our mice will be ready for reconstitution soon.”

On January 25, 2017, NIH’s Rocky Mountain Labs was

billed $680

for a second trimester thymus and liver, which were paid for by Visa card in February 2017.

On February 8, 2017, NIH’s Rocky Mountain Labs was

billed $680

for a second trimester thymus and liver, which were paid for by Visa card on February 15, 2017.

On March 9, 2017, NIH’s Rocky Mountain Labs was

billed $680

for a second trimester thymus and liver, which were paid for by Visa card on March 24, 2017.

On March 30, 2017, ABR provided a second trimester thymus and liver to Hasenkrug’s lab at no charge due to a “delivery delay.” The parts were needed by March 17, 2017 and NIH’s Rocky Mountain Labs was to have been

charged $680

but the parts weren’t delivered until April 19, 2017.

On April 20, 2017, NIH’s Rocky Mountain Labs was

billed $680

for a second trimester thymus and liver, which were paid for by Visa card in May 2017.

On May 17, 2017, NIH’s Rocky Mountain Labs was

billed $680

for a second trimester thymus and liver, which were paid for by Visa card on May 19, 2017.

On June 28, 2017, NIH’s Rocky Mountain Labs was

billed $680

for a second trimester thymus and liver, which were received on May 30, 2017.

On July 5, 2017, a redacted NIH employee placed an order for a second trimester liver and thymus on behalf of Ron Messer. NIH redacted the price from the email, citing confidential commercial information. However, the $680 price is included in the

purchase order

. The tissues were delivered on August 21, 2017.

On August 10, 2017, NIH’s Rocky Mountain Labs was

billed $680

for a second trimester thymus and liver, which were paid for by Visa card in September 2017.

On August 24, 2017, NIH’s Rocky Mountain Labs was

billed $680

for a second trimester thymus and liver, which were paid for by Visa card in September 2017.

On September 21, 2017, NIH’s Rocky Mountain Labs was

billed $680

for a second trimester thymus and liver, which were paid for by Visa card in October 2017.

On October 5, 2017, NIH’s Rocky Mountain Labs was

billed $680

for a second trimester thymus and liver, which were paid for by Visa card on October 24, 2017.

On October 26, 2017, NIH’s Rocky Mountain Labs was

billed $680

for a second trimester thymus and liver, which were paid for by Visa card in November 2017.

On December 13, 2017, NIH’s Rocky Mountain Labs was

billed $680

for a second trimester thymus and liver, which were paid for by credit card on December 22, 2017.

On January 3, 2018, NIH’s Rocky Mountain Labs was

billed $680

for a second trimester thymus and liver, which were paid for by Visa card on January 11, 2018.

On January 25, 2018, NIH’s Rocky Mountain Labs was

billed $680

for a second trimester thymus and liver, which were paid for by Visa card on January 30, 2018.

On February 7, 2018, NIH’s Rocky Mountain Labs was

billed $680

for a second trimester thymus and liver, which were paid for by Visa card on February 16, 2018.

On March 1, 2018, NIH’s Rocky Mountain Labs was

billed $680

for a second trimester thymus and liver, which were paid for by Visa card on March 16, 2018.

April 4, 2018, NIH’s Rocky Mountain Labs was

billed $680

for a second trimester thymus and liver, which were paid for by Visa card on April 18, 2018.

On May 23, 2018, NIH’s Rocky Mountain Labs was

billed $750

for a second trimester thymus and liver, which were paid for by Visa card in June 2018.

On May 31, 2018, NIH’s Rocky Mountain Labs was

billed $750

for a second trimester thymus and liver, which were paid for by Visa card on June 26, 2018.

On June 27, 2018, NIH’s Rocky Mountain Labs was

billed $750

for a second trimester thymus and liver, which were paid for by credit card and delivered on July 10, 2018.

On August 15, 2018, NIH’s Rocky Mountain Labs was

billed $750

for a second trimester thymus and liver, which were paid for by Visa and delivered on August 23, 2018.

On August 10, 2018, NIH’s Rocky Mountain Labs ordered a second trimester liver and thymus and

paid $750

by credit card. They were to be delivered on September 10, 2018.

On September 6, 2018, NIH’s Rocky Mountain Labs was

billed $750

for a second trimester liver and thymus, which was paid for by Visa on September 14, 2018.

“These records detailing the federal government’s purchases of organs of aborted fetuses are the most disturbing I’ve ever seen in all my time at Judicial Watch,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. “Every responsible official in government – from President Trump to HHS Secretary Azar should investigate and stop the trafficking of organs of aborted unborn human beings for taxpayer-funded Frankenstein-type experimentation.”

Shuttered Bucks County Addiction Rehab Center Executive Pleads Guilty to Fraud

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney William M. McSwain announced that Branden Coluccio, 32, of Doylestown, PA entered a guilty plea to a one-count Information, charging him with conspiracy to commit health care

fraud. The charges against the defendant stem from federal and state investigations into elaborate insurance fraud schemes involving a Bucks and Montgomery County-based addiction treatment center, Liberation Way.

The investigations exposed an array of health care fraud schemes committed by individuals associated with Liberation Way, including an over-billing scheme connected with the facility’s medical director, as well as an elaborate kick-back scheme involving thousands of medically-unnecessary urine tests which were sent to Florida-based laboratories for analysis. Coluccio, a co-founder of Liberation Way, participated in yet another scheme by fraudulently purchasing premium insurance policies for prospective patients on their behalf, which then allowed Liberation Way to bill insurance companies for expensive “treatment” purportedly provided to these patients. Liberation Way represented that the patients were buying and paying for these policies themselves, when in reality Liberation Way was paying the premiums, which is illegal.

The defendant pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Wendy Beetlestone today, pursuant to a plea agreement which recommends that the Court impose a 37-month sentence. The agreement also requires payment of over $3 million in restitution, as well as additional forfeiture, by the time of sentencing. Sentencing is scheduled for May 22, 2020.

This case was investigated in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, and is the fifth federal Information that has been filed against defendants associated with Liberation Way. The four other defendants — Dr. Dominick Braccia, Dr. Ramesh Sarvaiya, Jesse Peters, and Jason Gerner – have all pleaded guilty. The latter three have yet to be sentenced. Dr. Braccia was sentenced by Judge Beetlestone in September 2019 to a term of 37 months in prison.

“Liberation Way was essentially a front for several multi-layered, years-long schemes that crossed state lines and victimized hundreds of people who needed help,” said U.S. Attorney McSwain. “The convictions coming out of this case send a clear message to those attempting to profit from fraud and the despair of individuals battling addiction: if you behave in this manner, you will be held accountable. We have been proud to work with the Office of the Pennsylvania Attorney General and our federal agency partners to bring all of the defendants in this case to justice.”

“The defendant took advantage of vulnerable people and their families for profit,” said Attorney General Josh Shapiro. “I’m proud of the hard work done by The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Office of Attorney General to hold these individuals accountable.”

“Coluccio admitted to defrauding federal health care programs and compounded his crime by seizing on the plight of drug-addicted patients,” said Maureen R. Dixon, Special Agent in Charge, of the Office of the Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.  “We will continue to work with our State and Federal law enforcement partners to protect the integrity of all HHS Programs.”

The case was investigated by the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Personnel Management, and the Department of Labor. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nancy Beam Winter and Special Assistant United States Attorneys Kristy Christ and Robert Labar, both of the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office.

UNITED STATES ATTORNEY’S OFFICE EASTERN DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA Suite 1250, 615 Chestnut Street Philadelphia, PA 19106 JENNIFER CRANDALL Media Contact 215-861-8300 If you have not done so already, follow @USAO_EDPA and @USAttyMcSwain on Twitter to get the most up-to-date information about big cases and community news.

Pemberton Township Man Sentenced to 4 Years for Causing Friend\’s Death

MOUNT HOLLY, NJ (February 21, 2020)–Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina announced that a 22-year-old Pemberton Township man was sentenced today to four years in New Jersey state prison for driving impaired and causing a 2018 crash in Woodland Township that killed a friend who was traveling in his vehicle.

Donald Shinn, who pled guilty in December 2019 to Vehicular Homicide (Second Degree), must serve 85 percent of the sentence before becoming eligible for parole. His driver’s license will be suspended for five years following his release from prison.

The investigation began on December 22, 2018 just after 3 a.m., when New Jersey State Police Troopers responded to a motor vehicle crash on County Road 563.

The investigation revealed that Shinn’s Toyota Tundra left the roadway and struck several trees after attempting to illegally pass another vehicle. Cody Watson, 20, of Pemberton Township, was seated in the front passenger’s seat and was pronounced dead at the scene. Shinn was treated for moderate injuries at a local hospital. A third passenger seated in the rear of the vehicle declined to accept medical treatment.

Toxicology tests performed on blood drawn from Shinn following the crash indicated his blood alcohol concentration at the time was .12%.

Assistant Prosecutor Josh Dennis, supervisor of the BCPO Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Unit, said the fatal accident had a devastating effect on multiple people.

“The loss to the Watson family is unimaginable,” AP Dennis told the court before sentencing. “So very tragic, and permanent. One simple decision was made by the defendant, and that changed everything for the Watson family, and for everyone who knew and loved Cody, including the defendant himself, who was his very close friend.”

Football Icon Jerry Rice Makes Big Play for Kidney Health

Jerry Rice is working with the National Kidney Foundation to promote kidney health

(NAPSI)—Fans might think Jerry Rice, at 56, should be satisfied to sail silently into the sunset reflecting on his Pro Football Hall of Fame status, three Super Bowl rings, and two decades in the National Football League. Indeed, the iconic wide receiver retired his professional cleats years ago.

Yet, he still uses his youthful, seemingly boundless energy to keep carrying the ball for the cause closest to his heart: tackling chronic kidney disease (CKD). “My brother Tom has CKD,” Rice said. “I’ve watched him go to dialysis three days a week for years, which is really hard on the body. He’s a very positive individual. Still, sometimes I spend the long hours that he endures just sitting by his side. It was my brother, after all, who loved, encouraged and pushed me early on by telling me that I had to make it to the NFL.”

Getting The Word Out

To that end, in a new PSA series for the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) to be broadcast nationwide, Rice focuses on promoting kidney health and raising awareness of kidney disease. The NKF is the largest, most comprehensive and long-standing organization dedicated to the awareness, prevention and treatment of kidney disease.

Given Rice’s genuine concern about and personal connection to the disease, NKF enlisted the widely beloved sports legend to help to speak to the general public as well as kidney patients. He already has lots of practice doing so up close and personally whenever he joins his brother at a neighborhood dialysis center in Jackson, Miss.

“I’d go there to mainly be with my brother, of course, but I always walk around the room to say hello and socialize with the other dialysis patients,” Rice said. “You don’t realize it until you see for yourself in centers that there are lots of people on dialysis. It puts everything in perspective whenever I start complaining. When I visit the dialysis center, people often know who I am and are happy to see me, and if I can bring a smile to some faces and make them forget even for a second, that warms my heart. That’s how I felt playing football, seeing the smiles in the stands and helping people to forget problems for a little while.”

Rice is also part of NKF’s continuing and growing Heart Your Kidneys (#HeartYourKidneys) public campaign to help elevate awareness of the kidneys to the status of other vital organs such as the heart. He is amazed that most people know very little about their kidneys and that some don’t know the kidneys are located in the lower back below the rib cage—or that each person has two. Rice hopes his new PSAs with NKF will help change that.

“It’s important to me to keep working hard to get the word out with NKF, because you can see that this really hits home for me in more ways than one,” Rice said.

Kidney Facts And Jerry Rice’s Tips

• African Americans are three times more likely to experience kidney failure than are people of other races.

• Because kidney disease often has no symptoms, it can go unnoticed until it is very advanced.

• The kidneys’ major function is to filter out waste products and excess fluid from the body.

• Eat healthy and drink water instead of sugary drinks.

• Exercise regularly.

• Ask your doctor about your kidney health.

Learn More

For further information about kidney disease and how to tell whether you’re at risk, call (800) 622-9010 or visit

www.kidney.org

.

Topping Off Ceremony Held for $184M Patient Tower at Jefferson Washington Township Hospital

Jefferson Washington Township Hospital reached a major milestone on Thursday, February 20th, as a “topping off” ceremony was held for its new $184 million patient tower, slated to open in summer 2021. Jefferson leadership and staff — including Dr. Stephen Klasko, President of Thomas Jefferson University and CEO of Jefferson Health — were in attendance, along with NJ state and local officials, as the final beam was lifted by a crane and put in place.

The 7-floor, 243,500-square-foot tower, being named in honor of Jefferson board member and benefactor John P. Silvestri and his family, will feature 90 private patient rooms, a two-story lobby, Same-Day Surgery Unit, roof helipad, café with outdoor dining, and more. The $222 million overall Washington Township hospital campus transformation began in 2018, with construction of an 8-level enclosed parking facility, completed in April 2019.

Shown at the Topping Off ceremony, from left, are

: Stephen M. Sweeney, New Jersey Senate President; Joseph W. Devine, President, Jefferson New Jersey Division and Chief Experience Officer, Jefferson Health; John P. Silvestri, Vice Chairman, Jefferson Health New Jersey Hospital Board of Trustees; Joann Gattinelli, Washington Township Mayor; and John W. Graham, Chief Administrative Officer, Jefferson Washington Township Hospital.

Jefferson Health Hosts FREE Wellness Programs for Seniors Through May 2020

Join Jefferson Health experts for FREE community wellness programs for seniors through May:

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) – The Basics

;

Thursday, March 5, 2 p.m.; Kennedy Health & Wellness Center (405 Hurffville-Cross Keys Road, Suite 201, Sewell)

: COPD affects almost 15 million Americans. Learn what COPD is; how it affects the lungs; causes, signs and symptoms; and disease management.

Weight Loss and Fiber – What’s the Connection?

;

Wednesday, March 18, 11 a.m., at the

Margaret E. Heggan Free Public Library

(606 Delsea Drive, Sewell)

: Eating enough fiber is essential for a healthy diet. Join Jefferson Health’s Danielle Hall, RD, to learn how much dietary fiber you need, the foods that contain it, how it aids in weight loss, and how to add it to meals and snacks.

Understanding Alzheimer’s & Dementia

;

Tuesday, April 21, 2 p.m., at Jefferson Stratford Hospital (18 East Laurel Road, 3

rd

Floor, Room L)

: Alzheimer’s disease is not a normal part of aging. Join the Alzheimer’s Association to learn about Alzheimer’s impact, differences between Alzheimer’s and dementia, stages and risk factors, current research and treatments available for some symptoms, and Alzheimer’s Association resources.

Seconds Count when Stopping Strokes

;

Thursday, May 7, 2 p.m., at the

Gloucester County Library Mullica Hill Branch (389 Wolfert Station Road)

: Join Jefferson Health’s Kathryn Donley, BSN, RN, CCRN-K, CNRN, Program Director, Stroke & Life Support Education, for a discussion on ways to reduce your risk, identify early signs and symptoms of heart attack and stroke, and when to call 9-1-1. FREE blood pressure screenings are included.

Horticultural Therapy – Creating an Indoor Fairy Garden

;

Tuesday, May 19, 2 p.m., at Jefferson Cherry Hill Hospital (2201 Chapel Avenue, Rooms 2 & 3)

: Discover the fun in designing your own “indoor fairy garden.” Adults all over are experiencing the magic in constructing them. Inspirational Horticultural Therapy’s Rachelle Hasenberg, will provide step-by-step instructions as participants plant in their own container and choose from a wide variety of items to create their unique miniature “fairy garden.” No experience necessary. A fee of $12 is due by Tuesday, May 5.

These programs are sponsored by Jefferson Health – New Jersey’s PrimeTime, a free health and wellness program for active older adults in South Jersey. All community members are invited. For more information and to register, visit

JeffersonHealth.org/NJclasses

or call

800-522-1965

.

Jefferson Primary & Specialty Care offices celebrate “Patient Appreciation Day”

There was a sweet treat awaiting Jefferson Primary & Specialty Care patients in New Jersey on Valentine’s Day. Four of our medical practices – Marlton, Voorhees, Regulus (Turnersville) and Kingsway (Sewell) – celebrated \”Patient Appreciation Day” as a well to thank patients for trusting us with their healthcare needs.  The all-day events featured snacks, Jefferson “swag” and a chance to win a gift basket. Patients could also learn about the benefits of MyChart, which offers free, online access to their medical record, and allows patients to request medical appointments, review test results and more.

Left to right, at the Jefferson Voorhees Primary & Specialty Care Office: Family Medicine physician Dr. Vishal Phakey; Certified Medical Assistant Briana Cook; Front Office Coordinator Karyn Washington-Brown; and Patient Service Representative Yu Juan Tan.

New Pharmacist for Shore Physicians Group

mvitale

February, 2020

When it comes to medications, the best-trained healthcare professionals on the subject are pharmacists, who can be a valuable asset in primary care, especially with patients who are on

David Totten is the new pharmacist for Shore Physicians Group. (Courtesy Shore Physicians Group

)

Medicare.

That’s why Shore Physicians Group in Somers Point recently added pharmacist David Totton, PharmD, to its staff to support primary care providers in completing Medicare patients’ Annual Wellness Visits and provide comprehensive medication management.

Totton, who received his Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of the Sciences, came to SPG this fall after completing a year-long residency at Shore Medical Center.

Totton works collaboratively with physicians, advanced practice nurses and physicians assistants to provide Annual Medicare Wellness Visits on schedule, an essential part of preventative care. Totton spends an hour with each patient reviewing their family and medical histories, scheduling important preventative screenings and vaccinations, updating their list of current providers, and of course – reviewing their medications.

As part of the Medicare Wellness Visits, Totton provides comprehensive medication management as needed in partnership with their physician. Patients who are on multiple medications from multiple specialists or experiencing symptoms that could be related to medication side effects are just some examples of those who are benefiting from Totton’s expertise.

Chief Administrative Officer of Shore Physicians Group Mark Stephens says the addition of Totton to SPG makes perfect sense.

“An estimated 40 percent of people aged 65 or older are on five or more medications, so it makes sense to have a pharmacist on their healthcare team. If we can help eliminate some of those medications or better manage their side effects, we can help patients save money, feel better, and be healthier in the long run. Our providers are thrilled to have David on board,” Stephens says.

Totton is seeing patients at Shore Physicians Group’s primary care offices at 401 Bethel Road in Somers Point, 4 Roosevelt Boulevard in Marmora, and 2605 Shore Road in Northfield. To make a Medicare Annual Wellness Visit appointment, contact your SPG primary care provider.

To learn more about SPG, visit

www.ShorePhysiciansGroup.com

.