Fall 2008 - Trinitas Hospital

Fall 2008
Exclusive Interview…
NJ Burkett
National and International
Reporter for ABC News
Superlative Healing
Center for Wound Healing
and Hyberbaric Medicine
Investing In
Good Health
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12 W. Jersey St., 5th floor
Elizabeth, NJ 07202
908-659-5200 (Phone)
908-659-5201 (Fax)
www.ucc.edu/go/trinitas

Welcome to…
Magazine
FALL 2008
Trinitas Hospital is changing its name!
To reflect our growth and expanded capabilities, the Board of Trustees of Trinitas Hospital voted recently to change
the institution’s name to Trinitas Regional Medical Center. This change will take place following IRS approval, and may
already be in effect by the time you read this.
We feel strongly that the new name recognizes the status of Trinitas as a regional healthcare provider and reflects the
broad range of services available at our facilities.
Indeed, the positive changes taking place at Trinitas are unprecedented. And our new name will better reflect our
mission and goals as we provide services to those who work and live in Central and Northern New Jersey and beyond.
With more than 2,400 employees and a medical staff of close to 500 physicians, Trinitas is one of the largest employers
in Central New Jersey. A teaching hospital, Trinitas proudly offers highly specialized care through no less than ten
Centers of Excellence.
This is an exciting time for us as we expand to meet an ever-growing number of health needs in our region. The
degree to which we accomplish these objectives will ultimately determine the value of the Trinitas Regional Medical
Center name.
I thank you for taking this journey with us!
Sincerely,
Gary S. Horan, FACHE
President & CEO
In addition to its 531 beds located in two
major Elizabeth campuses, Trinitas has
a healthcare presence that encompasses
much of New Jersey. These locations include
renal dialysis centers, behavioral health
crisis centers, school-based physical and
occupational therapy services, outpatient
clinics and more.
FALL 2008 1

CONTENTS
FALL 2008
FEATURES
3 Dateline: The World
Elizabeth Native, NJ Burkett, Writes the “First Draft of History”
10 Superlative Healing:
The Center for Wound Healing and Hyperbaric Medicine
15 The Economics of Good Health:
Investing in Good Health Makes Good Corporate Sense
19 Urological Surgeries Provide Welcome
Relief for Patients
24 Sleepless No More!
Successful Treatment of Sleep Apnea
27 Hospice: A Stop Along Life’s Journey
Victor M. Richel
Chairman, Trinitas Health & Hospital
Board of Trustees
Gary S. Horan, FACHE
President & CEO, Trinitas Hospital
HEALTHYEDGE STAFF
Executive Editor. . . . . . . . . . . . Doug Harris
Director of Public Relations and Marketing
Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kathryn C. Salamone
Manager, Public Relations and Marketing
Contributing Writers . . . . . . . Mel Elberger,
Rena Sandberg
Contributing Photographers . Doug Harris,
John Mazurkiewcz, Kathryn C. Salamone
Graphic Design . . . . . . . . . . Jama Bowman
ADVERTISING INQUIRIES:
Rob Rubilla
(908) 337-3276
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR:
Healthy Edge
Public Relations Department
Trinitas Hospital
225 Williamson Street
Elizabeth, New Jersey 07207
If you are not interested in your copy of
HEALTHYEDGE which is sent to you free of
charge, please feel free to pass it along to
someone else.
28 Sisters of Charity Carve Distinctive Niche
in the Community
IN EVERY ISSUE
22 Community Calendar
31 Foundation Focus:
News of the Trinitas Health Foundation
35 Vital Signs:
Trinitas Comprehensive Cancer Center News
39 Hospital Beat:
People and Events of Note
The HEATHLYEDGE - Winner of
the 2007 NJ/IABC IRIS Award!
Trinitas Hospital is a Catholic Teaching Hospital sponsored by the Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth
in partnership with Elizabethtown Healthcare Foundation.
HEALTHYEDGE Magazine is published quarterly by Trinitas Hospital and Trinitas Comprehensive
Cancer Center, 225 Williamson Street, Elizabeth, NJ, 07207.
This is Volume 2, Issue 3. This material is designed for information purposes only. None of the
information provided in Healthy Edge constitutes, directly or indirectly, the practice of medicine, the
dispensing of medical services, a professional diagnosis or a treatment plan. The information in
Healthy Edge should not be considered complete nor should it be relied on to suggest a course of
treatment for a particular individual. You should not rely on information provided in Healthy Edge
as a substitute for personal medical attention, diagnosis or hands-on treatment. You should never
disregard medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read in Healthy
Edge. If you have any health care related concerns, please call or see your physician or other
qualified health care provider.
2 HEALTHYEDGE

HEALTHYEDGE EXCLUSIVE
Dateline: The World
ELIZABETH NATIVE, NJ (NEWTON JONES) BURKETT OF WABC
NEWS, WRITES THE ‘FIRST DRAFT OF HISTORY’ by Doug Harris
WABC-TV reporter NJ Burkett and I met for cheeseburgers
at Café Luxembourg, a busy, French bistro on 70th Street, three
blocks from WABC headquarters. Despite the heat he arrived in
immaculate condition. Navy pin stripped suit, every hair in
place, he looked trim and tanned and ready to go on the air,
although it was several hours before the official start of his day.
His legendary attention to detail is the hallmark of his awardwinning
television career. Burkett has won several of the most
prestigious awards in American television news, including four
Emmy Awards from the New York Chapter of the National
Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, and two Edward R.
Murrow Awards from the Radio and Television News Directors
Association. He shared both the George Foster Peabody Award
and the Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Award with his
colleagues at ABC News for his reporting on 9-11.
NJ Burkett’s blog captures devastation
he saw following Hurricane Ike’s recent
landfall in Texas.
Courtesy of WABC News
I N T E R V I E W
As a native of Elizabeth, what keeps
the City close to your heart
I remember walking to school with
my friends and playing practical jokes
on them along the way. It was a great
time to grow up. I went to Abraham
Lincoln Elementary School on Grove
Street, and then Alexander Hamilton
School for junior high. I was in the
Elizabeth High School graduating class
of 1980. I lived in Elizabeth for the first
18 years of my life until I left to go to
Columbia University, but my parents
still live there.
One of the things that was very
important to my upbringing and that
helped me later in life was having a
multicultural, multiethnic childhood
experience. I remember my third grade
teacher going around the room and
asking where everyone came from.
My classmates were from such exotic
places — Russia, China, Puerto Rico,
Vietnam — and when she came
around to me, I felt so deprived!
My childhood in Elizabeth is essential
to understanding who I am now.
I don’t know where I’d be or what I’d
be doing, but I do know I would be a
completely different person if I had
never lived in Elizabeth.
I think my upbringing is absolutely
essential to who I am now and it forms
the basis of everything I do professionally.
I’m comfortable interviewing
Mayor Bloomberg, or parishioners at
a church in Bedford Stuyvesant or
hurricane victims in the Dominican
Republic. I can walk anywhere and
feel comfortable because I can relate
to anybody.
What do you think are Elizabeth’s
greatest strengths
Without doubt, it’s the diversity of
its people. Elizabeth has struggled at
times, but what sustains the City is the
strength of the work ethic of its people
who come from all over the world to
make a better life for themselves and to
raise their families. That’s what powers
the City.
Continued on page 4
FALL 2008 3

Courtesy of WABC News
Getting the story right, NJ Burkett confers with members of US military in the
Middle East.
4 HEALTHYEDGE
Where do you live now, and how
often do you get to visit family and
friends in this area
I’ve lived in a tiny village on the
North Shore of Long Island since a
month before September 11, 2001. It
is about a half-mile off the water. It’s a
great escape from the city, and while I
love New York, I also want my children
(10 year-old Jay, and eight-year old
Amanda) to have trees and open
spaces around them while they grow
up. I get back to Elizabeth pretty regularly,
at least half a dozen times a year.
You served twice as the Master of
Ceremonies of the Trinitas Health
Foundation’s Gala Dinner and
Fundraiser. Please tell our readers
why you’ve decided to be part of
this event.
Trinitas is my hometown hospital.
It’s where my grandmother worked (in
the coffee shop) and where I was treated
for a hernia when I was eight years
old. I walked by the hospital every day
on my way to school. But, lately, I was
intrigued because I had heard so much
about it. I wanted to see it for myself.
Trinitas is really a lifeline for so
many communities, and it performs so
many essential services. The new
Cancer Center is breathtaking. Trinitas
Hospital and Save the Children are my
two favorite charities.
How did you become interested
in the media
My eighth grade teacher assigned
us to do a career report on what we
wanted to be when we grew up. I
remember going home that afternoon,
beating my brains trying to come up
with something. My mother said, ‘Look,
you’re a news junky. You’re always
watching the news and telling stories.
You should be a reporter.’ I thought,
‘Maybe she’s on to something.’
That project got me interested in
reporting and I decided to volunteer
my time at the Elizabeth cable television
station, which was just starting up.
I think they had 70 or so bars and
taverns wired up for cable TV, and they
were just starting to offer a local access
operation in black and white. I eventually
got my own show.
Was it a news show
No, a sports show. I wasn’t a big
sports fan, generally, but I loved basketball
as a kid. So I ended up with my
own pre-game and post-game Knicks

asketball show where I took telephone
calls from viewers. I had a cult
following at all the bars and taverns!
Here I was, a little blond headed kid
who had his own Knicks show. It was
great, and it was where I learned to be
comfortable in front of the cameras.
You just don’t learn that stuff in a classroom.
Nobody is born knowing it, you
just have to work at it. And it turned
out that this is what I wanted to do.
I loved it.
Courtesy of WABC News
Where did you think it would
all lead
I wasn’t sure. I thought maybe I
would be a sportscaster. Later, I did
play-by-play for Elizabeth High School
football and basketball games.
But the real turning point for me
was in the 9th grade when I represented
Hamilton Junior High School in a
citywide speech contest. I ended up
winning. I became a sort of folk hero
in junior high school, which is a good
time to be a cool, charismatic folk
hero, I suppose!
Who had the most influence upon
your career
That would have to be Bill Beutel.
He was my mentor and Bill was a journalist
in the truest sense. Bill got me
the job at Channel 7. He was always a
caring man, he never talked down to
people. Bill Beutel was truly loved in
every corner of New York City. One of
the greatest honors I ever experienced
was when his wife asked me to eulogize
him at his funeral. I got to stand in
front of his many friends and relatives
and talk about what he meant to me
as a man and as a professional. It’s
ironic that Bill’s portrait hangs in the
television station’s cafeteria — that was
the one place he never went!
Christopher Jones of Channel 5 also
mentored me when I was a college
intern. He practically adopted me
during my senior year at Columbia,
and when my internship ended he
paid me out of his own pocket. It was
a great experience.
Today’s technology enables
NJ Burkett to generate
reporting that can be sent
in an instant from far
corners of the world.
What would you say are the guiding
principles of your life
Without doubt, it’s to treat everyone
at every level of society with
respect and dignity.
While on assignment in Israel, I had
a little time on my hands, so I asked the
driver to stop when we reached the
desert. Because I had heard about the
hospitality of the Bedouin people,
I wanted to meet them. I told the driver
that if I was not back in 20 minutes, he
should look for me. I trotted down to
this Bedouin camp in the middle of the
desert and met one of the tribe members.
He didn’t speak English and
I didn’t speak Arabic, but we achieved a
very profound communication through
nonverbal signals and gestures. It was
clear to him that I wanted to meet him
and get to know him. He gestured for
me to enter his tent and he offered me
tea, which I accepted. He introduced
me to his wife and children, and he
showed me his world. We had no language
in common. But, what we did
have in common was our humanity.
It turned out to be a profound life
experience. It just goes to show you
that if you treat people with respect
and dignity, they respond in kind.
We all remember your historic
reporting of the terror events of
9/11. How did that terrible day start
for you
The worst day of my life started like
any other day. I was on the subway
when the first plane hit the North Tower.
I arrived in the WABC newsroom just
as the second plane hit. You could hear
a pin drop - the entire newsroom was
aghast.
My cameraman, Marty Glembotzky,
and I drove 80 blocks south to the
World Trade Center. We were the
closest people to the towers except, of
course, for the fire, police and rescue
personnel. We set up the camera on
West Street, right at the base of both
towers. I thought I would be doing a
towering inferno story on the heroic
work of the rescue personnel. No one
thought the buildings would collapse.
Continued on page 6
FALL 2008 5

Courtesy of WABC News
Courtesy of Black Lab Studio
Marty Glembotzky, NJ Burkett’s camera
man, captured this narrow escape from
the collapse of the World Trade Center.
The video is part of the collection of the
Newseum in Washington, DC.
Then, suddenly, the South tower
started to come down as we were
shooting. Debris was raining down on
us, and we turned to see there was a
door to an adjacent office building.
What should have been the last 30 seconds
of my life is on tape on YouTube.
It’s also on permanent exhibition in the
Newseum, the new museum of news
in Washington, DC.
To this day, I ask myself why we
lived when so many all around us didn’t.
Why was that door there What if it
had been locked Many people didn’t
have a door to duck in to. People stop
me on the streets even now and say
‘Thank God you’re alive.’ It affected me.
I knew I had to live.
We spent the next three nights in a
satellite truck covering the story. There
was no cellphone service that day.
No one was getting through to the
switchboard at the newsroom — all
the lines were overloaded. I finally
got my dad on the phone, and I
6 HEALTHYEDGE
NJ Burkett took a break from his Master of Ceremonies duties at the Trinitas Health
Foundation Gala in May 2008 to join his parents, Barbara and Newton Jones
Burkett, for this family photo.
remember both of us were crying.
In the days afterward I somehow found
the strength to go on. You just put it
in a box and put it away.
Were there any other times that you
feared for your life
I had just finished interviewing a
Palestinian academic in Jerusalem and
we were in the car headed back to the
Jerusalem Bureau. It was the end of the
day, and as we were driving back, I
called my boss and told him what I
covered for that day so he could
inform the editorial meeting back in
New York.
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While I was on the phone, we
passed through this beautiful, vibrant
open-air market where everybody goes
on Fridays. It was like a movie scene —
a great place for man on the street
interviews. I was juggling the phone
and trying to tell the driver to stop,
but he drove about a block and half
past the market. Then I heard a huge
boom. A suicide bomber had blown up
the market.
Another moment came when we
were flying in the Channel 7 helicopter,
returning to the City from an assignment
just north of Bear Mountain.
A storm had blown down a wall in a
school and we were rushing to get
the tapes back. We were in the air and
we hit this unexpected snow storm.
Immediately, we were in zero visibility
and the pilot had to outfly the storm.
She eventually landed at Stewart
Airport in Newburgh. Later, we found
that the engines had over-revved and
the helicopter had to be trucked back
to the City.
We were in Israel when Israeli soldiers
with heavy machine guns started
shooting at Palestinian demonstrators

in a building just above our location. I
remember being face down in a rental
car staring at the carpet asking myself,
‘What am I doing here’. We were
pinned down for quite a while and it
was total luck that we didn’t get hit.
How often do you travel out of the
area on assignment
It varies. Some years it seems to be
a lot and other years not so much. In
2006, I was in Israel three times. At one
point, we were camped-out for three
weeks on the Lebanese border covering
the Israeli war with Hezbollah. I have
been very busy over the past several
weeks with hurricanes. I was in Florida
for Fay, Louisiana for Gustave and
Texas for Ike — which caused some of
the worst hurricane damage I have
ever seen.
How much extra notice do you get
for such assignments
I usually get almost no notice.
When Yassar Arafat’s health was failing,
I was assigned to the story and told my
plane was leaving Kennedy Airport in
two hours. During the London subway
attacks, I was called at home at 4:30AM
and went straight to the airport.
I find it invigorating. When stuff
happens, it happens fast. I have this
‘tell me I can’t get there’ attitude. I’m
reminded of a plane crash that Dan
Rather covered in the early 60’s. He
was the first on the scene, but there
was no way to get the story out. Then
he spotted a telephone line worker up
on a telephone pole, and he asked if
he could make a call. He ended up
phoning in the story from that telephone
pole. If Dan can do that, then
there’s nothing I can’t do. Besides, I
love the logistics of getting from point
A to B. I always carry my passport and
my American Express card — there’s
nothing else you really need.
Can local stories also have a
profound impact
Absolutely. When you can show
someone getting a life-saving operation,
when you can awaken people to
Continued on page 8
Thanks to his upbringing in Elizabeth, award-winning journalist NJ Burkett is comfortable
with the peoples and cultures he finds wherever he goes around the world.
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FALL 2008 7
Courtesy of WABC News

prejudice, when you can open the
viewers’ eyes to injustice, that’s the
good stuff and it makes me feel great
about what I do.
Do you have a “pet project” that
you’d like to pursue
Well, you heard it here first — I’d
like to write a book about growing up
in Elizabeth, and my time on the
streets of New York and around the
world. I’ve written some of it and
kicked around some titles. It’s not
something I’m definitely going to do,
but I’ve thought a lot about it. My
blog entries on the station’s website
are a dress rehearsal of sorts for the
book. I wrote one recently about my
experiences covering Hurricane Ike,
which I called Waste Land, Texas.
I have a more personal “pet project”
that involves my brother Rob,
and supporting him in his fight with
esophageal cancer. He is 43 years old
and a fantastic guy. My children love
their Uncle Rob and he loves them.
He has been going through a tough
time and we’ve been going through
it with him.
In the years ahead, what do you
hope to achieve professionally and
personally
I celebrated my 19th anniversary with
Channel 7 in June. It’s been great and
I’m doing exactly what I set out to do.
I go to places that people would never
ordinarily visit and meet people most
would never ordinarily meet. I’ve had
the best of times and the worst of times.
There really is something to that
‘first draft of history’ thing. I get paid
to write the first draft of history and
that’s what I love to do. I just hope
that given the turmoil in the media
that I can continue to do what I love.
I hope that the business doesn’t consolidate
to the point that they focus so
much on the bottom line that guys like
me won’t be able to make a living.
People ask me if I want to be an
anchor, but that’s not what I got into
the business to do. I got into the business
to travel and experience history.
This job has its moments but, at this
point in my life, I can’t imagine doing
anything else. I can’t imagine sitting
behind a desk, or being a CPA, or
selling cars. I love getting out and
speaking with people and writing
that first draft!
$500 HEATLHYEDGE SURVEY WINNERS!
Congratulations…
to Scott and Mary Beth Schaefer
of Clark, winners of the $500
HEALTHYEDGE survey raffle.
Scott’s response to the Summer
issue’s readership survey was
chosen at random during a
drawing on September 8th.
Scott calls the HEALTHYEDGE
“enjoyable reading,” adding,
“I like the community and medical
news. It’s good to know what health
resources are available.”
YOU can win $500! Take part in our newest survey,
available online now through December 15th. Visit our survey at
www.TrinitasHospital.org/survey and give us your thoughts. A brand
new $500 winner will be chosen from the respondents, and it could be you!
8 HEALTHYEDGE

Superlative Healing
CENTER FOR WOUND HEALING AND HYPERBARIC MEDICINE
by Mel Elberger
When you have an itch, you scratch
it. That’s what Alexandra Conte did.
But when the scratch on her right leg
became a wound that did not heal, she
became concerned. The worrisome
scratch occurred in January of this year.
In February, she made an appointment
with the Center for Wound Healing
and Hyperbaric Medicine at Trinitas
Hospital. A patient with conditions
including Lupus Erythematosus,
Scleroderma, Reynaud’s Syndrome and
Venous Disease, Alexandra came under
the care of Jacques G. Losman, MD, a
physician at the Wound Center.
“Patients like Alexandra come to
the Wound Center concerned as to
why a wound has not been healing
properly,” said Dr. Bruce W. Haims,
MD, a specialist in surgery, who serves
as Medical Director of the Wound
Center. “Our staff helps each patient
understand the process of wound healing,
explains what is happening every
step of the way, and charts progress in
moving through the treatment process.
We help patients reclaim something
they thought they had lost,” Dr. Haims
added.
“Alexandra’s multiple conditions
contributed to the non-healing of a
small scratch that became a wound
the size of a silver dollar, requiring
advanced medical treatment,” Dr.
Haims explained.
Since the beginning of this year,
Alexandra had been on a roller-coaster
ride between hope and despair.
Surgeon Jacques G. Losman, MD, had
also treated Alexandra for non-healing
wounds in 2006 and 2007. “Minor
traumas to the skin were the causes of
her non-healing wounds in those
years,” he recalled.
Although she was making progress
under Dr. Losman’s care from February
Life improved dramatically for Alexandra Conte (center), shown with her children
Justin and Brianna, following treatment for her non-healing wounds at Trinitas.
to April, her wound opened in May
and another wound developed right
next to it. Alexandra became distraught.
In June, Dr. Losman recommended
debridement, the cutting away of dead
or contaminated tissue from the
wounds to prevent infection. During
debridement, when Alexandra’s
wounds did not bleed, Dr. Losman
became concerned that her non-bleeding
was a symptom of non-circulation.
Dr. Losman’s assessment was confirmed
when he performed a circulation
test on Alexandra’s wounds. There was
no circulation. No oxygen was getting
to the wounds. Dr. Losman prescribed
Vacuum-Controlled Assisted Closure
(VAC) Therapy, a system that uses the
controlled negative pressure of a vacuum
to help promote wound healing.
Oxygen is the Key
To accelerate the healing of
Alexandra’s wounds, Dr. Losman recommended
Hyperbaric Oxygen
Therapy. Alexandra was placed in a specially-designed
chamber in the Wound
Center that administers a 100 percent
oxygen-rich environment under pressure.
She went for hyperbaric oxygen
treatments five days a week and each
treatment was two hours long. Oxygen
reached Alexandra’s wounds through
the bloodstream, resulting in greater
blood vessel formation and reduced
likelihood of infection.
“I heard that Hyperbaric Oxygen
Therapy could be a difficult experience,”
Alexandra said. “But the staff at
the Wound Center put my mind at
ease from the first treatment. The nurses
and Hyperbaric Technologists were
very patient and caring every step of
the way.”
In August, Dr. Losman recommended
Apligraf, which is a bi-layered, cultured
infant foreskin, first used in New
Jersey at Trinitas Hospital.
10 HEALTHYEDGE

Following the successful treatment of
her wound, Alexandra Conte has been
able to return to cooking, one of her
passions.
Dr. Losman’s interventions promoted
the healing of Alexandra’s wounds
and he is pleased with her progress.
“I was glad to see significant improvement
in Alexandra’s non-healing
wounds after she went through our
innovative treatments,” Dr. Losman
commented.
“Alexandra’s non-healing wounds
were addressed with treatments customized
to her condition,” Dr. Haims
remarked. “That’s one of our main
goals here at the Wound Center — to
evaluate each patient and prescribe an
individualized treatment plan.”
Returning to Normal
Alexandra, who lives in Port
Reading near Woodbridge, serves as
Assistant Director of Human Resources
at Passaic County Community College
in Paterson. She regrets that she had to
take two months off from work since
her wounds began to develop. “I enjoy
my work, but I know that I will work
even better because I’m getting the
right care at the Wound Center.”
Because Alexandra’s wounds have
been improving, she can now drive to
work, unlike this past spring when it
had been difficult for Alexandra to
drive. It was also difficult for Alexandra
to stand in front of her stove while
cooking, so she had to sit in a chair.
Now she can stand and cook her
favorite meals just as she had always
done. “I thought my non-healing
wounds would curtail some of the
things I could do, and although they
did for a while, with the Wound
Center’s outstanding treatment, I can
now live a balanced and full life again.”
Now Alexandra has renewed optimism
about her condition. “When
you’re confronting wounds that don’t
heal or that get better and then open
again, you wonder if you’ll come
through it,” she explained. “Dr. Haims
and Dr. Losman are superb doctors.
They are caring, patient, compassionate,
and most of all, dedicated to
Continued on page 12
Members of the Wound Center staff bring consistent quality care and attention to
patients whose non-healing wounds demand advanced treatment.
CURRENT KNOWLEDGE
CONTRIBUTES TO
BETTER HEALING
Kimberly S. Oliver, RN, BSN,
CWCN, a nurse at the Center for
Wound Healing & Hyperbaric
Medicine at Trinitas Hospital,
serves as the Center’s Clinical
Coordinator. Kim oversees all clinical
aspects at the Center, provides
in-service education for the clinical
staff, serves as a liaison with physicians,
and is part of the selection
process for patients undergoing
hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
“Part of what makes my job so
rewarding as Clinical Coordinator is
that I have to be current in all the
latest technology and newest procedures
in wound care,” Kim explains.
“By keeping up with these advances,
I can evaluate them for possible use
in our array of treatments. That way
all of our patients are assured that
we are doing the very best we can
to teat them effectively.”
Kim, who joined the Center for
Wound Healing & Hyperbaric
Medicine in 2005, received a
Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing from
Bloomfield College, and has more
than 10 years of experience in acute
and long term care nursing. She
also has credentials as a Certified
Wound Care Nurse.
FALL 2008 11

decreases the ability of the veins to
transport the blood upwards toward
the heart. The blood in the legs or the
affected extremity is not returning to
be cleaned and oxygenated.
With the compromise of blood flow
over time, symptoms may arise. These
include pain, varicose veins, skin breakdown,
venous stasis ulcers, infection,
and breakdown of the lymphatic channels
leading to edema.
Susan Harley, Program Director, and Bruce W. Haims, MD, the Center’s medical
director, take a moment to insure the comfort of a patient about to undergo a
hyperbaric treatment.
providing excellent treatment. I’m
very happy that I went to the Center
for Wound Healing and Hyperbaric
Medicine at Trinitas Hospital. Dr.
Haims, Dr. Losman, the nurses, and the
support staff have made my experience
at the Wound Center very positive.”
Why Wounds Don’t Heal
We all suffer cuts, burns, sores, and
larger wounds as part of a normal,
active lifestyle. Given a careful cleaning,
some antiseptic cream and a
bandage, most minor wounds will
begin to heal immediately and close
completely in a few days.
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Why does a wound not heal properly
Many non-healing wounds and
sores are caused by other illnesses or
underlying medical conditions of which
a patient may be unaware. Diabetes,
smoking, poor blood circulation, heart
problems, poor nutrition and many
medications may cause wounds to
develop or just not heal.
There are three primary reasons a
wound won’t heal: a blood circulation
issue (Chronic Venous Insufficiency or
CVI), Edema, or infection. Chronic
Venous Insufficiency (CVI) is caused by
inadequate function of the valves in
the veins. These one-way valves keep
the blood in the veins moving toward
the heart. Inadequate valve function
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Characterized by pronounced
swelling, edema of the extremities and
CVI can be cyclical in their causes.
Edema can cause CVI, and CVI can
cause edema. In either case, chronic
wounds and stasis ulcers can result.
Edema inhibits the formation of collagen,
a fibrous protein found in connective
tissue, bone and cartilage. Edema
promotes infection by inhibiting blood
flow and circulation.
“Millions of people in the U.S.
endure the pain and debilitation of
non-healing wounds,” said Susan
Harley, Program Director of the Center
for Wound Healing and Hyperbaric
Medicine. “Statistics show that 1.5 million
people who are diabetic suffer
from such wounds. Another 2.5 million
people have pressure ulcers, more
commonly known as bed sores.”
Types of Wounds Treated
The main types of wounds treated
at the Wound Center are diabetic and
vascular wounds, pressure ulcers,
venous ulcers and trauma wounds.
Increased blood glucose levels and
decreased immune function contribute
to poor wound healing in patients with
diabetes. Approximately 15 percent
of people with diabetes will develop
a foot ulcer due to vascular disease.
Diabetes remains the leading cause of
non-traumatic amputation.
Diabetic ulcers frequently do not
heal because of a combination of
hypoxia, or low oxygen production and
infection. Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
greatly increases tissue oxygen levels
which enhances the healing process for
patients with diabetic ulcers.

Pressure ulcers often result from
staying in a single position for a long
time – regardless of the age of the
patient. Lying in a bed or sitting in a
wheelchair for extended periods of
time can cut off the blood supply to an
area of the skin. Venous ulcers are the
most common type of chronic wound.
They can occur in a patient with a clot
or a vein problem in the leg. Trauma
wounds include injuries resulting from
crashes or burns.
Treatment Options
The treatment options offered at
the Wound Center include the VAC
Therapy System, Hyperbaric Oxygen
Therapy, and Apligraf.
The VAC Therapy System employs a
computer-controlled therapy unit to
maintain a constant negative pressure
on the wound site. Clinical studies
demonstrate that the VAC Therapy
System also removes infectious materials
and other fluids from the wound.
In Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, the
amount of oxygen dissolved in a
patient’s blood plasma is increased as
much as three to five times, compared
to breathing oxygen at sea level. The
resulting increased oxygen-carrying
capacity is delivered to all tissues where
there is insufficient blood flow. A number
of benefits are produced that include
improving the body’s elimination of
poisons such as carbon monoxide,
improving the body’s response to infection,
and supporting tissue growth and
wound healing. This treatment provides
a non-invasive procedure for patients.
“I had a productive lifestyle before
I was diagnosed with non-healing
wounds, and after going through the
Wound Center’s healing treatments,
I can continue to do everything I was
doing before,” Alexandra said.
“Nothing in my life ended because I
had non-healing wounds. The Wound
Center gave me a new beginning.”
A Wound Center
Recognized for Excellence
The Center for Wound Healing and
Hyperbaric Medicine at Trinitas Hospital
is one of the nation’s most successful
wound centers. Its unique team of
highly trained physicians, nurses, and
foot specialists help sufferers with nonhealing
wounds get their lives back.
They specialize in wounds that have
resisted healing after months or even
years of traditional treatment.
By using well-researched, proven
techniques, the Wound Center’s multidisciplinary
team provides healing and
relief for patients who previously
thought their wounds were irreparable
or would ultimately result in amputation.
The expertise of the Wound Center’s
physicians in pioneering wound closure
technologies such as Vacuum-Controlled
Assisted Closure (VAC) Therapy has
been shared at a number of national
wound healing conferences. The
Wound Center’s overall healing rates
are consistently above 95 percent.
“At the Wound Center we not only
save limbs but give patients hope for the
future by providing them with the most
Continued on page 14
WORKING WONDERS
WITH WOUNDS
Responding to the needs of patients
who suffer from stubborn non-healing
wounds is part of the day-to-day
commitment of the medical specialists
at the Center. Bruce Haims, MD,
Medical Director of the Center,
leads the activities of other medical
specialists on the staff. Jacques
Losman, MD, is a surgeon. Morteza
Khaladj, DPM, is a foot doctor specializing
in Podiatric Orthopedics.
Podiatrist Robert Gasalberti, DPM,
and Ronald DiScenza, MD, specialist
in internal medicine/geriatrics,
also bring their specialties to the
staff. The newest member of the
Wound Center’s medical team is
Meenakshi Kukreja, MD, a specialist
in General Medicine, Rehabilitation
Medicine and
Physiatry, who also
has a practice
in sports
medicine.
Meenakshi
Kukreja, MD
The nursing staff at the Wound
Center includes Bridgette Kramer,
RN, CWCN; Liberty Nii-Moi, RN,
WCC, CDT; and Kimberly S. Oliver,
RN, BSN, CWCN, all of whom are
Certified Wound Care Nurses.
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Hyperbaric Technicians Lillian
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At the Wound Center, doctors,
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FALL 2008 13

effective, state-of-the-art techniques for
wound care and healing,” Ms. Harley
explained. ”The vast majority of patients
leave the Wound Care Center completely
healed and able to return to normal
activities within a short period of time.”
Formerly director of public relations for a
large New Jersey hospital, Mel Elberger
is currently a communications consultant
and freelance writer. He earned a Ph.D. in
communications. In addition to health and
medicine, he works on writing assignments
for clients in a wide range of fields.
To contact the Center for Wound Healing and Hyperbaric
Medicine at Trinitas, call (908) 994-5480 or visit the Center's
website at www.woundhealingcenter.org.
Diversified Clinical Services, the nation’s largest wound care
management provider, partners with Trinitas and nearly 300
other hospitals across the country to provide wound healing
and hyperbaric medicine for non-healing wounds.
Morteza Khaladj, DPM, meticulously
examines a foot wound at the Center.
FINDING WOUND HEALING ON THE WEB
“Set it up then tear it down” has been
the motto of stagehand Justin Zizes, Jr.
throughout his 35-year career. Justin
is a second-generation stagehand in
Local 1 of the stagehands union in
New York City. He has set up the stage
in Madison Square Garden for the
Rolling Stones, in Yankee Stadium for
the Pope, and many others.
“It’s a physically demanding job and
I sometimes work 28 hours straight
without sleep,” Justin stated. He has
been lifting heavy equipment including
speakers, stage props, and lighting
systems with crews of other men for
three and a half decades. No plush
surroundings for Justin; instead, he is
always walking on hard concrete and
sometimes walking on steel.
The heavy lifting and walking on hard
surfaces has taken its toll on Justin
who stands 6’8” tall and weighs 260
pounds. Three years ago, he developed
a pressure ulcer on his left foot.
A resident of Midtown Manhattan, he
first visited a physician and podiatrist
in New York City but his pressure ulcer
did not significantly improve.
This past summer he decided to do
research on the web to find better
treatment options. He clicked on
14 HEALTHYEDGE
care2.com, a medical website, and
found the Center for Wound Healing
and Hyperbaric Medicine at Trinitas
Hospital. He also found out about a
treatment called Hyperbaric Oxygen
Therapy. He made his first appointment
at the Wound Center in early August.
Justin saw Jacques G. Losman, MD,
a physician at the Wound Center. “We
studied oxygen in the tissues surrounding
his pressure ulcer and found levels
to be severely reduced,” Dr. Losman
said. “We also found Methicillin
Resistant Staphylococcus aureus
(MRSA) in his blood and administered
IV antibiotics. MRSA is a type
of bacteria that is resistant to certain
antibiotics. To oxygenate and heal the
wound, we recommended Hyperbaric
Oxygen Therapy.”
“When he first came to the Wound
Center, his foot was inflamed,” Dr.
Losman continued. “Now, the inflammation
has been considerably reduced,
and the ulcer has been healing well.”
Justin is encouraged by his progress.
“With every treatment, I feel my condition
getting better and better,” Justin
said. “The Wound Center is doing a
great job healing a tough wound. I’m
Dr. Jacques Losman and Justin Zizes
used to working many hours a week
and I look forward to getting back to
my active lifestyle, setting up stages for
shows again.”
And, as a Manhattanite, what’s Justin’s
take on the Center for Wound Healing
and Hyperbaric Medicine “Dr.
Losman is a warm and colorful doctor.
The nurses and technologists always
do all they can to make me feel comfortable,
and it’s not hard to get to
Elizabeth from Manhattan,” Justin
said. “To treat my pressure ulcer successfully,
it was the information highway
on the Internet that finally led me
to the right place for my wound care.”

The Economics of Good Health
INVESTING IN GOOD HEALTH MAKES
GOOD CORPORATE SENSE by Rena Sandberg
In the seemingly endless battle
against escalating health care costs,
employers can help cut their costs and
turnover rates while also reducing
healthcare claims. The tactic is simple:
help employees to stay healthy
through preventive programs and
better health management.
It is not uncommon today for
employees go to work when they do
not feel well. When a company offers a
mediocre health plan, illnesses are poorly
managed and force the employees to
continue to work with little productivity.
By doing so, their work slowdown can
cost their company more in lost productivity
than what employers dish out for
sick days and other medical benefits. In
fact, decreased on-the-job effectiveness
caused by illness, called “presenteeism,”
is said to account for approximately
60 percent of employer health
costs. Preventive services such as weight
management programs and smoking
cessation seminars can help reduce
these costs by suppressing the rise of
cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension
and other chronic illnesses.
In the 1950s and 1960s, employees
constantly demanded higher wages. In
an effort to reduce total compensation
companies offered medical benefits –
which were relatively inexpensive at
the time – instead. Today, benefits cost
companies about 30.2 percent as a
percentage of total compensation. In
2006, the gross total that both public
and private employers spent on major
employee benefit programs was
approximately $2.33 trillion – almost
50 percent more than what was spent
just as recently as 2000.
Health Care Costs Solution:
Clinical Preventive Services
What exactly are clinical preventive
services These services can directly
prevent disease such as flu vaccinations
or can detect diseases such as cancer
or cardiovascular disease in their early
stages. The goal of clinical preventive
services is to help people embrace
healthy lifestyles. In addition, these
services help to reduce a company’s
absentee rates, cut healthcare claims,
and lessen their employee replacement
costs.
Dr. Robert Beswick, Medical
Director of Occupational Health at
Trinitas Hospital, has observed first
hand the value of flu vaccinations in
the workplace and programs devoted
to smoking cessation.
“Not only is being immunized
against influenza effective for the
individual but it is also beneficial
to surrounding coworkers,” notes
Dr. Beswick. “The more people who
are immunized, the lesser the degree
of transmission of disease throughout
the general population. Similarly, since
second hand smoke has been linked
to exacerbating asthma and other respiratory
diseases, stopping smoking is
particularly useful not only to the individual,
but for those in the smoker’s
work environment as well as at home.”
Decreased Absenteeism,
Less Expensive
Healthcare Claims
Clinical Preventive Services and
Wellness Programs can save a corporation
thousands – sometimes millions –
of dollars that might otherwise be
spent on temporary help or down time
due to the sickness of their employees.
Employees who are healthy report fewer
sick days, experience less accidents, and
generally have a higher morale.
Nancy DiLiegro, PhD, FACHE,
Vice President of Clinical Services at
Trinitas Hospital, agrees. “As a result
of such programs designed to keep
their employees healthy and fit, a
company should experience less sick
calls,” she says.
Health insurance companies predict
the medical expenses for a company’s
employees by using historical data and
analysis. They charge premiums based
on the amount of claims they have
paid in the past as well as the expected
cost of future claims. The cost surges
when the insurer pays more in claims
than they collect in premiums, especially
when the cost of future services
are predicted to inflate.
Today, the average annual premium
cost for single coverage greatly surpasses
$3,500. What’s disturbing is that
preventable illnesses make up 70%
or more of the total costs of illness.
By implementing wellness programs
and/or preventable services, a company
can significantly reduce these costs.
Reduced Employee Turnover
Rate, Shifting Costs
It might be a cliché, but it’s undeniably
true: a healthy employee is a
happy employee. Those who are in
good health tend to have higher
morale and manage their stress levels
better than sickly, unhappy employees.
Jim Dunleavy, Administrative
Director of Rehabilitation Services at
Continued on page 16
FALL 2008 15

Trinitas Hospital, adds, “The productivity
of those on the job is also improved
with a healthy, fit workforce.” The end
result: Happier, more productive workers,
and less turnover rates for the
company.
Many corporations frown at the
idea of investing in their employees’
wellness because medical costs very
often drain half of corporate profits.
Instead, they look to shift costs and
cut benefits.
Glenn Nacion, Vice President of
Human Resources at Trinitas Hospital,
says it is unfortunate that many
employers fall into this common trap.
“Such employers simply look at
their quarterly profits as opposed to a
long-term investment in which they
will be able to reap longer term benefits.
Health care is an investment worth
making,” he says. It is evident in
numerous studies that advocating
worksite wellness provides ample
dividends in the long run through
healthier employees and significantly
reduced health care costs.
Trinitas: A Step Ahead
Trinitas Hospital is aware that its
health-care costs are greatly affected
by the lifestyle-related behaviors of its
employees and is therefore committed
to their health and wellbeing.
A complementary series of health
seminars, lectures and programs
designed to encourage employees to
adopt healthier lifestyles is offered each
month at the hospital. In addition,
Trinitas recently became the first organization
in Union County to become
part of the Start! Walking workplace fitness
program of the American Heart
Association. More than 350 employees
participated in the eight-week program
during which free pedometers helped
participants keep track of their goals.
This walking program brought Trinitas
an award from the American Heart
Association as the first organization in
Union County to become a GOLD
START! Fit Friendly Company.
“We have recognized the importance
of a having a healthy workplace,”
said Dr. DiLiegro, adding, “The walking
program promoted a wellness culture
by providing support to employees and
TRINITAS TAKES GOOD HEALTH
SERIOUSLY
A Health and Wellness “umbrella” at Trinitas encourages a learning culture that improves
the health status of everyone it touches. The mission is reflected through a wide variety of
education, training, screenings and hands-on activities.
New employees receive a valuable health benefit before they even begin their careers at
Trinitas in the form of a wide-ranging pre-employment physical. The physical is very comprehensive
and, as a result, many health-related issues have been discovered, including
diabetes, hypertension, lung cancer, vision problems, hernias and thyroid disease.
The Trinitas Hospital Fitness Center is a full service facility that serves the general community
and the employee population. The Center offers locker/shower rooms, full cardio programs
including treadmills, steppers, elliptical machines, recumbent and upright bicycles,
weight equipment including resistance machines and free weights, yoga and step classes,
and physical and occupational therapy. Expert staff members provide individualized exercise
plans for every client. Shown here going through his usual 45-minute three-day-aweek
workout is Department of Behavioral Health & Psychiatry employee Brian Nandy,
Director of the Youth Enrichment Services porgram at Elizabeth High School. The Center’s
staff also works closely with the hospital’s Cardiac Rehabilitation Department and outpatient
Physical and Occupational Therapy Departments to transition patients to a healthier
lifestyle. Moreover, the Center offers referrals to such services as nutritional and smoking
cessation programs.
In a closely related development, Trinitas became one of the first hospitals in the region to
offer a 100 percent no-added trans fat menu for staff and patients. Heart-healthy cooking
demonstrations are offered regularly, and low-fat recipes are posted in the hospital and on
the website. These programs are offered in addition to regular training in CPR, first aid
and workplace safety issues.
16 HEALTHYEDGE

implemented physical, nutritional and
cultural changes,” she added. Trinitas
continues to promote a healthy workplace
by giving employees a significantly
discounted rate at the hospital’s fitness
center, offering a 100 percent no-added
trans fat menu for the staff and
patients, giving heart-healthy cooking
demonstrations on a regular basis, and
posting low-fat recipes throughout the
hospital and on the hospital’s website.
The hospital’s exemplary efforts were
recognized at the annual NJBIZ
Healthcare Heroes event at which
Trinitas was honored as the 2008
Corporate Achievement Hero among a
field of five prestigious nominees.
Trinitas is also committed to its new
designation as a smoke-free facility.
Joining 22 other hospitals throughout
the state, Trinitas has designated itself as
a Smoke-Free facility, advocating smoking
cessation at its various locations.
“Trinitas opting to go ‘smoke free’
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Español
fits in with nationwide changes since
our society is working toward creating
more and more smoke-free environments,”
notes Dr. DiLiegro. “We fully
understand the difficulties that smokers
face when trying to kick the habit.
We intend to work closely with our
employees while also educating the
public and those who visit the hospital
or who conduct business here.”
As the smoke-free campus campaign
unfolds in November, the hospital plans
education programs and smoking cessation
support activities for employees
and visitors alike.
Programs such as this make it abundantly
clear that such long-term investments
will help to create a healthier
workforce since these programs spell
good health not only at the workplace
but at home. Investing in preventive care
is critical for businesses’ profitability, their
employees and future generations.
BIG BUSINESS
BELIEVES IN
BETTER HEALTH
One of New Jersey’s major employers,
Public Service Electric & Gas
(PSE&G), understands the value of
its employees’ health. The company
often provides a variety of services
and programs with an emphasis on
preventive healthcare.
PSE&G requested the participation
of Trinitas Cancer Center’s physicians
at two lectures on the topic of
men’s prostate health and cancer
prevention. Board Certified Urologist
Brett Opell, MD delivered remarks
to a capacity audience on ways to
prevent prostate cancer and the
importance of routine screenings for
the disease. Dr. Clarissa Henson,
Chief of Radiation Oncology at
Trinitas Comprehensive Cancer
Center, also presented information
on the current treatment options for
prostate cancer.
The success of these presentations
has encouraged PSE&G to schedule
additional lectures including a
women’s health forum, again in
partnership with Trinitas.
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Ariela Finkiel, Director of Program
Planning and Development at
Trinitas Comprehensive Cancer
Center, explains that when employers
invest the time to offer preventive
health information, it benefits their
employees in two significant ways.
“First, it helps employees become
more aware, knowledgeable and
proactive about their own health.
Secondly, and more importantly,
with proactive and preventive efforts,
the men and women who work for
the organization will almost always
benefit from early detection of not
only cancer but other serious diseases
and conditions.”
FALL 2008 17

LIFE-SAVING PREVENTIVE SERVICES
Preventable illnesses and diseases are major reasons why companies are burdened with additional costs. Sick days, short-term
disability and “presentee-ism” all contribute to cause high turnover rates, replacement costs and life insurance benefits.
Jim Dunleavy, Administrative Director of Rehabilitation Services at Trinitas Hospital, says, “The sources of major healthcare
costs to employers today are those health factors that can be managed or eliminated through regular exercise and good nutrition.”
Investing in clinical preventive services, such as screening procedures, seminars, counseling, etc., is a reliable method to
help employees feel positive about being fit. Moreover, these preventive measures can help employers get the biggest bang for
their buck in their investment in health care.
Programs such as these below, when implemented properly, have proven to be highly effective in maintaining a healthy
workforce and cutting costs.
TOBACCO CESSATION
What it is: A tobacco cessation treatment
package would include screening,
counseling and medication to help a
user quit smoking.
Why it’s important: Tobacco cessation
can help lower the rate of heart
disease – the number one cause of
death in the United States. Tobacco
users are at double the risk than nonusers
for heart disease as well as other
conditions such as stroke and lung
cancer.
How much it could save: A cessation
treatment package offered to smokers
nationwide could result in an annual
net medical savings of $3 billion.
Glenn Nacion, Vice President of Human
Resources, adds that companies will
also witness increased productivity,
simply by employees taking less
“cigarette breaks.”
COLORECTAL CANCER
SCREENING
What it is: A Fecal Occult Blood Test,
sigmoidoscopy, or colonoscopy, would
be performed to detect colorectal
cancer.
Why it’s important: Colorectal cancer
is the second-leading cancer killer
nationwide. If colorectal screening was
implemented throughout the United
States and people ages 50 and older
regularly used this service, over 18,000
deaths could be prevented annually.
How much it could save: It is estimated
that the annual expenditure for
colorectal cancer treatment averages
about $6 billion. The cost of getting
screened is significantly less than the
cost of treating the cancer.
DIABETES AWARENESS
PROGRAMS
What it is: Conducting diabetes
awareness seminars or offering screening
procedures such as the Fasting
Plasma Glucose Test (FPG) can encourage
employees to get tested.
Why it’s important: The rapid
increase in obesity is causing a spike
in the Type 2 diabetes population.
Early detection can help those with
the disease avoid serious complications
such as chronic hyperglycemia, stroke,
or coronary heart disease.
How much it could save: Practically
$1 of every $5 allocated for health care
costs is for a person with diabetes. In
2007, it was estimated that $116 billion
were spent on direct medical costs for
those with diabetes.
ALCOHOL DEPENDENCE
PREVENTION
What it is: A confidential alcohol
screening for all employees takes place
once a year or a concise intervention
program is implemented for those who
are not yet dependent on alcohol.
Why it’s important: Employees who
have an alcohol-abuse problem have
high absenteeism rates and tend to
have almost double the health care
costs than those who do not abuse
alcohol.
How much it could save: Alcohol
abuse costs businesses in the United
States approximately $134 billion
annually in productivity losses.
Rena Sandberg is a regular
contributor to HealthyEdge. She has
written stories on innovative surgical
procedures as well as articles about
exercise, nutrition and fitness, time
management, and the benefits of
Feng Shui decorating principles
at home and at work.
18 HEALTHYEDGE

Urological Surgeries Provide Welcome
Relief for Patients by Rena Sandberg
Saginaw, Michigan resident, Beverly
Whitaker, was determined to live a normal
life — something she was unable to
do since her suffering with incontinence
began more than a year ago. Admitted
to the hospital with a mild stroke, 66-
year-old Beverly suddenly began to
experience urge incontinence and overactive
bladder – a condition in which
persistent, powerful urges to urinate
cause the bladder to empty involuntarily.
As time progressed, her condition
worsened. She became alienated from
every-day social activities due to the
severity of her condition. “I’m not a
person who easily gets depressed,” she
said, “but this really depressed me.”
Eager to Learn Options
Just when she thought there was no
hope, Beverly spotted a newspaper
article describing the success of Dr.
Labib E. Riachi, specialist in advanced
pelvic surgery and female urinary
incontinence at Trinitas Hospital, in
treating a 97-year-old Elizabeth, New
Jersey, woman with incontinence.
Without hesitation, she travelled more
than 600 miles by car to New Jersey to
meet with Dr. Riachi.
Not only did Beverly insist on getting
treatment immediately following
her 10-minute consultation, but she
requested surgery that was intended for
a completely different urinary disorder.
“This sent me a chilling message
that the patient in front of me was not
properly educated about her condition,”
said Dr. Riachi. “Incontinence is a
broad spectrum of entities and can
present many symptoms, each of which
needs to be considered and evaluated
for the most appropriate treatment.
Not everyone fits all the criteria.”
As Dr. Riachi explains, while some
patients suffer from overactive bladder,
some experience stress incontinence or
even “mixed” types of the condition.
Beverly’s disorder required a procedure
called InterStim ® Therapy – a minimallyinvasive
procedure that is designed
specifically to subdue the erratic contraction
of the bladder. This two-stage
outpatient operation first requires a test
implant which allows the patient to
determine the effectiveness of the system.
“A soft wire is placed near the tailbone
and is attached to a small, portable
device,” explains Dr. Riachi. Stimulation
is then applied to the sacral nerve and
the device is carefully tuned to a voltage
specific to the patient’s needs.
Ready to Live Life
to the Fullest
Within a few hours after the first
round of surgery, Beverly happily
reported a significant change. “I didn’t
have the urge to go to the restroom
for almost two hours!” she exclaimed.
Following the temporary implant,
each patient returns home to see how
she does with the temporary system,
leaving her to decide if she is the right
candidate for the permanent implant.
If the patient experiences a significant
decline in problematic symptoms, she
returns approximately one week later
for the second procedure which is also
performed on an outpatient basis.
Beverly Whitaker, offered a video testimonial
about her successful treatment
under the care of Dr. Labib Riachi prior
to returning to normal life back in
Saginaw, Michigan.
Beverly no longer lives as a prisoner
in her home, frightened about having
an accident at any given moment.
When asked what she planned to do
with her new-found sense of freedom,
she replied, “I’m going to play blackjack
in a casino!”
At 90, Looking for Relief
Two weeks shy of her 90th birthday,
Evelyn Deligdish of Englishtown,
New Jersey, underwent the TVM (Total
Vaginal Mesh Plasty) procedure — a
complete reconstruction of the vagina
that treats vaginal and bladder prolapse
— as well as the minimally-invasive
Gynecare TVT-Obturator procedure
(TVT-O) that cures female urinary
incontinence. Evelyn is one of the 13
million women in the United States
who live with urinary incontinence —
a condition that results in an inability
to hold urine. Although incontinence is
typically associated with aging, it can
Continued on page 20
FALL 2008 19

A New Smile…
A New You!
IMPLANTS &
COSMETIC DENTISTRY
Personal encounters
Start With a Smile…
Sometimes Nature
Needs A Little Help
• Implant Placement/Resortation
• Invisalign
• Veneers
• Periodontics - Orthodontics
• Bonding
• Crowns/Re-Construction
All Phases of General Dentistry
Nitrous Oxide Analgesic
EMERGENCY SERVICE AVAILABLE
Center of
DENTAL SERVICES
Dr. Richard J. Lukenda
Dr. Richard L. Sufficool
Dr. Richard Lukenda
Insurance Claims Processed
Convenient Financial Arrangements
FOR APPOINTMENT & CONSULTATION
908-925-8110
www.centerofdentalservices.com
Se Habla Español
My Mowimy Po Posku
Fala Se Portuguese
924 NORTH WOOD AVE.
L I N D E N
be a problem for women of all ages —
especially those who have experienced
childbirth.
The innovative TVM procedure that
Evelyn underwent at Trinitas Hospital
involves only several incisions, is treated
under regional anesthesia, and has
the added benefit of discharge from
the hospital within 24 hours following
the procedure.
Often the result of childbirth,
menopause, or a genetic predisposition,
vaginal prolapse is defined as the
weakening of the supporting structures
of the uterus, pelvic floor and vagina.
Bladder prolapse, common in older
women who have given birth to multiple
children, is found among
menopausal women who have discovered
that their bladder has “fallen.”
The cutting-edge TVT-O (Tension-free
Vaginal Tape) surgery that Dr. Riachi
performed on Evelyn offers hope to
women who suffer from urinary incontinence.
Surgeries Lead to Better
Quality of Life
As one of the first in the nation to
perform the TVM and TVT-O surgery,
Dr. Riachi has successfully performed
these surgeries on an ever-increasing
number of women and dramatically
improved their quality of life. Having
studied with pioneering physicians in
France and Belgium, Dr. Riachi has
gained the knowledge and expertise
to instruct more than 300 physicians
throughout the nation on a number of
urogynecological surgeries. In addition,
Dr. Riachi has conducted lectures in a
variety of cutting-edge techniques that
treat overactive bladder, urinary incontinence
and prolapse.
TVT-O surgery involves placement of
Hours: Monday - Saturday & Evenings
20 HEALTHYEDGE

Dr. Riachi listens to a concern expressed by an interested attendee at an informational
seminar he recently conducted in Westfield.
a meshlike tape to keep the urethra in
its original position. Performed in 10
minutes, this procedure is done under
local anesthesia which results in minimal
pain and discomfort for the patient.
After reading an article in the newspaper
about Dr. Riachi, Evelyn decided
it was time to put an end to her suffering
and have the surgery performed. A
mere two weeks after the surgeries, her
condition has drastically improved. “I
feel so much better now,” Evelyn
reports. Dr. Riachi’s proficiency, compassion
and meticulousness left a lasting
impression on Evelyn. “I admire
how professional he is,” she said without
hesitation. “My experience with
him was wonderful.”
At the age of 90, Evelyn feels a
renewed vitality and energy. She is
grateful that the procedure has given her
the freedom to enjoy her 65th wedding
anniversary with her husband, Irving.
Dr. Riachi is pleased that steps are
being made to help women who suffer
from overactive bladder and incontinence.
“These conditions have hindered
many women from fully and
actively going on with their daily lives.
They are prevented from comfortably
doing their jobs and, very often, these
conditions have a negative impact on
their intimate relationships as well.
We’re glad that we’re helping to make
a positive change in their lives.”
#1 in performing
anti-incontinence and prolapse surgery
Enjoy life with no embarrassment,
and social unease.
www. RiachiSurgery.com
FALL 2008 21

Community Calendar
Seminars (Offered Free to Our Community)
All seminars take place in the Physicians Conference Room,
210 Williamson Street, Elizabeth, except where noted.
To register for any seminar, call (908) 994-5138 or register online
at www.TrinitasHospital.org.
November 13, 2008
11:30 am – 1:00 pm
“Boosting Positive Teen Potential:
The Youth Enrichment Services
(YES) Program”
Brian Nandy, MA, LPC
Department of Behavioral
Health & Psychiatry
November 18, 2008
11:30 am – 1:00 pm
“Losing Precious Sleep:
Why Can’t I Fall Asleep”
Saira Ahmed, MD
Sleep Disorders Center
November 19, 2008
11:30 am – 1:00 pm
“Diabetes 101: What You Need to
Know”
Kathy McCarthy, RN
Diabetes Educator,
Diabetes Management Center
December 19, 2008
11:30 am - 1:00 pm
“Advance Care Planning:
Your Decision Counts”
Sr. Mary Corrigan, Director of
Pastoral Care, Trinitas Hospital
Professional Training Opportunities
Programs for healthcare providers
and first responders.
CPR; ACLS & PALS (Advanced
Cardiovascular Life Support) &
(Pediatric Advanced Life Support);
Defibrillator Training; EMT Basic
Training and Renewals; PHTLS; Incident
Command System; Advanced Medical
Life Support
Trinitas Hospital Institute of Healthcare
& Community Education
425 Morris Avenue, Elizabeth, NJ
For further information,
call (908) 527-5222, ext. 12
Check out
www.TrinitasHospital.org
for more information…
Special Events
Sunday, December 14
An Afternoon With A Star
NJ PAC, 3:00 pm
Featuring internationally renowned
recording artist Gloria Gaynor
For information on orchestra tickets or a
“Meet and Greet,” call (908) 994-8249.
May 7, 2009
Trinitas Health Foundation
Gala Dinner Dance
The Birchwood Manor
111 North Jefferson Road
Whippany, NJ 07981
6:00pm Cocktails
7:30pm Dinner & Awards
Proceeds benefit the patients
of Trinitas Hospital. For reservations
for this event, call Laura Ciraco,
(908) 994-8249 or lciraco@trinitas.org
Special Programs
(Offered Free to Our Community)
Look Good, Feel Better
Thanks to a partnership of the American
Cancer Society (ACS), the National
Cosmetology Association, and the
Cosmetic, Toiletry & Fragrance Association
(CTFA) Foundation, Trinitas offers patients
at its Comprehensive Cancer Center personal
beauty tips and techniques that they
can use everyday.
Location and date to be announced
Call Amparo Aguirre at (908) 994-8244
for information and to register.
Made For Me Boutique
November 6, December 4
Appointments only.
Call Amparo Aguirre at (908) 994-8244
Official N.J. State Inspection
Computerized Wheel Alignment
Check Engine Light Diagnostic
Tune-Ups / Shocks / Brakes / Mufflers / Wheel Balance / Axles
FLEET SERVICE SPECIALIST
615 E. Jersey St., Elizabeth, NJ 908-351-7175
“Where Your Car Wants To Go”
Servicing the Elizabeth Community for Over 20 Years
Managing Your Medications:
“Ask the Pharmacist”
Offered the fourth Tuesday of every month,
except December.
October 28, November 25,
January 27, 2009
11:30 am - 1:00 pm
Free of charge, by appointment only.
Call (908) 994-5984.
22 HEALTHYEDGE

All speakers, dates, times and locations were current as of press time. Readers are encouraged to call in advance if they wish
to confirm any information published here about seminars, special events, classes, support groups or special programs.
Support Groups (Offered Free to Our Community)
Alzheimer’s Support Group
First Wednesday of every month
Nov. 5, Dec. 3, Jan. 7, 2009
7:00 pm – 8:30 pm
Family Resource Center
300 North Avenue, Cranford, NJ
Open to anyone caring for a person
who suffers from Alzheimer Disease.
(201) 707-5154
Breast Cancer Support Group
Meets third Monday of every month.
Nov. 17, Dec. 15, Jan.19, 2009
11:00 am – 12:30 pm
Conference Room A
Trinitas Comprehensive Cancer Center
225 Williamson Street, Elizabeth
Open to patients, families, friends
and loved ones. Please RSVP in
English to Donna Filocamo, LCSW,
at (908) 994-8730; in Spanish to
Griselda Hildago, (908) 994-8535.
Trinitas Hospital
Auxiliary
Continuing its tradition of volunteerism,
community health education and
commitment to the mission of Trinitas
Hospital, the Auxiliary of Trinitas
Hospital is a committed group of
volunteers who dedicate their time
and energy to a variety of events and
programs. The Auxiliary fosters interest
among its members and throughout
the community in the work of Trinitas
Hospital, provides and encourages
volunteer service for and in the
hospital, and sponsors and conducts
fundraising activities for the benefit
of the hospital. The Auxiliary also
offers educational programs on healthrelated
subjects for the community.
For more information about how
the activities of the Auxiliary benefit
Trinitas Hospital, call the Auxiliary
at (908) 994-8988
Breast Feeding Support Group
Friday mornings
10:00 am - 11:30 am
WIC Center
1124 East Jersey Street,
corner of Jefferson, Elizabeth
Cardiac Support Group
(Open to cardiac patients only)
October 16
5:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Physicians Conference Room
210 Williamson Street, Elizabeth
Call Ann Marie Scanlon, RN at
(908) 994-5082 to register.
Coping With Cancer
Support Group
Meets second Tuesday of every month
Nov. 11, Dec. 9, Jan. 13, 2009
2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Conference Room A
Trinitas Comprehensive Cancer Center
225 Williamson Street, Elizabeth
Speakers address cancer-related topics.
Sleep Disorders CPAP
Support Group
Quarterly meetings held on last
Wednesday of the month
January 28, 2009
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Physicians Conference Room
210 Williamson Street, Elizabeth
Call (908) 994-8694 to register.
Classes
Breast Feeding Classes
Every Tuesday
October 21, 28
November 4, 11, 18, 25
December 2, 9, 16, 23, 30
1:30 pm - 2:30 pm
WIC Center
1124 East Jersey Street,
corner of Jefferson, Elizabeth
Breast Feeding Information:
(908) 994-5142
Childhood Obesity Prevention
Second Friday of each month
Nov. 14, Dec. 12, Jan. 9, 2009
2:00 pm
WIC Center
1124 East Jersey Street,
corner of Jefferson, Elizabeth
Instructor: Rosa Tamayo, MPA, RD
Call (908) 994-5219 to register
Nutrition Education Program
for Expectant Mothers
WIC Center
1124 East Jersey Street,
corner of Jefferson, Elizabeth
Call Claudia Lopez, (908) 994-5142,
for dates and registration
Baby Shower for
Expectant Mothers
WIC Center
1124 East Jersey Street,
corner of Jefferson, Elizabeth
Sessions about Prenatal Nutrition
will be provided.
Call Claudia Lopez, (908) 994-5142,
for dates and registration
PAUL J.P. BOLANOWSKI, MD
JUSTIN SAMBOL, MD
Constantino Lovoulos, MD
PRACTICE LIMITED TO CARDIOTHORACIC SURGERY
With Staff Privileges at Trinitas Hospital and University Hospital
219 South Broad Street, Elizabeth, NJ
908-352-8110
FALL 2008 23

Sleepless No More!
By Kathryn Salamone
Within a few weeks after I started
using the CPAP machine at the beginning
of this year, I began to feel an
overwhelming improvement in my
overall wellbeing. I definitely experienced
a period of adjustment with the
CPAP machine. To sleep with a mask
covering your nose takes a bit of getting
used to. But, the relief that the
continuous flow of air provides is undeniable.
Allow me to explain.
After I was diagnosed with sleep
apnea, the CPAP machine was calibrated
to deliver the most effective level
of oxygen for my breathing needs
throughout the night. The mask is
connected to a hose that draws from
a reservoir of humidified water positioned
at bedside. The hose is long
enough to provide ample comfort as I
turn around or move while sleeping.
24 HEALTHYEDGE
The CPAP machine offered benefits
almost immediately. I found that I drifted
off to sleep within about 20
minutes each night. That was
fairly normal for me. But, the real
benefit was that my sleep was now
uninterrupted by snoring, gasping, or
other apnea episodes during which I
had previously stopped breathing.
Refreshed
and Renewed
Suddenly, I began to wake up each
morning feeling refreshed and
renewed. I began to recall dreaming
which meant that I was experiencing
the deepest levels of sleep. One of the
symptoms of sleep apnea is that the
person who suffers from the disorder
is frequently awakened and seldom
achieves REM (rapid eye movement)
sleep which is so critical to positive
sleep health. The period between
dreaming and wakefulness became
moments I could appreciate as I eased
into the new day.
As a step to becoming more physically fit, I take Qi Gong (pronounced chee gong)
classes at a wellness center near my home. Trainer Joanne Galinak provides direction
in the series of movements used in Tai Chi and yoga that help with focus,
strength and balance.
Editor’s Note: In the Winter issue of
HealthyEdge, I published my personal
experience as someone plagued by sleeplessness
for many years. The article, Memoirs of
a “Sleep-less” Beauty, chronicled my six week
exploration of sleep disorders, my experiences
with two sleep studies conducted at Trinitas
Sleep Disorders Center, and the beginning of
my treatment for sleep apnea with a CPAP
(Continuous Positive Airway Pressure)
machine in late December 2007.
Nine months later, here is the
continuation of my story.
Another immediate result of using
the CPAP machine was the relief I felt
from heartburn and a persistent cough.
Through my research, I had learned
that people with sleep apnea could
experience severe burning in their
esophagus, much like indigestion, and
a nagging shallow cough. I no longer
awakened with a burning sensation
and my annoying cough ceased to
bother me. To be relived of these
symptoms was a God-send.
Yet, there was more.
Facing my hour-long commute
became much more manageable for
me. Prior to being outfitted with the
CPAP machine, there were many mornings
when I had to pull off the road to
catch a “cat nap.” My evening commute
tended to be even more difficult.
Not only was I tired from prolonged
periods of unproductive sleep, but I
was also coping with the fatigue of
the day. Dealing with the stress of
traveling expressways in North Jersey
was compounded by the sleep deficits
I experienced. With better sleep,
driving did not pose the worry and
potential hazards it once did.
Say Goodbye to
“power naps”
I no longer began to feel extreme
fatigue at mid afternoon. Enjoying
more productive sleep translated into
sustained energy levels throughout

the day. I also no longer needed to
take a “power nap” when I got home
from the office just to get a “second
wind” to make it through the evening
at home.
Physically, I feel more energetic.
Because of the level of fatigue I experienced
on a consistent basis, I never
worked a serious exercise plan into my
weekly routine. Since I’m the kind of
person who needs motivation to exercise,
I need to carve out time for a formal
fitness/exercise program. That was
my goal earlier this year which I have
yet to reach. Before the end of this
year I plan to make a commitment to
better cardio health.
Improved sleep helped when family
commitments and events presented
themselves earlier this year. My son’s
senior year of high school brought with
it final college road trips as well as all
the special events later in the school
year. Preparing for and hosting a graduation
party for family and friends was
not the energy-robbing event it might
have been before.
Keeping up with
an Active Household
When my 21 year-old-son returned
to live at home this summer before his
senior year of college, two of my three
children were home again. Not a completely
full nest, but certainly an active
one! I was less stressed by the comings
and goings of young people at
our home and genuinely enjoyed having
both boys home. A visit with my
23 year-old daughter in New England
in September — the five-hour one-way
drive to northern Massachusetts was
always grueling — was a recent chance
for us to reconnect. My improved sleep
health was also a big contributor to my
enjoyment of a two-week trip with my
husband this summer.
Getting better sleep improved my
overall mood and helped my clarity of
thought. Although I must admit that at
age 58 I am beginning to experience
“senior moments” more frequently
than I would like, I believe that I my
thought processes are still firing up
pretty well!
Continued on page 26
A full agenda of stops in Alaska and California this summer included a visit to Big
Basin National Park where my husband and I were surrounded by giant redwoods.
With my CPAP machine as an essential part of my luggage, I was well rested and
able to enjoy the 12-day itinerary.
FALL 2008 25

Feeling better rested has helped me
to enjoy my personal and professional
life to a greater degree. But, more
importantly, it has helped solve the
problem of persistent health issues.
Although I once thought I was doomed
to a lifetime of coping with continuous
fatigue and chronic health issues, I can
now happily report that sleep issues are
no longer anything for me (or my
spouse!) to lose sleep over!
Harvey Fruchter
Jared Weiss
Fruchter & Associates, LLC
Lawyers working for you.
We Make Hospital and Home Visits
Specializing in Tickets • Accidents • Wills
726 Boulevard, Kenilworth, NJ 07033p 908.241.2626
MyNJlawyer@aol.com f 908.245.5800
To contact the Sleep Disorders Center at Trinitas, call (908) 994-8694 or
visit the Center's website at www.njsleepdisorderscenter.com.
PRECISE DOCUMENTATION FOR MEDICAL REVIEW
Thanks to data storage technology,
my use of the Continuous Positive
Airway Pressure (CPAP) machine was
recorded within the unit on a daily
basis. Vipin Garg, MD, Medical
Director of The Sleep Disorders
Center at Trinitas Hospital who had
reviewed all of the data obtained during
my initial diagnostic sleep studies,
informed me that the CPAP machine
functioned much like a “mini sleep
disorders center” since it collected
data each time I used the machine.
In preparation for my first follow-up
visit with Dr. Garg in March, I inserted
a memory card (like those used in
digital cameras) into a data copying
port on the CPAP unit. Within a matter
of seconds, information was
copied from the unit directly onto the
memory card. When I brought the
memory card to my appointment, Dr.
Garg was easily able to retrieve the
information that had been copied
from the unit. The card provided him
with daily compliance reports that verified
my use of the CPAP machine.
During our discussion, he displayed
the information on a monitor and
pointed out different aspects of the
data and what it meant. Dr. Garg
explained that data recorded in the
machine and saved on the memory
stick presented a view of numerous
26 HEALTHYEDGE
factors. For instance, it
showed the periods during
which I experienced
sleep, when there may
have been a leak from
the nasal covering, and
occasions when I
stopped breathing or
experienced shallow
breathing, despite use of
machine. The data provided
him with all the
details he needed to
continue to monitor my
entire case and verify
my compliance with the machine.
According to Dr. Garg, the data
obtained each night showed that I
was attaining 6 hours and 48 minutes
of productive, restorative sleep most
nights. Compliance with use more
than 4 hours was 97%, which meant
that the machine was highly effective.
During this office visit, he made a
minor adjustment in the calibration of
the CPAP, modified the level of humidification
the unit delivered, readjusted
the amount of time that it took the
machine to “ramp up” to deliver the
appropriate amount of humidified air
and also suggested a chin strap to
improve the security of mask placement
during sleep.
At a second follow-up appointment
with Dr.Garg in August, I mentioned
that I had been aware of some wakefulness
and restlessness during the
night. I explained that I had been
maintaining a regular bedtime hour
but had recently adjusted my wake-up
time to approximately 45 minutes
earlier than my previous routine. Dr.
Garg advised that I might be experiencing
some restlessness caused by
my body’s natural adjustment to that
earlier rising hour. He indicated that
my sleep was not being adversely
affected and that my body would
probably complete its natural adjustment
to the new schedule within a
short period of time.
My next appointment with Dr. Garg
to review my sleep patterns will be in
the spring.

Hospice: A Stop Along Life’s Journey
by Nancy Rager, RN, CLNC, WCC
Director of Clinical Services, Center for Hope
In ancient times, hospice was
defined as a place where weary travelers
stopped for shelter. It was a place
of refuge, a place of rest, as one
embarked on a difficult road.
Today’s definition of hospice isn’t
much different. Hospice supports
patients and their families during the
last stage of life. The journey home
doesn’t have to be the most difficult
journey one will make. With the assistance
of an interdisciplinary team
which includes nurses, doctors, home
health aides, social workers, spiritual
support team members and volunteers,
hospice brings a sense of comfort and
control to individuals and their families.
Although the “shelter” where one
receives hospice can vary — it may be
a private residence, nursing home,
hospital or a hospice center — hospice
is a compassionate partner in assisting
patients and their families as they face
the challenges associated with a life
limiting illness.
One of the greatest challenges that
healthcare professionals face is getting
patients to talk about hospice. The
topic of conversation is usually
addressed when the patient is already
in a medical crisis. This delay is one of
the reasons why referrals to hospice are
postponed and made later and later.
End-of–life discussions are difficult but
necessary.
For many, the acceptance of death
is a step closer to spiritual and emotional
well being. Early interaction with
the hospice team allows time to control
the patient’s pain and stabilize
symptoms as well as give the patient a
chance to say good-bye. Grief counseling
is offered to all family members
during the illness as well as for about a
year after the death. This brings peace
of mind to the patient as they know
their family will receive ongoing
bereavement support.
Financial worry may often be a
major burden for those facing terminal
illness. Many services may be covered
under Medicare, Medicaid, commercial
insurance, and many HMO’s.
Regardless of age, religion or race,
the care offered at Center for Hope
Hospice is provided based on the
patient’s need and not on his/her
ability to pay.
Even with the passage of time,
the original concept of hospice has
not changed. It still continues to be
life-affirming as it helps to prepare
patients and their families for dying as
a natural conclusion to life. Hospice
neither hastens nor postpones death;
instead, it improves the quality of life.
FALL 2008 27

Sisters of Charity Carve Distinctive
Niche in the Community By Rena Sandberg
Within the Catholic tradition,
women who are called to the religious
life have chosen to dedicate their lives
to God and His work. In giving up
marriage and children, Sisters redirect
their energies and love of God to populations
and efforts that today are
increasingly in need of their dedication
to the good news and good work of
the Church.
The lives of Sisters remained largely
unchanged for centuries. Women who
entered the religious life lived in convents
separated from the communities
they served. However, as a result of
the Vatican II ecumenical council of the
Roman Catholic Church in the 1960’s,
Sisters slowly became part of the world
around them. Soon, many sisters
become more integrated into the communities
where they lived and worked.
Today, Mother
Elizabeth Ann Seton’s
followers in the
Sisters of Charity
of St. Elizabeth
continue to
make countless
contributions
to the
improvement
of the lives of
those whom
they serve.
Here are
profiles of
several Sisters of
Charity who “proclaim
the good news”
by the power of their
example and their
commitment to others.
Sister
Judith Mertz
Thanks to its connection with one of
the prominent religious orders in our
area, Trinitas Hospital is fortunate to
have among its family of employees
members of the Sisters of Charity of
St. Elizabeth. Since 1859 when Elizabeth
Ann Seton founded the United States
branch of the Sisters of Charity based in
Madison, New Jersey, the religious order
has made a profound impact on those it
has served. Although she was not
Catholic by birth and was a widow with
children, Elizabeth Seton realized after
the death of her Catholic husband that,
as a convert to Catholicism, she was
called to a different life, a new commitment.
She brought together other
women who believed that they, too,
could make a difference in the world, to
bring healing to the sick and learning to
the uneducated.
28 HEALTHYEDGE
Sister Judith Mertz
Soon after completing high school,
Judith Mertz chose to make a lifelong
commitment to God and the Sisters of
Charity. After many years as a teacher
and an administrator, and later working
with the disabled, “Sr. Judy” took
another path along the road of service.
As a result of her experience with
immigrants, Sister Judy realized that
there was more work to be done. She
set out to create a haven for women
who as new émigrés deal not only with
language difficulties but also with the
adjustments necessary to become
accustomed to their new home and
new society.
With the support and encourage
ment of the Sisters of Charity, Sr. Judy
opened the doors of Josephine’s Place
in October 2003. A peaceful place
where women can spend time and feel
safe, this welcome refuge located on
Elizabeth Avenue in Elizabeth offers
classes in sewing, crocheting and knitting,
English as a Second Language,
tai-chi and yoga, and a number of
other grounding programs for women
who need a helping hand.
“For women in Elizabeth,
Josephine’s Place serves as a center
where they can get information about
social service agencies and elsewhere
where they can have their needs met,”
explains Sr. Judy. “Many may be separated
from their extended families, so
we provide a ‘safety net’ for them.”

Although her level of energy and
optimism is astounding for a woman
who has spent nearly 50 years as a
Sister of Charity, a core of nearly 30
volunteers help her to “get it done”
at Josephine’s Place. Grants, personal
donations and two annual fundraisers
give Sr. Judy the wherewithal to coordinate
the programs and activities that
give life to Josephine’s Place.
Now serving more than 64 neighborhoods,
Sr. Judy is living proof that
her mottos, ‘Dream it and it will come,’
and ‘God will provide’ are more than
just mottos, but true calls to action.
Sr. Judy continues to dream big. “I
would love to eventually obtain financial
support from the business community
who will soon realize that what
we’ve accomplished here is worth
supporting,” she emphasizes.
Sister Marion M. Scranton
As a teenager, Sister Marion
Scranton realized that the spiritual road
was the path for her to follow to develop
her connection with God. With a
number of service projects already
behind her, she chose the Sisters of
Charity where she could enhance her
spirituality while devoting her life to
service for others.
While working in Catholic education
in Essex County, first as a teacher
and then as an administrator, Sister
gained a command of Spanish which
she used to assist the Spanish-speaking
community with a number
of services. Vatican II
and the Civil Rights
Movement proved
to be
life-altering
events for
Sr. Marion.
“As a
result
of Vatican II,
many Sisters,
including me,
became more
visible to, and
in, neighborhoods,
housing
projects and social
service
centers. We became
more conscious of social
injustices.” Sr. Marion was on
the front lines, witnessing protests and
boycotts, meeting social justice icons
Martin Luther King and Ceasar Chavez.
“These leaders represented the hurts
and injustices of particular groups
whose voices were finally being heard.”
With her heightened awareness,
Sister set out to reduce and eliminate
social injustices in urban settings. “As I
saw the poorest of the poor, I became
much more conscious of the disparities
in all avenues of life,” she said.
Another turn in her journey
brought her to Third World countries
where she experienced the Latino/
Hispanic cultures which continues to
help her in her current post as the
Sister Marion M. Scranton
Director of Community Initiatives at
Trinitas Hospital. Her energies are
directed to ensure that services are
given to those who are often underserved.
She coordinates a wide range
of health and wellness programs,
health expos and outreach programs.
She is able “to stretch the walls of the
hospital,” thanks to the assistance of
dedicated employee volunteers.
“We often speak of life as a journey.
That journey has always made me hungry
to learn more about injustices in
society. That hunger compels me and
my fellow Sisters of Charity to do whatever
we can to transform the society in
which we live.”
Sister Maryanne Tracey
Like her fellow Sisters, Sister
Maryanne Tracey began considering
the religious life as she was entering
her teen years. “From early on, I had a
desire to serve God and to love God
more by helping others,” she said.
Early employment following her high
school graduation was not fulfilling
Continued on page 30
FALL 2008 29

Sister Maryanne Tracey
enough and she soon entered the
Sisters of Charity.
She obtained an undergraduate and
graduate degree in administration as
well as certifications in administration,
spirituality, and spiritual direction.
Early teaching stints in New England
eventually brought her to New Jersey.
She later became the Vocation Director
for the Sisters of Charity responsible for
coordinating and conducting retreats
for elementary and high school students
and young adults.
As Sister Maryanne later felt compelled
to follow in the footsteps of
Mother Seton in direct service with the
poor, she accepted her current position
as Coordinator of the Hospitality House
Program of the Elizabeth Coalition to
House the Homeless. For 28 years, The
Coalition has responded to the growing
needs of homeless working families
in Union County at three houses in
Elizabeth.
“Coalition housing offer residents
the opportunity to regain control of
their lives and to simplify the transition
to a more stable home,” explains Sr.
Maryanne. “These homes offer rentfree
space to families for up to 18
30 HEALTHYEDGE
months to two years until
they can acquire a permanent
address.”
The Coalition
helps with monetary
services such
as budget creation,
making
sure children
are registered
in appropriate
schools, and
debt and savings
counseling to
help families
become not only
debt-free but to
learn wise spending
and saving habits. All of
this is delivered through professionals
who present workshops
that cover finance, parenting, and tenant’s
rights.
“At the Coalition, first we work hard
to help people deal with the stresses
associated with their current circumstances
and then give them the tools
to move forward to better situations,”
she notes. “We always say that the day
families move in is the day they start
moving out. So, my happiest day is
when families are able to move out
on their own. That is the day when
families have gotten their lives back
together again.”
As far as what’s in store for Sister
Maryanne, she places her trust in God.
“I have loved all of the ministries I’ve
been involved in. Right now, I am in
the place I need to be, so until I feel
that something else is calling me, this
is where I will stay.”
Look for profiles of other Sisters
of Charity who are associated
with Trinitas Hospital in a future
issue of HealthyEdge.
PETER J. MLYNARCZYK, M.D., F.A.C.S.
Diplomate American Board of Surgery
“My philosophy is not to fit the patient to a protocol,
but to fit the protocol to the patient.”
Former Medical Director of Trinitas Center for
Wound Healing & Hyperbaric Medicine
General Surgery - Vascular Surgery
Wound Care Specialist
Second Opinion Consultant
An Informed Patient is a Happy Patient
240 WILLIAMSON STREET, SUITE 302, ELIZABETH, NJ 07202
TEL: (908) 355-3600 FAX: (908) 355-9490

Foundation Focus: News of the Trinitas Health Foundation
by Kathryn Salamone
THE TRUSTEES OF THE TRINITAS HEALTH FOUNDATION:
SHARING A COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE
Energy, talent and commitment are
commodities found in great supply on
the Trinitas Health Foundation Board.
Key community members and business
leaders who populate the Board bring
their educational and professional
backgrounds to the decision-making
process as it affects hospital programs
and projects.
“Board effectiveness can be
summed up in two words — synergy
and diversity,” explains Nadine
Brechner, Executive Director of the
Foundation. “Talents and backgrounds
that are diverse and complementary
are the best possible mix to achieve
success. Creating a Board that is wellversed
in problem solving, willing to
analyze the needs of the organization,
and capable of visionary thinking is
what every organization hopes to
achieve. At Trinitas, we have been lucky
to find such individuals who share our
mission and goals and who have the
highest ideals of community service in
mind. Their commitment to our core
beliefs continues to contribute to our
success.”
The primary responsibilities of the
Trinitas Health Foundation are to raise
funds and to invest and monitor the
assets of the Foundation. In addition,
the Board members approve disbursements
to Trinitas to meet specific
equipment or program needs.
Following the introduction of
the Officers of the Trinitas Health
Foundation Board and other board
members in previous issues, here is the
next group of Board members we are
proud to introduce.
Catherine J. Flynn, Esq.
An active trial lawyer, Ms. Flynn’s career has
focused on professional liability and healthcare litigation.
Ms. Flynn graduated summa cum laude from St.
Peter’s College where she earned her Bachelor of
Science degree and then graduated from Seton Hall
University School of Law three years later. She is a
member of the American Society of Law and
Medicine.
Diane M. Francis, MPH, CCS
A graduate of Cornell University with a Bachelor of
Arts Degree in Anthropology, Diane Francis is the
Director of Health Economics and Reimbursement at
Ethicon Endo-Surgery Incorporated. She received her
MS Degree in Public Health from Columbia University.
She has been involved on the Board of Directors for
Central Brooklyn Federal Credit Union.
Thomas D. Jacobson
Since 1993, Mr. Jacobson has been the President/
CEO of Jacobson & Company, Inc. He received a
BS/BA in Business Management from Bucknell
University. Mr. Jacobson has affiliations with the
National Multiple Sclerosis Society-Mid Jersey Chapter
and is a former President of the Ceilings and Interior
Systems Construction Association.
FALL 2008 31

TRINITAS HEALTH FOUNDATION Continued from page 31
Vito Mazza
President and Owner of The Vito Mazza Salon, Day
Spa and Hair Restoration Center located in Woodbridge,
NJ, Vito Mazza is a successful businessman who has
owned and operated several salon locations in Central
New Jersey. His salon was nominated by Salon Today as
one of the “Top 200 Fastest Growing Salons in the
Country” in 2003 - 2005. Three of his children work in
the business that celebrated its 40th anniversary in
2007. Mr. Mazza, who has hosted fundraisers for the
benefit of Trinitas Health Foundation, promotes strong
self-esteem among hospital staff as well as patients.
Kevin McCloskey
Kevin M. McCloskey served as Senior Vice President
and Chief Operating Officer for Synergy Bank for seven
years. Prior to that time, Mr. McCloskey was the Vice
President and Chief Operating Officer for Lakeview
Savings Bank. He holds an MBA from Rutgers
University in Finance and Real Estate.
Robin McHugh
As the Chairperson of the Trinitas Auxiliary, Robin
McHugh works in cooperation with the Health
Foundation to raise funds for various programs within
the Hospital. A graduate of St. Joseph’s Hospital School
of Nursing, Robin worked at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital as
a staff nurse where she had earlier volunteered as a
“candy striper.” She holds a Bachelor’s degree in History
from Kean University as well as a Master’s degree in the
same discipline from New York University. Ms. McHugh
was appointed to the Foundation Board in 2007.
Trinitas Health Foundation
Board of Trustees
Officers:
John C. Gibardi, Chairman
Thomas S. Kachelriess, Vice Chair
Susan Head, Vice Chair
Eugene J. Carmody, Treasurer
Gary S. Horan, FACHE,
President & CEO
Jan Margolis, Secretary
Elinor K. Blore
Joseph Cantalupo
George A. Castro
Century 21 Atlantic, Roselle Park, NJ
Martha DeNoble
Richard English
Botond Farkas
AMB Property Corp., East Rutherford, NJ
Catherine J. Flynn, Esq.
Lindabury, McCormick Estabrook &
Cooper, Westfield, NJ
Diane M. Francis, MPH, CCS
Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc., Cincinnati, OH
Carroll Keating
Mary Patricia Keefe
Sol Kramer
Thomas D. Jacobson
Jacobson & Company, Elizabeth, NJ
Vito Mazza
Vito Mazza Salon & Day Spa, Inc.,
Woodbridge, NJ
Kevin McCloskey
Robin McHugh
Trinitas Hospital Auxiliary, Chair
Michael Minitelli
Township of Union, Union, NJ
Tricia Mullaney
Paul D. Napoli
Public Service Enterprise Group, Newark, NJ
Sister Clare Maureen Tracy
Trinitas Hospital, Elizabeth, NJ
Felicia Fornarotto
Trinitas Hospital, Elizabeth, NJ, Controller
Nadine Brechner
Trinitas Health Foundation, Elizabeth, NJ
Executive Director & Assistant Secretary
Honorary Trustees
John M. Boozan, MD
Jerome Eckenthal
Ehrenkranz & Co., Roseland, NJ
Harold Krevsky, Esq.
Krevsky, Silber & Bergen, Cranford, NJ
Gloria H. Piserchia
Robert Silbey, MD
Debra Valenti
32 HEALTHYEDGE

“THE STAFF AT TRINITAS HOSPITAL SAVED MY LIFE.”
A Grateful Patient Testimonial, A Call to Action
For Sol Kramer of Elizabeth, a
recent patient at Trinitas Hospital, there
is absolutely no doubt that Trinitas
Hospital saved his life. He took the
time to express his gratitude in a
“thank you” letter to Trinitas Hospital’s
President and CEO Gary S. Horan.
Mr. Kramer explained the circumstances
surrounding his life-saving
experience at Trinitas. After collapsing
in his doctor’s office, Trinitas Hospital
Paramedics were called and performed
life-saving measures. He was immediately
transported to the Trinitas Hospital
Emergency Room. At 87 years old, Mr.
Kramer was diagnosed with pulmonary
edema and acute renal failure. He spent
the next 20 days in the hospital, 10 of
which he was on a respirator in the
Critical Care Unit while during the second
10 days he was totally debilitated
and weak. With constant care and rehabilitation,
the nursing staff literally
nursed him back to health.
In his own words, Mr. Kramer
expressed his admiration for those who
provided his care:
“From orderly to nurse to doctor to
administration, Trinitas has succeeded in
instilling a culture of compassion and
caring that is evident in everything you
do. I compliment you on maintaining this
compassionate healing atmosphere in
your hospital. One can not put a price on
the value of what they did for my family
and myself.”
Like Mr. Kramer, you, your loved
ones and neighbors can find the doors
of Trinitas Hospital are always open.
Our mission is to provide excellent care
for all of our patients, just as we did for
Mr. Kramer.
As the holidays approach, the
Trinitas Health Foundation asks that
you take the time now to start planning
your year-end gift to Trinitas.
Remember the life-saving experience of
Mr. Kramer or others you have known.
Your thoughtful and generous support
today may end up saving your life, too!
Take advantage of these helpful tips
to make the most of your year end giving,
and then make the gift that saves
lives.
Talk to your advisor
Before making any significant gift to
Trinitas Health Foundation or to any
other nonprofit organization, ask your
account, attorney, or other advisor help
you understand the impact of your gift
on your income tax return and your
estate.
Plan your giving early
This is especially true if you want to
make a gift of non-cash assets (stock,
real estate life insurance annuities or
trust arrangements).
Calculate your income
Take the time to assess your tax liability
for the year. Did your unearned
income increase Did you sell any
appreciated assets Will you owe more
taxes This alone may motivate you to
increase your giving and make your
donation before December 31.
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stocks. Here’s why: If you sell the stock,
you will incur capital gains tax on the
appreciation. However, if you donate the
stock you get a charitable deduction for
the full amount of the stock, just as you
would if your gift was made with cash.
Consider a life income gift
Trinitas offers Charitable Gift Annuities
and Deferred Gift Annuities. These lifeincome
plans are designed to fit your
needs. A Charitable Gift Annuity allows
you to make a gift now, obtain tax benefits,
and receive income for the rest of
your life. With a Deferred Gift Annuity,
you can make a gift now, obtain tax benefits
and defer the income until you are
at least 65 or are ready to start receiving
the income for life.
Please send your gift to the Trinitas
Health Foundation, P.O. Box 259,
Elizabeth, New Jersey 07207. For more
information on the Foundation’s giving
programs please contact Nadine
Brechner, Chief Development Officer or
Florence Ruvolo, Director of Annual &
Planned Giving, at 908-994-8249.
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FALL 2008 33

FOUNDATION FOCUS
HOLIDAYS COME ALIVE AT TRINITAS HOSPITAL
DURING “SEASON OF HOPE”
As the year draws to a close, you
can remember those you love in a special
way through the Trinitas Health
Foundation’s annual “Season of Hope”
fundraiser. Each year, the lobbies at the
Williamson Street and New Point
Campuses reflect the traditions of
Christmas, Hanukah and Kwanzaa as
visitors are greeted with symbols of
the season.
Thanks to the generosity of so
many, the lobbies burst with decorations
that celebrate the season.
Through the years, ornaments have
been dedicated to loved ones, family
members and special people who have
made a difference in the lives of
donors. Every gift — in memory of or
in honor of someone — helps the
Foundation make a difference in the
lives of patients at Trinitas Hospital.
Patients, family members, visitors
and employees can take part by making
a contribution to the Trinitas Health
Foundation. Donations ranging from
$10 to $1,000 help maintain state-ofthe-art
equipment and defray the cost
of new technology.
If you would like to know more
about giving opportunities during the
annual “Season of Hope” fundraiser,
contact the Trinitas Health Foundation
at (908) 994-8249.
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The Trinitas Health Foundation
raises funds to help ensure Trinitas
Hospital has the best healthcare
available for you, your family,
friends and neighbors, if needed.
You can help support Trinitas by
giving a gift of cash, or securities,
by participating in a special event
or by honoring a loved one through
a memorial or tribute gift.
For more information on the
Foundation’s giving programs,
please call (908) 994-8249 or
email the Trinitas Health Foundation
at giving@trinitashospital.org.
To make a gift, contact the
Foundation at Trinitas Health
Foundation, PO Box 259,
Elizabeth, NJ 07207-0259.
34 HEALTHYEDGE

Vital Signs: Trinitas Comprehensive Cancer Center News
by Kathryn Salamone
NAVIGATOR GUIDES PATIENTS THROUGH
JOURNEY WITH BREAST CANCER
The diagnosis of breast cancer and
the treatment process that follows can
feel overwhelming and confusing. The
staff at Trinitas Comprehensive Cancer
Center (Trinitas CCC) understands
those feelings and has implemented a
pilot Patient Navigator Program in
partnership with Advanced Surgical
Associates to help guide women
through their fight with breast cancer.
A Patient Navigator serves as an
expert patient representative to help
newly diagnosed breast cancer patients
“navigate” the complexities of today’s
health care system. The Navigator’s
relationship with a patient may begin
at the time a woman is diagnosed. The
Navigator assists the patient through
every aspect of the treatment process,
providing education, support and practical
help with problems that can arise
at any time during the fight against
breast cancer. The Navigator works
collaboratively with doctors, social
workers, financial counselors, and
many other resources to assist the
patient in moving through the process
as smoothly and with as much support
as possible.
“The mission of the Patient
Navigator, is to help heal women physically
and emotionally,” said Amparo
Aguirre, Trinitas Hospital Outreach
Coordinator. “We don’t want any
woman to experience breast cancer
alone.”
James H. Frost, MD, FACS, of
Advanced Surgical Associates, continues:
“The Breast Navigator Program
ensures that patients receive the best
possible service and care in a timely
and efficient manner, helping make the
journey from diagnosis to survivorship
as easy as possible.”
The Patient
Navigator can
help the patient
prepare for, keep
track of and find
ways to get to
appointments,
help enhance
communication
with the woman’s
health care
provider, and
get questions
answered so
they can make
active, informed
decisions about
their care. The
Navigator can
also help women better understand the
procedures that they are having and
why they may be necessary, help find
even more information on the health
care they are seeking, direct patients to
local resources, provide emotional support
for the woman and her family,
and assist with completing forms.
TCCC Patient Navigator Program Coordinators Amparo Aguirre,
Trinitas Hospital Outreach Coordinator, and Jeanette Barefoot,
RN, Trinitas CCC Director of Clinical Operations, are available
to help patients in their progress as cancer survivors.
Sister Catherine Drury is a breast
cancer patient enrolled in the Patient
Navigator pilot program. “The Patient
Navigator greeted me in a caring and
comforting manner and really put me
at ease,” explained Sister Catherine.
“She also provided information quickly,
answered my questions about different
tests and procedures I was going to
have, and kept track of when and
where these tests would be. I would
definitely recommend the Patient
Navigator to anyone beginning treatment
for cancer because she helped
me and the people who accompanied
me know what to expect.”
Another patient enrolled in the program,
Marcela Palacios, commented,
“The Breast Patient Navigator helped
give me the optimism and security that
I needed during this challenging time.
I had different options of where to go
for my treatment and after speaking
with the Patient Navigator I learned
what I could expect at the Trinitas
Comprehensive Cancer Center. I knew
that I wanted to be treated there.”
For more information about the
Breast Patient Navigator pilot
program, please contact Jeanette
Barefoot, RN, MSSL, OCN, Director of
Clinical Operations at (908) 994-8749
or Amparo Aguirre, Trinitas Hospital
Outreach Coordinator at (908) 994-
8244.
FALL 2008 35

VITAL SIGNS
PROSTATE CANCER PROGRAM LAUNCHED
Dr. Brett Opell, board certified
Urologist at Trinitas Hospital and partner
at Advanced Urology Associates
group practice in Elizabeth and
Rahway, now heads up the Prostate
Cancer Program at the Trinitas
Comprehensive Cancer Center. Dr.
Opell will collaborate with community
physicians and local urologists, along
with Trinitas CCC clinical researchers,
medical oncology and radiation oncology
specialists, to develop and expand
clinical programs and support services
for patients with prostate cancer.
“The formal creation of a Prostate
Cancer Program at Trinitas means that
men in Union County and beyond who
are fighting prostate cancer can now
benefit from the expanded, multidisciplinary
resources available right here
in Elizabeth,” said Dr. Opell.
Each year in New Jersey, approximately
7,000 men are diagnosed with
prostate cancer. Prostate Cancer is the
most frequently diagnosed cancer
among men in New Jersey and the
United States, and the second leading
cause of cancer deaths among men.
As part of the prostate cancer program,
the Center’s Multidisciplinary
Prostate and Urologic Tumor Board
brings specialists together to review
individual cases. Such multidisciplinary
tumor boards have become the mark
of excellence for cancer programs
around the country.
Dr. Opell completed his surgical residency
and urological training at
Georgetown University Medical Center
in Washington, D.C. He is Board
Certified by the American Board of
Urology. In addition to general urology,
Dr. Opell’s specific areas of urologic
Dr. Brett Opell
expertise include prostate cancer,
female incontinence, the prevention
and treatment of kidney stones, and
laparascopic kidney surgery.
36 HEALTHYEDGE

PROSTATE CANCER PREVENTION
As the new director of the Trinitas
Comprehensive Cancer Center’s Prostate
Cancer Program, Dr. Brett Opell, board
certified Urologist at Trinitas Hospital and
partner at Advanced Urology Associates
group practice in Elizabeth and Rahway,
shares answers with HealthyEdge readers
to these FAQs about prostate cancer prevention.
Q. What are the risk factors linked to
prostate cancer
A. Family history, race and age are all
risk factors. Prostate cancer is two to
three times more likely for men whose
fathers or brothers had the disease.
African-American men are at highest
risk of prostate cancer, followed by
Hispanic and Native American men.
Men 50 years and older have an
increased risk of prostate cancer.
Q. What are symptoms of prostate
cancer
A. I normally tell my patients that men
have two potential problems with the
prostate — enlargement and cancer.
However, these 2 potential problems are
usually unrelated. Symptoms that men
may be concerned about are often
attributed to an enlarged prostate rather
than to cancer. Problems urinating are
generally a symptom of prostate
enlargement or infection, not a symptom
of prostate cancer. There are no
symptoms in the early stages of prostate
cancer; symptoms appear in advanced
or later stages of prostate cancer.
Q. What screening tests are used to
diagnose prostate cancer
A. The American Urological Association
and the American Cancer Society recommend
offering screenings annually
beginning at age 50 in men with a life
expectancy of 10 years. High-risk men,
such as African Americans, and those
with a strong family history of prostate
cancer, are urged to consider screening
in their 40’s.
For the last 20 years, the Prostate
Specific Antigen (PSA) blood test has
been an extremely effective screening
tool. However, just because a person
may have an abnormal PSA, does not
necessarily mean that he has prostate
cancer. Other variables that can alter
the PSA may include benign prostate
enlargement, aging, or infection. An
age adjusted PSA, which allows for a
lower threshold in younger men and
a higher threshold for older men, can
allow for greater screening accuracy.
PSA velocity (which is the change in
PSA over time) has become an
extremely important tool to assist
urologists in deciding if a patient
should undergo a biopsy. Prior to PSA,
Digital Rectal Exam (DRE) was the
main screening tool for prostate cancer.
Currently, we use the PSA and the DRE
in conjunction with each other. A
certain percentage of patients will have
a normal PSA and an abnormal DRE
and have symptoms of prostate cancer.
Q. When are prostate biopsies necessary
A. An abnormal PSA and or an abnormal
DRE point to the necessity of a
prostate biopsy.
Q. Is there a special diet men should
fellow to ensure prostate health
A. Healthy lifestyles and diet are
important, however, research is still
being conducted. In fact, Trinitas CCC
is part of the Selenium and Vitamin E
Cancer Prevention Trial (SELECT), a
phase III trial of selenium and vitamin E
supplementation for prevention of
prostate cancer. Results of the trial are
anticipated in 2013.
Q. What treatments are available for
prostate cancer
A. If detected early enough, prostate
cancer is highly treatable. There are several
treatment options available and the
urologist serves as the “Quarterback”
involved with the diagnosis, screening,
and management of treatment, if needed.
Watchful waiting is usually the
approach taken for older and more frail
patients. In such patients, the cancer is
not treated while the PSA is monitored
over time to see if it increases. A radical
prostatectomy is the removal of
the prostate gland with surgery.
Radiation Therapy destroys cancer
cells with External Beam Radiation
and/or radioactive seeds known as
Brachytherapy. Cryotherapy destroys
cancer cells by freezing the prostate
gland. Often used in conjunction with
Radiation Therapy, Hormonal
Manipulation, lowers a man’s testosterone
and helps suppress the prostate
cancer cells and cells that may have
metastaticized. Chemotherapy is used
in more advanced cases in which hormone
manipulation fails.
Q. Is there a way to test to see which
men have a greater risk of developing
prostate cancer
A. As with all cancers, the future lies in
genetics. The PCA3 test is a new test that
improves the detection of prostate cancer.
It uses genetic markers that detect
the prostate cancer gene 3 which is
involved in the development of prostate
cancer. This test is used most often
among patients who have persistently
elevated PSA despite a negative biopsy.
Q. What is the one most important
thing to remember in helping to
prevent prostate cancer
A. SCREENINGS! A screening test can
often help find cancer at an early stage,
when the cancer is less likely to have
spread and may be easier to treat. There
are advantages and disadvantages to all
screening tests. Having an open dialog
with your physician regarding the risks
and benefits for prostate cancer screening
is important. However, the most
important message for men is don’t
postpone or forgo your screenings!
FALL 2008 37

VITAL SIGNS
NURSES IN ONCOLOGY ACHIEVE NATIONAL RECOGNITION
Trinitas Cancer Nursing experts
gave multiple presentations at the 33rd
Annual Congress of the Oncology
Nursing Society (ONS) held recently
in Philadelphia. Their presence at the
nation’s premier cancer nursing conference
included a poster discussion on
improving patient adherence to clinical
protocols, a poster on an innovative
interdisciplinary program to relieve
patient fatigue, a presentation on
achieving high rates of oncology
nursing certification, and an abstract
on enhancing programs related to
National Cancer Survivors Day. The
Trinitas Cancer Nurses achieved national
recognition among their peers — nearly
6200 attended the conference — by
sharing their best practices for outstanding
patient care at Trinitas.
A Team Approach toward
Promoting Patient Adherence to Oral
Chemotherapy/Biotherapy Protocols
offered details on a partnership program
designed for physicians, nursing
and pharmacy professionals to provide
safe and effective management of
oral anti-cancer regimens. The poster
demonstrated the effectiveness of
checks and balances used at Trinitas to
maximize patient safety and treatment
effectiveness.
The Development of an
Interdisciplinary Exercise Program for
Patients Reporting Fatigue Related to
Chemotherapy and Radiation Therapy,
described a partnership between
Oncology and Rehabilitative Medicine
designed to increase awareness of
patient fatigue and to help patients
overcome it. Since fatigue sometimes
causes negative effects on a patient’s
quality of life, clinical experts at Trinitas
systematically screen patients for
fatigue and intervene to improve
the lives of those patients.
Oncology nurses from the Trinitas Comprehensive Cancer Center, from left, Carol
Blecher, RN, MS, AOCN, APN,C; Juanita Fryar, RN, BSN, OCN, Nurse Manager;
Julio Fumoso, Chief Pharmacist; Diane Davis, RN, BSN, OCN, Nurse Manager;
and Jeanette Barefoot, RN, OCN, MSSL, Director of Clinical Operations, were
photographed following their successful Oral Chemotherapy Poster Presentation
in Philadelphia.
A staff development presentation,
Planting the Seed and Growing OCN
Certified Staff, focused issues surrounding
staff certification, including analysis
of motivational factors influencing the
desire of staff to seek certification and
the generation of effective staff education
strategies leading to certification.
A podium abstract entitled Child’s
Play: Two Innovative Survivor’s Day
Programs, explained the functions of
the National Cancer Survivor’s Day
Foundation and further described the
Healing Hearts artwork created in
2006, and the Scrapbook for Hope
project developed earlier this year.
38 HEALTHYEDGE

Hospital Beat: People and Events of Note
TRINITAS SCHOOL OF NURSING ACHIEVES NATIONAL ACCOLADES
At the annual Educational Summit
of the National League of Nursing in
September, Trinitas School of Nursing
was designated as an NLN Center of
Excellence in Nursing Education for
2008-2011. This designation was
awarded in recognition of the school’s
sustained efforts to create an environment
that promotes student learning
and professional development.
Trinitas School of Nursing is one of
six schools of nursing in the United
States to receive this designation this
year, joining 13 other schools named
as NLN Centers of Excellence. Trinitas is
the first school in New Jersey and the
first cooperative program in the nation
to receive this award.
Each year since 2004 the NLN has
invited nursing schools to apply for
designation as a Center of Excellence
based on their ability to demonstrate
sustained excellence in the categories
of faculty development, nursing education
research, or student learning and
professional development. Schools
must also have a proven commitment
to continuous quality improvement.
“For more than 37 years Trinitas has
been the fiercest advocate for its widely
diverse student body,” stated Mary
Elizabeth Lebreck Kelley, MSN, MEd,
RN, CNE, ANEF, Dean of the Trinitas
School of Nursing. “The School’s historical
commitment to open access and
educational mobility provides an opportunity
for life-changing educational
attainment for individuals who want it.”
The School of Nursing is no
stranger to national recognition. In
2007, the School was the first in the
United States to have 100% of its eligible
faculty certified with the NLN
Certification in Nursing Education
(CNE) credential. Its students routinely
score in the top percentiles in passing
the National Council Licensing
Examination (NCLEX) for Registered
Nurse Licensure on first writing.
For more information about
the Trinitas School of Nursing,
call (908) 659-5200 or visit
the school’s website,
www.ucc.edu/go/trinitas
Dr. Beverly Malone, Chief Executive
Officer of the National League for
Nursing, (left) congratulates Mary
Elizabeth Lebreck Kelley, Dean of the
Trinitas School of Nursing, and Rose
Santee, the School’s Associate Dean.
FALL 2008 39

HOSPITAL BEAT
NURSING STUDENTS EXPERIENCE LEARNING VIA SIMULATION
Trinitas School of Nursing senior
students were introduced recently to
the world of virtual reality in healthcare
education through the Virtual IV, a
new simulator for accessing the veins
of a patient. Since nursing curricula
require that students be taught basic
clinical skills prior to performing these
skills on patients, such systems offer
learning benefits by offering experience
inpatient care without the patient. The
virtual reality simulators provide a failsafe
environment for nursing students.
“The student may practice limitless
times and is free to fail without the
anxiety of causing pain or injury to an
actual patient,” notes Teresita Proctor,
MS, RN, ACNS-BC, CNE, Director of
Technology Integration at the Trinitas
School of Nursing. “Student anxiety
and that of the patient become nonfactors
in the learning process.”
The benefits of using the IV simulators
include improved training efficiency
and effectiveness as well as increased
student proficiency and confidence.
When using the simulator, the student
receives feedback in the form of bleeding,
bruising, swelling, as well as other
patho-physiological reactions. The system
records and evaluates a student’s
performance using customized performance
metrics.
The School acquired the IV simulator
systems thanks to a generous
grant from the Summit Area Public
Foundation.
Thanks to the simulators, students
nurses learn valuable clinical skills and
the risk for injury is decreased among
patients they care for.
40 HEALTHYEDGE

HIGH-TECH SUBSPECIALTY RADIOLOGY NOW AT TRINITAS
University Radiology has joined the
medical staff of Trinitas Hospital to
provide the full range of state-of-the-art
radiology services to Trinitas patients. A
team of nine University Radiologists will
serve as the core group of physicians
on the Trinitas staff.
“With 40 years of experience
and 75 Board-Certified physicians,
University Radiology provides us with the
subspecialty range and clinical diagnostic
expertise and experience we need to
provide the very best care to our
patients,” states Lauris Beam, Administrative
Director of Radiology Services.
“University Radiologists can respond to
our needs 24-hours a day, every day of
the year, whether it’s an emergency situation
requiring a high-tech brain scan or
an x-ray for a broken bone.”
University Radiology also offers
clinical coverage in an exhaustive
number of radiology subspecialties.
Their physicians have specialized training
and experience in MRI, CT, crosssectional
imaging, gastrointestinal,
orthopedics, interventional, and
neurological imaging, as well as in
mammography. As a result, every
patient is matched with a radiology
expert that can assist in making a fast
and accurate diagnosis for each
patient’s particular health concern.
“At any given time, we will be able
to offer the services of three highly
qualified radiologists at the hospital,
while an additional radiologist will be
solely dedicated to the needs of the
Diagnostic Imaging Center. This new
level of service is a significant enhancement
of the services we had previously
offered to our patients,” Beam notes.
As another new service at Trinitas,
two University Radiologists will independently
evaluate every screening
mammogram providing two separate
opinions of breast health. The digital
mammogram will then be checked a
third time with a sophisticated software
CAD program.
“This finely tuned
review of images
represents a second,
and actually
a third look, helping
to provide the
assurance that
every patient is
looking for,”
explains Beam.
Many eyes and
many minds reading
and interpreting images means that
actual wait time for study results will be
substantially reduced, giving Trinitas
physicians the information they need
faster.
Leonard B. Resnikoff, MD, Vice-Chairman,
and Eugene Kennedy, MD, Chairman
“Our new affiliation with Trinitas
Hospital provides an excellent opportunity
for University
Radiology to contribute
to the level
of service and care
that this hospital
brings to its community,”
explains
Dr. Gene Kennedy,
the new Chairman
of Radiology
Services. “The
healthcare professionals
at Trinitas
are highly-skilled and truly committed
to doing an excellent job. University
Radiology is pleased to join in their
commitment to excellence in providing
radiological services for residents of
Union County and other communities
in Central New Jersey.”
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FALL 2008 41

HOSPITAL BEAT
CONGRESSMAN’S VISIT HIGHLIGHTS READING EFFORT
Congressman Albio Sires (pictured,
center), representing the 13th
Congressional District in New Jersey,
visited Trinitas Hospital recently to
learn more about the Hospital’s “Reach
Out and Read” program. Following a
tour of the Pediatric Health Center,
Congressman Sires joined Trinitas CEO
Gary S. Horan and volunteer reader
Ruby Young in a reading session with
several young children.
"Reach Out And Read" is a national
program designed to make early literacy
an important part of pediatric
patient care between the ages of six
months and five years.
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At Trinitas, children are given a new
book each time they visit the Pediatric
Health Center. Over time they acquire
their own library of a dozen or more
books, explained Carol Pepe, Associate
Director, Case Management Services,
“We inscribe the child's name in their
books so they feel a sense of ownership,
and, in the process, they feel
more encouraged to want books, and
to read books,” she stated. Over
20,000 books have been distributed
at Trinitas.
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42 HEALTHYEDGE

RESPIRATORY VESTS IMPROVE PATIENT CARE
For patients who suffer from breathing
problems caused by chronic conditions,
the natural process of breathing can be
very difficult. Thanks to a new respiratory
vest, many patients at Trinitas are
breathing much easier. Airway Clearance
Therapy, accomplished through the use
of specially designed vests, has resulted
in a dramatic improvement in the care
of these patients.
According to Kim Shafer, Director
of Respiratory Care, the vests offer an
alternative to manual Chest Physiotherapy
(CPT). “Manual CPT is a
‘hands-on’ treatment during which
the Respiratory Care Practitioner assists
the patient in secretion clearance by
clapping or percussing over all the lung
fields,” she explains. “This requires
placing the patient in multiple positions
to facilitate drainage. Many compromised
patients cannot tolerate the
turning and positioning, making manual
CPT ineffective, especially for lower
lung clearance.”
The disposable Airway Clearance
Therapy vests currently in use in the
hospital wrap around the patient’s
chest. Two tubes are then connected
to a unit that pulsates in a way that
mobilizes lung secretions in patients
with pneumonia, recurrent respiratory
infections, muscular weakness, and
chronic lung disease. More than 40
patients have been successfully treated
with this disposable vest since its introduction
into patient care.
For continuity of care, the patient
can use the vest at home without the
assistance of a respiratory care practitioner.
Since it fits just like an article of
clothing, the patient can easily put it
on, attach the tubes, and turn the unit
on to begin treatment. Normally treatments
are recommended twice a day,
when waking up in the morning, and
just before going to bed.
“Treatment at these times really
have the most benefit since they help
improve breathing
throughout the day and
prevent potential breathing
difficulties in the overnight
period,” says Kim.
Dorothy Vanderzee,
who has a unit at home,
demonstrated the use of
the disposable vest during
a recent hospital stay. She
finds it to be a real benefit
in reducing her breathing
problems. “Before I was
able to get the Vest for
use in my home, I was
hospitalized every few
months with several bouts
of pneumonia,” she explains. “With the
use of the Vest, I’ve only had to be
hospitalized for breathing problems
twice in the last 18 months. The Vest
Kim Shafer, RRT, Director of Respiratory Therapy, (left)
and Respiratory Therapist Irene Erazo, RRT, (right) discuss
the use of the Airway Clearance Therapy vest with
Trinitas patient Dorothy Vanderzee.
has really made a difference for me and
the 10 - 20 minute treatments twice a
day are relatively easy for me to work
into my schedule.”
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FALL 2008 43

ELIZABETH BECOMES PART OF NJ “LIVE WHERE YOU WORK” PROGRAM
Elizabeth Mayor Chris Bollwage
recently announced that the City is the
newest member of the state’s Live
Where You Work program. Elizabeth
has become the fourth state municipality
to partner with the Housing and
Mortgage Finance Agency (HMFA) on
the program.
“Live Where You Work is a key component
in Governor Corzine’s efforts to
provide work force housing to the residents
of New Jersey,” said New Jersey
Department of Community Affairs (DCA)
Commissioner Joseph Doria recently at
the announcement of the partnership
which took place at the Waters Edge
Development Complex. “Mayor Bollwage
and Elizabeth should be commended for
their commitment to the residents of this
city and I encourage more municipalities
to join the program.”
The Live Where You Work Program
is a work force housing initiative that
provides low-interest mortgage loans to
homebuyers purchasing homes in
towns where they are employed. Other
benefits include down payment and
closing cost assistance for the purchase
of a home within Smart Growth Areas
and flexible underwriting criteria for the
loan qualification process. Homes must
be located in a municipality that has
become a Live Where You Work partner
with HMFA. The Live Where You Work
initiative further enhances Governor
Corzine’s efforts to revitalize and build
sustainable communities that will provide
a greener environment, access to
transportation and affordable housing
opportunities for residents.
“Easily accessible, the City of
Elizabeth contains diverse, unique and
wonderful communities offering the
best of everything,” said Mayor
Bollwage. “From recreational opportunities
to fine dining and entertainment,
New Jersey Housing and Mortgage
Finance Agency Executive Director
Marge Della Vecchia and Department of
Community Affairs Commissioner
Joseph Doria joined Mayor Bollwage
(center) at the announcement of
Elizabeth’s participation in the “Live
Where You Work” partnership program.
the City of Elizabeth is a great place to
live, work and raise a family.”
Trenton, Jersey City and
Woodbridge are the three other cities
taking part in the program.
Photo Courtesy of LaVoz
F.A.S.T. CONNECTION PROGRAM HELPS CITY COMBAT
NEGATIVITY IN HOUSING MARKET
The City of Elizabeth has taken a proactive stance to stave
off foreclosures in the current real estate market that could
undermine the housing boom of the early part of this
decade. As many families who moved into two family homes
in the City now find themselves unable to keep up with costs
of home ownership, the City has embarked on a program of
real estate matchmaking that brings current homeowners and
first time buyers together.
Recently, the Elizabeth Home Improvement Program
(EHIP) and the non-profit organization Brand New Day coordinated
a Foreclosure Assistance and Selection Tour (F.A.S.T.).
The idea was to match first time homebuyers with ready-tosell
homeowners looking to avoid foreclosure.
F.A.S.T. participants were pre-qualified first time home
buyers who had gone through an extensive housing program
designed to help prepare them for homeownership. They
learned about credit scores, budgeting, loan programs, and
all the in-and-outs of buying a home. The EHIP and Brand
New Day successfully located participants who were financially
ready to purchase a home if they found one to their liking
and in their
price range.
In addition to
identifying the
potential buyers,
the other
important component
of the
program was
the selection
of homes that
would be
viewed on the
F.A.S.T. tour.
While some of
Members of the staffs of the Elizabeth Home
Improvement Program and Brand New Day
helped to escort pre-qualified homebuyers
as they toured selected homes in the City.
the houses on the tour were already classified as foreclosed
properties, the majority of the homes were identified as preforeclosure
sites whose owners needed to sell quickly.
Ultimately F.A.S.T. minimizes the potential spiraling effect
of the foreclosure crisis by mobilizing potential homebuyers
and guiding them through available properties.
44 HEALTHYEDGE

225 Williamson Street
Elizabeth, New Jersey 07207