CTCA gets health award
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Health Means Business campaign named Cancer Treatment Centers of America and the American Lung Association co-recipients of the Healthy10 Award in the Healthy Community category for their collaborative work to improve community wellness and access to economic opportunity.
“We’re delighted to support the vitally important work of the American Lung Association and the Lung Force initiative,” said Peter Yesawich, Chief Growth Officer for CTCA. “All of us at CTCA are committed to raising awareness of lung cancer and doing our part to raise funds for critical research that will help inform and improve patient care.”
CTCA has supported Lung Force nationally for the past two years with such activities as paid media highlighting women lung cancer patients, promotional efforts to encourage people touched by lung cancer to share their stories on lungforce.org, social media outreach and events at all five CTCA hospitals with both patients and employees.
••
CTCA has new local president
Cancer Treatment Centers of America, a national network of five cancer hospitals, announced that Nancy G. Hesse has been named president and CEO of its Eastern Regional Medical Center, at 1331 E. Wyoming Ave.
Hesse had been interim president and CEO since February 2016, and before that chief nursing executive for CTCA and chief nursing officer at Eastern.
“Since joining CTCA in 2014 as chief nursing officer, Nancy has shown an unwavering commitment to enhancing our care delivery model and overall clinical excellence,” said Dr. Raj Garg, president and CEO of CTCA. “Her steadfast dedication to patients and stakeholders (employees) alike has been especially evident, as Nancy has served as the interim president and CEO, and we are thrilled for her to continue to lead the Eastern community in delivering clinical excellence that is innovative, integrative and patient-centered.”
Hesse brings more than 30 years of nursing leadership experience to her new role at CTCA.
“I am honored to continue to serve CTCA, our stakeholders, patients and families, as I take on the role of president and CEO, and I am humbled by the legacy of leadership before me. From the moment I joined CTCA, I have been inspired by our mission to keep patients at the center of our model of care.” she said. “Our award-winning team of talented stakeholders works around the clock to provide exceptional care to our patients and their families. Together, we are committed to identifying and delivering the most innovative treatment options and personalized care possible.”
Hesse joined CTCA in 2014 after a long tenure at Abington Memorial Hospital.
••
Nazareth lab gets high marks
The Accreditation Committee of the College of American Pathologists has again accredited the Laboratory Services at Nazareth Hospital based on results of a recent on-site evaluation.
Geralyn Fattore is director of Laboratory Services at Nazareth.
During the CAP accreditation process, designed to ensure the highest standard of care for all laboratory patients, inspectors examine the laboratory’s records and quality control of procedures for the preceding two years. CAP inspectors also examine laboratory staff qualifications, equipment, facilities, safety program and record, and overall management.
••
Nazareth makes ER improvements
Nazareth Hospital recently hosted a blessing ceremony and open house to showcase care and facility improvements for patients 65 and older who come to the hospital’s Emergency Department.
The Rev. Jacob John, Nazareth’s chaplain, performed a blessing for the staff and the newly decorated senior waiting area.
The emergency department patient bay features new amenities for elderly patients such as amplifying headphones to help those with hearing impairment; new, short-legged stools with handrails to help seniors get into and out of beds; easier-to-read signs with larger lettering; large, comfortable geriatric chairs to help patients stand from a sitting position; and designated parking spaces for seniors in the visitors’ lot.
“Over the past few years, geriatric emergency medicine has emerged as an important specialty. Patients over 65 are more likely to go to the emergency department and be admitted to the hospital,” said Nancy Cherone, Nazareth’s executive director. “The improvements of our emergency department will meet the needs of our community’s seniors and make it a more satisfying experience for the biggest population we serve.”
••
Nazareth receives radiology accreditation
The American College of Radiology has awarded a three-year accreditation to Nazareth Hospital’s imaging department for Positron Emission Tomography-Computed Tomography.
“The medical imaging department at Nazareth is pleased to have received another three-year accreditation from the ACR for our PET/CT program,” said Dr. Donald S. Ostrum, chairman of radiology. “PET/CT plays an integral role in diagnosing and staging cancers, and monitoring the treatment of our oncology patients in the Northeast Philadelphia community.”
Accreditation from the ACR — the principal organization of radiologists, radiation oncologists and clinical medical physicists in the United States — is granted when a facility has met all the testing criteria established by the ACR for clinical image quality and phantom image quality.
For more information about medical imaging at Nazareth, call 1–866-NAZARETH.
••
Nazareth recognized for stroke program
Nazareth Hospital has received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award.
The award recognizes the hospital’s commitment and success in ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines.
“A stroke patient loses 1.9 million neurons each minute stroke treatment is delayed. This recognition further demonstrates our commitment to delivering advanced stroke treatments to patients quickly and safely,” said Dr. Michael Magro Jr., vice president of medical affairs. “Nazareth continues to strive for excellence in the acute treatment of stroke patients. The recognition from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines-Stroke further reinforces our team’s hard work.”
According to the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, stroke is the №5 cause of death and a leading cause of adult disability in the United States. On average, someone in the U.S. suffers a stroke every 40 seconds, someone dies of a stroke every four minutes, and nearly 800,000 people suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year.
For more information about the stroke and neurosciences programs at Nazareth, visit www.mercyhealth.org/neurosciences or call 866-NAZARETH.
••
CTCA names McGovern chief nursing officer
Cancer Treatment Centers of America, 1331 E. Wyoming Ave., named Joanne McGovern chief nursing officer.
In this position, McGovern will be responsible for overseeing and coordinating the hospital’s nursing departments and aligning nursing practices with operational excellence, patient safety and quality.
McGovern brings more than 33 years of nursing experience to her new role, previously serving as interim chief nursing officer for the hospital since February 2016, and before that serving as director of nursing.
“Joanne is the definition of a true leader, and since joining CTCA has been instrumental in coordinating best nursing practices with regard to operations, patient safety and quality care outcomes,” said Nancy Hesse, president and CEO of CTCA’s local hospital. “I am confident Joanne will lead with innovation, excellence and devotion as she serves our patients and nurses in an even greater role. Her dedication has been especially evident these last few months as she served as interim chief nursing officer.”
McGovern graduated from Gwynedd Mercy University with a bachelor’s degree in nursing and a master’s in nursing education from Drexel University.
“It is an honor to continue to serve the CTCA community as I take on the role of chief nursing officer,” McGovern said. “During my tenure at CTCA, I have been inspired by the exceptional level of care our nurses provide to our patients and their families. I am excited to lead a team of nurses who are so committed to providing the most innovative treatment options and personalized care possible.”
••
Nazareth hires cardiologist
Nazareth Hospital welcomes interventional cardiologist Dr. Sunil Dhar, an interventional cardiologist, as medical director of its cardiac catheterization lab.
Dhar received his medical degree from Saurashtra University in India. He completed his residency in internal medicine at Temple University Hospital. He completed two fellowships, one in cardiology and one in advanced heart failure and transplant, at the University of Washington. He also completed a fellowship in interventional cardiology at the University of Minnesota.
“We are pleased to welcome Dr. Dhar to Nazareth Hospital,” said Nancy Cherone, executive director of the hospital. “His expertise enables Nazareth to provide a comprehensive range of interventional cardiovascular services for our community, including our nationally accredited emergency angioplasty program.”
To schedule an appointment with Dhar, call 215–332–3972.
••
MossRehab earns magazine honor
MossRehab, the physical and cognitive rehabilitation arm of Einstein Healthcare Network, has again been named by U.S. News & World Report magazine as a top 10 rehabilitation facility in the country for diagnoses including spinal cord injury, stroke, amputation and traumatic brain injury.
MossRehab is also listed as the top-ranked facility of its type in Pennsylvania.
According to the list — which is compiled by asking doctors throughout the country where they would send loved ones for treatment of a specific medical condition if money and location weren’t an issue — MossRehab ranks 10th in the nation for rehabilitation.
MossRehab has high patient satisfaction rates, and patients show better scores in functional improvement (regaining mobility and self-care).
“Being ranked once again as a Top Ten facility by U.S. News & World Report recognizes our results-based reputation as a leader in blending rehabilitation care, technology, education and research,” said Dr. Alberto Esquenazi, MossRehab’s chief medical officer. “Most importantly, I am very proud, as is everyone at MossRehab, of our ranking, because it stands as a testament to what we can do for our patients.”
Every year, MossRehab treats nearly 2,800 inpatients at six locations, including Aria Frankford.
••
Nazareth welcomes new urologist
Dr. Richard Charney recently joined Nazareth Hospital’s team of urologists.
Charney served as a general medical officer and, later, as co-officer in charge of the emergency room/family practice clinic at the Philadelphia Naval Hospital.
Charney is certified by the American Board of Urology.
To schedule an appointment with Charney, call 215–674–0301. ••
