George Helmy wrapped up his final days as Gov. Phil Murphy’s chief of staff, his next destination emerged: the state’s largest academic health system.
Ordowich
On Sept. 29, RWJBarnabas Health announced the appointment of two new executive leaders to its team – Helmy as executive vice president, chief external affairs and policy officer and Marcie Ordowich as chief operating officer for the RWJBarnabas Health Medical Group.
Earlier in September, the governor’s office announced that Helmy would stepping down as chief of staff at the end of the month. He has served in the role since 2019 and played a critical role in helping the governor achieve legislative goals, managing the pandemic response and more.
In this new post, Helmy will oversee RWJBarnabas Health’s interactions with all federal, state, and local governments, governmental agencies, and associates – managing regulatory issues and developing and executing cross-divisional governmental relations strategies. He will also serve as a key senior strategic advisor on policy matters as well as the health system’s relationship with key external stakeholders.
In a statement announcing the hirings, Mark Manigan, president and chief executive officer for RWJBarnabas Health, said that he could think of no more respected policy leader in the region than Helmy. “And we are incredibly pleased to have him join our team,” Manigan said. “His depth of knowledge on a wide variety of issues facing our state is unparalleled, and we recognize that his contributions to advancing our mission of service to our patients and community will be significant.”
Governor Phil Murphy and Lt. Gov. Tahesha Way wished Helmy well as he embarked on this next chapter.
“You cannot write the history of this administration without recognizing George’s deep commitment and leadership over the past four-and-a-half years,” Murphy said. “George undoubtedly made New Jersey a better place for its 9 million residents.”
From left, Gov. Phil Murphy, former Chief of Staff George Helmy and Chief Counsel Parimal Garg in Newark on March 15, 2021. – EDWIN J. TORRES/NJ GOVERNOR’S OFFICE
Murphy cited Helmy’s “unique mix of public and private sector experience, strong management skills, and significant relationships across the state,” which the governor says will allow him to succeed in any role.
“He is thoughtful, strategic, and kind-hearted, but also tenacious in advocating for those who too often have been left out and left behind,” Way said. “His leadership improved the lives of millions of New Jerseyans. I wish him nothing but success in his next chapter.”
In introducing Ordowich, RWJBarnabas Health said she brings more than 17 years of experience as an innovative and collaborative health system executive to her new role. She most recently served as vice president, service line operations at Penn Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Health System, where she led pivotal initiatives.
“We welcome Marcie to the organization and know that her rich experience in complex academic health systems will help us achieve our goals of positioning our medical group as leaders not only in New Jersey, but nationally,” said Manigan.
Children’s Specialized Hospital has a lot to celebrate.
The RWJBarnabas Health facility hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony Sept. 21 to unveil its new Toms River outpatient center as well as mark the completion of Transforming Lives 2.0, the Children’s Specialized Hospital Foundation’s largest capital campaign, which has raised $45 million for CSH since November 2020.
That same day, CSH unveiled the “Dream. Believe. Achieve.” wall at the new location, honoring former Major League Baseball player, YES Network analyst and Toms River Little League world champion Todd Frazier. Frazier and his wife, Jackie, were honorary co-chairs of the capital campaign.
The CSH event also commemorated the efforts of capital campaign co-Chairs Mark Montenero of Toms River and Edward McKenna of Red Bank, as well as the Fraziers. Montenero is president of Autoland Toyota Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram, and McKenna is a senior partner at McKenna, Dupont, Stone & Washburne.
Located at 1251 Highway 37 W., the new Toms River CSH outpatient facility offers therapy services such as nutrition, physical therapy, psychology, occupational therapy, rehabilitation technology, and speech and language therapy, as well as medical services including developmental and behavioral pediatrics and physiatry, according to its website.
This spring, CSH unveiled the renovated Pediatric Long Term Care Unit at CSH Mountainside – upgrades that were also funded through the Transforming Lives 2.0 campaign. At that dedication ceremony, Phil Salerno III, then-president and chief development officer of the CSH Foundation, said it was “gratifying to see the appreciation of our donors and friends as we rededicate this site to a new generation of children.”After more than three decades with the organization, Salerno retired this summer as head of the foundation and was succeeded by Alissa Memoli.
Children’s Specialized Hospital, part of the Children’s Health network at RWJBarnabas Health, serves children and young adults from birth to 21 years of age facing special health care challenges at 15 locations in the Garden State.
Any potential optimism about reaching a deal to end the ongoing stalemate between the United Steelworkers (USW) 4-200 union – representing more than 1,700 striking nurses – and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) management appears to have faded for the moment as several developments play out, revealing an ongoing tense situation.
On Sept. 19, USW Local 4-200 announced that its members voted to reject a proposed three-year contract with RWJUH.
“Short staffing remains our number one priority, and our members clearly don’t believe this contract went far enough in this area,” said Local 4-200 President Judy Danella in a statement. “We need better staffing so that we can keep workers safe on the job and continue providing top-quality care for our patients.”
“We are deeply disappointed that United Steel Workers 4-200, the union representing our nurses, voted today to prolong their strike indefinitely,” said Wendy Gottsegen, RWJUH spokesperson in a statement following the offer being rejected. “RWJUH provided the union with two, separate options for ending the strike – either accepting the hospital’s offer from Aug. 2 that would have ensured the state’s highest staffing standards and nurse compensation or agreeing to enter binding arbitration. The union rejected both.”
As NJBIZ reported last week, the two sides held their first talks in several weeks with federal mediators Sept. 14. That concluded without an agreement to end the standoff, now in its second month. The union had until Sept. 19 to respond to the offers from RWJUH – which union members overwhelmingly rejected.
“It is clear by today’s action that the union does not share in our commitment to reaching a resolution that ends this strike immediately and prioritizing the wellbeing and livelihood of their nurses and families,” said Gottsegen.
“We encourage management to come back to the table with an offer that reflects our dedication and prioritizes safety and health,” said Danella.
Meanwhile, on Monday, Middlesex County Superior Court Judge Thomas McCloskey issued a temporary restraining order requested by RWJUH regarding the picket line outside of the hospital.
“A temporary restraining order was entered against USW 4-200 to bar them from blocking entrances and exits to parking decks and other obstructive behaviors designed to disrupt care,” said Gottsegen. “The issue is not about noise or restricting a peaceful demonstration, which we fully support. The judge issued the order in response to the increasingly aggressive activities that began last week. This order is needed to prevent injury or worse from the increasingly dangerous activities of the picketers.”
The union blasted the order.
“We decry the extreme, anti-labor tactics that RWJBarnabas’ corporate executives are utilizing to try to silence our voices calling for improved patient safety,” said Danella. “Rather than sit down with our union and negotiate a contract that is fair to essential workers and improve patient safety, RWJBarnabas’ corporate executives have rushed into court to seek an injunction to severely limit our right to make our voices heard.”
On Sept. 18, Middlesex County Superior Court Judge Thomas McCloskey issued a temporary restraining order requested by Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital regarding the picket line outside of the hospital. – MATTHEW FAZELPOOR
Danella said that the “extreme tactic” has no place in a pro-labor state like New Jersey.
“We repudiate it and call on RWJBarnabas’ corporate executives to put patient safety over profits,” said Danella. “At the same time, our members have demonstrated today that they will not be cowed by these extreme tactics by overwhelmingly voting to continue our job action. We will not back down because safe staffing levels are essential to ensuring the safety of our patients – the people we go into work to care for every day.”
“RWJUH did everything it could to avoid a strike and urges the union to work with us to reach a resolution,” Gottsegen added. “This strike cannot go on forever.”
A hearing on the temporary restraining order is slated for Sept. 22 at 9:30 a.m. before McCloskey at Middlesex County Courthouse in New Brunswick.
Thursday’s talks, which included federal mediators, marked the first in more than four weeks since the strike began in early August. However, as the sides emerged from the bargaining session, there did not seem to be much reason for optimism as the war of words continued.
The union has demanded around-the-clock negotiations.
“We remain frustrated at the refusal of RWJBarnabas’ corporate executives to engage in round-the-clock bargaining – or even to agree to another bargaining date,” Judy Danella, a longtime RWJUH nurse and president of the USW Local 4-200 union, in a statement following Thursday’s talks. “We will only reach a contract that is fair to front-line nurses and improves safety for patients if the corporate executives at RWJBarnabas agree to sit across the negotiating table from us and bargain in good faith.”
RWJBarnabas quickly pushed back against that assertion.
“The union’s claims about the hospital’s unwillingness to participate in ‘round-the-clock’ negotiations are bogus. The dates and length of sessions are set by the federal mediators, not the hospital or the union,” Wendy Gottsegen, RWJUH spokesperson, said in a statement Thursday in response to the union. “The union knows this full well but chooses to misrepresent the facts, once again.”
Gottsegen noted that the parties attended the mediation sessions called for by the two federal mediators who have jurisdiction over the strike.
“The session lasted six hours and was conducted by the mediators. During the session, the hospital proposed two options to the union for settlement:
“The first options offered the union the opportunity to return to work and submit the dispute to binding arbitration – which the hospital first proposed in July – with the arbitrator having the authority to set terms for a new collective bargaining agreement between the parties,” Gottsegen explained. “The second option was the hospital’s Aug. 2 proposal to the union, which the union never submitted to its membership for a vote. The union advised the hospital that it was going to take both options back to its membership for a vote. The hospital is to hear back from the union on Tues., Sept. 19.”
‘Let’s get this thing resolved’
This week, on his “Ask Governor Murphy” radio show – produced by WBGO, WHYY, and WNYC and hosted by WNYC Senior Reporter Nancy Solomon – Murphy was asked about the situation.
“I’m not happy,” Murphy said on Wednesday. “We’re a proud pro-labor state. There’s no group of workers that are more heroic than our frontline health care workers. And the fact that this is going on without resolution is, in my opinion, unacceptable.”
His comments came before Thursday’s talks yielded no immediate deal, but Murphy was somewhat encouraged to see meetings happening, in the least, and hoped they continued.
“RWJUH is doing everything it can to end this strike. The strike is taking hundreds of thousands of dollars per day out of the pockets of our nurses and their families,” said Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital spokesperson Wendy Gottsegen. “The cost of the strike is too great for it to continue indefinitely.” – MATTHEW FAZELPOOR
“That’s something that we have been encouraging and, in the vernacular, ‘get into a room, lock the door, throw the key away, and get a deal,’” Murphy told Solomon and the caller who asked about the strike. “I know collective bargaining is hard and I know – please God – both sides enter that in a spirit of goodwill. But, at the end of the day, another baseball phrase – instead of tie goes to the runner, tie goes to the worker. We are a proud – as I mentioned – labor state. These are heroes. Let’s get this thing resolved.”
Murphy stressed that he did not have any visibility into the specific levels of the negotiation, besides the fact that staffing levels have been an issue at the center of the acrimony.
“But get this done,” the governor said. “And get it done now.”
In addition to the staffing issue, the union has also criticized hospital leadership for the use of replacement nurses and for discontinuing striking nurses’ health benefits as of Sept. 1.
“We agree with Gov. Murphy’s statement that we should ‘get in the room’ and keep negotiating until we come to a fair agreement and thank the governor for his strong comments,” said Danella. “Yet today demonstrates that RWJBarnabas’ corporate executives care more about profits than they do the livelihoods of nurses who put their lives on the line during the pandemic – as well as the safety of the patients we serve.”
“RWJUH is doing everything it can to end this strike. The strike is taking hundreds of thousands of dollars per day out of the pockets of our nurses and their families,” said Gottsegen. “The cost of the strike is too great for it to continue indefinitely.”
“We remain ready and willing to engage in continuous negotiations until we reach a fair contract,” said Danella. “We only wish RWJBarnabas’ corporate executives felt the same way.”
“We urge the Steel Workers to prioritize the best interests of our nurses and their families,” Gottsegen closed RWJUH’s statement with. “The strike must end.”
Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center broke ground on its $225 million freestanding cancer center in September 2022. On Sept. 13 of this year it celebrated another milestone: the raising of the structure’s final steel beam.
Scheduled for completion in 2025, the five-story, 137,000-square-foot outpatient facility on CBMC’s Livingston campus will serve as the northern hub for the oncology services offered by RWJBarnabas Health and Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey.
“With world-class amenities and a team that includes some of the top cancer specialists in the nation, the new Cancer Center will be a premier destination for patient-centered and research-driven cancer care in this region and beyond,” CBMC President and CEO Richard Davis said in a statement.
Bruce Schonbraun, chair of the CBMC board of trustees, said the cancer center represents one of the most significant events in the community. Schonbraun also thanked the hospital’s donors and others who helped make the facility a reality.
In September 2021, Leon and Toby Cooperman donated $100 million to the medical center, which was the largest donation ever given to any hospital in New Jersey. What previously had been known as Saint Barnabas Medical Center was later renamed Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center.
A rendering of Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center’s new cancer center on the hospital’s Livingston campus. – COOPERMAN BARNABAS MEDICAL CENTER
Services at the new center will include medical, surgical and radiation oncology, in addition to amenities such as a wig and prosthetic studio, yoga classes, music therapy, psychosocial support services, private infusion rooms, and short-term and extended-stay facilities.
The medical center’s partnership with Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey – which is the state’s only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center – provides patients with treatment options such as clinical trials, CAR T-cell therapy, immunotherapy and precision medicine.
Dr. Steven Libutti, director of the Rutgers institute and senior vice president, Oncology Services, at RWJBarnabas Health, said the new facility expands upon the two health care providers’ “overall major investment” in oncology services, including the $750 million Jack and Sheryl Morris Cancer Center, the state’s first freestanding cancer hospital in New Brunswick.
Dr. Michael Scoppetuolo, medical director of the cancer center at CBMC, added, “This is what the future of cancer care looks like in the Garden State and beyond. I’m honored to be a part of it.”
Community Medical Center, an RWJBarnabas Health facility, has opened the CMC Women’s Health Center to expand obstetric and gynecologic care in Ocean County.
Located at 368 Lakehurst Road in Toms River, the CMC Women’s Health Center offers outpatient OB/GYN services including prenatal care, midwifery care, well-woman exams, preventative care and screenings, and menopausal care.
“This new Center expands on our award-winning women’s health services, making care even more accessible in an outpatient setting,” Julie Cochrane, a nurse practitioner at the center, said in a statement.
Community Medical Center has earned industry praise for its maternity care, including being one of only 17 facilities nationwide recognized in all three categories of the Healthgrades’ 2022 Leaders in Obstetrics & Gynecology Awards (Labor and Delivery Excellence, the Gynecologic Surgery Excellence and the Overall Obstetrics and Gynecology).
“RWJBarnabas Health is committed to providing safe, respectful, and consistently excellent care for all women across the state of New Jersey,” said Suzanne Spernal, senior vice president of Women’s Services at RWJBarnabas Health. “As part of this commitment, the CMC Women’s Health Center is providing affordable and supportive individualized care close to home.”
The CMC Women’s Health Center is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and accepts most insurance plans, including Medicaid, and offers flexible self-pay options.
Improving maternal and infant health care in the Garden State has been a top priority of First Lady Tammy Murphy, who launched Nurture NJ in 2019 – an initiative that aims to reduce New Jersey’s maternal mortality by 50% over five years and eliminate racial disparities in birth outcomes.
Under a blazing hot, post-Labor Day sun Sept. 5 the union held a press conference at the picket line — right outside of the New Brunswick hospital. There was a lot on the minds of those who are striking for safer staffing levels, as they criticized hospital leadership for discontinuing striking nurses’ health benefits as of Sept. 1, the use of replacement nurses, and more.
Adding in the passing cars that often honked in solidarity with the nurses – which led to cheers from the picket line – it made for a raucous Tuesday in the shadow of the hospital.
“As you can see, we have 1,700 nurses that are on the picket line since Aug. 4,” said Judy Danella, president of the union local and a hospital employee since 1995.
Danella spoke about her fellow striking nurses as feeling cast aside by hospital management.
“We are dismissed by management. We are not disposable,” said Judy Danella, president of the union local and a hospital employee since 1995. “We are the nurses – the Robert Wood nurses.” – MATTHEW FAZELPOOR
“We are dismissed by management. We are not disposable,” said Danella. “We are the nurses – the Robert Wood nurses.”
RWJUH officials have pushed back against that sentiment, noting that the nurses are the highest paid in New Jersey.
However, striking workers have maintained that their main issue centers around nurse-to-patient ratios, calling for safe staffing legislation, such as Senate Bill 304, which is co-sponsored by Sen. Linda Greenstein, D-14th District, who spoke at the Tuesday event.
“If we had safe staffing legislation in New Jersey, we would not be standing out here,” said Danella as she introduced Greenstein. “We would be inside where we need to be.”
“I’m proud to stand in solidarity with the Robert Wood Johnson Barnabas nurses in support of better, fairer working conditions,” said Greenstein. “Our health care workers are the backbone of medical care in our state. For three years now, nurses have worked tirelessly through one of the most prolific moments in our country’s history. Their dedication to service is invaluable.”
Greenstein stressed standards need to be established to improve working conditions at New Jersey hospitals, including through safe staffing.
“Making sure that our hospitals and health care facilities are adequately and properly staffed means the staff will be well-equipped to provide exceptional patient care and, ultimately, save lives,” said Greenstein. “I’m one of the sponsors of S304 – a bill mandating enforceable staffing levels in hospitals. Right now, more than ever, we need to take meaningful action to stop the exodus from our hospitals of dedicated, courageous nurses and other health care workers.”
‘We’re going to last one day longer’
New Jersey State AFL-CIO President Charles Wowkanech spoke after Greenstein and thanked the health care workers for the job they do, stressing his solidarity while being sharply critical of hospital management.
“Our day is coming. I’m going to tell you something right now. They may think they’re going to squeeze us because they cut our health care,” said Wowkanech. “They may think they’re going to squeeze us because they brought the scabs in for another 30 days. But they’re going to learn a lesson here in New Brunswick that they’ll never forget – that we’re going to beat them. We’re going to last one day longer.”
“Our health care workers are the backbone of medical care in our state. For three years now, nurses have worked tirelessly through one of the most prolific moments in our country’s history. Their dedication to service is invaluable,” said Sen. Linda Greenstein, D-14th District. – MATTHEW FAZELPOOR
Several nurses shared their personal experiences and stories about the decision to strike as well as the potential impacts and costs associated with losing health benefits and instead having to pay for them through COBRA.
Danella stressed that the process needed to get back to the basics – and back to the negotiating table.
The last bargaining session took place in mid-August with no further dates scheduled.
Danella closed the press conference adding that it was going to be a tough fight, but emphasizing her side’s solidarity to reach its desired outcome.
“I just want to thank every single nurse out here – no matter where you work – on this sweltering day,” said Danella. “For coming out here and sharing your stories and just sharing solidarity – one day longer, one day stronger. We will get through this.”
‘No one benefits from a strike’
The RWJUH side continues to push back against many of the union’s assertions — especially that it blindsided nurses with the Sept. 1 discontinuation of health benefits.
“RWJUH notified USW 4-200 leadership in July that their member nurses who are enrolled in the RWJBarnabas health and wellness plans would be required to enroll in COBRA starting Sept. 1 if the strike was not averted and not settled by this time,” Wendy Gottsegen, RWJUH spokesperson, said in an Aug. 29 statement. “The hospital raised this issue in negotiation sessions and the union posted information regarding the transition to COBRA for its members on its website.”
Gottsegen added that RWJUH urged union leadership to consider these “potential hardships” as the strike continues.
“We have said all along that no one benefits from a strike – least of all our nurses,” said Gottsegen in an Aug. 28 statement about the health benefits. “This hardship, in addition to the loss of wages throughout the strike, is very unfortunate and has been openly communicated to the union and the striking nurses since prior to the walk-out on Aug. 4.”
RWJUH has also pushed back on the criticism of its staffing levels – noting that its staffing levels are already among the highest in the state and above those outlined in the proposed safe staffing legislation.
“We understand and recognize the toll the pandemic took on our nurses and have worked aggressively to address staffing,” said Gottsegen. “Despite a nationwide nursing shortage, in which New Jersey is facing 14,000 nurse vacancies, RWJUH has added 200 staff nurse positions since 2022 and has reduced its nurse vacancy rate to nearly half the national average. RWJUH nurses are already the highest paid in the state, and all offers by the hospital would have significantly elevated their status.”
The RWJBarnabas Health facility has stressed that it remains fully staffed and operational with replacement nurses – who the union members have derided as scabs.
The gulf in negotiations as well as the heated back-and-forth certainly reiterates one thing — there does not appear to be much immediate light at the end of the tunnel as both sides dig their heels in, prepared to fight further.
With a string of cases involving well-known stars and the spread of the issue on social media, sudden cardiac arrest in young athletes has been a topic garnering headlines lately.
The year began with the traumatizing cardiac arrest suffered by Buffalo Bills defensive back Damar Hamlin – where he was brought back to life on the field after taking a vicious hit to the chest that caused his heart to stop.
Then, last month, Bronny James, the son of NBA legend LeBron James and a freshman basketball player at University of Southern California, suffered cardiac arrest and collapsed during practice. He, too, was revived following quick action by the Trojans’ training staff.
Sudden cardiac arrest is a leading cause of death in young athletes with between 100 and 150 athletes succumbing each year, according to the American College of Cardiology. But it is still rare — the chances of sudden death occurring to any high school athlete are about 1 in 200,000 per year.
“The good news is that it’s not that common, but it certainly does happen,” Dr. Jeffrey Lander, co-director, Sports Cardiology at RWJBarnabas Health and co-medical director of the Cardiac Care Unit at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center, told NJBIZ. “As we see on the news – Bronny James, Damar Hamlin, and some of these big-name folks. But also here in New Jersey, there have been several cases of young athletes who had cardiac arrest. The number is actually quite variable. It varies a lot by age, gender, ethnicity, sport actually – even level of sport. In general, in high-level competitive athletes, put it somewhere in the range of about one to two [cases] per 100,000 athlete years.”
Lander
Lander said that causes can include a structural abnormality in the heart, an electrical issue with the heart or something external, like taking a big hit as Hamlin did. He also addressed some of the discussion that emerged from the pandemic suggesting that COVID vaccines led to more cases of myocarditis – an acute inflammation of the heart muscle (usually from a virus) – in young athletes.
“You want to make sure to get the right information out there. In regard to COVID and the vaccine – yes, they have both been shown to cause myocarditis, which can cause heart complications, cardiac arrest,” said Lander. “It’s very uncommon that that happens. For example, in looking at a young, generally healthy athletic population, it’s much more likely to get very sick from COVID than it is to have myocarditis from the vaccine – much more common.”
Lander did note an uptick in engagement on the topic.
“Definitely since COVID, there has been much more of a discussion, which I think is a good thing,” he said. “I’m always happy to have these discussions. And I think athletes and parents should know going into sports – pros, cons, risks, benefits.”
Some of the work undertaken by RWJBH and the associated Matthew J. Morahan III Health Assessment Center for Athletes has included seminars and educational programs for parents, athletes, coaches and trainers to raise awareness and help guide them through the information process.
On the issue of cardiac screenings and how important they are for young athletes, Lander said we are lucky here in New Jersey to have Janet’s Law, which requires all school athletes to have a pre-participation examination.
“And it’s very important for the athletes to have pre-participation history and physicals for many reasons,” said Lander. “Not just for looking for potential underlying cardiac issues that may be dangerous to participate in sports. But it also affords us the opportunity to evaluate young athletes who may not have been evaluated otherwise.”
Janet’s Law also requires that any school-sponsored athletic event or team practice in New Jersey public and nonpublic schools have the following available: an automated external defibrillator in an unlocked location on school property within a reasonable proximity to the athletic field or gymnasium. In addition, a team coach, licensed athletic trainer, or other designated staff member if there is no coach or licensed athletic trainer present, must be certified in CPR and the use of AED; or a state-certified emergency services provider or other certified first responder must be on hand.
“I can’t emphasize enough how important it is it to have an emergency action plan, to have something in place to know what to do if, unfortunately, something bad happens,” Lander explained. “To have those trainers, coaches, parents, these athletes themselves trained in CPR and how to use AED. Again, in New Jersey, we’re lucky – just relating it back to Janet’s Law again.”
And of course, the American public watched an effective emergency action plan in real-time as trainers and emergency staff saved Hamlin after his heart stopped during that January game in Cincinnati.
“The big things I would say are before participating [in sports] – see your physician, see your health care provider,” advised RWJBarnabas Health’s Dr. Jeffrey Lander.“One thing that’s not arguable is that knowing CPR, having an AED, having an emergency action plan, will definitely save lives,” said Lander.
He added that watching the Hamlin emergency play out placed an even greater emphasis on having a proper emergency action plan in place. “There’s definitely an uptick in questions of what can we do. How do we prevent this? What do we do going forward,” said Lander. “Having a trained individual in CPR, how to recognize an AED, an emergency action plan – are all super, super helpful.”
As for other tips and recommendations for raising awareness and improving cardiac health for young athletes?
“The big things I would say are before participating – see your physician, see your health care provider,” said Lander. “If you have a symptom, whether it be something really obvious or subtle – pay attention. Don’t ignore it. If it’s happening in the moment, sit down, relax, and bring it to the attention of your coaches and trainers, who may then escalate it to the physicians, if needed. And again, I always encourage athletes, coaches, parents to get trained in CPR. Know how to do CPR just in case the need arises.”
And Lander again stressed that he tries to educate athletes and their parents about these types of issues, but also noted that most competitive athletes are in touch and in tune with their bodies.
“They know that when they just, for some reason, can’t get to that next level or they feel like they were lagging behind their typical baseline or lagging behind their teammates,” Lander explained. “And they’re just not sure why. These are some of the more subtle things. And we point out and say listen, ‘bring it to the attention of your trainers, your coaches, your physicians.’ Because there may be something going on that’s causing that – that hopefully we can get to that early and prevent something from happening.”
As the week comes to a close, the strike at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick remains very much ongoing, with a stalemate persisting between the United Steel Workers 4-200 union – representing more than 1,700 striking nurses – and the facility’s management.
The walkout, which began Aug. 4, will now enter its fourth week with no end in sight — negotiations were not held this week and none are on the horizon.
“As of today, we have not been notified of an upcoming mediation session with the union. Both parties last met Aug. 16 for approximately seven hours with the assistance of two federal mediators,” RWJUH spokesperson Wendy Gottsegen told NJBIZ in a statement. “Unfortunately, there was no progress and no further dates for negotiations have been scheduled by the mediators.”
“As you know, negotiations continued last week through a federal mediator,” the union wrote to its members in an Aug. 22 update. “Management rejected our most recent proposal, and we are still waiting for a counterproposal from the hospital. Our talks primarily centered on staffing, and our bargaining committee continues to work to explore a number of options that adequately address staffing and enforce ratios.
“We have been clear throughout this process that it’s essential to have staffing ratios that account for acuity and help stave off burnout,” the message continued. “We have been unable to move the hospital on this issue since we began bargaining.”
“Now we need to ensure staffing ratios function as designed so patients get the best possible care and nurses can attend to their own health and well-being,” the union added. “There are currently no new talks scheduled. We continue to urge management to join us back at the table to negotiate in good faith for the fair contract we have earned and deserved.”
Open for business
Throughout the strike, RWJUH has contracted with a staffing agency to hire replacement nurses, and says that the hospital is fully operational.
“As always, our top priority is to our patients,” said Gottsegen. “RWJUH is open, fully operational and completely staffed, and we remain steadfast in our commitment to deliver the highest quality and always-safe patient care.”
In an update on Aug. 17 to community members, RWJUH said that the strike has had significant economic ramifications for nurses and for the hospital – noting that it has spent more than $25 million for replacement nurses.
Lee
“These funds could be better utilized for patient care, staff wages, and improvements throughout the hospital,” said Alan Lee, president, RWJUH. “Sadly, this will also deeply affect our nurses and their families, with lost wages and benefits.”
Lee said it is unfortunate that there has been no resolution yet with the union, but promised to keep operations fully staffed with the replacement nurses until the strike is resolved.
Earlier this week, the situation took another twist when prominent, pro-labor lawmaker U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, sent a letter to RWJBarnabas Health President and CEO Mark Manigan in solidarity with the striking nurses and urging leadership to negotiate in good faith with the union and reach a fair contract agreement.
“This is your opportunity to do the right thing and work with your employees to improve your hospital for workers and patients,” Sanders wrote.
Following a continued impasse in negotiations, United Steelworkers (USW) Local 4-200, the union representing more than 1,700 nurses at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) in New Brunswick, officially began an unfair labor practice strike Friday morning.
The group’s most recent contract expired June 30, after several months of stalled bargaining. That agreement was then extended to July 21. Three days later, after a continued stalemate, the union notified management of its intent to strike July 24, which took effect at 7 a.m. on Aug. 4.
“Our members remain deeply committed to our patients,” said Local 4-200 President Judy Danella. “However, we must address urgent concerns like staffing. We need enough nurses on each shift, on each floor, so we can devote more time to each patient and keep ourselves safe on the job. We are deeply grateful for the community that supported us as we worked through the pandemic and for all those who are with us now as management is forcing us to make the painful decision to go on strike.”
“We are deeply disappointed that the union has decided to take this extreme action. It did not and should not have come to this. This is not a strike of necessity and could have been avoided had the union not been so intent on this outcome,” said Wendy Gottsegen, RWJUH spokesperson, in a statement on Friday. “Throughout this process, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital has continued to negotiate in good faith with United Steel Workers 4-200, the union representing our nurses. We have remained open to talking with the goal of averting a strike and reaching a fair and equitable resolution.”
Gottsegen says that RWJUH has done everything it could to avoid this strike.
“We twice accepted the union’s demands. We offered to go to arbitration or submit to a board of inquiry, and the union rejected both,” said Gottsegen. “Even after we extended a new offer on Wednesday that would have further addressed their staffing concerns, it was met with silence. We are awaiting a response from the union and are questioning why we are in this position instead of at the table negotiating. RWJUH is already among the highest staffed hospitals in the state and our nurses are currently the highest paid in New Jersey, based on available public data. Our offers would have increased both.”
RWJUH stressed that the strike will not hamper its ability to provide the highest-quality care for its patients.
“We want to reassure our patients, their families, and our community that we continue to care for our patients without interruption,” said Gottsegen. “We remain fully open and continue to deliver the high-quality care they deserve. We urge the union to respond to our latest offer and continue good-faith negotiations so that we can end this strike.”
Danella said that the union remains ready to continue bargaining and invited management to join them at the table.
“Nursing is more than a job for most of us” said Danella. “It’s a mission. Our top priority is negotiating a fair contract so we can return to patient care.”
✊The unfair labor practices strike against Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Jersey is happening. Our 1,700 members at USW Local 4-200 could use your support as they fight for safe staffing and the best patient care. More: https://t.co/eIoC2kYBwU#1u#OneDayLongerpic.twitter.com/ZKStNYP4xk
— United Steelworkers #EverybodysUnion (@steelworkers) August 4, 2023
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Rahway, an RWJBarnabas Health facility, recently added new robotic technology to its surgical offerings.
The da Vinci X Surgical System is minimally invasive equipment that can be used during various procedures, offering surgeons better visuals, enhanced capabilities and improved instrument control, according to a July 10 announcement.
RWJUH Rahway said the benefits of the robotic system include smaller incisions, improved access and visualization, shorter surgery and recovery times, as well as less blood loss and scarring.
From left: Caroline Kornutik, senior director of perioperative services; Marissa Soriano, registered nurse; and Elena Akbay, registered nurse and robotic coordinator at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Rahway. – RWJUH RAHWAY –
“The introduction and investment in robotic technology at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Rahway is a significant milestone in our commitment to transform care for the residents of Union County,” RWJUH Rahway President and CEO Kirk Tice said in a statement.
The da Vinci X Surgical System features “tiny wristed instruments” that move like a human hand, but with greater range of motion. By translating a surgeon’s hand movements and bending and rotating in real time, the technology allows clinicians to operate through small incisions. Simultaneously, the technology delivers 3D, high-definition views of the surgical area.
RWJUH Rahway said its surgery team is using the robot to perform radical prostatectomy, simple prostatectomy, extended pelvic lymph node dissection, partial nephrectomy, cystectomy, cholecystectomy, inguinal hernia repair, gastric sleeve, umbilical hernia repair and kidney biopsies.
“We are excited about the positive impact the da Vinci X brings to our hospital and the enhancement it offers our surgeons to expand the range of minimally invasive surgical capabilities which benefits patients,” Tice said.
Other New Jersey hospitals are employing robotic technology, including the Atlantic Health System Cancer Care’s Focal One equipment for prostate treatments and the Monarch Robotic Bronchoscopy system, used by Deborah Heart and Lung Center’s cardiothoracic and pulmonary teams for lung cancer detection.
In December 2021, Newark’s University Hospital began using versions of the da Vinci technology for surgical procedures, as well.
After 36 years with Children’s Specialized Hospital Foundation, Philip Salerno III has retired and Alissa Memoli has stepped in as president and chief development officer, effective July 1.
The Mountainside-based organization, which supports the programs and services of Children’s Specialized Hospital, an RWJBarnabas Health facility, announced the leadership change June 26.
Memoli’s responsibilities include overseeing all operations as well as a comprehensive resource development program that includes individual and planned giving, corporate and foundation partnerships, and cause-related marketing, CSHF said.
According to her LinkedIn profile, Memoli joined CSH as director of institutional giving in March 2022. Prior to that, she spent 12 years at the American Heart Association in various leadership roles, including executive and regional director positions covering New Jersey.
Her expertise in nonprofits includes new business development, volunteer and board recruitment, and corporate and community leadership, CSHF stated, adding that “she has shaped policy and strategy at the c-suite level that significantly increased funds raised and generated greater public interest.”
“Alissa is a seasoned leader with a true passion for our mission,” Leslie Taylor, chair of the CSHF board of trustees, said in statement, adding that the board executed an extensive search for the new leader.
Memoli called the appointment “a true honor.”
“I feel privileged to join this team of talented non-profit professionals, clinicians and hospital staff who are wholly dedicated to improving the lives of children,” she added.
CSH provides inpatient and outpatient care for children and young adults facing special health care challenges from chronic illnesses and complex physical disabilities. CSH, which is the Garden State’s local Children’s Miracle Network Hospital, has 15 New Jersey locations.
CSH Mountainside recently unveiled its renovated Pediatric Long Term Care Unit, which was fully funded through the Transforming Lives 2.0 capital campaign. CSHF has raised more than $44 million to fund expansion projects such as this over the past three years.
A ribbon cutting marked the official opening of CSH Mountainside’s renovated Pediatric Long Term Care Unit. From left: Patrick Sweeney, assistant vice president, Children’s Specialized Hospital (CSH) Long Term Care; Dr. Sheryl Vassallo, medical director, CSH Long Term Care; Fred Tewell, chair, CSH board of trustees; Mark Manigan, president and CEO, RWJBarnabas Health; Dr. Matthew McDonald III, president and CEO, CSH; Nick and Fran Boccella, CSH Foundation board of trustees; Philip Salerno, former president and chief development officer, CSH Foundation; Leslie Logan Taylor, chair, CSH Foundation board of trustees; Keely Keefe Marcoux, vice president, Patient Care Services, and chief nursing officer, CSH; Dr. Colin O’Reilly, vice president and chief medical officer, CSH; Pattie Foley, assistant vice president, Regulatory, Risk and Access Management, CSH; Chuck Chianese, vice president and chief operating officer, CSH; Alissa Memoli, director of institutional giving, CSH Foundation. – CHILDREN’S SPECIALIZED HOSPITAL
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