St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center is a highly specialized tertiary healthcare delivery system that offers state-of-the-art, cutting edge, medical and surgery care to our local and distant communities.

All of our physicians are board certified and deliver highly specialized care to their patients in a compassionate and professional manner. The department of obstetrics and gynecology offers diversified levels of personal care to our female population throughout all ages. Patient and family concerns change over the course of a lifetime as do medical technologies and treatment options. Our goal is to educate you about your medical condition and the multitude of options that are available to promote you back to a sense of well-being. Our staff is composed of highly trained general obstetricians and gynecologists as well as specialists in; Maternal fetal high risk pregnancy, Infertility, Pelvic Floor Disorders and Incontinence, Cancer Treatment, and Robotic Surgery.

In the following segment you will meet Dr. Brian Day, one of our experienced robotic surgeons and two of his patients who underwent robotic procedures. These segments highlight an example of one of several daily experiences that occur at St. Joseph's every day. Expert care is in your backyard. If any health issues develop I hope you will consider our Regional Medical Center first for your personalized specialty care.

Brian T. Day, MD, FACOG, is a minimally invasive and robotic GYN surgeon at St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center in Paterson, NJ. Fibroids are the most common benign or non-cancerous gyn condition affecting women. Fibroids are present in approximately 50-80% of women, and cause symptoms in about half of those affected. Symptoms are unique to each woman and can present as frank pelvic pain, painful periods, irregular or heavy menstrual bleeding possibly leading to anemia, or pelvic pressure. Depending upon their size and location they may also impact fertility or increase the chance of adverse pregnancy outcomes. Management of fibroids is oriented toward the type and degree of each woman's symptoms, the size and location of the fibroids, as well as her goals for treatment.

At St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center in Paterson NJ Dr. Day can use a state-of-the-art surgical robot through the DaVinci Surgical System to provide minimally invasive surgical options rather than larger incisions such as those used in cesarian sections, Dr. Day is able to remove large fibroids through a few small incisions only half the size of a dime. These procedures often result in the patient going home the same day. St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center has been recognized nationally by Healthgrades for gynecologic surgery excellence in large part to our leading the curve in minimally invasive surgery, superior outcomes, and low complication rates.

The DaVinci system is an enabling technology, allowing already advanced minimally invasive surgeons to expand this ability to provide this type of surgery to larger groups of people. At all times the surgeon has full control of robotic arms and a 3-D high definition camera to safely remove the fibroids. These allow me more precise movement and enhanced mobility while performing the surgery and significantly enhance visualization leading to fewer complications, less blood loss, and less post-operative pain as well as a fast return to normal activity.

Patient care is more than just healing -- it's building a connection that encompasses mind, body and soul. If you could stand in someone else's shoes . . . hear what they hear. See what they see. Feel what they feel. Would you treat them differently? CEO Toby Cosgrove, MD, shared this video, titled "Empathy," with the Cleveland Clinic staff during his 2012 State of the Clinic address on Feb. 27, 2013.

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Brian T. Day, MD, FACOG, Obstetrics and Gynecology, St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center presents health tips on Uterine Fibroids.

It is a wonderful feeling to be associated with the hospital, to be a part of a team and to know that the work that we've done together as a part of the St. Joseph's team has gotten St. Joseph's to the point that it is. It started back in the 90s and we've had our partnership for 20 years now. Our infrastructure with our company has most of the same people who started the company 11 years ago. In our business people come and go all the time. It's very important for us to be able to contribute to the community and to the hospital at the same time and to be able to help people by getting them here and making sure they are seen and get the proper treatment that is needed. They're two sides to a coin, Nino the quiet, strong, faithful presence and David the go big or go home personality, dedication, real steadfastness, and together they really do contribute to what St. Joseph's is all about and that mission to care for people regardless of what the need is. Because we care for many families that come from low-income housing sometimes these families receive more at the hospital than they would at home so even though they are in a difficult situation and have to spend the holiday at the hospital the gifts that are provided to them from Pulse Medical Transportation really do make it a bright and merry holiday season for them. They're always conscious of not having only a business relationship with St. Joseph's but really a partnership in our ministry.

"Our vision was to be a patient-care driven company and not a dollar driven company." Said David Incorvaia, "We will take any patient from any residence to this hospital or to any other hospital for that matter that we service because its important if we service the hospital we service the community also. When i work with the Sisters of Charity and senior staff here, they're all about patient care and about helping people, that's what I want to be a part of."

Dr. Christakos is what the Kendrick Lance award is about. He is a dedicated physician, works tirelessly, and is as enthusiastic about what he does as he was in training. His energy, dedication and enthusiasm not just for his patients but also for his profession really jumps out at you and pulls you in. He's been a real motivating force for surgeons and physicians within the institution and we have a very large training program and its been fantastic for our residents to interact with them, he's been a real mentor for them. He's always looking at ways to do whats best for his patients. On behalf of the St. Joseph's Healthcare System community and more importantly all the patients from Paterson and around this area who Dr. Christakos has taken care of, we would like to thank him for his contributions.

"I enjoy it. I've been on the attending staff at St. Joseph's for about 32 years." Said Dr. Christakos, "Many of the people that I started with are still here practicing so it just seems like one big family. I've spent a lot of time in the hospitals, many many nights and weeks and my wife certainly was very understanding."

This last year has really been an exciting one. We finished the first phase of our Capital Campaign projects which is the final opening of the outpatient center and an expansion of the Emergency room as well as a new helipad. Many of the clinical programs have advanced as well with Geriatric Care in the emergency room as well as palliative care. We've really offered an opportunity for those patients to receive a level of care that they were not receiving before. We have also begun a complete revitalization of the interiors of our hospitals including more private rooms to accommodate our patients in a much more positive and open environment.

This last year we also received numerous awards for the outstanding care that goes on at St. Joseph's including U.S. News and World Report naming St. Joseph's one of the Best Regional Hospitals in the New York, NY region in 4 different specialties, and the Most Wired award. We're very proud to have set the pace in doing a lot of electronic medical records, certification of all of our nursing units online, as well as order entry for all of our physician's orders. We've also received the Magnet Nursing Award over the last 10 years we received it 3 times and continue to provide nursing excellence inside the organization. 145 years ago the sisters made a commitment to this community to take care of everybody who needs our care, that mission has only strengthened with the new investments we've made.

Last year alone we re-increased charity care by over $14 million and we are now the second largest provider of charity care in the state of New Jersey. We're also the second largest provider of medicaid in the state as well as the fourth busiest emergency room in the United States. Whatever clinical challenges we encounter, this organization has been able to respond to them, and in many ways exceed them. The only way we can afford to do some of these programs is through the foundations that support our hospitals.This is the 30th anniversary of our foundation.

The mission of the St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center Foundation is solely directed at raising money for the projects and programs here at the Medical Center. The Foundation has had a tremendously positive impact on the organization and it has been an extroadinary 30 plus years and the mission continues to grow and become stronger as the years go on. The money we raise goes to support the priority programs, and there are so many people out there that have the ability to make a difference who are making contributions and that money is then used for the benefit of the patients and for the people in the community for programs that are most important to them.

We could never have grown to who we are today without the work of the foundation. Donors are the oxygen that really keeps the patient alive. We need to encourage, support and educate the community so that the foundations can grow. 

St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center Foundation hosted its 4th annual Cooking for Kids: Gourmet Fare from Everywhere to benefit the St. Joseph's Children's Hospital. Lidia Bastianich returned as the honoree chef and commented on the event, "I love that its grown since last year and what they do at St. Joseph's Hospital is so tremendous and I just wanted to be there." Celebrity chef Ariane Duarte, Restaurant CulinAriane, also attended and served up some delectable dishes along with celebrity chef Ryan DePersio, Fascino and Bar Cara. A silent auction was held as well to help raise additional funds.

St. Joesph's Regional Medical Center Foundation hosts its 2010 3rd Annual Cooking for Kids: Gourmet Fare From Everywhere fundraising event to benefit the St. Joseph's Children's Hospital. More than 850 people were in attendance to enjoy culinary specialties from many local chefs and restaurants. Lidia Bastianich was the honored chef of the evening who noted, "It's been really worthwhile, if my presence can bring just a little bit of attention then I will be here." A silent auction featuring sailing around New York City on a Yacht as well as Yankees offers added further to the thousands of dollars raised for St. Joseph's Children's Hospital.

James LaBagnara, MD, FACS, Vice President, Medical Affairs, St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center, provides important information regarding effective treatments of nose bleeds and recommendations for prevention.

Nose bleeding is a fairly common condition in adults, but it is even more common in children. The bleeding point most often is on the nasal septum, only a half an inch or three quarters of an inch into the nostril. Most nasal bleeding is fairly minor and easily controlled at home by simply applying pressure to the nostril that's bleeding. An even better method is to soak a piece of cotton with either Afrin or Neo-Synephrine, place the cotton ball in the bleeding nostril and pinch the nose closed for about 10 minutes. This will be effective in probably 98% of the cases. Serious nasal bleeding can occur in some medical conditions when there is a problem with coagulation or the person is taking anticoagulants. Aspirin is an antiplatelet drug and a serious anticoagulant and probably the most common drug to cause nose bleeds. After applying local pressure, a good second step is to stop the Aspirin and let your doctor know.

The following popular methods of controlling nose bleeds arecompletely ineffective:

• Putting ice on the back of the neck
• Putting a piece of a brown paper bag inside the lower lip
• Putting the head down to let the blood out; keep your head erect
• Letting the nose bleed continuously 'to lower the pressure'
• Squeezing the nasal bone on the bridge of the nose

Recurrent nasal bleeding in adults and children, whether taking Aspirin or not, require a visit to your ENT doctor where the nose can be cauterized easily and painlessly with a little anesthesia. Things you can do to prevent nose bleeds:

• Keep the membranes of the nose moist especially in winter months with saline drops or gel or a medicated ointment
• Don't blow your nose too hard, be gentle
• And of course, keep your fingers out of your nose!

Remember nasal bleeding, or bleeding from anywhere is never normal, always consult your doctor.

The Sixth Annual Cooking for Kids Gourmet Fair from Everywhere is being held on Wednesday March 20^th at Westmount Country Club in Woodland Park and runs from 6:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. Timothy Barr is Vice President for Development and Executive Director of the Foundation of St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center and will be calling in to provide more details.

"This year we have moved over to the Westmount Country Club we think it has great amenities as well as good parking and we also moved it so that we could accomodate the Napa Valley Vintners who are in town in March and we were looking for a date where they could participate and are really looking forward to it. This year we have 50 or more restaurants and beverage providers and we have Pig & Prince, Morris Tap and Grill, and some new restaurants this year we are happy to welcome The Bernard's Inn, Maritime Parc, and the French Quarter gourmet food truck which is very popular this year.

People buy their tickets online and can go to our website and buy tickets and from there. It's a tasting menu so all of these restaurants bring their favorite dish and you get to taste and sip and the vintners will provide those matching wines that will make the food that much better.

It's a night where we really focus and celebrate all the work that goes on at St. Joseph's Children's Hospital and we acknowledge the Doctors and Nurses who provide that care everyday. The event helps us raise awareness about what happens at The Children's Hospital and we hope that if we're ever needed we're be the Hospital of choice for the region in Pediatric Care. The funds that we raise at the evening go to support these programs and for that reason alone its important for the community and the patients we serve.

We've raised hundreds of thousands of dollars over the past few years and we usually have about 500-600 people or more every year so it's been a great success it's really helped us to raise a lot of money and awareness for a very worthy cause.

Michael Maroules, MD, Hematology/Oncology, St. Joseph's Healthcare System, shares tips on signs and symptoms of lung cancer and the need for early detection.

Lung Cancer remains the leading cause of cancer associated death in the United States. As we all know, cigarette smoking is the cause of lung cancer in over 90% of patients who develop lung cancer. Signs and symptoms are often weight loss, or a change in the nature of a chronic cough. As we know smokers often have a chronic cough and should that change, that's often a sign that cancer is developing.

Early detection is important, currently there are studies showing patients who are at a higher risk can get CAT scans periodically to detect cancers at an earlier stage. Once its diagnosed, we can often remove it surgically and it has been proven that if a patient has stage II or III disease, which means the cancer has not spread, that if the patients receive chemotherapy 3-4 months after the surgery their chances of being cured increases. Should you develop the signs and symptoms of lung cancer please see your physician as soon as possible since early detection will improve your chances of being cured.

Dr. Sapna Parikh reports from Public School 5 in Paterson where the school is trying a new approach, this time the parents are required to be involved.

These middle school students at Public School 5 are getting fitness and health tests. They are kicking off a new after school wellness program called RUSH which stands for Reaching Ultimate Student Health.

"The thing that makes this program different is that we do ask that the parents are involved." Registered dietitian and exercise physiologist Dr. Jamie Pula, St. Joseph's Children's Hospital, says parental perception plays a huge role in childhood obesity. "If a parent doesn't realize that a child has a weight management concern or issue than whatever we try to do with the child is not going to work out."

For the next 12 weeks the students will have sessions after school where they will learn about nutrition and exercises they can do on their own. Once a month they'll have a family social event where parents and their kids come to the school, get a healthy meal and a lesson on topics such as 'How to eat healthy on a budget'.

The program was inspired by first lady Michelle Obama's health initiatives and is paid for primarily by grants and doesn't cost the school anything.

The program ends on May 17th when the school will survey the parents to see what they've learned and see if their perceptions have changed. If the program is successful and there is funding they hope to expand to other schools and maybe even be a model for schools nationwide.

Steven Grossman, MD, FACC, Cardiologist, Associate Director, Cardiac Rehabilitation, St. Joseph's Healthcare System, is here to bring you more information about Congestive Heart Failure and its symptoms and diagnosis along with treatment options to consider.

Congestive Heart Failure is the most frequent cause for hospitalizations in the US. It is the failure of the heart to pump sufficient blood to the body and/or the failure of the heart to empty blood adequately. It is caused by Coronary Artery Disease, Coronary Ischemia, Hypertension, Faulty Heart Valves, Leaking or Insufficient Heart Valves, or Sticky Heart Valves.

Patients that are most at risk are those that suffer from coronary artery disease, hypertension, obesity, diabetes, alcohol abuse, and those who have  a family history of cardiomyopathies. Symptoms include: shortness of breath (with mild physical activity especially when lying down), fatigue (decreased exercise capacity), edema (swelling of the legs), weight gain (unexplained increased abdominal girth without increase in food consumption), a non-productive cough, a cold (that lingers for weeks or months despite antibiotic therapy), or decreased appetite (especially is associated with weight gain).

Your physician can see noticeable signs that clue them in to the diagnosis including distended neck veins, increased fluid in lungs, heart enlargement, heart murmurs, enlarged liver and swollen legs which are noticeable in a routine exam. From there an x-ray may show an enlarged heart or fluid in the lungs. EKGs may reveal heart attacks or thickening of the heart muscle or insufficient blood flow to the heart. If Congestive Heart Failure is suspected from this finding the most important clinical clue would be an echocardiogram, exercise stress test with nuclear imaging or coupled with echocardiograms. For those who cannot exercise pharmacological stress nuclear imaging can be performed. Treatment options include medication, life modifications including a lower salt diet, weight loss and regular exercise as tolerated.

It's important to understand that Congestive Heart Failure frequently develops slowly over time and the symptoms that we talked about can develop suddenly so keep them in mind and see your general practitioner annually to assure you are making the diagnosis early when therapy can be most effective.

St. Vincent's Nursing Home is a place of caring with a rich history in healthcare that dates back to 1899 when the Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth incorporated St. Vincent's founding home in what was the original immaculate conception church in Montclair. St. Vincent's Nursing Home provided long-term care to the frail, elderly, and dependent adults in Montclair until February 24, 2001. It then relocated to Cedar Grove in a beautiful 14-acre park like setting. It is a modern 151 bed nursing home just 15 minutes from St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center in Paterson and St. Joseph's Wayne Hospital. Certified by Medicare and Medicaid, St. Vincent's offers Sub Acute Care, Hospice Care, Respite Care and Long Term Care.

Long Term Care
Our dedicated interdisciplinary team of care givers includes physicians who are board-certified physicians in geriatric medicine, advanced geriatric nurse practitioners, medical specialty consultants, a dentist, podiatrists, an ophthalmologist, an optometrist, RN's, LPN's, certified nurses aides, rehabilitation staff, activity assistants, dietitians, a psychologist, a pastoral minister and social workers. From a fully equipped beauty salon and barber shop to a gift shop with many options and a quaint cafe, St. Vincent's Nursing Home has a full complement of amenities enhancing the quality of life for our residents.

Sub Acute Care
The all private sub acute rooms are located in close proximity to the rehabilitation department at St. Vincent's Nursing Home. These rooms offer private bathrooms with showers. The goals of individualized sub acute services at St. Vincent's Nursing Home are: to restore the patient to his/her highest level of functioning; reintegrate the patient to the community; increase the patient's understanding of his/her medication regimen, improve the patient's range of motion, endurance and mobility and strengthen the patient's muscles. Rehabilitation Department services at St. Vincent's are Monday through Saturday and are also available on Sunday if the physician orders a seven day per week course of therapy. The admissions criteria for sub acute care at St. Vincent's includes: privately insured patients and patients with Medicare coverage who are alert and oriented; with hip or knee replacement; IV antibiotic therapy; de-conditioned patients with pneumonia and COPD (These patients are expected for an average 20-day length of stay).

This new service is provided by physician referral through case management provided by St. Joseph's Paterson and St. Joseph's Wayne.

Hospice Care
Hospice Care from a dedicated and caring team can make a meaningful difference for those facing end of life and for their loved ones. The Hospice team can reduce physical pain, ease emotional and spiritual suffering, and facilitate financial and legal activities as needed. As a team, St. Vincent's Nursing Home's staff and the hospice staff develop an individualized plan of care, focusing on the comfort of the resident. Realizing that they are also going through a difficult time, the staff at St. Vincent's Nursing Home also provides comfort and assistance to family members.

Respite Care
St. Vincent's Nursing Home provides respite care services to meet the needs of the resident and the family. Respite care is short-term temporary care provided to families, who are daily caregivers for a loved one.  At St. Vincent's, the respite resident's home routine is followed as closely as possible to ensure a smooth, temporary transition. This information is gathered prior to the respite admission from the family along with the resident's medical history, current medications, diet, and other daily needs. A personalized care plan is developed to provide the assistance and care required by the respite resident. Respite Care at St. Vincent's Nursing Home allows families time to relax knowing that their loved one is in a quality-focused, safe and secure environment.

At St. Vincent's nursing home our team works together to coordinate care maximizing dependence and quality of life. For additional information on services available at St. Vincent's Nursing Home please contact the Admission Coordinator at 973.754.4850 or 973.754.4800.

Joining Dr. Derek Desilva is Dr. Mark Rosenberg, Chairman of Emergency Medicine at St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center in Paterson NJ.

"Part of the care for seniors in the Emergency Department requires understanding of serious illness and palliative medicine. Palliative medicine is taking care of somebody's symptoms, non-curative symptom management for serious illness. It could be taking care of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, pain and other non-pain symptoms. The most important thing for someone with a serious illness is that they understand their illness. There has to be transparent communication what the doctor knows about the illness, where it might progress, what the endpoint might be with the illness. Most important is the patients have to define their goals of care how much aggressive treatment do they want or not want, if they're seriously ill do they want to make it to a certain point, what are their goals of care. What's interesting about life is you have to plan for the worst and hope for the best. That's how it is with any serious illness, palliative medicine is kind of like an insurance policy, let me find out what i need to do and then if I survive and do very well from this illness all the better.  The key is patients want to go home with serious illnesses, they don't want to die in the hospital. If I am the leading expert in symptom management I can get you home comfortably rather than keep you in the hospital to control your symptoms. The family and the patient, siblings, children, they all need support if the parent or loved one has a serious illness or a life-threatening illness. The whole family has to be supportive when any member of the family has a life-threatening or serious illness. The support has to come from the caregiver side, palliative medicine is a team approach."

Dr. Derek Desilva joins Dr. Mark Rosenberg, Chairman of Emergency Medicine at St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center in Paterson NJ. Dr. Rosenberg shares a personal story about his mother who hated her Emergency Department experiences and used that past to create a more pleasant environment for geriatric emergency care at St. Joseph's.

"The elderly population already has significant healthcare problems, relatively minor but it's in the background. They may have emphysema, hypertension, or COPD and when they get sick they call their physician and their physician is frequently overcrowded. What they say is go to the emergency department so we see seniors 7 times more frequently than their younger cohorts. This is different because we put together everything we need to make a senior comfortable in the emergency department. It's not only the amenities it's the concierge service, the complimentary medicine, and it's also the training of the staff to better take care of seniors and their needs. The harpist that we invite in makes the patients feel better and it makes the staff feel better. The nurses love it and therefore they can give better care to the seniors and it is the best single thing we have ever done. When the senior gets to the emergency department it's very important that they're relaxed, that they're able to give a good history to the physician and to the caregiving team and allow the caregiving team to best take care of them."

St. Joseph's Healthcare System has seen more than 1.7 million outpatient procedures & visits, more than 200,000 patient days, and more than 145,000 Emergency Department visits. St. Joseph's is caring, compassionate, and expanding. In June of 2009 the DePaul Ambulatory Care Center was completed in Paterson NJ. In October 2009 St. Joseph's Wayne Hospital expanded its Surgical Care Suites. In October 2012 we complete our Critical Care Tower at St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center. In Winter of 2010 we expanded our Critical Care Unit at St. Joseph's Wayne Hospital. In September 2010 we opened our newly renovated lobby and Women & Children waiting area along with a new conference center at St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center. Our Capital Campaign makes this possible; most importantly YOU make this possible. We have raised more than 37 million dollars in donations to date and still need 13 million. St. Joseph's is expanding healthcare services for our communities. St. Joseph's is meeting the growing demand for inpatient & outpatient care. St. Joseph's is building a healthy community. St. Joseph's is the future, and YOU are still needed!

Learn about Brandon's accident on Christmas Eve which led to his treatment at St. joseph's Children's Hospital in Paterson NJ. Brandon received special treatment from Pediatric Orthopedic Surgeons who saved his hip bone and gave him the ability to maintain control and mobility of his legs after receiving a diagnosis with a 90% chance of paralysis. Learn more about St. Joseph's at www.StJosephsHealth.org!

Atrial Fibrillation is the most common abnormal heart rhythm affecting nearly 2.7 million Americans. Alexander Wohler, MD, FACS, Cardiothoracic Surgery, St. Joseph's Healthcare System is here to discuss treatment options for Atrial Fibrillation.

Patients with a-fib are five times more likely to have a stroke than the general population. At least one of every three patients with a-fib will have a stroke in their lifetime. Strokes caused by a-fib are usually more serious and more likely to be fatal as compared to strokes from other causes. It is important to realize that a-fib is a serious problem that significantly increases the risk of disability, major strokes and death. Sometimes a-fib is associated with other heart conditions such as problems with valves of the heart.

Atrial Fibrillation Symptoms include palpitations (heart fluttering), fainting, fatigue, and shortness of breath (especially with exercise). Multiple treatment options are available that range from medications with limited success to surgery which is called a Maze procedure. Many times people with a-fib need heart surgery for other reasons and a MAZE procedure is done as part of the operation.

In select centers minimally invasive MAZE procedures are also available, especially for those who don't require open heart surgery. These procedures are done with a small camera, or scope, have very small incisions and are very well tolerated. The MAZE procedures are highly effective, with up to a 90% success rate in appropriately selected patients. Many patients are free from atrial fibrillation permanently as a result of the surgery and may be able to be free of all medications for a-fib, including blood-thinners.

While not many institutions are performing these procedures, they are available at: St. Joseph's Cardiac Arrhythmia Surgery Service.

A wide range of services are available for patients with atrial fibrillation, we encourage you to look into options and discuss them with your physician.

A major flu outbreak is affecting nearly the entire country, at least 20 children have died and 47 states are reporting widespread cases of the flu. The flu is hitting densely packed urban areas like New York City particularly hard. Centers for Disease control are urging people who have not yet received the flu vaccine to get it saying it's not too late. Usually a curse mid-winter, this year the flu struck more than a month early. 24 states are experiencing high influenza-like illness.

"All of a sudden, out of nowhere, we started seeing up to 50/60 cases of flu a day," Dr. Mark Rosenberg is in charge of the Emergency Room at St. Joseph's in Paterson NJ. "The flu kicks you in the butt, it makes you weak. Any medical problem you have on top of that is going to be exacerbated because you have the flu."

In severe cases antiviral drugs can help you lessen symptoms. The CDC says the best prevention is the flu vaccine with nearly 130 million doses of it having been distributed. The CDC says the flu vaccine is effective in 62% of cases. Flu-like symptoms don't always mean that you have the flu. Hospitals are encouraging patients to see their own doctors or go to urgent care facilities before flooding emergency rooms. There are signs that the flu may be peaking in some states. For most of us the flu season is 12 weeks long and we are about halfway through.

The flu is now an epidemic in New Jersey. Hospitals in New Jersey have reported major increases in flu cases over the past few weeks.

Mark Rosenberg, DO, Chairman, Emergency Medicine at St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center in Paterson New Jersey gave a telephone interview to explain the influx at St. Joseph's.

"On monday we saw an unprecendented level of patients in the emergency department. We saw almost 520 cases, not all the flu, but on a normal day we would see closer to 400. Because of the storm (Hurricane Sandy) because of the stress it does lower the resistance and make people more susceptible to illnesses and particularly viruses."

Watch the full video to find out more.

Learn about Rehabilitation Services at St. Joseph's Healthcare System.

The Rehabilitation Service Line at St. Joseph's Healthcare System is an opportunity for all of the professionals to offer a continuum of inpatient hospital, nursing home, acute rehabilitation unit, and home care services. We make sure in rehab that on the very first visit that the patient's goal and the therapist's goal are the same.

The system approach is very integrative or continuus. A patient may come in through the trauma bay at the St. Joe's Paterson campus, get stabilized and then come into the acute rehabilitation unit and continue with their therapy to be reintegrated back into the community. We see patients with all different types of diagnosis from trauma to strokes to rheumatological problems, multiple schlerosis, amputations. Any patient after they've suffered an impairment or a disability their most important concern is the attempt to return to a vocation and functional independence.

We demand the highest level of certification that any treatment individual can obtain towards our patients and the reason being is that that's where you can offer that expertise level of care. For the Acute Rehabilitation Unit we have a physical therapist and occupational therapist.

The Rehabilitation Service Line in the St. Joseph's Healthcare System is an opportunity for the rehabilitation specialists, physical occupational therapists as well as physician and nursing services to integrate what the other medical specialists have done to stabilize the patient then to teach the patient what needs to be done in order to transition into a safe home care situation.

The goal for the geriatric emergency department is to improve healthcare and emergency healthcare for functional and emergent seniors. This is for all of our aging parents, grandparents, and even for ourselves when we finally hit that age of 65 when we'll be eligible to come into the geriatric emergency department.

There are several parts to a geriatric emergency department and one of those is education. Both our nursing staff and our medical staff have been trained on how to manage geriatric illnesses. It also has to do with quality initiatives. We have a call back program, we call it the 2 step emergency department. Not only are patients seen in the emergency department which is step 1 but they're actually re-evaluated the next day at home which is step 2. We have found that the 2 step process actually decreases functional decline in functionally independent seniors.

When you have a staff that is very attuned to geriatric needs and they know about continuity of care and medication interactions its just an added resource to help you be a better physician  and take care of patients, not only taking care of them in the emergency department but also upon discharge making sure they're all set up for follow-up care and social services. There's so much work that has gone into the physical plan. The point here is to make it much less noisy. These ceiling tiles are 4 inches thick and they have insulation above them. These lights change color to appear soothing as a patient when you're in here we can change the lights any way you want. We have incandescent lights, dimmable flourescent lights, these mattresses are dense foam mattresses and that way its more comfortable if you have to stay here for an extended period of time. The flooring is non-glare non-slip and we're going to encourage our patients while they're here if they're waiting for tests to walk up and down this hallway. Part of our healing is we have a medical harpist for people who are very anxious, if we can make them more calm we can better manage their anxiety, their blood pressure, their delirium, and we can use less medications and give better healthcare.

This coming year we'll see 28,000 seniors that will come through our geriatric emergency department. This absolutely is the way to the future, having an emergency department with staff and follow-ups you're helping to plan accordingly and also prevent a lot of repeat visits to the emergency department. Geriatrics particularly will feel very welcomed and gratified by all the special treatment they are going to receive.

Because of the flexibility of this administrative staff, the Sisters willing to try something new we were able to put together a program that never existed anywhere in the country that now will become the standard for geriatric emergency care.

MRI stands for Magnetic Resonance Imaging, your doctor wants us to take some pictures of the insides of your body using a big camera. Some people think the MRI machine looks like a giant circle. Even though the MRI machine is very big, there's nothing to be afraid of when you come to visit us and have your pictures taken. In fact, keep watching and find out what will happen when you come for your MRI exam.

When you first get here my friends will ask you and your family members a few questions. We'll ask a few questions first like your name, how old you are, things like that, then we want to make sure that it's ok for you to go into the MRI machine. The MRI machine uses big magnets to help take the pictures so we want to make sure you don't have any metal things in your body or in your pockets. Metal items will make the pictures blurry. When we finish asking all of the questions we'll have your family member help you take off some of your clothes and put on a gown which looks like pajamas. Then we're ready to get started with your MRI exam.

When we bring you into the room look around, right in the middle of the room you'll see the big MRI machine. There's a sound that is similar to the noise of birds chirping that is letting us know that the machine is turned on. This is the MRI table, it's where you lie down while the machine is taking pictures of you, depending on what part of your body we're going to take pictures of we may put a piece of equipment around that part of your body. The equipment will let the camera know what part of your body we're going to photograph. Once you are lying down on the table, the table will move into the middle of the giant circle. The middle is open so you can see through to the other side. This is where we take the pictures for your doctor. You will not feel anything, but you will hear loud sounds coming from the machine so we'll give you some earplugs to help keep the noise out.

While you are in the MRI machine, your family member will be around the whole time. They can talk to you while you're in the machine, but we need you to try to hold very still, like when someone is trying to take your picture, so that your pictures aren't blurry. The technologist is the person who will be taking the pictures and they will be sitting behind the glass, they will even be able to talk to you using the microphone and can hear what you say too. After we take all of the pictures we will slide the table back out of the middle of the giant circle and will help you get down from the table.

The goal for the geriatric emergency department is to improve healthcare and emergency healthcare for functional and emergent seniors. This is for all of our aging parents, grandparents, and even for ourselves when we finally hit that age of 65 when we'll be eligible to come into the geriatric emergency department.

There are several parts to a geriatric emergency department and one of those is education. Both our nursing staff and our medical staff have been trained on how to manage geriatric illnesses. It also has to do with quality initiatives. We have a call back program, we call it the 2 step emergency department. Not only are patients seen in the emergency department which is step 1 but they're actually re-evaluated the next day at home which is step 2. We have found that the 2 step process actually decreases functional decline in functionally independent seniors.

When you have a staff that is very attuned to geriatric needs and they know about continuity of care and medication interactions its just an added resource to help you be a better physician  and take care of patients, not only taking care of them in the emergency department but also upon discharge making sure they're all set up for follow-up care and social services. There's so much work that has gone into the physical plan. The point here is to make it much less noisy. These ceiling tiles are 4 inches thick and they have insulation above them. These lights change color to appear soothing as a patient when you're in here we can change the lights any way you want. We have incandescent lights, dimmable flourescent lights, these mattresses are dense foam mattresses and that way its more comfortable if you have to stay here for an extended period of time. The flooring is non-glare non-slip and we're going to encourage our patients while they're here if they're waiting for tests to walk up and down this hallway. Part of our healing is we have a medical harpist for people who are very anxious, if we can make them more calm we can better manage their anxiety, their blood pressure, their delirium, and we can use less medications and give better healthcare.

This coming year we'll see 28,000 seniors that will come through our geriatric emergency department. This absolutely is the way to the future, having an emergency department with staff and follow-ups you're helping to plan accordingly and also prevent a lot of repeat visits to the emergency department. Geriatrics particularly will feel very welcomed and gratified by all the special treatment they are going to receive.

Because of the flexibility of this administrative staff, the Sisters willing to try something new we were able to put together a program that never existed anywhere in the country that now will become the standard for geriatric emergency care.

The Alfiero and Lucia Palestroni Birth Defects Center at the St. Joseph's Children Hospital located at St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center in Paterson NJ illustrates their excellence of care model. The center organizes both disease specific clinics and medical care for children and adults with complex medical conditions. 

The pediatric orthopedic clinic at St. Joseph's is now seeing up to 60 children a week. We've fostered a lot of new referrals from physicians and institutions that we never have before. This is with every passing year creating more of a strain on the time and resources available within the institution. The level of involvement in pediatrics is very different than you would see in traditional medicine, we are trying to correct things that take a lifetime to resolve. The Palestroni Center was developed in 2007 through the generosity of the Alfiero & Lucia Palestroni Foundation.

The Alfiero and Lucia Palestroni Birth Defects Center at the St. Joseph's Children Hospital located at St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center in Paterson NJ illustrates their excellence of care model. The center organizes both disease specific clinics and medical care for children and adults with complex medical conditions. 

The pediatric orthopedic clinic at St. Joseph's is now seeing up to 60 children a week. We've fostered a lot of new referrals from physicians and institutions that we never have before. This is with every passing year creating more of a strain on the time and resources available within the institution. The level of involvement in pediatrics is very different than you would see in traditional medicine, we are trying to correct things that take a lifetime to resolve. The Palestroni Center was developed in 2007 through the generosity of the Alfiero & Lucia Palestroni Foundation.

Nilesh Patel, MD, Emergency Medicine, discusses the importance of knowing about Pulmonary Embolisms. A Pulmonary Embolism is also known as a blood clot in a lung. It is important to recognize the symptoms of Pulmonary Embolism and if you do have symptoms to seek medical attention. The exact occurrence of Pulmonary Embolism is unknown and there is an estimated 500,000 - 600,000 cases per year in the United States with a mortality rate of ten to thirty percent. Most PEs come from blood clots in the legs also known as Deep Vein Thrombosis or DVT.

There are many risk factors for Pulmonary Embolism which include: surgery within the past 3 months, a history of cancer (particularly active cancer which is undergoing treatment), elderly, recent immobility of the lower legs including prolonged air travel or casts, estrogen or oral contraceptive use, any recent admission to the hospital, a history of Pulmonary Embolism or DVT, pregnancy can also be a risk factor in the 3-rd trimester and post-partum period. Most patients have at least one of the above risk factors.

Signs and symptoms include: chest pain, difficulty breathing, persistent lower light pain or swelling, coughing up blood, or passing out. The symptoms of Pulmonary Embolism can sometimes mimic the symptoms of a heart attack, with chest pain and difficulty breathing being the most common symptoms. Tests can be done to confirm or disprove the diagnosis. The main test to diagnose Pulmonary Embolism is a cat scan of the chest.

Diagnosis of Pulmonary Embolism usually mandates admission to the hospital and treatment with blood thinners to stabilize the blood clot. If you feel that you may have Pulmonary Embolism contact your doctor or go to your local emergency department, remember to be aware of the common symptoms of chest pain, difficulty breathing and lower leg pain or swelling.

Director for Simulation and member of the Anesthesia Department at St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center, Dr. Pam Upadya, discusses new training methods for residents to increase patient safety measures.

A new initiative at St. Joseph's Healthcare System called "simulation" starts at the hospital and senior levels for residents and physicians to practice in a controlled setting to further promote patient safety and satisfaction. The program allows residents to practice central lines in a safe environment, infection control methods, and intravenous access procedures. In an emergency situation simulation has been proven to keep patients safe, in medicine simulation has arrived to help us keep patient safety at the forefront, good clinical outcomes, safety for our colleagues, and great team dynamics.

Dr. Derrick Desilva from News 12 New Jersey discusses tooth decay in 2-5 year olds with Dr. Henna DeSimmone, Director of St. Joseph's Pediatric Clinic.

The last study done by the Center for Disease Control showed a 4% increase, the first increase within 40 years, in tooth decay in 2-5 year olds. Dr. DeSimmone notes children's diet changes including increased refined carbohydrates, frequency of snacks, sticky foods and fruit snacks are much more prevalant than they were decades ago. Diet counseling is a large part of the St. Joseph's Pediatric Clinic's practice getting parents and children on board and encouraging water and milk as primary beverages and avoiding soda, sports drinks and fruit juices. Dr. DeSimmone recommends brushing as early as infancy even before the first primary tooth, parents are encouraged to cleanse gums with a washcloth or wet gauze and switching to infant toothbrushes once the teeth erupt.

Children are creatures of habit, if you establish patterns of brushing in the morning and at night in early childhood the children will continue those routines later on in childhood on their own. Children should see parents going to the dentist regularly and brushing as well to set a good example. Allowing the children to have power over what they do by selecting toothbrushes and toothpaste flavors will create control in the child's behavior.

Dr. DeSimmone recommends supervising brushing all the way up to ages 7-8 and encourages parents to offer praise and make brushing fun and to use caution selecting flouride especially for young children.

If children have dental cavities early on they should still be treated even though the teeth will most likely fall out due to growing of cavities and possible pain that comes with the plaque build up. The American Pediatric Academy encourages parents and caregivers to take children to the dentist before their first birthday. Electric toothbrushes should always be appropriately sized for children and flossing is encouraged early on at least once a day.

Michael D. DeLisi, MD, Chairman of Family Medicine, St. Jospeh's Regional Medical Center, is here to present useful health information related to diabetes.

Diabetes is the leading cause of visual problems and blindness in the United States. Routine screening for retinopathy is recommended for patients with diabetes. It has been well researched and reported that early care for diabetic retinopathy saves sight. There are far more diabetics in need of retinopathy screening than there are ophthalmologists to do the required screenings.

Most of the screenings do not result in findings requiring further care from an ophthalmologist. We needed to develop processes to accomplish the needed screening in a cost effective way that spares the ophthalmologists for the patients who actually need their care.

To address this problem here at St. Joseph's family medicine at Clifton we have been researching the use of a non-mydriatic digital retinal camera to facilitate retinopathy screening for our patients with diabetes. We were fortunate to receive a St. Joseph's Foundation Grant to buy a digital retinal camera two years ago to begin our project.

With the outstanding cooperation of one of our ophthalmologists, Dr. Swati Parekh as our principle collaborator, we have screened more than 500 retinas with digital photos. We then analyzed the photos for pathology under a protocol developed in collaboration with Dr. Parekh, total accordance of the readings was the goal. To answer a simple set of questions, the question evaluated were: was the current photo normal, or did it require further more extensive evaluation by an ophthalmologist? There was a greater than 95% concordance proving our concept.

Our patients have therefore been able to receive timely screening in our center without the need to travel to other sites and to additional appointments, which has increased convenience to our patients and has increased our availability of ophthalmologic care for patients who need it.        

A radiologist attends 4 years of college, 4 years of medical school and 5-6 years of post-medical school training. Radiology is broken down into many different types of modalities: General x-ray, Barium studies, Mammography, Ultrasound.

Most people have experienced x-rays at one time or another, chest x-ray, an x-ray for a broken bone.

Occasionally your doctor may order a Barium swallow or a GI series, this is to investigate problems with swallowing or stomach pain.

Mammography is a special x-ray of the breast used to diagnose early breast cancer. Women should be aware that one in ten patient will be called back from a screening mammogram for additional views and an ultrasound. This is usually realted to dense breast tissue or technical problems and the vast majority turn out normal.

Ultrasound is an imaging modality that requires no radiation. It is used to evaluate a variety of medical conditions as well as confirming normal as well as diagnosing potential problems and complications of pregnancy. In patients with gynecologic problems such as abnormal uterine bleeding or pelvic pain, your doctor may ask for a transvaginal study. This is because the uterus and ovaries are seen in much better detail. Other utilization for ultrasound include studies of the gallbladder, liver, kidneys, blood vessels, spleen, pancreas and testicles.

If you should have any questions about your testing contact your personal physician or the facility that is going to perform your test since in many cases you are going to need some preparation prior to the testing.

Pam Upadya, MD, DABA, Associate Program Director, Department of Anesthesia, discusses the importance of and the various types of anesthetic plans.

Anesthesia is the practice of medicine that is dedicated to relieving pain and the total care of a surgical patient before, during and after surgery.

Before surgery your anesthesiologist will talk to you about medical problems and previous surgeries, they will also address any concerns you may have with your upcoming surgery. After careful evaluation and discussion your anesthesiologist will create an individualized anesthetic plan that will take into account your surgery, your current state of health and your desires, all the while keeping your safety at the utmost of importance.

Anesthetic plans can vary over a spectrum of conscious states, you might only need a little medicine to calm your nerves known as sedation or a twilight sleep. For more involved surgeries you may have general anesthesia, where you may be asleep completely for the whole entire surgery. Then there is the option of regional anesthesia, which encompasses a variety of techniques to numb part of the body and relieve pain from the surgery as well as potentially into the first day after surgery. Common terms for regional anesthesia can be a nerve block or an epidural.

After you and your doctor have decided on an anesthetic plan and you are in the operating room you will be monitored continuously throughout your procedure to ensure your safety and vital functions which may include watching your heart rate and rhythm, your blood pressure, and how much oxygen you have in your body. After your surgery is done, your anesthesiologist will check on you in the post operative period to make sure you are comfortable and pain free, if not done before or during your surgery a regional block can be done at this time also.

If you have any concerns about receiving anesthesia I urge you to talk to your anesthesiologist before your procedure, together as a team we can get you through this time.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, the use of multiple prescription drugs increased by twenty percent and the use of 5 or more drugs increased by 70 percent within the last decade. By 2007 and 2008 about one-half of Americans used at least one or more prescription medications; and one out of ten used five or more prescription medications. One out of every five children used at least one or more prescription medication compared with nine out of every ten adults age 60 and over.

The most common type of prescription medications used for children included: asthma medication, central nervous system stimulants for adolescents, antidepressants for middle age adults, and cholesterol lowering and high blood pressure medications for older americans. Women were more likely to use prescription medications than men.

Here are some tips for patients to reduce the risks of adverse reactions when taking multiple medications: Get to know your medications; what are the names, why are you taking them, how long should you be taking your medications, what are the most common and serious side effects, what should you do if problems arise, what should you do if you miss a dose. These are all discussions you should be having with your health care providers. If you've been in a hospital a lot of changes could have been made to your medications during your hospital stay. It is important for you to find out exactly what you should be taking when you are discharged.

Communicate with your doctor and pharmacist, tell your doctor and pharmacist about all the drugs you are taking including: over the counter, dietary supplements, herbal medications. Do not forget to inform your healthcare team about any allergies or reactions you've had to medications in the past.

Do not stop taking a prescribed medication without discussing it with your healthcare team. Take your medications as directed, do not share your medications, and use devices like pillboxes to help take your drugs as directed. It is generally better to stick to one pharmacy, this makes it easier for your doctor and pharmacist to watch for potential adverse reactions and drug interactions between medications.

Before starting an herbal remedy, over the counter medication or prescription medication check with your physician or pharmacist to make sure that it is safe to take.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is a disease of Median Nerve and affects about 1 out of 20 people worldwide with women having a higher ratio by 2 to 3 times than men. The main symptoms are numbness and tingling in the thumb, index, long and half of the ring finger, weakness especially when gripping objects, weakness in the hand dropping objects, difficulty picking up small things, buttoning a shirt, picking up a needle, and numbness when driving. As you get older there's a higher chance of developing carpal tunnel syndrome. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome can be caused by the work environment especially work that requires high repetitive movements, prolonged flexing or extension of the wrist or exposure to vibration and cold environments. Obesity and other medical conditions such as gout, rheumatoid arthritis, genetics, trauma to the wrist, smoking and pregnancy can also cause Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

Treatment in the beginning involves anti-inflammatory medication, wearing a brace at night while sleeping, avoiding high vibration or cold environments, stretching, exercise, and taking breaks at work. The next treatment option is surgery, open carpal tunnel release as well as endoscopic (minimally invasive carpal tunnel surgery) are both beneficial procedures. With the minimally invasive procedure there are advantages such as faster return to work, less pain after surgery, less soreness and quicker recovery time.

If you feel any of these symptoms you should bring them to the attention of your family physician immediately.

William A. McDonald explains our foundation in 1867 by the Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth and how the Healthcare System has grown today. Recently we have finished an expansion project totalling a capital investment of more than 250 million dollars, spending 150 million dollars on the St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center alone. We also expanded our Wayne campus and just finished a new Critical Care Tower housing all new operating suites, critical care beds, new emergency room services and a helipad on the roof to support our overall efforts in trauma care in this region. We're here to provide the care that this community needs.

We've also beem recognized for our excellence in many of our services including: Obstetrics and Gynecology; Stroke; Neuroscience; and Cardiovascular. We are a magnet hospital and have received the Magnet Prize which has only been given 8 times in the history of the organization. Our nurse vacancy rate is less than 1% and we have been able to strive in that particular area and develop one of the best nursing programs in the country.

We're also named in U.S. News and World Report as a Best Hospital in the New York Region, Becker also named us as one of the great 100 Hospitals in the Country to work for. We are truly dedicated to our employees, our patients, our family, and the community that we service; and that overwhelming desire to make the needs of this community met through whatever resources we have and building those clinical excellence programs around the same foundation. Welcome to the St. Joseph's Healthcare System!

Speech/Language Pathologists Elena Fanelli, MA, CCC-SLP, SJRMC, and Martin Addison, MS, CCC-SLP, North Jersey Swallowing Center, SJRMC, discuss the Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT Loud), a therapeutic treatment for individuals with speaking and eating difficulties resulting from Parkinson's.

Manjushree Matadial, DO, FACOEP for Emergency Medicine/Internal Medicine at St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center offers advice on skin protection during the summer.

As we approach the nice warm summer weather, remember to take caution when you take a day at the beach or in the park to protect your skin from sun damage. The most common type of sun damage in nice, hot warm weather is sunburn. Sunburn is caused by exposure to too much UV light which accelerates the production of melanin which produces a tan to protect the deeper layers of your skin. It is not only on sunny days that you can get sunburn but also on cloudy and hazy days. UV rays also reflect off snow and ice, you can have sunburn in the winter time as well.

The symptoms of sunburn include redness, hot skin to touch, pain or tenderness of your skin, swelling, fluid filled blisters, depending on the surface area headache, fever and fatigue.

Complications include infection of ruptured blisters, photo - aging of your skin which are: wrinkles, dry rough skin, freckles, liver spots, pre-cancerous lesions, skin cancer. Also sunburn of your eyes can lead to cataracts. For adequate protection of your eyes we recommend sunglasses that filter out 99 to 100% of UVA and UVB light. Sunglasses which meet this requirement are often labeled as UV 400.

Treatment for sunburn includes anti-inflammatory medications such as Ibuprofen. These are used to treat the swelling and inflammation of your skin and to relieve the pain. It is usually beneficial within the first 24 hours of your sunburn. You can also use hydrocortisone topically which relieves the itching/peeling skin of your sunburn. Apply cold compresses to keep your skin nice and cool, apply moisturizer cream with Aloe Vera to soothe your skin, don't break the blisters that appear on the skin, and drink plenty of fluids.

Prevention of sunburn is geared towards avoiding the sun at the hottest time of the day which is usually between 10am and 4pm. Use sunscreen SPF 15 or greater. According to the American Academy of Dermatologists, SPF 30 or greater is recommended.

Remember to enjoy your summer you need to protect your skin. If you suffer sunburn and have extreme pain or there are signs of infection of sunburn you need to see your physician.

Dr. Mark Connolly, Chairman of Surgery, St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center sits down for an interview with Steve Adubato to discuss Coronary Artery Disease, DaVinci surgery technology, as well as other commons issues with heart health.

Dr. Jai Parekh, Chief, Cornea & External Diseases/Med Director The Research Institute, St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center sits down with Steve Adubato for an interview for the show One on One. Dr. Parekh discusses eye trauma, how to react and how common occurrences are.

Steve Adubato interviews President and CEO William A. McDonald for St. Joseph's Healthcare System. The interview discusses details of the Critical Care Tower, the new lobby at St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center, the new helipad as well as other new and recently completed construction projects.

Dr. Roberto Nachajon, Chief of Pediatric Pulmonology at St. Joseph's Children's Hospital, interviews with Steve Adubato to discuss asthma, cystic fibrosis and sleep medication for children.

Dr. Robert Madlinger, Chief of Trauma and Surgical Critical Care for St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center sits down with Steve Adubato to discuss trauma and why St. Joseph's is putting resources back into the community and into trauma centers as well as his time spent enlisted in serving the country.

St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center is revolutionizing the way emergency, trauma, surgical and critical care are delivered. Our physicians are recognized among the nation's finest for continuing to push the boundaries of medicine. St. Joseph's new emergency department is designed to deliver exceptional care in the most efficient and patient-friendly ways possible. With specialized focus on Adult, Pediatric and Geriatric care there are 88 treatment areas enabling our clinical experts to capably handle multiple complex and routine cases simultaneously. Our pediatric emergency department provides a family-friendly atmosphere to calm young patients. Our Pediatric ED has 22 treatment areas designed and eqiupped especially for children. A game changing new feature is our rooftop helipad capable of accepting the largest medical helicopters. There are 56 new private patient rooms in 4 critical care units all in one central location. Open designed nursing stations come with state-of-the art monitoring technology and direct sightlines to private critical care patient rooms. The new surgical unit features 12 systems-integrated operating rooms with spacious pre-operative and post-operative areas. The unit has been designed to ensure that physicians and support staff can continue to provide award-winning care only now with greater efficiency in more comfortable surroundings. The dedicated surgical waiting area is private, comfortable, and bathed in natural light. Our Critical Care Tower's advanced healing environment enables us to provide exceptional care in every major specialty for hundreds of thousands of patients each year. St. Joseph's Healthcare System, where healing reaches new heights.

The Swallowing Center provides diagnostic and therapeutic options for patients with cancer related dysphagia most commonly head and neck tumors.

Sohail N. Shaikh, MD, Interventional Gastroenterologist gives advice on Obesity. According to the Center for Disease Control over 60% of Americans are overweight and 30% obese. There's been a dramatic rise over the last 2 decades now affecting more than 1 million Americans. All of this has resulted in more than 300,000 deaths per year and where now obesity is more prevalent than hunger. There are many health risks to obesity including heart disease, stroke, hypertension and cancer. Obesity cancers include Endometrial, Colon, Kidney, Gallbladder, and Breast. Obesity is defined by your body mass index which is a ratio of your height and weight typically defined greater than 30. The International Classification of Adult Obesity According to BMI states that Obese class I has a bmi rating of 30.00 - 34.99, Class II 35.00 - 39.99 and Class III > or = 40.00. Diet and Exercise as well as surgery play important roles in combating obesity. Current guidelines permit surgery for those with a BMI over 35 depending on your health condition. Traditional weight loss surgeries include Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass, Gastric Banding, Sleeve Gastrectomy, and more advanced novel endoscopic techniques are now available. New Endoscopic procedures can result in shorter recovery time, little to no pain, and can be performed without external incisions.

Mark W. Connolly, MD, Chairman, Department of Surgery, St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center, discusses a new and exciting procedure for the treatment of patients with Coronary Artery Disease (C.A.D.) called the Hybrid Procedure

Kristy Ziontz, DO, Director of Special Programs, Department of Emergency Medicine, St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center, discusses an innovative technique, Therapeutic Hypothermia (also referred to as 'Therapeutic Cooling'), being used by the experts at St. Joseph's to treat cardiac arrest patients.

You alone have the power to give the heroic gift of life regularly!

After the events of September 11th, 500,000 people in the United States lined up to give blood. What about everyday accidents however? Motor vehicle accidents, your mother in the hospital having surgery, the anemic patient in the hospital who needs blood. For each of these people, you can be that hero! You cannot get infections from giving blood, if you have high blood pressure you can give blood. Most chronic illnesses if you are still healthy and not on unusual medications you still have an opportunity to donate. Talk to your doctor and the health director of the blood bank who can both give you more information. During the summer time and holidays are when blood supplies are at their lowest. 2.5% of the population in NJ donates blood but the national average is 5%. The ability to impact and possibly save a life from your gift is a gift that you cannot give in any other form of donation.

A speedy viewing of demolitions on the St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center campus in Paterson, NJ to make way for a new lobby and new Critical Care Building to better serve our community with top quality health care.