To serve - to heal - to educate - Cooper University Health Care

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To serve - to heal - to educate - Cooper University Health Care
to serve

to heal

to educate
To serve - to heal - to educate - Cooper University Health Care
2018 AT                                   OUR                        OUR
A GLANCE                                  MISSION                    VISION

• Employees: 7,695                        To Serve.                  Cooper University Health
• Medical Staff: 907                      To Heal.                   Care will be the premier
                                                                     health care provider in
• Licensed Beds: 635                      To Educate.                the region, driven by
•	Hospital Admissions: 28,716            We accomplish our          our exceptional people
•	Emergency Department                   mission through            delivering a world-class
   Visits: 80,802                         innovative and effective   patient experience, one
•	Urgent Care Visits: 46,511             systems of care and by     patient at a time, and
                                          bringing people and        through our commitment
•	Outpatient Visits
                                          resources together,        to educating the providers
   (Hospital and Physician Offices):
                                          creating value for our     of the future.
   1,672,772
                                          patients and the
• Outpatient Locations: 105+
                                          community.
• Surgical Cases: 23,110
• Trauma Cases: 3,766
• Cancer Visits
  › Inpatient: 3,083
  › Outpatient: 120,160
• Transfers from Area Hospitals: 7,357
To serve - to heal - to educate - Cooper University Health Care
A MESSAGE FROM OUR CHAIRMAN

EXECUTIVE
  LEADERSHIP                                                                                                             April 2019

                                                                                                                         Dear Friends,
                  George E. Norcross III                                           Adrienne Kirby, PhD, FACHE
                  Chairman                                                         Executive Chairman and                Cooper University Health Care has deep roots in Camden, a connection that is demonstrated by more than
                  Board of Trustees                                                Chief Executive Officer
                  The Cooper Health System                                         Cooper University Health Care         130 years as an anchor institution. In recent years our city has been undergoing significant revitalization,
                                                                                                                         and we are proud to be a leader in this effort to make Camden a better, safer, and healthier place to live
                                                                                                                         and work.

                                                                                                                         As the leading academic health system in the region, we are honored that more people than ever are
                  Anthony J. Mazzarelli, MD, JD, MBE                               Kevin M. O’Dowd, JD                   choosing Cooper for their health care needs. Cooper employees feel a sense of responsibility to provide for
                  Co-President                                                     Co-President
                                                                                                                         and ensure the health and well-being of the residents of this city and this region. This report illustrates
                  Cooper University Health Care                                    Cooper University Health Care
                                                                                                                         how we take that responsibility to heart, as we further our mission to serve, to heal, and to educate.
                                                                                                                         Notably:

                                                                                                                               • Investing in our community through education, job creation, career training, and a new
                                                                                                                                  $15 minimum wage for our employees. Cooper was the first health system in the state to
                                                                                                                                  increase its minimum wage, and other health systems in the tristate area followed our lead

BOARD OF
                                                                                                                               • Employing the largest number of Camden residents

                                                                                                                               • Expanding our clinical services and facilities to meet the growing demand—from new
                                                                                                                                  operating rooms and a diagnostic mammography center, to updated landscaping, pedestrian

  TRUSTEES
                                                                                                                                  crossings and parks, Emergency Department expansion, and a new power plant on the Health
                                                                                                                                  Sciences Campus

                                                                                                                               • Extending our care beyond the walls of our hospital, through myriad community-based initiatives
                                                                                                                                  including health screenings, school outreach, and support of Camden youth sports programs
• George E. Norcross III                    • Paul Katz, MD                             • Kris Singh, PhD
 Chairman                                                                                                                Cooper is proud to be a catalyst working to transform our community for the better. In fact, Camden’s
                                             • Adrienne Kirby, PhD, FACHE                • Harvey A. Snyder, MD    employment rate has increased 24.7 percent in the past few years—with 55.4 percent of the jobs in the
• Peter S. Amenta, MD, PhD
                                                                                                                         health care and education sectors. Camden’s poverty rate has dropped 25 percent, as more residents are
                                             • Duane D. Myers                            • Joseph C. Spagnoletti
• Sidney R. Brown                                                                                                     getting back to work—many at jobs that didn’t exist in previous years. And our neighborhoods are safer:
                                                                                            • Susan Weiner            the crime rate is at a 50-year low, thanks to an aggressive community-policing program.
                                             • Philip A. Norcross, Esq.
• Michael E. Chansky, MD
                                                                                                                         As Camden continues this exciting upward trajectory, Cooper remains committed to its success by meeting
                                             • Annette C. Reboli, MD                                                  the health care needs of the community we are privileged to serve.
• Leon D. Dembo, Esq.                                                                    TRUSTEE EMERITUS:
                                             • Steven E. Ross, MD, FACS, FCCM            • Peter E. Driscoll, Esq.    Sincerely,
• Dennis M. DiFlorio

• Generosa Grana, MD, FACP                • Robert A. Saporito, DDS

• Phoebe A. Haddon, JD                    • Roland Schwarting, MD                                                  George E. Norcross III
                                                                                                                         Chairman
• Ali A. Houshmand, PhD                   • William A. Schwartz, Jr.                                               Board of Trustees
To serve - to heal - to educate - Cooper University Health Care
Newly renovated hospital helipad that supports
Cooper’s Trauma and Critical Care transport services.
Updated safety enhancements help us better serve our
patients needing these advanced life-saving services.
To serve - to heal - to educate - Cooper University Health Care
2018: An Award-Winning Year for Cooper
Cooper’s commitment to delivering consistently high-quality, advanced care                  The prestigious U.S. News &
continues to earn us local and national recognition. We’re proud to announce that           World Report recognized Cooper
Cooper received these accolades in 2018:                                                    as a High Performer (its top
                                                                                            category) for two procedures/
                                                                                            conditions: Colon Cancer
                                                                                            Surgery and Heart Failure
                                                                                                         •••
                                                                                            Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield
                                                                                            of New Jersey recognized Cooper
                                                                                            as a Blue Distinction Center+ for
                                                                                            bariatric surgery, cancer care,
                                                                                            cardiac care, and maternity care
                                                                                                         •••
                                                                                            MD Anderson Cancer Center at
                                                                                            Cooper received Horizon Blue
        COLON CANCER                                          HEART                         Cross Blue Shield of New
          SURGERY                                            FAILURE                        Jersey Blue Distinction Center
                                                                                            designation for cancer care
                                                                                                                                  Hybrid Interventional
                                                                                                                                  Radiology OR

• The New Jersey Hospital Association presented Cooper         • Our
                                                                     Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery Center also received
  and the Deborah Heart and Lung Center’s HeroCare Connect         recognition from Aetna Institutes of Quality: Bariatric              2018 Major Facility Improvements
  program its Community Outreach Award, recognizing our            Surgery Network
  dedication to serving veterans, active military, and their                                                                            As demand for Cooper’s services continues to grow, so          Eight New Operating Rooms (OR)
                                                                 • The American Orthopaedic Association gave Cooper its               does our need for expanded facilities and programs. The
  families by streamlining their access to specialty care
                                                                   Star Performer Recognition Award for the Cooper Bone
                                                                                                                                                                                                       Bring System-Wide Total to 36
                                                                                                                                        past year saw significant achievements:
• Cooper improved its Leapfrog Group Hospital Safety             and Joint Institute’s Own the Bone® initiative                                                                                      To meet the demand for Cooper’s expert surgeons,
  Grade from a C to a B in 2018                                                                                                                                                                        eight new ORs were added at the hospital, including
                                                                 • AllCare Health Alliance, Cooper’s Accountable Care                 Upgraded Helipad Increases Safety                              two interventional procedure rooms for electro-
• Cooper was named to the American Heart Association/            Organization, was awarded the Medicare ACO                           For Trauma Patients
  American Stroke Association’s Get With the Guidelines                                                                                                                                                physiology and a vascular lab, increasing the total
                                                                   High Performance Award by Premier in the category                    As South Jersey’s only Level 1 Trauma Center, Cooper’s
  Stroke Silver Plus and Target: Stroke Honor Roll-Elite level                                                                                                                                         number of ORs system-wide to 36. To support this
                                                                   Generated Savings to Medicare                                        helipad plays an essential role in delivering critically ill
  for the quality of our stroke care                                                                                                                                                                   expansion, we also added a new pre-operative
                                                                 • City of Camden officials recognized the Cooper Emergency         patients to the life-saving care they need. To ensure that     and post-anesthesia care unit (PACU), completed
• Verified Trauma Center status from the American                                                                                      we are accessible 24 hours a day to virtually any size
                                                                       Medical Services (EMS) team for Outstanding                                                                                     major upgrades to our Central Sterile Processing
   College of Surgeons through 2020 for our Level I                                                                                     medical transport helicopter, we replaced our helipad
                                                                       Lifesaving Efforts                                                                                                              procedures, and acquired new equipment.
   Trauma Center, and through 2021 for our Level II                                                                                     with a new helipad that improves patient safety with the
   Pediatric Trauma Center                                       • Cooper was the recipient of multiple eHealthcare                    latest lighting, snow-melt capabilities, and automatic
                                                                    Leadership Awards, including Best Internet Home Page                                                                               New iTRACK System Improves
• Cooper’s Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery Center earned                                                                              drainage to prevent icing.
                                                                    (Gold Award); Best Overall Internet Site (Silver Award);                                                                           Emergency Department Patient Flow
  accreditation from the American College of Surgeons
                                                                    and Best Doctor Directory (Platinum Award)                                                                                         As part of Cooper’s 5,500-square-foot Emergency
  Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and
                                                                                                                                                                                                       Department (ED) expansion, which added new and
  Quality Improvement Program
                                                                                                                                                                                                       much-needed state-of-the-art exam rooms, we also
                                                                                                                                                                                                       initiated an iTRACK system to improve the flow of
                                                                                                                                                                                                       patients through the ED, reducing patient wait times,
                                               Cooper Civic Leadership Award                                                                                                                           and boosting patient and staff satisfaction.
                                               To serve the people of Camden, Cooper launched an award
                                               program of its own, creating the Cooper Civic Leadership
                                               Award of $1,000 for a Rutgers University–Camden student
                                               who exemplifies outstanding service to the Camden
                                                                                                                                                                          Emergency Department’s
                                               community. The inaugural 2018 award was given to
                                                                                                                                                                              new iTRACK System.
                                               Shenelle Alexander, an undergraduate nursing student
                                               at Rutgers University–Camden, pictured here with Anthony
 6                                             Welch, VP of Government and Community Relations.                                                                                                                                                                7
To serve - to heal - to educate - Cooper University Health Care
Major Renovation for
Cooper’s Inpatient Psychiatry Unit                             Co-Generation Power Facility
The inpatient Psychiatry Unit has undergone major              Nears Completion
renovation designed to improve patient safety based
                                                               Work continued in 2018 on Cooper’s innovative
on a comprehensive behavior risk assessment.
                                                               co-generation facility, which will provide more efficient
                                                               energy and power, cooling, and heating in the event of
New Primary Care Locations                                     a power outage. The facility is scheduled to go online
While Cooper is a leading academic health system, it           in April of 2019.
also has a growing network of primary care physicians
throughout the region. Two new primary care practices          Expanded Radiology Resources
were welcomed to the Cooper family—in Moorestown
                                                               Cooper expanded some vital radiological imaging
and in Medford. Cooper patients benefit from more
                                                               capabilities with the completion of two new fluoroscopy
coordinated care with their primary care physicians            (medical imaging) rooms. In addition, two more
and specialists all in the same health system.                 fluoroscopy rooms and an X-ray room are scheduled
                                                               for completion in 2019, followed by construction of an
New Surgical Specialties Location                              interventional radiology procedure room, and a pre-op
The Cooper Surgical Specialties practice in Voorhees was       and recovery unit for all of Radiology.
relocated to a new facility at 6015 Main Street designed
specifically for surgical practice. This move frees up space   Specialty Care Center in Cherry Hill
for MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper to expand its          In a major initiative, work has begun on a specialty
operations on the Voorhees campus.                             care center on Route 70 in Cherry Hill that will house      New John E. Kostic Pediatric Outpatient Infusion Center Opens
                                                               specialists in neurology, orthopaedics, cardiology,
                                                                                                                           The John E. Kostic Pediatric Outpatient Infusion Center—made possible by a $400,000 donation to the Cooper
Lighting Upgrades Improve Security                             surgical services, and endocrinology, as well as
                                                                                                                           Foundation from the John E. Kostic Memorial Foundation—was dedicated in February. The new center provides infusion
To improve nighttime security, upgrades were made              physical/occupational therapy, outpatient laboratory
                                                                                                                           therapy to infants, children, and adolescents who need IV therapy for acute and chronic illnesses including diabetes
to the exterior lighting on Cooper’s Health Sciences           services, and cardiac rehabilitation. Completion is
                                                                                                                           and other endocrine disorders, as well as blood, genetic, and gastrointestinal disorders. With this new outpatient unit,
campus in Camden.                                              slated for early 2020.
                                                                                                                           children in need of infusion services no longer have to be admitted to an inpatient unit.

                                                                                                                           New Cooper Conference Center Readies for Opening
                                                                                                                           Construction began on a new 10,000-square-foot Cooper Conference Center to be used as training and meeting rooms
                                                                                                                           for physicians, residents, and medical school students as part of Cooper’s academic medical mission. The new, more
                      Education & Research                                                                                 easily accessible conference center is scheduled to be completed in spring of 2019 and will allow current training rooms
                      Building Houses Advanced                                                                             to be transformed into state-of-the-art patient rooms in the hospital’s Roberts Pavilion.
                      Diagnostic Resources
                      Cooper’s Center for Special
                      Diagnostics—which includes
                      molecular pathology, flow
                      cytometry, and cytogenetics—
                      opened its doors in a new, specially
                      designed space in the Education &
                      Research Building. The new center
                      enhances Cooper’s ability to provide
                      advanced genomic testing for
                      cancer patients at Cooper.

 8                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               9
To serve - to heal - to educate - Cooper University Health Care
The 2018 Cooper Norcross Run the Bridge was a
huge success, with nearly 4,500 participants running
in the 10K race or joining in the two mile walk.
Proceeds of the race benefit the Larc School in
Bellmawr, NJ, which serves students with a wide
range of moderate to severe disabilities.
To serve - to heal - to educate - Cooper University Health Care
Cooper EMS Response Time Exceeds
Giving Back to the Community                                                                                                                        National Standards
Cooper employees are focused on making the                        Teddy Bear Clinic Expands
communities we serve healthier places to live, play,                                                                              For the third consecutive year, Cooper’s Emergency Medical
                                                                  More than 150 kindergartners participated in the
and work. These are highlights of how Cooper                                                                                      Services (EMS) met a key eight-minute response time
                                                                  “Teddy Goes to Cooper” program, designed to provide
has served the community in 2018:                                                                                                 national benchmark for advanced life-support calls—
                                                                  Camden schoolchildren with a positive encounter at
                                                                                                                                  keeping the promise Cooper made to improve response
                                                                  Cooper to understand that it is a place for healing and
                                                                                                                                  times when it took over EMS.
Operation Backpack Program                                        care. In addition to the KIPP Cooper Norcross Academy,
                                                                  children from the U.S. Wiggins College Preparatory Lab          This achievement is even more significant since Cooper’s
Helps Students Succeed
                                                                  Family School in Camden participated. Each child had the        EMS experienced a 47 percent increase in emergency calls
Ensuring that students have the tools for a successful start to
                                                                  opportunity to see the inside of an ambulance and was           for the year.
the school year, the Cooper Foundation provided more than                                                                                                                                                            2016            2017           2018
                                                                  given a stuffed teddy bear that received an “x-ray, stitches,   Prior to Cooper taking over EMS in 2016, an independent
1,300 backpacks filled with school supplies to students at the
                                                                  and vaccinations” to educate children about common              study indicated Advanced Life Support (ALS) responses         ALS Transports      11,761          13,078         14,701
KIPP Cooper Norcross Lanning Square and John Greenleaf
                                                                  medical procedures.                                             in Camden met the eight-minute benchmark on only 70           BLS Transports      26,184          28,008         31,109
Whittier schools, and the Center for Family Services Head
Start students at Lanning Square. This initiative was made                                                                        percent of calls.
                                                                                                                                                                                                Total               37,945          41,086         45,810
possible through the generosity of Cooper employees.                                                                              In the past year, Cooper EMS averaged 125 daily Basic Life
                                                                                                                                  Support (BLS) and ALS transport calls combined, up from       Average Daily          104             113               125
                                                                                                                                  an average of 104 daily dispatches in 2016 and 113 in 2017.   Dispatches

                                                                                                                                  Cooper Employees “Adopt”                                      Camden Families Benefit From
                                                                                                                                  150 Families for the Holidays                                 Christmas Meals
                                                                                                                                  For the ninth year in a row, Cooper employees—through         The Cooper Foundation provided 150 Camden families
                                                                                                                                  the Cooper Foundation and in partnership with Volunteers      with a turkey and all the side dishes (along with books and
                                                                                                                                  of America Delaware Valley—“adopted” 150 Camden               toys for the kids) for a warm, hearty, and healthy meal.
                                                                                                                                  families. The families received gift cards, toys, clothing,
                                                                                                                                  housewares, and other items, helping make their season        Cooper Launches Innovative
                                                                                                                                  brighter.                                                     School-Based Health Clinic
                                                                                                                                                                                                In September 2018, Cooper opened an innovative school-
                                                                                                                                  Summer Reading Program                                        based health clinic at the KIPP Cooper Norcross Academy
                                                                                                                                  Keeps Children Engaged                                        Lanning Square School to provide sick and well visits for
                                                                                                                                  Camden children participated in Cooper Learning Center’s      students at KIPP, U.S. Wiggins College Preparatory Lab
                                        Operation Backpack                                                  Teddy Bear Clinic
                                                                                                                                  Summer Reading Institute, which provides educational          Family School, and Center for Family Services Head Start
                                                                                                                                  support to grade-school students when school isn’t in         students. The goal of the clinic—which is part of the
                                                                                                                                  session. The program was offered at the KIPP Cooper           Camden Promise Neighborhood—is to keep students
                                                                                                                                  Norcross Academy for its second summer, and for the first     from missing valuable learning time and provide timely
                                                                                                                                  time was also offered at St. Anthony of Padua School in       access to annual well visits. The Cooper-operated
                                                                                                                                  Cramer Hill—engaging some 60 students.                        health clinic is supported through funding from the
                                                                                                                                                                                                U.S. Department of Education. Cooper provides an
                                                                                                                                  Cooper Day of Service                                         advanced practice nurse and clinical practice specialist
                                                                                                                                  On June 28, Cooper doctors, nurses, administrative leaders,   to administer care.
                                                                                                                                  and allied health professionals fanned out across eight
                                                                                                                                  different sites in Camden, Burlington, and Gloucester         Helping Keep Kids Warm
                                                                                                                                  counties for a day of community service. Cooper employees     The Cooper Foundation donated more than 200 new
                                                                                                                                  worked in community gardens, prepared meals at the            winter coats and gloves to students at the KIPP Cooper
                                                                                                                                  Cathedral Kitchen, helped out at an animal shelter,           Norcross Academy at the start of the cold-weather
                                                                                                                                  organized donations at a food pantry, and volunteered         season in 2018.
                                                                                                       Cooper Day of Service
                                                                                                                                  with other community organizations in South Jersey.

 12                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      13
To serve - to heal - to educate - Cooper University Health Care
Camden Health & Athletic Association
The Cooper Foundation, the Norcross Foundation, and
AmeriHealth joined forces to create the Camden Health
& Athletic Association (CHAA), a nonprofit organization
dedicated to expanding Camden’s youth sports
programs and health initiatives. In 2018:
• CHAA performed 150 free physicals for young athletes
   participating in sports programs in 2018.
• The organization hosted its inaugural Summer Youth
   Basketball League, a six-week competitive league with
   eight teams from across the city. CHAA also supported
   two other summer basketball programs in Camden, for a
   total of nearly 300 children ages 8 to 14 participating in
   CHAA’s summer basketball programs.
• CHAA established its first-ever Summer Golf Academy,
    introducing 11 Camden kids between 11 and 13 to
    the fundamentals of golf and to business and career
    opportunities associated with the game. The free six-
    week program, sponsored by the Michaels Organization,       Camden children participating in the Camden Health & Athletic   Ninth Annual Summer in the City
    which offered participants two-hour lessons twice a         Association sports program photographed with Camden             Music Festival Provides Free Fun
    week, and supplied golf clubs and balls.                    County Police officers.
                                                                                                                                The Cooper Foundation kicked off its free Summer in
                                                                                                                                the City Music Festival in the Park. This popular event
                                                                                                                                brings the community together while showcasing the
                                                                                                                                neighborhood parks and positive changes in the Cooper           a rigorous college-preparatory curriculum beginning in the
                                                                                                                                Plaza and Lanning Square neighborhoods. The festival is         fifth grade and will expand to the eighth grade over the
                                                                                                                                a collaboration of the Cooper Foundation, Cooper’s Ferry        next two years, ultimately serving 440 Camden students.
                                                                                                                                Partnership, Cooper Lanning Civic Association, Lanning          The school offers guaranteed enrollment for children from
                                                                                                                                Square West Residents in Action, sponsorships from the          adjacent neighborhoods.
                                                                                                                                City of Camden, and Garden State Discovery Museum.
                                                                                                                                                                                                Born Learning Trail Comes to Life
                                                                                                                                Dedication of Second KIPP Cooper                                Cooper teamed up with the United Way of Greater
                                                                                                                                Norcross Academy Middle School                                  Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey and Parkside Business
                                                                                                                                National, state, and local leaders joined students, families,   and Community in Partnership, Inc., to install a new Born
                                                                                                                                and teachers May 7 for the dedication of the KIPP Cooper        Learning Trail at Farnham Park in Camden—the first of its
                                                                                                                                Norcross Academy John Greenleaf Whittier Middle School,         kind in Camden County. A Born Learning Trail is a series of
                                                                                                                                the third school to open under the Urban Hope Act—a             signs accompanied by colorful shapes and designs painted on
                                                                                                                                pilot program to provide students in Camden, Newark,            the walkway to enhance learning. Cooper employees installed
                                                                                                                                and Trenton access to new, quality public schools in            the signs and painted the walkway designs, demonstrating
                                                                                                                                their communities. The newly renovated school provides          our commitment to giving back to the City of Camden.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                  L to R: Lisa Shalkowski, Director
                                                                                                                                                                                                                  of Clinical Practice of Women’s &
                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Children’s Institute; Pam Ladu, VP,
                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Adult Health Institute— Primary Care
                                                                                                                                                                                                                  & Behavioral Health, Women’s &
                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Children’s Institute; and Michael H.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Goodman, MD, Chairman and
                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Chief, Department of Pediatrics,
Drills at the Camden Health & Athletic                                                                                                                                                                            volunteering at the Born
Association Summer Youth Basketball League.                                                                                                                                                                       Learning Trail.

 14                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   15
To serve - to heal - to educate - Cooper University Health Care
Community Health: Promoting Wellness Beyond Hospital Walls
To help remove barriers to accessing health care, Cooper           healthy snacks served as well. In 2018, we expanded
reaches out to the communities we serve, providing                 to include the U.S. Wiggins College Preparatory Lab Family
free services and resources where people live, work, and           School, doubling attendance and Cooper’s impact
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              2018 Red Hot Gala
congregate. Some highlights of our 2018 Community                  on the community.                                                                                                                                                          (l to r) Anthony J.
Health initiatives:                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Mazzarelli, MD,
                                                                   Cooper Helps Keep Kids Safe                                                                                                                                                Co-President;
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              George E. Norcross III,
Preventive Screenings at Local Health                              Safe Kids Southern New Jersey provides dedicated staff,                                                                                                                    Chairman, Board of
And Wellness Fairs                                                 operational support, and other resources to keep kids safe.                                                                                                                Trustees; and
Preventive health care works—but only if people have               Among the initiatives we participated in last year:                                                                                                                        Kevin M. O’Dowd, JD,
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Co-President.
access to it. That’s why Cooper takes its resources on the         • Walk to School Day: We partnered with Yorkship
road to a variety of community-based health and wellness              Elementary School in Camden to provide pedestrian
fairs. There we provide preventive screenings—particularly            safety education to its nearly 600 students, walking to         Cooper Foundation: Supporting Our Patients and Community
for the uninsured and underinsured—so attendees can                   school with the children October 10.
take steps to prevent onset of illnesses like diabetes or          • Child passenger safety: We held nine monthly programs           Red Hot Gala Sets a New                                            Jim Fifis Lung Cancer Research Fund
heart disease. In 2018, Cooper providers attended dozens              at which car seats are checked for proper installation, along   Fund-Raising Record                                                Dinner Raises $110,000
of health fairs in the South Jersey region, performing                with workshops for parents and others who transport             The Eighth Annual Cooper Red Hot Gala raised a record-             Another Foundation initiative marking its eighth year in
hundreds of screening tests including foot and eye exams,             children. We installed more than 850 car seats and              breaking $2.1 million to benefit the Ripa Center for               2018 was the Jim Fifis Lung Cancer Research Fund Dinner,
skin checks for skin cancer, and stroke risk assessments to           distributed more than 100 car seats to needy families.          Women’s Health and Wellness at Cooper, as well as                  which raised $110,000 for the lung cancer program at MD
identify and educate on stroke risk factors.                                                                                          women’s health programs throughout the health system.              Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper. More than 300 people
                                                                                                                                      More than 1,000 attended the April 27 event, which has             gathered at Ponzio’s in Cherry Hill for the September 25
Chronic-Disease Education Helps Residents                                                                                             raised a total of $12.1 million since 2011—making it one           event, which celebrated the life of the longtime Ponzio’s
Make Smart Health Choices                                                                                                             of the region’s largest charitable fund-raisers. Last year’s       owner before he died of lung cancer in 2007. Since its
Because self-management is a vital part of living with a                                                                              event honored Robin L. Perry, MD, Chairman and Chief,              founding in 2011, the Fifis Fund has raised a total of
chronic disease, Cooper offered its first six-week program                                                                            Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology; and Terry Ricca,          $870,000 to support lung cancer clinical research, the high-
to educate and empower adults with such conditions as                                                                                 RN, Senior Vice President, Institute Strategy, Access, and         risk lung cancer screening program, and several innovative
diabetes, high blood pressure, and congestive heart failure.                                                                          Chief Experience Officer.                                          tools for diagnosing and staging lung cancer.
Modeled on the respected Stanford Chronic Disease Self-
Management Program, Cooper’s free program is offered on                                                                               Ninth Annual Pink Roses Teal Magnolias                             Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation Awards
the Voorhees campus.                                                                                                                  Brunch Raises $850,000                                             $982,000 Grant to Cooper Foundation
                                                                                                                                      More than 700 people attended the 2018 Pink Roses Teal             The Cooper Foundation received a $982,000 grant from
Community Health Education                                         • Bike safety presentations in schools: We partnered with         Magnolias Brunch October 28, raising $850,000 for breast           the Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation to support the
Extends Cooper’s Reach                                                local police departments to hold bike rodeos where              and gynecologic cancer research and clinical programs at           work of Cooper’s Urban Health Institute. These funds
                                                                      children ride safety obstacle courses. We distributed more      MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper. The event honored             will support a new initiative—Reducing Disparities in
Cooper’s physicians, nurses, and health educators regularly
                                                                      than 200 helmets to local children.                             Dianne Hyman, RN, Transition Care Manager; Pallav K. Mehta,        Cardiovascular Care Through Optimization of Risk Factors
present on a number of health topics at community sites
including workplaces, schools, churches, and community             • Home safety presentations: Held at local centers such as        MD, Director, Integrative Oncology; and Roland Schwarting,         in Vulnerable Populations—that will provide behavior-
centers. In 2018, our experts were invited to speak at                Head Start, we distributed free home-safety devices to          MD, Chairman and Chief, Department of Pathology. It also           change support, focus attention on social determinants
events on topics as diverse as substance abuse awareness,             families in need. The topics included medication safety         included a Survivors March to recognize all cancer survivors in    of health, connect patients to community resources,
healthy lifestyle habits, nutrition, infant and child well care,      and fire prevention.                                            attendance. Since it was first held in 2010, the Pink Roses Teal   and enhance medication adherence with the help
smoking cessation, cancer, and heart disease.                                                                                         Magnolias Brunch has raised funds totaling $5.35 million.          of an interdisciplinary team.
                                                                   • Water safety presentations for parents and children: We
                                                                      distributed Designated Water Watcher tags with whistle
Health Fairs for Kids Teach                                           lanyards to families.
Good Health Habits
Children’s Regional Hospital at Cooper serves the children         Support Groups Provide Connection,
of southern New Jersey, allowing them to get the most              Encouragement, and Advice
advanced care close to home. For more than 12 years,               Cooper offers an array of free support groups for people
the Children’s Regional Hospital at Cooper has hosted a            who are going through similar experiences, from handling
health fair for children from the Veterans Memorial Family         the challenges of breastfeeding as a new mother to
School in Camden, where students learn about water                 dealing with the impact of specific cancers. To make these
                                                                                                                                           Survivors March
safety, gun safety, nutrition, hand washing, the importance        groups more accessible, they are offered on the Camden
                                                                                                                                               at the 2018
of exercise, and asthma triggers and treatments—with               campus as well as at other Cooper sites.                                 Pink Roses Teal
                                                                                                                                          Magnolias Brunch
 16                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              17
Caring for U.S. Military and First Responders:                                                                                            Cooper First in Nation to Provide Training
Serving Those Who Serve Us
                                                                                                                                               for Elite Army Trauma Team

                   Cooper provides clinical training to the elite Special Operations Combat Medics (SOCM)
                                   from the U.S. military’s Special Operations Command.

As part of our mission, Cooper is committed to providing        Training Military Trauma Teams
the highest quality health care to those who risk their         Because of our expertise in trauma, surgery, and critical
lives for our country and our communities. In 2018,             care, Cooper provides a wide range of military, diplomatic,
we continued to expand and enhance our portfolio of             and field-affairs training programs. In fact, Cooper is the
programs and services designed to meet the unique               only hospital in the nation to have trained elite medical
needs of active and retired military, veterans, their           providers from every U.S. military branch, as well as
families, and first responders:                                 multiple local, state, and federal government agencies
                                                                and international partners. Partnership programs include:
HeroCare Connect Earns Recognition
                                                                • Army Military-Civilian Trauma Team Training (AMCT3)
From NJ Hospital Association                                       program: This is the result of a 2017 congressional
                                                                   mandate aimed at advancing the military’s readiness by
                                                                   partnering with high-volume civilian trauma centers to
                                                                   gain critical skills.
                                                                • Special Operations Combat Medic (SOCM) Training
The year 2018 marked the first full year of operation for
                                                                   Course: Cooper is one of only five hospitals in the
HeroCare Connect, an innovative partnership between
Cooper and Deborah Heart and Lung Center. The program
                                                                   country that provides training to Special Operations                In 2018, Cooper entered into an
                                                                   Combat Medics from the U.S. military’s Special Operations           agreement with the U.S. Army
links South Jersey military families—active, veterans, and
                                                                   Command, which includes Army and Navy enlisted
their dependents—with expedited access to specialty care,
                                                                   members who hold or are designated for assignment
                                                                                                                                       to provide advanced surgical
supplementing the primary care available on Joint Base                                                                                 trauma training to the Army’s
                                                                   to a Special Operations medical position. In 2018, Cooper
McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst. The concierge program offers initial
appointments with a specialist within 24 to 48 hours. Since
                                                                   provided eight 36-week training courses for 71 SOCMs.               elite Forward Resuscitation
the launch of operations in June 2017, HeroCare Connect         • U.S. State Department “Project Guardian” for Emergency              Surgical Team (FRST), making
has coordinated initial specialist appointments for more           Management Specialists: This training program—the                   Cooper the first in the nation to
than 3,000 patients at Cooper and Deborah.                         only one of its kind in the world—matches Emergency                 provide this training. Through the
                                                                   Management Specialists with Cooper trauma surgeons
                                                                   and physicians who treat patients in our high-volume
                                                                                                                                       program, a U.S. Army surgeon,
“Helping Our Heroes” Stay Healthy
                                                                   trauma center and ED, providing five weeks of real-world            emergency medicine physician,
To help keep our first responders healthy, Cooper and the
Camden County Board of Freeholders teamed up to offer              experience to refresh their clinical skills. Emergency              nurse anesthetist, intensive care
“Helping Our Heroes,” a preventive screening program that          Management comprises physicians, physician assistants,              nurse, and emergency nurse are
                                                                   and paramedics who serve in high-threat embassies,                                                          TOP: U.S. Congressman Donald Norcross, center, with
offers the more than 2,800 active firefighters and EMTs in                                                                             fully embedded members of the           Brigadier General Telita Crosland and Cooper leadership
Camden County on-site cardiovascular risk assessments              consulates, and active war zones.
                                                                                                                                       Cooper clinical staff for three years   at the Trauma Team Training signing ceremony.
and annual wellness physicals, as well as preventive cancer     • FBI Hostage Rescue Team Training: This program provides
screenings. More than 75 firefighters in Collingswood, Hi-         a clinical-skills refresher for physicians, physician assistants,
                                                                                                                                       to obtain firsthand training at         BOTTOM: Brigadier General Telita Crosland, who commands
                                                                                                                                                                               the Army’s Regional Health Center-Atlantic, watches
Nella, Pennsauken, Washington Township, and Westmont               and paramedics who are responsible for caring for those             Cooper’s high-volume, high-acuity       Cooper Co-President Anthony J. Mazzarelli, MD sign
took part in the free screenings last year.                        injured in high-threat Department of Justice operations.            trauma center.                          agreement and Co-President Kevin O’Dowd, JD looks on.

 18                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      19
Cooper Honors Trauma Surgeon
                                                                                                                                With Military Employee of the Year Award
                                                                                                                                On May 22, Cooper presented the 2018 Cooper Military          officer in the U.S. Army Reserve Medical Corps. On 9/11
                                                                                                                                Employee of the Year Award to trauma surgeon John             Chovanes was among the first responders at the World
                                                                                                                                Chovanes, DO, FACS, LTC, USAR MC, at a Memorial Day           Trade Center. He has continued to save lives as a civilian
                                                                                                                                celebration for Cooper employees who are veterans or          trauma surgeon and a military surgeon. He has completed
                                                                                                                                active military. It is one of two events held each year to    five tours of duty in the Army Medical Corps, the most
                                                                                                                                honor employees with a military connection. (The other is     recent to the Middle East last year.
                                                                                                                                held in conjunction with Veterans Day.)                       The Cooper Military Employee of the Year Award was
                                                                                                                                After serving as an EMT, paramedic, ER nurse, and flight      established to formally recognize the outstanding
                                                                                                                                paramedic, Dr. Chovanes became a physician, completing        contributions by a Cooper staff member to the health
                                                                                                                                a residency in general surgery and a double fellowship in     system, the community, and the nation—in support of
                                                                                                                                trauma surgery and surgical critical care. While completing   Cooper’s mission to serve, to heal, to educate.
                                                                                                                                his medical training in July 2001, he enlisted as an

                                                                                                                                                                                                                       L-R: Timothy Boyce, MS,
                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Manager of Diplomatic,
                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Domestic and Military Affairs;
                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Corey Terry, Preceptor, Special
                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Operations Combat Medic;
                                                                                                  Cooper volunteers                                                                                                    John Chovanes, DO, FACS,
                                                                                                  at the second annual                                                                                                 LTC, USAR MC, 2018 Military
                                                                                                  Summerfest held at the                                                                                               Employee of the Year; and
                                                                                                  Funplex in Mount Laurel.                                                                                             Rory Tippit, Executive
                                                                                                  Veterans, military, and                                                                                              Administrative Officer
                                                                                                  first responders who                                                                                                 of the Military
                                                                                                  attended were offered                                                                                                Diplomatic Field
                                                                                                  a variety of health                                                                                                  Affairs Center
                                                                                                  screenings—and a fun
                                                                                                  day with family.

Stop the Bleed Training                                          Cooper Earns High Marks for Its Care of
Stop the Bleed (STB) training is part of a national initiative   Military, Veterans, and First Responders
to put knowledge gained by first responders and the              Cooper received grant funding from the New Jersey
military into the hands of the public to help manage life-       Department of Health to initiate a pilot program to further
threatening bleeding in cases of acts of violence, motor         develop a comprehensive integrated care network in
vehicle accidents, or other disasters. With the aim of           southern New Jersey to serve the needs of active military
making STB training as common as CPR training,                   personnel, veterans, and first responders. The Walter Rand
Cooper’s Trauma Division and EMS Outreach offer a                Institute for Public Affairs evaluated Cooper’s performance,
free one-hour class at Cooper Medical School of Rowan            and determined that Cooper met all of its objectives,
University every other Wednesday, as well as at off-site         exceeding their goals and objectives in such areas as
locations such as churches and schools when requested.           providing health care screenings, primary care visits,
In 2018, Cooper held more than 60 STB classes, educating         behavioral health evaluations, subspecialty care visits,
more than 1,200 lay people on how to apply tourniquets,          and same-day appointments, leading to what the report
pack a wound, and open a victim’s airway. Classes are            called “overwhelming success.”
taught by Cooper employees who volunteer their time
to support this important program. Cooper’s EMS
Outreach also provided STB training to emergency
responders and other organizations on request,
educating nearly 300 people.

 20                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  21
2018 Nursing Excellence Award winners
MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper                           Glendenning, RN, MSN, to the post of Assistant Vice
                                                                                                                              Nursing Accomplishments include:                              President for Professional Development. In the realm of
                                                                                                                                                                                            education and training, 12 nurses graduated from Cooper’s
As a leading academic health system in the region, Cooper is home to highly advanced                                          • Nursing department achieved the goal of reducing ED
                                                                                                                                                                                            comprehensive Perioperative training program, and a nursing
medical expertise and exceptional teams of physicians, nurses, and other caregivers.                                              visits: Reduced patient utilization of Emergency Room
                                                                                                                                                                                            Grand Rounds program was initiated by our Advanced
                                                                                                                                  visits, from 18 percent in 2016 to two percent in 2018
They not only possess outstanding clinical skills to treat illness and restore health, but                                                                                                  Practice Providers. Cooper’s Nurse Residency program provided
                                                                                                                              • First collaborative Nursing Conference with Rutgers in    supportive, sequential learning experiences including didactic
also strive to empower patients to make the best choices in order to prevent disease.                                             2018 on Current Trends in Cancer Care                     classroom lectures, structured computer-based learning,
They demonstrate this commitment with every patient interaction, every day.                                                   • Increased staff’s oncology certifications: Goal set at    and clinical experiences incorporating simulations and
                                                                                                                                  50 percent, finished 2018 at 65 percent                   hands-on skill development to all new-to-practice nurses.
                                                                                                                              • Expanded Triage protocols to link with key home care
Nursing: Outstanding People, Exemplary Care                                                                                       providers: Developed resource for improved at home        Nursing Leadership Advancements
                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Kathy Devine, RN, DrNP, was
                                                                                                                                  assessment of our cancer patients
While the medical and technological aspects of nursing          75 percent through education, team engagement, and                                                                                                           appointed Chief Nursing
                                                                                                                              • Developed Care Transition Navigator role to enhance
have significantly evolved since the time of Florence           equipment enhancement.                                                                                                                                       Officer and Senior Vice
                                                                                                                                  coordination between inpatient/outpatient transition
Nightingale, the essential role of the nurse remains            The nursing staff also partnered with Informatics, devising                                                                                                  President in October. In this
                                                                                                                                  impacting readmission rates
the same: provide a safe and caring environment that            a nurse work list that could be updated instantly—a boost                                                                                                    role, she is responsible for
promotes patient safety, healing, and well-being. We                                                                          • Lung Nurse Navigator led the development of Tobacco
                                                                in efficiency and real-time documentation.                                                                                                                   professional nursing practice
know that our effectiveness as a health care organization                                                                          cessation program and counseling with patients.
                                                                With a focus on the patient experience, Roberts Pavilion                                                                                                     across the continuum of
is inextricably linked to clinical skills and patient care—                                                                                                                                                                  care, and has administrative
which is why we engage and attract the best and
                                                                Five, Six, Seven, and Nine, as well as the NICU, exceeded     A Focus on Professional Development                                                            and operational leadership
                                                                their goal for overall inpatient, “rate the hospital and      Providing opportunities for professional development
brightest nurses. Some highlights of our nurses’                                                                                                                                                                             responsibility for Nursing
                                                                communication with nurses scores”. The nurses’ role in the    is an integral part of Cooper’s commitment to our
achievements in 2018:                                                                                                                                                                                                        and Patient Care Services.
                                                                early identification of sepsis infections contributed to      nurses; this is reflected in the appointment of Jennifer
                                                                the successful achievement of a significant reduction in
Improving Safety and Efficiency                                 sepsis-related mortality. Cooper nurses collaborated
Our nurses led multiple initiatives in 2018 to improve          with multidisciplinary teams to strive for positive patient   KUDOS
safety and efficiency. These included initiating daily safety   outcomes related to infection prevention. Fall-reduction      Cooper nurses earned a multitude of well-deserved             Norcross Award for Excellence in Perioperative Nursing.
huddles to further foster a culture of safety at Cooper;        strategies included participation in the New Jersey Falls     awards and recognition in 2018:                               Pannone said he was surprised and honored to be singled
helping launch the iTRACK system in the Emergency               program, with a significant reduction in falls with injury,                                                                 out by his peers.
Department to ease patient throughput and increase              and performed better as compared with similar hospitals       2018 Nursing Excellence Awards
patient satisfaction; and participating in a multifaceted                                                                                                                                   “I’m still so new, with so much yet to learn, I just never
                                                                nationwide over the last 12 months.                           These awards honored 22 nurses and collaborative care
effort to reduce errors in Central Sterile Processing by                                                                                                                                    would have guessed that I’d be named Nurse of the Year,”
                                                                                                                              providers and teams for their outstanding contributions to
                                                                                                                                                                                            he said. “Sometimes you’re just working so hard and you
                                                                                                                              excellence in patient care. Award winners were nominated
                                                                                                                                                                                            think no one’s watching, but others do see your work ethic
                                                                                                                              by their colleagues for their commitment to upholding the
                                                                                                                                                                                            and compassion. I’m grateful.”
                                                                                                                              Cooper mission. The theme for 2018’s Nursing Excellence
                                                                                                                              Awards: “A Hero Lies in You.”
                                                                                                                                                                                            2018 DAISY Award Winners
                                                                                                                              Nurse of the Year:                                            The DAISY Award is an international program to reward
                                                                                                                                                                                            excellence in the nursing profession. It was created by
                                                                                                                                VINCENT PANNONE, RN, BSN                                    the DAISY Foundation to recognize the extraordinary
                                                                                                                              Vincent Pannone, RN, BSN, of Sicklerville, NJ, was            compassion, outstanding clinical skills, and personalized
                                                                                                                              named Cooper’s Nurse of the Year at the 2018 Nursing          care nurses exhibit every day. Our 2018 award winners:
                                                                                                                              Excellence Awards.
                                                                                                                                                                                            Thomas Egan, RN               Nicholas Knight, RN
                                                                                                                                                                Pannone, who joined
                                                                                                                                                                                            Cardiac Care Unit (CCU)       Cardiology–Pavilion Nine
                                                                                                                                                                Cooper in 2016, is an
                                                                                                                                                                Operating Room nurse        Chevron Johnson, RN           James Matthew Kucharski, RN
                                                                                                                                                                who completed the           Surgical Intermediate Unit– Cardiac Intermediate Unit–
                                                                                                                                                                hospital’s six-month        Pavilion Six                Pavilion Nine
                                                                                                                                                                Perioperative training
                                                                                                                                                                program after earning       Cristine Yumang, RN
                                                                                                                                                                his nursing degree. He      Surgical Intermediate Unit–
                                                                                                                                                                received the Cooper         Pavilion Six
                                                                                                                                                                Nurse of the Year Award
                                                                                                                                                                and the Philip and Carole

 24                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   25
Notable Physician Appointments and Achievements
Cooper is the only academic medical center based in
South Jersey, and employs more than 630 physicians
                                                                We attract some of the most highly trained and
                                                                experienced physicians, surgeons, and advanced practice     Celebrating Our Providers of the Quarter
and surgeons in more than 75 specialties. We continue           nurses in the nation. Here are some of their achievements
to expand—adding top physicians in their fields, the            in the past year:
most advanced services, cutting-edge programs—to meet                                                                       The Provider of the Quarter Recognition Program is designed to recognize Cooper Physicians,
the needs of our community.
                                                                                                                            Advanced Practice Nurses (APNs), Physician Assistants (PAs), and Certified Registered
                                                                                                                            Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) who were nominated by their peers for their professionalism,
                                                                                                                            interpersonal skills, effective communication, teamwork, and dedication to research and
                        Kaitlan Baston, MD, MSc                                   Joseph M. Montella, MD, MS, CPE
                        was named Medical Director,                               joined Cooper as Vice President           education. Nominees exemplify our core values and service standards and demonstrate
                        Addiction Medicine, at                                    of Medical Affairs and became             achievement of results to further Cooper’s strategic imperatives.
                        Cooper’s Urban Health                                     Chief Medical Officer in 2018
                        Institute

                                                                                                                                                    FIRST QUARTER                                  SECOND QUARTER
                        Erik C. Freeland, DO                                      Stephen W. Trzeciak, MD, MPH
                        became the new                                            accepted the post of the
                                                                                                                                                    Nadir Ahmad, MD, FACS                          Richard D. Lackman, MD
                        Division Head for Foot                                    Edward D. Viner Chair of                                          Head of the Division of                        Associate Director of the
                        and Ankle Surgery                                         Medicine and Medical Director of                                  Otolaryngology –                               Division of Orthopaedic
                                                                                  Cooper’s Adult Health Institute                                   Head and Neck Surgery                          Oncology within the
                                                                                                                                                                                                   Department of
                                                                                                                                                    Director of the Head and
                                                                                                                                                                                                   Orthopaedic Surgery
                                                                                                                                                    Neck Cancer Program at
                                                                                                                                                    MD Anderson Cancer                             Professor of Orthopaedic
                        Eric E. Kupersmith, MD, SFHM                                                                                                Center at Cooper                               Surgery at the Cooper
                        was named Chief Physician                                                                                                                                                  Medical School of
                        Executive. He joined Cooper in                                                                                              Associate Professor of
                                                                                                                                                                                                   Rowan University
                        1995 and served as Chief Medical                                                                                            Surgery at the
                        Officer and Senior Vice President                                                                                           Cooper Medical School of                       Adjunct Professor of
                        of Hospital Operations with                                                                                                 Rowan University                               Orthopaedic Surgery at the
                        oversight of hospital-based services                                                                                                                                       MD Anderson Cancer
                                                                                                                                                                                                   Center in Houston

New Physician-Led Training Initiatives                          Kudos                                                                               THIRD QUARTER                                  FOURTH QUARTER
As part of Cooper’s commitment to training the next             •W
                                                                  arren R. Heymann, MD, received the 2018
generation of physicians:                                        Lifetime Achievement Award from the                                                Lisa B. Butler, MSN, APN                       Gregory J. Kubicek, MD
                                                                 Medical Dermatological Society                                                     Lead APN for the Center                        Co-Director of
•N
  adir Ahmad, MD, FACS, Head of the Division of
 Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, spearheaded              • Kaitlan Baston, MD, MSc, was an Innovation                                       for Urgent and Emergent                        Neuro-Radiosurgery at
 establishment of an ear, nose, and throat (ENT) residency         Hero finalist for NJ Biz’s 2018 Healthcare                                       Services (CUES)                                MD Anderson Cancer
 program at Cooper in 2018—one of the first new                    Heroes Awards                                                                                                                   Center at Cooper
 programs of its kind in the U.S. in more than a decade                                                                                                                                            Associate Professor of
                                                                                                                                                                                                   Radiation Oncology at the
• Kristin L. Brill, MD, FACS, Program Director, Janet
                                                                                                                                                                                                   Cooper Medical School of
   Knowles Breast Cancer Center, and Director, Section of
                                                                                                                                                                                                   Rowan University
   Breast Surgery, was named program director for a
   new breast surgical oncology fellowship program at                                                                                                                                              Adjunct Professor of
   MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper                                                                                                                                                             Radiation Oncology at
                                                                                                                                                                                                   MD Anderson Cancer
• Todd L. Siegal, MD, Interim Vice Chair/Chief of                                                                                                                                                 Center in Houston
   Radiology, led the establishment of a one-year Women’s
   Imaging Fellowship, the first such program in South Jersey

 26                                                                                                                                                                                                                        27
MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper
Cooper’s partnership with the renowned MD Anderson              center in the region with more than 100,000 treatment
Cancer Center in Houston continues to transform cancer          encounters and 70,000 physician visits in a single year,
care in the South Jersey region. It’s no surprise—the Texas     ranking as the first choice for cancer care among patients
facility has been named one of the leading hospitals for        surveyed by an independent research firm.
cancer care by U.S. News & World Report 14 times in the         The cancer center team launched three innovative clinical
past 17 years, including 2018. With the clinical integration    programs in 2018 – the Rare Cancers Program, Second
between our two programs, MD Anderson at Cooper                 Opinion Program, and the Aerodigestive Program (for the
physicians adhere to the same philosophy, process, and guide-   diagnosis and treatment of esophageal cancer). Through
lines—and patients here benefit from the same proven            these new programs, we broaden the scope of services to
practice standards and treatment protocols as in Houston.                                                                        Participants in the Biden Cancer Community Summit with U.S. Congressman Donald Norcross at MD Anderson at Cooper.
                                                                meet the unique needs of cancer patients.
MD Anderson at Cooper has become a leading cancer               Here’s a look at some of the notable milestones of 2018:
                                                                                                                             Cooper Hosts Biden Cancer                                      Cancer Screenings Help Save Lives
                                                                                                                             Community Summit                                               MD Anderson at Cooper is committed not only to providing

CELEBRATING OUR FIVE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY                                                                                        On September 21, MD Anderson at Cooper—in conjunction
                                                                                                                             with U.S. Congressman Donald Norcross—participated
                                                                                                                             in the national Biden Cancer Community Summit to hear
                                                                                                                                                                                            the best possible care to people who have cancer, but
                                                                                                                                                                                            also to make screening and early detection as accessible
                                                                                                                                                                                            as possible—especially for the underinsured population.
                                                                                                                             local perspectives on treatment, proposals for federal
                                                                                                                                                                                            Our screening clinics provide more than 2,700 free or low-
                                                                                                                             actions, and personal stories from a panel of cancer
                                                                                                                                                                                            cost screenings for breast, cervical, prostate, colorectal,
                                                                                                                             survivors, family caregivers, doctors, and nurses. The
                                                                                                                                                                                            skin, and oral cancer for those who may not have the
                                                                                                                             Biden Cancer Initiative was launched to form a cohesive,
                                                                                                                                                                                            resources to access these life-saving services.
                                                                                                                             comprehensive, and timely approach to cancer prevention,
                                                                                                                             diagnosis, research, and care.                                 Subaru and the Leukemia & Lymphoma
                                                                                                                                                                                            Society “Blanket” Cancer Patients in Warmth
                                                                                                                             New Breast Surgical Oncology                                   In September, executives from Subaru of America’s
                                                                                                                             Fellowship Program                                             corporate headquarters and the Leukemia & Lymphoma
                                                                                                                             MD Anderson at Cooper received approval from the               Society (LLS) delivered messages of hope and 100 specially
                                                                                                                             Society of Surgical Oncology to establish the only Breast      made blankets to outpatients at MD Anderson Cancer
                                                                                                                             Surgical Oncology Fellowship Program in South Jersey—          Center at Cooper. Their aim was to help encourage patients
                                                                                                                             one of 52 programs in the nation—affirming the quality         and keep them warm as they continue their fight against
                                                                                                                             of the curriculum and faculty at our cancer center. The        cancer. The event was part of an initiative by Subaru
                                                                                                                             new program will enable Cooper to prepare surgeons to          of America and LLS to provide much needed support
                                                                                                                             become experts in the surgical management of breast            and “warmth” to cancer patients and their families in
                                                                                                                             cancer and advanced surgical techniques. The Janet             communities across the country.
                                                                                                                             Knowles Breast Cancer Center at MD Anderson at Cooper
                                                                                                                             is one of the region’s leading providers of comprehensive      Breast Imaging Fellowship
                                                                                                                             breast cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment services.   Cooper received accreditation from the Society of Breast
                                                                                                                                                                                            Imaging to offer the first Women’s Imaging Fellowship in
MD Anderson at Cooper marked its five-year                                                                                   New Outpatient Diagnostic                                      South Jersey. One candidate will enter into the program
anniversary serving the South Jersey region                                                                                  Mammography Center                                             each year starting in the 2020-21 academic year. The Cooper
in September. In just a few short years, we’ve                                                                               Expanding to meet growing patient demand,                      Breast Imaging Center is a high-volume breast imaging
experienced impressive growth to our programs                                                                                MD Anderson at Cooper opened a new outpatient                  center with offices in Voorhees and Camden. The center
                                                                                                                             diagnostic mammography center on its Camden                    offers the full array of breast imaging and image-guided
and services; recruited top physicians, nurses,
                                                                                                                             campus in 2018. This one-stop center offers diagnostic         procedures including digital mammography, digital breast
and staff; expanded our geographic reach and                                                                                                                                                tomosynthesis, contrast-enhanced spectral mammography,
                                                                                                                             mammograms, biopsies, and ultrasound services. The
footprint; and become the leading cancer                                                                                     space includes a consultation area, reading room, and          ultrasound, and breast MRI. We have five fellowship-trained
center in South Jersey, serving more patients                                                                                comfortable waiting areas for patients. The facility also      breast imagers within the Department of Radiology to serve
in our region than ever before. The milestone                      Camden’s Mayor Frank Moran is flanked by                  provides a separate waiting area for male patients.            our patients with the highest level of care. Since partnering
was marked with a variety of events and                            Cooper Co-Presidents Kevin M. O’Dowd, JD (left);
                                                                                                                                                                                            with MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, our growing
                                                                   and Anthony Mazzarelli, MD, at the
celebrated with local dignitaries, employees,                      MD Anderson at Cooper anniversary event.                                                                                 patient population and our level of expertise rival some of
patients, and the community.                                                                                                                                                                the finest breast programs in the country.

 28                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 29
2018 Cooper Medical School of
Rowan University Commencement
members of an international consortium to identify genes          Match Day for the
                                                                                                                              that cause epilepsy. CMSRU, in partnership with Cooper            Medical School’s Class of 2018
As an academic health system, teaching is a core compo-     continually invests in the community through education,           University Health Care, is the eighth clinical site to join the
                                                                                                                                                                                                Cooper Medical School of Rowan University’s Class of
nent of Cooper’s mission to train the next generation of    job creation, and career training. Here are a two examples:       Philadelphia Consortium. An Institutional Review Board
                                                                                                                                                                                                2018 joined thousands of medical students and graduates
medical professionals. In their roles as faculty members                                                                      approval is in place to begin collecting epilepsy-patient
                                                            • Medical Assistant Training Program: Established to fill the                                                                      around the world in learning the specialty and location
at Cooper Medical School of Rowan University (CMSRU),                                                                         tissue samples at Cooper beginning in 2019.
                                                               need for entry-level medical assistants in Camden, this                                                                          of the residency programs where they will train for the
our physicians are committed to sharing the knowledge                                                                                                                                           next three to seven years during an exciting Match Day
                                                               Cooper program offers trainees full-time employment at
and experience they have acquired with the next genera-                                                                       Camden Institutions Partner to Research                           ceremony March 16. Thirty-five of the 73 CMSRU students
                                                               Cooper or at another local health-care system on completion.
tion of physicians. And through their research, they can                                                                      Ways to Fight Opioid Addiction                                    will enter primary-care training programs, and 26 percent
affect countless patients’ lives for generations to come.   • Cooper Health Careers Initiative: A partnership with           Opioid overdoses continue to climb in New Jersey, with            of the class will remain in New Jersey to complete their
                                                               Camden County and Hopeworks, this program provides             2018 the deadliest year to date. To help fight this urgent        training—including 12 who matched at Cooper University
Strengthening the Region’s Workforce                           free medical-coding training for Camden residents—and          public health concern, the Coriell Institute for Medical          Health Care. Nationally, students matched at a range of
As the largest employer of Camden’s residents, Cooper          a job at Cooper on completion.                                 Research, Cooper University Health Care, and CMSRU                esteemed programs, including Baylor, Brown, Cornell,
                                                                                                                              launched the Camden Opioid Research Initiative (CORI),            Duke, Georgetown, UC-Irvine, UCLA, University of
                                                                                                                              a first-of-its-kind undertaking to investigate the genetic        Pennsylvania, and Yale.
Cooper Medical School of Rowan University                                                                                     and biological factors that contribute to the development
                                                                                                                              of opioid-use disorder. CORI will take a three-pronged            73 Newly Minted Physicians
Since opening on the Cooper Health Sciences Campus in       author of You Can Stop Humming Now: A Doctor’s Stories            approach to its research, including a novel biobank of            In CMSRU’s 2018 Graduating Class
2012, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University (CMSRU)     of Life, Death, and In Between—discussed her innovative           biological samples collected from individuals who have
                                                                                                                                                                                                On May 11, 73 CMSRU students were awarded their
has graduated 173 new physicians, helping address the       approach to caring for patients struggling to cope with the       died from an overdose, along with a pair of studies to
                                                                                                                                                                                                medical degrees—the medical school’s third graduating
critical shortage of doctors in our region and beyond.      challenges of life with chronic illness. This well-attended       investigate the genetic and nongenetic factors that
                                                                                                                                                                                                class and the largest to date. The event was held on the
                                                            annual lecture for medical students and faculty is presented      underlie opioid-use disorder.
                                                                                                                                                                                                University Green of Rowan University’s main campus
Hosting a Major Research Symposium                          by the Cooper Foundation, Cooper University Health Care,
                                                                                                                                                                                                in Glassboro. Attendees heard from guest speaker and
In October, CMSRU hosted Advancing Research in              and Cooper Medical School of Rowan University and is              New ENT Residency Program                                         CMSRU Medal of Excellence recipient Darrell G. Kirch, MD,
Camden—a major Rowan University–wide biomedical-            funded by the Berkowitz Family Foundation.
                                                                                                                              Cooper and CMSRU received approval in 2018 from the               President and Chief Executive Officer of the Association
and bioengineering-focused research symposium. It                                                                             Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education              of American Medical Colleges, who urged graduates
included plenary sessions by two nationally renowned        CMSRU Researchers Help Discover                                   (ACGME) to establish an otolaryngology head-and-neck              to stay focused on the needs of their patients and be
keynote speakers, a poster session with 130 different       11 New Epilepsy Genes                                             surgery (ENT) residency program. This highly specialized          champions of those with socioeconomic barriers to the
presentations by Rowan faculty research scientists,         Professors in the Department of Biomedical Science at             surgical training program is only the second of its kind in       outstanding medical care available in the U.S.
and ample opportunity for networking. More than             CMSRU collaborated on an important study published                the state. ENT residency training is in high demand and
350 people attended the inaugural event aimed at            December 10 in Nature Communications that identifies              typically one of the most competitive residency programs
promoting collaboration in research.                        11 new epilepsy genes not previously linked to the                nationally. Cooper will welcome its first ENT resident
                                                            disorder. The discovery triples the number of known               to the five-year training program in 2019.
Sixth Annual Berkowitz Family                               susceptibility genes for epilepsy and provides critical
Foundation Lecture                                          clues for future research. The CMSRU neuroscientists are
The featured speaker at the 2018 Berkowitz Family
Foundation Lecture, Daniela Lamas, MD—

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    CMSRU’s Class of 2018

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