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Health & Lifestyle Magazine OVerlOOK April 2010 Over Hospliotaok l HIGH-TECH TOOLS Overlook’s Robotic Revolution GOING GREEN DECODING AUTISM Making Your Home Healthier Actress Holly Robinson Peete Speaks Out Mercedes-Benz of Union 2585 Rt.22 West, Union, NJ 07083 | 908-379-7200 | RayCatenaUnion.com Overlookview.com | 3 View From the Top OVerlOOK Vo l u m e 6 , I s s u e 3 Overlook Hospital Staff John Rosellini Director, Business Development Joyce Passen Manager, Community Health Diane Fischl Manager, Physician Relations Directors David Fink Greg Feder What will our hospitals look like in the next 50 years? It’s impossible to say, but at Overlook we believe in setting the curve, not trailing it, to create a quality of care—and caring—that is second to none. Several weeks ago, in a poll of the state’s physicians by Castle Connolly, one of the nation’s most respected sources for healthcare research and information, Overlook Hospital earned the highest marks among all large New Jersey hospitals for its treatment of strokes and other neurological disorders. The hospital also ranked among the top 10 for the treatment of breast, prostate, and pediatric cancers, as well as hip and knee replacement and congestive heart failure. And just a few weeks before these honors were announced, Overlook received the 2010 HealthGrades Stroke Care Excellence Award, ranking us among the top 10 percent of hospitals nationwide for stroke care. That’s no small feat, and it is a proud reflection of Overlook’s commitment to acquiring the best technologies and treatments for our patients. Onsite imaging devices like the Aquilion One CT scanner and Biplane Angiographic Unit are on our front lines for diagnosing and treating strokes, saving lives that are dangerously in peril. Throughout the hospital our high-tech tools for the twenty-first century are vital to patient care, and our most recent addition, the da Vinci robot, leads the way. As you’ll learn in “Smooth Operator” on page 34, the da Vinci is making it possible for doctors to make new strides in minimally invasive surgery, performing procedures that produce fewer complications and smoother recoveries. You already may have gotten a glimpse of the impressive machine on such television shows as Grey’s Anatomy and The Doctors, but away from the soundstages our physicians are using it in our operating rooms every day to set new standards for surgical care. It’s that dedication to improving patient experiences and quality of life that drives us, distinguishes us, and inspires our passion to lead. Sincerely, Editor Alyson Black Photographer Tom Sperduto Designers Tuyen Teasdale John Glavasich Jenna Familletti Production Tina Shields Ad Sales/Marketing Heather Malinowski Overlook View is mailed directly to over 90,000 homeowners in select demographic areas of Union, Essex, Morris, and Somerset counties in NJ. Overlook View is published ten times throughout the year. Editorial inquiries and calendar information can be sent to: Overlook Hospital/Overlook View 99 Beauvoir Avenue Summit, NJ 07901 email: [email protected] For more information regarding advertising rates, schedules, and subscriptions: The DavidHenry Agency/Overlook View 10 Prospect Street, 2nd Floor Westfield, NJ 07090 Tel: (866) 934-3126 ext. 106 [email protected] The views expressed in columns appearing in Overlook View are not necessarily the views of the publisher. Although every effort is made to present accurate information, schedules, hours, prices, or other materials are subject to change and not guaranteed. Alan Lieber President The information contained within this magazine and Website is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, for which your physician is your best choice. The information in the articles, Website, or the sites to which it links should not be used as the basis for diagnosing or treating any medical condition. Reproduction of Overlook View in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher is prohibited. Copyright ©2010. All rights reserved. www.overlookview.com Cover photo by: Christopher Voelker/ Voelkerstudio.com. 4 | April 2010 ww w. a tl a n ti c h e a l th . o r g /O ve r l o o k Congratulations to the Entire Overlook Hospital Team! Overloo Hospita k l TOP HOSPITAL for Stroke TOP HOSPITAL for Neurological Disorders Thank you to all of the physicians around the state who voted for Overlook Hospital. For a referal to an Overlook Physician, call (866) 854-3381 Research conducted by Castle Connolly Medical Ltd., in partnership with Inside Jersey magazine, April 2010 c on ten t s April 2010 features 8Picking Up the Pieces More children than ever before are being diagnosed with autism. Learn about the signs you shouldn’t miss. 18Mindful Living 12 Coping with anxiety, depression, and other mental-health disorders. 24It’s Easy Being Green Making your home more environmentally friendly may make you healthier too. 34Smooth Operator Robotics are revolutionizing surgery, and patients are reaping the benefits. 38Picture-Perfect High-tech imaging provides doctors with the close-ups they need to assess your health. 40Critical Factors Overlook earns top marks for stroke care. ON THE COVER THE POWER OF LOVE Actress Holly Robinson Peete opens up about her experiences as a parent of a child with autism— and stands up for autistic children everywhere. columns 30 Community Health Calendar 42 Photography 101 44 Kaleidoscope 48News & Views 52 Foundation Happenings 54 Culinary Corner Overlookview.com | 7 Picking Up By Alyson Black the “Autism—described as a spectrum of disorders because no two children embody the disorder in the same fashion or with the exact same strengths and deficits—requires children and their families to adapt to the world in ways they never expected.” 8 | April 2010 Pieces More children than ever before are being diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders. But with the right therapies and support services, they—and their families—are learning how to cope with this most puzzling of developmental disorders. The ever-increasing numbers of light-blue puzzle pieces tacked to lapels and smacked on car bumpers do nothing to reflect the nature of the autism spectrum disorders they represent, but they do tell a story of sorts about just how many children are affected by these disorders. In fact, according to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control, one child in 110 is on the autism spectrum. In New Jersey the picture is bleaker, with one child in 94 affected by these disorders. And males in our state bear a heavier burden, with one in 60 boys afflicted. or poor understanding of language. They often exhibit poor eye contact and have restricted interests or obsessive tendencies. Selvaggi Fadden explains that sensory-integration disorders are very common with autism, too. “Children need to be taught to be desensitized to certain things,” she says, citing loud sounds like fire alarms or physical contact like hugs. “Many of these children are tactiledefensive; if someone touches them, they shy away. But they can slowly get used to situations that are very upsetting for them.” The stories of these children often are best told by parents, not by puzzle pieces, not by the children themselves, because many of these kids can’t express themselves appropriately—which is to say that some, on the most severe end of the spectrum, are completely nonverbal, while others who are less affected cannot convey meaningful language and others just simply cannot put into words the reality of their experience. Sensory-integration difficulties are not the only challenges faced by autistic children. Tara Gleeson, MSN, CPNP, a certified pediatric nurse practitioner with the Child Development Center, explains that co-morbidities—conditions that exist in tandem with autism—are not uncommon. Hyperactivity, inattention, sleep disorders, seizures, and tics often complicate presentations of symptoms that are already complex. But the reality is that autism—described as a spectrum of disorders because no two children embody the disorder in the same fashion or with the exact same strengths and deficits—alters children’s lives, families’ lives, and requires these children and their families to adapt to the world in ways they never expected. Most of the hundreds of thousands of people living with autism have difficulty in communication and social interactions, and present behaviors that are odd or repetitive. “I’d like to demystify autism,” says Kathleen Selvaggi Fadden, MD, medical director of the Child Development Center at Goryeb Children’s Center at Overlook Hospital and Goryeb Children’s Hospital at Morristown Memorial. “I consider it more a learning disability for social interaction.” Understanding Autism It’s impossible to say that anyone completely understands autism. Its causes remain largely unknown (though certain genetic disorders like Fragile X syndrome predispose kids), and while clinicians can cite hallmarks of the disorder and parents can report observations of their children’s behavior, there is still so much to learn. What we do know is that children with autism exhibit deficits in areas of communication and social skills. Many have delayed speech, limited language skills, Within the autism spectrum are sub-categories, each with its own nuances. • Asperger’s syndrome is distinguished by engaging in one-sided, long-winded conversations—often in a monotonous, rigid, or fast manner—without noticing if anyone is listening or trying to change the subject. People with Asperger’s have difficulty “reading” other people or understanding humor, and appear not to understand, empathize with, or be sensitive to others’ feelings. Moreover, they often move clumsily and have awkward body postures and gestures. They may show an obsession with one or two specific subjects (like sports statistics, train schedules, or dinosaurs)—but in some cases, this ability to retain volumes of information can be very helpful. “A lot of kids with Asperger’s do very well in elementary school where memorization is key to academic success,” says Selvaggi Fadden. “They have more difficulty in high school, however, especially with social interaction.” • Patients with PDD-NOS (Pervasive Development Disorder—Not Otherwise Specified) show impairment in social interactions, but do not meet the full criteria for autistic disorder. • High-functioning autism should not be misinterpreted as having “less” autism. Instead, high-functioning autistics meet the criteria for full autistic disorder (they still have trouble with eye contact and social interaction, and exhibit little interest in others), but have high intelligence. Overlookview.com | 9 Diagnosing Autism Selvaggi Fadden and Gleeson both report that the medical community has gotten better not only at recognizing the signs of autism but also at diagnosing the disorder. “We’re also including children with mild disorders who may not have been diagnosed in the past,” says Selvaggi Fadden. At the Child Development Center, Gleeson explains, she works alongside a team of developmental pediatricians to assess cognitive ability, motor skills, development of language and communication, social ability, and play skills during an initial consultation. “We diagnose multiple children every week, following a full neurodevelopmental assessment,” she says, “and then recommend and guide parents to access appropriate services.” Parents provide a medical history, including information on such developmental milestones as eye contact, pointing, and talking. Children as young as 18 months are screened with the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS), the gold standard—and the only standardized test—for diagnosing autism. The ADOS includes a series of play-based activities that are determined by the age of each individual child. In one assessment, for example, a selection of toys may be put out on a table. Some of these toys will be age-appropriate; among them will be a couple of things known to be more appealing to an autistic child. “We observe how the child interacts with his environment,” Gleeson says. “We note a child’s joint attention skills—how he responds to his name, makes eye contact, follows directions. We observe behaviors that are correlated with the deficits typical of autism.” Treating Autism Although there is no “cure” for autism, a variety of therapies can help a child grow, succeed, and reach his fullest potential. “The earlier the age of diagnosis and intervention with treatment, the better the prognosis,” says Gleeson. Following an autism diagnosis, the Child Development Center assists parents in securing help for their children. For children age three and younger, that help often comes through the state’s Early Intervention program. For older children, local school systems usually become a first-line resource with special-education classes and therapies tailored to each child. In New Jersey, 97 percent of kids with autism are receiving special-education services. Physicians at the Child Development Center also are available to provide ongoing pharmacological care for the co-morbidities that often exist with autism. Medications don’t cure autism, but they can help ease the symptoms of such things as anxiety, hyperactivity, and aggression. “When we treat symptoms, kids are better available to learn,” says Selvaggi Fadden. Other children on the spectrum benefit from counseling. Clinical psychologist Christopher Lynch, PhD, also of the Child Development Center, has achieved great success teaching coping techniques and strategies to Asperger’s patients and high-functioning autistics. “Kids with autism can learn a lot of skills,” he says, “but they don’t necessarily know how to apply those skills. My goal is to get them to practice coping techniques when they need them, in environments where it counts.” In fact, Lynch says, this is exactly what kids want to be able to do. He reports that in interviews with adults with Asperger’s or high-functioning autism, patients “don’t want to change who they are fundamentally. They mostly want strategies for dealing with their needs.” To that end, Lynch co-facilitates through the Child Development Center a monthly support group with Lewis Dlugasch, LCSW, to help parents of autistic children cope with their own needs, too. The group provides information and education, and also provides a network of other parents from which to draw support. Because when a family is faced with the challenges of autism—heart-wrenching experiences with everything from lack of communication to tantrums to toileting issues to lack of understanding from society at large—it is very easy to feel alone and isolated; it is too hard to determine where to turn first or next; and it is too easy for parents to slip into a place where darkness overtakes the light. “But autistic kids can do really well,” Selvaggi Fadden says reassuringly. “And it’s never too late to make a difference.” To learn more about more about Goryeb Children’s Child Development Center, call (866)-385-4042. Know the Signs April is autism awareness month—but every day should involve autism awareness if you’re the parent of a young child. Doctors say you should be aware of milestones, and report any that are missed. ›› ›› ›› ›› A t 7 months: Your baby should engage in social smiles and eye contact. At 9 months: You and your baby should be able to maintain a back-and-forth sharing of sounds. At 12 months: Your baby should be answering to his name, babbling, and pointing to things of interest or things that he wants. At 18 months: Your toddler should be using single words and engaging in pretend play (giving a bottle to a doll, using a block as a telephone, etc.). Red flags include: Missing any one of the typical developmental milestones. ›› A regression or loss of ability at any age. As many as 30 percent of children with autism experience this, often at 15 to 24 months of age. ›› Rapid head growth. ›› Play skills that are more repetitive (lining things up by color, for example) than play-based. ›› The ability to talk without the ability to carry on a spontaneous, meaningful conversation. ›› If you have any concerns, talk to child’s pediatrician about having him evaluated. If your child is three or younger, you can contact the state’s Early Intervention program (888 NJ EI INFO) for information. 10 | April 2010 To learn more about Goryeb Children’s Child Development Center, call (866)-385-4042. Overlookview.com | 11 By A ly s o n B l a c k When actress Holly Robinson Peete learned her son had been diagnosed with autism, she was sure her whole world had fallen apart. Then she picked herself up and fought back. “We call it the world’s worst day—like someone had just dropped us off in the middle of a foreign country where we couldn’t speak the language and we couldn’t communicate. So little was known just a decade ago: There was no Welcome to Autism book; there was no map.” In fact, it was 2000 when actress Holly Robinson Peete and her husband, famed quarterback Rodney Peete, learned that their son R.J. had autism. He was nearly three at the time—a sliver of the young man he is today—and his diagnosis felt like a “punch in the gut,” she says. “We sat there stone-faced as a lady read us a laundry list of things that R. J. would never do. She told us he would never play a sport, never engage in impromptu conversation, never say ‘I love you,’ never show affection, never make eye contact, never understand when he’s in danger. My husband and I were just devastated, and in shock and denial for a period of time. Where are we supposed to go?, we wondered. Where is the hope? There was none.” They were standing at the intersection of Anger Boulevard and Pissed-Off Avenue, Holly recounts, and it was there that they remained—blindsided and seemingly stuck—for a while. She admits that R.J.’s diagnosis and the struggles they faced took a toll on their lives as a family and stressed her marriage to Rodney. “Now, I know exactly why that is,” she says. “You have a child who can’t express himself. It can be difficult to wrangle his behavior. And the outside world doesn’t understand.” 12 | April 2010 It was that lack of understanding that prompted Holly and Rodney to go public with their story—a decision that Holly arrived at first, and that neither arrived at lightly. “Rodney didn’t want to drag R.J. out as the autism poster boy,” Holly says, “but nobody was talking about autism and we knew we had to come out and talk publicly.” She was used to the spotlight of course, growing up as the daughter of Matt Robinson (the original Gordon on Sesame Street) and blossoming into a star in her own right, starring on 21 Jump Street and Hangin’ With Mr. Cooper in her twenties and thirties. She has hosted a satelliteradio show and most recently has been seen battling in Donald Trump’s boardroom on Celebrity Apprentice. But it is in her role as a mother and autism activist (she is on the board of Autism Speaks, the nation’s largest autism science and advocacy organization) that has found herself under the brightest spotlight. Today, she encourages parents of newly diagnosed children to go through their full range of emotions. “Take the time to be upset,” she recommends. “Go to that place of ‘Why me? Why my kid?’ Give yourself a chance to feel sorry for yourself—you’re allowed to do that. And then you have to snap out if it. If you’re lucky to get an early diagnosis, you have a lot of opportunities to help your child. Go over the top to figure out what you can do. Be a detective. If you find something and find it early, there is a better opportunity to find results.” Actress, mother, and Autism Speaks activist Holly Robinson Peete with her 12-year old twins, R.J. (far left) and Ryan. Photo by Christopher Voelker/Voelkerstudio.com Overlookview.com | 13 Go to that place of ‘Why me? Why my kid?’ She practiced what she preaches to others. “I knew I had a short window of time while R.J. was developing,” she says. “I knew that the earlier I intervened, the better shot I had of bringing him out of autism. So I started to put the puzzle together. We immersed him in everything we could. We got him tested for allergies and checked his gastrointestinal health, and learned he had a parasite and a gluten allergy. Instead of just following a prescription for behavioral medicine, we decided to treat the whole child.” They cobbled together pieces of one therapy and parts of another to arrive at a program that best suited R.J.’s needs—and they began to see results. Indeed, R.J. has notched milestones that experts said he never would achieve, like saying “I love you” and engaging in spontaneous conversation. “When we see our son having a fight with his younger brother, we’re thrilled because it’s a typical moment,” Holly says with a laugh. R.J. has interests and is engaged in his surroundings. He is doing well in school and—with some help from Holly and Rodney and his twin sister, Ryan—R.J. even has a group of neurotypical friends who have embraced him. A few years ago Ryan, always the concerned and protective sister, pointed out to her parents the social difficulties R.J. was encountering at school. “She said we had to come to school and talk to the other kids,” Holly remembers. “It was Autism 101 for fourth-graders, and it was like sitting in front of a firing squad. We asked them, ‘What Photo by Christina Lurie You’re allowed to do that. And then you have to snap out if it. are you really great at? What are you bad at?’ We told them that R.J. could tell them the name of every professional baseball player, every professional football player, every president. We told them that there are all these cool things he can do—but he has a hard time making friends. “Their faces dropped,” she says, remembering that day. “It was like a cloud had been lifted. But the play dates started, and he became part of the pack he couldn’t break into.” Still, Holly knows the road ahead is long. “Autism re-presents itself as a child grows,” she explains. “R.J. is 12 now and the hormones are palpable. Puberty for kids with autism is much harder than it is for other children—the hormones are combined with autism’s social miscues and the inability to read situations. So we’re going through the next phase. This is where you start asking, ‘Will he ever live on his own? Will he ever get a driver’s license, a job? Will he have meaningful relationships with females? Will he graduate from high school?’ “There are a lot of uncertainties,” she continues. “The future is a little bit daunting. It’s a tiring, never-ending journey. But hopefully we—and every family coping with autism—can all go through it with people who understand, with spouses that support us, with communities that love their children, and with friends.” My Brother Charlie When Holly Robinson Peete’s daughter, Ryan, was in second grade, she wrote an essay called “The Invisible Twin.” It was the story of a young girl much like herself who had a twin brother—much like her own—who didn’t play with her. “It was heartbreaking,” Holly remembers, “but Ryan said she wasn’t sad—she was just being honest.” The story, told with the earnest tone of a young child, made its way from one e-mail address to another before it landed in the inbox of someone at Scholastic. No mainstream big publisher had a children’s book about autism at the time, and Holly was approached with an offer to turn Ryan’s essay into something more. From that conversation was born My Brother Charlie, a fictional children’s book based on the Peete family’s own experiences with autism. As the reader encounters Charlie’s abilities to swim, play piano, and connect with the family dog, the other things that set Charlie apart become less important. The book brims with lessons of patience and acceptance, and is a heartwarming glimpse at a sister’s unconditional love for her brother. My Brother Charlie, written by Holly Robinson Peete and Ryan Elizabeth Peete and illustrated by Shane W. Evans, is on sale now. A portion of proceeds from the book will be donated to the hollyrod4kids Foundation to help children with autism gain access to affordable treatments and therapies. 14 | April 2010 866-473-3165 Overlookview.com | 15 are your legs ready for your shorts? Our phys have been icians in in New Y cluded ork and New Jers ey magazi nes’ B DOCETST ORS list sin ce 1999. The best doctors...the best treatments...the best surroundings... That’s what The Vein Center is all about. 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Jonathan Levison, MD | Clifford Sales, MD | Salvador Cuadra, MD Westfield • Belleville • Springfield 877-322-2714 • www.tcvcg.com The number of people dealing with mental-health disorders is at an all-time high. But with treatments and therapies, no one has to suffer in silence. Mindful Living By Stacey Stapleton It might be considered a population explosion: Today, experts estimate that 14 million adults—and 1 in 5 children—are suffering from mental disorders, from mood and anxiety issues and substance abuse to childhood issues like ADHD. And if it seems like these numbers are higher than they were 15 or 20 years ago, you’re right—but that’s not necessarily because more people are developing mental disorders. Rather, more people are being accurately diagnosed. “Good mental health is the ability to function normally day to day,” explains Rosalind Dorlen, PsyD, ABPP, a clinical psychologist at Overlook Hospital. “It’s usually once a condition begins to interfere with a person’s daily life that they, or their family members, seek treatment.” Here, we bring you the facts behind several of the most common types of mental disorders so you can better understand the conditions faced by the friends, loved ones, and coworkers you encounter every day. High Anxiety Anxiety disorders are the most common mental-health concerns, and include such chronic conditions as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), panic disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and phobias. “We all have anxiety,” says Dorlen, “but people who suffer from anxiety disorders tend to have an exaggerated sense of worry about things that occur in everyday life. They often have trouble making decisions and suffer from an abnormal fear of impending doom.” And in many cases, the patient may even recognize that their fears are irrational, but still cannot overcome them. • OCD: Obsessive-compulsive disorder generally involves performing repetitive behaviors (called compulsions) such as hand washing, counting, checking items around the house, or cleaning to ward off recurrent, unwanted thoughts (called obsessions). Performing these “rituals,” however, provides only temporary relief, and not performing them just increases anxiety—thereby making the need for the compulsion ever greater. While it’s not possible to cure OCD, it can be managed effectively and controlled with antidepressants and therapy. “In many cases, behavioral therapy that includes exposure and response prevention is very effective in treating OCD,” says Peter Bolo, MD, chairman and medical director of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health at Overlook Hospital. “Under 18 | April 2010 a therapist’s supervision, we expose patients to their fears while prohibiting the compulsive response they’ve developed, thereby teaching the patient healthier ways of coping.” • PTSD: Post-traumatic stress disorder is a well-known condition brought on by exposure to a severe trauma. This may include exposure to war, being the victim of a violent crime or terrible accident, or witnessing extreme violence. “In these cases, the patient actually retains and relives the trauma in episodes called flashbacks, which can be triggered by everyday occurrences like a door slamming or a shadow looming in a parking lot,” Dorlen says. In severe cases, a patient may actually lose touch with reality and start to believe the traumatic event is happening all over again. “If left untreated, PTSD sufferers can develop such crippling fears that they begin to avoid anything even remotely associated with what happened to them,” explains Dorlen. “Furthermore, many PTSD patients returning from war or recovering from terrible accidents also tend to develop survivor guilt as part of their disorder.” One of the worst aspects of PTSD, however, is the physical symptoms it can bring about, like headaches, muscle pain, digestive disorders, and fatigue. But PTSD can be treated effectively with psychotherapy and medications like SSRIs, which work by altering the patient’s brain chemistry to balance their moods. • Panic disorder: “This condition is characterized by short yet incapacitating episodes of panic that occur out of the blue,” explains Bolo. Panic attacks usually produce a fear of impending doom or of losing control and also can cause very intense physical symptoms like a pounding heart, sweatiness, weakness, faintness, or dizziness. During these attacks, people with panic disorder may also flush or feel chilled; their hands may tingle or feel numb; and they may experience nausea, chest pain, or smothering sensations, similar to those felt during a heart attack. If left unchecked, panic disorder tends to deteriorate into agoraphobia (a fear of wide-open spaces) and potentially reclusive isolation. In fact, one-third of panic-disorder sufferers are homebound. The upside is that panic disorder is one of the easiest anxiety disorders to treat, since it responds well to medication and certain kinds of cognitive psychotherapy, which help change the thinking patterns that lead to fear and anxiety. “We all have anxiety, but people who suffer from anxiety disorders tend to have an exaggerated sense of worry about things that occur in everyday life.” Overlookview.com | 19 Blue Mood The term “mood disorder” encompasses conditions like depression, bipolar disorder, and postpartum depression. But unlike anxiety disorders, which tend to be chronic and life-long, mood disorders are usually episodic, coming and going at certain points in a patient’s life. Mood disorders also have a strong genetic component and tend to run in families. • Depression: Depression is a serious medical condition and the leading cause of suicide in the United States. But true clinical depression is often difficult to recognize, because many symptoms are easily attributed to other causes. “We know that depression is a biological condition because it responds to medication,” says Bolo, “and to be diagnosed as truly depressed—not just ‘down in the dumps’—an episode has to generally last longer than two weeks.” The symptoms of depression also tend to remain constant and don’t come and go every few hours in response to a night out with friends or a weekend getaway. Fortunately, depression isn’t chronic; with treatment, the sadness usually subsides and patients begin to feel like themselves again. Doctors warn, however, that recurrences are common, so patients should continue with their prescribed treatment no matter how good they feel. To treat depression, most doctors rely on a combination of antidepressant medications like SSRIs in combination with private, group, or family therapy. • Bipolar disorder: This condition, also known as manic-depressive illness, is similar to depression in that patients have periods of feeling very low, Bolo says. “But they also go through spurts of manic moods characterized by needing less sleep, being flooded with grandiose thoughts or big plans, and feeling oddly euphoric or empowered.” Some patients even experience mixed moods where they are both depressed and manic at the same time, which usually leaves them in a state of agitated depression, irritable and impulsive. To treat bipolar disorder, doctors often use a combination of psychosocial therapy and antidepressants coupled with mood stabilizers to ease depression while also curbing the dramatic switching of moods. Managing Addiction Although often met with far less compassion than other mental disorders, substance abusing is a very real medical condition with strong biological underpinnings. “You often see alcoholism running in several family members,” Bolo says, “and many times the condition accompanies other mental-health issues such as depression.” While there have been several medications brought to the market to treat substance abuse (like those that make a patient violently ill if they take a drink), these have not been widely successful. “The best way to conquer a drug or alcohol addiction is still a 12-step self-help program such as Narcotics Anonymous or Alcoholics Anonymous,” Bolo says. For a referral to a psychiatrist or psychologist, call (866) 871-6857. “People with panic disorder may experience nausea, chest pain, or smothering sensations, similar to those felt during a heart attack.” Blue Moods Depression can be deadly. If you notice these signs in yourself or someone you know, seek help. A pervasive, unshakeable sadness ›› Feeling helpless, hopeless, worthless, or inappropriately guilty ›› Irritability ›› Changes in appetite (usually less) ›› Changes in sleep patterns (usually more) ›› Loss of interest in activities once enjoyed ›› Loss of energy ›› Thoughts of death or suicide ›› Physical symptoms, like headaches or stomachaches ›› 20 | April 2010 advanced surgical associates Referred by Doctors Preferred by Patients Ronald Pallant, MD Muhammad Feteiha, MD James Frost, MD Joao Lopes, MD Advanced Surgical Associates performs a wide range of surgical procedures, including: L A PA RO S C O P I C S U RG E RY B R E A S T S U RG E RY & W E I G H T L O S S S U RG E RY T R E AT M E N T G E N E R A L S U RG E RY To find out more about Advanced Surgical Associates, please contact us today. Advanced Surgical Associates First in care. First in caring. 155 Morris Avenue, 2nd Fl., Springfield, NJ 07081-1225 Phone 973 232-2300 Fax 973 232-2301 www.advancedsurgicalnj.com Overlookview.com | 21 22 | April 2010 Overlookview.com | 23 It’s Easy Being green By Stacey Stapleton Making your home healthier and more environmentally friendly is easier than you think. You just have to know where to start. 24 | April 2010 Overlookview.com | 24 One step at a time: Save trees by paying as many bills as you can online. Recycle newspapers, cans, and glass. Use compact fluorescent lightbulbs. No matter which side of the political aisle you fall on, most people agree that our planet is in crisis—and it’s responding in kind. Health issues like allergies, eczema, and asthma are on the rise, and people (especially children) who have never suffered from these chronic conditions are suddenly showing up in doctors’ offices with unpleasant symptoms. Some experts speculate that these health issues are environmentally driven. To find out how you can make your home and lifestyle healthier for you, your family, and the planet, read on. Bring the Green Home If you’re eager to save the planet by taking measures in your own home, where should you begin? “Take baby steps,” suggests Rich Premus, manager of environmental services at Overlook Hospital. “If you try to make too many changes all at once, you’re setting yourself up to fail.” Start with these simple strategies. ◆ Purchase reusable shopping bags (many big chain stores offer these) and use them when you shop to cut down on the number of plastic bags. ◆ Stop buying caseloads of plastic water bottles. Instead, purchase reusable aluminum water bottles for each member of your family. Make it fun by personalizing each one. ◆ Save trees by paying as many bills as you can online, and sign up to opt out of pre-screened credit card offers. ◆ Don’t leave phone and iPod chargers plugged in when they’re not in use. The same applies to small electrics, like the toaster and can opener. ◆ Each time you change a lightbulb, replace it with a compact fluorescent version, which sucks up 75 percent less energy but lasts up to 10 times longer. ◆ When you’re shopping for furniture, avoid items made with glue or formaldehyde. You’d be surprised how this can improve your indoor air quality. ◆ Wash clothes in cold water whenever possible. As much as 85 percent of the energy used to machine-wash clothes goes to heating the water. ◆ Use only natural fertilizers on your lawn. A Clean Slate “Clean has no smell,” says Lesley Federici, RN, a parent childbirth educator at Overlook Hospital and creator of the workshop Go Baby Green, “yet as a society we’re hooked on cleaning products that promise to leave all these different scents behind—and some of them are less than healthful.” First and foremost, Federici suggests avoiding aerosol air-fresheners, which often contain phthalates (a chemical used to make the smell last longer). Phthalates have been found to be hormone disruptors, and legislation to remove them from the marketplace is under consideration. Federici also recommends these strategies for cleaning your home safely and environmentally: ◆ “Read labels,” she says. “Many companies engage in a practice known as ‘green washing,’ which means they claim on the front of the bottle that a product is natural, but when you look at the label it’s anything but.” It’s important to know that the “green” or “natural” market is unregulated, which means companies can call a product anything they want. ◆ Look for products with plant-based ingredients, such as corn (a natural lather-maker) or lavender essential oil (a great disinfectant). “The simpler the better,” says Federici. “Natural cleaners may require a bit more scrubbing, but the health benefits are worth the extra effort.” ◆ Beware of dangerous chemical combinations. For example, many antibacterial hand soaps contain triclosan, which creates chloroform—a known carcinogen—when it comes in contact with chlorine. So if you wash your hands after taking a dip in the pool, you send this cancer-causing agent down the drain and right into the water supply. Here’s another scary fact: Most lemon- and orange-scented furniture polishes contain turpenes, which release formaldehyde into the air to be inhaled by whoever happens to be in the room. Parents of young children should remember that little ones breathe faster and are closer to the floor than grown-ups, and as a result suffer a higher rate of exposure to household chemicals than adults or older kids. ◆ Don’t buy aerosol toilet-bowl cleaners or deodorants, which contain butane. “I heard a terrible story of a toddler that got a chemical burn from playing with a bottle of toilet bowl cleaner while Mom was doing housework,” says Federici. ◆ You can make your own natural cleaning products, too. Federici likes to mix her own furniture polish from equal parts lemon juice and olive oil. “Put it in a spray bottle and use it sparingly. A little goes a long way!” If you’re not the do-it-yourself type, surf the Web to research green cleaning products. Overlookview.com | 25 “Parents of young children should remember that little ones breathe faster and are closer to the floor than grown-ups, and as a result suffer a higher rate of exposure to household chemicals than adults or older kids.” What you can do: Use apricot oil instead of baby lotion. Buy diapers that are biodegradable. Make your own facial scrubs by using baking soda and water. Face Facts It’s not just the cleaning products we buy for our homes that can be harmful. Women spend millions each year on cosmetics that are filled with scary ingredients. But it is possible to “green up” your medicine cabinet and still get gorgeous. Many cosmetics claim to be all-natural or organic, but to be completely sure look for the USDA Certified Organic seal, which is used in 80 countries around the world. You can make many of your own beauty products. Try mixing equal parts baking soda and water for a gentle, natural, face-and-body scrub. Or for tougher, more callused areas like your knees, elbows, and feet, try equal parts olive oil and sugar. Just like the skin, our hair is extremely absorbent, leaving us vulnerable to the laundry list of harmful chemicals in hair-care products. Steer clear of shampoos, conditioners, and styling products that contain petroleum derivatives (such as mineral oil, paraffin, and propylene glycol); hair dyes and dandruff shampoos with carcinogenic coal tar; and hairsprays and hair gels containing formaldehyde, phthalates, and synthetic fragrance. 26 | April 2010 Green Baby, Healthy Baby Sometimes it takes the arrival of a new baby and the desire to make his or her environment as healthy as possible to get us on the green bandwagon. In Federici’s monthly workshop, Go Baby Green, she teaches new parents how to make more natural choices when shopping for baby products. Here are a few of the easy-to-adopt strategies she teaches in class. ◆ Instead of drugstore baby lotions or baby oil, which are loaded with mineral oil and chemical fragrances, rub your little one down with apricot or jojoba oil, which are excellent moisturizers and safe for sensitive skin. ◆ Skip store-bought wipes. They aren’t biodegradable and they’re loaded with chemicals. Instead, create your own simple baby wash by mixing a little tea tree or eucalyptus oil with castile soap in a spray bottle. Spritz on baby’s bottom and then wipe with a disposable, biodegradable washcloth. ◆ Believe it or not, experts have even discovered nasty chemicals in the adhesives used on disposable diapers. But before you panic at the thought of washing cloth diapers, Pampers is currently working on a new diaper with a greener adhesive. For more information on an upcoming Go Baby Green workshop, contact the Parent Education Department at (866) 208-8924. Overlook Leads the Way Although there is no Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification for hospitals like there is for residential and office buildings, Overlook is taking the initiative to go green wherever it can. Rich Premus, manager of environmental services at Overlook Hospital, points out the many ways the hospital is working to reduce its carbon footprint. • “We’ve replaced all the chemicals we legally can, like bowl cleaners and other all-purpose cleaners, with natural products,” explains Premus. Germicidals and floor finishers are subject to government regulation at hospitals, however, and cannot be substituted. • Overlook has increased its recycling of paper and plastic. Hospitals like Overlook use a whopping 16 tons of paper and cardboard a month, so a stepped-up recycling program can make a significant difference. The hospital is also recycling batteries and electrical equipment whenever possible. • The hospital has begun using compact fluorescent lightbulbs wherever possible. This has the added benefit of yielding a sizeable savings in electricity costs, since the new bulbs last much longer than traditional versions. • Staff members are being encouraged to go Styrofoam-free by bringing in their own drinking bottles or coffee mugs. With 2,500 staff members at Overlook, if even half forego Styrofoam, that means a lot less cups. • Electrical switches that contain mercury are slowly being replaced. It may come as a surprise that a simple light switch could contain hazardous mercury, but it’s true. “Any switch over five years old most likely contains mercury,” Premus says, “even in private homes.” So if your switches are old and your budget allows, consider replacing them as soon as possible. Overlookview.com | 27 ANS_OverlookView_Ad_3.12_vB:Layout 1 3/12/10 2:47 PM Page 1 We Are ANS. We… are the largest Neurosurgical group in New Jersey. We… perform the most minimally invasive spine surgery cases in New Jersey. We… have the largest endovascular neurosurgery team to treat stroke in New Jersey. We… have over 50+ years in practice. We… are trained in the most innovative procedures available today. We… actively participate in the advancements of neurosurgery. We… were recently recognized as Top Doctors. We… specialize in the treatment of brain and spinal tumors, aneurysms, Parkinson’s disease, spacisity, chronic pain and congenital, degenerative disorders of the spine, minimally invasive spine surgery and more. We… have 175 collaborative years of experience. We are ANS. We are here for you. Voted NJ Top Doc 2009 310 Madison Avenue, Morristown, NJ 07960 3700 Route 33, 2nd Floor, Neptune, NJ 07753 Tel 973.285.7800 www.atlanticneurosurgical.com 28 | April 2010 Community Health calendar Registration is required for all programs through Overlook Hospital’s Health Information Services at 888-281-5345, unless otherwise noted. Overlook Hospital is located at 99 Beauvoir Ave., Summit. Atlantic Behavioral Health Outpatient is located at 46-48 Beauvoir Ave., Summit. * Indicates a fee associated with the program. Heart Health Cardiac Health Fair Overlook Hospital's 20th Annual Cardiac Health Fair celebration will be held this year at the Short Hills Hilton. Dr. William Tansey, who is also celebrating his 20th year with the Cardiac Health Fair, will once again be our keynote speaker. Other speakers will include cardiologists Steven Sheris, MD; Frank Smart, MD. Breakfast, displays and our "Walk Through the Heart" will be from 8:00am to 8:45am. The program will begin at 9:00am sharp. Registration required at 888-281-5345. Saturday, June 12, 8:00 A.M. Short Hills Hilton, 41 John F. Kennedy Pkwy., Short Hills BLS for the Healthcare Provider* (full course) This course is designed to meet the needs of healthcare professionals who respond to cardiac and respiratory emergencies. Registration required at 888-806-6579. Call for dates and times Overlook Hospital Wallace Auditorium, 99 Beauvoir Avenue, Summit Fee $85 American Heart Association First Aid* Covers basic First Aid for common medical and traumatic emergencies. Prior knowledge of CPR is recommended. Registration required at 888-806-6579. Call for dates and times Overlook Hospital Wallace Auditorium, 99 Beauvoir Avenue, Summit Fee $55 BLS for the Healthcare Provider* (renewal) This course renews the skills taught in the full BLS course. Registration required at 888-806-6579. Call for dates and times Overlook Hospital Wallace Auditorium, 99 Beauvoir Avenue, Summit Fee $55 Heartsaver AED* A program to teach CPR, AED, and relief of foreign-body obstruction for adults. Registration required at 888-806-6579. Call for dates and times Overlook Hospital Wallace Auditorium, 99 Beauvoir Avenue, Summit Fee $45 Heartsaver Pediatric* A program to teach CPR and relief of foreign-body obstruction for the infant and child. Registration required at 888-806-6579. Call for dates and times Overlook Hospital Wallace Auditorium, 99 Beauvoir Avenue, Summit Fee $40 30 | April 2010 Diabetes Screening Learn your blood sugar and risk factors for Type II diabetes, with a non-fasting fingerstick that gives immediate results. Registration required at 888-281-5345. Friday, April 30, 11:00 A.M. to 1:00 P.M. Overlook Hospital Emergency Services, Healthy Avenues Van, 1000 Galloping Hill Rd., Union Wednesday, May 5, 10:00 A.M. to Noon Westfield YMCA, 220 Clark St., Westfield Thursday, May 6, 10:00 A.M. to Noon 5 Pts., YMCA, Tucker Ave., Union Thursday, May 13, 10:00 A.M. to Noon North Plainfield Library, 6 Rockview Ave., North Plainfield Blood Pressure Make sure you are at or below 120/80, the national guideline for blood pressure. Receive counseling and educational materials. Registration required at 888-281-5345. Thursday, April 1, 10:00 A.M. to Noon 5 Pts. YMCA, Tucker Ave., Union Monday, April 5, 10:00 A.M. to Noon Scotch Plains YMCA, Martine Ave., Scotch Plains Wednesday, April 7, 10:00 A.M. to Noon Westfield YMCA, 220 Clark St., Westfield Thursday, April 8, 10:00 A.M. to Noon North Plainfield Library, 6 Rockview Ave., North Plainfield Tuesday, April 13, 10:00 A.M. to Noon Summit YMCA. 67 Maple St., Summit Thursday, May 13, 10:00 A.M. to Noon Westfield Board of Health, 425 E. Broad St., Westfield Body Mass Index, Body Fat Analysis Learn how your body-fat percentage and BMI affect your heart health. Receive individual counseling and educational materials. Registration required at 888-281-5345. Thursday, April 1, 10:00 A.M. to Noon 5 Pts. YMCA, Tucker Ave., Union Monday, April 5, 10:00 A.M to Noon Scotch Plains YMCA, Martine Ave., Scotch Plains Wednesday, April 7, 10:00 A.M to Noon Westfield YMCA, 220 Clark St., Westfield Thursday, April 8, 10:00 A.M to Noon North Plainfield Library, 6 Rockview Ave., North Plainfield Tuesday, April 13, 10:00 A.M to Noon Summit YMCA, 67 Maple St. Thursday, May 13, 10:00 A.M to Noon Westfield Board of Health, 425 E. Broad St., Westfield Bariatric Medicine & Surgery Seminars and Bariatric Support Group Call to find out dates and times for upcoming lectures and seminars. There is also a support group for those who have already had bariatric surgery. After bariatric surgery, people experience new challenges both physically and emotionally. Lectures on exercise, nutrition, image changes, with guest speakers and time for sharing information. Registration required at 888-257-9210. Call for dates and times Overlook Hospital Cholesterol Screening* Total cholesterol, HDL, and TC/HDL ratio are measured using a simple fingerstick. Education and counseling are offered, based on results. Fasting is not required. Registration required at 888-281-5345. Monday, April 19, 10:00 A.M. to Noon The Connection for Women and Families, 79 Maple St., Summit Fee $10 Taking Steps to Control Diabetes* Self-management education designed to help patients and their families plan meals, monitor blood sugar, prevent complications, and implement healthy lifestyle habits. Individual and group classes available. Covered by Medicare and most major insurers. Registration required at 888-389-6404. Call Diabetes Center for times/class schedule Overlook Hospital Fee varies Health & Wellness Preconception Counseling Having a baby? Are you thinking about it, planning for it or trying? Dr. Benito's specialty is helping women to know what to do before conception. No matter what stage you are in, if a baby is somewhere in your future, this is an important program for you. Program will be presented by Carlos Benito, MD, Maternal/Fetal Medicine. Registration required at 888-281-5345. Wednesday, May 12, 7:00 to 8:00 P.M. Overlook Hospital, Conference Room 4 Common Pelvic Floor Disorders More than one-third of women are affected by conditions such as urinary incontinence, overactive bladder, pelvic organ prolapse, bowel disorders and other conditions considered pelvic floor disorders. Learn about this rapidly growing specialty in woman's health and the solutions available, from non-surgical to minimally invasive surgery. Program will be presented by Amir Shariati, MD, Urogynecologist. Registration required at 888-281-5345. Thursday May 13, 7:00 to 8:30 P.M. Overlook Hospital, Conference Room 4 An Update for Women: What You Should Know About Women's Cancers Important screenings, treatment advances and general information to keep you healthy. Program will be presented by Nana Tchabo, MD, Gynecologic Oncologist. Registration required at 888-281-5345. Monday May 10, 7:00 to 8:30 P.M. Overlook Hospital, Conference Room 4 Taking the Pressure Off! Understanding the Care and Treatment of Pressure Ulcers Hear from the North Central Pressure Ulcer Collaborative members and learn about the current preventative and treatment options of pressure ulcers. Registration required at 888-281-5345. Wednesday May 19, 6:30 to 8:30 P.M. Overlook Hospital, Wallace Auditorium For a referral to an Overlook Hospital physician, please call (800) 247-9580. HIV Support Group This support group offers support and information regarding HIV. Meet others with HIV who face the same fears and questions, and find solutions. Meetings are held in a confidential and private environment. To leave a confidential message, call 973-971-8936. Second and fourth Thursdays of the month, 7:00 to 9:00 P.M. Overlook Hospital, Case Management Office, 99 Beauvoir Ave., Summit Substance Abuse Family Support Group Participants will learn ways to cope with substance-abusing family members. No registration required. Tuesdays, 6:30 to 8:00 P.M. Atlantic Behavioral Health Outpatient, 46-48 Beauvoir Ave., Summit Addictions Clinicians The Autumn Group* A weekly group designed to encourage seniors to express their thoughts, feelings, and experiences. Registration required 888-247-1400. Wednesdays, 2:30 to 3:30 P.M. Atlantic Behavioral Health Outpatient, 46-48 Beauvoir Ave., Summit Therapeutic Gambling Group* Weekly therapy group for individuals who are concerned about their level of gambling. Registration required at 888-247-1400. Tuesdays, 8:00 to 9:00 P.M. Atlantic Behavioral Health Outpatient, 46-48 Beauvoir Ave., Summit Women’s Group* Participants will learn coping skills through examination of thoughts and behaviors. Registration required at 888-247-1400. Thursdays, 11:00 A.M. to 12:30 P.M. Atlantic Behavioral Health Outpatient, 46-48 Beauvoir Ave., Summit Chemical Dependency Intensive Outpatient Program* Three one-hour groups, 3 nights weekly, for those trying to remain abstinent from all substances. Registration required at 888-247-1400. Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday nights, 6:00 to 9:30 P.M. Atlantic Behavioral Health Outpatient, 46-48 Beauvoir Ave., Summit Mental Health Intensive Outpatient Program* Group, individual, and family counseling as well as medication management for those who need an intense, time-limited treatment to improve their emotional health. Participants attend 3 out of 5 days per week. Registration required at 888-247-1400. Mondays - Fridays 10:30 A.M. to 2:00 P.M. Atlantic Behavioral Health Outpatient, 46-48 Beauvoir Ave., Summit Hypnosis for Smoking* Learn how to quit smoking for good, using hypnosis and behavior modification techniques. Registration required at 888-281-5345. Thursday, April 22, 7:00 to 9:00 P.M. Overlook Hospital, Conference Room 4 Fee $70 Hypnosis for Weight Loss* Learn how to permanently lose weight, using hypnotic suggestions and proven behavior-modification techniques. Registration required at 888-281-5345. Tuesday, April 20, 7:00 to 9:00 P.M. Overlook Hospital, Conference Room 4 Fee $70 Neuropathy Patients Support Group Discuss various options in the support and treatment of neuropathy. For additional information, please call 908-233-9709. No registration required. First Tuesday monthly: April 6, May 4, June 1, September 7, October 5, November 2, December 7. No meetings in July and August, 7:00 to 8:30 P.M. Overlook Hospital, Neuroscience Community Conference Room. Adults with Epilepsy & Their Caretakers Support Join us and other adults with epilepsy, or those adults caring for family or friends with epilepsy, to share experiences and strategies on how to best live with this sometimes-puzzling disorder. Registration required at 888-281-5345. Second Thursday of the Month. 6:30 to 8:30 P.M. Overlook Hospital, Atlantic Neuroscience Institute Conference Center. Respiratory Screening Learn your breathing capacity. This screening is for those who have NOT been previously diagnosed with a respiratory condition. Registration required at 888-281-5345. Thursday, April 8, 10:00 A.M. to Noon Westfield Board of Health, 425 E. Broad St., Westfield Friday, April 16, 10:00 A.M. to Noon Home Depot, Springfield Ave., Vauxhall Palliative Care Town Hall Meeting Series The Palliative Care Team at Overlook welcomes community members to join our Town Hall discussions. We will engage in thoughtful conversations about healthcare issues that affect us all as we age and care for ourselves and those we love. April 13: Thou Shalt Honor. April 27: The Buck Stops Here: Legal and Financial Issues of Long-Term Care. May 18: Understanding the New Healthcare Reform: How Will it Affect My Family? May 25: A Night at the Movies: The Sea Inside. June 8: The Road to Recovery: Grief and Bereavement. For more information on this series, please call 908-522-2894. Refreshments will be served. Registration is required for each meeting: 888-281-5345. Tuesdays: April 13, 27; May 18, 25; June 8, 7:00 to 8:30 except May 25, 7:00 to 9:30 P.M. Overlook Hospital, Health Science Library, 99 Beauvoir Ave., Summit Bone Density Screening* Find out if you are at risk for developing osteoporosis, with a noninvasive ultrasound that provides immediate results. Counseling and educational materials are also provided. Registration required at 888-281-5345. Wednesday, April 21, 10:00 A.M. to Noon Berkeley Heights YMCA, Springfield Ave., Berkeley Heights Monday, May 3, 10:00 A.M. to Noon Scotch Plains YMCA, Springfield Ave., Scotch Plains Fee $10 National Anxiety Screening Day Participants will take a short written survey and then discuss results with a mental health professional. Educational materials will be available. No registration required. Wednesday, May 5, 2:00 to 6:00pm Atlantic Behavioral Health Outpatient, 46-48 Beauvoir Avenue, Summit Hearing Screening Have your hearing tested for potential problems. Registration required at 888-281-5345. Thursday, April 15, 10:00 A.M. to 1:00 P.M. Whole Foods Market, 2245 Springfield Ave., Vauxhall Tuesday, May 11, 10:00 A.M. to Noon Summit YMCA, 67 Maple St., Summit Friday, May 14, 10:00 A.M. to Noon Home Depot, Springfield Ave., Union Atlantic Behavioral Health—Mindfulness Group Participants will learn mindfulness techniques and how to apply them to better cope with their illnesses. Registration required at 888-247-1400. Mondays, 2:30 to 4:00pm Atlantic Behavioral Health Outpatient, 46-48 Beauvoir Avenue, Summit Overlookview.com | 31 Children & Parenting In addition to these programs, Parent Education offers a wide variety of other classes and seminars for expectant and new families, including prepared childbirth, grandparent, and sibling classes, and Mommy & Me programs. A complete listing may be found at www.AtlanticHealth.org, or you may contact the Parent Education office at 908-522-2946 or [email protected]. We look forward to hearing from you! Baby Signing: An Introductory Seminar* Learn basic tips for using signing to communicate with your baby. For parents, parents-to-be, adult family members, and caregivers. Registration required at 908-522-2946. Call for dates, 7:00 to 8:30 P.M. Overlook Hospital, MAC II, Community Classroom Calm Birth* Complementary preparation for childbirth, based on meditative science and mind/body medicine. Registration required at 888-273-2084. Call for dates and times Overlook Hospital, MAC II, Community Classroom Healthy Eating For Babies: Starting Solids and Beyond* For parents of babies 3 to 6 months old. Understanding your infant's individual feeding needs ... When to start feeding baby food ... Timing and portions of feedings ... Avoiding obesity or eating issues in later life ... Setting the climate fo r positive, healthy feeding for a lifetime. Registration required at 888-273-2084. Call for dates, 7:00 P.M. to 9:30 P.M. Overlook Hospital, MAC II, Community Classroom Feeding Your Healthy Family* For parents and caregivers. All you need to know about cooking and planning meals following our easy 5-step plan. Registration required at 888-273-2084. Call for dates, 7:00 P.M. to 9:30 P.M. Overlook Hospital, MAC II, Community Classroom Early Pregnancy* Attend before your 6th month of pregnancy. Learn about comfort techniques, prenatal exercise, fetal development, nutrition, physical and emotional changes, and working during pregnancy. Registration required at 908-522-2946. Call for dates, 7:00 to 9:00 P.M. Overlook Hospital, MAC II, Community Classroom Toddler Nutrition I* Start healthy eating habits that will last a lifetime. For parents of toddlers 9 to 18 months. Registration required at 908-522-2946. Call for dates, 7:00 to 9:30 P.M. Overlook Hospital, MAC II, Community Classroom Toddler Nutrition II* For parents of toddlers 18 to 24 months. Topics include creative menus, snack suggestions, and behavior issues with feeding. Registration required at 888-273-2084. Call for dates, 7:00 to 9:30 P.M. Overlook Hospital, MAC II, Community Classroom Postpartum Group* New mothers meet every other week to learn and implement coping strategies to help them with their new role. Registration required at 888-247-1400. Thursdays, every other week, 10:30 A.M. to 11:30 A.M. Atlantic Behavioral Health Outpatient, 46-48 Beauvoir Ave., Summit Moms and Babies Together:* Registration required at 908-522-2946 . Call for dates, 10:00 A.M. To Noon Overlook Hospital, MAC II, Community Classroom Hand in Hand* Network for new moms and babies 6 weeks to 5 months old. Discussion topics include keeping baby safe and healthy, the art of infant massage, exercise for you and baby, baby signing, and emerging language. Structured play is used to stimulate the senses. Building Blocks* Network for new moms and babies 6 weeks to 5 months old. Discussion topics include your baby's temperament, reading baby's cues, baby bio-rhythms, and creating a schedule. Additional information about formula and breastfeeding, and healthy eating for babies—baby food and beyond. Childbirth Mini Classes:* Registration Required at 908-522-2946. Call for dates, 7:00 P.M. to 9:30 P.M. Overlook Hospital, MAC II, Community Classrom Your Baby's Birth at Overlook Hospital* Includes information on signs of labor and when to come to the hospital, as well as the labor, delivery, and postpartum experience at Overlook Hospital. Also includes a tour of the Maternity Center. Epidurals, C-Sections and More* A discussion of medication options available in labor (including epidural and spinal anesthesia), induction of labor, and cesarean birth (perfect for moms with a scheduled or repeat cesarean section). Techniques and Teamwork for Labor and Birth* Learn breathing and relaxation techniques as well as ways to use visualization, music, massage, aromatherapy, and positioning as tools in labor Go Baby Green* Exposure to chemicals in the home is an increasing health risk. Learn about everyday cleaning products, their hazards, safe alternatives, and ways to create a nontoxic environment for your baby, kids, pets, and yourself. Registration required at 908-522-2946. Call for dates and times Overlook Hospital, MAC II, Community Classroom "Bully Busters" Part 2* Put an end to bullying with these tips for parents and concerned adults. In this Part 2 session, Dr. Rosalind Dorlen will review what bullying is and what it is not with key "Bully Buster" tips. Dr. Dorlen also will roleplay with actual scenarios presented by participants. Registration required at 800-247-9580. Wednesday, April 7, 7:00 to 8:30 P.M. Overlok Hospital, 99 Beauvoir Ave., Summit 2010 Pediatric Mini-Medical School* Experience the world of pediatric medicine. Programs in this series will cover the following topics: reasons for visiting your pediatrician, sport injuries and pain management, eating disorders, pediatric pharmacotherapy, Asperger's syndrome, and sleep issues. Great for parents, grandparents, school nurses, teachers, or anyone who deals with children. For a program brochure, call 973-971-7095. Thursday, April 8; Monday, April 12; Tuesday, April 20; Monday, April 26; Thursday, May 6; and Monday, May 10 Overlok Hospital, 99 Beauvoir Ave., Summit Fee: $50 for all 6 sessions, $10 for an individual session; Atlantic Health employees, $30 for all sessions Women’s Health Community Health Women’s Heart Awareness Programs* Nurses and health educators will offer screenings that will help identify your risk for cardiovascular disease. Screenings include risk assessment, lipid profile, diabetes, blood pressure, BMI, and metabolic syndrome screening. Each participant will receive one-on-one counseling. Call to schedule at 866-887-8780. Overlook also offers a Women’s Heart Practice, staffed by female nurses, a cardiologist, and a nurse practitioner. For an appointment, please call 908-522-7399. Speakers Bureau for Women’s Heart Health If you would like to have one of our cardiac nurses speak to your group or organization about the signs and symptoms related to women and heart disease, please call 908-522-5355. 32 | April 2010 Cancer Quarterly “Now What?”—Post-Treatment Survivorship Lunch and Learn Topics related to post-treatment issues. Registration required at 888-895-9491. Call for dates and times Overlook Hospital, Conference Rooms Bereavement Group Level 1 Support group for family and friends who have lost a loved one to cancer. Registration required at 888-895-9491. Call for dates and times Overlook Hospital, Conference Rooms Bereavement Group Level 2 Support group for family and friends who have lost a loved one to cancer and are ready to talk about moving on. Registration required at 888-895-9491. Call for dates and times Overlook Hospital, Conference Rooms Hearts and Hands Drop-in support group that offers patients and their caregivers the opportunity to discuss issues and concerns as they work on crafts. No registration required. Thursdays, 2:00 to 4:00 P.M. Overlook Hospital, Conference Rooms Post-Treatment Group For patients who have completed their cancer treatment. This open support group explores issues and concerns related to survivorship. Registration required at 888-270-0373. Second Thursday of the month, 7:00 to 8:30 P.M. Overlook Hospital, Conference Rooms Free Quarterly/Monthly Educational Lecture Series Series of free educational lectures for patients, family members, and the general public. Registration required at 888-895-9491. Call for dates and times Overlook Hospital, Conference Rooms Gentle Yoga for Cancer Patients Yoga can improve energy, concentration, and the emotional well-being of cancer patients. A brief meditation period will also be included at the end of classes to calm, soothe, and focus the busy or stressed mind. Class will last for 60 minutes and is for cancer patients ONLY. Registration required at 888-270-0373. Mondays, 1:30 to 2:45 P.M. Overlook Hospital, Conference Room 3 I Cancer Vive A 6-week program that empowers cancer patients and their caregivers to take a mind-body approach to healing. Registration required at 888-270-0373. Call for dates and times Overlook Hospital, Conference Rooms Look Good, Feel Better Women who are undergoing cancer treatment learn how to look their best and manage appearance-related side effects. Registration required at 888-895-9491. Call for dates, 10:00 A.M. to Noon Overlook Hospital, Conference Room 2 Guided Imagery A program for cancer patients, using visualization to enhance the immune system’s ability to function and improve one’s sense of emotional well-being. Registration required at 888-270-0373. Tuesdays, 2:00 to 3:00 P.M. Overlook Hospital, Conference Rooms Ostomy Support Group Professionally led group for ostomy patients and their families. Registration required at 888-886-9819. Call for dates and times Overlook Hospital, Conference Rooms Exercise Class for Breast Cancer Survivors A comfortable, safe, and supportive exercise environment for breast cancer patients who have undergone chemotherapy, radiation, hormonal therapy, breast surgery, and/or reconstruction. Exercises are designed to increase flexibility and muscle mass, decrease body fat, and prevent lymphedema. Registration required at 888-895-9491. Wednesdays, 10:00 to 11:00 A.M. MAC II Breast Center Conference Room, 99 Beauvoir Ave., Summit Scar Massage A program for post-mastectomy patients who have chosen not to undergo breast reconstruction. One-hour private massage with a certified massage therapist. The purpose is to help prevent adhesions, improve blood flow to the area, and maintain or improve movement in the tissue post-surgery. Must be at least six weeks post-surgery. Registration required at 888-763-4238. Call for appointment. Call for times Overlook Hospital, Conference Rooms Swim & Support—Post–Breast Surgery Group This program provides women with a supportive discussion group and a post-operative pool-exercise program. Developed to restore physical strength as well as emotional well-being, this group will be led by a Licensed Counselor, Oncology Nurse Specialist, and a Certified Cancer Exercise Specialist. The program is free and is available to women who have undergone a lumpectomy or mastectomy and are six weeks to eighteen months post-surgery. Registration required at 888-717-0640. Call for dates and times The Connection, 79 Maple St., Summit Circle of Women: A Breast Cancer Networking and Support Group Circle of Women is a 12-week support group created to help women connect with one another in a warm and welcoming place. This will enable open discussions related to diagnosis and the journey through all treatment stages. Circle of Women combines support-group discussion and education on relevant topics that can help you adjust to the impact that breast cancer has had on you and your family. Registration required at 888-717-0640. Call for dates and times Overlook Hospital, Conference Rooms, 99 Beauvoir Ave., Summit Stroke Stroke Support Group The stroke support group provides emotional and educational support to stroke survivors and caregivers. The support group is a forum where stroke survivors and their families can share experiences and concerns related to stroke. Registration required at 888-281-5345. Second Monday of every month, March 8, April 12, May 10, June 14, July 12, August 9, September 13, October11, November 8, and December 13, 6:00 to 7:00 P.M. Overlook Hospital, Neuroscience Conference Room Stroke Screening Evaluate your risk for stroke through cholesterol and glucose lab testing, blood pressure and pulse check, carotid artery assessment, and stroke related counseling from healthcare professionals. Registration required at 800-247-9580. Friday, April 9, 11:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M. Long Hill Community Center, Warren Ave., Stirling Sunday, May 2, 11:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M. St. Patrick's Church, 41 Oliver St., Chatham * Indicates a fee associated with the program. Overlookview.com | 33 Smooth perator O By Alyson Black “Incisions are smaller, so there is less pain. There are also fewer major complications, and a faster return to home, to work, and to normal activities.” 34 | April 2010 Robots in the O.R. are revolutionizing 21st-century surgery—and people are reaping the benefits. Meet da Vinci, the newest addition to the Overlook Hospital surgical team. With a trio of arms and a sleek body, he looks like something you might see in a science-fiction movie, but the hulking robot is in fact a welcome presence in the operating room. risk of incontinence.” Further praising the da Vinci’s role in minimizing hospital stays, Bernstein reports that patients undergoing robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy often are discharged home just one day after the procedure, versus a typical three-day stay with the traditional procedure. With da Vinci, Overlook has entered the next generation of minimally invasive procedures, introducing robot-assisted surgery to such specialties as urology, gynecology, and oncology. And although there is a robot in the room, make no mistake: It’s an experienced surgeon who is very much in control and at the helm—or at the console, as the case may be. During a da Vinci procedure, the surgeon is positioned a few feet away from the patient, at a large console from which he or she operates. The surgeon’s own hands are positioned on little mitts that are a lot like joysticks; these control the robot’s arms to make incisions and maneuver surgical instruments within the body. The surgeon’s feet, meanwhile, are situated on pedals that adjust the robot’s position and operate the camera that is transmitting magnified, 3-D, high-definition images onto a monitor that the surgeon is viewing. “Any move I make is directly transmitted to the patient,” explains Andrew J. Bernstein, MD, Overlook’s director of robotic surgery. “Using the robot is very intuitive, but it does only what I tell it to do.” Daniel Tobias, MD, FACOG, director of gynecologic oncology at Overlook and Morristown Memorial, says he is seeing similar success with hysterectomies for cervical, endometrial, and early-stage ovarian cancers. In fact, 90 percent of the hysterectomies he performs today are done robotically, and he says robotic-assisted surgery should be considered as an option for most women in need of hysterectomy. “The biggest advantage of the robot is that we’re able to offer the benefits of minimally invasive surgery to more patients,” he says. Gynecologic oncologist Brian Slomovitz, MD, FACOG, credits some of this to the robot’s ability to extend minimally invasive procedures even to patients who are significantly overweight. “With the advent of the robot, we are able to offer more women with complicated problems— like morbid obesity and advanced cancers—a better surgery,” he says. “Morbidly obese patients normally need large incisions and have a horrible time with wound healing. But if I can offer robotic surgery to a woman who is 400 pounds, she’ll have a better outcome. Quality of What da Vinci does best is improve the patient experience. “There are life is significantly improved post-operatively, and that can translate lots of advantages,” says Bernstein, who has been performing robotic into overall improved outcomes.” Slomovitz further credits the robot surgeries for eight years. “The biggest advantage is in recovery time. The for enabling him to perform procedures that help to preserve women’s incisions are smaller, the patients use less pain medication, and are back fertility, as well as procedures that help patients avoid the need for to work sooner. There is also less bleeding, so we are able to see things prolonged periods of radiation, or any radiation at all. better, and there is a much lower incidence of blood transfusion.” There Other specialties are turning to the da Vinci, too. Patrick Culligan, are also fewer major complications and less chance for infection—as MD, director of Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery well as a faster return to home, to work, and to normal activities. for Atlantic Health, has been using the robot in cases of pelvic organ Bernstein says he sees firsthand all the time how patients are benefiting prolapse, dissection of adhesions, and the removal of uterine fibroids in from robotic surgery. As a urologist, he frequently uses the robot to place of hysterectomy. “The robot is a more flexible tool than anything perform radical prostatectomies in cases of localized prostate cancer. else I have,” says Culligan. “We’re doing our very best operations for “With traditional surgery, there is a much greater chance of incontinence prolapse with this surgery—and we’re doing more than anyplace else and erectile dysfunction,” he says, “but these risks seem to be decreased in the country—and it’s amazing how fast patients recover. And treating with robotic surgery.” The operation itself, no matter how it is performed, fibroids is normally pretty bloody with open surgery, but with the robot, presents significant challenges owing to the body’s many delicate it’s practically bloodless and painless.” structures in the vicinity of the prostate. Not only do the nerves that With robotics, he stresses, patients are getting the same surgery as a control erections run right along the prostate, but it also is necessary traditional procedure, but with better outcomes. “There are no shortcuts, to detach the urethra from the bladder and then sew it back together it’s just more efficient,” he says. “If you can get the same cure rates but without compromising a man’s ability to control his urine. “The goal with less morbidity and less pain, that’s a win. Our patients love it, and is to do nerve-sparing surgery,” Bernstein explains, “and it does appear we love it.” that men get erections back faster with robotic surgery. By using the fine, accurate instruments that the robot offers, the connection between For a referral to da Vinci surgeon, call (866) 763-5306. the bladder and urethra is restored precisely, dramatically reducing the Overlookview.com | 35 The da Vinci robot is, it is not suited to every procedure. In most cases, patients are well served by other minimally invasive procedures like laparoscopic surgery. “Laparoscopic surgery pushes the envelope every day,” says Muhammad Feteiha, MD, FACS, director of minimally invasive surgery at Overlook Hospital. “It’s in its next generation and is being adapted to more and more areas of general surgery and more difficult procedures.” As with robotic surgery, which is best suited to areas of the body that are smaller and tighter, laparoscopic surgery boasts smaller incisions, less pain and bleeding, fewer infections, and a faster recovery—all of which add up to a great relief for surgical patients. For a referral to a surgeon, call (866) 232-0448. 36 | April 2010 Taste the difference in just one sip. STOP PAIN NOW! Get Your Life Back! If you have Chronic Back or Neck Pain, Sciatica, Herniated or Bulging Discs, Facet Syndrome, Spinal Stenosis, Pain & Numbness in arms and legs... Better Beans. Freshly Roasted. Shipped right to your door, straight from your neighborhood roastery. rhrcoffee.com ...You may want to consider Non-Surgical * FDA Cleared Spinal Decompression This revolutionary solution for Back & Neck Pain Sufferers is probably the last back pain treatment you will ever need. Forget about pills, punishing exercise regimens, and risky surgery. There’s an easier way! David Wroe, Music Director Join Us for Our Upcoming Events MUSIC...it’s magic WSO Annual Fundraising Gala Saturday, May 1 at 6:30pm Echo Lake Country Club in Westfield WE THE PEOPLE Beethoven-Symphony No.9 Xian-Yellow River Cantata Saturday, May 8 at 8:00pm The Presbyterian Church in Westfield A TOUR OF NOTABLE HOMES Presented by the Friends of WSO Saturday, June 5, 10:00am to 4:00pm For Tickets and Information Call: 908.232.9400 or go to www.westfieldsymphony.org Dr. Philip Delli Santi, P.C. Physical Therapy & Chiropractic Center phone: 908-522-8989 447 Springfield Ave., Summit, NJ (Strand Mall) 41 Wilson Ave., Newark, NJ (Ironbound) www.DrPDelliSanti.com The ACCU-SPINA decompression unit has the highest success rate in the industry 86-94%. Call today for a free consultation. Some Frequently Asked Questions What are the treatments like? The patient simply lies face up on the AccuSpina®’s comforatable bed in a soothing glow of light listening to relaxing music while the advanced computer system does all the work. By minimizing the effects of gravity on the back and neck, herniated material returns to its normal position, alleviating pain. How long are the treatments? Patients undergo approximately 20 treatment sessions. Each treatment lasts 25 minutes, depending on the individual needs. After each session, a cold pack and electric muscle stimulation are applied assuring that the patient feels refreshed and relaxed. How many treatments will be needed to stop back pain? It is important to note that many get relief after just a few treatments. Some after just one. And this is not something you have to commit to doing for the rest of your life. Results are usually much more immediate. How will I know if I am a candidate for the Accu-Spina® system? You will receive a free consultation to discuss your case history, as well as a demonstration of how the Accu-Spina® system works. So just call our office and check out this miraculous advance in back pain for yourself. Your back will thank you! PicturePerfect When your doctor needs a view of what’s going on inside your body, the imaging technologies at Overlook Hospital provide the close-ups. Information is power—and with the information doctors are able to glean from the pictures captured by high-tech imaging devices like CTs and MRIs, that information has the power to save your life. As always, Overlook Hospital remains committed to acquiring the technologies that best suit the needs of its patients. Overlook has taken strides wherever possible to maximize views while minimizing exposure to radiation. So no matter where your doctor needs a closer look, from head to toe, you can be sure he or she will be able to get it—reliably and safely. 38 | April 2010 AQUILION ONE In life-or-death matters of the heart and brain, the 320-slice Toshiba Aquilion One is a quantum leap in CT technology. Acquired by the hospital less than a year ago, the highspeed Aquilion—one of only a few such units on the Eastern seaboard—can cover as much as four times more surface area in a single image than any other commercially available CT, and with just a fraction of the radiation exposure. A rotation speed of just one-third of a second means that the Aquilion One can scan the entire body in less than a minute, but it is particularly useful in capturing images of the brain and the heart because the circulatory systems of these organs are perpetually in motion. The machine’s lightningfast speed and unparalleled clarity are especially beneficial in the diagnosis and treatment of stroke, as images can be acquired, processed, and read by a radiologist within 20 minutes. The scan leads the way in confirming the diagnosis of stroke and in determining which type of stroke has occurred. BIPLANE ANGIOGRAPHIC UNIT The Siemens Biplane Angiographic System is a fluoroscopic X-ray unit that looks inside the body from multiple angles to provide virtually unlimited views. The Biplane is especially useful in examining circulatory dynamics to diagnose and treat vascular disorders, particularly those that are neurologically based. In the treatment of aneurysms and blockages that lead to strokes, for example, it is necessary for an interventional neurosurgeon to pinpoint the location of an abnormality so that it can be more easily remedied with a stenting procedure. The Biplane is employed regularly for such stroke therapies as the Merci Retriever and Penumbra device, which are used to physically remove a clot that is obstructing blood flow to a portion of the brain. The Merci Retriever works by threading a corkscrew-like wire through a catheter to ensnare the clot, while Penumbra is deployed in a similar fashion but utilizes suction for clot removal. CORONARY CT ANGIOGRAPHY The best examination yet of the arteries of the entire heart (both the outer walls and inner vessels) to rule out or diagnose the presence of heart disease is achieved through coronary CT angiography, which yields clear 2-D and 3-D images that are not blurred by the heart’s natural motions. The procedure is relatively non-invasive (X-ray dye is injected through an IV), fast, and carries few risks. PET SCANS & CORTEX-ID In diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease, a PET scan (positron emission tomography) may be used to image the brain and reveal the physical manifestations of the disease. At the Atlantic Neuroscience Institute at Overlook Hospital, PET scans for Alzheimer’s disease evaluation go through an additional specialized processing program called Cortex-ID, where the image data is compared to age-adjusted standards of what is considered the national norm. This analysis enables the interpreting radiologist to more accurately diagnose a patient’s condition and supply specific comparisons that can improve the effectiveness of intervention and treatment. CAPSULE ENDOSCOPY Although a colonoscopy is the standard measure for examining the large intestine, the small intestine is traditionally a “blind area” not easily visualized. If your doctor is searching for signs of bleeding, however, or for blockages or narrowing of the small intestine, a capsule endoscopy may be just what he or she orders. It’s basically a pill-cam. You’ll be outfitted with a recorder pack and you will swallow a capsule no bigger than a large vitamin. Over the course of the next several hours, the capsule sends feedback to the recorder in the form of livingcolor digital images until it hits the colon. Then the recording device is returned and the capsule passes naturally through the digestive system—but the images endure. DIGITAL MAMMOGRAMS & BREAST MRI If a yearly mammogram is considered the gold standard in breast-cancer screening, digital mammograms could be considered a platinum upgrade. Digital mammograms, like those available at the Breast Center at Overlook Hospital, are faster than traditional screens, and the images are able to be manipulated and enhanced for better viewing. At Overlook there is also the added benefit of computer-aided detection (CAD), which provides radiologists with an extra set of “eyes” to help direct them toward potential abnormalities. 3-D ULTRASOUND In Overlook’s Pelvic Floor Lab (one of only four such labs in the state), colorectal surgeons do tests of the lower digestive tract, including tumor staging. A 3-D trans-rectal ultrasound can assess how deep a tumor has spread, which in turn helps doctors determine a patient’s course of treatment for chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery. For information on any of Overlook’s radiological services, call (866) 910-7236. AQUILION ONE Overlookview.com | 39 Critical Factors Cutting-edge technologies and the best doctors and technicians earn Overlook top marks for stroke care. When top technologies like the Aquilion One and Biplane Angiographic Unit are put in the hands of the most capable physicians and technicians, the results are life-saving—and notable. In a poll of the state’s physicians by Castle Connolly, one of the nation’s most respected sources for healthcare research and information, Overlook has been voted No. 1 among all large New Jersey hospitals for both stroke care and neurological disorders. As a result of the implementation of Overlook’s Stroke Unit, under the medical leadership of Shalini Bansil, MD, and nursing leadership of Charlene Ruggiero and Paul Rodgers, Overlook’s outcomes in stroke care place the hospital among the top 10 New Jersey facilities to receive the 2010 HealthGrades Stroke Care Excellence Award. The award distinguishes its recipients as among the top 10 percent in the nation for stroke care. This distinction follows on the heels of such other honors as the prestigious Gold Plus Performance Achievement Award by the American Stroke Association, for the hospital’s ability to maintain consistently high performance levels within its Stroke Program for two consecutive years. It’s no surprise, then, that the number of patients who turn to Overlook—including patients transferred to Overlook from nearly half of all the hospitals in the state—continues to climb. The hospital has expanded its outreach efforts to Emergency Medical Services and the New Jersey First Aid Council. In addition, a secondary-stroke prevention program was initiated for a stroke-specialized nurse practitioner to evaluate patients who have had strokes and counsel them on risk-factor management. This includes home visits to patients unable to come to the hospital’s outpatient department. Stroke support groups are held regularly, too. This year, Overlook looks to sustain its growth and quality and attain recertification from the Joint Commission as a Stroke Center. Overlook will continue to support its network hospitals through education and clinical advice and, as always, reach out to the community with local stroke screenings through the Community Health department (see the Community Health Calendar for scheduled screenings in your area). When it comes to recognizing the signs of stroke, think F.A.S.T. • F (face): Note an uneven smile, facial droop or numbness, or visual disturbance. • A (arm and/or leg): Be aware of weakness, numbness, or difficulty walking. • S (speech): If speech is slurred or if inappropriate words are being used—or if the person cannot speak at all—a stroke may be the problem. • T (time): Time is critical in stroke management. If you suspect a stroke, call 911 immediately. 40 | April 2010 With a stroke, speed is everything. Nationally-recognized Comprehensive Stroke Centers — Overlook Hospital and Morristown Memorial Hospital. How quickly and effectively you’re treated after a stroke is critical. We’re the leading hospitals in the state using clot busting drugs and clot retrieval devices to reverse the effects of a stroke. These remarkable, minimally invasive treatments, along with our teams of highly skilled neuro specialists and specially trained stroke nurses, help us deliver the best possible recoveries. We work with our patients to reduce the risk of a stroke. But if one happens, we can treat it as quickly as possible. For a referral to a neurologist, call 800-247-9580. 866-910-3932. For more information or to sign up for a free, personalized e-newsletter visit atlantichealth.org. Overlookview.com | 41 Spring photography tips Springtime is one of the best times to make beautiful pictures. The season brings amazing changes in color, it stays lighter longer, and the sky begins to turn to a beautiful blue as winter sneaks away for another year. Create a fun family pastime by grabbing a camera and taking a nature walk together to photograph birds, flowers, or whatever else grabs your fancy. To bring your springtime photos to life, follow these suggestions. photo. Try turning off the flash when photographing flowers to make them look more natural. If you choose to use a flash, try to light the flowers with your flash off the camera or bounced off an object. Direct flash creates a harsh light, so be creative and find ways to light from different angles for better pictures. Photographing flowers Spring means wet weather. But instead of letting the rain get you down, take advantage of the opportunities it gives you with your camera. Puddles and wet sheens on pavement are great finds for creative pictures of reflections. After a good rain, reflections can be magical. And once you begin to look for them, you’ll be amazed to see that they’re all around us. The best time to photograph flowers is early in the morning or early in the evening when the sun is low in the sky. Midday sun can be too bright, which can result in overexposure or harsh shadows, which can wash out any or all details. Ideally, cloudy days are probably the best time to photograph flowers; overcast skies diffuse the sunlight, creating a softer, more natural 42 | April 2010 Look for reflections If you do plan to shoot in the rain, make sure you protect your camera. Simply draping a towel or garbage bag over your hands can do the trick, and photos shot in the rain are some of my favorites because we rarely see them. If you are shooting with a camera that allows it, leave your shutter open to capture the rain falling. This will streak the rain and make your photos look like lines of silver falling from the sky. These pictures can be especially fun if shot through a car window. About the Photographer Tom Sperduto is an award-winning editorial and commercial photographer. He is recognized as the most published and award-winning photographer in U.S. Coast Guard history. Tom enjoys teaching photography and regularly leads photo workshops for the National Photographers Press Association, the American Society of Media Photographers, and the Department of Defense. Tom also is a regular guest speaker at Rutgers and Syracuse universities. ____________________________________________________ Do you have a photography question? E-mail your question to [email protected] and look for Tom’s answer in an upcoming issue. To see more of Tom’s work, visit www.tomsperduto.com. Springtime people pictures Spring brings a bluish hue to the sky that makes for beautiful people photos. If you are going on a day trip with your whole family, ask everyone to wear coordinating colors. Have you ever looked back on some of your favorite photos and everything just seemed to fall into place and balance just right? Often we get lucky, but we can also plan ahead to get our pictures just right. Pastels are good for children, while blues, greens, and whites are better for adults. Happy spring … and happy picture hunting! Overlookview.com | 43 Kaleidoscope :: A New View on Kids, From the Goryeb Children’s Center at Overlook Hospital Time-Outs ... and Ins When rules are broken, “time-outs” let your child know that this behavior is unacceptable, and provide both of you some time to cool off. By MaryAnn LoFrumento, MD, pediatric hospitalist, Newborn Nursery, Goryeb Children’s Center at Overlook Hospital 44 | April 2010 Every parent has been there: That uncertain place where your child is misbehaving and you know you have to do something—but what? Children between the ages of three and five are learning to develop self-control. Developmentally, they are capable of understanding basic rules like “no hitting” or “no biting.” They also should be developing a respect for property and can understand rules like “You cannot draw on the walls,” even if the impulse strikes them. It’s important to remember, however, that this takes time and that they are learning. When rules are broken, using a “time-out” provides a method of letting your child know that this behavior is unacceptable. Time-out is the most effective method of discipline for young children. It has been researched extensively and has been used for decades by daycare centers and nursery schools. It is simple to carry out, and provides both parent and child some time to cool off. “Love is demonstrated in many ways, and helping your children learn to control their behavior is one of them.” How to properly use a time-out Don’t forget time-ins, too • E stablish a time-out space in one particular room—the room where you spend the most time together is best. Use a chair, a step, or a playpen without toys. You also can create a time-out space wherever or whenever it is necessary, but never put a toddler in a closed room, bathroom, or closet. If your child will not sit in a chair, hold him in it from behind the chair while applying gentle pressure on the shoulders. For an older child, setting a timer teaches him to sit until told to get up. The key to success is to not say a word or look at the child during this time. • Following a time-out, a child should be allowed to resume play. Do not bring up the incident again, do not lecture, and do not reprimand. Doing so has been shown to act as a positive reinforcement for the unwanted behavior by giving the child attention and could negate your disciplinary efforts. • T he recommended length of time-out is one minute for each year of age. Using a timer can be very helpful. • Establish what behaviors will result in time-out ahead of time. Decide which behaviors you wish to change, but never try to change more than two at a time. • The one exception to not bringing up the subject again is if your child has injured someone or damaged someone’s property. Ask your child to apologize; a simple “I’m sorry” will do. It’s never too early to teach that art, but don’t expect miracles right away. If your child refuses to apologize, don’t insist or make a fuss. Your facial expression will be enough to convey that you are disappointed. Over time, apologies will come—especially if your child has observed your behavior and has heard you apologize. • B e consistent. That means each parent and childcare provider is consistent. • Do not attempt to assuage your “guilt” over a time-out by giving extra hugs and kisses to show your child that you still love him or her. Love is demonstrated in many ways, and helping your children learn to control their behavior is one of them. • Use five words or less to tell your child why he or she is being given a time-out. If your child has hit someone, for example, firmly say “No hitting!” and without raising your voice and without further discussion, place the child in time-out. A child should start with a clean slate after each time-out and should receive praise for positive behaviors, too. Time-outs always work best in a loving environment where the child has received adequate positive attention. To learn about the services and specialists at the Goryeb Children’s Center at Overlook Hospital, visit www.atlantichealth.org/Goryeb. 46 | April 2010 Overlookview.com | 47 News & Views :: A Compendium of the New and Noteworthy Sunny Days With more people spending increasing amounts of time indoors, it’s no surprise that nearly half the world’s population is suffering from a lack of the “sunshine vitamin,” vitamin D. Make sure that you’re not one of them: As it turns out, even your immune system benefits from adequate doses of D. New findings from the University of Copenhagen suggest that vitamin D might activate the body’s T cells, the immune system’s first response to invading viruses and bacteria. A shortage of the vitamin may preclude T cells from responding to these threats. Current recommendations call for 200 international units of vitamin D daily for people under age 50, and increased amounts for the elderly. Still, the debate continues over whether those doses are high enough, and the Institute of Medicine plans to publish revised recommendations in coming months. The fluorescent lig hting in grocery stores may actual ly boost the nutritiona l va lue of fresh spinach by bolstering levels of folate and lutein, as wel l as vitamin s C, E, and K. Safety in Numbers? You likely know that high blood pressure is linked to serious health threats like heart attack and stroke. But do you know that controlling your blood pressure just might be the best protection yet in staving off dementia? It turns out that hypertension spurs a type of scarring in the brain that is linked to the development of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. These scars, known as white-matter lesions, can start building in middle age, often decades before memory problems surface. White matter serves as the brain’s telephone network, allowing brain cells to communicate with one another. But blood pressure that is elevated even slightly can damage the tiny blood vessels that nourish white matter, thereby interrupting those signals. In fact, as part of the famed Women’s Health Initiative that tracked post-menopausal health, MRI scans of more than 1,400 women showed that those 65 and older with high blood pressure had significantly more white-matter lesions in their brains (and the worse their blood pressure, the more white-matter damage). A similar study, led by Johns Hopkins University, tracked nearly 1,000 people for more than 15 years and found that the longer people spent with uncontrolled high blood pressure, the more white-matter damage they amassed. Now, the National Institutes of Health is enrolling thousands of hypertension sufferers age 55 and older to participate in a major study that assesses whether aggressive treatment that pushes blood pressure even lower than the current recommendation of 120/80 offers better protection for hearts, kidneys, and brains alike. ght too quickly Women who ga in wei ester of during the first trim likely to develop pregnancy are more gestational diabetes. 48 | April 2010 We’ll Drink to That! Ladies, raise your glasses: Despite previous perceptions of alcohol as “empty calories,” light to moderate drinking—just one to two drinks per day of wine, beer, or liquor—may serve to curb weight gain. A study of more than 19,000 women ages 39 and older by Boston’s Brigham and Women Hospital found that normal-weight women who consumed alcohol in moderation were less likely than women who didn’t drink at all to become overweight or obese. Although most of the women gained some weight over the 13-year span of the study, those who reported to drink 15 to 29 grams of alcohol daily were 30 percent less likely than teetotalers to put on excess weight. Researchers caution, however, that women who don’t drink alcohol should not take up the habit simply to keep pounds at bay. only a nima ls e h t e r a s dolphin betes Bott lenose type 2 dia f o m r o f a like p a ns. But un that develo um h in n e hat se rn this simila r to t ma ls ca n tu that m a m e in r a m iate so people, the hen appropr w f f o d n a state on . a lly ha rmful it is not u su Sniffing Out (and Snuffing Out) Cancer Is it possible to smell lung cancer? In what could prove to be a breakthrough in detection and cure rates for the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, scientists say they have developed a new test that detects lung cancer by picking up on tumor-causing changes in the scents of bodily fluids. Testing thus far has been confined to mice, and has revealed that odor shifts in urine from mice with cancer often were linked to dips in the levels of certain organic compounds. Follow-up studies are underway to determine if this novel approach could aid in the early diagnosis of lung cancer in humans, too, and scientists estimate that they should know within a year if the scent tests can be pursued as an additional diagnostic tool. It Doesn’t Add Up For decades it has been observed that women lag behind men in many areas of math achievement, and fingers have been pointed every which way in trying to identify a root cause. Now comes a new theory that posits that teachers themselves may shoulder some of the blame. As reported in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a study of 117 first- and second-graders revealed that female elementary-school teachers who are concerned about their own math skills could unknowingly be passing that bias to the little girls they teach. Although the students’ math abilities were not linked to teachers’ math anxieties at the onset of the school year, by the end of the year, the teachers who were more anxious about their own math skills were more apt to have female students who agreed to the age-old stereotype that boys are good at math and girls are good at reading. In fact, researchers found that girls who believed this statement scored lower on math tests than their male counterparts, and lower too than the girls who had not developed a belief in the stereotype. Considering that 90 percent of the country’s elementary-school teachers are female, it’s indeed a scary equation for young girls. Overlookview.com | 49 gifts heart from the A generous donation from Overlook Hospital’s Auxiliary promotes health and healing for patients and their families. The Overlook Hospital Auxiliary has donated $177,000 to Overlook Hospital to support the needs of patients and their families. The gift is being directed to three separate areas, with the largest portion of the gift, $150,000, earmarked to assist in the opening of the hospital’s new Caregiver’s Center. The center, to be located just off the main lobby of the hospital, is currently under development, and will seek to help family caregivers obtain the information, support, and respite they need to preserve not only their critical role as caregivers but also enable them to maintain the balance of work, family, and care-giving responsibilities. It will be the only center of its kind in New Jersey. An additional gift in the amount of $25,000 is being used to redo the third-floor solarium, which primarily serves as a refuge for patients and family members who are dealing with cancer. The solarium provides a space where families can gather, relax, and engage in the simple act of just being families while facing many difficult issues. The Auxiliary is now working with a local decorator to refurbish the existing room and provide a comforting and functional area, updated with the latest cozy touches, for these patients. The Auxiliary also has initiated a new annual grant of $2,000, which will be given to the Palliative Care department to provide comfort baskets. Each basket will be individually created to provide each patient dealing with end-of-life issues a personal, comforting gift from the hospital. The Executive Board members of the Auxiliary believe that these three donations will greatly enhance patient care at Overlook Hospital. Funding for this major gift was derived solely through profits from The Gift Shop and Bloom at Overlook Hospital, a branch of the Auxiliary. The Gift Shop prides itself on finding a wide variety of unique gifts for any occasion, from one-of-a-kind jewelry and apparel to calming, exotic teas, as well as many of the basic needs that a patient might require while staying at the hospital. Bloom, managed by florist Laura Wrong, makes available competitively priced beautiful bouquets not only for patients but also for your dining room table. With curbside pick-up for your floral arrangements, nothing could be easier. Bloom also has access to several floral wire services. With a call to Bloom, anyone can send flowers anywhere in the world. Gift Shop manager Mary D’Amiano and Shops Trustee Dorothy Butler were thrilled to present the check for $177,000 to the Auxiliary Board. As D’Amiano said, “The best part of shopping at The Gift Shop and Bloom is that all of our profits go directly toward funding and supporting the hospital, its patients, and the greater community.” Overlookview.com | 51 Foundation Happenings Caregivers Center to Help Families through Stressful Times Claude Fusco (right) and his children, Claude, Emily, and Diana, have continued the family’s tradition of enjoying an annual Christmas vacation together. As the year 2006 began, everything was close to perfect in Claude Fusco’s world. He and his wife, Kathryn, were living happily in Westfield with their two teenage children, Claude and Emily, while their daughter Diana had recently moved to an apartment in New York City. Then, in April, upon experiencing some troubling symptoms, Kathryn visited her primary care physician who sent her for tests. She was diagnosed with cancer, and the family’s life was forever changed. “I didn’t realize the impact this would have on me and the rest of my family,” Claude remembers. “Looking back, if there was a Caregivers Center at the hospital, it would have been helpful not only for me but for my children.” Kathryn lost her battle with cancer later that same year, prompting Claude to throw his philanthropic weight behind efforts to establish a Caregivers Center at Overlook. “There are issues when you are dealing with a terminal illness that you just cannot put off or not talk about. You have to deal with it,” he says. “I did not and, in retrospect, I wish we would have had this professionally run resource to turn to during the most difficult time in our lives.” Today, as our population ages and both terminal and chronic health conditions are better managed, caregivers increasingly will be called upon to help family and friends who are unable to handle many daily activities. Over time, that added responsibility can take its toll, leading to fatigue, burnout, compromised health, and even depression. 52 | April 2010 Recognizing a need for services among our community’s caregivers, the Foundation has embarked on a fund-raising effort to construct the Thomas Glasser Caregivers Center at Overlook Hospital in an area right off the main lobby, and will provide an endowment to sustain the program. A generous donor has agreed to match, dollar for dollar, donations toward this initiative. The Caregivers Center will be designed to offer a space for private conversations, as well as a comfortable place to rest, reflect, and recharge. There will be a kitchenette with healthy snacks and beverages, a resource library, and access to computers, a fax machine, a copier, and a telephone. There also will be a wide range of support services, including referrals for nutritional support, exercise and fitness programs, health education, financial counseling, and nurse/case management; support groups and counseling services with a caregiver mentor; pastoral care services; and relaxation therapies, such as meditation, massage, Reiki, and pet therapy. Adding to the effort, organizers of the Foundation’s 2010 Passion to Lead Gala—The Time of Your Life—have announced that the beneficiary of this high-profile fund-raiser will be the Caregivers Center at Overlook Hospital. When completed, the $2.5 million project will be the only in-hospital facility of its kind in the state, providing support services for those who are caring for aging and/ or chronically ill family members or friends. Sharp Electronics Donation Helps PT Patients Pass the Time Pint-Size Philanthropists Raise Funds for Pediatric Patients Enjoying an early lesson in philanthropy, the second-graders at Wyoming Elementary School in Millburn presented a $1,000 check to Overlook Child Life Manager Lisa Ciarrocca (second from left center). Teachers Liz Harding, Rene Slater, and Jennifer Foti encouraged their students to wear pajamas to school for a day-long read-a-thon, after securing generous pledges from family and friends. The funds will be used to supplement the existing activities enjoyed by patients in the playroom of the Goryeb Children’s Center at Overlook. On what was once a blank wall, a brand-new 40-inch flat-screen television now provides physical therapy patients with a welcome diversion while they make their way through rehab sessions. Accepting the generous gift from Sharp Electronics were Joe Rempson, MD, medical director of Rehabilitation Services; Janet Warnet, physical therapist; and Dan Whelan, manager of Rehabilitation Services. The Overlook Hospital Foundation assists the hospital in its mission to promote world-class healthcare close to home. To learn more about the Foundation or to support any of the Foundation’s many projects, call (866) 785-7717. Overlookview.com | 53 With Overlook’s Chef Mike Vegetarian Lasagna Yields 6 servings Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 1 hour 50 minuets 1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Lightly spray 9-by-13-inch baking dish with vegetable oil. 2. In small bowl, combine 1/8 cup mozzarella and 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese. Set aside. 3. In medium bowl, combine remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese with all of the cottage cheese. Mix well and set aside. 4. C ombine tomato sauce with remaining ingredients. Spread thin layer of tomato sauce in bottom of baking dish. Add a third of noodles in single layer. Spread half of cottage cheese mixture on top. Add layer of zucchini. 5. Repeat layering. Add thin coating of sauce. Top with noodles, sauce, and reserved cheese mixture. Cover with aluminum foil. 6. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes. Cool for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Helpful Nutrition Analysis (per serving) Calories Total Fat Saturated Fat Carbohydrate Fiber Sodium Protein Cholesterol 276 5g 2g 41 g 5 g 380 mg 19 g 11 mg Michael Atanasio is the manager of Food & Nutrition for Overlook Hospital. He has more than 25 years of experience in the restaurant and healthcare industries and has competed in and won numerous culinary competitions. In 2000, he was named Chef of the Year. Hints Vegan: k If a recipe calls for fresh herbs but you have access only to the dried variety, use this estimate for converting quantities: A fresh herb equals 3x a dried herb. 54 | April 2010 Ingredients ½ pound lasagna noodles, cooked in unsalted water ¾ cup part-skim mozzarella cheese, grated 1½ cups fat-free cottage cheese* ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated 1½ cups raw zucchini, sliced 2½ cups no-salt-added tomato sauce 2 teaspoon basil, dried 2 teaspoon oregano, dried ¼ cup onion, chopped 1 clove garlic 1 /8 teaspoon black pepper *Using unsalted cottage cheese reduces the sodium content to 196 mg per serving a vegetarian who omits all animal products from the diet. To our doctors. Bravo! Outstanding performance, every single day. Talk about talent. Overlook Hospital’s highly skilled and experienced physicians have received national and international recognition for outstanding contributions in their fields. In fact, they’ve earned Overlook Hospital the #1 ranking for both stroke and neurological care in this year’s list of New Jersey’s Top Hospitals. Compiled by Inside Jersey Magazine and Castle Connolly Medical Ltd., the ranking reflects true excellence in specialized care. From neuroscience to treating patients with the state-of-the-art CyberKnife®, or myriad other vital medical specialties, our doctors are leaders who put their patients first. We applaud their work. And clearly, so do others. For a referral to an Overlook physician call 866-839-3936. For more information or to sign up for a free, personalized newsletter visit atlantichealth.org/overlook. Overlookview.com | 55 Atlantic Health System 99 Beauvoir Avenue P.O. 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