NEWS:

High Marks From Patients For Ambulatory Services At Newton Medical Center Get Applause From Press Ganey

**FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE**

Media Contact: Rob Seman Public Relations Coordinator 973-660-3145 Robert.seman@atlantichealth.org

NEWTON, NJ, SEPTEMBER 2011 – Newton Medical Center’s Ambulatory Services department was recently congratulated by Press Ganey for its high patient satisfaction scores.

The ambulatory surgery department’s mean score in Overall Satisfaction increased by 1.7 from the first to the second quarter of 2011 – a statistically significant rise, according to Press Ganey, an organization which measures hospital quality and performance.

In a letter to Newton Medical Center’s president, Thomas Senker, a representative of Press Ganey congratulated the hospital for its score, stating that NMC’s "hard work and dedication to quality improvement," were evident in the increase.

Ambulatory Services includes Same Day Surgery, pre-anesthesia screening and the Minor Surgery Unit. The department works collaboratively with the main operating room, the Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) and the pediatrics unit to prepare and care for patients ranging from children to the elderly who require surgery. The Minor Surgery Unit performs many procedures including endoscopies, stereotactic breast biopsies, chemotherapy and other IV infusions.

The department has undertaken several initiatives to enhance the overall patient experience.

"Our team puts a great emphasis in developing a relationship with the many patients who come here," said Donna Volpe, RN, nurse manager of perioperative and maternal child health services. “We not only believe it helps put the patient at ease, but also helps us gain a better perspective of the individual patient and allows us to provide better care."

In the days leading up to surgery, Ambulatory staff will contact a patient to give him or her an overview of how the scheduled surgery will go, as well as answer any questions the patient might have. On the day of surgery, the operating room nurses, anesthesiologists and surgeons from the OR team visit the patient in Same Day prior to surgery to introduce themselves and review the patient’s history with him or her. In addition, pediatric patients are admitted and prepped in the pediatric unit and PACU to make them more comfortable prior to surgery.

During the surgery, family members and caregivers are kept apprised of their loved ones’ progress, via an electronic monitor board in the waiting room. After the surgery, ambulatory staff will contact the patient again to follow up on his or her progress and recovery.

Volpe noted that because Ambulatory Services is the hub of many different procedures, its nurses and other staff are cross-trained, allowing them to take care of varying patient needs.

"It’s very much a team approach, and cross-training has definitely been a positive," Volpe said. "My staff does a tremendous job. They put the patient first and take pride in their work."

Atlantic Health System is one of the largest non-profit health care systems in New Jersey, comprised of Morristown Medical Center, Overlook Medical Center in Summit and Newton Medical Center. The three medical centers – all accredited by The Joint Commission – have a combined total of 1,308 licensed beds and more than 2,750 affiliated physicians providing a wide array of health care services to the residents of Northern and Central New Jersey. Specialty service areas include advanced cardiovascular care, pediatric medical and surgical specialties, neurology, orthopedics, and sports medicine. Each of these programs has earned top ratings and recognitions in their respective fields. Atlantic Health System is the official health care partner of the New York Jets and an official health care provider of the New Jersey Devils.

Morristown Medical Center’s Gagnon Cardiovascular Institute performs more heart surgeries than any other hospital in New York or New Jersey, and is one of 20 facilities across the country to perform catheter-based repair and replacement of valves on both sides of the heart. Atlantic Health System’s spine program – where surgeons perform more spine surgery than anywhere else in New Jersey – is one of just 13 hospitals across the country that has received the Gold Seal of Approval™ from The Joint Commission, achieving Disease-Specific Care Certification for cervical and lumbar spine treatments. With the Atlantic Neuroscience Institute based at Overlook Medical Center, the hospital serves as the hub for the New Jersey Stroke Network, and serves about 40 percent of the state’s stroke patients. The system’s Goryeb Children’s Hospital offers more than 100 board-certified physicians in 20 pediatric specialties. Morristown Medical Center is verified as a Level I Regional Trauma Center by the American College of Surgeons and designated a Level II by the state of New Jersey.

Atlantic Health System has been chosen for the past three consecutive years by FORTUNE® as one of the magazine’s “100 Best Companies to Work For®.” The organization has also been recognized four times by AARP as one of the “Best Employers for Workers over 50.” Inside Jersey magazine partnered with Castle Connolly Medical Ltd. and ranked Morristown Medical Center as the No. 1 hospital in New Jersey and the No. 1 hospital for treatment of heart failure and coronary surgery in the state. The survey findings also establish Overlook as No.1 for the treatment of neurological disorders and No. 2 for stroke treatment in NJ. Atlantic Health System is a Major Clinical Research Affiliate with The Cancer Institute of New Jersey and is the primary academic and clinical affiliate in New Jersey of Mount Sinai School of Medicine and The Mount Sinai Hospital.