AcuteCare Health System Unveils Specialty Hospital Of Central Jersey To Meet Growing Need For Long Term Acute Care

PHOTO: AcuteCare Health System recently took a major step in responding to the growing need for long term acute care services with the opening of the Specialty Hospital of Central Jersey.

The “hospital-within-a-hospital,” expanded to 50 beds occupying two floors at Kimball Medical Center, Lakewood, is the result of the consolidation of Specialty Hospital at Kimball and the recently closed Specialty Hospital at Monmouth, Long Branch — a significant milestone that further strengthens ACHS’s position as the leading independent developer of long term acute care hospitals (LTACHs) in the region.

“With the opening of Specialty Hospital of Central Jersey, we are extremely pleased to integrate our full array of services into one state-of-the-art facility, centrally located within the state of New Jersey,” said ACHS chief medical officer Howard Lebowitz, M.D. “It comes at an important time when we continue to experience an increasing demand by patients with medically complex conditions requiring hospitalization for 25 days or more. Our ultimate goal is to ensure that they reach their fullest potential of wellness during their extended stay with us.”

Since Specialty Hospital at Monmouth opened at Monmouth Medical Center in 2004 as New Jersey’s first LTACH until its closing in May, coupled with Specialty Hospital of Kimball’s debut in 2005 as Ocean County’s premier extended care hospital, the number of patients at both facilities has steadily climbed, reaching a combined total of nearly 3,000 patients during the past 10 years.

This growth in patient volume is a testament to the unparalleled talent and abilities of Specialty Hospital’s highly skilled multidisciplinary team of health care providers, according to Dr. Lebowitz. “Each day, these accomplished professionals ensure that patients receive the care they need, at the level they need, over an extended period of hospitalization,” he said, “The steadfast consistency and coordination in care delivered by everyone on our staff contribute to our overall commitment to total care.”

Care is orchestrated by a health care team consisting of physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, physical, occupational, speech and respiratory therapists, social workers, case managers and other professionals — many offering years of experience in their areas of expertise, primarily in the specialized field of high-acuity care.

Much of Specialty Hospital’s success in improving patient outcomes is the result of a high nurse-to-patient ratio — one licensed professional to every four to five patients. “The fact that our caregivers get to know our patients and their family members truly makes a difference along the path to healing and recovery,” said Violeta Peters, R.N., M.A., chief executive officer of AcuteCare Health System. “Our mission revolves around one all-encompassing principle: ‘The secret to patient care … is caring for the patient.’

Specialty Hospital of Central Jersey patients may have one or more diagnoses that include cardiovascular or cardiopulmonary disease, congestive heart failure, cancer, respirator infections or disorders, stroke or other neurological disorders, musculoskeletal disease or spinal cord injuries or kidney disorders. They also may require post-surgical care, ventilator dependence, wound care and long-term IV antibiotic therapy.

To meet these highly complex medical needs, the facility — now double its original size — offers the latest technology in life-support systems and a full range of services, such as:

n ICU-level bedside care and around-the-clock central monitoring of cardiac rhythm, oxygen saturation, respiratory rate and blood pressure.

n Ventilator program, including respiratory therapy and ventilation weaning.

n Renal dialysis.

n Total parental nutrition.

n Peripherally inserted central catheter program.

n Blood bank.

n Diagnostic radiology and laboratory services.

n Interventional radiological procedures.

n Physical, occupational and speech therapies, including a low-tolerance rehabilitation program.

n Nutrition therapy.

n Advance wound care treatments.

n Care management and discharge planning.

“By treating the whole person through a well-planned, aggressive and integrated regimen of medical and therapeutic care, our patients are given the opportunity to recover in a supportive environment that promotes healing and optimum health,” Peters said. ”Improving every patient’s quality of life is our ultimate goal.”

Specialty Hospital of Central Jersey is fully licensed by the state Department of Health and Senior Services and has earned accreditation from The Joint Commission, the nation’s standard-bearer for quality and safety in patient care. [TLS-PR]

Caption: From left, AcuteCare Health System’s president Daniel Czermak, chief medical officer Howard Lebowitz, M.D., and chief executive officer Violeta Peters host an opening celebration of Specialty Hospital of Central Jersey, Lakewood.

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