Ronald Gray, Executive Vice President of Boys Town Jerusalem Foundation of America, felt that he was in pretty good shape physically up until recently. Although his parents gave him some great DNA, he knew there were some cardiac issues in there as well, so he tried to maintain good health and saw a cardiologist regularly. However, he knew something wasn’t right when he started to feel random, tight pains in his chest. A CAT scan revealed that he had blocked arteries and would need triple bypass surgery.
“When it came time for cardiac rehab after surgery, the logical choice would have been to come to Monmouth Medical Center, Southern Campus because I live in the neighborhood,” said Ronald. “However, when it came to my heart I wasn’t going to choose a place just based on convenience. I consulted with a number of doctors, cardiologists included, and they told me that Monmouth South was the place I wanted to be. They knew I was going to get excellent care here.”
Ronald was struck with understandable nerves when he first arrived at Monmouth South for his cardiac rehabilitation treatment. However, he states that the ease of accessing cardiac rehab, from the moment he made the appointment to the day he arrived, alleviated most of his fears. He adds that upon meeting his nurses, Diane and Hazelle, his anxiety disappeared altogether.
“They were super people. They put me at ease and told me they were going to walk me through it and bring me back to good health and that they were going to do it in a way that was both comfortable and challenging for me,” said Ronald. “I could tell right away that they didn’t just do this as a profession, they did it because they really felt for the individual patient and that’s what made my experience at Monmouth South so special.”
Ronald also learned that there’s more to cardiac rehabilitation than just getting back into physical shape. This professionally supervised program also provides education and counseling that can increase the patient’s physical fitness, reduce cardiac symptoms, improve health and reduce the risk of future heart problems.
In addition, the pharmacists at Monmouth South help individual patients by going through each medication one by one and explaining what they’re for, what they do, how they work and how they’ll help the patient to feel better and live longer. While the Monmouth South nutritionists recommend a diet that is moderate in fat and sodium and ultimately advise patients to avoid processed foods.
“I am back to good health thanks to the great, dedicated, caring, and professional staff at Monmouth South,” said Ronald. “The staff was instrumental in getting my life back to normal and better educating me about cardiac issues. I would tell anyone that has to go through cardiac rehab to come to Monmouth South as the location, equipment and staff all make it a great place to be.”
About Monmouth Medical Center, Southern Campus
Monmouth Medical Center, Southern Campus is an acute-care community hospital located in Lakewood, Ocean County. An RWJBarnabas Health facility, Monmouth Medical Center, Southern Campus merged with Monmouth Medical Center, a teaching hospital located in Long Branch, Monmouth County, in 2014. The hospitals are dedicated to improving the health and well-being of the communities they proudly serve through expanded access to specialty outpatient services that focus on preventive medicine and healthy living. The partnership has also expanded patients’ access to geriatric and pediatric emergency services, as well as outpatient neurology, oncology and geriatric services. Monmouth Medical Center, Southern Campus has converted to all private rooms, which makes it the only provider in the region with all private rooms for overnight stays. For more information about Monmouth Medical Center, Southern Campus, visit www.rwjbh.org/monmouthsouth.
[TLS – Press Release]