July 8, 2010
Christ Hospital Selects ITelagen Electronic Health Records for Canterbury Medical Associates
Solution will provide full revenue cycle management and patient access to medical records throughout Hudson County

ITelagen, a leading provider of Healthcare IT solutions was selected by Christ Hospital to provide electronic health records (EHR) as part of an entire back-office solution that includes outsourced billing and unlimited IT support for their affiliate Canterbury Medical Associates.

Christ Hospital, which was founded in 1872 with the mission to provide the residents of Hudson County and the surrounding areas with the finest healthcare available, has launched Canterbury Medical Associates with the vision of leveraging EHR technology to optimize clinical workflow and outcomes and strengthen its ongoing commitment to improve patient safety, service, and quality-of-care.

ITelagen was chosen to provide a solution that leverages industry leading Allscripts EHR, Allscripts Practice Management, HIPAA secure hosting and complete IT support to fully automate clinical workflow and medical billing.

"Our choice of ITelagen will increase the efficiency of our physicians and our Canterbury Medical Associates' offices as a whole," said George Popko, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Christ Hospital. "In addition, ITelagen's centrally-hosted EHR platform and reporting is providing us greater transparency into the practice's financial and clinical performance."

About ITelagen, Inc.

ITelagen® redefines Healthcare IT for medical practices by providing electronic medical records (EHR) as part of an entire back-office solution, one that increases revenues, speeds collections and provides unlimited IT support for all aspects of the platform, network and staff members. It's a unique combination of comprehensive billing and IT expertise bundled with EHR, all for a flat percent of the physician's collected revenue. By combining billing, IT, hosting and certified EHR experts, ITelagen becomes the single point of contact and "One-Stop Shop for EHR®" and computing infrastructure. For more information, visit ITelagen on the Web at www.itelagen.com.

July 1, 2010
Christ Hospital Commemorates New Jersey's Historic Tall Ship at Liberty Island State Park

Waiting to board the A.J. Meerwald, the State of New Jersey's Historic Tall Ship are (L to R) the Honorable Mayor of Jersey City, Jerramiah T. Healy; Christ Hospital Trustee, James N. Lindemon, RA of Lindemon, Wickelman, Deupree, Martin and Associates Architects in Jersey City; Executive Director/Founder of the Bayshore Discovery Project, Meghan Wren; Vice President of Foundation Affairs and Marketing, Paula Nevoso; Vice President, Patient Care Services, William Atkinson; and Vice President of the Christ Hospital Board, Joseph A. Panepinto of Panepinto Properties in Jersey City.

It was a beautiful summer day on the shore of Liberty State Park where representatives from Christ Hospital and the Mayor of Jersey City, Jerramiah T. Healy, were on hand to commemorate the State of New Jersey's Historic Tall Ship, the A.J. Meerwald.

The A.J. Meerwald is an authentically restored Delaware Bay oyster schooner originally launched in 1928. This vessel, used to meet the needs of the local oyster fishery, was one of hundreds of schooners built along South Jersey's Delaware Bayshore before the decline of the shipbuilding industry. Megan Wren, Executive Director/Founder of the Bayshore Discovery Project, detailed the ship's colorful history—at one point serving as a fireboat for the U.S. Coast Guard during World War II—and discussed how the A.J. Meerwald is used today as an educational tool.

The schooner was donated to the Bayshore Discovery Project in 1989. With funding from the New Jersey Historic Trust and the New Jersey Department of Transportation, the ship was refurbished—costing a total of $800,000 and 8 years to complete. It is now listed on the National and State Registers of Historic Places. As part of the Bayshore Discovery Project, the A.J. Meerwald sails 7 days a week, completing an average of 120 educational sails and 130-140 public sails throughout the year.

Maintenance of the tall ship requires funding of up to $600,000 per year. Joseph A. Panepinto of Panepinto Properties in Jersey City and Vice President of the Christ Hospital Board has made a considerable donation to fund this effort on behalf of Christ Hospital. Christ Hospital Trustee, James N. Lindemon, Registered Architect of Lindemon, Wickelman, Deupree, Martin and Associates Architects in Jersey City, was integral in providing their expertise in historic preservation and rehabilitation for the creation of the Museum for Delaware Bay Marine Industries. The organization celebrates the oyster and shipping heritage of historic Delaware Bay.

The Bayshore Discovery Project is a non-profit organization dedicated to motivating people to take care of the history, environment, and the culture of New Jersey's Bayshore Region through education, preservation, and example.

The A.J. Meerwald will be stationed at Liberty Island until July 13. Two, 2.5 hour tours of New York harbor are offered daily to visitors for a fee. The ship can be boarded and viewed by the public free-of-charge on the Fourth of July.

For more information about the A.J. Meerwald, please contact the Bayshore Discovery Project at (856) 785-2060.

June 28, 2010
Christ Hospital Physician Utilizes Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA) Therapy to treat Metastatic Colon Cancer — the First of its Kind Performed in Hudson County

Dr. Stuart H. Miller (right), and Radiology Technician, Dave Iorio, stand next to the equipment that they used to perform the first Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA) procedure of its kind in Hudson County at Christ Hospital. RFA therapy has been used to treat tumors located in the liver, lungs, kidneys, and bones.

Stuart H. Miller, M.D., Interventional Radiologist at Christ Hospital, performed a medical procedure known as Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA) therapy to destroy the metastatic colon cancer of a patient on June 16th. This procedure was the first of its kind performed in Hudson County. RFA is an image-guided, minimally invasive medical procedure that is used to treat certain types of cancer. This technique allows for the insertion of a needle electrode directly into the tumor. High-frequency electrical currents are passed through the needle electrode, creating heat that destroys the cancerous cells. This high-powered current causes the tumor molecules to essentially rub against each other, causing ionic agitation and the burning of the tumor.

The procedure is as effective as traditional surgery and offers an alternative method of treatment for those patients who are not good candidates for conventional surgery. RFA can be performed percutaneously, meaning that the needle electrode is inserted through the skin and directly to the site of the tumor. To date, RFA therapies has been used to treat tumors located in the liver, lungs, kidneys, and bones.

Dr. Miller has been performing RFA procedures since 1998. He has been practicing medicine at Christ Hospital since 2009 and hopes to expand this program by creating a center for the treatment of liver tumors and other types of cancers utilizing this procedure.

June 22, 2010
Christ Hospital Installs New President of its Medical Staff

Physicians and staff of Christ Hospital were on hand to welcome the new Medical Staff President, Dr. Sylvia Pagulayan, at its Annual Meeting. Pictured with Dr. Pagulayan are (L to R) Peter Kelly, President and CEO, and outgoing Medical Staff President, Dr. Mazhar Elamir.

On Monday, June 21st, the Christ Hospital Medical Staff announced the election of its new President, Dr. Sylvia Pagulayan at the Medical Staff's Annual Meeting. On hand to welcome Dr. Pagulayan to her new role were outgoing Medical Staff President, Dr. Mazhar Elamir; Peter Kelly, President and CEO of Christ Hospital; and more than fifty doctors and staff from the hospital.

According to Dr. Elamir, "The relationship between the medical staff and the administration has been strengthened over this past year. I firmly believe that Dr. Pagulayan will continue to maintain and enhance this association. In doing so, Christ Hospital will benefit by sustaining its premier healthcare services and flourish as a result."

"This is a significant event for our institution. We are very thankful to Dr. Elamir and the Medical Staff. He has been a great leader in cultivating and executing many improvements for the care and treatment of patients here at Christ Hospital. We are excited to have Dr. Pagulayan step forward to further these efforts and bring new recommendations and insights for the hospital's healthcare programs. Through her leadership and guidance, Christ Hospital will continue to be a leading healthcare provider for our community," stated Mr. Kelly.

June 14, 2010
Loops for Love Weaves Items of Compassion for Children in Christ Hospital's Pediatrics Unit

Members of the Christ Hospital Pediatrics Unit and Loops for Love proudly display a sampling of clothing recently donated to the unit. Pictured left to right: Christ Hospital Pediatrics Unit Staff, Golois Freeman, and Jessica Herb, RN; Loops for Love members, Pat Dingleberry, Anngene Anthony, Nancy Naddeo; Clarissa Mariano, Assistant Nurse Manager of Pediatrics; Laurie Trongone, Director of Maternal Child Health; Christ Hospital Pediatrics Staff, Judith Cumba, Dennis Narcelles, RN and Eileen D'Alessio, Nurse Manager. Not pictured from Loops for Love: Helen Nicastro and Veronica Tracy.

Receiving a beautifully hand-crocheted blanket for your newborn baby may seem like a rare happening. However, events like this take place often on the Maternity Unit of Christ Hospital, thanks, in large part, to the all-volunteer organization, Loops for Love.

Loops for Love has been donating hand-crocheted items for newborn children and their parents at Christ Hospital for the past 4 and a half years. The organization is part of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Rosary Society located in Lyndhurst, NJ. Over 50 volunteers, ranging in age from 50 to 94 years young, craft a variety of items throughout the year. These include sweaters, hats, socks, scarves, mittens, and blankets. The garments are donated to local area hospitals, veteran's homes, nursing homes, and missions located in Hudson, Bergen, Essex, Passaic and Morris counties. According to the group's organizer, Anngene Anthony, "Loops for Love not only gives families crocheted and knitted items to celebrate the birth of a child or bring some comfort to a patient going through cancer treatments — it gives our volunteers an opportunity to socialize with one another, form lasting friendships, and take an active part in helping those less fortunate in our community."

Groups like Loops for Love require monetary donations as well skeins of yarn from other citizens and organizations to maintain their ability to perform their work. Ms. Anthony added, "Our ongoing efforts are made possible by the generosity of the Rosary Society, the parishioners of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, and with the cooperation of Commissioner Tom DiMaggio of the Lyndhurst Department of Parks and Recreation, for the use of the Lyndhurst Local Senior Center. It is because of their much-needed support that we are able to continue to create these items and extend them to others. We are extremely grateful."

For more information about Loops for Love, please contact the Christ Hospital Public Relations Department at 201-795-8619.