(Above right)
John Gribbin, president & CEO, and Ruben Cardona, board chair, brief the community on 2008 accomplishments and plans for the future at CentraState’s annual meeting.
Above right: Employees hold the banner indicating CentraState as one of the Best Places to Work.
Supporting your freedom
to choose good health
CentraState Healthcare System is fiscally sound and planning for growth in some key services in 2009. Ruben Cardona, CPA, chair, CentraState Healthcare System Board of Trustees and I shared that news and more at the annual community meeting on January 8, 2009.
The severe downturn throughout the economy promises to make 2009 a difficult year. When times are bad, people postpone certain care. The high cost of drugs sometimes prompts seniors to cut back on their medications. And as unemployment grows, we all see increases in deductibles, co-pays, and bad debts.
CentraState continues to play an important role as a healthcare provider. Our staff cared for tens of thousands of inpatients and senior living residents during 2008, or an average of 750 people every day.
More than 150 Freehold Regional High School students participate in the Medical Science intern-extern program with CentraState. Marcia Schafer-Noto, RN (right), is one of more than 20 CentraState clinicians who participate in the program.
Our health system is a safety net for the community, providing care to the needy regardless of their ability to pay. Some of the most visible community benefit services are the Family Medicine Center which includes our highly regarded Family Practice Residency Program and free clinics, the Medical Science intern-extern program to help the Freehold Regional High School District in its educational mission, and our sponsorship of Camp Quality-New Jersey, a summer camp for children with cancer operated by the Optimist Clubs. All told, community benefit services are at little or no payment and cost CentraState $21.8.-million in 2008, or 21% more than the prior year.
We are a significant economic engine in our community, with an operating budget of over $250-million. Our system employs nearly 2,500 people with a payroll of over $100-million, and is the largest private employer in Western Monmouth County and sixth-largest in Monmouth or Ocean counties.
Progress at CentraState is embodied in the first full year of operation of two projects:
- The Star and Barry Tobias Ambulatory Campus. Services at this $48-million complex—fitness, health promotion, rehabilitation, cardiology and sleep—grew by more than 13% over the prior year. This demonstrates that more people are choosing to live healthier lives.
- A major expansion and renovation at Applewood Estates premiere retirement community. This included 20 new cottages, 50 new apartments and a new promenade, restaurant, pool and common areas. The $39-million project combines elegant independent living with long-term care insurance, providing seniors dignity and peace of mind while aging in place.
Outside of Freehold, we opened a new medical office building at Monroe. It is home to eight private physician practices along with satellite rehabilitation services. We also relocated our Jackson medical office to Route 9 South near the Howell-Jackson line, where pediatric and ob/gyn physicians have opened their doors to that community. We also opened a satellite sports medicine program at 3-2 Count athletic training facility in Howell, which works with athletes, both young and old.
At the Medical Center, we launched several new services in 2008. In Radiology, we introduced digital mammography and updated our Interventional Radiology Suite. In the Emergency Department, we were the first hospital in Monmouth and Ocean counties to offer the “LifeNet” internet-based system to speed care for heart attack patients transported via MONOC ambulances and we earned Primary Stroke Center designation from the state. We also dedicated our Multiple Sclerosis Center in the name of Linda E. Cardinale, a testament to her spirit and perseverance by her family.
Safety is important at CentraState, and we have one of the lowest mortality rates in the U.S. for heart failure patients, according to a study by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid. We also expanded our bar-coding initiative, reducing potential medical errors by up to 40% and making a safe hospital even safer.
In keeping with our mission of promoting wellness, all CentraState facilities went “tobacco free” last November. This led to a 40% growth in tobacco cessation clients as we provided area residents with the necessary tools to take control of their health.
Among physicians, we graduated a second class of six doctors through our Family Medicine Residency Program. We also benefited from the leadership of Dr. Steven Mishkin, who completed his second of two years as chief of the Medical Staff.
Looking ahead, a $15-million upgrade and remodeling of the Intensive Care Unit is set for completion this fall. We’re planning to expand Radiation Oncology with the installation of a second linear accelerator. And we’ll seek renewal of the national Magnet Award for high-quality nursing care that our staff earned four years ago.
While the economic picture is bleak, CentraState is fortunate to have a well-developed strategic plan, an experienced management team, outstanding physician leaders, and dedicated community servants comprising our Board of Trustees.
We are confident that we can keep this health system on course for continued development and improvement, as we serve an ever-growing community.
Click here to see Mr. Cardona’s and my full remarks from the recent annual meeting.
Sincerely,
John T. Gribbin, FACHE
President and Chief Executive Officer
Heather Howard, state health commissioner (left), learns about the high-tech triage board in the CentraState Emergency Department from Laurie Gamdardella, RN (right).