Hackensack Meridian Health

This time of year is filled with generosity and gratitude, as we gather and reflect on what we're thankful for. For Lisa, a senior physical therapist, these inspiring attributes are ones she lives by year round. Her career was largely inspired by her mom, who worked nights as an ICU nurse as Lisa grew up. “I remember curling up next to her when she would get home from her shift and asking her what she saw that day, always interested in hearing about all of her patients,” she says. When the time came for Lisa to begin a career of her own, her mom arranged for her to shadow professions throughout the hospital, including physical therapy. Inspired by that experience and her father's mentorship in the pharmaceutical industry, Lisa went on to earn a doctorate in physical therapy. Sadly, Lisa's dad passed away unexpectedly in 2021 after a very short battle with pancreatic cancer. Her mom also unexpectedly passed after a brief battle with endometrial cancer in 2023. Fueled by her parents' giving spirit, Lisa turned her grief into a catalyst to help others, providing a generous gift that will help establish a nursing scholarship at Jersey Shore University Medical Center. Lisa says, “My mom was the type of person who would do anything for anyone in need. Not only was she an extremely caring and compassionate nurse, she was an amazing friend and family member. She was a talented seamstress and sewed masks for all our family and friends during COVID.” “With the gift my parents left me and my family, I wanted to do something to honor them and that they would be proud of. I could not think of anything that would suit them more than to begin a scholarship in their name to help nurses looking to advance their skills and degree,” Lisa says. “This gift also represents my gratitude to all the amazing nursing and hospital staff who took care of my parents in their final hours. This was my way to hopefully honor them as well.” “Despite going through the heartache and sadness of losing my parents the last few years, I am grateful they gave me this gift that I am able to share in their memory, and in that way, they live on in others' lives as well.” #PeopleofHMH

For all those moments when you need care on a busy schedule — we have the innovative, exciting solution. Dr. Varga joined NJ 101.5 to discuss HMH 24/7, the new app that puts one of our doctors in your pocket. https://lnkd.in/eKWfwrgd #healthcare #innovation #newjersey

Congratulations to Jose Lozano, our executive vice president and chief growth officer, who was named by ROI-NJ as one of the top 30 Champions of the C-Suite! We're also proud to congratulate Peter Cancro, CEO of Jersey Mike's Subs and co-chair of the Hackensack Meridian Health Foundation Be the Difference campaign, and Mike DuHaime, CEO of MAD Global Strategy and member of the HMH Carrier Behavioral Health Board of Trustees. These distinguished leaders were chosen for this statewide, cross-industry recognition for their outstanding achievements, strategic vision and significant impact on their industries and communities. #leadership #csuite #newjersey

Our patients’ safety is our priority. We’re proud to announce that dedication has been recognized by The Leapfrog Group, which has given “A” safety grades to more of our hospitals than any other health system in New Jersey: ? Bayshore Medical Center ? Hackensack University Medical Center ? Jersey Shore University Medical Center ? Ocean University Medical Center ? Palisades Medical Center ? Pascack Valley Medical Center ? Riverview Medical Center These seven hospitals were recognized for achieving excellence in the realm of patient safety and outcomes. Congratulations to the team members who made this possible! #patientsafety #health #leapfrog

"You have to have community. Being together and supporting each other is the most important thing." Jenn, a staff pharmacist and a marathoner, lives every day with that meaning. When she began her career, she was in the service industry, aiming to become a restaurant manager. The throughline? "It was always about people," she says. "I always liked the interaction and helping others." She combined that drive with a love of science, and her hope of making a positive impact on the lives of others, and started in the world of pharmacy. She's loved it ever since. "Getting to be part of the community and local events, seeing people's lives, watching my customers' kids have kids — that's what really made me want to get into health care. Helping people live a healthier life," she says. That first passion led to another: marathon running. As a community pharmacist, Jenn's purpose was connecting with her customers — including one she was particularly close to, who received a colorectal cancer diagnosis. "They started a foundation to raise awareness, and they did a 5K," she says. "I had never run before, but I knew I wanted to do it." Jenn and her team started training, and soon, she'd completed her first race. She continued to do it every single year — and more. "I started to think, I ran 3.1, maybe I can do a 10K, maybe I can do a half marathon. After that, I did 18 miles, and I felt good. My friends at the gym said if you ran 18, you can run a marathon!" The Philadelphia marathon signup was coming up, and Jenn sat at her computer with her information filled out, contemplating whether she felt ready. Then she hit send. Then she ran it. Then she finished. It was the first step in what would become a quest. "I decided I wanted to do the NYC marathon, and I met some new friends who were talking about world majors. I thought that sounded exciting, so I made that my goal: to run the world seven." To anyone aiming to run a marathon, her advice is "Enjoy the moment. We all can sometimes be type A, looking at the watch, looking at our stats. You have to take it in and experience everything. Give yourself grace — not all runs are going to be good. And have a tribe. Have your people. That's what it's all about." #PeopleofHMH

Dr. Vince Moss and Dr. Vance Moss may not be your typical surgeons. As members of the Golden Hour Offset Surgical Treatment Teams, the twin brothers have performed surgery in the back of a helicopter, improvised operating rooms and saved lives in Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia. After years spent ready to deploy on short notice to provide surgical treatment and resuscitation, the transition between civilian and military commitments could have been difficult. “When we're with special operations, we could be called to duty at any moment. We only have so much time to prepare our family, prepare our practice and pretty much get ourselves in the mode of being deployed,” Vince says. “We have been employed at numerous institutions. We both have come to the conclusion that the support from HMH is above and beyond. JFK has been like a family to us.” Vince, a general and thoracic surgeon who has been with JFK since 2010, was in Afghanistan with Vance when his deployment was extended in 2020 because of COVID. That meant he wasn’t able to be at JFK for the birth of his son. “JFK went above and beyond to make sure that the communications were set up so that I could be with my wife [a former Emergency Department nurse at JFK] virtually and securely,” Vance says. The brothers have been in the Reserves for more than 20 years and have attained the rank of Colonel. Vance, a urology and renal transplantation surgeon, extended his practice to Edison in 2023. With coordinated efforts from our military and state department and Northwest Medical Teams International, they've completed several surgical missions in Afghanistan as war ravaged the country — and saved the lives of countless citizens. Family members serving simultaneously in combat is rare, but even more uncommon is twins serving together in the same combat theater with Special Operations. Their service has earned them accolades from ABC World News Tonight, Men's Health Magazine, Ellis Island and the Trumpet Awards. For Vince, the experience has made him a better doctor. “From the military I’ve learned how to perform tasks with minimal resources and to improvise quickly and safely,” he says. “It's taught me how to deal with pressure.” It isn't always easy. “I think that's very important for soldier citizens who work in the hospital, whether it’s as a medic, a nurse or a building operations team member who may have been in the infantry, that support is extremely, extremely important and JFK has been unbelievable,” Vince says. “I would advise veterans to find out all of the programs that JFK and HMH have because they're out there and they're there to support us.” For those who want to support our veterans, Vince's advice is simple: ask how they're doing and if there's anything they need, and offering access to mental health resources. “JFK is a model of the type of veteran support that I think that other institutions can learn from here,” he says. #VeteransMonth #PeopleofHMH

This Veterans Day, we thank the incredible individuals who serve our great nation in so many ways — including musically. Few know that the US Army is the largest employer of musicians in the world, but Charles, manager of our vulnerability and patch management program, knows it firsthand. That's because he served for eight years as a vocalist with the United States Army Field Band Soldiers' Chorus. "Music is central in Army life," he says. The band members are known as musical ambassadors, traveling well over 100 days a year on average with their reputation for musical excellence preceding them. “I jokingly tell people that finding a singing slot in the Army is more difficult than finding Special Forces slots – there are far fewer singing slots,” he says. He credits a choir colleague with helping him find one. “He was in the Army and told me the Soldiers’ Chorus had openings. I sent them my packet and they invited me in for an audition.” Passion for singing began when Charles was a child. “My mom put us in a children’s choir at church and I realized it was something I liked doing. I was always in a chorus or a band of some sort. I kept singing, taking lessons and seizing opportunities. It turned into a great career opportunity.” Charles has been blessed to serve with amazing musicians. “The talent is exceptional. I worked alongside some extraordinary people. Shaking the hands of veterans, who would light up when they saw us take the stage and sing; communicating a different aspect of the military—highlighting the opportunities and satisfaction that comes out of the military to serve your fellow man makes for some really incredible moments.” After Charles completed his eight years with the Army, he held positions across the civilian federal government and the intelligence community before joining the Hackensack Meridian family earlier this year. He leads efforts to identify, prioritize and address security weaknesses to enhance our defense against cyber-attacks. “I love the opportunity to help make HMH a little more secure each day—that’s joy for me. I have an amazing team and it’s a real privilege to be able to work with such intelligent, talented and good humans,” says Charles. “Like the military, HMH provides a critical service: Caring for people, most of whom we don’t even know. The work of making HMH more secure allows our health care professionals to focus exclusively on providing exceptional care to patients.” Charles lives with his wife, son and two daughters, whom he recently took to see the Soldiers’ Chorus perform. “Many of the people in the group hadn’t seen my kids since they were small.” Friends and family have had the pleasure of Charles performing at various events including funerals, graduations and weddings. He also enjoys giving free music lessons to kids. “Music is the gift God gave me. I really enjoy being in a space where I don’t have to use it to earn a living and can give freely to others.” #PeopleofHMH

Working at Hackensack Meridian Health ? just makes sense ?. We're hiring in a variety of positions across the state — join our team today at https://lnkd.in/gWkHKYjC! #hiring #nowhiring #healthcare

We're giddy to introduce our newest team member ?? One of our newest hires seems to be fitting in just fine. He gets along great with team members and patients at Carrier Clinic, which provides mental health and addiction treatment. In fact, Mike, the 14-year-old quarter horse donated by a family in Chester County, Pennsylvania, might just be a model employee. “Mike is the perfect therapy animal...he’s way past gentle,” says barn care coordinator Ravenell Williams IV. Mike was determined to have the best temperament out of many equine therapy candidates, and the family generously gifted him. His new home is the barn on the southwest end of the campus along with another horse, two miniature donkeys and two goats. The therapy horses aren’t ridden, but clients interact with them in different ways, helping to groom, feed and lead the animals. Equine-assisted therapy is thought to provide a calming effect and help with a variety of mental health and behavioral issues, including addiction, anxiety and depression. Working with horses also helps build confidence and trust in the adolescents and adults who participate at Carrier. “Mike has the personality to be a therapy animal. He’s very affectionate,” Ravenell said. We know that Mike the horse will help many patients at Carrier Clinic and wish him the best of luck at his important role!

Join us for an engaging evening where you will have the opportunity to interact with and try the latest advancements in urologic surgical equipment. You will hear from leading experts on the role of artificial intelligence in the operating room and how these innovations are enhancing patient care. As we come together to honor our dear friend Dr. Richard Watson, we will celebrate his illustrious career and contributions to the field. This promises to be a fun and inspiring evening, filled with knowledge, connection, and appreciation for the remarkable work being done in urology. #urology #symposium #urologist