Penn Medicine Princeton Health

Dr. Christina Diventi, medical director for Princeton Health’s Labor and Delivery and Mother Baby units, is at the forefront of advancing maternal health. Under her leadership, we are actively participating in a New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute pilot program that is trying a new approach to assure mothers are heard and seen before, during, and after birth. “Dr. Diventi is exceptionally open to collaboration,” said maternity nurse manager Kelly LaMonica. Her visionary approach has fostered a culture of innovation, learning, and continuous improvement, setting a new standard for excellence in maternal care. Thank you, Dr. Diventi, for your exceptional leadership!

Anish A. Sheth, MD, chief of gastroenterology at Princeton Medical Center, says drinking plenty of water, exercising regularly, prioritizing sleep, and limiting seven popular foods, can keep the digestive system running smoothly. https://spr.ly/60420dQ6i

Robbi K. Alexander, PhD, APN, stepped into her role as Penn Medicine Princeton Health Assistant Vice President of Behavioral Health Nursing about a year ago, bringing decades of experience and a deep commitment to the field. With this wealth of experience, Dr. Alexander fully embraces the complexities and rewards of behavioral health nursing. Each day follows a structured routine to ensure patient care and safety, yet no two days are ever truly alike. The diversity of patients adds an element of unpredictability that calls for skill, adaptability, and unwavering attention. This is where the expertise of a psychiatric mental health (PMH) registered nurse shines. Constantly engaged, PMH RNs listen closely to what is said and attune themselves to what is left unsaid. They maintain a vigilant eye on emotional and physical changes, ensuring a safe and therapeutic environment around the clock. Often described as the glue of the interdisciplinary team, these nurses play a critical role in patient care. Dr. Alexander’s journey with Princeton Health began in 1979 as an evening charge nurse, quickly advancing to assistant director of nursing. Over the years, she has taken on a variety of leadership roles, including founding the Princeton House Behavioral Health Utilization Management Department and serving as director of marketing at Princeton House and administrative director of psychiatry at the Center for Eating Disorders. She takes immense pride in the accomplishments of her team, particularly as Princeton House Behavioral Health nurses made history by presenting at the 38th annual American Psychiatric Nurses Association conference in 2024. She believes their voices belong at the forefront—not just as attendees, but as presenters who bring invaluable insights to the field. Happy one-year anniversary as AVP of Behavioral Health Nursing, Dr. Alexander! We are grateful for your leadership.

University of Pennsylvania sophomore Emily Whitehead spoke at the Stand Up for Science rally in Washington, DC on Friday, as part of a call to preserve federal funding for biomedical research. In 2012, she became the first child treated with CAR T cell therapy, a treatment developed at Penn Medicine that engineers the immune system to fight cancer. "Without the funding that went into the research that created CAR T cell therapy, I wouldn’t be here today,” she told CNN's Jake Tapper. The then-experimental therapy cured her leukemia and has since revolutionized treatment for thousands of patients with blood cancers around the world.

Sometimes, listening to your intuition can make all the difference—maybe even save a life. That’s exactly what happened when Stella Chang, a nurse at the Infusion Center at Princeton Medical Center, noticed something wasn’t right. When a reliable patient missed his appointment without calling, she didn’t ignore the red flag. Instead, she took action, setting off a chain of events that led to a life-saving rescue. Her colleague shared the full story when nominating Stella for a DAISY Award for extraordinary nursing: "One of our oncology patients failed to show for his treatment. This patient is consistently on-time or early, and always communicates any changes to us. Stella recognized his failure to show or call as out of character for him and took it upon herself to reach out to him on his cellphone. She made several attempts to reach him – all of them unsuccessful. She then notified his medical oncologist who asked her staff to contact the patient’s niece. The niece confirmed that the patient lives alone, called his residential director, and requested a welfare check. The patient was found on the floor where he had fallen and laid for 10+ hours. He was too weak to get himself up and out of reach of his phone. He was transported to our Emergency Department and admitted. Had Stella simply written this off as a 'no show' the outcome could have been very different." Congratulations Stella!

This Employee Appreciation Day, we're celebrating the dedication of our incredible team. Thank you for your compassion and expertise that make a difference in every healing moment.

Many young people don’t think about getting colorectal cancer, but more and more adults under 45 are being diagnosed. At age 38, Joe, a husband and dad to 1-year-old twin boys, started noticing some digestive issues and decided to talk to his doctor about a colonoscopy. The test revealed colon cancer, but thanks to early detection, Joe got the treatment he needed and is now back to his busy life. He’s grateful for the care he received at Penn Medicine and is passionate about spreading the word—don’t ignore symptoms like bleeding or changes in bowel habits, and get screened. Early detection makes all the difference! #ColonCancerAwarenessMonth

According to Carolyn Green Bernacki, DO, Associate Medical Director of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Penn Medicine Princeton House Behavioral Health, more children and teens have been engaging in nonsuicidal self-injury over the past decade. https://spr.ly/6046LOtKA

Penn Medicine Princeton Health gastroenterologist Anish Sheth, MD, and other experts shared insights about gut-healthy lifestyle insights in a @Parade article. https://spr.ly/6040xIRIr

“This is it, this pain is going to force me to stop training,” Katie Florio thought while training for the Philadelphia Marathon—16 weeks into her pregnancy. Pelvic floor pain manifested at the worst possible time, threatening her training regime ahead of the Olympic Marathon Trials and Philadelphia Marathon. But that’s when Florio met Claire Todd PT, DPT, PRPC, a Penn Medicine physical therapist and endurance runner and running coach. With Todd's help, Florio exceeded her goals. She not only ran at the Olympic Trials, but won the marathon in November 2024, 13 months after her son's birth. https://spr.ly/6048aQtby