Two Raritan Bay Medical Center Physicians Named Top Doctors

PERTH AMBOY, NJ, March 30, 2010… Raritan Bay Medical Center’s (RBMC) Chair, Department of Surgery Kumar Dasmahapatra, M.D., and Director, Division of Hematology and Oncology Gregory Shypula, M.D., were recently named to Inside New Jersey magazine and Castle Connolly Medical, LtD.’s list of Top Doctors for Women’s Health in New Jersey. Both physicians were recommended by their peers as leaders within their medical specialties in the treatment of women.

Dr. Dasmahapatra of Bernardsville, NJ, has been a member of RBMC’s medical staff for 24 years. He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Surgery, a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and the Academy of Medicine of New Jersey and a member of the Oncology Society of New Jersey. Dr. Dasmahapatra is a clinical associate professor of surgery at UMDNJ, New Jersey Medical School in Newark. He is also a member of the Society of Surgical Oncology, American Society of Clinical Oncology and the American Society for Breast Diseases. Dr. Dasmahapatra maintains a private practice Comprehensive Surgical Associates in Edison.

Dr. Shypula of Oldwick, NJ, has been a member of RBMC’s medical staff for 20 years. He is a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, International Society of Thrombosis and Hemosthasis and the Oncology Society of New Jersey.  Board certified in Medical Oncology and Hematology, Dr. Shypula is director of the hospital’s Jacqueline M. & Robert N. Wilentz Cancer. He is also a clinical assistant professor, department of medicine, at UMDNJ Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Brunswick, a clinical affiliate of the Cancer Institute of New Jersey. Dr. Shypula is a distinguished fellow of the American College of Cancer Specialists and a member of the American Academy of Oncology.

In selecting the Top Doctors for Women’s Health, Castle Connolly’s physician-led research team gave consideration not only to the doctors’ areas of medical specialty, but also to their expertise as it relates to the medical needs of women. Physicians do not, and cannot, pay to be selected as a Top Doctor. Castle Connolly’s researchers follow a rigorous survey, research and screening process. Criteria and selection information are as follows;

• Selects only physicians who are board-certified and for whom the company has verified that the board certifications are current.
• Uses “minimum years in practice” standards, based on the medical specialty, because studies show quality increases with clinical experience.
• Surveys, by mail and online, thousands of physicians and other health care professionals and asks them to identify excellent doctors in every specialty in their region and throughout the nation. While the nomination process is anonymous and confidential, each invitee has a unique access code to the nomination website. This code helps ensure doctors do not nominate themselves.
• Makes thousands of phone calls each year, talking with leading specialists, chairs of clinical departments and vice presidents of medical affairs, seeking to identify top specialists for most diseases and procedures.
• Reviews the credentials of all physicians under consideration, including their medical education, training, hospital appointments, administrative posts, professional achievements, and malpractice and disciplinary history.

The listings of top doctors are updated annually. And doctors’ profiles are adjusted whenever Castle Connolly’s research staff becomes aware of changes in the physicians’ information.

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Raritan Bay Medical Center
Focuses on New Technologies and Patient Comforts
as Part of its Growth and Renewal Plans

Perth Amboy, NJ, March 10, 2010… After more than a year Raritan Bay Medical Center (RBMC) and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) have agreed to end discussions for the purchase of RBMC’s Old Bridge hospital and the inclusion of the Perth Amboy hospital as a system hospital by RWJUH.  While this decision allows RBMC to remain an independent two-hospital organization it also poses challenges for RBMC’s community hospitals in a healthcare environment plagued by shrinking reimbursement and an increasing number of charity care patients. Despite these challenges RBMC has been working diligently to secure its financial outlook and grow its services so it remains a trusted resource in its communities.

Financial Improvement
“Our biggest immediate challenge was to stem the tide of losses we were experiencing.  Not only were we able to stop the losses in 2009, but we performed better financially than our budgeted projections,” said RBMC President and CEO Michael R. D’Agnes.  “We concentrated on keeping expenses down and trimming our costs providing more cost effective yet higher quality patient care,” D’Agnes continued.  “As a result we maintained our designation as a Magnet hospital for nursing excellence, a state-designated primary stroke center and a 5-star rating in the care of stroke patients by HealthGrades, Inc., the national healthcare rating agency.

Vision 2011
Going forward RBMC is concentrating on expanding its services to adapt to the ever-changing healthcare environment.  RBMC is undergoing a number of renovation projects at both hospitals including adding new private rooms at both facilities and expanding the emergency department in Perth Amboy. Administrators are also exploring funding opportunities to build a new surgical suite at Old Bridge, expanding the capacity of the operating rooms and creating appropriate pre- and post-operative space.

A new women’s center to include digital mammography, ultrasound, bone density and MRI among other technologies will provide the highest quality diagnostic and treatment services for women in various stages of life at the Perth Amboy hospital while the existing women’s center at the Old Bridge hospital will receive a number of technological improvements.

The hospital also recently received a $3.1 million grant from PSE&G to install a number of energy efficiency improvements at the Perth Amboy hospital including new cooling towers, lighting improvements, boiling burners, windows and a new roof.  These improvements enable the hospital to reduce energy use now and subsequently save on energy expenses, estimated at more than $1 million over the next three years.

These and several patient satisfaction initiatives are being implemented in cooperation with the medical staff to ensure Raritan Bay Medical Center becomes the destination of choice for area patients.

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Raritan Bay Medical Center 2010 Auxiliary Officers Formally Installed

PERTH AMBOY, NJ, March 12, 2010… Newly elected officers from Raritan Bay Medical Center’s three adult auxiliaries joined their fellow auxilians for an evening of celebration and formal installation recently. Hospital administrators Vincent Costantino, senior vice president, operations, and Leonard Dunikoski, PhD., vice president and Old Bridge site director, personally greeted the men and women; praising them for their invaluable contributions to the medical center’s many successes throughout the years. Dr. Dunikoski discussed the auxiliaries’ and medical center’s rich history, noting that Raritan Bay Medical Center (RBMC) just celebrated its 108th anniversary and the Perth Amboy Auxiliary will celebrate its 122nd anniversary in 2010.

“The annual hospital auxiliary installation dinner is special evening celebrating each auxiliary’s accomplishments over the past year as well as officially welcoming those who have stepped forward to lead these groups of dedicated men and women,” said Susan Pasternack, volunteer services manager. “These valued auxilians serve as ambassadors to our community. Each group went above and beyond this year to support the hospital as we continue to provide high-quality healthcare to our growing community.”

The newly elected officers for 2010 are:
Perth Amboy Auxiliary: Carol Ann Bilas, president, Mary T. Smith, 1st vice-president; Joan Baldwin, 2nd vice-president; Joan Polansky, 3rd vice-president; Carmela Guarnera, secretary; Claire Tauber, treasurer; Lynn Markus, assistant treasurer and Dee Ziemba, immediate past president.
Ernest R. Hansen Chapter Auxiliary: Marcella Massopust, president; Carolyn Poulakowski, vice president; Donna Fojtlin, corresponding secretary; Joan Zaleski, recording secretary and Barbara Gallop, treasurer.
Old Bridge Auxiliary: Dorothy Ivancoe, president; Adele O’Hara, membership vice-president; Joseph Viviani, education vice-president; Trudy Getty, fundraising vice-president; Dorris Buckiewicz, programming vice-president; Randi Neuman and Mary Ellen Torre, recording secretaries; Claudia Hunter, corresponding secretary; Randi Neuman, treasurer and Mary Ellen Torre, assistant treasurer.

In addition to the installation of officers, Ollie E. Smith of the Perth Amboy Auxiliary, Marcella Massopust and Dorothy Ivancoe shared the results of their fundraising efforts for 2009.  The three auxiliaries gave a combined total of $34,000 towards projects and programs at RBMC’s Perth Amboy and Old Bridge locations.

Auxiliary fundraising efforts and activities support the environment of care enjoyed by members of community and assist Raritan Bay Medical Center in continuing to meet the changing healthcare needs of the community.

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