“Don’t let a day of summer fun turn into a trip to the ED,” says Dane E. Clarke, M.D.,  FACEP, Medical Director of Emergency Services at Raritan Bay Medical Center. Enjoy bikes and skateboards but always wear helmets, wrist guards and other well-fitted protective gear.

More than 75,000 adults and children are injured annually in lawn mowing accidents. Rocks and bottle caps can become dangerous projectiles. Remove them before you mow. Turn the mower off and disconnect from any power before removing grass from the mower blades.

Yellow jackets, which are actually wasps, can sting multiple times, unlike honey bees which sting just once. If a stinger remains in your skin, scrape it away rather than pulling it out, which only releases more venom. If you’re allergic, carry an EpiPen and use it if symptoms such as wheezing, shortness of breath, itching or swelling become extreme.

Exposure to extreme heat can cause weakness, lightheadedness and rapid heartbeat. Get cool fast. Seek shade, drink fluids, and use an umbrella to escape from the sun.

If outdoor temperatures go above 95 degrees, check on elderly friends and relatives living alone, especially if they don’t have air conditioning or keep it on low, to make sure they are keeping cool.

Never dive into any body of water without knowing its depth to avoid neck and spine injuries. Above ground pools are never deep enough for diving. Young children can drown if left unattended, even in shallow water. Learn CPR this summer.

Make guests aware of food ingredients to avoid allergic reactions at summer gatherings, and remember to keep perishable foods cool.

“Now, go have a safe and happy summer,” says Dr. Dane.

Join Woodbridge Mayor John E. McCormac as physicians and staff associated with Raritan Bay Medical Center’s Medical Pavilion at Woodbridge provide free health screenings for kids and adults. It’s all happening on Sunday, July 17 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the YMCA at the Woodbridge Community Center, 600 Main Street in Woodbridge.

Free screenings from Raritan Bay’s renowned Human Motion Institute include If the Shoe Fits, Balance and Posture Test, Sports Injury Prevention and more. Get great advice on becoming sports-ready at any age, as well as safety tips such as hydration on the athletic field, stretching, nutrition and more.

Back to school and sport physicals for the kids will be available. The fee for school and sport physicals is just $75. Health insurance with applicable copays is also accepted as payment.

“This is a great chance for our local families to meet with the skilled physicians and staff from Raritan Bay Medical Center and get direction on how to make the coming school year the healthiest and fittest year yet,” says Mayor McCormac.

“Come out and meet our sports medicine physicians, orthopedic surgeons, podiatrists, pain management specialists, physical therapists and other experts from the winning team at Raritan Bay Medical Center,” says Linda Mazzella, Raritan Bay Medical Center’s Director of Community Benefit and Physician Relations. “This is a terrific opportunity to have your child examined by our physicians and to address important health and wellness topics as well as have potential athletic health problems  screened before a new school year begins.”

The new Center for Women at RBMC’s Perth Amboy hospital is one of only a few area healthcare facilities providing both breast MRI imaging and MRI-guided biopsy. The Center is located in the new Outpatient and Imaging Suites in Perth Amboy’s newly renovated Blue Wing. The Center for Women complements services available at the medical center’s Old Bridge location. State-of-the-art breast cancer testing including digital mammography, stereotactic vacuum-assisted core needle biopsy, and ultrasound guided core biopsy are available at both RBMC hospitals.

The excellence of RBMC’s women’s health services has been recognized by the women’s healthcare company Hologic, which has designated Raritan Bay Medical Center as a Pink Ribbon Facility™, certifying that it provides patients with the best possible imaging technology available for the earliest possible detection of breast cancer.

RBMC’s advanced technology is backed by clinical expertise. “Our radiologists use a ‘double read’  method when reading patient’s digital images, unlike other ‘live read’ facilities,” says Donna Earley, R.T., Director of Diagnostic Imaging. “Two doctors evaluate every screening mammogram and provide two opinions, not just one. The digital screening mammogram is then checked again with a CAD computer algorithm, providing a third assurance. Interpretations are done in a quiet area, without interruption. If consultation and consensus is needed, we make time for that as well.”

Clinicians at both locations provide women with education on healthy living as well as diagnostic testing and treatment for osteoporosis, urinary incontinence and lymphedema, plus holistic remedies that cope with the stress associated with everyday issues and illness.

“Exercise before and after gastric bypass surgery is critical for effective weight loss,” says Ayotunde Adeyeri, M.D., medical director of the Institute for Weight Loss at Raritan Bay Medical Center’s Old Bridge hospital. “Maintaining a healthy fitness program before and after bariatric surgery puts you on the road to a healthy weight,” says Dr. Adeyeri.

“When we lose weight rapidly, we lose muscle,” explains Dr. Adeyeri. “Muscle controls our metabolism.Exercise is a safe and effective way to maintain lean body mass, which maintains metabolism and will help facilitate healthy weight loss.”

“Patients who exercise and become more physically active following surgery will generally lose more weight than inactive individuals and will have better overall health,” Dr. Adeyeri says.

Exercise also shortens the recovery time for bariatric patients and reduces the risk of post surgical complications. Exercise improves mood and reduces stress. “People who make a commitment to an exercise program lose more weight and have an easier time with weight maintenance,” Dr. Adeyeri adds.

Dr. Adeyeri believes that patients who start an exercise program before surgery have an easier time maintaining an exercise program after surgery. But exercise can be difficult for people who carry a lot of extra weight. Starting slow is important, says Dr. Adeyeri. If you are morbidly obese you should have a cardiac evaluation before beginning an exercise regime. As you advance with your exercise program, goals can be gradually increased until exercise is a normal part of your day.

Dr. Adeyeri derives satisfaction from helping people overcome their obesity. “At the Institute for Weight Loss, we watch lives transform as our patients start discovering a whole new world and the possibilities that life offers,” says Dr. Adeyeri. “Our focus is to ensure that patients have their surgeries and then stay motivated, eat healthily, change undesired patterns, exercise, and more than anything…enjoy a new lease on life.”

Diabetes is a chronic, lifelong disease marked by high levels of sugar in the blood. Diabetes can be caused by too little insulin, resistance to insulin, or both. Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas to control blood sugar. Diabetes affects more than 20 million Americans. Plus, over 40 million Americans have pre-diabetes (early type 2 diabetes). Obesity has become a major factor in rising incidences of diabetes here in central New Jersey as well as throughout the United States.

To understand diabetes, we must understand the normal process by which food is broken down and used by the body for energy. Several things happen when food is digested:

• A sugar called glucose enters the bloodstream. Glucose is a source of fuel for the body.
• An organ called the pancreas makes insulin. The role of insulin is to move glucose from the bloodstream into muscle, fat, and liver cells, where it can be used as fuel.

People with diabetes have high blood sugar because:

• Their pancreas does not make enough insulin
• Their muscle, fat, and liver cells do not respond to insulin normally
• Both of the above

Raritan Bay Medical Center’s Harbor Lights Ball will take place on Saturday, September 24 at the Renaissance Hotel in Iselin. Cocktails for this black tie evening begin at 6:30 p.m. The gala will honor the civic activism of four outstanding members of the community.

“Our Havana Nights-themed gala is our largest event of the year and generates major financial support for the health care services Raritan Bay Medical Center provides to our community,” says Nancy Barone, CFRE, Executive Vice President of the Raritan Bay Medical Center Foundation. “A cocktail hour, dinner, silent auction, and lively entertainment will create a memorable evening for our guests,” says Barone. “Sponsorships are also available for individuals and businesses.”

Raritan Bay Medical Center Foundation was established in 1985. Its mission is to raise funds in support of Raritan Bay Medical Center by working closely with community groups, businesses and individuals. Over the past 18 months, donors have contributed $1.5 million to the Foundation. In today’s challenging economic climate, fundraising is critical to Raritan Bay Medical Center’s continued investments in state-of-the-art technology, clinical innovations, facility modernizations, community outreach and other vital programs that enrich the health of area residents.

For reservations and sponsorship information call (732) 324-5374 or email foundation@rbmc.org

“State-of-the-art diagnostic testing at the Human Motion Institute (HMI) at Raritan Bay Medical Center prior to treatment for any injury or chronic condition helps the physician to determine the proper course of management and decision making,” says George P. Smith, M.D., FACS. “Once that treatment is completed, my patients move right into a comprehensive plan of rehabilitation. As their physician, I am confident that my patients are getting the best possible care across the continuum at the Human Motion Institute.”

Dr. Smith is board certified in reconstructive plastic surgery, hand surgery and general surgery. “Often I meet my patients in the Emergency Department at Raritan Bay Medical Center following an accident. Sometimes they can be treated in the Emergency Department, but other times they need to go to the operating room for surgery. Being able to quickly determine the best course of action and then move that patient right into a comprehensive plan for recovery helps to ensure the best possible outcome for that patient.”

The Human Motion Institute at Raritan Bay Medical Center offers a comprehensive continuum of musculoskeletal care through a highly integrated orthopedic healthcare delivery network.Patients benefit through streamlined access to education, assessment, treatment and therapy services, as well as preventative services that help patients achieve maximum functionality and mobility as quickly and safely as possible.

Using RBMC’s Patient Family Centered Care Model as its model, the “team approach” at the Human Motion Institute combines the clinical excellence of highly-trained technicians, skilled surgeons, interventional pain management physicians and specialist physicians in a wide range of orthopaedic areas,Magnet status nurses, and other experienced health care professionals. HMI’s clinical professionals are committed to achieving the highest standards of excellence through diagnostic and treatment technologies, state-of-the-art medical procedures, rehabilitation and overall patient care.Specialties include: spine care, joint care (hip, knee, and shoulder), hand and upper extremity, sports medicine, foot and ankle, conservative spine/pain management and physical therapy.

“The team approach of the Human Motion Institute ensures excellent communication before, during and after surgery or other treatment,” says Dr. Smith. “Each patient has a unique situation. I may be treating someone for a fracture of a small bone or bones in the hand, or nerve or tendon injuries sustained in a motor vehicle accident or sports injury. I may be treating a child who has fallen and sustained a facial laceration, or an adult with a chronic condition such as carpal tunnel syndrome. Each patient is different. Some patients need a little extra ‘TLC’, and at the Human Motion Institute everyone is on board to provide responsive, high quality care to meet each patient’s unique needs.”

“Some patients have barriers to care,” continues Dr. Smith. “Recently I worked with a Russian interpreter to make absolutely sure that my patient understood the course of treatment I was proposing and had all of her questions answered. I follow my patients’ progress through rehabilitation and I rely on the updates from the HMI staff as well as personal contact with each patient I treat. Our job is to provide quality care throughout the course of treatment to make sure our patients are heading in the right direction, and the structure of the Human Motion Institute is designed to make that happen.”

In addition to creating an environment that promotes healing through treatment, therapy and education, the Human Motion Institute also offers the latest technologies to get patients back to work, to the athletic field, and return them to their normal routines of daily life.

For Jeffrey H. Charen, M.D., who is board certified in orthopedic surgery and sports medicine, the Human Motion Institute at Raritan Bay Medical Center is now home to the custom knee replacement procedure, a new and exciting advance in joint replacement surgery Dr. Charen is performing on patients.

“With a custom knee replacement, we bring our experience and expertise together to fit the surgery to the patient and not the other way around,” says Dr. Charen. “Many of our patients lead an active lifestyle and want to continue to be active. A custom knee replacement procedure can help. Moreover, bone damage and bone issues may indicate that a custom knee replacement is preferred over traditional joint replacement surgery.”

In custom knee replacement, prior to undergoing surgery, the patient has an MRI of their knee. Specially designed cutting guides are then made following the specific dimensions of the individual’s knee and surrounding bones and ligaments. These computer guided images help the surgeon remove a precise amount of bone at specific angles to accept the knee replacement implant. The main benefits of custom knee replacement are less bone and cartilage removal and a more custom fit artificial knee. “Because the MRI shows bone and cartilage, we are able to make a more accurate analysis which we follow during surgery,” says Dr. Charen. “With this new technique, there is also less bleeding because we are able to make smaller incisions, so there is less blood loss for the patient.”

“Approximately 500,000 knee replacements are performed annually in the United States” says Dr. Charen. “The success rate for total knee replacement is very high, in the 95-98% range but even with this high success rate, patients sometimes do not regain the expected range of motion, or they say that their knee feels ‘tight’ or unnatural after surgery. The custom knee replacement usually requires less time under anesthesia and a faster surgery because we have already predetermined the precise measurements and calculations prior to surgery. Shorter surgery and a custom fit may lessen the risk of infection, and results in a more rapid recovery and a more natural feel after recovery.”

Dr. Charen cites the advantage of working within the continuum of the Human Motion Institute for patients having custom knee replacement. “Each patient’s pre-operative work is done through the HMI, which includes lab work, initial x-rays, MRI and coordination with the patient’s internist or other physicians to make sure the patient is fit for surgery. The x-rays and MRI help the physician to prepare the template for surgery, which is the last step in pre-operative preparation.”

Following surgery, patients spend a few days in the hospital or are admitted to a sub-acute rehabilitation facility. “Physical therapists associated with the Human Motion Institute start the patient on PT immediately after surgery. Our goal is to get patients up and moving as quickly as possible to decrease complications resulting from being immobile, such as muscle atrophy, which can negatively impact the heart and cardiovascular system. The more active the patient, the better for overall muscle strength, health, well being and excellent recovery,” says Dr. Charen.

“Our network at the Human Motion Institute brings together a wide range of comprehensive services and skilled health care providers focused on the prevention and correction of injuries and disorders of the skeletal system and associated muscles, joints and ligaments,” says Dr. Charen.

“Thanks to advances such as the custom knee replacement, the experts at the Human Motion Institute at Raritan Bay Medical Center are helping people enjoy longer, more active lives.”

For information on treatments and services at the Human Motion Institute call 1-855-5 MOTION.

“The Human Motion Institute at Raritan Bay Medical Center is committed to helping patients achieve maximum function and mobility as quickly and safely as possible,” says Malou Paderon, PT, who is Director of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Services at Raritan Bay Medical Center. “With five convenient locations in central New Jersey, it is easy for patients to get the physical therapy they need to return to their normal activities, either at one of our hospitals or at an outpatient physical therapy center near their home or workplace.”

RBMC’s newest outpatient physical therapy facility is located in the Victoria House Healthcare Center facility on Route 79 in Matawan. “This location joins licensed, accredited outpatient facilities in Woodbridge and Edison as well as our comprehensive physical therapy facilities located at our Old Bridge and Perth Amboy hospitals,” says Paderon.

Treatment is available for individuals of all ages with physical limitations, impairments, disability or chronic pain associated with the musculoskeletal system, pre- and post- surgical conditions, limitations as a result of breast cancer, incontinence and more. They have convenient weekend and evening hours, and most medical insurances are accepted including Medicare and Medicaid.

For more information or to schedule an appointment call (732) 812-4900.