Embracing All Cultures - Holy Name Medical Center Korean Medical Program Recognized by NJBIZ

Holy Name Medical Center’s Korean Medical Program (KMP) has been named a finalist in the NJBIZ Healthcare Heroes awards program. NJBIZ, a business news publication, honors individuals and organizations who are making a significant impact on the quality of healthcare in New Jersey.

               Currently celebrating its fifth year of providing culturally and linguistically sensitive healthcare to the Korean-American population, the KMP has grown exponentially since its founding. Eighty physicians are associated with the program, and the number of annual patient visits to the Holy Name Medical Center (HNMC) campus and KMP satellite locations in Closter and Englewood Cliffs has grown to 40,000, a 90% increase over the program’s first year.

                HNMC has become the Korean community’s hospital of choice- where Korean-speaking patients and visitors are greeted in the lobby by Korean-speaking customer service representatives, patients are offered warm liquids instead of ice water and new mothers served seaweed soup, in keeping with their cultural traditions.   Through extensive media coverage in local Korean media outlets, the KMP is raising the population’s awareness of the importance of prevention, screening and early detection, particularly of illnesses that are prevalent in the Korean- American community.

Included among the programs and services offered  to the community are the Annual Community Health Fair where tests,  vaccinations, screenings,  and consultations are provided free of charge to 1500 uninsured/underinsured individuals; the Walk for Mom Breast Cancer Awareness campaign; Mental Health campaign; and Hepatitis B/Liver Health campaign.  The Asian Diabetes Center screens 2000 patients annually, and the Healthy You Program provides individualized health plans to reduce high cholesterol and improve overall health of participants.

                 Other programs have been created to meet the needs of the diverse community served by Holy Name. The Hispanic Outreach Program offers culturally-sensitive healthcare and screenings and seminars for Spanish-speaking individuals in churches, schools and libraries throughout Bergen, Hudson and Passaic counties.

Observant Jewish patients will find accommodations at Holy Name that include kosher meals for patients and guests, a Sabbath overnight room for family members, a Sabbath elevator, Sabbath lounge stocked with kosher snacks and two separate microwaves for meat and dairy, an interfaith chapel and end- of -life hospice and palliative care programs that have been accredited by the National Institute for Jewish Hospice.

Inspired by Holy Name’s founding order, the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Peace, Holy Name is committed to helping our community achieve the highest attainable level of health.  It’s not just our job to serve every member of our community. It’s our mission.

For more information about Holy Name programs and services or for a physician referral, please visit holyname.org or call 1-877-HOLYNAME (1-877-465-9626).

Colonoscopies save Lives… Just Do It!

For years, the healthcare community has known that colonoscopies reduce the incidence of colon and rectal cancer, but a recent study published in The New England Journal of Medicine provides convincing evidence that colonoscopies actually reduce mortality. The death rate in patients whose precancerous polyps had been removed who were tracked for 20 years was reduced by 53 percent – a significant reduction in cancer-related mortality.
            Holy Name Medical Center gastroenterologist Susan Fishbein, MD, commenting on the results of the research, noted that “This is very important data. It’s the first time a study has shown conclusively that colonoscopies and removal of cancerous polyps reduce mortality.   It’s proof that we all really must have colonoscopies!”
            Colorectal cancer is one of the few cancers that can be prevented by regular screening, yet it is the second most common cause of cancer-related death in the United States. Fewer than 60% of Americans over the age of 50 have had a screening colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy in the past 10 years. Dr. Fishbein laments the statistic.  “Colon cancer is a terrible disease. But it is so preventable.”
            She recommends that individuals with no family or personal history of colon cancer have a screening colonoscopy when they reach the age of 50. If the results are good, Dr. Fishbein believes it is prudent to have a second screening in seven or eight years, rather than the usually recommended 10 years, since it takes about 10 years for a normal colon to develop cancer.  If a polyp is found in the initial screening, a second colonoscopy is recommended in one to five years, depending on the pathologist’s report.  If there is a family history of colon cancer, the initial screening should occur by age 40 or 10 years earlier than the age when the family member developed cancer – whichever is younger, according to Dr. Fishbein, who has been screening patients in Holy Name’s Endoscopy Suite for more than 12 years and praises the staff as “top-notch.”
             Colonoscopy preparation requires colon-cleansing, and nourishment during prep is usually limited to clear liquids – gelatin, clear broth or black coffee. Dr. Fishbein agrees that nothing fibrous may be consumed before a colonoscopy, but she does permit consumption of anything that can melt: milk in the coffee, even ice cream or milk shakes! (A sip of milk shake would certainly make colon prep a bit more palatable for me!)
            Although we can’t change our genetic makeup or reduce all the health risks we face, it makes sense to commit to regular colon screenings. A colonoscopy can save your life. Just do it!

For a referral to Dr. Fishbein or another Holy Name physician, call 1-877-HOLY-NAME (1-877-465-9626) or visit www.holyname.org.