November 16 Saint Barnabas Health Care System Presentations by Judy Webster and Lisa Olender

Judy Webster (left) and Lisa Olender (right) spoke to Kiwanis about health care options available from Saint Barnabas, located in Livingston. Speakers were introduced by Nelson Vaughan. Judy started by describing a sign (see below) depicting the Breast Surgery Dream Team.

The northern corridor of New Jersey is served by the excellent surgeons in the above photo. Three of them have offices in the Saint Barnabas Ambulatory Care Center, which is across South Orange Avenue from the Livingston Mall.  The facility has state-of-art MRI equipment, outpatient rehabilitation, physical therapy and other services.  At their ambulatory surgery center there is child-care for patients’ children/grandchildren, an on-site retail pharmacy, Internet kiosks in the waiting room, valet parking and other amenities. St. Barnabas also provides the Siegler Center for Integrative Medicine, which offers alternative and preventive solutions supporting the New Jersey Mayor’s Wellness Campaign.

Lisa Olender spoke on Post Acute Care Services – what happens to patients when they go home. The goal is to help people live comfortably and safely in their own homes. She described the Philips Lifeline with AutoAlert product and service. Patients wear a small necklace or bracelet which automatically senses if they fall and cannot get up. Many of St. Barnabas’ patients are admitted due to falls, with injuries aggravated by lying on the floor for a long time. There is an electronic link from the necklace to a speakerphone which permits patients to talk with a medical monitoring person. The service also includes a database holding subscriber’s medical information. The hardware is leased and there is a monthly fee (private pay).

Next, she showed the “Personal Medication Dispenser”, also a product from Philips Lifeline. See photo above. It holds a month’s worth of different kinds of pills and automatically dispenses them at the right time. The unit is connected to a phone line so that a service person will be called in case of a problem. The Dispenser also calls a monitor to report that the person did take the medication on time.  It can also give reminders for whatever non-medication activity is needed.  The Dispenser has a battery back-up. It will call to report a power failure and continue to dispense medication.

The Saint Barnabas Home Health Care Services “Red Door Program” was also overviewed. People will come to a patient’s home to provide home care services.