Newton Memorial Hospital agrees to merge into system with Summit, Morristown hospitals
Rick Schultz/For The Star-LedgerNewton Memorial Hospital has agreed to merge with Atlantic Health Systems, one of the largest health systems in New Jersey. NEWTON — Newton Memorial Hospital has agreed to merge into Atlantic Health Systems, which owns Morristown Memorial…
Local artists demonstrate their work in advance of Morristown CraftMarket
From 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 7, The Morristown CraftMarket will hold a preview gala in the Haggerty Education Center at the Frelinghuysen Arboretum, 53 East Hanover Ave., Morristown. In this preview event, the Morristown CraftMarket, a not-for-profit…
Morristown Memorial to merge with Newton hospital
Morristown Memorial Hospital and Newton Memorial Hospital plan to seek state and federal approvals to merge, officials from both hospitals announced today in a press release.
The merger won’t be noticed so much in Morristown, where Morristown Memorial is the town’s largest employer, as it will in Sussex County, where Newton Memorial services will be expanded, according to Morristown Memorial spokeswoman Pam Garretson.
Approvals are expected to take months. Here is the official statement from the hospitals:
ATLANTIC HEALTH, NEWTON MEMORIAL BOARDS
AGREE TO MERGE HOSPITALS
Government regulatory review, approval is next step toward merger
Morristown Memorial Hospital's parent company will pursue a merger with Newton Memorial Hospital in Sussex County. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
MORRISTOWN, NJ SEPTEMBER 30, 2010 – Atlantic Health CEO Joseph A. Trunfio and Newton Memorial Hospital CEO Tom Senker announced today that boards of both health care systems have agreed to merge Newton Memorial with Atlantic Health. Atlantic Health, one of the largest not-for-profit health care systems in New Jersey, owns and operates Morristown Memorial Hospital and Overlook Hospital in Summit, NJ. The merger is pending state and federal regulatory review, which could span several months.
“Atlantic Health and Newton Memorial have been in discussions since January, assessing how our hospitals might further partner to best serve current and future patients,” Trunfio said. “Our respective boards have concluded a merger is the best option for us to meet the challenges of a changing health care landscape and to deliver the most services and best quality of care to our patients and region.”
“By merging, Newton Memorial Hospital and Atlantic Health will further enhance the region’s access to quality health care services and be better positioned for future growth and vitality,” Senker added. “The shared costs and enhanced services will enable us to provide a higher level of quality care and better serve the health care needs of our patients now and into the future.”
Newton Memorial joining Atlantic Health would provide clear benefits to the community and help, in coming years, to advance health care in New Jersey. Several benefits include:
· Expanded outpatient and preventive medicine services available within the region.
· Broader patient access to pediatric and other specialty care; clinical trials; and advanced protocols for emergent care, including complex stroke care, the latest cardiac diagnostic and treatment interventions, and advanced neonatal care.
· Improved and expanded facilities on the Newton Memorial campus.
· Strengthening of the primary care network, making it easier for the hospitals to cope with increased demand for services that health care reform is expected to generate.
· Expanded evidence-based quality measurement and assurance.
· Timely adoption of electronic medical records, assuring access to a regional health information network.
Atlantic Health employs 10,200 people throughout Morris and Union counties, and has 1,154 licensed beds, including those at the Atlantic Rehabilitation Institute in Morristown. There are close to 162,000 emergency visits each year, including Morristown Memorial, Overlook, and at Overlook Hospital Emergency Services, Union Campus. Newton Memorial has 146 licensed beds and treats about 33,000 people in its Emergency Department each year.
About Atlantic Health
Atlantic Health (atlantichealth.org) is one of the largest non-profit health care systems in New Jersey and includes Overlook Hospital in Summit and Morristown Memorial Hospital. The two hospitals have a combined total of 1,197 licensed beds and more than 2,500 affiliated physicians providing a wide array of health care services to the five million residents of 11 Northern and Central New Jersey counties. Specialty services include cardiovascular care, neurosciences, pediatrics, cancer care; orthopedics, diabetes care, gastroenterology, trauma and emergency medicine, behavioral health, minimally invasive surgery radiology and advanced diagnostics, women’s health and maternal fetal medicine, home and hospice care and rehabilitation services. Atlantic Health is a Major Clinical Research Affiliate with The Cancer Institute of New Jersey. Atlantic Health’s hospitals are accredited by The Joint Commission. Atlantic Health is the primary academic and clinical affiliate in New Jersey of Mount Sinai School of Medicine and The Mount Sinai Hospital.
About Newton Memorial Hospital
Newton Memorial (www.alllifelong.org) employs 1,200 people in Sussex County and has 146 licensed beds. Newton Memorial typically treats about 33,000 people in its Emergency Department each year. The hospital also operates various other health care facilities throughout its service area.
Morris Township fire leaves house uninhabitable
MORRIS TOWNSHIP – Officials are investigating the cause of a fire in a two-story tudor-style home last night in Morris Township, police said. At 9:21 p.m. firefighters responded to reports of a fire at 4 Millstone Court, in the northwest…
If you love your NJ trails, speak up now!
The Rails-to-Trails Conservancy has brought to our attention the immediate need to speak up against the loss of the federal funds that have already been earmarked for our New Jersey trails, both current and future.
Flooding closes two right lanes on southbound Route 287, near exit 35 in Morristown
It’s been a tough morning for commuters on southbound Route 287 near Morristown.
Two right lanes at exit 35 have been flooded out all morning. Try to avoid that stretch of highway if you’re not driving an amphibious vehicle.
Check out Morristown’s Speedwell redevelopment plan
Earlier this month, we reported about revised plans to redevelop Morristown’s Speedwell Avenue area.
The town planning consultants have posted their presentation from that hearing, with conceptual illustrations, on the town website. You also can download it here:
Speedwell Redevelopment Presentation_Sept2010
A member of the Latino community tells The Daily Record today that he expects the redevelopment plan eventually will displace Latinos living and working on Speedwell Avenue:
“It’s going to force the minorities to leave,” said Victor Cotto, owner of Uptown Cuts on the corner of Clinton Street and Speedwell Avenue. “They have the power to do that. I can’t stop them.”
A preliminary revised redevelopment plan for the Speedwell Avenue area in Morristown. From a September 2010 presentation by the Jonathan Rose Companies.
Rain causes flooding, lane closures on many N.J. roads
Star-Ledger file photoPeople in East Rutherford try to stay dry in a June file photo. The morning’s heavy rain has caused flooding on a number of major thoroughfares, according to a report on 511nj.org, the Department of Transportation’s traffic website….
Morristown cartoonist Paul Laud aims his mighty pen at Iran’s president
This week’s installment from local artist Paul Laud:
Ahmadinejad visits the U.N.
Paul Laud
Morristown leukemia fundraiser honors local survivor, John Hyland
Over the years, John Hyland has brought together lots of people to raise lots of money to fight leukemia
Last night he did it again at Morristown’s Kellogg Club–in absentia.
As friends ate roast turkey at a $30-a-head fundraiser, John, 43, was at home in Morris Township recuperating from chemotherapy for an acute form of leukemia. The father of three, who is a managing partner in a financial firm and a triathlete, was diagnosed in April.
FUNDRAISING FAMILIES: (L-R) Maureen Byrne, Kathleen Hyland, Rich and Allison Arakelian and Colleen Loughman at leukemia fundraiser at Morristown's Kellogg Club. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
Family members said John is doing well.
“He’s reaping the benefits of all his time and effort over the years,” said his mother Kathleen Hyland, pleased by the large turnout of family friends and relatives.
Proceeds will benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of New Jersey, which honored John this month for his contributions. John got involved after his aunt died from leukemia in 1992.
If you would like to pitch in, lace up your sneakers on Oct. 9 for the annual Light the Night Walk, a leukemia fundraiser that starts at Morristown’s Headquarters Plaza.
Organizers will have a booth at Sunday’s Morristown Festival on the Green. Look for Allison Arakelian, whose team, “Joshua’s Friends for Life,” honors her 6-year-old son, Joshua, who died of leukemia. John has sponsored Allison’s team at Light the Night.
Colleen Loughman, John’s sister, would have liked having her brother at last night’s event, under normal circumstances. But for now, she said, John must avoid crowds.
“He has no immune system right now,” she explained. “It’s about taking care of him here and now, so he can be here later.”
