In 2008, John Sheridan, President and CEO of Cooper University Hospital, signed the Healthy Food Pledge.  Part of our mission is purchasing healthy, local foods, and other sustainable practices to help improve the health of our patients, employees and the environment.

Common Market, a local food hub, started delivering local foods to institutions in 2008. Cooper was one of the first clients for the fledgling company. Since that time we have purchased many local, delicious foods all year from local farmers.

Aside from the wonderful produce, cheese, turkey, chicken and other local goods, we are supporting the local economy and helping farmers keep up the tradition of farming.

Joseph E. Parrillo, MD, Cooper University Hospital Chief of Medicine receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society of Critical Care Medicine from the SCCM President, Pamela A. Lipsett, MD.

Over 5,000 people were in attendance at the Houston Convention Center last month for the opening ceremony of the Society of Critical Care Medicine’s (SCCM) 41st Congress to see Joseph E. Parrillo, MD, Chief of the Department of Medicine at Cooper University Hospital, Director of the Cooper Heart Institute and Professor and Chairman of the Department of Medicine at Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, receive the organization’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

The SCCM represents more than 15,000 professional members in more than 100 countries. The SCCM Lifetime Achievement Award was created to honor individuals who demonstrate meritorious contributions to the field of critical care through the advancement of medical science, medical education, and medical care. Dr. Parrillo was only the thirteenth recipient in the 40-year-history of the organization.

Among many career accomplishments, Dr. Parrillo received the highest civilian honor, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director’s Award, for creating the first Critical Care Medicine Department during his tenure NIH. He is also a member of the Association of American Physicians and the American Society of Clinical Investigation, two elite societies that elect members to recognize senior clinicians/scientists who have performed the finest clinical research.

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The Cooper Health System has appointed Jayashree Raman as Vice President and Chief Information Officer.

A pioneer in the evolution of healthcare information technology, Ms. Raman established the core information technology infrastructure at The Reading Hospital and Medical Center in Reading, Pa., where she was Vice President and Chief Information Officer from 1997-2010, and Director of Technical Operations from 1987-1997.   She most recently served as Vice President of Healthcare Strategy and Chief Information Officer for Stanley Healthcare Solutions, where she provided vision, leadership and strategic planning to grow the company’s healthcare market presence.

“Jayashree Raman is an accomplished, solution-driven IT strategist with proven strength in fiscal management.  She has a keen understanding of the technology needed to advance the clinical and business missions of a large, complex organization like Cooper,” says John P. Sheridan, Jr., President and Chief Executive Officer at Cooper.  “We are confident that she will ensure Cooper remains on the cutting edge of healthcare information technologies.”

For nearly two decades, Cooper has not wavered in its commitment to build and maintain the region’s most advanced healthcare information technology infrastructure.  Cooper was one of the first hospitals in the country to implement Physician Order Entry, an online system that eliminated handwritten physician notes and significantly improved patient safety and quality of care.  Cooper was also one of the first hospitals in the region to launch its electronic health record (EHR) system, long before the 2014 deadline mandated by the federal government.

“I’m excited to join an organization that understands the importance of an innovative, dynamic approach to information technology in healthcare,” says Ms. Raman.  “I look forward to working with Cooper’s progressive team to ensure that we continue to lead the way in shaping and establishing cutting-edge technology that improves patient care and safety.”

Ms. Raman holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from University of Madras in India, and a Master in Business Management certificate from Tulane University in New Orleans.

Join Cooper surgeons Monday, March 12 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.  as they offer a hands-on demonstration of  the new da Vinci Surgical Robot.  Visitors are invited to operate the robot first-hand. Continue Reading

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie accepted the recommendation by the UMDNJ Task Force Committee to overhaul the state’s university system, including merging Rowan University and Rutgers-Camden campus into one single university with research university designation. This will be the only university in southern New Jersey with this status. Cooper University Hospital is in full support of the recommendations.

The Research University designation will allow Rowan to offer undergraduate, graduate and professional degree programs (i.e., Ph.D.), enter into public-private partnerships and increase the institution’s ability to attract greater research funding from such entities as the National Institutes of Health and National Science Foundation. Combining Rutgers and Rowan will provide opportunities for joint degree programs, such as Law and Medicine (J.D., M.D.).

Cooper’s Chairman, George E. Norcross, III, issued the following statement yesterday: “We are pleased with the recommendations presented by the UMDNJ Advisory Committee to designate a research university in South Jersey through the integration of two long standing institutions of higher learning. This bold plan will transform education in South Jersey and ignite the economy by attracting private investment opportunities, producing greater research funding and significantly increasing the options for New Jersey residents who currently leave the state to pursue higher education degrees.”

Online Resources

• Download the Governor’s Task Force Report (PDF)
• Fact Sheet (PDF)
• View the Governor’s Press Conference