Cooper University Hospital has received verification as a Level I Trauma Center for an additional two years by the Verification Review Committee (VRC), of the Committee on Trauma (COT) of the American College of Surgeons (ACS). The Cooper Trauma Center will celebrate its 30^th Anniversary this fall and treats more than 2,700 patients a year. Continue Reading

Today, The Cooper Health System celebrated the official groundbreaking for its new state-of-the-art cancer treatment center on the Cooper Health Sciences Campus.  The four-story, 103,050 square foot Cooper Cancer Institute will expand access to cancer care in South Jersey by providing a full range of cancer care services and specialists all under one roof.

Cooper’s administrators and Board leadership participated in the Groundbreaking Event, along with business, community and elected officials from throughout New Jersey, including N.J. Governor Chris Christie, NJ Senator Stephen Sweeney, and Camden City Mayor Dana Redd.  The event was held at the site of the new building, on the corner of Martin Luther King Boulevard and Haddon Avenue.  It is the newest addition to the Cooper Health Sciences campus in Camden, joining the Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, which will open this July.

“Cooper Health’s dedication, for 125 years now, bridges excellence in medicine with community engagement,” said Governor Chris Christie. “This groundbreaking is the latest example of the steps New Jersey is taking to become a national leader in providing comprehensive healthcare and cancer treatment services, not only for the citizens of Camden and New Jersey, but for individuals from across the region and the nation.”

“Today marks yet another milestone in the expansion of the Health Sciences Campus in Camden,” noted George E. Norcross, III, Chairman of Cooper’s Board of Trustees.  “Our commitment to Camden and our community continues to be our priority as we work to bring positive changes and improved healthcare services to our patients. The recent opening of the Robert’s Pavilion and the establishment of Cooper Medical School, as well as the significant improvements in and around the neighborhood, demonstrate that we believe – strongly — in the future of Camden.”

The new Cooper Cancer Institute will provide a full range of specialists and cancer care services with the benefit of patients having all their medical needs in one place, including:  radiology and radiation oncology, hematology/medical oncology, surgical oncology, urology and gynecologic oncology; chemotherapy infusion and laboratory space; and chemotherapy pharmacy.  Abundant examination, treatment and procedure space throughout the new building will improve patient flow and access, and conference room and academic spaces will foster the team-approach to cancer treatment for which Cooper Cancer Institute is already well-known.

Currently, specialists of the Cooper Cancer Institute treat patients in Camden and Voorhees. The new building in Camden will provide integrated treatments for Cooper cancer patients.

Cooper has a long history of providing care to cancer patients, dating back to 1887 when the hospital first opened its doors.  Today, the Cooper Cancer Institute is accredited by the American College of Surgeons’ Commission on Cancer as an Academic Comprehensive Cancer Program and is the only cancer program in South Jersey to be included in the prestigious network of institutions that make up the Cancer Institute of New Jersey (CINJ).  As a Major Clinical Research Affiliate of CINJ, Cooper provides patients with access to the latest clinical trials, therapies and technology available.

“Cancer has touched, in some way, nearly every person in South Jersey,” said John P. Sheridan, Jr., President and CEO at Cooper.  “It’s our goal, with this new building, to help improve our patients’ experience by providing a full complement of coordinated cancer care services, including diagnosis, counseling, treatment, follow-up care and supportive services, all in one convenient location.”

The new Cooper Cancer Institute will open in the fall of 2013.

Cooper University Hospital is the recipient of a $2.8 million, three-year Federal Innovation Grant presented by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).  The Health Care Innovation Award was announced today by CMS. Cooper was selected out of over 3,000 applications from all over the country; only 26 awards were granted.

Cooper, serving the eight southern counties of the state of New Jersey, is receiving this award to better serve over 1,200 patients with complex medical needs who have relied on emergency rooms and hospital admissions for care.  The intervention will use care management and care transition teams to work with these patients to reduce avoidable emergency room visits, inpatient hospital admissions and hospital readmissions, and improve their access to primary health care.

This approach is expected to result in better health care outcomes and lower costs with estimated savings of approximately $6.1 million.  Over the three-year period, Cooper’s program will train an estimated 14 health care workers, while creating an estimated 14 new jobs.  These workers will include non-clinical staff and community health workers who will serve as part of multidisciplinary teams to support care coordination activities.

“We need to be on a clear and sustainable path towards better care in America with new approaches like this to manage chronic illness in our society,” states Jeffrey Brenner, MD, Director of the Institute for Urban Health at Cooper University Hospital and Executive Director of the Camden Coalition of Healthcare Providers.  “Patients living in the City of Camden, who struggle with complex health conditions, will benefit from this new grant.  The funds, received and managed by Cooper, will enable the Camden Coalition of Healthcare Providers to expand it’s nationally recognized model of care coordination to reach more patients in Camden.

Dr. Brenner applied for the grant on behalf of the care coordination team at Cooper as part of the Camden Coalition of Health Care Providers (CCHP).  For the past eight years, CCHP has developed programs that work in conjunction with those on the front lines of healthcare delivery, reducing the amount of Emergency Department and inpatient stays for our patients.

The Coalition championed legislation signed by Governor Christie last year which creates a Medicaid Accountable Care Organization Demonstration Program.  The legislative ordinance will permit organizations like the Camden Coalition to receive a portion of the Medicaid savings generated by its projects and creates a sustainable business model once grant funds like these run out.

“This is a remarkable achievement for Cooper, the Coalition and for the region,” said John P. Sheridan, Jr., President and CEO at Cooper.  “Our healthcare environment is constantly evolving and we are working to better manage our patient’s needs.  We are becoming an example for the rest of the country about how collaborative care is cost effective and is truly beneficial to a patient’s well-being.”

About 75 staff, friends and family members at Cooper came together for the March of Dimes “March for Babies” on Sunday, April 29.  Walkers enjoyed the sun, visited sponsor tents, danced to live music, and walked 4 miles to raise funds for important research and programs that help babies begin healthy lives. Continue Reading

On Sunday, April 15, 2012 over 50 motorcyclists joined the Blue Knights Law Enforcement Motorcycle Club, Inc, for their Annual Spring “Toy Run” for pediatric patients at Children’s Regional Hospital at Cooper. Riders donated new toys and $500 to be used towards special gifts for children hospitalized at Cooper. Continue Reading