Press Releases

Cooper University Health Care has named Kristin Knapp, MD, a third-year general surgical resident and an officer in the U.S. Army Reserves, as the 2022 Cooper Armed Forces Person of the Year.

“Dr. Knapp is an inspiration and an outstanding leader who has made impressive contributions to Cooper, the community, and the nation through her service as a physician and as a military officer and is deserving of this recognition from her team members,” said Kevin O’Dowd, JD, co-CEO of Cooper. Read more.

This month, the Level I Trauma Center at Cooper University Health Care is celebrating its 40^th anniversary of serving South Jersey. From humble beginnings in November 1982, starting as a “demonstration project” to assess the need for dedicated trauma services in the region, Cooper is now one of only three state-designated Level 1 Trauma Centers in the New Jersey and is the busiest in the region, providing life-saving services to nearly 4,000 patients annually. Read more.

Cooper University Health Care’s Gerard Carroll, MD, FAAEM, EMT-P, received the 2022 Nicholas Rosecrans Award for developing and launching the first EMS-administered buprenorphine program in the United States. Dr. Carroll is the medical director of EMS Services and division head of EMS/Disaster Medicine at Cooper University Health Care and Cooper’s Emergency Medical Services.

The prestigious Nicholas Rosecrans Award, presented annually by The California Paramedic Foundation, recognizes EMS organizations nationwide that deliver excellence in injury and illness prevention programming. Read more.

Cooper University Health Care is one of only 28 health systems nationwide to earn the 2022 American Medical Association Joy in Medicine™ Health System Recognition. The AMA distinction is granted only to those organizations that demonstrate a commitment to preserving the well-being of clinical care team members by engaging in proven efforts to combat work-related stress and burnout.

“This recognition highlights Cooper’s belief that supporting our medical providers and other team members is essential to our mission to serve, to heal, to educate,” said Eric Kupersmith, MD, SFHM, senior vice president and chief physician executive at Cooper. Read more.

Today, October 13, is National Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day, bringing attention to the unique needs of women and men living with metastatic, or stage IV, breast cancer. It’s also a chance to celebrate the strength and resilience of our metastatic patients.

It is estimated that 287,8500 Americans will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year. About 6% of breast cancer diagnoses are metastatic. Read more.

Internationally known stroke expert Tudor Jovin, MD, medical director of the Cooper Neurological Institute at Cooper University Health Care and professor of neurology and neurological surgery at Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, is co-principal investigator and lead author of a study published today in The New England Journal of Medicine, one of the world’s leading medical journals. Read more.

By Ryan Kirker, PA-C, Physician Assistant
Cooper Care Alliance and Cooper Center for LGBTQ+ Health

Today is National Coming Out Day (NCOD), and Cooper is proud to join in celebrating our lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer+ voices. NCOD first originated back in 1988 by two queer activists, Robert Eichberg and Jean O’Leary who recognized the importance of power in visibility. Read more.

National Physician Assistant Week takes place every year from October 6 through October 12. Physician assistants (PAs) are vital members of the team of professionals who treat patients in today’s complex health care setting. With thousands of hours of medical training, PAs are versatile and collaborative while providing high-quality, safe patient care in both inpatient and outpatient settings.

At Cooper, our PAs are a vital part of our clinical team and perform many essential duties, including:

• Taking medical histories
• Conducting physical exams
• Diagnosing and treating illnesses
• Ordering and interpreting tests
• Developing treatment plans
• Prescribing medications
• Counseling on preventive care
• Performing procedures
• Assisting in surgeries
• Making rounds in hospitals and nursing homes
• Conducting clinical research

Cooper is proud to have more than 100 PAs represented throughout the organization in both the ambulatory and hospital settings and in specialty areas including, but not limited to, Primary Care, Hospital Medicine, Critical Care, Emergency Department, Pediatrics, Neurology, Cardiology, Surgical Services, Orthopedics, Addiction Medicine, and MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper. Read more.

The Center for Critical Care Medicine at Cooper University Health Care has received national recognition for its outstanding extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) program, an advanced lifesaving system used for critically ill patients. The Cooper team was named a Silver Level Center on the Path to Excellence in Life Support program by the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO).

The Excellence in Life Support Award recognizes centers that demonstrate an exceptional commitment to evidence-based processes and quality measures, staff training and continuing education, patient satisfaction, and ongoing clinical care. Read more.