When Cath Lab staffers realized patient Joseph Whitesell was coming in alone for a procedure on his 95th birthday, they rallied and surprised him with a bedside birthday party, complete with gifts, a cake and balloons.

Patient enrollment has begun in the RECITAL (A Patient Registry Evaluating Closure Following Access with the Arstasis One Access System) Study. The non-randomized, prospective, post-approval study anticipates enrolling up to 500 patients in at least seven medical centers in the United States, including Cooper.

The votes are in! Employee entries for the Planetree Cute Pet photo contest totaled over 700 and came from nearly every department in the Cooper system - from Willingboro to Voorhees and from Camden to Washington Township.

The Courier-Post recently published an article about World Aids Day and the improvement in treatments over the past 30-years. “The options and changes in treatment for HIV-infected patients has vastly improved, from taking 12 to 24 pills three times a day to one pill a day,” said Pamela Gordon, program coordinator for Cooper's Early Intervention Program.

Andrea Russo, MD, Director, Cardiac Electrophysiology and Arrhythmia Services at Cooper, was recognized in the December issue of SJ Magazine as a well-respected “woman in medicine” and a healthcare leader who is making a difference in patient’s lives.

The December issue of SJ Magazine features an article about four new advances in healthcare that are taking place at South Jersey hospitals. The mini-Whipple procedure is now being performed at Cooper to help treat patients with pancreatic cancer. Cooper physicians are hoping that this new variation will bring the same results as the old procedure but with fewer risks.

I always leave Addis with mixed feelings. Happiness - having caught up with old friends and made some news ones. Sadness - at all the pain and suffering that never seems to change. Relieved to know that, in less that 24 hours, I will be having my first hot shower in 3 weeks. Physically exhausted from the long hours of operating and the on-call duties combined with preparing and delivering several formal lectures a week.

Today’s entry is about hope. Hope and the Ethiopian spirit. Looking back on my entries for the past week the frustration in them is clear. And I think it is accurate. But, no doubt, it may have caused some of you to wonder why I come over here at all? The answer is easy – it is the people. The people, their hope and their spirit.

Things come to a head on Wednesday. It is our designated operating room day, but because I am operating by myself, it becomes a challenge. Between the language issues and the limited equipment, negotiating the OR becomes a nightmare. They have scheduled me several small cases anticipating difficulty. They underestimated the problem. The first child arrives without any blood crossmatched. Given the size of the procedure and the age of the child significant blood loss is likely.

The frustration has set in. That’s how I know I am feeling better. Last week between the jet lag, the cold and some mild but constant GI symptoms I was quite relieved just to get through the day. This week, I want to work. That’s why I am here, afterall. But it is a constant struggle. Monday it takes the anesthetist 3 hours to get our patient ready so that we can start our case. It is a 15 month-old boy with a bad brain tumor. We operate for 7 hours straight.