From sports injuries to obesity, Cooper has found a way to educate children on these important issues while also improving their health and wellness and exposing them to exciting careers in healthcare. “Cooper in Schools” is a multidisciplinary program at Cooper University Hospital that provides health and wellness education to students, teachers, school nurses and communities within the Delaware Valley.

On Wednesday, December 8, 2010, the first signs of snow this winter came from The DiFlorio Family Healing Garden at Cooper University Hospital. Glistening snowflakes filled the trees as Cooper’s Trauma Family Support Group hosted a lighting dedication in honor of patients, families, staff and visitors at Cooper.

Joyce Racer was a Radiologic Technologist at Cooper University Hospital for 34 years. She was well liked by not only the Radiology students, but also her peers and all those who encountered her at Cooper. Joyce had made enormous contributions to the Department during her time at Cooper, but cancer took her life at an early age.

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.