We all enter medicine to make a difference, to help people when they cannot help themselves. It is easy during medical training to lose sight of this. It is not surprising, really. It is not that you stop wanting to help people or do the right thing, it is just that during residency you spend whatever spare energy and time you have focusing on yourself.

Congratulations to the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Cooper who has once again received a “3 star” rating, the highest possible quality ranking, from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS). Developed to provide a comprehensive nationwide system of cardiac surgery performance, only 12% of hospitals in the United States receive the highest category of quality rating, a “ 3 star” designation. This latest ranking marks the third consecutive year Cooper has received top honors as one of the best adult cardiac surgery programs in the United States.

This week, Pharmacy Choice published an announcement that 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 U.S. hospitals including Cooper.

Cooper University Hospital, in partnership with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) - South Jersey Chapter, is participating in the International Diabetes Federation’s global campaign to light iconic monuments and sites in blue to mark World Diabetes Day.

On the first Sunday of each November, Campbell’s Field lights up in the wee hours of the morning in preparation for the nation’s largest 10K race called Run The Bridge. Though the race is run over the Benjamin Franklin Bridge, most of the pre and post-run activities take place at Campbell’s Field. Cooper University Hospital is a naming sponsor of the race which benefits the Larc School for children with disabilities.

Congratulations to Cooper’s River Resuscitators dragon boat team, who won a silver medal at the 2010 Philadelphia International Dragon Boat Festival on October 23, 2010. The 25 team members are all Cooper employees and joined the Dragon Boat league two years ago. In 2009, they won a bronze medal for their division.

Cooper’s Third Annual Resident/Fellow Forum on October 13 drew residents and fellows representing 13 programs. Information tables were provided by the GMEC, Sim Lab, CIRT, Pastoral Care, Life Support, Planetree/Patient Centered Care, HR/EAP, Research Institute, Patient Safety, Documentation and Coding, and Health Information Management.

Robin L. Perry, MD, Chief of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Cooper, is one of four South Jersey Physicians to have received the March of Dimes' Born To Shine Award in recognition of their outstanding work in maternal and infant care.

The Courier-Post published an article focusing on three South Jersey doctors on the front lines in the battle again breast cancer. Generosa Grana, MD, Director of the Cooper Cancer Institute, was featured in the article that described the progress that has been made in breast cancer treatments and what the future holds.

On Saturday, October 23, 2010, 75 motorcyclists joined the Chrome Riders Motorcycle Organization for the 16th Annual “Toy Run” for pediatric patients at Children’s Regional Hospital at Cooper. Each rider brought with them a new, unwrapped gift for a child at Cooper.