Rowan University alumnus Dr. Marque Allen made the trek from his home in Texas to South Jersey this week to spend Thanksgiving with his family--and to announce his $100,000 donation to Cooper Medical School of Rowan University. The gift by Dr. Allen, a podiatric surgeon, and his wife, Yvette, is the first gift to the new medical school and will create a scholarship fund for first-year Rowan alumni who are attending Cooper Medical School of Rowan University.

Rick Hong, M.D., has been recognized as New Jersey's 2009 Outstanding EMS Physician. This recognition, given by the NJ Department of Health and Senior Services Office of Emergency Services, honors a physician who has made the most positive impact and contribution to prehospital care in the state of New Jersey. Dr. Hong received numerous nominations for this honor.

Family and friends of Mrs. Mary Anne Mazanec, a CCI patient who passed away in 2009 after a courageous battle with ovarian cancer, make a $2,500 donation to the Cooper Cancer Institute to benefit the CCI Patient in Need fund. This provides direct support to patients with ovarian cancer in financial need.

Patients and families are always looking to Cooper experts for sound advice and answers to questions about their healthcare concerns. Cooper University Hospital, along with the Cooper Cancer Institute has now developed a series of online videos to address some of the most common questions and topics relating to breast cancer and much more. “People tend to spend a lot of time on the internet searching for health information that, in some cases, ends up being inaccurate or not relevant to what they are looking for,” said Andy Gradel, Internet Marketing Manager. “We’re presenting this series of videos as one-on-one discussions with our experts organized by topic, so users can easily browse and find answers to their questions in just a few clicks.”

The Camden County Department of Health and Human Services and Cooper University Hospital will be hosting an H1N1 vaccination clinic for children ages 6 months to 5 years as well as children ages 6 years – 18 years with underlying medical conditions. The H1N1 vaccine will be the injectable vaccine, which is not thimerosal-free.

More than a record 4,000 runners and walkers participated in this year's Cooper Norcross Run the Bridge, presented by AmeriHealth New Jersey. The 10K race – the largest in the tri-state area – benefits the Larc School, which serves individuals with moderate to severe disabilities throughout South Jersey. All proceeds from today’s race, estimated to be a record $400,000, go directly to the Larc School.

The Burlington County Health Department in Westampton will hold H1N1 flu shot clinics to vaccinate priority groups on three consecutive Fridays from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on November 6, 13 and 20, 2009 at their offices (15 Pioneer Boulevard, Westampton, New Jersey 08060).

For the fifth straight year, Cooper University Hospital has received a Consumer Choice Award from the National Research Corporation (NRC). The 2009/2010 award identifies hospitals which healthcare consumers have chosen as having the highest quality and image in the country. Each year, the National Research Corporation surveys 250,000 homes nationally to identify the nation’s top hospitals. The award is based on the regional consumer responses in four categories: best doctors, best nurses, best image and reputation and best overall quality of care.

Cooper University Hospital has named Allen D. Seftel, M.D., its Head of the Division of Urology. “Dr. Seftel joins Cooper University Hospital with vast experience in men’s health and at Cooper will work to enhance the men’s health services already being offered,” said Carolyn E. Bekes, M.D., Chief Medical Officer at Cooper. “He brings with him significant clinical expertise as well as skill and experience as an educator. Dr. Seftel is also an accomplished and innovative researcher and we’re proud that he will be continuing his important work at Cooper.”

The Camden Coalition of Healthcare Providers today announced the launch of the Camden Health Information Exchange (HIE), an electronic medical records interface that will allow Camden’s health care providers to access patient data from various sources. The Coalition makes this announcement in celebration of New Jersey Minority & Multicultural Health Month. The HIE epitomizes this year’s theme, “Take Control of your Health: Managing Chronic Diseases”, as the tool will allow providers to deliver improved care to their sickest patients.