(Camden, New Jersey) Cooper University Hospital is pleased to announce that Elizabeth Edwards will give the keynote address at Cooper for Women’s health and wellness conference “Breakthrough! Energy, Attitude and Good Health for Women 50+.” The event is Saturday, September 27 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at The Westin Mount Laurel. "We are delighted that Mrs. Edwards is bringing her positive, inspirational message to the women of South Jersey,” says Rosemarie Leuzzi, MD, an internal medicine physician and medical director of Cooper for Women.

(Camden, New Jersey) The Cooper Cancer Institute welcomes Priya Singh, M.D., as an attending physician in the division of hematology/medical oncology. She joins Cooper after completing her fellowship in medical oncology at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, Pa. Dr. Singh received her medical degree from New Jersey Medical School, Newark, N.J., and completed her internship and residency at University Hospital, in Newark. She is a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the American Society of Hematology. Dr. Singh has participated in several cancer research projects and has been published in peer reviewed journals such as the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, Journal of Urology and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.

(Camden, New Jersey) Whether you are relaxing at home in your pajama’s or at work searching the web while enjoying an afternoon lunch, patients can receive fast and accurate answers to medical questions just by visiting Cooperhealth.org. Cooper University Hospital has created a remarkable new online chat where individuals can discuss medical issues and related topics with physicians and other health-care experts through the internet. At least two days a month, for thirty minutes a session, different physicians will host chats discussing a new topic of interest. In the coming months, Health eTalk will feature discussions ranging from general topics, such as women’s health and sports medicine, to specific discussions about the latest procedures and services available at Cooper University Hospital. Questions can be submitted in advance of the scheduled chat and, if a patient is not available when the live chat is happening, a complete transcript of each chat will be available immediately following the event.

(Camden, New Jersey) The tiniest patients at Cooper University Hospital can now be outfitted with special baby supplies thanks to a $10,000 donation to “Clare’s Cupboard” from the Moorestown Auxiliary. Cooper cares for 460 Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) patients a year. “Many of our families are with us for weeks, sometimes months, and donations like this help the parents go home with the supplies they need as parents and baby adapt to life outside of the hospital,” said Joanne Fox, NICU Clinical Director.

(Camden, New Jersey) Cooper University Hospital is calling all clowns! The all too familiar Bumper “T” Caring Clowns are on a mission looking for enthusiastic and fun-loving individuals to jump on board and join the crew. For over 30 years, George Edwards aka, Bumper “T” Clown of Barrington, New Jersey, has devoted his life to making people laugh. He had become such an inspiration to his patients and fellow students (who also volunteer in the hospital) that in 1998 they began calling themselves The Bumper “T” Caring Clowns to honor the man who taught them all. Since then, the program’s success hadonly continued to grow. In April 2002, the original staff of five (including George Edwards) developed a training program in which individuals could join the team and volunteer their services to the hospital.

(Camden, New Jersey) On Thursday, July 31, 2008, Cooper University Hospital and the Institute for Medication Access and Compliance (IMAAC) launched a new cost-effective approach to improving the health status of low-income, uninsured patients in New Jersey. The pilot program will focus on individuals with chronic conditions, such as asthma, diabetes, hypertension, and chronic heart failure. The goal of the program is to improve patient health, while reducing the cost of uncompensated care in New Jersey. “This is a great example of a public-private initiative that will support two key state priorities; to provide better access to health care for the uninsured and identify ways for the State and hospitals to save money and reduce spending,” said Heather Howard, New Jersey Commissioner of the Department of Health and Senior Services.

(Camden, New Jersey) Cooper University Hospital has received a Most Wired Award from the Hospitals & Health Networks’ Most Wired Survey and Benchmarking Study. Cooper was recognized in the Most Wireless and Most Improved categories. We are the only hospital in the region to be recognized in both categories. “Our Information Technology management and the entire team have been working tirelessly over the past few years to implement new systems that have improved the safety and services offered to our patients and their family members,” said John P. Sheridan, Jr., President and CEO at Cooper.

(Camden, New Jersey) Cooper University Hospital has been awarded a five-year grant totaling $1,307,706 from the Salem Health and Wellness Foundation (SH&WF) to provide health screening and counseling for cardiovascular disease (CV), peripheral vascular disease (PVD) and osteoporosis for residents of Salem County. The grant is the second largest ever awarded by the Foundation. Since 2005, the Cooper Heart Institute has partnered with the Salem Health and Wellness Foundation for the Salem County Cardiovascular Health Initiative (SCCHI). During the past three years, Sherri Jenkins, R.N., Community Health Educator, and her team screened more than 7,700 Salem County residents for cardiovascular problems. Salem County has the highest rate of heart disease and the highest mortality rate associated with heart disease in New Jersey. To combat these staggering statistics, Cooper instituted a program of screenings at over 250 various events and locations throughout the county. Health educational follow-up was provided and more than 33% of these patients sought medical help from area physicians based on the screening results.

After a nation-wide search, Cooper University Hospital is pleased to announce that Jeffrey P. Carpenter, M.D., has been appointed the new Chief of the Department of Surgery for the health system. Dr. Carpenter is a board certified vascular surgeon with clinical specialties in endovascular surgical techniques. He joins Cooper after 23 years at the University of Pennsylvania Health System where he has been a Professor of Surgery and a Professor of Radiology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine since 2003.

Cooper University Hospital conducted a nation-wide search and has appointed Robin L. Perry, M.D., as Chief of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Dr. Perry is board certified in Maternal & Fetal Medicine and Obstetrics & Gynecology. She is currently President of the Cooper Medical Staff. “Dr. Perry’s proven leadership ability will allow the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Cooper to continue to grow under her guidance,” said John P. Sheridan, Jr., President and CEO at Cooper. We have been expanding our practices in the suburban communities and will continue to focus on increasing the obstetrics program in South Jersey.”