On May 22, 2018, Cooper University Health Care presented the 2018 Cooper Military Employee of the Year Award to trauma surgeon John Chovanes, DO, FACS, LTC, USAR MC, at a pre-Memorial Day celebration for Cooper employees who are veterans and/or active military.

The Cooper Military Employee of the Year Award – which will be presented annually – was established to formally recognize the outstanding contributions a Cooper staff member has made to the health system, the community, and the nation, as well as in support of Cooper’s mission to serve, to heal, to educate. Read more.

Expanding to meet growing patient demand, MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper recently opened a new outpatient diagnostic mammography center on its Camden campus.

“This is another exciting day as MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper continues to transform cancer care for the people of South Jersey and the region,” said Adrienne Kirby, PhD, FACHE, executive chairman and chief executive officer at Cooper, at a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Read more.

Steven C. Bonawitz, MD, FACS, head of the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at Cooper University Health Care, was among the team of nine plastic surgeons and two urological surgeons that performed the world’s first total penis and scrotum transplant. The 14-hour surgery took place at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore on March 26.

The transplant recipient, an Afghanistan war veteran who was severely injured by a roadside bomb, was the recipient of a donated penis and scrotum and partial abdominal wall from a deceased donor. Read more.

Shenelle Alexander, an undergraduate nursing student at Rutgers University-Camden, was named as the first winner of the $1,000 Cooper Civic Leadership Award at the Seventh Annual Chancellor’s Awards for Civic Engagement held April 26, 2018.

Cooper University Health Care established the Civic Leadership Award earlier this year to honor a Rutgers University-Camden student who exemplifies outstanding service to the Camden community. Read more.

This week, MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper hosted Remembrance Events in Camden and Voorhees, for the family and loved ones of patients who passed in the last year. More than 50 attendees took part in the events that featured remarks, prayers and poems delivered by MD Anderson at Cooper physicians, social workers, chaplains and other staff members. The event also included live music, and a horticultural healing activity.  Read more.

On Thursday, April 26, 2018, about 70 students in the 5th through 12th grades came to Cooper University Health Care for Cooper Career Day, part of Bring Your Child to Work Day. Throughout the day, students learned about the different roles our Cooper team members play in the hospital to ensure that we’re able to carry out our mission: To serve. Read more.

Last night, Cooper dietitian, Josh George, RD, visited the Collingswood Fire Department for a healthy cooking demonstration and to answer nutrition-related questions.

Our first responders often place themselves in harms way to help and rescue others. This call to duty can result in a lifestyle of placing others before themselves, especially when it comes to health. That’s why Cooper’s Community Health team works diligently to provide preventative care to our local heroes. Read more.

In observance of National Volunteer Month, Cooper University Health Care recognized the hundreds of dedicated men and women who donate their time and efforts to support the hospital’s mission, to serve, to heal, to educate.

A thank-you luncheon was held on April 20, 2018, to honor the 654 active volunteers who performed a remarkable 67,025 hours of service in 2017. A number of special awards were presented at the luncheon. Read more.

Second event scheduled for May 1

MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper hosted a CME event for physicians and other health care providers at the DoubleTree Suites in Mt. Laurel, NJ.  Approximately 100 attendees took part in the program, which focused on The Role of Cancer Genetics in Precision Medicine.  Presentations included discussion on current approaches to genetic testing for hereditary cancer syndromes, potential benefits and limitations of the multigene panel testing approach for hereditary cancer syndromes, and the implications, risks, and benefits of genetic testing for the individual and their family. Read more.

Have you ever worried about what role family history plays in cancer?  Cancer experts from MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper will discuss this topic at a free community lecture on cancer and genetics at the Willingboro Public Library from 6 to 8 p.m., Thursday, May 31, 2018.

Robert A. Somer, MD, head of the Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology, and genetic counselor Jennie Stone, MS, LCGC, will discuss cancer and family history and how advances in genetic testing are shedding light on new genes involved in the development of cancer. Read more.