Spotlight on Union Hospital

Hospital Has a New Sleep Center and is Now an Accredited Chest Pain Center

By Jenn Diamond

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CENTER FOR SLEEP MEDICINE
Also in 2005, Union Hospital added The Center for Sleep Medicine to its already vast array of health services. The center was created for diagnosis and treatment of sleep apnea, a serious disorder affecting an estimated 18 million Americans, and other sleep disorders including insomnia, restless leg syndrome, periodic limb movement disorder and narcolepsy.

Patients are coming from Union and neighboring counties and some have even traveled from as far away as Toms River, according to Eric Carney, RRT, administrative director of clinical operations at the center.

Since it opened in July 2005, the center has performed more than 130 tests and growth is exceeding expectations, Carney says. “At our current rate of growth we will have to expand to additional beds by the end of the year.”

Carney cites several reasons for the success of the center. “Estimates indicate four percent of men and two percent of women suffer from sleep apnea. This equates to a large number of patients in our community that were underserved prior to the opening of our center,” Carney says. “In fact, the primary motivation for opening the center was the numerous phone calls that I would receive from patients asking why they were not able to have their sleep study performed at their community hospital. Their preference was to visit Union Hospital, which they have utilized for all their health care needs while receiving compassionate and personalized care, and did not want to be referred elsewhere.”

The staff is also a factor, Carney says. “Our patients love our staff. Daily, I review the patient satisfaction surveys that are submitted by the previous night’s patients. Survey after survey, the response is always the same: they love the convenient scheduling process, the friendliness and helpfulness of our administrators and the professionalism
of the technicians.”

NO SURGERY’S MINOR WHEN IT’S YOURS
In 2003, the renovated Center for Surgery at Union Hospital opened, offering the most
advanced surgical services and technology and became home to several new, breakthrough surgeries such as laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery, laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy, laparoscopic cholystectomy (gall bladder) and Enteryx®,
a procedure for acid reflux.

With surgical suites equipped with state-of-the-art technology and surgeons skilled in the latest medical techniques, Union Hospital patients are benefiting from breakthrough medical procedures at a facility that is close to home.

At Union Hospital, surgeons perform both traditional and minimally invasive procedures that span a wide range of surgical specialties, including:

• Oral and maxillofacial surgery
• Orthopedics/joint replacement surgery
• Ear, nose and throat
• Neurosurgery
• Gynecological surgery
• General surgery
• Vascular surgery
• Urological surgery
• Podiatry
• Plastic surgery
• Pain management procedures

The Center for Surgery at Union strives to make each patient’s experience pleasant and comfortable. Located within the hospital setting, patients are afforded the full services and expertise of the entire Union Hospital team. Because all stages of the surgical experience, from admitting to recovery to discharge, are situated in one concentrated location, patients are ensured seamless care.

To minimize patient and visitor stress, the Center for Surgery offers a welcoming lobby and reception area; a streamlined registration process; an outpatient testing area with individual patient rooms; and private accommodations before and after surgery. In addition, private elevators link to patient floors, with comfortable waiting areas for
family members and visitors; and a dedicated patient liaison to provide information and updates to family members.

LOOKING FOR RELIEF
Thousands of people live with chronic or acute pain each day. Often the discomfort is so severe that it prevents many individuals from living life to the fullest. Union Hospital’s Pain Management Center is changing that. Located in the hospital’s Center for Surgery, the Pain Management Center integrates state-of-the-art pain therapies, superior medical
expertise and compassionate nursing and technological care, to help patients manage their pain, increase their functioning and improving their quality of life.

With its advanced capabilities and patient-friendly design, The Center for Surgery is a significant advancement for Union County and allows the hospital the community has trusted for decades to raise the already outstanding level of care to the more than 10,000 surgical patients annually.

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