Overlook Hospital

LOOK AHEAD TO THE NEXT CENTURY OF CARING

As Overlook Hospital continues the celebration of its Centennial, a new building program is underway. The hospital is in the process of constructing a new outpatient
Neuroscience Center and Oncology Center. These new areas will provide the needed space for the clinical expansion of these programs in each center to meet the growing needs of our community.

The completion of the space will result in more comprehensive services being provided. The Neuroscience Center will be home to the new memory disorders program, stroke, epilepsy, neuromuscular, motor disorder, and Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Program (MTBI). Oncology will expand its NJ Brain Tumor Program, Gynecological and Thoracic Oncology Program, and new Cancer Research Center.

In addition to the expansion of the clinical space, the building project will also create a new lobby. This new lobby will also include a two-story glass atrium allowing a view from the inside with covered drop-off and pick-up area for patients and their families. A valet station at the new entrance will also be created to better serve our patients.

Inside the new lobby will be a new gift shop (run by the hospital’s Women’s Auxiliary), a new coffee kiosk, and a new indoor/outdoor restaurant. All the amenities are designed to improve the patients’ experience. Completion of this building will produce a universally modern architectural design.

The final improvement that will be made is the improvement of traffic flow. The new construction will allow for the creation of new traffic patterns that will include the widening of the road to create space for cars to pull up under the overhang to drop off patients (without blocking traffic) while other cars pass. In addition, a traffic circle will be created to help cars safely navigate. Within these new traffic patterns, pedestrian crosswalks will also be constructed. This will enable patients to cross the road and enter the Centennial Life Garden.

A second Medical Arts building is also under construction. This building will house a number of new programs, ranging from women’s health services to private physician’s office space.

With all these exciting new developments, there will also be some challenges and inconveniences during the construction period. The following are changes that will take place during that time:

• A new temporary main entrance has been created to the far right of the current main entrance. This will bring patients into the building through the hallway by the conference rooms. Cars will not be allowed to stop outside this entrance.
• A new drop-off and pick-up zone has been created in the Emergency Department parking lot. This new area has clearly been posted with signage.
• A valet station has also been moved to this new drop-off/pick-up area. Rates will be the same as self-park rates. A waiting room within the Emergency Department is available for patients and their families.
• Chemotherapy, Endoscopy, and Reeves Same Day Surgery patients will use the “F” lot off Morris Avenue and entrance through the door next to the Library, Auditorium and MAC machine.
• New parking assignments will be made throughout 2006 to accommodate new traffic patterns.

While we will encounter some inconveniences due to the changes, Overlook’s new buildings will greatly improve the care environment and services we offer our patients. These Neuro/Oncology/Lobby and MAC II projects are scheduled for completion October and November respectively.

Community Projects Commemorate 100th Anniversary

There will be a number of events and ongoing projects to celebrate Overlook Hospital’s Centennial. “We’re really excited about the way everything we’re doing has been received by the community,” says Richard Lillo, director of operations at Overlook Hospital and co-chair of the Centennial Committee . “The traveling museum has turned out to be a spectacular project for the schools,” Lillo says.

The success of the year-long project, Lillo says, hinges upon community involvement, he says. “We’ve paired community leaders and hospital leaders to head up each of the projects and it has fostered a nice relationship,” he notes.

The following are highlights of some of the planned celebrations and projects:

THE TRAVELING MUSEUM
Bringing the story of Overlook’s century of caring to the community is one of the many ambitious projects being undertaken by the Centennial Committee. To convey the rich history of Overlook Hospital, the Traveling Museum Committee has assembled two exhibits. One version of the Traveling Museum, which is geared toward elementary school students, tells the story of Overlook Hospital through old and new photographs and key words on a large tri-fold display board.

This exhibit has already visited Brayton Elementary School in Summit and will be on display at various elementary schools in Summit through April. It will then move on to surrounding communities, including Millburn/Short Hills, Chatham, New Providence, Westfield and Berkeley Heights. The exhibit will spend two weeks in each school in Summit and a week at other area schools.

In addition, there will be a version of the Traveling Museum that will make the rounds at local libraries, with the first stop being Summit Library in March. This exhibit includes actual artifacts, including old doctors’ kits, a nurse’s cape and cap as well as original documents, letters and photographs. Visits to other local libraries are also in the planning stages.

“We’ve gotten very positive feedback so far,” says Lorie McDonald, director of special events for the Overlook Hospital Foundation and co-chair of the Traveling Museum
Committee. The other committee co-chair is Summit resident Christine Cartisser-Shung.

According to McDonald, nearly 400 students at Brayton were able to visit the exhibit, which was in the school library.

In addition to the display board, there is also a giant storybook as part of the exhibit. The storybook explains how Overlook hospital was founded. The students are also given handouts, including word searches and coloring pages, as well as band-aids and pencils to take home. In addition, students have their hand stamped with the Overlook symbol.

The schools participating in the program are also given a 20-minute DVD, which contains interviews reflecting on the hospital’s history.

“The students really enjoyed the interactive nature of the program,” McDonald says.

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