Concerns Expressed About Cape Regional Medical Center

To The Editor:
Is Cape Regional Medical Center doomed? That is the question many people are quietly asking given the set of circumstances surrounding the current operations at the former Burdette-Tomlin Memorial Hospital.
Burdette-Tomlin Memorial Hospital began operating in 1950 and served Cape May County as the main hospital for residents and visitors alike. Today, however, some people are suspicious that Cape Regional is on the same path of extinction as Kessler Memorial Hospital in Hammonton. Some physicians, civic leaders and business people see Cape Regional downsizing for a variety of reasons.
Those reasons are a decline in the patient population, specialized physicians leaving the medical staff, medical and support staff being terminated, patients being transferred to other medical facilities in Camden, Atlantic County and Philadelphia, and competition from free standing surgical centers and other off-site medical centers including urgent care centers. Cape May County needs Cape Regional Medical Center and the talented personnel who serve our residents and visitors.
As concerned citizens we must keep in mind that nothing is impossible. If there is any doubt all one has to do is remember that Margaret Mace Hospital in North Wildwood closed in 1950, Mercy Hospital in Sea Isle City closed in 1969 and Kessler Memorial Hospital closed in 2009.
CHARLES M. LEUSNER
Court House
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HOSPITAL RESPONDS:
Cape Regional Medical Center Continues to Grow, Expand
Cape Regional Medical Center continues to grow and expand to meet the healthcare needs of our community as evidenced by the many outstanding new physicians, programs and services added over the past several years. As a leading employer in Cape May County, Cape Regional employs a team of over 1,200 dedicated healthcare professionals.
Despite continued external pressures from the government and competing healthcare providers, we continue to grow and expand and are grateful for the community’s support. Cape Regional Health System continues to see tremendous growth in outpatient services which is the result of the continued shift from inpatient to outpatient services and concerted efforts to reduce re-admissions. This follows a national trend in healthcare.
Over the past three years, Cape Regional Physicians Associates (CRPA) has grown from two physicians in one location to 37 board-certified physicians and providers in 11 locations throughout all of Cape May County. CRPA offers physicians who specialize in Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Neurology, Endocrinology, Cardiology and Surgery.
In September, Dr. Patricia Falivena, a board-certified neurologist, will join CRPA at its Village Drive location. Doctors Anthony Masciarelli, and Renjy Vattasseril, both board-certified in Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology, will be joining CRPA in October along with Dr. Paul O’Donnell, a board-certified vascular surgeon.
Cape Regional Medical Center has the only state-of-the-art Cancer Center in Cape May County. The Varian TrueBeam technology delivers powerful, image-guided radiosurgery treatments for cancer patients with pinpoint accuracy and precision. This is the most advanced treatment in Cape May County. We are treating prostate cancer in five treatments versus the standard 40 treatments and certain lung cancers require only three treatments versus the standard 35.
Cape Regional Urgent Care opened in Court House providing emergency treatment of non-life threatening conditions in a convenient, centrally-located facility. This facility continues to see steady growth each year, often treating 70 to 80 patients a day.
Cape Regional Physical Therapy recently opened at the Cape Regional Medical Commons in Cape May Court House and a second physical therapy location was added at the Cedar Square Shopping Center in Seaville to accommodate the increasing demand for outpatient physical therapy services.
This fall the Cape Regional Diabetes Center will open a second location in Marmora to accommodate the increasing need for diabetes services in the upper part of the county.
Cape Regional Medical Center is committed to providing the highest quality healthcare and continues to grow and expand to serve the healthcare needs of our community. As a result of prudent financial management, Cape Regional continues to meet or exceed “A” level ratings for key financial indicators as compared to external rating agencies such as Moody’s and Fitch. With the community’s ongoing support we will continue to serve the healthcare needs of the residents and visitors of Cape May County both now and well into the future.
JOANNE CARROCINO
Court House
(ED. NOTE: Carrocino is president and CEO of Cape Regional Medical Center)