After four years of planning and working with local and state officials, Mountainside Hospital began construction of a new Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) section earlier this year. This exciting new service consists of two innovative chambers for the treatment of serious, persistent wounds. Once installed and fully functional, the chambers will significantly enhance our ability to treat patients with chronic non-healing wounds. The hyperbaric process takes patients the equivalent of 33 feet below sea level via a wide, non-claustrophobic, clear acrylic tube with 100% oxygen piped in under pressure to accelerate healing.

Chronic wounds are an escalating health concern for diabetics, patients undergoing radiation therapy and people with certain skin diseases, peripheral vascular disease and other conditions. These chambers will offer our patients the most cutting-edge treatment to promote healing, relieve their pain and inconvenience and reduce the risk of wound-related complications.

 

Dr. Jerome You to Lead New Hyperbaric Medicine Program

 

Mountainside Hospital invites you to take a tour of the hospital's birthing center and to learn more about their  comprehensive childbirth services:

 

 

 Presentations and tours will be offered from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on:

        -    April 13                                     -    September 14

        -    May 11                                       -    October 12

        -    June 8                                        -    November 9
        -    July 13                                       -    December 14

        -    August 10

 

To register, please visit www.mountainsidenow.com

or call 1-888-973-4MSH.

In recognition of American Diabetes Alert Day, Mountainside Hospital offered free glucose screenings and educational materials to all participants of the hospital's March 23 event.  The day's events were aimed at calling attention to the serious disease affecting nearly 24 million children and adults in the United States, including an estimated 700,000 adults in New Jersey.  Nearly half of the participants at Mountainside's Diabetes Alert Day event learned that their blood sugar levels were abnormal.

 

According to state health officials, the incidence of diabetes in New Jersey has increased by an astounding 64% in the past decade.  If current trends continue, one in three children born today will face a future with diabetes.  
 
Common symptoms of diabetes include intense thirst, increased fatigue, excessive hunger, frequent urination, abnormal weight loss or weight gain, and blurred vision.  In addition to smoking and lack of exercise, certain health problems that can lead to diabetes include high blood pressure, high cholesterol and obesity.  
 
Diabetes prevention, treatment, and self management
education at the Mountainside Hospital Diabetes Center
 
The Mountainside Hospital Diabetes Center is recognized by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) for Quality Self-Management Education and offers comprehensive care including support groups for patients, parents, caregivers and other family members; training in self-monitoring of blood glucose; medication management and nutrition counseling.  Led by Barbara A. Koegel, M.S.N, R.N., C.D.E., and Deanna E. Lawatsch, M.A., R.D., C.D.E., The Mountainside Hospital Diabetes Center helps patients address the physical, emotional and lifestyle concerns associated with a diagnosis of diabetes. 

 

Obesity and diabetes

 

Almost 90 percent of people newly diagnosed with diabetes are overweight or obese, according to the American Diabetes Association.  An obese person has double the risk of developing diabetes, and a severely obese person has ten times the risk.  In severe cases of obesity, usually when the patient is 80 to 100 or more pounds overweight, bariatric surgery may be used to alter or reconstruct the stomach and/or intestinal tract in order to cause significant weight loss.

 

Bariatric surgery is currently considered to be the most effective long-term treatment for obesity and often leads to marked improvements in diabetes.  According to estimates, less than 5% of individuals who participate in non-surgical weight loss programs will lose a significant amount of weight and maintain that loss for a long period of time. Sustained weight loss for patients who are morbidly obese is even harder to achieve. Worse, people who subject their bodies to a severe and continuing cycle of weight loss and gain known as "yo-yo dieting," are subject to serious health risks.

 

Led by acclaimed weight loss surgeon Dr. Karl Strom, the Mountainside Center for Advanced Bariatric Surgery is a recognized Center of Excellence.  Highly experienced in successful weight loss strategies and surgery, Mountainside offers a range of less-invasive laparoscopic procedures, including gastric bypass and gastric banding.  

 

 

A basketball game on Saturday morning seemed like a great idea to get some much-needed exercise and work off stress.  But on Sunday morning you couldn't get out of bed.  Pain has taken over your body.
 
If this sounds familiar, you may be a weekend warrior- someone too busy working during the week to make time for exercise.  But overexerting yourself on the weekend to compensate for lack of weekly exercise can cause injury and pain-enough to sideline you from everyday activities.
 
But it doesn't have to be this way.  Your can prepare your body to make your weekend sporting events an enjoyable part of your life instead of one big pain.
 
Battle Scars
 
Most injuries occur when you're out of shape or when you overexert yourself.  Typical injuries include torn rotator cuffs (shoulders), backaches, tennis elbow, knee pain, stress fractures, sprained ankles, pulled hamstrings, head injuries and dislocated joints.  Lack of conditioning and overexertion can also cause dehydration and even heart attacks.
 
A Plan for all Sports
 
Sports Medicine professionals suggest you try the following tips before you tackle your activity:
 

• Follow a balanced fitness program year-round
• Always warm up, stretch, cool down and stretch again
• Invest in good equipment
• Increase your activity level by only 10 percent a week
• Listen to your body
• Don't forget water and sunscreen

 
Each sport puts stress on different parts of the body.  Hiring a trainer for one session to teach you the correct conditioning exercises specific to your sport may be money well spent.
 
The Sports Medicine Practice at Mountainside Hospital:
 

• Provides non-operative treatment of all sports and orthopedic related injuries and complaints
• Is conveniently located in Mountainside Hospital's Harries Ambulatory Care Pavilion
• Serves pediatric, adolescent and all adult age groups
• Treats acute injuries or long term complaints related to sports, physical activity, or aging in addition to other medical issues relating to sports such as diabetes or asthma
• Offers access to Physical Therapy and Radiology onsite
• Pre-participation physical exams are available
• Accepts most major local insurances

 
For an appointment, please call 973-746-7050
 

 

Jeffrey Rosenberg M.D. is a sports medicine fellowship trained family physician providing orthopedic and medical care in the community for the past five years.  He is also Director of Mountainside Hospital's Sports Medicine Fellowship Training Program and Team Physician for Glen Ridge High School and West Essex High School.