Cherry Hill Sun

Tag: Virtua Health

  • ‘The Blue Envelope program is another tool’

    Albert J. Countryman Jr./The Sun
    A young man on the spectrum, John, describes how great it feels to have a license to drive and have independence during the launch of the Blue Envelope Program for drivers with autism.

    Looking in the rearview mirror and seeing a police car’s lights flashing is stressful, both for a motorist and a police officer who doesn’t know what to expect in an encounter.

    “Multiply that feeling by 1,000 for people with autism and neuro-divergent issues,” said Cooper University Health Care Chief Medical Officer Dr. Joseph Montella during the launch of the Camden County Prosecutor’s Blue Envelope Program on April 1.

    “Today is the first day of Autism Awareness Month,” noted Gregory Pease, a Camden police officer for 25 years and now the assistant vice president of security and outpatient services for Virtua Health.

    “I know how nervous that situation can be,” he explained, referring to interactions with drivers and police officers. “The blue envelope can head off a bad outcome from the car stop and make it a safe outcome.”

    The envelope lets an officer know that a driver “may exhibit signs of anxiety due to bright lights and noises, including your radio. The individual may display repetitive body movements or fidgeting and may not make or maintain eye contact.”

    The program advises a driver on the spectrum to tell an officer they have a blue envelope before moving their body or reaching for items in vehicles or pockets. The envelopes contain health information about the driver and emergency contact information.

    “All the documents are in one place,” said county Prosecutor Grace MacCauley, who sponsored the program’s launch. “It keeps the person away from stressful and negative encounters with law enforcement. This simple, effective approach for alerting officers that drivers have special needs during traffic stops is a victory for common sense and public safety.”

    Officers may also learn more about a driver’s disability and other vital information if that person is registered with the Public Safety Alliance for Individuals with Disabilities (A.I.D.) Program, a national, voluntary service open to all that aims to ensure residents with disabilities or special needs get help and support in an emergency or during interaction with law enforcement, fire or EMS personnel, MacCauley added.

    The Blue Envelope Program is also sponsored by the Camden County Police Chiefs Association, Cooper University Health Care and Virtua Health.

    Gloucester Township Police Chief David Harkins, who also serves as president of the association, is the father of a special needs 24-year-old.

    “The Blue Envelope Program is another tool we have to help an officer immediately recognize those who (are on the) autism spectrum,” he pointed out. “This will lead to safer and more effective encounters for those on the neuro-divergent spectrum and for our officers.

    “Better communication leads to better outcomes.”

    Camden County Commissioner Director Louis Cappelli Jr. thanked Cooper, Virtua, the police chief group and the prosecutor for creating and sponsoring the program.

    “This is another great example of the community and law enforcement coming together to fill a need with the special needs population,” he observed. “Giving the public and officers the tools to process the dynamics on scene when they are facilitating a car stop is exactly the kind of analysis both parties need to ensure the safety of the driver and the officer.”

    Also in attendance at the program launch were Bill and Gloria Jensen, founders of Luke’s Place in Audubon. Their nonprofit has served hundreds of neuro-diverse young adults in South Jersey since 2017.

    “We are on the front lines of compassion,” Bill remarked. “Our sole purpose is to service these young people. They want to have friends, a safe environment and they want to be loved.”

    He then acknowledged that his wife and some of the young men and women of Luke’s Place were wearing medals recently won in a sports competition. Next at the podium were John and Alex, two young adults from the nonprofit who worked hard to get their driver’s licenses.

    “I’m a good driver,” said Alex, who has been working at Amazon for four years. “I passed the permit test and then I passed the road test.”

    “When I first got my driver’s license, I was nervous about all the rules and regulations,” John recalled. “I’m able to go to my friend’s house and I am going to work on time. I can stay calm while driving.”

    “Being able to drive opens a new world to them,” said the mother of an autistic child. “It makes them independent.”

    A second mom thanked the prosecutor’s office and the partners in the Blue Envelope Program for reducing a parent’s stress in case something happens while their child is driving.

    MacCauley concluded the launch by saying the program is the first in South Jersey, and that five counties in North Jersey have already instituted it. Blue envelopes will be available at all partnership agencies, local police stations, medical offices, hospitals and on the prosecutor’s office website at www.camdencountypros.org.

  • ‘It takes a conscious effort’

    Attention to heart health is the goal of the annual American Heart Awareness Month in February, with its focus on raising awareness and promoting healthy lifestyles.

    One in five deaths each year is the result of heart disease, according to “2025 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics: A Report of U.S. and Global Data from the American Heart Association,” an article published in Circulation, the association’s scientific journal. The problem is anticipated to worsen in the next 25 years.

    Heart disease, noted Dr. Brett A. Sealove, chief of cardiology at Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center, is the number one killer in the western world.

    “American Heart Awareness Month is a time to promote prevention, screening and awareness to empower patients,” he said. “Heart disease is, however, 70 to 80% preventable with changes to overall physical and mental health.”

    The heart association report, written in conjunction with the National Institutes of Health, also states that the surge of cardiovascular risk factors such as uncontrolled high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity could lead to heart disease and stroke affecting at least 60% of U.S. adults this year. 

    Heart disease is “the consequence of many things, not one thing,” explained Jefferson Health cardiologist Dr. Mark Zucker.

    To combat it, Americans should adopt a heart-healthy lifestyle by eating nutritious foods and maintaining a healthy weight, among other suggestions from Dr. Howard Weinberg, a Virtua Health cardiologist.

    “Managing stress; controlling blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes; and attending regular medical checkups are essential for prevention,” he urged.

    Both men and women are at risk for heart disease, disproving the “stigma that heart disease is an old man’s disease,” according to Sealove, who added that women, in fact, are at greater risk than men.

    “The literature is abundant that women come in with less classic symptoms,” he pointed out, “but their risk for heart attack is greater … Women are a challenge because they need to realize that heart disease is the number one killer of them.”

    Weinberg maintained that a sedentary lifestyle and lack of physical activity contribute greatly to the development of conditions associated with heart disease.

    “It is essential for individuals to remain active and be mindful of their diet, as the food we consume directly impacts our overall health,” he stated. “Moreover, consistent and intentional exercise plays a crucial role in promoting both physical and mental well-being.”

    Acknowledging that human behaviors are hard to change, Sealove emphasized that he looks at each patient and asks how they can be healthier by setting realistic expectations with “baby steps.”

    The Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, offer the following “baby steps”: 

    • Eat a heart-healthy diet.
    • Get active. 
    • Stay at a healthy weight. 
    • Quit smoking and stay away from second-hand smoke. 
    • Control cholesterol, blood glucose (sugar) and blood pressure. 
    • Drink alcohol only in moderation. 
    • Manage stress. 
    • Get enough sleep.

    “It takes a conscious effort to be healthy,” Sealove said, emphasizing that there is no easy way out.

    “There is no better time than now, American Heart Awareness Month, to make that conscious effort for improved heart health,” Zucker offered. “This special month spotlighting heart health is an opportunity to ‘educate the public, so they don’t show up late.’”

  • New Jersey Attorney General: Virtua Health’s drug policy discriminates pregnant patients

    The New Jersey Attorney General’s Office has filed a complaint against Virtual Health Inc. and the network of hospitals it runs in Voorhees, Mount Holly, and Camden alleging discrimination against patients based on pregnancy and sex, according to Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and the Division on Civil Rights (DCR).

    The complaint filed in Camden County Superior Court against Virtua Health, Inc., Virtua-West Jersey Health System, Inc., Virtua-Memorial Hospital Burlington County, Inc. and Virtua Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Inc. on Sept. 26 alleges that Virtua has had a policy since 2018 of universal drug testing for all pregnant patients arriving at its hospitals for inpatient admission to its Labor and Delivery or High-Risk Obstetrics Units. As the complaint explains, Virtua has no comparable policy for non-pregnant patients being admitted to its hospitals for inpatient care, and Virtua does not subject any other category or class of patients to universal drug testing upon inpatient admission to its hospitals, according to a press release through the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office.

    The complaint against Virtual Health Inc. arose out of verified complaints filed with DCR by several pregnant women who gave birth at Virtua Voorhees Hospital.

    The complaint alleges that Virtua’s differential treatment of pregnant patients violates the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (LAD) and that its mandatory drug testing policy causes significant harm to pregnant patients. As the complaint notes, accepted standards of medical care recommend against universal drug testing of pregnant patients, in part because of the high rate of false positive drug test results. And when Virtua’s mandatory testing results in a positive drug test for any pregnant patient, even when the positive test occurs only because the patient ate a poppy seed bagel, Virtua automatically reports them to the Division of Child Protection and Permanency (DCP&P) for possible child abuse or neglect.

    As a result of Virtua’s universal drug testing policy, Virtua’s hospitals in Voorhees, Mount Holly, and Camden account for a disproportionately high share of statewide reports to DCP&P for possible child abuse, according to the complaint. There are 46 hospitals in New Jersey that reported making referrals to DCP&P concerning substance-affected newborns. According to DCP&P data, however, the three Virtua hospitals in Voorhees, Mount Holly, and Camden collectively accounted for nearly one quarter of all such referrals to DCP&P statewide in 2021, 2022, and 2023.

    For example, the complaint alleges that in 2022, these three Virtua hospitals collectively accounted for 24.2% of the reports DCP&P received of substance-affected newborns from hospitals statewide, even though New Jersey Department of Health data shows that these three hospitals accounted for only 9.4% of all hospitalizations for deliveries statewide.

    In addition to Virtua’s mandatory drug testing policy, the complaint alleges that Virtua’s staff regularly fail to obtain informed consent from pregnant patients prior to administering a drug test. While Virtua’s drug testing policy mandates that hospital staff obtain informed consent from all pregnant patients prior to mandatory drug testing, in practice Virtua’s staff regularly deviate from that policy. DCR’s investigation revealed that multiple pregnant patients were subjected to Virtua’s mandatory drug testing without providing informed consent.

    As alleged, Virtua’s practice of failing to obtain informed consent violates the LAD because Virtua does not maintain similar practices for non-pregnant patients. The complaint also seeks relief against Virtua under the New Jersey Civil Rights Act, alleging that Virtua’s conduct violates pregnant patients’ fundamental right to privacy and state law regarding informed consent.

    “In parts of our country, the rights of pregnant individuals are being eroded,” Platkin said. “This action illustrates our commitment ensuring that doesn’t happen in New Jersey.

    “Whether it means preserving the right to reproductive freedom or ensuring that a pregnant person doesn’t undergo tests or procedures without their knowledge and consent, we will defend our residents’ rights.”

    The state seeks, among other things, an injunction to stop Virtua from requiring universal drug testing for pregnant patients, as well as civil penalties against the hospital system. The state also seeks compensatory damages to all aggrieved parties, including named and unnamed victims, for humiliation, emotional distress, and mental pain and anguish caused by Virtua’s discriminatory conduct.

    On Virtua Health’s website, it states that it “complies with the New Jersey LAD” and it “does not discriminate, exclude people, or treat them differently on the basis of …. pregnancy or breastfeeding, sex … .”

    Daniel Moise, spokesperson for Virtua Health Inc., released a statement following the complaint.

    “We hold the safety and well-being of each patient paramount, especially our newborns. We have a relentless commitment to evidence-based, equitable care for every family, additionally meeting the highest standards of regulatory compliance. While it’s our policy to respectfully withhold comment on ongoing legal matters, we are steadfast in continuing to create safe, exceptional maternity experiences for thousands of South Jersey families each year.”