Community Benefit

SOUTHERN OCEAN COUNTY HOSPITAL
COMMUNITY BENEFIT STATEMENT

Southern Ocean County Hospital (“SOCH”) is a general medical and surgical hospital.  SOCH is recognized by the IRS as an Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization.  Pursuant to its charitable purposes, SOCH provides health care services to all individuals in a non-discriminatory manner regardless of race, color, creed, sex, national origins or ability to pay.  Moreover, SOCH operates consistently with the following criteria outlined in IRS Revenue Ruling 69-545:

• SOCH provides health care services to all individual’s regardless of ability to pay, including charity care, self- pay, Medicare and Medicaid patients;
• SOCH operates an active emergency room for all persons; which is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days per year;
• SOCH maintains an open medical staff, with privileges available to all qualified physicians; and
• Control of SOCH rests with its Board of Trustees; which is comprised of independent civic leaders and other prominent members of the community.

The operations of SOCH, as shown through the factors outlined above and other information contained herein, clearly demonstrate that the use and control of SOCH is for the benefit of the public and that no part of the income or net earnings of the organization inures to the benefit of any private individual nor is any private interest being served other than incidentally.

SOCH is a 124-bed hospital with an additional 20 licensed long-term care beds providing comprehensive inpatient, outpatient and emergency services. The rapid growth of southern Ocean County, New Jersey is mirrored by the Hospital’s burgeoning development of its medical staff, services and facilities. Today’s medical staff consists of a team of over 200 physicians and surgeons, with over 40 specialties – many of whom have trained at the best medical schools our country has to offer.

SOCH’s mission is to improve the quality of life in the community by providing comprehensive wellness and health services. SOCH achieves this Mission as an independent, vibrant and community-focused organization. SOCH is committed to achieving superior performance through the effective use of human, technological and intellectual resources.

CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE

SOCH’s recognized core medical services, centers of excellence, include but are not limited to the following:

1. Cardiology

Cardiopulmonary Services at SOCH feature the most advanced diagnostic technology, board-certified cardiologists and pulmonologists and a long-time relationship with the prestigious Deborah Heart & Lung Center, an Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization located in southern New Jersey. The Cardiology Program at SOCH, brings board certified cardiac specialists, nurses and cardiac technicians together to provide personalized, quality care to residents and visitors of the southern Ocean County, New Jersey region.

Cardiology Services at SOCH feature:

• The most advanced diagnostic technology, including Echocardiography, Stress Echocardiography, Holter Monitoring, Exercise and Thallium Stress Testing, Pulmonary Function Testing, and low risk diagnostic cardiac catheterization.

• A unique relationship with the internationally renowned Deborah Heart & Lung Center gives SOCH patients access to world-class cardiac and pulmonary surgical care and the most advanced treatments.

• Nationally acclaimed emergency cardiac care, featuring the clot-dissolving TPA treatment.

• An effective Cardiac Rehabilitation program that helps patients make a full recovery from heart attacks and other cardiac conditions and return to normal, productive lives close to their homes.

• Comprehensive Wellness Programs from the Family Resource Center focused on preventative care, programs designed to help those living with heart conditions and a solid network of cardiac support groups for patients and their families.

2. Respiratory Care

• Arterial blood gas analysis and Pulse Oximetry as routine diagnostic procedures. Therapeutic modalities include oxygen therapy, administration of inhaled medications, chest physical therapy and deep breathing exercises.

• The state-of-the-art Pulmonary Function Lab contains computerized equipment used to diagnose lung disease. Pulmonary Stress Tests are performed to a patient's pulmonary capacity during exercise.

• The (Sleep Disorder) Lab offers state-of-the-art comprehensive diagnostic evaluation and treatments for a wide variety of sleep disorders, from snoring to sleep apnea, in a comfortable atmosphere that looks and feels more like home than a hospital.

• The Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program, Breathing Made Easier, blends exercise, education and breathing retraining to design individualized programs tailored to each member's needs and includes a multi-faceted team of healthcare professionals working to improve the breathing of those suffering from lung conditions.

• Comprehensive Wellness Programs from The Family Resource Center focus on preventative care and programs designed to help those living with lung conditions.. Cardiopulmonary Services is located on the floor of the main hospital building.

3. Cancer

The Cancer Program at SOCH brings renowned oncology care to southern Ocean County, New Jersey. Through its affiliation with The Cancer Institute of New Jersey; SOCH offers clinical drug trials and research protocols that area patients can take advantage of without traveling outside of the southern Ocean County, New Jersey community.

The Cancer Program at SOCH features state-of-the-art medical and surgical oncology acclaimed radiation therapy services and customized chemotherapy services that blend the most advanced treatments with compassionate care and medical excellence. Oncologists, radiation oncologists and surgeons affiliated with the Hospital are board certified. Chemotherapy at SOCH is guided by oncology and chemotherapy certified nurses. In addition, the Cancer Program at SOCH utilizes a multifaceted team approach to patient care as well as solid network of cancer survivor support groups, health screenings and community education programs.

The Cancer Program at SOCH is accredited by the American College of Surgeons’ Commission on Cancer. Less than 25% of hospitals that offer cancer care have achieved this prestigious honor.

4. Diabetes Self-Management Program

The Diabetes Self-Management Program at SOCH is committed to improving the quality of life of those with diabetes in southern Ocean County, New Jersey by preventing serious complications caused by the disease. The focus of diabetes education at SOCH is on both the patient and their family and centers around the cornerstones of diabetes self-management:

• Blood sugar monitoring
• Individual diabetes counseling
• Nutritional counseling
• Education workshops and lectures
• Diabetes support group
• Safe Syringe Disposal Program
• Diabetes Foot Screenings     
• Exercise Programs
• Medication

In addition to education and self-management, the program offers fitness classes, as well as supplies and other resources that assist with the self-management of diabetes. Screenings and support groups are also provided. The goal of the program is to provide individuals with diabetes in southern Ocean County, New Jersey and their families the tools to take control of diabetes and safely manage the disease. This program is recognized by the American Diabetes Association.

5. Southern Ocean County Dialysis Clinic

 The Southern Ocean County Dialysis Clinic offers full dialysis services to the residents and visitors of southern Ocean County, New Jersey in a convenient, state-of-the-art facility that features 12 chronic renal dialysis stations.

The Southern Ocean Dialysis Center provides specialized nephrology services to patients with kidney diseases, including patients suffering from chronic kidney failure, also know as end-stage renal disease (ESRD). The Center is dedicated to improve the quality of life and to optimally care for those patients with chronic renal disease and is committed to the philosophy that optimal care is attained through state-of-the-art technology, patient and family education and continual quality improvement.

6. Endoscopy Services

The region’s most skilled physicians have been performing endoscopic procedures at SOCH for more than 25 years. Today, the Hospital is equipped with the latest technology to assist physicians in performing thousands of diagnostic and treatment procedures every year. SOCH is home to one of the region’s most advanced endoscopy suites, which features a dedicated reception area, an eight-bed pre/post procedure area as well as three dedicated procedure rooms.

7. Emergency Department

The Emergency Department at SOCH offers full service emergency medical care to the community 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and receives more than 35,000 visits each year.

The Emergency Department is equipped to handle trauma, cardiac emergencies, stroke, crisis intervention and orthopedic emergencies with a dedicated trauma room, cardiac treatment room, orthopedic treatment room and pediatric treatment room for children.

The Emergency Department is staffed with highly qualified physicians that specialize in emergency care and dedicated emergency nurses certified in advanced cardiac and pediatric life support, trauma care and emergency medicine.

The Emergency Department has also played a key role in helping the Hospital perform better than the national average in its door-to-drug time for the administration of thrombolytic medications - clot-dissolving drugs given to heart attack patients.

8. Pediatrics

The Pediatrics Program at SOCH offers the latest diagnostic technology and medical procedures for kids and delivers warm, personalized, cheerful care to SOCH’s pediatric patients and their families.

Many new parents experience the Pediatric Program at SOCH when their child is delivered in the Hospital's Maternity Pavilion. Once a child is born in the Maternity Pavilion, pediatric care begins with a thorough examination of the newborn by a board-certified hospital pediatrician to ensure there are no immediate health problems. Part of this careful examination includes advanced newborn screening for more than 26 rare birth defects that, if detected and treated early, can prevent serious health problems in children and potentially save lives. SOCH is the first hospital in New Jersey to perform the advanced screenings on all babies born in the Maternity Pavilion, as well as the screenings mandated by the NJ Department of Health. New and expectant parents and their little ones also benefit from a team of board-certified pediatric specialists, including neonatologists, pediatric cardiologists and pediatric endocrinologists on staff at the Hospital. In addition, maternity nurses provide help counseling new parents with information on breast feeding and performing basic newborn care.

Pediatric Emergency

The Emergency Department regularly handles hundreds of pediatric emergencies every month and features a specialized pediatric treatment room that helps reduce the trauma children may feel during a visit to the emergency room. The physicians and nurses working in the Emergency Department are specially trained for pediatric medical emergencies and help calm children while providing compassionate, state-of-the-art care. In addition, SOCH’s pediatricians respond to pediatric emergencies that arrive in the Emergency Department.

9. SOCH Rehabilitation Network

The goal of SOCH's Physical Therapy & Sports Rehabilitation Network is to help patients return to a normal level of activity as soon as possible.

The fully licensed staff - comprised of specialty-trained physical therapists, Occupational Therapists, Certified Hand Therapists, exercise physiologists and certified strength and conditioning specialists - emphasize a hands-on approach to patient care, providing individualized attention to every patient.

10. Speech & Hearing

The Speech & Hearing Center at SOCH offers the southern Ocean County, New Jersey community a full service, state-of-the-art resource to treat those suffering from speech or hearing disorders at one convenient location.

From young children to older adults, the focus at The Speech & Hearing Center is on determining the cause of particular speech and hearing disorders and providing the best treatment available to effectively improve communication. The Speech & Hearing Center specializes in diagnosing and treating several specific disorders, such as tinnitus and vertigo.

The Speech & Hearing Center utilizes the most advanced diagnostic tools to evaluate and diagnose a wide range of speech and hearing disorders. The Center is equipped to treat children and older adults in a specially designed hearing lab that can focus on inner ear problems which may require special care. In addition, the Center is equipped to administer electrostagmography tests, more commonly known as ENG tests, which are used to examine the inner ear’s function and balance mechanism.

11. Wound Care

SOCH’s Center for Wound Care & Hyperbaric Medicine is a state-of-the-art, comprehensive wound care service that offers the most modern treatment for difficult, chronic wounds.

The Wound Care program takes a multi-disciplinary approach to wound care that offers patients extensive treatment from a professional team of physicians, surgeons, podiatrists, nurses, physical therapists, nutritional counselors and social services.

Wound care at SOCH facilitates treatment by utilizing the most advanced modalities and bringing a team of medical professionals to the patient.  Hyperbaric medicine was recently  added as a complement to the spectrum of care offered through the Center for Wound Care.

12. SOCH’s Transitional Care Unit

The Transitional Care Unit bridges the gap between the hospital’s acute care setting and the patient’s home allowing for a smooth transition. The Transitional Care Unit provides care in a positive, non-hospital environment.

The Transitional Care Unit is a 20-bed skilled nursing unit, located on the second floor of the James J. Mancini Pavilion. It is designed to meet the needs of people requiring short term, skilled nursing care or less intensive rehabilitation care.

The goal of the Transitional Care Unit is to assist the patients toward full recovery from his/her acute episode by providing the nursing and rehabilitative care necessary to help them regain a certain level of independence and return home with confidence.

A team of nurses, physical, occupational, and respiratory therapists, dietitians, aides, social workers and activities staff work with the resident and family members to develop and manage each resident’s care plan. This system of careful consultation and monitoring assures each resident of receiving the most appropriate, highest quality of care available.

Services are all geared toward one objective – restoring physical and emotional strength so patients can return to an independent lifestyle. In addition to skilled nursing care, the Transitional Care Unit offers physical, occupational and speech therapy as well as therapeutic recreation. Residents are encouraged to move about the facilities and participate in a range of activities.

13. The Maternity Pavilion: A Family-Friendly Environment

The family-centered, home-like atmosphere of SOCH’s private birthing suite, where expectant mothers will labor, deliver and recover, will promote relaxation and help to make the entire experience as comfortable as possible.

SOCH encourages the father or support person to take an active role in the birthing experience, and they are also welcome to spend the night on a comfortable reclining sleeper. After delivery, mothers will remain in your birthing suite with loved ones and baby, and siblings are invited to join with the family in bonding with your bundle of joy!

During the patient's time on the Maternity Pavilion, babies can room in with the mothers, or mothers may choose to have the baby spend some of the time in the specially equipped nursery, allowing quiet time to rest and recover.

SOCH offers a wide variety of parenting and childbirth education classes designed to help new parents with pregnancy, labor, delivery and childcare. In addition, expectant and new parents can take advantage of an extensive lending library that offers a comprehensive selection of books and videos on pregnancy, childbirth and parenting, as well as free internet access. The library is located in The Family Resource Center at the Ocean Club on route 9 in Stafford Township, New Jersey.

14. Southern Ocean Hospice

The first hospice program dedicated to serving the residents of Southern Ocean County, New Jersey, Southern Ocean Hospice offers specialized care for those who are terminally ill and their families. Southern Ocean Hospice treats the patient and family's physical, emotional and spiritual needs and focuses on making patients as comfortable as possible so they can make the most of the time that remains to them.

The multi-disciplinary hospice service will use a team approach and include:

• Nursing Care, Home Health Aides and Homemakers

• Durable Medical Goods and Medical Supplies

• Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy and Speech Therapy

• Medication and Medication Management

• Pain Management

• Social Services and Nutritional Counseling

• Spiritual Counseling (pastoral) and Bereavement Services

Typically, hospice care takes place at home or in a home-like setting and can also take place in a nursing home or a hospital. In most cases, a physician refers a patient to a hospice program when there is a prognosis of less than six months or when the focus of care has shifted from cure to comfort.

SOCH COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES AND PROGRAMS

The SOCH Family Resource Center is the hub of community education and wellness activity.  The Family Resource Center typically provides education and support services to over 40,000 individuals a year.  The focus is on a wide variety of community wellness programs, educational lectures, CPR courses, family and women's programming, nutritional counseling, support groups, health screenings, speakers bureau, as well ad associations with local schools.  Residents also enjoy free access to a variety of research tools, including a lending library and the internet. SOCH Family Resource Center programs include, but are not limited to, the following:

Programs for Adults 50 and Older:
At SOCH, we pay special attention to the senior members of our community.  Realizing they may have special needs when it comes to staying healthy, we’ve designed specific wellness programs just for adults 50 and over.  These Include:

ElderMed
A free membership program featuring over 14,000 members who represent the area’s thriving older adult population.  ElderMed members benefit from:

• Discount prescription cards
• Educational seminars and lectures on a wide range of health topics
• Health screenings
• Fitness programs
• Travel and social opportunities
• Activities such as painting, genealogy, boating, fishing and jewelry making

Fitness Programs
These include traditional exercise classes, arm-chair exercises and water exercises. Programs are geared for those with full mobility, as well as those with osteoporosis, arthritis or balance problems

Computer Classes           
The Senior-Net Computer Learning Center offers classes in basic word processing, graphic arts, surfing the net, and using e-mail.

Lifeline Homebound Communications Program
Provides peace of mind for those with an elderly family member living alone.  One press of a lightweight, waterproof button assures that help is there when needed. 

Parenting and Childbirth Education Programs

Bringing a new baby into the world is a wonderful, joyous time for new parents.  SOCH provides a host a support and education programs designed to help new parents and siblings welcome and care for their new addition.  Programs include:

• Comprehensive, 6-week Childbirth Education Class
• Preparing for Pregnancy education program
• Breast feeding class
• Tender Touch Infant Massage
• Becoming a Big Sister or Big Brother program for siblings
• Prenatal exercise classes
• Baby & Me exercise classes

Programs for Healthy Living

SOCH physicians and healthcare professionals are featured at a variety of health and wellness lectures and educations programs throughout the year.  Topics include:

• Alzheimer’s Disease
• Arthritis
• Breast cancer
• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Colorectal cancer
• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
• Diabetes
• Eye diseases
• Flu prevention
• Hearing loss
• Heart Disease
• Incontinence
• Knee and Hip Replacement Surgery
• Living Wills
• Oral cancer
• Osteoporosis
• Pediatric Wellness and Safety
• Sleep Apnea
• Skin cancer
• Smoking Cessation
• Sports Injuries
• Stress management
• Surgical procedures
• Thyroid disease
• Weight Loss
• Vascular disease

Nutrition Programs

Outpatient nutritional counseling is available for anyone needing nutritional guidance for weight loss, disease management or other nutritional needs.  Seminars on nutrition are offered throughout the year and include:

• Fats and Your Health
• Vitamins, Herbs & Medications, They Don’t Always Mix
• Healthy Meals Cooking Classes
• Low Fat Cooking Classes
• Vegetarian Cooking Classes

Community Outreach

Health Fairs
SOCH hosts and participates in a number of health fairs throughout the year, to provide health screenings and information to our residents.  These fairs also give participants a chance to ask questions of our physicians and other healthcare professionals.  Free health fairs at SOCH include:

• Women’s Health Night: Held annually in October
• Men’s Health Night: Held annually in March

Both events feature physician lectures, health screenings and dozens of interactive educational displays staffed by SOCH physicians and healthcare professionals.

• Diabetes Health Fair: Held annually in November, this fair includes blood sugar, blood pressure and foot screenings, information on diabetes products and the chance to speak with physicians, nurse diabetes educators, dieticians and fitness instructors.
• April Baby Showers: Held annually in April, the fair provides new and expectant mothers, and those who are thinking of having a baby, with everything they need to know about parenting and childbirth education.  SOCH OB/GYNs are on hand, and participants receive free tours of the Maternity Unit.

Health Screenings
 Health screenings can detect disease in its earliest stage, when there is the best chance for successful treatment.  SOCH provides screenings several times a year at various locations in the community.  These include:

• Blood pressure
• Blood sugar
• Body fat analysis
• Bone density
• Cholesterol screenings
• Colorectal cancer screenings
• Foot screenings
• Hearing Screenings
• Pap smears
• Prostate Cancer Screenings

Speaker’s Bureau:            
The Speaker’s Bureau is a free service provided by SOCH to help members of our community keep pace with today’s healthcare trends.  The Speaker’s Bureau is comprised of SOCH physicians, nurses and other healthcare professionals. 

           
CPR and First Aid Programs
CPR and first aid programs are offered several times a year.  Classes include:

• CPR for Family and Friends
• Pet CPR
• Heart Saver CPR
• CPR for Babysitters
• CPR for Grandparents
• First Aid Course
• CPR for the Healthcare Provider
• CPR Instructor’s Course

Support Groups
Support groups provide a safe, comfortable environment for people to share common concerns.  Support groups offered through SOCH include

• Alcoholics Anonymous
• Alzheimer’s Support Group
• Autism Support Group
• Breast Cancer Support Group
• Cancer Support Group
• Caregivers Support Programs
• Depression and Bi-Polar Support Group
• Diabetes Support Group
• Hawkin’s Hawkeyes Support Group (Low Vision)
• Journey Through Grief
• Life Beyond Loss
• Ostomy Support Group
• Overeaters Anonymous
• Post-Partum Depression Support Group

SOCHConnect
SOCHConnect is the one-stop contact for Southern Ocean County Hospital services. SOCH schedulers are available to help people make appointments for outpatient services, register for wellness programs and even provide a physician referral.