Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/44339
President's Message… On page 3 of this issue of Healthy Directions you'll find an article about a patient who received care through CentraState's LungCare Comprehensive Cancer Program and underwent successful treatment for lung cancer via video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS). This course of action was determined by a committee of cancer specialists whose expertise and knowledge helped set the patient on the road to cancer recovery. This is just one of many positive stories of cancer patients receiving comprehensive and precise care at CentraState. Lung cancer is a particularly difficult form of cancer to treat because it is not as curative in the early stages as some other forms of cancer are. Due to its location in the body, lung cancer has a tendency to spread quickly, leading to a low survival rate. According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), the survival rate for the earliest stage of non-small cell lung cancer is 49 percent and just 31 percent for small cell lung cancer. More people die of lung cancer than of colon, breast, and prostate cancers combined, the ACS states. CentraState strives to be on the leading edge of cancer care, helping to give hope to every cancer patient who comes through our doors. We truly serve the community through our comprehensive services. Local residents don't have to travel hours to a specialized cancer center, as we can diagnose all forms of cancer right here at CentraState. Because we're part of the community, you can receive personalized care and a connection with the physicians and staff, giving you the power of community-based care. CentraState consistently performs active lung cancer clinical trials through an affiliation with the Cancer Institute of New Jersey and provides numerous options for the treatment of lung cancer, whether it's thoracic surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, or even proton therapy, which will be available at our new ProCure Proton Therapy Center in early 2012. For cancer care at CentraState, your best option is having every option. Yours in Good Health, John T. Gribbin, FACHE President and CEO Healthy Directions is produced by CentraState Healthcare System, Freehold, New Jersey. CentraState Healthcare System is a member of the Robert Wood Johnson Health Network and The Cancer Institute of New Jersey. November/December 2011 Editorial Advisors Fred Morelli Chair, Board of Trustees John T. Gribbin, FACHE President and CEO Daniel J. Messina, PhD, FACHE, LNHA Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Jack H. Dworkin, MD, FACC Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer Linda W. Geisler, RN, MNEd, NEA-BC Vice President, Patient Care Services Kim A. Kelly, RN, MS, NEA-BC, FACHE Vice President, Clinical Services Roman N. Lucky, CFRE Vice President, Development Rich Mackesy Vice President, Strategic Planning & Business Development Jay Solomon, MPA, LNHA Vice President, Senior Services Renee Crotts Manager, Public Relations Managing Editors Brian Johnson Angela Williams Writers Maggie Behringer Angelina Cebrián Emily Couch Thomas Crocker Gabrielle Fernandez Photographers Kevin Birch Peter Chollick Ron Wyatt Designer Sherri Thornton Kerri Gass Adam Haskew Hope Shores Colin Stayton Please note that physicians on staff are private practitioners and not employed by CentraState. We hope you enjoy this issue of Healthy Directions. Comments about the publication can be directed to the Public Relations and Marketing Department, CentraState Healthcare System, 901 West Main Street, Freehold, NJ, 07728. (732) 294-7080. Healthy Directions is published by CentraState Healthcare System to provide general health information. It is not intended to provide personal medical advice, which should be obtained directly from a healthcare provider. "Although electroconvulsive therapy [ECT] is a common and proven treatment in modern psychiatry, it continues to wrestle with a negative public image. Known as the gold standard therapy for treatment of severe depression with suicidal tendencies, ECT causes changes in brain chemistry that can immediately reverse symptoms of severe depression and other mental illnesses. The result can help offset symptoms and re-establish an improved quality of life." —Moustafa H. Shafey, MD, board-certified psychiatrist and neurologist Dear Mr. Gribbin, I am writing to explain my wonderful experience and results from having ECT [electroconvulsive therapy] with Moustafa Shafey, MD, board-certified psychiatrist and neurologist and medical director, Department of Psychiatry, CentraState Medical Center. I met with Dr. Shafey several years ago as a new patient. He suggested I give ECT some consideration. I discussed it with my wife and decided to give it a try, as nothing else in the past had really helped. It was very helpful— miraculously relieving my depression symptoms. I wish I had known about this treatment earlier in my life. I have suffered for quite some time. Having ECT has improved my life dramatically. My family is so appreciative of this treatment. My children have their father back. I have not required any additional treatments and am only taking oral medication. Thank you for offering this treatment to people like myself. Todd L. For more information about ECT, call the ECT Department Monday–Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at (732) 294-2884 or visit www.centrastate.com/psychiatry. Moustafa Shafey, MD, board-certifed psychiatrist Community Voices…