The Perfect Gift for Giving Tuesday 2017

The world outside our walls is just as important to patient well-being as our facility itself.

If you could go anywhere on a community outing of your choice, where would you go?

For our patients, the answers are as individual as they are.

For Chris, whose passions include baseball and meeting new people, he would accept more shifts at his job as a vendor at TDBank Ballpark, home of the Somerset Patriots.

For Jessica, who enjoys shopping, she would engage in a bit of retail therapy at the Bridgewater Mall.

For Melvin, a foodie, he would savor a meal at one of the hot new restaurants on the local culinary scene.

At Matheny, our commitment to our patients goes beyond providing high quality medical care and education. We also seek to enrich lives through making recreational opportunities and community outings as accessible as possible. While group outings are the norm, rarely do patients get to choose and embark upon personal outings most important to them due to lack of individualized transportation options.

The addition of a wheel chair accessible van would change that. No longer would patients be limited to large vehicles operated by commercially licensed drivers. Patients and their Recreation Therapists could together plan more frequent, meaningful community trips specific to patients’ needs that would delight and empower them, increase their visibility and role within the community, perhaps even unlock their potential.

In a hospital that also serves as their home, many opportunities are available for group activities and trips into the community with fellow patients. But how often do patients get the opportunity to take an individualized trip?

“The reality is, that doesn’t happen very often,” says Sean Bielefeldt, Director of Recreation Therapy & Adult Day Health Services. “But the addition of a wheel chair accessible minivan would mean such opportunities, both recreational and practical, would flourish for our patients.”

Take Chris, for instance. It had long been Chris’s dream to work in or around baseball, and one of his greatest pleasures is his job at TD Bank Ballpark, home to the Somerset Patriots. For __ years he has worked as a vendor serving refreshments. Amidst sounds like the crack of the bat and roar of the crowd and the smell of freshly popped popcorn, Chris enjoys interacting with fans who share his abiding love of the game. Most of all, he relishes the freedom and inclusiveness of being an active member of his community, and the pride of earning a wage for an honest day’s work.

While his family can sometimes provide a ride to work, this is not a permanent solution. For him and others like him, the addition of a wheel chair accessible minivan would make a huge difference in the quality of their lives through increasing access to the community, which would create unprecedented opportunities for personal and therapeutic advancement.

For many patients at Matheny, residing there is not a life-long prospect. “The goal for our patients is to live in the community,” explains Sean. “How better to prepare those individuals than to work with them within the community itself to develop skills and independence such as navigating curb cut outs, crossing the streets, utilizing public transportation, or making a bank deposit?” In this way, a wheel chair accessible van is not just another vehicle, but an invaluable tool for therapists to create opportunities for patient development, growth, and eventual independence.

The world outside our walls is just as important to patient well-being as our facility itself.

Whether it’s the opportunity to see their favorite band in concert, take in a movie they’ve been anticipating, get to work at their dream job, or find their place within our community, a wheel chair accessible mini-van will open up a world of possibilities for our patients.

Please join us this #Giving Tuesday to make those possibilities a reality for those we serve. Click below to help us give the perfect gift:

Occupational therapist Maura Mirecki makes an adjustment to Bari-Kim’s new wheelchair.

When Bari-Kim Goldrosen, who has diplegic cerebral palsy, moved from Matheny into one of Matheny’s community residences in 1997 at age 27, “the original thought,” her mother, Sheila Goldrosen, recalls, “was that if you’re living in the community, you go to doctors in the community.” But Bari-Kim and her family soon realized that the best doctors, dentists and therapists, for people with disabilities, are located at the Matheny Center of Medicine and Dentistry, and so Bari-Kim travels the 20 miles from Franklin Township, NJ, to Peapack, NJ, to see the therapists and rehab technicians in the MCMD seating and mobility clinic and to receive primary medical care, eye exams and dental care.

The Center of Medicine and Dentistry was started, according to Christina P. Mand, MD, because “we understand the culture of disability. Anyone who comes to our center will feel comfortable in our waiting room—no one will stare or comment, as can happen in a regular physician’s office.” Bari-Kim has an annual physical exam with Dr. Mand and comes for periodic visits in between as needed.

The seating and mobility clinic recently helped Bari-Kim acquire a new wheelchair, something she desperately needed. “The process for obtaining Medicare and secondary insurance authorizations is involved and cumbersome,” explains Kevin McCormick,  director of rehabilitation technology. “However, everyone from the group home manager to the clinician to the rehab staff to Bari-Kim’s parents worked together to get the authorizations.” The new wheelchair was delivered December 18.

“Bari-Kim likes going to the doctors here,” says Sheila Goldrosen. “They know how to handle everything. I trust them.”

The Matheny Center of Medicine and Dentistry gives more than 800 children, teens and adults with disabilities the best outpatient medical, dental and therapy care possible. But insurance covers less than 50% of the cost of care. Your contributions to Matheny’s #GivingTuesday campaign can help make certain that those with the greatest need continue to get the support and services they deserve.

Click here to DONATE NOW.

Bari-Kim with, from left: Gary E. Eddey, MD., Matheny vice president and chief medical officer; her brother, Neal; mother, Sheila; and father, Dr. Richard Goldrosen.

Nicholas Barros with Sara Osman MD, physiatrist, and J. Andrew Bowe MD, pediatric orthopedist.

Eleven-year-old Nicholas Barros was born with a condition called Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, a severe form of epilepsy. As a result of this condition, Nicholas has major medical issues relating to his weak joints and the need for support.

His mother, Estela Perez of Bernardsville, NJ, brings him to the Matheny Center of Medicine and Dentistry (MCMD) to see the pediatric orthopedist and physiatrist, as well as the dentist. “If the clinic weren’t here,” she says, “I would have to go from hospital to hospital. All the doctors here take care of him.” And if there’s a service Matheny doesn’t have, “the put me in touch with other doctors,” says Perez. “They don’t just leave me alone.” Nicholas also makes regular visits to the MCMD’s seating and mobility clinic, where adjustments are made to his wheelchair, and where, says Perez, “they have provided me with information that helps us make our house more accessible.”

The MCMD specializes in healthcare for people with mild to severe developmental and intellectual disabilities in an outpatient setting. It gives more than 800 New Jersey kids, teens and adults with disabilities the best outpatient medical, dental and therapy care possible.

Nicholas attends The Matheny School, and his school physical therapist, Elizabeth Hess, accompanies him and his parents during visits with the orthopedist and physiatrist. “It prevents important information from being lost,” Hess explains. “It allows me, after hearing what the doctor says, to go over it with Nicholas’ parents later, because sometimes it’s hard to take in all at once everything the doctor says.”

Insurance covers less than 50% of the cost of care in the Matheny Center of Medicine and Dentistry. Your contributions to Matheny’s #GivingTuesday campaign will make certain that those with the greatest need continue to get the support and services they deserve.

Click here to DONATE NOW.

Estela Perez and Nicholas in the waiting room.

Judith Marino, her mother Ursula and Matheny gynecologist Judith Hersh, MD.

If the Matheny Center of Medicine and Dentistry didn’t exist, Ursula Marino of Sayreville, NJ, would have to take her daughter Judith to private doctors all over the state. Instead, Judith, who was born with brain damage, can receive primary medical care, women’s health care, dental care and seating and mobility assistance all in one place.

“It’s worth the trip,” says Ursula Marino. “You go somewhere else, and they don’t know what to do. Here, they’re very patient, and they know Judith by name. Everybody is very thorough. They don’t let things slide.”  The Matheny Center of Medicine and Dentistry specializes in health care for people with mild to severe developmental and intellectual disabilities in an outpatient setting.

Adult women with disabilities are just as susceptible to breast cancer, cervical cancer and menstrual and menopausal problems as women without disabilities. As a result, Matheny maintains a gynecologist on staff. Women with disabilities may or may not be verbal, so their doctors must be extremely patient and understanding, often taking a pediatric approach.

In Matheny’s seating and mobility clinic, occupational and physical therapists collaborate with rehabilitation technicians to optimize function and minimize discomfort for individuals in wheelchairs. Seating and mobility staff members are certified as assistive technology practitioners and suppliers by the Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA).

“Here, she fits in,” says Ursula Marino. She feels comfortable.”

Insurance covers less than 50% of the cost of care in the Matheny Center of Medicine and Dentistry. Your contributions to the #GivingTuesday campaign will make certain that those with the greatest need continue to get the support and services they deserve.

Click here to DONATE NOW.

From left, Tom, Bobby and Carol Hopkins.

Some mornings, without warning, something will break in Bobby Hopkins’ wheelchair. “I just put Bobby in our van and take him to the seating and mobility clinic at Matheny,” says Bridgewater, NJ, resident Tom Hopkins, his father. “They’ve saved the day for us more than once.”

“Everything’s under one roof,” adds his wife Carol, “so you’re talking to the therapists and the technicians at the same time. They confer so they can see what actually can be done. I think what I could say more than anything about Matheny is that the people there understand Bobby.”

Bobby Hopkins, now 42, was born with a seizure disorder exhibiting many of the same symptoms as cerebral palsy. He comes to the Center of Medicine and Dentistry for primary care in addition to his visits to the seating and mobility clinic. The Hopkins have been bringing Bobby to the Matheny Medical and Educational Center for outpatient services for about 20 years, even though the outpatient clinic, the Matheny Center of Medicine and Dentistry, wasn’t built until 2003.

“One of the things I like,” adds Tom, “is how other people are treated—with respect and care.” His wife concurs. “So many places lose sight of the individual. The secretaries, the nurses, the people walking by when we’re in the waiting room—they all say ‘hello.’ They’re pleasant to the other people they’re dealing with. It’s just a calming, pleasant, capable place. It puts you at ease. Plus they don’t have unrealistic expectations, and they keep our expectations realistic.”

The Matheny Center of Medicine and Dentistry specializes in healthcare for people with a wide range of disabilities – from cerebral palsy to autism. We provide general medical services and specialty care, a full range of dental services and customized seating and mobility devices.

Insurance covers less than 50% of the cost of care at the Matheny Center of Medicine and Dentistry. Your contributions to the #GivingTuesday campaign will make certain that those with the greatest need continue to get the support and services they deserve.

Click here to DONATE NOW.

From left, Mengchi Steven Yang, DDS; John DiNorcia and Alyne Heslin, certified dental assistant.

John DiNorcia was born with a genetic disability called G Syndrome, which left him with an intellectual disability. During his childhood, he attended the Midland School in North Branch, NJ, and currently goes to a Midland Adult Services day program.

When John was growing up, a visit to the dentist “made him squirm in fear,” says his mother Dorothy. About five years ago, she discovered the Matheny Center of Medicine and Dentistry, and John’s visits to the dentist have changed dramatically. “It’s very hard finding a dentist for a person with a disability,” Raritan, NJ, resident Dorothy DiNorcia says. “Most dentists wanted to put him out because they felt they could clean his teeth better that way. One dentist even told me to sit on him while he was being treated.” At Matheny, “he walks in all by himself. The staff talks to him in a very calm way.”

The Matheny Center of Medicine and Dentistry specializes in healthcare for people with mild to severe developmental and intellectual disabilities in an outpatient setting. Dental services and treatment include x-rays, cleanings, treatment of cavities, extractions, restorative dentistry, oral surgery, root canals, behavior management, cancer screening and biopsies. Services are provided in partnership with Rutgers School of Dental Medicine.

What differentiates Matheny’s dental clinic from most practices is that its dentist, Mengchi Steven Yang, DDS, is trained to provide care for patients who may make sudden, involuntary movements or who may need to be lifted from a wheelchair to the dentist’s chair. And the environment is friendly to patients with disabilities, who often feel out of place in an ordinary dentist’s office.

“It has to do with how they handle him,” adds Dorothy. “They talk to him. They show him everything.”

Insurance covers less than 50% of the cost of care in the Matheny Center of Medicine and Dentistry. Your contributions to the #GivingTuesday campaign will make certain that those with the greatest need continue to get the support and services they deserve.

Click here to DONATE NOW.

Ana Congo with, from left, her mother Nancy; home health aide Sonrisa Cortes and father Dale Congo.

Peapack, NJ is nearly 50 miles north of Red Bank, NJ, but Ana Congo, a 27-year-old with cerebral palsy and associated behavioral issues, makes that trip regularly to receive primary medical and women’s health care at the Matheny Center of Medicine and Dentistry.

“Ana has real anxiety about anybody medical,” explains her mother Nancy. “Matheny is very well equipped to handle all of that—not just the physical but the emotional. So, that makes the trip worth it right there.” The Congo family moved to Red Bank from the Boston area about 13 years ago and had trouble finding a medical facility nearby that could effectively treat Ana. “Most doctors don’t understand,” says Nancy, “but Matheny’s staff understands her unique needs. I’ve wasted a lot of time going to other hospitals.”

Most health providers have little experience caring for individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities, who may have difficulties communicating “what hurts” without the help of an interpreter or assistive technology. At the Matheny Center of Medicine and Dentistry, the integrated team of specialists seamlessly connects with patients to address and calm their concerns.

As primary care physician Christine P. Mand, DO, explains, “There is a culture of disability here. Our patients receive the same care as at a regular medical center, but they feel comfortable when they’re here.” Nancy Congo agrees. “By the time Ana’s done, she’s throwing kisses.”

Insurance covers less than 50% of the cost of care in the Matheny Center of Medicine and Dentistry. Your contributions to the #GivingTuesday campaign will make certain that those with the greatest need continue to get the support and services they deserve.

Click here to DONATE NOW.