www.njbiz.com JANUARY 28, 2013 $2.00
® Power 100 The100 most powerful people in New Jersey business
The rising Anytime you’re planning a list examining who the biggest movers and shakers are, there are dozens of events to consider, and much work to do in sorting out who was at work behind the scenes when things went wrong — or right. That was true in this year’s list, too — right until the wee hours of Oct. 29, when superstorm Sandy came ashore in New Jersey, leaving hundreds of millions of dollars in economic destruction in her wake. Now, in putting the pieces back together and rebuilding the state, “there’s going to be careers made, careers broken,” an insider says. Turn to page 14 to see who made the cut — and how they’re working to help the state rise up.
For address or name corrections, fax label to (732) 846-0421 Zelda / For Higgins Devon and Kurt NJBIZ ® AROUND THE STATE Outsourced dispatch services land in N.J.
XP Corp. of Cranbury, which handles 911 emergency dispatch for municipalities seeking lower costs and increased efficiency through Ioutsourcing, last week landed its first New Jersey contract with Law- rence Township, starting April 1. Richard Krawczun, township manager, estimated Lawrence will save about $1 million over five years in reduced overtime, and by no longer using police officers to cover dispatch. AARON HOUSTON Lawrence Consalvos, iXP senior vice president, said the com- CRDA approved $8.6 million in funds to start a revitalization project near Revel and $100,000 to study the feasibility of an indoor marketplace. pany is talking to a half-dozen other New Jersey municipalities. The Lawrence dispatchers have expressed anxiety about losing their jobs CRDA finances two key projects in Atlantic City to privatization, but Consalvos said, “We are looking forward to sitting down with them, calming their fears, and showing them the career and tate officials last week moved to help finance funding to start its South Inlet redevelopment proj- employment opportunities iXP has.” two key development projects in Atlantic City ect, which will begin with the acquisition and de- Consalvos said iXP uses flexible staffing, scheduling more dis- S— an indoor marketplace and a revitalization molition of 62 low-rise apartments and other units patchers during peak hours. Of Lawrence’s nine dispatch positions, five project near Revel. in the neighborhoods north of Revel. The funding of them are currently filled and the dispatchers are represented by the At its Jan. 22 meeting, the board of the Casino will cover the expenses associated with relocations American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees; iXP Reinvestment Development Authority approved and professional services tied to the demolition and is nonunion. Krawczun said iXP pays performance-based compensa- $100,000 for a feasibility study by Market Ven- redevelopment, the news release said. tion and bonuses, and cost-of-living increases. He said the township’s tures Inc., according to a news release. The Port- The acquisition and relocation activities are dispatchers currently earn from $36,291 to a maximum of $57,259 for land, Maine-based firm will examine five potential expected to begin within 12 to 18 months. CRDA, a senior supervisors. sites identified for the indoor marketplace and make however, has acknowledged that Revel’s poor per- Spun off from EDS in a 2000 management buyout, iXP is in its recommendations for vendors, operational practices formance since it opened last year has complicated fourth year of providing 911 dispatch for the Atlanta suburb of Sandy and other elements of the project. attempts to finance the ensuing development, pub- Springs. The company provides emergency police and fire technology CRDA’s board also approved $8.6 million in lished reports said last week. – Joshua Burd to New York City and has designed college campus security systems nationwide, including Princeton University. – Beth Fitzgerald
Mack-Cali starts work lord and developer announced on Roseland projects in October that it would acquire Roseland, one of New Mack-Cali Realty Corp. Jersey’s prominent multifamily has started construction on a builders. – Joshua Burd 280-unit Weehawken apartment property being developed by its Rutgers to launch Roseland subsidiary, the com- pany announced last week. center for real estate The project, RiverParc at Rutgers Business School will Port Imperial, is among the first launch a Center for Real Estate to commence in the Roseland and Construction later this year portfolio since Mack-Cali ac- to conduct research and teach quired the multifamily builder graduate students and industry last fall. Construction started professionals. The center will in December on the 10-story also address issues shaping the rental property, which is a joint future of real estate, such as the venture with the Prudential rise of nontraditional com- COURTESY ST. MARY’S HOSPITAL Insurance Co. of America. petitors, sustainability and green The sale of St. Mary’s Hospital in Passaic to Ontario, Calif.-based Prime Healthcare is being reviewed by the Office of the Attorney General. The project costs about $100 construction, and the complex million, Mack-Cali said in a Jan. and shifting landscape of real Process continues for St. Mary’s Hospital purchase 23 news release. It is within Rose- estate finance. land’s sprawling Port Imperial The business school has he process continues for Ontario, Calif.-based Prime has tried to purchase. Last year, Prime backed complex along the Hudson River received $3 million in gifts to Prime Healthcare as it works to break into out of a deal with Christ Hospital when questions in Weehawken. support an endowed real estate Tthe New Jersey market. Currently, the Office about the company were raised by locals. The Edison-based Mack-Cali professorship and to develop of the Attorney General is going through the Com- St. Mary’s has 269 beds, and is the last remain- also announced last week that the center: $1.5 million from munity Health Asset Protection Act review of the ing hospital in Passaic, which at one time had three. it had started construction on Paul V. Profeta, founder of a for-profit company’s purchase of St. Mary’s Hospital, It is sponsored by the Sisters of Charity of St. Eliza- a Roseland project near Boston, West Orange-based real estate according to a report in The Record. beth, which also sponsors St. Joseph’s Healthcare and that it would acquire two investment firm, and $1.5 The review happens whenever a nonprofit System’s two hospitals, in Paterson and Wayne. other rental properties currently million from an anonymous hospital is transferred to for-profit ownership, and The sale of the hospital was announced in late managed by the new subsidiary. donor. can happen at the same time as the Department of November, and published reports have said Prime The acquired properties include The center will recognize Health reviews ownership transfers through the cer- will pay $25 million once the transaction is approved 722 units and are being pur- that “the traditional bound- tificate of need process. by the regulatory bodies, plus begin a strategic capi- chased for about $150 million. aries between industries are This is the second hospital in New Jersey that tal investment in the hospital. – Melinda Caliendo The longtime office land- breaking down,” said RBS Vice
NJBIZ (ISSN 1540-4161) is published weekly except year-end and one extra issue in December by Journal Multimedia, 1500 Paxton Street, Harrisburg, PA 17104. Subscriptions: $64.95 per year. Periodicals postage paid at Harrisburg, PA and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to: Journal Publications Inc., 220 Davidson Avenue Suite 302, Somerset, NJ 08873. Call (866) 288–7699 to subscribe and save $10. — Vol. 26 | No. 4
2 January 28, 2013 X NJBIZ www.njbiz.com ® AROUND THE STATE
WINNERS/LOSERS N.J. Home Purchase Contracts Supply and demand Utility customers – WINNER Revel – LOSER 35% Monthly Year-on-Year Change After pausing in November due to the after-effects of Hurricane The BPU issued 100 improvement mea- Steve Sweeney just came out and 30% Sandy, New Jersey home sales con- sures in response to that big storm — said it: surely someone else can run 25% tinued their rise with a 7 percent but it was Hurricane Irene in 2011, not this place better. Billing itself “the East 20% year-over-year increase in Decem- Sandy in 2012. Still, the measures for Coast’s sexiest beachfront destina- ber. Home purchase contracts rose utilities’ preparedness, communications, tion,” Revel sent a release last week 15% 21 percent in 2012 while unsold infrastructure and more should alleviate about how to raise the “passion level” 10% inventory declined by 18 percent. fallout, and make customers light up. at the resort on Valentine’s Day. But it
Change from prior year Change from 5% Expect the trend of rising purchase was Sweeney turning up the heat. 0% demand, and fewer homes to Frank Lautenberg – LOSER choose from, to continue in 2013. Poll results released on his 89th birth- Prudential Center – WINNER Jul 12 Jan 12 Feb 12 Mar 12 Apr 12May 12 Jun 12 Aug 12 Sep 12 Oct 12 Nov 12 Dec 12 Source: Otteau Valuation Group Inc. day showed 71 percent think his age New Jersey didn’t have a venue big might be a liability to do the work of a enough for the coveted NFL Experi- U.S. senator. Looking a bit cranky, Laut- ence, but landed other high-profile Dean Mitchell Koza, as con- as the official opening of its tween the town and the school. enberg suggested Cory Booker, who events. Media Day, the first official struction equipment makers Hammonton satellite campus. Until this week, Stockton stu- saves people from fires, might need to public event of Super Bowl 2014 fes- expand to become full-service The Kramer Building, set in a dents were taking evening courses be spanked. Not a good way to start tivities, will be held at The Rock. Bring- real estate firms, and compa- refurbished garment factory, will at St. Joseph High School in the your last year as an octogenarian. ing hordes of journalists there is great nies like McDonald’s manage open its doors to students in town. Now classes will be offered exposure for the arena and Newark. extensive global real estate undergraduate, graduate and con- during the day and at night in the Jenkinson’s – WINNER portfolios. – Beth Fitzgerald tinuing education programs. extension facility. The Point Pleasant Beach boardwalk bar Tilman Fertitta – LOSER The facility, previously Stockton already offers has been fighting with town officials The Golden Nugget billionaire played home to the Bertino/National classes at an instructional site in about a proposed midnight closing law. blackjack at Borgata and Revel last Stockton set to open But last week the town and bar reached year — a violation of state regs for ca- Garment Factory, is on the Manahawkin, as well as operates an agreement, which media reports sino owners. Unaware of the ban, Fer- new satellite campus main street of Hammonton, museums and arts facilities in say was expedited by Sandy. Now both titta last week agreed to pay a fine, but The Richard Stockton College and the renovation was part of Atlantic City, Hammonton and sides can move forward in rebuilding the $15,000 nugget is probably like of New Jersey has set Thursday a public-private partnership be- Woodbine. – Melinda Caliendo the boardwalk, and their relationship. the cost of a movie ticket to Fertitta. FACE TIME: LOVED Corrections The latest Quinnipiac poll gives Christie his highest Q A contract for a private company to run some operations of the state lottery would require a $120 mil- rating ever, with majorities of men, women, Republicans, lion upfront payment. The amount was incorrect in a Jan. 14 story about the bidding process for the contract. Democrats, whites, blacks and Hispanics approving. We bet aliens would approve too, if they were polled. Plus, Q The Prudential Center has three tenants: the Devils, Seton Hall and Liberty. The Jan. 21 editorial had the the governor continues to rake in cash for his re-election. wrong number of tenants.
Get the Marcum 2012/2013 Year-End Tax Guide Visit our website to download your copy today @ www.marcumllp.com
Discover the Difference
www.marcumllp.com International Member of Leading Edge Alliance
ASSURANCE I TAX I ADVISORY
www.njbiz.com NJBIZ X January 28, 2013 3 Finally, there’s light at the end of the tunnel for businesses struggling to get loans!
RRML Open Door Loan Policy
Opening new doors to funding for qualified borrowers by GUARANTEEING loan approvals when others fail!
Most borrowers are qualified to get a business loan but they usually have no knowledge of the lenders’ policies, programs and procedures. Subsequently, their loan request is declined. This loan application failure is related to businesses of all sizes whether it is for Working Capital, Commercial Real Estate transactions or other types of loan facilities.
If you need a loan, before you look for a lender, come to RRML first. We have the experience and expertise to guarantee that your loan gets approved. If qualified, RRML will present your financial profile accurately to meet our lenders’ requirements. This includes your credit history, cash flow analysis detailing the acceptable debt service coverage ratio our lenders need to easily approve your loan.
The result? You won’t get turned down when you put your business in our hands. And we guarantee it. Call us today for an appointment. RRML 201.849.4590 One Bridge Plaza North | Fort Lee, NJ 07024 | [email protected] | www.rrmlcapital.com DEALS AROUND NEW JERSEY Q Generic drug developer Watson Pharmaceuticals Inc., in Parsippany, acquired Belgium-based Uteron Pharma S.A. for $150 million in cash and up to $155 million in potential future milestone payments to expand its pipeline of women’s health products.
Q Shipping company SeaCube Container Leasing Ltd., in Park Ridge, agreed to be acquired by the Canada-based long-term equities group of the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan for $467 million.
Q Private equity firm InterCore Energy Inc., in Mahwah, acquired Canada-based smart phone application developer SRG Inc. to focus on the development of sleep and fatigue detection software. Terms were not disclosed.
Q Livingston-based accounting firm Sobel & Co. LLC merged with consulting firm Tinari Economics Group, in Livingston, to expand its services for law practices and government agencies.
AARON HOUSTON Q Defense firmITT Exelis Electronic Stephen Santola, left, EVP and general counsel, and Lewis Zlotnick, president of Woodmont Properties, believe the level of activity tied to apartment projects has never been higher. Systems, in Clifton, was awarded a $2.15 million military sales contract by the Air Force Research Laboratory at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base to research the development of a HIGH HOPES FOR INVESTORS WITH navigation satellite for the base’s current global positioning system. APARTMENTS IN SHORT SUPPLY Q The Mahwah-based retail card services division of TD Bank announced it has been Owners, builders, sellers steadily since its peak of 5.2 percent in 2010, Otteau said. In 2012, permits for new selected by Connecticut home furnishings would reach 2 percent for the first time since apartment projects rose 51 percent in New retailer Pilgrim Furniture City to create and scramble to capitalize at least 1970, the start of Otteau’s records. Jersey, while single-family home permits administer their new branded, private-label on state’s under-built, “I have seen it in places like New York increased by 15 percent. While the housing credit card program. City, which is obviously a very hot spot market has improved, he called the dispari- booming rental market when it comes to the rental market,” Ot- ty a “dramatic” reversal of historical trends. Q The broadcasting division of ValCom Inc., teau said, referring to the low-vacancy “Right now I think you’d build any- in Boonton Township, signed an affiliation BY JOSHUA BURD benchmark. “But I haven’t seen it here in thing you could absolutely immediately,” agreement with a television station in San APARTMENT UNITS will remain in short New Jersey before.” said Stephen Santola, executive vice pres- Antonio, Texas, to launch its network on the supply for at least another year as rental He noted that temporary housing ident and general counsel of Woodmont station’s digital channel. demand surges in New Jersey, industry needs from Hurricane Sandy are also creat- Properties, referring to rental projects. He experts and insiders say, meaning 2013 ing demand. With those factors, and with pointed to the favorable interest rates, la- Q Pharmaceutical firm Celsion Corp., is quickly shaping up to be another deliveries for new multifamily construc- bor pool and market demand that make it in the Lawrenceville section of Lawrence boom time for multifamily owners, sell- tion not expected to pick up until next “a great time if you’re in the ground.” Township, entered into a technology ers and developers. year, rents are expected to rise 4 to 5 per- The Fairfield-based developer in June development agreement with China-based The state’s rental market is poised to cent in 2013, he said. That would follow opened Woodmont Square, a 100-unit Zhejiang Hisun Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. to reach “virtual full occupancy” this year, the 3 percent rent hike recorded in 2012. luxury rental community in Bridgewater, manufacture its oncology treatment drug for said Jeffrey G. Otteau, president of Otteau Developers here are now rushing to and later broke ground on apartment proj- – Katie Eder the Chinese market. Valuation Group, in East Brunswick. That take advantage of the needs in a market ects in Red Bank and Hanover, said Lewis would mean that vacancy, which has fallen that has been under-built for four decades, > See RENTALS on page 7 More providers turn to palliative care to improve patient satisfaction Holistic approach to managing chronic cases could lower costs patients spend more days in the hospital, responding benefit for our patients,” said and specifically the intensive care unit, Dr. Amy Frieman, medical director of pal- BY MELINDA CALIENDO the most expensive patients can be reduced during the last six months of life than any- liative care for Meridian. NEW JERSEY IS considered to be home to while increasing patient satisfaction. where else in the U.S. This hospitalization “The costs are, to some extent, fo- the most aggressive medical care for those Last May, Meridian Health launched a means inpatient spending in the last six cused on a small group of patients that facing advanced chronic diseases. But that Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services months of life in New Jersey is nearly 1.35 have multiple co-existing problems,” said doesn’t mean that patients are getting bet- demonstration program that coordinates times that of the national average, adding Dr. Steven Landers, president and CEO ter, or experiencing a higher quality of life. care for more than 400 Medicare patients. up to more than $247 million beyond the of the Visiting Nurses Association Health Around the state, health care providers Meridian is one of four providers around the national average. Group. “And in spite of all the spend- are working on new ways to integrate palli- nation participating in the demonstration. “We provide the most aggressive care, ing for this group, there’s a lot of suffer- ative care — a holistic approach to manag- The Dartmouth Atlas of Health Care we provide the most expensive care and ing and a lot of unaddressed pain and ing advanced diseases — to see if costs for has reported that, as of 2007, New Jersey there’s never been a study that shows a cor- > See CARE on page 9
www.njbiz.com NJBIZ X January 28, 2013 5 DON’T SETTLE. Stay connected with America’s Largest Push to Talk coverage area.
7&3*;0/164)505"-,0''&34 q"NFSJDBnT.PTU3FMJBCMF7PJDF$BMMJOH/FUXPSL q4VQFSJPS$VTUPNFS4FSWJDF q6OMJNJUFEHSPVQDPOOFDUJPOTXJUIVQUPQFPQMF qq.BOBHFDPOUBDUTPOMJOF.B. OBO HFH DPOUBBDUD T
NEW!NEN W!W Casio® G’zOne Ravine® 2 q#VJMUUPNJMJUBSZTQFDTq#qq#q##VJVJMV UUUUU q1q1qqq1VTIUP5BMLDBQBCMF1VTIVTVTI U q(qq(q(MPCBM3FBEZu(MPCPCPCBMBBM LIMITEDLIMITEL D TIME ONLY! FREE Neeww 2-yr2--yr-yy activationactaactiviv on a $34.99 mo. access or higher voice plan andaannndd $5$5 mo.mo.. aaccesscccc PTT feature req’d (plus other charges*). OffeOOfferf r ono ly vavalidi on port-in activations.
Samsung Convoy™ 2 3VHHFEGMJQXJUI1VTIUP5BML LIMITED TIME ONLY! FREE New 2-yr activation on a $34.99 mo. access or higher voice plan and $5 mo. access PTT feature req’d (plus other charges*).
SWITCH TO FIND OUT WHY MORE PEOPLE CHOOSE AND STAY WITH VERIZON.
Visit any Verizon Wireless store 1.800.VZW.4BIZ(4249) today or contact a Business Sales verizonwireless.com/ptt
Offer limited to business accounts for 5+ corporate lines of service. Government and group purchasing accounts are not eligible. *Our Surcharges (incl. Fed. Univ. Svc. of 16.1% of interstate & int’l telecom charges (varies quarterly), 16¢ Regulatory & 90¢ Administrative/line/mo., & others by area) are in addition to monthly access & not taxes (details: 1-888-684-1888); gov’t taxes & our surcharges could add 7% - 42% to your bill. Activation/upgrade fee/line: Up to $35. IMPORTANT CONSUMER INFORMATION: Subject to major Acct. Agmt., calling plan and credit approval. Up to $175 ($350 for advanced devices) early termination fee/line & add’l charges apply to device capabilities. Offers & coverage, varying by svc, not available everywhere; see vzw.com. Limited-time offer. Restocking fee may apply. While supplies last. Push to Talk is available only with other Verizon Wireless Push to Talk customers. Eligibility to keep number varies. Largest claim based on comparison of carriers’ owned/operated networks. Network details & coverage maps at vzw.com. © 2013 Verizon Wireless. F7962A RENTALS buyers who acquire older properties in top > Continued from page 5 locations and then renovate them. … it’s going to be a great opportunity Multifamily trading volume in “pri- Zlotnick, the firm’s president. The 96-unit mary, secondary and tertiary locations … for borrowers of all shapes and sizes … Red Bank project called for condominiums was just unrelenting” in 2012, said Ken when the borough first approved it in 2006, Uranowitz, president of Gebroe-Hammer to lock in lower rates, because this party but was stalled by the recession and then Associates. The Livingston-based broker- recently reconfigured to feature rentals. age closed nearly 90 deals last year, span- could be over in the next six months. Woodmont also is in line to acquire ning all property types — from urban high- Mark Scott, principal, Commercial Mortgage Capital Corp. and build a transit village in Metuchen, rises to suburban garden apartments. Santola said, noting that for the 50-year- “Those are different-tiered asset class- old firm, the level of activity tied to apart- es, but you also have different-tiered inves- even at year’s end — with Gebroe-Hammer “There’s extremely high demand in all ment projects has never been as high as it tors who own that type of product or are closing three deals a week in December — classes, and this is not going to stop,” he said. is now. looking for that type of product,” Uranow- despite concerns over hikes in the federal E-mail to: [email protected] “Back in the better days of for-sale, itz said. He noted that activity was strong capital gains tax. On Twitter: @joshburdnj there might be two or three communities overlapping one another, but not in the rental apartment world, for sure,” he said. Construction deliveries statewide are not expected to accelerate until 2014, Ot- teau said, because the rental market first gained its strength in 2010. The “incuba- tion period” for an apartment project is about three years from conception to being ready for move-in. For real estate investors, the fervent pace of multifamily sales is poised to con- tinue. Mark Scott, a Livingston-based mortgage banker, said “there’s a lot of money on the sidelines that needs to be invested” by institutional sources like pen- sion funds and insurance firms, especially earlier in the year. The state’s supply constraints and lengthy approval process are key drivers GROW. WISELY. for multifamily investment sales, he said. Compounding that are stricter lending re- quirements for developers — lenders are now only willing to finance around 65 per- cent of a project, he said, as opposed to 80 to 85 percent in 2005 to 2008. But perhaps the most important dy- namic for buyers is the concern that inter- est rates may start to rise again before 2013 Everyone wants to grow. But grow how? In which is over. “At least for the next few months it’s markets? At what cost? To grow wisely, you need an going to be a great opportunity for borrow- ers of all shapes and sizes … to lock in low- advisor who really knows your business...and knows er rates, because this party could be over in the next six months,” said Scott, principal you. Who can deliver tailored solutions that create of Commercial Mortgage Capital Corp. He said several of these factors together opportunities, maximize effi ciency and build business. could lower the capitalization rates for apartments, which have fallen from 2010 EisnerAmper is that advisor. We roll up our sleeves Charles Weinstein and are the best of any asset class. Chief Executive Offi cer The demand has led commercial real to get to the bottom of your toughest challenges so 212.949.8700 estate investors to increasingly shift alloca- [email protected] tions from office and retail to multifamily, you get the advice and strategies you need to create said Brian Whitmer, a broker with Cush- Howard Cohen man & Wakefield. And the northern and sustainable growth. Chairman central New Jersey market has started to 732.287.1000 draw funding sources from other parts of [email protected] the country, such as the West Coast and Let’s get down to business.TM the South. www.eisneramper.com “A lot of those who traditionally have stayed within their region are starting to EisnerAmper LLP reach out to us to say, ‘Hey, I’m interested in Accountants & Advisors development and in learning your market,’” said Whitmer, the senior director of C&W’s Independent Member of PKF International Metropolitan Area Capital Markets Group. In turn, the rush to build and own rental assets has trickled down in a big way Follow us: to older properties and to markets further NEW YORK | NEW JERSEY | PENNSYLVANIA | CALIFORNIA | CAYMAN ISLANDS inland from the Hudson waterfront. Whit- mer said “the biggest growth in terms of new investment dollars” has come from
www.njbiz.com NJBIZ X January 28, 2013 7 A SUPPLEMENT TO NJBIZ SPRING 2012
® Real Estate REPORT 2013
Highlighting the most significant lease and sales deals in the Gardenn State, the Real Estate Report brings you the stories that drive ann industry. A S U P P L E M E N T TO N S U M M E R 2 0 N E R 2 0 Also focusing on the news of related industries, the Real Estate Reportrt delves into the fields of architecture, environmental engineering,g, construction, building supplies…and much more!
ONE: Publication Date 3/11 Ad Space Closing 2 / 1 TWO:
Publication Date 6 / 3 2012 SUPPLEMENT TO NJBI Ad Space Closing 4/29
® THREE: Publication Date 11/1 Real Estate REPORT 2012 Ad Space Closing 10/2
FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION CALL (732) 246-5729
NJBIZ | 220 Davidson Avenue | Suite 302 | Somerset, NJ 08873 Phone (732) 246-7677 | Fax (732) 249-8952 | www.njbiz.com
P S WLVWSL PU [OL 51YLHSLZ[H[LPUK CARE fellowship to complete their training. > Continued from page 5 Expansion of the field has been set back, by the “dangerous, dark mes- unaddressed psychosocial concerns.” sage” sent by politicians when discussing Palliative care is designed to ad- end-of-life care, Contreras said. Palliative dress comfort issues, including mental and hospice care were labeled in national and spiritual issues, for patients with ad- debates on health care reform as “death vanced diseases. Teams can include social panels” as the field was misconstrued as workers, pain management specialists, withholding potential curative treatments. Dr. Amy Frieman, medi- clergy, home care givers and sometimes “Physicians across the country found cal director of palliative massage or acupuncture therapists. it abhorrent that the sickest and most vul- care, and Dr. Richard Landers said when you reduce suffer- nerable became a political football … it was Scott, senior vice presi- ing you also reduce the cost of care by low- very disappointing,” Scott said. dent of medical affairs, at ering readmissions to hospitals and keep- E-mail to: [email protected] Meridian Health. ing people independent longer. On Twitter: @mcaliendo33 AARON HOUSTON The VNA Health Group offers both palliative and hospice care options to their patients. Hospice care can be a form of palliative care offered during the last six months of life, but palliative care is not Who can Your Business count on today? strictly end-of-life care — it can be pro- vided long before a terminal diagnosis and concurrent with curative therapies. “It is often about symptom manage- ment within the patient’s own designs for care,” said Dr. Richard Scott, senior vice president of medical affairs for Meridian. “When they’re not engaged in their care management, then others start to define it for them. And that probably leads to an overabundance of care.” Frieman said Meridian’s palliative spe- cialists consult with patients to free prima- ry care physicians to focus on the disease without adding more to the doctor’s plate. “Their primary physician remains the ‘quarterback,’” Frieman said. “We, as a pal- liative care team, feed all of our informa- tion and recommendations back through the primary doctor,” in order to continue the patient-doctor relationship. Scott said that while other dem- onstrations attempt to “bend the cost curve,” the palliative care demonstration Just like your clients can count on you to give is focused around patient satisfaction. If them dedicated service, you can Count on the demonstration can prove patient sat- isfaction, he said the “other end will take Columbia, the Business Bank of New Jersey, to care of itself.” give you the financial products and services you need Hackensack University Medical Cen- ter’s palliative program takes a different to succeed. And you can always Count on Columbia to approach. Hackensack is using nurses to implement a “train-the-trainer” program, remain true to the principles of community banking. To so any caregiver can initiate conversa- LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR BUSINESS BANKING SERVICES CALL OR tions about comfort care or end-of-life choices. Dr. Jose Contreras, director of visit your nearest Columbia Bank office. pain and palliative care, said it is almost “inappropriate” to add an additional team to consult, without a relationship, on dif- ficult choices. “We developed a comfort care order set that any physician can have access to that is a drop down menu with all sorts of ,INES OF #REDIT s 0RIME ,INES OF #REDIT FOR 0ROFESSIONALS s 4ERM ,OANS s 3"! ,OANS s Permanent Mortgages options … to help facilitate that process with the very thought in mind that every- #ONSTRUCTION &INANCING