Press Release
August 7, 2007
Contact: Debbie Freisinger
(973) 268-9797 (x1034)
freiside@umdnj.edu
Celebrating Innovation in Palliative and End-of-Life Care
Broadway House for Continuing Care Recognized
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NEWARK — Broadway House for Continuing Care was named a Circle of Life Award® Honoree. Broadway House was recognized for its innovative programs that improve the care of patients near the end of life or with life-threatening conditions.
The Circle of Life Award celebrates programs across the nation that have made great strides in palliative and end-of-life care. The awards are supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in Princeton, N.J and are sponsored by the American Hospital Association, the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging, the American Medical Association and the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization. Broadway House is one of eight organizations honored this year by the Circle of Life Award Program.
“The Circle of Life Award celebrates programs across the nation that have made great strides in palliative and end-of-life care,” said AHA President & CEO Rich Umbdenstock. “These programs share overriding themes of compassion and dedication and find new ways to expand the reach of palliative and hospice services and to help mesh traditional medical care with good end-of-life care. They provide excellent models any community can adapt.” This is the second time that Broadway House has received this honor.
Broadway House, New Jersey’s only long-term care facility for adults living with HIV/AIDS, utilizes both traditional and non-traditional therapies in resident treatment plans. With antiretroviral therapies, people are living longer and often develop other diseases and deal with co-morbidities. Broadway House residents can mesh traditional medical treatment with a wide variety of complementary therapies. These alternative therapies range from the familiar such as chiropractic and acupuncture to the more unusual energy therapies like therapeutic touch, acupressure, and therapeutic drumming.
“Traditional health care concentrates on the science of medicine” explained Nancy Urff, assistant executive director, “Complementary medicine combines the science of traditional medicine with the art of healing. Complementary therapies are very effective tools to help alleviate physical and psychological distress. Approaching wellness in multiple ways is beneficial to our residents. We work to heal the mind, body and spirit of each person".
“You don’t consider it a job, it is a mission” stated James Gonzalez, President and CEO of Broadway House. The dedication of the staff and the commitment to the residents makes Broadway House more than just another long term care facility.
Another innovative program, which this award celebrates, is the staff caregiver support at Broadway House. Each day employees come to work knowing they’ll be dealing with a complex and difficult illness. By empowering and respecting the staff members, administration has created an atmosphere where everyone has the same goals and objectives.
Caring for the staff, in ways such as providing monthly in-house “spa” days and serving free meals, are things that build employee loyalty and commitment, thus reducing staff turnover. Lower staff turnover translates to higher quality resident care.
Many residents regain functional health and return back into the community, and some complete their life’s journey at our facility. Executive Director, Jeanine Reilly said “Death, like birth becomes a journey. At Broadway House pain is managed, fear is controlled, business is finished, families are reunited and because of the unique presence of our dedicated staff, no one dies alone.” The quality of a resident’s end-of-life experience is important and at Broadway House we assist the resident and their family in helping this process be meaningful and dignified.
Broadway House for Continuing Care was chosen by a selection committee composed of leaders from medicine, nursing, social work and health administration. The committee focused on innovative programs that respect patient goals and preferences, provide comprehensive care, acknowledge and address the family or caregivers’ concerns and needs and build systems and mechanisms of support to continue the program for future patients and caregivers. This is the eighth year for the Circle of Life Award
For more information about Broadway House for Continuing Care visit the website at http://www.broadwayhouse.org/.
UMDNJ is the nation's largest free-standing public health sciences university with more than 5,700 students attending the state's three medical schools, its only dental school, a graduate school of biomedical sciences, a school of health related professions, a school of nursing and its only school of public health, on five campuses. Last year, there were more than two million patient visits to UMDNJ facilities and faculty at campuses in Newark, New Brunswick/Piscataway, Scotch Plains, Camden and Stratford. UMDNJ operates University Hospital, a Level I Trauma Center in Newark, and University Behavioral HealthCare, a mental health and addiction services network.
