Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital at Hamilton: A quarter century of caring

For Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital at Hamilton, 1996 is an historic year. The hospital is celebrating two landmark occasions--its 25th anniversary and the inauguration of the first maternity unit in Hamilton Township. The newest addition--the Women and Infants Pavilion that opened on July 1--enables RWJ at Hamilton to provide a full range of healthcare services, starting with birth and lasting a lifetime.

Today, the RWJ at Hamilton complex that overlooks Martin Lake and Veterans Park bears little resemblance to the hospital that first opened its doors in 1971. Over the course of its 25-year history, the 60-acre campus has been transformed with new additions, new structures and new services. Today, RWJ at Hamilton provides new kinds of health care that didn't exist a quarter of a century ago to a new kind of society whose culture is changing the way Americans live.

As the hospital has grown, so has the RWJ at Hamilton family. Over the past decade, under the direction of W. Michael Bryant, president and CEO, the organization has aggressively diversified in order to meet the changing needs of its community and the changing world of health care.

From the start, Bryant envisioned a future of an organization that could provide a continuum of care in a variety of settings to serve patients at every stage of life, from pre-natal to golden years. Today, RWJ Health Care Corp at Hamilton provides many kinds of care that go far beyond traditional hospital services. The list includes pre-natal and maternity services, infant and child day care, intermediate, long-term and rehabilitative nursing home care, adult day care, ambulatory care, occupational and corporate health services, and a host of community outreach programs.

Diversification began in 1985, with the founding of the first Lakeview Child Center. Located on the hospital campus, the facility served 80 children and was one of the first in the area to offer infant care. Today there are six Lakeviews in Mercer and Middlesex counties, providing day care and education for 600 children ranging in age from infants to six-year olds. More centers are on the drawing board.

In 1992, RWJ at Hamilton continued to broaden its services by opening Hamilton Continuing Care Center, a 180-bed nursing home on Edinburg Road in Hamilton. The center provides intermediate and long-term care as well as a residential rehabilitation program.

RWJ at Hamilton I introduced its first r adult day care service--the Maurice T. Perilli Adult Day Care Center--in 1993. Located on the Hamilton Continuing Care Center campus, the center is a medical day healthcare facility for adults who need some assistance with self care or supervision but do not require round-the-clock care. Clients enjoy a pleasant, activity-filled day, receive medical care if they need it, and each evening return to the comfort of their homes.

In 1995, the Hamilton Adult Day Center opened its doors at Our Lady of Sorrows Church. This program, in partnership with RWJ at Hamilton and the Hamilton Township Ecumenical Fellowship, serves adults who do not need medical care but can benefit from nutritious meals and snacks, participation in social activities and programs, and fellowship with others.

During 1994 and 1995, as the momentum of change accelerated in world of healthcare, and more patients began to receive services outside the traditional hospital setting, RWJ at Hamilton planned, built and opened an impressive ambulatory care center adjacent to the hospital. Hamilton Regional Health Network, a 60,000 square foot facility, opened in 1995.

This facility houses same-day surgical and endoscopy suites, diagnostic and preadmission testing, rehabilitation, and radiology services, and The Women' s Center for mammography and sonography. The building also is home to the 50 Club at Hamilton, serving individuals 50 years old and over; the Community Education Department, the Speakers Bureau, a physician referral service, and the Hamilton Health Authority, a community resource room where visitors can access information on various healthcare topics.

Also located in Hamilton Regional Health Network are several other new additions to the RWJ at Hamilton family, including Cardio-Pulmonary Rehabilitation, Occupational and Corporate Health Services, University Medical Group Pediatrics at Hamilton and The Cancer Institute of New Jersey.

The Cardio-Pulmonary Program is designed to help heart attack and heart disease patients perform daily activities with more ease by increasing endurance and strength and to help make the changes necessary to follow a healthier lifestyle. The program is run by an experienced team of registered nurses, physical therapists and respiratory technicians who are skilled in cardiac care and cardiopulmonary conditioning.

Occupational and Corporate Health Services offers a comprehensive system of medical resources designed to keep employees and executives healthy. Preventive and qualification exams, injury prevention and care, laboratory testing and medical monitoring, rehabilitation services, executive exams and vaccine programs are all components of a complete occupational and corporate health management program.