Investors Bank opens Jersey City branch; Bayonne next
With the opening of a branch office in Jersey City two weeks ago, Investors Bank Chief Executive Officer Kevin Cummings anticipates branches opening soon in Bayonne and Hoboken.
With assets in excess of $20 billion, Investors, the largest and fastest-growing regional bank based in New Jersey, opened its first Jersey City branch at 360 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., on Thursday, Dec. 10.
The Jersey City branch is the first of three branches that Investors will open in Hudson County in the near future.
“We expect to open the Bayonne branch in the next few weeks, and we expect to open a branch in Hoboken next year,” Cummings said.
He said this is part of an expansion of the bank. “We’re in a growth mode, and we need to finance loan expansion and our deposit base,” he said. “The best way to do this is to open new branches.”
Growing up in Jersey City, Cummings used to bowl at the Hudson Lanes in Jersey City near the Bayonne border and within view of the Investors’ Bayonne branch currently being built.
Bayonne Medical Center earns ‘top performer’ honors
CarePoint Health, an integrated healthcare system that serves Hudson County, has announced that CarePoint Health–Bayonne Medical Center (BMC) has been recognized as a 2014 Top Performer on key quality measures by The Joint Commission, the leading accreditor of health care organizations in the United States.
“We believe that quality and safety are both paramount in delivering top-notch and compassionate health care,” said Jeff Mandler, CarePoint Health chief executive officer. “We are proud to be named a Top Performer as it recognizes the knowledge, teamwork and dedication of the entire CarePoint Health family.”
BMC was recognized as part of The Joint Commission’s 2015 annual report, “America’s Hospitals: Improving Quality and Safety,” for excellence in performance for the treatment of heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia, surgical care, and stroke. It is one of about 1,000 hospitals of more than 3,000 eligible in the United States to achieve the 2014 Top Performer distinction.” “I commend the efforts of CarePoint Health – Bayonne Medical Center for its excellent performance,” said Mark Chassin, MD, Joint Commission president and CEO.
McCabe Ambulance introduces patient care enhancements
McCabe Ambulance has announced it will provide expanded emergency services through new patient care enhancements.
These enhancements include the use of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) for patients with breathing problems and pulse oximeters to guide the administration of oxygen. These interventions, previously reserved for paramedics only, can now be performed by McCabe Ambulance EMTs, increasing the level of care delivered on every emergency call.
This initiative comes on the heels of a successful narcotic overdose antidote protocol McCabe Ambulance implemented last year.
McCabe Ambulance has also implemented a program where EMTs can activate a “code stroke” from the field, which allows them to immediately refer stroke patients for a CAT scan, providing more prompt diagnosis and speedier treatment.
“Decreasing the time it takes to definitively diagnose a stroke should start with the EMS crews making contact with the patient early on. Their role in this process cannot be overstated,” said Dr. Young Yoon, McCabe Ambulance medical director.
PSE&G warns customers about increase in scams
Public Service Electric and Gas Company is urging its customers to be alert to scams.
“We’ve seen a significant uptick in the number of scams being reported to us by customers,” said Greg Dunlap, PSE&G vice president of customer operations. “The only way to protect against these scams is for customers to be cautious when contacted by someone seeking access to their home or demanding immediate payment. Even one customer being cheated is one too many.”
Phone scammers use scare tactics: threatening service termination if they do not receive immediate payment with a pre-paid credit card.
“PSE&G offers a number of payment options, and would never require a customer to use one specific type of payment,” Dunlap said.
Door-to-door scammers use show up at someone’s house dressed like a utility worker and saying they need to “check a problem.” Often, after they gain access, they burglarize the home.
“Always ask for I.D,” Dunlap suggested.
When in doubt – or if suspicious in any way – PSE&G urges customers to call the number listed on their bill: (800) 436- 7734 and report scams to their local police departments.
Impaired driving enforcement crackdown announced
Officers from the Hudson County Sheriff’s Office are cracking down on drivers impaired by alcohol or drugs as part of the annual end-of-year “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” statewide campaign.
Running through Jan. 1, there will be extra sheriff’s officers patrolling county roads and highways looking specifically for impaired drivers.
“This is a time to celebrate the holidays and enjoy your family and friends. We want to avoid the preventable tragedy of DWI related crashes,” said Hudson County Sheriff Frank Schillari.
“This is a critical law enforcement program that can save lives during a time of the year when impaired driving traditionally increases by nearly 10 percent,” Schillari said.
Last year, 27 percent of all motor vehicle fatalities in New Jersey were alcohol-related. Nationally, more than 10,000 people die each year in drunk-driving crashes. The societal cost associated with these crashes is estimated to be $37 billion annually.
The patrols are made possible by a grant from the New Jersey Department of Transportation and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
House supports Sires bill to stop spread of infectious diseases
The Global Health Innovation Act (H.R. 2241), introduced by Congressman Albio Sires, passed the House of Representatives by voice vote on Dec. 18.
Infectious diseases and other health conditions claim the lives of nearly nine million people each year. To improve the United States’ leadership in global health care, U.S. Reps. Albio Sires and Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.) introduced legislation to promote the development of health products that are affordable, culturally appropriate, and easy to use in low-resource health systems.
Specifically, this bill will provide the oversight needed to gain a clearer picture of the United States Agency for International Development’s global health research and development. Over the years, projects have greatly expanded at the agency, searching for advancements toward an HIV- and AIDS-free generation, preventable maternal and childhood deaths, and preventable infectious diseases. H.R. 2241 directs the USAID administrator to report to Congress on the development and use of global health innovations in agency programs, projects, and activities, to ensure that taxpayer dollars are being spent efficiently and effectively.
H.R. 2241 currently awaits action in the Senate.
Agriculture Department offers conservation poster contest prizes
New Jersey’s Soil Conservation Districts are now accepting entries for a poster contest designed to raise awareness of natural resources and related issues among young people. The theme for this year’s poster is “We All Need Trees.”
Students compete in the following categories: Grades 2-3; Grades 4-6; Grades 7-9; and Grades 10-12. First place winners will receive $200; second-place $100; and third-place $50.
First-place winners will be entered into the national Conservation Districts contest.
The competition is sponsored by the New Jersey Department of Agriculture, New Jersey Association of Conservation Districts, and the state’s 15 Soil Conservation Districts, which work to conserve and manage soil and water resources in the state.
To find your local Soil Conservation District, go to nj.gov/agriculture/divisions/anr/nrc/conservdistricts.html. All entries must be submitted through the local districts.
For more information and the entry form, visit nj.gov/agriculture/divisions/anr/pdf/conservationpostercontest.pdf.