Miles of volunteers
Jordan, left, and Courtney Smith of Bedminster handed out water bottles at Miles for Matheny 2014.
“Hi. I am interested in volunteering for the upcoming Miles for Matheny event. My family has recently relocated to Gladstone, and we’ve heard that this is a wonderful event and would like to help out in some way. Please let me know if you are in need of volunteers and in what capacity. Thank you.”
That email from new Gladstone, NJ, resident Kristen Huamani, is typical of the community support for the 18th annual Miles for Matheny, the fundraiser and community event being held this Sunday, May 31, at Liberty Park in downtown Peapack, NJ. All five members of the Huamani family will be volunteering that day along with more than 400 others who will be doing things like distributing t-shirts, processing registration, handing out water bottles, greeting Matheny students and patients as they arrive in the park, painting faces, walking with wheelchair participants, forming cheering sections along the wheelchair walk route, cleaning up and helping people park their cars at Pfizer.
Groups include the Junior Friends of Matheny (mainly high school students from Bernards and Ridge), members of the Peapack–Gladstone-based Lone Eagle Composite Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol, employees of Peapack–Gladstone Bank and several other school and church groups.
A new group, “PG Loves Matheny,” will be participating in the Fitness Walk. Says member Donna Brooten of Gladstone: “There are many Matheny supporters in Peapack–Gladstone, and a one-mile Fitness Walk is the perfect way to show your support. Join the ‘PG Loves Matheny’ team on May 31 at 12:15 at Liberty Park.”
Events at Miles for Matheny include the Lu Huggins Wheelchair Walk, the new Fitness Walk, a Kids Fun Run and five different Cycling rides. A “Breakfast of Champions” will be available, courtesy of The Friends of Matheny. All funds raised will support programs and services that enhance the lives of the children and adults at Matheny and provide services for people with disabilities in the community.
Premier sponsor is The Poses Family Foundation. Other major sponsors include the Golub Family, Mariner Wealth Advisors, Partlow Insurance, Peapack–Gladstone Bank, Porzio Bromberg & Newman P.C. Attorneys at Law and WCBS Newsradio 880. For more information, log onto www.milesformatheny.org or call (908) 234-0011, ext. 260.
Residents of Mendham Road in Gladstone formed their own cheering section last year for participants in the Lu Huggins Wheelchair Walk.
‘This is where Sara fits in’
Barbara and Sara Hoffman.
Twelve-year-old Sara Hoffman was enrolled in The Matheny School in September 2013, and her parents, Barbara and Jeff Hoffman of Califon, “feel so blessed that she’s able to attend. We absolutely love the school.” To demonstrate their appreciation, the Hoffmans have created a fundraising page to raise money for Miles for Matheny, the annual fundraiser and community event that will be held on Sunday, May 31, in downtown Peapack. As of April 27, they had raised $695.
The fundraising page is called “Pikkle’s Posse” and its origin can be traced to Sara’s early childhood. “When she was an infant,” Barbara explained, “she had a hard time sleeping, and we would be up late at night with her. We just said, ‘She’s a little pikkle.’”
Sara was born with a neurological disorder called Aicardi syndrome, which results in frequent seizures beginning in infancy. The typical lifespan for an Aicardi syndrome patient, Hoffman pointed out, is 10 years. “We’ve already surpassed that by two years!”
Prior to coming to Matheny, Sara attended the Valley View Elementary School in Califon, part of the Lebanon Township school district. According to her mother, she had a good experience there, but Matheny “is a better fit. Every parent wants their child to fit in, and this is where Sara fits in. These kids are her peers. When we’re out in public, she stands out, people stare. But at Matheny, everybody is so welcoming—plus we have the therapies and the outdoor pool in the summer. They are better equipped to handle her here.”
Matheny, Hoffman feels, is like a family. Her older daughter, Amy, volunteers in the summer, and “because of her sister, she wants to get into pediatric nursing.” And the Hoffmans also appreciate the opportunity to interact with other Matheny families.
At Miles for Matheny, they will be walking with Sara in the Lu Huggins Wheelchair Walk in which friends and families, along with Matheny staff members, travel alongside more than 100 Matheny children and adults who “wheel” through the streets of downtown Peapack to the cheers of community members and other supporters. Other activities include a new Fitness Walk, five Cycling rides and a Kids’ Fun Run, all preceded by The Friends of Matheny’s “Breakfast of Champions.” Title sponsor is the Poses Family Foundation.
Funds raised at Miles for Matheny will benefit programs and services that enhance the lives of children and adults with medically complex developmental disabilities and serve people with disabilities in the community. For more information or to register, log onto www.milesformatheny.org or call 908.234.0011, ext. 260. To help support Barbara and Jeff Hoffman’s fundraising efforts, go to the Miles website and click on Search for Participant. Then type in Pikkle’s Posse.
Brightening up the workplace
Jess Evans with Tim Peters and her painting, “Spiderweb.”
Several years ago, Tim Peters, president of Peapack, NJ-based Tim Peters and Company and MedActionPlan.com LLC, purchased a painting by one of Matheny’s Arts Access artists at a silent auction. “Everyone who comes into the office loves the picture and comments on it,” he says. “We love how it looks in our office. It brightens up our day.”
More recently, Peters was reading the Winter 2015 issue of Matheny Matters, Matheny’s newsletter, when he spotted an article about a visit to the Visiting Nurse Association of the Somerset Hills in Basking Ridge, NJ, by two Arts Access artists. At the bottom of the page were images of two Arts Access paintings, “Spiderweb” by Jess Evans and an untitled piece by T.J. Christian. Peters contacted Arts Access and purchased both. Then, when he came to pick up the paintings, he met with both artists, who told Peters they would like to visit his office so they can see their paintings hanging. Plans are already in the works for these visits.
Arts Access enables artists with disabilities to create art without boundaries. Tim Peters and Company creates innovative print and software-based programs for the healthcare community. The firm has been on Peapack’s Main Street for more than 30 years.
Tim Peters with TJ Christian and his untitled painting.
‘Teachers Who Rock’
Dawn Williams, right, celebrates with her mother, Debbie.
Matheny School teacher Dawn Williams was one of 22 New Jersey teachers honored at Greater Media New Jersey radio stations’ “Teachers Who Rock” awards dinner, held March 31 at Casa Bianca in Oak Ridge, NJ. The teachers were greeted by Dan Finn, Greater Media New Jersey senior vice president and regional general manager. Then the awards were presented by personalities from rock radio station WDHA 105.5 FM and classic oldies WMTR 1250 AM.
Williams is the preschool teacher at Matheny. She believes the best teachers “are those who inspire us, who believe in us until we believe in ourselves, who push us, open up our minds, show us different worlds, help us understand, help us break barriers and truly bring out the best in us.”
Dawn receiving her award from WDHA morning show co-host Jim Monahan.
Nursing challenge
Standing, from left, nursing students Bret Tokash, Jerome Bautista, Kathleen Duncil, David Hummer, Kelly Richard. In front, from left, Matheny students Jameir Warren-Treadwell and Shane Szott.
“We learn how to administer medications and communicate with non-verbal patients. It’s a challenge, but it’s been a really good experience coming here.” That comment by Bret Tokash of Stockton, NJ, was typical of the reaction of his fellow Raritan Valley Community College classmates, all nursing students who visit Matheny regularly as part of our sponsored nursing school program.
Affiliations with nursing schools such as RVCC’s have created a greater nursing community for the special care that Matheny’s population requires. And the nursing students are a source of recruitment for Matheny’s nursing department. Because of the diverse needs of Matheny’s patients, nurses have to be knowledgeable and competent in a broad spectrum of practice applications.
‘I Trust the Doctors Here’
‘I Trust the Doctors Here’
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.
Bari-Kim Goldrosen has diaplegic cerebral palsy. When she moved from Matheny into one of Matheny’s community residences in 1997 at age 27, the “original thought,” says her mother, Sheila Goldrosen, was that, “If you’re living in the community, you can 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 Twp, NJ, to Peapack to see the therapists and rehab technicians in the seating and mobility clinic, 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 receives an annual physical exam from Dr. Mand as well as coming for periodic visits in-between, as needed.
Occupational therapist Maura Mirecki makes an adjustment to Bari-Kim’s new wheelchair.
The seating and mobility clinic recently helped Bari-Kim acquire a new wheelchair, something she desperately needed. “She was having trouble with the brakes and pedals on her wheelchair, which she had since 2003,” Sheila Goldrosen said. “It was time for a new chair.”
“The process for obtaining Medicare and secondary insurance authorizations is involved and cumbersome,” explained Kevin McCormick, assistant 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 in December.
The Matheny Center of Medicine and Dentistry provides more than 800 kids, teens and adults with disabilities the best outpatient medical, dental and therapy care possible.
Taking the Fear Out Of Going to the Dentist
Taking the Fear Out Of Going to the Dentist
Larissa Garcia with Mengchi Steven Yang, DDS.
When Larissa Garcia was born, everything seemed normal. Then, a few days later, she had difficulty breathing. Genetic tests revealed that she had Trisomy 13, a chromosomal condition associated with severe intellectual disability and physical abnormalities in many parts of the body. Because of the life-threatening medical problems that present themselves shortly after birth, many Trisomy 13 patients don’t survive past infancy, but Larissa is now nine years old and attending school in Mount Olive, NJ.
Finding dental care for someone with Larissa’s condition, however, was a problem until her family discovered the dental clinic at the Matheny Center of Medicine and Dentistry during a visit to The Matheny School four years ago. “I was crazy,” her mother, Rosemary Wood recalls. “I was wondering, ‘Where am I going to take her for a dentist?’”
Going to the dentist is a stressful experience under any circumstances, but for someone with Larissa’s disability, it could be frightening. At Matheny, says Wood, “They’re so caring. Everybody makes her comfortable. Dr. Yang, the dentist, is so patient. If she starts screaming, he says, ‘All right, Larissa, we’ll give you a break.’ He’s a really great guy. It means a lot to me.”
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 and root canals. Services are provided in partnership with the Rutgers School of Dental Medicine.
In addition to visiting the dental clinic, Larissa receives services from the MCMD’s seating and mobility clinic. She has received assistance in evaluating and purchasing adaptive bath/toileting equipment, an adapted tricycle to promote active movement and balance skills, and a specialized car seat to address her size and safety needs. The seating and mobility clinic staff was also able to make adjustments in her adaptive positioning stroller system to better support her sitting posture and functional needs.
Says Rosemary Wood: “We just love it at Matheny. Everybody is so compassionate. It makes a difference in Larissa’s life because she has gone through so much.”
‘All the Doctors Here Take Care of Him’
‘All the Doctors Here Take Care of Him’
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, Estella Perez of Bernardsville, NJ, brings him to the Matheny Center of Medicine and Dentistry 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, “they 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 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.”
Dr. Kendell Sprott Named Matheny’s New Chief Executive Officer
Dr. Kendell Sprott Named Matheny’s New Chief Executive Officer
Kendell R. Sprott, MD, JD
Kendell R. Sprott, MD, JD, has been named chief executive officer of Matheny, effective December 1. Dr. Sprott, both a physician and attorney, has been a member of the faculty at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School since 1984, most recently serving as senior associate dean for clinical affairs. He has also served as acting chair of the Department of Pediatrics and vice chair and director of community pediatrics at the Children’s Hospital of New Jersey at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center.
Dr. Sprott will succeed Steven Proctor, who is retiring after 16 years as CEO. Edana Desatnick and Bruce Fisher, co-chairs of Matheny’s Board of Trustees, expressed confidence that Dr. Sprott, “will continue to build on the solid foundation put in place by Steve Proctor. At Rutgers,” they added, “Dr. Sprott was instrumental in successfully integrating the clinical services of UMDNJ and Rutgers University. He demonstrated an outstanding ability to work effectively with a wide array of organizations and instituted a number of innovative solutions. As the new CEO at Matheny, Dr. Sprott and his leadership team will be responsible for expanding Matheny’s capabilities and services against the backdrop of a changing healthcare environment. We are confident that Dr. Sprott has the expertise to guide Matheny in a winning direction that will ensure future growth and prosperity.”
After 30 very successful and productive years at the New Jersey Medical School, Dr. Sprott is looking forward to a new challenge at Matheny . “I am honored,” he said, “to join the Matheny family, a group of individuals committed to the service and compassionate care of patients with complex needs.”
Dr. Sprott received a B.S. degree from Morehouse College in Atlanta, his MD from UMDNJ New Jersey Medical School (now Rutgers) and his JD degree from the Rutgers School of Law in Newark. He has also served in the Department of Pediatrics at St. Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston; Muhlenberg Hospital in Plainfield; and Children’s Hospital of New Jersey, which became part of Newark Beth Israel when United Hospitals closed in 1997. He was chair of the Governor’s Council of Children’s Service Planning from July 1989-May 1994 and was a recipient of the Thurgood Marshall Award for Excellence (2005), City News 100 Most Influential in New Jersey (1997), the Golden Apple Award for Teaching Excellence (1995) and the Child Advocacy Award from the National Black Child Development Institute (1990). He is currently a member of the board of directors and/or trustees of the Rutgers Community Health Foundation, Children’s Future, Advocates for Children of New Jersey and the Greater Newark Healthcare Coalition.
Dr. Sprott and his wife, Donna, also a physician, reside in Plainfield, NJ.
Local Resident Donates Single Occupant Van to Matheny
Local Resident Donates Single Occupant Van to Matheny
Doug Kimmelman, left, with Matheny student Raven Bennett and Matheny transportation manager Brad King in front of the Toyota Sienna donated by Kimmelman.
In addition to providing medical care and education for children and adults with medically complex developmental disabilities, Matheny does everything possible to improve their quality of life. A key factor in accomplishing that is the ability to transport students and patients to activities in the community.
Matheny has several multi-person vans, but, up until very recently, it did not have any small-sized wheelchair accessible vehicles that could carry just a single individual. That has all changed, thanks to the kindness of Bernardsville, NJ, resident Doug Kimmelman, who owned a handicapped-equipped 2008 Toyota Sienna XLE. Kimmelman decided to donate the van to Matheny, and it will be used to transport students or patients to family functions or on shopping trips when bigger vans would be impractical.
Miles for Matheny 2015
Participants in the Lu Huggins Wheelchair Walk last year.
The 18th annual Miles for Matheny, Matheny’s annual fundraiser and community event, will be held on Sunday, May 31, at Liberty Park in downtown Peapack. This year the event will include a new Fitness Walk in addition to the Lu Huggins Wheelchair Walk, five Cycling rides and a Kids Fun Run.
The signature event, of course, is the Wheelchair Walk, in which friends and families, along with Matheny staff, walk alongside more than 100 Matheny children and adults who “wheel” through the streets of downtown Peapack to the cheers of community members and other supporters. The Cycling event offers a choice of 10-, 25-, 35- and 50-mile bike routes, plus the highly challenging “Hills of Attrition” endurance ride, all through the beautiful Somerset Hills countryside. The Kids Fun Run is open to children ages 3–10, who are all winners—everyone receives a medal. The new one-mile Fitness Walk will precede the Wheelchair Walk, but all Fitness Walk participants are invited to join the wheelchair participants for a second mile around downtown Peapack. All participants and supporters will be able to indulge in The Friends of Matheny’s “Breakfast of Champions.”
Funds raised at Miles for Matheny will benefit programs and services that enhance the lives of the children and adults at Matheny and serve people with disabilities in the community. For more information, call (908) 234-0011, ext. 260, or email pcats@matheny.org. For sponsorship opportunities, call (908) 234-0011, ext. 315, or email jkriegman@matheny.org.
Peapack-Gladstone residents cheer the Wheelchair Walk participants as they roll past 23 Mendham Road.
