Team ICS

Ryan O'Connor participating in an adapted sport activity with physical education instructor Jim Hintenach, left, and occupational therapist Deborah Goodhart.

Last year the Immaculate Conception School in Annandale, NJ, designated Matheny as the beneficiary of its Dance-A-Thon and raised $10,000. This year, ICS has formed a fundraising team to support Miles for Matheny and has set a fundraising goal of $15,000. The effort is being coordinated by Debbie O’Connor, an Annandale resident whose nine-year-old son Ryan is a student at Matheny.

In her message to ICS families, O’Connor says, “Our team will participate in the Lu Huggins Wheelchair Walk – non-runners and families can enjoy fun and fitness walking alongside Matheny children and adults who ‘wheel’ the streets of downtown Peapack to the cheers of the local community and other supporters.”

Confirmation candidates will receive service hours for volunteering to push a Matheny student or patient, but O’Connor added that ICS students might choose to volunteer with their family to push one of the wheelchair participants. “It is an amazing experience,” she said, “that will touch your hearts.” It will be easy to spot the Immaculate Conception volunteers because O’Connor is having t-shirts made specifically for Team ICS.

In addition to the Wheelchair Walk, activities at Miles for Matheny will include a 5K Race, five different Cycling routes, a Kids Fun Run and The Friends of Matheny’s “Breakfast of Champions, followed by luncheon refreshments in the park. All funds raised will help support the Matheny Center of Medicine and Dentistry, which provides medical, dental and therapy care to people with disabilities in communities throughout New Jersey.

Major sponsors include: the Poses Family Foundation, title sponsor; Partlow Insurance Agency; Peapack-Gladstone Bank; Porzio Bromberg & Newman, P.C.; Affinity Federal Credit Union; and WCBS-TV and WCBS Newsradio 880.

To find out how you can be part of this fun and uplifting event, log onto www.milesformatheny.org or call (908) 234-0011, ext. 260. To help support Team ICS, click on Search for Participant and type in the team name.

Dr. Gary E. Eddey

By Gary E. Eddey, MD

Matheny has a long tradition of serving as a teaching site for professional students. Our facility offers the state of New Jersey a campus where professional students can learn to care effectively and efficiently for one of the most complex patient populations in the world.

Our role as an educational campus for medical students, nursing students and interns in social work and therapeutic disciplines is directly attributable to our status as a special hospital. That status has attracted affiliations with the New Jersey Medical School and with teaching institutions throughout the United States. The primary purpose of our training programs is to ensure that students entering the healthcare fields of medicine, nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech and language, social work, psychology, recreation, chaplaincy and music therapy are prepared to understand and meet the special healthcare needs of people with complex disabilities. Matheny funds these programs because the more professionals Matheny can train to treat the developmentally disabled population, the more cost-effective and efficient treatment will become.

The training programs we provide have been the focus of several articles in professional journals, have been presented in conferences and have served as models for national healthcare training programs. Our training philosophy was also featured in a national webinar conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This wide exposure results in our programs contributing to the cost-effectiveness of healthcare for persons with disabilities, not only in New Jersey, but nationally as well.

(Fifth in a series of articles by Gary E. Eddey, MD, Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, on the habilitative healthcare model).

Betty and Joe Christie of Keyport, NJ, parents of late artist Jason Christie, next to his painting “Wolverine.” At right is their niece Leslie Bergman of New York City.

The mission of Matheny’s Arts Access Program is to provide individuals with disabilities the freedom to create in the visual, literary and performing arts. Along with that freedom comes the opportunity for the artists to have their art displayed in the community. A recent example of such community exposure and support was an exhibit of visual art and written works by Arts Access artists at the MONDO Summit building in Summit, NJ.

From left, George Vanderslays and Kate Jackette of Watchung, NJ; Arts Access director Eileen Murray of Morris Plains, NJ; and Diane Revel of Bernardsville, NJ.

The exhibit was held from February 25-March 29, and a special reception to celebrate it took place from 2-4 p.m. on Sunday, March 17, at the 94-year-old reconstructed brick building, which is dedicated to all kinds of art. In addition to viewing the visual art at the reception, visitors were treated to a reading of some of the literary art.

Scott Gordon in his classroom with speech-language pathologist Jaclynne Dietrich.

As we head into the home stretch for Miles for Matheny, our community event and fundraiser being held Sunday, April 21, the top fundraiser is the Gordon family of New Providence, NJ, whose 13-year-old son Scott is a student in the Matheny School. As of March 27, the Gordons’ fundraising team, “That’s How Scott Rolls” had raised $3,542, easily surpassing its initial fundraising goal of $1,080. The fundraising, according to the Gordons, is being done “in honor of our son, Scott, and his fantabulous team of teachers, caregivers and therapists. We love and appreciate you all!”

Scott currently lives at home, but he is on the waiting list for residency at Matheny. “As Scott began getting bigger,” his mother Julie explains, “we began to think about residential. Nobody wishes that for their child, but given his size and his needs, we realized this was the best thing.”

The 16th annual Miles for Matheny will be held at Liberty Park in downtown Peapack, NJ. Activities include the Lu Huggins Wheelchair Walk, a 5K Run, five different Cycling routes, a Kids Fun Run and The Friends of Matheny’s “Breakfast of Champions” followed by refreshments in the park. All funds raised will help support the Matheny Center of Medicine and Dentistry, which provides medical, dental and therapy care to Matheny inpatients and to people with disabilities in communities throughout New Jersey. Major sponsors are the Poses Family Foundation, title sponsor; Partlow Insurance Agency; Peapack-Gladstone Bank; Porzio Bromberg & Newman, P.C.; Affinity Federal Credit Union; and WCBS-TV and WCBS Newsradio 880.

To find out how you can be part of this fun-filled and uplifting event, log onto www.milesformatheny.org or call (908) 234-0011, ext. 260. To support “That’s How Scott Rolls”, click on Search for Participant and type in the team name.

Matheny student Aaron Turovlin, enjoying the Passover service with Rabbi Evan Jaffe. At center is social worker Marjorie Cote.

The Four Questions are an important part of the Passover seder, highlighting the ways in which Passover customs and foods distinguish the holiday from other times of the year. Each of the four answers explains why something is done differently during this holiday.

Rabbi Evan Jaffe of the Flemington, NJ, Jewish Community Center visited Matheny a few days before Passover and explained the Four Questions to a group of Matheny students and adult patients. He also led them in Passover songs and prayers.

Dr. Gary E. Eddey

By Gary E. Eddey, MD

Matheny’s data consistently demonstrate that care provided here reduces the risk for much more costly acute care hospitalizations. Our daily bed rate, in fact, is lower than that of acute care hospitals.

Morbidity and mortality data for 2011 and 2012 show that Matheny has consistently reduced transfers of our patients to acute care hospitals over the preceding years. Factors contributing to this reduction include: 24/7 on-site coverage; an advanced respiratory therapy department; a fully staffed onsite pharmacy, which has increased the availability of urgently needed medications; and  interconnected informal relationships with several acute care hospitals.

Our transition nursing program, developed with a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, has enabled us to reduce the chances of readmission for those patients who have been transferred to acute care hospitals. Rehospitalizations within 30 days of the original admission have been reduced to 7.4% from 25%. Also, patients with routine planned preventative surgery admissions are quickly readmitted back to Matheny.

All individuals have the right to have their potential maximized, regardless of whether they have mild, moderate or severe developmental disabilities. Matheny has always focused on improving and prolonging the quality of life of its patients. In addition to our medical expertise, we believe that the therapies and activities we provide are absolutely crucial in maximizing our patients’ functioning and their ability to actively engage in and enjoy life experiences.

(Fourth in a series of articles by Gary E. Eddey, Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at Matheny, on the habilitative healthcare model).

Fred, Andy and Morgan Lash at Miles for Matheny 2009.

“When you meet someone with a severe disability,” says Justin Lash, “it’s hard to imagine what their quality of life would be. But Matheny has given my brother Andy an exceptional quality of life for more than 35 years, for which we are forever thankful.”

That’s why Lash and his family continue to vigorously support Miles for Matheny, Matheny’s annual fundraiser and community event, which is being held this year on Sunday, April 21, at Liberty Park in Peapack, NJ.  The Lash family – parents Fred and Suzanne Lash of Denville, NJ; Justin, his wife Melissa and son Jack of Randolph, NJ; and sister Morgan of Oak Ridge, NJ – have once again formed a team, “Andy ‘Flash’ Lash,” to raise funds. This year’s fundraising goal is $2,500, but Justin is pretty sure he’ll have to adjust it upward because, as of March 12, the team had already raised $1,325 from 10 donors.

Andy Lash, now 41, became a Matheny resident in 1977 at the age of six.  For the past 11+ years he has resided at Matheny’s community residence in Franklin Township, NJ. He’s an avid New York Yankees fan and when he lived at Matheny, Justin recalls, “We always joked that he was the mayor because he would be soloing through the halls, and everybody knew him and liked him.” What continues to amaze Justin Lash is “the creativity at Matheny that enables people like Andy to have as normal a life as possible. It became clear as Andy got older that he was so comfortable in his own environment at Matheny.”

Andy Lash will be one of more than 100 adults and children in wheelchairs, with walking partners, who will travel 1.5 miles around downtown Peapack as part of the Lu Huggins Wheelchair Walk at Miles for Matheny. In addition, there will be a 5K Road Race, five Cycling routes, a Kids Fun Run and The Friends of Matheny’s “Breakfast of Champions,” followed by luncheon refreshments in the park.

All funds raised at Miles for Matheny will help support the Matheny Center of Medicine and Dentistry, which provides medical, dental and therapy care to Matheny inpatients and people with disabilities in communities throughout New Jersey. Major sponsors are: the Poses Family Foundation, title sponsor; Partlow Insurance Agency; Peapack-Gladstone Bank; Porzio Bromberg & Newman, P.C.; Affinity Federal Credit Union; and WCBS-TV and WCBS Newsradio 880.

To find out how you can be part of this fun-filled and uplifting event, log onto www.milesformatheny.org or call (908) 234-0011, ext. 260. To support Andy “Flash” Lash, click on Search for Participant and type in Andy “Flash” Lash.

Justin and Andy Lash in 2005.

At Miles for Matheny 2012: Otis Livingston and his son Marquis with Lloyd and Edana Desatnick of Basking Ridge, NJ, and their son Bryan, a Matheny student.

“It’s a little dreary, but we’re not going to let that dampen our spirits. The motto is: ‘Go the Miles and make some Smiles.’ Let’s do that today, and let’s have a great time.” So said WCBS-TV sports anchor Otis Livingston, as he cheered on the participants in the Lu Huggins Wheelchair Walk last year at Miles for Matheny, our fundraiser and community event to be held this year on Sunday, April 21, in Peapack’s Liberty Park. Livingston will be making a return appearance, hopefully under sunnier skies.

WCBS-TV, along with sister station WCBS Newsradio 880, will again be broadcast media sponsors of Miles for Matheny, which in addition to the wheelchair walk, includes a 5K Road Race, five different Cycling routes, a Kids Fun Run and The Friends of Matheny’s “Breakfast of Champions,” followed by luncheon refreshments in the park. All funds raised at Miles help support the Matheny Center of Medicine and Dentistry, which provides medical, dental and therapy care to Matheny inpatients and people with disabilities in communities throughout New Jersey.

A multi-Emmy Award winner, Livingston lives in New Jersey with his wife and five children. He has been part of the CBS 2 sports team since 2009. Prior to that, he reported on sports for “Today in New York” on WNBC-TV and has also reported for WWOR-TV and WPHL-TV in Philadelphia. In 2004, Livingston carried the Olympic Torch through part of the Torch’s world tour leading up to the Summer Olympics in Athens. He was a member of the University of Kansas basketball team that won the national championship in 1988 and is a graduate of the University of Idaho with a BS in telecommunications.

To find out how you can be part of this fun-filled and uplifting event, log onto www.milesformatheny.org or call (908) 234-0011, ext. 260.

Otis Livingston and his son Marquis, keeping dry in the gym last year with Matheny adult student Dion Alston and the New Jersey Devils mascot.

Wayne Cabot and his daughter Amanda, trying to keep dry last year.

WCBS Newsradio 880 anchor Wayne Cabot will once again have a personal webpage on the Miles for Matheny website to raise money for our fundraiser and community event, being held on Sunday, April 21, at Liberty Park in Peapack, NJ. WCBS Newsradio 880 and sister station WCBS-TV are media sponsors of Miles, and Cabot and CBS 2 sports anchor Otis Livingston will be at the event.

Cabot says he comes to Miles every year because, “We believe in what the folks at Matheny do. I have had the honor of being shown around many times. The people at Matheny are treated with care and dignity. I’m so happy to be a part of it.”

Activities at Miles for Matheny include the Lu Huggins Wheelchair Walk, a 5K Road Race, five different Cycling routes, a Kids Fun Run and The Friends of Matheny “Breakfast of Champions” followed by luncheon refreshments in the park.

All funds raised at Miles help support the Matheny Center of Medicine and Dentistry, which provides medical, dental and therapy care to Matheny inpatients and people with disabilities in communities throughout New Jersey. Other major sponsors are: the Poses Family Foundation, title sponsor; Partlow Insurance Agency; Peapack-Gladstone Bank; Porzio Bromberg & Newman, P.C.; and Affinity Federal Credit Union.

To find out how you can be part of this fun-filled and uplifting event, log onto www.milesformatheny.org or call (908) 234-0011, ext. 260. To help support Wayne Cabot’s fundraising efforts, click on Search for Participant and type in his name.

PT Marda Herz consults with Matheny rehab technician Jon DaSilva about a Belmont Runyan student’s seating needs.

Matheny has dozens of highly skilled professionals with unparalleled depth and breadth of experience, who are available to work with special needs students at all levels of ability in public school districts. In a program we call “Matheny Solutions for Schools,” we can provide specialized evaluations, therapy services, home-based  services and adaptive equipment and technologies.

Matheny has been working closely for some time with the Newark Public Schools District, specifically at the Belmont Runyan School, which has a program for medically fragile students. According to Marda Herz, a physical therapist for the district, Matheny’s rehab technicians consult with school therapists to determine equipment needs for the students. “Then,” she says, “the Matheny technicians make recommendations. The one thing that Matheny offers that no one else does is the service upon delivery. They install, they set up, they instruct. It is a pleasurable working experience, not only for me, but the teaching staff, too.”

Among the services Matheny’s rehab technicians can provide to school districts are:

• Adapting equipment to provide students access to classrooms through the use of environmental controls in the classroom.

• Supplying adaptive physical education products.

• Setting up new classrooms to ensure access for students with physical disabilities.

Free assembly and inservice is available for all equipment purchased by schools. For more information about any of our services, email Linda Newsome, Director of Matheny Solutions for Schools, at mathenysolutions@matheny.org or call her at (908) 229-7342.

From left, Bruce, Roxanne, Jack and Max Levinston.

Twelve year-old Jack Levinston says he has been a runner “my whole life.” He also competes in lacrosse, soccer and wrestling. But it was his love for running that inspired him to look for a way he could run in a road race to support a worthy cause for his Bar Mitzvah project. A seventh grader at Bridgewater-Raritan Middle School, Jack will have his Bar Mitzvah ceremony on May 11 at Temple Beth-El in Hillsborough.

“I started looking online for races,” he said, “and Matheny just seemed like a good place because it helps people with disabilities. It had the best description of what it does.” Jack will be running the 5K at Miles for Matheny and has set a fundraising goal of $5,000. As of March 15, he had already raised $1,507 from 19 different donors. “We’ve gotten some very generous donations,” he added, pointing out that “100% of the money I raise goes to the Matheny Medical and Educational Center to help people with disabilities.”

The 16th annual Miles for Matheny will be held Sunday, April 21, at Liberty Park in downtown Peapack. In addition to the 5K, activities include the Lu Huggins Wheelchair Walk, five different Cycling routes, a Kids Fun Run and The Friends of Matheny’s “Breakfast of Champions” followed by luncheon refreshments in the park. All funds raised will help support the Matheny Center of Medicine and Dentistry, which provides medical, dental and therapy care to Matheny inpatients and people with disabilities in communities throughout New Jersey.

Major sponsors are the Poses Family Foundation, title sponsor; Partlow Insurance Agency, Peapack-Gladstone Bank, Porzio Bromberg & Newman, P.C.; Affinity Federal Credit Union; and WCBS-TV and WCBS Newsradio 880.

To find out how you can be part of this fun-filled and uplifting event, log onto www.milesformatheny.org or call (908) 234-0011, ext. 260. To help support Jack Levinston, click on Search For Participant and type in his name.

Jack Levinston