LifeBridge Health consists of Sinai Hospital of Baltimore, Northwest Hospital, Levindale Hebrew Geriatric Center and Hospital, Courtland Gardens Nursing & Rehabilitation Center, and LifeBridge Health & Fitness, along with their subsidiaries and affiliated units. As the largest, most comprehensive and most highly respected provider of health-related services to the people of the northwest Baltimore region, LifeBridge Health advocates preventive, wellness and fitness services and programs to educate and support the communities it serves. Boasting more than 7,400 employees system-wide, LifeBridge Health was named to Fortune Magazine s 100 Best Companies to Work For in 2010 and was the only Marylandbased health care system to make the list. Sinai Hospital of Baltimore provides a broad array of high-quality, cost-effective health and health-related services to the people of Greater Baltimore. Sinai boasts 18 medical departments, six specialty units and 12 Centers of Excellence. In addition to being awarded Magnet designation, the American Nurses Credentialing Center s highest honor for nursing excellence, Sinai was nationally ranked for the second year in a row as one of the top 50 hospitals for neurology and neurosurgery by U.S. News and World Report. Marked by numerous firsts throughout its 140-year history, Sinai Hospital is proud of its reputation for breaking new ground and offering cutting-edge technology in state-of-the-art facilities. Some of these firsts include being the first hospital in Maryland to offer the CyberKnife treatment of tumors previously deemed inoperable; the first hospital in Maryland to furnish all patient rooms with beds with computerized surfaces to enhance patient comfort; and the first Baltimore area hospital to treat liver tumors with a minimally invasive procedure using thermal heat generated by radio waves. Another soon-to-be first is the introduction of TrueBeam, one of the most advanced radiotherapy technologies in the world for treating cancer. TrueBeam delivers more flexible cancer treatments with pinpoint accuracy and precision, ease, and speed. It combines imaging, beam delivery and sophisticated RapidArc technology to accurately and precisely target tumors. Sinai will be the first hospital in Maryland to offer this advanced treatment. For more than 45 years, Northwest Hospital has served the health care needs of the greater northwest Baltimore area. Northwest is a community hospital offering the highest level of patient care with 11 Centers of Excellence and 11 medical departments. Smaller 20-bed units and single occupancy rooms; the elimination of nursing stations; the placement of supplies, medications and charts in close proximity to patients; and the use of a highly sophisticated communication system enhance the level of staff responsiveness and the quality of care for patients and their families. Recently, Northwest Hospital acquired a da Vinci Surgical System allowing surgeons to operate with robotic precision, making minimally invasive surgery safer and easier to perform. Stacey Berner, M.D., nationally recognized orthopedic surgeon and director of the Hand and Upper Extremity Center of Northwest Hospital, was the first physician in the United States and second in the world to perform robotically assisted hand surgery using the da Vinci robot. In addition to providing patient-centered, family-focused care in a facility that boasts $100 million in recent expansion and renovations, Northwest has many milestone achievements. These include opening the only fully dedicated hospital-based hospice unit in Maryland; unveiling the 51,000-square-foot Northwest Professional Center and SurgiCenter; and dedicating the new Herman & Walter Samuelson Breast Care Center a flagship center that brings all of the components of a comprehensive breast care program together in a beautiful facility. Levindale Hebrew Geriatric Center and Hospital offers superior care for the elderly and disabled. Levindale was named one of the 10 most innovative health care facilities in the nation by the Center for Innovation in Health Facilities for its adult day care program. In addition, Levindale was named to U.S. News and World Report s list of best nursing homes for 2011. Levindale was the first nursing home in Maryland to become a registered Eden Alternative facility. The Eden Alternative organization helps nursing homes become more of a habitat by using plants, pets and frequent contact with children to eliminate loneliness and helplessness among residents. In addition, five staff physicians and 600 nursing staff and support personnel ensure continuous care to our residents and patients. Our full-time Chaplaincy department and observance of Jewish laws, which include strictly kosher meals, provide the highest quality comfort and support to our patients and residents.
The Herman & Walter Samuelson Children s Hospital at Sinai Admitting more than 2,400 children and young adults a year, the Herman & Walter Samuelson Children s Hospital at Sinai provides medical expertise for a wide array of illnesses and diseases that can affect children. This expertise includes subspecialists with years of training and experience who bring with them valuable knowledge. In addition, the Samuelson Children s Hospital boasts a renowned pediatric residency program focusing on 16 pediatric subspecialties. At the heart of our Department of Pediatrics is the concept of family-centered care. Based on the knowledge that family is the constant in a child s life, family-centered care is built on partnerships between families and health professionals during and after a child is treated for a diagnosed illness. Philanthropic funds support numerous projects across the Department of Pediatrics. Patient assistance funds help families with transportation to and from treatment, medical bills not covered by insurance, and prescriptions. Other funds provide toys for the playroom, arts and crafts for young patients, and video games and movies for inpatient rooms. In addition, ongoing research and clinical trials are funded by the generosity of community and corporate foundations. Offering the second largest pediatric oncology program in the state, Sinai s Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology treats hundreds of children each year who have pediatric cancers and blood disorders by providing outpatient and inpatient chemotherapy as well as ongoing treatment and follow-up. In 2010, the Alfred I. Coplan Pediatric Hematology Oncology Outpatient Center opened in its newly relocated and expanded space on the Sinai campus. The larger, brighter clinic provides five exam rooms and five private infusion bays in a comforting, yet vibrant, child- and adolescent-friendly environment. Each year as pediatric patient admissions increase, additional space for sick children and their family members becomes more of a priority. To meet this demand and to accomplish the goal of merging the family-centered care concept with the established pediatric model currently in place, ground was broken in 2009 to expand and renovate the Pediatric Inpatient Unit. Plans include 26 new private rooms equipped with a sleep area for family members. Our Children s Diagnostic Center will also be expanded so children can be anesthetized while in the company of a parent on the pediatric unit as opposed to an operating room. The expanded facility is scheduled to open March 1, 2012. These ambitious plans are essential to respond to our remarkable growth and to changes in health care delivery. They will allow our children and their families privacy; comfort; and a bright, cheerful environment. They will provide our medical staff the space they need to help and heal the children who depend on us each day.
THE WOMEN S WELLNESS CENTER AND THE HERMAN & WALTER SAMUELSON BREAST CARE CENTER AT NORTHWEST HOSPITAL The Women s Wellness Center at Northwest Hospital offers a holistic approach to women s health and focuses on the needs of each individual patient in a central setting. The center offers patients complete gynecological care from annual exams to advanced surgery and minimally invasive techniques. In addition, a nurse health coach meets with each patient to develop a custom health plan and coordinates all medical and alternative care appointments. The center offers acupuncture; yoga; fitness; massage; meditation; and free monthly lectures to the community on topics such as weight loss, stress management, breast and heart health, and caring for elderly patients. The center also offers osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM) provided by board-certified gynecologist and doctor of osteopathy, Dee Dee Shiller. OMM is based on the concept that the body is interconnected; and, when one part is out of balance, it affects your whole person. Dr. Shiller not only treats symptoms but strives to determine the underlying factors causing health problems. She uses osteopathic manipulative therapy, a hands-on technique, to diagnose and treat patients and, in some cases, to prevent future health issues. The Herman & Walter Samuelson Breast Care Center at Northwest Hospital, part of the Alvin & Lois Lapidus Cancer Institute, offers the most advanced diagnosis and treatment for disease of both the breast and bone in the Baltimore region. Our patients benefit from advanced technology and a highly trained, multidisciplinary team dedicated to helping women navigate their breast cancer diagnosis and treatment. At the center, we strive to make it easier for women to understand their treatment options, get the support they need during treatment and obtain truly coordinated care. Advanced technology including state-of-the-art mammography and diagnostic breast ultrasound equipment is available at the center. Northwest Hospital was one of the first breast care centers in the area to offer women a MammoPad, an FDA-cleared foam cushion that dramatically eases the discomfort many women feel when they get a mammogram. Additional diagnostic services available at the center include stereotactic breast biopsy and bone density testing. The Herman & Walter Samuelson Breast Care Center is housed in a premier location in the front of the hospital. Guest and patient areas are fitted with especially comfortable seating areas, and calming music plays throughout with the goal of reducing the anxiety of our patients. Highly experienced fellowship-trained breast surgeon Dawn Leonard, M.D., was appointed to lead the program and works closely with other members of the medical staff. Philanthropic support allows us to provide a broad array of high-quality, cost-effective health services in an environment where our patients and their families can receive the best and most compassionate care. These funds provide financial resources that strengthen hospital programs, enhance medical technologies, assist in attracting the best clinical staff and help maintain a healing environment.
Culture Change at Levindale Hebrew Geriatric Center and Hospital and Courtland Gardens Nursing & Rehabilitation Center Boasting a vital and vibrant history grounded in Jewish culture, Levindale Hebrew Geriatric Center and Hospital has served the community for more than 100 years. Levindale provides a complete range of quality health care programs for the elderly and disabled, including a nursing home, a specialty hospital for complex chronic medical conditions, comprehensive inpatient rehabilitation, inpatient and outpatient behavioral health services, a sub-acute unit, hospice care, respite care, and adult day services. Levindale is dedicated to providing superior service in a cost-effective manner for the aged, frail and ill. As an advocate for the elderly, Levindale accepts a leadership role in defining and developing a comprehensive continuum of nursing, medical and social services within the Baltimore-area Jewish community. Our full-time Chaplaincy department and our observance of Jewish laws provide the highest quality of comfort for our patients and residents. In 2000, Levindale was pleased to welcome Jewish Convalescent & Nursing Home to the LifeBridge Health family. In early 2009, Jewish Convalescent was renamed Courtland Gardens Nursing & Rehabilitation Center to better reflect the expansion in admission policy, which began including non- Jewish residents in 2007. Courtland Gardens is also a geriatric-focused center that provides excellent health care in a homelike atmosphere. Our commitment is to respect our residents of all faiths. Levindale was proud to become the first registered Eden Alternative center in Maryland in 2000, and Courtland Gardens followed suit in 2002. The Eden Alternative is a program that promotes culture change. It creates an environment to celebrate life, by surrounding residents and patients with plants, pets and children in an atmosphere of companionship, empowerment and spontaneity. It also focuses on giving residents and patients the chance to nurture and care for others. These objectives are achieved through regular interaction with children; care for pets; kibbutzim, groups that create a family feeling; restaurant-style dining; and the construction of a household at Levindale. In addition, creative therapeutic recreation programs also provide music therapy, art therapy, exercise, Russian culture, movies, games, field trips and weekly birthday parties. To continue our culture changes, in 2005 we embarked on the next Eden Alternative phase called the Neighborhood Model. This model is designed to put more decision-making power into the hands of residents. Each neighborhood (formerly unit) is made up of small groups of elders, clinical and nonclinical employees, families, and volunteers. As part of the Neighborhood Model, Levindale is currently undergoing an 87,000-square-foot capital project, and the new Levindale, on the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg campus, is scheduled to open in December 2011. It will be a cheerful, inviting, modern home for residents, while providing a comfortable, elegant and friendly atmosphere. Resident rooms will be located within six neighborhoods consisting of 14 rooms each. There will be a total of 84 private bedrooms that have full showers and bathrooms; a country kitchen with family-style kosher cooking and dining; a den for reading, listening to music and watching television; and a cozy hearth area.
There will also be a two-story town center with a Jewish-themed museum, a synagogue, a gift shop, a café, a barbershop and a beauty salon. Outside, there will be sensory gardens, courtyards, patios and a playground for grandchildren. The success of the Eden Alternative and Neighborhood Model relies heavily on community involvement. Philanthropic support helps us continue our mission of not only providing the best medical care, but also cultural stimulation, social opportunities, emotional support and a family-like environment for our residents and patients.