Spotlight On: Reginald Blaber, Executive Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer, Virtua Health

Spotlight On: Reginald Blaber, Executive Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer, Virtua Health

By: Max Crampton-Thomas

2 min read April 2020 — Virtua Health is an award-winning nonprofit health system that provides a complete spectrum of advanced and accessible healthcare services. Executive Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer Reginald Blaber discusses the efforts at Virtua’s hospitals to fight the COVID-19 outbreak, including the formation of a dedicated team to battle the pandemic.

 

What accommodations are your hospitals making to handle the influx of patients due to the COVID-19 outbreak? 

Virtua Health has formed a team representing all divisions of our workforce that is dedicated to preparing for and responding to the COVID-19 outbreak. As a comprehensive healthcare system with more than 280 locations, Virtua has considerable flexibility in our ability to re-allocate resources. 

 

Virtua’s ICU footprint is likely to grow in the weeks ahead. We have close to 1,500 licensed beds among our five hospitals, and we are examining various configurations to ensure we can meet the need as the number of COVID-19 cases continues to grow. 

 

Virtua has also created temporary respiratory triage centers to support three of its emergency departments (ED). These centers are not specifically for testing for COVID-19, but help triage people who present to the ED with symptoms of respiratory illness, such as cough, sore throat or fever. Two of these centers are in tents outside Virtua Memorial and Virtua Voorhees hospitals. The auditorium inside Virtua Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital has been repurposed for this function, as well. Additional triage centers may be established at other Virtua sites, as needed. 

How is your system working to ensure that patients and healthcare professionals alike are maintaining a safe environment?

Virtua’s many classes and programs have migrated to online formats. This includes bariatric support, prenatal education and our cancer survivorship series. We believe it is vital to keep connected with our community, even if we can’t be in the same room. 

 

Of course, many hospital departments and services must carry on regardless of the virus. Virtua maintains its commitment to support all people who turn to us for care. As an example, we will still deliver dozens of babies every week, but we have established new protocols to help ensure those families have a safe, personalized and positive experience.

 

Given the widespread transmission of COVID-19 in our community and the many unknowns about this new virus, we have begun providing a face mask for all Virtua colleagues – clinical and nonclinical – working in our hospitals, patient care settings and physician offices. This includes our home-care providers. We hope that by making face masks available to every employee, we can alleviate some of the anxiety among both our staff and patients. 

 

Virtua’s supply chain team has worked tirelessly with both our traditional vendors and new connections to ensure sufficient supplies of masks and other PPE. Virtua has also received donated supplies from area businesses, which is greatly appreciated. We recognize that the supplies of masks and other PPE remain finite, and we are committed to being good stewards of these vital resources.

How can the community best assist the local healthcare providers in this time of need?

The best thing people can do for local healthcare providers is to help slow the spread of the virus. Therefore, we implore everyone to follow all the recommended precautions, including staying home and social distancing, abiding by travel restrictions, and keeping at least six feet or more from those you encounter. Also, make sure to wash your hands frequently, especially when returning home from outside, or use hand sanitizer when soap and water are unavailable. 

 

Virtua Health also asks the people of South Jersey to identify ways they can support the healthcare workers in their lives, such as assisting with chores or meal preparation. However, please be sure to remain physically distant (at least six feet apart) when providing such assistance. For instance, you could prepare a meal in your own home, and then leave it on the healthcare worker’s front porch. 

What would your message be to the local community that is sheltering in place and waiting for a return to normalcy?  

We would tell our community to remain calm and to know that by staying home, they help to improve the overall outcome of this crisis. In a time when the world beyond the front door feels out of control, it’s important to take things day by day and focus on the things you can control.

Do you feel you are receiving enough state and federal support for items you are in need of? What can the state and federal governments be doing better in this regard? 

Collaboration is essential during this national crisis, and Virtua Health is an active participant in the conversations happening on local, regional and state levels. No one could rightly say they were completely prepared for this outbreak, but as a health system, we maintain long-standing plans for 

disasters and emergencies, including pandemics. Our employees have trained for these scenarios, and they have demonstrated that they are prepared to guide our community through difficult and complicated times. They are often thought of as heroes, and I can’t think of a better word to describe them.

To learn more about our interviewee, visit: 

www.virtua.org/

Spotlight On: Dixieanne James, President & COO, Einstein Medical Center Philadelphia

Spotlight On: Dixieanne James, President & COO, Einstein Medical Center Philadelphia

By: Felipe Rivas

2 min read April 2020 — Einstein Medical Center Philadelphia is part of the Albert Einstein Healthcare Network, a nonprofit organization operating in the state of Pennsylvania. President and COO Dixieanne James discussed Einstein’s actions during the COVID-19 pandemic, including the network’s effort to ensure a safe environment and what the community can do to help during this time of crisis.

 

What accommodations is Einstein making to handle the influx of patients due to the COVID-19 outbreak?

Einstein activated our Incident Command Center very early in this outbreak and worked quickly to develop protocols around patient care, procurement of personal protective equipment and employee health among many others. During our work related to COVID-19, we have designated COVID-19-specific care units; developed detailed surge plans that include identifying and converting procedural areas into inpatient acute capacity, including short procedure units (SPU), post-anesthesia recovery area (PACU, Cath lab, endoscopy), cross training and redeploying staffing, including nursing, physicians and clinical technicians, and emergency department rapid assessment plans with additional surge tent capacity; installation of several additional negative pressure rooms; advanced renting and purchasing of additional equipment, including beds, monitors and ventilators; expanding to the extent possible PPE inventory (gloves, gowns, masks); and investing in new equipment and infrastructure to perform in-hospital COVID-19 l testing capacities.

How is the network working to ensure that patients and healthcare professionals alike are maintaining a safe environment?

We have established several policies to help ensure the safest environment possible for our staff and patients. These include: no visitor policy; all employee facemask policy with continually evolving guidelines; daily temperature screening for all visitors and staff; employee and patient COVID-19 testing in our practices; ongoing and real-time adjustment to practice/care recommendations based on guidance and safety updates from CDC and DOH; and additional cleaning, disinfecting and wipe downs in high traffic areas. 

How can the community best assist local healthcare providers in this time of need?

First, we ask that everyone stay home and stay healthy. Social distancing is critically important to help bend the curve.  We also encourage everyone to donate PPE when possible and look for opportunities to give blood through the Red Cross.

What is your message to the local community that is sheltering in place and waiting for things to return to normalcy?

We all have a big part to play.  The community’s part is to continue to stay home while our caregivers work each day to provide care to those in need. If we all do our part, we’ll get through this together and normalcy will return. We are incredibly resilient but it’s important that we wait until we can safely return things to normal. 

To learn more about our interviewee, visit: 

https://www.einstein.edu/

Spotlight On: Charles Muracco, CEO & Principal Consultant, CLM Advisors

Spotlight On: Charles Muracco, CEO & Principal Consultant, CLM Advisors

By: Felipe Rivas

2 min read April 2020 — Accounting and financial services are a market sector that has been on a steady growth trajectory for years, and with this growth comes a significant increase in competition and the need to differentiate. Charles Muracco, CEO and principal consultant at CLM Advisors, understands this and has evolved his firm into a pure consultancy. During his discussion with Invest:, he talked about his company’s mission, demand growth and his firm’s adaptability to dealing with the challenge of skilled labor. 

 

How do you differentiate your firm in a crowded marketplace? 

We are a boutique consulting firm that helps businesses with their long-term goals. Although our roots are in accounting services, we have gotten to the point where we rarely talk about tax or compliance with our clients. We focus on helping business owners think about where they want to take their business in the long term. We build businesses by creating their financial road map. We have evolved into a pure consultancy firm. Five years ago, our largest client was in the $35-million range, with the average in the range of $2 million to $5 million. Today, our largest client does $135 million in revenue, and our average is $25 million to $30 million.

Our mission is to help the economy one business at a time, by helping businesses and individuals to be fiscally responsible and understand the importance of a good fiscal strategy. We work our way back to a profit model, and then we build a series of financial projections based on a specific goal. Through this process, we can drive down metrics in every area and connect every aspect of the business to drive it to the long-term goal. 

 

What is one trend you have observed in recent years that you are currently navigating? 

The economy has improved in South Jersey over the last few years. Businesses are growing, but there’s always a big fear of taking risks. That is a trend we continue to see when it comes to investments and business expansion. In our approach, we devise profitability models and compare that information with what is actually going on in our client’s businesses to make sure they can make informed decisions.

 

In what sectors do you see the most demand for your services? 

We have a small concentration in the service industries and have been increasing our concentration in distribution companies. We are seeing growth in the construction, healthcare, retail, wholesale, and B2B types of businesses. We are seeing growth across the board, especially because we bring an outsider perspective to the companies we serve. Since we do not focus on just one industry, we are able to provide support to a variety of different types of businesses.

 

 What is the biggest challenge facing the firm? 

Our biggest challenge has been trying to recruit from among traditional CPAs. CPAs have been conditioned to think historically, and we’ve flipped the traditional model, using the historical information to look forward. We need professionals who have the discipline to dive deep into the numbers. Traditional CPAs are the best at that. It has been a real challenge to get these professionals to understand our business model. As a result, we have been developing our model mostly with younger professionals. In South Jersey, the biggest challenge is the labor pool. Younger professionals are leaving the state, and we need to find a way to retain them and attract more talent to the region.

 

To learn more about our interviewee, visit: 

https://www.clmadvisors.net/

Spotlight On: Joe Devine, Executive Vice President and Chief Experience Officer, Jefferson Health

Spotlight On: Joe Devine, Executive Vice President and Chief Experience Officer, Jefferson Health

By: Max Crampton- Thomas

2 min read March 2020 — The healthcare industry is poised to revolutionize how it cares for its patients through cutting-edge technology, at a time when a transition toward outpatient services is further consolidating. Executive Vice President and Chief Experience Officer at Jefferson Health Joe Devine discusses with Invest: the priorities for the group amid these new trends. 

 

How does Jefferson Health stand out from other healthcare players in the region?

We have a seamless care system in the region. Our location in South Jersey is less than 17 miles from the main Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia. We also provide services in South Jersey that have historically only been provided by Jefferson in Philadelphia, such as Magee Rehabilitation, which recently opened a service at our Cherry Hill hospital. Our technological innovations and telehealth are also sizable differentiators. Jefferson is a truly focused clinical academic medical center that combines teaching and medical care. In New Jersey, we are a teaching hospital for the Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine, as well as a training location for the Jefferson University Physician Assistant program. 

 

In what ways has technology disrupted the healthcare industry?

Technology is so advanced and outstanding that it works extremely well. For example, we have a neural flow program for patients with mental health issues that helps us with their evaluation. We also have implemented home-monitoring care technology that improves access, and we have succeeded in advancing our linear accelerator when it comes to treating cancer patients, an area that is more precision-driven. The cost of such technology is higher, but we do not transfer that cost to our patients. We are working on ways to inject further efficiencies in the process to continue providing benefits to our patients, including our telehealth program (JeffConnect), 3D mammography, 3D ultrasound, and other advancements like ABUS (Advanced Breast Ultrasound System). These have gone through substantial technological improvements, which are critical in the delivery of care. Technology will continue to be at the forefront of what we do, combined with the important humanistic aspect of providing care. We are also bolstering our smartphone app platforms to improve communication and follow-up processes with our patients. JeffConnect enables patients to receive personalized healthcare through their smartphone or computer. 

 

How is Jefferson Health tackling the local community’s health issues?

Every three years, we are required to undertake a community health needs assessment. What is great about this initiative is that all hospitals in Camden County work with the Departments of Health to shed light on the key health categories in which we should invest. In 2017, for example, it was primarily diabetes. We created a medical school and a district program with a comprehensive diabetes management program for Medicaid recipients, powered by telehealth services and coupled with a robust home care component. It helped improve patients’ health while minimizing their hospital visits. We are looking to continue providing innovative services, while at the same time contributing to building an effective population health model, as healthcare transitions more into outpatient services. As shown from the most recent community health needs assessment, the priority continues to be tackling metabolic diseases. We have a robust diabetes education program, as well as a very successful bariatric surgery program to assist with those needs.

 

How does Jefferson Health contribute to local efforts to reduce the disparities in care access?

For years, we have had family health centers, which in yesterday’s terminology were called clinics. We have two robust centers, one in Washington Township, Gloucester County, that offer comprehensive internal medicine, pediatrics and OB/GYN services. The other center is located near our Stratford hospital to service the Camden County community. We see a minimum of 20,000 patients a year in those facilities. The purpose of those centers is to serve the underserved.

We also have a partnership in South Jersey with the Food Bank of South Jersey. Any one of our 5,200 employees in New Jersey can participate in some way with the Food Bank. We encourage donations four times a year. It is tied to the health of people we serve.

 

What are the fastest-growing areas of care and service in the South Jersey region?

End-stage renal disease is more prominent throughout this nation for a lot of different reasons. We started a dialysis program in 1992 to attend to this growing issue with a single, six-bed station. We now have 55 stations. In this market alone, there are more than 200 stations nationwide. It is something we need to address. A close second is the opioid crisis. We do see patients come back multiple times. Unless you have the right post-care model, you cannot treat this illness. Unfortunately, it is growing. Third, is cancer care. This area is becoming increasingly robust with procedures like genetic testing and screening. We are working to put models in place so that when a patient is diagnosed with cancer, we look at the entire family. 

 

What is your outlook for South Jersey’s healthcare sector for 2020?

The sector in New Jersey continues to grow. We have some great hospitals here. Having served as board chair of the New Jersey Hospital Association in 2019, I can attest to these outstanding facilities. By 2025, it is likely we will see the consolidation of close to five healthcare systems across the whole region. We are going to continue to expand and develop a model that provides the ability for patients to have choices and become part of our network. We are working to become the most patient-centric organization in healthcare in the region. 

 

To learn more about our interviewee, visit: 

https://newjersey.jeffersonhealth.org/

 

 

Spotlight On: Alan Zuckerman, Managing Shareholder & COO, Flaster Greenberg PC

By: Max Crampton Thomas

2 min read February 2020 — Flaster Greenberg’s South Jersey attorneys are bringing in new talent to hone and increase the services they offer their mostly business and high-net-worth clientele, which include everything from M&A to succession work, while preparing to face challenges such as the impending legalization of cannabis in the state, the nationwide PFAS environmental problem and the changes to retirement planning contained in the SECURE Act,. Invest: spoke with Flaster Greenberg PC’s Managing Shareholder & COO Alan Zuckerman. 

 

What sets Flaster Greenberg apart from other law firms in the South Jersey market?

 

We are a midsized commercial law firm specializing in pretty much every practice that businesses and high-net-worth individuals, our primary clientele, would need. Most of our lawyers have come from large Philadelphia firms. We pride ourselves in doing the same type and quality of work as the larger firms, but at lower rates and more efficiently.

 

Most recently, we have done a tremendous amount of deals and merger and acquisition work. We have also had some very large bankruptcy cases. Regarding M&A, it has been all over the industry. Most of our clients have usually been closely-held businesses, even some very large ones. At some point, some of those businesses have to be passed on to the new generation, or they are sold. As a result, we have been seeing a tremendous amount of activity in the sale market, and we have been representing a lot of companies in all business sectors that are selling, in many cases to private equity firms. Private equity firms have been the most active buyers in the transactions we have been representing.

 

Is there any legislation, local or federal, that could have an impact on the way you or your clients do business?

 

There are two significant pieces of legislation, one at the national and another at the state level. There are environmental laws coming in that could mean a lot of environmental litigation. The others are, on a national level, the SECURE Act, which really impacts retirement plans, in particular, the amount and period of time in which people with 401k retirement plans will be allowed to take money out of their retirement plans and defer paying taxes. This new law substantially changes those rules and shortens the period of time for withdrawals. For many people who have done planning on their retirement plans, that is all going to have to be revamped.

 

There is also the pending legalization of cannabis in the state of New Jersey. We have some businesses gearing up for it, although there has not been a whole lot of demand just yet.

 

What are the main challenges facing firms and their clients in the South Jersey area?

 

One of the challenges is rate pressure, as our clients are cost-sensitive to legal work, as they should be, and that requires lawyers to be more efficient in their work. From a local standpoint, the opportunity we find in the South Jersey market is that office spaces are much less expensive compared to Philadelphia, which is only a few miles away. Although we have seen most of our growth over the last few years in Philadelphia and expect to see more, we made the decision last year to renew our lease here in South Jersey because the occupancy cost is less expensive.

 

One of the downsides in South Jersey we face for that decision is the lack of transportation infrastructure. We get into Philadelphia but that is about it. There is no local transportation for the most part. From a statewide perspective, taxes are very high, both income and property taxes, which make it harder for businesses to stay or relocate here.

 

What are the company’s main areas of focus for 2020?

 

Our focus is to continue to be able to be a full-service firm with very efficient and quick response to our clients. To do that, we feel that we need to continue to grow, bringing new attorneys into our firm. In addition to a six-lawyer firm we have already brought into the fold, we have expanded our footprint into the western Philadelphia suburbs with the opening of our Conshohocken, PA, office last June. Most recently, we grew our intellectual property department by welcoming an 11-member patent team headquartered in the firm’s Philadelphia office.

 

To learn more about our interviewee, visit:

 

https://www.flastergreenberg.com/

 

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