Dorothea Redeker achieves certification

CHANDLER Dorothea Redeker, Care Transition Manager for Chandler Hall Health Services, has achieved certification in the nursing specialty of Hospice and Palliative Care.

In her current role, Dorothea works closely with staff of St. Mary Medical Center to assure that patients have a safe and timely transition from the hospital to home. Dorothea has held her RN license for 28 years and has previously worked in the field of critical care.

“Chandler Hall has an important place in my heart as my father was fortunate to have Hospice provided by Chandler Hall,” shares Dorothea. “I am grateful to be able to help families make choices at what can be a difficult and confusing time.” You can find Dorothea sharing her compassion and her gift of gab throughout the halls of St. Mary.

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Internship in the heart of Africa inspires Skyler Trice in pursuit of medical career

Skyler Trice by Robin Prestage

Although a seasoned traveler from as early as the fifth grade as a member of school groups overseas, Skyler Trice’s trip to Africa last summer was a very different adventure for a very different purpose.

Through a major volunteer organization called Projects Abroad, the 17-year-old Newtown resident ventured alone to East Africa for a one-month internship in a hospital in Tanzania. There she helped in the treatment of patients with a range of diseases and conditions, from HIV/AIDS to cleft palate, as well as assisting in child births and the care of new mothers and their babies.

A senior at The Hill School, Pottstown, Skyler chose this particular internship program because the in-depth hands-on medical experience it offered was beyond anything she had seen while volunteering at hospitals here at home for the past four years and would be invaluable in her pursuit of a medical career.

Her journey to East Africa was itself an adventure, using the cheapest flights and negotiating through several airports in different countries over a long few days. At Tanzania’s Kilimanjaro airport, near the town of Arusha, she was met by the Masai family she would be staying with for the next few weeks.

A typical day began with chai tea, her favorite, with the Masai couple and their four children in their modest home followed by a short bus or taxi ride to St. Elizabeth’s Hospital to work with the doctors, staff and other volunteers, most of whom were medical and pre-med students and physicians involved with Doctors Without Borders.

“I started each morning doing rounds with the doctors checking on patients. We dressed and cleaned wounds and attended lectures on a range of topics including new surgical techniques and tropical diseases.” Practical instruction included observing skin graft surgery, cleft palate repair and assisting with child birthing.

Before being permitted to go on medical outreach with the other volunteers, Skyler needed to be Red Cross certified.

“On my third day in Tanzania, I spent 14 hours with a micro-facial surgeon who taught me just about every emergency medical and survival skill I needed to be certified. I now even know how to treat hemotoxic snake bites without any medical supplies.”

Once certified, Skyler went on day trips to a clinic in Kenya, helping to treat hundreds of patients of all ages and learning some basic Swahili in order to record patient information for the doctors.

“The medical outreach trips were easily the most rewarding to me because I was able to directly hand families the medicine they desperately needed to treat the most common diseases and infections they struggled with daily. Even though they had very little, they were happy with their families and were always friendly and smiling.”

Her final week as an intern was spent working with maternity patients, helping to examine newborns and caring for new mothers, as well as testing for HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis.

“I loved working in the clinic because of the patient interaction, but it was heartbreaking to see a vast number of patients turned away simply because not enough medication was available,” she said.

Currently, she is raising money for the non-profit American Foundation for Children with AIDS, as well as the Operation Smile organization, which provides for cleft palate and lip surgeries for third-world children.

Skyler is the only daughter (she has two younger brothers) of Melissa and Todd Trice, a commercial photographer. A keen photographer herself, an image she took of a Masai woman walking on an Arusha street was shown in the recent Phillips Mill photography exhibition.

She plans to volunteer at hospitals locally this summer following graduation from The Hill School and before beginning pre-med at a college yet to be decided.

Her Tanzanian internship was an “extraordinary and amazing” experience observing at first hand lifesaving medical practices she would not have been exposed to in the US.

“I was inspired by what I saw and practiced and feel even more empowered to continue my lifelong journey to become a doctor and pursue my dream,” she said. “My memories of the many patients draw me back to that tiny hospital in Tanzania, where I know I will end up again someday.”

PHOTO CAP: Skyler Trice

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St. Mary opens four new state-of-the-art operating rooms

St. Mary Medical Center has completed a Surgical Services expansion that added four new Operating Rooms (ORs) to support its growing patient volumes in orthopedics, neurosurgery, and robotic-assisted surgery, as well as all general surgeries.

The state-of-the-art ORs include a sophisticated software-integration system designed to enhance a surgeon’s ability to perform minimally invasive procedures that ultimately result in faster recovery times and lower complication rates. St. Mary is among the first in the nation to utilize the TEGRIS integration OR system. 

St. Mary recently was awarded a $3 million grant through the Commonwealth’s Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) to complete its $8.4 million Surgical Services Expansion Project (please note that the Bucks County Redevelopment Authority is the grantee and St. Mary is the sub-grantee of the award).

The scope of the RACP grant also included the construction of new Pre-Op, Post-Op and PACU (post anesthesia care unit) areas to support the new OR suites. The patient-care surgical areas were completed in April 2012. The new, larger ORs feature a software-driven system that organizes and coordinates the interconnectivity of a range of high-definition imaging and data-storage devices used in the complex environment of today’s advanced surgical procedures.

The system also sets new standards in safety in verifying that correct patient data and images are displayed for each patient and that safety checklists are completed before documentation and use.

Powerful digital integration can distribute images and video simultaneously from eight medical devices to up to eight monitors independently. A central storage solution has the ability to transfer data throughout a hospital network and for permanent storage, and also for encrypted transmission over the internet for external training and consultation.

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Summer at Doane Academy

Summer should be a time for growth, exploration and fun! Doane Academy teachers and instructors have put together a series of programs that drive students to gain confidence and new skills, so that they return to school in September stronger in character and bolder in their studies.

Building upon the success of last year’s Camp Doane, Outdoor Adventure and Spartan Engineering Trips, the summer of 2013 is full of exciting camp options for students of all ages.  

Students in grades K-6 can enjoy Camp Doane, a weekly camp with field trips, guest presenters, gardening, Zumba, “Keep ‘em Fresh” educational program, and more.

Students in grades 6-12 have more than 20 weekly options in the Doane Leadership Program including Art in the Streets, International Culinary Camp, River Connections, Green Roof Design, Outdoor Adventure, Basketball, Softball, Baseball, Soccer camps and more.

“I had a character-filled summer,” said camper Katie Martin ’22. “Camp Doane is an awesome place to learn and play.”

All camps are open to all students in the Burlington NJ area!

Registration is open now. Registration fee is waived through May 1st. Learn more at doaneacademy.org.

Contact Director of Communications, Katie Sereduk, at ksereduk@doaneacademy.org or 609. 386.3500 x68.

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Kid Summer Art Camps and Adult workshops offered at Tyler Park Center for the Arts

Tyler Park Center for the Arts is an oasis from the day-to-day routine, where children and adults come together in a majestic renovated barn surrounded by 1800 acres of natural park area. You can visit their large-scale outdoor sculpture garden as you stroll through the park, taking in the sunshine. 

How would it feel to break up your week with a special one- or two-day papermaking workshop, or design and make your very own pure silver jewelry? 

Adult Workshop’s and Kids Summer Art Camp’s taught by talented professional artists cover a full range of fine arts and crafts for all levels of experience, beginner through to advanced.

Explore at TylerParkArts.org.

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Winning artwork

Emma Sio

 

Emma Sio of Newtown, a sophomore at the George School, recently won honorable mention in the Congressional Art Awards for her sculpture lamp.

The award was presented by Congressman Michael Fitzpatrick in a ceremony held at Bucks County Community College.

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Students throughout Bucks County participate in String Day

STRING DAY

 

by June Portnoy

For the past 25 years, String Day has become a tradition in Bucks County.

During this daylong event, select fifth through ninth graders from every school district in Bucks County are invited to practice and then perform short concerts with their peers.

This year, on Saturday, April 13th, approximately 180 students from 33 different schools in Bensalem, Centennial, Council Rock, Neshaminy, Palisades and Pennridge School Districts participated in String Day, sponsored by the Bucks County Music Educators’ Association (BCMEA).

It took place at Newtown Middle School.

“This is a site reading day when students arrive in the morning and are given music they have never practiced before,” said Karol Mannherz, BCMEA president. “They are then given several hours to practice performing with students, most of whom they have never met. The objective is for them to read the music and then perform these musical pieces together in a short amount of time.”

Students are placed into three different orchestras depending on their age.

“Each school’s music teacher selects their most motivated, dedicated students who have made performing a priority in their lives,” said Joan Bennet, Council Rock String Instructor. “Teachers also choose those students who they feel will most benefit from this experience and can then share what they learn with string students at their respective schools.”

Participants at String Day include students who play any string instrument, including the violin, viola, cello and bass. After practicing their music, which can include songs ranging from classical to folk, students perform a casual concert, sharing what they learned during the day with their parents.

“The greatest benefit of String Day is that kids gain a great sense of accomplishment seeing what they can produce together in a short amount of time,” says Karol.

String Day was founded by retired string teacher, Arlene Melamed, from Bensalem School District; current string teacher, Helen Kirsch, from Neshaminy School District; and retired string teacher, Clyde Baker, from Central Bucks School District,

When it was initially established, it was an annual honors orchestra where students were given the music in advance, but within a short time, it evolved into a site reading day.

For more information about String Day visit www.bcmea.org.

PHOTO CAP: Students at the String Day event

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Newtown students honored for Arbor Day poster designs

arbor-day-pr

 

Goodnoe Elementary School first and fifth grade students recently competed in Newtown’s annual Arbor Day Poster Design Contest. Students were encouraged to design a poster illustrating the importance of trees in our world.

The result of the challenge is a beautiful collection of children’s artwork that will be displayed on Friday, April 26th at Brian Gregg Memorial Park during Newtown’s Arbor Day Celebration.

“The poster contest is an important and hands-on component of our Arbor Day Celebration,” says Arbor Day Committee Member, Amy Moore.

“The event is about celebrating the wonders of nature and challenging the children to become actively involved in caring for our environment.  In the process of creating their posters, the children are given the opportunity to express not only their knowledge of and feelings about trees, but also their concerns for the future of our planet. The environment is clearly a topic the children are understanding the importance of based on the unprecedented number of poster entries this year.”

Six posters were chosen from many entries judged by a panel that included Borough Mayor Dennis O’Brien, Rotary Club representative Marge Torongo, Borough Councilman Perry Warren, Trove owner Christine Edmonds, past Park and Recreation president Heidi Adams, and landscape designer Karen Waitkus.

The winners, Tali Deutsch, Anish Heda, Eliana Vovk (first grade), Gulia Strokin, Sarah Porter and Caralyn Coolidge (fifth grade) will be acknowledged at the Newtown Arbor Day Celebration on Friday, April 26th at Brian S. Gregg Memorial Park on North Congress Street in Newtown Borough (rain date April 29th).

The winning posters will be on display in storefronts throughout the Newtown area, on the Newtown and Council Rock School District websites, and at Goodnoe Elementary School.

 

PHOTO CAP: Caralyn Coolidge’s Arbor Day poster entry

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Countyside Gardeners member recognized at Philadelphia Flower Show

Lee Gittens

 

by June Portnoy

Lee Gittens’ begonia was a huge hit at this year’s Philadelphia Flower Show held in March. Lee, a Countryside Gardeners member and Newtown resident, received a blue ribbon (first place) in all three judging cycles for her begonia. She was also awarded with The Susie Walker Award for the most outstanding begonia entry in the second Friday judging.

For the past 12 consecutive years, Lee has been exhibiting in the horticulture class at this show, but this was the first year she received an award other than a ribbon.

“This begonia is an exceptionally great specimen,” says Lee.  “Beginning around Valentine’s Day, it started exploding with flowers. This particular miniature begonia had an enormous amount of flowers.”

According to Lee, there were about 20 other begonias on exhibit at this year’s show, and more than 5,216 entries in the horticulture category for the week. She exhibited eight plants, including the winning begonia, plus a second begonia entry, in addition to four ferns, a miniature geranium and a peperomia plant. 

During the three judging cycles, Lee won a total of six blue ribbons, four red ribbons (second place) and 10 yellow ribbons (honorable mention).

“Every year is a unique experience at this flower show, and every year I learn something different,” she says. “I get lots of ideas by seeing what other exhibiters have entered and often attempt to try what I’ve seen in my own garden.”

[Read more...]

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Eighth Annual Keepin’ It Real – Teens Talk Youth Leadership Institute

NG LINKS

 

The Bucks County Chapter of The Links, Incorporated sponsored its Eighth Annual “Keepin’ It Real – Teens Talk” Youth Leadership Institute at General Electric Water & Process Technologies in Trevose, on March 16th.

Over 250 youth attended this year’s program and participated in an inspirational and stimulating program.

Deborah Camp-Frye, Chapter President, said, “The theme for The Links, Incorporated national organization is ‘Leading with Excellence-Serving with Grace.’ We hope that all of our youth who were involved will learn to lead with excellence, make choices that lead to happy, healthy and productive lives and serve our communities with grace.”

The keynote speaker was Dr. Marc Lamont Hill, a hip-hop generation CNN contributor, Columbia University professor, author and speaker.

He shared his fascinating journey to national prominence and discussed how others can excel.  Dr. Hill made such a bond and a connection with the youth that many of the youth said in so many words, “If Dr. Hill can be successful, I know we will be too.”

The excitement of the youth continued throughout the day as they took part in workshops such as “College Planning and Financing” and a College Fair that included many of the area universities.

Patricia Louison, Youth Leadership Institute Co-Chair, said, “We gave tools to achieve the triumphs of life with the various workshops and college fair. At the end of the day, we could read the motivation to succeed on the faces of our teens. Our keynote speaker drove that point home with his own story of trials and tribulations, which certainly has ended in triumph.”

The Youth Council, developed by the Bucks County Chapter of The Links, Incorporated, whose goal is to develop young leaders within our communities using leadership concepts, drew tremendous interest from attendees.

Youth Council members had an opportunity to lead the ‘Teen Only’ Panel Discussion, which featured a special video produced by members. The video prompted a lively discussion about how best one should present themselves when applying and interviewing for jobs.

PHOTO CAP: From left, Eathyn Edwards, Alexander Jordan, Link Patty Louison (Youth Leadership Institute Co-Chair), Link Rosalind Williford (Youth Leadership Institute Co-Chair), and Link Deborah Camp Frye (Chapter President).

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