Designated a Comprehensive Community Hospital Cancer Program by the American College of Surgeons, Valley's Oncology Services at The Daniel and Gloria Blumenthal Cancer Center are guided by a multidisciplinary Cancer Committee that emphasizes "Total Care," defined by Valley as a team approach composed of primary care physicians, surgeons, oncologists, radiation therapists, nurses, social workers and home care services led by highly skilled oncology nurse clinician.

The Blumenthal Cancer Center at The Valley Hospital has extensive experience with the performance of clinical trials. Approximately 20 trials are actively enrolling and another 40 are in follow-up at Valley's Oncology Clinical Trials Department, located in the Luckow Pavilion. Available trials include phase 1, 2 as well as 3. Remarkably, cancer clinical trials at Valley run the range from industry-sponsored drug trials, to cooperative group trials, to investigator-initiated trials. The Oncology Clinical Trials Department is currently running therapeutic trials (standard chemotherapeutics as well as novel biologics and small molecules) as well as registry-type trials involved in data collection. This wide range of clinical trials is unusual for all but the most academic of medical centers. In addition, Valley is the principal site of multi-institutional trials, further exemplifying its role in delivering state-of-the-art cancer care. In short, the ultimate goal of the Clinical Trials Department is to have trials available for all stages of all types of cancers.

Patients undergoing surgery for malignant disease or cardiac surgery at The Valley Hospital have the option of contributing a portion of their tumor or tissue to the hospital's tissue bank, located in The Center for Cancer Research and Genomic Medicine in The Blumenthal Cancer Center. This tissue bank stores tumor tissue with corresponding normal tissue (if available) as well as peripheral blood, along with each patient's clinical data (in an anonymous fashion). These tissues and samples are stored for research activities.

In addition to cancer care, Valley treats more patients with cardiac illness from Bergen and Passaic counties than any other hospital in the region. Valley offers a full range of diagnostic and interventional treatment options including open-heart surgery for bypass and valve replacement and repair. Patients coming to Valley for surgical procedures may come from as far north as upstate New York and, in some cases, as far south as Florida. Valley has an extensive clinical trials program. We have approximately 25 trials that we are actively enrolling in, offering both interventional and non-interventional cardiology and cardiac surgery treatments. Valley enrolls patients into drug trials for various disease states such as Atrial Fibrillation, Congestive Heart Failure, Acute Coronary Syndrome, Hypercholesterolemia, Hypertension and Osteoarthritis. The hospital's cardiac services team includes more than 100 physicians, a highly skilled nursing team (including nurse practitioners and home care cardiac clinicians), clinical trial coordinators, and the services of nurse community educators who assist in inpatient and outpatient education and teaching. The Valley Columbia Heart Center provides comprehensive cardiac surgical procedures for the full spectrum of heart disease. Services include off-pump and traditional coronary artery bypass surgery, valve repair and replacement surgery, and surgical procedures to treat atrial fibrillation.

The Valley Hospital Stroke Center: Diagnosis, Treatment, Rehabilitation, Support, Prevention, Education and Research In 2004, by demonstrating excellence in quality care, The Valley Hospital's Stroke Center became the first such center in New Jersey and the New York metropolitan area to be awarded Disease-Specific Care Certification from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO). Valley's program was recertified in 2006.

Disease-Specific Certification is awarded only to those hospitals that can demonstrate that they meet rigorous standards of care, and serves as a benchmark that enables the public and emergency medical services personnel to recognize those hospitals that are the best-equipped to treat stroke, according to the Joint Commission.

To provide up-to-date stroke treatments, The Valley Hospital is engaging in promising clinical research aimed at lessening the debilitating effects of stroke. Led by neurologist Kenneth A. Levin, M.D., clinical trials are now under way to test the effectiveness of three neuroprotectives. Valley Hospital is one of only several sites in the country where these medications are being studied. Neuroprotectives reduce trauma to the nerves after a stroke, potentially reducing the severity of any resulting disabilities.

The Valley Hospital has worked with:

The IRB has been in effect since 1974 for research activities at the Valley Hospital.

The following physicians are on the Active Staff of The Valley Hospital and currently participating in clinical trials. For information on doctors in other specialties, please go to www.valleymedicalstaff.com.

Oncology Trial Physicians

Robert J. Korst, MD, Medical Director, Blumenthal Cancer Center, Director of Thoracic Surgery

William Burke, MD, Gynecologic Oncology

Allen Chinitz, MD, Oncology/Internal Medicine

Chad M. De Young, MD, Radiation Oncology

Barry Fernbach, MD, Hematology/Oncology, Internal Medicine

Noah Goldman, MD, Gynecologic Oncology

Alan Israel, MD, Internal Medicine, Hematology/Oncology

Young Kim, MD, Radiation Oncology

Eli Kirshner, MD, Hematology/Oncology, Internal Medicine

Ganepola A. P. Ganepola, MD, Surgical Oncology, General Surgery

Louise Ligresti, MD, Hematology/Oncology, Internal Medicine

Thomas J. Rakowski, MD, Hematology/Oncology, Internal Medicine

Indu Sharma, MD, Hematology/Oncology, Internal Medicine

Robert F. Tassan, MD, Internal Medicine/ Oncology

Michael F. Wesson, MD, Radiation Oncology

Anusak Yiengpruksawan, MD, Surgical Oncology, General Surgery

Cardiology, Surgery & Neuroscience Trial Physicians

Arvind Agarwal, MD, Cardiology

Aysha Arshad, MD, Medicine, Electrophysiology, Cardiology

Joshua Bernheim, MD, Surgery

Mariano Brizzo, MD, Cardiac Surgery

Navin Budhwani, MD, Cardiology

Giovanni Camponile, MD, Cardiology

Daniel Char, MD, Surgery

David Cohen, MD., Surgery

Edward Ewald, MD, Medicine

Howard Goldschmidt, MD, Cardiology

Michael Gross, MD

Cary Hirsch, MD, Cardiology

Steven Jacoby, MD, Medicine

Steven Kernis, MD, Cardiology

Michael Kesselbrenner, MD, Cardiology

William Lee, MD, Cardiology

Evan Leibowitz, MD, Medicine

Kenneth A. Levin, MD

Marc Melamed, MD, Medicine

Suneet Mittal, MD, Medicine/ Cardiology

Bruce P. Mindich, MD, Cardiac Surgery; General Surgery

John Pantazopoulos, MD, Cardiology

Dennis Reison, MD, Cardiology

Mitchell Rubenstein, MD, Medicine

Robert A. Saporito, Jr., MD, Cardiology

Alan Simon, MD, Cardiology

Gerald Sotsky, MD, Cardiology

Jason Sperling, MD, Cardiac Surgery

Jonathan Steinberg, MD, Medicine/ Cardiology

Alex Zapolanski, MD, Cardiac Surgery; Surgery

Tina C. Sichrovsky, MD, Cardiology; Electrophysiology

Janet E. Strain, MD,Internal Medicine, Cardiology; Interventional Cardiology

Gerald Sotsky, MD, Internal Medicine, Critical Care Medicine; Cardiology

John E. Strobeck, MD, Internal Medicine, Cardiology

Marcus L. Williams, MD, Internal Medicine, Cardiology

Joseph Wiedermann, MD

Cheryl Parish, RN, BSN, MBA
Manager, Oncology Clinical Trials
10 years experience in Research

Susan Mock, RN, BSN
Clinical Research Coordinator
5 years experience in the Research Field

Eva Brodkin, RN, BSN
Clinical Research Coordinator,
10 years experience in the Research Field

Melissa Cooper, RN, BSN
Clinical Research Coordinator,
20 years experience in the Research Field

Anna Baiata, BA
Research Documentation Specialist,
14 years experience in the Research Field

Nancy Librera, MA
Assistant Vice President, Oncology
14 years in the Research Field

Suzanne Bajakian
IRB Coordinator,
4 years experience in the Research Field

Kathleen Sayles, RN, BSN, CCRP
Manager, Cardiology Clinical Trials
11 years experience in the Research Field

Jacqueline Backhaus, RN, CCRP
Clinical Nurse Research Coordinator
3 years experience in the Research Field

Christine Kunz, RN, BSN
Clinical Nurse Research Coordinator
2 years experience in the Research Field

Kimberly Michel, RN
Clinical Nurse Research Coordinator
4 years experience in the Research Field

Michelle Ramirez, RN, BSN
Clinical Nurse Research Coordinator
1 year experience in the Research Field

Our patient population is diverse since the Valley Health System services over 32 towns in Northern Bergen County, NJ and adjoining areas.

Population, 2006 estimate1

1.U.S Census Bureau http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/34/34003.html 10/3/07

Cardiology/Vascular Diseases
Gastroenterology
Hematology
Neurology
Obstetrics/Gynecology
Oncology
Rheumatology