MCOC announces hire of new emergency department head


Peter C. ValkoPeter C. Valko

BRICK — The Medical Center of Ocean County (Brick Hospital) appointed Peter C. Valko, M.D., as the new medical director of its emergency department Dec. 13.

The position requires an active role in the administration and delivery of patient care at Brick Hospital, Jack Martin Boulevard, and MCOC Care Center in Point Pleasant. Both facilities are under the Meridian Health System umbrella.

Dr. Valko formerly served as the director of emergency services at Monmouth Medical Center, Long Branch, according to a Meridian press release. Other related work experiences include serving as the assistant director of the emergency department at Midwest City Regional Hospital in Oklahoma and as chief resident of emergency medicine at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, where he was also a member of the academic faculty.

Dr. Valko studied as an undergraduate at Rutgers University and received his medical degree from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, New Brunswick. He completed his emergency medicine residency at the University of Oklahoma.

The new medical director is also board certified in emergency medicine and is a member of several professional organizations, including the American College of Emergency Physicians, Society of Academic Medicine and National Association of EMS Physicians.

Brick Hospital’s emergency department is a full-service operation which is staffed 24 hours a day. The department is responsible for treating all ranges of health problems, including patients with life-threatening injuries and illnesses.

The MCOC Care Center, a satellite emergency department, is also a 24-hour-a-day operation but treats common emergencies like burns, broken bones and fevers. The facility will relocate in 2004 to a permanent location in Point Pleasant Borough on Route 35 between the O.B. Diner and Blockbuster Video.

— Karl Vilacoba