business briefs 

Neurosurgeons Mark R. McLaughlin, M.D., Nirav K. Shah, M.D., Seth Joseffer, M.D., and Dani Bidros, M.D., have joined the medical staff at CentraState Medical Center, Freehold Township. The doctors provide care to emergency patients, inpatients, and outpatients who are suffering from neurologic disorders, including head trauma, spinal cord injury, neck and back pain and neuromuscular disorders. Doctors McLaughlin, Shah, Joseffer and Bidros’ practice, Princeton Brain and Spine Care, has an office in CentraState’s Star and Barry Tobias Ambulatory Campus, Suite 267, at 901 W. Main St., Freehold Township. They can be reached by calling 732-333-8702.

Ms. Bagel, in the ShopRite shopping center, Route 9, Freehold Township, is now exclusively making and selling authentic hand-rolled bagels.

When Mike Gutierrez left behind his senior management position at a New York City information technology company to begin a new venture as the owner and operator of Ms. Bagel, he had plans to improve on the already successful 20-year-old business by building on its past success and making it even better.

After experimenting and testing behind the scenes, his promise of improving the quality of its centerpiece product — the bagel — was realized this month.

“Working in the city for 25 years, I appreciated the quality of a hand-rolled bagel. While it is a more costly, lengthy and laborintensive process, I wanted to bring that same high-quality, hand-rolled bagel to my customers at Ms. Bagel,” Gutierrez said.

Some of his other improvements include delivery services, catering, and expanded menu choices featuring specialty sandwiches, wraps and salads. For more information about Ms. Bagel call 732-308-3282.

Sheila Rich Interiors of Monmouth County has been awarded the 18th annual Chrysalis Award. As the national winner in the kitchen remodel under $50,000, the entry was judged based on overall design, the creative use of space and materials, and the degree to which the project enhanced the original structure. The winning projects were selected from 420 entries.

The Chrysalis Awards program, which began in 1994, recognizes the nation’s best work in 16 general categories of residential and commercial remodeling. The Chrysalis Awards are open to professional remodelers and interior design professionals in the United States.

Sheila Rich Interiors designed a new contemporary kitchen for a home in Manalapan. The kitchen includes an island, glass back-splash, granite counter top, and stainless steel appliances with a functional and open floor plan. A design concept for senior “aging in place” clients was created, as well as a design appealing to the tastes and needs of the potential young buyers when it came time to sell. The award-winning multigenerational, universal design was simultaneously wheelchair-, highchair-, stroller- and walker-friendly.

Corazon Alvarado of Freehold, a registered nurse and advanced nurse practitioner, has joined the staff of OHI (Ocean Health Initiatives), a federally qualified health center with locations in Lakewood, Toms River and Manahawkin. Alvarado will serve in the Adult Medicine Department of OHI, providing for the management of acute and chronic illnesses, evaluating and disseminating treatment plans, conducting routine physical examinations, and helping patients understand proper management of their care, among other responsibilities.

Thomas J. Kayal, M.D., board-certified colon and rectal surgeon, has joined the team of surgeons at CentraState Medical Center, Freehold Township. Before joining CentraState, Dr. Kayal was in private practice for more than 15 years and section chief of colon and rectal surgery at Virtua Memorial Hospital in Mount Holly. Dr. Kayal has a special interest in laparoscopic colon surgery, anorectal physiologic testing, and minimally invasive robotic-assisted surgery for the treatment of diseases of the colon and rectum, including colon cancer, fecal incontinence, Crohn’s disease, diverticulitis and chronic constipation.

Jersey Shore Public Relations and Advertising Association has announced that the deadline for entries for the 2012 annual Jasper Awards, which honor excellence in communications, is 5 p.m. Aug. 3.

Eligible entries include communication tools that have been developed for a New Jersey-based company or by a New Jerseybased agency between July 1, 2011, and June 30, 2012. Anyone who conducts business in New Jersey may enter the competition. Local adaptations of national campaigns are not eligible.

Register at awards.jspraa.com. After registering, prepare entries using guidelines found in the downloadable Rules and Categories PDF and send them to the specified location for judging.

Entry fees support the James R. Mc- Cormick Scholarship Fund, established in 1983, to recognize the outstanding achievements of Monmouth and Ocean county students who are focusing on communications or advertising. More than $120,000 has been awarded to date. For more information, call 732-842-3311.

The Howell Chamber of Commerce will hold its annual Bowl-a-Thon 5:30-7:30 p.m. Aug. 2 at Howell Lanes, Route 9 south, Howell. The event will include bowling, networking, music, refreshments and prizes. Business operators can sponsor a lane, which includes a banner and three games for four bowlers. Vendor tables are also available. Non-bowlers can attend for networking and refreshments. Details: 732- 363-4114.