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Somerville, N.J. – Somerset Medical Center and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital are jointly hosting ‘Salsa & Salud,’ a fun and healthy event to promote education and increase awareness of diabetes in the Latino community, in honor of Latino Diabetes Awareness Day. The event will take place on Saturday, May 17, 2014 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Bound Brook High School, located at 111 Union Avenue in Bound Brook, NJ. Both hospitals are encouraging their patients and loved ones who may be at risk for diabetes to attend and receive a complementary medical screening.
In addition to free medical screenings, ‘Salsa & Salud’ will feature live music and dance exercises, healthy cooking demonstrations, activities for children, raffles and giveaways. Through this program, Somerset Medical Center and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital aim to promote healthier lifestyles and improve overall health within the local Latino community.
“Somerset Medical Center and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital have strong diabetes programs and as our merger progresses, we want to collaborate and look for ways in which we can enhance our services and improve existing programs to better serve our community,” said Stephen K. Jones, FACHE, President and CEO of Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital and Robert Wood Johnson Health System. “The ‘Salsa & Salud,’ event is great example of how our two hospitals becoming one will have a positive impact on our community and the quality care that is accessible to them.”
“Both hospitals are extremely dedicated to keeping their communities healthy and educated,” said Ken Bateman, President and CEO of Somerset Medical Center. “By collaborating on this event, we are not only strengthening our own individual diabetes programs, but also strengthening our relationship by utilizing our resources to provide the best programs and events for our community members. Together with Robert Wood Johnson, we recognize Latino Diabetes Awareness Day by providing education and raising awareness of diabetes in our growing Latino community. We invite all community members to join us at ‘Salsa & Salud’.”
‘Salsa & Salud’ is open to the public and participation is free. For more information about the event, please call Natalie Martinez at (908) 203-6239 or Leslie Malachi at (732) 247-2050. For more information about the hospitals’ diabetes programs, please visit Somerset Medical Center’s Diabetes Center or Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital’s Diabetes Self-Management Education Program.
For more information about Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital and Somerset Medical Center, go to www.rwjuh.edu or www.somersetmedicalcenter.com. To learn more about the merger, please visit http://smc.rwjuh.info.
About Somerset Medical Center
Somerset Medical Center is a 355-bed acute care hospital in Somerville, providing comprehensive health care services to residents throughout Central New Jersey. It is nationally recognized as a Magnet® hospital for nursing excellence. The medical center’s Steeplechase Cancer Center is designated as a Comprehensive Community Cancer Center by the American College of Surgeons’ Commission on Cancer – a distinction achieved by only one in four hospitals nationwide that treat cancer patients. The Joint Surgery Institute at Somerset Medical Center has earned the Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval for total knee and total hip replacement surgery. The medical center is designated as a Primary Stroke Center by the Joint Commission and the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services. It is one of nine Medical Coordination Centers established by the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services to coordinate communication among emergency responders during a disaster situation. For more information about Somerset Medical Center, visit www.somersetmedicalcenter.com.
About Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) is a 600-bed academic medical center which is the flagship Cancer Hospital of Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey and the principal hospital of Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Brunswick, NJ. Robert Wood Johnson is an innovative leader in advancing state-of-the-art care. Its Centers of Excellence include cardiovascular care from minimally invasive heart surgery to transplantation, cancer care, and women’s and children’s care including The Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (www.bmsch.org). The hospital is also a Level 1 Trauma Center and serves as a national resource in its ground-breaking approaches to emergency preparedness. The hospital has earned significant national recognition for clinical quality and patient safety. RWJUH has been ranked among the best hospitals in America by U.S. News & World Report six times and has been selected by the publication as a high performing hospital in several specialties. The Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital has also ranked among the nation’s Best Children’s Hospitals by U.S. News & World Report for two consecutive years. The American College of Surgeons’ Commission on Cancer has rated RWJUH among the nation’s best comprehensive cancer centers and the hospital’s Comprehensive Stroke Center is certified by the Joint Commission to provide complex stroke care. The Leapfrog Group rated RWJUH as one of the 50 exceptional U.S. hospitals, as published in Consumers Digest magazine, and has given the hospital an “A” grade for safety and quality. Harvard University researchers, in a study commissioned by The Commonwealth Fund, identified RWJUH as one of the top 10 hospitals in the nation for clinical quality. RWJUH is also a four-time recipient of the prestigious Magnet Award for Nursing Excellence. Visit us online at www.rwjuh.edu.
