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Outstanding Emergency Care
After years of uncomfortable episodes and attacks, Fran Marino of Hazlet found relief at Riverview's
distinguished Emergency Care Center.
When was the last time you went
to an emergency department
and thought, "Now that was
an outstanding experience!"? That's exactly
what Fran Marino thought after her visit
to the Alton A. Hovnanian Emergency
Care Center at Riverview Medical Center.
And she is not alone.
In a recent survey by J.D. Power and
Associates, the Emergency Care Center
(ECC) at Riverview exceeded national
benchmarks for excellence. Patients who
were surveyed overwhelmingly agreed
that Riverview provides an outstanding
emergency care experience. As a result,
Riverview's ECC is now classified as
"Distinguished" by J.D. Power and
Associates — an honor currently held by
less than 1 percent of emergency care
centers in the nation.
encounter
with the ECC. "I had been having
these episodes for two to three years,"
says Fran. "But the morning I was brought
in to the emergency department, I had
terrible head pains along with the usual
tremors, heart palpitations, sweating, nausea,
and nervousness."
Fran got the answer she was looking
for when she met Howard Rubinstein,
M.D., medical director of the Alton A.
Hovnanian Emergency Care Center at
Riverview. "Dr. Rubinstein took the time
to talk with me and my husband about
my symptoms and all my prior medical tests," recalls Fran. "Then he mentioned
a condition that is quite rare — a pheochromocytoma."
"Pheochromocytomas are present in
about 0.2 percent of all people with high
blood pressure," explains Dr. Rubinstein.
"It is a tumor of the adrenal gland. While
the adrenal gland is quite small, it secretes
several hormones that are responsible for
the feeling of adrenaline rush. Three of the
classic symptoms of this are headache,
sweating, and heart palpitations."
Based on her symptoms, Dr. Rubinstein
recommended Fran talk with an endocrinologist.
Fran ultimately had surgery
to remove both the tumor and her right
adrenal gland. Her doctors will watch
her closely for the next five years to make
sure there are no more active cells. But for
now, Fran says she feels "quite well."
and the treatment I received, Riverview
will always be my first choice when in
need of an emergency care facility," says
Fran. "Although I truly hope not to require
such services again!"
 – Tria Deibert
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