Hospital News

The latest health news is important to you and your family. Click on the links below to read up-to-date health information.

April 29, 2009
Realistic disaster drill provides valuable training at Roxborough Memorial
Roxborough Memorial Hospital participated in a citywide disaster drill on April 22, 2009 with the assistance of students from the Green Woods Charter School and Roxborough High School who served as volunteer patients. A realistic scenario indicated that while visiting the Independence Hall area on a field trip, the students were exposed to potentially deadly sarin gas during a terrorist attack.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "sarin is a human-made chemical warfare agent classified as a nerve agent.  Following release of sarin into the air, people can be exposed through skin contact or eye contact. They can also be exposed by breathing air that contains sarin."

In the situation described in the drill, the students would have been brought to Roxborough Memorial after beginning to experience a number of symptoms of unknown origin while on the bus transporting them back to school.

After being contacted at 1:00 p.m. by the City of Philadelphia's Department of Emergency Management that the drill was underway, hospital personnel began to quickly respond based on their ongoing training for such an event.  The decontamination team, who would be the first in contact with the "patients", began to gown in appropriate protective gear and masks in order to protect themselves from exposure. Other employees began to install the decontamination tent in the parking lot outside of the Emergency Room. Inside the hospital, doctors, nurses and ancillary personnel began to assume their designated locations and responsibilities as specified in the hospital's disaster plan.

When the school bus arrived, each student was escorted through the tent individually to be decontaminated. In a real event each patient would have been washed down thoroughly in the tent, but that was only simulated in the practice drill. 

After being decontaminated, the patients walked or were transported in wheel chairs or on stretchers into the hospital. Patient Access department staff quickly obtained necessary information before the patients were taken into the Emergency Room for evaluation, treatment and transfer to hospital units as appropriate.

"These drills are an important part of the hospital's training for disasters," said Gerard McShea, Director of Public Safety. "They are welcomed by administration, physicians, nurses and ancillary staffs as a valuable learning experience. Each one helps us to better understand our duties, responsibilities and areas for improvement. We critique each event, make the necessary changes and update our disaster plan to be as ready as possible for a real event."

Roxborough Memorial Hospital is a vibrant 141-bed community hospital that is committed to providing the best care and the most current medical technology available for our patients. In a "best in value" study of 1,500 hospitals in the country's 100 largest cities conducted by Data Advantage, LLC of Louisville, KY, Roxborough Memorial was rated first among 35 general acute care hospitals in the Philadelphia market, and among the top 100 nationally. For a physician referral call 1-866-822-4RMH (4674).

April 9, 2009
Board-certified Gynecologist Joins Roxborough Memorial Staff
Roxborough Memorial Hospital is pleased to announce the appointment of board-certified gynecologist Vilma E. Ruddock, M.D. to its medical staff...

January 23, 2009
Wound Healing Center Doubles Size to Treat Growing Patient Population
Roxborough Memorial Hospital's Comprehensive Wound Healing Center is now more than twice its original size after the completion of a major expansion project...

January 20, 2009
Behavioral Health Unit Expanded
Roxborough Memorial Hospital has announced the completion of an extensive expansion of its Elder Center for Behavioral Health. The unit has been expanded by four beds and can now accommodate 24 patients...

January 14, 2009
The 2009 State of Roxborough Memorial Hospital
On behalf of our owner, Solis Healthcare, and our administration, I am pleased to have the opportunity to present the state of Roxborough Memorial Hospital as we enter the New Year...

December 8, 2008
Roxborough Memorial Hospital's new MR Unit offers vastly improved patient space, and much less acoustic noise
Roxborough Memorial Hospital has acquired the latest in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) technology by installing the new Vantage Titan Unit from Toshiba America Medical Systems...

June 30, 2008
RMH recognized for value of care
Roxborough Memorial Hospital recognized locally and nationally for value of care Philadelphia, PA (June 27, 2008) -- In a newly released best in value study of 1,500 hospitals in the countries 100 largest cities, Roxborough...

June 3, 2008
RMH Nursing School graduates 61
Families and friends filled St. Philip Neri Church in Lafayette Hill on May 22 to congratulate the Roxborough Memorial Hospital School of Nursing graduating class of 2008. John J. Donnelly, Jr., the hospitals chief executive officer, conferred 61...

April 23, 2008
Hospital wins second patient safety award
For the second consecutive year, Roxborough Memorial Hospital has received a prestigious Patient Safety Achievement Award honoring excellence and innovation in health care from the Hospital and Health system Association of Pennsylvania (HAP). This...

January 2008
State of RMH 2008
State of Roxborough Memorial Hospital 2008 By Jack Donnelly, CEO At the conclusion of one of the most significant years in our hospitals history, I am happy to present the current state of Roxborough...

November 30, 2007
RMH Installs Advanced CT System
ROXBOROUGH MEMORIAL HOSPITAL INSTALLS ADVANCED CT SYSTEM (Philadelphia, PA) Roxborough Memorial Hospital has installed a new and advanced computed tomography (CT) scanner, the Toshibas Aquilion 16, produced by Toshiba America Medical...

July 27, 2007
Roxborough Memorial Recognized for Participation in National Program
Roxborough Memorial Hospital has been recognized by the American Heart Association and the American Stroke Association for participating in their Get With The Guidelines program designed to improve quality in the treatment of patients with coronary...

July 2, 2007
Solis Healthcare Completes Purchase of Roxborough Memorial and Warminster Hospitals
Monday July 2, 5:49 pm ET PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Solis Healthcare LLC, a newly formed Philadelphia-based health care company, announced today that it has completed the purchase of Roxborough Memorial Hospital, a 137-bed acute care hospital...

May 2007
Roxborough Memorial Hospital Receives Statewide Award
Roxborough Memorial Hospital is one of only 24 hospitals in the state honored to receive a prestigious HAPAchievement Award from the Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania for 2007. Roxboroughs award-winning entry, Targeting Do Not...

May 2007
School of Nursing Accreditation Continues Until 2015
Roxborough School of Nursing Accreditation Continues Until 2015 The Board of Commissioners of the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission, Inc. (NLNAC) has granted the Roxborough Memorial Hospital School of Nursing continuing...

August 2006
Detecting Depression in the Elderly
Philadelphia, PA Roxborough Memorial Hospital knows fighting long illnesses, dealing with loss of friends and family along with emotional and physical changes associated with the aging process is understandably difficult for an elderly individual...

June 2006
Local Nursing School Graduates Record Number
62 Complete Roxborough Memorial Hospital School of Nursing 21-Month Program Patricia T. Nelson, Ed.D., R.N., vice president for education at Roxborough Memorial Hospitals School of Nursing, has announced the graduation of 62...

June 2006
Roxborough Memorial Appoints New Business Development Director
Roxborough Memorial Hospital is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Richard T. Newell, Jr. as director of Business Development. Dr. Newell, who received master and doctoral degrees in Physical Therapy from Temple University, served most...

February 2006
Roxborough Memorial Hospital Offers Free ?Mind Your Medications? Cards
Philadelphia, PA To assistant members of the community in keeping their personal medication lists current and accessible, Roxborough Memorial Hospital is offering free Mind your Medications cards to all who are interested. These cards, about the...

January 27, 2006
Roxborough Memorial Hospital?s Department of Radiology Expands
Philadelphia, PA To accommodate increased demand for imaging services for its patient community, Roxborough Memorial Hospitals Department of Radiology has added a second General Radiology X-ray room and expanded staffing and hours of...

November 28, 2005
Roxborough Memorial Hospital Welcomes Jon-Paul Croom as Chief Operating Officer
PHILADELPHIA, PA Roxborough Memorial Hospital is pleased to announce Jon-Paul Croom as its new chief operating officer. Croom comes to Roxborough Memorial Hospital from the Tenet Central-Northeast Southern States Region Commitment to...

November 10, 2005
New Technology Designed to Enhance Efficiency, Accuracy of Medication Delivery for Patients
PHILADELPHIA, PA Roxborough Memorial Hospital announces today the installation of PyxisConnect, an electronic physician-to-pharmacy order management system designed to enhance prescription medication control and delivery. Scan stations located in...

June 20, 2005
Roxborough Memorial Hospital Appoints Michael Henrici Chief Human Resources Officer
PHILADELPHIA, PA Roxborough Memorial Hospital announces today the appointment of Michael Henrici as the hospitals new Chief Human Resources Officer. Henrici most recently served as chief human resources officer at Phoenixville Hospital of the...

June 2005
Chronic Wounds Need Special Care
For most of us, a cut or scrape is not a concern. However, according to the Comprehensive Wound Healing Center at Roxborough Memorial Hospital, nearly five million Americans have trouble healing. Chronic open sores can become seriously...

June 1, 2005
Record Number of Nurses Graduate
Nearly all Roxborough Memorial Hospital School of Nursing Graduates Complete Program with Employment Commitments PHILADELPHIA, PA Roxborough Memorial Hospitals School of Nursing graduated 51 nursing students, the largest graduating...

March 18, 2005
Roxborough Memorial Hospital Appoints New Chief Nursing Officer
PHILADELPHIA, PA Roxborough Memorial Hospital has announced the appointment of Natalie Glantz, B.S.N., M.S., as the institutions new chief nursing officer. Most recently Glantz served as Roxborough Memorial Hospitals director of cardiopulmonary...