Trinitas Regional Medical Center

Trinitas recently held a dedication and ribbon-cutting for the “Rootin’ for You” Garden located at Trinitas’ New Point Campus for Behavioral Health services. This project is at the heart of the multifaceted Food Insecurity effort at Trinitas, focused on education, collaboration, and provision of fresh vegetables and herbs for those in need. Other programs in development for 2025 are food distribution sites, Common Market food boxes, and a Food Farmacy. Many employees and teen residents of the New Point Specialty and New Day programs have been involved in the project’s development – engaging donors, fixing and building the beds, tilling the soil and planting, weeding and watering the plants and teaching teens to master gardening techniques. Jasmine Gonzalez, Assistant Director of New Point Specialty took the lead with the teens for maintenance and development, while Chris Haverlock, Coordinator of Physical Therapy, shared his personal gardening expertise to help prepare the teens for this task. “The garden is more than just a place to grow vegetables – it’s a space for connection, wellness, and community,” says Gonzalez, who has formed a deep connection with the young patients of New Point Specialty and New Day. “We were very excited for the ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the fruits of our labor. Together, we are not just growing a garden, but also nurturing a community. We look forward to many seasons of future growth.” The vegetables are grown, harvested, washed and made available to patients of the Trinitas Behavioral health programs. As the teens agreed, “It’s so good to see people so happy to have fresh veggies and to help make life better for others.” New Point Specialty is designed to address behavioral health and mental challenges, such as drug and alcohol addiction, as well as prepare youth for success outside of the program. New Day is a teen residential program designed to support an all-female population who have endured physical, emotional and sexual abuse. To learn more, call New Day at (908) 994-7552; or New Point Specialty at (908) 994-7395.

Labor Day is a time to celebrate the hard work and dedication of our team members. Together we make a profound impact on the lives of our patients, communities and each other. Thank you for everything that you do! #LetsBeHealthyTogether

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Reydi Aguilera Rodriguez, RN was recently recognized as a DAISY Award winner for going above and beyond with a particular cancer patient without health insurance. Over the course of one day, her young son was at her bedside on the phone with various insurance companies. Reydi, who joined the Trinitas in 2023, overheard the conversation and offered some tips and numbers to call. By the time his mother was discharged, they had numerous resources to help pay their bills and the son’s demeanor changed from distraught to hopeful. It was Reydi’s advice and comfort that had made a difference in helping the family successfully secure insurance coverage. We are fortunate to have Reydi on our team of dedicated nurses. Interested in joining our award-winning nursing team? Learn more by visiting: rwjbh.org/trinitascareers

The Trinitas Transitional Care Team recently celebrated Community Health Worker Week by recognizing one of the team members, Nayelly Pizzaro, a CHW who has been helping patients in the community for the past three years. There are tens of thousands of CHWs across the United States whose job is to remove barriers to health care for vulnerable members of the community. “Community Health Workers like Nayelly are very special to all of us, but most of all to the patients whose lives they touch,” said Amanda Joy Ciani, DNP, APN, FNP-C, RN, CEN, MICN, and Transitional Care Coordinator. “They are a great asset!”

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Happy National Dog Day to our canine volunteers - Tito (standing guard in the street), Boosie (striking a pose for a headshot) and Wanda (relaxing with employees)! They spread so much joy throughout our hospital. Patients and employees love and appreciate their therapeutic visits.

Sean Pangilinan, BSN, RN, a behavioral health nurse at the New Point Campus, is the 2024 recipient of the Rising Star Award. Sean came to Trinitas one year ago after working in medical-surgical and home care nursing for the previous four years. “I’ve held numerous jobs in health care before becoming a nurse and found that I felt a sense of purpose and accomplishment when helping my patients,” he says. “I enjoyed being able to positively impact the lives of others, so naturally, I became a nurse.” In addition to his routine tasks, he says, “Sometimes we have to calm patients down. Sometimes they just need someone to listen to them. Patience, empathy, and a level head go a long way. It can get busy, but there’s good supporting staff at Trinitas. My superpower is being calm and a good listener. I attribute these qualities to my success here as a nurse.” Though Sean has been offered opportunities to work elsewhere, he says, “I couldn't ask for a better team than the one I have at Trinitas. Everyone is supportive and willing to help. The staff is friendly, experienced and I've learned so much from them.” Every May, Trinitas recognizes nurses like Sean that go above and beyond to deliver compassionate patient care with Nursing Excellence Awards. Interested in joining our award-winning nursing team? Learn more by visiting: rwjbh.org/trinitascareers

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We are hiring! Why choose Trinitas? So many reasons! New graduates are welcome. We offer extensive orientation and residency programs, career growth within our organization, competitive pay, comprehensive benefits, tuition reimbursement and more!