For Immediate Release
January 24, 2007
Contact: John Shaffer
732-776-4166
jshaffer@meridianhealth.com

K. HOVNANIAN CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL AND EPILEPSY FOUNDATION OF NEW JERSEY COLLABORATE FOR BETTER PEDIATRIC TREATMENT

New Jersey’s Spread The Word Initiative Slated To Act As Model for Other States

Neptune, NJ - In an effort to advance relationships among physicians, children with epilepsy and their families, the Epilepsy Foundation of New Jersey and K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital have developed a Tool Kit entitled Spread The Word. The collaboration is part of a three-year grant provided by the U.S. Maternal and Child Health Bureau, Health Resources Services Administration, with project sites in seven other states.

Nationwide, 300,000 children have epilepsy and another 50,000 new pediatric cases are diagnosed annually. A child has a 1% chance of developing epilepsy between birth and 20 years of age. Over a 75-year lifetime, an individual has a 3% chance of developing the disorder.

“Project Access is a program designed to improve awareness and access to care for children and youth with epilepsy.” said Eric Joice, Executive Director, Epilepsy Foundation of New Jersey. “The Foundation developed the Tool Kit as part of this project to help parents become aware of the information and resources that are available. Physicians will also get the tools and resources they need to provide the best care for their patients.”

“Sitting down with parents and the Epilepsy Foundation of New Jersey to discuss our approach to delivering care was revolutionary,” said Steven Kairys, MD, Chairman, K. Hovnanian Department of Pediatrics. “Everyone who participated in the process learned to break down barriers and consider new ideas. The end product will benefit patients, their families and physicians.”

Each Spread The Word Tool Kit has separate sections for physicians and families. Inside are sample forms and records that can better organize a child’s care. Organization is critical for more complicated cases, in which the patient may take a series of medications every day at varying times.

“Pediatric epilepsy is particularly challenging because of a child’s maturation process,” said Roopal Karia, MD, Director, Pediatric Epilepsy Program at K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital. “Growth spurts or puberty onset can greatly affect the condition, and the treatment regimen may have to be revamped.”

Dr. Karia noted that compliance, as well as tracking medication schedules, dates/times of seizures and severity, is critical to identify what is or isn’t working. “When the patient and his or her family come in for an appointment, we can sit down with the tool kit to review all the information together,” said Karia. “It keeps everyone on the same page, literally.”

“If I had had a “Tool Kit” such as this from the beginning, it would have improved my family’s quality of life,” said Cathy Rapsas, an Ocean County mother of a child with epilepsy. Rapsas assisted in the development of Spread The Word. “It won’t change your child’s diagnosis, but it will give you and your doctors a guide to manage treatment together. This greatly reduces the stress the disorder puts on the family,” she added.

Along with the input she provided to the project, Dr. Karia is taking away valuable lessons. “Pediatric epilepsy cannot be approached strictly from a medical standpoint,” she said. “This disease affects more than the patient; it has an impact on the entire family. There is a whole social context – the human connection – that has to occur for successful long-term prognosis.”

Jersey Shore University Medical Center, a member of the Meridian Health family, is a not-for-profit university teaching and home to the K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital – the first children’s hospital in Monmouth and Ocean counties.
Jersey Shore University Medical Center specializes in cardiac care and surgery, orthopedics and rehabilitation, cancer care, and advanced women’s and children’s health services. For more information, please call 1-732-775-5500 or visit www.meridianhealth.com.
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The Epilepsy Foundation of New Jersey, an affiliate of the National Epilepsy Foundation, is a statewide voluntary agency dedicated to helping to improve the quality of life for people affected by epilepsy and their loved ones. The Foundation recently celebrated 35 years of service and continues to provide innovative and needed services to over 125,000 New Jersey residents living with epilepsy. For more information about The Epilepsy Foundation of New Jersey please call 609-392-4900 or visit www.efnj.com

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