Chana Zablocki Joins Stein Hospice as New Medical Director

SOMERSET, N.J. - Dec. 4, 2014 - PRLog -- Dr. Chana Zablocki is proud to be part of a team eager to help families of patients during the final chapter of their lives.

The families of patients who are facing the final chapters of their lives find an endless wealth of support from the professionals at Stein Hospice, which is an agency of The Oscar & Ella Wilf Campus for Senior Living in Somerset.

Last month, the hospice welcomed Elizabeth resident, Chana Zablocki as its new medical director. She is certified by the American Board of Family Medicine.

Zablocki earned her doctoral degree in 2002 from Hadassah Medical School in Israel and completed her internship and residency in the JFK Family Medicine Residency Program in 2008 when she also earned a resident teacher award and chief resident award.

A family practitioner at Faith Family Health in Plainfield, she is also a consultant for the city of Elizabeth’s health department. She has lectured at Amal College in Israel and served as a commander for two years in the Israel Defense Force.

“Stein Hospice is really going to give me an opportunity to focus primarily on alleviating patients’ suffering,” said Zablocki. “As physicians, we focus so much on our other capacities, such as helping to find cures. But, this position will give me the chance to dedicate my energy solely on ways to ease the suffering that patients endure.”

She continued, “The different modalities I have trained in which have helped make me a better physician at other workplaces will help me in my work as hospice medical director as well.”

“My position is not based on a time factor such as when I would see patients in my office from one hour to another. This is a 24-7 position in which nurses, who see hospice patients, call me to get suggestions about the patients’ care (medications, other measures of comfort care to help them),” explained Zablocki.

“I meet with the nurses every week to discuss the patients formally so that no one falls through the cracks,” she said. “ I often  I visit the patients, so I will go to their homes , nursing homes or assisted living to tend to their needs.”

Zablocki learned about Stein Hospice through its executive director, Bruce Birnberg as they are acquainted through her work with the JFK Family Medicine Residency Program.

“Bruce would talk about what an amazing place Stein Hospice is and the work that  all of the staff there have been doing to help families with bereavement and transitioning through this stage of their lives and the patients’ lives,” she said.

“It seemed like an incredible place to work,” said Zablocki when asked about what attracted her to becoming a Stein Hospice employee. “Bruce always had something wonderful to say about everyone he works with because they do their work exceptionally well.”

Zablocki, who is married and has four children, shared how touched she has been by letters from grateful family members that have experienced the Stein Hospice difference.

“To know that I am part of this incredible team and that I play a small role in what they do means so much to me,” she said.

In her new position, Dr. Zablocki hopes to be the type of physician who can bridge the gap between other physicians in the community who are referring patients to a hospice and Stein Hospice itself.

The Oscar and Ella Wilf Campus for Senior Living is comprised of Stein Assisted Living with the Jaffa Gate Memory Care Neighborhood, Stein Hospice, Wilentz Senior Residence, Wilf Transport, Wilf At Home, and The Foundation at the Wilf Campus. For more information, contact us at (732) 568-1155, info@wilfcampus.org or visit us at www.wilfcampus.org.  To contact Stein Hospice call 732-227-1212 or hospice@wilfcampus.org.