Hackensack Meridian Health

Dr. Vince Moss and Dr. Vance Moss may not be your typical surgeons. As members of the Golden Hour Offset Surgical Treatment Teams, the twin brothers have performed surgery in the back of a helicopter, improvised operating rooms and saved lives in Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia. After years spent ready to deploy on short notice to provide surgical treatment and resuscitation, the transition between civilian and military commitments could have been difficult. “When we're with special operations, we could be called to duty at any moment. We only have so much time to prepare our family, prepare our practice and pretty much get ourselves in the mode of being deployed,” Vince says. “We have been employed at numerous institutions. We both have come to the conclusion that the support from HMH is above and beyond. JFK has been like a family to us.” Vince, a general and thoracic surgeon who has been with JFK since 2010, was in Afghanistan with Vance when his deployment was extended in 2020 because of COVID. That meant he wasn’t able to be at JFK for the birth of his son. “JFK went above and beyond to make sure that the communications were set up so that I could be with my wife [a former Emergency Department nurse at JFK] virtually and securely,” Vance says. The brothers have been in the Reserves for more than 20 years and have attained the rank of Colonel. Vance, a urology and renal transplantation surgeon, extended his practice to Edison in 2023. With coordinated efforts from our military and state department and Northwest Medical Teams International, they've completed several surgical missions in Afghanistan as war ravaged the country — and saved the lives of countless citizens. Family members serving simultaneously in combat is rare, but even more uncommon is twins serving together in the same combat theater with Special Operations. Their service has earned them accolades from ABC World News Tonight, Men's Health Magazine, Ellis Island and the Trumpet Awards. For Vince, the experience has made him a better doctor. “From the military I’ve learned how to perform tasks with minimal resources and to improvise quickly and safely,” he says. “It's taught me how to deal with pressure.” It isn't always easy. “I think that's very important for soldier citizens who work in the hospital, whether it’s as a medic, a nurse or a building operations team member who may have been in the infantry, that support is extremely, extremely important and JFK has been unbelievable,” Vince says. “I would advise veterans to find out all of the programs that JFK and HMH have because they're out there and they're there to support us.” For those who want to support our veterans, Vince's advice is simple: ask how they're doing and if there's anything they need, and offering access to mental health resources. “JFK is a model of the type of veteran support that I think that other institutions can learn from here,” he says. #VeteransMonth #PeopleofHMH

This Veterans Day, we thank the incredible individuals who serve our great nation in so many ways — including musically. Few know that the US Army is the largest employer of musicians in the world, but Charles, manager of our vulnerability and patch management program, knows it firsthand. That's because he served for eight years as a vocalist with the United States Army Field Band Soldiers' Chorus. "Music is central in Army life," he says. The band members are known as musical ambassadors, traveling well over 100 days a year on average with their reputation for musical excellence preceding them. “I jokingly tell people that finding a singing slot in the Army is more difficult than finding Special Forces slots – there are far fewer singing slots,” he says. He credits a choir colleague with helping him find one. “He was in the Army and told me the Soldiers’ Chorus had openings. I sent them my packet and they invited me in for an audition.” Passion for singing began when Charles was a child. “My mom put us in a children’s choir at church and I realized it was something I liked doing. I was always in a chorus or a band of some sort. I kept singing, taking lessons and seizing opportunities. It turned into a great career opportunity.” Charles has been blessed to serve with amazing musicians. “The talent is exceptional. I worked alongside some extraordinary people. Shaking the hands of veterans, who would light up when they saw us take the stage and sing; communicating a different aspect of the military—highlighting the opportunities and satisfaction that comes out of the military to serve your fellow man makes for some really incredible moments.” After Charles completed his eight years with the Army, he held positions across the civilian federal government and the intelligence community before joining the Hackensack Meridian family earlier this year. He leads efforts to identify, prioritize and address security weaknesses to enhance our defense against cyber-attacks. “I love the opportunity to help make HMH a little more secure each day—that’s joy for me. I have an amazing team and it’s a real privilege to be able to work with such intelligent, talented and good humans,” says Charles. “Like the military, HMH provides a critical service: Caring for people, most of whom we don’t even know. The work of making HMH more secure allows our health care professionals to focus exclusively on providing exceptional care to patients.” Charles lives with his wife, son and two daughters, whom he recently took to see the Soldiers’ Chorus perform. “Many of the people in the group hadn’t seen my kids since they were small.” Friends and family have had the pleasure of Charles performing at various events including funerals, graduations and weddings. He also enjoys giving free music lessons to kids. “Music is the gift God gave me. I really enjoy being in a space where I don’t have to use it to earn a living and can give freely to others.” #PeopleofHMH

Working at Hackensack Meridian Health ✨ just makes sense ✨. We're hiring in a variety of positions across the state — join our team today at https://lnkd.in/gWkHKYjC! #hiring #nowhiring #healthcare

We're giddy to introduce our newest team member 🐴 One of our newest hires seems to be fitting in just fine. He gets along great with team members and patients at Carrier Clinic, which provides mental health and addiction treatment. In fact, Mike, the 14-year-old quarter horse donated by a family in Chester County, Pennsylvania, might just be a model employee. “Mike is the perfect therapy animal...he’s way past gentle,” says barn care coordinator Ravenell Williams IV. Mike was determined to have the best temperament out of many equine therapy candidates, and the family generously gifted him. His new home is the barn on the southwest end of the campus along with another horse, two miniature donkeys and two goats. The therapy horses aren’t ridden, but clients interact with them in different ways, helping to groom, feed and lead the animals. Equine-assisted therapy is thought to provide a calming effect and help with a variety of mental health and behavioral issues, including addiction, anxiety and depression. Working with horses also helps build confidence and trust in the adolescents and adults who participate at Carrier. “Mike has the personality to be a therapy animal. He’s very affectionate,” Ravenell said. We know that Mike the horse will help many patients at Carrier Clinic and wish him the best of luck at his important role!

Join us for an engaging evening where you will have the opportunity to interact with and try the latest advancements in urologic surgical equipment. You will hear from leading experts on the role of artificial intelligence in the operating room and how these innovations are enhancing patient care. As we come together to honor our dear friend Dr. Richard Watson, we will celebrate his illustrious career and contributions to the field. This promises to be a fun and inspiring evening, filled with knowledge, connection, and appreciation for the remarkable work being done in urology. #urology #symposium #urologist

We are proud to have been named one of Fortune's Best Workplaces for Women. This recognition follows our ninth Great Place to Work certification and our ranking as a Best Workplace in Healthcare. It's our belief that together, we are better — and better for one means better for all of us. Our commitment to ensuring our team reflects our community strengthens our work, our care and us all. #womeninhealthcare #healthcare #greatplacetowork #bestworkplaces #gptwcertified

Around the world, citizens across continents watched the Olympics this summer, and our team was no exception. For Anthony, the celebration was extra special. Materials coordinator at the Hackensack University Medical Center Women and Children's Hospital, Anthony was able to attend the Summer Olympics in Paris. It'd be a once in a lifetime event for anyone, but for him and his family, it was extra special. Anthony's daughter, Jackie, was competing as a member of the US women's foil fencing team. He and his family watched as Jackie and her team defeated China and Canada to head to the gold-medal match against Italy—the #1 ranked team that beat Team USA in Tokyo. Team USA took an early lead and although the score would tighten, they never relinquished it. With their exciting victory, Jackie and her team became the first US fencing team in history to take home Olympic gold. “I couldn’t believe it,” says Anthony. “I was absolutely speechless. The best team in the world was Italy, but Jackie and her team won.” For Anthony, the celebration did not end in Paris. Upon his return, fellow team members decorated the Mother Baby unit with gold medals, photos of Jackie and her team, and American flags. “[My team] was amazing,” he says. “They put up flags and had pictures of my daughter. I was really surprised. It was nice of them to do it.” Congratulations to Anthony, Jackie and team USA!

The latest technology is now arriving 🚛 The TOME truck is carrying innovative robotic surgery tools straight to local students. Using video game-like controls, New Jersey's next generation of care providers tried their hand at the future of medicine. #roboticsurgery #healthcare #medstudent #futuredoctor

Happy Halloween from our littlest patients, who are celebrating their first one! 🎃 What costume will you wear this year?

Join the 2024 Pediatric Orthopedic Symposium on 11/21. This important event provide participants with an appreciation of prompt diagnostic identification, new surgical interventions, and best practice management for children. #orthopedics #pediatrics #symposium