Tag: The Valley Hospital

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Pedestrian struck by a school bus while crossing Fair Lawn Avenue late Wednesday afternoon

Pedestrian struck by a school bus

photo courtesy of Boyd Loving’s Facebook page

December 1,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Fair Lawn NJ, Fair Lawn PD, EMS and a paramedic unit from The Valley Hospital all rushed to aid an adult male pedestrian who was struck by a school bus while crossing Fair Lawn Avenue near Saddle River Road late Wednesday afternoon, 11/30. The school bus driver remained on the scene and was cooperating with police officers. The condition of the victim and the hospital to which he was transported were not made available at the accident scene.

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“Jaws of Life” Used to free Driver in Glen Rock

"Jaws of Life" Used to free Driver in Glen Rock

photo courtesy of Boyd loving’s Facebook Page

November 16,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Glen Rock FD personnel used the “Jaws of Life” to free the adult male driver of a Jeep from his vehicle after it collided with a 4-door sedan at the intersection of Harristown Road and Elm Avenue in Glen Rock on Tuesday evening, 11/15. The victim was transported by a Glen Rock EMS ambulance to The Valley Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. A flatbed tow truck removed the Jeep (minus its driver’s side door) from the scene. Glen Rock PD is investigating the crash.

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Paramedic team from The Valley Hospital Assists in Moving Van Accident in Ridgewood

Moving Van Accident in Ridgewood

Photos courtesy of Boyd Loving’s Facebook

November 13,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, The driver of a small moving van lost control of his vehicle, left the roadway and subsequently knocked over a street sign before crashing into a tree at the intersection of North Monroe Street and Farview Street, Ridgewood late Saturday night, 11/12. Ridgewood PD, FD, and EMS personnel responded to aid the victim, who was transported by ambulance to The Valley Hospital. A paramedic team from The Valley Hospital assisted with patient care. The crumpled vehicle was removed from the scene by a hydraulic lift tow truck. The contents of the moving van at the time of impact included a piano.

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The Valley Hospital Earns “A” Grade for Patient Safety in Fall 2016 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade

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November 2,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, The Valley Hospital is proud to have been recognized with an “A” grade in patient safety for the ninth time.  Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades, which rate how well hospitals protect patients from preventable medical errors, injuries and infections within the hospital, were announced today by The Leapfrog Group, a national patient safety watchdog. Valley was one of 844 hospitals to receive an “A”, ranking it among the safest hospitals in the United States.

“We are pleased and proud to once again receive an ‘A’ for patient safety,” said Audrey Meyers, President and CEO of The Valley Hospital and Valley Health System. “This top grade is a reflection and a result of our longstanding focus on and commitment to patient safety and quality care.”

“Protecting patients from harm is the most important charge for any hospital,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “We recognize and appreciate ‘A’ hospitals’ vigilance and continued dedication to keeping their patients safe.”

Developed under the guidance of an Expert Panel, the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade uses 30 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to assign A, B, C, D and F grades to more than 2,600 U.S. hospitals twice per year. It is calculated by top patient safety experts, peer-reviewed, fully transparent and free to the public.

To see Valley’s full grade, and to access consumer-friendly patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit www.hospitalsafetygrade.org or follow The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade on Twitter or Facebook. Consumers can also download the free Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade mobile app for Apple and Android devices.

About The Leapfrog Group
Founded in 2000 by large employers and other purchasers, The Leapfrog Group is a national nonprofit organization driving a movement for giant leaps forward in the quality and safety of American health care. The flagship Leapfrog Hospital Survey collects and transparently reports hospital performance, empowering purchasers to find the highest-value care and giving consumers the lifesaving information they need to make informed decisions. The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, Leapfrog’s other main initiative, assigns letter grades to hospitals based on their record of patient safety, helping consumers protect themselves and their families from errors, injuries, accidents, and infections.

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Two Pedestrians Struck by Vehicle in Fair Lawn

Two Pedestrians Struck by Vehicle in Fair Lawn

photo courtesy of Boyd Loving’s Facebook

October 20,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Fair Lawn NJ, Yesterday two (2) pedestrians, an adult male and an adult female, were struck by a vehicle while crossing Fair Lawn Avenue near Well Drive in Fair Lawn on Wednesday afternoon, 10/19. Both victims were transported by ambulance to The Valley Hospital. Fair Lawn PD and EMS responded. The victim’s injuries appeared to have been non life threatening. The driver of the vehicle involved remained at the scene and was cooperating with police officers.

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The Valley Hospital Named one of America’s Best Breast Centers for Third Consecutive Year

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Honored for providing exceptional patient care and clinical excellence

October 13,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, For the third consecutive year, The Valley Hospital has earned the Women’s Choice Award®  as one of America’s Best Breast Centers, acknowledging its dedication to providing exceptional patient care and treatment. This evidence-based designation is the only award that identifies the country’s best breast centers based on robust criteria that considers female patient satisfaction and clinical excellence.

To earn this recognition, The Valley Hospital Breast Center, along with 450 other award winners throughout the nation, had to meet the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC) standards from the American College of Surgeons and carry the Breast Imaging Center of Excellence (BICOE) seal from the American College of Radiology.  The Valley Hospital Breast Center also had to receive a rating in the top 75% for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) patient recommendation measures.

“We are proud to be recognized as one of the nation’s best hospitals for breast care,” said Audrey Meyers, President and CEO of The Valley Hospital and Valley Health System.  “It’s a testament to the priority our Breast Center physicians, nurses and staff place on making sure every patient’s needs are met when it comes to breast care.”

Breast cancer is the second most common form of cancer among American women according to the American Cancer Society, and one in eight women in the U.S. will develop invasive breast cancer during their lifetime.

“Whether it’s an annual mammogram or addressing a more serious concern, every woman deserves the best breast care and an opportunity to live a healthy life. By letting women know which breast centers in their area are among America’s best, we are able to reduce their risk by helping them make smarter healthcare choices,” says Delia Passi, CEO and Founder of the Women’s Choice Award.

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The Valley Hospital First in New Jersey to Receive Four-Year Accreditation for Radiation Oncology Services

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October 4,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, The Valley Hospital has received a full, four-year accreditation from the American Society for Radiation Oncology’s (ASTRO) Accreditation Program for Excellence (APEx®). Valley’s cancer program holds the distinction of being the only one in New Jersey, and 1 of 7 in the country, to receive this accreditation.

APEx is an independent radiation oncology practice accreditation program based on 16 evidence-based standards of radiation oncology practice. These 16 standards are focused on five pillars of patient care: the process of care; the radiation oncology team; safety; quality management; and patient-centered care.

Accreditation through APEx is a rigorous, voluntary, multi-step process that can take up to one year to complete. To receive accreditation, Valley’s policies and procedures were reviewed using objective, verifiable expectations for performance in radiation oncology. Valley also demonstrated its commitment to high standards of safety, quality and patient-centered care through effective communication, coordinated treatment and engaging patients and their families as partners in care.

“We are pleased to receive APEx accreditation from ASTRO, the premier radiation oncology society in the world,” said Chad DeYoung, M.D., Co-Director of Radiation Oncology at Valley. “Evaluating our processes in relation to ASTRO’s high standards, including standards for safety and quality, validates our practices and recognizes the efforts of our radiation oncology team to deliver patient-centered radiation oncology care.”

“ASTRO is proud to recognize Valley for achieving APEx accreditation,” said ASTRO chair Bruce D. Minsky, M.D., FASTRO. “Valley has demonstrated a commitment to providing their patients with safe, high-quality radiation therapy services.”

Valley’s oncology program, which recently partnered with Mount Sinai Health System, provides comprehensive, patient-centered cancer care in northern New Jersey. Valley offers state-of-the-art treatment options for oncology patients, including advanced diagnostic technology, minimally invasive surgery, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapies and radiation oncology, as well as a robust program of inpatient and outpatient supportive services, clinical trials and access to Mount Sinai’s renowned experts in the field of cancer care. For more information, visitwww.valleyhealthcancercenter.com.

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AeroScout RTLS Helps The Valley Hospital’s Staff Feel Safer

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The Stanley Healthcare solution includes Wi-Fi RFID badges that nurses, physicians and other personnel can use to identify their locations and call for assistance.
By Claire Swedberg

Sep 27, 2016—

The Valley Hospital, in Ridgewood, N.J., has been using a real-time location system (RTLS) to monitor the locations and identities of staff members who press their emergency badge. Before the hospital deployed the system, only 50 percent of personnel reported a sense of workplace safety. Once those workers began utilizing the RTLS, provided byStanley Healthcare, that figure rose to 85 percent.

The Valley Hospital rarely experiences violence in its ER, but there have been incidents in which employees have indicated feeling uncomfortable, the hospital reports. After members of a patient’s family prevented a nurse from leaving that patient’s room, that nurse asked the hospital to institute a better means of protecting personnel. The facility, which treats 74,000 patients in its emergency department each year, already offered wired emergency alarms in each room, but it decided that a wireless system would provide greater support to employees wherever they were in that department. The solution consists of Stanley Healthcare Wi-Fi-enabled call badges and software that helps security personnel identify who has placed a distress call, as well as where that person is located and what he or she looks like.

https://www.rfidjournal.com/articles/view?15022

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U.S. News & World Report Names The Valley Hospital Among the Best in New Jersey

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August 26, 2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewoood NJ,  The Valley Hospital has been recognized as one of the best hospitals in the region, ranking as the fifth best hospital in New Jersey and the 14th best hospital in the New York metropolitan area for 2016-2017, according to U.S. News & World Report.

In addition, Valley achieved the highest possible rating – high performing – in all nine common procedures and conditions that are rated by U.S. News & World Report: abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, aortic valve surgery, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), colon cancer surgery, heart bypass surgery, heart failure, hip replacement, knee replacement and lung cancer surgery.

“These distinctions are a reflection of our longstanding commitment to providing excellent clinical care and service,” said Audrey Meyers, President and CEO of The Valley Hospital and Valley Health System.

U.S. News evaluates nearly 5,000 hospitals nationwide, said Ben Harder, chief of health analysis at U.S. News. “A hospital that emerged from our analysis as one of the best has much to be proud of.”

The U.S. News Best Hospital rankings, now in their 27th year, help guide patients to hospitals that deliver outstanding care across 25 specialties, procedures and conditions. The Best Hospitals methodologies factor in objective measures such as patient survival, the number of times a given procedure is performed, infection rates, adequacy of nurse staffing and more.

For 2016-17, 153 hospitals were ranked in at least one specialty, while 1,628 received a high performing rating in one or more specialties, procedures or conditions. In rankings by state and metro area, U.S. News recognized hospitals that were high-performing across multiple areas of care.

Best Hospitals was produced by U.S. News with RTI International, a leading research organization based in Research Triangle Park, N.C.

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Amazon delivery driver attacked by dog in Glen Rock

Amazon delivery driver attacked by dog in Glen Rock

photos courtesy of Boyd Lovings Facebook page

August 23,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Glen Rock NJ, Glen Rock PD and EMS responded to a report of an Amazon delivery driver who was attacked and bitten by a large dog at 392 Grove Street, Glen Rock on Monday morning, 08/22. Glen Rock PD officers were observed administering first aid to the driver as he sat in his delivery van. A Glen Rock EMS ambulance transported the victim, who reportedly sustained a serious hand injury, to The Valley Hospital for treatment.

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The Valley Hospital of Ridgewood Receives Women’s Choice Award® as one of America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Patient Experience

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May 10, 2016

the  staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, The Valley Hospital has earned the 2016 Women’s Choice Award as one of America’s Best Hospitals for Patient Experience for a fourth consecutive year.  This evidence based designation is the only award that identifies the country’s best healthcare institutions based on Medicare data weighed according to the preference of women in a 2016 national survey of 1,000+ female respondents.

The list of award winners, including The Valley Hospital, represents hospitals that create an extraordinary patient experience for women and their families by providing exceptional care.“We are proud to once again be recognized as one of the nation’s Best Hospitals for Patient Experience,” said Audrey Meyers, President and CEO of The Valley Hospital and Valley Health System.  “It’s a testament to the priority Valley nurses, physicians and staff place on delivering high-quality, compassionate care to our patients and their families.”

The America’s 100 Best Hospitals scoring process is unique in that it is the only national list that focuses on what matters most to women when choosing a hospital.  For 2016, the most important considerations were patient’s willingness to recommend, doctor and nurse communications, staff help, pain management, cleanliness and explanation of medications, in that order.  The qualification process begins with scores derived by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for each hospital in the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) database.  Our national survey of women determines which questions in the HCAHPS survey, completed by patients after discharge, are most important to them in determining their satisfaction with their hospital stay.  The responses to those questions, weighted accordingly, results in a numeric score for each hospital reporting valid HCAHPS data to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

“Women are the Chief Medical Officer for the household, making upwards of 90 percent of all healthcare decisions.  Considering she bears the responsibility of making these incredibly important decisions, the Women’s Choice Award offers a trusted solution by identifying the hospitals that have proven superior patient experience.  Finally, a source that shares her values and priorities is available,” said Delia Passi, CEO and Founder of the Women’s Choice Award.

For more information on the 2016 America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Patient Experience visit https://www.womenschoiceaward.com/awarded/best-hospitals/100s-best/.

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The Valley Hospital Receives Excellence Award from Vizient, Inc. for Sustainability Practices

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May 10,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, The Valley Hospital announced today that it has received the Vizient Excellence Award for Sustainability. The award honors The Valley Hospital’s strong commitment to good governance, community engagement and environmental stewardship in 2015. Vizient, Inc., the largest member-owned health care company in the country, presented the award on Thursday, April 14 during the 2016 Vizient Connections Summit held in Las Vegas.

The hospital received this award in recognition of its apiaries (bee hives), which are helping to combat the nearly 40 percent decrease in the New Jersey bee population annually. With eight hives in total, the bees help to pollinate a 2-mile radius around the hospital and the hospital’s offsite ambulatory surgery center, increasing the yield of flowers, fruits and vegetables over a 17,400 acre area.

Beekeeping is just one example of Valley’s efforts to “go green” and support locally produced food. In 2010 Valley signed the Healthy Food in Health Care Pledge, which calls for hospitals to use more locally grown food, work with vendors to obtain products free of pesticides and hormones, purchase more organic foods, educate the community about nutritious and ‘’socially just” foods, minimize or reuse food waste, use ecologically protective food packaging and support humane agriculture systems. Initiatives to date conducted in support of the pledge include buying local produce from Catalpa Ridge Farm, which is a community supported agriculture program in Sussex County, the hospital’s commitment to buying cage-free eggs, promoting “Meatless Monday” and a year-long partnership with the community supported agriculture program offered by Hesperides Organica, a farm in Warwick, N.Y.

“We have always been big supporters of locally produced food and what could be more local that producing your own honey?” said Dawn Cascio, Director of Valley Dining. “We also like the idea of supporting the declining honey bee population while enhancing our community’s gardens, foliage, and trees.”

Since the addition of the initial two hives that marked project’s inception in 2013, the annual honey harvest has increased from 30 pounds to over 100 pounds. The honey is utilized in menus for the hospital’s patients, visitors and staff. The beeswax has been used as an ingredient in the hospital’s all-natural, house-made lip balm, body butter, hand lotion, foot balm and vapor rub. These products, along with jarred raw honey, are available for sale at the hospital’s retail locations.

“Across the country, Vizient members are leading the development of sustainability programs that make the delivery of care more environmentally conscious and resource considerate,” said Scott Downing, executive vice president, Collaboration and Performance Improvement Networks. “We are proud to recognize The Valley Hospital’s commitment in this area and their program’s achievement.

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The Valley Hospital and PSE&G Partner on Electric Vehicle Charging System and Energy Efficiency Improvements

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March 29,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Officials from the Valley Hospital and Public Service Electric and Gas Company (PSE&G) cut the ribbon on a five station electric vehicle (EV) charging system and announced the completion of more than $2.5 million in energy efficiency upgrades at the Ridgewood, NJ hospital.

The Valley Hospital EV charging system is part of a PSE&G pilot program designed to help spur the adoption of electric vehicles in the utility’s electric service territory and the energy efficiency measures were funded in part by the PSE&G Hospital Efficiency Program, which helps pay for the installation of energy efficiency measures at hospitals in the utility’s service territory.

“The Valley Hospital is committed to the environment and the installation of these electric charging stations are just one of the ways that Valley can bring sustainable initiatives directly to our employees and physicians, promoting the reduction in the carbon footprint of our operations on the well-being of the planet,” said Maria Mediago, Vice President of Facilities Management at Valley.

As part of the PSE&G EV charging station pilot program, The Valley Hospital committed to immediately utilizing the five charging stations for staff members who own and drive electric vehicles to the hospital.  In return, PSE&G provided the EV charging equipment free-of-charge and the hospital paid for the installation of the units and will pay for ongoing maintenance and electricity costs.

“There are a lot of reasons to like EVs in New Jersey but the lack of charging stations is clearly an impediment to their continued growth,” said Courtney McCormick, vice president – renewables and energy solution, PSE&G.  “By partnering with organizations like The Valley Hospital to offer workplace charging, we are hoping to increase the convenience of current EV owners, demonstrate to potential owners that EVs are a viable option and also gather information that we can use down the line as EVs become more popular.”

In addition to providing a convenient charging option for EV drivers, the PSE&G pilot program also allows the utility to collect real-world data about how the chargers are used.  This will allow PSE&G to better understand the impact that large-scale EV charging could have on the electric grid, identify areas of potential high-EV charger density and plan for infrastructure upgrades and modifications that may be needed.

The PSE&G EV charging pilot program currently has 50 EV charging stations in service at nine customer locations around the state, including The Valley Hospital.  There are 20 additional charging stations under construction at four other customer sites.  The utility is also in talks with several other customers with the goal of installing a total of 125 individual charging stations at 25 customer locations by the end of 2016.

In addition to the EV charging system, the $2.5 million in energy efficiency upgrades through the PSE&G Hospital Efficiency Program helped pay for a new air conditioning chiller plant and new variable frequency drives on garage exhaust fans at the hospital.  These energy efficiency improvements are expected to save more than 1.8 million kilowatt hours of electricity annually, which is enough to power about 250 average-size New Jersey homes for a year.

PSE&G’s Hospital Efficiency Program helps fund the installation of energy efficiency measures at hospitals in the utility’s service territory.  Through the program, PSE&G provides an investment grade energy audit at no cost to hospitals, recommends energy efficiency improvements and provides up-front funding for the total cost of the energy efficiency measures. Hospitals typically repay between 35-40 percent of the project costs on their PSE&G bill over a period of 36 months at zero percent interest.

“Hospitals are vital resources in New Jersey,” added McCormick.  “Our program allows them to make energy efficiency improvements and save money on energy costs, which frees up resources that they can better use for their core healthcare mission.”

The Valley Hospital will save more than $200,000 a year in energy costs and repay about 40 percent of the project total interest-free over the next three years.

“In 2011, Valley was the first hospital in New Jersey to sign on to the Healthier Hospitals Initiative, a coalition of U.S. health systems committed to, among other things, reducing the use of natural resources and promoting sustainability principles throughout the organization.  In addition, Valley is a member of Practice GreenHealth,” Mediago said. “Partnering with PSE&G on this initiative is a cooperative community benefit to reduce the effects of carbon emissions in our community, and these stations serve as a constant reminder that there is a role for everyone in sustainability.”

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The Valley Hospital, Holy Name Medical Center win right to see report on tiered insurance plan

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BY LINDY WASHBURN
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD

Sixteen months before the state’s largest insurer launched new health plans that steer patients to its preferred hospitals, called Tier 1, a report from its consultants spelled out how the Omnia health plan would work and what it would do to the state’s health care business.

 

https://www.northjersey.com/news/health-news/excluded-hospitals-win-right-to-tier-report-1.1522657

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Crunch Fitness of Paramus Presents Donation in Support of The Valley Hospital’s Breast Cancer Fund

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November 17, 2015

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Paramus NJ,  Crunch Fitness of Paramus raised over a thousand dollars in support of The Valley Hospital Breast Cancer Fund during October as part of Breast Cancer Awareness month.

On Saturday, October 24, the employees and instructors at Crunch Fitness worked together to make and sell pink hair ties and healthy baked goods. They also offered special exercise classes to all members interested in “Sweating it Out” to raise money for breast cancer. Approximately 100 members participated in this event and attended master fitness classes, which included cardio and conditioning, boxing, and a loud, energetic zumba party.

The following week, Group Fitness Manager Sam Aguirre and Club Manager Terri Surdyka of Crunch Fitness presented a check for $1,010 to The Valley Hospital Foundation.

The American Cancer Society estimates that 231,840 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in US women in 2015, and approximately 7,310 of those new cases will be in New Jersey.  The Valley Hospital Breast Center, which has been designated a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence by the American College of Radiology, is the hospital of choice for many newly diagnosed breast cancer patients.  Valley’s multidisciplinary team of experienced physicians, radiologists, cytopathologists, nurses, researchers and coordinators collaborate on all aspects of breast care for their patient-focused comprehensive breast care program.

The Valley Hospital Foundation is grateful for Crunch Fitness’s generous donation to the Breast Cancer Fund.