Medicare will mail new Medicare cards between April 2018 and April 2019. Your new card will have a new Medicare Number that’s unique to you, instead of your Social Security Number. This will help to protect your identity.

Things to know about your new Medicare card

• You don’t need to take any action to get your new Medicare card.
• The new card won’t change your Medicare coverage or benefits.
• Medicare will never ask you to give us personal or private information to get your new Medicare number and card. Learn more about the limited situations in which Medicare can call you.
• There’s no charge for your new card.

Watch out for scams

Scam artists may try to get your current Medicare number and other personal information by contacting you about your new Medicare card. They often claim to be from Medicare and use various scams to get your Medicare Number including:

• Asking you to confirm your Medicare or Social Security Number so they can send you a new card.
• Telling you there’s a charge for your new card and they need to verify your personal information.
• Threatening to cancel your health benefits if you don’t share your Medicare Number or other personal information.

If someone calls you and asks for your Medicare number or other personal information, hang up and call  1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).  

Visit https://www.medicare.gov/ for more information.

HACKETTSTOWN –  The professionals at Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice proudly present the Living with Grief four part lecture series hosted at the Hackettstown Medical Center on 651 Willow Grove Street in Hackettstown on four Tuesday evenings, September 5, 12, 19, 26 from 6:30-8:00 p.m .

Presenter Cecelia T. Clayton, MPH, Executive Director of Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice, will work with attendees to gain a deeper understanding of the effect that grief has on our lives, our loved ones, and our relationships.  The free series is offered to the community for anyone who has experienced a loss, who is helping another cope with loss, or who would like to learn more about the grieving process. Registration is required with limited seating. Please call 973-383-0115 or 800-882-1117, Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Or click here to register online.

The Karen Ann Quinlan Memorial Foundation is passionately dedicated to providing Hospice care for the terminally ill and bereavement counseling for those who have lost loved ones. Serving Sussex and Warren Counties NJ and Northeast PA; please call 800-882-1117 to reach any of our services at either office; Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice, 99 Sparta Ave., Newton, NJ and Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice, 104 Bennett Ave., Milford, PA.  Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice is an independently owned hospice program and proud to be the preferred hospice provider for Newton Medical Center and area Atlantic Health Care System.  The award-winning Home for Hospice is located in Fredon, NJ. The Joseph T. Quinlan Bereavement Center recently opened their doors to a permanent home at 5 Plains Rd. in Augusta with satellite offices in Pike and Warren Counties.

For hospice programs, events, and more information visit www.karenannquinlanhospice.org or Facebook.com/KarenAnnQuinlanHospice.org.

Milford, PA – August, 2017 – Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice is proud to announce that Joseph A. Cirello, M.D., H.M.D.C., of Milford Family Practice, was recently granted the Hospice Medical Director Certified credential by the Hospice Medical Director Certification Board. Dr. Cirello was recognized for his commitment to improving the quality of life by displaying professional competency in the hospice industry.

Hospice practice includes patient care, medication management, performance improvement, engagement in interdisciplinary group (IDG) activities, and much more. Professional certification affirms a knowledge and experience base for hospice physicians to display commitment to their career, dedication to patient and family care, and the sustainability of the hospice organization and industry. HMDC designation is granted for six years and is renewed through continued validation of knowledge and re-assessment.

Dr. Cirello is board-certified in family medicine and began practicing in Milford, Pennsylvania, in 2009.  A graduate of Fairleigh Dickinson University and St. Matthews University School of Medicine, he completed his residency training at Overlook Medical Center.  Dr. Cirello accepts patients of all ages into his family practice, and is committed to his community. 

He serves as the Delaware Valley School physician, he is a board member for the Center for Development Disabilities, and medical director of Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice. In addition, he is on the Palliative Care Committee at Newton Medical Center.

“We are honored to have Dr. Cirello serve as a medical director at Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice,” said Cecelia Clayton, Executive Director. “Dr. Cirello always brought an incredible wealth of knowledge to the team and an unparalleled depth of caring to the patients we serve.  This additional credential certification as a Hospice Medical Director benefits not only our organization but also our patients with expanded, specialized hospice care.”

Currently there are approximately 800 Certified Hospice Medical Directors across the country.

Dr. Cirello is on staff at Newton Medical Center, is affiliated with Atlantic Medical Group and is a participating provider of the Atlantic Accountable Care Organization.

The Hospice Medical Director Certification Board (HMDCB) serves as an independent, not-for-profit certifying body to administer a certification program for hospice medical directors and other physicians who provide hospice care for patients. The mission of HMDCB is to relieve suffering and improve quality of life by promoting the excellence and professional competency of hospice medical directors.

Information about the Hospice Medical Director Certification Board including a directory of certified hospice physicians is available at www.HMDCB.org.

The New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs has developed Project Medicine Drop as an important component of its effort to halt the abuse and diversion of prescription drugs. It allows consumers to dispose of unused and expired medications anonymously, seven days a week, 365 days a year, at “prescription drug drop boxes” located within the headquarters of participating police departments.

Each Project Medicine Drop box is installed indoors, affixed to the floor or wall in a secure area within police department headquarters, within view of law enforcement officers, in an area to which members of the public may be admitted to dispose of their unused medications. Their prominent “Project Medicine Drop” logos make the boxes highly visible and recognizable.

A complete list of drop locations in New Jersey can be found here.