It’s Magic 98.3’s annual celebration of “Nurses Week!”

Joel and Maryann in the morning pay tribute to hard working women and men who are on the front lines keeping us safe and healthy every day.

Saint Peter’s has remained focused on quality and safety throughout the pandemic and their Healthcare Heroes continue to be recognized for their efforts. The CARES Surgicenter at Saint Peter’s was recently recognized as the number one ambulatory surgery center in New Jersey.

Listen to the interviews with the Saint Peter’s Healthcare System staff below.

Leslie (Les) D. Hirsch, FACHE, president and CEO
Leslie (Les) D. Hirsch, president and CEO of Saint Peter’s Healthcare System in New Brunswick, is a seasoned healthcare leader whose career spans 40 years. He has spent the last seven years at Saint Peter’s, whose rich Catholic mission has been fulfilled for the past 115 years.

Throughout the COVID pandemic, Saint Peter’s continued to be recognized with several quality and safety accolades and Les’ advocacy efforts resulted in Saint Peter’s receiving state approval to perform elective angioplasty.

He has been named an NJBIZ ICON Honor awardee and has been named to the publication’s Power 100 and Health Care Power 50 lists.
Linda Carroll, MSN, RN, RN-BC, Vice President of Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer
Linda Carroll, MSN, RN, RN-BC, vice president of Patient Care Services and chief nursing officer, rose through the ranks at Saint Peter’s University Hospital after graduating from its School of Nursing 38 years ago. Her commitment to nursing excellence and self-governance and staunch advocacy in ensuring a healthy work environment served as a beacon, guiding Saint Peter’s through the pandemic.

Under her leadership, Saint Peter’s recently received numerous quality recognitions including a sixth consecutive Magnet^® designation for nursing excellence – becoming one of only five hospitals worldwide to do so; Beacon Awards for critical care excellence for the adult intensive care unit (6x), neonatal intensive care unit (3x), cardiac progressive care unit (2x) and just recently the first for Saint Peter’s pediatric intensive care unit; its ninth consecutive CNOR Strong^® designation recognizing operating room nurse certification; and Joint Commission Primary Stroke Center certification and Perinatal Care recertification.
Marge Drozd, MSN, RN, ACNS-BC, FNP-BC, CSN-NJ Director, Community Health Services
Marge Drozd, MSN, RN, ACNS-BC, FNP-BC, CSN-NJ, director of Community Health Services (Mobile Health Van, Adult Communities, Community Health Improvement Plan-CHIP) at Saint Peter’s is an advanced practice nurse who has worked at Saint Peter’s for 35 years.

In her role, Marge spearheads Saint Peter’s community health efforts, including the hospital’s Opioid Task Force’s education and outreach; and health education, screenings and physician referrals through the hospital’s mobile health van. A new mobile health van was acquired in 2021.
Laura Spaulding, MSN, RN, CCRN, nurse manager, Adult Intensive Care Unit, Saint Peter’s University Hospital
Laura Spaulding, MSN, RN, CCRN, is the nurse manager of the Adult Intensive Care Unit at Saint Peter’s University Hospital.

In her role as manager, Laura has played an integral role in caring for patients with COVID-19 throughout the pandemic as part of a multidisciplinary team of physicians, nurses, respiratory care practitioners, pharmacists, and others.