March 11, 2019
I’m not sure that I will ever be able to describe who Dr. Iammatteo, Dr. Graebe, Karen, and all of the staff are to me… they are people who gave me the emotional and physical strength to conceive and carry to term after laying my middle child to eternal rest. They held my hand – literally – and offered empathy, kindness, and the highest of medical competence. They guided me through nine months, and saved my life after a arduous delivery. Dr. Iammatteo and Dr. Graebe are Godparents to my daughter, Sadie, and they will be forever angels to me. Words will never be able to repay them for all they do. Love you guys… you mean the world to me…
-From Tina Haydu Snider
October 18, 2016
We wanted to formally express our gratitude to the doctors, nurses, and staff of the Morristown Medical Center for the exceptional care we received during the birth of our daughter. On September 15, 2016 we arrived at Labor and Delivery in preparation for induction scheduled the following day. We settled in with nervous excitement for the arrival of our first child.
During the course of delivery, several unforeseen complications arose. Our baby’s heart rate dropped and it became urgent to get her out. Dr. Iammatteo calmly advised that would se forceps, as I was ten centimeters dilated, to expedite her delivery. Our beautiful daughter was delivered safely due to Dr. Iammatteo’s help.
I then began to bleed uncontrollably. It quickly became clear I was in trouble. As Dr. Iammatteo began his work to stop the bleeding, he remained calm and reassuring. Nurse MaryBeth Blood also continuously reassured me and kept me advised of what was happening to ensure I stayed calm. As imagined, I was frightened beyond belief as the situation was dire and had the potential to not end well. The experience seemed surreal to me as I watched the whole team of nurses and doctors work diligently to get me out of trouble.
Eventually , the hard work of theses skilled professionals paid off. I had stopped bleeding and was still alive. However, I was sicker than I’d ever been in my life. I continuously got sick and lost control of my faculties. In the hours that followed I was panicked and horribly ill. Nurse Blood spent the day administering medication to help me get well and cleaning up after me. Despite the awful condition i was in, she was kind and allowed me to keep my dignity. To say she went above and beyond is a gross understatement. I am so grateful for the care that was given to me an the time i truly needed it.
Nurse Wendy Ingrassia came on duty to relieve Nurse Blood and continued to provide exceptional care. I was still severely ill through out the night and Nurse Ingrassia also spent her shift administering excellent care and dealing with the result of my illness. I am truly grateful not only for the skilled performance of theses folks in saving my life but also their bedside manner and decency in treatment of another human being. This experience has forever left a mark on my life. Thanks to the actions of Dr. Iammatteo, Nurse MaryBeth Blood, and Nurse Wendy Ingrassia, I am now home enjoying life with my family. Words cannot express the gratitude we feel for the care, compassion, and professionalism exhibited by the entire labor and delivery staff.
-Allison M. Geary & Christopher J. Gobbi
May 5, 2015
Words alone will never be able to thank all of you for your loving care, professionalism, empathy, and compassion…but, since I’m Italian, hopefully some good food on a cold winter day will help.
I never dreamed that I would be holding a baby girl again….after my daughter passed I was so frightened, hurt, and never dreamed of being ready or able to be pregnant again. With your help, leadership, kindheartedness, and guidance, I am now holding my daughter on my lap as I type. And, after the drama that I caused in the delivery room, I am still here to watch my son grow too.
I want all of you to know that you will always have a friend in me – if I can ever repay the gratitude and kindness you have shown, please let me know what I can do for you. You all are constantly in my thoughts and prayers, and on behalf of every patient you have ever helped to fulfill a dream….THANK YOU…from the bottom of my soul, thank you.
With love, Tina Snider
-Tina Snider
December 5, 2014
I recently delivered my fourth son, via c-section at Morristown Memorial Hospital, and I wanted to send a letter detailing my experience with the Labor and Delivery department at the hospital.
This is the fourth c-section I’ve had at the hospital, and, as usual, the nurses in Labor and Delivery were wonderful to deal with. During this visit, Liz and Katelynn took care of me. They were thorough, re-assuring, and completely professional. The nurses certainly set the tone for the experience in Labor and Delivery, and I was lucky to have such adept women throughout the process.
Dr. Rosenbaum was my anesthesiologist, and I was elated to see him once again. He was with me for my first two deliveries. I had a different anesthesiologist for my third c-section, and that experience made Dr. Rosebaum’s talent even more apparent. It goes without saying that having a spinal is stressful, but I was much less apprehensive knowing that he was performing the procedure. He checked on me numerous times during the surgery, in recovery, and when I arrived in my room on the maternity floor. I am grateful for his obvious skill and the attention he gave to me.
Finally, Dr. Iammatteo performed this c-section just as he had my previous three. I can’t really say enough about Dr. Iammatteo’s surgical skills or the quality of care he gives to his patients. My words cannot articulate how lucky I am to be under Dr. Iammatteo’s care. I can only imagine how busy he is both in his office and at the hospital. Yet, I always feel like I am his only patient. He never rushes through my office visits and takes the time to reassure me before, during, and after the surgery. In an age where it seems that the medical profession is becoming less and less personal, it is clear to me that Dr. Iammatteo genuinely cares about his patients. He doesn’t go through the motions of performing medical procedures. Instead, he is passionate about his job and takes the intense responsibilities of his position seriously. I am an extremely anxious person, so the fact that I can actually feel at ease during a c-section is a tribute to Dr. Iammatteo’s professionalism, empathy, and compassion. I am recovering from this surgery just as I have from the previous three – with no complications, very little pain, and another healthy baby. I don’t feel it is melodramatic to say that Dr. Iammatteo holds my life in his hands when I go in for my deliveries – that’s simply a reality. The fact that I can say I am completely comfortable with my life in his hands is priceless, and that reality has made all four of my pregnancies more enjoyable. When you think about it, choosing your obstetrician is a tremendous decision. That person will be responsible for the mother’s care throughout her nine months of pregnancy, and ultimately for bringing a child into this world. I couldn’t be happier with the decision that I made when I chose Dr. Iammetteo. I am lucky that a friend recommended Dr. Iammatteo nine years ago, and I am eternally grateful to him for the elite care he has provided over those nine years.
– Charlene Molnar
September 22, 2014
Sharon Neuner faced a challenge: How in the world to thank the quick-thinking doctor who saved her life and minutes later delivered her son through an emergency c-section.
“I almost died and my baby almost died,” says Mrs. Neuner. “Dr. Iammatteo single-handedly gave us our lives back. My husband and I didn’t know what to do when someone saves your life.”
They considered a trip to Hawaii. Instead, Mrs. Neuner and her husband, Chris, presented a gift to Labor and Delivery and the Maternity Center in honor of Matthew Iammatteo, MD, and the nurses that helped Mrs. Neuner through this crisis as well as an earlier heart-breaking loss.
The Neuners’ story began when they moved to Chatham with their 8-month-old daughter, Annabel. At 40-weeks pregnant, Mrs. Neuner started bleeding. Not especially worried because she felt her baby kicking, she proceeded to Morristown Memorial. Later that day, daughter Sereana Catherine was delivered stillborn. Mrs. Neuner credits the compassion of two nurses, Kelly Trotter and Elizabeth Dennis, for helping her through the tragedy.
Two years later, both nurses helped Dr. Iammatteo deliver Gabrielle Hope. Then, a year later, Nurse Trotter was once again with the Neuners for what seemed like a normal birth until Mrs. Neuner sat up for an epidural. Before the anesthesiologist was able to proceed, Mrs. Neuner experienced anxiety and elevated heart rate, which then abruptly dropped to below 10 beats per minute — the equivalent of a flat line.
When Mr. Neuner asked about the baby’s heartbeat, Nurse Trotter responded through tears that the baby’s heart rate was fine. “I never imagined potentially losing my wife,” he says.
Dr. Iammatteo assessed his patient and immediately ordered blood, platelets, and other essential blood products.
“He was like a quarterback; with no hesitation on his part, he started to bark out orders,” says Mr. Neuner. “I watched in horror from the back of the room.” Although losing the baby was a threat, the doctors first had to stabilize Mrs. Neuner.
After three shots of epinephrine, her heart rate rose. Then Christopher Thomas was delivered by Caesarian section. While he recovered in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Mrs. Neuner received blood transfusions and was taken for her own intensive care.
She had experienced an amniotic fluid embolism, a rare occurrence that caused placenta abruption, meaning the placenta prematurely separated from the uterus. She then suffered disseminated intravascular coagulation, where a lethal blood-thinning agent was released into her bloodstream. The transfusions were critical to Mrs. Neuner’s survival.
Miraculously, both mother and son went home within seven days.
When Mrs. Neuner thanked Dr. Iammatteo, he responded: “It’s not a job to me; it’s my life.” She wonders what would have happened if he had picked pro football over medical school, as he almost did. “We’re so glad he put that football down 30 years ago,” she quips.
As Mrs. Neuner talks, Annabel creeps downstairs from her nap dressed in a pink tutu. Her blond curls resemble her mother’s. Nearby, Christopher naps in a bouncy seat. His big sister, Gabrielle, sleeps upstairs. They are the reason she can put her near-death experience behind her.
“For me, birthing a stillborn was much harder,” she says. “My whole life was planned out with that perfect little girl. It’s an open wound. With this, I passed out and when I woke up, we were all here; we were all alive. It’s a happy ending.”
-Alice Roche Cody
