HealthSouth Toms River Staff

HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Toms River is pleased to have some of the most talented physicians and staff available in the medical field. Please select a bio below.

Patricia Elder Ostaszewski
Joseph V. Stillo, M.D., PhD
Azad V. Bhatt, M.D. FAAPM&R
Bruce Coplin M.D.
Lalitha Krishnan M.D.
Gregory Meli M.D.
Debashis Nag M.D.
Anoop Porwal M.D.
Chi Mei Wu M.D.

Patricia Elder Ostaszewski
M.S., C.R.R.N., LNHA
Chief Executive Officer
Master of Science, Certified Rehabilitation Registered Nurse, Licensed Nursing Home Administrator

Patricia Ostaszewski has been the Chief Executive Officer at HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Toms River since 1996. As a Master’s prepared Registered Nurse certified in rehabilitation, Patty has used her clinical background to set high standards for patient care.

Patty is very active in New Jersey and national healthcare organizations. She is currently a member of the American Hospital Association Long Term Care & Rehabilitation Governing Council, the New Jersey Hospital Association Board of Trustees, Rehab Advisory Council, and HealthPAC Committee.

Patty is also active in the community as a volunteer for the American Heart Association and is the Chair of the 2007 Shoreline Heart Walk. She has recently been appointed to Community Medical Center’s Women’s Health Advisory Council.

Patty began her career as a nurse at Bayonne Hospital and joined HealthSouth in an administrative nursing role in 1989. Along with providing leadership to HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital in Toms River, she procured a New Jersey Certificate of Need approval to open HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Tinton Falls in 2002. Patty has encouraged the HealthSouth hospital staff to be good community citizens. In 2007, HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Toms River received Major Business and Community Service awards from the Monmouth Ocean Development Council and local Chambers of Commerce.

Patty is proud to provide leadership to the dedicated, caring staff of HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Toms River.

Joseph V. Stillo, M.D., PhD

My Practice
As a board-certified physiatrist with a sub-specialty board certification in Spinal Cord Injury Medicine, Joseph Stillo M.D. maintains an active inpatient, outpatient, and consultation practice in both Ocean and Monmouth counties. He pioneered the implementation of active spasticity management programs in Atlantic County as well as at HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Toms River where he serves as Medical Director. He offers both botulinum toxin and Intrathecal BaclofenTherapy.

My Background
After obtaining a Ph.D degree in Chemistry, Joseph Stillo M.D. completed his medical training at the Medical University of South Carolina and then received his specialty training in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at NYU’s Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine with Board Certification in 1988. Upon joining the faculty at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, Dr. Stillo served as the Director of the Spinal Cord Injury Program. He participated in numerous research trials. Significantly, these included the original clinical trials on Intrathecal Baclofen (ITB) Pump System for the treatment of spasticity of spinal cord origin and has presented nationally on this topic.

Clinical Interests

Rehabilitation of:
Multiple Sclerosis
Stroke
Brain Injury
Spinal Cord Injury
Amputee
Joint Replacement

Azad V. Bhatt, M.D. FAAPM&R
Board Certified in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Disability Exams & Impairment Ratings, Electromyography

Azad Bhatt M.D. has been The Director of our Amputee and Orthotic Program at HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Toms River since 1996. He came to us with excellent qualifications having done his Internship at Regina General Hospital in Canada , after which he went into solo practice. In 1984 Dr. Bhatt moved to Texas and joined the Family Practice Residency Program affiliated with the Southwestern Medical School in Dallas . He then went into Private Family Practice at the Medford Health Center in Medford New Jersey .

In July of 1988, Azad Bhatt M.D. joined the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation program at Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia where he was a resident from 1988 to 1991. He then became an Attending Physiatrist at Moss Rehab-CORF in Philadelphia and was on the Faculty of the Department of PM&R, also at Temple University . In 1992, Dr. Bhatt moved back to Texas in order to set up PM&R Practice in Musculoskeletal, Pain, Electro-diagnostic & Industrial Medicine and also became Medical Director of a 20 bed comprehensive Inpatient & Outpatient Rehabilitation Facility.

In 1996, Azad Bhatt M.D. relocated back to New Jersey , setting up private practice. He is the President of Atlantic PM&R Center, PA, Toms River treating inpatient & outpatient musculoskeletal and neurological Disorders Pain Management, Electromyography and Acupuncture. At that time he also became the Director of the Amputee & Orthotic Program at HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of New Jersey at Toms River .

Azad Bhatt M.D. was president of the Medical Staff at HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of New Jersey at Toms River from 2001-2003 and is currently a Section Chief in the Department of PM&R at Community Medical Center . Azad Bhatt M.D. is Board Certified in Family Practice and holds his PM&R Board Certification. He is a fellow of AAPM&R, an Associate of the American Board of Medical Acupuncture, a Diplomat of American Board of Medical Psychotherapy.

Bruce Coplin M.D.

My Background
After completing his residency training program at Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn, NY, Bruce Coplin M.D. joined the faculty at Medical College of Virginia as an Assistant Professor, Director of Inpatient Services. He was also a representative fro the Virginia Spinal Cord Injury System. Dr. Coplin published several journal articles stemming from spinal cord injury research while at MCV. He then relocated back to New Jersey and now maintains a successful practice in rehabilitation medicine.

My Practice
Board certified in the specialty of physical medicine and rehabilitation, Bruce Coplin M.D. has developed a broad based physiatry practice including acute inpatient rehabilitation and consultations at the acute care hospital. In addition, his outpatient practice focuses on Electrodiagnostics studies, pain management, and cervical and lumbar injuries.

Special Interests
Electrodiagnostic Medicine (EMG/Nerve Conduction Studies)

Pain Management
Cervical and Lumbar Injuries

	Lalitha Krishnan M.D.
(bio to be developed)

	Gregory Meli M.D.
(bio to be developed)

(photo not yet available)	Debashis Nag M.D.
(bio to be developed)

(photo not yet available)	Anoop Porwal M.D.
(bio to be developed)

	Chi Mei Wu M.D.
(bio to be developed)