$500,000 Gift from New Jersey Filmmaker, Actor and Comedian Danny DeVito to Advance Care at Jersey Shore University Medical Center

Newswise — Neptune, NJ – July 11, 2023 – New Jersey native, filmmaker, actor and comedian Danny DeVito generously donated $500,000 to advance health care at Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center. The gift, which will support the hospital through Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center Foundation, will provide a core source of funding for the medical center’s most urgent needs for patients today and in the future. 

“We are so grateful to Danny DeVito for his confidence and support in the high-quality innovative care we provide at Jersey Shore University Medical Center,” said Robert C. Garrett, FACHE, CEO of Hackensack Meridian Health. “Danny truly understands the powerful impact that philanthropy has on health care, and for him to give back to the community where he grew up - and to the hospital he was born at - means so much. With his support, we can continue our mission to transform health care and be a leader of positive change in New Jersey.”

DeVito was born at the former Raleigh Fitkin-Paul Morgan Memorial Hospital, now Jersey Shore University Medical Center, and grew up in Asbury Park. He is widely known for his portrayal of the taxi dispatcher Louie De Palma in the television series Taxi, which won him a Golden Globe Award and an Emmy Award. He plays Frank Reynolds in the FX and FXX sitcom It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. DeVito is also the star of Jersey Mike’s Subs commercials.

“We take such pride in the care we provide to our patients and surrounding communities,” said Vito Buccellato, MPA, LNHA, president and chief hospital executive at Jersey Shore University Medical Center. “Gifts made to Jersey Shore University Medical Center are instrumental in allowing us to continue providing the high-quality care that our patients have come to expect. On behalf of our team members and patients at Jersey Shore University Medical Center, we thank Danny DeVito from the bottom of our hearts.” 

"What an honor it is to receive this gift from the one-and-only Danny DeVito to advance care for our patients in central New Jersey at Jersey Shore University Medical Center," said Kenneth Sable, M.D., MBA, FACEP, regional president of the Southern Market at Hackensack Meridian Health. "We are committed to providing the most cutting-edge and quality care to our patients, and philanthropic support, like Danny’s, allows us to reach new heights. We are so appreciative of his support."

“This heartwarming gift from Danny DeVito will benefit the communities we proudly serve at Jersey Shore University Medical Center today and for years to come,’’ said Joyce P. Hendricks, president and chief development officer at Hackensack Meridian Health Foundation. “We are so thankful for his incredible generosity, which will enable us to continue delivering compassionate care to those who need it the most.”

For the third consecutive year, Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center has been named to Healthgrades' America’s 250 Best Hospitals. This recognition places Jersey Shore in the top 5% of hospitals nationwide for overall clinical performance across the most common conditions and procedures.

“Danny DeVito, a great friend of mine, truly understands how important quality health care is and how philanthropy can make all the difference,” said Peter Cancro, founder and CEO of Jersey Mike’s Subs. “It’s been such a pleasure to reintroduce Danny, a fellow New Jerseyan, to Jersey Shore University Medical Center. This very community is the same one that supported both of us growing up and we both believe in giving back to the communities that support you.”

To learn more about how you can support the Greatest Need Fund at Jersey Shore University Medical Center, please visit GiveHMH.org/JerseyShore or contact Paul Huegel, vice president of Development, Southern Market, at [email protected]. 

ABOUT HACKENSACK MERIDIAN HEALTH FOUNDATION

Hackensack Meridian Health Foundation, a registered 501(c)(3), is the philanthropic division of Hackensack Meridian Health, a leading not-for-profit health care organization that is the largest, most comprehensive and truly integrated health care network in New Jersey, offering a complete range of medical services, innovative research and life-enhancing care. The foundation oversees fundraising for the network’s three academic medical centers, two children’s hospitals and seven community-based medical center foundations, as well as key initiatives, programs and services offered by Hackensack Meridian Health, including nursing support, behavioral health, children’s health, Hackensack Meridian Health’s Center for Discovery & Innovation and Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine.  

Hackensack Meridian Health Foundation has been designated as both a High Performer Overall and Healthcare System High Performer by the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP) within their 2022 Report on Giving. 

Visit GiveHMH.org for more information.

ABOUT HACKENSACK MERIDIAN JERSEY SHORE UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER

Located in Neptune, N.J., Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center is a not-for-profit teaching hospital and the only Level I Adult and Level II Pediatric Trauma Center in Monmouth and Ocean counties.  It is home to K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital – the first children’s hospital in these counties.  With more than 1,200 physicians and dental staff in 60 specialty areas, Jersey Shore University Medical Center’s (JSUMC) team provides high-quality care in a patient-centered, environmentally-friendly setting.

The team’s commitment to excellence has earned JSUMC numerous quality accolades, including being named the #6 best hospital in New Jersey, #24 in the NY metro area and high performing in ten specialties, procedures and conditions by U.S. News & World Report for 2022-23.  K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital, as part of Hackensack Meridian Children’s Health network, is ranked #1 in N.J., in the top 20 in the Mid-Atlantic Region and #34 in the nation in pediatric nephrology care by U.S. News for 2022-23.  JSUMC has also received national recognitions demonstrating clinical quality from Healthgrades, including America’s 250 Best Hospitals (2021, 2022), 100 Best Hospitals for Stroke Care (2020-2023), 100 Best for Gastrointestinal Surgery (2022-23) and Patient Safety Excellence Awards (2020, 2021) as well as Excellence Awards in Neurosciences (2020-2023), Cranial Neurosurgery (2022-23) and Bariatric Surgery (2021-23).  Jersey Shore’s programs and services continue to receive numerous national recognitions, including designation as high-performing in cardiac (including American College of Cardiology’s HeartCARE Center, National Distinction of Excellence recognition, 2021-22), stroke, surgical and oncology services. 

The medical center’s clinical research program and longstanding commitment to medical education is evident through an affiliation with Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine and an affiliation with St. George’s University School of Medicine.  JSUMC serves as an academic center dedicated to advancing medical knowledge, training future physicians and providing the community with access to promising medical breakthroughs.

JSUMC’s HOPE Tower, 10-story medical office building, provides a healing outpatient experience.  Guided by a patient-centered approach towards care, and informed by the latest medical breakthroughs, HOPE Tower includes advanced imaging services, a clinical academic center, innovative simulation laboratory, state-of-the-art amphitheater, specialty physician offices.  It includes a cancer center featuring a range of comprehensive treatment options, including surgical specialties, medical oncology, and the most advanced radiation therapy and minimally invasive interventional therapies.  For information, visit HackensackMeridianHealth.org.

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