Newswise — Neptune, NJ – August 26, 2014 – Meridian Health, a leading health care system in New Jersey, joined a national movement called “The Baton Pass™” to help raise funds for innovative cancer research and spread a message of hope. The event at Meridian Health’s Jersey Shore University Medical Center featured a performance by the Struck Boyz, a hip hop dance crew made up of boys aged 8-11 who recently performed on America’s Got Talent, a visit from Spider-Man, and a proclamation from Neptune Mayor Dr. Michael Brantley declaring today “Baton Pass Day” in Neptune, NJ. The community also heard from Sandra Doyle Ferullo, a cancer survivor from Farmingdale, NJ, who benefitted from novel treatments thanks to advanced cancer research.

The Baton Pass was launched on Good Morning America on March 19th by Siemens, one of the world’s leading engineers of imaging, laboratory diagnostics and healthcare IT solutions, to raise funds for Stand Up To Cancer® (SU2C). SU2C is a program of the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF), a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, and supports pioneering cancer research designed to get new therapies to patients quickly. With each pass of the Baton, either physically or virtually through www.facebook.com/TheBatonPass, Siemens will donate one dollar to Stand Up To Cancer, up to one million dollars, through September 5th, 2014. The Baton Pass is a grassroots effort to raise money and spread a message of hope and unity across the country. The Baton has traveled thousands of miles across the U.S. and Canada and has been passed more than 900,000 times.

Guests learned first-hand about Meridian’s commitment to providing access to the best, most compassionate cancer care, close to home from Timothy J. Hogan, FACHE, Regional Hospital President, Monmouth County, Meridian Health. Denise Johnson Miller, M.D., Medical Director, Breast Surgery at Jersey Shore University Medical Center, also discussed Meridian’s research work with Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey in sharing the latest treatments and most promising clinical trials.

Jersey Shore University Medical Center, Siemens, and the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), who work closely with SU2C to review proposals for Dream Team funding, team members and patients passed the Baton with Spider-Man and the Struck Boyz.

“The Baton Pass was a great celebration of the promise that cancer research holds for millions of people, including Sandra Doyle Ferullo who is cancer-free today because of a therapy developed during a clinical research trial. It was also a great show of community support for research at Meridian Cancer Care, where we are actively conducting more than 100 oncology clinical trials in hopes that there will be more survival stories like Sandra’s,” said Dr. Johnson Miller. “The Baton symbolizes the progress we’ve made in cancer detection, monitoring and treatment, as well as the hope that we all share for continued progress,” said Tim Cosgrave, Vice President, Office of the Customer, Siemens Healthcare. “Siemens is proud to align with SU2C and celebrate the work being done at health care systems like Meridian Health.”

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About The Baton Pass™The Baton Pass, benefiting Stand Up To Cancer, is a grassroots fundraising campaign designed to raise funds for cancer research at a time when they are critically needed. A symbol of the hope we share that each of those diagnosed with cancer will survive, the Siemens/SU2C Baton kicked off its journey in New York’s Times Square in March and will continue to travel across the country from person to person highlighting the need for increased funding for cancer research through September 5, 2014. The Baton can also be passed online to friends and family. Siemens is donating $1 to Stand Up To Cancer for every real or virtual pass of the Baton, up to $1 million. It has already reached over 500,000 passes. Details about virtual passes can be found on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TheBatonPass. Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/SiemensHealth

About SiemensSiemens Corporation is a U.S. subsidiary of Siemens AG, a global powerhouse in electronics and electrical engineering, operating in the industry, energy, healthcare, and infrastructure & cities sectors. Siemens in the USA employs approximately 52,000 people throughout all 50 states and Puerto Rico. The Siemens Healthcare Sector is one of the world's largest suppliers to the healthcare industry and a trendsetter in medical imaging, laboratory diagnostics, healthcare information technology and hearing aids. Siemens has long believed that imaging technology plays a key role in advancing cancer research. We have seen firsthand the power of an early and accurate diagnosis. Our diagnostic technologies have made it possible to detect cancer in some of its earliest and most treatable stages, sometimes before a patient even experiences symptoms.

About Meridian HealthMeridian Health is a leading not-for-profit health care organization in New Jersey, comprising Jersey Shore University Medical Center and K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital in Neptune, Ocean Medical Center in Brick, Riverview Medical Center in Red Bank, Southern Ocean Medical Center in Manahawkin, Bayshore Community Hospital in Holmdel, and Meridian Partner Companies that include home health services, skilled nursing and rehabilitation centers, ambulatory care, ambulance services, and outpatient centers. Meridian Health has consistently been rated among the top performing health systems in New Jersey for clinical quality, is one of the FORTUNE “100 Best Companies to Work For”, and is the recipient of numerous state and national recognitions for patient care and nursing excellence. For more information, please visit www.MeridianHealth.com.

About Stand Up To CancerStand Up To Cancer (SU2C) raises funds to accelerate the pace of research to get new therapies to patients quickly and save lives now. SU2C, a program of the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF), a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, was established in 2008 by film and media leaders who utilize the industry’s resources to engage the public in supporting a new, collaborative model of cancer research, and to increase awareness about progress being made in the fight against the disease. As SU2C’s scientific partner, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) and a Scientific Advisory Committee led by Nobel Laureate Phillip A. Sharp, Ph.D., conduct rigorous, competitive review processes to identify the best research proposals to recommend for funding, oversee grants administration, and provide expert review of research progress.

Media Contacts:

For SiemensKelly Bocich(610) 306-6646[email protected]

For Meridian HealthMaureen Gillespie (732) 776-4166[email protected]

For more information on The Baton Pass, please visit www.usa.siemens.com/baton. Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/TheBatonPass and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TheBatonPass.

© Marvel Marvel Characters have been provided by the Marvel Character Appearance Program Company (www.marvelappearance.com).

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