Newswise — Hackensack Meridian Health and the Meridian Health Foundation are pleased to announce a gift of $750,000 from the Nicola-Musso Charitable Foundation of New York, N.Y. and Carol Musso Foley of New York and Spring Lake, NJ, to be used to enhance cancer care services at Hackensack Meridian Health Jersey Shore University Medical Center and Hackensack Meridian Health Ocean Medical Center.
The gift, donated in honor of Peter J. Mencel, M.D. and Atlantic Hematology Oncology Associates, who are affiliated with Ocean Medical Center and Jersey Shore University Medical Center. The gift will be allocated between two hospitals, with $500,000 going to Ocean Medical Center and $250,000 to Jersey Shore University Medical Center. Ms. Foley and her late parents, Angela and Victor Musso, have been donors to Hackensack Meridian Health for many years and have long supported Dr. Mencel, previously contributing to his cancer research projects.
“Dr. Mencel was my oncologist as I went through my cancer journey,” says Ms. Foley. “I can think of no better way to express my gratitude for his expertise, professionalism and compassion care than by making this gift in his honor. I know that these funds will enable the cancer care centers at both medical centers to continue to provide the most advanced care possible for our community.”
Ocean Medical Center completed an expansion program in 2016 as part of a larger, three-year investment of $128 million by Hackensack Meridian Health towards community-based cancer care services at six locations in Monmouth and Ocean Counties. Services include a wide range of treatments such as a dedicated inpatient oncology unit, outpatient infusion center, advanced radiation oncology, cancer clinical trials, a genetics program, minimally-invasive surgery, timely access to cancer specialists and a multidisciplinary approach to care, which consists of a team of professionals dedicated to information sharing and case reviews.
“I cannot begin to express how grateful we are for the Foundation and Ms. Foley’s support of our oncology services,” says Joseph Stampe, president and chief development officer, Meridian Health Foundation. “We must constantly grow to provide the most cutting-edge treatments in the fight against cancer and with support from generous community members like Ms. Foley, our medical centers are better able to provide the highest level of personalized care that patients deserve.”
One such example of growth can be found at Jersey Shore University Medical Center, where the new HOPE Tower opened in June. The Cancer Center is readily accessible on the first two levels of the tower, spanning 58,000 square feet in an environment that was designed with patients’ needs in mind. It offers diagnostics, consultation and treatment all under one roof, providing the latest technology and treatment options, while remaining focused on enhancing the human experience. Services offered in HOPE Tower include dedicated areas for infusion, radiation therapy with the most advanced TrueBeam™ linear accelerators, medical and surgical experts, counseling and supportive care and more.
“Thanks to the incredible generosity of donors such as the Nicola-Musso Charitable Foundation, Ms. Foley and her parents, we are able to continuously enhance cancer care services for our community,” says Kenneth N. Sable, M.D., MBA, FACEP, regional president, southern market, Hackensack Meridian Health. “We wish to express our sincere thanks for their magnificent gift that will enable us to continue to be at the forefront of cancer care at a time when it is most needed.”
“Cancer diagnoses continue to climb, and sadly it is the second leading cause of death in the U.S.,” says Dr. Mencel. “Thanks in part to access to the latest technology and advancements in cancer care, Ms. Foley was able to successfully survive her cancer. I am gratified that I could be there in her time of need and am deeply humbled by her incredible gift in my name. It is truly my passion to assist all my patients on their individual journeys to the most positive outcomes possible.”
To learn more about how you can support cancer care services at Hackensack Meridian Health, please visit www.hackensackmeridianhealth.org/services/cancer-care.
ABOUT HACKENSACK MERIDIAN Health Jersey Shore University Medical Center
Located in Neptune, New Jersey, Hackensack Meridian Health Jersey Shore University Medical Center is a not-for-profit teaching hospital and the only Level II Trauma 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 Monmouth and Ocean counties. With more than 1,200 physicians and dental staff in 60 specialty areas, Jersey Shore University Medical Center’s team provides quality care in a patient-centered, environmentally-friendly setting. The team’s commitment to excellence has earned Jersey Shore University Medical Center numerous accolades, including being named #4 in New Jersey. The medical center’s clinical research program and longstanding commitment to medical education is evident through an affiliation with Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine at Seton Hall University and a new affiliation with St. George’s University School of Medicine. Jersey Shore University Medical Center serves as an academic center dedicated to advancing medical knowledge, training future physicians and providing the community with access to promising medical breakthroughs. Jersey Shore University Medical Center’s programs and services have received national recognition, including designation as high-performing in cardiac, stroke, surgical and oncology services. Jersey Shore University Medical Center is also recognized as the first hospital in New Jersey to have implanted the Micra Transcatheter Pacing System – the world’s smallest pacemaker, and is one of the elite facilities in the region to perform robotic-assisted minimally invasive Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery and Transcarotid Arterial Revascularization. Jersey Shore University Medical Center recently completed the HOPE Tower Project – a $265 million 10-story medical office building that provides a new 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 stimulation laboratory, state-of-the-art amphitheater, specialty physician offices, a nine-level parking garage, and a 58,000 square foot cancer facility. The new cancer facility features a range of comprehensive treatment options, including surgical specialties, medical oncology, and the most advanced radiation therapy and minimally invasive interventional therapies. Nurse navigators guide patients through every step and provide an extra layer of support and coordination.
ABOUT HACKENSACK MERIDIAN HEALTH OCEAN MEDICAL CENTER
Located in Brick, Hackensack Meridian Health Ocean Medical Center has been ranked #8 in New Jersey and #17 in the New York Metro area by U.S. News & World Report in 2016-17 and 2017-18. Serving southern Monmouth and Ocean counties, Ocean Medical Center is an advanced care hospital that offers the convenience and easy access of a community hospital with the high technology advances and expertise of a major medical center featuring expert care coordinated by a team of top specialists in emergency, cardio vascular, women’s health, cancer and orthopedic services. Delivering on this promise, Ocean Medical Center recently opened an innovative medical-surgical floor equipped with 36 private patient beds that integrates technology and design to transform the patient experience and empower patients to return to their lives as soon as possible. This forward thinking renovation project completed the $82 million expansion including the 44,300 square foot state-of-the-art Hirair and Anna Hovnanian Emergency Care Center and a new comprehensive Cancer Center. Ocean Medical Center officially became a premier community-based teaching hospital with the launch of its inaugural class of family medicine and psychiatry residents. Future medical education developments include the addition of an Internal Medicine residency program in spring 2019. The medical center provides 24/7 obstetrical hospitalist coverage and a dedicated obstetrical emergency department to enhance the continuity of care for women and their infants. Certified by the Joint Commission as an accredited orthopedic program, Ocean Medical Center is a designation for orthopedic joint replacements where more than 1,000 joint replacements are done annually. Other key services include: designation as a Primary Stroke Center; brain lab neurological surgery, DaTscan and advanced imaging technology; da Vinci® robotic surgery; general thoracic and vascular surgery; one of the nation’s most advanced cardiac catheterization laboratories and cardiac services; acute care of the elderly; and critical care services. The medical center has achieved Magnet® recognition, one of the highest and most prestigious distinctions a health care organization can receive for nursing excellence and high-quality patient care and has received the 2018 Healthgrades Patient Safety Excellence Award for superior safety performance. Ocean Medical Center received the highest score in the hospital network for team member engagement in the Great Places To Work® survey. Additional certifications and awards include: 2018 Get with the Guidelines® continuous quality improvement awards for Heart Failure Gold Plus Award, Stroke Gold Plus and Stroke Honor Roll Elite Awards, the 2018 ACTION Registry Platinum Performance Achievement Award and the 2016 Press Ganey Guardian of Excellence Award. The medical center also operates the state’s first satellite Emergency Care Center in Point Pleasant, the Ocean Care Center, and hospital-based programs at Jackson Health Village.
ABOUT HACKENSACK MERIDIAN HEALTH
Hackensack Meridian Health is 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.
Hackensack Meridian Health comprises 16 hospitals from Bergen to Ocean counties, which includes three academic medical centers – Hackensack University Medical Center in Hackensack, Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, JFK Medical Center in Edison; two children’s hospitals - Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital in Hackensack, K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital in Neptune; nine community hospitals - Ocean Medical Center in Brick, Riverview Medical Center in Red Bank, Mountainside Medical Center in Montclair, Palisades Medical Center in North Bergen, Raritan Bay Medical Center in Perth Amboy, Southern Ocean Medical Center in Manahawkin, Bayshore Medical Center in Holmdel, Raritan Bay Medical Center in Old Bridge, and Pascack Valley Medical Center in Westwood; and two rehabilitation hospitals - JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute in Edison and Shore Rehabilitation Institute in Brick.
Additionally, the network has more than 450 patient care locations throughout the state which include ambulatory care centers, surgery centers, home health services, long-term care and assisted living communities, ambulance services, lifesaving air medical transportation, fitness and wellness centers, rehabilitation centers, urgent care centers and physician practice locations. Hackensack Meridian Health has 33,000 team members, and 6,500 physicians and is a distinguished leader in health care philanthropy, committed to the health and well-being of the communities it serves.
The network’s notable distinctions include having one of only five major academic medical centers in the nation to receive Healthgrades America’s 50 Best Hospitals Award for five or more consecutive years, four hospitals among the top 10 in New Jersey by U.S. News and World Report. Other honors include consistently achieving Magnet® recognition for nursing excellence from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, recipient of the John M. Eisenberg Award for Patient Safety and Quality from The Joint Commission and the National Quality Forum, a six-time recipient of Fortune’s “100 Best Companies to Work For,” one of the “20 Best Workplaces in Health Care” in the nation, and the number one “Best Place to Work for Women.” The network was also named to Becker’s Healthcare’s “150 Top Places to Work in Healthcare/2018” list.
Hackensack Meridian Health partnered with Seton Hall University to launch the first private medical school in New Jersey – Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine at Seton Hall University - in more than 50 years to address a growing shortage of physicians and dramatic changes in health care delivery. Additionally, the network partnered with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer to find more cures for cancer faster while ensuring that patients have access to the highest quality, most individualized cancer care when and where they need it. Hackensack Meridian Health and Carrier Clinic, New Jersey’s oldest and most respected behavioral health provider, signed a definitive agreement to merge.
Hackensack Meridian Health is a member of AllSpire Health Partners, an interstate consortium of leading health systems, to focus on the sharing of best practices in clinical care and achieving efficiencies.
For additional information, please visit www.HackensackMeridianHealth.org.
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