Newswise — Neptune, NJ – September 12, 2019 – The Hackensack Meridian Health Jersey Shore University Medical Center Foundation is pleased to announce a gift of $1.25 million from Charles Adell to create The Charles & Jackie Adell Endowed Chair in Surgical Oncology at Jersey Shore University Medical Center. This is the first endowed chair to be created at the medical center and will support the work of Ronald Matteotti, M.D., medical director of the Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Program and chief of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery at Jersey Shore University Medical Center, in the areas of pancreatic and liver cancer.

Prior to his passing on August 30, 2019, Adell said: “It is my hope that through this endowment, Jersey Shore University Medical Center will remain on the forefront of surgical oncology. This gift will ensure that patients receive the best treatment available and quality of life possible. Over the years, Jackie and I developed a very strong bond with Dr. Matteotti. His personality, bedside manner and medical expertise are top notch. I am very happy to show my gratitude to him through this endowment and I am certain he will carry on my legacy.”

Adell and his late wife, Jackie, were both under the care of Dr. Matteotti. Double board certified in surgical oncology, specializing in liver and pancreatic cancer treatment, Dr. Matteotti has been practicing at Jersey Shore University Medical Center for five-and-a-half years. He was instrumental in helping the hospital become the first in New Jersey to earn The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for Center of Excellence for Pancreas, Liver and Bile Duct Cancer Certification. The seal is a symbol of quality that reflects an organization’s commitment to providing safe and effective patient care.

“It was my honor to care for Charlie and Jackie throughout the years,” says Dr. Matteotti. “I am humbled by their generous bequest that will allow my team and me the ability to continue treating individuals living with pancreatic and liver cancers. I am grateful for their belief in me and will do everything I can to provide those impacted by these diseases with the best, most advanced care possible.”

Not only will the gift by Adell benefit Jersey Shore University Medical Center and those impacted by hepatobiliary and pancreatic cancers, but it brings Hackensack Meridian Health Meridian Health Foundation, to which the Jersey Shore University Medical Center Foundation belongs, one step closer to reaching its fundraising goal of $150 million as part of the organization’s Giving Heals campaign. The campaign supports four important initiatives: strengthening oncology services, improving clinical outcomes, enhancing the patient experience and broadening clinical research and academic programs. More than $96 million has been raised so far to benefit eight Hackensack Meridian Health hospitals, including Jersey Shore University Medical Center, K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital, Bayshore Medical Center, Ocean Medical Center, Raritan Bay Medical Center in Perth Amboy, Raritan Bay Medical Center in Old Bridge, Riverview Medical Center and Southern Ocean Medical Center.

“We are overwhelmed with gratitude to Charlie,” says Joseph Stampe, president and chief development officer, Meridian Health Foundation. “Bequests have the ability to leave a lasting legacy long after we’re gone, and this particular gift by Charlie and Jackie will certainly impact people throughout the state and beyond for a very long time.”

To learn more about gift planning options, supporting Jersey Shore University Medical Center Foundation, or the Giving Heals campaign, contact Paul Huegel, vice president of development, at 732-751-5109, [email protected], or by visiting www.hackensackmeridianhealth.org/givingheals.

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 the #5 hospital in New Jersey by U.S. News & World Report for 2018-2019. 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 numerous national recognition, including designation as high-performing in cardiac, stroke, surgical and oncology services.

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 THE MERIDIAN HEALTH FOUNDATION GIVING HEALS CAMPAIGN

Giving Heals is a $150 million regional comprehensive campaign to raise funds for strengthening oncology services, improving clinical outcomes, enhancing the patient experience and broadening clinical research and academic programs. Publicly announced at the Meridian Health Foundation Gala on November 17, 2018, the campaign will run through 2020. Over $90 million dollars has been raised to date to support following Hackensack Meridian Health medical centers: Jersey Shore University Medical Center, K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital, Bayshore Medical Center, Ocean Medical Center, Raritan Bay Medical Center in Old Bridge, Raritan Bay Medical Center in Perth Amboy, Riverview Medical Center and Southern Ocean Medical Center.

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 17 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 – Bayshore Medical Center in Holmdel, Mountainside Medical Center in Montclair, Ocean Medical Center in Brick, Palisades Medical Center in North Bergen, Pascack Valley Medical Center in Westwood, Raritan Bay Medical Center in Old Bridge, Raritan Bay Medical Center in Perth Amboy, Riverview Medical Center in Red Bank, and Southern Ocean Medical Center in Manahawkin; a behavioral health hospital – Carrier Clinic in Belle Mead; and two rehabilitation hospitals - JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute in Edison and Shore Rehabilitation Institute in Brick.

Additionally, the network has more than 500 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 more than 34,100 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 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 and being named to Becker’s Health care’s “150 Top Places to Work in Health care/2018” list.

The Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine at Seton Hall University, the first private medical school in New Jersey in more than 50 years, welcomed its first class of students in 2018 to its On3 campus in Nutley and Clifton. Additionally, the network partnered with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center 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 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.

###