Newswise — Neptune, NJ – August 11, 2021 – Hackensack Meridian Health Foundation is pleased to announce an extraordinary gift of $10 million from Jersey Mike’s Founder Peter Cancro and his wife Tatiana to benefit Hackensack Meridian Health, New Jersey’s largest and most integrated health network.
“This tremendous commitment of $10 million from Peter and Tatiana will benefit the communities we proudly serve in extraordinary ways and we are so grateful for their generosity,’’ said Robert C. Garrett, FACHE, CEO, Hackensack Meridian Health. “Peter and Tatiana have been dedicated to Hackensack Meridian Health and our medical centers for more than 25 years. This exceptional gift will support our bold mission to transform health care in New Jersey and beyond.’’
Mr. Cancro, the founder and chief executive officer of Jersey Mike’s Franchise Systems, is a graduate of Point Pleasant Beach High School. He began his business career in 1971 when he was employed at Mike’s Subs. Shortly thereafter, at age 17, he decided to forego a potential college football career and purchased Mike’s Subs. In 1987, Mr. Cancro changed the name of the original Mike’s to “Jersey Mike’s” and began his national expansion.
“Philanthropy has been a part of my life and a guiding principle of Jersey Mike’s success,” said Mr. Cancro. “Tatiana and I are pleased to be able to support Hackensack Meridian Health. To this day, I emphasize the importance of giving to my team: support the community that supports you. Hackensack Meridian Health has been a true pillar for our community, and our entire state, throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. It was important for Tatiana and me to give back to those who continue to do so much to provide constant care through such unprecedented and challenging times. ”
Mr. Cancro’s entrepreneurial spirit is a model in the nation. He is equally committed to philanthropy and has made a profound contribution to countless communities and organizations over the years and especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We are so touched by Peter and Tatiana’s generosity to our network and the Hackensack Meridian Health Foundation,” said Joyce P. Hendricks, president and chief development officer, Hackensack Meridian Health Foundation. “The last eighteen months have been extraordinarily challenging for health networks in New Jersey and the nation and this generous support will help us deliver the high-quality compassionate care that our communities have come to count on.”
Mr. Cancro, chairman emeritus of Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center Foundation’s Board of Trustees, served on the board from 1994 to 2003 and then 2005 to 2016, five of those years (2012-16) as Chairman. Peter and his family’s generosity has previously benefited Jersey Shore University Medical Center’s HOPE Tower Project, Trauma Center, Transforming Care Campaign, sponsorship support for the medical center’s Annual Golf Classics and Annual Foundation Gala events and Hackensack Meridian Ocean Medical Center’s emergency department expansion.
To learn more about Hackensack Meridian Health Foundation, please email [email protected]. To make a gift to Hackensack Meridian Health Foundation, visit Give.HackensackMeridianHealth.org/GiveNow.
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 36,000 team members, and 7,000 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 more top-ranked hospitals than anyone in New Jersey, as recognized by U.S. News & World Report. Hackensack University Medical Center is the only hospital in New Jersey with the #1 adult and children's hospital rankings.
The Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, the first private medical school in New Jersey in more than 50 years, welcomed its first class of students in 2018 to its campus in Nutley and Clifton. The Hackensack Meridian Center for Discovery and Innovation (CDI), housed in a fully renovated state-of-the-art facility, seeks to translate current innovations in science to improve clinical outcomes for patients with cancer, infectious diseases and other life-threatening and disabling conditions.
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. To learn more, visit www.hackensackmeridianhealth.org.
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