2020 Donor
Impact Report
As we reflect on 2020, we celebrate all of you, our amazing donor community, who generously supported Morristown Medical Center. Looking toward the future, including Atlantic Health System — Celebrating 25 Years, we gratefully acknowledge the impact of your philanthropy in the following report, which has provided the critical foundation for all we do and accomplish together.
“Our mission at Morristown Medical Center is to build healthier communities while expanding clinical excellence. An integral part of this effort is partnering with donors who generously support our medical center. Philanthropy enables us to fully support the health care needs of our patients and their families.”
—Trish O'Keefe PhD, RN
President, Morristown Medical Center and Vice President, Atlantic Health System
$18.7 million+ raised to support
vital infrastructure & programs
Here’s how your donations contributed to improvements in our top clinical areas:
7,268
total donors
3,254
first-time donors
“I believe that we never fully know the effect we have on others, but by contributing to support vital programs at Morristown Medical Center, we are able to make a substantial impact, every day.
—Robert B. Tafaro
Chairman, Foundation for Morristown Medical Center Board of Trustees
Morristown Medical Center
6,201
team members
1,751
physicians
216
medical residents
34,494
admissions
5,046
births
12,497
inpatient surgeries
16,337
same-day surgeries
77,349
emergency visits
558,377
outpatient visits
COVID-19
Support Fund
“I would like to take a moment to thank all of you for your incredible generosity this past year. From the time that Morristown Medical Center accepted their first COVID-19 patient, you were there. You showed up in every single way, and I know our health care heroes continue to be grateful for the generosity and support of our donor community.”
—Jennifer L. Smith
Chief Development Officer, Foundation for Morristown Medical Center
$4 million+ donated including gifts in kind by our community and team members
COVID-19 Support Fund donations helped to purchase much-needed equipment for critical care patients, including eight machines that conduct quantitative fit testing of respirator masks; Vocera communication devices to be used for the COVID-19 census; a Roche COVID-19 testing machine; IV-drip counters; negative pressure devices for the Sameth Emergency Department; scales and blood pressure kits; ventilators, glidescopes and bronchoscopes; and 100 iPads for patient communications.
Serve it Forward
Serve it Forward, a partnership with Morristown Mayor Tim Dougherty’s office and Morristown Medical Center, helped support local restaurants and health care heroes.
$160,000
in meal gift cards donated to team members during the pandemic
The Atlantic Health System Cupboard
Thanks to a generous donation from the medical/dental staff, Morristown Medical Center team members had access to “grab and go” pantry items to assist with at-home meal planning during the busy holiday season. The systemwide initiative, open to all team members, was a way to lighten the load for those who worked tirelessly throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The Women’s Association for Morristown Medical Center (WAMMC), with support from the Foundation for Morristown Medical Center, coordinated the packing and distribution of bags of food throughout the program.
Gifts in Kind
$1 Million in Gifts in Kind
poured in from our donors — including vital personal protective equipment (PPE), hand sanitizer, Crocs™ and skincare products.
Messages to Health Care Heroes
Along with monetary donations and gifts in kind, the sentiments shared by
donors and community members – often children – were equally important to
our caregivers working around the clock.
Dear Doctors,
We are giving you this money so you can ask these patients if they need or want anything like flowers, books or a stuffed animal.
We collected this money from people who care.
—Sally, age 10
Growing Forward Campaign
The Growing Forward Campaign was launched on December 3, 2019, to enhance three Centers of Excellence at Morristown Medical Center:
The campaign goal was set at $38.5 million to support the overall renovation and expansion cost of more than $112.7 million. Thanks to our generous donors, more than $40.3 million was donated, far exceeding the campaign goal and providing critical funding for these crucial projects. View the Growing Foward Campaign Honor Roll.
As a nonprofit hospital, donor support for new capital projects like these enables Morristown Medical Center to offer world-class treatments, expand access for our communities and provide extraordinary patient- and family-centered care. Throughout the pandemic, the expansion and renovation of these centers quickly proved as critical to our COVID-19 patients as they were to our heart, cancer and pediatric patients and their families.
Morristown Medical Center is the heart of our community. While I am humbled by the generosity of our donors to this campaign, I acknowledge that we still have more work to do. We need to ensure we are continuing to provide the best patient-centered care while ushering in a new era of medicine. To do that, we need everyone’s support.
—Les Quick
Growing Forward Campaign Chairman
Foundation for Morristown Medical Center, Honorary Trustee
Gagnon Cardiovascular Institute
Growing Forward Campaign
We are pleased to announce that donor giving
exceeded the $20.5 million campaign goal supporting The renovation and expansion of Gagnon Cardiovascular Institute
Operating at 99 percent inpatient capacity and with outpatient labs operating at nearly 100 percent capacity, the need for the Gagnon Cardiovascular Institute expansion was immediate and apparent.
Thanks to the support and generosity of our donors, the following was added:
2 new floors
with over 55,000 additional square feet of clinical space
DEDICATED
MRI machine
72
new private, patient rooms
With this much-needed expansion complete, we can offer exemplary cardiac care to more patients who trust Morristown Medical Center’s experts with their hearts. We take great pride in the fact that our heart care program and medical center are among the best in the nation, and this state-of-the-art expansion of the Gagnon Cardiovascular Institute only further enhances the care and overall experience we provide to our patients.
—Linda D. Gillam, MD, MPH, MACC
Dorothy and Lloyd Huck Chair, Department of Cardiovascular Medicine and
Medical Director, Cardiovascular Service Line, Morristown Medical Center/Atlantic Health System
Center of Excellence
Philanthropy proved essential to vital program growth across Gagnon Cardiovascular Institute. New, donor-funded equipment included:
2
echocardiogram machines
NEW
TOMTEC-ARENA workstation
The Cardiac Patient Support Fund, made possible through philanthropy, offers financial assistance to underserved patients who receive care at the Cardiology Clinic or the Chanin T. Mast Center for Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) at Morristown Medical Center. Funds help provide medications, transportation to and from appointments and other non-medical needs.
Chanin T. Mast Center for
Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM)
Matthew W. Martinez, MD
Director, Sports Cardiology for Atlantic Health System, and Co-Director, Chanin T. Mast Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) Center for Morristown Medical Center
Philanthropy helped to build a crucial database to track HCM — a genetic cardiovascular disease that impacts one in 500 Americans. The database monitors disease trends and develops research findings while aiding in the longitudinal follow-up of patient care. Results are being collated and shared with several sports organizations and, our partner, Tufts University, to better serve Morristown Medical Center patients.
Advanced Interventional Cardiac Fellowship
The new Advanced Interventional Cardiology Training Program is funded 100 percent through philanthropy. The program helps to secure graduates from fellowship programs to remain on the hospital staff. Two cardiology graduates, Gurpreet Sidhu, MD, and Oxana Ovakimyan, MD, have already been retained, and hiring will continue in support of the interventional cardiology specialty.
Carol G. Simon
Cancer Center
Growing Forward Campaign
We are pleased to announce that donor giving
exceeded the $6.5 million campaign goal supporting The renovation and expansion of the Carol G. Simon Cancer Center
As cancer therapies have grown more complex and demand for cancer treatment steadily increased, expansion and renovation of the Carol G. Simon Cancer Center was critical.
Infusion Center Virtual Tour
The Infusion Center, the first of the three-phased expansion and renovation of Carol G. Simon Cancer Center, offers both open and private infusion bays, as some patients enjoy interaction, while others prefer a quiet meditative space. Natural light, soothing colors and reclining chairs are among the features that promote a healing environment. Part of the new design also includes comfortable chairs for family members, iPads, blanket warmers and music, plus pet and art therapy.
The new Space adds
12 infusion bays
Bringing the total to 36
There was an air of calmness About the whole experience
—Bob Mulcahy, Carol G. Simon Cancer Center Philanthropy Council member
We are excited to offer our cancer patients the most advanced clinical options and therapies in a technologically advanced and modern setting. The layout of the new space also helps ensure everyone’s comfort and safety. We are creating a resource that will be treasured by the community for years to come.
—Eric Whitman, MD
Medical Director for Atlantic Health System Cancer Care
Center of Excellence
Designated a
Blue Distinction
center®
for Cancer Care by Blue Cross Blue Shield
Accredited by the
American College
of Surgeons Commission on Cancer® (CoC)
The experienced team at the Carol G. Simon Cancer Center provides patient-centered cancer care using the latest technology and treatments. Financial support from grateful patients and their families, as well as corporations and foundations, has enabled the expansion of research and the addition of new programs and improvements to existing programs while broadening educational offerings.
Hematology-Oncology Fellowship Program
Morristown Medical Center was approved by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) to establish a combined Hematology-Oncology Fellowship Program at the Carol G. Simon Cancer Center, which will provide an advanced curriculum in a collaborative clinical and research environment in partnership with the Translational Genomic Research Institute.
The fellowship program will be funded entirely through philanthropy.
$1,423,693 has been raised toward a goal of $2 million, including:
All elite cancer centers have this kind of dynamic fellowship program. This is a great milestone for the Carol G. Simon Cancer Center, allowing us to recruit top-notch talent into our expanding community.
—Mohamad Cherry, MD, MS
Medical Director of Hematology for Atlantic Health System and Director of the Hematology-Oncology Fellowship Program
High-Risk Pancreatic Cancer Screening Program
Angela Alistar, MD
Medical Director of GI Medical Oncology for Morristown Medical Center
When it comes to pancreatic cancer treatment, timing is critical for better outcomes. The ability to identify, screen, detect and manage patients at high risk for pancreatic cancer has proven beneficial to patients and families as well as to the greater pancreatic cancer community.
A dedicated phone line and support staff, funded through philanthropy, are available to answer questions about an individual’s risk of developing pancreatic cancer.
Goryeb Children's Hospital
Growing Forward Campaign
We are pleased to announce that donor giving
exceeded the $11.5 million campaign goal supporting The renovation and expansion of Goryeb Children’s Hospital
Goryeb Children’s Hospital was operating close to or at 100 percent capacity during peak seasons, and the facility needed to be expanded and designed to be responsive to advances in medicine. Given these factors, pediatric outpatient services moved to 55 Madison Avenue to make room for the Joan and Edward Foley Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, which expanded from nine to 15 beds. Additionally, eight beds were also added to the Ryan Family Pediatric Inpatient South Unit, which when combined with the 26-bed Vanech Family Pediatric Inpatient Unit, brought the inpatient unit (non-critical care) to 34 beds.
Valerie Fund Children’s Center Virtual Tour
In 2020, the Valerie Fund Children’s Center expanded to include eight infusion bays for chemotherapy and blood work, four new exam and consultation rooms, a procedure room, a private family lounge and a playroom.
Parents come to Goryeb Children’s Hospital for our medical team’s clinical expertise and wealth of specialists, but also because of the exceptional, family-centered care we are known for. We want to ensure we are able to help families and children when they are at their most vulnerable, and with the expanded infusion center and clinical space, we will be better able to do so.
—Walter D. Rosenfeld, MD
Chair of the Department of Children’s Health for Goryeb Children's Hospital
and Medical Director of Children’s Health for Atlantic Health System
Center of Excellence
100+
pediatric specialists
250+
pediatricians
2,444
admissions
801
NICU admissions
22,832
emergency visits
63,676
outpatient visits
2,446
same-day surgeries
All vital stats for Goryeb Children’s Hospital include Morristown Medical Center and Overlook Medical Center.
Timothy J. Piazza Pediatric Prosthetic Fund
When Timothy Piazza passed away unexpectedly in 2017, his family knew they needed to carry on his legacy of kindness and caring. In recognition of Piazza’s dream of becoming a prosthetist, they established the Timothy J. Piazza Memorial Foundation to provide support to those in need of a prosthetic device not covered by insurance for activities such as sports and dance.
A recent
$20,000
donation from the Foundation provided Michaella, a Goryeb Children’s Hospital patient, with a new prosthetic device which she uses for dance, lacrosse and softball.
Valerie Fund Children’s Center at Goryeb Children’s Hospital
In a show of community support for Goryeb Children’s Hospital, Roxbury High School students raised funds to provide bereavement kits to grieving families who lost a child to cancer. Bereavement kits include 3-D hand molds and air-dry clay to create two-dimensional prints of a parent and child’s hand clasped together.
BD Diabetes Center for Children and Adolescents
In late 2020, funded by the generous support of our donors and grants from BD, a global medical technology company headquartered in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, production began on a library of short video programs offering educational and psychosocial support to older children and adolescents with Type 1 diabetes and their families. The initial pilot program, a collaboration between the BD Diabetes Center, Calling All Kids and WAMMC, is scheduled to be released in late 2021 and will be available on inpatient TVs and iPads.
In addition to giving to the Growing Forward Campaign, Foundation for Morristown Medical Center Trustee W. Rodman Ryan and his family made a gift that was motivated by the care the Ryans’ grandson, Jack Morais, received. Diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at age 9, Morais has been under the care of Harold Starkman, MD, former director of the BD Diabetes Center, for over six years.
Calling All Kids
Calling All Kids celebrated its tenth anniversary in 2020 and simultaneously opened its first studio, funded through donations to the WAMMC and the Foundation for Morristown Medical Center. Philanthropy supports this unique healing service and the ongoing 24-hour programming that airs on Channel 65 throughout the hospital.
Child Life
During the holiday season of 2020, hundreds of donors ordered toys from gift wish lists created by Child Life specialists to support individualized, bedside play for pediatric patients. The wish-list process continues to be an important way to support pediatric patients while adhering to COVID-19 precautions.
Mickey’s Garden
Mickey’s Garden, an outdoor space located between Goryeb Children’s Hospital and the Farris Family Center for Advanced Medicine in Pediatrics building, provides an oasis for families to picnic and bring their pets to visit with patients. The $100,000 renovation was made possible through donations from the Kids4Kids Philanthropy Council, funds from the Foundation for Morristown Medical Center’s 2019 Employee Basket Raffle and Elite Toma Martial Arts’ Break-A-Thon for Charity.
Pediatric Gastroenterology
Twenty-five percent of those with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are diagnosed before age 20 — a critical time for physical and emotional development in children, teens and pre-teens. In those with IBD, Health Related Quality of Life (HRQOL) may be impaired by pain and unpredictable symptoms, resulting in added stress and self-esteem issues due to their condition. In donor-funded studies, yoga has been proven to decrease stress, heighten self-esteem and improve HRQOL.
Child Development and Autism Center
Philanthropy continues to make a lasting impact on the Child Development and Autism Center. Last year was the sixth anniversary of the center, which has tripled in capacity since its opening.
Neonatology
Gaines Mimms, MD
Co-Chair of the Goryeb
Philanthropy Council
Philanthropy helped Goryeb Children’s Hospital purchase seven Drager Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) ventilators. These ventilators are made specifically for the special needs of neonate babies and help to protect against lung damage, offering better long-term outcomes.
Sameth Emergency Department
When the COVID-19 pandemic began, the Margaret A. Darrin Charitable Trust sought out impactful ways to improve the lives of patients battling the virus. A need was quickly identified, and through a $235,000 grant, the Morristown Medical Center Sameth Emergency Department (ED) was able to upgrade 11 exam rooms into negative-pressure rooms, which protect against the spread of airborne infections. These upgrades mean that the ED now has a full unit, or 15 rooms, equipped with this highly specialized technology.
Specialized Gynecology (GYN) ED Room
Patients experiencing pregnancy loss in the ED are often in a fragile emotional state. To better support these patients, a dedicated, donor-funded GYN room will provide supportive and specialized care for vulnerable patients suffering from pregnancy loss, sexual assault or a gynecological condition.
Sameth Emergency Department Art Therapy Program
The Sameth Emergency Department’s donor-funded art therapy program benefits patients experiencing a crisis through supportive, bedside counseling. Art therapy sessions not only help provide a more accurate diagnosis but also improve a patient’s coping skills.
Geriatrics
Center of Excellence
“exemplar”
—Nurses Improving Care for
Healthsystem Elders
(NICHE)
Age-friendly
health system
Committed to Care Excellence
—Institute for Healthcare Improvement
High
Performing
for Geriatrics
—U.S. News & World Report
According to the Blueprint for Healthy Aging in Morris County, the over 60 population in the state is expected to increase to approximately 145,000 by 2025.
Up almost
95%
from 20 years ago
Morristown Medical Center has implemented a comprehensive geriatrics program, supported in large part by a community of donors, to attend to our seniors’ most critical needs. The program includes a dedicated Geriatric Emergency Department, Geriatric Assessment Center and the David and Joan Powell Center for Healthy Aging.
David and Joan Powell Center for Healthy
Aging’s Geriatric Assessment Center
The David and Joan Powell Center for Healthy Aging’s Geriatric Assessment Center had a seven percent increase in patient visits in 2020. A fourth geriatrician was added to the practice in August. In addition, the Healthy Aging Program began offering virtual education programs and consults for caregivers of aging loved ones.
7%
increase in patient visits in 2020
The center became a participant of the
Age-friendly health system initiative
of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement
1
geriatrician added to the practice
Caregiver Training Lab Virtual Tour
The new Caregiver Training Lab within the center, nicknamed “Gerry’s Apartment,” made possible in part by the Women’s Association for Morristown Medical Center (WAMMC), opened to help family caregivers enhance their skills in caring for an aging loved one. The lab includes a model bath, kitchen, bedroom, assistive equipment and common home environment adaptations to help improve independence and home safety for an older adult.
NICHE (Nurses Improving Care for
Healthsystem Elders) Conference
Attracting 150 attendees each year, NICHE at Morristown Medical Center offers nurses, physicians and allied health professionals continuing education in geriatrics. Although the 2020 conference was canceled due to COVID-19, donor funding supported keynote speaker fees and conference expenses for the virtual event in March 2021.
Geriatric Fellowship
Javi A Mashettiwar, DO 2020 Geriatric Fellow
The Geriatric Fellowship Program at Morristown Medical Center is a donor-funded initiative that supports one fellow annually. The fellowship, which addresses a significant shortage in geriatricians nationally, allows physicians with backgrounds in internal medicine or family medicine to gain expertise in the assessment, treatment and management of geriatric patients in all clinical settings.
Nancy and Skippy Weinstein Inpatient
Hospice and Palliative Care Center
In 2020, the Nancy and Skippy Weinstein Inpatient Hospice and Palliative Care Center received a Citation of Honor in the American Hospital Association’s (AHA) Circle of Life Awards.
Innovation highlights, made possible in part by generous donor support, include:
Palliative care in the Sameth Emergency Department
Electronic health record support for palliative care consults
Nurses trained in primary palliative care
We can’t begin to express how grateful we are.
—Karen Zatorski
After experiencing firsthand how the team at the Skippy Weinstein Inpatient Hospice and Palliative Care Center aided their family during their final farewell to their mother, Karen Zatorski and her four siblings decided to give a Healing Hands gift in honor of the care their 77-year-old mother, Carmela O’Rourke, received as a patient. “It goes beyond writing a check. You don’t know until you go through it,” Zatorski said.
Nursing
Center for Nursing Excellence
In 2020 — aptly designated by the World Health Organization as The Year of the Nurse — the generous support of our donors allowed Morristown Medical Center to continue to share nursing innovation through presentations, publications, posters and studies.
The Center for Nursing Excellence and Innovation’s evidence-based scholars program continued with 12 nurses from several units.
Educational programs provided:
1,600+
team members trained on personal protective equipment (PPE) and COVID-19
3
levels of registered nurses with advanced skills created through critical care courses
Nursing Professional Development Program
Nurses earning their Bachelor of Nursing degree increased by 38 percent at Morristown Medical Center last year.
27 nurses received scholarships of
$2,000 Each
for a total of $54,000. Two additional scholarships from the Rolf H. Bessin, MD, Scholarship Fund increased that total to $59,000.
Behavioral Health
The Head Family Inpatient Psychiatric and
Behavioral Health Center of Excellence
The Head Family Inpatient Psychiatric and Behavioral Health Center is dedicated to meeting the needs of Morristown Medical Center patients and their families — providing a full-service treatment team with access to a comprehensive range of donor-supported hospital services, including group therapy, psychoeducation, smoking cessation, physical therapy and spiritual care.
Hennessy Family Hospital Elder Life Program
(HELP) at Morristown Medical Center
HELP, which is supported by the generosity of our donors, reduces the risk of delirium as well as cognitive and physical decline among patients age 70+ and helps elderly patients maintain independence and optimal physical function during and after hospitalization.
In 2020, due to COVID-19, assessments were done virtually to assure the health and well-being of our patients.
Alcohol and Substance Use
In Morristown Medical Center’s donor-funded Inpatient Substance Use Screening and Intervention Program for medical surgical inpatients, an advanced practice nurse works alongside our consultation psychiatrists to screen patients for alcohol and substance misuse. This screening helps determine the severity of the condition while providing treatment to minimize or avoid withdrawal complications.
Familiar with the pain that mental health, alcohol and drug-related issues can have on a family, Ken and Carol Silbert recently gave $250,000 to the Inpatient Substance Use Program at Morristown Medical Center. Their gift seeded the hire of a peer recovery specialist. Additionally, it increased the hours of a psychiatric advanced practice nurse (APN). Both positions work closely with patients to maintain and prevent relapse issues.
Veterans’ Support Fund
The Veterans’ Support Fund program, made possible through philanthropy, includes two clinicians who conduct outreach work and behavioral health counseling services for veterans. The program also maintains two dedicated navigators who visit hospitalized veterans to provide additional support.
Women's Health
Diana Contreras, MD, MPH, Medical Director of Women’s Health, Atlantic Health System
1 of the 40 best hospitals
in the nation for Gynecology
—U.S. News & World Report
From unexpected medical complications to the rise of mortality rates in mothers, clinicians must be ready for every childbirth situation. Through the support of our generous donors, including the Women’s Health Philanthropy Council, Morristown Medical Center purchased maternal full-term and premature baby simulation manikins.
Philanthropy also enabled the implementation of telehealth programs to support expectant mothers. BabyScripts™, a three-tiered approach to virtual maternity care, allows clinicians to deliver risk-specific care to pregnant mothers at any time, in any place, through a mobile app and internet-connected monitoring devices. A mobile screening tool checks for preeclampsia and urinary and bowel dysfunction.
Additional Funds
Supporting families during their most vulnerable times, these funds contribute to the advancement of extraordinary care for our communities:
Please note: Some photos included in this report were taken before social distancing and masking guidelines were in effect.