Spring 2013

Spring 2013

ALSO INSIDE: Why I Give – a cancer survivor’s story Gifts of Beads, Time and Real Estate An Olive Grower’s Pledge Giving By the Numbers

Setting Up

CAMP

Construction proceeded in earnest throughout the spring as crews readied the former F&H building for a July opening as The Farris Family Center for Advanced Medicine in Pediatrics (CAMP). Under one roof, CAMP pediatric specialists, spanning numerous disciplines, will collaborate to help children with complex and chronic illnesses.

Photo: Shelley Kusnetz

Pictured: Kyle Foy of State Electric

Why I

give

Joanne Friedman had just retired from teaching, and was planning on living her dream as a freelance writer on a 30-acre horse farm

Photo: Dennis Becker

in Sussex County, when she was suddenly diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Over the next few years, she successfully rallied through surgery and chemotherapy. By last July, she had been living cancer free for five years. This milestone led Ms. Friedman to donate $5,000 in honor of both Daniel Tobias, MD, director of gynecologic oncology at Carol G. Simon Cancer Center, and Steven Papish, MD, medical director of the Simon Cancer Center. She credits them with saving her life.

Quick, Precise Treatment At the time of my diagnosis, I was already at Stage 3C ovarian cancer that had metastasized into my lymph nodes. Dr. Tobias was able to schedule my surgery very quickly. He immediately removed most of my uterus, ovaries, tubes, omentum (fat lining near organs) and 24 lymph nodes.

Dr. Tobias is an amazing surgeon. He is so precise and was able to get every last bit of the cancer. I was also treated by Dr. Papish for my chemotherapy. His specific regimen of administering chemotherapy also helped to save my life.

More Than Medical Care

Then I moved on to my chemotherapy rounds. Dr. Papish explained to me that, after the second treatment, it was critical for my cancer marker level to stay at the number 21. I was very nervous about achieving this milestone. After my second treatment was finished, all of a sudden, I see Dr. Papish rounding the doorway of the recovery room. It was crowded, so he stood on his tip-toes to find me. When I looked over, he was pumping his fists in the air, and holding up two fingers on one hand and one finger on the other.

You can’t get any better than that, when your doctor is doing the happy dance in your honor. He was so thrilled with the results.

A Rewarding Future Many people feel their hospital stay is compensated by health insurance, but that only pays for the process, not for the caring. What convinced me to give was the level of personal care I received.

Every year that I am alive is because of Dr. Tobias and Dr. Papish.

Knowing that I survived long enough to help someone else is very heartwarming; it’s an affirmation that I made it – not everybody does. The odds were not in my favor. The fact that I don’t have to worry about myself anymore gives me the opportunity to turn that concern outward and help others.

Viewpoint

Both doctors went far above the medical process. I was more than just a patient to them. Dr. Tobias was grinning from ear to ear the day he came to tell me the results of my surgery. He was very hopeful that all of the disease was gone. His huge grin made me feel like we were all one big, happy family.

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Photo: Shelley Kusnetz

FacesinPhilanthropy To plan an event of your own, call Michelle Meszaros at 973.593.2417.

Beads of Courage A recent $5,000 donation will give many children reason to smile at the Valerie Fund Children’s Center at Goryeb Children’s Hospital. The Amanda Styles Cirelli Foundation donated monies to launch the Beads of Courage Program, for children and families coping with serious illness.

Each child is given a length of string and beads that spell out their first name. After each treatment milestone, they are given another colorful bead to add to their strand.

“The foundation was founded to honor my sister Amanda,” says Tammy Catherwood. “She was an elementary school teacher before she suddenly died of cervical cancer in her late 20s. Children were her passion; she loved to see them smile.”

Good Fruits

Matthew Augustine (in red) and William DeGregorio explore their bead options at the Valerie Fund Children’s Center

Honoring Jimmy When 45-year-old James David Smith, Jr. passed away in July 2011 from esophageal cancer, his parents, family, and friends sought to keep his legacy alive in a way that would have made him proud – by creating the James David Smith, Jr., Memorial Fund to help children suffering with cancer.

With more than $45,000 in pledges and gifts, the new fund will help to support families of pediatric patients at the Valerie Fund Children’s Center at Goryeb Children’s Hospital who are experiencing financial hardship.

“Our son fought a courageous battle,” says Beverly Smith. “No matter how difficult the fight, he was always more concerned with the well-being of others. His heart went out especially to children suffering with cancer. Today, Jimmy is not here to see how the fund will make a difference in the lives of these children, but this fund – inspired by his caring and giving spirit – honors his great respect and love for life.”

Harvesting delicious olive oil from olive trees in Italy was a romantic notion Ben Valentini acted on when he had the opportunity, during retirement, to purchase his own grove. His wife loved the idea and, since then, the two have used their imported olive oil to raise more than $13,000 for the Pancreatic Cancer Support Fund at Carol G. Simon Cancer Center.

After being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, Mr. Valentini was treated by Dr. Stephen Schreibman, founder of the Pancreatic Cancer Program at the hospital.

“He’s the best,” says Mr. Valentini. “I knew a higher calling was at work here, so we used the fruits of the olive grove to help others.

Anyone who donates $50 or more to this special fund – which helps struggling families of pancreatic cancer patients – will get a free bottle of our thick and tasty Oliveto oil.

It’s the first cold press of this year’s harvest.”

Visit f4mmc.org and see An Olive Grower’s Pledge in the news section for details on this special promotion. The Valentinis’ goal is to raise $20,000 toward this meaningful cause.

Pictured above: The late James David Smith, Jr., and his sister Deidre Smith-Terpin

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Pictured above: Ben Valentini and the Oliveto grove

Hope Is on the Way

Business 101: Be a Good Neighbor Christopher Brinkofski, owner of Tons of Toys, knows one reason his Madisonbased toy shop has earned a good reputation – his commitment to give back to the community. The toy shop has hosted an annual fall paper pumpkin fundraiser for three years in a row, and Mr. Brinkofski has happily donated $1,000 every time to Goryeb Children’s Hospital.

“Our entire customer base surrounds the hospital,” he says. “Many of the kids who buy toys here were born at Morristown Medical Center and live in neighboring towns. Also many of the parents who come to my shop work at the hospital. When they hear about this fundraiser, they think it’s great and want to get involved.”

A silent killer, ovarian cancer is often not found soon enough and, sadly, has a very high fatality rate. But a breakthrough may be just around the corner thanks to a new $20,000 grant from the Madison-based Kaleidoscope of Hope Foundation.

Photo: Media Services

The monies will go toward the hospital’s ongoing participation in the MD Anderson Ovarian Cancer Trial, which is testing a new screening tool to identify ovarian cancer patients early enough to be treated.

Photo: Media Services

“There is a good chance that this method could easily become the new standard of care and help decrease the number of deaths from ovarian cancer,” says lead researcher Brian Slomovitz, MD, gynecologic oncologist at Carol G. Simon Cancer Center.

The Foundation’s Gerri Kling with Tons of Toys owner Christopher Brinkofski and manager Anthony DeSalis.

An Artist’s Touch Young artist and type 1 diabetes patient Jamie Bonaccorso expressed her creativity and her thanks by coming up with original art, designing a bracelet, and raising more than $860 for the BD Diabetes Center for Children and Adolescents at Goryeb Children’s Hospital.

The 11-year-old believes the doctors and nurses at the BD Center have helped her realize there isn’t anything that will ever get in the way of her dreams.

“I don’t have to set my life with any limits,” says the Scotch Plains resident who has been a patient at the center for the past nine years.

Pictured above: Dr. Harold Starkman and Jamie Bonaccorso

giving

BY THE NUMBERS

Total philanthropic support in 2012 Cost per dollar raised

$14,744,360 24.7 cents

Donors in 2012

6,081

Volunteer hours

120,000

Volunteers’ value to Morristown*

$3.1 million

*Independent Sector valued a N.J. volunteer’s time at $25.91/hour

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Photo: Shelley Kusnetz

FacesinPhilanthropy

Doing Good Pays As a volunteer for more than a decade at the hospital’s Family Health Center, Keith S. Usiskin, MD, tirelessly gave of his time and talent to the center’s endocrine clinic. His company, Johnson & Johnson, saw this as a good reason to honor him with their volunteer recognition award and also generously donated $10,000 to the Family Health Center.

Drs. Vanitha Velayutham and Keith Usiskin examine Rafael Vargas at the Family Health Center

“I feel honored to be recognized, along with other colleagues who volunteer in the community for worthwhile organizations,” says Dr. Usiskin, former chief of endocrinology at Morristown Medical Center, who now works in pharmaceutical clinical research at Johnson & Johnson, New Brunswick.

“I am proud of the passion and service our health center offers to the community.”

Room for Thanks Samuel “Sonny” Chernin spent many days with Freya, his wife of almost 20 years, at Carol G. Simon Cancer Center, as she battled against cervical cancer before passing away in November 2012.

Mr. Chernin couldn’t help but remember the wonderful care his wife received from the doctors, nurses and staff during her long stays at the hospital and decided to donate $25,000 to name a room in her honor.

“We were always there for a negative reason,” says Mr. Chernin. “I felt this gesture would not only memorialize Freya in a positive way, but also show my appreciation for the extraordinary care she received at the end of her life.”

Samuel Chernin with his late wife Freya

Teach Your Children Well Putting a healthy lifestyle first is sound advice, but when finances are tight it’s easy for this ideal to slip away. To help, the Ralph M. Cestone Foundation has stepped in with a new $30,000 grant for the Family Health Center’s diabetes management and family coaching and guidance programs.

The Family Health Center, which provides health care to the area’s medically underserved population, will use the monies to provide services to help patients manage diabetes and to counsel them on the effects of poor nutrition and stress. “We have a desire to provide for human needs and also strengthen the family,” says Bruce Bickel, managing director of the Cestone Foundation, based in Pittsburgh, PA.

To plan an event of your own, call Michelle Meszaros at 973.593.2417.

Helping Hands When the temperature dips below freezing, it’s a gentle reminder to David Shulkin, MD, president of Morristown Medical Center, and his senior administrators to once again roll up their sleeves and provide a hot meal to someone in need.

For the second year in a row, Dr. Shulkin and more than 20 colleagues took time off from work to serve a hot lunch, along with some warm hospitality, to dozens of cold and hungry patrons at the Community Soup Kitchen of Morristown.

“I wanted to do something as a team that was meaningful for everyone,” says Dr. Shulkin.

“Giving back is both our responsibility and gift.””

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Morristown volunteers (l-r) David Gross, Steve Alderson, Dr. Chris Zipp, Jim Quinn, Anne Rooke, RN; Dr. Linda Gillam, Dr. Joe Ramieri, Dr. Hal Ginsberg, Dr. Walter Rosenfeld and Dr. Bill Dowling Photo: Media Services

Photo: Media Services

Selfless Strides Finishing a marathon is an enormous achievement, and the victory was even sweeter for Carol Cohen who used the occasion to raise more than $1,000 for the integrative medicine program at Carol G. Simon Cancer Center.

Photo: Becky Bedrosian

Pictured (l-r) Janet Tammam, Jean Marie Rosone, LCSW, integrative medicine coordinator at the cancer center, and Carol Cohen

“My friend, Janet Tammam, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and went through six months of chemotherapy at the Simon Cancer Center,” says the 54-year-old Boonton resident who now has three marathons under her belt. “Janet always spoke so highly of everyone on staff at the hospital. I saw this as a way to honor her and give back to a place that truly helped her at a time when I wished I could have done more.”

A Ray of Hope John Gramignano was never sick a day in his life, so the diagnosis of stage 4 esophageal cancer was shocking. His recent $10,000 donation, for nurse navigation services at Carol G. Simon Cancer Center, is his way of saying thanks for what happened after that.

Mr. Gramignano couldn’t help but feel good about the genuine concern and loving help given to him by Mary Mason, RN, BSN, gastrointestinal nurse navigator for the Simon Cancer Center.

“Many times – especially when there was a change in procedure – she would wait for me on the bench next to the elevator,” says the 76-year-old Jefferson Township resident.

“She always gave me a hug and asked how I was.”

Photo: Media Services

GI nurse navigator Mary Mason, RN, and John Gramignano

Sunday Funday co-organizers Michael Scannella and Jennifer Gonzalez Cardiovascular technology students at Gagnon

A-List Training Longtime donors Dan and Mary Carroll know that well-trained medical technologists are an important resource at Morristown Medical Center. Recently, they donated $15,000 toward a scholarship fund for the School of Cardiovascular Technology at Gagnon Cardiovascular Institute that will assist top students with much-needed financial relief.

“There are many factors that contribute to high quality medical care,” says Mr. Carroll. “Among those factors are the experience and training of the medical personnel. The CVT scholarships provide support for all of the elements required for cardiovascular technologists to further develop their skills.”

To offer your support toward the CVT scholarship fund, contact Hyona Revere, director of major gifts, at 973-593-2429.

Treasure Trove What Michael Scannella remembers most, as a 10-year-old boy fighting cancer at Morristown Medical Center, was picking a toy from a treasure chest before his chemotherapy treatments.

Now, 17 years later, Mr. Scannella has raised thousands of dollars to honor that memory. With his company, Huron Consulting Group, as the corporate sponsor and with help from co-organizer Jennifer Gonzalez, he arranged the third annual Sunday Funday to Beat Cancer last fall. Food, drinks, and Sunday football were on tap for a lively crowd of about 60 participants at Arthur’s Tavern in Hoboken.

Adding matching funds from Tyco International Ltd, they contributed $3,400 to the Treasure Chest Fund at the Valerie Fund Children’s Center at Goryeb Children’s Hospital. f4mmc.org · 7

Focus on...

Women’s Association of Morristown Medical Center

Many people don’t know that, more than a century ago, a small group of dynamic women tirelessly laid the groundwork for what is known today as one of the leading hospitals in the state: Morristown Medical Center. These women rallied the community for financial support, purchased the first pieces of hospital equipment (including an ambulance), traveled into New York City to recruit nurses and doctors and also picked vegetables in nearby fields to feed patients – humbly chalking it all up as a routine day of work.

Now 120 years later, their legacy vibrantly lives on and has morphed into 760-plus members who proudly call themselves the Women’s Association of Morristown Medical Center (WAMMC).

“We draw our inspiration from our history,” says Sue Bruen, WAMMC board member. “Our strength has always been because of our solid roots. It has brought us success after success.”

at how hard my girls work. I think sometimes they need to take a breath and enjoy the fruits of their labors and a job well done.

“Not only did we surpass all of our expectations with our latest Mansion In May fundraiser, but we also continue to operate several successful businesses: the hospital gift shops and thrift shop, and partner with au bon pain café bakery in the hospital,” says Mrs. Wipperman, who estimates that more than $750,000 was raised through these ventures in 2012. “It’s my job to work closely with the Foundation and the hospital to bring to the membership’s attention the fantastic programs and services that the money from these profitable ventures supports.”

Beyond a savvy business sense, Mrs. Wipperman and her board members also show a genuine concern for patients, especially children. An outgrowth of that interest is the popular children’s story hour WAMMC launched on the hospital’s television network this past year.

“As a grandmother, I know that reading books can calm kids down,” says Mrs. Wipperman. “We’ve also had many doctors volunteer to read. It’s neat for kids to see their doctor’s softer side because many times it doesn’t match up with the image they have of someone who wants to stick them with a needle.”

Image is something WAMMC Executive Board members think a lot about these days. They will be purposefully packaging and conveying themselves in new and vibrant ways to their many constituencies. This subtle makeover will be achieved through a new strategic plan that includes social media and more e-communications: “We are at a turning point right now. We need something to take us to the next level,” says Mrs. Wipperman.

Incoming president Dannette Merchant gives a glimpse of that new strategy: “While continuing our fundraising efforts to enhance and build programs at the hospital, we would also like to renew our focus on service projects as they relate to improving health care in our community.”

In fact, WAMMC has already begun tackling health care advocacy issues. Board members Anne Rooke, RN, and Ruth diStefano gained unanimous approval from fellow board members this past January when they proposed the prevention of childhood obesity as a cause to rally behind. WAMMC has committed to help raise awareness of childhood obesity and has partnered with the Kid-FIT program at Goryeb Children’s Hospital in their ongoing efforts to help kids eat right and stay fit.

“It’s not just what’s happening inside of our walls anymore,” says Mrs. Rooke. “The fact that our association is taking on such a task is just further indication that we are thinking outside the traditional role of a hospital auxiliary. We really are a role model because of the farreaching and broad vision that we’ve always had and still do today.”

“ Our strength has always been because of our solid roots. It has brought us success after success.” —Sue Bruen Their most recent major fundraiser, the 16th Mansion In May, tops their success stories to date. WAMMC members deftly transformed an English Tudor ‘castle’ in Convent Station into a Designer Show House and Gardens. Public tours drew 27,500 visitors and raised more than $1.3 million for the new Inpatient Hospice and Palliative Care Center at the hospital.

This kind of zeal is needed now more than ever before.

Hospital auxiliaries across the nation are facing challenges in today’s sluggish economy. Changes in demographics, culture and lifestyle all play a part in how people give of their time and money.

Despite this tough financial and social climate, WAMMC continues to thrive. One reason is its relentless effort to keep abreast of the latest trends in fundraising, health education, community relations and advocacy issues. Another is its uncanny ability to partner successfully with Morristown Medical Center. Since 2000, the group has raised $13.7 million for the hospital.

WAMMC members credit some of their success to the give and take of ideas as part of The New Jersey Hospital Association’s Council on Volunteers. Comprised of representatives from women’s auxiliaries throughout the state, the council meets several times a year to exchange ideas on what works and what doesn’t. “We meet and share best practices and learn from each other,” says Amy Haskel, WAMMC board member and chair of the Council on Volunteers.

WAMMC President Beth Wipperman, who finishes her two-year term this June, knows firsthand this group of go-getters doesn’t ever seem to slow down: “I am amazed

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Photo: Becky Bedrosian Photo: Becky Bedrosian

Clockwise from top: the original Morristown Memorial Hospital on Morris Street; Louetta Shioleno at the Bargain Box; (l-r) Amy Haskel, Beth Wipperman, Dannette Merchant and Anne Rooke; former WAMMC presidents at the centennial (l-r) Ann Wallace, Hellie Stowell, Joan Mezzacapo, Mitzi Szerlip, Pat Hoffmann, Jane Clow and Lane Buchanan; WAMMC members at the Foundation’s 2010 Chairman’s Dinner; (l-r) Kathy Strazzi, Nina Scobey, Sue Corroon and Phyllis Schmucki at the 1976 Mansion in May.

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Photo: Media Services

Melanoma’s Foe

Pictured (l-r) Cheryl Calello, Dr. Jonathan S. Zager, Dr. Eric Whitman, Lina Calello, Frances Calello, and Sr. Elizabeth Calello

NewsofNote

Survey Says:

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Morristown Medical Is New Jersey’s Best Accolades abound for Morristown Medical Center, which was recognized as the number one hospital in New Jersey, for the third year in a row, by physicians in a statewide ranking of medical institutions.

Inside Jersey magazine, with Castle Connolly Medical Ltd., one of the nation’s most respected health care research and information companies, placed the hospital first in the state for coronary surgery; treatment of breast, prostate and pediatric cancers; treatment of heart failure; hip and knee repair; and strokes.

This recent honor joins last year’s first-ever national ranking as one of the best hospitals in the country by U.S. News & World Report. The magazine cited the hospital as one of the top 50 medical institutions in the nation for cardiology, heart surgery and gynecology, as well as the best regional hospital in nine other specialties.

“This recognition testifies to a heightened awareness, throughout our region and now the country, in the value of our specialty services and our years of tireless dedication to providing the highest quality of patient care,” says David Shulkin, MD, president of Morristown Medical Center.

Cheryl Calello has found herself tirelessly rallying for a melanoma cure after losing two family members to the disease.

The new Joseph Calello Melanoma Scholar Award, created to honor physicians and bring attention to the latest in melanoma research, is one way both she and the rest of the Calello family have recently made strides in this area.

In February, the first-ever annual award was presented to Jonathan S. Zager, MD, a surgical oncologist at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, FL. Dr. Zager also visited with doctors at the hospital for grand rounds and instructed them in regional therapy techniques.

“We are proud to bring this area the much-needed attention it deserves,” says Ms. Calello, who lost her mom and brotherin-law to the disease.

Ms. Calello regularly donates 25 percent of her Mom Concierge business profits to two melanoma research funds at the Foundation for Morristown Medical Center: the Joseph Calello Melanoma Research For The Cure Fund, created by the Calello family after their beloved Joe passed away in June 2008, and the Gloria Goldberg Memorial Melanoma Research Fund that she started in July 2006 several months after her mother’s passing.

Giving the ED a Senior Makeover When an elderly person has to unexpectedly pay a visit to the emergency room it shouldn’t be as traumatic to them as the reason they are there in the first place.

The F.M. Kirby Foundation recently awarded a $400,000 grant to the virtual Center for Healthy Aging at Morristown Medical Center. The monies will go toward the completion of a dedicated Geriatric Emergency Department (ED), expected to open later this year.

“It is clear that a more suitable, secluded area to treat the elderly, especially those with dementia, is a welcomed addition to what is already an exceptional emergency medicine department. Patients and their families deserve not only excellent care, but a physical environment of equal quality,” says S. Dillard Kirby, president and director, F.M. Kirby Foundation.

The new six-to-eight room unit, complete with geriatric physicians, will cater exclusively to elderly patients who often exhibit multiple medical problems. A geriatric team will be on hand to help facilitate hospital admissions and to offer palliative care options.

To support the Geriatric ED, please contact Noelle Deihl-Harteveld, major gifts officer, 973-593-2409.

Dr. Ethan Wiener and patient Nathaniel Zurkovsky

R Baby Improves Pediatric Emergency Talk

Photo

: She

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A child in a traumatic emergency relies on the medical staff’s ability to communicate information in a clear and understandable manner.

Funded by a $50,000 donation from R Baby Foundation, a new program at Goryeb Children’s Hospital, called Difficult Dialogues, will seek to improve miscommunications that can occur when a child’s life is at stake and emotions are high. This new donation builds off a past patient-and-family-centered-care grant from R Baby with an investment of more than $300,000.

R Baby Foundation’s mission of improving communication in pediatric emergency situations across the nation is closely aligned with this new immersive training initiative. The program will use role-play exercises to re-enact realistic emergency room scenarios between a child’s parents and Gagnon Children’s Emergency Center personnel, residents and physicians. The goal is to combat errors in meaning and translation that could cost lives.

“Communication is first a quality and patient safety issue,” says Ethan Wiener, MD, associate director of pediatric emergency medicine at Goryeb Children’s Hospital. “It speaks to every level of what we do.

Without the benefit of really good communication, there is always the opportunity for the breakdown of care in so many places.”

Kids Rule Running a successful nonprofit philanthropic organization takes hard work, passion and, in this instance, the creative energy of kids. The Kids4Kids Committee, the Foundation’s youth philanthropy group, has proven itself, many times over, in its ability to find entertaining ways to raise funds for Goryeb Children’s Hospital. Founded in 2009, the committee has netted $85,000 for the children’s hospital.

Kids4Kids – made up exclusively of kids ages 9 to 17 – raised more than $12,000 at its 4th annual Family Fun Day, held in the fall of 2012. This single success won the group the Foundation’s Friend of Philanthropy Award, which honors those who made a philanthropic contribution to the hospital with funds raised through an event.

Photo: Shelley Kusnetz

High school sophomore Nicole Borowsky, a Kids4Kids member for four years, knows the challenges that each new fundraiser brings: “It is hard work, but I love to see how it benefits the children.”

Scott Thomas, an 8th grader from Bernardsville, realizes how much this kind of work has changed him: “Now I think more about how I can help other kids and not as much about what I want.”

Kids4Kids members

Healthy Baby Major Gift Moves New Breastfeeding Initiative Forward With a $100,000 gift from Janet Simon, Morristown Medical Center is on its way toward special designation as a leading hospital for breastfeeding support, education and counseling. The global Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative, which is sponsored by the World Health Organization and the United Nations Children’s Fund, urges maternity centers, worldwide, to become breastfeeding advocates to help ensure optimal health for both mother and baby.

The program requires implementing stringent medical criteria, training staff and offering ongoing patient education.

Morristown Medical expects to receive the full baby-friendly designation by fall 2014.

This initiative will provide all new moms with the information, confidence-building strategies, and skills necessary to ensure a successful experience with breastfeeding their babies.

“I strongly believe that breastfeeding is the most valuable first defense a mother can do for a child,” says Janet Simon, chair of the Women’s Health Philanthropy Council. “It is nature’s way of adapting a child to the world and adapting a mother to her child. It’s also the best way for a mother and child to bond together.” f4mmc.org · 11

Photo: Shelley Kusnetz

Home Free Many people don’t realize that donating a home can be beneficial for both the donor and the hospital.

Susan Caputo, nurse manager of Atlantic Ambulance, had an extra home on her hands after her mother passed away in 2009.

“It was her retirement home and held no sentimental value to me or my brother,” says Ms. Caputo.

“If you were to inherit real estate that you don’t want and it’s paid in full, as my mother’s house was, then it makes sense to donate this kind of asset as a tax write-off.”

While she gained a charitable deduction, the hospital received $27,000. Plus, Foundation staff took care of most of the details.

“I didn’t even know when it closed, and it happened on my birthday,” adds Ms. Caputo. “It was a nice birthday present to not have to worry about maintaining that property any longer. After a while it had become a burden since I never wanted it in the first place.”

If you are interested in finding out more about planned giving opportunities, please contact Cynthia W. O’Donnell, JD, director of gift planning, at 973.593.2418 or cynthia.odonnell@atlantichealth.org.

Susan Caputo and the house she and her brother donated to the hospital

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The hospital’s integrative medicine program, 20 years in the making, recently received a major boost in funding from Barbara D. Todd and Frances S. Todd. Their timely gift will soon launch a new certification program in Jin Shin Jyutsu®, for practitioners seeking to gain licensure, and help to establish formal guidelines in this fast-growing holistic modality.

Photo: Becky Bedrosian

NewsofNote

A Gift and a Challenge

The Todds also announced the kick-off of a new matching challenge: for every $2 raised by the Foundation for Morristown Medical Center, they will give an additional $1 to fund the ongoing expansion of the hospital’s inpatient integrative medicine program. The donorfunded program has grown since its inception into all areas of the hospital and now offers free bedside services in many complementary therapies, including massage, reflexology, aromatherapy, Jin Shin Jyutsu and stress reduction.

“We feel integrative medicine, as a supportive role to traditional medicine, is an enormous benefit that helps patients in their recovery,” says Mrs. Barbara Todd.

As patients at the hospital, Mrs. Frances Todd and her son, Christopher, used Jin Shin Jyutsu before, during and after their surgeries: “Personally, I can’t imagine having a surgery without it – the many benefits to us were incredible.”

Donors Barbara D. Todd and Frances S. Todd

Legacy Makers Charitable Remainder Unitrusts are a simple way to let your estate work harder for you now while earmarking money for your favorite charity to receive later. Recently, the hospital received more than $600,000 through this kind of easy planned giving.

Fred Huyler allocated approximately $560,000 for his favorite charity – Morristown Medical Center’s general fund. And grateful patient Leo Chmil Sr., who was treated for prostate cancer at the hospital, set aside $40,000 to benefit the US Too Prostate Cancer Support Group (Men’s Cancer Program Fund) at Carol G. Simon Cancer Center.

“Many people don’t know that, by adding a charitable remainder unitrust to your estate portfolio, you can get a very nice tax deduction for yourself, acquire additional income every month and set aside money for your favorite charity. It’s a beneficial situation for everyone,” says Cynthia W. O’Donnell, JD, director of gift planning at the Foundation.

For additional information or a complimentary proposal, contact Ms. O’Donnell, at 973-593-2418 or cynthia.odonnell@atlantichealth.org.

Photo: Shelley Kusnetz

Morristown Pathology Associates: Emphasizing Team Spirit For over 25 years, Morristown Pathology Associates (MPA) has supported hospital campaigns spanning oncology to pediatrics.

Although the MPA pathologists aren’t Morristown Medical Center employees, this group of dedicated professionals, in true team spirit, Drs. Craig Dise and Jory G. Magidson puts its money wherever the need is.

“We would be selfish to just support the lab,” says MPA member and Department of Pathology Chairman Craig Dise, MD. “Other parts of the hospital also have to function at their highest levels, and they take care of the same patients that we do,” adds MPA President Jory G. Magidson, MD. Recently MPA donated $100,000 toward the Emergency Department Expansion Campaign that included a provision for a new blood refrigerator that would allow for the storage and monitored inventory of O negative blood for use by the hospital’s trauma team. Prior to the new refrigeration unit, doctors had to rely on portable coolers to dispatch blood for trauma patients, and it was not uncommon to discard unused blood because it was not possible to assure that it had been properly stored.

“We will continue to give as a group in the future, and there isn’t any area of the hospital that we would not consider supporting,” says Dr. Dise. “It’s just a matter of what project comes up next. To offer support to the Foundation is a natural extension of caring for our patients and giving back to the From: hospital where we seek medical care for ourselves and An Sent: M ne Connell our families.” o To: Fou nday, Februa ry 1 ndation In all of the campaign contributions to date, the Subjec For Mo 1, 2013 6:15 t rr : PM istow A n update pathologists of MPA are each encouraged to participate and on this n Medical Ce nte “Patien follow the example set by the group’s leaders.

Hello, t Story” r “It’s the attitude we have tried to cultivate from the I am Gift-He seeing this art very beginning of our practice together,” says Dr. Dise lps ic was po /Patient-Stori le on your we who, along with Dr. Magidson, serves as leadership of the bs es ign since H ant for me to /Helen-Conne ite f4mmc.org practice. “We make it part of our professional development ll for th ele /How-Y re e ou an abso n (my grandm ad – much h as happ first time toda rlutely u other) h to teach everyone that it’s their individual responsibility y. It ened in nbeliev family a d h e r “accid a owes s to give back.” o much ble recovery ent.” S our family quali from ty of he h to th was jus care she rece e staff at Mo breaking her as made ived, an t wond nec rristow e n d the le rful.

Medica k and our Helen h v l e l Center. o a f s lived support has see The so m we all n receive Mount her youngest uch, and so en d, grandc Desert th usiastic hild Isla spot; sh e has le nd to summe begin colleg ally, since the e; r in her n arned to nicate w most b she has trave . She it master elo le lobster h me while I live in G (almost) email ved Maine va d to dinners cation ermany and Th and Sk one of ype ank .W he notably r seven doting sgiving dinne e have share to commud rs – g first gre Margaret “H randchildren , and she has summertime elen” C birthda mailed at-gran y o every d n c c ard nell hild I can’t adequa , Cooper Marg has lived to s. And – most mother s te e a e ly re th t, in Se ex is ptembe e birth of her bedroc . … She is th press what a r2 ko e quinte fo ssentia rce of nature 012. have he f our family, lm my an r heartfe with us. She w d we all feel s atriarch, abso grandlu lt thank o il l in [s c re o on] be dibly lu tely the s to all at Morr cele cky to s (e istown till Medica specially the n brating her 9 Thank 4 l who h you. u ave ma rses and doc th birthday! A tors of de this the ICU possible Anne C ) . onnell

Margaret “Helen” Connell and her great-grandchild Cooper Margaret

f4mmc.org · 13

Portrait

Rick and Donna Varney

R

ick and Donna Varney are spending their golden years doing what they do best: putting in an honest day of hard work. On many of those days that work is at Morristown Medical Center.

The Varneys moved to Morris Township in 1990 and, shortly after, Mrs. Varney began to volunteer at the hospital as a courier. Twentytwo years later, she is still deftly winding her way along hospital corridors and has also been a steady presence, for the last 10 years, on the help desk in the Goryeb Children’s Hospital lobby.

“As a courier, I run errands all over the hospital,” says Mrs. Varney. “Everyone is so appreciative of what I do, whether it’s dropping off prescriptions, bringing specimens to the lab, or helping a visitor in the hallway.”

Mrs. Varney greets everyone she passes with a smile and asks how they are doing, even if she doesn’t know them.

Photo: Becky Bedrosian

“ Morristown Medical Center has always been our favorite charity, and it always will be.”

To explore volunteer options, visit f4mmc.org and select Ways to Give > Donate Your Time.

14 · f4mmc.org

“This hospital is big,” she says. “If I stop and say hello, sometimes they will open up, and I can ask them if they need help finding coffee, or food, or perhaps a bathroom.”

As a child, she watched her mom volunteer at a hospital near her hometown of Brewer, Maine. She remembers her arney parents as very loving, hard-working people, who liked to Donna V Rick and help others.

“My mom worked well into her 60s and always found time to volunteer,” says Mrs. Varney. “I am very proud of the way I was raised. My parents always made sure that my brother and I had responsibilities at home. We were expected to do our daily chores.”

Mr. Varney has the same work ethic as his wife, giving 100 percent to his job in the Emergency Department (ED). After retiring at 70, he knew he needed something else to do.

A good part of Mr. Varney’s day is spent helping those who suddenly find themselves in tragic circumstances feel more comfortable. His previous career, as a human resources executive, has given him the ability to use just the right tone, and personal touch, with people who sometimes find themselves waiting hours for a loved one being treated in the ED. “It fits my personality,” says Mr. Varney. “In my career, I had to fire hundreds of people, and I’ve never been shot at or even punched. The people I dealt with back then are the same as the people I deal with now. They may be upset, but I am able to calm them down.”

His special knack for soothing people hasn’t gone unnoticed by staffers.

When they see him, they often say, ‘Have no fear, Rick is here.’

“I love it here and will do this job for as long as my body keeps going,” says Mr. Varney. “Morristown Medical Center has always been our favorite charity and always will be. When my wife started volunteering, we also became donors.

We’re not Gagnons and we’re not Goryebs – we’re regulars. I think the hospital appreciates that because you need regulars too.”

Photos: Media Services

Happenings Valued Partners

Every March, the Foundation hosts a small reception before the medical staff’s quarterly meeting to thank Morristown Medical Center physicians for their help in educating our donors about the hospital’s varied fields of medicine and for their own generous philanthropy.

Pictured clockwise from left: Drs. Khalida Sharafi and Dan Tobias; Drs. Marc Benton, Greg Mulford and Jeff Levine; Drs. Alan Crosta, Rolando Rolandelli, Josef Shehebar and Barbara Minkowitz; Dr. Linda Gillam, Dr. John Salaki and the Foundation’s Cynthia O’Donnell; Drs. Marta Lopatynsky and Stan Fiel; Drs. Bill Dowling and Damion Martins; and the Foundation’s Hyona Revere and Dr. Karen Knops

NON PROFIT ORG. US POSTAGE PAID CALDWELL, NJ PERMIT #1502

475 South Street | Morristown, NJ 07960

CalendarofEvents

For upcoming events, log on to f4mmc.org and select Events

In Memoriam With a heavy heart, we acknowledge the passing of Foundation trustee, donor and friend George Stuart Saunders, Jr., 69, of Bernardsville, on April 13, 2013.

The retired chief executive officer of Carleton Stuart Corporation, Mr. Saunders served on the advisory board of the Carrier Corporation. He received a degree in business from C.W. Post College, after serving as a member of the United States Army Intelligence Division.

“George was a humanitarian and a quiet, but effective leader,” says Jim Quinn, chief development officer for the Foundation. “He will be deeply missed by all.”

Mr. Saunders was predeceased by his wife, Jeanne, in February. Survivors include his son, Drew; two daughters, Bobbi Collier and her husband, Steve, and Brittany Warnock and her husband, Robert; five grandchildren; six siblings and his stepmother Patricia.

Donations went to the Saunders Memorial Fund, benefitting Carol G. Simon Cancer Center.

High Caliber Education Morristown Medical Center has long been a leader in the field of nursing – the only hospital in the region to earn, three times, the Magnet Award for nursing excellence. Building on this prestigious legacy, The Frelinghuysen Foundation recently gave $250,000 to begin the Peter H.B. Frelinghuysen, Jr. Distinguished Lecture Series in Nursing, in honor of the congressman’s long years of service to the community.

The new program will strengthen and expand the hospital’s already robust nursing education program. Bringing in renowned national experts, the lecture series will increase the clinical expertise of the nursing staff, cultivate top nursing talent, and seek to improve on the unparalleled care hospital patients already receive. Sessions, to be held twice a year, will cover topics ranging from the impact of health care reform to new advances in technology and best practice methods.

Make a gift today using your smartphone or tablet

“We have always recognized the primary importance of nursing in the care and well-being of the patient,” says George L. Frelinghuysen, president, The Frelinghuysen Foundation. “Our family has been the beneficiary of the hospital’s first-class care. We hope this gift will serve to enhance the hospital’s tradition of excellence and place Morristown Medical Center at the forefront of nursing education and practice for many years to come.”

To opt out of receiving this communication and all others from the Foundation, please contact us at f4mmc@atlantichealth.org or 973-593-2400.

Writer: Laura Deal | Editor: Regi Diverio Layout and design: Susan Falcone, Envoi Design

The Foundation for Morristown Medical Center is a nonprofit public foundation whose mission is to inspire community philanthropy to advance exceptional health care for patients at Morristown Medical Center. Our objective is to utilize philanthropy to preserve and expand the hospital’s programs and services in direct patient care, clinical research, medical and public health education and preventive medicine.

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