January 26, 2024 – Edison, NJ – Hackensack Meridian Health Foundation is happy to announce the receipt of a beneficiant $100,000 grant from Bank of America geared toward advancing well being fairness in Paterson, NJ and supporting the schooling of the following technology of physicians taking part within the Human Dimension program at Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine. 

“We are truly grateful for Bank of America’s generous grant, which will foster the next generation of compassionate physicians and empower them to make substantial strides in advancing health equity in Paterson,” mentioned Joyce P. Hendricks, president and chief improvement officer, Hackensack Meridian Health Foundation. “Hackensack Meridian Health is the largest, most comprehensive health system in New Jersey, and we are committed to improving the health and well-being of all of our residents in this great state. Philanthropic support from our corporate partners, like Bank of America, allow us to make a significant impact in the communities our medical students serve.” 

Opened in 2018, Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine’s distinctive curriculum fosters teamwork and a humanistic deal with group wellness by way of its Human Dimension program. The faculty integrates the biomedical, behavioral, social and well being methods sciences within the context of the sufferers and communities, with a deal with underserved cities throughout New Jersey, like Paterson. 

“Our Human Dimension program at Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine teaches our students how to be compassionate doctors, capable of integrating the social determinants of health into their practice to achieve health equity with a focus on prevention as well as curing illness,” mentioned Jeffrey Boscamp, M.D., president and dean, Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine. “Moreover, this humanistic approach during their medical education provides our students with a critical first step in understanding the professional culture of health care – and how resilience and empathy can strengthen it.  We are so pleased to have Bank of America’s support and know that their generosity will help shape our physicians of tomorrow.”

Since 2018, the School of Medicine has labored with residents and communities in Paterson.  Through the Human Dimension program, future docs grow to be concerned in all features of the household’s life to raised perceive the social determinants of well being that contribute to poorer well being outcomes, determine unmet wants and assist households navigate group sources. Medical college students have cared for greater than 300 Paterson households, engaged with 120 group companions, accomplished 55 group well being tasks benefiting greater than 8,000 Paterson residents and established 21 present group well being undertaking job forces. By doubling the variety of medical college students paired with people and households in want, the School of Medicine will serve a larger variety of Paterson residents yr over yr, enhance well being literacy and help the connections wanted to enhance the well being and well-being for sufferers, no matter their socio-economic standing or degree of schooling.  

Paterson is the most important metropolis in Passaic County and serves because the county seat. According to the U.S. Census American Community Survey dated July 1, 2022, the latest information consumption, the whole inhabitants was practically 157,000, representing about one-third of the inhabitants of the county. Per the 2020 Passaic County Needs Assessment, well being care considerations ranked third highest as a result of lack of medical professionals who settle for Medicaid and considerations about inequities in accessing medical providers, together with language boundaries, and lack of culturally competent, reasonably priced well being care. 

“Bank of America recognizes the importance of supporting our healthcare systems and networks as they provide critical resources to underserved communities,” mentioned Alberto Garofalo, president, Bank of America New Jersey. “Addressing these boundaries will assist our communities transfer ahead and understand true financial mobility.” 

To learn more about Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine or to make a gift, contact Sheila Wolfinger, executive director of development, or visit GiveHMH.org/SchoolofMed.

ABOUT HACKENSACK MERIDIAN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE 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 On3 campus in Nutley and Clifton. Hackensack Meridian Health assumed its independent operation in July 2020. The school achieved full accreditation in February 2023. The school’s vision is that each person in New Jersey, and in the United States, regardless of race or socioeconomic status, will enjoy the highest levels of wellness in an economically and behaviorally sustainable fashion. The School’s unique curriculum focuses on linking the basic science with clinical relevance, through an integrated curriculum in a team-oriented, collaborative environment. The school prides itself on outreach, through programs like the Human Dimension, which is active in communities across New Jersey. 

ABOUT HACKENSACK MERIDIAN HEALTH FOUNDATION

Hackensack Meridian Health Foundation, a registered 501(c)(3), is the philanthropic division of Hackensack Meridian Health, 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. The foundation oversees fundraising for the network’s three academic medical centers, two children’s hospitals and seven community-based medical center foundations, as well as key initiatives, programs and services offered by Hackensack Meridian Health, including nursing support, behavioral health, children’s health, Hackensack Meridian Health’s Center for Discovery & Innovation and Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine.  

Hackensack Meridian Health Foundation has been designated as both a High Performer Overall and Healthcare System High Performer by the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP) within their 2023 Report on Giving. 

Visit GiveHMH.org/Donate for extra data.