SOMCF Hosting Virtual Signature Social On July 24

Press release from Hackensack Meridian Health:

July 6, 2020

Manahawkin, NJ – July 6, 2020 – To safeguard supporters, Hackensack Meridian Southern Ocean Medical Center Foundation has moved its annual signature social to a virtual fundraising event to be held on July 24 at 4 p.m. In lieu of the planned celebration, the foundation will host a program that donors can stream live to continue to raise necessary funds for Hackensack Meridian Southern Ocean Medical Center’s greatest needs, helping us to improve care during the COVID-19 crisis and beyond.

The virtual event will include updates from Hackensack Meridian Health leadership, inspirational videos and tributes to our health care heroes working to fight COVID-19 on the frontlines.

To participate, individuals can register at HackensackMeridianHealth.org/SOMCSocial. They will be sent a link to the program in the week leading up to the event. There is no cost to participate, however donations in support of the event can be made on the registration website.

In addition, members of the community are invited to help celebrate Hackensack Meridian Health’s health care heroes by submitting a short video (five to 10 seconds maximum), photo or drawing that can be included in the program. Submissions can be sent to SOMCVirtualEvent@hackensackmeridian.org and due by Wednesday, July 15.

“We are thankful for the support we are receiving as we transition this signature event to a virtual format,” says Joseph Stampe, president and chief development officer, Meridian Health Foundation. “Events like this one take a great deal of time to plan, and unfortunately, because it was unclear about when New Jersey would reopen, we made the difficult decision to take this event virtual. We hope that the community will continue to rally behind Southern Ocean Medical Center to help us recover from the COVID-19 crisis and prepare for the future. The community’s contributions are more important than ever and we aim to deliver an engaging program that will inspire them to continue to provide support.”

The annual signature social is chaired by Joe and Lori Rulli and the event sponsors are Advanced Radiology Solutions, Thomas and Deborah Dolan and the Hackensack Meridian Southern Ocean Medical Center medical staff.

For additional information about Southern Ocean Medical Center Foundation or to make a donation, please contact Jim Young, executive director of the Southern Ocean Medical Center Foundation, at 732-859-3118, or by email at James.Young@hackensackmeridian.org.

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 35,000 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 four hospitals among the top 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 Healthcare’s “150 Top Places to Work in Healthcare/2019” list.

The Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine at Seton Hall University opened in 2018, the first private medical school in New Jersey in more than 50 years, welcomed its second class of 96 students in 2019 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.

This press release was produced by Hackensack Meridian Health. The views expressed here are the author's own.