Community donates $40.3 million to Atlantic Health System’s Morristown Medical Center expansion, renovation
MORRISTOWN, NJ (Morris County) – The Foundation for Morristown Medical Center this week announced that community members contributed more than $40.3 million toward the critical renovation and expansion of Carol G. Simon Cancer Center, Gagnon Cardiovascular Institute and Goryeb Children’s Hospital, significantly exceeding the initial campaign goal of $38.5 million.
More than 1,500 donors, including the Gagnon, Goryeb and Simon families, supported the Growing Forward Campaign that launched on Giving Tuesday, December 3, 2019.
“In what was an unprecedented year for our nation, the generosity of our community was remarkable. The impact of giving was immediate and reinforced that Morristown Medical Center is truly at the heart of our community—now more than ever before,” Les Quick III, Growing Forward Campaign chairman, said.
At Gagnon Cardiovascular Institute, two additional inpatient floors added 55,000 square feet and 72 private rooms for cardiac surgery and structural heart disease patients, increased clinical space and dedicated MRI technology for the exclusive use of cardiac patients.
At Goryeb Children’s Hospital, the Joan and Edward Foley Pediatric Intensive Care Unit nearly doubled in size to 13,400 square feet and increased to 15 private rooms with space for family members to stay overnight. The renovated Valerie Fund Children’s Center at Goryeb Children’s Hospital includes eight open and private infusion bays for chemotherapy and blood work, four new exam and consultation rooms, a large procedure room, private family lounge and playroom.
Finally, at Carol G. Simon Cancer Center, the expanded and renovated Infusion Center supported more than 16,700 cancer patients in 2020 through their outpatient treatment in a safe, calm and healing setting; an increase of nearly 1,000 patients compared to 2019. Patients now have access to 36 private or open infusion bays, depending on their preferences, with comfortable chairs for family members, iPads, blanket warmers and music. Two additional renovation phases will commence later in 2021.
“As a nonprofit hospital, donor support for new capital projects like these allows Morristown Medical Center to continue to offer world-class treatments, expand access for our communities and provide extraordinary patient-centric care,” said President of Morristown Medical Center Trish O’Keefe. “Throughout the pandemic, the expansion and renovation of these centers of excellence quickly became as critical to our COVID-19 patients as they are to our heart, cancer and pediatric patients and their families.”
In addition to the Growing Forward Campaign, community members donated more than $18.7 million to Morristown Medical Center in 2020.
