Hackensack Meridian Health

For Andree, an HR generalist at Southern Ocean Medical Center, and Alexa, a compliance specialist, care comes naturally. Scrubs can be costly, and, if they end up in landfills, environmentally unfriendly. They came up with an empathetic idea: a scrub exchange program. “Alexa was ready to donate her extra scrubs. We thought other team members might have extra scrubs at home, too,” Andree explains. “We decided to take a sustainable approach and not have perfectly good scrubs go to the landfills. Let’s help our own team members instead!” After meeting with leadership and creating a flyer, their program was launched. Within a day, donations were coming in. “We do a quality check to make sure they are free of rips and in good shape and then we get them cleaned,” Alexa says. “Team members who need scrubs reach out confidentially to get a new set.” Their efforts are appreciated at Southern Ocean and beyond, including by our vice president of human resources operations, Barbara Powderley. Barbara nominated Andree and Alexa for our We "C" You Award for Creative, honoring excellence in commitment to our values. "They took one situation for just one team member and came up with a program that is going to help so many team members,” Barbara says. Their recognition is well deserved!

The HMH Research Institute's Research Roundup for Fall 2024 features some of the network’s newest pioneering initiatives, including Dr. Tycko’s recent NIH grant to tackle celiac and Crohn’s diseases, and the Hackensack University Medical Center’s (first in the world) use of the AI-Powered HYDROSTM robotic system to perform Aquablation®️ therapy to treat prostate enlargement. The issue also includes HMH researchers’ appointments and distinctions, including Dr. Aragones’s assignment as chair of a new NJ HPV vaccination provider task force and Dr. Aschner’s receipt of the Liley Award from the Perinatal Research Society. Finally, the newsletter shares updates about recent research ventures and research-related events throughout the network. Find the latest edition, and all previous issues, here: https://lnkd.in/ecVJArMa

It's a fitting recognition: Hackensack Meridian Health was named Statewide DE&I Champion—and Avonia Richardson-Miller, EdD, MA, CDE®, our senior vice president and chief diversity officer, accepted the award following all her work in leading us there. Diversity, equity and inclusion are at the heart of our mission, and it is an honor to receive the top award at The African American Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey (AACCNJ) and the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce's third annual DE&I Trailblazer Awards reception. Our gratitude goes to Avonia, her team and all of the inspiring individuals who enact this vision each and every day. #dei #newjersey #diversity

Congratulations to our acute and ambulatory care teams, whose work has been recognized by the 2024 Digital Health Most Wired survey! Each of these categories received a score of 9, given to organizations who have displayed leadership and innovation in health care and pushed the industry forward towards new heights. Those with this high honor have excellent outcomes, care quality, patient experience and more. We are proud to work to bring the very best in care to communities across New Jersey. #acutecare #ambulatorycare #healthcare

It's a gift he'll never forget. For two years, George has been unable to speak. Facing multiple medical issues and failed treatments, the New Yorker needed a holiday miracle when he was referred to the Advanced Lung and Airway Center at JFK University Medical Center. He found it with Dr. Robert Lebovics and Dr. Faiz Bhora, who performed a delicate procedure to treat his severe stenosis, or scarring of the voice box. A special "T-tube" with three limbs would keep the vocal cords open, extend from the stoma to the windpipe, and create an airway. The result? George was able to speak and breathe again. Even better — he'll be home for the holidays. #inspiring #miracle #medicine #innovation

Growing a family is one of life’s most meaningful moments, and it is an honor to be trusted to be part of these memories. We are proud to provide care for families across the state, and to have that work recognized by US News among their 2025 Best Hospitals for Maternity Care. Congratulations to the teams at: 🏥Hackensack University Medical Center 🏥Jersey Shore University Medical Center 🏥Palisades Medical Center 🏥Raritan Bay Medical Center 🏥Riverview Medical Center 🏥Ocean University Medical Center 🏥Southern Ocean Medical Center

At Hackensack Meridian Health, we know you're as strong as your team. We're lucky to have the best team members out there — and now that includes two Jersey legends. Thank you to Peter Cancro, founder and CEO of Jersey Mike's Subs, and Eli Manning, former New York Football Giants quarterback and two-time Super Bowl champion, for the incredible support of our Hackensack Meridian Health Foundation Be the Difference campaign this Giving Tuesday. Their generosity, this time of year and beyond, is an inspiration. For our communities, they truly are the difference. #inspiring #giving #newjersey

Olivette had achieved her dream. She'd bought a home, something she'd wished for since childhood, and enjoyed her job and her life in her quiet community. Then she was hit by a car. When she came to and saw her hand, she was convinced she'd lose it. But after long months of intensive care and rehabilitation at Hackensack University Medical Center, she regained full use of it and was cleared to go back to work. Then she had a stroke. It was a one-two punch that led to her losing everything, including her dream home. Just when she felt all hope was lost, suddenly a light shone through in the form of a community health worker from Hackensack University Medical Center who helped Olivette regain her footing, and her outlook on life. Everyone deserves the opportunity to be healthy. But not everyone has access to exceptional, affordable health care. Through Hackensack Meridian Health Foundation’s Be The Difference campaign, we’re addressing issues like food insecurity and housing and transportation challenges that affect the health and wellness of New Jersey’s communities. Now, Olivette is back to her grateful, positive spirit — one you can see for yourself in her feature during the NBC Rockefeller Center Tree Lighting on December 4 at 8 pm. This #GivingTuesday, we welcome you to learn more about how you can be the difference, too.

We're lucky to have the best team out there at Hackensack Meridian Health — and to have had some of the best of the best in our family for over 25 years! Every year, during HMH Week, we celebrate these milestone team members with our 25 Club event. It's a small way to say thank you for all they do 💙 #teammemberappreciation #healthcare #thankyou

This time of year is filled with generosity and gratitude, as we gather and reflect on what we're thankful for. For Lisa, a senior physical therapist, these inspiring attributes are ones she lives by year round. Her career was largely inspired by her mom, who worked nights as an ICU nurse as Lisa grew up. “I remember curling up next to her when she would get home from her shift and asking her what she saw that day, always interested in hearing about all of her patients,” she says. When the time came for Lisa to begin a career of her own, her mom arranged for her to shadow professions throughout the hospital, including physical therapy. Inspired by that experience and her father's mentorship in the pharmaceutical industry, Lisa went on to earn a doctorate in physical therapy. Sadly, Lisa's dad passed away unexpectedly in 2021 after a very short battle with pancreatic cancer. Her mom also unexpectedly passed after a brief battle with endometrial cancer in 2023. Fueled by her parents' giving spirit, Lisa turned her grief into a catalyst to help others, providing a generous gift that will help establish a nursing scholarship at Jersey Shore University Medical Center. Lisa says, “My mom was the type of person who would do anything for anyone in need. Not only was she an extremely caring and compassionate nurse, she was an amazing friend and family member. She was a talented seamstress and sewed masks for all our family and friends during COVID.” “With the gift my parents left me and my family, I wanted to do something to honor them and that they would be proud of. I could not think of anything that would suit them more than to begin a scholarship in their name to help nurses looking to advance their skills and degree,” Lisa says. “This gift also represents my gratitude to all the amazing nursing and hospital staff who took care of my parents in their final hours. This was my way to hopefully honor them as well.” “Despite going through the heartache and sadness of losing my parents the last few years, I am grateful they gave me this gift that I am able to share in their memory, and in that way, they live on in others' lives as well.” #PeopleofHMH