Spirit Halloween Helps Child Life Program at Children's Hospital

For the seventh consecutive year, Spirit Halloween has provided a significant grant to Hackensack Meridian Children’s Health at K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital, located at Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center. The recent gift, provided through the Spirit of Children program, represents collections during the 2020 Halloween season and totaled $85,562, bringing the organization’s overall donations to more than $366,000.

“Our partnership with Spirit Halloween is incredibly special,” says Joyce P. Hendricks, president and chief development officer, Hackensack Meridian Health Foundation. “Their dedication to improving the hospital experience for children is truly heartwarming and we are so grateful for their support, particularly as it helps to fund our child life team, which plays an invaluable role in a hospitalized child’s care. I’d also like to express my gratitude to the community, who made more donations this year than ever before – despite the pandemic. We are so thankful to everyone who participated in the Spirit of Children program, and to Spirit Halloween for their continued dedication to our team and children.”

The funds distributed to partner hospitals such as K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital will be used to provide fun and funding for hospitalized children throughout the year. Additionally, the resources will enable K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital to bring added child life support to the medical center’s surgical and emergency departments.

“Children who are about to undergo a surgical procedure, or who are coming into the hospital for an emergent situation, are usually very frightened,” says Harpreet Pall, M.D., professor and chairman, department of pediatrics, K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital. “To be able to add the child life team, who will be there to walk the child through what is happening, intervene with distraction techniques, support their emotional needs to reduce stress and anxiety and serve as a resource for frightened family members is so important. We are thankful to Spirit Halloween and the community for recognizing the value of this program and for continuing to help us advance care and support for sick children.”

As part of the Spirit of Children program, Spirit Halloween stores in the local area conducted in-store fundraising campaigns specifically to benefit the Child Life Program at K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital. In addition to collecting in-store donations, when customers utilized Spirit Halloween’s 10-for-10 coupon, they received 10 percent off their purchase and Spirit Halloween matched every coupon purchase with a 10 percent donation. Participating 2020 stores included the following locations: Brick, Freehold, Howell, Holmdel, Manalapan, Tinton Falls, two Toms River locations, Wall Township and West Long Branch.

“It is gratifying to be able to partner with K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital,” says Richard Tereo, team lead, Spirit of Children and director, corporate administration for Spencer Spirit Holdings, Inc. “This year, we were able to support Child Life Services at 147 partner hospitals throughout the United States and Canada, providing them with costumes and treats to help children celebrate Halloween, and of course, funding to help their child life departments deliver children the special care they need during a difficult time. We were honored to be able to support the children’s hospital and look forward to a continued successful partnership for the 2021 season.”

To support the Child Life program at K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital, please visit give.hackensackmeridianhealth.org/KHCH.

ABOUT HACKENSACK MERIDIAN CHILDREN’S HEALTH

Hackensack Meridian Children’s Health provides the most comprehensive and highest level of quality care to young patients in the state of New Jersey. The children’s network is comprised of two children’s hospitals – Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital at Hackensack University Medical Center in Hackensack and K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital at Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune – and a large network of pediatric subspecialists and pediatricians. Hackensack Meridian Children’s Health hospitals are the only two in New Jersey to be ranked among the top 50 in the nation for pediatric cancer care by U.S. News and World Report. Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital also ranks among the top 50 in the nation for pediatric neurology and neurosurgery. Visit www.hackensackmerdianhealth.org/kids for more information about Hackensack Meridian Children’s Health.

ABOUT HACKENSACK MERIDIAN JERSEY SHORE UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER

Located in Neptune, New Jersey, Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center is a not-for-profit teaching hospital and the only Level II Trauma and Level II Pediatric Trauma Center in Monmouth and Ocean counties. It is home to K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital – the first children’s hospital in Monmouth and Ocean counties. With more than 1,200 physicians and dental staff in 60 specialty areas, Jersey Shore University Medical Center’s team provides quality care in a patient-centered, environmentally-friendly setting.

The team’s commitment to excellence has earned Jersey Shore University Medical Center numerous accolades, including being named the #4 hospital in New Jersey by U.S. News & World Report for 2018-2019. The medical center’s clinical research program and longstanding commitment to medical education is evident through the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine and a new affiliation with St. George’s University School of Medicine. Jersey Shore University Medical Center serves as an academic center dedicated to advancing medical knowledge, training future physicians and providing the community with access to promising medical breakthroughs.

Jersey Shore University Medical Center’s programs and services have received numerous national recognition, including designation as high-performing in cardiac, stroke, surgical and oncology services.

Jersey Shore University Medical Center’s HOPE Tower – a $265 million 10-story medical office building provides a new healing outpatient experience. Guided by a patient-centered approach towards care, and informed by the latest medical breakthroughs, HOPE Tower includes advanced imaging services, a clinical academic center, innovative stimulation laboratory, state-of-the-art amphitheater, specialty physician offices, a nine-level parking garage, and a 58,000 square foot cancer facility. The cancer facility features a range of comprehensive treatment options, including surgical specialties, medical oncology, and the most advanced radiation therapy and minimally invasive interventional therapies. Nurse navigators guide patients through every step and provide an extra layer of support and coordination.

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 36,000 team members, and over 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 &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 opened in 2018, the first private medical school in New Jersey in more than 50 years, welcomed its third class of students in 2020 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.

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