Volunteer, Mentor Recognized During Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Belleville, NJ - In recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month held throughout the month of October, the Essex County Board of Chosen Freeholders voted to recognize Montclair resident Cheryl K. Young for her dedicated service to bring awareness and lend support to those suffering from cancer.

An official proclamation was presented to Young on October 13 by the Honorable Robert 'Bobby" Mercado, Essex County Freeholder in the Main Lobby of the Medical Center, along with her brother, daughter, Dr. Mary Ellen Clyne, President and Chief Executive Officer; Dr. Frank Mazzarella, Chief Continuum of Care Officer; Stacie Newton, Director of Marketing and Public Relations; Javier Alvarez, Director of Patient Experience and Tania Manago, Assistant Director of Patient Experience and Volunteer Services.

A survivor of several forms of cancer – including breast cancer, Young is a volunteer at Clara Maass Medical Center for more than 10 years, mentoring patients that are undergoing treatment. Fifteen years ago, Young was diagnosed with lung cancer which required the removal of her right lung and 18 months later, she was diagnosed with breast cancer requiring a right side lumpectomy and in December 2012 when she was considered a high risk for ovarian cancer, she then required a hysterectomy. In January 30, 2013, she was diagnosed again with lung cancer in her left lung which then left her with 3/4 of a regular lung. She is also the founder of the Preston A Young Cancer Awareness—I am You, Inc., a nonprofit organization devoted to cancer education and awareness.

Young’s experience surviving various forms of Cancer led her to volunteer to support others facing similar circumstances and she began volunteering several years ago at the Medical Center, where she mentors patients who are affected by Cancer. She has also served as a speaker at various events including a brunch for Cancer Survivors organized every year by Clara Maass and Relay for Life, sponsored by the American Cancer Society.

About Clara Maass Medical Center

Founded in 1869 as the Newark German Hospital, Clara Maass Medical Center, an RWJBarnabas Health facility, is celebrating 150 years of service to the community. Conveniently located in Belleville, NJ, Clara Maass Medical Center is a 472-bed hospital that offers a complete continuum of care to residents of northern New Jersey.

Clara Maass Medical Center has completed a state-of-the-art campus expansion of its Emergency Department, Operating Rooms and Post Anesthesia Care Unit with the addition of a four-story, 87,000 square foot medical office building that features a private Intensive Care Unit, main entrance and lobby, retail pharmacy and patient registration area. Designated by the New Jersey Department of Health as a Primary Stroke Center, the Medical Center has earned national recognition in patient safety and quality from Healthgrades and The Leapfrog Group.

The Medical Center leads the state in performing advanced treatment in ophthalmology, and has earned certifications in Disease-Specific Care from The Joint Commission in Acute Coronary Syndrome, Congestive Heart Failure, Hip and Knee Replacement, Cardiac Rehabilitation and Advanced Certification in Palliative Care, and has earned accreditation in Bariatric Surgery by the Aetna Institute of Quality program. In partnership with Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey -- the state's only NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, Clara Maass Medical Center offers a world class team of researchers and specialists to fight most types of cancer, providing close-to-home access to the latest treatment and clinical trials. Committed to the health and wellness of its community, the Center of Excellence for Latino Health at Clara Maass Medical Center was established to address the social determinants of health within the local Hispanic community.

The first in the country to be named for a nurse, the hospitals’ namesake, Clara Louise Maass was posthumously inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame Class of 2017. For a physician referral or more information about Clara Maass Medical Center, call 1-888-724-7123 or visit www.rwjbh.org/claramaass.