Center of Excellence Fund
Gagnon Cardiovascular Institute, home to New Jersey’s largest Cardiac Surgery Program and world-class medical experts, can expand research, improve programs and broaden educational offerings with your participation in its Center of Excellence Fund. Philanthropy further strengthens the already high-quality care given to a growing volume of patients in need of cardiovascular care in our communities.
The Need: $100,000
Cardiac Rescue Recovery Program
The Atlantic Health Cardiovascular Rescue and Recovery Program at Morristown Medical Center provides life-saving care for patients with complex cardiac illnesses, including cardiogenic shock – the sickest segment of our cardiac patient population. Until recently, patients with this condition faced a dismal prognosis. The Cardiovascular Rescue and Recovery Program provides 24/7 access to a team of heart specialists who confer on a patient’s best course of treatment, which can include open heart surgery, implantable ventricular assist devices or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. The program centralizes the treatment of cardiogenic shock at Gagnon Cardiovascular Institute and optimizes care for our most critically ill patients. Funding will support program expenses.
The Need: $6,000,000
Cardiac Patient Support Fund
The Cardiac Patient Support Fund provides underserved, uninsured and underinsured patients who access the Cardiology Clinic or the Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Program with support to cover essential medications, transportation to and from appointments and other non-medical needs that are not covered by Medicare.
The Need: $20,000
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Equipment
Echocardiogram Machine
Echocardiograms are essential diagnostic tests for a variety of cardiovascular conditions from chest pain, dizziness and palpitations to tumors, heart valve leakage and heart anomalies. Gagnon Cardiovascular Institute seeks funding for the purchase of two additional Philips EPIQ CVx echocardiography machines to ease the burden of long wait times for these crucial tests.
The Need: $223,115
Portable Telemetry Transport Monitors
Telemetry is an important way of monitoring a patient’s heartbeat while in the hospital. These devices are used to watch the pattern of a patient’s heartbeat, identify any issues and indicate how well medications are working. The current patient transport process utilizes older telemetry monitors and is often delayed when monitors are unavailable. The Morristown Medical Center cardiac catheterization laboratory is in need of portable telemetry monitors for patient transport between the cath lab and Gagnon Cardiovascular Institute inpatient floors. Funding will support the purchase of three portable Philips transport monitors.
The Need: $15,000 (per monitor)
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Programs
Cardiac HCM General Support
Sudden cardiac arrest is often caused by hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). HCM symptoms overlap with other medical ailments, making them difficult to diagnose and treat. Some patients experience shortness of breath, exercise intolerance, chest pressure, pain and fainting, while others experience no symptoms before sudden cardiac failure. Advanced diagnostic care and treatment are available at the Chanin T. Mast Center for Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy at Gagnon Cardiovascular Institute – the only dedicated HCM program in the state and one of only two on the East Coast.
The Need: $250,000
Positions
Endowed Cardiology Division Directors
Morristown Medical Center seeks to endow key division director positions at Gagnon Cardiovascular Institute, ranked in the top 50 cardiology and heart surgery programs in the nation. Endowed positions are one of the hallmarks of a quality medical center and establishing them at Gagnon will further enhance its national stature, attract luminary physicians who wish to work with the best in the field, and provide discretionary funds for the chair holder to expand services, advance research, enhance education and promote collaboration between clinical areas.
The Need: $2.5 million (per director)
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Education/Professional Development
Interventional Cardiology Fellowship
The Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory at Gagnon Cardiovascular Institute is one of the busiest centers in the United States, performing over 5,000 cardiac catheterizations per year. The expansion of fellowships is vital. The one-year Interventional Cardiology Fellowship, which launched in 2019 under the leadership of Barry Cohen, MD, director of the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory for Gagnon Cardiovascular Institute, is for a fellow who has completed three years of internal medicine residency, three years of general cardiology fellowship and is now looking to become a sub-specialist in treating patients with coronary artery disease with cardiac catheterization and coronary stenting procedures.
The Need: $109,000
Sports Cardiology Summit
The NCAA and professional sports organizations require every student-athlete to undergo a medical evaluation. Yet many physicians do not have the skill set to properly evaluate an athlete’s ECG, diagnostic imaging and other tests, which can lead to false positives and, in some cases, missed diagnoses. Morristown Medical Center and the Sports Cardiology Program at Atlantic Health System seek to hold a Sports Cardiology Summit to educate physicians on best practices for young professional and elite athletes to improve cardiovascular diagnosis, treatment and appropriate activity for those with cardiac conditions.
The Need: $100,000
Project Heartbeat: AED Community Education and Distribution
Project Heartbeat needs 80 automated external defibrillators (AEDs) – devices that restore normal heartbeats or restart a heartbeat if it stops during a cardiac event. Devices will be distributed to high schools and colleges, town recreational sports organizations, faith-based groups and senior centers at an educational event where participants will be trained to use this life-saving device.
The Need: $100,000
Cardiovascular Technology Scholarship
Philanthropic funding is needed to provide scholarships to students from underrepresented racial/ethnic backgrounds to attend Morristown Medical Center’s School of Cardiovascular Technology (CVT) to increase diversity within the cardiovascular workplace at Morristown Medical Center and other Atlantic Health System hospitals. Funding will cover the cost of tuition, educational materials and uniforms ($25,000 per student). Recipients will work at Morristown Medical Center for 24 months after graduation.
The Need: $50,000
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Research
Sports Cardiology Research Foundation
Gagnon Cardiovascular Institute seeks to create a research foundation, led by Matthew Martinez, MD, director of Atlantic Health System Sports Cardiology at Morristown Medical Center, to track the heart health of both young and retired professional athletes in collaboration with Athletic Heart, an organization that provides sports cardiac imaging and screenings on young athletes and professional sports teams in the U.S. and globally. Funds raised will cover the fee of the images and test results for 100 players. Findings will be evaluated to assess a player’s HCM risk or other underlying heart issues.
The Need: $250,000
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If you have any questions, or if you would like to support a funding need for Cardiovascular Care, please contact Susan Johns, foundation officer, at 973-593-2413.