In support of the nonprofit Morristown Medical Center
and Goryeb Children's Hospital

Our Team Members are Our Heart and Soul

In honor of American Heart Month, the Foundation for Morristown Medical Center has been highlighting donors who have contributed to the Growing Forward Campaign. Through generous donations to the expansion project, two floors and 72 private patient rooms have been added to Gagnon Cardiovascular Institute, ensuring access to vital cardiovascular care. Maria Alcina Fonseca, nurse manager on Gagnon 5, discusses why, as a team member, donating to the Growing Forward campaign is so important.


Nurse Manager Maria Alcina Fonseca

”As a heart center, Gagnon Cardiovascular Institute patients can have all their needs met through state-of-the-art technology, innovative research and newest medications, treatments and procedures. However, all these initiatives cost a lot of money. Hospitals, like Morristown Medical Center, cannot provide the care that patients need, unless they are supported by donors.

“Maya Angelou said, “I’ve learned that you shouldn’t go through life with a catcher’s mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw something back.”


“I have been a nurse for many years. When I was in nursing school, I was given a small scholarship that made a huge change in my life. Because of the donation and working hard as a nursing assistant, I was able to graduate and continue my education. When I graduated, I promised myself that I would try to give back.

”If every employee donated one dollar a pay period or whatever they can afford, we could continue to renovate needed patient units, continue to provide the exceptional care that we give our patients and support the families. The wonderful part about donating through the Foundation is that we can choose where the money is allocated.

“At some point in our lives, we will be patients, have a family member or friend who will need care. How great is it to know in our hearts that patients have access to what is a basic human right [health care].

I will end with another quote by Winston Churchill: “We make a living by what we get but make a life by what we give.”

We thank Maria and all our team members who provide extraordinary caring for our patients every day. To learn how you can get involved, visit our campaign page, or learn more about team member giving

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