A dedicated supporter of children’s health, Lori Barer Ingber, PhD, and her husband, Michael Ingber, MD, reside in Mendham, New Jersey, with their four teenagers: Hayden (18), Shayna (17), Skyler (16) and Elliott (13). Lori is the founder and president of Parent Match, an online domestic adoption network and trustee for The Growing Hearts of Africa Foundation. For the Foundation for Morristown Medical Center, Lori serves as secretary for the Board of Trustees as well as chair of the Board Development Committee and is an active member of the Goryeb Philanthropy Council. She obtained her PhD in Public Health from the University of Michigan.

Q: Can you explain what optimal children’s health looks like to you?

A: My vision for children’s health has always been holistic in nature, where all specialists work together for the overall mental, emotional and physical health of a child, treating each area with respect and making sure they have equal time in the playing field. My passion is to help achieve the integrative well-being of children on every level.

This emphasis on holistic well-being is evident to me in the Child Life Program at Goryeb Children’s Hospital and is why I am a huge advocate and supporter of this effort. Research supports the premise that children who have been mentally and emotionally prepared for surgery do much better in their ability to deal with fear and anxiety. They can face long-term medical challenges with a better frame of mind.

Q: Your interests at Goryeb Children’s Hospital have been wide-ranging over the years; what areas of children’s health are you most focused on now?

A: As Michael and I see our children getting older, we are very aware of the specific issues that affect them and their peers and want to help as much as possible. One major topic is the escalating behavioral health concerns in children and young adults since COVID-19.

What’s heartwarming to me is that Goryeb Children’s Hospital and Morristown Medical Center have been at the forefront of this issue and have implemented novel ways to innovate and combat this crisis. The Behavioral Health Assessment Center initiative on the hospital’s main campus as well as a Collaborative Care Program that places mental health specialists in pediatric offices to help children at risk are both impressive moves recently made by the medical center. I’m very proud to be a part of this important effort that is already making a positive difference in the youth of our community and their future wellness.