Before raising the Pride flag, Darrell K. Terry, Sr., President and Chief Executive Officer of Newark Beth Israel Medical Center and Children’s Hospital of New Jersey and Atiya Jaha-Rashidi, RN, Director of Diversity and Inclusion, Newark Beth Israel Medical Center and Children’s Hospital of New Jersey pose alongside hospital employees as well as Elaine Helms, Executive Director, RAIN Foundation and Tamara Fleming, co-founder and immediate past President of the New Jersey LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce, and Board Chair for the RAIN Foundation.
(Newark, NJ) June 13, 2018 -- More than 100 Newark Beth Israel and Children’s Hospital of New Jersey employees, physicians, and senior leaders gathered to raise the flag in celebration and recognition of National LGBTQ Pride Awareness Month.
Newark Beth Israel recently became one of only 16 facilities in New Jersey to receive the “Leader in LGBTQ Healthcare Equality” designation from the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation. It is the only hospital in Newark to receive the designation this year. Newark Beth Israel earned a perfect score in meeting non-discrimination and training criteria, demonstrating a commitment to equitable, inclusive, and compassionate care for LGBTQ patients and their families, who often face significant challenges in securing the healthcare they need and deserve.
The flag raising event was organized by the hospital’s newly formed P.R.I.D.E Business Resource Group, hospital employees who have come together to lead employee engagement, awareness and advocacy within the hospital as it relates to issues that affect the LGBTQ community.
From left to right: Elaine Helms, Executive Director, RAIN Foundation; Jennifer Griola, Co-Chair, P.R.I.D.E. Business Resource Group (BRG) at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center; Erica Stuppler, Co-Chair, P.R.I.D.E., BRG at Newark Beth Israel; Danielle McNair, Administrative Support, P.R.I.D.E., BRG at Newark Beth Israel; Atiya Jaha-Rashidi, Director of Diversity and Inclusion, Newark Beth Israel Medical Center and Children’s Hospital of New Jersey; Tamara Fleming, co-founder and immediate past President of the New Jersey LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce, and Board Chair for the RAIN Foundation; Kristen Ehlers, member, P.R.I.D.E., BRG; Romaine Brown, Membership Chair, P.R.I.D.E., BRG
About Newark Beth Israel Medical Center
Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, an RWJBarnabas Health facility, is a 665-bed regional care teaching hospital that provides comprehensive health care. Newark Beth Israel is home to one of the nation’s top five heart transplant centers, which has performed more than 1,000 heart transplants; RWJBarnabas Health’s Heart Failure Treatment and Transplant Program; New Jersey’s only Advanced Lung Disease and Transplant Program and a Valve Center that performs more cardiac valve procedures, including minimally invasive transcatheter aortic valve replacements (TAVRs), than any other center in the state. Newark Beth Israel Medical Center is also home to Children’s Hospital of New Jersey (CHoNJ), which cares for children from birth through adolescence, with more than 30 specialized pediatric services including New Jersey’s largest Valerie Fund Children’s Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders; and the Children’s Heart Center that offers a complete range of medical and surgical treatments for the most complex cardiac abnormalities. The Newark Beth Israel robotic surgery program is the most experienced in northern New Jersey. The Frederick B. Cohen, MD, Cancer and Blood Disorders Center and the Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey Breast Health Center provide seamless integration of cancer prevention, specialized care and treatment options. Newark Beth Israel also offers many preventive health programs that promote wellness in the community, including The Beth Greenhouse, which provides access to fresh produce and health and wellness education to local residents.
CONTACT: Linda Kamateh
Director, Marketing & Corporate Communications
linda.kamateh@rwjbh.org
(973)-926-3803