How a top car salesman supports the emergency response fund.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Peter Wendell of West Orange has seen its effects through the eyes of his partner, Alvin Schmidt, MD, a longtime internist at Saint Barnabas Medical Center (SBMC) and a member of RWJBarnabas Health Medical Group.
“I’ve never seen him so tired when he comes home at night,” Peter says. “I know what he and his colleagues are going through. We don’t have that problem in my profession. I had to find a way to give back.”
For the past year, a portion of Peter’s commission on every Audi he sells at Paul Miller Audi in Parsippany has been donated to the Emergency Response Fund at SBMC. It’s a substantial ongoing donation, because Peter has been one of the top 10 Audi salesmen in the U.S. for the past 20 years.
“In the past, as a thank-you, I’d give my customers a nicely framed photo of themselves with the car,” he explains. “Now, I make a donation in their name to the medical center instead. I can’t tell you how positive the response has been.”
Peter decided to direct his donations to the Emergency Response Fund because he felt it would have the most impact on COVID-19 efforts.
“Even if Alvin weren’t there, I would be donating to Saint Barnabas Medical Center,” he says. “My family and I have a long relationship with them. They’re our local medical center. They’re the place where our neighbors are going for help.”
Would You Like to Honor a Special Doctor?
This year, physicians on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic deserve a special kind of gratitude—not just from the patients and families they serve, but from our entire community. The families of these doctors have been just as incredible as they encourage and support them in their essential work.
National Doctors Day was March 30. Each year, it is a chance to let these doctors know how much they mean to us, and each year, hundreds of grateful patients make donations to Saint Barnabas Medical Center in honor of the physicians that mean the most to them. This year was no exception.
If you would like to make a contribution to Saint Barnabas Medical Center in honor of National Doctors Day and share the story of how your doctor has changed your life, call 973.322.4330 or visit www.sbmcgiving.org.