Dec 2, 2022 Clara Maass Receives $25,000 Grant from the Dunkin’ Joy in Childhood Foundation

Belleville, New Jersey—December 2, 2022—The Clara Maass Medical Center Foundation has received a generous $25,000 award from the Dunkin’ Joy in Childhood Foundation, which will be used to support pediatric patients in the Emergency Department at Clara Maass Medical Center.

The Emergency Department (ED) is the first point of entry for many patients, and their wait times can be long due to the additional hours needed for observation and diagnosis before they are discharged to home or admitted to the hospital. This can be particularly challenging for children who are often anxious and restless during their stay in the ED.

The Dunkin’ Joy in Childhood award will be used to purchase 35 hospital-grade flat-screen televisions and upgrade children’s programming in English and Spanish, initiatives that will create a more joyful environment for pediatric patients and their young siblings who often accompany them. These upgrades will also help to alleviate the burden on parents who must distract and entertain their children as they communicate with medical staff about important treatment.

“We are so appreciative of this generous Dunkin’ Joy in Childhood award,” said Mary Ellen Clyne, PhD, President and Chief Executive Officer, Clara Maass Medical Center. “Our Emergency Department can be very busy, and a newly upgraded entertainment system for pediatric patients will make their experience and their parents’ much more enjoyable.”

The non-profit Clara Maass Medical Center Foundation plays an integral role in raising funds to support the facilities and high-quality programs and services offered by Clara Maass Medical Center.

The Dunkin’ Joy in Childhood Foundation is an independent non-profit organization powered by Dunkin’ and its franchises, with a mission to help children who are battling hunger or illness.

About Clara Maass Medical Center

Founded in 1869 as the Newark German Hospital, Clara Maass Medical Center, an RWJBarnabas Health facility, is celebrating more than 150 years of service to the community. Conveniently located in Belleville, NJ, Clara Maass Medical Center is a 472-bed hospital that offers a complete continuum of care to residents of northern New Jersey.

Clara Maass Medical Center has completed a state-of-the-art campus expansion of its Emergency Department, Operating Rooms and Post Anesthesia Care Unit with the addition of a four-story, 87,000 square foot medical office building that features a private Intensive Care Unit, main entrance and lobby, retail pharmacy and patient registration area. Designated by the New Jersey Department of Health as a Primary Stroke Center, the Medical Center has earned national recognition in patient safety and quality from Healthgrades and The Leapfrog Group.

The Medical Center leads the state in performing advanced treatment in ophthalmology and has earned certifications in Disease-Specific Care from The Joint Commission in Acute Coronary Syndrome, Congestive Heart Failure, Elective Hip and Knee Replacement, Cardiac Rehabilitation and Advanced Certification in Palliative Care and has earned accreditation in Bariatric Surgery by the Aetna Institute of Quality program. In partnership with Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey — the state's only NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, Clara Maass Medical Center offers an excellent team of researchers and specialists to fight most types of cancer, providing close-to-home access to the latest treatment and clinical trials. Committed to the health and wellness of its community, the Center of Excellence for Latino Health at Clara Maass Medical Center was established to address the social determinants of health within the local Hispanic community.

The first in the country to be named for a nurse, the hospitals’ namesake, Clara Louise Maass was posthumously inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame Class of 2017.

About RWJBarnabas Health

RWJBarnabas Health is the largest, most comprehensive academic health care system in New Jersey, with a service area covering eight counties with five million people. The system includes twelve acute care hospitals – Clara Maass Medical Center in Belleville, Community Medical Center in Toms River, Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, Jersey City Medical Center in Jersey City, Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch, Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus in Lakewood, Newark Beth Israel Medical Center in Newark, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital at Hamilton in Hamilton, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Rahway in Rahway, and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset in Somerville; Trinitas Regional Medical Center in Elizabeth; three acute care children's hospitals; Children’s Specialized Hospital, including a network of outpatient centers; a behavioral health center and the state’s largest behavioral health network; two trauma centers; a satellite emergency department; ambulatory care centers; geriatric centers; comprehensive home care and hospice programs; fitness and wellness centers; retail pharmacy services; an affiliated medical group; multi-site imaging centers; and two accountable care organizations.

RWJBarnabas Health is among New Jersey’s largest private employers – with more than 38,000 employees and 9,000 physicians – and routinely captures national awards for outstanding quality and safety. RWJBarnabas Health, in partnership with Rutgers University, is New Jersey’s largest academic health care system. The collaboration aligns RWJBarnabas Health with Rutgers’ education, research, and clinical activities, including those at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey – the state's only National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center – and Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care.

Media Contact:
Carrie Snow
973-450-2989
carrie.snow@rwjbh.org