Cutting the ceremonial ribbon are, from left, Alyssa D’Addio, Vice President, Hospital & Community Services, for New Jersey Sharing Network (NJSN); Maureen Bowe, Administrative Director of Cardiology Services, Renal & Nursing Resources and the hospital’s NJSN liaison; Eric Carney, President & CEO; and Chaplain Tony Cinardo.
Long Branch, NJ, July 19, 2023 – Every year, thousands of lives are saved and enhanced as a result of the incredible generosity of organ and tissue donors and families, and at Monmouth Medical Center, a new tribute wall is honoring these lifesaving decisions.
On July 13th, the hospital dedicated an Organ and Tissue Donor Honor Wall to pay tribute to donors who have given the gift of life at Monmouth Medical Center. The Honor Wall design recognizes donors on plaques displayed within the wings of a butterfly – with green plaques representing organ donation and blue representing tissue donation.
“This is a fitting tribute to our donors and their families who, when faced with the tragic loss of their loved ones, chose to save or enhance the lives of others through organ and tissue donation,” said Maureen Bowe, Administrative Director of Cardiology Services, Renal & Nursing Resources who has served as the hospital’s liaison with New Jersey Sharing Network (NJSN) for 20 years. “This honor wall also recognizes the efforts of our staff in collaboration with New Jersey Sharing Network, because without their knowledge, commitment and dedication to providing the best care possible to our potential donors, organ recovery would not be possible.”
Eric Carney, President & CEO of Monmouth Medical Center and Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus, thanked the donor families gathered for the dedication ceremony, telling them “we are so proud and blessed to have this opportunity to honor the lifesaving decisions made here at Monmouth Medical Center.”
“Our Honor Wall provides an ongoing tribute to donors and families who give the gift of life at Monmouth Medical Center,” he said. “Each donor’s story is unique, and impacts so many lives. There are more than 100,000 people in our country awaiting transplantation, and these donors give hope to so many.”
Carney praised Bowe’s commitment to organ donation, calling her a champion who was the driving force behind the honor wall and an amazing and devoted advocate for organ donation awareness. He also paid tribute to the many hospital staff members who participate on the organ and tissue recovery team, noting, “Their commitment to facilitating the gift of life with the utmost compassion in the face of tragic circumstances is inspirational for our entire hospital family.”
He added that Monmouth Medical Center, which holds Platinum Level recognition for increasing enrollment in the NJ donor registry, is proud to partner with NJSN, “which brings great hope to the nearly 4,000 NJ residents awaiting transplantation.”
Also taking part in the dedication program, Alyssa D’Addio, Vice President, Hospital & Community Services, for NJSN, shared that her first experience with organ donation came in 2009, when her father became an organ and tissue donor after suffering a brain hemorrhage. She joined the NJSN a year later.
“Donating organs and tissue is such a rare and unique gift,” she said. “This is a hospital that truly supports and collaborates with us, and deeply cares about the donors and their families. This tribute wall is really about honoring the legacy of these donors, who are honored and remembered every day.”
To learn more or to register as an organ and tissue donor, visit www.NJSharingNetwork.org. To inquire about honoring a loved one on the Monmouth Medical Center Organ and Tissue Donor Honor Wall, call 732-923- 7506.
About Monmouth Medical Center
Monmouth Medical Center (MMC), an RWJBarnabas Health (RWJBH) facility, along with The Unterberg Children’s Hospital, is a regional teaching campus for Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. As the first hospital in Monmouth and Ocean counties, Monmouth Medical Center offers the most experienced surgeons in robotics and other minimally invasive procedures as well as bariatric and joint and spine surgery. Monmouth Medical Center delivers more babies annually than all other hospitals in Monmouth and Ocean counties combined. The hospital offers access to the region’s top cardiologists and the award-winning, nationally recognized RWJBarnabas Heart Centers. The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) has conferred Magnet® recognition for Monmouth Medical Center, one of just 509 U.S. health care organizations out of more than 6,300 U.S. hospitals to achieve Magnet recognition. It is the only hospital in Monmouth and Ocean counties to consistently receive an “A” Hospital Safety Score by The Leapfrog Group, an independent national nonprofit organization, and has been named a Leapfrog Top Teaching Hospital for a third time. MMC is one of just 414 of the more than 6,000 hospital hospitals in the United Stated named to Newsweek's Global Best Hospitals' list for two consecutive years, and one of 148 U.S. hospitals named to the digital platform Money’s inaugural list of the Best Hospitals in America. Additionally, it is one of 34 U.S. hospitals honored by the Emergency Nurses Association with the 2022–2025 Lantern Award for excellence in emergency care, and for the seventh consecutive year, was honored by Healthgrades with the Obstetrics and Gynecology and Labor and Delivery Excellence Awards. MMC was also named to Newsweek’s 2023 list of Best Maternity Care Hospitals. RWJBarnabas Health and Monmouth Medical Center, in partnership with Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey — the state's only NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center — brings a world class team of researchers and specialists to fight alongside patients, providing close-to-home access to the latest treatment and clinical trials.
About NJ Sharing Network
NJ Sharing Network is the federally designated non-profit organization responsible for the recovery of donated organs and tissue in the Garden State. NJ Sharing Network provides hope for nearly 4,000 New Jersey residents currently waiting for a life-saving transplant, and it is part of the national recovery system for the over 100,000 people on the national waiting list. With headquarters in New Providence, NJ, the organization has been recognized by NJBIZ as one of the state’s “Best Places to Work” for six consecutive years.
Contact: Kathy Horan
(732) 546-6317
Kathy.Horan@rwjbh.org