Darrell K. Terry Sr., President and CEO, Newark Beth Israel Medical Center and Children’s Hospital of New Jersey (NBI); Kerri B. Levine, Principal, Fidelco Group, and Partners in Progress Event Chair; Mark E. Manigan, President and CEO, RWJBarnabas Health; and Francis J. Giantomasi, Esq., Member, Chiesa Shahinian & Giantomasi PC, NBI Board Chair, and Partners in Progress Event Chair.
NEWARK, NJ (October 10, 2025) — Newark Beth Israel Medical Center and Children’s Hospital of New Jersey, an RWJBarnabas Health facility, hosted the 20th anniversary celebration of its Partners in Progress: Celebrating Newark dinner, at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center on October 9, 2025. This year, all proceeds from the awards dinner will benefit Children’s Hospital of New Jersey at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center.
Partners in Progress honors the visionaries, innovators, and leaders who have contributed to the growth and development of Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, to the health and well-being of the communities the hospital serves, and to the continued renaissance of Newark.
Partners in Progress: Celebrating Newark honors the visionaries, innovators, and leaders who have contributed to the growth and development of Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, to the health and well-being of the communities the hospital serves, and to the continued renaissance of Newark. L to R: Darrell K. Terry Sr., President and CEO, Newark Beth Israel Medical Center and Children’s Hospital of New Jersey (NBI); Kerri B. Levine, Principal, Fidelco Group, and Partners in Progress Event Chair; Rick Tereo, accepting the Corporate Award on behalf of Spirit of Children Foundation. Spirit Halloween, Denise Rodgers, MD, recipient of the Marc E. Berson Community Award; Joshua Rosenblatt, MD, recipient of the inaugural Dr. Victor Parsonnet Award for Clinical Excellence, Barry Kirshner, accepting the Corporate Award on behalf of The Valerie Fund founders Ed and Sue Goldstein; and Francis J. Giantomasi, Esq., Member, Chiesa Shahinian & Giantomasi PC, NBI Board Chair, and Partners in Progress Event Chair.
“As we mark the 20th Anniversary of Partners in Progress, we celebrate two decades of community partnership, clinical excellence and the countless lives changed right here in Newark. Dedicating the evening’s proceeds to the Children’s Hospital of New Jersey reflects our commitment to delivering world class care to the children and families who rely on us every day,” said Darrell K. Terry, Sr., MHA, MPH, FACHE, FHELA, President and Chief Executive Officer, Newark Beth Israel Medical Center and Children’s Hospital of New Jersey.
Newark Beth Israel Board Chair Francis J. Giantomasi Esq., member of CSG Law and Kerri B. Levine, principal of The Fidelco Group, co-chaired the event.
This year’s honorees:
Joshua Rosenblatt, MD, Past Chief of Academic Affairs and Past Chair of Pediatrics at Newark Beth Israel, received the inaugural Dr. Victor Parsonnet Award for Clinical Excellence. The award was renamed in honor of the legendary physician, Victor Parsonnet, MD, who performed New Jersey’s first heart transplant, first kidney transplant, and implanted the first pacemakers in the state at Newark Beth Israel.
Newark Beth Israel Medical Center and Children’s Hospital of New Jersey (NBI) pediatrician Joshua Rosenblatt, MD, Past Chief of Academic Affairs and Past Chair of Pediatrics, recipient of the inaugural Dr. Victor Parsonnet Award for Clinical Excellence, with (L–R) Darrell K. Terry Sr., President and CEO, Newark Beth Israel Medical Center and Children’s Hospital of New Jersey; Kerri B. Levine, Principal, Fidelco Group, and Partners in Progress Event Chair; and Francis J. Giantomasi, Esq., Member, Chiesa Shahinian & Giantomasi PC, NBI Board Chair, and Partners in Progress Event Chair.
The Valerie Fund and its founders, Ed and Sue Goldstein, received the Partners in Progress Corporate Award. The Children’s Hospital of New Jersey at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center is home to the largest Valerie Fund center in the state of New Jersey, offering individualized emotional, social and developmental support to children battling cancer and blood disorders. The Valerie Fund has contributed more than $1.2 million to support this center.
Darrell K. Terry Sr., President and CEO, Newark Beth Israel Medical Center and Children’s Hospital of New Jersey (NBI); Barry Kirshner, Executive Director, The Valerie Fund (accepting the Corporate Award on behalf of founders Ed and Sue Goldstein); Kerri B. Levine, Principal, Fidelco Group, and Partners in Progress Event Chair; and Francis J. Giantomasi, Esq., Member, Chiesa Shahinian & Giantomasi PC, NBI Board Chair, and Partners in Progress Event Chair.
Spirit of Children Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Spirit Halloween stores, received the Partners in Progress Corporate Award. Over the last 15 years, the Spirit of Children Foundation has donated approximately $1.2 million to support Newark Beth Israel’s Child Life Department and ensure that pediatric patients have access to play therapy, educational equipment, therapeutic healing tools, iPads, and distraction toys.
Darrell K. Terry Sr., President and CEO, Newark Beth Israel Medical Center and Children’s Hospital of New Jersey (NBI); Rick Tereo, Executive Director, Spirit of Children Foundation, and Director of Corporate Administration, Spirit Halloween (accepting the Corporate Award); Kerri B. Levine, Principal, Fidelco Group, and Partners in Progress Event Chair; and Francis J. Giantomasi, Esq., Member, Chiesa Shahinian & Giantomasi PC, NBI Board Chair, and Partners in Progress Event Chair.
Denise Rodgers, MD, FAAFP, Vice Chancellor of Interprofessional Programs and Director of the Urban Health and Wellness Institute at Rutgers Health, received the Marc E. Berson Community Award for her dedication to serving children and families in Newark.
Darrell K. Terry Sr., President and CEO, Newark Beth Israel Medical Center and Children’s Hospital of New Jersey (NBI); Denise Rodgers, MD, FAAFP, Vice Chancellor of Interprofessional Programs and Director of the Urban Health and Wellness Institute at Rutgers Health (accepting the Marc E. Berson Community Award); Kerri B. Levine, Principal, Fidelco Group, and Partners in Progress Event Chair; and Francis J. Giantomasi, Esq., Member, Chiesa Shahinian & Giantomasi PC, NBI Board Chair, and Partners in Progress Event Chair.
The night included entertainment by local band Nothing But Velvet, a 20-year “birthday” celebration replete with oversized cake and confetti, and a performance by two NJPAC ArtsEd breakdancers. The evening concluded with an afterparty with Newark’s own DJ MD.
To donate to Partners in Progress or learn how you can support Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, visit newarkbethgiving.org
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 a Top Teaching Hospital and home to one of the nation’s top 20 heart transplant centers, which has performed more than 1,200 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 complex cardiac valve procedures, including minimally invasive transcatheter aortic valve replacements (TAVRs). The Newark Beth Israel robotic surgery program is the most experienced in northern New Jersey. RWJBarnabas Health and The Frederick B. Cohen, MD, Comprehensive Cancer and Blood Disorders Center at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center and the Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey Breast Health Center, in partnership with Rutgers Cancer Institute — New Jersey’s only NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center — brings a world class team of researchers and specialists to fight alongside you, providing close-to-home access to the latest treatment and clinical trials. 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 residents.
Children’s Hospital of New Jersey (CHoNJ), located at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, 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. Children’s Hospital of New Jersey also includes a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and a Level IV Regional Perinatal Center that offers New Jersey’s only Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) therapy; and the highest level of intensive care for both mothers and newborns. For more information, visit rwjbh.org/NewarkBeth
About RWJBarnabas Health
RWJBarnabas Health is New Jersey’s largest and most comprehensive academic health system, caring for more than five million people annually. Nationally renowned for quality and safety, the system includes 14 hospitals and 9,000 affiliated physicians integrated to provide care at more than 700 patient care locations.
RWJBarnabas Health partners with its diverse communities to build and sustain a healthier New Jersey. It provides patient-centered care in a compassionate and equitable manner and is the state’s largest safety-net provider and leader in addressing the social determinants of health. RWJBarnabas Health provides food to the hungry, housing for the homeless and economic opportunities to those most vulnerable.
RWJBarnabas Health’s commitment to enhancing access to care includes a transformative partnership with Rutgers University, including the Rutgers Cancer Institute — the state's only NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.
RWJBarnabas Health is among New Jersey’s largest private employers, with more than 43,000 employees, contributing more than $5.5 billion to the state economy every year. For more information, visit rwjbh.org