Leaders and Board members from The Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey (HFNJ) and Newark Beth Israel Medical Center (NBIMC) included: Marc Milano, MD, Chair of Emergency Medicine, NBIMC; Amy Doran, RN, MS, APN-c, Chief Operating Officer, NBIMC; Denise Cook, NBIMC Board Member; Frank Giantomasi, NBIMC Board Chair; Amy Schechner, HFNJ Board Chair, Darrell K. Terry, Sr., MHA, MPH, FACHE, FHELA, President and Chief Executive Officer, NBIMC; Marsha Atkind, Former CEO, HFNJ; and Michael Schmidt, Executive Director/CEO, HFNJ.
Newark NJ (April 15, 2026) – Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, an RWJBarnabas Health facility, held a dedication event and ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the completion of the Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey (HFNJ) Emergency Services Pavilion.
In 2023 the HFNJ made a historic $5 million dollar gift to support the renovation and expansion of the hospital’s Emergency Department, to date, it is the single largest commitment in the medical center’s 125-year history.
“Newark Beth Israel Medical Center and the Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey share a vision for delivering excellent, equitable care with compassion and respect for all patients and their families. The Foundation’s historic gift enabled a milestone transformation of our emergency department, a place that serves as the front door to our hospital for many of our patients,” said Darrell K. Terry, Sr., MHA, MPH, FACHE, FHELA, President and Chief Executive Officer of Newark Beth Israel Medical Center and Children’s Hospital of New Jersey. In 2025 Newark Beth Israel saw a record-breaking 101,253 emergency department visits.
The newly redesigned 4,000-square-foot Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey Emergency Services Pavilion includes a new dedicated patient and visitor entrance, nine new treatment areas in the adult emergency department, three new pediatric treatment areas, a new fast-track suite, a new waiting lounge for adults and a new waiting lounge for children and families.
It is a cornerstone of the $200 million Newark Strong project that NBI embarked on in 2021. This initiative has transformed the Lyons Avenue landscape, creating a welcoming space for patients and the surrounding community. As an anchor institution in Newark and one of the South Ward’s largest employers, Newark Beth Israel remains committed to spurring local economic development.
Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey honored guest speakers included Board Chair Amy Schechner and Executive Director Michael Schmidt and NBIMC Board Chair Frank Giantomasi.
This project is a testament to the longstanding commitment of The Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey's partnership with Newark Beth Israel. We all at the Foundation are so proud of seeing this historic investment come to fruition in such a meaningful way and help to transform the health in the communities we both serve,” said Amy Schechner, Board Chair of The Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey.
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 ten 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). 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. 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 local residents.
About HFNJ
The Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey, originally called The Beth Israel Foundation, was established in 1996, when Newark Beth Israel Medical Center (NBIMC) was sold to the Saint Barnabas Corporation after a proud history of providing quality care and a humanistic environment to people of all backgrounds in greater Newark who came to the hospital for treatment or for employment.
The Foundation seeks to improve the health and well-being of vulnerable, underserved populations in greater Newark and the Jewish community of Greater MetroWest, NJ; elevate the quality of community healthcare; reduce disparities in access; and promote the infusion of compassion and humanism into our healthcare system. To achieve these goals, HFNJ has awarded grants more than $200 million over the course of its 30-year history.