Newswise — Jersey Shore University Medical Center is proud to announce that the hospital has received the Community Outreach Award for Preventing Disease and Injury at the 93rd Annual Meeting of the New Jersey Hospital Association (NJHA) held in Princeton on Friday, January 27, 2012. The NJHA award recognizes organizations that identify community needs and implement programs to serve those needs. Jersey Shore is being honored for its work with The Samaritan Center at The Jersey Shore in Manasquan, a community resource founded in 2010 in response to the overwhelming number of teenage suicides in southern Monmouth County.
Jersey Shore University Medical Center regularly convenes a Community Advisory Committee, comprised of local civic, community and business leaders, whose mission is to help the hospital address community health needs. Led by CAC Committee members John Weaver and Cary McCormack, the CAC and the hospital joined forces to establish The Samaritan Center at the Jersey Shore, a local non-profit that provides individuals, families, churches, schools, businesses and other organizations with resources to promote healthy and vital living, and support the behavioral health issues of teens. Joseph Miller, Ph.D., Director for Neurosciences and Behavioral Health Services at Meridian Health, is a founding board member at The Samaritan Center, and works closely with community leaders. “The founding of The Samaritan Center is a wonderful example of what can happen when a hospital and a community organization work together for the greater good of the community. The common denominator here was two groups of committed individuals who recognized the need to offer solutions to this local crisis. The Samaritan Center is honored to have such a supportive and dedicated partner in Jersey Shore University Medical Center. Together, we really are making a difference,” comments Dr. Miller. Some of the most successful initiatives offered by the Samaritan Center include:
Teen Center - created by and for the youth * Surf Jam - a summer band concert call * Why Are They So Angry? - a program focused on teen/adult communication * Practical Skills in Dealing with Drug and Substance Abuse in Teens - a seminar for counselors, clergy, and parents * Strengthening Families - a 14-week counseling seminar in collaboration with the Monmouth County Mental Health Association for young teens and their families
The CAC at Jersey Shore is committed to helping make a difference in the communities served by the hospital. From working to help eradicate prescription drug use in local high schools, to addressing the teen suicide crisis, and educating the community about the importance of organ donation, CAC members have stepped out of the conference room and into schools, churches and community centers and provided education and support to those in need.
About Jersey Shore University Medical Center:Jersey Shore University Medical Center, a member of the Meridian Health family, is a not-for-profit teaching hospital and home to K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital – the first children’s hospital in Monmouth and Ocean counties. Jersey Shore is the regional provider of cardiac surgery, a program which has been ranked among the best in the Northeast, and is home to the only trauma center and stroke rescue center in the region. Jersey Shore University Medical Center specializes in cardiovascular care, orthopedics and rehabilitation, cancer care, neuroscience, and women’s specialty services. For more information on Jersey Shore University Medical Center call 1-800-DOCTORS, or visit www.JerseyShoreUniversityMedicalCenter.com.
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