FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: publicity@wammc.org 908-507-0502 Publicity Co-chairs: Barbara Gallo, Kathy Hobbs, Brittany Lusardi
Morristown, NJ, May 29, 2015 – The Women’s Association of Morristown Medical Center (WAMMC) is pleased to announce its donation of $1.3 million to the Behavioral Health Program at Morristown Medical Center. $1million of the donation will go toward the much-needed expansion of the Behavioral Health Inpatient Psychiatric Unit.
The expanded Behavioral Health Inpatient Psychiatric Unit will include 13,000 square feet of space to accommodate up to 24 beds and will ease the bottlenecks of patients awaiting psychiatric placement from emergency departments and medical surgical floors. The new, state-of-the-art unit will also allow for enhanced care for patients who are struggling with psychiatric problems and have special needs, such as the elderly.
“We are grateful to the Women’s Association for their support of our campaign to expand and enhance the Behavioral Health Inpatient Psychiatric Unit,” said Dr. Thomas Zaubler, Chairman of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health at Morristown Medical Center. “Their donation will help toward our goal to provide exemplary care in a therapeutic, state-of-the art environment. The additional beds will help to minimize the time that patients with psychiatric problems will wait in the emergency department for a space to open up on the unit. Wait times in the emergency can last several days or longer since we are generally running at full capacity and there are few beds elsewhere since so many hospitals have shutdown their psychiatric units."
“We clearly recognize that mental illness impacts many of the people and families throughout our community, and we are pleased to provide support to the Behavioral Health Inpatient Psychiatric Unit as they work to enhance the level of care to this patient population,” said Dannette Merchant, President, Women’s Association of Morristown Medical Center."
About the Women’s Association of Morristown Medical Center (WAMMC) WAMMC has been a driving force and supporting presence at Morristown Medical Center since its earliest days. The Association has over 600 members and raises more than $1 million annually for the hospital.
WAMMC Executive Committee, L to R: Secretary, Lynne Rosenfeld; Past Officer, Tina Mulhare; Vice President, Nancy Alfano; President, Dannette Merchant; Chairman, Department of Psychiatry, Dr. Thomas Zaubler; Vice-President, Mary Courtemanche; Vice-President, Anne Fritz; Assistant Treasurer, Kathy Christie; Treasurer, Barbara Hoyt.
###
