NUHEALTH FOUNDATION GALA HITS ANOTHER HIGH

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 8, 2013

PRESS CONTACT:
Shelley Lotenberg
shelley@numc.edu
516-572-6055

NUHEALTH FOUNDATION GALA HITS ANOTHER HIGH

Fundraising and all around participation make this the best year yet for LI’s safety net health foundation.

EAST MEADOW, NY…At a time, when many non-profits are experiencing fund-raising shortfalls, NuHealth Foundation’s 7th annual Heroes In Health gala realized a nearly 24% net gain over 2012, included several notable attendees and wowed its guests with powerful patient video of grateful NuHealth patients.

In her remarks at the gala, NuHealth Foundation Executive Director, Deidra Parrish Williams noted that, “Despite the many awards and accolades NuHealth continues to earn in patient care, it’s a tough sell….not everyone understands our model or acknowledges our progress. Still, the Foundation gala experienced its third consecutive year of increased revenue, earning nearly $400,000 this year, which is a 24% gain over 2012.” In the audience at the gala, Parrish Williams acknowledged some of the Foundation’s newer supporters, including Amy Hagedorn of the Hagedorn Foundation, and Gerry Dabek of Modern Packaging, both of whom recently donated significant sums to the NuHealth Foundation for capital improvement projects at the Nassau University Medical Center.

“It was a wonderful show of team spirit and camaraderie among NuHealth’s staff, with a sold out gala, a stirring program and our highest fundraising year ever. Under the leadership of Ms. Parrish Williams, this and other events help demonstrate our dedication, excellence and how vital we are to our community,” says NuHealth President and CEO, Arthur Gianelli, who is also a member of the Foundation’s board of directors. “We’ve earned several important awards and distinctions this year for patient safety, excellence in treatment of stroke and heart patients as well as for the reduction of central line infections.  There’s a lot of progress at NuHealth and it’s our team that makes it possible.”

The highlight of the night was a video featuring several former NuHealth patients who shared moving stories about their recoveries from serious health conditions and the exceptional care they received.  Another of the night’s highlights was the high tech silent auction that used a sophisticated WiFi enabled system that provided every guest a customized iTouch device to complete their bids and make straight cash donations.   Each guest’s device enabled them to bid digitally from anywhere in the venue, receive instant updates when their bid was topped, and increase their bid with the touch of their iTouch screen. The bidding devices were a huge hit and auction proceeds hit an all-time high this year.

Hosted by the NuHealth Foundation and its board of directors, the event was held on June 27th 2013 at Oheka Castle. The evening brought together 463 guests,  community leaders, clinicians and employees, honoring Roger L. Simpson, MD, MBA, FACS, NuHealth’s chief of plastic and reconstructive surgery and director of the burn center at NUMC and President of the LI Plastic Surgical Group. The night raised nearly $400,000, which will benefit ongoing advancements in care throughout the NuHealth System.

(Photo from left to right)
Paul Tonna, Chairman, NuHealth Foundation board of directors
Mrs. Shirlee Simpson
Deidra Parrish Williams, Executive Director, NuHealth Foundation
Dr. Roger Simpson, 2013 Gala honoree
Craig Rizzo, Chairman, NuHealth System board of directors
Art Gianelli, Pres/CEO, NuHealth System

ABOUT NUHEALTH FOUNDATION
The NuHealth Foundation is a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization created with a sole purpose: to generate philanthropic funds needed to enable patients of the NuHealth System to enjoy the best possible care. To date, the Foundation has procured funding for state-of-the-art medical equipment, innovative clinical care, and beautiful capital renovations – all of which provide meaningful improvements to the quality of our patients’ experience, and more importantly, to their long-term prospects for healthy living.  With ongoing support from general donors, these enhancements will continue.  Our patients deserve no less.  The NuHealth System includes Nassau University Medical Center, A. Holly Patterson Extended Care Facility and four community-based family health centers, all providing quality care to hundreds of thousands of Long Islanders, including those who are underserved, uninsured, and often overlooked.

ABOUT NUHEALTH
NuHealth is a Long Island health care organization delivering essential medical care and disease and lifestyle management to everyone at every stage of life.  Also known as Nassau Health Care Corporation, NuHealth is a public benefit corporation managing the operations of Nassau Medical Center, A. Holly Patterson Extended Care and a network of Family Health Centers that bring primary and specialty care out into the community.  By emphasizing wellness, cultural sensitivity and collaborative efforts with the North Shore-LIJ Health System, NuHealth is working to make good care more affordable and easier to access.

For more information about NuHealth or its Centers of Care, visit www.nuhealth.net.