Ocean Medical Center Foundation Announces $250,000 Gift to Support the New Emergency Department

Ocean Medical Center’s expansion project has been galvanized by a $250,000 charitable contribution from George and Ruth Harms of Brielle.  Their donation to the Ocean Medical Center Foundation is part of a renewed trend of giving at the medical center, which is setting new records of community support and spurring interest in the largest expansion project in the hospital’s history.

In addition to a longstanding relationship with the medical center, perhaps the most compelling reason for the Harms’ gift is due to Hurricane Sandy.

“What Ocean Medical Center did during and after Hurricane Sandy shows just how crucial it is to the community,” says George Harms. “The medical center maintained its emergency and medical services throughout the entire ordeal and was a beacon of safety and security for so many community members.”

The Harms family has a long history with Ocean Medical Center. Ruth Harms is a former member of the Foundation Board of Trustees, and son Rob currently sits on the Foundation Board of Trustees. All of the Harms’ grandchildren have been born at Ocean Medical Center.

“This generous donation shows that people are still giving, despite the storm,” says Michael Oakes, executive director of the Ocean Medical Center Foundation.  “We’re grateful for the Harms’ confidence in Ocean Medical Center and are excited to work with other donors who want to support this critical community service.”

“The medical center is something that will be here for many years to come,” says Ruth Harms. “The new emergency department will be a great resource during individual times of need, as well as larger disasters that impact the greater community.”

The donation represents a significant trend of giving at Ocean, and brings the hospital one step closer to matching a $5 million gift that was presented by the Hirar and Anna Hovnanian foundation less than a year ago. Established in the form of a Challenge Gift, the Hovnanian family will match every dollar for dollar raised from the community, up to $5 million, to support the expansion project at Ocean Medical Center. The Harms family name will adorn the new main lobby greeting desk, which is part of the project’s 44,300 square foot emergency department.

“This is an exciting time for Ocean Medical Center, and we are incredibly thankful for the Harms’ commitment and faith in our organization,” says Dean Q. Lin, MHA, MBA, FACHE, FCPP,  president of Ocean Medical Center.  “It’s inspiring to see the community rally and support the medical center, which was at the heart of its inception three decades ago.”

About Ocean Medical Center

Standing out as a premier medical center along the Jersey Shore, Ocean Medical Center is home to exceptional talent, state-of-the-art technologies, and a growing medical campus, all surrounded by a community that offers quality of life for individuals and families of all ages. Ocean is a 281-bed non-profit community hospital located in Brick, New Jersey that provides health care programs and services in all major medical disciplines. Some key services include designation as a Primary Stroke Center; brain lab and neurological surgery; DaT Scan and advanced imaging technology; general, thoracic, and vascular surgery; comprehensive cancer care and radiation therapy technologies; a Joint Commission accredited orthopedic program; one of the nation’s most advanced cardiac catheterization laboratories and cardiac services; maternity, Acute Care of the Elderly, and critical care services. The Medical Center has begun a four-level Master Facility Plan that will transform the campus through an $82 million project that sets a foundation for future decades of growth. The main component of the project is a new 44,300 sq. ft. Emergency Department. The Medical Center features Magnet award winning nurses who work in collaboration with the medical staff, and is a System Partner, along with the other Meridian Health facilities, with the Cancer Institute of New Jersey. Ocean Medical Center also operates the state’s first Satellite Emergency Department in Point Pleasant, called the Ocean Care Center. The Medical Center has grown tremendously since opening in 1984 and is well positioned to evolve and respond to the changing community and health care landscape.