Cooper University Health Care marked the 10th anniversary of its nationally recognized Center for Healing, celebrating a decade of innovation, patient-centered care, and significant impact in addiction medicine across the region. The event, held in Camden, brought together founders, community partners, and patients to reflect on the Center’s commitment to evidence-based substance use disorder treatment and harm reduction.
The celebration featured keynote remarks from former New Jersey Commissioner of Health Dr. Kaitlan Baston, a co-founder of the Center for Healing. Baston reflected on the program’s origins in 2015 and its role in transforming care by successfully integrating medical, behavioral, and community-based approaches to meet the complex needs of patients.
Current Center head and co-founder, Dr. Rachel Haroz, praised the courage and dedication of the team, past and present.
“From the earliest days, our past leaders laid a foundation of courage, compassion, and innovation,” Haroz said. “Our current team has built on that vision with extraordinary dedication, helping the Center for Healing grow into the nationally recognized program it is today. I am immensely proud of what we have achieved together.”
The event also highlighted the Center’s strong collaborative ties, with remarks from figures like Karen Taylor, Warden of the Camden County Correctional Facility, and Dr. Jeffrey Brenner, founder of the Camden Coalition of Healthcare Providers. These leaders underscored the Center’s success in addressing addiction both within the health care system and across the broader community.
Attendees heard powerful, personal stories of recovery directly from patients, offering compelling testimony to the program’s life-changing impact on individuals and families throughout the region.
Cooper leaders concluded the anniversary event by reaffirming their dedication to strengthening these community partnerships, expanding services, and continuing to lead the way in evidence-based, person-centered addiction care in the years to come.
