The Pediatric Pain and Palliative Care Program at the Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital will be able to expand significantly following a transformative, 5-year, $3.5 million commitment from The Valerie Fund.
The landmark donation will establish The Valerie Fund Pediatric Pain and Palliative Care Program, dramatically enhancing comprehensive, family-centered care for children with complex and serious illnesses.
The Sanzari Children’s Hospital is located at Hackensack University Medical Center in Hackensack.
The Pediatric Pain and Palliative Care Program is a vital service, promoting quality of life, healing and support for children facing chronic, complex or advanced illness. The program is the only pediatric palliative care program in New Jersey certified by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations. With more than 75 percent of its consults serving hematology-oncology and stem cell transplant patients — core areas of The Valerie Fund’s mission — this partnership is a natural and powerful alignment.
This new partnership will allow the hospital to care for more people annually, growing from approximately 1,750 to 3,500 patient visits. The funding will bolster the program’s personnel and expand its psychosocial offerings to provide an enhanced layer of support for patients and their families throughout their medical journey.
Joyce Hendricks, president and chief development officer of Hackensack Meridian Health Foundation, which oversees all philanthropic initiatives at Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital through the Hackensack University Medical Center Foundation, called it a monumental day.
“Palliative care is about providing comfort, dignity and an extra layer of support when families need it most, and this incredibly generous gift from The Valerie Fund will be transformational, allowing us to build a world-class, comprehensive program that matches the outstanding clinical care we provide,” she said. “We are profoundly grateful for their partnership and their belief in our mission.”
The donation addresses critical needs driven by a growing patient volume and the increasing complexity of care. By funding the creation of several new positions, physicians will have increased time for direct patient care and patients will benefit from additional team members to better address their psychological and emotional needs, as well as those of their family members.
The funding will enable the creation of several new key positions, including:
- A full-time social worker
- A dedicated pediatric pain management psychologist
- A creative arts therapist
- A nurse navigator
- An additional Clinical Nurse Specialist
“For decades, The Valerie Fund has been committed to supporting the psychosocial needs of children with cancer and blood disorders,” Valerie Fund Executive Director Barry Kirschner said.
“We see the immense burden that serious illness places not just on the child, but on the entire family. By funding the creation of The Valerie Fund Program for Pain and Palliative Care, we are ensuring that these brave children and their families receive the complete, compassionate care they deserve. We are proud to partner with Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital, a leader in pediatric care, to make this vision a reality.”
“This support will fundamentally change how we deliver care,” Dr. Stacey Rifkin-Zenenberg, section chief of Pediatric Pain and Palliative Care, said.
“It allows us to build the interdisciplinary team we have dreamed of — a team that can address not just physical pain, but the anxiety, depression and emotional distress that accompany a serious diagnosis. We can now implement specialized counseling, expand our creative arts therapy to reach more siblings and build a more robust bereavement program. This means more time with patients, better outcomes and a profound improvement in the quality of life for the children we serve.”
This donation brings Hackensack Meridian Health Foundation one step closer to its $1 billion fundraising goal as part of its Be The Difference campaign, the largest fundraising campaign ever undertaken by a health care network in New Jersey.
Launched in September 2024, Be The Difference is a transformational effort focusing on four key pillars: enhancing the delivery of patient care, accelerating groundbreaking research and discovery, expanding health care access for all and revolutionizing medical education while supporting the nursing profession. Through this ambitious initiative,
Hackensack Meridian Health Foundation aims to reshape health care for patients, clinicians and the communities it serves, paving the way for a brighter, healthier future.
To learn how you can make a difference for pediatric patients at Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital, email Natalie Tessoun, executive director of development, at [email protected] or visit givehmh.org/JMSCH.
