A Golden Dome of Gifts to Impact Patient Care in New Jersey Forever
August 23, 2022
A Golden Dome of Gifts to Impact Patient Care in New Jersey Forever
The philanthropic spirit of our donors has the tremendous ability to inspire hope and effectuate positive change. It also has the incredible power to fulfill our mission to transform health care here in New Jersey. With the continued commitment and confidence of the Golden Dome Foundation, Hackensack Meridian Health Foundation has been able to accomplish so much over the last three years.
The Golden Dome Foundation, a non-profit organization that was founded in 2015 by the late Robert H. Harris, M.D., and his wife, Mary Ellen Harris, to support charitable causes, has made the impossible possible for several of our hospitals. Although Dr. Harris passed away in 2017, Mary Ellen, the organization’s current president, has made it a priority to continue supporting institutions that align with the values he held dear.
Since 2018, the Golden Dome Foundation has made extraordinary gifts to benefit Hackensack Meridian Health. In 2019, a generous gift from the Golden Dome Foundation named the Dr. Robert H. Harris Emergency Care Center at Hackensack Meridian Bayshore Medical Center in Holmdel.
“Bayshore Medical Center is an important part of the community, and our neighbors deserve access to the best care available," says Mary Ellen. "My husband, Bob, for whom the building was named, had a love for medicine and great respect for the work of the care team at Bayshore. As a pioneer in innovative research, he was always trying to improve the quality of life for the people his work impacted, and I know he'd be proud to help improve the working environment for clinicians, while enhancing care for patients.”
“Bob was an innovative leader in medicine and always wanted to improve the quality of life for patients, especially for those patients his work had the power to impact,” says Mary Ellen. “His love for medicine and the most compassionate care was dear to his heart, and I know he would be honored to give to so many important health care initiatives and programs in our community.”
In 2021, Hackensack Meridian Health Foundation received incredible charitable donations from the Golden Dome Foundation. These benevolent donations have been put towards initiatives that will help improve and enhance access to care for patients and the surrounding communities at:
- Bayshore Medical Center’s emergency department (The Evelyn and Harold Harris Crisis Center);
- Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center’s Neuroscience Institute (The Dr. Robert H. Harris Neuroscience Treatment Center);
- Hackensack Meridian Ocean University Medical Center’s Heart & Vascular Center (The Dr. Robert H. Harris Heart and Vascular Center);
- Ocean for necessary equipment;
- Jersey Shore for Neuroscience equipment
This past June, the Golden Dome Foundation made two additional gifts - one for ICU and surgical equipment and a Legacy Challenge match at Bayshore and the other for a synaptive MRI for use in the Dr. Robert H. and Mary Ellen Harris Zap-X Center for Noninvasive Neurosurgery at Jersey Shore.
The extraordinary support from the Golden Dome Foundation has remarkably benefited our patients and team members. We thank Mary Ellen and the Golden Dome Foundation for their continued confidence in all that we are able to accomplish. Their heartwarming generosity proves that when we come together to support health care in our backyards, we are stronger together.