Press Releases - 2007 Newark Beth Israel Medical Center Foundation Marks Initial Renovations to the Frederick B. Cohen, M.D., Comprehensive Cancer and Blood Disorders Center Newark, N.J. – Newark Beth Israel Medical, an affiliate of the Saint Barnabas Health Care System, will celebrate the newly renovated Frederick B. Cohen, M.D., Comprehensive Cancer and Blood Disorders Center on June 20 at a special gathering to mark the completion of the initial phase of construction. The new state-of-the-art facility is designed to accommodate the needs of the growing volume of cancer patients in Newark and surrounding communities. Renovations and expansion of the medical oncology suite consist of exam rooms, nurses’ stations, physician offices, patient waiting area and an infusion room which has been expanded from 10 to 16 bays. The center is named in honor of Frederick B. Cohen, M.D., a leading oncologist at Newark Beth Israel and former Chairman of the New Jersey State Commission on Cancer Research. Dr. Cohen has been recognized for his contributions in the field and his devotion to patients for the more than 40 years. Guests attending the ceremony will include medical center administrators, board members, family, friends and colleagues of Dr. Cohen as well as major donors and supporters of the medical center. The initial expansion was made possible through pledges totaling more than $3 million. Major contributions include a $1 million pledge by the Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey; a $1 million pledge from Allen and Joan Bildner and the Bildner Family Foundation; and a $300,000 gift from the NBIMC Auxiliary. Significant gifts to the Cohen Cancer Center have also come from the Aidekman Family, Donald and Beth Brief, the Isermann Family Foundation, Debbi and Max Lebersfeld, the Lichtman Family, Lester and Judith Lieberman, and Ronald and Judy Targan. Adorning the walls of the new Center are beautiful and comforting images of flowers and butterflies created by award-winning New York City photographer, Lorenzo LaVerde. LaVerde, also known as Lawrence Green, is a former employee of Newark Beth Israel and has donated other photographs to the Medical Center. When completed, the $11.3 million project will expand the square footage to the current facility by 67 percent. Additional renovations and an expansion of the radiation oncology area will accommodate more exam rooms and space for TomoTherapy, a revolutionary new radiation treatment. An enlarged waiting room, new oncology lab, additional exam and consultation rooms are also part of the physical expansion. “This expansion and upgrade of oncology services at The Beth further underscores our commitment to Newark and the greater community. It also fulfills my father’s dream of creating a facility where patients with cancer can receive the most modern treatment under the care of highly trained specialists in a comfortable, caring environment -- all without leaving the state,” said Alice Cohen, M.D., director of Hematology/Oncology at Newark Beth Israel and chairman of the Medical Center’s Cancer Committee. Dr. Fred Cohen, who spent his entire medical career, 46 years, at Newark Beth Israel, is responsible for opening New Jersey’s first cancer clinic at Newark Beth in 1965. Since that time, he has dedicated himself to advancing the study and practice of oncology. With guidance from his mentor and colleague, Jack York, M.D., Dr. Cohen started the first formal weekly tumor conferences in New Jersey, bringing together a cross-section of physicians and other treatment specialists to plan the best course of treatment for patients. Together with Dr. York, Dr. Cohen began the first oncology fellowship program in New Jersey so that young physicians could be trained to follow in their footsteps. Often referred to as the “Father of Cancer Treatment,” Dr. Cohen was appointed by former New Jersey Governor Kean to become the first chairman of the New Jersey State Commission on Cancer Research. Newark Beth Israel has been the site of Newark’s busiest cancer programs for the past 30 years. Today, 12,500 patients are treated at the Center. With patient volume projected to increase to 20,000 visits by 2010, the new Frederick B. Cohen, M.D., Cancer and Blood Disorders Center will increase patient capacity by 80 percent. Date: June 14, 2007 [ top ] |
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