Inaugural Fundraising Gala Introduces Summit Medical Group Foundation “Shaping the Future of Medicine: Then & Now Gala,” Friday, May 30, 2014
New Providence, NJ (PRWEB) May 22, 2014 -- The Summit Medical Group Foundation(“SMGF”) hosts its “Shaping the Future of Medicine: Then & Now” Gala, Friday, May 30, 6:30 p.m. at the Hilton Short Hills, Short Hills, New Jersey. This Gala launches the creation of the SMGF and supports its mission to enrich the lives of its community members through health promotion, medical research and medical education.
For more than 85 years, Summit Medical Group has been the premier multispecialty group in New Jersey. SMG has long recognized its responsibility to improve and strengthen its communities above and beyond providing healthcare services. Focusing on outreach, education, partnerships and research, the Foundation provides a platform for SMG to formalize its charitable initiatives and leverage its considerable talent, expertise, and resources.
Gala keynote speaker is Robert J. Hariri, M.D., Ph.D., chairman and founder of Celgene Cellular Therapeutics, Dr. Hariri is considered a visionary serial entrepreneur in biomedicine and aerospace. The chairman, founder and former chief executive officer of one of the world's largest human cellular therapeutics companies, Dr. Hariri has pioneered the use of (non-fetal) stem cells and biomaterials to treat a range of life threatening diseases.
“I am honored to have Dr. Hariri as our keynote speaker,” notes SMGF Founder and Chairman, Jeffrey Le Benger, M.D., ”Our kick-off Gala will be an evening of great food, great company and great fun. I encourage others to support SMGF’s valuable work by attending our Gala as well as donating directly to the organization.”
”We are moved by the support shown for our first Gala by SMG’s extended family and community,” says Steven Kaye, CFP, SMGF co-founder and president. ”This sold-out evening will showcase our successful ‘Careers in Medicine’ young adult program and preview our Young Adult Physician Shadowing program and Medical Professional Scholarship program.”
The evening will feature cocktails, dinner, live entertainment by electric violinist, Lorenzo Lorac as well as live and silent auctions. The SMGF will also honor visionary leaders of Summit Medical Group and the Foundation by presenting its first “Vision and Legacy Awards” to:
Richard W. Brenner, M.D., FACS, FACTS, FAAP, in memoriam: Dr. Brenner was Chairman of the Board for Summit Medical Group from 1972 until 1974. He was Attending Surgeon for Overlook Medical Center, Pediatric Surgeon for Morristown Medical Center, and Staff Surgeon for Children’s Specialized Hospital. Dr. Brenner was Director of Surgical Education, Director of the Surgical Intensive Care Unit, and Chairman in the Section of Vascular Surgery at Overlook Medical Center. From 1967 until 1975, he used his day off to visit patients at Harlem Hospital, where he was Assistant Visiting Surgeon in the Department of Pediatric Surgery.
R. Gregory Sachs, M.D., FACC, FAHA: In addition to his position at Summit Medical Group, Dr. Sachs is Governor of the American College of Cardiology New Jersey Chapter. He has been a member of boards for Overlook Medical Center, Atlantic Health System, and the New Jersey Hospital Association. Dr. Sachs is Past President of Overlook Medical Center Medical Staff and the Medical Society of New Jersey. He is a recipient of the American Heart Association Lifetime Achievement Award and the Overlook Hospital Lifetime Achievement Award.
William N. Toth, M.D., FACD: Former Medical Director and Former Chief in the Department of Medicine of Summit Medical Group, Dr. Toth joined SMG in 1968. He has been Chairman of the SMG Board of Directors, Chairman of the Overlook Medical Center Critical Care Committee, and Cochairman of the Overlook Medical Center Quality Assurance Advisory Committee. Dr.Toth is a recipient of the American Medical Association Physician Recognition Award and the 2005 Overlook Hospital Lifetime Achievement Award.
Charles J. “CJ” Wittmann, Jr., M.D.: From 1981 until 1999, Dr. Wittmann was Chair of the SMG Board of Directors. In 1999, he was elected as SMG’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. Dr. Wittmann is Former Chief of Surgery and Former Chief of General Surgery at Overlook Medical Center. He has been Associate Clinical Professor of Surgery at Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York, Assistant Clinical Professor of Surgery at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in New Brunswick, and Instructor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School, Boston.
Summit Medical Group and Summit Health Management are the proud Presenting Sponsors of the Gala. Atlantic Health System and Investors Bank are Grand Sponsors of the event. Zoonie & Butchkie and AEPG Wealth Strategies are Founding Sponsors.
The SMGF is a non-profit 501(c)(3) public foundation that relies on philanthropic support to make its mission, education and outreach possible. All proceeds from this event support its initiatives. The 2014 Gala is sold out -- for more information on donations, please contact Lisa Hackett at 908-277-8788 or lhackett(at)me(dot)com or visit http://www.smg-foundation.org.
ABOUT SUMMIT MEDICAL GROUP
Summit Medical Group (SMG) is the largest privately held multispecialty medical practice in New Jersey. SMG maintains a 42-acre healthcare campus in Berkeley Heights and 37 additional practice locations in Essex, Hudson, Morris, Passaic, Somerset, and Union counties. As an East Coast premier multispecialty group, SMG has provided exceptional primary and specialty care since 1929. Visit http://www.summitmedicalgroup.com.
ABOUT THE SUMMIT MEDICAL GROUP FOUNDATION
The Summit Medical Group Foundation’s mission is to enrich the lives of members of our community through health promotion, medical research and medical education. The Summit Medical Group Foundation is a New Jersey nonprofit corporation exempt from federal income tax under Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3), The Foundation . has received a determination letter from the Internal Revenue Service providing that contributions to the Foundation are deductible as charitable contributions under Internal Revenue Code Section 170. For more information on SMGF, visit http://www.smg-foundation.org.
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Maureen Bennett, Summit Medical Group, http://www.summitmedicalgroup.com, 908-277-8834, [email protected]
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