Monmouth Medical Center Celebrates Dedication of the Michael’s Feat Parent Suite

LONG BRANCH  – The Michael Gerard Puharic Memorial Fund, Inc. and Monmouth Medical Center recently joined together to celebrate the dedication of the Michael’s Feat Parent Suite at the Hirair and Anna Hovnanian Foundation, Inc. Regional Newborn Center (RNC) at The Unterberg Children’s Hospital at Monmouth Medical Center.

Frank J. Vozos, M.D., FACS, president and CEO of Monmouth Medical Center; Dana and Adam Puharic, co-founders of the Michael Gerard Puharic Memorial Fund; Susan Hudome, M.D, medical director of the Hirair and Anna Hovnanian Foundation Inc. Regional Newborn Center at Monmouth Medical Center; and Meg Fisher, M.D., chair of Pediatrics and medical director of The Unterberg Children’s Hospital at Monmouth Medical Center.

“After losing our son Michael we approached Dr. Hudome to join us as we formed our charity in his memory. We are grateful to the clinical team for their years of support and thrilled to be able to make this donation to Monmouth Medical Center,” said Dana and Adam Puharic, co-founders of the Michael Gerard Puharic Memorial Fund, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing support and easing the burden for parents carrying and caring for seriously ill newborns in Monmouth and Ocean counties.

A “rooming-in” facility, the newly designed Michael’s Feat Parent Suite was funded by a donation in memory of Dana and Adam Puharic’s newborn son who lost his life to a serious chromosomal disorder. The suite will provide a comfortable and warm setting with a private bedroom and bathroom where the parents of young patients in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) can spend the night while their infant receives care for critical illness, palliative care or while preparing for discharge.

“The donation from the Michael’s Feat Foundation will be used to provide a warm, relaxing space for parents and their families,” said Meg Fisher, M.D., chair of Pediatrics and medical director of The Unterberg Children’s Hospital at Monmouth Medical Center. “We are very grateful for the Foundation’s commitment to the Hirair and Anna Hovnanian Foundation, Inc.  Regional Newborn Center at The Unterberg Children’s Hospital Monmouth Medical Center.”

Susan Hudome, M.D, medical director of the Hirair and Anna Hovnanian Foundation Inc. Regional Newborn Center at Monmouth Medical Center, added, “The Parent Suite will change the way we help families, allowing us to put parents at ease and give them a place to stay close to their infant.”

The Michael’s Feat Parent Suite donation will also allow for the addition of new décor, photos and furniture in the Michael’s Feat Resource Room, a previously funded gift from the organization that serves as a “living room away from home,” designed to bring comfort to patients’ families during their stay at the RNC.

Michael’s Feat has a long history of supporting Monmouth Medical Center. In addition to supporting the Michael’s Feat Parent Suite and Michael’s Feat Resource Room, previous donations provided for crucial equipment to treat brain injuries suffered by full-term newborns.

“The Puharic’s gift is a true testament to how a gift can make a difference in the lives of our patients at Monmouth Medical Center,” said Tara Kelly, vice president of development, Monmouth Medical Center Foundation

The Unterberg Children’s Hospital at Monmouth Medical Center offers the highest level of pediatric services for newborns to adolescents, including cutting-edge treatment, specialized expertise and an unsurpassed dedication to medical excellence in 26 pediatric sub-specialty areas. Every aspect of care benefits from a child-friendly, family-centered approach.

To learn more about The Unterberg Children’s Hospital at Monmouth Medical Center, please visit www.barnabashealth.org/uch. To learn more about Michael Gerard Puharic Memorial Fund, Inc., please visit http://www.michaelsfeat.org/.