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Geriatric Oncology Program at HUMC

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THE GERIATRIC ONCOLOGY DIVISION OF CANCER CENTER AT HACKENSACK UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER RECEIVES ONE MILLION DOLLAR GIFT

$1 Million Gift for Geriatric Oncology Division

Pictured from left: Kristine Sayrafe, niece of Mrs. Palestroni; Frank Lloyd, Esq., a member of the Hackensack University Medical Center (HUMC) Foundation Board of Trustees and a member of the Palestroni Foundation board; Frank Huttle, III, Esq., a member of the HUMC Board of Governors, HUMC Foundation Board of Trustees, and a member of the Palestroni Foundation; Mrs. Lucia Palestroni, benefactor of the Alfiero and Lucia Palestroni Foundation, LLC; Robert L. Torre of Hackensack, executive vice president of the HUMC Foundation; Richard Rosenbluth, M.D., of Englewood, division chief of Geriatric Oncology at The Cancer Center at HUMC; and R. Knight Steel, M.D., of Guttenberg, NJ, division director of Geriatric Medicine at HUMC, during a recent check presentation.

(May 30, 2007, HACKENSACK, NJ) The Division of Geriatric Oncology of The Cancer Center at Hackensack University Medical Center (HUMC) recently received a $1 million donation from the Alfiero and Lucia Palestroni Foundation, LLC. Lucia Palestroni made the gift on behalf of the foundation that bears her name and that of her late husband in the Margery S. and Charles J. Rothschild, Jr. Recognition Gallery at HUMC.

The Palestroni Foundation has given generously to the HUMC Foundation in past years, supporting endeavors such as the Audrey Hepburn Children’s House, a state-designated Regional Diagnostic Center for Child Abuse and Neglect, and The Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.

“We are grateful for the continued and sincere support of the Palestroni Foundation. Their generosity has touched the lives of our youngest patients, and now will support our geriatric population,” said Robert L. Torre of Hackensack, executive vice president of the HUMC Foundation.

The Foundation was founded by Mr. and Mrs. Palestroni to support such charitable organizations and persons that provide assistance to those who have “one strike against them,” and, in particular, children who are physically or psychologically disabled or handicapped. “I am hopeful that these funds will aid our seniors and I know that Mr. Palestroni would have been very proud of this gift,” said Mrs. Palestroni. She continues her late husband’s legacy through their Foundation to aid individuals with enormous challenges in their already difficult lives.

Mr. Palestroni’s success was built by his own hands in a journey that began in 1914 when he was born to Italian parents in Olivebridge, NY. As a baby, he moved to Pesaro, Italy, where he began working at age 10. At age 15, with his mother battling cancer, he rode his bicycle 300 miles to Rome to work and support his family. In 1937, he returned to America, and eventually began the Alfiero Palestroni Real Estate Companies. During the 1950s, he purchased woodlands in the Fort Lee and Englewood Cliffs region, built homes on the land that later evolved into a diverse real estate portfolio. In 1961, he married Lucia, who later worked side-by-side in the daily operations of Palestroni Properties, which she now heads. A strong work ethic has allowed them to bless others with their gifts of hope and opportunity.

“Sixty-five percent of our patient population in The Cancer Center are elderly, and they are a group of educated patients who want the very best care,” said Richard Rosenbluth, M.D., of Englewood, chief of the Geriatric Oncology Division at The Cancer Center at HUMC. “There is a real need for specialty care in the field of geriatrics and this support assists that need.”

“Aging and cancer are interrelated, and as we get older, we accumulate chronic diseases,” said R. Knight Steel, M.D., of Guttenberg, NJ, division director of Geriatric Medicine at HUMC. “Our goal is to maximize the function and the quality of life of our patients for the longest period of time.”

HUMC, a 781-bed teaching and research hospital affiliated with the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey - New Jersey Medical School, is the largest provider of inpatient and outpatient services in the state of New Jersey.

The Cancer Center comprises 14 specialized divisions, featuring teams of experts for each specific type of cancer. A physician directs each of the divisions with significant clinical and research expertise in the type of cancer. This approach — which brings together a close-knit team of medical, research, nursing, and supportive staff with specialized expertise — translates into more advanced, focused care for patients. The divisions are: Breast Oncology, Gastrointestinal Oncology, Gynecologic Oncology, Head and Neck Cancer, Leukemia, Lymphoproliferative Disorders, Multiple Myeloma, Neuro-Oncology, Skin and Cellular Medicine, Stem Cell Transplantation, Geriatric Oncology, Thoracic Oncology, Urologic Oncology, and Research.

For more information on The Geriatric Oncology Divsion of The Cancer Center at HUMC, please call (201) 336-8404 or log onto http://www.geriatriconcology.org

 
 
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