The Jersey City waterfront is anchored by the iconic Newport section
By Joshua Burd
The LeFrak family has contributed $100,000 to the Jersey City Medical Center Foundation to support the hospital’s growing needs in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The iconic development family announced last week that it was making the donation to the Emergency Response Fund set up by RWJBarnabas Health, the hospital’s parent organization. They noted that Jersey City Medical Center and hospitals nationwide have experienced significant unforeseen costs associated with the coronavirus and must remain prepared for a potential future surge.
“We are proud of the staff at Jersey City Medical Center,” said Jamie LeFrak, the firm’s vice chairman and a former board member of the hospital. “The compassionate patient care being provided during these extremely challenging times is both courageous and heroic.
“In the 35 plus years we’ve been at Newport, and as a former board member, we recognize Jersey City Medical Center as an irreplaceable anchor institution in Jersey City. We believe it is our duty as a good corporate citizen to do everything possible to support the hospital now more than ever.”
The family, the principal partners in Jersey City’s landmark Newport section, said the donation will help ease the strain caused by increased demand for medical supplies and personal protective equipment to keep employees, health care providers and patients safe. In recent months, JCMR has worked to care for the region’s COVID-19 patients while continuing to treat the emergent and urgent medical needs of the Hudson County community.
“We are incredibly grateful to the LeFrak family’s strong commitment to Jersey City and to the Jersey City Medical Center,” said Michael Prilutsky, CEO and president of Jersey City Medical Center. “Their generosity during this unprecedented time will make a significant impact as we prepare for future health care needs of our community.”
