By Joshua Burd
With Jersey City Medical Center on the front lines of the COVID-19 crisis, Mack-Cali Realty Corp. has donated $100,000 and a block of area hotel rooms to support health care workers at the hospital.
The real estate investment trust announced the donation to the hospital’s Emergency Response Fund, along with 32 rooms at the Residence Inn Weehawken Port Imperial, parking and meals — seeking to ease the burden of commuting for those treating coronavirus patients. As the hospital noted, many of the hundreds of workers on site are unable to return home because they don’t want to get their families to get sick, have traveled from out-of-state to help or simply don’t have enough time to commute between shifts.
“When we sounded the alarm that we needed help with housing for our frontline workers, it was heartening that, without hesitation, one of Jersey City’s largest companies stepped up not only offered rooms, but also parking and meals for our employees who are working selflessly and tirelessly, day and night, to combat this pandemic and save lives,” stated Michael Prilutsky, the CEO and president of Jersey City Medical Center, an RWJBarnabas Health facility. “We are very grateful to the local community, which has truly been incredible in its support during this trying time. And, we are humbled by the dedication of every health care hero who works at Jersey City Medical Center and throughout the world.”
RWJBarnabas Health created the Emergency Response Fund to address the growing needs and challenges at JCMC and to support the hospital’s comprehensive emergency care efforts and to help them provide the most current health information to the surrounding community. To make a donation to the Emergency Response Fund, visit https://www.rwjbh.org/jersey-city-medical-center/giving/how-to-donate/give/.
“While the spread of COVID-19 has presented us all with new challenges, it has also shined a light on the strength of our community and our willingness to support each other, and few exemplify that strength better than our medical workers and emergency responders,” said Michael J. DeMarco, Mack-Cali’s CEO and a member of the JCMC board of trustees. “When they reach out for help at a time like this, there is no decision-making process — the answer is simply ‘yes and thank you.’ ”