The Chairman of the Board of the Cooper University Hospital, George E. Norcross, III, announced tonight that The Cooper Foundation raised more than $1 million at the first-ever Cooper Red Hot Gala, demonstrating the strength of community support for the hospital and its initiatives.
“The success of the Gala in raising $1 million further demonstrates that Cooper is a healthcare leader in the Delaware Valley,” said Norcross, the Honorary Chair of the Cooper Red Hot Gala, along with his wife, Sandy. “This signals tremendous support for Cooper as it expands educational opportunities for medical professionals, leading to a higher quality of care for our patients.”
The Gala, held tonight at the Hyatt at Penn’s Landing in Philadelphia, honored Norcross and his wife, Sandy, for their long-time commitment to Cooper and the city of Camden. More than 800 guests attended the event, including medical, business and community leaders from across the Delaware Valley.
“This is a million dollar night for Cooper University Hospital and the people of the Delaware Valley,” said Susan Bass Levin, President and CEO of The Cooper Foundation. “Thanks to our generous and committed donors, Cooper takes another step forward in achieving its mission of delivering world-class patient care in a state-of-the-art setting that promotes education, research and community.”
Proceeds from the Gala will support the expansion of the hospital’s Simulation Laboratory, which provides high-tech training for thousands of medical professionals each year.
“Cooper is leading the way in providing exceptional medical care to the region,” said Edward D. Viner, M.D., Chairman of The Cooper Foundation. “The Foundation is proud to support the expansion of the Sim Lab for critical healthcare education and training.”
The Gala was co-chaired by Michael Goldberg, M.D. and his wife, Melody, along with Amanda Burden, M.D. and Guy Aiman, and Nina and Calvin Klingner. Goldberg is the Chief of Anesthesiology at Cooper and the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at the Cooper Medical School of Rowan University. Burden is the Director of the Simulation Laboratory at Cooper and an attending physician in the Department of Anesthesiology. Melody Goldberg and Nina Klingner are members of the Cooper Women’s Board Committee of The Cooper Foundation.
Entertainment was provided by The Universal African Dance and Drum Ensemble of Camden, South Jersey-based jazz trio Red KoolAde and show band The Infernos.
Simulation-based medical education at Cooper uses interactive technologies in realistic healthcare settings to help participants develop and refine specific diagnostic, cognitive and surgical techniques in a safe setting – before caring for real patients. The planned $10 million expansion of Cooper’s Simulation Laboratory will create an 8,000 square-foot state- of-the-art-center with six fully equipped labs, four control rooms and four classrooms.