The Cooper Foundation today announced that it has received a $250,000 gift from the family of longtime Cooper physician Ronald M. Jaffe, M.D. In recognition of the gift, the Women’s Care Center in Camden has been named in honor of Dr. Jaffe. The Women’s Care Center provides high quality medical care to underserved women in South Jersey.
The new name of the Center is The Jaffe Family Women’s Care Center at Cooper. The gift will support obstetric and gynecologic care and comes as part of the ongoing $50 million Cooper Campaign for the continued growth of Cooper University Health Care.
“This donation from the Jaffe family will have a lasting impact in South Jersey by helping to improve access to quality healthcare, close to home,” said George E. Norcross, III, Chairman of the Cooper Board of Trustees. “By investing in Cooper, the Jaffe family is investing in the health of the community and the region.”
Dr. Jaffe has served as a senior attending physician at Cooper since 1986 and is the former Chairman and Chief of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. He is currently the medical director of the Women’s Care Center, which is located on the Cooper Health Sciences Campus in Camden.
Dr. Jaffe and his wife, Charlotte, live in Medford, N.J. They are the parents of four sons and the grandparents of 11 grandchildren. Their youngest son, Andrew, was born at Cooper, as were nine of their grandchildren. Currently, their son Scott is a primary care physician, Peter is a physical medicine and rehabilitation physician, and Andrew is a dermatologist. Stephen is an attorney and real estate developer.
“The Jaffe family has long been part of the Cooper family, and we are thankful for what is truly a lifelong commitment to the hospital,” said Susan Bass Levin, President and CEO of the Cooper Foundation. “Dr. Ronald Jaffe has dedicated his career to caring for women here in South Jersey, and through this gift, his legacy continues.”
Dr. Jaffe’s children surprised him with the gift to Cooper.
“This is a tremendous honor,” said Jaffe. “I am pleased that this money will go toward a cause I care deeply about – ensuring all women have access to high quality obstetric and gynecologic care.”
Andrew Jaffe said: “Cooper has given so much to our family that giving back to the hospital just seems like the right thing to do. My dad spent his entire life providing care for women who needed it most, and we wanted to recognize his contributions with this gift.”
During Dr. Jaffe’s tenure at Cooper, the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology grew from four full-time faculty members to more than 30. He helped develop four subspecialty divisions and two fellowships in the department. The residency class increased from eight to sixteen physicians, and the department is now one of the strongest academically in the region.
Dr. Jaffe earned his medical degree from Temple University School of Medicine and completed his residency at Hahnemann Medical College and Hospital. He received numerous awards and commendations over the course of his career and has repeatedly been named a Top Doc in New Jersey and Philadelphia. Dr. Jaffe is also the co-author of a medical textbook and has written several papers in the field of obstetrics and gynecology.