Celebrating a decade of impact: Dr. Rachel Haroz (right) honors Center for Healing co-founder Dr. Kaitlan Baston (left) with an Award of Appreciation during the program’s 10th Anniversary event.
CAMDEN, NJ — Cooper University Health Care celebrated the 10th anniversary of its nationally recognized Center for Healing, bringing together program founders, community partners, patients, and local leaders to reflect on a decade of progress, innovation, and impact in addiction medicine. The event, held at the Hilton Garden Inn in Camden on December 5, 2025, honored the Center’s leadership in evidence-based substance use disorder treatment, harm reduction, and research advancement, and its commitment to patient-centered, compassionate care.
Team members, community leaders, elected officials, and supporters fill the room for the Center for Healing’s 10th Anniversary celebration.
Former New Jersey Commissioner of Health Kaitlan Baston, MD, a co-founder of the Center for Healing, served as the event’s keynote speaker. In her remarks, Dr. Baston reflected on the Center’s origins, its growth over the past decade, and its role in transforming care for substance use disorders throughout the region. She emphasized the importance of integrating medical, behavioral, and community-based approaches to meet the complex needs of patients and highlighted the Center’s national reputation for innovative and compassionate treatment.
Throughout the program, additional reflections were shared by current and former leaders Rachel Haroz, MD, Matthew Salzman, MD, and Iris Jones, LPC, who spoke about the Center’s evolution since its opening in 2015. Camden County Correctional Facility Warden Karen Taylor and Jeffrey Brenner, MD, founder of the Camden Coalition of Healthcare Providers, also offered remarks underscoring the Center’s strong partnerships and its collaborative work in addressing addiction both within health care settings and across the broader community.
Rachel Haroz, MD, Center head and co-founder, praised the many individuals who shaped the Center’s growth over the past decade. “From the earliest days, our past leaders laid a foundation of courage, compassion, and innovation,” she said. “Our current team has built on that vision with extraordinary dedication, helping the Center for Healing grow into the nationally recognized program it is today. I am immensely proud of what we have achieved together and excited for what the next decade will bring.”
Patients also shared personal stories of recovery and partnership with the Center for Healing, offering powerful testimony to the program’s impact on individuals and families throughout the region. Attendees celebrated the Center’s achievements in expanding access to treatment, advancing research, and improving outcomes for patients navigating addiction and recovery.
Cooper leaders concluded the event by reaffirming the organization’s commitment to strengthening community partnerships, expanding services, and continuing to lead in evidence-based, person-centered addiction care in the years ahead.
About Cooper University Health Care
Cooper University Health Care is a leading academic health system affiliated with Cooper Medical School of Rowan University. Cooper, headquartered in Camden, New Jersey, has revenues of more than $2.4 billion and an A+ credit rating from both S&P and Fitch Ratings.
Cooper has nearly 14,000 team members, including nearly 1,600 nurses, more than 1,000 employed physicians representing 95 specialties and subspecialties, and more than 600 advanced practice providers.
Cooper operates MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper as well as three hospitals – its 663-bed flagship Cooper University Hospital in Camden, its 229-bed Cooper University Hospital Cape Regional in Cape May Court House, and Children’s Regional Hospital in Camden.
Cooper University Hospital in Camden is the only Level 1 trauma center in South Jersey and the busiest in the region. The hospital has been recognized as a top-performing regional hospital by U.S. News & World Report’s Best Hospitals annual survey for six years.
More than 2.4 million patients visit Cooper’s facilities annually. Cooper’s ambulatory network encompasses three outpatient surgery centers, several urgent care centers, a wound care center, and more than 130 physician, physical therapy, and radiology offices extending from the Delaware River to the New Jersey shore.
Cooper was named one of America’s Best Large Employers for 2025 by Forbes, ranking among the top 200 in the nation. Visit CooperHealth.org to learn more.