Hurricane Sandy Haiti Relief Fund Established

Superstorm Sandy Closes the Gap between Hôpital Sacré Coeur in Milot, Haiti & New Jersey Victims
Ludlow, MA – November 7, 2012 –Superstorm Sandy trolled across the Caribbean on route to her catastrophic landfall in New Jersey. Residents of Haiti and New Jersey experienced their homes, lives and dreams washed away in an instant. Ludlow based CRUDEM Foundation has established a Sandy Relief Fund to benefit those affected by the hurricane in Haiti, including assistance with medical, housing, food, and other essential needs.

New Jersey Obstetrician/Gynecologist Dr. David G. Butler is Chairman of The CRUDEM Foundation, a national, non-profit organization which built and operates Hôpital Sacré Coeur in Milot, Haiti. Dr. Butler and a team of hospital administrators from Holy Name Medical Center, including President and CEO Michael Maron, were in Haiti during Hurricane Sandy and returned home to a devastated New Jersey.

“Tragically, Sandy closed the gap between Haitians and Americans,” said Dr. Butler. “In an instant, many residents of New Jersey became residents of the third world. Though the Americans will feel the dire consequences for weeks, months and perhaps years, the Haitians live under these life-threatening conditions daily and without the aid of FEMA, insurance companies or families with resources.”

Sandy dumped more than 20 inches of rain on Haiti, killed 54 people, and caused a dangerous food shortage. The government declared an island-wide state of emergency, and assessed losses to livestock, crops and infrastructure at $104 million. A mere nine weeks prior, Tropical Storm Isaac pounded the region, resulting in $70 million in damages and rising food prices.

In the US, Sandy claimed the lives of 113 people, permanently eroded the NJ shoreline and left millions without power and hundreds of thousands with damaged homes. Lack of power, fuel and a severe housing crisis continues in the area. Holy Name Medical Center’s ER overflows with patients unable to seek medical care from clinics and doctors’ offices still closed due to power outages and fuel shortages that keep medical staff from returning to work. Nursing homes in the area are closing as generators fail or fuel deliveries don’t materialize.

 “Many of our employees were impacted by the storm,” said Holy Name Medical Center President & CEO, Michael Maron. “They lost everything.” But their commitment to serving the victims of Sandy took first place in their concern. “On Monday morning, there was no one without a bag over her or his shoulder, in anticipation of staying overnight at the hospital,” said Holy Name EVP and Chief Nursing Officer Dr. Sheryl Slonim. “We had to make rounds throughout the facility to find places where staff could sleep – that’s the level of commitment our employees have to their patients and to our Medical Center. I’m so impressed with their performance and thank them from the bottom of my heart.”

Donations to the Hurricane Sandy Haiti Relief Fund can be sent to:
The CRUDEM Foundation, P. O. Box 804, Ludlow, MA 01056

CRUDEM Contact:
Joni M. Paterson, Ph.D.
Director/U.S. Operations
Tel: 413-642-0450
jmpaterson@charter.net

About Hôpital Sacré Coeur and The CRUDEM Foundation
Hôpital Sacré Coeur (HSC) is the largest private hospital and largest employer for the 500,000 people living in the north of Haiti. Located in the town of Milot, the 120 bed hospital has provided uninterrupted service for over 26 years. This premier Haitian healthcare facility and official Haitian Government Reference Hospital has been a beacon of hope for the people of Haiti as it creates a healthier Haiti, one dignified life at a time.

CRUDEM, an acronym for (Center for the Rural Development of Milot) was founded in 1968 by the Brothers of the Sacred Heart of the Montreal Province. In 1993, the CRUDEM Foundation assumed operating control of the hospital and became a 501(c) (3) corporation. In 1999, CRUDEM and Hôpital Sacré Coeur were included as “100 Projects of the Holy Father for the Year of Charity, 1999” by Pope John Paul II. In 2012, the Holy Name Medical Center Foundation of Teaneck, NJ became the sole member of the CRUDEM Foundation. Today Holy Name provides all manner of technical, operational and administrative assistance to Hôpital Sacré Coeur.

The CRUDEM Foundation is organized for the purpose of improving access to health care services for poor and medically underserved individuals through the solicitation, receipt, management and disbursement of contributions, donations, bequests and devises of funds and other property (real and personal) to hospitals serving the health care needs of such individuals worldwide, including without limitation, Hospital Sacre Coeur, located in Milot, Haiti, and to perform any other acts consistent with or in furtherance of these purposes.

Holy Name Medical Center Contact:
Michael Maron, President & CEO
Holy Name Medical Center, Teaneck, NJ
Tel: 201-833-3393
maron@holyname.org

About Holy Name Medical Center Foundation
Holy Name Medical Center is ranked among the top hospitals in the nation for patient care, clinical performance and workplace excellence. Click here to learn more.

The Holy Name Medical Center Foundation, Teaneck, New Jersey, was created in 1986. Its mission is to encourage the philanthropic support of Holy Name Medical Center by raising awareness of the Medical Center’s capabilities and inviting the community to invest in a rewarding process that supports the values, preserves the interests and meets the expectations of the community by making a positive difference in the health and well being of all those within it.

Today, the Foundation-guided by a Board of Directors – continues to build bridges between the Medical Center and the community it serves while seeking ongoing donor support for its state-of-the-art facilities, medical technologies, patient care programs and services.

Over the years, the Foundation has helped raise millions of dollars for new state-of-the-art medical facilities including The BirthPlace, The Sister Patricia Lynch Regional Cancer Center, The George Pitkin, MD Emergency Care Center and The George and Amy Newman Cardiac Diagnostic Center.

The Holy Name Medical Center Foundation and its staff is committed to increasing the generous support needed to carry out the mission of Holy Name Medical Center and the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace, the Medical Center’s founding sponsor. As a private, not-for-profit organization, Holy Name Medical Center receives no federal or state subsidies or county tax support, making it that much more critical for the Holy Name Medical Center Foundation to seek independent donor support.

Website: www.holyname.org/foundation/