BY HILLARY VIDERS
SPECIAL TO NORTHERN VALLEY PRESS
ENGLEWOOD, N.J. —— On Dec. 1, The Breakfast Club, an auxiliary of the Englewood Hospital and Medical Center Foundation, welcomed New York Times bestselling author Dorothea Benton Frank to its semi-annual brunch at the Alpine County Club.
It was an elegant affair attended by over 150 people, including EHMC executives, EHMC Foundation trustees, Breakfast Club committee members and guests.
The Breakfast Club aims to increase awareness about the medical expertise available at EHMC through social outreach and special events. Funds raised from this year’s fall brunch will support behavioral health initiatives at the medical center.
The brunch began with a welcome by Committee Chair Erica Park who introduced Jay Nadel, chairman of the Board of Trustees of the EHMC Foundation.
[slideshow_deploy id=’899′]
Nadel thanked the Breakfast Club Committee.
“They are a team of incredible individuals wholly dedicated to the advancement and growth of our medical center,” he said.
Nadel also thanked the trustees that were present as well as the event sponsors: Dr. Aaron Capuano and Northern Center for Plastic Surgery, Town Audi Motors and Town Porsche and Investors Bank for their support.
Nadel proceeded to talk about healthcare.
“If you look at any great medical center in the U.S., broadly speaking, there are five things that they have in common: quality, patient satisfaction, making money, market share growth and philanthropy,” Nadel said. “Healthcare is changing very rapidly, and to have a great organization, you need the support of your community. Thanks to the philanthropic spirit of our community, EHMC is prepared to embrace exciting new challenges that will help to keep our patients and families healthy for years to come.”
Nadel said that earlier this year EHMC celebrated a new milestone when it surpassed the $50 million Capital Campaign goal for Transforming the Future that it initiated two years ago. “And we did it,” he said, “because we are strong together!”
Nadel then introduced Warren Geller, president and CEO, EHMC, who also had excellent news to report.
“For 12 consecutive years, the Leap Frog Group, that rates all the hospitals in the country, has given EHMC a straight A rating,” said Geller. “It is a great honor. I am proud that we are growing the way we are, and I am proud that we are surrounded by a wonderful community.”
Geller then spoke about a very timely topic, behavioral health.
“Earlier this year,” he said, “the medical center unveiled its strategic plan and behavioral health was identified as an area of critical concern,” Geller said. “An aging population, a national drug addiction crisis, and increased depression among all ages, socio-economic backgrounds and ethnicities are contributing to the increased demand for behavioral health care services.”
This statement was an excellent segue into the remarks of Dr. Stephen Brunnquell, president of MD Partners. Brunnquell gave an overview of EHMC’s plan for a system-wide behavioral health initiative to address the needs of those with mental illness and addiction issues living in our community.
Breakfast Club Chair Carol Rubin then thanked Brunnquell and introduced the featured speaker, Dorothea Benton Frank, who was met with great enthusiasm.
[slideshow_deploy id=’899′]
Most of the audience members were already fans of Frank and avidly read her books. Frank, who grew up in South Carolina, has written 18 novels, many of which were New York Times best sellers. In 1983, she married Peter Richard Frank and moved to Montclair. While her children were young Frank became a volunteer fundraiser, organizing events for various non-profit organizations around the metropolitan New York area.
Frank’s talk was enlightening as well as entertaining. She spoke about her initial foray into her career in the fashion world, then how she became a writer. She peppered this odyssey with amusing anecdotes about her family life and her book tour which has taken her from South Carolina to Nantucket to the West Coast.
Like her vibrant personality, Frank’s books also contain humor. They are set in beach locations and contain characters that resemble all the people she knows.
“I grew up in a beach area. So, I like to write books that people can read on vacation,” said Frank. “They are easy to read, but I still do a lot of research.”
On a serious note, Frank said that she’s very supportive of health care and hospitals as well as groups that raise money for cancer research and help battered women and children. As such, she praised EHMC’s new Behavioral Health program.
Frank’s talk was a huge success and it evoked an animated question and answer session, after which she was presented with a “thank you” gift by Committee Co-Chairs Carol Rubin, Suellen Freeman and Beth Nadel.
At the conclusion of the brunch, there was an announcement of the winners of a raffle that was set up in the lobby. Prizes included a personal shopping experience at Neiman Marcus, a series of books by Frank, gift cards and a home dining experience with a private chef.
Much credit is due to the Breakfast Club Committee that organizes elegant and educational brunches with outstanding feature speakers. These events are held twice a year; the next one will be on April 26.
[slideshow_deploy id=’899′]
Photos by Hillary Viders