The Valerie Fund Pledges $3.5 Million to Establish New Pediatric Pain and Palliative Care Program at Hackensack Meridian Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital
Hackensack, NJ – November 3, 2025 – Hackensack Meridian Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital today announced a transformative, 5-year, $3.5 million commitment from The Valerie Fund to significantly expand its Pediatric Pain and Palliative Care Program.
The landmark donation will establish The Valerie Fund Pediatric Pain and Palliative Care Program at the Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital, located at Hackensack University Medical Center in Hackensack, NJ, will dramatically enhance comprehensive, family-centered care for children with complex and serious illnesses.
This new partnership will allow the hospital to care for more people annually, growing from approximately 1,750 to 3,500 patient visits. The funding will bolster the program’s personnel and expand its psychosocial offerings to provide an enhanced layer of support for patients and their families throughout their medical journey.
The Pediatric Pain and Palliative Care Program is a vital service, promoting quality of life, healing and support for children facing chronic, complex or advanced illness. The program is the only pediatric palliative care program in New Jersey certified by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations. With more than 75 percent of its consults serving hematology-oncology and stem cell transplant patients—core areas of The Valerie Fund’s mission—this partnership is a natural and powerful alignment.
“This is a monumental day for patients and families,” said Joyce P. Hendricks, president and chief development office of Hackensack Meridian Health Foundation, which oversees all philanthropic initiatives at Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital through the Hackensack University Medical Center Foundation. “Palliative care is about providing comfort, dignity and an extra layer of support when families need it most, and this incredibly generous gift from The Valerie Fund will be transformational, allowing us to build a world-class, comprehensive program that matches the outstanding clinical care we provide. We are profoundly grateful for their partnership and their belief in our mission.”
The donation addresses critical needs driven by a growing patient volume and the increasing complexity of care. By funding the creation of several new positions, physicians will have increased time for direct patient care and patients will benefit from additional team members to better address their psychological and emotional needs, as well as those of their family members.
The funding will enable the creation of several new key positions, including:
A full-time social worker
A dedicated pediatric pain management psychologist
A creative arts therapist
A nurse navigator
An additional Clinical Nurse Specialist
“For decades, The Valerie Fund has been committed to supporting the psychosocial needs of children with cancer and blood disorders,” said Barry Kirschner, executive director of The Valerie Fund. “We see the immense burden that serious illness places not just on the child, but on the entire family. By funding the creation of The Valerie Fund Program for Pain and Palliative Care, we are ensuring that these brave children and their families receive the complete, compassionate care they deserve. We are proud to partner with Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital, a leader in pediatric care, to make this vision a reality.”
“This support will fundamentally change how we deliver care,” said Stacey Rifkin-Zenenberg, M.D., section chief of Pediatric Pain and Palliative Care. “It allows us to build the interdisciplinary team we have dreamed of—a team that can address not just physical pain, but the anxiety, depression and emotional distress that accompany a serious diagnosis. We can now implement specialized counseling, expand our creative arts therapy to reach more siblings and build a more robust bereavement program. This means more time with patients, better outcomes and a profound improvement in the quality of life for the children we serve.”
This donation brings Hackensack Meridian Health Foundation one step closer to its $1 billion fundraising goal as part of its Be The Difference campaign, the largest fundraising campaign ever undertaken by a health care network in New Jersey. Launched in September 2024, Be The Difference is a transformational effort focusing on four key pillars: enhancing the delivery of patient care, accelerating groundbreaking research and discovery, expanding health care access for all and revolutionizing medical education while supporting the nursing profession. Through this ambitious initiative, Hackensack Meridian Health Foundation aims to reshape health care for patients, clinicians and the communities it serves, paving the way for a brighter, healthier future.
To learn how you can make a difference for pediatric patients at Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital, email Natalie Tessoun, executive director of development, at natalie.tessoun@hmhn.org or visit givehmh.org/JMSCH.
ABOUT JOSEPH M. SANZARI CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL
Hackensack Meridian Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital at Hackensack University Medical Center is a 105-bed, state-designated children’s hospital and a major state-wide referral center for pediatric cancer and blood disorders, pediatric orthopedics, and pediatric neurosurgery. It is home to the only pediatric palliative care program in New Jersey certified by the Joint Commission and is the only children’s hospital in the state offering curative therapies for sickle cell disease. As part of Hackensack Meridian Children’s Health, it is dedicated to providing the highest level of care to children and their families.
ABOUT THE VALERIE FUND
After their nine-year-old daughter Valerie Goldstein succumbed to cancer in 1976, her parents Sue and Ed Goldstein were determined that no family should have to travel great distances to receive superior medical care. Along with a group of close friends, they began fundraising efforts from their living room---tireless work that would lead to the 1977 opening of New Jersey’s first pediatric oncology facility at Summit’s Overlook Hospital. Nearly fifty years later, The Valerie Fund’s mission remains that of supporting comprehensive healthcare for children battling cancer and blood disorders. The Valerie Fund treats more than 6,500 patients each year at eight treatment centers and a dedicated pediatric pain & palliative care program across New Jersey, New York, and metro Philadelphia.
ABOUT HACKENSACK MERIDIAN HEALTH FOUNDATION
Hackensack Meridian Health Foundation, a registered 501(c)(3), is the philanthropic division of Hackensack Meridian Health, a leading not-for-profit health care organization that is the largest, most comprehensive and truly integrated health care network in New Jersey, offering a complete range of medical services, innovative research and life-enhancing care. The foundation oversees fundraising for the network’s three academic medical centers, two children’s hospitals and seven community-based medical center foundations, as well as key initiatives, programs and services offered by Hackensack Meridian Health, including nursing support, behavioral health, children’s health, Hackensack Meridian Health’s Center for Discovery & Innovation and Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine.
Hackensack Meridian Health Foundation has been designated as both a High Performer Overall and Healthcare System High Performer by the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP) within their 2023 Report on Giving.
In September 2024, Hackensack Meridian Health Foundation publicly launched its Be The Difference campaign, a one billion dollar fundraising initiative built upon four pillars, each designed to support Hackensack Meridian Health’s vision for New Jersey, including better delivery of patient care; revolutionizing medical education and supporting the nursing profession; accelerating research and discovery; and ensuring more equitable access to advanced care. To learn more about the campaign, visit HMHBeTheDifference.org.
To make a gift in support of Hackensack Meridian Health Foundation, visit GiveHMH.org/Donate.
Photo caption: Leaders from Hackensack Meridian Health, Hackensack University Medical Center, Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital and The Valerie Fund held a ribbon cutting to announce the expansion of its Pediatric Palliative Care Program thanks to a generous gift from The Valerie Fund.