November 2014, Morristown, NJ – Businessman and philanthropist Robert “Dick” Deskovick and his wife, Louise “Jackie” Deskovick, have announced they are donating $5 million to complete the Maternity Center renovation, underway for several years now, at Morristown Medical Center. In recognition of their significant leadership gift, the Maternity Center will be named for the Deskovicks and the Franklin Building will be known as the Deskovick Pavilion.
“Helping the hospital has been on my mind for a very long time,” says the Morristown resident. “My wife was born and raised in Morristown, and I spent 50 years in Morris Township.”
The $2.7 million Maternity Center renovation goal, surpassed with the Deskovick gift, was part of a larger $12 million multi-phase project to update the 76,500 sq. ft. space into a state-of-the-art haven for new moms, babies and their families. The gift will also support renovation of the façade and entryway of the center and be further used for new equipment and programs.
“To give a gift of this magnitude that completes our Maternity Center’s last stage of renovation ensures that all of our patients will now be able to deliver their babies in our new spa-like environment, with private rooms, the latest technology and family-centered care,” says David Shulkin, MD, president of Morristown Medical Center. “We are extremely appreciative of the Deskovicks’ extraordinary gift exhibiting such community-minded generosity.”
“The completion of the Maternity Center was a critical priority for Campaign 3SIXTY,” says Finn Wentworth, campaign chairman, Foundation for Morristown Medical Center. This $100 million campaign, which now totals $87.7 million with the Deskovicks’ gift, is raising funds for traditional priorities at the hospital, such as the Maternity Center, as well as investing in new initiatives and new models of care. “As a Level III Regional Perinatal Center, Morristown Medical Center provides all aspects of obstetrics and neonatal services, including those needed for high-risk mothers and their babies. Every mother can now be sure she will receive here the very best beginning possible for her baby.”
Mr. Deskovick, a builder by trade, grew up in East Hanover. He was a co-founder of the First Morris Bank (now Provident Bank) in the late 1960s. He is a trustee of the Dick and Jackie Deskovick Foundation and also serves as a trustee of The Morristown Green. Jackie was born and raised in Morristown.
About Morristown Medical Center
Morristown Medical Center, located in Morristown, NJ, is part of Atlantic Health System, one of the largest non-profit health care systems in New Jersey. Accredited by The Joint Commission, the hospital was recognized by U.S. News & World Report as a top hospital nationwide for cardiology and heart surgery, gynecology, geriatrics, orthopedics and pulmonology. Morristown Medical Center also ranked as a “Best Regional Hospital” for cancer, diabetes & endocrinology, neurology and neurosurgery, as well as gastroenterology & GI Surgery, nephrology and urology. Morristown Medical Center’s Gagnon Cardiovascular Institute performs more cardiac surgeries than any other hospital in New Jersey, placing its cardiac program in the top two percent in the country. Morristown Medical Center is verified as a Level I Regional Trauma Center by the American College of Surgeons and designated a Level II by the state of New Jersey and was re-designated a Magnet Hospital for Excellence in Nursing Service, the highest level of recognition by American Nurses Credentialing Center for facilities that provide acute care services, a distinction awarded to less than five percent of U.S. hospitals. Learn more >