Corporate Partners Driving Health Care Transformation

Every day, donors make a difference in the lives of patients throughout Hackensack Meridian Health; including our valuable corporate partners. Recently, two separate automotive allies have made gifts that will dramatically improve the lives of hospitalized children, and those facing a cancer diagnosis.

K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital in Neptune received a Honda Shogo, a unique electric vehicle designed to spread joy and fun to pediatric patients during their hospital stay. Generously gifted by TriHonda, K. Hovnanian is only the second hospital in New Jersey, and in the New York City tri-state area, to have the Honda Shogo - the other being at Hackensack Meridian’s Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital.

The Shogo can be used for kids up to 9-years-old, who can manage the go/stop function on the steering wheel, and has an adjustable speed of 1 to 5 miles per hour, which is controlled by a nurse or caregiver. It also includes an IV pole holder and a push bar to manually push the vehicle if needed. 

“Some of the cutest features are that it has a toy bucket in the front so that children can carry small comforts with them such as a toy, and it even has a horn and customizable license plate,” says Jessica Scerbo, interim chair, Department of Pediatrics and section chief, Pediatric Hematology/Oncology at K. Hovnanian Children's Hospital. “We are so grateful for this gift that is bringing so many smiles to our young patients.”

In addition to the generous Shogo from Honda, a special Handprint Ceremony took place in July to celebrate grants from Hyundai Hope on Wheels®. The organization granted $100,000 to support the Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) program that's part of Tackle Kids Cancer, a philanthropic initiative to raise money for pediatric cancer research and patient care programs, and a $300,000 grant to the Center for Discovery and Innovation to support the work of Ashley Varkey, D.O., in her efforts to provide enhanced treatment to children with pediatric acute myeloid leukemia. .

"This disease remains difficult to treat and standard chemotherapy has remained unchanged over the past few decades," says Dr. Varkey. "Through a vital partnership with Dr. Zakrzewski and a leading biotech company, we are developing novel drug therapies that promise more effective treatments on an accelerated timeline. This generous grant is not just an honor; it is a major step forward in our work to cure cancer." 

To celebrate the grants, three children diagnosed with various types of pediatric cancer, took part in a special ceremony where they dipped their hands in paint and placed them on a Hyundai Hope On Wheels vehicle that travels across the country to help create awareness. The handprints represent children battling cancer, children who survived cancer and children whose memories live on.

Corporate partners like Honda and Hyundai have the potential to make a significant impact on health care, and we are grateful to all of the businesses - small and large - who partner with us in our work. To learn more about how your business can join us in our mission, please email Maggie Long, executive director, Corporate Partnerships and Annual Giving at margaret.long@hmhn.org.