Deborah Heart and Lung Center Announces Largest Gift in Hospital’s 97 Year History

BROWNS MILLS, NJ – (November 12, 2019) – Deborah Heart and Lung Center, New Jersey’s only specialty cardiac, pulmonary, and vascular hospital, located in Burlington County, has announced a $5 million gift from Gregory Olsen, PhD., to Deborah100: The Campaign.  It is the largest single gift by an individual to Deborah in its 97-year history, and ranks among the largest gifts ever made to a New Jersey hospital.

Deborah100 is a multi-year initiative to add new patient floors all with private inpatient suites. Dr. Olsen’s gift helps launch a $50 plus million project that will culminate with the 100th anniversary of Deborah Heart and Lung Center in 2022.  The project will also incorporate a new design, and include upgrades to the latest technology.

The gift was announced at Deborah Hospital Foundation’s 14^th Annual Red Tie Gala in Philadelphia to over 350 Deborah supporters. Olsen, a member of the Deborah Hospital Foundation Board of Directors, and President and CEO of Princeton-based GHO Ventures, LLC, is a scientist and entrepreneur, who in 2005 was the third private citizen to travel to the International Space Station. He accomplished this remarkable feat with the help of his Deborah Heart and Lung Center pulmonologist, David Murphy, MD, Chair Emeritus, who helped secure his medical clearances.

“I’ve lived a lifetime setting high and adventurous sights, never allowing challenges to inhibit what I wanted to accomplish,” said Olsen. “I gained a clear perspective about health and the persistent commitment of those providing care. I could have selected any healthcare organization in the world to care for me, but the specialists at Deborah focus on treatments far beyond the imagination. I am the direct beneficiary of Deborah’s medical expertise and care, which allowed me the opportunity to go into space. Deborah is MY hospital, and like tens of thousands of other grateful patients I am deeply indebted to them.”

“Deborah has long stood at the forefront of ground-breaking medical care,” said Joseph Chirichella, President and CEO of Deborah Heart and Lung Center. “But we have also stood for compassion and kindness through our philosophy that ‘there’s no price on life’. We are thankful for Dr. Olsen’s gift that will further elevate our care in the region.”

For more information, visit www.Deborah100.org.

#  #  #

About Deborah Heart and Lung Center

Deborah Heart and Lung Center in Browns Mills, NJ is an 89-bed teaching hospital that specializes in the diagnosis, research, and treatment of heart, lung, and vascular diseases, as well as providing outpatient cardiology services for children. Deborah is consistently recognized as a leader in patient care and innovative healing, and is an affiliate of the Cleveland Clinic Heart & Vascular Institute. Deborah has earned a 5-Star Center for Medicare Services rating, placing Deborah among the top 8% of hospitals nationwide, and is ranked #1 in New Jersey for patient satisfaction; and a 3-Star Society of Thoracic Surgeons rating for both coronary artery bypass and aortic valve surgeries, which ranks Deborah among the top 7% of cardiac surgery programs in the country. For more information visit www.DemandDeborah.org

About Deborah Hospital Foundation

Deborah Hospital Foundation is the fundraising arm of Deborah Heart and Lung Center.  Its mission is to financially support the altruistic billing philosophy and specialized patient care at Deborah.  The Foundation is the only hospital foundation in New Jersey to have earned a 4-STAR rating from Charity Navigator, their highest distinction. For more information, visit www.DeborahFoundation.org