Jefferson Health – New Jersey Receives $30,000 Quality of Life Grant from Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation

Voorhees, NJ (January 27, 2022) — Jefferson Health – New Jersey was recently awarded $30,000, as part of the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation National Paralysis Resource Center (NPRC) 2021 Priority Impact Quality of Life grants. The grant will be used for Jefferson NJ’s Maressa Center for MS Wellness, which strives to enhance the quality of life for South Jersey residents living with multiple sclerosis through innovative, educational, and therapeutic wellness classes.  

The Quality of Life Grants Program supports nonprofit organizations that empower individuals living with paralysis. Jefferson Health – New Jersey was one of 17 organizations awarded grants, totaling $499,700 for 2021. Since its inception, nearly 3,500 grants totaling more than $36 million have been awarded.

“We are grateful for the visionary partnership the Reeve Foundation shares with Jefferson Health – New Jersey and our Maressa Center for MS Wellness,” said Larry Slagle, MBA, Associate VP of Development, Jefferson Health Foundation – New Jersey. “This support will help us expand our commitment to improving the lives of community members with MS.”

The Reeve Foundation NPRC awards several grants of varying amounts and categories under the Quality of Life program. Each tier focuses on a high-priority issue to increase access to services, as well as the independence or inclusion of people living with paralysis, their family members, and caregivers. The grant Jefferson Health – New Jersey received falls under the tier COVID-19: Addressing Social Isolation category.

“The Priority Impact program focuses on areas of deep need within our community of people living with paralysis, and their families and caregivers,” said Mark Bogosian, the Reeve Foundation’s Quality of Life Grants Program Director. “These areas include respite and caregiving, addressing social isolation, assistive technology, and employment — all of which enhance the quality of life and are, in many ways, its very foundation.”

For more information on the Maressa Center for MS Wellness at Jefferson Health – New Jersey, visit https://NewJersey.JeffersonHealth.org/MaressaCenter.

About Jefferson Health: Jefferson Health, home of Sidney Kimmel Medical College, is reimagining health care in the greater Philadelphia region and southern New Jersey. Jefferson’s dedicated team of doctors, nurses, health professionals and staff provides a range of primary to highly specialized care through 18 hospitals (10 are Magnet®-designated by the ANCC for nursing excellence), more than 50 outpatient and urgent care locations, the NCI-designated Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Moss Rehabilitation Hospitals and Magee Rehabilitation and the JeffConnect® telemedicine program. For 2021-2022, Jefferson is ranked among the nation’s best hospitals in seven specialities by U.S. News & World Report. Jefferson Health’s mission is to improve the lives of patients in the communities it is privileged to serve through safe, effective, equitable, compassionate care.

About the Reeve Foundation: The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation is dedicated to curing spinal cord injury by funding innovative research and improving the quality of life for individuals and families impacted by paralysis. By uniting the brightest minds in the field, we are working tirelessly to accelerate scientific discovery across the field of spinal cord research by investing in labs across the globe. Additionally, through a cooperative agreement with the Administration for Community Living, the Reeve Foundation’s National Paralysis Resource Center (NPRC) promotes the health, well-being, and independence of people living with paralysis, providing comprehensive information, resources, and referral services assisting over 100,000 individuals and families since its launch in 2002. The Reeve Foundation is committed to elevating our community’s voices and needs to achieve greater representation and independence. We meet all 20 of the Better Business Bureau’s standards for charity accountability and hold the BBB’s Charity Seal.  For more information, visit www.ChristopherReeve.org or call 800-225-0292.