About Us : News : Current News
SOCH Announces Grand Opening
of the Tracy Armellino Telemetry Unit
$1 Million Gift Helps Make New Inpatient Unit
a Reality
|
(left to right:) SOCH CEO
Joe Coyle, Michael and Patricia Armellino, SOCH Foundation Chairman
John Flynn, and
SOCH Chairman Paul Carr
dedicate The Tracy Armellino Telemetry Unit, "in memory of
Tracy Armellino, with love from her parents, family, and friends. |
On February 28, Southern Ocean County Hospital officially dedicated the Tracy Armellino Telemetry Unit, adding 32 additional beds to the Hospital, and creating a lasting tribute to the memory of Tracy Armellino, who was treated here last summer.
Michael and Patricia Armellino demonstrated their heart felt gratitude by making an extraordinary gift of 1million dollars to The SOCH Foundation, in memory of their daughter.
“The opening of the Tracy Armellino Telemetry Unit is the beginning of yet another remarkable chapter in the history of Southern Ocean County Hospital,” said SOCH President and CEO Joseph P. Coyle. “Through their generosity, Mr. and Mrs. Armellino will help us to provide the very best of care to our residents for years to come.”
Indeed, the new inpatient unit is equipped with the latest advances in medical technology. Designed specifically for cardiac patients, the Tracy Armellino Telemetry Unit features a centralized nurses’ station, where each patient’s heart rhythm is continuously observed via wireless computerized telemetry monitors by specially trained staff. The new unit also has two beds that are designated for use by patients who are on dialysis.
“I couldn’t think of a more appropriate way to show our appreciation for the exceptional care that our daughter received at SOCH,” said Mr. Armellino, “The doctors and nurses were skilled and professional. We will always remember their compassion and care.”
Mr. Armellino has witnessed, first-hand, how much the area has grown. A resident of Little Falls, in northern, NJ, he and his family have spent their summers on Long Beach Island since 1970. He turned to the Hospital throughout the years if his children got sick, and even demonstrated his support in the mid-1980’s by making a donation towards a new nurses’ station. However, it was within the past three years that Mr. Armellino, a retired executive of Goldman Sachs, truly learned how important it was to have an exceptional community hospital available for summer and year-round residents alike.
“My cousin was treated at SOCH for heart problems, last July my wife became
seriously ill and spend time in the Hospital’s Critical Care Unit, and
Tracy was treated during September,” said Mr. Armellino. “There were
three separate
times where we unexpectedly needed SOCH, and SOCH performed so wonderfully!
It just makes sense for people in the community to provide financial support
for
such a superb Hospital.”
The volunteer members of SOCH four Auxiliaries couldn’t agree more. Together, the Boosters Auxiliary, the Holly Auxiliary, the Laurel Auxiliary, and the SOCH Auxiliary raised funds to furnish and provide medical equipment for the new unit. The Tracy Armellino Telemetry Unit was also made possible thanks to generous contributions from the OceanFirst Foundation, Mr. and Mrs. Peter and Debby Goldman, who serve on the Hospital’s Board of Trustees, and the generosity of hundreds of southern Ocean County residents.
“Advance planning to add a fourth floor as future space for additional beds was a bold but wise move when the Mancini Pavilion opened in 2002,” said Mr. Coyle. “The population of southern Ocean County is growing each year, and these numbers are reflected in the demand for health care services. Last year our admissions, our outpatient visits, and Emergency Department visits increased significantly. Now, this 14,000 square foot unit will help us meet the ongoing healthcare needs of one of the fastest growing counties in New Jersey.”
“We are eternally grateful to the Armellino’s for their extraordinary generosity, and deeply touched to be able to help celebrate Tracy’s memory,” said Chris Rollins, Executive Director of the SOCH Foundation.
For more information about Southern Ocean County Hospital, call SOCHConnect at 609-978-3400. To learn how you can reinvest in the health of our community, visit www.SOCHFoundation.org, or contact Foundation Executive Director Chris Rollins at (609) 978-3081.
