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Touro University College of Medicine
Contact:
Sharon Dilling, Director
Marketing & Community Affairs
201.883.9320 x2022
sharon.dilling@touro.edu
For Immediate Release
Hackensack, N.J., February 27, 2008- The auction of Pascack Valley Hospital ended with the equal partnership of Hackensack University Medical Center (HUMC) and Touro University College of Medicine (TouroMed) as the winning bidder in the sale of the bankrupt hospital. The medical center plans on returning vital acute-care services to the Westwood campus while TouroMed plans to move forward with a new medical school.
“Our first order of business is to bring the highest quality healthcare to the people of the Pascack Valley region,” said John P. Ferguson, president and chief executive officer of Hackensack University Medical Center. “We intend to focus on restoring emergency medical services on the campus as soon as possible. We will evaluate other clinical programs and services that will best serve the community in that location. This is a wonderful opportunity for the medical center and we look forward to working with our partner, TouroMed, on our mission of providing exceptional patient experiences through quality patient-centered care, education, research, and community outreach,” he said.
The symbiotic relationship between the school and the medical center provides many benefits that extend to the local communities. Chief among these are the provision of quality healthcare services and a new and expanded economic vitality for Westwood and the surrounding municipalities.
“Naturally, everyone at Touro University College of Medicine is extremely pleased with the Court’s decision. We feel that our new home – shared with HUMC, one of the finest hospitals in the country – will be a great asset to the Westwood and surrounding communities. We hope that the return of essential healthcare services, coupled with an academic environment of a medical school, will help Westwood remain one of the most desirable towns in New Jersey to live and work,” said Paul M Wallach, M.D., FACP, Vice President and Dean of TouroMed. “We know the site will serve our students and faculty well and we will be proud to call Westwood home,” he added.
Hackensack University Medical Center is a 781-bed teaching and research facility and is the fourth largest hospital in the nation based on admissions. The medical center was recently named one of America’s 50 Best Hospitals by HealthGrades for the second year in a row based on sustained outstanding clinical performance. The medical center is the only hospital in New Jersey, New York, and New England to receive this recognition that only one percent of the nation’s hospitals can claim.
Touro University College of Medicine (TouroMed) was established in 2007. Dedicated to advancing health care through science, compassion and caring, TouroMed has applied to the Liaison Committee for Medical Education for accreditation. Currently in “Candidate Status,” awaiting Preliminary Accreditation, TouroMed hopes to enroll its first class in August 2009. For more information, contact Sharon Dilling at 201.883.9320 x2022.
TouroMed is part of Touro College, which has experienced phenomenal growth since its founding in 1971 and is currently educating approximately 17,500 students at locations in New York, California, Florida, Nevada, Jerusalem, Moscow and Berlin. Touro College continues to have a profound impact on the lives of its students and on the Jewish and general communities. For more information on Touro College, please go to http://www.touro.edu/media/