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Hunterdon Health Recieves the 2023 Special Recognition Award at the Hunterdon County Business Awards from the Hunterdon County Chamber of Commerce Let us travel back in time when Hunterdon was the only county in New Jersey without a hospital back in 1946...until the neighbors got involved. Their story begins in 1946, when Rose Angell, the county’s welfare director, found it unacceptable that Hunterdon was the only county in New Jersey without a hospital. Together with Louise Leicester, a public relations specialist, they approached the Hunterdon County Board of Agriculture and began the process of building a hospital in our county. The residents of Hunterdon quickly rallied in support and, through a tremendous grassroots effort, raised the necessary funds to support the construction of a comprehensive medical facility. In 1953, Hunterdon Medical Center opened its doors, drawing national attention for its focus on wellness and primary care. Today, Hunterdon Health provides a full range of preventive, diagnostic, and therapeutic inpatient and outpatient hospital and community health services. With a growing network of more than 30 primary and specialty practices throughout Hunterdon, Somerset, Mercer, and Warren counties, Hunterdon Health continues to evolve and grow to meet the needs of the community, their patients, and their families. Hunterdon Health is proud to provide care in offices and labs across the region, it’s good to know that a 178-bed, not-for-profit teaching hospital, Hunterdon Medical Center, stands ready to provide emergency, critical and surgical care in Flemington, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The entire Hunterdon Health team embraces the balance between good medicine and compassionate care with the newest trends and tools in medicine. On March 30th we honored the good work of the Doctors, Nurses, support staff, administration and the volunteer who have been working tirelessly since the early months of 2020 when the global pandemic of COVID 19 hit our world, country, state, and the communities of Hunterdon County. In the early days of the COVID response there was so much unknown on what we should do, how long this pandemic would last and how ultimately it would impact and change all our lives. Over the course of the early months and then over the course of the last several years Hunterdon Health had been a bedrock of support, treating members of our community who contracted COVID 19 and had other complications. The team spent countless hours working around the clock to ensure that the patients and families received the proper care and compassion that they so desperately needed. The Hunterdon Health team collaborated with the Hunterdon County Department of Health and other stakeholders to provide information and education on COVID. As the vaccines become available, they set up a system of vaccine sites and educational program and messaging for our community. Even in the first few weeks of the Pandemic held with the Chamber and the County a presentation to the Business Community on how to respond to their employees and protect their organizations. These important Business Briefings and distribution of information would be repeated throughout 2020, throughout 2021 and 2022. At the heart of it the entire team of Doctors, Nurses, support staff and administration put in countless hours above and beyond their scope of normal duties to ensure that the “compassionate care” they believe in was delivered to the individuals, families, and the communities of Hunterdon County. Even Sesame Street recognized the good work of the Doctors, Nurses and Staff of Hunterdon Health during the pandemic featuring them in their Heroes in Your Neighborhood Song, which is a timely adaptation of the classic "People in Your Neighborhood" song. Essential workers such as EMTs, pharmacists, grocers, police, doctors, and nurses are showcased in the new song. According to Elmo, the heroes in your neighborhood help "people stay healthy and connected." And that truly is the story of Hunterdon Health in our Community during these unprecedented 3 years of COVID and so many other challenges. Patrick Gavin, the Chief Executive Officer of the Hunterdon Healthcare System, and his team could earn this award daily. You guys deserve this award and much more!