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TD Charitable Foundation Donates $25,000 to Support Palisades Medical Center's Community Outreach Program
The TD Charitable Foundation recently made a generous investment that will help improve the health and wellness of low-income residents throughout Hudson and southern Bergen Counties.
The TD Charitable Foundation awarded a $25,000 grant to the Palisades Medical Center Foundation to support the North Bergen hospital's Community Outreach Program that works throughout the year to bring healthcare education, screening, and affordable treatment referrals to local families.
"The TD Charitable Foundation is pleased to be able to provide grants to organizations like the Palisades Medical Center. We are confident that the Community Outreach Program is a unique outreach initiative to improve access to healthcare services in our community and we remain committed to supporting organizations that improve the quality of life for those communities we serve," said TD Bank Market President Don Buckley.
Palisades Medical Center's Community Outreach Program delivers an integrated array of services on-site in conjunction with participating schools, employers, civic organizations, and religious congregations, and at community events throughout our area. Participation is open to all, regardless of organizational affiliation. The program provides healthcare screenings, testing and treatment referrals, with a particular focus on early detection of obesity, asthma, heart disease, and diabetes.
Palisades Medical Center's Community Outreach Program has enjoyed great success, with screenings provided to more than 5,400 community members over the last 18 months. Over 10,000 individual tests were administered, and more than 850 people were referred for treatment to area clinics or local physicians.
To complement our successful screening initiatives, the PMC Community Outreach Program was recently expanded to address the community's general lack of healthcare/well care awareness. In 2009, Palisades launched a series of healthcare seminars presented by its participating physicians. This initiative was designed to improve health literacy, facilitate access to quality care, and promote healthy lifestyle choices. Seminar topics address such areas as obesity and nutrition, pain management, smoking cessation, diabetes, podiatry, and women's health issues.
"Thanks to generous support from community partners like TD Charitable Foundation, Palisades Medical Center is succeeding in our efforts to improve the health and wellbeing of our neighbors," said Bruce J. Markowitz, President and CEO of Palisades Medical Center. "Our Community Outreach Program is making a vital connection with local residents and families that have ignored their healthcare needs because of economic, social, and language barriers."
For information about Palisades Medical Center's upcoming screenings and seminars, please call (201) 854-5793.
Census 2000 Statistics
The lower-income communities of Hudson and Bergen Counties are populations in dire need of improved healthcare screening, awareness, and education. Year 2000 Census statistics for North Bergen, West New York and Union City show that these three communities alone are home to nearly 4% of New Jersey residents at or below the poverty level. In addition, the poverty rate in the lower-income Hispanic communities of Hudson and Bergen Counties is more than double the statewide average. North Bergen, West New York and Union City constitute more than 10% of New Jersey's total Hispanic population.
About the TD Charitable Foundation
The TD Charitable Foundation is the charitable giving arm of TD Bank N.A., which operates as TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank, and is one of the 15 largest commercial banking organizations in the United States. The Foundation's mission is to serve the individuals, families and businesses in all the communities where TD Bank operates, having made over $56 million in charitable donations since its inception in 2002. The efforts of the Foundation are coordinated locally through TD Bank's community relations departments and are focused on the areas of affordable housing, education and financial literacy, and the environment. More information on the TD Charitable Foundation, including an online grant application, is available at www.TDBank.com.
About Palisades Medical Center
Palisades Medical Center is a regional hospital located in North Bergen, NJ, serving a population of 400,000 in Hudson and Southern Bergen Counties. The hospital is a member of the New York-Presbyterian Healthcare System, and operates the 202-bed Medical Center as well as The Harborage, a 245-bed rehabilitation center and nursing home.
About the Palisades Medical Center Foundation
The Palisades Medical Center Foundation gathers support local residents, business and organizations to enable Palisades Medical Center and the Harborage upgrade facilities, expand services, and establish greater contact with the community. For more information or to support the Palisades Medical Center Foundation, please call (201) 854-5008 or visit www.palisadesmedicalfoundation.org.