Foundation for Health Advancement and Hackensack Meridian Health Partner to Support Health Care Innovation

Foundation for Health Advancement (FHA) is pleased to announce the signing of an affiliation agreement with Hackensack Meridian Health that allows the organizations to work together to support breakthroughs in biomedical research and technologies within the Hackensack Meridian Health network, the largest and most comprehensive in New Jersey.

“Innovation requires an ecosystem of providers, researchers and collaborators and we are thrilled to work with this extraordinary organization to continue our commitment to transforming health care,’’ said Robert C. Garrett, FACHE, CEO of Hackensack Meridian Health. “Our work with the Foundation for Health Advancement will deliver significant breakthroughs in medicine and care delivery.’’

The Foundation for Health Advancement (FHA) supports health-related research and education programs in New Jersey by providing grants to support early-stage university technologies with strong commercialization potential through its Innovation Grant Program. FHA’s affiliate, the New Jersey Health Foundation, provides grant funding for basic research and community health projects through its Research/Community Health and Social Service grant programs.

"The addition of Hackensack Meridian Health adds strength to our Foundation’s entire network as we plan to work with our affiliated organizations to develop unique collaborations," noted George F. Heinrich, M.D, vice chair and CEO of Foundation for Health Advancement. "We are very excited to collaborate on the goal of advancing health-related projects and companies within the state."

Hackensack Meridian Health continues to support innovation through many programs, including the Center for Discovery and Innovation, which opened in 2019 and developed many breakthroughs in the COVID pandemic. This includes the first commercial Covid test, a life-saving convalescent plasma therapy trial and genomic sequencing to track variants as the virus evolves. Additionally, the network created Bear’s Den, a panel of hospital and outside experts that identify and support transformational health care initiatives in biotech and pharma companies that will drive health care forward.

The new FHA/HMH affiliation means Hackensack clinicians, researchers, and other employees will be eligible to apply for Innovation Grants awarded by FHA. They will also be able to access the Research/Community Health and Social Services Grant program, which are awarded by FHA’s affiliate, the New Jersey Health Foundation.

“New Jersey has long been at the forefront of the medical and sciences industry and this collaboration furthers that legacy,” said Ihor Sawczuk, M.D., FACS, the chief research officer and president of the Northern Region of Hackensack Meridian Health. “Combined, our expertise will benefit everyone in the Garden State - and beyond.”

About Foundation for Health Advancement:
The Foundation for Health Advancement (FHA) is a Princeton, New Jersey based not-for-profit corporation that supports health-related research and education programs in New Jersey by providing grants to support early-stage university technologies with strong commercialization potential through its Innovation Grant Program. FHA’s affiliate, the New Jersey Health Foundation, provides grant funding for basic research and community health projects through its Research/Community Health and Social Service grant programs. A third funding program, offered through Foundation Venture Capital Group, another FHA affiliate, uses impact investing to provide pre-seed and seed funding to health-related startup companies at their partner organizations to help them advance to and through commercialization.